Category: Blog
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Ice Storm 2013
Canada is known for it’s cold snowy winters. This year we witnessed one of the worst ice storms in recent memory a few days before Christmas. As a result we were out of power for several days and had to move in with the parents. I took this photo on the first night of the […]
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Christmas Yule Logs and the Brown family Christmas Tree
As Pastry Chef for Mabel’s Bakery on Roncesvalles, I came up with two versions of the classic Christmas Yule Log. A chocolate log with hazelnut swiss buttercream and a vanilla log with raspberry compote, toasted almonds and vanilla swiss buttercream. Needless to say, they were a huge hit! Grandma’s cookie press and shortbread mould.
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Cranberry Almond Bûche de Noël
The chef’s work table. Making my Cranberry Almond Bûches de Noël for Mabel’s Bakery. December 2013.
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Dark Chocolate Bûche de Noël
I made many of these dark chocolate Bûches de Noël for Mabel’s Bakery’s Christmas 2013 season.
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‘Air Mail’ Gift Wrap
For Christmas 2013, I decided on an ‘Air Mail’ theme for all my gifts. This couldn’t have been easier or more fun. You will need: Brown wrapping paper (available in bulk at craft supply stores) Kitchen Twine Shipping Labels (available at office supply stores) Adhesive decorative postcards (available on line and on ebay)
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McDonald’s India
I know I can’t be the only one out there fascinated by McDonald’s changing menu around the world. I snapped some photos while on my trip. Here is the menu board of McDonald’s India as well as a pic of my meal. You’ll notice the lack of beef on offer. The paper bag had fried […]
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Happy Valley Tea Estate, Darjeeling, India
As a chef and the child of an Englishman, I am fascinated by tea. I drink several cups a day of ‘proper’ tea; black tea with milk and sugar. Darjeeling is of course famous the world over for tea production. The soil, altitude and climate are perfect for growing tea. So I booked a taxi […]
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Kunga Restaurant, Darjeeling, India
There is a large population of Tibetans in exile living in Darjeeling. The streets are plastered with slogans calling for an independent Gorkhaland. (They call themselves Gorkhas). Unlike the Indians at the base of the mountain, the Gorkha cuisine is light on vegetables and heavy on meat and starches. In the cold climate of the […]
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Darjeeling, India
I had wanted to go to Darjeeling forever. I had imagined a quaint colonial era town perched atop the Himalayas. I knew that any trip to India would have to include a visit to Darjeeling. This was a ‘non-negotiable’. Getting to Darjeeling was another matter altogether. First you fly in to Bagdogra airport, nestled in […]
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Durga Puja at Iskcon Temple, Bangalore, India
Arrived in Bangalore just in time for Durga Puja, the annual Hindu festival that celebrates the Hindu godess Durga. My friend Schonali organized for a taxi to take me to the Iskcon Temple in Bangalore: A Hare Krishna Temple perched on top of a hill. I had a wonderful time at this temple, taking in […]
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