From far and wide

O, Canada, how you have spoiled me.

For as long as I can remember, I've always had a thing for Canada. Maybe it was my crush on Alex P. Keaton. Maybe it was the family trip to Prince Edward Island back in elementary school. Maybe it was my junior high through college obsession with the NHL. Maybe it's the way the residents pronounce "out" and "about" (which, evidently, I pronounce the same way). Maybe it was my Canadian roommate at the World Affairs Seminar in Wisconsin my junior year in high school who constantly called everyone "Hoser, eh". Maybe it was a combination of all of these factors. Regardless, I've always had a soft spot for our neighbor to the north.

And after four days spent in Toronto recently, those feelings remain. The reason for my trip was two-fold: a chance to visit my friend Sarah (who used to sit next to me at work and was part of the group responsible for one of my favorite birthday gifts ever) and to volunteer at Eat to the Beat - an annual breast cancer support fundraiser founded fourteen years ago by my fellow CulinaryCorps volunteer Lisa (of the Brownie Lover's Bible fame).

The indulgence began immediately when Sarah picked me up at the airport (that never happens in NYC) and we went directly to the St. Lawrence Market - Toronto's biggest market. We were a little late to catch the farmers, but the rest of the market had plenty to offer - including the famous Peameal bacon sandwich from Carousel Bakery.

Peameal bacon is Canadian bacon (cured pork loin) covered with a meal from yellow peas (often cornmeal is used nowadays) which is cooked and served on a soft kaiser roll. A tad bland on its own, a few hot peppers made it the perfect post-flight snack.

Later that evening, Sarah cooked up a delicious and hearty dinner of pork tenderloin with a basil-mustard-cream sauce, potato pancakes and steamed spinach. And as if I wasn't spoiled enough already, the next morning her boyfriend Dave whipped up a batch of light and fluffy peanut-butter and chocolate chip pancakes.

After exploring downtown Toronto in the sporadic rain for a few hours, Sarah and I wandered into Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar for a much-needed meal of wine, cheese, Moroccan pork "poutine", and pickerel with sweet corn and chorizo. This was followed by a perfectly autumnal apple almond cake with salted caramel and chantilly.

Poutine is a staple across Canada - French fries topped with fresh cheese curds and covered with brown gravy. This is an upscale version of poutine with quite possibly the best fries I've ever tasted.

I also had the chance to catch up with my friend Lisa at Pizzeria Libretto. I ordered the Margherita pizza which was extremely delicious, but ended up eating most of Lisa's pizza - an amazing Neapolitan pizza with Pingue prosciutto, arugula, tomato, garlic, oregano and shaved Parmegiano Reggiano. Unbelievable! The prosciutto is made by Fernando and Mario Pingue in Ottowa and is simply incredible - rich, salty, silky.

The next few days were spent volunteering at Eat to the Beat - an annual fundraising gala to support Willow Breast Cancer Support Canada. This event included 60 of Canada's leading female chefs and attended by over 800 guests - all people passionate about supporting an important (and very personal) cause. And one of the benefits to volunteering: sampling all of the delicious food. Some highlights included smoked pancetta on crostini with maple glaze, cornet with goat cheese and roasted beets, and a chocolate-filled cone with salted caramel cream.

All in all, a great few days with good food, good friends and a great cause.