Holy Hot Dog Batman!

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants     calgary, eating out, hotdogs, junk food

If you’re saying to yourself: “A hot dog is a hot dog.” You are right, no argument there. However, a hot dog is just like a person in the sense that it’s what’s on the outside that counts…wait…did I get that right? Tubby Dog is one of (yes, there’s more than one!) Calgary’s specialty hot dog establishments, and eating down for a bite to eat is always a memorable experience.

Instead of being ‘good for you,’ Tubby Dog opts to be ‘fun for you.’ With old food memorabilia showcased inside, dessert options ranging from twinkies to wagon wheels, and unexpected toppings such as crushed potato chips, it is a safe bet that most customers are going to be leaving their calorie counter at the door. It boasts a creative menu with selections like the sumo dog (wasabi, pickled ginger, seaweed, and japanese mayo) or the PBJ dog (peanut butter, jelly, and topped with Captain Crunch cereal…yum?

My out-of-town lunch-date had specifically requested this venue for our bite to eat. A Tubby Dog regular in her college days, she went for her old favorite, the Yogi Bear (standard fixings: ketchup, mustard, relish, onions) with a ‘not dog’ (veggie) instead of a hot dog…

To read the rest of this post and to check out some more photos head on over to Food Network Canada’s website by clicking here!

Amy Wood

Dan    Thoughts    

Some people can pluck your heartstrings, but others can use pchords. Amy Wood is a talented singer-songwriter, pianist-extraordinaire and a Calgary native. She’s currently recording her debut album, Cinnamon Heart, which is sure to please all the ears it shall fall apon.

Trust me, this is a girl who’s voice can turn a rainy day into sunshine!

Find out more about Amy Wood here!

Walnut ‘Pudding’ w/Orange-Fried Bananas

Dan    Recipes, Something Sweet     bananas, dessert, vegan, walnuts

What you’ll need…

1 pack soft or silken tofu (approx. 3 cups)

2 cups walnuts

1/2 cup honey (or agave syrup for real vegan sticklers!)

1/2 cup soy milk

2 TSP vanilla

2 TSP cinnamon

1 orange

2 bananas

2 TBSP brown sugar

A dessert from one of the past vegan dinner nights at my cafe, which is fairly low-cal and guilt-free for the most part! Ridiculously easy, and a perfect end to a summer dinner!

This is so easy, are you ready? To make the ‘pudding’, place all of the ingredients, except for the last 3 listed into a blender. Blend until smooth. Scoop out into a bowl, and leave the ‘pudding’ in your fridge to keep it chilled.

Cut the bananas into 1″ slices and toss them with the juice from 1 orange as well as the 2 TBSPs of brown sugar. Heat up your frying pan to medium-high heat and fry the banana pieces until carmelized (about 1 1/2 minutes on each side).

Top your walnut ‘pudding’ with them, or layer with the ‘pudding’ in a parfait glass and serve!

Serves 3-4

Total cook time…20 min

Weddings, vacation, summer, you know…

Dan    Thoughts     apologies

I feel like I need to apologize for not putting many recipes up on the site lately! I’ve attended two of three weddings already this summer (none of which mine), couple with some much needed vacation time and I am a tad behind schedule.

I can’t wait to post about the food I enjoyed at my good friend’s wedding on Vancouver Island, as it truly was one of the best wedding buffets I have had the privilege of indulging in thus far in my life.

Recipes are forever at the forefront of my mind and rest assured, I do have my trusty journal (always) in-hand with (somewhat) legible scribblings of recipes soon to posted here! Stay tuned, and I appreciate the patience!

Until then…eat well and enjoy the sun!

Dan

Everyone, meat Charcut

Dan    Calgary & Area, Restaurants     dining, eating out, meat, Restaurants

You know you’re in the big leagues when you’re being served a 10-foot smokie, a 35-pound poutine, a 3-foot-high beef dip, and a 50-pound meatball sandwich. Ok, so maybe not all at once, but every Sunday at Charcut Roast House is a one-of-a-kind dining experience, and they’d love to ‘meat’ you!

I recently had the pleasure of heading down to Charcut on a night where I, along with 19 others, shared a 50-pound meatball sandwich. Every Sunday evening’s guests are comprised of the first 20 individuals who ‘RSVP’ via Facebook. This interesting concept is working well for the restaurant–no surprise really, in this social media-crazed world.

The 110-seat establishment (40-seat patio coming soon!) is all about the meat. Chefs John Jackson and Connie De Sousa–along with the other two co-owners, Karrie Jackson and Jean Francois Beeroo–put an emphasis on sourcing their ingredients locally. Their pork and beef are raised in Alberta by Sprague Farms and Spring Creek Beef. Also featured in Charcut’s dishes are locally-grown pea shoots and herbs from the restaurant’s own herb garden! A friend’s lemon-infused olive oil (Skyhawk’s, produced in California) is that special finishing touch to each menu item.

So why Charcut? ‘Charcuterie’ comes to mind, but it’s actually an abbreviation: splice together their custom-made rotisserie grill (‘Char‘) and manual meat slicer (‘Cut‘), and voila, you have a unique name! They also make use of a meat smoker and a unique fermentation machine where they can make their own pepperoni and salami! Sandwich meat need not apply here…

This post is featured on Food Network Canada’s website. To read more, and check out some great photos from my night at Charcut click here!

Vegan Strawberry Sorbet

Dan    Recipes, Something Sweet     dessert, strawberries, summer, vegan

What you’ll need.

3 pints strawberries

1/2 cup soy milk

1/4 cup agave syrup

1/2 pack soft tofu

1/4 cup brown sugar

Alright, this is going to be the simplest dessert I have (and possibly ever will) post on here!  Fact: Most sorbets that you find in your grocery store are vegan! Who says vegan desserts can’t be tasty?

Ok, I promised this would be easy, so here we go…Start by washing and halving your strawberries, removing the tops as you go. Place the strawberries in a bowl or suitable container and into your freezer. After about 6 hours they should be nice & frozen. Combine the frozen berries with all other ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.

If you aren’t ready to serve it after blending, just put it back into the freezer, but give it a stir every 20-30 minutes or so to avoid turning it into a large berry ice-cube.

Top with some fresh mint leaves and enjoy! Perfect for a hot summer day!

Serves 3-4

Total cook time…15 min (not including berry freeze time, I recommend doing that the night before!)