(Image by hjl)

Leaving a place always comes with a bit of drama. It doesnt have to be the bad kind, but at least it has some sort of bitter-sweet elements in it.  and I have to admit that from my personal experience,  I have become some of an expert in leaving places…(and arriving to new ones)

Today, after 5 years in one of the finest cities in North America, Montreal. I wrapped 2 years into 2 2/3 suitcases, which is an impossible task by itself, and moved on toward the horizon. Well, maybe not the horizon but at least for a new start.

the last week was a bit like a tornado, Came with winds and whistles of friends, loved ones and other institutions such as your bank or the Electric company, have a hard time with your decision to leave. After all ? what’s wrong in Montreal?

There is actually nothing wrong with it, it has a wonderful charm that kept me there and 2 seasons (Winter and construction) that drove me mad. For those of you that never been there, think of it as if you would take a little french town and a little north American city, throw them together into a blender for 5 min, most likely that you would get some sort of Montreal.

for me the place was more then a place to live. I looked at it as an endless culinary gold mine.  for that reason I have decided to strike roots around ‘little Portugal’, Can’t be a tastier place then that!.

unlike many North American towns, montreal had kept it’s colors and flavors in every district. and the beauty is that you can walk anywhere. each area with it’s own  smells, flavors and sounds.

the colors of the houses change, the people can suddenly speak one extra language …what a ride!

So yea, after 5 tasty years, I am heading to a new place.

I’ve decided to make a triumph tour in my favorite places each day (by favorite I mean little restaurants.

A week ago I was still bothered with this mind-breaking question ” what in gods name should I take into my 2 suitcases” considering that 5 years ago I came on a dare to montreal to study with one suitcase, I had a lot of junk.

looking at my belongings and choosing which one will follow me to my new adventure was as had as the decision which one of your kids should live or die.

In the end,  I’ve decided to donate most of my cloths, sell all my belongings and give the rest. but my biggest treasure was my pack of spices and my rice cooker that traveled with me more then my laptop. after I gave those away my apartment had a strange liberating echo. The kind of echo you hear in the desert. Something that comes from within, makes you feel a bit naked but pushes you forward.

3 hours to my flight and counting the time was 17:30 and my friend that came to drive me to the airport was very late.

since I literally had nothing in my apartment , I’ve decided to empty my fridge and give her all the special sauces, cheeses and other goodies that were left.

I threw it all into 3 plastic bags, staring at my watch every other second with a neurotic  look.

I wasn’t hungry since I passed at Chez Jose (one of my favorite places in the city) and at one last Chorasco sandwich (Which was suppose to be digested at the airport), but while clearing the fridge into plastic bags, one bag caught my interest.

I completely forgot that I got ‘Gigot d’agnio’ (leg of a lamb) from my local butcher.

I looked at the piece of lamb with victorious eyes and decided to cook it with whatever I don’t have. my favorite knife was in my bag and 99% of my spices were given to friends.  I looked at my spice cabinet….mmmm let’s make this ‘Departure lamb’.

Departure lamb recipe :

1 Cinnamon stick broken to pieces.

500 gr of Gigot de Agnio (Lamb Leg / Shoulder)

Black pepper

4 cloves of Garlic

Salt

pinch of Garam Masala

1-2 chills (preferably red)

Olive oil – 1 tbs

1. remove the fat from the lamb and cut it in to little finger-bite cubes and add them to a pan that was pre-heated with olive oil on mid-high fire.

2. chop the garlic cloves and add them into the pan and cook for 2 min until the garlic gets a nice tan.

3. add the cinnamon, chilli and garam masala and wait for an extra 6 min. Eat it with your hands and enjoy the tender taste of the lamb.