A Locavore’s Dilemma


Introduction to Malaysian Cuisine Sunday March 28th
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Introduction to Malaysian Cuisine

Sunday March 28th

Event leader Dave Willis

Join Dave in an exploration of Malaysian cuisine with our hosts Buddy and Margaret Abdullah, executive chef and proprietor of Chahaya Malaysia Restaurant.

This event will be an adventure into the food heritage and traditions of another culture, which itself  draws from Chinese, Indian and of course indigenous Malay cuisines.    It also makes extensive use of hot peppers (capsicum) that were brought by colonization and trade from America.  We will be introducing you to some of the unique ingredients.

Don’t worry about being embarrassed with chopsticks, they are not used here!  Spoons and forks are the normal tools.  Also don’t be deterred by the hot dishes,  there will be enough mild plates to suit the gentler palates.

The menu specially assembled for us includes:

Appetizer

  • Malaysian Satay Lamb*
  • Vegetarian Spring Rolls
  • Krupuk

Main

  • Malaysian Gado Gado*
  • Chicken Kurma
  • Beef Rendang*** or Beef Rendang Java*
  • Chef Special Jumbo Shrimp **
  • Vegetable and Tofu in Garlic Sauce
  • Fish Curry **
  • Malaysian Fried Noodles
  • Traditional Rice

* refers to spiciness scale.

ALERGY WARNING: peanuts are extensively used

PRICE:  $27 members,    $32 guests and non-members

All taxes and gratuities included.

Drinks / dessert  are not included.

Reservations before March 21, 2010 please.

RENDEZ VOUS:

Sunday March 28th at 6PM

Chahaya Malaysia Restaurant

1690 Montreal Road, South Side, East of Blair



Terra Madre Day December 10th 2009 Celebrate Slow Food’s 20th Birthday.
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Terra Madre Day

December 10th 2009

Celebrate Slow Food’s 20th Birthday.

This will be a free member’ only (with one guest) celebration event.

We will take the opportunity to discuss what you want your Slow Food convivium to be.  What events would you like to organize and participate in next year?  Bring your ideas!

The format will be a cocktail from 5:30 to 7:30 at our member Sylvie Malboeuf’s place near River Side and Hunt Club (you will get exact direction after registration).

Sylvain and Peggy will be preparing light tidbits.  You can expect:

  • Borscht on a stick.
  • Kohlrabi shots.
  • Méchoui Memory Mushrooms.
  • Lamb balls… no not those balls…
  • Chicken tarragon bites
  • Sylvain’s Pouding Chômeur

We ask you to bring wine, beer or drink to share with friends. In keeping with Slow Food, think of local products and traditions to keep alive!



Slow Food Dinner at The Baldachin Inn in Merrickville-November 21st
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The Baldachin Inn goes local with Slow Food Dinner and Farm Tour- November 21st Join Slow Food for a tour of Barbara Schaefer’s farm at 2pm, or join us for a mini tour of Merrickville starting at 3:30pm to meet Janet Campbell at Mrs. McGarrigle’s Fine Mustard…Fine Food then on to Hadae’s. At Harry McLearn Pub we will meet owner and new Slow Food member, Dave Ellis at 4 for an appetizer prepared by chef Stefan Glaus and a drink to start of the evening…

Barb’s black pig spring rolls

Maple spiced butternut squash soup

Fall greens salad with roasted garlic and chive vinaigrette

Organic filet mignon with a shallot confit in a white wine reduction, cracked black peppercorns and fresh tarragon. Whipped roasted parsnip and rutabaga on butter noisette sautéed kale, with roasted smoked paprika fingerling potatoes….or

Organic chicken braised in a white wine jus with Mrs. McGarrigle`s local mustard, finished with local speck, mushrooms and pearl onions. Sautéed sweet potato, onion, and buttered candy cane beets …..or

Organic filet of rainbow trout with butter sauce served with a chive rice, sautéed kale, leek, and garlic.

Macintosh apples and fresh cranberry crisp with english style cream sauce.

…. Dave and Chef Stefan have taken great care to source the food locally from sustainable producers, organic if possible.

Debbie Trenholm, president and sommelier, from Savvy Company, http://www.savvycompany.ca has graciously offered to pair wines from a number of the leading Ontario Wineries who have donated one or two of their outstanding wines.

Participating wineries are Huff Estates, Black Prince-Cabernet Franc and Riesling-, Rosewood Estates-Meritage 2006, Coyotes Run, Rosehall Run, Harwood Estate, The Grange of Prince Edward and Konzelmann Estate. Pairings will be available soon on the Slow Food website http://www.slowfoodottawa.com

The tours are free of charge and Dinner with wine-$60. for Slow Food Members or $65. for friends, tax and gratuity included, or for dinner for 2 with a room at the Inn- $220(members) or 230.(rooms are limited) reservations only. Book now for dinner at The Baldachin Inn, 613-269-4223 http://www.baldachin.com or for more information on the tour and to let me know if you can join us email me Peggy Hall slowfood@sympatico.ca

Join Slow Food Ottawa now, as it is celebrating Slow Food International’s 20th Birthday on December 10th and this will be a member’s only event. To join go to our NEW website at http://www.slowfoodottawa.com

Check out Barbara at http://www.uppercanadaheritagemeat.ca or Janet at http://www.mustard.ca



Tomato, Tomato, Tomatoes during La Vendemmia Hands-on cooking class and lunch with wine paring
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< Tomato, Tomato, Tomatoes during La Vendemmia Hands-on cooking class and lunch with wine paring

Join me Peggy Hall,leader Slow Food Ottawa-Gatineau in the kitchen at DiVino Wine Studio to work with the amazing tomato. Learn to make 4 great antipasti or primi, small plates, and enjoy them together paired with delicious wine for lunch.

Ricotta cakes with sun dried tomato salsa, heirloom tomato and roasted red pepper salad with fennel and local cheese, pasta with fresh tomato basil sauce, risotto topped with almond pesto and cherry tomatoes.

Learn to preserve the flavour of the season to enjoy it all year by learning some fun methods of “sun drying”, roasting, grilling and freezing and how to adapt your recipes through the seasons to enjoy this delicious fruit all year long.

Saturday, September 19, 2009 10:30am – 1:30 pm 225 Preston Street Cost: $79 + tax To reserve, please call 613-221-9760 or email bookings@divinowinestudio.com



Maple and Spice – Hands-on cooking class and lunch with wine
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Maple and Spice – Hands-on cooking class and lunch with wine at DiVino Wine Studio and Enoteca, Saturday, March 28- 10:30 am – 1:30 pm

Maple syrup is the first taste of spring in eastern Canada. Sap from the maple tree is transformed into syrup, taffy, sugar, and even wine.

Join Peggy Hall from Slow Food Ottawa-Gatineau to make this gluten free and vegetarian friendly menu: Praline inspired Spiced Maple Pecans, Oven roasted Dry Spice Rub Spring Chicken and Vegetables, Quinoa Salad with Maple Vinaigrette and Chocolate Chili Shortbread Cookies.

DiVino Wine Studio and Enoteca 225 Preston Street

Cooking class and lunch with wine -$95 + tax

For more information call Peggy Hall at 613-821-4426 or email slowfood@sympatico.ca or to reserve please call 613-221-9760 or email bookings@divinowinestudio.com



Credible Edibles Workshop and Slow Food Brunch – Saturday, March 14-11am – 2pm
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Credible Edibles Workshop and Slow Food Brunch – Saturday, March 14-11am – 2pm

A Low Carbon Diet: Saving the Planet Quickly…with Slow Food

Join Credible Edibles owner and Slow Food member Judi Varga-Toth for a special interactive workshop to help you make the connection between what’s on our plate and our planet’s fate. Find out which food choices will lower your carbon footprint and where to buy and how to cook them.

We will learn about and taste such dishes as Roasted beet salad with maple-infused dressing, parsnips in puff pastry, grilled Portobello and mozzarella sandwich and chocolate cranberry oat bar.

Workshop and Brunch- $45 Slow Food member/ $50 non-members. Workshop will be held at Credible Edibles new home at 78 Hinton Avenue North, just two blocks from the Parkdale market, check out Judi’s website http://www.credible-edibles.ca

To reserve or for more information call Peggy Hall at 613-821-4426 or slowfood@sympatico.ca

Judi Varga-Toth founded Credible Edibles to help busy parents provide top quality school lunches for their children. Judi is mother to five children aged two to 14 years old and has been packing nutritious lunches for over a decade. She has been working for over 15 years in the non-profit sector, researching and writing on issues ranging from poverty in the developing world through supports and policies for children with special needs in Canada’s remote regions to the impact of food consumption patterns on the environment. Her passion has been to make a difference in everything she does.

Her research led her to the profound discovery that the very same things that support good health in people also supports a healthy environment. She also discovered a world-wide movement committed to making just the kind of difference she wanted to make.

Credible Edibles began as a conversation between two sisters about how to provide their children with nutritious, environmentally-conscious lunch at school. Every parent knows that children can be notoriously difficult to engage in healthy eating when sitting in a crowded lunch room far from a parent’s watchful eye. And many parent’s dream of a convenient and reliable way to provide healthy, delicious lunches that their children will eat.

From these humble thoughts emerged an idea: offering busy parents a lunch service in colourful, re-usable lunch boxes packed with a fresh and tasty, kid-friendly lunch and snacks delivered right to school. Munch N’ Lunch was born. No more frantic, last-minute preparation; no more half-eaten lunches at the end of the day; no more complaints or arguments. And why stop with children? Many parents consulted in the development of this service said they would happily purchase the service for themselves or their entire families. And so was born the Family Plan. If your goal is to improve the eating habits of the whole family while saving time for precious family activities, this plan is for you. All members of your family receive a delicious, nutritious, environmentally-conscious lunch, delivered to your home in the early morning. Spend your mornings relaxing over a healthy breakfast, let us provide you with lunch. And for those without children we created the Working Lunch.

You can order a bento-box style lunch filled with an ever-changing variety of homemade salads, sandwiches, baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables and savory dips. Your lunch is made fresh every morning and delivered in a fully compostable container to your work place between 10am and noon. . ________________________________________



Midwinter Morning Brunch-Sunday, February 22-11 am-2pm
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Midwinter Morning Brunch-Sunday, February 22-11 am-2pm

Slow Food and The Piggy Market are celebrating local food in the middle of winter.

The Piggy Market’s Dave Neil will be preparing brunch for everyone, and discussing how to make your own sausages, pea meal bacon and other delicious breakfast dishes including vegetarian options from local ingredients.

Come at 11 for locally roasted coffee from Ideal Coffee and chat with other Slow Food members and watch Dave, who is also a chef at Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro, prepare Homemade English Muffins, Breakfast Sausage Patties and Pea meal Bacon from locally raised organic pastured pork from Upper Canada Heritage Meat, Hash Browns made with Connaught Acres potatoes, Eggs from Bekings Poultry Farm and Turtle Bean stuffed Pink Banana Squash from Acorn Creek Farms.

Price is $20 per person ($25 for non Slow Food members), and space is limited.  Come join us in celebrating a local winter brunch at my home in Edwards (Ottawa south) for reservations, directions or to offer, or need, to share a ride email Peggy Hall slowfood@sympatico.ca or call 613-821-4426.



Living Locally Fair -Saturday, January 24, from 10.00am to 3.00pm
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Living Locally Fair -Saturday, January 24, from 10.00am to 3.00pm at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Russell, Ontario. Join me there for Mushroom Focaccia in the Demonstration Kitchen at 11:45-Free



A Locavore goes Italian- at DiVino Wine Studio and Enoteca-Saturday September 27
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A Locavore goes Italianat DiVino Wine Studio and Enoteca-Saturday September 27

Join,me in this hands-on class to make this delicious Italian menu: Crostini, 2 ways: garlic rubbed Crostini topped with salsa alla crudaiola (cherry tomatoes and basil), and sage and walnut pesto topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano curls, fresh tomato consommé with Montreal melon balls, rainbow chard and salumi slivers, Farfalle with veal and Roma tomato sauce, grilled pepper salad with greens and herb marinated bocconcini, and semi freddo with Barbera poached pears.


A Locavore goes Italian
Saturday, September 27, 2008
10:30 am – 1:30 pm

DIVINO WINE STUDIO and ENOTECA
225 Preston Street
Cost: $95 + tax
To reserve, please call 613-221-9760
or email
bookings@divinowinestudio.com



Green and Yellow Bean Salad
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Green and Yellow Bean Salad

Fresh beans are so flavourful it is hard to believe that cultivated for 7000 years, first by the natives of Mexico and Peru, it was not until the 19th century in Italy did someone first eat the pod as a vegetable. Now the term ‘bean’ refers both to the edible pod and the seed, which is most often dried for storage then cooked.

1 kg 2 lbs of green or yellow beans
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2-3 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Blanch beans in a large pot of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes until tender crisp. The fresher the beans the more quickly they cook. Drain and dress the beans while they are still hot adjust seasoning.

Serve hot, chilled or room temperature, great for a picnic, enjoy