Friday, July 30, 2010

Friday Fun and Foodie Giveaway

Life with two young kids (one is 3 years old, the other is 4 months old) can be pretty darn busy. Add blogging to the mix and it becomes quite challenging. At least, I am on a one year maternity leave from my job, so that means I do not have to worry about clients and numbers and the 1,265,839 deadlines.

However, like many mothers, I have decided to breastfeed exclusively. This means, I can never go anywhere (i.e. adventure travel, anyone?) without her. Hmmm, this takes a bit of planning and strategizing... And although I am dabbling in food styling and blogging, I am a travel blogger first and foremost. By *that*, it means I have to travel to sustain my blogs!



The good news is, I am not abandoning travel blogging. In fact, we are heading to New York City in August, and I am starting to plan all the activities that will cater to us (adults) and them (kids). I did a two year stint in New York (the Ex was from Lower East Side), so the major theme of this trip is most likely to be about living and eating locally. I've also written about my love for markets here, so naturally, we'll be hitting up some of New York's finest. Furthermore, I talked about a couple of restaurants I wanted to try in NYC, but as I discovered, it's harder to get a reservation at Mr. Keller's restaurant than it is to spot a fake Rolex watch from a mile away. As for the other restaurant, I heard through the grapevine that Chef Ripert's restaurant is slowly slipping in the quality and consistency department. So, au revoir to that as well!

I asked some friends and Twitter followers to suggest some restaurants in New York (including Brooklyn), and a mixed bag of delightful suggestions came up: Pearl Oyster Bar, Hakata TontonThe Little Owl, Perbacco Enoteca e Cucina, Ditch Plains, any Momofuku, Jewel Bako, The Grocery (Brooklyn), Bar Tabac (Brooklyn).

I'd love to hear from you about your favourite NYC restaurants. Please leave me your comments or suggestions here. I will pick the most enticing and unique suggestion, and reward the person with this book. Thank you and have a great weekend! Suggestions close on August 13, 2010 Friday, and the winner will be selected on August 18, 2010 Wednesday, after our trip. Winner will be contacted via email.
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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

School's Out! You Failed!

When it comes to restaurant experiences, it takes a lot to please me, but it also takes a lot to irk me. And Toronto's School Bakery and Café just managed to annoy me.

I hate to be a mean person, but this one deserves an F mark (for fail, fail, fail)! I mean, the restaurant's concept is cute enough. Give people a place they can relate to; something that feels familiar - like a school. It works that the kitchen and bakery looks like a cafeteria. And that the bar is designed like a library (for oenophiles) is quite clever. A plethora of other school-related details show us that gimmicks could sometimes work: the wall clocks frozen at 3:30, the clipboard menus, and even apples on each table.

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How do I justify the failing grade when others like blogger Mardi from Eat, Live, Travel, Write had such an excellent experience? Well, to start, I brought my infant daughter along and placed her and the car seat beside me on a banquette adjacent to the front patio. Prime location, I deduced, judging from the waitstaff scurrying back and forth immediately on the path beside my table. But even though the carved path was right there, the staff have all managed to ignore me as if I were the Invisible (Wo)Man. I kid you not, for almost one hour, they "un-served" me. My table remained empty, my glass unfilled. Despite my efforts to make eye contact, the wait staff merely walked past me with their eyes looking down (because I'm a glutton for punishment, I didn't want to flag anyone down - I wanted to see if they would make the first move). This situation totally baffled me, as I had - by then - a crying baby, but we were ignored yet again. Anyway, how could they have heard us above that music din that was playing in the background?
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So, I stood up and left - a class walkout! True, I was disappointed that I didn't get to try their Lime-Cervesa Battered Halibut with Chili Pepper Fries, nor their Baja Fish Tacos with Avocado Chipotle Mayonesa, nor the towering Amigo Burger. I was so pissed, but not nearly enough to stop me from ordering some over-the-counter pastries on my way out. After all, everyone deserves a second chance.

Paying for bakery sweets here is based on an honour system: order your treats, then walk over to the other end to tell the cashier what you got and pay for it. This time, no one ignored a cash-wielding-and flashing customer - good for them!
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By now, the whole thing had left a bitter taste in my mouth, and it was hard for me to enjoy my take-home stuff. The popovers - I got one with spinach and the other with bacon and cheese - were dry, dull, and lifeless.
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From left to right: apple cinnamon dough fritter, apple mini-cake, and lemon mini-cake were all nicely sweet and freshly made, but memories of bad service at School have left me with sour feelings as well.
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Mr. Brad Moore, what's going on? People, this is the one time I will recommend you to skip School!

Two Girls, A Pesto Recipe, And A House That Is A Home

Slowly but surely, we are getting settled in to our new house. Which got me thinking, "what makes a house a home?" All of a sudden the Burt Bacharach song comes to mind:

A chair is still a chair
Even when there's no one sitting there
But a chair is not a house
And a house is not a home 
When there's no one there to hold you tight
And no one there you can kiss good night...

And all I can think about is how extremely lucky I am that I have my two girls to keep me sane and insane at the same time.

Like for instance, I was working on a pesto recipe for my food blog, Black Sushi. My older one wanted to help, so I assigned her to pick basil leaves off its stem and stuff them into the mortar. Normally, if I was working on this solo, I'd be done in no time. But with her around, it's double (even triple or quadruple the time). But I do enjoy her company and I love seeing her eyes light up when she learns something new. See? Insane and sane at the same time!

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Then there's my littlest one, only 4 months old. There's a reason God bestowed upon them chubby cherubim cheeks, soft cuddly skin, and funny little personalities. So you don't go totally ballistic when they keep you awake at night (and day).
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Our pesto turned out well in the end, even if took us longer than it normally would.
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And for those who know our story, that's how our life unfolds: it's turning out well, even if it took us a long time to get here. I may even start travelling soon (for work)...

Our house is not a home without the deux of them...

Friday, July 23, 2010

Lil' Baci, Big Kisses

Now that we have moved to the east end of Toronto after having lived in the west end for the last 2 years, I feel like I have to get to know this part of town. You know, find cool places to hang out in, learn where free kids' programs are, discover where to order take-out, etcetera etcetera.

Since we are in a penny-pinching, belt-tightening mode right now (new mortgage, upcoming vacation...), I am determined to find cheap places to eat without having to eat cheap food. Ha-ha, you know what I mean.  Toronto is in the midst of Summerlicious, our city's version of restaurant week, where participating establishments serve three-course lunch meals for $15-$20 or three-course dinners for $25-$45. Some places offer excellent deals: a solid menu, ample proportions, and effortless service. More on that on future posts.

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Lil' Baci (meaning, little kisses) is an Italian eatery in the not-up-and-coming-anymore-but-already-here neighbourhood of Leslieville that serves delicious thin-crust pizzas with simple but robust toppings using seasonal ingredients.

The humble sign announces a homey, rustic-looking space that feels like your best friend's apartment.
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The seats by the big, front window has a retro vintage feel to them, and so does the gilded frames of wedding photos and children's artwork hanging on the walls.
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The space is pretty cute, but will the lunch menu survive the taste test?
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The good news is, for $10, you can have a lunch of insalatina della casa (house salad greens) or zuppa (daily soup) with either a plate of daily pasta, panino, or pizza.

So far, their pizzas and pastas are a hit that they have prevented me from venturing into panini territory.

Their Fiamma pizza is generously slathered with tomatoes, mozzarella, and crumbled spicy sausage with a dash of chillies and whole basil leaves. I love how their pizza crusts are thin and crisp, and it can definitely withstand the liquid or oil test - meaning, they don't become soggy.
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Funghi pizza is a sauceless pizza with homegrown cremini mushrooms, DOP Taleggio cheese (which I have written about), sage and a drizzling of truffle oil. It was just a little bit dry for me, but the flavour is there!
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My favourite pizza, Lil' Baci, is obviously their signature dish and it comes with crumbled sausage, red onion, basil, DOP Pecorino cheese, and a generous sprinkling of fennel pollen. Lip-smackingly good and surprisingly juicy!
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Their gnocchi agli spinace e limone is well-excuted; it has a perfect balance of tang from the lemon and savoury-sweet from the butter. The potato pasta has an al dente bounce to the bite, which I love.
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My conclusion is: I definitely heart Lil' Baci. I think they will continue to see more of me there. Next time, I shall order the pizza with Gorgonzola DOP, guanciale, new potato, and rosemary. I already can't wait to sink my teeth in it!
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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Paris Provocateur: Your Guide to the City

Paris. Ah, the City of Light, City of Love, City of Romance, City of Fashion...and the Capital of Clichés. It's a place that rightly deserves every superlative, hackneyed praise hurled its way. For few cities can compare to its physical beauty, cultural offerings, and culinary bounties - of which the impact reaches deep and far into the psyche. Yet this was not the case all the time. Tourists in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly Americans, returned to their home with tales that the French were "immoral, dishonest, and ungrateful," as Harvey Levenstein reported in his book, We'll Always Have Paris.

But for generations, beatnik young artists, writers, and philosophers flocked to its grand boulevards and quiet cafés, unshackling themselves from the tyranny of labour. This kind of attitude opened Paris as the land of freedom and joie de vivre; a kind of city that free-thinkers and vagabonds languish their time in. And when these same people returned home, either with success or failure under their wings, they brought back vivid memories of a different Paris. A Paris that is provocative, romantic, and libertine.

And this is the Paris many elect to visit and revisit. But author David Lebovitz reminds us that "Paris is not a museum; it's a big city with flaws, just like any other major metropolis..." But to our detriment, we all choose to ignore this, and that's why the city remains, to us, a vision of the enigmatic wonderland that it is. In fact, we envy Ernest Hemingway saying, "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

Putting on the Ritz
When Irving Berlin sang "if you're blue and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where fashion sits," did he mean the Ritz Paris ($$$$)? Ceasar Ritz's institution of chic in the City of Light boasts a guest list that includes Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, and Princess Diana, to name a few. But if you want to channel some Carrie Bradshaw and Aleksandr Petrovsky, the Plaza Athénée ($$$$) offers a Sex and the City package starting at a whopping €3800.

For those looking for less traditional digs, Hotel Keppler ($$$-$$$$) near the Arc de Triomphe is a Pierre Yves Rochon-designed classical contemporary hideaway with a bit of Hollywood glamour. The baroque contemporary Hotel Ares ($$$) near the Eiffel Tower has elegant Italian finishes that spell opulence all the way. For Da Vinci Code fans, the renovated Hotel Recamier ($$$) is your Zenned-out Regency-style lair adjacent to St. Sulpice in the St. Germain de Prés.

If the economic downturn shrunk your budget to bits but not your style, Mama Shelter ($$) in the 20th arrondissement near the famous Père Lachaise may suit your taste. But if toile and Louis-style furnishings are you thing, you can't go wrong with constant Trip Advisor favourite, Hotel des Grands Hommes ($$-$$$) with its fantastic Pantheon views. Across the River on the gauche side, tucked away in the chic Marais district, the timber-beamed, stone-and-wrought-ironed Medieval Hotel Saint Merry ($$) is a great option.

Bistros, Brasseries, Bars, and Cafés
Though no one can really tell the difference between brasseries, bistros, bars, and cafés these days, it's a known fact that these joints have nourished the citizens of Paris through time. Fin de siècle, Art Nouveau, or Belle Epoque brasseries have gained notoreity ever since Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Marcel Pagnol, Ernest Hemingway, Louis Aragon, and Elsa Triolet made them hip. And even though some of these brasseries have been acquired by big restaurant corporations, the architectural and historical detail, as well as culinary standards are still retained, if not improved further. Fine examples are Brasserie Lipp ($$$), famed for its sole meunière and cervelas rémoulade (garlicky pork sausage with spicy mayonnaise). Le Grand Véfour ($$$$), with its elegant salons of red banquettes, has a tasting menu by Chef Guy Martin for a prodigous €268! If you want something cheaper than the Véfour, old-world bouillon, Chartier ($-$$), serves up tasty meals at a reasonable price. A one-time haunt of Sorbonne professors, the intellectual Balzar ($$$) can still cook up French classics like skate wings with brown butter sauce despite being acquired by the Flo restaurant group. Another Flo acquisition, Bofinger ($$-$$$), deserves special mention not only for its exquisite stained-glass cupola, but also for its authentic Alsatian choucroute garnie.

But if you'd rather go somewhere more intimate and au courant, grab one of the few chairs at rue Vieille du Temple's Au Petit Fer à Cheval ($$) for their delicious duck confit and a pint of biere. For other traditional French fare such as cassoulet, tête de veau, and foie gras, go where every Mayor of Paris has eaten - Benoit ($$-$$$), now part of Alain Ducasse's empire.

Street markets are very popular in Paris, with each one having its own neighbourhood bistro. In the rue Mouffetard market, Cave la Bourgogne ($$-$$$), with its wood panels and mosaic floor, is a perfect place to relax aprés shopping. And in the rue Cler market, Café du Marché ($$) is the spot for lunch.

Other notable bistros are La Palette ($$-$$$) on rue de Seine (open since 1903), a restaurant frequented by Picasso and Braque. A La Biche au Bois ($-$$) near the Gare de Lyon is a raucous but fun spot to eat. For a fast and simple lunch, the open faced sandwiches and tartines at Cuisine de Bar ($$) on rue Cherche-Midi are delicious. Christopher Beaufront's L'Avant-Goût ($$) on rue Bobillot in the 13th is famous for its pot au feu and French terroir cuisine, but always with a twist. If béarnaise, mustard Cognac, and other unctuous cream sauces are your preference, Chez Georges ($$-$$$) on rue du Mail in the 2nd churns them out consistently.

When libations are your priority more than comestibles, the bars and cafés of Paris can satiate your thirst. Food here are usually just an after thought or an added bonus, but many places serve equally outstanding classic café dishes throughout the day. From the terrace of Café Marly ($$-$$$) at the Louvre, overlooking I.M. Pei's glass pyramids, you can observe the de trop action in the courtyard with a salade or gateau. Pricey as it is, Café de Flore ($$-$$$) in St. Germain still pulls in the crowds with its chocolat chaud and pâtisseries. And if you don't mind tight and dingy spaces, the übercool L'Art Brut in Beauborg, Marais district is part-bar, part-gallery where there's no shame in getting wasted here. But when you tire of the tourist-trodden city centre, head to Belleville - once home to Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf - for a drink on the street patio of Aux Folies ($) or Le Faitout ($)

Shop 'Til You Drop
Those with a penchant for fashion but in smaller doses should visit children's clothiers Alice à Paris and Talc, some of the trendiest in Paris. You'll wish they have their collection in bigger sizes! Want something for yourself? Tara Jarmon has sexy date-night clothing that makes you ooh and ahh. Collette is the French woman's secret weapon for avant-garde fashion, while Didier Ludot is for the classic little black dress. Vanessa Bruno and Isabel Marant make an appearance in most wardrobes, alongside affordable yet chic RTW from Comptoir de Cotonniers.

Of course, no outfit will be complete without the perfect shoes. Repetto awakens the dancer in us with their signature ballet flats in a myriad of shades and tints, while Pierre Hardy feeds our desire for cutting edge designs for the feet.

Want your home to remind you of Paris? Hop over to Astier de Villate for their gorgeously scented candles and delightfully vintage accessories, or reward yourself and your living space with Diptyque fragrances and soaps.

For more shopping tips, please refer to my post, Souvenirs de Paris.

*Please understand that this is not yet a complete and comprehensive list; however, I will be updating the information contained here periodically.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Souvenirs de Paris

Going on a trip to Paris - everyone's favourite city for romance - means you had better bring home some delicious, memorable, convenient, and uniquely Parisian gifts that would make your friends swoon. Of course, they would expect no less from you, but how would you swing this without breaking the bank? After all, you can't let your reputation as the coolest gift giver go down the drain.

Here are a few gift ideas that may help you win some bragging points. Some of the souvenirs are classic, others kitschy. But one thing is certain: they are genuinely Parisian - a lagniappe to your super cool vacation.

1) Anything Ladurée
From playing cards to coffee table books to macarons (contrary to popular belief, they do travel well to a certain degree), so long as they're in one of those iconic pastel boxes, anything from Ladurée is an instant hit!

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2) Mariage Frères tea
Tea packed in shiny black tins are easy to carry home and it doesn't possess the same covertness that bringing back cheese or charcuterie has. Folks, yes, it is illegal to bring cheese and raw or preserved meats into North America. But tea is a-okay, so bring some exotic-flavoured leaves from one of France's finest purveyors.
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3) La Maison du Chocolat treats
If bringing foreign cheese vacuum-packed in plastic into your country makes you cringe (and it better, because it's illegal), try to pack some chocolates instead, as they travel quite well. Granted, New York already has an outpost of La Maison du Chocolat's temple of truffles, but those living far from one will still appreciate the rich sweetness of its offerings.
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4) J'adore Paris t-shirts
They're loud and they're tacky, but Paris t-shirts are a great gift for both the fashionista and the fashionably-challenged pal. The fashionista will find a way to spruce up a shirt from the world's couture capital and the fashion-challenged will wear it to sleep. Either way, Paris will always be in their dreams.
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5) Eiffel Tower tchotchkes
These mini Eiffel Tower thingamabobs can be attached to make a key chain, necklace, or charm bracelet. They can be used as paper weights or decorative (christmas?) ornaments. For the budget-conscious giver, this is the ultimate go-to gift from Paris.
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6) Anything from Fauchon or Hediard
Spices, biscuits, candies, preserves, coffee, truffles, canned foie gras...Anything from two of Paris' classic and most revered gourmet foodshoppes will send your foodista friend into a feeding frenzy.
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7) A unique find in Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen or in any Parisian flea market.
To prove to your armchair-traveller buddies that you are a master bargain hunter with an eye for details and rare items, something from Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen will give you legitimacy. Here, not only can the shopper find artisanal soaps and candles, but also many a bibelot to suit any collector.
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8) Postcards from the bouquinistes de Paris
Vintage (or newly vintage?) postcards, magazines, and books are prototypical items you'll find on the stalls that line the banks of the River Seine. They have been around for years and are an integral part of the city's history.
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And here are some illustrated postcards that I found in Paris with a markedly shopping theme.
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Photos here: Mariage Frères, La Maison du Chocolat, flea market finds, flea market toys