Urban Element Newsletter The UE “StayCation” Edition
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Cheers to the summertime! We've been spending much of our time outdoors + enjoying the beautiful warm weather. With all that’s going on in the world and in our own city, many of us will be opting for a “staycation” this summer and will be enjoying our time-off in and around the Ottawa area. We’ve taken inventory of what’s going on in our beautiful city and here’s what you'll find us up to...
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This childhood classic has made a comeback and it’s proving to be all the rage. The perfect family-friendly, social-distancing activity. Pack your blankets, cold drinks + our UE Signature Pecan Caramel Popcorn and you have the perfect recipe for a night out! Ottawa Area Drive-Ins
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local ottawa farmer's markets
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There is no better eating than during these golden months and the best spots to nab your local produce + treats are by far at the farmer’s markets. We are so excited to see that many have now opened with social-distancing and other precautionary measures in place. Ottawa Farmer’s Markets
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The best part of summer is getting outdoors and enjoying the beautiful weather + fresh air. Ottawa has so many wonderful things to do + experience, we don’t even know where to begin. Here are just a few of our favourite activities:
- Get outside for an outdoor yoga class, hosted by our pals at Pure Yoga and take place on Tuesdays at Wesley Clover Parks
- This outdoor bike tour will get your heart rate up + is also a great way to learn more about the history in our city
- We love berries + what’s better than picking them yourself. It is a great activity for the whole family, whether it be strawberries, raspberries or even both
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After all that exercise + excitement, you deserve to put your feet up and cool down with a summer cocktail in these gorgeous glasses. #cheers Now what are you going to do with all those fresh hand-picked strawberries and raspberries on hand? Why not try out some of these indulgent summer UE signature recipes from our vault: Strawberry Ice Cream Chef Stephen Pollock Ingredients 1 pint fresh strawberries 1 can sweetened condensed milk 2 1/2 cups whipping cream 1/2 vanilla pod, split and seeded Directions
- Toss the strawberries in a blender, puree until smooth. Whip the cream until soft peaks are formed. Fold in the condensed milk and the vanilla seeds. Next add the strawberry puree and mix well. Freeze for 3 hours before serving.
🦩 White Chocolate Raspberry Bars Chef Lynne Frappier Yield: 16 bars Ingredients 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 6 oz white chocolate 4 tbsp butter, softened ½ cup + 2 tsp sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup raspberries Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a bowl set over a double boiler, melt 3oz of the white chocolate. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and ½ cup of the sugar on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula every so often. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the melted chocolate, mixing until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in all except 2 tbsp of the white chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and press evenly. Toss the raspberries with the remaining 2 tsp of sugar to coat and gently press into the batter, spacing them evenly apart. Bake until edges are puffed and golden or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 25-35 minutes.
- Cool the bars completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Melt the remaining white chocolate, remove the bars from the pan and drizzle chocolate over the surface. Allow chocolate to set before slicing and serving.
And if you’re not up for cooking tonight, consider supporting a local Ottawa Black business. We support the Black community in its quest for justice against systemic racism and financial inequity. The most obvious and critical way to help Black-owned businesses survive is to buy their products and services. Shop and eat at Black-owned establishments and buy gift cards for your friends and family whenever possible. |
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If you haven’t had your fill in the kitchen yet, and our tasty recipes leave you wanting more, we invite you join us in the UE virtual kitchen, ue@home. Our weekly ue@home offering includes a 90 minute online live cooking class with a recipe kit that includes all pre-scaled + whole ingredients, recipes, preparation, and equipment lists. Top it off with a suggested wine pairing + a decadent dessert and you have yourself a perfect Wednesday evening. Ideal for special occasions, date-nights, gifting or just something fun + interactive to get over that mid-week hump! Check out these exciting + family-friendly recipe meal kits we have prepared for you for the month of July: week of july 20 LIVE - Online Cooking Class with Chef Devin Marhue: Vegetarian Thai (Wednesday July 22, 6:00 – 7:30pm) Thai always hits the spot with our kitchen crew + this week we are going vegetarian. Put a new spin in your weekly repertoire with three recipes that will be a sure-fire welcome addition to your cooking schedule. Join Chef Devin in the kitchen with a sweet, salty, + savoury fresh Thai menu! tom kha soup (mushrooms and coconut); tempeh + cashew green curry; coconut rice week of july 27 LIVE - Online Cooking Class with Chef Devin Marhue: Southern Cooking (Wednesday July 29, 6:00 – 7:30pm) This family friendly meal means you can get many hands in the kitchen with biscuit making and dredging duties during the class! A perfect “all hands-on deck” class, Chef Devin has specially designed this format for little fingers to get involved (and to enjoy eating!). The end result? Soul-satisfying Southern comfort fare the whole family can get behind! Chicken + Biscuits: buttermilk biscuits; chicken + roasted garlic ragout; Fieldless greens with grainy mustard vinaigrette. ***Stay tuned as the August schedule will be posted soon! |
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ue@home with Chef Devin Marhue Gnudi 101 - June 17, 2020 |
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Curious about our live cooking classes? Well, step into our UE virtual kitchen and take a sneak peek at one of our most popular classes, Gnudi 101, recorded live on June 17. If you're interested in getting the recipes for this class send an e-mail to info@theurbanelement.ca. |
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We're so grateful to all of our wonderful customers who have been raving about their experience with ue@home, many of which are weekly customers. Here's what they have to say:
- "Great class, great food! It was really well organized. An excellent alternative given current circumstances. I hope to do it again!"
- "Last night's class was the 3rd for me. I totally enjoyed all 3 weeks. Thanks for a great experience!"
- “As customers and food lovers, it was a great experience and the meal was delicious. We will definitely make this again and learned some great techniques.”
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If you do not already follow us on social media, please do! We're busy sharing details for upcoming ue@home classes, recipes, chef tips + tricks, what Kass has been preparing for Cooking for a Cause Ottawa and more!
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we'd love to hear from you
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We hope all of this helps you in your plans for a wonderful summertime. We’d love to hear from you and know how you’re doing, as well as if you have any great activity ideas for us. Take care, be safe and enjoy all the wonders that our Canadian summer has to offer!
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