Category Archives: Friends Food Fun

FFF EP-32 DECADENTLY DIVINE CHEESE TASTING

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbh5CgBJ8DI

In this episode, Helenka and I got to sample some interesting cheeses. We also tried, though not too successfully, to show you what each of them looks like from the perspective of my new little camera (but we are getting better at it). So I’m listing each one for you here.

The cheeses were (pictures are also in this order after the plate)

And, just for the record (because the evil editor said so), here are all the crackers we used: multi-grain, olive oil & sea salt, wheat-free/gluten-free (as I mentioned, it was practically like eating seeds), olive oil & herb multi-pack from which I chose one I really like, namely roasted garlic & rosemary.

It was fun to sample cheeses typically found in any supermarket or warehouse club. There is, of course, a wide variety of artisanal cheeses that are available only from farmers’ markets or specialty food stores. My favourites were the cream cheeses, but I really did enjoy them all.

The interesting thing about doing this episode is that we got to use the cheeses again in later episodes (which increased the variety to choose from).

On another note, next week we’ll be releasing our Friends Food Fun! Christmas Special which will be not only our biggest video, but also our last post for the year. We are both taking a well-deserved break to spend time with friends and family. Keep an eye out for it!

Till next time, have some fun with your food and bring along some friends, too!

Enjoy!
B & H =;)

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Insight on: DECADENTLY DIVINE CHEESE TASTING

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Because Brian and I’d had so much fun with the last “surprise” tasting (of jams and jellies), Brian decided to recreate the <em>moment</em> with cheese. Oh, glorious cheese! If for no other reason, I have to admit to my life-long gratitude to cows, buffalo, goats and sheep for providing the milk that makes something that tastes so amazing! Who knew there could be so many varieties, textures and flavours?

Well, I guess that I didn’t until I grew up. When I was a kid, the only cheese we had in the house was cottage (traditionally used as the filling in Polish crepes), brick and – as a treat – cream cheese from Kensington Market. I had a much broader exposure to traditional smoked or processed meats (mostly Polish, but let me tell you about that fine Mortadella … or not) than I did cheeses … though I think I finally caught up. After all, I’ve had plenty of time and opportunity!

You’ve already seen the individual and unique reactions from us as we filmed this episode and I’m sure we could film another two or three with completely different cheeses. But that might be going just a titch overboard … even for us.

So I think I’ll get really personal (I <em>know</em>, what a shock, because I’ve been so secretive until now, lol, NOT). Cheese and romance were made for each other. Boursin and kissing are marvellous companions. Garlic, what garlic? Boursin is one of the most sensual cheeses I’ve ever had and is always perfect for that romantic interlude. Just add olives, crackers and wine. Oh, wait, I nearly forgot the gherkins. And … um … your partner of choice!

You already know that Brian prefers red wine, while I really like sparkling and white wines. When it comes to pairing Boursin, there’s absolutely nothing better (in my opinion) than sparkling wine – either alone or mixed in a tantalizing combination with Cognac (if you can afford it) or just a really good Brandy. And, if you’re in a dessert mood to go along with the sparkling wine (after all that delicious cheese), I highly recommend French mints (I get mine from Laura Secord).

Another excellent way to consume cheese (and, yes, maintain that intimate touch) is in a fondue. Hmmm, I’m on my fourth fondue set, but I still remember my first cheese fondue from the early 1970s. The set I found had a lovely black (why are you not surprised) steel base supporting a red pot and had been marked down to $3 (from $29) because the four sectioned plates were missing. I didn’t care because the recipe manual was still there (and I <u>just</u> looked at it again). So I bought the baguette, cheeses, garlic, white wine, kirsch and prepared my first fondue. And I got so tipsy – and delightfully giggly – just from the wine <u>in it</u>. Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. But I do remember that romantic evening fondly … even if a bit fuzzily.

Variations

Brian and I have a couple episodes waiting to be aired where we do use cheese in inventive ways, but there are a lot of dishes that would benefit from the addition of a bit of cheese. Crumbled or grated onto a salad or over veggies. An unexpected molten centre in dinner rolls. Or swirled into hot soup … wonderful on a cold night. Incorporating it into an omelette is probably the most basic idea ever. As far as I’m concerned, you can never go wrong with cheese. Go, experiment for yourselves and enjoy!

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FFF EP-31 “MEXICAN” HOT DOGS

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsZsvQ5ry_4

Hey, Food Friends!

This week’s episode is on the goofy side. Now, don’t ask what possessed me but, as the Lady says (in her words below), it reminded us of how much fun we have had over the years!

Seeing as this is a food blog, I don’t get the chance to talk about technology often (another passion of mine). Well, not until now, so hold on to your hats (Mexican or otherwise) as this was the first time that I introduced a second camera onto the set.

We’ve had many comments (off blog) where folks said they could not really see what we were doing, especially further away from the counter (like at the stove). I kept that reminder in the back of my head.

So, when the opportunity was right (i.e. a sale), I bought a wee video camera (Kodak ZI8, to be exact) that records in “high definition 1080P”. We are amazed at the quality of the video and I highly recommend this camera. I’m also using something called a Gorilla Pod (mini tripod) that uses very strong magnets to hold it in place, yet is still quite flexible. Helenka and I spent many brain cells trying to figure out where to put it for the best vantage point, and I hope you will agree that it does a better job now of detailing what we are preparing in order to review.

On the topic of food, growing up, we loved hot dogs. I remember my Mom getting out a pot, putting the wieners in hot water, covering the pot with a grill before putting the hot dog buns on top of the grill and covering those with a cloth for them to steam. Sometimes, they came out a bit soggy, lol, but who cared … we were kids. By the way, I’ve said this before, but my Mom is a fantastic cook so don’t let the hot dog incident lead you to think otherwise. 😛

I was quite interested in these more “adult” hot dogs. As to why they are called “Mexican” Hot Dogs, well, I have no idea. I’ve been to Mexico several times and I don’t recall seeing any Mexican locals eating these, so I will chalk this up to the these ingredients giving it a “Mexican” theme.

Speaking of ingredients, we got to have the marinated jalapeno peppers again. I’ve improved since the last time when my fingers were burning (yeah, okay, see me being all macho with no gloves). This time, I cut an end off, then scooped out the seeds using a tiny spoon before cutting the peppers into little rings (still no gloves, but no burning either). These are fantastic and highly recommended!

My friend Menka who also bakes with me on occasion (see us on “Desserts Are Fun!”) gave me some homemade salsa (divine, by the way, Menka) which we also added to the hot dogs.

The green onions made a pretty picture but, next time, I don’t think I would add these without cutting them up after grilling. Let’s just say I had to edit the video as poor Helenka could not sample her dog properly without cutting into it.

Seeing as we are trying to eat better, the hot dogs themselves were Angus beef wieners which I found to be quite tasty!

That’s it for this week. This was quite a fun episode to put together and, by the way, not rehearsed at all in advance, so it is Genuine Helenka giving me that look of “what in the world are you doing now”. 😉

Till next time, have some fun with your food (Ola, “Mexican” hot dogs) and bring along some friends, too!

Enjoy!
B & H =;)

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Please note: We try and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

Insight on: “Mexican” Hot Dogs

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Okay, first of all, I have to say that this episode was about more than just cooking for me. Or the incredulous look on my face to see what antics Brian was up to … this time! It reminded me of how much fun Brian and I have had over the years (to some outrageous lengths) and, yet, I think our friendship can be just as simple as a hot dog. Why? Well, it’s uncomplicated, easy to prepare and tastes good. And both of us are equally uncomplicated (at least when it comes to food), we cook elaborate feasts that – in our eyes – feel easy, because we’re all about pleasing each other and, um, we make food taste good!

The other reason I’m mentioning the hot dog analogy is because one of my fondest memories is of the ferry rides we’d take to the Toronto Islands in the summer. If we were lucky, the concession stand at the ferry terminal on the mainland would be open. And we would get a hot dog each. Then came the fun part: deciding just what outlandish combination of condiments we’d choose and just how high could we pile everything. That’s where I found I liked having things like sauerkraut, hot peppers, pickles and … oooh, did someone say caramelized onions … on my wiener!

The other memory that is equally vivid is when we met downtown after work in December to take a look at the special displays at the Bay (Queen Street store). At the north-east entrance, there is a large triangular wedge behind which are revolving doors to enter the store. This set-apart wedge becomes home to whatever is the current Winter Wonderland theme. As we strolled and pressed our noses against the windows to glimpse all of the intricate displays including mechanical dolls and animals (because we’re still kids at heart), we enjoyed our al fresco dinner of sausage dogs purchased from a street vendor and held in chilled fingers. Always a wonderful memory.

With my Polish background, I didn’t know what a hot dog was until I got older. But I do have very fond memories (unfortunately getting fainter by the minute) of a traditional Polish dish called Patyczki (translated as “little sticks”). These sticks were thin wooden skewers about the length of a hot dog that had bits of meat (traditionally pork) moulded around them before being cooked. I guess they had the same reputation that hot dogs do: fun to have occasionally but not to be eaten on a regular basis. [When I was looking them up online, I found a business that makes them and sells them as frozen appetizers in the South-Western Ontario market. Hmmm, I wonder….]

Variations

Okay, even though it’s embarrassing, I’m glad Brian mentioned how much trouble I was having eating my dog piled on with so much stuff, including grilled green onions that refused to co-operate and be assimilated. [Yes, I know. The nerve!] So I thought about how this dish could be varied to make it more amenable to less-messy eating, something I’m always in favour of. Here’s what I came up with:

  • use small dinner rolls instead of wiener buns, cutting the grilled hot dogs to fit (into 2 or 3 pieces)
  • partially hollow out the dinner rolls so that there’s room for the guacamole, salsa and jalapenos
  • use kitchen shears to snip the grilled onions into inch-long pieces, because they are really hard to bite into and chew otherwise

As for variations in ingredient toppings, I could see an explosion of flavours, tied to traditional world cuisine, though not authentic, but just for fun, like:

  • sauerkraut, caraway seeds, crisp bacon bits and fried diced onion (German)
  • sliced Kalamata olives, crumbled Feta cheese, chopped green pepper, half-rings of red onion (Greek)
  • chopped tomato, fresh basil, shredded Mozzarella cheese (Italian)

As you can see, I’m merely using my imagination with no intent to create a dish that is meant to be tied to any regional cooking history. But, then again, hot dogs were never meant to be taken seriously, so I’d encourage you to play around with the toppings to see what other weird and wacky combinations you can invent. And, please, let us know what you’ve created in your own kitchens. Because, if you haven’t figured it out yet, Brian and I are curious and fascinated by food, glorious food!

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FFF EP-30 GRILLED STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE AND PINTO BEAN SIDE DISH

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-OMki7LLf4

Hey, Food Friends,

This week’s episode is all about Chimichurri! So, hey, just what is Chimichurri? Well, it’s an Argentinian concoction that is poured over meat (their version of ketchup, just not of the tomato variety). In Argentina, it is used as both a marinade and a sauce for grilled steak, but you can use it also with fish, chicken, or even pasta. It’s fun to try new things and this was no exception! I had a bottle of Chimichurri that a friend had given me, but had never opened it. So, when the opportunity presented itself to make our own, I wanted to try it against the exported version from Argentina. Boy, were we surprised at the comparison (teaser – it’s all revealed in this episode).

For more information on this sauce, check out this link

I was researching what kind of side dish would go typically with the steak and Chimichurri sauce and discovered Pinto beans. Well, I didn’t want just plain Pinto beans, so I had to do more hunting and found a delightful recipe that had cumin and tomatoes (recipe and link shared below). Since then, I’ve been searching the shelves for more of the beans (canned or dry) and they seem to be quite elusive (who is eating all these, I ask?). Oh, well, my search continues.

I fully encourage you to try this dish as it’s very fresh-tasting and quite enjoyable. In fact, I’m thinking about some other sources of protein to try this on as we speak! I am sure Helenka will have some fabulous variations for us to try out as well.

So, until next time, have more fun with your food and invite some friends to join in, too!
Enjoy!
B & H =;)

This recipe was adapted from feastonthecheap.net

Recipe: Pinto Beans with Tomatoes and Cumin

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    1 15-oz cans of Pinto beans, drained
    ½ pint grape tomatoes
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add tomatoes and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and 1 teaspoon of cumin. Add the drained Pinto beans and stir until heated through, about 3 minutes. If the mixture gets to dry add a couple of teaspoons of water.IMG 0011

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    Please note: We try and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

    Insight on: Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

    Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

     

    Okay, colour me surprised at Brian’s recipe for this episode. First of all, Chim— what? Isn’t that a word in a song from Julie Andrews? In any case, I had fun getting my own horizons expanded. And, no, I don’t know everything about everything; I just act it!

    My culinary experiences have focused on European cooking (primarily French and occasionally Italian). Because of a quirk in my personality (yes, yet another one), I’ve been fascinated by North African food (especially from Tunisia and Morocco) since the mid 1970s. For you kiddies out there, that means I was anxious to go to Tunisia even before the first Star Wars movie (IV) was released (‘cuz Tatooine was Tunisia). Unfortunately, I never got the chance to go there, but at least I can imagine I’m there through dishes indigenous to the region.

    So South America has always been a mystery to me – and I suppose I was too lazy to investigate and learn. My bad. But, now, I’m going to do some sleuthing of my own. Ooh, I love having new goals.

    I still can’t believe the antics we get up to during filming. And you can tell I’m still trying to teach Brian that “organics” isn’t pronounced “orgasmic”! Um … what was that about new goals?

    Even though we joked about the fact that we do have a salt chest (perhaps a slight indicator of an obsession?), we do not go overboard with the use of salt. That’s one of the amazing benefits of cooking with fresh food, that you can use salt as an enhancement because the food hasn’t been inundated with it already during processing. After all, we are always satisfied with a mere sprinkle of the really good stuff! And, speaking of over-processed food, there was absolutely no comparison between the ::coughs delicately:: authentic sauce direct from Argentina and our fresh version. ::hums “We Are The Champions”::

    I do have one warning, though. If you prepare this sauce from scratch, make only as much as you anticipate needing for one meal and use it up immediately. As Brian had sent me home with leftovers (always a bonus, in my eyes), I was shocked to taste how the sauce had intensified overnight, even in the fridge. It could have stripped paint! Thinking back, I believe it was the red pepper flakes that had become super-charged from contact with both the oil and vinegar, even though, at the time of preparation, I had called it “discreet heat”. Well, after a night in the fridge, there was nothing discreet about it! And, just to keep my record on the subject of leftover steak consistent, I ate the meat cold.

     

    Variations

    Even though I’m just using my imagination right now (without knowing more about South American cuisine), I could definitely see this sauce adorning many types of grilled meats (burgers, yum), chicken and fish. I think the intense flavour and vivid colour would work amazingly well with salmon. But I could also see it with a cornucopia of roasted or grilled veggies, such as eggplant, zucchini and potatoes. Also as a part of a brunch omelette with sliced grilled tomatoes. [Oh, dear. I’m making myself hungry. I guess that’s the drawback to writing a food blog!] Just remember, you can’t go wrong here by expanding your own taste horizons. And isn’t that a yummy goal to which we can all aspire!

     

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FFF EP-29 PORK CHOPS WITH A GRILLED FRUIT & CHEESE DRESSING

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGH5Tyf4u0g

Hey, Food Friends!

Interesting episode this week in that perhaps I should have shown it before Halloween as it has a suspenseful introduction. I won’t ruin it here, but I did something to Helenka – then again, I’m always doing something with Helenka [Helenka rolls her eyes]. Oh, well, you will just have to watch it to see what I mean. 😉

We filmed this just before the summer was completely over, so we are calling it our last gasp of summer, hence all the tropical plants you will see cluttering up the counter and, just to the left of the screen, you may catch a glimpse of Helenka’s designer purse which is also quite colourful (I’m mentioning it because she purposefully brought it on set as a festive prop to use).

On the food side, we are featuring pork chops. I had a tough time, though, choosing which fruit to use (peaches or nectarines) and choosing between our favourite Goat cheese or Blue cheese; so, in our typical fashion, we chose both fruits and both cheeses to create a completely different dish than the one we were following – and quite yummy too. I also swapped out pine nuts for almonds too (just to be completely different, of course). For the salad, we used Romaine hearts with baby spinach, red pepper, grape tomatoes drizzled with a honey mustard dressing. It was very good.

Well, that’s it for this week for notes because I’m sure the video portion will prove how easy and yummy-tasting this recipe was. So, until next time, have more fun with your food and invite some friends to join in, too!

Enjoy!
B & H =;)

P.S. We are working on a Christmas special, so stay tuned. We hope that it will be our best show to date!

Please note: We try and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

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Insight on: Pork Chops with Grilled Fuit

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Oh, my stars. Brian wasn’t kidding about the other-worldly aspects of this episode. We had {duh-duh-duh, cue creepy music and creaking doors} mystery (what), suspense (where) and panic (um, obviously me). But, luckily, the missing ingredient ::giggles:: was found just in time to proceed with the show.

So, yes, we were intent on celebrating the tastes, textures and colours of summer … dragging them out beyond the date on the calendar to enhance our pleasure. And Brian was right: I did want my handbag to be a part of the set decor; I also wore a designer scarf (uh … different designer). The funny thing is that yellow and especially orange are not my colours, but they certainly are most reminiscent of summer. [Moreover, curiously, my native spirit colour IS orange.]

Okay, enough with the extraneous details. It’s time to talk food. One of the many surprising changes during my long existence on this planet is what’s happened to pork. When I was growing up, pork chops had quite a lot more fat in them. I remember being banished to the small stove in the basement when I wanted to fry a couple. Which did take some time and were very messy with fat sputtering all over (like me!). But the taste was sensational. I’m mentioning this because, nowadays, lean pork is more likely to be cooked in the time it takes to grill a steak. If you’re not careful, you end up with dried-out cardboard. And that’s one memory I’d like to forget, thank you very much.

Variations

If you’d rather avoid the need to provide such attention to cooking time for individual chops (and especially if you’d like to make this stunning dish for a crowd), I would highly recommend getting a boneless, rolled and tied pork roast that you can prepare in the oven. I happen to love making pork roasts because the meat is so amazingly tender from the controlled indirect heat source.

If you prefer something other than pork, then I believe boneless chicken breasts would be your best choice (perhaps even the ones for the barbecue that come with skin attached … more unique tastes of summer). For plating and presentation, I would suggest slicing on the diagonal and laying across the salad in a rough approximation of the original shape before adding the fruit/cheese adornment – perhaps in a ) shape alongside the chicken. And, although I do often suggest variations in fruit, I wouldn’t change a thing this time. Peaches and nectarines are luscious fruits, both in their raw state and when grilled to perfection.

By now, I’m sure you must be getting used to me assessing the authors’ finished product with an intense focus (yup, picky, picky, picky me). This time, I believe that chopped peaches/nectarines would have been easier to mix (er … glomp) than sliced. I would also like to have tried to smush the cheese(s) together with the balsamic to create a more cohesive paste before adding it to the chopped fruit.

In any case, though we may have begun the episode with a scary mystery, the end result was a very satisfying conclusion (Whodonit? Who else but the Chef!). At the end of which, we were most pleased to take our final bows (before scurrying off to enjoy our simply sensational dinner).

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FFF EP-28 GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Q2gnewfu8

Hey, Food Friends,

This week’s episode is about that classic salad which just so happens to be a classic drink, too. Any guesses??? It’s the Caesar, of course!

One of my favourite salads, it is also one that I like to order at various restaurants, though none can compare to the one from a local restaurant I have frequented for many years. They make their own dressing which is slathered over the lettuce leaves … and you have to love garlic, too!

Seeing that the book we are reviewing (“Cook This Not That “) had its own version, I was excited to try it to see if I could replicate the flavours that I so enjoyed elsewhere.

We put a wee bit of humour into this episode (yeah, right; like we don’t have fun in every episode) with the orgasmic hearts of romaine (the classic lettuce used in a Caesar – ahh, more classics). [Editor sighs: it’s “organic”, not orgasmic, but I don’t think I’ll be able to change Brian’s mind on this one. He can be so stubborn. I know, I know, I’m equally stubborn.]

I also used a squeeze tube of anchovy paste which is an alternative to the whole version, and much cheaper; plus, we were blending it all up anyway, so it was a no-brainer. If I were making a pizza on the other hand, I would definitely use whole ones as squeezed anchovy paste is not quite appealing on a pizza (your choice though, lol).

My verdict was that, although not the same as the salad from my favourite restaurant, it is a very decent alternative and one that you can make quite easily at home.

So, till next time, have more fun with your food and invite some friends to join in, too!

Enjoy!
B & H =;)

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Please note: We try and review the recipes in the cookbook. However, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us.

Insight on: Grilled Chicken Caesar

Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)

Well, you already know from a previous episode’s notes that one way to my heart is to make me a classic Caesar salad, whole anchovies and all.

But this approach intrigued me. I’m always curious to see how fresh lettuce (or spinach) can be transformed when heated (because we’re all so used to the concept of a salad as being something refreshingly COLD).

I loved the taste of the grilled lettuce and thought that the home-made dressing was terrific. And the way it was mixed – incorporating so many flavours – would have been difficult to identify (if I hadn’t been sitting right there and watching). Of course, I probably would have added more garlic as, by the time the chicken was added, there was much more of a neutral component to every bite. And, if you know me even a little bit, “neutral” and I are not best buds.

Variations

Call me crazy (as if I didn’t give Brian enough opportunities to do so, lol) [B falls right into the word trap: She is CRAZY but, then again, we both are and that is what makes it fun!], but I wish the lettuce had been more grilled. What do I mean? Well, the authors’ presentation concept left a lot to be desired, in my view. You’ve read how I dismiss chefs who create something that isn’t easy to eat, especially in public (though I will make an exception for lobster … or crawdads – of which Brian and I have very fond memories). This was one of those dishes. Heaping two enormous romaine lettuce halves on a plate before adding even more ingredients on top may make for a striking picture, but a messy dish to tackle.

So, I could really envision slicing each whole lettuce into one-inch high ROUNDS and then grilling them (imagine pretend lettuce pancakes, though trying to flip them would most likely result in a big mess). Of course, because each round would have significantly less mass, the grilling period would be shorter (though the entire grilling session lengthened). I know it’s not expedient to suggest a technique that takes longer but, sometimes for the sake of the taste and presentation of a dish, I think it’s very much worth it.

The end result, then, would have been a plate piled with a riot of crinkly romaine (with all of it being warm), then adorned with the array of sliced chicken and sprinkles of sun-dried tomatoes and sliced olives. And I wouldn’t need a dangerous pointy implement (knife) with which to attack my dinner.

If you’re a fan of grilled calamari (squid), then I’m sure you could also see it in place of the chicken. Mmmm. Calarami. Caesar dressing. Yum to the max!

In any case, my curiosity was satisfied and so were my taste-buds. Grilled lettuce (especially a seriously crispy one such as romaine with large leaves) is a Very. Good. Idea!!!

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