Moonstruck Chocolate in Portland, OR

You know how sometimes I give you really specific food advice about certain goodies from extremely specific towns in North America? Well, it's only going to continue to happen. Why? BECAUSE I CAN! 

As you already know, my babefriend Jenn recently finished her first book tour. And while she was away, she brought me back some chocolates from a place called Moonstruck Chocolate Co. located in Portland, Oregon. The best (/most memorable) piece of chocolate I've had in a very long time was their Popping Praline that was amongst the Monster Mash Collection. 

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It was tasty as hell and actually popped in my mouth - yeah, popping chocolate. I don't get it either. Not sure how anyone can make popping chocolate but I'm going to assume it has something to do with science. 

If you find yourself in Portland, OR - go check this place out. I'm sure there are other chocolate anomalies existing inside. 

The BBLT at Murray's Cheese Shop

Before I begin, let me start by saying that you can't get this sandwich at Murray's Cheese Bar. No, no - this one is only available in their cheese shop next door. And no, that's not a typo - a BBLT is a Burrata Bacon Lettuce Tomato sandwich, you rube! And here it is.

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The BBLT at Murray's Cheese Shop

Whenever I find myself in the West Village, it's always a hard decision for me to choose this baby or that baby to feast upon. Also, you have to keep in mind that to encounter any kind of burrata dish under $10 is a FEAT in this city.

Definitely try this if you've ever ordered a BLT anywhere in the history of the planet. The extra B really puts it over the top and makes it crazy delicious. 

Trader Joe's Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip

Sometimes it's okay to indulge in unhealthy, but delicious acts once in awhile. But for the most part, we can all be making better choices when it comes to food.

This Trader Joe's dip blew my face off, it was way more flavourful than I was expecting it to be. It tastes like it should be a terrible-for-you dip but somehow it isn't. And it's definitely better than any grocery store dip I've ever bought before. You have to try it. There's a copycat recipe for it here, but really... just go buy the stuff. (I mean, what the hell is dillweed? Is that dill? Is dillweed different? If it's the same, just call it dill!)

And for my Canadian readers, I know that Trader Joe's isn't in Canada, but if you find yourself in Buffalo at some point, I really think you should check out the Trader Joe's there. I'm not telling you to solely cross a border for this dip (though it IS cross-a-country-kind-of-good), but Trader Joe's has some great stuff in general. I'm sure you'll find a few things you wouldn't at Loblaws.

Later, dillweed.

Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I made this salad for Thanksgiving and IT IS INCREDIBLE. The next time you need to make a salad for a group of people, I aggressively encourage you to use this recipe. Other than the obnoxious pomegranate-cutting, it's ridiculously easy to make. 

For The Vinaigrette

• 1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepepr
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For The Salad

• 4 cups arugula
• 2 ripe pears, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• 3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

Instructions

In a small bowl combine the shallot, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil and let vinaigrette stand at room temperature until salad is assembled. Combine the arugula, romaine, pears and half of the pomegranate seeds in a large bowl. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the ingredients in the bowl (this works best if the cheese is very cold). Whisk the vinaigrette until uniform and add all but 2 tablespoons of it to the bowl. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking. Crumble the remaining cheese over the salad and sprinkle the remaining pomegranate seeds and the pistachios over the top. Serve immediately.

Recipe slightly adapted from Food 52.

Rhum Corner in Toronto

I swear to God they make drinks here like they do in the islands. I had a Dark & Stormy and you CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE.

The last time I was in Toronto, Marla took me here and I loved everything about this place. It's been open for just over a year and I'm desperately hoping that it stays a long time. Look at this menu.

Not only were the drinks fantastically made, but the food is authentic beyond belief. Also, any place that boasts a homemade patty? Get the hell out of here. I couldn't even find that on the beach in Jamaica. Everything I tried here, I liked. And I think these opinions are especially notable because I'm not really big on Caribbean food since it was always around my house growing up. 

Go, go, go! I can't wait to eat here again.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

This has been my go-to chili to make for the past year. I can't believe that I haven't posted it sooner, to be honest. Not only is it the easiest thing in the world to make, but it tastes crazy good.

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
•  1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes (and compare the different brands' sodium levels 'cause some of them are outrageous)
•  2 (15 ounce) cans low-sodium kidney beans, drained
•  1 (15 ounce) can low-sodium black beans, drained
•  1/2 medium onion, chopped
•  2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•  1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
•  1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
•  1 pinch ground black pepper
•  1 pinch ground allspice
•  salt to taste

Instructions

1. Spray some cooking spray in a skillet over medium heat. Place the turkey in the skillet, and cook until evenly brown. Drain the fat from the pan as the turkey gets cooked.
2. Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray, and mix in turkey, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans and onion. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, allspice and salt.
3. Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.
4. When you serve it, you can top it with some non-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream if you're feeling fancy.

The original recipe can be found here, but my version is slightly adapted/better.

Downey's Farm in Caledon, Ontario

I've been going to this farm for twenty years and I doubt I'll ever stop. 

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Tianna & Layla

In recent years, they've added on a lot of things so there's an admission of $14 per person on weekends and $7 per person on weekdays, which isn't that crazy considering the farm's closed most of the colder months. 

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Yes, there are goats, too.

And there's an area where you can build your own scarecrow. And I don't know what kind of hay they use here, but I built one with my dad about fifteen years ago, so let's just say that it definitely holds up over time.

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Layla, after going to the face painting area.

But the main reason to go here? These pumpkin donuts.

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Pumpkin donut, dammit.

Even thought 100% of the people who I let have a bite of this said, "This doesn't taste like pumpkin" - I still maintain that it DOES. Also, it's one of the best donuts I've had. Maybe 'cause they make it at the farm? Maybe all the sugar on it? I don't know, I'm not a scientist. EAT THIS DONUT! They're seventy-five bloody cents, so I recommend getting a dozen.

This is the only place to be come October. Take your family!

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Gary & Camden

You can find more details here.

Astoria Bier & Cheese

Remember how I'm a big fan of Murray's in the city? Well, with the arrival of these (two!) locations of Astoria Bier & Cheese in (duh) Astoria, I never have to get on an E train again.

This is the burrata plate I ate.

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Full disclosure: it's not as good as the burrata at The Smith, but it's still pretty memorable. Here's their BLT.

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I had a bite of that one and it was really good. I'm not crazy into beer, but apparently this place is known for it. Why is it called bier and not beer? I don't know, but I'm guessing that's what makes it more expensive? Just a theory. Anyway, if you're in Astoria looking for good cheese-centric restaurants, this is the place.

Sidenote: Happy Birthday to the best there is, the kindest kindergarten teacher on this planet and my best friend in the universe. You're wicked and I love you, Harmeet.

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Grilled Chicken with Rosemary Aioli

I can't stop making this sandwich. The rosemary sauce tastes like nothing i've ever had before. (Quick tip: don't substitute the rosemary for tarragon, I tried that as an alternative one time and it was pretty gross.) MAKE THIS SANDWICH!

Ingredients

For the Chicken Club
½ pound boneless skinless chicken breast
4 slices of turkey bacon
4 slices whole wheat bread or sourdough (your choice)
Iceberg lettuce to cover two sandwiches
2 thick slices fresh tomato

For the Rosemary Aioli
1 semi-hard boiled egg (the original recipe calls for a coddled egg and I tried that and failed, but a semi-hard boiled egg tastes just as good)
1 large clove garlic crushed
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1/3 cup olive oil (or less depending on your love of olive oil)

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into two equal portions and pound each out to about ¼ inch thick. Put it aside. 
2. Boil that one egg until it's semi-hard (if the water is already boiling, I put the egg in for 7-8 minutes then take it out and put it aside).
3. Cook bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside.
4. To prepare the aioli, place the egg, crushed garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and rosemary in a food processor and pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly dribble in oil until the mixture resembles the consistency of mayonnaise. Use more or less oil as needed. But also, if you don't have a food processor, this can be done by hand and it's just as good (you just have to finely chop that garlic and rosemary).
5. Grill the chicken on both sides until cooked through. 
6. After you toast your bread, rub a piece of raw garlic against each piece of bread.
7. To assemble, place a piece of toast on your cutting board and smear with the aioli. Then lay a cooked chicken breast portion over the aioli and put the bacon, lettuce and tomato on top. Smear more aioli on the other piece of bread. If you can get the nice long rosemary stems, you can use them to skewer your sandwich, if not long tooth picks will work just fine.
8. If you have a slow cooker, you could also just cook the chicken in there on low for eight hours or high for four hours.

This recipe was adapted slightly from A Family Feast.

Sweet & Sour Tilapia

I swear to God this tastes like halibut. And it is out-of-this-world delicious. I always thought that tilapia was supposed to be gross, so who the hell knew this was possible? This recipe BEGS you to get more into fish, I swear.

Ingredients

4 Tilapia filets
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cups flour
1 eggs
1/4 cup water 

The Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar 
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce 
1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions

"Mix together the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish beat the eggs and water. Dip the filets in the egg wash, then the flour, then the egg again, and finally the flour again. Fry in a small amount of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until both sides are browned and the fish flakes with a fork. 
Meanwhile cook the garlic and olive oil over medium high heat in a saucepan until slightly browned. Add the honey, vinegar, garlic powder, and soy sauce and whisk over the heat for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling. Whisk in the corn starch and cook just until desired thickness is reached. If it gets thicker than you wanted, add a little water. Pour over fried tilapia."

Recipe slightly adapted from Yammie's Noshery.