Road Trip to Pacific City, Oregon!

January 20, 2012 | No comments

We discovered Pacific City, a little gem in the Pacific North West, thanks to our friends Lisa and Rick and since their suggestion we have been there three times including a whole week during New Years.

It is only 5 hours from the border, amazing surfing and very little crowds. If you are looking for a big city with countless restaurants and lots of night life, Pacific City is not your place. On the other hand if you are looking for awesome surfing, no chain restaurants, very cozy breakfast places, great art galleries, an amazing Pub and local brewery and great walks with breathtaking views, head south to this small little town for a peaceful weekend or a whole season.

If you decide to go there you can not miss to go to Pelican Pub & Brewery.  An award winning brewery with many kind of beers and season specials for all the tastes, including “Mother of All Storms”, “Ripetide Red”, “Tsunami Stout” among others. You can enjoy a beer with an amazing burger, deep fried calamari or any other delicious meal while enjoying the front water views.

Last time we visited, we combined it with a wine tour around Oregon Wineries. Van Duzer Vineyards, Eolla Hills Vineyards, The Eyrie Vineyards were within our tour. Consider including a wine tasting in your trip, you will discover amazing wines, affordable prices and a fun day with friends that you’ll remember.

Have you been in Pacific City? Let me know what you think!

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Happy Holidays!

December 25, 2011 | No comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays and the best wishes for 2012! Thank you for follow my blog and I am looking forward to share my 2012 cooking, recipes, courses, friends & family gatherings, travel and dine-out experiences with you!

Is it Gnocchi (Ñoquis) time?

November 9, 2011 | 8 comments

Photo courtesy of Photography by Rose

Is it the 29th yet? Is it Gnocchi time?

Gnocchi (in Italian) or Ñoquis (in Spanish) are an italian recipe of soft dumplings made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, flour and egg, flour, egg and cheese, potato, bread crumbs or similar ingredients .

They can be serve with butter or oil or tomato sauce or any other sauce that you will use with pasta.

Although I am half Italian, born and raised eating Ñoquis, I learned to make them after I left Argentina.  My friend Margarita, an excellent cook that I will refer many times in this blog, taught me how to make them. We enjoyed together many delicious Ñoquis meals. Thanks Margarita!

If you are wondering why the 29th, it is because in Argentina there is a tradition of eating ñoquis every month on the 29th.  The tradition is to get together with friends and family to eat ñoquis, put a bill under your full plate before starting to eat and do not spend that bill until the next month. It is suppose to bring you more money. When it is about food tradition that involves yummy food, I am in! and I will follow it :)

Don’t feel intimidated, Ñoquis are very easy to make. They can be frozen and cooked at any other time. Try this Ñoquis recipe next 29th for your guests and I will guarantee that you will impress them. Bonn Appetite!

Potato Gnocchi
5.0 from 1 reviews
Print
 
Prep time: 40 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2lb. cooked potatoes (about 2 cups of cooked potatoes)
  • 1 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1 TBSP corn stach
  • 1 TSP baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 TBSP parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup of flour more for dusting board and dough
Instructions
  1. Steam the pealed potatoes in the pressure cooker following your pressure cooker manual (approx 15 min after full pressure in low temperature)
  2. Mash the potatoes by hand and fluff them up a bit with a fork.
  3. Add the flour, egg, corn stach, baking powder, parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt.
  4. Mix by hand until you have a nice pliable ball of dough. Do not overmix.
  5. Prepare a work area and dust it with flour.
  6. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out gently with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter.
  7. Gently roll the dough with your fingertips while while exerting the lightest pressure outwards, not down, to draw the dough out.
  8. Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about one inch long. Using either the tines of a fork or your fingertip, press against a piece of the dough and roll it slightly to form an indentation.
  9. As the gnocchi are made, place them on flat baking pan, lightly dusted with flour or lined with wax paper.
  10. Bring at least 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in a shallow saucepan.
  11. Gently drop the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the water.
  12. As soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon, draining well.
  13. Arrange on a warm serving dish.
  14. Pour your favourite heated pasta sauce, butter or oil over them and sprinkle with the pepper and parmesan cheese.
  15. Serve immediately.
 

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Dive and Dine!

October 4, 2011 | 4 comments

When we moved aboard, we knew that we will need to dive the boat regularly to clean the bottom and change the zincs. Contracting this type of work can be pretty expensive, so we decided to learn to scuba dive.  Many of my followers know that our journey into the underwater world did not stop there. We fell in love with diving and became scuba diving professionals. Guillermo is now a PADI Master Scuba Diver Instructor and I became a PADI divemaster.

Scuba diving around this area is undescriptable! Full of life and colours! Jack Cousteau rated British Columbia as the best cold water scuba diving in the world, and he was right about it. We dive regularly and teach PADI Open Water  course once a month with Sink or Swim Scuba . Guillermo also teaches underwater photography and writes Emerald Photography, Pacific Northwest Underwater Photography Blog.

Diving and being part of Sink or Swim Scuba has been great. It became outstanding when George and Lea opened Smokin’ George’s BBQ just steps from the dive shop a year ago.  We could not believe our eyes when we saw the construction. Our dream came true, we could Dive and Dine!

Now we can go for a dive, come back to the shop, walk to the restaurant and enjoy a fabulous smoked chicken sandwich,  pulled pork sandwich, amazing BBQ ribs with fries, salad, beans and/or corn bread to name some of the awesome selection in the menu.  “De-gassing” or “debriefing” after a dive has been a lot more enjoyable while eating a delicious, fast and fresh meal at Smokin’ George’s BBQ with a tasteful industrial feeling decoration.

Smokin George’s BBQ has fantastic food, reasonable prices, loyalty card for frequent visits, fast service, friendly atmosphere, great customer service, and weekly specials that add new flavors to their standard menu. During this month, to celebrate their anniversary, they have been drawing loyalty cards and giving away $25 gift certificates.  What a great idea! I’m giving them 5 stars! Great job Smokin’ George’s BBQ!

Come dive with Sink or Swim Scuba and Dine at Smokin’ George’s BBQ! See you soon!

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Pressure Cooker, an essential equipment for the galley!

September 30, 2011 | 5 comments

If you ask me what it will be an essential equipment for the galley, without a doubt I will answer a pressure cooker. It is one of the best investments you can make if you are a weekend, long time cruiser or live-aboard. You will not regret it.

Pressure cooking is a method of cooking in a sealed pot that does not permit air or liquids to escape below a preset pressure. Great for a boat;  the steam stays inside the pot without fogging all the hatches!

Because the boiling point of water increases as the pressure increases, the pressure built up inside the cooker allows the liquid in the pot to rise to a higher temperature before boiling. Pressure is created at the beginning with boiling liquid, such as water, inside the closed pressure cooker and the trapped steam increases the internal pressure and temperature, which is maintained throughout cooking time.

The main advantage is that foods are cooked much faster with much less water used than boiling and less energy is required than when boiling, steaming or oven cooking, making whatever is in the pot extremely tender and flavorful while reducing heat in the galley. So less water and less propane! A win-win situation for any boat.

Pressure cookers disadvantages are considerably more expensive than conventional saucepans of the same size and requires replacement of the gasket/sealing ring when it is worn out. In order to inspect the progress of food cooked in a pressure cooker, the cooking process needs to be halted and the cooker opened. The risk of scalding from escaping steam is greater with a pressure cooker, as the temperature is above the 100 degrees Celsius at which water boils at sea level in conventional cooking.

I invested in a T-Fal pressure cooker 5 years ago and I can not believe the results.   You can find a great article Pressure Cookers Test at the Practical Sailor magazine, if you would like to compare different kinds before purchasing one.

I have many recipes that I use the pressure cooking technique, in this post I shared the Cranberry Roast Recipe.  Easy, fast and delicious!  Enjoy!

Cranberry Roast
Print
Recipe type: Main Dish
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 35 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 Tsp Oil
  • 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
  • 1 beef chuck roast
  • 1 can jellied cranberry sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
Instructions
  1. Brown roast on a pan in each side with the hot oil
  2. Place onion soup mix and water in the bottom of a pressure cooker
  3. Place roast in the pressure cooker, and top with cranberry sauce.
  4. Cover, lock and cook following instructions of your pressure cooker manufacture. (Maximum heat until pressures and approximately 35 min at low heat)
  5. Remove roast, and serve with the gravy.

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Dinning at The Cliff includes Mountain View!

September 27, 2011 | 5 comments

photo courtesy of The Cliff Restaurant and Lounge Have you ever been extremely happily surprised when you go the first time to a restaurant? That happened to me dinning at The Cliff Restaurant and Lounge.

My husband and I decided to go for a casual dinner during the week and he suggested to try the new restaurant downtown Nanaimo.   I did not have high expectations, I really did not even know that there was a new restaurant.

To access to the restaurant you go through a lovely Italian patio.  I can only imagine it in summer!  The restaurant and the lounge have an open plan with full windows with a great view to Mt. Benson. I felt like home without even looking at the menu.

When I saw the menu I was shocked! Prices were pretty reasonable and there was an interesting combination of dishes.  I could not wait to try them.  My husband ordered the risotto and I ordered the steak sandwich.

I have to say it has to be the best steak sandwich I ever ate. The steak was perfectly cooked and presented with roasted garlic and onions with Gorgonzola cheese on a great bread. The combination of flavors were outstanding.  The side dish salad was fresh and extremely tasty. The risotto with caramelized sweet potatoes was spectacular too!

What will I love to add to make it the perfect restaurant? It already has awesome food and a great place, maybe I will add slow background music, candles on the tables and a fireplace that will create a delightful ambiance and it will make it my favorite restaurant in town.

Will I go back? Yes, definetely! I need to try all the other dishes, appetizers and desserts! Will I recommend this place? Absolutely! Please go and let me know what you think. Great job The Cliff Restaurant and Lounge!

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Rose’s Tea Biscuits

September 20, 2011 | 4 comments

A couple of months ago, we invited Rose and Dan for dinner at our boat and as usual when Rose ask me “what do I bring?” I answered: “don’t bring anything, only you”.  Well, she did not listened and I am glad for that.

Rose brought this amazing tea biscuits, that I could have eat them all myself without sharing. When she made them she added spices like oregano, garlic salt and basil and no cheese.  I could not wait to make them again.  I got the recipe and I added cheese. You can’t go wrong with cheese, no?  They were easy, boat friendly and delicious!  Thanks Rose for sharing this recipe! Enjoy!

Rose’s Tea Biscuits
Print
Recipe type: Bread
Author: Rose
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups flour
  • 4 tsp of baking powder
  • 1/2 cup of lard
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Mix the flour with the baking powder
  2. Cut into the above the lard until the mix looks like cornmeal
  3. Add milk
  4. Add Cheese
  5. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut out the size of your choice
  6. Bake at 425 degrees F until light golden brown.

 

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Lunch after Surfing!

September 19, 2011 | 2 comments

One of our favorites activities is surfing! The closest place to surf from Nanaimo is Tofino. It is about 2 to 2.5 hs driving through a beautiful scenic road that crosses Vancouver Island from the East side to the West side.  Tofino is a well known surfing destination with waves for all levels and tastes. We visit Tofino very often.

Tofino is a beatiful town that offers many outdoor activities, funky shops, art galleries, extraordinary restaurants and a perfect earthy and relaxing athmosphere. It is one of our favorite places in Vancouver Island.

After a couple of hours surfing in either Cox Bay, Long Beach or Chesterman, our appettite grows exponentially.  No better place to go for a late lunch, an appetizer or dinner than Shelter Restaurant. Shelter’s athmosphere is unique, funky, warm, stylish, authentic, exciting and cozy.

Displaying Surf videos, movies and sport events in their tvs, this restaurant has to be the coolest place in town.  It does show in the amount of people that is always eating at the restaurant, either inside or on the cozy deck warmed up by big heaters. 

The food is outstanding!  I have tried many items and every one has a great combination of flavours.  The ceasar salad, burgers, Shelter Pizza and soups are a great choice.  The dinner entrees have great options too. 

I have to say that the best of the best is the “chocolate trio” dessert, a combination of chocolate mousse, two dark chocolate truffles and chocolate gelato.  I never knew that chocolate can taste so good and so different in each bite.

There is amazing things that Shelter Restaurant does for the community as well. Elizabeth Levinson in her book “An Edible Journey” mentions that “…While ultimately it’s about fun and good food, Shelter has a huge commitment to sourcing locally, operating sustainably amd giving back to the community – but it isn’t necessarily evident at first glance…”

100% recommended! Great athmosphere, great place to go, outstanding service! See you soon Shelter!

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What would you like to have for dinner? I want Milanesas!

September 16, 2011 | 1 comment

Everyday I ask my husband, “what would he like to have for dinner?” and his answer is always ” I want milanesas”.

Milanesas is a deep fried breaded meat dish eaten commonly in South America. The milanesa was brought to Argentina from Central European immigrants. It is prepared with beef, veal or chicken and served plain, baked with tomatoes and cheese, in sandwiches and also beleive it or not in salads.

Milanesas are frequently served hot with fried or mashed potatoes and a fried egg. Lemon juice and sometimes mayonnaise or mustard are commonly used as a seasoning. Their low cost and simple preparation make milanesas a popular meal in South America.

Although he asks for them everyday, I don’t cook them very often because of the high content of fat. I consider them a treat!  I usually cook milanesas outside the boat. Deep frying in the boat not only is a fire hazard but also gets the boat with a deep fried fragrance.

After a long time asking, I cooked them yesterday at Dan & Rosie’s house. They turned out very yummy! Enjoy!

 

Milanesas a la Napolitana
Print
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 pound top round, sliced thinly into about 6 steaks
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon dry basil
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 sliced tomatoes
  • 6 slices Mozzarela cheese
Instructions
  1. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together in a shallow bowl.
  2. Mix the breadcrumbs with the oregano, garlic salt and basil and spread onto a plate.
  3. Whisk the eggs lightly.
  4. Dredge each steak into the flour, coating both sides.
  5. Dip each piece into the egg, then place into the breadcrumbs, coating both sides thoroughly.
  6. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
  7. Fry each steak for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until breading is crispy and steak is cooked to desired doneness.
  8. Take them out and place on paper towel to dry excess oil
  9. Put them on a pan and top them with a slice of tomatoe and mozzarella
  10. Bake on 350 degree oven or broil for 5 minutes until mozzarella is melted

 

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mmm…. Is that a Floating Restaurant?

September 1, 2011 | No comments

The City of Nanaimo (where I live), also know as the “Harbour City” is well know for many things and attractions, like the “Nanaimo Bars” or the “Annual Bathtub Race”.

One of the most interesting attractions is the Floating Restaurant in the harbour, the Dinghy Dock Pub & Restaurant. Accessible by ferry or boat from Nanaimo, this floating restaurant offers a calm and relax athmosphere, a pub menu, many nights live music and an awesome view.

Enjoying a cold drink in a summer afternoon while looking to the sunset over Nanaimo is a breathtaking experience. It is definitely a must go place in the summer.  I have been there many times during different times of the year. I have never been disappointed with my order.

The menu has many dishes with very reasonable prices. I have ordered burgers, pizza and crab cakes, and they were all delicious.  Remember to reserve some room for their signature dessert “Sex in the Dinghy”, a multilayer square that combines different flavours (chocolate, cream, vainilla) when you eat it. Overall is a great place, well priced with great service!

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