Morning Owl, Ottawa

Funky. Fresh. Fun. Those are the words that come to mind when I think of Morning Owl. This place has become one of my new favorite coffee joints in Ottawa, and it is undoubtedly a unique place with a very cool vibe. Complementary to the cool vibe are the friendly owners, Jordan and Sarah. I conducted a short Spotted Interview with them a couple of days ago, and you can read about it here. Morning Owl is a coffee + sandwich shop located on...

Read More

Spotted - Morning Owl, Ottawa

Meet Jordan and Sarah. They are a charming couple who also happen to be the proud owners of Morning Owl coffee + sandwich shop.   Morning Owl is a vibrant little shop with a very inviting atmosphere. Jordan and Sarah have poured a lot of love into this place, and it shows. This month's spotted interview is at Morning Owl, Ottawa.   Sarah O'Leary Where are you from: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Your signature dish: Oh! Nothing. I'm...

Read More

Pantheon Restaurant, Toronto

I've been sitting on this post forever...mainly out of fear. When I was in Toronto back in January, my Greek friend, K, who used to live in Toronto, gave me a list of recommended restaurants to try out. Almost all of his recommendations were bang on, except one. It's not that I didn't like it, I just didn't love it like he did. He felt that Pantheon served the best Greek food in Toronto. I questioned that statement. He was absolutely insulted...

Read More

Date Cake

Five things that have gone obsolete: 1.) Cassette tapes and Walkmans (my favorite was my Color Me Badd tape) 2.) Black and white televisions 3.) Typewriters 4.) Poodle skirts 5.) Ready-made date cake mix Number 5 is the reason for my post today. My aunt Mims loves date cake. She used to buy the ready-made date cake mix, and make it on a weekly basis. Our grocery stores stopped carrying it about 10 years ago, but she still reminisces about it...

Read More

Grandma's Steamed Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms

This dish is hot diggity good! It's gotta be, it is my grandmother's recipe. She makes this every time she comes to Ottawa to visit, and this time, I took advantage of her time here, and asked her to teach me how to make it. This is a light and healthy dish, and I never feel guilty eating it. The last time I had this, I ate until my stomach screamed for me to stop. I prefer this dish on the milder side. If you wish, you can add more flavor by...

Read More

Home Made Veggie Pizza

Here is a little glimpse into the way we make home made pizza. It is guaranteed to be a family affair, and the veggie pizza is the clear winner with us. First we make the whole wheat dough. Hardly any work involved here. We let the bread maker do the dirty work. Once that's done, knead the dough into a pizza pie shape, and create a base of tomato sauce and some cheese. Now, go crazy and layer the pizza with veggies. Don't stop there,...

Read More

Mango and Bean Salad

This salad is beautiful, isn't it? It was made with love...lots of love. This is a great refreshing salad that is perfect for that potluck party or picnic lunch this summer. One thing I started doing was adding chayote to my salads. It is a very neutral ingredient with little taste and lotsa crunch. I thought it would perfectly balance the soft squishy beans, and I was right. My little grandma, who refuses to eat anything but Chinese food, even...

Read More

Heilig-Geist-Spital, Nuremburg

I've been doing some Spring cleaning...late Spring cleaning. I must tell you that cleaning is a slow process for me. It is slow because I always get distracted by the forgotten things I dig up. Instead of cleaning, I end up spending my day relishing in the memories that these lost-and-then-found treasures bring me.My latest find was a pile of wonderful German restaurant menus I had taken home with me from my trip to Nuremburg. Yes, I always ask...

Read More

Celery Stew (Khoresh Karafs)

I've realized that most Persian food is not photogenic. It is unfortunate because it is one of my favorite cuisines. I wish it were easier to translate the spectacular tastes found in Persian cuisine into a visually appealing photograph. I never really understood slow cooking until I learned how to make Persian food...patience is key, my friends. Persian cuisine comprises of a lot of khoresh's, or stews. Their stews are different from what...

Read More

Luxe Bistro, Ottawa

It was my friend P’s bday last week, and we celebrated with a dinner at Luxe Bistro. P is one of my oldest friends. We’ve known each other since we were 7 years old, and I remember our childhood together clearly. We used to steal our mom's clothes and play fashion show in the summer time. During the winter months, we built snow forts together. I even remember spending an entire day playing secretary where we just answered make-belief phone calls...

Read More