It’s been a year since I moved into my apartment so I thought it would be an ideal time to celebrate that occasion. Here’s a list of key ingredients to hosting a great party.

1) The Invite List: I included some twitter friends and some “real friends”. A perfect mix. Just look how everyone is chatting away in this photo. There were 12 women in total and it was just the right amount given the size of my apartment!!

2) CREWMEN & Co: I had a (gorgeous) bartender for the evening, courtesy of Crewmen & Co and let’s just say that my guests “loved” the eye candy and the fabulous cocktails that he created. I would hire this company again in a heart beat. Our bartender was engaging, professional and knew his way around the bar.  He was certainly a highlight of the evening!!

3) The Drinks: I had a great line up of Skyy Vodka, Great Lakes Beer (the Pumpkin Ale was just released, by the way) bottlegreen Sparkling Presses , 3 types of juices, wine, club soda, and tonic water, limes and lemons. Everyone was happy. I was thrilled to find out that Skyy Vodka has the fewest impurities among leading vodkas AND ZERO CARBS. This vodka was perfect for my #nocarb diet!!

4) The Food: I served some amazing nosh that I had been “saving” (no I am not a hoarder) from my trips to Ottawa, Buffalo, Montreal and even Detroit. The black garlic was a hit…that’s for sure. Oh yeah – the Chocolate Chex got a lot of love too.

 

5) Good Music: I finally subscribed to Rdio but there was so much chatter that I’m not sure anyone heard the music.

6) Creating an atmosphere: This is my favorite part. I finally had an excuse to visit my favorite flower shops on Avenue Road and Davenport. Not to mention, I brought out  some pewter serving dishes that hadn’t been used in a while. Here’s what the table looked like:

Seriously….. throwing a party isn’t hard work and I can’t wait to throw another one. Nothing like surrounding yourself with new and old friends on a Saturday nite.

Try it!!

Once again, I discovered something fun on Twitter. It’s called Gastropost and it’s a brilliant concept for foodies like me. Every week they post a mission and every week I am addicted to accomplishing this mission (I know I know – I have too much spare time on my hands). One week, the mission was “basil vs mint”  and another week the mission was called “we love tomatoes” and guess who tries to complete most missions? moi.

In August,  I completed a mission that was called “food on a stick”. I was thrilled when I opened up the the National Post on a Saturday to discover that I was featured in the Gastropost column. (see bel0w….I’m the Gastroposter eating deep fried goodies at the CNE!!)

I love when companies embrace social media, and use it to create  a community. Gastropost is a classic example of this. I’m thrilled to be part of this and you can too. It’s just a click away …..so feel free to subscribe here.

Congratulations to the National Post for initiating this brilliant feature in your Saturday edition.

PS Not only do I think that Gastropost is fun but IT’S EASY TO USE. No downloading widgets, no uploading recipes, no linking …it’s so easy it’s not funny. Now go subscribe and complete a mission!!

In the past, I’ve made crisps, crumbles and cobblers. Now I can add  “BUCKLE” to that list as I just made my very first Huckleberry Buckle. That’s right,…I used the huckleberries that I picked up at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market.

After a lot of research on the internet, I selected a recipe from AllRecipes.com.

I am not going to tell you that this recipe was a winner, infact the final result was HORRIFIC.!! I  actually spit out the huckleberry and so did others. Trust me…I like almost everything. It’s hard for me to remember the last time I spit out food. But this FRUIT is not very likeable. It’s not sour, i’ts not sweet., it’s just FOUL. The buckle was a hit though. I would certainly use this recipe again but would use raspberries or blueberries instead.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups Hucklberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup of butter

3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp butter

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place the huckleberries in a bowl and add the boiling water and sugar. (I then drained it after 10 minutes due to a readers comment on allrecipes).

Grab another bowl, and mix the flour, baking powder and salt.

Grab yet one more bowl and cream the butter and sugar.

Take the flour mixture and add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Then stir in the milk. The mixture will be thick and lumpy.

Spread the batter into a greased pan. (I used a pie plate) Pour the huckleberrie mixture ontop of the batter. Dot with remaining butter. (I dotted it with a bit of batter too for “visual appeal”)

Bake in a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. I read another comment that suggested to place a pan underneath your pie plate in the event that it bubbles over. Great advice. Oh how I love comments that are posted on the internet.

FINAL RESULT

PS I had another 2.5 cups of huckleberries left and I threw them out. Won’t be buying this fruit anytime in the near future but will certainly be baking another buckle again with another type of berry!! Stay tuned

 

I can’t seem to visit Ottawa without visiting the Ottawa Farmer’s Market and discovering new products.

Here’s a few examples.

Product #1: Huckleberry: I don’t know about you but I’ve never seen it or heard of it. All I know is that I had to buy it. I also know that I need a recipe. If anyone can help me out, please let me know. I’m sure there will be a future blog post about what I make with them. Warning you now!

Product #2: Carrots. These little gems came from the Perth Farmers Market. I didn’t see them in Ottawa but had to include them in this post. I was told that this variety are grown in window sills in Paris. Can anyone verify that this is true? I couldn’t resist buying them.

Product #3: Lemon Cucumbers. At 50 cents a cucumber, I had to buy these too. No – they don’t taste like lemons. Yes – they do taste different than an english cucumber. I not only bought them last week but returned the following week to buy them again.

Product #3: Hummingbird Chocolate.  I have been reading tweets about this company from @AMWATERS and was eager to say drop by and find out more about their chocolate. While chatting with one of the partners, I discovered that they got into this business as a result of their work in Haiti. I had a sample and it only took one nibble to find out that this chocolate is no ordinary chocolate. Please take a look at the Hummingbird Chocolate website to learn more about this Artisan, Bean-to-Bar Goodness.

Product #4: Pascales All Natural Icecream. My adventures thru the market got even better when I dropped by Pascales All Natural Ice Cream who said  “Hey Girl – I have something special for you”. She was not wrong. Pascale gave me a sample of her HUMMINGBIRD CHOCOLATE SORBET that was too good for words. I truly hope that both Hummingbird Chocolate and Pascales All Natural Ice creaml find distribution in Toronto one day!!

As always, I had a great time visiting the Ottawa Farmer’s Market and discovering new products. Have you discovered anything interesting at a Farmers Market lately? Do share.

P.S. The Ottawa Farmer’s Market can be found every Sunday from May 6 to October 28th, from 8 a.m to 3 p.m, at Brewer Park

I’ve made a ton of blueberry crisps, mixed fruit crumbles but have never made a peach cobbler before. So I decided to try a recipe and it was so good that I made it two times in one week. That’s how easy it was to make and that’s how delicious it was.

I don’t know about you but I kind of like recipes that don’t require any heavy duty equipment. This recipe is one of them. You just need a few bowls…one for the topping and one for the flour mixture. I didn’t even have buttermilk on hand but made my own and the recipe worked!! Yay for the internet.

Here’s a winning recipe from the Food Network.

Ingredients

 Filling:

• 4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove the skins)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon flour

Cobbler

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, for topping
• Whipped cream (which would have been nice but I didn’t have it…nor did I have ice cream which also would have been nice)

Directions

As you know, I try to eat “healthy”  (see previous blog posts about Kale Chips and Peanut-y Tofu). However that doesn’t mean that I can’t dream about eating deep fried fudge or deep fried marshmallow treats. Well, all my dreams came true as I was invited to the the CNE media preview on Wednesday. Here is proof!!

In the above photo, I am about to bite into deep fried fudge from the Northwest Fudge Factory. In fact I am so proud of this photo that I submitted it to GastroPost!

I also took a bite (or two) of these deep fried marshmallow treats by Sweet Treats.

There is no question that food is a major attraction attraction at the CNE.  One might think that unique means “deep fried” but that’s not necessarily true.  It could be triple layer red velvet pancakes loaded with slow roasted and smoked pork, and topped with Jack Daniels infused maple syrup. Now that is unique….in a big way!!

Or what about this idea by the good people at Just Cone It.…CONES filled with Nutella bacon, or pizza or philly steak or shepherds pie!

Clearly there is an abundance of “unique’ and there is those items that will always be around like candy floss, candy apples, Tiny Tims and fresh squeezed lemonade.

I am definitely attracted to “unique” food items but I certainly wouldn’t say no to a candy apple either!!

What will you be eating when you visit the Ex?

Here’s more info about the 2012 CNE:

1. 2012 CNE runs from Aug 17 to Sept 3
2. The CNE is located at the Toronto Exhibition Place
3. To learn more about the Xx and special discount prices please visit THEEX.COM or call 416 393 6300

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall is around the corner! Sad but true. Therefore I wanted to go to Buffalo to see the Fall Fashions and of course, to go grocery shopping. I sent out an email to a few a friends, asking them if they wanted to join me. I promised them that we would leave on a Sunday at 8 a.m and return by 5 p.m. I felt confident saying this as I now use this fabulous BORDER CROSSING HOTLINE that saves me 45 minutes of waiting at the wrong bridge. Here’s the number…1 800 715 6722. Use it!!

I’m going to start by sharing what I bought at Wegmans and then write a second blog post about what I bought at Target. K?

Here’s what I bought at Wegmans:

1. Olivio Coconut Spread:  This product is USDA organic, dairy free, gluten free, soy free and kosher. I have visions of using it with salmon or in a stir fry.

2. Blue Diamond Breeze – Almond Milk Coconut Blend: Again, Soy Free, Lactose Free, Unsweetened and has 50% more calcium than milk. I bought 3 as I’m sure this is going to go fast.

3. Chobani Champions: Vanilla Chocolate Chunk Greek Yogurt. It’s hard to tell from the photo but it’s a tray of 3.5 oz (100g) containers. I knew that this product would make my daughter happy and it makes me happy to know that it’s low fat, made with only natural ingredients and  kosher too.

4. Kozy Shack Bread Pudding: I usually make my own bread pudding but this product is for my mom who lives in Ottawa and adores bread pudding. She’s going to love the convenience!

I bought a whole bunch of other items as well but these are the products that really stood out for me.  In fact my bill was close to $80!! I also decided to become a Wegmans member again as I go shopping there so often that it was time for me to save a few bucks here and there!! Yay for savings…Yay for new products.

 

I love Festivals (see previous blog post) and I love events too. This one came to my attention last week and I immediately knew that I wanted to blog about it.

So here’s the scoop:

On Sunday, August 19, Piola will be hosting a Gnocchi-Eating Competition at their  Toronto location (1165 Queen St. W.). Hosted by Furious Pete, the inaugural contest will kick off at 3 p.m. Contestants will have ten minutes to eat as many bowls of gnocchi.

Over $5,000 in prizes will be awarded, with the champion eater winning a vintage 1963 Vespa. (not just any Vespa)

The Gnocchi-Eating Competition is open to amateur contestants 19 years and older. To enter, contestants must “like” Piola’s Facebook page and complete the contest form. Deadline for registration is Friday, August 17 at noon EST. (errr…hurry up and enter) For those with a voracious appetite and love of Italian food, this event is not to be missed.

If you aren’t in the mood to compete…then why not watch the competition while enjoying a drink or two or perhaps a pizza. (or a salad if you are on a no carb diet like me)

A few months ago, my boyfriend and I enjoyed a delicious salad, a pizza and dessert. Here’s a few photos:

Roka Cababan Salad: Arugula, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella fior de latte, yellow sweet peppers, pistachio nuts and pomegranate dressing. Not only did this salad look gorgeous but it had all the right elements of a perfect salad.

Torta Nera & Gelato: Chocolate cake and vanilla gelato. More like a brownie..it was so dense and so chocolate-y and SO PERFECT!! Our waiter suggested it and he selected a winner.

Finally, don’t forget about Piola’s Lucky Gnocchi Day, which takes place on the 29^th of each month. All-you-can-eat gnocchi is offered in a variety of sauces like four cheese or tomato sauce for $14.99 per person. . Reservations are recommended.

www.piolatoronto.com/gnocchicontestrules

Website:         www.piola.it
Twitter:           @PiolaToronto
Hastag:           #piolagnocchicontest
Facebook:      www.facebook.com/piolatoronto

Wish I could go to this event but I will be out of town. I will be following it on twitter though.

 

 

There are certain recipes that I have been using for decades. This is one of them. Infact I have never  buy ready-made pesto because this recipe is SO good and is SO easy to make. Not to mention that I’m sure many of you have been growing your own basil. (Right?).  This will be a  great recipe to use so you could take advantage of the fresh basil that is available right now.

The recipe is called Pesto Genovese and it’s taken from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant (which has been used so much that it has broken in half). If you like this Pesto Genovese recipe, I might even blog about Pesto Di Nocce next!!

Here’s what you need:

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, pressed

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or pine nuts (pine nuts are the best but they are $$$…I used almonds this time)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whirl the basil, garlic, nuts and Paremesan in a blender or food processor (I use my Cuisinart) until well mixed.

2. Then add the olive oil in a slow, steamy stream until a smooth paste is formed.

3. Drop a dollop of Pesto on each serving of hot pasta and bingo you have a wonderful aromatic meal.

FINAL RESULT:

The recipe states that you may refrigerate the Pesto for several weeks in an airtight jar. Cover the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent from discolouring.

Serve this with a mixed green salad and some bruschetta and you’ve got yourself a lovely meal.

Happy Cooking!