Last time, Sam from Sam James Coffee Bar explained the differences between a latte and a cappuccino.  This time, he demonstrates what goes into preparing an espresso shot.  Since then, Sam James Coffee Bar has been receiving a lot of press.

Check out the BlogTo and Push.ca write-ups.

Also, don’t forget you can follow Sam (and us) on Twitter – constant updates!

At Caplanky’s again but this time Oliva Go.

Olivia works as a food stylist for the CBC with Claudia Bianca and Floe Yeung. Olivia has worked for some of the best chefs in the food industry. She started in New York at the Natural Gourmet School Culinary arts and health and from there took an internship at Tomas Kellar’s, Per Se. Tomas Kellar is also wellknown as the author of the cook book, French Laundry which demonstrates basic cooking and how it is done properly.

The final test at Per Se for Olivia was to appropriately garnish the completed dishes; every garnish has to be correct.  Slicing chives was a challenge.  Olivia turned to Curin, a jananese knife store in New York that distributed their own line of knives and sells the top brands.  Curin offers knife sharpening classes to their customers which Olivia registered numerous times using a different alias each time.  Curin caught on to her scheme and began to teach her about how to sharp her particular knife. Having a knife that was sharpen correctly made it easier to slice chives correctly. From this experience Olivia became obsessed with the art of a correctly sharpened knife and the importance to detail.

Olivia feels that this specialized art is dying and is working at changing this. The Good Egg offers a course taught by Olivia teaching basic knife skills every Sunday. Check out the story of Olivia’s class in the Toronto Star.

Not too long ago, a friend won a contest by being 300th fan on Facebook for Desmond and Beatrice. She was delivered a simple, white boxed up dozen of amazing lookin’ red velvet cupcakes.

Quickly after checking out the Desmond and Beatrice website I sent an email inquiring about an interview. The baker and owner, Amanda, responded right away.  Check out the interview below:

When did you decide to start Desmond & Beatrice?

Amanda: I started Desmond and Beatrice while on maternity leave.  Much to the encouragement of my friends and family, who I am forever baking for, I decided to start a business from something that I love to do, that I was getting great support for, and that would allow me to take care of my baby.  My website has only been up and running for approximately 3 months and the response is amazing!

As a relatively new business, what is the focus of Desmond and Beatrice?

Amanda: Desmond and Beatrice is all about back to basics, down home mama’s baking.  We are comfort baking.  Our focus is offering you treats that your grandma may have made, or that you remember from a certain occasion or event.  We of course have plenty of interesting and unique items on our menu, for example: curried cashews and pumpkin spice cupcakes with brown sugar cream cheese frosting, but it really comes down to taste.  It has to be delicious or we just won’t offer it.  We also really try to take a personal approach when fulfilling orders, we will make modifications, customize orders, and do our best to offer you what you want.

A friend won the contest you hosted on your facebook page.  She received a delivery of a dozen Red Velvet cupcakes.  My first impression was that they aesthetically looked amazing. How important is the presentation of your baked goods?

Amanda: Yes!  That contest was really fun!!  I often have fun little give away contests on facebook to encourage people to become fans of the page and to thank the fans that are already there.  Presentation, along with taste, are paramount for Desmond and Beatrice.  I am not so concerned with creating and making sweets that are so pretty that you feel you shouldn’t eat them, but rather I focus on a simple and pretty presentation that you can then rip open and get right in to!

Recently, I have noticed an increasing number of cupcake oriented books and products that are available, is this a new trend?

Amanda: Cupcakes are where it’s at!!!  It is my number one selling item and rightfully so.   The cupcake trend, so to speak, is not a new one; I believe that cupcakes are trendy but they are here to stay.  I have an increasing amount of interest in cupcakes in lieu of wedding cakes, and we have numerous weddings booked for this upcoming summer.  We offer cupcakes for birthday parties, corporate gifts, custom orders, and our biggest focus is sending cupcakes instead of flowers!  I am not knocking flowers, I love flowers… I just love cupcakes more!

What is your favorite baked good?

Amanda: Oh I can’t possibly pick one favorite baked good… warm cinnamon buns on a Sunday morning, fresh baked cookies (we will deliver frozen rolled cookie dough that you can pop in the oven as you like and take all the credit for) of any kind,  chocolate brownies, ooo I love brownies, or maybe a carrot cupcake with cream cheese icing?  I honestly can’t pick, I love it all, and if it isn’t a sincere love for me, you won’t find it on the menu!

Not sure what to get that special someone for Valentines Day?

Forget the flowers, send cupcakes!!  The NEW Desmond and Beatrice Valentines Day menu.

December 8th was the culmination of months of hard work for an event called First Photos. First Photos was a skateboard photography contest that I helped organize for Push.ca, whose goal was to find the most inspired work from amateur skateboard photographers across Canada.

In a bare white and lofty room, known as the RedBull 381 Projects, on Queen Street, the winning photos were on display along with a unique selection of photos from professional skate photographers who demonstrated their own interpretation of the theme of firsts.

Interested onlookers filled the space as tunes from skateboard videos played in the background from a DJ booth at the far end of the room. All prints, I might add, were for sale with proceeds going to Contributor. Francis Allen also catered that night and his traditional treats with a punk inspired twist hit the mark. By the end of the night we had moved more than a couple of cases of Steam Whistle, the food had evaporated and smiles from the guests were potent.

So far, this blog has not covered anything to do with wine, so why not start by asking a sommelier basic questions.  Chef Tonia Wilson has worked for High Commissioner Canadian High Commission London to food writing for Food and Drink.  She also offers cooking classes at Williams-Sonoma, Loblaws, LCBO, Whole Foods and George Brown College.

Check out her site here and the interview below:

How did you get into becoming a sommelier?
I had always had an interest in wine and had taken a few courses here and there.
While working in Italy as the Head Chef at the Canadian Embassy I decided to become
certified with the Italian Sommelier Guild.
 
What would the most important skill be to a sommelier?
To have an open mind to all sorts of wine and regions, and to be up to date on the
different wines/vintages that are available on the market. A likable personality is
also a great asset.
 
Where What is your favourite wine here and why?
Do you mean Canada? If yes, I would say that there are lots, but I really love the
Cabernet Franc from Sumac Ridge (BC), and Norman Hardie's Pinots are
quite delicious!
 
What is a good wine for the budget conscious?
Spain is a terrific place to find some good value wines while allowing consumers to
try lesser known grape varieties like Tempranillo and Garnacha.
 
Is there a food that goes with every wine?
I'd have to say cheese is always a solid partner, and a beautiful cut of beef will
never fail you.
 
If you had to break the rules, what would you pair wine and food?
Probably a light fresh red wine with a substantial fish. I always say not to be
swayed too much by the colour of a wine, because some simple red wines can be much
lighter in style and taste than a very complex white. Having said that, most reds
will overpower fish so proceed with caution.
 
Any quick tips on what to look for in a wine for beginners?
Balance and intensity of flavour. All the components of the wine should be in
harmony, i.e. alcohol, acid, tannins etc. The flavour should be pleasing and should
last for a moment in your mouth. The best advice is to taste as much as you can,so
that you become familiar with what a certain grape should taste like. Most
inexpensive wines won't show lots of the character of the grape variety, therefore
try to splurge with some friends and try some more serious wines together. It can be
fun and educational at the same time.
 

Up until a couple years ago, I never drank coffee. That is until Sam James came along and everything changed.  Sam is really into coffee and always has an interesting story to tell.  I could go into more detail about these stories, or the amazing reviews and the barista awards he has won, but instead I recommend you take a trip to Sam James Coffee Bar to hear and see for yourself.

Sam James Coffee Bar is a great small space with knowledgeable baristas and quality product. Broken skate deck?  They even have a skate team and hard goods for sale.

Tried to find a youtube clip of Sam skating – no dice
Check out 1 of 3 video clips of Sam James (just learned imovie too)

Last week, just before class, I met up with Allison Johnston, the co-owner of The Spice Trader to talk about… SPICES.

I’ve always thought I was well-versed in the spice area, with shaking a self-made mix on my popcorn and whatever else. Little did I know, almost everything I own should be thrown out.

… maybe I actually am a good cook that’s just in need of some fresh spice.

The Spice Trader is a great owner run shop located on Queen Street.  Heavily stocked with organic fresh herbs and spices, alongside wild harvested versions. 

Take a look at the video as Allison talks about the importance of  fresh spices.  If you have any questions or want to know more, I would suggest checking out The Spice Trader.

It only seems fitting that the first blog post is about Indian food and Little India.

Around the time I was discussing this blog at work, I found on the web, a walking tour of Little India form Arvinda’s Indian Cooking Classes.

Checked it out and would recommend it to anyone that wants to taste amazing south Indian Food and visit one of a few Little India Neighborhoods in North America.  Take a look at the photos!

Arvindas Indian Cooking Classes started in  the early nineties offering hands experience specializing in various regional cooking and home style cooking.

The walking tour started at the  vegetarian Indian restaurant Udupi Palace.

What are the six tastes in every Indian meal?