Making Elderberry Syrup

My little one was sick and then me, so blogging has not been a priority.  Starting to feel better and I realized I haven't posted on the elderberry syrup I made.  After my visit to Petit Nuage and then subsequent stop at North York Centre's farmer's market (open on Thursdays), I picked up a pint of elderberries.  They look so beautiful :)

I decided to make an elderberry syrup with them following David Lebovitz's recipe which was pretty simple.  The time consuming part as mentioned is de-stemming the little berries, which a pint took me about 20 minutes.  Since I only had a pint (250 g after de-stemming), I reduced the recipe to a quarter of the amounts.  Came out pretty good, but I think next time I'm going to try less sugar; would have liked it slightly more tart.

I've added to plain yogurt, made elderberry yogurt popsicles, and also tried it mixed with club soda and a squirt of lime.  

Side note: according to folk medicine, elderberries are supposed to have some effect on treating the flu...too bad I didn't load up on this before we got sick!  But, I'd be interesting in reading more studies on this.  

Week 34 Baking: Kinako Mille Crepe - Work in Progress

Happy Friday!

I've been humming and haaaing about posting this but I figured I should keep up with documenting each week of dessert making/baking sucesses and fails and any works in progress.  So, here you go, a kinako filled mille crepe cake. (Yes, more roasted soybean...when I get excited about a flavour I seem to want to eat a lot of it!)  This dessert was inspired by the Shingen roll cake at Neo Coffee Bar, which is filled with roasted soybean whipped cream.

I should also add that I've actually never eaten a mille crepe cake before, even with all the hype about Millie Creperie in Kensington, the Matcha Mille Crepe made by Christopher Siu of Master Chef Canada fame or any of the other mille crepe cakes in the city.  I do plan to try out Millie Creperie (or their sister shop Millie Patisserie which has tarts that I'm very interested in), but I was just a bit too eager to make kinako whipped cream that a mille crepe cake was the next thing that popped into my head. 

Oh, and just a little side reading for those that are interested in the dessert scene in Toronto, a good piece from Renee S. Suen in the Globe and Mail.

Needless to say, as you can see from the picture that it wasn't as light as it should be.  My crepes are quite thick and I will definitely need more practice making them! (I need to find that little stick that smooths out the batter.)  The photo was also taken soon after making, but when I let it sit for a couple of hours in the fridge to set, the layers were much more melded together. You'll also noticed I only made half a cake. Since I was testing, I didn't want to spend too much time on this.  So, I made 5 crepes, layered them, cut it in half and topped one side onto the other.  Voila!  Half a mille crepe cake, hahaha!

Alone, the kinako whipping cream tastes great. Layering it between the crepes I found decreased the amount of flavour so I'm going to need to add more kinako next time or test if it's because of the thickness of the crepes.

I do like the taste of the kinako whipped cream and think it can be used for other things, so here is a recipe:

Ingredients
1 cup of whipping cream
35g of granulated sugar
12g of kinako flour

Instructions
Start whipping the cream and gradually add the sugar.
When thickened, sift half the kinako flour into the cream, whip lightly until incorporated. 
Add the remaining kinako flour and whip again till incorporated.

(This was just enough to layer 5 crepes.)



Brand of roasted soy flour I used, purchased at PAT supermarket.

 

A Cafe named "Cafe"

 

"Cafe"
8 Glen Watford Drive (Dynasty Centre)
Toronto, ON M1S 2C1
T: (416) 321-3354

Last weekend we stumbled upon a HK Cafe called "Cafe" and was pleasantly surprised by the overall experience.  We originally were going to have dumplings in Scarborough but the parking lot was full so we drove to the nearby Dynasty Centre plaza and noticed an HK Cafe.  In Chinese, it's called "Cousin Cafe" but there is actually no English name except for the word "Cafe". 

 

Inside the decor is pretty nice (for an HK Cafe), tables are spaced well, and they have a pretty extensive menu with dinner specials under $10.  I went with one of my usuals, baked fish with spinach cream sauce on rice ($7.95).  It reminds me of Dickens, but I think a little light on the amount of fish.  Tastes very good though.  Dinner specials come with soup and a hot beverage (coffee/tea) and the usual add extra for a cold drink.  My partner got a beef and egg on rice noodle dish that tasted good and although the portion was okay, it was probably smaller than other locations.

I had a hot milk tea and it was okay but not as smooth, more astringent than other places. 

 

Staff were friendly and service was quick.  It was also nice that they asked if we wanted our beverages at the end of the meal (as would be custom at traditional cafes) or now...we opted for now.  All and all, not a bad place and because it's near Sheppard Ave E, quite easy to get to from the 401.

  

New Tea Places in Toronto

Gosh!  Tea shops have been sprouting up in Toronto like weeds, but unlike weeds, they are very welcome in my books!!  Here is a list of a few new places:

A new Chatime opened at Yonge and College (439 Yonge St) and today was their last day of BOGO (12- 6pm), sorry, couldn't post fast enough. But, the line up was long! Cash only right now and they don't have internet connection yet.  I ordered a hot roasted tea latte and it tasted good, service was okay, and you have to expect it's a little slow since some staff may be in training.  Seating is available but because of the line, most people were taking it to go. Couldn't really take pictures of the interior as there was way too many people, but when you first walk in, you notice the very shiny and quite beautiful copper Elektra machine.  (I had to look this brand up and Elektra is apparently an Italian manufacturer of espresso and cappuccino machines.)

 

 

The Mall at Langham Square in Markham has opened up a few that I'm thinking of trying soon.  Star Tea (28 S Unionville Avenue Unit 1037-1038) and Cofa Bubble Tea (1023-30 S Unionville).  But, with Cha Me Cha and ZenQ already in the same plaza/mall, it's might be tough for these places to survive.

 

And, FruiteaO tearoom is one in North York that has been open for a while but I only got to try it out last weekend.  We were eating at Haroo next door and I was interested to see if Fruiteao was going to offer anything that would make me come back.  Large selection of drinks and also serves Taiwanese dishes...(now I'm going to come back to try their food).  There is varied seating and a small selection of games.  There doesn't seem to be any restriction on board games here as many other tea places have started to enforce a no board game/card playing rule on Fridays and Saturdays.

 

Got the roasted oolong tea, less sugar.  Hmmm, still too sweet for me and the tea was just okay.  I'd give them another try though, especially because of the food.

 

FruiteaO

Roasted oolong tea at FruiteaO

 

Tea shops COMING SOON!

On one of my lunchtime walks, I came across this new place called Chachago (pictured above) that is supposed to be opening soon on Elm St, west of Yonge.

 

And just for those that like Green Grotto, they will be opening up two new locations. One in north Richmond Hill at Elgin Mills and Leslie and one downtown on St. Joseph street near Yonge and Wellesley, just east of the UofT campus. It should be interesting how well it does downtown. 

  

  

Snacks: Hmmm, What's That - Roasted Soy Melty Kiss

This box was one I had been eyeing, but waited for a sale to buy.  The flavour is roasted soybean which might sound odd but it‘s very good.

I've never actually had the "Meltykiss" line of chocolates.  They usually have strawberry and green tea which are two flavours I gravitate to but still, I've never had it.  The squares are small chocolate coated with a dusting of cocoa powder. Smaller than I expected but each bite is quite yummy. I also expected it to be very soft or "melty" in the centre but although it was soft, it was not really "melty".

So, what does roasted soy taste like?  I find it similar to peanut butter but not as strong and more umami tasting.  I've been a fan of roasted soy ever since I bought a package of roasted soy powder (kinako) to use in baking and making mochi.  You can find this at Korean, Chinese, or Japanese supermarkets.

I would purchase this again and also try the other flavours too!

 

 

Relaxing at Ste. Anne's Spa

A couple of my girlfriends were celebrating their birthdays this month and had planned a spa day at Ste. Anne's Spa, in Grafton, Ontario.  This was such a treat as I haven't been to a spa or had a massage in years!  It was definitely a splurge but sometimes you gotta do it!

First and foremost, it's a great place to relax! We were a group of 11 and our day was well organized.  The day spa package comes with lunch, afternoon tea, use of the facilities and $120 that can be used towards a spa treatment or massage.  There are quite a bit of amenities available like hot tub and cold plunge pool, eucalyptus steam room, outdoor pool and sun chairs, and a quiet lounge room with magazines and puzzles. There is also a gym but that was 1 km away...I figured, exercising was not for me today!  Some of us started by enjoying the eucalyptus steam room and then headed to the grotto area for a soak in the hot tub and a few were brave enough to jump into the cold plunge pool.  (Of course I hate the cold so none of that for me, hahaha!)  This was a great time for us to chat and gossip (and share beauty tips).

 And some of us headed to the pool...

One of the pathways...

You could have lunch and/or afternoon tea outdoors which overlooked the beautiful grounds.  But, we sat inside and because our group was so large, we were in a semi-private room as sometimes the conversation could get loud.

Loved that they have a garden supplying some of the greens and herbs for their meals, but it was a shame that extra care was not taken to provide the freshed greens. I had the kale salad which was tasty but did notice a couple of yellowing leaves; no big deal. But, some of my friends got the carrot and watercress salad and there was yellowing watercress plated, which my friends politely put to the side. Not the best impression. The other items were done well though.  I ordered the hamburger and it was quite tasty. They do raise cattle which I believe provided the beef for the hamburger which was interesting to note.

Dessert was okay, nothing fancy, 3 options available.

 

Mint chocolate cake

Spa service waiting room or just place to relax.  There is biscotti, tea, coffee and water available.

I had the swedish massage which was done outdoors in one of the gazebos (which is covered with drapes so you don't have to worry about others looking in). Loved the massage outdoors as it felt like you were somewhere tropical. I had an outdoor massage once in Bali and it had a similar feel; it was relaxing to have a warm breeze and just the sound of the outdoors was soothing.

 

 

Went to look at their garden and it was interesting to see the kale that they would have picked for my salad.  It's not very big but they do grow a number of vegetables and herbs.  On Mon, Wed, and Fri they do offer tours where the gardener is on-site to answer questions and highlight some of the items.  You can also read more about their greening practices here.  I also thought it was interesting that the water used at the spa comes from the natural spring that the spa is built on and the water is "recycled through the natural reedbed septic system".

 



The day was quickly going and soon it was time for our afternoon tea.  Afternoon tea was okay, but I I miss-read. There is a dessert plate, a savory plate, a fruit plate, and a sampler plate. My impression of a sampler plate is that you get a bit of each plate to sample. Since I'm big on desserts, I requested the dessert plate because I wanted to have all the desserts on offer. Well...I wish I got the sampler plate because the sampler plate is actually all the items in one plate!  So, what I'm saying is, get the sampler plate!  (On a side note: the gluten free bakery is actually quite a distance from the main building.  I would have loved to visit but unfortunately I wasn't in the mood to walk over a km to get there.)

 

Service was excellent though, and I think if I wanted to get any of the savory items, they would have provided a plate for me. Many of my friends ended up ordering 2 drinks without any fuss.  (The pepper hot chocolate was a hit!)  But, I was full and content so I didn't need to order anything extra.  Oh, yes...forgot to mention my tea.  I had a mixed Chinese white and green tea that was pear flavoured - average tasting.  But, earlier in the day, I tried their chocolate tea in the quiet lounge room and thought it was pretty nice.  Teas are available for purchase in the gift shop.

Sampler plate

Dessert plate

Overall, a lovely experience and definitely would go back!

  

De La Mer at the Ryerson Farmer's Market

 

De La Mer is a fish market/caterer that has several locations in Toronto and I've read good things about them but haven't gotten around to visiting.  When I saw they had a pop-up stand at the Ryerson Farmer's market, it was a surprise so I decided this could be a good introduction.  They only had 2 food options, a salmon burger or salmon sausage...salmon sausage?

 

My curiosity got to me so I ordered a salmon sausage.  It was good but different.  The salmon seemed cured and was a bit briny; different from your usual beef and pork sausages.  I got my sausage topped with tzatziki sauce and a type of mustard that I can't remember the name.  The mustard was a little too strong for me though, I couldn't really taste as much salmon.

 

Only $5 for a salmon burger or sausage, it's not a bad deal.