sew hungry

Last Friday I attended my first Sew Hungry food truck rally in Hamilton with Seema. I was pretty surprised by how busy the event was. Food trucks lined Ottawa Street and each had a line-up, plus a crowd of people waiting for their orders. We had to skip the Dirty South truck because of its long line (and because I was trying hard to get Maxwell to sleep in his stroller and the sidewalk was jammed!) and moved on to Buster's Sea Cove for lobster rolls and fish tacos. Both were tasty, but I'm sure I could have eaten about three of those small lobster rolls (but not at the $13 a pop they were going for)!

The most surprising bite of the day was El Gastronomo Vagabundo's asparagus (perfectly cooked) topped with a battered poached egg (nice and runny), candied bacon, tarragon emulsion, ramps and dukkah. We couldn't believe there was barely a line-up. 

Another surprise came from the homemade meat pie Seema and I scarfed down from a local church mainly to get a table and chairs. When you have two babies in tow, $8 for a seat and a tasty meal seems like chump change.

We all really wanted to try the food from The Big Chief, a new Hamilton food truck that specializes in First Nations cuisine, but unfortunately, they were sold out by the time we got to them. 

It was great to see how popular Hamilton's food truck scene has become and a nice way to spend a sunny Friday afternoon.

just in case

These days I have to be even more organized when I go out. That means thinking about naps, feeds and diaper changes each time I plan on leaving the house. Pair that with hauling a bag filled with diapers, wipes, extra clothes, a portable change mat and anything else we may need when not at home. It was a pretty difficult adjustment at first, but now I feel like I have it down pat (most days). Something I put together recently was a little emergency kit that I carry in my bag at all times (note: not a diaper bag. I just can't do it). 

I bought a small toiletry bag from MEC and filled it with some things that I may need when I'm out and about. Included: Purell (I'm not totally sold that this stuff actually works, but it makes me feel better in a pinch—like on the subway), kleenex (snot, puke, you get it), Mustela cleansing cloths for babies (I use them instead of wet wipes), a bottle of water for emergency hand-washing in parks or when eating outdoors (I hate not being able to wash my hands before eating or feeding Maxwell), and snacks!!!

I grabbed all of these from MEC too. I'm not one for energy bars, but sometimes I have no time (or forget) to eat and I feel better knowing I have something I can scarf down fast if need be. Also, I was pretty intrigued by the selection of "energy chews". I'll let you know if they work!

cne eats 2012

Oh the CNE! Where carnies, crowds and over-priced deep-fried food abound. I usually get suckered/forced to go every year. I didn't eat the deep-fried butter like last year and was tempted by the pulled pork red velvet pancakes and bacon sundae funnel cake, but I think those things sound better in writing than in person. Here's what I did try. 

Obligatory corn dog. It tasted like a corn dog. Should have went for the deep-fried dill pickle instead.

Kalbi bao and spicy fried chicken bao from Far East Taco. I was going to try their Korean-style tacos, but thought the bao bread would be a better vehicle for the saucy fillings. I think I was right. Though these were pretty good, they got nothing on the Banh Mi Boys.

Tiny Tom donuts for dessert. I considered going for something a bit more crazy—deep fried rice crispy squares maybe—but I can never say no to these greasy little bites of dough.

sariwon

The tough thing about not having a backyard—especially in the summertime—is not being able to have a bbq. Especially a Korean bbq. Joe and I usually head to my mom's one or twice in the summer to get our grilling fix, but this summer seems to be flying past and we've been just too busy. So we did the next best thing: head to a Korean bbq restaurant. I'd heard good things about Sariwon at Yonge and Steeles (quite a trek from downtown) and decided to give it a try. For bbq, we had the marinated kalbi (Korean beef ribs). This was some good quality meat! Tender and flavourful—almost as good as my recipe. Almost. When the waitress started laying out all of the complimentary banchan (customary Korean side dishes like kimchi) my eyes grew with excitement. I love banchan!

Making ssam (lettuce wraps): Take a piece of lettuce, smear it with some salty-sweet bean paste, add some rice and meat and wrap it all up. Lettuce makes it healthy, right?

We foolishly ordered a bowl of spicy soon dubu chigae (soft tofu and seafood stew) too, not knowing that the bbq came with a bowl of doenjang chigae (soy bean paste stew). Both were really good, but we obviously had way too much food for just two people.

Luckily we were hungry because we may have also ordered a broiled mackerel...our eyes are definitely bigger than our stomachs. Surprisingly (or not) we actually polished off almost all of this feast. There's something about delicious Korean food that makes it so irresistible.

Sariwon

7388 Yonge St.

Thornhill

arz bakery & fine foods

Last weekend, I stopped into Arz Bakery & Fine Foods for the first time. Located in Scarborough, Arz is a grocery store/bakery/deli that specializes in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean ingredients. The produce section was brimming with exotic fruit, eggplants of all shapes and sizes, plus fresh dates and figs. Behind a glass shield was a beautiful display of bulk dried fruits and nuts. The bakery had a wide selection of flatbreads as well as an impressive variety of pastries. The deli was stocked with ready-to-eat salads, prepared vegetables, meats and cheeses. I really wanted to taste everything in sight.

The olive bar was mind-blowing! Now, I love olives hard, so I couldn't stop staring at all of the different varieties. Again, everything was behind a glass shield to avoid contamination.

I picked up some of the freshest pita bread (it was still warm!) and bought a quartet of their famous homemade dips—it included the creamiest hummus ever, a tangy pepper and walnut based dip called muhamarra, garlicky zucchini mutabel and a smokey-sweet babghanouj—plus a feta dip and some stuffed vine leaves. 

At the back of the store, there's a small counter that serves stuffed pastries and shawarma. I went for the beef shawarma and it came stuffed with shaved beef, pickled turnip, tomato, onion, herbs and a slathering of hummus.

Arz Bakery & Fine Foods

1909 Lawrence Ave. E.

Scarborough

back in the day

A few months back I impulsively (as always) picked up The Back in the Day Cookbook. It was during a time when I was dreaming about a vacation to the deep south. Visions of peach cobbler, fried chicken and sweet tea were floating through my mind on a daily basis. Well, that vacation hasn't happened (yet), but I'm still hopeful that one day it will. And when it does the Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia will definitely be on my must stop list. 

Recently I tried out their chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's actually similar to the NYT cookies in that they are finished with a good sprinkle of fleur de sel, but these were more up my alley in terms of texture: crisp, chewy and buttery good!

berry good

I started to panic when I realized that strawberry season was almost over and I had none in my freezer for emergency smoothies. So last Sunday, Joe and I braved the heat and drove to Lindley's Farm in Ancaster to pick some berries. We were lucky because they let us know that this was probably the last week for pick-your-own strawberries. 

The best thing about these sweet little jewels isn't only that their grown here in Ontario—but they're also pesticide free! Lindley's has started pick-you-own raspberries this week too. I couldn't bear to be in under the sun any longer, but grabbed a half pint of red raspberries and black raspberries (sometimes called "black caps") at their roadside market. 

Lindley's Farm

900 Fiddler's Green Road

Ancaster

la gaspésie

I've been back in the city for a while now, but you know how it is after coming home from vacation. Catching up at work, doing a billion loads of laundry (even though it felt like I only wore two outfits the entire trip) and getting my life back in order, always seems to take longer than expected. My trip in a nutshell was great. Relaxing, low-key and just what I needed. The scenery was amazing! Cliffs, coast and tiny villages.

And the seafood! It was fresh every day. We ate a lot of lobster and I was obsessed with the sweetest little shrimps from Matane. 

Along the way, we passed poissoneries, fumoirs and fromageries. I  couldn't resist the snack packs of still warm squeaky cheese curds and Joe went wild for the smoked fish.

But we didn't only eat. We saw whales! Even though I was sea sick for most of the boat ride, it was mind-blowing to see whales up close. During our expedition we saw about 10, but we even saw a few from shore.

In a few of the villages we hit the wharf to try our hand at mackerel fishing. At first we didn't seem to have the right lures, but after getting some tips from the locals, we were ready. 

Soon it was time for the long drive home. The best part was stopping at Fromagerie Lemaire near Drummondville. I've written about this place before and still swear by their delicious poutine. 

I'm starting to think that road trips are the way to go. Seeing a part of Canada that I've never experienced before was awesome. And being able to stop whenever we wanted was even better. Next summer I'm thinking, West Coast?

hitting the road

Things have been too busy these days, which accounts for my very sporadic posting the last few weeks. So I’m really excited to be heading out on a week-long road trip adventure to Quebec Maritime this weekend. I think this is going to be a pretty relaxing trip (for me anyways…Joe will be in charge of all the driving) and I hear the scenery around the Gulf of St. Lawrence is supposed to be amazing. Can’t wait to breath in the fresh air, visit lots of National Parks, sample some local seafood and maybe even catch a glimpse of a whale. Lots of photos will be shared when I’m back! 

*photos courtesy of Le Quebec Maritime

christie antique show

Over the weekend I made the trip out to the semi-annual Christie Antique Show at Christie Lake Conservation Area in Dundas. It's one of the largest antique shows in Canada and boasts over 300 dealers from across the country. It was busy with lots of people out on the prowl. I thought the show was ok, but didn't come home with anything. I actually found it a bit overwhelming (and expensive). As an avid Aberfoyle-goer (which I also know can be a bit on the pricier side), I just saw a lot of high prices and truthfully, a lot of the same stuff from booth to booth. Regardless, it was still fun to look around and browse.

The second show of the year will be taking place on September 8.

seema had a bbq

Over the Victoria Day long weekend, Seema hosted an amazing bbq. Here are just some of the delights from the evening (I somehow missed taking pics of her awesome coconut shrimp and the desserts!)

coconut rice & beans:

mango/papaya salsa + potato & bean salad:

fried plantains:

jerk chicken:

I piled my plate pretty high:

It was such a treat! Here's hoping this becomes an annual event!