london calling

Growing up, my parents took me and my sister to places all over Asia and North America, but we had never gone to Europe. The older I got, the more I dreamed about visiting the great European cities.

Well, finally in 2006, I got to go to London for a week. And there, I fell in love with a city. Now, every time I see anything to do with London, I swoon a tiny bit.

Which is why I couldn't resist picking up this book in the Williams-Sonoma series (plus it was on sale for $5!!! How could I resist?)


Part cookbook, part travel guide, there are some great recommendations of where to shop and where to eat while in London. I can't wait to go back so that I can visit some of the places mentioned in this book!

bed & breakfast

I recently discovered the joy of staying at bed & breakfasts. They're great alternatives to staying at hotels/motels. You get all the amenities of a hotel with some very nice bonuses (like the included breakfasts).

For Canada day long weekend we revisited a B&B we discovered last summer, and in addition to pigging out on BBQ we stuffed ourselves silly with the most amazing breakfasts you can imagine.

Day 1 menu:
- apple pancake pie
- vegetarian quiche
- blueberry and banana bran muffins (pictured)
- home-made granola
- fresh fruit
- yogurt
- toast
- bacon

Day 2 menu:
- banana pancakes with strawberry syrup
- wine & cheese sausage casserole
- home-made granola
- fresh fruit
- yogurt

Everything was made fresh each morning and tasted absolutely incredible. I'm drooling just thinking about it again. I love B&B's!

To find a B&B in Canada visit: bbcanada.com

happy canada day!

Happy Canada Day to all our readers!

restaurant review: gal sushi

Restaurant: Gal's Sushi, Japanese & Korean Restaurant
Location: 3621 Hwy 7 East Unit 106, Markham, ON L3R 0G6
Telephone: 905-3005-7753
Website: galsushi.com
Meal type: Lunch

Average price per person: $11-$25

What I ordered: Rainbow Roll and Green Tea

Ratings:











Comments: I think it's safe to say that I have Sushi almost once a week nowadays. My friend recommended this place so it was pretty "safe". It's a pretty typical Sushi place by today's standards. - modern and clean decor, fast service, nice plating and good food. I found the waiter/manager a little high strung considering the restaurant was not even that busy, but all in all a good experience. The only crappy part is the parking is around back; thankfully the weather was nice today. Looks like I've found another "safe" Sushi place to frequent (too bad it's not in my neighborhood).

toronto ribfest 2008

What better way to celebrate Canada Day than to eat lots of ribs?

One of the reasons I love summer is because it means there's always something going on in Toronto and surronding areas. Lots of festivals and events always means lots of great food to eat.

This is the 9th annual ribfest put on by the Rotary Club of Etobicoke. Some highlights include: live music, beer tents, carnival rides, Canada Day fireworks and of course - the RIBS!

When: June 27 to July 1 (11am to 11pm everday)
Where: Centennial Park in Etobicoke

For more details about ribfest visit: torontoribfest.com

beeeeee mine, tupelo....

I grew up in a very traditional Chinese household. My parents exposed me to many different foods and flavours growing up, but they were more in the Asian area of cuisine.

So, for me, when I think of honey, there was only one image that would pop into my head - the plastic little squeeze bottle (either a bear or a beehive shape) and the name Bille Bee Honey. Billy Bee is a mixture of "pure" mix of Canadian and Argentine honey.

It's a lovely, sweet, unoffensive, always uniform golden honey and it's amazing on toast, in tea, and any other way you want to get your honey fix.

But after reading Holley Bishop's Robbing the Bees, I was intrigued about the fact that there were many, many other honey tastes out there, depending on what plants the bees had harvested their nectar from.

So a week ago, as I was walking through a Williams-Sonoma, waiting for my friend to buy some cakemix, I noticed that they were carrying some non-Billy Bee honey. As I leaned in to take a closer look, I got super excited - they had jars of Tupelo Honey!

Before reading Robbing the Bees I had no idea what Tupelo Honey was, but now I know that it's a much-prized honey - super rare because the Tupelo only blooms in a very small area of the planet every year for only a few weeks, so there aren't that many harvests to be had. Tupelo is so pure that it's supposed to never crystallize.

It cost $15, but I had to grab a jar to try. I brought it home and eagerly opened up the jar with nothing more than a spoon. I wanted my first taste of Tupelo Honey to be pure.

How can I describe the taste of Tupelo? It's definitely stronger than what I was used to (but not sweeter). Darker and much more fragrant, the taste is strong and "meadowy", and there's a long-lasting affect.

I love Tupelo on toast and it adds a whole new dimension to tea, but it's not for everyone. The strength of the "plant" taste is quite shocking to taste buds used to the sweet, unoffensive mildness of the usual honey.

I won't be breaking up with Billy Bee anytime soon - I'm too accustomed to the sweet honey in a convenient, squeezable bottle (that's easier on my wallet as well), but it was nice to flirt with Tupelo for a little while.

t&t supermarkets

As I was posting about the upcoming new gourmet grocery store McEwan I got to thinking about another one of my favorite grocery stores – T&T Supermarket. This is a Chinese grocery chain that started in British Columbia, Canada.

They have lots of prepared foods (including Sushi and various Dim Sum), a section to sit and eat your goodies, a bakery, fresh seafood, and aisles and aisles of Asian groceries. They also have amazing sales once in a while. And did I mention the oodles of free samples on weekends?

T&T has successfully integrated the Asian market with a grocery store we are more accustomed to in North America. The result is a clean and efficient supermarket with lots of variety and exotic foods. The Downtown Toronto location even has a shuttle service! This is one smart corporation.

My only complaint is that it can get a bit crazy there on the weekends.

To find a T&T near you: tnt-supermarket.com

Image from: tnt-supermarket.com

yay! summerlicious is back!

Like many Toronto foodies, I look forward to Summerlicious and Winterlicious. It's a great way to dine out (at a more affordable rate) at some of Toronto's best restaurants.

For those that aren't familiar with the concept, basically, it's several weeks every summer and winter where a whole bunch of Toronto restaurants offer three-course meals at fixed prices. Generally, it costs $15-$20 for lunch and $25-$35 for dinner (drinks, taxes and tips not included).

This year, Summerlicious runs from July 4-20 and restaurants have already started taking reservations.

With over 130 of Toronto's finest dining establishments taking part, you're sure to find something to tickle your fancy. A full list of restaurants and their menus can be found at here.

I generally don't even try to get into the most popular restaurants (ie. Canoe, Sassafraz), but I have eaten at some great places (Acqua Ristorante, Oliver & Bonacini Cafe/Grill) and I've also discovered some restaurants that have become favourites (Da Gianni et Maria Trattoria).

I can't wait for this year! I've already made reservations for dinner at Cfood and lunch at Oliver & Bonacini Cafe/Grill!

an ode to mom's cooking

My mother has always cooked fairly traditional Chinese dishes at home. These are almost never like what you order at Chinese restaurants. And although I’ve grown to love and live on more Western foods in my daily life, there is still something comforting about home cooking that is the same today as it was when we were children. So I’ve decided to capture some of my at-home favorites. Look for upcoming “an ode to my mother's cooking” posts.

Here’s a teaser of things to come (a potluck/appetizer favorite):
hot dog wrapped in bacon, with a spring of chive for garnish.

i would cover everything in chocolate if i could

Anyone that knows me well knows I love chocolate and dislike fruits. So in an effort to eat more fruits, I've had to resort to covering them in chocolate. Fondue is nothing new, but I love making this treat because it's so easy and yummy.

I melt some chocolate (usually use semi-sweet baking chocolate or chocolate chips) in the microwave the way Cinnamon Kitten taught me to & dip my clean, dry strawberries in the melted chocolate. Then I place them on a plate or cookie sheet in the fridge to harden and voila! What better way to indulge a loved one or yourself!