Take A Sweet and Tangy Bite Out Of Nergi Kiwi Berries...

Have you seen these fruity cuties? Nergi is a healthy snacking kiwi berry that just arrived to the Canadian marketplace, grown and imported from Southern France and Portugal.

Looks like a grape, inside like a kiwi, tastes sweet and tangy, not only are they fun to explore but highly nutritious! Categorized as "super fruits", I am also calling them wonder berries cause they are packed with goodness- rich in vitamin C for energy, source of vitamin E to fight against free radicals contributed to aging, dietary fibre to aid in digestion and a host of other vitamins and minerals. 

Nergi (pronounced energy) has been around for a thousand years originating from Asia! So how fitting is it to showcase these wonder berries in a refreshing Japanese-style pork and pear salad in my Asian cooking class with seniors? Thin slices of pork are sauteed with garlic serving as a base for this lovely fresh salad that keeps piling up! Layering with crunchy juicy Asian pear and red pepper matchsticks, a host of aromatic Shredded Asian herbs such as shiso, cilantro and green onions and fresh strands of pea shoots and alfalfa sprouts scattered about. Round Nergi kiwi berries then adds the counter to the tendril textures and delivers the pretty kiwi centre pop! Simple splashes of soy sauce and fresh lemon juice ties all the flavours together! #nergi #partnership

Served alongside Ginger Pork (Shoga yaki) with cooked bean sprouts and steamed rice & green peas, what a satisfying home-cooked Japanese lunch cooking session with the addition of trying something new with my senior learners in our community kitchen!

Rice with Green Peas, Ginger Pork (Shoga yaki) and Pork Aromatic Salad

Just pop & eat, no need to peel!

The learners having their first taste!

My lovely students and friends slicing up Asian pears for our refreshing salad!

The salad ingredients spread.

Putting it all together in the plating demo!

voilà!

The round kiwi berries adds a texture counterpoint to this tendril and strand heavy salad!

Itadakimasu! (Bon Appétit in Japanese)

Rice with Green Peas, Ginger Pork (Shoga yaki) and Pork Aromatic Salad

So I was first introduced to these wonder berries at Nergi's private tasting media launch party at Ricarda's on Peter Street, Toronto.

Five chefs. Five inspirational dishes from savoury to sweet including a Nergi shooter to start things off at this mingle cocktail-style venue.

Chef Pascal from France showcasing his Nergi profiterole creation (see below).

We were treated to various ways Nergi can be prepared, and they dialed it up several notches for sophistication. You can cook them and serve as a sauce, slice to top as a garnish cause it's kiwi-esque is so pretty, blend to make a cool sorbet with the addition of beer, and much more. 

Sit back scroll and relish in the deliciousness you can haute with Nergi!

Scallop Ceviche with Coconut and Nergi

I love foie gras, and this was the "station" for me that night! 

Chinese star anise added a nice Asian spice to the Nergi pan sauce. 

How about Nergi beer sorbet to cleanse the palate before moving onto to somethin' somethin' sweet? Apparently this flavour profile is very indicative of that in Trou Normand, France.

Tangy and refreshing, the beer and Nergi infusion works!

These sweet Nergi mini eclairs were very popular that evening

Doesn't the cross section of kiwi berries pop as the ultimate garnish? 

Crispy Profiteroles with goat cheese and Nergi.

Hearing the delightful remarks from seniors on my Japanese-style pork and pear salad with Nergi, I'd say this dish is a great contender in the line up of delicious offerings for these kiwi berries. Give it a try (recipe below)... your taste buds will thank you for it 😋 Check Nergi out for more tasty inspiration.

But hurry, they are only available for a very short time- from now until Mid-November, you can get them at Loblaws, Longos and Sobeys!

Full Recipe:

Aromatic Pork, Pear and Nergi Salad
Makes 4 servings

1 Tbsp. oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lb. finely sliced pork (use freeze technique above to make slicing easier)
salt and pepper

1 Korean or Asian pear, sliced into thin sticks

red pepper, thinly sliced

1 pkg. (125 g) Nergi, sliced in half  
a bunch cilantro leaves
green onions, thinly sliced on an angle
perilla or shiso leaves, thinly sliced into strips
alfalfa sprouts
pea shootssplashes of lemon juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Cook garlic for 15 seconds, then add the pork. Stir-fry until cooked through about four minutes. Remove onto serving vessel.

Cover generously, layered with the pear, peppers, Nergi and herbs or toss ingredients together and scatter over the pork. Give a few squeezes of lemon, drizzle soy sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Stir Fried Lotus Roots with Mushroom Fungus and Peppers...

It was Chinese Harvest Moon Autumn Fest last weekend 🌕, and also Korean Thanksgiving Chuseok! Both occasions celebrate nature's bounty of harvest! It was fitting to explore lotus roots in dishes during this time as this rhizome is particularly auspicious due to its name, shape and texture. Their Chinese name is lian au, which means "together a pair". The roots grow in sections like bamboo, with its shape like branches signifying growth and opportunities! The tiny fibres that make up its texture, are fine but stringy and inseparable, represents bonding and reinforce togetherness! Oh, and did I mention the cross section of lotus roots are round just like the moon 😊?

This lotus stir fry with black mushroom and peppers fit the bill as a pretty Chinese meal accompaniment, full of crunch, savoury sauce goodness with garlic and ginger aromatics. What a lovely symbolic dish to pay homage to the happy harvest and the full moon!

Stir Fry Lotus Roots with Mushroom Fungus and Peppers

The lotus is an aquatic plant highly regarded for its beautiful flowers, edible lotus seeds, lotus leaves for medicine, lotus root or rhizome in Asian cuisines and its association with Buddha. The roots harvested when young, is crisp and delicious with a fibrous body. 

Cooking lotus roots is pretty versatile- sliced stir-fried, served as a cold salad, in soups, thick battered-fried or fried into crispy chips. Another way I really like them is wedging two slices with fish paste and steamed. Healthy Yum!

Harvested lotus roots

Stir-Fried Lotus Roots with Peppers and Mushroom Fungus (adapted by Woks of Life)
Makes 4 servings

340 g lotus root (about 2 medium)
10 wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated in water for two hours, drain and cut in half or quarters
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tsp. oyster sauce
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. sugar
A few dashes white pepper
2 Tbsp. oil
4 thin slices ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
2 tsp. cornstarch (combined with 1 Tbsp. water)

Prep the lotus root by peeling them, trimming the ends, and thinly slicing.

Bring a large wok/skillet of water to a boil and blanch the lotus root, wood ears, and bell peppers for 45 seconds. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

You can use a mandolin to make thin slicing a cinch!

The ingredient spread over at my Asian Cooking Class with Seniors!

Combine the chicken stock (or water and chicken seasoning), oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and white pepper in a small bowl to create the sauce mixture and set aside.

Add the oil to the wok over medium heat along with the ginger. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute, and then add the garlic and green onions. Cook for another 20 seconds and then add the blanched vegetables.

Stir-fry the vegetables for one minute. Then add the cooking wine around the perimeter of the wok, followed by the sauce mixture. Cook for 30 seconds, until the sauce is at a simmer, and then add the cornstarch and water mixture. Stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds until the sauce coats the vegetables, and serve.

The first time I cooked this dish was served alongside a Chinese meal of stir fry black bean sauce beef and bitter melon, broccoli and dried beancurd sheets, steamed chicken legs with green onion and ginger sauce and sauteed beans with fermented beancurd cubes. It was an attractive dish and a winner at dinner for my family!

Then came a mini Korean feast last weekend with a nod to Chuseok 🥢🍚🍂 #koreanthanksgiving

What was suppose to be a simple Korean meal with the family, turned into a multi-course dinner. Cooking one dish led to another with ingredients I bought and leftover bits of produce in my fridge. That is so me lol 😊 I had half a lotus root to use up and I made a simple salad. Koreans also make them glazed with soy and sugar served sticky cold.

Vegetarian chap chae noodles
Beef bulgogi, prepared by @galleriasupermarket

Pan fried tofu with garlic green onion soy topping
Kimchi pancake with soy rice vinegar sesame oil dip
Lotus root salad with a tangy dressing *see recipe below
Spinach side with garlic soy sesame dressing
Korean panchan of kimchi, seasoned seaweed stem and seasoned peanuts & anchovies
And a couple of beers 🍻 *not in the shot

For the lotus root salad, simply blanch the slices in boiling water for 45 minutes, drain, place on a plate and drizzle with a bit of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sprinkle with minced garlic, thinly sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds and red pepper powder. Serve warm or cold. 

Crunchy and savoury good!

New term. New learners. But mainly the same devoted returning seniors crew over at St.Stephen's Community Centre in Chinatown. Some have been with me from Day One and not missed a single class 🤗.

I've evolved after three terms of Chinese cooking to an All Asian cooking program to introduce new flavours, ingredients and probably untapped cuisines to these learners. I'll be covering Japanese, Korean, Thai, Philippines, Vietnamese and throwing in a South Asian favourite butter chicken, because a lovely senior asked 😁.
.
Started with our only Chinese class this term with somethin' sweet- sweet and sour pineapple chicken and the lotus roots stir-fry (symbolizing opportunities and togetherness).

Looking forward to new cooking horizons and expanding my multicultural repertoire researching, testing and developing to give the very best of me, as a cooking instructor, as an educator, as a friend to my eager students! 💖💕.

Pitching in and prepping together in our two hour cooking class!

Stir Fry Lotus Roots with Mushroom Fungus and Peppers

Properly prepared sweet and sour pork or chicken is a popular Cantonese dish (not heavy breaded chicken balls take-out) with the addition of pineapples. Lightly breaded bite size chicken pieces in potato starch (gives the crispiness), and shallow-frying in oil is a healthier alternative to deep fried. Give this a try!

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapples
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into about 1-inch pieces
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine, divided
white ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. potato starch or corn starch
½ cup oil and 1 Tbsp. oil, divided
1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 each green and red peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups fresh or canned pineapple chunks (if desired)

Sweet and Sour Sauce: (makes 1 cup)
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup packed brown sugar or white sugar
1 to 2 tsp. soy sauce (to taste)
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (to thicken sauce)


Season chicken with soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. wine and white pepper and marinate for 1/2 hour. Mix well flour and starch in shallow bowl. Dredge chicken until evenly coated.

Working in batches, shallow fry chicken in ½ cup oil in wok/skillet over medium-high heat allowing the sides to brown and cook through. Drain excess oil from chicken. Repeat. Place onto serving vessel.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Add ketchup, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce in a small pot. Bring to a simmering boil. Mix cornstarch with water, and pour slowly into sauce stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Wok-fry onions and peppers in 1 Tbsp. oil for three minutes or until crisp-tender; add remaining 1 Tbsp. cooking wine after two minutes. Pour over the sauce and bring to a boil. Add pineapples (optional) and toss for 30 seconds more.

Carefully pour or ladle the delicious sauce and let it slowly smother the chicken underneath.

Shallow-fried potato starch breaded chicken and sweet & sour sauce.

Full Recipe:

Stir-Fried Lotus Roots with Peppers and Mushroom Fungus (adapted by Woks of Life)
Makes 4 servings

340 g lotus root (about 2 medium)
10 wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated in water for two hours, drain and cut in half or quarters
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tsp. oyster sauce
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. sugar
A few dashes white pepper
2 Tbsp. oil
4 thin slices ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
2 tsp. cornstarch (combined with 1 Tbsp. water)

Prep the lotus root by peeling them, trimming the ends, and thinly slicing.

Bring a large wok/skillet of water to a boil and blanch the lotus root, wood ears, and bell peppers for 45 seconds. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

Combine the chicken stock (or water and chicken seasoning), oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and white pepper in a small bowl to create the sauce mixture and set aside.

Add the oil to the wok over medium heat along with the ginger. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute, and then add the garlic and green onions. Cook for another 20 seconds and then add the blanched vegetables.

Stir-fry the vegetables for one minute. Then add the cooking wine around the perimeter of the wok, followed by the sauce mixture. Cook for 30 seconds, until the sauce is at a simmer, and then add the cornstarch and water mixture. Stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds until the sauce coats the vegetables, and serve.

Homestyle Polish Cabbage Rolls...

I've had my fair share of cabbage rolls over the years, pouring over restaurant and European store hot counter reviews to find that perfect-tasting one. I've tried different cuisine versions from Romanian, Russian, Hungarian and Polish. With styles in tomato sauce, with creamy mushroom sauce, red pepper oil or dollops of sour cream. Served large comfort in a meal and small elegant as a cocktail appetizer at a wedding. 

For someone that gets inspired from eating a tasty, and then immediately makes plans to replicate it, I just can't believe it's taken me this long to try my hands on making them. They really are one of the simplest things to make, budget- and family-friendly but yields that big impact at the table with its comfort hearty-all-in-one appeal with meat, rice and vegetables. After all the pouring over and tastings, its the Polish ones bathed in a thin tomato sauce I adore most.

Delicious first attempt! A recipe keeper!

Yes, cabbage rolls can be rolled small and served as an elegant cocktail appetizer. These rolls were made to the traditional recipe provided by the Hungarian bride at her backyard catered wedding. An event I tended to, assisting my friend Chef Frederick Oh one summer.

Deliciously prepared with nappa cabbage.

Roncesvalles' Cafe Polonez, an institution in the Polish community for 30 years serves up some of the best tasting cabbage rolls ever-- mmmmm!! Stuffed with meat and rice with a tomato sauce and this creamy veggie delight with just mushrooms and rice! So goooood!!

Cafe Polonez in Roncesvalles.

Hai sa mancam! Let's Eat! Romanian cabbage rolls! The ones I got on the right from ABC's hot counter were filled with pork and vegetables, but they aren't my favourite. Maybe it was the slather of red pepper oil that didn't agree? 

This friendly store- ABC Euro Delicatessen in Scarborough, carries mainly Romanian products
but also imports from Hungary, Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, France, Spain, and Germany.

This night was a medley of sorts from East European store Yummy Market specializing in Russian foods- from fresh bakery, deli counter, freezer and hot table for dinner. I got cabbage rolls called "Golubtsi", but it wasn't memorable. They are typically served with a side of sour cream.

Russian specialty Yummy Market

Hastings Snack Bar's lovely owner Ania handmakes and dishes her food out with love 💞.

This place is an outstanding must!! Do yourself a favour. And Go! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️. The cutest lunch counter ever. 😊

Hastings Snack Bar owner Ania.

Ahh, the Hungry Tata's Lunch as mentioned in my last post (I opted for both mushroom sauerkraut, and meat perogies served with sauteed onions and sour cream, a juicy Polish kielbasa sausage with a dollop of Polish mustard, a huge beef and pork cabbage roll slathered in tomato sauce, and a countering tangy sauerkraut with gherkin pickle)... them perogies and cabbage roll were hands-down ones of the best I've ever had 😊.

Hastings Snack Bar

Homestyle Polish Cabbage Rolls (adapted from Spend with Pennies)
Makes 16 large rolls

1 medium head green savoy cabbage
1 lb. ground pork (or ground turkey)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dill weed (optional)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, and more for garnishing
1 can (425 mL) diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked rice (I used converted brown rice)
1 egg
1/3 cup tomato sauce or pasta sauce 

Sauce:

1-1/2 cups tomato sauce or pasta sauce
1 can condensed tomato soup

Core the cabbage and remove the stem. Separate the leaves, and boil in a pot of water about two mins. or until soft. Set aside to cool.

Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by five mins. so its slightly underdone. Set aside.

Coring the head cabbage with a paring knife.

Skillet boiling cabbage leaves in batches. Drain well.

Cook beef, pork (or turkey), onions, garlic and seasonings until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add in rice, diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup of tomato/pasta sauce, salt & pepper. Stir in egg. 

Mix tomato sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture in a 9 x 13 pan.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove or thin any thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add 1/3 cup filling to the centre of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. Double up for small leaves. Repeat with remaining cabbage.

This job needs my mulberry fall 9 X 13

Shave off the thick layer cabbage stems, for leaf pliability.

Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake 90 mins. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.

TIP: Leftovers are very freezer friendly. Just pop them in freezer bags and you’ve got cabbage rolls on a whim when you don’t feel like fussing in the kitchen.

So exciting!

Wahhh!! 1-1/2 hours later these leafy chubs came out piping hot and smelling like heaven!

Gorgeous, shiny and teeth-sinkable (OMG, making up my own delish jargon lol)...

Dinner is happily served. A simple side green salad is all we need to round the meal out.

The mixed pork and beef and the rice was soft and comforting with a nice cabbage leaves yield bathed in slightly tangy sweet tomato sauce. Hearty! Flavoursome! A keeper!

Two large cabbage rolls and side greens constitutes a nice meal.

I made a second version a la cream of mushroom inspired by Cafe Polonez with leftover soup in my small convection oven (with four cabbage rolls). My son and I really liked the creamy mushroom topping. Tastes so succulent and complements the ingredients so well.

Full Recipe: 

Homestyle Polish Cabbage Rolls (adapted from Spend with Pennies)
Makes 16 large rolls

1 medium head green savoy cabbage
1 lb. ground pork (or ground turkey)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dill weed (optional)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, and more for garnishing
1 can (425 mL) diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked rice (I used converted brown rice)

1 egg
1/3 cup tomato sauce or pasta sauce 

Sauce:

1-1/2 cups tomato sauce or pasta sauce
1 can condensed tomato soup

Core the cabbage and remove the stem. Separate the leaves, and boil in a pot of water about two mins. or until soft. Set aside to cool.
Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by five mins. so its slightly underdone. Set aside.

Cook beef, pork (or turkey), onions, garlic and seasonings until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add in rice, diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup of tomato/pasta sauce, salt & pepper. Stir in egg.
Mix tomato sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture in a 9x13 pan.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove or thin any thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add 1/3 cup filling to the centre of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. Double up for small leaves. Repeat with remaining cabbage.

Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake 90 mins. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.

TIP: Leftovers are very freezer friendly. Just pop them in freezer bags and you’ve got cabbage rolls on a whim when you don’t feel like fussing in the kitchen.

Summer Ends, A New Year Begins...

The beginning of school always seem to mark a new year for me, more so than an actual new year. Be it the fresh crisp air welcoming in Fall, the cumulative efforts of getting on the right track with classes- attending or instructing, getting the kids ship-shape ready and just that mind shift from holiday to go get 'em mode. And Yay, we survived the first week!

They say you can have it all, but just not all at once. Feeling blessed to truly realize my snowballing potential as a mother, educator and entrepreneur while pausing to give myself self care and love. 

There's nothing I value more than time. with. myself.

I know some of my friends can't even fathom taking a walk, grabbing a bite or watching a movie alone. "There's no point." "It's boring!" "It's weird." For me, it's the ultimate pleasure dome. I've been meaning to explore the cool neighbourhoods in our great city. Never enough time in a day during the year, running or being constantly engaged with my school cooking programs, and so I naturally gravitate to my own hood for everything. Well, this summer with my kids in day camp, I did my bouts of #TONeighbourhood #discoverywalk. Call it stopping to smell the roses, taking in the sights, sounds and smells, I happily trek-immersed my way to a few, checking out the nuances that make that district uniquely its own. YAY!

Summer was simply AmaZing with my walks, The Neighbourhood Table, a charity BBQ and media Thai resto tasting events, an epic bucolic-style breakfast picnic, a fitness- and fuel-filled romp in Montreal visiting family before calling it the end of a great year, to start anew another... Here is a detailed recap.

When you truly don’t care what anyone thinks of you, you have reached a
dangerously awesome level of freedom!! Be. True. Be. You. 🤜💥🤛

Beauty doesn't fall far from the tower. Or is it the tower doesn't fall far from beauty?

What a prime view on the top floor of @charidise_to Baldwin Village's trendy Taiwanese eats hot spot. Having quite an eventful couple of weeks this summer interwoven with the good, bad and the ugly, this kind of end-of-week exploring was far more than welcomed, and met with a new friend on the TTC visiting from Singapore. What was suppose to be solo turned duo as I showed her around our great Baldwin 'hood into Chinatown ✌.

Taiwanese hot spot Charidise in Baldwin Village has the best patio view!

All the warm fuzzies I could want on my trip down memory lane...

I am talking about my childhood 'hood in Leslieville. Before I began the nostalgic wanderlust walk I head over to friendly and inviting @hastingssnackbar for some homey Polish comfort fare. Boy did that hearty Hungry Tata's Lunch fuel.  

Emotions get the best of me as I strolled the same streets I did as a kid, through my Leslieville Public School (formerly Leslie P.S.), past childhood friends' houses, the corner lib at Jones where we hung out, paths where we biked and towards my first home on Mallon Ave. Completely unrecognizable 'cept the old huge towering tree in the front- the one that gave me the creeps after watching Poltergeist 🧟‍♀️ lol...

I wanted to discover TO neighbourhoods this summer, but this one was a rediscovery. So many changes, so many recollections, yet in the here and now, still so charming and lovely. In my heart, Leslieville will remain near and dear, no matter where I live, it's a neighbourhood I will always feel comfortable calling home. 🏡😍.

Leslieville, my childhood 'hood!

Ahh, the Hungry Tata's Lunch (I opted for both mushroom sauerkraut, and meat perogies served with sauteed onions and sour cream, a juicy Polish kielbasa sausage with a dollop of Polish mustard, a huge beef and pork cabbage roll slathered in tomato sauce, and a countering tangy sauerkraut with gherkin pickle)... them perogies and cabbage roll were hands-down ones of the best I've ever had, and lovely owner Ania handmakes and dishes them out with love 💞. I rarely do a stand alone post on eating out, but this place is an outstanding must!! Do yourself a favour. And Go! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️. The cutest lunch counter ever. 😊

Hastings Snack Bar

The stretch west on St.Clair West station to Winona Drive, most noteable to me, are sprinkled with various bakeries on both sides from French to Greek. Finally made it to @bakerandscone to see the variety of sweet and savoury scones offered. My fave is lemon currant and too bad owner Sandra wasn't in. We worked two decades ago at a cooking studio together. Stopped for a coffee and an apricot danish next door at La Fayette, picked up a few lemon curd shortcake squares @mabelsbakery and a dozen spicy beef patties from Albert's Real Jamaican Foods. There is so much to discover in our own backyards, why travel elsewhere when a treasure trove right here awaits us to find them? #toronto

My first #toneighbourhood #discoverywalk

Can't beat the heat... More like fire it up with Grand Daddy of the Q Chef @tedgrills at The Lionhead Golf Club and Conference Centre in Brampton #bbqfor180 #charitygolfevent

Always fun and entertaining bbqing with this great man and his- the best right hand ever Alex @rastacarebear.

Well over 60+ BBQs, Grills, Smokers and whatever else you can fire up, Chef Reader tells me he has lost count lol. When asked which one is his favourite-- he says without hesitation his fire pits, old school-style!. I'm looking forward to cookin' and hangin' with this man again. Stay tuned for more events.

I met Ted when I was a culinary student at George Brown College.

Golf For Good Music Entertainment Charity Event 

"Work hard. Play hard. Eat harder." The exact words Chef Tim Chen @lannathai.to lives by. And I agree wholeheartedly 🤜💥🤛.

What a wonderful media tasting event hosted at three months new Lanna Thai. They bring the lively, bold and complex flavours of Northern Thai to Markham. The grand interior is accented with an even grander menu, ingredients sourced from the homeland or Southeast Asian neighbours and all sauces housemade. No stones left unturn to create with the best and traditional ingredients where possible.

Chef Chen was sent to cook and learn in Thailand for four months. Upon returning he designed the restaurant's menu. He's passionate about taking diners through a journey with their taste buds, like a story in a movie where emotions ride up and down like a roller coaster. You start with the refreshing pomelo salad (so much sweeter sourced from SE Asia) to whet the appetite, and a series of appetizers from turmeric fried shrimps to fish cakes to tempura morning glory with an innovative shrimp paste mayo, tom yum soup (oooh that kaffir lime leaf shreds) poured from a tea pot (exquisite). Pineapple fried rice (love the turmeric touch), roasted pork shoulder (tres flavourful), curry peanut beef shank (fall-off-bone tender), green coconut curry follows and finished with a fresh mango and coconut tapioca, ending the tasting- an impressive symphony of Thai flavours and textures.

Lanna Thai's Executive Chef Tim Chen.

An appetizer tray of turmeric shrimps, fish cakes and sweet chicken.

Lead with your 💓. And the rest will follow. As it always does. Coupled with attentive and affable service, they got food and hospitality to a tee! Thank you to the lovely @lisaeats for the invite, @veronicawangco for organizing, my AmaZing friend (Lanna's consultant) Chef @chefsangkim for the entertaining presentation and Chef @timchen4485 for orchestrating an incredible meal! Lanna truly has the recipe for memorable- great gathering place, great aesthetics, delicious food and can-do service! With you at the heart, I have no doubt your contagious passion will pulsate to your staff and patrons! ขอบคุณ 🙏

Highly reco for a tasty night out or to celebrate a special occasion! 😋 Just. Go.

With Chef Sang Kim (Lanna's Consultant)- who has the looks, brains and brawn.

This is what I call a picnic... And bucolic style too! 🏞

What a way to enjoy breakfast with friends basking in nature's finest to get the most out of the remaining days of summer- sunny blue skies, fresh air, lush grass under a large tree for shade, just like they do in the country. I even brought my fine feathered friends to join in the fun 🐓🐔 .

As part of my lovely girlfriend Lisa Eats ad campaign for @Silk_Canada #BreakfastGang contest that ended Sept 12th, us ladies had a fabulous picnic concocting our own plant-based yogurt bowls using Silk Canada dairy-free yogurt. We topped it to our heart's desire with fresh berries, nuts and seeds, and savoured some other breakfast yummies too! Thanks Lisa for taking the great group shot! 💕

Photo Credit: Lisa Eats

How would you host an epic breakfast or brunch? 

Congratulations to Neighbourhood Table kitchen crew for making the front page of SNAPD!

My proud news-worthy moment before heading off for a short fam trip in Montreal...

See here for the original Snapd Etobicoke article.

Crispy fried frog legs... 🐸

What a fab dinner here with my husband's family upon arrival in Montreal at this awesome Viet & Cambodian hot spot. And I came here with frog legs on my taste buds radar 🤤. Had these deliciousness two years ago, and they never left my mind. Crispy, light-battered fried, salt and pepper seasoning with a hint of spicy, yes tastes like chicken but also a touch of seafood... being both a land and water animal after all.

Can't find fried frog legs in Toronto, so gotta get my fix here with two big plates! Even my kids can't get enough knawing and chewing on the scrawny legs. Perfect also as a snack with beer 🍻.

At Kim Hour Restaurant in Montreal

Climb your way to the top... 🧗‍♀️🧗‍♂️

Checked out two very different climbing attraction experiences in Montreal. We were first at Clip 'N Climb's altitude climb with 21 obstacle wall stairs in Laval then at an outdoor pirate ship at Voiles en Voiles in the old Port with moving planks, rope courses and zip lines. The family couldn't vote which one they loved best. Which one looks like your kind of climb?

Clip 'N Climb in Laval, Montreal

Voiles En Voiles in Old Port, Montreal

Yup, I was boxing in the world's largest sporting good retailer Decathlon in Montreal 🥊.

Founded by Michel Leclercq in Lille, France in 1976, now there are over 1100 stores in 38 countries. How lucky are we to have the premier Canadian store in Brossard, Montreal, and now a few more.

Decathlon's brilliant concept- the one we already love with other marketplaces such as food and cosmetics-- Try Before You Buy! Yass!!! More than 70 sports are available under one roof with economically-priced, quality material and made products, making activity accessible, affordable and attractive to everyone! Read more about it in my previous Post.

For those trying something new, you quickly see the spectrum of products and apparel as each sport is organized separately, and on top actually being able to test things out in the massive space. 60,000 sq.ft at their first in Brossard.

Spent three hours in the store, doing just that- trying and buying, and having some free fun recreation in between! Can't beat that!! They say Ottawa is next and there are plans in the works for Toronto too. But for now, happy to pay a visit here annually coming to Montreal to see fam and play for a while! Play together. Stay together. 🏀⚽️⛸

Decathlon Boisbriand

Our last supper at old Montreal's at Maison du Magret with duck in every dish! 🍽.

Having worked with duck and duck liver as a Product Developer for four years making meat pates & mousses, I have a deep appreciation for canard and foie 🥰.

We didn't opt for their specialty magret du canard- seared duck breast, but instead trio foie gras- foie torchon, foie torchon with cranberries and pan seared foie with quince chutney all on a toasted raisin brioche; duck rillette with pepper jelly comp starter; duck confit ravioli in foie sauce, duck tartare and duck confit! Even the kids' steaks with espelette pepper had a foie sauce dip. And did I mention that their home cut fries are cooked in pure duck fat? 🤤 Balanced with a Landaise style green salad or roasted mix veggies, each dish was a stand out on its own! 🍽🥗

Duck brings back memories of my good ol' early food career days- in the development lab at Summersweet's pate plant 👩‍🍳 and eating romps in Quebec City after tv cooking show shoots with qu'est-ce qui mijote? 📹🎬.

Top left clockwise: trio foie gras- foie torchon, foie torchon with cranberries and pan seared foie with quince chutney
all on a toasted raisin brioche; duck rillette with pepper jelly; duck confit ravioli in foie sauce, duck tartare and duck confit! 

A trip to la belle province is never complete without a stop at artisanal bakery @premieremoisson (opened since 1992). A quick family breakfast of freshly made French viennoiseries, jambon et fromage baguette sammies and a hot cuppa' 🥐☕, before heading in the car ride home, with a partial trunk full of bagels and cans of maple syrup, but of course.
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I use to categorize danishes and croissants as pastries, however these delectables are actually Viennoiseries. Baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough similar to bread, or from puff pastry. The added ingredients gives them a richer, sweeter character, closer to pastry, and the dough is often laminated. So French!  And my addictive fave is always abricotine- apricot danish 😋!

Premiere Moisson

Love me 'em cherries, but the season is almost over...

No way am I porting this white shirt when I go to town on this bowl 🤤🤤🤤

Here are some fun tips to enjoy cherries from Produce Made Simple while you still can...

🍒 Fresh cherries are best consumed as they are, but they’re also great when used fresh in smoothies, salads, baked goods or frozen treats.
🍒 Use cherries as a replacement for ice if you freeze them ahead of time!
🍒 Be sure to wear an apron to protect your clothes from the deep red staining that cherries are known to produce!.
🍒 Have a little fun with the kids, let them pretend that cherries can be used like lipstick for a natural, luscious red stain.

How do you like 'em cherries?

When one season's bounty ends, another begins 🍃

Can't wait to enjoy the bounty of fall fruit, vegetables and herbs in my parent's backyard... What a beautiful panoramic sight from bartlett pears, kabocha squash, tomatoes, perilla leaves and wine grapes. 🍐🍅🍇🌱

Yoga everywhere I go, until I can't yoga no mo'...

It's not about landing the perfect pose, but a pose in progression... says the girl who popped somethin' somethin' in her left inner thigh overstretching.

My goal of lengthening and elevating my standing extended fingers-to-big-toe pose while staying grounded has been halted with my injury (going on six weeks 😣).

I ain't gonna lie, it sucks when you've worked hard seeing good progress, to find yourself in the no-choice position of stepping backwards. I keep telling myself, "Be patient my ego, and honour thy body. You will come back stronger and better than ever before". You betcha' I will🤜💥🤛! #patienceandpersistence. 

I am going to take advantage of this early back-to-school down-time with physio and get back on track with my body health before hitting my cooking programs. Again, it's all about practicing self care, self love 💞. No matter how busy we are, there's no excuses. Always remember, we can not serve from an empty vessel.

Captivate life with purpose and you won't be distracted by comparison! 

Give and you shall receive. Believe it! Achieve it!. 🤜💥🤛

"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." - Oscar Wilde 💐🌸💮