Taking Toronto

The Trials and the Tribulations, the Travels and the Thrill: my Canadian Adventures

[askwhatsforlunch]

Gamberi all'Arrabbiata

These fragrant and beautifully spicy Gamberi all'Arrabbiata make a simple yet flavourful lunch to celebrate the end of the week! Happy Friday!

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/3 Garden Chilli 

1 large garlic clove, minced

a dozen fresh prawns

¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 large,  ripe Garden Marmande Tomatoes, rinsed

1 large lemon

1/2 tablespoon caster sugar

Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add fennel seeds and dried thyme, and fry, 1 minute.

Thinly slice Garden Chilli, and stir into the skillet. Cook, a couple of minutes more.

Add minced garlic, and cook, another minute.

Peel prawns and stir them into the skillet, coating well in oil and spices. Cook until bright pink, and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Season with fleur de sel and black pepper.

Dice Marmande Tomatoes, and stir them in the skillet, along with all their juice. Bring to the boil.

Thoroughly squeeze the juice of the lemon over the prawns, and reduce heat to medium. Stir in caster sugar. Simmer, about 5 minutes more. 

Serve Gamberi all'Arrabbiata hot, with Bay and Fennel Rice.

[canadachronicles]

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A post shared by Mark Carney (@markjcarney)

Happy Pride, Canada!!!!

Source: Prime Minister Mark Carney's Instagram Page

[whatsabriard]

Murdoch Mysteries - S13E03 - Forever Young

(In which the new neighbor lady makes the moves on William and I wonder if he’ll be accused of courting an affair? Probably not.)

[whatsabriard]

Murdoch Mysteries 13x02 - “Bad Pennies”

There is so much I appreciate in this scene. Julia’s tendency to blow a gasket when something doesn’t go her way. William thinking that his rational explanations would do anything to appease her. The absolutely unsatisfying “slamming” of the sliding doors. William’s too little too late realization that, perhaps no.

(And if you squint, her behavior seems an awful lot like her behavior when she was pregnant. 😳 off the handle, she has flown. I would not be surprised be a season 200 “Julia is pregnant!” reveal.)

[whatsabriard]

Perhaps we should try to part with happy memories on our mind.

13x01 “Troublemakers”

[canadachronicles]

In anticipation of today's French Open Final --which promises to be thrilling-- and also to celebrate Pride Month, here's a flashback to an episode where Detective Murdoch joined a tennis club! In Til Death Do Us Part [S01E05], William goes undercover --under a lot of frilly covers, if my memory serves me well-- to the Taylor Creek Tennis Club, where homosexual men discreetly gather.

This scene alone made me want to re-watch the episode, as I'd forgotten Murdoch had had to come such a long way to his current open-mindedness, and I'm glad that Julia was always an ally!

[canadachronicles]

Donne-moi ton coeur, baby Ton corps, baby Donne-moi ton bon vieux funk Ton rock, baby Ta soul, baby Chante avec moi, je veux une femme like you Pour m'emmener au bout du monde Une femme like you, hey

Celebrating Pride Month with this intriguing, compelling and exciting cover of Femme Like U by Coeur de Pirate! I used to sing the K-Maro version two decades ago, thus it is quite the flashback. I just recently learned that he was Canadian, too; and of this cover. It resonates all the more to me, when Béatrice sings it though, as I'm a pansexual (very mostly into women) gal whose girlfriend lives "au bout du monde" in Aotearoa New Zealand, and we sing to each other. I know this, is the next voicemail I'll leave her!

[canadachronicles]

"I grabbed the new Who's Who to see My name; but it was not. Said I: "The form they posted me I filled and sent; so what?" I searched the essies," dour with doubt . . . Darn! It was plain as day The scurvy knaves had left me out . . . Oh was I mad? I'll say. Then all at once I sensed the clue; 'Twas simple, you'll allow . . . The book I held was Who WAS Who - Oh was I glad; and how!"

--Include Me Out, Robert William Service

His wit and humour are always delightful!

[askwhatsforlunch]

Lemon Salmon

Simple, but very flavourful, this Lemon Salmon makes a bright and easy lunch for two on a sunny day! Happy Monday!

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 nice pieces fresh salmon

1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.

Pat salmon pieces dry with paper towels, and place them in a small roasting tin.

Season with fleur de sel and black pepper, rubbing the seasoning gently into the flesh.

Generously grate lemon zest onto the salmon.

Then, thoroughly squeeze the juice of the lemon halve into a small bowl. Add olive oil, whisking until well-blended.

Brush the salmon with olive and oil mixture, and place in the middle of the hot oven.

Bake, at 200°C/395°F, for 25 minutes.

Just before serving, brush with remaining lemon and oil mixture to glaze.

Serve Lemon Salmon with green peas or Leeks.

[somefandomcontent]

Hudson & Rex 6x16: Charlie helping Jesse on his first case.

[askwhatsforlunch]

Bacon and Maple Sautéed Broccoli

A simple and tasty recipe that serves a heap of greens with their vitamins (A and C), calcium and potassium, these Bacon and Maple Sautéed Broccoli make a nice dinner on a Tuesday night!

Ingredients (serves 3):

1 litre/4 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 beautiful broccoli heads

3 strips smoked streaky bacon

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1 garlic clove, minced

a pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons pure (Grade A) Canadian Maple Syrup

Bring water to the boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, stir in coarse sea salt and then, bicarbonate of soda until completely dissolved.

With a sharp knife, cut broccoli fleurets from their thick stalk, and stir them into the boiling water. Blanch, 5 to 7 minutes.

Drain broccoli fleurets, and immediately plunge them in a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, drain thoroughly again.

In a large skillet over a high flame, add smoked streaky bacon, and fry, a couple of minutes on each side. Transfer bacon to a plate, leaving its fat in the skillet.

Add olive oil, and reduce heat to medium.

Sprinkle in Herbes de Provence, and fry, a couple of minutes.

Add minced garlic, and cook, minute more.

Roughly chop bacon.

Increase heat to medium-high, and stir broccoli fleurets into the skillet, coating well in herbs and fat. Season, to taste, with fleur de sel and black pepper.

Then, stir in chopped bacon. Cook, another couple of minutes.

Finally, drizzle in Maple Syrup, and cook, a few minutes more until just glazed.

Serve Bacon and Maple Sautéed Broccoli hot.

[charliestolemytaco]

Hudson & Rex 6.09

[charliestolemytaco]

Hudson & Rex 6.09

[canadachronicles]

This is Spring, and I'm resuming my Barbelle re-watch with Season 2. Only one episode a week, I am savouring it, like an egg salad sandwich!

[canadachronicles]

"Say! You've struck a heap of trouble -- Bust in business, lost your wife; No one cares a cent about you, You don't care a cent for life; Hard luck has of hope bereft you, Health is failing, wish you'd die -- Why, you've still the sunshine left you And the big, blue sky. Sky so blue it makes you wonder If it's heaven shining through; Earth so smiling 'way out yonder, Sun so bright it dazzles you; Birds a-singing, flowers a-flinging All their fragrance on the breeze; Dancing shadows, green, still meadows -- Don't you mope, you've still got these. These, and none can take them from you; These, and none can weigh their worth. What! you're tired and broke and beaten? -- Why, you're rich -- you've got the earth! Yes, if you're a tramp in tatters, While the blue sky bends above You've got nearly all that matters -- You've got God, and God is love."

--Comfort, Robert William Service

Honestly, this is just what I needed to hear --well, read-- today; and it comforts me heaps, indeed. And it is true, I look out the window; it is cloudless blue...

[aceofwhump]

Hudson & Rex 6x08

[canadachronicles]

If I put my fingers here And if I say, I love you dear And if I play the same three chords Will you just yawn and say It's all been done It's all been done It's all been done before

It's All Been Done just came on the radio, and it made me absurdly happy. I love this song. I love old school Barenaked Ladies. And it always leaves me hopeful, this song, for some reason!