Scream Cheese Doritos

Look at what finally hit the stores! The Doritos guru has been chosen. Ryan Coopersmith from Montreal won the Doritos Guru Contest. If you recall, Doritos held a contest back in March asking Canadians to help name their new Doritos flavor.To be eligible, you had to come up with a clever name for their new Doritos flavor, plus a 30 second advertising idea for the dudes at Frito Lay.Ryan Coopersmith came up with "Scream Cheese" and his advertising...

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Persian Chickpea Cookies: Nan-e Nokhochi

After receiving a bunch of cute little Persian cookie cutters from my in-laws, I wanted to put them to use. I made Persian chickpea cookies called nan-e nokhochi. Nan-e nokhochi is a delicate cookie that is made from very fine roasted chickpea flour. They crumble and melt as soon as they enter the mouth, and the cookies pair well with tea. I once tried using regular chickpea flour from my local bulk store, but it just didn't taste the same. The...

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7th Annual Lumiere Gala at Brookstreet Hotel, Ottawa

The Brookstreet hotel and the Ottawa Senators Foundation held their 7th annual Lumiere charity gala on June 24th. It was a magnificent evening of amazing food & live music, and the weather couldn't have been better. The live music was performed by Ottawa's Diana White, Roxy Swan and Jennifer Putinski, and the gala menu was prepared by Executive Chef Clifford Lyness and his four-diamond culinary team. Other well known spectacular Ottawa chefs,...

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Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Back in February when I lived in San Diego for the month, I watched the Food Network day and night. I was addicted. The shows on the American Food Network were different from the ones on the Canadian one, so it was neat to see the small cultural differences in the food shows. A lot of dishes and recipes on the American shows were latino influenced, and I finally learned who Paula Deen was (and discovered deep fried macaroni and cheese along the...

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Brunch at Sunflower Cafe, Ottawa

My friend K flew to Ottawa from Vancouver for a few days, so we went out to brunch with him and a few of his 'ol pals. His friends were such down to earth people. I felt like I had known them forever. One couple had a vibrant little 2 year old who loved being the center of attention. He was a very positive kid, and was a joy to be around.We decided to meet at Sunflower Café for brunch mainly because we were charmed by the idea of having only 3...

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Capellini Con Tonno

Sometimes, a can of flaked tuna can be a savior. All you have to do is open the can, and voila, it is ready. I like to make this pasta dish when I need a dose of meat protein, but don't feel like cooking any meat. Both the tuna and the beans in this dish provide a good source of protein. If you don't feel like cooking the tomato sauce from scratch, you can always open a jar of prepared tomato sauce, and use that instead. This recipe yields 4...

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Persian Pastries from Arya Food Market, Ottawa

I recently received a bunch of cute little Persian cookie cutters from my in-laws, and wanted to put them in use. I wanted to make Persian chickpea cookies that requires roasted chickpea flour (the key is the roasted part), and there is only one place in Ottawa I knew to get it from. Arya Food Market is a Persian food store that sells Persian groceries, spices, and pastries. They also have a butcher in the back that offers halal meat. Aside...

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Brockton Villa Restaurant, San Diego

While writing my recent San Diego posts, it reminded me of a bunch of other San Diego posts that I have been putting off. Brockton Villa Restaurant is an old beach cottage, dating back to the late 19th century, that is situated on top of the beautiful La Jolla cove. CK and I brunched here a few months back while we were strolling around the La Jolla Cove area. Although a little chilly in February, we got a table on the patio that had a spectacular...

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Viva Pops, San Diego

After my lunch at Urban Solace with Lisa, we drove a few blocks north to check out her new popsicle shop called Viva Pops. Lisa is putting the final touches on the store, and plans to officially open at the end of June. Be sure to check their website regularly for the official grand opening date. ***[Updated Aug 29 '09] They are officially open, and have been for a little while. Go check it out!***Viva Pops focuses on gourmet organic popsicles...

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