A Flight of Mind Blowing Hot Chocolates in Chicago

April 11, 2014Blog, cuisine, culinary tourism, lynn ogryzloLeave a comment

I first met the stocky built, tattooed artist on the top of the John Hancock Building in Chicago. Pastry chef, Mindy Segal was peddling her cookies; mini morsels of heaven they were, mouthfuls of magic that beguiled everyone who popped them into their mouth. Crowds began to form and it wasn’t long before I lost her attention. But before I did, she walked me through every different cookie from the super rich, sugar coated brownie blobs that floated ever-so-lightly across my palette, to the eye-popping, uber fine Fluer de Sel and Halavah Cookies that delighted the psyche, Violette Snickerdoodles […]

Why Soup?

March 27, 2014Blog, local food, lynn ogryzloLeave a comment

It seems to me that whenever anything needs doing these days, the popular question of the day is “how”. But in my opinion, we need to be asking “why”. I mean, in everything we do, we should ask ourselves “why am I doing this?” Because if we asked ourselves “why” we are doing something, we may realise that some things are worth doing more than others. So what does all this have to do with soup? Well, Niagara potters made over 100 soup bowls so hungry soup lover could gather at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Thorold on […]

Spring is Soup Time

March 22, 2014BlogLeave a comment

I was wandering around the produce section of my neighbourhood grocery store wondering what I wanted for dinner when the bright, freshness of a bunch of rapini caught my attention –I just had to have it. It was a damp March day and that rapini was making me crave soup. When I got home I pulled some of my favourite Italian sausage from the freezer, an onion from the cold cellar and a can of Cannelli beans from the pantry. Put it all together with some chicken broth and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and my dinner was a […]

Maple Syrup + Guinness World Records

March 17, 2014BlogLeave a comment

Just drive down an old country road, roll down your window and take a deep breath. The wind is brisk, fresh and clean. The air is filled with a sweet lingering mist. Now close your eyes and concentrate. The pervasive aroma wafts across your palate making you run for the nearest pancake house – it’s maple syrup season! From the mid 16th century to the present, Canadian maple syrup has played an important role in Canadian cuisine. The thick, super sweet golden nectar with a caramelized taste is considered to be an ideal candidate for fine foods because of […]

Creating Recipes

February 24, 2014Blog, food, local food, lynn ogryzloLeave a comment

The most popular question I’m asked is “where do you get your recipe ideas?” And if there was an easy answer I suppose everyone would be doing it, but the reality is there is nothing methodical or logical about recipe development; even when you do it for a living. I think everyone who is comfortable in the kitchen has done it from time to time. I grew up in the kitchen so I knew food very well from a young age. As I grew older I simply cooked the best meals I could for my family and that meant […]

Yerba Mate, It Must Be Shared

February 18, 2014Blog, culinary tourism, local foodLeave a comment

Millions of people around the world drink tea every day and each and every one of those millions of people have a different experience each time – that’s the beauty of tea. King of all teas are the English High and Low Teas. Steeped in historical tradition with ceremony, pomp and circumstance it is one of the tea worlds most indulgent experiences. In Argentina, tea culture evolves around Yerba Mate, a cousin to the traditional English tea. While the plant looks and almost tastes like traditional black tea, it’s actually a different plant, a sort of cousin to traditional […]

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