Notes On A Meal

Whole wheat, banana berry muffins

Simple and very very healthy, possibly also somewhat tasty, these muffins are a great way to start the day. Should mention that they are egg free and can very easily become dairy free or gluten free. I made mine with wheat germ, blueberries, dried currants and coconut but the possibilities are endless as long as you remember to balance out flavors. Another good combination would be carrot, orange and ginger.

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Science, making booze boozier.

The good people at Terressentia have come up with a way of using science to make booze taste better by removing impurities left over from the distillation process.  In short, with typical distillation, there are lesser alcohols that are formed that leave a harsh taste in the mouth and contribute to hangovers.  By using their patentend  process, Terressentia can remove these unwanted elements making the refined product taste cleaner and smoother.  The  distillation process has pretty much been the same for the last hundred years or so and after watching the video, I am surprised that no one has thought of this before.  I suppose purists may argue that the real craft of making superb liquors is in the skill of the brewmaster.  That being said, the idea of demystifying the process through science is very appealing to geek in me.

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Yours Truly, Ossington & Dundas, Toronto

Having just opened its doors late last year, Yours Truly Restaurant at Dundas and Ossington has caused quite the stir in the foodie world. The chef, Jeff Claudio is a veteran of fine dining cuisine with an impressive resume that includes Noma in Coppenhagen, Alinea in Chicago and Per Se in New York. Needless to say, this experience really sets the bar high for the dining experience. It’s really too bad that the reality of it all was very far from that.

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New Loblaws – Queen and Portland, Toronto

I must say that, in my opinion, Loblaws really tops all the other grocery stores in Toronto for the quality of products offered and their variety. Although it may be pricier than others, freshness is always guatanteed and the customer service is definitely admirable.

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Birthday Round Up: The End Of 2009

I set out to make a dinner for my friends as a way to close out 2009.  It had been a year of many changes and I wanted a fitting meal to say farewell with.

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Toronto Underground Market [TUM]

Saturday,  was the second edition of the Toronto Underground Market. We bought our tickets back in September and we were quite anxious to go! We are thankful we bought our tickets so early because they sold out very quickly. It is difficult to determine how many people actually attended this event but let’s just say that some line-ups were over 2hrs long and by 9pm, some vendors/exhibitors were completely sold out.

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Tasty European Travels – Part 1

I know it sounds very silly to consider a place like the Amsterdam Airport a worthwhile point on our European culinary journey but it was definitely an eye opening experience. It was our first encounter with the food culture present on this continent and how different it is from what we’re used to in Canada.

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Guu Sakabar, Toronto

Having just opened its doors in the beginning of 2011 this location of the Guu empire (another location in Toronto, six in Vancouver and one in China) has definitely taken the Annex by storm. Located a block east of Bloor and Bathurst this Japanese pub (Izakaya) is constantly busy and I can definitely understand why. The atmosphere is fantastic, the food is strange but definitely tasty and the staff is probably the friendliest around. I promise you won’t be leaving the venue disappointed.

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Marben

“A little farmhouse revival” in downtown Toronto

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of being invited to dine at the Chef’s table at Marben, a cozy and cool restaurant specializing in the art of butchery and charcuterie. From what I understand, the imaginative and passionate kitchen staff of Marben are responsible for making nearly every single item that hits the table, right down to the bread and condiments. What makes things even better is the fact that most, if not all, of the produce and meats served are grown and purchased within 100km of Toronto, meaning guests are served the freshest ingredients, and local farmers are supported. Awesome!

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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.

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