March 31, 2011 0

Glue your socks on…

By DMS in Restaurant Reviews

…unless you want to collect them off the floor of the restaurant after you eat. That’s what I had to do after I discovered the most amazing hidden gem last weekend. And I have to tell you about it because it was HANDS DOWN the best Indian food I have ever had. One thing…it’s not quite “downtown”. It’s just above Lawrence on Avenue Road. WOAH, I know right. I mean I was sure I would turn to dust if I went that far but wow was I ever rewarded and look, *pinch, pinch*, I’m fine, still here and now typing up my experience!

I love Indian food and I thought I had had great Indian food before this but I was wrong my friends, very wrong. A friend and I went up to The Copper Chimney (2050 Avenue Road) on a recommendation from someone else. It was 9pm on a Saturday, we walked in and the place was packed and it closed at 10! Luckily there was one table for two left and we snatched it up.

The dining room was comfortably elegant, the servers prompt and pleasant and, *gasp*, even had a sense of humour. Almost unheard of in some restaurants! We ordered some Pakoras to start, Gewurztraminer to sip on, the server’s favourite, Daal Bukhara and some Lamb Roganjosh with Basmati and Garlic Naan.

Now it can’t all be perfect folks, otherwise we would get suspicious, so I have to say that Pakoras are not their specialty. They were flat (in shape and taste) and very fried. I really do not think I will ever have a Pakora like the ones you used to be able to get at Ming in Calgary. Those were the epitome of the ultimate food fantasy.

That being said, the Daal Bukhara (not pictured) sent me somewhere special and I am pretty sure I was unresponsive while my date attempted to make conversation. It was a truly beautiful mix of slow cooked black lentils, kidney beans, tomatoes and spices topped with white butter. The flavours managed to be unique and yet blend harmoniously all at the same time. It was a real treat and I will be back specifically for this dish.

The Lamb Roganjosh was just as much of a pleasant dance as the Daal. The flavours really stood out and waltzed beautifully in your mouth together. It was all I could do to sit back and just roll my eyes while they danced on my tastebuds. I am pretty sure by this point, combined with the soft moaning, my date thought he had taken out a beautiful retard (modest, I know).

I should mention that the Basmati rice and Garlic Naan were just as good as the Daal and the Lamb. Beautifully spiced and light and fluffly, complimenting and completing the meal.

So there you have it, the cat is out of the bag. Go enjoy this Indian gem while you can still get a table. Just make sure you save me a seat. And if you do go, please leave me a note to let me know what you had and what you thought!

www.the-copper-chimney.com

DM

March 27, 2011 0

Squash Bowls – A favourite Fall/Winter Recipe

By DMS in Fall, Recipes, Vegetarian, Winter

I wanted to share one of my favourite fall/winter recipes with you. It is such a simple recipe yet delicious and perfect for when you’re looking for something different for a change.

The nice thing about this recipe is you can switch up the ingredients based on what you have in the fridge. So every time I make this, it is just a little bit different but always yummy.

Squash BowlsSquash Bowl

Usually I use Acorn Squash because I feel sorry for them at the supermarket. I feel like Butternut is often an attention whore and they are overlooked a little bit too often. That being said, this time I used Delicata Squash to mix things up even more ( I know, I’m just a rebel without a cause).

Cut your squash in half, scoop out the seeds (which I usually save for later to toast with maple syrup, cayenne & smoked salt) and place upside down in a baking dish with a shallow amount of water. Plop in the oven at 350 or 400 until tender. Usually 45-60 mins.

Heat up a tablespoon of butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and set aside for assembly later.

Next up, prepare some Quinoa. I usually prepare my Quinoa in stock, chicken or veggie, whatever is on hand. I find it’s best to use less liquid for this particular recipe so that the Quinoa is light and fluffy. Say 1.5 cups or so of liquid to 1 cup of Quinoa.

While this is going heat up some oil in a large skillet and saute the following or a variation of to your liking:

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion
2 carrots, chopped
8 stalks of asparagus
Next toss in:

1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup raisins
5 dried apricots
After a couple of minutes, spice it up with:

handful of cilantro
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Sometimes I throw in celery root, sometimes bacon. The great thing about this recipe is that it is fun to play with and you usually can’t go wrong. So have fun! Use up those odds and ends in the fridge.

Now, mix together your Quinoa with your veggie medley. Spread your buttery, sugary mess all over the insides of your hot squash (…settle down people…) and fill with your amazingly healthy and tasty stuffing and Voilà! Dinner is served. Serve by itself or with a side of asparagus. Whatever you like, it’s your creation and it is damn delicious.

March 24, 2011 0

Insert Welcome Mat Here

By DMS in Locations, Soup, Twitter

Business is booming! Ok fine, business is just getting started but I am so pleased to announce that Dawne Marie soups will now be offered, starting this Friday, March 25th, at Full of Beans Coffee House & Roastery on Dundas West (1348 Dundas Street West to be exact).

If you haven’t been there before, you should go! Lori roasts all of her own beans in a turn of the century cast iron roaster right there in the shop. It’s quite the machine. Therefore her coffee is pretty kick ass. My dad started roasting his own beans a couple years ago and once you have fresh coffee like that, you won’t go back to the stale, bitter blackness that most people serve.

So needless to say, Full of Beans is the perfect first location for my handcrafted soups as both Lori and I are all about fresh and all about flavour. So come on by this Friday, or any other day after that and try out one of my soups! We are starting with the infamous Spicy Thai Sweet Potato that is guaranteed to knock your socks off and carry you to bed! It is a mysteriously seducing spicy warm broth with melt in your mouth pieces of Spanish onion and sweet potato. Topped with drizzled hot sesame oil and fresh croutons, how can you not?!

And stay tuned here as I recount with you on my recipe adventures and other good stuff. And of course, should you want to hear my random musings, you can always find me on Twitter @dawnemarie.

March 10, 2011 0

Stay Tuned!

By DMS in Soup