Dangling Conversations

Colour commentary on the world we live in

Calgary

Posted 27 Aug, 2006 at 10:37 by brent in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Lisa & I are in Banff for our 5th Anniversary. It is incredibly beautiful. We enjoyed the hot springs last night and wandered around town.

The real reason I'm posting however is on our way to Banff we went through Calgary and had lunch at James Joyce's Irish Pub downtown. The food we had there was amazing. Lisa had strawberries and brie on small pieces of toast (mmm mmm good). I had a lamb burger with pistachio nuts, bacon, blue cheese, and really good home cut fries. It was fantastic. Service was really good and the ambience was phenomenal. It's in a historic building and there was even a tour outside talking about the origins of the building. Anyway, could write more, but it is our anniversary :)

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Green eggs and ham...

Posted 13 Jan, 2006 at 08:18 by blue in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

... is a step closer to reality today. Researchers in Tawain have produced transgenic flourescent green pigs.

So... anyone up for some martian ham?

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Roast Veal with Potatoes

Posted 16 Nov, 2005 at 20:24 by matt in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Nota bene: I am fully aware that there are those who feel that the eating of veal is a sin and a shame. That may be; however, it is a very tasty sin and shame, and one that I have no intention of ceasing to commit. It is unlikely that your impassioned words will convince me to do so, in case you were planning on leaving a comment to the effect of U R TEH B4D.

With that out of the way...

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Serano Nanito

Posted 31 Oct, 2005 at 10:18 by blue in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Serano Nanito (Papua New Guinea human dumplings)

These native dumplings filled with human flesh, sago and yam are prized for their taste as well as their ability to make you fierce and brave in tribal combat.

1 pound Human Flesh cut into strips
4 medium size yams
½ pound sago (or 1 medium size parsnip)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground

Preparation Instructions

Cook the yams in a large pot until tender (approximately 45 minutes at high heat). Let the yams cool and then peel and mash thoroughly.

Sprinkle flour out on a flat surface and lay out pre-prepared dough and let rise.

While the dough is rising, prepare filling.

Heat in a large skillet over medium heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add and cook for 5 minutes 1 pound human flesh, chopped in small pieces, salt and pepper to taste. Mix human flesh and mashed yams together.

Lightly oil 2 baking sheets. Lay flour on a flat surface and place the dough on the surface. The dough should be between 1/8 (French style) and ¼ inch (PNG style) in thickness. Cut dough into rectangular sections approximately 4 inches long and 3 inches in width. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle. Moisten one side of dumpling, fold over in half, and pinch together. Place the dumplings on the baking sheets, cover, and let rise until puffy (15-20 minutes).

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Grease baking tray with vegetable (or olive) oil.

Spray dumplings with vegetable (or olive) oil.

Bake until nearly golden, about 20 minutes.

** Disclaimer: Human flesh, almost certainly being illegal to consume where you live, means you may want to try this recipie using Hufu instead ;) Hufu (and the source of this recipie) can be found at the manufacturer's website.

They also hope to have Lecter's Livers available for the market soon as well... best eaten with fava beans... mmmm.

(Happy Hallowe'en all!)

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Quiche

Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 07:56 by wendy in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

As a result of a long series of mishaps, mostly involving a grocery store and their lack of pizza crusts, I wound up making quiche the other day, entirely at random, which turned out really well, so I thought I'd share.

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So you want to be a Hooters girl?

Posted 21 Sep, 2005 at 07:20 by blue in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Thanks to an exhibit in a federal lawsuit, the Hooter's employee manual is now online at The Smoking Gun.

Amusingly, the article contains links to work standards for Vitoria's Secret, a NYC stip club and a phone sex outlet (just for comparrison purposes).

Explain to me again why anyone would would want this job?

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KCE Diversion: Korean Barbecue

Posted 22 Aug, 2005 at 21:19 by kael in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

So, My youngest brother was in town, and after a ho-hum day at The Ex, we decided to try Korean barbecue, mainly because there are about a 10E12 Korean restaurants near my place, that seem to be split between being called "Korean Restaurant" and "Korean Barbecue" (well, maybe not, but I can't read the Korean parts of the signs), and because none of us has ever had any before, but we've all heard good things about it.

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Try a McDiet?

Posted 19 Aug, 2005 at 06:40 by blue in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Spurred on by a backlash against 'Super Size Me', some people are proving you can lose weight at McDonalds.

While I don't make excuses for 2000 calorie burgers... I do very much like the point these people are making. It is not McDonald's fault someone is fat. People make their own choices, and even in a McDonald's, can still make choices on the menu which are not unhealthy.

Basically... take responsibility for yourself. What a concept eh?

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Kael's Cullinary Escapades: For Those Who Dig Swine...

Posted 16 Aug, 2005 at 23:51 by kael in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Pork Loin is probably one of the best cuts of all, arguably surpassed only by the pork tenderloin.

I don't really dig on swine all that much myself, but decided I'd try something I wouldn't normally make while I was up at the cottage this year. So, after browsing my Barbecue Bible, I found this really great recipe for a roast pork loin.

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Hummus

Posted 01 Aug, 2005 at 16:44 by kael in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

(This one's for Patti)

At (Wendy and SWR)'s wedding, the caterers brought out some hummus.

I tried to make one yesterday, and I think the consistency was a little off (probably too dry, and a little too much tahini) but it's a good jumping off point.

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Free Wendy's Frosty

Posted 11 May, 2005 at 07:39 by blue in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Not sure if all locations are offering this, but if you're like me and remember the joy of haing a frosty from when you were a kid... this weekend you can get one free:

http://www.wendys.com/w-1-0.shtml

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Dr. Matt's bread pudding

Posted 04 May, 2005 at 17:23 by matt in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Every now and then at work we have "events" (retirements, end-of-terms, etc.) that require people to make food and bring it in to share. When I'm not trying to be explicitly Canadian in my choices (i.e. tourtiere, Nanaimo bars) this is my default option.

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Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Caramel Brownie

Posted 18 Apr, 2005 at 14:31 by wendy in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Why did I wait so long before trying this? It's wonderful. I never knew you could find happiness in the freezer section at the grocery store...and to think I was feeling grumbly that they didn't have Ben & Jerry's...

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Comfort food

Posted 29 Mar, 2005 at 13:46 by wendy in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

So after the fondue experiment I found myself with some leftover Gruyere in my fridge, which reminded me of the first meal I learned how to cook. It's just a variation on a regular cheese omelet, but very yummy.

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Mmmmm....Fondue

Posted 23 Mar, 2005 at 11:09 by wendy in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

So after several years of wanting to try making my own fondue, but being somewhat apprehensive because I wasn't exactly sure what to put in it (my friend in Switzerland seems to just go to her local cheese shop and ask for a 'Fondue mix' and they give her a big bag of grated cheese), I finally did some looking around on the internet and found a recipe which seemed to have the right list of ingredients and instructions that sounded like what I remember seeing people do. Of course I modified it somewhat...I'm incapable of just following a recipe:

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I'm a sucker for heritage sometimes

Posted 27 Jan, 2005 at 12:46 by matt in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

For the first time since I moved to town, I set foot in the "Beverages" store nearest campus. (Usually I go to the one that's nearest my apartment, you see, but I didn't want to go too far afield today.) My purpose was to find a certain Chilean Merlot that I want to give someone.

I didn't find it, but that doesn't mean I left empty-handed. There was a small display of Friuli white wines there; I've mentioned before that I'm Friulano on my mother's side, and I tend to look with a welcoming eye on consumables that share my heritage. (Generally this will includes cheeses, certain cured meats, and polentas as well as wines. Not a bad list, really.)

So I picked up a bottle of (oddly greenish) Sauvignon and another of Pinot Grigio, both controlled-appellation Friuli wines. I'll let you know how they are.

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This Ain't Horseshoes or Hand Grenades

Posted 07 Dec, 2004 at 10:26 by kael in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Key lime pie from scratch works a lot better when you have all of the right ingredients. For instance, 2% evaporated milk is not the same as sweetened condensed whole milk. It means the "pie" filling just tastes sour, and in fact, is more of a goop than a pie.

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Not so sure I agree...

Posted 24 Nov, 2004 at 12:34 by wendy in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

that nutmeg is a stupid jerk but McSweeney's is very amusing.

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Posted 13 Nov, 2004 at 19:47 by kael in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

Well, there are some interesting duck recipes at foodtv.ca. (Unfortunately, their site has a really messed up search, but try "duck roast")

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Looking for recipe ideas

Posted 12 Nov, 2004 at 22:48 by matt in /FoodDrink | Permanent link

So Thanksgiving on this side of the border is only two weeks away, and I'm reprising my role as Vice-President in Charge of Poultry out West. Huzzah!

This year we've managed to obtain a duck. I don't know entirely what to do with a duck, but it should be fun, and I'm excited. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them. (I realise that of the other denizens of this site, one wouldn't touch the flesh of a duck if her life depended on it, and another is my partner in crime (i.e. fowl play); Kael? Anyone else?)

The main constraints: no butter, cream, or anything else dairy. No pork; I've seen recipes that involve laying strips of bacon atop the bird, but that's not an option. No tomatoes, of course.

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Who we are

Blue has been known to toss a disc around a field from time to time, and thinks that you should as well. He lives either on the Internet or in Toronto, depending on your perspective. Ask him no questions and there's a good chance he'll tell you no lies. [Site]

Brent hosts the box from which we dangle our conversations, for which we are all eternally grateful. Gratitude is most easily expressed in small bills. Formerly a pawn of the Evil Empire (or maybe a Knight), he has gone over the wall and now toils at a small computer game company in Alberta that no one except for ten million gamers has ever heard of. [Site]

Kael occasionally gets called "Mike"; mostly by people who don't know him. He cooks, he cleans, he maintains Unix servers... what else could you ask for? Currently a slave to the Man, by which we mean retail sales. He has secret plans, but we can't tell you about them. In fact, we've already said too much. [Site]

Lisa is a recreational therapist without a cause. She entertains dreams of ruling over an empire of scrapbooking. Has a well-deserved reputation for enthusiasm, common sense, and tiredness. Ask her about her teapots, but don't touch them.

Matt is just this guy, you know? A mathematician by training and a layabout by inclination; he currently has an Urban Commuter Campus in the American Midwest convinced that they should pay him for plying these trades. The designer and administrator of this site, which means in a sense this is all his fault. [Site | E-mail]

Sky is a salesman during the day. At night he doesn't bother: his words are like unto those of a god, and you can agree or you can be wrong. Lives in the World of Warcraft, with a sattelite office in Toronto. Known to play games on occasion.

Wendy has never run away to join the circus, but pursuing graduate work in medical imaging is perhaps just as good. She didn't choose her current abode on the basis of proximity to a Toronto Public Library branch, but we wouldn't put it past her. Married to one of the other authors here, but you'll have to read the archives to find out which one. [Site]

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