Sheltered Girl Meets World

Attended: Seed to Sausage Grand Opening

Seed to Sausage grand opening in Sharbot Lake (before the crowds and the inflatable wind dancer).

What did I do over the long weekend?  Oh you know, not much - I had to work Sunday and Monday but I went to Sharbot Lake on Saturday to go to this food festival.  It was celebrating the grand opening of Seed to Sausage.  You may have heard of them or maybe eaten some of their wonderful salumi at one of the many Ottawa restaurants that feature it.  Well, they had quite the spread at their new store - a roasted pig, a portable wood pizza oven, a brewery and a winery pouring drinks, a food truck serving mussels out of a poutine cup and there was even a canoe filled with oysters!

After my lunch of mussels, roast pork, pizza and oysters I went to check out the store and it was packed!  I survived the line and picked up some sausages and bacon but I should have bought more, what I bought only lasted me a few days!  I’m already planning a return trip – you should come!

So, what did you say you did on your long weekend?

Seed to Sausage
12821 Highway 38
Sharbot Lake, ON

You know you're at a party when there's a pig on a spit.

From the 'Good to Go' food truck (operated by Kyle Christofferson, chef de cuisine at Brook Street), the best salad ever with Seed to Sausage salumi.

Also from the 'Good to Go' food truck, plump mussels served with chunks of spicy Seed to Sausage chorizo.

Ottawa's Whalesbone Oyster House was on hand giving most people their opportunity to try oysters for the first time (I recommend adding a little scotch).

McAuslan Brewery was pouring St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale and Pale Ale (..I sampled some).

Roasted pig, lamb skewers lovingly roasted and carved by Bella Bistro/Olivea and Le Chien Noir.

Strata Pizza's Fiamma - creme fraiche, Seed to Sausage juniper and garlic bacon, red onion.

Edible souvenirs!  I bought venison/fennel, chorizo and apple/sage.

I see hanging salumi!

Attended: 16th Annual Bon Appetit (Ottawa, ON)

The first time I attended Bon Appetit I didn't know what to expect so I dressed up - fitted trousers, fashionable blouse and heels that I had problems standing in for five minutes let alone two hours.  Since then I've adapted my wardrobe to be a bit more utilitarian: comfortable footwear, pants with pockets for easy access to drink tickets and a blouse that can take a sauce stain or two.

I'm classy.

Bon Appetit was hosted at the gigantic (almost warehouse like) CE Centre where over 65 restaurants, wineries, breweries and food producers offered delicious samples to a sold out crowd of 2000 people.  The food and wine show not only benefits the stomachs of the attendees who paid $75 for tickets (with a $45 charity receipt) but 22 local charities.

I had a great time and I ran into a lot of friends who I hadn't seen in ages (either former co-workers or classmates) which almost made me rethink my choice of wardrobe.  However, after a few nibbles like the peanut butter mousse, salted caramel, candied orange rind, and honey cream citrus sable from Courtyard Restaurant or the pulled pork and coleslaw slider from The Smoque Shack and the charcuterie board from Les Fougères I forgot about impressing former colleagues.

I convinced the boyfriend to let me mount a GoProHD camera to his plate for my first time lapse video and it came together quite well!  Although next time I think I'll bring a cloth to wipe the inevitable food smear from the lens.

Attended: 8th Annual Carefor Brunch & Chocolate Competition

As an attendee, this could have been your plate.

Last year was my first time attending the Carefor Brunch and Chocolate Competition.  I tried downplaying the chocolate part of the event, insisting that I bought tickets to help support Carefor, a not-for-profit home health care organization that offers accessible home care and community support services.  But I was there for the chocolate, the fact I was helping a charity was well, chocolate icing on top of the chocolate cake!

Chocolate? Espresso? Maple? Bacon?! Peanut butter? FOIE GRAS?! Brookstreet Chef Kyle Christofferson should make dessert more often!

I guess I did such a great job Twittering and judging for the People's Choice Award that I was invited to sit along side Executive Chef Michael Blackie (Le Café), Food Editor Ron Eade (Ottawa Citizen), Chef/Instructor Herve Chabert (Cordon Bleu) and fellow food bloggers Don & Claire (foodiePrints).  Sharing the stage with such great food talent was humbling but I wasn't about to let it deter me from my task of tasting chocolate dessert!

Oh Top of the Hill Bakery.. so shiny, so decadent.

This year there were nine competitors vying for the Judge's and People's Choice Award which meant that I had to taste nine plated chocolate desserts - sounds horrible, huh?  Desserts included flourless cakes, ganache, truffles, macarons, complicated layers, nutella chocolate combinations and savoury combinations like chocolate dipped bacon and foie gras Ferreira Rocher.

Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana, previous winner, unable to compete due to store restorations provided chocolate eclairs.

As judges we were hidden away as the competitors brought out plates and tastings were done without knowing who did what.  This was my first time judging a food competition so I did my best to gauge flavours and technique but when it came to taste I asked myself if I would want to eat the whole dessert.  Out of the nine there was only one that met that criteria and I wasn't the only one who thought it tasted as good as it looked.  Top of the Hill Bakery, owned by Chef Jeff Stoveld, won both the Judge's Choice and People's Choice Award becoming only the second competitor to win both in the competition's eight year history.

Judges' Choice and People's Choice Winner Ashlyn Bredewold and Chef/Owner Jeff Stoveld of Top of the Hill Bakery.

Carefor exceeded their goal of raising over $35,000 through ticket sales, raffles and auctions.  Although not even a month has gone by I can't wait for next year's competition.  Will former champions Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana and Sucré Salé challenge Top of the Hill?  Will there be another new challenger with flavours and technique strong enough to win both awards?  I can't wait to find out be it as a judge or attendee!

Attended: Festibière d'Hiver (Gatineau, Quebec)

 

Serving hot 2009 BDT Messe de Minuit at the ice bar. Reminded me of hot apple cider.

 

As much of a beer lover that I am I have not tried many of the craft beers available in Quebec.  Which is why I jumped at the opportunity to attend Festibière d'Hiver, Winter Beerfest, hosted at the Château Cartier in Gatineau, Quebec.

Admission was free but beer samples and food required tickets which could be bought for 50 cents / ticket.  For the average 5% ABV (alcohol by volume) beer 4 tickets were required for a 120ml sample but if you wanted to be adventurous and try some of the higher ABV beers you could expect to shell out 6-10 tickets.  The food available seemed perfect for a beerfest - bison pogo, foie gras poutine, beer risotto to name a few and were sold in small portions for anywhere from 6-10 tickets.

 

Sipping on my Milk Stout by the bon fire.

I tried a wide variety of beers from a wheaty Blanche de Chambly from Unibroue to a creamy Vache Folle Milk Stout from Charlevoix to the oh so delicious aged Messe de Minuit from BDT served hot at the ice bar.  The latter being my favorite beer of the evening because enjoying it warm, huddled around the blazing bon fire felt perfect.

 

I want to learn more about Quebec breweries and their beer and will have to do my homework before the summer edition of the Gatineau Beerfest.  I just hope the summer event can top an ice bar and dog sled rides..

 

Lining up to get the beer that will save us from the cold.

 

 

Sipping high ABV beer by the bonfire makes a person feel very warm.