Spiderweb Cupcakes

Trying to please little boys with super hero themed food is fabulous. I am not a theme cake maker, nor do I profess to be one, Actually, if you call me and say "can you make a cake that looks like a shoe?", I will say no. It's not my strength, I don't enjoy doing it, so with both those combined, the cakes never turn out well. I mean, they are delicious, they are just not as perfect-looking as I would like them to be.
I like little cakes, and little hors d'oeuvres, and cute food, and hundreds of little food all looking exactly the same. I find pleasure in the details, ALL the tiny details.

So, my Spiderman themed cupcakes turned out great - chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream and then a white chocolate web placed right on top. All of those little "soldiers" (as my mum used to say), all looked exactly the same. I was in heaven.

You can order custom cupcakes right from my website at Take Another Bite. Just email me or give me a call - as long as it's not too themed, I am very happy to help out with the most delicious cupcakes you have ever tasted. I promise!
Enjoy!

Purple Pops

It was a busy weekend, I had these cake pops go out on order, as well as cupcakes. At the same time, I am entertaining my brother and his girlfriend from Australia. I feel a bit wiped out, to be honest.
The favourite colours of the recipient were purple & black, so I dipped chocolate cake balls in dark chocolate and then used the purple candy coating to make stripes, purple sugar and purple sprinkles.

I used to really dislike making cake pops, but recently they seem to have been on the top of everyone's order list, and now, after lots of practice, they seem to have grown on me. I don't mind them now that I have figured out the quirks!

Anyway, you can order these from me (in the Ottawa area) by visiting my website Take Another Bite and getting in touch with me.

Enjoy!

#9 Peach Cranberry Jam

A long time ago, I used to work at Thyme and Again. I was the girl who made your coffee, packed your sweet treats and asked you to pay. It was a fun job, I did it to fill some time "in between" work. Mostly, all the people I worked with were wonderful. The thing I loved the most was the pride they all took in the foods they produced. The bakery bakes from scratch daily (the cheese biscuits are still wonderful). The cuisine kitchen is tiny and crowded, but the quality and quantity of food that emerges, continues to amaze. It's been quite a few years since I saw it from behind the scenes, and I can only imagine how much the production has increased, but the passion remians the same.

I am not a jam lover. I admit it. It's an extremely rare occasion that I will sit down and put jam on something. Occasionally a flaky, all-butter croissant with cross my lips with a smearing of handmade raspberry jam, and that's really about it.

Until now.

I was skeptical of a jar of jam making the "101 things to try before you die" list, but really, I think this will now become a staple in my pantry.

This jam from Thyme and Again on Wellington is really, really delicious. It's red (well, cranberry) in colour, but with such an aroma and taste of peach. The cranberries are whole, the peach slices are big, and it's sweet. It's lightly set, unlike a commercial jam which leaves a scoop impression each time you literally dig into it.

Jam, in my mind, goes with croissants, but really, I didn't have the time to make croissants from scratch, so scones were my next best bet. These scones are great, and even better the next day when heated up in the oven.

Cranberry Lemon Scones
adapted slightly from a recipe from King Arthur Flour
Makes 8 large scones

2 & 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 & 1/2 cups dried cranberries
zest from one lemon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk (you might need a touch more depending on weather)

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Rub in butter with fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. I would normally use a food processor to "rub" in butter, but I thought I would do it the traditional way this time. However, if I were to use the food processor, I would put my cold butter cubes on the bottom, and then add the dry ingredients on top - it just mixes better that way.

Stir through the cranberries and lemon zest (you could use whatever combination you like - chocolate chips, dried blueberries, currants, nuts, baking spices etc etc).

In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs and the milk, and blend together.

Make a well in the flour mixture and gently mix through the liquids. If I were using the food processor, I would turn the dry mix into a bowl, and then mix in the fruit and wet ingredients by hand. You want the dough to come just together. It will be a little sticky, but whatever you do, don't mix too much.

You can shape your scones any way you want. I pulled off chunks of dough for a rustic looking scone. You could use a round cutter for a more refined look, you could roll your dough into a long rectangle and cut into triangles, or, you could roll your dough into a circle and then cut into wedges. Whatever you do, you obviously want the sizes to be similar so that they all bake at the same time.

Place scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. King Arthur says to do this for the best texture and the highest rise.

Pre-heat oven to 425F and bake for 20-25 minutes. The scone will be cooked when it is nicely golden all over, is not shiny, and it you can stand the heat, pick one up and make sure the bottom is golden too. Remove from oven and leave to cool. Serve warm - YUM!

One final thought, why is it, that whenever I visit a food shop to purchase ONE thing, I end up walking out with bags of goodies? My husband, I am sure, would also love to know the answer to that one.

#2 Pascale's All Natural Ice Cream

OK, so finally we are in full swing of our very dismal summer here in Ottawa. And, here I am sitting at my computer with two (now kind of empty) pints of hand-crafted delight. What could be a better way to cool down after a long day of work?

I visited Pascale at The Piggy Market in Westboro last week to sample some of what is described as "decadent" and "made with heart and a whole lot of cream, eggs, and sugar", by the Ottawa Magazine crew. I couldn't agree more.

Pascale is just lovely. She is so down to earth and completely loves what she does. I had known that she is the former Pastry Chef at the Wellington Gastropub, but had forgotten. Oops.

I bought a couple of flavours, but what I am really holding out for, and one of my reasons for visiting again, is the Peanut Butter with Salted Caramel. Luckily, for me, it was in production at the time I visited and Pascale gave me a scoop right out of the churner. OMG - I need a pint of that goodness right now! Pregnant women beware - this is all you will crave for nine months. Husbands - go and find the store now, so you know where to go when she calls.

I bought the Raspberry Cassis because I absolutely adore raspberries. It was delightfully fresh with a luxurious creamy finish. I can definitely taste the raspberries and I am fairly sure I can taste the cassis portion too. It's good, really good, and as proof, over the last few days, I have managed to polish off the whole pint. My mouth and my hips are in total agreement.

The Fifth Town 70% Choc Chevre was an adventure for me as I'm a pretty "vanilla" person (note the pink and brown ice cream I bought). I can't say I would have picked out the goat cheese in a blind tasting, but there is something about it that you know it's not just plain-jane chocolate. I was wary of buying it, but I love that it's not too sweet with a touch of bitter cocoa and the tartness of the goat cheese all seem to meld together perfectly.

Pascale also makes designer scoops which got me thinking about what I would like in an ice cream. How about Lemon Meringue Pie (creamy but tart lemon ice cream with whisps of meringue swirled through), or, Pina Colada (coconut, lime and rum), or, deep dark chocolate oce cream with cocnut macaroons? I could dream all day. I might need to plan a party and have some of these flavours made up for a special event...ooh, what about fresh peach ice cream with raspberries?

The Piggy Market itself, could do with a touch of retail therapy, the store is pretty empty and walking up to it I couldn't even tell if it was open. And, I had a hell of a time trying to find it. Feels like I drove around in circles for a very long time. Even though the address clearly states Winston Avenue, my not-so-trusty iPhone decided to try and tell me the address was Wellington. Not funny. But nowhere, and I mean nowhere, does anyone or anything tell you that Winston does not run into Wellington, it rather becomes a dead-end onto Wellington.

I was cursing while driving around the block to find the front door. There was no way I could park on Wellington and walk down the street. I am the kind of girl who likes to park right out the front of the place I am going. I am usually wearing some ridiculous not-meant-for-walking-long-distance shoes (more for show than anything else). You can imagine the very loud cursing when I discovered that you can't park outside the Piggy Market and I had to find a space two blocks away. I was very tempted to park in the driveway to the right of the entry way...next time I just might.

Enjoy your ice cream.

PS - My last post was on Aug 27, it's almost two weeks later, that means if I continue at this rate, it's going to take me more than two years to complete "the list". I had better get eating!

#1 Beau's Lug Tread Beer

Who knew that that Beau's All Natural Brewing Company was practically on our doorstep and who knew it was stocked in a lot of places in Ottawa? I found my bottle at my local LCBO and I think it was $7.65 (or thereabouts) for a 750ml bottle.

From their website, you can find Beau's beer almost all over, even on tap at some local pubs. Looks like I have to get out far more than I think I do. But, you know, I have had this beer before - right at the beginning of summer I was in my LCBO and bought it purely for the bottle. It's a gorgeous ceramic bottle with one of those swing top lids. To be honest, I thought the bottle probably costs more than the actual beer inside. But like most of us, I buy things because they look pretty.

This time though, I bought it to begin "the list".

The beer inside is quite refreshing. It's nice and light, and for a girl like me, it's just what I want. Nothing too complicated, nothing I really have to think about. Just something I can drink on a hot summer afternoon. It's a little bit bitter, but really nice and crisp. Maybe I'll buy some more.

I wanted to keep the bottle, but then I remembered, I have so much junk, that one beer bottle isn't really going to make the cut. So, in the recycle box it will go. It's a pity I don't live in a more countrified life. It would fit in perfectly filled with dish soap, or a daisy, or something. My brother, who collects trophies from drunken nights, would like it. Maybe I will hold onto it for a little while longer - that's what a basement's for, right?

And, I was right. After a quick look at Beau's website, it is named after a trucking sort of term, it turns out, a lug tread (I think) is the mark made by a tractor tire in the mud after it has passed by. Does that make sense?

If my husband is lucky, I might insist on visiting the brewery personally in the near future for one of our Family Sundays, which can be anything as long as we are spending quality time together as a family.

Bottoms Up to #1!

(You can return the empties to depots around Ottawa and Beau's will donate $0.40 for each bottle returned to Operation Come Home)

Project 101

I was looking for a project and I think I've found it. I am going to find and eat all the foods and drinks listed in the September 2009 issue of Ottawa Magazine. The article is "101 Must-Try-Before-You-Die Tastes". I'm a pretty picky eater, but I will try everything on the list.

What I am looking forward to mostly is the discovery of new places and the way the list will "force" me to go to places that have been on my must-visit list for a long time, but I am too lazy-assed to get there.

It will be my own Julie/Julia project, as there is no way I have the stamina, or really, the will to cook my way through MtAoFC (or any other cookbook). After almost finishing the novel, and laughing wildly out loud in some parts, I have no desire to cook or eat much of what was described. It would be great to have a copy of the book (birthday wishlist) to read as I think it would be fascinating, and perhaps I'll try a few of the recipes, but definitely nowhere near all of them.

Here's the list:

1. Beau's Lug Tread Beer - wierd name, although I am sure it will make sense when either I have seen the bottle, or tasted it. Kind of sounds like truck tires right now.
2. Pascale's Ice Cream - yum! This may be one of my favourites on the list.
3. Bryson Farm's Baby Salad Greens - I have had these before. In Ottawa, who hasn't?
4. Memories Triple Berry Pie - cafe is OK, not much going for the decor, but the food is generally OK and the prices are good.
5. Lamb Tourtiere from Les Fougeres - love the restaurant, only visited the food shop a couple of times, but looking forward to going back for tourtiere now that Fall is on it's way.
6. Great Aunt Gerty's Tomato Chilli Sauce - name sounds a bit dinky, but perhaps it will be good with the tourtiere? I'm not really one to go for the dinky name....
7. The Red Sea Coffee Beans - not entirely sure why this made it onto the list as the introduction to the article says the only parameters are that it had to be made in Ottawa, unique to Ottawa, (oh) or hard to find elsewhere...hmm...there's the catch. The Red Sea is not so close to us.
8. Milk from Cochrane's Dairy - tried it, it's good, but I think I like the bottle more than the milk. It would be good to see a double cream or something.
9. Thyme & Again's Cranberry Peach Jam - Thyme & Again, an Ottawa landmark in itself. What don't they do well?
10. Piggy Market Peameal Bacon - I smell breakfast.
11. Art-Is-In 12 Grain 7 Fennel Seed Dynamite Baguette - hmmm...I may have this one covered, as I just bought one and wolfed down half of it in the car on the way home.
12. Kefir - Russian yoghurt, can't be that bad.
13. Red Apron's Peanut Butter and Banana Handcrafted Gourmet Granola - too wordy for me, but I'll try it. Peanut Butter is generally not my favourite flavour, but I do like granola...maybe on top of my kefir.
14. Free Range Eggs - the title makes it feel like a cop-out, but I will try them from the farm they suggest, Beking Poultry.
15. Spicy Fennel Sausages - to finish up the last days of summer bbq'ing. Is fennel the new flavour?
16. Whalesbone Brown Bag Lunch - let's hope there is one that doesn't contain fish. But if not, I will at least take one bite, and it better be good.
17. Tower-O-Rings from the Works - done and done. An onion ring, bleah.
18. Chicken Tikka Wrap from Shafali - Indian in a sandwich is the new fad.
19.Restaurant Barbe's Roast Pork Sandwich - not dissing the Barbe, as I haven't been there yet, but the photo is not too appealing. Square white sandwich bread does not do it for me anymore, unless it's for a grilled cheese made with Kraft singles. Surely a sandwich from Dirienzo's should make it first.
20. Meatball Sandwich at Parma Ravioli - this looks good. My husband would appreciate it. It actually looks like a man-wich, it's so big.
21. Knish from Saslov's.
22. Sweet Potato & Connamon Bread from True Food Ecostore - I can't say I have heard of this, but I am looking forward to having a look.
23. Glengyle Garlic's feta garlic spread - from Ottawa Farmers Market. I better get my skates on as I am sure this bountiful market comes to an end shortly, and lots of things on this list are available there.
24. Rustic Hand Formed Miniature Pies - again Ottawa Farmers Market (OFM).
25. Heritage Tomatoes - from Ferme Orient at OFM.
26. Christophe's Organic Mushrooms - Le Corprin Farm at OFM. A question, are they grown in organic manure? from organic animals? Just to ponder....
27. Asian Fruit Salad - Not having tried or seen it, not sure what to think. From Saigon Meats & Vegetables. Interesting.
28. Paczki - took me a long time to type, the letters don't make sense to my English-only mind. But doughnuts of any kind are welcome in my belly.
29. Lobos - apples, woo hoo. It better be a good apple to have made it onto the must-try list. From Cannamore Orchards. Maybe I will go and pick my own in the Fall.
30. Raspberry Mini-Cheesecakes from Second Avenue Sweets. Yum, and yum. Do they make them only when the raspberries are fresh?
31. Scones from the Scone Witch - Heather Matthews has done well here. Her original Scone Witch is on Albert, but rumour has it she's opening a second location on Crichton in New Edinburgh. Easier access for me, as I hate trying to find parking downtown.
32. Lover's Leap Ceylon Tea - from Tea & Ginseng on Bank.
33. Queen Elizabeth Cake - this surprises me that I find this cake everywhere. It's just a wierd thing to see in a lot of places. Specifically, I should try it from Bread & Roses on Beechwood. I think I can get Cochrane's milk there too.
34. Shortbread La Gaillarder from Pastina in Wakefield. Does Wakefield really constitute "Ottawa". I don't think so. I don't even know if Wakefield constitutes the National Capital Region.
35. Dried Lavender from ADC Fines Herbes in the Byward Market. I haven't really used lavender in cooking, so it will be fun.
36. Baklava from the Middle East Bakery on Somerset - will it be the best I have ever had? Who knows.
37. Black Irish Plain Porter - I had to read the blurb to know it was beer.
38. Sterling's Porthouse Steak - love this restaurant, so an excuse to re-visit is wonderful. I think I was tipsy/bordering on drunk the last time I was there and I was invited to look in the kitchen, but honestly, I can't remember a thing. I don't even know if my steak was good. That's a bad thing. Fingers crossed I didn't say anything that will embarass me at a future date.
39. Burfi from Desh - not too sure, doesn't sound too good from the title. Oh, but on further reading, it's described as Indian fudge with rosewater. Things are looking up.
40. Tiramisu from Nicastro - this had better be orgasmic, because I make a kick-ass tiramisu.
41. Island Flava's Caribbean Hot Sauce - not sold by itself, I have to order a goat roti. I'm beginning to have some doubts about my list.
42. Shrimp Rice Noodles from Wa Kiu Foods on Somerset.
43. Rabbit from Luciano Foods.
44. Aubrey's Merguez Sausage - this I can do.
45. Ground Pork from Saigon - it doesn't say why is it different from the ground pork I might normally buy elsewhere? Hopefully there's a good story behind it.
46. Organic Frisee from Ferme Orient at OFM.
47. Serrano Ham from Misto - instead of the serrano ham, they should have put canoli on the list. The canoli sold here is brought in from Montreal only on the weekends. Call ahead to reserve. I can eat six of those canoli in one sitting, that's how good they are. One morning I waited more than half an hour for the delivery, If you are not there early enough, or don't place an order, chances are you won't get any.
48.Glengarry Fine Cheese from Nicastro. I like cheese.
49. Lemon & Salt Pistachios from Shiraz on Preston. I like pistachios, I am especially liking the salt & pepper pistachios from Costco at the moment. They are my healty snack alternative.
50. True Loaf's Decadent Bun - OK, I tried to find this bakery when it first opened. I read about it in the Ottawa Citizen, drove back and forth along Gladstone until the residents thought I was a stalker. Couldn't find it. About a week later, I went back with my husband to try and find it, and in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday, it was already closed. This frustrates me to no end. But, because I am doing the list I will hunt for it one more time.

Half way there.

51. Berg en Dal Honey - oh, from the Piggy Market.
52. Zaatar from Aladdin Convenience on Carling.
53. Rosélianne Rosé Cider - made on Montreal's North Shore, available from Marché Vieux-Hull on Laval. Alcohol is an easy one for me.
54. Cocoa Camino's Dark Chocolate Bar with Orange - bring it on!
55. The Table's Chocolate Cheesecake - yum! Are we in the chocolate section???
56. Florentines from Le Moulin de Provence in the Market. Apparently this is what US President Obama should have bought.
57. Giant Handmade Peanut Butter Cups from Truffle Treasures on Richmond - my husband will love me even more!
58. Stubbe's Caramelized Hazelnuts - yummo!
59. Banoffee Pie from Allium - ooh, I have had this, and it's good. I really like this restaurant. Although, they could improve their air conditioning capabilities, I almost melted away over the course of dinner. Even the wine couldn't dull my senses that night.
60. Pure Cranberry Juice from La Trappe a Fromage - hmm...unsweetened. I'll be a brave girl that day. Let me think about what I can do with unsweetened cranberry juice. I am sure it's good for you though. Bottoms up!
61. Cambodian Satay Hot Sauce from Phnom Penh Noodle House.
62. Coconut Lagoon's Travancore-style Fish Curry - not sure what Travancore is, but looking forward to finding out.
63. Poivre Long from Ottawa Bagel Shop and Deli.
64. Argan Oil from Byward Fruit Market - apparently it is liquid gold.
65. El Meson's Castelo Dourado - I have never been to this restaurant, and was just the other day, asking someone if the restaurant was still there. Now I have a reason to go.
66. Clover Coffee at Bridgehead - coffee...mmm.....maybe tomorrow morning.
67. Fraser Cafe's Homemade Doughnuts - more doughnuts in my belly. I do like the use of the old-fashioned and traditional spelling of doughnut, as opposed to the horrible North-Americanised version of donut.
68. Kouign Aman - a Breton pastry only available Saturdays at Cyclelogik...does that sound right? Pastries available at a bicycle store?
69. Braised Veal Sweetbreads from La Table in Papineauville - this must be a stretch, and surely because it is WAY out of the guidelines, I can give this one a miss.
70. Strawberry Pie from Bella Vista - sounds good, as long as it is not a jellied pie filling.
71. Mariposa Duck -again, who in Ottawa hasn't had Mariposa Duck? It's everywhere.
72. Mohammara Sauce from Coin du Chiche on Eddy.
73. Bison from Pykeview Meadows - available at OFM.
74. Canadian High Tea at Zoe's - I still haven't tried this. We tried to get in for Mothers' Day, but we left it too late. It was booked out on both the Saturday and Sunday - book early! I want the one that comes with the champagne.
75. Sufganiyot - jelly doughnuts from Rideau Bakery..yum, yum, yum.
76. Edamame from Oz Cafe - not one of the foods that I have become crazy about, and just recently I read a story about how too much soy is a bad thing.
77. Pickled Turnip from the Garlic King - something from here had to make it on the list. Can you believe that guy?
78. Soul Food from Jean Alberts in Hallville - where? Google maps to the rescue.
79. Ottawa River Sturgeon from Chelsea Smokehouse.
80. Amber Garden Perogies - who doesn't love carb-on-carb action?
81. Rice Pudding from Boushey's Fruit Market.
82. Bison Egg Rolls from La Trappe a Fromage in Gatineau.
83. Absinthe Steak Frites - Great restaurant, but I wish they didn't move from their old location. I understand they needed more space, but they old space was just so funky and comfortable. The new space is too slick and open for me. I still love the food.
84. Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes from Stoneface Dolly's - I've been here a few times too, but never for breakfast. Oh, I lie, once I tried to get in for breakfast/brunch, but was told it would be a 45 minute wait outside in December. Not happening.
85. Jellies from Les Delices de Laura available at La Trappe a Fromage - if I am not mistaken, these could be the jellies that have the beautiful flower petals floating throughout. They look gorgeous, although I have never tried them before.
86. Salmon Sausages from the Red Apron - interesting, and probably healthy.
87. Tapioca Pudding with Pineapple and Coconut Milk from Fuschian on Somerset - I am personally not a huge fan of tapioca, but it has been about 20 years since I've had it.
88. Grass-Fed Beef from Brylee Farm available online at www.marcheoutaouais.com
89. Cinnamon Twists from Rideau Bakery - what about the rye bread? or does everyone know about it already?
90. Acorn Creek Farms Melons available at OFM.
91. Beef Randang from Chahaya Malaysia - I have heard good things about this restaurant.
92. Cupcakes from the Ottawa Cupcakery - seems good things come in small packages :)
93. Mekong's Nu Han Dumplings - another favourite place to eat in Ottawa. I am positive I have had these dumplings, but let's take another opportunity to go back for more.
94. Pumpkin Fudge Pie from Penny's Fudge Factory in Fitzroy Harbour - good, something to disguise the pumpkin flavour.
95. Laksa Soup from Singapore - thank god I can get this dish here. If done well, it's wonderful.
96. Cheese from Jacobsons on Beechwood - lots of good things going on in there.
97. Hot smoked Salmon from Pelican Fishery on Bank.
98. Elgin Street Diners Chocolate Banana Milkshake - is it really better than any other?
99. House of Goergie's Legendary Pizza with Gravy on Gilmour - sounds too good to be true.
100. Lebanese Cucumbers -are you kidding me? this made it onto the list.
101. The Beavertail - this made it, and poutine didn't?

There's a couple of cop-outs and things I don't think should have made it -especially those not found in OTTAWA!

Anyway, cheers to the list, the beginning of a long, but fun project. I'm off to the LCBO to pick up my beer for tonight!

Ooey-Gooey Soul Satisfying Goodness...

Mmmm.......is it a sin, in this low-fat, low-carb, eat-healthy world, to admit that I love poutine?

It probably isn't politically correct, but then I'm not usually one to go with the conventional thought of the day. I eat what I like, when I want, and if that means meatloaf for breakfast, cereal for dinner, or poutine for lunch, then I'm really the only one who has the right to complain.

I also admit (only this once) that I don't mind a cheese burger every now and then, as a matter of fact, I sometimes crave that beefy cheesey flavour. It reminds me so much of good times growing up. I will also admit that you will never find me inside that "family restaurant". I will be the one in the drive-thru, secretly pleading that no one I know can see me, while I salivate at the perma-smell coming from the cashiers window.

Back to poutine.

The best place I have discovered in Ottawa/Hull, to enjoy the French-Canadian guilty pleasure, is La Pataterie at 311 boulevarde St Joseph, in Hull. It is one of those tiny, out-of-the-way places, that unless you know what you are looking for, you might drive right past it and not give it a second thought.

My love affair with the greasy goodness started almost ten years ago when I arrived in Ottawa. I was sharing a house in New Edinburgh, had a few too many cocktails one night, feeling worse for wear the next day, I definitely needed some grease to line the stomach.

Before then, a simple egg and bacon brekky would have done wonders, now, only the poutine from La Pataterie can cure the dullness of over-imbibing.

Driving on the Quebec-side of the Ontario border is quite the challenge, and when you are not 100% focused, it does take a while to familiarise yourself with your surroundings. Everything, and I mean everything, is in French. No English. Nothing. It is quite the experience, not having French under my belt and navigating to a place I've never been. Rather than the 15 minutes it might take someone to drive, it took my girlfriend and I close to 2 hours to find our way there.

Oncce there, the smell of fried potatoes draws you in. There's absolutely nothing to compare to the ooey-gooey soul satisfying goodness of the combination of freshly cooked, hand peeled and cut potatoes, fresh salty cheese curds and lashings of warm gravy.

The great "poutine chefs", are the ones that layer the fries with curds and gravy all the way from the bottom to the top. By the time you make your way to the bottom, the squeaky curds are stretchy and warm, mingled with gravy and fries, and just perfect.

I order a Pogo as well, but it's really only because I love the combination of La Pataterie's sweet mustard with the deep fried hot dog. And, of course, a Pepsi to wash it all down with.

These people know poutine. I have sampled a lot of poutine in my ten years in Ottawa, and nowhere comes even remotely close.

A word of warning though, when making the trek to La Pataterie, you may want to visit during off-peak times, as the parking lot only holds about 6 spaces. Otherwise, park your car about 8 blocks away, so afterwards you can walk and feel good about eating the best poutine in the city!

Happy Canada Day!

This is my first post EVER. It's the first thing I have written for public consumption, and it's a bit scary. I am not a writer, I am writing for the pure pleasure of remembering great food moments in my life, and hopefully sharing them with other people who feel similar.


I write and talk as I think, which sometimes gets me into trouble, no doubt. The intent is not to offend anyone, just offer an opinion of which will hopefully interest some people, but perhaps it might not be to everyone's liking. Oh well, what can we do?

Most of all, I love to bake. My day job sees me nowhere near a pastry kitchen, you know they say "the grass is always greener". Perhaps if I had to bake every day for a paycheck, I might not enjoy it so much.

We just celebrated a wonderful Canada Day, finishing with this pie. The strawberries I picked myself, on hands and knees out at Proulx Berry Farm earlier in the week. I go there every year only because that's where I went my first time, and the berries are so good that I have no need to try anywhere else. I was lucky the first year I picked, as raspberries were ready for picking too. My car smelt wonderful on the way home, the strawberry daiquiris were refreshing and my berries seemed to last a really long time in the refrigerator before I had to freeze them. The same holds true every year.


Come on, what could be better than fresh berries picked (almost) right in your back yard?