This week I had the opportunity  (and time) to visit two new restaurants and naturally I would like to share them with you.

Restaurant #1: The newly opened Caplansky’s at 156 Cumberland. Yes, The Deli King,….Zane Caplansky, has brought deli to Yorkville and this particular location is the launch of their first franchise!

The space is bright and colourful and has some fun features like a pickle on the front doors and pickle wall paper too.

As for the food: I sampled the Turkey Reuben (exclusive to this location),  BBQ Beef Brisket and a Smoked Meat Reubensque. Of course, I liked all of them! I wish I could tell you I liked one more than the other, but I can’t.

The media event that I attended, also had some fun swag that was brilliant…Pickle Socks in a Mason Jar.

Restaurant #2: It’s called Toast and it’s a pop up restaurant that will be open every weekend throughout the month of May (9 am to 3 pm) in the Distillery District (45 Mill St).

You pick the type of bread and then pick either savour or sweet toppings. Easy Peasy and DELICIOUS

Sweet options include: Nutella Cheesecake Mousse, Birthday Cake Batter, Carrot Cake Whipped Ricotta, Salted Caramel Milk Jam, Ball Park Peanut Butter.

Savoury options include: Green Goddess Goat Cheese, Huevos Diablos, Pudina Cream Cheese, Hummus 2.0, Grilled Corn Mash.

One bread with one topping is $6 and well worth it. I couldn’t decide between the sweet or savoury so I decided to go half and half (Huevos Diablos and the Salted Caramel Milk Jam).

Then you can sit down and enjoy your Toast!

The three woman behind this concept use to work for The Steve and Chris Show (Joanne Lustead, Amrita Singh and Lindsay Agnew) and while travelling to San Francisco saw a similar concept. Oh how I love these types of stories.

Congratulations to both restaurants. Hope to see you again soon!!

 

Toronto has no shortage of fabulous events. Here’s a few that are on my radar for the month of May!

1 Massey Centre invites the community to attend its first “Cook for New Lives” gala fundraiser. This event is taking place at George Brown College Hospitality and Culinary Arts Centre on Wednesday May 4th from 6 to 9 pm.  Tickets are available for $99 which includes a cocktail reception, gourmet cuisine, no-host bar and silent auction.

2. Toronto Jewish Film Festival. (May 5th to May 15th).  I’ve been attending this festival for a few years now and every year I attend a few films that leave a huge impression on me. Can’t wait.

3. My favourite Sample Sale is coming up. This sale will feature Fall/Winter clothes for the upcoming season and it should NOT be missed. TRUST ME.

4. Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival.(May 1- 31, 2016) Did you know that CONTACT is the largest photography event in the world and features over 1500 artists in 200 exhibitions? I’ve never gone (believe it or not) but I’m really going to try this year and attend one of the many exhibits across the city.

5. Appleseed Cider Festival. Need I say more?

6.  The Canadian Tulip Festival. I know it’s not in Toronto but I just had to include this festival. It’s well worth the drive to see this spectacular event which features over a million tulips in 50 varieties blooming in public spaces across the National Capital Region.

Like I said, there’s no shortage of things to do in May.

ENJOY.

 

 

About a year ago, I bought the condo that I had been renting. As soon as my signature was dry, I lifted the carpets that were 14 yrs old and put in hardwood floors.

A year later, I knew that the 14 yr old kitchen had to be gutted. This meant:

-new counters, new sink/faucet, new appliances, new cabinets, and a backsplash.

See what I mean? This kitchen HAD to go.

I then packed up 26 boxes of STUFF. (specifically serving dishes and small appliances). These boxes overtook my bedroom and it wasn’t pretty but I knew it would be worth it.

The renovations started on Feb 10th when I went away on vacation. When I returned, I realized I would be making meals out of my bathroom for the next 4 weeks. It wasn’t a fun period. Trust me.

I selected all the appliances from Sears and I can’t say enough about their service. They got my business as they were the only store that answered my call. (I’m a huge fan of customer service).

My kitchen is now complete and I’m beyond happy with the new look. What a huge difference!

Of course my new kitchen needed a new appliance!! See that coffee machine in the corner of the photo? I’m now the proud owner of a Breville Barista Express Espresso. Stay tuned for a blog post K? In the meantime, please click on this link so you learn more about The Breville Cafe Quality campaign and their commitment to ensuring we all have a good cup of quality coffee in the morning!

Here’s to my renovations that are now complete and celebrating with an excellent cup of coffee!

When I saw this recipe on the internet, I knew I wanted to make it.  It looked stunning and it didn’t require a million ingredients. Plus I knew it would be the perfect side dish for my salmon.

Here’s the recipe for a Zucchini  Rose Tart (adapted from www.Buonappa.net)

Ingredients:
1 roll puff pastry

Filling:

1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
a lot of  fresh oregano, fresh rosemary or fresh thyme!

Decoration:
4 multi color carrots (purple, orange and yellow)
2 zucchini

Instructions:

1. Roll out the puff pastry and place it in the bottom of a greased oven proof baking dish. However,  I was using this recipe for Passover so I covered the bottom of my serving dish with Matza.

If you are using puff pastry, bake in the oven (with weights) at 350 for 20 minutes. Lets cool

2. Mix together in a bowl: eggs, ricotta cheese, parmesan, mozzarella cheese, and fresh herbs (this made all the difference, I promise you).

3. Spread the mixture over the puff pastry (or matzo in my case)

3. For the vegetables: peel the carrots and split in half. Then take your peeler and peel long ribbons. Do the same with the zucchini but don’t peel them. Then place all the ribbons in 2 cups of water and put them in the microwave for 5 minutes. DRAIN.

4. Now for the fun. Roll up each ribbon and then place into the filling (which will acts as a “cement). This take TIME. Make sure you have enough TIME and enough RIBBONS. It took more time and more ribbons than I thought but it was SO worth it.

5. Brush with olive oil (which I forgot to do. Oops)

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes

Full disclosure: I swore a few times while making this but I will make it again. It was really worth it.

FINAL

I served this dish along with:

-Salmon with balsamic onions

-Roasted Cauliflower with a Tahini Glaze

– Beet salad with mint/feta cheese

-Spinach salad with blood orange and pecans

Happy Cooking!

True Story: Back in June 2009, I found out on Chowhound that Poutinis was opening. Naturally I wanted to avoid line ups and got there as soon as the doors opened. Guess what? I was their second customer.

Fast forward to April 19th, 2016: I woke up and saw the following email in my inbox.

“Hi Vicky!

It looks like we’ll be opening our new location tomorrow evening, we’d love to see you if you felt like coming by! (You’re a good luck charm!!)

Sent by Katie

I wrote back to Katie, saying how kind she was to send this email to me and indeed I would drop by after work. By the way, she also found the first customer from 2009. How cool is that? It’s proof how much she cares about her customers. Don’t you think?

Naturally I ran down to their newest location (617 King St. W) and this time I was their FIRST customer. #hooray #happycustomer

I was given this awesome t-shirt and will wear it proudly!!

As for the space, the King St West location has the same cool vibe as the Queen St. W location.

As for the poutine: it’s perfect. It always is!!

Congratulations to the great team behind this brilliant concept. I only wish them all the best and continued success.

For more information:

Website: www.poutinis.com

Address: 617 King St W or 1112 Queen St. West

Twitter ns Instagram: @poutini

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Poutini

At the recent Toronto Food + Drink Market, I stumbled across an exhibitor called TruLocal.

I started to chat wth them to find out more about their business and learned that they deliver clean, high-end meat products that are locally-sourced directly to the front door of their customers.

They know that it takes time to search for a certified butcher and no one has time, right? I am certainly a candidate for this service so I went on their website (which is beautiful by the way) and before you know it, I received the following box right to my door.

In a nutshell, here’s how it works:

1. Choose a plan  (how many people – how often you want meat delivered)

2. Choose a package (i.e. what type of meat you would like)

3. They deliver right to your door.

Seeing as I work, I was a bit nervous to have a box of meat delivered when I wasnt home to receive it.  But I soon found out that I had NOTHING to worry about. The box that was delivered, was brilliantly packaged and my meat was rock, solid (i.e.very frozen) due to the amazing packaging and ice packs (which weren’t your typical ice packs).

Under all the packaging, contained the locally sourced meat that I didn’t have to go source!!

Naturally I had to try the bacon first and it was indeed not-at-all like  the bacon you would get from a grocery store!

I’m confident that this service is going to appeal to a lot of people who care about locally sourced meat and don’t have the time to find it. I’m definitely a candidate to become a regular customer.

Wishing TruLocal all the best with their new business!

For more information:

Website: www.trulocal.ca

Twitter and Instagram: @trulocal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trulocal

Disclosure: My box was complimentary however all opinions are my own.

 

 

 

In Las Vegas. I keep returning to a restaurant called Hot ‘n Spicy Crawfish  as there’s nothing like it here in Toronto. Guess what? That’s changed. I don’t have to go all the way to Vegas as a similar concept opened right here in Toronto called The Boil Bar. I discovered them on Instagram a few weeks ago and before I knew it, I was invited to drop by for dinner.

When I walked in, I immediately started taking photos of the space as I think they did a great job at creating the “right” type of atmosphere.

Here’s how it works: Basically you pick your “catch”, then you select your flavour followed by the spiciness. Your meal then arrives to your table in a plastic bag…all steamy hot and flavourful.

Naturally there’s plastic bibs and plastic gloves and a big roll of paper towels on the table which YOU will really really need.. Here’s a photo of me all dressed up in the plastic bib and gloves ready to dig into my delicious crab.

I also ordered the baked lobster which is not something I would normally order but was opening to trying something different. The lobster meat was perfect and the creamy sauce was exactly what it was suppose to be…um, creamy!!

I sucked back these fresh meaty oysters too. Oh man were these oysters good.

Of course, I had to try the crawfish. However they aren’t my favourite as they have so little meat on them.

I also devoured some shrimp but for some reason I didn’t snap a photo of them. (forgive me?).

There is no doubt about it: I’m a seafood fan and this restaurant is ideal for people like me!!

The meal finished off with some refreshing bubble tea from a kiosk that insides the restaurant. It was a perfect way to end this fun meal.

I really hope you get a chance to check out this restaurant soon. You won’t be disappointed. Promise.

For more information:

Website: www.theboilbar.com
Scarborough Location: 633 Silver Star Blvd. #110 & 111
Phone: (416) 293-2666 Hours: Mon – Thur 4pm – 2am, Sat & Sun 12pm – 2am

Yonge Location: Opening Soon at 664 Yonge St.

Bloor Location: Opening Soon at 442 Bloor St. W

Instagram: @BoilBar

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theboilbar

Note: This meal was complimentary however all opinions are my own

I’m not sure what the stats are but I know that many Canadians are lactose intolerant, gluten-free or have a peanut allergy. Myself included. I’ve been lactose free for about 8 years now and I carry around lactose pills with me everywhere (purse, kitchen, car, pockets) so that I can continue to enjoy dairy products (which I love).

Sometimes it can be hard to know where to shop and how to choose products and ingredients that have the quality and flavours you crave. For many Canadians, this means that meal-planning has become predictable, routine and, well, bland.

However, the President’s Choice® team is dedicated to helping all Canadians find freedom in “-free” products, by showing consumers they can explore new and unexpected flavours and embrace culinary trends, no matter their dietary needs.

I’m loving this initiative that President’s Choice® has launched and recently noticed this giant poster at Loblaws.

While grocery shopping, I picked up some PC® SKYR which is lactose free and has more protein in in than traditional greek yogurt. #fact.

Then I went home and made a delicious French Yogurt Cake using the PC® SKYR. Guess what? I can enjoy this cake WITHOUT taking a lactose pill. HOORAY. HOORAY.

Here’s the recipe for French Yogurt Cake (courtesy of BonAppetit)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess.
2.Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.
3. Using your fingers, rub sugar with lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just to blend.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes.

For more information;

Website: www.PresidentsChoice.ca

Hashtag: #CompromiseFree

Disclosure: I was compensated for this blog post however all opinions are my own  

I like celebrating so I decided to celebrate my birthday the entire week.

Here’s how I celebrated:

Saturday: I went to Bruce Mill’s for one of my all time favourite activities that I have been attending since I was a child. Best pancake experience ever!

Sunday: I can’t remember. (this is what happens when you are about to turn 51)

Monday: Had some gal pals over for sushi. I used this 4 ft wooden serving board that I recently purchased at Farmhouse Artisan Cheese. (345 Kerr St. Oakville). What a great purchase and what a fun night!

Tuesday: Went out for dinner to a newly opened restaurant/lounge called Entice (1036 Queen St W). The decor was inviting, the food was flavourful and beautifully plated. I liked the whole vibe of this restaurant – especially the bar. I’ve never seen anything like it before and it really made an impression on me.

Take a peek at this video which will give you an idea about the cool bar top.

Wednesday: Went to the Giant Tiger #SharetheSecret event and truly had a blast. This event thought of everything. Not to mention, I was able to go home with the cutest shoes.

Thursday: Birthday drinks at Bar Raval. My friend knows me well!

Friday: Weekend getaway to Niagara Falls! When I checked into my gorgeous room at the Sheraton on the Falls and looked at the view, I said to myself “why have I not done this before”. Believe it or not, I’ve never stayed overnight in Niagara Falls before, so this was a real treat. Plus the inner child in me, had a blast in their massive arcade.

I did some research on line before heading to Niagara Falls and Taps on Queen Brewhouse and Grill appealed to me. (4680 Queen St, Niagara Falls) Any menu that has deep fried pickles and vegetable curry poutine has my attention. Not to mention they serve beer and I’m a huge fan of that refreshment. I also liked this restaurant as they had vegan options and vegetarian options as well.

Saturday: April 2nd is my official birthday and naturally my celebrations included a wonderful massage at the Chistienne Fallsview Spa in the hotel, a beautiful cheese plate at the Niagara Brewing Co. and dinner at IHOP. What a great combo of activities, don’t you think? By the way, my dinner at IHOP was really special for me as it brought back so many childhood memories. I didn’t hold back and ordered from the kids menu!

My birthday week is now behind me. Now I can relax. LOL

The other day, I was in the mood to do some baking. Therefore I took a look at what was in the pantry and decided that I was going to make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Then I sat on the computer and googled “Oatmeal Raisin Cookies”. Naturally a whole bunch of recipes came up but one recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction caught my attention.

I’ve used recipes from this website before and I really trust Sally’s Baking Addictions’ knowledge and recipes.

She always seems to do something to the recipe that makes the end result “that much better”.

Once again – her recipe for Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies will now become my “go-to” recipe when I’m craving this cookie.

Recipe: Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (from Sally’s Baking Addiction)

Ingredients

1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs 1
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (yes, Tablespoon!)
1 Tablespoon molasses….(Um I didn’t have this in my pantry and the recipe still came out)
1 and 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups (240g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (140g) raisins
1/2 cup (64g) chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed in your mixer, until smooth. (about 2 minutes).

Add the eggs and mix on high until combined (about 1 minute). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix on high until combined. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients (this is important that you get this step right) and mix on low until combined.

Beat in the oats, raisins, and walnuts (if using) on low speed. Dough will be thick, yet very sticky. Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator (do the full hour if you’re afraid that the cookies will spread too much) This is an important step!

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.

Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for exactly 10 minutes until very lightly browned on the sides. The center will look very soft and undone but that’s OK.

Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.

FINAL PRODUCT

More tips from Sally’s Baking Addiction:

Room temperature eggs preferred. Good rule of thumb: always use room temperature eggs when using room temperature butter.
Soak your raisins in warm water for 10 minutes before using (blot very well to dry them) – this makes them nice and plump for your cookies. OR even try them with Raisinets!

Happy Baking!