Bonjour mon amis! Good morning my friends!
You may be wondering why my greeting is in French instead of Italian this week. Well, I’m going to explain why….
My son has been traveling to Montréal, Canada, for the past few years. He mentioned many times how he thought I would like it since it has a very European atmosphere.
This summer, I decided to visit. I had never been to Canada before. With Covid still an issue, I felt a vacation nearby would be a safer option.
So, my son, my youngest daughter and I set off to Montreal last week!
My first impression was how true my son’s observations were. The stores, the fashion, the slower pace of life, the cobblestone roads, all reminded me of Europe. Also, the people are very friendly and helpful (many a time, while looking at our map, a person would stop to help and point us in the right direction, with a smile on their face). And everyone speaks multiple languages!
Our hotel was in the center of town, making it possible for us to walk almost anywhere important. For the places we wanted to visit on the outskirts of the city, we used the Metro.
The Metro is Montreal’s subway system. I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the trains and the stations. Never at any point did we feel unsafe.
Some of the highlights of our trip are:
Visit to Old Montreal, where Notre Dame Church is located;
Visit to the Botanical Gardens;
Visit to the Biodome, which is an indoor conservatory with 5 ecosystems of plants and animals;
Visit to Little Italy and the famous outdoor market nearby (Marche' Jean-Talon);
Visit to the Museum of Fine Arts;
Attending an amazing Barbie Expo;
And climbing Mount Royal, which Montreal was named after.
Let me tell you that climbing Mount Royal is not for the faint of heart! In fact, there are hundreds of steps to climb (400+) to get to the top and there often are emergency calls to the area since it gets to be overwhelming for some people.
My son jogged the path every morning, not only to the entrance but also up the mountain. I decided to do it on my own one day and, of course, it had to be the hottest day of our week there. Oy!
I was drenched by the time I got to the top, but I did it!! This nonna does not give up! Lol
The view from the top was beautiful! The entire city is visible from that high point and it was definitely worth the effort.
All in all, it was a great trip. Every day we ate at a different restaurant, experiencing different cuisines. And, of course, we just had to do some shopping too.
Now that I’m back, I’ll be concentrating on some cookie making for an upcoming family party and answering requests for interviews. After the great news that I shared with you last week, I’ve been approached about doing interviews. They have to go through Hulu for approval first but I’m excited to share my journey.
Thank you for letting me share my week and a few pictures with you.
In honor of my trip, I will share a recipe my maternal nonna used to make on special occasions. It has a bit of French influence and I feel it’s appropriate for this week. It’s called “Pollo alla birra” or “Chicken in beer sauce”.
I hope you enjoy it. Don’t forget to let me know if you try any of my recipes. It delights me to hear how you like them!
Have a great week my friends and, as always, I’ll see you next week in my kitchen!
Bacioni, big kisses!
Nonna Antoinette
Pollo alla Birra
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cleaned and cut in 4 pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup flour
2 large carrots, cleaned and cut into chunks
1 large stalk celery, cleaned and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, cleaned and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 sprig rosemary
2 bottles beer, clear and crisp
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Pour olive oil in a shallow saucepan big enough to accommodate the chicken pieces in one layer.
Place the flour in a shallow bowl and coat each chicken piece well on all sides.
Heat the oil on a medium flame.
Add the chicken and allow it to brown on both sides while carefully moving it around so it doesn’t stick.
Remove chicken and set aside.
Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper to the pan.
Add a little more olive oil if needed. Sauté for 2 minutes or until vegetables are wilted.
Add chicken back to the pan.
Cover with beer and allow to come to a boil over medium heat.
When beer comes to a boil, lower heat to low and cover pan with lid.
Slow cook chicken for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
Liquid should be mostly evaporated but there should be still enough left for the sauce.
Remove chicken pieces carefully and place on broiler pan.
Allow for skin to broil for about 5 minutes or until light brown.
While chicken is broiling, quickly blend cooking liquid and vegetables (remove rosemary sprig) into a smooth sauce.
Place chicken on serving platter.
Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.
Tips:
Make sure to use a clear (light colored) beer. If you use any other type, you will end up with a bitter sauce.
Feel free to cut up the whole chicken in more than 4 pieces. Just adjust cooking time accordingly since smaller pieces cook faster.
The chicken is delicious just out of the pan. I prefer a little color for presentation reasons. That’s why I brown it under the broiler for a few minutes. You can skip this step if you wish.
You may sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the chicken before serving.
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