I'm testing a couple of products from the upcoming Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert (March 11-13, 2016) and first up is a expeller-pressed macadamia nut oil from NOW. If you've never been to the expo before, it's a weekend-long exhibition at the Palais de Congrès (metro Place … [Read more...] about NOW Macadamia Nut Oil, Available at the Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert
Lovely Laloux: A Vegan Tasting Menu and Gluten-Free Dim Sum for Montreal en Lumière
For two days only, Laloux, the fine dining restaurant extraordinaire of chef Jonathan Lapierre-Réhayem, will be serving a $60 six-course vegan tasting menu for Montreal en Lumière. Those courses also happen to be gluten-free! As long as that tagliatelle is made of seaweed and … [Read more...] about Lovely Laloux: A Vegan Tasting Menu and Gluten-Free Dim Sum for Montreal en Lumière
Chinese Dì Sān Xiān: Sautéed Potato, Eggplant and Green Pepper
This classic Chinese comfort food dish is a study in texture. When you think potato and eggplant, you probably think mush. Think again. In this recipe, they're soft on the inside and crispy on the outside from shallow frying before hot sautéing.The flavour is mild - there's no … [Read more...] about Chinese Dì Sān Xiān: Sautéed Potato, Eggplant and Green Pepper
Shui Zu Yu: Spicy Boiled Sichuan Fish
This is a typical Sichuan dish that's quick, light and tongue-tingling. Make sure you find real Sichuan peppercorns. If your mouth doesn't go a little numb, they're not real. You want the burn, because it's not really heat, per se; it's numbing. And sometimes we all need a little … [Read more...] about Shui Zu Yu: Spicy Boiled Sichuan Fish
Where to Eat at Montreal en Lumière: The Best Dinners, Lunches, Brunches and Booze From Feb. 18-March 5, 2016
Montreal en Lumière... ...It's the most. Wonderful. Time. Of the year. No, this has nothing to do with Kylie, but I find this version a little less inappropriately Christmas-y than the Andy Williams original. What this is about is a city of great food taking a bleary … [Read more...] about Where to Eat at Montreal en Lumière: The Best Dinners, Lunches, Brunches and Booze From Feb. 18-March 5, 2016
All That Sushi: Celebrating my First Batch of Homemade Saké
When you make your first batch of saké, the obvious next step is to have a gigantic sushi party for all your friends to try the saké you made. We decided on a DIY-sushi party where everyone brought an ingredient and we rolled our own maki shaped our own nigiri and sliced our … [Read more...] about All That Sushi: Celebrating my First Batch of Homemade Saké
Japanese Eggplant, Chawan Mushi Egg Custard and Rice With Mountain Vegetables from “The Asian Kitchen”
I'm testing the recipes from a new Asian cookbook one country at a time. The Asian Kitchen is divided this way, with gorgeous photos and tips jammed into each chapter. First up was Japan. The recipes are all homestyle – nothing too chef-y – and cover the dishes you've … [Read more...] about Japanese Eggplant, Chawan Mushi Egg Custard and Rice With Mountain Vegetables from “The Asian Kitchen”
Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Turkey with Pinto Beans
I kind of cheated on this one. Instead of making a sauce, I just threw in a bunch of my frozen Heinz on Crack (sweet and spicy tomato jam). So if you make this recipe, don't replace it with ketchup or salsa. It won't be the same. The bones you see are the ones I took the meat … [Read more...] about Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Turkey with Pinto Beans
Indian White Bean Coconut Curry
I have a secret. I'm a lactose-free eater who hates coconut. "Oh my God! What ice cream do you eat?" you ask – the obvious question. Either Solo Fruit Sorbet, So Delicious almond ice cream (though for legal reasons it's called "non-dairy frozen dessert") or I make my own almond … [Read more...] about Indian White Bean Coconut Curry
There’s More Than One Way to Cook a Chicken: On Brining and Spatchcocking
So it turns out I had my aphorisms all mixed up. How embarrassing. It turns out that the old saying actually goes: "There's more than one way to skin a cat," which has nothing to do with roasting chickens. And when you type "There's more than one way to roast" in a Google search … [Read more...] about There’s More Than One Way to Cook a Chicken: On Brining and Spatchcocking