Lena’s torta al cioccolato e vaniglia Ask any pastry chef and they’ll tell you, one of the most important rules of pastry is to measure everything accurately. That rule went out the window the second I walked into Lena’s house. She was to teach me how to make Italian torta and I came ready with […]
A Perfect Day in Ottawa
Ottawa is a great place to spend a vacation during any season. With so many festivals, events and museums, you would be hard pressed to decide what to do with a limited time. These are just some of the things you might want to fit into your schedule. La Bottega Nicastro and the Byward Market […]
Changing of the Guard
Fall is coming It’s nearing the end of August and if you look closely you can already see some leaves changing colour. But this isn’t the only sign that Fall will soon be here. In Ottawa, the last ceremony of the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill marks the end of summer and high season. […]
365 Project – week 34
It’s all routine Get up, go to work, come home, work on the blog, go to sleep, repeat. Throw in a movie (The Butler, pretty good) and a short bike ride and that’s about how the week went. This week’s 365 Project is dedicated to Anita MacKinnon. No words can describe the shock we felt […]
STAN’S BANANAS FOSTER
Brennan’s of New Orleans Bananas Foster originated at Brennan’s in New Orleans. It was in 1951 that the chef at the time created the simple dessert for Richard Foster, a regular customer and good friend of Owen Brennan. I (Nat) didn’t learn about Bananas Foster in New Orleans, I first tasted the concoction years ago […]
Why I Bombed a Tree
A symbol of hatred I know, according to the Broadway musical Avenue Q, we’re all a little bit racist, but this isn’t about that. This is about in your face hatred and how a spray painted symbol brought me to bomb a tree. We moved into this neighbourhood last November. In the late Spring I noticed […]
SPOT PRAWN FRA DIAVOLO
BC Spot Prawns It’s spot prawn season in British Columbia and although we’re on the other side of the country, we thought we’d share a simple and quick way to prepare these delicious creatures. Of course for all of us who don’t have access to spot prawns, this recipe can easily be recreated with regular […]
It’s A Revolution
2.25 billion cups a day Every morning we get up, put the kettle on and make a cup of coffee. Some call it a ritual, others an addiction, call it what you will, that first taste is the most satisfying wake-up call you could ever experience. Comforting and warm, like the bed you just left […]