I love the Atwater library. Anywhere I can walk in and take books out for free is a miraculous thing to me. Atwater just happens to be the version of that system closest to my house. There's actually a membership (which I think defeats the purpose of "free lending"...I actually … [Read more...] about Persimmons and Pears with Cinnamon and Star Anise: The Season’s Last Adventure in Canning
Inexpensive Moong Dal and the Montreal Metro’s Helpful Spice-Grinding Tips
So I was in the metro yesterday and looked up at the big MetroVision screens in the subway that tell you when the next train is coming and give you some generally uninformative news headlines, when lo and behold, I read the following: "To grind spices in a mortar and pestle, … [Read more...] about Inexpensive Moong Dal and the Montreal Metro’s Helpful Spice-Grinding Tips
Cupcake Camp Montreal 2010 Round-Up: On the Hunt for Dairy-Free Baked Goods
My personal challenge for cupcake camp Montreal 2010 was to hunt down all the dairy-free, vegan, and/or refined-sugar-free cupcakes. The idea was that this would keep me away from all the butter and cream that would make me sick for days, but allow me to enjoy the festivities … [Read more...] about Cupcake Camp Montreal 2010 Round-Up: On the Hunt for Dairy-Free Baked Goods
Dates, Leopoldo, and Tania
The final Jean-Talon fruit vendor test was dates. Medjool, not dinner and drinks. In fact, I've had worse dinners than these dates before. I won't get into it, but trust me, sometimes you're better off with medjools. Now, I've gotten picky with my dates recently (lets focus on … [Read more...] about Dates, Leopoldo, and Tania
Competition #3 Between Leopoldo and the Man With Whom I’m Cheating on Him
...and there there's fennel. It's clear I'm obsessed with this vegetable, and as disappointed as I've been with my fruit guy, Leopoldo, the last few times I've bought it, I decided it was time to try again. But the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and … [Read more...] about Competition #3 Between Leopoldo and the Man With Whom I’m Cheating on Him
Fruit Vendor Throwdown: Dancing, My First Persimmon and Knowing That Something’s Missing
Have you ever had an experience where it ends and all you think is "Huh...That's it?" Yeah, that's kind of how I felt with persimmons, except, well, it wasn't really a disappointed "that's it". Some people can take things so seriously. Sometimes all you're saying is simply, … [Read more...] about Fruit Vendor Throwdown: Dancing, My First Persimmon and Knowing That Something’s Missing
Cheating on My Fruit Guy
The world is letting me down. First my "free Gazette man" and now my fruit guy. Good thing I still have Guillaume. Loyal Guillaume with his incredible sourdough and his yeast that smells like strawberry jam-filled donuts. I swear. This is not about Guillaume. This is about … [Read more...] about Cheating on My Fruit Guy
Pissaladière: “A la di Stadio”
This wasn't your fault, Josée. If I could only follow a recipe properly this would have been fine, delicious even, but you asked for 2 lbs of onions and I only had 1 and a pound of leeks. And apparently leeks take a whole lot longer to soften than I thought, even when they look … [Read more...] about Pissaladière: “A la di Stadio”
The Downfall of the “Free Gazette Man”?
Of late, there has been something wrong with my "Free Gazette Man". It had gotten to the point where I walked to the metro in eager anticipation of an ingenious sales pitch. Some days I even WANTED to read the Gazette (Well, mostly Wednesdays when the food and life section comes … [Read more...] about The Downfall of the “Free Gazette Man”?
“Raw” Granola: Dried Apricot, Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Sprouted Oat Groats Sweetened with Date Paste
This recipe sprouts for 1 day, soaks for one hour, takes 30 minutes to prep and then 2/3rds of another day to dehydrate. Why would anyone got to the trouble of making this? Well, I'm a sucker for recipes that end with the instruction to "enjoy", and I suck at "real" (sugar … [Read more...] about “Raw” Granola: Dried Apricot, Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Sprouted Oat Groats Sweetened with Date Paste