Favourite Links

1. This summer, I’m going to eat ALL the strawberries. And these are just some of the ways I plan on doing that.

2. Everyone is Painting their own Abstract art and you should too! I recently felt really inspired by this article to try and make a couple of abstract art pieces for my apartment. I figured it’s a good way to add some complementary colors to a space in an inexpensive and creative way.

3. I am not a big DIY person, but these I may have to make an exception for. So pretty!

4. Reading about the Mother Sauces of Thailand helps me learn more about a cuisine I’m completely obsessed and fascinated with, yet can sometimes feel overwhelmed by.

5. Have you been eating your Pho noodle soup wrong? Check out this crave worthy video, that shows you how to do it the right way.  P.S. slurping is encouraged! Mmmmm.

6. This video about Kalustyan’s, the legendary spice mecca and Indian supermarket in Manhattan, gives you a  quick tour of some of the rare and exciting things you might find there. Saffron ice cream or ghost peppers anyone? It’s things like this that make me want to go back to NYC again and again.

Picks of the Week

The decadent and delicious Strawberry Shortcake cone from Sweet Jesus. 

Can you believe it’s June already? I was talking about this with some friends over brunch last week, and no one disagreed in that the year has simply flown by.

The last couple of weeks have been especially busy and eventful, with one of the bigger events I had been working on, wrapping up last Thursday. Nonetheless, I have been trying to take advantage of little opportunities to savor this amazingly perfect weather. I mean, as much as we all hate winter, before we know it, we’ll be complaining about the heat, no? Get that sunshine, and LOTS of it while you can.

I hope you all have an amazing weekend!

Enjoying light jacket weather and some sunshine.

Oysters and a glass of Rose. 

Avocado toast with a drizzle of honey and a light sprinkling of Maldon sea salt.

Taking full advantage of our brand new BBQ!

Picks of the Week

(Making my own breakfast McMuffins thanks to this gadget.)

It’s the long weekend and I couldn’t be happier. Not only is the weather supposed to be amazing but M and I are heading up to the cottage for a much needed weekend of refreshment. Think beautiful Georgian Bay waters, sunshine, a few day drinks and quality time with friends. I hope you have a relaxing weekend!

(Sampling seasonal brews.)

 

(The Panzanella salad at Nodo for a belated Mother's Day dinner.)

(These seeds from the IKEA Pop Up on King St. are going to help me create my summer patio garden. #StartFooding)

(Ontario grown hot sauce from Stasis Preserves. I love expanding my hot sauce collection.)

Scandi Toast

How do you feel about the current fancy toast trend? From avocado to Scandinavian inspired toast, I’m a pretty big fan. I cannot get enough of this simple, delicious and always satisfying food option. However, because they can fetch up to $10 in some restaurants, I love making my own. The best part is that it can be super easy and it’s really, really good.

Fancy toast all day, every day. And doesn’t that sound wonderful?

Scandi toast feels fresh and healthy, the briny smoked fish and bright dill coming together to make it feel like Spring. What is Scandi inspired toast you ask? A beautifully toasted rye or sourdough slice topped with a generous helping of cream cheese and topped with smoked fish, thinly sliced onion (or chives if you prefer a milder flavor) and topped with some fresh dill and capers. And don’t forget that essential squeeze of lime or lemon.

Maldon sea salt makes for the perfect finish by adding an extra bit of savoriness and crunch. It’s such a simple dish, so the little things count.

A great variation is adding slices of deliciously ripe tomatoes or cucumber on top. Imagine eating this for lunch on a lazy weekend afternoon. Preferably outside on the patio. It’s so good you guys.

Outside of the 6

Due to temporary career related situation I was on hiatus from the 416 during my  9-5. Every weekday morning  I travel to the western suburbs of Mississauga where I secretly grieved not being in the city. Except for the much appreciated hiatus to the cottage or beloved travel stints, I definitely consider myself a pretty hardcore city person.

Although my loyalty will always remain with the Six, I was pleasantly surprised by the available food options that have recently flourished in the western burbs. I’d heard rumours about Mississauga having a great Indian food scene, but I was still a little skeptical about the overall options.

The first positive sign was the prevalence of the Burger’s Priest. Their burger is one of my favorites in the city. However, once I realized how vast their expansion had become in such a short amount of time, I was worried their quality may suffer. Seriously, there were 2 locations, probably no more than a 10 minute drive away from each other, smack dab in the middle of Mississauga. Would it lose its mom and pop appeal and dependable quality now that it was bordering on a form of mass production?

Their Priest burger helped to calm my fears. (Likely through the food coma that overtook me, but that’s really not the point) FYI the Priest is a sinful ooey gooey portobello mushroom cap stuffed with cheese and breaded in panko before being deep fried and appropriately placed on top of a freshly cooked beef patty. Of course it likely contains more cheese than is probably recommended one eats in a week but it is a worthy experience because it’s reaaally good.

Although I did get to try some Indian food – Indian Cuisine by the Lake  was good but not memorable – and some hot pot – at the satisfying and delicious Mongolian Hot-Pot – the best food I had was ironically something that I can already find in the city. Perhaps a little more exploration would have revealed other hidden gems, but before I knew it, my suburban stint was over.

Do you have a favorite spot outside of the 6? Currently my favorite is the Punjabi by Nature in Brampton and I also quite enjoy Sun’s Kitchen in Markham, but that’s another story for another time.

Fish Tacos & The Best Guacamole you’ll ever eat

I absolutely love Mexican food, and seeing as it was Cinco de Mayo just last week, I thought I would share with you my favorite guacamole recipe. Although with its bold and spicy flavors, and the weather warming up, who isn’t craving Mexican food right now? It is definitely at the top of my craveability list most days.

Luckily for me, a few years ago, my friend Alina – who just so happens to descend from the land of tequila, tacos and guacamole – decided to give me her super authentic and exceptionally delicious guacamole recipe. To this day, it’s the best guacamole I have ever had.

I have slightly adapted it, and the result is a bright and bold mix that tastes just as good on fish tacos as it does on a grilled steak, pulled pork or shredded chicken taco. It is also excellent option for dipping your nachos into. And nacho time is a happy time.

Here, I have it on ‘smokey’ fish tacos, and it is so good! The best part? This recipe is actually pretty light and healthy, but you would never know based on the taste. Did I mention the avocado gets a little extra love by using a mortar and pestle to give it amazing creaminess, yet allow for perfect chunkiness? I swear it’s better this way.

Scroll down for life changing recipe goodness.

Ingredients

Guacamole

• 1 ripe tomato
• 1/2 bell pepper (green, yellow or red depending on preference)
• 1 jalapeno
• 1/2 large onion
• zest of 1 lime
• 3 avocados
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/3 teaspoon Tex Mex seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• handful of cilantro (or a bit more if you prefer), finely chopped
• 1/3 teaspoon grape seed oil, or a similar mildly flavored oil

Tacos

• 4 Cod fillets
• 1 tablespoon Tex Mex seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• Corn tortillas

Note: Cilantro sprigs, lime wedges, and sliced jalapenos are great garnish options depending on your preferences. I like all 3.

Preparation

Guacamole

Take the tomato, bell pepper, jalapeno and onion and chop finely. Put in a bowl and add the lime zest. Scoop out the avocados into a pestle and mortar and add the lime juice. Mash until creamy, but a few chunks are still left. (Note: You may have to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of you mortar and pestle.) Add the avocado mixture, spice, salt, pepper, cilantro and grape seed oil. Mix until combined, but do not over mix. Cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge.

Fish Tacos

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. (Of course, you are more than welcome to grill your fish, at which point you should preheat your grill to medium.) Add the spices, salt, pepper and liquid smoke to the fish, coating the fillets on both sides and slightly massaging the flesh. Place in a roasting pan and stick it in the oven for 15-20 mins, or until fish flakes when touched with fork. Remove from oven, transfer to serving plate, and allow it to rest for about 5 mins. While fish is resting, slightly char your tortillas on medium-high heat in a cast iron or on the grill.

Assemble fish and guacamole on top of freshly warmed tortillas and garnish with toppings of choice.

(Obvious but necessary) Tip:

Nothing goes better with tacos than a refreshing beverage, so have a drink in honor of Spring! Beer or tequila goes VERY well with tacos, but if you’re feeling fancy, I also strongly recommend a Paloma. After all, Cinco de Mayo may be over, but in my books, warm weather is a cause to celebrate. Cheers!

Have an Amazing Weekend

It is that glorious day once again. Of course, I am referring to Friiday! TGIF folks.

Do you have any weekend plans? In case you are looking, here are some friendly suggestions based on some of my favorite things at the moment.

I am hoping to drop by Glory Hole Doughnuts because it has been far too long. I still dream of their luscious and dreamy lemon meringue doughnut. Although their other doughnuts aren’t too shabby either. If the above picture doesn’t convince you. I don’t know what will. But really, you should go and see for yourself..

The Meanwhile in Thailand platter from 416 Snack Bar is authentic and so, so good. Start off with some oysters and a glass of rosé and you have a casual but seriously amazing meal for two.

Have you checked out H&M’s new home section yet? Exclusively available at their Eaton’s Center location, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of things that I found calling to me. These pineapple candles are now happily sitting on my coffee table and I am completely obsessed with them.

Have you seen the Netflix series Cooked? It’s visually stunning, relevant, thought provoking and it will undoubtedly inspire you to get cooking. This weekend’s weather forecast isn’t looking that great, and this is definitely worthy of a binge watch. It might also be a good show to share with your mom on Mother’s Day.

The Covert Food Find

Have you ever been to the Village by the Grange food court? I love its seemingly covert location under the skyscrapers near Dundas and University, and right across from OCAD.

It feels like a bit of Chinatown spilled over into the subterranean spot, where your usual food court chain restaurants are nowhere in sight. A really diverse and authentic collection of great local lunch spots serve everything from Indian to Chinese cuisine.

The first time I ate here it felt like I accidentally stumbled across a well kept secret. Of course, this added to its charm. I definitely tend to love the feeling of having somehow ‘discovered’ a new food place. And this has that aspect built right in.

My favorite place, and likely their best known spot, is one of Mean Bao‘s earlier locations. As you may deduce from the name, they specialize in steamed bao, serving drool worthy toppings on soft and fluffy steamed buns. The best part? Just like the rest of the food court, everything is very reasonably priced. Which means you can order even mooore things to try. What’s not to like?

The pork belly bao is probably my favorite. Perfectly balanced and bursting with flavor, the meaty pork belly is offset by the fresh and crunchy texture of the slaw, cilantro and crushed peanuts. Having said that, the Enoki mushroom bao is not to be missed.

They also serve pretty good dim sum, which in my opinion, is always welcome. Try the shrimp dumplings!

I look forward to going back an trying some of the other restaurants at The Grange.

Any personal favorites I should know of?

The Weekend Ritual: So Appetizing

There is something about a great weekend ritual that is so satisfying and just downright wonderful. Probably because it often exposes itself as the thing that you really love doing. In this case it is eating bagels topped with cream cheese and smoked fish.

On Saturday mornings, “M” and I often find ourselves heading over to Schmaltz Appetizing. By leisurely grabbing a bagel and some Station Cold Brew Coffee I really feel that weekend vibe I crave all week.

Tucked behind Fat Pasha, off of Dupont, in what to some degree may be considered Anthony Rose’s neighbourhood, it is Jewish deli heaven. Besides offering fresh bagels topped with a variety of cream cheeses, their smoked fish and memorable combinations steal the show. I let their sumptuous menu guide me in what combinations work best, seeing as the smoked fish options, as well as other fixings – dill cucumbers, capers, wasabi tobiko,and even caviar to name some – get me too excited to make a quick decision.

My current favorites are the “Chub Chub” – smoked whitefish salad, gravlax, horseradish cream cheese – and the “Smoked Pastrami Salmon”  with cream cheese on your bagel of choice. Need I say more? 

This is weekend happiness folks.

Is your love for the Jewish deli as strong as mine?

 

Entertaining with Meat & Cheese

 

I love having people over, and if you have ever watched a Julia Ziegler-Haynes video you will understand the urge even more.

But is there really a better way to do it than with a beautiful spread of Meat & Cheese? Let’s just take a moment to consider that those two words may in fact be the two most beautiful words in the English language.

To complete an appropriate charcuterie and cheese spread you will also need some fruit – figs, grapes, berries, sliced pears, grilled peaches are all great options – and carbs to carry the richness of the meat & cheese. You can never go wrong with a fresh, thinly sliced baguette. For a nice touch consider adding a jar of honey, some nuts, an assortment of pickled veg, olives, and perhaps some fresh herbs, if only to add some beautiful fresh greenery to your spread. Of course, don’t forget the vino!

YUMMMM. And let’s not deny, pretty darn classy. Aamiriight?