Tiffin Lunch Time – Tiffinday Vegan Downtown Lunch Delivery

May 18, 2012 Toronto, vegan food No comments

Last week I felt like I could use a midday pick-me-up so I ordered lunch from Tiffinday again. I’ve covered their background a little and there is more information about Tiffinday here. So I come from the point of view of someone that is already a fan.

Tiffanday

I’ve been known to forget to eat lunch on a fairly regular basis, but on Tiffinday day, I was watching the clock like a hawk (if hawks watched clocks.) Tick tock the time crept by… but finally lunch arrived and was brought over by Seema (the owner/operator/almost everythinger at Tiffinday.)

I ordered the Kachori as a starter, but ended up eating it last. It is a round ball pastry stuffed with crushed peas, lentils and flavoured with cinnamon and cloves. It arrived with tamarind sauce which greatly enhanced the flavour, but it had a really intense clovey flavour and I realize I’m generally not a big fan of cloves. On the bright side, the texture was really interesting and it was nice to try an East Indian dish I was not familiar with.

Tiffanday

My main entree was the curried aviyal with basmati rice. Aviyal is made with plantains cooked with green cluster beans and carrots in a coconut sauce. It was hearty and fragrant and my coworkers were jealous of my lunch – mission accomplished. There is cilantro in this, so if you dislike that delicious herb, skip this dish, otherwise, it’s so yummy you should try it. Also, coconut sauce.

Tiffanday

In the end, I had Nani-ma cookies. They were described as a soft, Indian version of Italian biscotti. Accurate. I let each bite of the cookie dissolve on my tongue and was left with this pleasant heat. Cardamom, nutmeg, and pistachio flavours combined, it almost had the texture of a slightly more dense spicy ladyfinger. I didn’t share. Maybe next time.

Tiffanday

I’m plotting out which day I can justify ordering from Tiffinday again this month. I’ve limited myself to two days a month, and it’s hard to decide which day I want to actually eat a tasty lunch. With the improvements in the weather, I almost want to bring my own tiffins to work and eat outside, but odds are I will have a Tiffinday outdoor lunchtime picnic before I bring my own.

The Lovemuffin Bakery: Vegan delivery in Toronto

May 16, 2012 toronto, Toronto, Vegan, Vegan Bake Sale, vegan bakery, vegan baking, vegan food No comments

I have ordered from the lovemuffin bakery twice so far. I’m going to say something, and know that I’m very serious when I do. I am over cupcakes. If I never see another cupcake again, I would be okay with that. Muffins are the new cupcake.

I felt the same joy and excitement when I saw the big white cake box on our deck as my first order. Long days at work make me lazy, general laziness makes me lazy, so I’m glad services like Tiffinday, Green Earth Organics, and the lovemuffin bakery exist. It’s nice to not have to worry about making or going out for lunch, or to just come home to a box of organic produce or a box of freshly baked cookies and muffins (or recently – quinoa puttanesca and vegan chili.)

Lovemuffin Bakery

When I arrived, it was on our deck – ready, and waiting to be opened and eaten. The box and paper bag look a little strange because I intentionally and poorly edited out our address.

I first discovered this delivery bakeshop via twitter/facebook, but ultimately what won out was they donated cookies to a bake sale at Pet Value raising funds for Homeless Cat Rescue, and we decided to drive out and try it. Totally proving that having an engaging online presence, supporting worthwhile causes, and making an awesome product go hand in hand in hand to build up a brand. Okay, and now I’ll take off my marketing hat. Read more

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 14, 2012 Mother's Day, Toronto No comments

It was Mother’s Day yesterday, and for the second time my mom and I are on other sides of the country. It was nice to have a short visit with my Mom when JC and I were having our engagement party, but otherwise special occasions like birthdays, xmas, and “family” days are hard, because I want to do something special, but I’m far far away. I arranged for a bouquet of flowers, a card, and a “Gift of Hope” from Plan/Because I’m a Girl, but it all feels a little hollow. But that might just be because I miss her. Skype, the phone, and other digital communication only go so far.

My Mom

Like many people, my first culinary experiences are tied to my mom and my late grandmother. Making perogies, bigos, borscht, pickles, sauerkraut, and other dishes, were introduced quickly into my kitchen repertoire, and without them, I know I’d have a much less adventurous palate. I appreciate greatly the home cooked meals I used to eat, and especially those my mom created after I went vegan when I was a kid.

My Mom also instilled in me the desire to support people less fortunate than me. So I chose to donate a Fuel Efficient Stove in my Mother’s honor, because of the impact she had on my love of food and cooking for others. According to the Plan Canada – Because I’m a Girl Blog, Fuel Efficient Stoves are:

…used by women in refugee camps who would otherwise be trekking for many kilometres to collect enough firewood to cook for their families. Less smoke means these moms can help protect their children from inhaling smoke, decreasing their risk of respiratory disease. This gift also means women have more time to take care of their children, earn an income and cook up a better life.

From a press release last year it looks like they were working with a Californian Non-profit, the Darfur Stoves Project, now called Potential Energy.

I’ve also recently acquired a second “mom” in my life, soon to be mother-in-law. We went out for brunch at Disgraceland with all of JC’s siblings. So I wished her a Happy Mother’s Day as well.

the Mom's (JC's on the left and mine on the right) at the Windsor Arms

JC and I went to The Depanneur‘s/Rusholme Park Supper Club‘s special Mother’s Day Dinner, cooked by Chef Emily Zimmerman, which I will have to post about very soon.

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