Let your red heart show

I am obsessed with the Olympics! I could watch any sport and be totally into it even if I have no idea what the rules are (like Judo for instance). The summer olympics always pose such a problem, the constant internal struggle to get outside in the sun or plant myself in front of the TV for hours on end because I don't want to miss ANYTHING!!

We need more outdoor TV's around here! At least my office has several so I can be easily distracted through out the day :)
And might as well take a trip down memory lane while we are at it, when all the excitement was happening in my own backyard. Below my absolute favorite video essay by Stephen Brunt. I get teary eyed every time!



xo J

GO CANADA!

Shanna Murray

 I have been eyeing ShannaMurray's illustrated wall decals for quite some time now, and when I decided that I wanted to gift two of my favorite ami with her beautiful work for their new digs it seemed the perfect opportunity to gift myself as well!

But now I have a problem, I am think I am addicted and I just noticed today that she is having a sale on designs that are to be discontinued. Go check it out, the sale is only on until July 31st!

The only problem I had was trying to decide the perfect location for my decal!!

I decided to add a little inspirational note to my bathroom wall...love it so much!

xo J

images via yours truly and shannamurray

The Sardine Can

This past weekend I got to do one of my favorite things, try out a new and fabulous restaurant! Maybe because my two fellow amis are currently gallivanting around Spain as I type but I needed to get my own fix.

I have a soft spot for authentic Spanish Tapas and it has been something that Vancouver has been sorely lacking but now we have TheSardineCan. Located in a little spot on Powell Street in Gastown The Sardine Can literally did feel like I was walking in to a little tapas joint on some side street in some bustling Spanish city.

I really need to get better at taking pictures of food before greedily stuffing it into my mouth so this is the best picture I have, but I can tell you it wal all delicious. We ordered quite a selection from the little menu but they were all the perfect tapas size and washed down with a crisp, cool Spanish white wine was perfection.

 My personal favorites were the duo of hams, Pata Negra and Serrano, cut so thin they melt in your mouth, the Gambas al Ajillo (prawns in garlic), with all that leftover oil with garlic and chili just perfect for dunking bread into, and the Patatas Bravas, little fingerling potatoes doused in tomatoes and garlic aoili.

The place, as the name suggests, is small, best for a date night of a small group of 5 and under, and it fills up. However, if you are not in a rush it is perfectly situated to have a stroll around and grab a pre-dinner cocktail while you wait for your table. The space is great and the staff incredibly friendly!

xo J

Triple Berry

Last weekend I offered to make dessert for a BBQ and then the event day rolled around and I thought, ugh...what am I going to make?...and then laziness started setting in...but...then I remembered I saw this over at cupcakesandcashmere and voila! Easy berry deliciousness!

xo J

PDX

Usually for the May long weekend the Amis rough it up with a bit of camping but this year there was only a few of us available so decided to switch it up and head south to Portland.

I have really fond memories of Portland from my childhood so I was beyond excited to revisit this fun, quirky city. Here are just a few highlights:

We stayed at TheAce which I would highly recommend, full of fun corners to lounge in, the lobby was always bustling with people flowing through from the adjoining StumptownCoffee and ClydeCommon and the retro music was always playing. Perfectly situated in the Pearl District close to oodles of shops, restaurants and the always magical Powells.

Portland is known for its abundance of micro breweries and what better way to see them then on a 15 person 100% green party machine! The young couple that runs Brewcycle are great fun and definitely know how to have a good time.

The food cart experience in Portland is truly something to behold, the fact that they had blocks fully dedicated to food carts bogled my mind, but I knew right away which one I wanted to hit up. The EuroTrash food cart was featured on one of my favorite food network shows so I veered straight to it and got myself one of their Squid Fana sandwiches, messiest, most delicious thing!

Ending the trip with a visit to Pastaworks on Hawthorne St. truly brings me back to my childhood, owned by family friends I have been visiting this place since before I could walk. Thought to be one of the pioneers of the slow food movement, here you can find all sorts of Mediterranean treats and not to mention all that freshly made pasta!

xo J

Baz does Gatsby!

My love for Baz Luhrmann's films (with the exception of that one about Australia) goes back to his very first, Strictly Ballroom, which if you haven't seen it you really, really should! His Romeo + Juliet was so perfectly timed for my high school years and Moulin Rouge took my love of the musical and amped it up about 200 times!

However, he would not have been the first filmmaker I would have thought of for a remake of The Great Gatsby but after seeing this trailer I think this will be a summer hit!


xo J

Guest Post: Best Bite #11: Chicken + Waffles

Today is a very special day here at Amis, we have our very first guest post! Thank you to our dear ami Christine for sharing her experience and helping us knock another item off our best bit list!

I am extremely privileged to be the first special guest blogger to the Amisarewe Blog and I am so excited to share my experience with you.

For the past few years, one of our friends has given me the gift of time for my birthday. For my 30^th birthday I was able to choose any cooking class I was interested in. I chose a breakfast class at DirtyApron.  Not only did I laugh hysterically as I fell flat while trying to flip my potato latkes, the atmosphere, chef and good company was all the rave! 

This year for my birthday, she gave me the gift of time again! This time the card read, “Chicken and Waffles for Chicken!”  I was invited to join her at TwoChefs+ATable for this crazy combination.  Yay, Chicken and Waffles is also an item on the Best Bites Vancouver!  We shared Chicken and Waffles as well as their Hash.

Here’s the deal with Chicken and Waffles….

IT’S DAMN GOOD!

It seems so weird to have this combo staring at you in the face but once you pour the syrup on and dig in, its mouth watering, irresistibly phenomenal. The Belgium waffle is made to perfection but the star of the entire dish, the fried chicken. No wait, the batter of the fried chicken. The pairing of the season batter, waffle and syrup is truly what makes this dish. I experimented a bit and tried just a piece of chicken without skin with the waffle, but that perfect bite was missing. The combination lacked.

Please, do yourself a favour and head down to TwoChefs+ATable as soon as you can to get a taste of this! Chicken and Waffles is where it’s at! Doors open at 9:30am and that’s the perfect time to be there if you don’t want to wait!

4 things learnt in my rant...

1.       My ageJ

2.       My nicknameJ

3.       I love cookingJ

4.       I love Chicken and WafflesJ

Thanks for letting me be the first guest,  Amis!!!

©Chicken

Ho Hey...I'm back!!

Yes it's true I have been missing in action for what seems like a zillion years and I apologize for my disappearing act, life gets busy and you just don't know where the time goes...but baby I'm back!! (I swear it's for real this time, I know I've been saying this for months...I'm really back I promise!!) Ok, so to start things back up I'm going to ease into it with a song...an olive branch if you will for being on this long hiatus! I heard this catchy tune on the radio the other day when I was driving in my car and by the second chorus I couldn't help but sing along..it's called 'Ho Hey' by The Lumineers. Check it out...

filling the shoe void

In preperation for an upcoming trip to Portland I am currently on a self imposed shopping ban and food cleanse. I'm not going to sugar coat things, it's tough and I'm going to get cranky, I've already warned my co-workers. In the meantime, while avoiding food blogs becuase they remind me how wonderful salt tastes, I have been continously perusing fashion finds online.

AEO Elastic Strap - $34.49

Lo and behold to my surprise, American Eagle Outfitters has really picked up the game in the shoe department! (I have a love/hate relationship with this store due to several university years employed there folding t-shirts all day). But these summer appropriate foot wear have my full love!...and the low prices don't hurt ;)

 AEO Artisan Wedge - $49.49

 AEO Cutout Jazz - $39.49

Sam Edelman for AEO Gladiator - $49.49

xo J

take a step back

Over the last few months my apartment has slowly but surely become my perfect little home and over the next little while I hope to share some of the little corners that make it all my own. One of the things I knew I wanted was some vintage suitcases, I had seen them all around the web being used as side tables, storage, design features, you name it!



Stepback in Vancouver was the first and only place on my list of places to find some fabulous vintage suitcases. They have such a magical collection of old home and garden pieces that transport you instantly and their adorable shop is packed to the rafters.

I found myself two great suitcases that serve as the perfect bed side table and do doable duty for storage of off season accessories (right now my bathing suits and sandals are anxiously waiting to be freed and replaced by my toques and scarfs....come on spring, show you face!)

Images via Stepback and Me

xo J

orzo with proscuitto + asparagus

If it wasn't detrimental to my petite frame I could eat pasta everyday of the week! The combinations are endless. By far one of my favorite pastas is Orzo, especially if I am lucky enough to hunt down some Greek orzo. For the most part, Italians do it better but when it comes to Orzo those Greeks know how to do it right!

I came across this recipe and knew I had to give it a try...asparagus...check!...Proscuitto...check check!.....taste?....Amazeballs!

Cooking the orzo slowly with the broth is ultimate punch of savoury flavour!

And with a glass of wine on the side it was absolutely delicious! I had to stop myself from eating what I had put aside for the next days lunch.

xo J

a lil bit country + a lil bit rock n' roll

During my recent online purchasing spree which included this pretty little thing I also ended my long hunt for the perfect clutch when I stumbled across Toronto's GraceDesigns Stella Clutch.

The combination of the linen and gold make it super versatile, easily dressed down and dressed up, perfect with jeans and sandals or a fun summer dress and heels.

And it looks like it arrived just in time for some spring weather! Happy Friday everyone!

xo J

Best Bite #10 - Chocolate Banana Cake from Ganache

So I was cruising through the Best Bite list to cross off here when lo and behold I came across a Best Bite we didn't even realize we had tasted!

Ganache Chocolate Banana cake was generously provided by Jenny for me and my other ami's birthday celebration. As you can tell by the above picture it looked fantastic!...and it tasted fantastic to boot! The bottom was a lovely crispy banana cake with layers of a chocolate cake, banana compote and chocolate mousse. It was heavenly! It was the perfect balance of flavour and texture. I liked that the banana was subtle and the chocolate dark and rich.

You can buy them buy the slice but hell you could easily go through a whole cake!


xo J

Oh hey Mr. Postman

Nine times out of ten the most exciting thing I find in the mail besides bills and junk is the flyer for the grocery store telling me my favorite cereal is on sale so imagine my joy when not only did the post man bless me with one little treat tucked in my mailbox yesterday but three!

Along with RestorationHardware's MASSIVE spring 2012 catalogue and my personalized gold StarbucksRewards card (woot) I also recieved this lovely necklace from local designer WolfCircus .

I was perusing the website last week and as soon as I saw this chevron necklace I decided that I needed to treat myself (you had me at chevron!). Not only did it arrive super fast (I think I ordered it less than 5 business days ago) it also came with a hand written note from the designer which I thought was a great little touch.

Check out all the great Wolf Circus Jewelry here as well as designer Fiona Morrison's blog for some great style inspiration.

xo J

Sail

Don't really know what it is about this song but I could listen to it alot alot.

Best Bite #9 - Nicli's Bianca Pizza

Yes, I know! It's been awhile! It has been a busy month, work is crazy and I have been somewhat pre-occupied with getting my apartment in order, which it has by leaps and bounds, I am so in love with my apartment! (is that sad?).

Anywhoodle, what better way to start monday with a brand spanking new best bite review. I've written about Nicli before so we were pretty happy to see that one of their pizza's made the list.

We started with the Burrata appetizer because the waiter said they only had one left so we figured it had to be good and it was! I have no idea how often they get this burrata cheese in (fresh off the plane from Italy according to our waiter) but if you ever happen to be there when they do then don't think, just order. If you are a fan of fresh mozzarella then you won't be disappointed.

Next we moved on to the pizza's, we of course ordered the Bianca as that is on the list, but we also got the Margarita, Proscuitto + Arugula and the Capicolla. Now let's get the painful bit out of the way first, the Bianca, carmalized onions, potatoe and gorgonzola, was....ok. I would say that a few of us are not the biggest fans of gorgonzola to begin with but we were open minded, but there was just something missing from this pizza (I thought it needed a good dose of rosemary) it didn't have the wow factor that we think should warrant being one of the best bites in town.

The other pizza's however blew our tastebuds away with deliciousness! It really made us wonder how the Bianca got chosen for the list instead of any of these other ones, the Proscuitto + Arugula was particularly on point, with perfectly silky thin pieces of proscuitto topped with fresh young arugula.

Consensus being that yes they got it right when they put Nicli Antica on the list for best bites in vancouver, but they got it wrong when the chose the Bianca.

xo J

...but look at them now!

If you have been faithfully reading Amis since last year, firstly I thank you, and secondly you might have a distant memory of these , well lo and behold they are finally done!

Over the summer I stripped and sanded the arms to their natural colour and simply applied a coat of sealant. Over the fall the lovely Shannon from KiwiCovers re-upholstered them in a great pre-washed white denim. Now all they need are some bright throw pillows. My little abode is slowly, but surely coming together!

xo J

The Civil Wars

Now I am not usually much of a country music person but the 60 second performance of The Civil Wars on last Sunday's Grammy Awards to me stole the show, sit down Taylor Swift and watch how it is really done.



xo J

Shit Nonnas Say

I know, I know, there are a lot of "Shit People Say" videos floating around right now but I had to post this one simply becuase it pulls on my heart strings. You see, I had a Nonna and I miss her dearly so this video is like she has returned from the grave (with the exception, of course, that she was not a puppet).



This one's for you Nonnie

xo J

Best Bite #8: Macarons from Thierry

From L to R: Pumpkin, Chestnut, Lime, Apple Spice and Lemon

Disclaimer: this is one of those cheats I forewarned you about. Now technically on the Best Bite list it is the pistachio flavoured macaron at Thierry that they recommend, however after three consecutive visits where they were sold out of the pistachio, I made the executive decision that trying five different flavours would compensate for not trying the pistachio.

I love macarons, I love the chewy meringue with the cool creamy centre, these macarons had that texture experience down pat, I was however I bit disapointed in the flavour. Now don't get me wrong, they were good, but they didn't quite have the intense kick of flavour that I have experienced in other macarons. I was particularly excited for the pumpkin but it was so mild that if you didn't know it was pumkin, I don't think you could have guessed. The two citrus macarons were closer to what I expected in terms of getting that kick, and I would say everyone at the table agreed with the overall assesment.

So I would say this bite fell in the middle of the road, nailing it in one category but missing the boat in another.

xo J

It's a feast!

I'm sure if you reside in Vancouver you are very familiar with the annual Dine-Out program that happens every winter, well this year at the same time you can take part in FeastVan !

From January 20th to February 5th some of my favorite restaurants in East Vancouver are taking part in this great event where $1 of every prix fixe menu goes here. Good food for a good cause, I say that is the perfect excuse to splurge.

I'm fixing to make a reservation for LesFauxBourgeois , my personal fav!

xo J

Best Bites #7: Buddha's Hand Citron aka Lemon Gone Wild

Buddha's Hand Lemon - your key to victory in any shadow puppet contest 

Behold the Buddha's Hand Citron or Buddha's Hand Lemon. By far it's the freakiest lemon I've ever seen! Traditionally used in Asia as aromatic offerings at temples, this monstrous looking fruit was on the list of the 101 best bites in Vancouver, so we slayed the freaky dragon lemon and had a go.

Interestingly, the lemon has no juice! It's all pith inside, so basically you have the peel to work with and that's it! Gotta admit, this lemon gets even freakier looking when you cut it in half. C'mon if that's not a monster hand I don't know what is!

Anyway, being determined to take advantage of ol' monstery, I zested it, thinly sliced it and steeped it in warm water. Then from the spoils I made a lemon tart, lemon pasta with a lemon, white wine sauce, lemon shrimp, salad with thin slices of Buddha's hand, and had the option of Buddha's hand "tea" with the steeped lemon water.

The Buddha's hand lemon has a very perfumy aroma, and is much more subtle than a regular lemon. If you're the type of person that enjoys rose ice cream for example, you'd probably like the Buddha's hand lemon.

Without juice and that traditional lemon punch, I actually had to boost most of my recipes with good old fashioned 99 cent lemons. The aroma of the Buddha's hand was still there, but honestly it didn't add so much that I would buy it again.

Also note if you want to make the "tea", I suggest just using the lemon peel. If you steep the water with chunks of the pithy Buddha's hand like I did, you're going to be left with a very bitter drink. Blech!

To summarize - this lemon is good for Halloween as a way to scare any children you know. Also, if you are a trust fund baby that has a taste for perfume and money to burn - go right ahead. Mostly though, I suggest smelling this weird looking fruit in the produce section and then bagging up some tried and true lemon lemons.

Best Bites summary: 101 bites, 7 tasted, 5 loved, 2 cringed at

Happy Eating!
xo
Jenny C

Fun. We Are Young.

They covered this song on Glee, and apparently a lot of people are talking about that version but sometimes the best comes from the makers themselves. Here is Fun with Janelle Monae with a catchy little thing called We Are Young, the acoustic version.



xo J

Desire to Inspire

So I was suppose to take possession of my lovely little apartment next week, I was over flowing with excitement, but sadly due to unforeseen circumstances at the Land Title office this is not to be and I will most likely have to wait another week or two. So in the meantime I am living vicariously through DesiretoInspire who are currently doing a run down of the best of 2011.

My personal favorite is the favorite-pets-on-furniture-2011

Images via DesiretoInspire

xo J

Best Bites #6: Red Truck India Pale Ale

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a great holiday week!

What better way to return from the Holidays but with a beverage, I'm sure you had plenty of those over the last month. This Best Bite (or Best Sip) was actually tasted at the beginning of December. Now maybe I am not enough of a beer connoisseur to appreciate Red Truck's India Pale Ale but I wasn't alone at the table on this one.

While there are some inviting fruity hints in the smell, the flavour is all bitter. Bitter, bitter, bitter! I bought a six pack and four of us couldn't even make it through one can. To be fair, all of us lean to the lighter beers so we were probably doomed from the start not to like this one.

xo J

P.S. I have somehow misplaced the photo we took of our own Red Truck so image is via here