FRANKIE’S FAVOURITE EATERIES

I think you have probably figured it out by now if you've been reading my newsletter over the last 50 weeks. I like food. It's no secret that I think about it a lot, but , you might be surprised to know that I really also love cooking. I find it relaxing. 

Yes, it's true.  I'm sure my wife doesn't love that I hate to clean up, but my meals are well received by company, I hope. 

My daughter told me this week that she loves that I can scramble together a good little meal out of whatever we have in the pantry. A little chicken here, a little butter there, the odd veggie and bammm we've got a meal. My friend Andrew Turner, would say I was good at that as well and I have to say, so is my mom. She could wip up a 5 star meal with a few ingredients, whatever she had, she could make it feel comforting and delicious.   

This week I took some of those quick rice noodles, the clear ones, put them in piping hot water for 4 minutes, fried up some chicken, stir fried some veggies (broccoli, some thin green beans and a pepper) and mixed them all together and pan fried them, I cracked one egg in there. I threw a few spices and a little hot sauce and kept stirring. Once I was done I chopped up a few green onions and crushed a nut on top and served it to the family. Everyone enjoyed it, especially Perle. 

Now if I invite you over to my place on a Monday or Tuesday, I generally have two meals I cook often, or I did. I would do a pizza night, often making the dough myself, I'd make a quick pasta sauce (not that hard), I'd grab some great cheeses and a little pepperoni and veggies like mushrooms or peppers and often put arugula on top at the end. I would make that all night serving little ones coming out of the oven OR my other big go-to meal was a Greek one. I'd grab some lettuce, tomato, red onion , cucumber, great feta, a little dill, olive oil, lemon, oregano, vinegar, and mix them all up, throw them in a bowl and voila we had a salad. Next, I would take mini 25 potatoes slice them in half and throw them in a deep pan, crush two cloves of garlic throw them in with oregano, half a cup of olive oil, squeeze one lemon, fill up to almost the top of the potatoes with either water or chicken broth if you have (even a chicken cube would do), throw that into the oven at 220c for an hour and yummmy is what comes out. I would then take chicken thighs with skin, a couple steaks and a few sausages, cook them up to perfection and try to time it so they come out hot with the potatoes. I would slice them up and have a little hot sauce, tzatziki, and maybe some mustard to dip. If you want an invite for dinner, just let me know the date and the meal you're hoping for and SFD will deliver. 

Next week we will be back to a great restaurant reco and in the future I'll have a few of my mom's Polish recipes coming through here ;). Maybe even a video :) hehe ! 

TECH SPOTLIGHT

We all know TikTok has been reinstated (phew, American dance challenges are safe for now!), but the drama doesn’t end there. In a surprising twist, former President Donald Trump floated the idea of tech titans Elon Musk and Larry Ellison teaming up with the U.S. government to buy the app. Yes, you read that right—Tesla-meets-Oracle TikTok, anyone?

Trump even suggested a bold deal: half of TikTok for the U.S. government in exchange for a permit to operate in the U.S. While the app is back online, it’s still MIA from app stores, leaving us all wondering—what’s next in this saga of social media meets high-stakes diplomacy? Stay tuned!

Check it Out!

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

Here is a wonderful article about our beloved Fish & Chips, and its origins and history. If you love Fish and Chips, the British delicacy, you will enjoy reading this article.

REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT

Back to Miami today. 

If you know South Beach then you know Venetian Island. It's got a great spot called the Standard that is a restaurant, pool, and a great little boutique hotel. It's one of my favourite spots for a weekend drink. Here is a great listing on the island that gives you a little distance from SB and is a touch closer to Brickell which people like. Check it out! 

Check it out!

WORD OF THE WEEK

opine

What It Means

To opine is to express an opinion about something.

OTHER POSH THINGS

La Croix Valmer, its beaches, vineyards and belle-époque

By Nirit Sumeruk

January is the perfect time to start planning for the upcoming summer holiday! My heart is always pulled towards the South of France – there is nothing quite like it! We normally tend to rent a villa near Cannes – however last summer, we tried out La Croix Valmer, a short drive from St Tropez…

Though it might be overshadowed by its glitzier neighbours (Saint Tropez and Ramatuelle), the charming seaside town of La Croix Valmer captivates visitors with its unspoiled beaches (Plages: du Debarquement; , de la Bouillabaise; du Vergeron; de Sylvabelle; Héraclée; de Gigaro; de Jovat and Plage des Brouis), with Plage de Gigaro and the Plage du Débarquement standing out not just for their natural beauty thanks to the pine-covered Maures Massif overlooking the sand, but also for their historical significance as a landing site during the invasion of Southern France in the final stages of World War II.

Both those 2 beaches have bustling restaurants and other facilities to enjoy and can get quite busy during the summer, whereas the other beaches I heard are more "rugged and wild" (disclosure, I only visited Gigaro beach).

Beyond its sun-kissed shores, La Croix Valmer offers a glimpse into the past with its exquisite Belle Époque villas, adding a touch of architectural elegance to this picturesque coastal retreat. Some include the Maison des Peres du Saint-Esprit and the Orangery.

Vineyards are also a big drawcard to this region, especially La Madrague, a renowned winery engaged in organic farming (vineyards spread over La Croix-Valmer and Gassin).

We rented a gorgeous villa overlooking belle-epoque villas perched on vineyards, lets just say I spent many lazy hot days aimlessly looking out to the stretches of greenery with a glass of rosé to cool me down (and naturally a dip in the infinity pool too that is!)

Beyond the sun and sea, the village itself enchants with its well-preserved Belle Époque villas, offering a serene glimpse into a bygone era.

Follow Nirit on Instagram here and checkout her website below!

FRANKIE’S SONG OF THE WEEK

Here is a great one by Stevie wonder, it's on my playlist for sure.

Listen to it Here!

100 WEEKS OF POSITIVE MESSAGES

Frankie did 100 days of positive messages 3 years ago. He wanted to center them around mental health and positivity. We will post them each week for 100 weeks.

“I can’t imagine a world without Crème brûlée.

C’est magnifique!

It really is the queen of desserts. Don’t you agree?

That crispy top, that delicious and smooth custardy interior 😋. What can I say? I love it soo much and order it pretty much any time it’s on the menu.

Here is the recipe if you want to make it at home.

* Make your custard: Warm the cream, sugar and a vanilla bean in a saucepan. In a bowl, whisk together yolks and some additional sugar. Slowly whisk the warm cream into the yolks, and remove the vanilla bean. This is the base for your creme brulee.
* Bake the custard: Divide this custard mixture between several ramekins, place in a hot water bath, and bake until the custard is set, but still jiggly. Chill the custards.
* Torch the top to caramelize: Just before serving, sprinkle the surface with a little sugar and use a creme brulee torch to caramelize the sugar and form a brittle crust.

Voila 🍮

I hope you have a fabulous day and if you can’t have my favourite Creme brûlée then I would recommend a little macaron ;) go ahead treat yourself 😍.

TRIVIA

Category: Lost in Translation - Famous Movie Titles Around the World!

UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS

WEATHER THIS WEEK

TORONTO

MIAMI

PARIS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Today's quote comes from a band that we all loved. 

All we need is just a little... Patience;) 

- Guns and Roses

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Super Frankie is lazy. He loves technology because it makes life more simple. Technology is spawned from ideas that make life easier. He is the founder of Busys.ca which is a company that sells/leases and services printers, laptops, document management software, copiers, IT services, and phone systems throughout North America and Europe.

LET’S CONNECT

*These articles, jokes, and stories are written by individuals handpicked by SFD for their unique way of thinking and writing. While SFD appreciates their styles, he does not necessarily endorse their opinions. This newsletter is designed to bring a smile to your face. If you prefer not to receive this weekly newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. You will be missed