Mandy DeGeit's Blog

Looking forward instead of behind.

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 07:19:56 -0800

I see a lot of people talking about posting blog posts about their 2015 year. While I had an amazing 2015, I don’t think I could write anything that would explain how perfectmy 2015 was. Between ourwedding, mynear death, mygraduation and our purchasing the farm, that alone would have taken up a multitude of pages on the world-wide inter webs and there’s no way I could begin to have done that year justice.

Instead, I’ve decided to post about what’s to come in Mandy da Costa’s life�� Yeah, I’ve...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on January, 17

I Do�� The Wedding Cake �� Layer #1

Fri, 03 Jul 2015 14:17:25 -0700

I’m getting married�� In exactly 29 days. I’m not sure when I decided to bake my own wedding cake, but I know it was a good idea at the time. With the deadline quickly approaching, maybe I don’t exactly feel the same now. I’ll get it done, I have to, and it will be amazing. I hope it looks amazing when I’m done. I could always blame the “cake place��, had I not already told everyone that I was going to make my own cake, but it’s far too late for that.

This is actually the second, first layer. I...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on March, 02

Happy Sous-Vide To Me!

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:19:31 -0700

Well that exciting. I just ordered a machine as a belated bday gift from the boy. :)��He was going to get me a cake airbrush, but then I figured��why not get something I’ll use more often. There’s not much we don’t have for the kitchen so I opted for something I’ve been wanting.

For the readers who aren’t really sure what sous vide is, it’s french for under vacuum. You seal the food item into an airtight bag and place it in a temperature controlled water bath, low and slow....

posted by Mandy DeGeit on March, 15

Practical Class 2015: Breads, and Bruises.

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 19:25:01 -0800

I just finished a kick ass practical class. Today wasn’t a special practical class, actually that was last week. My hey-day. I got to be��Chef of the Day. This is where I choose the menu, and get to run the kitchen and expedite on line. Even though it was all that awesome, for some reason, last week still wasn’t as good as today was.

Today, and yesterday for our 3 hour mise class, I was designated “Bread��. (Mise en place is a culinary term that means “to put everything in it’s place��. It��pret...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on December, 08

RestauRanting: Allium, Ottawa, Ontario

Sun, 26 Oct 2014 15:26:11 -0700

(*This review is a lot more in-depth than others I’ve posted, as it was done for a school project.)

Allium restaurant is located at 87 Holland Street, a half block north of Wellington Street. Open since 2004, Allium’s website describes the restaurant as a “modern bistro-style restaurant��, and I think this is a very fitting description. Allium offers both lunch and dinner menus and the ever-popular Monday night tapas menu. The service style is tableside service. Th...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on January, 26

New Anthology: Operation Ice Bat

Wed, 23 Jul 2014 08:53:10 -0700

Even with culinary school keeping me busy, I still manage to get a few new stories out into the world every so often.

I was messaged about being part of a benefit anthology for one of my good friends. I could have sent ina few reprints but I wanted to send in a new story, so that’s what I did�� and this one is a good one. ;)

I’m amongst some great storytellers in this awesomelittle book.

Introduction �� Brian Keene

Breathe My Name �� Christopher Golden

The Tin Box �� Kelli Owen

For Whom We Mourn �� Geof...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on October, 30

Recipe �� Mandy’s Macaroni Salad

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 08:28:02 -0700

With BBQ season upon us, I decided to ring in spring with one of my favourite BBQ add-ons (and the one I tend to bring to potlucks most often), my macaroni salad. Now throughoutthis post, let’spretendthe words macaroni and potato are entirely interchangable. I make the same recipe, both with macaroni orpotatoes. However, this time, due to what I had around the house, I went with macaroni.

This recipe is amazing for anyone, because it’s entirely modifiable to whatever you prefer. Don’t like red...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on January, 24

RestauRanting: The Port Pub, Port Williams, NS

Mon, 17 Feb 2014 08:27:27 -0800

We had heard about it from one of the boys, a gastropub somewhere near Wolfville. Yesterday, in the middle of a snowstorm, we decided to take the rental car (which does not have snow tires��) and run some errands. I’m not sure what lead us to Port Williams, but I noticed a sign mentioning “gastropub�� as we were heading down the main road.After a quick u-turn, we followed the sign and made our way down the road to the building set on the Cornwallis riverbank. is in a great location...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on July, 17

RestauRanting: Play Food & Wine, Ottawa, Ontario

Mon, 17 Feb 2014 07:53:43 -0800

is amazing and still remains one of my favourite restaurants in Ottawa (and everywhere else so far). Sure I’m a little biased since my best friend used to work in the kitchen here, but even after her departure, the food and service continue to be top notch.

I love their lunch menu, (which is the same as their dinner menu) but they offer 2 for $22 on their dishes. Playoffers small plates and a constantly changing menu, based on what’s in season. What “small plates�� means is a n...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on March, 02

Review: Bob’s Book Of Baby Madness by Robert Ford

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 17:31:11 -0800

I was flipping through my Kindle for something to read, when I came across Bob’s Book of Baby Madness. I’d totally forgotten about purchasing this until I saw it and figured why not. I was on a flight home for the holidays, so I jumped into the book. Now I’m not a parent, but even still I really enjoyed this book. (I assume people with children would definitely be able to relate more to what is said in the book.) Needless to say, I ripped through it in one sitting.Ford walks you through every...

posted by Mandy DeGeit on July, 01