Snow!

Last night was our first proper snow fall for the 2011/2012 winter! Temperatures are meant to be quite mild for the rest of the week so it will probably melt before too long, but what a lovely surprise to wake up to!

Laksa! In Montreal!!

My favourite laksa in the world comes from Dickson Asian Noodle House in Canberra, in Australia. It is an absolute monster, stuffed full of delicious morsels of chicken, duck, seafood, pork and tofu, with rice and Hokkein noodles in that famous coconut curry broth. Yum.

Alas, when I moved to Montreal, I quickly discovered that laksa was pretty much non-existant in the city. Sure, Nonya, Montreal's only Indonesian restaurant, makes a small, starter soup version, but laksa is not meant to be eaten daintily, as something to whet your appetite. Laksa is the dish that you crave on a cold winter night, when you want warmth and comfort in your belly, and you want to roll out of the restaurant, oblivious to the chill.

And behold, laksa has arrived in Montreal! The new outdoor eating and seating area at the Atwater market is now home to the Satay Brothers, a Singaporean Hawker-style hut serving laksa lemak! Whilst it doesn't quite recreate the joys of DANH's jumbo laksa, this is a delicious version, with exceptionally high quality ingredients. It is evident, from the moment you order at the counter, that a lot of care and thought has gone into putting together the store, and creating the menu. The laksa can be ordered at varying levels of heat - we went with 2X (the hottest being 3X). You can see the homemade chilli paste resting in the spoon in the picture. It was fantastic and had my lips tingling within seconds. However, I did find that the spiciness masked the flavour of the broth, so I would recommend that if you are new to laksa, try a more mildy spiced version to begin with. Underneath the heat of the chilli, the curry coconut broth tasted just as I remembered it, lip-smackingly savoury and well-balacned. The laksa is served with rice noodles, bean sprouts, shrimp, quail egg, tofu puffs and fish cake ($8). There is an option to add chicken for $2, however, the chicken wasn't available when we visited.

The menu also includes satays, steamed buns, papaya salad and a variety of Singaporean/Malaysian style desserts. Real Singaporean satay..... mmm, I already have my second visit planned! I have a feeling Satay Brothers are going to be a big hit on the Montreal food scene this summer - and deservedly so! Montreal is ready for laksa!

www.sataybrothers.com
(Their website is still under construction but they have a Facebook page with information and pictures)
@ the new outdoor section at the North end of the Atwater Market
Opening times: Monday 10:30-18:00, Thursday-Friday 10:30-20:00, Saturday-Sunday 10:30-17:00

Spring doesn't just bring snow in Montreal....

it also marks the re-opening of the ice-cream shops!

 

We had some milder weather last week, when temperatures were hovering above zero, but this week has cooled again, and the nights are still cold (-7C, down to -13C with the windchill). Not exactly walking-around-holding-an-ice-cream weather.....but I assure you, the next sunny day that hits, say, 8C, there will be people lining up, ready and waiting for their first ice-cream of the season!

The phenomenon of seasonal ice-cream shops is not that strange, of course, but it amazing how these little things signal that Winter is nearly over and the Spring, and Summer  (!!!!), are just around the corner......

Looking out my front door

on the first full day of Spring!

Happy New Year!

Whilst Australia is just waking up to the first light of 2011, those of us on the other side of the world are starting to gear up for our New Year's Eve celebrations! This is only my second New Year's in the snow and it seems that it is going to be quite a...drippy one! The temperature is just above zero, thanks to a storm system working its way across North America and the ice and snow are starting to melt, just a bit. It is quite nice for it to be so warm outside - you can easily go without gloves and I saw some people braving shorts and skirts (which is a little too optimistic I think, but good for them!)

Tonight we are keeping it simple - a party at A's house, to ring in the New Year with friends and good cheer. On the menu:

something sweet (triple chocolate brownies, always the most requested!)

 and something bubbly!

(Another difference between an Australian and Montreal NYE - in Australia we would probably be drinking Australian sparkling wine - here, I have a selection of Italian, French and Luxembourgian bubbly! And yes, I am skeptical about that last one too!)

So, as the old year comes to a close, I will take this opportunity to wish everyone who is reading this - whether you are a far flung friend, a recent blogging friend, or someone who has randomly stumbled upon this site - a very happy and safe 2011. See you on the other side!

First snow!

It snowed last night! Just a couple of centimetres, and it wasn't cold enough for any to stick - this is what was left this morning and it was melting fast! No more snow is forecast for awhile and it should still be another month or so before our first big snowstorm (which hit December 7th last year, the day before I was due to fly out to Australia) Still, the snow is a big reminder that winter is on its way!


(It is Halloween today and you can see our little pumpkin sitting there, waiting to be carved this afternoon! I don't think we have decided on a design yet, but I am guessing it will be something appropriately geeky! More details and pictures to follow!)

Look who made the newspaper!!

It's Perth!!

It's a little funny - the author's husband was sent to Perth for work for two months and she went with him. So she has written an article about them hiring bikes for the day and exploring the foreshore and the river and everything, and it is all very complimentary and lovely. At the end of the article is a little blurb saying that Air Canada connects to Perth through other Australian cities as well as through Asia. There is no mention as to how much it actually costs to get all the way from the east coast of North America to the west coast of Australia, nor tell you that it will take nearly 24 hours of flying time and up to 15 hours of transit time to complete the journey! Which is a good thing really, since Montrealers kind of freak out about the 6 hour flight to LAX......

You can read the full article on the Gazette's website here. The Gazette is Montreal's daily English newspaper.

The end of the farmer's markets

Montreal has some wonderful, all-year farmer's markets (Marche Atwater and Marche Jean Talon are the biggest and best) but, during the summer, lots of little neighbourhood farmer's markets pop up as well. Last year a couple of organisations (Le Sud-Ouest Montreal, Nourrir Montreal and Agriculture, Pecheries et Alimentation Quebec) started an initiative to bring low cost, healthy, fresh food to some of the, well, poorer neighbourhoods. Lucky me, they started one in Verdun, at the Parc du Souvenir, right near the Verdun metro. Open on Fridays 3pm - 8pm, and Sundays 9am - 3pm, the market is a very welcome addition - the produce is local and super fresh and the prices are super cheap! (Think five jalapenos for $1!) I love it! And though it is small, I think that is part of its charm. I really don't enjoy the "challenge" of trying to find the best produce or the best price at the different stalls in the larger markets, so this "one stall" version, that you can see below, suits me just fine!

It was also at this market that I discovered Sweet Lee's Rustic Bakery, a brother-sister baking team that sells a pretty huge array of muffins and cheesecakes and cookies and crumbles and..... you get the idea! They are looking to open a bricks and mortar stall in St Henri soon, but manned a stall at the market to sell their wares and drum up business! Yum! I would often buy a vegie muffin to nibble on whilst I decided on my fruit and veg....

But, as I alluded to in the title - this weekend marked the final weekend for the market. The cooling weather, the end of the harvest and the fast approaching first snow fall mean that a little outdoor market can't survive the winter. It is part of the cycle of life here in Montreal, and is something that takes a little getting used to for an Australian! But the markets will be back next year and so in February, when it is -25C outside and the little park is covered in snow and I am hurrying past to get into the warmth of the metro, I know one of the things I will be looking forward to!

Seemingly abandoned in the middle of rue Bernard

I like how they matched their balloons to the pumpkins!

Scenes from an alley on the Plateau

 Fall in Montreal is a beautiful time of year and this past long weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving) was gorgeous!

 Even the slowly shrivelling summer flowers were looking good 

This is the back of a triplex (a three storey apartment building with one apartment per floor). The red ivy was just shining in the morning sun! These "back" balconies are quite common and very popular - most people have a little BBQ set up for summer time grilling and some planter boxes for herbs and flowers.

Not all of the foliage has turned yet. There are many cats on the Plateau and this guy's favourite place is hiding in the leaves on this low stone wall. Whilst other cats around M's house are super friendly (Pistache, the white cat, the subject of a later post) this one is shy and doesn't like to be petted. I am not sure where he will hide once all the leaves fall!

Canadian Thanksgiving! (l'Action de grâce)

It was Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday the 11th October and we hosted a dinner for friends on the Saturday night prior.

On the menu:

Roast boneless legs of Quebec lamb

marinated in a mixture of garlic, rosemary and lemon

(This was partly a nod to Australia and partly because many of our guests were going to be eating turkey on Sunday or Monday)





Roasted cauliflower

Roasted brussel sprouts with fennel pancetta and hazelnuts

Potatoes cooked in bay-infused milk (thanks for the tip H!)

The potatoes were a highlight for me, mainly because I was a little skeptical of the style of cooking - you saute the potatoes in butter first, then simmer then in milk. It seems counter-intuitive and you think 'why would you simmer something that you have made golden and slightly crisp?', but it really works and they are delicious! I am thinking about other vegetables I could try with this method and what other liquids I could simmer them in (Parsnips in milk, yes! Carrots in orange juice? Maybe....!) 

Braised red cabbage with onions and apples (again, H's tip!)

Fresh herb sauce with mustard, rosemary and mint

(no photos of all the sides unfortunately, everything was go, go, go once the lamb was ready)

and...... the whole reason for hosting the dinner

Pumpkin Pie!

(a silky smooth version from Smitten Kitchen)

Served with maple syrup and whipped cream, oh so delicious!! I made this last year and won a few fans, it is definitely the best version I have tasted. The secret to this pie is that you pass the filling through a sieve, which takes out any coarseness or stringiness left over from the pumpkin. It also means that it actually works better with canned pure pumpkin puree (not the pre-seasoned pumpkin pie filling, not freshly made pumpkin puree), which makes preparation even easier. And though I forgot to take a picture, please know that I baked four of these babies, just because "leftovers are mandatory!"

It was a fantastic night! Though Thanksgiving is not a holiday that I feel a strong connection with (although I guess I am thankful for the harvest, since you can probably tell, I am in it for the food!) it was a lovely reminder of how thankful I am that my life in Montreal is as wonderful as it is!



From Atwater to the Old Port, along the Lachine Canal, on a lazy Sunday afternoon

Construction in the foreground, downtown Montreal in the background 

(and what a perfect blue sky...... it was a glorious day!)

The iconic Farine Five Roses sign

It might be a bit hard to see, but there are hundreds of people amassed by the railings (two floors worth!) on the left hand side of the photo, trying to get a glimpse of the boats!

Seasons

Summer in Montreal is short. However, it is hot and humid and full of sunshine so it feels like a real summer and you can get away with wearing just shorts and t-shirts for a couple of months (This balance was one of my "conditions" in moving to a city that is blanketed in snow for four-six months of the year) But, summer in the Northern Hemisphere is coming to an end (the blogs say that it is so....) and whilst there are lots of things to love about the fall - the beautiful leaves, the huge collection of scarves I've managed to amass, the pumpkin jam at Cafe Souvenir - I really despise the first day when I forced to choose a pair of jeans over a pair of shorts. Today is that day. Just yesterday we were golfing (!!) in brilliant sunshine, today, well it is pretty miserable outside and the jeans (and socks!) are welcome....

Review: Hecho en Mexico

(blurry from the iphone, but you get the idea!)

Authentic Mexican is hard to find in Montreal (and Australia for that matter!) Not having been to Mexico though, maybe I am not really qualified to say what is authentic, but I know the best Mexican I've eaten was as I was road tripping around California. A new Mexican place, Hecho en Mexico (Made in Mexico) opened up recently down the road from me, and I couldn't wait to try it!

I have been there twice now - the first visit was amazing and I couldn't believe how good it was. We had the place to ourselves, had a lovely chat with the owners and chef (though in broken French, since they didn't really speak English) and the food was outstanding and exceptional value. We had quesadillas (with black beans and feta, see the first photo), a salad (mango and what I think was jicama, dressed with lemon, so refreshing), the lamb (cooked in leaves for hours, meltingly soft, though a small portion), the steak "burritos" and then flan (the second photo, it blends into the plate!). Oh, and horchata! That was as part of a table d'hote, of which there was a 13/15/18 dollar option

The second visit the menu had changed so that there were starters and mains. The prices had increased and the restaurant was full. We waited a long time for our food, though the chips and salsa kept us going. The food was delicious still, but there seemed to be an issue with portion size and perhaps advising people on ordering. We had the quesadillas again, and the beef tartare. The tartare portion, for a starter, was *huge* (at least 200g of meat) and it would have been better if the waiter has advised us to share it. Again, our mains were delicious - steak tacos, and then an enchilada dish with mole sauce and (supposedly) chicken. It came with bacon instead, which really made the dish too rich. It was also a big portion and whilst I loved the mole sauce, the flavours became a little bit to same-y after awhile (so much so that I couldn't finish it, something I rarely do!) The quality of the food was still good, but we realised we needed to change our ordering strategy on the next visit.

I should note too, both times we have been served tortilla chips and salsa when we were seated (and we received extra salsa and chips on request)!

It is a family run small business and there are definitely some issues with the service (on our second visit we were given the wrong bill twice - both times it was a cheaper bill. If we had been less honest they would have lost money and I am sure they can't afford to do that early on) The food definitely makes up for it though!
I would definitely encourage people to visit, just go with a bit of a gentle attitude!


Hecho en Mexico
4816 Rue Wellington
Verdun QC

Summer cinema (and a little review)

Outdoor cinemas are commonplace in Australia - the Moonlight cinema in King's Park in Perth is my favourite, although the one at the Botanical Garden's in Sydney is lovely too! You can pack a picnic, or buy one on site, and lounge around amidst the trees in the balmy summer air, ahh.... that's the life!

In Montreal there are no such "pop up" screens - I am not sure why.... The short summer shouldn't be a factor - the Australian screens are only up for three months or so. Maybe the chance of summer storms? Whatever the reason, I miss the fun of movies outdoors, so when G suggested going along to Virgin Radio's Movies in the Park event, to see Sex and the City 2, I was very excited! The atmosphere was not quite the same - the screen was the inflatable kind, and the "park" was a local college's oval (complete with football players training at one end!) but it was a perfect night, weather-wise, and we had a great time! (The free Ben and Jerry's icecream helped!)

(and as for the movie itself? The first 20 minutes was horrible and I was wondering whether I would last. It improved, though there were many lines that were just cringe-worthy. The one-on-one interactions though, between Miranda and Charlotte, between Big and Carrie, carried some of the sentiment and tone of the original series, thankfully. Should there be a third? Absolutely not!)

De-icing a plane!

Living in a city (nay, a country!) that experiences a "real" winter means lots of firsts - first time falling on a patch of ice, first time driving in snow, first time shovelling snow from your balcony, first time hearing the snow plow announce its presence on your street at 3am.... the list is nearly endless! 

When I flew home to Australia this past December, I had another one - first time sitting in a plane waiting for it to be de-iced! De rigueur for most Montrealans, but a surprise to me! Luckily M has clued me in on what it would look like! I am a nervous flier necessarily, but there is something very disconcerting about watching someone do something that is completely necessary for a successful take off! You want to call out, "hey, you missed a spot!"

Review: Cafe Souvenir

Ahh, brunch! One of my favourite meals of the weekend (you just can't do brunch on a weekday can you?) Our regular place in Montreal is Cafe Souvenir, in Outremont. Consistently excellent food and, though they modified their menu and increased their prices recently, still damn good value!

In this picture you can see a recent feast - I had a friend visiting from London and we went a little crazy ordering all of our favourites! Pictured in the foreground is an omelette with bacon, spinach and brie, with baguette on the side, homemade confiture (jam) to the left and a small bowl of fresh fruit. The bacon in these omelettes is amazing - they cook it before adding it to the eggs, so it is nice and crispy - delicious! They are also served straight from the pan at the table, a nice touch!

Another favourite - pain dore (French toast) which is served with little bottles of real maple syrup at no extra charge. This is actually a rarity in Montreal which is unbelievable given than Quebec produces about 80% of the world's maple syrup. For our visitor we also ordered a side of feves au lard, Quebec-style baked beans. I have never liked British-style tinned baked beans, but fèves au lard are completely different - meaty, smokey with a touch of sweetness. Yum!

Also recommended: the breakfast burrito, the Mandarin Melba (yogurt, granola, mandarin slices and berry coulis), the Niçoise salad and the sweet potato fries that can be ordered with the hamburgers.

Brunch at Cafe Souvenir is served until 4pm. Around 1pm there is often a line up, though, if you are willing to sacrifice the terrasse, you can normally score a table inside.

Cafe Souvenir
1261 Avenue Bernard
Outremont, QC H2V 1V8
www.cafesouvenir.com/