About a 10 minute walk from my studio apartment in Montreal was a little piece of heaven...a restaurant devoted to chocolate. On the corner of the hip streets of St. Laurent and Prince Arthur lies Juliette et Chocolat. A large airy space filled with sunshine, happy people and lots of chocolate. As soon as you walk in the chocolate greets and beckons you to come hither. A glass case filled with myriad flavors of petite chocolate squares pleases the eye and fills one with temptation while waiting for a table. Once seated, a server outfitted with a dark chocolate colored ensemble and bright red puffy chef's hat hands you the chocolate lovers bible (a.k.a menu). The challenge began as I pondered which delectable to indulge in. Do I want chocolate to drink or to eat, or do I want to try a savory crepe? Since I was eager to find a really good hot chocolate to drink I decided on that. With choices such as traditional hot chocolate, grandma's style hot chocolate, classic hot chocolate, dark vintages, milk vintages, and even alcoholic chocolate drinks, I got lost in a euphoric daze. The server's friendly "Bonjour Madame" brought me back to the present and I decided on ordering a dark hot chocolate with milk chocolate drizzle and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
While I waited I observed the hustle and bustle of the surroundings. People coming in to the restaurant with child like giddiness, waiters moving around like the elves in a Willa Wonka factory, and happy customers leaving while seemingly riding a chocolate high. I noticed what others seated next to me had ordered and everything looked heavenly and delicious. There was chocolate fondue with fresh fruits and snacks, delectable savory crepes, bountiful salads, and perfectly placed brownies with a side of ice cream and caramel drizzle. It is a good thing that my neighbors were captivated by their own meals so that they did not see me salivating like a dog waiting for a thick steak.
Finally my drink arrived and it was exactly what I had anticipated...a rich, velvety chocolate drink complemented by the cool soothing ice cream. It was like eating a liquid brownie sundae. Yummm. I embarrassingly scraped the glass clean like a little kid making sure to get every last drop and was left with a big smile. Juliette et Chocolate is a bustling, lively, unique restaurant that will satisfy every chocolate lovers fantasy and can even bring out the kid in you again. I highly recommend this exotic little piece of heaven to anyone who loves chocolate, desserts, or simply good food.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Montreal and Food
I am currently in Montreal exploring and will be writing a few blogs on food in this culturally vibrant city. First entry...
La Panthere Verte, 2153 Mackay St, Montreal, Quebec:
After a leisurely afternoon visit to the Musee des Beaux Arts admiring classic as well as eclectic modern art my stomach started growling, reminding me to pay attention to it and not the art anymore. I knew that a raw foods café was right around the corner, although it was one I had already tried at a different location, but I thought I would check out this locale as well. As I came upon it I saw hidden right next door a little café with a green version of the pink panther painted on it and the writing La Panthere Verte. I was intrigued and popped my head in to check it out. To my surprise it was a vegetarian café and a respite for my wallet considering the raw foods restaurant is quite expensive. This cute, airy café had freshly made soups, sandwiches and drinks that catered to my price range of $4-$10 so I was sold.
Looking around the café I noticed the décor had elements of being in a Dr. Seuss version of the rainforest. The walls were white with hand painted motifs of wild plants and exotic animals, accented with other walls painted green, or of brick. Vibrant plants hung down from the ceiling making me feel at home, while the tables were designed with tree trunk bases and wooden tops. Immediately I felt soothed, relaxed, and after moving my eyes to the menu…ready to eat. The menu was written on a chalkboard and consisted of sandwiches such as falafel, tofu bbq, veggie burgers and soups such as tempeh stew or squash soup served with pita. Also there was an extensive drink menu, desserts, and a cooler with premade goodies to take home. I am a huge falafel fan and like to try it every where I go, so I decided on that. After a bit of confusion with their ordering system, a young pretty blond woman with a colorful scarf in her hair smiled at me and placed my falafel on the counter to pick up. I must admit at first it didn’t look like much, but discovered half way through that this was going to be adequate to satisfy my hunger. The falafel was super tasty and of the green variety (this is something I need to research as I do not know why some falafel is green and other is yellow), and it filled a thick whole grain pita pocket. The pita had just a tiny slit in it, so I am not sure how they stuffed it full of falafel balls, shredded carrots, coleslaw, tahini dressing and sprouts, but didn’t want to question and rather just enjoy. It was delicious, filling, and priced within my budget, so I couldn’t complain. What a pleasant surprise this little café was and a nice way to finish off my afternoon. But, I still couldn’t resist the temptation to go next store to the raw foods café and pick up dessert to enjoy later. A day of visual art and culinary art was a perfect way to endure a cool, rainy spring day in Montreal.
La Panthere Verte, 2153 Mackay St, Montreal, Quebec:
After a leisurely afternoon visit to the Musee des Beaux Arts admiring classic as well as eclectic modern art my stomach started growling, reminding me to pay attention to it and not the art anymore. I knew that a raw foods café was right around the corner, although it was one I had already tried at a different location, but I thought I would check out this locale as well. As I came upon it I saw hidden right next door a little café with a green version of the pink panther painted on it and the writing La Panthere Verte. I was intrigued and popped my head in to check it out. To my surprise it was a vegetarian café and a respite for my wallet considering the raw foods restaurant is quite expensive. This cute, airy café had freshly made soups, sandwiches and drinks that catered to my price range of $4-$10 so I was sold.
Looking around the café I noticed the décor had elements of being in a Dr. Seuss version of the rainforest. The walls were white with hand painted motifs of wild plants and exotic animals, accented with other walls painted green, or of brick. Vibrant plants hung down from the ceiling making me feel at home, while the tables were designed with tree trunk bases and wooden tops. Immediately I felt soothed, relaxed, and after moving my eyes to the menu…ready to eat. The menu was written on a chalkboard and consisted of sandwiches such as falafel, tofu bbq, veggie burgers and soups such as tempeh stew or squash soup served with pita. Also there was an extensive drink menu, desserts, and a cooler with premade goodies to take home. I am a huge falafel fan and like to try it every where I go, so I decided on that. After a bit of confusion with their ordering system, a young pretty blond woman with a colorful scarf in her hair smiled at me and placed my falafel on the counter to pick up. I must admit at first it didn’t look like much, but discovered half way through that this was going to be adequate to satisfy my hunger. The falafel was super tasty and of the green variety (this is something I need to research as I do not know why some falafel is green and other is yellow), and it filled a thick whole grain pita pocket. The pita had just a tiny slit in it, so I am not sure how they stuffed it full of falafel balls, shredded carrots, coleslaw, tahini dressing and sprouts, but didn’t want to question and rather just enjoy. It was delicious, filling, and priced within my budget, so I couldn’t complain. What a pleasant surprise this little café was and a nice way to finish off my afternoon. But, I still couldn’t resist the temptation to go next store to the raw foods café and pick up dessert to enjoy later. A day of visual art and culinary art was a perfect way to endure a cool, rainy spring day in Montreal.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Tiramisu
Would you believe that with all my years of baking and dessert making, I have never made Tiramisu. Yea, I know, crazy huh! So for valentine's day this year I decided to splurge and make this delectable, traditional Italian dessert. Unfortunately, it is not a totally unprocessed food, but I did the best I could to find quality ingredients to use. Next time I am going to make my own sponge cake from scratch instead of using the bland pre-made ladyfingers that I purchased from the grocery store. There are many ways to make Tiramisu such as using different liquors or using pound cake instead of ladyfingers, so again, have fun and be creative. This recipe is incredibly simple and can be made anytime to impress a group of friends or a potential new lover. Try it out this Valentine's, but plan on making it early in the day so that the flavors have time to marry.
Tiramisu - makes about 9 servings
1/4 cup raw sugar
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp water (1/6 cup)
2 Tbsp Frangelico Liquer
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp raw sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 - 3 oz. packs ladyfingers
cocoa powder to sprinkle on top
Make soaking syrup by combining 1/4 cup sugar and water and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat, cool, and add Frangelico.
In small bowl mix cheese, sugar, and vanilla. In another bowl whip cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold cheese mix into whipped cream, being careful not to deflate the cream.
Assemble by placing a layer of ladyfingers on the bottom of an 8" square glass pan and drizzling 1/2 of the soaking syrup over them. Next spread 1/2 of the cream filling over that. Layer with ladyfingers, soaking syrup, then the rest of the cream filling. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top, cover, and refridgerate at least 4 hours.
Manja, Manja!!
Tiramisu - makes about 9 servings
1/4 cup raw sugar
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp water (1/6 cup)
2 Tbsp Frangelico Liquer
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp raw sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 - 3 oz. packs ladyfingers
cocoa powder to sprinkle on top
Make soaking syrup by combining 1/4 cup sugar and water and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat, cool, and add Frangelico.
In small bowl mix cheese, sugar, and vanilla. In another bowl whip cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold cheese mix into whipped cream, being careful not to deflate the cream.
Assemble by placing a layer of ladyfingers on the bottom of an 8" square glass pan and drizzling 1/2 of the soaking syrup over them. Next spread 1/2 of the cream filling over that. Layer with ladyfingers, soaking syrup, then the rest of the cream filling. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top, cover, and refridgerate at least 4 hours.
Manja, Manja!!
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