The way to a man's heart...Creme Brulee!

Growing up, I didn't spend much time in the kitchen. So before I got engaged, I thought to myself, how on earth am I going to impress him??


I decided I would make him a meal, the very first ever, and it would be incredible!


True story: the second meal I made for him was a terrible fiasco. I marinated the steaks in onion soup mix. I didn't know that he hates onions; but he ate it anyway to be nice. He went home and got sick. I was crushed. 


Back to the first meal: I barbecued his favorite cut of steak, rib-eye; I made twice baked potatoes; and a side of grilled carrots. 


BUT..the dessert was the daring finish...his favorite, CREME BRULEE.


I poured over cookbooks, in search of the best recipe, one that I could not mess up. My mom had a cookbook by America's Test Kitchen called "The New Best Recipe" and it had just what I was looking for. This is a textbook, with more than 1000 pages and pages of detailed descriptions for each recipe. They discussed different options for creme brulee: how many eggs make the best custard, how to lift ramekins out of the oven, different flavored custard options...and so on.


It was just what I needed. I studied it like a student, bought all the necessities, and took a huge risk. 




I can't say this is the reason we are married today (he might!). What I can say is that this meal floored him. He couldn't believe that I made the dessert from scratch. I had found the way to his heart, through his stomach!


I am sharing this recipe with you, even though the firstborn nature in me wants to keep it all for myself. The reason is that it is delicious, can be made ahead of time for when you have guests and is perfect for all seasons. It is based off the recipe from the cookbook, so if you feel so inclined, go out and buy the book and see it all for yourself!

The Matchmaker would be Proud!

"Matchmaker Matchmaker make me a Match, Find me a Find, Catch me a Catch!"


I know all the lyrics to all the songs in the Fiddler on the Roof, ok? I'm not weird, I just have an appreciation for Jewish culture, and now, delicious Challah Bread.


One of the upsides to having a blog, is becoming a part of the blogging community. I follow a handful of food blogs, and am a huge sucker for pictures of food.


I am the person who after watching a Wendy's commercial about their new hand-cut sea salt fries, took one look at my husband, and without a word we hopped in the Jeep and had our first taste of these goodies. 


This delicious Honey Apple Challah Bread was no exception.


Challah bread is a special sweet braided bread eaten on Jewish holidays and the Sabbath. So in honour of what was Yom Kippur weekend, I tried my hand at my first loaf of bread - ever. 


The recipe comes from a fellow blogger, check out this link for detailed instructions: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/09/apple-and-honey-challah/ 


Here's how mine turned out.

My only regret with this bread is not adding cinnamon to the dough, I think that would have made it that much more amazing. The amount of honey that the recipe calls for, makes it taste mildly sweet, if you want it on the sweeter side-I would add more honey. 

It smells like heaven while baking and tastes delicious when warm. 

"....but Mama, the men she finds. The last one was so old and he was bald. He had no hair!

A poor girl without a dowry can't be so particular. You want hair? Marry a monkey."

Fiddler on the Roof

Restaurant Review: The Manchester

Each weekend we try to have a date night, and in honor of eating out, here's a review of one of my recent favorites!

THE MANCHESTER- English Pub and Restaurant

Now, it is a pub, so its not a fancy date night place-but they have live music most nights, a rustic atmosphere, and fresh, delicious, craving-inducing food.


Everything that we have ordered there, we have loved!


My personal favorites are the hand cut fries, prime rib sliders and the salads.


The hamburgers come with amazing toppings and are as big as your face. 


And you have to try their beef brisket poutine, from what I've heard its an experience.


I have to say something about the staff as well. The ones whom we have had serve us, have been friendly, casual and fun. It is fitting for the place that they work, and makes you feel like you really are in an English countryside pub.


The last time we were there, my sisters and I wanted a place to talk, but the band was a bit loud- so we opened the front door a crack and then went outside to decide what we wanted to do. The man at the bar, with superhero speed, ran out, and with a huge smile persuaded us to come inside - how could we refuse!


And finally, here are the pictures:

These sliders have become a craving, they are covered in caramelized onions and mushrooms and come with a side of creamed horseradish dip. I don't even like horseradish, but I love this dip! If you go for one thing, try these, they melt in your mouth.

The house dressing is a slightly sweet vinaigrette-mmmmm!

So go visit our friends across the pond at The Manchester, and then let me know what you think!

Oh My! Delicious Apple Pie

As I have mentioned before, I grew up in a Middle Eastern household- the only kind of pies we make have meat or spinach in them (tastier than it sounds, I promise).


My husband is a pie-man, any time is the time for pie. Summertime is good for a fresh strawberry or peach pie and autumn is good for warm, gooey apple pie. 


My very first apple pie was born last year for our annual family Thanksgiving celebration. 


Note to newlyweds: its weird being married, because you all of a sudden are expected to bring food dishes to the family gatherings...and it is similar to walking the plank. They all think, hmm, can she cook? Will she fail? Is he starving? 


And ever since I've been married, I have become a firm believer in dumb luck - this pie was no exception. It was like some miracle came in to being. Mind you we almost started a fire in the oven when the juicy filling starting to spill down the sides and onto the burning hot element in my aunt's kitchen. But they loved it. My picky cousins tried it, my uncle who NEVER eats pie couldn't stop eating it...my mom, my dad, my amazing chef of a grandma...it disappeared from the pie plate and into their bellies...and they actually loved it!


So this year was no exception, I volunteered to make another apple pie. Because some of my family is either cutting back on sugar or diabetic, I was actually asked to make two pies- one with sugar and one without. 

Traverse City Highlights: Northern Journey Part 2

Welcome to the second half of our trip to Northern Michigan. This in no way is an exhaustive review of things to do in the Traverse City area. Rather its a snapshot of things that I loved and would highly recommend. I hope you enjoy!


Day 1: First lets back up: my husband while driving up north had previously become fixated on having me eat a traditional local dish. I was not so keen, the name of it was weird, and it didn't sound all that appetizing. He was so set on it, he insisted it would be great for the blog...I said no. Little did I know...


Traverse City has a nice downtown, its a beautiful walk with a mixture of quaint and modern shops and a variety of restaurants. With the lovely weather we had (70-80 degrees each day) we decided to walk and explore different lunch options.


If my husband and I were animals, he would have the metabolism of a camel, and I of a squirrel. Couple that with the fact that we wanted to see everything before we made a decision, it was over an hour later, and we had walked very far...and I was about to fall on the ground. 


Then we saw it, the holy grail : Cousin Jenny's

Meet the Pastie.

I think the pictures really speak for themselves, they were warm, flaky and oh so yummy! Cousin Jenny's had a variety of flavors, but pasties take a while to bake, so once they sell out for the day, that's it. We chose the ham (left) and chicken (right) and liked them both especially with the simple gravy on top. So my husband was right and I had instant tummy gratification...win/win.


Day 2: We spent the day at the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. Its about an hour drive west of Traverse City, and has been voted as the most beautiful place in America by Good Morning America. There are no food highlights, my only recommendations is if you are not keen on diner food, pack a lunch and head back to the city before dinner! Here's a few shots to show you the beauty that is nature and old towns. 

We both agree that dinner that night was a highlight. If we're honest, it may be one of the best things about the trip. While walking downtown, we came across Hanna Bistro, and after reading the menu-we were hooked. What struck us the most was that they creatively used local ingredients to make the most delicious sounding fall selection of gourmet meals- and the prices were very reasonable. The atmosphere was wonderful as well: candle lit, old and new decor tastefully combined, local paintings and very cordial waitstaff. 

Clockwise, here are the restaurant's descriptions of our meal: 

The Chevre Spiced pine nut encrusted warm & creamy goat cheese with arugula and Michigan apple chutney with Fustini's Cinnamon Pear Balsamic and Blood Orange Oil (top right)

Roasted Rosemary Lemon Chicken with layered sweet potato and spinach, drizzled with honey bourbon butter

Double Cut Pork Chop  Thick and juicy, grilled and served with our own Tart Cherry BBQ Sauce, made with Leelanau cherries, served with parmesan, buttermilk potatoes    

Day 3: On our third and last day, we decided to take a trip up Old Mission Peninsula. Before we did, we decided to stop at the one place that everyone seemed to recommend online for a delicious breakfast or lunch: Frenchies Famous

The place was run by a quiet gentleman with local ingredients, handmade bread, rich and potent endless cups of coffee, homemade root beer and quaint decor. Only 6 people can fit in the dining area at a time, and if you can find a seat, I highly recommend making the stop for a drink and a meal-you will not be disappointed! We had french toast with local maple syrup and a mile-high pastrami sandwich with coffee and root beer, and mmmm...mmm was it good!

Last but not least, we made the trip up to the Peninsula and stopped at the highly acclaimed Chateau Chantal Winery. Another locally made product is cherry-flavored wine, as both succulent cherries and amazing grapes grow well in Northern Michigan. The winery is beautifully set on the top of a hill overlooking fields of grapevines and the lake. Wine tasting is free, and the gracious staff provided us with great advice on different wines to taste. We ended up leaving with a bottle of "Tonight" a lightly fruity champagne, Cherry-infused red wine for cooking and a Sparkling Cherry bubbly for a wine tasting party that weekend. The wine I do regret not picking up is the "Late Harvest Reisling" with a white wine with subtle notes of fruity apple-it was so good! 

I would definitely go back to the area, just because I feel that we only scratched the surface of things to do. Traverse City is an inexpensive place to visit and the variety of nature and local fare to enjoy is worth experiencing!

Oh and the sunsets were gorgeous too!

On the Road Again: Part 1

Last week my husband and I traveled like nomads through parts of Northern Michigan. I am proud of him, because in the last year or so of our marriage he has made a journey with me to the dark side: SPONTANEITY. 

It all began with a holiday shopping trip to an outlet mall stateside. We didn't get there until late afternoon, and um...that's not enough time to shop. So I said, "What is stopping us from staying?" He said...."no we can't do that, we haven't planned anything, we have no place to stay, AND we have no jammies."

I said: "So what?" 

Two days later and one desperate trip to Meijers for the necessities, a quick pop onto Hotwire.com, a tour to the Bavarian timewarp that is Frankenmuth and all the shopping that a girl's heart could desire...we had done it...and loved it!

Now this type of travel is not for everyone. You have to go with what you get, and sometimes the hotel stay isn't superb (I would also recommend packing clothing and necessities)...but with some practice and time, we have turned this type of travel into an art.

Our first stop was Mackinaw City. We did not end up going across to Mackinac Island as the ferry costs $22/adult, and we were only going to spend the afternoon there. I highly recommend going, the restaurants there sound lovely and there are lots of things to do, especially if you plan to stay a few days. 

Mackinaw City Pros: 

The view of the Bridge

The variety of shops for Fudge and Salt Water Taffy

Mackinaw City Cons: The variety of food. We had the hardest time finding a place to eat. Once we found a place, which was an old train station...the food was so/so and as you can see below, just a wee bit greasy. 

We then took our travels down to Traverse City, MI. On the way, we spent the night in Petoskey, MI. It was a beautiful little place on the water, and the hotel stay was decent. Here's a tip for those who want to try spontaneous travel: if you are moving from place to place, especially between big cities, try staying in a town on the way or in a suburb of the city, you end up with cheaper hotel deals and not necessarily bad hotels to choose from!

We took a scenic drive down, and on the way we made a little stop at a local orchard stand. I was really excited because Traverse City is known first of all for its famous cherries, it is also a great place for fruit to grow - which at this time of year means delicious apples.

King Orchards
 http://www.kingorchards.com/

I picked up a few Honey Crisp and Jonagold apples to make my annual Thanksgiving apple
pie. You'll have to wait for my upcoming blog about my pie to learn why I grabbed those two types of apples.


My husband snatched up a fresh, personal-sized Raspberry/Cherry pie to enjoy on our trip. It's his absolute favorite, so he was really excited.


A neat tidbit about the orchard is that they ship locally-grown cherries. I am considering getting a bag to keep frozen for recipes throughout the year. 


Well, this post is getting long, and I have some experimental homemade bread to take care of!


Check back tomorrow for part two and my favorite part of the trip..

Traverse City!

Home of Sleeping Bear Dunes: voted America's most beautiful place by Good Morning America

AND

One of the up and coming Top Foodie Towns in America! MMMmmmm

Home Sweet Home

Hello World! 


I'm home and have a head full of lovely things to share. But first, I must wish my fellow Canadians a Happy Thanksgiving!


Today we celebrated as a family, and I used my sweet innocent relatives as pie tasters. It went well, and the recipe for delicious apple pie- one with sugar and one without will be posted soon.


Our vacation up north was full of good and "I think it would be okay if we never ate here again" food experiences which I can't wait to tell you all about!


In the true spirit of the season, here is what I am currently thankful for:


My loving and witty husband
My sweet sisters who are here right now
Music 


Not thankful however for the food situation, our fridge is empty and I just realized that grocery stores will be closed tomorrow. Oops. 


What are you thankful for?

Will Travel and Eat

Part of the reason I've had the time to start this adventure is because I'm currently holed up in Northern Michigan on Drummond Island. My husband has been offroading with his jeep for the past few days with a bunch of other jeepers (creepers??...just kidding.) We are now about to set off on a journey through parts of Northern Michigan for the week. So I don't know how often I'll be online..but be sure of these things:

I will take pictures.


I will eat at Restaurants.


And hopefully, I'll be able to share some of the dining experiences with you along the way or when I return. 


If I'm honest, I love eating out just as much as I love cooking. My rule is, that what I eat out, has to be worth the money, and as good or better than what I can make. 


So far, I've had a craving for fried chicken. Never underestimate the power of suggestion. On the 6 hour drive up here, I think I saw one sign for fried chicken per hour. No worries though, I have cured the craving and had the stomach ache to match. So I promise, it can only get better from here, and no more fried chicken.


This is where I've been hanging out, and I have no clue where I'll be next. Mackinac Island perhaps?? 

Cookbooks: Worth a LOOK!

I'd like to think of myself as a visionary. Case in point: We were engaged in November 2008, we received $50 dollars from family in Hudson Bay Company gift-card form. Naturally our first purchase for our home was a Christmas tree bought on Canadian boxing day on a super sale. We had no home, we had nothing...but like they say you can live on love and the cutest, most fuzzy Christmas tree you've ever seen.

Naturally, I'm always ten steps ahead...and so I bought a cookbook as an engagement present to me. I didn't know what I was doing..I didn't know how to discern a good cookbook from one that was out of my range of skills. But who cares, it was on sale, it had a pretty picture on the front, and I would use it eventually right? (notice a trend?) Never mind that cookbooks are one of the top five bridal shower presents next to Pyrex.

Well several years later, it is the best cookbook I own. Mind you, I haven't made all of the recipes; but its the one that sits on my counter most evenings when I am attempting a new treasure or an oldie but goodie in the kitchen.

Whats to follow are my favorite books so far, the ones that in my first year of marriage saved our weekly dinners from my lack of creativity - and helped me make many of my firsts in a way that wowed even my "pie-snob" of a husband as my sister lovingly named him.

1. My first and best: The Bride and Groom's First and Forever Cookbook

By Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford
Photographs by Susie Cushner

8-1/2 x 10 in; 272 pp ; 40 color photographs
Hardcover
Published in April, 2003
ISBN 081183493X
ISBN13 9780811834933

This cookbook is pretty incredible. It starts beautifully with Kitchen Basics: a section for how to fill your kitchen with the right equipment and accessories; next is the Global Pantry: a section about what essentials to stock up on, herbs and spices and more; whats to follow are stepwise sections on different basic recipes, classic recipes for each meal of the day, special occasions, appetizers, desserts and quick on the go meals. My favorite recipes are the: Classic Lasagna (wow does my husband love it), Pie Crust, Pizza Dough, Chocolate Chip Cookies and that's just a start.


See their blog for some recipes from the book, if you feel like trying them out first.
http://maryandsara.com/blog/our-books/the-bride-groom-first-and-forever-cookbook/

2 to 4. Better Homes and Gardens Books: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook / Anyone Can Cook / Anyone Can Bake

I received all three of these books at the same bridal shower. I was tempted at first to return at least one of them as they were all by the same publisher. But I decided to open them all and what I found was an amazing exposition of cooking/baking and general food knowledge that I lacked. So I kept all three and haven't looked back. If I were to recommend a single purchase, it would be the largest book (500+ page binder) which encompasses both baking and cooking recipes: the New Cookbook (see below).

These cookbooks are great for several reasons. The two Anyone can...books look closely into cooking techniques and baking tips. They each have detailed pictures that take you step by step through the recipes, share links back to other pages for how best to handle ingredients in each recipe or how to perform a certain technique in food preparation. If you are a visual learner, these two books are for you. The large New Cookbook has so many sections, its almost overwhelming. But the book is separated into so many great sections, its so easy to navigate. There are favorite recipes, varieties of different desserts, a grilling section, a section for meats and a section for poultry to name a short few. Its the book I go to once I've purchased a cut of beef at the grocery store, but have no idea how best to accentuate its flavor and ensure that it cooks perfectly. The large book has tonnes of recipes, but not as many pictures-which is why I keep all three-they compliment one another.

Now.

Do you have any favorites? Please do share!

I love cookbooks, I would buy oh so many if I had unlimited funds. But if I can't do that, I'd love to know what ones you recommend and why :)

Welcome and Introductions!

Good Afternoon World!


Blogging...hmm, not what I thought I would end up doing, but after conversations with hubby and friends, I have made my decision. New beginnings are better when shared. Come on a little trip with me and see how it all began:


I was born.


I ate food.


I like food.


I was married.


I needed to make food in order to eat it.


HELP!


I am married...with kitchen.


So naturally this could go one of two ways. I could be a kitchen whiz, I could whip up gourmet meals in minutes, thrill our stomachs and be the chef that I knew was inside. OR I could fail miserably. Lets see what I had to work with:


I was born to two middle-eastern parents, who introduced me at an early age to the world of spices and herbs, garlic, meats, and all things Mediterranean. My dear hubby was born to two North American parents, he grew up eating delicious pies and good hearty American cooking sans garlic. Oh boy.


If you know me, you know I'm slightly impulsive and adventurous-a little type A- a little set in my ways. It was going to be ok. I would make him eat my way. Except we are both first-borns.


Here's the equation:
2 first borns + spices - spices + hunger + no cooking experience + expectations = so help me.


One year later we are still married. We are well fed, just ask my pants. (oy) And believe it or not, we have found the happy medium that is North American Mediterranean fusion cooking...and dare I say, I'm good at it?!  Better yet, I kind of love it.


This is the new home for my recipes and ideas. The hope is that I can share something that you at home can make too...because if I can do it, so can you.