Din dins!

Veggie Philly Cheesesteak

Ingredients

1 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 medium onion, sliced 2 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed (see Tip), sliced 1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/8 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth 1/2 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce 1.5 ounces thinly sliced reduced-fat provolone cheese 2 whole-wheat buns, split and toasted

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, oregano and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and soft, about 7 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to low; sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Stir in broth and soy sauce; bring to a simmer.

3. Remove from the heat, lay cheese slices on top of the vegetables, cover and let stand until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Divide the mixture into 2 portions with a spatula, leaving the melted cheese layer on top. Scoop a portion onto each toasted bun and serve immediately.

Number of Servings: 2

Oh So Yum! My dad would hate this recipe but it is tasty tasty!

Later: And, yes, they were awesome!

Subversive behaviour

In honour of Mother's Day, I'd like to share a story about my wonderful yet kooky mom.

Once upon a time, mom and dad made a trip out to Vancouver. They visited merrily with two of their three daughters and their partners, drinking glass after glass of red nectar and exploring the taste sensations of the city. Having recently visited overseas, Rocco and Liminal Me bore gifts from afar for mom and dad from friends on the Emerald Isle. Unfortunately, the gifts were sub-par and kitschy, but the sentiment was warm and friendly.

The visit continued and a great time was had by all, but finally the last day of mom and dad's visit dawned early. To maximise on visit time, the clan assembled at The Tomato Fresh Food Cafe for a quick brunch. Mom had already tried to regift the Irish kitsch, but her clever offspring were too quick for her, so the kitsch was borne to brunch, headed for its rightful home in Alberta.

As one is wont to do, mom excused herself to the ladies' room after eating, but carried with her a mysterious lump bundled into her jacket. Oddly enough, the jacket was decidedly unlumpy when she returned to the table. The next person excused herself, not attracting much attention, but returned quickly trying to stifle giggles and mirth. What could it be, we all wondered? Mom didn't wonder; mom looked coyly smug. The Irish gift, a wood plaque painted with a cliche of good wishes, was nestled among restaurant paraphernalia on a table outside the restrooms. It fit right in!

That was in March. It is now May, and the Tomato Fresh Food Cafe will soon be closing their doors at the current location, moving to Kitsilano. Rocco and I wandered up the street for brunch there yesterday, ruing the announcement of their impending move. After brekkies, I made my way to the ladies' room. Lo and behold, what did I find? That not only was the Irish kitsch still displayed, it had in fact been moved to a better location to be kept out of harm's way!


Can you spot it?


We're really excited about the possibility of the kitsch being moved from the Cambie location to the new location in Kitsilano. They move at the beginning of June, so I will seek out the kitsch at that point and document any findings.

Here's to moms who keep us laughing!

okay, just one

one more

Ailurophilia

Main Entry: ai·lu·ro·phil-ia
Pronunciation: I-'lur-o-'fi-lE-&
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek ailouros cat
: cat fancying : the love of cats

Some strange things have been happening on the internet. A website called I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? displays funny pictures of cats with weird captions written in poor grammar and misspellings. Intentionally. The result? They're very, very funny! Here are a few to titillate your ailurophilia, should you have such a thing or need the motivation.









This one above reminds me of the mummy cats we saw in the Egyptian exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum.

I laughed about those poor mummy cats for days. Not sure if this means I'm an ailurophile or an antiailurist* (a hater of cats?) for being so amused at the preservation of a little kitty. Just so you dog lovers (canophiles) out there don't think you're getting away with anything, mummified dogs have also been found.


*Rocco's contribution. I'm not sure about it...

Thunder! Na naa na naaa na na naaa na

ACDC has come to Vancouver! Ok, no. Not true. But THUNDER has! I have lived here two and a half years and have complained at length about the lack of dynamic weather. Well nail me to the wall because it's a-thunderin'! It's been on and off rainy today and not raining currently where I am but the thunder is shaking the house! Rocco is out tonight at a photography course and I'm starting to wonder if it's wise for him to ride the bike home.

Yeehaw! Thunder! Bring on the lightning, I'm ready!

In Memoriam

Beatrice has found a new home where she will be well cared for and adored. We put her up for sale a couple weeks ago and Rocco made the final deal while I was in San Francisco. A young couple who already have experience with a VW van were delighted with the little red beauty and offered a decent price. Turns out they are moving to Nanaimo so Beatrice is returning to her origins; she was first purchased from a VW dealer in Nanaimo in 1973. We'll miss her dearly, and hopefully someday down the road we'll have the capacity to own another classic car. It would be ideal to have a garage for a car of that age so the car is out of the elements and there is room to do some tinkering.

For right now, we're buying a car from my parents that will actually go up mountains and that you can drive in the rain (one of Bea's major downfalls is that water would rush up into the car through the rust holes if it was wet out). I know the Mazda very well and it's a reliable car that will take us where we want to go. We'll have to find some identifiable bumper stickers for the Mazda though or else we'll never be able to identify the boring car in a parking lot full of boring cars. The bobblehead lobster in the back window will help a bit with that. It's more of an albino bobblehead lobster now having been bleached by the sun for the last three years, which I suppose makes it even more unique.

Anyway, we certainly will miss little Beatrice! Maybe we'll get to visit her next time we're on the island. Have a good life, my little red friend!