Got to mess around in my friend's pizza kitchen and came up with this combo. Pepperoni, fresh jalapeños and dollops of ricotta. He wasn't too convinced about the ricotta at first but after trying it I managed to talk him into putting it on the menu lol.

First time trying a Georgian stroganoff boat and this might be one of the most interesting things I've eaten in a while. Beef stroganoff, pickles and chives on one side, melted cheese and egg on the other. Wasn't sure how the pickles would work with everything else but they ended up being my favorite part.

Went out for a date night and ordered a plate of 24 oysters from The Whalesbone in Ottawa. We were very happy to let the staff direct us in a journey of Canadian oysters.  We started with the Beach Angels from BC, then onto Peddlers Pick and Three Witches from NB before moving onto the Eel Lake, NS and finishing with Lily oysters from Tyne Valley on PEI.

The oysters were so fresh and well shucked and plated, no shell in the oysters and most of them maintained natural oyster brine.  If you have ever shucked oysters then you know that both of these things require skill to achieve. Enjoying the different types of oysters alongside each other really gives you a chance to notice the difference in flavour profile and texture.

As is tradition at The Whalesbone the oysters come with a fantastic array of toppings, starting with freshly grated horseradish and lemon, Tabasco, red wine vinaigrette, cocktail sauce, scotch bonnet hot sauce, island grill Caribbean style sauce and whiskey.  It is a lot fun to try different combos of the sauces, especially the whiskey, which goes well on the oysters or as encouraged by the staff as a palate cleanser.

Went out for breakfast with a friend and he couldn't get over the fact that I ordered a Fanta with tea. Apparently having a fizzy drink with a full English is some kind of crime lol. Meanwhile I'm just trying to stop the beans from taking over my entire plate. Is Fanta with breakfast really that weird?

Had beef sirloin and lobster tail for dinner! 🥩🦞 Such a delicious combination! The sirloin was tender and flavorful, and the lobster tail was buttery and juicy. 😋

I blended the carrots, onions and potatoes with an immersion blender after boiling to get the smooth consistency.

In the Philippines, this creature is called Undin. She's a water monster/water sprite. She uses acidic, flesh-melting saliva to protect her eggs from intruders. She's just a mommy 🥹

Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
   
2. Mix maple syrup, Dijon, oil, garlic, vinegar, and thyme.
   
3. Place chicken in a baking dish and coat with sauce.
   
4. Bake approximately 25–35 minutes, until chicken reaches 165°F.
   
5. Spoon pan juices over chicken before serving.

Honey Balsamic Carrots

Ingredients

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
   
2. Toss carrots with oil, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
   
3. Spread in a single layer.
   
4. Roast 25–35 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender and caramelized.

Back when Jamie Oliver was still a dinner lady and fighting his war against Bernard Matthews’ turkey empire, children only had a small selection of one-syllable meals available to them: Gruel, tart, soup, sponge, and the undefeated champion of crap school dinners... Flan.

Made from a mixture of leftover gruel, cheese curds, and breast milk, this popular classic filled every belly—even those with EpiPens and the lactose intolerant. Not everyone made it, and that was fine. People think there are more children with dietary needs these days, but the truth is, they just didn’t used to live as long.

Then, one day, a small boy named John Major stepped forward, bowl in hand, and tentatively approached the kitchen hatch. A morbidly obese dinner lady leaned forward, her sweat dripping onto the Turkey Twizzlers.

“Please sir (she had a moustache), can I have some less??”

Then there were a few songs, some Cockney mischief, and, weirdly, a bit of child trafficking.

The big fat dinner lady was visited by three ghosts later that night and had a complete change of heart. Noticing how posh John Major was, she added lots of upper-class ingredients to her flan, like ham and even half a spring onion.

Posh Flan was born.

Made sauce from scratch, and enjoyed with hot honey and red pepper flakes 😋

Recipe from The Wok, cooked on outdoor wok burner.