The flower is definitely back on The Bloom on Bloor Street. I used to be fairly regular at this Bloor West destination but dining competition is fierce and it after a few visits at Bloom the menu lost its lustre for me. Then the lovely Mary Luz Mejia of Sizzling Communications, invited me to what I refer to as a "soft re-opening" of the restaurant for the local Tweeps and social media food goonies. How could I possibly turn that invite down? 
Kensington Market is one of my happy places. Walking around there, even on a winter's day is like going into sensory overload. I always make sure to carry some extra shopping totes with me when I head through the streets. What can I say, I'm just a weakling when you put me on to these streets. Meat, cheese, fish, spices, baked goods and then your nose takes over. Akram's for Lahm Pies, Strawberry Baklava and Turkish Delights made with Rosewater. Meats at Pete Sanagan's, slabs of pie from Wanda's Pie in the Sky or empanadas from Jumbo Empanadas. These are my kind of streets. I feel very at home here on Augusta, Kensington and Baldwin Streets. As as kid, who grew up in the heart of the city, shopping on these corners was just a part of life. Now being in the 'burbs, while it might seem like an effort to haul ass down there, it is simply worth every single sight, sound, smell, taste and flavour. 
I have a regular crew I hang with. They are fun. Ivy Knight, I want you to know that this girl appreciates how much more fun you've made Monday nights. I'm going to do my very best to make it out to the cookie exchange. 
Living in Caledon, life with things like tractor pulls, fall fairs and local corn roasts just becomes a part of everyday life. These events are usually benchmarks of the seasons that we live with. Caledon is an enigma of a community. It is where urban meets rural, golf tees butt up against cow farms and the Forks of the Credit is not a restaurant but rather one of the most popular viewing spots in all of Ontario for the fall colours. Caledon boasts ownership of such landmarks as the Oak Ridges moraine, the Niagara Escarpment and one of my personal fave spots, the Badlands. How can you not love a community with a spot called the Badlands? 
If you should be smart enough to spend an evening dining at The Big Ragu then be sure to ask the waitress for a drink called the Candy Dandy Palooza! Chef/Owner Carmine (pronounce that Car-meeeeeen-ay) Accogli (the G is silent) is a proud daddy to his delightful daughter, Amelie. Amelie is often seen hanging out in the restaurant until her Mother, Barb, one of the best cake makers this side of the Great Lakes, called CakeStar picks her up. I just happen to run in to them last night 
Friday nights doesn't get any better than this! A quick stop at the Cheese Boutique and the end result is we find ourselves on our back deck laden with food treasures. Thunder Oak, Fifth Town, Smoked Applewood Cheddar, Riopelle, Serrano Ham, olives, duck pate, baguette and most importantly lots to imbibe with. This is Friday night right. 
Ruby Watchco really is all that and a bag of chips. The food here is as honest as it gets. While you know in your heart there is a thread of pretentiousness that is the aura of this food harbour you simply give it up the minute you wrap your lips around one of their buttery, hot, freshly baked herb & cheese biscuits. All of a sudden you don't notice the noise, you don't notice the seen and wannabe seen's sitting all around you and any thoughts you have about Restaurant Makeover makes a swan song exit out of your brain. Those are some MoFo kinda biscuits. Ask for refills, they gladly oblige.
It was a beautiful sunny day at Harbourfront. The Tall Ships were in port and the demo centre was in full swing for a Canada Day food demonstration. MaryLuz Mejia of Sizzling Communications was a fun and fabulous host as she moderated a cooking demonstration by Chefs Luis Valenzuela (Torito) & Jose "Pepe" Hadad (Frida). It was an afternoon of Churros & Bunuelos topped with maple syrup as the chefs walked us through the steps of making these marvelous munchies. What a perfect way to celebrate the country's 
Located in the nook and cranny on McLaughlin Road just north of Olde Base Line is the Inglewood Farmer's Market. This little market is open every Wednesday from mid June to late September. I've been on a quest to search out the summer markets and try to enjoy the seasonal treats that Mother Nature puts on our tables. 
This is a small market, almost on the side of the road on a grassy knoll beside the Inglewood General store. 
There's gold up in them 'thar hills of the Caledon Niagara Escarpment. I'd take my fork over to that Credit river area any day of the week if Chef Rossy Earle of the Belfountain Inn promised to cook me up a batch of her Chupe de Chorizo. Talk about love in a bowl. It was a lovely summer evening as we headed over to the Belfountain Inn to join Mary Luz Mejia (maryluzonfood) and Vanessa Yueng (aphroditecooks), my tweet divas, along with their partners in organized food crime to enjoy a South American inspired menu by Chef Rossy Earle. 
The Amuse Bouche was a an Empanada de Pino. I could have chowed down a plateful of these mini empanadas made with lamb and beef and perfectly spiced. Next up was pure comfort in a bowl of Chupe de Chorizo which is basically a Spanish sausage, potato & vegetable chowder. 
The chorizo was not grizzly, fatty or chewy. You could taste that smoked paprika. I love how nonchalant Chef was when we asked about where the chorizo came from and she so matter of factly said "I made it of course.....". Oh of course, how silly of me to wonder where you sourced it. Then came my personal favorite course of the evening, a Steak & Palmito Salad. I'm going to be honest here, I've never been a big fan of hearts of palm but in this salad they work beautifully. This salad is strips of Argentinian styled Chimichurri beef atop a bed of hearts of palm, 
tomato salsa and a guacamole cream, dressed with a sweet onion vinaigrette. 
Maybe it was the size of the serving. Sometimes I get to feeling like Goldilocks...too big....too small...just right. Then came the real test. My daughter Meg who lived in Chile for a year told me that Pastel de Choclo was akin to being Chile's national dish. Oh oh. Pastel do Choclo is the Chilean version of Shepherd's Pie except it is made with chicken and pork and topped with a sweet corn crust. 
This little individual casserole was really delicious. The crusted corn topping added a real sweetness to the finish and I have to say that this isn't anything like I thought it would be. One doesn't really think about this type of dish to be something connected to South America. We finished off the meal with a Passion Fruit Creme Caramel. 
My favorite part of this dessert was how the chef did a burn on the sugar and orange sauce on the plate because it creates such an interesting balance for the richness of the dessert. If there was a weak spot in this dinner I'd have to say it was in the wine flights. We are on the cusp of Summerlicious and I have to say, dollar for dollar, this food tasting, at $35.00 per person was an absolute bargain. Six courses, all beautifully presented was an absolute delight for this price point. Thank you Chef for this wonderful effort. 
I want you to know that my daughter Megan particularly appreciated it. Memories of Chile! It just warmed my heart listening to her prattle in Spanish with Mary Luz!
Ever since I drove down la strada de Prosecco in the Veneto region, top down on our convertible (feeling a little like Grace Kelly!), wind blowing, sun shining....and prosecco to be drank. Some people call it poor man's champagne, I just call it fun in a glass. Last Friday night we attended a charity event called Wines of the World hosted by the Palgrave Rotary Club. Our fave booth turned out to be the only booth serving Prosecco and also a tasty little red wine by Killakanoon Wineries out of Australia. So here's the kicker!
They did a little spin on the Prosecco and turned it into a Prosecco cocktail by adding a splash of an Apple Cider from Quebec. I loved it!
I hauled my daughter's arse out of bed this morning and hit the road for a Saturday morning road trip to the Evergreen Brick Works. She had never been there before but for me it's becoming my Saturday morning shopping stop. I bumped into Joel (foodie411) and later in the morning I had the good fortune to meet and gab with
Chef Brad Long who told me he was building a new restaurant in the brick works development. 
There were more than a half dozen booths selling greens of one sort or another. From Garlic scape to Tatsoi Greens there is something for every ones taste buds. I couldn't resist the snow peas at Vickie's Vegetables and then when I saw the white asparagus at Cookstown Greens I knew exactly what I was having for dinner with those lamb kebabs.
We munched on a cone of Jamie Kennedy's fries laden with fresh rosemary, sipped some dark roast fair trade coffee with Harmony cream, and shared a grilled cheese & caramelized onion sandwich. I most definitely have a few favorite spots at the market. There is an older couple who have a baked goods booth that I just cannot resist. 
Today I bought an apple loaf that was hands down the best loaf cake I have ever purchased from anywhere. This booth is just laden with breads, muffins, loaf cakes and Chelsea buns. 
I coughed up $24.95 for a 1 litre bottle of maple syrup which I'm good with. I must say though, $7.00 for a pint of organic strawberries is a bit outrageous.
I meandered out the back of the brick works with my coffee, sat down and enjoyed the view of the pond. You almost can't believe that directly behind you, behind all this food goodness, lays the Don Valley Parkway. 
The EBW is my Saturday morning destination and whatever is seasonal on those days is what will end up on my dinner table that evening. I love me some farmer's markets.
