Montreal Love

This winter has been unexpected, to say the least. Everything from the weather to what I thought I'd be doing with my life, none of it could have been prescribed. No one guessed we'd have a mild winter; quite the contrary, scientists were expecting a harsh one. In addition, I never expected that I'd be leaving Montreal so soon. Even though I graduated last December, I had anticipated staying in Montreal until going to grad school next fall. But as quickly and often as the weather changes (especially in Montreal), so life plans do the same.

Yet, I did, in fact, anticipate this winter to be my last winter in Montreal. Little to my surprise, it's actually my last couple weeks here in Montreal -- at least for the time being. In two weeks I'll be moving to Paris for a three-month internship. I'm incredibly excited for this adventure, and you'd better believe I'm going to have a field-day with blog posts of all the amazing Parisian food I'll be eating. Yet, there's something achingly bittersweet about leaving behind the city I've come to love the most, my Montreal.

And even though I loathe winter and am quite happy that we've had an unseasonably and snow-less warm winter, I couldn't have been happier when last night's snow arrived. There's something magical about staying in when there's a snowstorm outside, watching fresh snow fall gingerly on the rooftops and tree branches outside.

Especially since I had made plans to make my boyfriend dinner that evening, nothing could be more romantic than just the two of us eating dinner at home, cozied around a candlelight table while the snow bucketed down outside.

So what did I make for dinner, you ask? To start, I made my mother's special thai-style spring rolls, filled with chicken, shrimp and vegetables. I also made skewers of steak and grilled vegetables (I thank God for having a George Forman grill -- simple grilling for when it's too cold to do the real thing outside). For dessert, I made a delicious lattice-top apple pie with McIntosh and Granny Smith apples.

(Side anecdote: You've gotta love the inconsistencies of Montreal weather. Yesterday it was snowing; the day before, it was beautiful, sunny, high of 5 degrees Celsius. Birds were chirping; spring was near. It was a perfect day to take a walk to Jean Talon market, where I picked up some apples to make this pie. Even though its February and the fruits and veggies aren't in season, there's still loads of great produce to be found at Jean Talon!)

Excuse the grease, but these spring rolls are oh-so-worth the extra calories from frying them. They make not look so pretty, but they're delicious on the inside!

Pre-George Foreman

Post-grilling. I marinated the steak in red wine and Montreal steak seasoning. Then I grilled them to perfection along with the peppers and onions. 

Mixed apples: McIntosh and Granny Smith

Apple pie is so easy! Just mix a couple spices and some sugar and then use your favourite pie-dough recipe (everyone has their go-to recipe, don't they?) for a delicious and simple dessert. In addition to cinnamon and nutmeg, I love adding a bit of Cointreau to give the flavour a little kick. 

We ate this baby right out of the oven. We ate it so fast that I didn't get a chance to snap a pic of the pie before it was half gone! Mind you, it was only two of us... But don't judge! It was just really good. 

For me, this low-key evening was the epitome of why I love Montreal: even though it may be miserable outside, you're guaranteed to find good company and good food inside. :)

Until next time, happy eating!

-Talia