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!!

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
I am very proud to share my culinary "observer" perspective regarding @lecordonbleuottawa culinary workshops in the latest issue of @luxeottawamagazine ๐Ÿ˜Š
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Visiting my alma mater and watching the culinary workshop from a different lens reinforced the rationale as to why I pursued my culinary educationโ€ฆthe pleasure of savouring the fruits of your labour. ๐Ÿ˜‹
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It is this journey that ignited my passion for cooking, helped hone my skills, and introduced me to a world of flavours and techniques that continue to inspire me to this day. And perhaps it will inspire you as well!๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿณ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿณ
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Check out the article and the new culinary workshops being offered. Enjoy the adventure!!๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿค—
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#foodblogger #travelbloggers #foodlovers #foodgram #culinaryinstitute #workshop #lcb #lecordonbleu #lecordonbleuottawa #alwaysexploring #alwayslearning #published #luxemagazine #ifwtwa1 #tmac #tmactravel
Where's my rubber ducky ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ˜‰?! 
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A year ago this week, I was enjoying some bath time while in @discoverdominica ๐Ÿ–๐Ÿ๐Ÿ˜
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Dominica's lush scenery is extraordinary, and I'm grateful to have been invited to visit their beautiful island๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜Š
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Visiting Wotten Waven Sulphur Springs was perfect to relax and rid of some unwanted stress. And the outdoor bath surrounded by all that green landscape was simply the BEST! An unforgettable experience! ๐Ÿคฉ
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Dominica's adventure activities - diving, snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, swimming - are just some of the many ways to enjoy this tropical island.๐Ÿคฟ๐Ÿ™‚
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Put Dominica on your travel list. You'll love it!!โค๏ธโค๏ธ
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#foodblogger #travelgram #travelblogger #passportready #presstrip #discoverdominica #dominica #sulphursprings #lush #bubblebath #outdoorbath #newdestination #newexperiences #tmactravel #ifwtwa1 #thefoodteasetravel #tmac #tropical #zen #wottenwavenhotsprings
What goes better together than Champagne and lobster?! Nothing, except MORE Champagne...hence the magnum of Veuve!๐Ÿพ๐Ÿฅ‚๐Ÿฆž
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This is the definition of indulgence. ๐Ÿ˜‰
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Why wait for special occasions?! Enjoy what makes you happy whenever the mood strikes! 
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Carpe diem!!๐Ÿพ๐Ÿฅ‚๐Ÿ˜
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#foodblogger #foodlovers #travelbloggers #travelgram #champagne #champagnelover #lobsters #lobsterlover #carpediem #indulgence #anyoccasion #seizetheday #lobsterdinner #splurge #thefoodteasedrinks #thefoodteaseeats #bubbles #more #moreplease #specialoccasions #anyday

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