Ranche appetizers

Rocky Mountain Charcuterie board, selection of cured and smoked game and fish, mustard melon and sundried cherries and cranberry relish.  

There was elk salami along with pastrami and air-dried venison. The portions were most generous but lacked balance.  The assortment of meats although tasty was salty, along with the pickles, relish and the very salty caperberries. The sundried cherries and cranberry had been reduced in balsamic vinegar and was in dried salted chunks.  Although they had candies fish, it wasn’t enough to balance this very attractive board of cured and smoked meats.  . On the board were also slices of duck breast and a very tasty boar pate with herb and pistachio nuts.   In fact the 2 sliced cherry tomato slices added as garnish were most  delicious!  This board of toppings came without any crackers or flatbread

Seared Quebec fois gras double smoked bacon, cider pickled shallots, Yukon golden potato roesti, and horseradish jus. 

Rosti is a popular Swiss dish of grated potatoes. The Rösti I tasted in Lucerne at a farmhouse was cooked on the stove top in a cast frying pan, then shaped inside of the frying pan and completed in the oven!  Ladles of rendered fat were generously added as the potatoes were fried. 

Sea Salted Beets with cranberry citrus vinaigrette, goat cheese flan and pistachio flatbread.

Disappointment as this dish was picked and suggested by the waitress to bring a balance with the other two appetisers.. The pistachio flatbread lacked taste but did work nicely as a blank canvas for the meats on the Charcuterie board.  The goat cheese flan done in mini muffin tins was anaemic looking and tasteless!  The three items on this dish did not work well together.
These items have been on the Ranche menu for a while. With more and more people looking at a menu to group items together so as to share with each other, today’s chefs need to look at their menu and see what works together and balances well in flavour and not to mention nutritional value.  Futhemoe, all three of the items ordered were prepared with a lot of salt!

The Ranche remains a beautiful spot in Fish Creek and especially wonderful to walk to in the summer to sit on the veranda and enjoy the scenery.  Last night was especially enjoyable as this dining experience in this beautiful old house was a birthday celebration and planned by my lovely daughter in law!  

http://www.crmr.com/theranche/index.php

 http://www.crmr.com/theranche/photo-gallery.php

Good Eats in early Jan

 January 6th, the traditional meat less meal for this day!
Joey Tomato's, Chinook Centre  a place in Chinook mall that my daughter and I love to go for appetizers and enjoy the atmosphere and just relax.

http://www.joeyrestaurants.com/food/chinook/menu

CHINATOWN LETTUCE WRAPS the chinese invented’em, we perfected’em, you wrap’em!

AHI TUNA TACOS seared rare with sesame ginger coleslaw and wasabi-lime aioli. usually a smashing dish but the wraps were soggy and greasy, probably because the oil was too cold when they deep fried the wraps.

Cooking at home! My son made a Paella with shrimp, chicken and sausage

 

Check out the mukluks. They were given to me as a gift in the seventies.  They were made in northern Ontario by Ojibwab Indians. The moccasin has red and black felt attached to it with rabbit skin and beadwork. Most comfortable as apres-ski wear!     

After a day of skiing, what better way to relax than a leisurely meal like raclette? The extra veggies, shrimp and thinly sliced lamb that is grilled, takes away from the richness of this meal of raclette cheese and boiled potatoes.

Una pizza

http://www.unapizzeria.com/home.html

Roasted mushroom, scarmoza and grana padano cheese with arugula and truffle oil 

The crust was probably prebaked baked without any filling.  Only the centre was pricked with a fork, while leaving the edges to puff up in this funky manner.

This dish was served to accompany the pizza in place of hot sauce. A variety of crunchy peppers marinated in olive oil were the perfect addition to this pizza.  The peppers added to this pizza  were delicious

http://www.eastsidemarios.com/?lang=EN&store=479#/

East Side Mario has been closed for renovation. The new look is similar to the old look but more of the area sat aside for a pub space.  My husband and I had spent many lunch hours here during our kitchen renovation and had enjoyed their lunch menu. Today,  maybe cause we had spent so much time here during our renos or the service was just condescending and patronizing, we found that the place lacked atmosphere and the food was salty and greasy! although the Budda Boomers were calorie loaded but very tasty and fresh.

The spinach and cheese dip made with artichoke hearts, spinach and a blend of cheese was served with herbed flat bread. The flat bread was tastless, tasting like the no name superstore pizza crusts!

Budda Boomers
 Pizza dough deep-fried then tossed in herbs and garlic, sprinkled with Parmesan romano and served with a tomato dipping sauce

Calamari al diavolo
Lightly seasoned calamari with garlic, red, green and hot cherry peppers served in a tomato
Sauce
This dish was to be served in a sizzling pan, not very sizzling and quickly became very greasy.
As it cooled.

An assortment of birthday dessert picked out from Sunterra Market

http://www.coachandhorsescalgary.com/

Christmas 2010