Red tulips in front of a monument in ottawa.

The Ottawa Tulip Festival

By on May 12, 2013


So what is a foodie to do after celebrating Mother’s day with the family…go and seek out what Ottawa has to offer in terms of yummy treats during the beautiful Tulip festival. Now I must confess, I was completely full from the brunch that I had just consumed. But knowing how I am – all it takes is one good whiff of some delectable treat and miraculously the fullness disappears…or at least temporarily anyways.

City Hall ground’s are full of international food fares that one can try, be it from such countries like the Philippines, Columbia, Lebanon, Indonesia and Germany. Being that I was full I was looking for something lite but yet something that I had never tried or been exposed too…and with that I was seduced with the sweet looking tropical drink that Columbia had to offer. The Raspado, a myriad of tropical fruits consisting of passion fruit, bananas, strawberries, cherries, and oranges all cut up and placed in a cup that has a nice layer of shaved ice and generous portion of sugar cane syrup to sweeten the flavors (I was told that in Columbia there are three additional fruits added to the cocktail but unfortunately in Canada we don’t have access to them). Just when you think the drink is ready to be served, freshly squeezed lemon juice is poured over the fruits to bring out their natural flavors. At this point I was giddy just to try this tropical cocktail. I was told in Columbia the Raspado is served with rum and is very popular and I can see how this would be a very dangerous drink as it would go down rather smoothly…for me it would be a ‘kill me quick’ in the sun.

Right before serving, a drizzling of sweetened condensed milk covers the fruits. Yes, I said condensed milk. The sweetness of the sticky goodness marries well with the citrus acid from the fruits. The  Raspado, is served with either a fork or spoon (in my case both since i didn’t want to make a mess) and more importantly with a straw – a light refreshing snack of sorts. I couldn’t get enough of this drink, it truly is a fruit cocktail – both beautiful to look at and delicious to taste.

As I took in this treat watching people enjoy the vintage airplanes flying over us I had to go and thank the men at the Colombian stand for the great concoction that they created, and with that I was asked if I wanted more sticky goodness for my remaining drink…how could I refuse such a request?!

Raspado’s will definitely be part of my ‘summer diet’…but with some rum!

A multitude of fruits are embedded in the Raspado
Condensed milk being added to the fruits…yum yum!!
And voila…bounty of yumminess!!

Those who know me know I'm weak for tasty popcorn and @fromfarmtotablecanada
 spoiled me with theirs!! ๐Ÿฟ ๐Ÿ˜‹

Proudly Ontario-made and woman-owned, From Farm to Table Canada has debuted their limited-edition CNE Kettle Corn in collaboration with the Canadian National Exhibition @letsgototheex for the 2024 season.Their beautiful package illustrations captures the fun that we have, when at the CNE ๐ŸŽข.

It's the perfect blend of sweet and salty - my favourite!! ๐Ÿ˜

They are available in two sizes: Family Bag and Grab & Go. Sold online as well as in retail chains and many independent stores.

This must-have snack for the summer is available until Labour Day. 

Get yours today and enjoy!!๐Ÿฟ๐Ÿฟ
A couple of evenings ago, I had the pleasure and honour of being invited by my alma mater, @lecordonbleuottawa to witness Chef @antonyannick70 be awarded France's L'Ordre du mรฉrite agricole, the highest civilian honour from the embassy @franceaucanada ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

This distinction recognizes the contributions of Chef Yannick to promote French culture in Canada and Ottawa specifically - through his work as a chef and instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Ottawa. 

Special moments of the evening included Ambassador of France to Canada, Michel Miraillet sharing with guests the numerous accomplishments that Chef Yannick Anton has accomplished over the years. Simply remarkable!!๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘
A very touching and inspiring moment came when Chef Yannick Anton gave praise and gratitude to his mentors, who helped him attain his dream in the culinary industry. He also reminded the graduating class of chefs to always have a vision and to never let it go.๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿณ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿณ๐Ÿ˜

And it wouldn't be a celebration without some tasty treats that exude French flare! They even had chocolate graduation hats - very cute and apropo ๐ŸŽ“๐ŸŽ“

Bravo Chef!!๐Ÿ˜Š
Muy Caliente!!๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐ŸŒž๐ŸŒž

With the insanely hot weather, nothing is more refreshing than this tasty Brazilian lemonade with some @bacardi Gold
Rum for the win!!๐Ÿคฉ๐Ÿ˜‹

And let me tell you, a pitcher was made...as it's THAT delicious!!

At this rate, I will finally start to enjoy the summer heat...providing I have my 'special' lemonade!๐Ÿ˜‰

Cheers!

#foodblogger #travelblogger #cocktails #cocktailporn #brazilianlemonade #braziliandrink #summerdrinks #bacardi #rum #summerheat #summerheatwave #lemonadeforadults #thefoodteasedrinks #ifwtwa1 #tmac #enjoylife #enjoythemoment
After a long day, a rich and tasty avocado, egg and bacon salad was the way to go!!๐Ÿฅ‘๐Ÿฅš๐Ÿฅ“๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜‹

And the piรจce de rรฉsistance, triple-cream Brie with @artisinbakery baguette - the perfect match for such a meal. 

At this rate, indulgence should be my nickname ๐Ÿ˜‰

#foodblogger #foodporn #travelblogger #foodphotography #indulgence #longday #avocado #triplecream #baguette #frenchcuisine #enjoylife #luxelife #thefoodteaseeats #thefoodtease #ifwtwa1 #fwt #tmac
Sophistication, opulent decor, and beautiful luxury desserts - this is @delyseesottawa ๐Ÿฐ๐Ÿฎ
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Read The Food Tease column in the Spring/Summer issue of @luxeottawamagazine on how Delysees's Creative Director, Fred Naggar, successfully left awe-inspiring footprints in the fashion world to embark on a new adventure with his wife - the world of high-end desserts.๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿฐ๐Ÿ˜
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Sweets for the sweets... Enjoy!
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#foodblogger #foodporn #travelblogger #dessert #dessertsofinstagram #luxury #luxurydesserts #delysees #creativedirector #parisienne #frenchsweets #frenchdesserts #published #thefoodteaseeats #ifwtwa1 #travelmediaca #tmac
Happy Easter, everyone!!๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿฐ
Enjoying my family's Easter tradition of our colourful egg fight...I didn't win, but there's always next year ๐Ÿ˜‰
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#foodblogger #travelblogger #foodporn #easter #eastereggs #easterdecor #familytradition #annualtradition #europeanstyle #potofgold #familytime #thefoodteaseeats #thefoodteasetravel
Friday night, I had the privilege of attending the 2024 Canadian Culinary Championships - Mystery Wine Challenge - People's Choice Award๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‡@greatkitchenparty
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Congratulations to all the chefs involved in this intense competition. The chefs needed to create a dish to pair with the mystery wine. Each chef was given a tricky budget of $550 for the 250 guests. I was witnessing creativity at its best!!๐Ÿ˜‹
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The winning dish๐Ÿฅ‡ (centered in the middle of the photo) was created by JP Dublado: Red Deer Resort and Casino, Red Deer AB
Dish: beet & soy cured albacore tuna - ponzu gel - tomato water - puffed wild rice - beet green oil
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Amazing talent from all the chefs as they paired with the mystery wine (a 2021 Lailey Vineyard Zweigelt)๐Ÿท๐Ÿท
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#foodblogger ##foodgram #foodcompetition #travelblogger #CCC2024 #greatkitchenparty #peopleschoice #peopleschoiceawards #underpressure #foodandwine #underbudget #onbudget #culinarycompetition #thefoodteasedrinks #thefoodteaseeats #ifwtwa1 #tmac
Planning for your BIG wedding day๐Ÿ’ and looking for something different than the traditional bachelorette party? ๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰
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Then you need to read my solo Montreal getaway article featured in the latest issue of @ottawawedding magazine.
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Special thanks to @montreal for the beautiful experiences.
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Amongst the amazing activities:
โ— High Tea at the Ritz-Carlton ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿฅ‚
โ— Pampering at the Scandinave Spa ๐Ÿ’†๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธand at Le Germain Hotel 
โ— Visiting the beautiful light show at the Botanical Gardens โš˜๏ธโœจ๏ธ
โ— Culinary experiences at the Foxy restaurant and discovering local restaurants during a food tour๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ˜‹
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Solo getaway or with a friend or two, any reason to visit and experience Montrรฉal is a good one!! ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿค—
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With its countless cultural activities and experiences, one can easily enjoy this beautiful city! And let's not forget their food scene... that alone is reason enough to visit!!๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜‹
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I think it's time for you to discover, and for some, REDISCOVER Montreal! ๐Ÿคฉ๐Ÿคฉ
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#travelblogger #foodblogger #travelgram
#mtlmoments #mtl #mtlfoodies #published #presstrip #passportready
#alwaysexploring #travellikealocal #localbusiness #ifwtwa1 #tmactravel #thefoodteasetravel #exploremontreal #touristattractions #solo #solotravel

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