Notes On A Meal

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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Lucky Charms Sifter.

Tired of eating the garbage cereal shapes in a box of Lucky Charms? Tired of picking out the little bits of marshmallow goodness from each bowl by hand? Are you ready to change your life?

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I’m Making Pancakes.

This is a great video I found while wandering around youtube.  It has some sassy language so I wouldn’t blare it at work.  Mac Lethal, spits some mad rhymes while flipping flapjacks.   Tight lyrics and perfect pancakes; a win  both ways. Enjoy.

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Ma Maison’s Macarons, Toronto

If you’re not familiar with French Macarons, well, you should head out there and definitely try them. Two crispy yet chewy almond cookies sandwiched together with a velvety ganache, or a delightful jam or even better a smooth and subtle buttercream…. what’s not to love?!!? There’s plenty of places around Toronto doing them well but here’s my favourite (I may be a little biased)

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Sugar Art Mastery

I can’t say that pretend to know much about the world of pastry arts. I would even go so far as to say the whole pastry world for me is full of mystery and wonder. So when I saw the sugar work below, I almost fell off my chair. The pastry chef is Bastien Blanc-Tailleur from France. He’s young, driven and makes some of the most incredible show pieces around. He is literally taking the pastry world by storm.  Everything in each image below is made out of sugar – everything.  All the images below are taken from his blog which I whole heartily encourage your to visit.

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Cake Part 1

I found some interesting cake pics on the interweb and thought I would share…

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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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The Socialist Pig Coffeehouse, Gananoque

I know this little coffee shop is off the beaten path but if you find yourself in the 1000 island area, this is a cafe worth visiting. Located just across from the town hall in Gananoque (21 King St. East to be more precise) the cafe shares the main floor of a corner lot with its sister restaurant, Pig Iron Barbecue. Husband and wife team work together in bringing their customers fresh, local and delicious food.

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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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