Valentine's Day 2012 Menu

pick up 3 course

Valentine's Day

gourmet dinner  

$19.98

1st - select a soup

• roasted red pepper & two tomato soup with basil
• bistro style roasted onion soup
• sweet potato soup with honey & chipotle cream

2nd - select an entree    (note: all entrees come with a side salad)

• short rib gnocchi with port wine tomato sauce, arugula & parmesan cheese
• salmon en croute (T&J salmon filet with basmati rice, sauteed vegetbales, lemon ginger butter & fresh dill, wrapped in puff pastry)
• coq au vin (chicken braised in a sherry wine sauce with bacon, mushrooms, carrots and onions)

3rd - select a cupcake

• chocolate caramel dream cupcake
• red velvet with cream cheese icing cupcake

$19.98 per person (plus tax)

pick up: Tuesday February 14th, 2012

between 3pm and 6:30pm

to pre-order, call

#519-880-1555

the above menu will be available in our fresh fridge

arrive early for best selection

(unless pre-ordered)

other delicious Valentine's Day gift ideas:

• chocolates from Reid's & Rheo Thompson Candies (chocolate mint smoothies)
• gourmet gift baskets
• scones, jams, lemon curd - perfect for breakfast in bed!
• we carry a wide selection of shorttbreads, cookies, candies  & other treats!

recipe: moist banana cake with cream cheese icing

My dear Dad’s birthday is coming up next week.  He’s a hard guy to buy for, but he’s always sure to appreciate the following three things:  1) dark covered chocolate ginger, 2) homemade cards and hugs from his grandsons and  3) a “from-scratch” dessert.

My Aunt Jan is the baker in our family.  She’s known for her shorttbread, hello dolly squares, coconut strawberries, toffee almond diamonds, sinful chocolate cake and this delicious banana bread with cream cheese frosting.  Jan is one of those people who “forgets to eat” but surprisingly, she has a soft spot for sweets.  Like any good baker, I think that she enjoys making and sharing her desserts even more than she enjoys actually eating them.

Here is her recipe for banana cake, which just might make an appearance at Dad’s birthday table this year!

moist banana cake with cream cheese icing

ingredients for cake

·        ½ (one-half) cup softened butter

·        1¼  (one-and-one-quarter cups) sugar

·        2 (two) eggs

·        1 (one) teaspoon vanilla

·        1 (one) teaspoon baking soda

·        ½ (one-half) teaspoon cinnamon

·        a shake or two of nutmeg

·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup sour cream

·        1 (one) cup ripe bananas (about 2-3)

·        1 ½ (one-and-one-half cups) flour (Jan uses ½ cup cake & pastry flour and one cup all-purpose flour, but you can use 1½ cups all-purpose too)

·        ¼ (one-quarter) teaspoon salt

method

1.      Preheat oven to 350 F.

2.      Cream butter, add sugar, eggs and vanilla.

3.      Dissolve baking soda in the bananas.  Add sour cream to mixture and beat well.  Add bananas and beat well.

4.      Combine flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, add to mixture.  Beat until blended – not long.

5.      Pour into sprayed 9” x 9” pan and bake for 45 minutes.

Ingredients for cream cheese icing

·        4 (four) ounces softened cream cheese

·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup softened butter

·        1¾ (one-and-three-quarters) cup icing sugar

·        2 (two) teaspoons orange juice or lemon juice

·        1 (one) teaspoon vanilla extract

method

1.      Cream softened butter and cream cheese together, add vanilla, juice and icing sugar.

2.      Smooth onto banana cake.  Refrigerates up to 5 days, freezes up to 2 months.  Makes 1½ cups.

Cystinosis Awareness & Research Effort (CA&RE) winter fundraiser at Dana Shortt Gourmet

winter soup & cracker fundraiser for

friday february 24^th, 2012

10am – 7pm

all proceeds from the featured items will go to the

Cystinosis Awareness & Research Effort (CA&RE)

featured items:

DSG roasted red pepper & two tomato soup with basil 1L $9.98

DSG bistro style roasted onion soup 1L $9.98

DSG sweet potato soup with honey & chipotle cream 1L $9.98

Thiru’s mullugtwanny soup and thakkali soup 1L $9.98

Village Kitchen soups $8.98

Barrie’s Asparagus stone wheat or vegetable crackers $3.98

 please join us at

dana shortt gourmet on

friday february 24^th, 2012

to help raise money and awareness for this rare genetic disease

http://www.cystinosis.ca/

 

recipe: citrus marinated olives

Here’s a great recipe for citrus marinated olives, a popular item from my food shop menu.  Many of you still have the odd post-Christmas Christmas party to host or attend, and guests are sure to appreciate a yummy hors d’oeuvres that is easy on the waistline.  

I learned to make these olives from Chef Brenda Kwong Hing when I was working at “Upstairs at Loblaws” Cooking School in Toronto.  Another former employer, Trish Magwood of Dish Cooking Studio, was also big on whetting her guest’s appetites with olives.  She liked to warm marinated olives in the oven until hot, and to serve them with spiced nuts and fresh rosemary bread.

Serve these olives at room temperature or hot, whichever you prefer (if serving hot, put olives on a baking sheet and warm in a 325 F oven until hot, about 10-12 minutes).  I also love to mix these olives with small cubes of feta cheese, and serve with fresh bread and hummus.  If you are not using pitted olives, be careful to warn your guests.

Citrus Marinated Olives

ingredients

·        3 (three) cups assorted olives (kalamata, dry cured, mission black, nicoise and so forth)

·        1 (one) clove of garlic, minced

·        pinch of chili flakes

·        juice of one lemon

·        zest of one orange

·        1 (one) teaspoon toasted and crushed fennel or anise seed

·        ¼ (one-quarter) cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

·        1 (one) tablespoon sugar

·        salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

method

1.      Combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

2.      Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight for a delicious result.