Foodspotting

I sometimes feel like my list of restaurants to try is never ending. And that's probably because it is. It's so overwhelming that when I'm trying to think of a restaurant to try, I can't think of any.

So when I stumbled upon the Foodspotting app while window shopping on iTunes on my iPhone 4 (yes, I'm name dropping), I was super excited. 

Basically Foodspotting is Foursquare for foodies. People snap photos of what they're eating and where then upload the 'sighting' to their profile on Foodspotting. The app allows users to search for restaurants nearby and shows you what others ate and where. Users can even create a 'want' list by selecting the 'want it' button on any sighting.

What makes this better than Foursquare or really any food review is that users get to actually see the dishes. If something doesn't look appealing, no need to waste your calories and money. It's a great way to check on a restaurant you can't quite figure out, like this weird Ethiopian restaurant a block away from me that seems to sell subs as well as traditional dishes. If a fellow Foodspotter snaps a pic of something that's delicious, I might be more willing to step foot in the joint. (So far no ones posted any sightings of this Ethiopian sub sandwich place. But will keep you posted.)

So I hope you'll join me on Foodspotting; I want to know what and where you're eating. You can find my profile here: www.foodspotting.com/gastronomyandthesinglegirl.

Want it,

The Single Girl

The Greasiest Sandwich Ever

I am not going to lie. I ate the KFC Double Down. In fact, not only did I eat it, I scheduled a lunch with friends to sample it. Did I like it? Not really. But not for the reasons you're thinking. I'm not a fan of chicken breasts and the "sandwich" is made up of two chicken breasts. To be honest, I didn't really miss the bread. I did however miss the ketchup and thought that the Double Down could benefit from a tangy BBQ-type sauce instead of the mayo-based sauce which only increases the richness of the meal.

So the Double Down was a bit of a disappointment, and I'm left to continue my search for the greasiest sandwich ever. I wonder if these guys will FedEx me this puppy? The Angry French Canadian.



Pass the bucket,
The Single Girl

A chill in the air

Summer is long gone, my fellow gastronomes. Say goodbye to the light and quicker than a one night stand is out the door dishes of summer and bring out the stick to your bones hang out and get to know you meals. Though I will miss the abundance of fresh summer produce and it's easy salads, sandwiches and the like, I am excited to re-introduce hibernation Sundays and hug from your mom dishes like stews, braises and roasts. I love the smell of something simmering in the kitchen all afternoon.

Kick summer out the door with my homemade chili filled with tender cubes of beef, three type of beans  in a savoury tomato stew. I make chili with stewing beef; I find it more flavourful and filling than ground beef. You can find stewing beef in the grocery stores pre-cut into cubes. I usually cut them into smaller cubes.

Chili is cheap and easy to make so if you blow your budget on beers and late night tacos, this should keep you fed for a week. If this recipe yields more than eat in a week, then freeze your leftovers in freezer friendly containers. I actually find that chili tastes better after a little stay in the freezer.

Here's what you need:

1 large cooking onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp canola oil
1 lb. stewing beef, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 can diced tomatoes, unseasoned
2 bottles strained tomatoes
1 cup water
1/4 tsp chili flakes (add more if you like heat, or add cayenne)
1-2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 can red kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can white navy beans
salt and pepper

Here's what to do:

1. In a large pot with a lid, heat your oil on medium. Toss your cubed beef with in the flour with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour and brown your beef in the hot oil. Remove beef from pot and put aside.

2. Add the onion, pepper, celery and garlic to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the vegetables to sweat and deglaze the bottom of your pot. Once the bottom is clean and your vegetables are soft, add beef.

3. Add diced and strained tomatoes. Use water to clean out bottles and cans then add to pot. Add your spices and beans.

4. Bring your pot to a simmer, then cover and lower heat. Allow to simmer, stirring every 20-30 minutes for about 2-3 hours. Your chili is done when your beef is tender.

5. Before removing your chili from the heat, make sure you're happy with spices. You may need to add salt or pepper. If you find the tomato stew a little acidic, try adding a little sugar. Once you are happy, remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.

I like to class up my chili with a salad and a glass of wine. You can also turn your chili Tex-Mex by adding a can of corn at the end of cooking and serving with a spoonful of sour cream and fresh chopped cilantro. Or forget the meat and add more veggies like sweet potato, parsnips, or carrots.

Pass the Beano,
The Single Girl

Banana-rama

Everybody says their mom's banana bread is the best. But they are wrong, cause my Mom's is the best. My Mom rarely baked, but when she did she usually baked banana bread. I love the smell of it baking in the oven - it's practically euphoric.

Mom would cut two thin slices, spread margarine on a side of each then sandwich the slices together with the margarine sides together. Then she would wrap it with plastic wrap and pack it in our school lunches. Every time, I swore I would wait to eat it during the afternoon recess. But without fail I'd eat it on the way to the bus in the morning always eating it from the bottom up because the plastic wrap would make the top of the banana bread moist and chewy and delicious.

I am proud to say that I've learned and I think mastered Mom's banana bread, though truthfully it's never as delicious as when Mom makes it. The recipe is simple and doesn't require many ingredients. I feel I must point out that the secret to making a great banana bread is making sure your bananas are ripe enough. I leave them to ripen at room temperature for several days until the skin is completely black and they have shrunk significantly in size. If you follow this, you'll notice that the fruit's flesh goes translucent and gooey which produces an intense banana flavour and deep brown bread.

You can also make muffins with this recipe; instead of baking the batter in a loaf pan, simply line a muffin pan with baking papers and scoop batter into them. The baking time will differ - bake for 20 minutes to start, then bake an additional 5 minutes until done.

The recipe:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare a loaf pan wiping it with oil then lightly dusting it with flour.

In a large bowl, combine the following dry ingredients:

2 cup all-purpose flour (or 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Make sure the dry mixture is smooth and free of lumps, then create a well in the center.

In a smaller bowl, combine the following wet ingredients:

3-5 very ripe bananas, mash them
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, beaten (you can also use egg substitutes like Egg Creations)
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (I sometimes use 1 tbsp dark rum)

Mix all the wet ingredients well then pour into the well of dry ingredient mixture. Fold ingredients together gently to ensure a completely moist batter. Do not over mix or beat, your bread will end up rubbery.

Pour batter into your loaf pan and bake for about an hour. I always check it at 50 minutes to prevent burning. If you inject a toothpick in the centre top and it returns dry, your banana bread is ready.

Allow to cool. Serve with butter or good quality margarine like Imperial.

Now, where's that plastic wrap?
The Single Girl

Shanks-giving

It's Thanksgiving time in Canada.

What's great about Thanksgiving in October is that it's usually still warm (about 22C in SW Ontario) and we're just finishing the late harvest so farmers markets are brimming with apples, beets, cabbage, squash, and other tasty gems.

What's not great about Thanksgiving is turkey. Don't get me wrong, I like turkey. But it's big, likely to get over cooked and you're stuck eating it for the next week. It's also too much like chicken which you probably eat at least three times a week.

This year, after much debate about whether the family should just eat out and not worry about groceries, cooking and cleaning (oh yeah, that's another not so great part about Thanksgiving), my brother stepped up to the plate and offered to cook our meal.

His menu:

Heirloom baby lettuce with Ontario apples and local goat cheese with apple cider maple vinagrette

Braised lamb shanks with breaded lamb sweetbreads, butternut squash pearled barley risotto, and Ontario green and yellow beans (The lamb was from Sullivan's Old North Market in London.)

Traditional pumpkin pie (bought from Spicer's Bakery at the Western Fair Farmers Market), homemade pumpkin pie ice cream with pumpkin biscotti

We drank Coyote's Run Estate Winery 2008 Red Paw Pinot Noir which was a lovely juicy red wine with strong cherry and raspberry flavours. You can find it in the Vintages section of the LCBO.

Yes - I'm thankful for a brother who is a chef not just because he cooks, but because of his creativity and passion I have the opportunity to try delicious new ingredients and dishes.

Share your Thanksgiving menu and tell me what you have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Shanks,
The Single Girl