The trick to this gorgeous appetizer is to find good figs. The rest is simple. But it's March! you say. Do you think a lot of figs grow in Montreal at any time of the year? My friend gets one per season, and the work she puts into burying that plant at the end of the growing … [Read more...] about Balsamic Figs with Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Live Blog from the Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert 2015 in Montreal
More than 250 exhibitors took over Montreal’s Palais de Congrès today for day one of the annual Healthy Eating and Green Living Expo. The 18th edition of Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert has even more vendors this year selling gluten-free breads, dairy-free ice creams, vegan … [Read more...] about Live Blog from the Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert 2015 in Montreal
Spiced Orange, Fig and Toasted Sunflower Pilaf
I'm reviewing a new cookbook called The Smart Palate. It was created by the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Center at McGill University. It's three authors aim for easy-to-make recipes that are visually appealing and healthy. Healthy in their views means fairly low in … [Read more...] about Spiced Orange, Fig and Toasted Sunflower Pilaf
Pillows of Sugar and Vanilla Meringues
Can pillows be crunchy? If so, these deceptively brittle, melt-in-your-mouth treats are the most breakable sleeping accessory I've ever baked. They look like pillows—or clouds or hills or pudding—but they're crunchy and soft and creamy all at the same time. It's the miracle of … [Read more...] about Pillows of Sugar and Vanilla Meringues
Best Food Blog Post for Taste Canada Competition: Dates, Thailand or Gaspésie Sauvage
I need some help. I'm entering the Taste Canada Best Blog Post competition and have to choose a 750-1250-word post from the last year. It should be a recipe, a restaurant review or about a food experience. It will be judged on writing, photos, originality, organization/focus, … [Read more...] about Best Food Blog Post for Taste Canada Competition: Dates, Thailand or Gaspésie Sauvage
Morning Gloryville Montreal #2: Free Coffee, Kombucha, Massages and a Dance Party this Wednesday Morning
Vegan chef Stephanie Audet wants you to skip the gym this Wednesday morning. (Gym? Morning? Huh? you say). Or skip that extra hour of sleep, because she and Justin Finity, co-organizers of Morning Gloryville Montreal think that either way you're better off starting your day with … [Read more...] about Morning Gloryville Montreal #2: Free Coffee, Kombucha, Massages and a Dance Party this Wednesday Morning
Shrimp with Bananas, Almonds and Agua Diabla: Recreating ABC Cocina Restaurant at Home
ABC Cocina restaurant in NYC blew me away, from the Tequila in my lime- and basil-rimmed margarita to my patatas bravas infused with vinegar and salt and topped with an addictive sweet chili sauce to the tamarind-glazed fish. But everyone at our table agreed on the best dish: the … [Read more...] about Shrimp with Bananas, Almonds and Agua Diabla: Recreating ABC Cocina Restaurant at Home
Healthy Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers with Avocado Dip
There's a slow burn that comes from cooked jalapeno. You bite into a baked or fried whole pepper and there's a mild sweetness of the roasted flesh. Then bitterness hits from the skin and membrane as you chew. And finally, there's the heat. That's what you wait for. It's what … [Read more...] about Healthy Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers with Avocado Dip
Flan Soup and Averting Dessert Disaster
There's no such dessert called flan soup in any recipe book I know. But some of the best foods in the world are mistakes. Popsicles, deep-fried ravioli, potato chips. To that list, I now add flan soup. Tastes just like flan, but you bake it forever and it never solidifies into … [Read more...] about Flan Soup and Averting Dessert Disaster
Festival en Lumière – The Montreal Highlights Festival: Switzerland and Washington, DC
I have an article on the Gazette website this week about this year's happiest foodie time of the year—Festival en Lumière, aka the Montreal Highlights Festival. This year the guest country is Switzerland, which means a host of Michelin-starred chefs are descending on Montreal … [Read more...] about Festival en Lumière – The Montreal Highlights Festival: Switzerland and Washington, DC