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December, 2010

  1. Bits of France Here and There

    December 29, 2010 by Barb

    The hardest thing for me after my freshman year was finding the occasional and needed reminder of having lived abroad. While I can’t say that I fell in love with French culture during that year, I sometimes found myself wanting to taste some of the delectable moments. Perhaps the easiest way to accomplish such is through food, as it poses as a clear culture identifier. For instance, the strong flavors from a perfectly created macaron can coax out the lost, yet pleasant, memory of a warm and sunny afternoon at Parc Monceau with a friend.

    I often find that people who have never tasted a macaron from Pierre Hermé or LaDurée (or any other baking artisan) are seemingly so ready to settle. I’ve been to some of the cafés in Toronto and in New York, where people have claimed to have tasted the best (let’s be careful with the superlatives, shall we?) macarons of their lives, only to be disappointed with the incorrect consistency of the filling and harshness of the biscuit. I have managed to find two bakeries, so far, that offer redemption in my search for the best macarons outside of France, as well as a small restaurant near Central Park that takes you away from New York’s bustle and transports you into that cozy bistro atmosphere.

    Toronto Favorite: Nadège Patisserie

    nadege inside Bits of France Here and There

    Located on the hip west end of Toronto (call it Queen West West if you may), this patisserie perhaps drives the nail with precision into my cravings from the French treat. It should be duly noted, of course, that the owners are indeed French, from what I’ve overhead in some of the conversations had between frequent customers and staff. Of the several times that I’ve been here, the macarons have always been spot on in terms of flavor and consistency. And while none of the delicately crafted and daring flavors are to be had (think olive oil with vanilla by Pierre Hermé), the classics still draw a smile on my face as I sit in Trinity Bellwoods park sipping my iced latté on a summer afternoon.

    edit (01/08/2011): I was in the area this afternoon, and decided to treat myself to some macarons; it seems that I had forgotten about their own unique flavors – mojito, hazelnut cranberry, and chestnut. So to correct my mistake, Nadège certainly does carry their own unique set of flavours.

    nadege latte macarons Bits of France Here and There

    780 Queen Street West
    Toronto, ON M6J 1G2
    http://www.nadege-patisserie.com/

    New York Favorite: La Maison du Macaron

    maison macaron new york Bits of France Here and There

    Counter of treats (image courtesy of La Maison du Macaron)

    Admittedly, I had my reservations about this place since the week before I had tried a macaron place that I was highly anticipating, only to be greatly let down. But in any case, I felt that I should do my quest right and give this patisserie a chance; that and the fact that I was with someone supporting my snack hunt. Truth be told, these are perhaps some of the best macarons that I’ve tasted in New York in terms of consistency and flavor. Again, the classic flavors fill the trays behind the sneeze guard, and while I would have preferred to taste something as a “out there” as the ones I’ve tasted in France, I’m delighted enough to have simplicity done well.

    On a side note about balance, I have indeed had strong and creative flavor of a macaron filling from those at Kee’s Chocolates (their chocolates, as is their name, are a must taste, though) but the needed balance between resilient flavor and delicate biscuit was missing; instead, it was more like a WAM BAM of taste to best put it.

    But forget the coffee at La Maison du Macaron; I’ve had cups brewed much better at any food truck than the one poured for me there.

    132 W 23rd St
    New York, NY 10011
    http://www.madeleinepatisserie.com

    New York “Om Nom:” La Bonne Soupe

    la bonne soupe nyc Bits of France Here and There

    La Bonne Soupe in NYC (image courtesy of nycgo.com)

    If you’ve ever met me in person and talked to me when I’m hungry, you’ve might heard me break out and say “om nom nom nom.” In any case, I usually hate choosing restaurants with which I’m not familiar; so I cannot stress enough my gratefulness for the invention of Yelp, which has helped decrease my margin of error in terms of restaurant selection.

    Last winter, I was given the responsibility of choosing a place to eat at when my friend came from Toronto for a conference in New York, and thus also took upon the chance to visit me. I opted for La Bonne Soupe, wary of it being so close to the touristy streets of New York, but with confidence bolstered by the reviews on Yelp.

    Quaint with tables close to one another, and consisting of two floors, conversations were constantly flooding the dining room. We chatted over our glasses of red wine and munched on bread, while we waited for our meals to be placed in front of hungry eyes. With generously sized and well-seasoned portions, in addition to affordable pricing, it was no surprise that all the tables, except for one (when we had arrived), were filled that early January evening.

    And since that time, I’ve taken at least two more friends there, both of whom thoroughly enjoyed their dining experiences. One even wrote about it on her blog!

    48 W 55th St
    New York, NY 10019
    http://www.labonnesoupe.com/


    So there you have it: three French options for those that may have a craving and may not know where to start. Of course, there are also the more popular places for your French fix, but I thoroughly enjoy the places better known by locals than guidebooks – don’t you?

    Images credited in caption; otherwise they have been taken by me

  2. Canada’s Many “Worst” Drivers

    December 29, 2010 by Barb

    canada worst driver Canadas Many Worst Drivers Being at home during the holidays usually means that I’m engaging in either one of two activities: watching television or hanging out with friends. When I do flip on the television, my fascination with the Discovery Channel almost always has me flipping to channel 42. And more often than not, I manage to watch a few episodes of Canada’s Worst Driver. The show manages to, each season, select a number of the nation’s most untalented drivers, and illustrates the few triumphs and many failures of the contestants whose goals are not to be the last one standing (and thus earning the title of Canada’s worst driver). Much of the entertainment stems from the wailing of contestants and ruined cars; I wonder if how car dealers feel when they hand over new car reports to the heads at Discovery with the knowledge that the car won’t be around for very long.

    Truthfully, I like to think that the show is just what it is – a show. But sometimes when I’m driving on the streets of Toronto, I inevitably end up asking myself how some people have managed to earn their licenses. Albeit, with graduated licensing, you’re not expected to be perfect with G2 in hand, but you are expected to learn how to command the steering wheel in a safe, and sometimes if necessary, defensive, manner. It’s mind-blowing to see the many oblivious drivers, concerned only with the metal chassis encapsulating their mobile world, fumbling in parking lots, rolling on stop signs, and awkwardly driving between lanes on left hand turns.

    With that said, though, I have to admit too that I’ve been at fault for some lapsed judgment moves and sometimes been distracted by the highlights and disappointments of real life. But I do try my best to drive responsibly and to better myself whenever I’m on the road. Then, of course, there are the completely unpredictable moments; when I was seventeen and driving on the highway, a hammer fell from the back of a truck and flew at my car’s windshield. I swerved my car, and the hammer bounced in front of my car and over it.

    So you may be wondering all the auto-related posts as of late? Well, perhaps the biggest proponent for such being the contract that I have for writing these posts in exchange for payment, and the second being that I’ve been driving a lot more lately, especially since I have to go for my G exam next week (my license expires at the end of January, and I don’t quite want to renew my current status since I feel that this exam’s been a long time coming).

    Note: I am receiving payment for linking to the website (http://www.truecar.com)

    Image courtesy of meldmedia.com

  3. A Car to Call My Own

    December 28, 2010 by Barb

    chevrolet cobalt side A Car to Call My Own

    I always dreamed of having my own car, and I thought that the aforementioned would fulfill itself quite soon after I passed my G2 exam. But life has a funny way of springing twists and turns on you; or rather, in my case, goals and aspirations end up changing with a snap of a finger.

    For as long as I could ever remember, my parents promised me that they would buy me my very own car when I earned that rite of passage. So when I walked out of the driving center with temporary G1 license in hand, I excitedly and immediately started researching the perfect first car and the associative price of new cars. But all that research never really amounted to anything when my G2 came in the mail in September, and the promise of a car was left untouched.

    I didn’t really begin driving immediately after earning the license to drive on my own. Our turquoise Chevrolet was on its last legs; the final straw was when the car could not longer reverse when gear was shifted in place and ended up slowly rolling while parked facing downhill. The car was replaced by a leased Chevrolet Cobalt that was to be shared, in which I usually took my time on the weekends and had the rookie mistakes to show for it.

    The unfulfilled promise of having a car to call my own was always meant to come to fruition, as my parents would later explain, had I continued with the plan that I would stay in Canada for my post-secondary studies. But somewhere along the way, I decided that I wanted to pursue my studies in the States, which was completely unforeseen. With that said, there had to be changes made accordingly to how things would unfold. After all, what good was it having two cars if only two family members drove, and one of whom was leaving the city for four years? In any case, though, when I think about it now, I did in fact trade up from having that first car: I wound up having an adventure to call my own.

    Note: I am receiving payment for linking to the website (http://www.truecar.com)

    Image courtesy of voobay.com

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