What do Red and Yellow Make?

Red and yellow make orange! Welcome to orange level of the Dufferin Mall Parking Garage.

Indie Coffee Update

As a follow up to my earlier post about indie coffee shops in Toronto, I have decided to comment on a few of the places. Since I wrote the earlier post I have visited for the first time: Lit, Sam James, Capital, and Lost and Found.

Lit had a wonderfully earthy espresso which I described as tasting like a tree. Unique flavour right there. Definitely recommend.

At Sam James Espresso Bar I have been happy with the drinks I've gotten. Lovely americanos & cappuccinos. I love sitting in the window there and watching Harbord go by.

Americano and Latte

Geoff enjoying a latte

First time I was at Capital Espresso I had one of the the best shots of espresso I've ever had. I'm not saying this just because I met Damien the other day. He came in to R2 looking for decaf beans 'cause they were running low over at Capital. The espresso shot I had was rich, rich, rich in flavour and well-balanced for my tongue.

Lost and Found espresso was delicious with a bit of an alcohol-y finish in a good way. Love the space and the idea of combining clothing and coffee - two great loves of my life. Jonathan was super friendly and Evan and I procured some Metropolis beans which I've tried in the french press with great success.

Pipes

Three Speed

Went to three speed on the spur of the moment with @Evanjerred on the same rainy night of shooting the dufferin mall. I had no expectations of the place but I like it there. Pretty laid back, pretty lights, good crowd. And bonus, it's a five minute walk from my house. Here are some photos I took of the place.

I definitely had Waupoo's cider and seem to remember getting something else, but I forget.

drinks

Great lighting, and you can just see "three speed" in the right of the frame written on the brick wall

The crowd

 

Snowfall shoot

Appropriately I am writing this post today on the snowiest day this winter so far about shooting on the night of one of our first snowfalls in Toronto. It was a spur of the moment thing. @Evanjerred was enjoying the snow coating on the trees, but in my end of town that had already disappeared. As a result of that and the rain, we took a lot of our shots in the covered parking lot of Dufferin Mall. Great colours, great lighting.

Rideshare

There is a recurring impression of Canada that we lack culture. I'm going to tackle this one from the architectural front. Sure, we don't have much gothic stuff going on.

Gothic stuff in Belgium

Sure, we don't have bullet holes in our columns (heck we barely have columns).

Bullet holes in a column of a building in Berlin

I don't often go to Union Station now that I live in Toronto, but going home for the holidays I was catching a rideshare from there. I was very happy to have my camera with me as I sat on a ledge outside the station.

The Fairmont Royal York Hotel

Independent Coffee in Toronto

Following is a map of the cafes I have been to in Toronto (blue marker), and the cafes I want to try (pink marker). Apparently I should have gotten my own Indie Coffee Passport. Most of my photos so far are from R2 Cafe. If there are notable cafes you think I should try out, please add them or comment! Thanks!



View Toronto Independent Cafes in a larger map

Ghazal of R2 Cafe pouring a tulip

Coffee from a cupping at R2 Cafe

 

A shot of espresso being pulled from the Nuova Simonelli International Barista Championship machine at R2 Cafe

French press brewed cup of Social's R2 house blend

Bell Pepper and Parsley Salad

I have craved and made several variations of this salad in the past few months. It reminds me of a tabouleh despite there being few ingredients in common. I love how fresh it tastes and feels to eat. In the future it might be interesting to add mango to the mix!

There's red and green pepper, flat leaf parsley, shallot, lime juice, and green lentils. In terms of a grain-based additive, some of my variations have included adding couscous or quinoa or both. Tabouleh has burgul in it. Often I get impatient, don't cook the lentils properly and they get mushy, but this time I followed the directions to great effect! The lentils still have a shape by the end of it!

Dry lentils

Move out

My lonely room on Dufferin after move-out. Only a backpack left.

Oven baked pork chops with caramelised parmesan applesauce

I spent three months wanting to cook something more creative than oatmeal with currants and peanut butter (which is a delicious breakfast), but somehow never found the time. When I moved out of my shared house a few days ago, I was faced with finishing the fridge, including a bag of apples, pork chops, and parmesan cheese rinds, the combination of which screamed awesome at me. The result was oven-baked pork chops with caramelised parmesan applesauce.