Last time I went to my parents’ house I was able to bring home a lovely bunch of rhubarb with me. For some people, this probably isn’t all that exciting but for me it means that a dessert full of sweetness, a hint of tart, and made with love is on the way. I have childhood memories of ripping out rhubarb stalks from the garden and eating it raw while squashing my face into sour faces. Last year, I made this rhubarb and strawberry pie, but this year I wanted something a bit different. I also wanted the dessert to be easily transportable, because I wanted to bring some to my neighbor who just had a baby girl. What else would a new mother want? Clearly, she wants dessert! I made for them a strawberry rhubarb crumb bar, adapted from Martha Stewart.

 Ingredients
For The Streusel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter and flour parchment and pan, tapping out excess flour.

Whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Add flour and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped rhubarb and strawberry pieces, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup flour. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside also.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand-mixer, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium high until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. Turn your mixer down to low, beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Slowley add your chopped strawberry/rhubarb mixture over the uncooked batter, evenly. Now sprinkle the top with the streusel you made earlier.

I thought these were delicious! They would be a perfect dessert for a backyard bbq or picnic. A light vanilla cake bottom covered in the most delicious fruit topped with a sweet crunchy crumb is a taste bud pleaser! I would serve these the same day as baking if your making for friends because they’re much better fresh from the oven, once cooled. The next day all the fruit juice makes the bars slightly soggy and moist which isn’t a big deal, but not the most presentable. When it’s in its squishy next day form, just slop it on some icecream and nobody will know it was supposed to be bars. If you insist on them being perfect and more firm you could also fix this by adding about a tablespoon of cornstarch to the berries before cooking or more flour. That will ensure the juice from the berries sets and doesn’t get sucked into the fluffy cake.

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I have nothing against meat. In fact, I love meat and if you look at my deep freeze you will find a lot of meat. I have never really understood the whole vegetarian thing, especially since our cavemen ancestors probably ate more meat back then plants and I would also assume most of them didn’t know what carrots were either. However, I can appreciate the hard work of a gardener and love salads more than any other side dish, but that is what vegetables are to me. A side dish to a wonderful piece of meat. There are rare occasions that I do make a meal without meat and this Portobello mushroom burger with onion jam is one dish that will satisfy both meat eaters and vegetarians.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 medium red onion sliced
• 2 springs of fresh thyme
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 4 large portobello mushroom caps
• spring mix lettuce leave
• 4 buns of your choice

mix together yoghurt, sour cream and horseradish.  refrigerate until later.

In a dutch oven or large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, add onions, 1 sprig of thyme, salt and pepper. Cook covered, stirring often until the onions have wilted, about 15-20- minutes. Add red wine and simmer over high heat until most of the liquid is gone. Add honey, red wine vinegar and simmer until it becomes a jam like consistency, about 15 minutes.

Heat grill to medium high. Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Strip the leaves off remaining sprig of thyme and add to olive oil and balsamic. Coat mushroom caps with olive oil mixture. Grill mushrooms, turning as needed until tender, about 3-4 minutes per side. season with salt and pepper.

Slather burger buns with horseradish sauce, place mushroom cap on bottom bun, top with onion jam, lettuce and serve warm.

I can honestly say that I didn’t miss the meat at all in this burger. It was very flavourful and filling just as any “regular” burger should be. J was also really impressed and thoroughly enjoyed this. The onion jam is remarkable and the recipe makes lots so save it and spread it into sandwiches tomorrow!  The carnivore in me did some thinking though, if you really didn’t want this to be strictly vegetarian you could easily slide in a grill beef burger patty and it would be AMAZING! just saying.

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Since I grew up in Chilliwack, I have had my fair share of corn. The best way, in my opinion is to grill it without the husk but I am sure I will stir all sorts of controversy by saying that.  I love the little grill marks, the slight smoky flavour and the sweetness the corn has when thrown right on the bbq.  You can take your grilled corn up a notch by smothering it in a spicy, tangy and creamy sauce that was invented in Mexico.

Ingredients 

• 6 large ears of corn with husks intact
• 1/2 mayo
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1½ cups (about 4 oz) finely grated cotija cheese or parmasan
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1-2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne (or to taste, I like it spicy)
• salt

Mix together all ingredients, except lime wedges, in a small bowl.

Heat grill to med-high and cook, turning often for about 10-12 minuets. The corn should be getting charred in spots. Remove from grill. While corn is still hot, brush on seasoned mayo. Serve with lime wedges to be squeezed on before eating.

Lots of recipes will say that you should mayo your corn first and then roll in the cojita, but that seems like it would be too thick for my liking. I loved how this turned out. Alternatively you can leave out the mayo and use butter for a while other experience. I love experimenting with different corn toppings. I will miss it when summer is over.

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Our one year wedding anniversary in Whistler went by way too fast. The clouds finally parted and we got a speck of sun that shone down on the mountains to remind us how beautiful our province really is. This break of rain was also important because before headed home we still two things on our my to do list. One was to visit the outdoor farmers market and have lunch at Southside diner. We worked up an appetite in the market dodging through the crowd, having samples and now it was time to sit down and eat one last meal in this lovely little town. 

The Southside Diner is the last little restaurant situated across from the Chevron in Creek side, on your way in or out of whistler. If  it hasn’t caught your eye already while you driven past, keep an eye out for it next time you’re in the neighborhood. This place is your quintessential greasy spoon complete with servers in cute dresses, chefs with attitude/humor and a long line up at the front door. Don’t let that line discourage you, it is well worth the wait.

I think it took only about 10 minutes before we were seated and our server was really friendly and attentive in an almost a motherly kind of way. It was rather refreshing to be treated so well, also by something who probably would have felt my forehead for a fever if I had told her I was sick. She came back a few times since it took a while to decide on what to order and it was always with a polite smile. I finally decided on the crab po’boy only to discover that it was still breakfast. Note to everyone, on weekends its breakfast until 2pm in Whistler. I was able to make a quick decision and changed it my order to huevos rancheros, because I can never get enough guacamole in my diet.

 The Huevos Rancheros is absolutely huge. It’s filled with a 3 egg scramble, refried beans, salsa, guac, cheddar and mozza in an abnormally big flour tortilla with a side of homefries. The photo makes the homefries look a tad overcooked, but trust me, they were great! This is a perfect hangover cure or if you’re like me, a perfect excuse to be as glutinous as possible. I added a lot of hot sauce to mine, since I like a bit heat but this is perfect as is as well.

 J ordered the morning ‘cin’ which is 2 pieces of French Bread filled with cream cheese, soaked in pancake mix and deep fried until golden. They throw on some cinnamon sugar at the end and serve it with butter and syrup just in case your arteries haven’t been completely filled yet. This heart stopping meal is another perfect hangover cure for something with more of a sweet tooth and was slightly reminiscent of beaver tails or elephant ears at the PNE, but on steroids. I am not sure I could have wiped the grin off J’s face the entire time.

 We both left Southside diner a few pounds heavier with the worry that the buttons on our pants could explode off at any second. I was also pleasantly surprised that our wallets didn’t take too much of a beating either as the prices are very reasonable, especially for the amount of food they feed you. This was the perfect ending for our trip to Whistler.

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On our second evening in Whistler I decided on trying a Korean fusion restaurant named Celadon. I checked out the website and it looked delicious, decent prices and had pretty good reviews. J and I braved the rain again only to find that it is no longer in existence. I was annoyed that the Korean website was still up, promoting itself and taunting people like me who had no idea it was closed down. J and took a rather wet stroll back through the village and decided on 21Steps. I had always been curious about this place and since my plans were foiled it was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

The dining area in 21steps was full so we were offered to join them in “The Attic” which is upstairs from their dining room. Yes, more stairs! I believe the menus are the same in both the dining room and the attic but the attic is more casual and laid back with big comfy chairs, tv’s and a huge bar you can sit at. We got a table close to the bar and ordered some beers to relax after our Korean food mishap. We also decided on doing tapas (small plates) for dinner since there was so much to chose from. I was having a very hard time deciding on dinner.

Our fist dish that arrived was the Sambal and Masala seared Scallops. The scallops were cooked perfectly but not as spicy as I thought they’d be with the  main ingredients being Sambal and Masala. J really liked them and since he isn’t like me, where spicy foods need to make your nose run, he was quite pleased with the flavours. It was probably a good thing that they weren’t as fiery as I imagined since the briny scallop flavour could shine through.

Next up was our Tiny Bacon Wrapped Fillets. J had an issue with me ordering this one based on the word “tiny”. I convinced him that it would be bite sized and not to worry but he kept imaging these itty bitty bacon bits that would be few and far between. J was pleasantly surprised that there were 5 decent sized bites of steak wrapped in bacon sitting on top a mild horseradish sauce. These were quite delicious and I am pretty sure I saw J dip a scallop into the sauce as well, it was so good.

Thrid was the seared ahi tuna on top a bed of sesame seasoned greens, wasabi and a sesame sauce. I absolutely love tuna and this didn’t disappoint. The dressing was absolutely perfect and complimented everything on the plate. It was also nice to have a bit of salad too because I always forget to order greens or vegetables when I do tapas.

Lastly was stuffed mushrooms. This took surprisingly longer then the rest but that was fine with me since we hoovered back everything else so fast, it was nice to take a breathing breaking.  When it finally arrived they were piping hot and bursting with filling.  Out of all the dishes we ordered this was J’s favourite. The cheese filling had a nostalgic feel to it and was reminiscent of a cheese spread style sauce, except it was much more tasty then fake proceeded cheese. I believe this was a mixture of sharp cheeses and was very creamy, and delicious.

The meal was very reasonably priced and I really enjoyed that we were able to find a tapas style menu since it gives me the opportunity to try a lot more items on the menu. I can’t believe it took me so long to try this place out.  I would definitely come back again to 21Steps and recommend it for a Whistler visit.

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After such a big and filling breakfast at Dubh Linn Gate, J and I headed to Lost Lake and took Duke for a walk around the perimeter trail. It was drizzly and cold the entire time we were on  the trail, but it was nice to get out and do something other than the village stroll. It was also quite busy and very picturesque. I was happy to see that we weren’t the only people braving the weather for a little exercise. We then took Duke back the hotel where we killed some more time by using Duke as our comedy relief and decided on what we were going to eat next.

 I have been to Whistler more times than I can count. I know it almost like the back of my hand but when it comes to eating, I don’t think I have even skimmed the surface. There always seems to be new places popping up so it is also hard to keep track. There are a few places, however, that have stuck around like Splitz Grill. They opened their doors in 1997 and haven’t looked back. Some people have claimed this to be the “best” home-style burger around so it’s a must do for any burger lover in the area.

 Not only is their burgers home-style, but the restaurant itself is like a school cafeteria line up. There is a large chalkboard to the right with their menu on it. You then hope in line and let the cashier know what you’d like. She’ll hand you your beverage of choice, a number and scoot you down the assembly line. Here is where you’ll see the magic happen. Burgers, buns, and toppings are flying around like a well-practised circus. Your number will be called and speak loudly to make sure you get all the toppings you like. They will then wrap it up in old school paper and off you go to find a seat.

 J and I decided on sharing a Legendary burger combo since we were still full from breakfast. For about 9.75 you get a very large burger, fries and drink. You can also sub your pop for beer or wine as well for an extra fee. We decided on the Legendary because I wanted to try their burger in its simplest form, but for people who want something else you can go for chicken, lentil, hot dogs, smokies, Buffalo, Turkey, Lamb, Salmon or even opt for a wrap. Pretty much something for everyone! There is also a million sauces to pick from including their house made Splitz sauce and fresh veggies galore.

 I have always stood by the fact that a great burger has to be messy. If it isn’t dripping down your wrists then it means it’s too dry and your lacking some much-needed toppings. Splitz definitely lived up to my motto and it gave an immediate surge of warm drippings from the beef, sauces and vegetables. Since you’re making the burger to your liking there is no reason for you to be disappointed especially since the meat is very high quality and cooked to perfection. The fresh-cut fries are the perfect side to this amazing home style burger. If you’re in whistler I would high recommend popping on by. The sushi and coffee shops can wait until you’ve had your burger fix and don’t fret if you can’t make it to Whistler, they also have a location in Vancouver.

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While J and I were in Whistler it rained almost the entire time. It seemed like every time we needed to walk anywhere the rain decided to pour its hardest. There is nothing worse than trying to navigate your way through the Village on foot with no umbrella to end up at your destination looking like a drowned rat. At least we weren’t alone as it appeared that everyone was in the same predicament as us, umbrella-less and wet. Our first morning was the worst when we went to hunt down Dubh Linn Gate pub for breakfast.

We arrived cranky, hungry and less than impressed with the weather. I had also completely forgot where it was due to my irrational hunger so we were in the rain longer than anticipated. The pub itself is definitely an Irish style pub with wood floors, the smell of old parties and an atmosphere that makes you want to do shots when the sun goes down. They have a really large covered patio as well which we chose to sit at since it was so humid out, despite the rain. They’re lunch and dinner menu reflects an irish pub with options like Guinness and crab bisque, Irish onion soup, Bangers and Mash, stew and shepherd’s pie. They’re breakfast menu is more of a traditional north American style.

I ordered the tomato and spinach eggs Benedict which is exactly that, served with hash browns. The hash browns are seasoned with I assume seasoning salt and cooked to be slightly crispy, which I can appreciate. I don’t like soggy hash browns. The eggs were poached soft and the sauce tasted home-made as well. I was stuffed after my first egg and J had to help me finish.

 J ordered the rustic French toast, which was 3 slices of baguette topped with berry coulis and warmed strawberries and Maple Syrup, although J never did get his syrup. He didn’t mind since the berries and cinnamon were enough to make it delicious. I love fresh toast made with baguette or older breads since they have a bit more chew to them.

I would highly recommend Dubh Linn Gate for breakfast if you’re looking for something casual, tasty or even a good hang-over cure. The prices and very reasonable and the staff were also great. It also is right near the gondolas as well so it makes for great people watching.

FOODgrl - I talk about food, you read it.

FOODgrl - I talk about food, you read it.

A few weeks ago J and I were at the Haney Farmers Market having a good time exploring what Maple Ridge has to offer. During our visit at the market were came across many different booths but the one that stood out the most, to me, was Chef’s Natural Sausage. It helped that they were giving out free samples but what really perked my attention was the amount of different style sausages they offer. They had a small freezer on site as well, so I picked up some Beef Donair Sausage hoping to recreate a gyro at home.

Chef’s Natural Sausage is a local company, based out of Langley, B.C. by a man who has retired from the meat market business only to find himself using his skills and recipes to create delicious local, natural, sausages. All his products are of course high quality and meats from Johnson Packers in Chilliwack B.C. because of their high ethical standards in packaging. His products are also preservative and gluten-free!

When I bought the donair sausage, I didn’t even realize that they were skinless. I will assume this is to truly mimic the traditional donair style meat. I was a little worried how they would hold up on the bbq but they did amazing.  The sausages were seasoned perfectly and this knew this based on the sample I had at the market, but the donair impressed me even more. It remained juicy on the inside as well and went perfect with some fresh homemade tzatsiki  sauce and all the fixins for a gyro.

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A few weeks ago I received an email asking me if I wanted to receive a sample of a new beverage called American Vintage Hard Iced Tea. As you know I’m not a huge fan of coolers but I didn’t mind the Palm Bay Spritzers and I love iced tea so I immediately jumped on the opportunity to be apart this.

American Vintage Iced Teas are made from tea leaved cold steeped  in a neutral malt base for three days with the addition of cane sugar, natural lemon and dry hops at the end. Their goal for this hard iced tea is to be as natural and close to home made as possible. It contains no preservatives, artificial colours and is made from all natural ingredients.  What kinds of tea do you ask? Well, its a Sri Laken black tea, a Chinese green tea and a tea from North Carolina.

After cracking open a can the aroma was reminiscent of good old fashioned iced tea which made me want to slam it down since we’re having this heat wave  but I held off and poured it into a glass like any proper lady would. While pouring I noticed its rich brown colour that is identical to any Iced Tea. I was beginning to think that I’ve been fooled and it was really Snapple until I gave it a taste. The alcohol in this drink tastes almost like rum, despite the fact that is absolutely no rum in it. The rum(ish) flavour mellows out right away and then you get hit by the tea flavours again. It’s completely un-carbonated and is more like old-fashioned iced tea, not sweet tea. The lemon is subtle as is the sweetness, which in my opinion is nice because I don’t like overly sweet drinks. The more sips I had the less rum I tasted and it began to be more of a natural tea flavour. I haven’t had a lot of hard iced tea’s in my life, so it tough for me to compare it to something else. However, I can say that if you love traditional iced tea, you’ll probably really like this.

FOODgrl - I talk about food, you read it.