Couldn’t resist
Went shopping with the canine yesterday, and it’s true, dogs are definitely members-of-the-opposite-sex magnets. In that vein, let it be known that I am now tendering invitations to all and sundry who wish to partake of dog-walking duties. She’s already heeling, even at 7 months, so all you have to do is stand back and let objects of your desire come to you.
Connect the Dots
Seen at the SPCA Montérégie, the nicest SPCA around. In fact, that’s where we got Squirrel.
Cat
Cats in a room
Dog?
Hee.
Mmmm, meat rolls
The milliner and I are slowly getting back into our routines, but it’s been a while since I made something new. Aside from some pizza dough, I haven’t made bread in more than a month. So last night, I figured it was time to try brioche, though not Thomas Keller’s 20-ounces-of-butter recipe, because, really, I’ve been down that road already and the results included using a different hole in my belt. ’Nuff said. But that has nothing to do with today’s post.
Saltimbocca
A couple weeks ago, I saw some dude on Food Network (yay for satellite TV! It sucks when there’s snow, however.) making saltimbanco. It looked interesting, I couldn’t recall ever eating it, etc. Looked up the recipe on the Internets, but all the links kept pointing me to the Cirque du Soleil’s oldest touring show. So, I did a search for “saltimbanco recipe,” and the search results were all about the CdS’s vegetarian cook. No luck there.
Happily, a cranky coffee drinker realised that we needed to be looking for saltimbocca, not saltimbanco. Silly me. All the recipes called for veal, and I don’t really care for that. So, I looked at various recipes and came up with the following:
- 4 pieces, 3 oz each, of skirt steak, pounded very thin
- 8 slices provolone
- 16 slices prosciutto
- 20 leaves sage
- 4 garlic cloves
Mince garlic into a paste. Season the meat with salt & pepper. Spread the garlic paste on one side of each piece of steak. Top with provolone, prosciutto, and sage leaves, divided among the four.
Rolled up the steaks, and refrigerate for a couple hours. (Personally, I took this time to make brioche. Oh, and to stare lasciviously at the new object of my unrequited lust.)
After a couple hours, took the meat out of the fridge, and fried on an oiled, hot pan, searing each side. Removed from the heat, let them sit, and deglazed the pan with white wine. Slice the meat, pour the deglaze (déglacé?) over the meat, and served with salad.
Quite tasty, actually. Crispy on the outside, rare on the inside, and all the flavours comingle really well, not one ingredient overpowering the other. Also, because I bought Canadian prosciutto and provolone, this was not an expensive meal. You gotta appreciate that.
All is not lost
Entertaining game on Saturday night, albeit Les Habs lost to the Maple Leafs [sic].
At least the Islanders beat the Devils yesterday, thus eliminating the Leafs [sic] from the playoffs.
And then I made roast chicken and set off the smoke alarm at home. A pretty good day, all in all.
Knocked down a peg or two
The milliner, the lightspeedchick and I hadn’t been to Hurley’s monthly pub quiz in a while, and it showed. In true competitive-Canadian form, we came in fourth. Out of four teams. Fairly close scores, but we lagged behind these fine folks.
The trash talk, she was absent last night.
Not to despair, I’ve thrown my hat in the ring to be quiz master next month. I suggest to anyone expecting to attend (Tuesday, May 1) to bone up on New Guinea mating rituals, Bollywood, Tibetan cat breeds, and French cooking.
I haz photo response
This is in response to blork’s present photo montage.
Although a couple of people have heard about the feline’s joy in participating in water sports, I shall refrain from sharing it with (minutely) larger audience.
The Tinman's Thoughts 
