We couldn’t just have one winner – we wanna share the wealth. So using a random number generator, we got ourselves two winners.

The first one is loyal reader, Noble Pig. She gets a jar of caramel, as well as some super-fantastic-incredible chocolates.

But I wanted to give more, so I randomly-generated another winner. Tracey, you get a jar of caramel as well!

Please send me your mailing address:
montcarte@umbrela.com!

Congrats! We’ll play again come 100,000 hits!

I’ve seen lots of lists like these floating around, and have decided to give some of them a go myself. Since I’m a proud Canadian, it only makes sense that I should do this one first! This one comes from Maple Syrup and Poutine (two of my favourite things!)

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Post a comment here linking to your results

100 Canadian Foods to Consume
compiled by Maple Syrup and Poutine

1. Arctic Char
2. Ketchup flavoured chips
3. Wild Rice Pilaf
4. Caribou Steak
5. Gourmet Poutine
6. Screech
7. Beaver Tails
8. Maple Baked Beans
9. Bison Burger
10. Bumbleberry pie
11. Nanaimo bar
12. Butter Tarts
13. Cedar Planked B.C. Salmon
14. Wild Blueberries
15. Pure Local Cranberry Juice
16. Chocolate from Ganong or Purdy’s
17. A cup of warm cider from your local orchard
18. Caesar
19. 4 of the following types of apples (Cortland, Empire, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Spartan, Greensleeves, Liberty, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, Golden Russet, Idared, Gala)
20. Freshly foraged mushrooms
21. Dinner cooked by Michael Smith, Susur Lee or Rob Feenie
22. Fondue Chinoise
23. Dish created from a Canadian Living Magazine recipe
24. Peameal Bacon Sandwich from St. Lawrence Market in Toronto
25. Lobster bought directly from a boat in a Maritime harbour
26. Handmade perogies from your local church or market
27. Alberta Beef at an Alberta Steakhouse
28. Leamington Tomatoes
29. Roasted Pheasant
30. Wild Game hunted by someone you know
31. Ice Wine
32. Habitant Pea Soup – entire can
33. Any Canadian Artisinal Cheese
34. Bannock
35. Tourtiere
36. Flapper Pie
37. Jellied Moose Nose
38. Saskatoon Berries
39. Fish and Brewis
40. Screech Pie
41. Fiddleheads
42. Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich
43. Flipper Pie
44. Montreal Bagels with Smoked Salmon
45. Toutins
46. Jam Busters
47. Bakeapple Pie
48. Bridge Mixture
49. Canadian Style Pizza (bacon, pepperoni. Mushrooms)
50. Shreddies
51. A cone from Cow’s Ice Cream
52. Lumberjack or Logger’s Breakfast
53. Jigg’s Dinner
54. Rappie Pie
55. Pemmican
56. Lake Erie Sturgeon Caviar
57. Belon Oysters
58. Brome Lake Duck(in a way…)
59. Beer from a stubby bottle.
60. A beer from Unibroue or Phillips Brewery.
61. Salt Spring Island Lamb
62. Fry’s Cocoa
63. A bag of Old Dutch Potato Chips
64. Every Flavour of Laura Secord Suckers
65. Chicken Dinner from St Hubert’s or Swiss Chalet
66. Hickory Sticks
67. An entire box of Kraft Dinner
68. Candy Apples (NOT caramel apples)
69. Corn from a roadside stand
70. A meal at Eigensenn Farm
71. Okanogan Peaches
72. Berkshire Pork
73. PEI Potatoes
74. Something cooked in Canola oil
75. Figgy Duff
76. Blueberry Grunt
77. High Tea at the Empress Hotel
78. Fresh maple syrup hardened on the snow
79. Oreilles de Christ
80. Nova Scotia Beer Warmer
81. A cheese plate containing Bleu Bénédictin, Friulano, St. Maure and Oka.
82. Black or red currant jam
83. Maple glazed Doughnut from Tim Horton’s with a Large “Double Double”
84. A glass of Mission Hill’s “Oculus”
85. Alberta Pure Vodka
86. Chokecherries
87. Canada Day Cake
88. Boulettes
89. Canadian Iced Tea
90. Mead
91. Fricot
92. Grandperes
93. Local honey
94. Creton on toast
95. Glen Breton Rare
96. A whole box of Smarties, where the empty box is then used as a kazoo
97. Grilled cheese made with Canadian Cheddar
98. A meal from Harvey’s
99. Lake Erie Perch
100. Red Rose Tea

Looks like I’m 54% Canadian-foodie. How’d you do?

Oh! And don’t forget the giveway, two posts down. Just one more day!

It’s difficult to make a bad banana bread. They’re a very forgiving quickbread, but that doesn’t mean they’re always excellent. This one, however, is. It’s my banana bread go-to recipe.

The original recipe asks for pecans, which I have used, and loved! They become crunchy and almost candylike in the bread. This time, I had some leftover hazelnuts, so I used those instead. Pretty much any nut, dried fruit or chocolate can be thrown in here, and the end result will be fantastic.

My favourite thing about this recipe is how some of the bananas are barley mashed, so they’re still quite lumpy. Then they’re added at the end, so it gives the bread chunks of moist bananas throughout.

Banana Bread with Hazelnuts
adapted from Tyler Florence’s Banana Bread with Pecans
Printable Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup vegetable oil)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped (the original recipe calls for pecans, which I also love!)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

4. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don’t get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that’s no mistake, it’s typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

5. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve.

Do you have a favourite banana bread recipe? I’d love to put another good one on the banana-roster!

Oh! And don’t forget the giveway, one post down. Just two more days!

What the heck? I can’t wait – let’s start it early!

Please leave a comment for this entry, and in one week’s time, you’ll be entered in a random draw for the 45,000 Hits Giveaway!

What’s the super-fantastic-incredible prize?

One lucky person will win a care package from Chloe’s Chocolates, here in Montreal, selected by me. Who is Chloe? She makes, in my opinion, the best artisanal chocolates in this already quite gourmet city.

Your care package will include a selection of some of her tastiest and most original chocolates (such as the 5-spice chocolate, basil chocolate and whatever may be the specialty of the day), as well as a jar of her signature caramel vanilla fleur-de-sel sauce, the most decadent and delicious thing you’ve probably put in your mouth (we’ve used it on everything from ice cream to scallops).

We’re doing this as a thank you to the people who keep reading this blog. We’re far from professionals, and we write this thing simply because we love good food. We want to say THANK YOU, and to share some of our city’s great food with you.

Leave a comment, and next Saturday, you may get some chocolate and caramel coming your way!

I love bundt cake, and I especially love this one! Bundts are so easy to make, they end up being able to feed a large amount of people, and they always look impressive. What makes this one more special? The fact that it combines dark chocolate and orange (my favourite sweet flavour combo), that it’s topped with a luscious, thick ganache, and the moist, buttery cake itself. And not only does it look amazing, it tastes just as spectacular.

When I saw The Food Librarian‘s blood orange version of it, I knew I had to try it. My father’s birthday seemed like the perfect occasion, given his inclination towards anything chocolately. I made some minor changes along the way, such as substituting the buttermilk with plain yogurt (which worked perfectly, and was perhaps a bit less fattening too), and doubling the syrup recipe, as I wanted a very strong orange flavour.

My god, this is a good cake. The chunks of chocolate lend to a more interesting texture, and give you nice chocolately bites throughout. The orange glaze is soaked right up and gives the cake some softness (and a vibrant orange zing!). The cake is moist, and extremely buttery – don’t try this one if you’re dieting. And the ganache? The instant coffee adds a bit of a bitter dimension, perfect for such a sweet cake.

While Soli wasn’t fond of the cake (he’s not a orange-chocolate lover, crazy man), the rest of my family enjoyed it. I found it tasted it even better the next day; the orange flavour carried much further. This is definitely one of my favourite cakes now.

Orange Chocolate Chunk Bundt Cake
adapted from Ina Garten
Printable Recipe

CAKE
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature (I used 5 large eggs)
1/4 cup grated orange zest (4 large oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature (I substituted the buttermilk with the same amount of plain yogurt)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups good semisweet chocolate chunks

SYRUP (I doubled this for the cake)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

GANACHE
8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the orange zest.

3. Sift together 3 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with 2 tablespoons flour and add to the batter. Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the sugar with the orange juice until the sugar dissolves. Remove the cake from the pan, set it on a rack over a tray, and spoon the orange syrup over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely.

5. For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

I think the food (and beer) coma has finally worn off enough to let me finally write about the annual McAuslan Brunch at Au Pied de Cochon we went to last Sunday. One of Montreal’s most prized restaurants, run by chef Martin Picard, offers up a once-a-year, all-the-beer-you-can-drink, sugarshack style brunch, and Soli and I were lucky enough to go again this year (you can read about last year’s brunch here). Needless to say, it was a superbly decadent meal, and quite a bit more varied in its flavours than last year.

The details:

The brunch is very sugarshackesque. You are seated at big tables, and unless you’re part of a massive group, you’ll be sharing your meal with like-minded foodies. Right away, the beer starts flowing, and the staff never lets your glass get under the halfway point (and this year, they even left full pitchers right on the table). The atmosphere is loud and boisterous, even at 11am. But on to the food!

The first things we were served were light and fluffy buckwheat pancakes and big, hot jar of baked beans with pheasant. The two went well together, and the pheasant added a slight salty gaminess to the beans, which was different and appreciated.

A cast-iron pan filled with an awesome omelette, topped with parsley, boudin and braised pork reached the table – the only problem with this was that there simply wasn’t enough to go around (though we were brought another panful to eat afterwards). The pork was amazing; it was silky and salty, very different from any other pork I’ve ever eaten.

Next up came a steaming pot of shellfish and squid ink soup. I’ve never tasted squid ink, and was happily surprised with how wonderful it was. The squid inside was perfectly cooked, and the soup had a certain sourness to it that played well with all the saltiness we just had devoured.

A super-thin slice of duck carpaccio came afterwards, topped with a spicy mayo, shaved black truffle and some pecorino. It was utterly heavenly, and it was a shame that I ever had to swallow it. I could’ve kept that bite in my mouth forever…smooth and delicate and perfect.

We enjoyed a maki packed with a beef tartare and duck fat, and followed it with a braised beef stew and chicken livers from a can. The sauce was amazing, and Soli and I ended up drinking the stuff right out from the can.

My favourite part of the meal was the steak and cheese sub – sounds simple, but really, it was complex and one of the best things I’ve eaten. The bread was soaked with a silky, rich sauce, the steak was thinly sliced and nicely cooked. There was something about this dish that I couldn’t place, no reason to say why I loved it so much. I just did. It was quickly followed with a ceasar salad, with a fishy, smoky dressing and very garlicky toasted bread slices.

The meal pretty much ended with deep-fried sea bass, with a side of polenta and oily, salty tomato chunks. It was fantastic, and I found myself again licking the plate.

There wasn’t much room for the dessert of donuts, ice cream and bananas, offered up with two chocolate fountains (dark and milk), but I managed to squeeze some in.

All in all, this meal was as great as last year’s, and I can’t wait for the next one.