Food Musings

A Winnipeg blog about the joy of preparing food for loved ones and the shared joy that travel & dining brings to life.

Mon Ami Louis – Summer 2018

June5

There are certain signs of summer when you live in Winnipeg-the fruit trees in full bloom, the quickly flowing Red River, bikes and pedestrians everywhere and in the case of this year, the end of the hockey season. In addition, now that Mon Ami Louis opens only for the fair weather months, the opening of its doors on the Provencher Bridge.

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Three good friends were assembled that day-one of the first sunny and balmy days of the season. The air conditioning actually provided some relief as we entered. I was warm from making the trek from my parked car and across the bridge when one of the trio pointed out that there is some designated parking for Mon Ami Louis guests on the east side of the river. I will research that option next time.

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The menu has been revamped since the autumn closure of the facility. We were delighted to sample a couple of new lunch features with our host. We had all eaten too much over the Mother’s Day weekend so we pledged that we would go light and then only one of us kept that commitment. The Rainbow Beet salad was bulging with delicious ingredients like apples, goat cheese, candied almonds and quinoa. The cider vinaigrette offset the tastes beautifully.

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This gorgeous sandwich was packed with roasted vegetables like roasted zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, apples, pickled onion, almond pesto, tangy goat cheese, lettuce and tomato, all on 12 grain bread. Our friend could barely fit her mouth around it, it was so substantial.

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My selection was the mussels in white wine and cream sauce. They were meaty and plentiful and I loved slurping them up with my delectable fries.  An entire pound of mussels had been sautéed with shallots, garlic, and herbs and were served with toasted baguette and roasted garlic aioli. I left the baguette on the plate and dumped my fries right in the bowl with the mussels-oh so very good! On the way out we ran into Chef Luc Jean who declared: “what’s a French restaurant with out mussels et frites on the menu?”

You absolutely cannot go wrong with any of their Tarte Flambés that appear on both the lunch and dinner menus. Speaking of their dinner menu (also revamped), I would be hard pressed to decide between the Roast Tarragon Chicken, Seafood Bouillabaisse, Pan Roasted Berkshire Pork Chop, House Made Gnocchi or Walleye and Chips. I am so glad that summer has just begun so that there will be lots of opportunity to visit.

Kath’s quote: “Bouillabaisse, this golden soup, this incomparable golden soup which embodies and concentrates all the aromas of our shores and which permeates, like an ecstasy, the stomachs of astonished gastronomes. Bouillabaisse is one of those classic dishes whose glory has encircled the world, and the miracle consists of this: there are as many bouillabaisses as there are good chefs or cordon bleus. Each brings to his own version his special touch.”-Curnonsky (1872-1956)

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Love never fails.

 

 

 

 

Master Degree Celebration

May8

Our eldest daughter, known as Daughter #1 or “Auntie Beep” in this space has successfully defended her thesis. With her convocation ceremony in June she will hold her Masters Degree in Arts with a major in Disability Studies. Her undergrad degree was in English and she is a published writer. Her thesis theme interconnected her degrees. The title of her Thesis is “Defiant Reading-A Personal Narrative of Discovering a Disabled Self”.  Not surprisingly, she explains it better than I could:

Disabled individuals face stigmatization because of their body’s impairment (or the biological manifestation of their disability) as well as various socioeconomic and cultural factors depending on their race, sex, and sexual preference. Because of this, it is very hard for a disabled person to embrace an identity that, culturally, signals lack, incapacity, and deficiency. Growing up as a disabled child, I found embracing this part of my identity very difficult. For me, the symbol of the school bus that took me to school each weekday conceptualized the medical model of disability where disability is a tragedy and something to be fixed. It was only when I started reading fiction at a young age that I was able to reconceptualise my disabled identity through emphasizing with characters of minority in literature. Through this process, I was able to recognize my disabled identity as an aspect of my being that I could shape on my own without anyone having to dictate it to me or enforce upon me. Through theoretical discussion, autobiographical reflection, and reading response, I chronicle this time in my life and directly reflect on the importance of reading as a means of identity-making in this thesis.

I intentionally read her thesis in one sitting. I was quite literally blown away. Not only due to my own realization of what my eldest daughter lived through but how the thesis was written so exquisitely in her own distinct voice.

We asked her if we could throw a party to honour her accomplishment and thankfully she agreed. Little Brown Jug where J1 and Boo work was willing to accommodate us after hours on a Sunday evening. So we sent out the invites and I started to plan on some food.

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Sister #2 contributed in a big way with hummus, marinated vegetables and my favourite bacon, mushroom spread.

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One of my sisters-in-law made her cucumber cups that I first tasted when we were on Isla Mujeres together.

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Sister #3 also made her infamous chili shrimp. They were a huge hit.

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There was ukulele entertainment performed by a good friend Daughter #1.

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The Wee Ones sure enjoyed dancing to it.

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Daughter #1 requested a chocolate zucchini cake so I made two big slabs smothered in chocolate cream cheese icing and Sister #3 took my rough cake job and made it absolutely stunning!

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Various groups of friends and family came and went during the evening. Some lingered while others dashed home to see the end of a Jets play off game. We were sure pleased with the crowd that showed up on a game night.

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Daughter #1 acknowledged all of us for supporting her during the thesis writing duration. and dedicated it to her Grandma Lillian Joyce (my Momma).

Kath’s quote: There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. -Maya Angelou

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Love never fails.

 

 

 

 

 

Isla Mujeres 2018 Trip Report-Departure Day

May7

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Coffee and the sunrise was not quite so sweet now that D had left, but beautiful none the less.

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I got a text from D indicating that he hadn’t slept a single wink in the Minneapolis airport and he had to go in straight to work. I had a surprizingly good sleep, which never happens when he isn’t with me. I finished off the kitchen pantry supplies and had toast and peanut butter for breakfast.

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I spent the rest of the day reading, journaling and then caught a cab to catch the 11:30 am ferry. This was my last sights from the sea. Au revoir Isla-I love you.

Kath’s quote: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”-A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)

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Love never fails.

 

 

 

Isla Mujeres 2018 Trip Report-Day 14

May4

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We were up for D’s final sunrise.

After we both did a bit of packing, we walked to Seso Loco for an amazing breakfast (see the photos and link here).

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This is what friends for 30 years look like.

It was already time for good-byes for D, with the rest of the gang the previous evening and now with R & M. There is no sadness when we leave friends on the island though because we know that Isla will always be a part of our lives.

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We ended up walking home because we couldn’t hail a cab. They were whizzing by full of locals heading to church and/or the beach.

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D did a little bit more packing and then enjoyed a nap. When it was time for his departure we had trouble again hailing a cab but eventually managed to get one to stop for us.

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I sat with the luggage while D tried to find something that he could eat for lunch/early supper. He ended up with a pina colada (which I finished) and a shrimp tostada. Then it was time for our traditional pouty faces and he was off.

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When I returned home, I opened a beer and sat down by the airport strip sidewalk to wait for the sunset. it did not disappoint.

R & M made sure that I didn’t dine alone and invited me to join them. They loved our dinner at Basto Grill (see details and photos here). I went home to a drink of wine under the stars, even though it was not a sweet as when my husband is with me. Had the pleasure of reading for a long time in bed before it was lights out.

Kath’s quote: “Reading in bed can be heaven, assuming you can get just the right amount of light on the page and aren’t prone to spilling your coffee or cognac on the sheets. ”― Stephen King

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Love never fails.

 

 

 

 

Isla Mujeres 2018 Trip Report-Day 13

May3

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Up for another late sunrise and then a quick breakfast of yogurt, granola and fruit.

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It was a big day for us because we had not really spent any time on the beach the previous week and we were renting chairs and an umbrella. We spent the entire day there. The gang joined us except for R & M who were spending the day with Isla friends.

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It was also my last chance to get a pic with my siblings on the island. In the back is Bro #3, in the middle Sister #3 and short (and blond) me in the front. You may be able to tell that I resemble my Dad’s side and these two my Mom’s.

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We headed home for showers and then came right back to spend some time on Playa Sol.

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Our friend (dressmaker) Hortencia had invited us for her mole on the beach. When we are on the island we spend a lot of time with her and her wonderful extended family. They speak to us the best they can in English and we reply the best we can in Spanish. Somehow, where there is love, we are able to communicate just fine. I can share with you that Hortencia is a grandma again! We got word of the baby boy’s arrival via Facebook.

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D and I snuck away just as the sun was setting so that we could enjoy our traditional progressive dinner (the details are here).

Kath’s quote: “Food tastes better by the sea”. – Authour Unknown

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Love never fails.

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