Dry Rub BBQ Ribs

The sun is shining, so it must be time to fire up the barbeque! 

Well, even if the sun isn't shining, it is always a good time to barbeque! Especially in our case, since our barbeque is just outside our kitchen door on the covered part of our deck, sheltered from mother nature and really just an extension of our kitchen! Oh, and did I mention our barbeque is natural gas? No need to lug propane tanks back and forth and no fear that the propane will run out just as your dinner is in the middle of cooking. Yep, it doesn't get any easier than that!!!!

So, now that the barbeque is uncovered and clean, the question is... what to make? I figure that you just can't start barbeque season without ribs, dry rubbed and slow cooked until tender? Yum yum!

I usually make a whole jar of dry rub, then put it in a mason jar to use on both chicken and ribs whenever I feel like it.

Sweet and Sticky Grilled Chicken Wings

Everything seems to taste better on the grill. And chicken wings, although fantastic baked in the oven until sticky, are no exception.

What I love even more about this recipe is that there aren't piles of dishes to clean up afterwards, and on a hot summer day, the house doesn't get heated up with the oven. Oh, and did I mention that the grill just intensifies the amazing flavour of the marinade while keeping the wings nice and juicy?

You can marinade these wings for as little as an hour or overnight. Just take them out of the fridge for about 30-45 minutes before cooking so that they come up to a more ambient temperature (you should do this for everything you put on the grill or in the oven for even cooking).

And one more thing... make sure you have a ton of napkins or wet wipes to clean yourself up after devouring a pile of these!

Manakeesh with Zaatar and Cheese (Middle Eastern Flatbread with Thyme and Cheese)

Some of my favorite memories from living in the Middle East involve food. Particularly in Syria where the people were so hospitable and the food was so fresh and delicious.

When walking down the street, you often pass bakeries with a variety of amazing baked goods, including these little mini "pizzas" with a variety of toppings. They are called Manakeesh and they are a typical quick lunch or snack. But you don't just find them in the city. Go for a drive in the country, open your windows and you will smell these delicious flat bread baking in the stone, tandoor type ovens long before you even see them. 

Manakeesh can have a wide variety of toppings and they can be filled and folded over, kind of like a calzone. My favorites are the classic Zaatar with Cheese or the folded over Spinach Manakeesh.  Zaatar is a spice combo involving dried thyme, sesame seeds, salt, and the middle eastern spice, sumac. (Sumac is a spice made from red berries that are ground into a powder. It gives a subtle lemony flavor and is used a lot in middle eastern cooking. If you can't find it, you could substitute some lemon zest.) Alternatively, you could find already mixed Zaater in middle eastern grocery stores. Add some olive oil to form a paste, and eat it with Arabic bread, cheese and olives for a very typical middle eastern breakfast. Or use that paste on top of your Manakeesh!

Pulled Pork with Crispy Pork Crackling

Yes, I realize that it's been forever since I last posted. Thanks to everyone who has stayed with me:)

The reality is, with a new house (which is actually an old house), life has been full of projects from painting to insulation to excavation.  That doesn't mean that I don't eat. It just means that I find myself gravitating towards quick recipes that I know and trust.

That is, until the other day, when I went to the store and found myself buying a monstrous pork picnic roast (comes from the lower part of the pig's shoulder). I had no idea what I was going to do with it at the time, but it looked tempting, so I bought it.

The next day, I prepared to roast it for most of the day. I took it out of the fridge in the morning so that it could come up closer to room temperature. Then I seasoned it generously, poked holes in it and filled them with fresh, slightly crushed garlic cloves, and roasted it at 250 degrees for about 7 hours. I pulled it out of the oven, tented it with tin foil, and let it rest for about 30 minutes. After resting, I pulled the crispy skin off (eating some of the delicious crackling while working), and started to pull the pork apart with my fingers.  The pork was perfect to eat just like that, with pieces of crackling, or with any variety of sauces including barbeque and chimichurri (sauce of garlic, parsley, red wine vinegar--- the acid is great as it really cuts through the fattiness of the pork).

Of course, since there was TONS of pork, I made lots of other stuff in the days that followed.... that's the great thing about a roast like this. There is minimal effort as the oven does most of the work for you, and then you have food for days!

German Marble Cake and a BBQ Celebration!

Today was my husband's birthday celebration. Nothing dramatic... just a low key barbeque with family. But of course, food wise, nothing can be "low key." We needed to make a spread fit for celebration!

On the menu? Barbeqie pork ribs, thyme marinated chicken thighs, smokies, grilled vegetables, greek pasta salad, and some sangria to wash it all down.

Oh, and the cake. Decisions, decisions. Every year, my husband gets some kind of awesome cake. The most memorable had to be the "Turtle" cake, followed by the patriotic vanilla cake . This year, when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he said "A Marble Cake." At first, I was surprised, but then I remembered...

On my birthday last year, I was blessed by a German friend, Julia, who surprised me with a German marble cake for my birthday. My husband loved it so much, he ate about 3/4 of it. He ate it as it was, and then for breakfast, lunch, and every time in between until it was gone. And it left such a strong impression that when I asked him about his birthday cake, he didn't even hesitate before asking for this one.

I am not sure if I can ever replicate Julia's delicious cake, but here is my recipe, which complemented our barbeque celebration just perfectly!

German Marble Cake

Makes 1 cake

1 cup Butter, room temperature

1 cup Sugar

4 Large eggs, separated yolks and whites

1 cup Skim Milk

1 tsp Almond Extract

3 1/4 cups Flour

1 tbsp Baking Powder

1 pinch Salt

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

3 tbsp Triple Sec

Icing Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt or fluted pan (like an angel food cake pan)and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, milk, and almond extract.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into the butter and egg yolk mixture.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the batter.

Move half of the batter into a separate bowl. Mix in the cocoa powder and triple sec.

Spoon the batter into the cake pan, alternating white and brown batter. Then swirl with a fork.

Bake for about 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Tea Party Ideas: BBQ Chicken Pitas with Zesty Cabbage Slaw

Tea Parties. Elegant parties with elegant little food. Cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon rolls, petit fours and the like, right? Well, not in my book.

After all, who says that tea parties have to follow the "rules" when it comes to food? In my eyes, a tea party is a chance for people to get together, drink tea, perhaps champagne, and enjoy "little" food..... and by that, I simply refer to food that can be eaten while drinking tea.

So, this weekend was my sister's bridal shower. And it was a tea party.  So of course, food was an extremely important component. The question is, are all the traditions of a tea party really necessary?

Tea parties staples are in fact, just a suggestion, but they are not a requirement. It is not mandatory to adorn the table with perfect little cheddar sandwiches, deviled eggs, and fruit tartlets. This is a an opportunity to create an interesting spread of finger foods. Of course, details are everything. They need to look good and taste fantastic.

The first item on the menu were these BBQ Chicken Pitas with Zesty Cabbage Slaw. Definitely not the traditional tea party food, but colorful, comforting and just really delicious. They were a hit!

BBQ Chicken Pita with Zesty Cabbage Slaw

Makes a lot of little pitas (or you could just pile it onto a rolls and eat it yourself for lunch!)

For the Chicken

2 kg Whole Chicken Legs, bone in, skin on

Paprika

Salt and Pepper

For the BBQ Sauce

2 tbsp Canola Oil

1/2 Onion, chopped

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp Dried Thyme

1 tsp Dried Rosemary

1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Ground Cloves

2 tsp Paprika

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

2/3 cup Water

1/2 Orange, zest and juice

2 cups Plain BBQ Sauce (bottled)

For the Slaw

1 Head Cabbage, shredded (green, purple, or mixed)

1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Raisins

For the Slaw Dressing

Juice of 1/2 Orange

Juice 1/2 Lime

2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 tbsp Ginger, minced

1 small Red Chili, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Plain Yogurt

Pita Bread (you could also use bread rolls or whatever bread you like)

For the Chicken

Generously season all sides of the chicken legs with salt, pepper and paprika. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once cooled remove the skin and discard. Then shred or pull the chicken into small pieces and set aside.

For the BBQ Sauce

This is a really great way to make your own custom BBQ sauce. It really brings some additional great flavors to the table without needing to do everything from scratch.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in all the spices. Then add the water, orange juice and zest, and BBQ sauce. Reduce the heat to medium low and let the BBQ sauce cook for about 45 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and the mixture to reduce a little.  After 45 minutes, remove the bay leaf.

Pour the BBQ sauce over the shredded chicken. Mix well and set aside.

For the Zesty Slaw

In a large bowl, add the orange and lime juices, red wine vinegar and sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the dijon, ginger and chili. Then add the olive oil and yogurt and mix until smooth and creamy looking.  Add the cabbage, onions and raisins and toss with the dressing. Set aside.

To Prepare the Pitas

Cut each pita into triangles (I cut each pita into about 8 triangles). Top with a little slaw (make sure each portion has a few raisins), then the BBQ chicken. Enjoy!

Absolutely the BEST Homemade Barbeque Sauce

I have a lot of things to thank Jamie Oliver for. And one of those things is this barbeque sauce. It is the tastiest that I have ever had, and so easy to make! I have used it on chicken, beef, lamb, pork and I was even thinking of using it as a base for a pizza or sandwich.  The depth of flavor from the freshly ground spices and herbs, the tang of citrus, and the sweetness of the ketchup.... the sauce has now become a staple in our household!

The BEST Homemade Barbeque Sauce

Makes enough to marinate meat for about 6 people

Slightly adjusted from Jamie Oliver’s Recipe

1 1/2 tsp Whole Cumin Seeds

2 tbsp Fennel Seeds

5 Cloves

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1 bunch Fresh Oregano or Thyme

1 bunch Fresh Rosemary, leaves picked and chopped

The Zest and Juice of 1 Orange

1 Bulb of Garlic, broken into cloves and peeled

1 1/2 tsp Paprika

6 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

2/3 cup Tomato Ketchup

1 tbsp Olive Oil

5 Dried Bay leaves

Place the cumin, fennel, cloves, salt and pepper into a mortar and grind. Chop the thyme and rosemary leaves, orange zest and garlic together finely. Put into a bowl with the ground spices, then add the rest of the marinade ingredients and mix together.

Now for the meat…. Slash your chosen meat and rub all over with the marinade (reserving a little for basting).

Jamie suggests for ease of cooking to roast the meats in a 180 degree oven, covered, for about and hour and then finishing them on the barbeque. I have found that this method work, as does putting the meat directly on a low to medium heat grill and covering for about the same amount of time. It really depends how much time you want to spend over the grill.

Regardless of which method you choose, when the meat is on the grill, be sure to baste with the reserved barbeque sauce. If you roasted first, you can also baste with the roasting pan liquids.

Then, all that’s left is for you to enjoy your perfectly cooked meat with sticky, slightly charred, full of flavor, homemade barbeque sauce!!

Bleu Cheese Burgers with Homemade Buns

Who doesn't crave a good burger once in a while? Be it chicken, meat, or veggie, a burger is always a comforting, easy to please kind of meal.

Personally, I crave the meat variety. A nice, homemade juicy beef burger with that smoky charcoal grill taste. And of course, stuffed with some pungent bleu cheese then served on a home baked bun topped with all sorts of condiments? To die for!

Above is an example of how to "stuff" the burgers. Take the meat and flatten into a patty. Place some cheese in the middle, then close in all the sides to make a sort of ball. Flatten and you've got your stuffed burger!

Of course, if you don't have time to make buns, you don't have to....

But honestly, it doesn't take a whole lot of work, and look at the results!!

Bleu Cheese Burgers

Makes 8 burgers

1 kg Ground Beef

1 Large Onion, chopped

3 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Ketchup

1 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Fresh Black Pepper

100 grams Bleu Cheese (divided into 8)

Olive oil

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the bleu cheese. Divide the mixture into 8 parts. Form each part into a large flattened patty and place 1 part of the blue cheese in the centre. Fold the edges of the patty over the bleu cheese to close. Repeat with the remaining beef to create 8 patties stuffed with bleu cheese.

Rub each patty with a little olive oil. Place the patties on a preheated grill or grill pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until there are grill marks on each side and the patties are cooked through.

Serve with homemade buns and condiments.

Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Recipe from http://www.acefitness.org/healthyrecipes/882/whole-wheat-burger-buns

Makes 8 buns

1 cup low-fat milk, room temperature

1/3 cup lukewarm water

2 1/4 tsp Active Dried Yeast

1 large egg, at room temperature (see Cooking tip), lightly beaten

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups (appr unbleached all-purpose flour

Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Place the warm water into a small bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the milk, sugar, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Slowly add the flours, stirring to create a soft, sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 10 minutes. Return the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.

When the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Lightly dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. Shape each piece of dough into a tight ball and place on the prepared baking sheet a few inches apart. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes, until they have risen by half. Gently press down on the buns to flatten a little. Let them rise for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bake the buns on the center rack until golden and crusty, about 25 minutes. The bottoms should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Grilled Lemon-Thyme Pork Chops

Ah... the lovely trinity! And I am not talking about any classical trio. I am talking about my new favorite: Fresh Thyme, Lemon & Garlic.

Yep, this is my new favorite. Why? Well, I could say that it's because there is a bunch of fresh thyme growing in the garden, but really, it's because it is the perfect summery combination. And at this point, we are all wishing that summer would last just a little while longer :)



But why? Why do I keep using this combination? Well, it's not an exact science, but for me, it just tastes good. The earthiness and lemony essences of the thyme are brought out by the fresh lemon zest and juice. And then, of course, there is the garlic. Need I say more?? Yum yum! Put those three aromatics together and you get the perfect flavoring for, well, anything really. I used it in my Fresh Wild BC Salmon recipe a few posts ago. And I will use it now.

In this case, I used these ingredients to make a marinade/rub for pork shoulder chops which will be cooked on the outdoor grill. You could use chicken pieces, steaks, tuna... all would work well using this method.



A few other quick notes before we start cooking. You will notice that in this recipe, I use a meat thermometer. I rarely use any sort of measurement tools when I am cooking (I cook by taste and measure so that I can share with you). However, this is one exception. Pork must be cooked to 160F to avoid becoming infected with trichinosis, a parasitic disease caused by eating undercooked pork.

Do you really need a thermometer? Hey, it's your kitchen, but I highly recommend it. Especially if you are not used to cooking pork. Why? Because sometimes by plain sight, it's hard to tell if the pork is cooked. Since pork is naturally a little pink when it's cooked, it's normal to get a little nervous and end up overcooking the pork, all in the name of food safety. This result? A texture and dryness similar to shoe leather. To avoid this result, I have asked you to cook your pork to 155F. Then, during the covered resting period after the pork has come of the grill, the meat will continue to cook from its own warmth, and the pork will cook up to 160F before you eat it. This resting time will also ensure that the pork meat is nice and juicy! Just the way we like it!

Okay, that's enough talking for one day. Let's cook (and eat)!

Grilled Lemon-Thyme Pork Chops
Serves 6

6 Pork Chops, room temperature (really, you can use whatever you like...boneless, bone-in)
Handful of Fresh Thyme, destemmed and chopped finely
Zest of 1 Lemon, finely chopped
Juice of 1 Lemon
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 cup Olive Oil

In a large casserole dish, big enough to hold the 6 pork chops (or a large ziplock bag), combine the chopped thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Mash together with the back of a spoon to get the flavors to combine. Add the olive oil, and mix to combine.

Place the pork chops in the dish (or bag) and massage each one with the marinade. Leave the chops with the marinade in dish and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the the bbq or a grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the pork chops on the grill, then cover and let cook for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, there should be distinct grill marks on the bottom side of the chops.

Flip each pork chop over, cover, and let cook for another 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes has passed, you should find that both sides of your chops are nicely brown and marked by grill on each side.

Reduce the heat to medium and, using a meat thermometer, check that the pork chops are cooked (internal temperature should be 155 degrees fahrenheit in the center). If they are not yet at 155F, place the lid back on the grill and cook for another 3 minutes, then check again. If still not at 155F, flip the pork chops and cook covered for another 3 minutes. Continue to do this until the chops reach 155F. How long this takes will depend on how thick your chops are. (As a guideline, it usually takes about 10-12 minutes on med-high heat for chops about 1/2 inch thick).

Once the chops are 155 degrees, remove them from the grill and place on a plate or in a casserole. Cover with tin foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes. This rest should bring the internal temperature up to 160 degrees and allow the juices of pork to redistribute throughout the meat.

Serve with assorted mustards or your other favorite condiments and enjoy!

BC Wild Spring Salmon with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic

My apologies for writing so sporadically over the last few months. I have been on an extended vacation, and as you can see from the posts I have made, eating has been the main priority.

Central to this part of my vacation has been family gatherings and family style meals at my parents' house in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. And one of my favorite things from this part of the world is the fresh, wild, BC Salmon.

Salmon is such a versatile fish. It is hearty and meaty and can be cut into steaks, fillets, or cooked whole by steaming, grilling, roasting or BBQing.



For this family dinner, I decided to keep it simple and low maintenance by prepping the salmon, wrapping it in tinfoil, and throwing it onto the barbeque (hmmm...sounds very similar to my campfire cooking methods...).

The reason it's so great for entertaining? Because you can prep the fish anytime during the day and then just throw it on the grill 15 minutes before you are ready to eat. Plus, you can serve it straight onto the table in the tin foil package. All of your guests will be wondering what's inside, and clean up will be a breeze!

BC Wild Spring Salmon with Lemon, Thyme and Garlic

Makes 1 Whole Fish Serving 4-6 people

1 Whole Fresh Salmon (about 1 kg), cleaned (head on or off doesn't matter)
1 Lemon
6 Cloves Garlic, minced
Handful of Fresh Thyme
1/4 cup White Wine
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil for drizzling

First, rinse the salmon, inside and out, under cold water. Pat dry. Place salmon on a large piece of tin foil.

Put aside a few stems of thyme. Then, destem the rest of the thyme and chop finely.

Zest the whole lemon and chop the zest. Mix the zest with the minced garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture generously on the inside and outside of the fish. Place the whole thyme sprigs inside the fish. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of the whole lemon on the inside and outside of the fish. Drizzle with olive oil.

Fold up the sides of the tin foil around the fish, and pour the white wine over the fish. Continue to close up the pocket around the fish until all sides are sealed. If necessary, wrap the fish with another layer of tin foil to ensure that it will not leak. Transfer the foil package to a baking tray. (At this point, you could put this into the fridge until you are ready to cook it).

Heat a barbeque on medium high. When hot, place the fish package onto the grill, cover and let cook for 15 minuutes. After 15 minutes, remove the package from the barbeque and place on a serving tray. Do not overcook the fish! You want the meat to be moist and soft.

Place on the table and carefully slice open the top of the package (be very careful as hot steam will escape from the package). Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Serve and enjoy!

Yummy Grilled Pizza

During my travels in Canada visiting my family, I was introduced to many interesting food ideas. Some of these ideas were from restaurants, but majority were from good old home cooking. It's interesting because I really love to read menus and eat in restaurants. I love to hear about different flavor combinations, to taste new ingredients and to forecast restaurant trends. However, it's the home cooking that gets me everytime. Why? Because it's so simple. Simple flavors and simple execution.

Today's recipe is a perfect example of this. Introduced to me by my sister and executed to perfection... the grilled pizza. Sounds interesting, right? Yes it is. And here are all the reasons why:

1. You get a crispy crust every time

2. When it's hot and you don't feel like turning on your oven in your already roasting appartment/house/dwelling, moving outside and turning on the grill sounds like a great idea

3. Less clean up. I am not actually sure if there is less clean up than the conventional pizza method, but it certainly is minimal. Especially if your toppings are only prepared on the grill. 1 dough bowl, 1 pizza pan, 1 cutting board and knife, and the grill (which really shouldn't be that dirty)

4. Great conversation topic. People will ask you about the grilled pizza... about the dough, how to get it on the grill, how to make it crispy, what toppings to use etc etc. Talk about an ice breaker!

5. Great to make a few big sharing pizzas or to make a bunch of pancake sized individual pizzas

6. Healthy. No oil needed to grill to veggie toppings or the crust (except for the small amount already in the crust).

So, are you interested in trying this recipe? Please do. I have been inspired to try it and love the results!

Grilled Pizza Recipe
The DoughMakes 2 large crusts or lots of little ones

Adapted from the book "Pizza on the Grill" by Elizabeth Karmel, Bob Blumer

1 cup Warm Water
1 tsp Honey
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 ¼ tsps Active Dried Yeast
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups White Flour
¼ tsp salt

In a large bowl, measure out water, honey, and oil. Sprinkle in yeast and let it rest in a warm place until foamy on top.

In another bowl, mix together flours and salt. Add to the liquids slowly, ensuring that it's well incorporated. Add more water or flour as necessary to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead just until smooth (about 1 minute. Do not overwork!).

Place the dough in a clean, oiled bowl. Drizzle the top with olive oil and ensure all sides are coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in size.

After doubling in size, punch the dough down and knead again on a floured work area for a few minutes until smooth. Divide into two balls.

Note: you could also incorporate herbs or olives to the dough during the final kneading

The Toppings
This is where you can be creative and use whatever toppings you love or that inspire you. For summer, think fresh, light colorful ingredients. Grilled veggies, fresh herbs, grilled chicken... whatever you desire.

For our pizzas, we used grilled aubergine, asparagus and zucchinni with caramelized onions, crushed garlic, sundried tomato pesto, and grated mozzarella.

The Assembly and Cooking

1. Preheat the gas grill on medium heat with the cover on.

2. Roll out the dough ( I like mine really thin- about 3-4 mm thick)

3. When the grill in hot, place the pizza dough directly on the grill and close the lid. Leave the lid closed for about 3 minutes so that the dough rises and the bottom is golden brown.

4. Remove the crust from the grill and flip over so the grilled side is up. Top your pizza with your chosen toppings. Reduce heat on grill to med-low and put the pizza back on the grill. Close the lid and let cook for about 7 minutes until bottom is brown and cheese is melted.

5. Enjoy!

Chronicles of an Awesome (Foodie) Vacation!

So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I am on vacation! Visiting some of my favorite places en route back home, and making sure that I stuff myself silly!

Seriously, my life revolves around food. We have been on vacation for 10 days, and every day is filled with our favorites from the past. The first stop was Toronto. Over Easy breakfast stop, St Lawrence Market, street Hot Dog with all the fixin's, and the Bier Markt. And I cannot forget the great sandwich spread that I detailed in my last blog post. Great times with friends and family.



Next stop was Austin, Texas. Home of Margaritas, Tex Mex, BBQ and everything else, all in excess! As you can see, nothing beats lunch at our favorite spot, Enoteca on South Congress. Unfortunately, my favorite dish of mussels and fries was not available (until October!!), but we enjoyed the antipasti, charcuterie, suppli (fried risotto balls filled with cheese and served with spicy tomato sauce), calamari, and a proscuitto pizza with arugula, egg, and truffle oil. Yum yum yum!



Of course, we also had to stop for Eggs Francisco at Kerby Lane. This breakfast favorite is composed on English Muffins topped with scrambled eggs, tomato, avocado, bacon and queso (melted cheese dip). Served with choice of 2 sides (we chose home fries and fruit....gotta be healthy).

We also saved room for Dim Sum up north at Shanghai, coffee at Jo's, drinks at the Hula Hut, tons of tex mex favorites, and of course, BBQ at Salt Lick in Driftwood!



Only 10 days in, and I can feel my waistline expanding and my smile getting wider. This is just the start of an amazing vacation!