THRIFTY TABLE

First try: Steamed buns

Thrifty Table — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:21:00 GMT

Steamed buns

First try: Donut muffins

Thrifty Table — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:07:46 GMT

Donut muffins with cinnamon sugar

First try: Spam musubi

Thrifty Table — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:58:25 GMT

Spam Musubi

I first became obsessed with musubi on a visit to Las Vegas. My boyfriend and I were visiting the newly re-opened Plaza Casino and Hotel in the downtown core and spotted Island Sushi & Hawaiian Grill. Being a little hungry at the time, we decided to venture in for a bite. When I saw Spam on the menu (not out of place when the theme is Hawaiian!) I knew I had to go for it. And there, my obsession was born.

Okay, I know Spam sounds disgusting. I know. I know. It looks like someone took mock chicken, mixed it with a can of corned beef, and then soaked it in aspic. Oh, and then squished it into its own can. It's mysterious looking. It tastes like, salty everything, yet nothing. Spam is actually made with pork should and ham and it's all held together with potato starch, and uses sodium nitrate as a preservative.

Sounds gross.

But as musubi, it's freaking delicious!

I know. I know.

I can't help it, it is. It was. Delicious. It's sushi rice, some seto fumi furikake, wasabi, and a slice of spam, seared with a sweet and salty cooking sauce and all tied together with nori.

Try it once, I swear, you'll see what I'm talking about!

First try: Macarons

Thrifty Table — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:11:07 GMT

Macarons with Apple Vanilla Compote

Just about two weeks ago I took a macaron making class at Ateliers et Saveurs with my awesome friend and a few fellow Yelpers. It was a lot of fun and I had wanted to put my new skills to work immediately, but the weeks have been busy and time to bake wasn't available.

When I finally did find time, it happened to be close to 9PM, but I started anyhow. Even when faced with the reality that I don't have a proper sifter (where'd my hand sifter go?) I forged ahead, improvising with cheese cloth and a strainer (not ideal) and made it work. No piping bags, no problem, I used a ziploc bag, with a snipped end.

So what you see pictured above is quite the feet of improvisation and though they were quite good, they weren't great. I'm now armed with a shopping list of much need tools for not only making delicious macarons, but for many other food projects as well.

My review on Yelp of the macaron class at Ateliers et Saveurs

Day 1: Lactose-free living

Thrifty Table — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:28:50 GMT

Yesterday was very eye-opening. I never knew that lactose was in so many non-dairy foods! You can find some form of lactose in commercially available bread and baked goods, salad dressings (even ones that aren't creamy) and sauces, breakfast cereals, non-kosher deli meats, and even in margarine which I would have considered as a substitute for butter! I've already learned that reading the labels of foods that would seem to be a no-brainer is necessary.

It kind of reinforced my resolve to make as many food products as possible at home, from scratch. I'm already pretty good at reading labels, but there are at least a few products I keep around for convenience, that now, after this close inspection, I won't be getting again, not even organic versions. Cereal and bread are big ones!

I got through my first day, with a little inner fight. Like thinking, do I really need to go this severe? Why not just reduce the amount of lactose products I eat (or drink)? Why not just take more Lactaid, or buy lactose-free products? Well, the argument back is that I need my tummy to repair itself. I am not going to avoid lactose this strictly longterm (unless necessary), this is a healing stage.

In 2 weeks, I'll start to add some low-lactose products back to my diet and see how I react. Some people react to ANY lactose in food, others have reactions only with certain types of foods and still, more commonly, the reaction is to foods that are high in lactose, like ice-cream, or sour cream. Hopefully, I am part of the latter group.

Ignorance is NOT Bliss

Thrifty Table — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:51:07 GMT

I'm lactose intolerant. I ignore that fact all the time.

If you took a look in my fridge at any given moment, you'd find a large selection of cheeses, fresh organic whole milk, butter (semi-salted, unsalted, salted), yogurt, and those are just the obvious dairy products. I'm a rebel. I don't even take Lactaid!

I'm not sure if my biggest weakness is butter or cheese. I often eat butter "as if" it were cheese, sliced thickly and placed on toast to melt into a salty, sweet pool. Then again, it's not unusual for me to polish off a whole wedge of triple creme with a warm baguette. I do cook with butter more than I do with cheese, so that's one place where cutting out dairy would prove to be difficult, particularly when I want to make scones.

I know what is not be hard for me to avoid. I don't use milk often, only in baking and poured over cereal, 1L of milk will last me the entire week. Ice-cream is not really a problem either, it's winter, and I only really eat ice-cream in the summer, and even then, there are sorbets and other frozen desserts I find just as pleasing.

Lately, I feel like my reactions to lactose are getting worse. I seem to have more problems with bloating, the reactions are more severe and they are lasting longer, often keeping me up until the wee hours of the morning, like tonight. As such, I've decided to give my gut a sabbatical. Just for a couple of weeks. I don't even want to brooch the idea of NEVER having butter again! That's unthinkable, never sinking my teeth into an onctuous slice of the earthy pied de vent cheese, or savoring a grilled cheese sandwich made with 1608. No, I can't think like that.

The question then becomes, do I try to replace all my current dairy with soy based alternatives? I say, no. I am willing to use an almond milk or hemp milk in place of dairy for cereal and cooking, but other than that, I have no desire to use soy based sour cream, for example. I am not going to go out and buy soy cheeses, or use margarine on my toast; I would rather go without. When I feel like having a yogurt, maybe I'll have some Jell-o instead. But just for the next few weeks. Until my tummy settles down.

BBQ Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese

Thrifty Table — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:29:00 GMT

My last hurrah before I head into 3 weeks of dairy-free eating. Ridding my diet of dairy, also means cleaning out the fridge and making sure no temptations remain. I still had a half liter of whole organic milk, several cheeses including a blue, some triple creme and a small wedge of Pied de Vent.

Inspired by one of my favourite non-fish dishes at RM Seafood in Las Vegas, I decided to make my own version of their BBQ Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese (at lunch it is a main at 12$, in the evening it is a side).

I had picked up a nice pork shoulder on my last grocery and was planning to make pulled pork anyhow, so this was an easy decision and a delicious way to use up any dairy I had remaining.

Here's my recipe:

For the Pulled Pork:

Ingredients

3lb pork shoulder

salt and pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup dark beer (I used Simple Malt Stout)

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

3 habenero peppers, split (for easy removal)

Sprinkle the pork shoulder with salt and pepper. In Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat; brown the pork all over, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to the meat to the slow cooker.

Add garlic & chili powder to the Dutch oven; fry for about 1 minutes.

Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, until darkened, about 2 minutes. Add the beer, sugar and vinegar, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Pour into slow cooker. Add the habeneros to the sauce. Cover and cook on low until pork is tender, 8 to 10 hours.

Transfer pork to cutting board and tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. With two forks, shred or "pull" pork, remove and discard any fat or skin.

Meanwhile, pour liquid from slow cooker into large saucepan; skim off fat. Pull out habeneros; discard. Bring to boil over high heat; boil vigorously until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.

For the Mac & Cheese

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all purpose flour

2 cups milk

salt and pepper

2 cups cheeses cut into small cubes, or grated if possible

6 cups elbow macaroni, cooked al dente (about 1 small box)

3 tbsp bread crumbs

In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in milk until smooth and bring to simmer; cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in half of the cheese (start with harder cheeses) and let cook, and continue stirring until the sauce is smooth. Repeat with the rest of the cheese.

Place the cooked pasta into a large greased glass baking dish. Top with about 1/2 the cheese sauce. Next arrange the pulled pork on top of the pasta, top with the pulled pork sauce, and then the rest of the cheese sauce. Finally, finish with bread crumbs.

Bake on baking sheet in 375°F (190°C) oven until cheese is bubbly and golden, about 30 minutes.

When a bigger kitchen is NOT an option

Thrifty Table — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:19:46 GMT

I can't make my kitchen bigger, and putting things up above my kitchen cabinets is not an option. I am short and would have to climb on top of the counters to reach up that high. Plus, I use most of my appliances at least once per week. There are only a few items in the kitchen that I don't use regularly and those are already stored out of the way.

My resolution this year was to make working in my kitchen a little less cumbersome. Clearing up the counter space as much as possible without making things too difficult. As a result, I bought myself an Expedit from Ikea. Not the largest one because I can't reach the top of it (I'm really short!) but the 16 cubbies one. In it, I placed things I use at least once a week, but nothing I use more often unless it is an item I would normally not use in the kitchen, like the pasta roller or the bread machine.

I'm hoping that this will help improve the functionality of my kitchen by freeing up space, not only on the counters, but within the cupboard areas I can actually reach. Too often I have to literally crawl into the lower cabinets to retrieve a cooking vessel, there is only one access door into a long, narrow cupboard! The top cupboard shelf is too high, I have to climb up on the counters. I hate that. I'm clumsy and awkward and have the cuts and bruises to prove it.

With the Expedit in the dining room, right now, everything is within my reach. Which I think should help make things easier for me. Plus, each cubby tells a little story, mixing the narrative of each box, with the small appliances and serving trays I use everyday.

Clean Eating: Beef Jerky

Thrifty Table — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:05:32 GMT

I have been enamoured with the idea of preparing my own charcuterie for some time now, but it is kind of scary. I mean, I am not sure what could go wrong, I wouldn't want to make anyone sick.

Anyhow, on my last trip I picked up the latest Clean Eating magazine and in it was a recipe for Homemade Beef Jerky. Though I am not a huge fan of jerky, my boyfriend absolutely adores it and is constantly buying up all the "gourmet" stuff he finds while out. The recipe seemed simple enough, so I tried it.

He loves it, and I feel like we're going to be saving ourselves mucho dinero!

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill

Thrifty Table — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:02:00 GMT

I've been meaning to try Blue Ribbon for some time now and finally, on this first trip to Vegas in the new year, I was able to find a night to head out to Blue Ribbon, made much easier as we were guests at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

We had dinner reservations at 7PM reservations on a Thursday and when we arrived the sushi bar was empty, we decided to take our seats there, I prefer sitting at the sushi bar and love to sit at there and watch the sushi masters work their magic. After a short wait, our waitress came over, handed us a menu and served us bottled water.

The restaurant decor is very "woodsy" with dark wooden sculptures of waves or leaves running down the walls. A large chefs table sits just inside the restaurant on the far side of the bar and past this opens to the full restaurant. I found, like with many of the restaurants on this floor at the Cosmo, that the ambiance and the noise are at odds with each other. The music is turned up way too loud, making is hard to have a conversation.

After sometime our waitress returned and we ordered a Samurai beer (the name eludes me right now) and the Kanpachi Usuzukuri (Amberjack w/yuzu pepper) as well as the irresistable Beef Marrow, both appetizers were spectacular. I found the usuzukuri to be far superior to the one we had at Nobu here in LV and the beef marrow was perfectly seasoned with little challah toasts that held the marrow without becoming soggy. My only issue with the bone marrow is I wished that they had a proper spoon for it, the one they served it with was much too large and made it difficult to extract the yummy goodness, but that's what fingers are made for, right?

We ordered several sushi nigiri and maki, including a the Blue Ribbon roll, the KANI SUNOMONO, ENOKI & HAMACHI and of course, some uni (because I can't resist uni). I have to say, apart from the uni, I wasn't very impressed. The rolls were unevenly filled, so each piece from the same roll was a different size and just in the end, despite the combination described being enticing the rolls themselves were just not all that appealing.

Overall, I enjoyed the appetizers, in fact, had we stopped there, my impression of Blue Ribbon Bar and Grill would have been completely positive. Instead, because the sushi fell flat, I left feeling a little cheated. Though I wouldn't revisit this restaurant for sushi, I would most definitely return for some of their appetizers. As well, their late-night menu is interesting and has received great reviews, and so, I would keep that in mind on my next visit.

The total for the evening, including tip and 2 beer was just under 300$ for 2 people.

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill

3708 Las Vegas Blvd South (in The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino)

(702) 698-7000

L'il Lemony Cheesecake

Thrifty Table — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:07:24 GMT

I'm craving sweets. I'm ~~one day~~ 9 hours into a resolution to reduce the amount of sugar I consume. ~~One day~~ 9 hours into thinking, you know, I should really skip dessert. So, to combat the cravings I bake. I bake a cake as fast as I can, a cheesecake. Well, actually, 6 muffin sized lemony cheesecakes.

L'il Lemony Cheesecakes

makes 6 cheesecakes

8oz cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsps lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed

1 tsp lemon zest, minced

6 round tea cookies (large)

Set the oven to 325˙F and line a large 6 muffin tin with paper liners. Insert 1 cookie into the bottom of the each of the liners.

Whip together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, lemon juice & lemon zest. Divide the batter onto the six cookies and bake for 20 minutes.

Set on a rack to cool, them put into the fridge for an hour for the cake to set. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Decorate these mini-cheesecakes with whipped cream, fresh berries and few sprigs of mint.

2011: My year in review

Thrifty Table — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:32:02 GMT

How freakin' unoriginal is my title?! My brain is fried from cooking and cleaning over the past few weeks, just trying to keep pace with the holidays, family and friends. Overwhelmed would be an understatement.

This year was unique for me, from Yelp to Twitter and other meet-ups, I took time to step out of my shell and tried to actually meet a few people face-to-face. I'm a shy person and so, when amongst others I either talk their ears off, or sit there without saying a peep. I am proud of myself for trying, though, I confess, in an effort not to become less like wallpaper at events, I probably talked a little more than I listened.

I can no longer say that I am a person who doesn't like chocolate. Thanks to places like Cacao 70 and Le Maitre Chocolatier and chocolate bars like those made by Theo or Dolfin, I think I might be hooked. There was a time when I couldn't even stand the smell of chocolate, and now, in the span of a year, I am a regular at the Brïmstone chocolate shop in NDG!

I've been taking classes to learn the basics of cooking and prep. Though I have been the main source of food prep for my family for decades, I still manage to slice half my finger off at least once a month, so a basic knives skills class I took last month will hopefully help me end such bloody fiascos. For my birthday I took a sushi making course, which was not only informative but a lot of fun. And the course that started it all was a pastry course with Francois Paynard back in May during Vegas Uncork'd where I learned to make Sticky Toffee Pudding, the perfect pie crust and Flour-less Chocolate Cookies.

I can finally admit it... I am a foodie. However, I am, according to the article 10 Types of Foodies a "DYIer" with a sprinkle of the "I made it myself" foodie. In a way, my foodie ways are very reflective of my childhood obsession with electronics. It wasn't enough for me to have a radio or tv that worked, I had to build one myself to really get into how everything worked. I'm much the same way with food. I really get a grip on the science of food when I pull it all apart and rebuild it on my own.

And finally, I've decided to stop complaining about my itsy-bitsy-terribly-laid-out kitchen. Instead, I am definitely going to move, probably out of Montreal. I'll likely be relocating to Vancouver come July, we are looking at apartments in the coming months and so that will be the final deciding factor. If I can't find a suitable apartment in Vancouver by April, we'll start looking here in Montreal, possibly even change my 'hood (I'm thinking Little Italy).

This has been a very different kind of year for me. I feel like I've grown as a foodie, as a friend and as a more sociable person than any other year and I am planning to continue this throughout 2012. Getting involved in my community, both virtual and around the city is more important to me now than ever before, maybe it is because of my plans to leave, but whatever the reasons, I'll putting myself out there!

Happy holidays and here is to a fabulous NEW YEAR!

Under appreciated: Rice pudding

Thrifty Table — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:14:00 GMT

My mother's version of rice pudding is the golden standard of this heart-warming dessert in my mind. This wasn't something she whipped together in 30 minutes, this was a few hours in the making. I remember looking through the oven door, wondering how much longer I would have to wait to dig my spoon into it and pull up a heap of rice and raisins all soaking in a custard bath! The combination of smells, vanilla, nutmeg, sugar would make my mouth water.

Recently, I found an old recipe book, with the last handwritten entry scribed over 30 years ago. In it I was the recipe for her rice pudding, and one of my mothers most famous desserts; lemon custard filled cupcakes. Guess I better get baking!

Baked Mexican Chocolate French Toast

Thrifty Table — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:45:47 GMT

I've been saying I am not a huge chocolate fan for my entire life, but something funny is happening; I am sorta, kinda starting to like that stuff. I still can't stand chocolate cake or chocolate ice-cream, but I am really drawn to some foods where chocolate is one of the main characters. It's been a slow shift, happening maybe only in the past 3-4 years, but I am seeing it clearly now.

Chocolate cake, blah, chocolate bread, love! Love the Mexican chocolate bread loaf from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Book by Beth Hensperger. I made the 2 pound version the other night with the specific intention of slicing it up thick and using it to make French toast for breakfast for my son the next day. While it was still warm, I slathered a bit of butter on one of the slices. That's when it hit me. I like chocolate, I am just very particular about it.

Baked Mexican chocolate French toast

4 large eggs
2/3 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
4 slices thick sliced chocolate bread
2 tbsps butter, softened
2 tbsps brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400˙F.

Beat together eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a flat vessel that can comfortably house each slice of bread (I used a deep casserole dish). Soak each slice of bread for about 1 minute on each side. Place each slice onto a greased baking sheet with plenty of space between each of them.

In a small bowl, mixed together the butter and sugar, then crumble a bit over each slice of bread.

Bake at 400˙F for about 15-20 minutes. Serve topped with fresh whipped cream and sprinkled with a little cinnamon.

Turkey Ossobucco with Cranberry-Celery Leaf Gremolata

Thrifty Table — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:27:56 GMT

I have a continuing obsession with ossobucco and have used many cuts of different meats. Everything from the very traditional use of veal shanks, to the more unconventional use of pork, and even tried Antelope ossobucco at Tenders in Las Vegas. By far, using veal shanks is my preference, but that can be expensive, and considering this is a dish I want to make for Christmas lunch, I thought an experiment with turkey would be a fitting option.

There are quite a few recipes around using turkey for ossobucco, but they all contain onions, carrot, celery and most also have tomatoes. Now, here is something you may not know about me... I am not a big fan of chunks of meat in tomato sauces. I don't like things like chicken cacciatore, or meat balls in tomato sauce, stuff like that. I love tomatoes though, so don't count me out yet.

In any case, I decide to adapt my favorite ossobucco recipe. Again. The New york Times recipe by Mark Bittman. It's simple, and straight forward and easily adapted to suit my every whim. I made more changes with this recipe than I ever have, so I'll take more credit for this one!

Turkey Ossobucco

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 turkey legs, with the first couple of inches cut off
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, lightly mashed and peeled
1 tsp fresh thyme
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon butter

Rinse the turkey legs in cold water, then pat dry with a paper towel. Lightly salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a deep, pre-heated skillet with a tight fitting lid, and add the turkey legs, cook until nicely browned on all sides (that might turning 3 or even 4 times, depending on the thickness of the legs).

Add garlic to the pan and just lightly cook for less than a minute. Add the chicken stock and thyme, bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover the skillet. Let simmer with the lid on until the meat falls away from the bone, about 4-5 hours, turning the drumsticks about once per hour, adding a little water should it become necessary (it shouldn't).

Remove the turkey from the skillet and turn the heat up to high. Boil the sauce until it becomes thick; about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, serve the turkey with the sauce spooned over it.

Cranberry-Celery Leaf Gremolata

1/4 cup cranberries, pulsed a few times in a food processor
zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsps celery leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Kosher salt

Mix all together and serve atop the Turkey Ossobucco

I served my Turkey Ossobucco over fettucine, but for "the meal" I will be using mashed sweet potatoes for a more traditional feast!

Montreal: Greater than the sum of its parts

Thrifty Table — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:21:26 GMT

I'm moving in 2012. Out of NDG. Out of Montreal, out of Quebec. Thinking about it makes me nostalgic for all the places I will miss, and all the places I never really explored. There is so much going on in Montreal, and I don't want to leave here thinking I didn't make the most of it. So these next 6 months, before I am gone for good, I am going to explore a different part of this city each week. I'll check out activities, restaurants, shopping and anything else that pops up.

Here is a list of some areas that come to mind, but I won't necessarily visit all of these places, but I am definitely going to try.

Ahuntsic
Anjou
Cartierville
Chinatown
Cote des Neiges
Cote Saint Luc
Cote Saint Paul
Dorval
Downtown
Greektown
Griffintown
Hochelaga
Koreatown
La Petite Patrie
Lachine
Lasalle
Little Burgundy
Little Italy
Little Portugal
Mile End
Montreal North
Notre Dame de Grace
Old Montreal
Outremont
Park Extension
Plateau Montreal
Point Saint Charles
Quartier Latin
Rosemont
Saint Anne de Bellevue
Saint Henri
Saint Leonard
Saint Michel
Verdun
Ville Emard
Villeray
Ville Saint Pierre
Westmount

For goodness sake: Dulce de Leche

Thrifty Table — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:33:55 GMT

I have been craving sweets for the past few days. Crazy cravings, and I'm constantly thinking about marshmallows, or cookies, fudge, cakepops. It wouldn't stop and frankly, I was having trouble concentrating on anything else.

As I am researching ideas for homemade holiday gifts, I came across a very simple recipe for Dulce de Leche. It's so simple that some people think that if you make it this way, it isn't really homemade. I beg to differ, the idea of homemade is not indicated by how much effort is put into making it.

In any case, this Dulce de Leche requires only 3 things, a can of condensed milk, a pot of boiling water, and patience. That's all. It perfectly meets both of my needs, that of my sweet tooth and a great item for me to add to the jars of deliciousness I plan to give to my loved ones.

The one thing wrong with this stuff is that I cannot stop eating it. I've spread it on bagels, dripped it over ice-cream, swirled it into plain non-fat Greek yogurt (how ironic) and dipped bananas into it. Worse though, I have been sneaking tablespoons of it here and there since I made it. It's getting out of control!

Dulce de Leche

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Put the can of milk, unopened, in the bottom of a large pot. Add water to the pot until the can is totally submerged and about 4" over that. Bring the water to a boil, then set to simmer for 2-4 hours depending on how dark and thick you want your dulce de leche to be. However, while it is simmering, check on the can often, and make sure there is water covering the can at all times.

At 2 hours (or 4), remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Wait an hour or so, and make sure the can and its contents are well cooled, when you open the tin, use a cloth or a napkin to cover the opening area, it will spurt out a bit.

DO NOT TRY TO COOL IT WITH COLD WATER OR ICE. That is a bad, Bad, BAD idea! The can could explode and boiling hot dulce de leche will burn severely. Remember, one of the ingredients is patience, if you don't have that, try a different method.

That's it! Crazy easy!

Mussel Mania

Thrifty Table — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:00:00 GMT

I love mussels. They are fairly inexpensive (you can get 2lbs or for about 4$), very easy to prepare and go well with most flavors. They go really well with fries, but can just as easily be paired with rice, pasta, salad. Such versatility! I think the hardest part is cleaning them and getting those darned beards removed.

Here is a great resource for sorting and cleaning mussels

Mussels are best stored by taking them out of the mesh bag they come in and placing them in a bowl, covered with a damp towel. Do not seal them in a tupperware, or cover them in plastic wrap, mussels are alive, and need to breathe. Drain any liquids that have accumulated and rinse the mussels in a colander once you are ready to cook them.

Personally, I love to play with the recipe ideas for mussels but one thing remains constant; mussels are steamed. They aren't boiled. The ratio of mussel to liquid is quite high, about 2lbs of mussels to less than a cup of liquid. I have steamed mussels in wine, beer, broth, coconut milk, orange juice and Pernod. Your options are limitless.

Classic French Mussels

A quick tip. When eating mussels, use an empty mussel shell to go in and pull out the mussel meat. Simply pinch and pull, yummy delicious with less dishes too!

For mussel-goodness, check out the Mussel Face-off over at Fou de Food!

Tis the Season for Soups

Thrifty Table — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:15:51 GMT

Soup. I could survive the entire winter on just homemade soup and bread. With the arrival freezing temperatures, my large stockpot and my bread machine come out from their hiding places and all I can think about are these two comfort foods.

I started my first soup of the season this morning. Chicken soup. The quintessential winter soup, with variations from noodle to vegetable to creamy. My preference is a chicken vegetable soup and later in the week, I might add rice noodles or egg noodles and more chicken stock to "re-up" my soup.

Here's a soup I plan to try some time soon!

Farro and Cranberry Bean Soup

Sushi making course at Hachi

Thrifty Table — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:48:07 GMT

We were in Vegas for my birthday and as we often do, we like to take a few days off the strip and stay at the Red Rock Resort. While researching some dining options during our stay, we discovered that Hachi was offering a sushi making course during our stay. Though I had never dined at Hachi before, I was often tempted, so booking the course, which costs 85$ per person (plus taxes and tip) was a no-brainer.

We arrived a few minutes early and were seated in the lounge area while we waited for the final participant to arrive. At 6:30PM sharp we were brought to a private room at the back of the restaurant where our class would take place. Everything neatly set up for us, each with our own cutting board, makisu (sushi rolling mat), large vats of rice, and plates of sliced up ingredients.

The class was quite comprehensive and we learned about making several different styles of sushi, from maki, to hand rolls and from ingredients like spiced crab meat and crab sticks to avocado and shrimp. Ingredients are limited, but that is to be expected for an intro course. I would have loved to work with salmon, or tuna, but raw food handling is regulated strictly.

We left our class armed with the know how to take us to the next level of enjoying sushi. When you're armed with a better understanding of the process, it really expands your appreciation of what you are eating. Chef Martin was a wonderful teacher and by the end of our class, we all walked away with the confidence and inspiration to work on making a few of our own rolls at home.

You can choose to consume your sushi on site, or you can pack it all up and take it with you. After the 2 hour class, I had made 4 rolls and my BF had finished 6 rolls. I stopped at 4 since the variations were limited to crab, crabstick and shrimp, but others in our class made up to 9 rolls, so there is no shortage of ingredients.

The few comments I do have are that I wish that while we waited someone would have offered us each some water or a cocktail, though they did offer these once we were in the private room. I also wish there had been some vegetables to add to our rolls. From what I understand if you mention that you are a vegetarian ahead of time, they'll make sure you're not left out.