ottawa foodies

The delicious spicy cookie...in a spread. I've tried this and the taste of a spoonful alone is worth 50 bucks. :)
I don't know Karl Hoppner but I enjoy his auction idea and figured it fits nicely here as it's a basket of food.
Four jars of Speculoos plus a good haul of other assorted Belgian goodies:

www.ottawabikes.ca

Photo from: www.davidlebovitz.com

For what it's worth, my favourite Montréal chocolatier Chocobel both sells jars of Speculoos and makes a delicious chocolate filling with it - with goat cheese. No, really, it's fantastic.

Last time I saw him, he said they didn't sell well since no one there knows about Speculoos. He's been trying to reach the Belgian expats in town, to no success. He may have to stop carrying them if sales don't increase.

Doesn't help Ottawans much, I know...

I have sometimes bought the Speculoos cookies from Chocodirect!
they are quite good and I think they remind me of gingersnaps?

saying "I think" as I haven't had any of those cookies in quite a few months!

never knew there was a spread though!

just checked and chocodirect does sell the "plain" Speculoos cookies, also a Dolfin milk chocolate and Speculoos chocolate bar.
I will buy that in my next order!

I did see the Dolfin milk chocolate & Speculoos bar at the Wellington Bagel and Deli recently.

Dolfin milk chocolate w green tea is really good!

Also just browsing the Chocodirect website, there is a Dolfin Speculoos chocolate bar!!

gonna have to get that w my next order.

Wellington is too far for me most times.
Was there on Sunday and it took me 2 hours to get from Walkley to the corner of Wellington/Somerset/Hintoburger area.

OC transpo now sucks even more!!!

Thanks for posting about this, AMR. I plunged into the bidding and ended up with the highest bid and am now eating a toasted Kettleman's bagel covered with smooth Speculoos, quite a sublimely delicious flavour. I have fun trying to figure out what's in it as there is no English - looks like it's made with 57% speculoos cookies. I figure that speculoos are a similar flavour to the Dutch Speculaas cookie that I love and is one of the few cookies I still buy at a store - I and perhaps everyone knows them better as those windmill cookies like Voortman's makes (though I've been buying a real Dutch brand sold at Food Basics the past few years).
Looking forward to drinking the Leffe Brune with great anticipation.

Very thrilled you won this Andy! Nice.
No doubt, beyond your bid, it was your tomatillo generosity that put things in your favour.
The big circle in effect, you see. :)

Karma...
I had some Speculoos on French toast today - way good! After that I searched and found a recipe online for homemade Speculoos for the day when I run out...

Was in Manitock Station at the Third World Bazaar over the weekend. The activity wouldn't have been complete without a pilgramage over to the Bakker General Store (1004 Mitch Owens Rd) located next door (at the other end of the parking area). This store is a great place to find all things Dutch (mostly food but also a small assortment of other products typical of a "general store"). I saw something that looked like the Speculoos spread mentioned above. I opted for the cookies since that's what's familiar to me (a known quantity in our home). I must admit that I'm not familiar with the subtleties between Dutch, French and Belgium goods. The spread seemed similar to me in that it seemed to resemble the cookies that I now identify with my sister-in-law and her family who now live in Belgium.

Speculoos is actually a cookie, similar in composition to a biscuit or shortbread. Traditionally, it was baked to be eaten on St Nicholas’ Eve in the Netherlands (Dec. 5) and Belgium (Dec. 6). These thin, crunchy cookies are typically made using butter, sugar and a combination of spices including: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and sometimes ginger.

www.speculoos.us

Speculoos is sourced and derived from the Dutch word ‘speculaas’ and it is a type or form of biscuit or cookies that we eat on a daily basis as part of our breakfast or snacks.The word or the term speculoos is sourced and derived from the Dutch word ‘speculaas’ and it is a type or form of biscuit or cookies that we eat on a daily basis as part of our breakfast or snacks. It originated in Holland (Netherlands to many) and Belgium where it is widely manufactured and produced and then slowly spread all across Europe and now it is an international phenomenon. First it spilled over to France as it is a bordering state or country with both Holland and Belgium. The French re-christened it Speculoos, the name that we currently know it worldwide. It is traditionally baked and made on The St. Nicholas day in Holland and Belgium for consumption and is part of the local tradition that has been continuing for decades and centuries.

www.speculoos.us/

I had heard that there was a real problem this year for people in Denmark and their desire to make these and other sugar cookies. With too much rain, the meadows were flooded and the cows not producing enough milk for butter. DISASTER! This led to butter shortages, rationing, black/underground markets and the eventual lowering of tariffs on foreign butter so it could be imported in sufficient quantities to make the populace happy once more.

Ah, the things we do for butter.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled topic.

The Dutch Store in the Bleeker Mall carries this spread.