Sweet Obsessions

If ever you're having one of those days when your sweet tooth is begging to be fed, make your way to Sweet Obsessions and treat it to some amazing desserts!  Sweet Obsessions is a cross between what I imagine Willy Wonka's bakery would be like (I couldn't believe all of the desserts!), a tea shop (think Murchie's), and a cozy coffee shop.  Always busy and stocked to the brim with warm beverages and desserts, you really can't go wrong!

My dining partner's chai and slice of Tiramisu cake: layers of Italian sponge, zabaglione, mascarpone cream and espresso.  Now that is one heck of a slice of Tiramisu!

My rooibos tea and Hedgehog cake: layers of hazelnut chiffon and hazelnut chocolate butter cream with Frangelico.  Not quite what I was expecting (I was expecting Purdy's hedgehog flavouring), but still very rich and yummy.

Our view during dessert.

The never ending selection of cakes.  Unreal!

Cookies and other treats.

The X that marks the spot.

 

http://www.sweetobsession.ca/sweet-obsession-cakes-pastries-ltd/

@Sw33tObs3ssion

Brown Paper Packages Artisanal Ice Cream

Ladies and gents, do I have a treat for you!  During one of my trips to Food Cart Fest this summer I discovered a dessert that will take you back to your childhood: ice cream sandwiches by Brown Paper Packages Artisanal Ice Cream.  But we're not talking chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream...we're talking all sorts of yummy flavours and goodness!  Absolutely delicious, not too sweet and just the right size.  So, if you're craving a cool treat at Food Cart Fest, definitely keep Brown Paper Packages in mind.

I have to choose one?  But I want them all!

 

These pictures definitely do not help in the decision making process.  They all look so yummy!

The final decision: Razzle Dazzle.  Chocolate ice cream with real raspberries in it, smooshed between two chocolate chocolate-chip cookies.  Amazing!

 http://brownpaperpackages.ca/

Twitter: @BPPicecream

Campfire Ban S'mores

If you're anything like me, camping just isn't camping without s'mores.  So, when I went camping with friends on the long weekend, we were crushed to find out that a campfire ban came into effect the day that we arrived.  We fully understood and respected the ban, but camping just isn't camping without a campfire! 

We'd packed our s'mores goodies just in case the campfire ban miraculously lifted mid-weekend, but we were down to our last night and no such luck.  That's when one of our fellow campers (we'll call her the S'more Saviour) asked if we had the s'more goodies somewhere.  Everyone thought she was craving a marshmallow, but she said that she wanted to make a s'more.  We were all confused, until she pulled out her butane torch that she uses to make crème brûlée!!!  Complete and utter brilliance!  I have never seen a group of adults so excited in my life.  Totally made the camping trip complete....thanks S'more Saviour!

Things to note:

1. This is a two-person job.  There needs to be proper rotation and focused roasting, people!
2. As there's no fire grate to melt your chocolate over, we concluded that in the future we'd place the chocolated graham cracker on a skillet over the camp stove and see if that would work in the same way.

And in the event that you're not in a campfire ban area...try this fabulous idea created by the Ultimate Camper:

1. Take a waffle cone and place chocolate bits and marshmallows into it in layers.
2. Wrap the cone in tinfoil.
3. Place in the fire until toasty warm and melted.
4. Open up that yummy goodness and enjoy!

Roasting in progress!

S'more making!

 

My s'more!  Okay, I'll admit it...there may have been a s'more appy and a s'more dessert!

Chou Chou breton crêpes

Folks, if you make your way to Food Cart Fest this weekend and are overwhelmed by the plethora of deliciousness surrounding you, here are some guidelines to survive:

1. Make sure you do a full walk of the food truck circle prior to purchasing anything.  There is an unlimited abyss of yummy goodness, but only so much room in your belly!
2. Pick your favourite meal for lunch and enjoy.
3. Make sure to leave enough room for two desserts (you know you want to!)
4. Ensure Chou Chou breton crêpes works into your food truck equation in some, way, shape or form.

I had the pleasure of eating at Chou Chou breton crêpes a couple weeks ago and absolutely loved it!  I had the homemade Strawberry Rhubarb crêpe as one of my two desserts and it was to die for!  Hot right off the presses, a truly homemade strawberry-rhubarb sauce with natural sweetness (not sugary at all) and just a touch of melted butter on the crêpe.  When I got to the last bite, I didn't want it to end!

Not to mention, the lady who runs this truck is a machine!  All by herself, churning out three crêpes at a time in unison as fast as Usain Bolt runs the 100m.  The only help she gets is in the money department.  I do believe it's her Mom in the back who she passes the money to and gets the change back from.  The whole process truly was a focused art form.  It was amazing to watch!  Although, I have to admit my favourite part was her sign: "CAUTION French Woman at Work."  Classic! 

The French woman hard at work.

The oh-so scrumptious menu.

 

 My homemade Strawberry Rhubarb crêpe!  ($5.50)

 

Not excited at all!

Catering?  Sign me up!

https://www.facebook.com/ChouchouBretonCrepes

Twitter: @chouchoucrepes

http://www.foodcartfest.com/#home
Twitter: @ArrivalAgency

Johnny's Pops

Johnny's Pops definitely supports the theory that size does not matter.  Despite the fact that this is the smallest food truck that I've encountered so far, the scrumptious handmade popsicles that come out of it are up there with the best food that the Vancouver food trucks have to offer!  I ordered a Raspberry basil and it was literally like eating puréed frozen raspberries with a hint of basil.  Amazing!  I could have eaten another three!  So, if you're out and about, are craving something cool and happen to see Johnny and his food truck...make a bee-line for it.

 

Johnny and his truck.

The menu.

Me and my oh so yummy popsicle!  The popsicles were $5 this day since a portion of the proceeds were being donated to charity.  I believe they're normally $4.

 

http://johnnys-pops.com/

Twitter: @JohnnysPops

Frozen bursting flavour explosion, Batman!

One of my favourite parts of going up to the Okanagan in the summertime is the fresh fruit.  Not only does it taste better because it ripens on the tree (rather than off the tree like most of the stuff we get in Vancouver), but it's so cheap!  The only predicament is how to make all this yumminess last.  The solution?  Freeze it! 

I grew up in the Okanagan and my Dad used to bring the cherries home by the beer flat.  To make sure all went to good use, my Mom would freeze the cherries so we could eat them after the season was over.  The trick is to freeze them individually so they don't stick together.  The other trick is to not let them thaw fully before you eat them.  If you do, they get all mushy.  If you let them thaw a bit, you get the juiciness of the cherry but it's still firm.  A bowl of these after dinner is better than any popsicle in my books!

My 10 pound box of cherries ($20) and apricots ($2) from a fruit stand in Keremeos.

 

Freezing in progress!  To freeze the cherries individually, first wash, dry and de-stem your cherries.  Then, lay a sheet of wax paper in your freezer.  Place the cherries on the wax paper so there's a bit of space between each one.  Once the cherries are fully frozen, place them into a freezing bag of your choice.  My Mom used to always use old bread bags.  Probably not the best for freezer burn but, trust me, these won't last long enough to get a burn!

Vodka Freezies

Think back to when you were five years old and on a hot sunny beach.  If you're anything like me, one of the best parts of the day was when your Mom told you you could have an icy cold treat.  My favourites were always the Rockets popsicles and the Mr. Freeze Freezies.  So, when we stopped off at a liquor store in Calgary recently and my sister told me to come over and check out the deep freeze, I just about lost my marbles when I saw what was inside: Hard Ice Alcoholic Freezies!!!!!  Greatest invention ever!  Needless to say, I had to buy one.  It was literally like a Mr. Freeze Freezie with a kick of vodka.  Scrumptious! 

I did some detective work and discovered that Hard Ice is actually a Kelowna company, but unfortunately the BC government isn't a fan of these fabulous treats so they're not sold in BC (#frownyface).  However, you can order them online on the Saskatchewan Gaming and Liquor Retailers site (link below), or purchase them when you're in Alberta or Saskatchewan.

My Wild Raspberry Hard Ice Vodka Freezie!

 

http://winterlandbeverages.com/our-brands/hard-ice-vodka-freezies/#

Twitter: @WinterlandVodka

 

http://www.saskliquor.com/SaskLiquorWeb/ProductSearchResults.aspx?keywords=hard%2bice

The Pie Hole

Supercalafragelisticexpialidocious!!!!!  That's all I have to say about The Pie Hole. 

I have been dying to try a pie from The Pie Hole for quite some time now, but hadn't had an excuse to buy a full pie.  So, when I was in charge of dessert for a fabulous brunch that I was invited to (it may have been fabulous because the cutest little baby boy ever was there), I decided this was my chance and emailed Jenell to see if there was any way I could order a pie with only 1.5 days notice.  Lucky for me, Jenell was super accommodating...I was able to pick up my pie on the way to the brunch and I was super excited to see that they make my favourite pie flavour: Strawberry-Rhubarb!

I was a little worried that the ladies at the brunch would feel that I had copped out by buying the dessert, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were all excited when they saw The Pie Hole label...they'd been dying to try their pies too!  The conclusion?  Absolutely heavenly!  One of the best pie crusts I've ever tasted and jam-packed full of yummy, fruity goodness.  I swear the pie weighed 8-10 pounds.  It was unbelievable and tasted like it had just come out of your Grandma's oven.  If I had a dollar for every time someone said "This is delicious Shayne" and I had to say "Thanks, but I didn't make it myself"...I would have been a millionaire!  Well, maybe not quite since there were only 8 of us there...but I would have definitely made $8 (I even said it to myself).

Thanks for the fabulous pie Jenell!  I can't wait to try more flavours...especially the savoury ones...Mac & Cheese pie here I come!

Things to note: (1) To order a pie, go to The Pie Hole's website (below) and either email or phone Jenell.  (2) The Pie Hole makes sweet pies, savoury pies, pie pops, tarts and treats, hand pies and pie holes.  All flavours are listed under the menu link on their website.  (3) A variety of stores are now carrying their pies in store.  A list of the stores and what they carry is on The Pie Hole's website.  (4) They accept cash and VISA, but make sure you have enough cash in case the VISA thingy is down.  Those phone swipey things were a fabulous invention but if only someone could invent one that always worked! and (5) I was very happy to discover that The Pie Hole makes individual pies.  Dangerous and fabulous discovery, all at once.

The yummy goodness of my Strawberry-Rhubarb pie when I opened the box.

 

My slice of pie and ice cream.

The X that marks the spot!  Picking up your pie is half the fun.  You'll want to turn East on Industrial from Main.  When you see the purple building, turn left into the parking lot and drive to the very end.

 

Go into the last store of the building and walk to the back right corner.  You'll find Jenell and your fabulous pie!

 

So excited to open this puppy up!

You've got to love it when the ingredient list consists of 12 ingredients, all of which you can pronounce and either have in your pantry, fridge or garden.  Brilliant!

 

http://www.vancouverpiehole.com/

Twitter: @pieholevan

The Chocolate Banana Cream Pie Cult

So, I recently fulfilled a lifelong food dream of mine: I went for pie at Aphrodite's Café!  The pie was heavenly, the servers oh so kind and real, the restaurant itself was comfy cozy and welcoming, the artwork was fun and funky...I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend an evening.  Such a treat!

Things to note: (1) In addition to amazing pies, Aphrodite's serves brunch, lunch and dinner.  (2) I was amazed to find out that they have six different gluten-free pies.  (3) This part of 4th has free parking, so leave your change at home! (4) If you're planning on going for brunch, there's quite often a serious line, so be prepared to get there early or wait in line, and (5) All items on the menu are made from local, organic ingredients.

The X that marks the spot.

The chocolate fiend's Chocolate Banana Cream Pie.  ($9.25)  The chocolate fiend had it narrowed down between the Chocolate Pecan and Chocolate Banana Cream Pie and then asked our server for her recommendation.  Without any hesitation she said the Chocolate Banana Cream Pie.  We both laughed over how certain she was, to which she said that the Chocolate Banana Cream Pie has a cult following.  Now, I definitely have a mind of my own and never thought I would be convinced to join a cult...but one taste of this pie and I was officially asking where to sign up for the Chocolate Banana Cream Pie cult.  Unreal!  Plus it was massive.  You could definitely share this puppy between two. 

My Raspberry Rhubarb Pie with Mario's Gelati Vanilla Bean ice cream.  ($9.25)  Absolutely scrumptious!

The view from our table.  If you look closely you can see a papier-mache Henrik Sedin hanging from the ceiling...awesome!

 

http://www.organiccafe.ca/

Twitter: @aphroditescafe

Cheesecake Etc.

Cheesecake Etc. is truly a cheesecake lover's dream.  Light, fluffy, homemade cheesecake served up with a multitude of toppings and one heck of a big scoop of whipped cream...scrumptious!  The best cheesecake I have ever tasted.  The restaurant itself is massive, candlelit, there's a live piano player and the menu consists solely of cheesecake, teas, coffees and french bread.  Plus, it's open from 7pm to 1am every night.  What isn't to like?

Before we get to the pictures, I have to apologize.  I didn't use a flash so you can't see the full yumminess of the cheesecake.  Guess you'll just have to go try it out yourself instead!

My oh so fun cheesecake eating partner in crime's Gourmet Special of the Night: original cheesecake with raspberries.  ($6.50)  This looked amazing, and disappeared before I could sneak a taste test!  So, I'm guessing it was pretty darn good.

 

My Original Cheesecake with Strawberries.  ($5.50)  Delicious!

 

http://www.cheesecakeetc.com/Cheesecake,_etc./Home.html

Twitter: @cheesecake_etc

Scoop!

I had been intrigued as I walked by Scoop! many a time, but little did I know that there was a land of fun inside!  I knew they had frozen ice cream but I had no idea that there was also a never ending supply of board games and a foosball table...best frozen yogurt shop ever!! 

So, how does it work?  Pick your size and pick your flavour for a base cost.  They weigh your container and then the fun part begins...the toppings!  Once you've finished your artwork with the toppings, they re-weigh it and charge you for the toppings according to weight.  Then comes the best part, pick your seat, eat, play some games, challenge people to foosball and have a great night!  I'd definitely recommend this fabulous little shop to satisfy a treat craving and have a fun evening out.

The big goodies: Oreo bits, berry Oreo bits, Yogurt chips, M&M's and Peanut Butter M&M's.

The small goodies: Fruity Pebbles, chocolate chips, chocolate coated animal crackers, sour gummies, hazelnut wafers, butterfinger, home-made graham cracker crust, coconut jelly, Reese's pieces, Whoppers, coconut, nuts, Mango whoppers, fresh pineapple, fresh mango, fresh strawberry, fresh kiwi and syrups.

My frozen yogurt partner in crime's large mango frozen yogurt with fresh fruit, Reese's Pieces, Hazelnut wafer...you name it!  (approximately $6).  Looked very yummy and it all disappeared quickly.

My small raspberry frozen yogurt with hazelnut wafer, oreo cookie bit, sour gummy bear, coconut, home-made wafer crust, whopper, mango poppa and piece of Butterfinger for toppings.  (approximately $4)  Very yummy!  When we were figuring out how to order, the fellow said that most people preferred the original yogurt and then just added toppings.  The raspberry was nice, but it's made with a syrup rather than fresh fruit, so I found it a bit sweet.  Next time, I think I would go with the recommendation of plain yogurt and add fruit on.  One must-try condiment was the mango poppa...when you bite into it, there is literally a little explosion of mango yumminess in your mouth...it was awesome!

Trouble!  This was one of my favourite games as a kid...so much fun! 

The view from our table.

The neverending game selection.  I totally missed Battleship when we were there...I'm so sinking some ships next time!

The foosball table!  No more needs to be said.

 

http://www.scoopyogurt.com/

Twitter: @ScoopYogurt

Sunshine and snacks...

This past weekend I was heading down to the beach to enjoy the sunshine with my food-adventure partner in crime this weekend when she suggested grabbing a snack from Viva Foods on Yew.  Great idea!  They have sandwiches, quiches, yummy pastries, muffins, cookies...you name it, they have it.  The best part?  Everything is made fresh in house.  I went for the Healthy Scone full of cranberries, flax seeds and other yummy goodies...delicious!  Next time I think I'm going to go for the Corn Flakes Square, though.  It's like a Rice Krispies square but with Corn Flakes instead...very intriguing.

Definitely a great place to grab a snack on your way to the beach!

Pastries and yummy goodness galore!

The X that marks the spot.

Cocoa Nymph...

Last week I had one of the best mid-week nights ever!  The evening was spent with a fabulous friend, surrounded by chocolate...it really doesn't get much better than that on a Tuesday.  So, what did I do you ask?  I went to Cocoa Nymph's Chocolate Workshop. 

 

The night started off with a pleasant surprise...a mouth watering truffle made by Cocoa Nymph's nymphs.  Talk about a good way to create a happy audience right off the bat.

Next up was a brief lesson on the history of chocolate, how it is made, and how Cocoa Nymph came to be.  Personally I liked the show and tell factor.  The items above are (starting at the top left and going clockwise): cocoa nibs, cocoa beans (the nibs are in the beans), a pod with cocoa beans in it, untempered chocolate and a cocoa pod.

 

Interesting facts learned during the presentation:

• The cocoa pod above was grown in Vancouver...in the Stanley Park aquarium!  How cool is that?
• Cocoa pods are normally 3-4 times that size.
• Cocoa Nymph was started by a lady who only had $80 to make it through the winter one year in university.  She invested the $80 in a good bag of chocolate and made a batch of truffles.  She ended up making 3000 chocolates that winter to support herself and decided that maybe truffles were the way to go rather than micro-biology.
• When Cocoa Nymph offered their chocolate workshop on groupon, they sold over 1200 groupons in 24 hours.  As a result, they made their largest chocolate purchase ever: 2000 pounds!!!  I wish I could have seen that. 

Next, we moved into the magic room of chocolate, put on our stylish hair nets, washed our hands and got down to the business of chocolate tasting.  The tasting consisted of 6 different varieties: cocoa butter (tasted waxy), 4 different single origin chocolates of different dark percentages, followed by cocoa nibs.  Interesting fact: chocolates from different regions have different flavours, just like wine.  The best way to taste the flavours of chocolate is to break it, smell it and then place a piece on your tongue and let it melt before chewing.

 

The big slab of chocolate was chocolate ganache and leads me to the best part of the night...learning how to make truffles!!!

 The dark chocolate tempered just right and ready to enrobe our fabulous truffles.

 

My ganache cut into my truffle shapes.  We literally used mini-cutters like you would for cookies.  It was very neat...

...albeit a bit messy!  And, yes, I did lick my hands.

The toppings to decorate our truffles.  Left to right: transfers and texturizers, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder and strawberry flakes.

My favourite part was enrobing the chocolate ganache.  You literally dropped your chocolate ganache shape into a vat of chocolate like it was doing a belly-flop into a pool, then you covered it with chocolate, tapped it against the top of the chocolate vat to get the excess chocolate off, and took it out to harden.  I have no idea why, but dropping the chocolates in never ceased to entertain me. 

Enrobing my chocolates!

My chocolates decorated and ready for the fridge.

Out of the fridge and ready for boxing!  It took every ounce of will-power not to eat them at this point.

My fabulous chocolate-making partner in crime's creations boxed up and ready to take home.  Note the lack of blobs surrounding the truffles...much more professional looking than mine.

However...the blobs led to more chocolate to be eaten...mwah ha ha ha!  My truffles boxed up and ready to be taken home.

Cocoa Nymph's creations and list of yummy treats...including drinking chocolate!

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this evening, as did my chocolate-making partner in crime and will definitely use my newly learned techniques for future gift giving.  I would highly recommend this evening for a fun night out.  (Cost: $70 plus tax/per person regular price. Or, if you're lucky like me and see it on Groupon, you can get it for $35 plus tax. So keep those eyes peeled!) 

 

However, if you're more interested in eating chocolate than making it, you should still make a trip to Cocoa Nymph.  Their truffle creations are scrumptious!

  

http://www.cocoanymph.com/

Twitter: @cocoanymph