The Yum Yum Factor

I adore beef pho. Because I am lucky to live in a city like Toronto, there is no need to make it at home to be perfectly honest. Why would I go to all that trouble when I can walk out the door and be at Mimi on Gerrard in 15 minutes, sitting down to a piping hot bowl of perfection. For this reason, I have never actually attempted to make it home. I grew up in a house where money was tight and food had to stretch to feed 7 people, three of them growing boys who ate like wildebeest with the munchies. Because of this, we ate a lot of hamburger stew, canned creamed corn and white sandwich bread and although my mom did make a few things I really loved, they were special occasion foods and were rare treats. The best day of the year was always my birthday. My mother would not only let us stay home from school for our birthday but she would also make whatever you requested for your special meal. Of course, because I was a horrible child, I made her make the three things tha...

I asked The Kid what he would like for dinner tonight and he decided he would like some risotto. He didn't care what I put in it as long as it was risotto. Now, I could probably make cat poop and toe nail risotto and he would be happy but that would just be mean. I am trying to make amends for sending him to school with a bad sandwich this week. I tried something new and a bit daring and he didn't care for it one bit. In fact, his friend forgot his lunch and usually eats just about anything. The Kid gave the sandwich to that boy and even he wouldn't eat it. Think about that. He would rather go hungry than eat that sandwich that I sent with my own son. Of course, boy #3 who truly will eat anything put in front of him ate it but he didn't enjoy it. The mom guilt, it burns.

Even though his dish didn't win the regional Almost Famous Chef competition last week, it was my favourite. Kellie Callender's Slow Roasted Salmon with Quinoa Salad is totally my jam. Don't get wrong- all of the other dishes were great but this was something I could see myself eating at home all time. Salmon is our "Shack is away working out of town" fish so I skipped that part for now but I didn't let that stop me from trying the salad because, luckily, he doesn't care for salmon but he really likes quinoa.

I really want to make my own porchetta someday soon, I really do, but not now. Soon. So, we were at the Gucci Loblaw's, housed in the former Maple Leaf Gardens which is hallowed ground for Torontonians, and I was about to grab a pork tenderloin when I spied a ready to cook  PC porchetta  . Normally, I am leery of this type of thing but I was hungry and feeling kind of lazy and I am generally pretty happy with most PC products, so I bought it.

My friend asked me to make an appetizer to bring to her annual Oscar Party, which always makes me happy because I love any excuse to make food to feed to other people and she almost never asks for any help so I felt extra special. I made Rosemary Honey Brie Pops and these sticky meatballs. I have had this recipe from Smitten Kitchen kicking around in the back of my mind for ages and immediately thought they would be perfect for an Oscar party. In my opinion, everyone likes a little meat on a stick and it went with the brie pops theme. I could almost live my entire life eating food on a stick if I could just figure out a way to serve skewered noodles. It will come to me eventually.

I knew as soon as I saw these appetizers on tastespotting that I would make them, I just had to wait patiently for an occasion and then, not one but two parties came up. I know what you are thinking "Wow, that chick has been invited to two parties. She must be popular"