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On part-time long distance (& a new favourite spot)

On May 22, 2015

N has started a work rotation up north. Fourteen days on, seven days off. Good for his career, unfortunate for our lives. We’re more than halfway through the longest span of him being away & I am eagerly anticipating his return – making belated birthday plans & thinking up fabulous meals to cook together. He was thrust into this new position pretty quickly with a week of training followed by a longer rotation. So when he gets back next week, he’ll have been away 21 of the last 24 days (Sink or swim!).

Luckily (or unluckily?) we’re no strangers to this long distance thing. In fact, until last year we’d probably spent more time living apart than we had together.I moved to Montreal for school four months after we started dating. We weren’t even sure where this new relationship was headed, but we decided to try to make it work anyway. We spent the next two years courting primarily over text message, skype, & occasional visits. Once I graduated, I moved home, thinking this was the end of this “style” of romance. Ironically, my cross-country move coincided with N’s work travel ramping up. An out of town project popped up nearly every time we made plans or bought concert tickets. The threat of having to reschedule or find a last minute friend to buy his ticket was never far from our thoughts.

Then, a couple years ago, he changed jobs. Deciding he wanted to get some different experience, he took a project engineer position that required fieldwork. We expected to go back to this quasi-long distance relationship, but dodged that (as well as the salary uplift) until now. So while I do miss him very much, it’s been almost two years in the making. We discussed the pros & cons & made a conscious decision to accept a rotation up North. That simple fact makes it a little bit easier to take, I think (at least for me, but I’m not the one working most of the summer).

Last time N was home, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather & headed over to Cannibale. This new addition to our neighbourhood (or neighbouring hood, anyway) already has me looking for excuses to grab a drink on their fabulous patio. More than just your average neighbourhood bar, Cannibale features creative cocktails, an excellent selection of wines, beers, & spirits, & a delightful take on bar food.

With two successful restaurants in Dairy Lane Cafe & Blue Star Diner, I had high hopes for their menu. & there’s been no disappointments so far! In fact, they’ve exceeded my expectations with their friendly & welcoming bar staff, killer design (think trendy speakeasy vibe), & inspiring menu.

The menu. I’m partial to the Santiago.

N & I shared the Foie Gras Parfait on our latest visit &, honestly, it was parfait. I’ve also tried their Peasant Cheese Board: a lovely selection of cheese, crostini, & honey. A bite of one of their sandwiches had me wishing I’d ordered my own. As for the cocktails, I personally love the delightfully sour Santiago, while N favours the Jungle Bird (& the Pimmy Gibbler is more than just a funny cocktail name). Although, the bartenders are always game to make suggestions if you’re unsure. My favourite craft beers round out the drink menu & I’m looking forward to making a dent in the wine list (if cocktails aren’t your thing).

With a full bar & a patio, what more could you ask for? A classic, full-service barbershop perhaps? That’s right, Cannibale also features an attached single-chair barbershop at the front. It reminds me of Blind Barber in NYC. I just love this concept! I’m looking forward to watching Cannibale become part of the neighbourhood.

The one perk to long distance is that you really take advantage of the days when you’re together & make the most of that time. Thank you, Cannibale, for giving us a great spot to do so. & welcome to the neighbourhood.

On Meal Planning

By whoalansi

On April 24, 2015

In eat

I love thinking about food – any & all food is fair game. I take pleasure in sharing my knowledge of Calgary’s food scene & delight in the ongoing search for delicious fare. You’d think this passion for eating would perhaps translate to my enjoyment of meal planning, but it truly does not. I don’t really believe anyone who tells me they love this task. Don’t get me wrong, I love thinking about new recipes & forming an unstructured plan of what we’ll eat, but I don’t enjoy sitting down to actually plan the week. I get much more enjoyment from flexible plans, but I personally don’t find them realistic for our everyday lives. For one, I hate throwing out food. It’s one of my pet peeves. Even if something I’ve made doesn’t quite turn out, I’ll usually eat it. There’s also the unfortunate fact that we need to be a little bit conscious what we’re spending. So every week, I sit down & make a meal plan.

I used to be quite diligent about this process, but lately I’ve been struggling with finding the motivation. Recipes I’ve pinned still look delicious, but I don’t always have time (or energy) for a weekday experiment. It’s just not always realistic to spend hours in the kitchen on a Tuesday night. Sometimes I just want something quick & easy, something that I already know will be delicious.

This is exactly why I’m grateful that I’ve been so organized with our meal plans. (Excuse me while I pat myself on the back for that one.) Thanks to my penchant for planning, I have a record of every single meal plan we ever made. Originally, I typed them up in word, printed them off, & stuck them on the fridge. At the end of the week, I’d put them in a binder. (How cute!)

A couple of years ago, we made the switch to online recording. We use an app called Evernote. It allows you to create lists that sync to multiple phones, making tracking, organising, & editing simple.When N picks up groceries, he checks off the items in the app as he goes so we know whether we’re missing anything.

a sample Evernote plan

I really like our system, but I still find my inspiration lacking from time to time. A few weeks ago, I was on Instagram & noticed how often I share our meals on my feed. Why not use these for inspiration?! There’s a good mix of tried & true recipes as well as some newer, exciting ones. I created a hashtag for these photos so they’re easy to find (one of the greatest features of instagram!). You can find them by searching #deBoerDinners.

Whenever I’ve used a recipe, I’ve tagged the owner or referenced it in some ways. There are some experiments & staples up there though that will not have recipes associated with them, but hopefully they all help to inspire your meal plans when you’re feeling a bit stuck. I plan to continue to add to it as we cook more too, so it will continue to grow.

Do you ever find yourself in a cooking rut? I’d love to hear about your tactics if you do! Happy Meal Planning!

Honeymoon 001 \ Paris

By whoalansi

On October 8, 2014

In Travel

The de Boers are off to Europe!

When we first started talking about our honeymoon, I knew I wanted to show N the city I lived in for seven months (& the reason this blog exists): Lyon. Lucky for us, that would mean flying in to Paris first, giving us the opportunity to spend a few days in the city of lights.

Not everyone loves Paris. I’m not one of those people. I find Paris beautiful & exciting & I can’t visit enough. This trip would be my fourth trip to the French capital (Paris is always a good idea, non?), & I can still see myself going back in the future.

Planning started early. We booked our accommodations with AirBnB. After this trip, I can’t recommend enough this site enough as we had nothing but great experiences. You have to do your research, but that’s always something I’ve enjoyed. Looking at photos of apartments & reading reviews never really feels like work to me. Making a decision though – that’s another story.

I picked a great apartment in Paris’ fourth arrondissement – one of my favourites! Notre Dame, City Hall, Ile de la Cite, & the Marais district are all within walking distance. I was quite excited to have scored such a great location after having stayed much further out on my last two visits. (My first time I was spoiled & stayed with my parents, right off the Champs Elysees. Tough luck, eh?)

The living room & kitchen of our apartment

Our flight arrived early &, after a delay in the sweaty baggage claim room due to an unattended bag at the McCafe, we made our way into the city on the RER. Our host, Paco, told us we could drop our bags at the apartment while they finished cleaning up. We grabbed lunch near the Centre Pompidou (typical brasserie fare with a couple beers) while we waited.

The crowd waiting to exit baggage claim

Affligem on a terrace

By 1:00 pm, the apartment was ready for us. Paco welcomed us to Paris, gave us a few instructions, & left us to freshen up. We hadn’t slept much on the plane, but had decided to make the most the day anyway.

Our first stop was Pont de l’Archevêché, or Lovelock Bridge. It’s said to be the first of this kind in Paris. Who knows if that’s really true, but we added our lock to the bridge & kissed the key goodbye (literally) before throwing it into La Seine. If you find yourself in Paris, look for our lock. Hopefully they won’t have cut it off – I hear that’s bad luck.

Les Bouquinistes along the Seine

Notre Dame de Paris

Lovelock Bridge

Goodbye Key!

Personally, I see travelling as an opportunity to experience different cultures through food, so our next stop was a wine bar in the sixth. I’d heard about it while watching one of the many shows featuring Anthony Bourdain in Paris. (He’s not for everyone, but that man knows food & gives good advice. Check his stuff out. I like No Reservations.)

L’Avant Comptoir is a standing-room-only tapas & wine bar near the Odeon metro. It serves up an assortment of small plates alongside a beautiful selection of wines (for those who can’t afford Le Comptoir du Relais next door or can’t get a reservation). The space is narrow. You walk through a plastic curtain to find people standing around a zinc bar, ordering from a friendly barman. The open kitchen allows you to watch staff scurry back & forth with different orders.

We started with the ham croquettes filled with iberico ham – not to be missed if you pay a visit – & a glass of red wine. I can’t tell you which as I just asked him to surprise us. I’m assuming this was Eric, who I read knows exactly what you need. We were not disappointed.

Sleepy N

The menu hangs from the ceiling on cards. After much back & forth about what we should order next (everything sounded delicious), we settled on a charcuterie board. We enjoyed the added bonus of watching them prepare it, using a beautiful, red meat slicer. They were more than generous with the assortment of meat they provided & it was likely more than we needed, but we thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

a slicer made in heaven

The most incredible Charcuterie

A selection of cornichons, mustards, hand-churned butter, & fresh bread sit out on the bar, to be shared with other patrons. As we enjoyed our wine & charcuterie, the barman would come by to suggest combinations of cornichons & charcuterie or mustard & bread – it was my favourite part of the whole experience. All of his suggestions were enthusiastically devoured by us both.

We visited at an off-peak hour, but by the time we left people were starting to filter in. I’ve heard it gets packed later on, but that could make for a fun experience. If you’re in Paris, I can’t recommend it enough. Eric took a picture for us before we left & I made sure to sign the wall.

nerd

incredibly happy

Our next stop was the Eiffel Tower. N hadn’t been up last time he was in Paris so we thought it was worth going. As we arrived, it looked like it might rain, so we ducked into a little brasserie to wait it out & have a drink.

Hello, Jet Lag! Our lack of sleep on the plane had caught up with us & we took turns accidentally nodding off at the table. We must have looked ridiculous to passersby. Fortunately, the rain seemed to hold off so we decided it was best if we got moving & made our climb to the top. I’ve been up a few times now & it really is a spectacular view. Paris appears neverending.

Post Nap. Ready to Climb

Weary & hungry, we made our way back to the Marais for dinner. We attempted to go to Breizh Cafe for an authentic Breton dinner (crepes & fresh seafood were a staple when I lived in Rennes!), but it’s not the type of place you can just walk into without a reservation (before 10 pm at least).

I had my heart set on crepes (or galettes, if we’re talking the savoury Breton variety) though. Wandering around the Marais, we found La Droguerie du Marais on Rue des Rosiers. The crepe-man makes your crepes right in front of you, taking orders & making jokes from a window that opens onto the street. I was sold. I ordered a jambon-oeuf-fromage, a staple in Brittany, while N went for a slight variation on that combination. (I don’t remember exactly what his was because I was too distracted by my own.)

We’d planned to enjoy our crepes with a glass of wine, but they were pretty much finished before we got back so it wasn’t long before we called it a night. We had a lot more exploring ahead still, so it was time for some much needed sleep. I’ll leave day two for my next post.

Eat \ Anju’s Test Kitchen Takeover

By whoalansi

On August 7, 2014

In Uncategorized

It’s been decided. We’re part of the Roy Oh/Anju Fanclub, maybe even the founding members. Over the course of a month, I attended 3 dinners where Roy was either the chef or a contributor, and he doesn’t even currently have a restaurant right now!

H actually has me beat though as she attended four over the course of the month. If that’s not fan girl status, I don’t know what is.

Kidding aside, if you haven’t eaten Roy’s Korean Fusion fare, you’re missing out. I know I just said that he doesn’t currently have a restaurant, but that’s all about to change soon (stay tuned to their twitter – @AnjuRestaurant. I know I will be!). If you’re familiar with the Calgary restaurant scene, his new digs will fill the space that used to be Petite (at 17 avenue & 4 street SW).

For my second Anju experience in June, a YMCA co-worker invited H & I to check out his pop up at Test Kitchen. H was a bit hesitant as this would be Anju meal three for her, but in the end she couldn’t resist.

I love this pop-up series idea going on at Test Kitchen & really hope it continues. I think it’s great to have different chefs come in & have the opportunity to do something that is maybe a little different from the usual fair in their own establishments.

We started the evening with a soju strawberry, chili, & mint cocktail. As expected, it was delicious. The flavour combination was different in the best way. The hint of spice was a welcome surprise & I’m a sucker for any cocktail that features mint.

The first course was a spicy oyster shooter. We each got a little shot glass with a spicy oyster shot. I love oysters so it was a great way to kick off the meal.

Next we had a bone marrow risotto. Rich, creamy, & decadent are adjectives that spring to mind when I think of this dish. Bone marrow has such an amazing flavour on its own; the smooth & creamy risotto was a perfect pairing. Roy had also added some anchovies that reminded us of one our unexpected favourites at the Chinese Association dinner. I’m sure I made my happy face throughout this entire dish. It was that great.

Fish & Chips were next up on our menu. We discussed what possible spin Roy would put on it. Roy’s creativity shone through as we were presented with what looked like two spring rolls on a bed of tartar sauce.

We all decided to go with wine pairings for the meal. I wish I’d taken better note of the wines we tried. They were all lovely and mostly white wines, not something I usually pick myself since I know my taste in red better.

Our last savoury course was bibimbap. This was a new dish for me, but one I think I can get behind. As usual, Roy had a bit of a non-traditional take on this wonderful dish. As I’ve come to expect with
most dishes that come out of his kitchen, I loved the combination of different flavours in this dish. This time I think the different textures were what I most enjoyed though here.

Last came dessert – milk & cookies. The milk was a sesame milkshake & the cookies were warm chili chocolate. It was a delicious end to a fantastic meal & further cemented Anju in my mind as somewhere fantastic. I will definitely be very excited to see this restaurant back on the scene in Calgary & can’t recommend it enough.

Eat Eat \ Poutine Crawl

By whoalansi

On May 10, 2014

In Food, recap, Social

A few weeks ago, one of my best friends scored two tickets to the 2014 Calgary Poutine Crawl. We’d both been anxiously awaiting the moment they were to go on sale, but she was one of the lucky 60 or so to snag a pair of tickets to the event. It literally sold out in less than 15 seconds – the first obvious sign that it was bound to be some special. I was obviously pretty bummed about it until her husband offered his ticket to me. Best wedding gift so far, Z!

Poutine Day arrived and we excitedly met at Wurst at noon. I’ve eaten (as well as enjoyed many a beer) in this great establishment & have always enjoyed the experience. There’s something about a beer hall that just says good times to me! We ordered drinks & waited for things to start, discussing whether we thought it would be something off their menu (they have great poutine) or something new.

Karen Richards, the organizer, welcomed us before the chef took the stage to talk to us the thoughts behind the day’s creation. They had decided to go with the poutine on their menu for a very good reason – they’d spent a long time creating it & think it’s great. I have to agree; it is a great poutine. They start with duck fat fries (never a bad idea, if you ask me) & add cheese curds, green peas, speck sauce, duck confit, & truffle oil.

This poutine is rich so I was grateful for the smaller portion. I have & would eat this poutine again though – the fries are great (duck fat, people!), the cheese curds squeak, & the “gravy” has a great flavour. For me, those three things are the most important components of a great poutine, & Wurst nails it.

Once we’d finished up, we got onto one of the two party buses & headed off to National 17. Not only is National one of my favourite bars in Calgary (another beer hall. What can I say? They’re just so great!), but also this next poutine would be the creation of one of my favourite chefs, Roy Oh. This poutine was by far the one H & I were most excited for, being Anju fangirls. (We’re anxiously awaiting the opening of his new restaurant – Anju 2.0!) Roy’s creation was a very cool Korean-Inspired “poutine” featuring chewy rice cakes, bacon, cucumber, gochujang sauce, & squeaky cheese curds. This is definitely not traditional poutine here, but those flavours. Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The experience was over far too soon for me.

Back to the bus – we were headed off the beaten path, to Naina’s Kitchen, in a more industrial area of Calgary. I regularly frequent the Farmer’s Market across the street, but haven’t tried the stuffed burgers this place is famous for yet. It’s a small, unassuming little spot, but we all squished in. This one was a feast, & probably the most traditional to that point, featuring fries, cheese curds, meatballs, caramelized onions, & a sweet gravy. The meatballs were fantastic & I enjoyed the hint of maple syrup in the gravy, but the fries & curds weren’t my favourite. This was probably for the best though. If I had finished that monster, I don’t think I’d have managed the rest of the crawl (without actually crawling!).

It was back downtown for our next stop – The Libertine. Halfway through & I was getting a little full & a lot sleepy. Luckily, they have some great beers on tap, so we quickly solved one of those problems. Their team presented their poutine in little takeout boxes. I was excited to see apple coleslaw on top (I’m sure I’m almost alone in my excitement over a good coleslaw). Underneath we found fried chicken, double smoked pork belly (magical words), & of course, curds, gravy, & fries. I think the pork belly (& the slaw for me – I know I’m alone in this) were the stars for me here. The fries, curds, & gravy were all delicious though too so it was an all around well-executed poutine!

H & I had reached waddle status at this point, so she suggested we walk the few blocks to downtownfood. It was a great idea & we even arrived before the bus. downtownfood was the 2013 Calgary Poutine Crawl winner. In fact, they seem to put out some pretty amazing food for most of these types of things so I was definitely looking forward to their take.

They started us off with a lemon sorbetto to cleanse our palate “after all those inferior poutines we’d tried.” It was a clever tactic. This sorbetto was arguably one of the best palate cleansers I’ve had. Next they came around with the poutine. Servers removed funny plastic lids to uncover a steaming bowl of deliciousness, which included bacon, mushrooms, house-made cheese curds, duck-confit gravy, & delicious fries. These curds hit it out of the park for me. I could have eaten a bowlful of them. Seriously, I love curds. I also loved the flavour of the gravy, despite it being a bit on the more liquidy side. All around amazing flavours.

& then they followed it up with dessert: macarons. I’m such a sucker for macarons. Well played, downtownfood.

Last stop on our tour was a little pub across the river, Oak Tree Tavern. Wild Rose Brewery put us all in great spirits with a free beer. The poutine that followed was the first vegetarian option of the day, featuring crispy fries, cheese curds, & a sage mushroom gravy. The flavours of this poutine were great again, but I found myself wishing there were more curds. Yes, even after 6 poutines, I wanted more cheese curds. (I know, I’m a freak.) Oak Tree Tavern was a great venue to end that day on. We stayed around for a few extra beers & waited for our stomachs to shrink back to normal.

Overall, Anju’s poutine was my favourite for Roy’s creativity as well as the amazing combination of flavours, but I can’t say I was disappointed with any of the poutines we tasted. The votes were tallied the next day & downtownfood came out on top for the second year in a row – a well deserved win. All the participants did an incredible job & I would highly recommend this event to anyone who likes poutine. Or maybe I wouldn’t – I’d like to score tickets myself next year.

Eat \ Bacon & Gauc Deviled Eggs

By whoalansi

On April 8, 2014

In Uncategorized

While I do a lot of cooking at home, it isn’t often that I post a recipe on here. Our kitchen is pretty tiny, with dark counter tops & terrible lighting, so I don’t often bust out the real camera. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen a lot of my food iPhoneography already (although that’s only picking back up again now that the sun stays out later). I spend most of my day thinking about what I just ate, what I’m going to eat, or what I’d like to eat. My love of food definitely isn’t the reason for the lack of recipes on here.

I love experimenting in the kitchen. It doesn’t always turn out right, but the more I take chances, the more I get a sense of what works & what doesn’t. I’m not anywhere near as good of a cook as I’d like to be, but I’m definitely proficient. & I get better all the time.

In that last few years, I’ve come to realize that I’ve surrounded myself with people who are pretty similar in that respect. My friends all love food. I suppose it’d probably be pretty hard to hang out with me if you didn’t. In the summer especially, we throw a lot of potlucks. I love trying out new recipes, but one I come back to regularly is deviled eggs. I just love them! & I’ve made quite a few variations of them over the last couple of years. Many are a little on the complicated side, but one of my favourites is from George, the Civilized Caveman.

A couple weeks ago, I was headed out to a potluck after CrossFit & I couldn’t decide what to make. We had a bit of a busy weekend planned so I wanted something quick & easy. None of my usual recipes are very hard, but I didn’t feel like messing around with an avocado. I just wanted to be super lazy. So I came up with this modification on my usual recipe.

I don’t like measuring so this recipe involved me eyeballing everything. As a result, none of these measurements are exact. I think it’s hard to mess up devilled eggs anyway. Don’t stress if you like exact measurements. This isn’t baking. It’s going to be alright.

Ingredients

– 4 strips of Bacon
– 1 T of Green Onions
– 3 T of Wholly Guacamole
– 2 T of bacon fat, melted
– 1 T favourite hot sauce
– a dozen eggs
– dusting of Paprika

Start with your bacon. Cook up about 4 pieces. I like this gluten-free bacon in the picture because there also isn’t a lot of added nitrates or soy (I prefer to avoid unfermented soy). You can use any bacon you like. I’m not the bacon police.

You’re going to want to start boiling some eggs now too. Everyone has their own method so I recommend going with that. Whatever works for you. Personally, I put all my eggs in a pot & bring it to a boil. Once it boils, I take it off the heat & put a lid on it, setting the timer for 15 minutes. Once that timer goes off, I dump the hot water & put those eggies in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Everyone says this method is foolproof.

Everyone is wrong! (Just kidding!) Sometimes this works for me & sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, hard boil some eggs. Then peel them, cut them in half, & put all those delicious yolks in a bowl. I put my egg white halves into the container I plan to use now to save time & dishes. (See? Lazy!)

Now you can start adding your other ingredients. Chop the bacon into small pieces, reserving a few pieces for a garnish if like. Add the bacon, guacamole, bacon fat, & hot sauce to the egg yolks & mix it all together.

Once it is all combined, grab a plastic bag & put your filling into it. (You can also use a pastry bag, I guess. I’m just not that fancy.)

Cut one of the corners of your bag on the diagonal. Your hole should be medium-sized. If it’s too big, you’ll have trouble controlling your filling, but it’s too small, it won’t dispense. You want it to be juuuuuust right.

Now just fill your eggs with the filling. I like to do each in a circular motion. Sometimes it works, sometimes it totally fails. I probably cut my hole a little bigger than is ideal this time, so there wasn’t much pattern to this filling. They still look & taste good, so don’t stress.

Garnish with green onion and paprika (& bacon, if you reserved some). Tada! Easy peasy deviled eggs with no weird mayo products. Give them a try!

Random Rants \ gluten free is unpopular

By whoalansi

On February 16, 2014

In Uncategorized

Let me start by saying I don’t mean to go on the attack. This matter caught my attention & I think it’s interesting, so I thought I’d write a quick little post.

A friend’s mom was flying to Hawaii yesterday. She’s celiac & always packs lots of snacks, but they ran in to a few delays & she found herself stuck on a plane with nothing to eat. I was kind of surprised to learn that West Jet doesn’t have gluten-free options. She has since tweeted them as it was frustrating to be delayed, hungry, & have no options. It’s already frustrating enough to have no control over delays, but add hunger to the mix…Well, we all know about hanger, right?

West Jet responded that they used to have some options, but were often throwing them out. The proved unpopular in their past tests.

Now I understand that Gluten Free does have some negative connotations. It is certainly unpopular with many people. & I don’t blame people for shying away from many Gluten Free products. There are a lot of things out there that aren’t great, especially when it comes to the cheaper options. I, personally, don’t often buy products that are meant to replace gluten filled products like bread & crackers. I’d rather eat real, unprocessed food every time.

And this is what bothers me. There are many things that are naturally gluten free: fruit, vegetables, cheese, and most meats, for example. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store & you’ll find that most of the items, outside of the bakery, are going to be gluten free. There’s no label marketing them as such; they just are.

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding around gluten free & what it means. One thing I can see right off the bat as a solution is to offer fruit or veggies. Even a salad with a simple balsamic vinegar & olive oil dressing is a nice, cheap, & simple alternative to a sandwich. I’ve often seen cheese, meat, & crackers offered on board. Why not find packaged crackers to add to the meat & cheese so that if someone is looking for gluten free, they can choose that option without the crackers having contaminated the rest of it?

I understand where West Jet is coming from & Customer Service is never an easy place to be. You’re never going to please everyone. I do, however, think that it’s an important thing to think about.

While I do believe that gluten free does take a little more thought, I don’t agree that it’s actually harder. The hardest part about gluten free is wrapping your mind around it. If you can get past the thought of getting away from grains, it actually becomes pretty easy.

noël

By whoalansi

On January 7, 2014

In Uncategorized

The new year is in full swing. We’re back at work & I’m finally getting back into our routines. Even though I had plenty of time to edit photos last week, they sat on my camera until tonight when I realized it was about time I posted about Christmas!

I don’t have a whole lot to say. We had a lovely Christmas; we got crazy spoiled as always. N & I spent Christmas Eve until Boxing Day at hiss parents house this year: eating everything from lobster & chowder to turkey & stuffing. We went skating, taught his siblings a new board game, & watched lots of movies.

After N finished work on Boxing Day we loaded up the car & headed out to Columbia Valley. We stayed overnight with a friend of mine in Invermere so we could ski Panorama in the morning. I always enjoy staying in Invermere overnight; the drive up to Panorama is so quick. Not to mention we were served a lovely breakfast & coffee before hitting the slopes. My girlfriend has this great new place near the lake & we weren’t in a huge rush to get up the mountain so we took our time catching up over eggs, bacon, & hashbrowns.

The skiing itself was pretty good – nothing spectacular, but nothing to complain about for December either. That night we headed out to my parents’ place further down the valley. My dad make his incredible pizza & we exchanged gifts with my family. The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the country: skating, relaxing, reading, & enjoying each other’s company.

It was great to spend time with each of our families & get away from the city for a bit. It always feels like a bit of a holiday even if it’s just for a couple days.

Happy New Year all!

for the coffee obsessed

By whoalansi

On December 10, 2013

In Uncategorized

I know I just professed my love for Fratello Coffee Roasters yesterday, but this is a little different. I wasn’t kidding; it’s still my favourite coffee. & they make a beautiful cup of coffee, in my opinion. I’ve always been a latte or cappuccino girl (how can you go wrong with latte art?), but they make an amazing pour over as well. If you really love coffee, I highly recommend checking it out.

Fratello posted a lovely little video yesterday, which is what had me posting my love of both their cafe (Analog Coffee on 17th Avenue SW) and their coffee. I regularly convince N to grab a coffee there with me on the weekend. It was even one of my picks for our engagement session with 3Haus last month. (I’ll do a post about that lovely experience soon, I promise – here’s a couple teasers shots from Analog Coffee for now).

Source: 3Haus Photographics

If Fratello were on my way to work in the morning, I would undoubtedly stop in from time to time. Sadly, my commute doesn’t venture anywhere near their lovely establishment. Luckily for me, Calgary’s got a pretty decent coffee scene so it’s not too upsetting (although I really wouldn’t protest if they happened to open up a cafe on the northeast side of the city…).

Enter deVille Coffee and their Nutella Latte. Yeah, you heard me right, Nutella Latte. Since leaving Starbucks a few years ago, I’ve lost my taste for anything overly sweet. When people get excited about Pumpkin Spice Lattes or whatever current Starbucks coffee craze (abomination) is going on now, all I can think is sugar. Much too sweet for me.

Nutella Lattes, however, are something I can get behind. The combination of a great coffee (deVille brews Intelligentsia Coffee from Chicago), steamed milk, and a bit of Nutella is a great way to start the day. Nutella is deliciously chocolatey without being overly sweet, so it’s the perfect treat for those of us who aren’t into super sugary coffee. (Now I know that Nutella also has a lot of sugar in it and is no more healthy than Starbucks in that regard. I just can’t stand coffee that doesn’t at least mildly taste like coffee and it seems like sbux gets more and more ridiculous every year.)

I once did the math on what I was spending per month and it completely turned me off buying coffee every morning. Even when I only spent $3 a day on coffee, it added up to almost $100 a month so I try not buy coffee on my way to work very often. With Calgary being so cold lately though, I’ve needed an extra little something in the morning, so I’ve been stopping in to deVille sometimes as I walk past.

I haven’t been able to get into Christmas yet (does that make me a terrible blogger? I feel like all the bloggers are super into the Christmas Spirit and I’m just not there yet. I tried watching Love Actually on Sunday night to get into the spirit, but that only last until Monday morning.), but I can definitely always get behind good coffee on a cold day.

Road Tripping: Seattle

By whoalansi

On November 17, 2013

In Travel

I can’t believe it’s been over two months since we were in Seattle. It was a really quick trip, but we managed to see a lot of the city. We got in late in the afternoon and parked by the pier. We had about an hour until my friend and his wife could meet up with us so we wandered around.

Pike Place Market was just down the street so we headed there right away. I’m not sure what is up with this gum wall, but it’s huge. N thought it was pretty gross and I kind of do too. Interesting to photograph, but I don’t think I could bring myself to touch it and add my own piece to the wall.

We wandered the market a bit and then went in search of parking to meet up with my friend and his wife. I hadn’t see Lucas since he came to Calgary for Stampede Week in 2006. We originally met in France while studying in Rennes in 2005. He played tour guide and showed up some of the main sites downtown. We eventually decided on Ivar’s for some seafood on the pier. It was great catching up and hearing about everything they’d been up to since I’d last seen him (there’s a lot. They’re pretty worldly and impressive people!) They were generously putting us up at their home just outside Seattle so after dinner we headed back to their house to rest up for the next day.

Our first stops after breakfast the next day were the Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder. They were built to link the freshwater of Lake Washington to the saltwater of Puget Sound. There is also a fish ladder built to allow easier passage for salmon to return to Lake Washington and navigate the locks. There are glass panels below the waterline so you can watch the fish swim up the ladders if you’re lucky. We waited and waited, hoping to see a salmon swim up the ladder, but it was wasn’t until we were just walking out that one finally made an appearance. It swam so fast that we didn’t get to see much. It’d be really cool to be there when a lot of salmon are making their way to Lake Washington.

We had visited Pike Place Market briefly the day before but wanted a little more time to see it and try some seafood so we headed back there. The rain held off and gave us the opportunity to wander the market. We tried some fresh crab and marvelled at the amazing seafood. The rest of the market was great too, but that scale of seafood isn’t something we see at home so we were spent most of our time in awe of the seafood.

We tried to visit the first Starbucks, but the line outside was insane so we took dumb pictures outside instead. It was possibly the most touristy moment of our trip. I worked at Starbucks long enough to grow an intense appreciation for good coffee and small roasters, of which there are plenty in both Seattle and Portland. I appreciate what Starbucks has done for this industry. It really wouldn’t exist if someone hadn’t come up with the idea to open this little italian style cafe and try to sell the idea of lattes, americanos, and cappuccinos to North Americans. Thank you, Starbucks.

Lucas had mentioned we should check out the library. It’s a pretty cool building and definitely well worth a wander if you’re looking for something to do downtown and are interested in architecture. We didn’t stay long, but we wandered all the way up to the top. This is the top floor of the library.

Afterwards, we decided we’d seen enough of downtown Seattle and headed up to Capitol Hill. This is such a cool area of Seattle. We were ready for a break, some beer, and a snack so we wandered the area looking for a good spot. We stumbled on Oddfellows and decided it looked like a good choice. We shared some charcuterie and a couple drinks. I absolutely loved the space and was sad to have to head back to the car. I would have loved to have had more time to explore Capitol Hill. I guess that means we’ll have to make another trip out to Seattle.

We headed to the Walrus and the Carpenter for dinner that night. The restaurant is in Ballard, which is another really cool neighbourhood. They don’t take reservations and it is a pretty popular spot so we showed up and had a two hour wait ahead of us. Luckily this gave us a chance to wander around the area and grab a drink on a patio. Again, another neighbourhood I’d love to have more time to explore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter is a little Oyster Bar in a beautiful old restored building. They also have a lot of small plates and a beautiful wine and beer selection. We ordered a bunch of delightful things along with both fresh oysters and fried ones. It was a delicious meal and the perfect end to our food tour of the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, it seemed too cramped a space to pull out my SLR so I only have grainy iPhone photos of the meal. Trust me, these don’t do it justice.

We woke up “early”the next morning, grabbed coffee in the beautiful town of Edmonds (Lucas picked a beautiful spot to call home!), and hit the Interstate. We stopped for some quick outlet shopping before crossing the border back into Canada; it was time for Kelowna and a very exciting half marathon!

WHOA lansi

francophile, oenophile, logophile, turophile

Tag: food Page 2 of 4

On part-time long distance (& a new favourite spot)

On Meal Planning

Honeymoon 001 \ Paris

Eat \ Anju’s Test Kitchen Takeover

Eat \ Bacon & Gauc Deviled Eggs

Random Rants \ gluten free is unpopular

noël

for the coffee obsessed

Road Tripping: Seattle

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