Gourmandee

01/22/2025

I opened up this 2021 Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côtes-Du-Rhone white wine on the weekend and I feel it deserves a place in your cellar. Not necessarily to collect, but it was so enjoyable that I ended up finishing the bottle over 2 days. It has mild acidity with notes of peach, honey, a bit of citrus, and is medium bodied with smooth tannins. So well balanced! It pairs well with cheese and charcuterie as well as fish and poultry. I paired it with trout for dinner then cornish hen the next day. Delish! This southern Rhone is a blend of 30% Bourboulenc, 30% Marsanne, 30% Viognier and 10% Clairette.

10/18/2024

Have you ever eaten good food at an airport? My visit to One Flew South in the Atlanta airport was unforgettable! I had no idea upscale dining could be found at an airport. One Flew South Restaurant & Sushi Bar has great food and wine. They even have a DRC on their wine list. Full story can be found on the blog! I can't wait to go back to the Atlanta airport! It's a vibe!

Here are the dishes we enjoyed:

1. Trout Croquettes
2. Hamachi Crudo
3. Pork Belly and Potstickers
4. Smash Burger

09/27/2024

Is this a new trend?

08/26/2024

Loving barbecue season! Chicken wings are easy to grill and to eat! Do you prefer your wings sauced or a dry rub?

05/24/2024

I ordered this Mortadella Pizza today and it was just excellent! The stracciatella, pesto and pistachios were delicious combination with the mortadella. I can't wait to eat it again! 🤤

05/12/2024

I am definitely trying this!

Champagne Margarita - Your New Brunch Favorite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3sZmn8rRJg

04/19/2024

The winner was a surprise.

03/27/2024

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/soy-sauce-vs-tamari-according-to-kikkoman-8610951

As a home cook do you need to stock both soy sauce and tamari? I spoke to Kikkoman, one of the world's biggest makers of soy sauce, to learn more about the difference between the two products.

03/10/2024

https://www.foodandwine.com/pasta-noodles/pasta-carbonara/carbonara-recipes?taid=65e4eccb05861200017070dd&utm_campaign=foodandwine&utm_content=link&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com

Traditional Italian pasta carbonara is creamy, rich, and hearty. These carbonara recipes span the classic version with spaghetti, bucatini, and linguine, plus variations that add herbs, spinach, clams, caviar, sun dried tomatoes, peas, and more.

03/05/2024

My first attempt at green shakshuka! I've only tried the red version of this dish after trying it at one of Ottolenghi's restaurants in London, UK. Since I'm trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet, I found a green version of this dish that I wanted to try.

Shakshuka is traditionally made with eggs poached in tomatoes, peppers, onions and spices. The green version poaches eggs in herbs, spices and a variety of green vegetables. I decided to use leeks, brussels sprouts, spinach, shallots, a bit of garlic, and eggs of course then I topped it off with avocado and cilantro. Is it green enough? 😋

02/28/2024

Today's Wine Wednesday pick is the
Central Coast Red Wine Blend. This is a smooth red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with all the fruit I love (blackberry, cherry, and plum). Its one of those wines that make me feel like I can't have just one glass. Priced under $20 makes this a good value to buy a bunch at a time so I can really enjoy a whole bottle. 😁 I tried this wine with lamb for Valentine's Day and it was good!! But you can also pair this with a nice burger, chicken dish, steak or just Netflix and chilling.

If you're from Ontario 🇨🇦, you know the does not do a great job of bringing in wines from people of colour on a regular basis (or promoting them) so I'm excited that this appeared in some stores for Black History Month (but do we have to wait for one month out of the year for this? 🙄) Also, it's a great opportunity to try wine from two Black female winemakers from the US.

Their wine journey is fascinating. These two women were raised separately and didn't know the other existed - one in the US and one in New Zealand - until they met as adults. Plus they both had a love of wine in their respective countries. They eventually went into business importing and distributing wine, launching several wine brands (eco.love, Truvée, McBride Sister's Collection, Black Girl Magic Wines, SHE CAN Wines, McBride Sister's Collection Reserve Collection and recently purchased a vineyard in Napa Valley. I'm excited to try all their wines and see what else they produce.

02/22/2024

With an increase in extreme weather, Jamaicans have found a reliable, local food source in nutrient-dense and versatile breadfruit.

02/08/2024

I love eating beef short ribs but it's a dish I rarely make. It's a serious investment of time but when I decide to make it, I make sure it is a fall off the bone tender portion of succulent meat. Previously, I've only made this dish with a 72 hour sous vide then finished off with a sear but this time I tried the stove top method where I braised it in red wine and herbs for 3 hours. Even though, I complained under my breath that I had to chop my mirepoix, its a very important step in preparing this dish. It turned out pretty darn good too! If you want my recipe then you'll just have to come over to try it. 😉I can't wait to make this again!

01/21/2024

Welcome to the Gourmandee family!! Growing up, we always had a small hatchet in the house that we used to cut chicken, goat, pigtail and oxtail. Living on my own, I'd always look for small pieces of meat or ask the butcher to cut my meat for me. Now, I'm doing it myself with my Global Meat Cleaver! 🙌🏿

12/26/2023

Christmas dinner was not traditional this year. I decided o have tagliatelle with fresh white truffle and Japanese A5 Wagyu paired with a 2018 Brunello. 😋

11/24/2023

https://gourmandee.com/2023/11/22/standout-dish-the-crispy-butternut-squash-at-aloette-will-make-you-go-back-for-more/

The Crispy Butternut squash with brown butter hollandaise, candied pepita and sage is a hidden gem on the menu that once you taste it you will want to go back for more.

11/21/2023

If you want to try omakase in Toronto then you need to head to on St. Clair West. They serve very fresh fish in an intimate setting. Plus it's THE BEST VALUE omakase in the city.

The restaurant only offers an 8 seat tasting bar but it was so fun chatting with Chef Jang and the other diners that we even made some new friends! I was also happy that they easily accommodated my shellfish allergy.

They offer a great selection of fish to try like the smoked salmon (and I'm not a fan of smoked salmon). It's balanced and so flavourful without the over powering smokiness of traditional smoked salmon. But my absolute favourite was the hamachi with pickled ginger. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered an extra one at the end of the meal. Worth it! 😋

11/15/2023

Thankfully, this has never happened to me. Would you say something at the time of ordering or just eat the cost.

They're happy to pay for one meal, but what can one say when the guest orders additional items?