Gastronomy Adventures at SIAL

Easily recognizable Palais des Congres with its 322 multi-coloured glass panel façade.

Group photo in the registration line-up.

Patiently waiting for our badges.

Yes! We’re in!

First seminar on International and North American trends.

Everyone being very attentive save for me, as I try to send a clever tweet (something that doesn’t come as naturally to me as cooking).

One of the many cooking demos. Those are definitely croissants au beurre!

A little jam on a Brazilian pao de queijo.

We can Epicurize this recipe in a SIAL minute!

Choosing the smallest sample…many more to come.

A favourite Brazilian breakfast: pao de queijo made with tapioca flour thus gluten free!

Paleron topped with foie gras au torchon. Impossible to say no to even though it was early in the morning.

More tastings.

Oil tastings in this aisle, wine in the next.

Very delicate.

Sampling ice cream is a very serious matter.

Executive Director Christine George checking out the competition.

Definitely keeping a close nose on the competition!

More ice cream and sorbets.

At the Intercontinental Hotel Club Lounge where we enjoyed an aperitif before dinner. A lovely and vibrant group of Epicure Leaders. From left: Deborah Dillabough, Terra Larsen, Denise Thibodeau, Leah Edwards, Dana Kayal, Leanne Penny. First row: Christine George, Angela Skinner, Tina Christensen, Dana Nicholson, Sylvie Rochette (me), and Margaret Mandryk.

Restaurant in a charming Victorian mansion in the heart of old Montreal (1227, rue de la Montagne).

A note from Chef Jerome Ferrer (named Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year and Maître Cuisinier de France).

Amuse bouche: chèvre and Parmesan lace lollipop.

A playful way to serve charcuterie.

We really take photos of everything, including the butter on the plate!

Tagliatelle of calamari carbonara, poached quail egg, and lemon caviar.

Roasted root veggies, Jerusalem artichokes, hazelnut oil and maple vinegar emulsion

Hay chicken. Cornish hen cooked on a hay bed in a galangal-infused casserole.

Slowly braised veal cheeks in a citrus sauce, fondant potatoes and parsnip purée with a Parmesan cheese emulsion.

Deer, rack of venison, crispy galette of root veggies with juice of shadbush berries.

Cheese selection.

Before dessert, we were invited to visit the Europea kitchen.

The pantry.

With the Chef!

Assembling our desserts in the patisserie kitchen.

A close-up.

We loved these lollipops!

…And these, too. And the candy floss was divine…nothing like the fairground variety!

Lovely in any décor.

I'm giving out samples of au pied de cochon Montreal steak spice.

Ferreira façade with tiles and colours of Portugal.

Usually the restaurant accommodates parties up to 12; they were most gracious to fit all of us (15 with my brother and nephews who joined us for the evening).

The Portuguese learned their pottery craft from the Dutch. You can see the Delft influence.

Fleur de sel and roasted sardine filets.

Fried calamari, Portuguese-style.

Grilled calamari.

Roasted codfish.

A traditional vanilla tart with salted butter caramel ice cream.

Myself with Carlos Ferreira. What a great time!