Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

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cinco de mayoNow that my appliances are back in working order, I was looking forward to cooking up a celebratory meal.  Cinco de Mayo was this past Sunday and it was a beautiful sunny day, the best excuse for heading to the liquor store to pick up  some Tequila for the Margaritas.

I found wonderful recipes for Cinco de Mayo from Hispanic Kitchen.  Great recipes from Mexico and Latin America arrive by email daily, and the Tequila Lime Shrimp caught my eye.  It’s a very simple and quick dish to put together and you really don’t even need to measure the ingredients, just one pound of shrimp, garlic, Serrano chiles, scallions, lime juice, a quarter cup of Tequila and cilantro to taste. Prep time is about fifteen minutes and about 3 minutes to cook, and you’re done.

I was successfully able to make all the dishes very quickly and with little fuss. There’s better choice of produce coming in now. Tomatoes are a bit more abundant, as are big bunches of cilantro, green chiles and  lots of juicy fresh limes at the green grocer for a fresh Pico de Gallo.

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The Oven Fried Chipotle Chili Chicken, I marinated chicken breasts for a few hours in the refrigerator with a mixture of chipotle chiles in adobo, mayonnaise, cayenne, cumin and smoked paprika. I coated the chicken breasts in bread crumbs and cooked at 425ºF for 30 minutes, then I reduced the temperature to 350ºF  and baked for 20-25 minutes longer.  The coating of course seals in the flavourful juices that the spices created.

Red beans and rice is a standard at my house, but I seasoned it a little with some cumin.  If you read my blog regularly, you know that I love making and eating desert.  This was my first attempt at making a traditional caramel flan.  I had this rich, creamy firm custard desert a few years ago in Austin, Tx.  I think I was the only person who went back for thirds at the buffet!  I never tried to make it before because it would be dangerous, I could envision myself sitting down with a spoon and consuming the whole thing myself.

I made my caramel by boiling to golden two cups of sugar and one cup of water. Next time I think I will trying going to a hispanic grocery store to buy ready-made cajeta or dulce de leche.  For the flan all you need is six eggs, 12 ounces of milk, 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 can of condensed milk and Mexican vanilla (it’s the best!).

Make sure to spray your glass baking dish with release spray or brush a small amount of vegetable oil to make sure the flan can be un-molded.  Blend the remaining ingredients, pour into your glass baking dish.  Bake in a bain-marie at 300ºF for about 40-45 minutes and let cool for a few hours.  I like it cold so I put it in the fridge and let it cool and get really firm.  You can make this a day ahead too.

A few Margaritas before dinner always increases your appetite, so it was natural to indulge.  I hope you had a great Cinco de Mayo celebration.  Cheers and happy eating!

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Welcome to the new Snug Harbour

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My eating excursions are usually confined to Toronto city limits, but there are times when I will venture outside the city for good food and a change of scenery.   With this past weekend temperatures feeling like early Summer,

Snug Harbor recently underwent a million dollar refresh. Reopening on Monday, March 4, …….

Snug Harbour a gem at the mouth of the Port Credit River is the perfect place to enjoy a breath-taking view with a cocktail and some mouth-watering seafood.

After being closed for a few of months to undergo a major renovation, Snug Harbour re-opened on March 24  with a great  new look, a bigger patio, a bright dining room to enjoy the best catch of the day and sample some of best oysters anywhere.

The Clifton brothers have put a lot of thought into the new design and menu. You can find them on the floor enthusiastically ensuring  all guests  are well taken care of whether you’re a regular to  the   bright new bar or  visiting for the  first time.

The newly expanded and redesigned kitchen, has Chef Tim and his crew pumping out great new dishes.  Seafood is brought in daily and oysters are carefully selected for variety and freshness.

An attentive and knowledgeable wait staff will happily help  pair a great beer or one of their many wines to go with your meal.

Seafood is number one, but to change things up  a little, on Friday night they have their Prime Rib Special.  Owner Paul Clifton is passionate about his food, I have it on good authority that he spent over one month refining the roasting of the prime rib, using a combination of a smoker and roasting oven to perfect the Wellington County Ontario choice Triple A corn-fed beef prime rib.

Slow roasted, served to your preference it’s accompanied with Chef Tim’s homemade from scratch Yorkshire pudding, house vegetables, au jus.  Available in 10 oz and 14 oz for bigger appetites.  It’s a big crowd pleaser, like having a great Sunday dinner to start your weekend, so make sure you make reservations.

Clearly Snug Harbour’s mission is to make sure their guests not only enjoy the fabulous view, but experience the best in seafood and atmosphere.  There’s something for everyone and on each occasion that I’ve visited there are families celebrating, couples out for an intimate meal, the house is packed and it’s standing room only in the bar.

The Snug Harbour team work hard to your get your order timed right without rushing you and although it’s a busy place it’s never so noisy that you can’t hear the conversation at your table.

So for the feel of a vacation away and out of the city, take the short drive out to Port Credit and experience this wonderful oasis at the mouth of the Credit River. Your hosts, the Clifton brothers welcome you and hope that you come back, often…. I do.

snug harbour

http://www.snugharbourrestaurant.com

14 Stavebank Road South, Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario L5G 2T1, Canada • T: 905.274.5000

Chinese New Year – Another month, another reason to celebrate

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February seems to be just as busy an eating month as December, what with Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day all happening during the week of  February 10.

Chinese New Year is the most important celebration in Chinese culture and it’s the one holiday where I exercise my Chinese cooking skills.   My parents are Hakka Chinese and the foods we have for celebrations are a little different from the Cantonese dishes that you may be familiar with.

This year’s appetizers included dumplings, shrimp spring rolls and Chinese liver sausages which,  for the sake of time and effort I bought frozen from the local Chinese grocer.  My focus was on the mains and dessert.

Pre-made shrimp spring rolls.
Dumplings and Chinese sausage
Steaming the Egg Pork roll
Lobster and Shrimp Red curry & finished Egg pork roll
Covering the coconut with meringue frosting
Finished cake top with coconut
Coconut cake

My father did all the cooking when I was growing up.  He’s a great cook and loves nothing more than making fantastic meals when all us kids come home to visit.  He taught me how to make a Hakka egg roll when I was young and it’s one of my favourite comfort foods. The Hakka egg roll, is an omelet base filled with minced pork, dried shrimp, spring onions and steamed with oyster sauce.

To change things up a little this year, I opted to make a Thai red curry with lobster and shrimp.  If you’ve never made a red curry from scratch it’s something you should really try. A red curry is made with fresh lemongrass, cilantro and Thai basil, sambal oelek (red chile paste), coconut milk  as well as many other ingredients that you can find at your Chinese grocer. Yes, it’s time-consuming and there are a lot of ingredients but  it’s so tasty and fragrant that you’ll want to master the recipe.  I served both mains with jasmine rice.

I love baking and to me the highlight of any meal is dessert.  I can’t help but make a grand celebration cake for any holiday and Chinese New Year was no exception. To end our meal I made a vanilla buttermilk cake filled with a coconut custard mousse filling and covered with a not too sweet classic Italian Meringue.

As big a celebration as this was, dinner time was so quiet with everyone enjoying second and in some cases third helpings.  I have to say, it was one of the best meals I’ve made so far this year as there were no leftovers to be had!  Everything was consumed, happily though, there was cake left.

So welcome to the Year of the Water Snake, apparently this will be a good year for me, I hope it is for you too!  For now, I wish you all happy eating!  Back next time with my Mardi Gras menu.

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The Danish are calling…

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There’s a reason I haul myself out of the bed at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning to get to the gym. It’s so that I can leave by 10:00 a.m. to get to my favourite bakery  just as the fresh Danish and morning pastries are  being put on the shelves.

Danish pastry is my guilty pleasure.  I relish nothing more than a leisurely Saturday morning drinking cappuccino and enjoying a fresh buttery pastry after my exercising is done. These are some of the spots in Toronto’s downtown core where I like my fix.

Pastry selection Pusateri's on Saturday morning

Pastry selection Pusateri’s on Saturday morning

Pusateri’s on Bay St has one of the best choice of baked goods.  Their morning pastries, in fact all their desserts and breads too, are sourced from some of the best bakeries and patisseries in Toronto.  You can find selections  from Harbord Bakery, Clafouti, Patachou to name a few.  There’s no mistaking the taste of  real butter croissants and the custard and fruit Danish is like having dessert for breakfast. Pusateri’s serves Illy coffee, a perfect pairing to anything flaky and rich.

I love prune Danish.  It’s a comfort food that not many places carry.  In fact it’s been years since I’ve seen any in grocery store, they were popular in the 60′s but not so much anymore.  The one place you can still get them is Harbord Bakery.

Scones at Harbord Bakery

Scones at Harbord Bakery

Harbord Bakery is one of the few bakeries downtown that still has that old-fashioned  feel to it.  Harbord opens early on Saturday and if you’ve never been it’s worth taking a visit, wonderful challah, cookies, great scones, Eccles cakes and many different kinds of fruit and cheese danish.  While they supply to a few grocers, their baked goods never taste manufactured or commercial, everything always looks and tastes homey. The line up on a Saturday can get pretty long and the bread and pastry go really quickly, so get there early.I believe you can also place an order by phone and have it ready.

St. Lawrence market houses several great bakeries, Carousel, Future Bakery and Stonemill Bakehouse all under one roof.  I make the rounds to all three usually buying what I think is their best item- Carousel for bread, Future  Bakery for croissants or danish.  While plenty of choices, the best danish is downstairs at Stonemill Bakery. Shelves are refilled regularly to satisfy the bread and cake lovers who are sometimes three people deep at the bins of baguettes and sweet breads and pastries.

There are some other fabulous French bakeries and cafes uptown including Rahier and Jules Cafe Patisserie which I will make a special trip for this year.

Rich pastry and prunes make up my Saturday morning cheat foods. It’s all good and justified in my head, the process of walking around the city to enjoy these, is a joyful exercise.  So, it’s all good (and delicious!).

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My passion for Italian confections, Part 2 – Panettone

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Panettone has a romantic and legendary history that dates back  to 15th century Milan.  Enjoyed at Christmastime, this light rich and buttery bread is one of the foods I look forward to most during the holidays.  If you’ve never had one, there’s still opportunity to find some in Italian grocers and delis. Look for them as well in major grocery stores at reduced prices now that the holidays are over.

So what is a panettone exactly?  It’s a raised dough confection that traditionally has sultana raisins or dried fruit, it’s light but quite rich given the butter and more like bread although some refer to it as a cake.  (which I really don’t agree with but, nevertheless)  You can also find many varieties of vanilla custard and chocolate filled. Panettone are fairly new to the traditional grocery stores, making their appearance in my area about six or seven years ago.

Choices at Pusateris
From Williams Sonoma
Available at Williams Sonoma
Pandoro
The Italian Pantry Montreal (photo by Michelle Little)

Each year I seek out new and different versions.  Panettone range in price from about seven dollars to fifty dollars for the most beautifully wrapped ones – which make excellent hostess or family gifts.

The most memorable one so far, was a gift from my mom.  As I remember it was chocolate and rum in a canister that looked like a drum. I lived in a long narrow house at the time and the kitchen was at the very back.  Once I cut into this panettone the unmistakable fragrance of rum filled the air all the way to the front entrance.  Every Christmas since, I try to find one that can top that. This Christmas I believe I did.

My quest begins early every season.  More and more stores are beginning to carry these.  Most come in very nice boxes. I am taken by the beauty of the presentation.  This year I found the ultimate panettone at Longo’s.  This panettone comes from Sicily and as you can see from the featured image,  is a white chocolate and pistachio topped panettone and included are pistachio cream and a spreading knife wrapped in a designer box.  It was my gift to my mom, who gets equally excited about these as I do.

After the picture was taken we dove in.  The pistachio cream added smoothness to an already rich bread – such heaven.  There was less than half of the wonderful domed bread left by the time we were done.  Panettone never makes it past three days at our house.

Although panettone should just be eaten by itself, it makes the best french toast  or a very rich bread pudding.  My hint, adding some Grand Marnier and a little orange rind to the custard of either the french toast or bread pudding will make your house smell wonderful.  Local grocery stores will have sales on the less expensive panettone that come packaged only in a plastic bags now.  They have a very long shelf life so don’t be afraid to buy one.

I hope you learn to enjoy these are much as I do,  In the meantime, happy eating!

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Photo of gift wrapped panettone boxes by Michelle Little, The Italian Pantry (NDG Montreal)

It’s January and I’m having a party for me!

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By now everyone is tired, broke and partied out and along comes my birthday, a week after New Years.  No one’s really revved cup for a party except me, and it’s one of the few days of the year when I’m keen to cook myself a really big meal.

A few years back I began a tradition of making my favourite fish stew, bouillabaisse for my birthday.  This year, in addition to making this wonderful dish,  I decided to bake myself an amazing cake.

I started on the soup the on Sunday for Monday dinner.  This soup tastes best if the base is made at day or two in advance.  This allows for the flavours to mellow before the addition of the seafood.  To change things up this year, I combined ingredients of bouillabaisse and cioppino.  Cioppino is a similar fish stew  that I had for the first time several years ago, on a visit to San Francisco where the soup originated.  The basic difference between the two stews are bouillabaisse is French and cioppino is  Italian.

The ingredients of both are somewhat similar depending of course on your choice of recipes. Bouillabaisse is said to have a white base as most recipes start with leeks or fennel and onions, while cioppino is tomato based. A good amount of white wine is used in either recipe but I have also seen the use of red wine.  Traditionally, potato and saffron are used in bouillabaisse and there are more herbs in cioppino.

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For this year’s dinner I opted to use both the leeks and fennel as a base in addition to the tomatoes. I am not crazy about the including potatoes in the soup, I feel it makes it too heavy with the already rich variety of seafood.  I included all the fresh herbs from the cioppino recipe and added saffron, chilli flakes and orange zest from the Joy of Cooking‘s bouillabaisse recipe.  This broth was the most hearty and flavourful that I have made so far,  the mellowed heat from the chilli made it a perfect soup for a cold night.

The cake was inspired by my love for anything that is hazelnut flavoured, from everyone’s favourite Nutella to Frangelico liqueur to Ferrero Rocher chocolates.  The genoise, or sponge cake was made from roasted hazelnuts ground with flour. I filled and covered the four cake layers with a very light and extremely buttery Italian meringue buttercream and folded in Nutella.  The entire cake was then coated with a shiny cocoa glaze and decorated with more Nutella.

Bouillabaise or any fish stew is very hearthy and a wine with good acidity is a great match.  I chose a full-bodied burgundy as you can see in the slideshow photo.  A Sauvignon Blanc or even a California Chardonnay would also be a good pairing.

I am always satisfied and pleased with myself when I make this soup, it’s really not very hard to do but it’s a little time-consuming.  The cake was, in a word, awesome – very hazel nutty but not too dense or too rich.  A great birthday meal to end a great day.

What is your favourite birthday meal?  I would be very interested in hearing your stories.  In the meantime, happy eating!

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The unexpected brunch

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I start my birthday activities twenty-four hours before the actual date.  Today is Sunday and tomorrow is my birthday, so my daughter took me out.  Feeling hungry after our workout at the gym, we thought we’d go for breakfast at one of our usual places that serves this all day.

We have a roster of regular places that we go to for breakfast, the Pickle Barrel in Atrium on Bay, Eggspectations at the Eaton Centre or Over Easy on Bloor St.  All places where we pretty much know the menus by heart.  To switch things up we thought we’d head over the Milestones.  Upon our arrival we were pleased to find out that they have a brunch menu with some wonderful choices.  There’s something about a surprise menu that gets us excited.  (Clearly we eat out too much!)

Daunted by the newness of this brunch menu it took us a while to decide.  They have a great brunch bundle for $18.99, which includes fruit and a mimosa, followed by a choice of a variety of eggs Benedict or omelets.

Chopped fruit salad and tropical mimosa

I opted for the brunch bundle with the spinach and feta omelet.

Spinach and feta omelet with potatoes and diced Roma tomatoes.

Spinach and feta omelet with potatoes and diced Roma tomatoes.

My daughter had the Grilled Shrimp California Benedict with house-made avocado salsa.

Grilled shrimp eggs benedict with avocado salsa.

Grilled shrimp eggs Benedict with avocado salsa.

One of the things I like about Milestones is that the menu is updated and changed regularly with seasonal items.  They also feature a number of weeknight specials and promotions that are good value.  The modern decor and great view at the Yonge Dundas Square location is one of my favourites.  The private dining room is cosy and there are tables that can accommodate groups of six to eight.  The brunch items which can be found on their website are different and interesting as well their drink menu features cocktails developed by their staff.  Consistency and quality are some of the reasons that I enjoy Milestones and well as reasonable prices.  Happy eating!

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Four courses to close 2012 at Le Papillon on the Park

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At the last-minute there was a decision to not cook on New Year’s eve and go out.  Le Papillon has been one of my regular spots for many years from when it was on  lower Church St.  Since the owners split up and each respectively opened individual Papillon locations a few years back, the Papillon on the Park on Eastern Avenue has been my go to spot, the French Canadian fare is good and it’s close to home so I will find pretty much any excuse to go.

The New Year’s menu was very appealing this year, four courses for $60.oo for the first seating between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. or $75.00 for the second seating.  One of the features of the restaurant that really appeals to me is the cozy warm interior, the view is peaceful and the atmosphere is very French.

There was a choice of three items for each of the four courses.  We started with the baked oysters Rockefeller and the garlic marinated lobster.

Baked oysters Rockefeller with spinach, butter, shallots, Parmegiano

Baked oysters Rockefeller with spinach, butter, shallots, Parmegiano

Garlic marinated lobster with fennel, radish, lime aioli in a crispy crepe

Garlic marinated lobster with fennel, radish, lime aioli in a crispy crepe

Chunky pieces of lobster filled the crispy crepe and the lime aioli made this dish really fresh tasting.  Oysters Rockefeller are always a hit and we were sad there were only two, but there was so much more food to come.  The second course choices we opted for were the rabbit over tagliatelle and the buckwheat crepe.

Rabbit braised with bacon, onions, raising and walnuts over tagliatell.

Rabbit braised with bacon, onions, raising and walnuts over tagliatelle.

Buckwheat crepe with caramelized onions, mixed green leaf vegetables and Brie

Buckwheat crepe with caramelized onions, mixed green leaf vegetables and Brie

The crepe was well dressed and although the plate was busy with ingredients, the combination of caramelized onions and Brie was smooth and sweet.  The rabbit and tagliatelle were a substantial second course.  The choice of main courses had something for everyone including vegetarians however, we selected the Beef Wellington and the pan seared turbot.

Beef Wellington de luxe (tenderloin) coated with mushrooms, foie gras and shallot paté baked in puff pastry, served with potato sunchoke gratin and Bordeaux wine sauce

Beef Wellington de luxe (tenderloin) coated with mushrooms, foie gras and shallot paté baked in puff pastry, served with potato sunchoke gratin and Bordeaux wine sauce

pan seared turbot with a lemon Chardonnay seafood sauce, spicy broccoli and potato croquettes

Pan seared turbot with a lemon Chardonnay seafood sauce, spicy broccoli and potato croquettes

The turbot was flaky, the scallops and shrimp in Chardonnay was light.  The broccoli had a hint of spice to give the dish just a bit of bite.  As for the Beef Wellington, the foie gras and shallot pâté added to the overall taste of the tenderloin and Bordeaux.  We finished with the raspberry Chambord crème brûlée and the chestnut parfait with dark chocolate sauce and tangerines.

(Front) Rasberry Chambord creme brulee(Back) Chestnut parfait with dark chocolate sauce

(Front) Rasberry Chambord creme brulee
(Back) Chestnut parfait with dark chocolate sauce

Creme brulee was rich and creamy. Chestnut deserts while seasonal and popular during the holidays are in my opinion, is not very distinctive tasting.  The parfait lacked in flavour and may have benefitted by the addition of some type of complementary liqueur to the sponge cake. Overall however, the courses were well designed and combinations were good.  Once again, a satisfying meal, very accommodating staff and a good four courses for the price of a New Year’s meal.

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Oh the weather outside is frightful, going to stay indoors and eat!

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Actually, I think I may get out because staying indoors is just encouraging more eating.  I wanted to say thank you to all the readers of the Urban Eating blog.  It’s been a great six months and I am so happy to have met many foodies from around the world.  I am appreciative of everyone who has liked, shared or commented on my posts.  I have learned  much from my fellow foodie bloggers and look forward every day to reading what everyone has been cooking, eating and drinking.

I’ve been trying not to over-indulge this season but as we all know, that’s much easier said than done.  As many of you know, I’ve been trying to get to the remaining restaurants and bars on my 2012 bucket list, I think it may be a sprint to the finish.  That last lap will always do it to you.  I have a few more posts planned for the next couple of days until the new year that I look forward to sharing with you.

Pepto Bismol

Pepto Bismol (Photo credit: Herr Hans Gruber)

For now, I’ve got to go get some Pepto Bismol and Alka Seltzer (no, I really need them!) and I am away from home and need to find a gym.  I hope you enjoy some restful and joyful days with your family.  I look forward to a great epicurean year in 2013 and the discovery of new foods and new places to eat.
Cheers

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My passion for Italian confections – part I.

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hDecember 1st is a green light for me to start exploring new things to eat and drink, but also to indulge in many favourite Christmas foods from  childhood.  Interestingly, many of these beloved treats  are Italian. I get really excited when I spot the first displays of panettone, Baci Perugina, and pandoro, traditional Italian confections.  These are the holiday treats that make this Asian girl feel warm, comforted and happy.

Perhaps I should back the story up for a moment.  I grew up in the 60′s in a largely Italian community in Montreal where my mother was an elementary teacher at the Catholic all girls school.  We’d moved to that neighborhood  so that it was close for mom to walk to work.

It was here that my early adventures in food began. Half a block up from our apartment was the main street of the community, Liege St.  Liege is the French word for “cork”.  The street was lined with small business owned by European immigrants who had arrived in the early fifties,  an Austrian butcher, a German hairdressing salon, a Viennese and an Italian bakery, and our favourite grocer, Giovanni & Sons. It was at this grocery store that I was first exposed to and  came to love all things Italian.

The big sign above the store was painted  green, red and white and always parked in front were the two or three black delivery bicycles. It didn’t matter if was sunny or snowy, Giovanni’s sons were a familiar sight speeding along the avenue delivering boxes of groceries quickly, only to ride back up the street to pick up the next orders that were lined up all the way down the first aisle of the store.

delivery bike2

At first I didn’t really like going to the Giovanni’s.  The smell of the deli meats, the barrels of olives, bags of dried beans and the sawdust that covered the floor seemed messy.  The aisles were narrow, there were always lots of men drinking coffee, laughing, speaking Italian at the back while women pushed around miniature carts filling them with jars of tomatoes, peppers and cheese.  It was always crowded on a Saturday, as a five-year old it was a frenzied place, but my parents and our Spanish neighbour always talked about the bread.  The bread? What was the big deal?  Years later,  I understand how good a loaf of Italian bread is.

As a kid Christmas time is always magical.  Christmas inside Giovanni’s was delightfully chaotic. In November, lots of new inventory would start to make the store even smaller. There were  many beautifully decorated and brightly coloured boxes with different kinds of chocolates and cookies that crowded the tiny aisles. Piled up as far as my five-year old eyes could see, were pretty blue boxes with stars from a company called Baci Perugina. The front window of the store was filled with big boxes of what looked to me to be bread with dried fruit.  This was my introduction to Italian Christmas confections.

Baci packagingOn the last day of school before Christmas holidays, my dad would have to pick my mom up by car.  Many of her students parents’ were grocers and there would be a bounty of boxes of Baci Perugina, biscotti, liqueur filled chocolates, imported soaps, perfume and talcum powder imported from Italy that she would receive as gifts.  I can remember my excitement  as I ran from the French school that I attended to my mom’s school down the street to help her carry all these gifts outside to wait for my dad to arrive.

Unpacking what seemed like endless boxes of Baci and other chocolates was one task that I enjoyed very much.  I can distinctly recall once when my mom let my little sister and I open one box to each have a chocolate, that in our avaricious haste,  we had opened a box and  stuffed our faces with a first chocolate only to realize to our horror, that it was filled with liqueur!  From that day forward we made sure to only ever open the pretty blue boxes with the stars because we knew these were Baci.

I don’t think I will ever forget the first one I ever had.  Unwrapping a chocolate that was almost as big as my five or six-year-old hand, to find a little piece of paper with a special message that I couldn’t read, then to bite into it and discover a whole hazelnut and truffle filling was exceptional, especially since it took three bites to finish it.   This wasn’t your average Pot of Gold chocolate, this indeed was something far more special.  My mom soon discovered that she had to find a hiding place for the boxes of Baci as they would’ve all disappeared before Christmas.

You can get Baci all year round now, but I never buy them.  To me, they’re special and represent something more than just a great truffle, it’s the memories that they bring back.  Memories about a special time and special foods and a special place in my childhood.

I was recently introduced to a short film on how Baci is made by my friends at  Zeppoli’s Italian Comfort Food in Niagara Falls.  If you’ve never tried one, go out and buy yourself the biggest box you can find, you will enjoy every last one!  Come back to my blog as Part 2 of my Italian Confection series will be on my passion for panettone, so make sure to read it.  In the meantime, enjoy some holiday indulgences.  Happy eating! Here is the link to the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auJR48I97F8

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