Bison Brochettes and Quinoa

My husband pulled out some of the bison meat we bought at Ranch les Beaux Bisons. We had picked up some ground and stewing meat during our last visit. The meat, as it was the first time, was super tasty. But although it tasted great, I wouldn't recommend stewing meat for brochettes. It was a little tough. Had we used proper brochettes meat this meal would have blown us through the roof. Luckily, my husband marinated the meat for a few hours in the fridge beforehand, so it wasn't as tough as it could have been. The marinade complemented the meat very well. It was a mixture of soya sauce, rice vinegar and tamari sauce. For each skewer my husband added some red onion, red, yellow and orange peppers, mushrooms, tomato and garlic. Throwing garlic cloves on these and barbecuing it is the best! It ads so much flavour. He served these alongside some quinoa topped with cilantro and cumin. Yum!

2009 Bytowne Oyster Festival

Despite the fact that I spent a pretty big chunk of my weekend stripping paint off my front porch, I did feel as though I was on vacation. 3 big factors contributed to my feeling that way. One – my new deck, two – the hot weather, and three – the oyster festival at the Whalesbone. Given that it was only two blocks from my house also made the trek with my friends that much more fun. It was packed when we arrived, and really quite hot out. We b-lined for the beer. Yummy Beaus and Steam Whistle were on tap.


Once properly hydrated, we went for the oysters that came with our entry ticket. You could also buy more, which we did, at an amazing price of 4 for $5. These tasty treats were served with Island Spiced sauces, for a fun kick. And shortly after the oyster shucking competition, complementary oysters were being passed around.


It was an oyster lover’s paradise – check out these giant champion oysters from the west coast.


But they had more than that, walleye burgers, beef burgers and lobster dinners were also available. As the day went on I went for the walleye burger. Honestly the best fish burger you’ll ever have. I’ve talked about them before on my blog – yummy white fish, fried onions and a spicy mayo. The place was filled with foodies (the urban element, the red apron, restaurant owners) – seriously, just rubbing shoulders with these fantastic people alone was enough to get me super excited. We also ran into a lot of friends. Even if you didn’t know anyone, everyone was in such good spirits you’d be sure to make a new connection within minutes. It was a total community party and so much fun.



In addition to oyster shucking competitions, they also had live bands playing all day. The rain did come, but their set up was perfect and allowed some shelter under a big cozy tent. Also not enough to dampen the liveliness. What did dampen it however, was the little voice inside my head reminding me I had to work the next day. Knowing at this point we couldn’t possibly continue to drink at a slower pace, we decided to leave. Mental note to take a vacation day next year!

I love the Whalesbone. I love what they stand for, I love their fish, I love their staff and I love how they market themselves. If you go to any restaurant in the city that serves quality food, their fish is from the Whalesbone. These people all work so hard and well together to give people like us fantastic food choices. I'm really glad to have them around.

Red Deer and Mushroom Burgers

Yes, this is another one of my many meat purchases. Honestly, if we didn't buy any food for a couple weeks, we'd probably be fine. But I have a weakness for fresh, local meat. And whenever I'm standing in front of it, I feel the need to buy it. Luckily our freezer isn't very big. If we had a deep freeze it would be full. Just as our little one is. This purchase was made at one of my favourite places, the Chelsea Smokehouse. But the meat itself is from La Maison du Gibier in Quebec. My husband barbecued these tasty treats and served them on a toasted bun with mayo, roasted red peppers, green onion and melted port cheddar. I loved every second of it. The taste, unlike the texture, did not seem that gamy to me, it actually tasted like (and don't laugh) vegetable thins crackers. I knew when I was eating it that the flavour was familiar. It was my husband that made the connection. If you've never had any of these fine meats, venison, elk, bison, ostrich, quail, you have no idea what you're missing! Yes it's a bit different, but that's what makes it so exciting. One can only have chicken and beef so many times. Plus the fat content and quality of these meats are often way healthier. You won't regret it.

Cedar Plank Salmon

What a perfect evening. I relaxed on my candlelit deck sipping a pinot grigio and enjoying one of the best meals I've ever had (that often happens when my husband cooks). We have so many planks of cedar left from our new deck I have a feeling I'll be enjoying this delicacy many times this summer. Close to ten years ago, my husband made maple salmon on a cedar plank in my oven and I never forgot it. The cedar flavour in the fish this evening was the greatest celebration of a job well done, it tasted like my deck, in a good way. And the fish, not just any fish, sockeye salmon from the Whalesbone Sustainable Fish and Oyster Supply Shop – yummy!

To start, my husband soaked a cedar plank in water for a few hours. He set the filet in 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 kosher salt, a splash of water and some maple syrup for about an hour and a half in the fridge (proper brining should be done overnight). Turn the barbecue on high, set the plank on the grill for 3 minutes then flip to the dry side and add some olive oil and kosher salt on top. Rinse the salmon and lay it flat on the plank. Cook for about 15 minutes, keeping a close eye on the plank so it doesn't catch fire (it was snapping a lot towards the end). You'll have the sweetest, most mouthwatering piece of fish ever. Serve with barbecued potatoes on a bed of baby spinach.

Grilled Sea Bass with Harissa Sauce

Last night we had yet another of my husband's mind-blowing dinners. Our good friends Zoya and Marc were over and as you may have seen in previous posts of dinners we've had at their place, we always have a lot to live up to. My husband did a great job though. We started off with a selection of cheeses that I picked up at Nicastro's in the glebe. One of my favourites, Benedictin blue cheese from St Benoit du Lac, Quebec, a lightly flavoured cheddar with port wine, and my new favourite Testun Al Barolo, a sheeps milk cheese aged in grape lees from Italy. This cheese is to die for, I absolutely adore it. The texture kind of reminded me of a parm but softer and with a much stronger flavour. Although it is my new favourite cheese, it's not something i'll be eating very often. The price tag that comes with it may leave you floored. $120/kg! I got a small little slice for $20 but it was perfect served with other cheeses for 4 people. 

With that we also had some spicy salami, red grapes and baguette. 

We also had the perfect wine to go with our cheese, a delicious (and my favourite) 2006 Luigi Righetti Amarone. This wine was a birthday gift from Zoya a couple of weeks ago and I was saving it for her next visit. It was well worth the wait and went beautifully with the cheese. 

For our main, my husband grilled some sea bass on the barbecue. The steaks were so thick and tasted fantastic. Even raw! The fish was super fresh. It had just come in that day. And since our raw cooking class at the Urban Element, my husband and I always try the fish before we cook it now. The buttery succulent texture of the sea bass was heightened by the harissa sauce that was just flavourful enough so as to not overpower the fish. We also had some barbecue roasted potatoes, blackened to perfection and also yummy dipped in the harissa sauce, and some wilted spinach. At first I thought I should have bought a white wine for the meal, but the sauce and meatiness of the fish were actually better with red. In fact, we had the perfect red for the fish, a tempranillo, lighter than the amarone but still with the flavour I love so much from a heavier wine. It was one of my vintages purchases a while back – Bodegas de Los Rios Prieto Prios Maximus Roble, 2006 – so good! Another fantastic spanish wine we had that Zoya brought and worth mentioning was the Montecillo Crianza 2005. All in all, a pretty decadent evening to say the least. 

The harissa sauce is a mixture of roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, jalapeno, cumin and corriander. My husband doesn't measure anything, but I did find a recipe on epicurious which could be used as a guide.

The Black Tomato

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The Black Tomato is a pretty local-driven restaurant with good food, a great atmosphere (unless it’s the middle of summer and scorching hot – they’re in a heritage building that doesn’t allow them to install air conditioning, so if you aren’t so lucky to get a spot on the patio you may end up cooking inside – I have no idea how the kitchen staff survive), and ok service (nothing special). They’ve been around for a while and so has their menu. I used to go quite regularly until a year or two ago when I had bad service and was honestly just bored seeing the same dishes over and over. So when they renovated and opened a new section in the restaurant, I assumed the change would also bring a menu update. Not so. There were a few new dishes since my last visit, but overall, pretty much the same. Although disappointing to me, it doesn’t seem to bother anyone else, as they continue to be super busy. Thankfully, I hadn’t been in a while, so I no longer felt so uninspired by the menu, and actually had a hard time deciding between a few of the dishes. 

We started off with the cheese board. As described on the menu, creamy Soignon Caractère de Chèvre, Bleu de Sophie (Oxford Mills ON) blue cheese and the deliciously Tomme de Gaston (Oxford Mills ON) cheese. Accompanied by dried apricots, fruit, walnuts, honey and crackers, all designed to bring out each cheese’s rich and complex flavours. If you’re looking at the photo, yes, this is the cheese plate. I know, hard to find the cheese. The description should have read, fruit plate accompanied by some cheese. I did enjoy the walnuts drizzled in honey though. The few morsels of cheese I had were also very good, but a pretty big tease. 

I was much happier with my main, Smoked Wild BC Sockeye Salmon harvested using sustainable methods, marinated in delicious maple syrup and flavoured with a hint of garlic. The salmon is then smoked to perfection and served on a potato cake (with bacon) and accompanied by market vegetables. This dish was indeed fantastic. I love maple and smoked salmon and I have a huge weakness for potato cakes. This dish was an obvious choice in my mind. So much so that I started eating it before taking the photo! I tried to make up for it but the photo I did take doesn’t do it justice. With that we sipped on a 2007 Venetio Pinot Grigio. I will probably eat there again at some point. But not unless they change their menu. The staff could be a little more enthusiastic as well. Apps range from $8 to $17, sandwiches from $12 to $14 and entrées from $14 to $33. Oh and if you still purchase CDs, they have a great selection of new releases in the genres of roots and dub reggae, jazz, improvised, modern classic, indie rock, alternative country, ambient, electronic and electro-acoustic music, as well as some other styles for sale. If you like what you hear while you're dining, you can pick it up on your way out. They also have a listening station at the end of the bar.

www.theblacktomato.com

What’s your favourite foodie block?

I got that title from an old post on Chowhound. I really wanted to do a post on my favourite food-block in Ottawa. And the winner is? Murray Street, between Parent and Dalhousie. This block is filled with some serious top notch food. Just check out my reviews below. In fact, one of them was the inspiration to my starting a blog!

Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro – Ottawa's first aboriginal cuisine with a seasonal lunch and dinner menu that follow the ancient paths of North America's Aboriginal peoples.

Murray Street – Upscale Canadian Comfort Food with a fantastic Charcuterie bar.

Benny’s Bistro – Innovative, small seasonal lunch and brunch menus using only fresh ingredients and fresh baked bread from the in-house bakery.

Domus Café – The first Canadian, regional, seasonal cuisine with menu items consisting of only the freshest of local ingredients provided by Canadian suppliers and directly delivered from local-area farms.

Navarra – A combination of northern Spanish cuisine and new Basque cuisine – or as they say in Spain: “mountain and sea” cuisine.

Honourable Mention

Chez Lucien – Excellent little pub with fantastic fare. I have separated this one only because it's not on the same block. Literally seconds away from the other restaurants on the other side of Dalhousie.

If you're ever questioning where to go eat, you can be rest assured a fantastic choice with any of these places.

Grilled Polenta with Tomato and Parm

Inspired by Marysol and Jason Laurin's blogs, my husband decided to make grilled polenta tonight. The entire meal was nice and light, perfect for a warm summer evening (ok, it could have been a little warmer) and well suited as our first meal on our new deck.

These tasty treats are pretty easy to make. First you need to buy a tube of cornmeal and cut it into disks. Brush each one with a mixture of garlic, olive oil, balsamic and thyme. Grill one side on the bbq, flip them and add shaved parm, tarragon, chopped red onion and sliced grape tomatoes. Once the bottom is toasty, remove carefully. My husband served these with a cucumber and corn salad and some grilled asparagus. So yummy!

Savana Café

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Savana Café has updated their menu. Don’t be alarmed tho, they still have their infamous Pad Thai. But new to the mix are some dishes like Kerr Farms Braised Beef Short Ribs, Mojito Mariposa Farms Chicken Breast, Seared Chorizo Wrapped Scallops, Grilled Chipotle and Lime Spiced Mahi-Mahi and more, like the starters I decided to go with instead of my usual Pad Thai, which had quickly become an obsession. It took all of me to try something new. Luckily I was with my friends Teresa and Gina (for yet another birthday dinner celebration – thanks guys!), and Teresa couldn’t part with the dish, so I was able to have a bit of hers. The verdict – I wished I had stuck to the Pad Thai. But the food was still good nonetheless. 

I started off with the Braised Ox-Tail Dumpling in a miso lemongrass broth with fresh thai basil. The dumplings were not at all what I was expecting. Normally dumplings have minced meat or pork in them, not these. They were full-on meaty dumplings, a very exciting twist on the norm. The broth was fantastic, slightly thicker than a regular broth and so zesty. 

Next came my next two starters I had ordered for my main, Coconut Tempura Shrimp served with a spicy apricot and soy dipping sauce, and the Island Patties – braised Kerr Farms beef patties with roasted pineapple and scotch bonnet salsa. The shrimp were great, especially with the dipping sauce, which I found not to be spicy at all – perfect for my pansy mouth. And the batter was much lighter than expected, which I prefer. 

I was very disappointed however, with the patties. This was the dish I was looking forward to the most. The meat that filled these thick patties was very dry, and the combination of the thick patty and dry meat made for an unpleasant eating experience. It’s also a pretty filling dish for a starter. I ended up removing the meat from inside and mixing it with the salsa and that helped, but I wouldn’t order it again. 

To drink we had some sangria, so dangerously yummy and fruity, it's like drinking juice. I had been craving Savana for a few weeks now so I was super happy this is the restaurant my friends chose for my birthday bash. I think I do need to go back again soon though to order the Pad Thai. Why turn away from something so good. I had reviewed this restaurant before and had given them 4 stars. Although this is still one of my favourite restaurants, I am re-reviewing and bringing them down to 3. The dishes this time didn’t fit my expectations. Starters range from $5 to $15 and mains from $15 to $25.

www.savanacafe.com

Blueberry Pancakes and Bacon

This past week food-wise has been pretty rich. So I don't think my husband was too surprised when I told him I just felt like having pancakes for dinner tonight. But even “just” pancakes isn't boring in this house. Where I would use regular milk, my husband uses buttermilk. Where I would just do only the pancakes, my husband adds the side of bacon. You know, just those little extras to make everything that much better. He also makes them from scratch. 

I have to be honest though, one of the main reasons I wanted pancakes is because I was dying to break into the syrup my friend Graham brought me. He picked up some of this local maple syrup back in April and I was lucky enough to get one of his many bottles after a month-long wait. And man was it worth it! 

Below is the recipe for the pancakes. As I copied down each ingredient I could feel the extra calories settling in nicely around my hips. Holy crap! I guess that's why they're so light and fluffy and almost kind of crispy on the outside. 

What you’ll need

1 1/3 cup white flour

3 tbs baking powder

3 tbs sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tbs butter melted

What to do

Whisk the last 3 ingredients then add in the dry stuff and whisk until it turns into a batter. Fold in some blueberries. If you're serving this with some bacon, use a bit of the grease to cook them in. Oh yeah!

Scallop Ceviche and Lobster

This is by far the best birthday ever! My entire day was filled with amazing surprises. From the moment I woke up, receiving a weekend getaway at Niagara on-the-Lake in September (stay tuned for some fantastic wine and food reviews), a new bike rack (that we can trust), a fantastic lunch and beautiful flowers all from my husband. And as if that wasn't enough, he ended the day with this beautiful plate of food for dinner. I consider myself to be the luckiest woman alive every single day when I sit down to eat my husband's cooking. 

Knowing my love for lobster, every year my husband treats me to this heavenly crustacean, and this one was huge! It had just been cooked too, so pretty warm still on the inside. With that, he also made a scallop ceviche. Inspired by our raw cooking event at the Urban Element, he bought some fresh bay scallops that had just come in. We tried a few slices before he mixed everything together, and as chef Scott Adams said during the event, it should taste like the ocean – and it totally did. My husband sliced the scallops into very small pieces and mixed them with chopped red onion, dill, garlic, a few peas fresh from the pod, a few capers, some cucumber, lemon, lime, olive oil, dijon and a bit of salt. The aromatic dill, salty capers and piquant chopped garlic were the perfect combination for the richness of the scallops. The peas also added a fun texture since they too were raw and slightly crunchy. My husband served this breathtaking concoction over some thinly sliced cucumbers, romain and alongside some mild, wild asparagus drizzled with truffle oil. Yummy!!

Benny’s Bistro

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The fact that it took me this long to visit this impeccable little gem makes me very sad. Many years ago when I used to work in the market, I heard they had great soup, and would duck in and get some to take out, not even looking at the rest of the menu. The soup was indeed fantastic, but I'm kicking myself now for leaving it at that. No reason to dwell on the past now though. I can easily add them to my tiny list of restaurants I consider to be 5 stars. I must admit however, I did get some pretty special treatment. My husband and I met chef Scott Adams at an Urban Element event where we immediately fell in love with his cooking style and amazing dishes. Today is my birthday and my husband asked me where I wanted to go, Benny’s Bistro immediately rolled off my tongue. This modest bistro is bright and casual with a seasonal menu that will leave you speechless. I finally decided on the salmon gravlax with yukon gold potato & doubled creamed feta dumpling, pickled red cabbage, tarragon and flying fish roe crème fraîche. My husband went for the pan-seared sea scallops, spring pea and sunchoke purée, sweet soy braised pork belly, shaved carrot and pea shoot salad, smokey bacon and cider vinaigrette. Sounds amazing doesn't it? We ended up not having either, but I thought I'd write it down to get your taste buds going. This is where the special treatment kicks in. Knowing we are open to just about anything, and I'm guessing the fact that it was my birthday, Scott came over and asked if we'd be interested in doing a 3 course lunch of his choice. I LOVE doing that! So trying to stay focused and not fall off my chair from excitement, I calmly said yes. 

Our first dish, a so-called amuse-bouche that could have easily been divided into four, was seared yellowfin tuna collar. This silky taste of heaven was served with a chervil and beet salad lightly drizzled with oil and with a tiny teaser of dijon to give it a bit of spice. A fantastic start to say the least!

Next came the absolute best soup I have ever had in my entire life, no lie. A shitake mushroom purée that had an alluring smokey flavour. In the center of this dreamy potage layed a slice of sweet soy and apple brushed pork belly and grilled scallop. The combination of each of these ingredients was perfect – I don't know how else to put it. PERFECT.

Our main was a tender, mouthwatering onglet de boeuf nestled between a fried egg and an arugula and colourful new potato salad – purple, red, white and yellow ones to be exact. And the meat was cooked to perfection, red and juicy inside. The sampling of moroccan olive tapenade on the side added a wonderful saltiness to the dish. To drink we had the delicious Oyster Bay Sauvignon blanc.

For dessert, a beautiful candle lit chocolate mousse covered in slivered chocolate flakes and paired with a rhubarb purée reminded me of being a kid again. I used to love black forest cake and the combination of the cherry and chocolate. This is the adult version and so indulgent. 

I can't say enough about this marvelous restaurant. I just wish they were open for dinner and that my work was not so far away. I highly recommend a reservation. I think we just got lucky as they can get quite busy. Also give yourself a bit of time, this is not a lunch to be rushed. Although a sandwhich and soup could easily be taken out. It's perfect with a friend, on a business lunch or on your own. Sandwich and salad goes for $13, mains $14 to $19 with an added cup of soup, salad or cheese plate for $5. 

Thanks so much Scott! We had a great time.

www.bennysbistro.ca/bistro

Marc and Josée’s Wedding Dinner

Yesterday was a very important day in our family. My younger brother got married! He and his wife were inspired by my husband and my wedding and decided to go small as well. I think having a small wedding really opens up the door to a lot of possibilities. After quite a bit of research they finally decided on Blueberry Lake Resort. What a great decision too. This place was luxurious and so much fun. I could go on about the chalets and how beautiful they were, but since this is a food blog I'll stay on track and cut right to the food. My brother and my wonderful new sister-in-law sampled many dishes before making the final choice on what was going to be served. I don't have the actual dish names but the photos are enough to get your mouth watering. Everyone got to choose between two dishes. My husband and I picked different ones and then split them so we could try everything. 

We started off with an impeccable, creamy butternut squash and corn soup. I think this was my favourite dish of all it was so flavourful and yummy.

Next came an appetizer of either duck with greens and a blueberry coulis or pork over a fancy relish, greens and shaved parm. Both were insanely tender and so good.

For our mains we had a choice of roasted chicken with veggies or herb and pesto crusted veal and veggies. Both were very impressive and so juicy. The carrots were al dente and potatoes roasted and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 

For dessert we had a fruity, cool nougat over some chopped mixed fruit. So light and refreshing. 

The entire experience was fantastic and the meal really just brought the entire day to a fabulous finish. I'm so happy for my brother and his new wife. She's a lucky girl to have my brother, but he's an even luckier man, she really is an amazing woman. I'm sure they'll live a long and very happy life together.

Birthday Dinner at Zoya’s

We spent the night in Tremblant at my awesome friends Zoya and Marc's this weekend. As usual, we ate royally. But this time was extra special for two reasons. First, I got to meet Céline, Zoya's sister-in-law, who also enjoys good food and loves to cook. I'd only ever spoken to her through my blog as she often makes my husband's recipes. She is a fantastic woman and we really enjoyed spending the evening with her and her husband. I'm hoping there will be more of those get-togethers in the near future. And second, since my birthday is on Monday, Zoya decided to make me a birthday dinner. Each course and ingredients were all specifically chosen and carefully planned in my honour. 

Now, she always outdoes herself, but this time Zoya really went over the top, pairing each dish with wine and making things that she normally wouldn't even eat herself. Like our first course, a mango and dill, salmon ceviche. This delicious fruity mixture was so cooling and light, just enough to get your taste buds going but not so much that you were afraid to be too full. In fact, this 5 course meal was so perfectly put together, each portion was just right. This exceptional salmon was served with a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc – Stoneleigh from New Zealand. 

Course number two was equally amazing. Camaronne com piri piri (Portuguese spicy shrimp) and Portuguese chorizo. The spicy homemade sauce for the shrimp was piquant but not too much and tasted fantastic. Marc's dad actually made the chorizo from scratch and they were seriously to die for. They had a marvelous smokey flavour to them and just married up perfectly with the shrimp. The wine we had with this one is one of my favourites and a regular at home, Duque de Viseu from Portugal.

For our main, we had lamb lasagna. A long time ago, Zoya made me a lamb spaghetti sauce and I never forgot it it was so good. So she thought she'd do that again but in a lasagna instead. This dish was so comforting and satisfying I just melted into my chair as I ate. She paired it up with some lime and mint infused asparagus – YUMMY! Wine for this course was a huge treat, Amarone della Valpolicella. Amarones are by far my absolute most favourite wines. She had gotten this one as a gift and had been saving it to drink with me which made me feel super special!

As we continued to sip on this rich wine, out came the next course, a baked cheese, paté and fig concoction that tasted out of this world but unfortunately didn't photograph so well. I decided to not show the photo of it as it really would not do it justice.

Dessert was a sweet rosewater mascarpone with raspberry sauce. A fantastic way to end a meal fit for a king. Thanks so much Zoya! You rock!

Lobster and Fiddleheads

The best thing about being a foodie is that people know what you like and they enjoy getting it for you. I'm guessing it's like trying to buy a gift for someone and wanting to get that perfect gift. It's one of the hardest things, unless you know exactly what they want or like. Buying great food for a foodie is like having that perfect gift for someone. And it usually generates as much, if not more excitement. That's exactly what happened here. My birthday is coming up and my father-in-law, while in town, decided to bring me a present. Lobster is one of my favourite foods of all time – and that's what I got. So much better than getting that ugly red sweater isn't it? 

He also brought the perfect accompaniment, fiddleheads. Not just any fiddleheads. Fiddleheads from New Brunswick. I don't know why but they are just better there.

 The lobster is an insanely low price out east right now and he was kicking himself for not buying it there. He ended up buying it at Lapointe's in the market and they were so full and so delicious. Unfortunately probably a lot pricier here, but for the enjoyment it brought was totally worth every penny.

To go with our lobster we happened to find a rosé sitting in our fridge. We have absolutely no idea where it came from. It could have been left behind from a get-together. At first we thought it was from my father-in-law, until we spoke to him and found out otherwise. Maybe the aliens brought it as a present. Our favourite vineyard is the Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz. We visited there years ago and fell in love not only with the wine, but also the very cool labels they produce. The fact this wine came from there is a present in itself. The label on this one shows your traditional vineyard except that Le Cigare Volant is trying to land there. This rosé was light and dry, Vin Gris De Cigare, 2007. Thanks so much to whomever left this treasure for us!