Category: Uncategorized

Recipes Apr 12, 2009 The Waffle 1 Comment We were having a few friends over for Easter brunch, and I had been thinking about trying something I had never tried before.  Well, yes, I do know it is wrong to try new stuff on unsuspecting guests, but I had to do it:  a ham on the BBQ! I went to the Byward Market looking for the right piece of meat, and Aubrey’s seemed like the place to go.  After all, they have been around since 1908.  After looking at their selection, and being stopped from buying a half-pig, I settled on a quarter ham. Surely, it would be enough for 6 people.  Well, 5 really since one of them is vegetarian.  But you never know, she might be tempted, I thought.   First, I brined the ham in salted water overnight, after bringing the ham to a boil and letting…

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General Apr 8, 2009 The Waffle No Comments In Ottawa, people often try to use food to promote their cause, their organization or their business. Food and politics do mix well, apparently.  So much so that Maclean’s has a full time guy covering the scene (candy Martini, anyone?) , and so does the Hill Times. It happens all the time, and politicians, staff and especially interns are always happy to indulge and enjoy free food. And booze. Which brings me to the most recent food-related marketing operation that I witnessed, which was certainly different and interesting.  And it made a lot of people smile, which is a plus when you invest time and money to promote your business. After working in politics for close to a decade, Ian Capstick left the NDP after the last election, and he set up his own communications consulting shop, MediaStyle.  Ian’s proposal is to…

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Is there something more traditional in Quebec than a spring visit to a Sugar Shack? I don’t think so. A folkloric atmosphere, the comforting warmth of a wood stove, and the odours, from the burning logs, from the wood furniture, and especially the aromas from the kitchen. There are a few cabanes à sucre in the National Capital Region, and this time, la Sucrerie du Terroir drew the lucky number, and 6 of us plus a baby headed over, on a sunny springy morning. Located in Val-des-Monts, La Sucrerie du Terroir is very traditional, smaller than most shacks, making it a very cozy place. The staff was very friendly, and were wearing traditional costumes. Although they do not sell booze, you can bring your own. First came the French Toast. A classic appetizer. Nothing fancy, just some thick white bread soaked in eggs and milk and fried. Covered with maple…

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Politics Mar 18, 2009 The Waffle 2 Comments There is one economic area where people do still spend money, whatever the economic circumstances are:  food.  Grocery stores are not suffering as much as any other retail sector, that is a simple fact, and it explains Canadian Tire’s move. However, some corporations are using the economic crisis as an excuse to take advantage of us, poor human beings looking to feed, by downsizing their packaging. Marie-Ève Fournier, a locked-out reporter from Le Journal de Montréal, is reporting on their lock-out news outlet RueFrontenac.com, that food corporations are out there to get us. I had noticed this downsizing phenomon in years past, the 1L containers shrinking to 960 ml, or 500g becoming 450g, but at the same price!  Most of the time, it was an isolated situation.  Not anymore. In the past few weeks: A 2 litre container of ice cream is…

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Uncategorized Mar 16, 2009 The Waffle No Comments We had a lot of cilantro left after making the Mango Bruschetta.  It was cheap when we did the groceries at the new IGA Extra on St-Joseph in Hull, $1.99 for  a huge fresh bunch, so I had to do something with it. The night before, while I was watching yet another WBC game, Melissa was going through the newest edition of the Food & Drink magazine.  A picture caught my eye as she was going though it – I asked her to go back. Sure enough, on page 60, a cilantro-based recipe: The Spicy Cilantro Drizzle. It is not yet available online, but it is quite simple – here it is with my changes:  The Spicy Cilantro Drizzle 1/3 cup of olive oil 1 small yellow onion  1 1/2 tablespoon of lime juice  1 teaspoon of hot Chinese garlic sauce  1/2 teaspoon of sesame…

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