Sorry that it has been a while. I was not feeling my muse, but now I am back! Hubby was in the mood for Italian food after his adventure, so he decided on Scarolies in the West Island on St-John's blvd.
It is usually one of go-to places for Italian food. The food is good and the prices are reasonable. We went early enough that we were seated right away. If you go after 6:30pm be prepared to wait for a half hour or more. Or, do like me and go somewhere else to eat. I do not wait in line to eat, Never! I dislike it intensely. There are plenty of other restaurants out there.
Once you are seated, the waiter brings you a warm loaf of bread and preps the olive oil & balsamic dip right in front of you. I have trouble ignoring warm bread, so of course I dug into it. It was so good! Hubby decided to order off the table d'hote for a change. He usually does not as his appetite is not as big as mine. He had the tomato & bocconcini appetizer. It was very good, but then again it is very hard to mess that dish up. His main course was the angel hair pasta with lobster tails and asparagus. He dove right in to that and loved it. He finished off the lobster but left half the pasta. The plates are huge. Since, he took the balance home and ate it for breakfast the next day, I can only assume that he liked it a lot.
I decided to have the rotolo milanese and no appetizer. The rotolo is rolled pasta with ricotta and spinach with a rosee sauce. I love stuffed pasta! I usually order that when I go to an Italian restaurant. I quite enjoyed it, especially when I cup up the basil leaves that they garnished the plate with and added it to the pasta. The filling was missing a little bit of zip and the basil provided it nicely. The plate comes with two rotoloa and I only one of them as I had eaten almost half a loaf of bread and I wanted dessert.
The dessert menu consists of the waiter bringing you a plate with all the desserts that they offer. I like that, because I get to see the quality of the dessert. You eat first with your eyes, and then with your mouth. If it is not pretty, you will not be tempted to eat it. I was tempted by all the offerings on the plate. I chose the Red Velvet cake. It is a new offering of theirs and I highly recommend it. The cake was a little nutty but light, the icing was flavourful and denser than the cake, which for me is perfect balance. It is garnished with a piece of kiwi and orange and whipped cream. Hubby and I shared the dessert as we usually do. I feel less guilty and he gets the 2 to 3 bites that he needs to cleanse his pallet. It is a win-win situation for us.
I ate my rotolo for lunch the next day. Because it had a cream based sauce, I warmed it up in the oven. I have learned from experience that you must NEVER microwave a cream based sauce, as it will clump up and be gritty. Always warm it up in the oven, it will dry out a little, but it will remain edible.
Back to the rotolo, it was very good the next day warmed up, I just wish that there was a little but more sauce. My fault for eating most of it the night before :)
Here is the website for those who want to take a look: http://www.scarolies.com/home-e.html
Until next time!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Resto Review: Les 3 Brasseurs
After a matinee movie, my husband and I enjoy going out for dinner. On this night, we decided to to go Les 3 Brasseurs, as it was walking distance to the movie theater and we would not have to move the car. Walking after a meal is a good idea!
I ordered the Flammekueche with goat cheese, tomatoes, onions, oil & herbs. It is a very thin pizza. I liked it. The crust was really thin and crunchy. The toppings were a good mix of flavours in just the right amount. I was satisfied without feeling too full. I still had room for dessert :)
Hubby ordered the Roast beef sandwich that came with a side order of fries. The plate arrives, and surprise, surprise, there was no mound of fries on it. This is a rare event in a restaurant. There was actually a reasonable amount of fries on the plate and not a sumo-sized amount. The sandwich was good and properly seasoned.
And, for dessert we shared the House specialty which is a coffee or espresso a small slice of cheesecake and a small cup of chocolate mousse. Hubby had the espresso and we shared the desserts. This is an excellent idea for dessert. We tried two desserts without having to stuff ourselves to the bursting point.
Here is their website if you want to check them out: http://les3brasseurs.ca/eng/index.php
Until next time!
I ordered the Flammekueche with goat cheese, tomatoes, onions, oil & herbs. It is a very thin pizza. I liked it. The crust was really thin and crunchy. The toppings were a good mix of flavours in just the right amount. I was satisfied without feeling too full. I still had room for dessert :)
Hubby ordered the Roast beef sandwich that came with a side order of fries. The plate arrives, and surprise, surprise, there was no mound of fries on it. This is a rare event in a restaurant. There was actually a reasonable amount of fries on the plate and not a sumo-sized amount. The sandwich was good and properly seasoned.
And, for dessert we shared the House specialty which is a coffee or espresso a small slice of cheesecake and a small cup of chocolate mousse. Hubby had the espresso and we shared the desserts. This is an excellent idea for dessert. We tried two desserts without having to stuff ourselves to the bursting point.
Here is their website if you want to check them out: http://les3brasseurs.ca/eng/index.php
Until next time!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Resto Review: Five Guys
I love hamburgers. And, for me it is all about the meat. It does not need to be huge, but it needs to be flavorful and I need to taste the beef. I actually like raw mincemeat. I know that it is not good for you, but I am going to go of something, so I may as well enjoy! I like my hamburgers to be rare or medium rare. Restaurants cannot serve it that way, so I get them medium (but at home, they are rare).
The burgers at Five Guys are delicious. They are properly seasoned and taste like beef. I have not had the all-dressed burger, as I like my burgers simple. I put mayo, tomato, lettuce and pickles on the cheeseburger. In this one instance, bacon is not needed on the burger.
The fries are ordered on the side. They are deep-fired in peanut oil (people with allergies beware), and the skins are left on. They are very generous with their order of fries. The fries are great with some malt vinegar and salt.
Here is the Five Guys website if you want to check them out: http://fiveguys.ca/en
Until next time!
The burgers at Five Guys are delicious. They are properly seasoned and taste like beef. I have not had the all-dressed burger, as I like my burgers simple. I put mayo, tomato, lettuce and pickles on the cheeseburger. In this one instance, bacon is not needed on the burger.
The fries are ordered on the side. They are deep-fired in peanut oil (people with allergies beware), and the skins are left on. They are very generous with their order of fries. The fries are great with some malt vinegar and salt.
Here is the Five Guys website if you want to check them out: http://fiveguys.ca/en
Until next time!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Resto Review: Ye Old Orchard Pub
I went to "Ye Old Orchard Pub" in Pointe-Claire village for supper on a Sunday evening. It was a last minute decision and we invited my husband's parents and sister to come along. I am happy to report that a good time was had by all of us.
My husband ordered the chicken fingers in a medium BBQ sauce with fries. He orders this every time that we go, because he loves them. The only complaint with the dish is the amount of french fries that they put on the plate. There are way TOO many. They should consider reducing the portion size of the french fries. Nobody can eat that many in a sitting.
My sister-in-law and I ordered supper from the appetizer menu. It was her idea and it was a very good one. We both ordered the calamari plate. It came with a simple side salad with chopped tomatoes and a simple vinaigrette. It was the perfect size for a meal. The calamari was good and crispy, just the way I like them! The salad was refreshing and a good palate cleanser for all the grease in the calamari. The dipping sauce was curry mustard based, and not my favorite. I prefer a tomato or cream based dipping sauce for my calamari. Needless to say, that we both enjoyed our meals. I still had room for dessert!
My in-laws shared the Beef sandwich and fries. They seemed to enjoyed it! I had it last time that I went and it was quite good.
If you want to check out their website, here it is: http://yeoldeorchard.com/
Until next time!
My husband ordered the chicken fingers in a medium BBQ sauce with fries. He orders this every time that we go, because he loves them. The only complaint with the dish is the amount of french fries that they put on the plate. There are way TOO many. They should consider reducing the portion size of the french fries. Nobody can eat that many in a sitting.
My sister-in-law and I ordered supper from the appetizer menu. It was her idea and it was a very good one. We both ordered the calamari plate. It came with a simple side salad with chopped tomatoes and a simple vinaigrette. It was the perfect size for a meal. The calamari was good and crispy, just the way I like them! The salad was refreshing and a good palate cleanser for all the grease in the calamari. The dipping sauce was curry mustard based, and not my favorite. I prefer a tomato or cream based dipping sauce for my calamari. Needless to say, that we both enjoyed our meals. I still had room for dessert!
My in-laws shared the Beef sandwich and fries. They seemed to enjoyed it! I had it last time that I went and it was quite good.
If you want to check out their website, here it is: http://yeoldeorchard.com/
Until next time!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Pie Crust
There is one thing that I try to avoid making. Pie crust is the one the thing that I am not a fan of making. It is labour intensive and I can never roll it out round. I usually make homemade pie crust about once a year. I make my husband a peach pie, and this pie crust is sooo good! I would rather eat the crust on its own without the filling.
But, for my husband's b-day, I will brave making the dreaded pie crust. He wanted a Butterscotch Cream pie, so I found a recipe in my America's Test Kitchen cookbook. I followed the recipe for the pie crust to the letter. The instructions in their recipes are step-by-step ans simple. There are often a few paragraphs, but if you follow them, you will succeed.
This recipe recommended that after the dough is rested, you roll it out over graham cracker crumbs instead of flour. Since this crust is for a cream pie, the crumbs would help retain the shape and not become soggy. After it is rolled out, you freeze it for 30 minutes as crusts have a tendency to shrink while baking empty. Then you cover the crust with foil and put pie weights, I used pennies as I do not own pie weights as yet (I put them on my xmas list), then you bake it.
I have to admit that it came out almost as pretty as when it went in! A first for me! There are quuite a few steps, but I firmly believe that it is worth every one.
Here is a little trick for the leftover pie crust. I don't know about you, but I hate wasting food. I found this recipe or trick on line and it is really quick and easy. Roll out the excess dough, brush on softened butter (NOT melted) and sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar. Roll it up and cut it into 1/2 inch thick disks. Bake it for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. And, you get small "Pettes de Soeurs" (translated into Nun's farts). Quick, easy and economical! I love them.
Until next time!
But, for my husband's b-day, I will brave making the dreaded pie crust. He wanted a Butterscotch Cream pie, so I found a recipe in my America's Test Kitchen cookbook. I followed the recipe for the pie crust to the letter. The instructions in their recipes are step-by-step ans simple. There are often a few paragraphs, but if you follow them, you will succeed.
This recipe recommended that after the dough is rested, you roll it out over graham cracker crumbs instead of flour. Since this crust is for a cream pie, the crumbs would help retain the shape and not become soggy. After it is rolled out, you freeze it for 30 minutes as crusts have a tendency to shrink while baking empty. Then you cover the crust with foil and put pie weights, I used pennies as I do not own pie weights as yet (I put them on my xmas list), then you bake it.
I have to admit that it came out almost as pretty as when it went in! A first for me! There are quuite a few steps, but I firmly believe that it is worth every one.
Until next time!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Book Review: Hounded
My sister recommended this book by a new author. She really enjoyed it. So, I may as well try it. We do not have the quite the same interest in books. I like paranormal romance, and she likes urban fantasy (no romance).
The book is entitled "Hounded" by Kevin Hearne. His website is http://www.kevinhearne.com/. It is an urban fantasy about a really old Druid and his fight with a Celtic god. Basically, the druid has something that the god wants, and he does not want to give it up. Mixed in a good dose of god politics and a little mayhem. The story flows fabulously, there is no loose ends in the plot. The characters are richly described and well-thought out. You will not be able to resist Oberon and his devotion to the Druid.
The writing is flawless and the dialogue flows with quips and humor. There is nothing worse than stilted and dry dialogue, but that does not happen in this book. If you like urban fantasy then you will love this series. I am anxious to read the other books that are already out.
Until next time!
The book is entitled "Hounded" by Kevin Hearne. His website is http://www.kevinhearne.com/. It is an urban fantasy about a really old Druid and his fight with a Celtic god. Basically, the druid has something that the god wants, and he does not want to give it up. Mixed in a good dose of god politics and a little mayhem. The story flows fabulously, there is no loose ends in the plot. The characters are richly described and well-thought out. You will not be able to resist Oberon and his devotion to the Druid.
The writing is flawless and the dialogue flows with quips and humor. There is nothing worse than stilted and dry dialogue, but that does not happen in this book. If you like urban fantasy then you will love this series. I am anxious to read the other books that are already out.
Until next time!
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Glaze
The meat is browned in a skillet on all sides, and then I set it aside while I made the glaze. The glaze is composed of dried apricots, apricot preserves, orange juice and lemon juice. It is made in the same skillet. I de-glazed the pan with the juices and scrapped up the bits left from the pork. Then I added the preserves and apricots and it cooked for about 3 minutes. Once it is ready, you pour the glaze over the meat and put it into the oven for about 15 minutes at 450 degrees.
The pork came out beautifully. It was juicy, fragrant and flavourful. The only thing is that the glaze was sweet, almost too sweet. My husband solved the problem with a little dash of hot sauce. If you like it sweet, leave it as is, if not, add some hot sauce for a wonderful pork experience.
Until next time!
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