Ame

I went to Ame with a couple foodies last night for dinner and I am STILL thinking about the Wagyu Beef Short Ribs.

Look at this beauty. Mouthwatering, falling off the bone deliciousness.



Another favourite dish of the evening was the Miso Black Cod. Whenever I try a new restaurant and cod is on the menu, I always feel the need to give it a try. This was sweet and buttery, so delish!



The next stop will most likely be Ruby Watchco, Lynn Crawford's new restaurant. Stay tuned for more eating adventures.

xoxO

Kultura + Blowfish

Kultura



Starters from l-r: Sushi Pizza, Palak Paneer Naan and Chicken Samosas



European Sea Bass with Snow Peas



Highlight of the night. Trio of fruit sorbets, from l-r, guava, fig and blackberry and pineapple.

Blowfish



Makimonos and Kobe Beef Rolls



Miso Blackened Cod. DELICIOUS.



Dessert for the birthday girl. Green Tea and Ginger Creme Brulee and Tempura Mangoes. The butterscotch and curry sauce on the Tempura Mangoes was nothing that I have tasted before. The hint of curry gave the butterscotch a spicy kick. The perfect combination of sweet and savory in my opinion!

More eating adventures to come!

xoxO

Eggs Benedict

On Sunday, we decided to make eggs benedict for brunch. We have never made hollandaise sauce from scratch or poached eggs before, so we were all pretty nervous. A few YouTube videos later, we were able to put some food on the table and enjoy a delicious brunch.



This recipe calls for egg yolks, melted butter and lemon juice. It takes a bit time for the egg yolks to thicken and pass the ribbon test, but it is well worth it. Good workout for your arms!



Poached eggs. I don't know why I was so afraid of this method of cooking, but it's actually quite easy. The secret is to have the water at the right temperature (you will see tiny bubbles in the bottom of the pot) so the eggs can cook gently. Also, adding vinegar to the water will help the eggs coagulate and form the right shape.



The end result. Delicious homemade eggs benedict. Instead of the traditional english muffin, we opted for chewy baguette. And of course, we had to take it up a notch and use smoked salmon. It's the perfect marriage in my opinion.



Good company and good food. The perfect way to end the weekend.

xoxO

Coach and Fashion Bloggers Collaborate

Two of my favourite fashion bloggers, Cupcakes and Cashmere and Karla's Closet recently joined forces with Coach to design handbags. Emily and Karla each designed handbags that matched their personal style and taste.

Here's a peek at their creations:



Karla's Clutch "City Girl" (Image via karlascloset.com)


Emily's Satchel "Sweet Whimsy" (Image via cupcakesandcashmere.com)

This is what I call effective blogger outreach. Coach definitely chose the right fashionistas to collaborate with them because they are definitely getting a lot of attention in the fashion blog community. Smart move Coach, what a great way to target fashion readers. Not only will this increase their website traffic, but readers may even purchase a handbag.

From a PR standpoint this is really great for Coach because it is important to build relationships with bloggers. Traditional media relations is still key, but as more and more people are getting their information online it is crucial to practice effective blogger outreach and to maintain these relationships.

Whether it is the usual product review or in this case a design collaboration, make sure to include bloggers in your media relations.

xoxO

Dakgalbee at Joon's

Last week, my brother took me to Joon's at Yonge and Sheppard for some Dakgalbee. It's Korean tabletop cooking. This was completely new to me because unlike my brother, I do not watch Korean shows/dramas. Apparently this is quite popular in Korea and most people have it as a midnight meal. We ordered the first Dakgalbee on the menu and in minutes the waitress came to our table and began cooking for us. The end result was delicious! The one pan wonder had ramen noodles, rice cakes, vegetables, chicken, spicy Korean hot sauce and mozzarella cheese. Yes, cheese. Interesting mix right? I thought so too, but the combination is pretty amazing. It's spicy and cheesy all at the same time. What's not to like?

Here are some visuals.


Before


Dakgalbee. Nomnomnom.

xoxO

The Perfect Mix

(photo via The Sartorialist)

Florals and plaid. LOVE.

Pure Decadence in a Bowl

Honestly anything with cheese is good for me, but last night's dinner experience at Oliver and Bonacini was on another level. I want to note that I ended up devouring my boyfriend's meal because I did not enjoy my seafood linguine. He ordered the O&B Macaroni and Cheese with slivered chicken, sweet garden peas, Balderson cheddar, and Chevalier goat cheese. Yes cheddar and goat cheese TOGETHER! I thought the combination would be too strong, but it was so delicious. I even resorted to scraping down the bowl with my fork to get every last bit of cheese sauce in my mouth! I know I have no shame and zero table manners, but you would do the same if you tried this dish. I'm no Gail Greene but this mac and cheese deserves five stars.

Sorry no visuals for this post, I was too busy eating!