Crazy Weed Kitchen

This New Year's Eve, I think I died and went to culinary heaven. I have been blessed with being able to travel the world and experiment food from every corner of the earth. Nothing prepared me for the food I ate at the Crazy Weed Kitchen in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. The adjectives 'sublime','amazing' don't do justice to the food.
It was a fixed menu for New Year's Eve. My entree was seared scallops on greens with a peanut/chili based vinagrette that was music to my tastebuds. I followed that with a winter salad. The compote in the middle of the salad had cinnamon and clove that counterbalanced the frisee salad. My mouth waters just thinking of it. My main course was the beef tenderloin, medium rare with a caramelized agridoce shallot gravy on top, served with parmesan batata rosti...DIVINE!!!!!!!!!!!
The ambience felt like I could have been in a restaurant in New York, Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, airy and modern with very tongue in cheek photography gracing the walls. I was transported from the mountains of Alberta to another world. All that was missing was a movie star to walk in with their entourage.
This place is a MUST!!!!

1600 railway avenue
canmore, alberta
t1w 1p6

email



phone
403 609 2530


fax
403 609 2501



hours of operation
sat & sun
mon - fri
everyday
closed 10:30 - 3 brunch
11:30 - 3 lunch
5 - late night dinner
statutory holidays

Middle Eastern Food

When anyone mentions the Middle East these days, usually the first thing that comes to mind are the conflicts in Iraq, Israel,Lebanon, Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda.
Its unfortunate, because out of the cradle of civilization, comes some of the most amazing food you will ever eat.
I had the lucky chance to dine with a Lebanese friend and his family in Paris when I was 18. The lunch his mother prepared was beyond anything I had ever had a chance to taste before in my life. Kebobs of lamb with mint and yogurt dip. Various small plates of food set before me, each one with a different taste and texture. A few years later I had the chance to go to Syria for a fashion shoot with French Marie Claire, and I was already well versed on the cuisine from this part of the world.The small plates of food are called 'mezze' and are to be eaten with the right hand. A luch or dinner can last for hours and conversation is lively.
One of the most famous dishes is Hummus. Made with chick peas and tahini, it is full of protein and one of my favorites. I found this recipe on the internet, and it is really the best hummus I have ever tasted.

Yes, My Kids Eat Ice Cream and Chocolate Cake

 

....but only one dessert for the two of them, and only once in a while.

My Favorite Restaurant in Rio de Janeiro

Today, I took my two boys out for lunch. Where did they want to go? Our favorite restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, Wasabe. It had been well over a year since we had been there and to my surprise, it had expanded, but still had the South Hampton-meets-Buzios feel to it.






Being the polite Canadian, I asked the owner if it was okay to take photographs of his restaurant and I explained about my blog. So in effect, this is my first real restaurant review. All comments are welcome,folks!.
Wasabe is a fusion restaurant in Barra da Tijuca owned and run by Alex Jorge. He has been involved with food since 1988 when he started out as a sushiman. At that time, he also got involved with Italian cooking. Sushi restaurants abound here in Rio, but Alex took his sushi to a new level. Over the years, Alex has fused oriental food with a Brazilian touch, by using local ingredients. Imagine a grilled fish kabob with mangos and leeks...divine. When I asked Alex to sum up his feeling about his type of food, he said that the most important for him is that it is done with love. And it is.




The view from the restaurant is amazingly beautiful, looking over a lagoon and the mountains, on a clear day you can see up the back of the Gavea Rock and the Floresta da Tijuca...Venice meets Rio.




The chef, Vitor Lisboa, puts out dishes such as 'Crock Nira', made with salmon, kani and nira rolled in a tempura batter and lightly fried, and Fish Tataki, made with assorted fish, green onions rolled in an edible rice paper.
There is, of course, the sushi bar with two sushimen cutting fish and rolling to feed the demand for classic Japanese fare. My son Caetano is a big fan of the sushi, and my other son, Cristiano, can't get enough of the rings of squid, done tempura style.My favorite is the seared tuna sashimi with black sesame seed crust....mmmmm.
Wasabe has a bit of everything for everyone, so it is a good option for grownups and for kids (it also has a kids menu).



Wasabe
Shopping Barra Point
Av Armando Lombardi 350,3rd floor
Barr da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro
Telephone (21) 2491 2920
www.wasabisushi.com.br
Open Daily from 12h -24h
Prices from R$3.99/100g during the week at lunch, R$4.29/100g weekends and holidays
Evening buffet from R$42.90 during the week, R$45.90 on weekends and holidays
WiFi available
All credit cards accepted

Obesity...So True!!!

The United Nations food agency chief Jacques Diouf noted Wednesday that billions of dollars are being wasted feeding the world's obese people. The indirect costs -- from obesity-related disease and premature death -- stack up to $100 billion, he declared.

This is What is Happening in the Minds of Young Girls

This was blatantly taken from a website in Sweden for an awareness campaign about anorexia/bulimia. A picture really speaks louder than words....

Need I Say More?