Malcontented at Moriarty's Bistro and Wine Bar (CLOSED)

Uncomfortable chairs

Moriarty’s Bistro and Wine Bar is located in the heart of downtown. The décor is elegant and seating is split into 3 types: tables and chairs, booths, and bar height tables and stools. Although I normally prefer to sit in a booth, their booths were all occupied that evening, and we were seated at a table instead. This was unfortunately the start of a very uncomfortable evening for us. The chairs, although elegant looking, felt like plastic lawn chairs, but our server quickly informed us that they were very expensive, $600 designer chairs by Philippe Starck. If there’s anything I’ve learnt is that designer items might be pretty, but they’re often form over function, or in this case comfort. It doesn't matter to me how pretty the furniture is if it induces pain, it is not for Moo. The chair was immediately uncomfortable for the male human, who often suffers from lower back issues, but we hoped that the meal would be quick enough that he wouldn’t have to suffer for long.

The Search for English Scones and Clotted Cream

Double Devon Cream

If you haven’t read my post about having High Tea at Claridges Hotel in London, England, then you probably don’t know that I’ve been absolutely obsessed with scones and clotted cream since returning from Europe in 2010. We have been on a quest ever since to find or make something similar. Unfortunately store bought scones in Canada are not the same as you find in the UK. Biscuits are the most similar thing we have in Canada to an English Scone, but they are not as flaky and tend to fall apart more easily than scones. Many people don’t understand what an English Scone is and think that those hard, dense, flat, and dry lumps of dough they call scones at most coffee shops are scones. Let me tell you that you are sorely mistaken and are missing out on the light, fluffy, flaky, moist goodness that is a traditional English scone!

Over Indulgence

Indulgence, A Canadian Epic of Food and Wine is an annual fundraiser put on by volunteers who are part of the local food and wine community. Ticket sale proceeds go towards supporting the Junior League of Edmonton food-related programs. Top chefs from around Edmonton are paired with Alberta food producers and VQA wineries in order to create food and wine pairings utilizing local ingredients. The cost of the event is covered by participating restaurants, producers, and wineries.

Chef Andrew Cowan (Hundred Bar & Kitchen) and I = Matching Chefs Outfits

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake - For the Lazy Baker

Some of you might know that I’m not much of a cook, I can however bake. So whenever I have to go to a potluck, I’m usually the first to volunteer to bring a dessert. At @foodkarmablog’s recent Street Eats themed potluck, I opted to bring my no bake lemon cheesecakes, since they’re small, easy to eat and could potentially be something sold from a dessert food truck.

A few tips and tricks for you:

• Ensure you buy lemon Jello and NOT lemon pudding. Sometimes at the grocery store the packages look the same and they stock the wrong item in the wrong place.
• Let the cream cheese sit out on the counter for about an hour before you use it to make sure it reaches room temperature. This makes for a much smoother cheesecake.
• Once you’ve combined the lemon Jello with hot water, make sure you let it sit until its room temperature or else you will wind up cooking the cream cheese. If you don’t have the time or patience to let it cool naturally, just stick it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.