A Life, Lived

Photo Hunt - Hop

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'hop'.

This is the historic Hop Kiln at Hop Kiln Winery. This structure served the important hop industry of California's north coast region, once the major hop-growing area in the west. Built in 1905 by a crew of Italian stonemasons, it represents the finest existing example of its type. The building consists of three stone kilns for drying hops and an attached wooden cooling barn with a two-story press for baling hops.

If you are in this area of California I'd recommend a visit. The wines are pretty yummy too. ;-)

Thai Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe was selected because it allowed us to use up some of our Thai basil which is growing out of control. . . bok choy from our CSA shipment . . . and self-sown cilantro which is also growing out of control. I have no idea who Guy Laflamme is/was (the recipe is attributed to him) but that is a moot point - the stir fry was good.

Paul did all the prep and when I arrived home from the train we cooked it up. It was quick - dinner was on the table 15 minutes after I walked in the door.

The flavour was great - although we'd add more heat in the future.

 

Thai Chicken Stir Fry

1 lb (0.5 kg) chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 tsp (5 mL) oil
2 tsp (10 mL) oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 baby bok choys
2 red hot chili peppers, small
2 tsp (10 mL) fish sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) sugar
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) black pepper, ground
3/4 cups (175 mL) cilantro, chopped
3/4 cups (175 mL) Thai basil, chopped
1 lime, small, juiced

Heat wok over high heat until hot.

Add 1 tsp (5 mL) oil and swirl to coat.

Add the chicken. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining 2 tsp (10 mL) oil, garlic and Bok Choy to wok. Stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add chicken with juices, chilli, fish sauce, sugar, black pepper and 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add cilantro, basil and lime juice. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until heated through.

Serve over rice.

#Distractingly Sexy

A Nobel-winning biochemist's announcement that he has "trouble with girls" in labs because they either cause romantic sparks or start crying when criticized ignited wide condemnation. And as a barrage of tweets shows, the responses of many female scientists are neither silent nor unfunny.

If you're catching up, British scientist Tim Hunt, 72, made the remarks at an international conference in South Korea, where he reportedly said, "You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you and when you criticize them, they cry."  

On Wednesday, Hunt apologized — to an extent — and resigned his honorary professorship at University College London.

"Twitter feeds were instantly populated with images of 'distractingly sexy' women scientists clad in full-coverage biohazard suits," Bubulya says, "sometimes treating lab equipment with extra affection — all in good fun, of course."

Women who work in science are using the hashtag both to set the record straight and to joke about Hunt's notion that they live under a constant threat of either tears or a broken heart.

One almost feels sorry for Hunt.

OK. not at all. :-)

Brunch at Langdon Hall

Our friend Val is visiting from BC. Much of her visit is spent with quality time with family but she asked us if we were interested in a visit to Langdon Hall - a fancy 'hotel' about an hour away. We decided to go for Sunday brunch - mainly because jacket and tie was optional for brunch.

The Main House, with its grand front hall and dining room, was built in 1898 as a summer home for Eugene Langdon Wilks, a grandson of the New York fur trader and real estate magnate John Jacob Astor. Nestled in gentle rolling land near the Grand River, the majestic main building was designed as a complement to properties the Wilks family owned in New York state and in France and is surrounded, today, by the high arbor of some 200 acres of magnificent and rare Carolina forest.

The long approach to Langdon Hall works like a balm, an entry not just into gated hotel grounds but to a whole other rhythm and approach to life. There is no hurrying here, where the promise is not just of rest but of that very special elevation of the spirit that truly elegant architecture, gardens, rooms and their finery provide.

Erected in the Gilded Age, Langdon Hall did not always know such high times and had fallen into negligence (a retirement residence and even a condominium development were being planned in its place), before the architect William Bennett and his wife, Mary Beaton, purchased it in 1987 wanting not just to return it to its former grandeur but to build, here, their dream of a first-class country house hotel.

This they have done — magnificently. Langdon Hall is one of just 15 Relais & Chateaux in Canada, the only one in Ontario, and the work of its master chef has garnered it a cornucopia of awards including the distinction of being added to San Pellegrino’s list of the world’s 50 best restaurants. The main house has been painstakingly, faithfully and lovingly restored, its 13 rooms and suites individually decorated by Beaton who has made a feature of their indisputable charms — the original beams of a garret, a staircase of a studio in the gables, others with their own terraces. At the back of the Main House, its high windows in daytime filling the room with light, the airy dining room with its elegant paintings opens out onto a terrace with several tables in the shade of a Camperdown Elm tree, a pretty pond high with reeds and, at the foot of the near woods, the Stables converted as maisonettes.

Of course, we were going for the food!

The menu is seasonal featuring fresh, local ingredients as much as possible. Sunday brunch is a prix fix with three courses for $ 55. In additional the dinging hall (although I'm not sure I'd use that phrase as it brings back memories of university residence and this is NO residence) has an amazing wine list and intriguing cocktails to over.

Paul has a rhubarb sparkler:

I ordered the scotch egg for my first course. It was served with pickled mustard seed, crisp apple, radish, and edible flower blossoms.

For my main course I decided on the slow roasted pork belly. It was served with fondant potatoes, carrots, peas, and a sherry jus.

Dessert was hard to order - I wanted it all. The dishes were 'flavours'. I ordered Key Lime - Key Lime Curd, Poppy Seed Cheesecake, Graham Ganache.

It was nothing like I was expecting - however, like everything we enjoyed at Langdon Hall- it was amazing. The individual pieces came together in a beautiful way.

My goodness, everything about our visit was wonderful - leaving us to wonder why it has taken us so long to visit.

Travel Tuesday - Our Last Day in Venice

A year ago we were enjoying our last day in Venice. This is how we spent the day:

 

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Strawberries

Angel food cake is a low-fat, airy dessert that is the perfect finish to a summer meal. If you're using the grill for dinner, grill the angel food cake after you finish your meal - but make sure the grilling rack is scraped clean first!

Because angel food cake is mostly sugar the hot grill caramelizes the sugars creating a crisp and delicious crust.

I always use a store-bought angel food cake which ensures very little time in the kitchen yet still results in a very impressive dessert.

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Strawberries

1.50 lb. strawberries
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1  store-bought angel food cake
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
mint leaves to garnish

In medium bowl, toss strawberries with balsamic vinegar and sugar. Let stand at room temperature until sugar dissolves, at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium. Cut angel food cake into 6 wedges.

Place cake on hot grill rack and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly toasted on both sides, turning over once. Spoon strawberries with their juice onto 6 dessert plates. Place grilled cake on plates with strawberries; serve with whipped cream if you like.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

In theory, pork tenderloin is the perfect cut for grilling. It’s dressy enough to be served at an elegant dinner party, yet casual enough for weeknight supper. It’s substantial enough to be treated like red meat, yet mild enough to stand in for chicken or fish. It’s economical, healthy, readily available. Even its small size is attractive—except when you try to cook it. From my experience, pork tenderloin is just a little too small to be treated like a roast and a little too big to be treated like a steak.

After much experimentation, I’ve concluded that grilling pork tenderloin in a covered gas grill solves the problem. A gas grill heated to high with the lid down can effectively cook a pork tenderloin directly (like a steak) and indirectly (like a roast) simultaneously.

The key with this method is to get this sear and cook the pork tenderloin as quickly as possible, before it has a change to dry out. To develop an impressive crust (and to keep the grill from losing heat), I use the "7-6-5" method for timing the pork.

The "7-6-5" method for grilling pork tenderloin refers to the amount of time each side gets, with the burners on high heat: seven minutes on the first side, six minutes on the second side, and then five minutes with the grill turned off and the lid closed. The method is so reliable that I can set a timer and go about my business. I don't even have to worry about a grill flare-up: pork tenderloins are lean enough so that there's no threat of dripping fat.

Paul selected this recipe and we were pleased with the results. This pork tenderloin is marinated in a Asian-style marinade that keeps the meat tender and adds a lot of flavor. Marinate overnight or for at least a four hours to get the maximum effect.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup white wine

4 green onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Mix soy sauce, wine, onions, garlic, pepper and ginger together. Place tenderloin in a flat baking dish and pour marinade over top. Let sit overnight. Preheat grill for medium high heat. Grill tenderloin over medium flame reserving marinade. Grill until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (see above for a great technique).

 

Let rest. Slice.

Photo Hunt - Touch

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'touch'.

I saw this sign while wandering the market in Bologna . . .

Grilled Lemon Herb Halibut

I've mentioned before that halibut is likely our favourite fish to toss on the grill. Unlike other fish it doesn't fall about easily and because of its flavour and texture takes well to marinade.

Paul found this recipe on the everyday health website - not sure if it was a message or not but I confess that our diets have been really, really bad lately!

Whatever. :-)

The recipe calls for the use of a grill pan - given that it is grilling season here in Canada we cooked the fish on the BBQ.

This was quick and easy to make, and tasted wonderful - a win in our books. Such a win that you'd never know it was good for you.

Grilled Lemon Herb Halibut

12 ounce(s) fish, halibut steaks, 2 steaks
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon oregano, fresh, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
fresh oregano and lemon wedges to garnish

Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. For marinade, in a shallow dish, combine lemon juice, snipped or crushed oregano or thyme, oil, garlic, and lemon-pepper seasoning. Add fish; turn to coat with marinade. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours, turning fish steaks occasionally.

Drain fish, reserving marinade. Place fish on the greased unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once and brushing once with reserved marinade halfway through broiling. Discard any remaining marinade. If desired, garnish with fresh oregano or thyme leaves. If desired, serve with lemon wedges.

Laughing Stock Wine Club

 

I was really excited to come home on Friday and discover that our first wine club shipment had arrived from Laughing Stock Vineyards in BC. This was the first winery we visited while we were in the Kelowna area last month and one of our favourites.

There was much about the winery that appealed to us:

The story behind the creation of the winery . . . previous to starting Laughing Stock, the owners led conservative, methodical, and calculated lives in the Financial Industry. In 2003, they did the unfathomable; they followed their hearts, and bullishly invested everything into the wine industry. An emotional decision that their pinstriped peers thought was … fiscally foolish, and financially unwise. The Laughing Stock name may have unwittingly been conceived at this time. Heaven knows they heard the term over-and-over again from their colleagues on Bay Street, and Wall Street.

Then there was the winemaking philosophy . . . the goal has been to continuously be the best in the business. To achieve that, Laughing Stock is a 100% hands-on operation. The owners and staff diligently tend to every stage of the winegrowing and winemaking processes. Cynthia focuses on estate vineyard operations and David is responsible for the making of wine.

The winemaking philosophy is focused on super premium, small production wines using techniques that showcase the very best from the fruit that they grow. In 2005, they built a leading-edge winemaking facility: a 4,600 sq. ft. steel building on a sloping site complete with an underground barrel cellar. The design leverages the hillside on which the winery is located and reaps the major benefits from a gravity flow system including limited intervention and handling of the wine in its development.

Of course, we also loved our wine tasting experience - small and personal . . .just like the winery.

And then there were the amazing wines!

There were a variety of wine club options - we selected the one that ensured 3 shipments a year - two bottles of their 9 wines. This first shipment was of their newly released white wines . . . which promptly went in the wine fridge!