Paleo Upside-down Cake

I know we’re all salivating over our Europe pictures but as a little break from all that sugar and flour, I have a quick recipe for a Paleo Upside-down Cake. It’s a very simple dessert to make, takes about an hour from start to finish with about 15 minutes of prep. It’s a perfect dessert …

Thanksgiving Dinner

Just after Thanksgiving is over in all of North America, we can look back at the epic meal we got to share with those near and dear to us. If you get hungry or want to join our meal squad, drop us a line and the Notes On A Meal crew will definitely sign you …

Soupstock aftermath

Slight delay in the posting of pictures but I’m very happy to say that the Notesonameal crew was part of the 40,000 that attended Soupstock this year. With over 200 chefs and around 85 soup stations, it was very hard to pick and choose where to eat! The event saw the talent of Susur Lee, …

The County General, Toronto

Located at the corner of Shaw and Queen West, this little venue is something to be reckoned with. Opened by Victor Barry and Carlo Catallo, the owners of Splendido, the County General offers a variety of greasy spoon classics with a new age twist. The food is delicious and is pretty much always available, even …

MMM (Ma Maison Macarons), Spring 2012

Here’s the new macaron line-up for the 2012 Spring season: Dark Chocolate – Valrhona’s Nyangbo dark chocolate ganache Wild Strawberry – White chocolate and wild strawberry ganache Carrot Cake – Cinnamon cream cheese with a carrot and cinnamon curd Lemon Basil – Lemon and Basil infused white chocolate ganache Salted Caramel – Smooth and silky …

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. I had the pleasure to inaugurate their new location in the …

Ma Maison enters a gingerbread competition

Just in time for the holidays, the Ma Maison team decided to enter a fierce but fun gingerbread competition. The rules were simple, make “something” out of gingerbread was basically all we were told. The construction had to be 2x2x2 feet and everything except the base had to be edible. Ma Maison came up with …

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 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 …

Etobicoke Farmers Market

It’s definitely the time of the season when all fruits and vegetables are flourishing and most certainly the best time to visit a farmers market. Not necessarily for the prices but for the quality and freshness of the ingredients available there. My family and I have been avid consumers of the Etobicoke Farmers Market (located …

Nutritional Gatekeepers

Nutritional Gatekeepers GET REAL! Like many of you, I am passionate about food and have been working in professional kitchens more than half of my life. After a quick tour visiting families and putting a ton of miles on the car, I wanted to share just a few oddball observations of my road trip through …

Strawberry picking

Our never ending quest to keep our diets as local and as natural as possible has brought us to Andrew’s Scenic Acres for some pick-your-own strawberries. It’s location just outside of Mississauga makes it one of the most accessible farms in the West end of Toronto and the place is definitely designed to attract the …

My time at Cowbell

A couple of years ago, when I was toying with the idea of going into the kitchen, I ate at Cowbell.  It had been open for a while and  making waves in the Toronto dining scene.  Fresh food, whole animal butchery and a commitment to farmers and producers in the local area.  Now, these concepts …

Pickled Asparagus

Here we go with our first pickling date of the season! Asparagus is out in full force and on a pretty solid whim, we decided to stock up and rip into a pickling frenzy. Goal: 12 jars of pickled asparagus. Method: 1. Trim asparagus of woody ends.  Each stalk should be about two inches shorter …