Better Girl Dinners

I don't know as much about feminism as Justin Trudeau does, which is why I don't understand the girl dinner trend. According to TikTok, a girl dinner is any low-effort meal you make when you’re alone. It could be a fruit or vegetable platter, instant noodles, some sliced meat and cheese on a plate, or even leftovers. It qualifies just as long as you post a video of it as Olivia Maher did. These meals are apparently quite liberating for women, as it allows them to take a break from their traditional role of preparing complicated meals for men. I didn't think being too lazy to make something to eat was gender specific, just as I don't think a few pickles and a handful of crackers can be considered a meal. If you must eat a series of snacks for a meal, try to make healthy choices that include protein, produce, fat, and fibre sources.  If you're having trouble coming up with ideas for your next girl dinner, below are some suggestions you may want to try before the next viral sensation comes along.

Ingredients: Caprese Skewers

It's the classic caprese salad in snack form.

16 small fresh mozzarella balls
16 fresh basil leaves
16 cherry tomatoes
extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Thread the mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes on small skewers.
2. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Ingredients: Eggocado

This meal is a favourite of renowned author, journalist, and speaker Alan Henry.

1 avocado
1 egg

1. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C. Beat the egg with a fork.
2. Cut an avocado in half and de-pit it. Slice off a quarter's worth off the back of each avocado half so they lay flat. Sprinkle a little salt in each pit hole. Place the avocado halves in an oven-safe skillet, pitted side up, propped against the side to keep them steady.
3. Pour half the egg into the center of each avocado half. Depending on the size of your avocado, you may need to scoop out some of the flesh to make room first. Add any spices or condiments you like on top. Suggestions include hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, or lemon zest.
4. Carefully place the skillet in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes, until the egg is set.

Ingredients: Texas Hash

NOTE: You will have leftovers if you make this.

227 g ground beef
227 g canned chopped tomatoes
50 g uncooked white rice
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 large onion, diced
7 g chili powder (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 177 degrees C.
2. In a large oven-safe skillet, brown the ground beef on the stove. Add the celery, onion, and green pepper, and cook slightly, stirring everything together.
3. Add the tomatoes, rice, and chili powder, and stir to further incorporate everything.
4. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Four Ways To Better Butter

If you plan to cook something this holiday season, at some point you're going to be using butter.  You will be either using it in baking, frying something in it, coating something with it, or spreading it directly onto something you want to eat. Butter on its own is great, but there are ways to get even more out of one of the most versatile cooking fats.

Honey butter is exactly what it sounds like - honey blended into butter. Simple to make, it's great on toast, English muffins, pancakes, waffles, and cornbread.

Ingredients

2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature (the better the butter, the better the product)
150 g honey
3 g salt

1. Get the butter you plan to use to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. 
2. Put the ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a rubber spatula until it's slightly whipped or mix everything up in a mixer with a paddle attachment.

Store in a food-safe container in the refrigerator.

Brown butter (also known as buerre noisette) is melted butter that gains a nutty flavour after gently cooking it. It works great as a sauce or as a melted butter substitute in both sweet and savory dishes.

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Cut the butter into pieces so it cooks evenly and put the pieces in a pot with light-coloring on the inside. 
2. Turn the stove heat to medium heat to ensure the butter cooks evenly. Stir the butter to move it around as it melts. The butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges once melted. Continue stirring. In about 5–8 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown. The foam will slightly subside and the milk solids on the bottom of the pan will toast. You're on the right track if there's a strong buttery, nutty aroma in the air.
3. You don't want the butter to burn, so keep your eye on the stove - do not walk away, and do not stop stirring.  Once some of the foam begins to dissolve and you notice specks on the bottom of the pan have browned, remove the pan from heat immediately and pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. The brown specks are toasted milk solids, where most of the brown butter's flavour comes from, so scrape those out of the pan along with the liquid butter.

The butter will solidify as it comes back to room temperature. Once it has solidified, store the browned butter in a tightly covered food-safe container in the refrigerator for 5 days. Wrap in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Butter is an emulsion of fat and water. Clarified butter is what you get when you remove everything from the butter that isn't fat. It can be used for frying and sautéing, cooking eggs or steak, and makes a superior hollandaise sauce.

Ingredients

4 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Cut the sticks of butter into quarters and place the pieces in a suitable-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
2. Remove the bowl from the microwave and let it stand for 1 minute. Spoon off the foamy top layer, then spoon or strain the clarified butter through either cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a small food-safe container. Any milky liquid left over at the bottom of the bowl can be thrown away.

Ghee, popular in Indian recipes, is clarified butter cooked even further.

Ingredients

454 g butter, room temperature

1. Cut the butter into pieces and place in a light-coloured pot on low heat. Melt the butter and bring to a simmer. When the butter starts to foam, skim the foam off the top with a spoon.
2. Continue cooking the ghee on low for another 20-25 minutes, or until the middle layer is translucent and you can smell the nutty aroma. Turn off the heat when done, and let it cool down for a few minutes. Strain the ghee through cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a food-safe container. 

Both ghee and clarified butter can be stored at room temperature in a cupboard (away from direct light) for a few months. If you plan to keep it longer, store it in the refrigerator where it will last about a year.

I Ate This So You Won't Have To: The World's Hottest Gummy Bear

Knowing how I like spicy foods, a friend brought me a souvenir from a vacation he took with his family. Lil' Nitro claims to be the world's hottest gummy bear, with boasts of it being "900 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper". With the memory of a teenager dying from eating a tortilla chip dusted with two of the hottest peppers in the world still fresh in my mind, I'm going to eat this searing sweet. Can I go a full five minutes without seeking relief to complete the Lil’ Nitro Challenge? Let's go to the footage:

Memories of Dominica

Recently I had the chance to visit the island of Dominica. For those who aren't good at geography, I'm talking about the tropical island near Barbados known for its rainforests, mountains, and black-sand beaches, and not the island near Cuba known for producing cigars, bananas, and major league baseball players. While on the "Nature Island of the Caribbean", I was introduced to breadfruit. Found mainly in tropical regions, breadfruit grows on trees and gets its name from having a texture similar to baked bread when cooked. Breadfruit when dried can be ground into flour, is rarely eaten raw because of its high starch content, and can be cooked the same way you would cook a potato. If you're in the mood for a savoury casserole, consider the recipe below.  Who knows, maybe you'll like it enough to take a trip to the tropics and chop down a breadfruit to eat as I did.

This blog is dedicated to Peroma Xavier.

Ingredients

1 breadfruit (Check Caribbean grocery stores or Whole Foods for one)
360 mL evaporated milk
115 g medium cheddar cheese, grated, with some reserved for topping
75 g Monterey Jack cheese, grated
75 g onions, diced
45 g butter
25 g all-purpose flour
7 g ground mustard
6 g fresh parsley, chopped
2 g salt
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper, diced
1 pinch ground nutmeg
ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Cut off the stem part of the breadfruit, then rest that flat side down on your cutting board and cut the breadfruit into wedges. Peel the skin off with a potato peeler or sharp pairing knife. Remove the spongy center of the breadfruit so that you’re left with a wedge that is all breadfruit meat.
3. Rinse the wedges with cool water, then place them in a deep pot and cover with water. Bring everything to a boil, add the salt, and let everything cook for 20 minutes until it’s tender.
4. In another saucepan, heat the butter on low heat, then as it melts add the flour and let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the evaporated milk, then turn up the heat to medium and whisk. Add the parsley, scotch bonnet pepper, ground mustard, Monterey Jack cheese, most of the cheddar cheese, onions, nutmeg, and as much black pepper as you see fit. Cook for a few minutes until you have a thick and smooth sauce.
5. Slice each wedge of cooked breadfruit about 1/4 inch thick, then place a layer onto a greased cooking dish. Add a layer of cheese sauce, then another layer of sliced breadfruit, and top with the remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle on the rest of the grated cheese on top.
6. Place on the middle rack of a preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes before eating.

Random Thoughts on Jarritos

If I'm having Mexican food, there's a good chance I'm having a Jarritos soda with it. Founded in 1950 by Don Francisco "El Güero" Hill, the popular Mexican soft drink gets its name from the Spanish for "little jugs" as fruit-flavoured aguas fresca were traditionally kept in clay jugs to keep cool for long periods. A cold Jarritos perfectly offsets a spicy taco or burrito. As today is the anniversary of the creation of this beverage, here are my impressions of all that  Jarritos has to offer.  

Lime - One of the original flavours released, this is my go-to Jarritos beverage, mostly because it's the one flavour that's almost always available. Consider it if you want a better-tasting version of Sprite.

Mandarin - As mandarins normally are sweeter than oranges, fans of orange drinks should flock to this. This reminded me of what an orange popsicle would taste like if it were made with Orange Crush. 

Strawberry - I never consider strawberries to be a fruit to be used for juice, so I usually leave this one on the shelf. As close to strawberry Fanta as you're going to get this side of the border.

Tamarind - According to Wikipedia, tamarinds are sweet, brown, tangy pod-like fruits. The taste of this Jarrotos reminds me of the tartness of the powdered iced tea my parents used to buy in bulk back in the day. As it is one of the rarer varieties available, you'll have to see it and be in the mood to experiment before having one.

Guava - Very sweet and very pink. I'm surprised to see this flavour still on store shelves, what with  "Barbie" movie fans buying any and everything pink for their after-viewing parties.

Grapefruit - Other than Wink, grapefruit isn't a flavour that's featured a lot in soft drinks. When you're in the mood for a citrusy sweet-sour beverage, consider seeking this one out.

Fruit Punch - I'd believe it if someone told me this was just all the fruit flavours mixed together. If you call your drinks by their colour, this is prime Red Stuff.

Pineapple - Fans of the elusive pineapple-flavored Crush should give this a try. Perfect for those times when you want a piña colada without any alcohol.

Jamaica - This should be called Hibiscus as Jamaica is a country and not a fruit. You're not going to get the health benefits you would get from drinking hibiscus tea, but you will get that sweet and spicy taste.

Mango - When you taste this you're probably going to want to make this your new mixer for a shot of vodka or rum. Perfect for tropical-themed parties in the backyard.

Watermelon - You don't need Harry Styles to get a Watermelon Sugar high, just have one of these sodas. It's as close as you'll get to drinking a liquid watermelon Jolly Ranger.

Passion Fruit - Actual passion fruit tends to be both sweet and sour simultaneously. Jarritos Passion Fruit falls a lot closer to sweet than sour.

Mexican Cola - The Coca-Cola in Mexico tastes different from the regular gringo version because it uses cane sugar instead of corn syrup to sweeten it. Jarritos also uses cane sugar in their cola, but it tastes to me more like RC cola. See how it improves the flavour of this cola-based barbeque sauce:

Ingredients Cola BBQ Sauce

250 mL Jarritos Mexican Cola
235 g ketchup
69 g Worcestershire sauce
27.5 g brown sugar
6 g salt
1.15 g black pepper
0.5 g garlic powder
2.5 mL hot sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium to low heat.
2. Allow everything to boil for about 5 to 10 minutes until reduced and thickened.
3. Remove from heat and use immediately or pour into storage containers and store in the refrigerator for several months.

"Roadrunner" - A Better Late Than Never review

Chef. Addict. Writer. TV star. Provocateur. Until his untimely death by suicide, Anthony Bourdain was all of these. In its attempt to get to know who Bourdain was, director Morgan Neville relies on footage from Bourdain's many shows and media appearances, along with interviews with people who knew him. It is said that fame changes a person, and "Roadrunner" shows that in three parts. We see that behind Bourdain's cool outer shell was a geeky romantic, who did his best to keep it together when fame found him. We see that it took time for Bourdain to grow into the engaging persona fans have seen through the years, with producers in the early stages of his TV career practically begging him to show the charm he showed at book signings and in his kitchen. We see that travel can change you as a person and that constant travel took its toll on him with two failed marriages. We see a man who dove headfirst into something with full commitment to it, whether it was cooking, making compelling television, fatherhood, or falling in love. We see that he was totally invested in making the last major love affair of his life work, only to eventually see it lead him to his shocking demise. You can see the pain on people's faces when they talk about Bourdain's state of mind in the weeks leading up to his death. While no one can understand what goes through the mind of someone who takes their own life, you get the feeling that Bourdain felt he had compromised himself too much at that point, and that there was only one way out. At one point in the documentary, Bourdain talks about how his own death doesn't interest or concern him and that he hopes that at the very least, it provides some entertainment value. As the subject of a documentary for both long-time fans and people who want to see what the fuss was about him, I think he would have been pleased.

Peak Ottawa: An Obama Cookie at Le Moulin de Provence

Source: https://macleans.ca/

Ottawa is a city where you see politicians milling around downtown often. But one day in February 2009, a politician made his first official visit to the city and caused a commotion that you would expect when A-list celebrities appear on a Hollywood red carpet. U.S. President Barack Obama, fresh off his first inauguration the previous month, dazzled the City That Fun Forgot with his grace, charm, and overall coolness - I imagine this was what the buzz was like when JFK was elected or the Trudeamania Justin's dad experienced back in the sixties. The highlight of this visit was the impromptu visit to the ByWard Market, where the 44th president picked up some trinkets for his daughters and the obligatory Beavertail. He then went across the street to Le Moulin de Provence bakery, where he got two maple-leaf-shaped shortbread cookies. Soon everyone wanted one, and the bakery has been cranking out thousands of what is now known as the Obama Cookie ever since. In honour of the day Obama got his birth certificate, seek out the cookie that bears his name. It may remind you of your love for Canada and admiration for the 44th president.