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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Pizzeria Libretto Revisited

After much deliberation and some very full stomachs, it has been officially decided that Pizzeria Libretto is my top restaurant of Toronto. Last night we returned for the second time, only to be enchanted once again by the warm and cozy atmosphere and unforgettable food. Similar to our first experience, the service was flawless, the …

Au Pied de Cochon – Montreal

Having recently visited Montreal, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Au Pied de Cochon and therefore a review of such a restaurant was inevitably due to appear on our blog. Although the locale’s name won’t sound too familiar, you may know the owner/chef Martin Picard from his Food Network Canada show “The Wild Chef” …

Macarons

Having always been fascinated about the art of making macarons, I’m proud to put up this little post as a tutorial for those wanting to try this process out. Just to clarify, I’m not talking about those fairly disappointing and overly sweet coconut confections but about the colourful and extremely flavourful french macarons. A thick …

Eat Your Colors

EAT YOUR COLOURS I really like colourful food ~ vibrant squash, heirloom tomatoes, black garlic, peppers, beans, salts (the list is endless). Germans call these truffle potatoes. Upon opening the pack it’s easy to see these are from the ancient Andes culture called Peruvian purple. They have a very long history stretching continents.The skin is …

Nadege Patisserie in Toronto

Have you ever had a very strong urge to overpay for mediocre products?!  Well if that’s the case, Nadege Patisserie (Queen West between Bathurst and Ossington) is the place for you. With clinically white walls and bare decor this cafe offers its patrons almost as much warmth as the Mental Health Ward of a hospital. …

All tiramisu wishes it was Lime Thyme!

I was recently given the opportunity to create my own dessert for Ma Maison, the pastry shop where I’m currently employed and after many months of trial and error it’s finally out. With the guidance of the pastry chef and a very vague idea, Lime Thyme was born. It is our take on a traditional …