Hello and welcome to alacuisine.org. My name is Clement and I’m a 25 year old computer engineering graduate turned media design entrepreneur living in Toronto, Canada. While my day job has nothing remotely to do with food, at times I find it difficult to think of much else (especially when I’m hungry).
I’m particularly fascinated by the ingredients, techniques and processes that make what we eat taste mediocre, good, great, or incredible. I’m also interested in food as an experience and believe that a great meal is much more than simply the sum of great food and service.
I should say upfront that I’m by no means an expert in food. I’ve never cooked professionally or been to cooking school, nor do I have a well-trained palate. Having stated my inexperience and disqualifications, I can, however say that I’ve eaten at least two meals every day for the past 25 years, and that I want to learn as much I can about good food and good food experiences, so that I can make them for myself and others.
In the days and weeks ahead I hope to take a look at many interesting food-related topics that I’d like to learn more about. I’m always welcome to any feedback and suggestions you may have, positive or negative.
So in the words of Iron Chef’s Chairman Kaga… Allez cuisine!
(or more grammatically correct: A la cuisine!)
Clement, your blog and your enthusiasm for food is an inspiration to all the food lovers out there. Keep up with the great posts!
Posted by: typefiend | September 29, 2004 at 03:08 PM
Hi Clement,
Your food blog is lovely and I'm taking the liberty to link you on my virgin attempt at food blogging - http://babyhippobakes.diary-x.com
Should you mind, just drop me a note and I'll take the link off.
Thanks!
Posted by: babyhipppo | October 25, 2004 at 07:42 AM
my goodness ... your site is gorgeous! your posts convey such a passion for food, and an exquisite attention to detail. keep posting ... often!
Posted by: tinkerbell | November 09, 2004 at 11:39 PM
Interested to follow up
Where is all of this coming from?
Would be interested to continue on mg discussion
Inicon, etc
Warm regards
Posted by: will goldfarb | November 26, 2004 at 06:31 PM
Hi Clement,
Your site is beautiful. I'm excited to have stumbled across it. I've been looking for Toronto-based food blogs and yours fits the bill perfectly.
I look forward to reading more. Please keep blogging!
Karen
Posted by: KarenS | December 17, 2004 at 05:34 PM
A male food blogger! whattaguy! It's not often that I come across one like you. Your enthusiasm in food is most welcome in the food blogging world.
Posted by: celiaK | January 21, 2005 at 12:52 PM
Clement, your site is fantastic. I'm sending your link out to my other foodie friends. Consider me a regular reader/lurker from now on :)
Posted by: josie | February 13, 2005 at 09:21 AM
Hi Clement.. there is so much passion in your writing and cooking! I wish you all the best - may you live in (and be cooking in) gastronomy heavan some day! Keep it up.. i will definitely keep reading!
Posted by: Carol in TO | March 22, 2005 at 11:42 PM
marry me?
lol! your site is beautiful, and your food and passion even more so. :)
Posted by: sarah | April 25, 2005 at 04:11 PM
A few words in french to express how great your blog is :
First, the design : merveilleusement sobre, sans être austère, avec une mise en page impeccable. La charte graphique est parfaitement maîtrisée de bout en bout.
Second, the pictures : des photos toutes de blanc vêtues, soignées, avec des ombres douces, des reflets appétissants, des textures palpables.
And finally the text : un style rédactionnel à la fois clair et entraînant. On prend un réel plaisir à lire l’entrée de l’auteur dans le monde fascinant du goût et de la haute-cuisine.
In one word : Parfait ! !
Posted by: Laurent | May 11, 2005 at 06:05 AM
Josie - Thanks for letting your friends know about my blog. I really enjoy your illustrations, and I aspire to be as good as you someday.
Carol - Thanks for visiting, and thank you for your very kind words!
Sarah - Of course I'll marry you - just tell me when and where to show up :) Btw, I think your blog is wonderful!
Laurent - Thank you very much for you kind and generous words! I enjoy cooking and writing about food very much, and I'm grateful that you take time to visit my site.
Posted by: Clement | June 14, 2005 at 02:20 PM
Wow, Clement, I think you should come to Vancouver to become a chef with ROB FENNIE in Luimere. You are awesome. I miss your cooking, I miss you too! This is Margaret from A.B. Lucas Secondary School, London Ontario.
Posted by: Margaret Wong | August 17, 2005 at 11:56 AM
Clement,
Your site is refreshing. I was even happier to find out that it is also Canadian. I have added you to my favourites and will be reading your site regularly.
Posted by: S. Plant | September 02, 2005 at 11:44 AM
So true! Time is short and what we do in the kitchen makes all the difference in the world. maybe not a gourmet chef but you know what you like and every meal should be exactly what you are looking for at that meal. My Phyliosophy too!
Great place to come when thinking of food (which is often, n'st-ce pas?)
~Anne
Posted by: AnneCuisine | February 01, 2006 at 12:00 PM
Clement, really like your site and I was wondering what kind of settings/lighting you use on your camera to take these pictures ? Keep up the great work
Posted by: Michael | March 23, 2006 at 07:34 PM
Ive read some about the molycular gastronomy page, interesting stuff. Im a food lover from Sweden and will learn a lot from this page. Thank you
Clement.
Posted by: Henrik | April 02, 2006 at 02:38 PM
Dear Clement,
I reached your site by accident, and "wow" is the word! May I suggest that you keep up the good job? Please keep updating, I adore your photo's, they make me both happy and "feel like longing for" at the same time... Thank you for the inspiration! I bookmarked you immediately!
Posted by: Mags | July 28, 2006 at 03:44 PM
I have to say I am in love with all the food websites I have found randomly on the internet. Yours is no exception. This is awesome. I have yet to catalog my culinary adventures on my blog, but I'm a lot like you with my day job and my nightly passion of food. I look forward to reading more about your hearty escapaes.
Posted by: cupcake | September 21, 2006 at 11:31 AM
Hi Clement,
Check out our new website.
Best regards, Roger
Posted by: Roger Mills | April 23, 2007 at 12:58 AM
Hi Clement,
Beautiful Blog ~ love the font choice you made, elegant & clean. If you ever in YVR I can tell you where the best Siu Loong Bao can be eaten...
Posted by: Sasa | June 08, 2007 at 12:06 AM
Hello Clement,
My name is Nikki, and I am the Webmaster of several Lobster Gram Blogs that we have on the web. If you would like to take a look at the blog I am contacting you about the address is www.lobsterfacts.livelob.com. I'm contacting you today to let you know that I really enjoyed your site! I was really impressed with the information, time, and effort that you displayed on your website.
Our blogs are related to lobster, seafood & steak. I update on a daily basis with delectable recipes and intriguing facts & trivia about lobsters. I would like to add your blog as a link on my site because it would be a valuable resource for my audience. All I ask in return is that you give me a link on your site.
Please let me know if you think this is a wonderful idea & have an awesome day!
Sincerely,
Nikki Pingrey
Webmaster
Lobsterblog@livelob.com
1-800-548-3562 Ext 142
www.testimonials.livelob.com
www.blog.livelob.com
www.lobsterfacts.livelob.com
Posted by: Nikki Pingrey | June 29, 2007 at 03:09 PM
Hello Clement
I am from S'pore and I am so impressed wt you have done for your site, I feel humbled. I have a food blog too and I write mostly on Asian foods.
If you truly want a new food topic, I have started a blog on this little known Asian desserts called Malay Kuihs, its to-die for, if you dont mind me saying so myself. It's at http://www.kuihrecipes.com/blog
I love these desserts so much so I created a ecookbook which you can check out here at http://www.kuihrecipes.com and affiliates get 60% comm.
Cheers! and thanks for sharing your stuffs
Nora
Posted by: Nora | August 26, 2007 at 11:45 PM
Clement, what a lovely site. I live in Toronto as well. Oh, and I love to cook and eat! I'm going to try making Macarons tomorrow, wish me luck. I have to ask you: where do you find your Valhrona Chocolate in TO? Please!
Posted by: Robyn Vickers | September 12, 2007 at 04:33 PM
Hi Clement,
You really are an inspiration to foodies everywhere. We love reading about your cooking and the photos are fantastic.
You are also an inspiration in another way. We have just launched our own restaurant review site: http://TorontoRestaurantReview.com. Your sight is so well designed that it inspired us in our design.
If you get a chance, please visit us and tell us what you think. We would really appreciate your comments.
We have placed a link to your site on our links page and would appreciate if you would link to us. Whether you link to us or not won't affect your link on our page. However if you wish us to remove your link or are not happy with the short description, please tell us.
Thank you so much.
Sarah and Graham
Posted by: Graham | September 28, 2007 at 03:14 PM
Hi Clement,
I just stumble upon your blog, i like it very much...I like people with passion and you my friend, you abviously got tons of it.
Bravo. Keep tasting and writing!
Daniele
Posted by: Daniele | October 03, 2007 at 12:04 PM