Houses in Toronto vs. Houses in Kitchener

While visiting friends in Toronto/the GTA last month, I randomly took pics of the houses in their 'hoods. (Hallo Erika/Mike and Anh/Alex!) Ain't it interesting to see the stark differences? The houses on the left are located in Toronto's Junction 'hood (Keele St. & Dundas St. West) and the houses on the right are located in Kitchener (Weber St. West & Queen St. South). "Big city" vs. "small town" feel...?

Kaiserschmarren ― WTF IS IT??!

André's Kaiserschmarren (left) vs. Shelley's Kaiserschmarren (right)

To put it simply, Kaiserschmarren are Austrian-style pancakes that are also popular here in Germany. Similar to North American pancakes in terms of its batter, Kaiserschmarren differs in that it contains whipped egg whites. It's cooked differently as well. While being fried in a buttered pan, it is split into chunky pieces (using 2 turners) and then (usually) served with a fruity sauce. But we just prefer icing sugar. Who's Kaiserschmarren turned out better, you ask? Mine or André's? Well, I gotta admit... mine just weren't as light and fluffy as his. :( Here's the recipe we both used, minus the addition of raisins.

Shelley vs. BBC Good Food

It was Megan who first made this dish for me. Inspired to have a go at it myself, I got a copy of the recipe and here's how mine turned out in comparison to the original. First off, I think my red onions could've been less daunting to eat and cut into slightly smaller chunks. Secondly, I opted to use bulgar instead of farro (I love its nuttiness). Thirdly, due to budget restraints, fresh spinach was substituted for frozen spinach. Lastly, I doubled the amount of dressing and highly recommend that you do the same! Definitely a dish I'd make again. Next time, however, I'd increase the ratio of bulgar to veggies.

Crêpes vs. Galettes

You all already know that crêpes are somewhat of an institution in France. But to be honest, they were never so OMG for me. Maybe I'm more of a North American-style pancake chick? Anyway, here are some of the crêpes we recently tried in Paris. Whoops — let me correct myself. Technically speaking, crêpes only refer to those made with wheat flour. Those made with buckwheat flour are called galettes. So what ya'll see here is a nutella crêpe from Richard Lenior Marché, a pre-packaged galette filled with bacon and goat cheese from some supermarket chain that I can't remember right now, and (drumroll please)... the "Complète" galette from Crêperie Bretonne Fleurie.

Filled with ham and gruyère cheese and topped off with a wobbly, half-cooked egg, the Complète lived up to everything I expected it to be. I especially loved its crispiness (reminded me of dosas from India), a texture I think would be hard to recreate if I made it at home. I spotted one guy in the resto using his fork to break the egg and spread its yellow-y goodness all over the galette. A fine idea for next time! Washed down the Complète with Val de Rance cider and it was smooth sailing for the rest of the day.

Weißer Spargel vs. Weißer Spargel

The white asparagus season is slowly coming to an end here in Germany. One can still find them in the supermarkets, but the baskets just ain't brimming like they were last month. I was lucky to have tried them (for the 1st time in my life!) in mid-May, when Renate prepared it beautifully for us one night for dinner (above, left). She paired the asparagus with the most tender pork filet I had ever tasted, as well as simply boiled potatoes with hollandaise sauce on the side: a classic German meal indeed. What does white asparagus taste like, you ask? Its texture is soft (far from al dente) and its flavour is mild.

Immediately after this impressive dinner, I was inspired to try my hand at cooking white asparagus for myself. But because I didn't want to spend €5/kg on the monstrous-sized ones, I settled for the puny, thinner and cheaper white asparagus. Boy, was this a bad idea. I learned afterward that because one must peel each white asparagus stalk before cooking (it has an inedible skin), the monstrous-sized ones are ideal. Shmh. In any case, we prepared a butter-breadcrumb sauce to ladle over the white asparagus, and served it alongside boiled cauliflower and sliced ham (above, right). A for effort!!! :/

Traveling Abroad vs. Living Abroad

Traveling a country as a tourist is completely different from living in a country as an expatriate. Don't get me wrong, I love being a gawker of sights too. But completely immersing oneself in a country's culture by choosing to live there is an experience unparalleled with anything else in the world! I can't even begin to explain how rewarding it is to be able to contribute to a society rather than just pass by it. People always complain about not having enough vacation time from their 9-5s. Here's a nutty idea: instead of traveling (insert your country of choice here) for 2 weeks, stay for a year instead.

I understand that the choice to live abroad isn't realistic for everyone. Just know that YOU are free to live the life that YOU want to live! Life in Germany has challenged me in extraordinary ways thus far. The thick-skulled ones still think I'm here on holidays. In actuality, I've been busting my butt trying to find career-oriented work while simultaneously teaching myself German. But I'm not complaining, not one bit. I've learned life skills that I'd never had learned if I'd stayed in Toronto. Despite the frustrations married to this lifestyle, I feel alive and that's all that matters.

Currywurst: Imbiss vs. Hausgemacht

Let's start with the definition of Currywurst. The translation in English: Currysausage. Now. What exactly is a Currywurst? A grilled or fried sausage served with "curry ketchup" and a dash of curry powder, typically accompanied with fries and found almost everywhere in Germany. Essentially, the Currywurst is to a German what the Big Mac is to an American: the epitome of fast food.

Left: Takeout | Right: Homemade

Takeout (Imbiss) — I've eaten Currywurst more times than necessary to affirm that I don't find a huge difference from takeout joint to takeout joint. Some places serve better quality sausages over other places, yes. But the one thing I cannot understand is why it's called Currywurst when I can never ever really taste any curry. A couple shakes of curry powder atop a sausage just doesn't suffice for me.

Homemade (Hausgemacht) — After buying some sausages from a proper butcher and pan-frying them up, I proceeded to make a curry ketchup with wayyyyyy more curry powder than the recipe called for. Call me crazy for taking the time to prepare a dish at home that I could've very well bought down the street... but if you're gonna call it Currywurst, it damn well better be spicy and taste of curry! Shelley's secret ingredient? Asian-style chili sauce. Eh Germans, think you guys can handle the heat? Bottom line: homemade Currywurst is worth the effort. Ain't nothin' beats fresh-cut fries, either.

NASI GORENG WARS

It all started with my backpackerness. I was trying to figure out a cheap way to make rice and veggies more flavourful. The problem was, I'd splurge on fresh veg and brown rice, then be stuck with plainass stirfries, sad face. That is, until I discovered these Nasi Goreng fried rice spice pastes for the first time! I gotta admit, it was Indofood's Nasi Goreng that first got me hooked. But I was curious to try some of the other Nasi Goreng brands out there. Below, I've ranked my findings in order of worst (#3) to best (#1). I hope my findings inspire you to try at least one of 'em! Let the wars begin!



#3. Pazar ― Sh.t! Bland! Tasteless! Pazar was so mild, I had to add tomato sauce (aka ketchup) to the entire dish because the blandness was killing me! This was some flavourless shyte, I tells ya! Don't even think about wasting 1 Aussie Dollar on this stuff! That is all.

#2. Bamboe ― Effing effing spicy! I found myself constantly adding more and more rice to the pan so the dish would mellow out and lessen in spiciness. I didn't enjoy this process, especially since I prefer 50% rice and 50% veggies in my version of Nasi Goreng. But hey, if you can handle the heat...

#1. Indofood ― I apologize in advance for being bias, but Indofood is still my go-to brand for Nasi Goreng. It's neither too spicy, nor too bland. It's been tried, tested, and straight up, it's the damn truth! Flavourful and reliable, Indofood gets 2 thumbs up in my books.

WTF is in an Aussie Burger?!

left: Saveur's Aussie Burger | right: Shelley's Aussie Burger

The first time I prepared Aussie burgers, I was making dinner for my couchsurf hosts back in Darwin. The burgers were tres, tres easy to prepare, and since they turned out to be such a hit, I've been itching to make them again. Buy some meat patties, grill em up, and slap em into burger buns with any variation of the following ingredients below. Feel free to add or subtract ingredients (I opted for bacon-less Aussie burgers), or jazz em up (edam, provolone or extra vintage cheddar cheese, anyone?), or perhaps try em with veggie "meat" patties? Just go crazy wit it! I never thought I'd like beetroot and pineapple rings in a burger until I made these babies for myself. Now I'm officially hooked!

tomato
lettuce
onion (grilled/sautéed)
cheese
beetroot (canned slices)
fried egg
pineapple ring
bacon
tomato sauce (aka ketchup)

Bungee Jumping is Scarier than Skydiving

BEFORE THE JUMP

Bungee ― "Holy sh.t, Shelley. Just freakin' jump, already! It's only 43 metres, godammit! She'll get fired if she pushes you so only you can make this decision to jump. And they're about to close so you better not waste this chick's time and they don't give refunds so if you don't jump you're about to waste a helluvalotta money so just f.cking jump already!!!!!!!!" (5 mins later, after chickening out, squirming back to the bench, sitting down and having a pep talk with some random, then squirming back out to the ledge again...) "Okay Shelley, are you ready to rock and roll? (eyes wide shut) &GO!"

Skydive ― "Okay it's finally happening. No chickening out, now. He's gonna let go of that railing and we're gonna plummet to the earth. Will I feel my stomach leap up over my head?! Will the feeling feel 1000000x more intense than the hill on a roller coaster?! Ohhhhh myyyy Goddddd helppp meeeee."

AFTER THE JUMP

Bungee ― 2.78 seconds of literal weightlessness + a feeling of sheer euphoria + yes, it felt 1000000x worse than the initial hill on a roller coaster + a sense of indescribable accomplishment and confidence gained + did I seriously just jump? + come and get me, world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Skydive ― 30 seconds of freefall from a height of 15,000 feet in the sky + a cheek-deforming rush of air to the bodily senses + sh.t, I wanted to feel that roller coaster hill feeling + wow, I actually have time to take in the awesome views of Lake Taupo + ow, my eardrums hurt :(



...and that is why I believe bungee jumping is scarier than skydiving. Why would anyone decide to do something so unnatural as to jump off of a bridge, you ask? Not only to experience the physical feeling of sheer euphoria. You, and only you, can make the decision to jump. Believe it or not, making that decision is the hardest part! Deciding to jump is symbolic of all the different types of decisions one makes in life. Will you try something new? Will you take that chance? Will you make that change? Do you have the balls to take that risk??! Sky's the limit, ya'll! Just #%$&ING GO FOR IT ALREADY!

Choc Chip Cookies ― Woolworths vs. Coles

Left: Woolworths | Right: Coles

A bag of homebrand Choc Chip Cookies from either Woolworths or Coles goes for $2.09 AUD. A staple snack food for any backpacker in Oz, I decided to put the two cookies to the test. Upon initially sampling each cookie, I claimed to like the Choc Chip Cookies from Woolworths better (see vid below). However, I've changed my mind as of recently. Coles Choc Chip Cookies win, hands down. Why? They're a tad less sweet and a tad more crisp than their Woolworths counterpart. Andddd they pair much more nicely with good ol' smears of peanut butter.



Tip: Liven up a plain cereal bowl of Corn Flakes by adding 2 crushed-up Coles Choc Chip Cookies to it. PS. Cookie Monstarr 4 Life. PPS. Emily, where have you BEEN all my life??!

DRAKE vs SHELLEY

I couldn't resist. Who rocks it better? Let's be honest, now.

[FOOD] Brooklyn Flea - YUM vs YUCK - 10/23/10

―――――――――VS―――――――――

'Nuff said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




―――――
@bkflea | http://brooklynflea.com

Late July Mini Sandwich Crackers ― PEANUT BUTTER vs CHEDDAR

Yeah yeah yeah, they're organic and all and the crackers are madd buttery-tasting, but I REALLY REALLY wanna taste more PB in the Peanut Butter one. The Cheddar one is a tad better than it's PB counterpart, as the white cheddar flavour may very well appeal to one's salt tooth. Solution: Dip the PB Sandwich Cracker in Nutella, and dip the Cheddar Sandwich Cracker in raspberry jam. That's wassup!

Arepa Cafe [Toronto] vs. Caracas Arepa Bar [NYC]

[left] Toronto ― Arepa Cafe's Vegetarian Arepa
Grated Aged Cheddar, Fried Plantains, Black Beans & Avocado

[right] New York City ― Caracas Arepa Bar's La Mulata Arepa
Grilled White Cheese with Jalapeños, Sautéed Red Peppers, Fried Plantains & Black Beans



You're familiar with the concept. The Greeks have their pitas and the West Indians have their roti; Venezuelans have their arepas ― bread (typically grilled) made from cornmeal filled with STUFF. I tried an arepa for the first time in Manhattan, at Caracas Arepa Bar. As you can see by the photo, it was damn juicy and sinfully oily. When TO's Arepa Cafe first opened up, I admit, I was skeptical. It is, after all, TO's first arepa joint. I recently had the chance to check it out... and I can't help but compare it to the first arepa I had in NYC.

Overall, I enjoyed the flavours in Caracas Arepa Bar's La Mulata Arepa. Each ingredient complemented the next; all of them kinda melded together, creating a superb arepa. Conversely, it's as if the ingredients in Arepa Cafe's Veg Arepa were afraid to get to know their neighbours. Mr. Slice of Avocado didn't get the chance to shake hands with the Black Bean Brothers. The Old Cheddar Nannies always spied on the Plantain Twins, but never said "Hello" when the 20-somethings said "Hello" to them. Catch my drift?

Logopops vs. Lollipops

&$%# logos. I appreciate Massimo Gammacurta's work as an art form, but care not to see nor eat his Logopops. To lick a corporation is to consume a corporation, and Nike can lick my ass. Meanwhile, this charming candy's foodtography is too jokes. Pistachio-Marshmallow, Teaberry, and Nutmeg Creme lollipops hangin' out with kayakers? I dig it.

BITTEN vs UNBITTEN

Which photograph do you prefer? The photo of carefully stacked, unbitten macarons, or the photo of imbalanced, bitten macarons? I'm quite curious to know. Personally, I'm sick of seeing foodtography that strives for perfection. Daintiness, prettiness... these words aren't in my vocab. Thus, I took the photo of bitten macarons {sweet, senusual bites, might I add} in an attempt to achieve imperfection in foodtography. But what defines imperfection in foodtography anyway? Any thoughts on this pertinent foodie issue?

Bobbette & Belle Macarons — White Chocolate | Caramel | Pistachio | Passionfruit

The Publican (CHI) vs. Hoof Cafe (TO)

[can you tell which brunch dishes are from The Publican and which are from Hoof Cafe?]

It's brunchtime!!! The Publican Restaurant is well known for its brunch in Chicago, much like the Hoof Cafe here in Toronto. I've eaten brunch at both restaurants recently, and can't help but notice similarities between the two. At both The Publican and the Hoof Cafe, expect: to wait thirty minutes+ for a table, to see hella hipsters all around you, to choose from a menu of inventive, meaty dishes and to experience a home-y unpretentiousness while you dine.

First off, I just gotta tell you about The Publican's Red Wine Poached Eggs. Truly, this dish started a party in my mouth. Like yolky yellow Cabernet Merlot in a glass, these eggs were uncomparable to any style of eggs I've ever tasted! Hoof Cafe also serves up poached eggs, piled atop pulled pork and a house-made biscuit in its Suckling Pig Eggs Benny dish. But I shouldn't have ordered it because I don't even like pork or hollandaise very much. Womp.



Another must-eat at The Publican: Fresh Ricotta & Honey. Served slightly warmer than room temperature with stewed fruits (i.e. cherries) and dried nuts (i.e. pistachios) ...spread on a piece of toast, each spoonful of Fresh Ricotta is a soft cloud on a sweet/crunchy/nutty day! I apologize, but I'm not even gonna lie... I'm kinda hating on Hoof Cafe right now. They got rid of their Buckwheat Rabbit Pancakes before I got to try 'em man!!!! WTFF!!!!!!!!

Shelley vs. Saveur: Spring Salad Platter

I frequently borrow back issues of Saveur Magazine from the local library, and stumbled upon one of their old recipes for a Spring Salad (photo on the right). Opting for a vegetarian platter instead, I nixed the chicken altogether when I prepared this dish for cousin Lisa's swanky b-day dinner partay. My photo (photo on the left) is hardly food-styled, but I must say the radish-cucumber salad and the sauteed mushrooms turned out lovely! Don't you love when salads are so hearty and satisfying, they're almost capable of replacing meals?