Shawarma Frenzy - A Hidden Gem on the Danforth (Special Discounted Offer)

One of the most satisfying things a food blogger can do is supporting local businesses and restaurants that you feel passionate about, but may not be that well known yet to the general public. I've recently stumbled upon literally a hidden gem in this city that serves one of the best shawarma platters I have ever eaten, and I just couldn't pass up the chance to share it with you all here!

The restaurant is called Shawarma Frenzy and is located on the Danforth (1011 Pape Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M4K 3V7. Being surrounded by Greek restaurants left and right, Shawarma Frenzy really leaves a mark on the neighbourhood by serving up authentic and incredibly delicious Middle Eastern food all for a very affordable price. 

When I first walked into the restaurant my first impression was just how clean the place was. Not a speck of dust to be seen! It's a small but very cozy restaurant with many potted plants lined up at the front to really give you a relaxing environment to eat in. There are also two big screen TVs hung up on the wall to provide you with some entertainment while you eat and unwind. My absolute go-to dish here is their "Small Shawarma Platter." The portion size is very generous for only being a small, and on an empty stomach you will be sure to leave with a full belly.

The meats here are well seasoned and they give very generous portions. The platters are served with a side of salad and what I love about the salad here is it's comprised of mixed greens instead of your generic iceberg lettuce you come to find at other places. Their pickled vegetables are perfectly sliced and has the perfect balance of sourness and sweetness that I love. Other suggestions of things to get here are their shawarma wraps, lentil soup, and falafels.

If you are ever in this area I highly, highly recommend coming to Shawarma Frenzy. You are going to get absolutely the best service, the best food, and most of all the best price you will find anywhere.

As a special offer, I would love for you all to give their signature "Small Shawarma Platter" a try and really experience first hand just how good the food is here. As loyal readers to The Everyday Foodie, I want to share with you this hidden gem and give each of you a chance to try this dish at a discounted price of only $5.99! To obtain this deal all you have to do is email lottocoup@gmail.com to claim it. Limited quantities available as only the first 50 people to email in will receive this special discount, so make sure you redeem this fast before it's all gone! This restaurant is definitely The Everyday Foodie approved!

Curati - A Curated Food Shopping Experience

A food shopping experience curated by an expert. That's exactly what Curati is, a one-stop shop for the world's best small batch artisanal goods where the products you pick out are delivered straight to your door! I recently went on a little shopping spree of my own and here are my favourite finds!

1) Ancient Ocean Himalayan Pink Salt (Fine Grain) - curated by California based writer, chef, and radio host Michelle Anna Jordan

2) Blue Grass Soy Sauce - curated by celebrated Toronto chef Nick Liu of Dai Lo

3) Momotea Usucha Matcha - curated by tea expert and author Linda Gaylard

4) Maui Upcountry Pineapple Mustard - curated by California based writer, chef, and radio host Michelle Anna Jordan

So many unique finds for your kitchen you won't find at your local grocery store. These items are sourced from all around the globe. Head on over to www.curati.co to check it all out!

Canadian Cheese - Crafted with Creativity

Canada is known for many things. Cold winters, ketchup chips, our politeness, milk from bags, poutine, hockey, the 'Biebs', and the list goes on and on and on. However, one of our hidden treasures that not many people may be aware about is our rich history in cheese making! Canadian cheese is creative, expressive, and as diverse as the Canadians who make it, so as we are about to celebrate our nation's 150th birthday I have partnered with the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) to highlight three distinct Canadian cheeses from our country's cheese makers.

I am personally a huge fan of cheese and is probably one of the few food items I could not live without. Cheese is used in so many aspects of my favourite dishes such as on pastas, dips, dessert, and of course pizza! As it's become so intertwined into my daily life and consumption, it's also good to know a little bit more about its history and how Canadian cheese making came to be.

Historically speaking, Canadian cheese making is woven from our country's rich French and English heritage. Cheese making in Canada can be traced back to the early 1600s when French explorer and founder of the Quebec settlements, Samuel de Champlain first introduced cattle to the region. However, it wasn't until 1864 when American immigrant Harvey Farrington employed new technology to set up the very first Canadian cheese factory, "The Pioneer" in Norwich, Ontario. By the year of Confederation in 1867, over 200 cheese factories were now established in Ontario alone and the foundation for crafting distinctly Canadian cheese was set.

Fast forward to 2017, Canada's cheese industry is as vibrant as ever from coast to coast. Our great Canadian cheeses start with 100% Canadian quality milk that are produced by passionate Canadian dairy farmers in a sustainable way. To commemorate Canada's 150th birthday, I celebrated with a custom designed Canada cheese board with the best of the best in Canadian cheese that are highly-awarded varieties. Pair them off with some crackers and cherry tomatoes and you have the perfect snack ready to serve in minutes. Below you can learn some more on the three types of Canadian cheeses I had on my cheese board.

Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar, Cows Creamery, Prince Edward Island

Aged for 14 months in a carefully monitored temperature and humidity conditions, this cheddar is firm in texture and has a rich full-bodied flavour. Made by Cows Creamery in Prince Edward Island, this cheese is made with milk from local Prince Edward Island farms. Since no point on the island is more than 20 miles or so from the ocean, the salt air and iron-rich red soil add to the flavour and quality of this cheddar cheese which has received accolades since 2008.

Devil's Rock, Thornloe Cheese Inc, Ontario

Devil's Rock is a creamy blue cheese in a uniquely shaped pyramid and encased in black wax. Devil's Rock itself is an iconic rock surface overlooking Lake Temiskaming and onward into Quebec. This award winning cheese represents the rugged Canadian terrain of the Canadian Shield. Thornloe Cheese Inc. is farmer owned, sourcing daily from the region of Northern Ontario where the air is fresh, the waters are clean, and pastures are green. You can taste the difference in their hand making cheese practices here.

Comox Brie, Natural Pastures, British Columbia

Comox Brie is a soft bloomy rind cheese. It has a thin and moist downy white rind, a traditional, gentle yet slightly buttery taste, pungent mushroom aromas and a delightful, creamy texture that becomes runny over time as the cheese ripens from outside in. It's named after Comox, a small town near Courtenay, Vancouver Island, where Natural Pastures, the cheese maker is located. Natural Pastures is committed to making sustainable farming a priority every step of the way, including choosing milk suppliers on the island.

As Canada celebrates it's 150th birthday this weekend, there is no better time to support our Canadian dairy farmers. Canadian cheese is the perfect complement to celebrate this momentous occasion, so whether you may be hosting a backyard barbecue, going out on the town and dining at your favourite restaurant, or just staying home and watching a movie, make sure you put some Canadian cheese on the table. It's going to be the most delicously Canadian thing you can do.

Happy Birthday Canada!! EH!

Summer Fresh Perfect Pairings - Greek Burger & BBQ Pizza on Naan Recipe

The official day of summer has come and gone which means it's time to fire up the grill for barbecue season! Summer is meant for backyard get-togethers, cold drinks, and great food with family and friends, so we have partnered this year with Summer Fresh to bring you some simple recipes that you can simply grill, assemble, and enjoy! It's summer entertaining made easy that will allow you to spend less time cooking and more time spending it with your guests.

If you have stepped inside a grocery store lately you may have seen the many products from Summer Fresh on the shelves in their iconic green lids specializing in gourmet salads, hummus, and dips. Their Canadian story started over 25 years ago in a family kitchen where recipes were developed using real ingredients that can be found in anyone's kitchen. These products are always used with clean ingredients, with no added preservatives, and made with a belief of super fresh quality and uncompromising flavours.

I've created two simple recipes here showcasing some of my favourite products from Summer Fresh, perfect for that summer barbecue this weekend to celebrate Canada Day and our nation's 150th birthday! With less than 10 minutes to prep, these recipes are delicious and a breeze to make.

Greek Burger topped with a Tzatziki Feta & Cucumber Sauce

Recipe:

1) Cut up your favourite hamburger toppings such as lettuce, onions, and tomatoes
2) Mix together Summer Fresh Tzatziki, Greek yogurt, feta cheese, dill, and chopped cucumbers
3) Grill your hamburger patties on your barbecue. Optional: If you're making your own patties from scratch, you can also mix in some crumbled feta with the meat
4) Half way when grilling your hamburger patty, place a layer of Provolone cheese and let it melt
5) Assemble your hamburger and top it off with the Tzatziki Feta & Cucumber sauce
6) Pair it off with a Summer Fresh Greek Pasta Feta Salad

Roasted Red Pepper BBQ Pizza on Naan

Recipe:

1) Spread Summer Fresh Roasted Red Pepper Hummus on naan
2) Cover with Provolone cheese and sprinkle with shredded Mozzarella
3) Cut up cherry tomatoes in halves and place on top
4) Grill for 5-7 minutes
5) Top it off with prosciutto, arugula and/or spinach
6) Pair it off with a Summer Fresh Pad Thai Salad

If you need even more ideas for your Summer barbecue, check out Summer Fresh's current Perfect Pairings guide to give you some more recipes and inspiration by clicking HERE.

Would love to hear If you end up trying either of these two recipes at your next barbecue! As always feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below, and even how you personalized these recipes to fit your own barbecue style.  Keep checking back here next month as I will be creating some more recipes for you all with some new Summer Fresh products for the next long weekend in August.

FRANK Restaurant at the AGO - Georgia O’Keeffe Prix-Fixe Menu

Creative expression comes out in many forms. Some are expressed through writing, some are shown through music, and others express themselves through art and visual interpretations. As a food blogger over the past three years I've had some really special meals, devoured some amazing dishes, and learned a lot about the culinary culture along the way. I've seen food used as a vessel for creative masterpieces where a chef will pour their heart and soul into creating a dish that truly showcases their own personality and artistic expression using a blank canvas that we all know as "the plate." FRANK Restaurant at the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) is a prime example of how food, creative expression, and art can intertwine with one another, because quite literally this restaurant is situated inside one of the most famous art installations in all of Canada. Finding inspiration through art here is in every corner of this building, so it's no surprise it shines through in every dish that comes out of the kitchen at FRANK Restaurant. 

I came to FRANK Restaurant and the AGO last week to try their limited-edition menu inspired by the once-in-a-lifetime Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition that is taking place right now inside the AGO, making its only stop in North America. Georgia O'Keeffe (November 1887 - March 1986) was an American painter and a trailblazing figure in American modernism best known for her iconic paintings that shows her deep connection to landscape, architecture, and nature.

Renee Bellefeuille is the Executive Chef at the Art Gallery of Ontario and her creative expression comes out through cooking. She's created a marvelous three-course lunch/dinner prix-fixe menu that is inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's timeless art pieces, which focuses on local and seasonal bounty with a New Mexico flair, a place that Georgia took a lot of inspiration from in her art work.

With 20 years of culinary experience, Bellefeuille has worked at some of the city's premier dining establishments including the Drake Hotel, the Consulate General of France in Toronto, and even alongside Jamie Kennedy with whom she worked as a Pastry Chef for five years. Now that she has found herself working at the AGO, where food inspires artful conversation, Bellefeuille leads an extraordinary team of chefs that combines global flavours and locally sourced ingredients to produce aesthetically pleasing dishes that satisfy the senses.

Her exquisite culinary ability has brought her the opportunity to create this limited-edition Georgia O'Keeffe inspired prix-fixe menu. The lunch menu is $35 and the dinner menu is $45. There is also a prix-fixe dinner and exhibition combo at $65 that packages the Georgia O'Keeffe art exhibit entrance fee and dinner prix-fixe menu all in one. Both lunch and dinner menus are the same with a difference in their dessert served at night.

Below you will see the Georgia O'Keeffe $45 prix-fixe dinner menu that has three courses: starters, mains, and dessert.

STARTERS

Bean Salad - fava bean, cranberry bean, grilled poblano pepper, dinosaur kale, heirloom tomato, puffed wild rice, roasted tomato vinaigrette

Goat Cheese - mixed seed flatbread, preserved lemon, fennel fronds, nasturtium oil, hisbiscus dust

MAINS

Grilled Trout - charred green onions, white bean, dill pesto, toasted sunflower seeds, artichoke and cultured cream puree

Duck Confit - dandelion greens, whipped ricotta, puffed quinoa, sea buckthorn, elderflower vinaigrette

DESSERT

Chocolate Rhubarb Tart - bourbon white chocolate mousse, sea salt praline nougatine, rhubarb gastrique

Ontario Wild Rye & Sweet Potato Cake - burnt citrus, toasted birch syrup meringue, goat milk caramel, graham cracker dust

Bonus Dessert (Not on the Georgia O'Keeffe prix-fixe menu, but on the regular menu)

The Georgia O'Keeffe Exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario is running right now until July 30th, 2017. Make sure you head on down to the AGO to experience creative expression two fold. First on the walls and then on your plate! Let all your senses be awaken. To purchase your tickets to the Georgia O'Keeffe Exhibit please visit here, and to reserve your table at FRANK restaurant please visit here. Enjoy!