Top Chef Canada 2: Episode 3 recap

Chef Sarah loses her s*#t in front of the judges. SOURCE:Food Network Canada

Okay, this recap on the baby-bonanza show may be a little "overdue" but hey, it's still before the next episode, so let's weigh in shall we?

Recipe: Mexican salad with creamy avocado dressing

So last night I was about to make my go-to weeknight meal, a sort of Mexican taco salad when I realized I was out of salsa. Sigh, I thought, but alas is there anything else in my kitchen I could use as a dressing? Well, there was the avocado  I was going to use as a topping, but aha! I was inspired.

Restaurant review: Barque Smokehouse

                                            
                                                                    Barque Smokehouse
                                                                   299 Roncesvalles Ave.
                                                                       Toronto, Ontario

Meat, meat and more meat at Barque

First I might warn vegetarians, this smokey smokey smokehouse (like there is literally a giant smoker in the kitchen) is not the most friendly place for you, and actually, I may as well add the server didn't exactly make it the most friendly atmosphere for any of us. The question I'm left with is: did the down home, down right tasty BBQ make up for it?

Top Chef Canada 2: Episode 2 recap

Chef Elizabeth is a little intimiated by the exacto, as Mike Holmes creepily stares on. Source: The Food Network Canada

If you missed Monday's episode and want to catch up before reading my spoilers, click here.

Is it me or was Mike Holmes -- Canadian pseudo-celeb status notwithstanding -- the entirely wrong choice for a judge on a gourmet cooking show? Case in point: he thought the losing dish was completely improved by dipping it into gazpacho.

The dude did make for some pretty hilarious commentary though, a nice contrast against Lisa Ray's attempts to be THE MOST SERIOUS JUDGE EVER.

Recipe:Pepper-crusted salmon with spicy sauteed kale and garlic roasted cauliflower

What a treat to come home and find my boyfriend cooking up this healthy and scrumptious weeknight meal straight out of one of my favourites -- Food and Drink magazine. How did he know it was exactly what I wanted?

Well ladies, I have a hint, it might have something to do with me leaving the magazine spread open to this page on the kitchen counter before I left for work in the morning. Who says men don't get subtlety.

Food News: Did you miss the premier of Top Chef Canada 2 on Monday?

My hometown boy Gabiell Cruz cooking away on Top Chef Canada 2.  SOURCE:Food Network Canada

So you missed episode one of the highest rated series on Food Network Canada, ever!?

Not to worry, here's a recap.

Food News: A charming little Tuscan restaurant just opened, maybe you've heard of it...the Olive Garden?

So the big news in the foodie world right now is an 85-year old Grand Forks N.D, columnist's earnest review of an Olive Garden in her town that went viral. See the original article, as well as some of the fallout in mainstream media here.

Restaurant review: Harbour Diner

The Harbour Diner

486 James St. N

Hamilton, Ont.

Reservations? For brunch? In Hamilton? Well, you may want to consider that, or getting here before 11 a.m. as we did if you want to get seated in this relatively small, extremely popular cozy mom-and-pop type diner.

Recipe: Portuguese winter soup

Seeing as how it's this weekend, I thought I should finally take the opportunity to talk about what I did last weekend. Well, I went home for some good eating in my home town of Hamilton, Ont. I went to two splendid, independent restaurants ( sad to say, a rare find in Hamilton these days) but I will post on that after. First, my soup!