So by now, if you've read past entries of my blog and especially the Transatlantic Tastes section, you must know that I'm a big fan of Jamie Oliver. I've been an admirer for quite a few years, always tuning into his different television series on the Food Network and buying a number of his books (I've lost count but I have at least five, I'm sure of it.) I even had the pleasure of meeting him five years ago while living in Toronto!
I've cooked my way through a number of his recipes and shared them with friends and family. Some of my favourites include a classic Tomato Soup, delicious Crunchy Garlic Chicken and my absolute favourite that I make on a regular basis, Cherry Tomato Sauce with Cheat's Fresh Pasta, the first recipe I tried out of one of Jamie's cook books and one that has remained in my recipe box for years.
Are you a fan of Jamie Oliver? Have you tried any of his recipes? Let me know in the comments below!
A couple of year ago, while living in Toronto, I took advantage of Chef Month at Indigo - a month of book signings by well-known celebrity chefs from around the world. I've had the opportunity to meet such fine gentlemen as Gordon Ramsay, Massimo Capra and of course, my all time favourite Essex boy, Jamie Oliver.
As you may already know, I like to watch the Food Network pretty often. And by "pretty often" I mean, "every single day". (It's educational! It could be worse, I could be watching Married to Jonas or Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Notice how I linked out to Jonas but not the other? Yeah. Don't even Google it, it's 10 seconds of your life you'll never get back.)
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, one of Canada's favourite celebrity chefs, Montreal's own Chuck Hughes, paid a visit to Chapters St. John's, so I decided to pay him a visit and add another cookbook to my growing collection. Let me just say, what a lovely man, in looks and in manners. My friend John was kind enough to take a few snaps and let me use them for my blog! Thanks John!
I asked Chuck how he was enjoying his stay, and he said he loved Newfoundland and was having a great time. He managed to sample a Newfoundland delicacy or two while here, including these delicious treats...(apparently Pineapple Crush is a thing of mystery to the rest of Canada? Who knew?)
And so, another cookbook to add to my collection. There are a lot of interesting recipes in it, though mostly seafood-centred, so unfortunately, not of much use to me. But, buying the book was definitely worth being able to meet the man. Thanks for being so lovely, Chuck!
Transatlantic Tastes has been on hiatus for a few months due to life getting busy for myself and my cooking partner, but a couple of Sundays ago, we managed to set aside a few hours to try a new dish and catch up on all our news. Our chosen recipe? "Parmesan Chicken Breasts with Crispy Posh Ham".
This is a recipe that I've wanted to try for a long time, (like, for a couple of years long time) but for some reason, I just never did. To start up our cooking sessions again, I thought this would be a great dish to get us going!
If you've ever seen Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food television series on the Food Network, this dish is one that Jamie cooks for a group of men who have never cooked before in their lives, and I figure if they could do it, so can I. Sure, I didn't have Jamie Oliver standing next to me, giving me a demonstration before I started, but I figured N and I would do just fine.
The list of ingredients were pretty easy - some I had in my pantry already, others I had to make a trip to the grocery store for. I don't usually have things like fresh thyme or prosciutto on hand regularly. The ingredients included:
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 small skinless chicken breast fillets
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
4 slices of prosciutto
olive oil
Recipe? Check!
The ingredients all ready to go!
Chicken breast sprinkled with fresh thyme, freshly ground pepper and lemon zest
Let's see how this turns out...
Not the prettiest presentation, but it sure tasted good! N gives the thumbs up!
This was a fairly easy recipe to make, and it really was a delicious meal. The next time I try it, I'll be sure to flatten the chicken breasts a bit more, to give them a more even cook through. If this recipe is something you'd be interested in trying, I recommend you check out Jamie Oliver's website, or pick up his book, Jamie's Food Revolution.We'll be back again soon with more Transatlantic Tastes recipes!
As you probably know by now, (and if you don't, what parts of my blog have you been reading?? Kidding!) I used to live in Toronto, going to school and working in the public relations industry. While I love my home in Newfoundland, now that I'm back in St. John's, I realize that I do miss Toronto an awful lot.
When I first moved to the Big Smoke, I was going to school and living in Etobicoke, so I didn't get a chance to explore downtown Toronto a whole lot. But when I moved downtown after finishing school and lived in an apartment with some friends, that was like a different life altogether.
At the time, I was on the job hunt looking for work, with not much to do and little money to spend. While there were days I stayed home and watched a lot of television, (it was then I discovered and became obsessed with the Food Network - a healthy obsession, I like to think) all that free time gave me a chance to explore the city and get to know it better. I learned street names and subway stations, districts of the city and where popular attractions were located.
Being away from Toronto has shown me how much I really do miss things like:
I miss living with my roommates in our brick townhouse in the heart of downtown Toronto. My friend Heather and I had gone through our public relations program together and our friend Brittany and later, new roommate Kristel, both strangers in the beginning, became fast friends, and are still friends of mine today. It was really nice, being able to come home at the end of our days, make dinner and talk about what had happened at work, and then watch some tv together, play video games, or just chat. I miss those days, girls. :)
I miss walking to the St. Lawrence Market on Saturday mornings with my buddy Paul and having pasta, buying fresh produce and stocking up on perogies. Being able to buy your produce from somewhere other than the grocery store is something that's rare in St. John's. I know we have a couple of little farmer's markets in the city and surrounding areas, but they're nothing like the St. Lawrence Market.
You must know by now that I love cupcakes. I mean, seriously love. So when in a big city like Toronto, there were bakeries and sweet shops that sure, sold cupcakes. But then there were cupcake shops, dedicated to just cupcakes.
Those were the places I used to visit fairly often...so much so, that the staff at one of them began to remember me. I knew then I had a problem. A cupcake-addiction problem...but it's fine, all things in moderation, right? I miss the cupcake shops I'd visit the most, like Prairie Girl Bakery, or Dlish Cupcakes. Both their cupcakes were so delicious.
I know my Toronto friends might think I'm crazy, but I miss riding the subway. (okay, I certainly don't miss the delays on the TTC, but I do miss riding the train sometimes.) I miss getting on the train and letting it take me to wherever I was going, listening to the stops being announced, seeing the people on the train with me, wondering where they were headed. Every once in a while, I'd run into someone I knew on the train (which was rare, since I didn't know very many people in Toronto) and that would always delight me; that in a city of millions, it's still a small world after all.
I miss the atmosphere of the city; so busy and noisy and full of lights and massive buildings and strings of traffic. Those are things that, no matter how much I love St. John's, it just doesn't have, like Toronto does.
My time in Toronto had a big impact on my life and the person I am today. I was out on my own in a city that, while I had visited numerous times on family vacations, was still strange to me. It was a big change. But it was one I had craved and one that I had needed for a while. And because it had such a positive impact on me, there's not a day that goes by that I don't miss that city and all it offered me.
While I do miss Toronto, and still wish I could be back there sometimes, when your home looks like this, it's hard not to feel happy that you're from such a beautiful place like Newfoundland.
Well, I wouldn't say it was Hell's Kitchen, but it's definitely been adventures in cooking. This past autumn while in the process of looking for a job here in Toronto, I decided to use my free time to try new things, one of which was cooking.
Now, don't get my wrong, I learned how to cook years ago, thanks to my mother teaching me a handful of recipes throughout my childhood and through picking a few up on my own. But I'd never really used a cookbook, and living on my own for the first time, I wanted to have one to show me how to make some basic dishes that you'd think people would know, but tend to screw up sometimes.
was hooked. Two British men showing off their fancy culinary skills? It was like a dream come true.
While at Indigo in November, I learned that November was Chef Month, and numerous chefs would be doing book signings at the Manulife Centre. To my surprise and delight, guess who came? Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. :)
Both were pleasant and extremely charming, and Chef Ramsay in particular was quite chatty when I went up to get my book signed! While I like them both very much, when it came to their cook books, Ramsay's is just a little too advanced for me. Jamie's Food Revolution, on the other hand, was just what I'd been looking for. I've tried a number of recipes already, and each one has been delicious.
One of my favourites so far? Jamie's spaghetti and meatballs from scratch:
I'll post more of my culinary creations in the coming months. In the meantime, if you're looking for a great cook book, why not pick up Jamie's Food Revolution? :) You won't be disappointed!
Being on the job hunt is tough. I think most people know that.
I've been here since the end of September and had been looking for a job right from the start, without having much luck. And as much as I love the Food Network, when you start seeing repeats of certain shows, or have the daily schedule almost memorized, you know unemployment just ain' that great anymore. You're itching to be doing something.
Don't get me wrong, I loved expanding my recipe repertoire, and even went to a few book signings of my favourite chefs, (oh hey, Cake Boss!) but there's only so much one can take. It's been like Food Network overkill. Moderation is key, people.
(If you need a good stirfry recipe though, I'm your girl.)
Anyway, as I said, I wasn't having much luck at all, until a fellow Humber PR grad contacted me about a position that was opening up at the agency she was working. Interested, I applied, had a great interview, and two days ago, I was offered the position! So, I can finally say:
I'm hired!
I begin work at the agency next week, and I'm so excited. A big thanks to my pal Jenna for helping me out, because without her, I wouldn't be in this new position!
was hooked. Two British men showing off their fancy culinary skills? It was like a dream come true.
