Who doesn’t love a fancy cake, but who has the time and patience to make them? Alice Medrich’s cookbook “Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts” is a game-changer for anyone who wants to learn to lighten up their cakes and other baking without failing 5 times before they succeed. And this white chocolate Charlotte mousse cake with its layers of ladyfingers, strawberries and mousse is a perfect example, even though I made it dairy-free with plant-based white chocolate chips and gluten-free flour… which I know Alice Medrich would hate. (She and I share a dislike of people who change a well-t ..read more

There are just two more days for you to check out Summerlicious and get a god deal on what’s usually a pricier meal at a Toronto restaurant. How to choose? I went a bit crazy with Summerlicious reservations this year because there was a gluten-free category and a ton of restaurants I didn’t know that looked like good deals. I then invited various people to various meals and also planned some solo dinners and lunches. What happens when you ask a beginner to a Summerlicious lunch: He sent: “So what is this food festival all about?” You sent: Summerlicious “Just discounts at restaurants througho ..read more

It had been a quick minute since my Saturday morning routine involved running to the St. Lawrence Market looking for what I used to think was the best food and free samples in Toronto. The City where I studied music, drank my first Đu Đủ (papaya) smoothie, and slurped my first pad thai has changed a lot win 15 years. So when I set off my temporary home past the eastern tip of Little India to the Saturday morning farmer’s market, it was as much about the journey (seeing what new restaurants existed on the way) as the destination. And for everything that’s changed (the north market Reno ..read more

My almost 15-year-old(!) blog, multiculturiosity.com, is officially one of the top 15 Montreal food blogs according to Feedspot. My recipes, restaurant write-ups, and travel writing came in 5th overall, after Eater Montreal and Shut Up and Eat. I’d never heard of Feedspot before they contacted me with the news, and I question that I somehow rank above MTLBlog and Cuisinomane, but I’ll take the prize (which is nothing but pride). Really, I should be thanking my readers, the longstanding ones and those who’ve stumbled onto my most popular posts (according to Google, these are always my Ottoleng ..read more

Quick! Whether you forgot to get a stocking stuffer, a host gift, or something for a third cousin who’d never let you live it down, here are some last-minute gift recommendations that foodies might love. Books About Food Two recommendations this year come from former colleagues. Little Critics: What Canadian Chefs Cook for Kids (and Kids Will Actually Eat) The first comes from former Montreal Gazette food critic Joanna Fox. Joanna and I worked at the Gazette, at RICARDO, at enRoute and at ELLE Canada together, and I helped her coordinate chefs and recipes for this cookbook. Turns out even the ..read more

When two lovely Italian gentlemen invite you to a lunch and to drink wine, you say yes. Well, in real life you think harder about it, because who are these Italian gentlemen, you may ask? But when the offer comes through a PR department and includes a four-course lunch at Fiorellino Wine Bar with a Barolo pairing, you of course say yes. Even though you think you’re about 20 years too young and 20 years too poor to drink Barolo. Even though you think Barolo is a special occasion drink, not a lunch accompaniment. But this is Montreal, which does believe in a glass of wine at lunch. And it ..read more

I have a favourite place to eat in Gatineau since moving here this year. Really, it was my favourite place in Gatineau before I moved here, and it’s worth the trip from Ottawa (or further) if you haven’t been to Soif Wine Bar yet. What you need to know: Owned by one of the top sommeliers in Canada and the world, Véronique Rivest. Wine list with something for everyone at every price point. Tasting flights are a great deal: about 1.5 glasses for ~$20 CAD. The flights combine less and more expensive wines, so you can try wines you might not otherwise try The flights and by-the-glass selection c ..read more

For anyone who likes to make an informed purchase, whether on wine, winter wardrobes, or weird cat barista aprons, the pandemic was a depressing time to be a consumer. Testing before buying was really not a thing anymore. October and November used to be the season of wine salons in Montreal, moving from La Grande Dégustation to RASPIPAV for private imports to Les Turbulents, a sole wine-makers and natural wine salon, to RAW, the international natural wine phenomenon that had two seasons in the city before the pandemic brought it to a crashing end. But now, wine-lovers rejoice! No need to buy ..read more

I moved yesterday. It had been 15 years. I turns out my belongings require a lot more boxes now. Twenty years ago, my whole life fit into two boxes (plus a rolling desk chair). Now, my collection of honeys, date molasses, and spices alone fill two boxes. Combined, all my belongings scantily filled a truck that I drove 2.5 hours west to a new home that doesn’t yet feel like a home. It almost felt like a home yesterday when people I’d only ever met online came to help me unpack my clothes, books, and bathroom supplies. They showed up when my longer standing friends in this new place didn’t. Two ..read more

Argentinian shrimp with long beans, chilies, and holy basil at Pichai thai restaurant in Montreal. We also ordered the papaya salad, but I’m pretty sure this was the Argentinian shrimp because the shrimp here are fresh, not dried. The flavours are similar with a sweet-and-sour dressing and toasted peanuts, but I think that holy basil made all the difference. And as much as I hate the carbon footprint and unsustainability of Argentinian shrimp, most winter veggies, herbs and fish aren’t local either. And who knows about the swordfish (above) and fish balls (below). I’d been hearing about Pichai ..read more