I vowed this past Friday that it would be a good weekend. The meteorologist had been calling for rain over the weekend and boy was he right. It rained and it rained and it rained basically all weekend. But like I said, I vowed that it would be a good weekend. Even though Matt and I both worked on the Saturday, I just knew it would be a good weekend.
And it was.
We were lazy all Friday and Saturday night and ate lazy food because even though there was rain, it was hot. And rain + heat = gross, sticky weather that sucks for standing in front of a stove and cooking.
We ate yummy take out from Ali's Roti on the Friday. Going to Ali's is always a bit of an adventure. I say this because Ali's is located right in the heart of Parkdale. And if you're not familiar with the Parkdale neighbourhood, well, some parts, at certain parts of the day are a slight bit "sketchy". The majority of the the folk in this part of town are fantastic, but there are a few people who are best described as a little "off". So it really wasn't too much of a surprise when Matt and I made it to Ali's Friday evening to find a younger lady in a belly-dancing style bikini with tassles and dangley things causing a bit of a ruckus with the order takers. Interesting beginning to the weekend to say the least.
But really, of all the days in the weekend, Sunday took the cake. It rained all day and all afternoon. But didn't stop us from heading to Liberty Village at 9:30am in the pouring rain to the MyMarket farmer's market. Ridiculous amounts from heirloom tomatoes were purchased, along with baby red potatoes, purple beans, cauliflower, broccoli, Monckton twelve grain bread, and Monforte Dairy cheddar that has little bits of garlic scape embedded with in. We got soaking wet in the process but when I got home to make breakfast I had a breakfast of a champion! My version anyhow:
Toasted 12 grain with garlic scape cheddar. Topped with a perfectly cooked poached egg and with a side of rosemary baby red potato homefries. Mmmm.
There's a new coffee shop that recently opened by the farmer's market. I've been meaning to check it out for some time and with the rainy, soggy weather and seeing as how Matt nor I had our customary Sunday morning coffee we couldn't think of any reason not to go. The coffee shop is called Balzac Coffee, and it's actually the coffee used in the local Mill St. microbrewery's coffee porter. All of the coffee is fair trade as well which is always a big plus. The shop itself is very welcoming. Bar tables are found all along the huge windows and tables can be shared near the far end of the cafe. It was really nice just sitting at the window bar watching the rain fall onto the pot holey roads with a cup of dark coffee.
To end out our Sunday afternoon, with the best possible bang, Matt and I walked to the nearest Cineplex Theatre (in the rain of course) to see BATMAN: THE DARK NIGHT in IMAX!!!! Oh boy, I need to tell you, it is seriously a must see. Aaron Eckhart and Heath Ledger totally stole to show. To be honest I was more excited during the movie when their characters were on the screen than when Batman was. *sigh*... So good!
The weekend was all I could've hoped for. Great food, delicious coffee, walks through the city and Batman. Rainy weather used to be such a thorn in my side. But really, it just meant that by the end of the weekend, the weather cooled down a little, and my patio garden got a well deserved drink!
Now to just get through another work week.
7.21.2008
7.08.2008
I slack and I eat.
I have indeed been slacking for the past two weeks, but I should mention that it is because I have been busy eating delicious food.
I am still slacking today, so will not be elaborating much on the matter.
I swear I will be writing something remotely interesting in the very near future. Possibly about the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich I had at Brazen Head Irish Pub this weekend... Or maybe about the soft, sweet roasted beets I cooked last week. Whatever it is I write it will certainly be about something yummy!
Until then, eat well and be merry!
I am still slacking today, so will not be elaborating much on the matter.
I swear I will be writing something remotely interesting in the very near future. Possibly about the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich I had at Brazen Head Irish Pub this weekend... Or maybe about the soft, sweet roasted beets I cooked last week. Whatever it is I write it will certainly be about something yummy!
Until then, eat well and be merry!
7.01.2008
Happy Canada Day!
Happy Canada Day to all. Our country has now turned 141 years old!
I am quite happy to have a day off in the middle of the week. Although, to be honest, I would have much preferred a three day weekend. Damn you calendar!
None the less, a day off in the middle of the week is always welcome and the morning was spent garage sale-ing with my boyfriend Matt and dear friend Meag. Matt managed to find 16 comic books for $6 which really is quite a score if you know comic books but unfortunately Meag and I found absolutely nothing. So we just went into some our favourite stores in Roncesvalles Village near Meag's place which is not far from our Parkdale apartment. She and I both found two fantastic cookbooks at Another Story Bookshop.
Mine, called Calcutta Kitchen is a beautiful cookbook featuring all Bengali recipes (both Muslim and Hindu) from the bustling city. There are elegant photos on almost every page, with many recipes evoking childhood memories from living with my parents and visiting their homeland. I called my parents at home in Barrie, Ontario as soon I as got back to the apartment describing the different recipes found in the book.
The thing about having a day off on a holiday, especially in the middle of the week is that the majority of the stores in Ontario are closed. Banks, government buildings and grocery stores are all closed. And on a random weekday, well, there isn't always much to do. But that is where spontaneity comes into play!
We decided to have a nice little lunch together. Matt and I had already gone to the farmer's market over the weekend so we certainly had vegetables to spare. And Meag's papa had just given her some leftover vegetarian chili he had made for the baseball team he coaches. We popped over to Meag's and picked up the chili, some smoked cheddar and strawberries and then made our way back to my apartment.
I dressed some asparagus with olive oil, salt and black pepper and shoved it into the oven. We reheated the Papa Chili and with in a few minutes we had a ridiculously filling lunch. Of course this didn't stop us from eating some of the smoked cheddar, a pint of Ontario strawberries, vegetable crackers with store bought roasted red hummus and artichoke and asiago tapenade . Matt made us some coffee and we sunk into reading through our new found comic and cookbooks. All the while Potato bellowing out to be let out onto the porch.
The next thing we knew, it was six o'clock and we were still sitting at the kitchen table reading, drinking, eating. So now, as it slowly turns eight o'clock, with Meag sitting across from my going through my cookbooks and writing down recipes, and Matt doing whatever he's doing in the livingroom, I'm deciding what to cook us for dinner.
Eight-twenty.
Aloo Gobi (potatoes and cauliflower) is what has been decided and it is now cooking away in the wok. In a few minutes I'll be adding some spices and giving it a few quick turnovers.
And that's that. That is my Canada Day. My entire day full of walks, finds, books, loved ones and of course, food. And soon we'll be finishing it all off with some bowlfuls of golden spiced cauliflower and potatoes topped with squeezes of fresh lime juice and springs of cilantro!
I think that is what Canada has always been about too right? Being spontaneous. Spending time with close friends and family, relaxing, eating, and enjoying the one of the few days of sunny weather we get in our short summer months.
I am quite happy to have a day off in the middle of the week. Although, to be honest, I would have much preferred a three day weekend. Damn you calendar!
None the less, a day off in the middle of the week is always welcome and the morning was spent garage sale-ing with my boyfriend Matt and dear friend Meag. Matt managed to find 16 comic books for $6 which really is quite a score if you know comic books but unfortunately Meag and I found absolutely nothing. So we just went into some our favourite stores in Roncesvalles Village near Meag's place which is not far from our Parkdale apartment. She and I both found two fantastic cookbooks at Another Story Bookshop.
Mine, called Calcutta Kitchen is a beautiful cookbook featuring all Bengali recipes (both Muslim and Hindu) from the bustling city. There are elegant photos on almost every page, with many recipes evoking childhood memories from living with my parents and visiting their homeland. I called my parents at home in Barrie, Ontario as soon I as got back to the apartment describing the different recipes found in the book.
The thing about having a day off on a holiday, especially in the middle of the week is that the majority of the stores in Ontario are closed. Banks, government buildings and grocery stores are all closed. And on a random weekday, well, there isn't always much to do. But that is where spontaneity comes into play!
We decided to have a nice little lunch together. Matt and I had already gone to the farmer's market over the weekend so we certainly had vegetables to spare. And Meag's papa had just given her some leftover vegetarian chili he had made for the baseball team he coaches. We popped over to Meag's and picked up the chili, some smoked cheddar and strawberries and then made our way back to my apartment.
I dressed some asparagus with olive oil, salt and black pepper and shoved it into the oven. We reheated the Papa Chili and with in a few minutes we had a ridiculously filling lunch. Of course this didn't stop us from eating some of the smoked cheddar, a pint of Ontario strawberries, vegetable crackers with store bought roasted red hummus and artichoke and asiago tapenade . Matt made us some coffee and we sunk into reading through our new found comic and cookbooks. All the while Potato bellowing out to be let out onto the porch.
The next thing we knew, it was six o'clock and we were still sitting at the kitchen table reading, drinking, eating. So now, as it slowly turns eight o'clock, with Meag sitting across from my going through my cookbooks and writing down recipes, and Matt doing whatever he's doing in the livingroom, I'm deciding what to cook us for dinner.
Eight-twenty.
Aloo Gobi (potatoes and cauliflower) is what has been decided and it is now cooking away in the wok. In a few minutes I'll be adding some spices and giving it a few quick turnovers.
And that's that. That is my Canada Day. My entire day full of walks, finds, books, loved ones and of course, food. And soon we'll be finishing it all off with some bowlfuls of golden spiced cauliflower and potatoes topped with squeezes of fresh lime juice and springs of cilantro!
I think that is what Canada has always been about too right? Being spontaneous. Spending time with close friends and family, relaxing, eating, and enjoying the one of the few days of sunny weather we get in our short summer months.
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