Koko welcomes Annisa to the Main

8 Sherbrooke Ouest
Montréal, Québec
514.657.5656
website

My sister L was nice enough to guest post about her recent dinner at the Montréal Highlights Festival (and check out her outfit details on her blog).

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My friend M and I snagged tickets to the opening night of Anita Lo at Koko for the Montréal Highlights Festival. Koko is a very trendy restaurant that is part of the also trendy Opus Hotel.



I was pretty excited to find out that the theme of this year’s festival was "Celebrating Women" and even more so when I saw that Anita Lo, executive chef and owner of Anissa Restaurant in New York, was one of the headliners. M was also enthusiastic about eating food cooked by this Top Chef Masters and Michelin star chef.

We arrived right on time for our 6 pm reservation. We were then sent to the restaurant lobby where our coats were checked and we had to wait a bit more. We finally were seated at a small table next to a huge lounging square leather bench that was a little too trendy for my liking. Unfortunately, we missed out first chance to order a drink (we had quick phone calls to make) and it took a while for the waiter to get back to us. We could see the maître d' and hostess running around; the waiters were still getting last minute info as we were seated but we were pretty much the first guests to arrive.

When the waiter finally arrived to ask us if we’d be taking the wine flight ($125) or not ($75), we asked if there was still time for a cocktail. We were told yes and happily took the waiter's suggestion of the house cocktail: a vodka, passion fruit and blood orange martini served since the opening of the hotel ($12.49). We were not disappointed. It was amazing; the blood orange really came through.

The first course consisted of tuna sashimi with mentaiko and radishes. It was amazing. The tuna was so fresh and the texture was perfect. It was accompanied by thin slices of radishes, microgreens, scallions, and (I’m pretty sure) rice paddy herb. The pollock roe was in a mayonnaise-like sauce which tasted strangely egg-y to me; I could have gone without. M really appreciated the accompaniment of radishes for texture. It was accompanied by Kinuyuki Junmai Ginjo, a sake sake which we were not digging.


Tuna sashimi with mentaiko and radishes.

The service glitch came about at this time, on top of not geting a bread basket until the second course. We were served our wine pairing but didn’t see our second course until the waiter came to give us our third wine pairing and we told him we hadn’t received the second course yet. He was surprised, served us our third wine anyway and mumbled something about a rush. We were working really hard on the dissatisfied faces at this point. It took us two hours to get 2 courses. I think that since our neighbors complained the rush was put on them at our expense.

The second course, sea urchin and chanterelle chawan mushi with lotus roots, intrigued us and pushed our adventurous side. Having heard so much of chawan mushi I was looking forward to trying it, but savoury custard is not really my thing. This one tasted like a miso soup in custard form. The sea urchin was a bit lost on me. The texture was very similar to the custard and the fresh ocean salt taste was a bit lost in the dashi-soy flavouring of the custard (and M kept jabbering about it being booggers). The one thing I did appreciate was the chanterelles and the cubes of crunchy lotus seeds that we didn’t realize were sitting at the bottom of our ramekin (I figured the lotus root chip topping was it!). This was our least favourite dish of the evening. The wine, D’Arenberg Hermit Crab Marsanne (McLaren Vale 2008, AUS), was lovely and had a grassy very unexpected bouquet but tasted nothing like what it smelled. Sorry can’t get much more into it than that.


Sea urchin and chanterelle chawan mushi with lotus roots.

The third course of grilled sea scallops with loufah (sic), sweet miso and bacon was a homerun! Two scallops charred to perfection sat on thinly sliced loofah with a runny sauce and dabs of sweet miso sprinkled with crunchy bits of bacon topped with microgreens. The bitterness of the char brought out the sweetness of the scallops, which were amazingly fresh. This was a hit with both of us as was the fourth course. The scallops were so good I don’t remember the wine (it was Sella & Mosca, Thilion, Alghero DOC, Sardinia 2008, ITA).


Grilled sea scallops with loufah (sic), sweet miso and bacon

Following the third course, we received a quick visit from the owner or manager (information carefully garnered by M’s eavesdropping) of the restaurant who was wining and dining food critics (including Lesley Chesterman of Gazette fame) around us, one of which was pretty out there but also providing us which much needed entertainment! She asked us how things were going and I was too polite to say anything and she was very quick so I felt I didn’t get the chance to, and was quickly scolded for it by M who didn’t dare either! M suggested she was trying to save the situation after the mishap.

The waiter returned for the wine pairing (Pfeiffer Shiraz, Rutherglen 2009, AUS) for the next course and committed a major faux pas by firstly, pouring a red into a white wine glass and secondly a glass that had been already used. The roasted rack of lamb with South African flavourings was cooked perfectly, with a side of meat stuffing with peanuts, raisins and spices that strangely reminded me of a Moroccan influence. The stuffing was topped with a white disk that resembled paneer in texture and taste but we were both unsure of what it was. There was a very acidic dark sauce also laced with spices that I wasn’t fond of but M enjoyed. The roasted carrots were glazed and deliciously sweet. The shiraz was very nice and paired well, but I can’t say I can distinguish it from other shiraz I’ve liked.


Roasted rack of lamb with South African flavourings.

The last course, warm poppy seed bread and butter pudding with Meyer lemon curd, was underwhelming in description, but really delicious. The bread pudding had the loveliest texture and offered great contrast with the crunchy crust. The Meyer lemon sauce was out of this world. The sweet Muscat (Rosenblum Cellars, Gallagher Reserve, Black Muscat, California 2006, USA) paired quite well with the acidity of the curd.


Warm poppy seed bread and butter pudding with Meyer lemon curd.

The restaurant owner/manager visited again at the end of our meal and I missed my second chance to bring up our issues. It was interesting to see ingredients that I’m familiar with used in other applications such as the rice paddy herb and the loofah. All in all a great meal, the service could have been better, the waiter was polite and more attentive than most but waiting an hour for a course was definitely not appreciated. But we will definitely be keeping our eyes out next year for another dinner to try.

Fresh Egg Pasta

Over Christmas (yes, I still have posts related to the holidays), my friend C generously invited me over for dinner. I was so excited to find out that she was making homemade fresh pasta. Due to her Italian background, C is quite serious about her pasta (she even treated us to homemade cannoli's). Her pasta and seafood was amazing; the egg noodles just melted in my mouth! Not only did I come home that night with a very full belly, but I also scored her pasta maker (since C got a pasta attachment for her Kitchen Aid for Christmas)! Sweet!

I was very excited to try my hand at making pasta. Since C's pasta recipe is to add flour to eggs until the texture is right, I used my Joy of Cooking: All about Pasta & Noodles cookbook as a reference. C did have a good tip for quantity: use 1 egg per person.



Fresh Egg Pasta - Serves 4
From Joy of Cooking: All about Pasta & Noodles.

3-½ all purpose flour
5 eggs
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Pour flour onto a clean counter (or a big bowl), shaping into a mound and make a well in the center.
Add to the well, the eggs, salt and olive oil.
Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, drawing in some flour as you go, until the eggs are mixed and slightly thickened.
Using the fingertips of one hand, gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs and blend everything into a smooth, not too stiff dough.
If the dough feels too dry and crumbly, add water as needed.
Knead the dough until satiny and very elastic, about 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and wrap the pieces loosely in plastic.
Follow directions of pasta maker to roll dough.
Cook pasta and serve with desired ingredients (this time, I used pesto, corn, snap peas, shrimps and scallops).
Tada!



Rolling pasta for the first time was tricky but fun!


I was feeling so proud to have actual fresh noodles!

I'm not sure how much a pasta maker costs but I think it's worth it if you'll use it often. Making the actual pasta dough wasn't hard. I actually tried making pasta without a pasta maker before Christmas with failed results. I cannot wait to put the pasta maker to use again! Thanks so much C!


Dig in to the fresh pasta!

Skor Bar Trifle

I think I was feeling especially holiday-ey for my Friday treats at work (this was a few weeks before Christmas. yes, i know am very late posting...). Not only did I bring the ever popular Swedish Meatballs, but I also brought another very popular recipe: Skor Bar Trifle. I clearly remember having this trifle for the first time. At my previous job, we would have a Christmas potluck lunch and my colleague M always brought this trifle by demand. I remember having a spoonful of this chocolatey amazingness mixed with whipped cream and loving it. Later on in the afternoon, I came for seconds. M sent out the recipe and every time I've made it, it's been a hit, just like the meatballs!



What's so great about this recipe is that there are only four ingredients and it is really an assembly job rather than cooking. You can buy all the ingredients ready made. It's rare that I don't make things from scratch but the results are so good. My friend Trapezista has been known to make each ingredient from scratch and assemble them. You can definitely do that, but the lazy way will yield winning results too!



Skor Bar Trifle
Quantities aren't super important. You just need enough to have a mixture of all four ingredients when scooped out.

* 1 package of one bite brownies (or you could bake low-calorie brownies)
* 1 package of chocolate pudding (you could also make it from scratch, or I bought the ready made kind!)
* 1 container of Cool Whip (or whip your own!)
* 4 bars of Skor, pulsed or chopped finely (or make Just-like-Skor bars)

Plan for about 3 layers so use a third of each ingredient.
Slice brownies in half, and lay a third of them at the bottom.
Cover with a third of your pudding.
Cover with a third of your whipped cream.
Sprinkle with chopped Skor bar.
Repeat for the next two layers.
Tada!



The four stars of the trifle!

I didn't take a picture once scooped out but the whipped cream and the pudding mixes together to make a brown mess. You then dig into a piece of brownie and there are little pieces of Skor bar. It's chocolate heaven!

Swedish Meatballs with Spicy Plum Sauce

I'm back...! I haven't written for a while for too many (not necessarily very good!) reasons. So I do have a backlog of posts. I will start with this meatball recipe that I made for "snack" time at work (every Friday at 10 am - I still love it!). I think I've referred to this recipe before but have never posted it. Whenever I've made these meatballs, they have been quite a hit. The combination of the different types of ground meat makes for a great tasting meatball. I love the sweet and creamy sauce. I also like that it is an authentic "Swedish meatball" recipe (and not those overly sweet frozen ones with a rubbery texture) since Marcus Samuelsson is Swedish!



Swedish Meatballs with Spicy Plum Sauce - Makes 40 meatballs
Adapted from Marcus Samuelsson.
While the original recipe called to fry the meatballs in butter, I baked the meatballs this time. I don't know why I never did this in the past because I actually really dislike the task of frying meatballs, smelling like a meatball myself and worrying that they're not cooked through. Baking the meatballs is healthier, easier and ensure they're all cooked through! On another note, I follow the same recipe for spaghetti & meatballs!

For the meatballs
½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs
½ cup heavy cream
1-½ Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
⅔ cup ground beef
⅔ cup ground veal
⅔ cup ground pork
2 Tbsp honey
1 large egg
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and ½ cup heavy cream.
Stir with fork until smooth; set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, and add the onion.
Sauté until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine beef, veal, pork, honey, cooked onions and egg.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the breadcrumb-cream mixture to the meat, and mix well (I find this step takes a while to make sure there are no breadcrumb lumps).
In a frying pan, cook a small meat patty in oil or butter; taste the meat and adjust the seasoning.
With wet hands (to keep the meat from sticking), shape the remaining meat into meatballs the size of a golf ball
Lay the meatballs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes at 350F. (Check that meat is cooked through by cutting one in half; bake longer if required).


Making the meatballs.

For the sauce
3 Tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced
½ red bell pepper, minced
6 dried plums, chopped finely
2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp plum sauce

In a skillet, melt the butter on medium-high heat.
Add shallots, red pepper and plums.
Saute until softened and lightly browned.
Add chicken broth and heavy cream.
Stir in plum sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add meatballs to sauce and simmer over medium heat, until sauce thickens slightly and meatballs are heated through, about 5 minutes.
Tada!


Making the accompanying spicy plum sauce.

I like serving these meatballs with slices of bread to sop up that sauce! None of it should be wasted. Make these meatballs at your next party. I promise there won't be any leftovers!

Happy New Year and Tetley Tea Contest Winner

Happy 2011 to all my readers! I have been slacking when it comes to writing but I promise to get at it this week!

Meanwhile, I would like to announce the winner for the Tetley Tea contest.

Congratulations to AnnM! Please e-mail me your home address!

First Ever Contest: Tetley Colour Therapy Gift Basket

This is exciting! Miss.Adventure@Home's first ever contest!!

I was contacted by Tetley and was sent a sample of blueberry ginseng clarity tea to promote the new line of Tetley Colour Therapy product.



My thoughts
Since I am not a big tea drinker, I thought I would share it with co-workers and friends. One of my colleagues had already tried the blueberry ginseng tea and thought it was very "yummy". I thought the aroma of blueberries was so fragrant. I was actually surprised that I really enjoyed this tea. It's also the perfect time of year for tea as it's getting cold out there!

The product
Tetley Tea is on a mission to help Canadians get more "colourful" with their new line of herbal teas. As you know, colour influences our lives every day. In the home, a bedroom that's painted paled blue an have a calming affect. Wearing red can illicit a sense of energy and excitement. Our colour choices can have dramatic effects on our mood and well being. Now you can match or even influence your mood using colour with this new line of herbal teas for a little Tetley Colour Therapy. Find out more at Tetley Colour Therapy.

The prize
A Tetley Colour Therapy gift basket worth approximately $70 with 2 containers each of tea, a canister/tea pot and 50 mood influencing greeting cards.



The rules
* To participate, simply leave a comment with your e-mail address by January 3, 2010 at 5 pm EST.
* Shipping is limited to within Canada only (excluding Quebec) - sorry non-Canadian readers. (If you are from Quebec, maybe you know someone in another province who can hold the gift basket for you?)

Disclosure
Other than the canister of 20 tea bags, no fees were paid for this product review and is based on my own unbiased opinion.

Langdon Hall (Cambridge, Ontario)

1 Langdon Drive
Cambridge, Ontario
519.740.2100
website

When my boyfriend A asked me whether I wanted to go somewhere specific for my birthday or be surprised, I tried to play coy. So I gave him a hint: "voted one of the top 100 restaurants in the world this year". I was really hoping that he would get my hint and surprise me. What can I say? A birthday girl wants her cake and eat it too! Well, not only did A make a reservation at Langdon Hall, we also got to stay the night. What a great boyfriend I have!



Langdon Hall made the press earlier this year for being ranked #77 on San Pellegrino's top 100 list. It was one of only two restaurants in Canada (the other, #60, is Rouge in Calgary). Unlike my pal The Gastronomer who has been to quite a few (to name a few:#4 El Celler de Can Roca, #7 Alinea, #9 Arzak, #26 Momofuku Ssam Bar, #32 The French Laundry where The Astronomer proposed), I don't have much experience with acclaimed restaurants. I was very excited to be able to check out a Canadian one for my birthday.

I have to say that I get a little nervous going to very fancy restaurants. I know it's silly but you worry about doing the wrong thing. I could definitely feel a nervous jitteriness but our server made us feel very comfortable.


Dining Room.

Our overnight stay at Langdon Hall included a 3-course dinner, as well as breakfast the next morning. After settling in to our room, which was beautifully decorated in an English country décor and included a tall, feather bed, we headed out to dinner. We had 8:30 pm reservation, but there were still quite a few diners, and it thinned out at the end of our meal.

We each got a glass of wine and were served bread with their famously homemade butter. The very knowledgeable server explained that the homemade bread was made out of the same starter sourdough made when the restaurant first opened. I had heard about this done before and thought it was a very interesting tidbit!


Homemade Bread and Butter.

After ordering, we got complementary amuse-bouches. Unfortunately, it looked suspiciously non-vegetarian, so I interrupted the description of the amuse-bouches to mention that A was vegetarian. (I did feel bad and apologized to the server...) She finished describing the bass and calamari amuse-bouche and a vegetarian amuse-bouche was promptly brought out, made of braised radishes I believe (unlike the remaining dishes, these did not come with menu descriptions and my memory, not so good!).


Amuse-bouche time!

Our package included an appetizer, entrée and dessert, but I have included the prices from the menu. For our appetizer, A ordered the parsnip root tortellini with brown butter vinaigrette ($16). The tortellini seemed to have been fried and topped with a fried parsnip. A really enjoyed the herb jus.



I had the Digby scallop ceviche ($24) to start with, remembering that my sister raved about scallop in its raw state. I'm so used to eating seared scallops but the scallops still had a silky and creamy texture. I enjoyed pairing pieces of scallop with the very thin slices of turnip and some roe.



After our starter dishes were cleared, our server brought new forks and knives which confused me. Just as I was leaning in and asking A why we needed the extra utensils (I know enough that you use the outer utensils first!), our server brought our intermezzo dishes, complimentary from the chef. Aha! Mystery solved! I'm still not sure why we were offered an extra course but we very much enjoyed them.

A was served the lobster mushroom fricassée ($20), on top of a slow egg. A had never had lobster mushroom (well, neither have I!) and commented that it had a very meaty texture.



I got to enjoy the Perth County pork jowl ($21) with a root vegetable duxelle and savoury crumble. I feel that writing a food blog, I should have know this, but that's what the internet is for: a pork jowl refers to the cheeks. It was a fatty piece of pork that was amazingly seasoned, and just slightly crispy on the outside. It reminded me of Chinese BBQ pork. I would usually cut the fat off, but I decided to eat it and it was amazing! The fat just melted in my mouth. If I had a slight criticism, it was that it was a bit too salty. I love trying something that I'm not sure I will like and ending up loving it!


Perth County pork jowl.

For our main, A ordered the pumpkin and barley risotto ($24) that he thoroughly enjoyed. He wouldn't answer me when I asked how it compared to my own risotto...! I will have to try my hand at making barley risotto after attempting quinoa risotto.


Pumpkin and barley risotto.

I really thought I was going to order a seafood dish but the confit veal tenderloin ($48) really appealed to me. I was surprised to really love the celery root purée. I'm not the biggest fan of celery flavour, but I really thought it melded perfectly with the creamy purée. I really enjoyed a little dollop on each bite of the oh-so-tender veal. The veal just melted in my mouth. I also really liked the pine mushroom crumble that looked like ground coffee on my plate. It added a sweet nuttiness to the dish.


Confit veal tenderloin.

By dessert, I was very full. While we did see other diners enjoying a variety of cheese from a cart, we picked sweets to share: the orchard apple ($16) and rouge pumpkin parfait ($16). When we were done, our server asked us what our favourite and the pumpkin won hands down. The apple bavaroise covered in an eerily bright green colour was good, but nothing exciting. We did really enjoy the accompanying sorbet and could really taste the pear and Pernod (licorice flavour). The pumpkin parfait just tasted like a cold pumpkin pie mousse. The pumpkin flavour really came through in a very creamy way. Yums! (Our server also told us that the fromage blanc delice was amazing).


Dessert time.

Finally, a last sweet bite was served. I cannot remember the name but it was a marshmallow topped with chocolate and nuts. I have to admit that A ate most of it since I couldn't eat much more!



The menu is seasonal and ever-changing. Many of the produce is supplied by Langdon Hall's very own garden. Our menu highlighted fall flavours with root vegetables. I'd be very much interested in tasting a spring menu (maybe one day...) and I've even discussed going back for tea with girlfriends!

As expected, the service was immaculately attentive. All the dishes dishes were well paced, allowing A and I enjoy a 3+ hour dinner. I wish I had asked more questions about the food.

Included in our package was also breakfast the next day. A beautiful buffet awaited guests in the morning.



I couldn't wait and served myself food from the buffet. While I did enjoy everything, the goat cheese tart was such a tasty morning treat! A was more patient and ordered Red fife pancakes from the menu. Now that I'm looking at the breakfast menu, I should really have held off for lobster & sweet corn ragoût but I couldn't eat more...


My and A's breakfast.

After breakfast, A and I went for a stroll. There wasn't much left in the garden, but we were still able to find some leeks, beets, fennel and even raspberries. I can imagine that a visit in the spring or summer when the garden is bountiful would be amazing to see!


Garden finds.

Langdon Hall is definitely a "special occasion" place and I was lucky to get to experience it! I also feel very proud that two Canadian restaurants made the top 100 restaurant list, and just for that reason I think a special occasion is warranted!