chloe103's Profile
local strawberry sightings & pricings, 2011
Went last weekend, with okay but not spectacular results. There was a lot of rain in June which kept the berries from developing as much flavour, I think.
Where to find halva downtown?
Help! I got completely addicted to the halva they used to stock at Chris's in St. Lawrence Market. It was Greek and came in giant slabs, from which they'd cut off slices. They've stopped selling it, and I haven't found any other sources in the market. (Domino's stocks a couple pre-packaged varieties that aren't very good.)
Anyone know where I can find good halva downtown or midtown? (Say St Clair and south, from Parliament to Roncesvalles.) Thanks!
Alphonso mangoes yet?
I live in the west end, and don't want to travel out to Little India until I know for sure. Are the mangoes ripe and available yet??
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Little India
255 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V1Z4, CA
Visting Boston for one night only - where to have dinner?
Greetings from Toronto!
My bf and I will be in Boston tomorrow night, and would love to have a yummy and relaxing nice dinner.
Ideally...
* Food: I love seafood, he's a vegetarian, so something of a mix.
* Price: say $100 each, all-in
* Atmosphere: anything from casual to upscale, not so loud we can't have a conversation
* Location: walking distance from Congress and Franklin
Thanks so much!
Fireplaces??
Wood-burning, cosy, and available for sitting around with a hot toddy.
There *must* be a pub or two in town that have one?
Moving to Davenport and Shaw - tell me what I need to know!
What I know about already: Fiesta Farms, the Wychwood Barns farmers' market, the Gem.
What I don't know about: everything else.
Groceries (preferably local and/or organic, humanely raised meat), coffee (important!), restaurants, bars - help me learn my way around my new 'hood.
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Fiesta Farms
200 Christie St, Toronto, ON M6G, CA
Please help me locate a lunch place near King/Spadina
Le Gourmand? (Spadina at Richmond)
Favourite uses for sumac?
Ha. I actually brought back a bunch of that too. (Both the sumac and the za'atar were acquired on my last trip to Jerusalem.)
Favourite uses for sumac?
So, I am having a love affair with sumac right now. Mostly I've been sprinkling it on pita (along with loads of olive oil) and dusting it over meat for grilling/roasting, but I'd love to expand.
Anyone have any great recipes, traditional or new, featuring sumac?
Alphonso mangoes, when does season start?
I went out there yesterday and they didn't have any. No more shipments until the volcanic ash clears over Europe and planes are flying again.
Harlan Clark
I was saddened to learn earlier today that Harlan Clark, who along with his wife Norine has been selling eggs in St. Lawrence Market since 1947, passed away suddenly yesterday. I never got to know him, not properly, but even just as someone who stopped to by eggs and say hello whenever I was in the market, I know I will miss seeing him around.
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St. Lawrence Market
92 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E, CA
What should I do with balsamic cream?
Just got a bottle of this hitherto unknown-to-me substance as a gift from someone returning from Italy. What sorts of things ought I do with it?
pick your own strawberries near GTA? where and are they ready yet?
I went the weekend of the 20th, and it was fairly disappointing. Based on what I've seen at the farmers' markets since then (Riverdale, Dufferin Grove, etc.) things haven't improved - the farmers are all saying this has just been a bad year for them. Not enough sun.
Nice dinner near the Eaton Centre?
I need a nice, non-business-district-style place for dinner within easy walking distance of the Eaton Centre, for this Tuesday night. Obvious choice: Nota Bene. Anything else come to mind?
Thanks!
Meorav Yerushalmi
I've never found it here, but if you manage to and it is good, please please please post back and tell us!
Watusi (?) on Ossington
Ended up there a couple of nights ago on a whim. The waiter (who was excellent - knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive) said the place had just been open a week.
The menu is quite small, and composed of medium-sized plates meant for sharing - the waiter recommended three dishes for the two of us (moderately hungry but not ravenous), and that turned out to be just right. Menu is divided into a few basic sections: salads, hot veggie dishes, sides, meat, etc. We ordered marinated buffalo ribs, garlic mashed potatoes, and sesame green beans. All were of the belly-filling, slightly-dolled-up comfort food variety, and all were well executed. The ribs were properly fall-off-the-bone, and though the spicing could have been more nuanced we were generally very happy.
Prices: veggies dishes were in the $5-8 range; the ribs were $16.
Verdict: not really a destination restaurant but an excellent choice if you're in the neighbourhood and want to avoid the lines or higher prices elsewhere.
Marc Bittman Toronto (moved from Ontario board)
He didn't have one. He's not interested specifically in dairy, but in animal products of all kinds (this is because of the stress that animal-rearing puts on the environment). He gave as an ideal that no more than 10% of our diet come from animal products, but it didn't seem to make any difference, in his opinion, whether this came from meat, dairy, or eggs.
What is kharet (bulrush pollen candy - I think?) and how do you make it?
Here's my culinary adventure of the day: try to track down information about what I believe is the candy made from bulrush pollen, which I've seen written as kharet or khirret, but about which I've been able to learn very little. Can anyone tell me it's origins, or where they've seen it, or how it can be made?
Thanks!
The post-Happy Seven place? Anyone been?
A new place - I think it's called Lobster King? - went into the location that used to be Happy Seven until it got shut down. Has anyone checked it out yet?
Brad's Eatery on Roncesvalles in Toronto is FANTASTIC! AND CHEAP!
I'm also rather meh about it. The food I've had has been serviceable, but was on the heavy side and could have been done with a lot more subtlety and finesse. (This was a few months ago, so the details have faded - sorry.) Also, I find the atmosphere/decor to be a bit weird - kind of like dressed-up cafeteria - and so not all that relaxing. All in all it was alright, I suppose, but it just feels awkward: awkward menu, awkward space, awkwardly executed.
ISO: Golden Syrup? Lyle's?
St. Lawrence Market. The grocer in the basement next to Domino's (whose name I can never remember).
Another Hanukkah party menu request
Ruglach are a great dairy dessert often served on Hannukah, and way less scary than sufganiyot to make. Plus the kids can have fun concocting their own fillings.
Here's the recipe I love: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lora-Brodys-Rugelach-105982
As for a main, I'm inclined to agree with the first bunch of posters who suggested making latkes the main event.
Breakfast or other "semi-healthy" food ideas for holiday gifts
* homemade granola
* spiced nuts
* mini bread baskets with an assortment of sweet and savory: cornbread muffins, cheddar scones, teeny whole wheat banana breads, etc.
If you've got friends that are novice cooks, you could also give them some ingredients to make it easer: make up your own pancake mixes (you could do healthy ones like buckwheat or whole wheat), do up a few spice rubs (one for chicken, one for roast, etc.), or give jars of homemade bbq sauce or salsa.
Bar/Pub Open Xmas Eve?
I was at Insomnia a few years ago (Bloor just a smidge east of Bathurst) - laid back, not at all Christmassy.
ghirardelli chocolate - in bulk?
I haven't seen Ghiradelli in bulk at Domino's, but they do have slabs of Callebaut (which is most excellent) for about $17/kilo. (I am carless and downtown, and so have never made it to the warehouse - no idea how this compares with the deals there, but relative to downtown stores I find that to be reasonable.)
Discovered in Parkdale
yay! I've walked by this place a half-dozen times on my way home but haven't had a chance to stop in. It looks adorable, and I'm really excited to hear the food matches up. Were the prices reasonable?
Overripe Pears... What to do with them?!!
You can also puree and use in quick breads/muffins as a substitute for apple sauce or pumpkin puree.
