When life gives you lemons...

For the sake of my waistline (which in happy consequence is also for the sake of my clothes... and of course the sake of my bank account), I had taken a short hiatus from baking. This hiatus was not planned but Mr. A has been in an uber let's-get-healthy mode (and I thank him for it!). Apparently healthy and baked goods don't go hand in hand. 

But really, Tania is not Tania if Tania does not bake! So I'm back in the kitchen with my apron and whisk. 

Among many other things, a friend/colleague and I were recently chit chatting about food and baked goods. This friend is French (real French from France! Not Quebec-french) so I listen in awe about all the different meals she grew up with. Between talking about ''Tartiflette'' and liqueur-filled "Chardons'' chocolates, we ended up talking about french lemon tart topped with fluffy meringue. I absolutely love lemony desserts so I have tried many lemon meringue tarts. Too many to admit. Whether it be my own or delicately crafted ones from those fancy-schmancy and slightly pretentious and overpriced french bakeries in Montreal, I find they all taste like eggs. I love eggs as much as I love lemony sweets but an omelette-esque dessert just doesn't tickle my taste buds.

So thanks to this friend, I got my hands on an authentic recipe for French Lemon Meringue Tart.

I looked at the recipe and thought to myself "Oh my! The food-J.C. would be proud if I made this!" And by food-J.C., I mean Julia Child, of course!

The first time I wanted to make this recipe, I had all the ingredients except for butter-- somehow the 4 pounds of butter I had purchased around Christmastime had disappeared been deliciously ingested by us steel-stomached Armenians!

Second time around, the overwhelming feeling of "do I want to eat a tart or do I want to feel comfortable in my clothes?" rushed through me. I opted for the latter and followed Mr. A's exemplary behavior.

Now, it's the third time around and this time, Mr. A's exemplary behavior was truly not contagious in any way. As he stepped out to go to the gym, I stepped up and made my way to the kitchen. I WILL bake this tart. 

The recipe was as easy and basic as I intended it to be. I think it is very refreshing to be able to create something that is so magically scrumptious with the most basic and humblest of ingredients: butter, sugar, flour, eggs and lemons. That's it! 

The final result pleasantly surprised my lemon-tart-skeptic taste buds. The tart did not taste anything like eggs; it had a delicate crust and a pungent, sour filling with soft and cloud-like, pillow-y topping. When life gives you lemons... 

Lemon Meringue Tart

Dough
- 150g flour
- 75g cold butter (cut into pea-size pieces)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold water

Lemon Curd
- 2 eggs
- 200g granulated sugar
- 2 lemons
- 80g butter, softened
- a small pinch of salt

Meringue
- 2 egg whites
- 60g powdered sugar
- a small pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Dough
Mix together the flour, the zest of 1 lemon, salt and pea-size butter pieces by pressing the mixture between the palms of your hands. You are looking for a grainy mixture. Add 1/2 cup cold water and mix. Knead the dough for a few minutes. Form it into a ball and flatter it down at least 3 times. Shape it into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge while you make your filling.

Lemon Curd
In a bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and pinch of salt for about 5 minutes. Add the zest of the remaining lemons (zest of  1 1/2 lemons), the juice of the 2 lemons and the softened butter.

Roll your dough out and line your pie dish. I used a rectangular 35.5 x 10 cm one but you can use a round one. Add the lemon curd and bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes. 

Meringue
Whisk together the egg whites and small pinch of salt  until you get very stiff peaks. Gradually add the powdered sugar a spoonful at a time until it is fully incorporated. 

Once your tart is out of the oven, lower the heat of the oven to 275F. Add (or pipe) onto your tart the meringue and bake for about 10-15 minutes until the tops are nice and golden. 

Bon appétit! ☺

Caffè

I go through a lot of "I-need-to-buy-this" phases on a regular basis. With all my might, I try not to be too impulsive when shopping; my wallet, my husband and the lack of storage space in my home all thank me for it. Usually, when I see something I want, I don't buy it (unless it's a super-fantastic deal!). If I am still thinking about the item after a week or so, I give in.

Every once in a while, I get incredibly obsessive about a certain item. My most recent obsession was an espresso maker. I don't know what triggered it but suddenly, one day I decided that I "needed" to have an espresso machine and it "needed" to be as authentic as it could get: an Italian stove-top one. Most stove-top espresso makers don't make the little crema foam on top so, of course, I "needed" to have a machine that made crema. There I was, obsessing over espressos as if I was some sort of coffee-sommelier (when really, I am more of an instant-coffee type of girl on most days). 

I asked a few Italians in my little circle, looked online and even started calling Italian specialty shops. I did my research as if I was about to write a doctoral thesis on the subject. 

Finally, a beautiful and shiny Bialetti Brikka espresso maker was mine. 

Little man with the moustache - Bialetti Brikka 

Last Sunday, I packed up my Brikka, my little espresso cups (courtesy of Italbec ☺) and little amaretto cookies that "needed" to be made in Italy (because when I get obsessive, I take it to special heights). I decided it was time to treat my father and sisters to a caffè (apparently you are not supposed to say espresso in Italy). I shuffled inside with my big bag of goodies on one shoulder and my even bigger purse on the other. Overly excited, I showed my family my Brikka. My younger sister couldn't help but let out a little chuckle.

One thing I should tell you all is that my younger sister and I have this strange telepathic connection sometimes. We find ourselves thinking about or saying the same things, having the same ideas... we call this "power" of ours UNAGI. We got the word UNAGI from the FRIENDS TV show. The definition of UNAGI on the show isn't exactly related to telepathic, mind-reading tendencies in any way but we like the word, we associate with it and we're keeping it! Watch the clip below for a nice little laugh.

Anyway, back home, I am still showing my family my new espresso-maker-shaped toy. As my sister chuckled through my demonstration in which I was energetically showing the little valve that created the crema, she guided me to the kitchen and showed me what she was up to before I had stepped through the door. She had a brand new stove-top espresso maker and had just brewed herself a cup. My sister and I have never discussed espressos together, nor have we mentioned our desire to have a machine at home. Suddenly, we had found ourselves in a strange Unagi-espresso-moment.

I have been enjoying exquisitely delectable caffès with slightly-quickly-dissipating crema for the last few weeks. I'm happy I gave into this obsession. With every sip, I picture myself in an Italian piazza, feeling the heat of the European sun shining brightly all the while hearing the beautifully melodic language at a distance. 

Now... what will my next obsession be...?

You can't have espresso without having a few cookies to dip into it! 

Amaretti Cookies
yield: 45-50 cookies

Ingredients
- 1 cup while almonds
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tbsp amaretto liqueur (or 1/2 tsp almond extract)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor combine 1 cup almonds and the powdered sugar. Cover and process until finely ground. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, amaretto liqueur (or almond extract), and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until they form stiff peaks. Fold half of the almond mixture into the egg white mixture then fold in remaining almond mixture.
4. Spoon cookie mixture on baking sheet (about 1 inch in diameter) leaving about 1-2 inches between each cookie.

5. Sprinkle lightly with coarse sugar.
6. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until tops are set and lightly browned. Cool completely before serving.

Love is a Potato

Mr. A has said that one of the first times he realized that I truly loved him was when we were a few months within our relationship. We had been dating for about three months. We hadn't said our "I love you"s (that's a story for another day); we were still a little giddy, a little nervous, a little unsure of where everything was going... basically we were still very ''fresh''.  

One evening, we had ordered food from our usual Lebanese takeout place. We always order the same thing: a mix plate, half shish taouk, half shawarma, half rice and half potatoes. And we must never forget to mention "hummus and garlic on the side in separate containers, please." 

One of the best parts of the dish (one of the best parts of ANY dish if you ask me) are the potatoes. Of course, you get what you pay for and a 10$ plate from a fast food place is nowhere near fine dining. Oftentimes, it's like a coin flip; you never really know what kind of potatoes you will get. You'll either get hot garlic and herb potatoes that are so crispy on the outside and so smooth on the inside OR you'll get mushy potatoes that were once the hot and crispy ones you oh-so-desire. Nevertheless, potatoes are potatoes; even if they are bad, they are still good.

As we sat down to devour our dishes, I snuck a potato from his plate (because sharing is caring) and noticed that his not-so-crispy potatoes left a lot to desire. I then took a potato from my own dish and realized that mine came from a fresh batch of deliciousness. Instinctively, I pushed his mushy potatoes away and gave him some of mine. I didn't think much of it but he paused and said something along the lines of "You really like me, huh?"

And, my friends, that is why love is a potato.

Mr. A and I have (already!) been married for about 9 months now and have been together for a little over 7 years. We have seen and helped each other through the best and through the worst of times. It is so common for two people to get so accustomed to one another after being in eachother's lives for so long. Unfortunately, little words and little acts may go unnoticed or may lose their essence.

A close friend of ours recently lost his mother very suddenly. I had had the blessing of meeting her once; full of life and full of kindness. Tragic situations like these put a lot of things in perspective. You instantly realize what and who are truly important to you. Instantly, the words "Life is short" weigh so deeply on your mind and in your heart.

Make sure you tell the ones you love how you feel about them and make sure to show them your love as well (via potatoes if you wish!)  And, everybody, remember to keep your eyes open to see the love that is given to you and see that love is actually all around us.

If you do decide to show your love through potatoes (or if you simply love potatoes and want to show yourself some love), here is a recipe for T.H.E. ultimate, perfectly crispy yet perfectly tender potatoes. I'm not joking, this recipe beats any potatoes you have eaten... even McDonald's fries! (Yes, I dare say it!)

Hot Potato!

Ingredients

- Small round potatoes (about 15 or more)
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

1- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
2- On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
3- With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
4- Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
5- Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Recipe & picture courtesy of The Pioneer Woman:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/ 

Annie

Let's face it. There is a lot of good, a lot of bad and a whole lot of ugly in this world. We are constantly bombarded with negative news headlines. It is so easy to get sucked up in the negativity of the world; it is so easy to get sad and worried every time we flip through the newspaper or turn on the TV. To put myself in a happier and lighter state of mind, I make it a point to shift my focus away from the bad and the ugly when I blog.

Now, contradicting what I just said, I'm going to tell you about a very ugly incident I witnessed recently at Walmart. 

I was at the cash register of my local Walmart and a few registers away was an old man likely in his late 70s or early 80s. The man was speaking English and the young cashier was replying to him in French. The man apologized to her and asked for her to speak English because he did not speak French. Adamantly, the girl (her name was Annie) continued to answer him in French. One more time, the man told her that he did not understand. This is when Annie started to raise her voice loud enough to make many heads turn in a noisy Walmart. 

She raised her voice at the older man who could have easily been three times her age and started lecturing him on how he should learn to speak French because he is in Quebec. She was telling him to move anywhere else in Canada if he wanted to speak in English. I was shocked. After her unimpressive speech, she walked away from the cash without having finished the transaction with the old man. She stood a few meters away and faced the customer service section of the store. The man asked her twice where she was going; she replied in an impatient and annoyed tone "I have a problem with my cash." 

Luckily, the man was taking everything lightly. He was laughing at this strange situation (this strange situation that, unfortunately, is not considered so strange anymore).

Listen, Annie, (and to all you other "Annies" out there) before you start lecturing people on what language they "should" speak, maybe someone should have educated you and lectured you on how to be polite and how to treat people with respect. With what right do you raise your voice to a complete stranger, to a customer? 

This small incident at Walmart does not even compare with the many other ridiculous incidents we've all heard about (hospital staff telling patients to speak French, the infamous Pastagate, etc.)

The hate that has been instilled in you "Annies" is quite sad and shameful. I understand that you would like to preserve Quebec's language from the "evil anglophones" but every single time I hear someone say "You have to speak French in Quebec!", I feel pity. I pity you "Annies" for living in your narrow-minded worlds, and for going out to (language) war armed with an old-fashioned mindset and broken French (for some of you).

Every few weeks, a new story about these language wars emerges and, frankly, "Annies", it's getting pretty ridiculous. 

Click here to read about the gem of the week.

Five word sentence - two mistakes
Gem of the week @ Valentine Deux-Montagnes

Enough about language wars though. There is some good in Quebec: Poutine!
An indulgence of fries and cheese curds topped with heavenly gravy.
Here's my take on the best gravy for your poutine.

Poutine Gravy

Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 5 cups beef (or veal) stock, heated
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Pepper

Directions
1. In a saucepan, on Medium-High heat, belt the butter. Add the flour and stir for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture turns golden brown. 
2. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 20-30 seconds.
3. Add the heated stock a little bit at a time while whisking (you don't want lumpy gravy!)
4. Once all the stock is added, add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and apple cider vinegar.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes until the gravy has thickened and season with pepper.

Top your crispy fries and cheese curds with this luscious gravy and indulge!

Sugar & (Pumpkin) Spice

As I hear the clinking clanking sounds of tempos going up, it has finally hit me... snow really is right around the corner. Although I am not a very big fan of the bone-numbing, face-hurting cold that is about to hit us soon, I really do love the jolly spirit winter comes with. The chilly nights that are perfect for movie marathons and hot chocolate (or maybe some spiked eggnog), the nostalgic Christmas songs, colorful decorations, Christmas cooking and baking for the whole family...

Before getting in the festive spirit prematurely, I decided to take more advantage of Fall. By now, many of you have probably overdosed on pumpkin-flavored everything. I am very late at entering this pumpkin game. I tried my very first pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks very recently. I decided to make the treat extra-decadently calorific so I ordered it with whipped cream on top.

I eagerly took my cup to my seat and dove in. I needed to finally understand why these pumpkin-spice lattes were so popular. I indulged in the soft, white cream with a spoon that had subtle hints of the pumpkin-flavored treat below. After devouring those cloud-like peaks, I stopped and looked down at my cup. I raised an eyebrow and started to wonder.

Why was my drink such a bright shade of orange? Pumpkins are orange but since when are they Oompa Loompa orange?

Maybe some of you already know this (and maybe some of you don't)... I eat everything! A bite at a time, I would proudly eat anything that is smelly, ugly, or slimy. I never discriminate and will try everything at least once. 

My biggest weakness though is sweets. I have never come across a sweet treat that I did not like... until now. Unless I am extremely full, you know that there is something terribly wrong with the food or drink in front of me (especially if it's sweet!) if I do not finish it... I didn't finish that orange disgrace of a latte and dumped that overpriced liquid-chemical-mixture straight in the garbage. 

If you're not tired of pumpkins yet (who can ever get tired of pumpkins?), here is an amazing recipe for the chewiest pumpkin spice cookies. These cookies are completely VEGAN and can be made in one bowl (easy cleanup!).

Indulge in what's left of Fall and get ready for Candy Cane/Mint-flavored everything once the snow hits. Oh! Deliciously magical times ahead! ☺


Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup sugar (plus a bit more to sprinkle on the cookies)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée(canned or homemade)
- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raisins
- zest of 1 orange

Directions
1- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2- Put the flour, oats, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix until they are all combined.
3- Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the rest of the ingredients.
4- Stir until well combined.
5- Spoon mixture on the baking tray(I used a small ice cream scoop) and sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top of each cookie.
6- Bake for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies & Chai Latte

Murphy & Emmanuel

When everything is going happily and smoothly, you can expect Murphy's law to suddenly come into effect at the worst possible moment. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Our honeymoon was breathtaking. Full of love, full of fun and full of action.

We had an amazing time in San Francisco; got a little drunk (the classy way) in Napa Valley while hot-air-ballooning over the vineyards at dawn; partied in Vegas while admiring the majestic strip; and, after a short 10-hour stay back in Montreal, were on our way to the Caribbean to relax with our feet in the sand and cold drinks in our hands. From Vegas, we took a flight back to San Francisco, then flew to Dallas and finally, came to Montreal. Once we landed in San Francisco, we only had 55 minutes to get on our Dallas flight. If we missed that flight, we would miss our flight to the Caribbean as well. This is when Murphy's law kicked in...

Knowing that having less than an hour between flights was quite risky, we took precautionary measures by travelling only with carry-on luggage and by downloading our boarding passes on our phones for the flight leaving for Dallas. 

So... what can go wrong? A lot of things!

Murphy 1 - Newlyweds 0: Our first flight was delayed-- suddenly, the 55 minutes ticked down to 50 minutes... then 45 minutes.. then 40 minutes. 

Murphy 2 - Newlyweds 0: We finally landed and were obviously pretty eager to debark from the plane; however, Murphy scored again. Turns out the airplane was not well ''parked'' so we had to wait another 5-6 minutes until the jet bridge was well-aligned with the door of the plane. 35 minutes left...

Murphy 3 - Newlyweds 0: When it was finally time, we grabbed our carry-on luggage and ran out like contestants on The Amazing Race. As we were running and looking for our gate, we came across another one of Murphy's tricks: the gate of our next flight (that was in about 30 minutes) was at another terminal. What does that mean? We had to go through security AGAIN! As we were approaching security, we met HIM! We could hear his high-pitched and nasal voice from several meters away. He was a short and slim middle-aged man likely of Filipino origin. He was wearing an ill-fitted burgundy suit jacket, dark pants with a big walky-talky hanging by the side and big, old-fashioned glasses with a silver frame. He was the bodily equivalent of Murphy's law; he was EMMANUEL!

Murphy/Emmanuel 4 -  Newlyweds 0: Every once in a while, you meet someone whose sole purpose in life seems to be to ruin yours. Emmanuel's job was to check travelers' tickets and to ensure that their carry-on luggage were of appropriate size before going through security. We had been on multiple flights with the same carry-on luggage and nobody had a problem with the size... nobody except, inevitably, Emmanuel. 

Yes, our bags were somewhat big (especially with the beautiful beach towels I got from Vegas!) but we were trying to explain to him that we had been on other flights with these bags before and that our next flight was to leave soon. He did not care. His high pitched voice got even higher as he told us that he was doing his job and that we had to check our bags in at the counter. As we arrived at the counter, the woman behind it told us that it is too late to check anything in for our flight. 

We ran back to Emmanuel and told him that he had to let us through with our luggage because we could not check our bags in. He pointed at the small compartment in which our suitcases were supposed to fit and kept repeating in his continuously-elevating voice "I have to do my job! There are cameras everywhere. I will call security if you try to pass!". He was clutching on to his walky-talky when he was mentioning the word "security".

Mr. A and I had now reached levels of stress that we did not know existed. Some *beep* words were uttered as we opened our suitcases and started emptying its contents and stuffing whatever we could in my purse and wrapping other things in my beautiful beach towels. 

We zipped up our bags, made it fit in the compartment and uttered a few more not-so-classy choice words to Emmanuel as we made our way to the next step.

Murphy 4 - Newlyweds 1 (YES!): Luckily, after hearing us and seeing our stress, many kind travelers let us pass before them in the queue. Finally, our streak of bad luck seemed to be ending. Just a few more steps before we could be on our plane.

Murphy 5 - Newlyweds 1: Spoke too soon. Murphy played another one of his cards when it was time to show our boarding passes. As mentioned, we only had electronic boarding passes on our phones and (surprise surprise!), the scanner was not reading them. We spent another 5-6 minutes in front of the absent-minded agents who were looking at us in a very dull and unimpressed way. It seemed like they did not have an ounce of sympathy or urgency in them.

Finally, with the help of some very kind fellow travelers, we zapped our boarding passes. We zoomed through the following security steps and, with our shoes still halfway on, it was time to sprint. 

I felt like we were running at such a speed that could put Usain Bolt to shame. We arrived at the gate mere minutes before the plane took off. Still somewhat trembling, sweating and holding giant, stuffed beach towels, we made it to our seats while telling eachother "Never again!" 

As stressful as this all was and as unforgiving Murphy and his law can be... THE NEWLYWEDS WON! ☺

Our first meal on our honeymoon was lunch at the Hog Island Oyster Company in the Ferry building. Fresh oysters, warm clam chowder and comforting grilled cheese. The grilled cheese was completely different than the others I have tasted. The bread had a delicious crunch and the gooey center was filled with melted, sharp cheesy goodness. Perfect meal for a windy and chilly day. 

Hog Island Oyster Co.

Grilled Cheese (Hog Island Oyster Company style!)
*recipe from Leite's Culinaria
yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
- 8 thick slices of sourdough bread
- 4 ounces Fromage Blanc cheese
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
- 4 ounces Cheddar cheese , grated
- 4 ounces Havarti cheese, grated

Directions
1. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices (butter side down) on a board and spread the fromage blanc on the plain side. Top each of these with the Gruyère, Cheddar and Havarti cheeses. 
2. Heat a large skillet for about 2 minutes. place 1 or 2 sandwiches in the pan, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes (until golden brown). Turn the sandwiches and press on them firmly with a spatula. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. 
3. Remove from the pan and let cool for a few minutes (if you can!). Slice diagonally and serve.

Brunner

We had a lovely Brunner last weekend.

Brunner is the meal you have when you have planned a brunch for 1:00pm but realize that the Wimbeldon finals are on TV so you push it to 2:00pm. You then realize that the game is getting longer than expected so you push it again to 2:45pm. Finally, you make it to the restaurant at 2:44pm with your stomach singing the feed-me-now chant because you refused to eat a decent breakfast to leave room for the delicious hollandaise sauce-drenched goodies to come. You sit and wait for the fashionably late while chugging down coffee to stop the stomach-chanting that is quickly turning into stomach-chanting-and-dancing. At last, the "fashionable" arrive and a big plate of calorific goodness is placed in front of you at almost 4:00pm. You think to yourself "I got this!" and attack.

Starving, you suddenly feel like you have the special talent of unhinging your jaw and start hoovering up the food on your plate (and a little off your neighbor's plate). A little more than halfway through your giant meal, feeling like an abundantly stuffed Thanksgiving turkey, you notice that your now silenced stomach chants will turn to stomach pains if you keep eating. Nevertheless, you keep picking at the remaining food on your plate thinking you should take one more bite because it would be a sin to waste such scrumptiousness. (Thankfully, Mr. A gladly volunteered to help me clear my plate.) 

That, my friends, is a Brunner. Brunch that is of such wonderfully epic proportions and deliciousness that it automatically and unintentionally turns into dinner as well. 

Liquid gold

We went to L'Avenue on Mont-Royal; a magical place where Mr. A and I once enthusiastically waited in line for at least 45 minutes in -15 degrees of winter cold (remember those days?); where liquid gold (aka REAL maple syrup) flows in abundance and where the food is as enchanting as the bathrooms.

L'Avenue - Bathroom!

Because my eyes radar in on anything on the menu that has goat cheese, I had the Mr. Séguin: Eggs Benedict with goat cheese, sauteed mushrooms & spinach... and it was well worth the wait.

The Mr. Séguin

If you're a sucker for hollandaise sauce like me, here's the simplest recipe e.v.e.r. It is from Julia Child so you know it's good. All it takes is a blender, a few ingredients and less than 5 minutes.

Julia Child's Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

- 3 egg yolks

- 1/4 tsp salt

- a pinch of pepper

- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)

Directions

1- Place the egg yolks, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a blender and blend for 5 seconds at top speed.

2- Uncover the blender and (still on top speed) add the melted butter in a thin stream.

3- Season to taste. You're done! Serve immediately or place the jar in lukewarm (not hot!) water to keep it from solidifying. 

Living in an Illusion

I noticed that most of my thoughts revolve purely on what's next or what was. I wake up and start mentally breaking down my day; I go to work and think about what I can do or where I can go during lunch; during lunch, I think about my afternoon at work; at work again, I think about what I can cook that evening; cooking, I think about what I can watch on TV later; watching TV, I think about what I can do that would be better than TV (write a grocery list? make a list of must-have songs for the wedding? make a list of people I would like to invite for supper?) or if I could have done or said something differently during the day; right this moment, while blogging, I thought about who I could call to say hello to (I just took a break to call someone). Even on weekends, as soon as my eyes are open, I am on my feet and many things are on my mind. What can I do? What can I cook? What can I buy? Who can I see? Who can I call? At night, when I put my head on my pillow, my mind is rarely at rest but is instead retracing the steps of the day or is thinking about the future. Am I on the right path? What can I do to improve myself? Have I accomplished enough? What can I do to earn more money? What can I do to reach the next level?

I live in the past, in the future, in an illusion...and it's exhausting.

I have been asking myself why we (I know I'm not the only one!) think this way. Where is the end of this vicious chain of thoughts and questioning? What is wrong with the "now" I am in? Why can't I just enjoy the moment, acknowledge what I have achieved and just be content? Is it because I am not happy with the "now"? Perhaps. (What!? A bride-to-be who is not happy?)

Let me explain...

We live in a society that praises productivity, ambition and goals for all the wrong reasons. Of course, I am not saying that wandering aimlessly through life without goals and ambition is a good thing. I am saying that we are brainwashed to believe that ambition is the chase of money, status, power, fame, etc. Ambition should first and foremost be the chase of happy experiences and happy "nows". 

We are kicking our goals further and further and trying to put our "happy-nows" on standby for "happy-tomorrows". We can all make more money and have more power and more fame so how do you know when/if you have reached your goal? How do you know when it's time to open your bottle of "standby-happy-nows"? Let me tell you something: you can never open your bottle of "standby-happy-nows"; in fact, there is no bottle. All you have is your "now" that you choose to make happy or unhappy; or you have the illusion of "happy-tomorrows". 

Once again, I'll mention that I am not promoting a life without goals, without ambition, without motivation and without dreams. Like many of you out there, I want to improve, I want to be healthier, I want to learn more, I want to reach the next level in my career (a few extra bucks would not hurt!), etc. 

However, many of us have put the happiness of our "nows" too far down on our priority lists. Everybody, wake up from your illusion and stay ambitious about being happy and enjoying life. Appreciate all that you have and all that you have accomplished and live your life happily in your "now", not in some "maybe-happy-tomorrow"!





One food that ALWAYS made me happy as a child (and still does as an adult!) is Chocolate Salami!

Here's the quick and oh-so-simple recipe.

Chocolate Salami

Ingredients

- 250g tea biscuits (like Maria cookies), coarsely crushed 
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 egg yolks (fresh!)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder 
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or a nice splash of liqueur such as cognac or Grand Marnier for the adults)
- optional: Any kind of nuts (approximately 3oz)
- optional: Powdered sugar for decoration 

Directions

1- Coarsely crush the cookies.
2- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.
3- In a big bowl, melt the butter (in microwave or bain-marie).
4- To this bowl, add the cocoa, sugar-egg yolk mixture and vanilla (or liqueur). Mix together, Add crushed cookies and mix until combined.
5- Transfer the bowl to the fridge to firm up for 15-20 minutes (not longer or else your mixture will be too hard)
6- Lay out a piece of plastic wrap big enough to hold the mixture. Transfer the slightly firm/chilled mixture to the plastic wrap and shape into a log.
7- Wrap the salami log by folding the plastic wrap upon itself, twist the sides, wrap this in aluminum foil or grease paper and refrigerate overnight (or about 6-8 hours).
8- Roll the Chocolate Salami in powdered sugar to give it more of a "salami" look
9- Slice and enjoy!

Welcoming the Bugs

I have a confession to make... A confession that may surprise some Montreal-ers. I don't like hockey and I have never watched a full hockey game. Mr. A loves hockey and hardly ever misses a game. In fact, he loves it so much that visiting wedding vendors has become extra tricky nowadays because everything has to revolve around the playoffs' schedule. 

When Mr. A is watching the game at home, I usually play on my phone (newest game obsession: 2048!!) or am busy in the kitchen. Sporting my lovely Habs t-shirt (a thoughtful gift from Mr. A), I have seen two or three live games.  Even surrounded by thousands of hyped fans, my mind wanders and I end up watching the people around me more than I watch the action on the ice. I look at what everyone is wearing, scale their drunkenness levels, give semi-nasty looks to the ones behind me who kick my shoulder surprisingly hard (that happened once), and of course, wait for the cue to jump and cheer when everyone else jumps and cheers. 

I guess the hockey bug bit me because, to my absolute shock, yesterday was different! I couldn't believe that I was interested in the game in the first period and a little in the second period of the game. My eyes were stuck to the screen like a magnet and the sound effects of the two great men in my life (Mr. A and Bab!) really made watching the game a treat. I cheered loudly when we scored (not as loud as the Misters though), my heart beat quickly when the Bruins were near our net (boo!), I got angry during penalties... I was a real fan!  

Like I said, for some reason, the game had my full attention during its first period and mid-way into its second period. I guess the hockey bug that bit me was very small (must have been a hockey-bug-in-training)... or the fact that we had a decent lead made the game less interesting for me... or maybe the thought of putting leftover food away and washing dishes was much more exciting to me (any excuse to be in the kitchen!). Whatever the reason was, I welcome the hockey bug to bite me again! It felt nice to be a member of the CH fan club. It makes me feel like a true Montrealer! 

My favorite part of hockey games: looking at what treat-of-a-suit Don Cherry will be wearing. Yesterday was another wonderful gem... Cherry-suit Cherry! 

In honor of Mr. Cherry and his suit, try this delicious recipe next time you bake! 

Chocolate-Cherry Scones

Ingredients

- 1 cup all purpose flour

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 2 tbsp chilled butter

- 1/3-1/2 cup cold milk (plus 2 tbsp more for brushing on scones)

- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

- 1/3 cup dried cherries

- 1 tsp grated orange peel

- 2 tbsp of sugar for sprinkling on scones (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Sift the dry ingredients together.

3. Cube the butter into pea-size pieces and rub in the flour mixture until a coarse meal forms

4. Add the chocolate chips, dried cherries and grated orange peel and mix.

5. Stir in 1/3 cup of milk and add a little more if the dough is too dry. 

6. Form the dough into a 1-inch thick disk. Cut into 6 wedges and place on a baking sheet.

7. Brush the wedges with a little bit of milk (and dust with sugar if you want) and bake for 12-15 minutes. 

Devour warm or at room temperature

Winner, winner!

It all ended before it even started. I was about eight or nine years old and excited to surprise my family with dinner. I had never cooked before but, for some reason, I suddenly had the urge. Not knowing a thing about cooking, I shuffled through the cupboards and through the fridge touching and smelling whatever I could get my hands on. 

Everything looked foreign to me. I asked myself how these random things turned into food. Balancing myself on the tip of my toes, I finally ended up reaching for something I could recognize. A little box with the ever-so-familiar Corn Flakes rooster on it. 

Was I going to "cook" cereal for dinner? No. I was holding a box of Corn Flakes Crumbs and, to my delight, there was a recipe on the back of the box. Perfect!

We had a winner! Winner, Winner, chicken dinner! With every second that passed, I was getting more and more excited at the thought of treating my family to crispy, golden chicken. As I started reading the back of the box, my excitement and delight grew exponentially. I was thrilled at how easy the recipe was. Everything looked simple and straight forward. Season the chicken, coat the chicken in cereal crumbs and put it in the oven. 

Having devoured every single word on the box, it was time to cook! I put on an apron (because that's what I had seen grown-ups do when they cooked) and opened the box. As I emptied its contents, my delight suddenly turned into despair...Where was the chicken? The chicken does not come in the box? ... (may I remind you I was eight or nine years old and completely clueless in the kitchen).

Like I said, it all ended before it even started. I hung the apron back at its place, put the deceiving-chicken-box where I had found it, enjoyed the afternoon likely watching cartoons and waited for somebody else to prepare dinner.

Here's a recipe for deliciously crispy oven-baked chicken.

Oven-baked, Corn Flakes crusted Chicken

Ingredients

- 8 chicken pieces (to your taste, breasts or thighs)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 cups cornflakes crumbs
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

2- Put flour in a shallow dish, add salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

3- Put buttermilk in a big enough bowl that can fit the chicken pieces, add Dijon and cayenne pepper.

4- Place the cornflakes crumbs in another shallow dish. 

5- Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour making sure it is well coated. Then dip each piece of chicken in the buttermilk, and then roll it in the crumbs. 

6- Place the coated chicken pieces on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes on 425F then turn the oven temperature down to 375F and cook for another 30-40 minutes. The juices should run clear when the meat is pierced.

3 ounce veal cutlets

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/veal-scallopini-with-sundried-tomato-sauce/8439/#wpzcKk4qWGaB9Lww.99

4 3 ounce veal cutlets

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/veal-scallopini-with-sundried-tomato-sauce/8439/#wpzcKk4qWGaB9Lww.99

4 3 ounce veal cutlets

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/veal-scallopini-with-sundried-tomato-sauce/8439/#wpzcKk4qWGaB9Lww.99

4 3 ounce veal cutlets

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/veal-scallopini-with-sundried-tomato-sauce/8439/#wpzcKk4qWGaB9Lww.99

4 3 ounce veal cutlets

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/veal-scallopini-with-sundried-tomato-sauce/8439/#wpzcKk4qWGaB9Lww.99