The best charcuterie/antipasto plate

This afternoon we are having our good friends Rae and Mon over and they are bringing Remy and her Beau Liam. Remy is going to borrow my (mom’s) vintage brocade dress for her prom. She bought a pair of shoes in NYC and this is fitting #2! The kids will then be off to Bloor Street to walk around and then have dinner plans!
We will make a killer charcuterie/antipasto plate:
• chicken liver pate
• korozot
• boconccini
• pickles (gherkins, mini onions)
• pickled asparagus
• grapes
• Salami
• Black Forest ham
• crispy Chorizo sausage
• melon
• marinated black olives
• Blue Cheese
• St. Andre cheese
And a variety of flat breads and crackers!

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Jamie Kennedy’s Wine Bar

We went to Jamie Kennedy’s old place Jamie Kennedy’s Wine Bar, renamed Wine Bar owned and operated by executive chef Scott Vivian. The decor seemed familiar; we had been to Chef Kennedy’s restaurant a long time ago. The place is literally cut in half; they have more bar seating than tables. There are also a lot of really hard surfaces, which means noise! And LOTS of it. We had reservations so we were sat at a table; the tables are way too close together. Next time, if there is one, I would want to sit at the bar on the kitchen side, it looks more interesting!

It’s Tapas style, which we love. We started with Mini Burgers on mini English Muffins served with Cornichons, the burgers were very tasty and the mini English Muffins were adorable (I wondered how they would reconcile the mini burger to a life-size English Muffin! Have to file that in the ol’ memory bank).

Our next plate was the Organic Potato Gnocchi which was served in Northern Woods Mushroom ragu – it was amazing. The Gnocchi was the perfect texture of chewy and soft all at the same time and the mushroom ragu was so rich and earthy, yum yum yum! Unfortunately, they too (recall Nyood) brought the final plate of Roasted Lamb Sandwich with Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onions WITH the Gnocchi, which makes me feel very rushed. The lamb had virtually no flavour, overwhelmed by the Blue Cheese. This was my least favourite course and I absolutely hated it that they brought it WITH the Gnocci.

We were still a bit hungry so we ordered the Selection of Artisanal Canadian Cheeses and I had 1 oz. of the N.V. Caves Vale Do Rodo Port a 10 Year Old Tawny Port (it was their suggested paring with the cheese). The cheese selections were OK, most from Ontario and a couple from Québec, some pasteurized and some not. There was maybe an ounce of each of 5 cheeses; they were all very similar in style, texture and taste, very mild at best (both JT and I like sharp cheeses!). My biggest disappointment, however, was the Port, they brought the 1 oz of Port in a 7oz Wine Glass! What? Did you run out of your proper port glasses? It literally looked like the remains of someone’s red wine. I wish I had sent it back. The taste was OK, but it’s like drinking wine out of a Styrofoam cup, it just doesn’t do it for me!

Jamie Kennedy’s Wine Bar overall rating (in my opinion): decor 3/5, service 3/5, food 4/5, Value 3/5, Noise: 3/5 (1 being very noisy, and 5 being quiet)

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Dinner with Neighbours

My friend is away on a girls weekend in New York City, so we decided to have her hubby and daughter for dinner. Last time they were over I had made a multi-course meal and it impressed her daughter so much that she wanted to make one at home; so of course, I had to indulge again! This is the menu:

• Escargot en Profiterole (drenched in Garlic, Parsley Butter)
• Mushroom Velouté with Truffle Oil  Drizzle and Garlic Crostini
• Retro Deviled Egg
• Balsamic Poached Pear, Prosciutto, Blue Cheese and Endive with a balsamic reduction
• Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp
• Old Fashioned Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream or Aged Cheddar

Retro Deviled Eggs

 

• 2 hard boiled eggs, pealed and cut in half length-wise, yolks removed and reserved
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp green onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp capers

1. Mix egg yolk, mayo, green onion and capers until creamy.
2. Put this mixture into a pipping bag with the largest star-shaped nozzle.
3. Pipe even amounts of this mixture into each yolk hole.
4. Sprinkle smoked paprika to decorate the pipped mixture.
5. Serve on mini individual plates, between courses.

Mushroom Velouté with Truffle Oil

 

 

Old Fashioned Apple Pie

 

 

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Retro Olive Nuggets for Easter Cocktail Party

We’re having JT’s family over for cocktails after our RCYC luncheon. I’m making totally retro food, Deviled Eggs, Mini Easter Cupcakes and Retro Olive Nuggets. JT’s sister used to make a version of these for the cottage cocktail parties their parents held in the 80’s! JT and I talked about making them for Easter and coincidentally a Balderson Cheese booklet had an intriguing recipe, so it had to be done!

Retro Olive Nuggets

Retro Olive Nuggets (my variation, of course)

• 1/4 lb Shredded Aged Cheddar (I used orange, but you can use white too!)
• 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter (the original recipe asks for salted butter, but the olives and the chipotle spice I added made it salty enough!)
• 3/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour (or all purpose flour)
• 1 tsp zantham gum (not required if using all purpose flour)
• 1 tsp Sexy Gourmet Chipotle Spice mix
• about 30 small pimento stuffed olives
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds

1. Pre heat oven to 350°F.
2. Place all ingredients but the sesame seeds and olives into a food processor and process until it becomes a firm ball of dough.
3. Remove from processor and rollout on a piece of parchment to about 2 -3 mm thick.
4. Using a 5cm cookie cutter, cut circles. Wrap one olive per cut circle and roll into sesame seeds until well coated.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until sesame seeds are somewhat golden.
6. Enjoy warm or cool. We preferred the flavour once they cooled to room temperature, you really taste the cheese and the sexy spice!

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