Toronto: 60 Good Hours

The high point of my time in Toronto was Friday’s all-too-quick lunch with Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, that afternoon’s drinks with Rob of Hungry in Hogtown, Saturday’s tour of the St. Lawrence Market with Rob and his wife, Rachel, and that afternoon’s leisurely lunch with Brilynn of Jumbo Empanadas and her mom.    Of course, there was no question these terrific bloggers would all be smart, interesting and passionate about food, but they’re also really warm and funny and great company too.  I was so glad to meet them and so happy that they could sneak away from their “real” lives to come see me. 

Here’s a picture of Bri and me at the Sante/Bon Appetit Festival.  I couldn’t believe that she and her mom drove so long and so far so that we could meet, but there’s no way I could have been happier. 

The lowpoint of Friday was my little mishap on Canada AM, the country’s nationwide morning news television show.  There I was, on camera with Beverly, the host, who often bakes with her two young children, making the Toasted Almond Scones, when, in a burst of exuberance, I knocked over the open bottle of almond extract!  It wasn’t quite the same as when Julia dropped a roast beef, but it did kind of unsettle things – mostly me.  However, Beverly and I got a giggle out of it when, at the end of the segment, the show’s team came on set to nibble the scones as well as the Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins and Blueberry Crunch Cake, which ace food stylist, Heather Trim, had prepped, and one of the anchors, oblivious to our mishap, took a bit of a scone and said, “Wow!  What a great almond aroma it has!”  Well yeah.  And it was the same almond aroma I sported all day, since my little blue top had been soaked with the stuff.

Here’s a snap of what the set looked like pre almond-turn-over and the crew’s happy munching.

In between, there was a short walk around downtown and a long dinner at the new Colburn Lane, where the chef did a 10-ish-course tasting menu for us in which, late in the meal, there was a Pekin duck breast in a thick, sticky burnt-honey and licorice sauce!  Licorice-loving me thought the sauce was inspired.  Then, the next night, at a very late-night dinner at Coca, there was duck with caramelized black Moroccan olives (great!) and licorice again, this time added to the light duck jus.

Here’s the duck-and-licorice from Colburn Lane – sorry it’s not a better shot, but I’m not very good at getting a good picture in a quirkily lit restaurant at 12:30 am.

I should have gotten more pictures of my Saturday-morning market tour with Rob and Rachel, but I was too busy ogling the wild garlic and equally wild leeks, the season’s first morels, the suckling pigs and rabbits, local sausages of all kinds, Greek yogurt, artisanal feta and peameal, a.k.a. Canadian bacon.  Our market breakfast was a few warm slices of the bacon on a puffy roll squirted with an ample amount of mustard.  Eaten outside at a picnic table, it was swell!

And speaking of mustard, there’s Kozlik’s, the hometown favorite.  There must have been 15 varieties on display and I think I tasted them all and, had my suitcase been less packed, I would have taken them all home.  I also would have taken home Tom Green, the adorable mustard man:

And there was my demo of World Peace Cookies and Rum-Drenched Vanilla Loaf Cakes (both from Baking From My Home to Yours) in a park, not the easiest venue, especially because it didn’t have a heat source.  But since Daniel et Daniel, a great Toronto caterer, had done the sweets ahead and organized the mise-en-place, it really wasn’t an issue – until we discovered that the butter, which needed to be melted so it could be folded into the loaf cake batter, was still in hunks.  No problem – Steven and Ron just put the bowl over the kerosene heater that had been set up to keep little me warm while signing books!  Ah necessity, the sweet mother of invention.  Thanks guys! 

When I got ready to leave Toronto this morning, here’s what I was squeezing into my suitcase:

I couldn’t buy all the mustards, but I couldn’t resist these:

Presents from Cream Puff Ivonne, all local, all delicious:

A tease of what’s to come: 

My friend Cari Gray of Butterfield & Robinson, the company that leads some of the world’s most amazing bicycle tours, left these for me.  I’m hoping I’ll be putting them to use soon when I join B&R as the resident foodie on one of their tours next year.  More when I know more.

And, of course, there are the great memories – stuff that’s unpackable.

Comments

[Mary Luz]

Hi Dorie!

Hope you do drop by our fair city again! And if you do- please let me know! I'd love to show you a few more favourite city haunts that you might just want to devour on your next trip! If you'd like, some can even be of the pastry/cake variety! Colombian Bunuelos await: http://www.thestar.com/living/article/290239

Best,
Mary Luz Mejia

[Dorie]

You're all so sweet for saying that Brilynn, Ivonne and Rob were so lucky to see me, but you know what? That's not how I see it. The way I look at, I, a newby blogger, was really, really lucky that I got to spend time with them!

[peabody]

Once again, I am stating how jealous I am of Bri and Ivonne. Looks like you had a wonderful trip to Toronto!

[Meeta]

Hi Dorie,

This is so lovely. Brilynn and Ivonne are two of my favorite blogger buddies too and I was so happy to hear that they got a chance to meet you. Now, I just have one wish - please make a trip to Germany!!! Ever since I received your latest book from Sara, from "I like to cook" last year to review, I have become an instant fan and not long after bought Chocolate Desserts too! I was really glad you started your own blog and now that I see as bloggers we might have the chance to meet up with you someday adds to my excitement! So, if you are ever in Europe, please come and visit Germany.

[Jenny]

I'm triple jealous! Bri and Ivonne got to meet you, and you got to meet them! Sounds like you all had a wonderful afternoon! Please let me know if you ever come to Ottawa!

[Christine]

How fun! Even the whole almond extract mishap was fun. :) It's so nice that you had time to spend with Rob, and Brilynn, and Ivonne, some of my favorite bloggers as well. I'd do anything to meet them, and YOU!

[Joe]

How fun to meet all these bloggers Dorie! It certainly looks like your coming back with quite the haul too!

[Shaun]

Dear Ms. Greenspan, It is really lovely of you to have shared such important time with the lovely food bloggers Brilynn, Ivonne, and Rob. You have clearly touched their lives in very intimate and meaningful ways. It is really great to read about a caring and open food writer, who is so willing to inspire and share with others.

[Ivonne]

Dorie,

What wonderful memories! It looks like you had a very busy but also wonderful time in Toronto. I certainly know that my time with you was definitely too short, but also incredible. I'll never forget it!

[Anita]

Dorie, I'm so glad you got to meet some my favorite bloggers (and friends). You're so wonderfully generous to us in the blogosphere!

[Brilynn]

Thanks again for a fantastic afternoon, I'm looking forward to your next visit!

[gilly]

Hi Dorie! It sounds like you had an unforgettable trip - with lots of pictures, souveniers, and memories! I really enjoyed reading about your lunch with Bri (and her mom) on her blog, too!

[Dorie]

I'd be delighted to meet some NYC food bloggers -- and the commute would be so much easier than it was to Toronto!

[Danielle]

Oh, that sounds like such fun! So, will you come meet some NYC food bloggers, too?