Book Review: Picnic in Provence

Rosemary, Olive and Parmesan Sables

Picnic in Provence
Author: Elizabeth Bard

Picnic in Provence is the follow-up book to Lunch in Paris which did outstandingly well.  Her second book is definitely a winner too!

I loved reading this book!  Memoirs or biographies are not for everyone but this one was one that spoke to me in more ways than one. I picked it up from the library by chance as I saw it on display in the browsery. Sometimes you love a book when you read it at the right time in life and the timing of this book was perfect for me. 

Elizabeth had moved to Paris after meeting her husband and her second book chronicles three life changing moments: her move to Cereste, France (which is in the Provence region), her first three years as a new mom, and the opening of a new business in ice cream.  Similar to her first book (which I haven't read), she includes recipes.  So, along with descriptions of life in France, great recipes, the hardships of starting a new business, and the feelings of being a mom, I was interested in all of it.  If she had written this several years ago, I don't know if I would have appreciated her trials and joys as a mom.  But, I think I would have enjoyed the book nonetheless because of all the other aspects.

I started putting little slips of paper into the book to bookmark a recipe and found I had >10 recipes that interested me which is a lot! I can't say they are all unique as I found a similar titled one in another book of mine, but most seem relatively simple (important when you have a toddler), had ingredients that I liked, and a lot were unique in some way.  And it helps that she describes them in a way that makes you want to eat it NOW! 

What I loved...

- Her description of the places she has walked through and the people that have entered her life
- The recipes. I found good variety and as I mentioned, many that I would love to try. But, I've only tried two so far (they were pretty good) - when I have tried more, I'll likely update this space.
- I also really admire her openess about certain things, like how she had to work at being a mom.
- She wrote lines that resonated with me (below are some quotes).
- The difficulties they encountered moving from a big city to the countryside and also the difficulties of starting a new business (a true Labour of Love)
- Little bits of neat info, like how they went to harvest saffron.


What I'd love to see more of...

- I loved the amount of personal info, storytelling, info about the town and recipes offered.  Of course I could say I'd love to see more recipes and more about Cereste but then I'd be greedy! 



Spoiler Alert (well not exactly), here are some quotes from the book that I liked.  There are many more:

"The other day, Amandine let us in on a little secret: the village has a public fig tree. ... See, I wanted to say to my mom, we may not have the Metropolitan Opera, but we have a communal fig tree."

"Americans are used to instantaneous everything, including friendship. We get giddy, a little desperate. making a friend in France is like training a lion; you have to approach slowly, over time." - there is actually quite a bit of America vs France comparison.

"What I really enjoy about being in Cereste is the length of the days, the way time rolls out smoothly in front of us, like the gentle rise of the fields. Don't get me wrong - I'm still greedy, but now I am greedy for time. I crave it like big bowls of soupe d'epeautre padding my rib cage and warming my organs."

"When my mother wants to tell me she's proud of me (and, I'm lucky to say, this happens quuite often), she says: 'You're the best thing I've ever done.' "

"If I can launch a happy human being out into the world, as my mother launched me, it will be the best thing I've ever done, certainly the most important"

Talking about one of their friends Marion..."Listening to her talk about where we could find wild licorice root or the sweetest apricots was equivalent to having an imaginary map of Provence spread out on the table in front of us. Like churchill moving miniature warships, she could pinpoint the best producers for each fruit - sometimes right down to the tree."

"We had stumbled into an unlikely life. All the five-year plans in the world wouldn't have gotten us here. Yet it's exactly the right place to be."

Loved it and would recommend!

Tutto Pronto Ristorante - Good Food and Ambience

Polipo alla griglia (grilled octopus, cannellini beans, potatoes, EVOO pasley oil)

 

This was an invited tasting (thanks Zomato! #ZomatoXTuttoPronto), but as always, opinions are all my own.

 

Good Italian food and ambience.  Dimly lit but enough light to see your food, the candles and lighting pieces were very nice.  It feels a little rustic but very comfortable, loved it!  And if I were to sum up the dishes, I would say the sauces made the meal. The flavours were subtle but good, a nice round of dishes. 

 

Loved the lighting piece above the back bar area

 

Anna Maria (the owner) was also very pleasant and let the food speak for itself. Tutto Pronto actually started almost 12 years ago as a take-out and catering place. They still operate that portion of the business but a year into the business, the space next door became available and she took a leap of faith and opened the dining area we got the pleasure of dining in last week. Next year, they'll have an upper floor for event space/private functions and a roof top patio (love roof top patios) and I expect it to be just as well decorated as the current dining area.

 

We started the night with a number of appetizers, a small portion of pasta, an entree, and ended with dessert; traditional cannolis.

 

Appetizers...

 

My favourite of the night was actually the Polipo alla griglia or grilled octopus (pictured at top).  The octopus was slightly charred and not too chewy, quite tender actually.  There isn't an overly "sea water" taste to it and the accompanying beans and potatoes went well.  I think I especially liked the parsley oil, it added nice flavour to the dish, a little bit of zing without being spicy.  It was also a little more unique.

 

Arancini (rice balls stuffed with meat ragu, mozarella, peas)

 

Pizza Fritta

These pizza fritta's really grew on me, the bottom piece is fried and there was a certain taste to it that I found familiar but couldn't put my finger on it.  (I almost want to say that it somewhat tastes a little like the fried dough sticks you order with congee but a different texture, lol!)  It was quite good.

 

Cauliflower Fritters

Seems like cauliflower is on the menu at a lot of places these days.  The cauliflower was nicely battered, but it didn't have much going on in terms of flavour unfortunately.

 

Involtini di melanzane (eggplant, ricotta, spinach baked in tomato sauce)

 Always a fan of eggplant, this was not bad.  Light on the spinach though.

 

Pasta...

 

Casarecce alla siciliana (handmade pasta, roasted eggplant, fior di latte cheese, tomato basil sauce)

This was a very simple dish but the sauce was quite nice.  Not too sour/tart and seemed like there was a natural sweetness to the sauce that I believe is also homemade. Pasta was cooked well.  I don't know what the portion size would be like if you ordered this off the menu so you might not want to use the above photo as reference.

Main Entree...

By this time we were quite full.  But, I still managed to eat most of this plate.  The veal was a little "chewy" for me, but the sauce was a nice mushroom sauce.  Like I said, the sauces were quite good here.

Scaloppine al Marsala (veal in procini sauce with marsala wine)

Dessert...

Cannoli (ricotta and chocolate filled pastry shells)

Cannolis are always nice little sweet treats that are simple and not too sweet; it ended the meal nicely.

 

This is my first invited tasting and it really is nice to experience a night out such as this.  I will admit that when you are invited to such a tasting, you get great service (we did), so I can't comment on the regular service.  I'll most likely return as the food was good with a home-cooked feel, it's close to home and also moderately priced (after peeking at their menu online). 

 

Tutto Pronto Ristorante

1718 Avenue Rd

Toronto, ON

M5M 3Y6

http://www.tuttopronto.ca/about.html

 

 

Green Grotto Tea Room - Now Serving Downtown

 

 A few months ago I heard that there was going to be a downtown location for Green Grotto.  If you've been reading my blog, you should know that I've been a fan of Green Grotto for years.  I've even been to their first location at Yonge and Finch many, many years ago! 

The Warden and Steeles location has been my favorite for a number of reasons but I was dismayed that the food menu and drink quality did go down the last time I was there.  So, I was hoping this location would redeem themselves.  They don't have as many food items as the Markham location and only had one special, the rice special for $9.99 on weekdays 2-5pm.

Minced pork on rice + appetizer/side dish + drink.  Nice deal, but not for big eaters.  The mince pork on rice was a very small bowl (and doesn't come with egg), I would hope not their full size when ordered a la carte!  It was smaller than the free popcorn bowl (another plus for this place)!

The pork was good, saucy but not too fatty.  I selected the fried oysters as my appetizer which was not bad, comes with seafood sauce as the dipping sauce.  I might come back for this special, but I'm not sure if I'd come for the food in general since downtown there are so many other options.

Now, food being average is kinda expected at bubble tea places so how does the tea fare?  Ordered a hot ginger black milk tea and it was perfect for a chilly fall day.  Lots of ginger flavour, maltiness from the black tea and the right amount of sugar (I did not have to ask for an adjustment in sugar). 

Magazine selection again is above all other tea houses, but is slightly smaller than the Warden location.  Cafe ambience is the same as other locations with "cafe music" playing in the background. Service was quick and polite (but this is at 2pm on a weekday).

Definitely a good spot for downtowners to relax with a bubble tea and snacks or dessert.

Green Grotto Tea Room (Downtown Yonge)
35 Saint Joseph St
Toronto, ON M4Y 1J8

Bake Code (2) - Earl Grey Tea Flute & Mentaiko Baguette

Update on Bake Code Bakery - I have to admit, it is a bit of a let down when something you want to try is not there...so I was super excited when a couple of weeks ago (gosh, it's been a while!), I finally got to try the Earl Grey Tea Flute and Mentaiko Baguette. Happy to say they were very good! 

Mentaiko was savory and the baguette was crisp (be aware that it is a toasted baguette making it extra crispy).   The fish roe gave it a nice umami flavour and the butter spread has a hint of wasabi flavour (you can't tell by looking), just enough to be enjoyed.  So yummy!!

Earl Grey Tea Flute - the bread was nicely flavoured with the tea and although I was expecting the inside cream to be earl grey tea flavoured, it was actually whipped butter and sugar; still good though and worth a try. 

 

On my last visit, I did see the lemon tart and was going to get it but it was quite tiny!  I guess for $3.50 (or around that price) it won't be the size offered at French patisseries.  Anyway, can't wait to have these again or try even more breads.

 

Lamesa Filipino Kitchen - Hand to Mouth Dinner

A friend of mine was celebrating a birthday and she wanted to try out Lamesa Filipino Kitchen, specifically for their "Kamayan" Hand to Mouth Dinner.  It looked like a wonderful spread of food so I was more than happy to join.

Items on the menu
(We had grilled eggplant instead of okra and a pandan rice cake instead of ube cornbread)

The food is characterized as "modern" Filipino cuisine. Filipino cuisine was described to us as a mix of Chinese, Malay, and Spanish flavours and they tried to add a few twists to modernize it a bit at Lamesa.  The owner and chef "plate" the food for you on the banana leaves and explain a little about what you are being served.  This is really nice and why reservations are necessary.  The menu reads like there were quite a number of "dishes" but the first few items are actually sauces.  Despite this, we were still satisfied with what was offered (personally I would have liked larger vegetable portions though but that's just me...).

Favourite of the night were the clams, the lechon lettuce wrap, the garlic rice and the fried chicken.  I loved the flavour of the clams! Most other times when I get clams, it's done Chinese style with black beans and chili but this dish had coconut flavour to it which really made it stand out.  Only wish there was more!!  The fried chicken was crispy and it's different from the usual fried buttermilk chicken that is served at other places, this one had a unique flavour to it.  I almost want to say they used a bit of coconut milk in it but really can't say.  I actually love coconut milk in savory dishes more than desserts.

The fried garlic rice was also a hit.  Some of my dining companions were watching their carb intake so we didn't finish it but they provided an average portion.  The tricky thing is eating the rice with your hands!  It does clump together but could get messy.  And, if you're a germ-a-phobe, you'll either have to section off your food/rice at the beginning so others are not touching it with their fingers (because some items will be finger-linkin' good), or opt to leave a little bit of rice almost like a border.

The sauces were different in flavour and were also well done.  (Mango hot sauce is pictured above.)  I would say there were a few items that were just average like the grilled corn as there wasn't much going on with that, salad, and the eggplant too. 

Halo Halo

The pandan rice cake was just too small of a portion for dessert, so we also ordered a couple of Halo Halo desserts  which was a mix of crushed ice and different toppings (ube ice cream, peach jelly, rice krispies, and a bunch of other items I've forgotten).  It was pretty good, but unfortunately because we shared, it was a bit hard to tell how good all the components were. 

Decor has a bit of South East Asian charm

There were definitely some items that were better than others, but I quite enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Because you're eating sans-utensils, I felt like I slowed down my eating to enjoy the food more (or maybe because I didn't want to cause a mess, lol!). I'd recommend this place for an intimate dinner (maybe not first date) and for those looking to try new experiences. 

 

Lamesa Filipino Kitchen

669 Queen St. W

Toronto, ON M6J1E6 

T: 647-346-2377

http://www.lamesafilipinokitchen.com/

 

Open for dinner Tues-Sun and brunch on Sat/Sun.

 

 

 

  

Shu Uemura Canada - Gift with Purchase

I don't usually blog about makeup or beauty products, but I have to say I'm quite happy with the Shu Uemura Canadian site.  I've known for several years that Shu Uemura has a Canadian office so that means, no duties and they ship out really quickly!

I've been a fan of Shu Uemura cleansing oils for years after trying a number of different ones including DHC and Muji and have found Shu Uemura to work very well at removing makeup and when you buy the large bottle (450ml), it's quite cost effective.  A bottle can last me around 9 months.  I used to buy the cleansing oil from overseas beauty outlets but when I found out we had a Shu Uemura branch and the price was the same, I started ordering from them (shipping free over $75).  The bonus, they are always offering free gifts!! 

Here is a 5 piece gift that I got on my last order (sample sizes of three different cleansing oils, mini laque supreme lip gloss, tsuya emulsion, and a cosmetic bag).  And, they also include a free sample with your purchase (I selected the ultime8 sublime cleasing oil).  Love to take these samples size products with me when I travel (gosh it's been so long), but I will probably end up giving a couple of them to family or friends that want to try them out.
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This pic shows the lip gloss I missed in the top pic.
 

Chachago - New Kid on the Block

If you haven't been downtown near Eaton Centre lately, you'll be surprised to find a number of bubble tea places have opened within a 5-10 minute walk of Eaton's.

Chachago, a franchise from Taiwan,  recently opened on Elm St.  I'm not very familiar with this franchise but it seems like it'll be an okay place.

Signature drinks include a fresh taro milk tea which was recommended, so I went with it.  My first bubble tea ever was a taro milk tea and I loved it.  But, fresh taro milk tea is a little different from the powdered kind.  More "starchy" and definitely tastes like it should if you were to boil and make fresh taro root yourself.  It was good and I liked the milk tea (the powdered taro milk teas usually lack tea taste), but it was a bit chunky and I would have preferred it to be smooth.

I also got to try their regular bubble milk tea because now until the end of the month, they offer a BOGO; if you buy one of their 5 signature drinks, you'll get a free bubble milk tea.  They seem to only have one size drink, a large size at other places.  I liked their milk tea, it was flavourful and perfect for me at half sugar (I think full would be too sweet though).

Seating available and service was nice.

Chachago
3 Elm St.
Toronto, ON M5G 1H1
T: 416-591-7109