And now for a tasty snack!!

Couscous and Tuna Summer Salad

Start by making couscous (boil a cup of salted water, throw in 2/3 cup couscous, turn off heat).

Next julienne orange zest, lemon zest and thai red chilis.

Add these ingredients to the still warm couscous and your kitchen will be cheered by the smell of citrus.

Next add sliced grape/cherry tomatoes, lots of minced garlic, green onion (you may include the green parts), and some fresh oregano.

Shred cooked tuna (mine was leftover from bbq tuna shish kebobs) or any other fish you'd like and finish off the salad along with some frisee lettuce, julienne spinach, capers, a tiny bit of crumbled feta and I also inculded some diced grilled onion (also leftovers from the bbq).

Et voila!

All clean!

Bicycle Tip #2

Now that its full fledged summertime and we're all bustin out our bikes I figure its a good time to talk about some bicycle knowledge.

Cadence

is the measurable rhythm, beat, or rate at which you are spinning your pedals. Good cadence not only refers to a minimum average of rotations per minute (rpm) but also to consistency in your rotations.

To achieve a good cadence, aim for at LEAST 60 FULL revolutions of your pedals per minute. This means that each pedal must come all the way around (thus making a 360 degree revolution) once ever second (minimum).

In terms of consistency, you should aim to maintain an unchanged cadence whether you are going uphill, or downhill, whether you are slowing down in traffic, or you are accelerating on the open road!! This can only be accomplished by changing gears to match your speed, and by making sure that your seat height is high enough to efficiently reap the full rewards of your powerful legs.

Why talk about cadence? Because we humans are more like a battery than a motor; while a motor can keep accelerating, our energy reserves are limited and would max our under this kind of continued demand. Cadence works perfectly with our battery type, assuring long term supply of power. And what happens when the batter runs out? Refuel it by breathing, hydrating and eating.

I HEART MTK

I send only my deepest and warmest expressions of gratitude towards Mildred's Temple Kitchen for enriching me with such mouthfuls of joy. Narrowing the choice of what to order off the tantalizing new menu was a challenge indeed but after some deliberation my dining partner Maeve and I made our choices.

First up: The Hotdog.

Yes. If feels like dreams really do come true with this treat. Served in an old school champs cardboard BOX, supported by a homemade bun, and spiced up with homemade mustard (see ya later Kozlik...haha just kidding)! The smell of the buttered cabbage which tops the fennel-dog almost induced a Homer Simpson drooling-while-comatose sensation. When half-way through, I bit into a fleck of hot pepper and I was truly transported somewhere heavenly.

Next in our pickings: GNOCCHI POUTINE!!!

One of those dishes that is so good, it makes you feel a pinch of remorse for going through life all this time without having been tasting such wonderfulness. It is also a dish and a taste that language could never fully live up to and satisfy. Texturally, the gnocchi's were cooked perfectly. Against the chewy and melty cheese curds, and mopped up in the sweet but deep braised oxtail and jus, nothing spells comfort food better.

All gone!

Lastly: ze Flatbread

The first thing you notice when the flatbread arrives in front of you is its fragrant aroma: lemon zest, truffle oil and melted goat's cheese confidently kick-start salivary glands. The chewy flatbread and peppery-fresh arugula add perfect balance.

sighh!

New Shoes!

Rustic Pita Pizza

Sometimes after consuming copious amounts of delicious Indian food, when all the buttery naan has been argued over and then reluctantly shared, and Biryani rice has been mixed around with spice and gobbled up, sometimes, just sometimes there remains a small but precious amount of butter chicken sauce or left-over daal. Full from the feast, and unwilling to throw out the seemingly 'insignificant' remains, I pack the left-overs up.

Next day, I wonder, how can I stretch out these 'scraps'? Indian Pita Pizzas are my answer!!!!!!!

Brush pita with oil.

Use leftover sauce (butter chicken in this case) as a tomato sauce replacement.

Thinly slice any left over eggplant, pickle, okra, etc and sprinkle on pizza.

Include anything from your fridge you'd like to use up (in my case, some smoked turkey breast, green onion and fresh cilantro).

Top with cheese! I used fresh paneer but mozeralla, boccacini, cheddar or anything you'd like would work too!

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, and then jack up the heat or set the oven to broil for the last minute in order to get some colour. Enjoy your snack!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH G!!!!!!!!!!!

!

Bicycle Tip #1

As I am sure you have gathered, the first sturdy pillar in my trifecta of blogging interests is food, nom noms, snacks, noshing, nibbling......

The second hearty pillar is BICYCLING!!!!! I love cycling, have been practicing since I was little, and have been witnessing its growing popularity in the city of Toronto. I sometimes feel that Toronto underrates just how much of a cycling city it is. From the drama of Igor and bicycle theft, to the politics of bicycle lanes and our refusal to teach safe cycling in schools, there is a lot of tension, are lots of accidents, and lots of misunderstanding on the part of cyclists and drivers alike (and out-to-lunch pedestrians who can't really be blamed since they are not operating a vehicle).

And yet, I still see bikes EVERYWHERE in this city. There are SO many bicycles. Lots of abandoned bikes and junkers indeed, but also some of the most beautiful bikes. I love bicycle watching. Amid all the negativity, people are still riding, avidly, and the sensation I get as I see convoys of cyclists breezing down the bike lanes on college street is freedom (even if half of them aren't wearing helmets). They all look so free.

On this note, I would like to introduce some tips to enable fellow cyclists who would like to maintain this freedom.

TIP #1!!!!!!

BE SEEN AND BE HEARD

Get a bell. If it looks like someone who is stepping off the sidewalk or exiting a car doesn't see you, they probably don't. Let them know you are here. Ring your bell. Get a bell.

If you ride at night get lights!!!! How are you supposed to share the road with other vehicles at night if they cannot see you? Bike lights are NOT a big investment, they are the law, and they will save your life. Go to Mountain Equipment Co-op and get a white front light and back red light. They are $3.75 each, they are long lasting (powered by LEDs), and when they run out you can even buy replacement batteries.

NOTE: make sure you attach your lights on the road side of you bike (i.e., if you place your front light on your front fork, make sure it goes on the left prong)

ALOHA

HELLO BLOGGING WORLD!

Even on this very first post I am sharing regarding my visit to the Arepa Cafe on Queen Street West in Toronto, I have learned my first valuable blogging lesson: when it comes to blogging my love of food (note to self) be a speedy photographer. When our Arepas' were delivered to the table (mine STUFFED full of beans, cheese, avocado and fried plantain, his piled high with guacamole, chicken and red onion), my noshing impulses were spinning high. It was only near the end of the affair that I regained consciousness and a grip on my intentions to photograph this delightful snack!

I love condiments!!!! Wonderfully surprised by these three jewels. Garlic mayo, green pepper sauce and a GREAT hot sauce that left my mouth humming.

So I learned my lesson, photograph first! In hopes of salvaging this post, I give you dessert! Arepa cafe makes all their tasty sweets in house, and this dulce de leche and lemon cookie was impossible to resist! I was right to indulge!!!

mmmmmm....