Yummy Apple Crisp

Oh boy do I love the mouth-watering smell of homemade apple crisp coming from the oven. One of my favourite desserts with the sweet taste of apples, oats and brown sugar -- pour this popular and easy to make dish over vanilla ice cream and you have heaven in a bowl. This is my mom's recipe -- I guarantee you will love the yummy goodness.

Delicious & Divine: JOEY Eaton Centre Restaurant

Do you want to satisfy your food cravings while enjoying an exquisite atmosphere and incredible staff? From the moment I stepped into JOEY Eaton Centre restaurant I knew I was in store for a delicious and divine experience...

Bruno and I walked into this place and he started taking cues from the décor for his next man cave space! Being a picky critic of interiors in almost every other setting we've been to, his delight with the space and design is a big win for JOEY's. 

I, on the other hand was looking forward to the pleasure of sipping and savouring the delicious food and drinks during the 5^th annual Draught Mater Finals at JOEY Eaton Centre on Saturday, November 19^th. The hosts exceed all expectations; professional, uber friendly, customer focused and real.  As expected, the food brought pleasure to my taste buds: cheese and meat board (a selection of local and international cheese, thinly sliced cured meats, marinated olives, candied pecans and quince paste), cheeseburger sliders, mussels in a cream sauce and for dessert --homemade waffles. Bruno was drowning in a glass of JJ McWilliams Chardonnay...being 6 months pregnant, I was drowning in a glass of San Pellegrino. 

You will be left caught up by the atmosphere, the delicious drinks, scrumptious food and not to mention the affordable menu --Finally, a place to feel "catered to".... I can’t wait to return!

JOEY Restaurant Group has eighteen locations across Canada and three in the US. I’ve savoured many, many dishes at JOEY Don Mills location -- I recommend the lobster ravioli, the original high-rise burger (my dad said this was the best burger he's ever had and he's had his share of burgers), the chili chicken and szechuan edamame appetizers (oh so yummy).

Banga Soup (Palmnut Soup)

Banga soup is distinct in flavour full in nutrients and made from palm fruit.  It’s a powerful natural anti-oxidant that helps in protection against cancer. It guarantees to give your skin a fresher look and lowers your cholesterol level, thus protecting against heart disease. This soup is one of my favourites because of its unique taste.

Pepper Soup

I once read that soup is the epitome of comfort food, warm and soulful filled with flavour and goodness. If you’re looking for a ‘fiery’ soup, something that will keep you warm during the winter, this pepper soup is for you. This dish is full of spicy deliciousness with fish and beef.  Not only will your taste buds thank you, so will your immune system. Believe it or not this soup can scare off any cold or flu you might catch during the winter. This is my own recipe; prepared from scratch. I guarantee you’ll love it!

Meat Lovers' Homemade Pizza

What’s better then delivery pizza -- homemade pizza! There are many reasons to make your own -- you can let your imagination run wild and add as many toppings you desire, create the kind of crust you prefer (thin or thick), add as much cheese as you want and most importantly, you get a house filled with the scent of pizza cooking in the oven. Here is my meat lovers' pizza recipe.

Flavoursome Fried Rice

Rice -- oh how I love the many different ways to cook it. My favourite type is spicy shrimp fried rice. There are countless ways to cook fried rice -- it’s very popular in the Chinese cuisine. Normally, fried rice is made from cold rice that has already been cooked (left over rice).  Here is my own version of fried rice.  

It’s All About The Beans: Moi Moi

Beans, how many ways can you cook them? Why not try steaming them to create bean cakes -- Moi Moi. It didn't seem that appealing to me -- having to soak black eye beans in hot water for 12 to 24 hours and then spending another 2 hours peeling the beans, it’s not easy -- but all worth it in the end. Like most beans, black-eyed beans are rich in the best sort of fiber - soluble fiber - which helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body. They are a good source of potassium, copper, phosphorous and manganese. As a high-potassium, low-sodium food they help reduce blood pressure. Though this dish sounds French: Moi Moi meaning Me Me, don’t be fooled by the name, it’s not all about you, it’s all about the beans!

Savoury Sausage Rolls

Does your stomach ever hunger for a savoury snack -- something with a flaky crust and a meaty filling? This recipe might be the answer to your craving. Sausage rolls to Nigerians are like hamburgers to Canadians; they are extremely popular and almost every fast food restaurant has their own version. Sausage rolls are a distinctive Nigerian snack (also common in many European countries), often made from ground sausage meat and pastry.

Finger-Lickin' Butter Tarts

Prepare to indulge your taste buds with a finger-lickin' dessert. Did you know that butter tarts are considered one of Canada’s quintessential desserts? As far back as I can remember my mom was baking butter tarts -- which is the reason why I've never eaten a butter tart from the store. This dessert is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth (or possibly create a few cavities). Here is my mom’s secret recipe.

Spaghetti Sauce & Chicken Parmesan

There is nothing like a home filled with the aroma of spaghetti sauce -- more specifically -- homemade spaghetti sauce. My mom has cooked hundreds of pots of spaghetti sauce over the years, and if you add her parents into the equation, we are talking thousands…that’s a lot of spaghetti sauce! Growing up, spaghetti was a frequent meal and believe it or not, I despised it.  For some odd reason, about five years ago I fell back in love with this savoury dish. My mom has researched, experimented and tested all kinds of ways to make the best spaghetti sauce. Here is her (and my Grandpa’s) recipe -- I added ground beef and hot peppers to give it Miss Lyn’s personal touch.

Blissful Baklava

Patience, time and more patience is what it takes to make this blissful dessert. I was always under the impression that the Greeks were the masterminds behind this sweet dish; however my recent research says different. Many ethnic groups claim they discovered baklava – this dessert is that delicious that everyone wants to believe that they are the geniuses behind it. We may never know who was responsible for this delectable dessert, but the truth is...it doesn't matter!

Pounded Yam 101

Do you have what it takes to make pounded yam -- no really, do you? I don’t. I mean I don’t have what it takes to boil a large pot of yams until cooked, place them in a HUGE mortar and pound/beat them until smooth with a three to five foot tall pestle -- come on, I’m only 5’2 to begin with. Thanks to modern technology there is a much simpler way; yam flour (yams processed into a dried powder).

For all those who are curious about pounded yam, it’s actually like mashed potatoes, but smoother, heavier and tastier. Still not sure if you'll like it? Well, consider this, it's believed to be one of the world’s healthiest foods – it’s very rich in fibres, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6.

"You've had the rest, now taste the best"

“Green & Yellow” Egusi Soup

When I first laid eyes on egusi soup I had no desire to eat it, thinking that something so colourful and odd looking could not possibly taste good -- but I LOVE food, so I grabbed a fork and prepared my taste buds for the ‘unknown’ -- until I was abruptly informed to eat with my hands... “You want me to do WHAT?” After building up enough courage to break one of the most important rules at the dinner table growing up: “We don’t eat with our hands, we eat with a fork”, I decided to dig in. The taste exceeds all expectations – I've never savoured something so succulent. These days, my stomach yearns for a plate of warm pounded yam with egusi soup.

Homemade Hamburger Heaven

Growing up, I watched my mother mix a large bowl of ground meat with spices and wondered why she just didn't buy the frozen burgers in the box like my friend’s parents do – but now I know why. Homemade hamburgers are yummy, plus you can customize the burger and add ingredients that suit your taste buds: parmesan cheese, soy sauce, tabasco and even thyme. Here is my simple recipe for homemade hamburgers – don’t be afraid to get creative.

Where's the Party At? ~ Jollof Rice with Dodo

David: “Wetin dey happen, omo I dey throway party tommorow o.”

Bruno: “Ehhh, rice go dey?”

David: “No, we no dey cook rice o, na just some finger foods go dey”

Bruno: “Ehhh, I go dey busy sha, I no go fit make am”

David: “I just dey joke o, Jollof rice go dey”

Bruno: “OK, I go postpone my runs, I go fit come!”

The truth is, where there is a party, there is Jollof rice.

Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa, more than 250 ethnic groups, languages and customs with only one dish to unit them all -- Jollof Rice! This dish is popular all over West Africa and it’s considered to have originated amongst the Wolof tribe, which can be found in Gambia, Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria. There are many variations of Jollof rice -- here is my own recipe for this scrumptious dish.

New York Cherry Cheesecake

Looking for a sinfully delicious dessert? Look no further than a classic New York cheesecake. Did you know that cheesecakes date back to 776 B.C.? History records state that during the first Olympic games athletes were served cheesecake as a form of energy -- cheesecake flavoured Gatorade anyone? We must thank the Greeks for discovering this delicious dessert and also thank the immigrants that brought this recipe over to America.

My cheesecake connoisseur says this is the best cheesecake!

The Notorious Nigerian Chicken Stew

Nigerian stew is rich with spicy succulent flavours and can be served with white rice, beans, plantains and yams – which makes this food incredibly versatile.  My first taste of Nigerian food was chicken stew on white rice and I loved it -- my face was red, my lips were swollen and my tongue was on fire (my body was going into a complete ‘fiery bliss’).  

Bon Appétit

What’s the best way to top off your day then dinner with a good friend, Martha! She decided to make reservations this time (last time we spent 45 minutes just trying to find a restaurant that didn't have more than a 20 minute wait). She picked Trattoria Mercatto, an Italian restaurant in the heart of Toronto’s Eaton Centre. 

We started off with a Shiraz wine – before we ordered our main dish Martha gave me a word of warning: “the servings are small here”, which I translated as 'we will have room for dessert'.

I had the RAVIOLO: ricotta filled, tomato, grana padano and basil

  

Martha had the RIGATONI: alla bolognese, grana padano and basil

Overall, the pasta wasn’t bad, it was flavourful and fresh, but the tomato sauce was a bit too acidic for my taste. I’m accustomed to my mom’s homemade pasta sauce that would sit on the stove for hours to reduce the acidic tang; it’s hard to get use to the restaurant quality tomato sauce.

We still had room to share dessert -- CARAMEL COPETTA: bitter caramel gelato, salted peanuts, marshmallow and whipped cream; this was yummy!!!

Pièce de Résistance

The secret to roasting suya is to persuade a fine man to do it for you, it will taste much sweeter. Allow the meat to marinate in the fridge overnight and BBQ until cooked (about 20 minutes). WARNING: If you eat too much in one sitting you will have to suck belly (inhale your stomach) to make shirt fine (to make your shirt fit properly)...my suya is just that good!
Secret Tip: brush the meat with vegetable oil while they are on the grill, this will prevent the meat from drying out.

How about suya? - You dey chop suya?

Hosted a “we bought a bbq” on Saturday and decided to fire up something very yummy, suya and boli!

Suya is a popular meat skewer in Nigeria and us Canadian’s would describe it as street meat. It derived from one of the largest tribes in Nigeria, the Hausa people. Suya is usually beef or chicken, but in reality you can use any kind of meat (roasted goat head anyone?). Did you know the secret ingredient to making good suya? Even some Nigerian’s didn’t know this one; a non-Nigerian had to tell them, its grounded peanuts (oh, and for those who don’t know what boli is, it’s roasted plantains). Grounded peanuts (kuli-kuli) is the base to the seasoning. Here is my recipe for suya seasoning. It got great reviews from all the food critics at the bbq (not bad for my first try)!

Welcome - Bienvenue - Wetin dey happen

I always steered clear from the kitchen growing up, thinking that cooking was for those “domestic mothers”, but now at the age of 26 I find myself in love with cooking. I think cooking was always in my DNA (floating somewhere between the ribosomes and the golgi bodies). Making homemade pasta sauce at my grandparent’s house might of been the reason why I didn’t like cooking growing up. Spending 10 to 12 hours in the kitchen making homemade pasta sauce from freshly picked tomatoes was hard, I mean all a 9 year old wants to do is play outside with friends, not stirring a larger than life pot simmering tomato sauce. 


So now I find myself constantly cooking, everyday! My preferred food to cook in addition to Italian is Nigerian. Nigerian food is colourful, hearty, nutritious and utterly delicious. If you’ve never tried jollof rice with dodo, suya, boli, bean porridge or pounded yam with egusi soup you have deserted your tastes buds from one of God’s finest foods. Some of the world’s toughest food critics eat from my kitchen - - men, some with large belly’s (those guys know what good food is!).


Are you ready for my first culinary post?