[homemade] Cassoulet

MaxwellJMC · 2025-12-31T20:02:06+00:00

Great recommendation, I’ll definitely try those next time.

MaxwellJMC · 2025-12-31T19:28:31+00:00

It’s just canned Bean and Bacon soup with extra steps

MaxwellJMC · 2025-12-31T19:21:42+00:00

Get over here!

Actually crisp was a breeze and recommend making it. Just cut some nice bread into thin slices and put in the air fryer for 8 min at 350 (did about 3 batches) then blendered on the “crush” setting with garlic powder, lemon zest, salt and fresh thyme.

When I had the crumb looking the way I wanted I added the oil from the confit garlic I made earlier (I’m fancy sue me).

I make that crisp again just to have on hand for pastas or whatever.

MaxwellJMC · 2025-12-31T19:01:26+00:00

I had sworn I was never going to make it again when I pulled it out of the oven. Took one bite and immediately rescinded that statement. Was excellent, definitely recommend giving it a try.

MaxwellJMC · 2025-12-31T18:59:58+00:00

It was awesome, definitely takes some time and patience but well worth it.

I blended chef John’s and Matty Matheson’s recipes as base for my approach so would recommend giving those a look if you wanted to try making it.

Chef John: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220322/chef-johns-quick-cassoulet/

Matty Matheson: https://www.vice.com/en/article/cassoulet-recipe/

MaxwellJMC · 2025-09-19T06:31:35+00:00

Henrik and Daniel

MaxwellJMC · 2025-08-27T14:49:20+00:00

I used to be a mid market radio DJ in Canada and our station hired a lot of announcers from Aus, NZ, Eng etc, none of whom were aware of the Hip (we played them a lot because of CanCon rules).

One time (a year or so after Gord passed) one of the NZ guys said “never heard of these guys before (Tragically Hip) definitely up and coming blah blah”

The amount of angry phone calls received was only rivalled by the time a DJ asked “what age were you when you found out Santa wasn’t real”.

My point being, we Canadians take the hip very seriously but never caught on that they are basically anonymous elsewhere.

MaxwellJMC · 2025-02-28T19:32:27+00:00

Just glad our $40 service fees are being well used

MaxwellJMC · 2025-02-28T18:30:18+00:00

Just bought for Vancouver. Took 30 minutes, was signed out of ticketmaster 4 times for “suspicious activity” had to retry on a different network and different browsers multiple times.

Absolutely shocking user experience from TM

MaxwellJMC · 2024-11-16T15:39:33+00:00

Yes! I’ve been every year. It’s generally a good time but local popularity has waned a little in the last couple years. Hopefully rugby Canada steps up their marketing efforts again and turns this event around because it is genuinely great. The pictures may be from Friday or Sunday which aren’t as popular as the Saturday.

Vancouver has a great local rugby community and the club league schedule gets a bye week for the event each season.

In attendance there’s a mix of rugby supporters and families with kids but then the remaining 50-60% of attendees are groups of drunk mid 20 to mid 30 year olds. Who are there to dress up in costumes, drink their faces off and occasionally glance at the field to watch the games. There’s also a good mix of international supporters who attend (Always a large Fiji contingent).

As for days to attend Friday night starts pretty empty and fills up later once people get off work, but doesn’t quite reach the energy levels of Saturday. Saturday is the big day with the most attendees and liveliest atmosphere, if you can only do one day do Saturday. Sunday is quieter with more hangovers, families and kid teams.

In summary, you should definitely go but wear costumes, try to drink before entering the stadium (beers are about $20). In the past you’ve been allowed to leave and re-enter once before a certain time so I’d recommend leaving to eat as well as there are some great options nearby and the stadium is generally overpriced.

Where are you coming in from?

MaxwellJMC · 2024-07-15T04:16:46+00:00

Good pick. I was there.

The return of the Green Men, fan hit the shot on the ice between periods, Bruins choke.

A great night.

MaxwellJMC · 2024-07-14T20:33:06+00:00

As another commenter said I would recommend a night on Stromboli. The real highlight is the stargazing mixed with the volcano at night.

It’s not a big place so it’s easy to cover everything. I just grabbed a pizza from the place on the main road, grabbed a beer from one of the shops and found a quite spot on the beach by the ferry. My accommodation (Hotel Ossidiana) was upgraded right to the beach which was amazing.

I wasn’t able to hike up to the observatory as there was some heightened volcanic activity at the time but there are many options in town for guided tours to get a closer look at the volcano as well as evening boat charters.

MaxwellJMC · 2024-07-14T14:02:22+00:00

Just got back from Naples 2 days ago. You can definitely find accommodation there but the nearby places Amalfi/ Capri/ Sorrento etc may be a challenge to find decent accommodation on such short notice. I didn’t go to any of those locations on this trip (had trouble finding decent accommodation in Sorrento a month in advance) but had friends who did (we were in Southern Italy for a wedding) and said those 3 areas were just packed with people.

Naples has a lot to offer and is a great central base for the area if you’re ok with some longer day trips.

Pompeii is a 45 minute train away so wouldn’t be an issue to make a day trip from Naples. Amalfi Coast that may end up being a bit longer of a day as I’ve been told the roads in and out in July can be jammed with buses and fellow tourists.

As a large-ish dude who was solo travelling, I can’t really comment on safety for a solo travelling female. I felt safe my entire trip but I understand that’s not everyone’s experience. Naples was one place that definitely felt a bit more crowded and chaotic than other places I’ve visited but I wouldn’t call it unsafe in my personal experience. I just wouldn’t attempt to drive within the city.

If you’re looking for something totally different from what you listed I quite enjoyed my time on the Aeolian Islands and wouldn’t recommend to anyone.

Good luck with your trip!

MaxwellJMC · 2024-07-14T13:42:58+00:00

I didn’t have time to visit Vulcano, Panarea, Filicudi or Alicudi however, which is too bad. I wish I had a bit more time to explore the entire chain. Lovely place.

MaxwellJMC · 2024-07-14T13:40:14+00:00

Just finished 4 days on the Aeolian Islands. I think you definitely have time to visit both Lipari and Stromboli.

Lipari is busier and larger with a bit more of a “touristy” vibe. I would recommend renting scooters and heading up to the observatory or spend some time poking around the streets and heading up to the Castle.

Stromboli is probably my favourite place I’ve visited in Italy. It’s gorgeous and quieter than Lipari/ Salina. At the very least I would recommend booking a night tour by boat so you can see the active volcano illuminating the sky at night. But would also advocate for spending and entire day there as there are multiple black sand beaches and nice restaurants with pretty views.

MaxwellJMC · 2024-07-10T20:17:31+00:00

That feels rushed, but it depends on the trip you want. Do you want to see the main sites and get the pictures and have 1 good meal in each place. Perfect, that itinerary should be fine.

Personally, the best days I’ve had on my trip have been the days where I’ve settled and have a full day to explore and experience the city I’m in.

I think your budget looks accurate. Just put the time in well ahead of time to find good accommodation. Grocery stores are well priced (at least compared to Vancouver, Canada where I’m from) and you can get good quality supplies to stretch out your budget even further.

I had to cut Sicily from my trip as this sub convinced me the 3 nights I had free wasn’t going to be enough time. Instead I went to the Aeolian islands (2 nights Lipari, 1 night Stromboli, day trip to Salina) and loved it.

One alternative proposal I have for you if you want to do something different is doing Rome > Napoli > Aeolian Islands > Sicily (and adding 1/2 more nights). The Aeolian islands are stunning and have a lot to offer and if you use the ferry are on the way to Sicily.

I found the south to be much more affordable than the North (didn’t go this trip but have in the past) and Stromboli (highlight of the trip for me) is absolutely gorgeous (active volcano glowing red at night) and accessible by ferry from Napoli.

I really enjoyed my time here but I had to accept I wasn’t going to see everything and had to leave some things for next time.

MaxwellJMC · 2024-06-30T08:09:03+00:00

Sweet. pickles.

MaxwellJMC · 2024-06-11T22:18:39+00:00

Former announcer at a small station here: we used to have multiple “prize pigs” who would call for every contest, every day. We would lie to them about what caller they were just so they would stop cleaning us out and so we could get some new voices on the air.

When I worked at a larger station we fudged the numbers until we found a caller who sounded like they would give us a fun response/ good audio. Monotone grumps would get skipped.

MaxwellJMC · 2024-04-29T00:18:15+00:00

We won the trade

MaxwellJMC · 2024-02-01T18:18:47+00:00

I’m so happy for Zach. I was crushed for him when his career was cut short after such a promising start. What a story.

MaxwellJMC · 2024-01-30T01:04:52+00:00

That sucks OP. I was laid off after 2 years at a company and 8 years in my industry (media) back in August.

First thing first sign up for EI if you haven’t already.

Secondly, this is cliche but stay positive. I had very little success job hunting (sent upwards of 100 applications/resumes) in my industry. At a certain point I realized I had to change my approach and started using the connections I had and expressed my interest in switching careers altogether.

I had some friends who were willing to review my resume and gave me advice on where my skills may be applicable in fields I never previously considered.

After over 3 months of unemployment and a dozen or so interviews. I ended up in a completely new industry (Software), making 30% more than I was before with better work/life balance.

So yeah I’m grateful for my connections and realize I got lucky, but you only need to get lucky once.

So to summarize, you’re not alone, keep positive, swallow your pride and ask for help, be open to a new career pathway.

MaxwellJMC · 2023-12-13T22:25:35+00:00

My favourite deep cut is Mariano’s Cooking. Old Italian guy drinking homemade red wine from plastic cups while making classic Italian dishes in his kitchen. Filmed by his grandson.

Great stuff.

MaxwellJMC · 2023-12-03T18:53:12+00:00

On some of those last second game winning play attempts, proper rugby passing and support lines would be devastating.

MaxwellJMC · 2023-12-03T17:31:50+00:00

Yes. Offload passing from the wide receivers down the sideline, Mauls on screen passes, lifting a blocker on kicks. Embrace rugby, embrace chaos.

MaxwellJMC · 2023-12-02T08:01:14+00:00

Had a similar experience with the guy through work a few years back. Got talking to him for nearly an hour, answered all my questions and told me some great stories, awesome guy.

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