Who Let the Lettuce Out?

Yes, the lettuce is not here. Not in my salad. Only tomatoes, cucumbers, onions
olive oil, lemon juice and salt. All cut into teeny weeny squares.
Now this is a salad!

Halva Heaven Dessert

This is a dessert that I witnessed a friend of the family create 5 minutes after dinner. Since I was already a witness, she had to give me the recipe.

Halva Heaven Dessert(only for people who love the taste of halva)

Ingredients:

Ice cream
pistachios(toasted)
halva(the kind that comes in chunks)
tahini
date syrup(honey would probably work too, date syrup is hard to find)

1. Scoop ice cream into clear bowl
2. Break up halva and sprinkle generous amounts onto ice cream.
3. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of tahini on the ice cream.
4. Drizzle date syrup on the ice cream.
5. Repeat with 2 more tablespoons of tahini and date syrup. Cover with pistachios.


Note:

She only gave me the list of ingredients and I wasn't able to guess amounts.
Most of the ingredients can be found in a Middle Eastern store such as Byblos Deli.

Rockfour Music Tour

I know that this is a food blog but once in a while I can sway away from the main topic if there is some correlation with food. Rockfour, is not the cheese but an uber talented band all the way from Tel-Aviv. Their songs are in English and they are touring the U.S in October. Unfortunately, they will not be coming to Seattle.
To hear their music and see where their touring, click here
Check them out and tell me what you think?

Empty your House Pasta

I was on the way home when the hunger hit. It was 3 oclock and I realized that all I ate was a protein bar. This wasn't intentional at all. I usually eat every few hours. After a day of running around like a crazy woman, the hunger devoured me and I could eat anything in sight. I imagined what I would eat all the way home.
We just got back from our trip and there is no food in the house. I am spoiled, I usually only use fresh herbs when I cook. I searched the fridge and there was not a sprig in sight. I rummaged through the pantry. I eyeballed some canned goods that I bought a year ago before I had learned to cook. This was going to be a mish mash dinner with everything I could find. I used cream corn instead of cream to add a thickness to the sauce.

Empty your House Pasta

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Pasta
3 cloves of garlic
1 gigantic onion
2 small cans of diced tomatoes
1 small can of creamed corn
oregano
Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Cook the pasta according to directions.
2. Saute the onions and garlic.
Add tomatoes, corn, tuna and oregano. Simmer for a few minutes.
3. When pasta is al dente, reserve some of the cooking liquid.
4. Add sauce and a bit of starchy cooking water to pasta.
5. Top with parmigiano Reggiano.

I have to say that this is not the most incredible pasta that I have ever had but it was just perfect for a day when I don't have time to cook but would like to enjoy
some nice healthy comfort food.
Note: The pasta in the picture is before I added the cheese

UPDATE: My fiance got home and tried the pasta, he loved it!

A Short Trip to Banff and Sorroundings

I just got back from a pre-wedding vacation in Banff. I needed to stock up on energy
for a crazy month. Yes, actually less than a month until the day that I say those meaningful words " I DO". Okay, I am not going to make anyone nauseous with details but I still have to choose the menu and taste all the choices, send out the invites, choose the music that I want the D.J's to play and turn in to bridezilla for at least a bit. I don't know if you can become bridezilla a month before the wedding. Maybe it will be an overnight transformation, like what happened to the guy from Teen Wolf.
Most of the food we ate was either fast food or stuff we bought at the supermarket.
I even changed my views on Safeway. In Seattle, Whole Foods is my favorite place to
grocery shop. There are so many choices, Q.F.C, Trader Joe's and Metropolitan Market. In the Banff area, the only one I could find was the Safeway. I have to admit that it isn't that bad at all.
My most memorable meal on the trip was dinner at The Red Deer Lounge. We stared through the window at erect pine trees, side by side like toy soldiers, forming a stunning green gate of perfection.

I grew up in Montreal so Canada brought back so many memories.....fat kid memories. I was one of those kids that ate junk all day. My eyes lit up at the mere sight of Smarties, Poutine and
Maple Leaf cookies. Thank Heavens, I grew out of that stage. Now that I think back,
I think I never realized that Cabbage Patch Dolls were actually associated with vegetables. If I only I would have known. I probably would have begged my mom for more Strawberry Shortcake dolls.
These days kids play with swollen lip hooker dolls called Brats. What ever happened to the innocent wrinkly California Raisins? Did they get Botox or go on a diet?

Question of The Day

My question got chosen as the Serious Eats question of the day:
Are there fruits and vegetables that you discovered this year?

Come on, we all need some motivation to try new things. Now here are a few new names to look out for.
Jep posted purple potatoes, Golden Kiwi and plucot.
Cool name lived up to her/his title using all the possible names for each food. Husk tomatoes AKA strawberry tomatoes AKA cape gooseberries among other names.
Pousse Pied AKA sea beans AKA glass wort.
Hillary from chew on that posted durian, batata, sapute, lychees and a horned melon.
"Erin loves to eat" posted that she finally overcame her fear of licorice resembling fennel and that she also discovered jicama.

Now that you are hungry, add your own!

Nigella Lawson In Seattle , Nov 13

Send a recipe to the Seattle PI and win a chance to meet her!
For more info....