Nice Things

When I was schlepping all my worldly possessions home from the bus station a TTC employee helped me carry my package all the way to the subway platform. And he might not have even been hitting on me! So nice!

I saw Ben Mulroney, of Canadian political royalty (?) and eTalk Canada fame (admit it, you've seen it).  He was coming out of the arts section of Chapters in all his chin-y goodness and no one paid attention to him (just like on his show, BA-zing!). 

Ben gets stuck early on in a rendition of Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

If you're basically a vagrant and have no proof of address, the public library will mail you a postcard so you can get a free library card. I'm going to get mail! Yay!

Last night a ghost stories walking tour came through our bulding's courtyard. Apparently the church burnt down a long time ago and now it's haunted (allegedly). We chatted through the window, someone asked if they could come up for a beer, you know, it's Canada. 

"Rustic" Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese "Croutons"

If you find tomatoes on sale, go ahead and pick up a big bag. Even if you're not going to use them right away, they can sit in a bowl on the table until you're ready for them. Instant centrepiece! Martha would be proud. Hers would look better, but I think she'd still be proud.

If they're not the most gorgeous, ripe, heirloom tomatoes you've ever seen, just chop them up and throw them in the oven to roast with salt, pepper, and a big whack of garlic (whack being the collective noun for garlic).



Chop an onion and get it sauteing, then add the tomatoes and garlic once they're roasty. Add chicken stock and water and let it bubble away for a bit. Give the tomatoes a little mush with the potato masher every once in a while. Once everyone's gotten acquainted, give it a blitz with a blender. Leave some chucks though and don't bother putting it through the sieve. Chunky = rustic. Add a touch of milk or cream at the end.

I made some little grilled cheese sandwiches with sharp cheddar and a baguette. If your baguette was as old as mine you'll end up with more of a crouton than a sandwich, but it's hard to talk semantics with your mouth full. 

Four and Twenty Blackberries Baked in a Pie

Step one: after eating delicious sandwiches, take a trip with your friend Larry to Lion's Bay. While he and your boyfriend jump from ridiculous heights into the freezing pacific, you pick blackberries by the train tracks. Wear a cute dress for whimsical effect. Ignore the thorns, thorns are not whimsical.

Later, after nursing your scratch wounds, buy some puff pastry. I accidentally bought the little pre-cut puff cups, but you could just roll out the regular flat sheets for a full sized pie. Sprinkle with sugar and toss in the oven to pre-bake for a while. Then throw half the blackberries in a pot with a lot of sugar. Like a lot. Wild blackberries are tart, to say the least. Mush them up until you reach a substance that could be described as a compote.

Take the puff cups out just after they pouf, but before they start to brown. Pull out the cup tops with a fork and save them for a little snack later. Spoon in compote, top with a few whole berries, and pop back in the oven until they're golden brown. Be sure to try one while they're still scalding and burn off a few of your taste-buds.

 

Thanks Chapters

Was feeling so bummed about the job hunt that I almost bought a pack of motivational notecards. Thanks for preying on my vulnerability and love of typography, Chapters. I'll be back tomorrow to buy the vintage inspired porcelain egg holder and wildfire scented candle that I did not even know you carried.

Excellent, Awesome Pita Sandwich

To make this sandwich, you should first visit your friend Larry's house. Larry just made a soundproof room in his house so he can practice guitar without disturbing the neighbours. Talented and courteous and, ladies, check the pic for a little sample of his biceps.

This sandwich was a the result of a refrigerator ransack. It's got leftover chicken breast and bacon, hummous and curry mayo, sprouts, tomato, avocado, garlic havarti, woah. Smash all that into an only partially torn pita and you are in business. 

Served with Miss. Vickies balsamic vinegar chips and a little vino that Larry had lieing around. Classy, ladies. Classy.

Larry tore his pita a lot. Too much. But he doesn't give a frack; he just pita on either side like bread. He's innovative, ladies. Just like all the billionaires.  

BisforCookie is Under Construction!

In case any one was still looking...

This largely means I'll be messing around and messing things up for a while, but there should be something new to look at soon!

Grilled Peach Salsa

les ingredients:
- peaches
- tomatoes
- onion
- garlic
- lemon juice
- green onion
- s & p

Take two peaches, the ones your mother says aren't sweet enough, cut them in half, brush with olive oil and grill. Both sides, just a couple minutes each while you're chopping the onion and mincing the garlic. Step outside to flip the peaches, then pick through the tomatoes in the fridge. Take the ones that are gushy, that lack the integrity for, say, being sliced onto sandwiches. Chop them up and introduce them to the onions and garlic. They've met before, but the tomatoes will need to be reminded. Smoosh them up a bit to get them to relax if need be.

When the peaches are still too hot to be handled, rub the charred skin off and chop them into little bits. Throw into the tomatoes and onions with some lemon juice. As a poor substitute for cilantro or parsley, chop up some green onions and toss them in too. If you have a spicy little pepper lying around, now's the time. Salt and pepper. Done.

Serve with chips, toss it on your tacos, burgers, eggs, you name it. Salsa's been there.