A tribute to Toronto's downtown market

I am now back in Boston from what was a fabulous ten days spent with my family in Toronto.  Although I really did not want to leave, the beautiful weather in TO not helping...I am happy to be back, and the weather here (it was summer again today!) certainly helps!

I thought I would give one last hurrah to my trip in TO. Seeing as farmer's markets are one of my absolute favorite things to visit, espcecially the ones in Boston and New York, I think it is fitting that I do a little tribute to the St. Lawrence Market - Toronto's fabulous indoor market.

The reason I like Farmer's markets so much, is that they are the perfect opportunity to experience first hand, the local flavors, smells, colours and products that are produced locally (or indeed from very foreign markets). At the St. Lawrence Market, you get a refreshing view of what is fresh, in season and also some interesting wares from all over the globe.

Located at the intersection of popular Front Street and Market Street, the Market is mostly indoors  On a beautidayul a like this one however, everything is shown under a better light.  The best way to enjoy both indoors and outdoors, is to proccur your goods and then snag a picnic table on the patio overlooking some of Downtown Toronto. This is exactly what we did!

We had an assortment of rish, creamy cheese, freshly cut and smoked deli meats, hot out of the oven bagels (drooling yet?) and huge juicy figs ( I bet you are now...).

Let's take a closer look at that cheese....just for texture's sake:)

It's been a while since I have seen a Brie so rich and creamy, it was perfectly ripe!

We brought all of this outside, sat and enjoyed it.  This is something so simple, and yet so enjoyable - I would be hard put to find a better way to start any day. Unfortunately, mornings like this are hard to come by, but then again, that's what makes them so special!

I usually remain underwhelmed by Toronto as a city, maybe because I grew up there, or maybe because I usually go when it is freezing and I am exhausted - I usually go after the long Nutcracker run finishes in January...bbbrrrr!  I really must say though, that Toronto exceeded my expectations this visit. Of the whole ten days I was there, it rained once and was cold for only a couple days...the rest of my visit consisted of beautiful sunny skies, quite warm temperatures and gorgeous fall colors.

Toronto gets such bad press for being freezing and bleak come this time of year. When it puts on a show like this... everything in the city regains life and vigour...good thing I took my leave before temperatures really plummet though;)

November in Toronto

Three guesses as to where this picture was taken....

Bet you wouldn't guess Toronto on the 1st of November.

It's true, Boston gets snow, and Canada gets beautiful sunshine:) (on the not so bright side, I think my igloo has melted...)

My sister and I decided to head to the Shops at Don Mills, a recently renovated 'urban city' mall, to enjoy the day.

Even though it was beautiful, only a few people were out taking advantage of the weather. Or maybe that was because it was the middle of the day on a Tuesday...my sister and I scored a day like this without the bustle...two for two!

And what better way to celebrate than with a hot tea misto and a good book?  It is so simple, but so plesant, the sun litterally kisses your face. I decided to take a break from my usual Latte from Second Cup (really only to make it that much better the next time I have it:) ). Teopia, a tea shop specialising in rare and premium loose leaf teas makes individual beverages ranging from freshly brewed teas to lattes and smoothies. I decided on a coco caramel tea misto with soy milk. Divinity in a cup!

My sister and I just sat and soaked it all in, I don't think our luck with this weather will last forever.

Home Sweet Home

Living away from your family and in a different country, you learn to live without certain things. Things you once took for granted you suddenly find are no longer there. This is generally a good thing because you learn to become more independent.  However, there are certain little pleasures that are difficult to replace...things like your favorite cup of coffee, and little relics of family travels.

I just recently was given an opporunity to return home for a visit.  It's been a while and I am very glad to be reacquainted with my family...but also with a few key elements of Canadian daily living.

One of the most fabulous things is the Second Cup coffee chain. The espresso and coffee brewed in every locally-owned Second Cup is of the highest quality, strong and dark, never over roasted or burnt. Oh and they have the BEST whipped cream..hands down.  One of the first things I do upon returning to the homeland is to stop and grab a latte....so satisfying!

Now this does not look like much at all, but this is a prime example of not judging a book by its cover...or a granola bar by its appearance.  Here, we have an Island Oat Bar, carried only by Starbucks in certain Canadian provinces.  These oat bars are the perfect sweetness, nice and chewy and great as a snack or part of breakfast.

Just yesterday, I dragged my sister on a journey to find one as they were somehow wisked away from me by the people in line right in front of me...at two different locations! Apparently, I am not the only one who is aware of this delicious and un-assuming treat:)

Finally (for the moment anyhow), we have here an assortment of chocolate, not from Canada, but from Australia.  My mother had just recently come home from a trip abroad and had brought back from the land Down Under, a good stock of Aussie treats. My favorite are the Milky Bars, just plain white chocolate...oh and the Koalabears, milk chocolate and caramel...sooo tasty. There is something different with the Cadbury chocolate from across the globe...it is just so much better than anything you get in North America...

Now, although these are just three little things that I really miss from Canada, they make a huge difference when you need a little pick me up.
There is also something more added in them that I like to call nostalgia...ah childhood memories:)

Posts will follow with my trip to the St. Lawrence Market and other such torontonian escapades - stay tuned!

New York by day, transit by night

There is always something new to explore in New York, and no matter how little time you spend there, you somehow manage to fit in enough activities to fill a week anywhere else.

This past weekend, I went on a 24 hour New York binge...and here is what I got up to!

Having arrived Friday at around 2 a.m (Yay Lucky Star), I didn't get up to much that night...however, my first stop later on Saturday morning was a stroll around Chelsea, starting at Chelsea Market.

Described by my friend as a 'Rachel place', Chelsea Market was indeed, somewhere I would see myself spending more time.  It was chock full of interesting little specialty shops, from a hand-shaved snow cone counter...

to unique little markets each with their on tilt.  I especially liked the curried coconut cashews and dark chocolate covered marzipan at the create-your-own goodie bag station.

A definite highlight was the Lobster Place that was filled with the freshest seafood, sushi and fish and chips bar.

An innocent by-stander with a huge-flaming red lobster was kind enough to pose for a picture...how could I not ask!?

It was tough to decide what to get, especially considering the walking lobsters, but we ended up with their trio of sliders: shrimp, tarragon tuna club and lobster. The lobster was our favorite, but these little guys were all incredible. Even the buns were perfect and would have been enjoyable on their own!

Out of the Chelsea market, we continued our strolling until we came upon Billy's Bakery.  I am aware that the cupcake craze really took off in New York with places like Magnolia's Bakery and Crumbs, but Billy's is something else. I don't know exactly what makes the difference, but the carrot cupcake and layered peanut butter bar were the best I have tasted yet. I got the cupcake for my friend as a birthday treat and, seeing my poorly disguised drool let me have a taste - it was the most moist cake (a huge mark of success seeing as most cupcakeries dry out their cakes) and the cream cheese frosting was absolutely superb.

I did watch the love and care that went into each cupcake though...each one took at least two minutes and involved expert style. They also had a banana cake with the same cream cheese frosting and I only barely resisted the temptation to get a slice...ok well, in reality, I saw the couple in front of me order a slice and figured they would not finish it...and yes, when they had clearly had their fill, I asked if I could try a bite....I have no shame. (And it was totally worth it!)

The rest of the day consisted of more strolling through markets perfect for picking up little gifts for friends and sampling even more sugar-inspired treats.  Luckily, near Union Square, the Burger House was serving up samples of their burgers right on the side walk...so I got some protein in the mix too:)

After all of this, I met up with a couple of other friends and we all went to see The Houston Ballet perform at the Joyce, this was the original purpose of our trip in the first place. It was a great program to end a great day.

Of course, there were a few drinks at Brother Jimmy's BBQ afterwards and then I was on the 1:30 a.m. bus back to Boston.

Why did I leave in the middle of the night?

Well, because I absolutely could not miss out on the 1st Anniversary of the Boston Brunchers hosted by Island Creek Oyster Bar! After a full day of strolling and a pretty uncomfortable night on a bus, being welcomed by a basket full of warm house baked goods was just what I needed.

A fresh bagel with chive creamed cheese and delicious smoked salmon was a definite remedy...and the Bloody Mary with Clamato juice helped some too:)

It was a great weekend, made all the better by some much needed pampering...although next time I go to NY, maybe I should go for a longer period of time. I have been told of a thing called 'down time' and people say it can be quite enjoyable.

And now...for Montreal's finest!

A week in Montreal sure flies by - and yet, I know already that I will not be able to write a piece about every single place I went...it would be a task altogether too daunting!

Instead, I have decided to put together a compilation of the best spots I went to, from the yummiest taro bubble tea to the most surprising bathroom encounter...enjoy:)

A wild night in Montreal would not be complete without a Sunday morning trip to China Town for Dim Sum...and bubble tea! 

Three cheers to the fab crew who made it through a night to remember...and then some:)

There are always those key items you have to get when you go somewhere. Poutine in Montreal is one of them and I am really embarassed to say that this is one of the things I did not manage to do...and this is with their 24hr Poutine restaurant - La Banquise... All things considered, I did have some great Frites from Frite Alors - complete with two of their house made dipping sauces.

After a few nights of Japanese cuisine, my friend and I decided we needed to try some other culture out for size..Indian food really hit the spot...

As did our Vietnamese stint with their Pha - or three layered coconut milk drink complete with red bean and live worms...(or that's what I always tell people:))

Montreal streets are all fab, especially when one is named after you..I told you Montreal does things right!

Speaking of doing things right...what city has a bar called Candibar that serves alcoholic slushee drinks with gummies and ring pops? Oh - and their menu is a giant lollipop!

On thursday, after a whole lot of anticipation and celebrity build-up (i.e. 'Anthony Bordaine ate here last week!') We headed to Joe Beef, a locally sourced, menu-changes-daily restaurant.  The food was phenomenal, with the dessert (and house made rhum flavoured soft serve) taking the cake :) The service was abysmal but there was a bull in the bathroom..what can I say? You win some...you lose some!

A personal weakness of mine is the Bilboquet, a delicious artisinal ice cream and sorbet house. I dragged my little sister here on the hottest day during a heat wave and I can tell you right now that the mango sorbet with their 'Cacophonie' (dark chocolate ice cream with white chocolate chunks and cashews) was heaven on earth.

Finally, what would a trip to Montreal be without a good crepe? My last stop had a sweet finish at Juliette et Chocolat.  My fruit covered crepe was beautifully slathered in a semi-sweet dark chocolate with a lump of vanilla ice cream to help things along.

It was the perfect way to top off a perfect week.

I would like to send a shout out to my bestie, Clara, who showed me all her favorite places while trotting along to most of mine:)

MONTREAL I LOVE YOU

Une Soirée Culturelle

In my last post I raved about the city of Montreal being a mecca of great food and diverse culture. I figured it would be a good idea to shed a little light on one of many summer evenings you can enjoy in Montreal that incorporate the two.

In the summer, you can enjoy free evening performances at the famous Theatre de Verdure, an outdoor theatre located in Parc LaFontaine.  On Wednesday, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, a very small but very well-known dance company in Montreal, was in the spotlight.  After a slight logistical error (on my part...) we realised that we had come two hours early....in a place like this however, this is not an issue.

Dinner reservations set for after the show were cancelled and replaced by a spotted (literally) whole in the wall Japanese/French restaurant, Toroli.

Once inside, our 'botched' evening became an evening of culture, both alimentary and artistic. As you can tell from the outside, Toroli is a tiny little place, on the inside, you feel as though you have walked right into someone's kitchen.  There is one waitress/hostess and one chef - that's it.

We decided to order a few of their appetizers, correctly labeled 'entrees', which means 'entering'. (Everywhere else, main dishes are called 'entrees' which is completely wrong). My friend got the miso soup and I got their seaweed salad - pictured above.  Two very standard dishes managed to become delightful surprises made with utmost attention to colour, contrast and flavour, compliments of Chef Takashi Sakurai.  My seaweed salad came loaded with different kinds of sea weeds, very fresh vegetables and a delicious balsamique vinaigrette. The miso soup was also far superior to anything I have yet seen.

Another hit was their salmon and scallop tartare, served over a bed of grapefruit salsa and topped with jelly and caviar. It was a revelation in a martini glass.

The appetizer of the day ( only the freshest in-season ingredients) was a seafood salad with salmon, white fish, tuna and squid over a bed of many colours and topped with raspberries.

My dish was a BBQ eel crepe topped with spicy tuna and caviar. I chose this dish because it seemed to be the epidomy of French and Japanese fusion...a rendition of sushi, without the rice and seaweed but with all the attitude! I thoroughly enjoyed both the appeal, the look and the taste of this work.

Although I was quite satisfied already, we decided to try out one more item, called the 'Jewels of the Sea'.  By the description; a fried rice cake topped with house fried fish and tuna, it sounded like an upscale sushi pizza.  These little guys did not disappoint, they came four to an order and once popped in your mouth, can be described as....well...orgasmic really.

With such satiated bellies, our minds were in need of some attention so off we trotted back to Theatre de Verdure where we were comforted to see all the other people who had gotten the time right filling the theatre. (This theatre has a capacity of 2500 spectators). We proceeded to spend the rest of the evening cultivating our minds and spirits as our bellies quite were quite content to sit and digest a delightfully fresh and innovative meal. Chef Takashi Sakurai is a master and an artist...I have a feeling my friend will be frequenting this place many times to come!

A good food and friendship roll...yum:)

For some (or a few) very good reasons, Montreal is my favorite Canadian city. Other than the fact that most of my impressionable years as a teenager were spent in this city and that many of my most valued friendships were made here, Montreal is also an amazing mecca when it comes to food. I like to think of Montreal as the best of New York and Europe combined; it has no shortage of amazing restaurants along with a cultural diversity that is really unparalleled throughout the country.

I have been here for two days and have already stocked up on many foodista adventures!

The first one I would like to tell you about, is from last night, when my good friend took me to her favorite sushi restaurant - and she is a bit of a sushi snob:)

The restaurant is called Mikado and is praised for its fresh ingredients and interesting sauces.  My friend comes here so regularly that she is practically part of the family - which is what actually most impressed me with the crew at Mikado...the staff was very effecient and attentive and by the way they eased into various situations around the restaurant, my great experience must be the norm.

I started off with a Litchi Martini and was blown away right off the bat when my server, Darron, brought a whole plate of extra litchis...I did not even have to ask - amazing!

We then proceeded to order a few different things on the menu in order to get a well-rounded perspective. (I should note that we were given a bit of a discount because of my friend's status as a regular, but even still...this type of dining is not exactly frugal...)

We started with their miso soup and seaweed salad, all fairly standard apart form the large and meaty pieces of seaweed on the salad which I loved.  A major highlight was their take on ceviche or a 'Tuna Cup', with big chunks of vibrantly red tuna, avocado, shiso, onions, fish roe and some crispy seaweed layered in a champagne glass.  It went down an absolute treat.

My favorite sushi roll is a toss up between their Paradise - Tara sheet, grilled shrimps, asparagus masago, garlic and spicy sauce (pictued above) and their Hokkaido roll - Salmon Vodka Ponzu sauce, avocado, hom herbs, tempura rice paper topped with grilled scallops.  I also loved their Hanabi roll: eel, avocado, cucumber, tempura and pine nuts.

As mentioned before, Mikado really excels in the simple quality of their ingredients, I believe I had the best piece of smoked salmon last night...hats off!

There were a couple other items we tried, all of which were amazing and although I felt like a giant ball of sushi rice after this meal, there is always room for dessert. We were presented with a beautiful palette of home-made ice cream and sorbets with chocolate fondant in the middle. My favorites: their green tea, which is so creamy and their lemon - a perfect way to tie off a great meal.

I was very impressed with the meal, from start to finish however the highest tribute would be that I went in with very high expectations and was not disappointed...also, after such a full-bodied meal, the fact that I was jealous of the employees sitting down to sushi of their own at the shift's end is itself a major compliment to the restaurant.

It's a good thing I don't live in Montreal, because it would be difficult to keep away from such a fine display of food and friends.

The last of Singapore and return to the Bean!

After a tumultuous trip (major turbulence syndrome...yuck) I am back in familiar Boston, safe and sound.

Singapore was amazing, I am pleased with my culinary itinerary. Here are a few of the most interesting things I tried in my last few days (and a special thanks to Ritz Camera, who were able to salvage my corrupted files and put them on a CD...):

Up first, the infamous Durian fruit:

It looks and smells awful, but actually tastes quite nice. It is like the avocadoof fruits, with a rich and particular taste, a bit sweet and a slightly bitter after taste. Not my absolute favorite, but definately something worth trying.

A famous seafood dish most commonly found among the restaurants lining the Singapore River is their Chili Crab. Huge succulent crabs are smothered in a very spicy but sweet chili sauce. This was as delicious as it was messy, there is no way to eat this elegantly:) 

The local coffee pronouned 'Kope' is brewed jet black and sweetened with condensed milk. I had mine to go and was presented with an iced coffe in a bag...it was probably my most favorite discovery of the trip!

Of course, what would a trip to Asia be without a visit to the dumpling house? Din Tai Fung is their most famous dumpling house and they serve up delicious steamed dumplings filled with ground pork and a soupy broth. They litteraly explode when you bite into them...makes for a rather comical experience if you are unaware!

With all of these local eats, I could see myself staying much longer, but all good things come to an end and I would rather leave wanting more than to overstay my welcome.

On another note, it is nice to be back and I have hit the ground running! Today, along the Cambridge Parkway, The Museum of Science, in partnership with Whole Foods, hosted Let's Talk About Food, an event from 10 to 5 promoting the relavence and importance of food in our cutlure and society.

I am also really looking forward to the Taste of Cambridge, a fabulous event which, luckily for me, was postponed until this Tuesday 28th due to bad weather. It will be held at the Charles Hotel from 5:30 to 8:30 pm.  As many of you may know, Cambridge is home to some of Boston's best chefs and restaurants.  To have the opportunity to experience a bit of everything all in one place is something you do not want to miss. I will be going to take a peak around and am very excited! It will be the perfect way to reintegrate myself into the bostonian food scene especially after such a different perspective!

Oh, and on top of being a major culinary event, Taste of Cambridge is a fundraiser for organisations such as The Salvation Army and The Cambridge Program....you gotta love a ticket that works to satisfy your stomach and your conscience!