family

Brunch with a Beat

Published on March 28, 2016 by br126Leave a comment

by Audrey Thorne ’19

My parents and brother came down for opening weekend of my play. When asked where I wanted to go for brunch, I quickly answered Beat Brasserie. From the outside it looks hip and too fancy for a casual college student meal, but as a foodie, Beat Brasserie struck my curiosity.

Beat Brasserie is divided into booths, tables, and high tops. Upon our arrival we were seated promptly in a booth. The waiter brought us menus, then water. He came to check if we wanted anything to drink, then if we were ready to place our food order.

The menu was eclectic. I wanted to try everything. Between the four of us we ordered a Sophia’s Greek Yogurt, a mushroom soup, steak frites and eggs, oysters, and shrimp tacos. While we waited for our food to be cooked we listened to the smooth live music.

The fruit in the fruit cup was ripe, fresh. The yogurt was tart and the granola crunchy. I stole a few perfect bites from my dad.

The mushroom truffle soup was beyond description. Warm and creamy, it was a god send, especially with my side of crispy wheat toast.

My brother ate the oysters so quickly I was not able to steal one away from him. I have deduced that they were pretty good, but I hope to try them for myself next time.

The shrimp tacos were flavourful and filling, with juicy shrimp, crunchy lettuce, cheese, sauce, and a myriad of other ingredients. Honestly, I could not pick up on every individual flavour but the combination was delectable.

The steak frites and eggs came with the wheat toast, which I dipped in the mushroom soup, a nice, light mixed salad, a flavourful side of joint dressing/steak sauce, french fries, and steak. The steak was tough but flavourful, with a kick coming from its peppercorn rub. The fries were not too crispy, nor too salty, but just right to complement the well seasoned steak.

With an atmosphere that cannot be beat, Beat Brasserie is a great place for a celebratory meal with the family, or even a fancy date.

I Only Eat My Mom’s Vegetables

Published on November 3, 2015 by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Allison Yan ’19

I’m sure every college student misses a genuine, home-cooked meal from time to time. There’s just nothing like the rich, unique flavors from a family favorite dish or a parent’s particular seasoning choices or a combination of both.

My mom is very particular about healthy foods. Her meals almost always contain greens. I used to bemoan the fact that I had to eat my vegetables. But over time, I appreciated her choices more and more. Yes, sometimes that sprinkle of cilantro and sliced eggplant on a protein heavy dish seemed a little excessive, but it was all in good thought. By the time I started high school, my mom’s lovingly cooked vegetables had become an integral part of my diet: the particular crunchiness of her green beans, her affinity for topping everything with a leafy vegetable, and more. No matter whether she was cooking for the family or bringing dishes to Asian potlucks, my mom would always be ready with the healthy dishes.

Being away from her veggies and her cooking makes me realize just how much her vegetables meant to me. Dining hall vegetables just aren’t the same.

Anyhow, if I’m really gaining the freshman 15, I’m definitely blaming it on the fact that I only eat my mom’s vegetables.

Why Did the Turkey Stop Eating? He Was Stuffed!

Published on December 2, 2014December 2, 2014 by Orlea MillerLeave a comment

By Orlea Miller ‘16

Thanksgiving is easily a foodie’s favorite holiday of the year. While my day-to-day life revolves around the foods I’m eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Thanksgiving is the one time of year when everyone else does the same. We begin looking into airline fares months ahead of time when making our holiday plans, and then spend at least a week or two carefully selecting Thanksgiving recipes and entering the grocery store madness just to eat together as a family.

My family sticks to the traditional foods for this annual event: turkey, stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and green beans (and a countless number of pies and other treats). Unfortunately, they don’t like straying from the recipes they’re used to either. However, after years of box-made stuffing, I decided to try out a new recipe for Thanksgiving this time around.

I found the recipe for “Save-the-Day Stuffing” online (a.k.a. homemade stuffing with a few healthy swaps) to lighten everyone’s plates this year. I used the typical veggies but included light bread and liquid egg substitute, and ended up with a pretty tasty addition to our household’s Thanksgiving repertoire.

Ingredients
(MAKES 5 SERVINGS)

6 slices light bread

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup fat-free chicken broth, room temperature

1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute

1 tbsp. light buttery spread

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, to taste

1 oz dried cranberries (if desired)

Directions:

Leave bread uncovered at room temperature overnight. Otherwise, begin by lightly toasting bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spray a medium baking dish with nonstick spray, and place bread cubes evenly along the bottom of the dish.

Chop up the celery and onion to prepare it for the stuffing.

In a medium pot, combine broth, celery, and onion. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat.

Remove pot from heat, and add mushrooms and garlic. Season mixture to taste with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Let cool for several minutes.

Add egg substitute and butter to veggie/broth mixture and stir. Pour mixture into the baking pan, evenly covering bread cubes. Mix gently with a fork. Bread cubes should be moist, but not saturated (if necessary, add 1 – 2 tbsp. water, and then mix again).

If desired, throw in the dried cranberries to add a sweet kick to your stuffing!

Cover with foil, and cook dish in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove foil, and fluff and rearrange stuffing. Return dish to oven (uncovered), and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

After comparing my homemade stuffing to the boxed one we have had at our Thanksgiving table in years past, I was impressed. This version had more flavor and texture, though I admittedly added in more chicken broth than the recipe called for after noticing it looked dry before putting it in the oven.

I found the stuffing recipe, along with quite a few other holiday dishes at www.hungry-girl.com, one of my go-to websites for healthy sides, entrees, and desserts that are just as tasty as the original version, yet far more nutritious and lower in calories and fat.