Trip to La Belle Province Is Not All Eat, But Also Play...

Our annual family trip to Montreal has always been about food and family, but this time over Canada's Day weekend we had the privilege to couple it with active play! We all know that eating well and exercise goes hand in hand. Being a busy mom with a go-go career as an avid advocate of cooking, food education & healthy eating, and teaching people of all ages to cook, it is essential that I keep up my energy, find ground to centre myself, and stay in tip top shape. Yoga has been my beloved regular practice for close to three years and I kick-box once a week. I like to pass the ball with my soccer-loving son and hop onto the tennis court when the day is nice and I have a partner. I hope to inspire as a role model to the young and old alike that living a happy, healthy lifestyle is within reach. And it starts by balancing a good diet by cooking and eating fresh foods along with regular activity and movement.

So happy to present to you.... Decathlon. The world's largest sporting goods retailer, just opened its first store in North America founded by Michel Leclercq in Lille, France in 1976. Over 1100 stores in 38 countries, how lucky are we to have our premier Canadian store in Brossard, Montreal opening their doors just two months ago!

I was so impressed walking through this massive store staffed with lots of friendly help. Decathlon's brilliant concept- the one we already love with other markets such as food and cosmetics-- Try Before You Buy! Yass!!! More than 70 sports are available under one roof with economically-priced, quality material and made products, making activity accessible, affordable and attractive to everyone! For those looking to try a new sport for the first time, you quickly see the spectrum of products and apparel as each sport is organized separately, and on top, you can actually test things out in this massive 60,000 sq.ft space. You can expect the exact same products in the stores wherever you travel around the world so you can bank on their reliability and accessibility. And they are in 38 countries and counting! Hope they have plans to expand into our Ontario market.

The smart lay out of the store is arranged in categories for each type of sport or activity. You want yoga pants and mat straps, it's all down one aisle. Same goes for tennis, soccer, gym, camping... they even have a section for equestrian. Pick a sport, any sport and they have it covered. Unlike sporting good shops like Adidas, Sporting Life or Canadian Tire, where all the different kinds of shoes and clothing are sold together, here every sport has their own dedicated section (from clothing, accessories to equipment) so you can completely immerse and know what is available or required at a glance. Unbranded, reliable, great quality material and craftsmanship makes their products affordable world-wide.

Recreated stone walks to mimic outdoor settings, especially for those buying hiking boots.

My youngest son getting help from his dad on this stretching equipment.

The Brossard store spans about 60,000 square feet in a retail space once occupied by Montreal-based fashion retailer Les Ailes de la Mode. Necessary in massive size to allow for various active and safe play such as bouncing on trampolines, riding on kayaks in simulated ponds, and a huge gymnasium for squash, basketball, volleyball and track.

Testing out the waters in a real kayak.

A safe space for youngsters rollerblading, biking and skateboarding.

Teeing off...

My sons trying archery for their first time! So much fun!

A giant gym to test out all kinds of racquets, balls and even shoes.

My kids' favourite of them all-- a simulated move-with-you wall climber to test out shoes, climbing accessories and endurance :D. So many fun activities all under one roof, where you can test and try before you buy, at affordable prices that makes exercise and sports accessible and attractive to all regardless of age. Let's get moving and improving our fitness health! Shred those excuses.

A cute-looking mobile cafe for drinks and snacks after all the moving around.

haha... a little levitation meditation at new heights! 

Now onto feeding the belly... Comfort homey Vietnamese cuisine and family welcome staple every time we venture to Montreal. Grilled lemongrass pork skewers, homemade spring rolls with shredded lettuce and fresh herbs over vermicelli (bun), drizzled liberally with seasoned fish sauce (nuoc mam) and topped with crushed peanuts.

Kids posing with my fabulous niece Kathia as she shows off her family's edible garden.

My sister-in-law's herb garden brimming with dill, Vietnamese cilantro (rau ram) and perilla leaves. Yes, they've got little cherry tomatoes growing too and much more!

My sweet mother-in-law treated us to seven beautiful lobsters, stir-fried classic Cantonese-style with ginger and green onions. Her first time making it and boy, were the flavours on point. To try making them at home, follow along with my step-by-step recipe.

Lobster fried rice and pork & vegetables stir-fry.

A dinner out with the family at a nearby restaurant where we were staying. L'Étoile de L'Océan located on Rachel street since 1971- it's building over 100 years old is regarded as one of the oldest Portuguese restaurants in Montreal. It's interior old-world charm (love those signature blue and white wall tiles) spills over into their classic beloved traditional dishes of fish and seafood. Here, enjoying a meal of scampi shrimps in garlic sauce and starter tapas of marinated sardine fillets over toasted baguette and grilled octopus simply dressed with good extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, chopped vegetables and a splash of lemon. So deelish!

Classic Portuguese cuisine at L'Étoile de L'Océan

Fisherman's Plate pour deux (fish and seafood grilled chef-style)

Photo Credit: L'Étoile de L'Océan

A morning fuel rendezvous at a nearby French cafe...

Alas... a trip to la belle province is never complete without picking up a case of maple syrup from my sis-in-laws' uncle's sugar shack farm, and a trunk half-full of Montreal bagels. The cherry on top always is a stop at an artisanal bakery Première Moisson location (opened since 1992) for a quick family breakfast of freshly made French viennoiseries, baked breads and patisseries, and a hot cuppa' before hitting the road back home 🍰☕

I learned something new. Always categorizing danishes, croissants and muffins as pastries, these delectables are actually Viennoiseries. Viennoiseries are baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough similar to bread, or from puff pastry. The added ingredients gives them a richer, sweeter character, closer to pastry, and the dough is often laminated.

A gorgeous array of freshly prepared gourmet sandwiches to ogle at and to devour!

Just love meat and liver pate in jars.

Happy Canada Day meringue!

I recalled meeting then Executive Chef Peter Alléguède for Première Moisson and digged up an old photo also with food writer & Spanish cuisine expert Gerry Shikatani when we did a gig at then popular Dish Cooking Studio. So glad to have always been camera-happy to mark amazing food people memories from my past...😁📸

With Gerry Shikatani and Chef Peter Alléguède in 2001

#eatloveplayrepeat to the mostest!

Revel In Russian Food...

Exploring different cultural supermarkets is my favourite pastime, especially if I can browse through each aisle leisurely, without interruption and no where fast to go. I was in the neighbourhood of East European store Yummy Market specializing in Russian foods, and I knew immediately I am having them over for dinner :D. Recently, I discovered a bunch of delicious Romanian specialties and I want to make exploring new cuisines and trying new foods with my family a regular thing.

Russian cuisine derives its varied character from the vast and multi-cultural expanse of the country and is a collection of the different cooking traditions of the Russian people. Zakouski (little Russian dishes) is popular and can be served hot or cold, elaborate or simple. They can be served to guests any time of day, usually with an ice-cold glass of vodka. Classic dishes include pies, perogies, salads, pickled vegetables, smoked fish, caviar and blini (thin pancakes), and most of all, herrings, in a sour cream or a salad with potatoes. This kind of small dishes and tapas entertainment is my kind of party, however for this particular weeknight evening meal, it was a medley of sorts from Yummys fresh bakery, deli counter, freezer and hot table.

My happy place at any European market-- the vast and mouthwatering deli counter!

Those are super slim and extra long pepperettes. Must try next time...

I always had a thing for pate (I use to develop them so I have an internal pate radar).

My fave goes to duck or goose foie gras... pate block or fresh lobe- pan-seared.

The prepared food section was varied and appetizing! From salads, pan-fried items...

to hot table favourites like rice, potatoes, cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers.

Smoked fish is uber popular... so many kinds from whole smoked to pickled to layered mousse.

Beluga is the largest and rarest of all the Sturgeons. The flavour can only be described as a perfect balance of salt and butter undertones. The fish harvested for caviar can reach up to 2,000 pounds (900 kg). The eggs themselves are the largest among the Sturgeon family, and range in colour from dark gray (almost black) to light gray. It is also known to be the best tasting caviar in the world.

At this visit, I picked up a variety of sausages, Siberian pork and beef pierogies, boiled then pan-fried in olive oil, served with sour cream or mayo, pan-fried potatoes with mushrooms and dill, BBQ chicken legs, chicken schnitzel and bread pretzels dipped in German mustard. Must eat with full sour pickles!!! Oh, and I HaPpiLY discovered another cabbage roll other than my favourite Polish-kind that I like-- Golubtsy stuffed with mixed meat, veg and rice in tomato sauce.

Traditional Russian salami, Hungarian sausages and this beautiful mahogany cherrywood smoked pork sausage, perfectly served dipped in German medium-hot mustard.

On a previous occasion from Yummy's, as an inspiration for Sunday brunch, I picked up some Atlantic smoked salmon and gravlax, a sesame bread ring, a selection of sausages- three kinds: Ukrainian, Debrecyna BBQ and Goralska, pickled herring with onions, a jar of black mullet and herring caviar (it's no sturgeon caviar but...) served with sourdough rye crisp bread.

The pickled herring was nicely pickled, slightly creamy and tasted great with onions.

Loaded gravlax open-faced sesame seed bagel.

I heard Russian dark chocolate is really good and gave these two brands a try. I cracked open the Arok C brand with 56% cocoa- very smooth, medium chocolate richness but a tad too sweet. So many chocolate varieties and confections lining the shelves at the store. You must see the massive spread for yourself.

Expand your taste horizons by shopping at other cultural grocery stores and gain a new appreciation of foods from all around the world!  Oh and while you're at it-- dive deeper in the culture by listening to their music, watching films with subtitles, attending public community events and festivals, take a walk through their neighbourhoods or trying your hands in their arts and crafts... Happy exploring and discovery!

Girl's Day Out-- Painting popular Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls.

Relishing in Romanian Food...

Hai sa mancam! Let's Eat! Today it's all about Romanian food! Romania is an East European country nestled in the Balkan Peninsula, and a home to a few of my lovely friends. Their most important staple is corn, milled into fine meal used in polentas-- mamaliga and porridges, and potatoes is a close second. A long tradition of vegetable cookery ensues, particularly during Lent with widely grown beans, sweet peppers, tomatoes, squash, asparagus and eggplant. A love that is witnessed on the store shelves and ready-made counter at Toronto's ABC Euro Deli, opened in 1996 by the Milos family wanting to preserve the meal-time memories of home and using traditional hand-down recipes through generations. In their newly expanded location, they continue to specialize in European products extending their product lines and imports with a wide selection of cured meats, cold cuts, fresh meats, sausages, cheeses, pastries, dairy, grocery and hot table items. Funny, it took my friend Mihail living in the homeland itself, to point it out to me :D...

This friendly store located in Scarborough, east of downtown Toronto carries mainly Romanian products but also imports from Hungary, Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Germany, and many more.

Shelves full of pickled vegetables from different kinds of sauerkraut to beans, mushrooms and peppers. Other notables include vegetable spreads, conserves, jellies, jam, snacks, teas, liver pate and various canned foods. 

Lots of grilled red pepper relish often concocted with eggplants seasoned with chiles and garlic.

Pickled fish such as herring and caviar!

So many kinds of pierogies from cheese, to savoury to fruit sweet.  

East Europeans love their pickles!

Pickled whole green tomatoes-- interesting!

Layered cakes and treats seems to be their sweet thing! 

Milka chocolate assortment-- must have been the entire line of flavours.

Love it all, but this is the main attraction... what I really came for :D

Cured, smoked... so many, so little time. Of course I had to get some Romanian salami...

Love the ham pieces suspended in gelatin (animal collagen).

The hot table was my next go-to... Schnitzel and cabbage rolls-- I must have them all!

The beef goulash caught my eye! Filled with beef chunks, potato and dumplings (flour and milk), this was one traditional soup that was guaranteed to warm my family's heart and tummies tonight! Yum...

I made off with a hefty dose of goods that was sure to satisfy at my table. The ladies at the counter wasn't sure when I'll leave with my constant hop-skippity-jump back to ask questions and to order some more. Such lovely and patient service with a smile :D.

Dips, sausages, olives, soup, cabbage rolls and schnitzel.

This beef goulash was my favourite of all-- so hearty, flavourful and delightful (dreaming about those slightly yielding dumplings)... I must make this very, very soon. Did I say very soon?

I love cabbage rolls... these ones were filled with pork and vegetables, but they aren't my favourite. Maybe it was the slather of red pepper oil that didn't agree? I adore the Polish ones most bathed in a thin tomato sauce. My Romanian friend Mihail promised to share his version with us as a guest blogger real soon... I'm really looking forward to hearing what he does and finally try my hands on cabbage rolls- maybe change my mind on which cuisine reigns supreme?

Laying out the appetizers including my sublime avocado with red onions and lime for a bit of freshness, and some bread to sop up dip and soup. 

Bean stew and eggplant & mayo serve as side accompaniments or dips with bread.
Olives and pickles for a bit of slick and sour. Rolled Romanian salami (roll-back-of-head
deelish-- tender like ham and perfectly flavoured for easy eating), and chicken calbano
sausage (a bit bland for my taste). Beef goulash was out of this world!

Out comes the main event-- pork and chicken schnitzel and pork cabbage rolls. Served with some mayo.

A nice helping of Romania on the plate right there!

I've actually tried cooking Romanian dishes before. Or shall I say tested recipes? A global cuisine cookbook is coming out (and I'm in it!!) -- although it has been over two years in the making (bless my passionate Oregon friend Julie Cockburn doing this solo), latest I heard, it's going to print! Earlier then, nearing the final development stages, we were asked to test each other's recipes which involves noting anything that is unclear or confusing, errors, or ingredients that are a challenge to come by. I tested four recipes by fellow contributor and native Romanian Dana Burlacu Visternicu and the results were sensational! See my previous post for more on the cookbook and my results.

From Top Right Clockwise: Testing Dana's traditional Romanian recipes of Tocinei
(potato and cheese pancakes), Trout with Sour Cream and Dill served with Corn
and Potato Porridge. And to cap it off with something sweet-- Papanasi
(cheese donuts with sour cream and jam).

Join me in a few weeks to see my culinary and food advocate friend Mihail from Romania feature his cabbage rolls! 

Can't wait!