Campofiorin

You could also try Marché Hawai on Marcel-Laurin in Ville St-Laurent. I'm pretty they'd have them.

I've seen them Chez Louis at JTM and some other places on the south area of the market (Nino I think but not sure). I've heard they're also available in the asian stores on St-Denis around Jean-Talon.

My girlfriend and I were planning on visiting North Hatley's market on saturday. Any recommandation as to what not to miss and where to grab a bite while there?

Robert Beauchemin wrote a review about it La Presse a few weeks ago. It was pretty positive. I live mearby but never bother to stop as I really can't swallow any sushi even if I tried many times to convince myself I liked it.

I went at Olive & Olive on Laurier and tasted it for the first time. It's amazing!!! Like a sweeter and richer version of balsamic vinegar. My bday is coming so hopefully I'll get it as a present. It's $35 for a 200ml bottle for those who wonder.

I know they also have parmesan and garlic and they're quite yummy too but very salty.

I used to eat boxes and boxes of those back wen I was living in the Peg. I wish we could get them in Montreal though we're lukcy to hace Cape Cod chips, the dark Russet ones are amazing. I also really enjoy Miss Vickie's lime and pepper chips.

We didn't eat there but the menu seemed interesting. We elected to go to Zee's instead where the food was excellent. It's on Queen Street near the Shaw festival theatre. As for icewine, Iniskillin is a must go as they are the pioneers. I'd say Pilliterri and maybe Hillebrand but some people might have better reccos as I'm not crazy about the stuff though I had a very good cabernet icewine from Konzelmann.

I've been back for a little more than a week and here is what we tasted. First night, we ended up at Wolfgang Puck. Shared an app of bruschetta which was really good. Fresh and tasty tomatoes, freshly ground parmesan and great croutons. My girlfriend had the meatloaf which was really good with a definite taste of cumin and good mashed potatoes. I chose the veal schitzel. It was too big and needed the lemon to shine a little, way too greasy. The accompanying fingerlings were reallyg ood though. We shared a chocolate cake for dessert wich was just good. Service was sketchy. $110 for an app, 2 mains, a dessert and 2 glasses of wine, not impressed. On the saturday, we walk in Zee's in NOTL for lunch and were lucky enough to be seated on the patio. My girlfriend had stuffed shells with a creamy sauce and asparagus. The pastas were delicious and the ricotta filling was amazing with a touch of lemon. I went for the ribs basted with a blueberry BBQ sauce. Perfectly cooked, not charred but almost black, the meat was falling of the bone. The orange and melon cole slaw was a little forgettable but the polenta fries with an accompanying roasted red pepper mayo was delicious. We opted for a frozen grasshopper pie for dessert which was decadent along with a shooter of white chocolate sauce. Half the price of Puck and way more delicious. Since that was hard to beat, we had dinner in a small pizzeria in NF. The lunch was so good that we decided to go again before hitting the road. We got the exact same table. The girlfriend loved my ribs so much that she took it this time around as I went for the sirloin burger served on a cutting board with a small yet tasty salad. The meat was juicy and really tasty and topped with aged cheddar and some sort of rhubarb chutney. The bun was brioche like and almost had the feeling of a croissant. For dessert, we chose the chocolate cheese cake served with fresh berries, whipped cream and different chocolate shavings. Devilish again and just about $50. Zee's was by far the highlight of our trip.

Reporting back on my trip 2 weeks ago. First went to Vineland where I mostly got white table wine, nothing fancy. Went to Tawse where the tasting fees were pretty steep. ALso went to Featherstone to try the Gewurstraminer, quite refreshing and not as explosive as the varietal noramally suggests. ALso stopped at Cave Springs for an amazingly fresh, crispy and fruity Riesling. On saturday, made a stop for pinot noir at Coyote's Run and also stopped at Château des Charmes where I bought late harvest riesling and the Equleus blend, quite surprising. Stopped at Hillebrand to look at the restaurant's menu and ended tasting an amazing chardonnay, rich and creamy tasting like fresh churned butter and butterscotch. Also tried an amazingly smoky Cab Franc which I usually don't like on it's own. Was not impressed by Lailey to be honest.

Some people make zucchini loaf, maybe you could add a little dill for a nice twist but try to steer away from the garlic. ;-)

I don't think that statement is even close to accurate. It's a QUEBEC holiday & all QUEBECERS, regardless of what language they speak can choose to celebrate. Born & bred here & living in my little "Anglo" enclave of Cote St. Luc, I recall many a fete nationale celebration, especially as a teenager in the 70s we used to party non-stop at the mountain & everyone partied, you spoke French or English or Spanish or whatever. The gov't promotes fete nationale as a multi-cultural inclusive holiday that everyone is welcome to celebrate. ← The key word is my statement would be MOST. I'm not saying that only french speaking people celebrate it, I'm only saying most people who celebrate it have a french canadian background. However, many cultural group that have been present for many years (italians, haitians for instance) and numerous newcomers are getting involved now and I think it's great. It's giving the holiday a new breath and hopefully taking some of the politics out of it. As for the question of our original poster, Jean-Baptiste is the patron of french-canadians but nothing really religious is attached to it now.

I got it from a french book. 190 grams of sugar 500ml milk 200ml 35% cream 7 egg yolks 70 grams almond paste. Mix milk and cream with half the sugar and bring to boil. Mix remaining sugar with yolks. When the cream is lighty boiling, pour it slowly on the egg mixture whisking constantly. Return in the pan and let it thicken to make "crème anglaise" that will coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the paste and whisk to incorporate. Put in the fridge to cool it down. When it's cool, put it in the ice cream maker for about 25 mins and voilà!

Thanks anyhow but I ended up using almond paste for the ice cream and it turned out amazingly smooth, silky and creamy. The best I've made so far and I don't mean to brag but some people could mistake it for store bought ice cream. I'll see if I can fool my parents.

Hum? I'd say beer... Quite frankly, that day has become a femily day where people gather either at home or in parks to see concerts throughout the province. It's a french holiday meaning that most english speaking Quebecers don't celebrate it. It's also the holiday that launches the summer here as kids are just out of school and parents are starting to go on vacation. It's also a holiday that is closely linked to our french identity and that fact that we're different. On a political note, some people take advantage of it to promote the independance of Quebec from Canada as the patriotism is pretty strong. As for food, I'd say hot-dogs and burgers, anything that can be cooked on a grill or BBQ. I guess corn on the cob is also a pretty safe value.

Sounds great, thanks.

Thanks Kerry but I need it tonight. I do have a recipe for but wanted to skip a few steps. I might use almond paste instead, the ice cream should be good anyway.

I need some pistachio paste for a dessert I'm making, anybody where to find some in Montreal? Thanks.

Thanks for all the cues. I was planning to spend most of my budget in NOTL but I'll revise that and split it 50-50 I think. We'll be driving in from Montreal and sleeping over in Vineland so I'll be there already int he morning ready to taste everything that comes my way.

I'll be there in 2 weeks and had Vineland on target along with Cave Springs and Stoney Ridge. What you said about Featherstone's Gewurz has prompted me to make swing there as it is a minute away from Vineland. Will report back.

Regarding Marché Jean-Talon, it's a 3-4 minutes walk from the métro station. The name of the station refers to Jean-Talon St rather than the market itself which is named after the street. Who the hell was Jean Talon? I do believe he was the first governor of Nouvelle-France (The name given to Québec when it was discovered).

Stoney Ridge was my first contact with Ontario wine two years ago and I remain very fond of what they do. However, while in the area, Vineland Estates, Lakeview Cellars and Cave Springs are, IMHO, also worth a visit.

I will note here though that Stoney Ridge is not in NOTL. It's rather in the Vineland/Jordan area.

Hi toto, how much should I expect to pay? Also, I'm not that great at gardening, that's my girlfriend's hobby, what exactly do you mean by burying? Thanks a bunch.

I'm a fan of Hillebrand and their restaurant is top notch. Stratus is expensive but I'm told it's worth it. I'll be in NOTL next month and will buy a few bottles at Stratus. Will also go Peller, the sister winery of Hillebrand. If you're into icewine, don't miss Inniskillin.