I wrote a blog post entry in early December, called My Bucket List for 2012 ,and I’m pleased to announce that I can cross off one of the items. This week, I finally went to Scaramouche to try their famous coconut cream pie. Yay for Vicky!

I went with some twitter friends who are also foodies: @TorontoEats @candicebest @alyssaschwartz @nearafar. Turns out that  3 out of 5 of us, had not tried the coconut cream pie before. #interestingfact

Sadly I did not plan this evening very strategically as I had just had oral surgery at 3:30 and we were meeting at 630 p.m!! This means, that I could not enjoy  an appetizer or a main course or even a glass of wine, however I was permitted to eat coconut cream pie – seeing as it was a really soft food. Me. Smart.

The ever-so-professional, Dr. Jonathan Adam, who performed the procedure, knew that I was panicked about being able to eat the pie at 630 p.m. i.e would the freezing be gone? would I be able to chew? I had a few questions LOL. He was right – I managed a few forkfuls of the coconut cream pie with NO PROBLEM whats-so-ever. I practically shovelled it in. That’s how good the pie was.

Now, there is more that I want to share with you about the coconut cream pie. Here’s a cute story: When I was 13, I went to a camp called Wabikon (on Lake Temagami) and I had three great counsellors that year. One of those counsellors was Joanne Yolles. I had read a few years ago, that Joanne was a pastry chef who had created the EPIC COCONUT CREAM PIE AT SCARAMOUCHE. What a small world.

I wanted to track her down and sure enough one of my foodie friends connected the two of us. She was kind enough to meet  me last summer for a cup of coffee at Ezras Pound. I had not seen here in over 3 decades yet she looked exactly the same. Joanne walked me thru her career and I was just fascinated. What a career and what an incredible legacy she has created with this epic coconut cream pie that has been on the menu at Scaramouche for years and years and years and will continue to be on the menu for years and years and years.

Congratulations Joanne. You were a great camp counsellor and you are a phenomenal pastry chef.

This soup  was part of the Golden Whisk Awards 2011 as one of the top 10 best culinary creations prepared in the Star test kitchen. And guess what? I agree. I have made this soup three times in less than two weeks.

The recipe was shared by Ravi Kanagaarahah who owns RavisSoups. I’ve known Ravi since he opened RaviSoups (the perks of being a food sales rep) and his soups are beyond-amazing.

He is a talented chef and clearly understands how to use spices in his soups.

I was excited to try this recipe and positively thrilled with the results. I used organic ginger and I swear it gives the soup and extra kick. It’s worth buying.

Curried Lentil and Apricot Soup

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

1/4 cup of finely chopped garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped ginger (I used organic ginger – there is a difference – I swear)

2 tablespoons mild curry powder

1 plum tomato, chopped

1 cup diced dried apricots

2 cups rinsed, drained red lentils

8 cups water

3/4 cups coconut milk

salt and pepper

garnish: plain yoghurt and cilantro

METHOD

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, and stir till golden – about 10 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to low – add garlic and ginger. Stir for 2 minutes.

3. Add curry powder. Add tomatoes, lentils, water.

4. Raise heat to high.

5. When mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Stir occasionally and let cook till apricots are softenend.

5. Using a food processor or hand immersion blender, puree soup.

6. Return soup to pot over low heat and stir in coconut milk. Season with salt and peper.

Not only do I hope you get a chance to make this soup, but I hope you get a chance to visit RavisSoups too.

RavisSoups:

322 Adelaide St. West 647 435-8365

1128 Queen St. West 416-538-7284

Take a peek at Yelp and Urbanspoon and will find glowing reviews for RaviSoups!! (p.s for good reason too)

When I went to Dr. Laffa in August, I drove by the following sign.

I thought to myself that it would a great place to check out in the winter when it’s -30 and we have 20 cms of snow. Neither happend and I couldn’t wait much longer so I went!!

Of course I checked out the Korean Family Sauna website first so I could learn what to expect. After reviewing it, I knew that I wanted to go. So I did.

When you walk in…this is what you see.

When you pay ($20), you receive a locker key, a pair of cotton shorts and a cotton tshirt, and 2 very small towels. (um, I should be specific – the towels were the size of handtowels)

When you get dressed in their cotton tshirt and the cotton shorts – this is what I looked like. Pretty site eh? Felt like prison clothes.

The change room is huge, and clean. Infact the whole place is absolutely spotless with gleaming hardwood floors.

The games room is also huge. I mean HUGE. There’s a pool table, numerous leather couches, several flat screen tv’s, and a cafeteria that is licensed. That’s right – licensed.

The main room is also huge and you can call this the “warm up room”. There are bamboo mats to lie on (with wooden blocks to rest your head)  and people just relax here.

I brought a magazine, my Iphone and a pair of ear phones. The other people in this room with me, included a Korean family of 4. i.e mom, dad and their two kids (10 and 12?).

There’s 8 different doors that lead you into the saunas. Some are warmer than others but whats important is the rocks on the wall. Each room have different rocks that have different health benefits. I went to each and every sauna.

What I found interesting in these saunas was the fact that there were no benches in them. You simply lay on your bamboo mat.

In between visiting each sauna room, I hung out in the cold room.

I also enjoyed the opportunity to go back into the games room to enjoy a Sapporo ($9) and a maki roll. ($4.50)

My visit to the Korean Family spa cost me $20 (food and alcohol separate) and I swear I was there for close to three hours. Pretty good value, in my humble opinion.

Definitely worth visiting if you like saunas!! I know I will be returning. I have no doubt in my mind.

Things I learned:

-bring a 1.5 litre of water with you. I promise you, you will drink the whole thing (you can refill it there).

-bring shower shoes for the shower

-bring a book, magazine, earphones, music and earphones

-bring a towel incase you want something larger than the towel they give you, which is the size of a kitchen towel. It makes GoodLife’s towels look like bathsheets.

Korean Family Spa – 382 Magenetic Drive (416) 514-1965 Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!!

Fact: I subscribe to the Toronto Star only so I can read the food section. Therefore, Wednesday is my favorite day to receive the Toronto Star. I read a variety of articless and recipes from Jennifer Bain, Josh Rubin, Amy Pataki on a regular basis.  I am truly interested to know what they are eating, cooking, buying, etc. I know I could look it up online but that’s a whole other discussion!!

The “Star Tested” recipes are always reliable and I have clipped out many of them over the years. Infact I am still clipping them out (so old fashioned – can you believe?)

Last week there was an article that caught my attention, which was written by food editor Jennifer Bain and food writer Eric Vellend.

Seeing as it was the holidays and I had some spare time on my hand – I decided to to try this simple soup which comes from the chef/owner of Martin Kouprie from Pangaea and is in his new cookbook: Pangaea. Why It Tastes So Good.

Parsnip and Lemon Soup:

This is what you need:

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup diced Spanish onion (I used normal onions)

2 cups peeled, diced parsnips

4 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water (I used water)

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

3/4 tsp sea salt (to taste)

METHOD:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until it foams.

2. Add onions. Cook stirring, 3 minutes to soften.

3. Add parsnips, stock (or water). Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.

4. Add zest.

5. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes till parsnips are tender.

6. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

7. In a food processor puree soup. (I puree solids first and then slowly add liquids till its smooth)

END RESULT:

A creamy delicious healthy simple soup! What more could you ask for?

Happy Cooking!!

p.s for some reason I think this soup needs a herb, but I haven’t figured out which one? Suggestions are welcome.

Once again, I was on twitter and saw a tweet from @JonSinden that the Maple Leafs would be practicing today at the Sunnydale Outdoor Rink in Rexdale. I thought to myself – “hmm that would be fun”. So I went home to grab my camera and asked my 12 year old DD to join me. I had no idea what to expect seeing as the practice was in Rexdale, it was outdoors, and it was an event that began at 11:30 a.m.

Well – I soon found out that it was a HUGE event with close to 3,000 people attending. There were speeches by executives from  RONA as well as Mayor Rob Ford. However the crowds were less interested in the speeches and wanted to see the Maple Leafs hit the ice!!

I also found out that MLSE Team Up Foundation, RONA and the City of Toronto invested over $150,000 to improve the Sunnydale Outdoor Rink. It is now a state-of-the-art rink complete with a UVA coating which will prevent the winter sun from affecting the ice quality plus it will extend the skating season. Plus they installed some sophisticated rink boards.

I was super thrilled to BE THAT CLOSE to the players and hear the blades cut into the ice. (you know that sound, I am talking about, right?) It was a completely different experience than going to a game in an indoor arena.  Note to self: I really should go to a game this year. Its been too long.

Despite the cold, I managed to take off my winter gloves and snap a few photos. Just a few!!

PS Sunnydale Outdoor Rink is located at 50 Amoro Drive, Rexdale. For further info call (416) 338-RINK.

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This is my first blog post in 2012 and I thought it would only be appropriate to start off the New Year with a “challenge”.

Most challenges are about fitness and some are about food. I even read a blog post many years ago about a challenge to try a different beer for 365 days but this challenge is about SPENDING HABITS and COFFEE.

Like many of you, I drink coffee on a regular basis. But…I only drink it in a coffee shop. I never make it at home. NEVER. I haven’t owned a coffee maker since 1990. However all this has changed, when Tassimo sent me a coffee maker to try. When it arrived, I opened the box eagerly, read the manual (which is so unlike me) and started to make coffee. I even invited friends over for coffee and when I hosted a wine/cheese party, we all gathered round the Tassimo to watch the machine in action.

Needless to say: I am thrilled with my Tassimo. I am so happy that I am going to challenge myself to only drink coffee at home for the month of January. I am determined to save $$ (at least 50 dollars) and I’m determined to embrace my Tassimo.

What do you think? Even better…who wants to join me on this challenge?

Disclosure: I received the Tassimo, but was under no pressure to blog about it. The opinions in this blog entry are my own.

T’is the sesaon to drink eggnog. I know it’s Christmas when I see eggnog in the stores and will always buy a litre (or two). I also know it’s winter when Starbucks introduces their Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, and Peppermint Latte. Seems like winter is a good time to drink flavorful drinks. Last nite, I had a chili hot chocolate at Grindhouse in Kensington Market…but will blog about hot chocolate in another blog post.

I only seem to drink my eggnog pure  i.e. without any alcohol in it, but always  in small quantities. Eggnog is not good for the waistline even if I’m MOMWHORUNS….and these days I’m running on the treadmill 4x a week.

Back to the eggnog. I decided to do an eggnog taste test from 3 different brands:

• Neilson Eggnog Light (25% lesl fat than their regualr eggnog)
• Harmony Organic Eggnog
• SO Nice Noel Nog

The nutrional information is as follows:

Neilson Light Eggnog:  Per 1/2 cup – 110 calories,  2% Fat (4% saturated fat), Protein 3 g

Harmony Organic Eggnog – not listed (interesting)

So Nice Noel Nog:  Per 1 cup – 120 calories, total fat 5%, Protein 6 g

Here are the results:

Neilson Light Eggnog: watery (very), dark yellow color, sugary

So Nice Noel Nog: strong nutmeg flavor, beige, you know it’s soya milk but I don’t mind actually

Harmony Organic Eggnog: best color – lovely and yellow, tastes like eggnog – no overwhelming nutmeg flavor,

I was also lucky enough to experience a HOME MADE EGGNOG this past weekend. (with rum). It was totally different than the commercial eggnog that I’m use to, so it was a real treat. (thanks @JasonRees).

Basically I like eggnog, eggnog ice cream, eggnog lattes….except eggnog does not like me. Sad but true. I’m delighted that the stores only carry it for 6 weeks a  year.

Cute story before I finish the blog entry: Two years ago, I saw a tweet declaring that there was no more Harmony Organic Eggnog to be found in the GTA.  I read the tweet while visiting Garden Foods in Bolton and happen to notice that they still had a few bottles left – so I picked them up. I then tweeted “just bought a few bottles. Happy to share”. I met her at the bottom of her condo later that week. Twitter is awesome…and Harmony Eggnog is awesome too.

Who else is an eggnog fan?

I’ve seen articles/blog posts written about “My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets” but I’ve decided to turn it around and write a blog post about “Kitchen Gadgets I Don’t Use”.

I don’t know about you – but I know that I have a few kitchen gadgets around my kitchen that has me thinking “Why on earth did I buy this?”  or “Why on earth would I keep this gadget?”

Exhibit A:

While visiting my parents in Ottawa a few years ago, I discovered this gadget:

I couldn’t resist asking my Mom if I could take it back to Toronto. She agreed without hesitation. However it’s doing the same thing in my drawer as it did in her drawer in Ottawa. NOTHING. I was imaging using it to shoot vodka into watermelon slices or  Cointreau into strawberries. But I have done NOTHING with it and probably never will. What do you think? Toss it or keep it?.

Exhibit B:

I must have been having a bad day when I bought this cookie press. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what would possess me to to buy this gadget.  I know I will NEVER be making cookies that require a cookie press. I just like staring at the photos of those gorgeous cookies on blogs and in magazines. I guess I was thinking that if I owned this gadget then I would be making those gorgeous cookies. WRONG – haven’t even opened the box.

Never will open the box either. Time to toss it. Right?

EXHIBIT C:

Again, what was I thinking? I will never be frosting anything – not a cupcake, not a cake, not a cookie. I probably bought this so I could make devilled eggs. It certainly wasn’t for anything that involved icing. I am definitely tossing this. Promise.

I will soon post a blog about “My Favorite Gadgets” . This will be easy blog post to write as I have a few favorite gadgets. Stay tuned.

If you have a kitchen gadget that you don’t use – feel free to comment K?

There are occasions where I enjoy complicated recipes but there’s occasions when I enjoy recipes that are REALLY REALLY easy as well. Everyone has those “moments” in the kitchen – when they are tired from standing, tired from chopping and just want to make something that is EASY…. as in FAST and  WITH TWO INGREDIENTS. The fact that this recipe involves chocolate means that it is sure to be demolished. I mean, seriously, do you know anyone who doesn’t like chocolate?

Recipe #1: CHOCOLATE CHEWS:

INGREDIENTS:

1 package of Hershey’s chocolate chipits

1 package of crispy chinese noodles

METHOD

1. Melt chocolate

2. Mix in noodles

3. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and drop onto a lined baking sheet

4. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes

RECIPE #2: CHOCOLATE/CANDYCANE BARK

INGREDIENTS:

1 package of Hershey’s Chipits

1 package of candy canes

METHOD

1. Melt the chipits

2. Unwrap each candy cane (this is the NOT SO FUN part), place in a zip loc bag and crush with a rolling pin (this is the fun part)

3. Mix the crushed candy cane with the melted chocolate

4. Spread  on to a lined baking sheet, to the desired thickness.

5. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes

Bonus: Both these desserts, freeze beautifully. So don’t hesitate to store them in a ziploc container for those ’emergency” moments when you need something last minute.

After following CHEESEWERKS on Facebook and Twitter for many months, I was delighted to get an invitation to attend the opening of this new ‘artisinal” grilled cheese restaurant.

Here’s what I like:

1) The space is gorgeous. Its bright, colorful, and well laid out.

2) The menu: lots of delicious choices with really really cute names.

3) There is an alcohol menu: Brilliant!!

4) The sandwich itself. Everything works  – the bread, the combination of flavors and it’s grilled to perfection as well.

5) The owners are nice nice nice.

6) This brochure (it makes me smile). Please note, that one day soon they will soon have options for those who are lactose intolerant and for those who require gluten free bread.

7) They ‘get” social media and have actively been using twitter and facebook for months.

9) Their website is fantastic. It’s clean, it’s fun and it’s easy to navigate.

10) I know I am repeating myself, but their grilled cheese sandwiches really are DELICIOUS.

You can find CHEESWERKS at 56 Bathurst St (at Wellingston St. West) Toronto, 416-243-3327.

Hoping to put together a tweet up at this restaurant as soon as possible. It would be the perfect spot.