Welcome to my spotlight. I am Evelyne, I live in Montreal Quebec and I am a foodie!

My story below will tell you more as to how I ended up with a food blog about ethnic cuisines.

My parents made sure I was exposed to as many tastes and smells as possible at an early age. By the age of 14 I was inviting friends over for 4 course meals. Once I had a bit of money I went out to restaurants with friends. And over the years I have tried many, many, many ethnic restaurants in my city. Montreal is truly blessed when it comes to delicious, exotic and varied cuisines.

And so I started a dinner group called Cheap Ethnic Eatz, now with over 300 members. We dine twice a month on cheap ethnic fare as a group. Within a few months the blog followed suit and this road has now lead me to the Daring Kitchen. I hope you will follow me in this adventure and that perhaps one day we can chat over a wonderful meal.

Do you have a favorite local restaurant? If so, why is it your favorite and what kind of food is served there?

That is a tough one as I run a dinner group and try a lot of them.I guess right now I would pick Nonya, an Indonesian place. They use a lot of coconut milk which I love ad it's really different. A bit like a culture shock for the taste buds. I get the Rijsttafel which consists of many little dishes you can pick from, my favorite being the traditional Sumatra beef simmered in coconut milk and spices.

What did you eat for dinner last night? Did you prepare it or someone else?

I had dinner at a Moroccan friend of mine, we were 8 guests. So I did not cook, helped a little bit. We ate BBQ corn on the cob, marinated chicken, the best melt-in-your-mouth sausages ever and kaftas, and lots of wine.

How long have you been a Daring Baker/Daring Cook and what’s your favorite thing about being in the group(s) so far?

I just joined Aug 11th and have not done anything yet except figure out how it works. But I printed the Sept Daring Cook recipe today. I have one friend only, I want more friends...sniff...please add me?

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? How about your favorite kitchen appliance?

Oh the gadget would be the Microplane grater I got for Christmas and right now my favorite appliance would be the ice cream machine my friend gave me…used but excellent condition.

Are you known for making a certain dish or dessert? If so, what is it?

Not one in particular, I think a really enjoyed done is a big Moroccan couscous which I brought at a family get together. They are usually afraid of ethnic foods but hat one got gobbled up fast.

You’ve just won $5000.00!!! But it comes with some stipulations.. you can’t spend it on your kids or your significant other! This is all YOURS. What would you spend it on? (we’re also going to fantasize that you have no bills whatsoever! Woo!! Hehee)

I would use it to plan a long trip, probably in Asia, that will last as long as possible by living on a budget and travelling adventure style. Answering machine: Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you in 8 months.

What is the ultimate comfort food to you?

Again, picking one is hard. Chocolate must be involved. Gooey, melting, sweet dark rich chocolate…salivating. Like a chocolate mousse cake, or rich chocolate ice cream.

How long have you been blogging? Do you like it? What’s your favorite post you’ve written?

I have been blogging for about 2 years now. Well yes I like or I would not do it. I like meeting people online, connecting, and sharing. My favorite post is always the last one I just wrote lol. This time it’s about a boutique specialized in macarons that I visited for a tasting and interview.

Who taught you how to cook and/or bake?

To my mother’s surprise – and a bit of fear – I made muffins one Saturday morning as my parents were sleeping…oh I must have been 8. That was my Saturday morning routine for years. I am self-taught.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Snacking on sweets before going to bed

If you had the choice of a free kitchen, bathroom, living room or bedroom makeover – which would you choose and why?

Definitely kitchen…like getting one. I live in an apartment and my kitchen is a galley kitchen with no windows. It is easy to work in enough but it is small, cramped with no natural light. I would ask for a new mattress set too though lol.

You can visit Evelyne on her blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz