28.2.14

The Perfect French Green Lentils 如何煮法式綠扁豆






Many years ago, before I knew much about cooking, I was making a recipe that called for French green lentils and used Indian green lentils instead, thinking they were the same thing. It is easy to confuse them, since they're both green. Especially in the US, unless you go to a specialty store or a health food store, you won't find many varieties of lentils. Though the two lentils are similar in color, French lentils are darker, smaller, and hold their shape much better after cooking. They're also called Puy lentils (lentilles du Puy) because they're originally grown in the French region, Puy.




20.2.14

Sautéed Burdock With Carrots And Arame 和風牛蒡炒鹿尾菜





If you're not familiar with burdock root, it could strike you as an odd looking vegetable. I remember back when I was in NY, I once bought some burdock in Chinatown. On the bus ride home, the long, skinny roots popping out of my shopping bag grabbed a lot of attention. The woman behind me probably couldn't resist her curiosity; she finally asked me what exactly those roots were and what I was going to do with them. 

 

14.2.14

Cranberry Heart Swirl Cheesecake 越莓蔓愛心乳酪蛋糕 on Foodies In Quebec City





I would like to announce to you that starting this month, I'll be working on a new food blog with Allison Van Rassel (a journalist, media personality, and blogger whom I grew to admire soon after arriving to Quebec) and several other very talented people. I will contribute one post a month, starting with this Valentine's Day Cranberry Heart Swirl Cheesecake recipe! (Click Foodies In Quebec City to view the complete post and recipe.) 
 

As an anglo foodie, it was (and still is!) quite difficult for me to try to read about restaurants in French and find out where to go in Quebec City. When I searched in English, there weren't that many reliable and thorough reviews, but Foodie in Quebec City was an exception. I was able to count on Allison's reviews when I wanted a good meal or I would often agree with her critiques of places I knew. She knows a lot about food and gives her honest opinions, but what I like the most is that she includes the music in her restaurant reviews as well! As a musician, I've always been very aware of how music changes our mood and sets the tone of the place. I was really glad to see that someone actually thought to write about it!


A few months ago, Allison decided to expand her blog and invite more foodies to collaborate with her! I feel very fortunate and honored to be part of this blog and team! So what's the new blog Foodies In Quebec City about? It's all about the love of culinary culture in Quebec City, recipes that are inspired from local ingredients, why you should eat locally, and much more! Come and like Foodies In Quebec City's Facebook page and discover the heart of French cuisine and new tastes in Quebec City!! ( ´ ▽ ` )ノ





想在這裡與大家分享一個好消息:最近與一位我自己很欣賞、很欽佩、也是魁北克知名的媒體主持人與部落客 - Allison Van Rassel,以及其他一些也很有才華的部落客們一起合作。從今天開始,我會每個月在Foodies In Quebec City寫一篇文章,這個蔓越莓愛心乳酪蛋糕是我在那裡的第一個食譜,也是為這個情人節特別寫的!(閱讀整篇文章與食譜,請看這裡)


身為英語系的美食家,要在這裡上網以法語閱讀餐館的相關資料並非容易,而要閱讀英文又沒有太多可靠且很詳細的網頁或部落格可以選擇。但某一天在不經意的情況下,找到了Foodie In Quebec City,發現Allison對餐館的評論不但可靠,對於我已經嚐嗜過的餐廳,也通常都很同意她的意見。然而我最喜歡的是她在餐館的評論中,經常會提到音樂及餐廳的重要關係。身為一個音樂人,我非常清楚音樂對我們心情上的影響及給予整個環境的氣氛,我當時很高興看到有人能了解並指出它們的連接關係。


幾個月前,Allison決定擴展她的部落格,並邀請更多的美食者與她一起合作,我感到非常幸運能成為這團體成員的其中之一。那麼這個新改革的Foodies In Quebec到底有什麼特別的呢?它將會為大家介紹魁北克市獨特無一的美食及使用當地食材製成的美味食譜、並呼籲大家多吃當地季節性的食品等等,歡迎大家到我們的臉書(請按這裡)來按讚! ( ´ ▽ ` )ノ