At last, Montreal will have its first CupcakeCamp. Montreal bakers here is your chance to show off your baking talents. CupcakeCamp Montreal has 3 contest categories: professional bakers, amateur bakers and kids (less than 16 years old). Even the bad cupcake makers can participate. A fourth category is the Failcake contest designed for slackers and evil creative geniuses with horrible, horrible taste.

The event will raise money for Kids Help Phone. A donation of $10 at the door will get your choice of 3 cupcakes and a coffee. You are free to give more. Spread the word by letting everyone knows that you are attending CupcakeCamp Montreal on Facebook and Twitter (via@twtvite). If you wish to sponsor the event, it is not too late.

The event will take place at Bitoque Restaurant from 2 to 5 pm on November 22, 2009. Since it is on a Sunday afternoon, it is easy to come with your family and friends. I hope to see you at the first CupcakeCamp Montreal. And do not be shy to come to say hello. I will be there with my husband.

+ CupcakeCamp Montreal

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I always admired the stylish design of Ovopur, the eco-friendly water filtering system developed by a Quebec brand called Aquaovo. I think the egg shape glazed porcelain jar looks even better dressed in black.

CAVIAR is a limited series available in two patterns: Marcato and Legato. I love both. If I could find a spot in my home, I would like the have one. You fill the top reservoir with tap water. That water will be filtered as it falls on the main egg-shape reservoir. The egg shape reservation prevents water stagnation. Combined with the thermal property of porcelain, your water stays fresher longer. It is simple, elegant and eco-friendly. Except for the filtration cartridge that you need to change 3 times a year, there is no waste.

OVOBAR is a beverage dispenser. It is basically the OVOPUR system without the top reservoir and water filtering system. When you need it, you can use the main reservoir of the OVOPUR as a beverage dispenser. Since it is easy to clean, I do not foresee any problem to convert it for the need of a party. To be safe, I would ask Aquaovo.

SOURCING:
+ Aquaovo collection
+ Ovopur (white) $689 CAD

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Now that I told you about the food at my husband’s birthday, another element that played a big part on the dessert table were the flowers. I was lucky to work with an upcoming star, a small floral studio called O.xide Design founded by Geneviève Lamarre and Stéphanie Bélisle.
I chatted with Geneviève this weekend as she came to my house to get back their vases. We had a good conversation about their design philosophy. One difficulty in designing an event is that you work with several vendors, who may or may not know each others. This is why O.xide takes extra step to make sure their floral creations will complement and enhance your event design. They rely on a quick and easy way to do that: drawing a croquis of the flowers as they will look at the venue.

Working with them was easy. I briefed Stéphanie about my theme, my color palette and that I aim for a masculine look. I sent her all the dimensions (table, shelf height, ceiling) with two pictures: one of my table and one showing where it will stand in the room during the event. Stéphanie came back with a croquis. As you can see, she integrated the details including the curvy legs of my dining table. Attached to the croquis were  pictures of the flowers and the leaves that they plan to use. I showed it to my husband to see if it pleased him. It did!

The 5 floral arrangements they created for the party were fabulous. They captured the masculine elegant mood I was aiming for. Plus, they played with heights and volume in a way that suited the architecture of the room and the needs of my dessert table.

If you live in the Montreal area, O.xide Design can help you whether you are looking for two small centerpieces for a casual dinner party up to a wedding or a corporate event. I know I will call them for my next dinner party.

MORE:
+  O.xide Design

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Arthur Quentin is a must-shop place in Montreal for anyone who likes to cook or to entertain. You shop there when you are looking for quality and European imported tableware. No need to say that I like this shop a lot.

Their new collection for autumn includes this warmer dish to make chèvre chaud (warm goat cheese). It is a good idea to stock a couple for Christmas or as an hostess gift since you will impress with this $20 gift. They also carry a version for brie or camembert cheese.

Table linens at Arthur Quentin are awesome. They carry 100% linen tablecloths and napkins. Made in Belgium, I like the yellow and white Clément collection (starts at $280 CAD). A cheaper option for casual entertaining or for your everyday usage is the French Country Tête à tête and its matching napkins ($44.50 and $17.50).

+ Arthur Quentin – site only in French

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Last weekend, my husband bought a pouch of imported Burrata cheese. The real Burrata comes from Italy and naturally, they are the best. To tell you the truth, Burrata tastes even better in Italy since the fresher the Burrata, the best it tastes. You must know that it is a cheese that you must eat quickly. After two weeks, it will be too hard.

I read on CurdNerds that Burrata is essentially unspun mozzarella curds mixed with fresh cream (”burro” is Italian for butter) stuffed into sheets of pulled mozzarella. This little pouch is then wrapped in Asphodelus ramosus leaves, an herb with leaves similar to leeks.

I improvised how to serve it based on a list of ingredients provided by my friend Nathalie Rivard. It is really simple but so so delicious. Remember this if you have friends over that you wish to spoil. The good Burrata is expensive; it costs about $30 a ball in Montreal. It is so good that 4 people, 6 at the maximum, will eat this as an appetizer. Naturally, you could add a big antipasto plate to feed a group of 8 or 10 persons.

Recipe of Burrato with vine tomatoes, olive oil, old balsamic vinegar and basil

In my Sophie Conran’s roasting dish (I like her dinnerware so much), I throw

• 6-7 small vine tomatoes, cut in 4
• 2 Kumato tomatoes, cut in 8

It is time to use your good stuff. I drizzled old balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I spread my basil cut in chiffonade (7-8 leaves).

Then, we put half the Burrata on this mixture. We spread a thick layer on country bread slices. Pair it with a red wine for a divine appetizer.

My recipe has a rustic look. If you need an elegant presentation, have a look at how Stuart Spivack plated his home made mozzarella burrata salad.

MORE:
+ photo: pouch of Burrata by CurdNerds
+ photo: half Burrata on wood tray by John Kenney for Montreal Gazette seen on the blog of Macchi Inc.
+ photo: stu_spivack on Flickr

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This is an annual must-see in Montreal. Until November 1st, 2009, head to Montreal Botanical Garden at night to see the Magic of Lanterns exhibit. Make sure to bring a good camera.

+ photos by Michel Tremblay for the Montreal Botanical Garden

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Earlier this year, I told you about Maman, Bébé et Café, a coffee shop in Montreal that was more a community center for parents than a typical coffee shop. (October 4th, 2009 update: A friend told me that Maman, Bébé et Café has closed their door.)

It seems that Toronto are catching up with two new kid-friendly cafes opening in trendy neighborhoods with a good concentration of strollers. Lil’ Bean N’ Green opens this week in Leslieville with a fun play area for kids. You can read on BlogTO that Leonor Filipe opened the Gingerbread House Family Café in the Junction three months ago with a similar goal of providing not only food, but a social service for parents at loose ends.

I like the idea that moms and dads have spaces where they can hanged out with their babies and toddles while meeting other parents. I think we will see more of these places once they figured out a viable business model.

About the Play Fee at Lil Bean N’ Green

Some people complained on BlogTO about the fact that the play area is not free at Lil Bean N’ Green. As an entrepreneur, I see why they are doing it. The store owner pays to set up the area. They have to pay the rent on for a retail space in the city. They have a business to run and they can not survive on having moms with kids hanging there for hours while buying one coffee. After all, maintaining a playroom costs more than supplying Wi-Fi. Finding the right price to charge is the challenge.

I invite you to read the post on BlogTO to learn more about these 2 family-style cafes.

MORE:
+ BlogTO’s review of Gingerbread House Family Café
+ Images via BlogTo

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Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth was one of the sponsors of PodCamp Montreal 2009. After the Saturday sessions, a selected group were invited for a cocktail in the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite.

Fairmont put the bed as the place it was for the bed-in. One thing that you may not know is that the suite was rearranged for the bed-in. We all appreciated that Fairmont was kind enough to change the place of the bed for us.

The story goes that John and Yoko wanted the bed in front of the window with the best view. The lounge area became the bedroom. Everything has changed since then. Except for the pictures on the wall and the floor plan, nothing from that area is still in the room. Still, it was a great feeling.

Everyone had his or her picture taken in the bed. Michelle Sullivan did a live interview with me to talk about my top blogging tips and trends. It was a lot of fun. I included more pictures of the small suite to give you an idea of the space.

Here, Laurent Maisonnave set up his video camera to capture a live interview with Scarborough Dude, Bob Goyetche, Julien Smith and Laurent Lasalle. Observing is my husband, Jérôme Paradis.

Until December 31, 2009, you can book the Bed-In for Peace package at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ Bob Goyetche
+ Jerome Paradis

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Interview

Two weeks ago, I opened a new series on Pepper Design Blog by being the first interview Morgan did with a blogger. Follow her blog if you wish to spice up your home and your party. Last Friday, she interviewed Chris of Celebrations at Home. Chris gave wonderful tips to style your place to the party theme.

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I had a special lunch twelve days ago. Hivron and her husband Paolo Macchi received me for a tasting of their products at a local restaurant in Old Montreal. While talking to Hivron during the lunch, I discovered that we have several things in common. We both studied interior design for one thing.

Prosciutto crudo

Macchi imports and distributes the highest quality of Citterio’s prosciutto crudo (raw ham). They carry Prosciutto di Parma, Prosciutto di San Daniele and Culatello. I invited my foodie friend Nathalie Rivard to share this experience.

The Citterio’s prosciutto crudo are all natural. They are made without additives. The curing masters created them with ham, salt, air and time. Another main difference with these prosciutto is the sweet taste of the fat. These premium prosciutto are miles away from the taste of the pre-packaged prosciutto.

We savored 5 famous types of Italian and local (meaning made in the USA) prosciutto crudo. We were able to taste each prosciutto “nature”. Plus, DNA’s chef Derek Dammann made us as a delightful appetizer dish for each type. They each have their own personality.

I enjoyed the food combination that Derek Dammann served us. Derek had been Chef de Cuisine at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in London, England. You know how I love Jamie Oliver. He takes great pride in serving sustainably grown and harvested produce, meats and seafood because food tastes better when its ingredients are the product of thoughtful stewardship. He was the right chef to serve us this prosciutto.

I particularly enjoyed the plate where he mixed prosciutto with a very light mustard vinaigrette. A appetizer recipe that you can do at home is to drizzle aged balsamic topped with shaves of Parmesan Reggiano. The mix of salt and sweet is delicious. Another tasty combination was to serve prosciutto with dates.

Macchi imported directly from Italy as much as possible. It makes a difference. The pigs used in the United States are smaller than the pigs used in Italy. The Italian prosciutto is ham from a very rare bread of pigs that are bred in north-central Italy. How you cure the meat is also important. You get the best results with time. It generally produces a prosciutto that is more tender.

Shopping Tips

Look for these qualities when buying fresh prosciutto:

• Color should be lighter rather than darker, a light to medium pink. If it’s burgundy, don’t buy it!
• Fat colour should be white and not yellow. A fresh prosciutto should be sweet and not salty
• Ask to taste a slice before buying prosciutto
• Outside fat should not exceed 1/2-3/4 of an inch. Every animal is different. If it is more than 3/4 of an inch, they should trim the excess fat for you.

The Swedish-born Hivron writes a blog for Macchi where you can find recipes and food information.

SOURCING:
+ Macchi
+ DNA restaurant

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For an upcoming event (I will tell you soon), I needed a professionally done portrait. I asked Elizabeth Delage to do my portrait. She is a friend who is a talented young professional photographer in Montreal. It has been a while since I went for a photo session. I had an amazing time!

Elizabeth has a wonderful photo studio. She decided to use natural light to take my pictures. I went there on a sunny afternoon. First, I visited my regular hairdresser Allen at Funky Toque. I told Allen that I was looking for my everyday look, done at its best. Then, I headed to the photo studio where a makeup artist was waiting for me. I brought several outfits. We reviewed the outfits I brought. My green shirt won. We all agreed that a natural makeup would be more appropriate. We also took a few pictures with a grey jacket for when I need a business look.

She put Michael Bublé and other easy listening songs on her sound system. It is important that the songs set the proper mood. I felt relaxed in this warm environment. It is important to feel good for the pictures to look great. I sat on a stool. Then, I smiled a little, a lot, turned my head up, down, on the side. She took hundreds of pictures in a little more than one hour. It was fun! I am thrilled about the results. I recommend Elizabeth if you need portraits, fashion or a lifestyle photos.

A Few Simple Rules

Elizabeth gave me clothing advice before the session. First, it is best to be photographed wearing soft color if you do a portrait. You do not want that what you are wearing, including your jewelry, attracts too much attention. The focus point should be your face.

A professional makeup artist makes all the differences. Believe me, it is money well spent. Dominique T. Hasbani adapted my makeup to the specific conditions of my photo shoot. She took into account how the camera would capture me under natural lights. Ask the photographer to set up the makeup session for you. They will select a makeup artist that suits their photo style. I also told my hairdresser that I want to be pretty for a photo. As you can see, making a good picture is a team effort.

About My Selection

The left photo is the one that I will use for that upcoming event. I prefer a more relaxed photo for my social media avatar and my blog signature. I include a nice photo of Elizabeth working on an outdoor shooting.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ Elizabeth Delage

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We have seen a few European examples of portable restaurants established in shipping containers from a promotional campaigns. Architects assembled containers into houses for years. This year, restauranteur Daniel Noiseux revamped the trailer diner concept.

The first Muxbox fast-food restaurant unit sits in the Old Port of Montreal for the summer season. They will close soon. My husband and I had dinner there last weekend. Muvbox is a wonderful and well-thought fast-food restaurant concept. We were impressed by how much you could accomplish with a small space. Muvbox is more than a pretty face. It is an efficient place to serve and eat food. We examined the staff preparing the food and watched them close the restaurant at the end of the day. It is a smooth operation.

The Design

From a closed box, Muvbox transforms into a chic fast-food restaurant in 90 seconds. The panels go up and down at a touch of a bouton. The side panels become the floor when they are down. The two patios are big enough for 28 patrons spread between the standing bar tables and the bistro tables with benches and chairs.

The eco-friendly actions did not stop at reclaiming an old shipping container. The floor is made from recycled tires. The solar panels supply up to 40% of the energy. The fact that you can relocate the restaurant anywhere and easily adapt it for another restaurant concept increases the usable life of each unit.

The Food

Muvbox operates its own high-end fast-food restaurant in the Old Port of Montreal all summer. You still have a couple weeks left to savor their clam chowder, lobster rolls and seafood pizza made in a wood-fired pizza oven.

If you are interested to start your own restaurant, one Muvbox unit costs $150,000 USD. The container can be branded to fit each restaurant concept. Sid Lee Architecture did the visuals. Watch this video to see Muvbox in action.

I took more photos. Look at the gallery by clicking on a picture.

MORE:
+ Muvbox Concept

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