Happy Hour - Brooklyn Cocktail

I'm very interested in craft cocktails lately.  Ever since we went on our Southern USA road trip in the spring, I've been more interested in bourbon.  

The Brooklyn cocktail is usually made with rye but I used bourbon.  Here's what you need for one cocktail:

Bocconcini Stuffed Meatballs

I happened to have some leftover bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls, packed in water and often sold in a tub in the deli section of the grocery store), so, of course, I decided to stuff them inside some meatballs to see what would happen.  It turned out pretty great!

I served the meatballs with spaghetti tossed with a quick tomato sauce and sprinkled with fresh basil for a very tasty, decadent meal. 

Here's what you need for these crazy meatballs:

The Beer Baron - You Got Chili Peppers in My Porter!

This post comes from Matt, the Beer Baron... 

You Got Chili Peppers in My Porter!

In the 1980s, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups commercials touted “two great tastes that taste great together”. While my peanut allergy – and aversion to creepy guys on the street looking over my shoulder when I talk to Walkman-wearing girls – didn’t make me susceptible to such brilliant advertising, I’ve recently been thinking about that tagline thanks to some wonderful experiences with beer.

Tart of the Month - Pumpkin Spice Tarts

It's that time of year!  Pumpkin spice is on everyone's mind. 

I was never a huge fan of pumpkin pie - it's a little dense and the texture isn't that appealing to me.  But these pumpkin spice tarts are lightened up with cream cheese, and I love the gingersnap crust.  

Here's what you need for these easy fall treats:

Tomatillo and Chicken Chilaquiles

We finally harvested the last of our miracle tomatillos from our garden.  Peppers do well in our garden in the fall, but these tomatillos have been the most successful thing we've ever grown.  

Chilaquiles (fun to say: chee-lah-KEE-less), like tortilla soup, is another great way to use up stale tortillas.  It's a dish that usually uses corn tortillas, but I used flour tortillas in this. 

Here's what you need:

Detour - Guelph, Ontario

It's been a busy fall season for us so far.  This weekend we were lucky to attend the wedding of dear friends out of town.  On the drive home we took advantage of the beautiful weather to make a stop in Guelph, Ontario for lunch, beer, and a little country market.

Guelph is a beautiful town.  I lived there for about a year when I first finished school and I have lots of good memories there.  

Corn Chowder

Sweet corn on the cob is one of my very favourite things.  Corn season has just about wrapped up where we are, so I used the last of the summer corn to make this amazing corn chowder.  So much sweet corn flavour!

We've been very lucky this year with our local corn.  Between the local markets and our CSA basket, we've had some pretty delicious cobs!  We like to eat them boiled in lightly salted water with a touch of sugar for just 7 minutes.  We eat them plain, without butter or even salt, unless the corn needs the help.  

I see lots of corn recipes that look interesting, but when boiling and eating is so satisfying, it's hard to put in more effort than that.  But I think this soup is worth it.  It's creamy and filled with amazing corn flavour and texture.