Taste of India Toronto ON 2019
Saturday
A long weekend and we were well-supplied so we relaxed at home.
A perfect Saturday night dinner, chicken wings and fries and some raw veggies to round it out along with a couple of movies.
An old 1960 black and white "A League of Gentlemen" and The Long Good Friday, I confess, I went to bed before it was over, but the link has the full movie!
Sunday
After a big breakfast we took the streetcar to City Hall for the Taste of India festival.
The city is teeming with tourists this long weekend. Caribana is on. Click here to see a taste of the parade, only one of the many activities taking place.
According to the 2016 census Canada has a population of 1.4 million Indo-Canadians, 10% of that number call Toronto home.
Indian Canadians or Indo-Canadians are Canadian citizens whose heritage belongs to any of the many ethnic groups of Republic of India. The term East Indian is sometimes used to distinguish people of ancestral origin from India in order to avoid confusion with the First Nations of Canada. Statistics Canada specifically uses the term Asian Indian to refer to people who trace their origins from the modern day Republic of India.
The city is teeming with tourists this long weekend. Caribana is on. Click here to see a taste of the parade, only one of the many activities taking place.
According to the 2016 census Canada has a population of 1.4 million Indo-Canadians, 10% of that number call Toronto home.
Indian Canadians or Indo-Canadians are Canadian citizens whose heritage belongs to any of the many ethnic groups of Republic of India. The term East Indian is sometimes used to distinguish people of ancestral origin from India in order to avoid confusion with the First Nations of Canada. Statistics Canada specifically uses the term Asian Indian to refer to people who trace their origins from the modern day Republic of India.
A row of Indian food trucks.
We checked out all the food and then spoke to a vendor who said they use chickpea flour (YES gluten free) and we ordered some pakoras, with the vendor throwing on some extras.
Here's a site with lots of ideas for making pakoras and dips!!
We had some filled with lentils, potatoes, vegetables and fenugreek, a new spice to me, but I will be getting some!
The Indian organizers asked the volunteers and any vendors that were free to come on stage for the singing of the Canadian and Indian national anthems. He also asked some of the Canadian forces who were in attendance to join them on the stage.
And the singing of the Indian national anthem.
Some of the Canadian forces onsite to recruit.
This seems to be the summer of ice cream! And mango, we shared one and it is soooo creamy!!!
We got the ice cream and then saw these skewers!!
From there it was a short walk to Dundas Square for the Indonesian festival!
According to the Canadian 2016 census, 21,395 individuals indicated that they had Indonesian origins. Notable Indonesian Canadians include violin maker Piet Molenaar andToronto filmmaker Mike Hoolboom. Toronto and Vancouver have the most significant populations.
Dundas Square is really not big enough for festivals like this.
There were men and women in traditional costumes, this girl graciously posed with people.
We walked back down to Queen and took the streetcar over to Ossington to check out some new murals.
Click here to see the new ones and find links to more Ossington street art.
Finally, no car in front. Jeff Blackburn's Billie Holiday.
John was right, this mural hasn't changed since last year. Artist - That Loser Smolik.
We stopped for a beer in a cute Mexican bar that had Mexican beer that is gluten free as it is made with corn.
One of the new murals, that will definitely be drawing the selfie crowd.
Burgers and chips for dinner! And our movie choice (our cable company just opened up the Hollywood Studios 60s 70s 80s 90s and 00s) was Barney's Version
on the novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler.
There were also cameos by Canadian directors Atom Egoyan (early director of Barney's soap opera Constable O'Malley of the North), David Cronenberg (later director of Barney's soap), Paul Gross (star in Barney's soap), Denys Arcand (Jean, the maître d' at both of Barney and Miriam's luncheons beside the duck pond at Montreal's Ritz-Carlton), and Ted Kotcheff (train conductor).
I had read to book back in 97 when it was first published.
Monday
...and a holiday.
I baked and managed to use up a lot of of stuff we had. The cream cheese icing recipe used the cream I had opened in the fridge. I finished off the coconut and raisins as well. Blueberries are everywhere at the moment and cheap.
Lemon yogurt blueberry bundt
Coconut carrot loaf cream cheese icing.
Witch's brew(as John called it) or refrigerator stew for dinner.
I made a mash of the parsnips (hanging around the fridge) potatoes and carrots long with the remaining cauliflower rice with mozzarella cheese (leftover forever) with the leftover ground beef from last night. I added the leftover canned tomatoes, mushrooms (leftover from Friday's vegetables and Sunday breakfast) frozen peas and corn.
Tuesday
We had planned to go out but the weather was iffy, sunny, rainy all day. So John decided to start cleaning the tile grout in the bathrooms and kitchen.
We used up some frozen steak as steak sandwiches.
Wednesday
John headed to golf and I went to get my hair cut.
Found some of this year's brain project.
Outside food court at Brookfield Place.
Gluten free? Seriously?
Liver, onions and colcannon for dinner.
Thursday
Another funny kind of day, torrential downpours were all around us. John had a checkup for his dental surgery and then we met downtown and decided to go to Chinatown for lunch.
Some interesting fruits in the stalls on Spadina.
We went back to August 8, an all you can eat Asian restaurant.
iPad for placing your orders.
John had a hot and sour soup to start.
I had pork dumplings.
Crab and tuna. The tuna were especially delicious.
Beef teriyaki.
Cucumber and avocado.
Steak rice bowl, John also had a chicken one, but it didn't look as good as this one.
This will be interesting.
I dragged John up to the Toronto Collective, the #1 Graffiti supply and designer toy shop in Canada.
Then onto my latest addition, exotic ice creams.
These are macarons...
AND this is a raspberry macaron sandwich!
Dinner was leftover stew, another good use of what was in the fridge.
Friday
I met my BFF and we went to the AGO to see this interesting exhibit.
Brian Jungen Friendship Centre is an in-depth exploration of this internationally acclaimed artist’s approach to sculpture and the largest exhibition of his work to date. He has repeatedly worked with existing consumer products, reassembling them to make potent new forms. His recent Warrior sculpture series, made from Air Jordans, presents variations on Indigenous headdresses, while his Prototype for New Understanding series are made from Nike sneakers sewn together to resemble masks created by Northwest Coast peoples.
I had shown you his Furniture Sculpture a couple of weeks ago.
Tombstone (2019), a sculpture resembling a giant turtle supported by a base of filing cabinets.
Some of the Canadian forces onsite to recruit.
This seems to be the summer of ice cream! And mango, we shared one and it is soooo creamy!!!
We got the ice cream and then saw these skewers!!
From there it was a short walk to Dundas Square for the Indonesian festival!
According to the Canadian 2016 census, 21,395 individuals indicated that they had Indonesian origins. Notable Indonesian Canadians include violin maker Piet Molenaar andToronto filmmaker Mike Hoolboom. Toronto and Vancouver have the most significant populations.
Dundas Square is really not big enough for festivals like this.
There were men and women in traditional costumes, this girl graciously posed with people.
We walked back down to Queen and took the streetcar over to Ossington to check out some new murals.
Click here to see the new ones and find links to more Ossington street art.
Finally, no car in front. Jeff Blackburn's Billie Holiday.
John was right, this mural hasn't changed since last year. Artist - That Loser Smolik.
We stopped for a beer in a cute Mexican bar that had Mexican beer that is gluten free as it is made with corn.
One of the new murals, that will definitely be drawing the selfie crowd.
Burgers and chips for dinner! And our movie choice (our cable company just opened up the Hollywood Studios 60s 70s 80s 90s and 00s) was Barney's Version
on the novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler.
There were also cameos by Canadian directors Atom Egoyan (early director of Barney's soap opera Constable O'Malley of the North), David Cronenberg (later director of Barney's soap), Paul Gross (star in Barney's soap), Denys Arcand (Jean, the maître d' at both of Barney and Miriam's luncheons beside the duck pond at Montreal's Ritz-Carlton), and Ted Kotcheff (train conductor).
I had read to book back in 97 when it was first published.
Monday
...and a holiday.
I baked and managed to use up a lot of of stuff we had. The cream cheese icing recipe used the cream I had opened in the fridge. I finished off the coconut and raisins as well. Blueberries are everywhere at the moment and cheap.
Lemon yogurt blueberry bundt
Coconut carrot loaf cream cheese icing.
Witch's brew(as John called it) or refrigerator stew for dinner.
I made a mash of the parsnips (hanging around the fridge) potatoes and carrots long with the remaining cauliflower rice with mozzarella cheese (leftover forever) with the leftover ground beef from last night. I added the leftover canned tomatoes, mushrooms (leftover from Friday's vegetables and Sunday breakfast) frozen peas and corn.
Tuesday
We had planned to go out but the weather was iffy, sunny, rainy all day. So John decided to start cleaning the tile grout in the bathrooms and kitchen.
We used up some frozen steak as steak sandwiches.
Wednesday
John headed to golf and I went to get my hair cut.
Found some of this year's brain project.
Outside food court at Brookfield Place.
Gluten free? Seriously?
Liver, onions and colcannon for dinner.
Thursday
Another funny kind of day, torrential downpours were all around us. John had a checkup for his dental surgery and then we met downtown and decided to go to Chinatown for lunch.
Some interesting fruits in the stalls on Spadina.
We went back to August 8, an all you can eat Asian restaurant.
iPad for placing your orders.
John had a hot and sour soup to start.
I had pork dumplings.
Beef teriyaki.
Cucumber and avocado.
Steak rice bowl, John also had a chicken one, but it didn't look as good as this one.
This will be interesting.
I dragged John up to the Toronto Collective, the #1 Graffiti supply and designer toy shop in Canada.
Then onto my latest addition, exotic ice creams.
These are macarons...
AND this is a raspberry macaron sandwich!
Dinner was leftover stew, another good use of what was in the fridge.
Friday
I met my BFF and we went to the AGO to see this interesting exhibit.
Brian Jungen Friendship Centre is an in-depth exploration of this internationally acclaimed artist’s approach to sculpture and the largest exhibition of his work to date. He has repeatedly worked with existing consumer products, reassembling them to make potent new forms. His recent Warrior sculpture series, made from Air Jordans, presents variations on Indigenous headdresses, while his Prototype for New Understanding series are made from Nike sneakers sewn together to resemble masks created by Northwest Coast peoples.
I had shown you his Furniture Sculpture a couple of weeks ago.
Totem pole from golf bags.
Tombstone (2019), a sculpture resembling a giant turtle supported by a base of filing cabinets.
This is made out of lawn chairs!
On Dundas, heading to Kensington Market through Chinatown, a new installation.
One of Chinatown's murals, my BFF had not been around this area before.
Into Kensington Market, such a fun, funky area to visit. We had a mediocre lunch at The Last Temptation, didn't warrant any photos.
There are all kinds of vintage clothing shops. Click here for a visit at the end of June. You can also click on Kensington Market in the labels/tags below this post.
A new mural? No, just checked, saw her in 2018.
Click here for more murals.
Put your best foot forward.
These street paintings are new.
A stop into the very good butcher shop Sanagan's Meat Locker. You can read its story here. It has been voted best butcher shop in the city by Toronto Life.
Have a look at their deli counter!
Far right, sausages made from beets. I also saw the nicest looking skirt steak and beef cheeks, which are not easy to find. It was too hot a day to carry meat around.
In my last post, Moo's Fries were not yet opened.
We all know about my Friday obsession.
The garden car has been repainted since I used it as my July header.
July header.
The Livelihood Project helps refugees and newcomers find their place in Toronto. They're creating and selling T-shirts that say Toronto is for Everybody to spread the message that the city belongs to everyone and anyone, no matter their background.
Their mandate:
Inclusion, diversity, and unity are our values. #TorontoIsForEverybody is our message that represents what makes Toronto a wonderful place to live - for everyone - regardless of their race, nationality, gender, sexual identification, and more.
The project comes out of the Livelihood Cafe in Kensington Market, a non-profit community cafe which is staffed entirely by refugees and immigrants.
Fifty per cent of sales at the cafe go toward refugee and newcomer employment.
Fifty per cent of sales at the cafe go toward refugee and newcomer employment.
I'll go in next time for coffee and maybe a t-shirt!
Blue Banana Market, has all kinds of unique gifts, you can shop online as well.
Repainted by Uber5000?
Steak and marinated tomato salad (I was given a bag of garden grown tomatoes) with baguette. Salad also included feta that I wanted to use up.
Blue Banana Market, has all kinds of unique gifts, you can shop online as well.
Repainted by Uber5000?
This is the first time that I have seen Durian in Toronto. The dreaded durian is not allowed on public transit in Singapore, check out our post on it.
Steak and marinated tomato salad (I was given a bag of garden grown tomatoes) with baguette. Salad also included feta that I wanted to use up.
BOOKS
Fika Cafe Kensington Market Toronto 2019
Not much reading happening, I am currently reading Widows.
LINKING UP WITH
Beth hosts Weekend Cooking where you can post anything food related.
Love the festivals and the art work. I'm going to start using the term "witch's brew" -- perfect description of throw-together dinners. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Indian festival is amazing and I'll bet the food was the best!!
ReplyDeleteI'm checking out how to make pakoras from your link.. thanks
Fascinating as always! I really need to get out of the house more often!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week
What struck me about Toronto was its diversity, and you certainly highlight that each week. You could write the book on your city, I think. Or perhaps they could put you in charge of tourism!
ReplyDeleteI thank you for this lovely tour of some of the fun parts of the city. I loved, especially, the ice cream, the huge macaron, and the art.
Love the look of the Indian food festival! I am a big fan of Indian food! The exhibit looks really interesting too.
ReplyDeleteHope you've both had a nice weekend. #MMBC
The word Indian must be confusing in North America. It is all simple here. Indian means Indian or Sri Lankan. Asian means anyone oriental, sometimes broken down to Chinese or South East Asian. But in the UK, Asian means Indian or Sri Lankan and I think they say Chinese for oriental. I should check that oriental doesn't apply to Indians, but you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteRambutan are very nice and a little like lychee. Kulfi is delicious and I quite like a lassi drink. I once made lassi and bought a 250ml bottle of rose water and only needed a few drops. Thrown away eventually I suppose.
Lots of interesting out and about photos. Love the Billie Holiday mural.
We tend to use East Indian and Indian or indigenous. As for Chinese etc we used Asian. In fact, I have Chinese friends who go further and call themselves CBCs to refer to Chinese Born Canadians.
DeleteFunny enough, I was watching MasterChef Singapore yesterday and they had to use durian.
I should have photographed some of the brain project when I was down there. I did see them in the square.
ReplyDeleteWow, I thought I recovered from all the food on the food festivals, but that was not the end, lol! My parents lived in indonesia, so I know Sate - probably had also Dorian, but can't remember, but I remember the warning of my mom that it was a very prickly shell, and stinky, but tasting delicious! Was surprised to see the Indonesian music group with only 2 women with head scarves on (I thought it was mandatory there to wear them). Again you saw a lot of art, but the one with the Nike shoes, I don't consider that art, for nothing artful is done with it (only bigger!) now the skeleton made from lawn chairs that is art:) Many thanks for sharing your fabulous post with All Seasons, Jackie! I can see you (later0 taking on Frieda Kahlo's painting style:):) Have an awesome week!
ReplyDeleteI disagree, Jesh. I think the Nike shoe displays as art. They represent the traditional masks worn by our Indigenous people in a beautiful way. The golf bags make amazing looking totem poles.
DeleteI hear that durian is delicious, I should have tried it in Singapore.
I'll say it again. Every time I read one of your weekly round-up posts, I miss the cultural diversity of living in a city.
ReplyDelete