Henri Nouwen

“The more you have loved and have allowed yourself to suffer because of your love, the more you will be able to let your heart grow wider and deeper. When your love is truly giving and receiving, those whom you love will not leave your heart even when they depart from you. The pain of rejection, absence, and death can become fruitful. Yes, as you love deeply the ground of your heart will be broken more and more, but you will rejoice in the abundance of the fruit it will bear.” ~ Henri Nouwen

Adventurous-Eater

You probably won’t find any pictures in my blog of bug-eating, beef or pork tongue, but I do enjoy trying new foods, especially delicacies from different cultures than mine or the ones that I am acquainted with.

Luckily, globalization has brought us new cuisines and ingredients, making it possible to get exotic-sounding foods in North American markets. I will never forget the first time I had Cambodian food in Kingston, or the first time I had traditional Indian curry in Montreal, not to mention the experience of having soup des poissons in Cassis, or spicy fish tacos in Mexico. Last weekend I was watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations TV show (http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/anthony-bourdain). In this specific episode, he was traveling in Brazil and eating delicacies that I haven’t seeing before. Mind you that Brazil is a large country and unfortunately even though I am Brazilian there was no way I could have experienced every single fruit or dish from that country.

I don’t know if I will ever find out what prompted me to be curious about food but apparently according to some research I have done particular environments can help to foster adventurous eaters. Children learn a lot through observation, and when they see their family eating and enjoying a wide variety of foods, they are more likely to enjoy these tastes themselves. I do not recall seeing my parents eating anything out of the ordinary when I was growing up, but again, whatever was trivial in my house, it may have been exotic in a household located in a different continent. I have to admit that cannot stand liver and tongue. In fact I am picky with fruits and most of the time I will eat a fruits only if cut in small pieces or cooked. I totally hate the texture of liver, but I enjoy eating tripe, oxtail, and fois gras. I do not consider myself a sensation-seeker but I think I am an adventurous-eater and that helps a lot when cooking and being open to trying new foods or wine. Note to self: Find a good recipe for the lamb shank that I have in the house….Thinking…. Moroccan

Breakfast: Omelet with fresh Spanish cheese, half an apple, DanActive with all bran buds, a Brazil nut, and coffee with milk.

Snacks: A pear and chamomile tea.

Lunch: Steamed pork dumpling, steamed seafood dumpling, and a sesame ball with lotus paste for dessert. All from the Chinese supermarket (Nations) near my work.

Dinner: Salmon with a spinach salad dressed with kiwi, Macedonian feta, and candied pecans.



Cheers,
Fernanda

Weekend (Buttery Scones & The Harbord Room)

The weekend was so busy that I barely had time to keep track of what I was eating, but I did do my best and I hope I did not forget any item. I must admit that lately I am not having as many meals as I should, and this scares me a lot as I don't want to stall my diet.

Saturday:

I had some yogurt with fruit and all bran buds on the Saturday before headed to the gym and that kept me full for a little while. I had brunch plans at 11AM but I had a feeling that I was getting a bit hungry, so I had some coffee with milk and a tiny empanada.

That was the prelude to a lovely brunch. I had buttery blueberry and cheese scones made from scratch. Heavenly! Eggs with smoked salmon, and a citrus crème brulee with blackberries. I almost forgot to mention the Costa Rican coffee! Brunch was so filling that I did not eat a thing until 8PM.


For dinner I had another amazing cheese scone with chicken tikka and fresh Spanish cheese.

Sunday:

I had a full breakfast on Sunday. Omelet, strawberries, 2 cheese breads, and one tiny empanada. I also that a Brazil nut, and coffee with milk.

I had some danactive and all bran buds for snack.

Dinner was on a heavier side. I had a burger from The Harbord Room(http://www.theharbordroom.com/menu.php?menu_ID=2) with sharp cheddar, caramelized onions on an egg bun with fries & a little salad.... 3 tiny delicious donuts...and two glasses of wine. The burger was juice and flavorful. It was a great treat!