The Adventures of Bob & Shan

an unfolding story of food & adventure.

Mushroom Pithivier

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I have never met a woman who feels about burgers the way Shan does. We are definitely meat lovers. That being said, veggies play a huge role in our cooking and we would be amiss without them, so when we gave ourselves the task of creating a delicious vegetarian meal for Shannon’s friend Lauren, we couldn’t have been more excited! One of our favourite things about cooking is the endless opportunity to try something we’ve never done before, whether it’s using a new ingredient, learning new techniques, or pairing the two together, our kitchen is always place for discovery. With that in mind, we set out to tackle both a new ingredient, and technique with this Mushroom Pithivier. Heck, you can even learn new words and languages in the kitchen (and how to pronounce them)! Say it with us “Peeh-tee-vyay”, the word alone will impress your guests!…

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Butterscotch Pots de Crème

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This post is an old one that never did get posted, and its funny looking back how life changes. This year has been a whirlwind, and we did happen to go to France, which came as a surprise to me! I figured I had to preface this post with that, since it makes little sense otherwise… I’ll just let you see for yourself.

I once failed a French class. Speaking French didn’t come easily to me, and I truly didn’t commit to the language. Enough said. You know what’s easy to commit to? These creamy, indulgent, pots de crème. I would highly recommend it. Ils sont délicieux. (They’re delicious.) I’m not going to France anytime soon, but thanks to Gjelina’s stunning cookbook, I was able to bring myself and some friends along to have a taste of France….

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Hennessy Espresso Brownies

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This blog has made me look at myself really introspectively. Like why, why do I make dessert when I have no occasion to do so. What brought me here? Is it okay to eat brownies as meals, between meals? These are questions we all have to answer. I’ll leave you with your conscience.

My conscience tells me that dessert is always okay as long as you intend to share. I made these one afternoon, delighting in the whole house smelling like espresso. I iced them later that night, watching sugar and Hennessey bubble on the stove top. I shared them late in the week with friends at Ayden. They were to die for. I think that’s evidenced by one of my good friends eating about 6 of them. (He claims it wasn’t that many. I’m calling you out, Chad.)…

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Mushroom Duxelles Roast Beef

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Apparently I have a thing for roasting beef around midnight, it’s like my witching hour. But actually, it’s the only time that really makes sense to cook a large dinner most days of the week (although, does making dinner around midnight really make sense? Not really). This time around, the clock was ticking on a piece of beef in the fridge, and the best before date had crept on us. We’ve all been there right? You buy something, excited to cook it, and before you know it, it’s almost expired. With no time to waste, I got to work! Inspired by Beef Wellington, I covered the roast with Mushroom Duxelles; a blend of mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and shallots, typically placed between the filet of beef and puff pastry of a Wellington. After rubbing the roast with a generous amount of Dijon, I crossed my fingers and hoped the Mushroom Duxelles would stick to the beef. It was a success! I used my tried and true method for roasting beef, and soon we had a beautiful medium-rare beef, with a delicious mushroom crust. …

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Pistachio Bundt Cake

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I did that thing again where I take the night off work, and am suddenly compelled to bake something. Bob and I found ourselves back home after a wonderful trip to Vancouver island, and thrown back into the busyness of life. I took the night off so I could get my life organized and do some laundry. Once the laundry was tossed in, though, I figured I might as well enjoy my Friday too!…

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Coconut Quinoa Granola

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How to best pretend you’re having a healthy 2016? Personally, I would recommend working out once, and following that up by making this granola. Bob and I have recently decided to offset all the beautiful food we eat by getting some ab workouts back into our lives. (Among other things.) Nobody wants to be the couple that gets soft together! With that decided, I’ve been thinking about breakfast alternatives to bread. Not that bread is bad, I mean, God, is it ever goood. However, I’m a firm believer in “everything in moderation”. We’ll have some buttery sourdough, and we’ll have some lightly sweetened granola too. We’ll have some “ab ripper” days, and some Netflix days. (I mean, come on, this is real life.)…

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Ancho, Beef, & Bean Chili

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As I write this, it’s -40°C… If I went outside, I would probably die in like 10 minutes. It’s times like these when I contemplate why we live in a place like Saskatoon, especially after we just got home from a trip to Victoria, BC. Why didn’t we just change the locks and move into our amazing Airbnb?!? Shan was totally on board.

It’s these kind of days that i’m eternally grateful to work from home. I literally stayed in my pajamas all day, worked in the basement, and ate chili for like 2.5 meals. If that’s not the life, I don’t know what is!? Maybe not working at all, and just eating chili all day? Yeah, that sounds pretty great.…

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Kabocha, Olive Oil, & Bittersweet Chocolate Cake

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Let me give you some advice. Don’t make cake for yourself, it’s a bad idea… Scratch that. It’s a great idea, but it’s not so great for you. Tempted by all the beautiful photos in the new Gjelina cookbook, Shan and I were inspired to make the intriguing Kabocha, Olive Oil, & Bittersweet Chocolate Cake. The cake was beautiful, and had such a unique flavour. The problem – I pretty much ate the entire thing myself…How I stay thin, I’ll never know….

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Egg Nog Cocktail

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Christmas may be over, but that doesn’t mean Egg Nog has to end. Sure, they probably aren’t selling it at the grocery store anymore, but that isn’t the kind of egg nog you should be drinking anyways! Frothy, smooth, spiced, balanced, and boozy, this version is Christmas holidays in a glass. Of course, as long as there is snow on the ground, There will be egg nog in my glass….

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