I wanted to tell a story about my progression into being infatuated with food. Don't get me wrong, the eating part has always been there. I'm talking about loving the entire process from buying raw produce to creating scrumptious dishes ready to be devoured at the dinner table.
Throughout my university years and with the exception of the couple of months being fed at my relatives' respective homes in the US, I've lived off frozen entrees, canned food, ramen noodles, and my all time favorite takeout/delivery. It served its purpose of me being full at the end of every meal. But I wouldn't call it an obsession with food. When I took it up a notch and started being adventurous with food, I would keep it within the cookie cutter chain restaurants. I ventured into the Applebees, Cheesecake Factory and Moxies of the world, where you can get a decent meal for $20, $30 if you throw in a cocktail or two. Call me a neophyte foodie but at that time I thought that was the be all and end all of the food experience. As the years progresses I tried a couple of restaurants where it was easily a $100/person for a gourmet six course meal. It was amazing to say the least and really heightened my appreciation for good food but certainly not ignite a passion.
It was a little over a year ago when I fully experienced a true gastronomic experience, it was when Chris treated me to Susur, this is Toronto's premier restaurant and from the time you walk in to the time you leave it's a food adventure to say the least. The sound of glasses clinking and cutlery being moved around the table, the military style and precision of the servers walking around the restaurant and the great Chef Susur Lee himself walking out of his kitchen and gazing across his mini-kingdom to check on his guests was a delight to watch. But the food, OMG.. The presentation was a delight, the smells divine and I've never, never tasted any dishes like that in my life. Deliciously orgasmic doesn't even justify each bite that I took. I had to savour each delectable taste as best as I could to prolong the experience. One of the best experiences in my life hands down. $350/person is no joke but it was totally and completely worth it.
I fell in love with food, I wanted to experience the sensation of pure contentment when you bite into a delicious dish. I doubt I'll be going back to Susur anytime soon, unless I want to be walking to work for a year, but I wanted to take that same palatable sensation and bring it to my own dinner table. Yes I know, it will never be as grandiose, or as elegant, or as divine but to be inspired to create something deliciously beautiful is simply lovely.
So I started cooking. It sounds so simple but I'm one who's always dreaded the kitchen. It was such an alienated place in my apartment. I had all the basic pots and pans but that was more for show than being actually used. After Susur, I started reading about food, learning about different recipes, experimented with different flavours and using Chris as my guinea pig to do the taste test. I’d go to the farmers market and started picking unknown veggies, various fruits and different cuts of meat. I started filling my shelves with different spices and I even planted a tiny garden in my balcony filled with basil, dill and mint. (Sadly the mint never grew). So I cooked one disastrous dish after another, until finally success the dishes started looking palatable, the flavours came together and Chris doesn’t have the look of death every time I call out that dinner is ready.
We'd still go out once in a while and venture into the many different cuisine that our city has to offer but more often than not we find so much happiness in sitting down with a glass of wine and eating a good home cooked meal.
Here's one of the simple yet yummy dishes that I modified and tweaked until I was completely happy with. I call it Sweetpea's Alfredo Sauce.
Sweetpea's Alfredo Sauce
2 cups heavy cream. (Usually says, "heavy whipping cream")
1 can cream of mushroom
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks) (DON'T USE MARGARINE!!!!!)
3 Tablespoons cream cheese
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheese
(GOOD QUALITY CHEESE, not the Kraft kind of cheeses)
3 cloves freshly minced garlic
2 cups chopped button mushrooms (or try baby bella's for a more earthier flavour)
Bacon (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In saucepan combine butter, heavy cream and cream cheese
Simmer until melted (do not boil), mix well. Add the Parmesan cheese and garlic.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes on very low heat
Add mushrooms on the last 10 minutes of cooking
Season with salt & pepper, if desired
Fry Bacon in a separate pan to desired crunchiness and crumble bacon on top of hot pasta and sauce.
Serve with garlic bread.
Dinner is served
Throughout my university years and with the exception of the couple of months being fed at my relatives' respective homes in the US, I've lived off frozen entrees, canned food, ramen noodles, and my all time favorite takeout/delivery. It served its purpose of me being full at the end of every meal. But I wouldn't call it an obsession with food. When I took it up a notch and started being adventurous with food, I would keep it within the cookie cutter chain restaurants. I ventured into the Applebees, Cheesecake Factory and Moxies of the world, where you can get a decent meal for $20, $30 if you throw in a cocktail or two. Call me a neophyte foodie but at that time I thought that was the be all and end all of the food experience. As the years progresses I tried a couple of restaurants where it was easily a $100/person for a gourmet six course meal. It was amazing to say the least and really heightened my appreciation for good food but certainly not ignite a passion.
It was a little over a year ago when I fully experienced a true gastronomic experience, it was when Chris treated me to Susur, this is Toronto's premier restaurant and from the time you walk in to the time you leave it's a food adventure to say the least. The sound of glasses clinking and cutlery being moved around the table, the military style and precision of the servers walking around the restaurant and the great Chef Susur Lee himself walking out of his kitchen and gazing across his mini-kingdom to check on his guests was a delight to watch. But the food, OMG.. The presentation was a delight, the smells divine and I've never, never tasted any dishes like that in my life. Deliciously orgasmic doesn't even justify each bite that I took. I had to savour each delectable taste as best as I could to prolong the experience. One of the best experiences in my life hands down. $350/person is no joke but it was totally and completely worth it.
I fell in love with food, I wanted to experience the sensation of pure contentment when you bite into a delicious dish. I doubt I'll be going back to Susur anytime soon, unless I want to be walking to work for a year, but I wanted to take that same palatable sensation and bring it to my own dinner table. Yes I know, it will never be as grandiose, or as elegant, or as divine but to be inspired to create something deliciously beautiful is simply lovely.
So I started cooking. It sounds so simple but I'm one who's always dreaded the kitchen. It was such an alienated place in my apartment. I had all the basic pots and pans but that was more for show than being actually used. After Susur, I started reading about food, learning about different recipes, experimented with different flavours and using Chris as my guinea pig to do the taste test. I’d go to the farmers market and started picking unknown veggies, various fruits and different cuts of meat. I started filling my shelves with different spices and I even planted a tiny garden in my balcony filled with basil, dill and mint. (Sadly the mint never grew). So I cooked one disastrous dish after another, until finally success the dishes started looking palatable, the flavours came together and Chris doesn’t have the look of death every time I call out that dinner is ready.
We'd still go out once in a while and venture into the many different cuisine that our city has to offer but more often than not we find so much happiness in sitting down with a glass of wine and eating a good home cooked meal.
Here's one of the simple yet yummy dishes that I modified and tweaked until I was completely happy with. I call it Sweetpea's Alfredo Sauce.
Sweetpea's Alfredo Sauce
2 cups heavy cream. (Usually says, "heavy whipping cream")
1 can cream of mushroom
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks) (DON'T USE MARGARINE!!!!!)
3 Tablespoons cream cheese
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Romano and Asiago cheese
(GOOD QUALITY CHEESE, not the Kraft kind of cheeses)
3 cloves freshly minced garlic
2 cups chopped button mushrooms (or try baby bella's for a more earthier flavour)
Bacon (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In saucepan combine butter, heavy cream and cream cheese
Simmer until melted (do not boil), mix well. Add the Parmesan cheese and garlic.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes on very low heat
Add mushrooms on the last 10 minutes of cooking
Season with salt & pepper, if desired
Fry Bacon in a separate pan to desired crunchiness and crumble bacon on top of hot pasta and sauce.
Serve with garlic bread.
Dinner is served
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