Best food of 2012

I've had wonderful food in 2012 at home and in restaurants.

At home we've had amazing pulled pork, smoked turkey, the best smoked salmon (thanks Dad) and countless asian dishes.

In restaurants....well of course there was The Ritz and Maison Boulud (we are still talking about that meal), new BBQ joints in parking lots and in Verdun (Blackstrap BBQ on Wellington)

But one of my best meals in 2012 was because of the food and because of the company!

This is baked tomato pasta.

 

It is a recipe from my grandma Granmimi.

 

All I know is that you have onions,garlic,tomatoes,cheese (ricotta I thik), long macaroni and bread crumbs.

 

I'm not too sure about the recipe but it is delicious.

This is filling, delicious depression cooking.

If you ask my Dad for the recipe; he will tell you this: You take an onion....all his recipes start like this....

 

some days he will call me just to give a recipe! 

Now long macaroni is very hard to find, so my Dad is on the hunt!

I found some Greek ones today; they are used for Pasticcio (Greek baked pasta).

 

Thank you for the love Dad!

 

Here's hoping to a lot of baked pasta on Fridays in 2013

More Anniversary Dinner

Just looking at the pictures from the appetizers makes my mouth water!

Now I go a question about the bread from Six Balloons, we had plain baguette thinly sliced and focaccia with herbes de provence.
That was the best focaccia we'd ever tasted ; it was light and fluffy and melted in our mouths.

As for the mains....

                                That is Duo of beef: Short rib and filet mignon with a zucchini timbale and a polenta
                                 stick. That dish made us giddy with joy! The filet mignon was so tender you could cut                  
                                it with your fork, the zucchini and corn timbale just melted in your mouth and that polenta, nice crust outside and silky inside with herbs.

                                   Next up olive oil poached black cod. The fish was so good and perfectly cooked
                                 It was served with a wonderful veggie mix and a salt cod croquette.
                           

                  I had read that the desserts were a must have.....so we managed to make room!

                                That dessert was called Coffee Rocky Road. It had everything; crunchy, hot,frozen,chocolate,foamy and even gold leaf!

                                Okay I agree this looks kind of drab but tasted soooo amazing.
                              The chocolate cake was one of those with the runny center but surprise it was caramel
                              inside and the ice cream (far right) was milk caramel and sea salt.

                                 Oh my!

                               This dinner will be hard to top! We took a walk to help digest everything....

                                This was a wonderful evening. The service was impeccable but not stuffy and nobody batted an eye when I whipped out the camera to take pictures.
                                We will go back for sure. Lunch maybe, I hear the fois gras burger is to die for!

                                 Thank you for 22 wonderful years, sweetie.Those years flew by and I'm looking forward to another 22 years of laughter,happiness,love and joy

                               Now where will we go next year? LOL

Anniversary Dinner

Last year we decided that the gift to each other was a supper at a real good, real hip restaurant.

It was a great success and we still talk about it.

This year when I read in the Montreal Gazette that Daniel Boulud ; famous french chef with 3 Michelin stars was opening a restaurant in the Ritz Carlton, we just had to try it!

I made a reservation in early June...for late September

I give them a thumbs up because nobody was snooty.

Everybody was glad we were there!

This was the amuse bouche: Arancinis

Little balls of risotto perfumed with dill

Delicious! and unexpected

                                We were in awe of the butter on the stone shingle and the bread OH MAN THAT
                                BREAD WAS GOOOOOODDDDD!
                                   It is made om the premises by the pastry chef.

                               This was burrata with greens, mushrooms and truffle oil. This was like tasting a cheesy cloud as burrata is fresher than fresh mozzarella, it is melty and heavely. The portion was too big but i ate it all!

Now the ever reasonable Dan ate this as an appetizer.....

                               Salmon Duo: Gravlax and a salmon paté---DELICIOUS!

Now I have to go, as I am in Maine, watching Triple D and getting ready for supper....

So come back soon faithful readers for the next installment of Anniversary Dinner !