Seen Around

I was planning to post about something else, but I am having issues with the pic download as usual....

Just a street over there is a little Portuguese grocery that has been at the same location since the 60's.

I started shopping there in the 80's when I had a shitty apartment just across the street from where i currently live.

The grocery store is a staple of Portuguese culture and food. people come from all over for their specialty meats, cheese and groceries.

 The ground beef, and bifanas (pork steaks) are really good.

They make the most fabulous smoked bacon.

 last night 2 of the butchers were fixing chorizo, the most wonderful

sausage! It is smoked and dried and stored in the cabinet

in the picture below.

you can order a mild or spicy chorizo.

it can be served grilled or sliced and served with 

Caldo Verde the traditional Portuguese kale and potato soup.

I really love this store and so did my Dad.

He didn't want to move from his neighborhood because of this place and other

spots.

I am really happy that I enjoy posting again!

I hope it lasts!

Have a great night!

Thrifted!

I found this asian treasure at Renaissance last week...

A french carafe with tiny glasses, 6 of them!

 

 

Look at that cool/tacky design!

Because we all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder! 

 

This will go in the store...

 

Second of all, I'm sure you remember the flea market I visited last week?

 

Cool Flea Market

 

Yes I'm about to uncover the location, I'm sorry I didn't before, this was really greedy on my part.

 

The super cool flea market is the St-Michel Flea market, corner of St-Michel and Cremazy.

 

Please leave the ice cream cone, please, please pretty please...

 

Speaking of the ice cream cone from the flea market...Dan is worried I'll bring it home, Dad is sure I'll bring it home and if the price is right I WILL BRING IT HOME YES I WILL!

 

 

 

 

this is the cassoulet, our supper tonight, just before a trip in the oven.

 

Well the verdict is in and it was delicious! Hearty, stick to your ribs delicious!

 

Dan keeps going on about the sausages and the beans!

 

Have a nice night.

Home

We wanted to go on a mini roadtrip, but let's face it folks we had to TCB on the homefront!

I'm ashamed to tell you that the tree wasn't down....yet

So now I can proudly tell you that all the ornements are put away and that the tree itself will be put in its box tomorrow and on its way to the basement.

Of course when you put away Xmas stuff; you cannot help but reminisce...

  

I got this cutie patootie from a flea in Massena NY in December.It is made in Japan

It set me back $1.

 

Now this is my yearly ornements in Pyrex pic.

 

 

 

I had a lot more but they were unbreakables and they got packed earlier

 

Most of the glass ornements are heirlooms from my parents and some are even from my grandparents, and even my great-grandparents.

 

  We had snow so Dan shovelled evrything, I shoved a blade roast in the new crockpot with spices, onion,garlic and red wine , changed the beds, tidied the kitchen and started the beans for the cassoulet.

The Montreal Gazette published  an easier and simpler cassoulet recipe so Dan  wanted me to try it.

 

I was really surprised because last time we had it we had a really hard time digesting it even if it was made by a famous Montreal chef; I swear I burped it for 2 days.

Dan keeps making faces everytime someone mentions cassoulet!

 

in case you're wondering...Cassoulet is an old french dish with beans, duck, sausages and pork.

 

It is of course a cold weather dish....

 

I can't wait to taste it! 

 

I hope mine goes down easier...lol

 

 

Here it is!

So Sunday was the big ' let's put the meat in the casing' day. I didn't take pictures because this is a family blog after all and it is kind of messy and I didn't want to muck up my camera!

And it was soooooo long, much longer than I remembered! Next time I will use the Kitchenaid with the attachement instead of doing it 'old school'.

We made around forty big sausages that we know what's in them. As Sunday supper they we delicious! I froze the rest.

Now going to the Salvation Army 2 business days in a row is not a good idea. I had bought all the good stuff on Friday....But I was in Montreal yesterday with time to spare, so why not!

There wasn't anything as suspected...But I saw this little guy that has yet to be adopted.

The sad Sunkist juicer. Now don't get me wrong, I want one, but this one has been glued with that 70's glue that turned a yellowish brown. I'm sure you know the one, I sure do it was my mom's favorite....It is 99 cents so if you're in the neighbohrood (Notre Dame street), it definitely needs some love!

I was really tired and laidback after the chiropractor treatment, so nothing struck my fancy. I got some books, but got impatient at the cash and left them there.

I didn't know it but I just lost my camera. A very nice and honest girl came running after me to give it back. I couldn't thank her enough!!!

I finished season one of Nip/Tuck. Those are messed up people! My life is so uncomplicated compared to theirs....But really! LOL

Have a nice day! :)

Italian Sausage!

My oh my! I have been fascinated by the notion of making sausages for a very,very long time...

In my work place I would meet italians who actually made their own sausages and it always was a big production I.E : making them on a full moon, making them in the winter...you get the picture I'm sure...

A couple of years ago I saw this italian guy making sausages on tv and even if it looked like a lot of work, it looked fairly easy as well.

So that was it for me, I started making my own! First with a hand cranked meat grinder (OUCH!) then with the grinder attachement on my Kitchenaid. I make some maybe once a year when I can find a sale on pork butt.

Pork butt is pretty hard to find around here. I guess Quebecers don't cook with it....I myself bought 3... A smaller one to make pulled pork in the crock pot and 2 to cut in pieces and grind up!


Second pic: Here is the whole set up. Kitchenaid with the meat grinder attachement, the cubes of pork in a xmas Gladware (lol) and the ground meat in the big Delphite (Pyrex) bowl.

The time before, it didn't go so well with the Kitchenaid, the attachement kept coming out and I broke a big screw that held everything in place ((*&?%$/!"() !

With the help of a very very friendly sales rep at ARES (kitchen nirvana) on the 40 west near Pointe-Claire, I got a new screw and everything is A-ok! Grinding the meat was soooo easy, it melt like butter. It was AWESOME!

I was in the sausage zone big time, like I did this full time, not freaking out,not breaking a sweat!



So last pic the meat is all ground up (all 9 pounds of it) I added the spices, salt,fennel seeds,white wine and some paprika for color. And back to the fridge it went. I need now to go to the butcher shop and buy some casing....

To be continued.....Have a nice day!

I found a funny blog...http://onegalstrash.blogspot.com/

One Gal's Trash

O'Greatness....

Today I made the Seitan recipe O' Greatness.

Very easy to do! First pic the dry ingredients,second the wet ones.

Third you mix everything and mold it into a log and roll it in foil (fourth pic).

You then proceed to shove it into the oven.

After 90 min it was done- it had to cool before I tasted it. But I couldn't wait! It's tasty, but if you're a meat eater it's different allright....but it is growing on me!

Of course I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!!!

Now I'll be looking for some recipes to use it in. I remember tasting a seitan 'meat' pie and I feel it could be spot on in a stew....I am glad I tried this recipe, it was WAY cool.

I still have to try to make vegan italian sausages and maybe vegan lunch meat! I'll keep you posted!