January 2012
8 posts
6 tags
An Ode to Bread and Soup [Roasted Butternut Squash...
I love bread. I love the way a fresh loaf’s crust shatters like glass when you pull a warm, doughy piece from it. I love it’s comforting, alluring smell as it emerges from the oven, golden brown and imperfect. I love how unpretentious a rustic peasant loaf can truly be. I love that it rises from merely three modest ingredients. Simple or complex, dense or light, flattened or round,...
2 tags
The Red and White [Ottawa Food & Wine Event]
[Chef Kirk doing a demo for the crowd - photo by Laura Jane Photography]
The adjectives “boring” “sleepy” “uninteresting” get thrown around a lot here in Ottawa. “The town that fun forgot” is another one we’re all too familiar with. This city has a pretty bad reputation these days and it takes a determined few to plan events that a) get a...
6 tags
Eating Your Science [Atelier Black Box Dinner]
Recently, I and a few of my fellow Ottawa bloggers had the outright pleasure of attending Atelier Ottawa’s Black Box Dinner. Before I go too far into the specifics of this particular evening, it’s necessary for me to tell you a bit about Atelier first.
Every night, Atelier serves it’s guests, every single one of them, a 12-course gastronomic feast for the senses. I’ve...
5 tags
Versatile Blogger Awards [Double Chocolate Chili...
I woke a few weeks back to an email from a fellow food blogger, Barb from Profiteroles and Ponytails, informing me she had nominated/awarded me with the Versatile Blogger Award. What a lovely way to wake up. Barb’s take on food is refreshing, convivial and it’s tremendously obvious that she adores cooking (and baking, oh her baking!) home-cooked, soul-soothing meals for her husband...
5 tags
Centretown Buzz'd [Turkey Soup with Wild Rice and...
It’s been an exciting day and a half in the GL residence! My very first published piece appeared in Centretown Buzz, a publication kind enough to help a rookie writer out with a monthly food column. The soup featured in this month’s issue is one of our favourites around here. Without fail, we make it once every two weeks and haven’t grown tired of it yet. It’s warm and...
4 tags
Win Tickets to The Red & White [Ottawa Food & Wine...
CONGRATULATIONS TO JESSICA DIENER! I’ve emailed you with more information about the tickets. Thanks all who entered, I hope we’ll see some of you there regardless!
...
6 tags
A Lazy Weekend [Bucatini with Mushroom Ragu]
This past weekend was one of the first in a while Mr. GL and I had completely to ourselves. To do whatever we want, with whoever we want, at any time we wanted. I know we don’t have kids, and it’s weird to think that we don’t often have a lot of time spent like that, but it’s true. Between Mr. GL’s job + band, my full time job, cooking, photography, editing, writing...
5 tags
It's not me. It's you. [Green Lentil Soup with...
Aaaaaaand we’re back. Hello there! First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU! I can’t believe 2011 is but a distant memory. The years sure do pass by quickly when you’re a ‘grown-up’ (I use grown up for lack of a better word to describe the sort-of-adult-sort-of-teenager-sort-of-old-lady stage I’m in). As you might know, I’m not much for resolutions. I feel they...
December 2011
8 posts
4 tags
Handmade Holiday #3 [Boozy Olives & Martini Kit]
This is it! The last post before I embark on a week (a full WEEK) of family, friends, eating, dancing and general celebration! It’s been quite a year in my kitchen and I’m so glad you could all join me for the ride. I owe a debt of gratitude to you all for reading, commenting, trying recipes out and listening to my never ending rambling. So thank you, from the bottom of my...
8 tags
Dear Santa [Chocolate-Bourbon Eggnog and Felix &...
Can you believe we’re less than a week away from Christmas? Can someone tell me how on earth this happened? 2012 is less than two weeks away, too. Doesn’t it seem like we were just welcoming 2011 a month or two ago? I’m really not sure when November left us, but here we are, panicked and anxious, counting down the days until Santa squeezes his plump little body down your...
6 tags
Trust Me. [Cinnamon-Sugar & Toasted Pecan...
We know each other, you and I, don’t we? You could probably even call us ‘friends’ by now, right? I share my deepest darkest secrets with you and in return, you listen, hungrily & wide-eyed, while I do. I think we’ve built up a fair amount of trust in our time together, haven’t we? I thought you might feel the same. And I’m so glad. You may recall...
4 tags
Handmade Holiday #2 [DIY Mulled Wine Kit]
It’s that time again! Handmade Holiday #2! This week, I’m letting you off real easy. This one is pretty much as simple as it gets. Mix a few things, put them in a bag. Arrange together and Bob’s your uncle! (It’s a long standing joke in my family that Bob really is our [great] uncle. We’re pretty hilarious. I know.) If you’ve ever had mulled wine, I...
5 tags
The Red & White [Ottawa Food & Wine event]
There is certainly no shortage of exciting Food & Drink events in our cozy little hometown of Ottawa, but one in particular has me feeling desperately anxious for January 18th to arrive. Food, wine and beer lovers, take note!
The Red and White is a event in support of Harmony House, a second-stage womens shelter, the only one in Ottawa, that provides safe, affordable, transitional housing...
9 tags
TV and some Bacon Jam [Chipotle Bacon Jam w...
I realize I’m on a mad-posting binge this week. I hope you’ll forgive me for not posting like this every week going forward. It’s just been one of those months where I have so much to share with you. I don’t want you to feel left out, you know.
Today I was incredibly lucky and honoured to be able to make my television debut! How odd it sounds to say that. No, I...
8 tags
Unfussy Dip-ables [Roasted Carrot-Cumin Hummus]
After months and months of thinking “Jeez, I’d really love to be part of a Supper Club…” I finally decided “Ok, I’ll start a Supper Club”. Waiting around for other people to plan things for you never did anyone any good now, did it?
Tonight is the first meet & greet of our little Centretown Supper Club and I’m so looking forward to meeting...
7 tags
Simple Dishes for Entertaining [Spanish Chicken &...
I’ve been so completely all over the place lately that I forgot completely we were having some friends over for dinner last night.
Not daring to ever serve guests take-out at my house (the reason for that is much less pretentious than it sounds, I just REALLY like takeout and want it all to myself) I opted for one of those marvelously simple one-pot-dinners. They save me from a life of...
November 2011
7 posts
6 tags
Handmade Holiday #1 [Preserved Lemons and Oranges]
In the next few weeks, I’m going to be doing something a little different around here.
We all know how stressful the holidays can be, what having to buy gifts for not only your immediate family, but your in-laws, close friends, grandparents, and somehow you always end up getting a few things for people you’re not even sure why you bought for. I know I have a hard time figuring out...
4 tags
Sandwich Love [Review: Pressed Gourmet Sandwich...
I always get excited to hear of new café/restaurants opening, but what’s better, is when they open right down the street from you!
Pressed is a gourmet sandwich bar devoted to all things local, organic and most of all, delicious. They serve Equator Coffee, adding to their list of local vendors that also includes Auntie Loo’s Treats & B-Goods Cookies. I had the pleasure of...
3 tags
My Favourite Furry Friend [PAWSH Magazine...
photo by Kronick Photography I was recently asked to take part in an interview with Pawsh Magazine about creative folks and their best furry pals. Laura Benn, the woman behind the magazine, contacted me a few weeks back and we got to work right away. PAWSH is such a fun and informative publication that boasts many features the pet-crazy owner will love like Ask The Expert, Pet of The Month,...
5 tags
I Love You, Ottawa. [A Weekend in Reflection]
Oh my gosh. It’s been one of the most exciting weekends I’ve had in a very long time. This is another one of those non-food related posts and I’m about to gush about a few things. I hope you’ll allow me the space to do that. After all, what good is a personal blog if I can’t talk about the personal things that are most exciting to me? It’s been 8 months since...
9 tags
Putting the Excitement Back into Curry [Coconut...
It’s funny how you get stuck in a funk with certain recipes in your weekly (monthly, yearly) routine. There are a few things I make regularly that I’ve made the same way for so long, I don’t even think about them when I make them. And in making them without thinking, I often forget that everything can be made better with a little extra love and a little more effort. Curry is...
8 tags
Expanding my Taco Horizons [Crispy Shrimp Tacos...
TACO. Did you just get so excited? I know I did.
The word ‘taco’ brings about emotions in me that food shouldn’t be able to. I get excited from the pit of my tummy to the tips of my toes when I hear that sacred word. TACO! It happened again. Oh god I love them so much. Whenever my mom asks my sister or I what we want for our birthday dinners (yes, we still get to pick...
8 tags
Damned by Writers Block [Vegetarian Chili with...
I haven’t been taking as much time to write lately. Of course, all the normal things that life brings with it tend to stand in the way, but this time it’s something different. Writers block. My head, knock on it as hard as I may, will not answer. Sometimes I wonder if it’s taken a vacation somewhere wonderful and left me behind to fend for myself. How terribly rude that would...
October 2011
6 posts
5 tags
Pumpkin Week Recipe #1 [Pumpkin Cranberry Oat...
I’m going to try and make today’s post rather quick. ‘Try’, being the oppertive word here, of course. I’ve had quite the day. Lots of walking, lots of brain-mashing of numbers, which I was just not blessed with the god-given ability to do, lots of cooking, and now, a couch calling softly to me. “Psssst, Kelly. Keeeeellllllyyyyy. Come to snuggle. And drink tea...
7 tags
The Breakfast Curse [Aged Cheddar, Spinach &...
It’s become blatantly obvious over the past few months that I have a terrible curse. One that affects not only myself, but whomever happens to be with me. A breakfast curse. Ottawa has been gifted with many wonderful restaurants that serve creative and enticing brunch menus to the masses that show up from open to close on the weekends (and likely during the week as well, but brunch...
2 tags
A Call for Awareness; Ottawa GLBTQ Community
It’s rare that I stray from the words that spew from my belly, but today I find the words from my heart are speaking much louder. This past Saturday a youth from our community, 15 year old Jamie Hubley, tragically took his life after what sounds to have been a long and hard battle with being openly gay as a high school student. I didn’t know Jamie, or anyone in his immediate circle of...
8 tags
The Perfect Day [Classic Spaghetti & Meatballs]
Every so often, a day comes along where the weather is so perfect. And if you’re schedule permits, you get to enjoy this day the way beautiful fall days should be enjoyed. That was yesterday. I had a quick latte to start the day off while I watched my stories (aka Regis & Kelly - can’t start a day at home without them. Won’t.) and then headed out on my bike to the grocery...
3 tags
Win 2 Tickets to Harvest Noir!
[photo courtesy of Harvest Noir] Tired of hearing about how boring Ottawa is? How fashionably inept we are? How nothing exciting ever happens?
It’s time to show those naysayers otherwise. Harvest Noir is Ottawa’s secret picnic feast & black tie dance party. The location is unknown until the last minute and the guestlist is limited, making it one of the year’s most intriguing...
7 tags
Back to Business [Heirloom Tomato Galette with...
Well things have just been all over the place here lately, haven’t they? I’ve spent this past week slightly under the weather and not wanting to do much but drink peppermint tea and watch The Real Housewives (of every city….). I’ve been sitting on a really delicious recipe for a few weeks now and I figure I’d better get it out to you before all your heirloom...
September 2011
6 posts
6 tags
La Dolce Vita [A Trip to Southern France Guest...
Greetings, fellow Gouda Life followers and lovers of all things food. I am Laura, Ms GL’s sister, and she has graciously allowed me to share my recent honeymoon experience with you all. My new husband and I spent ten days this month in France’s Cote d’Azur / French Riviera region, and just could not keep the experience to ourselves.
While I do not possess all the passion, charm and wit that you...
4 tags
Celebrate Italian Culture, Food & Wine at La...
Today is another small departure from business-as-usual around here. But fret not, it’s for a very good reason! If you’re new to Ottawa or perhaps living under a rock and haven’t ventured into the newly beautified Little Italy, you’re missing some of the cities best culinary vendors, markets and shops. This September marks their 15th anniversary and the Preston Street BIA...
5 tags
Out of the Ordinary [Review of Burnt Butter...
We’re doing something a little different here today. I typically only write about my own cooking experiences and save the reviews and event pieces to the better qualified writers, but I’ve got a few things to say today and you know what? I’m going to say them despite the anxiousness I have surrounding this sort of writing. *Disclaimer: I am not a restaurant or food critic. I...
6 tags
Serious Sunday Suppers [Milk Braised Chicken with...
Sundays are big around these parts.
If we’re lucky enough to find a Sunday where we’re both home for dinner, I am typically up at the crack of dawn and elbow deep in cookbooks looking for something exciting to make. I carefully unfold the corners of my beloved books, that I’ve placed that way for the very purpose of Sundays, and run my hand down the page making mental notes of...
6 tags
Fall time. My Time. [Polenta with Green Beans and...
What a beautiful few weeks it’s been. In the aftermath of a hectic month that’s included a whirlwind trip out East, baking for a wedding of 130, followed by sisters stunning wedding last weekend, came many nights of nothing. Nothing. We’re talking buns on couch, wine in hand, sweater wrapped snug around my midsection and toes locked in by moccasin slippers. There might have...
5 tags
Love and Simple Pasta [Rigatoni with Navy Beans,...
The excitement is starting to grow thick like molasses in the late summer air. Can you feel it? No? Oh, maybe it’s only me who has a momentous occasion coming up. And on second thought, I think I might have mistaken the smell of excitement for love. This Sunday my big sister, my only sister..and sibling for that matter, Laura is getting married! I can’t believe it’s here so...
August 2011
6 posts
8 tags
For the Love of All Things Sweet and Creamy...
“Homemade salsa? Homemade cheese? Homemade spice blends? Homemade sauces? Who has the time?”
Or so I thought. Until I really started cooking for myself, the idea of making my own items that I could otherwise buy in jars or deli counters just didn’t make any sense to me. Why would I bother when someone else can do it for me? Of course, the reasons for making scratch-options as opposed to...
6 tags
Penciling-In Inspiration [Smokey Summer Squash...
I’ve been struggling to find inspiration lately. I’m not sure if I can blame being busy and not having as many opportunities to find myself grazing through the aisles of the market or hanging lazily over the pages of Food & Wine or if I’m just trying to find excuses to be lazy and sluggish. In any case, I’m over it. If I need to pencil time in to plunk myself right in...
3 tags
A Photo Entry [A Visit to Canada's East Coast]
Where does the time go?
I’d meant to write a quick post telling you I was off to Halifax to visit friends and that I wouldn’t leave you high and dry, but some friends would be guest posting…. but as is customary these days, it slipped my mind. Gosh, I’m sorry. We had a bit of a whirlwind trip to the East Coast, arriving by car Thursday evening and returning home last...
3 tags
A Favour For An Eastward Friend (A Guest Post)
Pork Ribs and Rub Yields 3 Racks
The Rubadub Rub
2 Tbsp Ground Ginger
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
2 Tbsp Mustard Powder
1 Tbsp Paprika
2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 Tsp Salt
The Sauce
2 Cups of your favourite BBQ Sauce.
So I got asked to put an entry into this thing called “the Gouda Life” it’s a lovely site done by a very talented lady by the name of...
Dear Mariposa (a guest post)
And you should go there too. Plantagenet, Ontario. An hour drive east out of Ottawa, but still a world away from the hussle and bussle of the city. In which a place called Mariposa Farms exists and drives the capital in its search for a culinary identity.
This post is here for my friend who is now away enjoying her time on vacation. This post is also here because I was really inspired to...
6 tags
Eating Summer [Fresh Mint and Pea Pasta Alla...
I’m holding my wrists out, palms facing up, for the slap on the wrists I deserve for having been absent from here for so long. There has been so much going on lately that upon arriving home from most days, I am magnetically drawn to the couch and the comforts of my living room. I’ve felt the guilt burning into me for not getting busy telling you about all these wonderful things...
July 2011
4 posts
6 tags
A Vegan Summer Wedding [Vegan Raspberry Apricot...
Whenever I think about summer, I get this wonderful vision of leisurely lazy days filled with swimming and fizzy fruity drinks and friends and relaxation. And then summer gets here. And I remember that while there may be a few of the above mentioned wonderful things, there is also a ton of running around and busyness and stress. And perhaps the stressful busy things wouldn’t be so bad if...
7 tags
So Fresh & So Clean [Strawberry-Mint Parfait with...
I’m turning into an old man. Have you noticed? All I can seem to talk about lately is the weather. I want to talk about it all day long. And if I’m not talking about the weather, I’m talking about how I talk about the weather. I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about it by now, aren’t you? But guess what? It’s still hot as hell in Ottawa. And I’m...
7 tags
Conveniently Sloth-like [Red Quinoa Salad with...
I do so love convenient eating. And frozen foods are just so convenient sometimes. Like when it’s 300 degrees outside and sweating into a pot over the stove seems only slightly less than glamorous. I’ve more or less been living out of the freezer for the past few days. Frozen pizza? Yes please. Frozen chicken fingers and fries? How did you know? Frozen meat pie? OK, maybe it’s...
6 tags
Clean Eating for the Over Indulger [Fattoush Salad...
Happy Post Canada Day to all my Canadian friends! I hope you’re all recovering from what I assume was a long day (or if you’re like us, perhaps even 2 days) in the sun, filled with good food and drink and of course, great friends and family. We celebrated Canada Day in our usual manor. Mr GL’s parents welcome us and all of our friends into their home where we barbecue, swim,...
June 2011
6 posts
6 tags
The Proof is in the Fruit [Blueberry-Peach...
So here we are, right in the very humid midst of a long awaited summer. I can always tell summer is well into full swing when the bounty of fruits and vegetables make their way into nearly every nook and cranny of my kitchen. Tomatoes gracing every window sill, cannelloni-like bundles of damply wrapped herbs lined up on every shelf, berries resting lazily in a permanently present colander in the...
7 tags
A Taste of Summer [Scallop Crudo with Grapefruit,...
I have a hard time at restaurants. It’s not that I’m picky. In fact, quite the opposite. The whole other end of the spectrum, actually. I want it all. I’m greedy for everything that establishment has to offer. What might seem like indecisiveness due to specific taste, is really just me feeling exasperated knowing I’m only allowed (financially, anyways) to order one of...
4 tags
Poor Little Lemon Soufflé [Frozen Lemon Soufflé...
I’ve been feeling a little guilty since I posted the recipe for Lasagna Caprese. Not because it wasn’t delicious and not because it didn’t deserve first display dibs. But more so because I unintentionally poo-pooed the wonderfully delicious dessert that I had meant to post before that. I am certain, though most do disagree, that inanimate objects (more specifically, my kitchen...
8 tags
No Bake Takes the Cake [Lasagna Caprese]
I came home tonight with full intentions of sharing a Frozen Lemon Soufflé with you. But given the circumstances, that can wait. Who cares about delicious light-as-air frozen lemony desserts, anyhow? (I do. A LOT. But it can wait one or two days, can’t it? CANT IT!?) While I was sitting at my desk this afternoon, day-dreaming as is common after lunch, an idea popped into my head. Lasagna....
3 tags
No Cake, Please. [Salted Rasberry Buttermilk Cake]
I don’t like cake.
So there. I said it. Just like that. I hope we can still be friends despite this obvious character flaw. It’s just one of those things I don’t care for. Perhaps too many boxed Betty Crocker birthday cakes at birthday parties growing up, or maybe I’m just extremely bizarre. Either way, if it’s in the room and offered to me, I will turn it down 9...