barry heads over to the cactus club cafe.

so, if you're feeling a little la-ti-da, and want to experience the creations of an iron chef, you should head down to the cactus club pronto. chef rob feenie has created some delightful concoctions that may or may not give him another win on iron chef, but if nothing else give your tastebuds a run for your money. and there is quite a bit of money trading hands. my buds and i started off with some beef carpaccio ($13), followed by our entrees of butternut squash and fried sage ravioli, vegetarian fajitas and beef dip (~$15 - $25). we then ended off the meal with a bang, and had his key lime pie (~$8), made from scratch with love. though the individual meal choices are not ridiculously expensive, they add up as you want to try more and more dishes. out of the entrees, my clear favourite was the ravioli, but the other dishes were lovely too.

beef carpaccio
you were the evening's highlight.
i want more, dammit!

sage ravioli,

simply done with truffle oil.
you were crazy rich.

refreshing with zing,
you were other's favourite.
get me some pie, bitch!

on a side note, our waitress gave us the skinny on the dress code for wait staff. all women must wear heels no shorter than one inch. umm....what? they're on their feet for how long, running around with our food and drink, and flats and low heels are out. can anyone say union?

barry gives you some advice on food from the shaw.

it's surprisingly good!

i'm a sceptic when it comes to eating things created en masse - things tend to be dry, rubbery, and only barely edible. but this is the third time i've had dinner at the shaw conference centre, and i have to admit that, overall, i like it.

our meal started off with homemade bread rolls, including some fantastic dill ones, followed by a curry butternut squash soup served with an apple fritter.

the main event was chicken supreme with coq au vin, steamed veggies and lyonnaise potatoes. the potatoes were thinly sliced and layered like scalloped, but without any flavour. the veggies were also a bit limp, but were tasty, as was the chicken and sauce, which were moist and delicious.

finally, we ended off with a very suprisingly delicious black forest cheesecake that had me craving seconds. mmm...

barry celebrates harvest moons and thai delights

so, i just found out not half an hour ago that tomorrow is the mid-autumn or moon festival. it's a time when families get together and celebrate their adundance and completeness, but more importantly eat moon cakes. moon cakes are delightful lotus and peanut concoctions that have an egg in the middle to symbolize the moon. they're not really sweet, but they are definitely tasty, with a lot of peanut and almost toffee action going on. stay up late tomorrow, eat some cake and enjoy mother nature's show.

last friday i went out with colleagues to enjoy the spectacle that is tropika on calgary trail. if you love thai and malaysian food, head down for the feast.

roti and satays
start off our delightful meal.
roti all the way!

red chili chicken
garlic and cashews combine.
oh dear god it's hot!

bland and forgetful,

the desserts disappoint me.

...more roti perhaps?

barry thinks you should make this dessert. now.

strawberries are on sale, it's +30 degrees out today, and who doesn't love a dash of tequila in their lives?

i made this quick, delightful dessert last weekend for sunday dinner, and had rave reviews for it. it also helped that the hardest thing to do was slice the strawberries (i'm feeling particularly lazy of late if you haven't noticed with the lack of writing). go pick up some strawberries, an angel food cake, whipping cream, a lemon and some white chocolate. slice up the strawberries, splash them with some tequila that i'm assuming you have on hand, and set aside. now whip up the cream with an electric mixer (or whatever) and fold into it some lemon zest and chopped up white chocolate. oh yes, i know. now just pile high all ingredients on each plate and enjoy the decadence.

scrumptulescent.

barry takes in a few tastes at the rosebowl.

and likes them.

desperately needed pizza after 11 pm one friday past, so a few buds and i headed to the rosebowl on jasper and 117 street. a lot has changed in recent years at the bowl, particularly with their décor, but the pizza still delights the senses. try their spicy mexican pizza or their refreshing can’t-quite-remember-the-name-pizza with a garlic butter base, melted cheese, and chopped fresh tomatoes and cucumbers on top.

i had the chance to speak with the manager, and even better news: they’re extending their menu this fall to include more pizzas, more entrees, and more drinks!

good food, extended menu…my only complaint was that the music was crazy loud, making it near impossible to converse with my buds. maybe earplugs would be a good starter for the evening.

http://www.rougelounge.ca/rosebowl/

barry's sweet, sweet sugar rush.

sun-soaked cardamom
syrup and dough combine as one.
gulab jamun goodness!

head-rush, sugar-rush,
sweet syrup dripping off my chin.
shamelessly munching.

they cry out: “eat me.”
the glucose rush clouds my mind.
just one more you say?