IBM Cognitive Cooking and Creative Poutine

Ever have one of those days where you have a few ingredients here and there but don't know what dish you can make without running to the grocery store to buy another few items? Worry not, as Chef Watson can help. When given a handful of ingredients, IBM's Chef Watson can use that data to create new and original recipes.

Named after IBM founder Thomas Watson, IBM Watson is a cognitive computing system that thinks like a human. Chef Watson is part of IBM's efforts to explore if a machine can be creative. Watson can sift through mass amounts of data, recognize patterns, make connections and organize information the same way a human brain would. (If you want to see the massively intelligent Watson, watch this video of it owning at Jeopardy!).

The cool thing about Chef Watson is its ability to analyze billions of times more information than a human chef could consider and to be able to create new, surprising recipes that would actually taste good to most people. I don't think Chef Watson is meant to replace real chefs, but rather to make life easier or provide inspiration.

As a sponsor of last week's La Poutine Week, IBM hosted a poutine tasting event in Toronto (also one in Montreal) and featured five unique poutine recipes that reflect the cultural make up and cuisine preferences of the cities' residents.

Source: Watson Press Kit

Winterlicious at The Drake Hotel

The Drake Hotel was the first placed I made reservations for from my list of restaurants this year.  I picked it not only because it's a place I've always been eyeing, but also because they source locally for their ingredients. I'm not a vegetarian, but they do offer lots of vegetarian options, which I also appreciate. A snow storm was hitting Toronto, but that didn't stop us and it was so worth the trek!  

Dine Out Vancouver 2015: La Terrazza

La Terrazza has been on my radar for quite some time now, but somehow always manages to get overlooked. This year, I finally took the opportunity to try it out as their Dine Out menu price is very reasonable compared to their normal prices. I was pretty surprised at how spacious yet cozy their interior was and made myself a mental note that next time I would definitely consider this place for a special occasion. 

Our meal started off with amazing truffle meatballs topped with a thick tomato sauce and some parmesan cheese. The meatballs were dense and carried the spicy tomato very well. This appetizer just made me wonder how mouthwatering their pastas would be. 

Polpette

Someone decided to splurge and go for the roasted lamb racks, and what a great decision that was! The lamb was so melt-in-your-mouth tender, buttery and juicy with just a hint of game to it. I usually like to douse my lamb in sauces to really amp it up but the natural flavours in this dish were so succulent that the even the light pea puree was enough to compliment it. It's funny how we were both really impressed with the lamb as just moments before our first bite we were actually just discussing how we've yet to come across really good lamb. The Agnello came with a side of potato pave which acted as a nice, creamy wrap up to the dish. 

Agnello ($15.88 Supplement)

Dine Out Vancouver 2015: Baru Latino

It's that time of year again! I'm sure for all the fellow foodies out there, Dine Out Vancouver Festival is like a second Christmas, the perfect chance to try something new, have a really good value meal, or just to pig out for no reason. Perusing the menus was half the fun, so this year after endless clicking and scrolling, I decided to kick off the event with Baru Latino. 

I braved my tastebuds and opted for the Chili Prawns to start. The heat was actually very tolerable in this dish, especially paired with the lime. Only downside was that it was quite small.

Chili Prawns

I chose the Paella Baru for my main course as it was a cocktail of many things that I love - chorizo, seafood medley and salsa. The flavour in the rice was well infused and there was a good amount of seafood mixed in there, but it just didn't have that wow factor to it. I found it kind of odd that this dish was served with flatbread since it there wasn't really any excess moisture that could have been used for dipping. I also would have appreciated a nicer presentation but I guess for Dine Out purposes they just make this in a big batch and scoop it onto a plate?

Paella Baru

Top Picks for Winterlicious 2015

It's that time of year again where, after a short month of rest from all the belly stuffing during Christmas holidays, more eating! Although I shouldn't use the term "stuffing" for this culinary event as it is all about exploring and really enjoying what the Toronto culinary scene has to offer.

Before I go into my 2015 Winterlicious wish list, I wanted to highlight previous restaurants that I have been to during previous Winterlicious/Summerlicious events since they are also on this year's list: 

Aria (Menu): I would still recommend it for the delicious food, yummy wine, friendly service as well as awesome decor. Great for a girl's night out or a romantic date. 

Big Daddy’s (Menu): You can't go wrong with their clam chowder, fried pickles or jambalaya. 

  

Ciao Wine Bar (Menu): Very good deal for what it's worth. The food and vibe is great. Good for friend gatherings or romantic dinners. 

La Maquette (Menu): Best place for a romantic dinner with candlelit dinner by a fireplace accompanied by live music. Also, did I mention lobster?  

Weslodge (Menu): Cutting edge decor and innovative dishes without the hefty price tag. The scotch egg is delicious.

I will probably revisit any one of these restaurants this year if I can manage. This will also be my first year attending one of the culinary events as part of Winterlicious. Rosewater is no stranger to me so I am super excited about this one:

Source

Every year I try to check out new places, so here are my top 5 picks for Winterlicious 2015 (in alphabetical order):

Recipe: Raspberry Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake

For a friend's birthday during Christmas holidays, I decided to make a cake. Her roommate is allergic to gluten, so I had to whip up something that didn't have any flour. After scrolling through Pinterest, I came across this recipe and I absolutely loved it. I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake, but the Oreo cookie base and chocolate ganache topping made it irresistible. The red raspberries also add to the colours of Christmas. I like this recipe as it doesn't require any icing or decoration, which saved me a lot of time!

An Afternoon at Butter Avenue

Butter Avenue has been on my list of dessert places for the longest time, but I never got to visiting the store as it is a bit out of the way for a downtowner like me. The main location is on Yonge street in a nice neighbourhood between Lawrence and York Mills. They also recently opened a second location downtown (yay! much closer) on Queen Street close to Spadina.  

We each ordered a different type of dessert to try and an iced coffee and latte. The coffee was good but pretty standard, and I was a tiny bit disappointed that my latte didn't have latte art. 

I didn't have any macarons at the store, but did buy some to go. My favourite flavours are lychee raspberry and dark chocolate. 

Let Down at Locus Lounge

Waking up naturally on a sunny Sunday with no particular plans in mind is the ideal condition for growing brunch dates. Even though I adore Cafe Medina to no end, my curiosity and aversion to block-long line ups on the most popular brunch day of the week led me to Locus Lounge! The place exudes a dark, gothic vibe when it comes to its decor, so I was very surprised to learn that they served brunch.

Locus Lounge has quite an extensive brunch menu, so it took us a while to finally decide what we wanted. First up was the Huevos Rancheros. I was expecting a hearty mess of ingredients thrown together but their version was surprisingly light and refreshing. I would have liked the salsa to have more kick in it but overall this dish managed to keep me on my toes without being too overbearing. 

Huevos Rancheros $13

A New Favourite: Siena Restaurant

Tucked just ever so slightly away from the hustle and bustle of Broadway and Granville sits Siena, a nice little neighbourhood gem. The space is small but inviting, with its use of wood and its handwritten chalkboard of the daily specials. Unfortunately, since we had a later reservation, many of the special items were already sold out.

Nonetheless, Siena's staple menu still had many things that caught my eye. I'm always a little iffy when it comes to pork tenderloin because often times it can end up being tough. This was certainly not the case as the pork came out to be melt-in-your-mouth good. Even though the portion did not look intimidating, I'm sure I would have been satisfyingly full if I had polished this off on my own.

Grilled Natural Pork Tenderloin $25

CraveTO: Senses Ignited

The CraveTO event was, in my opinion, a huge success. It was my first time at Wychwood barns and I love the venue. The last food event I had gone to was at Evergreen Brick Works, so I was mainly comparing this event to that.  I really liked that Wychwood barns had lots of places to seat, whether it be the grass, concrete steps or plastic tables and chairs on the sand. 

When we arrived at 7, there was a fair amount of people, but it got more crowded as the night went on.

Our first stop was to grab a drink at Dillon's. I did not know about them before this event, but the cuteness of their set up and the pastel colours immediately drew my attention.

Dillon's Distillery has 4 signature spirits, and their gin and rye were featured that night. We got to choose between Rhubarb Blossom and Honey Rye Lemonade.  They were very generous with the alcohol and almost half of my small plastic cup was rye. Although a bit strong for me, the drink tasted very good. I liked the citrusy flavour and freshness. 

Asada was at the top of my to-try list for this event. For the night, they offered 2 selections, chorizo or pulled pork, in burrito or taco form. The burritos were pre-rolled so I went for the tacos as I wanted to see the ingredients.

I was fully expecting to like the chorizo more, but pulled pork won my heart instead. Probably because of all the sauces and toppings, the chorizo's savouriness was overpowered.   The pulled pork taco on the other hand was perfect. The BBQ sauce was an ideal balance between savoury and sweet.

The staff also showed me other items on their menu in-store. She definitely succeeded in getting me to want to venture out to the store one day!

CraveTO: Ignite Your Senses

One of the main reasons why I have learned to love Toronto is because of how multicultural it is and how much the city embraces that.  The CraveTO event that I was invited to this Friday is the perfect example. This upcoming food event features unique independent street vendors selling various types of food and cuisines. The event lineup also includes craft beers and Toronto DJs. What better way to enjoy food than with music and beer?!

CraveTO is an outdoor festival showcase of Toronto street food, craft beer and DJs.The event
was created to promote Toronto’s cultural movement towards local food and drink, and
showcase the creators driving this movement.

Event Information:
Date: Friday May 30, 2013. 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Venue: Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street
Tickets: $16.75 each. Buy tickets here.
How it works: Tickets are for general admission. Beer and food offerings will be additional at around $5 each.

Here are some of my top picks to try:
Asada: I have never tried their food, but I will never say no to tacos and burritos...more guacamole please!
Food Dudes: Speaking of tacos, the fish tacos at the food dudes are amazing. Must try.
Oyster Boy: This one should be self-explanatory. Oysters will always be a yes.
Sweet Sammies: I had tried their ice cream sandwiches at a previous food event, and they are a must! Dessert doesn't get better than this.
Tocino Boys: Filipino food is new territory for me, but sweet bacon and chorizo sounds very enticing.

For a full list of the line up, visit http://craveto.com/lineup/.

I am very much looking forward to this event, and am excited to be attending with a fellow food blogger at Chew Street!

High Tea at Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La

The Lobby Lounge is located right by the entrance in the lobby (hence the name, probably) of the Shangri-La Hotel. As soon as you enter, you can hear the elegant sounds of live piano and feel the warm and tranquil vibe. The area is very spacious with many large comfortable couches holding many cushions and pillows. 

The $40 per person (before taxes and gratuity) high tea menu is predetermined and includes a selection of desserts, sandwiches and scones, with your own choice of teas from an extensive tea list. 

Foraging for Fresh Eats!

*Excuse us once again for the unexpected hiatus... we've been doing some more rampaging around the world :)

Ah, Forage, back when it was young, fresh and unexplored. Their newly minted menu seemed full of potential, and the concept of sustainable dining was a plus. Our friends and I came in here with great expectations that grew even larger upon seeing their decor -- simple, clean and modern, with a touch of rustic. Our server was extremely attentive, patiently answering all our questions and giving recommendations of his own. All was well...

Smoked Albacore Tuna $22

The first dish to arrive was the smoked albacore tuna. The tuna was pretty nicely cooked as it had retained lots of moisture and flavor. I especially enjoyed the pickled vegetable and berries on top as it added an extra kick of sweetness to the fish.

Roast Bison Bone Marrow $15

This dish was probably the most anticipated of the night. While the presentation was pretty cool (you'll feel extra carnivorous trying to dig at a giant bone sawed in half), the taste was wholly missing. I am not kidding when I say this dish tastes like a lump of fat with some bread. Even as a lover of fatty meats I was not impressed.

Thumbs up for Sansotei

Since last year when Kinton Ramen opened, numerous other ramen joints started popping up in various corners of downtown Toronto. Amongst them is Sansotei Ramen, which is one of my favourites. It took me this long to blog this place because I always get too excited and dig in before I can take photos!

Sansotei keeps it quite simple with their menu selection. They only have 4 types of ramen soup bases for you to choose from (tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, and tonkotsu shoyu), but you get to choose between thin, original, and thick for the thickness of your noodles. 

The (Best) House on Parliament

On Saint Patrick's day weekend, friends and I went to The House on Parliament for some hearty brunch before filling our stomachs with green beer. Sitting in Cabbagetown, this pub is very cozy and has a patio, a bar, and seating in the front and back of the place.

They have a special weekends only menu for brunch, so we all selected from that list.

Eggs Parliament  $10

The Eggs Parliament is the traditional eggs benedict with a twist. The 2 poached eggs sit on a toasted english muffin topped with smoked mozzarella and is covered by hollandaise sauce with crispy double smoked bacon sprinkled on top. On the side, there is also plum tomato chutney, home fries, and fruit. I especially loved the smoked mozzarella and plum tomato chutney combination. Usually richness of hollandaise sauce makes me feel a little sick after the first benedict, but not here! If I had to be picky, I'd say there could've have been more meat on top of the sprinkled bacon bits.

Winterlicious: Rosewater

We went on a short vacation and now we're back! Be on the look out for posts from our mini Eurotrip!

Another Winterlicious stop I made was at Rosewater. The pricing was very reasonable and we loved that they offered wine pairings with each of the courses on their Winterlicious menu. As soon as I entered the restaurant, I was mesmerized by the decor as well as the great ambience. Their friendly staff greeted us right away and offered to check our coats, which is always a plus!

We were seated in the Rosewater Room in the upper floor but I liked that we could look down the balcony and get a great view of the bar and lower dining area.

We didn't find the bread to be anything special, but the whipped butter was very much appreciated by our party.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup is one of my favorites and I really liked it. The texture was thick and the flavour was rich.

Fire-Roasted Chicken Breast

I hadn't expected much of the chicken breast, but as a matter of fact, it was quite delicious! The chicken was juicy and tender while the sauce was meaty but not overpowering the chickens original taste. The bread pudding also caught me off guard since I've never tried it with a savoury sauce. To my surprise, the sweet and the savoury did not clash but rather went quite well together. That sauce was definitely a key ingredient to the overall success of the dish.

Chocolate Mousse Bomb (?)

The dessert option was slightly different from the original Winterlicious offering, so thanks for understanding if I got the dessert name wrong. This dessert was quite the bomb! It is a ball of dark chocolate coated chocolate mousse sitting on a crunchy hazelnut flakes base. It was no surprised that the mouse would be really rich and sweet, so the sour berry sauce on the side was good for leviating some of that richness. The passionfruit flavoured bubbly mousse underneath the raspberries was also an interesting surprise.

Our overall dining experience was pleasant. We had delicious food, friendly service, and great company in a comfortable environment. In fact, our lunch date went on for 3 hours! I hear that the Rosewater Room is very popular for private functions and that they hold great wedding parties. Well, maybe one day!


More photos:

House-Smoked Duck Prosciutto, Spiced Garlic Shrimp, Cast-Iron Seared Cobia Bass, Short Rib Sandwich, Warm Maple Roasted Apple & Raisin Crumble

Taste:★★★★☆

Environment:★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Price: $$$$

Rosewater
19 Toronto St
Toronto, ON

Winterlicious: Oh-So-Romantic at La Maquette

La Maquette was chosen because we wanted to try out French cuisine and I wasn't going to turn down lobster. We had heard that this place was one of the most romantic restaurants in Toronto and surely it was compared to all the places I've been to. (The lighting was very dim so please excuse the photos.)

As we entered, we were greeted by the beautiful silences of the room until we heard our hostess' footsteps scrambling down the stairs. She took us in with great delight and led us up the turning stairs to a mesmerizing dining floor lit up by the chandelier.  As you step into the dining room, the sounds of conversation and cutlery come to life, with the melodies of live classical guitar playing in the background.

Warm Pulled Duck Confit

I've only had duck made in the asian way (such as Peking duck or Japanese style), so the duck confit was a new experience for me. It was served with grilled vegetables, goat cheese, and drizzled with red pepper coulis. The duck had a very meaty flavour and was quite tender. The serving portion was quite generous in my opinion.

Lobster Bisque Soup

It is quite clear how excited I was for the soup judging from that spill on the side. While the presentation was only mediocre, I liked the taste of the soup. It was creamy with rich lobster flavour, but not too heavy to the point where you would feel sick. My tastebuds were certainly pleased.

4oz Lobster Tails 

The highly anticipated lobster tails was surely the highlight of my night. Served with white wine cream sauce over jasmine rice, the lobster meat was so fresh and juicy. Not only that, the tails were quite large and the texture was so bouncy - they weren't joking when they said it would be 4 ounces. I also absolutely adored the cream sauce, which made my rice taste like delicious risotto.

Pan Seared Venison Medallions

The venison was served with berry and cassis reduction, glazed ontario parsnip and sweet potato yams. The dish looked extremely attractive to me, but I was hesitant after learning venison was deer meat. Amy had told me such great things about venison and the meat looked so tender as I watched it being cut. Finally I mustered up the courage to try it and boy was it tender! I enjoyed my bite until this distinct aftertaste arose in my mouth. I think it'll be a while until the next time I have venison..

Chocolate Petit Fours filled with Mango and Rapsberry Mousse

After the two satisfying courses, this dessert was quite a disappointment. The fruits were sour and the mousse just tasted like normal yogurt. It definitely brought down my overall dining experience.

Mini Chocolate truffle with Florette

The chocolate truffle with warm baileys creme was a little better, but not enough to turn things around. It was a bit dry and too overly sweet. The desserts were the only thing that we did not finish.

The atmosphere and exquisite decor at La Maquette was simply breathtaking. The fireplace keeps you warm and the lighting is just enough that you can see each other faces while keeping a romantic vibe. This is definitely the place to enjoy a romantic date.

Taste:★★★★☆

Environment:★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Price: $$$$

La Maquette
111 King Street E
Toronto, ON

Winterlicious Menu 

--------------------------------

La Maquette's Lobster Bisque Soup

or

Warm Pulled Duck Confit

or

Red Oak leaf, Mustard Red Leaf and Wasabi Arugula (vegan) tossed in Lemon Herb Dressing 

----

Pan seared Venison medallions

or

Two 4 oz Lobster Tails

or

Roasted breast of Cornish Hen

----

Duet of chocolate petit fours

or

Mini Chocolate Truffle with Florette

or

Fresh Fruit Bowl (vegan)

Hello to Haroo

My food cravings alternate several times throughout the day. One minute I'll want some fresh sashimi and next thing you know, I'm dying for some Indian curry. Oddly enough though, Korean food rarely makes it into my cyclic yearnings, so my Korean restaurant forages never really go beyond Jang Mo Jib. Thus when that next bibimbap craving hit, I decided it was about high time I tried Haroo.  

Homey is the best way to describe Haroo's warm, simplistic atmosphere. It almost feels like going to grandma's house for a nice home cooked meal! The place is run by a sweet old couple who do the serving and cooking themselves, so service could get a little slow if the place is busy.

Complimentary Congee + Salad

The meal started off with a complimentary congee and a standard salad. This congee was really a nice and warming appetizer, which may look bland but was actually quite hearty due to the broth. Perfect for a cold wintery day!

Going in Blind: Dark Table

Blind dining is a concept that has been steadily increasing in popularity. The idea is that by taking away  vision, the other senses will heighten as a compensation mechanism. I had been looking forward to trying something like this for some time now, so you can imagine my excitement when I found out about Vancouver's first dark dining restaurant.

What your meal will look like

The experience starts outside the doors, where somebody will take your order. They offer a set menu from which you can pick either a starter/dessert and a main for $33 or all three for $39. Once everyone decides on what they want, you are led single file by your (visually impaired!) waiter into the opaque abyss that is Dark Table...

Recipe: Nutella Pinwheel Cookies

Time for another recipe! I was introduced to this amazing recipe around 2 years ago and it is still my all time favourite. My friend found the recipe on The Gallery Gourmet.

Ingredients: 

8 oz unsalted butter at room temperature 

1 cup sugar

2 extra large egg yolks

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 and 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup Nutella