Archives for January 2016

Best of the Week

January 29, 2016

My sweet tooth may have gone on overdrive this week. I revisited my Oreo obsession when I decided to create my own version of a banana cream pie. In my early twenties, I had a (not too worrisome) addiction to the cookie and would try to incorporate it into so many of my desserts.

Having run this food blog for a month now, I’m still getting the hang of photographing and capturing my food presentation. I recently discovered Danesco‘s kitchen products on social media and have been hooked ever since.

What are you all up to this weekend? Any food adventures that you’ll be taking?

{one} A well-rounded guide on food presentation (eatwell101.com)

{two} My next purchase (danescoinc.com)

{three} A basic (but pure genius) how-to in caramelizing bananas (averiecooks.com)

{four} Stumbled upon this blogger recently and totally agree with her love for Table 51‘s deep-fried Oreos (qualityrivets.blogspot.ca)

Banana Cream Oreo Pie

January 28, 2016

My weekday lunches are not your traditional lunches at all. I’m a firm believer in eating small portions several times a day so my brown bags usually consists of a protein-packed bar, various cheeses, dairy products, and fruit.

Last week, I miscalculated my and totally ended up buying far too many bananas to last my work week. By the time the weekend would be over, my bananas would be a little too ripe (ie.: extra brown) to bring to my Monday to Friday. This is when I decided to get up extra early on a Saturday morning to whip up and creat my very own take of an Oreo banana cream pie. Let me tell you that this pie was a wonderful excuse to make use of my leftover fruit.

Simple to prepare, this pie boasts a sweet Oreo crust with a perfectly crunchy consistency to balance the softness of the ripe bananas.

Marble Crumbs’ Banana Cream Pie with an Oreo Crust

34 Oreo cookies
4 tbsp melted butter
4 bananas
1 pack of instant vanilla pudding
473mL whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar

Pie Crust
– Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
– In a food processor, pulse 25 of the Oreo cookies until there are no longer any large chunks left – all pieces should be pulsed into small crumbs.
– Place your Oreo crumbs in a large mixing bowl and combine with 4 tbsp melted butter. Mix until all of the Oreos are well-coated.
– Place your mixture on a glass pie pan and flatten it with your hands until the pie pan is completely covered with the Oreo crumbs.
– Place in oven and bake for 7 minutes, let cool completely before assembling the rest of the pie.

Pie Filling and Structure
– Prepare vanilla pudding according to package directions and set aside.
– Using a stand or handheld mixer, start whipping cream starting with the lowest setting and working your way up to medium speed. As the cream starts to thicken, gradually mix in the sugar and start mixing on the high setting until the combination reaches the consistency of whipped cream. Set aside.
– Once the vanilla pudding has cooled down, place into Oreo pie crust then layer with 3 bananas that are cut into small, bite-size pieces. Next, layer on the whipped cream. Garnish pie with the rest of the Oreo cookies and banana.

Cool pie in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Serving on a Silver (and Gold) Platter with Danesco

January 26, 2016

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were hosting our usual Friday dinner party and we were all pleasantly surprised with the store-bought eclairs our friend Ciara decided to bring over for dessert. We’re all usually ones for homebaked goods but these eclairs turned out to be amazingly tasty.

Food presentation can always elevate a meal. After food blogging for a month now, I’ve learned that on top of precise detailing and careful preparation, it also comes down to the accessories in helping tell a story through your dishes.

I recently received a set of Danesco’s beautiful silver and gold dessert platters. In terms of presentation, these platters are so versatile: they’re festive enough for winter-holiday gatherings, but neutral enough for elegant events. They’re definitely going to be used in my home year-round.

Danesco has so many quality kitchen accessories and tools that are both practical and stylish. My dessert platters are from their Living Art STARDUST line and everything in this collection is dainty and refined. I must say, whenever I browse on Danesco’s website, I fall in love with a new collection every single time.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I received these dessert platters to review and all of the opinions are my own.

Best of the Week

January 22, 2016

This week was all about interactive dining: whether it be a free-for-all taco night at my place or the ultimate chocolate experience at Cacao 70, my meals were everything but boring.

I hope you all have a fantastic and tasty weekend! Do you have any meal stories you’d like to share? Drop a comment below!

{one} Vegetarian tacos (mountainmamacooks.com)

{two} Teas that will help an upset stomach (thedailymeal.com)

{three} Good enough to eat and wear: chocolate fudge facial masks (meghantelpner.com)

{four} All of this chocolate talk has got me thinking of getting a brown manicure (naildesigntips.com)

Chocolate Dining at Cacao 70

January 21, 2016

Montreal’s streets are filled with restaurants that promise rare culinary experiences and one-of-a-kind authentic meals. I’m incredibly grateful to live in a city where food offerings are rich in diversity and are always a special (and sometimes, surprising) treat. I can definitely say that my nights-out are never a bore.

Cacao 70 happens to be one of those places where you walk in and experience a meal rather than just eating one. Cacao 70 is (and now, hold your breath and grab your drool bib) one of Montreal’s finest chocolate restaurants. Yes, you heard me: a restaurant dedicated to presenting chocolate at its best, whether it be in melted form, on your waffles, or as a drink… the sky is the limit with Cacao 70.

Whenever I visit (which happens quite often), I indulge in helpings of fondue, hot chocolates, and their oh-so-tasty cinnamon-coated churros.

For my last visit, I opted for their Belgian waffle, topped with ice cream and whipped, and some of my favorite fruit on the side. It was actually the first time I requested for their Belgian waffle, which happens to be incredibly soft and sweet even on its own – each bite melted in my mouth. I can tell you that my sweet tooth was very satisfied that night.

Oh, and I always order a tall glass of milk with my meal.

Four locations in Montreal (and also, one in Sherbrooke, QC and plenty in Ontario) – no matter where you are, Cacao 70 is definitely worth the visit! Follow them on Instagram and Facebook!