Yesterday I checked out Expressions of Brazil, part of the World Routes summer festivals at the Harbourfront Centre.
There were lots of people sitting on the turf, enjoying music from Brazilian performers.
Though there were many cultural activities such as film screenings and drumming workshops, I went there primarily to sample Brazilian food. I was a little disappointed to not find much that was Brazilian, although there was a strong Latin American presence in the World Cafe.
It was a nice event for families, with the live entertainment, a chance to walk by the water's edge, plus the usual Harbourfront standbys of churros, fresh coconut, and a small bazaar. It also amazed me how you could hear the Toronto Indy buzzing all the way from Exhibition Place.
Food and farmers in the middle of the concrete jungle. I love how in the heart of the downtown Toronto, amid the towers of commerce, like spires from the fortress of solitude hides lunch-hour delights.
At Nathan Phillips Square, in front of City Hall, we have Tasty Thursdays. From July 15 to August 26. Enjoy $5 meals whilst enjoying some multi-cultural entertainment.
- Tandoori chicken burger
A couple of blocks away, on Thursdays from 11-2, is theBay-Adelaide Evergreen market, run by the people who brought us the Brickworks farmers' market.
Summerlicious 2010 is in full swing. While many restaurants cut corners and serve up a bare bones menu just so they can say they have a prix fixe offering, the rare ones rise to take advantage of what Summerlicious ought to be: An opportunity to tease the general public with haute cuisine.
This year we tried out SEN5ES, and boy did it stimulate all 5. The restaurant was elegantly decorated and had a mix of textures and designs that made you want to run your fingers across everything. The ambient music was full, melodic, and upbeat; more like a lounge than a typical dining room.
The food was simply amazing. While dinner was at $45, putting it on the high end of the Summerlicious range, I venture that the calibre of artistry and attention to detail, not to mention textures and tastes, would put it on par with much more expensive evenings out.
- Finely sliced roasted veal tenderloin on tuna fish sauce, tea smoked egg with arugula lettuce and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette
The rare veal went very well with the bitter arugula and the smokey egg. The sauce unexpectedly was more a tuna puree, giving a fuller feel on the tongue than a watery sauce would.
- Tian of red tuna, salmon and hamachi tartare, avocado, cucumber, vine ripe tomato, aged balsamic glace
Looking at this item on the menu, I thought I'd get something like a sushi roll. I was pleasantly surprised at the way it was prepared. The 3 different kinds of fish definitely gave a more complex taste. The pureed avocado went better with the tartare than slices in a maki roll would. The crunchy and salty lotus root chip added another dimension of flavour and visual appeal.
- Prime beef tenderloin and tempura prawn, wasabi mashed potatoes, bean bundle in bacon and natural veal
The tempura was a little over-cooked, something that could be excused a bit given the size of the particular prawn used. It was still quite enjoyable. The beef was lovely and perfectly cooked. The carrots were very yummily buttery garlicky, and the mashed potatoes with a mild wasabi kick was great.
- Roasted Grand Mariner liqueur duck breast, duck leg confit lasagna and orange duck jus
I totally loved this dish. Although the duck was a little tough, the skin was wonderfully crisp and salty. The best part though was the duck confit lasagna. That's gotta be one of the best lasagnas anywhere, although with just one layer of pasta on top, it might qualify more as a pot pie. Still, it was rich, creamy and just awesome!
- Lemon-lavender-blueberry dome with chocolate arts, lemon-grass vanilla sauce
Looks like a spaceship, or one of those skyscraper car parks in Chicago. The dome was mild, light, and (usually reserved for beverages rather than food) refreshing.
- Cherry jubilee, crepe suzette and vanilla ice cream
What better way to take advantage of a perfect summer day than a picnic in the city at High Park? It's nice that amid the hustle and bustle of city life, there exists in Toronto a wide swath of green, with ancient trees providing a cool canopy.
We procured a nifty picnic bag from the Bay with a Christmas gift certificate, and put it to good use.
Brie, horseradish cheddar, cherry tomatoes, Stacey's fresh basil, and rillette de canard
Steven Raichlen is the KING of BBQ and he takes his latest book well beyond being just a collection of recipes - I mean, yes, he does have 309 recipes from over 60 countries, but this book is so much more.
This book is an EDUCATION. He goes beyond simple recipes to give you an inside look at the cultures behind different types of BBQ styles, helping to explain why certain places do BBQ the way they do. It even borders on a history / geography lesson in some parts, which I appreciate. For example, I had no idea there were two BBQ-obsessed towns in Germany with a serious BBQ rivalry going on! Idar and Obersteiner are sister towns, and the folks in Idar believe what they take off the grill is far superior to what Obersteiner folks do on the BBQ (and vice versa). Thus it's only fitting that the people in Idar call their grilled rye bread slathered with garlic/parsley/onion butter "Obersteiner Filet Mignon" - OH SNAP!
So sure, Planet Barbecue has a ton of recipes all involving the use of a BBQ, from starters, salads, grilled breads, and every imaginable type of meat straight through to desserts, but it really takes those who *think* they know BBQ to another planet entirely. You wouldn't believe how many different cuts of meat there are, how many rubs/sauces/adornments you can pair with BBQ dishes, how many methods of grilling there are and how many different types of grills there are, and Raichlen helps walk you through all of them step-by-step because he's been to all these places and experienced these dishes first-hand. There's even some love for Canada in there, with the occasional recipe from his northern neighbour.
There were hundreds of times I gasped or smiled or laughed while I was reading this book, but I managed to capture a few of my random thoughts along the way on some of the weirdest and most wonderful recipes:
Smoked Egg Paté - Egg salad has so much more potential than being just a sandwich filling! Israel does an interesting take on it: smoked egg paté that is served with grilled bread.
Lomo al trapo - This sounds like HEAVEN to me - A Colombian beef tenderloin completely encrusted with about 3 inches of salt, wrapped in cloth, and cooked in the fireplaces of Colombian homes. You actually have to break through the burnt cloth and the thick crust of salt by whacking it with a cleaver so you can get to the meat!
Grilled ice cream - Yes, that's right, GRILLED ICE CREAM! A tasty treat all the way from Azerbaijan.
I don't want to give all the gems away, and I feel I can't even do the book justice in a blog post - the style it's written in is so personal that you really feel like you are right by Raichlen's side experiencing each dish with him.
Go out and buy this book if you know a BBQ enthusiast and make sure they read it cover-to-cover; like I said, it's not just a recipe book, it's an education in the world's BBQ culture. It'll absolutely make their summer and yours (you might even want to pick it up before Canada Day and try throwing something aside from burgers and hot dogs on the grill). Enjoy!
Last weekend we went to the historic Distillery District for the 2010 Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival.
This was a beautiful venue to host the event, featuring North America's largest collection of Victorian buildings. It proved to be a fun-filled night with a wine appreciation class, food, drink, and some song & dance.
a cappella, acoustic, and electronic
photo slideshow
We had some yummy crepes from Crepe Delicious for dinner. Though we're used to having sweet crepes as a snack or for dessert, we found that we rather liked savoury crepes.
If you want to avoid the G20 crush downtown, or are from the city's north east, the patio at Joey Don Mills is a fine place to chill out and have fun. Located in the Shops at Don Mills, Joey offers top notch casual dining, with a smartly dressed crowd. The vast space at Joey caters not only to the urban professional crowd, but to families as well. Joey Don Mills brings sophistication to the suburbs.
JOEY DON MILLS 15 O'Neill Rd - 1090 Don Mills Road (At Lawrence Avenue East) In the Shops at Don Mills Toronto - Don Mills | ON | M3C 0H2 Phone: (416) 445-6391 http://www.joeyrestaurants.com/location/don-mills
If you want to learn about fun things to do in Toronto, see Toronto Smarts. Learn about places to visit in Toronto, get concert information and sports info like when the Blue Jays play the Red Sox.
On an imported slab of heat-retention stone from Australia, you cook your own meal. Looks like fun! However it might be more about the experience than anything else - we heard some not-so-good reviews from a friend recently. We'll try anything once though!
¤Kultura (King East - Furniture District) Heard a lot about Roger Mooking's restaurants - think we're more obsessed with going there because of the fact that he used to be in Bass is Base!
¤ Cafe Gilead (King East - Furniture District) Jamie Kennedy's stuff is usually pretty good so we want to try it. ¤ Guu (Church St - The Gaybourhood) This place is trendy, so some people go there for that reason alone, but we'd be heading there to see what "Japanese tapas" is all about.
Follow a couple of foodies around the city as they discover the best (and worst) of what Toronto's culinary scene has to offer.
You can visit this site for some more info on the bloggers: http://www.tastingtoronto.ca/2009/06/so-who-is-behind-tasting-toronto.html
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