Earth - Enjoying a Locavore Meal in Toronto

Amongst all the hustle and bustle, we managed to sneak away while we were in Toronto and have a nice dinner for two.  We decided to check out Earth, the newest restaurant from Ed Ho (who nicely stopped by our table prior to our meal).  He is the same guy who opened Globe Bistro, the restaurant we enjoyed the last time we were in Toronto.  

Walking into the restaurant, we immediately notice Earth's sleek and modern interior - blacks and greys offset by funky light fixtures.  It's a cool space, but our favourite parts were the two rose inlays (the flower in the photo above) that were saved from the original flooring and integrated into current flooring. 

With a wine list of 50 wines under $50, there were many options, both local and New World.  We opted to try a few Ontario wines by the glass (left to right):
2006 Semillon, Rosewood (Beamsville Bench, ON, $9) - This tasted closer to a crisp sauvignon blanc or a Chablis with tart, green apple rather than a buttery Semillon.  It did have some honey sweetness and good acidity.
2007 Merlot, Rosewood (Beamsville Bench, ON, $9) - This wine was not too ripe and tasted like sweet oak and cherry with a medium body.  We like to try 2007 vintages from the Niagara region because it was one of its best years.
2007 Gamay, Malivoire (Beamsville Bench, ON, $8) - We like the cherry fruit taste with an earthy nose and a hint of smokiness of this wine.  It was very food friendly.

Homemade biscuits with butter - a nice change from the usual bread basket.

Pig Bits ($5): This plate of pate with allspice, pressed pork terrine and flash seared pork skin (with mustard in the middle) was the best value of the night.  It's a great sharing plate and was perfect for pork lovers like us!

John's Elk Tartare ($12):  We like elk because the meat is rich without being too gamey.  This tartare was nicely seasoned, was mixed with capers, and topped with a couple of garlic chips (they looked like eyes to us).  On the side was a hard-boiled quail's egg,

Tamworth Suckling Pig Roast ($25):  We were looking forward to this dish (we love pig, after all), but unfortunately the pork was overcooked and the braised local beans a little too chewy.  The pork tasted great with the accompanying boudin noir but it couldn't save the dryness of the pork.

Canada's Finest Plate ($26): We liked this lighter dish of B.C. halibut with small bits of pork belly and Brussels sprout leaves.  On the side was a bright salad of blood orange and braised fennel.

Our love of sheep's milk cheese made us choose the Ewenity Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta ($6) with blueberry compote.  It was more savoury than sweet, but we still enjoyed this light dessert.  With a citrus or lemony taste, it was a nice palatte cleanser after our rich meal. 

Overall, we were a tad disappointed with our experience due to the dry suckling pig and 30 minute waits for our entree and then our dessert.  The restaurant had only been opened for 4 weeks, so hopefully the kinks will be worked out soon.  We'll probably come back again as we really enjoyed our starters, the price-points are very affordable, and we liked the friendly staff.  The restaurant had a comfortable bar and lounge area as well so we can always return for a quick bite. 

Earth is located at 1055 Yonge St (btwn Roxborough St and MacPherson Ave; just north of Rosedale subway station) in Toronto, ON, Canada.

Fantaxia - Fixed price, Family-style dinner - Toronto

As we mentioned while preparing for our Creole Christmas in Canada, we appreciate getting together with family and friends in lieu of gifts.  We love catching up over a good meal and happily, when we were in Toronto, my brother and his girlfriend treated my parents and us to a very filling 7 course meal at Fantaxia.  With no one cooking or doing the dishes, it was a wonderful way to relax and chat with our family.

We started off with a soup filled with beef, scallops, mushrooms, and more.  Like clowns exiting a small car, it was fun watching how much food and soup came out of the seemingly small container.  The broth itself was savory and very comforting. 

Taro yam was shredded and fried to make this beautiful and crispy nest.  It was filled with crunchy snow peas, onions, and shrimp.  The best part?  The nest was surrounded by bacon-wrapped shrimp. 

We had to hurry to get this shot of the papaya boat filled with scallops before our server quickly chopped it up into little pieces.  The scallops on top were soft and meaty.

Not only was the chicken de-boned for easy eating, it was stuffed with sticky rice. 

And, just to make ourselves feel healthier, a large bowl of steamed bok choy.

Fried plump oysters were lightly seasoned with lemongrass.  They came with subtly sweet pieces of bread and laid out on a bed of thin, flaky, crispy spinach. 

Finally, to end our meal, we enjoyed this deceptively plain-looking dessert soup.  It was warm and very flavorful with a surprisingly sharp ginger taste.

Special thanks to my brother and especially to his girlfriend who called ahead of time and organized the meal for us.  

Fantaxia is located 3555 Don Mills Road, Unit 5 in Toronto, ON, Canada. 

Merry Christmas!

We wanted to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas.

Please enjoy these holiday scenes from Toronto.

Downtown Toronto

Holiday window display from the Hudson's Bay Company department store.

Merry Christmas!

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.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Creole Christmas in Canada

Every year, my girlfriends and I try to get together to catch up over the holidays.  A few years ago we decided to stop buying Christmas gifts for each other and instead spend a nice meal together.  After all, what's better than the gift of time, friendship, and food?

It was easier when we were younger, but now with everyone living in different cities, provinces, states and countries, these annual get-togethers get even more important.  With added significant others, the faces have changed but the dynamic remains the same - lots of laughs, tons of food, and great stories to share.

This year, we headed up to Toronto, Canada for our annual Christmas get-together.  Because we last got together to celebrate our milestone birthdays in New Orleans, LA, we decided to attempt a Creole Christmas this year.

We started with a couple of cocktails because nothing else reminds us of both the holidays and New Orleans!  We made the appropriately-named and festive-colored French Quarter Champinis.  We mixed up 1.5 oz Chambord, 0.5 oz Grand Marnier, 0.5 oz lime juice, 0.5 oz cranberry juice per glass with ice.  After pouring the mix in the glass, we topped it off with about 6 oz of sparkling wine.

Hurricanes were next as we remembered our warm summer's evening enjoying these drinks at Pat O'Briens.  Though we did not have the famous Pat O'Briens hurricane mix, we made a very similar drink.  We mixed together 3 oz rum, 3 oz orange juice, 3 oz pineapple juice, and 0.5 oz grenadine syrup and poured the drinks into tumblers over ice.

Our hostess made these delicious mini vegetarian muffaleta sandwiches as a reminder of our huge vegetarian muffaleta sandwich from Central Grocery:

We laughed when we remembered our initial shock at the size of the original sandwich (and were glad that we opted to share it)  We loved our hostess' version of the sandwich as it was rich in flavor from the olive spread and vegetables.  Its smaller size was also much easier to eat!

On this cold winter's day, the vegetarian gumbo with biscuit topper was a comforting dish.  The hardest part was finding the file powder for the gumbo - which in Toronto is found at Kensington Market (and in New York at Indian spice market Kalustyan's).  Though we had the meaty gumbo at Acme Oyster House, this homemade version was so flavorful and substantial (due to the rice), we didn't really miss the meat.  (And it gave our vegetarian friend a chance to have the gumbo she missed out in New Orleans!)

Our favorite place during the entire trip was Cafe du Monde (as evidenced by our daily trips during our stay).  We all smiled as we remembered our various treks for coffee and beignets - morning, noon, or night.  We found the coffee in the most unusual of places - Chinatown!  In both Toronto and New York, Cafe du Monde coffee can be found in various Chinese stores due to its popularity for Vietnamese Iced Coffee.  We learned that when Vietnamese immigrants went to New Orleans, they loved the chicory coffee so much that they used it for their iced coffees.

We were all so full from the delicious food, dessert was a simple bowl of Pralines n' Cream ice cream topped with Grand Marnier.

We all seemed to have sucre in mind when we made shared our edible gifts.  Bourbon balls covered in festive sugar and sprinkles were rich and reminded us of the truffles we had seen.  The cookies shaped like purses were similar to the fun packaging sucre uses for its chocolates (and the champagne represented our birthday toast at Restaurant August).  And finally, chocolate-covered apples with nuts wrapped in a Fleur de Lils ribbon (New Orleans symbol) to thank our friends for their southern hospitality...all the way up north! 

We all had a wonderful time re-living our New Orleans trip and catching up like old times (while the husbands chatted about that night's big game between Dallas and, coincidentally, New Orleans).  After all, good food and better company is what the holidays are all about!

Recipes:

Mini Vegetarian Muffulettas:

Ingredients:

1 cup giardiniera (pickled cauliflower and carrot salad)
1 cup olives
1 cup marinated mushrooms
6 rolls

1 cup roasted sweet red peppers
1 cup spinach leaves (or arugula)

0.5 lb sliced provolone cheese

0.5 lb sliced part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup thinly sliced tomatoes


Directions:

1. In a food processor, chop giardiniera, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and olives along with liquid from the jars.

2. Hollow out tops and bottoms of rolls, leaving 3/4 inch shells (discard bread or save for future use)

3. Spread veggie mixture over tops and bottoms of rolls

4. Layer provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and spinach.

5. Replace tops.

6. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, secure with toothpicks.

7. Refrigerate overnight.

Vegetarian Gumbo

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

3/4 cup flour

1 large onion, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

6 ribs celery with leaves, chopped

2 tsp thyme

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups vegetable broth

3 cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

2 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce

1 tsp hot sauce (add more for extra kick!)

1 tsp paprika

salt to taste

8 cups cooked rice

file powder to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil over low heat in a big soup pot or Dutch oven.  When it's hot, add flour.  Cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes until the color is similar to a coppery penny.

2. Add onion, peppers, celery, thyme, and garlic.  Cook over low heat for about 30-45 mins.  Stir frequently - add oil only if necessary.

3. Add stock, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaves, tamari, hot sauce, paprika, and salt.

4. Let it come to a boil, then turn down and let simmer 2-3 hours.  The key to this recipe is low heat and almost constant stirring for 45 minutes.  After an hour or so, taste and add more salt or cayenne.

5. Serve in cups and top with file powder and biscuit.

Decorated cookies recipe - click here

Candied apples recipe - click here

{Travel Tuesday} Jedd's Frozen Custard in Toronto

Faithful readers of HLFD know that we love our Shake Shack - especially because of its concretes and custards.  So when a friend suggested we try out a new frozen custard spot during my recent visit to Toronto, I jumped at the chance.  With visions of Danny Meyer creations in my head, we walked around the Yonge/Eglinton area and finally found the narrow storefront.  Jedd's Frozen Custard is a cute spot for a casual date or, in our case, a get-together with the girls.  Finally, frozen custard has come to Toronto!

Instead of burgers a la Shake Shack, Jedd's Frozen Custard serves pastries, pies, and cakes.  As tempting as they all looked, we walked straight to the frozen custard counter.  After all, if Jedd's is the only place in Toronto (perhaps even Canada) that serves frozen custard, we had to try it.

What is frozen custard?  It's a type of ice cream that's made with egg yolk (in addition to cream and sugar) and has to be made fresh throughout the day.  It also has less overrun (i.e. contains less air) than a common ice cream - meaning that it's denser, creamier, and more satisfying.  Frozen custard is a sexier ice cream

Despite the number of toppings available, we all decided to just enjoy the Frozen Custard on its own.  My friends ordered single scoops of vanilla and chocolate in a bowl ($3.25 each).  I went with the mint chocolate scoop in a waffle cone ($3.50).  It was smooth with a nice, subtle flavor (though, I must admit I still prefer my Shake Shack - the custard's creamier and it's able to offer many different flavors, per their Custard Calendar).  The next time I'm in town, I'll probably bring my husband so that he can enjoy an Affogato (vanilla custard with espresso).  They also offer concretes that I'd also like to check out.

Before leaving, I chatted with the owner, Jedd, about frozen custard, Shake Shack, and Ted Drewes (the popular custard spots in St. Louis that is said to have inspired Danny Meyer's Shake Shack custards).  Jedd mentioned that he was actually heading to St. Louis soon for Frozen Custard courses (Ice cream university? That's my kind of school!) so it'll be interesting to see (and taste) what he learns.

Jedd's Frozen Custard is located at 2470 Yonge Street, north of Eglinton in Toronto, ON, Canada.

Reminder: Our $55 CSN Stores giveaway ends on Halloween! Enter here for your chance to win! Also, our 30% off everything in our shop discount (with code HIGHLOW30PCT) expires this Sunday.  Check out this cute pink apron that's regularly $30, and only $21 after the discount!

Around the World with Cheese!

There's nothing like a wedge of cheese, some charcuterie, and (lots of) red wine to make us feel that all is well in the world.  

This is probably why, when we walk about and come across a cheese shop, we inevitably sample to our hearts' content and always leave with a few new cheeses to share at home.

Here is our ode to the cheeses and cheese shops we've recently enjoyed!

Whenever we're in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, we make sure to stop off at Bedford Cheese Shop.  The shop is charming and despite the large variety, is never over-whelming.  Perhaps it's because the staff as always been friendly and easy-going in offering samples and suggestions.

 

We came away with these 3 cheeses.  The Ossau-Iraty (also known as Istara) is a creamy, nutty French sheep's milk cheese.  The Zamorano is a hard sheep's milk cheese from Spain.  It's a sharper, nuttier, and richer cheese versus Manchego.  For dessert, we had the Lemon Baked Ricotta, which is a religious experience in itself!  If you like lemon and airy cheesecake, this cheese is for you!

 

We've posted a few times about Despana, a Spanish stores that features a large selection of authentic Spanish food and drink products.

We chose two Spanish sheep's milk cheeses.  The Roncal (left) was nutty and chewy and fairly similar to the Manchego, our usual sheep's milk cheese selection.

When we visit Toronto, we make sure to stop off at A Taste of Quebec.  This Quebecois cheese shop shares it space with an art gallery, making the area itself a fun and interesting destination.

Le 1608 is from Laiterie Charlevoix in Quebec, Canada.  What's interesting about this cheese is that is uses milk from Champlain cows, whose ancestors were brought over from France in 1608 (also when Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City). This was a very stinky cheese (some would call it "earthy", others would say "barnyard") with a nutty taste.

 

We loved the dramatic black rind on Le Chevre Noir.  It's another Quebecois goat's milk cheese made by Fromagerie Tournevent.  This was definitely different as this was cheddar-like in style versus the usual crumbly or creamy goat cheeses.  It was buttery, with a touch of caramel sweetness and a very long finish.  It would go well with a light, fruity or country-style wine...and we thought it would also go well with espresso.

A Taste of Quebec is located at The Distillery District, building 32 (off Distillery Lane) in Toronto, Canada.

Bedford Cheese Shop is located at 229 Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Despana is located at 408 Broome St. (btwn Lafayette and Cleveland Pl) in NYC.