Unusual Produce

While shopping in the Byward Market yesterday, I came across these unusual produce (see photos below). As always, I take photos of new ingredients that I come across, for my own records. I then try to read more about them, if I can.


These are Wood Blewitt mushrooms. I don't think I have ever seen these in Australia. They have a tinge of blue on them, and tastes (to me) a bit like a cross between a Shiitake and a King Oyster. Anyway, I am always keen to try different kinds of mushrooms.


These are Black Velvet Apricots. I thought they looked like plums, but when I tasted them, they reminded me of apricots. I like the flavour of these, and I think they would look stunning as a decoration in a dessert. (Note: these are actually apriums -- a cross between plumcot and apricot. A plumcot is a cross between a plum and apricot.)


These are Saturn Peaches. I thought they looked most unusual. These two were not very sweet.

Spring in Ottawa: Dicentra and Aquilegia

Here are two photos of pretty flowers I see in Ottawa:


These are the lovely pink, heart-shaped Dicentra flowers.


These are blue Aquilegias. They are so pretty... I would have tried to make these flowers for my sugar showpiece if I had had blue or purple colours to work with.

A Baby Cottontail Rabbit

I almost forgot to post these photos for my friends and relatives to enjoy.

These two photos are of the baby cottontail rabbit that comes into the Wilbrod House backyard regularly. It is such a cute little thing! :)


As you can see, this baby rabbit is not afraid of people, though it keeps its distance.



Of course, rabbits are such pests in Australia that in the state of Queensland, it is illegal to keep a pet rabbit. That's because feral rabbits (pet rabbits gone feral) can destroy the paddocks used for raising cattle and sheep, which means undesirable consequences for the primary industries.

(Aside: Click on the link to read about the rabbit problems in Australia.)

Watering Holes

You might be wondering about local watering holes favored by culinary students. Well, I have only been to a few with my friends, and they are all within walking distance of Wilbrod House.





The Urban Well is a pub that LCB Ottawa students often hang out in. It is on Laurier Avenue East, just a few blocks from the LCB Ottawa campus. The food here is quite affordable. A large plate of fries/chips costs about $4, and goes well with the beer (so I have heard). I like the ambience in this pub. The chairs/seats are comfortable, and the entertainment is not bad -- I have seen a live stand-up comedy show here.

Another watering hole favored by LCB Ottawa students is the Royal Oak (again, on Laurier Avenue East). Personally, I prefer the food (especially the fries/chips) served at the Royal Oak, though it is much pricier. (Aside: I am not much of a drinker, so when I go to a pub with friends, I am there for the company and ambience, and sometimes the food. I don't mind if it is more expensive, as long as the food is good.)





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Foundation is a more upmarket watering hole. It is a nightclub with really nice decor and pretty good service. Students often go to this nightclub for special occasions, e.g. for celebratory drinks after the graduation ceremony. They make a mean lychee martini here, I can tell you that. :)

National Gallery of Canada (on Victoria Day)

Today is Victoria Day, a public holiday in Canada, so we didn't have any classes. The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) opened its door free to the public for one day, just to celebrate International Museums Day, therefore some of my housemates and I took the opportunity to visit the NGC.

As soon as we entered the Gallery, the first exhibition my housemates and I headed for was the Scott McFarland: A Cultivated View exhibition. The beautiful photographs Scott McFarland produced were thought-provoking indeed. I liked how he got us thinking about how humans interact with nature (particularly in gardens and in landscapes). There was such a lot of detail in his photographs.

I really enjoyed visiting the Gallery. I spent the entire day there, and there was so much to see that I could only manage to see about half the artworks (I will return another day to see the rest).

I have to say the highlights for me would have to be the French impressionist paintings (particularly by Pissarro, Monet, Cézanne and Degas) and those by the 17th Century Dutch & Flemish painters (Rembrandt and Rubens, in particular). There's something special about the French impressionist paintings that really appeal to me. I'm not trained in Art, so I cannot put my finger on it, but I could stand in front of those paintings and gaze at them for ages... I just love them.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos of the artworks inside the Gallery, but we could take photos of the NGC building and architecture. Across from the NGC is Major's Hill Park, which had lots of gorgeous tulips and blossom trees. My housemates and I went to check out the festivities at the Park after lunch, before I went back to the Gallery alone to view more artworks (I always plan for an entire day in a museum or art gallery, simply because I know there is so much to see).

Here is a selection of photos I took today (click on photo for a larger image). As you can see, it was just a magnificent day.


The National Gallery of Canada (NGC)


The Spider (an artwork titled Maman) outside the NGC. Why a spider outside the Art Gallery? Apparently, one explanation I saw in the Gallery was that children have always been fascinated by insects (such as spiders)... Anyway, it was really eye-catching, even to adults.

In the next two photos, I wanted to capture the sense of space in the Gallery. I think the Canadians are so lucky to have such impressive architecture for their museums (e.g. Museum of Civilization and Canadian War Museum) and national gallery.






Here, you see some lovely tulips in Major's Hill Park, and in the background is the NGC.


More tulips ...


Tulips and blossom trees. Don't you just love the contrast in colours?


Isn't this lovely?


A close-up of the white blossoms, and a bumblebee (I think)


Fun for kids in Major's Hill Park

In the late afternoon, I was a little tired from walking around the Gallery, so I went downstairs to the Inuit Galleries and sat down to view the High-definition Inuit Storytelling, a series of videos about the Inuit culture and way of life. I found the videos about how the Inuits build their stone houses and igloos truly fascinating. Such resourcefulness for surviving in a harsh environment...




In short, an intellectually-stimulating day for me. I'm glad I had the chance to relax a little today. It is going to be a hectic week coming up for me. Demo classes on Tuesday and Friday. Practice with pulling sugar (and a practice run for the sugar showpiece) on Thursday and a written exam on Friday.

Mooney's Bay Park in Ottawa

Yesterday I didn't have any classes, and since it's the Victoria Day (18 May) long weekend, I spent the day catching up with a friend (who graduated from Superior Pastry last term). We met for lunch, then I tagged along while she did her errands, then we stopped by Mooney's Bay Park to enjoy some fresh air, and to take in the beautiful scenery. I took more photos of apple (or cherry?) blossoms:












I was told that this park is fondly known as "The Beach" to the locals, probably because there is a sandy area beside the river for people to sunbathe and play volleyball. I chuckled because it wasn't what I imagined a beach to be...

Here are photos of the Sydney beaches I used to visit, after work and on weekends (click on photo for a larger image):

World-famous Bondi Beach in Sydney


Coogee Beach, which was walking distance (15-20 minutes) from where I used to work


Maroubra Beach, which was not far from where I used to live

Spring in Ottawa: Lilac Bushes and Cherry/Apple Blossoms

I have been seeing these lovely flowering shrubs (see photos above) all over Ottawa lately (when I travel around town by bus), and I finally found out what they were yesterday. A friend of my housemate said they're lilac bushes. I've always heard of lilac flowers (and how pretty they are), but now I know what the bush actually looks like.


Here's a photo of a sprig of lilac flowers. They are really fragrant. Almost reminds me of Gardenias.

I have also been seeing lots of cherry and apple blossoms.



In the photo above, you see two apple (or cherry?) blossom trees on Charlotte Street (looking across the street from the end of the Wilbrod House driveway). Nice, aren't they? Reminds me of the Jacaranda trees we see in spring in Australia (which is around September/October).


A Jacaranda tree in full bloom in Queensland, Australia, October 2008 (photo courtesy of my sister)


Close-up of the flowers on a Jacaranda tree (again, photo courtesy of my sister)


Anyway, it is always lovely to see so many pretty flowers in spring.

Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa (Photos)

I went to the Canadian Tulip Festival at Commissioners Park (near Dows Lake) with my housemates and friends today. It was a beautiful spring day, and I was glad I had the opportunity to see all the lovely tulips in such magnificent weather. This tulip festival here in Ottawa actually reminds me of the Floriade in Canberra (capital city of Australia), which I visited some years ago.

I cannot help but think there are many similarities between Ottawa and Canberra... (but I shall leave this topic for a later date)


Spectacular view of the tulips in the park.


The following are a series of photos of tulips found in the park. Enjoy! (My favourite is called Elizabeth Arden. I think it has a lovely shade of colour.)















The next two photos show houses overlooking the park. The people who live here are so lucky to have the chance to enjoy such beautiful tulips every year.





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A busker playing his violin in the park.


A street performer entertaining the crowd in the park.


The Central Band of the Canadian Forces is seen here playing to an appreciative audience at Commissioners Park. Their repertoire today included On the Quarter Deck, Strike up the Band, Dam Busters, Vaughan Williams' Folk Songs from Somerset, Brazil, and so on. It was most entertaining!


Dows Lake, across from the park.


I just love the blue sky in this shot.