New Year's Eve Party

The end of 2014 comprised a 5-course around-the-fire munchies; planned and hosted by Catsess.

Course 1: Cheese, pate and cold cuts

Course 2: A cup of kale-potato soup with a cheddar and goat cheese cupcake

Course 3: Make your own shrimp salad

Course 4: Mini meatloaf bakes with freshly fried chips

Course 5: Meinhart's Carrot Cake

Happy New Year from somerville kitchen and Catsess

Pre New Year's Party

Pre New Year's Party was an elegant 100% home made dinner at the cutest house in the city and hosted by the loveliest couple and their cat.

The menu:

Classy appetizers

Perfected roasted chicken

Home made addictive potato balls

Creative tasty kale and brussles sprouts salad

Home made apple and cardamom plum jam flat bread

 Thank you GaK for the best ending of the year.

Another Night of Non-Feasting Dinner

The non-feasting break of yesterday continued tonight (Read Non Feasting).

This was even simpler - a pre-made ravioli package boiled and mixed with a can of tomato pasta sauce. Love those simple dinners.

Non-Feasting Break

If you have followed the blog the past five days, you would have seen the non-stop feasting. With more to come, it is time for a break.

Boiled noodles mixed with shredded prosciutto, sauteed onions and red peppers and a bit of cheese. 

 

Not Another Feast...

If now is not the time to start a diet, not sure when a good time is.

So another feast took place tonight. Being right in the middle of Christmas and New Year, the feast had an identity crisis.

But the food theme was very clear - meat, meat and more meat.

The poor pigs and cows (and any other creatures I missed). Maybe it is time to not only start a diet, but start a meat reduction diet.

We shall see - 2015, hurry up so I can go back to eating healthy.

 

Mini Feast

Catsess has had it being kicked off her favourite table for us to feast, so I promised her tonight will be a mini feast.

Ham with roasted potatoes and roasted Brussles Sprouts.

Stuffing with turkey chunks mixed in.

A green salad with tomatoes, avocado, chicken, almonds and mustard dressing.

After a mini selection of sweets, catsess had her table back.

 

Festive

Festive Christmas dinner at a festive house

With traditional festive and perfectly cooked turkey

After munching on a colourfully festive appies

And a colourfully festive salad

With a festive dessert spread

Including Sweet e's traditionally festive Buche de Noel

Merry festivities and lots of love!

Catsess Christmas Eve

Meowho Meowho Meowho said Catsess as she heard who's coming for dinner.

Catsess four favourite Catsess' sitters gathered around her favourite salmon - major purring in order.

The appies did not impress Catsess, even though the Catsess' sitters loved the risotto balls.
 

Catsess cheered up as turkey and ham appeared (even though she did not rave as much about the amazing roasted Brussels Sprouts as everyone else did)

 
Catsess was too occupied playing with all her new Christmas toys to notice Sweet e's best Chocolate Chai Silk Cake ever.
 

Meowrry Christmas to all, says Catsess.

Minami Like You've Never Seen It Before

This is how I have experienced Minami several times now...

Inventive delicious sushi and rolls.

But when a work function with many of us gave the server a carte blanche to design our meal, many many surprises, savoury and sweet, appeared.

The spicy pork Goyoza with pork belly was good, but nothing compared to the delicious Ebi Fritters.

And of course, I am now addicted to their Brussels Sprouts Chips.

The Kaisen Soba Peperoncino was alright.

But the Saikyo Miko Baked Sable Fish Sable fish on top of coconut creamed kale and the weird looking matcha foam is the best new dish creation I have tried.

But wait, the desserts may top the savoury in terms of creativity - here's what I tried, in order of wow factor.

The Yuzu Cheesecake

Caramelized Banana Toasted Almond Gateau

Warm Valrhona Fondant

Green Tea Opera

Minami (that never fails to impress)

1118 Mainland Street

Vancouver, BC

minamirestaurant.com