Author Archives: popcornsnaps

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Posted on December 23, 2012 by popcornsnaps| 2 Comments

I probably should have posted this earlier in the week, but tonight is the last night that you can order our one-year-aged (!) Christmas pudding at Lawrence. The pudding has a special place in my heart because it’s one of the first things I learned how to make when I first came to the restaurant. This iconic English pudding is creamy, dense, sticky and super flavorful — it’s packed with all kinds of dried fruit, citrus peel, beef suet, clarified butter, breadcrumbs, brandy, spices, and so much else. As a final flourish, we serve it with heavy cream, brandy butter, and then light the whole thing on fire. It’s so dramatic and old school!

To double up on the holiday spirit, we’re also serving whole roast goose with all the trimmings. It’s gorgeous. We’re fully in the spirit!

[Photo by Martin Chamberland. For the full recipe, visit La Presse for their article on our pudding!]

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Posted in celebration

HOLIDAY GIVING + GETTING

Posted on December 8, 2012 by popcornsnaps| Leave a comment

Everyone’s doing a gift guide, so why not join in? Here, lots of ideas for the awesome babe in your life….

+For cat lovers only.

+An educational skirt.

+I already own two of Debbie Carlos’ insane halftone-printed posters, but this one — of jellyfish! — is my new favorite.

+Silk blouses at Steven Alan. (Sale this weekend, too!)

+This French press makes me want to throw mine out.

+Chez Panisse Menus — inspiration to flip through.

+A rainbow of lockets. (I’d put in tiny photos of pizza.)

+Pretty sure we can all agree that having the complete DVD set of one of the best TV shows of all time would make a sweet present.

+Everyone is wearing vintage Coach right now! Why not join in?

+You need a calendar for the new year. Both of these are so beautiful.

+A thick stack of records from Phonopolis. A nice end of year list from 2012 to inspire your purchases, here. (Some of my favorite albums this year were hip-hop: I’d go with a themed collection including Kendrick Lamar, Death Grips, Killer Mike, and Frank Ocean.)

+Stocking stuffers to make you thirsty.

+Super beautiful and graphic tableware.

+Now THAT’S a dress! That color could inspire poetry. Oh Sonia, you never get it wrong.

+A practical tote for lugging your stuff to work.

+Less practical, but pure awesome, and so cuddly.

+Classic sneakers that everyone should own.

+A spendy item, but these are stunning shades.

+Advance tickets to see Heart play the Bell Centre in March. Because you think ahead.

+A set of David Tanis’ two remarkable cookbooks. We own both and they are indispensable.

+An Amtrak gift card, for spontaneous weekend trips.

+A copper pot for making perfect jam. (A girl can dream, right?)

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PAN CON TOMATE MORNINGS

Posted on December 6, 2012 by popcornsnaps| Leave a comment

Pan con tomate is my latest favorite breakfast (i.e., it has temporarily replaced avocado toast). It’s delicious and fast. I halve a big chunk of baguette (right now I love with the tender kamut specimens at Joe la Croûte) and drizzle it with lots of good olive oil, then lightly toast in the oven until golden. While it’s still hot, I rub the toasts with peeled and cut garlic cloves and then quickly grate a halved tomato on a box grater, until pink, thickly covered, and wet. I imagine that this would be a million times better in the summer, when tomatoes are plump and bursting with sweet flavor, but it’s still so, so good. Finish with lots of salt, pepper, and, in some mornings, a filet or two or anchovy. Yum! Perfect accompaniment with a poached egg, wilted greens, and some coffee. Does anyone else make this for breakfast?

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THANKSGIVING FEASTS: THE FINALE

Posted on December 5, 2012 by popcornsnaps| Leave a comment

Thanksgiving feast #3: perhaps the most spectacular of them all. So spectacular, in fact, that I completely neglected to take any photos of the delicious, abundant spread, which included pale pink mashed potatoes, roasted romanesco cauliflower, seared brussels sprouts, a faintly sweet, crunchy stuffing made with dried cherries, pecans, and cranberries, and massive magnums of wine provided by two of the most knowledgeable wine folks in the city, Theo and Etheylia. Naturally, you’d never expect anything less from a culinary duo as capable and passionate as Michelle and Anthony. I did remember to whip out my camera at the start of the awe-inspiring dessert course, when Michelle modestly unveiled a perfect pumpkin pie and a moist, boozy bourbon-drenched pound cake. Adam swooned, then asked for a thick slice to take home with him. They complied, of course — Thanksgiving is all about generosity, and these two are the very embodiment of perfect home entertaining.

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Posted in food, memory, party, people

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ROAST AND PUDS

Posted on November 26, 2012 by popcornsnaps| Leave a comment

Thanksgiving Meal #2. Sunday roast staff meal at Lawrence — standing rib roast, crispy brussels sprouts, stewed cabbage, and mini yorkshire puddings (I use Hugh’s recipe!). Considering how chaotic brunch service gets, I’m pretty proud at how well we pulled this one together.

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Posted in dinner

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GIVING THANKS

Posted on November 25, 2012 by popcornsnaps| 1 Comment

Around these parts, Thanksgiving is something of a week-long celebration. We’ll feast again with friends this Monday, but earlier in the week we hosted another small gathering. The idea was fowl, but definitely no turkey. What did we eat?

Fennel confit with saffron, currants, orange zest, coriander seed. (I make this all the time; it’s very popular around these parts! I always look for the tiniest bulbs at the market for the most tender flesh.)

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Sauteed chicken livers with torn radicchio and honey vinaigrette

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Shredded duck legs with lentils, kale, and duck-fat roast potatoes

Roasted butternut squash with herbs de Provence, fresh bay and smoked paprika

Crispy brussels sprouts with pancetta and pine nuts

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A big hunk of Comté from Jura and sourdough bread

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Tangerines!

There was lots of laughter, record playing, and garland-making. One of the best Thanksgivings I’ve had in ages. There weren’t even any leftovers!

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Posted in celebration, dinner, food, party

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THE FRUIT HUNTERS OPENS!

Posted on November 23, 2012 by popcornsnaps| 1 Comment

Hey Canadians! Don’t forget: Yung Chang’s gorgeous new documentary The Fruit Hunters opens today in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. (And check out this review of the film over at the Montreal Gazette!) (And for more photos of these cuties, click over to Adam’s blog).

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Posted in film

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PIZZA GRATITUDE

Posted on November 22, 2012 by popcornsnaps| 2 Comments

I’m grateful for so much this year, but right at this moment I’m eternally thankful for impromptu pizza parties. I’m thankful that Bottega has take-out. I’m thankful for their ‘bacio della Bottega,’ which are tender, steaming golf-ball sized nubs of pizza dough stuffed with molten ham and cheese. I’m thankful for the marriage of anchovy and tomato. I’m thankful for the laughter and love of my friends. I’m thankful for Adam’s seemingly endless amount of pizza-wine pairing knowledge. Happy American Thanksgiving, everyone!

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Posted in dinner, pizza, restaurants

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GOLD MEDAL PLATES

Posted on November 21, 2012 by popcornsnaps| Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, the team at Lawrence competed in the annual Gold Medal Plates competition, a charity event featuring Canadian chefs cooking their signature dishes for hundreds of people. Marc was invited to participate in the Quebec event, and we all helped him out. I felt like I finally had a taste of what it would be like hustling on one of those insane Top Chef challenges — complete with copious amounts of running back and forth between our display table and the onsite kitchens — and we took home a bronze medal! The dish? The ultimate marriage of sweet and salty: crispy pork cheek and mustard sauce atop a mini apple tart tatin. I’ve never made more puff pastry in my life.

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Posted in celebration, pasta, restaurants

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DAY OFF

Posted on November 20, 2012 by popcornsnaps| Leave a comment

[Photo of our apartment, a pretty cheerful post-birthday party scene]

Phew. It’s been another long week. I kind of always feel like I’m recovering from a really fun, intense, social party. Today I plan on doing nothing. This morning I rifled through the refrigerator to pull ingredients for a big pot of soup.  I’m going to this new cafe for ramen (right in my hood, too!), then wander around the market, then stop by Milano’s to stock up on canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Then it’s back home to catch up on Downton Abbey and wait for my soup to finish. Just typing the words is bringing me relief and relaxation.

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Posted in home