On Saturday night we hosted a dinner party. This is not unusual as I love entertaining but this particular party was certainly special.

WHY?

Because all I had to do was set the table. (no joke)

The Chef Upstairs provided everything else! Here’s a bit more information about The Chef Upstairs…they are a cooking studio that offers classes & they also offer private dining events where guests choose the menu, wine & decor. As you can see, I had the opportunity to experience the latter!!

At 4 pm, the talented Chef and his lovely assistant showed up.

The Chef brought with him everything he needed as he had done the grocery shopping, prepping etc. So I gave him a tour of the kitchen and he started to do his magic.

When our guests arrived at 7 pm, I  was actually relaxed and not exhausted as someone else had done all the work (grocery shopping, prepping, and cooking)

We started off with some appetizers:

Then w all sat down at the table and I swear to you I did NOT get up ONCE. I didn’t get up to serve, not to check something in the oven, not to clear – I sat like I a guest and it was freakin’ awesome.

The food we ate was spectacular too. We were over the moon happy with everything we tasted. The Chef was clearly trained and had experience in a 2 star Michelin restaurant – this was all evident.

We had discussed the menu prior to the dinner party so the following menu can be tailored to your desire. But here’s what was served!

Amuse Bouche
– Rabbit Confit with brandy and fig compote in puff pastry with balsamic pearls (beyond delicious)

First Course
– Warm Avocado soup with brie cream and citrus Pico de Gallo and volcanic salt

Second Course
– Arugula salad with Sherry vinaigrette topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and Bellavitano cheese

Entree
– AAA Beef tenderloin with wild mushroom compound butter, served with roasted garlic french beans and shiitake mushrooms and red beet and horse radish puree (everything was cooked to perfection)

Dolce
– Lemon Granita and espresso cookies with raspberry, lime and vanilla bean coolis

-Naturally we had some pretty special wine to go with our meal.

Our guests loved the experience as much as we did. It was truly special to feel like you were in a restaurant but you weren’t!

Thank you again to The Chef Upstairs for this incredible birthday gift!

For more information:

Website: www.thechefupstairs.com
Address: 516 Mt Pleasant Rd, Toronto, ON M4S 2M2
Phone: (416) 544-9221

 

 

Often I head to a farmer’s market and all I want to do is buy veggies and go home and make salads.

Therefore I encourage you this weekend to head out to a Farmers Market to buy some beautiful local veggies so you too can rush home and make a delicious salad too.

Here are a few salads that I made last weekend!

Salad Saturday consisted of sliced zucchini, black olives, goat cheese, and romaine lettuce.

The romaine lettuce that I purchased at the  Wychwood Farmers Market had a huge root at the bottom of it. I swear I never see this root when I go to the supermarket to buy a lettuce.

Salad Sunday consisted of roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes and onions with a salad mix. Then I added some crumbled blue cheese to make the salad interesting!!

I should mention that one night I made another veggie dish that I would make again…..Zucchini Noodles with an Avocado Pesto Dressing. Please click here for the recipe. Notice the little avocado star I made? I was so proud of myself. LOL

I love making salads!

I hate making dressings though. They always take a long time but I know the effort is worth it!

Happy Salad Saturday/Sunday!

Seeing as I did a blog post about eating my way thru Toronto, I thought it would only be fair to write a blog post about the variety of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) that I’ve discovered in the last few months.

1. SoCIAL Lite

This new drink is right up my alley as it’s the first ever ready-to-drink sparkling vodka cocktail that has no sugar, no sweetener and no artificial ingredients. It’s made with a blend of premium Canadian vodka, soda and 100% Natural Flavours. What’s most impressive, each 355mL can is a mere 80 calories and is gluten-free. Hello Summer!

I love the story behind the drink: Theses entrepreneurs wanted to drink on a Saturday night and still be able to run on Sunday mornings.

2. Root Beer is the latest trend with alcoholic drinks these days and finally I scored these two products at the LCBO on Yonge Street/Summerhill. The brand on the left (Crazy Uncle) disappeared from the fridge before I got a chance to try it, and the brand on the right (Dusty Boots) is Root Beer with Beer and produced by Crazy Beard Brewing Co. right here in Toronto. I tried the Dusty Boots and I liked it…A LOT. Then again I’m a root beer fan so I was pretty sure I was going to like it. Read more about the guys behind Crazy Beard Brewing Co. here!

3. Fresh – This apple glow ginger is beyond refreshing. Had a sample of it at an event and will certainly be buying this in the future.

4. The Iced Aroma or Lemon Mint at Aroma Espresso Bar is another summer time favourite.

Aroma Espresso Bar is also running a cool summer time contest (with Simon & Schuster Canada) where you can win free coffee for a year as well as some great books. Enter soon as the contest closes July 15th … K? Ps the name of the contest is Read, Chill, Repeat – LOVE IT.

6; Smoothies!

This weekend I enjoyed the Wimbledon finals while sipping Smoothies made with Genuine Health Fermented Greek Yogurt Protein +. This Canadian product has no GMO, vegan, soy and gluten free.

I grabbed some Almond Milk Breeze and some berries – added the Fermented Greek Yogurt Proteins+ and before you know it, I had a satisfying Smoothie. I’m also a fan of the Fermented Greek yogurt proteins+ Cherry Almond Vanilla bar. Check out all their products here.

Here’s to Staying Hydrated over the Summer!!

A year ago today, I started working as a Territory Sales Manager for St.-Albert Cheese Co-op. It’s been a great year introducing this brand to retailers as well as restaurants throughout the GTA.

My history with this Cheese Co-op goes back to my childhood, as my dad use to buy their famous curds regularly when I was a kid growing up in Ottawa.

FYI – In Ottawa these curds are EVERY where. In Toronto, you can find these amazing curds at Longos, Metro and Food Basics!

Many people say to me: “What do I do with them?” or “I don’t have a deep fryer to make poutine”. Well here’s a few ideas how to enjoy St.-Albert curds!

My favourite way to enjoy curds is simply snack on them right out of the bag.

However I’ve also added them on roasted potatoes with gravy (my version of a poutine)

I’ve also added them to my omelette with asparagus.

One night, I simply added these delicious curds to a plate of steaming spinach. Add a bit of pepper and dig in!!

I hope you get a chance to pick up a bag of St.-Albert curds one day soon. You won’t be disappointed. Promise.

For more information:

Website: http://fromagestalbert.com/?lang=en

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

As a territory manager for St.- Albert Cheese, I have the opportunity to visit restaurants and retail stores as well.

Lately I’ve visited a few restaurants that I would like to share:

1. Frankie Fettuccini Food Truck Inc.: I have a foodie friend who posted his favourite dish from Frankie Fettuccini on facebook, and of course I ran to Mississauga quicker than you could say “fettuccini”. I inhaled this delicious pasta dish however next time I’m ordering their famous Ossobuco Gnocchi Poutine.

2.. Rudy Restaurant: (619 College St). No joke… this hamburger made my day!!

3. Junked Food Co: (1256 Dundas St. W) I discovered them at the Mac and Cheese Festival when they were serving their Smash Bag – Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Cheddar Cheese, Black Olives, Jalapeño, Sour Cream and Chili sauce. All piled in a bag of Doritos. Love their creativity!!

4. Harbord Bakery: (115 Harbord St). These little donut holes have a custard in them (one is plain and the other is mocha). How could I resist?

5. LBS. (100 Yonge St). LBS means Lobster, Burgers and Salads, which is exactly what you will find at this beautiful restaurant that opened a few weeks ago. Love the concept that everything is $22. I ordered a Lobster Salad and those huge chunks of lobster did not disappoint.

Other restaurants that should be on your radar:

1. Magic Noodle: (93 Harbord St) In the winter I head there for their soup but now that it’s hot, I decided to check out a few of their cold appetizers. This particular simple dish of celery, carrots and peanuts won me over. PS Magic Noodle has just celebrated their 3rd anniversary!!

2. Death in Venice: (536 Queen St. W) This new gelato company has my full attention as I’m a flavour freak and their flavours are INCREDIBLY UNIQUE…for example; Peanut Butter and Croissant, Chocolate Mole, Bourbon and Smoke etc. I dropped by Fiesta Farms to buy a pint (or two) and as you can see from the photo…I’m not the only one who has discovered them.

Happy Eating!!

PS Next blog post: What I’m Drinking. Stay tuned.

Long weekends are meant as an opportunity for a quick getaway (in my humble opinion. Seeing as I didn’t visit Niagara on- the-Lake last year, I decided that it would be an ideal destination.

We broke up the trip by stopping to pick our own cherries at Vanderburgh Farms (5511 Greenland, Beamsville, ON).It was on my bucket list and now I can cross it off! I have to say, the cherries were plentiful and delicious too. NOTE: the season is something like 3 weeks so don’t go in August!!

We headed into Niagara-on- the- Lake and got there just in time for the Canada Day parade…which is small. I mean really small. It consists of a marching band, a big cake and politicians. That’t it. But we got our flags and we were a happy bunch.

Then we visiting friends who made the most incredible strawberry ice-cream with a balsamic glaze. The best part of this ice cream was that it was made with a sugar alternative (that I must get my hands on).

On Saturday morning, we headed right to Balzac’s and then roamed around the park to soak in the beautiful scenery.

Of course, I stumbled upon the Exchange Brewery which is a new brewery and tasting room. I couldn’t resist and plunked myself down at the bar for a quick tasting.

On our way out of Niagara -on -the 0Lake, we stopped at Stratus Vineyards. Sadly I never have time for a tasting but snapped a few photos of their gorgeous space. One day I will make it a point to do more wine tastings in Niagara on the Lake. One day!!

Also stopped at The Pie Plate. Snapped up a savoury tart to take home but wish we would have had time to eat lunch on the premise. Again – One Day!!

There’s no shortage of things to do in Niagara- on -the -Lake. Usually I have time to drop into the Pillar and Post for a spa treatment and to enjoy their outdoor pool (the only hotel that has an outdoor pool in Niagara-on the -Lake #justsayin’) – but there was just not enough time!!

I guess this means that I should visit again and stay for two nights!! One day it will sink in, that going there for one night is nice but one more night would do the trick.

Hope you had a wonderful long weekend too!!

I recently organized a media dinner for Rashers as they opened up a second location on Ossington.

I’ve probably organized 10 media dinners over the last few years but this event was particularly special.

Here’s my tips on how to put on a great media dinner:

1. Include as much info in the invitation as possible: dress code? start time?, finish time?, is it a sit down meal or just passed appetizers? can extra guests be accommodated? hashtags for the evening? twitter/instagram handles? is parking available etc?!

2. Keep it small. This event was limited to 12 food bloggers and it was just the perfect size.

3. It makes a huge difference if the restaurant can put up a sign: “Sorry we are closed for a private event this evening”.

4. Stick to the schedule. Most bloggers have day jobs and have commutes to get home! The media dinner at Rashers ended in just over and hour and everyone was really really happy about that.

5. Welcome Bloggers. It’s a nice touch.

6. Allow bloggers to take photos of the food before it’s served so then everyone can enjoy their meal. Signs in front  of each dish allow the bloggers to go home and remember what the photo was!

7. Hand out name tags. I’m a huge fan of name tags as I’m having a hard time remembering everyone I meet at different events!!

8. Try to reach out to bloggers before the event on social media channels and retweet their blog posts!!

9. Include a gift card for the blogger to return to your restaurant another time in the gift bag. Don’t forget to include a menu in the gift bag and a business card with all the contact info for the restaurant.

10. Make sure you have enough staff. This will ensure that the event runs in a smooth fashion and ends on time.

Seriously the event at Rashers did all of the above and I walked away from the event beaming.

Oh ya – it helped that my belly was full of bacon goodness as well.

For more information:

www.rashers.ca

Address: 182 Ossington and 948 Queen St. East

Twitter/Instagram: RashersTO

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

Disclosure: Rashers was a client however all my opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

Today I hosted a brunch for the first time in a long time. It was a delight to put together the menu as I had seen a recipe on my facebook feed that inspired me (one of those sponsored posts!!).

I didn’t think it would turn out so I tested the recipe during the week to ensure that is was “guest worthy”. Guess what? It worked and was indeed guest worthy.

It’s a freakin’ brilliant recipe. The star of the recipe is …WONDER BREAD (believe it or not) and your rolling pin.

All you need is just a few ingredients and bingo you will have your main course!!

Here’s the recipe for Cinnamon Toast Roll Ups (original recipe here)

8 slices of WONDERBREAD
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese (I added a touch of cream cheese too)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Trim crusts from bread and flatten each slice with a rolling-pin.

2. In a medium bowl, combine Ricotta Cheese with a touch of cream cheese and stir until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

4. Spread about 2 tablespoons of Ricotta Cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Roll up, jelly roll style. Dip in melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar.

4. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Final Results

I served this along with:

-A gorgeous salad. (hint it was worth the visit to Wychwood Barns Farmers Market to pick up the edible flowers and the gorgeous salad mix)

-Spiralized cucumber salad

-Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato with a Balsamic Glaze (that I made myself. Thank. You. Very. Much!!

-Baked oatmeal cups (oops can’t find the photo)

-Watermelon Skewers dipped in Campari

-Baked eggs in a bun!!

As for refreshments: I served Campari in Soda with the cutest straws that I picked up at Michaels. By the way, I can’t remember the last time I went into Michaels but I clearly need to go more often. I could have bought a lot more than just the straws!!

More recipes in upcoming upcoming blogs K?. I promise.

Happy Brunch-ing

I made Gazpacho the other night for the first time in a long time. I truly forgot how refreshing this soup is.

Seriously it took about 10 minutes to chop the veggies and in no time at all you will be enjoying a fabulous summer time soup.

This weekend is going to be H-O-T, so this soup would be ideal.  In fact I purposely didn’t post this recipe till today! (there is a reason behind my madness. LOL)

See these ingredients? Simply wash them and start dicing.

Soon you will have gazpacho once you add those diced veggies into the tomato juice! (plus some spices and other goodies)

My Favourite Gazpacho recipe is from Moosewood Cookbook. 

Ingredients:

4 cups tomato juice (I use V-8)
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
1 medium bell pepper, finely diced
1 teaspoon honey
1 medium cucumber, finely diced
2 scallions, minced (I didn’t have any and my gazpacho was just fine)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup minced parsley or cilantro.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups diced fresh, ripe tomatoes (peeled, seeded)
Salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Directions:

1. Finely dice the onion, cucumber, green pepper, tomatoes, garlic

2. Add vegetables into the tomato juice

3. Add lemon juice, lime juice, honey, oil and spices.

*you could puree all the ingredients but I like my gazpacho chunky

4. CHILL and enjoy

Final Result

Happy Summer Cooking!!

 

 

Do you Love Krispy Kreme? Me too. I can still remember the first time I had a Krispy Kreme donut in Florida.
I also remember when Krispy Kreme arrived in Mississauga. Oh how I remember.
I’m sure you remember too as it appeared that everyone at one point or another had lined up for one of their hot delicious donuts.

I’m pleased to let you know that Krispy Kreme has recently opened their latest Café at the historic corner of Spadina Avenue and Nassau Street.

The iconic brand plans to offer classic menu options as well as share new innovations with loyal Krispy Kreme fans. Downtown Torontonians will be able to enjoy the new shop, featuring a “served hot experience”.

Naturally I was all to happy to attend this event which had this very cool Krispy Kreme cruiser outside the cafe.

But I admit, I spent most of my time inside inhaling a hot original Krispy Kreme donut.

It wasn’t an easy choice for me to make as there’s quite an assortment of donuts to chose from! See what I mean?

For more information:

Krispy Kreme, 400 Spadina Avenue,  Toronto ON

Website: www.KrispyKreme.ca

Twitter and Instagram: @KrispyKremeCan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrispyKremeCanada/