First day of Spring 2012 Brannana Bread · Tuesday March 20, 2012 by colin newell
I cannot think of a better use for a banana than sticking it in something to hide the fact that it is a banana –
Banana bread – it is not really bread, but it is great with coffee in the afternoon when everyone’s blood sugar starts to crash.
I have a few recipes on this subject – and Yup – here is one more variation on the classic.
I buy banana’s to eat and I rarely eat them – they sit on my microwave til they turn darker than a cup of drip brewed Sumatra.
And they end up in Banana bread. And here is the recipe with a variation or two:
A little healthier than the standard…
Colin’s Bran-nana Bread
Wet
1/2 Cup butter softened
1 Cup raw sugar
2 Eggs
3 medium mashed bananas
Dry
1 cup whole bran
1 cup white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped almonds
In a mixer, add butter til creamed. Add sugar. Add 2 eggs one at a time
add banana’s one at a time.
Add dry to wet in mixer and mix to moisten all ingredients.
1 hour in greased pan at 350 degrees.
Let it cool before you attempt to cut!
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Victoria Food Culture at the top - ULLA Restaurant · Saturday November 26, 2011 by colin newell
When a great restaurant opens, there is one big mistake that a diner can make – and that is…
Not getting there early – that is, when the place first opens… Well, it can be problematic.
Because as time passes, the legend (and reputation) of the restaurant develops and with that, your expectations – particularly on your first visit.
And so you know, this is not quite like taking your first trip to San Francisco or the Napa or Sonoma Valley and picking out some established places – which are probably guaranteed to be good based on “travel expectations”. Which is another phenomenon entirely… Not like that at all.
So. ULLA. It has been open over a year (maybe 1.5 years…) and the reviews have been stunning. Apparently it has achieved a coveted Top-10 Enroute rating from Air Canada… OK. Checked the link. Yes it has. Impressive.
We booked a week or so in advance because this place tends to be busy – because of its reputation. And we landed on a very, very blustery Wet Coast Victoria evening while thousands of folks were without power, Ferry boats were docked and flights grounded. Consequently, there were a few cancellations at ULLA. No problem.
The room has a comfortable and warm feeling to it – we received a very friendly greeting at the door with an offer to take our coats – We were dining with another couple who had never been there – they were seated and giddy with excitement.
Menu’s and wine list immediately in hand we were given plenty of time to mull over the adult beverage selection and ask any preemptive questions about the menu or the ULLA concept.
Within a few minutes we had glasses of wine in hand and were quickly zeroing in on appetizers and mains.
Andrea had the 63 degree soft poached Egg on a brioche, with chanterelles, cipollini onions, black garlic jus, and parmesan. Well presented but kind of a single note item – like it was missing something extra on the plate to offer contrast.
Please note that Andrea’s palette is way more advanced than mine – in short, she is a super-taster and can pull flavors off of the plate and scents out of the air that a bloodhound would miss. It is an amazing talent to see at work.
Our couple friends (much to my chagrin) ordered two of the same appetizers; Escargot… 6 on the plate with lots of drizzle flourishes.
Note: These were not just ordinary snails – they were basil fed snails.
Yup. Not kidding.
Our friends thought they were yummy, that there was not a lot of snail on the plate and that it was more art than substance. Not a nit pick folks, just an observations.
My appetizer: Edremit, gemlik, castelvetrano and picholine.
Any ideas folks?
Olives. For whatever reason, I ordered a bowl of olives to nibble on. I love olives and these were all very tasty, different and appetizing.
Mains: Here was one of those times where I felt like smacking my friends on the head.
Andrea, Steve and Sharon had the pork tenderloin…
Still meadow farm pork loin, braised cabbage, Potato roesti (hash brown), celery root, bacon, cheddar, apple, gastrique (Gastrique is caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar, used as a flavoring for sauces…)
The pork was perfectly prepared and presented on the three plates – a veritable art gallery of small items to taste and enjoy.
I had the halibut cheeks on a bed of beluga lentils and roast sugared almonds, tents of steamed spinach and grilled baby cauliflower caps. The cheeks were slightly overdone and watery but everything else was dreamy and perfect. I could have eaten a plate of the lentils and almonds. The baby cauliflower was sublime.
ULLA is artistry pushed to the limit. Service is polished, at the ready and entirely unobtrusive. When we had questions, there were instant answers.
It’s entirely possible that someone with unrealistic expectations would be disappointed here. For me, any minor flubs in the kitchen are made up in superlative service and understanding of the product.
For me, any overall criticism would be: ULLA is a very serious restaurant. It is not a fun restaurant. There is a ton of passion and prowess here – but it is not a place where you raise glass after glass of wine hooting and hollering with joy. The food is art and ULLA is a food art gallery. And you know what they say about Art Galleries – they are repositories of brilliant works where you hold your voice down in quiet humility while you appreciate the artistic efforts of… well… artists.
If you love food, art and art galleries, you will love ULLA. But don’t be too noisy about it. Out of 10 points per, I would rate the food at 8.5 – Service 9.5 – Presentation 9.5
Colin Newell is a Victoria area resident, food and coffee lover – and occasional writer for EAT Magazine…
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Mad about Fall Chapter 1 Vegan Texas Chili · Wednesday November 9, 2011 by colin newell
One of my Monday to Friday things is a hot lunch – that is prepared by Andrea and I.
We get out for lunch a minimum of once a week (and go out for dinner at least once a week…) and generally, I have some prepared meals ready to go for lunch time.
Photo above – Leave the beef in the field where it belongs with my Vegan Chili!
Some of my favorites (that are cooked and frozen) include variants on Texas chili like Alton Browns Texas Chili – Cajun dirty rice – Jambalaya, prepared in a variety of ways.
And as much as chili is close to being my hearty favorite, I do not like the meat component so much – and I hate beans in any meals. So, here is a variation on the Alton Brown chili – featuring kit brewed Irish Ale.
Heat a large stock pot with a few tablespoons of canola oil.
Prepare 1 block of firm organic tofu by draining and cubing.
Create a spice bag with a large zip lock freezer bag adding:
1 teaspoon each – garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika, plain paprika, cumin – and 1 tablespoon of pepper.
Add the cubed tofu to the spice bag – shake until all of it is well coated.
In oiled pan, add the tofu in 3 or 4 batches browning on both sides (about 3 minutes per side.) When done put aside on paper covered plate (to absorb excess oil)
Slice up vegetables; medium onion chopped, red pepper diced, orange pepper diced, two stalks of celery diced, Poblano pepper diced, Anaheim pepper diced, Red chili pepper and Serranno chili peppers diced.
Add to stock pot – saute for 10 minutes or until translucent.
Add 1 Chipotle chili (where a lot of the heat comes from…)
Add 1/4 cup of beer to de-glaze. Cook it off for around 2 minutes.
Add large tin of diced tomatoes.
Add 2 bottles of salsa (one hot, one medium)
Added 2 tablespoons of chili powder and 2 teaspoons of cumin.
Add 12 fluid ounces of beer and 60 nacho chips (seriously, the chips thicken the chili).
Add 1 large tin of drained chick peas.
Bring to boil. Then add tofu. Reduce to simmer for 1 hour.
Serve with corn chips and beer.
This dish is vegetarian friendly and equally nutritious to anything with meat in it.
Dining out in Victoria - Vis-a-vis - Oak Bay Avenue · Saturday September 3, 2011 by colin newell
There are fewer things finer than dropping what you are doing (in my case blogging…) and grabbing the car keys, camera bag and my hungry wife to pop out for some spontaneous dining.
In this case – Vis a vis Wine Bar on Oak Bay Avenue.
One of our favorite local places is Stages in Fernwood – and this place is a little like Stages; charcuterie, small plates and lots of wines to sample in small glasses – or large glasses if you are so inclined.
Vis a vis is a partnership with The Penny Farthing pub next door on Oak Bay Avenue – but that is where the similarity ends. While sitting on the sidewalk patio, many many people walked by and turned into The Farthing… and that is OK. This is a completely different place. A great place. We came curious and hungry.
And we left satisfied with a new place to take ourselves… and friends.
Menu items below: Squid with squid-ink fettucini, Pork belly, grapefruit, endive, maple & onion caramel, Beef fennel salami & Juliet brie.
