New York, New York

I know, New York is not a country. BUT I never said we were touring by country. And really, what would you do if you landed in Canada or the US? Go with the state, province or territory of course. Besides, tonight is a great excuse for say New York style cheesecake: (Did I ever mention that Shawn spent a winter working at a bakery....that was a great winter)

To keep us hydrated while we cooked, we sipped on Manhattans (did you know that you buy bitters at the grocery store, NOT the LCBO?)  To make yours:

•  2oz whiskey
• splash of sweet vermouth (any thoughts on what else I should do with the 1L bottle of sweet vermouth? Oh wait....it's made in Italy, note to self: before drinking Italian wine when we land in Italy, find a drink requiring sweet vermouth)
• dash Angostura bitters
• maraschino cherry

Mix liquids with ice, strain into cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

Fun fact: The Manhattan was created in 1874 at the Manhattan Club in New York City, for Lady Jenny Churchill, Winston Churchill's mother. (from the Coles Notes, Your guide to Bartending.....yes I still have Coles notes, but  just this one)


The first course was a Manhattan Clam Chowder.....this is a recipe we will make again. So delish. Here is the recipe I used: Manhattan Clam Chowder

For the main course, we went with Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches.....I know, my US geography is not top notch, but one could argue that it is a good thing we are doing this. And Fintan's finger was kind of on the border. At any rate, the sandwiches were yummy!

First Stop: Russia

What a place to start! I guess as one of the biggest land masses on the map, it was easy to land on. The menu, of course had to include Borscht. Which the boys very much enjoyed:

They were being vampires I guess....I suppose playing with your food is OK if you are actually eating it as well.

The main course was a Kulebiaka, a savory Russian pie traditionally filled with fish, rice, chopped egg, and mushrooms. 

But the highlight of this meal was dessert, a layered Honey cake that Shawn slaved over.  It is well worth the effort. This is the recipe that we followed: Mulit-layerd Russian Honey Cake

And of course, what is a Russian meal without a wee bit of vodka....straight up! I tried to sneak in a bit of tonic with mine, but was severely frowned at. And of course, Iain wanted a little taste. And when we obliged, he made a face and declared "Russian Water Yucky"

How the tour started

I love food. So much that it pretty much consumes (ha) my day. I wake up, feed the kids, make lunches and think about what we will have for dinner. I have an addiction to buying magazines proclaiming to be full of easy quick recipes and meal ideas (sadly, I'm often disappointed)

Fortunately, my husband and sons share my love of food, and are not afraid to experiment. That said, I still find it challenging to come up with new and interesting meals. One Taco Tuesday evening, I was reflecting on how the boys love themed dinners......and World Wednesday was born. We are about 6 months into our 'Round the World Culinary Tour.
People ask me where I find recipes, this website is usually my starting point: http://www.whats4eats.com/

After posting pictures to my facebook page for the last few months, and being told I should blog it.....well here goes! I will post pictures, menus and some recipes, and whatever else pops into my head at the time.

This is how it works:

The takeoff......eyes are closed!

The flight....



The landing!