This is twice now that I’ve suddenly noticed Daring Baker posts all over the interwebs a little early. I quickly found that we were able to post three days before the end of the month. Regardless, I learned my lesson in reading the fine print and got to the recipe. … And then I found how many it made. Not typically a huge fan of cheesecake, I decided to reduce the recipe. Shrunken by more than half, the recipe made about a dozen of these little delights and they were fantastic. Even for me - revealing that bite sized portions really are an amuse for my bouche.

I’ve been quite lucky lately getting these great recipes challenges to make with the surplus of birthdays in my house.
My son, my sous chef, turns 3 tomorrow, so the last of the terrible two tantrums were taken out on me not letting him lick the raw batter fast enough. You might assume he enjoyed it - thoroughly.

I wanted to jazz these up a bit for the adults coming to the party who rarely gorge on cake in the same way three year olds can. I’d recently been out specialty food shop browsing and discovered this great line of Belgian chocolate bars. The flavour combinations included, Provincial Lavender, White Pepper and Cardamom from Guatemala and Japanese Matcha, just to name a few. So after dipping the cheesecake pops, I melted down the 1oz Matcha and drizzled it over. Mmmm.

Such a fun recipe co- hosted by Deborah at Taste and Tell and Elle of Feeding My Enthusiams . Even if you’re not in the middle of a birthday mayham, they’re fun and they’re good - give them a try.
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Tags: cake, cheesecake, chocolate, Daring Bakers, dessert, green tea, matcha, sugar

Ok, so I have to bashfully admit that although I’ve only been hearing endless great things about Dorie Greenspan. (Baking, Tuesdays etc.)I’d always for that reason perhaps put her into the realm & era of the likes of Irma S. Rombauer, Graham Kerr or Julia Child.

All a great place to be I’m sure, but wasn’t I red faced to realize only a few months ago that she’s a current legend - Now and in the flesh, baking from her home to mine, well, sort of.

I was thrilled to finally be tossed into this world of Dorie. When this months Daring Bakers‘ host, Morven chose Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake.

This couldn’t have been more fitting - celebrate Dorie with a cake? Plus it’s my birthday month!

I lingered and saved my baking for the end of the month so I’d be able to relax (best way possible with kids) & spend my birthday in the kitchen and with all kinds of guests. It was perfect timing to present this big and wonderful cake.

I’d had a chance to read some of the other Bakers tribulations and with a little birthday luck, my cakes were perfectly puffed, light and lovely.

Being that I was losing my Dorie virginity, I wanted to stay true to the recipe and experience the real thing with the lemony buttercream and raspberry preserves. This gift of cake and the exposure to Dorie made for a great birthday indeed.

My first bite of the cake reminded me of bakery bought. May sound strange but I’m not talking bakery dept., little more high end than that. I’ve not always been the best cake baker ever but the cake did not at all seem typically home made. It had that “sercret” je ne sais quoi inside that just make it better. IT didn’t taste like a pantry. It was light, not too sweet and the butter cream - maybe I shouldn’t get started on the meringue buttercream. Lets just say that I’m usually an icing picker offer not really going for the sugary shortening flavour but this time I was scraping the pattern off the plate.

Certainly a cake I will make again - even if it’s not my birthday. With the many Daring Baker variations that I’ve seen, I definitely have many flavours yet to try.

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A trip to Montréal could be a faster route to Paris if it weren’t for it’s own personal and famous delicacies.
Sure, there are so many restaurants, so many of which are indeed French, however, a visit would not be complete without a trip to Schwartz’s or St. Viateur.

If you’re lucky enough to experience a St. Viateur bagel hot from their wood burning oven, you’ll be certain to leave with at least a dozen and compelled to repack your suitcase for more. Unlike their doughy, over-puffed counter parts, these bagels are now a distinctive Montréal establishment. Founded in 1957, they have been confusing copy-cats seeking out the recipe for decades. “It’s in the oven.” Says, Vince of St.Viateur. As it’s not just the recipe that holds the secret to these chewy and flavourful masterpieces. Since most cities aren’t permitted wood burning ovens, which produce the optimal conditions and heat to bake the bagels.

Thankfully Montréal is a very walkable city - even in the winter. Although cold and particularly snowy during my last visit, there were people out enjoying the day. It really is the best way to get around and work off that extra bagel or your last order of poutine.

Poutine is common street food and even though it’s made it into fast food outlets, it’s still the mom and pop’s that make it the best. Years ago, while living in the city, I had a chef friend who obviously shared my love of the food experience. In addition to the best French restos, he had me lined up for a poutine taste test. Poutine is a dish of crisp, straight cut French fries, gooingly topped with cheese curds and a “brown sauce”. This gravy and the cheese somehow have a way of touching and melting over every über fattening bite. Served up with a hot dog avec tout; onions, relish, sauerkraut and a sprinkling of cayenne (don’t balk, it’s surprisingly delicious). With that you may think that a plate of poutine would be the same as the next, but it really isn’t so. The one spot you may second guess entering from the street view is often the best, including the case of where we were. Don’t let the orange counter and the faded overhead menu photos fool you. Of course, now a days I might opt for some of Montréal’s French uppity restaurants versions that offer fois gras or an ox tail gravy on their Belgian style frites. But once in a while, during a visit this sit down street food is simply irresistible.

I know, I know, if you see one more cupcake shop you may just want to toss your sprinkles but while out on my food jaunt, I just couldn’t help but notice the retro pink shop bustling with customers. Perhaps it was the unforgiving snow or the fact that the store looked as if it were decorated by Barbie herself, I couldn’t not enter. So sweetly named, Petits Gâteaux is only one of the few popular cupcake joints in the city.

Inside, I was greeted by friendly faces and long glass counters filled with the tiniest of cupcakes decked out with the likes of banana fudge, chocolate mocha and white chocolate raspberry. Even with a flight out the next day, I couldn’t resist these tea party cakes. Living up to their names of small cakes, they were just about that.

I learned my lesson of temptation then still moved along to smoked meat.

All of this during a crazy snowstorm, we were blasted and whitened as the snowballs fell from the sky. Our last stop was Schwartz’s Deli. Between the small hike of two blocks, our once dark jackets were lightened. Quickly saturated by the steam of some of the most known smells in Montréal, the snow that covered out jackets melted faster than the Schwartz’s Saturday wait.

A Montréal landmark since 1928, it’s the spot for locals, tourist and celebrities alike, the line up is deservedly out the door on the best of days. …And why not? Schwartz’s is well known for it’s spices and slow preparation, helping to give New York City a run for not only bagels but the perfect deli sandwich. It’s a thing of pride for the folks at Schwartz’s. One of the best damn sandwiches you will ever have. Piled a mile high and the chance to see Angelina Jolie with mustard on her chin, who could possibly pass that up while in town?

Anything to declare? I was asked as I entered customs for my quick flight home.
“Schwartz’s and bagels.” was my reply.
And in the most relaxed customs agent response, “Haha. Bien sur, allons y. Just next time remember the Tourtiere and the sugar pie.”

For a few more shots of the trip check out my flickr page.

Thank you to those who sent over or dropped a photo into the Flickr group!
There are so many great green and sour shots.
There weren’t any ideas for the New theme, so a printed magazine might be a bit on the thin side this month, but check in soon for a pdf of some great photos…

After hosting DMBLGIT and deciding to quit my humming and hawing, my thoughts have solidified.

There are such fantastic blogs with photos so beautifully styled by, for lack of a better word, amateurs. Yet, passion melts through my screen with these drool worthy photos. There is a love of food, creating a sense of calm from an otherwise chaotic kitchen that keeps us going, even on those chocolate chip cookie kind of days.

It’s obvious we love to look at food as much as cook it - striving for better, otherwise there wouldn’t be photo competitions and trophy badges. With an amazing sense of community, food bloggers come together and support one another in ways so sincere and supportive. Through kind words and encouragement from across the globe we are all connected by this passion we have for making food and photographing it.

After months of drooling, entering and reviewing I searched for photo collections that could showcase and inspire new horizons as well as opportunities. I would like to host a gallery which promotes content, supported and selected by our peers. I would like to publish it, using it as a tool to promote and showcase these great and often undiscovered talents. Each issue will be broken into three themes, leaving the only “rules” to be:

• These works must be original and high res.
• They must be considered a print worthy, portfolio piece by the photographer.
• You may enter as many times as you see fit, considering the content is relevant to the theme
• You need to be willing to have your pieces printed in the magazine. (Food+Photography Only)
• Please do not over manipulate photos in Photoshop or by adding text, boarders or multiple images.
• If you would like to submit a corresponding recipe, please do so by email, adding it in the Flickr comments or, of course, a link back to your site.

Post your photos in the Food+Photography group , if you don’t have a Flickr account you can email your pictures to me at foodandphotography AT gmail DOT com

The deadline for the spring edition is March 15, 2008.

This first issue; SPRING, the themes are:

SOUR

GREEN

&
NEW

Be creative and give it your best shot.

Yes, surprisingly, I’m not referring to the Superbowl.

Thinking game birds and not pig skins, I invited our long time friend and foodie, Lynne over for dinner.
We’ve been trying to consume as wild and locally as possible so finding a pheasant in our little grocers was nothing short of serendipitous.

I’d never cooked a pheasant before, or any game bird for that matter. I remember stories and pictures of my Grandfather in and around the Rat Pack era with ventures of Pheasants and Wild Turkey from his forested property. Stories which were prompted by the discovery of odd prints and ashtrays decorated with the birds distinctive plumage. Having found a photo or two, I’d heard about weekend escapades with old friends, now gone like the flock of birds drawn in groups from their grassy clearings.

At home with my bird, I searched for ways to do it justice. Surprisingly, of the extravagant number of those long tailed ashtrays I’d seen in my lifetime and the countless ads for hunting excursions, I had only uncovered a handful of recipe suggestions. With the first being from “Shooting Times”, I opted for guidance from our Fair Lady, Julia Child and a variation from a 2001 edition of Parade Magazine.

Pheasants, like most other wild birds, are quite lean and can dry out quickly. Many of the recipes I’d discovered suggested all out braising or wrapping the bird in bacon to roast it. Although bacon is known to be good enough to lure a vegetarian, I wanted to taste as much of the flavour the pheasant was prepared to offer us without masking it in that smoky, salted fat. In the end, I opted for olive oil, a little stock and frequent basting, while stuffing the cavity with tangerines, garlic, onion, rosemary and bay, delivering me the best part of a turkey dinner in every bite.

Served with roasted vegetables and a dish of sautéed brussel sprouts with crumbled blue cheese.
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Along with the closing of 2007 went DMBLGIT for December. Having watched this competition grow over time, it was fantastic to celebrate the end of the year with such a turn out. With over 100 entrants the amazing cast of judges; Bea, Dré, Haalo, Jen, Lara, Lynne and Patricia, had their work cut out for them.

There are such wonderful photographers amidst the blogs we’ve come to read. Congratulations to everyone.

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BEST OVER ALL WINNERS

1st Place:

Jenn and Oliver of Chocolate Shavings with Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Camera: Cannon 350D

2nd Place:

Syrie Wongkaew of All Things Nice with Dark Chocolate Mousse and Raspberry Tart

Camera: Nikon D50

3rd Place:

Carol Rode of Oh For The Love of Food with Matcha Green Tea Macarons

Camera: Nikon D40X

Winner of Edibility:

Mandy of Fresh From The Oven with Normandy Apple Tart

Camera: Pentax k100D

Winner of Originality

Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita with Pomegranate Merlot Reduction

Camera: Nikon Coolpix 2100

Winners of Aesthetics

Chocolate Shavings, All Things Nice, both pictured above, and:

Bri Brownlow of Figs With Bri with Pears Poached in Saffron Vanilla Syrup

Camera: Minolta DiMAGE X

Sandra Salerno of Untoccodizenzero with Bread (in) pot

Camera: NIKON D70S

Andrew, who’s hard work and great organizing makes this all possible, has allowed for Host Awards.

These are my picks:

Cookworm with Lemon Curd

Camera: Nikon D100

Jaime of Good Eats n’ Sweet Treats with Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000

Danielle of Habeas Brûlée with Cranberry Quince Sorbet

Camera: Canon 30D

Bee of Rasa Malaysia With Satay Jellyfish

Camera: Canon Rebel XT

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It’s been so fun hosting. Thank you to everyone.

I just absolutely loved receiving all of your photos and discovering so many new and wonderful blogs.

Congratulations and good luck next month with Francesco at The Food Traveller!

The more food blogs I discover the more of one common element continues to show through. It’s obvious that we food bloggers love food. We love discovering it, smelling, touching, buying, cooking, sharing, eating and meeting with the growers who bring it all to us.

It was quite sudden when it occurred to me that we are not only lovers of food, but advocates of it as well.
Being a food blogger myself, I’ve always felt driven by my pure love of food but I’ve discovered that in that love, a voice is emerging to protect it.

Promoting local growers, farmer’s markets and eating seasonally seems to be a morsel of our returned protection of the food in which we love. Appreciating the true flavours of unmodified food, taking back our taste buds from the corporations who have tried to feed the masses.

We are the movement which began sharing what we had for dinner to showcase our passion or to remind people of the food that sustains us.

Releasing January 1st, is Michael Pollan’s new book, In Defense of Food. I was pretty excited I was to get my hands an advanced copy of this book. Already being a fan of Michael Pollan and specifically his last book, Omnivore’s Dilemma, this book is a continuation of his essay entitled “Unhappy Meals”, published in The New York Times Magazine.

It was wonderful to read about many opinions I already shared about what we’re being told to eat. However, the fantastic amount of precision and research put into this celebration of food is simply extraordinary.

If you’re like me, this book may be redundant as to the ways you already appreciate food and if that’s the case, upon reading you may agree that this could be the book to send Michael Pollan on a An Inconvenient Truth type road tour promoting respect for growers, quality of food, tradition and community in order play a hand in the relief of global warming as well as Western Diseases.
A large claim yes, but the importance of all that could just be the tipping point which sits us down to the best meal of our lives.

Since I’ve already read my book, I’ll be the first willing to share.
Leave your own opinions of the food we eat in the comments here or on my other blog between now and tomorrow, December 31st, and I’ll ship it before the clock strikes twelve.

Tags: michael pollan

Just like 2007, this month’s edition of Does My Blog Look Good In This wraps up at midnight on December 31st.

If you haven’t seen the fantastic entries already, go and take a peek at the gallery.

Of course, if you haven’t submitted something of your very own yet, just choose your favourite photo shot by you and published on your blog during the month of November. Email it to me at foodandphotography AT gmail.com along with your name, blog name, link to the original posting and type of camera used.

Best of luck to everyone!

Yay! I’m the host of this month’s Does My Blog Look Good in This?! I couldn’t be more excited! It’s amazing that when I started out at blogging, I thought I’d just be jotting down a few stories and my favourite recipes. Not long into it, I began to realize that I was a sucker for the shutter and I loved styling and taking the picture of the food I was producing. I think I can safely say I’m no the only one out there. With an amazing number of us food bloggers, there are just about as many budding photographers. It’s so wonderful to have a way to celebrate the great shots of the month previous and with this, I am so proud to host DMBLGIT - December ‘07.I can’t even tell you how thrilled I am to announce this months very talented judges. I crossed my fingers and went after some of the most talented people out there. Imagine my face when I saw my inbox and read that everyone accepted the offer to critique. I almost feel like I’ve tripped into Santa’s sled how we’ve nailed each corner of the globe with our December judges. A very special thank you to: Lara from Cook & Eat Bea from La Tartine Gourmande Haalo from Cook (Almost) Anything Patricia from Tecnicolor Kitchen Jen from Milk and Cookies My good friend Lynne, former Content Editor at Food Network Canada …and Dré, musician, photographer and Creative Director of Tribal DDB Toronto

What is DMBLGIT?
The idea behind the event is to give everyone a chance to enjoy some of the best pictures of the month posted on food blogs. There are so many great blogs now and new posts are constantly updated, it’s very easy to miss some great posts and pictures. This event takes us back through the best food photos of the previous month.

The rules & how to participate:

• One food photograph mat be entered per person
• The photograph must have been posted on your blog in November of 2007
• The photograph must have been taken by you
• The deadline to submit your entry is December 31 ,2007

The judges will assess the quality of all of your great entries, which will fall under the following categories:

• Aesthetics: meaning composition, food styling, lighting, focus, etc.
• Edibility: meaning “Does the photo make us want to dive in and eat the food?”
• Originality: the photograph that catches our attention and makes us want to say “Wow!”, displaying something we might not have seen before.
• Overall Winner: the photograph encompasses all of the three previous categories: the best in Aesthetics, Edibility and Originality.

So if you have a food blog with a picture you’re proud of from November, just send it to foodandphotography(at)gmail.com

Include the following:

• Your name
• Your blog URL
• The URL of the post where the photo first appeared
• The camera you used
• and don’t forget to attach your picture, that should be 350 pixels wide

Last day of submission is December 31, 2007.

I will post the pictures as they come, so make sure yours is included once I start publishing them. The gallery will be linked from here.

Good luck!

You may view the gallery of great entries here.

Special thanks to Andrew at Spitton Extra for trusting me with his baby and to Zorra for hosting in November. Her roundup may be seen here.