Weekend Cooking

June 2016 - Toronto ON

Saturday we decided to go to Yorkville to check out the Toronto Brain Project..

Brain sculptures on display in a public exhibition in downtown Toronto will be sold to sponsoring organizations or collectors worldwide.
Proceeds will support Baycrest Health Sciences, a world leader in brain health and aging.

I printed out the map of the three sculptures to be found in Yorkville. We walked following the map but didn't find any.

We did find some fine street art though and here's a sampling.

From there we headed to Olympic our favourite pizza place off Yonge.

Sunday we headed downtown for an Heritage Toronto tour.
Ride a chartered bus from one end of the 501 Queen Streetcar route to the other with City of Toronto’s Chief Curator Wayne Reeves. This is an exploration of the neighbourhoods, buildings and landscapes that line the route – from The Beach and the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant in the east to Long Branch and Etobicoke Creek in the west.
Co-Presented with City of Toronto Museum and Heritage Services.

We drove down and parked at City Hall. We were early, we always are! The brains are in plain sight on the right.

Since the tour took place on a bus with no getting off from 11AM to 2-3PM John fortified himself with a poutine.

Click here for a post on poutine and here and even more here.

According to Wikipedia:
Poutine (/puːˈtiːn/; Quebec French: [put͡sɪn] ( listen)) is a Canadian dish, originating in the province of Quebec, made with french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy.^[1] This fast-food dish is typically found across Canada and in some places in the northern United States, less often elsewhere and is still considered 'exotic' in such places.

And we found some brains! I'll dedicate a post to the brains.

The tour was fascinating, commentary provided by the chief curator of Toronto Museums and Archives.

I didn't get a lot of photos from the moving bus due to city traffic as well as the glare from the windows. I will do a more detailed post showing some of the highlights.

Cool hoarding in the Beach area.

When we got back to City Hall we found some more brains. I swear my husband thinks I'm crazy.

We then entertained an overnight guest, my Montreal cousin's son on his way to Asia for the first time ever.

Monday we were up at 5:45 AM to take our guest to the airport. Back home by 7:30 AM we drank more coffee and decided to go to the Gay Village in light of yesterday's horrific events in Orlando.

I did a post showing Toronto's wonderful murals in the village from 2014.

We didn't find any new murals and decided to have a burger at Hero, we had first tried their burgers when they first opened in Toronto. It is local fast food touting 100% Angus beef raised without hormones or antibiotics. We only buy the best beef we can for cooking at home and we love to find the best burgers in the city so perhaps this wasn't the best idea. You order your burger and select your toppings. About fifteen later we had our 4 oz burger, 6 oz burger 1 coke and a poutine for $23!! Way overpriced for a mediocre burger.

 Toronto's finest.

Tuesday I met my BFF and we found a few more brains in Union St.

We then headed up to City Hall as there was a native craft show taking place. We found a brain, surprisingly in City Hall.

This proclamation from the mayor declaring June as Pride Month.

We then had lunch at the Duke of Richmond I had their great haddock tacos and K had chicken quesadillas.

Then some shopping on our way back. I scored a red purse ar 50% off. We were supposed to find the brains in FP but both forgot.

I had taken salmon out for dinner and wanted something Thai inspired. After looking at a bunch of recipes and selecting the ingredients I wanted I came up with this


1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch
Several garlic cloves, crushed to taste

Fresh ginger chopped also to taste

Sriracha again to taste (this is a spicy chili sauce)

1 tsp salt

I whisked the ingredients together in a saucepan, brought it to a boil, reduced heat and simmered for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the salmon with salt and marinate in the sauce for at least 2 hours or overnight.

I then placed in a 350 degree oven and baked for about 10 minutes.

Delicious! Definitely a keeper.

Here's a not terribly flattering photo - I should have arranged the food more artistically before John snapped it.

I attended a CPR/AED course by the Red Cross in our condo. It was a lot of fun and we learned a lot!!

Coffee and donuts were provided and I was very impressed with the Tim Horton's coffee presentation. 

Some of our victims.

Wednesday is John's weekly golf game. 

For dinner I cooked a chicken leg and salad for myself.

Thursday John took the car for a checkup prior to his weekend trip to Pittsburgh to see the US Open.

I went downtown to get some US cash for him. I also found a couple of brains.

I baked a orange cranberry loaf but used blueberries.

The afternoon was taken up by emptying our closets in preparation for replacement of three of ours on Monday. Since John won't be back until late Monday his all had to be done.

We filled a bag for charity.

BEFORE

Our bedroom, there is a bathroom on the right. These mirrored doors will be removed and the entry will be at the wall at the entrance to the space making it a walk in closet.

My side

This wall is coming out so we can use that space.

The hall closet.

 The spare room or office.

Our bathtub with all our shoes. Don't worry we have another bathroom.

Friday John left early for Pittsburgh. I covered a lot of ground. I went for a mani-pedi and then caught the 11:20 shuttle downtown. I headed for Harbour Front for lunch.

My lunch of crab cakes.

I then went shopping and everything was on sale. A couple of summer dresses, top, hat, and a sweater.

Then some hand soap, on sale so who could resist?

DINNER

Saturday - pizza
Sunday - roast beef
Monday - sunday leftovers
Tuesday - salmon
Wednesday - golf widow's dinner chicken leg and salad
Thursday - Chicken a la orange a recipe that has been in our family forever

Friday - liver and salad

EATING LUNCH AROUND THE WORLD (IN TORONTO)

Vietnam Pho soup at Green Mango Boys Cloverdale
Italy pizza at Olympic Bloor/Yonge

International Burgers at Batch in Financial District

New England Clam chowder at St. Lawrence Market

Chinese General Tao Chicken at Sawtow in Chinatown (Spadina)

Thailand Thai curry soup at Noodles and Co. in TD Centre Financial District (twice)

Mexico tacos at La Carnita John St.
Poland Cafe Polonez cabbage roll, pierogis and potato latkes.
India Aroma buffet
Asian Pork won ton noodle soup
England Afternoon Tea
International Hero burgers

Beth hosts Weekend Cooking where you can post anything food related.

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