We had left enough supplies in our kitchen to have one last breakfast around the dipping pool of Luna d’Miel.

The morning began with an overcast sky so that we did not get to enjoy our last sunrise.

But we still love to spend the mornings right by the ocean at Luna D’Miel.  We can never get enough of the crystal waters washing in over the coral and sand.

Soon the clouds cleared away and we began one of our departure day traditions-pictures together to show our smiles and suntans.

My handsome guy, poolside.

Sister #3 and Dona come around so that we could give them the rest of our groceries.

This has been our neighbour for two years in a row. She is a master sea glass collector and is just returning from her morning scavenge.

Alas, we had not planned well enough to have any coffee left to brew it in in our apartment, so we both ventured into town for the paper (usually D goes on a solo mission) and coffee.

We decided to go to Due Torri-the new Italian restaurant that we had seen from the street across from the new ferry terminal. We were skeptical at first because the look from the outside was not like anything else on Isla.  But we immediately met the owner who took so much pride in getting us our Americano and decaf coffees.  We heard the story that he had lived ½ his life in Bologna and the other half in Chappas Mexico.  You, my readers, know that when I am not running on and on about Mexico, it is true for Italy. My two favourite culinary places in the world, together under one roof.

So I convinced D to go back for our last lunch on the island.   D made his way to Roca Mar to let J2 know that we were in town, to find that The Wee One was still in the swimming pool.  In the mean time I had ordered a caprese salad to share and a lobster linguine.

The salad was delicate and the enormous slice of buffalo cheese, beautifully creamy.  The chef had attempted to find tomatoes to slice into wheels the same size as the cheese.  As a result the smaller roma tomatoes that are typically found and use on Isla were not utilized.  These were slightly under ripe which surprised me but they made a tasty plateau for the savoury cheese, basil and oil.

With the salad came a mini baguette served with a delicious pesto butter that we heard the waiter describe to another patron as parsley butter.  She (the other patron, that is) was from north England near Scotland and had just arrived on the ferry. The coffee that was served to her was so delicious that she decided to stay for lunch.  There were also two Israeli girls at a corner table looking for a close, clean, inexpensive hotel.  I recommended Pariso and they seemed pleased.  Conversing with the international guests will be no challenge for the owner who is fluent in Italian, French and Spanish. He indicates that he writes English well, but is still rusty with verbalizing his thoughts.

When our shared pasta arrived we were delighted with the subtle tomato sauce and texture of what we guessed were freshly made noodles. The deal of a lobster tail crowning our plate was slightly diminished by its chewiness.  But then as we discussed the texture, we realized that we were mistakenly comparing it to fresh north Atlantic lobster which we are more accustomed to where the meat is tender and sweet.  The lagosta served in this meal was closer to a cousin of Canadian lobster.

We had discussed buying tortas at Poc Chuc or Pitas from Pita Amore to take to eat at the airport later in the day, but in the end we ordered a pizza with white sauce, parma, pescuitto and arugula.  I must have looked funny boarding the ferry.  But when we were spending time in the Cancun terminal waiting for our plane departure, we had made surrounding persons pretty jealous by our shared pie.  In fact, one guy came over and asked us where we had purchased it (i.e. which vendor in the food court).  He was disappointed to hear our answer: Isla Mujeres.  The hand made crust was deliciously tender. The arugula, sauce, cheese and ham combination-perfect.

D was sad to be leaving the island but whenever Poppa has the Wee One in his arms, he cannot help but beam!

One last shot of Glamma V with the Wee One.

The last of our many Isla traditions is to meet  arriving and departing ferries with a welcome beer.  After we used the opener, we tossed it over the ferry edge, where a staff member obliged us by catching it and delivering it back to V who by this time had been joined by Dona and Sister #3.

The sun was still warm and the ferry ride over, perfect (I had stayed downstairs for the trip over and had not enjoyed one of my favourite parts of making the visit).

We were met by our AGI host and everything else surrounding our departure was a breeze.

Kath’s quote: “Life itself is the proper binge.” -Julia Child

Love-that is all.

“My Life in France” was the story that Nora Ephron adapted for the screenplay of “Julie & Julia”.  I loved the movie which was one of my initial inspirations to my becoming a food blogger.  But more than the role of Julie the blogger, I thought that Meryl Streep was uncanny in her depiction of Julia.  I remember watching Julia Child’s cooking shows in the 60s and knowing that I wanted to be a TV cook.  To this end I was going to obtain my degree in Home Economics but this plan derailed when in high school, I landed an on camera job with the CBC.  Everyone of my teachers allowed me to be tutored in the classes that I would miss when filming.  Everyone, except my chemistry teacher who said “You aren’t in my classroom, you don’t pass the course”.   I had already obtained a portion of my goal (the TV part) so I decided to switch gears and obtain my degree in Theatre instead.  It wasn’t until years later that I returned to my original love to focus my career.

This summer whilst at the summer home of a friend, I found a copy of “My Life in France” on her bookshelf.

I found a beautiful place to read and then I couldn’t put it down.  Here is an excerpt from the first chapter of Part 2 entitled “French Recipes for American Cooks” (page 280):

We knew we’d have to emphasize the simpler cuisine bourgeoise dishes over the grande cuisine.   After all, our readers wouldn’t have mortars and pestles for pounding lobster shells, or copper bowls for whipping egg whites, and they weren’t used to taking the time and care over sauces that the French were accustomed to.  Perhaps that would come with time.  For now, I could see clearly the challenge was to bridge the cultural divide between France and America.  The best way to do that would be to emphasize the basic rules of cooking, and impart the things I’d learned from Bugnard and the other teacher-chefs-not the least of which was the importance of including fun and love in the preparation of a meal!

Kath’s quote: “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”  ― Julia Child

Love-that is all.

The Frenchman is now officially a part of our family.  The wedding took place on a glorious fall Sunday afternoon.  I have watched in fascination as they toiled to make their day one of love, comfort, joy, simplicity and hospitality.

Our family of “helpers”.

The objective was very intentional and with a vision shared by their bridal party, friends, family and the folks at Fort Gilbraltar, they beautifully achieved their goal.

The scripture quote below from Romans was read at their wedding ceremony.  It is also the theme of this blog space and is quoted on the “About”.  So how did Reb and Seb go about “practicing hospitality” on their wedding day?

They knew that they wanted to celebrate somewhere in St. Boniface.  Since Seb is French and Reb is Metis, the geography made perfect sense.  If you recall, Seb had proposed on the Provencher St. Bridge.  Their ultimate choice of Fort Gilbraltar as their venue had a great deal to do with the success of the day.  They were quite sure when they met with the expert staff at the fort that their vision for the day was embraced by all.

The room was soft and warm even before it was full of all the people who love the couple and had traveled from near and far to celebrate the day with them.

With personal touches like the decorating of the mantle, it felt like you had entered someone’s amazing home.

The outside space at the fort is almost as beautiful as the inside and provided a relaxed space for the kids to run around and the adults to enjoy the last warm rays of the setting sun.  Late in the evening a bonfire was lit and little paper bags of smore fixings were set out for a treat.

The split second timing of the wedding party entrance was absolutely magical and set the scene for the rest of the evening.

I decided that it would be crass for me to take photos of the food throughout the evening and so I don’t have specific details to share with you, except to say that Reb & Seb also wanted the eating portion of the celebration to be in keeping with their overall vision.  As a result, instead of having a formal sit down dinner or even a buffet style where people would be “stuck” at a table, they wanted finger food to be passed around for a considerable length of time so that guests would be satiated but unconfined during the process.  My personal favourite were the mini tortieres, both in theme and taste.  But the biggest hit was the poutine bar that was set up late in the evening.  Not only were the fries perfection (and you likely know that I am a French Fry snob) but the savoury gravy and the “real” cheese curds were sublime.  I am a purist regarding my poutine but I understand that the pulled pork topping was an enormous hit as well.

Of utmost importance to Reb and Seb was that the joy of the day would be captured in an informal and unobtrusive manner.  The fabulous ladies of  “Hello Love Photography” ensured that this was achieved.

Kath’s quote: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Love-that is all.

I was first introduced to Frank’s Hot Sauce years ago when it was the hot sauce of choice used by The Keg (dubbed The Keg ‘n Cleaver in those days) on their Buffalo Chicken Wings.   Since that time, we often grab it from the door of the fridge to add some extra “oomph” to a chili or jambalaya.  One of my favourite dishes is J1 and J2’s low cal variation of cauliflower tossed in hot sauce that caramelizes when broiled-yum.

If you are interested in spicing things up in your kitchen in ways you never dreamed possible, you need to get yourself a copy of this recipe book.  There are 65 imaginative recipes that turn up the heat with Frank’s: Honeyed Beer-Hot Sauce Ice Cream (J1-did you hear that?), Cinnamon Cayenne Buns, Smoky Hot Bacon Mac and Cheese and Tangy Pineapple Pulled Pork.  The illustrations in the book are mouth-watering and best of all the font is big enough for me to see without my reading glasses!

I made up a batch of the Spiced Party Mix with excellent results.  The recipes are well-tested and produce predictable results.

Kath’s quote: “I mixed business with pleasure, added some hot sauce, and ate it.”-unknown

Love-that is all.

How could you not think that this face is adorable-right?  Not everyone wants a baby sitting next to them in a restaurant.  Lucky for us, the Wee One has been dining out since the week that she was born and knows how to behave herself when called upon.  Besides, it was her Daddy’s birthday and she wanted to get in on the festivities.  We had assembled at Peasant Cookery in the Exchange and it was still early in the evening.

Peasant Cookery has a pleasant and open feeling but you can still find a quiet corner to curl up with a loved one for a more romantic rendezvous.

Daughter #2 could only stay for a brief time as she attends a weekly pottery class.  She had a quick treat of luscious poutine before she departed.

The rest of us tucked into Peasant’s delectable charcuterie board.  I tried to keep up with jotting down the various meat selections as the board was placed in front of us but I could not.  I have misplaced my notes since that evening anyway.  Suffice it to say, each nibble was an adventure and as a family, we love sharing and discovering food in this manner.

J2 was pleased that at first glance her pickerel was so abundant but found that it was mostly batter and thought that there  be more “sticks” in this dish named Fish & Sticks.

The Frenchman was more than pleased with his tourtiere and he should know, having grown up on the dish.

D chose the Mahi Mahi and especially liked the persillade (parsley) crusting.

My choice was the spaghetti with clams and bacon.  This was a densely flavoured dish between the plentiful bacon and the pesto sauce and although I might choose something lighter next time, it certainly was a decadent treat.

The birthday boy selected the Berkshire pork and took little nibbles for what seemed like a very long time in order to savour and fully enjoy the dish.

Daughter #1 has a soft spot for gnocchi and orders it almost every chance she gets.  Peasant’s version includes aged cheddar in the dough and then the heavenly nuggets are tossed with sautéed sun dried tomatoes, spinach, red onion and piquillo peppers.   A moat of basil oil edges the plate.

Peasant promises rustic seasonal food and it delivers.  Most importantly, the birthday boy felt pampered and lovingly nourished and isn’t that what it’s all about?

Kath’s quote: “Peasant foods often involve skilled preparation by knowledgeable cooks using inventiveness and skills passed down from earlier generations. Such dishes are often prized as ethnic foods by other cultures and by descendants of the native culture who still desire these traditional dishes even when their incomes rise to the point where they can purchase any food they like.”-Wikipedia

Love-that is all.