Summer Eats

The weather in Ottawa lately has been rainy and depressing. It makes me want to think back to the nicer weather we had earlier this summer..






Like at the end of June, the weather was perfect for a BBQ. This past summer, we've had quite a few family BBQs and the toppings have multiplied each time... from just ketchup, mustard, and mayo, to toppings like okonomiyaki sauce and peanut butter.


Jimmy loves his mushrooms so he fried up some mushrooms and onions.



EU loves his vegetables. You wouldn't know that he's almost 10 years old from the looks of his monster burger. If I remember correctly, he added a bit of everything: Jimmy's stir fried mushrooms and onion, olives, spinach leaves, okonomiyaki sauce, mayo, ketchup, relish, and peanut butter on a cheese burger.


He tanked his burger. No sweat. Chomp!

One thing I really enjoyed this past summer was all the fresh produce that was always on sale. This was one of many times strawberries went on sale, and thus, we made smoothies.


Strawberry smoothies made by Jimmy.

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Sometime in July, we went on a picnic somewhere past Barrhaven.


We brought rice, pickled cabbage and carrots, along with char siu pork, that my grandparents bought from Chinatown.




My aunt marinated and barbecued some pork chops and skewers as well.

After lunch, some people went fishing, while others fed the ducks and tanned in the nice summer heat.





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When the weather isn't cooperating, you can always visit the Canadian Nature Museum or any of the other museums around the Ottawa region. It's free on Thursday afternoons.





It was raining when we went, but the clouds cleared up for this shot.




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Address:

Canadian Museum of Nature
240 McLeod Street
Ottawa, ON
Ottawa number: 613-566-4700
Toll Free in Canada/USA: 1-800-263-4433

Fall Moon Festival 2010

The moon festival begins tomorrow, but our family celebrated it a bit early. This past weekend, our family got together at my Grandpa and Grandma's house for a day of celebration.

My grandpa decided to order a whole roasted suckling pig, in addition to the roast duck and marinated squid. Vegetarians, look away now (sorry Ange, that means you, too).

Marché Kei Phat: Phnom Penh Noodles - Aug. 9th

If you've been following the blog, you know that I love noodles and soup. I'm always game, whether it be pho or Phnom Penh noodles. Now, we rarely go out to restaurants to eat these two dishes anymore because we can make it at home. Since I moved away from school two years ago, my soup-making abilities have been a bit rusty. We've attempted to make both at home all summer, but they just didn't taste right.

Getting fed up, I was desperate to rediscover what a really good bowl of noodle soup tastes like. It just so happened that our family was going to go camping. We couldn't decide which Provincial Park we wanted to go to. My dad had suggested we try camping at a place outside of Montreal. Since the campgrounds was less than a two hour drive to Montreal, I decided to push for this particular Provincial Park. I know it's not really camping when you take a day trip into town, but hey - we did. And the main reason for heavily campaigning for that Provincial Park; Phnom Penh noodle soup. There's good restaurant inside the Marché Kei Phat grocery store, which happens to be owned by my uncle's family, that serves some really good Phnom Penh noodles in Montreal.

We had a snack before we drove to Montreal to have lunch. Everyone but Andrew and my mom had Phnom Penh noodles (some dry and some wet - I'll explain the difference later). They had Vietnamese style beef stew aka bo kho. It was funny because once the food arrived, no one said a word - even my mom, who usually has something to complain about, was quietly eating her bowl of Vietnamese-style beef stew. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a camera, but you're in luck...

Just a Glimpse

Dear reader,

Lucy and I have not forgotten about the blog. We've taken a much needed break and will be back. Here's a teaser as to what you can expect to read about in the future. Thanks for supporting us! Now enjoy the food porn. =]

- Lucy and Christine

Phnom Penh noodles (dry) in Montreal.


Vietnamese beef stew in Montreal.


Biscuit making from scratch.


Baked biscuits.


Pan fried dumplings in a Taiwan night market.



Siu mai in Taiwan.



Cream puffs in Taiwan.



Pho in Taipei 101.


Drinks in Beijing, China.


Beef fried rice noodles in Hong Kong.