Known in Ottawa as THE maritime-hillbilly, loud and rowdy, tiny postage-stamp-sized place with the morals of a sailor and the ethics of a librarian; The Whalesbone Oyster House is a downtown haven for seafood lovers, with a heart. All Canadian, sustainably sourced, Ocean Wise, and the venue of choice for a little surprise...
Up to 15% of the population is affected to some degree by SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or what most of us call the winter blues. Low light levels effect our natural circadian rhythms, and natural light directly affects brain chemistry. We took this issue to our resident Food Gypsy Health & Wellness Advisor, Dr. Josef Kubinec, because positive mental health is just as important as good physical health. Time for a little Food Vibe with Dr. Kubie.
An overwhelming desire for the taste of orange and chocolate lead me down the slippery slope of recipe development creating a deep, dark and delicious Chocolate Orange Chiffon Cake that thrilled neighbors and crushed that craving. (The neighbors love it when I bake!)
When I see ingredients I haven't worked with I often drag them home to see what new delights I can concoct. Welcome home Kumquats, which quickly became Candied Kumquats... a taste of sunshine.
This Valentine's Day instead of posting yet another red velvet cupcake, we decided to let Food Gypsy Technical Adviser Chef B loose in the kitchen with some food science. Using three relativity easy molecular techniques: Gelification, Spherification and Emulsification, he's taken a few simple ingredients to a rather extraordinary result. Our Molecular Valentine.
A little something interesting for Valentine's Day with our Up Your Skirt Dessert; a reconstructed creme brulee, strawberry carpaccio, a dash of chocolate and a pair of edible gams. What? You were expecting cupcakes?!
Literally translated, Crème Brûlée means Burnt Cream, but the way the French say it is much more romantic. A rich, creamy vanilla custard topped with a layer of hard caramel, that is literally, scorched sugar. What better way to bring romance to the table than to break out the blow torch and burn a little sugar?!
Made with beets, cabbage, onions and three meats including a smokey kielbasa sausage, salt pork and a nice shank of beef, a good Russian Borscht is winter comfort food that is as rich in aroma and falvour as it is in colour. A soup from my eastern bloc roots.
Chef Lynn Crawford's Pitchin' In, 100 Great Recipes From Simple Ingredients, is a refreshingly, simple take on food that is at once personal, conversational and very well informed. A must have cookbook for the home cook that wants to push their skills in the kitchen.
My version of a perfect Sunday: a hike in the great outdoors followed by a basket of wings at the Chelsea Pub in Old Chelsea, Quebec. This weekend we happened upon a little surprise, seems there are big changes brewing at this little historic landmark in the heart of charming Chelsea.
Brumont Cotes de Gascogne 2010, Gros Manseng / Sauvignon. The Gros Manseng grape is not a grape you read a great deal about; gown primarily in the South of France it's a great food pairing grape with a citrus nose and a low intensity, and our pick of the month for January.