Picture of The Day – 44/365 – A Decision is Made

February 22, 2010

Have you ever had to make a decision on the snap?

You all know the stress that occurs with that. One thing that I find helps is to be in a situation where I am alone, and can think.

In my case, driving is awesome. You get time to think, to reflect.

I was offered a position at the Fairmont Tremblant. Sous Chef. I know! It came with a phone call that was pretty much out of the blue.

I love the Fairmont. My wife and I miss our time working there. There is a lot to be said about the culture and the work environment. You are empowered to go out of the way to exceed their expectations.

The problem is, creativity (at least the form I am used to) can be stifled through the chain of command.

In the end, it was the drive that answered things for me. I love my job, and I love what I am able to do here. I love that I have time with my wife and son, and that I get to reflect my creativity here at WDC.

The decision was made.

How do you think your decisions through?

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Picture of The Day – 43/365 – Tomato Soup with Parmesan

February 21, 2010

Want to know a secret trick to make your tomato soup pop?

I follow an excellent blog, Sassy Radish. A while back there was an excellent post about a simple tomato soup. I was so inspired, I made a huge pot of the soup that night.

When I was tasting it to adjust the seasoning, I used all of my tricks. Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic. The soup was just missing something for my tastes.

Then I remembered the Parmesan rinds I had in the freezer.

Anyone worth their salt who grinds their own Parmesan keeps the rinds for “later use.”

After the soup simmered with the cheese a little bit, my beloved expressed concerned over blending the soup with the cheese in it. Not to worry, the Parmesan added a perfect dimension to the soup.

I sent my Sister-in-Law home with 2 liters of the soup, and I would say it was a success.

Sometimes adding one touch will elevate what you are cooking.

What would you add to the Tomato Soup?

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Picture of The Day – 42/365 – Oats with Cocoa Nibs, Almond Slivers, Currants, Toffee and Peanut Butter

February 20, 2010

What do you eat to get started in the morning? I am guilty, I start my day off with crap.

A coffee, maybe a banana, a handful of vitamins.

I have been following Kath over at Kath Eats Real Foods, and she has an interesting way of starting off her breakfast.

I loved it so much, I passed it by the director for marketing. Seems that eating like this for breakfast is a real trend. Long story short, the director of marketing LOVED it, and now this item is passed as the Sante item on the room service menu.

I recently have some news in my life that might impact how I eat. I am keeping a lid on it for now while I try and figure out what is wrong with me. The time is right to start taking care of myself.

I believe it will start with a bowl of this stuff.

If you want to know how to make the special bowl of oats, Kath has an awesome video detailing how.

What would you put on your cooked oats? Keep it fun, and put it into the comments. You never know, I might even steal use your idea!

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Picture of The Day – 41/365 – Tobogganing

February 19, 2010

Do you remember the joy of hurtling down a hill of ice and snow?

we have all grown up now, we don’t do things like this. Until we have children. Then we get to be children again.

I don’t have a decent picture of Luca and I coming down the track, but this one gives an idea of what it was like. The child here looks like she is not enjoying her time.

Let me tell you, we had to drag Luca kicking and screaming from the hill. He fell asleep in the car, and I transported him to the bed and took a nap with him. Wouldn’t you know it? He woke up kicking and screaming.

I know what it means to be a parent, to share the joy and wonder with your kid. It means you get to be a kid again.

Do you have an event you shared with your little one that transported you back to your childhood?

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Picture of The Day – 40/365 – Yogurt Success!

February 18, 2010

Make it or buy it?

By the end of this post, I will have you making yogurt. Not because it is the right thing to do, or it is cheaper. I will have you making yogurt because it is stupidly easy to do it.

I came across this funky site the other day while trawling through my RSS news items. A woman cooked her meals in a crock pot for an entire year. Then my eye caught a post about making your own yogurt.

I have failed with yogurt before. Epic fail. Not as bad as the last post here, but failure nonetheless.

The post promised I could do it in a crock pot. I was going to the Mother-in-law’s anyway. A quick phone call confirmed she had a crock pot. Like me, she is always willing to try something new.

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Picture of The Day – 39/365 – Pork Rib Failure

February 16, 2010

If you are going to fail, fail SPECTACULARLY!

I tell you, it was going great. I took pictures, I was excited, pumped even.

Everything was flowing great, the smells from the kitchen were tip top. It promised to be a dinner everyone would dig into.

Then it all went wrong.

I could smell burning sugar. Not a good sign. The crackle of the Crock Pot did not bode well. My eyes spotted the lid doing a jiggle on the lip of the porcelain.

This was not good.

I looked inside, and horror of horrors – the ribs were zombified, and the sauce was dead. Perhaps the ribs fed on the sauce’s remains to stay alive, I don’t know.

I gingerly lifted the ribs out, and those that could be saved were set on a platter in the fridge. The sauce – well, a soak for a day rectified that.

What went wrong?

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Picture of The Day – 38/365 – Antipasti of Seasonal Vegetables

February 15, 2010

What does a chef do to kick off an exciting dinner in Winter? The antipasti platters you see here are the answer.

Seasonal, local, sustainable. You have heard it time and again.

If you live where I do, you also can see the flashing of the snowplows as they pass by. (Okay, Winter here has not been so tough, so just bear with me and imagine it!)

The platters you see here are an item that appears on all 4 seasonal banquet menus.

Traditionally, antipasti platters include cured meats, olives, roasted garlic, pepperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, and various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella).

Usually, an antipasto (that’s singular) is shared amongst several people. While the sharing concept went out the window a few years ago, we serve them individually to impress.

The platters you see here are a twist on the traditional, they showcase what one would use in the season for vegetables. In the winter, we reach for items which have been preserved at their best.

These antipasti platters include (with links to the recipe when applicable):

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Picture of The Day – 37/365 – Longing For Spring

February 14, 2010

Do you dream of summer? Have you started thinking what you will be planting this spring?

I have dreams of tomatoes, peppers, basil, oregano, thyme, carrots, and other lovely vegetables. I dream of the pool, blue and glistening. I even dream of cutting the grass, that lovely scent the mower gives off.

Okay, I also have nightmares about cleaning up the dog poo, weeding, keeping the neighborhood kids off my lawn. Raking, replanting the grass the window guys destroyed last fall.

Better yet, there is also the pool with the leaves that fell in. That is going to be a nightmare.

Back to better things though, the BBQ, my son’s birthday, the sun, beaches, sunburns.

Ahh, spring is approaching, and the planning has already begun!

I snapped this picture while thinking on that.

What do you plan to do once spring comes again?

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Picture of The Day – 36/365 – Tough Guy

February 13, 2010

Are you feeling a little flabby?

Vell, I am Luca, und I am goink to [clap!] pump you up!!

Kids are such fun. Here my son and I are having a flex down, and he was winning.

It is extremely hard to take a photo of a child running around with a Blackberry phone.

I believe that moments like this define who we are. The meaning of life? It is simple. It is your kids, and your interaction with them. What you pass down to them is both your responsibility, and why you are here.

Moments like this are what make me glad to be alive. They are also something I can file away in my mind and call back when I need a little pick-me-up.

What is your favorite memory with your child?

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Picture of The Day – 35/365 – The Getaway

February 12, 2010

Have you ever had a major decision on your hands? What did you do to take the pressure off?

Today’s post is short and sweet. Unfortunately, there is no recipe.

Today’s photo is about taking a bit of time, and getting away. I took this photo while the sun rose in a cozy bed and breakfast that my wife and I stayed at. The concept of the bed and breakfast was really cool, and it reminded me somewhat of my Jasper days.

There is a huge decision that has weighed on me since yesterday. There are a lot of thoughts going on, and you know what? Sometimes we just need to get away.

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