Having spent a sometimes ungodly amount of time with the food tweeps I follow, I have discovered two things.

Firstly, I am somewhat addicted to twitter, so have undertaken a twitter diet:

• Try to keep the tweeting below 15 tweets a night, promoting giveaways exempted of course
• Try to keep the non-food tweets to direct messages
• Try not to re-tweet non-food tweets
• One day a week diet hiatus, preferably a weekend

I verify tweet counts everyday via the rss feed twitter affords every user.

BTW, if you think this diet drastic, you should take a gander at what I would like to call an extreme twitter diet from Raena Jackson on Darren Rowse's twitip.com.

Secondly, some of the tweets from the food tweeps I adore, especially those with mad skills, are almost poetic. Take @verysmallanna for instance. Blogger, artist, and culinary student in the midst of the pastry stream, her passion for baking and desserts is extraordinary. Her ice creams have me looking to store fliers for my very own ice cream maker.

Last week, she waxed poetic about peaches:

@verysmallanna (Aug 24, 11:00 PM)
for all of the wonderful sweet contributions the world of pastry has made, none of them are better than a perfectly ripe peach.

And, I have to agree. There is only one time of the year that peaches are in season. During that time, there is no better fruit, stone or otherwise, to eat.

Ontario Peaches
In my locality, this time is August and the peaches I love most come from the Niagara region of Ontario.

My favorite: fist-size free stone white peaches (not pictured). They are just a little bit sweeter, but I'll settle for just about any variety, coming from Ontario, during this time of the year.

If you haven't had your fix yet, you'd best rush to your closest farmers' market. They go fast!

Ottawa's Farmer's Market at Lansdowne Park is Ottawa's only "all local producers" farmers' market. That is, there are no resellers permitted. Located on the grounds beside the Aberdeen Pavilion, it also happens to be one of our larger Farmer's Markets and opens to quite a crowd at least twice a week.

• Sundays (May 10- November 22: 8:00 pm-3:00pm)
• Saturdays (November 7, 14, and 12: 8:00 am-3:00pm)
• Thursdays (June 18-October 8: 1:00 pm-6:00 pm)

Best of all, besides selling great produce, dairy, and meats, the Farmer's Market also sells baked goods, crafts, sweets, and plants. It has a food court too.

That said, I would like to take the opportunity to point out that on the Ottawa Farmers' Market board of director sits Gerry Rochon, owner of one of my favourite local farms. He and his family happen to sell some of the best produce at three of Ottawa's major outdoor markets: Parkdale (resellers allowed), ByWard (resellers allowed), and Lansdowne. And, Rochon is always the first to market with an impossible assortment of produce every spring because they start several crops in multiple poly tunnels when there's still snow on the ground.

Here are pics from Jenn and I first visiting the market early June. Sadly, we live a bit too far away to make the trip too often. Instead, we rely on Savour Ottawa certified vendors at two other outdoor markets, Parkdale and Byward.

Upon arrival,

Sign from the parking lot
we immediately went to see a familiar face, Pascale Berthiaume and sampled some of her (then) new Goat Cheese Ice Cream

Goat Cheese Espresso Ice Cream
Slightly thicker and richer than her regular ice cream, it carried flavours extremely well. Unfortunately, my first sample fell to the ground before making it into my mouth. Seeing me almost in tears, Pascale gave me another.

Beside Pascale's freezer, which is co-located with the Piggy Market display, was Delice Royal, a "Fine Bakery"

Delice Royal
There, we samples some freshly baked apple raisin cake

Apple Raisin Cake
and purchased some vegetable spring rolls

Veg Spring Roll
Crispy and slightly oily, they didn't last long.

Cross Section

We then ventured into the food court, finding a potato stand, serving...well potato products...

Hot Potato Company

We stopped at the Bombay Garden for another deep fried confection.

Signage

Veg Samosas and Pakoras
We split a pakora.

One Pakora

Cross Section

More follows:

More after the jump...

After catching a Sunday afternoon matinee movie one weekend, none other than Star Trek, Jenn and I decided to hoof it down to Bank Street to catch a bus home. We needed to work off the popcorn and I promised several tweeps that I would visit Grace Ottawa that day. Having completed our chores we literally meandered our way through downtown Ottawa.

Site of the new Ottawa Congress Center
Because I don't spend as much time downtown as I used to, I was caught off guard when I saw the carnage that once was the Ottawa Congress Center. According to its website, a new and improved Ottawa Congress Center will open April 2011. First, the old one must be razed to the ground...



Progress as of May 31, 2009

Sparks Street Mall
At Sparks Street (repeat: meandering), we came across a reputedly healthy food purveyor, newly serving the downtown core, Toss it Up.

Wall Signage

Window Signage

Takeout or Delivery
According to its website, Toss it Up is the "Capital of fresh in the Capital", serving salads, soups, tortilla wraps, frozen yogurt, fresh coffee, and other "nutritious foods on the run."

Perhaps the best testament to this being a good eatery is its positive review on the Lord of the Wings blog. His lordship (JB) is Ottawa's foremost expert on wings and he hosts the best wing classification system I have ever come across. Regarding Toss it Up, he writes:

Over all, this was a great little lunch joint. They also do breakfast, but not supper...If you work down town, this is a great alternative for lunch to the deep fried and less healthy alternatives from the carts...It may not be chicken wings, but you'll live longer off of this grub

If Toss it Up can earn kudos from a wing expert and amateur barbecuer, I'm sold. I promise to visit soon.

Conversely, I'm not sure what to think of all-fruit maki sushi from the Sushi Shop. Having seen these things advertised on the sides of STO busses on the Quebec side, I had thought they were a regional specialty of Gatineau. Clearly, they're not.

All fruit maki sushi
It will take much convincing for me to try anything from a sushi shop that stuffs orange segments into a maki roll.

Grace Ottawa
Finally, Jenn and I made it to Grace Ottawa. There, we found a very neat ethnic grocery that sells a large variety of ethnic food products, including some fresh produce, a multitude of dried spices, bottled drinks, shelves of prepared sauces, a variety of oils, and frozen foods.

Following a tip from another tweep, I wandered upstairs to the "Hair Center." Tucked away in a corner, next to wigs, is a small collection of ethnic cookware and a pair of large stone mortars and pestles. Expecting a large assortment of lava rock tools, I was somewhat disappointed. Later, I was told that, at one time, the entire floor was dedicated to ethnic cookware. No more...

We also found no spruce tip beer, which is also reputedly sold at Grace Ottawa. Happily, as the sandwich board outside the store reads, the store still sells Jamaican patties, warm at $2.50/each.

Jamaican Pattie

Filling
Encased in a thick corn pastry, the filling was piping hot. It consisted of very finely ground meat, a spicey sauce, and a smattering of finely chopped greens.

The aforementioned sandwich board also brags that Grace Ottawa sells the "Best" Jamaican patties. With no kitchen that I could discern on site, I was skeptical. Then, when my better half purchased a Jamaican pattie for me, I noticed an empty cardboard box on the warmer. It matched that of frozen Jamaican patties in Grace Ottawa's frozen section. The patties are actually made in a factory in Markham, Ontario. Frozen, they sell for $7.99/12.

Even so, I would like to argue that there is still something to be said about being able to walk out of a store with a steaming hot Jamaican pattie on a serviette.

Also to be had in the frozen food section were goat meat, stew beef, and, as mentioned by people on Ottawa Foodies, black pomfret.

I love ethnic markets and am happy to know one exists in the downtown core. It will no doubt come in handy someday.

Particulars:
Toss It Up
208 Sparks Street
(613)216-2845

Grace Ottawa
219 Bank Street
(613)567-7730

Emily Chen of MChen Wers, a talented local graphic design artist, asked the following questions of her blog's readers to get to know her growing audience:
1. Who are you?
2. What turns your crank?
3. Can you suggest any Etsians and/or artists I should feature?
4. Introvert or extrovert?
5. Got any music to recommend?
6. Anything here you’d like to see less/more of?
7. Wanna share an inspiring link?
8. What are you most proud of at this very second?
9. Who would you thank first if you won an Oscar?
10. Chocolate or vanilla?
11. What’s your fallback karaoke tune?
12. Haiku: yes or no?
13. Who makes you laugh the loudest?

Here are my answers:
1. Your host is a foodie. During the day, I’m a mild mannered IT Professional.
2. Learning and writing about food: how it is made, how it is served, and how it is evolving.
3. Nope. You’re the only "etsian" I’m familiar with :)
4. I’m a bit of both. I love to get and hold peoples' attentions. However, I also like spend time to myself, cranking out ideas or reflecting on recent experiences for my food blog.
5. Love any and all music. Currently, re-acquainting myself with the Beatles.
6. Nope. Love the site. Love the blog. Love your work. Keep it up!
7. You don’t get more inspiring than Susan Murphy. In the food world, there’s @cookingstudent whose blog (Cooking School Confidential) chronicles a successful writer, training to become a chef.
8. I’m most proud of my better half and I getting the attention of a master chef when we attempted his tweeted recipe.
9. If I won an oscar, I’d thank Jenn, my better half, for having faith in me.
10. French Vanilla, made with high quality vanilla beans
11. 80s pop, but there’s a reason I never pick up a mike at karaoke…
12. Yes
13. Jenn and the very random expressions she says at the oddest times.

On May 19, 2009, Andrea Tomkins (aka: @missfish), published a blog in the "fishbowl", asking why Ottawa can't have the same variety of street foods as Toronto.

The day before, Toronto saw 4 of the 8 ethnic street food vendors in its "A la Carte" program open for business. The carts served foods beyond hot dogs and fries, including biryani with lassi and a souvlaki with salad in Nathan Philips Square

Here is my contribution:

I?m all for diverse street food. Any ep. on vendr.tv has me wondering why we can?t have the same variety and quality of food from mobile purveyors on our city?s streets.

But, has anyone else noticed the conspicuous absence of hot dog/sausage vendors from the ByWard Market? Something?s afoot!

I spent a half hour yesterday wandering the market, looking for a place to buy a hot dog. I ended up buying a pair from the ice cream shop beside the beaver tail place?

I?m wondering if the city has grown even more regressive and prevented any street food in areas where Ottawans regularly congregate?

Toronto really isn?t much better. Their demands on the ?A La Carte? program street vendors are extensive from mandatory purchase of city-designed carts ($32k-$40k) and expensive licenses ($15k/annum) to extremely restrictive food preparation rules (e.g. only pre-cooked food may be served). Their selection process lead to only 8 carts out of a possible 13 making it through what was described in the media as a bad parody of ?Hell?s Kitchen.? I?m not advocating ?laissez-faire?, only a little latitude?

That said, I?m not sure the city of Ottawa is willing to address diverse street food, when it may be making traditional street food less accessible...

For more information on the launch of Toronto's ethnic carts, including some reviews, feel free to peruse the following links from the media:

• Globe and Mail: Street vendor permit issues on Toronto streets.
• National Post: Point of view from Toronto Public Health, the municipal arm overseeing the "A La Carte" program
• Blog To: Review with pictures.
• Toronto Star: Review of Souvlaki and Biryani plates
• Toronto Sun: Overall coverage

I'm left wondering if local restaurants have been lobbying the municipality of Ottawa to prevent what they view as undue competition in their retail space. Personally, I think that preventing street vendors from selling their wares effectively strips Ottawa of food diversity when it comes our local restaurant scene. The restaurants that I frequent make and serve food that cannot be sold via a "cart." At the same time, there is food from a cart that should not be served by a restaurant. Surely the restaurant scene in Ottawa is mature enough to reflect such...