Gourmet Sunday

Last Sunday marked a turning point in Gourmet Sunday history. For the first time ever it was hosted by somebody other than Spark and me. Amy, Damien, and Emily did a fine job hosting an Italian-themed feast for 16. Yeah, SIXTEEN! Bananas. Tons of delicious food, including homemade bread, and even more wine was consumed. Thanks again dudes, you really stepped up to the plate and raised the bar.

Tonight was a unique Gourmet Sunday. Overall, it was quite understated, but agreed that it was also one of the best in terms of food. Not bad considering we didn't know what were doing until about 5pm (dinner was served at 7).

Hosts: Spark and Rob.
Guests: Amy and Katie.
Started: Hot and Sour Soup.
Main: Buddha's Delight (look it up).
Dessert: Butterpeacan and Brownie Sunday!
Wine: 2006 Inniskillin Chardonnay

As you know Spark has really become a soup guru. I haven't had a really good Hot and Sour Soup since Bo De Duyen closed... until tonight! The Buddha's Delight I whipped up also impressed guests. A vast array of vegetables and flavours, but not as greasy as some of the dishes you'd get at some Toronto's favourite Vegetarian/Chinese spots. Tons of leftovers, too. What made tonight stand out though was dessert. How fitting is it we had Sundays for dessert on Sunday? Answer: Fitting. Incredible.

What's longer than a bus and weighs more than a car?

A giant snake, of course! A University of Toronto scientist recently discovered a 60 million year old fossilized reptile. Found in an open-pit mine in Northern Colombia the Titanoboa was roughly 40 feet long and weighed as much as 1.25 tonnes.

Jonathan Bloch, one of the scientists who worked on the project, commented, “Truly enormous snakes really spark people's imagination, but reality has exceeded the fantasies of Hollywood. The snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie Anaconda is not as big as the one we found.”

I'm sure you've seen Anaconda, it is a classic afterall, but you haven't, the snake that kills J-Lo and Ice Cube is pretty big. So far 28 specimens have been found. Apart from being pretty rad, the finding also gives a us a look into the future, as the size of cold-blooded species is likely to grow as the global climate warms.

Gourmet Sunday

Holy shit! For one night only Thorburn Ave. has been renamed Brick Lane.

Hosts: Spark and Rob.
Guests: Joelle, The Rennick, and Tami.
Salad: Mixed Greens, Avocado and stuff, and Amazing Salad Dressing.
Soup: Spinach and Lentil.
Main: Brinjal Rice, Spicy Chickpea and Vegetable Casserole, and Sweet Vegetable Curry, with Naan Bread.
Wine: 2007 Red Knot Shiraz.
Desert: Banana Bread.

We've been talking about having an Indian night for a while. But we knew if we were going to do it, we had to do it right. Things were looking a little dodgy for a minute as my timing wasn't really thought out. Things were a little heated in the kitchen for a minute as Spark, Matt, and Tami were getting all up in my grill about poor planning. I taught them a valuable lesson, however, about cooking: To make things cook faster, just turn up the heat. BOOM!



*Some have commented the blog has been lacking shark content.

Gourmet Sunday

You know what kind of sucks? Spending your entire Sunday night cooking. In recent weeks we've made a concerted effort to cut back the prep time of our meals, without sacrificing quality. Spark was feeling creative yesterday, and thank goodness for that.

Hosts: Spark and Rob
Guests: Amy, Bettie, and Matias (welcome back lil' buddy!).
Salad: Organic Greens and Garden Veggies with a Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Main: Breaded Eggplant cutlets with Steamed Broccoli and Basmati Rice (the rice was more complicated than this, but I have no idea how to describe it).
Wine: 2008 Fuzion.

So maybe "breaded" isn't a completely accurate description for the Eggplant cutlets. They were roasted and then dipped into an egg/crumbled soda cracker concoction, then flash fried in oil. The inspiration was veal, I think. Having never tasted veal, I have no basis for comparison. This was good though. Real good.

Freedom Haters Voted #1 Chili*

Saturday was the Second Annual Left Feet Vegan Chili Cook Off. There were 18 chilis in total. But only one winner. Spark, Matt, and I reserved one night a week for the last four to perfect our recipe. There were a lot of arguments, a lot of messes, some full tummies, and even a few tears. All the hard work paid off, however. We may not have won the official contest (though we definitely should have), we did make an amazing chili. It was thick. It was roasted. It had Sweet Potato. It was hearty. And most importantly it was delicious. High five to everyone who cooked, came, tasted, and voted. $1600 was raised for the Out In The Cold organization. Well done to Steve at Left Feet and everyone else who help make the day a success.




* Voted #1 best chili amongst Freedom Hater Bicycle Club members.