I got bugs.

Last week I presented at a conference entitled “Microbial Transport and Survival in Porous Media: 1st International Conference”.  Clear speak = Looking at how bacteria/viruses/parasites travel and survive in soil and groundwater.  You remember Walkerton.  Like that, but looking at every possible minute detail of how we can predict, model, and quantify risks of keeping water safe and people healthy.

I just found out from my advisor I won the award for top student presentation!  If you are interested in seeing the presentation, it’s below.  The conversion process of the presentation totally failed – no animations or transitions, the formatting/spacing is a bit wonky, certain things looked blocked when they actually aren’t.  Anyway, the jif will be gotten.  Highly  unnecessary disclaimer: this presentation can not be reproduced, edited, and any data pertaining to this presentation is property of the University of Waterloo and the Canadian Water Network.

Au Pied de Cochon.

Went with Cara last week, we need to get our Montreal culinary institutions in before the big move after alllll.   For those who are unfamiliar, the chef/proprietor Martin Picard is a Quebec icon, has his own show on the Disney Food for Kids Network (Wild Chef / Chef Sauvage), and is all about Quebec inspired gluttony.  This place is legendary for its complete worship of the best (worst) kinds of fat.  We wanted to sit at the bar for this kind of experience, and we got a reservation that day.  Bonus.

We were highly advised to start with an amuse bouche of deep fried foie gras bites.  Instructions are attached – keep your lips sealed or the best thing you’ve ever tasted will explode out of your mouth and ruin the best thing to hit your tongue since aged cheddar cheese.  The inside literally jetpacks out of your mouth.

The infamous “duck in a can”.  They cook duck breast with foie and other goodies all together en conserve, open it up in front of you, and pour the gluttony over what looked like country bread and sweet potato puree.  This dish provides a whole new meaning to rich.  Cara had 3 bites, I had 6.  But unreal.  Yep, that’s duck fat hanging out around the plate.

While Cara had the duck, I had lamb with braised lentils and frites fried in duck fat.  MMMHMMM.  Everything was amazing, classic Quebecois frites in homemade aioli (they love canning).

And after a major digestion interlude we decided we needed to experience dessert at this juncture.  Real deal Maple Syrup Pie with homemade ice cream.  Plus espresso = most perfect dessert of the year.

It is everything they say it is.  Unintelligibly rich, delicious, a once a year type of meal.  I also realize it’s sad in the last few months I’ve taken more pictures of food than people.  All about getting your priorities crooked.