Happy Easter (or Happy Sunday) LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!
This my 350th blog post! When I started this blog on December 18, 2010, I would have bet money that 3 1/2 years later I would NOT be still writing in it. I have been the reigning Queen of Lazy and Procrastination for 4236 years now; so to be at "Blog Post Number 350" I am just floored! Perhaps my cats have been ghost-writing some of the entries.
A small renegade contingent of you have been reading from the very start. Aren't you bored, yet? Whoops I mean- thank you so much for reading!
One thing that hasn't changed in 350 blog posts is that my cats still give me the stink-eye when I break out into a spontaneous dance number. When will they learn to appreciate high art?
Between dance numbers, you would think I would have run out of subjects to write about by now … but evidently I still keep blathering on and on and on! Thank you for coming along for the ride! Have a chocolate bunny and some marshmallow peeps in honor of this glorious day!
Now let's get back to business ...
I wrote this blog post in advance, in case I happened to be passed out in a bag of jelly beans by Easter Sunday. The week before Easter is always treacherous for me as stores start marking down prices on their Easter candy to get it off the shelves. "Fifty percent off? Well I'd be a fool not to buy 300 packs of Reese's peanut butter cup eggs and 900 bags of jelly beans … oh and don't forget the MARSHMALLOW PEEPS!"
Then later I am found in the gutter, covered in crinkly green Easter basket grass with headless chocolate bunnies all around me. Oh the shame, the mighty shame!
I basically have to barricade myself indoors and think about celery to keep me from running off and filling my entire car with Easter-themed sugar.
In honor of Easter and Sunday brunches in general (I love breakfast food almost as much as I love sugar), today's post is about a dish I had in Vancouver, British Columbia.
My job is a global role, so on a daily basis I am talking to people from all over the world. However I take particular delight in chatting with my Toronto colleagues - especially about the antics of their Mayor. I have spent the majority of my life living in states that border Canada. During three years living in Buffalo, New York, I basically ran to Canada any chance I could get.
But one thing I had never eaten in Canada on my many, many, many trips there was poutine. For those of you unfamiliar, poutine is a dish that originated in Quebec. It is a base of French fries, covered in brown gravy and topped with cheese curds. I'm pretty sure whomever created this dish was insane or had a major case of the munchies. I like Fries. I like gravy. I like cheese curds. But all together? Come on Canada, sober up!
I had poutine once in the States and was like "what the heck is the appeal? This just looks like a pile of nasty covered in gravy." (Now let me say that there are MANY plenty of "train wreck on a plate" dishes that I do enjoy.) So when I traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia for the first time, I decided I was going to sample some hopefully "authentic" poutine and see what all the fuss was about.
On my trip, I had regular poutine, a short rib poutine and then a "breakfast poutine." My favorite was the breakfast poutine - which technically is not a poutine at all (and probably why I liked it so much.)
I was staying at the Vancouver Four Seasons - a lovely, centrally located hotel. The restaurant in the hotel is Yew Seafood- a smart, chic eatery with good customer service. On their breakfast menu, they had the "breakfast poutine" and I knew I had to try it.
Instead of French fries, the base of the breakfast poutine was sweet potato tater tots. (I love a good Tater Tot. Search for "tater tot" on this blog and get ready to be frightened when you see how many of my posts are dedicated to the beloved tot!)
Sliced free range chicken sausage, back bacon (I'm just going to call it ham), cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce topped the "mock poutine."
This breakfast food lover declared it: "100% Amazingly Delicious!" It had the sweetness of the sweet potato tater tots with the saltiness of the sausage, back bacon and goat cheese. It had the richness of the Hollandaise sauce and poached eggs with the acidity of the tart cherry tomatoes. And it was all served up in a cute little iron skillet.
The portion size was super huge. I ate and ate and ate and only finished half. I needed a "Poutine Buddy" to finish off this breakfast! Is there a "Woman Seeking Poutine Buddy" section on Craigslist?
The breakfast poutine all around was very good. The goat cheese was nice, but this dish would have been just as good without it. Although I suppose it would not be a "mock poutine" without some cheese on top.
Sadly, the breakfast menu for Yew Seafood Restaurant no longer contains the breakfast poutine. Perhaps Canadians are not as fond as I am of this "breakfast bastardization" of their national appetizer. However this breakfast-loving American thinks it is pretty darn tasty! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
One of these days I am going to recreate this dish at home for my own brunch event. It is a relatively easy dish to throw together, but has a "slaved away in the kitchen all day" taste. Plus it would give me an excuse to buy some baby iron skillets … I LOVE BUYING KITCHEN STUFF!
So Canadians, I'm still not 100% sold on poutine but I am 200% in love with breakfast poutine. Baby steps to international diplomacy and peace … through breakfast foods!
P.S. Here are some pictures of Yew Restaurant - if you're in Vancouver, check it out!
This my 350th blog post! When I started this blog on December 18, 2010, I would have bet money that 3 1/2 years later I would NOT be still writing in it. I have been the reigning Queen of Lazy and Procrastination for 4236 years now; so to be at "Blog Post Number 350" I am just floored! Perhaps my cats have been ghost-writing some of the entries.
A small renegade contingent of you have been reading from the very start. Aren't you bored, yet? Whoops I mean- thank you so much for reading!
One thing that hasn't changed in 350 blog posts is that my cats still give me the stink-eye when I break out into a spontaneous dance number. When will they learn to appreciate high art?
Between dance numbers, you would think I would have run out of subjects to write about by now … but evidently I still keep blathering on and on and on! Thank you for coming along for the ride! Have a chocolate bunny and some marshmallow peeps in honor of this glorious day!
Now let's get back to business ...
I wrote this blog post in advance, in case I happened to be passed out in a bag of jelly beans by Easter Sunday. The week before Easter is always treacherous for me as stores start marking down prices on their Easter candy to get it off the shelves. "Fifty percent off? Well I'd be a fool not to buy 300 packs of Reese's peanut butter cup eggs and 900 bags of jelly beans … oh and don't forget the MARSHMALLOW PEEPS!"
Then later I am found in the gutter, covered in crinkly green Easter basket grass with headless chocolate bunnies all around me. Oh the shame, the mighty shame!
I basically have to barricade myself indoors and think about celery to keep me from running off and filling my entire car with Easter-themed sugar.
In honor of Easter and Sunday brunches in general (I love breakfast food almost as much as I love sugar), today's post is about a dish I had in Vancouver, British Columbia.
My job is a global role, so on a daily basis I am talking to people from all over the world. However I take particular delight in chatting with my Toronto colleagues - especially about the antics of their Mayor. I have spent the majority of my life living in states that border Canada. During three years living in Buffalo, New York, I basically ran to Canada any chance I could get.
But one thing I had never eaten in Canada on my many, many, many trips there was poutine. For those of you unfamiliar, poutine is a dish that originated in Quebec. It is a base of French fries, covered in brown gravy and topped with cheese curds. I'm pretty sure whomever created this dish was insane or had a major case of the munchies. I like Fries. I like gravy. I like cheese curds. But all together? Come on Canada, sober up!
I had poutine once in the States and was like "what the heck is the appeal? This just looks like a pile of nasty covered in gravy." (Now let me say that there are MANY plenty of "train wreck on a plate" dishes that I do enjoy.) So when I traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia for the first time, I decided I was going to sample some hopefully "authentic" poutine and see what all the fuss was about.
On my trip, I had regular poutine, a short rib poutine and then a "breakfast poutine." My favorite was the breakfast poutine - which technically is not a poutine at all (and probably why I liked it so much.)
I was staying at the Vancouver Four Seasons - a lovely, centrally located hotel. The restaurant in the hotel is Yew Seafood- a smart, chic eatery with good customer service. On their breakfast menu, they had the "breakfast poutine" and I knew I had to try it.
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| O' Canada and Your Breakfast Poutine! |
Instead of French fries, the base of the breakfast poutine was sweet potato tater tots. (I love a good Tater Tot. Search for "tater tot" on this blog and get ready to be frightened when you see how many of my posts are dedicated to the beloved tot!)
 |
| Hello Sweet Potato Tater Tots! |
Sliced free range chicken sausage, back bacon (I'm just going to call it ham), cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce topped the "mock poutine."
This breakfast food lover declared it: "100% Amazingly Delicious!" It had the sweetness of the sweet potato tater tots with the saltiness of the sausage, back bacon and goat cheese. It had the richness of the Hollandaise sauce and poached eggs with the acidity of the tart cherry tomatoes. And it was all served up in a cute little iron skillet.
The portion size was super huge. I ate and ate and ate and only finished half. I needed a "Poutine Buddy" to finish off this breakfast! Is there a "Woman Seeking Poutine Buddy" section on Craigslist?
The breakfast poutine all around was very good. The goat cheese was nice, but this dish would have been just as good without it. Although I suppose it would not be a "mock poutine" without some cheese on top.
Sadly, the breakfast menu for Yew Seafood Restaurant no longer contains the breakfast poutine. Perhaps Canadians are not as fond as I am of this "breakfast bastardization" of their national appetizer. However this breakfast-loving American thinks it is pretty darn tasty! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
One of these days I am going to recreate this dish at home for my own brunch event. It is a relatively easy dish to throw together, but has a "slaved away in the kitchen all day" taste. Plus it would give me an excuse to buy some baby iron skillets … I LOVE BUYING KITCHEN STUFF!
So Canadians, I'm still not 100% sold on poutine but I am 200% in love with breakfast poutine. Baby steps to international diplomacy and peace … through breakfast foods!
P.S. Here are some pictures of Yew Restaurant - if you're in Vancouver, check it out!
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| I love any place that draws in my cappuccino foam and serves a biscotti on the side |
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| Yew Restaurant - Vancouver |
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| Yew Restaurant |
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| Yew Restaurant |
