Final meal at Marben, Toronto

I am very disappointed to have to write this review but I think in light of the situation, I need to stand up for what I believe! Marben has a special place in my heart but all feelings aside, Notes on a Meal readers deserve my honesty. A few months ago, my fellow diner and …

Dinner with friends

We recently had the pleasure of being spoiled by a very dear foodie from far far away… The company was great, the evening full of laughs and to top it all off, the food was outstanding. Since we like to believe in the idea of “go big or go home” we enjoyed a seven course …

Les Quinze Nits – Barcelona

There’s never been a restaurant more embedded in my memory as Les Quinze Nits in Plaza Real, Barcelona, Spain. More particularly, I remember every nuance of the dessert that I had there, the dessert that started my culinary passion. I even waited in line a second night in a row in order to experience that …

Our culinary adventures in Rome (Part 2)

With my fellow blogger being so detailed while describing our Roman vacation I’d just like to talk about the pastry side of things. Unfortunately, it seems as though the Romans don’t really appreciate a fine pastry and will just settle for mediocre. The best looking pastries we’ve seen were at a French bakery and that’s …

Notes On Europe: Rome

We have been in Italy for the better part of a week and we have settled into our beautiful apartment in Florence. We spent the last few days in Rome walking around the largest city I have ever seen. I would have posted sooner, but the interweb is hard to track down in Rome. Heres …

Torito Restaurant, Toronto

A fierce competitor for the number one restaurant in Toronto (in my books anyways) is Torito, a little restaurant in Kensington Market (Augusta and College st) serving up delicious tapas. The atmosphere is very laid back and friendly, the staff is very knowledgeable and very genuine and welcoming and the kitchen (open to the dining …

Big Night, Romagna Mia Style

Romagna Mia is closing its doors, on Sunday March 6th, after 14 years. Chef Gabriele Paganelli will be closing down and re-opening under a different menu and name, Paganelli’s Risotteria-Enoteca. Gabriele has decide to go out in style though, paying homage to the 1996 critically acclaimed movie Big Night. If anyone hasn’t heard of Big …

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Super simple recipe requires only a few ingredients and a little patience. Before you start, you need paper cupcake cups and a muffin tin (if the mini version of both is available it makes for a better size) and a pot of boiling water for your bain marie. -Melt about 500g of dark chocolate in …

Quote from Leon Kass, Ethicist, from his book The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfection of Our Nature

“…nature does everything in the operations of a beast, whereas man contributes to his operations by being a free agent. The former chooses or rejects by instinct and the latter by an act of freedom, so that a beast cannot deviate from the rule that is prescribed to it even when it would be advantageous …