The Week in Yum May 15 PcCooking School, The Halal Food Festival, Madjack Apple Lager and how Lolita's Lust Saves the Day

My first vegetable garden in almost 20 years!


This was a very low key week, spent gardening, finishing up a recipe for the #GrillWithGrace campaign and just staying close to home.


Although, as a makeup artist, I often get to work with celebrities and all that stuff, I rarely get starstruck and when I do, it's often someone who other people don't know. I am a serious director geek and often get more excited over meeting a movie director than the star of the film. With that in mind, I got to work with Stewart Copeland this week, drummer and co founder of a little band called The Police. He also wrote the score for the film, Rumblefish, one of my favourites.

The other members of the ensemble were lovely - the beautiful violinist, Yoon Kwon, is not only a ridiculously gifted musician, but I found out she is a blogger too, so you have to go and look at her blog Yoon Kwon because it's not everyday that you encounter a true musical master who also writes eloquently about life, makeup, food and music. I have a good life and the next time I complain about my old lady muffin top, someone should punch me square in the kisser.

photo: Shayne Gray




the poor family had to eat a lot of jerk lamb until I got it right lol Jerk Lamb Kofta


So thrilled that I got to attend the performance the next night - I only got photos of these two because of where I was sitting but there were three other amazing musicians up there, swear to god.


Eggs-Ceptional Cuisine Cooking Class

Okay, Toronto people, my next cooking class is this upcoming Tuesday, May 26 at 6pm at the Musgrave Loblaws (Victoria Park, south of Danforth). It is a class that is all about eggs and we will be doing a
devilled egg, Rustic Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce, Broccoli Cheese Souffle and a power smoothie. Now is the time to pay $30 for the chance to heckle me and have a fun night, eating and laughing and hanging out in the kitchen. To sign up, click the link down there and register for the class:

Just choose the class from the pull down menu


Speaking of Loblaws, look at this clever packaging for take out udon noodle soup from the new and improved Gucci Loblaws on Leslie. No more soggy, water logged noodles that have soaked up half the broth by the time you get home.



The Halal Food Festival


The Halal Food Festival is going to take place the on the weekend of May 30-31 at the International Centre in Mississauga. If there was ever a reason to make the drive, this is it. Lots of tasty treats from more than 100 food vendors, an outdoor street food area , lots of performances, activities and seminars if you are interested (schedule is here)

I am going to be giving away 4 tickets to the event and a pack of 20 sample tickets this weekend so stay tuned and enter for a chance to win.



You know you want to win a wine tasting trip for two to Italy from Wine Butler so you better click here and enter. I did. Because I certainly want to win a trip for two to taste wine in Italy.


nothing says happy Thursday like a hand delivered gift box of two big cans of booze, in this case, Madjack Apple Lager. It's light, fruity and refreshing over a big glass of ice (I am not even sure that's allowed but that is how I drank it)
How cute are these tiny Smart Cars? Cheaper than taking transit for two

The week ended on a mix of high and low. After a day well spent putting the finishing touches on a great, new recipe for Castello Blue Cheese and drinking my Madjack, I grabbed Shack and we ventured downtown for a media event to showcase a new summer menu for a restaurant. For the most part, I have a really enjoyable time at these things, I taste some great food, meet lovely chefs and hear their stories and go home full and happy. Sadly, I have the worst luck with Shack because every time I can bring a guest, it always turns out to be underwhelming and we have had to leave early and go and buy ourselves dinner afterwards. Every, single time. Food is either cold or non existent, comes in 45 minute intervals, if at all, the place is so crowded you can't get within five feet of a morsel of food to even taste anything or food is plentiful but it's just bad. It's not all delicious free food and drink 24/7 people.  Last night was no different so, once again, after 19 years of enjoying solid food and service, we grabbed a Car2Go and drove to the Danforth so Sydney, the general manager of Lolita's Lust, could make us happy with delicious food and a perfect gin and tonic. Shack and I have been loyal guests, through thick and thin, changes in ownership and a few years of a rough patch in food, babies and changes in lifestyle, grey beards and wrinkles so going there always feel like home. We were cranky and hungry but it was nothing that a perfectly cooked beef AAA tenderloin with gorgonzola sauce couldn't fix. For that, I thank you Sid. I thank you Lolita's Lust.

A complimentary app of grilled asparagus wrapped in prosciutto made everything right


Pin of the week: This will come in handy for travel planning this year

Instagram of the week: stunning feed from Russia

Facebook share of the week:

HOLY CRAP Momofuku Birthday Cake - Liv for Cake - http://t.co/43CLa9Sr2P (via @livforcake)
Posted by The Yum Yum Factor on Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Tweet of the week:  

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