Love Well, Learn Well: #chubsxie

Chubs the Pug! 
@chubsxie on Instagram!

Week 1

This bundle of joy came into our home right after final exam season.  Just in time to de stress.  

 

This week has been full of joy, love and fun, and of course frustrations.  Lot's of carpet cleaner... and there was a lot of diarrhea.  We found that at first, he would find the most interesting places to sleep!

But he finally got the hang of it ;).

He also had his first vet appointment!  He's perfectly healthy.... a tad overweight. 

The love story of Chubs and Tobias the Bear <3. 

You poser.

The boys playing Clash of Clans -.-

Nom nom.

Zzzzzzzz

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The boys <3

Sweet dreams little one.

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #sortof #longviewsteakhouse

ABC's of YYC (Week 12: L)... sort of

Longview Steakhouse
102 Morrison Rd, Longview, AB

John came across "The world's 15 best steak restaurants" a while back and found a contender from Alberta!  We have been wanting to come here for ages but never committed due to the fact that it's about an hours drive away.  What better excuse to come here then for "L Week" of our adventure as well as celebrating the fact that Kim has finished her exams for the semester! 

It felt like we walked into someone's home as we entered this lovely restaurant.  The place is filled with locals who seemed very passionate about the food.  The service is wonderful and they make sure you're well taken care of.  

Seafood Panache- seared scallop with shrimp in a bed of white wine sauce

The scallop had such a beautiful sear and was seasoned perfectly.  The shrimp was cooked perfectly as well and both were complimented by the light wine sauce.  The garnish of capers and onions provided some texture and expanded the flavour profile.  

Chausson d'Escargot- escargot wrapped in puff pastry 

It's been a while since we had escargot and we are sure glad that we did at Longview Steakhouse.  The escargot was cooked perfectly and served in a crisp puff pastry.  It was an interesting way of presenting the escargot which we have yet to experience.  The sauces were flavourful yet light, so very enjoyable.  They harmoniously came together enhancing the dish.  

Soup of the Day- chipotle potato soup (complimentary)

Mmmmmm soup!  The main dishes came with a choice of either salad or soup.  We were both drawn in by the description of the soup, which was delicious!  It felt heartwarming and the side of crackers made the experience nostalgic.  Some people crush their crackers super fine, but we like ours chunky.  The soup stimulated our appetites and made us even more excited for the beef!

One of the Specials of the Day- rib steak with prawn, jus and hollandaise; vegetables on the bottom

When the plate hit the table, John's mouth started watering due to the incredible aroma and just how beautiful the plate looked.  Wow, the beef was incredibly delicious!  The ribeye had a great amount of fat on it as any proper ribeye should.  The juices from the fat seeped throughout the meat and each bite tasted better than the last.  The fat also provided a pleasant smokiness.  The hollandaise and the jus paired perfectly with the meat.  The shrimp was delicious and the little bit of acidity from the hollandaise really enhanced its flavour.  Everything was just frickin amazing.  The portion was larger than usual, but John finished it all... it was too damn good to stop eating.  

Filet Mignon- AAA filet with demi glace/jus and bearnaise sauce served with vegetables

Kim's cut of choice.  The meat was delicious and the sauce was perfect with it. The cut was so  tender, thick and juicy.  The caramelization of the sear added even more flavour to the filet.  The vegetables on the bottom were at a pleasant softness.  The filet paired well with the wine and boy did this satisfy Kim's meat craving.

John got reallyyyyyyy excited.

Creme Brulee- warm custard with a thin layer of brulee on top

Always room for dessert... so all the desserts sounded great, but we had to settle with the creme brulee because it was one of the lighter choices.  Excuse what I said about settling, the creme brulee at Longview Steakhouse is amazing. There was a perfect level of sweetness with a light, warm and smooth custard that had a thin layer of bruleed sugar on top.

Yeah..... we both wish this steakhouse was in Calgary, or at least a bit closer.  The food was amazing and the service was superb.  We would literally come here all the time if we could.  A return trip is in the works due to their extensive menu that all sounded enticing.  We believe that this place is well deserving of being named one of the best steak restaurants in the world.  

Enjoy!

Love Well: #sayhitochubs

Homemade Dog Treats

Sorry for the hiatus once again.  Finally finished the last of my finals today and we brought Chubs home yesterday!

In celebration of that, I wanted to make him home made puppy treats!

I ordered some Bone Cookie Cutters but they did not come in in time, so I resorted to hearts.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Recipe by Damn Delicious

I changed the amount of the flour a bit because it was quite dry before I used the whole amount

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 large eggs

3 cups whole wheat flour, or more, as needed (I used about 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup of spelt flour and stopped there)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs on medium high until well combined (1-2 minutes).  Gradually add flour 2 cups then add 1/4 cup at a time.  Just until the dough no longer sticks.

Lightly flour your work surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together.  Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough 1/4 inch thickness.  Use your cookie cutter of choice and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake about 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden.  Keep an eye on them!

Let cool completely.

Our baby Chubs <3.

On the way home in the car, he fell asleep in my arms.

Treat time?!

 He loved it!!!  Ate every crumb.

Chubs and Daddy

Jar of Hearts ;).

Enjoy!

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #livingroom

ABC's of YYC (Week 12: L)

Living Room
514 17th Ave SW

So we were deciding where to go for L week and the little house on 17th Ave caught our eye.  It's been quite a few years since we have been here, so we were looking forward to experiencing the wonderful food again.  The complimentary bread was awesome enough for us to comment on!  It was really soft and the butter provided a light yet delicious creaminess with notes of honey and garlic. 

Ceviche- sweet Nova Scotia red striped baby shrimp, lime, onion, tomato, plantain chips, micro cilantro

What an abundance of shrimp!  The plantain chips helped to balance out the sauce by cutting the acidity, but sadly there were only two chips.  The ceviche by itself was a bit acidic but overall it was good.

Tartare- Alberta beef tenderloin, dijon, caper, gherkin, shallot, felru de sel, potato gaufrette... It looked a lot better BEFORE they mixed it all together for you 

Mmm.. the tartare was packed with flavour and was so delicious.  It was really cool that they served each component separately and then they mixed it table side for us (sadly we didn't get a picture prior to the mixing).  From the first few bites, we thought it was a bit creamy, due to how much mustard there was, but after each additional bite we ended up enjoying it more and more.  The chips added a very nice crunch but we actually enjoyed the tartare better on its own.  The components that were mixed into the tartare resulted in a perfect balance of flavours.  One of the better beef tartares we have had in the city.  

Chicken- fennel brined chicken ballotine, spicy cacciatore, fermented butternut squash, carrot puree

Yay fiddleheads! We made them at home once but we haven't seen them since.  The chicken was so delicious.  It was cooked really well and had great flavour with a sausage stuffing that paired well with it.  The carrot puree was nice and light, so it was easy to enjoy, but boy was there a lot of it.  There was quite a wide variety of veggies too!  Everything on the plate was delicious. 

Sablefish- black sesame glaze, charred gai choy, petite tatsoi salad, picked fennel, dashi broth 

The fish was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing.  The flavour of the black sesame really came through and added a wonderful sweetness to the dish.  The vegetables were plentiful and tasted great.  The broth was clean and delicious.  

Yuzu Lemon Tarte- rosemary fluid gel

The tarte was very tasty and went well with the crisp crust.  We thought it was a little runny but it worked out well since it made the dessert light and easy to enjoy.  We tasted a faint note of ginger that came through in a few bites which was refreshing.  Our server was so sweet and thought that maybe it was one of our birthday's... close enough...  Happy early Birthday John ;).

We both really enjoyed the meal and the service.  With the exception of the ceviche, all of the dishes showed a wonderful balance of unique flavours.  From the fresh and delicious tartare, to the fantastic sablefish and delightful chicken, the food was quite enjoyable.  The ending with the lemon tart was the cherry on top.

Enjoy! 

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #khaosanthaikitchen

ABC's of YYC (Week 11: K)

Khao San Thai Kitchen
1314 17th Ave SW

We were greeted at the door by a very welcoming host.  The decor and atmosphere was so pleasant and warm, a great way to hide from the random snowstorms we get in Calgary (like on Tuesday).  Although the snow made us extra excited for some delicious Thai food. 

Poung Chom-Poo- steamed stuffed dumpling, minced ground chicken, roasted crushed peanuts, Thai spices

These beautiful dumplings are not just for show.  When we first bit into it, we got a great burst of sweetness and crunchiness.  Personally we would have preferred a bit more meat, but we really did enjoy the dumplings.  What a delightful way to start off tonight's dining adventure.

Thai Style Beef Jerky- grilled marinated beef, Thai spices, sriracha chili sauce

The juicy pieces of beef were seasoned perfectly.  The notes of Lemongrass accentuated the beef and the sriracha sauce complemented the beef without overpowering it.  We both craved for more heat, but overall we were pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the dish.

Green Curry- green curry, coconut milk, zucchinis, bamboo shoots, Thai basil leaves; choice of beef 

The curry was delicious but the consistency was quite different than what we are used to.  The beef was yummy when enjoyed with everything else, but a tad dry by itself.  The bamboo shoots provided a nice crunch and flavour as it soaked up the curry.

Braised Short Ribs in Massaman Curry- beef short ribs, massaman curry, coconut milk, baby potatoes, onions, roasted peanuts

The short rib was cooked perfectly and it fell right off the bone.  The sweet curry enhanced the flavours of the beef and veggies.  The onions provided a flavourful crunch as it soaked in the curry.  The flavour of the dish was pretty good and everything worked well together.  

Overall, we enjoyed our food and the friendly service.  The incredible selection of dishes was quite overwhelming so we have to go back and try some more.  

Enjoy!