#FOODIEFRIDAYS YOUTUBE SERIES PREMIERE! @CARVER.TO - THE MAKING OF THEIR ROASTED CHICKEN SANDWICH

To kick off my new YouTube series #FoodieFridays I teamed up with Rob Brangagnolo - owner of Carver Toronto - to show you how he makes his famous 'Roasted Chicken Sandwich'.

For all of you who are not familiar with Carver - they are an awesome sandwich and salad shop at 101 Peter Street (Peter and Adelaide!) For more info on how to get a hold of one of these sandwiches and more juicy Instagram pics of items on their menu click -> HERE

Lastly creating this YouTube series has long been a dream of mine so I would like to thank everyone who helped make it possible. Also thank you everyone who showed me love and support over my first year blogging! You guys rock!

LAVELLE - TORONTO'S NEW CONTEMPORARY FRENCH RESTAURANT

Since launching last summer, Lavelle has become known as one of Toronto’s exclusive King West luxury lounge and outdoor cabana bars. What you may not know is that the restaurant at Lavelle is even more spectacular than the views! Executive Chef Romain Avril is a master at creating contemporary French dishes with ingredients of only the highest quality. Having worked in Michelin star restaurants in his native France, Chef Avril shows off his passion and expertise with each dish. With a background and extensive training in both fusion and molecular gastronomy he plates each dish with the intention to send your eyes dancing across the dish and capture your attention. His plating is so spectacular you’ll have to take a photo of it like you would a piece of art before you can even think of diving in.

PAN SEARED WILD BC SALMON with sweet potato, salsify, wild mushrooms, spaghetti squash and crispy burdoch

Even his seemingly simple dishes are so complex that with each mouthful you will find yourself peeling back a new layer of flavors.

If you are looking for a new place to impress a date or schmooze a client Lavelle is your spot! The inviting contemporary lavish atmosphere is sure to amaze any dinner guest and you will no doubt impress with this choice. Lavelle is now open for brunch as well and according to Chef Romain Avril has many new exciting things coming down the pipeline that has me enthusiastically staying tuned in for!
 

R to L: Beet Salad, Tuna Tartar, AAA Beef Tenderloin & Short Rib Ravioli

Above are some of the dishes that I got to experience last week when I went for dinner with a girlfriend at the restaurant. I was very pleased to meet Chef Romain Avril who is happy to meet and talk about the food with any of his customers. He is definitely a chef that cares not only about his food but also about your overall experience. If you have any questions or just want to shake his hand he is always willing to make time for his guest.

Want to see Lavelle's full menu or make a reservation? Click HERE

Executive Chef Romain Avril and I

SWEET HONEY SOY SHRIMP MARINADE - GLUTEN FREE OPTION!

This recipe is so easy! I paired this dish with some Japanese sticky rice but you can use any starchy base you like. I would also recommend pairing this with Asian noodles, quinoa if you want to be a little bit healthier or even just on its own if you are trying to optimize your protein intake. This recipe is perfect if you are looking for something to prepare for dinner that is super quick or if you invited someone over last minute. I always keep some frozen shrimp in my freezer so that on the occasion I need to whip up something I have this awesome recipe to fall back on! ENJOY

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of soya sauce (you can substitute for a gluten free soya sauce if you want)
2-3 crushed garlic cloves (or minced)
1 tbsp of grated fresh ginger
1 lbs of uncooked, cleaned shrimp
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/4 cup chopped green onion (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the honey, soya sauce, garlic and ginger in a large flat bowl. Add in your shrimp and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes

*If you are cooking a starchy base I would start cooking/prepping it now while the shrimp marinade

Heat up a pan on medium heat and add in your olive oil. When the olive oil is warm add in your shrimp including marinade and allow to cook until bright pink! Apx 4-6 minutes.

Remove from heat and add onto your rice (or whatever starch you choose). Garnish with some chopped green onions and enjoy!
 

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

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BOSK CHAMPAGNE DINNER AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL FEAT. CHARLES HIEDSIECK

This week I was invited to a champagne tasting and dinner at Bosk Toronto. This refined, modern and, most importantly, delicious restaurant is located in the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto’s downtown core. Heading into the dinner I had never dined at Bosk even though I have been, on several occasions, to their bar located adjacent the Shangri-La’s newly remodeled lobby. The Bosk bar is a social hot-spot for the Bay Street crowd but during TIFF it was definitely the place to spot some drool worthy celebrities like Ryan Gosling!

The dinner was elegantly set up in the Bosk private dining room – each place setting aligned with champagne glasses a plenty. I knew from the first moment I entered the room that this was going to be a great event. All the champagne for the evening was supplied from the cellars of Charles Heidsieck in France and I was quickly introduced to their cellar master Cyril Brun who led us through a brief history of the champagne house.

For dinner Chef De Cuisine Richard Singh of Bosk restaurant carefully picked four perfectly paired dishes that both stood out in beauty and complimented each champagne.  It was with this delicate and deliberate curation of food and drink that our palettes would soon be sent buzzing with vibrant flavors after each bite. To start of the dinner we had a 'Sunchoke' soup with cranberry turnip and black truffle accompanied by an elegantly assembled bagal lavash and paired perfectly with the Charles Heidsieck Brut – a champagne with a complex and voluptuous nose of fresh brioche and sun drenched fruits.

Next up on our Bosk menu for the evening was scallops with zucchini, chorizo oil, baby fennel and romesco vinaigrette.  This dish was one of my favorite dishes of the entire night. The scallops were cooked to perfection and each bite came with a burst of sweet flavors. It is no wonder that it was paired with the Charles Heidsieck rosé reserve, a champagne with rich warm notes that mimic homemade strawberry jam followed by smaller notes of gingerbread and cinnamon.

For our mains Bosk featured a delicious halibut dish with pommes puree, arrow leaf spinach, glazed chestnuts, samphire and red wine béarnaise. This dish is a fish lovers dream and really rounded out the meal perfectly. To complement the dish it was paired with Chales Heisieck’s 2005 vintage which had a sharp nose of stinky cheese. The funny thing about the nose on this vintage is that I believe it would only be as pungently noticeable when tasted beside other champagnes. If you were not comparing and tasting multiple champagnes you may not pick up on it right away. Another thing to note about this champagne is that the nose is intentional and comes from the aging/fermenting process.

Dessert was melted raclette cheese with oat crumble, sour cherry, celery and walnut! I really enjoyed this dish especially to finish off my Charles Heidsieck 2005 vintage before moving onto the Charles Heidsieck Black de Millenaires 1995 vintage which also contained nose notes of cheese but not as pungent as its 2005 petit frère.  Other notable notes for this champagne were dried and candied fruits which was perfect to finish off the meal.

I knew that the Shangri-La Hotels always offered luxury products and high-end service, but Bosk restaurant can certainly carry the savoir faire of Toronto’s top restaurant all on its own. The only thing that had me all perplexed was why I hadn’t eaten there sooner.

If you would like to make a reservation at Bosk, visit their website HERE

If you would like to learn more about Charles Heidsieck visit their website HERE

HOMEMADE PUFFED RICE GRANOLA WITH SMARTIES!!!

If you like to cook and get creative like me sometimes you end up with a lot of left over ingredients filling up all the space in your pantry. The great thing about homemade granola bars are that you can really use whatever you have on hand. If you want to make them naturally sweet use more dried fruit. Not worried about calories - sweeten with chocolate or caramel! Granola is a great way to create something out of what you've got while still tasting good and satisfying those cravings in a healthy way. Today I made puffed rice granola with walnuts, pine nuts, shredded coconuts and even some crushed smarties! If you are interested in making granola bars at home I have included the recipe below! ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of salt
2.5 cups of rice puffs
1/3 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup of crushed walnut
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/4 cup of crushed smarties

DIRECTIONS:

In a small sauce pan on medium heat melt the brown sugar, honey and butter together. Stir until completely liquefied. Remove from heat, add in your vanilla extract and salt before setting aside.

In a large bowl mix in your puffed rice, shredded coconut, walnuts, pine nuts and crushed smarties - mix up that goodness!!!

Once the melted sugar, butter mixture has cooled a little (dont want it to melt your chocolate) add it to the big bowl of puffed rice and mix until fully incorporated.

Take a deep flat dish and line with aluminum foil before pouring in granola mixture. Spread around using a spatula and let chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge before chopping in granola bars!!! 

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

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