Mystery of the Mango-Honeydew Nectarine – SOLVED!

Remember a few weeks ago, when I ate a delicious but perplexing fruit called the mango-honeydew nectarine?

I, along with many Googlers who came across my post, had a few big questions about this fruit:

1) What on earth is a mango-honeydew nectarine?  Is it really a mango-honeydew-nectarine hybrid?  

2) Why the Disney/Pixar label on the fruit?  Since when did Disney/Pixar start manufacturing fruit? 

Finally, after extensive researching, I think I’ve at long last, traced down its origins and solved the mystery.  And everything points to one culprit: marketing.  

A Los Angeles Times article dated this past July offered some insight into this blossoming designer fruit industry, and the new, unique varieties offered at local markets:

Within Reason or Out of the Question? Rules for Restaurant Employees

100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do, from the New York Times, November 2009.

Never will you ever find a more thorough list of no-nos for restaurant employees. 

This list is for the nit-pickers, the fine-dining frequenters, the self-proclaimed VIPs to cite all the reasons why they had a bad service at dinner the other night.  

As someone who works in a restaurant, there are a few things on this list of musts that I find unrealistic and verging on ass-kissing.

“97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her.”

What’s the point for them to come back to the restaurant?  

Ask me what is in the dish, I will tell you every ingredient.  But to get the chef to recite the exact recipe and cooking method to me to scribble down so that I can pass this on to a customer?  Fat chance. 

“23. If someone likes a wine, steam the label off the bottle and give it to the guest with the bill. It has the year, the vintner, the importer, etc.”

Now this. Is. Ass-kissing.  

Look, there are a lot of people who believe that paying and tipping means they are entitled to anything they want, including treating restaurant staff like they are below them, or expecting that unreasonable demands be met.  Trust me, it is difficult enough to maintain professional and composed when people are not treating you with respect. For people like this, I don’t even want to say goodbye to you when you leave the restaurant.  I do anyway.  But I am sure as hell not going to steam the label off your wine for you. 

I Heart Madeleines

“I raised to my lips a spoonful of the [little madeleine] . . . a shudder ran through my whole body and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place.” – Marcel Proust

Mmm.  Madeleines.  There is just something about these cheery little spongy cookie-cakes that make even Proust get all gooey inside.

I could eat these all day long.

I often like to torture myself by going into kitchen supply stores and wistfully fantasize about all the pretty things I can’t currently get my hands and wallet on.  Like All-Clad measuring cups and spoons.  Or a Le Creuset French oven.  Or the boysenberry KitchenAid stand mixer.

However, one fateful trip to Warshaw (discount kitchen supplies heaven) and ten bucks spent later, and at least one of the items I’d been dying to get into my pantry could be crossed off the list.  A pan to make madeleines. 

Vegetable Soufflé with Chicken Zucchini Salad

That’s it.  I’m convinced.  Soufflés have to the best and easiest answer to spicing up dinner for anyone. 

I’m a big fan of eating anything that has been fluffed up with egg whites and air. Mmm, mmm.  Makes meals that much fun! Bring on the soufflés. 

This soufflé was plate-licking good, and packed only with fabulous, fresh ingredients.  And check this – I did it without buying a single ramekin.  Investing in ramekins would allow my soufflé to get more height, however, for just a simple Tuesday night dinner, a semi-high, super scrumptious soufflé served me just fine.  

Homemade Gift Bag and Birthday Card (for a clean freak)

When the birthday of someone I know who is a complete clean freak came around, I couldn’t resist doing something custom made.  

Firstly, I made a cute little gift bag for the present, with the help and inspiration of this tutorial.  How amazing!  You can use a ripped out page of a magazine or an old book for these gift bags, which is such a green idea.  

Mango-Honeydew Nectarines?

August 19 Update – Finally found out what on earth these things are!  Find out here. 

What are these weird hybrid fruits?

I saw these in the supermarket the other day and was so curious, I had to pick some up. Mango-honeydew nectarines? What can that possibly be?

I didn’t see these until I got home, but the stickers on the fruit.

Kazu on Midnight Poutine

I did a through review of Kazu, the new izakaya on Ste-Catherine and St-Mathieu on Midnight Poutine.

It was almost embarrassing how much food our party ordered, so I only put up the photos of and talked in depth about the most stellar dishes we had all night. However, I can say with absolute certainty that (after sampling the entire menu) it is gooooood at Kazu.

Star of the night – homemade tofu. You won’t get it that fresh, that bright, that deliciously seasoned anywhere else.

The combination of amazing food, excellent service, and super affordable prices makes Kazu a winner all around!

Check out the review here.

Button Sugar Cookies on City Bandit

Here’s a classic sugar cookie recipe, along with my directions on how to  turn your cookies into darling buttons on City Bandit.

It’s really not too difficult. Just roll out your dough…

To-Die-For Lemon Cookies: Packaged for a Birthday

It was two of my friends’ birthdays, so I used that as an excuse to bake and get creative.

I decided to make for them a jar of homemade cookies, and decorate the jar with ribbons and simple, homemade birthday cards.  This is a really great gift idea for anyone.  It is a perfect way to package and transport the cookies, without needing to worry about the cookies breaking or cracking.  In addition, for the days to come the cookies will stay fresh until they are done! And then the gift receiver will have a useful, beautiful jar for them to store anything they want – flour, sugar, pasta, etc.

Firstly, I needed the perfect cookies to put in the jar, and I couldn’t think of anything better for the season or for the occasion than Giada’s lemon ricotta cookies with a lemon glaze.  They are bright, cheery, full of flavour cookies, and they are perfect for packaging up and giving away.

My Favourite Sandwich: The Anti-Sandwich (sort of)

I have to tell you, I’m not a huge fan of sandwiches. I’m a bit like the anti-sandwich person – I don’t like a lot of the things that people like about sandwiches.  I don’t like runny egg yolk, drippy condiments, toasted crumbly bread.  A big sandwich does not impress me, it makes me think about how I’m supposed to fit that in my mouth.

However, there was one sandwich that sticks out in my memory.  My mom used to buy these pre-packaged sandwiches from T&T, an Asian super-supermarket, and I remember absolutely loving these sandwiches.  I don’t know if they still make them, but I haven’t had one in a seriously long time.  I decided to make my own the other day – of course, my way.