This will be called the week of inspiration: From what I read, to the shopping I did, to fellow social media content creators, to the night out at one of our favourite restaurants. Everything just seemed to get the creative juices flowing. And what kind of foodie friend would I be if I didn’t share the inspiration I found!
Here’s the scoop:
Books
I have always loved Ina Garten’s very accessible recipes (her perfect roast chicken is one of my family’s faves!) but reading her recent memoir has given me a whole new perspective when it comes to what we consider a career, a job, risk taking and just plain “making things happen”! I love that she was willing to throw herself heart and soul into something she was passionate about but hadn’t studied in and wasn’t prepared for vs the safe and solid career she had working for the government. She needed a challenge, she knew this about herself and found joy in the unknown and scary and also found success. Truly an inspiring read! Especially if you are a foodie, trying something new in the vast food world that exists today (so many possibilities… online alone! Which path do I take? What inspires me most? Ina’s book helps answer some of these questions)
There are so many quotes from her book I absolutely love such as when she described the food scene happening in 1979: “Good food was everywhere!… Eating became a sport and food a passion, leading Gael Greene, New York magazine’s “Insatiable Critic”, to coin the word foodie. Gourmets were selective, maybe finicky. But foodies just loved food. They were adventurous, always on the hunt for new taste sensations. There I was, at the center of a business that was becoming very exciting.”
Or when she describes going shopping at food markets in France: “My taste buds were on high alert, especially when we came to the rainbow of seasonal produce stacked on tables… No anemic tomatoes sealed in little green plastic trays in these markets! Instead, tomatoes in the brightest shades of red, yellow, and orange, fresh from the vine; green and white asparagus; purple eggplant; ruby radishes; and deep orange and purple carrots, soil included. Vibrant colours were everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Even the lowly potatoes were freshly dug and looked like little jewels… And the beating heart of every place in France, even the smallest village, was the boulangerie, with its racks of freshly baked bread, rolls, and croissants. They’re easy to find because your nose will lead the way.”
Or her process when it comes to recipe development: “I’m never satisfied with the flavour and texture until I hear that ping in my head that signals, That’s it, that’s exactly what I’m looking for! I’m like an orchestra conductor trying to get the carrots and turnips to do what they’re supposed to do. We’re working together here. No divas!”
Just a few quotes from an amazing book that inspired me to go to the kitchen and just create and enjoy the process! To go to the market and let the food I see at the different stands inspire me, enjoy all the smells, colours and textures. To take time to just think about food in general and how it inspires me and what to do with this passion! Writing is one of the things amazing food and awesome ingredients inspire me to do.
Kitchen Tools
While shopping at one of my favourite stores – SIMONS I went through their home wares department and found the most beautiful pasta bowls, the kind you get when you go to a good Italian restaurant. Those big rimmed deep bowls that present pasta so well. Almost a plate but very much a bowl. And since I now had these beautiful bowls, it called for delicious homemade pasta to fill them. I made Dinner A Love Story’s pasta recipe, super quick and easy with the use of my food processor. You then let it rest for the smoothest egg pasta dough, then roll it out using a pasta machine. My grandma left me hers which I love since it’s kind of nostalgic, I imagine my Grandma feeding her family of six making amazing pasta with the same machine I now use to feed my family of 5.
To top the pasta, I like to make a red pepper tomato sauce that just takes a few minutes to throw together. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large pan, 2 tbsp olive oil, then when sizzling add a small onion cut up in big chunks, 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped into chunks as well, a red pepper also roughly cut into big chunks, once the peppers soften a little add a can of tomatoes, salt, pepper and a pinch of hot pepper flakes. let everything simmer for 20 minutes on low. Blend everything with a couple of tbsp of heavy cream and voilà you have an amazing pasta sauce. (Also a great pizza sauce… topped with prosciutto, bocconcini, mozzarella and basil… just saying, it makes a great thin crust pizza.)
Throw your cooked pasta in the pan with the sauce, so that the pasta absorbs the sauce. Then serve it in some gorgeous pasta bowls topped with some grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil and a slice of fresh prosciutto on the side of the pasta. And then simply enjoy!!! “I know it’s bad form to say yum, but yummmm!” (Iykyk, lol)
Social Media
And then while scrolling on Instagram one evening something a fellow content creator, Megan Sheley said resonated so much with me… about intuitive cooking, allowing a flow in the kitchen with the ingredients and again this inspired me to go to the kitchen and just let loose, create while enjoying the process without necessarily having to document everything or write out what I’m doing, but just enjoy the process.
Restaurants
Then to finish the week off, my Monsieur took me out to one of our favourite restaurants: “Le Cloché Penché”, french inspired cuisine all made with local ingredients: absolutely delicious as always!!!
We started with their fresh bread and cultured butter which is a must, it is absolutely delicious in it’s simplicity and whipped smooth texture. We had the bread while sharing a plate of fresh cheese topped with bacon bits, balsamic and Brussel sprouts. Again the combo of tangy and salty was delicious with the fresh cheese: everything worked so well together.
Hubby ordered the fish of the day which was Halibut fished in Gaspésie and was served with spätzle, celeriac and salty herbs. The fish was cooked beautifully with a delicious savoury sauce but for me (cuz hubby always shares and vice versa) the spätzle was the star! It was soooo good, after boiling it (like you would pasta) they fry it in butter for a bit and it makes for the fluffiest and amazing texture. I would order this again for the spätzle alone.
I ordered the homemade pasta with nordic shrimp. Eveything was cooked perfectly and their pasta is always fantastic!
We finished off the evening with a chocolate ganache tart, which was so smooth, so dark and just the right balance between bitter and sweet. We paired it with an espresso which was the perfect pairing.
We spent the evening sitting by the bar and enjoyed watching the very talented bar tender make the most amazing cocktails while explaining to us what he was making: again, inspirational!
It was the perfect way to end a week full of inspiration!!!
But I’m always open for new inspiration so please share what most inspires you in the comments below!
Have an awesome week!!!