Gluten-free and dairy-free buckwheat-grapefruit cake

Hello again.

I made this cake when I was craving a plain baked good. Something humble and rustic, something that would be good served alongside a dollop of whipped cream or simply dusted with icing sugar. And since I had a bag of buckwheat flour, I used it. I really like buckwheat in baked goods, though you have to make sure not to be too heavy-handed or it can get, well, heavy. And dense.

This is a good flour combination that keeps the crumb light. Feel free to play around with it. I made this cake without the grapefruit for some friends who were over for the evening, including my friend Meghan who is very lactose-intolerant. I then made it again, in cupcake form, for Meghan for her first day of teaching Grade 3. I figured she could use a little boost. I decided to add some grapefruit and I think it worked quite well. The glaze makes the cakes very moist and a bit messy to eat, but they don’t fall apart.

As for what’s happening in my life besides cake: We are enjoying the end of summer and the start of fall. Trying to find new rhythms and new routines and stick with them. An ongoing struggle. The past few weeks I have managed to fully plan our week’s suppers in advance, and between Jacques and I, we have executed them. With not too much difficulty. This, I believe, is a victory. It takes time and effort. But it’s worth it.

Gluten-free and dairy-free buckwheat grapefruit cake

Makes one 8 or 9-inch cake or 12 cupcakes

Cake:
1 tablespoon grapefruit zest (from about one large grapefruit)
130 grams granulated sugar
6 tablespoons dairy-free margarine* (or butter if you can eat dairy), at room temperature
40 g. buckwheat flour
30 g. gluten-free oat flour**
50 g. sorghum flour
35 g. sweet rice flour
35 g. tapioca starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup (118 ml) coconut milk (you could sub almond milk or cow’s milk here)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Glaze***:
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8 or 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. If using muffin tins, you can butter them, but a little bit of cake will stick to the bottom of each one. I might try liners the next time.

Measure your sugar into a medium-t0-large bowl and add the grapefruit zest. With your fingers, squish the zest into the sugar until there are no clumps. It should smell fragrant. This will allow the grapefruit oils to flavour the sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt.

Add the margarine or butter to the sugar and zest and beat with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add the dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan or cupcake tins. If making cupcakes, only fill tins just over half full. It should make twelve cupcakes.

If making a cake, bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake until set and a tester comes out free of crumbs, about 30 more minutes.

If making cupcakes, bake for 5 minutes at 350°F and then turn oven down to 325°F and bake until a tester comes out free of crumbs, about 15 more minutes.

While cake is baking, make your glaze. Whisk together the juice and powdered sugar in a bowl until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Add more sugar or juice to get the consistency you like.

Once finished baking, let the cake(s) cool in the pan on a rack. When it’s not hot anymore but still warm, unmold onto a plate. Drizzle the glaze overtop, letting it drip down the sides. Some will soak into the cake.

* My favourite dairy-free margarine is Earth Balance.

** Most oats are not gluten-free. Make sure you buy oats or oat flour labelled gluten-free. My favourite brand available in Edmonton is Only Oats, which sells rolled, quick, and steel-cut oats as well as oat flour, oat bran, and some muffin and cookie mixes. I usually make my own oat flour by blitzing oats in the food processor. It is not as fine as commercial oat flour but it works well in most recipes, including this one.

*** If you don’t feel like a glaze, simply eat the cake plain, or sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve with fresh fruit and/or whipped cream.

Honey Lemonade

Back again after 7 months. So I'd like to take things slow.

Let's talk about honey lemonade. It's really the perfect summer drink. Refreshing and just sweet enough for me. And as you'll see, very versatile.

A few weeks ago I read about the benefits of drinking hot water with lemon first thing in the morning, before coffee. I decided to give it a try. I didn't notice any physical benefits, like feeling more awake or healthier, but I did realize I actually love the taste of hot water and lemon. As much as that makes me sound like I'm 80 years old.

Cactus Club Cafe–Jasper Avenue, Edmonton

Though I'm still struggling to figure out how this blog will fit into my new life, I thought I'd take the opportunity to pop back in and tell you about a restaurant reception I attended last week.

A new Cactus Club Cafe just opened up right in our neighbourhood, at 11130 Jasper Avenue. I was invited to the soft opening reception and took my good friend Irene (Jacques graciously offered to stay home so we wouldn't have to get a babysitter to give Lucie supper and put her to bed).

It was a lovely evening and made us both feel like celebrities, which isn't a bad thing once in a while. I'm sometimes invited to these types of events, but I rarely attend, mostly due to scheduling or because they're difficult to get to on public transport. But this restaurant is so close by that it was easy. And sometimes it's nice to say yes to an evening of free wine and food.

Cactus Club Cafe is a chain that started in Vancouver, and now has over two dozen restaurants across BC and in Edmonton. This is its second Edmonton location, with one at West Edmonton Mall already. The restaurant on Jasper is large, taking up almost the entire front of the building on the corner of Jasper and 111 st. It also boasts a large patio right on the street, complete with small trees and heating lamps (it was closed while we were there, but I noticed now that the restaurant is open for business, the patio is also open). It will be nice to have another big patio in the area come summer. It's also nice to see a new dining option in the Oliver neighbourhood, and so close by to us.

Before the reception, I emailed the media contact to let her know I had celiac disease, and the restaurant was very accommodating. There were several dishes I couldn't eat, but the kitchen also prepared a few small bites just for me, and I was pretty impressed with that. All of the food was delicious, and Irene loved everything she ate too. The wine also flowed freely throughout the evening.

I didn't find the restaurant space particularly exciting, though it was comfortable, with large booths and tables surrounding a bar in the centre of the room. The restaurant is divided into two sections, with the lounge, where we were, on one side and a more formal dining room on the other.

I wasn't really on my blogging game and missed taking any photos of the food, but the tuna tataki with avocado and citrus was a highlight, as well as the quinoa salad with pecans and feta cheese. Irene especially loved the mini bbq duck club sandwich on raisin bread, with crispy duck bacon, and the pineapple hoisin short rib bites.

There were many people from the Cactus Club staff, including managers and the owner, who were in from Vancouver for the opening, and several of them came over and chatted with us. Probably the best part of the evening was getting to meet Chef Matthew Stowe, Cactus Club's head of product development. Matthew is also the winner of Top Chef Canada Season 3. I must admit I've never watched the show, but Jacques and I love the original American series.

We chatted with Matthew and asked him questions about his career and his experience on the show, which was really interesting. He said the producers will often make contestants out to be something they're not, and edit people's comments so they are played completely out of context. Though I'm not really surprised, it was good to get that confirmation. Stowe seemed like a down-to-earth, humble guy, and I'm curious to search some clips from his season and see what he was like on the show.

All in all, it was a treat to be out on the town enjoying good food and wine. I think with this new location being so close, we'll definitely be visiting Cactus Club Cafe in the future.

Cactus Club Cafe
11130 Jasper Ave.
Edmonton, AB
http://www.cactusclubcafe.com

And now for a little perspective, here’s  my usual mealtime view:

I couldn’t check in here without adding a photo of la belle Lucie. Hope to be back soon.

Gluten-free vanilla birthday cake

Many months have passed since I last visited this space. My baby has grown into a one-year old. I am now back at work full-time. And for the past four weeks Jacques has been away in Newfoundland on an opera training program, and I’ve been parenting on my own.

For two weeks my mother was here, and it was quite wonderful. She helped enormously with household chores, and just playing with Lucie and cleaning her up and changing her diaper when I needed a minute longer to drink my tea or get dressed.

Since Mom left I’ve had lots of help from my many marvellous friends. But it’s been hard at times. Work is very busy, and when I get home there are a million things to do before I can sit for a few minutes and relax before I go to bed and start all over again.

But I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. Life has been great overall. I’m in a job that I really love, Lucie has taken to daycare like a fish to water, and Jacques is doing incredibly well. All I can say is single parents are to be very admired. Very, very admired.

Well, let’s move onto some food talk, shall we?

A few weeks ago, I made Lucie a birthday cake. I wanted it to be the same as the cakes my Mom always made me when I was a kid. Sometimes she did fancy shapes or new recipes, but the one I remember with the most fondness was called Nanny’s Hot Milk Cake.

It’s basically a plain vanilla cake, but of the best quality. It’s tender and light with a beautiful crumb, sweet but not too sweet, and golden brown on top.  I’m not sure if heating the milk makes a huge difference, but since it’s always delicious, why mess with it? The frosting – a plain, simple buttercream – was customizable, and as a child I remember adoring the peppermint kind.

I set out to recreate this cake, gluten-free, for Lucie’s first birthday. I added some ground almonds to the first one I made, and that turned out to be a mistake. I think they added too much weight and density, because the cake turned out eggy and flat.

The second time, I tweaked the flour mixture, and came away with a winner. I used more starches and fewer whole grains than I usually do, but this is a special occasion cake. It doesn’t taste exactly like the one from my childhood, but pretty darn close. Most importantly, it’s tender, moist and fluffy. And everyone at Lucie’s birthday party enjoyed it.

Lucie was recovering from stomach flu on the day of her party and didn’t even taste the cake. But I don’t think she cared much. I’m sure she’ll grow to love Nanny’s Hot Milk Cake just like I did.

Bonne fete ma belle, belle cocotte!

Gluten-free Vanilla Birthday Cake

Makes two 8 or 9-inch layers. Halve the recipe for one layer. This also makes wonderful cupcakes. One layer equals about 12 cupcakes.

1 cup milk
4 eggs
1. 5 cups white sugar
92 g. sorghum flour
68 g. white rice flour
40 g. sweet rice flour
56 g. potato starch
20 g. tapioca starch
4 tsp. baking powder
56 g. (1/4 cup) butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour your cake pans. You can use 8-inch or 9-inch round pans, or even 8 x 8-inch square pans if you prefer.

Put milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Don’t let it boil. Remove from heat when it is scalded – there will be tiny bubbles around the edge and steam rising from it.

Meanwhile, break eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light yellow and creamy. Keep a close watch on the milk.

Add sugar to eggs and beat until thickened.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and add to sugar and eggs about half at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add vanilla extract and mix in well.

Add butter to the hot milk and stir a few times until it melts. Pour into the cake mixture and fold gently until it is all mixed in. The batter will be quite liquidy.

Pour batter into pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The original recipe calls for less time, but my cakes took about 40 minutes. When done, they will be golden brown on top and a tester inserted into the centre will come out clean.

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup (113 g) softened butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla, almond extract, peppermint extract, etc. *

Cream butter with an electric mixer until smooth and soft.

Add sugar a little bit at a time, until mixture becomes quite stiff  (do not add it all).

Stir in about half the milk and beat well.

Add the rest of the sugar, the milk and the flavouring.

Beat until smooth and light. This takes a lot of beating. The frosting will increase in volume and become fluffy.

Wait until cakes have cooled completely before frosting.

*Variation with Chocolate: Add 2 squares (56 g.) of melted, unsweetened chocolate to the frosting in the last step.

Easter brunch and a cocktail for spring

Happy Easter! We don’t really celebrate, but any holiday is a chance to eat some great food. We had friends over for brunch this morning and I must say, the meal came together beautifully.

I made Quiche Lorraine with real cream! Which never happens. It also had bacon and gruyere, so triple goodness. And to really go all out, I also made the richest of rich chocolate cakes, topped with a huge billowing mound of whipped cream. Don’t worry, we had a salad too.

The cake was truly wonderful. Flourless, rich, soft, and fudgy with a crackly, sugary top. Almost a cross between a cake and custard. And that wonderful whipped cream on top, combined with a bit of mascarpone cheese for yes, more richness. But somehow it wasn’t all too much, and I think it’s because the cake is not that sweet. I used a regular supermarket bar of dark chocolate that was probably not more than 60 percent, yet the cake had a beautiful bitterness.  The recipe comes from the March issue of Bon Appétit. (but you can also find it here.)

There were also grapefruit juice-whiskey cocktails that I kind of threw together after looking at a few recipes online. They were deliciously refreshing, a mix of sour and sweet, with a lovely herbal note from the rosemary simple syrup. So good I thought I’d share with you. Even though grapefruits are a winter staple, this drink made me think of spring.

Grapefruit-Whiskey Cocktails for Spring

Makes one not-very-strong drink. Add more whiskey if desired! Feel free to play around with the proportions here as much as you’d like – I was mixing with a pretty free hand.

1 oz. whiskey (I used Jack Daniel’s honey whiskey which is a bit sweet, but I’m sure regular whiskey would work fine)
1 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 oz. rosemary simple syrup (recipe follows – you could also use mint simple syrup)
1/2 oz. (or more) lime juice
1/2 oz (or more) water

Put a couple of ice cubes in a small glass. Pour the whiskey over, followed by the grapefruit juice, syrup, and lime juice. Add the water and taste. Add more lime juice or water if desired.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and 2 rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn heat down and leave at  a simmer for a few minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes for the rosemary to infuse. Let cool, remove rosemary, and store in a jar in the fridge. This is also delicious stirred into sparkling water.

Roasted Cauliflower

This isn’t so much a recipe as an idea. An idea you should definitely try. Every time I make this Jacques says, “Why doesn’t everybody roast their cauliflower?” And maybe you do already. But I only started doing it a few months ago after reading about it somewhere, so in case you haven’t tried it yet, do so.

As is the case with many other vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, sweet potato…) roasting brings out these amazingly sweet flavours in cauliflower. Flavours I didn’t know existed. It comes out burnished and crispy, the perfect side to a piece of meat or fish. I’m sure it would also be wonderful tossed with pasta with some parmesan, maybe fresh tomatoes and capers.

Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 2

One small head cauliflower, about 1.5 lbs.
2 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
about 6 grinds black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the outer leaves and stem from the cauliflower. Chop, or break up with your hands, into small to medium-sized florets. Chops the stems into bite-sized pieces. Toss in a large bowl with the oil, salt and pepper. Taste to see if there is enough salt. You could also add herbs and spices if you like.

Spread out in an even layer on a sheet pan. Roast for about 30 minutes, checking half-way through and turning with a spatula. When done, cauliflower should be tender and golden-brown in spots.

What’s New

Lucie is now ten months old. The moments, they are flying by fast. So fast. She crawls a mean streak, moving from room to room with ease. Standing is also a favourite activity. As is clapping her hands, and grinning.

She is eating all sorts of foods, usually whatever I cook for myself and Jacques. She’s taken a liking to pancakes and lately has eaten whole bananas in one sitting. She likes eating with her fingers more and more, often pushing the spoon away. She has an extremely cute way of pushing pieces of food into her mouth with her index finger.

When I think about having to leave her for eight hours at a time to go to work, my heart feels tight. I’m not sure I’ll be able to bear it.

I go back to work April 29th. I’m ready, and also not ready at all. This past year has been the longest and shortest of my life.  Long because it feels like about 10 years ago that I lay in that hospital bed and looked at my daughter for the first time. Short because I can’t believe how big she is already. Soon she will be walking and talking. Soon she will be a toddler. How did this happen?

Those of you who are still reading may have noticed this space really languished the past few months. I’ve struggled to regularly post about what I’m cooking and eating. Not because it’s not good - I’ve made a lot of great things in the kitchen lately. I just can’t seem to organize myself to photograph them and write about them.

Of course everyone says, “Oh, you’re a new Mom, you must be so busy, I’m sure you don’t have time to blog!” Well, yes and no, people. When I talk to other parents with kids under one I feel incredibly grateful. Of course parenting takes time – most days lunch, for example, is never finished in under an hour – but Lucie is so happy to play by herself that I usually have lots of time to accomplish my own things during the course of the day. 

So I really have no excuse. And I’m not here to make excuses anyway. I think I’m trying to figure out what this space is now that my life has changed so, so much. I feel the urge to write about Lucie, about my family life, and I don’t really want to quell that urge. Of course I still want to write about food too. I hope I can come to a happy medium.

Now that the evenings are longer there is hope for taking some decent photographs of the food I’ve been cooking. There is a wonderfully tasty and easy kale pesto I’d really like to share with you. A divine tomato sauce that we’ve been inhaling lately. Some beautiful cheese buns that are a cinch to make and addictive to eat. I hope that I will back before long with a few of these recipes to share.

In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the days with my daughter. Her bubbly laughs, her fierce determination, the amazing sounds she makes when she sees another baby on the street. And I’ll go from there.

Wild Earth Cafe, Edmonton

Wild Earth is the cafe I wish I had in my neighbourhood. It’s in Mill Creek, so I don’t get over there very often, but when I do I remember how much I love it.

Back in the fall I wrote a post about great cafes in Toronto, and bemoaned the lack of such good ones here in Edmonton. After writing that I thought about it some more, and I spent some more time at Transcend Cafe in Garneau, about a 15 minute walk from our apartment. I realized Transcend was actually the kind of cafe I was looking for – a comfortable vibe and delicious coffee. It does get busy, so it’s best to go during the week if you want a place to sit. The one thing they are lacking is a nice choice of GF sweets. I enjoy their gluten-free pao de quiejo, tapioca starch cheese buns, but they’re a unique treat that I’m not always in the mood for. 

Wild Earth has the whole package. Great atmosphere, delicious coffee, and a wide array of GF and non-GF sweets and main dishes. It is also a bakery that sells a variety of breads and sweets to take home (one of them is a GF cookie mix). We walked over there last week with our friend Irene, when the weather was nice. It’s not a short walk, about 45 minutes, so the trip felt like a special event. As I sat and savoured my latte and cookie, I realized that if Wild Earth was in my neighbourhood I would be there very often.

Let me tell you about that cookie. It was labelled a “monster” cookie, though I’m not exactly sure what that means. It was on the large side, about 5 inches wide, with the deep taste of brown sugar, and peppered with chocolate chips,  nuts, and oats. It was baked perfectly, so it was crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Perfect for coffee-dipping. That’s my kind of cookie.

It was a delightful afternoon. We chatted and played with Lucie (who seems quite close to crawling). We lingered over our drinks. I love getting out of the neighbourhood and into different parts of the city, especially when it involves a beautiful walk along the river valley, and great cafes like this one. 

What are your favourite Edmonton cafes?

P.S. Just looked at the website and realized Wild Earth has a newish location in the Epcor Tower downtown! I will have to check that out soon.

Wild Earth Cafe
8902 99 st.
(also locations in Laurier Heights and Downtown)
Edmonton, AB

Happy Holidays

It has been a few weeks of some good celebrating around here. We kicked things off with an amazing supper at the Red Ox Inn for our fifth anniversary on December 16th, then followed it up with a champagne breakfast the next morning at home.

Last week there were some elaborate Christmas preparations, including many cookies baked (you have to try these gems) and my first gluten-free Acadian pâté (meat pie), which was a resounding success on Christmas morning.

There was lots of feasting in the past few days, with turkey dinner on Christmas eve at Jacques’ brother’s house, and a 13-pound fresh ham here for Christmas dinner. More meat has been consumed in the past week than we usually eat in months – and there is lots left in the fridge.

(Just noticed in the above picture that of course, the Sriracha makes an appearance even on the Christmas table)

Another hit was our first homemade rillettes – made, surprisingly, with sardines. Rillettes is usually made with pork or other meat that is shredded and mixed with its own fat, then spread on bread. We fell in love with it in France a few years ago. The rillettes made with sardines was different, of course, but with green onions, cream cheese and lots of lemon juice, it was absolutely delicious.

I also made our traditional Danish rice pudding for Christmas eve. This time we swapped out the almonds for hazelnuts and walnuts and it was fantastic.

Something else amazing we discovered this holiday season? Mulled wine! I used this recipe (minus the eau-de-vie) and it got raves at our holiday party. Definitely going on the annual favourites list.

Lucie was, of course, incredibly spoiled with many beautiful gifts. This time of year definitely makes us realize how loved she is. Our gifts for her grandparents were photo books I made online with the best shots from her first six months. I was so excited to make and send these, and it was great to see my mom and Jacques’ parents open them over Skype. The reactions were great!

After looking at several sites I decided to make the book using Pinhole Press. Though it was on the pricier side, I really liked their designs and I’m really happy with the end result. I’m sure I’ll be creating more of these books as Lucie grows. We also received a beautiful photo book of my sister’s baby, Cash. So lovely!

As wonderful as the holidays are, I am really looking forward to starting the new year and getting back into routines. It’s kind of a crazy thing to say, since my life right now has very few routines compared to the way it used to be. But seeing January 1st on the calendar really makes me think about life in a new way, even now. It’s a time to set new goals and create new habits, and reflect on the past year. 

I hope to be back in a few days to talk about just that. For now, I hope you all enjoy the rest of the holiday season!

Gluten-free apple spice cake for six months

Lucie turned six months old the other day. And we held a little party.

Why not celebrate six months? It seems like a pretty big accomplishment to us. Recently, I was talking to my sister, whose baby boy is 4 and a half months, and we both said we used to wonder why parents held parties for little kids. What’s the point? we thought. Like the kid cares. It’s all for the parents.

Now we get it. Exactly! It is all for the parents. And the parents need those parties. It’s a way to say, “Look! We made it! You are six months old and you are still alive and healthy and happy!”

Coffee in Halifax

Still playing catch-up around here, and this one is a long time coming. I wanted to write about these cafes a year ago after I visited them in summer 2011, but it just never happened. On our trip to Halifax this past September, I stopped in at one of them again, and I’d like to tell you about it.

Gluten-free Nova Scotia oatcakes

Growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, oatcakes were a coffee shop staple. A cross between a cookie and a biscuit, they were the size of pucks and nearly an inch thick, and sometimes dipped in chocolate. I remember often buying them and almost always being disappointed – they were usually far too sweet and far too dry, with a texture reminiscent of sawdust. But somehow I couldn’t stop giving in to the oatcake temptation.

I was reminded of oatcakes a couple of years ago when talking to a colleague who worked in Nova Scotia for a while. During that conversation I realized for the first time how regional the oatcake is. I had never thought about the fact that I didn’t really see them anywhere but in Nova Scotia.

The Junction

I’d like to tell you a bit more about Claire and Alex’s great neighbourhood in Toronto. I feel I got to know it fairly well after staying with them for three weeks and getting out and about quite a bit.

(P.S.- can you believe the Junction was a dry neighbourhood until 2000?? That explains why there are still very few liquor stores…)

I’ve already talked about Crema – a great neighbourhood coffee shop – and the Junction Farmers’ Market. Here are a few other highlights:

Toronto Farmers’ Markets

Since I was in Toronto for three weeks, Claire and I had lots of time to visit different farmers’ markets around the city – another one of our favourite pastimes. I was there in late August and September and this was the perfect time of year for these markets. The produce stands were full to bursting with a rainbow of tomatoes, peppers, greens, fresh beans, zucchini, mushrooms, corn, and summer fruits like berries, peaches and nectarines.

In the summertime in Toronto, you could visit a farmers’ market nearly every day of the week. And, unlike Edmonton, which also has its fair share of farmers’ markets, all the ones in Toronto seem to be accessible by public transit.

Hooked Fish Store – Toronto, ON

One of the reasons Claire and I went to Leslieville was to visit Hooked. Claire is a chef and she had heard from her colleagues about this great fish store. I haven’t been to many fish stores, but Hooked is an incredibly cool place. Its focus is on sustainably caught fish and seafood. The two owners, a husband-and-wife team, are professional chefs who really care about where their fish comes from. They buy direct from fish farmers and fishers across Canada. There is tons of selection, and the staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Overall it’s just a beautiful place to shop. They also carry a selection of sauces, marinades and pickles made in-store to complement your fish meal. Hooked even runs a teaching kitchen where you can take classes on fish preparation.

We picked up some oysters and fresh sardines for supper. It was a delicious fish feast, and only my second time eating oysters. The first time was after my father’s funeral 8 years ago, and I wasn’t a fan of the slippery sensation. This time I really enjoyed them! The taste reminded me of mussels, and I loved the salty brininess. They tasted like the sea. Dad loved oysters, and I think he would have been pretty proud to see his chef daughter cracking them open and the three of us knocking them back.

We broiled the sardines, and their firm, creamy flesh had an incredibly rich flavour. They were, however, on the large side (about 8 inches long) and full of bones. The meal was a long one – and at the end of it, we were all left with sticky fingers and plates covered in tiny fish bones. But it was worth it.

Hooked
888 Queen Street East
206 Baldwin Street
Toronto, ON

Coffee with babies

Toronto has some great cafes. Like, really great. So great that I was spoiled for three weeks, and missed them once I was back in Edmonton.

I don’t mean to say Edmonton doesn’t have any good cafes, because it does. A few of my favourites are Credo, Transcend, Remedy, da Capo, and Elm. But to my mind, none of them manage to combine great coffee and wonderful atmosphere (not to mention GF baked goods!) like several of the cafes in Toronto.

It was so wonderful to have such an extended visit with my sister Claire. Especially since we both have little babies at the same time. Claire and Alex’s son Cash is just seven weeks younger than Lucie. What could be more fun?? The four of us (sadly, Alex and Jacques were both working) spent a lot of time in various Toronto cafes, one of our favourite activities. We relaxed, nursed our babies and our lattes, and enjoyed the good life of mat leave together. Claire and Cash, Lucie and I miss our cafe times!

Crema – 3079 Dundas St. W (also other locations)

I visited Crema a handful of times during my visit. It is Claire and Alex’s neighbourhood coffee shop, located just a few blocks away from their apartment in the Junction. It also has some of the best coffee in the city. The baristas here were always friendly, there were plentiful GF baked goods, and when Jacques arrived in town he really enjoyed the panini. What’s not to like? Well, I guess my one quibble is the decor and atmosphere are a bit stark … but I’d still happily go there all the time if I lived in the neighbourhood.

Te Aro – 983 Queen Street E.

We went to Te Aro on one of my best days in the city. Claire and I took the long trek on public transit out to Leslieville, a great neighbourhood in the east of Toronto. We started our day at this hip cafe, which roasts its own beans. The lattes were truly delicious and the atmosphere on the outdoor patio was perfect (the first shot above of Claire nursing Cash is also at Te Aro). Lucie slept in the stroller throughout this whole coffee date, allowing me to drink my latte before it got cold. What a treat!

Rooster – 489 Broadview Avenue

We truly visited cafes all over the city! Rooster is an amazing place tucked away even further east, in Claire and Alex’s old neighbourhood near the Danforth. We managed to make it here on one of my last days in Toronto, and I’m so glad we did. Site of the epic “two babies on one lap” photo shoot (see above), Rooster has cozy, eclectic neighbourhood charm in abundance. The clientele is wonderfully diverse – we chatted with an older woman, and I observed a few families with elementary-age kids dropping by after school for a pick-me-up. Rooster gets its beans from Te Aro, so you know the coffee is good. And again, GF baked goods! There is one baker in Toronto who peddles his or her GF muffins all across town, and I was happy to run into them almost everywhere I went, especially the orange and fleur-de-sel variety.

Writing this is making me miss these great cafes even more. For now, I will rely on Edmonton’s best cafes and our own home espresso machine with delicious Transcend beans. Maybe that’s not so bad after all.

Other places to get great coffee in Toronto:

Dark Horse – 215 Spadina Ave. (also other locations)
Ezra’s Pound - 238 Dupont St. and 913 Dundas St. W
The Common – 1071 College St. and 1028 Bloor St.