At Home with Kim Vallee

DINING, TABLEWARE | November 12, 2009

French Pantry Appetizer Plates

Except for the William-Sonama printed signature (I would prefer something like Bon Appétit!), I really like the look of this white porcelain plates that are perfect to serve a sandwich, a single serving cheese plate or a small tray of antipasto. The plates can also act as a message board. A customer commented on the W-S [...]

GIFT IDEAS, Gifts for the COOK | November 11, 2009

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Four Gift Ideas for the Cook or the Hostess

Bodum products are typically built to last, perform well and look good. Three good reasons to like them and to not be afraid to add them on your holiday shopping list. If you are looking for gift ideas for cooks or the hostess, you may consider: + BODUM Round Automatic Gravity Operated Salt and Pepper Grinder [...]

GIFT IDEAS, HOSTESS gifts | November 9, 2009

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Brie Baker and Goat Cheese Baker

Every Holiday season, one cooking tool is under everyone’s Christmas tree. This year, the brie baker seems to be what retailers have bet on. I saw the brie baker being well in display, next to the Goat Cheese Baker, in almost every gift ships I visited last week. If you ever served a baked brie, you [...]

DINING, TABLEWARE | October 12, 2009

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The Magisso Cake Server really Works

When Jean-Luc Bouchard of Urban-Butik, the North American distributor of Magisso products, offered me a sample of the new Magisso Cake Server I accepted immediately. I like the concept but I was curious to see if it really works. After all, the practicality of a single serving ware piece instead of the typical cake knife [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | September 26, 2009

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A bias on serving coffee vs tea in restaurants

Why it is so hard to find a restaurant that serves tea in style? I want my tea served with a porcelain teapot or an iron cast model. It seems that most restaurants skipped the memo about the current tea popularity. PHOTOS by Kim Vallee: + Awesome teapot at Art Java on President Kennedy in Montreal – [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | September 9, 2009

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Square Glass Beverage Dispensers by Cal-Mil

I received several requests about the stylish square glass containers with the cucumber water that I shown you last June. I asked my friend Isabelle who works at Fairmont Hotels to find out where they bought it. She found that they are manufactured by Cal-Mil, a brand that cater the food service industry. Browsing their catalog, [...]

COOKING tools, DINING | August 10, 2009

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Cooking and Fun Housewares Design

Some quick links to start the week. + First Sunday Suppers shows us how to preserve lemons, a must in Moroccan cuisine. You can find their twist on the lemon chicken tagine. Their recipe has preserved lemons, green olives and golden raisins. + An original moving announcement from FPO (for print only). The recipient can cut the [...]

DINING, LINENS | July 22, 2009

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Five Favorite Things at Anthropologie

Since I will be in Boston this August to attend PodCamp Boston 4, I started a shopping list. I scheduled visits to stores that we do not have here in Montreal. I will go to Lekker naturally. Another store that I affection is Anthropologie. Their vintage, granny, Bohemian chic look is really distinctive. I am a [...]