Treasured Items

Well that last post was a little lacking, I think.  I didn't even try to convey the excitement of being a part of the whole Olympic experience, the excitement of seeing the best in the world compete, the excitement of scoring a pair of the Team Canada mittens that were the must-have, absolutely HOT item!  All it took was one wave of an athlete's hand during the televised Opening Ceremony, and all of North America wanted The Mittens.  We arrived in Vancouver in the afternoon and headed for Robson Square, where there was all kinds of entertainment, all day, every day.  We were watching an interview of a downhill ski racer on the big screens when I noticed that the woman next to me had the coveted items.  I very quietly leaned over and asked where she got them.  In an even quieter voice, she said "the 5th floor" and pointed at the big department store 2 blocks away.  "Go straight past the Olympic display on the 1st floor and take the elevator.  They are back in the corner of the 5th floor."  I felt like I was some kind of operative, receiving clandestine information.  We slipped away, followed her directions and were rewarded.  Ta-Da!

Going for the Gold

So this past week I have been glued to the TV, watching the Olympics.  I love the winter games – the skating, the hockey, the insane ski cross, and the curling.  I am crazy about curling!  It is like shuffleboard but with a 40 lb stone.  We were introduced to Olympic curling 4 years ago at the Vancouver games and I have been looking forward to watching it in Sochi.  We tune in to the Canadian station to get better coverage, as I’m not sure the US really knows anything about the sport.  CBC on the other hand, gives us exhaustive reporting of every throw and zeros in on the frantic sweepers.   It may not look like much on the screen but live, it is quite exciting.  We also went back to Vancouver to watch curling in the Paralympics and were astounded at the athleticism demonstrated by the wheelchair-bound curlers.  I hope they televise the Paralympics from Sochi too.

 

Gizzards - Not Just for Gravy Anymore

We have lately been seeing gizzards pop up on local menus, in various preparations and mostly as appetizers.  I am betting that they are the new darling of the trendy, more avant-garde chefs.   

We have had fried chicken gizzards with a Creole honey  mustard,  duck gizzard meatballs, and my favorite, gizzard confit.   This is my favorite because it reminds me of the absolutely stunning salads we had in France, in the ducky region of the Perigord.  They have elevated gizzards to a high art form by cooking them in duck fat until they are unbearably tender, and serving them on a salad with a slab of foie gras.  The pictures never do the food justice…

Update - we have just had what may be the best preparation yet - confit duck gizzards cooked in a ragu, served with seared duck breast.  Totally awesome!