Harry Potter-themed shooters

Thanks to the good people over at Graphic Nerdity, you can now distinguish your Halloween party from all the other muggles this year with these drinks inspired by everyone's favourite Hogswart alumnus. Be warned - like Bertie Bott's Every Flavour jelly beans, some of these shots are an acquired taste; please remember to drink responsibly.

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For the Love of Popeyes Chicken

Most people when they hear the name "Popeye", they think of the lovable spinach-eating sailor man from Saturday morning cartoons, but it makes me think of my favourite fried chicken fast food restaurant. Established in 1972, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has been making mild and spicy fried chicken along with sides such as red beans and rice, Cajun fries and mashed potatoes that beat anything that the Colonel has to offer. The first time I ate at the apostrophe-free Popeyes was back in 1991. I was in New York visiting my cousins, and we stopped there before going to see "Boyz in the Hood". I remember loving how tasty and non-greasy the chicken was, and lamenting that we didn't have a restaurant like that back home. I didn't get another taste of "Louisiana Fast" until over a decade later when I discovered there was a Popeyes in Toronto during a visit with my future wife. She too became a Popeyes convert. I made more converts when I took a trip to Detroit with some friends sometime later when we were visiting a friend living in London at the time; to this day, one of my boys says he'd take "a bullet in the ass" for some Popeyes. My love of this place may have caused me to oversell its greatness, as some friends of mine who have tried the food there didn't think it was as amazing as I described it, but even then, they agreed that it was better than the chicken they had at KFC (or Dixie Lee, or Church's for that matter). But now that Ottawa finally has a Popeyes location, with another now at Orleans location to taste for yourself. (Updated: Feb. 12, 2015)

NOTE: I have not been paid by AFC Enterprises to produce this blog entry, but if Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen wants to send some free food my way because of this, I won't object.

Untraditional side dishes for Thanksgiving

While turkey will always be the main event in a traditional Thanksgiving meal, it's time to show the undercard meals of the dinner, the side dishes, some love. Mashed potatoes and green bean casserole can be had anytime. This year, surprise yourself and your loved ones and with these non-traditional side dishes.

Oyster Dressing "Grand-Mère" - This dish will be a hit if you like your sides spicy, crispy, and salty.

Ingredients

57 g. slab or thick-sliced bacon, diced small
29 g. chopped parsley
5 g. kosher salt
2.5 g. garlic powder
2.5 g. cayenne pepper
5 mL hot sauce
4 dozen shucked oysters plus 1 cup oyster liquor, oysters halved (2 cups)
4 large eggs
2 scallions, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 large baguettes (about 454 g.), diced small (12 cups)
1 stick unsalted butter
1 celery rib, diced small
1/2 green bell pepper, diced small
1/2 small onion, finely diced

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter a 10-by-14-inch (25.4-by 35.56 cm) shallow baking dish. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and let melt, then add the celery, green pepper, onion and minced garlic and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the paprika, garlic powder and cayenne and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Put the diced baguettes in a large bowl. Spoon the bacon mixture on top. Add the oysters and their liquor along with the scallions and parsley.
3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the hot sauce and salt. Pour the eggs into the bowl and mix everything together. Scrape the dressing into the prepared baking dish and bake in the upper third of the oven for about 45 minutes, until heated through and crisp on top. Serve hot.
   
   The baked oyster dressing can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat before serving.

Sweet Potato French Fries - You always have them (or wanted to try them) when you're at your favourite burger bistro - for that reason alone these should be served as a side dish this Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

3 medium-sized sweet potatoes
15 g. sugar
15 g. salt
15 g. 5-spice powder
60 mL vegetable oil

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F degrees (232°C). Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into matchstick-sized pieces; the skinnier you make them, the crisper they’re going to be.
2. Mix your spices in a large bowl. Pour oil over the spice blend and combine well. Throw in your potatoes and toss until they’re completely covered.
3. Lay them out out in a single layer on a cookie sheet; use two sheets if they’re looking crowded. Place them in the hot oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Take them out at the fifteen minute mark and turn them over with tongs or a spatula.

Roasted Acorn Squash - If you must have a vegetable side dish on your table, give your potatoes the day off and try this instead.

Ingredients

2 acorn or dumpling squash, about 454 g. each
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
226 g. crushed vanilla wafers, almond biscotti, or pignoli cookies
125 g. brown sugar
45 mL tablespoons amaretto
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil, optional
8 fresh sage leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Split the squash in half down the middle and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Set the squash halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. If the squash are very large, cut lengthwise into quarters. 
3. In a bowl, cream the butter with the sugar, and the amaretto. With a brush or a spoon, coat the cut sides of each squash half with the butter mixture and put two sage leaves on top of each. Sprinkle with the crushed cookies. Bake until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with any remaining butter.

Mushroom Fried Rice - This side dish works with either leftover rice from last night's takeout, or from a previous dinner - good fried rice starts with cold cooked grains.

Ingredients

300 g. long-grain rice
230 g. cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
230 g. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
230 g. white mushrooms, sliced thin
75 g. frozen peas
45 g. cooking oil
15 g. grated fresh ginger
2.5 g. teaspoon salt
1 g. dried red-pepper flakes
56.25 mL soy sauce
5 mL Asian sesame oil
6 scallions including green tops, sliced thin

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside to cool.
2. In a large nonstick frying pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil over moderately high heat. Add half the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and another tablespoon of the cooking oil. Add these mushrooms to the plate.
3. In the same frying pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of cooking oil over moderate heat. Add the red-pepper flakes, ginger, and scallions and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to moderately high and add the rice, salt, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes and then add the peas and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until everything's warm, another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.