EpiCurious Generations

Inspiration:  Octoberfest! Guaranteed hit if you are a beer lover.  I'm not but I really think the flavours of this soup are interesting in a really good way.   Had this add Bristro Vallier a while ago and have been wanting to recreate it ever since.  With the colder weather just around the corner, I feel this would be a great comforting starter for a weekend meal.  Choose you favourite local beer - one that's not too bitter and enjoy! 

Inspiration:  Beautiful Fall bounty    I was teaching a class not long ago at  Williams Sonoma  - Dix30 to demonstrate the amazing  Vitamix  blender.  Although I do not have a Vitamix yet, I was given one to bring home in order to create and test some recipes.  I have to say, I was truly amazed.  The Vitamix has a great reputation and it is justified.  This is a powerful machine that blends like nothing I have ever seen before and the ease of use is one of the features I liked the most.  Although it is expensive, I feel this is one of those appliances you buy for life - like the Kitchenaid stand mixer - that becomes an integral part of your kitchen space.  An appliance you can count on to be passed on to the next generation when you don't need it anymore.  

Inspiration:  The wonderful falafel at Zyara  (Montreal). Julienne a Lebanese cucumber and raw beet as garnish as well as diced tomato. I have been wanting to make my own falafel for a while now but just didn't seem to have the courage to tackle it until things began to align over the last few days and some people generously shared their knowledge and experience with me.  The chef from Zyara - in my opinion the best Lebanese restaurant in Montreal (actually Brossard) - came out of the kitchen when I was there with a good friend recently, to explain in great detail how he makes his delicious falafel.  I left with his little hand written note indicating what I would need to recreate his recipe.  In true chef fashion, the basic ingredients were noted but none of the actual quantities. This would require that I use my own instincts, and a little research, to come up with a falafel recipe that I felt was as good as his.

We recently had one of the best meals we have had in a long time at  l'écrivain  in Dublin.

Inspiration:  The pumpkin ravioli with sage brown butter sauce sprinkled with crushed amaretti cookies we had at Harry's Bar in Cernobbio , Italy (Lake Como).