What did you get up to this weekend?
Did you cook anything? Bake anything?
I had the pleasure of enjoying some food that wasn’t cooked by me this weekend: I was honoured to be a judge in a local Iron Chef competition. As a part of my gig as a Taste of Nova Scotia blogger, I got to dig in to not one but two chef-prepared meals, comparing the two to determine a winner.
It’s hard to be really discerning when everything tastes like “oh my god, I’m so happy to be here!!!!”
Anyways. This competition took place at the Saltscapes Expo, which is a huge celebration of all things maritime, including FOOD.
So picture me. I’m wandering around with a paper bag full of goodies that I’ve bought at the various vendors, happily snapping pictures and taking notes for the blogs I am to write for Taste, when I see it.
Pure Infused Maple Syrup. Seeing flavours like lavender and chai, vanilla, cinnamon and star anise, I know I must have some. I was led through a tasting of five varieties of infused maple syrup, finishing with a chipotle lemongrass one that sent a kick of sweet and hot down the back of my tongue and screamed “marinate bacon in me!!!!”
I did the only thing a girl could do in my situation. I brought home a bottle of vanilla, cinnamon and star anise maple syrup and made some mid-afternoon pancakes.
Regular readers will note that while I rarely promote specific products on this blog, I am a huge supporter of local awesomeness: awesome chefs, awesome cafes, awesome food bloggers and now: awesome maple syrup.
If you want to taste it for yourself, you can buy it off of their website.
To my beloved readers: this blog post is not a paid endorsement. It’s just me absolutely lovin’ this product!
My absolute favorite product at the show! I took home the Maple Gastrique with maple syrup,ginger, and apple cider and have already used it to make a salad dressing and to roast vegetables with. PURE awesomeness!!
Amazing, eh Johanne? I was really impressed by this product. I am embarrassed to say how much of the bottle of vanilla/cinnamon/star anise I’ve already drunk…I mean poured over things….