Team building. It's about improving morale. It's about bonding for the greater good. It's about improving the workplace. It's about the food!

What a great way to get a team working together! Split them into teams and have them prepare a gourmet meal--and have it look and taste great.

Our team-building events start with team members carefully studying Master Chef Marc Miron as he prepares the "test" meal. Then, without the recipe, participants are split into teams and asked to prepare exactly the same dish. You can imagine the hilarity!

Participants are judged on speed, presentation and cleanliness--and miss an instruction and you get demerit points!

Once completed and judged, everyone sits down to eat the products of their hard work. This two-hour session is just $50 per participant (plus HST) and includes coffee or tea. Want more? The event can be customized to include dessert, a cheese tasting ("Let's talk about cheese!") and quizzes that add to the fun. And, if you want to get down to business afterward, the space can be rented to accommodate your meeting.

Want to know more? Contact us by telephone at 613-845-1090 or drop us a line at chefmarc@cuisinepassion.ca. See you soon!

Enjoy some gluten-free gourmet popcorn at your next movie night

Spice up your dinners with a line of new spices from Paul Prudhomme, a chef renowned for his Cajun specialties. We carry three "magic" flavours including Poultry Magic, Blackened Steak Magic and Seafood Magic.

Looking to take movie night to a new level? Try our gluten-free Oogie's Gourmet Popcorn (without the gourmet price) in two flavours, Cracked Pepper and Asiago, and White Cheddar. And don't forget our Boylan brand soft drinks: Root Beer, Black Cherry and Cream Soda. If you want something a little more filling for movie night, try your favourite cheese on our new, gluten-free Sweet Potato Crackers.

We also have new products to help you change it up at dinnertime. Try our simmering and stir-fry sauces (Tom Yum, Tikka Masala and our favourite, Pad Thai) or three new flavours of quinoa (Roasted Garlic and Fine Herbs, Miso with Edamame and Scallions, and Sun-dried Tomato and Basil).

Next time you fire up the coals, make sure you have some Tomato Jam on hand

If you are a regular customer of Cuisine & Passion, you know that many of our house-made products--including many of our sauces and jams--can't be found anywhere else. This "unique-ness" also extends to how these products are used.

Here are a few suggestions. Enjoy!

Chili Jam

One of our most versatile products, Chili Jam, can be used with cheese--especially brie, blue or aged cheddar--or as a glaze on chicken breast. It's also a great addition to your vegetables or in a stir-fry. Another option? Serve it with pork tenderloin. Delicious!

Tomato Jam

Serve as a side dish with any grilled or roasted meat--our personal favourite is with lamb. Also, use it on your breakfast omelette or with any seafood.

Peanut Sauce

This is our authentic recipe from our five-year stay in Indonesia and is the perfect sauce for satay, summer rolls or Asian noodles.

We hope you enjoy these preparations. Look for suggestions for some of our other products next month.

Our grab-and-go sandwich lunches are perfect if you're in a hurry.

We take special care each week to present a showcase full of new and exciting dinner ideas you can simply take home, reheat and enjoy it as much as if you made it yourself--without the hassle. And now, we are making it even easier!

Starting next week, we are offering a combination plate that includes one main dish and two side dishes--all for just $12.99. Each day, we will be listing the special on our chalkboard. Come on in and check it out!

We are also now offering a selection of cold grab-and-go sandwiches (until now, our sandwiches have been grilled). Yet one more reason for you to drop by. We hope to see you soon!

BBQ Fridays are here!

It's TGIF--time to grab the charcoal and have ourselves a barbeque!

Every Friday for the rest of the summer (weather permitting), we are firing up the barbeque--real charcoal only, of course--to make your lunchtime really feel like summer.

Each week will feature a different protein so why not make it a habit. See you soon!

Chef Marc explains how to make Wild Mushroom Risotto

It was a full house at Cuisine & Passion last night as several local business people gathered to enjoy our food paired with wines produced by Domaine Perreault of Navan. All agreed the local vineyard was a jewel that more people needed to hear about.

It started with a beautifully smooth Marilys Rosé--the strawberry overtones were unmistakable--paired with grilled Vegetable Stacks with Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil.

 

Before the event was over, six wines had been sampled, along with dishes that included Salmon Tartlets; Duck Confit and Wild Mushroom Risotto; Grilled Shrimp with Peach and Prosciutto; and Demi-smoked Chicken Thigh Filled with Artichoke, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Bleu Cheese. At least four people posted their delight on Facebook during the event.

Thanks to all the folks down at Domaine Perreault for doing such a great job of making those grapes shine!  

These dishes were made from produce picked up at the Main Street Market this past weekend

Our regular customers have likely noticed that Chantal and I are taking Saturdays off this summer, confident that our kitchen and front-counter staff have things well in hand. That leaves us free to wander the local markets, getting ideas for great new dishes.

If you follow us on Twitter, you'll learn in real time what we are finding and how we are going to use the special ingredients--often local--when we get back to the shop.

Follow us on Twitter by visiting http://twitter.com/#%21/CPchefmarc  

Mediterranean Loaf

Whether you are trying to impress special guests or you just want something different--and very tasty!--our new savoury breads might be just the ticket.

With sun-dried tomatoes, our Mediterranean Loaf is a real treat, as is our new Spinach and Feta Loaf. Both would be just as good with meat and potatoes as with your morning omelette.

Drop in and pick some up!

If we had a nickel for every "Gluten-free" sticker we used...

Wander through the store and you will find them everywhere. They are on the labels of much of the food in our showcase but that's just the start. Most of our signature products--including our glazes, jams and sauces--are gluten-free, as are other, less-obvious products such as our gourmet popcorn, sweet potato crackers and our line of flavoured quinoas.

Stop in soon and have a great, gluten-free day!