Reminder to all chefs that our upcoming gourmet meal is soon upon us!

If you are still not settled on your dish, there is a documentary Theatre of Life you might enjoy to get some inspiration or peruse pictures of a Trash-to-Table restaurant in NY.  More locally, Awesome Ottawa recently sponsored a Food-Sharing Ottawa group

Date: Sept 23rd
Time: 6pm

One person's trash will be our treasure! 
Let's explore ingredients that might be otherwise tossed aside or ignored!  
      Rotten-  throw it in!
      Fermented - add a pinch!
      Discarded - what a beautiful garnish! 

Time: 6pm
Place: Leah's lair
Doodle coming forthwith to determine date

Dish Assignment
Hors D'Oevre: Sous Chef Abe
Appetizer 1: Sous Chef Christine
Appetizer 2: Sous Chef Amy
Soup/Salad: Sous Chef Dallas
Main: Master Chef Leah
Dessert: Sous Chef Vanessa

Last evening, Master Chef Vanessa brought us together to experience a meal of dreams #PJParty.  Comfy, cosy evening. 

The night started with the ever-inventive sous Chef Amy and her focus on expanding the mind and super foods.   To get the creative juices flowing,  the chefs were all provided with a shot of Lions Mane Elixir... #earthy  #NoOneDied.   For the hors d'oeuvres,  sous chef Amy served a platter of crostini topped with fresh artichokes, marinated artichokes, parmesan and gruyere.  The ice cubes of her gin-cherry juice were infused with the brain enhancing Goji berries, which were released as the ice melted.  

To the table with our Mexican beer for sous chef Dallas and her deeply flavoured mole.  Inspired by the morning pleasure of a hot cup of joe, sous chef Dallas created a coffee-infused mole sauce.  We drenched the fresh corn tortilla stuff with peppers with the mole #Ihadseconds and added extra freshness with side of lime and cilantro. Delicious.     

Next up was sous chef Leah and her dish focused on the sleep technique of gray rain.  The mono-chromatic dish of braised sage cannellini beans were served with a fried potato and goat cheese cake, sautéed mushrooms and cauliflower, finished with a seedy oak cracker.  To wash it down, a Spanish prosecco was enhanced with muscat grapes and sprinkled with camomile tea.   

Sous chef Abe brought a bit of theatrics with his cloud inspired candy cloud cocktail.  It started with a ball of blue cotton candy and when he added the mixture of wine and gin, it left behind a delicious strawberry.   For the soup,  each sous chef started a bowl of cotton candy with their letter in whipped cream.  Sous chef Abe added roasted tomato soup to the dish, and served with parmesan toasts.  Very delightful!

​For the main, Master Chef Vanessa delighted the chefs with her dreams of the tropics.  The roasted duck/tofu coated with toasted coconut was so tender and enhanced with a side of homemade ricotta ravioli and blueberry sauce. The bundles of salad served with a coconut infused dressings brought a lovely freshness to the dish.  A personal favourite,  the meal was topped off with a colourful, tropical Mai Tai.   

Last but not least,  sous chef Christine delighted the chefs with a tower of dark chocolate cake.  Topped with tasty vegan frosting and fondant glasses,  we worked our way through the layers of chocolate cake with delight.  The richness of the cake was balanced with a minty tequila cocktail.

A big thanks to Master Chef Vanessa for a lovely evening, thought provoking theme, and take home eye masks.  It is not often enough that we hang out in our pj's. 

Masterchef Vanessa asks all members to dig deep into their subconscious, because the next Gourmet Club theme is...

Let the Sandman be your guide on our next journey! 

Your creations may be weird and mystical (Wonderland-esque?), or maybe they represent a goal or achievement...or maybe it's just a sandwich that looks like you, but taller!

Whether it's something you've literally dreamt or it's a more philosophical interpretation, Masterchef Vanessa looks forward to learning just how wonderfully odd you all are!

Date: late March?
Place: Chez Vanessa
​Time: 6pm

Dish Assignment
Hors d'oeuvres - Amy
Appetizer #1 - Dallas
Appetizer #2 - Leah
Soup/Salad - Abe
Main - Vanessa
Dessert - Christine

Master Chef Amy pushed the chefs to focus on the visual - and develop a dishes that were not as they as it appeared! #foodtrickery 

The evening started with SC Christine's lovely tea time....with whisky infused tea and a savoury platter of 'cookies' featuring parsnip macaroons (my favourite), olive oil 'chocolate chip cookies' and the colourful chipotle chilli 'macaron' filled with avocado.   We sipped and sampled from the three tiers of deliciousness.  To the table for SC Dallas' Brinner - breakfast for dinner!   Sweet potato waffles were filled with avocado and topped with a flavourful garlic butter.  To quote myself,  "....well,  I'd have seconds".  The waffles were paired with a sweet honey beer.     

​Next up was SC Vanessa and her colourful Saladgetti and Beetballs #bestname. Beets coated with goat cheese and walnut nuts were presented on a bed of zucchini spirals,  with raspberry vinaigrette.   "Didn't everyone think to spiral their vegetables?"....   The 'pasta' was complemented by a pinot grigrio - very refreshing.   Onto SC Abe and his deceiving negroni.... #sneaky #sorryAmy - to complement the 'bon bon' striped pasted, filled with butternut squash, topped with brown butter hazelnuts and sage.  Yum. 

For main, Master Chef Amy served up a deceiving "double double" Timmies run, presented in stolen food wrappings.   The delicious donut of macaroni and cheese was served with truffle aioli and spicy tomato chutney.  The 'double double' was an irish cream coffee with guiness-inflused whip cream.    The evening ended a serving of vegetable soup from SC Leah -which was English cream with chocolate 'peas' and cookie carrots and corn, on a boozy pound cake.  The 'soup' was served with a warm mulled wine, to wrap up the evening.   

Lovely job Master Chef Amy, thanks for pushing the team to be more visual!

Next up- Master Chef Vanessa  -  theme TBD!!
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A suspicious-looking hamburger on your plate that smells of cake? An eggroll with marinara dipping sauce, belying an italian undertone? Eclairs that smell of savoury gourgeres? Caprese salad with tomatoes that look not quite right?   Get ready for....

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The only parameters for this theme are the following:
1. Your dish looks different than what it actually is made of. 
2. It is delicious.

Pictures and ideas abound online, and there is lots of room for creativity and experimentation. (As a reminder, Leah dabbled in this trickery in 2015). Please don't hesitate to reach out to Master Chef Amy if you have any questions or would like to brainstorm! 

Date: late Jan-Feb 'under development'
Place: Chez MC Amy
​Time: 6pm

Dish Assignment
Hors D'Oevre: Christine
Appetizer 1: Abe
Appetizer 2: Dallas
Soup/Salad: Vanessa
Main: Master Chef Amy
Dessert: Leah

On a cool, dark November evening,  Master Chef Dallas brought us together for an evening celebrating Sunshine and Summer. Though the theme brought forth much variety,  the meal focused on the bounty of summer, namely fruits, herbs and vegetables. 

The evening started with our Guest Chef, Roberto, and his generous helping of tuna ceviche (tofu ceviche for some);  the dish was full of fresh flavours of cilantro, lime and chili.  The chefs washed it down with a Micheladas,  a refreshing beer cocktail with lime, hot sauce and Worcestershire.   Great job Guest Chef Roberto!

Next up,  Sous Chef Leah heated things up with a flaming h'ors d'oeuvre.  Crostini with a creamy goat cheese and parmesan spread was embellished with flaming fruit, fresh herbs and toasted nuts.  The dish was enhanced with a Watermelon Mash, a cocktail of frozen watermelon,  rosemary simple syrup, raspberries, spiced rum and ginger beer.   

We moved to the table to sample the Aztec Summer Fritters created by Sous Chef Abe.  The crispy BBQ corn fritters were served with homemade cheese,  avocado and a creamy chili sauce. (Side note: also delicious the next day for breakfast!)  Always a crowd pleaser, SC Abe provided the thirsty chefs with a round of margaritas.  

Onto a taste of Nova Scotia by Sous Chef Vanessa! Deeply flavourful jerk chicken was the star of the lettuce wraps, with a few chefs sneaking an extra serving.  The lettuce wraps were full of freshness to complement the chicken, with grilled halomi, a strawberry and cabbage slaw and toasted peanuts.  She expertly pared the dish with a glass of Tidal Bay, a Nova Scotia Riesling. 

Sous Chef Christine was inspired by the queen of the tropics, Pineapple! The chefs happily slurped the intensely flavoured hot and sour soup, elevated by pineapple juice and an herb infusion.  The hearty coconut cornbread balanced the flavours of soup and was enjoyed with the warmth of a lovely hot buttered rum.

Two homemade sauces of mango chutney and mint/cilantro pushed Master Chef Dallas dish to new summer heights of enjoyment!  They were the perfect foil for the hearty roti filled with curried squash, balancing sweetness, spice and savoury   The chefs were lulled into a state of bliss with creamy coconut pina coladas topped with fresh grated nutmeg.  

Always bringing her A-game,  sous chef Amy once again wowed the crowd with individual boxes of seven homemade truffles to celebrate the joys of summer. The flavour included Campfire,  Cob of Corn, Tropics, Sun Tea and Hot-Hot-Hot.   This sous chef appreciated the portability and ability to enjoy the treats with a less-full stomach, extending the gourmet experience.      Pick-your-own adventure beverage resulted in all chefs enjoying a speciality coffee with Irish cream and Kuala.     
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Congrats and thanks to Master Chef Dallas for a delightfully sunny theme, creating an evening of full of fresh, delicious flavours.  

On to Master Chef Amy for our next event - details coming soon!

In an otherwise rainy, dark and dreary month ... November gourmet club as the dinner of SUNSHINE!

​Lets look forward to dishes filled with tastes, smells and memories of summer, in all its lightness, laziness and warmth. Ideally with a side of summer memories, to share. 

When: Nov 26 at 6pm 

Dish assignment:
Hors D'Oeuvre 1 Guest chef: Roberto
Hors D'Oeuvre 2 Sous Chef Leah
Appetizer 1 Sous Chef Vanessa
Appetizer 2 Sous Chef Abe
Soup/Salad Sous Chef Christine
Main Master Chef Dallas
Dessert Sous Chef Amy

​Submit your dishes and drinks to Master Chef one week in advance!

Wonderful evening of culinary excellence, hosted by Master Chef Christine!She went back to the basics, with a more formal motif to celebrate our gateway meals.  

Sous chef Dallas started off the evening with a nod to her time in the Ukraine, for opening her eyes to the joys of cooking and good ingredients.   She wowed the crowd with cheddar crackers (request to share the recipe!) and poppy seed crackers, served with homemade ricotta and preserves.  The hors d'oeuvres were washed down with a refreshing Moscow Mule.

We moved to the table for Sous chef Amy's homage to chef Michael Smith early years of fine gourmet and were delighted with a roasted carrot and goat cheese terrine. Beautiful!  The colourful dish was served wth candied pecans, greens and a puree beet dressing.   Always up for experimenting,  sous chef Amy's beverage included carrot infused vodka, elderflower syrup and sparkling wine.

Sous chef Vanessa impressed the room with her handmade rice noodles (wow!),  drawing inspiration from her time living in South East Asia.  The noodles were featured in a dish of expertly flavoured pad thai, topped with chopped peanuts and a fried egg,  and served with some vegetable and fruit art!  Who doesn't love a lime flower!  The noodles were paired with a refreshing lemon mint cocktail.     

For the salad course,  Sous chef Leah reflected on her time in Italy tasting and drinking while teaching.  Sautéed potatoes were served with crispy capers,  fresh corn, roasted tomatoes and bacon on a bed of arugula.  The salad was topped with a dollop of arugula and Romano cheese pesto.  Breaking from the cocktail train,  the chefs washed down the salad with a glass of chianti.    

Master Chef Christine was true to Chopped, her inspiration, and created a dish based on the sous-chef submitted ingredients:  browned butter, apricots, quinoa, heart of palm and gatorade.  She impressed the SCs with quinoa ravioli stuffed with duck,  served with apricot sauce, sautéed kale and heart of palm puree.  The dish was enhanced with toasted nuts and a cucumber slaw with gatorade dressing and a tea-based cocktail.   Very impressive response to the ingredient challenge!

Sous chef Abe closed the meal with his deconstructed blueberry pie, paying respects to his years of enjoying his mothers cooking. Served with Soyez au Champagne,  the chefs dined on a dish of blueberry 'cheese',  frozen yoghurt balls,  sous vide blueberries,  toasted flour nuggets decorated with fresh mint and blueberry sauce.  So good we went back for seconds! 

Be it your mother,  a cooking show,  a chef or time in another country,  it is clear the gateways to gourmet is varied but grounded in quality ingredients enjoyed with friends.  Thanks to Master Chef Christine for a memorable evening!

Next up:  Master Chef Dallas. 
Date and theme to be determined! 

Until then!