Ren@41 - Review

This past Friday I decided to take some friends out to a nice dinner for a little taste of luxury in downtown Kitchener at The Ren@41.  It is an interesting looking little building with a cool modern city design. As we arrived, the hostess took our coats and brought us to our table. I liked the lengthy layout of the restaurant because although there were quite a few tables, it felt like a cozy little bistro. Shortly after we were sat, our waiter came to get us something to drink. I was pleasantly surprised with the drink menu, there were quite a few original and innovative cocktails to choose from which made my decision rather difficult. I decided to try the coconut mango margarita and could not have been happier. It was tangy, sweet, and refreshing - a great way to start my meal. The four of us decided to share two appetizers and we chose the fried risotto balls and the pistachio crusted brie. What I enjoyed most about the appetizers was how well everything on the plate mingled together. The risotto balls had a rich, creamy, smoky flavour and was well balanced with some peppery arugula and a bright tomato sauce with just a little kick. The brie was also a good choice, it was warm and gooey just like it should be and the port soaked cherries added a lovely sweet element to the dish. I enjoyed the classic combinations - crisp and creamy, salty and sweet. Overall the appetizers were wonderful and perfect for sharing,



Next was the main course, I was happy to see Cornish hen on the menu as it is slightly less common. The display of the dish on a long plate provided an elegant effect to the presentation. The use of symmetry on the plate kept the dish looking tidy and organized. The flavour of the Cornish hen was lovely, especially paired with a glass of Chardonnay. The hen was well seasoned, instead of covering up the natural flavour of the hen they accented the flavour and let the hen speak for itself. It was served on a bed of beet relish, which accompanied the hen quite nicely. The legs, stuffed with bacon, leeks and goats cheese, was delicious however the meat was just slightly rubbery - not under cooked but the texture was just not quite right. The flavours of the hen mixed well with the herb mashed potatoes, while they had a unique flavour they did not overpower the dish. 

Lastly was the dessert, although the server forgot to ask about coffee or tea when we asked about dessert our server brought us a plate with the a display of the desserts available, I chose to get the raspberry panna cotta and was pleasantly surprised. The presentation was nothing special but it tasted delicious, it was light, airy and not too sweet. It was a nice way to end the meal because it was not too heavy





Overall, the restaurant was a lovely experience, I really enjoyed the flavours and they mingled well together creating a real composition. The only complaint was that the dark meat was just slightly rubbery, however I would absolutely go back for another night out!

Pre-made vs. Homemade - Lasagna

Frozen lasagna is one of many memories from my childhood dinners, usually when my mom was away and dad had to cook. Although frozen lasagna is easy and just needs to be thrown in the oven for about an hour, it is not all that difficult to make yourself and it is definitely worth it! If we are to look at Stouffer's frozen vegetable lasagna we can see that it is full of chemicals as well as 28% sodium and 29% fat.

                            VS.

Vegetable Lasagna

Tomato sauce - see below for recipe (if you want to cut corners use a jarred sauce)

9 lasagna noodles

1 Pack of dry pressed cottage cheese

1 (size) brick of mozzarella

portabella mushrooms, sliced

about 2 tbsp sherry

italian eggplant, sliced

baby spinach

Once you have your sauce ready, start off by sauteeing your mushrooms - first heat the pan, add a little oil and garlic and let it simmer for just a short amount of time. Then add the mushrooms and some sherry and stir. once the mushrooms are basically fully cooked take them off the heat and set aside. Then cook your noodles until al dente, strain and run cold water over them. Lastly shred your brick of mozzarella and set aside.

Now you are ready to start building your lasagna, start by spreading a little tomato sauce over the bottom of the pan. While you are building your lasagna, start preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Now add your layers accordingly:

noodles

sauce

eggplant

mushrooms

spinach

cottage cheese

mozzarella

Do this three times, and make sure to save some extra mozzarella for the top layer so you have a nice thick layer of cheese on top! Now throw your lasagna in the oven and let it bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden and melty! 

Take the lasagna out of the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then cut it into big hearty pieces and serve either on its own or with a nice little salad. Enjoy!

Now, if you are feeling ambitious and want to take this lasagna to the next level try making this homemade sauce:

Badass Tomato Sauce

This sauce is an absolute favourite of my family and friends and although it may take some time it is so very worth the wait!

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small-medium onion, diced

1 beef short rib

1 can tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 bay leaf (if you have it)

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

big splash of red wine

Start by putting a big pot on medium heat with a good coating of olive oil on the bottom. Once the pan is hot add the garlic and onions and let them cook for a minute or two - before they brown. Now add the short rib and brown it on all sides, then add the tomato paste and stir it around for 1 minute. Now add both the crushed and diced tomatoes and give it a stir. Lastly add your herbs and wine and give it another good stir. Once the sauce starts bubbling turn the heat down to low and let simmer for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce is done, feel free to eat the beef short rib as a pre-dinner snack. Now your sauce is ready for lasagna or even just some plain old spaghetti and meatballs!