So many herbs, so little thyme

I love spring. I love the buds on the trees, the smell of lilac wafting through the air, and I especially love my herb garden. Every year I look forward to planting my three huge pots with various herbs to use in my cooking throughout the summer. This year, I planted thyme, oregano, curly parsley, chives, spearmint and peppermint, grape and cherry tomatoes, basil, and sage. Last year my sage came down with a bad case of white spots and did not make it through the summer. An herb garden is a simple, fun activity that just keeps giving back. The herbs last throughout the summer and tend to flourish with very little upkeep. I keep mine in large round pots which end up overflowing as the summer goes on. They are beautiful, smell divine, and fit perfectly in almost every recipe.

Guu-Izakaya

After hearing the hype over Vancouver's Guu Izakaya's opening in Toronto, I knew I had to go. My friends and I decided to take a chance and line up for Guu last Thursday night (the restaurant is famed for not taking reservations). The wait, we were told, was an hour so we parked ourselves on a bamboo bench among many other foodies, mostly young, and for the most part very hip. The roar was hysterical every time the door opened to the restaurant (Guu cheers for its customers both coming and going). The delicious smell wafting out of the windows made me hungrier by the minute. Our name was called after 40 minutes and we walked into the restaurant. The chefs, waiters, and some of the restaurant goers cheered for us, yelling chants in Japanese...we couldn't help but giggle at the attention. After looking over the menu (one I had gawked at countless times online), we ordered.

Tofu Salad with Garlic Marinated Mushrooms

Salmon Natto Yukke (salmon with seven friends...this dish consisted of salmon sashimi paired with raw egg yolk, won ton chips, garlic chips, natto, shibazuke, and green onion...the key was to mix the ingredients together and wrap them with small pieces of seaweed a la sushi)

Tuna Tataki...the most delicious combination of lightly seared tuna, green onion, garlic chips, and daikon served with a light soy based sauce. We all agreed this tuna alone was well worth the wait.

Grilled Black Cod with Saikyo Miso and White Wine Sauce


We also had edaname with coarse salt and spinach with black sesame sauce. The spinach came packed a large, green ball floating in the most delicious black sesame sauce one could imagine. It was sweet but tangy, thick but not too thick, and beyond mouthwatering. My taste buds did not want it to end.


I kept noticing innovative drinks as the night went on. The server brings half a grapefruit, a juicer, soda water, and vodka to the table. The customer get to squeeze the juice themselves and mix up the cocktail to their liking. This can be ordered with a cucumber or lemon instead of the grapefruit. Guu also is famous for the Sake Mojito a traditional mojito with sake instead of rum. Both are on my must try list.


When the meal was over, I was incredibly surprised with the affordable price. Each dish ranged from $3-$9 making our night out on the town wallet friendly. 


The meal ended with three frozen grapes and three very satisfied girls. I highly recommend Guu to anyone willing to park themselves outside its doors for a delicious, loud, and exciting evening.

Guu Izakaya
398 Church Street
Toronto, Ontario
416-977-0999


http://www.guu-izakaya.com/toronto.html

Welcome

It is hard to say when I began to love food. Family members still love to discuss my love for all things gourmet from an early age, and I have fond memories of helping my mom (a mouthwatering chef herself) in the kitchen from a time when I needed to stand on a tall chair to reach the counter. I love restaurants, cookbooks, cooking for others, and eating all around the world. I love sitting around the kitchen table with a great meal and conversation with the best of friends. Come September 2010, I will be embarking on a journey through culinary school. Knives will be bought and chef outfits hemmed to exact lengths (a strict rule) so I can learn exactly how to braise legumes and debone and cut various prime cuts of beef. Yes, you read correctly. One of my courses is called "Fundamentals of Butchery". You should know that I am a rather petit female barely making the 5 foot cut off....should be quite entertaining! Nevertheless, I am blogging my way through culinary school. Enjoy!


Disclaimer: Well, as you can see, I didn't blog my way through culinary school. The program was very demanding and I didn't keep up with my blogging adventure. Nevertheless, I am now taking another crack at it - enjoy!