Peak Ottawa: An Obama Cookie at Le Moulin de Provence

Source: https://macleans.ca/

Ottawa is a city where you see politicians milling around downtown often. But one day in February 2009, a politician made his first official visit to the city and caused a commotion that you would expect when A-list celebrities appear on a Hollywood red carpet. U.S. President Barack Obama, fresh off his first inauguration the previous month, dazzled the City That Fun Forgot with his grace, charm, and overall coolness - I imagine this was what the buzz was like when JFK was elected or the Trudeamania Justin's dad experienced back in the sixties. The highlight of this visit was the impromptu visit to the ByWard Market, where the 44th president picked up some trinkets for his daughters and the obligatory Beavertail. He then went across the street to Le Moulin de Provence bakery, where he got two maple-leaf-shaped shortbread cookies. Soon everyone wanted one, and the bakery has been cranking out thousands of what is now known as the Obama Cookie ever since. In honour of the day Obama got his birth certificate, seek out the cookie that bears his name. It may remind you of your love for Canada and admiration for the 44th president.

Hot Dog Helper

If you're going to eat a hot dog, don't limit yourself to the usual ketchup, mustard, and relish.  Up your frankfurter game with these topping hacks that work whether you like your tube steaks boiled, grilled, pan-fried, or microwaved.

The Breakfast Dog

1 egg
shredded Cheddar cheese
salsa

1. Cook your hot dog any way you prefer. 
2. Scramble an egg.
3. Top the hot dog with the scrambled eggs, some cheese, and some salsa.

Tomato-Feta Dog

Tzatziki sauce
halved cherry tomatoes
cucumber slices
crumbled feta cheese
fresh dill

1. Cook your hot dog any way you prefer.
2. Place a hot dog in a bun and top it with the remaining ingredients.

BLT Dogs

15 grams mayonnaise
15 grams sour cream
2 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 green onion top, thinly sliced
dill pickles, diced
lettuce leaves, thinly sliced

1. Mix the tomato, bacon, pickles, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours to allow the flavours to blend.
2. Cook your hot dog any way you prefer then place a hot dog in a bun and top with the remaining ingredients.

Pineapple-Basil Barbeque Dog

barbeque sauce
fresh chopped pineapple
red onion, finely chopped
fresh basil, finely chopped

1. Cook your hot dog any way you prefer. 
2. Place a hot dog in a bun and top it with the remaining ingredients.

Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog

bacon
cooking oil (for frying)

1. Wrap a hot dog with a strip of bacon and secure everything with a toothpick. Place the hot dog in the refrigerator.
2. Heat the cooking oil in either a deep fryer or a large saucepan. When the oil reaches 175 ºC, place the 175C until the bacon is crispy and browned, about 2 to 5 minutes. 
3. Drain the hot dog on a paper towel-lined plate and serve hot dogs in toasted buns.

Exploding Bonbons for "Oppenheimer" Fans

Going to the movies this weekend? You're probably going to see either the movie about everyone's favorite fashion doll or the one about the development of the atomic bomb, "Oppenheimer". For the filming of the latter, it's been rumoured that the director, Christopher Nolan, detonated an actual atomic bomb on the set of this anticipated film due to his dislike of using CGI effects. Nolan has been coy about how he actually got the effects he wanted for the film, but with the recipe below, it is possible to make an exploding dessert of sorts to enjoy before or after seeing this movie, with no radioactive elements required.

Ingredients:

1 box vanilla cake mix, plus the ingredients called for on the box
1 package each of red, blue, purple and green Pop Rocks candy
475 g white chocolate chips
180 g vanilla icing
10 mL refined coconut oil
cooking spray, for pan
3 drops red or orange food colouring (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 177ºC and grease a 23-cm x 33-cm pan with cooking spray. 
2. Make the vanilla cake according to the directions on the box, pour the batter into the baking pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely.
3. Crumble the cake into a large bowl, making sure to break apart any large pieces. Add the icing and stir until everything is fully incorporated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place a wire cooling rack on the baking sheet. 
4. Roll the cake mixture into 20 small balls about the size of a ping-pong ball. Make a well in each cake ball with your thumb and transfer them to the wire rack. Pour the Pop Rocks into the wells and seal with more cake mixture, rolling one more time to make sure they are all round and sealed. Place the baking sheet in your freezer for 30 minutes, until bonbons are firm.
5. Combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between. Spoon the melted white chocolate over the chilled bonbons until all are coated.
   
   For those with the ability to draw:
   
   • Mix the food colouring into the remaining white chocolate and transfer everything to a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag, then cut off the tip to create a small hole. Now you can decorate each cake ball with either a mushroom cloud or a rendering of either Fat Man or Little Boy.
     
     
6. Place the bonbons in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving.

Poke - the Hawaiian Fisherman's Friend

Cooking in a hot kitchen when it's hot outside sucks. Even worse is standing in front of a hot grill when it's hot and muggy out, and the air quality is poor. On days like this, consider making a poke (pronounced “po-keh,”) bowl, a popular Hawaiian dish made from diced raw fish that can be served as either an appetizer or a main course. Created by fishermen who took leftover pieces of raw tuna or octopus and mixed it with a marinade of Hawaiian sea salt, seaweed, and roasted local nuts (among other ingredients), poke differs from ceviche because it doesn't use citrus juice as a marinade; this prevents the proteins of the fish from rearranging or denaturing as if heat were applied to them. The popularity of poke has exploded over the years, influenced by Japanese and other Asian cuisines, as well as mainland additions such as sauces like soy, teriyaki, and sriracha, and fresh items like avocado, pineapple, cucumber, edamame, and green onions. Added to a base of cooked rice, this light refreshing meal is perfect whenever the mercury rises.

Ingredients:

454 g sushi or sashimi-grade fish, cut into bite-size pieces (salmon and tuna are good choices)

• Avoid using frozen fish (the cold affects the texture of the fish)

60 mL low-sodium soy sauce
10 mL rice vinegar
10 mL sesame oil
5 g freshly grated ginger
5 g toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
cooked room temperature white or brown rice
edamame
shredded carrots
sliced avocado, cucumber, radish
chopped macadamia nuts (optional)
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, some of the green onions and sesame seeds, and the red pepper flakes if you choose to use them.
2. Add the chopped fish and toss to coat it with the marinade. Refrigerate everything for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
3. Add the rice to the bottom of four bowls. Top with the marinated fish and any of the toppings. Garnish with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds before serving. Offer both Keypie mayonnaise or sriracha sauce as a topping.

Poke tastes best if it's eaten the same day it is prepared. Refrigerated and stored in sealed containers, poke can keep for up to 2 days. If it starts to look slimy, don't eat it.

Make Dessert And Save Energy: Chocolate chai energy balls

When the weather outside starts to heat up, people start turning on their air conditioners in an effort to cool down. This usually leads to brownouts or blackouts across the province.  In an effort to conserve energy, the Ontario government is offering incentives to people with smart thermostats who are willing to reduce their air conditioning and energy use during peak hours. Those who enroll will see the temperature in their house adjusted by two to four degrees up to 10 times between June and September for up to three hours during peak periods for electricity. For those without smart thermostats (or skeptical about letting a Doug Ford-led government control the temperature in their home), another way to keep cool in the summer is to make foods that don't require you to turn on the oven. Sarah Jade of Tastes by Jade suggests her no-bake chocolate chai energy bites as a tasty way to beat the heat. Even if you're not much of a baker, making these should be no sweat. 

Ingredients

240 g oat flour or almond flour
113 g runny honey
72 g coconut oil, melted
30 g almond butter
25 g unsweetened fine coconut
25 g cocoa powder
9 g chai spice blend (or 5.5 g cinnamon, 2 g ground cardamom, 1.5 g ground ginger)
1/2 tsp salt
Coconut flakes, crush pistachios or cocoa powder to coat balls

1. Melt the coconut oil in a pot and whisk in the honey.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Form the mixture into balls and roll them in coconut flakes, crushed pistachios, or cocoa powder.

Treat Yo' Self on Yo' Birthday

This month marks the annual day my body has survived the Earth's rotation around the sun. I plan to celebrate this occasion by getting as much free food as possible. Using the world's most popular search engine, I checked how many places offer complimentary items on one's birthday or birthday month. Most places require you to sign up for an email list or download an app a couple of days before your birthday; start at least a month before the day you were born to get all that's coming to you. Below is a way to break down the offers available by type of meal - happy birthday to you.

AVOID AN UNNECESSARY HASSLE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY: BRING ID WITH YOUR D.O.B

BREAKFAST

• Kettleman’s Bagel - Downloading their app and joining their rewards club get you a dozen free bagels of your choice.
• Le Moulin De Provence KD (Metcalfe & Queen) - Get a freshly-baked pastry after proving it really is your birthday. Please note this offer is not valid at the Byward Market store for some reason. 
• Perkins - Three pancakes, two eggs made to order, and two pieces of bacon are a great way to start your birthday.
  
  Coffee fans probably already know Bridgehead and Starbucks offer a free birthday beverage if you sign up for their respective rewards programs. If not, make the most of those points that have been gathering dust on your profile.

LUNCH/DINNER

• Blue Cactus - With the purchase of another main course of equal or greater value, you can get a free entrée on your birthday. If you go during the month of your birthday, you can get a free dessert.
• Harvey's - They may make your hamburger a beautiful thing, but on your birthday, the best they can offer is free Frings (half French fries, half onion rings).
• South St. Burger - As a member of the Birthday Club, you can treat yourself and a friend to a birthday burger with their ‘buy one, get one free’ coupon. The best part of this deal is that it's valid on your birthday and for 14 days afterward.
• Tucker's Marketplace: Guess who's back...back again...Two years after closing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the former Mother Tucker's is back with its customary free birthday meal.
• The Works: A free burger with the purchase of any burger of equal or lesser value and a side is available to you. As someone who has been working his way through their menu, I would be doing myself a disservice by not suggesting you take advantage of their offer.

DESSERT

If you have a sweet tooth, you've hit the motherlode on your birthday. The following locales will satisfy that craving by comping your dessert with the purchase of a meal:

• The Bad Alibi
• Big Rig
• Flapjack’s Canadian Diner - They offer a birthday cake milkshake which is exactly what it sounds like, a piece of birthday cake blended into a milkshake.
• Host India
• Lone Star Texas Grill
• Mamma Teresa Ristorante (300 Somerset Street West) - BONUS: A song is also served with your dessert.
• Marble Slab Creamery
• Mia’s Indian Cuisine
• Pelican Fishery & Grill Restaurant

Cowboy Up Your Steak

You can tell who takes their grilling seriously by whether or not they barbeque year-round. For some people, a little snow and ice aren't enough to keep them from cooking meat over an open flame. Even if you're one of those people who prefer not grilling in subzero temperatures, you will want to have some cowboy butter on your next steak. Adding butter to steak adds richness and can soften a steak's charred exterior, making the meat more tender. Cowboy butter is great for grilled meats, perfect for chicken and fish, and can be stirred into rice or cooked pasta, or spread on crusty French bread or cornbread. So rustle up yourself some, little dogie.

Ingredients

85 g butter, melted (grass-fed butter if possible)
21 g parsley, fresh chopped
21 g chopped chives, fresh chopped
15 g Dijon mustard
12 g minced thyme
1.5 g crushed red pepper flakes
1.5 g teaspoon paprika
4 cloves garlic, minced
juice and zest of half a lemon
salt
black pepper, freshly ground if possible
cayenne pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Whisk the sauce to combine everything.
2. Stir in the parsley, chives, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and thyme, and season everything with salt and pepper. For a thicker butter sauce, add more mustard.

This recipe can also be made into a solid piece of cowboy butter by using a stick of softened butter instead of melting it:

1. Place the softened butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Whip the butter until it's fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix everything until it's completely combined, scraping the sides as needed.
2. Lay out a long piece of plastic wrap and scoop the butter mixture in a long strip down the middle of it. Carefully pull one side of the plastic wrap over the butter, squeezing it gently to form it into a log. Continue to roll the log of butter into a roll. When it's all rolled up, twist the ends (like a piece of candy) until they become very taut (this means the butter is pressing together inside the plastic to form a cohesive roll). 
3. Place the roll of butter into either the fridge or the freezer so it will harden.