Weekend report

Well this weekend was a bit more tame than last weekend, I was exhausted from the previous weekend's fun, but this one was still a bit busy! We went up to Ottawa for brunch to meet some people I used to work with at Hertz. It was great to see them and shocked to see some with kids! Next off to shopping, it started with new shoes and snowballed into Christmas shopping! We had to get out of there before it got out of hand.

Sunday it was the next installment at Mrs McGarrigle's cooking class. This time it was Thomas Riding of Sam Jakes Innin Merrickville with a very hearty fall menu. It started out with a Butternut Squash Tart Tatin with goat's cheese and roasted garlic for the appetizer. A great light start , very tasty. Then it was on to the Confit Chicken on potato, apple rosti in cider apple jus. At first, I was a bit shocked because the chef was going to roast the chicken legs in fat. He had this big tub of chicken fat that he'd brought over from the Inn and it looked disgusting. Well as the dish was being cooked the smell was amazing and the thought of the fat cooking the chicken faded away. The chicken fell off the bone and was very moist and not greasy at all. Though I don't think that I'll use fat since I don't cook that much chicken in a year! We were told that olive or grape seed oil will do. Then off to desert, Squash cake with vanilla creme caramel brulee. A little bit of heaven on a plate.

Next up the Church fundraiser dinner. After Merrickville it was back to Brockville to help volunteer with the dinner. They stuck me in the dish pit. Why do women find it so funny when men do dishes? It is amazing how much of community spirit there is here in Brockville. There is always something that is going on to help out less fortunate people in the community. Way to go Brockville!

A good buddy Rob W is coming down this weekend with his band to play at the Phoenix. That should be a wild weekend, I better get some rest to get ready for that!