This is the second People's Choice Business Award in as many years for chefs Chantal and Marc.

"We are truly honoured to receive this award as it is chosen not by a panel of experts, but by the very people who frequent our store and support our efforts," said Chef Chantal as she stood at the podium in front of almost 200 people at the 2010 People's Choice Business Awards.

The trophy will take its rightful place alongside the earlier honour. In 2009, our first full year in business, we were fortunate to receive a People's Choice Business Award for Retail Business of the Year.

Thanks to all of you who voted, thanks to our wonderful staff including Anne and Matthieu, and a special thanks to our beautiful children, Julien and Maurissa, who not only allow us to work all these hours without complaint, but who also spend a lot of time at the store helping out. We are truly blessed.

Our food can actually be less costly than eating fast food.

As a customer, you already know that we make everything from scratch using only the finest and freshest ingredients we can find. And we get them locally, wherever possible. But did you know we also offer great value?

Quite apart from the convenience of eating fresh, nutritious food that has already been prepared, there is also the question of cost. Did you know you can feed a family of four a main dish plus a potato or rice dish and vegetables for $10-$12 per person. Try getting that at a restaurant!
 

Here's another way to put it in perspective... If you go to a fast-food restaurant for a hamburger, fries, a processed apple pie product and a soft drink, you can expect to pay more than $14.00. At Cuisine & Passion, you can have a sandwich, salad of your choice--there are four to choose from--a homemade dessert and a drink for around $12.00!

Great food AND save money!

Tomato knife
The very best kind of knife for slicing tomatoes has a serrated edge. But using those large bread knives can be cumbersome, even dangerous. This Oxo Professional 5-inch Serrated Utility/Tomato Knife is made of stainless steel and has a contoured handle that provides a soft, comfortable grip when slicing. These keep selling out so hurry in!

Measuring spoons
These dishwasher-safe measuring spoons have a sturdy, plastic construction and a non-slip, soft thumb spot for comfort. Bright, color-coded measurements. The set of six includes 1 tablespoon, 1/2 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon and 1/8 teaspoon.

Corn stripper

Kitchen aprons

Brighten up your kitchen with a durable twill cotton Mu Kitchen apron. Machine-washable, these aprons feature adjustable rings at the neck to ensure comfort and ties at the back for a secure, adjustable fit. What we like about these is that the slim cut helps keep the apron from snagging while moving around the kitchen.

Santoku and utility knives

Rotary grater

Grate your cheese--or chocolate or nuts--now and save some for later. This dishwasher-safe grater is easy to use and has a soft, comfortable handle. An additional cap on the barrel compartment ensures a complete seal so your cheese will not dry out. Grate with the cap on to collect cheese before serving, or remove the cap and grate directly into your dish. 

In Canada and most of the United States, "mire poix" is a trio of flavours produced by onions, carrots and celery. And it is the basis of just about every stock. In the southern US, particularly Louisiana, the carrots are replaced with bell peppers.

And it is this combination of flavours that is the beginning of what may well be the most famous of southern dishes: Jambalaya. Perfect on a cold winter's night. Bring on that southern comfort!

Ingredients
(Makes five cups)

1/4 cup canola oil           

1 cup red or yellow pepper, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup onion, diced

2 cups Uncle Ben's rice           

2 chicken breasts or thighs, diced in 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 chorizo sausage

25 shrimp, cleaned and cut in 1/2-inch cubes

3 tbsp Cuisine & Passion Creole Spice

4 cups chicken stock                      

1. In a large pot, sauté all vegetables in canola oil until they start to soften.
    
2. Add rice and mix well to ensure rice is coated with the oil.
    
3. Add chicken, chorizo, spices, shrimp and chicken stock. Cook on open flame to simmer for approximately 18 minutes.
    
4. When rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and cover for 15 minutes to let the rice absorb the rest of the liquid and flavours.
    
5. Enjoy!