Île d'Orléans, Charlevoix, Tadoussac

The views here are spectacular!

Absolute highlight so far - watching the whales surface repeatedly in the Bay in Tadoussac!

This region is rich with beautiful landscapes and kind, smiling people. We have discovered some very good regional products here so far, with the most intriguing being the Emu. Described a cross between goose and beef in taste, these large birds were brought in from Australia and are raised in St-Urbain in the Charlevoix region. I have to admit I am a bit surprised but excited to try a few recipe ideas with this new ingredient - who knew - Emu from Québec! We bought the Emu terrine and were guaranteed that this appetizer would be a surprising, resounding success: cracker, cream cheese, Emu terrine, pepper jelly (or jelly of your choice), top with a local strawberry, raspberry or blueberry.

Other local terroir products to try when we get home: from Île d'Orléan - Paillasson Cheese for barbecuing drizzled with a little local honey, strawberry and apple soup served with yogurt and homemade granola. From Cherlevoix - Migneron cheese mousse with pear tart.

Smile and thought of the day:

Comments

Summertime Chocolate Fondue

It's summertime and the fruit is amazing. Recently, when we were invited to a party and I asked if I could bring something, this idea came to mind. Actually, it was inspired by my husband who suggested we buy a wonderful chocolate fondue that we found in Switzerland (that is actually from France) to bring back as gifts for friends and family in Montreal. The fondue preparation itself is presented in clay jars that stay very warm once heated and work extremely well to keep the chocolate melted and at the right temperature. We bought two flavours: Dark Chocolate 70% cocoa with red pepper aroma (actually quite spicy and really good) and Dark Chocolate 70% cocoa with sea salt. Both were amazing and added a little twist to the traditional basic chocolate fondue. The jar needs to be heated on medium power in the microwave for two minutes at a time until the chocolate is the right temperature and consistency. Very easy.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Smoked Cream

Add a piece of crisp smoked bacon for texture and roasted seeds This is one of those great recipes that is easy and can be dressed up a bit for any occasion. The flavor of the soup is really good and the smoked cream adds a little subtle surprise in the mouth. We served this at a cocktail party in little shot glasses with a breadstick and it was quite a hit. Infusing milk and cream are quite popular in France. The principle is always the same in that the liquid is heated and left to cool with the ingredients it is being infused with.

Marinated Beef or Chicken Brochettes

Served with grilled vegetables, smoky grilled garlic bread and a glass of proseco. Summer ♥ I recently came back from a quick trip to Montreal to help my daughter move out of her residence after her first year at University. As her summer job, she has decided to go participate in a reforestation project in Northern Ontario, A & M Reforestation , which will involve a lot of demanding and hard work. She likes to challenge herself that way. Go Kat!

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