Had some friends over for dinner the other night, which gave me the opportunity to try two new salads and repeat one favorite salad. I used tastespotting to look for new recipes and once again, I wasnt disappointed.

TOMATO/HEARTS OF PALM SALAD (I have been making this for years..its a winner) p.s this recipe is from a friend

Ingredients

2 containers of grape tomatoes (cut in half – this is the longest step)

1 can of sliced hearts of palm

corriander

1/4 cup of red onion

Dressing – (sorry I dont have the measurements….will you forgive me?)

vegetable oil

ketchup

cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Mix the tomatoes, hearts of palm, and red onion together in a bowl. Mix the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad.

END RESULT:

SPRINGY QUINOA SALAD WITH SUGAR SNAPS, MINT AND GINGER YOGURT DRESSING

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1/2 lb sugar snaps ( I had peas in a pod – so I used them instead)

1/4 cup sliced, toasted, almonds

1/4 cup fresh chopped mint

Dressing

3/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp honey

Preparation:

Prepare quinoa. Add almonds, mint and snap peas to the quinoa. Mix together dressing and add to the quinoa mixture.

END RESULT:

NOTE: I bet this salad could be prepared with couscous instead of quinoa or even as a pasta salad.

Mixed Greens with a Buttermilk Herb Dressing

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 mayonnaise

tarragon, chives, parsley

a bit of minced onion or minced shallot

Preparation: Put all ingredients in the Cuisinart and pulse till the herbs are chopped. Pour the dressing over mixed greens.

END RESULT:

I will admit it, I own too many kitchen appliances. I need another one like another navel. BUT…the bright colors WERE CALLING MY NAME (Cuisinart knows how to get my attention) and I just had to have one when I saw this Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker at Costco for $49.99.

I was reading so many tweets last year from @kalofagas last summer about his ice cream making adventures that I’m almost ready to blame him!!  But I won’t. He truly inspired me and as a result I’m now making FRESH ICE CREAM.  A huge thank you to to @kalofagas for his inspirational tweets.

Here’s how easy it is:

RECIPE FOR FRESH STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM (taken from the manual)

2 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup whole milk – well chilled

2 cups heavy cream – well chilled

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

STEP ONE:

Combine the strawberies, with 1/2 cup of sugar and the lemon juice. Let sit for about two hours. Strain the berries, reserving the juices. Mash or pureee the strawberries (I used a blender for this step).

STEP TWO:

Use a mixer and on low speed, combine the milk and the remaining sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 -2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, reserved juice, mashed strawberries and vanilla.

STEP THREE:

Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of  the Cuisinart – and press a button.

Twenty five minutes later…. I have unbelievable creamy fresh strawberry ice cream.

Hope you visit your local Costco soon – so you too can buy a Cuisinart Classic Frozen Yogurt – Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker.

I can’t wait to experiment with flavors: Coffee, Ginger, Rhubarb, Lemon, Watermelon,….It’s going to be a delicious summer!

PS Can someone now inspire me to use the Cuisinart Yogurt Machine that has been sitting in my basement (in a box) for the last year?

I’ve just returned from Picton as I attended the first ever – Great Canadian Cheese Festival.

The festival was held at Cyrstal Palace Fairgrounds, in Picton from June 3rd to 5th, with a full schedule that included: A Cheese Tour, Tutuored Tastings and Seminars, a Gala dinner and more.

I decided that a day trip to attend the Sunday Artisan Cheese and Fine Food Fair would be perfect.  I am SO glad I attended. First of all – I love cheese. Second of all – it allowed me to visit Picton. How could I not go?

The venue was stunning. There were some vendors inside a gorgeous building and some vendors outside under tents. I really did enjoy the setting. Who was there? Lots of cheese makers, lots of wine, a nice variety of beer ,and a few food vendors. I can’t complain.

I enjoyed many of  the cheese samples (with about 4 lactaid pills) and was thrilled to be introduced to new cheeses.

I discovered :

• Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co. introduced a new cheese called Morning Moon TODAY.
• Prime Ridge Pure will be rolling out their first cheese EVER – next week
• Fromagerie Medard will be introducing a new cheese called Belle-Mere next week
• Upper Canada Cheese has a new cheese called Cottage Gold.

More discoveries: I loved the presentation of these chocolates that were infused with wines from Mercury Chocolates (located in Cobourg).What a beautiful dinner gift for someone who loves wine and chocolate!!

Seeing as the Crystal Palace was so close to the main street in Picton, I had to make a stop at Buddhas Dog (172 Main). I was eager to try Chef Flynns’ (who I met by the way) dragon breath mousse with rhubarb compote and locally grown asparagus on a home made hot dog bun. I  was happy!! Thanks to @OntarioCulinary for the great recommendation.

It was the first year that the Cheese Festival took place and I understand that it will be an annual event. I am thrilled for them. Congratulations to George Kolesnikovos who is the founder and director. I’m sure each year will get bigger and better.  Here’s a picture of George – he was easy to find!!

Looking forward to attending next year!!

As you know, I’m a food sales rep which means I visit a lot of grocery stores. But even when I’m on vacation, I still like to visit grocery stores.

In New York last week, I discovered:

Cinnamon Chex that are gluten free! I had bought the chocolate flavored chex on a previous visit but I’m now in love with the cinnamon flavor. My biggest regret: only buying one box. What was I thinking?

Dr. Browns Cel-Ray Water: I went to Katz’s deli and bought this even though it was a small fortune (close to $3 a can).  I knew that finding it somewhere else would be a challenge, so I navigated my way thru the crowds and the lines and bought a few. Specifically I bought this for my dad. Our American cuzins use to bring this for the Canadian Cousins in the 70’s and 80’s and we all still have a soft spot for this soda. Definetley an acquired taste. ps. one of the ingredients is “extract of celery seed”.

Baconnaise: I discovered this product at the fancy food show last year in NYC. So when I saw it on the grocery shelf, I grabbed a jar to bring home. Then when I got home, I was reading a blog (Erin Loves Food) only to find out you can buy it in Toronto at Lakeview Storehouse. Go Figger.  Ps this product is Kosher (OU).

Here in Toronto…I have discovered:

Dole Fruit Crisp: I saw this new product at a food show a few months ago as well. I brought it home and we loved it. I have to admit that I dont have time every nite to make rhubarb crisp (yes – I’m only human). This product certainly comes in handy – for dessert or for the kids lunch boxes. No to mention you can enjoy it cold or slightly warmed up in the microwave.

Holy Crap:  I bought this at Natures Emporium (which you should visit by the way – even if its far) but I’m scared to use it. LOL. (ps I’m not joking – its been in the cupboard for months now).

Disclosure: #1. I am part of the Life Made Delicious Connector Program and I receive special perks as part of the affiliation with this group. The opinion on this blog our my own.

Disclosure #2: I received the Dole Fruit Crisps as part of a program with Matchstick. The opinion on this blog our my own.

I’m in the mood for sharing some more of my favorite recipes. Now that rhubarb is appearing in grocery stores,  I thought I would share this recipe for “Best Ever Rhubarb Crisp” that I have been using since 2009.  It’s Star Tested by Susan Sampson! The article actually says “adapted from the 1983 Toronto Star Cookbook by Jim White.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs (7oo grams) rhubarb diced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 6 cups) ****

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup melted butter

Preparation: In a large bowl, toss rhubarb, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Transfer to a lightly greased 8 inch square baking pan

For the toppping: In a a bowl, toss together flour, sugar, and oats. Drizzle in butter. Mix well with a fork. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

END RESULT:

The Star is right..it's the best rhubarb crisp.

***for some reason (probably cause I didnt have enough rhubarb), I used a combo of strawberries AND rhubarb. For this blog entry I used a 1 lb container of strawberries and one cup of rhubarb. It’s still delicious. No one in my family is complaining.

Happy Baking!

After eating my way thru New York City  – it was time for me to, um, eat healthier. This means – cut down on eating out and make more salads at home!!

Here’s two of my favorite corn salads.

(original recipe posted on The Pioneer Woman – sadly I cant find the exact link – sorry )

4 ears of corn, cooked

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 large avocados (I used only 1)

1 jalapeno, seeded and finally diced (I only used a little)

Dressing:

juice of 1 lime

plenty of cilantro

salt

1 tbsp of vinegar

1 tsp of sugar

Preparation: Boil water in a saucepan. Then add corn. Boil till tender. Rinse. Drain. Then slice off corn from the cobb.

Dice avocado, red onion and jalapeno.

Dressing: Using a food processor, combine the cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, salt and sugar.

Assembly: Add corn to other ingredients. Pour dressing over the corn mixture. Toss. Cover and refrigerate.

END RESULT:

Barley and Corn Salad with Basil Chive Dressing

(original recipe posted on epiciurious)

2 cups water

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup barley

2 cups corn

1/3  cup oil

1/3 cup  fresh basil

3 tablespoons chives

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

Bring a large saucepan to boil – then place the corn in the boiling water till tender. Rinse. Drain. Then cut off kernels from the cobb.

Next, bring 2 cups of water with 1/4 tsp of salt to boil in another large saucepan. Stir in barley, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until barley is tender. About 10-15 minutes

For the Dressing: Pulse in a cusinart – oil, basil, chives, vinegar, sugar and pepper,  and the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt

Assembly: Slice corn of off the ears – transfer to a bowl. Add the barley. Add the dressing. Toss to combine.

END RESULT:

I love salads. Do you?

If you are looking for food adventures in NYC, then I highly recommend the following:

a) Go on a food cart tour with Urban Oyster. I went on a food cart tour last year and I was so impressed that I did it again this year. It’s well organized, informative and DELICIOUS. The tour guide (last year and this year) is a food blogger (@EatThisNY) and knows his stuff, so you can’t go wrong. Plus I love how accomodating they are; i.e if you dont like spice, if you dont eat meat etc.

Food Carts on the tour that we visited:

• El Reydel Sabor (King of Flavor)…quesadlias made with pumpkin flour
• Trini Paki Boys Halal Food….veggies with a tarmarind sauce over rice
• Bapcha Korean Cuisine…noodles with stir fried veggies
• Biryani Cart…kati rolls
• Treats truck…for dessert

b) Attend a cheese class at Murrays Cheese. I participated in a mixologist and cheese class in 2009 and it was on my list for this years trip. The beer and cheese class worked out well with my schedule so thats what I signed up for. Once again – the presenters for the evening were entertaining and well versed on their respective subjects. Enjoyed listening to both of them.

c) Visit Smorgasburg in Williamsburg. This outdoor food flea market was launched last weekend and I was thrilled to have found out about it (thank you Google Search)!! The variety of vendors, the setting and the layout was perfect. It was hard to figure out what to eat cause I wanted to try so many things…thankfully @norecipes joined me so we could share everything (problem solved!!). We enjoyed Kelvins Natural Slush & Co, anchovies from  Bon Chovie, a noodle dish with peanut sauce, Grass Jelly, Coconut Milk Infused Corn with Scallions and more!

d) I also found out about Taste of Tribeca (thank you again – google search) and went to check it out – after Smorgasburg. By this time I was FULL – but still managed to try out a few vendors. It was quite the festival – lots and lots of vendors and lots and lots of people. This was a charity event and you could tell that the restaurants and the neighborhood came out to support this cause.

e) It was suggested from @winedanddined that I visit a block in the East Village (7th avenue between 1st and Avenue A) for “great food”..and I did. She was so right!! Lots to eat on that street plus I discovered even more food a block away on St. Marks Pl. Between the two streets this is foodie “heaven”:  ButterLane, Lukes Lobster, Porcetta, HolyLand, Crif Dugs, Chocolate Library, and Abreca Coffee.

Oh yeah – one more thing. I went to check out Eataly (in my spare time). I was blown away with this concept. Only had a coffee but I certainly enjoyed walking around and snapping up photos.

Needless to say, I picked a great weekend to visit the city. Sadly there was so much going on that I didn’t actually go to a restaurant in the city. No room in my stomach!! Im not complaining…I know I will be back.

I’ve just returned from New York City and I’m very eager to blog about WHAT I ATE..as that’s what I did for three full days.

Sadly I can’t tell you about shopping cause this trip was about EATING. So let’s begin.

Here’s the highlights:

This beet gelato not only looked beautiful but actually tasted like beets!! Il laboratorio gelato – knows how to make gelato. I actually knew about this place as I follow a food blogger (@EatThisNY) who tweeted about it. (oh the things I learn from twitter).

I’m not sure I have ever had smoked salmon like this before, even though I grew up in a household that ate smoked salmon every week. Russ & Daughters has been around for decades, and now I know why. Thanks to @norecipes (another great food blogger) who took me to this fabulous store.

This is called a Chocolate Soup Dumpling from Rickshaw Dumplings and it’s an outstanding creation. You bite into this dumpling and hot chocolate liquid oozed into your mouth. EPIC!!

This is a brilliant concept – a slush without chemicals, preservatives or artificial colors. JUST GOODNESS. I discovered Kelvin Natural Slush Co. at a food flea marked called Smorgasburg (more on that later) and all I kept thinking was “why doesnt this concept exist in Toronto?”. They have a mobile truck too and you can call the “Slush Phone” for the latest location.

Again, I discovered Bon Chovie at the Smorgasburg Food Festival. I love the concept – the name – the graphics and these deep fried anchovies. I’m sure this booth will be  a hit throughout the summer and wish them well. Please click on the link to look at their website!! Brilliant.

ButterLane has a smart concept too. You pick your base (chocolate, banana or vanilla)  and then pick your frosting (over a dozen to chose from). GENIUS.

What else did I discover that was fun?

-Kumquat Gelato with Black Label Scotch from Cones Ice Cream Artisinal – 272 Bleecker St.  (happily paid $1.00 for a huge sample).

-Dr. Browns Cel-Ray water from Katz’s Deli (bought 2 for my dad – who loves this stuff).

-Over Sized Needles filled with Chocolate from Max Brenner

–Eataly ..walked around drooling

Had coffee at Eataly, Oslo (in Williamsburg), and Abraco. Huge line ups at the last two places…clearly poplular in their respective neighborhoods.

I promise there will be more blogs about my food adventures this week!! Come back to read more…K?

As I was running the Toronto Half Marathon, I couldn’t help but notice (when I wasn’t staring at the pavement), that everything was a spectacular color of green. The trees, the shrubs, the grass…do you know what I mean? It really is pretty out there at the moment.

Looking at all those shades of green for over 2 hours, made me want to make something green. So I did.

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for Pea and Basil Soup that I found on the the Food Network website.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

4 1/2 cups frozen peas

3/4 cup chopped basil leaves

2 cups chicken broth (I used  1 cup fresh vegetable stock and 1 cup water)

2 cups cream (I chose not to add cream seeing as I’m lactose intolerant)

4-6 very thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese (oops didnt have this on hand)

1/4 cups diced roasted red bell peppers (jarred is fine…oops didnt have this either).

Directions:

Place a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, butter, onions, garlic, salt and pepper.

Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and basil and heat until the peas are thawed.

Place the pea mixture in a blender. (I used a Cuisinart). Add one cup of the chicken broth and pulse until pureed, adding more broth if necessary.

Return the pureed mixture to the pot. Stir in the remaining chicken broth and cream. Return the pan to pan medium heat and cook until hot but not boiling. Garnish with mozarella and the roasted red peppers. (I chose to eliminate this step).

I love soups that are vibrant green (like this soup) to serve in the spring or the summer.

I bet it would be delicious served cold too.

Are you cooking green foods at the moments? fiddle heads perhaps? or asparagus? Do share.

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Connector Program and I receive special perks as part of the affiliation with this group. The opinion on this blog our my own.

SIAL is an International trade show dedicated to those in the food industry. They have five shows a years in four continents (pretty impressive) and this year, the Canadian SIAL was moved from Montreal to Toronto. How convenient!!

This show is unlike Grocery Showcase or the CFRA Show and you can tell immediately. There’s rows and rows of booths from Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, France etc. You really feel an International presence!!  I heard more French and Italian than I have heard in years. I wont mention the European men and their beautiful suits (oops did I just say that?).

But let’s talk about the food! Here’s a few products that caught my attention.

Marcy’s (well known for her croutons) has introduced a bread pudding! For someone like me, who loves making bread pudding but HATES cutting up the bread – this is ideal. Talk about convenience!

I also loved Vertigo Gourmet and their line of summer mix salads. Flavorful and colorful. Take a look at these edible flowers. HOW GORGEOUS is that?

My favorite product had to be Mostarda di Mele Cotogne from Senapata. This product, which is distributed by Serrano Imports, had such a kick to it and because I love flavor – this product won me over. Sadly not available at retail locations but you will certainly find it served in restaurants.

Naturally these new tipsy fiery-olives from Sable and Rosenfeld caught my attention too. They are intended to kick up your cocktail but I would just eat them right of the jar.

I also saw a booth about The American Cheese Society’s Annual Conference and Competition that taking place in Montreal Aug. 3 to 6th. I am SO THERE!! It’s already in my calendar!!

I love food shows. Can you tell? Actually I like all shows…the International Bike Show, The Green Living Show, The One of a Kind Show and the Home Show. Never been to the Auto Show, or the Cottage Show but they have always been on my  list. Do you have a favorite show?