A wholesome, quick, and meat-free version of the old Canadian lumberjack favourite . Homemade pea soup • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Here is a soup recipe inspired by a traditional, nourishing dish that sustained the first French Canadian settlers during the early years of colonisation. Today, this soup is most often served at sugar (maple) shack brunches, though many still enjoy preparing these old, comforting recipes at home. Made with yellow split peas, its

In apple-growing regions, the end of autumn means time to crack some craft ciders! Do we say apple cider or just cider? Depending on what...

Here’s a great way to save your unripened green tomatoes at the end of the season. Homemade sweet relish with green tomatoes from the garden © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Green tomatoes are the unripe fruit with many uses. All varieties are green before turning red, pink, yellow, orange, or black, but some heirlooms mature and keep the green colour. For this sweet relish, the unripe ones are the ones we need. They are firm, high in acidity and are best cooked, fried, pickled

Discover the rich, complex flavour of birch syrup in this woodland-inspired pork dish! Birch syrup marinated pork dish • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2019 Trees and forests have always inspired me, and learning to cook with ingredients gathered from the landscapes of both my native Canada and adoptive Australia has opened up many delicious new ideas. I first discovered birch syrup during a visit to Québec a few years ago. To my surprise, I had never tasted it while l

Elevate your party snack platter with these crunchy treats. Roasted pecans and macadamias with maple syrup and spices © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Here is a superb snack recipe that most people go “nuts” with when served as a nibble or as part of a party platter. But beware, these babies are so good they will call you for more…! The combination of pecan and macadamia has a lovely contrast in shape, colour and texture. Still, this recipe can also be made with other varietie

My story of a Québec traditional holiday meat pie, cooked on the barbecue in Australia. My family-style tourtière recipe, made in Australia • Photo © Bottle and Brush Studio 2022 What Québécois call a tourtière , or pâté à la viande , is simply a traditional meat pie , often prepared for holiday party buffets but available all year long in grocery shops. There are many recipes, and every family or region across Canada has its own specialty. The pie filling commonly consists o

An excellent way to preserve fresh culinary herbs, inspired by the Québec “Herbes Salées”. Freshly made Salted Preserved Herbs • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020 The term “herbes salées” (salted herbs) comes from the French province of Québec and is a traditional condiment for seasoning. My friend Geneviève-Amélie, born in the region that created and produces the classic blend of Herbes salées du Bas-du-Fleuve, introduced me to this method. Many herb varieties can b

Here is a simple way to prepare, cook and eat a fresh artichoke bud, straight from the garden. My heart beats for artichokes. I feel...

As a Canadian food enthusiast in Australia, I passionately blended influences from both cultures to create Snowy Foodie. Here is a little more about the unique project. Australian and Québec ingredients: a blended composition • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020 The province of Québec, where I’m from, and the High Country region of New South Wales, where I now live, are both featured throughout this blog. This project began during my first year as an expat. Initially

Inside the story of Québec’s pure maple syrup and its iconic illustrated tin. A can of pure maple syrup • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020 The maple leaf is the symbol of Canada, and the sweet syrup coming from the trees is a source of Canadian pride. Produced all over the eastern North American woodland regions, especially in Québec, maple syrup is the country’s most important native food ingredient. It is said that Indigenous peoples were the first to cultivate

Discover the pâté au saumon, a French Canadian-style pie made with simple pantry staples. Homemade salmon pie served with early spring garden salad • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2018 In Québec, salmon pies are sold in many grocery stores, but like traditional tourtières (meat pies), every family has its own recipe and way of making them. Since moving to Australia, I've learned to prepare this comforting dish from scratch whenever I'm craving a taste of home. Québec-

Québec corn season is the golden hour of summer and time for the “Épluchette de blé d’Inde”! Sweet corn stall at Marché Jean-Talon, Montréal, Québec • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2019 The “ épluchette de blé d’Inde ” is an old Québec tradition that basically means a corn husking party. Sweet corn season runs from mid-July to October, but August is the peak time to buy fresh cobs grown in abundance all over the province. With the husk still on , corn is sold by the

How I adapted a traditional Alpine cheese fondue using Australian cheeses, cool-climate wines and Snowy Mountains flavours. Alpine cheese fondue, homemade in the Snowys • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021 Even though the word fondue simply means "melted", cheese fondue is much more than melted cheese. Originating in the Swiss and French Alps, this mountain dish traditionally combines Alpine cheeses with white wine to create a rich, communal meal shared around the tab

An easy way to make this seasoning is to infuse salt with celery leaves in the oven. Fresh celery leaves blended in salt • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2018 When growing your own celery in the veggie patch, you will find that the dark green leaves are tastier than the blanched ones from the supermarkets. It can be used to flavour a dish and spread over a plate as a finishing herb like parsley. Just after moving to Australia, I felt like making an old classic Bloody C

Here is the juicy story of the Canadian version of the Bloody Mary cocktail and how to make it. Classic Bloody Caesar cocktail • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020 The Bloody Caesar cocktail resembles the American version, the Bloody Mary. Both have spiced ingredients mixed with vodka, but the main difference is the juice. The Bloody Mary is mixed with tomato juice, and the Bloody Caesar is made with “clamato” juice. What…? If you have never heard of it, this beverage

The story behind Québec's favourite communal fondue feast. Québec style "Fondue Chinoise" dinner • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio Whenever I mention fondue chinoise to Australians, I usually have to explain that despite its name, the Québec version contains no Asian ingredients at all. The dish is inspired by the communal Chinese hot pot and shares similarities with Swiss fondue traditions, but over time, it evolved into a distinctly Québecois feast. Alongside cheese

This question arises when moving from North America to Australia. Read on for the answer! Various homegrown pumpkins... or squash! • Photography © Bottle and Brush Studio 2022 In Australia, most winter squashes are called " pumpkins" . The word “squash” is generally reserved for the summer squashes , which are picked young with soft, tender and edible skin like the zucchinis and yellow buttons. Interestingly, the spaghetti squash remains relatively unknown or "out of fash