Thought I would do a round up a few yummy menu items that have caught my attention these days.

For example

1. The new Tuna Harissa Sandwich from Aroma Espresso Bar.  

Inside this tasty sandwich you will find: two slices of tomato, sliced red onion, sliced egg, a tangy pickle, chopped tuna and the harrisa. I’m in love with the entire combination of flavours.

2. Taco.TO (170 Spadina)

Their vegan tacos caught my attention. Just perfect…both the taco and the price too ($4.45 each).

3. The Kelp Salad from Nut Bar. (1240 Yonge St) Totally healthy and totally refreshing.

4. This $3 Vietnamese Sandwich that I purchased (and devoured in my car) on Gerrard St. East. Yes – you read correctly it was $3.

7. This new Lebanese Bakery and Cafe called Republic. (25 Nelson). Absolutely adored Their turkish coffee and their Hen’s nest too. Definitely going back.

8. Anything from Planta!!  (1221 Bay St). I’ve been to this vegan restaurant twice and it continues to impress me even thought I’m not a vegan. Sadly no photos to share as I always seem to go at night. #bloggerproblems

9. The chopped liver from Harbord Bakery. (115 Harbord) The best part of my job is that I get to meet great people who love food as much as I do. Here’s a photo of the owner of Harbord Bakery and I, enjoying a sample of their freshly made chopped liver. It was perfect. 

Toronto has no shortage of great food to discovery.

Happy Eating!!

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Every once in a while I have the urge to host a brunch. But I’m pretty sure I have Pinterest to blame as I’d seen some recipes that captured my attention. Next thing  you know, I’m planning a brunch!

The table looked like this.

I was pretty happy with the menu I selected, so today I will share two recipes with you. Deal?

Recipe #1: Mini Pancake Kebabs (original recipe can be found here)

Here’s a formal list of what you need:

-skewers

-2 bananas slices

-about 6 strawberries sliced

-your favourite recipe for pancakes. I must admit making tiny pancakes was a bit challenging!

Nutella or dulce leche

Instructions:

1. Spread nutella or dulce leche on each pancake.
2. Take a skewer and insert the tiny pancake, then a sliced strawberry and then a sliced banana.
3. Repeat!

Final Result:

Recipe #2: Granola Breakfast Pizza (original recipe can be found here)

Once again, all you need is a few ingredients:

Specifically you need:

3 cups of Granola

1 cup of Greek Yogurt (its important that its thick yoghurt)

1 cup of peanut butter

1/2 tbsp of cinnamon

1/2 cup of sliced almonds

Instructions:

1 Mix the granola and peanut butter in a bowl

2. Line parchment paper in a dish, and then spoon the mixture into it.

3. Place in the fridge for an hour or the freezer for 20 minutes. Note: I made the base a day in advance and kept it in the freezer overnight. You want to make sure that the base sticks together!!

4. Remove from pan and place on your serving dish. Spread greek yogurt (the thicker the better) on top of the granola mixture.

 

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I’ve recently returned from my first trip to Philadelphia and for the entire four days all I did was Tour and Eat, Tour and Eat…and Repeat. I’m not complaining as I wore the right shoes (my beloved Keen Uneeks) and wore the right clothes (um, stretchy pants).

Let’s start with the touring part of my trip:

I used the Big Bus Tours as much as possible as it’s a great way to see a city. In fact, every time I visit a new city I will use these “hop and off” buses.

I got off whenever I wanted to check out an attraction or museum, and then simply hopped back on after my visit. Their tour guides were cheerful, friendly and informative too.

Usually I’m not a museum person, however I took the time to check out the following museums/attractions and I’m really happy I made this decision.

–Barnes Foundation

–Philadelphia Museum of Art

–Rodin Museum

–National Museum of American Jewish History

–The Franklin Institute

–Independence Hall

-Liberty Bell Centre

-Rocky Steps & Statue

I walked, and walked and walked some more. In fact, my Samsung GearFit indicated that I walked 18,000 steps one day!

As for food:

I asked my cousin to send me a list of where I ate over my visit and this is what she sent me.  I was lucky enough to share a few meals with them which was the best idea as we cut up everything we ordered into thirds. Smart Move!

Tuesday
Carmen’s (cheese steak – lunch at Reading Market of course)
Fiesta Pizza (cheese steak – dinner)
Dalessandro’s (cheese steak – dinner)
Rita’s Italian Ices (dessert)

Wednesday

Dizengoff (inside the Whole Foods…this is unique to Philadelphia)
High Point Cafe @ Allens Lane Station (morning coffee)
Parks on Tap (to enjoy a beer in a beautiful park)
Vedge for a vegan dinner)
Big Gay Ice Cream

Thursday

The Franklin Fountain (rootbeer float)
Lennie’s (hoagie)
McNally’s (for their famous Schmitter®!)
Bredenbecks (ice cream)

Friday
Volo (coffee)
Insomnia Cookies
Monk’s Cafe (for unique beer that is hard to find)

Seriously, there was no shortage of good food to check out! I must say I tried hard to find foods that were unique to Philly and I’m pretty sure I can say “mission accomplished”. Now that I’ve returned to Toronto I’m back on track and eating more fruits and salad. LOL

I summed up Philadelphia like this: it’s bigger than Ottawa, but smaller than Montreal. I really did enjoy this city and do doubt will be returning seeing as the flight is only 1.5 hours from Toronto.

For complete tourism information please check out this website: www.visitphilly.com

Disclosure: A VIP pass was provided to me by the Philadelphia Tourism Office however all opinions are my own

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Did you know that there’s a Cheese Trail in Oxford County? Most likely you are probably asking yourself: “Where is Oxford County”? Here’s the answer. Its a 90 minute drive from Toronto and a great place to discover Ingersoll, Woodstock, and more.

You are also probably asking yourself as well: “What’s the Cheese Trail?”. Here’s your answer.  This trail offers 23 curated stops featuring local cheese and dairy. (yum) and this event takes place every Saturday throughout the month of May. Naturally I had to go check it out myself.

My day started off at MountainOak Gouda. (3165 Huron Road, New Hamburg, ON). Please note, that New Hamburg isn’t technically in Oxford County but on the border! I absolutely adore this award winning Gouda and now I have a better appreciation of this Gouda after touring their facilities and visiting their 200 happy cows in their barn!!

I then stopped into a charming chocolate store called Chocolatea (38 King St. East, Ingersoll, ON) for a sweet treat. I was greeted warmly by the store owner and eagerly consumed a delicious basil/lime chocolate!

For some reason, after I have a chocolate I always feel like a coffee. So I walked over to a neighbouring cafe called  The Olde Bakery Cafe (120 Thames St. South, Ingersoll, ON) for a unique Cajeta Latte. I was informed that 99% of their baked treats are made in-house (yum) and my Cajeta latte is unique to the area as its made with goats milk right from the area!

I made sure to stop into a restaurant called Louie’s Pizza Pasta & More, (440 Bell St. Ingersoll, ON)  as I read about it on www.curiouscreature.com. I am so happy that I stopped by. This popular restaurant is popular for a reason! Of course I tried their famous Panzerotti which was stuffed with goodness!

But this month, they are featuring a deep fried cheese curds and I HAD to try that too!! Guess what? It was freaking delicious.

The only thing I didn’t try was their famous pizza. But I did that on purpose cause I’m definitely going back!!

Ok back to the Cheese Trail I also stopped off at Gunn’s Hill but sadly I didn’t go on on a tour. Again, another good reason to go back.

I then went back to Toronto (sniff). I wish I had more time as this Cheese Trail offers so many unique activities. For example I wish I could have added 3 more stops:

1. Cheese Board and Wine Pairing at SixThirtyNine (639 Peel St, Woodstock)
2. New Seasonal Brew Launch at Upper Thames Brewing Company (225 Bysham Park, Dr #9, Woodstock)
3. Visiting the Dairy Capital Cheese Shoppe (474 Dundas St, Woodstock)

However like I said before, I will be back. Nothing beats a weekend getaway!

PS I encourage you to click here to see suggested itineraries and maps! Oxford County Tourism has you covered and has thought of everything.

For more information:

Website: Oxford Tourism Cheese Trail

Twitter/Instagram: @TourismOxford

Hashtag; #BigCheeseDays

Phone: 1 519 539 9800 x3355

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The month of May is going to wiz by. Here’s why.

May 4 to 14 – I will be seeing as many films as I can throughout the Toronto Jewish Film Festival. I’ve been been busy studying the guide and putting together a schedule! Can’t wait to help them celebrate their 25th anniversary.

On May 4th – I will be walking thru the aisles of SIAL looking for new products to share with you. For example – Sugar Cubes that are available in three flavours : cardamom, cinnamon and saffron. Stay tuned for an entire blog post dedicated to this incredible trade show.

On May 6th – I’m heading to Oxford County to go on their Cheese Trail.  Every Saturday in May, you can head to Canada’s Dairy Capital in Oxford County and enjoy the day celebrating all things cheese. How can I NOT go? LOL

On May 8th at exactly 9:30 am you will find me and my cheque book at this fabulous Sample Sale. I will happily be shopping for my FALL wardrobe at wholesale prices. Love. Love. Love This Sample Sale.

On May 10-11th – I will have the opportunity to drive the the 2018 Equinox on a beautiful drive through some of Niagara Region’s most charming towns. The route promises to include great food, activities and accommodations too.

I’ve been told that the 2018 Equinox is a fresh and modern SUV that’s sized and designed to meet the needs of the compact SUV customer. It will be the perfect balance of design and technology to keep me safe, comfortable and connected.

May 14th – Mother’s Day! Planning on meeting my mom in Kingston to celebrate this special day with her, and planning on spending the evening with my daughter.

May 16 to 19 – I’m heading to Philadelphia and I’m too excited for words as I’ve never been to this city and the food scene sounds amazing. (a priority – clearly).

May 23rd – more good news to follow!!

My biggest challenge is how to get to Ottawa to see the Tulip Festival. ARGHHH.

Hopefully I will get a chance to rest in June.

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I’ve been busy in the kitchen lately which is code for “I have some recipes to share with you”.

I must admit, I was nervous when I was making this dish as I wasn’t quite sure it would work out but it did! (hip hip hooray).

This recipe only requires a few ingredients and wasn’t hard to make at all. My biggest tip to share with you is to invest in a cheesecloth (available at any dollar store) to ensure that your grated potato is DRY!

Wringing out the grated potato in a dish cloth just isn’t the same. Trust me. So here’s what you need to know to make this fabulous side dish.

Recipe: Spinach Potato Nest (original recipe found here www.MayIHaveThatRecipe.com)

4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 tsp salt
¼ – ½ tsp pepper
2½ tsp garlic powder
2½ tsp onion powder (I went to Bulk Barn to grab this ingredient)
4 tsp vegetable oil
Cooking Spray
4 cups of frozen spinach thawed  (I bought 2 packages and it was more than enough)
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven at 400F
1. Grate the potatoes, add ½ tsp of salt, mix well and let them sit in a colander with a bowl under it for 20 minutes. Squeeze as much water out of the grated potatoes as you can. (I used a cheesecloth and you should too!!)  Season with ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp pepper. Add 4 tsp vegetable oil and mix well.

2. In a large skillet, sauté spinach in olive oil. Season with 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder and ½ tsp salt. Cook until most of the water had evaporated, 6-8 minutes. Set aside. (Note: I squeezed out the water with my hands just to make sure it was dry)

3. Generously spray a 12 muffin tin pan with cooking spray.

4. Arrange grated potatoes into each muffin cup, pressing against the bottom and up the sides. (Another Tip: I spent a bit of time, pressing the potatoes down)

5. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until they start to brown slightly . Remove from the oven.

Final Product:

Happy Cooking!

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I’ve just returned from the VIP opening of the first Costco Business Centre  in Canada.

This is what you need to know:

1. Any Costco member can walk in to the Costco Business Centre. (insert applause)
2. There’s more business products. Especially if you own a restaurant/catering company/cooking school etc.
   

For example you aren’t going to see a hot dog stand for sale at a regular Costco.

3. They offer Business -friendly hours

4. Not to mention they deliver!!

I loved walking thru the warehouse and seeing massive quantities of EVERYTHING at super cheap prices. For example a 3.78 L jar of hot pepper rings for $6.89!!

It was also very cool to see the fabulous cheddar cheese I sell (St. -Albert Cheese Co-op)  in the Cheese/Meat Cooler.   So if you need a brick of cheddar at great prices – you now know where to go!!

Can’t wait to see what the industry thinks of this concept!

ps. you can shop online too.

For more information:

Website: www.costcobusinesscentre.ca

Address: 50 Thermos Rd, Toronto, ON M1L

Phone: +1 866-455-1846

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Passover is soon approaching (April 10th to 18th to be exact) and I have no doubt that many of my facebook friends will be busy this Sunday cleaning and cooking (in that order).

It’s certainly not an easy holiday as it involves a lot of food and entertaining and a list of restrictions.  However I’m going to share a tip with you to make it easier. It’s called PINTEREST.

I actually created a Passover Board on Pinterest (see bottom left) to help me organize the recipes that I’m going to attempt to make for the Seder.  Why didn’t I think of this idea before?

Here’s the menu for my Vegetarian Seder that I will be serving on the first night!  (thanks to my Pinterest Passover Board).

Arugula Orange Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

Salmon with Creamy Avocado Sauce

Matzo Stuffed Herbed Tomatoes

Garlic Herb Cauli-Rice

Spinach Potato Nests

Dessert: Fruit (not making anything that involves a gazillion eggs or matzo meal)

As for my table – I’m naturally going to use my grandmothers china that I pull out every Passover. But I’m also going to attempt to make a few of these great “table decor ideas” that I found on Pinterest – not with purple but with burgundy to match the china (of course. LOL). I actually made the idea on the bottom right last year and it was a huge hit.

 Not sure if the matza vase is going to turn out but we will soon find out. Hoping its’ not going to be a #PinterestFail.

Here’s one more tip to make your Passover Seder easier! I saw this idea on Pinterest a few months ago, and IT WORKS.  Trust me.

Wishing all my friends who celebrate Passover, a very meaningful holiday.

Happy Cooking (and Cleaning).

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Please forgive me as I haven’t been blogging as much as I normally do. You can blame the following recipe which is so simple that I’m making a batch every two days. What’s not to love? All you need is a blender and a few ingredients. I’m also loving the fact that there’s NO FLOUR, NO SUGAR and NO BUTTER in this recipe.

This recipe is saving me in the morning as I tend to sleep in till the last possible moment. As a result – there’s always a mad dash out the door WITHOUT eating anything. Now I simply grab a zip lock bag and enjoy these muffins in my car. Can anyone else relate?

I’m not going to keep you waiting much longer for the recipe. Here it is!

Recipe: Blender Oatmeal Muffins (original recipe can be found here – www.wellplated.com)

Ingredients

2 cups oats (quick cooking or old fashioned – I used old fashioned)
2 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cups of mix ins – chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, chopped dates – whatever you want!!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients in the blender. (how easy could this get?).

3. Drop batter into a well greased muffin pan. Fill no more than three-quarters of the way to the top. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips or nuts as desired. Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops of the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

FINAL RESULT!!

Happy Baking!!

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I recently worked at the Restaurants Canada  giving out samples of squeaky cheese curds to a variety of people who work in the Restaurant Industry (chefs, caterers, restaurant owners, etc).

When I took my breaks, I quickly walked thru the show to discover new products and say hello to fellow exhibitors like Lemon Lily, Lorelyns Gourmet Desserts and Walter Craft Caesar.

Here’s a few products that caught my eye. For some reason they are all beverages…which either indicates that I was really thirsty or it’s a growing category!!

1. Pink Lemonade Beer by Farmery Estate Beer! #interesting
   

2. Hatch – Cold Brew Iced Tea. Love the packaging and the combo!

3. This organic Maple Syrup Soda

Plus this beverage caught my eye as well. Especially the blood orange flavour!

I ate and ate and ate for 3 days solid…a little this and a little of that. When I got home there was no need for dinner just a huge need to lie on the couch!! (can you say Netflix and Chill?).

The best part of the show was knowing that Uber Eats would deliver to my booth. All I did was download the app, order what i wanted from the menu (which would come from other exhibitors) and within 20 minutes it was delivered. Oh how I love technology (and food t00).

Already looking forward to the next trade show which will be SIAL – May 2 to 4th.

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