From Boreal berries to bush tucker spices: cultivating a forest-inspired kitchen garden. My little Boreal forest "props" in pots • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio I have always been enchanted by forests, even when they frightened me. As a child and teenager, the woods were a playground. Later, as a young adult, my friends and I were “outdoor freaks,” camping and hiking in the mountains almost every weekend. From Québec to the western provinces, those adventures remain u

From molasses to golden syrup, here is my Aussie version of Canadian Bear Paws soft cookies! I wanted to make some “Pattes d’Ours” (bear...

Discover Québec sugaring season and all the sweet facts behind pure maple syrup! Rustic maple shack in Varennes • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2023 Produced throughout the eastern woodlands of North America, maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic native foods, exported worldwide. Indigenous peoples were the first to harvest the sweet sap of maple trees and later taught the process to early settlers. The region where I grew up, the Appalachian Mountains of Québec

This blueberry version of Pouding Chômeur is sure to brighten up a gloomy day! Blueberry pudding cake • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 A pudding cake is a simple recipe and only requires staple and affordable ingredients. The traditional Québéc dessert “ Pouding Chômeur ” (unemployed pudding) wears its name for that reason. There are many variants, like my Berry Picker Pudding Cake . This one is a bit lighter (with milk instead of cream) and cheaper (with brown s

From Québec woodlands to the High Country of Australia, these four berries carry familiar flavours and memories. Berry mix composition • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2013 In French, berries are known as "baies," but are sometimes referred to as "petits fruits" (little fruits) or "fruit des bois" (fruits of the woods). Berries grow naturally in the woodlands and include various species, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Wild or cultivat

A simple and classic holiday treat from Québec that never fails to bring joy and laughter! Pets de soeurs • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Okay... let's just start with the words "pets de soeurs". It means nuns' farts. Don't worry; they smell and taste pretty good! This is another funny French Canadian dish named with a vague origin. Most sources say that Québec and Acadian nuns used to prepare them with leftover pie dough. When the classic " tourtières " (meat p

Enjoy the rich pork belly taste with a perfect blend of festive and seasonal flavours. Pork belly is a very popular cut of fatty pork in...

Poached in boiled water and honey, sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds, here's the story about a Montreal-style bagel recipe adapted...

The story of a Québécoise bringing the “épluchette” tradition to her backyard in Oz. Homegrown bicolour sweet corn • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2022 In my previous article "Corn Épluchette" , I shared about the Québec traditional corn on the cob gatherings and the delicious bicolour variety we bought from farm road stalls at the end of the season . Cornfields are everywhere in Québec, especially where I lived as a teenager on the flat lands of Montréal’s South Sho

A variation of the humble Québec-style shepherd’s pie with freshly harvested vegetables. A shepherd's pie is an old and typical dish to...

A twisted version of a Bloody Mary cocktail with gin, bush spices and festive garden garnishes. A Bloody Mary cocktail is generally made...

A recipe with miniature eggs and buns, inspired by the Québec traditional "guédilles". A Québec-style guédille is a roll with a grilled...

Here’s what is special about Montreal bagels, their distinct taste, cooking process, and history. Having lived 15 years of my adult life...

Bringing the Canadian sugar shack tradition to Australia: a Snowy Foodie winter mission! Maple taffy on snow in Australia • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020 Yes, it is snowing in some regions of Australia in winter! In June, July and August, white flake days always bring great excitement to people here. I find it funny as I grew up in a Québec region “where snow was invented” (folks say). Sometimes we could not see anything from the window as the snow was piled up s

A taste of Canada and Australia in one little stewpot! What makes this braised meat stew unique to us is the fusion of flavours of both...

Québec’s unique traditional meat spread, an essential element for a Sugar Shack-style brunch! Pork cretons homemade in Australia with...

How I managed to recreate a cabane à sucre experience… far from Québec ! Homemade sugar shack feast in my Australian home • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2025 After a few years living abroad, I started to miss the food of the cabanes à sucre (sugar shacks), those generous, maple-filled meals that mark the arrival of spring during the maple syrup harvest in Québec and share a story about it on this blog. At first, this post was about a food photography challenge (and

When fresh cheese curds and black truffle once met in my little Aussie kitchen, this rare poutine, also called my “Mission Impossible”, was finally accomplished ! Homemade classic poutine topped with fresh grated truffle • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2018 Homemade truffle poutine … ho.my .god. I was lucky enough to improvise, photograph and taste this one. It happened on a sunny winter day during my first poutine photo session. Québec cheese curds are nearly imposs

More than fries, gravy and cheese, a poutine is a Québec cultural touchstone. Living abroad means moments of homesickness, and for most expatriated Canadians, especially those from Québec, this is the best remedy for homesickness! Not that it is impossible to make homemade poutine, but outside Québec’s dairy and cheese makers' zone, it can be surprisingly challenging. This probably sounds funny if you’ve never lived or travelled in La Belle Province *... but I will do my best

Best fresh on the day, these are a delicious treat available everywhere… in Québec! Cheese curds, which we call in French “ fromage en grain ” (or in slang, “ fromage en crottes ”), are unfinished cheddar curds made from fresh pasteurised milk. The moist, curdled milk pieces make a funny “squeak squeak” in the mouth, and that is why it is often called “squeaky cheese”. In the late 50s, dairy farmers created this product as a solution for selling their excess milk. Since then,