Rooting for Roottacular!

So you would think creating a list of root vegetables would be easy…apparently not! After perusing many web sites, I have determined that the list of Officially Sanctioned Root Vegetables should contain only true roots (taproots and tuberous roots) and exclude any modified plant stems (tubers, rhizomes, corms) and bulbs. Got that? Phew!

So, pick one of the below vegetables (or two, or three…) and get cooking -- don’t forget to post what you’re making!

• Beets
• Rutabaga
• Carrots
• Turnips
• Burdock
• Celeriac/celery root
• Daikon
• Jicama
• Parsnips
• Radishes
• Sweet potatoes (but not yams!)
• Cassava/yucca/manioc

See you this Saturday (Dec 3rd) at the Fergormans!

Grilltacular Round-up!

Our 12th spectacular ‘Tacular was a sizzling, smoky success. Grill marks all around! Kate and Ian bravely threw open their doors (and opened the lids of their BBQs) so we could enjoy…

Margherita Pizzas. Ayako and James made delicious mini grilled pizzas with mozzarella, basil, and sometimes meat (prosciutto methinks). Cut into mini slices, they were the perfect little nibbles to start us off.

Turkey Roulades. OK, I don’t actually know that they were roulades, but there was turkey, and it was rolled up, and had yummy herbs inside, and I think more meat (maybe? can’t quite remember…anyway, Meat in Meat…excellent idea for a future ‘Tacular perhaps? I digress…). Well done hosts! Oh yes, Kate also served up a juicy little salad featuring wee tomatoes she grew all by herself! Not grilled, just yummy.

Shrimp Skewers on Grilled Polenta with a Tropical Salsa. Can you believe Mei grilled the polenta rounds? On her own? Like, as in, had to go to the roof of Jeremy’s condo and turn on the BBQ and everything? No explosion, well done. I believe it was mango that made the salsa tropical. And, continuing on with the theme of ‘cooking with things I grew myself’, the salsa also included some of those fiery peppers Jeremy’s been cultivating on his balcony. Spicy.

Chicken Involtini with Prosciutto and Basil. More rolled meats! Meat in meat! Dan and Sara cranked up the Weber and cooked up these delicious little morsels nestled on top of a homemade tomato sauce. Dan did an excellent job with the plating, recreating Stonehenge – or perhaps Easter Island – with his chicken rolls. Fancy times.

Corn with Paprika. Ladies and gents, for the first ‘Tacular ever, Linder prepared food over a heat source. Bravo Mark! Inspired by his European vacation, he sizzled up grilled corn sprinkled with paprika and salt. Very proud, very proud.

Veggie Skewers. Mark gamely threaded many a skewer with red peppers, mushrooms and red onion. Who doesn’t love grilled veggies? And, food always tastes better when served on sticks. (Wait, perhaps another ‘Tacular theme – Sticktacular! I’m on a roll, it’s going on the list for sure…)

Ping Gai Chicken & Miso Eggplant. These dishes were my contribution to the feast. The chicken was a Laotian recipe from the Queen Mother Café, heavy on the cilantro, served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce. The miso eggplant was squishy, buttery and sweet. Grilled Asian delights, hooray!

Pineapple, two ways. Allison’s version had a sweet topping (brown sugar?) while Kate’s was unadulterated. Both delicious, especially when enjoyed with vanilla ice cream and/or Kate’s lemon mascarpone cheese. So good.

Flourless Chocolate Birthday Cake. In celebration of Allison’s belated birthday, Ayako baked up an awesome layer cake – so moist and fluffy. Despite my (repeated) suggestions of throwing it on the grill in keeping with our theme, for some reason she chose to ignore me…

Karina, Christian, Jenn and Daniel --- we missed you!

For photo memories, click on the “’Tacular Memories” link on the right of our homepage.

The next ‘Tacular will be Roottacular on Saturday, December 3rd. I'll post a list of officially sanctioned root vegetables in November.

Jenn and Daniel – we’re wondering if you would be up to hosting in your new abode? Let us know!

What're ya grilling up?

An early start to this thread...I'm bringing Laotian Ping Gai Chicken and probably miso-grilled eggplant.

2Cock2Tacular Round-up!

We came, we stirred, we mixed, we drank, we...right, there was food too! Our 11th 'Tacular was heavy on the beverages, but also featured some delicious nibblies to help line our stomachs. Here's what we enjoyed at Karina and Christian's:

Beginning, middle, end...our entertaining hosts started us off with a yummy corn and bean salsa, grilled up some steak for a main, and finished us off with a tangy sour cream rhubarb pie. We washed this all down with rhubarb sours, mmm....bourbon. Midway through the evening Christian startled us with some backyard fire-lighting theatrics, which luckily did not end up requiring an emergency call to Dr. Linder.

Ayako chopped up a juicy watermelon salsa (with a jalapeno kick!) and served us tequila, of course. Oh, maybe it just tasted like straight tequila...right, she actually brought a watermelon cucumber refresher. For many, this cocktail really helped start the night.

Mark and Allison brought...more tequila! This time in Palomas (limey and grapefruity!) which were paired with a delicious avocado and grapefruit salad.

More salad! Sara and Dan dished out their lemony strawberry chicken creation -- this was accompanied by a watermelon, strawberry, lemonade rose sangria. Nice!

Kate and Ian went all Spanish, bringing little bites of pan-fried chorizo with quince jelly and cheese (Manchego?). On the beverage front they poured out a savoury gazpacho with vodka, garnished with fennel fronds.

Jeremy and Mei went with a Caribbean theme, bringing tasty homemade beef patties (vegetarian and meat versions, no less!) and Dark and Stormy cocktails made with ginger beer and rum. Yum! And, in honour of the premiere of the final Harry Potter movie, Mei stirred up a cauldron full of indulgent Butterbeer ---Professor Snape would have been proud.

And I sliced up some cucumber, feta and mint toasts to serve alongside a pitcher of Champagne Mint Juleps. Minty fresh -- better than toothpaste!

As always, click on the "'Tacular Memories" link at the top right of the
homepage for photos.

Linder, James, Jenn and Daniel -- we missed you!

So onto the next 'Tacular...Grilltacular! That's right, plug in those George Foreman grills and fire up those BBQs for some fat sizzling action. Where? Kate's. When? Saturday, September 24th. More details to come!

What I'm bringing..

...I'm having posting issues and couldn't add a comment to Jeremy's note, hence this new post. I'll be making Champagne Mint Juleps with cucumber, and something cucumbery to eat (likely cucumber feta toasts, or a chilled soup...TBC!).

2 Cock 2 'Tacular

Like, OMG, am i rlly the 1st to post 4 the upcoming 2Cock2Tacular?

Mei and I are pairing Dark 'n Stormy® cocktails with Jamaican beef patties. Yum.

Citrustacular Round-up!

Our 10th anniversary ‘Tacular was a tart and tangy citrus-fest hosted by Ayako and James. For some reason my memory of the particulars of each dish are a bit fuzzy this month, so if I’ve missed some details, please fill them in! Here’s what we enjoyed…

Much to Karina’s delight (especially since she had cabbed it over), there were a lot of boozy drinks. James muddled us up some mojitos and whizzed up margaritas, while Karina and Christian stirred up delicious bourbon sours (made with very generous double-shot pours). I brought homemade limeade which was not intended to be alcoholic, though for many that’s what they became thanks to the freezer stash of gin and vodka. Hick!

For the edibles, Ayako started us off with slices of goat cheese dressed with basil and lemon zest, homemade lemony hummus and guacamole, and awesome scallop ceviche. After some nibbling and more drinking, it was onto the mains…

First up were the pastas….Mei and Jeremy rolled out some homemade fettucine. Freshly boiled, tossed with lemon, basil, cheese and served with capers and shrimp….al dente goodness. Sara and Dan mixed up a yummy tortellini salad tossed with lemon, springy asparagus, peppers, cheese and pine nuts. Mmmm, carbs.

Thanks to Ian and Kate, salads and grapefruit were well represented. Salad #1 featured red grapefruit, red onion and basil. Salad #1 had red grapefruit and sliced avocado. Refreshing indeed!

Karina and Christian cooked up a rich stew with tender beef, carrots and orange. The citrus flavour would have been even more pronounced had Karina not remembered the orange zest garnish after we had finished dinner. Oops!

I fried up old-school ‘Chinese’ orange chicken, take-out style (look out Manchu Wok!). Now my house smells like a deep fryer, but I think it was worth it.

After a short ‘are her boobs fake?” Facebook interlude, it was time for dessert! Sara baked up scrumptiously buttery lemon squares, Ayako sliced up homemade chocolate orange bars, and we washed it all down with, erm...more booze.

Speaking of booze, we decided that the next ‘Tacular will be…2Cock2Tacular (or Cocktacular 2 for you non-Fast and Furious fans, myself included)! When? Saturday, July 16th at the McMompsons.

You are requested to bring a cocktail as well as a complementary food pairing. For full ‘Tacular enjoyment leave your cars at home! Christian may or may not be pitching tents in the backyard for overnight guests.

We’d like to keep track of our recipes, so please post your Citrustacular recipes as a comment to this post. And, for photos, click on the “’Tacular Memories” link at the upper right corner of this blog.

Mark, Mark, Allison, Jenn and Daniel -- we missed you!

Eau de Bacon

http://www.beautyandthedirt.com/2011/05/19/eau-de-bacon

Citrustacular! What tangy tastiness will you tote on May 28?

OK, we have decided what we're making so here's the "here's what I'm bringing" post.

Stacktacular Round-up!

Our 9th deliciously spectacular 'Tacular was hosted by Allison and Mark. No party room, but we managed to squeeze into their comfy apartment. The theme? Layered and stacked foods! Here's what we enjoyed...

Kate and Ian skewered up some awesome vegetable napoleons. Grilled (roasted?) veggies with a creamy herbed filling. Methinks they win the prize for most layers!

Linder and Caley poured out the B52s. Baileys, Kahlua and Grand Marnier....appetizer? Dessert? Both!

Jeremy and Mei made some sangwiches. As in mini Italian club sandwiches. Arugula, proscuitto, and baby chicken parm. Cute. And definitely tasty.

What about the mains? Karina and Christian baked up a veggie lasagna. Allison and Mark layered up a veggie shepherd's pie (mmmmushroomy). Sara and Dan whipped up a moussy moussaka. And I stacked up some baked polenta and short rib ragu towers.

As for dessert...we dove into Jenn and Daniel's chocolate layer cake, and Ayako and James threw down a 4-layer banana cake with chocolate ganache. Plus, there were berries. And ice cream!

So, onto the next 'Tacular...Citrustacular! Saturday, May 28th at Ayako and James'. Mark it down!

(As always, for photos, click on the "'Tacular Memories" link at the top right of our blog page.)

Citrustacular!

Mark it down, folks: Saturday, May 28th, chez Shimizu/Watanabe

Stacktacular! What will you be layering??

I will make a caramelized onion and wild mushroom shepherd's pie (vegetarian) and a layered birthday dessert!

Souptacular Round-up!

Our 8th fabulous ‘Tacular was full of soupy goodness. Hosted by the FerGormans in their cozy abode, we ladled our way through 10 pots of deliciousness….

Kate, her mismatched socks, and Ian brought a smooth winter vegetable soup topped with bacon, sour cream and thyme.

Karina and Christian served up a gooey, cheesy soup with beer. Christian may or may not have snuck some Tabasco and cream into the pot when the head chef wasn’t looking.

Sara, Dan and Henry sliced and diced their way to a delicious hot and sour soup topped with green onions and chili oil. So authentic, it was O-Posse approved! And our cooks had such a good time, they came back for more (or perhaps, to retrieve their keys…).

Jenn and Daniel also went the Asian route with a yummy fish soup with creamy coconut milk, lime leaves and loads of other Thai ingredients that required a special trip to St. Lawrence Market to find.

Allison and Mark brought two soups! A pureed ginger carrot; and a coconut jasmine tea-infused soup with lychee and mango (or was that papaya? I do remember that it was deelish).

Jeremy and Mei brought a savoury minestrone with double-smoked bacon and homemade stock, and two kinds of cheese for garnish – parmesan and bocconcini. Hearty, cheesy, good.

Ayako and James channelled their inner Greeks and stirred up a pot of creamy, tangy avgolemono – with lemon, egg, dill and rice. Tasty!

I, for some reason, went all Irish and brought an onion, potato and thyme soup topped with parsley pesto, and served with cheesy soda scones.

And Mark…..well, Mark took a more liberal interpretation of “soup” and brought a dessert concoction of ice cream, chocolate syrup, peanut M&Ms and cookie dough. We’ll certainly give you points for creativity, Linder!

We topped up our bellies with macarons, tarte tatin and Ayako’s infamous coffee, chocolate chip shortbread bars. As we tried to ignore the sloshing sounds from Mei’s stomach, we voted on the next ‘Tacular which will be…

Stacktacular! If it’s yummy, layered and/or stacked, bring it on! Our lovely hosts will be Allison and Mark, date to be confirmed.

(For Souptacular photos, click on the “’Tacular Memories” photo link at the top right of our homepage.)

Stacktacular

Hi all,

So Stacktacular will be at our place, but be warned one last time that it may be very cozy. April 2nd is the only Saturday that works for us. If that doesn't work for the majority, then we can look at dates in March or May. So let us know if you can make it, and we'll go from there.

Allison & Mark

Souptacular - Recipes

Okay, Mei, here's a post for our Souptacular recipes. I'll post mine as a comment.

Taculartacular

Wow, thanks Jenn and Daniel for a great night! Who knew a meal of soup could be so varied, tasty, and satisfying? Looking forward to the wrapup, San. Yet again we missed the end of the evening and are dying to know the next 'Tacular.

On that subject, having had a lot of time in the car for discussion, we were talking about future 'Taculars and Dan came up with a great idea: the Taculartacular. Everyone would post a list of all the things they've made for the 'Taculars and we'd all vote for our favourites. Then that's what you'd bring! Kind of an All Star 'Tacular. Anyway! Maybe we need a few more 'Taculars under our belts before we do that, but I thought it was a great idea and wanted to post it before we forget.

Feb 5th it is! What're y'all bringing?

It is on at the Fergormans for Feb 5th. Don't forget to post what soupy conconction you're bringing. To recap from previous posts, so far we've got:

* Allison & Mark H -- carrot & ginger, and possibly a dessert soup
* Kate and Ian -- winter veg
* Me -- onion, potato & thyme...likely accompanied by cheesy soda scones (it's the Irish in me)

Post away!