End of a chapter, a look back, and a new beginning/最後的一章、回顧、新的開始

It has been a year and a half since we started working on this blog. We had a great start but life has been up and down for me since. As I announced on Facebook recently, my beloved cat and our main character here, Soji, has been ill. This came suddenly and unexpectly, therefore, I have not been able to write as much as I'd like to.

Under some other difficult circumstances as well, we've decided to end this blog. Though it makes me sad to announce that this will be my last post here, I had a great time writing and sharing my thoughts, recipes, things, and places I love over the past year and a half (both here and on our Facebook page).

I know it hasn't been long, but I've learned a great deal and have grown a lot over this period of time. I want to thank everyone who has given their support and encouragement to 2 Sisters et 1 Cat. You enabled me to free a lot of my thoughts. Whenever I get responses from people I don't know, I'm always very moved and feel very grateful.

As I pass through this difficult path, I'm also finding that my creativity, style, and approach have been growing in a slightly different direction as well. It became very clear that I'd have to do something different. For those of you who would like to continue following my cooking as well as Soji's stories (plus more), this doesn't have to mean goodbye; I have begun a brand NEW BLOG called My chouchoux (click here)! I will be working with my dearest brother, a professional artist and food stylist who lives in Paris - a place where everyone dreams to live!! (By the way, he's also the designer of the 2 Sisters et 1 Cat logo!) We will be sharing even more interesting recipes, designs, health tips, and places! I hope you stick with me and please do come visit my new blog--it will be a new journey!

Vanilla-Peach Cupcakes/桃子香草杯子蛋糕

I apologize for not posting for such a long time. A lot has been happening in my life lately and it seems to continue to be that way. I'm not complaining. It has been a great summer, and I've done a lot of what I wanted and needed to do, but I just haven't been able to write and come up with many words. One thing that keeps me going is that I'm still able to function in the kitchen!

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Dolfin Chocolate/比利時黛芙巧克力

As much as I'm a foodie, I have to confess that I'm not a chocolate person. I know, I'm guilty. I live with a chocoholic and, naturally, I've tried many different kinds of chocolate bars, but I can't say there are many that wow me.


When we first came to Quebec, my hubby's biggest mission was to find good quality chocolate here. When we lived in NY, we could find a huge selection, including some organic and fair trade ones at Whole Foods, and most of them were very reasonably priced and good quality. Here, we found that the selection of chocolate isn't as good, and forget about the cost--it's usually at least $4-5 per bar (if you're looking for better quality ones). I don't mind paying more, but it has to be worth it!

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黛黛走跳 - 『2013 聶撼人心的武陵美』

位於Taiwan, 宜蘭和台中之間的武陵農場, 這一兩年因為滿地遍野的櫻花盛開到不行而瘋狂走紅, 大家一窩蜂的湧入此荒山野嶺的地方, 拍照留念.. (喀嚓喀嚓)

今年國光客運跟7-11 iBON聯合推出一個『武陵國光假期』,讓想帶著全家大小或跟曖昧對象一起到郊外走走踏青的捧油們, 有這個不必自己開車, 又能舒舒服服搭遊覽車上來安心玩就好的機會喔!!

所以, 黛黛也不落人後的, 搭遊覽車上去湊湊熱鬧惹...

(圖多, 請在小腿上綑綁鉛球直到無法順利的離開電腦桌把這篇看完 XD)

Chez Michel (神秘嘉賓Michel), 1

 

I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, and finally, I have the opportunity to introduce you to our first guest, Michel. Over the holidays in December, our friend Michel invited us to his place for dinner. This is the second year that he's invited us over for the holidays, and for that, we're very grateful! Being in a foreign country alone during the holiday season can be a little bit depressing, but he's always letting us know that we're not alone here.

Besides being such a kind and generous person, he is also an extremely talented musician, and one of the best cooks I've ever met! He's also a dear friend of mine. There are so many great things to say about him that I could go on and on... I do not know anyone who does not like Michel, and everyone wants to be invited over to his place, as well!

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Salade Lyonnaise (里昂風沙拉)

As you can see from the name of the dish, it takes its name from the city Lyon in France. The dish is usually composed with a kind of bitter green (traditionally frisée, though my friend Michel made it for me, he used chicory instead and it worked perfectly fine. See related post, Chez Michel, 1) , crispy bacon, croutons, poached eggs, and a warm vinaigrette. How delicious is that!

I added the pear myself; the traditional salade Lyonnaise does not have it. I like pears in salad and I thought they would go pretty well with it, but don't worry, you can leave them out if you wish. I know it's a bit more work than most salads, and poaching the egg is a bit tricky, but once you mastered it, you'll be glad you did, because you won't have to fly to Lyon to enjoy this special regional dish!

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Rösti (Potato Pancake/瑞士風馬鈴薯絲煎餅)

This is essentially a Swiss potato pancake; it's crispy on the outside and very similar to hash browns, and a little bit like Jewish latkas, as well. It makes a nice presentation and is still fairly easy to manage.  

I've tried different recipes and made it different ways before, but the way my friend Michel (see related post, Chez Michel, 1)made it--and how I like it--is to first cook the potatoes 75% done before shredding them. I know it adds one more step to the process, but the result is crispier! Also, if you have a cast iron pan, this would also certainly help the crispiness factor. If not, it can still turn out very well with a stainless steel pan. Enjoy the recipe and I wouldn't be surprised if you want to make this for your next Sunday brunch as well (...maybe with some poached eggs)!

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Swiss Chicken Cutlet (蘇梨士風雞肉與白酒磨菇)

  

This is a Swiss dish that is originally from the town of Zurich in Switzerland. It is typically served with rösti, which is a Swiss potato pancake.

Traditionally, it is made with veal, but I don't really eat veal and I happened to have some chicken, so I turned it into a chicken dish. My friend, who knew that I don't eat veal, used pork loin (See related post, Chez Michel, 1) and it works perfectly fine as well. In fact, I would say that pork is probably the next closest thing to veal. So feel free to swap the chicken to either pork or veal to suit your own taste.

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Apple-Jam Tart (蘋果與果醬塔)

The recipe is inspired by David Lebovitz's Easy Jam Tart , and as he mentioned, his recipe is originally adapted from a crostata recipe from the blog Wednesday Chef. Crostata is an Italian dessert tart in a pie form. The filling is traditionally made with cherry, apricot, peaches, or berry jam. David basically added some cornmeal to the dough (which I loved), instead of just using all-purpose flour, to make the dough crispy. Additionally, he changed how the dough is arranged on the top, which creates this really beautiful flowery pattern. (Genius idea!!) Here, I kept both of David's ideas and changed a lot of other things to make it even healthier, such as mixing in some whole wheat pastry flour, using much less butter and jam, and adding the apples and almonds...etc.

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Valentine's Day Breakfast: Poached Eggs (水波蛋)

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy eggs, and I'm about to share with you a quick way to impress someone on this Valentine's Day! Those of you who are easily intimidated by those two words - poached eggs, don't let yourself believe that you can only enjoy it in restaurants. You just need to know a few things before you start. 

  

  

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Nuit Blanche at The Old Port Market /魁北克老港市場

This past December 27th was the premiere of Nuit Blanche (All-nighter) in Quebec, a special night where stores were open late and activities were planned throughout the city. Coincidentally, it was also one of the biggest snow storms of the year. The event took place at the Marché du Vieux Port (Old Port Market), Place Royale and the Quartier Petit-Champlain. Due to the storm, we had to leave the car at home, so we decided to just take the bus to one location, which, of course, had to be one of my favorites: The Old Port Market! (or should I say, it's more like we choose to go there because it's indoors! XD)

Since we didn't go to the other two locations, I can't really say what they were like; I only know that there was supposed to be some ice sculptures shown, a DJ, some live performances, and late-night boutiques until 2h. At the market where we went, they featured a live gospel choir that sang until about 22h30. Besides that, it was also a great oppotunity to explore some boutiques and food vendors in the late hours (since the market usually closes at 17h).

Smoked duck (on the left) and deer truffle (on the right)

The minute we walked in, people came over to offer us some hors d'oeuvres right away. Since this event was free, we did not expect to get any delicate hors d'oeuvres like these. 

 

上圖從左到右為: 燻鴨肉、鹿肉

一入會場，馬上就有工作人員很友善的招待我們一些一口塞小點心，由於這個活動是免費的，我們壓根兒沒想到可以吃到這樣精緻的食物，對於蕭貪的我簡直樂翻天了！

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Holiday Party at Restaurant La Girolle

This is our second time attending the holiday party for my hubby's work. Last year, we had a nice time at a restaurant in Sillery, but that restaurant went out of business just a few months before, so this year they decided to have it at the restaurant La Girolle in Saint-Foy. As it turned out, it was also a very nice place. The food and service were both very decent, and it was BYOW (bring your own wine), which is great for a big party to cut costs!

The night we were there happened to be the biggest snow storm of the year, but nonetheless the restaurant was filled as we entered at 18h30! (And I'm not counting the people from our party at all!!!) They offer a pretty sophisticated and varied French cuisine menu, although people who don't eat a lot of meat may be left with not so many options. 

I can't really say much about the atmosphere of the restaurant, since we were sitting in a private room in the back the whole time. It was cozy but not roomy. Even though the restaurant is located in a less touristy area--and something tells me that it is also a little bit under the radar--it's worth it to give it a try if you're in the mood to taste some authentic French cuisine. We're certainly going back!

(Click "read more" below for more photos/閱讀中文請看續文)

Bittersweet Chocolate Bread (苦甜巧克力麵包)

 

 



I can't say I'm an expert when it comes to bread making, but at least there are a few that I know how to make pretty well, and this is one of them. I love the process of making bread. It takes a long time (as if it's testing your patience), but it's quite rewarding. You really get to see and feel the changes in the dough and appreciate the art of it. Not to mention when the bread is ready to come out of the oven, it makes your house smell like a professional bakery!

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Music Share 音樂分享: Girl's Generation & Evelyn Glennie

Stacey's Pick

由於是Music Share(音樂分享)首篇，馬虎不得，黛黛thumbs-up的祭出全南韓(或說全世界也不違過)紅翻天，來自韓國最大娛樂公司SM TOWN的女子天團 - Girl's Generation。中文團名為「少女時代」，韓文發音為「So Nyeo Shi Dae」所以又縮寫為SNSD。

  

 

Since this is our first Music Share post, this one will be more thorough. My thumbs-up to Girl's Generation (Korean pronunciation - "So Nyeo Shi Dae," aka SNSD), one of the hottest groups in South Korea--perhaps it's not too much to say in the whole world as well!