Chef Marc Miron

Fall cooking classes are set to launch next week and what a line-up!

In September, we are offering a class in French cuisine that features warm lentil and duck salad, gratin dauphinois, steak au poivre and crème brûlée. Another class brings you a taste of Tuscany with Tuscany bread and tomato salad, pork tenderloin stuffed with figs and lemon fritters.

In October, take an Asian adventure with wonton soup, Cantonese lemon chicken and kue labu (Indonesian pumpkin custard). Or, attend our class on sauces where you'll learn all about "mother" sauces and be taught how to make veal and chicken stock as well as red wine sauce. Béchamel, mornay and hollandaise sauces will also be featured.

We are also continuing our wildly popular Lunch 'n Learn series on Tuesdays at noon.

Classes for wine lovers

Ever wished you knew more about how to pick the best wine to go with your meal? This fall, we are offering two wine-pairing classes to help you do just that. On September 30, we will feature wine and seafood pairings, while the October 28 class will focus on beef dishes. At each class, you'll be able to visit four stations where you can watch (and taste!) different dishes that will be cooked, served and paired with an appropriate wine.

Download the schedule and details here. Spaces are limited so we encourage you to book early. 

Call 613-845-1090 or send us an email at chefmarc@cuisinepassion.ca to book your spots NOW!

Thursdays it's international fare.

Introduced just last month, our new gourmet lunch-to-go seems to be catching on.

And no wonder. You get to feast on a beautiful house-made lunch plus a juice or bottled water for just 10 bucks.  

Healthy, fresh food prepared to go. Just the way you like it. And the only way we'll prepare it.

Here's the line-up: 

Graduates of our recent pasta class already know this--and a whole lot more--but here are a couple of tips to help you bring perfect pasta to the table.

To cook it, place the pasta in boiling water--about 10 parts water to one part pasta--until cooked but not too soft. You may have heard this called "al dente."

A popular myth has it that adding oil to the water will prevent your pasta from clumping or will keep it from boiling over. That's not the case. To prevent both clumping and boiling over, use lots of water, keep it at a rolling boil and stir the pot often.
 
Another myth is that rinsing the pasta under cold water will get rid of excess starch. In fact, all this will do is leave the pasta unable to bind to the sauce.  

Vancouver Canucks Head Coach, Alain Vigneault, dropped by the store before an event he attended that was catered by Cuisine & Passion.

This past month we've catered a number of events, most recently for a friend who turned the big 5-0.

Our mutual friend, Alain Vigneault, the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, was among the 40 people in attendance during the event on August 20.

While hockey may have dominated the conversation, the food dominated the night. We laid out a great assortment of dishes designed especially for the buffet-style presentation.

If you'd like information on how we can cater your next special event, contact us by telephone at 613-845-1090 or by email at chefmarc@cuisinepassion.ca. We look forward to hearing from you!  

The beautiful colour of the cabbage makes this dish as attractive as it is delicious.

In this recipe, we suggest using a "spice bag." Simply wrap a small piece of cheesecloth around the spices listed in the recipe and tie it off with string. Then, remove it from the dish before serving.   

Ingredients

3 cloves

1/2 stick cinnamon

4 sprigs of thyme

10 black peppercorns

Method

1. Sauté onion. When translucent, add cabbage and apple and cook for two minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients, cover in water and bake covered in the oven at 350F for about one hour or until cabbage is tender. 
3. Enjoy!