This week I am enjoying a week off (well enjoyment would be greater if it would stop raining!). It is a staycation. They often are as my partner does not get as much vacation time as I am fortunate to have. My vacations (at home and abroad) usually revolve around food. Not that that should come as a surprise to any of you reading this blog.
On foodcations I usually engage in a variety of food activities. I will typically try my hand at making things that are labour intensive (as I have the time) and that I have always wanted to try. This week that big ticket item is Ramen. We often find ourselves at Kinton at least twice a month and more often in the winter when all you want is warm slurpy noodles and decadent broth.
I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try my hand at making my own broth. I know it won’t taste like Kinton, but chances are it won’t be terrible (fingers crossed) and if it is, Kinton is not far away.
On foodcations I also often also eat out. Again not a surprise, but I don’t often talk about the places we eat in this blog. Foodcations are a great opportunity to try out restaurants you have been wanting to go to, but that might require a reservation or that you just can’t seem to get to for whatever reason. One such place I went to today.
It is not a bustling, trendy, hard to get into place, but it is one I have been meaning to get to for awhile. Mean Bao is small with limited seating, has only a handful of items on their menu (mostly bao and dumplings) but delivers a flavour packed punch in a wrapper. I am a SUCKER for anything that comes in a food package….pierogi’s, stuffed pasta like ravioli, dumplings, patties you name it, if it comes in a food made package I will eat it and probably love it. I tried the pork belly bao, because well, it’s pork belly, nuff said. I also tried the braised beef bao. Both were delicious and had a good ratio of bun, meat and veg. I opted to only have 2 bao, but could easily have eaten the whole menu. I found the bao to be larger than some of the more “trendy” competitors *cough* momofuku *cough* and the pork belly to be more plentiful. Definitely glad I was able to make the time to get there….now I just need to make the time to get back and try everything else on the menu!
Keeping on the food package train I tried my hand at making a Po’boy sandwich. This past weekend marked mine and the hubby’s 6 month wedding anniversary and it had me nostalgic for our honeymoon which was spent in New Orleans doing what we do best, eating and drinking. Recipe is below.
Have you ever had a foodcation? What did you do, where did you eat? I would love to know.
Calamari Po’Boy
Ingredients
Calamari
- 2 cups canola oil
- 3/4 cup semolina flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds calamari rings
Sandwich
- Baguette, cut into 6″ buns
- Coleslaw (dressed however you prefer)
- Hot Sauce
- Sliced Pickles
- Cilantro
Directions
– In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat to 360 degrees F.
– In a large bowl, stir together the cornstarch and flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Toss the squid in the cornstarch, being sure to completely coat.
– Working in batches, lift the squid from the cornstarch, shaking to remove any excess, and carefully place in the oil. Fry until lightly golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a p lined with papertowel. Repeat with the remaining squid.
– Toast the buns in the oven under the broiler until they are crispy and just starting to brown.
– Fill the buns with the coleslaw. Top with pickles and calamari. Add hot sauce and cilantro and dig in!
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