You gotta dip the pretzel

My neighbor recently invited me over for a little soiree to launch a new product called Fatty Sundays & Co. (dipped pretzels).  I was excited to see the display and try these tasty treats.  Both of which were a delight!  Loved the Kelly green and pink pop colors and use of high and low platters for the bite size samples.  An adorable mother/daughter combo have come up with a delicious snack that would make a sweet thank you, hostess, or holiday gift.  I am looking forward to working with this team to deliver many goodies to loved ones this year. 

From their site - check out the flavors.  Uh, ya - I'll take a box please and thank you!

FLAVORS.

Semisweet chocolate: Amaretto/Coconut/Espresso/ Lemon/Mint/PB&J/Pistachio/Toffee/Original

Milk chocolate: Ginger/Original

Dark chocolate: Orange/Peanut/Original

White chocolate: Pina Colada/Pumpkin/Original

Yogurt: Banana/Berry Granola

For more information on pricing and ordering visit their website Fatty Sundays & Co.

Toronto's downtown one stop shop for FRESH...

produce, cheese, pasta, meat, fish...peameal bacon, oh my!

Toronto's St. Lawrence Market is a historical landmark that you don't want to miss.  And if I had a place back at home, in Toronto, I'd want to live close by!

This weekend I visited the market to grab lunch and do some shopping for a spring fling dinner party that my sister was having.  We indulged in the famous Carasoul Bakery's peameal bacon sandwich on a kaiser roll accompanied by a fresh cup of their lemonade.

After lunch I helped my sis get all of the ingredients she needed for dinner.  Made me sad for a minute...because there is something very unique about this market which we do not really have back in New York.  Chelsea Market is very similar...but definitely more high end...

Fresh bacon just waiting to be eaten...

Guinness cheese....cool!

Making fresh pasta, ravioli.  Yum!

St. Lawrence Market

92- 95 Front Street East
Toronto, ON M5E 1C3, Canada
(416) 392-7120

Beer in Toronto

In Toronto, for my best friend's wedding and my mom's birthday...my sister, bro-in-law-to-be and I took my mom out for dinner to celebrate - Thursday night.  We went to the Beer Bistro down on King Street just east of Yonge.  It was a decent young adult to middle age crowd mostly consisting of suit wearing biz guys grabbing a bite and a brew.  A creative list of dishes, heavy on the mussels and an extensive beer list (including pairing suggestions throughout the menu) make for a really nice meal at this place.  My mom and I shared:  tempura lobster maki rolls, potato pierogi topped with mushrooms and truffle and a bowl (more like a cast iron pot) of mussels with white wine sauce + frites (of course!).  We concluded the meal with a little surprise dessert for my mom...a half baked chocolate chip cookie - topped with a sparkler.  Yum.
Overall, too much food for me, but boy was it delish!  I highly recommend this place if you live in Toronto...or are there for a visit!

Beer Bistro

18 King Street East
Toronto, ON M5H 1A1, Canada
(416) 861-9872

March madness. Makes me hungry!

Me and the fam came back into the city early today so the hub could go and watch the Duke game with his pal.  While the boys were out, LM and I got serious in the kitchen.  Starting with some kale chips.  A friend of mine told me she made these and they were great.  So I wanted to give them a try.  I looked online for the first good sounding recipe and came across this from Smitten Kitchen: Baked Kale Chips.

They were incredibly easy to make!  I got aggrsive (which I always do with a new recipe) and used 2 bunches of kale instead of just one...NOT like my instinct and the recipe told me to do...Anyhow, they were pretty delicious.  However I did over oil + salt so they were too greasy and pungent.  Next time I'm actually going to try what my friend told me and instead of dousing them with EVOO I will spray a little bit of PAM on them so they crisp nicely.  Also, I used the curly kale which was pretty bitter.  I need to look for this "dinasour" kale and give that a try...I will however tell you this - my son, the LM...loved this ridiculously healthy snack!  As witnessed by my camera here...oh, to be a college kid reading this and looking at this picture right now.  That will be the day, haha.

For dinner I thought I'd try this new dish that one of the mom's in my mom group suggested:  Tofu fingers.  However, she suggested that they baked...which is a GREAT idea!!  But since I had 2 things going in the oven already...that was not an option for me.  So I followed the recipe to:
Tofu Fingers:
Took one package firm tofu and sliced about a finger size thick.  Dredged in egg wash (with some garlic powder) and then dipped in whole wheat bread crumbs (with some montreal steak spice and paprika sprinkled in).  I FORGOT to add (and for sure will next time) parmesan cheese into the crumbs.
Instead of baking at 350 for 20 or so minutes (till golden brown) I flat out fried these suckers.  Well obviously they were amazing.  They were like chicken fingers - but with tofu.  Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside - delicious!  In other news, LM is starting to refuse the sippy cup...and just want to dribble milk down his face...this is nice. tee hee.

A delicious snack

I had my in-laws over today for some play time with LM.  It was an all day play date starting with an Italian lunch out and later dinner that I was making.  So I needed something to serve in between around 4ish as a snack.  Something easy...and delicious.  So I resorted to my friend's moms recipe for white bean dip and pita chips.  It's incredibly tasty and very healthy!

White bean dip:  
* 1 can of white beans
* juice of half a lemon
* 1 garlic clove
* 1/4 cup parsley
* salt and pepper
pulse slowly and add 1/3 EVOO until all combined and smooth.

Pita chips:
Preheat the oven to 400.
Take a stack of pitas and cut them into quarters.  Place on a baking and drizzle with EVOO.  Sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder and kosher salt.  Bake for 10 minutes...or until the pita chips smell ready.  As Rachael Ray would say "your nose will know when they are done".

A festive pop for St. Patty's day

I'm sure by now you are all well aware of the cake pop craze that is happening right outside your door.  Everyone from Bakerella to Starbucks to my very own lil sister are making them.  And each day, I see one more creative and inspiring then the next.  Check it out...my sister made these last night in lieu of St. Patty's day today.  Now seriously, how unreal is this??

Bravo lil sis. I'm very proud of you!  You have a special cake pop talent.

Chef Joe tonight: The curse is broken!

Chef Joe came over for a visit with LM and the use of my kitchen tonight and whipped up an incredible meal, once again.  Through the life of this blog, you will hear of Chef Joe often because that's how we roll.  He sets a menu, gives me a list of ingredients to have prepped for his arrival and then comes over and cooks for us.  Always a treat, always delicious!
Sometimes our friend Goon joins in the fun.  Unfortunately, Chef Joe was worried about the meal tonight because in the past when Goon has crashed our dinner parties Chef Joe has buckled under pressure and the meal has suffered. But not tonight!  The curse seems to be broken.  Chef Joe's meal was a home run.  On the menu:  Pan fried chicken and onions, roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and rice n' peas.  

I do apologize because I can't give you the recipes tonight.  I was feeding/bathing/putting down the LM while Chef Joe was cooking.  But I can tell you this...dinner was delish!

Earth

This weekend I flew to Toronto, my home town to celebrate my best friend's wedding shower.  Together with 5 other girls in the bridal party plus the M.O.B. (mother of the bride) we put together an outstanding event that had our bride raving over for days to follow.  It was a truly memorable party that she will never forget.

The theme was Anything Two Can Do.  We used famous couples as the table markers and put a photo clip with a personalized Wordle for each guest's place setting.  We had also requested the guests think outside the box for gifts as to relate to our theme.  We even made some suggestions such as:  wine tasting, dance lessons, couples massages, etc.

The venue for the shower is called Earth.  A restaurant located on Yonge Street just south of St. Clair.  The setting was modern and cool and their menus are derived from locally sourced ingredients.  All of the dishes served tasted fresh and full of flavor.

The service was impeccable as the staff worked with us on creating a personalized set menu, allowed us to bring in decor and our own cake.  Not to mention the managers and waiters were super friendly and nice.

My sister helped me out and used her crafty skills in the baking department to whip up bride + groom cake pops for the guests to take home as favors.  She is getting better each time she makes these tasty and beautiful treats which are quickly becoming all the rage.  We noticed they are now serving them at Starbucks!

I would highly recommend this restaurant to my readers who may live in Toronto or plan on visiting.   I was there over brunch but from what my friends have told me the dinner there is just as tasty!