Weekly Roundup - August 31, 2012

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Sweet & Splendid Wedding Cake - One of the things that I was most looking forward to this summer was the wedding of my friends Jamie and John. The most fairy tale perfect couple I could ever imagine, Jamie and John are the type of couple that legends are made of. Their fairy tale romance was the inspiration behind their wedding, with their beautiful cake taking centre stage.  The custom cake, designed by one of Jamie's good friends Danielle from Sweet & Splendid Bakeshop, was inspired by a birch tree, with sugar acorns and pine cones scattered at the base as though the tree was standing in a mystical forest. Their initials "J+J" scrawled across the cake, encircled in a heart, as though they had just etched it into a tree to forever mark their love. Sitting atop the cake were not bride and groom figurines, but puzzle pieces, symbolizing how perfect they fit together. To view more of Danielle's incredible custom cake creations at Sweet & Splendid Bakeshop, click here!

Four Course Wedding Supper - Throughout their relationship, Jamie and John have had many special memories in wine country Ontario, exploring the vines and tasting the grapes. So to commemorate their special wine country memories, they decided to hold their wedding at a the beautiful Legends Estate Winery. Legends not only provided a beautiful backdrop for their special day, but also provided a fabulous four-course supper. The first course was a delicious spinach salad with toasted walnuts and roasted pears.

The Happy Couple - Here they are, the fairy tale couple, in the midst of a loving kiss. As well as directing guests where to sit, each name card for each guest also revealed a character. Throughout the evening the guests were instructed to try and seek out their characters other half and, once found, encouraged to high five on the stage, which meant the happy couple must kiss. After all those kisses all night long, it was amazing to see that every single one was just as passionate as the last. This is love.

Four Course Wedding Supper - Beef or chicken? I went for the chicken and, from what I gathered from the other guests, that was the wise choice! The chicken was tender, juicy, and flavourful with a delicious sauce, and placed on a bed of red new potatoes and crisp green beans. 

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The Beautiful Bride - Jamie is a beautiful girl, but never before have I seen her more stunning than she was on her wedding day. Her dress was show stopping, with an elegant sweetheart neck in the front and a striking open back. She was positively glowing.

Two of the Best - I have gotten to know Jamie and John so well over the years thanks to their younger siblings and two of my close friends Robin and Mike. Robin, my best friend, was Jamie's beautiful Maid of Honor and Mike, the rockstar of our group of friends, was John's Best Man. The two fit their roles perfectly, planning awesome showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and pulled out an awesome speech together. You may recognize Mike from drumming alongside Jesse Labelle in his recent music video for Heartbreak Coverup, featuring Alyssa Reid. Recently Mike has played with the likes of Shawn Desman, Conor Maynard, Alyssa Reid, and his main gig Jesse Labelle. To stay up to date with Mike and his drumming check out his site here.

Black Camel Brisket Sandwich - One of my all-time favourite sandwiches is a beef brisket sandwich...but not just ANY brisket sandwich, I'm talking about a Black Camel Slow Roasted Beef Brisket sandwich! The tiny little sandwich shop and café conveniently located right outside of Rosedale subway station, has won my heart over with their tender and incredibly flavourful slow roasted beef brisket, which is generously scooped onto a perfect, fresh kaiser bun that soaks up that delicious Black Camel BBQ sauce. I always order mine with caramelized onions, BBQ sauce, and chipotle mayo for a little heat. So incredibly delicious, this sandwich always puts a smile on my face!

Chocolate, Strawberry, & Vanilla - Here's me, all dolled up, sandwiched between my friends Rommi and Robin, snapping a quick shot of us in front of the beautiful sunset that descended during the wedding supper. This sunset acted as the backdrop for Jamie and John and they sat lovingly at their head table during supper. Chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, we've got every flavour here!

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Listening To:
The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

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Weekly Roundup - August 27, 2012

Agarian Cheese Market & Speakeasy - On Monday my mom and I decided to take a mini road trip for the day to Prince Edward County. We had such a nice time driving around and checking out the scenery, but, of course, our favourite part of any trip is the food. Rather than spending a fortune on lunch at a winery restaurant, we decided to make a quick stop at a cute looking cheese store to grab some gourmet grilled cheese. With so many delicious sandwiches on the menu at the Agarian Cheese Market and Speakeasy, we decided to get two different kinds and split them so we could try at least two. We chose the Mushroom Madness with Camembert and sautéed mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes, and the Sassy Sausage with onion, cheddar, Sopressata sausage and chipotle lime mustard. Served with a side salad with fresh green peas and a light vinaigrette, this quick lunch totally hit the spot! 

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Peach & Nutella Panini - One of my all time favourite snacks in the summer is fresh Ontario fruit. Of course the fruit is delicious on its own, but imagine folding it between two pieces of bread, slathering on a generous amount of Nutella, and throwing that baby on a panini press. Perfection! Last week I made my favourite type of sweet panini, Peach & Nutella, which was just as fantastic as I remembered  from last year. You've gotta give this sweet panini a try for yourself, and I promise, you'll be waiting all year for peach season to get your hands on this sucker as well!

S'more Pie - Two of my favourite people in the entire world are my cousins Lucas and Evan. Every summer we make a point of making s'mores, whether that means using the outdoor chiminea, making them in the toaster oven, or even on the gas flame on the stove, it's a summer tradition we can't go without. I had been thinking about doing something special and s'more related for Lucas' birthday in July, but unfortunately, with crazy hours at work and a cottage weekend away, I wasn't able to find the time. Last week was Evan's 9th birthday and this time I made sure to fit some baking into my schedule. After a quick google search I found the perfect creation for Evan's birthday and Lucas' belated birthday, S'more Pie! I whipped up the pie the day before and somehow resisted having a taste until Evan's actual birthday the following day.

Bruschetta - After licking out the delicious chocolaty bowl from the S'more Pie...and maybe sneaking a few marshmallows here and there, I was craving something savory to tide me over for dinner. With a leftover hot dog bun and fresh garlic on the counter, and beautiful tomatoes and basil growing in the garden, bruschetta was the way to go! So fresh and delicious, I love this summer treat! Check out my recipe here!

Evan's Birthday - Here's my little Evie, looking not so little at 9 years old, blowing out the candles on his S'more Pie that I made for him and his brother Lucas. The pie turned out sooooo damn good! I mean, I knew I would like the pie, but who knew I would go absolutely bananas over it! I'll post the recipe soon with my revisions that made this special dessert out of this world! Happy Birthday Evan!!!

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Bagel House BLT - After getting my mom hooked on Bagel House's absolutely perfect BLT last summer, we can't help but pick up the savoury sandwich every single time we're about to embark on a long drive. So of course we had to make a quick pit stop at Bagel House for BLT's before venturing off to Prince Edward County on Monday morning. I always get mine on an everything bagel and, if the right guy is working, usually end up getting extra bacon! So simple, yet so perfect. I could go for one right now.

Writing on the wall - I snapped this picture of a really cool old wall in Picton covered in striking text. I love the look of this!

Barley Days Brewery- During our tour of Prince Edward County, we also stopped at a a local brewery, Barley Days Brewery, for a tasting and a purchase! The charming British man working the taps was awesome, telling us all about the different beers they make and enthusiastically handing us sample after sample. I really enjoyed getting to taste the array of different beers they make. The standouts for me was their Harvest Gold Ale and their Brown Ale, which was served to us without any filtration, giving it a world of character. Of course we had to grab a couple six packs to bring home with us for the rest of the week.

Distillery Barn - While in Prince Edward County we also made a point of checking out a newly opened local distillery. Although I'm not one for sipping vodka, gin, and vermouth, I appreciated the esthetics of the place and snapped a pic of their barn, which I loved.

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Listening To:
Joy division - Insight

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Weekly Roundup - August 17, 2012

Dr. Laffa - One of the saddest things about coming home from Israel this May was knowing that I would never have a falafel that tastes even near as delicious as the ones I had in Israel. Nervous about even ordering a falafel anywhere in Toronto, fearing the inevitable disappointment, I've found myself shying away from any Middle Eastern restaurants for the past few months (that is unless they have hookahs, which would make me forget all about it!). After reading endless tweets about the Middle Eastern restaurant and takeout joint Dr. Laffa, located pretty much in the middle of nowhere, I held some hope that maybe, just maybe, Dr. Laffa would give me that taste of Israel I have been craving! So this week, with hope in my belly, I finally headed out to Dr. Laffa. Although there was a big lineup, we grabbed a table for three immediately, and quickly learned that in order to get a sandwich after their lunch hours, you had to grab takeout. With the less than esthetically pleasing decor, and loud volume, we were happy to give up our table to join the takeout line. It would be a sin to go into Dr. Laffa and not order their infamous laffa bread, which is baked to order, so I ordered a Falafel Laffa. As soon as the charming Israeli man behind the counter started putting on my toppings, I knew I had found my Israeli falafel equivalent. With all the delicious toppings I had Israel, including the unique sauce amba, fresh falafel balls, and the warm and slightly chewy laffa bread, I was in Israeli falafel heaven! It was so incredibly delicious! The only thing I would recommend is to share your falafel! They are absolutely massive!  

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The Rogers Cup - Thanks to my dads company's work with California Wines, a sponsor at the Rogers Cup, I have been fortunate enough to make it out to at least a game or two every year for quite a few years now. This year was no exception! Although we were worried all day that the game would be rained out, luckily mother nature held off for a few hours so we were able to enjoy as take in the Fish vs. Gasquet match!

barVolo - Although I was super excited to check out the first year of The Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival, the on and off rain all day Saturday had me rearranging my plans. It was just too muddy, wet, and icky to be shuffling around a crowd in the outdoors. With my heart set on craft brews, we decided to check out barVolo, with their extensive selection of both Canadian and International craft beers in bottles and on tap. The cozy little space on Wellesley was the perfect spot to spend a rainy afternoon. My friend Danielle and I (we're often called "the Danielle's") perched ourselves on a couple of stools and had a great time catching up, while enjoying some unique craft beers, and devouring their delicious  587 charcuterie platter that I just couldn't resist. I really enjoyed one of their house ales on tap in their Farmhouse Series called the Sheep. You've gotta try it!

Kobi - The best doggy a gal could ever ask for! I couldn't resist putting up this pic of my sweet pup doggy, looking all beautiful and irresistible. Just look at that face! Awww my Kobi pup dog!

Denny's - My friends and I have found ourselves a new dentist...the only problem is, the office is all the way in Brampton. Why are we going all the way to Brampton to go to the dentist? Well, that story's for another time. Although it seemed like our dentist appointments were the only beneficial thing about going to Brampton (sorry Bramptonites), we quickly changed out minds as we shrieked with delight, spotting a Denny's on the way! Totally a guilty pleasure, we spent our whole dentist appointments planning what we were going to order. I Sausage Slammed it up, and loved every guilty bite!

Crêpes Florentine - I'm really proud of the recipe I created for Crêpes Florentine. Without any help from the Internet, and with this being my first try at making the French dish, I was pleasantly surprised at how perfect it turned out! Seriously, give this recipe a try!

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Listening To:
Beach House - Troublemaker

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Crêpes Florentine

After finally checking out the Evergreen Brick Works Farmers Market about a month or so ago, I haven't been able to stop day dreaming about the endless possibilities for fillings for savory crêpes! Fascinated by a crepe station set up at the market, serving made-to-order crêpes filled with all sorts of grilled and raw veggies, herbs, and spices, I've been wanting to try my hand at making my own delicious savory crêpe. I had finally conquered the Savory Chicken Crêpe that gave me so much trouble in the past, so now I wanted to try something different! Through my brainstorming I had come up with a crêpe recipe featuring spinach, mushrooms, and other grilled vegetables, but with a fridge full of leftovers and not a lot of fresh produce, that idea went out the window. I had to readjust my original idea. With little more than frozen spinach, some cheese, and a carton of eggs for me to cook with, I decided to make something I had never even eaten before, Crêpes Florentine. With a classic combo like spinach, cheese, and eggs, I knew that despite never trying the French dish, I would have no trouble making my final product a success! By seasoning the crêpe batter with fresh chives, creaming the spinach, and seasoning the dish with just a hint of cayenne pepper, I was able to take a simple dish to new heights! My family and I loved my Crêpes florentine and will definitely be making this simple and pretty breakfast, lunch, or dinner item again!

Ingredients:

Crêpe Batter

3/4 cup flour

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp chives, chopped
butter or vegetable oil spray, for frying 

Filling
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup cream, heated
1 (9oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
salt and pepper, to season
cayenne pepper, to season
chopped parsley, to garnish

Directions:

1. Whisk or process (using a food processor) all crêpe batter ingredients until blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
2. Meanwhile, make the filling in the last 20 minutes or so that the crêpe batter is chilling. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil and garlic at medium heat. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent.
3. Turn heat up to medium-high and and add the 2 tbsp butter. When butter has just melted, add the 2 tbsp flour and whisk constantly for about 2-3 minutes as the flour cooks out and the mixture begins to colour slightly. Add the hot cream, a little bit at a time, while continuing to whisk. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and stir in the thawed spinach. 
4. Stir in the 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, taste, and season additionally with salt and pepper.
5. The crêpe batter should be ready for frying now! In a lightly greased crepe pan or frying pan, fry crepes approximately 60 seconds on one side or until edges are brown. Carefully flip crêpe and fry for proximately 30 seconds on the other side. While crêpe is frying on the other side, quickly sprinkle in some cheese, scoop over an even layer of the spinach mixture (about 1/4 cup),   top with a layer of the sliced hard boiled eggs, and season with salt, pepper, and a shake of cayenne pepper. Roll, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately. Continue until all batter has been used. 

Listening To:

Lykke Li - Jerome


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Weekly Roundup - August 10, 2012

Burger's Priest - Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you've gotta know that the Burger's Priest has become one of the most talked about burger joints in Toronto! With their commitment to fresh produce and delivering a great product, the Priest has quickly won over the east end with their little location in the Beaches, to now taking on the Uptown families with their recently opened Yonge St. location. Although their Yonge St. location is much more convenient for me, I still love going to the Beaches Priest when I have the chance. Why choose to spend the gas driving down to the beaches for my burger? It's all about the atmosphere! I love grabbing my cheeseburgers and taking them to the beach to park myself on a nice bench or rock, and enjoy my burger while I take in the view and people watch. Last Friday, before meeting up with some friends, I hit the Beaches Burger's Priest for takeout with my mom. Normally a fan of their single cheeseburger, I was STARVED and had to go for the double cheeseburger. Although it was one damn good burger, I couldn't help but think of the Priest's competition Holy Chuck Burgers, which I can now officially say is my favourite burger in Toronto. Although Holy Chuck Burgers' double cheeseburger isn't quite as large, I find the flavour bigger, and the texture more appealing. P.S. That stunning red/orange moon looked unbelievable by the Beaches on Friday night! Did you see it?

Foxley - Foxley has been one of those buzzed about Toronto restaurants for a while now, with it's casual atmosphere and refined asian inspired tapas. With foodies left, right, and centre proclaiming it to be one of their new favourite restaurants, it was time for me to check out the trendy Ossington spot. With most of the city heading up North for the long weekend, we were pleased to see that there were a few tables available during the dinner rush. Despite the free tables, we decided to grab a seat at the bar for a little more action. The friendly bartender recommended a few dishes for us and suggested to get about two dishes per person. Foxley's ceviche was one dish that was consistently recommended to me, so we ordered the Wahoo Ceviche with Mango Salsa, attracted by the refreshing-sounding accompanying salsa. We also ordered the Lamb and Duck Prosciutto Dumplings and the Grilled Marinated Beef Short Ribs. We were going to leave it at that, but after seeing multiple Spring Rolls go by, looking so fresh and delicious, we couldn't resist, and quickly put in an order for their Duck Tenderloin Fresh Spring Roll with Herbs and Rice Vermicelli. Everything that we tried at Foxley was very tasty, although I hate to say that it didn't quite live up to the hype for me. Everything was very good, don't get me wrong, it just didn't quite hit that extra special note that I was hoping for.

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Listening To:
The XX - Hot Like Fire

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