Spot Prawns - Gambas al Ajillo

It's Spot Prawn season in Vancouver and we love it!  They are sustainable and they are delicious!

Wonton Jook (Congee).....what in the world are they doing at The House of Gourmet in Toronto?

I love wonton and I love congee.

I can eat either of these anytime of the day.  I know, some of you, especially if you are non-Asian may think this is absurd, but wonton or congee is my favorite breakfast food.

On weekend mornings, I will often have a pot of congee brewing before the coffee gets started and wonton is always in the menu rotation for a quick easy meal.
It has taken a few years, but even BR (a meat and potatoes kind of Irishman!) can be caught enjoying these things for breakie once in a while.  If they aren't cooking in the kitchen, he will even go as far as suggesting we go out for them!

Until quite recently, I thought that Wonton and Congee were meant to be served "mutually exclusively".....well I'm here to tell you I have learned something new!

Spicy Edamame (Soy Beans)

Yup, it's been a while between posts, but thanks to BB's request for this recipe....I'm back.  If I have to think about it....may as well write it down for the rest of the world too!

Actually there is a huge backlog of stuff to post but life has been busy and I refuse to be a slave to my blog.

Japchae, Korean Glass Noodles

It was opening weekend in the Tuscan Garden (our ongoing garden makeover project)……that means that Garden Guru and Max have started to settle into their Summer weekend home.

What it means for BR is that the Tuscan Kitchen

Crispy Skin Duck....special delivery

Crispy Skin Duck

Knowing that I was hosting a final King Crab feast for 10 the day I would be returning from Toronto, my meal planning mode kicked into full gear on my last day of vacation.  Fortuantely I was visiting with TJD who fully understands my obsession with food.  Having been away for a week, I was out of touch with what availability and sizes of AKC were around, so I wanted to be sure to have some other menu items to fill out the dinner in case I could only find a smallish crab. So, off we went to Toronto's Chinatown to gather a few supplies for my dinner party back home in Vancouver....

Hello fresh Ontario duck.....

I have mentioned previously that groceries seemed much more affordable in Toronto compared to Vancouver.....Fresh Duck was another example.  It was readily available and very reasonable ($1.99/lb)

Adesso Bistro

more on Toronto after this guest post!

When my blogger friend, Joy Luck Club, suggested I do a "guest spot" I figured I was up for the challenge.  However, I have learned a great deal from my experience and will strive to do a better job next time.  Plates would arrive at the table and we'd start digging in...only to realize I had missed the best photo opp.  So, please excuse the poorly executed food photos and the lack of other photos for the venue.  I'll do better if I'm ever invited back.

Dee


Adesso Bistro
1906 Haro Street
Vancouver, BC V6G 1H7
(604) 568-9975

A Bit of Nostalgia and a Bit of Good Food

For those of you who have been experiencing the Vancouver restaurant scene for a number of years you will be familiar with the location that now houses the Adesso Bistro.  A recent Groupon brought Garden Guru and I in for what turned out to be a great meal.  Adesso takes up the ground floor of a small building on Haro Street that was once a hotel.  The small courtyard on the east side serves as a lovely patio in the warmer months.  Here's where the nostalgia comes in (those of you who used to be regular consumers of martinis and great food in the 80s and 90s have already figured this out) ...this is the original location of Delilah's.  Although Delilah's is now closed, many of us remember it as a dining icon in its day (esp back in the time of its Haro Street location).  Walking down those few steps to the front door and entering to see the reception desk still in its original location had us thinking that we would find the "paper check-list menus" still on the tables.  But this is now Adesso, so I will suppress my fond memories and fill you in on our evening...

This is an Italian restaurant.  You feel it in the menu, the staff and most importantly the food.  Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and her descriptions helped us to make our choices.  We ordered a bottle of Liberty School Cab and then were pleased when an 

amuse bouche was served - a wee serving of fried gnocchi.  

Ahn Dao Vietnamese Restaurant, Toronto Ont.

This innocent looking weed almost ruined a really good dining experience.

More on this later.

After a long day of rich food and wine tasting in Niagara, we thought it best to have a bit of a lighter meal for dinner.

We wandered up Spadina towards College as TJD had the perfect place in mind.

Anh Dao is a perfect example of a family run hole in the wall restaurant.  Through the narrow doorway at the back of the restaurant you could see the many generations working in the humble kitchen.

383 Spadina
Toronto, Ont.

Peameal Bacon Sandwich in "Hogtown"

"William Davies Company was a pork processing and packing company in Toronto, Canada. At one time, it was the largest pork packer both in Canada and the British Empire, and it operated Canada's first major chain of food stores. One of Toronto's longstanding nicknames, "Hogtown", is attributable to the millions of pigs processed annually by the William Davies Company."
*from Wikepedia


So whilst in Toronto, I had to try the signature snack at the St. Lawrence Market.

Being a Peameal Bacon virgin, I really didn't know what to expect.

It's Absolutely Balmy in Toronto!

Zero degrees and the locals are basking in the Spring weather.  I'm down to one layer, walking around in the sunshine!

Ethnic food is everywhere in TJD and BS's neighborhood.  Lots of neat local eateries serving authentic food at really decent prices.  I am amazed at the difference in prices compared to Vancouver.  In Chinatown, you can get a bowl of  really good congee for $3.50, gai lan choy for $0.79/lb, and live lobsters for $6.00/lb.......I won't tell you what the price of gas is here....that'll just really piss you off :-)

Spring Break?!?!

So, I am off for Spring Break and heading away for a well-deserved break.  The weather today at my destination doesn't exactly shout spring.......but what the hell.  

I will be visiting my amazing cousin.  He is a trained chef and a professional opera singer.........we are going to have a blast!  Music and Food......add a bit of wine, served up with great company......perfection!

Any suggestions for eateries in Toronto in case we run out of our own ideas?  

Check back, you may be treated to some interesting "drunk" blogging :-)