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I’ve never made French Onion soup before. I know, that’s crazy right? Even crazier, I’ve never even EATEN it before!!! When I was young, I wasn’t a fan of onions. I remember BEGGING my mom to ‘leave the onions out’ of the food she made us. Most of the time, she would just cut them reeeeeeally small so that we didn’t realize they were in the meal. Moms are always sneaky like that!

Since I became a vegetarian about 6 years ago, I have really grown to love onions. I love each variety, however, I have a special infatuation with red onions. I used to cook with nothing but, until my boyfriend insisted I switch it up some. These days, you will find me with a couple of white and yellow onions in my grocery basket amongst the bag of red.

Fuck-Yeah French (Red) Onion Soup

You will need:

• 5-6 red onions
• 1/4 c grapeseed oil
• 1-2 tbs organic unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs mustard
• 2 tbs organic soy sauce or tamari
• 6 cups vegetable broth (or organic, grass-fed beef broth if you’re not veggie )
• salt, pepper, garlic powder
• French bread, sliced into ‘croutons’ and toasted
• Swiss Gruyere cheese, shredded

First, heat the oil and butter over medium flame. Add the onions and caramelize. (This should take around 30 minutes or so.) Stir until onions are sweet, slimy, and wonderfully brown. Now add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard. Cook for about 5 minutes. Next, pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

While the soup is simmering, slice and toast the French bread. Ladle the soup into an oven-proof bowl and top with the toasted crouton. Add a handful of Gruyere cheese to the top of the crouton and then place soup under broiler until cheese is melted. Finally, let cool slightly and DEVOUR!!!

Veggie and non-veggie lover’s will unite over this incredibly delicious soup! Even my carnivorous roommate (who hates onions ‘for the most part’) LOVED it! Enjoy!!!! xoxo

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Ingredients

1 3/4 cups (12 whole) chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (1.5 quarts) carton Mint Chocolate Chip DREYER’S or EDY’S® Grand Ice Cream or Mint Chocolate Chip DREYER’S or EDY’S® Light Ice Cream, softened
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Morsels
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

Directions

COMBINE crumbs and melted butter in small bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup for border. Sprinkle heaping 2/3 cup crumb mixture over bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Press down lightly. Freeze for 10 minutes.

PLACE morsels in medium bowl. Microwave evaporated milk in 2-cup glass measure on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds or until very hot. Pour evaporated milk over morsels; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate.

SPOON by small spoonfuls half of ice cream over base, spreading evenly. Sprinkle 2/3 cup crumb mixture over ice cream. Freeze for 10 minutes.

SPREAD chocolate mixture over crumbs. Top with remaining chocolate crumb mixture. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Ishii-san’s garden is interesting in every season. Here it sits under heavy snowfall. His white camellias survived and were still flowering when the snow melted.

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Okay quick side note… guess what came yesterday…..

MY VITAMIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (I’ll admit it took me a good 3-4 hours to actually take it out of the box because I was scared to touch it).

But thank goodness I did!  You get what you pay for that’s for sure, and I confirmed that with breakfast this morning.

Of course I wanted to go big on flavor with my first vitamix recipe.  I wanted something that was decadent and delicious.

Well in my book, that combination is chocolate and peanut butter hands down… surprised?

We’re going to start off this recipe with a brownie-like baked oatmeal.  Now this is another one of my own creations, and it’s definitely different than regular baked oatmeal

1. 1/2 cup oats

2. 1/3 cup water

3. 1 heaping tsp dutch processed cocoa

4. 1 1/2 packets of stevia (dutch processed is a really dark cocoa, so I used more sweetener than I normally would in my recipes)

5. 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (use 1/2 tsp if you’re using imitation, but you really can’t beat pure madagascar bourbon in my opinion)

6. a sprinkle of cinnamon

7. 1/4 tsp baking powder

8. pinch of salt (this actually is rather important, it adds depth and enhances the chocolate)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.  Take a hand mixer, and mix it until it’s a brownie-like consistency.  I was debating using my vitamix for this, but I didn’t want to have a totally smooth textured oatmeal, so instead I just used my mixer.

Since I was lazy, I did this the night before.  In the morning it was pretty much like a brownie cookie dough batter… if that exists.

I took it out of the bowl, and then put it into a ramekin I sprayed with pam.

Hey! What are those ice cube things?

I’ll get to that now

You are going to need

     1. 1 cup almond milk (if you want a more creamy ice cream, you can use regular milk, coconut milk, or even cream)

     2. pinch of salt

     3. 1 tsp vanilla (I used the pure again)

     4. Stevia to taste (I used one packet)

     5. 2-3 tbsp melted peanut butter (or more if you’d like)

Like before, simply mix all the ingredients together.  Taste and then adjust sweetness according to preference.

Pour the mixture into ice cube trays, and let sit until frozen (overnight preferred)

Once ready to make, microwave for about 30 seconds just to soften, and then blend in your vitamixer.

Start at the lowest speed. Slowly increase until you reach the highest speed, and then blend on high until it’s an ice cream consistency.

I microwaved the oatmeal for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.  Just to give it a littttle bit of chewiness and warmth.  (Like a fresh brownie).

Now let’s pretty this up

Yes, this was my breakfast. Jealous?

Question: What recipes would you like to see made in the vitamix or really just any recipe in general?    

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With over 40 Candle Warmers (Full and Mid Size), 20 Plug-ins and 80 different scents to buy, we have something for everyone. We have an ever growing list of Scentsy Candle Products! Additionally, we’ve got some Fragrances on the Go as well such as our NEW Scentsy Buddy’s, Scent Pak, Fragrance Foam, Room Spray, Scent Circles and our Travel Tins! Scentsy is also a fantastic company to represent!

Before this I hadn’t baked for a while before this, and this was the first ‘novelty’ birthday cake I had undertaken! Unphased by the sheer size of the task ahead of me I went ahead… no practice run or anything… which believe me is so unlike me!

Not only did I neglect to think about packaging for transporting the finished product but neglected to think about how exactly I was going to put the whole thing together! Luckily my father has experience in the kitchen and was able to help me assemble the cake!!! Oh and a girl I work with managed to get me a box and a board… PHEW!!!

Although the end result looks like a platypus bred with a crocodile I was pretty impressed with the finished product… not a bad first attempt!

What do you think?

Duck-Billed Platypus

I used a simple sponge for the cake, and used jam and cream to hold the layers of cake together! I used chocolate butter icing for the main body and the feet and covered the sponge for the beak and eyes in melted chocolate. I thought the different textures made for a better appearence! Opinions?

Since the making of this cake I have caught the baking bug completely… my next project is for my sister’s 21st Birthday… She has requested a Panda cake, keep your eyes peeled for this one!

I’m so bummed I haven’t been able to post much lately, but no doubt all I think about is recipes I can put up here, or cute ideas to share with you all!  When I’m not busy with school, or work college stuff takes all my time.

Luckily a little guy named Nemo blew through my hometown on the East Coast leaving a pretty some pretty heavy snow on the ground!  We haven’t had much snow this winter, so I’m not complaining, and when it snows all I have to do is admire its beauty because Heaven knows I would not go near that snow with a 10 foot pole.. its far too cold for me!  Ahaha.  Instead I’ll bake up a storm, sit by the fire, throw on my favorite show, and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Although its freezing out, and there is snow coming down my mind is thinking about Spring, and all the pretty pastel colors, and cute holidays that come along with it.  Although Valentine’s Day is not exactly in the Spring I consider it more of a Spring holiday, I mean its not really near the Thanksgiving/Christmas time, so yeah.. lets just call it a Spring Holiday!  What I love about Valentine’s Day, and Easter, and Memorial Day is all the fun, and pretty colors that come along with these Holidays.  And since pink is my favorite color of all time, always has been, always will be I’m pretty sure you can guess, which is my favorite.

If you said Valentine’s Day.. you’re right on the money my friend.

So for the past couple of week my mind has been set on this pretty holiday, and all the adorable things I could do to make it even cuter.  Pinterest is super fab.. I rave about it all the time, and is a source I love getting inspiration from.  I’ve seen cake pop rose bouquets floating around, and thought they were super fab, so I decided to put my own little twist on it.  Today I decided to take my two favorite egg free cookie dough recipes (Sugar Cookie Dough & Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough) and make them into Valentine’s Day bouquets.  Although I arranged mine in a bouquet these would also be cute to gift as individuals pops if you bagged them with a little bag, and tied a pretty ribbon on them!  Whatever you decide to do I’m sure your valentines will love these delicious pops!

Making the Cookie Pops:

1. Make the Cookie Dough.  (Recipes Below.)

Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe:

Recipe by The Novice Chef

Servings about 20

Ingredients

1 stick salted butter, softened

1 & 1/2 cups of yellow cake mix (I used Pillsbury Golden Butter Yellow Cake Mix)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup rainbow jimmies

Directions:

1. Mix all the above ingredients in an electric mixer.  If the mix is a bit dry add milk by tsp until it forms a soft dough.

2. Form dough into about 3/4- 1 tbsp size balls and place a lollipop stick into each.

3.  Place in freezer for 30 mins.

4.  Dip in white chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (Egg-less)

Recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction (modified by Me.)

Servings about 20

Ingredients

1 stick salted butter, softened

1 & 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup semi sweet chips

Directions

1.  Beat sugars and butter on high in an electric mixer until fluffy.  Scrape sides with a rubber spatula.

2.  Mix in milk and vanilla.

3.  Slowly beat in flour & salt until a dough forms.  Stir in chocolate chips.

4.  Form into 3/4 tbsp- 1 tbsp sized balls, and stick a lollipop stick in each.

5.  Place in freezer for about 30 mins.

6.  Dip in melted semi sweet chocolate chips.

2. Shape cookie dough into 1 inch balls, and insert white Wilton lollipop sticks (you can use whichever length you prefer), and place balls on wax paper on a plate.

3. Place plate in freezer for about 30 minutes.

4. After taking the balls out you can choose to shape the balls into triangles (strawberry shape), or leaving them in balls.  (I chose to do both in order to make my bouquet have more variety!)

5.  Set cookie dough back in the freezer for 30 mins.  (The more time in the freezer the easier it’ll be to dip in chocolate because the dough won’t melt in the chocolate if it is frozen.).

6.  Melt Chocolate by using a double boiler.

To melt Semi Sweet Chocolate:  Place 1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips in boiler with 3 tablespoons of vegetable shortening, stir with a rubber spatula until melted.  Take off heat and dip cookie dough.  (Tap excess chocolate off the pops so that it doesn’t drip down and make them look messy.)

To melt White Chocolate: Put a full bag of Wilton’s White Chocolate Melts with 2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening in double broiler and stir until melted.   Take off heat and dip cookie dough.  (Tap excess chocolate off the pops so that it doesn’t drip down and make them look messy.)

7.  Place cookie dough pop stick down into the styrofoam to let the chocolate set up.  Once you’ve filled up the entire styrofoam tray place it in freezer to let chocolate completely set.

8.  Once the first coat has set you can continue to melt different colors to drizzle over the pops, or dip the ones shaped like strawberries in.  Also have sprinkles ready to go to sprinkle as you go along.  (After each new chocolate coat, or drizzle place in the freezer allow chocolate to set.)

9.  If you made the strawberries you’ll need to make a batch of frosting tinted leaf green.  You want the consistency to be thicker so it’ll set well on the pop.  Use tip #67 (Wilton) and create small leaves around the popsicle stick where it meets the chocolate pop.

For the buttercream:

Recipe by Me (Brooke B.)

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 butter extract

1 tbsp milk ( I used fat free )

Directions

Mix all together with green food coloring in an electric mixer.  Place into piping bag, and pipe.

10.  After all the leaves have been applied place back in the freezer for 10 mins to let the frosting harden.

11.  Take out of the freezer and ENJOY!  Try not to eat too many, even though they’re simply irresistible and cute!

Putting the bouquet together:

1.  Get a large mason jar, and place a piece of styrofoam in the jar.

2. Around the foam place paper confetti, or pretty tissue paper to cover up the inside of the jar.

3.  Stick pops at different levels into the foam.  When you’re done cover remaining foam up on top with paper confetti.

4.  Send to your lover! (;   Or treat yourself to a lovely chocolate bouquet!

I hope you all enjoy this pretty post, and excuse me once again for my absence.  I’m back again full force and can’t wait to share many more recipes with you all sweet things.  Have a great day, and a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

Lord, we have heard your works and we have been astounded. We have pondered your marvels and we have fainted. As your Word descended, our heart has been melted and all our innermost being, trembling, has been laid bare to him.

For while silence held all things and night in her journey reached her mid-course, your Almighty Word came from its royal abode. You poured out, O Father, the tenderness of your love upon us and you could no longer contain the multitude of your mercies. You shed light in the darkness, dew upon the dryness and in the bitter frost you kindled a raging fire.

Your Son appeared to us as an abundance of food when grievous famine threatened, as a spring of living water to a life in distress and fainting from thirst in the heat. Or surely just as there is want to appear a strong helper and deliverer for men besieged, who are about to rush out into battle with death before their eyes, with the enemy’s threatening sword and his armed right hand thirsting for blood, so he appeared for us and became our salvation.

Yet it is an excellent and salutary thing to recount again the beginning of our salvation and to treat of his Incarnation, to recall whence he came, in what sort he descended, where and how he was conceived.
- Amadeus of Lausanne, Bishop, 12th cent.

My best friend has probably been waiting for me to do a piece for her for probably about the 6-7 years I have known her, because of my plans to move to Canada I thought that this time is as good as any! I know she likes my abstract pieces and thought I would make something bright and colourful (like her amazing personality) and incorporate something she really loves! Kylie does hip hop and jazz dancing, and I was very keen on a black silhouette.. there are NO hip hop or jazz dancing silhouettes that I like! I  thought maybe Fred Astaire – Singing in the rain, with the light post and umbrella.. sill thinking that would have been cool! But after deep consideration and research, I thought that using it more as an inspirational board would be interesting, I have seen other Crayon art pieces with words like “inspire”, “create”, “love”, etc etc. Why not have dance? It is one hobby that makes Kye happy and I hope it makes her smile each and every time she looks at it

I used the same process as my previous post Art: Crayon Experiments. Everything was the same, up until using the hair dryer. Instead of moving the board around to create different patterns, and to mix the colours together, I had the canvas board on one of my easels. Putting it at just the right angle so it wasn’t too high and wasn’t too low gave it the perfect drop as well as the perfect drop speed.

I first separated all the paper packaging around each crayon (this was by far the longest part!) It was very time consuming, and I really had to make sure I wasn’t holding it with too much pressure whilst peeling it off, it will break! After that, I glued each piece individually onto the canvas whilst flat. I waited for the super glue to dry and experimented with the angle of the easel. Remember that crayon dries really quickly! So as soon as you take the hair dryer away, the crayon will start to set. If you take a close look to my pice, I layered the droplets (another time consuming task but well worth it). After each layer I would wait 5-10 minutes and start heating up the crayons again, making sure the droplets didn’t go beyond a certain point of the canvas. The most difficult part was melting the crayons to blend in as much as possible with everything that has melted. If you look at the image, you can distinctly that the crayons were there, I wanted to blend them in more but I had to be careful to not melt them fully! I used my finger to push down the bottom of each crayon creating trails fr the melted crayon to seep through, this worked out nicely I think. Afterwards I made light touch ups to the white and black and it was ready to go.

Remember to not keep near a heater or stove… it WILL melt! I am even worried a little for just being in Australia. Might melt on one of out 45 degree days but I am keeping my fingers crossed it doesn’t haha.

Just a shout out to my best friend Kylie! Happy birthday beautiful! We have been friends for nearly a decade now and you have honestly been the only girl friend I could maintain a healthy awesome relationship with coz you and I are both like dudes! I know we will have another awesome 7 years to spend together and another awesome bunch after that I love you my little midget! xoxo

It’s still coming down out there, but what a beautiful sight. The driving ban has made for some beautifully empty streets. Getting around is going to be kind of interesting for the next few days, especially since it’s usually the bike lanes and sidewalks that become the resting place of plowed snow…

While out snapping photos, I saw someone cross-country skiing down Memorial Drive, I wish I had my skis here in my apartment…

I have been hunkered down, listening to the radio, catching up on this season of Girls, cleaning out my pantry and closet, and reading. I also whipped up the ultimate comfort food, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese.

The Most Delicious Tomato Soup You’ve Ever Had
(Inspired by Caseus Cheese Shop Tomato Soup, makes 3 servings)
1 28-oz can of tomatos (no salt, no preservatives, etc.)
1 medium onion, sliced thin
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
3/4 c white wine
1/2 c cream (heavy)
olive oil
black pepper
salt

To start the soup, you need to caramelize the onions, which takes a good while, but guess what, we’re not going anywhere any time soon.

After about 25 minutes (stir them occasionally), the onions should have started to brown slightly, add the garlic and stir to prevent scalding. After about 3 minutes, add the white wine, deglaze the pan, scraping any bits off the bottom. Simmer for a few (3-4) minutes until the alcohol-y smell of the white wine is gone and the amount of liquid has reduced.

Add the tomatoes. Simmer for about 25 minutes, making sure the soup doesn’t boil.

Add black pepper (I add a ton, like maybe 15-20 grinds of pepper) and some salt.

Blend the soup until silky with an immersion blender. Don’t be an idiot and stick your fingers into the blade like this lady from the NY Times talks about. Only stupid people who don’t have common sense do things like that.

Add the cream and mix in. If you’re saving some for later, be careful about reheating it, since you don’t want to boil it with the cream in there. It’ll be a sad mess.

How to Construct the Perfect Grilled Cheese

Making the perfect grilled cheese requires a bit of patience, a lot of butter, and a good mix of meltable cheeses. I’m a big fan of gruyere, emmenthal, sharp cheddar, and dubliner. Go out and get a mix of these, don’t bother with pre-packaged bullshit, and don’t even think about throwing mozzarella in there or I swear…

The key is to grate the cheeses and mix them together in a bowl. Butter two slices of bread on one side (the outer side) and put into a pan that’s been heated at medium/ medium-low. Place a few handfuls of cheese on the bread, then cover with the second slice. Cover the pan for about 5 minutes, checking that the cheese has started to melt, before you flip the bread (if you do this before the cheese has had time to melt, the whole thing will come apart and you’ll have a disaster in a pan.) After turning, it should take another 4 minutes, covered, to melt and brown properly.

I like to use sourdough bread, though you can get creative if you’d like, just make sure the bread-to-cheese ratio doesn’t get too skewed with extra thick or hearty breads.

–

I hope you all have power and heat, and if you don’t I hope you’re at least surrounded by friends and family to help keep you warm.

So I get up, overwhelmed, telling myself not worry Kishu she will be back. You know now days it takes me an extra hour just wake up, why? Well I miss you na baby, I remember looking you, the way you used to hug me and that love filled hug you give me and then ask me nicely to go and make something to eat. I close my eyes imagine you hugging me telling that you love me and will always be there for me and will never leave me baby, whispering softly in my ear and then giving me sweetest kiss in the world from the softest lips in the world

Happy Chocolate Day

Just the way you like it Mishu!!!

Baby today is chocolate day, and since you are in the different city of a different state and you know I have to finish this movie as soon as possible. So please buy lots of chocolates from my side, buy the snickers from my side as its my favorite and at least one Silk as it’s your favorite. Also I am going to finish my work soon and then gonna come to visit, I will bring all your favorite chocolates. If we are together by then I will give you in person and if we are not I will leave leave it in the mail at your hostel.

Camembert of Normandy – French cheese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On Eating Exeter, we intend to put out the occasional recipe.  Some of them are, like this one, tried and tested and others just sound nice.

Before you proceed though, have a look at this article with some good do’s and don’ts for Baking Camembert.

Here is a recipe for the cook-shy amongst you.  It has to be the easiest culinary method to follow, and most probably the most satisfying.  The hot crispy texture of the fresh bread, with the gooey cheese-ness of the hot Camembert with the fragrance of the Rosemary and the Garlic is the ultimate Valentines Day ‘night in’ treat.

Camembert is a fascinating cheese.  It is a little like Brie on steroids.  It has a stronger taste and is much more odourful than Brie and it comes from a different part of France too, Normandy to be precise.  It is traditionally made from unpasteurised cows milk, but mass produced stuff is made from pasteurised milk these days.  Interestingly the cheese was first made by a farmer on the advice of a priest from Brie.  The cheese was issued to soldiers during the First World War, which helped seal its popularity in French culture.  (Thanks Wikipedia!)The sort of Camembert you use is personal choice.  This was bought from a well-known supermarket, but you need the sort that comes in the box as this is quite important to the whole process.

Ingredients:

A Box of Camembert
Clove of Garlic
Sprig of Rosemary
Bread – bought fresh, preferably French bread.

1. Take the Camembert and unwrap it.  Put it back in its box (peel off any paper labels stuck on to it!) and stab it a few times.  Insert the garlic (peeled and chopped) in to the holes, squeeze in the rosemary too if desired.

2. Bake in an oven (in the box) for about 180C to 200C for 20 minutes or until it starts leaking.

3. Serve with fresh bread and enjoy

If you don’t fancy this quick and dirty recipe there are a whole host of variations on a theme.  Richard Phillips has one offering on the BBC website and Jamie Oliver has his version as well.  It is so simple it is easily to adapt it to whatever your tastes might be.  Nigel Slater also has his version too on the Guardian website which involves wine somewhere in the process too.

Enjoy cooking this, it takes a few goes to get it perfect despite its simplicity.

Here is a little background I read from their website:
Skillet Street Food was started in 2007 by Chef Josh Henderson, in an Airstream trailer, combining American recipes with classic techniques and seasonal ingredients. The locals were enthralled by this introduction, amazing food with a great Chef cooking it out and a strong social media presence. Skillet has expanded to events like weddings, catering, and parties; has been selling their signature ‘Bacon Jam’ jarred and ready to go; and of course, two restaurants have been built from this success, The Skillet Diner and the Skillet: Counter. 
The original food truck still keeps true to traditions of their roots and first recipes, and continues to succeed not only among the locals of Seattle, but attracting people across the United States! Delicious food prepared with care, true technique, fresh ingredients, and the personal touch of the original chef.

So, on this cold, rainy, Seattle Friday, my parents and I trekked through the wet weather for probably 10 blocks until finally coming onto a street corner and seeing the diver truck just across the street parked in a center square, steam rising from the back and the host taking orders. Right up to the truck we could smell the heavenly smell from the skillets inside The Skillet. 

We ordered what was seen on aired segment of “Eat St.” which was their Original Burger, Chicken Sammie, and Poutine Fries!

The Original Burger contained a juicy, absolutely delicious and tender grass fed beef; thick, melty warm and cheesy brie cheese; fresh and crunchy arugula; their signature, sweet and savory bacon jam; all mounded between a kaiser roll, soft warm and soaking up all the delicious juices and flavors!
This has to be one of my all time favorite burgers; simply, amazing!

Next the Fried Chicken Sammie: a twist on the usual fried chicken sandwich; crispy and juicy fried chicken, with a spicy and sweet jalapeño jelly; and fresh kale slaw on a potato roll; and this is my all time favorite chicken sandwich! The chicken still so crispy and juicy, holding the freshly fried crisp and flavor, but then getting hit with the sweet and spicy jalapeño aioli, and the veggie slaw to make a unique and delicious combination!

And finally, the best french fries my parents or I have EVER eaten! No joke, this is the best poutine or french fry creation we have ever experienced.
Thick, crispy, crunchy, golden french fries, smothered in thick, hearty gravy, thick chunks of melting, ooey gooey deliciousness of cheddar cheese curds, and sprinkled with parmesan cheese melting on top; and lastly mixed with fresh herbs with just enough of a kick to not overpower the gravy or cheese flavor, but to bring them together in a delicious combination!
Literally, the fries stayed crispy, the gravy warm, cheese melting, herbs flavorful, literally the best poutine fries I have ever had and probably the best you will too.

Chef Josh Henderson has truly created an amazing addition to the people of Seattle, and continues to create some of the best food that satisfy your taste buds and stomach to a new sensation. These two sandwiches and fries I would be willing to pay $40+ for, because that is what it is worth. But it is kept very reasonable and well worth what you actually pay for it.

I hope to return soon, very soon, to Seattle and not only visit this food truck again, but also visit BOTH restaurants and experience even more of this modern American creations.

I congratulate the Chef and team for their hard work, which has clearly been paying off, and for their heart put into every meal!

And I hope for you readers to visit this unforgettable stop!

(**Sorry I have only one photo, I lost the other photos from different angles and the rest of the food **)
(But, it is all still a great memory!)

at a low simmer…
-R

When it comes to chocolate, I can’t say I’m picky. Dark chocolate, chili chocolate, chocolate with cinnamon, chocolate covered pop rocks, chocolate with salted caramel… you name it, I love it. Just don’t ask me to narrow it down to my number one favorite because I can’t do it. Just last weekend I spent nearly a half hour trying to decide which three chocolate bars I wanted to get from World Market. (Believe me, I could have walked out with more than three but I had just bought a pair of shoes and I am on a budget.)

One of my favorite chocolate desserts is chocolate fondue, and today just happens to be National Chocolate Fondue Day so naturally I had to make some. Really, it’s the rules! If there’s a national holiday involving chocolate, then it’s your patriotic duty to participate!

There are hundreds of recipes out there for dessert fondues, but I prefer to keep it simple. This particular recipe makes a small batch, only has two to three ingredients, and doesn’t require any special equipment aside from a bowl, a whisk, and a microwave.

To make the fondue you’ll need:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 Tablespoons heavy cream (My vegan and dairy free friends can use canned coconut milk or coconut cream)

1 teaspoon Chambord or Amaretto (optional)

1. Place the chocolate chips in a small, microwave safe bowl. Add the cream and microwave for thirty seconds on high.

2. Stir well with the whisk, then microwave again for up to thirty seconds if necessary – but be careful not to overcook. Stir in the Liqueur if using.

3. Serve with cubes of sponge cake, strawberries, banana slices, marshmallows, pretzels, or whatever else you like to eat with chocolate (yes, you can even use bacon.)

I love white chocolate, more so than milk chocolate, there…..I said it. The tang of the cranberries and the creaminess of the white chocolate, it’s a winning combination.

Anyhow….here’s the recipe for these divine bites. I also added slivers of almonds, that didn’t take away from anything, it enhanced even more.

2 cups of white chocolate (I suggest good quality I used Ghirardelli)
1 cup of dried cranberries
Small bag of slivered almonds

I use a bowl in the microwave because I don’t have a double boiler and it seems to work better. Start with 1 cup of chips for 30 seconds and stir the chips very well.

Stir in more chips and melt for 25 more seconds and stir again. Then I will add the rest of chips and stir until all the chips are melted. Because I am using such good chocolate, I don’t mess with guessing timing so I do it in increments. It helps to add 1 teaspoon or more of vegetable oil to make it smoother consistency.

I put all the cranberries and almonds on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Pour the melted white chocolate over the cranberries and almonds with back of greased spoon. Press down the chocolate to make sure all the berries are covered and compress everything together so it looks a somewhat a square. It doesn’t have to go to end, you want the bark to be about 1/4″ inch at least

Put the sheet in the fridge for over 30 minutes and you will have a melt in your mouth concoction waiting for you later.