Dim Sum

 Weekend Cooking is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader!

Sunday Salon
Seasons

October 2020 - Toronto ON

September 2020 - Danforth Ave. Toronto

I am bored with counting the self-isolation weeks (30) in the title! So I will track the weeks here and write more inspiring titles, food related.

I have started a series on Toronto's lanes and their interesting names. The first one is Ice Cream Lane from last week's walk on the Danforth.

And a link to last week's Monday Mural from the Danforth.

The last weekend of summer has passed and that means an end to the street closures. I will be curious how traffic will look now. City has now announced that the street closures will continue into October.

The weekend was spent at home as per usual. Again thoughts go through my head about outings but then common sense kicks in. Especially since we had our worst daily case total on Monday - 700!!!!

With the numbers climbing restaurants and bars have reduced occupancy rates and hours. Table size down from 10 to 6 patrons and all names and phone numbers will be registered.

So Monday I only did a grocery run. But John got some great shots on the golf course.

Not quite at their prime yet.

Tuesday I had vague plans but the numbers were close to 600 so that didn't happen.

Wednesday I had a timed entry ticket for the ROM so I took the 9:10 shuttle downtown.

It was a cool morning and JOhn cancelled his golf. The sun came out when I was heading home but then we had thunder and lightning with rain mid afternoon.

Royal Ontario Museum

Taken as I left the museum. Yes, I have loads of photos of our dinosaur, but who can resist especially with crowd control in effect.

Stopped into Winners and HomeSense, didn't buy anything.

Headed into Manulife Centre or as we call it BMT, Bank of Montreal Tower, the first place we both worked in Toronto.  Office workers have not returned to the office towers but it looks like they are getting prepared setting up a cattleline for the escalator.

Thursday

Saw this on the news and thought brilliant! LBD, a little black dress with a mask!

We took the 9:10 shuttle downtown and walked. First stop was to see this new sculpture at the Richmond Adelaide Centre. I worked in this building when I left the bank.

The confounding new installation outside of the Richmond-Adelaide Centre has been four years in the making from Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, who has done similar works of women's heads made of white marble dust and polyester resin, solid marble or other materials in public squares and parks around the world.

We've seen a couple of his pieces in France!

This one is in Bordeaux, you can see me in the background. Titled Sanna.

This is in Antibes on the French Riviera. Titled Nomade.

From there it was City Hall to see the "new" Toronto sign.

Sign from the back.

So I flipped the image!

No checker players this early in the morning.

Click here to see an awesome reflection on Queen St. W.

From there I wanted to find a new coffee shop on Mutual St.

Walking along Queen West there is more interesting construction hoarding.

Turned up Church St.

Another hoarding on Fleur, being built at College and Shuter.

Another hoarding Church and Dundas.

Too much reflection.

John got it from across the street on our way back.

Page One Coffee.

Outside in the sun although the temperature is only 13C or 55F, felt like being in Europe.

Good to the last drop.

One of Ryerson University's buildings downtown.

Funny how we've never seen this satellite tower at City News from this angle.

Dundas Square.

Walking south on Yonge back to the bus.

Thursday evening we headed out to Milton for

Normally this would be a display that you could walk around, but this year it is drive through only with a timed ticket.

It was very orderly and vinyls were applied to your car headlights to dim the lights.

It took about thirty minutes to complete the circuit.

A tribute to the front line workers.

Friday John went to golf with a friend and I spent the day with my BFF. We had a great time poking the craft store and then in HomeSense and Winners.

Mural on Irish pub in parking lot.

We picked up subs from Firehouse Subs, neither of us had ever been there before.

COOKING

Saturday I made chicken satay skewers from Jamie Oliver's 30 minute recipe book. Overall, it was okay, nothing too memorable. In fact, I couldn't remember what we had when I was writing this and only had this photo. I recognized the peanut butter and racked my brains until I remembered the vegetables I served and it finally came to me.

I served it with Greek salad and sauteed broccoli and bok choy using Oliver's idea of serving it with pancetta  I used bacon and then mixing the bacon fat with balsamic as a dressing. 

Sunday kung pao shrimp with rice, I would double the sauce recipe next time. I also did another spicy cauliflower and this is the winner so far. Korean fried cauliflower.

Monday roast beef, gluten free Yorkshire pudding, mushy peas and mashed cauliflower, broccolini and potatoes. And the best mushroom gravy, I have finally conquered gravy! I used wine and beef broth instead of the chicken stock as mentioned in the recipe.

Tuesday last night's leftovers.

Wednesday hamburgers and potato chips

Thursday, since we were eating later, cheeses, pate and baguette. Costco had pate!

Friday steak with broccolini and scallions.

BOOKS

Queen St. West Toronto

I read The Arrangement, what could go wrong between a Sugar Baby and Sugar Daddy? 21 year old naive college student and a powerful vile 50 year old married cuthroat lawyer?

I read a book of short stories called Married Love. It was okay.

I started The Wives and I'm not sure I will stick with this, I am already thinking "oh pleeese...",