The Tastes of Canada


Oh, Canada!  The flavors of Canadian cuisine will make your palate sing! In June, I was in Toronto with dear friends Jennifer Ettinger and Tommy Geraci to cover CTV Upfront. Some of the foodie favorites after the Red Carpet included miniature tacos.

I enjoyed a kitchen chat with Chef Geoff Webb of the popular restaurant Sassafraz  This is a favorite foodie destination in Toronto, especially for celebrities during Toronto International Film Festival  aka TIFF.  I love the pairing of charity and cuisine, and Sassafraz actively supports community and charitable efforts.  After a devastating fire at the restaurant in 2006, Sassafraz partnered with Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation.  A V.I.P. reservation fee of $100 is donated each time a table in the balcony is reserved.  In addition, Sassafraz supports the arts. And this restaurant features a living wall of greenery with a waterfall.

What a treat to dine at 360 atop the circling CN Tower in Toronto.   The elevator ride was thrilling but the Chocolate Tower dessert was most memorable.

Another sweet treat in Toronto was the surprise dessert plates that the culinary team from Ritz Carlton provided.  Who knew that the raccoon is a favorite of mascot for Toronto.

 

During September last year, I visited Grail Springs. founded by Madeleine Marentette.

A peaceful way to begin each day

It was a time to relax and savor the healthy lifestyle.  Below is my kitchen chat with the holistic nutritionist at Grail Springs Wellness Retreat.

Another highlight in Ontario was having a backseat kitchen chat with Chef Johnny of Thrive Energy Lab.   He shares the ingredients of his mindful plant based recipes and even discusses “Fauxmage” or rather how to make non-dairy cheese. He loves the challenge of making a healthy version of people’s comfort foods.

 

And now let’s visit Montreal!  My oldest daughter recently moved there for work and graduate school.  The European ambience of this city is breathtaking, and while my daughter was at work, I enjoyed a carriage ride with my grand”kitty” Carl.

The Jean-Talon Market in Montreal’s Little Italy is exceptional!  I enjoyed learning about the variety of herbs from Farmer Dave.

Of course I couldn’t resist the French pastries at Maison Christian Faure

And another highlight was a magnificent Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Carlton Montreal in the Palm Court and Dom Perignon Bar.  Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were married at this hotel!

The one thing that I didn’t get a chance to sample was the poutine!  This is a special Quebecois dish of French fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy.  Next visit I will do a whole feature on poutine.

And of course there is still so much of Canada to explore!  What are your favorite Canadian dishes? Which Canadian chefs should we feature on Kitchen Chat? Where should we go next, foodie friends? Thanks for joining me on this culinary journey.

Savor the day!

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