Happy Halloween!

To celebrate the holiday, I thought I'd post a pumpkin recipe. I've actually made this twice in the past little while, both times with great results. It's a moist bread, not too sweet, that just smacks of fall flavours. I significantly boosted the spice quotient the second time around, as I'm a sucker for cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in baked goods.

It's pretty easy to make, and doesn't require dirtying beaters. Make sure you buy pure pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filing, which is already pre-spiced. Also, don't try to buy pumpkin puree on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, because no grocery store will have any available (at least that was the case in Ottawa).

In addition to boosting the spices, I took some liberties with the cider as well. The first time I made this, I reduced the cider down, but did it too quickly, so it resulted in a syrupy blob, that I then attempted to re-liquify with some more cider. The second time I made the recipe, I bypassed the reduction step altogether and just added 1/4 c. of cider directly to the bowl. I couldn't taste much of a difference between the two.

Grating the apple. Recipe calls for a Northern Spy, but I used an Empire. I also grated the whole apple and it didn't seem to affect the final product at all.

Dry ingredients getting ready. I probably added a whole teaspoon of cinnamon, and almost as much nutmeg (my substitution for mace). I put in a 1/4 tsp of cloves too, instead of a dash. Next time I'll throw in a bit of powdered ginger too.

Pumpkin Cider Bread (originally published in the Ottawa Citizen)

1 ½ c. apple cider (*see note about reduction above)
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 eggs
¼ c. canola oil
½ firmly packed brown sugar
½ c. grated Northern Spy apple (*I used Empire)
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground mace
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
dash of ground cloves

1. In a saucepan, boil the cider until it is reduced to about ¼ c. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, brown sugar, grated apple and the reduced cider.

3.In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

4. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined.

5. Transfer batter to a well-greased 8x4” loaf pan and bake in preheated 350F oven for one hour, or until a tester comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cream cheese icing

3 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 tbsp. butter, room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp. heavy cream
¼ c. icing sugar

1. Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, cream and icing sugar in a bowl. Beat with electric mixer until smooth.
2. Drizzle onto cooled bread.

The final loaf! I didn't make the cream cheese recipe called for in the recipe, but mixed together a bit of icing sugar with some melted butter (about 1 tbsp.), some cinnamon and milk. It worked!

Wining and dining

It was a whirlwind trip to the county (PEC) this weekend. We visited a number of wineries, most of which I didn't see last time around. Given that I'm now a wine scholar (har har), I'm going to provide a quick review of each of our stops.

First up was County Cider Company. This was my second trip to this pretty stone barn, overlooking Lake Ontario. They make a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic ciders, from many locally-grown apples. They also produce a few wines as well. I didn't buy anything this time around, but the Waupoos Cider, available at the LCBO, is well worth the buy. And although I didn't spot any for sale this time, their Ice Cider is phenomenal -- like apple pie on crack!

Tasting experience: free samples of flights of cider, ending in their limited-edition sparkling version, drinks poured in order of sweetness

Tasting environment: drinks served bar style, showroom inside old stone barn, washrooms on-site, faint smell of fermented apples, large windows/doors overlooking vineyards

Customer service: friendly staff, eager to pour, provided description of produce

Overall experience (out of 10): 8

Next up, and just down the road, was Waupoos. This is probably one of the prettiest wineries in the county, and would make a great location for a wedding or other special occasion. I visited Waupoos last trip, and was impressed by some of their German-based varieties that aren't too common in Canada. But then I bought two bottles and both were corked. So let's just say my impression was a bit tarnished after that.

Tasting experience: samples $1

Tasting environment: drinks served circular bar style, wine store doubles as a gift shop with some tacky wine-related accessories for sale

Customer service: staff seemed uninterested in serving us, provided information about the wines only when asked, gave some questionable information about German varieties!

Overall experience: 5

Last stop of the day on Saturday was Long Dog Winery, whose covered vines are pictured above. Interestingly enough, this is one of the only wineries in the county who make all their wine with grapes grown on their property. Many other ship in juice or fruit from Niagara to supplement production.

Long Dog was on my list this time around as it was closed for my last trip. I'd also had one of their Chardonnays in my wine class last fall and was suitably impressed. Their operation isn't huge, but is housed in pretty stone house and rustic old barn along an old country road. The owners are an Imax film producer and a former Bay Street lawyer, who recently ditched his legal work to pursue wine making full-time. And how do I know this? Because it was this former lawyer who poured our wines and spent 20 minutes talking passionately to us about the winery's history and production. Bonus marks for great customer service here! Plus we got really good restaurant recommendations from him.

Long Dog only makes Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris and Noir. The wines are on the pricey side, but I bought a bottle of Pinot Gris (pressed with skins on) anyway. The wine didn't exactly blow me away, but I bought it because I enjoyed talking to the winemaker so much, and wanted to support him. See how important customer service is?

Tasting experience: free samples (but I believe we would have had to pay had we not bought), nice minerally mouthfeel to all the whites, which I particularly like

Tasting environment: drinks served bar style in old barn with all sorts of daschund chotzkes on display; best stemware of entire trip

Customer service: excellent! knowledgeable, intelligent and friendly

Overall experience: 9


Next day it was Huff, also where we stayed. In the picture, you can see the bag, so I clearly purchased (Also, I was attempting to "smize" here, but failed miserably, as you can tell. Instead I look drunk -- which I was not!)

Anyway, Huff has some very nice wines on offer, and their facilities (winery and inn) are very stylish. I tasted a very nice unoaked Chardonnay and their rose, both of which I bought. Their merlot is yummy as well, but needs to sit for a bit. I have a bottle from my last trip three years ago that should be quite good in another couple of years.

This was the only place we took a tour of the rather small production operation Our tour guide was terrible, both in knowlegeability and in presentation skills. This makes a very poor impression on potential buyers!

Tasting experience: free samples with our coupon received at check in (we had three), then we could have seemingly had as many more as we wanted after the tour

Tasting environment: drinks served bar style, wine shop nicely displayed

Customer service: woman pouring samples wasn't very helpful about varieties, no water offered between samples! see above for notes on tour guide

Overall experience: 6

Then it was on to Norman Hardie, a little winery that has been generating a fair amount of press lately. I was eager to try it out, and the first impression of the funky-looking sign was a good start.

But it was downhill from there!

The wine shop is housed in a modern looking barn, that I suppose was meant to look "interesting", but instead just looks ugly. The walk up to the tasting room is also ugly -- a sea of gravel with nary a flower or gourd in site. What up, Norman? Trying to ignore the fact that it's fall? The lousy first impression outside continued inside, where we were met with the mildly revolting smell of fermenting fruit and, rotten eggs? Something vomitous anyway. Didn't exactly tempt us to stay and taste, but we figured we had made the drive, so we opted to stay.

Again, this is another spot with pricey wines. Their tasting flight featured their pinots and chardonnays. The pinot was nice, with a good cherry flavour, but not worth the price in my mind.

Tasting experience: sample flight $6

Tasting environment: glasses were dirty, smell was off-putting

Customer service: surly teenager pouring our wine was about as uninterested in what she was doing as she could possibly be, we had to ask her quite firmly to explain to us what we were tasting (she complied, but without enthusiasm)

Overall experience: 3

Last stop of the day on Sunday was Closson Chase, owned by Canadian actress Sonia Smits. This is definitely one of the most picturesque wine shops -- a renovated barn painted in cool shades of purple. So you knew I was gonna like it, right?

Inside, gorgeous floral arrangements and original artwork adorn the space. There are even some chaises available to take in the atmosphere.

The tasting room is rather small and dark, but the staffer was friendly and welcoming. Their tasting flight was pre-set at $10 for three chardonnays. When we asked about the possibility of just one taste, we were told that the wine maker set up the flight in this fashion and it couldn't be altered. Huh? That's a bit rigid for something as hedonistic as wine tasting ought to be, don't you think?

We forked out a tenner anyway, and tasted some very fine chards. Again, the prices were a bit out of our league, so we didn't buy.

Tasting experience: sample flight $10

Tasting environment: intimate, only spot to offer palate-cleansing bread in between wines

Customer service: friendly and knowledgeable, but not really remarkable

Overall experience: 7

Closson Chase does get a bit of extra mention for its marketing pumpkin, seen below. Take a hint, Norman Hardie!

And lest you think the trip was without any food, let me allay your fears. While I didn't take many pictures, we did eat very well.

First up for lunch on Saturday was Buddha Dog in Picton. I've read a lot about this place, and I have to say that I left feeling pretty underwhelmed. The idea behind this small restaurant is to offer gourmet, locally-sourced all-beef hot dogs with a variety of toppings and condiments. The dogs themselves are cheap, at $2 a pop, and then you pay extra depending on what kind of toppings you want. The dogs are also incredibly small, about 4 inches maybe, so our order of two didn't leave us feeling full. We both got suckered in to ordering the dogs with the special "bacon jam" (yep. bacon jam) which was basically cooked down bacon with maple. It was tasty, but didn't exactly knock our socks off. Overall impression? Kinda gimicky and a bit pretentious.

Dinner on Saturday was better though. We ate at Harvest, and apart from the restaurant being crowded and a bit noisy, everything was great. The starter of pumpkin gnochi with sage and mushrooms was delicious and our mains of steak frites and lamb were great as well.

We were hoping for a bit of a dramatic outburst from chef Michael Potter, but sadly he was quite well behaved that evening.

Sunday found us in Wellington, and to a small place on the Main Street, called East & Main. This spot was recommended to us by our new friend at Long Dog Winery. The menu was impressive, and it actually took a while to narrow down the choices.

Here's what we had.....



Roast chicken quiche and "sassy" slaw. Verdict? Quiche was tasty and moist. Slaw needed more sass.

And roast chicken sandwich with lemon aioli and roasted parsnip and pear soup. The sandwich was yummy, but the soup was really tasty. I just wish there had been more of it. Presentation was a little lacking, and the portions could have been a wee bit bigger.

But a good food find in a pretty town none-the-less.

So that's it -- PEC in a weekend. After two fall visits, my next visit may have to be in the spring. 'Til next time!

Feels like fall!

I took a mini-road trip to Prince Edward County this weekend to visit some wineries. The weather wasn't great as we headed out on Saturday morning, but things improved and we were treated to some wonderful fall sights. Like this leaf-covered pathway and pumpkin trio outside a house in Bloomfield.

Lots of farm stands along the way selling seasonal squash.

And gourds of all shapes and sizes!

Some vines changing colour.

And lots 'o punkins!

A festive planter. They really go crazy decorating in the county!

More on my winery visits (and reviews) later.

Sunday stroll

Yes, I know it's Thursday (and almost Friday) but I really don't know where this week has gone.

It poured rain today and was bitterly cold, but Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day, so I decided to take a bit of a walk around Beechwood Cemetery. A bit morbid, I agree, but it's so close to me and I've never been, so I decided a peek was long overdue.

It's really a very beautiful spot, right in the middle of the city. So quiet too, as er, I guess cemetaries are. It also happens to be Canada's national military cemetery, so unfortunately, it has been a bit in demand lately.

Here are some shots of the afternoon.

Budapest in pictures

I finally found some time to sort out my picutres -- at least some of them! Here are some of the best from Budapest (in no particular order).

View of the Danube with Buda on the left and Pest on the right. We stayed on the Pest side.


Budapest parliament buildings, in the Gothic revival style. Very impressive.


Parliament from the water.

Budapest's opera house.

Some shiny new architecture in amongst the old. (This picture is actually cooler than I intended -- check out the reflection of the old building in the glass.)

A store featuring some traditional Hungarian arts and crafts.

We came across this scene on our first day. Not sure of the point, but these folks were all participating in some kind of timed chalk drawing challenge. The street that's closed off is Andrassy, a beautiful boulevard in front of Heroes' Square.

And here's Heroes' Square. It looked amazing lit up at night.

This is the serial killer stairway of our apartment building. The steps were all worn in the middle from years of use. Pretty scary at night!

And the courtyard of our apartment building. Our was the only rental unit -- real people lived in all the other units!

This was the little store next door to our apartment. You could buy everything from milk (tej) to fresh paprika peppers. It seemed to open about 6 a.m. and stayed open late as well. Our street also had a dollar store, butcher shop, and travel agent.

Here's a view of the apartment living room/dining room. Check out the cool herringbone floors. The apartment was huge, all fitted out with Ikea furniture and had 13-foot ceilings.

Budapest has a really charming subway system. This picture doesn't do it justice, but everything is tiled and teeny. The cars themselves are really small, and each stop is preceeded by a cute little chiming of bells. We found it really efficient -- not to mention cute!


This is the inside of Gresham Palace, a truly gorgeous art-nouveau hotel right on the water on the Pest side. This photo doesn't quite capture the elegance, but the floor was intricately tiled in a mosaic pattern, and the ceiling was all glass and sparkling chandeliers. We had coffee and sweets in the hotel dining room. It was so nice!

Here's me, resting in the lobby. Note the purple upholstery! I wanted to lived in that place.

Budapest: the best part

About a year and a half ago, I saw a program that featured some pretty awesome scenery of Budapest. I'm not sure why, but I got hooked in immediately by the shots of a thermal bath that looked like a North American spa on acid.

When the show ended, I couldn't stop thinking about beautiful Budapest.

So I started doing some research about the city, and learned a bit about its communist history, impressive architecture that survived the second world war, and the fact that it's a city built on an ancient system of thermal springs. It's these thermal springs that supply the city's multiple spas and baths, institutions that play a routine part in the life of thousands of Hungarians.

As someone who loves to swim -- and loves a good hot tub -- I was smitten. I REALLY wanted to go to Budapest to see these spas for myself.

So I did.

There's nothing really to compare the spas with in a North American context, but that didn't worry me. Splashing about and relaxing in one of the city pools is a standard activity for many Budapest locals, and I wanted to experience that for myself.

As it turned out, the apartment where I stayed on the Pest side of the city was mere blocks away from one of the largest Turkish baths in all of Europe: the Szechenyi Baths. Built in the early 1900s, the bath building itself is a sprawling bit of Ottoman-inspired architecture, set in the middle of a city park that also boasts a zoo, castle and amusement park.

The bath complex itself -- complete with columns, stone lions fountains and stained glass windows -- has three outdoor pools and about 16 indoor pools that are said to have medicinal properties. Most of the indoor pools are quite hot (between 28-36 Celcius). Once you've mastered the check in process (which can be a little confusing, as most of the attendants speak little English and the signs are all in Hungarian), you find yourself in the co-ed changing rooms, where you're provided with a little mesh bag for your clothing and a key to a locker, in which to store your belongings.

After you've wriggled your way out of your sweaty tourist garb and into your swimsuit, you need to find your way through the indoor maze of tubs and showers, outside to the magnificent open pool, where men, women and children float about blissfully in the warm water. There are jets and waterfalls and streams of every variety to keep you massaged and relaxed, and there's people watching galore -- including men in Speedos who crowd around tiled chessboards, standing chest high in water, pondering their next move (you might be able to spot them in the picture).

My favourite part had to be the "whirlpool" which wasn't at all what I expected. Instead of a circular tub with streams of forced water, this pool actually whirled -- the current was controlled so it swept unsuspecting swimmers around and around at great speed. It was pretty funny to hear the whoops of delight from grown adults as they spun around like kids at a water park.

In addition to the pools, there were saunas, steam rooms and massages on offer, but I didn't even seek them out. I was more than happy to float in the warm water, eavesdrop on several conversations in a variety of languages and just unwind. The baths truly are a part of daily life for many in Budapest, and doctors even write prescriptions for patients to "take the baths" (there's even a daytime hospital on site). That's one institution I'd happily be admitted to!

It was a great way to spend a sunny afternoon (or two afternoons in my case) in Budapest and I can't wait to go back.

Sweet Potato Soup

So, when I went away on holiday it was summer. No jackets, sandals -- the whole bit. Then I go away for two weeks, and suddenly it's fall! Long sleeves and sweaters and seeing your breath in the morning. Yuck!

Anyway, the change in season does mean I start thinking about cooking stews and soups and roasted veggies. I started this weekend with this. It has a really complex flavour, and the recipe makes tons, which means lots of frozen soup to take in my lunches over the next few weeks.

Like any good soup, it start off with softening some onions in butter. Hard to beat that smell!

The only really taxing part of the whole recipe is chopping the six cups of sweet potato. But they're actually pretty easy to peel, because they're relatively hard. I used about four smallish potatoes to get the required amount, but if you get the enormous ones (that are almost as big as your forearm) you may well only need two.

Check out my new knife. I bought it a while ago at Ikea and it's my new favourite. It's well balanced, has a good weight and is super sharp. I think it was $16, or something quite reasonable. It's joined on my knife rack by my second favourite knife, also from Ikea, which I've had since university.

Fresh lime juice makes a real difference in this soup. I always add more than the recipe calls for, because when Farm Boy has them at five for 99 cents, you have to use them up!

And here's the finished product. The coconut milk makes this really creamy, without tasting too rich. And you get a nice kick and heat from the ginger and hot sauce, and the lime balances it all out. Very tasty, and a pretty colour as well!

Sweet Potato Soup (from Anna Olson's Fresh)

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
1 1/3 cups (325 mL) diced onion
6 cups (1.5 L) peeled and diced sweet potato
2 tbsp (30 mL) grated fresh ginger
1 can (14-ounce/398 mL) coconut milk
3 to 4 cups (750 ml –1L) chicken stock
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lime juice
salt and pepper
dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce (optional)
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepot over medium heat and cook onion 3-4 minutes to soften, but not browned.

Add sweet potato, ginger, coconut milk and 3 cups of stock. Simmer 25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender. Purée until smooth with a hand blender, add remaining stock if soup is too thick. Stir in lime juice and strain (straining is optional). Return to heat and season to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with coriander leaves and a swirl of yogurt. Soup can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

Stay tuned for pictures from my trip. Just have to get all the photos sorted!