The Icecube's Return
Firstly, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I know that most of you have probably had one of the most trying months of your lives. To be fair though, it was tough on all of us. Living without Internet is a lot more difficult than one would think. I've lived without TV for about a year and a half know and that's nothing compared to losing Internet. I'm back now though, and the future is looking really bright, culinarily speaking...
As I sit here, trying to chose on what to write, sipping a delicious coffee, I am reminded of a few events in the past month (mostly concentrated on the previous week) that I should, or have promised, to mention. I'm also cognizant of the appropriateness of my return this week, as the forecast calls for snow.
Right off the bat, I have to give a shout out to my buddy Jon and his fabulous and infamous "Clams Linguine". This specialty of Jon's has a sordid (as in diiiiiiirty) history with us. It all started on a high school trip to Ottawa on March break, grade 12. We were staying at the hostel in the old jail, and for dinner, Jon promised to make his famous "Clams Linguine", a recipe passed on to him from his father. The stakes were high for Jon, as for the previous night's dinner, I had prepared something totally delicious of which the particulars currently escape me. We were having some trouble finding the appropriate ingredients in the local store, and it was at this point that Jon (with, I'll admit, some "help" from me) decided that off the shelf cooking sherry would make an okay substitute for the white wine traditionally found in the recipe. This, as it turned out, was a huge mistake, probably on the scale of letting large wooden horses into one's city. The dish was almost inedible, and we filled ourselves on the remaining contraband alcohol-filled chocolates and rum and Cokes made from tiny bottles of rum Jon managed to convince his parents to let him bring home from a recent Caribbean cruise.
As you might imagine, this has been the source of many funny retellings and much consternation for Jon. However, last week, Jon graciously invited me over for dinner at his place in Etobicoke for "Clams Linguine: The Return of the Clam". It was a polar opposite to the original incarnation. The clams were tender and the sauce (made of butter and wine mostly) was rich and flavourful, yet still light enough of the pasta he choose, which was, unsurprisingly, linguine. In addition, I originally bemoaned the use of bottled lemon pepper, but in the end, I found the flavour totally appropriate. So, Jon, Clams 1, Jon 1. Invite me over anytime for your famous dish...
So, it again seems that while my good intentions were to write a little bit about Jon and then get to a couple of other things before continuing to the real meat of the blog, I seem to be running on 500 words, and I've had some people (I won't let them know it was you, K.J.) complain that reading through 1000 words in one sitting is difficult enough, I guess I'll have to stick to just one more topic.
Well, maybe two. Go to August 8 in Hamilton for sushi. Their all-you-can-eat menu is terrific and includes some dim sum for those of us so inclined. Also, the service was awesome, commensurate with other top end restaurants, not to mention beating other sushi restaurants with a stick!
Okay, so for the last thing, I'd like to voice some disgust. I had the pleasure of attending the CNS CANDU Fuel Technology Course last week, held at the Hilton Garden Inn just off the QEW in Oakville. For a beautiful and well appointed hotel, the food simply sucked. Breakfast was "provided" for the three days of the course and after the first day, I ate in my room. The hot breakfast food looked completely unappealing (watery, overcooked scrambled eggs, like the ones they serve at camp, flavourless greasy sausages and bacon) and the continental offerings were gross. My croissant, the only thing I got the courage up to try, was neither flaky nor buttery, leaning more towards yeasty and doughy. These should not be complicated things...
Lunch was little better. I suppose that I should give them some credit, I didn't die and my standard might be a tad higher than others. However, it is a peat peave of mine for salad to be untossed with the dressing. How am I supposed to get even coverage on my plate, especially with thick dressings like caesar! Also, the salads were identical each day. The chicken on the first day was fine, mushroom chicken, if uninspried, and the curry (I think it was) was pedestrian on the second day. On the plus side, the rice was good. The last day held wraps which, by themselves, wouldn't have been horrible, but they didn't make enough for everyone to have one serving. Come on guys, I know they teach this in culinary school (I have the book!). The second to worst thing of all was the desserts. On the first day, they brought out this sickly glossy looking cake square things made with 2 thin layers of white cake separated by flavourless "orange custard", and I use the term loosely. It was bad. I would estimate that only about 20% of them were touched. That should have sent a message to the kitchen. But no, on the next day, the same dessert but pistachio flavoured this time. Better, but still a 5/10. Only about 50% of these were eaten. Then, to my horror, on the last day, we witnessed the return of the orange! What the hell? Didn't you get the message on the first day? Did you think we forgot!
On top of all of this, the coffee, which was needed to stay awake through some of the, how to say it, "longer" presentations, was swill. I usually drink my coffee black, but I needed sugar in this just to take the flavour badness away. The only other places I take sugar in my coffee is Tims and work.
Well, I've seemed to fly right passed 1000 words again, and Kyle (oops) must be getting anxious. I'm going to strive to maintain my weekly postings again, and as an added bonus, I'm going to try to do a daily "mini-blog" of about 400 words every day during my upcoming trip to Paris.
Bon Appetit, mes amis!
As I sit here, trying to chose on what to write, sipping a delicious coffee, I am reminded of a few events in the past month (mostly concentrated on the previous week) that I should, or have promised, to mention. I'm also cognizant of the appropriateness of my return this week, as the forecast calls for snow.
Right off the bat, I have to give a shout out to my buddy Jon and his fabulous and infamous "Clams Linguine". This specialty of Jon's has a sordid (as in diiiiiiirty) history with us. It all started on a high school trip to Ottawa on March break, grade 12. We were staying at the hostel in the old jail, and for dinner, Jon promised to make his famous "Clams Linguine", a recipe passed on to him from his father. The stakes were high for Jon, as for the previous night's dinner, I had prepared something totally delicious of which the particulars currently escape me. We were having some trouble finding the appropriate ingredients in the local store, and it was at this point that Jon (with, I'll admit, some "help" from me) decided that off the shelf cooking sherry would make an okay substitute for the white wine traditionally found in the recipe. This, as it turned out, was a huge mistake, probably on the scale of letting large wooden horses into one's city. The dish was almost inedible, and we filled ourselves on the remaining contraband alcohol-filled chocolates and rum and Cokes made from tiny bottles of rum Jon managed to convince his parents to let him bring home from a recent Caribbean cruise.
As you might imagine, this has been the source of many funny retellings and much consternation for Jon. However, last week, Jon graciously invited me over for dinner at his place in Etobicoke for "Clams Linguine: The Return of the Clam". It was a polar opposite to the original incarnation. The clams were tender and the sauce (made of butter and wine mostly) was rich and flavourful, yet still light enough of the pasta he choose, which was, unsurprisingly, linguine. In addition, I originally bemoaned the use of bottled lemon pepper, but in the end, I found the flavour totally appropriate. So, Jon, Clams 1, Jon 1. Invite me over anytime for your famous dish...
So, it again seems that while my good intentions were to write a little bit about Jon and then get to a couple of other things before continuing to the real meat of the blog, I seem to be running on 500 words, and I've had some people (I won't let them know it was you, K.J.) complain that reading through 1000 words in one sitting is difficult enough, I guess I'll have to stick to just one more topic.
Well, maybe two. Go to August 8 in Hamilton for sushi. Their all-you-can-eat menu is terrific and includes some dim sum for those of us so inclined. Also, the service was awesome, commensurate with other top end restaurants, not to mention beating other sushi restaurants with a stick!
Okay, so for the last thing, I'd like to voice some disgust. I had the pleasure of attending the CNS CANDU Fuel Technology Course last week, held at the Hilton Garden Inn just off the QEW in Oakville. For a beautiful and well appointed hotel, the food simply sucked. Breakfast was "provided" for the three days of the course and after the first day, I ate in my room. The hot breakfast food looked completely unappealing (watery, overcooked scrambled eggs, like the ones they serve at camp, flavourless greasy sausages and bacon) and the continental offerings were gross. My croissant, the only thing I got the courage up to try, was neither flaky nor buttery, leaning more towards yeasty and doughy. These should not be complicated things...
Lunch was little better. I suppose that I should give them some credit, I didn't die and my standard might be a tad higher than others. However, it is a peat peave of mine for salad to be untossed with the dressing. How am I supposed to get even coverage on my plate, especially with thick dressings like caesar! Also, the salads were identical each day. The chicken on the first day was fine, mushroom chicken, if uninspried, and the curry (I think it was) was pedestrian on the second day. On the plus side, the rice was good. The last day held wraps which, by themselves, wouldn't have been horrible, but they didn't make enough for everyone to have one serving. Come on guys, I know they teach this in culinary school (I have the book!). The second to worst thing of all was the desserts. On the first day, they brought out this sickly glossy looking cake square things made with 2 thin layers of white cake separated by flavourless "orange custard", and I use the term loosely. It was bad. I would estimate that only about 20% of them were touched. That should have sent a message to the kitchen. But no, on the next day, the same dessert but pistachio flavoured this time. Better, but still a 5/10. Only about 50% of these were eaten. Then, to my horror, on the last day, we witnessed the return of the orange! What the hell? Didn't you get the message on the first day? Did you think we forgot!
On top of all of this, the coffee, which was needed to stay awake through some of the, how to say it, "longer" presentations, was swill. I usually drink my coffee black, but I needed sugar in this just to take the flavour badness away. The only other places I take sugar in my coffee is Tims and work.
Well, I've seemed to fly right passed 1000 words again, and Kyle (oops) must be getting anxious. I'm going to strive to maintain my weekly postings again, and as an added bonus, I'm going to try to do a daily "mini-blog" of about 400 words every day during my upcoming trip to Paris.
Bon Appetit, mes amis!
Thank you Alex for a great Thanksgivings Dinner. My new favorite: Sweet Potatoe Pie a la Alex
ReplyDeleteThanks, mom.
ReplyDelete