Toronto to get its own South African "National Braai Day!"

People always hear that Toronto is a multicultural CITY, and that's definitely true, but I also think of TORONTONIANS THEMSELVES as being multicultural by nature. People who live in Toronto like to learn more about other cultures and have a natural curiosity to seek out more info. And we're fortunate to live in the perfect playground where we have so many different cultural influences to explore right in our own backyard. Diversity our strength!

I've had a couple South African co-workers in the past but we didn't ever get to talking about food or celebrations in South Africa. So I was intrigued when I heard about National Braai Day, which is like South Africa’s annual day of celebration that happens Sept. 24; South Africans gather around fires, prepare a feast, and come together to take time out and celebrate. From reading the official website, it sounds sort of like Thanksgiving meets St. Patrick's Day. Heck, it even has its own patron saint: Nobel Peace Prize winner, Emeritus Archbishop Doctor Desmond Tutu! ("Braai" basically means "barbecue" in Afrikaans, by the way.)

Two Oceans, Nederburg and Flat Roof Manor reached out to let us know they are bringing the Braai party to Canada on Sept. 21 at Distillery District and they sent us some South African wines to try. We've cracked open the Flat Roof Manor Pinot Grigio and plan to get to the others later this month. It's a super easy-drinking wine. I like sipping away and using my imagination to place myself in South Africa in the middle of a Braai, smelling mouth-watering barbecue - but I won't have to imagine much longer because Torontonians get to have our own inaugural Braai day soon!

Yours in food,
-Stacey

El Catrin

El Catrin is a Mexican restaurant with a nice big patio and a roaring outdoor gas fire. It replaced the Boiler House in the Distillery District.












Created with flickr slideshow.

Guu Izakaya

Here are some photos from Guu Izakaya, on Church St., just north of Gerrard. The best way to describe it would be Japanese tapas. It's essentially a bar with a lot of small tasty food items to go along with the drinks. A couple of interesting items we liked were the deep fried pumpkin croquette with a boiled egg inside, and of course my fav Japanese street food, Takoyaki a.k.a. deep fried octopus balls.


Created with flickr slideshow.

Shawinigan Handshake

Jean Chrétien was definitely one of our more entertaining if not wacky Prime Ministers. I found this beer inspired by one the the stranger episodes in Canadian political history, the Shawinigan Handshake.






Talking about the Shawinigan Handshake incident at 2:35 below

Hanoi 3 Seasons

We checked out Hanoi 3 Seasons for an inexpensive night out. North Vietnamese cuisine offers a kick in the tastebuds, whilst feeling light yet satisfying, slightly different from most of the other predominantly South Vietnamese restaurants around town.

The Vietnamese Coffee, available either hot or cold is definitely a standout. It's really strong yet very easy to drink, with notes of rich mocha and a sweet creaminess to it.



Goi Cuon - Fresh Shrimp Rolls (Vegetarian version contains Tofu)  $3



Hen - Sautéed Spicy Baby Clams served with Crispy Rice Crackers $7



Cha Ca – Hanoi 3 Seasons - Hanoi-style Grouper with Dill & Shrimp Paste $11 Served with Vermicelli & Salad or as Soup



Pho Do Bien - Spicy Shrimp, Calamari & Mussels with Tamarind Soup $7.50



Café - Vietnamese Coffee (hot/cold) $3


Hanoi 3 Seasons is located at 588 Gerrard Street East at Broadview.
There is also a Leslieville location at 1135 Queen Street East.

Pop-in Magnum's pop-up Pleasure Store

If you haven't yet dropped by the Magnum Pleasure Store at Yonge and Bloor, then you probably should before it closes its doors on August 30th. The store at 11 Bloor Street West is Magnum's first North American pop-up custom ice cream parlour. It was supposed to close last month, but due to overwhelming consumer demand, has stayed open a little longer. Line-ups on the street take almost an hour prompting many passers-by to scratch their heads wondering why people would queue-up for a $6 ice cream bar. Upon ordering your Magnum, you get a choice of Vanilla or Chocolate ice cream to be dipped in a white, classic, or dark chocolate shell. Next comes a selection of 21 toppings, from your luxurious maple fudge to more exotic rose petals, to wacky popping candy, and even bacon! To finish things off, you get a choice or white, classic, or dark chocolate drizzle. Feeling adventurous, I asked for a chocolate ice cream bar, dipped in white chocolate, topped with popping candy (Pop Rocks), Nerds, rose petals, and honeycomb. Though they appear to have run out of honeycombs, so it was just drizzled with honey. I must say Pop Rocks on an ice cream bar is quite and interesting sensation! As you can see from above, it looks like the 60's threw up on my ice cream. It was quite tasty, though a little heavy on the Nerds, which kind'a overwhelmed the other flavours. All in all the Magnum Pleasure Store is a fun and novel experience to try at least once. But personally, all this bespoke treatment can't hold a candle to Magnum's grocery bought Double Caramel.

Cute cafe Cafuné serves up Afro-Brazilian cuisine

Since moving to Toronto, I've always lived on or within a block of Sherbourne Street. From St. Jamestown to Moss Park to St. Lawrence area, I've always been somewhere along Sherbourne St. south of Bloor / north of Lakeshore. My feeling was that there wasn't really a cute little cafe near Sherbourne along that stretch where I could pop in and do work or chill.

Basically it seemed (to me anyway) you'd have to go further into Cabbagetown to find such a place. Cafuné, an Afro-Brazilian cafe, is on the outer edge of Cabbagetown near Sherbourne and Carlton, and it has somewhat filled the "cafe void" I always felt Sherbourne had. I could see myself kicking back there with a coffee and my iPad or a good book (in fact, they have Brazilian classics translated to English on a bookshelf and they encourage you to get your read on. Cute!) Speaking of coffee, their Brazilian "Moreno Blend" coffee is out of this world - it's rich and flavourful and you can get a cup there or buy beans to take home, either ground on the spot or whole (conical burr grinder owners, rejoice!) We bought a bag and, while it's $9.00 for 400g, you really get what you pay for in quality - price be damned, it's worth it A) because, as I said, it's delicious and B) when you know what the owners had to go through to get the coffee here, you're appreciative enough to pay that price. They have relationships with coffee growers there and are importing this stuff themselves from a small microregion in the Southeast mountains of Brazil, with altitudes between 3000 - 5000 feet. The farms are committed to sustainable standards regarding the preservation of the local ecosystem and quality of life for the workers, and Cafuné's owners even visit the farms and do a personal quality assurance check.

The other drink of choice is of course the Capirinha, Brazil's national drink made from some sugar, lime and their hard liquor called cachaça, which is made from sugar cane. We highly recommend grabbing some Pão de Queijo for the table to share - crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside - true comfort food. This appetizer has an interesting backstory: Early in Brazilian history, during the production of manioc (cassava) flour, the roots were peeled, grated and soaked in water inside wood bowls. Then it was spread outdoors to dry in the sun. However, a white powder was left in the bowls, and workers scraped off this powder to form and bake these little balls. Over 200 years later, as cattle farms became more common there and workers gained access to milk and cheese, these ingredients were added to the mix. While African and Brazilian influences flavour the menu most, there is also the occasional Italian and Lebanese contribution to the menu - I had learned that night that Brazil has a sizeable Italian and Lebanese community which I had no idea about - very cool & very diverse!

Like every adorable cafe, there are literary readings as well as some musical performances from time to time. If you want to read or perform, reach out to them. And heads-up to local artists: they display art for free (only taking a cut of the sale if you sell a piece, but there's no cost to actually display them). They are also open for dinner part of the week, so don't think of them as just a daytime haunt. Many thanks to the always-awesome Joallore for inviting us to check it out with him. Yours in food, -Stacey