2 more days 'til Christmas - St. Lawrence Market food run in Toronto

We love a good food market, and in Toronto, there's no better place than St. Lawrence Market.  We last visited the market over the summer, and so we knew this was the place to be for the best local holiday foods.  In fact, it was the first place we visited once we hopped off our plane (in preparation for our Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 meal)   

It was a quick trip from New York to Toronto aboard Porter Airlines - with comfortable seats and free meals and drinks (including beer and wine!), we felt like we were on a private plane (for the price of a commercial flight) 

We passed over Niagara Falls, landed in downtown Toronto, dropped off our bags, and headed off to St. Lawrence Market (in about the same time it takes us on the subway to Brooklyn!)

Our friends took us to Selsi Sea Rocks on the lower level.  Andrea, the owner, walked us through the many variations of salts and peppers. 

 She mentioned that she is working on a Canadian salt line (probably ready by early next year) that will showcase each region's distinctive flavours. We cannot wait to revisit the store to check out her new salt line.

World Famous Peameal Bacon on a soft country bun from Carousel Bakery.

Peameal Bacon is an unsmoked back bacon brined and rolled in yellow cornmeal. 

It was thick, meaty, and warmed our belly! 

A large selection of condiments, including Kozlik's mustards and very spicy horseradish, ensured our sandwich was nicely dressed.

Kozlik's mustards are another must-try when in St. Lawrence Market.  When we were here last summer, we got their new meat rub that was perfect for the grill.  Being back in the winter, we decided to get some Horseradish Mustard (very spicy, just the way we like it!) and Bordeaux Mustard (a nice subtle wine taste) for our New York family.

HUGE drumsticks!

Our vegetarian friend commented, "I don't eat meat, but even that looks good to me!" 

We could have spent hours here perusing the baked goods, produce, local wines, and more but we had to get ready for our Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 meal.  If you are ever in Toronto, be sure to check out this market.  It's been named one of Food and Wine's 2004 25 Best  Food Markets in the World (which also included another favorite, Ferry Plaza Marketplace in San Francisco). 

St. Lawrence Market is located at 92 Front Street East in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Food Package from Montreal - As Seen on TV!

The mail has gotten so much more fun since we joined the Foodie Exchange.

After our initial package from Arizona, we were excited to receive another package - this time from Montreal.

What's even more exciting is that this package is famous as it was featured on the local news (i.e. CTV news in Montreal)!

These all came courtesy of Evelyne from Cheap Ethnic Eats. 

The package contained Poutine sauce mix (from St. Hubert, a chain rotisserie chicken place.  Now all we need to do is find a decent cheese curd vendor in NYC!), Montreal steak spice, maple syrup (a sweet taste of home), a jar of caramel sauce (breakfast just got more decadent!), maple leaf shaped candies, and a few packets of Inuit herbal tea (we love tea and have never tried Inuit tea).   

To see how our package was bought in Montreal, check out its TV debut here.  The segment will also show the NYC package we sent over to Evelyne.  Thanks Evelyne for our vicarious 15 seconds of fame!

What to Do in NYC This Weekend: Holiday Market Time, Beer/Wine Tastings, and a Few Holiday Gifting ideas

With the holidays fast approaching (we still cannot believe it's December already!), we bring you a couple of places to go (and a few gift ideas) for holiday shopping this weekend.  Whether you're looking for homemade gifts or liquid hostess gifts, we show you the Gifted from Brooklyn Flea in Manhattan, Union Square Holiday Market, and a few beer and wine events happening this weekend.

 

Though the Brooklyn Flea Gifted pop-up store has little food items, we did spot these ingredients that would be perfect for the homebrewer on your list.  Brooklyn Brew Shop sells a home brewing kit that features a glass gallon jug, a three-piece air lock, and an auto siphon for pouring the beer into bottles.  The kit also includes your choice of grain, yeast, hops and sugar in a variety of flavors ($40) so you can get started right away.

Other food items at the store (that were so good, they never had a chance to be photographed!) included beautiful mini cupcakes from Kumquat Cupcakes, sweet treats from Liddabit Sweets, spicy garlic pickles from McClure's Pickles.

The Gifted by Brooklyn Flea pop up store is located at 20 E. 4th St. (at Lafayette St.) in NYC.  It continues until Dec 13th, and then runs again from Dec 16-Dec 24.

Then we were off to the Union Square for the Holiday Market.  We spotted these lovely wine carriers ($28) from The Vintage Box (booth #C2) by Advah Shani.  We think these would make lovely hostess gifts and would be beautiful as part of a table centerpiece.  If you are interested in her creations but cannot make it to the market, she can be emailed at advashani@gmail.com. 

 

Holiday shopping can take its toll, so happily there are a few vendors on hand to satisfy our hunger pangs. We were intrigued by the helmet-wearing vendors of Viking Cuisine.  We ordered the aebelskiver ($6, warm danish pastry) with chocolate sauce on top.  It was piping hot and rich because it was made out of buttermilk.  Not the most graceful small bite to eat (yes, we had chocolate syrup all over our mouths), but a good hot quick bite on a cool day.     

Walking around with the crowds, we also spotted Vendy winner Wafels & Dinges, a few coffee spots, a number of German sausage kiosks, a delectable brownie chocolate bar, and this creperie stall which was making both sweet (nutella was on hand, of course!) and savory (sausages were grilling on a nearby pan) crepes.

The Union Square Holiday Market is located at Union Square Park (Broadway to 4th Avenue, East 14th Street to East 17th Street) and runs until Christmas Eve (Dec 24).

Though we found these charms recently at an artisan event, we thought our fellow foodies would appreciate these designs by Californian artist Jack Incherdchai of Chicztudio.  Some of his designs are available online or you can email him at jack@chicztudio.com.

And if you're looking for a liquid gift for a party host or hostess, taste-test the goods beforehand at these events:

All this weekend, Rattle n Hum is celebrating its 1st anniversary with over 20 craft beers (domestic $5, imported $7).  Rattle n Hum is located at 14 E 33rd St (btwn 5th Ave and Madison Ave).

On Sunday, City Winery is hosting an afternoon of New York wines (from more than 35 wineries), New York foods (like cheeses and ice cream) , and live jazz music.  Tickets are $45, which includes a souvenir tasting glass, and are available online.  City Winery is located at 155 Varick Street (between Spring and Vandam Streets).

Cauliflower Disguised in Two-Ways: "Mashed Potatoes" and "Popcorn"

After our recent turkey fest, we decided to add a few more vegetarian dishes to our dinner.  After going to the Greenmarket and buying a cauliflower the size of our head, we searched our favorite websites for inspiration.  We landed on two ideas:  Cauliflower Popcorn and Mashed Cauliflower (like Mashed Potatoes) - both very creative ways to make cauliflower more fun and appetizing to kids (and meat-loving husbands).

The biggest cauliflower we have ever purchased!

 

We got the idea for Mashed Cauliflower from fellow food bloggers The Duo Dishes and Mardi of eatlivetravelwrite.  We have also been doing a Holiday recipe email exchange and so coincidentally received another recipe for this dish.  Our version was inspired by all of these sources and makes for a great low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes.    

Ingredients:

Half of that massive head of cauliflower

1/2 stick of butter

1 clove garlic, pressed

low-sodium vegetable broth

rosemary

kosher salt

ground black pepper

shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil

2. Boil pieces for 10-15 mins until tender

3. Use potato masher to mash cauliflower

4. Add butter and desired amount of salt, pepper, cheese, and broth to create desired consistency.  Mash all ingredietns together.

5. Optional:  We put the mashed cauliflower in a casserole dish to brown in the oven.

That's it!  It was a really easy dish to create. 

The second recipe comes from Heidi Swanson's wonderful website 101 Cookbooks.  We liked the idea of Cauliflower Popcorn since it was easy and we love chili pepper flakes in most of our foods.

Ingredients:
Half huge cauliflower head, broken off into small pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
Chili pepper flakes
Salt
Day-old bread (anything hard)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Completely cover cauliflower pieces with olive oil (Note:  Make sure your cauliflower is as dry as possible after washing and before you cover it in oil.  It will be easier to brown). Sprinkle with salt to taste.

3. Lay a single layer of cauliflower on your baking sheet.

 

4. Bake for 20 mins or until brown on bottom

5. Crumble bread into small pieces (breadcrumbs) and mix in bowl with leftover olive oil, and as much chili pepper flakes and salt as you'd like.

6. Take out cauliflower, turn over, and add bread crumb mixture.

7. Bake until cauliflower is browned (approx 15 mins)

8. Serve immediately

This snack/side dish was so good - crunchy, spicy, and incredibly addictive!  

We had fun making these two side-dishes from one very large cauliflower.  It made us wonder...what dishes do you create to "hide" healthy ingredients?

New Amsterdam Market: November Edition

This past Sunday, we went back to the New Amsterdam Market and despite getting there just after it opened, it was even more crowded than the last time we were there!  We were actually happy to see more people enjoying the market - the more people out there supporting the vendors, the more likely the New Amsterdam Market will continue beyond December.

As it was last month, Luke's Lobster was the most popular booth with the longest line for their fresh lobster rolls.  We went straight for The Bent Spoon - after all, what's better than ice cream for breakfast?  We got a scoop of Bourbon Sea Salt Caramel ice cream (made with Hudson Valley Bourbon) with a scoop of Sweet Potato-Pecan ice cream.

Cheese please!  Ricotta, Cheddar, Mozzarella...

Beautiful mushrooms, pumpkin soup, bacon peanut brittle, and cucumber sandwiches.

One of the new vendors this month was Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea .  Based in Chicago, Intellisgentsia is known for some of the best coffee in the country.

At the market they were demonstrating their Celebration blend with each of the component beans (from Kenya and Ethiopia).  Though the Celebration blend was fresh, balanced, and fragrant, we ended up buying the Kenya beans for their stronger, richer flavor.






Stumptown Coffee was the other new popular vendor.  We have enjoyed their coffee before in the Ace Hotel and so we knew it was wonderful, rich coffee.  Many others did too, with one woman declaring Stumptown the best coffee in the world, while others waited patiently (despite being told there were already 10 people on the waiting list for cups of hot coffee) while individual coffees were being brewed.

As expected, there were lots of fresh produce, jellies, and dips.  The brussels sprouts on the stems were quickly sold out.

We ended our day at the market with a New York wine tasting.  One vineyard even provided the Riesling grapes that would be used in the wines. 

It was another fun outing to the market and hope to see it pop up again in the new year!  The next market is scheduled for Sunday, December 20th - just in time for Christmas!

Things to Do in NYC This Weekend - Nov 20-22

We cannot believe the holiday season is upon us!  This weekend, we will be starting the festivities with a holiday wine-tasting, getting provisions for Thanksgiving dinner at the monthly market, and maybe take in a little free outdoor ice skating.

Thirsty?  On Saturday, we will be heading out to Union Square Wines for the USQ Holiday Hypertasting.  There will be 6 hours of non-stop wine-tasting of over 100 wines.  From 1-4pm, champagne and reds will be poured, while from 4-7pm, a variety of whites ranging from the perennially good Conundrum (by Caymus) to big, bold reds from the Rhone like Chateauneuf du Pape will be on hand.  Admission is free and Union Square Wines is located at 140 Fourth Ave (at 13th St.) in NYC.

Hungry?  On Sunday, the New Amsterdam Market is back!  We had so much fun (and ate so much!) the last time we were there.  We'll be re-visiting old favorites like The Bent Spoon (for ice cream) and checking out new vendors like Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea and Stumptown Coffee Roasters.  Note that if you want a turkey, holiday roast, or pie, you will need to pre-order before Sunday.

Need to work it off?  The Pond at Bryant Park is open for the season and is one of the few places in NYC where you can skate for free (if you have your own skate; if not, rentals are only $12).  And if skating isn't your thing... 

...there's always drinks at temporary bar Celsius (where you might randomly bump into a couple of Mounties like we did a couple years ago) plus retail therapy at the pop-up holiday shops.  Have a great weekend!

 

p.s.  The Holiday Market at Union Square starts on Wednesday, Nov 25.  The holiday season has definitely begun! 

Blue Hill at Stone Barns - Part I: Exploring the Grounds

To celebrate a multitude of different occasions, we decided to head out to Blue Hill at Stone Barns, the acclaimed restaurant by Chef Dan Barber that is known for its effective use of local products.

But before we sat down to dine for this much-anticipated meal, we ventured out earlier from the city to tour the grounds of Stone Barns.

Stone Barns is a non-profit farm that was built on the former Rockefeller estate.  The actual stone barns were originally built by the Rockefellers to be a dairy farm.  It was developed into the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture which was opened to the public, along with the restaurant, in 2004.

 

The farm uses its natural environment and does not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides in growing its crops.

 

The only addition to the soil is a compost made of manure and organic materials.

 

The kale, which would later end up on our plate!

Despite the late Autumn weather, we still managed to find a few beautiful flowers.

We loved walking through the vegetable garden, especially the signs that encouraged us to touch rub fresh herb leaves between our fingers to capture their fragrance.  (There is a small farmers market where you can purchase local vegetables, meats, and baked goods)

The Greenhouse allows the farm to produce vegetables all year round.  Even in the winter, when outside temperature can reach below zero, the greenhouse will be producing up to 35 different kinds of hearty crops (many of them rare or little-known).

The livestock are free-ranging on the farm.

 

We loved the dog, who seemed to be smiling while watching over the sheep.

 

These were the hens who laid the eggs we later ate that day!

The animals, including pigs, ducks, and wild turkeys, are part of the farm's ecosystem.  The animals feed on the grounds and their manure fertilizes the earth.

Yes, we were a couple of city slickers who took tons of photos of lettuce in the garden and ducks on the field.  More than anything however, Stone Barns gave us a greater appreciation for the food we eat.  We will definitely return in the spring, hopefully with family and friends, for one of their Saturday guided insider tours

Look for our next post (Stone Barns Part II) where we'll discuss our fantastic tasting menu at Blue Hill at Stone Barns!

Stone Barns is located at 630 Bedford Road in Pocantico Hills, NY. It's just a 40-50 mins train ride from NYC to Tarrytown, and then a short taxi ride to the farm.