Author Archives: Ginger

Wondering About Dates try some Trail Bars

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As you might have gathered Nutmeg is in the desert and it is not that warm so she has some time to add to all the really useful food information in this blog.  So the question about dates came to mind… Here are the facts:

The Date Palm (scientific name Phoenix dactylifera), also known as the Medjool palm is a tall, beautiful and majestic tree that is known for its edible sweet fruits, the dates. The tree belongs to the Arecaceae family and the genus Phoenix. The Date palm produces true real dates. It is the second most known and most useful palm tree in the world after the Coconut palm tree.

The Phoenix Dactylifera is one of the world’s oldest trees. It has been grown for thousands of years in hot, dry, desert regions throughout the world. It is an important multi­purpose tree in the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. The Date palm tree is a holy symbol. It was historically mentioned in the Bible, the Koran and other religious books. Many cultures are based on this tree. It has been called “the tree of life”.  The real Date palm can provide all life necessities: food, medicine, shelter, fuel, building materials and  materials for weaving and basket making. It is a symbol of fertility and hospitality in many countries.

The date fruit is one of the most important sources of nutrition for people in the Middle East. It is considered to be a delicacy. The date is a good source of sugar, potassium, protein, fat and minerals. People in this area have eaten dates since ancient times.

Only a female tree can form dates, large trees will produce up to 1000 dates/year.  A tree usually starts producing fruits after 5-8 years.  It takes about 7 months for dates to ripen. The delicious fruits are harvested from September to early December.

Here is a recipe for Trail Bars using dates:

Print
Dates Trail Bars
Recipe type: Dessert or Snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 20-30 bars
 
These bars are easy to make, very tasty and mostly filled with good for you ingredients.

Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
  • 1 Cup Honey
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 Cup Quick-cooking Oats
  • ½ Cup Wheat Germ
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • ¼ Cup Honey
  • 1 Cup Almonds, chopped
  • 1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
  • ½ Cup Dates, pitted and chopped
  • ½ Cup Dried Apricots, chopped
  • ½ Cup Unsweetened Flaked Coconut
  • 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, ¾ cup honey, and lemon juice until well blended
  3. Combine the flour, oats, and wheat germ
  4. Mix into the honey mixture
  5. Spread evenly into the bottom of an un-greased 9x13 inch baking pan
  6. Set aside
  7. In another bowl, beat eggs while gradually pouring in ¼ cup honey
  8. Stir in almonds, chocolate chips, dates, apricots, coconut, and sesame seeds until they are evenly distributed and well coated
  9. Spread over the crust in the pan
  10. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until center is set, and the top is lightly browned
  11. Cool completely before cutting into bars

 

Coffee Oasis in the California Desert

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Nutmeg could not be happier to discover some coffee options in the land of Starbucks.  The alternative coffee-house options much like really good restaurant options in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and most of Riverside County are limited.  There are of course the ubiquitous Starbucks outlets in almost every second strip mall.  However, as you may have gathered that is almost the land of last resort for Nutmeg.  Continue reading →

Would you eat Sushi in the Desert

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If you were stuck on a desert island what would you eat?

If you are visiting Palm Desert what would you eat??

The choices on an island are slim and in Palm Desert are vast, although far from fantastic.  In Palm Desert (and most of the surrounding area) it is a safe bet you will find lots of food chains, big restaurants, large menus, sizable helpings and mediocre food.  Nutmeg says this may sound terrible and although it is not a crisis, you need to try hard to find the gems – don’t worry this is one challenge she is always up for!

One of these gems is NO DA TE on El Paseo in Palm Desert .  This small sushi restaurant has never disappointed.  The sushi chef and owner Shin is very involved, if he is not making sushi he is in the restaurant making sure the quality is just so.  Ideally, try to sit at the sushi bar to catch the food preparation in progress and the people scene developing – neither of which disappoint.  The people scene usually involves some enhanced body parts, large hair, bright very white smiles and possibly some illicit couples…lots of fun if the food prep is boring.

The food will not disappoint.  They have many really creative inside and outside rolls.  Nutmeg has voted M-63 her favorite with shrimp tempura and spicy tuna.  The carpaccios are awesome too – the halibut and yellow tail were fantastic this week – always ask the chef for his recommendations.  In addition, they have specials and ladies nights with half-price rolls so it is worth checking into if you are in town.

So whether you are stuck on a desert island or Palm Desert you will be great hands if you visit NO DA TE.

Enjoy!

NOTE:  the other great rolls to try are No Name 5, B-Kevin and GSP 2 (it’s not on the board as for a GSP with Spicy Tuna)

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Canmore’s Harvest Cafe Not Just for Locals

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Harvest is tucked way on 9th Street in downtown Canmore.  This place is not flashy in any way.  They have a small sunny patio for the days that allow for sitting outside.  Inside is pretty rustic decor but clean and generally not too crowded.  They have daily specials; usually two soups and a couple hot dishes.  On top of that they have a great selection of yummy baked goods and cookies, including some gluten-free options.  They have a standing list of delicious breakfast items (breakfast parfait, homemade granola, french toast), salads and lunch sandwiches (grilled cheese!).  Pretty much everything is made to order.  The coffee is good and there is little waiting (see Coffee Mine).

So what is the problem?  They make no bones about catering to the local crowd.  They are only open Monday through Friday, starting at 10am (too bad for the early risers).  So if you are only Canmore on your days off (i.e. Saturday and Sunday) too bad – you are not going to Harvest.  If you are lucky enough to spend a few extra days in town or are playing hooky, then venture over to 9th Street and take in the scene at Harvest and feel like a local.

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The Coffee Mine in Canmore Mea Cuppa

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Just in case it is not already obvious, if there is one thing Nutmeg is very serious about, it is coffee.  If there is one thing that brings out Mace (Nutmeg’s evil twin), it is bad coffee or inefficient coffee service.  The Coffee Mine in Canmore has long been OFF Nutmeg’s list because the service is slow.  After years in the location on 7th Avenue they have very recently moved “up-town” to Main Street.  This is good news for Main Street as it fills in some of the dreadful empty retail space (a whole other blog topic) and possibly good news for The Coffee Mine.

So Nutmeg (and Mace) decide to put the old demons aside and check out the new location on Main Street.  The problem is the first attempt was a failure…they only open at 9am on Saturdays and Sundays – too bad for early risers.  This past Sunday with Ginger in town it was no problem arriving after 9am (he would not dream of getting up early on a weekend or for that matter any day now that he is retired).  The space is much improved over the old location there are several tables and seating options, there is a wood burning fireplace for the really cold days and a large sunny deck.  They have several posted house rules around strollers and kids, which is a bit of a turn off.  That being said the food display counter is larger and not as crowded as in the old locale.  The food selection is vast, with some healthy choices and lots of decadent ones.  Most of the food is made fresh daily and beautifully presented.  We ordered up a couple coffees and a breakfast sandwich and were told it would be about a 10 minute wait.  It was about 10 minutes, the coffee was good and the sandwich fresh and hot.

So Nutmeg (and Mace) would like to formally say “Mea Cuppa” – The Coffee Mine is back in her good books, with the following warning… if you want your coffee hot, fast and strong go to Beamers, if you are on “Canmore time” The Coffee Mine is a great option.

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Calgary’s First Street Village Giuseppes Italian Market

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For those of you who are no longer under thirty years old “First Street Village” is 1st street between 17th Avenue and 12th Avenue SW.  This used to be a dance bar scene in the late 1990s with Mescalero’s and the Crazy Horse which enjoyed regular patronage from Nutmeg and Ginger.  In the past several years a dramatic change has occurred in this area the result is the emerging “First Street Village”.  The transformation of an old Holiday Inn into the contemporary Hotel Arts started a construction frenzy with an expansion of the hotel and two nearby condo developments (Union Square, Colors by Battistella).  The area now boasts some reasonable men’s clothing, boutique women’s clothing, coffee shops, a wine bar and Giuseppe’s Italian Market.  Nutmeg has wanted to try this place for awhile.  This location used to be a night club as well (possibly called the lizard or some equally appealing name).  They have rid the place of the dance music and used the tri-level space to house a coffee and wine bar on the street level, deli on the second level and sit down restaurant on the top.  The place was packed on a Friday night at 6:30pm, Nutmeg and Ginger were very lucky to get a table (still have not quite learned the reservation trick!!).  They have done a nice job on the decor, Nutmeg would classify as “low end Tuscan”.  The menu includes some salads, antipasto, pastas and pizza.  Ginger wanted pizza so we split; garlic shrimp (they were not kidding about the garlic), caprese salad (good although not very big and the mozzerella was not buffalo) and a grec pizza with parma ham.  The food was tasty, the atmosphere is casual – there were several families with kids and the wait staff were accommodating.  However, they were understaffed or overcapacity – the service was slow and a bit disorganized.

Nutmeg poked around in the deli and noted they have some appealing prepared pastas and a fraction of the cost of Mercato.  First Street Village has a the makings of a good neighborhood restaurant in Giuseppe’s Italian Market.  Nutmeg’s recommendation ; make a reservation, do not go if you are trying to rush to the hockey game or better yet order your pizza in advance and take it home.

 

Lake OHara Lodge a Slice of Paradise

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For eight years running Ginger and Nutmeg and a crew of very spicy friends have trudged up the Lake O’Hara access road in March.  The conditions have varied every year from deep winter to nearly spring.  The equipment ranges from light to touring to teli and alpine touring – this year the gals got really smart and went in on snow shoes.  Everyone arrives parched, hungry and feeling like they have accomplished something and they have – 11kms of hills!!  This year’s crew included Cilantro and Mr. High Maintenance, Curry Murray and Mr Curry, Mountain Pepper and Cayenne, Cinnamon, the salsa twins, Oregano and his lovely wife.

Why is Lake O’Hara a slice of paradise?  So many reasons;

  1. An endless amounts of great BC wine – the group tried very hard to get to the bottom of the supply
  2. Gluten free offerings included a flour-less dark chocolate cake on arrival from Mrs Oregano
  3. Arrival snacks including; salt/pepper/lime chicken wings and mini croque monsieurs (ham and cheese melts)
  4. Four course dinners including; sesame crusted halibut, cauliflower soup, NY striploin, 120 strudel, blueberry custard tart
  5. Hot showers
  6. Steamy saunas

More than anything it is the incredible scenery, lack of crowds and the chance to get into the back-country for some turns.  This year was over the top!  We lucked into 25cms of snow early in the week topped off by 20cms on Friday through Saturday morning.  Then the sun came out and the group was treated to two “blue-bird” days.  So the hangovers were quickly cured and the blisters quickly forgotten.  Our trusty and very patient guide Mike got the daring and energetic into “epic” powder on Saturday.

The weekend was full of laughs, a guitar concert by the staff, a raging dance party and the requisite gals vs boys charades game.  The gals were victorious again, in case you were wondering.

Lake O’Hara is paradise summer or winter.  Check it out for yourself.

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Wonderful Vienna Austria

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This blog post is out of order (and late) our trip itinerary was Paris-Vienna-Brussels, however the weather and the sites in Vienna were so engaging that Nutmeg had no time to write, so the best is last. Nutmeg and Ginger both like Austria and agree Vienna is wonderful, for slightly different reasons:

Nutmeg loves the fact that the Austrians seem to have combined the Swiss and German efficiency with fantastic architecture and cuisine that embraces the borders with Hungry, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.

Ginger loves the fact the Austrians serve schnitzel and spatzle in many variations.  In addition, there is copious draught beer and the locally produced wine is very drinkable.  He also loves the fact that the country has some really great skiing and they love to Apres Ski.

We visited Vienna the capital, it is a magical place, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The population is about 1.7 million, there is a good road system including a ring road (Ringstrabe or Ringstrasse) designed and built in the 1860’s (eat your heart out Calgary).  This is a bike friendly city there are bike lanes everywhere, it is obvious that this is highly utilized as a commuter option.  Vienna has tied Vancouver for one of the world’s most livable cities.

Vienna was founded around 500 BC, originally a Celtic settlement. In 15 BC, Vienna became a Roman frontier city (Vindobona) guarding the Roman Empire against Germanic tribes to the north. In the 13th century, Vienna came under threat from the Mongolian Empire, which stretched over much of present-day Russia and China. During the Middle Ages, Vienna was home to the Babenberg Dynasty, and in 1440, it became the resident city of the Habsburg Dynasties. It eventually grew to become the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and a cultural centre for arts and science, music and fine cuisine. It was occupied by Hungary between 1485-1490. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman armies were stopped twice outside Vienna. In 1679 the bubonic plague struck the city, killing nearly a third of its population.

In 1804, Vienna became the capital of the Austrian Empire and continued to play a major role in European and world politics, including hosting the 1814 Congress of Vienna. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, Vienna remained the capital of what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city was a centre of classical music, for which the title of the First Viennese School is sometimes applied.

Vienna has a large museum inventory including: Albertina, Leopold Museum, Natural History Museum, Belveder, Modern Art Museum and countless others.  Unless, you are planning to stay for months in Vienna you need to really target what you want to see.  Nutmeg and Ginger visited the Albertina; it has permanent collection, the Andy Warhol Cars temporary exhibition and a section of Hofburg staterooms.

On top of the art scene there is music and lots of it, ranging from the beautiful Opera (Staasoper) and Music Hall (Musikverein) to many small venues for local and international acts.  It may seem obvious to some readers given this country was home to Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Shubert so the appreciation for music has a long history.

The Vienna Tourism group does a great job.  You can purchase a Vienna card for 18 Euro; this allows you to take advantage of entry, food and shopping discounts within a 72hr period.   Vienna Tourism has established some self-guided walking tours covering 6 different districts. Not to be missed are St Stephen Cathedral, The Hofburg Palace and gardens, The Parliament Building and the Town Hall (Rathaus Platz).

Kids and Adults should see the Spanish Riding School.  It actually is still a riding school! The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world, which has practiced for over 430 years and continues to cultivate classical equitation in the Renaissance tradition of the haute école.  You can go in the mornings and watch them practice, the cost is 12 Euro and you listen to lovely classical music while they practice, although you are limited in to viewing only what they are practicing at the time.  They have shows a few times a week.

So Vienna is manageable, interesting, affordable and generally fabulous.  Go and Visit Wonderful Vienna!

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Brussels Redeemed

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Nutmeg was last in Brussels a couple decades ago (more or less).  At that time she and her friends stayed in an unrated hotel – sometimes called a “youth hostel”.  It was a rainy depressing few days, the city was uninviting, the food marginal (keep in mind a student budget) and the place was filled with beggars.

So fast forward… the accommodations are not grand this time, although certainly a big step up from the hostel.  The sun has shone for 2 out of 3 days and the beggars are gone.  That is not to say you should not watch your pockets, just do so with the same level of caution you would apply everywhere.

Brussels  fast facts:

  • population of over 1 million
  • 55,000 of which are European officials
  • over 200 different nationalities can be found (1 in 2 people have foreign roots)
  • the city covers 170 sqkm (10 times the sprawl of Paris)
  • home to NATO and the EU

Apart from being the centre of European politics, Brussels has a fascinating and old history that dates back to the 11th century when it began as a small dukedom the size of the current downtown area. In 1830 Belgium became independent and Brussels became the capital of Belgium under a new king and parliament.

Belgium became an independent state in 1830 after protests against the policies of King William of the Netherlands. Since then, Belgium has created its own Constitution and proclaimed its own sovereign – King Leopold of Saxe-Coburg was the first king of the Kingdom of Belgium.

An interesting fact is that Belgium is separated into 3 regions mainly due to differences in language – French and Dutch speakers. The regions are Flanders in the north (Dutch), Wallonia in the south (French) and Brussels in the centre (Bilingual). There is a small area called Ardennes that also speaks German but it is not an official region.

Nutmeg has warmed up to Brussels for several reasons; they speak French here and will tolerate her rusty skills (unlike the French), the chocolate is fantastic, the coffee is decent and the shopping rivals any other centre.  Ginger had never been to Brussels before, so did not share Nutmeg’s slightly jaded view.  He loves the beer selection and is really happy with the moules and frites combination.

The architecture is interesting and the Grande Place (Grote Markt) is beautiful although in Nutmeg’s opinion the city is not as esthetically pleasing as Paris or Vienna.  There are lots of museums and galleries.  The Costume and Lace Museum currently is displaying a fantastic “Sixties” exhibition.

The chocolate is definitely a highlight some vendors that Nutmeg recommends:

  • Frederic Blondeel
  • Pierre Marcolini
  • Neuhaus
  • Galler (the best packaging)
  • Corne 1932 (a few free samples)
  • Corne Port Royal (good selection and their bars are more affordable then the first three)
  • Cafe-Tasse (tons of free samples, you will be guilted into buying)

So in Nutmeg’s opinion Brussels has been redeemed!  Plan a visit.

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One Big Tree How Many Belge Firemen Does It Take

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On our way back to Brussels we encountered a tree!

This was no small tree it cut off  four lanes of a highway and both directions of traffic, including our bus for over two hours.  The good news?  No one was hurt.  That tree would have flattened any of the small gas friendly cars on the road and done serious damage to any moving vehicle.  On top of stopping both directions of traffic, the other complicating factor was that the tree had pulled down, although did not snap a power line.  Traffic ground to a slow crawl as the vehicles inched forward into a “sardine can” formation (if you have ever spent any time in a French or Quebec ski line?  If so, you might have an idea what this started to look like).

Finally, a single fire truck arrived to the rescue.  This event occurred in the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday in crappy weather…so it took awhile to arouse the one truck and crew.  After accessing the pretty obvious situation these guys got to work rerouting the car traffic through a forest lane and on to a muddy farmers’ field for a couple kilometers until the next highway entrance.  The heavy weights; buses and trucks could not make the detour due to weight, so had to wait.

Over the next two hours the fire crew got to work with the single chainsaw that they had.  The chainsaw looked like a steak knife next to a dinosaur.  So it took a long time.  Nutmeg was impressed that the bus full of capable well-trained macho men offered many opinions but chose to leave the heavy work to the firemen.  This event was a big deal on an otherwise uneventful Sunday afternoon.  During the two-hour wait there was a fair amount of entertainment as there were visits from the local press, local police, electrical company and a few others like the woman driver who felt it was her “right” to drive on the road and the mini driver who felt the road was clear enough that he could get through…

So how many firemen does it take?  At least four ….and many sideline critics.

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