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Changer de tempo

15 Apr

A Chefchaouen - un village au nord dans les montagnes

Chers amis et lecteurs, désolée pour la longue pose. Je suis de retour saine et sauve du Maroc et j’ai adoré mon expérience là-bas. Quel « eye opener » d’être plongée dans une culture complètement différente et d’être clairement la outsider pour une des premières fois de ma vie… Je sais qu’il y a des destinations qui fournissent un encore plus grand choc culturel, comme l’Inde par exemple, mais j’ai tout de même rencontré des nomades dans le désert du Sahara et un berger de dromadaires qui cherchait sa chamelle perdue toute une nuit de temps! Voilà des humains avec préoccupation nettement différentes des miennes!

Ce voyage m’a aussi apporté des bienfaits inattendus, comme la possibilité de me « déconnecter » complètement pendant deux semaines : pas de cellulaire, pas de iPad, Twitter, Facebook – rien. Même pas de blogue. Et vous savez quoi? Ça m’a fait un bien fou. Voilà pourquoi j’ai mis du temps à vous écrire. L’envie de partager, d’être en contact continuel n’était plus là. Et je pense que c’est sain de prendre une pause. Je vous annonce donc un changement de rythme. Je veux continuer à bloguer, mais autrement.

Ça ne veut pas dire que je vous laisse tomber! Ça fait tout de même un an qu’on entretient un dialogue et je veux le maintenir, simplement de façon différente maintenant. Mes billets risquent d’être moins fréquents et moins détaillés, mais je vous promets de continuer à vous partager tous mes coups de cœur et mes grandes déceptions sans faute!

Je vous invite aussi à me donner du feedback, des idées de sujets, recettes ou restos qui vous intéressent. Vous n’avez pas idée à quel point le feedback est important pour un bloggeur. N’hésitez jamais à me faire un petit coucou ou à me partager vos pensées plus deep, même si ça ne concerne qu’un grilled cheese ou une toast au beurre d’arachide (Dieu sait que j’en ai long à dire sur le sujet :-) ).

Je vous dis merci pour cette dernière année, puisque j’ai fêté mon 1 an de blogue le 1er avril et j’ai hâte de poursuivre l’aventure autrement avec vous. Je vous laisse avec quelques images de mon voyage au Maroc. À bientôt.

Au début du trek dans le désert, au départ de M'hamid

Tout près des grandes dunes de Erg Chegaga, notre destination ultime dans le désert.

Une petite pause, le temps d'admirer.

Résultat du cours de cuisine au Clock Café à Fès : salade d'aubergines tiède et soupe harissa.

Tagine au artichauts et pois frais - également au cours de cuisine.

Au marché de Fès.

Hot Doug’s Encased Meats Emporium

2 Nov

On our recent trip to Chicago, we set out to find the best joints for the city’s most popular comfort foods: hot dogs (Chicago makes the best) and real deep dish pizza (Chicago makes the only). Pequod’s deep dish pizza was outstanding, but Hot Doug’s was the highlight.

Chicagoans know hot dogs. And man, Hot Doug’s is the real deal. Here, a well-oiled machine of a team serves you a wide variety of doggers ranging from the more ‘traditional’ to upscale and fancy. Just check out the menu for yourself. The act of getting to Doug’s counter and conquering the long line-up is an adventure on its own. It’s a 45 minute commute outside of the downtown core – or The Loop as Chicagoans refer to it – and the wait itself can be another hour. But everyone there is happy to oblige. After all, these dogs are legendary.

Doug Sohn, the founder and owner, greeted us with some welcoming chit-chat, despite having served hundreds of patrons before us. Our choices had been carefully selected and I personally had rarely been this excited to order food.

Dog #1: Pork taco sausage with green chilli mayonnaise and queso asadero. This was like biting into a taco in disguise. The taco spice and cheese had been mixed into the pork sausage and the sauce had just the right kick.

Dog #2: Ribeye steak sausage with horseradish sauce, fried onions and aged cheddar. I had never even thought of a steak sausage, let alone ribeye steak (my favourite cut). The ingredients here worked perfectly together: the tenderness of the encased meat, crunchiness of the onions and intensity of the aged cheddar.

Dog #3 (the pièce de résistance): Foie gras and sauternes duck sausage with truffle aioli, foie gras mousse and fleur de sel. As decadent as it may sound (and believe me, it was), this dog was extremely well thought out. The truffle aioli added unbelievable flavour while the fleur de sel contrasted perfectly with the richness of the foie gras, both in flavour and texture.

We rounded everything off with an order of duck fat french fries. That’s right – they’re fried in duck fat! Although they were good, I think both Jess and I were expecting greasier fries with a deeper flavour. Chicago just might have a thing or two to learn from our beloved Lafleurs.

Now, if only someone could bring the fancy dogger concept to Montreal… (nudge, nudge, Mr. Jeffcott).

Hot Doug's on Urbanspoon

The Windy City

28 Oct

I’ve had a permasmile since I arrived in Chicago late last night. There is an energy about this “city of neighborhoods” that truly appeals to me. It feels cozier than New York, yet just as rich in culture and history. From the night view of the city in the plane through the clouds as I landed, to the vistas I took in walking up and down Michigan Avenue this afternoon, every inch of Chicago exudes distinct character and personality. And what can I say about the architecture and public art… It’s breathtaking, exuberant and majestic all at once.

I’ll be taking a mini break from B&M to soak in all the amazing sights, sounds and food Chi-Town has to offer but hope you’ll meet me back here next week to read all about it. There will be no counting calories in the City of Big Shoulders (err… how many nicknames are there for this city anyways?). Here’s a little taste of my foodie plans:

  • Hot Doug’s idea of a hot dog: foie gras and sauternes duck sausage with truffle sauce moutarde, foie gras and sel gris (did I mention the foie gras?)
  • Deep dish pizza, probably at Pequod’s
  • Buttery sweet delights at a Swedish bakery
  • Tapas at Ba ba Reeba’s
  • Soulfood ”slunch” at Sweet Maple Café or M Henry
  • Fancy pants dinner at Nightwood

All that and a lot more will be packed into three little days… What a life, eh? ;-)

A big thanks to my high school friend and Chicago resident- Anne – for all the great advice.

Food memoirs from Italy

9 Oct

This is long overdue, but I have finally gotten around to selecting the best food snapshots from my trip to Italy this past July. If you are planning a trip to these cities and want recommendations for places to eat, stay or play, please drop me a note. I’d be glad to share.

Bologna

Market in the Quadrilatero district of Bologna

Ubiquitous "Little fish"

On our first night in Bologna, we had an unforgettable dinner at Drogheria della rosa. We ended the evening chatting with the owner, Emanuele (yes, that’s him on the home page of the web site… lol!), after sharing a bottle of wine, a plate of fruit and desert – all on his tab! I even walked away with a bottle of wine as a gift. Hands down, this was the best dinner of our entire trip.

At Drogheria della rosa, if you just go with the flow, Emanuele will treat you to the best dinner you can have in Bologna. If you ask for the menu, you're screwed. Clearly, we were going with the flow...

Eat breakfast like you're Italian: Cappuccino and chocolate croissant.

Every morning in Bologna began with a cappuccino and a warm chocolate croissant at bar IGEA.

Sage and browned butter cheese tortellini at Osteria de' poeti. I never had a sauce like this before. So simple, yet so bold.

Modena and Parma

In Modena, I learnt that balsamic doesn’t necessarily get better with age; its uses are simply different. Three or four year old balsamic is good for salads, seven or eight year old balsamic is for steaks and twelve years and older is best for deserts.

At K2 in Parma, I ate two gelatos in a row - that's how good it was.

After indulging in ice cream, I'm hungry :-) This buffet-style lunch in Parma was one of my highlights.

Parma is also where we discovered Lambrusco - a fizzy red wine.

Cured meats are everywhere in Parma. And when entering a shop, you have to be prepared for their pungent smell!

Cinque Terre

We finally arrive in Riomaggiore and it’s high time for aperitivo as the sun goes down.

 An unforgettable moment!

While visiting the five towns of Cinque Terre, I’m thinking I never want to drink prosecco again.

That night, it’s prosecco and lobster spaghetti at the pier! So much for no more prosecco...

Ignoring my uneasy stomach, I go ahead and order the giant shrimp - heads on - with caramelized onions and pine nuts. Delicious.

I’m already looking forward to my next trip, which will likely be another great dining destination: Argentina. I can’t wait! If you’ve been there and have suggestions, please pass them along.

Baba Ghanoush – an alternative (or complement) to humus

14 Sep

Some leftover eggplant and a fun-to-pronounce name made me want to reproduce this delicious Mediterranean dip that I had sampled as a meze (Turkish equivalent to tapas) while travelling around Turkey last year. The recipe originated from Lebanon, where it is served as a starter. It’s also very popular in Egypt, but traditionally served as a side dish or “salad”.

Baba ghanoush, pita and olives: great snack!

When taken on its own, I find cooked eggplant can have a somewhat odd texture and a strong smell that can be overpowering. Maybe it’s the mushroom hater in me that’s doing all the trash talking, but I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who feels this way…

Well, let me tell you that baba ghanoush removes all these little “inconveniences”. Its smooth texture is packed with a rich flavour created by the combination of eggplant and tahini, and elevated by a hint of heat from the cayenne.

I find baba ghanoush to be a perfect alternative (or complement) to humus. It’s delicious, easy to make, healthy, and it disappears in minutes when you serve it with pita bread and olives.

Ingredients:

(yields about 300 ml)
1 large eggplant
¼ cup tahini (sesame paste, can be found in supermarkets)
Juice of 1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
Pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)
Pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the eggplant in half, lengthwise. Place eggplant on a baking sheet, flat side down, and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the meat is tender. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. With a spoon, detach cooked eggplant from skin and place in a food processor or blender to create a puree. Do not blend for too long, traditional baba ghanoush is not perfectly smooth.
  3. Place eggplant puree in a bowl, and mix in all other ingredients. Add olive oil until desired texture is reached.
  4. Garnish with a few parsley leaves and drizzle of olive oil.

Food in Croatia

31 Jul

“So what kind of food do they have in Croatia?” That has to be the number one question I’ve gotten about this country since returning from my trip. Many think it’s all about sausage and boiled potatoes, but not at all! Croatia definitely has its own rising foodie culture.

The best description I can give of Croatia’s cuisine is a cross between Turkish and Italian. I could have said Hungarian and Greek, but I haven’t (yet) visited these countries. The idea is Mediterranean mixed with Eastern European. Well, given that I only had the opportunity to visit three coastal cities – Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split – I would say mainly Mediterranean. Think olive oil, cured ham, fresh fruits and vegetables, pizzas and some pretty solid pasta. Then, throw in a burek (in Turkey, I remember seeing it written “beurek”, a flaky, cheese-filled pastry pocket of goodness) and a few mezzes.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here goes.

prosciutto style ham hangs from the ceiling as it ages at Konoba Menego in Hvar. Hard to tell this wasn't Italian.

Marinated fish and anchovies. But the star here was the squid salad. Amazing!

Croatia has its fair share of pastry shops. They seem to love their sweets. And I love them for that! This is a Croatian baklava. Much puffier than the turkish variety and less nuts. Interesting, but won't cut it for a true baklava craving.

Apple strudel. German inspiration?

Trattoria Bajamonte restaurant in Split. Awful looking but delicious tasting! OK, so there were SOME boiled vegetables. This still remains one of my most memorable meals - that's how good it was.

Seafood pasta out of this world. Had us raving for the rest of our trip, which was in Italy (yes, this pasta beat out some of the Italian variations)!

Croatian burek - the former "breakfast of the people" as Lonely Planet tells it.

Market stall in Split




Natura - Beautiful tea house in Split.

Address Book
The following are all places I would recommend to friends. Feel free to send me questions for more information.

Villa Klaic
Great guesthouse in Dubrovnik featuring a pool. Not in the old town and requires going up a few hundred steps, but fully worth it.

Base Rooms
Outstanding location for sightseeing. Inside the Palace, next to Jupiter’s Temple. Bonus: computers and free Internet in all rooms.

Gil’s restaurant – Dubrovnik
If you want a great view, glitz and are willing to splurge (and I mean splurge… it’s ridiculously expensive), this is the place to be and be seen in Dub. We had a great time!

Trattoria Bajamonte – Split
The best fish and seafood dishes of our trip were enjoyed here. Low key, small prices and bold flavours. Don’t miss it!

Natura Tea House – Split
No website, so look for it in the Diocletian Palace at Bosanka 2
A cute place to stop for a cup of tea or to buy a few souvenirs.

One of many picture "pit stops" in Hvar. Croatia truly was a beautiful surprise. Breathtaking landscapes, great food and friendly people. Permanent deep blue skies and turquoise waters. If you're debating this as a possible vacation destination - GO!

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