East Meets West Sandwich

March 13, 2015March 19, 2015 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

My idea of an extreme mash up would be, Lady Grantham (Maggie Smith’s character on Downton Abbey) at the dining table suspiciously eyeing a Vietnamese Sandwich on a plate before her, in her peevish upper-crust British accent, “You can’t be serious! Am I expected to pick this up with my HANDS, like a scullery maid, picking up a scrub brush?”

Thank goodness I am not a member of aristocracy because I have no prejudices against eating food with my hands. Sandwiches are not something I eat a lot of, perhaps because of the bad press they have gotten ie, Wheat Belly, Hi Carbs, Gluten. But there are times when nothing satisfies like a sandwich, especially when it is a Vietnamese sandwich called the Banh Mi.

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From the Culinary Trail: L.A. Moments

March 6, 2015March 17, 2015 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

Los Angeles has never been a destination I’ve really considered for a holiday. The city of angels and stars seemed too hectic and touristy for my liking. And, my experience of dining in LA, eons ago, was unmemorable. But in recent years, there’s been much buzz about the culinary and health food scene in LA and So-Cal. This, plus the need to find some sunshine during the wet/gray Vancouver winter, were great reasons for a long overdue revisit – this time, it was for a girlfriend weekend get-away. As my travel buddy is also a culinary blogger (The Wine & Food Concierge), I was in great company to sip and savour LA!

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It’s All Fenugreek to Me

February 27, 2015March 12, 2015 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures / 2 Comments

Have you ever been so desperate to regain something that you value, or didn’t even know you valued until it was gone? Like slowly thinning hair? I used to treat my hair as a nuisance, since I had such an abundance of it, blow drying and styling always took forever. But I have noticed in the last year that more is falling out when I shampoo or when I brush my hair.

Dear Hair,

I am so sorry that I took you for granted, I will do my best to take care of you from now on. You were always there for me but I never paid much attention to you. I am profoundly sorry for my neglect, but I am turning a new leaf. Please come back.

With Sorrow and Regret, Kake

I didn’t feel alone as Kale was experiencing the same thing. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. With some research I discovered that fenugreek seeds are used to remedy hair loss in Ayurvedic (traditional healing methods from India) medicine.

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Gung Hei Fat Prawns

February 20, 2015March 12, 2015 / Kake2Kale | Culinary Travel Adventures

Gung Hei Fat Choy! I love Chinese New Year! Lots of eating with family, friends, lucky money, special treats, and new clothes (on the first day of the New Year you should wear new clothes to give yourself a fresh start). But I also love that Chinese New Year for me is where I get to have a “do over”. If there were any resolutions made on Jan 1 that haven’t started, then I can try again. And, to all of you who also had good intentions to ie. give up sugar, start a new workout, read more, floss every day, and/or eat more superfoods, well, don’t be discouraged as you can try again in the Lunar New Year….even if you aren’t Chinese!

My Chinese New Year recipe is quite unconventional, in that the ingredients aren’t your standard New Year’s fare. Because, frankly, most of the “special” dishes eaten at this time are not delicious to my North American palate, such as dried oysters, black moss (looks like a clump of black hair), jai (vegetarian gluten dish). Doesn’t sound too appetizing, does it? But I hope this Gung Hei Fat Prawns does! And, it’s loaded with superfoods.