Day Two commenced with a satisfying breakfast sponsored by Ontario apples.

I chose yoghurt with an array of fruit and nuts and a hearty muffin. I was set for a fabulous day.

Her Royal Highness (in the Canadian Culinary world at least)-Elizabeth Baird was our key note speaker. I was captivated by her every word and fascinated by her wealth of Canadian Food History so appropriate for our conference celebrating Canada’s 150^th.

Soon after was our first breakout session. I had selected the group led by Thrive 360’s Zannat Reza and Will Lamont. I knew Zannat from previous conferences and Will remembered that I had taken on the food-styling for his client (at that time) Canadian Milk Produces and their cross country cheese winners.

I couldn’t miss out on Heather Travis otherwise known as Heather in Heels and her presentation. I first worked with Heather when she made me a Canadian Beef Ambassador. I hung onto her every word.

I also had the opportunity to hear the ensights of Laura-Jane Koers of The Rawatarian.

By then it was lunch…how did that happen? Lunch was sponsored by Half Your Plate. Their eating philosophy is that you should try to fill half your plate with a variety of fruits and vegetables at every meal. Even though I find this a challenge sometimes, it was so easy at the conference.

The zucchini spirals and fruit selection made up half my lunch consumption. I knew that I needed some protein to focus for the afternoon and sautéed shrimp and ahi tuna did the trick.

I couldn’t ignore the date squares called matrimonial cake on the prairies.

At Canadian Food Bloggers in 2016 I toured Ontario farms with Farm and Food Care.

I welcomed the opportunity to meet with more farmers directly. Having come from an Ag family, I have so much respect for Canadian Farmers.

Before heading out for an afternoon walk, I popped into the Cookina Popcorn Bar. I have many Cookina baking and roasting mats at home and was pleased to see that they also have cooking packs for a variety of uses including popcorn!

At our dinner that evening we had assigned seating. I was sat with a variety of lovely folks including my old friend  from Canola Camp Mairlyn Smith and Carol Harrison.  Ironically, Carol and I go even further back then Mairlyn and we had tried and failed to connect all weekend. One of those serendipitous occasions.

Dinner was the lovely salad above, a cleansing sorbet and a hearty salmon and potato pie.

I intentionally saved room for dessert but how could I choose from theses masterpieces from Holland’s Cake and Shake. In the end the butter tart cake was the winner.

Our evening’s entertainment was home grown. Fellow bloggers Lindsay and Dana who recently launched their Feast Cookbook were in the house. I was impressed with their gumption to eat their way across Canada. But even better was their response to a question from the room: “What place was your biggest surprise”? With careful thought they said “Winnipeg-their culinary scene is amazing”!

Kath’s quote: “Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” ― Ruth Reichl

Love never fails.

 

 

 

 

When I was first married I received a cookbook as a gift. It was entitled “Mix Butter with Love”. I am wondering if the owners of Caked with Love found inspiration in that book too. Their delightful bakery and café is a joy to be in and those were my thoughts even before I tasted their exceptionally made food.

I ordered a regular soup of the day which on that occasion was wonton soup. The broth contained ribbons of green onion and Chinese cabbage and was delicious on its own, even before one of the silky wontons was tasted. Laced with fresh ginger and perhaps sesame oil, the soup was savoury and satisfying. It was accompanied by a garlic biscuit which was d-i-v-i-n-e! The flaky biscuit had been generously brushed with garlic butter and made the soup a full meal.

Unfortunately I did not predict this in advance, and had also ordered a chicken salad sandwich. Flecked with cranberries, green apple and walnuts, served on toasted multi-grain bread and accompanied by a whole dill pickle, it too was a meal in itself so I slurped the soup for lunch and had the sandwich for a light supper.

The piece de resistance was the red velvet cupcake which was selected as an afterthought. After all I was visiting a cakery; I couldn’t leave without tasting one. The delicate cake was so fresh; I predicted that it had been baked that very morning. The rosette of cream cheese icing which adorned the top was fluffy and cloud-like.  This too was consumed at a separate time, with a cup of coffee mid-afternoon.

The café is bright and cheerful and I would describe the staff in the same manner. They knew almost every one of their customers by name and made you feel welcomed and included from the very moment you walk in.

Caked with Love is located at A-1459 Corydon Ave. Eileen Manalo and Marvic Abarra are the café and cakery owners. They are open from Tuesday to Friday from 10 am until 8 pm, on Saturday from 9 until 8 and on Sunday from 1 -5 pm. They are closed for special occasions and the last Sunday of the month. Check their website in advance. Their changing menu appears on chalk boards and they are wheelchair accessible.

Kath’s quote: “Cooking is love made visible.”-Unknown author

Love never fails.

 

 

The highlight of Food Musings’ year has come and gone. I have attended the FBC conference every year since its inception with the exception of the year that it was scheduled on the same weekend as daughter Boo and the Frenchman’s wedding day. The direct flight from Winnipeg was a breeze and because I was watching downloaded episodes of The Night Manager, I actually wished that the flight had been longer.

I arrived before my roommate Bridget and was pleased with the view from our 17th floor window.

The afternoon started with a lovely Cabernet Merlot from Peller Estates as we fetched our swag bags.

I chatted with the wine server about staying right next to the Peller vineyards when we visited Niagara on the Lake a couple of years ago. I had to run my bag back upstairs as it was bulging with loot.

Green lentil and roasted garlic humus

Sundried tomato and split pea hummus

Lentils .org was to be the sponsor of our first dinner and kick off cocktail party and they apparently must have thought that we needed a pre-cocktail party nibble and glass of wine. I for one was grateful. It helped me shrug off some stress and allow others to take care of me (not something I usually do).

Bacon Chocolate Cookie Truffles

The official Cocktail Reception was in the penthouse of the hotel. I did a lap and found the most delectable morsel from the Ontario Pork table. They generously shared the recipe with me. It is below.

Lentils.org also was the sponsor of that evening’s dinner. The organizers had assembled some of Ottawa’s best chefs. The intention was a dine-around atmosphere selecting small plates when we were tempted.

Representing the Wellington Gastropub was Chef Chris Deraiche. He served a Lentil, Sweet Potato Pierogi, accompanied by Cider Pickled Cabbage and Crème Fraiche. I guess my Slavic roots were showing as I chose the pierogi as my favourite taste of the evening.

A Lentil Sausage was created by Chef Kevin Benes of Carben Food + Drink.

Chef Olivia Cruikshank of Pure Kitchen served a Green lentil Enchilada with Salsa Verde, Cashew Cheese and Split Red Lentil Garnish. Unfortunately, I missed out on Chef Joe Thottungal of Coconut Lagoon.

I was lucky enough to snag one of the few dining tables that had been set up. Because chairs were at a premium and everyone was pretty bushed from the day, we had a revolving door of visitors.

The beds at the Delta were divine and I was ready to settle in for the night.

Kath’s quote: “Lentils are friendly – the Miss Congeniality of the bean world”.-Laurie Colwin

Love never fails.

 

On our final afternoon in Ottawa, we walked to the ByWard market and strolled around there. In spite of pledging to myself that I would get my eating back on track, I had to order my very first Beaver Tail: one of those Canadian food items that takes their place with Nanaimo Bars from BC and butter tarts from the prairies. As I approached the kiosk I got wafts of a cinnamony sugar aroma and knew that whatever I was about to eat, could not be a bad thing. Beaver Tails come in a variety of enhanced versions, but since it was my first foray, I wanted to try the authentic deal.

It turns out that a Beaver Tail is a flat, rounded item made from a donut-like batter that is deep friend and then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. The taste reminded me of mini-donuts that are a favourite of D’s and can be purchased at Manitoba’s Red River Exhibition or in our own version of the ByWard Market at the Forks in Winnipeg.

In spite of taking the time to photograph beautiful raw products

and seeing a number of taverns and pubs offering classic fare, we were not certain where in the market to have lunch.

At my suggestion, we pranced over to the Chateau Laurier. Reminding me of Winnipeg’s Hotel Fort Garry or Saskatoon’s Bessborough Hotel, it was a lovely treat to walk through the grand lobby en route to the dining room. We took on an air of importance in spite of both being in blue jeans and comfortable walking shoes and me sporting a full leg brace as my torn meniscus had been acting up. Across from us were a couple of very sophisticated and well dressed women, I felt like a bit like a bumpkin in their presence. I don’t think my friend Marlene even noticed.

But to the food! My lunch date chose a salmon burger and even before she took a bite we were duly impressed. The bun had been branded with a “W” for Wilfred Laurier, I presumed and then when I viewed the insignia from another angle I realised that it was an “F” as the Chateau Laurier is a Fairmont hotel.

Marlene actually did not eat the bun but tucked into the juicy looking salmon patty with relish. (Meaning she was enthusiastic about tasting it not that it was served with the relish condiment). In fact, the burger had a Mexican twist and was accompanied by guacamole, pico de gallo and crème fresh.

I

I in turn was very impressed with my chickpea fritters appetizer. They were beautifully presented on baby greens with a lovely splotch of parsley lemon puree, tahini emulsion, crumbled feta and pita chips (also crumbled). I couldn’t make out the dressing on the greens but it was satisfyingly pungent and complex.

We washed everything down with a couple of Blanche Chamblays which I was certain was a locally produced craft beer. I was showing off to my son who is a brewer by sending him a picture of our beer choice. He set me straight on the origins of the beer which was delicious (wherever it was from).

Since I had my dessert before lunch, we set out again, seeing the last lovely vistas of Parliament Hill.

Kath’s quote: “True patriot love in all thy sons command.”

Love never fails.

 

 

The Sunday evening after the conclusion of the FBC Conference was a poignant one. It was like being at a family reunion and feeling so uplifted from seeing all your family but emotionally tired (from seeing all your family).

My old FBC friend Marlene had moved into my room for the night and we were like old slippers: cozy, comfortable and very, very relaxed. We chatted, spent some time on line, chatted some more and then we were faced with the most daunting decision….where to go out for dinner?  I had gotten some advice from Ottawa resident Vanessa and we got the choices down to a short list. Since we had certainly taken in more than our daily caloric content for the past couple of days, we decided on Mexican food at El Camino which included a nice long walk up and down Elgin to bookend the evening.

A small group had gathered in front of the restaurant’s front door and we were initially concerned that there was going to be a long wait for dinner. It turned out that they were waiting on a single table to sit them all, so we were able to snag the last deuce available.

Our server had a jaunty accent and I enquired which part of Australia he came from. He replied: “New Zealand”? Oops, my mistake. He was definitely not offended and we were impressed by his jovial service style.

We were surprised that they did not have a full array of Mexican beer available and settled for Tercate, forgoing the salted edge, but requesting lime wedges. The beverages turned out to be lovely foils to the salty chips and avocado salsa we were enjoying by that time.

Considering ourselves food aficionados, we wanted to sample as many tastes as possible so we each ordered two tacos, creating four messy, slurp able tastes each. I chose the Japanese eggplant (I choose eggplant every single chance I get) and the cochina pibil. The latter being a favourite while travelling to Isla Mujeres as my husband and I do each year. Because the authentic Yucatan dish takes time to marinate and slow roast, the Isla locales typically share this tasty dish with island visitors on Sunday afternoons. Our server pointed out that the choice meat nuggets were taken from the face of the hog, i.e. cheeks and jowls and I knew that we were in for a treat indeed.

By my reckoning, the eggplant had been lightly dusted in flour and a pinch of sugar, producing a crunchy, moist, sweet surprise. The garnishes sealed the deal.

The meat of the cochinita pibil was packed with flavour from the marinade and the slow melting of the fat, which penetrated the meat to make every bite a delight. In Mexico they go to great lengths to produce the flavour.

Cochinita is a classic example of the fusion of early European Influences with the local Maya foods and cooking techniques. The Mayan name cochinita pibil means baby pig roasted underground. The pork was marinated with sour oranges and achiote, wrapped in banana leaves and roasted on hot stones underground. It is shredded and can be served in corn tortillas as tacos or on bolillos or rolls as sandwiches. Excerpt from the cookbook entitled: Cochina Islena

We also ordered a crispy fish taco and one other which I cannot for the life of me remember the name of. That was because Marlene and I were having such a wonderful visit, like two sisters that lived in different cities.

When I spotted Churros on the dessert menu, I ordered them as well. One year when we spent Christmas on Isla Mujeres, we had the donut-like churros for dessert. Since they originate in Spain and Portugal, I look forward to tasting them again in an upcoming trip to Algarve in Portugal.

Kath’s quote: “Churros is the answer. Who cares what the question is.” -writer unknown

Love never fails.