Spotted - Le Cordon Bleu, Ottawa

I took a Gourmet weekend cooking course at Le Cordon Bleu a few weeks back and got the chance to chat with my instructor, Chef Gilles Penot, after the class. He is a man who is passionate about food, and I learned that he adores salt and butter. He claims that you can never have too much of it, and truthfully, I'm not sure where he puts it all! I will soon post about the wonderful dishes I learnt during my weekend gourmet course, but in the meantime,...

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Winner of the Putumayo Food Music Giveaway

The winner of the Putumayo Food Music giveaway is commentor #15, Gina! You will receive 1 copy of the awesome Brazilian Cafe (my new favorite CD), and 1 copy of Picnic Playground. Please send me an email at nooschi [at] gmail [dot] com with your mailing address so that the CDs can be mailed to you. I hope you enjoy them, and congrats! Thanks to everyone who participated. The winner was picked via random.o...

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Sunday Brunch at Urban Pear, Ottawa

I met up with my friends P and A for brunch yesterday at Urban Pear, and had an awesome meal there. We all had a lot of catching up to do, and it was long overdue. P had just gotten back from an anniversary trip in Italy, and A got married to a man she met in Australia a few years back. Her husband is currently living in Ireland waiting for his Canadian visa to be approved. Gotta love the long distance relationships. Of course, I filled them in...

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Liang's Village, Ottawa

I know this is a bold statement, but my dinner at Liang's Village may have been one of the best, if not THE best, Chinese dinner I have had in Ottawa. I had put off writing this post because of the amount of food I had to write about, but after reading Ron Eade's mention of Liang's Village in his blog, I figured it was a sign for me to get off my butt and get writing about the wonderful Chinese meal I had there.I'll start by talking about my mom....

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Black Pepper Anise Cookies

If something seems out of the ordinary, it will appeal to me. It was one of those days where I was craving something sweet, but had no clue what to make. To get ideas, I decided to flip through my cookbook collection. Most of the cookbooks I own look great on my bookshelf, but rarely get used. When ideas are scarce, like today, my seldom used cookbooks really come in handy. While flipping through them, I saw the usual: chocolate cake, lemon tart,...

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Putumayo Food Music + GIVEAWAY

I was contacted by Putumayo World Music announcing that they are soon releasing two food-themed music CDs: Brazilian Café & Picnic Playground, and was asked if I wanted advance copies of the CD's to preview. After receiving the email, I checked out some of their music on the Putumayo website and really liked what I heard. I happily agreed to the advance CDs, and am thoroughly enjoying them. I'm a huge bossa nova lover, so the Brazilian Cafe...

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Trout Stuffed with Prunes and Pomegranate

I've never been a fan of mixing meat with fruit. I've always believed that the two should be kept separate...until I started eating Persian food, that is. This dish combines fruit with fish, and if you are one of those meat/fruit haters like I used to be, believe me when I say this dish is good! This healthy fish dish is baked with a prune, raisin, and pomegranate sauce stuffing. The pomegranate sauce adds a nice tangy flavor, and the herbs...

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La Roma, Ottawa

If you are from Ottawa, then you are likely familiar with the construction happening on and around Bank and Preston Street. The streets are being teared up, and a large portion of the streets have been closed since April. There is no doubt that this is affecting businesses around the area, and for that reason, my friend R and I decided to head to La Roma on Preston Street for an Italian dinner. La Roma recently renovated and completed their semi-private...

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Salade Olivier

My food journey started with this dish. I never used to cook much, and frankly, I didn't really enjoy it. It was about 5 years ago, at my in-laws' house, when I first tried Salade Olivier. I instantly fell in love, and felt compelled to learn how to make it. My mother-in-law did not make this salad much, and I couldn't fathom the fact that it would be months before I would taste it again. I wanted to eat this salad when I wanted, and as much as...

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Parsnip and Chive Gnocchi

Gnocchi is traditionally a potato-based pasta resembling mini dumplings. They are very filling due to the starch content, and when made properly, they have a soft and pillowy texture. Instead of using potato, I like to add variety by using parsnip. I love parsnips and I find they add a nice hint of sweetness to the pasta. I also love fresh herbs, especially in the summertime. I had a bunch of fresh chives on hand, so I added it to my gnocchi. This...

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Yuca with Coconut and Sugar

Yuca with coconut and sugar is a popular street dish in Southern Vietnam. You can find this pretty much anytime of the day, but most people prefer it in the morning as a breakfast dish. The yuca is first steamed, then split with a knife to create a crevasse, where the condiments are poured in. Condiments include confectioners' sugar, fresh coconut, coconut milk, and toasted sesame seeds. To serve, the yuca is wrapped in a banana leaf. Yuca, also...

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