I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
Author: ajeanneinthekitchen
I have worked in the restaurant and catering industry for over 35 years. I attended 2 culinary schools in Southern California, and have a degree in culinary arts from the Southern California School of Culinary Arts, as well as a few other degrees in other areas. I love to cook and I love to feed people.
After our fantastic tour of Old Montreal, and walking all over the beautiful city, it was time to stop and enjoy some of the famous foods of Montreal. We stopped and ate at one of the many outside cafes. Between the four of us, we did our best to enjoy the four most famous foods of Montreal – poutine, maple syrup, smoked meat and bagels (though we tried the bagels later on).
Larry had the poutine with smoked meat.
I had a pizza, with smoked sausage.
And Maureen and Milos spilt a club sandwich, with gravy on the side for the fries. That’s another Canadian thing, like mayonnaise for fries.
We even had a couple of little visitors who offered to help with our scraps.
After lunch, we strolled around some more, and went into the shops. We did get to try the famous Montreal maple syrup too. It is very good.
And yes, we did get our bagels too. We were on a mission to find one of the famous bagel shops Stephanie had recommended, and we finally found one of them – Fairmount Bagels.
All they offer is a variety of bagels and spreads. Stephanie recommended we ask for whatever bagels were fresh out of the oven.
We loaded up with fresh bagels and enjoyed them back in our hotel, with another fun fame night. The bagels were our dinner that night. The bagels of Montreal are good, but we all decided we prefer the New York bagels. I guess it is all what you are used to.
Restez a l’ecoute. J’en aurai beaucoup plus a vous proposer bientot. Stay tuned. I have a lot more coming your way soon.
Passez une bonne journee et faites en sorte que chaque jour soit formidable. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
According to Montreal tourist websites, fall is the best time to go, so we unknowingly hit Montreal at the best time. The fall foliage was gorgeous and so vibrant, in all shades of reds, oranges, yellows and greens. The day started off grey and rainy, but the weather cleared up for our tour.
Montreal is a very large city full of contrasts. It is over 400 years old. The old buildings are so beautiful and very French. Here are some other fun facts about Montreal I bet you didn’t know.
Montreal is an island; one of about 400 along the St. Lawrence River.
Montreal has an underground city. The Underground City is a maze of tunnels and shops that covers more than 18 miles. We explored parts of the underground city as part of our tour.
With the highest number of tango dancers and dance halls on the continent, Montréal is the tango capital of North America.
We took a tour of Old Montreal. Our tour guide, Stephanie, was a lot of fun and very passionate about being a Montrealer. She took us all over the old parts of town, as well as some of the new parts of town. She was so knowledgeable. The old buildings and all the Quebecquois history were just fascinating.
One of our first stops was the Marche Bonsecours, inaugurated in 1847. It used to be the main market place for Montrealers. Today, it is still a market place, just of a different kind. Today it is home to boutique shops and restaurants.
This very old cathedral faces the St. Lawrence River, and was considered to be the church that protected the sailors. As expected it was gorgeous, both inside and out. The Catholic religion is still the dominant religion of Montreal and Quebec and there are lots of beautiful Catholic churches all around.
Mother Mary is overlooking the St. Lawrence river to protect all the sailors.
The cathedral was so ornate. I took tons of pictures, but I won’t show them all. I have way too many to share. I highly recommend making this a must-see stop though if you are ever in Montreal. I love all the old churches, basilicas and cathedrals. I love all their attention to detail.
General sights of Montreal.
The Olympic Torch and stadium.
As you would expect, being French, Montreal loves good food. There are lots of good restaurants all over the city.
The four foods Montreal is known for are:
Bagels. Montreal has a very large Jewish population, as well as a very large Catholic population, and the Montreal bagels are said to rival the New York bagels. They are boiled in honey water and are not as light and fluffy as the New York bagels, but are more dense.
Maple syrup. About 85% of all the world’s maple syrup comes from the Montreal area of Quebec.
Smoked meats, usually pastrami.
Poutine, or as Montrealers call it, fromage squish squish. Poutine is made with crispy fries, squeaky cheese or cheese curds and rich gravy. It can be topped with all kinds of other things too.
Stephanie made this unofficial flag of the Montreal foods. Between the four us of, we tried them all.
Our tour took us all around old Montreal. We walked up and down the hills and streets of Old Montreal and ended up walking at least 5-6 miles, taking in all the sights everywhere we went.
There has always been a sort of rivalry between the English and the French in Montreal, and has even been depicted in their art and structures. This is the old bank, established by the English.
Facing the old bank is a statue of a French woman holding her poodle, turning up her nose at the English, and “their love of money”.
Across the way, there is an old cathedral and a statue of an English man, holding his pug, turning up his nose at the “French cathedral and the French piety”. It is all done in good fun though, and these two thoughts have become iconic in the culture of Montreal.
The Montreal flag, the Canadian flag and the Quebec flag, all proudly flying high.
These buildings all used to be separate buildings, until they were joined to make one big, beautiful city within a city.
A piece of the Berlin Wall after it was torn down.
Inside the tunnels of the Underground City.
The tunnels led us to the entrance of the Convention Center, and the “Lipstick Garden”. A percentage of the annual budget is earmarked to supporting local and contemporary art all throughout the city.
The outside of the Convention Center, or Centre.
And of course, there is traditional art everywhere you go too. Just look at all this filigree and attention to detail. I LOVE it!!!!!
After our tour, we drove around through some of the suburbs of Montreal and were treated to gorgeous views of the city from a distance.
Beautiful potted flowers were everywhere we went.
Montreal is a BIG, beautiful city filled with a rich, living history. We just barely scratched the surface. There is so much to see and do.
Restez a l’ecoute. J’en aurai beaucoup plus a vous proposer bientot. Stay tuned. I have a lot more coming your way soon.
Passez une bonne journee et faites en sorte que chaque jour soit formidable. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
We weren’t expecting to find an Irish pub in Montreal, but that we did. We didn’t have much time to scout things out though, because the boys were on a time schedule, so we thought having pub food would be our best bet. We went to Pub McLean’s Public House.
Outside, it was French first. Inside, it was in English.
We were already learning that in Quebec, everything has to be both in French and English, and by law, the French has to come first and be in larger print than the English. Maureen and Milos are Canadian, but they live in Summerland, in B.C. In the English Provinces, it is the opposite.
When we first arrived, it was still early, and the pub was kind of quiet, but it was filling up quickly as we were leaving.
We enjoyed typical pub food in a typical pub setting. Maureen and Milos both had burgers, though Maureen had a smashed burger, which are different than ours. These smashed burgers 2 burgers smashed, with a filling of some sort between them.
Larry and I both had fish ‘n chips. It doesn’t get much more traditional pub-like than fish ‘n chips, right?! 🙂 It was a good, simple dinner.
My French is very rusty, but it was coming back to me all over Quebec. I tried to use it as much as I could, though everyone we encountered spoke English as well, but then we were in the cities. In the more rural areas of Quebec, everyone speaks mostly French, though English is taught in the schools.
Restez a l’ecoute. J’en aurai beaucoup plus a vous proposer bientot. Stay tuned. I have a lot more coming your way soon.
Passez une bonne journee et faites en sorte que chaque jour soit formidable. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
After leaving Boston and our hotel in New Hampshire, we had a long day of driving to make it to Montreal in time for Milos and Larry to go to a hockey game. We drove straight through Hew Hampshire and Vermont with just a few necessary stops in between. The drive was GORGEOUS! All the fall colors were on full display.
These are pictures from the car, while driving. They don’t do the fall colors justice though. I have a lot more pictures of the fall colors, coming later, that will really make you say WOW! The best colors were on the drive from Montreal to Quebec City.
The American-Quebec Border.
We had to stop for necessities, and this was the fireplace in the visitors center. We thought for sure we would see some moose on the loose, and we were on moose patrol all the way up, but NONE, not a one (not a real one at least) for the whole trip.
Boys will be boys, no matter their age. 🙂
We stayed at the Hotel Brossard, just outside of Montreal. It was like staying in a chateau.
Larry and I stayed in the Pirate room, with an adjoining Captain Jack Sparrow room.
Once we got checked into our hotel, we headed into Montreal for dinner and the hockey game for the boys.
Montreal is another BIG city filled with lots of contrasts. It is very similar to Boston. In fact, Canada, especially Quebec, and the United States have a lot of similarities and share a similar history, except Quebec is mostly influenced by the French. There are buildings and structures that are 400 years old right next to brand new, modern buildings. I like all the old buildings and structures so much more than I do the new ones. They have so much more personality and pizzazz. The new ones are boring in comparison, at least to me.
The four of us were only in Montreal long enough for dinner at this time. After dinner, Maureen and I left the boys in town, and we headed back to the hotel. It was raining and we didn’t feel like being in the city at night by ourselves in the rain. After the game, the boys took a bus back to where we were staying and Maureen and I picked them up at the nearby bus station. I will have lots more Quebecquois adventures later. 🙂
Restez a l’ecoute. J’en aurai beaucoup plus a vous proposer bientot. Stay tuned. I have a lot more coming your way soon.
Passez une bonne journee et faites en sorte que chaque jour soit formidable. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
Yesterday, I told you about 2 delicious restaurants we tried in Boston. Our first one was Union Oyster House for clam chowder and fish ‘n chips, fyi, john Kennedy’s favorite Boston restaurant too. Great Eats In the Great North – Part 1 – Union Oyster House, Boston Our 2nd one was in the North End of Boston, or “Little Italy” as it is also called. It was called Giacomos Risorante.
The North End is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, located along Boston Harbor. The North End became a center for Italian immigrants and their descendants, and today it is famous for its Italian food, cafes, and cultural heritage. Touring The Great North – Part 2 – Boston’s Freedom Trail.
Giacomos has been named one of the 20 best Italian restaurants in the United States. It is family owned and operated, as it has always been, and is a permanent fixture in The North End. Giacomos is owned and operated by Richard and Adriana Travaglione (who both run the North End location of Giacomo’s as well as the nearby Riccardo’s). Giacomos is a cash-only no-frills restaurant that serves hearty authentic traditional Italian cuisine, made like it was made in “the old country”. They pride themselves on utilizing premium ingredients to deliver the authentic flavors of Italy, serving everything in a warm, family friendly atmosphere. Family meals are about more than just eating; they’re moments to talk, laugh, and share experiences.
We sat upstairs, overlooking the street below, where we could watch all the passers-by. The food was amazing and just what we were hoping for.
We started out with wine, beer and delicious bread that could have easily been a meal all by itself.
Next came our entrees. !Delicioso! We all ordered something different. Since so many of our stops were around the coast, Larry and I enjoyed seafood at almost every stop. Giacomos was no different. I enjoyed pasta with seared scallops in a spicy red sauce.
Larry had calamari in red sauce that was both creamy and spicy.
Maureen ordered ravioli in a creamy tomato sauce.
Milos ordered shrimp with pesto sauce.
Everything was so good and we did our best to eat every last bite, though I admit I wasn’t able to finish everything on my plate. Maybe it was because I enjoyed too much bread beforehand. HMMMM! I’ll have to work on that. I confess. Good bread is a weakness of mine. 🙂 Needless to say, we were all very full and very satisfied, with NO room leftover for another bite, and NO dessert.
While we were finishing up our dinner, a singer came to entertain all the guests. He was a fun addition to an already great dinner.
Giacomos is located at 355 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02116. You can call them at (617) 523-9026 or just show up and hope for a table. Go early if you are a walk-in. They are open 7 days a week from 12:00-10:00 PM.
It was a good thing we had to walk a distance, up hill at that, back to our car after dinner. We all needed to walk off some of our dinner. (Hint, hint. We did A LOT of walking all over on this trip. We were averaging about 5 miles a day). By walking after dinner, we were able to take in even more of the Boston sights too. There are a lot of statues and tributes to people all over the city.
This was the end of our Boston portion of the trip. Once we got back to our hotel, we pulled out the games and had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. Next stop, Montreal.
Stay tuned. There is lots more coming your way. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, stay well, and keep exploring. There is a whole world out there to see and experience. ‘Til next time.
Even though we only had 1 full day in Boston, we dined at two famous locations; something we rarely do. Usually when we travel we only have one main meal for the day. But this day in Boston, we had two, and both were planned.
Our first stop was for lunch at Union Oyster House, the oldest continuous operating restaurant in North America.
Union Oyster House was like stepping into a Revolutionary museum. The walls were adorned with all kinds of history from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
An old pewter water fountain, probably made by Paul Revere himself.
Union Oyster House is very proud of its historical contributions. They even offer historical brochures to their guests.
President John F. Kennedy is a famous Bostoner. He loved dining at Union Oyster House and even has his own booth named after him. People were sitting in it while we there, so I could not take a picture of it.
Boston Harbor in 1742.
I could give you so many more pictures of Boston’s history just from Union Oyster House alone, but some things are better when experienced personally. Pictures don’t do justice to all of Boston’s history. Besides, the food was good too. We had to have some famous Boston clam chowder and fish ‘n chips while in Boston, and this is the place to get it.
I know I took pictures of us in the restaurant, but alas, they are somewhere in hiding at the moment and can’t be found. Oh well. You will just have to take my word for it that we were there and thoroughly enjoyed our first official meal in Boston.
Stay tuned. I have lots more coming your way. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
We only had a couple of days per stop along our trip, with only had one full day in Boston, which was more than enough for me. I DO NOT like big cities one bit. That being said though, I thoroughly enjoyed our Freedom TrailTour of Boston. There is so much history about how we became who we are and how we became the United States. The Freedom Trail Tour took us all through the heart of the city. There are historical landmarks everywhere you go. Boston is known as being the birthplace of the American Revolution.
Driving into Boston from our hotel, Larry gave us all a little driving tour of the city he once called home when he was there for College. He went to Boston University, or BU as it is commonly known. Boston is a city of contrasts, filled with old and new. I love all the attention to detail in all the older buildings and architecture. It is also interesting to see old, historical buildings nestled in between all the modern buildings and skyscrapers that have been built around them.
Boston was established in 1630 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Boston is home to the oldest public library in the U.S. and the oldest park in the country, Boston Common.
A tribute to Samuel Adams, and NOT just for his beer. We learned so much on our tour. It was very informative and very interesting. Our tour guide was fantastic. One interesting little tidbit we learned was that this is NOT actually a model of Samuel Adams, like so many other statues are not actually truly representative of who they are supposed to represent. Apparently people like tall people, and Samuel Adams was a very short rotund man. The model for this Samuel Adams statue was a tall, fit man, and NOT Samuel Adams himself.
Our very patriotic and knowledgeable tour guide. He was very passionate and takes his job as a historical tour guide very seriously.
There are over 10,000 patriotic colonials buried in this very old cemetery, all though there are only about 200 or so actual headstones. This is very sacred and hallowed ground for America.
This is really where Samuel Adams is buried and rightfully honored.
On these steps, Paul Revere garnered support for America and her freedom.
Paul Revere’s actual house. Paul Revere is most famous for his midnight ride in 1775 to warn colonial militia of the impending British advance before the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which started the American Revolutionary War. Beyond his ride, he was a prominent silversmith, a skilled engraver whose work served as anti-British propaganda, and a successful industrialist after the war who pioneered copper and iron production. On April 18, 1775, Revere rode to warn American patriots, including John Hancock and Samuel Adams, that British troops were marching to seize military supplies. His ride was part of an alert system, famously involving lanterns hung in the Old North Church, to signal the British route of approach. This urgent warning allowed the colonial militia to prepare, giving them a crucial advantage in the subsequent Battles of Lexington and Concord.
History adorns every street, from all angles, all throughout the old city of Boston.
Snippets of modern day Boston intertwined with historical Boston.
Duck boats are all over coastal towns. They are amphibians that travel by both land and sea. Most of them are from WWII and are still functioning as tour vehicles.
If you like the hustle and bustle of big cities, then you will love Boston. If you are a history buff, then Boston is definitely a place you need to go. I HATE big cities, but I loved all the history in Boston. History is at every turn, around every corner. And for me, the historical aspects were well worth a trip to the Hub, or Beantown, famous nicknames Boston also goes by.
Stay tuned, and bring out the popcorn. We’re just getting started. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
I have finally finished editing ALL my pictures and caught up with all my bazillion emails. Now I can start sharing all our fun and fabulous experiences with you.
We flew in and out of Boston, where we met up with our friends Maureen and Milos. Larry and I landed first, with about a 3 to 4 hour gap between flights, so we picked up the rental car and drove around the Boston shores a bit before going back to the airport to pick up Maureen and Milos.
The Boston coastline is beautiful. And the weather was perfect.
We couldn’t go to far or do to much, because we had to go back to the airport, but what we saw was beautiful. After picking up Maureen and Milos, we went back to the rental car company to get them added to the car as drivers. That was another long line, that we had already experienced earlier, and it took awhile once again. But once everything was settled, we drove around some more and saw a few different things, so Maureen and Milos could see some of Boston too. We even saw a wedding taking place at the Yacht Club.
We were staying just across the New Hampshire border, but we wanted to avoid the Boston traffic in the dark, so we headed towards our hotel, thinking we would find a place to eat once we got close to our hotel. You’d think on a Saturday, at only 8:00 PM, that everything would be hoppin’. That’s certainly what we thought, but NO! We tried 3 or 4 different restaurants, that were all closed, before finally just settling on stopping at a Chipotle. Maybe all the restaurants saw 4 tired and hungry tourists coming in and closed up as soon as they saw us coming. 🙂 Maureen and Milos had never been to a Chipotle before, but a made-to-order fast food chain wasn’t in our plans. Oh well, that was the start to our adventures. Many more adventures were yet to come. Travel days are ALWAYS trying and confusing, no matter where you are headed.
Stay tuned. I am just getting started. 🙂 We saw and did so much. I have LOTS to share.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
Phew!!!!!! I am finally all caught up. I love going on vacations, but I always have SO much to do when I get back. But now that I am all caught up, I can get back to my normal routine.
Yesterday, I mentioned I was contributing a recipe or two for my friend Sandy Axlerod’s Colorado cookbook. I just submitted a Colorado classic – Green Chili Time for Green Chili and I will do my best to come up with a few more typical Colorado gems as well.
Green Chili is a Southwestern classic, and there are many different versions. But I think Colorado, and mine in particular (of course I’m biased), is some of the best. I load mine up with lots of pork, as well as all kinds of other fresh and good ingredients. I also like it a little on the thicker side too, to make it heartier and more like a meal. We eat it on its own, or over rice, or we add it to our breakfast burritos, and many other great dishes as well. Larry likes to top his fries with green chili and then loads it with lots of cheese too.
Colorado green chili is a thick, savory pork stew made with fire-roasted green chiles, which gives it a distinctive smoky and rich flavor. It is a point of culinary pride in Colorado, particularly in the city of Pueblo, and is a staple in many local restaurants and homes. Unlike a thin sauce, the Colorado version is a thick, spoonable stew, often made with chunks of pork shoulder. The primary ingredient is roasted green chiles, such as the Pueblo chile (which includes the Mosco variety) or Hatch chiles from neighboring New Mexico. The chiles are roasted until their skin is blackened, then peeled, chopped, and added to the stew. The roasting process adds a signature smoky flavor, while the chiles themselves provide a significant, but not overwhelming, amount of heat. Colorado green chili can be enjoyed on its own as a soup or used as a “smothering” sauce for other dishes. It is a popular topping for burritos, breakfast burritos, eggs, and fries.
What is the difference or differences between Colorado green chili and New Mexico green chili? This is a “heated” debate. One of the main differences between the two competing versions is the types of chilies that are used. We Coloradans think ours has kicked up the heat a bit, and we like it like that! Hatch chilies may be more widely known, but roughly 500 miles north of the Hatch Valley and 100 miles south of Denver, Pueblo, Colorado, grows another, hotter type of pepper. Colorado Pueblo chilies clock in between 5,000 and 20,000 Scoville Heat Units on the famed Scoville scale. This is far spicier than Hatch chilies, which generally lie between 500 and 3,000 SHU (only a third as hot as a jalapeño pepper). Smoky, earthy, and rich, Hatch chilies are more about their distinctive taste than their heat. We like it HOT! Another major difference is the thickness. Colorado green chili is thicker than the New Mexico version. In Colorado, our weather is usually colder, so thicker stews keep us warmer.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
This is the last of my Chef Jeff Podcast series, with more words of wisdom, to help with life both in and out of the kitchen. Once again, Chef Jeff and I are asking a favor from all of you. He is trying to grow his podcast and would like you all to leave a review and 5 stars on anyone of his platforms after listening or watching. We all like to help out our friends, and see them grow and become successful. 🙂
Chef Jeff’s words of wisdom:
We all know the phrase: “When life gives you lemons…”
But in kitchens — and in business — it’s not always lemons. Sometimes it’s a bag of onions. Sometimes it’s a delivery that didn’t show up, a menu that flopped, or a day that just didn’t go your way.
It’s easy to write those moments off. But every challenge is still raw material — something you can work with.
That’s what creators do. Not just chefs. Not just writers. Anyone building something real.
You take what shows up — and you turn it into something worth sharing.
That mindset shift? It changes everything. Not just how you cook. But how you lead. How you build. How you keep going.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 