Getting ready for 2023's adventures

2022's preparations are almost over

What a year it has been! I’ve been preparing all of 2022 for the adventures that are coming in 2023. I’m not going to share them with you, but here’s a peak of what will come in 2023: graduation, internship, publishing, and butter.

2022 started off great and only got better, with a few hiccups in between. I finished saving for pastry school, I packed up and moved halfway across the world, actually got a French bank account, started pastry school, found an internship that I’m so excited to start, created a partnership, and made so many friends on the way!

While saving up for pastry school, one of my saving graces was baking with cocktails (in my hand). Tristan Bradock’s 315 Somerset St Cocktail Companion is one of my favourites behind the bar. Tristan is an Ottawa-area bartender, that created the cocktails at the restaurants at 315 Sommerset St, Union 613, The Speakeasy and Jabberwocky. These cocktails are really out of this world. Sometimes though, I like a simple and traditional cocktail, and for that, I turn to the International Bar Association’s Official Cocktail List, a codified listing of all the base cocktails worldwide.

Setting up a French bank account is no easy feat. You would think it is, because all residents in France, regardless of their nationality, are entitled to a bank account. But that doesn’t mean that the French care. You’re not French? Absolutely no way you’ll get an online bank account that is free because you need a National Identity Card, which you can only get if you are a French citizen. Then, when you go into a branch, a banker can just refuse to give you an account. Why? No particular reason - don’t have any income, not a French citizen, they just don’t want to - it is very stress-inducing. Luckily, I had my Wise card with me, and a huge list of places to visit.

Before I bore you with anecdotal stories of the past few months, I’ve curated a list of some of my favourite things from this year, so you can enjoy the same things I am, or enjoy the things I wish I had.

Until next time, Happy adventuring!

Ahmed

My Life-Savers

• Wise Card - Wise is an international bank account (yes, actual bank accounts in multiple different countries), a payment card, a money transfer service, and so much more! Wise has helped me so much during my first few days in France until I got a bank account. I still use Wise to transfer money between my Canadian bank and my French bank.

• VIA Rail Discount Tuesday - Being able to get away for a weekend at a time with a discounted price really helped me destress and get my mind off of things while enjoying cities around Ottawa.

Things I Miss

• Staub 5.25L Cocotte - The French oven, which is actually different from a Dutch oven (but everyone doesn’t know that), makes cooking so easy. I really miss having a heavy-bottomed pot that allows an even and consistent heat, and amazing bread.

• Chocolate Chip Cookies - the gooey and soft centre, sweet dough and bitter chocolate, lightly salty, I miss these North American wonders so much.

• My wood cutting board - Wood cutting boards have a bad rep. People say that they allow for bacterial growth and rot, but that is only if they are not taken care of properly. Wood is softer on the knife, allowing you to keep an edge longer and cut more vegetables. My knives are really hating me right now with a plastic cutting board.

Equipment that I Love

• Microplane Zester - When I got all of my equipment at school, I saw that they gave us a knockoff zester. After one use, I wanted to burn it. It cut through the zest (the outside coloured layer of a citrus) into the pith (the white bitter part of a citrus) giving the food a bitter aftertaste. The Microplane zesters are designed to only take the coloured zest, keeping your pastries tasting fresh, not bitter.

• Electronic Kitchen Scale - You’ve heard me say it once, and you’ll hear me say it thousands of times, it’s so much easier to clean up after and a thousand times more accurate than using measuring cups - just make the change!

• Miyabi 4000 FC 7” Santoku - This is my all-purpose knife. The Japanese equivalent of an all-purpose chef’s knife. The stainless steel does a great job at mimicking Damascus steel, keeping a sharp edge for a long time, but without the characteristic rust of Damascus steel. Santoku literally means three virtues - meat, vegetables, and fish - which really does perform to its name.

Books I’ve Loved Lots

• Jerusalem by Yottam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi - This book is one of my favourites. It has such great flavours and recipes. It gives the house a really homey scent when I’m making something from the book, and the recipes always turn out amazing.

• Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz - This book, written by a former Bon Appetit chef gone Youtuber is one of my favourite dessert cookbooks. The flavour combinations in some of the recipes are amazing and just so homey. Her rye honey loaf was my favourite, made with some honey from a former teacher's bee hives is just divine.

• World Travel by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever - This book really got me excited to travel Europe and France. It was a bit hard to read it after not interacting with any Bourdain publications for so long, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Laurie’s commentaries of memories of how Anthony would describe different foods or venues was just amazing.

Memorable Restaurants

• Ayla’s Social Kitchen really stood out to me. We went there for my dad’s birthday, and oh my god, was it amazing! Ayla’s is a Middle Eastern fusion restaurant that really blends together the best Middle Eastern flavours with the best North American and European flavours. Some notable flavours were halloumi fries and pomegranate braised leg of lamb.

• Cafe Saint-Henri was probably my favourite cafe in Montreal. The vibes are immaculate, with a very clean style and a polished finish. The select drinks are very refined, and with a small menu, it’s easy to do this.

• Lady Marmalade was an awesome find in Toronto. We were planning on going to another place in Toronto for pancakes, but quickly realised it was very far away. We decided to go to Lady Marmalade instead, and boy was it sooo good! Apple butter, marmalade, and assorted jams are all made in-house and amazing food - it’s really worth a brunch out.

• Café les deux gares was by far my favourite food in Paris. The menu is very refined and perfected with the right touches. All the food is perfectly cooked to order, and the flavours blended so well.

• Diploid is definitely my favourite brunch spot in Lyon. Brunch isn’t something you come across often in France, it's just not a French thing. Diploid does it well, it’s no Edgar, but it’s so good! Can never go wrong with the pancakes - the maple they use comes from Canada. It’s always a great time at Diploid.

• Ôjourd’hui is an amazing café/salon de thé (tea room) in Strasbourg. The pastry and decor are so refined and well thought out, you just can’t get any better than that in Strasbourg. Their brunch on Saturdays, while not a true brunch, is an amazing lunch spot!