I am so lucky to be regularly visiting a city that has such great food. The trip was carefully planned so I could celebrate Mothers Day with my mom, as well as enjoy great food (once again) and see the Canadian Tulip Festival (which is taking place May 6 to 23).

Let’s begin with the food: A trip to Ottawa would not be complete with a visit to the Byward Market. I associate the Byward Market with Beavertails and with Maple Syrup Cones. (childhood memories).

I also went to visit the Byward Fruit Market store and to my delight found this unusal looking product that I have never seen before. I gave it to my mom as a Mothers Day gift . (its so great to have foodie parents). We loved the texture and the flavor and were eager to try it on more foods (ie a piece of dark chocolate). YUM.

Molecular Gastronomy in a Jar. Available in 16 different flavors.

I also visited the Red Apron to see their new location. The new space is stunning. PLUS…they now carry my favorite butter  (Beurre de Patrimonie) that I had been bringing back from Montreal.  I was squealing with delight that it is now in Ontario, so I happily bought three tubs to bring back to Toronto.

Love their new location. A stunning space.

I also made sure that I snuck in a visit to Art-is-in Bakery, so I could enjoy a coffee and an incredible croissant with a twitter friend (@kleggett). The place was busy the entire hour we were there and for good reason!! This bakery rocks.

heavenly breads

A trip to Ottawa wouldnt be complete without a tweet up so I could shmooze with some local foodies. The tweet up  for this particular visit, was held at Jacobsons Gourmet Store and everyone enjoyed their charming hospitatlity as well as some great food…fig balls, jam, crackers, charcuterie, cheese, refreshments and desserts. I especially loved the gift bags that they gave to each attendee. How thoughtful!!

cheese is always a crowd pleaser....

Next to Jacobsons is ZaZas pizza. I had read a review on Nooschi.com ,so I met some friends there before the tweet up to try the mushroom pizza with truffle oil. It was perfect. Demolished the whole pizza along with 4 lactose pills.

inhaled the whole pizza..

The trip ended with a visit to Landsdowne Park Farmers Market on Sunday and it was PACKED at 10:30 a.m. It was a gorgeous sunny day and it was mother’s day. I tried some organic cucumbers, some paneer from Curry Home Soon and welcomed Pascales Ice cream to twitter.

As for the tulip fesitval. The tulips weren’t quite open. (sadness). We stopped at Dows Lake and managed to find one patch close to our car. I have no doubt that in a week the tulips will all be open and it will be spectacular.

Our timing was off..but atleast I found this patch

Tulips or no tulips…it was a great visit!! As always.

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I have been making this Crunchy Green Pea Salad for over a decade as it’s easy to make and it’s delicious too. (two main criteria for me).

Here’s what you need:

Ingredients

Ingredients:

3 cups Green Giant Peas (thawed)

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced red onion

bacon bits or salad toppings (more on this later)

Dressing: mix together 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/4 mayo, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar

Instructions: Mix the first three ingredients in a bowl. Prepare dressing. Before serving, add the dressing to the pea mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits or salad toppings. Best served chilled.

I’m not a fan of bacon bits but a long time ago (too many years to count), I discoverd SALAD TOPPINGS in the States.

Hope you enjoy this crunchy pea salad as much as I do. Other favorite salads that I will post about shortly include: Pineapple Slaw, Indonesian Rice Salad and Tomato/Hearts of Palm Salad.

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.

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Celebrating with a Avocado Smoothie

I can’t remember eating a lot of avocados when I was a kid, but when I was studying at Tel Aviv University, avocados were cheap and delicious so I ate them A LOT. I also noticed that moms were feeding it to their babies everywhere. Apparently, avocados are one of the most easily digestible vegetables out there. Not to mention, it was portable. Moms just walked around with an avacodo in their purse, opened  it up with a plastic knife and started feeding it to their babies with a spoon. No fuss/no muss.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) and because I finished the Sporting Life 10K today – I decided to make an avocado smoothie.

This is what you need: one avocado, 1 1/2 cups milk, 3 tablespoons cane sugar, a few ice cubes. ps. huge thanks to Manotas Organics and Fine Foods for the cane sugar! Instructions; Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend till smooth.

Apparently in the Philippines ,their version of guacamole is a sweet not a savoury. So I tried it.

All you need is: one avocado, 1/4 cup of condensed milk.

Instructions: mash avocado with the condensed milk.

However I have to be honest. It wasnt a hit in our house. We still like it – plain or with a little salt and pepper.

Our favorite recipe for avocado is simply to use it for Taco Nite – which we have once a week. Ola.

For more avocado recipes: visit www.missavacado.com or follow @missavacado on twitter.

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As you know, I drink beer and I drink scotch. But several times a year, I crave a cocktail and there is only one place I go – that place is – BarChef.

The first time I went there, I tweeted “I’m @barcheftoronto staring at the menu. What should I order? Can’t decide”. I had a reply from @charisegarcia that said “try the sailors mojito”. So I did. I was blown over. I had never had a drink that appealed to all my senses, like this drink did.

So what is it? Beach essence, Sailor Jerry rum, mint, fresh lime, vanilla syrup, and mojito ravioli.

Sailors Mojito

The menu is divided into Punch Bowls, Sweet and Sour (think Strawberry&Lavender, Basil Daiquiri and more), Sipping (like, Balsamic Lavender) and Molecular. I happen to like being adventuous but don’t worry the menu is diverse and would appeal to everyone.

Generally, I hang out in the Molecular Section!! When I saw that they had a Black Truffle cocktail on the menu, I knew I HAD to try it. I love truffles and was curious how it would work in a cocktail.

Black Truffle Cocktail

Here’s the ingredients: Black truffle snow, smoked salt, coconut foam, fresh lime rind, gin, coconut liqueur, and elderflower liqueur. One word: BRILLIANT!

Besides the interesting, unique cocktails that Frankie Solarik (the owner) makes – I happen to also love the space. Its dark, classy, and well laid out.

I hope you get a chance to visit this awesome bar soon.

BarChef  472 Queen St. West,  Toronto.

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A while ago I was introduced to PUR Gum and immediately I fell in love with the pomegranate mint flavor.

Not quite sure if there’s another pomegranate mint flavored gum on the market – but I think it’s a brilliant flavor. Not that I don’t like spearmint or peppermint (which PUR also carries) but sometimes change is good. I’m tired of fruity flavored gums and Pomegranate PUR gum has just the right amount of tart.

After I was intoduced to PUR gum, I started to see it everywhere!!  Due to the fact that I’m a sales rep and know a few store owners,  I asked a retailer why their customers preferred PUR over their competitor and they replied “our customers like the fact that it’s made in Switzerland”. I actually heard the same statement from two different retailers. Interesting, don’t you think?

As a consumer, I loved the clean packaging and the different flavors (you know me, it’s all about flavors). It also appeals to me because it’s aspartame and GMO free, vegetarian friendly, with no artificial colors or flavors. Pretty impressive.

I’m so Pomegranate crazy these days – that I’m going to give away ANOTHER pomegranate tool.

Here are the contest rules:

a) like MOM WHO RUNS on facebook. simple eh?)

b) the contest will run for two weeks and will close on Sunday May 8, 2011 at midnite. The winner will be selected using www.random.org and the winner will have one week to contact me otherwise I’m going to select another winner.

c) only residents in Ontario can enter (sorry about that).

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Next week is Passover (April 18 -26) so our house will be free of bagels (see last post) and full of matza. I’m not exactly a fan of this holiday but that’s another post in itself.

Here’s a favorite meal that we make throughout the week. It’s simple to make and delicious too.

All you need is three ingredients:

For one portion –  1 egg, 2 pieces of matza and 1/4 cup of milk (you could add more if you wanted). I used skim milk as it’s all I had -but 2% or homo would probably be even better.

three simple ingredients

Step One:

Whisk the milk and the egg. (simple)

Step Two:

Crush the matza and immerse in the milk mixture.

Step Three:

Put the mixture into a heated frying pan (that has been coated with a little oil)

Step Four:

Move the pieces around every once in a while so the matza gets burnt-looking. Does that make sense?

End result with look like this:

Step Five:

Enjoy with sour cream, jam, or cream cheese. (which is why this dish is so yummy).

NOTE: The traditional name for this dish is MATZA BREI (pronounced br-i).

My friend tells me she has never ever used milk. She just wets the matza with water. We laughed as I had never  heard of just using water!!

As for finding matza: it’s in every grocery store from coast to coast.

To all my Jewish Readers…Happy Passover.

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I grew up eating bagels in Ottawa (remember Bagel Bagel?). Infact we even had a cockapoo called “Bagel”. In my neighborhood in Toronto, bagels seem to be everywhere (I’m not complaining), so I decided to compare them. I know that I’m opening a can of worms as EVERYONE has a different opinion about their favorite bagels.

I bought bagels from Bagel World, Bagel House, What A Bagel, Gryfes, and St. Viateur (direct from Montreal – but stored in the freezer).

I put little pieces of paper under each one and then started to nibble away not knowing where the bagel was from.

Here’s my thoughts:

Bagel World: It was doughy, sweet and tasty. YUM.

Bagel House: It was yeasty, dense and chewy. A favorite – probably because I liked the chewy factor.

What a Bagel: Oily and bland.

Gryfes: I’m going to make a lot of people upset but I found this bagel to be oily and airy.

St. Viateur: very chewy, dense and very different than all the others. Hands down – my favorite.

Don’t get me wrong. I would never refuse a bagel – no matter where it’s from. A toasted bagel with butter, or jam or cream cheese IS SIMPLY DELICIOUS.

It was an interesting experiment but I was sorry that I didn’t include bagels from Harbord Bakery. Next time.

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It’s no big secret. My eyes (or is it my tummy?) are always looking for delicious new products/restaurants/fruit/kitchen gadgets etc.

Here’s five good reasons to visit this great store called About Cheese that can be found at 483 Church St. in Toronto:

1. THE BLUE CHIP COOKIE

I’m in heaven. I found a cookie that combines my love for chocolate chips with my love for blue cheese. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy etc. I’m generally not interested in sweets as I prefer savoury, but this cookie ROCKS. My taste buds are flipping out when I have a bite of this cookie.

2. Truffles with liquid caramel and maledon fleur de sel.

Another awesome discovery. There are no words.

3. Bumpercrop Products

I bought the pickled celery a few weeks ago and brought it to my dad in Ottawa who is the ultimate pickle maven. He loved them. So I now have a small collection for my next trip:  pickled onions in beer, pickled cherries, pickled beans and pickled asparagus. I am thrilled to have discovered a new company that uses local produce and makes a superior product.

4. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Cheese

No photo but I can assure you that they make the cheesiest sandwiches in the city. It was the only time I couldn’t eat  a whole sandwich.

5. Cows Creamery Butter

This butter is from Prince Edward Island and it’s perfectly salted, and perfectly creamy. I tasted it at Grocery Showcase in the fall and was immediately in love with this butter. Pricey but worth it.

Can’t wait to find out what other goodies I will discover this week.!!

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I have been training for the Mississauga half marathon since January. This means that I’ve been huffing and puffing on the treadmill at GoodLife Fitness 4-5 times a week. It also means that I’m more aware of what I’m drinking and eating. In particular I’m super aware of staying properly hydrated.

Please note, that plain tap water will always be my number one choice! But there are moments when I need a diversion. Do you know what I mean? So here’s a list of other beverages that I’m enjoying these days.

O.N.E Coconut Water:

I’m in love with this drink. Especially after a workout due the huge amounts of potassium in this beverage (19% for 670 g). It’s 100% coconut water and when it’s super cold – it’s delicious.

Metromint:

Talk about a refreshing drink!! As their website says “Pure Water. Real Mint”. There’s lots of different flavors – i.e spearmint, lemonmint, orangemint, and more – but I always seem to stick to the peppermint. On a side note:  I love the packaging.

Here’s a list of other drinks that I consume occasionally. Very occasionally.

Boylans:

This soft drink is made with pure cane sugar and not high fructose corn syrup – which means that it tastes WAY better. The rootbeer and the black cherry are my favorites but there’s lots of other great flavors too (grape, vanilla cream, orange, cola, birch, and gingerale). After you drink this brand it’s hard to reach for Crush.

Beer:

Look at these two gorgeous bottles!! (Im a sucker for packaging – have you noticed?)

Great Lakes Brewery makes a refreshing Orange Pale Ale and Beaus All Natural is grabbing my attention too.  I will open one bottle after the Sporting Life 10 and the other bottle will be opened after the half marathon. Nothing like being prepared!!

What are you drinking these days?

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Meet Susan and Bruce. Bruce is a busy litigation lawyer during the day, but when he comes home he enjoys watching the Food Network (a lot).  He is such a huge fan that Susan planned a driving trip to visit his favorite  restaurants/chefs that he watches on the Food Network as a birthday gift.

How awesome is that? I met with Susan recently who printed out the itinerary for me. She’s one organized woman!!

Day 1:

New Jersery – Carlos Bakery – featured on Cake Boss.

Manhattan – Max Brenner Chocolate Restaurant – featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate

Stand 4 – Featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate ( he had the roasted marshmallow milkshake)

Butter: – Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli was a judge on Chopped.

Day 2

Bar Americain- Iron Chef Bobby Flays’ Restuarant

Food Network Building

Morimoto – Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto

Del Posto – Iron Chef Mario Batali’s restaurant

Day 3

Maze – Chef Gordon Ramsey

Drove to Balitmore for Charm City Cakes (featured on Ace of Cakes)

Woodberry Kitchen – Featured on the Best Thing I Ever Ate  (they ate the chocolate marshmallow and peanut dessert)

Day 4 – Drove to Washington

Georgetown Cupcake – DC Cupcakes on TLC and part of the Cupcake Wars on the Food Network

Drove to Cleveland

Lola – Chef Michael Symon

Highlights for Bruce: the roasted marshmallow milkshake, dinner at Lola, Morimoto.

Doesn’t this sound like a great birthday gift?

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