An Ultimate Potluck

I'm sure I mentioned in some earlier post that I love potlucks.  I love how people can put their best feet forward and make dishes to please people's taste buds and appetities, how people can get together and enjoy the fruits of each other's labour, and how people can have a good time without exhausting only one or two people being responsible for feeding so many mouths.  The evening after my lunch with friends at Lady of the Lake, I had a party with some fellow Ultimate players to attend, and once again (oh, joy!) it was a potluck.  The hosts were the same people who had a potluck dinner with me last August, and with half of the total guests in attendance being vegetarians of varying degrees, I had to make a dish that could be enjoyed by most if not all the guests.  A richer, belly-warming dish was in order as it was still wintertime, so I opted to make Shrimp Penne with Mushrooms, Sundried Tomato and Red Onion in Cream Sauce.

Shrimp Penne with Mushrooms, Sundried Tomato and Red Onion in Cream Sauce.

Impromptu Lunch Out

I'm usually not a spur-of-the-moment kind of person.  I like to have things figured out or planned in advance, even if only for a day, but this past weekend was pock-marked with a few spur-of-the-moment events.  One of them was having a couple of friends crashing at my place Friday night after they went for drinks at a bar near my apartment.  By the time we were all awake the following morning it was brunch/lunch time, and my fridge was not properly stocked for a homemade breakfast (chiefly, no eggs).  However, one of my friends and I learned that our other friend had never before been to Lady of the Lake, so we agreed to go there for lunch.

A Weekend of International Indulgence

So, to follow up on my last post... for Chinese New Year, with what little time I had that evening before running off for some extra-curricular activities, I made myself a dinner with two dishes, Salt and Pepper Shrimp and Braised Nappa Cabbage in Milk Sauce.  Well, my sister beat me to the post (pardon the pun) in posting about Salt and Pepper Shrimp, and since we both used the same recipe (minus the ginger juice on my part), I won't write the recipe here.

Chinese New Year and Lieutenant-Governor's Winter Festival 2011

Gung Hei Fat Choy/Gong Xi Fa Cai!  May you and yours have good health, good wealth and plenty of good fortune!

Today is the Lunar New Year and it's the beginning of another Year of the Rabbit.  My time to make dinner tonight will be limited, but I intend to make something decent to ring in the new year before I proceed to other activities tonight; expect a blog post on that.

Also, to all the Brandonites, Western Manitobans and all others able to visit Brandon this weekend, starting tonight is the 8th Annual Lieutenant-Governor's Winter Festival.  Though this year the ever popular German and Chinese pavilions may be missed, there are still thirteen pavilions across the city featuring cultures from around the world, celebrating them and sharing them with others through food, drink and entertainment.  New pavilions include the Brazilian and the Ethiopian ones, while other mainstays like the Métis, Ukrainian and Irish pavilions are back once again.  For once since I've moved here, the weather gods have heard our prayers, and the weather will be very comfortable; the only potential drawback is that many others will be more tolerant of the line-ups to enter the pavilions.  Don't let the line-ups scare you, though.  If you've never experienced this, you're missing out on something fun to do with friends and family on a mid-winter weekend.  This event runs tonight (Thursday), Friday night and Saturday from 1pm-11pm.  Yes, I'll try to take pics of my culinary adventures through these pavilions and post them here; from bison stew to perogies and beers and liquors from the featured cultures, there's plenty to tempt the tastebuds!

Winter, Season for Stews

Though stews can be enjoyed at any time, I personally enjoy them more during winters.  Stews easily can bring warmth to one's body thanks to the piping hot meat, vegetables and thick broth as well as the hearty nature of these dishes.  Stews can also bring warmth to one's home as they simmer on a stove for a length of time.  Stews can take some time before they're ready to eat, especially if you use more ingredients, but they are comfort food and worth the time spent in making them.  Also, for a bachelor like me, making one batch of stew guarantees at least one or two more dinners later in the week.  With windchill hitting the -40's on Tuesday and with limited time to make dinner the next few days, it was a good time to make some stew.