Best Cookies Ever

I love a good cookie, not the store bought kind, but the ones that come straight out of the oven, are warm and of course eating the cookie dough is also a highlight.

 This weekend I decided to make a batch of cookies for Dan and the hockey boys. I love to bake, but I just hate having to eat it all. That is why I am always shipping off  baking to Dan's lab, friends, or the guys he coaches hockey with. One of them has even offered to bring me all the ingredients and just bake for them!

Back to the best cookies ever. My mom has a family recipe that is amazing. It is easy, quick, and really foolproof. I am not quite as good as her making them, I think her Kitchen Aid mixer has something to do with that though.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 1 Dozen

1/2 Cup Butter
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 mins.

See I told you it was easy! And when they come out and look this delicious you will have to refrain from making them every week. Just make sure you have some glasses of milk handy to really enjoy them!

Wordless Wednesday: The Food of NYC

For Wordless Wednesday I thought that I would leave you with a sample of some of the food we ate in NYC. And yes if you are wondering I did gain 5lbs while there!

We started out with a trip to TAO. This place has been great all 3 times I have been there!

The next night we went to STK for another great supper

And no trip to NYC is complete without a trip to Katz's Deli!

Homemade Beef Burgers

I love to BBQ, and one of my favorite meals to make are homemade beef burgers on the grill. I am not sure if it was the +9 degree weather today, or the Masters on TV, but I was ready to fire up the grill for the first time this year.

I was not really prepared for grilling season, but I knew I would have some Alberta Beef in the freezer. My options were steak or ground beef, and some homemade hamburgers sounded really good to me.


I started with 2lbs of ground beef. This stuff was from the steer that we showed last year, but any hamburger will do. I prefer lean the best. This went into the microwave to defrost.

I needed something to go with my burgers, and what better then some fries. These were all I had in the house, but they work just fine!

Once the beef is fully defrosted throw it into a bowl and break it up. I prefer to use my hands, it can get a little messy, but it works the best.

To the beef, add some pepper, seasoning salt and 1 large egg. Mix this up good with your hands.

Next you want to form the patties. I like my hamburgers to be big in size, so I make mine a little bigger. When making them, keep in mind that they will shrink, so make them a little bigger then what you want to eat. Once they are ready, thrown them onto a hot, clean grill.

 While you are waiting for them to cook, you can get your toppings ready. Tonight I added a little lettus, tomato, pickles, and some cheese. You can use whatever you would like though.

Don't forget about your burgers on the grill! Make sure to flip them over once, and to cook them so that there is no more pink in the middle. You can either open them up to tell this, or use a meat thermometer. They should read about 160 degrees F. After I flip my burgers for the last time I like to put some BBQ sauce on them as well.

While I wait for my burger to finish cooking I prep the rest of it. Layering the toppings, and trying to keep the wet items (tomato and pickles) to the inside to keep the bread from getting soggy. I usually use buns, but like I said I wasn't prepared for grilling season!

Finally I add the cheese to the burgers and let that melt.

Once the cheese has melted take the burgers off, and add it to your toppings and bun. A few fries and this meal is complete!

Famous Twice Baked Potatoes

My good friend Bethan is an amazing cook. She always does large dinners for 10-20 people and doe an awesome job. Recently she has given up some of the power in the kitchen and allowed for others to help. My contribution is always to make the potatoes for the meal.

My favorite kind are twice baked potatoes. Although this receipe usually calls for them to be dished back into the shell, I put my own twist on the recipe and I think it makes them better anyways.

Start with some large potatoes. I like to judge about 1 potato for each person. If they are super big ones, go with 1 for each 2 people. Wash them real good and then wrap them up in tin foil

Set your oven to 350 degrees and throw them in the oven for about 1 hour, or until cooked. Once they have cooled slightly, unwrap, cut the tops length ways and scoop out the insides. You can try to save the shells, but I like them better without. Your choice.

This is where they get real good. Mix in the butter, sour cream, bacon bits, milk, cheese and green onion is you choice. I don't like green onion so I don't use it. Mix it up real good. I like mine a little lumpy, but whatever consistency you like then go for that! Then either scoop it back in the shells, or into a casserole dish. Throw it back in the oven just long enough to reheat.

 
Take it out and serve. Whatever is left over put in the fridge, as this makes some great leftovers!

 Recipe (makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 green onions, sliced, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Pad Thai Cooking

I really enjoy cooking. The problem is when you get home at 5:45PM your lack of motivation does not help. I decided that I was going to crack open my Thai cookbook and make some good food this week. First dish- Pad Thai

When I was in Thailand we took a cooking class one night. The school was called the Thai Orchid Cooking School. As part of the class we all got a little cook book to take home with us.

Pad Thai is really easy to make. The hardest part is just finding all of the ingredients needed. I have had luck at Wal-Mart, but there is also a Chinese grocery store in the city that has helped me out a few times as well.

I will post the full receipe below, but here is a quick play by play of what you need to do. Before you begin you must soak the rice noodles over night.  This allows them to soften and be ready to go the next day.

I like to lay out all of my ingredients before I begin. This dish does not take a long time to make so it makes things easier to have everything close by. For this you will need sugar, vegetable oil, chili's or chili spice, chives, peanuts, bean sprouts, fish sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, eggs, vegetable or chicken stock and some chicken.

In a wok combine the chicken, rice noodles, vegetable oil, chili's, your sause and stock. Cook on a low to medium tempture as you do not want the noodles to stick together.

While this is cooking get your peanutes, bean sprouts and chives ready. When all of the stock has evaporated combine into the noodle mixture and let the sprouts get warm.

True Thailand Pad Thai has eggs in it although most North American places has removed them. This is optional, but I love it with. Push all your ingredients to one side of the wok. On the other side crack 2 beaten eggs and let them cook. No not mix with the pasta misture.

One the egg is cooked serve! Try to get the egg on top of your noodle mixture. I placed it on the side so you can see what the Pad Thai actually looks like. You can make it your own serving with Tofu, or in this case I chose some chicken.

Ingredients:

200g Rice Noodles

3.5 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon dried shrimps (optional)

40g of tofu or chicken

2 eggs

1 cup stock or water

20g chives

100g bean sprouts

2 tablespoons peanuts

1 teaspoon reserved radish (optional)

20g shallot (optional)

Sauce:

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoon tamarind paste (or can use viniger)

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon chilies or chili powder

Instructions:

- Heat cooking coil int he wok over low heat, add meat/tofu and shallots fri until turned golden brown

- Put preserved radish and dried shripm in and fry for a few seconds

- Add rice noodles and water/stock. Add sauce. Fry until noodles are wilted and ingredients mixed well

- Add chives, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Fry quickly until sprouts are warm. 

- Make room for egg by pushing all noodles to the side of walk

- Add 1/2 teaspoon cooking oil into the wok, and add beatten eggs to wok and let cook.

- Serve!

Chow Time Vegas Style

Well I am just about finished will Vegas, however one thing that I cannot go without mentioning is the food!

Vegas has some of the best dinning in the world. We took the time to sample a few different restaurants, at a few different price points and styles.

One of my favorite places to eat while in Vegas is Dick's. It is not a family restaurant, and you can pretty much find every type of person in that place. I highly suggest a few drinks before you go, and please do not go if you are easily offended by things. This was my second time dinning at Dick's. It is not a place you go for great food, it is all about the experience. I won't spoil the surprise for you, just make sure you go!

Please do not try to read our hats....

My other favorite dining experience in Vegas was Tao. We had dined here when in New York, and it was the best food I have ever had. It called for a repeat trip this time, and it was even better then the first time!



I hated sushi till I tried this! Officially converted now

Crab Cakes, also delicious

and filet mignon! We even got to cook it ourselves

Another dining experience we had was at P.F Changs. We do not have it in Canada, and so we went for Lunch one day. It was really good, love eating there!

Our final dining experience in Vegas was at Margaritaville. This place is also one of my favorite in Vegas. We went for nachos and beer one afternoon. It was the perfect day to spend the last day in Vegas, sitting outside in the sun!

These nachos are huge, but so good! 4 of us tried to finish them, and we did not come even close.... I asked the serve if anyone ever had finished them, and his response was, "Most groups of 4 eat them all, I have seen a few 2's and 3's finish them all. Actually one time I see a single guy finish them, but he was high at the time, and well you know how that is!"

Oh The Italians

So I am a sucker for a good pizza. A few weeks ago we wanted to venture out to the newest pizza place in our area, Famoso.

 

Famoso is authentic Italian pizza. Each franchise owner goes to Naples to learn how to make pizza. These pizza's are to die for. They only come in 1 size, and there are so many different flavors to chose from. The best part, is they are actually pretty healthy for you!

The other night we decided to try the margarita pizza. Not only did it taste amazing, but it was only $11! I can say that this may become one of my new guilty pleasures.

Feastival of Fine Chefs

I had mentioned a few weeks ago that I was able to attend the Feastival of Fine Chefs in Edmonton. This was a really cool event that was a lot of fun to go to.

Feastival is put on by the Alberta Food Processors Association. It is an event that helps bring attention to the quality of produce and goods that are grown in Alberta, the quality of fine chefs and food that is created in Edmonton, as well as helping the Alberta Food Processors bring some attention to their programs.

There are over 1200 people that attend this event each year, and a huge waiting list to get in. This is the reason why everyone wants to go....

These were 2 of the 4 courses that my hotel, the Delta Edmonton Centre Suite Hotel had at the event. We were lucky enough to have a table and bring some clients and friends along for the evening!

Each hotel or restaurant is given a box of ingredients that they have to use for each of the 4 courses of the eventing. These could range from Alberta Beef and Elk, to Alberta grown apples and squash. The chefs then have 1 week to create and perfect their dishes.

 

 Throughout the night the guests get to eat 1 course from 4 different hotels or restaurants in the city. I was lucky enough to get 4 amazing meals! I do have to say though that they best food that our table got came from the Delta Edmonton Centre each time! So that made us pretty proud.

If you ever get the chance to attend this event I would say to take that opportunity. It is a really fun night filled with great people and amazing food. And who knows you may just find your new favorite restaurant while you are at it!