Montreal Love

This winter has been unexpected, to say the least. Everything from the weather to what I thought I'd be doing with my life, none of it could have been prescribed. No one guessed we'd have a mild winter; quite the contrary, scientists were expecting a harsh one. In addition, I never expected that I'd be leaving Montreal so soon. Even though I graduated last December, I had anticipated staying in Montreal until going to grad school next fall. But as quickly and often as the weather changes (especially in Montreal), so life plans do the same.

Yet, I did, in fact, anticipate this winter to be my last winter in Montreal. Little to my surprise, it's actually my last couple weeks here in Montreal -- at least for the time being. In two weeks I'll be moving to Paris for a three-month internship. I'm incredibly excited for this adventure, and you'd better believe I'm going to have a field-day with blog posts of all the amazing Parisian food I'll be eating. Yet, there's something achingly bittersweet about leaving behind the city I've come to love the most, my Montreal.

And even though I loathe winter and am quite happy that we've had an unseasonably and snow-less warm winter, I couldn't have been happier when last night's snow arrived. There's something magical about staying in when there's a snowstorm outside, watching fresh snow fall gingerly on the rooftops and tree branches outside.

Especially since I had made plans to make my boyfriend dinner that evening, nothing could be more romantic than just the two of us eating dinner at home, cozied around a candlelight table while the snow bucketed down outside.

So what did I make for dinner, you ask? To start, I made my mother's special thai-style spring rolls, filled with chicken, shrimp and vegetables. I also made skewers of steak and grilled vegetables (I thank God for having a George Forman grill -- simple grilling for when it's too cold to do the real thing outside). For dessert, I made a delicious lattice-top apple pie with McIntosh and Granny Smith apples.

(Side anecdote: You've gotta love the inconsistencies of Montreal weather. Yesterday it was snowing; the day before, it was beautiful, sunny, high of 5 degrees Celsius. Birds were chirping; spring was near. It was a perfect day to take a walk to Jean Talon market, where I picked up some apples to make this pie. Even though its February and the fruits and veggies aren't in season, there's still loads of great produce to be found at Jean Talon!)

Excuse the grease, but these spring rolls are oh-so-worth the extra calories from frying them. They make not look so pretty, but they're delicious on the inside!

Pre-George Foreman

Post-grilling. I marinated the steak in red wine and Montreal steak seasoning. Then I grilled them to perfection along with the peppers and onions. 

Mixed apples: McIntosh and Granny Smith

Apple pie is so easy! Just mix a couple spices and some sugar and then use your favourite pie-dough recipe (everyone has their go-to recipe, don't they?) for a delicious and simple dessert. In addition to cinnamon and nutmeg, I love adding a bit of Cointreau to give the flavour a little kick. 

We ate this baby right out of the oven. We ate it so fast that I didn't get a chance to snap a pic of the pie before it was half gone! Mind you, it was only two of us... But don't judge! It was just really good. 

For me, this low-key evening was the epitome of why I love Montreal: even though it may be miserable outside, you're guaranteed to find good company and good food inside. :)

Until next time, happy eating!

-Talia 

Culinary Exploits in the Hamptons

When you think of the Hamptons and food, what's your first thought? I instantly think of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa herself whose culinary mastery began when she opened her store in Westhampton many years ago. Thus, when I found out I was going to spend a few days in Westhampton with my boyfriend and his family, I got more excited about the food than I did about the beach! Unfortunately, Ina's store has closed down, but she still broadcasts her show, "Barefoot Contessa" and runs her food empire from the nearby town of East Hampton.

Despite my love for the Barefoot Contessa, I was not the only one excited about food in the Hamptons. As such, this post is not about me. The real gastronomic hero of our Hamptons getaway was my boyfriend, Matt, who got quite creative with his cooking. Naturally, we wanted to grill as often as possible. But instead of making ordinary burgers and dogs, Matt took things to the next level. Burgers with gorgonzola and brie cheese, perfectly cooked steaks, garlic marinated grilled shrimp -- and the list goes on.

For a little aperitif, we created what I like to call "Matt's Wondrous Vodka-Infused Watermelon." It is just what it sounds like -- a vodka-soaked watermelon.

Very simple in procedure but lengthy in preparation time, the watermelon must sit for two days before it's ready. In our case, we bought a "personal" watermelon smaller in size than normal watermelons, meaning that we didn't have to let it saturate for quite as long. To start, cut a hole in the top of the watermelon the exact size of the vodka bottleneck. Place the vodka bottle upside-down and ensure it is quite snug. And that's it! Let it sit for two days and you've got you're self one helluva drunkin' watermelon!

Matt's culinary exploration didn't end there. For breakfast, he was delighted to make his fantastic Five-Egg Bagel Sandwich (serves two). This sandwich uses simple ingredients, but yields huge flavor and an even bigger bite! It's a combination of scrambled eggs, a layer of prosciutto (or any other ham of your choice) and sharp cheddar cheese all inside a toasted everything bagel. For two bagels this sandwich uses five eggs, so for those concerned with cholesterol, beware! Nevertheless, there's only one word for this sandwich: YUM!

That's all for the Hamptons culinary exploits. I'm sure Ina would be proud of us! 

As always, happy eating! 

-Talia 

PS - I promise Nikhil is not dead, even though he's been MIA from the blog!! Nix, you better step your game up!