WinterBites Lunching at ZaZaZa Pizza with Pizazz

 

I've never dined at ZaZaZa Pizza before. Neither the east-end store at 143 Putnam nor at 915 Bank Street, just north of Lansdowne. Today was my day to lunch in the Glebe.

I have my 'want to try someday' resto list and it seems new places are springing up faster here in Ottawa than I can stroke them off. ZaZaZa is one of those destinations that has been lingering on this list since they opened.

Whatever one might think of the Ottawa Magazine's WinterBites food festival on now until January 26th, a primary premise of the offering is to have us consider dining out at a place we have never been to before. I dare say, we ended up at lunch today because of WinterBites. With 28 restaurants to choose from, location, hours and the desired experience quickly whittled our list down. I also want to put in a plug for having the three-course prix fixe menus available on-line. It made program participation a breeze.

The $20 WinterBites lunch option came with a small fresh salad, gourmet pizza and fresh gelato. They also had a $25 lunch for a bigger appetite than mine.

I fuss a lot over my lemonade.  I want it tart, lemony and with no extra frilly flavours. Usually I give this drink choice a pass, having had too many too sweet, too artificial and over-concocted attempts at 'refreshing'.  When our server described their house version, I took a chance on a good porch swing drink.  For $3.78 they certainly gave me lots of pucker. Thanks to ZaZaZa for the great start.

 

 
I chose the Feta Crunch Salad with tomato, cucumbers, peppers, red onions, Kalamata olives, Feta cheese with a lemon-lulu dressing.  BTW, I have no idea what a lemon-lulu dressing might be but it tasted fine, nonetheless. It is normally $5.69.

The vast selection of gourmet pizzas here can be mind-boggling. But the catchy titles draw you in and I knew that if I could pick any two that suited my tastes, our helpful server would be more than happy to break the tie. I wavered between the Crazy Horse and the French Kiss. Our server directed me to the former.  The Crazy Horse comes with pesto oil, spinach, mozzarella, mushrooms, chicken, caramelized onions, pine nuts and goat cheese. It normally sells for $16.97.

The pizza showed up unexpectedly fast. In this case, it turned out to be a good thing. I pushed my barely touched salad aside, declaring it a leftover for dinner tonight. I was anxious to dig into the pizza before it got cold. This is probably my only quibble of the meal, the pizza was not piping hot. My dining partner said the same of hers. It was our choice to push on as the pies were probably better off.  I opted for a drizzle of their chili oil and was glad that I did. My pesto oil was too mild to be noticed.  The even flavours of the spinach, chicken and mushrooms did well by the boost. Keeping dessert in mind, I left a few slices for home.

The fresh gelato was either raspberry or mango. 3 balls. Your choice. Normally $3.96.

When I saw 'fresh' on the menu, I had to ask if it was Ottawa local.  I know owner Ion Aimers had spoken well of Truffle Treasurers' founder, Lara Vaarré, who recently passed. The server said it was a commercial brand. Perhaps there is an opportunity to be considered. I have experienced some very respectable gelaterias in town.

So how did my WinterBites lunch wrap up?

One of my on-going dilemmas with programs like WinterBites is that a three-course prix fixe is not what I typically do.  Since I rarely order dessert, it takes away from the concept of 'saving' and 'deal'.

So here is the math on today's lunch.  On a regular day, those 3 courses would tally to $26.62.  A WinterBites savings of $6.62 and tax. I may have typically only ordered the salad and pizza for $22.66. With leftovers of salad and pie, it was still a big WinterBites winner.

ZAZAZA PIZZA
915 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
613.780.9292
Website: www.zazazapizza.com
Facebook: ZaZaZa Pizza With Pizazz
Twitter:  zazazapizza

Is CSA right for you? Season 4 with Roots and Shoots Farm Coming Up.

 

We have just received notice that it is time for returning clients to consider signing up for the next CSA season with Roots and Shoots Farm, located near Manotick Station, south of Ottawa.  So far, we have been participating in Community Supported Agriculture with this local, certified-organic farm for the 3 years they have been in production.

Will we be signing up for 2013? You bet. And here is why.

Robin Turner, Jess Weatherhead and their team are ambitious and customer focused. They constantly challenge themselves and their farm goals to produce the best product they can for us. It is a unique feeling to know your farmer and to feel a solid sense of trust.  It is something they strive for and do not take for granted.

Much care is taken to pick well and to store well so that produce comes to us with limited shelf time with them and longer shelf life for us. Produce is harvested the same day or the day before our pick-up. Vegetables sold at the large grocery chains just can't compete with that timing.

The price is reasonable for local organically grown produce.  As a CSA member, paying up front means that we receive a discount over market pricing.  As a returning CSA member, that savings is even greater. In our latest newsletter, Robin and Jess state that full shareholders received $605 worth of vegetables for an up-front payment of $530 for new CSA members. (We have just purchased half shares since we are a small household. This means we receive a basket every other week.)

Pick-up is convenient for us.  Although the farm is 25 kms from our home, our pick-up location in Westboro is just 1.5 kms away. There are a number of pick-up locations around the city, with a promise to return to Centretown.

There is a variety of produce throughout the July to October months and a pre-set basket invites us to explore new vegetables and varieties that we might not otherwise consider. (I have included pictures of all the baskets in 2012 at the bottom of the post.) Because we know the effort that was put in to provide for us, we feel a responsibility to use it wisely and to use it all. We actually find we have limited to no refrigerator 'rotter bin' waste. The long shelf life really helps with this too.

Communication is very good. Robin and Jess would like nothing better than to be outside 24/7 tending to the land. But they are very good at taking the time to send us a newsletter each week to let us know what is in our upcoming share.  This helps us in our meal planning and augmented shopping.  They also have been great to share recipes that they are finding work for them and are enjoyed by the crew.

We also have been told of new changes and improvements coming too.  The 2013 season will be 18 weeks long instead of 16.  They are implementing a system to allow for vacation time.  The farm will be offering more purchasing opportunity right at the farm and also on-line. And they are offering flower shares. Jess' new enterprise of beauty is really growing. 

The biggest plus that has us coming back - our produce each year has continued to improve in quality, with 2012 being notably tops.  This was due in part to Mother Nature's drought conditions throughout the summer that allowed the farm to strategically control their plentiful irrigation system.  Crop rotation and improved knowledge of the land, meant that crops were placed in fields that matched their soil requirements. Garlic is a good example of this.  Our garlic in 2012 was much improved over 2011.

Perhaps a CSA share just isn't for you.  It doesn't mean you will miss out. You can still enjoy buying their vegetables at the weekly local farmers' markets.  I would regularly trek over to see them at the Ottawa Farmers' Market at Brewer Park and in Westboro on the Byron linear park. They also attend other markets.

Here are a few pictures of our eye-catching vegetables from our CSA baskets in 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are our 8 CSA basket from 2012!

Our 1st CSA basket in Week 2 - July 5, 2012

Our 2nd CSA basket in Week 4 - July 19, 2012

Our 3rd CSA basket in Week 6 - August 2, 2012

Our 4th CSA basket in Week 8 - August 16, 2012

Our 5th CSA basket in Week 10 - August 30, 2012

Our 6th CSA basket in Week 12 - September 13, 2012

Our 7th CSA basket in Week 14 - September 27, 2012

Our 8th CSA basket in Week 16 - October 11, 2012 We gifted to a friend since we were away.  She said there were also a brunch of beets with the basket.

Roots and Shoots Farm Vision
"Our long term vision is to create a dynamic farming cooperative that allows new producers to initiate and practice sustainable farming methods, while helping  Ottawa to become food secure."

If you want to learn more about the farm, the contact information for Roots and Shoots Farm is:
ROBIN TURNER
robin@rootsandshootsfarm.com
www.rootsandshootsfarm.com
613.897.8975

Wonderful Belgian Waffles

As we approach the tail-end of the holidays, our supplies are running low in the fridge and the pantry. Still feeling festive, we wanted to make something special for breakfast. Thankfully the glamorous waffle is just a combination of the basics: flour, eggs, milk and butter.

This recipe comes from my mother. She did a year abroad in her early 20's, working in California at the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Yates. Collecting recipes from her stay there was her introduction to more Americanized dishes to add to her solid repertoire of Danish cuisine.

This morning I served my waffles with the last of my homemade Strawberry Freezer Sauce and a small drizzle of Canadian maple syrup. My super-sized pomegranate is still giving me beautiful hits of colour for garnish. (I hope it lasts to Epiphany!)

Are waffles ever a part of your breakfast mornings? How do you glam them up?


WONDERFUL BELGIAN WAFFLES
Yields: 16 waffles 

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons melted butter 

Method:
Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into bowl.

Separate eggs and whip egg whites until stiff.  Beat yolks in a separate bowl. Add the milk to the egg yolks and beat together.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, slowly beating until perfectly smooth. Add the melted butter and combine. Then fold in the egg whites.

Use the waffle maker as directed.

Notes:
My machine is the Philips Deluxe Wafflemaker HL5360. I cook my waffles for 5 to 6 minutes depending on if I am serving them right away or storing them in the freezer.

When I serve them right away, I like them to be a bit crispy. If I am freezing them, I want to allow for a bit of cooking when they are being warmed (and crisped) in the toaster.

My New Year's Eve Signature Canapé - A Soup Shooter

Many New Year's Eve celebrations for tomorrow evening will be home parties.  For the gatherings we go to or host, potlucking those tasty nibbles has worked well for providing variety and sharing the workload.

This year our party canapé is a Roasted Carrot and Tomato Soup Shooter. I like it because it looks festive and it is easy, easy, easy.  It suits my gluten-free friends and gives an option to meaty protein apps that are so abundant. I have soup stored in the freezer that I will reheat.  But the soup I did make was straightforward and is very flexible, depending on what you have on hand.

My shooter cups came from Ma Cuisine down in the Byward Market on Dalhousie. They labeled them as a Dipper/Sipper. I picked up a few extra before Christmas and at that time they had 36 in stock. They hold about 85 ml when full.  It is better to pour your soup into the cups, instead of ladling. Not only is is faster, it is less messy. Pour slowly though, as not to splash. Presentation is everything.

To decorate on top, I use plain yogurt, sun-dried tomatoes and sunflower shoots. All of it is prepared ahead of time so assembly is quick. Anything that helps to keep the soup hot.

For the yogurt, I want it to 'flow'. I put it in a squeeze bottle with a bit of cream and shake it together.  I find the squeeze bottle allows for greater control when decorating the soup cups and it makes the work speedy too. The yogurt should not be so thin that it 'runs' out of the squeeze bottle. Try a pattern - a star-shaped, an 'S', dots, ...

I picked up the sun-dried tomatoes at Il Negozio Nicastro Westboro at their deli counter. I brunoised them ahead of time. (Brunoise means to cut a very fine dice, technically 2 mm by 2 mm by 2 mm or less.)

For the sunflower shoots, I use the heads of the shoot for a 'bow-tie'. My favourite brand comes from Butterfly Sky Farms in Gatineau. I usually pick them up at the Herb & Spice Shop on Wellington. I de-stem the heads ahead of time and keep them in in the fridge until show time in a small sealed container with just a drop of water to keep them hydrated.

Are you planning a signature canapé for tomorrow evening? What are your preparation secrets?

Royal Treasure Restaurant - Our Destination for Hot and Sour Soup

For maybe 15 years now our regular haunt for Chinese food has been Royal Treasure Restaurant on Somerset. What draws us there each time is their hot and sour soup.  For us, it rates as the best around.

Many have claimed that Royal Treasure is one of the most authentic Chinese food restaurants in Ottawa. I am absolutely not an expert on Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine so won't be able to verify this claim.  What I do know is that we love the flavours and the variety of dishes. And when it comes to Szechuan, they deliver a nice bite.

We usually get to the Treasure each season. Oddly it is most consistently around this time of year when the days are darkly long and the weather too carries quite the bite. I make sure to dress warmly because the door to outside is constantly swinging with customers coming in for their orders.  We prefer to go with a crowd to enjoy a good selection of dishes. It is hard to cover the favourites with just the two of us.

Tonight we mustered up a gang of five. Although our dining buddies live right around the corner, they tend to frequent Jadeland or So Good Restaurant. It seems the Treasure satisfied though, as there was barely a grain of rice left behind. I find the dishes amply portioned and keep that in mind when ordering.

Prices have gone up since we were last there.  For most dishes it was by $1. Some dishes even more. There are new menus to pay for and a fresh coat of paint on the place.  Surprisingly, it wasn't as drafty and cold as I have come to expect. Perhaps there have been other changes going on too.  The place is small and it always feel like a gamble to get one of the bigger tables. Karma was on our side tonight.

The restaurant is fully licensed but we settled for the tea. It is family run and friendly. Although they move very efficiently and like to turn the tables quickly for this tiny place, we rarely have felt rushed.

The medium bowl of Hot and Sour Soup yielded 8 servings. It carries a good balance of tang and heat. It is full of bamboo shoots, tofu, mushrooms, egg and green onions. $12.95

Spring rolls come 2 to an order. They are quite large and well stuffed. $3 an order.

The General Tao Chicken is the darling son's favourite. Well sauced, not greasy and very crispy. $11.95

Yang Chow Fried Rice is full of shrimp. This dish had been well spooned by the time I had a chance to take a picture. We sometimes call it Royal Treasure Fried Rice. $9.75

The sizzling seafood delight comes with scallops, shrimp and squid. $15.95

Spicy Assorted Mixed Vegetables $10.25

As far as my fortune cookie went, I didn't warm to it. With the new year just days away, I was hoping for an optimistic proclamation of good things to come. That would have suited more than advice free from Dear Abby. Alas, none of my dining partners were willing to trade. When it came time to leave, we shared the bill with our friends.

Royal Treasure Restaurant
774 Somerset St. W.
Ottawa, Ontario
613.237.8827

Mon: Closed
Tues to Thurs: 11 am - 2 pm; 4 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri to Sun:  11 am - 2:30 pm; 4 pm - 9:30 pm