music and more for a cause: projectliftph

When Rudy Boquila isn't busy being a chef,  he makes music with his band, DATU. On Wed, Dec 4th, special guest Scratch – from The Roots (yes!) is performing live with DATU at ProjectLiftPH #Haiyan  #YolandaPH fundraiser event! 

Here's DATU performing this year at The Canadian Philippine Fashion Week


There will be great food from: Lamesa Filipino Kitchen, Porzia, Sukho Thai  among others.

For more info on the full line-up of amazing performers and participants on Facebook.

Get your tickets here now: 

Please share and support :) 

toronto food. right now.

from last night's 4suppers featuring a collaboration between Chef Basilio Pesce of Porzia and Chef Matty Matheson of Parts & Labour
I'd like to preface this post by saying that I don't claim to be a culinary expert of any sort. I am simply someone who has grown up with a deep appreciation for food. I was inspired to write this post following conversations I had with a friend as well as the chefs during (another SUPERB) 4suppers last night. It's also because of other thoughts and observations I've had about the food scene in Toronto. 

The most significant thing I've noticed in the past couple of years after having moved to Toronto from New York is how collaborative and supportive the culinary community is toward one another. I've made more connections in Toronto's food scene compared to when I lived in New York, so perhaps it isn't fair to say. There seems to be a great deal of mind melding and camraderie going on (uniquely) in Toronto than other cities (like New York, Montreal too, apparently). If the same types of collaborations are happening in New York, perhaps I'm just not plugged in. The chefs I've discussed this with in Toronto agree with me. Is New York just too competitive a place in general for the same thing to happen? Maybe? Naturally, there is still competition in Toronto. For the most part, it seems to be a friendly and supportive sort. Toronto chefs seem genuinely excited about what their peers are doing – at least for the most part. The competitive creative energy seems to yield positive results. I witnessed this energy at this year's fantastic Terroir Symposium. I see it in the 4suppers at Porzia (not only because I co-host this event!), in The Group of 7 Chefs, at the many different chef battles at 86'd hosted by Ivy Knight, at Food Truck Eats, at Death Row Meals events, La Carnita's pop-up roots and today at Slurp Noodlefest, etc. I could go on and on. 

What results from these collaborative relationships are dining experiences that are not only incredibly inspired but also really innovative. My friend Socky last night commented that the camraderie is very Canadian. But I'm not sure whether the same energy is happening on this scale in other Canadian cities. What is very Canadian to me is to be shy and humble about the fantastic food that's coming out of this city's best chefs. Is it also very Canadian to wait until people like David Chang or Anthony Bourdain recognize the creative energy and talent that's happening in Toronto for the city to realize it? 

It's the very innovation and inspiration that is making this moment in Toronto a very exciting place to be. Any others in Toronto agree with me?

an evening at woodlot

left photo from Toronto Life magazine, right photo is one of my own

Last night, I finally got to try Woodlot, a much-hyped Toronto restaurant that's been open nearly a year. I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I instantly realized all of it is well-deserved. The food is described as "comfort food" but it was not all what I would expect based on that description. The dishes weren't platefuls of deep-fried everything. I would describe it as very fresh, innovative, thoughtful, back-to-the-land type food. It is very flavourful, inventive but not gimmicky. As we ate all the tastiest plates (including a few surprise ones – courtesy of the chef, David Haman), the word EARTHY just kept coming up. It's earthy in the best sense of the word.

I was definitely wowed by all of the food. But if I had to choose, my absolute favourite dish would be the Farm Fresh Chitarrini with corn, ham hock, zucchini, tomato petals and saffron. It was a great balance of creamy, savoury and just enough sweet from the corn. Delicious! Woodlot is perfect place to dine, especially in the fall. The coziness of the food is punctuated by this very warm, unpretentious, lofty space that, at one point, was a garage. At the heart of it is this large wood burning stove (where beautiful bread is made). Interesting fact about Woodlot: their sommelier is also their baker. During the day, the place is actually a bakery and cafe. I also loved that there is an equally well-considered menu of vegetarian dishes and cocktails are also available.

All around an exquisite meal accompanied by wine that also came with impassioned back stories. Even more beautiful that it was an evening shared with like-minded company. What could be lovelier? 

Some of the other Woodlot dishes on Foodspotting: 
Ember Grilled Hen O Woods Mushrooms 
Marinated Grilled Haloumi Crostini with Spiced Chick Pea, Apple Preserve and Basil 
Heirloom Tomatoes & Sheep's Milk Ricotta Tart with Tomato Hibiscus Jam and Arugala

a portumanian feast

Amazing pond experience aside, last Sunday was really about the food. Two great chefs came together: one Panamanian (Rossy) and the other Portuguese (Paula). Together they lovingly prepared one fabulous "Portumanian" feast. Just looking at these photos makes me hungry all over again. 

Here was the menu for the day: 

ROSSY

Empanaditas de Pollo
Chicken stuffed mini Pastry Pockets

Ceviche Mixto
Lime marinated Mixed Seafood

Mariscos al Ajillo
Shrimp & Scallops in Butter & Olive Oil Garlic Sauce 
with Grilled Fennel & Smoked Tomatoes

Arroz con Guandu y Coco
Coconut & Pigeon Pea Rice

Ensalada de Palmito y Vegetales
Hearts of Palm & Vegetable Salad

Escabeche de Pescado
Pickled Fish

Crema de Mango, Gengibre & Lima
Mango Ginger & Lime Mousse

PAULA

Rissois de Camarão
Shrimp in pastry

Bolinhos de Bacalau
Codfish Puff Balls

Cataplana de Amêijoas
Clams in Cataplana

Asas de Galinha PiriPiri
Chicken Wings in Piri Piri Sauce

Porco Bêbado
Roast Drunken Pork

ChocoFlan
Chocolate Cake with Baked Custard
& Dulce de Leche

Bolos de Mel
Portuguese Honey Cakes

Thank you to Rossy and Paula for preparing such a gorgeous, delicious meal. And big hugs to our lovely host, Rossy Earle (above) for a beautiful day. I can't wait for the next one!!

a clean slate

I can hardly believe that after the massive upheaval my life has undergone this past year, I have finally moved into my own Toronto digs. In more ways than one, this is my clean slate. It's the official start in my new city. What proved to be a stressful process resulted in a place that's precisely what I wanted (and more). It's all thanks to a fantastic real estate agent and serendipity. Not only is this condo/building brand new, it comes with great amenities, it's very close to work and it has the all-important ensuite washer/dryer. The space also has nice finishes. I love how sunny and airy the space is despite it's relatively modest size (under 600 sq. ft + 100 sq. ft of balcony). I now understand the draw of living up high. The big balcony is perfect for admiring the VIEW. And to my New York friends, it's for A LOT less rent than anything comparable in New York City or Brooklyn. Which is amazing. 

This blank canvas is already my newest design project. I cannot wait to decorate it. As you can see, I don't really have any furniture yet! Now that I've decided to start from scratch, the possibilities are endless. All I know right now is that I will keep things very simple and very comfortable. Stylistically, warm modernism is what I am most drawn to. The older I get, the more important quality and craftsmanship become, too. The challenge will always be finding a balance between quality and price. The task of careful furniture selection is probably what I'm looking forward to the most. It's so exciting! So there will undoubtedly be upcoming (fun) blog posts on home design :) 

The west facing balcony presents a view of the lake (to the left)...

...and neighbourhood views (and the sunset!) to the right

Update on 2011-10-19 20:24 by catherine mangosing

See my follow up post here: drawing on the slate

pond life

When my friend Rossy told me she had a pond in her backyard, this was not what I expected. I finally got to see said pond this past weekend. It was part of a big feast prepared by two chefs. Rossy Earle, a Panamanian chef and, Paula Costa, a Portuguese chef joined forces to cook a huge Portumanian hybrid feast. I will blog about the food separately. I felt that this pond was worthy of it's own post. 

How beautiful is this?! This is where a big group of my foodie friends (and a few with dogs) came together and spent the day. I was stunned when we first drove into the sprawling property – approximately 45 minutes outside of Toronto. According to my friend Rossy, this is a natural pond that has had sand poured into it. It is aerated underwater via a windmill hidden behind the trees. On the property also sits a 6 bedroom house. I understood why Rossy chooses to live here and not in downtown Toronto. The temparature of the water was absolutely perfect and not too cold for this tropical baby. The colour of the water really does look this way in real life. I was in heaven floating peacefully in it – face to the sky. 

It was the best day of my entire summer so far. It was a much needed day of relaxation, sunshine, good friends (around 20 of us in attendance), great food, lots of laughs and even some good bubbly. What a beautiful day. I hope I get a chance to come back and do it again before the summer ends. 

Stay tuned for the upcoming post on this day's Portumanian menu :)  

seasonal cycle

I went for my first bike ride in six years this past weekend. I have not been on a bicycle since my Paris trip in 2005! The weather could not have been more beautiful. It was a mostly a cloudless sky with a light breeze and no humidity. Perfect day for cycling. I had not visited High Park since the fall. The park and Grenadier Pond reminded me a bit of other parks I've spent some time in (such as Prospect Park in Brooklyn and Stanley Park in Vancouver, pre-1999). I was enjoying the first ride so much and didn't realize that I over did it. I ended up having to ice my knees last night after coming home. But all in all, it was a great day and a wonderful introduction to cycling in Toronto. It was topped off by a beautiful, grilled summer dinner with good friends. What could be better? 

I plan to relish the few short months of warmth in Toronto and explore the city some more this summer. Bicycle ownership is imminent. The numerous benefits of cycling are, of course, obvious. And I get why people are so passionate about it. It was exhilarating. It was the best way to see Paris, why not Toronto?  

intricate material : meghan price

Toronto/Montreal baed artist Meghan Price found me through social media. Her work is so beautiful and delicate, it had to be shared. There is so much evidence of her background in textile construction in her work. The level of detail and intricacy is amazing. In addition to her fine art work, she is also one third of String Theory, a textile design studio specializing in gorgeous scarves and throws. Go check them out. 

The lace pieces (top two images) are made of enameled copper wire and the bottom three images are waterjet cut steel. The waterjet cut piece will be part of a show entitled "Love Lace" at the Powerhouse in Sydney this coming July. 

i kinda like it here.

All images via The National Design Collective

I love these laser-cut birchwood plywood coasters by The National Design Collective. I spotted them at Thor Espresso Bar last week. It's perfect for the city loyalists. They are gorgeous and how cute is that name? 

learning to speak maple

Balzac's Coffee Roasters

Revel Caffe's schneckens (criossant-like, maple pastry) YUM.

McCully's Hill Farm maple butter tartsright: maple sap fresh from the tree

Beautifully weathered old farm equipment
McCully's maple butter, maple mustards and pulled maple BBQ pork (SO GOOD.)

The maple forest

Our maple syrup educator at McCully's Hill Farm

Once they look you in the eye, it's tough to think of them as dinner

Simple Fish & Chips – my favourite was the sable fish (center piece)

Maple bacon and leek mussels (LOVE.)

Let Them Eat Cake's Maple Roasted Beet Soup with Sour Cream Swirl

Let Them Eat Cake's Maple Smoked Trout with Citrus Butter and Steamed Wild Rice with Maple Candied Walnuts

right: Maple Roasted Pear Tart with Maple Cream

I was invited to join a Toronto food bloggers' day trip to Stratford, Ontario for a maple syrup tour this past weekend. Not having grown up in Canada, it was a first maple syrup tour experience for me (apparently it's a yearly thing for many Canadian kids). It turned out to be a great (albeit freezing cold) day, I learned a great deal. And as expected, we ate very well. Our gracious host, Emily Chandler from the Stratford Tourism Alliance was so kind to plan our itinerary and take us around to local farms and restaurants. 

I had no idea maple syrup came out from trees very watery with a very mild flavour! It tasted just like sugary water, actually quite refreshing. Different grades of maple syrup are specific to the time of the year it's harvested (ie. lightest syrup in the spring and heaviest towards the fall). The sugar content of the sap determines the grade of syrup you end up with. So many interesting facts and figures I had never heard of before. We even had culinary demonstrations (and recipes) at Let Them Eat Cake for using maple syrup in cooking. Everything was SO good!

It was a great way to spend a Saturday and it's not too far outside of downtown Toronto. Stratford not only has quite a vibrant culinary scene, it also has a very well known theater community and festivals that happen every summer. Apparently, it's also Justin Bieber's hometown ;) it looks similar to parts of Vermont, actually. I met some great people (and even a few adorable animals). I even brought back some amazing maple cured bacon from McCulley's Farm and farm fresh eggs from Soiled Reputation. I'm looking forward to coming back for more great food this summer. Many thanks to Suresh, publisher of Spotlight Toronto for the invitation and Emily Chandler for organizing the trip! 

Here's a list of the places we hit and things we did and ate in Stratford: 
Balzac Coffee Roasters (cappuccino and croissant)
Revel Caffe (for delicious cappucinos and house-made schnecken pastries)
McCully's Hill Farm (an informative maple syrup tasting/tour and maple cured bacon from happy animals)
Simple Fish & Chips (delicious lunch, all Ocean Wise seafood and local veggies)
Perth Pork Farm (learned about heritage pork breeds from farmer Fred Martines)
Soiled Reputation (great story telling by farmer Anthony John and organic fresh eggs and greens)
Let Them Eat Cake (cooking demos for cooking and baking with maple syrup, more great food and a more syrup facts from Hoover's Maple Syrup)

I'm getting hungry again. More photos in my Flickr album.

colours turn, i run

This gorgeous fall scenery was enough to inspire my first *proper* pair of running shoes. I wanted to stay active following my big move. I'm missing my dance classes and it will take some time for me to find a new school. But I figured: why not take advantage of the great weather? It seems it's also the year of change, so I'm just aiming for consistency. I've been doing a combination of running, power-walking and hiking up and down the steep hills everywhere. It easy to get motivated when my sisters and friends have all decided to do the same (at least one of them runs fairly regularly). I've also done it on my own. Toronto has many lovely parks within the city limits – as I'm quickly learning. Although I'm feeling sore from my new exercise routine, I plan to stick to it as long as the weather permits. It's so refreshing – and look where I get to run! The humourously vandalized signage was also worth documenting.

The photos above were taken at Christie Pitts Park and High Park. 

cinematic light : artist michael harrington

I came across the paintings of Canadian artist, Michael Harrington while strolling down Queen Street West in Toronto last weekend. Katherine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects had the top painting (Lookout! oil on canvas 40x60 inches) in the window and I had to stop and inquire. I love the melancholy, Edward Hopper-like quality to his work. They are almost sad, mundane scenes featuring no one or no place in particular. I LOVE the cinematic quality of light executed in a way that doesn't look overworked. There's a certain looseness to his technique that I find so beautiful.

montreal gastronomie

Here are just SOME of what we ate in Montreal. I consumed my share of cream, butter, sugar and bread for the
remainder of the year. How indulgent! How fun. So much more left to try... next time. 

Bacon, egg and swiss cheese crepe topped with maple syrup (very French-Canadian, I thought) at Quoi de Neuf? on Rue Notre-Dame 

These frites had to have been deep fried and lightly dusted with brown sugar. Perfectly savoury and sweet. Amazing. Quoi de Neuf?

Egg whites with spinach, chevre, salmon, mushroom and capers. Divine. Also at Quoi de Neuf?

Cupcakes we purchased a sleek gift box for the cast of People Power from Itsi Bitsi (they loved them!)

I didn't try these, but they definitely looked interesting.

This salad from Creperie Chez Suzette looked more like dessert but it was delicious (the yoghurt/strawberry dressing was
actually more savoury than sweet – contrary to how it looks)

Escargot with plenty butter and cheese, Creperie Chez Suzette

Creme de la Creme cafe where we spent at least four hours straight

Enjoyed glasses of this wonderful wine in Old Montreal following a leisurely afternoon exploring 

We had an amazing deal on Moules et Frites three different ways at L'Academie. My personal favourite sauce/broth
was: cognac, cream and green peppercorn. It was to-die-for!