Banana pancakes. What more can I say? Simple, easy, scrumptious and the perfect way to start your Saturday morning.
Having been to numerous chinatowns throughout the world from New York to Honolulu the common denominators always seems to include cheap eats and stores selling knock-off merchandise. Where ever we end up going though the chinatown here in Calgary continues to be a place where we always return feeling at home and comfortable. Call it nostalgia but having spent the majority of my weekends growing up visiting the many restaurants, bakeries and one of a kind boutiques; no glitzy, ultra modern asian supermarket can seem to replace that yearning to wander the slightly grimy streets of our chinatown.
In the next little while we'll be sharing a few of our favourite spots to grab a bowl of noodles, side of BBQ pork or the best egg tarts in town. Let us know where your favourites are because I'm sure even after years of exploring those 3 tiny blocks there are spots we've yet to try.
In the next little while we'll be sharing a few of our favourite spots to grab a bowl of noodles, side of BBQ pork or the best egg tarts in town. Let us know where your favourites are because I'm sure even after years of exploring those 3 tiny blocks there are spots we've yet to try.
You may have noticed from our previous posts that our favourite cut of beef has to be the ribeye steak. No other cut can seem to match up to the sheer tenderness and intense beefy flavour. The debate that rages in our house though is how to prepare the perfect steak. My wife favours the simple flavours of the beef highlighted only with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper while I prefer my ribeye with a homemade smokey chilli and brown sugar rub. Take a look and let us know which ribeye you think should come out on top!
Pad Thai is basically a stir fry of rice noodles with eggs, tofu, bean sprouts and any other vegetables you wish to add. In our recipe, we used what we had on hand including carrots, onions and Chinese sausage. Although our sauce does not use the traditional tamarind paste, the flavour is quite similar and dare I say tastier than what we've had in Thai restaurants.
Tofu is one of those staple foods in Asian cuisine and if you grew up eating it, you know just how amazing tofu can taste. Tofu is made the same way cheese is made; soybean milk is coagulated and pressed to form the blocks of different firmness you can find in your grocery store. Tofu, being very mild tasting, can take on any flavour you choose whether you steam, deep fry or stir fry it. One of my favourite ways to enjoy soft tofu is in dessert form. You can find dessert tofu in Chinese restaurants and in grocery stores. The tofu is submerged in a sweet syrup, my personal favourite being coconut flavoured syrup.
Mapo tofu is traditionally made with ground pork, but here we've used ground beef. Variations of this popular Chinese recipe are common, ours is just a guideline. The main thing to remember in order to achieve that spicy flavour is the combination of chili oil, oyster sauce and XO sauce.
Recently we had the pleasure of having some relatives visiting from England over to our house for dinner. We decided to make a roasted tenderloin of beef accompanied by a rich and savoury caramelized onion gravy that was fortified with a red wine reduction. This dish is great for any special occasion including thanksgiving or christmas instead of the traditional turkey and serves upwards of eight people with big appetites.
When we were young we would always look forward to the weekend when my dad would make his special honey garlic chicken wings. It was a deliciously sweet, savoury and garlic flavoured sauce that would perfectly coat each chicken wing. This is my version of my dad's classic dish using a whole chicken instead of just the wings. The harshness of the garlic is taken down by first frying until golden brown, while the soy sauce and honey add both savouriness and sweetness to the chicken.
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