Capo Restaurant and a Delicious Tour of Italy

Okay, yes I know I am a sucker for all things Italian. Leather gloves, and handbags included. Sorry, but once you start, you can never go back. Which is why Jeff and I are essentially kidnapping my parents and spending all of July in Italy! (oh don't worry, our houses will have housesitters, so don't get any ideas!). This will be my third trip to Italy, and Jeff's second trip. My parents have never been, so it will be extra fun to enjoy their reactions. I seem to have a pattern of every other year, and to lengthen the trip by a week each time.... oh darn! If you haven't been to Italy, the one thing you find when you go is that it ultimately doesn't matter where you go, but you'll be forced to slow down. If you return home, and find just eating dinner takes you anything less than an hour, then there is something very wrong. I guess then you would just have to go back! However, it also doesn't matter where you go because everything changes in Italy so very quickly. A ten-minute walk or a ten-minute drive can feel like an entirely different world. The food, customs, and clothing can be entirely different within what North Americans would find to be a very small distance. In fact, I have also found that with each additional trip to Italy, I plan to travel even smaller distances, but to become very familiar with the regions I do travel to. Plus, it provides much more time to discover your favourite gelateria, or caffe, and to really savour it again, and again. So I guess you could say, that I am pretty excited about this trip! However, it is also nice to have a little warm up of sorts. You probably know me well enough by now, to know that a trip is a recognized eating event! The majority of the trip is planned around eating, so as to not miss out on any particular regional necessity! So surely, I plan and research a little bit obsessively. Just a little - I swear! I'm sorry, but I have eaten in bad restaurants in Italy, and was so very disappointed upon realizing that I could have eaten at the same place as the night before, which was life-altering. This becomes especially true, when you add into reality that the cost of meals does not vary as greatly for differences in flavour and preparation. Certainly, there are supremely expensive restaurants, however, the average price for dinner for two does not tend to differ by greater than ten to twenty euros - when ordering the same number of courses most nights. The price of most restaurants tends to be quite competitive with each other. Of course, there are always exceptions! But to help stave off any excessive excitement, Jeff and I met up with a couple of very good friends for a family-style dinner at Capo. Now, normally Capo is known for high-end dining, with slightly smaller courses (but generally the size in many areas of Italy), and exceptional service. It seats forty, and has an extensive wine list. It is certainly one of Calgary's finest restaurants, and even before this dinner, I would say that it is Calgary's finest "Italian" restaurant. Recently, I also enjoyed some fantastic pasticciata (3 day lasagne), prepared by Giuseppe di Gennaro, which was served at Bite Groceteria to promote their Tour of Italy Dinners, as it was also sponsored by Bite. The pasticciata was phenomenal, and I don't say that lightly. It was extremely flavourful, rich, with perfect pasta which was not overcooked (!!) and evenly seasoned too. (!!) I should probably admit that I tend to have a gripe with many Calgary restaurants for being at a complete loss with salt. There is either too much salt, or none at all. (Did they forget??) In comparison, the food in Italy, is always seasoned; or it is naturally "salty" - containing parmigiano, or prosciutto. What I am trying to say is that I was very happy to have lasagne which made my eyes so wide with enjoyment! Capo is also renowned for exceptional service, and why Jeff and I have purchased gift-certificates for others to enjoy it. Luckily, the food is also very, very good. We know that the friends we send will be taken care of. Unfortunately, Jeff and I could not make the first Tour of Italy dinner, because of prior commitments on Tuesdays, and were very excited that a second night in March was added. Now besides the fact that the food and service at Capo are great, we were more excited to have a 5-course meal served family style with wine pairings for $110 per person. No thinking; just eat and be merry. This is reasonable to me, as I prefer simpler preparations with slight innovations, but still prefer deliciousness over innovation. To be completely honest, every time that I have eaten in a Michelin-starred or even very expensive Italian restaurant, I have been at least a bit disappointed. "So expensive, and I am still hungry?" It makes me think, "yes the sauce is delicious, but the texture of the gnocchi still isn't right!" Modern Italian food prepared with French techniques, is still good, but I prefer things a little bit more like nonna would make. Nothing fancy, just good food done right. I was curious to see how Giuseppe di Gennaro would make nonna's food, and make us feel right at home. The dinner began with robustly flavourful rolls of eggplant and anchovies. They look so small, but the flavour is huge. Then we were onto the first region of the tour, Le Marche, for calamaretti d'Anconetana. It was a dish with baby squid with tomato, olives, and crostini. It was also richly flavourful, and did not contain an overwhelming amount of garlic for the faint of heart. This kind of dish is entirely addicting to me, with a little bit of the sea cooked right into the sauce. The squid was tender and perfectly seasoned. The crostini were a nice accent, and understandable in a restaurant setting - but I preferred to dunk little bits of the bread from the table to soak up the sauce. Out of the table of six diners, I probably ate most of one of the two dishes served. From there we moved onto the food of Puglia, for polpette di melanzane; eggplant fritters with rapini aioli. This was an immediate hit at the table, and suddenly the volume of joyful voices abounded like gleeful children. This dish tastes much different than it looks and sounds. It does have eggplant, but also a significant amount of ground beef. I wish it was sold on the street here in town, as a snack that you would want to enjoy everyday. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Salty, but a little sweet. A little tangy and bitter with the aioli. Fantastic. The only problem was trying to cut the stringy eggplant, to actually have a bite, even though it was extremely tender to eat. Although, the effort was well rewarded upon tasting the dish. And really, a little rustic this way, so it was a little more lovable since extra effort was required. Next stop, Sardegna for culurgionis di patate Ogliastrini. One of the most enjoyable parts of the meal was Giuseppe's thoughtful descriptions before each course, and new additional wine-pairing. For this course he talked about "starch-on-starch", as this is essentially ravioli stuffed with potatoes. It was also served with roast pork and ricotta salata. This dish acted to emphasize the reality that every culture has a dumpling of some sort, and in a way, this is like a little like a perogie. Just a much more elegant and refined version. I liked the dish. But I have to admit that for a dinner in which everything is served alla famiglia, I expected more pasta. Don't get me wrong, I was quite full by the end of the night. But I had 2 pieces of this pasta, and Jeff had three. It is certainly an extremely lovely pasta, but so labour-intensive, that it is too difficult to serve very much of it. I could have done without the calamaretti, or the polpette and had two pastas as a replacement of one. A little more gluttonous, but it would have felt a little bit more relaxed, as if mama was forcing me to eat! Mangia! My favourite course was the saltimbocca alla romana con piselli e patate. Everyone loved these peas. They are certainly not something one would ordinarily have in a restaurant like Capo, as the rolling factor could certainly detract from a fine-dining experience. The accompanying sweet onions made the dish one which would convince anyone to eat their vegetables. I did need the crispy potatoes to serve the sauce accompanying the veal. For me, the veal saltimbocca was the highlight of the night. It was dizzyingly spectacular. Rich, tender, flavourful, and I ate as much as I could. Even so, I could still eat more of it at this very moment. Every bite was better than the last one. The prosciutto was sliced so thinly, it was difficult to decipher the pieces of veal from the prosciutto. The sage came through singingly. This is the kind of dish I want to eat all the time, and the kind of dish I expect to have while in Italy. A simple, but memorable dish. Nothing complicated about it, just good food prepared well. I love that. I have to admit that when I think of Italian cuisine, desserts rarely come to mind, except of course for gelato. Sure, there are great Italian desserts, but they are rarely sweet and are most often based on fruit. Refreshingly, this chestnut and white chocolate mousse was inspired by the montebianco of Valle d'Aosta. I think this dessert was overshadowed by the success of the veal, because it didn't have much impact for me. I loved the creamy white top, but needed a bit more to really fall in love (and I swear I do not have a gigantic appetite!). I would have loved for a large bowl to be plunked on the table, and have the server place it in individual bowls to fit the casual-ness of the evening. There was nothing wrong with it; I just won't be dreaming of it. I haven't mentioned the wine pairings, but they were phenomenal (and available from wineboy), and a hit with everyone at the table. In fact, the whole concept was a hit, and it would be impossible not to have a spectacular time. There was even a goody bag with a recipe and pasta to try at home. It also helps to enjoy good food, with good friends. Even those we did not know, quickly became our friends! All in all the best part is the variety of foods and wines which were a part of the event; an outstanding value. You too can enjoy a tour of Italy with chef Giuseppe di Gennaro, at the next tour on Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30pm. Contact Capo for more information.
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comfort food at Delhi Darbar

The late afternoon was supposed to be productive. I had already made an ice cream I wanted to share with you, but I wasn't sure about the amounts I used. So I was making it again. And I did, except there is something wrong with the dasher that somehow didn't freeze in a -25C freezer, and I didn't really notice. The dasher was cold, but just not cold enough. I figured this out about 45 minutes into the whole thing, when I had also toasted sliced almonds and candied them with maple syrup. I was done. Finito. Completely done. No more patience, and nothing in the house seemed appealing at all. I thought maybe Jeff and I could go out for dinner, but he's really under the weather, and I am barely able to lift a limb from the couch. Exhaustion is setting in. Somehow I convinced him to find some Indian food, and that we should have take-out. The perfect winter comfort food; hearty, and spicy and just different, and not boring. I should probably mention that this is a tad bizarre... Jeff and I have never had take-out before, and I can only remember having it one other time within the last five years! So it is a little funny if Jeff is the sick one, and going out for take-out, when obviously there is now something wrong with me. Luckily we were both completely surprised. Delhi Darbar is only a short drive from our house, and it is the oddest of locations - in a hotel, but not one you'd really want to go to. I'm sure it's not bad, but somehow the area around it is a little seedy, and there's some pretty crazy wedding bashes there. So it was a little astonishing to know that there even was an Indian restaurant there, but soon became even more delightful when we found out that the food is really good too. I love chickpeas. A lot. And this dish was fantastic! One of the best chickpea dishes I've ever had; chana masala - chickpeas cooked with tomato garlic sauce and spices. The butter chicken had a lot of sauce, but was deliciously creamy. The sauce of the allo gobhi was addictive, especially with the naan bread. It was also refreshing to enjoy cauliflower which was thankfully not mush. Naan with garlic and cilantro. This comforting dinner came to about $50. Next time we'll need rice, but Jeff wasn't feeling well, so I guess he has a decent excuse (I'm spoiled rotten!) I am still very excited about Delhi Darbar, a delicious addition to the East end of town. A perfect haunt for those who live in Chestermere or Langdon and want to pick something up on the way home from work. Delhi Darbar Bay #1, 2742 - Glenmore Tr. SE Calgary, AB (by Glenmore Inn) (403) 720-6669
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Sushi Samba Las Vegas

The menu at Sushi Samba is completely addicting. Sushi Samba melds Japanese, Peruvian, and Brazilian interpretations on food, drink, and design. It's like a little something for everyone, with many unique and delicious dishes perfect for sharing. And really, that is the fun of Sushi Samba, enjoying several beautiful dishes while emphasizing the social aspect of the dining experience. Eating here is also fun; from the whimsical decor, to the food itself, it's a delightful experience. After the rich breakfast we enjoyed at Bouchon, we were looking forward to enjoying a few vegetables. More often than not, vegetables are virtually ruined by excessive or ransid oil. Luckily, Sushi Samba perfectly prepared the field green salad with sliced radishes, and beets. It came with a light and flavourful carrot ginger dressing. Very refreshing. The tuna tataki was a nice combination of salty and sweet, tender and crunchy. We loved the shrimp ceviche, with perfectly chopped vegetables, and a crunchy plantain to top it off. The sushi platter, with the samba strip roll, was gorgeous, in every sense. It was a nice surprise to have a few bites of lobster to accompany our rolls, but the unagi (bbq eel), hiding in the background was absurdly good. My caipirinha is in the background, just as strong as it should be. This cake looks too simple. Fortunately, it was not. It was a warm chocolate banana cake, but hiding underneath the vanilla rum ice cream is this toffee-like maple piece. Now it does sound simple, I agree, although it tucked a nice little surprise into a warm chocolate cake, which wouldn't otherwise compete with the hundreds of other warm chocolate cakes available elsewhere. Christian Louboutin. This is for Shauna, and other lovers of shoes. It makes getting to Sushi Samba not half bad, cough, cough, as you wander through the shops of the Palazzo.
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double dinner date

It's not what you think. I mean really. I am married you know. Two Calgary restaurants in one night. I hope that explains it. Jeff and I joined a couple friends for a night out. Although, we couldn't just eat at one restaurant. Oh no, that would just be too simple. No, we had to eat at two restaurants. Looking back, it was twice the fun, really. First we went to Alloy for drinks and appetizers, and then we were off to Parker House, for the mains. To start, we were served these fabulous martini's with red wine tequila at Alloy. They looked beautiful, but were also an addiction for the taste buds. I am not usually all that fond of overly sweet drinks, and generally shy away from martini's. Luckily, these just hinted at sweetness, with a whisper of coconut. Just as there were visual layers, there were layers of taste as well, finishing with margarita as you worked towards the bottom. Jeff ordered the duck spring rolls. He certainly must have enjoyed them, as they disappeared before I could say boo. The tempura lobster was beautifully presented, and I was almost worried...sometimes food this pretty doesn't taste as desirable as it looks. I am more than excited to report that the food at Alloy does not fall into this category; it is delicious. I will definitely crave the lobster sometime next week. It was just the right consistency, and even buttery in flavour. I also enjoyed the slaw plated underneath as it had a nicely tangy, but not overpowering, dressing. It also added an additional memorable crunch. Of course, somehow my absolute favourite dish did not get photographed. I was too absorbed in devouring it and savouring every last bite. I implore you to go to Alloy and try the steak frites. It was my favourite dish of the evening. We all expected the dish to be just fries, but it was more than that. The mini fries were so very cute, over top of capers and the most tender pieces of steak; a successful combination of salty, sweet, tender, and crunchy. There were many flavours involved in saucing the steak, but just imagine whatever it is that makes your mouth water, because that is the only way to really describe it. When I eat out, I want to be blown away. In the least, I want to be inspired. I need to be satisfied for sure, but I know the food is extra good when I also yearn for more. This dish of ahi tuna tartar with chimichurri soy and wonton crisps, is everything I want to eat when I eat out. The deeply flavourful and buttery tuna, was a match made in heaven when spooned onto the crunchy wonton crisps. The best part is not even in the menu description; it's the extra creaminess of the accompanying avocado that made me swoon. Then, we were on to Parker House Grill. It officially opened on October 22, so we weren't sure what to expect. It feels very spacious. Immediately, I felt that gobs of cash must have been thrown at it, to create a feeling of luxury. It also feels very metropolitan, aimed at the downtown business lunch, expense account crowd. The menu. I understood that Parker House Grill was aiming at comfort food, and indeed this was on the menu with lobster mac and cheese, and a few pizzas. However, I honestly, could not decide what to order. I always try to order what I think is good, not necessarily what I want to eat. I want to order something that the chef can do well, and is possible to do well under the circumstances. But, I was torn, and confused. Did a chef actually create this menu? Or someone who flashes the cash for the decor? The menu is all over the map, and I couldn't decide what could be good. What is the specialty? There was no focus. A part of me was a little intrigued, since I had heard that the restaurant was very good, but I couldn't possibly see how every dish on the menu could be good. Roast chicken pizza on a restaurant menu terrifies me. So does a BLT salad with iceberg lettuce. Scary, very scary. Very Calgary. The wine menu was equally frustrating. There are extensive choices. Fine. However, the list had to be read in order from front to back, or it was trickier to tell which type of wine was featured on the page. A couple times, I just flipped to a random page, and then had to flip back several pages to ensure I was still looking at red wines, since there was no heading which indicated I was still looking at reds. Fortunately, another in the party decided upon a Rioja. The server also passed a wine question test with flying colours, when asked to describe the wine for us. We were impressed. Despite the menu frustrations, I was still curious about the food. We received a little amuse-bouche, oooh! I was tickled pink to have a taste of foie-gras. It was beautifully cooked, and paired well with a fruity combination. Although, it just didn't bowl me over in any enormous capacity. It was nice. I should probably mention that before the main courses arrived, we received some of the strangest buns I have ever seen in a restaurant. Not only were they excessively salty, but I could easily have broken any of the windows by simply tossing them in the general direction. Rocks. And I should mention that I don't have a good throwing arm. Another blip in the picture we hoped. Then the bison osso-buco with risotto Milanese arrived. It looked good. Immediately, I grabbed my fork and lunged at the meat to check if I needed my knife. Thank goodness I did not, I just daintily applied a bit of pressure with the fork. Then, I tasted it. I let the flavours linger. I had a sip of wine. I tried water. Sadly, nothing worked. No flavour. There was just no substance there. If the risotto was made with saffron threads and arborio rice, as opposed to saffron powder and shards of broken rice, it might have had some substance. For $40, I expected a bit more quality, even if the portion size had to be smaller to compensate. Jeff ordered the "Crystal" rib-eye, aged for 40+ days, with the funghi risotto du jour. He didn't like it. The risotto had the same problem as the milanese, and the steak was nothing special. I do wish that some restaurants in Calgary would spend less attention to creating bling-bling decor, and more attention to food quality. Start with quality ingredients, and make something great - not just something that sounds good on paper. I could have done without the foie-gras amuse, if it meant that the risotto or bread would be better than terrible. All in all, it was an adventure with some good, some great, and some bad. Fun, none the less. I can't wait to go back to Alloy for drinks, appetizers, and dessert. That would make for a great night out. Alloy 220 42 Avenue SE Calgary, AB

(403) 287-9255

Parker House Grill & Wine Bar 131 6 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 0P8 (403) 237-9585
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aspen - the last chapter

If you only have one day in Aspen, it's going to be a busy one. You'll need some hiking gear, biking gear, and your finest understated yet flattering fashions. While Aspen is famous for it's skiing, the summer more than exceeds expectations in every possible way. Start off at Ink! Coffee for the caffeine injection of your choice - you'll need it. If you haven't found the right rocket fuel to start your day there, devour a granola and vanilla yogurt parfait from Zele Cafe a few blocks away; it's loaded with fruit. While taking in the morning sunshine, pick up a free copy of the Aspen Times, or an Aspen housing magazine and become delirious while laughing away the cost of housing in Aspen. It's time for a hike. Ask anyone, where the Ute trail is, and be prepared to breathe heavily. Aspen is at 7900 feet, making it one of the most precarious airports to land, asides from accidentally running into a Gulfstream, as there is hardly any descent to the runway -- but also a fitness fanatic paradise. At elevation, you will work hard, and your efforts will be rewarded by loose-fitting pants, lean-mean muscle, and most importantly - glorious food to enjoy. Be sure to take a bottle of water, or a camel-bak if you decide to hike all the way up the mountain, as the Ute is only part of the way. If you make it to the top, attempt to take a deep breath, smile at your accomplishment and the vista, then fortunately for your knees, you can also take the gondola back down into town. There are many other hikes around, ask a local, or stop in a sporting goods shop, and they will point you in the right direction. Nothing is easy, but that's the best part. The gondola will drop you off near Big Wrap, one of the best values in town. For $6.70 + tax, pick up a savoury wrap, such as the Mr. Potato Head, which includes fresh roasted potatoes, spinach, grilled portobello mushrooms, pinto beans, jasmine rice, salsa, lettuce, cheese, with a roasted garlic vinaigrette in a whole wheat wrap. My favourite, is Rock Your World with fresh roasted turkey breast, confetti slaw (jicama, carrot, cucumber, green onion), lettuce, sprouts, guacamole, ranch dressing, and toasted pumpkin seeds in whole wheat. For further satiation, ice cream is a summer afternoon necessity. Paradise Bakery is the place, just follow the line. The peanut butter cookie, and chocolate brownie ice creams include their fabulous baked products, in creamy, dreamy ice cream, and are served with a mini chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. The muffins are scrumptious too. While Paradise Bakery is a chain, there aren't many ice cream shops that frequently have bassoon(!) or string quartets performing in the summer air. Now it's time for a quick change into cycling attire, and head up to Maroon Bells, just off the traffic circle (trust me, there's really only one). Maroon Bells is one of the most frequently photographed images anywhere, and often visited by tourists, but not by car. It is a road-bike ride with minimal traffic as it is accessible by bike or bus only. It is a definite climb, but well worth the effort, if not just for the racy downhill portion of the ride. Alternately, the entire morning can be rearranged to cycle a much further distance, but somewhat easier ride, and enjoy lunch at Pine Creek Cookhouse. A summer sojourn in Aspen would not be complete without enjoying a concert at the Aspen Music Festival and School. All the concerts are good, so don't worry too much, if you can only make one. It features the best of the best - the best young musicians to international starlings such as Canadian Measha Brueggergosman, John Zirbel, and Joaquin Valdepenas, to Yefim Bronfman, Sarah Chan, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Even if you aren't sure of what to do at an orchestral concert, you will be dazzled and amazed, if even only by the fashion, and by the tent itself. It's not exactly a tent, but more of a semi-permanent structure, of higher quality than most concert halls. Finally, it is time to relax. Reserve a table at Montagna, located within the Little Nell, a Relais & Chateaux. Enjoy an aperitivo at the bar, the negroni are quite good, or save yourself for Master sommelier Richard Betts fine wine picks. A table outside near the pool can be lovely, and inside is equally enchanting, elegant and refined. You are in for a treat. Just to tease, the butter is sprinkled with fleur-de sel. It is a hotel, yes, but the food is strikingly good, with an emphasis on local products. Of the two nights we were here, the chef's farmhouse tasting menu, is to die for and a steal at $42 for three courses. Local vegetables, melt in your mouth pork with herbed pappardelle, and peach crepes to finish. It changes nightly. The second night we opted for a la carte, and were not disappointed. As expected, the service is impeccable. Above - porchetta with zucchini and chili Homemade lamb sausage with rapini and mustard: Ribeye with porcini, parmigiano-reggiano, and arugula: Pistachio gelato, chocolate-hazelnut gelato, with fabulously fresh local cherries: If further hiking time in Aspen is not an option, try to swing a drive up to Independence Pass. Make sure your car has turbo, or one can invariably be left to walk back down. The views, and race-track driving possibilities are well worth the effort. Finally, to conclude the day, take a stroll around town and gaze into glowing shop windows. A little window-shopping, and star-gazing, is just the way to end a delightful summer day. Ink! Coffee 520 E Durant St. - Downstairs (970) 544-0588 Zele Cafe 121 S Galena St. Aspen (970) 925-5745 Big Wrap 520 E Durant Av. Aspen - Downstairs (970) 544-1700 Paradise Bakery 320 S Galena St. Aspen (970) 925-7585 Aspen Music Festival and School Pine Creek Cookhouse 314 South 2nd Street (970) 925-1044 Montagna, at the Little Nell 675 E Durant Ave. 888.843.6355 For more info on eats: EatAspen Big Wrap video (not mine):
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real food diet

I say the word diet very loosely - diet, as in we all have a diet of whatever it is we consume to nurture our bodies everyday, just to keep us ticking along. I eat what I want. But, I'm not very big. Some people might say I'm small, but I'm certainly far from teency -- indeed it does depend what country or city you're in, and to whom or to what standard I'm being compared. And while I do exercise, sometimes a lot, I can no longer bring myself to actually think of a diet, as in the forbidden word, dieting. I seem to have found a formula that works - exercise only because I like it, and more importantly, when I want to - and then to eat only real food, and whatever I find tastes really, really darn good, and I don't worry too much about the portion, just that I am full, and fully content. Now, when I think about it, it probably sounds a little strange. What is real food anyways? If a carrot is real food, then is carrot juice fake? In a way - yes, if it came from a bottle, and not from your juicer. It seems the more I learn about cooking, and the traditional diets cultures have developed worldwide, the more I find that there is very little which people have traditionally consumed which is refined or processed much more than a washing, or a pressing. Some foods are aged, such as wine and cheese, or meats. Other foods are eaten raw, or dried before being sold. But it's not real complicated. Except that these foods often require...actual cooking and this singular fact terrifies and intimidates seemingly a vast majority of the North American population. Things really only get complicated upon entering into a modern gigantic supermarket, then things get tricky. In traveling, I have been into grocery stores with very few items actually resembling the bounty of a harvest or a beautiful cut of meat. Sometimes it seems that everyone is terrified of food resembling what it actually is! There are no pigs feet or snouts, but several brands of hot dogs. A locally prepared sausage is one thing, but a hot dog is designed to do exactly that; not resemble it's whereabouts one bit. This is a sad state. Suddenly, it seems that real food can be extremely hard to find. Try finding bulghur. Aisle 1, or aisle 28? I love a good challenge, but let's be realistic, this can be seemingly impossible. Even though bulghur is perfectly good for you, has lots of fiber, and cooks pretty quickly, finding it can be like searching for truffles in Antarctica, when you should be in Italy. The problem then must be the marketability of the name; it just doesn't have the right ring to it. That must be it. Nor does the package (if you can find it) have a cartoon character, a distinctive logo, or an exuberant theme song. If I wanted breakfast cereal, this would be an entirely different matter. But to me, these are not anything resembling real food most of the time. There are hundreds upon thousands of cereals all with incomprehensible multi-syllabic ingredient lists, and mushed up grains coated with sugar. Do I really need more omega 3's, protein, and vitamins added to my breakfast? Shouldn't the foods I eat, already have these nutrients, if these nutrients are good for me, and really a necessity? Instead of purchasing fad-foods with lots of stuff added into it, I try to eat the stuff with good things in it, that don't have to be added in because it has been already stripped of all nutrition. And interestingly, more and more, I've been finding that I can eat the elusive, whatever I want, as long as well, it came from real stuff. I eat a lot of butter. Not on purpose; it just happens. I generally enjoy cookies made from scratch with butter, eggs, and sugar, much more than purchased sandwich-style cookies or rolled pastries. To me, homemade, or purchased items that have ingredients I can easily understand and pronounce, just tend to taste better. Organic tomatoes can be like candy, and positively addicting. Quality eggs give pasta a beautiful golden hue. But even better than that, these kinds of foods seem to keep my palate satiated, and my clothes from getting too tight. I think even a bit of calories of probably burned just cooking, baking, and cleaning, because that is what is necessary to eat real stuff. In theory, I could probably be smaller with fewer fat calories in my yogurt (6% fat), or ice cream (no clue, but I make it with 35% heavy cream), or even my cappuccino's which Jeff expertly prepares using homogenized milk. But would my hair be as shiny? Would I have as few wrinkles? But seriously, in all honesty, would I be as happy? If I have a choice between a filet mignon, and a rib-eye, you can bet I will pick the rib-eye. No question. It has glorious flavour, and gorgeous fat. Who needs botox when it keeps those lips from dwindling? OK, and add in few curves here and there. But just a few of course, hopefully in the right places! I certainly can't resist my Baba's (Ukrainian for Grandmother) perogies, and I shouldn't have to. They are made with love, and a tradition of the family. To deny that, is to deny a part of oneself. Sure, I'm not walking down a couture runway anytime soon, but this is a diet that works. My size hardly changes, and I do eat quite a bit. But really, I look a lot better with some food in me; meat on my bones from meat, fruits, vegetables, bread, fat and sugar included, they are just a part of really eating, and for me, really living.
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Rice to Riches

I have made a bit of a pilgrimage here each time I make to nyc. To here? Yes, every time I'm in town, I must go to Rice to Riches, a gelateria-styled rice pudding bar. If you love rice pudding, this is the place for you. Even if you think you don't love it, this place might just have you re-thinking your priorities. Why not? First of all, it's fun. We all love ice cream, and while rice pudding is not ice cream, but the concept is so similar and that's what Rice to Riches is all about: FUN. Just as with ice cream or gelato, we love to admire the flavours under the glass, choose the flavour, or maybe even taste a couple just to be sure. There's usually twenty kinds to choose from. Then there's the size: solo, epic, sumo, or moby. The solo will set you back $6, while the moby serves 10 for $40. In case there weren't already enough options, there are more decisions to be made. Which topping(s) will you choose? There are several, to help everyone make their own original concoction. Choose from, "toasted buttery pound cake", or "chilled espresso with a hint of cocoa." I take mine plain. I've sampled enough now to know that my favourite flavour is man-made mascarpone with cherries, or I'll willingly suffer through hazelnut chocolate bear hug. If need be of course. But don't attempt to share, it just doesn't work. If you can't make it to New York, you can always have it shipped within the US. Rice to Riches, 37 Spring Street, between Mott and Mulberry St, New York City - 212.274.0008, Open: Sun-Thu 11am-11pm; Fri & Sat 11am to 1am, www.ricetoriches.com Rich and creamy mascarpone with dried cherries: The counter with all the scrumptious flavours:
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Taste of the show

An empty stomach and grocery store shopping do not mix. I would probably buy the entire store! This is probably also good advice for attending a food convention. With row upon row of samples, and vendors looking to entice new buyers, one could easily eat everything within sight. Which is fine, except in New York, when there is more than just a convention, after all, it's New York! The eating possibilities are endless. I just got back from the Fancy Food Show in New York City, and just want to give you a sneak peek before I give you all the details on the trip, and all the accompanying yummy eats. New York already has some of the very best eats one could imagine, and was miraculously even more enticing with the show. What a great combination! If you can stomach it of course... At first, the food show seemed daunting as there were miles and miles of booths, with samples, tastes, and an overwhelming amount of information. There were thousands of rare and unusual products, and more familiar favourites as well; everything from smoked blue marlin to Walker's Short Bread. As an obsessive-compulsive only virtual New Yorker, I spent hours planning and poring over which restaurants I would check out. It starts to become difficult to choose. Restaurant reviews help, but there are many oddball reviews, which need to be taken with a grain of salt. Finally, the anticipation subsided as I made it to most of the places on my "must eat" list. Usually, my restaurant lists include places with more unusual dishes, which are not available in Calgary. If a restaurant can make it in New York, it pretty much has to at least be good, or it just won't survive. New Yorker's are picky, and for good reason - there's so much choice! In the next few days, I will be making several posts for the highlights of the food show and the city. I think my feet are just starting to recover from all the walking. I just hope my feet won't walk away, as they are very confused, before I can finish giving you the complete details from the trip. Just to get an idea of the enormity of the place, check out those booth numbers! These wheels were fantastically enormous too. It was hard not to want to eat the entire thing, right then and there. Here's an idea of what the booths look like: At the Rougie booth, I ran into Julie from Bite here in town. She introduced me to Chris from Rougie, and we all enjoyed some champagne, and foie gras torchon. How cool is that!?
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