Hong Kong Pastries, Snacks and Other Delights

Because of British colonization, Hong Kong has developed a very interesting an unique type of cuisine that is separate from mainstream Cantonese fare.  The cha chaan teng, which I wrote about when this site was called Prospere Magazine is one of them, as are Hong Kong style pastry shops . Specialties include coconut tarts, pineapple […]

A Quick and Easy Peach Cobbler

Recently, I had an unexpected out of town visitor. Since I don’t see her very often, I wanted to welcome her with a sweet treat, but only had about an hour to bake something before she arrived. Luckily, my easy, quick peach cobbler came to the rescue. While I used peaches in this recipe because […]

Five Hong Kong Restaurants to Try

Hong Kong offers many amazing, top-tier restaurants as well as other, more affordable eateries of all types, not just Chinese food (as a Torontonian, I consider myself very spoiled when it comes to authentic Chinese cuisine.  To the point that I can’t name any Canadian-Chinese style eateries that serve egg rolls and crunchy “noodles” that […]

The Perfect Hors d’oeuvres: Mini Crab Cakes with Aioli

During party season, we often find ourselves entertaining friends and family. That being said, we usually try to find quick, easy-to-make, attractive hors d’oeuvres to feed our hungry guests. Crab cakes, before cooking My mini crab cakes pack all the flavourful punch of a full size crab cake, with an elegant twist of coming in […]

French Onion Soup, Done Right!

French onion soup is a classic favourite. It combines all the delicious flavours of hearty beef broth, melted cheese and sweet onions. It is excellent as a starter to a meal, or on its own. What really makes the flavours in French onion soup is the addition of red wine and brandy. If you’ve attempted […]

Gnocchi with Walnut Pesto

As the weather becomes colder, we look to delicious, hearty foods to keep us warm and satisfied through the fall and winter months.  One of my favourite cold weather dishes is gnocchi- an Italian potato-based creation that is deliciously dippable! Gnocchi is traditionally served with marinara sauce, but works well with any sauce. The menu […]

Toronto Raw/Vegan Festival 2011

The Toronto Raw/Vegan Festival held its annual event December 3 and 4, providing a bevy of information and displays on raw food and vegan living.  Vendors, speakers and chefs gathered together to promote the vegan and raw food lifestyle, showcasing vegan foods and products. The festival was well organized, and the vendors were generally friendly […]

From Shrine to Hockey to Shrine to Food: Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens Opens

Built in the heart of the Great Depression, Maple Leaf Gardens (aka “The Gardens”) was home to Toronto’s NHL team for decades, truly a part of Toronto’s cultural history.  Many people, especially those over a certain age, attended their first concerts at the venue.  Performers there have included Elvis, Frank Sinatra as well as Queen.  […]

Easy, Delicious Pumpkin Soup

After Hallowe’en many of us are left with the same situation and tradition of disposing a pumpkin or pumpkins! Now, in the great tradition of re-using what we already have in front of us let’s turn that pumpkin into something delicious and no, we’re not roasting seeds. Pumpkin soup is a great source of fibre, […]

Lee Chen Asian Diner, Part 2: The Mains

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Shanghainese-style dumplings at Lee Chen Asian Diner.  That was Part 1.  Part 2 is  about their main courses.  The menu at Lee Chen is somewhat smaller than many other Chinese/Asian restaurants, but many favourites, such as kung pao chicken and sweet and sour pork can be found.  […]