The Argentinian Food Experience

This past month I had the most amazing experience travelling Argentina! Aside from the amazing people, night life, scenery, music, and wine that make up this gorgeous country...the FOOD was (obviously) something I had the most excitement over. I know it's not in the 416, in my beloved Toronto, but I still want to share some of the food highlights from my trip! 

Hot Chocolate (The milk comes piping hot, with separate pieces of chocolate to add yourself for melting)

Empanada (I had too many of these to count during this trip) They come with a variety of fillings. The most common is ground beef with hard boiled egg and spices.

Choripan (street meat) 

Milanese Sandwich

Argentina is known for their beef. This is an example of a fast food menu....pure steak.

Dinner at Don Julio's

Papas Fritas aka fries

Chimichurri for the meat. A mix of green herbs, chilli's and olive oil. 

Panqueque con Dulce De Leche. (Pancake with caramel sauce) This dessert was addicting. I had it many many times throughout the trip from numerous restaurants.

Dinner at the famous La Cabrera

Sides for the steak

Chocolate mousse Brownie

More empanadas

Sorrentini pasta (stuffed with ricotta)

Ravioli in a cream sauce

Dinner at El Arrabel 

Various meats, steaks, chorizo, blood sausage.

Four cheese pizza

Mate (argentinian tea) 

Meat and cheese platter 

Gnocchi with bolognese sauce

Pasta with ham and cream sauce

Ham and cheese croissant 

Cheeseburger from the famous Cafe Tortoni

Spinach pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms.

I miss this food and I miss this country. 

Happy Eating!

Inspiring Food Article

I came across this article and loved it! Made me feel inspired to try different cuisines from around the world and do more travelling!

Check it out:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/dishes-foods-cooked-by-grandmothers-around-the-world

Happy Eating!

Mistura

I was out of the country for the past couple weeks, and unfortunately didn't get a chance to check out as many Summerlicious menu's around the city as I would've liked to. However, I did make it to Mistura, on the very last day of Summerlicious!

We started with a bottle of wine, basket of bread and dip. Our party of 3 all opted for the same options for each course...

Garganelli pasta with charred tomato, roasted italian sausage and fresh basil. What a great way to start the meal. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sausage added a rich depth of flavour. 

Slow roasted Ontario leg of lamb with caramelized onions, potato salad and local summer vegetable medley. This main was so so so good. The lamb was very tender and packed with flavour. The delicious jus went well with the potato and vegetable and was the perfect accompaniment for the meat. This dish was close to perfection for me. 

Lemon ricotta cheesecake with macerated summer berries. This dessert was just O.K. Nothing particularly great. I found the cheesecake to be a little dry. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the my meal at Mistura. The food was memorable. The restaurant itself provided a classy yet welcoming ambiance. Our server was attentive and informative. I will definitely be back to check out their regular menu! 

Happy Eating! 

Nazareth

I don't know how it took me so long (especially after everyone I know has told me that Nazareth has the best Ethiopian food in the city), but I FINALLY ate here!... And it was seriously delicious. 

My friend and I ordered the Vegetarian Platter and Beef Tibs. We used our hands and injera (as they have no forks) and got right in there to dine on this food. Everything on this massive plate was filled with so much flavour. I have tried a few Ethiopian restaurants in the city now, and I must say... Nazareth is my new fav! 

If you enjoy Ethiopian food, and haven't checked out Nazareth I think it's time to stop reading this post...and go...like now. 

Happy Eating! 

Bellwoods Brewery

I have been wanting to try Bellwoods Brewery for a while now and am happy I finally made my way here. This brewery/restaurant is known for their hand crafted beers. Not only do they have a wide selection of beer, they also have a bottle shop next door which sells their beer to go. 

The weather has been so nice lately, its the perfect time to sit outside on a patio. Bellwoods' patio is quaint and reminds me of a rustic country yard filled with picnic tables, flowers and candles. 

Grizzly Beer (An American Brown Ale with a distinctive hoppy bitterness and notes of roasted malt, chocolate, pine, buts, citrus rind and dark fruit)   

Roman Candle (A refreshing, American-style India Pale Ale with strong aromas of pine, melon and tangerine, good bitterness and a silghtly resinous finish) 

Cider (Mild apple flavour)

Cheese Board. A variety of cheeses including blue, goat, a hard type cheese, and a brie style. A rhubarb compote and bread to accompany the cheeses.

Vegetable Board. This came with pickled rhubarb, sliced asparagus, pickled mushroom, charred green onions, olives and a dip. 

Meat Board. This is the most interesting meat board I've had in a while. I forget exactly what everything was but what I remember is it came with tongue pastrami, oxtail rillette, variety of salami, duck hearts, strawberry compote and olives.

It was an enjoyable experience at Bellwoods Brewery. The food was perfect with the beer. I particularly liked the cheese board and the oxtail rillette. The atmosphere and vibe of this place is inviting and relaxing. I will definitely be back for more!

Happy Eating!

Burger Week!

This past week was Burger Week in Toronto! This basically means that tons of restaurants around the city create and add a signature, one time only, 5 dollar burger to their menu. I was obviously exited about trying tons of burgers this week..and I sure did! Here are some:

This End Up. Burger: Grilled ground chuck, seared hickory-smoked pork belly, tomato and apple chutney, white cheddar, umami mayo, and arugula. Rating: 9

The Lakeview. Burger: Beef patty with maple caramelized onions, lemon-chive mayo, onion fritters, fries and salad with honey-balsamic vinaigrette. Rating: 5.5

The Happy Hooker. Burger: Crispy shrimp patty, tartar sauce, lettuce, jalapenos, tomato, and two strips of bacon. Rating: 7.5

Samuel J. Moore. Burger: Chopped-sirloin burger with beef bacon, aged cheddar, pickles and homemade ketchup on brioche. Rating: 6.5

The Rude Boy. Burger: Brisket/chuck patty with tongue pastrami, bacon infused thousand island dressing, gruyere, and sauerkraut. Rating: 8.5

Big Smoke Burger. Burger: Ground chuck with lettuce, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, and house-made "green" sauce. Rating: 6

Lots of burgers, lots of deliciousness, lots of calories to now burn off! 

Happy Eating!