First Major Snowfall 2013

The snow began to fall yesterday evening and finished this morning. Ottawa received a total of 24 cm (that's 9.4 inches to our American friends) within that time span. It made for beautiful walks in the city and luckily for me, we live by the Bruce Pit part of the Greenbelt.

Even though it wasn't very cold, I bundled up, grabbed my camera, and headed out for a little photo walk.





It was nice to unplug from the computer. There were a variety of sounds during the walk; the whistling wind going through my toque, the crunch of the snow with every step, the thumps from the fallen accumulated snow on the branches. Ah... I love winter!

I was hoping to see some deer. But all I saw on this photo trip were a few birds.

Final Day of Training + Porter Lounge

Morning call was for 7am. My coworker, Glenn Coco aka GC, and I had no idea there was one set. I woke up so confused. I definitely got up and then crawled back into my pillow fort. We eventually got up and ready. We checked out of the hotel and then went back to headquarters for breakfast and our last day of training. You can read about the first day of training here.

There was a platter of pastries (cinnamon rolls, bear paws, and a variety of scones), bagels, muffins, yogurt, and fruits.

The chocolate croissants were a popular item the previous day, so I checked it out for myself. It was dense in the middle and wasn't light and messy -- which is what makes a great croissant.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 2013

During the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, I covered the 10k, half and full marathon - mainly from the trunk of the lead cars.

I arrived downtown a few minutes before the first 5k started. The second 5k group left the start line as I made my way to the media room in City Hall. 

After I picked up my credentials, I had a snack (catered by Thyme & Again) of red grapes, cheddar cheese, and what seemed like a grilled chicken club sandwich. Once I was finished, I then headed outside to find the race vehicles. 

There, I met Gord and Scott, from the Ottawa Citizen, and Javier who were riding the mens 10k lead car as well.

Here are some of my favourite photos from Saturday. You can view more of the photos I took that day here [link].

Some young kids getting ready to cheer on the 10k runners.

The lead pack running down Elgin Street.

Leah Larocque, Myriam Grenon, and Liz Maguire run together during the 10k event.

The lead pack run along a bend of the road. El Hassan El Abbassi, the eventual winner of the 10k event can be seen behind last year's winner, Geoffrey Mutai, who finished third this year.

I found myself laughing when I took this photo. It looks like Natasha Fraser is running comfortably while the elite mens' lead pack struggles to keep up with her.

*Updated* Covering a Marathon as an Official Photographer: My Experience

This upcoming Sunday is the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon 2013. I'll be joining a wonderful team of MarathonFoto photographers to cover the event. It will be my fifth time helping out with the amazing event.



Grab a cup of coffee, or in this case -- a caffé macchiato -- and read how the upcoming weekend typically unfolds for me, an official marathon photographer for the day. There won't be any food porn. I'll write about the food later. Continue if you'd like.

Brunch: Maple Ham Omelette

Sometimes when you rummage through the cold box, you get inspired by the contents inside. Then sometimes the fridge is just empty and you just stare at nothing in particular. This was one of those lucky times where ingredients seemed to scream a dish. Eggs, maple ham, mushrooms, red peppers, cheddar cheese screamed omelette to me.

Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!

I want to try something a bit different this year. I'll try to do some live blogging as we're (Lucy, Richard, and I) putting together our Christmas eve feast. The approximate time will be noted in brackets using 24-hour clock. I'll stop once I run out of counter space and/or when our family arrives. Follow me on twitter: @teafortwo_c

Aladdin Bakery and Convenience: It's All About Their Pies

Lucy and I have been on a hunt for these meat pies (aka sfiha) and zaatar pies since elementary school. I've briefly written about our memories of the pizza days at Bayshore Public School here. Special days like pizza days or milk days were awesome, but it was also exciting when we had our regular snack and lunch breaks. We learned about different cultures through our friends' snacks and lunches. I remember that everyone was always envious of what other food people brought from home. I mean, Lucy and I brought stuff like lasagna and Chinese food (fried rice) in thermoses for lunch, but we also took sandwiches as well. While JL and I would bring toasted seaweed snacks, some friends (who were Lebanese) brought flatbreads topped with spices. Being introduced to other cuisines by friends was such an intriguing experience. Back then, I likened the flatbread to the taste of pizza.

Since then, I remember trying a bite of somebody's meat pie from a now-closed shawarma place near my high school. The flavours were familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it. I also found a place near Chinatown that sold zaatar, but they weren't the same. Something was off. I think I have photos of it somewhere. Anyway, I did some research on the internet and found read about the Aladdin Bakery. I made a mental note of it.

Fast forward to earlier last month; I was waiting at a bus stop on Carling Avenue and, unsurprisingly, the 85 Bayshore bus didn't show up on time. I checked for the next bus. A number of other people and myself, had to wait for another 10 minutes until the next bus came. That gave me plenty of time to check out the Aladdin Bakery and Convenience store, which was a few meters away. Local Tourist Ottawa wrote about the store two years ago. Read about their experience here.

There were plenty of pies behind the counter top. People in front of me ordered some pies, waited for the young gentleman to pop them into the oven to warm up, take them out and wrap the pies for them. Then the customers went to pay for the goods at the cash, where an older gentleman with flour still on his hands, arms, and apron, helped them out before going back to the kitchen to make more pies.


I ordered a spicy meat pie and a zaatar pie, then stood back and waited. The guy behind me ordered a spicy cheese pie and a spicy meat and cheese pie. Meat and cheese, you say? I thought to myself. "Actually, can I also get a spicy meat and cheese pie as well?" I asked the young gentlemen. He grabbed a meat and cheese pie, shook some red spice blend inside the folded pie and then popped it into the oven. "Thanks!" By that time, my other two pies were finished warming up. He wrapped them up and then took out the spicy meat and cheese pie, wrapped it, and then placed all three pies into a paper bag. I paid for the pies (about $2 each) and headed back outside to wait for the bus.

There was also spinach pies available too. I didn't see any on the counter. Maybe next time.


The smells coming off of the warm paper bag was intoxicating. I couldn't resist taking a look inside. The fluffy zaatar pie was screaming for attention. I tore a piece off and as I savoured the bite, memories of Bayshore Public came flooding back. I quickly texted Lucy and tried to convey my excitement in a couple of texts. One of them read something like this: "Just bought a bunch of pies from Aladdin Bakery on Carling. I love unexpected food adventures!"

Once the bus came, I found a seat beside an older lady. She commented how the small paper bag was so fragrant. I think I tightened my grip on the paper bag a bit. I smiled and told her that I got the pies from Aladdin Bakery, and that based on my tiny bite of the zaatar pie and the perfume from the store and the bag, the pies were delicious. She said she had tried it a couple of years ago and had been meaning to return for a visit. After a brief conversation, the friendly lady got off at Carlingwood Mall.


When I got home, I warmed each of the pies in the toaster oven and shared them with the family. My parents liked the meat pie more than the others. I enjoyed them all. The crispy thin base of the wonderfully spiced meat was remarkable! The zaatar pie had a thicker and fluffy base. It was equally remarkable. It was ten times better than the stuff I've tried over the years. Unfortunately, Lucy missed out and didn't get any. I guess I'll just have to go bring some back soon.

~*~

Address:
Aladdin Bakery and Convenience
1801 Carling Ave.
Ottawa, ON
613-728-5331

Cheap Eats Ottawa: Photo of the Week

It was a pleasant surprise when I had received an email from Cheap Eats Ottawa, requesting my permission to feature one of my photos for their Photo of the Week.


They were interested in using this photo showcasing the innards of the coriander dumpling. You can read about the whole meal at Hung Sum Restaurant here.

Thanks for the shout out!

Indian Night: Dal Nirvana, Butter Chicken, Rice Pudding

Last Wednesday was Indian night at CA's. We made dal nirvana, butter chicken, and rice pudding in her tiny kitchen. All three dishes began at the same time, which was fine because the rice pudding was still warm when we were finished eating everything else. Considering the size of her kitchen, we were also efficient and didn't even bump into one another.

We didn't make the naan from scratch this time. I ended up buying some fluffy pita bread on my way home from work. When I was in the bakery area of the grocery store, I couldn't find Greek pitas anywhere. It's a great substitute for the pricey naan (President's Choice brand - 2 for $2.99). I stumbled upon some pita bread (8 for $2.69) and figured it would be fine to get them instead of the naan. The pita breads that I bought were closer to Greek pita breads than it was to the thin pita breads I'm used to. It was more cost efficient too. Second carb option: check.



Simplified Butter Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small onions, finely diced
1 tsp sugar
Tandoori masala and sour cream to taste
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil (vegetable oil is fine too)

The chicken breasts were trimmed of the connection tissues and then diced. Tandoori masala was mixed with the chicken breasts to briefly marinate. I'd recommend you do this the night before and then leave it in the fridge overnight, if you have the time.

In a medium-sized pot, the ginger, garlic, and onions were cooked with the olive oil and a bit of butter over medium-high heat until fragrant. (The oil is there to prevent the butter from burning.) The diced tomatoes and sugar were mixed in. Then I seasoned everything in the pot with tandoori masala to taste. The contents were simmered on medium heat for about 5 mins.

The briefly-marinated chicken was added to the pot and cooked for about 10 minutes. Once all of the chicken was fully cooked, the sour cream was added to taste. After getting a second opinion and one final taste, we adjusted the flavour with more tandoori masala. The heat was turned off and then served with steamed rice, warmed flatbread, and dal. I'll get to the dal in a bit.


We had a few issues with the butter chicken. The first problem was that I forgot to drain the diced tomatoes. The addition of water made the sauce really watery, so to thicken it, we made a slurry of water and cornstarch*.
*When we made the slurry, we tempered the slurry instead of mixing it into the butter chicken right away. We added a few spoonfuls of cooking liquid to the slurry to bring up the temperature. After the slurry and cooking liquid was mixed thoroughly together, a few more spoonfuls of cooking liquid was mixed in and then everything was added into the pot. If we tried to mix in the slurry directly into the pot without tempering the slurry, the slurry would've cooked soon after being poured in.

The second issue was that we used yoghurt instead of sour cream. At first, we tried adding a few spoonfuls of 0% fat yoghurt but that separated soon after we mixed it into the butter chicken. (0% fat yoghurt? Does not compute...) The pot was taken off the heat too. We added 2% fat yoghurt afterwards and it didn't separate as easily.



Dal Nirvana
Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes' version

1 can brown lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch ginger, minced
1½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp butter
½ tsp olive oil
½ cup cream

Since the canned lentils were already cooked, we first cooked off the garlic and ginger with the olive oil and a little bit of butter over medium-high heat until fragrant. The canned of diced tomatoes (seasoned with black pepper) was mixed into the pot and was allowed to cook down for about 5 minutes.

The drained and rinsed lentils were poured in with the cumin and cayenne pepper. The heat was turned down until the lentils gently simmered. Everything was cooked for about 10 minutes.

The cream was stirred in when most of the liquid reduced to a creamier consistency. We tasted the lentils and then adjusted the flavour one final time before serving with steamed rice, butter chicken, and warmed flatbread.



Rice Pudding
Recipe adapted from All Recipes' version of Indian rice pudding (kheer)

2 cups coconut milk
2 cups milk
3 tbsp sugar
¼ cup basmati rice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ cup dried cranberries

In a small pot (which was able to hold 5 cups of liquids), the coconut milk, milk and sugar was brought to a simmer over high heat. The basmati rice was stirred in once the milk just before the contents began to boil. Cinnamon and nutmeg was stirred in and the heat was turned down to a gentle simmer.

With the pot uncovered, the contents were allowed to cook for about 15 minutes until the rice was cooked. Once the contents had reduced to a creamy consistency, the pot was taken off the heat. The dried cranberries were mixed into the rice pudding and then covered the pot with the lid. The pot of rice pudding waited patiently off the heat as we ate our entrée.

Butter chicken: Done.

Dal: Check.

Steamed basmati rice: Yup.

Pita bread: Lightly toasted and buttered.

CA, JL, and I plated up as we continued our conversation. We didn't even stop at all. We passed the plates back and forth in a coordinated dance.

Service please! *Ding* Oh wait... we're the servers too.


We sat down and took a few photos before we began eating. Since we thickened up the watery butter chicken with cornstarch and also used yoghurt instead of sour cream, I felt like the flavour wasn't as rich as the last time I made butter chicken. I tried my best to adjust it with more tandoori masala and salt, but it wasn't the same. CA, AA, and JL were fond of the butter chicken though.

The dal was pretty good. I ended up adding a bit more cumin at the end, which I regretted. The cumin was on the stronger side. I think the dish needed diced onions and bursts of fresh cilantro.

There were enough leftovers for two generous lunch portions.


The table was cleared and then we brought out the warm rice pudding. I wouldn't call it an Indian rice pudding though, since we omitted the spices. Hahaa! The rice pudding still looked great in the glasses. The pudding wasn't overly sweet and the addition of coconut milk added a nice touch of richness. The flavour of the coconut milk was in the background and complimented the cinnamon and nutmeg pretty well. I was skeptical of the flavour combinations when I heard the recipe at first but it worked.

We washed down the rice pudding with green tea -- not very Indian, we know. It was still a fun night of cooking and catching up. From start to finish, it only took us about an hour and a half to make the three dishes. Not bad at all.

Thanksgiving Feast

I'll have to apologize right now. There aren't any recipes in this post. But if you like food porn, do carry on.

~    *    ~

Our main menu for our Thanksgiving feast:

Turkey, ham, turkey gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, buttered corn and carrots, garlic bread, and bo kho (Vietnamese beef stew).

Dessert:

Apple pie, pumpkin pie, krop knao, glutinous mochi balls, and two kinds of banh xoi nuoc.

~    *    ~

Learning from past holiday feasts, we began preparing more things ahead of time. Mom actually made krop knao (sweet coconut mung bean nuggets) the night before Thanksgiving dinner and then left the plateful in the fridge. I actually wrote about it years ago.

Ottawa Ribfest 2012

My younger brother, Andrew, and I took a little visit to Sparks Street and brought home some BBQ goodies for the family dinner. We only went to two different stalls: Bibb’s BBQ and Camp 31. Our plan of attack was to get two full rack meals (that’s with coleslaw and beans) and a half-pound of pulled pork. We weren't going to get any chicken because they're not that flavourful. They get baked in the oven and then sit on the grill, absorbing whatever smoke there is, and get finished with a mop of sauce when it's ordered. If you do buy bottled BBQ sauce from the stands, then baked chicken wouldn't be a bad idea.

If you haven't gone yet or you're planning to go, but you aren't sure what to expect, head over to this post where I wrote down some tips.

Starting from Metcalfe and Sparks Street, we walked westward down Spark Street to do some scouting at Ottawa's 21st annual ribfest. The first stall we came upon was Bibb’s BBQ. Since we were there while most government employees were still at work, there were only two people waiting in line. We walked by a few more stalls before reaching O'Connor. I can't remember which ones though. Sorry. I just wanted to find Camp 31 and Bibb's BBQ, buy our stuff and go home as quickly as possible.

After crossing O’Connor, there was a porta-potty and porta-sink off to the side (correct me if I’m wrong… btw, I forgot to take a photo so I’m just reusing the pic from last year). We passed a few picnic tables on Sparks Street. It looks like the organizers of the event had put them out – at least I think they did. The picnic tables weren’t closed off and it didn’t look like it was part of any restaurant. In any case, walking by the tables, we found ourselves walking through some smoke. Silver Bullet’s grill was smoking away. All that baked chicken must’ve been absorbing the smoke as they waited for an owner.

Camp 31’s stand had the longest line when Andrew and I walked there. It seemed like more people were starting to flood in. Not needing to go any further down Sparks Street, we joined the line that was merely 8 people long.

Sandwiched between Camp 31's stand and Silver Bullet's stand, the Alabama’s Freshly Squeezed Lemonade stall sold cold lemonade. If I recall correctly, they were selling small lemonades for $4.00 and $6.00 for the large.

As we waited in line, I debated whether or not I wanted to buy another bottle of Camp 31’s Rajin’ Cajun BBQ sauce or to try another flavour (you could try samples of all of their sauces before you decided). We only had a few more drops left of the bottle I purchased last year. In the end, we decided we’d buy a bottle at Bibb’s BBQ instead. We bought a full rack of ribs meal ($24) and a full pound of pulled pork ($12). They didn’t sell half a pound.

We walked back to Bibb’s BBQ, bought another full rack meal and bought a bottle of their BBQ sauce. They only had one flavour – the one they use on their ribs and chicken. The three environmentally-friendly takeout boxes were stacked into a grocery bag and then we went back home to enjoy the goods. More after the hop...

Cooking with Garlic Chives

When I lived at my aunt’s house during my first year in college, I had a tough time eating the food she made. The main reason was because she cut down on seasoning with sodium since my uncle has high blood pressure. But the one dish my aunt made that I really enjoyed was her garlic chive, pork, and shrimp wontons egg noodle soup. The wontons were usually on the salty side, which was a nice change, but it was watered down with the lightly-seasoned pork bone soup. To this day, I'm not sure if they were actually on the salty side, or if my taste buds were numbed.

So it’s been about three years since I last had a bowl of that yummy stuff. Actually, when I went to Toronto to cover the marathon, my cousin joined me for dim sum on my last day. I inadvertently ordered a bowl of chive wontons. When I took a bite out of the green-speckled wonton, memories of eating my aunt's garlic chive wontons came flooding back. It tasted pretty close to my aunt's version. But as my cousin pointed out, shrimps weren't used in the filling.

More Photos from Asia 2010

I thought I'd share some photos that I've recently edited from my 2010 trip to Asia.


A photo of the Dream Mall. It's one of Asia's largest shopping malls. [link]




Sulfur springs and hiking in the Yangmingshan National Park. [link]








Busy streets of Danshui market and harbourfront. [link]




Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. [link]

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