Some Halloween Party Planning Essentials

Well, it's that time of year again; the time when little ghouls and goblins run amok and demand candy. How adorable...no seriously! I loved Halloween as a child, but I love it even more as a big kid...after a few glasses of Witche's Brew, who wouldn't?

Anyhow, last year, my bestie and I had a Halloween party and made loads of sinful snacks. Sadly, this year, she has moved away to Australia- and I'm letting someone else throw the party! However, I couldn't help but want to share my blog post from last year's event, both to get you in the festive spirit, and to give you snack ideas in case you're throwing a spooky party of your own!

These websites might also serve for some inspiration, simplifying your party planning and helping you to stay cool as a corpse! Haha- I'm hilarious.

• Canadian Living's 10 Halloween Cocktail Recipes
• Epicurious' Halloween Recipes, Candies & Treats

Here's wishing you all a
frightfully fun Halloween!

Psst: Don't forget to stop by Susie's Shortbreads on Dresden for some hauntingly yummy cupcakes!

Decadent bites at Doraku

Last Friday night, a friend of mine and I made plans to meet at Doraku on Dresden row for a feed of sushi. Now, I've tried a couple of sushi spots in the city, but I was happy to discover that none could compare to Doraku's fresh fare. I love sushi any time of day, but it's always my go-to food when I'm going out to eat late-night. I guess it's because I know that there's nothing but goodness going into my body that I'll eat until the platter is clean. Or in this case, until I out-eat my date!

We ordered a bunch of stuff. He had the Chicken Udon soup and cleared the bowl, and we shared an order of edamame and various rolls.

Although I was more than satisfied with my choices, I went a little on the safe side, and ordered rolls that I recognized. Had the item's ingredients been listed on the menu, I might have been a little more adventurous. However, we ordered some staples; Shrimp Tempura rolls, Spicy Tuna rolls with a delicious drizzle of spicy mayo, Alaskan roll with super-fresh, meaty salmon and the Philadelphia roll with smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber. The Philadelphia rolls were a nice addition to my sushi repertoire- I'll order these puppies in the future for sure!

You can't really mess up edamame, and so these were great as well, little salty bites of goodness that went nicely with our cold pints of Sapporo. a Japanese Beer.

I'm so happy to have strayed from my usual sushi spot, which, I have to admit that I frequent mostly because of it's proximity to my apt However, after having sushi as good as this stuff, it's as though my taste buds came alive again, tasting the sweet fish, the vibrant sauces and fresh vegetables for the first time. If your usual sushi place is getting a bit dull, I'd suggest heading to Doraku to give your mouth a little wake-up call!

The Old Triangle Does it Right

The Old Triangle "does what right?" you may ask? Sweet potato fries. I met up with a friend of mine for um...several drinks and got a craving for something to snack on. Crispy, crunchy, and served with a tasty curry mayonaise, this is the perfect pairing to fill your belly up when you're about to get into trouble with few men named Jack Daniels...and Jose Cuervo....and Alexander Keiths...

Bitter about The Bitter End

Last Friday, a friend and I went to The Bitter End on Argyle St. The night started out well enough- at my place we had guacamole and veggie chips and...several dirty martinis. When we finally made it out, we headed to The Bitter End for some for some late-night martinis and snacks.

When we arrived, it wasn't too busy, so we scored two spots at the bar and got to work on the menu. The verdict- two vodka martinis w/ lots of olives, and a side of jelly worms. However, I have to say that it certainly wasn't my favorite trip out. Now, I'm known to have a bit of attitude, and I certainly love a good laugh, but those boys at the bar...well, they went a little bit too far, to be honest. Dirty martinis certainly suited their dirty mouths.

Aaaannnyhow, on to the food. We put in our order for Calamari and Mussels, an order that I've had there before, and enjoyed. But this time? Not so much. Where the calamari used to be bite-sized, served with a yummy smokey tomato sauce, the new version was tasteless, and not a bit of crunch applied- it was an underwhelming batter with a Tzatsiki that matched.

Calamari w/ Tzatsiki

Mussels w/ white wine, garlic, tomatoes, lemon & green onion

The mussels were OK. They were large, and pretty meaty, but altogether? Nothing to write home about...

Nope, this night at The Bitter End fell flat- the only highlights were the awesome company and the jelly worms. It was a pretty big bummer, as I've eaten there before and loved it for Friday night drinks, snacks and people watching. I haven't entirely given up on this place however. The Greek Nachos still intrigue me, and I know they do a mean Saganaki, so I'll be back to munch on those puppies in the future.

Amazing Nanaimo Bar!

Last weekend, I met a friend of mine for coffee at the Wired Monk. Now, normally, I'm quite proud of my willpower, but on this occasion, I had no desire to curb my chocolate/sweet craving to go along with the Monk's great coffee. And so, I mosied up to the hilarious guy at the counter, told him that I had finally made a decision, and he handed me a lovely, sleek slab of chocolatey-goodness!

Ah, the amazing Nanaimo bar. Who invented these puppies anyway? Layers of coconut-flecked, brownie-like chocolate, luscious vanilla center and a satiny-smooth layer of pure chocolate ganache to top it off and I'm in heaven. Or at least having a "heavenly experience", if you know what I mean....

A Thanksgiving Day Feast

This past Sunday, I went over to my aunt's house in Dartmouth to take over her kitchen. After much coaxing and cajoling, I had finally gotten my way with dates and times to have Thanksgiving dinner, and in return, I had to make it all myself. This being a welcomed challenge, I got to work last week sifting through dozens of Epicurious.com recipes for inspiration.

Thanksgiving dinner is always one of may favorites as there are so many elements to the meal, giving me tons of ways to experiment! Last year's dinner was pretty fantastic, but I brought my A game to the table this year. Here is the result. If you're reading this at the office, try to contain yourself. If you're at home, feel free to lick the screen....

Maple-glazed Turkey w/ Black Pepper Bacon

Baked Stuffing w/ Granny Smith Apple, Apricot, Cranberry & Sage

Cranberry Sauce w/ Pearl Onion & Golden Raisin

Cream Cheese-whipped Potato w/ Garlic & Chives

Balsamic-Butter Glazed Sweet Potato & Carrot

Broccoli & Cauliflower w/ Ginger & Lemon
forgot to take a photo of these....

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake w/ Vanilla Cream

The meal itself was delicious, but better yet was the company. Although I get caught up in the culinary opportunities of such an occasion, I'm conscious still of the fact that I have wonderful family and friends to share it with. and for that, I'm thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

I made these puppies last week for a party that I was invited to. I really, really hate going to any kind of gathering at someone's home without something for the host, but I didn't think I'd have the time to make something. Of course, a btl of wine will always save the day.

Then fate stepped in, canceled a meeting, and I found myself with two free hours in which to make something luscious, something tempting and something all around delicious- Crispy Peanut Butter Balls.

Who doesn't like these things? You've got dark, crackly chocolate, mouth filling PB and a bit of crunch from some crispy rice cereal. And the recipe? Simps!

Crispy Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened

1 cup crispy rice cereal

8 squares semi-sweet chocolate, or a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

Beat sugar, pb and butter together. Stir in crumbs.

Shape mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm.

In a double boiler melt chocolate over hot water (or microwave on MED. for 2 to 3 minutes). Dip balls and place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet; chill. Store covered in refrigerator.

For a variation, try using crunchy PB. You can also switch up the cereal and try corn flakes or graham cracker crumbs.

Nudi

And the finished product? Little balls of melt-in-your mouth chocolate, with creamy PB and a nice crunch!

The Wooden Monkey

Last Friday we had a staff development day off-site. While we spent the morning in a gorgeous boardroom overlooking the harbour, we spent an even better lunchtime sampling the fare at The Wooden Monkey. This spot focuses on using fresh, organic ingredients- and it shows. Their menu screams local with brews from some of Halifax's breweries, wine from NS vineyards and meat, seafood and vegetables from the province's farmers.


I had the Sweet Apple Salad and added a side of plump, juicy scallops to add a little heft to the meal. Though I'm by no means vegan, this salad is one of the many vegan and vegetarian options available on the menu. Sweet apples combined with piquant daikon, tangy goat cheese and rich, meaty walnuts allowed for a wonderful contrast of sweet and spicy, creamy and crunchy.

Sweet Apple Salad

Organic greens, sliced apple, carrot, daikon, scallions,
goat cheese and walnuts, accompanied by a grain mustard maple dressing

A side order of scallops :)

For dessert, there were a variety of desserts around the table. I didn't have room for an ice cream sammy, but our server did bring me a couple of their ginger cookies to try. Sweet, spicy and soooo tender, they were the perfect small ending to my meal when paired with a hot cup of tea.

Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches
Locally crafted ice cream from Dee Dee’s in Peggy’s Cove,
between two housemade ginger cookies

A tofu cheesecake with Merlot- stewed berries served as a dessert for one on my colleagues. Though the sauce was spectacular, I have to say that I actually prefer my cheesecake with cheese! The texture was a little odd, but more importantly, it lacked the tangy bite that I've associated with cheesecake. It's a great option for a vegan diet, however, and I know several vegans who are quite fond of this sweet treat!

This was my first experience at The Wooden Monkey, but it certainly won't be my last. Looking around at the many different dishes at my table, I'm sure that I would be equally pleased with any of them. The burgers, pastas, sammies and nachos were all mouthwatering. Add to that the fact that the ingredients used were healthy not only for me, but for healthy for Nova Scotia's economy and I was sold. It's hard to resist a restaurant with an message as good as it's menu.

A Perfect Pairing: The Smiling Goat & Greens & Black

This won't be a big post for Friday- not some fantastic resto or recipe to excite you for the weekend. No, this is moreso a tip, let's say, for a marriage of two amazing products.

The Smiling Goat coffee shop on South Park St. has amazing coffee. I mean, amazing. I usually take a nice splash of skim in my java, but not at this place. No, at the Smiling Goat, I let the terroir of each brew speak for itself. Whether it be blueberry or cinnamon chocolate or cherry, this place's coffee has a personality all it's own.

And to pair with such a brew? Chocolate, good chocolate. No-great chocolate. Greens & Black's Organic 70% Dark Chocolate. Smooth as silk, and with a distinct character, this chocolate has the chops to stand up to the Goat's brews.