Canadian Expatriates, its contributors, and readers have been invited by Foreign Affairs Canada to participate in a series of eDiscussions. The current topic is “Showcasing Canadian Culture and Know-How Abroad”.

We are asked to consider the following questions:

What role does Canadian culture and know-how play in our foreign policy?

How might the government best promote Canadian talent and expertise in the world?

The eDiscussion runs from April 4 to May 6, 2005. At its conclusion, a summary of the discussion will be sent to senior policy planners.

The Expat admin team encourages its readers to join in the eDiscussion at the Canadian International Policy website.

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Posted by Admin

The administration team is currently searching for Canadian expatriates who would be interested in contributing to the Expat Blog. The subject matter is wide open, but must remain family friendly.

If you are interested in joining our blogging team, please send an email our way!

Thank you!

I learned how to cook by watching James Barber's "The Urban Peasant" on CBC. Recently, I came across Barber's website, The Urban Hub, and its recipe bank. It is necessary to register with his site in order to use the recipe directory, but it is well worth the hassle as the directory can be searched by ingredients or by recipe name.

Below is a great recipe off of The Urban Hub for Agasajos which will be sure to impress your holiday company!

Agasajos (Mexican Hot Chocolate)

* 4 cups milk
* 1 tsp rosewater
* pinch of saffron threads
* 1 stick cinnamon
* 1 dried arbol, or pequin chili
* a splash of vanilla
* 4 oz semisweet chocolate, grated or chopped
* 1/4 cup sugar, optional
* zest of half an orange

Combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to low. Remove chili and cinnamon. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then add the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is combined, strain and serve.