T and I decided to treat ourselves to an excursion outside of our resort (The Punta Cana Princess which btw was great) so we signed up for a package that included snorkelling, a catamaran ride, lunch, swimming in a sand bar(?), and a private beach. All for $189 and so worth it!

The restaurant that we went to was Il Cappuccino located in the Cap Cana Marina.

We had the best seafood there.

Get ready to drool….

This was a lovely crayfish salad that had crunchy veggies shrimp and calamari

For the main we were served a seafood platter with grilled lobster, shrimp, fish, calamari, veggies and fries

For dessert we had the most delicious vanilla ice cream with thin slices of pineapple. The vanilla had a really strong flavour and left a coconut-like after taste. At first, I had a hard time figuring out the flavour but the group consensus was vanilla. Anyone know where I can get vanilla like this in Canada?

The movie was terrible but the food left me hungry and craving for ramen.

My friend Y suggested Sansotei  Ramen for our girlaloo lunch so T and I decided to check it out beforehand.

The place is small, clean and there is a sense of polite urgency.

We weren’t  rushed or told to eat quickly (I mean who really would?) but we also felt that due to the small space it really isn’t a place where you can leisurely eat and chat for a couple of hours.

I suggest going there outside of the lunch and dinner rush because it can get pretty busy.

I ended up getting the tonkotsu ramen (pork belly, fungus) with the thin noodle. T chose the miso ramen which reminded me of soy sauce.

The broth was light and slightly salty and the pork belly melted in my mouth. T thought that the pork would have been better if it was crunchy but I liked that it was soft and delicate.

The dish was light but with the addition of the pork belly rich at the same time.

In The Ramen Girl the maker of ramen infused the broth with their spirit/feelings so I was hoping to get a whiff of that with my ramen.

T thought that it was silly idea but I like to think otherwise.

Spirit or no spirit the ramen warmed me up.

A perfect meal for those chilly winter days!

Sansotei Ramen

179 Dundas St W.
Toronto, ON M5G1Z8

Delicious, soft-melt-in-your-mouth  handmade milk chocolatey goodness by M Thompson Chocolates in Toronto.

The chocolate smoothies were not too rich and they did not leave that sickly over sweet after taste.

I could have eaten the whole box on my own but I had to share with T.

I think that we were also told that the chocolates were gluten-free. I am not 100% sure so if you have gluten allergies, it is best to double check with the company.

The packaging is gorgeous and the product is delish.

T tried the mint chocolate option but I preferred the milk smoothie.

They do party favours as well so I am considering giving chocolate favours if I decide to have a wedding party.

Mmmmmm yummmmm…..

I was craving garlic pasta and thinking back I remembered an episode from David Rocco’s La Dolce Vita where he did his take on pasta with garlic.

I don’t remember the exact recipe but I had a massive garlic craving one night and decided to wing it.

So here goes.

You will need:

Pasta of your choice (I used egg pappardelle because it cooked really quickly)

Minced garlic (I used a pre-chopped garlic for convenience, and loads of it)

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

Pepper flakes

Finely chopped parsley

1. Cook the pasta as per the package directions.

2. Heat a pan to medium and add garlic (as much as you want) and oil (be generous with the oil as this is the “sauce”). As soon as the sizzling sound starts turn the heat to low. The idea here is to infuse the oil with the garlic. You can add the pepper flakes as well for a bit of a kick. When the garlic turns light brown, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner.

3. Strain the pasta and combine with the garlic/pepper infusion. Add salt/pepper and the parsley. Toss and serve.

And you get this:

I added spinach as well!

So when a simple recipe idea comes my way, I almost always jump at the chance to try it.

I always find that the words easy, and simple always put me in a positive mood when attempting to cook or bake anything.

I think it’s because fancy terms leave me feeling a bit daunted.  Fancy is fine but for a novice in the kitchen small doses of fancy goes a long way.

My foodie friend Shari K introduced me to Claire Robinson’s 5 Ingredient Fix and I consider her recipes a universe-send.

Hello? 5 ingredients. Even I can’t screw up.

Since American Thanksgiving is coming up, I wanted to share this super easy ginger pumpkin tart recipe and video:

Ingredients

Ginger cookies -55 pieces (2.5 cup of crumbs)

Butter – 6 tbsp melted

Pumpkin puree – 1 can

Condensed milk – 3/4 cup

Egg yolks – 2

Removable bottom tart shell – 9 inches

Easy and oh-so-good. Enjoy!

I usually prefer a plate of fruit to start followed by eggs and bacon.

Most of the time I avoid the potato options because more often than not they come out oily and heavy.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I had the breakfast potatoes at the Windsor Arms Hotel in their tea room during the Rimmel/Bachelor Canada event.

They were light, crispy, delicate and nicely salted. It was a melt in my mouth moment.

The BEST breakfast potatoes that I’ve had in a long time.

They were so good that I ended up polishing the entire thing and leaving the egg omelette almost intact.

And that rarely happens since I am such an egg lover.

Egg omelet with breakfast potatoes

Gorgeous table setting

Windsor Arms Hotel

18 St. Thomas St.
Toronto, Ontario Canada

I always order it even though I tell myself (over and over again) that I should branch out and try something different.

I have to have the bellini, dammit!

If you’ve never been you have to have their bellini at least once.

Some people may also argue that the spinach and artichoke dip should be a must have as well.

Another item that I would like to add to the must have list is the roasted garlic caesar salad.

Their caesar salad is quite memorable.

I think it was the roasted garlic that got me hooked.

What I love about their caesar is that the lettuce is always cool and crisp, the dressing is nice and they almost always serve it with some roasted garlic.

I can never have enough garlic flavour so next time I will ask for extra garlic.

I LOVE, love this salad.

The only comment that I will make is that the pancetta is not always present. Sometimes it’s there and sometimes it’s not there.

I care more about the garlic so I don’t miss it too much but I’ve ordered it at least 6 times so far this year and it’s only made an appearance once.  It would be nice if it appeared more consistently.

Roasted Garlic Caesar salad with crisp pancetta (missing), Reggiano, cheese, Asiago cheese, fresh romaine, a ciabatta crostini, and caesar dressing

Find a Milestones Grill + Bar location

My ideal fried chicken would include a crispy, crunchy batter that is nicely seasoned with warm chicken meat that is tender and moist.

When I bite into this dream fried chicken of mine the experience should evoke warm summer days that would be accompanied with creamy mashed potatoes, coke and hot biscuits. I’ve never had a proper southern dinner made by someone’s nanna but this is what I envision it to be like

That being said, I had some fantastic fried chicken when I was in Washington DC a few months ago. My friend Raph recommended this place because Oprah is friends with the executive chef + it had some great reviews.

This is pretty close to my fried chicken dreams:

FRIED FREE RANGE CHICKEN FOR TWO buttermilk brined, served with sides of scallion mashed potatoes, braised greens, black pepper gravy

Art  and Soul

415 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

They carry specialty chocolates, cookies, gelato and beverages.

The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. It is definitely one of my favourite dessert places in Toronto.

The snappy almond crisps are my favourite. Light with a delicate crunch and subtle almond flavour.

Delish!

I’ve given SOMA treats as party favours and as gifts. They’re a big hit and everyone enjoys them.

Other recommendations:

(I am working off memory so I might get the names wrong)

* mayan hot chocolate (if you love spice!)

* choc0late/nut  tumblers (the chocolate coated corn was interesting to eat)

* chewy almond cookies (if you’re lucky you will come upon a batch that is softly chewy…I ate the whole thing in one sitting)

* pistachio gelato

Snappy Handmade Almond Crisps

My SOMA goody bag from a previous birthday

SOMA Chocolate

55 Mill Street, Toronto

443 King Street West, Toronto

The porcini mushroom fettucini was to die for and I did not forget about the experience.

2 words — Velvety Goodness.

It was like eating a plate of sensuality. Silky and buttery soft. I could not stop ooohing and mmmmmming out loud.

It was that good!

I ordered this off the summer menu (it came with appetizer and dessert) and at that time it contained some veggies.  At the top of my head I could not remember the name but a quick look at the online menu and a ha!

And it’s a good thing that I found it and saved myself the embarrassment of having to ooooh and mmmm to the waiter in order to describe it.

The next time you are at Forget About It in Toronto, tell me how you like!

xoxo

Fettucini with porcini mushrooms in a white wine reduction

Forget About It

325 King Street West, Toronto