Calgary! So many places to eat and so much time frozen in deciding where to go. To help, I asked my friend Vaibhav, who’s also an awesome photographer, to share his personal and detailed list of Calgary can’t-miss spots to dine, drink, and feast. Whether it’s a delicious brunch spot, a cool old-fashioned cocktail bar that makes you feel like Don Draper, late-night munchies, or a cute spot for a date night. We’ve got you covered.
Hey, how’s your week going? This week I’ve been craving all things mangoes+ mango-flavoured desserts. While scrolling through endless mango desserts, I came across Mei Yee‘s refreshing mango key lime tart (vegan+plantbased) that looks like it would make all my problems go away with just one bite. I’ve never thought of mixing mango with key lime, but now that I think of it, the key lime would make the dessert so refreshing with its tartness. Here’s the full recipe:
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a tart pan. Set aside.
In a food processor, process rolled oats, quinoa flakes, almonds until finely ground. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil and pulse until well combined. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake for 20 mins or until it turns golden brown. Let cool completely…
In a food processor, purée mangoes until smooth.
In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, lime juice, key lime zest, bring up to a boil and add agar-agar powder. Whisk constantly until agar completely dissolved. Then add in maple syrup, whisking constantly. Allow boiling for approximately 30 seconds.
Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the food processor with the mango purée. Pulse until well combined. Strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Then pour mango lime mixture into a cooled tart shell and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours to set.
Thank you, Mei! Check out Mei’s delightful food page with delicious vegan and plant-based recipes.
To be quite honest, I’ve been feeling so low this chilly week in Edmonton. I stayed indoors for the most part. That being said, now is the time for me to hop on to the whole charcuterie board rage. Can you believe I haven’t made one yet? So, I turned to my chef friend (aka the charcuterie board expert)Andrea and asked her to help out with a guide to the perfect charcuterie board at home. Here goes:
This is called a “guide,” but I would use that term lightly as I don’t think there should be strict rules about what can and cannot be on a charcuterie board, rather suggestions of how to build one that will have all your close friends on Instagram heart-reacting to your story.
Simplicity
The most important thing about the board is keeping it simple. A lot of the time, I see food bloggers or websites post pictures of huge wooden boards, filled to the brim with meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, glitter… you’ve seen these! I’ve even come across pictures on Pinterest of “charcuterie tables” where a whole table at a party is just covered in snacks? Especially during the pandemic, this makes me cringe— it’s just a table full of meat and cheese that people are continually touching???
How much?
So I think it’s important to try not to get carried away because that can get daunting. I usually like to go with 2 types of meats and cheeses per person. As for quantity, I would say it really depends because some people think of it as an appetizer, whereas sometimes I just like to set up a board as our dinner, and we can pick at it throughout the night. In an article by Epicurious, they suggest about 50g of meat per person for an appetizer and about 150g of meat if it’s the majority of the meal. Again, it really is dependent on the person, but getting too much shouldn’t be a problem since you can always make another board on a different occasion, or use the leftovers for a sandwich or to cook with.
The elements
Pre-quarantine when having people over, I would make a board for about three to four people most often. Thus I would include:
Once you have everything, you can arrange it as you please, paying attention to the contrasting colours, textures and flavours. This will create something that is visually appealing and is sure to impress whoever you’re sharing it with
Drink pairing
I don’t know if this is controversial, but I don’t really think you have to either drink red or white wine specifically with a charcuterie board. I enjoy drinking a cold sparkling dry white wine to pair with the lighter elements such as the cheeses, just as much as savouring a deep red with the rich meats.
A note about quality
Your board will only taste as good as the ingredients. Although cured meats and specialty cheeses are expensive. Going to a deli or cheese vendor and choosing (post-covid sampling) your own board elements will be more delicious, better quality, and cheaper per quantity than you would pay for a board at a restaurant.
If you just want to know what I would buy and put on a board….
– Prosciutto di parma (24 months)
– Rosemary porchetta
– Spicy salami or soppressata
– Pistachio mortadella
– Smoked Salmon or Gravlax
– terrine or pate
cheeses
– Triple cream brie
– Manchego (12 months)
– Truffle Pecorino
– Beemster
– Cave-aged gruyere
Thank you so much, Andrea. You can follow her food page for all the mouth-watering pictures on Instagram here.
What are your board must-haves? Let us know in the comments below.
