OTTAWA CITIZEN:  JUN 29 09 - 7:50 PM - It's always fun to stand back as a guest and watch someone else do all the work in the kitchen. Even better when you get to sample tasty treats as the cook goes along, showing you tricks and techniques you may not have thought of on your own.

And when it's all over, they clean up the mess.  

So I'm excited to say yes when photographer/filmmaker/musician Lois Siegel sends me an e-mail invitation to one of her casual afternoon get-togethers at her place in Orléans, where a guest chef is invited from time to time to show his or her stuff while Lois, professional that she is, photographs the event from start to finish.

And so we were yesterday: seven guests, chef/owner Aliza Hutmann of Octogon Catering, her potential future business partner Victor Kayrouz, and Lois gathered in her cosy kitchen to explore and taste some of the nuances of Mediterranean, and especially Moroccan, cuisine ... [click here to read full article].