The Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop hits it, right...there!

Do I have your attention? Good! Normally, when I write about food it's "delicious" or "amazing" or "incredible". This indulgent experience, however, was downright out-of-this-world! Now, as many women will attest, chocolate is one of the greatest (food) things on earth. It's the culinary equivalent of heroin; mouthwatering, lip-biting, shiver-inducing goodness that revs you up and stops time all at once. For me it induces the 'gotta have it' urgency followed by that of 'damn, that was good' contentment.

Unfortunately, for North Americans unlike the French, Belgians and Italians, to name a few, chocolate carries a certain amount of stigma; it's a guilty pleasure, conjuring up an 'I'm so bad' feeling. Well, since this is the case, I guess I'm one bad girl.

I recently attended an event where one of the exhibitors was the Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop. When faced with the aforementioned gastronomic drug, I often go all out - this occasion was no exception. I purchased two sweet treats; a milk chocolate peanut butter patty and a dark chocolate s'more. Sidebar, is it a coincidence that a s'more has more in its name? Very strategic, don't you think? Personally, I think the Sweet Spot's name is fairly strategic as well...............

Moving on. The s'more had a thick shell that responded with resistance to my teeth. I love the sound it made; a deep thud as I bit through the chocolate, a whoosh of marshmallow, and a dull crunch as I made it to the graham cracker layer. Though I had my first bite with the intention of saving half for later, the idea was quickly abandoned as I poured myself a tall glass of ice-cold milk. The dark chocolate was intense, with a thickness that coated my tongue and the top of my mouth. Then, it all becomes a blur...

A couple of days later, I succumbed to the call of the peanut butter patty which had taken up residence in my refrigerator. Outta sight, outta mind, right? Not particularly in this case. I love peanut butter. When I raised it to my lips and inhaled, my heart started beating faster as I smelled the sweet aroma of this timeless marriage of flavor. The creamy entanglement of silky-smooth PB and achingly sweet milk chocolate was brief as it quickly disappeared from my hand and slid, slowly down my throat, arousing a sigh on the way down.

Now, I'm pretty particular about my chocolate- Cadbury and Nestle simply won't do. What some women spend on shoes, I'm willing to dole out for a mere few moments of pleasure. There's nothing quite like a good chocolate fix- unless it's a beef tenderloin served rare...but that's another post in itself!

Yuppie Supper Club #5

Last weekend, some friends of mine were in town from NL. I'd told them about our Yuppie Supper Club, and wanted to organize one so that they could participate. Since it was a gorgeous sunny day, I figured that a BBQ was in order. I told everyone to bring their booze and goodies for the grill, and I'd provide the sides...or as my friend referred to them, the "accessories".

One of the things that I love about supper club is that we always have some sort of snack to munch on while the gals prepare dinner. I was flying solo this time, however, as my pal Mel had to work- although that didn't stop her from sending over a homemade apple pie!

Here is my "menu", which came together in no time flat...

Tzatziki: Grate a large cucumber onto a tea towel. Wring out all the moisture- the drier you can get the cucumber, the better. Toss in a cup of good quality, thick Greek yogurt, a clove of minced garlic, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste with S&P. For dipping, I cut whole wheat pita into triangles, left half soft, and toasted the other half at 350 for 15 minutes, turning halfway.

Spicy Shrimp: This is the simplest side ever! You can turn a regular BBQ into Surf 'n' Turf in no time with these babies. Simply defrost a shrimp ring, or bulk shrimp, and toss in a hot pan with olive oil, garlic, fresh ginger and hot chili flakes.

Yellow Wax Beans w/ Basil: Trim beans and steam. Toss with a good tbsp. of butter, S&P, and serve sprinkled with fresh basil. The aroma here is intense as the hot beans bring out the lovely scent of the basil.

Spicy Roasted Potatoes: Clean and prick baking potatoes and microwave on high heat for 12 minutes, turning at the halfway mark. Chop the potatoes into small chunks and toss with a mix of olive oil, S&P, smoked paprika and Cayenne pepper. Roast at 450 for about 15-20 minutes, or until crispy.

For dessert, I wanted to serve something easy and fun. Since my recent encounter with The Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop's s'more, I had them on the brain! To create this simple treat without the camping trip aesthetic, we removed the grill from my BBQ and toasted the marshmallows over the flame! 70% dark chocolate made these puppies a far cry from the campfire variety!

As mentioned, Mel's BF, and one of the founding members of YSC brought over the homemade apple pie that she had made the previous day. This girl is seriously adventurous in the kitchen, and created the pie from scratch with a whole wheat and almond flour crust, raisins and tons of spices.

So there it is- the next time you decide to host an impromptu dinner party, these are a couple quick and simple recipes that won't break the bank, but will leave your guests feeling full and satisfied!

Nova Scotia's 3rd Annual Seaport Beerfest!

Hey Brewnosers! Here's another local event to keep in mind...

The 3rd Annual Seaport Beerfest!

On August 8, the section of port between the Garrison Brewery and the new Nova Scotia College of Art & Design will be lined with tents and filled with beer!

The Beerfest festival has both an afternoon, 2-5pm and evening session, 7-10pm. Keith Andrews will entertain the crowd in the afternoon, while Old wagon Whiskey will get the party going in the evening. Tickets are $35/person Advance, $40/person at the Door, + HST, and are available at select NSLC stores, Garrison Brewery and Bishop's Cellar.

This year's Beerfest will showcase 65 breweries and ciders with 140+ brews from Canada and abroad. Participating Nova Scotian breweries include: Granite Brewery, Garrison Brewing, Propeller Brewery, Rudders Brewpub, Sea Level Brewery,Rockbottom Brewery, Tideview Cider, Stutz Cider and Keith's Family of Fine Beers.

There will also be tasty food samples to pair with your brew, including offerings from Scanway Catering, The Port Pub, and Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop!

Check out the Seaport Beerfest's website for more info!

World's Longest BBQ

Mark your calendars folks for August 1st....

Are you a BBQ King, or a Grill Goddess? If so, this is one event that's tailor-made for you: the World's Longest Barbecue. This is an invite I received from Canadian Food writer Anita Stewart. Anita is promoting this event in an effort to recognize and celebrate Canadian food producers for providing us with "healthy, delicious food."

Log on to Anita's Flavors of Canada website to register your party and share your menu! And, don't forget to invite your friends!

Magnolia's Grill

While my parents were in town for my graduation, we decided to go on a day trip to the 'usual suspects': Chester, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. I was pretty excited about this trip as I had had my eye on a couple food joints in the area for the last year or two, but could never find the time to visit. Since I took a long wknd from work, this was the perfect time to stop in.

After a quick stop at Julien's Bakery in Chester for a bowl of their mulligatawny; a curry broth-based soup with tons of chunky veg, we were en route to Lunenburg for lunch at Magnolia's Grill. This place has captivated me since the moment I spotted it. Well, from the moment I spotted it's press list in the window, really. Magnolia's Grill has been written up in Gourmet Magazine three times, Bride Magazine, and countless other publications. And now, I know why!

The restaurant itself is adorable; black and white checkered floors with a stand-out wooden multicoloured table in the center, surrounded by cozy booths.

The main wall, housing the specials board is decorated with bits and pieces of international currency, while the others feature a scattering of photos and autographs of movie stars who've filmed in the vicinity. Gourmet likes it, celebs like it...I had to try this place for myself!

While both of my parents went for a familiar, yet tasty tomato-basil soup w/ sharp cheddar, I went a little off the beaten path with a bowl of Creole Peanut soup...aka liquid velvet. With a touch of spice and a smooth, mouth filling texture, the soup was an assault on my taste-buds. The peanut was certainly not subtle, but it was a far cry from the Kraft jar. I spent the entire time trying to distinguish the soup's many characteristics, when, all of a sudden, it was all gone!

For our main, momma and I decided to split the pan seared scallops. I asked the server how many scallops came in the dish and she said that it varied by weight. I couldn't help but think that she might have thrown one in for good measure when I told her that we would be sharing! The scallops were seared just so, with a nice layer of caramel goodness. On the side, was a Greek salad with fresh greens and a light savory dressing with a hint of oregano. There was also a side of Magnolia's red onion chutney- I love me a good chutney, and this one was right up there on the YUM list.

My poppa decided on the fish cakes which bode well for me as I was torn between the two dishes. These were some of the nicest fishcakes I've had in NS...and growing up in NL, I've had my share (Don't worry pops- yours are the best!). They were nice and savory with a crisp crust and paired with the same chutney as my scallops.

How adorable IS this place? They even collect salt & pepper shakers! These little guys were my fave...although I was eyeing a set of cheeseburgers as well. I'm so glad we took this trip so that I finally had the chance to try this place first hand. Magnolia's Grill is a tiny, unassuming resto with tons of character and fantastic food, paired w/ a little bit of kitch!

An ordinary day at the office...

Birthdays are a big deal in my office. So big, in fact, that on my first day of work, I had to fill out a form that included the usual; banking info, emergency contact and favorite cake for my birthday!

These are the times when the office slows down for a bit, we gather in the boardroom and fete the bday person with their cake of choice. I never thought I would groan at the thought of cake, but we just celebrated the third July birthday in two weeks...and another one later this afternoon! Needless to say, my sugar fix has certainly been addressed this month!

This one was really special though. My boss celebrated a certain hallmark birthday and a Martha Stewart-esque colleague of mine polled the rest of the staff weeks ago on cake decor options-my boss is a golf fanatic! These are the fruits of her labours; a marble cake with a buttercream fairway, graham cracker crumb sandtraps and peppermint evergreens.

Nice work JC!

Yuppie Supper Club # 4

For Supperclub at Mel's, I always like to add something fresh to the mix, generally in the form of an interesting or trendy salad. This combination of ingredients has been all over various restaurant menus lately, as well as in the pages of several culinary mags, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's SO simple!

Watermelon, Feta & Tomato Salad

First, I tossed arugula in a balsamic vinaigrette and made a bed of greens. Then, I distributed the watermelon, tomato and feta cheese equally among the plates, sprinkling the salads with a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper.

For the main course, Mel made her first attempt at lasagna and did an AMAZING job! So filled was this dish with ground beef and spinach, fresh and sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, noodles, mozzarella and Parmesan, one piece could easily have weighed 10 pounds! Well, not quite, but your get the idea!

Dessert was fairly simple -actually, I'm surprised that Mel had the time to make dessert at all. She marinated fresh fruit; strawberries, pineapple, grapes and mango in a bit of sugar, and topped them with whipped cream. It was a great, light dessert after such a heavy meal.

After dinner, we watched the fireworks from, quite possibly, the best location in the city; my friend's 6th floor, waterfront apt. at Bishop's Landing. Not a bad end to a wonderful evening of equally exploding flavors; a fresh, funky salad, luxurious lasagna and a medley of sweet fruity flavors to top it off!

A simple snack at The Chickenburger

Yesterday, I went to the Chickenburger in Bedford for the very first time. I know, I know- I've gotten a lot of flack for having lived in Hali four years and not yet trying this institution's food, but there's a lot of eating to do around here! The Chickenburger opened in 1940, and quickly became a favorite to both Bedford residents and the rest of HRM. My friend even told me that his parents used to go on dates here!

I was filled with anticipation as I saw the line of traffic and throng of people both eating and patiently awaiting their orders. As was nice and sunny, we decided to sit outside on the picnic tables. Having never been inside, I still had to take a peek. I instantly found myself transported back to the 1950's, feeling like a character in an Archie comic! The setting too, was reminiscent of something one would see featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives on the Food Network.

As I stood in line, I could smell the fries, and see the beef burgers being grilled on the flattop. I was tempted to stray, as I love me a good cheeseburger, but no- I had come here for THE famous chicken burger, and I would not be deterred!

I decided on a regular chicken burger with a small vanilla milkshake. Though I've never really understood the appeal of pairing a milkshake with fast food, I thought this would be a fairly traditional order. Since the thought of this flavor combo always took me back to grade school when they used to give you milk with your pizza, I've always been a 'soda-with-my-fast-food' kind of girl. This combo though, was delicious. Something about the thick and foamy shake paired with the soft bun and tender chicken had me converted!

I have to say, this may draw a cry of horror fro some readers, but the burger itself was nothing to write home about. Yes, it was yummy, but essentially- it's just chunks of chicken on a bun. It was interesting to eat a "burger" with virtually no condiments. although I think I did detect a hint of butter on the bun, which I had absolutely no problem with...

We also got an order of onion rings to add to our snack...

I'll definitely make another visit to this place, if not just for the atmosphere. It was so nice to get out of the office and sit outside, but also to go back in time when life, and food was a little bit simpler. I might also take this rooster's advice and get a root beer float with my burger!

Bashful at Bish

As I write this post, I still can't believe my experience at Bish World Cuisine this past Monday night. My dearest friend was in town for a couple of days on her way to Kingston, Ontario to start her residency. Knowing that we would be going for an all-out meal, I chose Bish as the resto because a) I hadn't been in a while, and b) it's Bish! The menu just screams celebration.

We got geared to go and trotted down to the waterfront at about 8 pm. The restaurant was just filling up as the sun was setting. As a golden glow descended on the dining room,and the chatter from our fellow diners filled the air, we were excited for Bish's 'World Cuisine' to knock our socks off- and it did. Unfortunately, so did our server. More on that later...

We started off with a couple cocktails. I choose a citrus martini as I new it would pair nicely with my crab cakes appy. The crab cakes were incredible; a beautiful pairing of succulent meat complimented by a creamy, zesty chili lime aioli that packed a serious punch. Meggie went with the tuna tartare; silky smooth chunks of tuna with cool cucumber spaghetti and a touch of richness from the buttery avocado. We also shared an order of Bish's onion rings. These were crispy with a slightly greasy batter- in a good way! Served with a black ketchup with a tang of Worcestershire and a white ketchup, a smooth aioli, these were gourmet pub food at it's finest!

Caesar & Blood Orange Martini

Onion Rings w/ black & white ketchup

Tuna Tartare w/ avocado & cucumber spaghetti

Dungeness Crab Cakes w/ lime chili aioli

For an entree, Meggie went with the Sea Bass, while I chose an option from the smaller plates-Lobster Risotto. I choose a small dish as my stomach was rapidly filling up; from every last lick of crab to each crispy piece of onion ring batter, all the way back to Bish's bread basket which featured aromatic cinnamon raisin bread and buttery cornbread.

Meggie's dish was a sight. Our jaws dropped when we saw the generous portion on fish; tender and meaty with a delightfully charred crust. It was paired with a generous combo of Asian veg and udon noodles- a nice alternative to rice or potato. My dish....sigh/daydream...was amazing. The risotto was cooked "just so", with a lovely bite and mouth-filling, buttery cheese. Delicate chunks of lobster were studded throughout-down to the last forkful- while the plate climaxed with a succulent lobster claw.

Lobster Risotto w/ Grana Padano frico

Miso marinated Sea Bass w/ Asian vegetable, sesame udon noodles & cucumber salad

For dessert, we shared the sabayon w/ strawberries. This was the ultimate "light" dessert. The foamy custard, adorned by a chiffonade of basil, had a sweet underlying character from the champagne. The combo of fresh strawberries and fragrant, lemony basil was intoxicating! It was served with langues-du-chat, small sugar-cookie like spoons which we used to scoop up the luscious berries and custard.

Champagne Marscapone sabayon w/ strawberries & langues-du-chat

Now, I'm not one to diss restaurants, and I certainly don't want to discourage you from going to this one. But someone recently told me that I should stop being so friendly and be an assertive diner. Well, I wasn't....We sat and fumed, and to be honest, if the food weren't so damn orgasmic, it would have ruined our meal. Our server was rude, almost verging on mean, and with an air of indifference as to our very existence. To make matters worse, he doted on the table next to us- a couple in their 60s- to no end. The one time he made eye contact with either one of us was when he was ringing through my Visa and pointed out the 'tip' option.

I guess this is encouragement to all those who have been dissatisfied after a meal to speak up, and stand up for your right as a diner- the right to walk out of a restaurant post meal and feel completely content and satisfied. Here's what I have to say about that night: The food at Bish was incredible- fresh, inventive, indulgent and exciting. Our cranky pants server was none of those things.

Yuppie Supper Club #3

For this installment of YSC, we upd the anti with a little lobstah! My friend Mel informed me that you can pick your lobster AND GET IT COOKED FOR YOU at the grocery store...bonus- no effort, and no smelly apt! The only work that was involved was breaking them apart, but that's the fun part after all, so no worries there.

To contrast the lobster's sweet, succulent meat I made a light salad with bright flavors; tart, ruby-red grapefruit, crunchy fennel and cool, creamy avocado. We piled the salad on a bed of mixed greens and dressed it with a simple mix of olive oil, some reserved grapefruit juice and S & P. Topped with some nutty Parmesan cheese, we had an incredible variety of tastes to hit every bit of the palate.

the "catch"

Mel is one ambitious cook in the kitchen! That girl prepared not only the Lava Cakes, but all the trimmings herself! She blended up some fresh strawberry coulis, and much to my delight, sat down post dinner and proceeded to whip the cream- BY HAND!

I've never had a lava cake before, but I'll definitely try to make them myself! They pretty much have the same texture as a chocolate cake that isn't entirely cooked in the centre. My fork went through the soft cake shell into a warm, fudgy center. Yummers.

Weakness for a grandmother's baked goods

A few weekends ago, I went to a friend's cottage just outside of Berwick. It was so nice to get out of the city and just relax for awhile! We drank some wine, had an awesome BBQ, took a stroll through her mother's garden and lounged around in the sun.

The real highlight for me though, was meeting her grandmother. This woman was sharp and sarcastic with a real twinkle in her eye. On the way back, we stopped in to say goodbye and ended up staying for tea and a slice of lemon meringue pie. I use the term 'slice' loosely because I asked for a sliver and ended up with a quarter....I ate it all anyway.


Sitting there at the kitchen table, it made me miss my own grandmother. I was little when my momma's mother passed away, but I did get to spend some time with poppa's. Not surprisingly, the most vivid memories that I have of her took place in the kitchen. Sometimes I'd help her bake and sometimes I'd just sit and watch. Though she did make fantastic bread and rolls- as often, grandmothers do- my favorite treats were her tarts.

In NL, one of the most popular berries that we have are partridgeberries; small, burgundy berries with a flavor one might consider a mix between a cranberry and blueberry. Whenever Nan came to visit from 'around the bay' aka, rural NL, she would bring ice cream containers full of partridgeberries and spend a day making tarts. She'd start by making the crust, putting the dough in pie plates, and then she'd make the lattice topping. When the pie plates were full, she'd use dinner plates...and, if there was any dough left, she'd make me a tiny tart on a tea saucer.

Whenever I see partridgeberry tarts in bakeries at home, I always think of those moments in the kitchen, and how lucky my friend is to still be able to make memories with her grandmother...

Hamachi Sushi

OK, OK- So I know I've had a few repetitions lately, but I can't help where my friends wanna eat, can I? Last week I had dins w/ a couple friends of mine at Hamachi Sushi. It was a fairly impromptu outing as one of my gals was in Hali for one night only! She wanted to go to Hamachi, and if that was her resto of choice for her only night here, who was I to disagree?

For this visit, I was determined to try something different, so instead of going all out with the rolls, I forced myself to go the unknown route and order some new goodies. I recently finished Ruth Reichl's (past NY Times Resto critic) Confessions of a Food Critic whereby one of her reviews described her pick for the best sushi restaurant in NY. After reading her stories about Red Bean ice cream a zillion times, I knew I had to save room for dessert.

I started w/ the Kaizo, a Japenese seaweed salad. This was surprisingly delicious. I had braced myself for a slimy, fishy dish and was unbelievable surprised with the depth of flavor. This salad was both fresh and sweet- not at all reminiscent of the sea.

Kaizo

Obviously, I caved and got a roll. I knew I'd have food envy if I didn't. I ordered the Regina roll; tempura shrimp, salmon, crab, caplin roe and cucumber.

Regina Roll

For dessert, we ordered the tempura fried bananas that gives you the option of three ice creams- we went with the red bean (thus satisfying my curiosity), black sesame and the green tea. Our server came back a few minutes later to tell us that they were all out of red bean ice cream. So, I took a deep breath, and went for the ginger instead.

It was a lovely dessert, even with the hiccup. The black sesame ice cream had a deep, rich flavor, the ginger had a touch of heat, and the green tea had an underlying fruity flavor to it- almost lychee-like. The bananas were soft and warm within their crispy batter, which, it seemed, had a touch of sweetness itself.

This was a great meal- I went for some new dishes, and was happy I did. Now I just have to get back to have some Red Bean ice cream...I wonder if that's their strategy?!?

Happy Canada Day!

Last week, I got to thinking about Canada Day...which inevitably led to thinking about food. Earlier this year, I listened to a series of shows on CBC radio regarding Canada's signature dish. There were lots of suggestions tossed around - in fact, the list was endless; poutine, ham and split pea soup, Beavertails, Canadian Bacon, toutons, tourtiere, Montreal bagels, deer and moose meat to name a few.

My personal view here, is that Canada's quintessential culinary product/ingredient/flavour is maple syrup; smooth, silky, sugary syrup. This Canada Day, I made sure to indulge in one of Taste of Nova Scotia's listed producer's offerings, Maple Fudge from Acadian Maple Products. This little piece of Canada is right up there with beer and BBQ on my celebration menu!

So what do YOU think is Canada's signature dish?

Happy 142nd Birthday Canada!