When I found out that Nadége Patisserie was organizing a Croissunday, I immediately put it into my calendar. I even blogged about it before the event….that’s how excited I was about this special day.

I thought I would make it to Nadége, first thing in the morning on Sunday. But my morning got pretty busy:  i.e  – watched the hockey game and had company for breakfast! This meant that I didn’t arrive at their Rosedale location till around noon. Sadly I found out that they were sold out. To be exact, they were sold out by 10:30 am!! But the staff were truly lovely and I left with a smile on my face and didn’t seem to mind driving another 20 minutes to get to their Queen St. location.

I was determined. Err… I was on a mission!!

Croissunday was indeed popular. The bakery was packed!

No wonder!!! There were 13 flavours in total and this was the first year that Nadége put on this event. Flavours like – Pistachio/Raspberry, Lemon, Apple Strudel, Beer, Black Squid, Cassis, Olive oil, Rosemary, Apricot and more!!

Here’s what my croissants looked like before I tasted them.

Here’s what the croissants looked like when you split them amongst 5 people.

Here’s what the plate looked liked AFTER they were inhaled.

Congratulations to Nadége for a tremendously successful Croissunday!!  I hope this will become an annual event. Hint.

For more information:

Nadége – Rosedale Location :1099 Yonge St, Toronto, 416.968.2011

Nadége – Queen W. Location: 780 Queen St. West, Toronto, 416.368.2009

Twitter: @nadegetoronto

 

Many years ago, I was a special events coordinator and part of my job description was hiring caterers and working with them to develop menus for cocktail parties, dinners and events. I truly loved this part of my job. I’m no longer in that industry but I still enjoy checking out new caterers, learning about food trends etc. Therefore, I was pretty excited to attend the launch of O&B Caters. 
Yes – that’s right – O&B – as in Oliver & Bonacini. After 25 years in the restaurant business, they have finally decided to launch a catering division!

The dishes that I sampled at the launch were superb and I have no doubt that guests at any function would also be impressed.

Seriously – how gorgeous is this presentation?.  This dish had it all – delicate flavours, presentation and textures. See the three “brown/white” chunks – well that’s QUINOA BRITTLE! I don’t know about you but that’s certainly not something that I usually see  in a salad, when I go to a catered event. O&B Caters certainly take things an extra step!!

And there’s more gorgeous presentation…

I simply adore presentation. Sorry – if I’m repeating myself. But it’s so true.

But there’s more to catering than just a good menu and amazing presentation. There’s a whole team behind a caterer that also adds to the success to an event – i.e professional staff, decor, and a creative team. No doubt about it – O&B Caters delivers on every level.

For more information:

O&B Caters: 416.364.1211

events@oliverbonacini.com

Twitter: O&B_Caterers

 

As you know there are no shortage of events in Toronto. Here are a few events that are on my radar.

1. The Toronto Maple Leafs will hold a team practice outdoors at the newly covered rink at Toronto’s Greenwood Park on Friday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m., and the public is encouraged to attend. I went two years ago and I must say – it was pretty fun to watch them outdoors.

2. Croissunday at Nadège Patisserie is taking place on Sunday Feb 23rd at both locations (780 Queen St. W and 1099 Yonge St. If you are a croissant fan, then this event is for you as there is going to be a wide range of unusual flavours. Im SO going to this event.

3. .Recipe for Change: Feb 27, 2014, St. Lawrence Market from 6 to 9 pm. In its fifth delicious year, FoodShare’s Recipe for Change event will bring 400 guests together for a bountiful feast of the very best this city has to offer. This important event supports healthy food and food literacy education in our schools. Tickets are $125.

4. C’est What    (67 Front St. W) is holding a Bacon and Beer Night on Tuesday March 4th. How can you go wrong with an event that involves Beer and Bacon? It’s a 4 course meal that will be paired with 4 beers. Dinner is at 7 pm., Show at 730 pm. Tickets are $57-$60

5. Macaron Day will be taking place on March 20th at a variety of location throughout the GTA. Mark your calendars!! ps I took this photo of Macarons at La Bamboche. (1712 Avenue Road) and it’s one of my all time favorite photos!

6. Canada Blooms. I adore this show and you will too. Seriously. It will take place this year from March 14 – March 23rd at the Direct Energy Centre and I will be there!!

One more thing that I’m eagerly anticipating is the opening of Mother’s Dumpling on the Danforth. I’m too excited for words regarding their second location to be open.

 

There’s a few dishes I make that can really stink up my apartment. (do you like my honesty?). In no particular order they are:

1. TUNA BURGERS : Delicious and easy to make…but man-oh-man the odour from these tuna burgers permeates the air like there is no tomorrow!

2. BEER BATTERED TILAPIA: One of my favorite meals to make but there is a price to pay. #fryingsmell

3. POTATO LATKES: Thankfully I only make this dish around Chanuka but still….

4. FRENCH FRIES: As much as I love my beloved french fries…., the smell it leaves behind is almost unbearable.

I’m pretty sure that even when I lived in a house, the air was still thick with food odours whenever I fried something. I tried incense, opening windows, boiling cinnamon water…you name it. Then I was introduced to the Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner. Talk about a brilliant machine. I press a button and bingo – no more “odour”.

Here’s more info about this genius machine. (no pun intended)

The Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner takes the guesswork out of air purification with SMART CONTROLS that DO THE THINKING FOR YOU with five intuitive operation settings: Sleep, Germs, General, Allergen, and Max.

It’s easy to maintain and QUIET too. (seriously)

So, if you suffer from allergies or want to eliminate nasty odors from your house/apartment- the Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner is the answer!!

Please note: I was provided with a Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner, however all opinions in this blog post are my own.

For more information:

Twitter: @HoneywellPlugIn

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

 

I’ve been struggling with my weight for a long time. To be exact, I can remember going to Weight Watchers meetings with my best friend in Grade 7. A recent survey commissioned by Multi-Grain Cheerios examining young women ages 10-17 revealed some compelling stats:

3 in 5 women have been on a diet

52% of girls get their information about dieting and nutrition from family member

1 in 5 girls under 18 is currently dieting

I totally believe in these stats! I was also delighted to learn that Multi-Grain Cheerios is encouraging Canadians to take the first step in being a positive, healthy role model by taking the “Never Say Dieting Oath” at WorldWithoutDieting.ca.

As a mom  to two kids,  I’ve really tried hard to lead a healthy lifestyle and to be a positive role model. I try to serve healthy meals which include veggies, fruits, and protein and really do try to make as much from scratch as possible. Not to mention, I’m always heading to GoodLife Fitness to run on the treadmill.

Full Disclosure:  I was on a no carb diet for a year and a half but did not exercise at ALL during this time. As of October 2013, I got back on the treadmill and started to introduce (some) carbs back into my diet. It feels really good and it was the right thing to do. I really do love going to the gym and having the fuel in my body to run again or take a class.

I’m a huge fun of the word “healthy lifestyle” and thrilled to see that this campaign called “WorldWithoutDieitng.ca” exists. Please Take the NEVER SAY DIETING OATH and together we’ll make the next generation healthy – mind, body, and spirit. 

ps I was compensated for this post however all opinions are my own.

 

 

This year, Winterlicious is taking place Jan 31st to Feb 13th, 2014. I’ve been a long time fan of this program as it’s a great way to check out new restaurants for a reasonable amount of money.   There’s three-course prix fixe lunch menus for $15 or $20 and $25, and dinner is priced at $25, $35 and $45. Perfect prices for someone who is on a budget. (Like. Me.)

Lucky me….I was invited by Pangaea to attend their Winterlicous Dinner and by the Hyatt on King  (King Street Social) to attend their Winterlicious Lunch Menu. I’ve never been to either restaurant so I was excited for both meals.

Here’s a recap:

Pangaea Winterlicious Dinner 2014: …$35

The minute you enter the doors, you are warmly greeted and your coats are taken into a nearby closet. Then you notice the high ceilings and the beautiful art. I was already impressed before I even ate anything. Our lovely waitress was uber professional and the menu choices I selected were well executed. It was truly a perfect meal – loved the service, the ambience and the food.

Top Left :Foie Gras Torchon, Grape Confit with Toasted Brioche.

Bottom Left Pork Tenderloin (brined and grilled), Chickpea ragout with spinach, honeyed sweet potato

Top Right: Hot Apple Cider

Bottom Right: Toasted Cinnamon Creme Brûlée, Poached Pear, GingerSnap Biscotti.

Please click here for the entire Winterlicious lunch and dinner Menu for 2014

Hyatt on King – King St. Social – Winterlicious Lunch 2014 …..$20

The entire team at Hyatt on King did an amazing job and reached out to a group of food bloggers to sample their Winterlicious Lunch Menu. Sadly I had an appointment that day that I could not miss and was going to decline. But then I noticed that lobster poutine was on the menu…and I knew I had to attend, even if I had to dash out. In the short period of time that I was there, this is what I sampled.

Top Left: Winter Greens (vegan)
Baby arugula and leafy greens, roasted pears, grape tomatoes, slivered almond with an Orange Chili vinaigrette

Top Right: Lobster Poutine
Butter poached British Columbia lobster served with our signature gravy, angel hair parmesan and frites.

Bottom Left: Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Tomato Bisque Truffle Crème and a Sweet Potato Soup (vegan)

Bottom Right: Grilled Black Tiger Prawns
bell peppers, grape tomatoes, red onions, micro green salad with a soy ginger reduction

Please click here for the entire menu for King Street Socials’ Winterlicious Lunch and Summer Menu for 2014.

 

I really hope you get a chance to check out Winterlicious. There’s still time left!!

For more information:

 

Pangaea  1221 Bay St. Toronto 416 920 2323

 

Twitter: @Pangaea

 

King Street Social – Hyatt Regency  on King 370 King St. West, Toronto, 416 595 2524

 

Twitter: @hyattonking

 

I knew that there would be a snow storm on Wednesday and it would be the perfect reason to STAY HOME  and cook/bake/clean and work!! It wasn’t hard to figure out what to bake, seeing as I received a recipe that peeked my interest in my inbox the other day. This is what happens when you subscribe to a food blog!! The recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction and it’s called ” Banana Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake”.

It’s easy to make, moist and a great way to use up those ripe bananas!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake – from Sally’s Baking Addiction

INGREDIENTS:

My weekend in Ottawa consisted of the following elements: seeing family, eating great food, and  Winterlude! I couldn’t have picked a better weekend to visit. Seriously.

On Friday night – we checked out Confederation Square to see the ice sculptures. It was so impressive and so so pretty.

Here’s a breakdown of our day on Saturday:

10:00 am.  We went directly to Art Is In Bakery to eat a Cronut and their potato buttermilk donut with a maple glaze and maple bacon crumbs. There’s only one word to describe both of these items: WOW. I would not have discovered this treat had I not been following @AMWATERS on Twitter as I read a tweet that she had enjoyed  a Cronut the other day. (well, her 25 gram portion of the cronut!!)

 

12:00 pm We went to Flapjack’s  Pancake Shack which is located right behind Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s in the Glebe. We ordered the JimBerrr! Watson – Double Smoked Bacon, Gouda & Egg between two original buttermilk pancakes. There is clearly a reason why Ottawa has embraced this new food truck!!

5:30 pm. For dinner, we checked out Prime Burger Bar. We inhaled our deep fried calamari, steak poutine and the Chipolte Burger  (double jack cheese, double smoked bacon, avocado and chipotle mayo). Not to mention we ended our meal with DEEP FRIED OREOS.  This restaurant opened in October and as always I discovered them on twitter. The owner took the time to chat with us and in that short chat, we could tell how he really does care about every aspect of his restaurant. I later asked my cousins if they had been to this restaurant and they also had a a great story to share about the owners amazing customer service!

Our day on Sunday continued with more yumminess!!

10:00 am – Black Pepper Biscotti and a Nutella Cannoli from Simply Biscotti.  Note: We were celebrating World Nutella Day early!! (it’s officially on Feb 5th)

11;00 am – Maple Syrup Taffy on a stick – which I enjoyed while skating on the Rideau Canal. Oh how I love this childhood treat and of course skating on the canal was a treat too!

12:00 pm – A veggie Zatar from Aladdin Bakery

1:00 pm – Eggrolls from Golden Palace.

As always, Ottawa is an amazing place to visit. I can’t wait to visit again in March!! In the meantime, I’m heading to Goodlife Fitness to hit the treadmill and burn off a few calorie..

For more information:

Winterlude – Jan 31 to Feb. 17, 2014

Art Is In Bakery 250 City Centre (613) 695 1226

Flapjack’s Pancakes Shack, 809 Bank St, (613) 355 2927

Prime Burger 780 Baseline Road, (613) 680 2051

Simply Biscotti 354 Preston St. (613) 234 5336

Aladdin Bakery 1801 Carling Ave. (613) 728 5331

Golden Palace 2195 Carling Ave. (613) 820 8444

Seeing as I’m a social media consultant, I spend a lot of time working in a coffee shop rather than working from my apartment. There are two things that are important to me when selecting a coffee shop – free parking and good coffee.

Nine Bars meets both requirements! Thanks to my friend, I discovered a side street with free parking. (WOOT). Also, I need to thank BlogTO for bringing this new coffee shop to my attention!!

The space is totally inviting with lots of exposed brick and gorgeous furniture. Clearly someone has an eye for detail.

Even the menu is displayed in a unique manner. You can tell that there was a lot of thought going into planning this cafe!! ps there’s also sandwiches and croissants from LaBamboche!

My friend described the coffee as velvety, smooth and without any bitterness. I couldn’t agree with him more. He also said it was the best coffee he had outside of Rome.! Not to mention that BlogTO also said it was a perfect cup of coffee!

On a side note, the owner took the time to chat with us and it was clearly evident that he has a passion for coffee and loves people! A great combo for owning a coffee shop.

I can’t wait to organize a Coffice Tweet Up here!  Stay tuned for details.

For more information:

Nine Bars  – 46 St. Clair Ave West – www.9bars.ca – 647 831 5958

Twitter: @9barsto

Facebook: www.facebook.com/9barsto

Out of nowhere…I’m noticing a lot of Cauliflower recipes. I strongly believe that Cauliflower is the new Kale!! I’ve noticed on Facebook this week, not just one cauliflower  recipe but two.

For some reason, I’m wired to try new recipes..so I did. I liked the fact that I didn’t have to chop anything AND it was uber healthy. Not to mention pretty too!

Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

SPICY WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER (from www.purewow.com)