Nine years ago, I wrote an article called "Sleep Together and Have Sons: Celebrating Chinese New Year with Sex and Dumplings" for Maisonneuve Magazine's blog, back when I was an intern there. It's a catchy title and I remember researching this history of jiaozi and long-life … [Read more...] about Chinese New Year, Feb. 11-17, 2021: Recipes and History
White Chocolate and Almond Shortbread Cookies
You don't need an excuse for cookies, but I had one. These white chocolate and almond shortbread cookies were the perfect apology cookie for my downstairs neighbours, whose lives I disturb regularly by jumping on my floor during climbing workouts. Really, it's Block Shop's … [Read more...] about White Chocolate and Almond Shortbread Cookies
Travel Resolutions for 2021 and Why I Spent Three Months in Lima, Peru, and Never Saw Machu Picchu
I just read a line about a travel resolution in the AFAR newsletter by senior editor Aislyn Greene. It's actually a quote of another travel writer for the Guardian, Shahnaz Habib, but I think the lineage is important because it shows how this is resonating with a lot of … [Read more...] about Travel Resolutions for 2021 and Why I Spent Three Months in Lima, Peru, and Never Saw Machu Picchu
My New Years Resolutions in Montreal Food and Restaurants
I have the most expensive bottle of Champagne I've ever bought just waiting in my coldest room for an excuse to be popped. New Years Eve 2020 is not that time. Will I celebrate the end of an overall awful year for the restaurant industry in Montreal? Certainly. But I won't … [Read more...] about My New Years Resolutions in Montreal Food and Restaurants
Contest: Choco Crème Holiday Giveaway
Contest Giveaway: 1 Bottle of Choco Crème The 5à7 Podcast is giving away a bottle of Choco Crème in time for the holidays! Coming out next Thursday on thePodcast, my guest will be Nicolas Duvernois, the founder of Pur Vodka, Romeo's Gin and the just-released, … [Read more...] about Contest: Choco Crème Holiday Giveaway
The Ultimate Pantry Tomato Sauce From “Quarantine Cooking”
This multi-pot tomato sauce recipe might be a little early for those thinking they'll get a multi-cooker or Instant Pot for Christmas, but if you've got one of those from last year, or have a pressure cooker or slow-cooker (come on, you probably have a pot if you're reading … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Pantry Tomato Sauce From “Quarantine Cooking”
Second-Wave Box-Jumping and What Montreal Chefs are Doing to Get Through the Second Wave of the Pandemic
I jumped on another box the other day, so I've officially come full circle. Back when the pandemic started in Canada in spring, I wrote a little something about how I was doing as a writer in quarantine for "Chronicling the Days," an initiative of the Quebec Writers' … [Read more...] about Second-Wave Box-Jumping and What Montreal Chefs are Doing to Get Through the Second Wave of the Pandemic
Turmeric-Sage Rice with Pickled Kale Stems
"Yellow is my favourite rice!" said my brother as I lifted the cover of the rice cooker to reveal a turmeric-tinged batch of Basmati. "It's seriously just turmeric and rice," I said, but it did look good. Sometimes it takes a brother to point out how delicious a colour can … [Read more...] about Turmeric-Sage Rice with Pickled Kale Stems
Spicy Sichuan Boiled Fish from Bon Appetit and How to Simultaneously Burn and Numb Your Mouth
Sometimes you just want your whole mouth to burn. For that, there's Sichuan boiled fish. The bright red liquid the fish is served in is more a cooking oil than a sauce, and the whole dried Sichuan chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns that occupy it are for simultaneously … [Read more...] about Spicy Sichuan Boiled Fish from Bon Appetit and How to Simultaneously Burn and Numb Your Mouth
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
You should always be skeptical of recipes claiming to be amazingly delicious with only five ingredients, I feel. (You should also be skeptical of all sentences that include hyperbolic adverbs such as "amazingly.") And yet, here I am telling you that this five-ingredient … [Read more...] about Whole Roasted Cauliflower