Green Goddess Dip

With my herb garden thriving, I secretly consider myself to be a bit of a Green Goddess. So when I found this recipe on the Williams Sonoma website, I knew I was destined to love it! It was the arrival of a big bag of farmers market heirloom carrots that inspired me to finally make this heavenly dip. This dip is jam packed with many of my favourite flavours: chives, parsley, basil, mint, and lemon. How could you possibly go wrong with a combination like that? And with merely a few pulses in the food processor, this recipe is super simple! The bright and fresh flavours in this dip went perfectly with the gorgeous heirloom carrots (just look at those colours!) as well as crunchy vegetable chips purchased from the supermarket. My family and I loved this dip so much, we devoured the entire bowl in one sitting! So if you are considering serving this to a crowd, I would suggest doubling the recipe so no one is left disappointed.

Note: The original recipe calls for 1 tsp tarragon. I am not a fan of tarragon, so I omitted it, but feel free to add it in if you like. I also added a bit of garlic, because, honestly, what's a great dip without at least a bit of garlic?!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh chives

2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh mint

2 or 3 anchovy fillets (I used anchovy paste)

2 tsp pureed garlic

1 shallot, roughly chopped

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, combine the chives, parsley, basil, mint, anchovies, garlic, shallot, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Blend or process until smooth.

2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the sour cream. Cpver with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3. Serve with crudites or chips.

Dreaming of Pizzeria Libretto

Since it's opening last year, Pizzeria Libretto seems to be the name on everyones lips!  The Pizzeria, which proudly states its authenticity as true Neapolitan pizza, has been getting rave reviews from many media outlets as well as from the many foodies in Toronto.  It is even often referred to as "the best pizza in Toronto."  After a year of hype and salivating taste buds, I finally got the chance to check out Pizzeria Libretto for myself.  I must say, I have not been so impressed with a restaurant in a long time.  The food was outstanding and of the highest quality, the staff unbelievable, and the atmosphere thriving, making it well worth the 1 hour wait for a table for 2!  I ordered the locally inspired prix fixe menu, which is an absolute steal at only $25 and included:

• Mixed Bruschetta (chefs choice of seasonally available ingredients)

The bruschetta being served last night was a Buffalo Mozzarella and Prosciutto Bruschetta, with amazingly creamy and flavourful fresh mozzarella, and paper thin salty prosciutto; a Spicy Eggplant Bruschetta, that was extremely flavourful with the spiciness merely accenting the eggplant and not overwhelming it; and a Tuna Bruschetta, perfectly juicy and creamy against the crispy grilled bread.  The bruschetta was garnished with olives, and sweet caramelized red onions.

• A choice of 3 different salads

I had the Caprese Salad with the same creamy and flavourful mozzarella used in the bruschetta, bright, juicy, and sweet tomatoes, ribbons of fresh basil, all sitting in a pool of fruity olive oil.

• A choice of any 1 of Librettos 12 different pizzas 

I ordered the Pingue Prosciutto Pizza with ultra-thin soft crust, sweet tomato sauce, creamy Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella, thin and salty prosciutto, and fresh basil leaves.  As much as I loved my pizza, I couldn't take my eye off of the pizza the gentleman sitting next me to me was eating, the Wild Mushroom pizza.  The Wild Mushroom pizza is topped with Tallegio, Ontario Fiore Di Latte Mozzarella, and fresh herbs, a combination no food lover could resist!

• A choice of 2 desserts (Panna Cotta al Limone with Ontario blueberry coulis, and Ontario Strawberry Parfait with Pine Nut Brittle)

I ordered the Panna Cotta al Limone with Ontario blueberry coulis, which was the perfect finish to the meal, leaving me feeling refreshed rather than uncomfortably full.  The lemony dessert was light as a feather, smooth and creamy, and had me cleaning every last bit off my plate with my tiny spoon long after I had finished it!

As I stated, the staff were unbelievable, making my experience at Pizzeria Libretto a memorable one.  Although the restaurant was packed with customers, the service was super fast and the staff extremely friendly, taking the time to get to know each one of the their costumers.  Just the staff alone are enough of a reason to come back, as they created such a positive atmosphere in the bright and buzzing space.  The restaurant is situated in the new Ossington "it" area, making my counter window seat the prime spot for Ossington hipster people watching.  With groups of people constantly flooding into the restaurant, their is never a dull moment.  It is restaurants like this that make me truly inspired and excited about what the Toronto food community has to offer.  Pizzeria Libretto is not only conscious of great quality food and service, but environmental causes as well.  See their Ideology section of their website to see how Pizzeria Libretto is taking action to make their restaurant as "green" as possible.  

As I sit here eating my leftover pizza, I am mentally scheduling when I can visit my new favourite restaurant again!...Hmm, how about tonight?

Image courtesy of DineTO.

Get Your Tickets Now to Get Knotty!

As many of my followers will know, I am a big supporter of the iYellow Wine Club.  Their expansive wine knowledge, educational and fun tours, and hip and exciting events make their club stand out as Toronto's Hottest Social Wine Club! I am encouraging you to go out and experience the iYellow Wine Club for yourself!  On August 10th, the iYellow Wine Club and Lifford Wine Agency will be hosting Get Knotty, an event showcasing a number of Australian wines from Red Knot Winery.  The event will allow you to taste 4 fabulous Red Knot wines, as well as meet Red Knots winemaker John Davey, and mingle about the trendy Thrush Holmes Empire gallery space with other fun wine lovers!  At only $25 a ticket, I'd say it's quite a steal! Go buy your ticket now before it sells out!

Peach and Nutella Croissant

This breakfast treat is perfect for satisfying that sweet tooth and giving you the energy you need to start your day. The buttery croissant goes sinfully well with the creamy Nutella spread, juicy peach slices, and crunchy coconut shreds. How can your day go wrong with a breakfast like this?

Ingredients:

1 fresh croissant, cut in half lengthwise

about 2 tbsp Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread

1 fresh peach, pitted and sliced

1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Directions:

1. Spread the Nutella on one half of the croissant.

2. Add a layer of sliced peaches on top.

3. Sprinkle with coconut and top with other half of croissant.

Backyard Marshmallow Roast

Me (Danielle Rose) and Rommi staying warm by the chimenea

It's that time of year.  There's beginning to be a bit of a chill in the air, back to school supplies are bombarding the stores, and people are taking their last visits to the cottage.  Well, I don't know about you, but I don't want my summer to end! Who's to say that some of my favourite summertime activities can't continue into the Fall?  

One of my all-time favourite summer activities is roasting marshmallows.  Sure setting up a bonfire is great up North, but it can get pretty dangerous attempting to set up a fire pit in your own backyard.  So my family's solution is to invest in a chimenea.  Chimenea's are little outdoor fireplaces, usually made out of clay, that act as an outdoor heater, and, better yet, can take the place of the traditional cottage bonfire.  It is the perfect place for a backyard social gathering, which was exactly what my friends and I used it for just a few days ago.  After a lovely dinner out, we came back to my house to hangout, talk, roast some marshmallows, and make s'mores gathered around the chinenea.  I say we forget about the Winter snow and carry Summer straight through to next year!!