Beer-Themed Recipes for International Beer Day!

TGIF! Today is International Beer Day! To mark the occasion, I would like to share with you a few special beer-themed recipes courtesy of HelloFresh. What is HelloFresh? It’s a company that delivers healthy meal plans right to your door, making everyday cooking a breeze! They provide delicious recipes, locally sourced fresh ingredients and take care of all the shopping, measuring and delivering.

Celebrate this special day by making scrumptious Juicy Lucy Burgers and Purslane Stew. Enjoy International Beer Day. Cheers!

Juicy Lucy Burger with Tomato-Onion Jam and Charred Baby Gem Lettuce  (pictured above)

The decadent Juicy Lucy burger is not for the faint of heart. Stuffed on the inside with oozing cheddar cheese, this burger does not mess around. Charring the baby gem lettuce is the secret technique to making this summery salad.   

Serves 4  

Ingredients

  • 600 g ground beer

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

  • 2 plum tomatoes 

  • 2 small red onions, thinly sliced 

  • 4 garlic cloves 

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 

  • 2 heads baby gem lettuces 

  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise 

  • 2 tbsp ketchup 

  • 4 brioche buns 

  • 2 tsp sugar 

  • Olive or canola oil  

Instructions 

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and dry all produce. Core, seed and dice the tomato. Remove 2 outer leaves from each gem lettuce and set aside. Quarter the remaining lettuce lengthwise. Mince the garlic.

2. Char the lettuce: Heat a large pan over high heat. Add the lettuce quarters to the dry pan, cutside down, and cook for 1-2 minute, until charred. Turn to char on other cut-side, then remove from the pan.   

3. Make the tomato-onion jam: Heat a drizzle of oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the red onion to the pan and cook, tossing for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the diced tomato, sugar and half the balsamic vinegar to the pan. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the tomatoes breaks down and the sauce is thick and jammy. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a small bowl. Wipe the pan clean.   

4. Assemble the burgers: Meanwhile, divide the ground beef into 4 portions and flatten each portion into a 6-inch wide circle. Divide the cheddar cheese between centres of each circle and fold up the edges around the cheese. Seal the meat around the cheese and lightly press into a 4-inch wide patty shape. Season with salt and pepper.   

5. Cook the burgers: In the same pan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium- high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 3-6 minutes per side, until cooked to desired doneness. (TIP: Inserting a thermometer into cooked meat should display an internal temperature of 160°F.) Don’t worry if some of the cheese leaks out, it’ll still taste delicious!   
   
6. Make the balsamic dressing: Meanwhile, halve the buns and toast them in the oven for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. In a small bowl, whisk together half the mayo, remaining balsamic, a large drizzle of oil and as much minced garlic as you like.   

7. Assemble and serve: Layer the buns with burgers, tomato-onion jam and lettuce leaf. Spread with ketchup or mayo to taste. Serve with the charred romaine drizzled with balsamic dressing. Enjoy!  

Purslane Stew with Meatballs Stewed in Brand Saison Beer

Serves 4  

Ingredients

  • 12 meatballs

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • 2 onions

  • 4 tsp. rosemary

  • 300ml Brand Saison beer

  • 1.2kg Soprano potatoes

  • 2 Kohlrabi

  • 300g Purslane

  • 1½ tbsp. butter

  • 2 tbsp. flour

  • A dash of milk

  • 2 tsp. mustard

  • Salt & pepper to taste   

Instructions

1. Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the meatballs until golden-brown (about 5 min) on medium heat. Meanwhile, chop the garlic and onion finely.  

2. Take the meatballs out of the frying pan and set aside. Switch to low heat, add the onion, garlic and rosemary and stir for a minute. Add the flour and stir for one more minute. Add the right amount of beer and 25 ml water per person, stir until smooth. Add the meatballs to the pan and cook, covered, on low heat for 20 minutes. Bring to taste with salt and pepper.   

3. Heat 500 ml water per person in a pan with lid for the potatoes (soprano) and kohlrabi. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and kohlrabi and cut them into wedges. Add to the boiling water and let it cook, covered, for 15 minutes until ready. Drain the potatoes, save a little bit of the water and keep apart.  

4. Mash the potatoes and kohlrabi to a stew. Add a dash of milk and/or the retained water to make it a bit more creamy. Add the mustard and bring to taste with salt and pepper. Tear the purslane into smaller pieces and mix most of it with the stew.   

5. Divide the stew and meatballs onto the plates. Garnish with the rest of the purslane and sauce.  

For more information on HelloFresh, visit: hellofresh.ca

A Look at LG's Latest Innovative Products

By: Natasha Williams

On a scorching hot summer day, I was more than happy to look ahead to Christmas at the LG Social Club preview of hot new items for the holidays. The second I walked through the door at The Spoke Club, I was blown away (and not just by the refreshing whoosh of air conditioning). From household appliances to razor thin televisions, LG specialists spoke passionately about the latest and greatest from LG

The Styler, which retails for $3,199 (and looks like it belongs in James Bonds’ bedroom) is a steam closet that will refresh, de-wrinkle and sanitize your delicate clothes and household textiles, eliminating the need for dry cleaning with one sleek looking unit that requires nothing more than a standard electrical outlet (steam provided by a refillable water tank). This unit will handle everything from your fur/leather trimmed garments to Daisy’s doggie bed.

I’m also deeply in love with the LG Sidekick Pedestal Washer (starting at around $949.99), an add-on mini washer that can be paired with any LG front loading side-by-side, and allows you to do two separate laundry loads at once. The practical applications are endless, such as new moms wanting to do a small load of tiny little onesies using delicate detergent in the Sidekick while doing a bulkier more heavy duty load in the main washer. Don’t want your delicates to snag on the zippers of your jeans? Bring in the Sidekick! Back from the gym and don’t want to let your sweaty gear stew while waiting to accumulate a larger load? Sidekick to the rescue. Better yet, all of the appliances being showcased can be operated by an app on your phone! This excited me to no end when I realized I no longer need to call my mom in a panic to ask how to get red wine out of my favourite blouse; just type the stain into the app, tap your phone to the washer and it sets everything for you!

Now while my comfort zone is situated within the domain of the domestic arts, even the televisions on display got me excited. LG’s OLED (Organic Light Emitting Display) is completely new with advanced and award-winning technology that essentially provides the truest blackest black allowing for greater contrast and clarity. They demonstrated this technology by playing a relatively dark movie (Batman vs. Superman) and you could distinguish the stitching and fibers and even black-on-black patterns that would otherwise be missed with standard LED or LCD displays. The models on display ranged from the moderately priced $3,000 to the extravagant $10,999.99, but even the more affordable models have added features such as anti-glare film (so necessary for binge watching Netflix on a sunny Sunday in your condo with floor to ceiling windows) and a central hub that will allow you download any app (Shomi, Crave, YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and control all your internet enabled appliances from one place.

The event was capped off by an exclusive cocktail party complete with athletic and culinary royalty in attendance including Raptors' General Manager Masai Ujiri, Raptors' #6 Cory Joseph and celebrity chef Chuck Hughes). Though if I’m being completely honest, nothing left me quite as star struck as the LG Styler. Sigh...sorry CoJo.

Product photos courtesy of LG Canada. 

 

A Royal Affair: Afternoon Tea at the Omni King Edward Hotel

My friend and now sister-in-law, Charlene, recently married my brother and it was a very special occasion, as the couple planned their whole wedding themselves. Charlene did not want a bridal shower, nor did she want a bachelorette party. As a bridesmaid, my duties were very minimal, but her sister, Charlotte and I decided that we needed to do something special for Charlene before her big day.

Indulging in afternoon tea with the ladies at the regal Omni King Edward Hotel sounded like the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Just last September, the hotel had its grand re-opening after undergoing a $40 million renovation. Contemporary decor meets old-world charm at the luxurious hotel. The crystal ballroom is also set to be restored to the tune of six and a half million dollars. The re-opening of the ballroom is slated for early 2017 and will undoubtedly be one of the most ornate and elegant venues in Toronto. 

Afternoon tea takes place at Victoria's Restaurant, which has been completely revitalized. Our hostess gives us a warm welcome and as we settle in our over-sized, comfortable purple chairs, we cannot help but feel like royalty. There is no trace of stuffiness in the restaurant. It is bright, spacious and inviting and I especially like that the table is large with fine linens and silverware laid out on it. We admire the delicate teal blue and white floral porcelain cups and saucers that adorn the table. 

Our friendly server brings amuse-bouches of Chinese soup spoons laden with tangy pickled cucumbers. He also explains the tea menus and brings out a collection of Sloane teas for us to choose from. Charlene and Charlotte choose the heavenly oolong creme tea, which comes from the Wuyi Mountains of China. It is a creamy, silky and sweet treat. As a chocolate lover, I just have to opt for the chocolate truffle tea, which is a blended black smooth bodied Assam tea. It is infused with truffle notes and Brazilian cocoa, which creates a rich, dark chocolate finish.

Next up, our server presents a three-tiered serving platter with delightful finger sandwiches for us to sample. These unique, delightful bites are bursting with flavour and we savour each and every bite. Stand-out sandwiches include the zesty chickpea hummus with lightly curried carrots, raisins and sliced almonds and prosciuttini with refreshing compressed melon. Charlene and Charlotte enjoy the picnic egg salad with chives, radish and sweet pickles and the heirloom tomato caprese with torn basil. 

Scones are a staple of any afternoon tea experience and we happily enjoy the classic cream and blueberry scones with delicious accompaniments of Devonshire cream, house-made strawberry jam and lemon lime curd.

Our indulgent experience comes to a sweet ending when we are offered an array of the most decadent and colourful pastries. Tart and sweet lemon mousse, superior carrot cake and coffee cream tarts satisfy our palates.

We pour ourselves some more tea and clink glasses, with our pinkies out, of course! We enjoy girl talk, loads of laughs and the pleasurable experience of escaping the everyday and partaking in luxurious afternoon tea at the Omni King Edward Hotel. Afternoon tea is certainly the perfect way for any bride-to-be to relax, unwind and dine a beautiful setting! 

Afternoon tea takes place at Victoria's Restaurant in the Omni King Edward Hotel from Friday – Saturday at 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The hotel is located at 37 King Street East. For more information, visit: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/toronto-king-edward/dining/afternoon-tea.  

Escape and Discover: An Unforgettable Adventure with the 2017 Ford Escape

Escape and Discover: An Unforgettable Adventure with the 2017 Ford Escape

My latest adventure involved mystery, intrigue a whole lot of fun with Ford. I was invited to go on an exclusive weekend trip with other bloggers and the Ford team. The catch? I had no clue where I would be going until the morning of the trip. I had an inkling that we may go camping as we travel in the newest Ford Escape, but the Ford team had something else up their sleeves. 

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Vinho Verde Wine Tasting

By: Zena Rebello

I recently attended a charming garden party hosted by Ellen Douglas, a producer of CNBC's Wine Portfolio and Rea Kelly, a wonderfully talented local Toronto artist. They graciously guided their guests on a tasting of Vinho Verde wines. The event was an intimate backyard gathering of wine, food and lifestyle bloggers all of whom were curious about sampling wine from a small region of Portugal, which sits on the northern border Spain. 

While dinning on an assortment of cheeses and charcuteries, our host described the lush, cool, rainy, green countryside of the region. The name, Vinho Verde, means ‘green wine’ and it is indicative of the region’s terrain as well as the age of the grapes. Grape varieties such as Loureiro, Trajadura, Arinto and Vinhao are picked before they mature and the wine is quickly bottled after the harvest to capture the grape's youthful character.

I engaged in stimulating conversations centered around wine and art with the guests. Kelly, exhibited some of her artwork and explained that to her, art, much like wine, was one of life’s great joys. As I eyed her work, admiring how she constructed each painting with dramatic colours, I couldn’t help but think about the bold reds, straw-coloured yellows and flowery pink colours of Vinho Verde wines. Wine with art make a truly formidable combination.

Throughout the evening I indulged with other guests in sampling a variety of white wines. As a red wine enthusiast, I assumed I would not enjoy the Vinho Verde wines as much as my favourite shiraz, but with each sample I quickly warmed up to them. All of the wines that I sampled were expressive with distinct aromas and flavours and high in acidity. Each wine was aromatic and crisp with citrus, floral, pear and apple flavours. Additionally, due to the granite-based soils in the region, delicate hints of mineral were imbued in the wines. 

My favourite wine of the evening was the Gazela, which is a dry, lightly carbonated white wine with citrus notes. It is also very reasonably priced at $8.95 and available at the LCBO, which makes Vinho Verde wine even more attractive!

Zena Rebello is an environmental and atmospheric chemist by day and an ardent Muay Thai practitioner by night.