A Taste of New Zealand with Nobilo Wines

I would certainly love to visit beautiful New Zealand one day, as I have family that resides there. While I did not make the 14,000-kilometre journey to visit them this summer, I had the pleasure of getting a taste of New Zealand at a summer patio party hosted by Nobilo Wines at Oliver & Bonacini Cafe & Grill. 

Nobilo is one of New Zealand's leading wineries and offers high-quality products, including their award-winning Pinot Noir. Their wines are characterized by grassy and herbaceous notes coupled with exceptional balance and fruity aromas. I was eager to sample the wine after hearing about Nobilo's great accolades. 

O & B's Chef Tom Riley hails from New Zealand and prepared delectable canapes including lamb meatball sliders with chili jam and green yogurt. Nobilo's Marlborough Vineyard Sauvigon Blanc is perfectly paired with the spicy dish, as it cleanses the palate. Chef Riley also prepared lighter fare such as heirloom tomato, feta and mint skewers with black sesame and PEI oysters with lime  and ginger mignonette, the latter of which is a classic pairing for Nobilo's Sauvignon Blanc. With notes of pineapple, melon, passion fruit and hints of grapefruit, the wine is aromatic, fresh, crisp and sweet in flavour.

After a long day of work, it was a treat to kick back with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and relish a perfect summer's day. 

If you would like to experience a taste of New Zealand without setting yourself back $4,000 for a roundtrip plane ticket, visit your local LCBO. Stores are now carrying the affordable Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc, which retails for $16.95, but is discounted to $14.95 until September 13.

Here's a novel recipe idea! Have you tried preparing soup with wine? For a unique twist on a classic, make Chef Riley's Smoked Tomato Soup with Miso Crème Fraîche. 

Tomato Soup Ingredients

5 kg ripe beefsteak tomatoes

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

2 cups shallot, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 celery stalk, sliced

1 tsp smoked paprika

4 tbsp sherry vinegar

1/3 cup Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc

2 sprig tarragon

1 sprig thyme

1/4 cup good-quality olive oil

Method

1. Get your smoker going to 160⁰F/70⁰C.

2. Remove core and cut tomato into quarters; season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place in

smoker and smoke for 10 minutes.

3. Sweat shallots, fennel, garlic and celery until soft. Add paprika and cook for another minute.

4. Deglaze with vinegar and reduce.

5. Add wine and reduce.

6. Add tomatoes and all their juice. Break up tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Simmer until all

cooked, about 20 minutes.

7. Remove tarragon and thyme. Season with salt and blend in bar blender, pass through a fine

sieve, and adjust seasoning.

Miso Crème Fraîche Ingredients

1/2 cup crème fraîche

2 tsp white miso

1/8 cup chives

Method

1. Combine crème fraîche with white miso and chives.

2. Mix together and refrigerate for at least two hours.

3. Garnish soup with olive oil, fresh basil and miso crème fraîche.

(Serves 6)

The Southwood Ravine Collection in the Upper Beach

I am a civic-minded millennial who cares about the community I live in, green spaces and I am most definitely curious. I have been living in Toronto for the past few years and I still enjoy discovering new, charming neighbourhoods filled with hidden gems. Most recently, I had the opportunity to explore the Upper Beach with Streetcar Developments and discovered that the neighbourhood is chock full of splendid surprises.

The tour kicked-off with a visit to The Southwood Presentation Centre by Streetcar Developments, where I was able to view The Southwood Ravine Collection of boutique suites. With the Glen Stewart Ravine in close proximity, Streetcar Development guarantees homeowners the best of both worlds; contemporary units with easy access to nature that is conducive to a more relaxed way of living. Not to mention an array of reputable schools, quaint shops and restaurants galore that surround the area! Prospective owners can choose from one bedroom to multi-level three bedroom suites. Each modern suite features open-concept living spaces and state-of-the-art appliances with a European-inspired kitchen ideal for entertaining.

After leaving the presentation centre, we set off to explore what the neighbourhood had to offer. We paid a visit to the Yellow House Gallery, a contemporary art gallery that showcases works from Toronto’s emerging talent. It is owned and operated by Christina Kostoff, who graduated with an MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago. Much of the work on display captures the merging of two worlds; modern art that presents new angles to traditional thinking. In the Colours of Lives Once Lived, the artist gives the viewer a glimpse into the living spaces of an apartment building set for demolition. 

If you’re looking for a laugh and enjoy artisanal cheese, The Art of Cheese is your best bet around the Upper Beach. Located on Kingston Road, the store serves the community with Canada and Europe’s best cheeses, sans preservatives. Bill Miller, "The Grand Fromage" co-owns and operates the store and happily offered samples of a pale yellow cheese called San de Oro. Originating from North Eastern Italy, the cheese has a buttery flavour and a pleasant tang. A 2011 Black Label Shiraz from Diamond Estates perfectly complimented the unpasteurized cheese.

Next, we paid a visit to Collected Joy, which is a delightful store that carries everything unpretentious. From unique earrings to decorative pieces for your home that reflect you and your interests, this store has it all. Owner Sharon Smyl’s purpose for the store was to be surrounded by the simple things in life. Everything from the antipasto jars to ‘That’s my Jam!’ marmalade is locally made and sourced. The best part of my visit was tasting the refreshing Sloane jasmine iced tea, especially on a hot summer day! 

The tour continued with the much-anticipated stop at the inviting Beech Tree restaurant, where everything on the menu is house-made and more than delivers on authentic flavours. Borrowing inspiration from French and Italian cooking, this restaurant is perfect if you’re looking for a great lunch spot or celebrating a special occasion. Having sampled the charcuterie plate, the item that was most outstanding was the chicken liver parfait with its mousse-like texture and oh-so-buttery flavour. Another winner was the house-made gnocchi, which tasted surprisingly light, yet bold in flavour.

After the delicious meal at the Beech Tree, we took a leisurely stroll through the Glen Stewart Ravine. As soon as I walked down the stairs to the ravine, I felt peaceful and truly appreciated how calming and beautiful nature can be. The ravine is not only captivating but is restorative for the mind, body and soul; the perfect place to relax after a hard day’s work. 

The residents of the Upper Beach are spoiled with having a meat and butcher shop in their neigbourhood. The Chopping Block features hamburger meat and sausages among their wide array of meats originating from Ontario farms. We had the pleasure of sampling bison sausage with maple and fig, bison burger and leg of lamb with honey-cup mustard and spicy Thai chilli BBQ sauce. Not only did the sauces perfectly complement the meats, but they were all thought of and concocted by the talented owner himself, Jay McNish.

Our final and much-awaited stop for the day, was at Ed’s Real Scoop. The wide variety of classic and new flavours offer something for everyone, young and old. Even on a Wednesday evening, you can find a long line of eager families and couples waiting for Ed's famous cool treats. While I patiently waited for my glorious cone of vanilla ice cream, I was surprised to learn that the ice cream, gelato and waffle cones are all made in-house. A must try during fall is Ed's pumpkin ice cream, which was inspired by Ed's own mother and a customer's need for pumpkin pie flavoured ice cream. Ed caters to his loyal community, so if you have a suggestion, feel free to let him know.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the Upper Beach and visiting unique places that I was unaware of. I do live in the east end of downtown Toronto, and after exploring the established neighbourhood of the Upper Beach and seeing the strong sense of community firsthand, I would certainly consider moving even further east! 

To find out more about The Southwood Ravine Collection, visit streetcar.ca/projects/southwood.

Photos courtesy of Rock-It Promotions. 

The Drake Hotel - Toronto - Summer Menu Tasting

For years, The Drake Hotel on Queen West has been an eclectic hub for artists and musicians wishing to express themselves. When it comes to culinary creativity, executive chef, Alexandra Feswick at the Drake's Sky Yard restaurant showcases her unique talents with flair and finesse. I attended the Drake Hotel's summer party on the bustling, yet intimate patio at Sky Yard to sample the restaurant's newly launched summer menu. 

Feswick's summer menu features fresh and local seasonal items to tickle your taste buds. Her beets and blue cheese salad is an excellent way to begin any meal. Light and refreshing, the dish is comprised of Ontario Stilton, roasted beets, fresh raspberries, toasted sunflower seeds, watercress and flavourful avocado cream. 

Crowd-pleasing albacore tuna ceviche with avocado and charred scallion puree was a big hit. Perfect for sharing, scrumptious morsels of ceviche sat atop a perfectly crispy taro chip, which disappeared all too soon, but the sampling did not end there.

Seafood lovers will be in seventh heaven when they take a bite of the pan seared Ontario pickerel with fennel, arugula, pickled cipollini onions and white anchovies. Sourdough croutons gives the dish a nice crunch, while sherry vinaigrette complements the dish with an acidic bite.

A tortilla cradling creamed corn garnished with grilled peach relish is an interesting combination that had me craving more. While I usually enjoy tortilla chips with a piquant salsa, the sweet and salty combinations of corn, peach and chips were both surprising and delightful. 

Whet your whistle with Sky Yard's new Drink Well bottle service program. Take mixology into your own hands by creating classic Drake cocktails such as the dark 'n stormy, Moscow mule, mojito, gin 'n tonic and the old fashioned. A mixologist attended to our party, delivered the essential ingredients and taught us how to craft the perfect cocktail. Interactive and fun, the Drink Well program is a more relaxed approach to ordering bottle service and is perfect for birthday parties, a unique bachelorette party idea or simply trying something new. 

The evening ended on a sweet note with summery strawberry baklava. Baklava on its own is saccharinely sweet and I was concerned that the dessert would be overly sweetened with the added strawberries. However, it was love at first bite! Decadent and delicious, the strawberry filling was tart and the sweetness was cut with balsamic vinegar under layers of phyllo pastry.  

Take advantage of the balmy summer weather at Sky Yard and bask in the sun while enjoying a great evening of delicious food and drink. 

To learn more about Sky Yard, visit thedrakehotel.ca.

Taste of Toronto

True foodies will tell you that of all the many food festivals that Toronto has to offer, Taste of Toronto is by far the best. What's in store at the festival? The crème de la crème of Toronto's chefs will be serving their world class cuisine al fresco, master classes will be offered and muscicians will entertainer festival-goers. 

Celebrity chefs Alvin Leung of Master Chef Canada, Lynn Crawford of Ruby Watchco, Carl Heinrich of Richmond Station and many more chefs will be at the festival this year to impress you with their culinary delights. Feast on a choice of 50 menu items including Splendido's braised pork belly, Byblos' charcoal-grilled lamb and Montecito's vanilla panna cotta. With an array of scrumptious dishes to choose from, Taste of Toronto will be sure to tantalize your taste buds! 

Taste of Toronto comes to town on Thursday, July 2 and runs until Sunday, July 5 at Fort York. Tickets are $19 - $25 in advance and $30 at the door. 

For further information and to purchase tickets, visit tasteoftoronto.com. 

Woman to Woman Lunch in the Garden

The Toronto Botanical Garden celebrated its 5th annual Woman to Woman Lunch in the Gardenparty and the event was quite a fancy affair. The TBG provided a lush and gorgeous setting for the fundraising soiree. The elegant and dynamic Tre Armstrong hosted the event and encouraged female bonding and sisterhood. 

Women looked lovely in their fanciest frocks, fashionable fascinators and larger than life hats. 

Some ladies even made their own creations and competed in the Hat and Fascinator Competition. Partygoers bid on luxurious items, like overnight getaways and fashion accessories at the silent auction. 

I mingled with other women and enjoyed refreshing summer cocktails. 

I feasted on delectable hors d'oeuvres and delicate desserts at the Heathbridge Dessert Lounge. My favourite bites included the floating dessert spoons and pineapple cake.

Sunny weather made for an enjoyable afternoon at the TBG. I plan on exploring more of the TBG, which spans nearly four acres and offers garden tours, nature day camps and has an extensive horticultural library. This summer, visit the TBG and be inspired by the beauty of nature and its peaceful surroundings.

To learn more about the Toronto Botanical Garden, please visit torontobotanicalgarden.ca.