Either way! The answer is the same… by turning my grill into a smoker. Of course I’ll need to learn how to do this properly and I think I’ve found just the book to help – Smoking Meat by Jeff Phillips.

An idiots guide to smoking everything from mac and cheese to pork chops and recipes for rubs, marinades and something called Atomic Buffalo Turds (jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon then smoked to perfection).

If you have a smoker and are looking for some great recipes, or want to venture into smoking your meal for the frist time (like me!) then this is a great resource. And I’ve got a copy of it for you. All you need do. Follow Simply Fresh on Facebook (click here) and leave a message on the wall telling me your favorite thing to BBQ! Winners will have to live in Ottawa so that I’m able to drop off the book, and will be selected at random on Monday. Good luck and happy eating!

What I found was that most kids have about 20 minutes to eat. All kids have basic rules about not running around or being too loud. There are some schools, that in my personal opinion, are taking steps to make lunch a special time of the day. Allowing kids to move their seats so that they are eating with friends (that they are often not sitting with during class time to minimize the socialization), to talk as long as it stays at a normal level, and some going so far as to hold lunch after recess so that kids do not rush through their meal so that they can play along with several other potential benefits.

For every school that was taking steps towards a positive lunch experience there were those that were taking a step back. Some kids reported that they were not only not allowed to talk during lunch, but they actually were to sit at their desk and watch videos and television while eating instead of using the time to socialize and break bread with their peers.

For my house hold, the kid`s class is in the less positive stream. I plan to speak with her teacher. I realize there are some circumstances where the level of discipline and order during lunch may seem to be necessary, but I also feel like my child is missing out on a wonderful opportunity to bond with her friends and learn proper eating habits such as taking time out of your day to enjoy food as an event, not just a way to get sustenance.

Thank you so much to all the parents who helped me by going over my questionnaire with their kids. I hope you found it as eye opening as I did, and I encourage other parents to talk to their kids about their lunch time routines.

Taking place this Saturday between 10 – 4, on 39 Dufferin Road – you can meet some of my very favorite foodies and artisan food producers while picking up some amazing goodies.

Word on the street is that Pascale’s and Aunite Loo are getting together to make some ice cream sandwiches at the event. Don’t hold me to it… it’s just the street talking.

Hope you make it out!

Cheers!

In order of their votes:

5. Kichesippi Natural Blonde – 787 votes

4. Broadhead Long Shot White – 826 votes

3. Broadhead Gignerstone Amber – 854 votes

2. Mill Street Ambre de la Chaudiere – 896 votes

1. Broadhead Underdog Pale Ale – 1049 votes

May the best brew win!

Chutney was a bit of a mystery for me, but I guess the best way to think of it is as a thick sauce. And what a flavourful sauce it is!! It can add such a kick to whatever you are making. From being amazing on its own as a topping for meats or veggies or making your creations that much more fabulous, there is no wrong way to use it!.

The North India chutney in my creamy polenta was just what the doctor ordered! And it’s so good – I’m also really keen to see if it can fix some of my *ahem* not so brilliant culinary ideas. You know… the ones that started out with what was sure to be a burst of inspiration but ended up being a not so tasty pile of ‘meh’ on a plate. Oh yes… those nights still happen.

The best part of Major Craig’s is the story behind it. Major James Craig developed the recipe for the North India chutney over 125 years ago and passed it through his family until it finally came to Andrew. He began the business by making the chutney as gifts for his family and friends at Christmas, only to discover that they loved it and wanted more! As demand grew, Major Craig’s was born and named for the man whose original recipe started it all.

So if you are looking for something to spice up your next meal… you gotta try some Major Craig’s!

It’s a cute little stall in the market building, 55 ByWard Market Square, nothing too special from the outside – but it’s the food they are cooking up that has me coming back time and time again. Fresh and flavourful, their beef anything is my all time favorite. Though the other options are pretty good too. There is just something about the beef. They top it all off with amazingly fresh pico de gallo and what I believe is the best guacamole in the entire city.

It was so good I actually forgot to take a photo until I was almost done.

All that and you can get lunch for about $8. Under $10 if you want a larger meal or a drink with it. But seriously… why have a value meal when you can have rock your socks off tacos??

Craving a little spice with your meal?? Not to worry. The homemade salsa bar will hook you up. So many choices – all so delish. I’d really suggest trying a bit of each.

The only thing I’d like to see is a veggie option… not that I could be easily persuaded to give up the beef at this place.

If you are looking for a casual place to grab a bit of lunch this is an amazing choice. You can even take it to go, and since seating inside is somewhat limited that isn’t a bad choice on a nice day.

4.5 out of 5 stars

So what do I need from you?? Just click your favorite beers below. You can vote as often as you wish and for as many of the options as you like. It would also be great if you could spread the word. The more Ottawa opinions I capture the better chance this has of being actually true! Thanks for helping!

Here is my Fred update. He’s alive!! And making bread! It’s a little more work than my dry active yeast, but I realized that by using Fred I’m actually crossing an item off my bucket list!  I’m making something I would normally buy. Sweet.

Like I said there was a little more work to using the sourdough starter – but I just followed this handy dandy video made by the same group who taught me how to care for him in the first place.

But I dare say the results were fantastic!

Fred you rock. The crust is really crunchy, just like I like. With the inside being so soft and moist. Again… just what I like in a bread.  So I think this arrangement will continue. Jodi + Fred = great bread forever.

I recently had a few questions answered by Camino CEO Jennifer Williams!

(Me) Camino specializes in fair trade items, something that is becoming more and more popular today. What makes Camino different?

(Jennifer) Camino is a bit of a pioneer of fair trade cocoa, sugar and chocolate products in Canada: We have been fair trade AND organic since 1999 – a bit ahead of the curve!  As part of this commitment, we certify all of our products through Fair Trade  International, an independent, third-party system that guarantees the traceability of a product from a small producer in the south, to the actual chocolate bar or hot chocolate sold in Canada.

At the core of our mission is building vibrant sustainable communities; for us, this means not only buying agricultural commodities at fair trading prices, but also ensuring the transformation from raw material to finished goods is done wherever possible in rural communities in the global south. For example, our brown sugar is grown, processed, packaged and exported retail ready by  a co-operative in northern Peru.  In doing this, the rural communities have not only the income from the cane itself, but also from all the additional value add processing that occurs. This type of work has enabled the children of these communities who have gone away to university/college the opportunity to come back to rural areas and find work with the co-operative in these processing centres. Other products that have this same value-add include our baking chocolates, our coconut and our golden cane sugar.

I notice that Camino is particularly proud of the relationship it holds with its producers – do you have any stories or examples of how working with Camino has benefited these producers?

One that immediately jumps to mind is our partnership with Peru’s CEPICAFE. We first met with the General Manager of the CEPICAFE Co-operative in 2008 in Canada, who, at the time, was seeking a market for the co-op’s newpanela (unrefined whole cane sugar). Up to that point, coffee had been CEPICAFE’s primary output.Panela, however, was a product that would allow the co-op to generate added value through processing. We felt that this was a very timely opportunity for Camino and CEPICAFE to collaborate around the development of new products, especially since we see ourselves as match-makers in a sense, linking products from co-operatives in the south with demand from Canadian consumers.

Having studied the needs of the Canadian market, we found that a whole cane brown sugar would meet market expectations. With that in mind, we worked with CEPICAFE to quickly develop all of the necessary formats and packaging, as well as agree on an annual import schedule. Since we launched the product, we noticed that it has been very well received by the Canadian market and we are currently importing approximately 4 containers per year.

Also, until CEPICAFE developed an export market for panela, cane was a very marginalized commodity and had virtually no commercial value. Cane was also frequently used to make a local alcohol calledaguagardiente, which had serious social and economic impacts on local communities in that many cane communities suffered from high levels of alcoholism.

The financial and social impacts associated with processing cane into a high-quality, whole brown sugar have been truly astounding. CEPICAFE has experienced:

·        483% increase in income for members of their cane crops;

·        6-fold increase in the number of new producers (from 100 to 600 people);

·        6-fold increase in the amount of organic cane grown (from 120 hectares to 700 hectares);

·        Dramatic reduction in alcoholism in the area;

·        Investment in new processing technology and development of new processing centres in rural regions of the Sierra of Piura;

·        Vast improvement in the quality ofpanela in the region;

·        Reduction in the overall costs of production.

For so many years, panela had such little perceived value in the region, despite having a much higher nutritional value than that of white sugar. The members are now experiencing a validation of worth, which stems from the knowledge that their product which is made in rural Peruvian communities holds such a high value in other parts of the world. There is a fresh and strong sentiment of pride amongst co-op members: In fact, an annualpanela festival is held every September in Montero (unofficially named the capital ofpanela) to celebrate this traditional product.

You offer a line of juice that is made using puree rather than just extracted juice – it results in a healthier drink because of the fibre that remains. Was this a health choice, a production choice, or just for taste?!

Quality has always been core to our Camino brand and our products.  When we tried recipes of the juices that were more watered down, they just didn’t do justice to the ingredients. This was the primary reason that we developed and launched these recipes, though any puree health benefits are a bonus.

How has being on CBC’s ‘The Big Decision’ changed things at Camino??

Having Arlene’s insight into our business had a large impact on our perspective about where we could take the brand. The national exposure has been great for attracting new customers, as well as reminding others about who we are. There hasn’t necessarily been major changes in our structure as a result, but overall, appearing on The Big Decision was a great experience and great exposure.

Thank you so much Jennifer for your time and for the goodies that Camino passed along. It’s not just great treats, but also baking supplies! Sugar, chocolate chips and baking chocolate. I made some mini muffins I made with the chocolate chips. It’s true that good quality chocolate really does improve your baking. There were such complex flavour in the dark chocolate! For a full list of products and where to find them make sure you visit Camino’s website!

So I picked myself up and dusted myself off and set out in search of Ottawa’s best brew. I sampled many but decided to compare apples to apples if at all possible and focus my search to Ale’s. Otherwise we’d be here a while as I tried beer after beer… hmmm…. maybe I should have gone ahead with that.

Anyway… I narrowed it down to three on my own and set up a blind taste test to get the opinions of my friends. Sampling a selection from Beaus, Kichisippi and Mill Street, the winner was…

Ta da!!!!!

The Millstreet Tankhouse Ale. They loved the flavour! That’s not to say they didn’t love all the other beers too… but when push comes to shove and they were forced to choose this is what the ‘panel’ came up with. As my friend Shaun pointed out, weather might have influenced some votes. It was a cooler night and that might have had some going for a bolder flavoured beer. If I had this taste test in the middle of summer a lighter ale might have fared better. I think we should try this again this summer… in the name of science.

What do you think?? What is your favorite local brew?

*** Updated ***

Ok… one of my readers got me on a wording technicality and Jeff, you are so totally right. He pointed out that Ottawa has dozens of great beers and beer styles so really this is Ottawa’s Best ALE. Not brew, beer or anything else. He also pointed out that Tankhouse isn’t brewed in Ottawa. But I decided that with the Ottawa Brew Pub in town I will let it slide and welcome all Mill Street products into our big happy Ottawa beer family. At least for this taste test.

I should also point out that this is just the opinion of a handful no need to get panties in a knot. Though I’m sure to one day have my own award show for great food and drink in Ottawa… that day is not yet here. But rest assured that when I do they will be based on personal preference as well… because hell… that’s what I’m all about.

*** Updated x2***

Alright kids, while I still totally stand by the results of my blind taste test. It really isn’t fair to the other beers. Tankhouse is really more of a Toronto expat so I can’t really call it Ottawa’s best anything. Sigh… guess I’m just going to have to try this again in a do over! But this time I’m going to do it right. A little more research BEFORE I start drinking the beers and writing posts. This calls for: ANOTHER TASTE TEST. Hmmm… was this all a part of my scheme to drink more beer?? No. I don’t plan that far ahead.

I may just be getting the hang of this ‘professionalism’ thing. Not likely.

Ok. So here is where I need your help. I can’t drink every Ottawa beer. I mean… I say I can but my doctor disagrees. Pfft. So what I need are suggestions on which Ottawa beer’s to try. Any style. Go nuts. What should I drink?? I’ll get a few people together, we’ll sample and get back to you with the results in a post I’m calling for the time being “Ottawa’s Best Brew 2: Electric Boogaloo”. Top 5 suggestions will be part of my second blind taste test.