President's Choice Insiders Collection With Suits Star Sarah Rafferty

We were at the launch of the new PC Insiders Collection at the PC Cooking School inside Maple Leaf Gardens where we had a chance to explore twists on holiday traditions using the new line of products offered by President's Choice. This is such a festive time of the year right now with non-stop feasting starting from the weeks leading to Christmas all the way to New Year celebrations in January, that this launch event came at the perfect time to discover all-new ways to holiday that will help anyone elevate their entertaining super powers to new heights. 

At the helm of this event was Tom Filippou, Executive Chef of President's choice where he organized this intimate event by separating it into three food categories, "Mingle, Dinner, and Dessert." Each of these food categories were highlighted by the new line of products from the PC Insiders Collection that features over 200 products including 70 new launches. President's Choice took us on a food journey from start to finish, focusing on an all-encompassing dinner party that starts with mingling during happy hour, dining with must try products at the dinner table, and ending the night off with some sweet treats. 

Below you can find some inspiration on some of the products offered in the PC Insiders Collection to use when hosting your next party, or even just pick up some of these goodies to enjoy all to yourself. No one's judging here. 

Mingle

Seacuterie Board
Charcuterie Board
PC Waffle Chicken Fillets with Spicy Maple Syrup
Crispy Rice Cake Bites with PC Tuna Tataki
Baked PC La Belle Riviere Cheese with Apple-Pear Confit

Dinner

PC Double Stuffed Turkey
Korean Fried Potatoes with Cabbage, Bacon, and PC Memories of Soul
Piri Piri Rapini with PC Memories of Eggs Benedict Hollandaise Sauce
Crispy Fried Cauliflower Ravioli with Creamy Harissa Sauce
Beef Tenderloin with PC Black Label Onion Cabernet

Dessert

Avocado Lime Coconut Cheesecake
Mini Chocolate Brownie Bites
Spiced Cookie Dippers with PC Chocolate Ganache Pots
PC Pistachio Pudding
PC Chocolate Pecan Bar
Lemon Squares
PC Apple and Pumpkin Galettes

The icing on the cake to this event was getting to have the TV and food world collide when Sarah Rafferty, who plays Donna on one of my favourite TV shows Suits was at the event as well. Sarah was joined by her mother Mimi on stage where they showcased their traditional Rafferty family holiday recipes by adding unexpected twists using ingredients from the PC Insiders Collection. 

Sarah and her mom made us their personal holiday cookie recipe for us to try (I can't believe I tasted some of Donna's cooking!) Their cookies incorporated a unique twist by adding in the PC Organic Mint European Dark Chocolate into the mix, and below you will also find a video of Sarah and her mom talking about this very recipe and how they like to get the kids involved! 

I hope you all get a chance to discover twists on traditions with the new PC Insiders Collection. Holidays will never be the same again! 

Weekend Getaway in Grey County: Saints & Sinners Trail

If there's one thing besides eating I love to do it's travelling, and when an opportunity comes to take on a project that combines both of these loves, you say YES! Because who doesn't like to explore distant places, taking in its culture and scenic beauty, all the while indulging in the culinary delights and gems the place has to offer? Well that's exactly what I had a chance to do last weekend with my friend exploring one of the Feast On - Brewery Discovery Routes: Saints & Sinners Trail in Grey County. This is how it all went down.

When I was planning my trip to Grey County weeks prior, I hadn't realized that I've actually been there before. It's just we tend to all call this place "Blue Mountain." The place where many of us go every winter for a weekend adventure of skiing or snowboarding down those slippery slopes. Blue Mountain is in fact part of Grey County, the Northern region which includes Collingwood, Thornbury, Meaford, Owen Sound, and Wiarton. The Southern parts cover Beaver Valley, Flesherton, Durham, Hanover, and Ripley. While Grey County has always been known for its great outdoor activities, it's also emerging as a food and drink destination where restaurants across this region are embracing the farm-to-table mentality, many of which have been FeastON certified.

As with any trip of mine, it often starts with an early morning wake up call around 7AM to squeeze out as much daylight as possible. My first stop on this journey would be roughly a 2-hour drive from Toronto to the Northern part of Grey County around Owen Sound where a cider and wine tasting would be on the horizon. I am completely not a morning person at all, but when I do have to wake up early I often reward myself with a McDonald's breakfast. Yes, I say reward myself even though it probably slowly kills me on the inside, but it's oh so damn good! After stuffing my face with a Sausage and Egg McMuffin, it was time to hit the road with a coffee in hand and a prayer to Mother Nature that it be kind to us and hold off her rain until the weekend was over. Unfortunately, the entire weekend was cloudy and gloomy, but when it did rain it was mostly when we were driving or indoors. I'll take it.

Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery

By now it's 11:15AM and after driving up and down through unpaved and rocky roads, our first stop on this weekend getaway was before us. Arriving at a place with a name like this, on a cloudy, rainy, gloomy day was a little too fitting if you know what I'm saying, but once we stepped inside and started our wine and cider tasting it was like the sun came up and greeted us with fragrant aromas of apples, pears, and sweet strawberry notes. Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery produce high quality, small batch wine made primarily from hand-planted, hand-picked Grey County grapes. The two wines we tasted were two of their signature wines, 2015 Into The Light Wine and the 2015 Resurrection Rose. However, the real winner for us was their Forbidden Dry Cider and Strawberry Basil Cider. They were both so good we just had to buy two jugs of it and bring it home!

Casero Kitchen Table

It wasn't a Tuesday, but Taco Saturday was in full effect! With hungry bellies after a long commute, lunch time was in Owen Sound at a small Mexican restaurant called Casero Kitchen Table from the folks behind Casero Taco Bus, a wildly popular food truck in Sauble Beach. Situated in what seems to be a renovated car garage, inside the restaurant was a small bar serving various Mexican beverages, a healthy selection of hot sauces, and customer tables filled with orders of tacos of all kinds (obviously). Of course my friend and I had to order their Three Taco Platter for $15. The great thing when eating with a friend is you get to split the food with one another so the Three Taco Platter turned into a tasting of six! The ones we ordered were the Georgian Bay Whitefish, Roasted Sweet Potato, Grilled Steak, Crispy Cauliflower, Smoked Beet, and Char-Grilled Chicken. The tacos were AMAZING! All the ingredients are incredibly fresh and sourced locally. The vegetarian options such as the Roasted Sweet Potato and Crispy Cauliflower were my favourites. Ended the meal off with some handmade churros for dessert. No brainer there right?

Inglis Falls

Who knew Grey County were home to so many beautiful waterfalls! Four of them are situated in Owen Sound, and Inglis Falls is the best known and most visited one of the bunch. With good reason of course as it is just absolutely breathtaking to look at. Inglis Falls is an 18-metre high spectacle created by the Sydenham River that touches the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. If you're in a hiking mood, you will also find 7.42km of hiking trails of various difficulty surrounding Inglis Falls that will lead you through the Bruce Trail. There are various lookout points through the trail that will give you a beautiful snapshot of the entire waterfall. If we went a few weeks later we probably would have seen another aspect of Inglis Falls with the fall leaves changing colour. What sight that would have been.

Sisi Thornbury

A highlight of the trip was travelling to Thornbury for dinner at Sisi, a fine dining restaurant around a 10-minute drive away from Blue Mountain. Executive Chef Jeremy Austin prepared an eight-course tasting menu that made my friend and I look at each other with astonishment every time a picture perfect dish was presented before us. Chef Jeremy has worked alongside Michelin Stared chefs all around the world taking him to places like Italy, China, Hong Kong, Montreal, and Toronto, and has even cooked for the likes of Celine Dion, Vin Diesel, Will Smith, and the Foo Fighters. He's certainly not a one trick pony either. His global repertoire really shines through creating a menu that touches upon his past experiences cooking various cuisines in each country and city he's been a part of. Most predominately is his fusion of Asian and Italian elements. Our eight-course tasting menu consisted of four dishes that is currently on the menu, and the other four dishes were specially created for us that night. Some of my favourites that evening were the Broccoli Floret Salad, Crispy General Tso Cauliflower, Ricotta Gnocchi, and Black Cod. A must visit restaurant hands down if you're ever in the area. Trust me on this. 

21 North B&B

From my experience planning this trip, hotels were a little hard to come by in Grey County if you're not planning to stay at the lodges in the Blue Mountain village. For accommodations, staying at the 21 North Bed & Breakfast was a perfect way to end Day 1 of our trip and to recharge for the day ahead. Located along a peaceful country road just a few minutes drive from the downtown core of Collingwood, the host Jean-Claude and breakfast cook extraordinaire will warmly greet you into his home upon arrival and lead you into one of the three themed room options you would have chosen (Master Bedroom, Retro Bedroom, Bamboo Bedroom). The room we selected was the Retro Bedroom fitted with a private floor to ceiling glass shower, fridge, and a private balcony overlooking the Beaver Valley. The entire house is stunningly decorated using Jean-Claude's previous career experience as an architect. Be prepared to also be treated to a homemade breakfast the next morning with freshly squeezed orange juice, eggs and bacon, homemade jams, and even his award-winning apple pie! We even ended our stay there by going to his apple orchard in the backyard garden to hand pick some apples to take home with us! Pssst....I'm planning to use them this weekend to make some apple pie!

Side Launch Brewing Company

Day 2 is now upon us and our first stop is doing a beer tasting at Side Launch Brewing Company in Collingwood that has been named Canadian Brewery of the Year 2016. The "Ontario Craft Beer Guide" this past May has also named them "Top Brewery in Ontario." It was time to find out what all the accolades were about, so right when the doors opened we walked into their massive warehouse where they brew three different types of beer year round that include a traditional Bavarian Wheat Beer, a Dark Lager, and a Pale Ale. The bar in the tasting room is surrounded by giant stainless steel beer tanks where guests can pull up a stool to sample their various award winning beers. After tasting their Dark Lager, Pale Ale, and Mountain Lager, the latter was my favourite and the one that I brought back home with me. It has a very smooth and silky texture, delicate with a soft European Malt character that finishes with a lingering but pleasant aftertaste.

Ravenna Country Market

A total local gem, Ravenna Country Market was a quick pit stop in the small town of Ravenna for us to pick up some of their famous baked goods and ginger slush. Locals actually come here as an alternative to the mainstream grocery stores as they are also famous here for their homemade frozen Entrees to Go such as their Chicken Pot Pie, Sheperd's Pie, Lasagne, Soups, Pizzas, Cannelloni, and so much more! Unfortunately we realized that we didn't have a cooler in the trunk so the thought of purchasing one of those Entrees to Go quickly faded. Stepping inside you realize that in the middle of this small, cozy store are tables and chairs for customers to also have a sit down meal to eat freshly made sandwiches made to order. I can see why this place is such a local favourite. They literally do a little bit of everything.

Northwinds Brewhouse & Kitchen

A brewery and a restaurant mixed into one. That is exactly what Northwinds Brewhouse & Kitchen is in Collingwood. They create globally inspired hand crafted beers paired with innovative, locally sourced, and seasonally focused food, and was the perfect stop for lunch on day 2 of our trip. The perfect fusion of beer and food came in the form of Beer Pretzels, hand rolled, baked and dipped into this gooey cheesy sauce goodness. We also ordered one of their seasonal Sweet Potato Soup, a Brick Pressed Veggie Sandwich, and a Mexican Chicken Burger. Just like Casero Kitchen Table, Northwinds Brewhouse & Kitchen is one of the FeastON restaurants that are part of the Ontario Foodservice Desgination program, where they select a handful of Ontario's best restaurants to create and support Ontario's culinary identity. Yum!

Beaver Valley Orchard & Cidery

By the time we arrived at our next cider tasting at Beaver Valley Orchard & Cidery, it was absolutely pouring rain with a tornado watch already in effect. Running inside the historic post and beam century barn to avoid the rain, we were greeted at the door to advise us that we were just in time to join a cider tasting that was about to begin. Located on the Niagara Escarpment in the heart of Beaver Valley, their cider is fermented in small batches from select varieties of heritage apples grown in their very own orchard. The tasting consisted sampling five of their ciders including some of my favourites like Organic Ginger, Bumbleberry, and Dry Pear. Ironically enough the cider that I bought to take home was their sixth cider that was not up for sampling due to the fact of the very small quantities they can make which is their Ice Cider. How they convinced me of buying it without even tasting it? "If you ever had Ice Wine, it's just like that but a million times better." SOLD.

Eugenia Falls

One of my favourite aspects of this trip was the fact that I had a chance to not only eat and drink to my heart's content, but to also explore and marvel at nature's beauty of what the Saints and Sinner's Trail has to offer in Grey County. A big facet of the scenic part of this trip was going on hikes along the waterfalls that call Grey County home, so to end this trip off we went to Eugenia Falls situated in a very tiny village of Eugenia. Eugenia Falls is the tallest waterfall in the region at 30-metres high from the edge of the Niagara Escarpment all the way down to Coo-Coo Valley. By the summer time this waterfall thins out as it starts to lose a lot of its power starting in May, so if you're feeling brave enough you can even step close to the edge of the cliff to take in a spectacular view. I may or may not have done that myself.

Swiss Meadows

This was a bonus stop on the trip and was not part of the original itinerary. The great thing about road trips is the fact that when you are en-route to your next destination, drive up to the peak of a mountain, and see a beautiful lookout point, you can pull over and stop. That's exactly what happened here when we randomly came across Swiss Meadows at the very peak of this mountain overlooking the Blue Mountain Village below. We just had to stop our car to take in the view as the leaves had already started to turn colour up here which only added to the overall beauty.

It was a complete pleasure working with the Ontario Culinary Alliance and Grey County Tourism to work out my self-guided tour on one of the five Brewery Discovery Routes. This very route is number two on its list - the Saints & Sinner's Trail and highly recommended. It was an incredible weekend full of craft beers, ciders, delicious food, company, and scenic adventures. I urge anyone who is reading this to take an opportunity to visit one of these five amazing routes and explore what our beautiful province has to offer. You can visit HERE to get started on planning one of these weekend getaways just like this! I will now see "Blue Mountain" in a whole new way. What revelations will your next adventure lead you to? 

6 Tips On How To Host An Epic Party

As the Toronto Catering Showcase is slowly approaching on October 16th, we have teamed up with a couple of the top catering companies in Toronto to provide you with the best tips and tricks on how to host an epic party for your friends and family to enjoy. As seasoned catering companies, both Elle Cuisine and Parts and Labour Catering have both been in the catering industry for many, many years. They will both be serving up delicious food to hungry guests among ten other catering companies at this year's Toronto Catering Showcase held at The Bram & Bluma Appel Salon (Toronto Reference Library).

If you want inspiration on how to plan your next big party or event, this is the place to be! For $65 you will receive an all-access pass to the showcase of caterers giving you complete accessibility to the food, craft beers, music, and wines for an afternoon of pure epicurean indulgence. This is an exceptional catered experience like no other, a party held for you, planned and prepared by the best in the business.

However, not everyone is a professional caterer or party planner like these well established companies, so with the help from Elle Cuisine and Parts and Labour Catering, we have put together some helpful tips to hopefully let you be the host/hostess with the mostess.

Here are a few key tips for stress-free hosting.

Have a Welcome Drink Ready

When a guest comes to your door it's a nice treat right off the bat for them to have a drink in hand allowing your guests to let loose right away. No one will be complaining when you are starting the alcohol off early! 

Prep in Advance

Make sure to get as much food prep done in advance as possible. In the professional food world, this is what is called "mise en place." All your chopping, measuring of ingredients, etc. can be done hours if not days in advance. You can pre-cook most of your menu items so that finishing/re-heating them won't require as much of your time and attention when guests are over. This will help reduce your sense of urgency the night of, and will make you look like you're a superman/woman in the kitchen.

Choose Your Menu Wisely

It's important to plan the menu according to your kitchen set up (appliance availability, counter space, number of burners), your skill set, and your schedule for the evening. For example, if you only have one oven and need to cook a roast at 425, you should be sure that the sides for the same dish can go in at the same temperature, or that there is an alternative way of heating them simultaneously. The more organized you are, the less stressed you will become throughout the night.

Don't Forget to Account for Allergies/Food Restrictions

Make sure you know your guests dietary restrictions. The worst thing is for a guest to arrive and to not be able to eat! It makes for an awkward and uncomfortable time for the guest and for yourself.

Make Use of Rentals

Rentals will keep your night and clean up stress-free! Being a great host means you enjoy the evening along with your guests. If you're worrying about clean up as you go, you'll never be fully relaxed. Most people wont have enough glassware for their guests to keep drinking all night long. Rent glassware and china/cutlery so that you don't have to worry about the constant clean up or a huge pile of dishes at the end of the night.

Interactive Food Stations

The hottest trend in catering and parties right now is interactive food stations! This is where guests are engaged with the creation of their own food. Gone are the days where only chefs prepare food in a hidden kitchen. The whole aspect of seeing and knowing what is going on is more fun, so where you allow your guests to interact with you in the process of making their own food, another level of enjoyment and excitement is unlocked. S'mores station anyone?

If you want to see these 6 catering/hosting tips put in action, the Toronto Catering Showcase is where you will want to be next month. As stated previously, top catering companies like Elle Cuisine and Parts and Labour Catering will be there. The other 10 catering companies putting together this exceptional culinary experience include 10tation Event Catering, Food Dudes, Presidential Gourmet, Encore Catering, Eatertainment, en Ville, L-eat Catering, Toben, Kiss the Cook Catering, and Daniel et Daniel.

To purchase your tickets, please visit HERE. Limited quantities are available so make sure you get them before they sell out!

Five Great Perks of Having a Foodie Friend

Last month, we talked about the “Five Troubling Signs You Are Eating Out with a Food Blogger”. This time I decided to cut our foodie friends some slack. So, let’s talk about five reasons we love having them around!

1. New Places to Eat

When you are friends with a foodie, you will almost never eat at the same place twice. The only exception is if the restaurant in question happens to be a personal favourite. Every eating experience will be sure to delight your taste buds…well mostly. One thing is for sure, it’s never a dull day when you go out to eat with your foodie friend.

2. Foodie Perks

If your foodie friend’s Instagram account has made it big, chances are they get invited to some pretty cool events. So what happens when they need a plus one? That’s right! It’s you! You get to tag along and have the experience of a lifetime. I’m talking mixers, phone launches and even private dinners with chefs. Cool by association anyone? You bet I milk those experiences!

3. Instagram Michelangelo

After having been around your foodie friend for a while, you suddenly realize one day that you are slowly morphing into them. You find yourself constantly searching for new places to eat, worrying about lighting, arranging table settings and dare I say it…taking pictures before you eat! That’s right, you too will become an Instagram Michelangelo.

4. Leftovers

Okay, let’s be real, who doesn’t love leftovers? I’m not talking about your grandma’s five-day-old meatloaf. I’m talking about fresh cupcakes, pizza, chocolate – the good stuff. When companies send your foodie friends items in bulk, it’s inevitable they won’t be able to finish everything. So, are you really going to say no to a dozen cupcakes at 10:00 at night? That’s what I thought!

5. Foodie Gifts

I love receiving presents, especially if they happen to be food. Don’t confuse these with leftovers. When your foodie friend gives you leftovers, you love them for it but you know you only got the food so they wouldn’t have to waste all that goodness. Things are different when your foodie friend gives you food as a present. This tells you that they thought about you, appreciated your support, and knows nothing makes you happier than food. My foodie friend gave me cookies last Christmas. What did yours give you?

The Five Must Haves at Aroma Espresso Bar

Coffee. My best friend on Monday mornings. Who am I kidding? It's basically my best friend every single day of the week. My caffeine fix is either at home on the weekends or at a nearby coffee shop near work. Coffee is in fact what led me to Aroma Espresso Bar in the beginning a few years ago. I was growing tired of the same old routine in getting a fresh dose of caffeine in me, and with the word "Espresso" in its very name, it's no wonder for many people including myself coffee is what drives them through the front door of Aroma for the very first time. Little did I know that Aroma Espresso Bar was and still is so much more than just a cup of coffee.

Aroma Espresso Bar was founded back in 1994 in Jerusalem. I admit, I always thought it was just another North American franchise, but if you actually look at their menu more closely, you will actually find a lot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences in the food and drinks they serve. It wasn't until 2007 when the very first Aroma Espresso Bar Canada was opened and since then it has expanded to other locations across the GTA and beyond. Aroma has locations in Markham, Mississauga, Niagara On The Lake, Oakville, and just recently opened up a spot in Ottawa.

Like I said earlier, Aroma Espresso Bar's menu is more than just your average cup of coffee. They offer a wide variety of gourmet sandwiches, freshly baked bread and pastries, soups, nutritious salads. Aroma even serves alcohol at some of their locations. Friendly customer service is personalized with each order, and its iconic red leather chairs and inviting decor creates the perfect ambiance casual space to catch up with friends and loved ones.

To make your life a little easier when visiting your neighbourhood Aroma Espresso Bar, here are five of my personal favourites and must haves in no particular order.

1) Power Breakfast

I find myself coming back to this dish over and over and over again. It probably also helps that this breakfast dish (just like all their other breakfast options) is served all day! That's right, if you want to eat this for your dinner go right ahead. This delicious meal consisting of 2 eggs (any style), mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, carrot, olives, feta cheese, cream cheese, avocado spread, and bread is the perfect healthy combination of ingredients to give you enough energy to power through the the day (see what I did there?). That avocado spread alone is worthy of all my attention.

2) Marshmallow Hot Chocolate

This is the epitome of what all hot chocolates should be like. The gold standard in hot drinks on a cold winter's day. The benchmark in presentation and looks. Chunks of premium milk or white chocolate, steamed milk, cocoa, and marshmallows is what makes this drink one of the best and most delicious things I've ever had. For a lot of people who do not like coffee (and surprisingly I know there is a lot of you out there), this is the drink for you. For the rest of us who enjoy caffeine on a daily basis, I challenge you to swap your coffee out for a day and try this. You just may find yourself coming back for more.

3) Aroma A.C.E. Premium Sandwich (on a croissant)

There are tons of choices when it comes to their gourmet sandwiches, but my all time favourite has to be Aroma's A.C.E. (avocado, chicken, egg) with arugula and special Aroma sauce. It's healthy, it's hearty, and the perfectly cooked egg provides a runny yolk that when you cut or bite into it, it gushes out this liquid gold ready to soak up all the flavours the sandwich already entails. My suggestion is instead of having the sandwich on its normal bread, upgrade the bread to a buttery croissant for just $1 more. You won't regret it. Trust Me.

4) Shakshuka

The Middle Eastern flare really comes out in a dish like this, and in Israel the word "shakshuka" is synonymous with breakfast. Hugely popular in Jerusalem and all over Israel, this comfort food of 2 eggs in a warm tomato sauce served with tahini and bread. It's simple and refined. There is nothing fancy about this dish, but for many things the charm is in its simplicity, taste, and cultural relevance. It's a recipe and dish passed down and enjoyed through generation after generation, and a staple in one country's history. I recommend you use the bread to dip it into the warm tomato sauce. It's divine.

5) Spiked Signatures

Select Aroma LLBO locations - Yonge and Eglinton, Shops at Don Mills, Forest Hill Village, Liberty Village, Avenue Road, 562 Bay Street (at Dundas), Niagara on the Lake, Rutherford

If alcohol is what you crave, Aroma has that covered too. At select locations an array of spiked drinks that all contain 1.5 oz of alcohol is yours for the choosing. Ice Mojitos, Ice Aromas/Light, Iced Berry Tea Lemonades, Affogatos, and Irish Cream Lattes are all drinks that you can order with a spike of vodka, rum, or Bailey's mixed into it. The presentation of these drinks is also sensational. They are great additions to the already stellar drinks menu offered at Aroma.

With the five recommendations above, it is definitely a good starting point on their menu if you are at all confused at what to order. You can't go wrong with any of my choices, but I also won't be offended if you stray away from this list and pick something else up on their menu as there is literally something for everyone to enjoy.

Coffee, my best friend I never really wanted. I actually owe it all to you in paving the path for me to Aroma Espresso Bar. I even hear there is a new coffee blend in town called the Aroma Bold. I think you'll know where to find me now come Monday morning.