Foto Tunes

Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme

May 2026 - Toronto ON

LOVE LOVE LOVE Queen and their songs.

"Radio Ga Ga"

Radio.

Radio.

I'd sit alone and watch your light
My only friend through teenage nights
And everything I had to know
I heard it on my radio


Franz Josef New Zealand




You gave them all those old time stars
Through wars of worlds invaded by Mars
You made 'em laugh, you made 'em cry
You made us feel like we could fly.
Radio.


Madrid Spain






So don't become some background noise
A backdrop for the girls and boys
Who just don't know or just don't care
And just complain when you're not there

You had your time, you had the power
You've yet to have your finest hour
Radio, Radio.




Whitehorse Yukon






All we hear is Radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is Radio ga ga
Radio blah blah
Radio, what's new?
Radio, someone still loves you!




New York City NY





We watch the shows, we watch the stars
On videos for hours and hours
We hardly need to use our ears
How music changes through the years.


Edmonton AB



Let's hope you never leave old friend
Like all good things on you we depend
So stick around 'cause we might miss you
When we grow tired of all this visual


Toronto ON






You had your time, you had the power
You've yet to have your finest hour
Radio, Radio.


Rochester MN

Weekend Cooking

June 2016 - Toronto ON

I'll start with some more food pictures from Taste of Toronto. Click here for last week's photos.

We were hungry when we arrived and stopped at the first place on our list. yes, we had downloaded the menu card before we arrived and highlighted the dishes we wanted to try. We had also preloaded our Crown card, Crowns are the mode of currency, 1 Crown equals $1. 

John obviously had already eaten one of the satays before he remembered to take a photo.

These were from Little Sister, an Indonesian restaurant. This was the first time we had eaten Indonesian and I can say from looking at their menu we will be going back!! Click here for their menu.

And I must say, I think their booth was one of the best decorated.

Their menu is printed on corrugated cardboard.

Satay Ayam krupuk (chicken), peanut sauce, cucumber pickle

This was delicious!!!
Babi Guling - balinese roasted pork, tomato sambal, pickles, peanuts, crackling, ice berg lettuce

From the celebrated Drake Hotel. John said these were good but that my recipe is much better.

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings Szechuan Chili Jam

More photos from Taste.

Sap water was surprisingly good. Sapsucker is water harvested from mature maple trees, technically called sap.

Cooking classes.

Lounges

Local grocery chain Metro had servers providing lemonade and watermelon (delicious) juices all day.

Here's part of the selections. What would you choose? Click on photo to enlarge.

Saturday was a day of good chores around the house. John painted the pantry with leftover living room paint and it looks so clean and neat too. I was able to move some stuff off the counter to the hall closet. Pictures got hung in the pantry.





I did some shopping around the house and moved this picture into the master bathroom.



This new plant got a home in a former candle holder that was on the balcony.




In preparation for the cleaning crew on Monday I am making sure all chores are done and everything is put away.

Monday I had booked cleaners to come in at 10:30 to clean up after the closets' renovation. Check last week's post to see my awesome new closets.


Well, 11:00 comes and no cleaners so I email the manager. She phones immediately to say she had booked it incorrectly and they would be here at noon. I said no doesn't work. She gets snippy and says fine. Then she phones back 2 minutes later to say she could have them there in fifteen minutes. I still said no. John and I decided we could save ourselves some money and do it ourselves. John was going golfing and had already given me 2 twenties for a tip so I got to work and gave myself the tip.





Tuesday we went to the Weston's Bakery Outlet no far from us. We'd never been there but someone had recommended it to me. WOW what deals.

Gluten free bars $1 a box. Graham cracker pie shells $1.70. Hamburger buns 1.50. Loaves of bread 25 cents!!!! They carry some canned goods that were a very good price also.

Then a quick run into No Frills a grocery store we don't normally use, and a shopping cart later we were stocked up.

Wednesday we went looking for James Gardens and spent some time just wandering.

In 1908, Fred T. James purchased the land and for the next 40 years he carefully transformed his property into a picturesque garden where public visitors were always welcome. Before their main home was built in 1927, James lived in the coach-house that still stands next door. The terraces and collection pools were built almost 50 years ago.

I made hummus using this recipe. Also some bread machine strawberry jam.

Thursday we went looking for some murals we had seen when we took the 501 Streetcar Tour.
Queen St. E in The Beach.
Drive by capture.

Another Elicser. I couldn't have planned this better with the guy in the blue plaid shirt crossing the street.

And the back side.

We then made a stop at Ashbridges Estate also spotted on the streetcar tour. We shopped at the East End garden centre many,many times when we lived in that area and NEVER knew this was just east of it.

The property — once a vast expanse of 600 acres stretching from Danforth Ave. to Ashbridge’s Bay — had been in the family for two centuries. The widow Sarah Ashbridge, with her five children, began clearing the land in 1794 after she had fled Philadelphia to escape religious (she was a Quaker) and political prosecution.

The family thrived farming, but as Toronto began to grow and the next generations of Ashbridges became professionals, the land was parcelled off until, in the 1920s, it was just the two acres on which the house still sits. It was designed by a local architect named Joseph Sheard, who would go on to become mayor of Toronto in the late 1800s.

We stopped into the Dominion Pub for a beer on their patio. It is housed in the old Dominion Hotel that was attached to the Dominion Brewery.

The founding of Corktown, as well as significant growth that was made in the city's brewing and distilling heritage, is thanks in large part to the Irish. There is, in fact, some dispute as to whether the neighbourhood's name derives from the fact that it was largely populated by Irish emigrants from County Cork in Ireland or if the name is in reference to the early and dominant presence of distilleries, breweries, and cork-stopper manufacturers.

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Regardless, these newly-arrived Irish immigrants benefited from the availability of jobs in these industries just as those who owned companies benefited from the arrival of a new and ready-to-work labour force.

One such man was Thomas Davies. In 1849, Davies established the Don Brewery, which was built on the Don River and drew from it for brewing and malting.

Davies operated the Don Brewery with his son, Thomas, Jr. until Davies died in 1869. At that time Thomas Davies Jr. was joined in running the business by his brother Robert Davies in 1871. Seven years later, Robert left the family business to found his own brewery, the Dominion Brewery down the road from the Don Brewery on Queen Street East in Corktown.

Robert Davies and his Dominion brewing had such a widespread effect on Corktown that his influence can be seen even today. At the peak of his success, Davies owned over 140 separate brewing "houses" (essentially taverns). He also owned Valley Brickworks (now The Brick Works). As a result, a large part of Corktown was built by Davies, whose bricks were used not only to build his many brewhouses and taverns, but also the homes of his many employees. Much of the distinctive 19th century brick architecture that remains in Corktown today is a direct result of Thomas Davies' companies.

Friday was Canada Day! Forecast called for rain so we decided to make it our day to clean windows.

I also made blueberry jam using the same recipe.

I then had extra meat left from the cabbage rolls so I made these sweet and sour meatballs to be frozen or used later with rice.

Some photos I've already posted.

DINNERS


Saturday - homemade veal meat sauce and spaghetti with garlic bread.


Sunday - steak, coleslaw (bought Moishe's at Costco, so we'll be eating it a lot) garlic bread

Monday - John was out for dinner. Turkey breast and coleslaw

Tuesday - pan fried haddock, fries and coleslaw

Wednesday - John's weekly golf I had a burger

Thursday - burgers and coleslaw

Friday - cabbage rolls and gluten free cheddar biscuits

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

Canadian and Israeli Luminato Food Festival and Taste of Toronto
Indonesian Szechuan Taste of Toronto

Photo Friday.

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

Make My Saturday Sweet

 Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy. 

Weekend Cooking

June 2016 - Toronto ON

Before I get to this week click here to see my detailed post on the Heritage Toronto tour we took last week.

I'm a golf widow on the weekend as John was away in Pittsburgh at the US Open. They left Friday morning and came home on Monday afternoon.

And caught on camera on the 18th hole.

So my BFF and I met downtown at Union Station and started off with lunch. The annual Luminato Festival is on in town and they took over Front St. from York to Bay, closing the street to host a food festival.

Fifteen restaurants from across the GTA will offer their signature dishes in a two-day smorgasbord. Chefs take to the stage for free food demonstrations every hour on the hour, with giant chess and Jenga games available, and a bar by Parts & Labour. Gotta love that name for a bar!

A unique project cooked up by a Toronto chef Newcomer Kitchen is the work of Len Senater, the owner of a popular breakfast and brunch spot on College Street called The Depanneur.

This program gives newly landed Syrian refugees staying in hotels a chance to cook their food before they move into their new homes. Senater hopes that the women here will eventually lead one of the pop-ups and show the city the kind of home-cooking that can’t be found in restaurants.

Ricky Casipe is a chef from Hawthorne's. Hawthorne Food & Drink is a small restaurant on the edge of Toronto’s financial district. As a designee of OCTA’s FeastON program, our food mandate is serve ‘Farm-to-Fork City Food’ using local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. Operating as a non-profit restaurant, Hawthorne is the social enterprise arm of The Hospitality Workers Training Centre. Training participants enter Hawthorne for coursework and transitional employment periods to build on skills needed to enter Toronto’s growing hospitality industry.

On the right is Toronto-based chef, two-time TEDx speaker and activist for social justice and sustainable food systems, Joshna Maharaj. Check out her recipes.

What are we eating? All selections were priced at $6.

K chose the smoked meat. Wish I could have got you one, Beth!

I am a sucker for pork belly and this one was made by the Fairmont Royal York hotel which is located across the street and can be seen in the third photo.

A rare occurrence.

Looking back as we left.

We then take the streetcar along King St heading to the Distillery District and were sidetracked by a church and a heritage schoolhouse.

The Distillery District contains numerous cafés, restaurants, and shops housed within heritage buildings of the former Gooderham and Worts Distillery. The 13 acres (5.3 ha) district comprises more than forty heritage buildings and ten streets, and is the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America.
I will do a separate post on this so this is just highlights.

Monday the closet guys came to rip out the closets and take down the wall.

Tuesday one guy came to fix the floor in the closet instead of patching he replaced the boards.
We were lucky the previous owner had left a box of the boards in the locker. He did a fabulous job.
When he left John touched up all the spots in the closets where they had removed a wall and also where the other shelves were.

Wednesday I went to Chinatown on the hunt for plant pots but no joy. I then came home while John went golfing. The closet guys were scheduled to finish on Thursday but they finished up on Wednesday and they look amazing!!

I immediately started arranging stuff in the office. There is so much space. The other side has an upper and lower racks for hanging clothes. There is another shelf at the top missing from this photo.

BEFORE it was L shaped with an alcove.

AFTER - doors at entrance to walk in closet.

Everything put away.

Pictures waiting to be hung. That large looking drawer is actually a pull out laundry basket.

Thursday I took a brief stroll down Bloor St. W  look at these cakes!

Then we went to Costco. Most of the day was spent putting stuff away.

This is the hall closet. So much space! There are also two hanging racks on the other side.

Above picture does not show the three sliding shoe shelves.

New doors on all closets! Don't mind the tools in the hallway.

Friday morning was devoted to laundry and other chores before we left for Taste Of Toronto.

Click here for Taste of Toronto 2014.
Click here for Taste of Toronto 2015.
This year's menu card.

This year's event took place at Fort York the same as other years. But instead of being within the Fort it was held in the park beside it. A perfect location with lots of shade trees and sitting spaces.
I'll only post a couple of photos here with more to come.

Lots of samples, we tried sapwater (really good) kale snacks, and bought scones and brownies.

From Barque The Bee's Knees - brisket burnt ends of crispy rice.

Fat Pasha - Za’atar Grilled Chicken, Hummus, Skhug,Tahini, Lemon, Pickle, Olive, Hot Pepper, Pita

The hummus was delicious.

What the heck is skhug??? It is the green sauce you see.
Hot sauce skhug is extremely popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. The sauce, a creation of the Yemeni kitchen, was brought to Israel by Yemeni Jews.
Here is a recipe that I will definitely be making.

Some soldiers from the Fort dropped by.

Beer delivery.

Saturday - leftover chicken a la orange
Sunday -   burger patty with gravy and cauliflower
Monday - meatloaf with sweet potato and white potato mash
Tuesday - leftover meatloaf with kale added to the mash.
Wednesday - ham, boiled potatoes and brussel sprouts (John golfing)
Thursday - we repeated Wednesday's
Friday - fried potatoes, ham and eggs.

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
International Taste of Toronto and Luminato Food Festival

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

Make My Saturday Sweet

 Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy.