Lifesaving Lattes

Last weekend something horrible happened- I had to come into work on a Sunday. One could say it was my fault for slacking off most of the week, but I'm not here to point fingers, I'm here to relent on how depressing it is to have to drag yourself into the office on Sunday to try and hurriedly finish your work that will determine your legacy (it's my last week). As per usual, when things started to get really depressing I started getting hungry. I waited as long as I could but eventually I had to cave and go get lunch. Coburg Coffee is the closest cafe to my work, and being the cool hipster joint that it is, it is always filled with healthy and sensitive choices.

My first recommendation is not to go into Coburg too hungry, because I always get distracted by the book exchange shelf on the way to the counter. There is something about (free) books that I just cannot resist, and usually spend a good 20 minutes looking through the shelf to see if there are any keepers before I make my way to order.

I always have a hard time when there are so many gluten and dairy free options to choose from- There usually aren't very many options that suit my dietary needs, and I'm just not expecting the staggering weight of a food decision when I've committed to going gluten and dairy free. I was craving a green tea latte so I skipped the salads and went for a soy latte and Pakora, (which I would describe as a giant Indian style potato latke) probably the least healthy of all my options. I had not gone out drinking the night before, but it was Sunday morning so I felt like I deserved at least a bit of grease.

I smuggled the food back to my office so I could eat on a couch and catch up on some TV before I had to get back to work, sipping the latte as I quickly walked, desperate to get to my food. The green tea latte was as flavourful as ever, the best in the city, in my opinion. I usually find when I order tea lattes, they mostly taste like warm milk or syrup, but this one, made with real green tea finds the perfect combination of green tea flavour and creamy soy milk.

The pakora comes with a side of chutney or hummus, the chutney sounded more exotic so I went with that. It was perfectly greasy without the overwhelming breading or bacon grease that these dishes are usually fried in. It had gotten a little soggy on the bottom during my walk, but that did not effect the taste. The chutney gave it a little kick, and the pakora had a hint of spice mixed in with the potato, cauliflower and chickpea flours.

As my show ended I slowly made my way back to my desk to continue my work, anxiously awaiting my next meal.

Stats:

Gluten Free: yes!

Dairy Free: yes!

A Real Francais Lunch at Chez Tess

"we can go anywhere!"

"anywhere?!"

My roommate and I are horrible at making decisions, especially when it comes to food where there is so much at steak (pun intended). So when she ducked out of work to pick me up at the airport earlier today and we decided to stop for lunch, we began the usual "where do you wanna go?" , " I dunno, where do you wanna go?" routine that we so often get stuck in. Luckily for us, we had been planning the staff dinner for our office, and had gotten a few suggestions from the staff about good places to eat. We decided to give Chez Tess a try. From my experience, the North End of Halifax is filled with little dining gems, and we were already outside of the downtown core so it would be a convenient stop. After a little glitch with my inability to tell direction on a smart phone map, we found the place, looking Mediterranean and a little understated next to it's bright bakery neighbor. The interior had a bit of an Italian feel to me, which is strange, because it did not look like any restaurant I had ever been to in Italy, and I have never been to France for comparison, but my instincts began filling me with fear about a menu filled with pasta and pizza.

Fortunately, the main items on the menu were crepes, soups and sandwiches, and they even had Gluten free batter for their crepes! I ended up going with the mushroom salad because I was still full from my holiday meals, and we got the liquid gold tasting platter to start. This is unfortunately not as exciting as it sounds; it is a tasting of oils and vinegars for bread dipping. We had decided this was a special occasion (it's not everyday you get to duck out to a nice restaurant for lunch)and what better way to celebrate that then by ordering a 3 course meal? We got the blood orange olive oil and the fig vinegar. It came out pretty fast with some nice crusty bread (not gluten free, oops). We were both surprised at how much you could actually taste the flavours in the oil and vinegar, we ran out of bread but our waitress told us to keep the rest of the dips because we had some bread with our meals as well. This was turning into a not so light and healthy lunch, but what's a gal supposed to do when faced with such a culinary treat!

Usually, when I order a salad, I feel great about myself at first, and then in the impending moments leading up to the arrival of the food I begin regretting my decision; thoughts of bland lettuce, cold vegetables and over-dressed salads begin to cloud my thoughts and I almost wish I had the guts to ask to change my order (I never do). But on a few very rare occasions, I have actually been presently surprised at the arrival of my salad, and end up enjoying it like it was a plate full of big juicy steak. And luckily this was one of those times. The mushrooms and red peppers were warm and sauteed so that already alleviated some of my concerns. There was a good amount of dressing, and not an overcompensation of lettuce. Now, just having nothing wrong with a dish, may not seem like cause for joy, but as I prepare myself for the release of the upcoming Hobbit film I slowly begin to feel my Hobbit-like features return, and an intense love for the perfectly cooked mushroom is one of those such features.

We had already been eating for over an hour, so a little desert with some tea and coffee couldn't hurt anyone. We got the banana ice cream desert and sat for another hour, chatting, eating banana ice cream and sipping on green tea. By the time we eventually left, it was already after four- too late to go back into work! So we just went home, overly full and satisfied, in true french fashion.

Overall:

Gluten Free: If you have some self control

Dairy Free: Order without cheese

Tastiness: délicieux

www.cheztess.ca 

5697 Charles Street 







 

Market Adventures: Part 1

Foodie haven. Every Saturday morning the seaport is packed with locals, tourists and hipsters alike trying to squeeze their way through the crowds of the double level farmers market to get the freshest catch of the day, a slimy breakfast oyster, dark raw chocolate, marinated chicken skewers or apples; always so many apples.

North America is not kind to us Gluten free folk, but the farmers market sure is, and this Saturday I woke with a craving for a taco or Tostada. There is a great little Mexican place on the second floor of the market, squeezed in between a Greek and bakery stall. An array of green, red, brown and orange dips are displayed at the front of a table, with (gluten free) corn chips for sampling. Beautiful ceramic Spanish pieces line the shelves behind the counter, "all authentically made in Mexico" I am told. The menu features tacos, tostadas, burritos and enchiladas, all either gluten free or with gluten free options. I go for the Tostada, because I need my guacamole fix, and skip the cheese.

There are some people who love a messy meal. They finish eating epically with wing sauce all over their face, burger juice dripping down their shirts, sauce in places where no one is quite sure how it got there- I am not one of those people. I like the food to go to my stomach.

If you've never had a tostada, it is a crunchy corn tortilla topped with exciting things such as black bean paste, lettuce, guacamole, and sour cream. And while some would jump at this challenge I found a space at a table and tried my best to figure out how to get this thing in my belly.

HOW DO I GET YOU IN MY MOUTH!?

The plastic fork was no help, but with a little picking off the top, breaking the tortilla and eating it like chips and dip seemed to work out pretty well, only a few pieces of lettuce made it into my hair and a bit of guacamole made it's home on my nose. The mixture of crunchy chip and creamy black bean spread and guacamole would tempt me to go back for seconds, but I took control of myself to search for other munchies around the market.

Overall:

Gluten Free: yes!

Dairy Free: yes! (sans cheese and sour cream)

Tastiness: extremely

Having family from Poland, I am always drawn to the small Polish stand with rich looking pastries decorated with strawberries, kiwis and cream and homemade pirogi's. Unfortunately, all I see when I walk buy are hand fulls of gluten so I usually steer clear. But today was a special day. I hadn't been to the market in a while, and I had my camera with me so I could immortalize this moment forever and never have to go back again. All I wanted was one pirogi but they came in dozen or half dozen, and how was I supposed to say no now after I had made so many excuses to allow myself to eat them? With my gift for rationalizing I told myself I could bring a few home for my room mate. But once I took the first bite I knew I would eat them all.

look at all that delicious grease.

They reminded me of the best Pirogi's I've ever had, mixed with the potato blintzes my mom used to make when we were younger. The dough was not crispy, which was surprising at first, but I don't think I could ever go back to the pirogi's I thought I knew. The dough was a little chewy, this may throw some off, but loving the texture of raw meet and fish and cookie dough this was my perfect treat.

I paid the price the rest of the day with horrible stomach cramps, and I've still to determine if it was worth it, but they score high on the tastiness scale.

Overall:

Gluten Free: no

Dairy Free: possibly

Tastiness: absolute

The Halifax Seaport Farmers Market can be found at 1209 Marginal Rd. Halifax. It is open 7 days a week but has the most vendors Saturday mornings/early afternoons.

Spring BBQ

If you've ever been to Halifax, you know that the weather can best be described as...spastic. It can start off cold in the morning, be boiling in the afternoon, and freezing by night time. Similarly (as is currently happening), there can be a snow day, followed by a couple blistering hot days, followed by more cold and snow. It seems that every spring we are teased with a little hope of summer, only to have our dreams dashed away when the cold wind comes whipping back. Even knowing that it won't last, these small blotches of warmness after a cold and wet winter will always be celebrated with cute summer dresses, shorts, and most importantly beers and BBQ on a friends balcony.

I love BBQ's because they require very little patience and table manners. You bring you food, find a spot on the grill, and when it's ready you take it off and eat it. No waiting for everything to be done and everyone to have food before you can start digging in, no fear of being out of food when others still have tasty treats in front of them. The BBQ is about sharing, sharing food, and chocolate and beer so no one is ever empty handed. The BBQ meal is a delicious art that allows for hours of continuous eating and fun. This is my kind of meal.

Very fittingly, on the first day of spring (and my birthday!) we had a couple of these lovely summer days amidst a cold and rainy winter. So following tradition I trekked over to my friends place with a bag full of salmon, eggplant, shitake mushrooms, pineapple and fudge to kick off the season.

My first project was the eggplant. I've never made grilled eggplant myself but I do know it is delicious, so I chopped it up and put it on the grill. Others had made sausage that I munched on while I waited for more room to clear for the same. It was that cheese filled salmon that is usually only good over the campfire or for a hungover morning, but it was perfect for the occasion and  filled my grease quadrant for the night. A bit of space freed on the grill so I through on the salmon and mushrooms. I nudged the eggplant right on top of the big fire in hopes it would cook faster- the munchies were beginning to set it.

The eggplant looked a little dry on the outside, and it was very hard to bite into. The inside was nice and juicy but not very flavourful. My grilled eggplant was definitely a fail.  Pro tip: next time wrap in foil and throw some sauce in.

Next were the mushrooms, which I made a last minute decision to stuff with blue cheese. These certainly made up for the dryness of the eggplant, they were squishy and juicy and filled with cheesy mushroomy goodness. The juices leaked all over my shirt, but that's what barbecues are all about!

I got one of those pre-spiced salmon fillets, and it didn't grill the greatest. I remember it not cooking in the oven that nicely either, it does flake up the nice way that normal salmon does and it makes me wonder what they actually put on it... I still finished it though, fish is fish and I am a fish girl through and through.

It started to get dark so I brought out the fudge and pineapple. Everyone was extremely full but the fudge made it around the circle twice. So sweet yet so addictive nobody could say no. The pineapple came off the grill tasting meaty, another pro tip: clean the grill before putting on fruit. But we devoured it nonetheless, for people had started to get a little buzzed, and it was still nice and warm out even though it was now dark. The stars were out and we tried to name constellations. I can name about zero. We talked about movies we were excited to see, books we had just read, next semesters, and new degrees. It was a lazy summer night in the middle of spring. And then I got a text, asking me to go back to the office to sign a few things, and the dream was over, I had to head back to reality.

Friday morning was cold and dreary but that nice summer night was enough to get me through to July...hopefully.

Eggs on Tostadas

In honour of St. Paddy's Day I would like to introduce a segment of the blog called "inebriation food". We all know a glass of red wine every now and then can stop heart disease along with other endless health benefits, but sometimes it leaves one a little hungry later on that evening or early the next morning. Halifax is a very student friendly city (5 universities) and the options for late night foods and weekend brunches are vast and varied. I've nailed down a few of the best spots, but there are still many more to discover that I will share with you here!

Today me and my roommates headed to the coastal for brunch. It is a small joint in the North End that I had never heard of, but I had been told it was the best 'hipster breakfast place in town', so I was willing to give it a try. They also listed some gluten free options so things were really looking up. There's only about 5 or 6 tables in the place, so three of us had to squeeze around one tiny table, and the menus were just plain pieces of paper in plastic bags. So far it had all the signs of either a hipster haven or a disappointment. The menu is ever changing, but I went for their staple item: Heuvos Rancheros. Fried eggs and cheesy Tostadas. I had just eaten my first Tostada at the Farmers Market a few weeks ago and it was messy and delightful so I was anxiously awaiting round two.

First came the orange juice, straight from the Tropicana carton and pulp free, my first disappointment. My thirst made me chug it down anyways, but I jealously glanced at the fresh smoothie and chai latte my roommates had gotten that looked much tastier.

Our food arrived in less than ten minutes- which was imperative for our hungover greediness, and the wafts of spicy and greasy food we kept getting  were not helping the situation.

Meanwhile...just as our food arrived about 10 or 15 new customers were piling in the door with no empty tables and only 2 staff working out front. They somehow managed to turn over a few tables and get out a bunch of take out orders by the time we were done eating...very impressive.

Back at the table...my plate was a saucy, gooey mess with runny eggs on cheesy Tostadas topped with salsa, guacamole and black bean paste. Being a half finger food and half not finger food kind of dish the tight space made eating, and trying not to drop my cutlery or get sauce all over me quite the challenge, but I was ready to face anything this morning after St. Paddys! The combination of the eggs and salsa had just the right amount of spice and oily goodness and the Tostadas soaked in all of the sauces and egg and cheese juices still maintained some crunch, though they served less as a flavourful shell, and more as a vessel to get more guacamole to my mouth.

Now that the desperate hunger was gone we noticed some of the neat pictures, and 50's style memorabilia around the room, but we didn't stick around for too long, a new rush of customers was coming in and they had to get the tables turned over.

Info:
The Coastal can be found at 2731 Robie Street and is open  Mon-Sat 8-3 and Sunday 10-3

Gluten Free: Some options (my choice included) Dairy Free: Unlikely on the original menu but they try to accommodate food allergies as best they can.

The Eternal Search for a Perfect Meal

Like opening a book for the first time and getting a whiff of new book smell, the first post on a brand new blog is also a special thing. The glow of the screen, the short scroll bar on the side, I could just scroll up and down for hours! So with this weight of importance, how do I begin? How do I introduce readers to a blog that will be life changing, heart wrenching, edge of your seat entertaining? Do they know what it's about? Have they already read the sidebar?

After staring at the screen blankly trying to bring out my inner writer, I have begun my blog by circumventing my topic: food. Why haven't I begun talking about food yet? For one, I haven't had any life changing food experiences this past week, so it felt like a very fraudulent time to start writing. But then I remembered what had happened when I ordered my lunch today, it is something that happens almost every day when I get lunch so I barely even noticed. I eat lunch at the same place almost every day- I know everything that is on the menu, and yet every time I stand for 5 or 10 minutes, staring at it, trying to decide what I want to eat. When it comes to choosing food, I am as indecisive as they come. I'm the kind of person who makes the waiter take my order last so I can have a few more moments to deliberate, I open every cupboard, open and close the fridge for hours before I decide what I want to make for dinner. I have an innate fear of choosing the wrong food.

At first this seemed a little crazy, how much of my life has been wasted deliberating between 'soup or salad'? But then I remembered the times when I made the wrong choice. I can only describe those times as nightmarish and catastrophic. It's as if my body is trying to say' THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANTED, and in return you will feel hungry, unsatisfied and bloated all day'. But when you find that really perfect meal that just 'hits the spot' nothing else seems to matter anymore, and the fact that you are going to have to go back to work in a few minutes is just a far off dream as you revel in the gloriousness of good food.

so that is my mission with this blog, to search for that perfect meal every day in all corners of the world, and take you along for the ride. Thanks for reading!