Variations on Cooking

TOMATO POWDER - 20g, Concentrated tomato powder, Amazing and simple product, brings color and flavor to your dishes.

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Here is another of my Favorite place at the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal.  I have spoken with the owner every time I am there and she offers me a new experience/spice to try.  It is so worth exploring her website or visiting her store.

Here is their story;

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We were long partners, caterer, and chef, and we soon realized that it was difficult to recreate the dishes we had tasted during our travels without having access to good spices. It is for this reason that we began, now thirty years ago, to bring back as spoils suitcases full of spices. Little by little, we have built a network of small producers, merchants, and especially friends who, like us, enjoy the best spices in the world. What started as an adventure has now become our business.

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We consider that spices contribute to the quality of a dish as well as other ingredients and that they deserve so much attention. As for wine or tea, the quality of the spices varies according to the years and the provenance. We, therefore, seek, among the terroirs of the four corners of the world, the best possible wines. We offer whole spices since they retain their flavor and freshness, packaged in such a way that they deteriorate as little as possible.

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With us, high quality is the basic standard and our greatest pride is to be able to offer you the exceptional.

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Philippe and Ethné De Vienne

If you have not noticed yet there is a trend of things I obsess over, salt, spices, olive oils & vinegar.  This is one of my all-time favorites in Montreal. I go to the one in Jean-Talon Market, because I can get other things there too.  Here is their story;

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Founded in 2003 by two epicureans, curious and businesswomen - Claudia M. Pharand and Danièle Beauchamp - Olive & Olives works directly with producers to offer a genuine and authentic product.

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Philosophy

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It is by collaborating with these artisans of the earth that we succeed in giving extra virgin olive oil its proper place. All the oils you find here come from certified estates or cooperatives. These producers have all our admiration for their know-how, their loyalty, and the perfection of their art. We hope to share with you the knowledge they share with us to help you make a fair and informed choice

Saratoga Olive Oil Company is a family business owned and operated by Chad Braidwood, Barbara Braidwood, and Clint Braidwood. Our goal is to provide the consumer with the freshest Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the world.  At Saratoga Olive Oil 
Co., we follow the olive crush in the northern and southern hemispheres to provide the consumer with the most recently produced and healthiest oils available anywhere. Our motto is "The best olive oil is the freshest olive oil!"..

My go-to place for Mozzarella 

Casa Della Mozzarella: Zagat Rated As The Best Mozzarella In New York City For Over A Decade

My Favorite Olive Oils and they are grown in the USA, and the one I use the most is the Fresh Blood Orange Olive Oil - Great in Summer Salads

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"Orange" You in Love with this Olive Oil? Even purists fall head-over-heels in love with this special blend. We co-mill our premier extra virgin olive oil with fresh blood oranges (often described as an orange kissed by a raspberry). Your cakes, salads, and seafood await!

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Their premier California olive oil starts in the groves. From the second their trees are planted, they know that only the best care will produce the purest California olive oils. They take great measures to farm their family-owned groves sustainably by avoiding pesticides or weed abatement practices that could be harmful to the environment. The best California groves make the best California olive oil.

Here is their story

LEADER IN MAPLE PRODUCTS

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Decacer is built on the dreams and determination of the Levasseur family. The entrepreneurial spirit flowing through the family tree pushed them to offer only the best maple products on the market. They started their business determined to carve out a place of choice in the maple market with innovative products. Now, Decacer is a leader in maple products, processing by consistently supplying quality products to retail, export, and food markets.

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Always striving to do better, the Levasseur family regularly reinvests most of the profits. In 2015, more than 1 M$ was invested in the expansion of their facilities in order to increase production capacity. Featuring the latest in technology, including an innovative dehydration process, the production plant meets the highest industry standards. It is located in Degelis, in the lower St. Lawrence region, one of the world’s most productive maple syrup regions, while Decacer’s head office, sales, and exports are located in Levis, near Quebec City.

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Entrepreneurs and philanthropists | The Levasseur family gets behind numerous causes and brings incredible enthusiasm to help improve the quality of life in their community. Decacer proudly sponsors the fight against dropping out of school, the development of young local artists and athletes, the provision of palliative care, and the establishment of youth centers, to name a few. Some say it is philanthropy. To Decacer, it is simply a way to give back for a brighter future.

Another of my go-to items, perfect for so many dishes.

Aged for 12 years, this White Balsamic treat will cleanse your palate and add will add a wonderful tartness to your salads.

Character: Refreshing, mouth puckering goodness that is clean and crisp with a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness.

Use: Splash over fresh strawberries for breakfast, drizzle over salads with fresh or aged goat cheeses for lunch or heat with a little sugar and liberally coat baked Cod fillets or grilled Salmon for dinner.

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The Filling Station is devoted to sourcing the most incredible Balsamic Vinegar available from Modena... vinegar that imparts a beautifully balanced and delightfully mellow flavor, leaving your palate dazzled and your imagination running wild with ideas for your next dinner party.  Our dark vinegar, both traditional and infused, is aged a minimum of 12-18 years, and like our white and wine vinegar, contain only natural ingredients and no artificial flavorings or chemical enhancements.

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Chiquilin Smoked Paprika is the typical rich and complex Spanish pepper spice with smokey overtones and will release its unique flavor particularly well in paella, beef, and lamb dishes or on the grill and roasted vegetables. The Spaniards have developed a particular technique for producing their famous smoked paprika. Dried slowly over smoldering fires fed by local oak for an infusion of greatness, their peppers are steadily driven to their concentrated essence and are then stone-ground. The result: A much more complex, pronounced, and powerful aroma and flavor than other sun-dried varieties!

One of my favorite salts, I use it on meats all the time.

Character: This all-natural Pacific sea salt is slow-smoked for 24 hours over exotic Northwest Red Alderwood, which produces an authentic smoke flavor and contains no artificial coloring. A beautiful spice to add in your recipes, both on and off the grill. Fine-grain.

Use: Perfect for grilled meats and Salmon, sprinkled over avocado, or added to creamy pasta dishes.

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​The Filling Station is interested in elevating your culinary experience by offering an amazing selection of hand-harvested exotic salts from around the world. Every one of our salts is unrefined and all-natural, meaning no artificial additives, preservatives, or chemical enhancements. This versatile mineral will enhance both your sweet and savory dishes and will have you rethinking its role in your kitchen... leaving you open to further experimentation and longing to try yet another of our artisan salts.

I use this on so many dishes and mostly on Roasted Brussel Sprouts 

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Incorporating the rich flavor of maple syrup into a delightfully crunchy texture, our 100% pure maple sugar flakes inspire a plethora of new uses for maple. These crunchy little morsels simultaneously add sweetness and texture when used to garnish salads, cheeses, poultry, sweet potatoes, or desserts. Like maple sugar, maple flakes also work as a low-calorie sweetener in your favorite recipes. The versatility is endless. Maple flakes provide a modern, no-mess way to enjoying that traditional maple taste. 4 oz.