Food Truck Love

I'm back, and in the process of revamping my blog! And, I have to admit, I have a love affair. It's the food trucks here in Calgary--I can't get enough of them! It's not just about the food, or the thrill of the hunt. It's about the people that run them. I have met some amazing people, who incidentally, make some damn amazing food.

We've got Jody from JoJo's BBQ--she is the Queen of BBQ, no lies. Who doesn't love crispy corn fritters, made from scratch, hot from the fryer? Or her BBQ-tine? An amazing combination of slow smoked and BBQ'd meat piled high on top of fries, with cheese and gravy. Especially good with a shot of her homemade BBQ sauce and her homemade pickled onions.

For the meat lover in all of us, we have Alley Burger. What started out as a late-night, find them in the alley behind Charcut if you're lucky kinda deal, has turned out to be a phenomenal business. The staff are amazing, especially Mike who runs the truck. The "Alley Burger" is to die for...not for the vegan hearted, that's for sure. And their poutine is just pure wholesome comfort food. Love it.

As far as comfort goes, nothing beats grilled cheese and tomato soup. But Nicole from Cheezy Bizness takes it to a whole new creative level, with not only cheese fillings, but pulled pork with pineapple, or "The Mess", which lives up to its name. Must be the fried egg inside... Her tomato soup should be consumed by the pot full, seriously. There is nothing like it, and it just takes you right in! Love it! Great people, great comfort food.

The food trucks keep popping up all through Calgary. There's an app for that, providing you with a detailed list of the trucks, as well as a map to foodie heaven! We've got authentic Mexican food from Compadres, Shawarma from YYC Shawarma, and so many more! Just google search "Calgary Food Trucks", and they will all pop up!

Will be back tomorrow with exciting news that involves the food trucks, so stay tuned! Cheers!

Food Food Food

Just a quick blog tonight, too tired, and full from getting my munch-on with antipasto and crackers... Still addicted to Vietnamese food, especially from Basil or Pho Thanh. Especially the grilled pork and spring rolls with Vermicelli noodles, and Andy loves the spicy sate beef soup from Basil.

We're still planning some big changes for this blog, and a huge challenge on our part! It will be a fun, food filled adventure!

Planning on doing something with pork chops in the slow cooker tomorrow. Found an amazing site from a cookbook author, all about her adventures with the slow cooker--she is an excellent cook and writer, and the food looks so incredibly good! Can't wait to try all of her recipes. Make sure you check it out, at A Year of Slow Cooking, by Stephanie O'Dea. Yum-o!

Getting the munchies again, so it's off to bed!

Fabulous Food Finds-V.2

Here is the 2nd volume of my fabulous food finds. Yes, I am supposed to be on "a path to healthy living" aka "diet", but my stomach has been wandering...

• Black Forest Cake from Safeway. I know, it sounds silly. But wait until you try it. Two scrumptious thick layers of dark chocolate cake, with a layer of whipped cream and cherries in the center. To top it off, more whipped cream covers the outside, and then, yes there's more, a layer of dark chocolate curls. For a store bought cake, it takes the cake. Pardon the pun... Just go get a cake. Slice it. Eat it. Enough said.
• London Fog Tea Latte, from Starbucks. This is Andy's favorite, and thanks to a very chatty employee from there, we now know how to make them at home. Thank you "Jane Doe", you have now decreased Starbucks sales, and may prevent them from opening a location right across the street from you. Good on ya! Go get one, try it, and call me. I'll give ya the secrets. So good. And simple. Did I mention good?
• Potatoes and glass noodles at Koryo Korean BBQ. They have these places in alot of food courts. The potatoes are fried, then sauced in some form of sweet creamy garlic dressing. The glass noodles look scary at first, but set your fears aside. Seriously. They are amazing. Enough said. Oh, and a tip? The jumbo combo? The name says it all. They give you 3 meats, 2 scoops of rice, and 4 side dishes. Yes, we order it every time. Yes, I ask "why did we order the jumbo" every time. No, I will not change my order the next time. Go enjoy, the staff is wicked, and the food is seriously amazing.
  

• Any of the dim sum items at Fortune Foods. It's on Centre St., in a strip mall, close to the registry and a gas station. Find a phone book, google it, map it and love it. The owner is a family friend, and may seem rude as she is short with people, but she gets busy. Really busy. They roll ALOT of food out of there. Try the BBQ pork rice rolls, she'll try to sell you on them anyway. Her spring rolls are the best, not too greasy. You can dine in, if you can find a table--there are only 7. Or just get take out from the hot trays, or check her menu. She also has loads of frozen stuff--her wontons and dumplings are delish!

So there you have it kids, fabulous foods are everywhere. And the hunt shall continue...

Sunday Night Supper-V.2-Part 1

So, decided it was time for some Thai food, and to bring some spice to our Sunday supper. So I created a Thai menu of Thai Peanut Chicken (slow cooker)-may seem strange to mix salsa and peanut butter, but it's sooo good, Pad Thai noodles and a not-so-Thai dessert of Norwegian Riskrim (rice pudding)--that is in the next entry. So incredibly good, and not overly spicy. "Thai" it, you'll like it! Yep, it's corny...

Thai Peanut Chicken
8 chicken thighs, skin removed
3/4 cup hot salsa (you can use mild or medium)
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce or fish sauce
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (can use dried)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Place chicken in 3 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except peanuts and cilantro; pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 9 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from cooker, using slotted spoon; place on platter.

Remove fat from sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

Makes 4 servings.


Pad Thai Noodles (from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry)
3 Tbsp. each lime juice and Asian fish sauce (be sure to use the fish sauce--it makes it so good)
4 Tbsp. sweet chili garlic sauce
1 Tbsp. each grated ginger and soy sauce
1 tsp. seasame oil
8 oz. rice stick noodles (superstore has good Thai ones)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup very thinly sliced onions (white or red)
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, chili sauce, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.

Place rice noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over top. Let soak 7 minutes. Drain.

While noodles are soaking, heat oil in a large non-stick wok or pan. Add onions and garlic. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper and cook 2 more minutes, stirring often. Add reserved sauce, noodles, bean sprouts, green onions and cilantro. Toss and cook until mixture is hot, about 1 minute. Add peanuts and toss again. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings. Note: You can add shrimp and/or tofu.

Hamburger Minestrone Stoup

Made a fantastic dinner the other night of Hamburger Minestrone Stoup. The term "stoup", basically means a stew-like soup. Rachael Ray makes alot of them on her show--not sure if she actually coined the term though. My grandma used to make it for me, and I love it! It's good too with chopped up zucchini in it!

1 lb. ground beef (I prefer lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups water
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup uncooked broken spaghetti or elbow macaroni
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained--very important
grated parmesan cheese

Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic in dutch oven, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients, except cheese.

Heat to boiling, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Serve with cheese on top. Makes 6 servings.

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This recipe can be doubled, and freezes well. Hope you all enjoy--comfort food is definitely a necessity when the weather is this chilly out!!

Tuna Pizza---sooo good!

We made Tuna Pizza for dinner tonight. I made the pizza crust dough in my breadmaker, which is a real timesaver. You can use pre-made shells too!

Tuna Pizza
Heat in a frying pan:
2 Tbsp. oil
Add:
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onions
Add to taste:
oregano and basil
Combine:
1-7oz. can flaked tuna, drained
1 can tomato soup
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. salt
Add mushroom mixture and combine. Spread mixture on pizza shells.

Sprinkle with grated cheddar or mozzarella, and top with pineapple, if desired.

Bake at 425F for 12-15 minutes. If baking on an uncooked shell (homemade), bake for 20-22 minutes.

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This recipe always turns out really well, and disappears quickly. And it tastes fantastic! Enjoy!

Five Layer Bars

I made 2 more pans of Five Layer Bars today--they are highly addictive! And super easy. The recipe that I use is from the adorable Paula Deen. Here it is:

Five Layer Bars
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom of greased 9"x13" baking dish. Sprinkle pecans, chips and coconut on top. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the mixture and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars.
Makes 36 bars.

These bars are highly addictive and won't last long! Hope y'all enjoy them!

The First Of Many...

Have decided to start a new blog, dedicated to amazing food experiences, finds and recipes. Good food and good recipes are a passion of mine, which I explore more and more. So please enjoy this new adventure. Get into your kitchen, explore your local markets, and consider a cookbook to be a classic novel. Whether an entry is about the simplest of foods or the exotic and strange, I hope you all enjoy. Feel free to leave comments!

Best Dishes to all!