Full of warm fuzzies, the epilogue...

I had bit of drama today. Yup, a trip to the ER! It wasn't for a severed hand or a fifth degree burn from hot soup or anything like that. After a routine eye exam a few years ago, I got diagnosed with ocular hypertension. I had to have a procedure to relieve the pressure in my eyes so I wouldn't, well, go blind. Mr. Bear had the honour of making sure I didn't wander into traffic after my eyes got zapped. He also had the honour of putting the wretched eye drops in my eyes so  I could, well, heal. 

For the most part, I haven't had any problems. However, I was told if I ever get a certain type of headache, I had to go to the emergency room to make sure I wasn't having an angle-closure glaucoma attack. I've had a headache kicking around for the past week. Today, it was full-blown. I felt pretty awful, and I apparently looked it. My coworker took me up to the ER. Imminent eye explosion seems to open many doors in the ER, so I didn't have much of a wait. 

My pressure was fine, but I'm going to have to see a specialist. I'm going to be going through some eye poking and prodding over the next little while to make sure they don't explode. Stupid bargain basement eyes. 

Anyhow, enough of that. I'm going to be fine. No use worrying about something that probably won't happen, right? Besides, I blame all of you lovelies. If you weren't such a good looking lot, I wouldn't have raised eye pressure. 

On a food note, look at what was sitting on my prep table at work when I returned from lunch!

My very own Fuzzy's Fries hat! Yup, I know the right people. Now, I just need to score me an apron!

dinner ditty ~ Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie

Full of warm fuzzies...

And Fuzzy's Fries. Best chip wagon in the world. 

I need to preface this. I was born in Cape Breton, but I grew up on the mainland. In Halifax, Bud the Spud is the be-all, end-all when it comes to chips. And, they're pretty amazing. The fries from Fries and Co. are also really good.

But, if you want the best chip wagon fries ever, you're going to have to get down here before Labour Day and check out Fuzzy's Fries. They're located downtown, near the corner of Townsend and Esplanade. My dad told me no trip into Sydney was complete without a trip to Fuzzy's for fries, a hot dog, and an orange pop. I don't eat hot dogs, and I'm not a huge fan of orange pop, but I'll happily down the fries.

You have to ask for ketchup if you want it. Trust me, these fries don't need it. Just soak them with white vinegar and some salt and away you go. I wanted to try them with some olive oil mayonnaise, so I brought some down with me tonight. 

The heart of Fuzzy's.

The front of Fuzzy's.

The side of Fuzzy's.

The name. The legend.

The fries and the olive oil mayonnaise I brought from home.

The money shot.

I would eat here every single night if I could. Fries and a pop for $4.00? Totally worth it. 

And the Fuzzy's boys are lovely. I'm hoping to score me a Fuzzy's apron.

Who knows... maybe next year, you may pop by this glorious blue truck, and see a certain scallop lovin' chef! I'd love to work a night at Fuzzy's; they could pay me in fries. Delicious, delicious fries.

dinner ditty ~ Italian Plastic - Crowded House.

Hot fudge fatayers

My old cellphone was in full shit-the-bed mode, so it was time for a new one. I went uptown and got a fancy new one that won't zip through all the screens when I'm trying to send a text, or randomly turn itself off, or lose memory on a daily basis. It'll also be easier for me to update this blog and post pics of food as they happen. How very exciting! I'm also proud of myself; the impossible has happened! The phone guy was a foxy fox, and I managed not to turn completely red, say something incredibly awkward and/or embarrassing, and stare at his shoes. It's almost like I'm a real adult!

While I was uptown, I went to the Tasty Treat for a hot fudge sundae. I wanted to get some action shots of the tastiest hot fudge sundaes in the world. 

I can't quite capture the deliciousness in pictures. You'll just have to head out to the Tasty Treat and try it for yourself. When I was little, my parents used to call the road by the Tasty Treat 'JL Drive', because a certain curly-haired girl would turn almost inside-out with giggly glee. I still smile every time I see the Tasty Treat sign.

Oh, and for the bears keeping score at home, they also sell hard ice cream... like Moon Mist!

Since I moved to Sydney. Aunt Margie has been telling me about her friend's fatayers. There are few places to buy fatayers around here, which are similar to a samosa. Seeing as I can't find samosas around here (I don't want to talk about it), I'm happy that fatayers are an acceptable substitute. 

When I lived in Halifax, I could get samosas at coffee shops and corner stores. When I lived in Japan, I could shamelessly hustle for them at work, then tackle my coworkers in the staff room if they tried to eat the last one. When I lived in Charlottetown, Mr. Bear and I used to ankle it to the North African food stall at the Farmers' Market for the samosas. When I lived in Moncton, I'd get them at the Indian stall on Saturday morning.

The fatayers of awesome.

Here, I will have to make my own samosas, or happily eat the aforepictured fatayers. They were delicious! The filling was very similar to the North African samosas from the Charlottetown Farmers' Market. This makes me insanely happy, because I really miss them. 

I'm trying not to focus on the food I can't find here. Besides, I'm chef, right? If I really, really, really want it, I can make it myself.

dinner ditty ~ Perfect Situation - Weezer

Mr. Fishkens? Fish and Chips and Chicken and Ribs...

 A week ago Sunday, Aunt Margie, her boyfriend, Blaine, and I went up to Inverness. We weren't entirely sure where we would end up eating; there are some great spots up around the area. It's a beautiful drive. We stopped by a local farm to pick up some vegetables, and carried on through to Glenora Distillery.

I didn't have any whisky, as I was still on meds for my bum shoulder. But, we did eat. And ate well!

Blaine had the Whisky BBQ Ribs and the Scottish Bread Pudding. The ribs were almost as good as my ribs.

Margie had the Mushroom and Pesto Chicken Linguine and the Bumbleberry Cobbler. I nicked bits of both and they were pretty tasty.

I went with the potato leek soup and tea biscuit. I love soup; this soup was flavourful and well-seasoned. The tea biscuits were great, not as good as Margie's, but still pretty tasty.

Fish and chips for me. The batter wasn't too heavy and it was perfectly cooked. The fish... the fish was fresh and flaky. I was a happy girl.

For dessert, I chose the Chocolate Mocha Torte. More chocolate-y than mocha-y, but still delicious-y.

 Here are some shots of the distillery. It's really beautiful; Id love to spend the weekend there, sampling the product and whatnot.

It was worth the drive. The food was fantastic, and Bertha, our server, was wonderful. The distillery grounds are lovely. I need to go back to try the chowder....

Hopefully, I won't be going alone! Yup, it may be bear season here soon in Cape Breton. (Seriously, is it?). Mr. Bear and I have been talking about getting him out here to eat chowder and try Napoli pizza (coming in a later post). The tentative plan is he'll come out here, we'll eat Cape Breton (not just Sydney). Then, I'll head up to Kingston for a week. We're planning to head down to Montreal (Au Pied de Cochon, baby) for a weekend, then off to Toronto to take one Mr. MKT out for lunch. 

I fear introducing Mr. Bear to Mr. MKT. I'm not sure there are enough sandwiches in Toronto for the two of them.. 

dinner ditty ~ I'll Be Your Man - The Black Keys

Deep-fried HELLS YES.

Right then. So, this little gem has jumped the queue of Sydney/Cape Breton eateries.

Street Feast in Glace Bay.

Yesterday, I was in the lunchroom at work, planning my Wine and Dine, when I overheard one of my coworkers talking about deep-fried Snowballs at a food truck in Glace Bay. I don't even like Snowballs (I'm not a fan of desiccated coconut), but I was not about to miss out on this bit of fun.

This morning, Aunt Margie rang me up and asked me if I wanted to head out to Dominion to walk on the beach, then head into Glace Bay to hang out at the family home. It was a sign, a sign for me to eat deep-fried Snowballs.

So, without further ado, here are some pictures from Street Feast in Glace Bay.

The window into a world of greatness.

The menu. I'll take one of everything, please.

Deep-fried Snowball!

Another's poutine, not my own.

Yes, that's mine.

The scene of teh ossum.

First bite.

Laughing at the deliciousness, and planning my next trip out to Street Feast.

Next time you are in Glace Bay, drive down Main St. (you'll even get to see the jlmack family home, yo), until you hit Street Feast. Ed and Lisa were more than happy to answer my questions and let me take pictures. Ed was also telling me about his chocolate deep-fried bacon. Yes, yes, and more yes.

Walt, I don't know how we missed out on this place. Too many food trucks, not enough time, I guess.

I can't wait to go back.

Subversive birthday cakes for the win

Nothing says 'happy birthday!' like a subversive cake for a douchebag.

Walt made me laugh out loud during the movie previews at an ad I really shouldn't have been finding amusing. I'm sure everybody in the theatre thought I was a heartless wench. So, I felt this cake was a perfect way to wish Walt the happiest of birthdays. That, and watching him trying to get comfortable on my funky yet tiny loveseat has left him thinking I'm the most inhospitable hostess ever. Oh well... the cake was tasty. And, I realized after Walt had left, he's one of the only people (and definitely the only non-cheffy type person) I've ever let use my chef knife. Bah! This island living is making me soft.

Walt's gone back from where he came, but I'll be sure to keep on eating ALL of Sydney... and Cape Breton. I've got some posts on Glenora Distillery and the best pizza in the province. Yum!

The injured wing chronicles

I apologize for the blog neglect; I actually have heaps to post!

First off, I'll have to start with the rib dinner I cooked up for Walt. It was a bit of a disaster, mostly because I started the day off with an achy shoulder. By the time Walt showed up, I was almost transparent with pain. I can't imagine I was a very good hostess.

First of all, we had some spinach salad with maple dressing. It also had apples, bacon, and Cheddar, which, as some of you know, is one of my favourite combinations..

Then, we had Korean-style BBQ back ribs with roasted red potatoes, zucchini, portobello mushrooms and onions, and sauteed baby bok choy. Here's the rib marinade ~

The finished product (and Walt's stomach).

The marinade is really easy. I used a bottle of the VH Korean BBQ sauce, a can of ginger ale, some chopped green onions, a cup of soy sauce, and the juice of one lime. We were both members of the clean plate club that night, and had no room for dessert (which was a frozen chocolate Oreo cheesecake).

Which I spent the rest of the week eating, along with the leftover ribs, potatoes, and salad. It was good I had the food leftover, because I didn't get out much for the rest of the week  Turns out the achy shoulder was an injured rotator cuff, and I had to take a few days off work. I hate being put on the injured wing list; I love my job. I don't like to miss work. Precooked meals were therefore my friend as I pretty much spent the best part of last week in a drug-addled haze, sitting in my chair and staring at my shoes.

The rotator cuff is feeling a bit better, mostly because I'm pretty sure it spontaneously combusted after Monday morning. But that's a story for another post.

There's lots more coming this week. Be sure to tune in to learn more about subversive birthday cakes and distillery visits.

Feeding Walt

Sometimes, an old friend shows up and you have to feed him. I'm used to feeding bears and large men, so this shouldn't be a problem. When I lived with DL and Beautiful C (and any of the equally large men who were usually hanging about), I would cook enough for ten. There were rarely leftovers.

So, tonight I'm cooking for Walt. He knew me before I could cook, so I am somewhat nervous. I hope he doesn't take one bite, smile politely, and say, 'Oh, I forgot to tell you. I ate before I came. But thank you for thinking of me.', when he's really thinking, 'Holy shitcookies, this tastes like ass.'

I have the maple dressing made for the salad, and the drinks ready for dessert. Now, I just need to make everything that goes in between. Whew!

A week without pictures, but full of air hockey...

So, I've been eating, going to movies, and playing air hockey. I have a partner-in-crime at the moment, Walter*. Walt's an old university buddy who shares my passion for eating, but, tragically, lacks my tolerance for spice.

Well, he's lovely regardless.

We went out to two well-known Canadian chain restaurants and had okay meals. The first night started with the phrase, 'If I order the lasagna tonight, you can punch me in the face'. Which totally made me laugh, mostly because I'd need to stand on a chair to do it. Although, not the chair Walt was sitting in; it had blue Jell-O smeared on it. We scoffed down hamburgers and beer and went to see the new Woody Allen movie. I enjoyed it, and was happy that Walt didn't pretend not to know me after I burst out laughing several times.

Afterwards, we went out to a Cape Breton institution... the Tasty Treat! He bought me a hot fudge sundae and randomly quoted a line from the movie Top Secret... with that, I knew we'd be friends until the end of time. I will get pictures of a Tasty Treat hot fudge sundae and post them here, because they are awesome. I couldn't get a good shot of the sundaes the other night because it was dark and somewhat rainy. It wouldn't have done the deliciousness any justice.

The second chain is known for chicken, so I had a steak. Walt had chicken, and I managed not to eat my meal like someone was about to take it away from me. It's my goal to eventually get through a meal out without a) swearing b) eating much quicker than my friends and then staring awkwardly at them as they finish their meals.

I know, lofty goals.

We worked off this meal with four games of air hockey. I had warned Walt about my air hockey, er, problem, but I'm not entirely sure he believed me. Even after flashing the whole of Sydney by tucking the bottom of my skirt into my knickers, I managed to recover enough to beat him in two games. I should know better than to talk air hockey trash to a man who is almost a foot taller than me and can reach past the centre line. Again, kudos to Walt for not pretending not to know me after I swore in front of the pre-teens watching us play, and then again for laughing like a demented hyena in the movie theatre.

Tomorrow night, I'll be making dinner. I'm going all out, which always ends in ridiculousness and far too much food. I'll definitely be posting pictures. Watch this space!

*names have been changed to protect those who can't handle spicy food.

Sometimes, I get to leave Sydney...

... and eat in exotic places, like Big Pond, Cape Breton! Yup, my aunt and I are off to Rita's Tea Room this afternoon. I don't care that it's hotter than Hades out there... I'm having chowder. Pictures to come!

I can't say enough about the meal I had today. Without question, Rita's Tea Room has the best seafood chowder I have ever eaten. I had the apple, bacon, and Cheddar panini with the seafood chowder. Everything was fresh, hot, and beautifully presented.

The lemon meringue pie. The secret ingredient is concentrated awesome.

Aunt Margie's meal ~ chicken panini with side salad. Also delicious.

My meal. Seafood chowder with an apple, bacon, and Cheddar panini. Silkiest chowder ever. I can't rave enough about it. Had a certain Mr. Bear been there, he would have wept tears of joy, gone into the kitchen, and hugged the chef. It was that good.

The table setting. I want teacups with my name on them!

The thistle.

I wanted to prolong the happiness (and save room for pie), so I took half the sandwich home. I'm sure it will be just as delicious tonight as it was this afternoon. When you come to visit me in Sydney (and why wouldn't you?), we'll head out for a vat of chowder. Yes. I said vat. It's that good. Lynn, our server, was lovely and gave me some restaurant recommendations. I shall eat at all of them!