Weekly Roundup: Rainy Days Are Cooking Days

Pork Tonkatsu with Watermelon & Tomato Salad - Friday nights always seem to be a mad rush, trying to get myself out of work at a decent time, looking presentable, with enough outfit changes to last me the weekend, and a 45-minutes commute to my boyfriend Chris' condo. If it's a Friday where Chris and I are having dinner together, it's even more of a rush so that we aren't totally exhausted by the time I get there and resolve to make something incredibly simple and not all that exciting. This week I seemed to be running way past schedule and didn't get to Chris' until much later than anticipated. I spent my 45-min commute with my stomach growling, worrying that because of the late time, we would be in for another simple sausage and bun dinner (which, don't get me wrong is delicious, but by the time September kicks in, I've certainly had my fill of enough sausage and bun dinners).

I arrived at Chris' tired, hungry, and grumpy about the lack of possibilities for dinner. On my commute I had seen a stunning, colourful photo of the most delicious-looking watermelon salad, and was unable to get that sweet and savoury salad out of my mind. I knew that no matter what we had for dinner, I would be disappointed, because all I wanted was that watermelon salad. I guess when you've been dating someone for long enough, you begin to read each others minds a little bit. Chris, who was able to get to St. Lawrence Market before close, had picked up all the ingredients required to make panko-encrusted pork chops (or Pork Tonkatsu) and...wait for it...WATERMELON SALAD! I swear I fell in love with him 10x more when he told me that! With Chris on pork chop duty, and myself on watermelon salad duty we quickly whipped up Bon Appétit's recipe for Pork Tonkatsu and Watermelon and Tomato salad, altering it ever so slightly by adding a bit more lemon juice to the dijon-citrus vinaigrette as well as some salty feta cheese. Our meal was so delicious, with the bright and fresh watermelon salad complimenting the rich pork chops perfectly. I couldn't stop smiling! I will most definitely be making this meal again...and soon!

Teamwork Breakfast - My favourite homemade meals are the ones that are created as a team. It seems you can always taste the love in a meal all the more when you know that people had to work together to create it. To start our weekend off right, myself, Chris, and his roommate Adam decided to collaborate on a teamwork breakfast, with Adam making his infamous spiced hash browns, Chris making his favourite breakfast items grits and pea meal bacon, and myself on egg duty. Our breakfast was gluttonous and outrageously delicious. It kept us full and satisfied all day long, and was definitely one that will go down in the books as one of our best! 

Homemade Fresh Pasta - There's something about a gloomy and grey rainy day that just screams "cooking day" to me. This past weekend, on the gloomiest of Saturdays, while devouring our massive 'teamwork' breakfast, Chris and I decided that a rainy day was the perfect day to take on a new cooking challenge together. We had been discussing perfecting homemade fresh pasta for weeks now, and with the sun hiding behind the clouds, a very wet balcony, and limited movies at the nearby cheapy Rainbow Cinema, we could think of no better time to take on the challenge. I have made homemade pasta a number of times before, but I was never quite satisfied with the the overall result. Always just a bit off in the texture department, I have always dreamt of creating those perfect, silky, al dente noodles that I have swooned over at my favourite Italian restaurants. Apparently having an Italian cooking partner in the kitchen was all I needed to finally create my dream pasta! After a quick phone call to his pro-pasta-making parents, and a trip to St. Lawrence for the essential tippo "00" flour (a finely sifted flour often used for pasta and pizza dough) we were set to begin our all-day pasta-making adventure! Chris was an absolute natural, taking control of the pasta making, while I took on the challenge of making a near perfect bolognese sauce (which is it bolognese or ragu? Jamie Oliver calls it ragu). The pasta turned out absolutely perfect. The texture was spot on, just like the best critically acclaimed Italian restaurants in the city! I felt so proud of our final results, and couldn't contain my excitement over the thought of future pasta-making days together! 

Homemade Bolognese - To go with our perfect homemade pasta, we needed a rich and flavourful sauce to bath our noodles in. After a bit of bolognese/ragu research, we came up with a recipe that combined Jamie Oliver's recipe for ragu, with Eataly NY's recipe for Butchers Ragu. Our recipe featured lean ground beef, ground veal, and smoked pancetta, as well as Chris' roommates newly-made homemade fresh tomato sauce. After getting all of my ingredients in the pot, it was ready to simmer on the stove for at least an hour and a half to enhance the flavours and reduce. After 45-minutes of simmering on the stove, I began to panic. The sauce wasn't reducing at all and was extremely watery. I feared I had added just a bit too much tomato sauce, which was a bit on the watery side to begin with. I was kicking myself over potentially ruining our pasta night, and knew that I had to do everything I could think of to rescue my sauce. The first step was to transfer the sauce from the large stock pot it was cooking in to a wide and shallow saucepan to allow more surface area of the sauce to cook off. I added the sauce to the new pan a bit at a time, at medium-high heat, allowing it to cook off a bit each time before adding another ladle full. I kept the heat at medium to medium-high to encourage it to reduce as much as possible. I also received a tip to go against every instinct in my body to stir the sauce, and just let it sit. About 45-minutes later my sauce was, if you can believe it, a little too reduced! To loosen it back up a bit, I added a splash of red wine, which also enhanced all those delicious savoury flavours in the sauce. Finally, after 9PM, both our pasta and our sauce were ready for tasting! As I had mentioned, Chris' pasta noodles were perfection, with my bolognese just a touch under perfect. The problem? The smoked pancetta. I absolutely loved the pancetta flavour in the sauce, but we all found that the smoked pancetta was a little too overpowering for our liking. Next time I would do either all regular pancetta, or a combo of half smoked, half regular. I would also add a touch of red pepper flakes to add just a bit of heat to the tongue. I was so proud of my rich and comforting bolognese sauce, I think this just may become one of my signatures that I will be making into old age!

On My Mind:

Check out this article from the Globe & Mail about the growing influence of foodies and the publics interest in food and its culture.

Check out the fourth issue of the new online magazine deliberateLIFE, the lifestyle guide for impactful living.

Nine questions about Syria you were too embarrassed to ask.

This coming Thursday come out to 6 Degrees for an evening of love and support for my old high school friend Robyn. For Robyn, With Love is an event to raise funds and awareness for a beautiful girl fighting a rare and aggressive form of cancer called Angiosarcoma. Please take a moment to read about Robyn and her battle, and give in any way you can! Hope to see you at the event!

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Listening To:
Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Kale & Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese & Prosciutto in a Pomegranate Vinaigrette

In typical Ginger Rose fashion, here is another very late recipe posting. I made this salad about a month ago, right as peach season had arrived, after picking up a basket of the most juicy and sweet peaches I could have ever dreamt of from a farmers stand on the way home from a day trip up north. They were the kind of peaches that make you declare that "for the entirety of August, I will eat nothing but Ontario peaches!", a both ludicrous and perfectly understandable statement. So incredibly obsessed with having my all-time favourite fruit in its prime, I found myself adding peaches to just about everything; Peach oatmeal, peach and Nutella paninis, peaches and ice cream, and what may have been my favourite peach usage, my Kale and Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto in a Pomegranate Vinaigrette, the perfect combination of sweet, savory, creamy, and tangy to make my taste buds go wild. 

The big and lip-smackingly sweet flavour from the fresh peaches, enhanced by a quick pop onto the grill, worked perfectly with the slightly bitter kale. The warmth of the grilled peaches softened the goat cheese even more when all tossed together, adding an incredible creaminess to the dish, and making you forget how healthy this dish really is. To tie in the sweet and tangy flavours found in the peaches and goat cheese I made a pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette made from the most incredible pomegranate balsamic vinegar that I coveted from one of my favourite little shops in St. Lawrence Market. The tart and intense flavours from the Chefjono Pomegranate Balsamic took this dish to a whole other level! If you are unable to get your hands on my new favourite addition to my balsamic vinegar collection, you can simply make a vinaigrette out of olive oil and good quality balsamic vinegar and toss in a splash of pure pomegranate juice to imitate the effect. Finally, the dish is given substance with a bit of prosciutto, which also helps to balance out the sweetness, adding a salty bite to every forkful. I have already made this salad numerous times, trying to take advantage of every last bit of peach season before it sadly comes to an end. Trust me, make this quick and easy salad before it's too late!

Take this pomegranate vinaigrette to another level by getting your hands on Chefjono's Pomegranate Balsamic! I purchased mine at St. Lawrence Market. No need to add any pomegranate juice to your dressing with this punchy vinegar. 

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 large bunch kale, stemmed with ribs removed
2 peaches, pitted
1/4 cup goat cheese
2 slices prosciutto
5 tbsp olive oil, plus more for massaging kale
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
splash of pomegranate juice
salt & pepper to season

Directions:

1. In a small bowl pour in the balsamic vinegar and splash of pomegranate juice. Slowly pour in olive oil in a thin and steady stream while whisking constantly. Season with fresh ground pepper and set aside.
2. Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Lightly coat peach halves or slices with olive oil. When pan is hot, grill peaches, flat side down for about 2-3 minutes, or until grill marks have appeared. Set aside.
3. Place kale in a medium bowl and lightly drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle very lightly with salt. Using clean fingertips, roughly massage kale for 2-3 minutes, or until kale becomes tender. 
4. Begin adding the vinaigrette, a little at a time, while tossing and tasting to ensure you do not overdress. You may not need all of the dressing. 
5. Plate the dressed kale in salad bowls and crumble over goat cheese. Top with grilled peach halves or slices (one peach per serving) and prosciutto slices (one slice per serving) and serve. 

Listening To:

Lorde - Tennis Courts

Weekly Roundup - When a weekly roundup, turns into a monthly roundup

How does a weekly roundup turn into an almost monthly roundup? Life, that's how! With what seems like the speediest Summer ever winding down, I could think of nothing else but indulging in those special moments that make Summer "Summer". I escaped to two different cottages, caught up with some friends, attended a wedding, enjoyed nature, went to parties, ate great food, came down with the 2013 Summer plague that everyone seemed to have caught at one point or another, the list goes on. All that time being away from my blog forced me to do a little soul searching. 

Despite all the fun (minus the never-ending cold that interrupted all the summer excitement) I found myself incredibly stressed about the Fall and slipping into that "back to reality" self remorse. All my neurosis floated to the surface as I began stressing over the fact that I was about to move into yet another season, stuck in the same soul-sucking job that seemed to be taking over my life, with no foreseeable escape in my near future. I had originally planned on getting out of my serving job at a tired pub for the Fall, hoping for a job or at the very least an internship that would lead me to a career in recipe development, working in a test kitchen environment. I cast my line, but no one had bit. No matter all the time and passion I have put into my blog over the years, on paper, I'm just another blogger looking to take the short cut to success. That's not the person I want to be, or be seen as, I never have and I never will. I realized that I couldn't just wait around for someone to see that I have the dedication and the chops to make it in the industry. If people couldn't see that I have what it takes right now, well then I have no choice but to take matters into my own hands and prove it to them. 

With voices in my head telling me how much money it would cost and how much time it would eat up, I ignored them all and made the spontaneous decision to register for continuing education culinary school at George Brown College. Now, having picked up my uniform (I look like a goof in my chefs hat), my equipment (that cost me a almost $1000), and a big ass textbook on professional cooking for Canadian chefs, I find myself exhilarated and a little bit terrified about what I am about to embark on. I am so incredibly excited to learn and master new skills and techniques in the kitchen, and gain the confidence that I have been lacking, but I am freaking the hell out over being back in school after being out for years now, and the pressure that I have heard so much about that accompanies every kitchen. I really hope that this new experience will open doors for me and allow me to find success in something that I feel so passionate about, as well as inspire me to share new stories and insights on my blog with my readers. Thanks to all my friends and family who have been so incredibly supportive of my decision. As much as I know deep down that this is the right direction for me, that encouragement from all of the people close to me has reinforced that I am truly on the right path. 

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Doppio Zero - Nothing like finding a delicious Italian restaurant, walking distance from my house, to satisfy my pizza and pasta cravings that hit me way too often. Recently my mom and I checked out Doppio Zero on Eglinton for a light dinner on their small patio. After my mom had raved about Doppio Zero's homemade Tortelli Di Zucca, ravioli stuffed with pumpkin, parmigiano, and amaretto cookies, finished in a butter and sage sauce, she insisted we had to order it again so I could understand her newfound love for this decadent pasta. Along with our pasta that we had decided to split, we ordered the Carpaccio Di Manzo, thinly sliced raw beef tenderloin, topped with arugula and parmigiano shavings, drizzled with a citrus vinaigrette. My mom was right about the pumpkin, it was so incredibly delicious, with the amaretti cookies adding just a hint of sweetness and a bit of crunch that made this dish really stand out. I also swooned over the carpaccio which was tender, zesty, and tricked me into thinking I was eating healthy when paired with the peppery arugula. I look forward to trying more items on Doppio Zero's extensive menu! I hope to be back soon!

Grits & Eggs - For my boyfriend Chris' birthday this year, I treated him to a lovely intimate dinner at Acadia. Of course I got to enjoy our meal as well, but at the time I didn't really realize just how much I would benefit from that meal. After melting over Acadia's unbelievably delicious Anson Mills Grits and Shrimp with aged cheddar, oyster mushrooms, and ham hock, Chris became a little obsessed with mastering the Southern comfort food. Not long after our meal at Acadia, Chris picked up a bag of grits and has been whipping it up for breakfasts ever since! This past weekend Chris put a smile on my face once again by making his grits for breakfast, along with peameal bacon from the market, and my perfect poached eggs. So incredibly comforting, if you have yet to try this Southern treat, you don't know what you're missing!

Golden Zucchini & Feta Cakes - After dropping nearly a grand on chef school equipment, you can bet your boots I was pretty damn excited to start using all of my shiny new kitchen goodies. Ever since I saw a photo of Chatelaine's Golden Zucchini and Feta Cakes that they had posted on their website, I have been dying to make the crispy and salty little rounds of goodness. This week I finally made it happen and quickly whipped up the very simple appetizer. The cakes turned out delicious! I really loved the addition of the feta and dill, adding a bit of freshness, saltiness, and creaminess to the cakes. Next time I will make a yogurt-based dill sauce to drizzle over these babies to take them to the next level! I'd also like to see how I could make a healthier baked version of this dish.

Veal Chops with Grilled Peach Prosciutto & Brie Salad - With the zucchini cakes not allowing me to use enough of my new kitchen gear, I simply had to prepare an interesting entrée and side for dinner as well that evening. I had never made veal chops before, but with an awesome sale I figured I would give it a try. I quickly found a very simple recipe for a veal chop marinade online, and had my chops soaking in a lemon and rosemary bath in no time. Still obsessing over my grilled peach and prosciutto salad that I had made a few weeks ago, and with peaches still in their prime, I accompanied my veal with the vibrant and summery salad that I have been drooling over since I first made it. This dinner was simple, fast, and oh so delicious and satisfying.

On My Mind:

Ginger Rose is getting a redesign! A great big thanks to the incredibly talented Becca of Freckled Stationary who is working on making Ginger Rose a heck of a lot prettier and more personal. I can't wait to show you what Becca has come up with! Check out Becca's other beautiful work here!

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I found great success renting a cottage in Haliburton through the vacation rental website vrbo.com. Check it out to save money on your next vacation!

While at the cottage, I was able to catch up on some summer reading, indulging in two great books. I read the Oscar Wilde classic The Picture of Dorian Gray and the chuckle-out-loud science fiction novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Have you been watching the final nail-biting season of Breaking Bad? I can't get enough! I've often wondered, Why is Skyler White So Hated?

More curious woman hate. Rachel Lefevre on the public hate of Anne Hathaway.

Kind of obsessing over my new Club Monaco vest. Love this classy take on menswear for women this Fall.

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Listening To:
Young Empires - Rain Of Gold

Weekly Roundup - A Massage Is Essential Before Any Kale Salad

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Kale Avocado Tomato & Poached Egg Salad - It's funny how there always seems to be a an unintentional theme to each of my weekly roundups, with some more pronounced than others. This weeks theme is so very obvious, with three out of the four photos featuring different variations on a kale salad. Kale is one of those dark leafy greens that I hear people say all the time that they know they should be eating, but they don't know what to do with it. With its tough texture and bitter flavour, it's easy to be turned away from kale at first, but all it takes is one delicious kale salad to open up ones eyes and see all of the many delicious possibilities for this dark leafy green. This first kale salad was a very simple homemade one that I threw together as a light second lunch to keep me satisfied and energized before dinner. I always start my kale salads with a massage...no not a massage for myself, but for my kale! I always spend about 2 minutes roughly massaging my kale (lightly coated in olive oil and a bit of salt) with my fingertips before I put my salad together. This quick little step is vital in releasing that familiar bitterness found in kale, and also helps to soften the tough rubbery leaves. After a quick massage, all my salad needed was a light toss in some peppery ranch dressing, an egg medium-soft poached in a vinegar-water bath, chopped farm-fresh tomatoes, and some slices of creamy avocado and I had the perfect afternoon healthy treat!

Babbo At Hockley Valley Resort - My mom has been having such a great time this summer visiting all different types of resorts, retreats, and lakes all around Ontario with different friends and family. This week I got to be her lucky partner in crime as we headed to Orangeville to enjoy a lovely spa day at Hockley Valley Resort. After cutting our time short at the very disappointing White Pine Shores in Haliburton (it's certainly a work in progress), it was so refreshing to drive up to the gorgeous facilities at Hockley Valley for some rest and relaxation. With my mom raving about the mouth-watering kale salad at Hockley Valley's Babbo restaurant, I knew what I had to get for lunch. Of course I always begin my kale salads with a massage, but with the restaurant chefs taking care of the lunch prep for me, my mom and I were able to indulge in a little massage of our own. We started off our spa day with massages in Hockley's extremely relaxing spa, and followed that by finding a prime spot on Babbo's comfortable patio to enjoy their kale salad. The tender but still crisp kale was perfect, tossed in a buttermilk dressing with shredded carrots, toasted walnuts, and fresh herbs.

Hockley Valley Resort - After our leisurely lunch on the patio at Babbo, my mom and I spent a few wonderful hours, soaking up the sun by the beautiful pool at Hockley Valley while sipping on cucumber and citrus infused water. Once we were sufficiently freckled, my mom gave me a tour of their incredibly well cared for grounds. My absolute favourite part of the resort was their fantastic and bountiful organic chefs garden. The large garden, which provides 80% of all menu ingredients, was filled with row upon row of just about every type of fruit and vegetable you can imagine. As if I wasn't already in love with the garden, in the centre of it all rests a large stone wood-fired pizza oven, which is utilized every Saturday and Sunday from May through to September for "Pizza in the Garden". I was in my glory! I had such a lovely time at Hockley Valley Resort, this will certainly not be my last visit!

Kale Salad with Grilled Peaches Prosciutto Goat Cheese & Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette - With kale still on the brain and a basket full of Ontario peaches on the counter that my mom and I had picked up on the way home from our retreat up north, I had been dreaming up my perfect salad to start off my Friday night. Halved peaches are lightly oiled and tossed onto the grill (or grill pan) to enhance the sweet flavours. While the peaches were being grilled, I massaged my kale and whisked together a very simple vinaigrette of pomegranate-infused balsamic vinegar (an unbelievable product I picked up in St. Lawrence Market), olive oil, and pepper. The tender kale is tossed in the vinaigrette and topped with the grilled peaches, salty prosciutto slices, creamy and tangy goat cheese, and a sprinkle of chia seeds. If all salads were that delicious I would never eat anything else! If I had more time to toast some nuts, this salad would have been perfect. The sweet, salty, and tangy combo made my taste buds so very happy, I haven't stopped thinking about this creation all weekend long! Keep your eyes peeled as I will posting the recipe soon!

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Listening To:
Young Empires - Enter Through The Sun

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Toronto Festival Of Beer 2013

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Goose Island's Sofie & Matilda beer in the Media Tent; Me (Danielle Rose) cheers-ing with new friends while hiding from the rain; Goose Island's Matila & Sofie chilling in an ice bath; a guitar-playing crooner at the Smirnoff Ice station

Right as July begins to wind down and you start to fear that your Summer may be nearing its end, The Toronto Festival Of Beer swoops into town to remind you that the summer is just beginning! An event that truly reflects the carefree and laid back attitude of summer in Toronto, our city's Beer Fest is really just a giant park party, which just so happens to be filled with over 60 brewers featuring more than 200 brands of beer from all over the world. I walked into the festival last year a novice, without a clue about what I was getting myself into, and very little knowledge of beer (despite what I may have said about my "mature" taste at the time). Ultimately, we did have a great time and did try some interesting beer, but, to be honest, the majority of our beer drinking was pretty tame, as we kept to a lot of brands we were already familiar with, just beginning to get our taste buds comfortable with the bitter flavours in hops, the sweet and often grainy flavours from malt, and so on. 

Now, one year later, we consider ourselves true "beer drinkers", having spent the last year tasting different beers from around the world, experimenting with trying various styles of beer, shades and colours, degrees of filtration, and percentages of alcohol, many of which from craft brewers playing around with natural ingredients, straddling the line between art and science. With a game plan, and my list of "The Do's Of Beer Fest" fresh in my brain, we were definitely ready to conquer the festival! 

Me (Danielle Rose) sipping on my first brew of the festival in the Media Tent

We started our beer drinking festivities off in the Media Tent, sectioned off with high tables, bar stools,  cozy couches, and lots of Neal Brothers chips so that all participating media could have a place to "kick up their feet and tweet!" thanks to free wifi. We eagerly checked out the mini bar secluded off in the tent, curious to see if they had stepped up their game this year and were pouring something other than Labatt 50 (as they were unfortunately doing last year). Sure enough, bobbing in a bath of ice were two of my favourite craft brews that I had tried this year, Goose Island's (Chicago) Matilda and Sofie. Goose Island's Matilda is my standout favourite of the two with fruity aromas and a slightly spicy flavour, this dry and quenching beer has been a great easy drinking beer all summer long for me! Goose Island's Sofie is more reminiscent of a tart and dry sparking wine, with flavours of spicy white pepper and a hint of citrus thanks to the addition of orange peel. Goose Island's Matilda and Sofie make great gifts as they are bottled in beautiful 765mL wine bottles.

Me (Danielle Rose) digging in to Fidel Gastro's Kingzilla Sandwich

All it took was one sampling glass of beer to work up my appetite and have me rushing over to Fidel Gastro's tent, and see what interesting creations he was cooking up this time around. The hardest part about going to Fidel Gastro's station at any event is deciding what to order, as every item sounds so mouth-wateringly delicious and unique. This issue is generally solved as you snake your way through the inevitably long line of hungry snackers, but it just so happened that we got lucky and had no line at all. Our growling stomachs forced a speedy decision, and two minutes later we were tucking into their Kingzilla Sandwich, rootbeer braised short rib and kimchi on a soft bun. How good was it? Just look at my satisfied face! As we were waiting for our sandwich, we got distracted by the sight of their grill, which was covered in bacon-wrapped something. We had to know what that something was. It turned out to be their Alabama Tailgaters, beef carpaccio, kimchi, and havarti cheese wrapped in bacon. Good lord! We knew we had to go back and try those later! 

 

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Me (Danielle Rose) drinking Waterloo Brewing's award winning Amber brew in front of their tent; The selection at Lake of Bays Brewing Company; Flying Monkeys Brewing pouring me my Diary of a Mango Madman beer; Posters at Beau's Brewing, including the Tom Green Beer poster

One of the next exhibitors we checked out was Lake of Bays Brewing Company from right here in Ontario. I had enjoyed their Rock Cut lager when I first tried it at the Stop's Night Market, with its gentle notes of fresh cut grass and a a hint of caramel, but Beer Fest is all about trying something new, so I went for their River Walker Summer Ale, which their representative informed us was getting mixed reviews all day. She said if you aren't a fan of ginger, you probably won't like this beer. Both my sister and I immediately gave her a knowing glance. Come on...you're talkin' to two proud gingers here. Of course we like ginger! That fresh grated ginger definitely gave the beer a bit of a punch, but a welcome one! The kick of ginger and citrus makes this seasonal ale the perfect beer for beating the heat, with its bright and refreshing flavours and crisp finish. 

Me (Danielle Rose) shielding myself from the rain at the Lake of Bays tent

After enjoying a few light brews, we were ready to take on the dark and headed over to Hop City (Brampton, ON) to try their 8th Sin Craft Lager, a pitch black lager brewed with eight different types of malt. This smooth, sweet beer was an absolute treat with  a medium body and flavours of chocolate and espresso. I also tried a very similar and perhaps even more delicious dark brew from Beau's All Natural Brewing Company, arguably my favourite Ontario craft brewer. Instantly, upon walking up to the Beau's station I noticed a silk-screened-looking image of Tom Green on the board. What the heck does Tom Green have to do with Beau's? I quickly learned that Tom Green and Beau's have partnered to create The Tom Green Beer, a milk stout displaying flavours of chocolate and coffee, while delivering a creamy, velvety texture, and finishing with a mild sweetness. Definitely another winner of the day! 

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The menu board at Fidel Gastro's; Fidel Gastro's Alabama Tailgaters; A non-edible mock up of the spread at Fidel Gastro's; Alabama Tailgaters on the grill

It was right around this time that we decided we just couldn't wait one second longer to finally try Fidel Gastro's Alabama Tailgaters, that hadn't left our brains since we first set our eyes on them. After excitedly proclaiming "We came back!" we were handed a plate of the most perfect bite of savory and smokey deliciousness. Piping hot from the grill, the grass-fed beef carpaccio took on a great flavour and texture from being cooked while wrapped in the seasoned smoked bacon, the havarti cheese sauce adding a comforting creaminess to cut the saltiness of the meat. These little babies were so damn delicious, we may have come back again to order another two orders, one to eat on the spot, one to take home. Oh man, I've gotta get myself over to Fidel Gastro's recently opened bricks and mortar, Lisa Marie, to try their full menu ASAP! 

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The buzzing crowd; Me (Danielle Rose) drinking Brooklyn Brewery's IPA; Buskerville at the Mill St. tent; Me in front of the Hop City station drinking their 8th Sin Craft Lager

With more food in our bellies, we were ready to fill up our mini steins once again! We headed over to Brooklyn Brewery from, you guessed it, Brooklyn! I was first introduced to Brooklyn Brewery by my boyfriend who considers Brooklyn Lager to be his "house beer". I absolutely love their amber-gold coloured lager which displays a firm malt centre supported by a refreshing bitterness and floral hop aroma. After drinking so much of Brooklyn Brewery's lager this summer, I was ready to try something else from the New York brewery. The only other option was their East India Pale Ale, inspired by the original East India Pale Ales brewed in England in the early 1800's for the troops in India, which featured extra malt and hops to give the brew the bitterness and strength to endure the long sea voyage. The bright aroma of hops, lemongrass, pine, and citrus fruit give this IPA its unique and delicious flavour. I hope to start seeing this in stores soon! 

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The giant Meatball sign at the Campagnolo and Dolce Lucano station; Me (Danielle Rose) ready to dig into my meatballs and beer; The menu board at Campagnolo and Dolce Lucano; The Meatballs with Italian Pretzels from Campagnolo

Beginning to feel all that beer kicking in, we stumbled over to the tent with a sign with the words 'ITALIAN MEATBALLS' scrawled in bright red, drawing us in like bulls to a matador. The tent was home to Campagnolo and Dolce Lucano, serving up meatballs with ragu and bread, as well as an antipasto platter with salami, olives, and Italian pretzels. After having so many wonderful experiences from Campagnolo in the past, including last years Grilling Tent cooking demo from Chef Craig Harding, I was excited to try their take on a classic Italian meatball. Although the dish was delicious, I was surprised to find cut sausages in my container as opposed to the promised meatballs. Perhaps this is how they do their meatballs? But they weren't balls...Delicious, but deceiving, the ragu-soaked bread actually tasted more like meatballs than the cut sausages did. 

Me (Danielle Rose) sad, confused, and happy all at once about the rain invading the festival

It was by this time that I was beginning to feel very beer'd out, and still had a pocket full of tokens needing to be used up. I pushed myself through two more beers (rounding out an approximate total of a whopping 14 samples that day!) and had to call it a day. One of my last samples came from Double Trouble Brewing Company (Ontario), trying their Hops & Robbers IPA. I have picked up their tall cans of their Prison Break Pilsner a few times before, but was eager to try something a little heavier from the quirky brewery. Their Hops & Robbers IPA hit the spot with its fruity aromas of lemon with hints of pineapple and toasty caramel. I had to end things off on a super light note, wanting nothing but a refreshing glass of juice to wash away all that beer. Flying Monkeys Brewery had exactly what I was looking for in their Diary of a Mango Madman beer. Incredibly light, this fruity beer was almost like sparkling mango juice, but with the added complexity of a light brew. Really refreshing and interesting, I enjoyed Flying Monkeys mango beer, but it is definitely a super girlie beer! 

Tired, thirsty for juice, and wet from the rain I was ready to hop into a cab and crash on my couch, with happy memories of another successful beer fest dancing in my mind. Is it too soon to start counting the days until next years Toronto Festival of Beer? I can't wait!! Until then, get excited for the Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival coming up August 10 and 11! 

All photography by Justine Rose.

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Klingande-Jubel-Original-mix

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