Negroni Panini

Negroni 492 College St. 416 413 0005

Negroni offers the best panini in town. I like this restaurant because it knows what it is about and does it well. It is comfortable and not pretentious. In the summer the patios in front and back offer an outdoor dining experience. The ciabbata bread is made on the premises. The bread is so good you could enjoy it with out any filling. All panini are served with an arugula salad with fennel. It is fresh delicious food offered at a reasonable price. The menu is selective and everything is well prepared.

Two friends were headed for a quiet lunch with good food and much chatter. Negroni was so quiet and friendly we knew immediately we had chosen the right spot for lunch.

The BLT Panini was my friend’s choice. Pancetta, arugula, oven dries tomato with the most fantastic lemon garlic mayo was grilled in that great home made bread. The two large sections could have easily been shared. It was so good I ate all of mine. The peppery fresh arugula balances the flavors of the panini and makes for a perfect combination.($11.00)

I opted for the Italian Tuna Panino. Italian tuna, egg, artichoke, capers and lemon mayo made me feel as if I was back in Italy.($12.00)

Caprese Panino offers basil pesto, oven dried tomatoes and fior di latte.($12.00)

Mortadella Panino is a combination of mortadello, soppressata, red onion mayo and provolone.($11.00)

The panini are the best. The restaurant does offer several other choices. The Soup of the day was Mushroom.($7.00) A Caprese Salad of Fior di latte with oven dried tomatoes and basil pesto is offered at $12.00

Several pasta dishes are also listed on the menu. Lemon Linguine is prepared with meyer lemon, butter and pecorino.($14.00) Rigatoni Pugliese offers spicy sausage, chickpeas, tomato and rapini.($15.00) Butternut Squash Risotto is prepared with butternut squash, fresh sage and parmesan.($15.00)

Flourless Chocolate Cake served with fresh berry coulis and whipped cream is a good choice of dessert.($8.00) I have tasted this remarkable dessert at Side Car at 577 College St. It is the same ownership. Sidecar is noted for the remarkable 3 courses for $25.00 served during the week. The salmon entree dish is perfectly prepared.

The tables at Negroni are well spaced. The service is very warm. Those Panini are the reason you go to Negroni. Wine and beer are available to make it a perfect dining experience.

We could have sat there all afternoon and never be bothered. We both had so much to talk about. We had privacy and at the same time we enjoyed fine food.

Bill Cunningham New York

Bill Cunningham New York

What a relief from the films of today with so much violence and dysfunctional families. This documentary was a delight and fascinating from beginning to end. The audience applauded at the end and the theatre was mostly filled.

Bill Cunningham is a fashion and society photographer for the New York Times. He is much larger than life.

He lives in a cramped little apartment. He is always seen wearing a blue jacket (same as the street cleaners) and he rides a bike. The man is in his 80’s. It is beyond belief to watch him show up at some late evening fund raiser at a museum or private home. He is welcomed as if he is royalty.

What an irony. The man lives very simply. He is not interested in food, clothes or fancy living quarters. Yet he is welcomed into the height of the fashion world and to high society. He is invited to the fanciest parties in town. He loves fashion and has a keen eye.

I love the shots of him taking pictures in Paris during Fashion Week. He was even given an honor by the Paris Fashion Council. The man is a hero. He also is an interesting personality. His warm smile is infectious.

He loves to walk on the New York streets and take random pictures of people in fashion. When asked about going to church as a young lad he commented that he was looking at the ladies’ hats.

He really is documenting New York life and illustrating the new trends. I have no doubt that he will go down in history for his fashion chronicles of this century. This is social history in action.

He so obviously enjoys his work.

Several people from New York are interviewed. One lady calls him a maverick and another an artist.

It is almost absurd to see him ride his bicycle up to the Metropolitan Museum for a large fund raiser. He claims most of his bicycles have been stolen. He has had to purchase over 70 bicycles.

He has such a keen eye for what is innovative in fashion. Several times he was able to point out that a new fashion idea was really a copy of something that had been shown years ago. He is so respected for his great work in showing the fashion trends of the day.

He was invited to Lady Astor’s 100^th birthday. People made as much of a fuss over Bill as Lady Astor.

The newspaper had a birthday party for Bill. All the staff were wearing blue jackets and holding a mask with the face of Bill Cunningham. It was so much fun.

He loves life in his own way and certainly gets his pleasure from what he does. At the same time I found it sad to hear that he has never had a relationship with a person. His relationships are with fashion.

This is a superb documentary filled with fascinating facts about an extraordinary person.

Kamasutra

Kamasutra 1522 Bayview Ave. 416 489 4899

I was so excited when my grandson Brad announced he was coming in from Chicago with his beautiful Hillary. I love those two and wanted to hear all the latest details about their wedding plans. It also was Hillary’s birthday and I wanted to take them for lunch. We adore Indian food and Brad remembered my bringing him to Kamasutra on another visit to Toronto. This was their request.

It is centrally located and offers an elegant atmosphere. I have dined here on several occasions and the food is always superb. It is a high end experience with reasonable prices.

The Vegetable Samosas are traditional pastries filled with potatoes, green peas and cumin, served with tamarind chutney.($5.95) They are so delicious. It is possible to have a fabulous meal with several appetizers. The Pepper Shrimps are seared with spring onions, garlic cloves and crushed black pepper.($14.95) Onion Bhaji is one of my favorite. Onion rings are battered with Italian herbs and spices and served with chutney.($5.95)

The Tandoori Selctions are so tasty and prepared with a variety of herbs and marinades. The Sufiyani Salmon are velvety morsels of salmon flavored with a blend of cumin and dill and roasted in the tandoor.($14.95) Harra Paneer Tikka are cubes of soft Indian cheese coated with a green marinade of herbs, spices and roasted in the tandoor.($10.95)

Lovers of Indian food know that Butter Chicken is a signature dish. Tender morsels of chicken are prepared with cream, tomato and fenugreek.($12.95) Bonay Bakra are pieces of lamb simmered in Karachi style in a fricassee of sliced onions and ginger, green pepper, tomatoes, green chilies and black cumin.($13.95) Malabar Fish Angoori offers fillet of fish marinated in tamarind and cumin seeds and then simmered in a delicate spiced gravy.($14.95)

The flavors are all exotic and the food is perfectly prepared. I love every bite of this tasty food.

We enjoyed the lunch specialty offers. Hillary ordered the Shrimp Masala.($12.95) As a lunch special it came with a samosa, rice, salad and Naan bread. Brad ordered the Eggplant Bharta.($8.95) It also included all the extras. I enjoyed my favorite Indian dish. Palak Paneer ($9.95) is a creamy spinach dish with cubes of Indian cheese. I could eat it every day. We sampled each others food and agreed that every bite was perfection.

The menu was extensive. I like the way the spice index is represented by the number of chilies on the menu with each item. You do not have to order hot food to enjoy Indian delights. To me Indian food is the mélange of herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of the prepared dish. I like my food quite hot with spices. It is possible to order a complete dinner with subtle and delicate spiced food.

Kamasutra has been in this location for a long time. They know what they are doing and it is always a pleasant dining experience. I hope Brad and Hillary enjoyed it as much as I did. I always love their company and I thoroughly enjoy a feast of good Indian food.

Save room for the traditional Kheer (Indian style rice pudding ($4.95) or Crème Brulee Cheesecake. ($6.95)

Beneath the appetizer suggestion is a statement that says it all

“Ignite the flames of desire and leave your taste buds tingling for more.”

Water for Elephants

Water For Elephants

I couldn’t wait for this film to open. I thought Reese Witherspoon was amazing. I had no idea she was such a little thing. She does her own tricks and I admire her for riding on that elephant and being playful with such an enormous animal. She plays the part of Marlena, the wife of August, the circus leader. He is a cruel, angry man. You are never deceived by his large smile.

It is depression time and the Benzini Bros. Circus is not doing well. If someone does not pull their weight August and his bullies have them thrown from the train during the night. They are cruel and vicious.

Jacob ( Robert Pattinson) is a young man training to be a vet. After the sudden death of his parents he discovers that they used all their money to send him to college. He is penniless and has no trade. He wanders on the train tracks and then hops a ride with the first train. It just happens to be the circus train. At first they threaten to throw him on the tracks. He tells August he is a vet and is hired. His school knowledge makes him welcome and needed in the circus.

Jacob and Marlena are attracted to each other. He is a gentle soul and she is so in need of comfort and support. Her husband dearly loves her but he is gruff, strong and angry. At first Jacob is welcome into the private quarters of Marlena and August. He is given fine clothes and treated to luxury on the train. It doesn’t require much intelligence to know that August would become jealous of this young, handsome boy.

I loved the movie to this point. Everything begins to get darker. August is brutal to the animals and the workers. He is controlling of his wife. The crescendo builds and becomes overly dramatic.

If you wait long enough you may be satisfied with the ending. What an opera this would make.

I did enjoy watching the circus scenes. It was interesting to see what a large crew was required to set up the big tent. I enjoyed watching some of the performers and learning about the deceit behind what was offered and what was reality.

I realized this was operatic in tone and wanted to cheer when the bad guy lost and the good guy wins out in the end. I didn’t enjoy looking at the brutality and the violent scenes.

I am happy I saw the film but I couldn’t give it a high rating.

Good Food Bad Food

Good Food Bad Food

I had no idea what this film was about. I saw the word Food and was interested. It also is playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox so I knew it was a quality film. All 3 persons in the audience thought it was a magnificent documentary. It should be playing at Hot Docs and perhaps more people would go to see it. It is an important film. I learned so much about the food I take for granted. I was interested. I was informed.

Scientists from India, Brazil, France and the Ukraine paint a bleak picture of the agricultural industry. I had no idea that deep ploughing was injurious to the earth. I thought fertilizers enhanced the soil. The scientists called the deep ploughing ‘raping the earth.’ It takes the moisture from the soil. Dead soil doesn’t absorb moisture and erosion results

It was clearly illustrated how the giant companies are ruining the soil by promoting all the chemicals. The chemicals kill the living organisms. The living organisms work for free and keep the soil moisturized and healthy.

It was pointed out that forests are not fertilized and they continue to grow.

The scientists explained a living soil and showed examples. Small microscopic animals are plentiful. They aerate the soil and help to keep the oxygen in the soil. This promotes positive growth.

The deep ploughing and overuse of chemicals has killed the soil. As a result the plants are sick. One scientist explained that sick plants and sick soil make for sick people.

The scientists clearly showed how composting helps the soil.

A farmer from the Ukraine has had great success without using herbicides for over 30 years. He keeps his composting for 1.5 years before using. He explains that this way the vegetable and the animal world work together for a healthy environment.

I was so intrigued with the ‘rebel farmers and scientists’ who dared to go against big business. They had scientific information to prove their point.

This film should be seen by everybody. It should be shown to students at school. We are not well informed and the results can be deadly for our health and the future use of the soil.

Winter In Wartime

Winter In Wartime

It was a cold blistery day and I decided to go to a movie. It was colder and more blustery in the film. The set is a small Dutch town during the war. The Germans have taken over. We see the scenes of the Germans taking people from their homes. The German army is everywhere in tanks and trucks patrolling the woods and the town. Everything is bleak and filmed totally in black and white.

Young Michiel is the young hero of the story. His father is the mayor. He does everything to side with the Germans in order to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Was his father weak or smart to try and keep things calm?

Michiel discovers an English plane that his crashed in the woods. The pilot has escaped and is hiding in an underground hole in the woods. His leg is badly injured.

Michiel is disgusted with his father for collaborating with the Germans. Michiel favors his Uncle Ben who he sees as a free thinker who would help him. He finds things in his uncle’s suitcase to make him think his uncle is in resistance to the German army.

Michiel also gets his young sister involved. She is a nurse and is willing to go to the woods and treat Jack, the young pilot.

There is so much tension throughout. I loved the quiet scene with the father showing Michiel how to shave with a straight razor. It was a relief from all the strife and showed a tender relationship even for just a short time.

Michiel gets in over his head. He sees a good friend captured and killed by the Germans. Even his own father is eventually taken by the Germans and killed. Michiel is coping with a great deal. The tension rises as Michiel risks his life to bring food and medicine. He helps to plot the escape of the pilot.

Needless to say there is tension throughout. The cinematography makes you feel cold and isolated during the total film. The long black and white shots of the sparse countryside and the deep woods set the mood.

Michiel is a young boy who is forced to grow up well before his time. He risks everything to help Jack. He is also forced to face startling truths about his family.

There are surprises and twists in the story. You certainly will not be bored. I was always expecting the worst and sat on the edge of my seat.

I practically stood up and cheered when the allies arrived to save the town.

Firenze

Firenze (Florence Italy)

Why would anyone call this magnificent city Florence? Firenze has such a lyrical quality to the sound and is so appropriate for this majestic city. No wonder it is called the Jewel of the Renaissance. The history is fascinating. The buildings are spectacular. The fine wines and delicious food are bound to please everyone.

It is ‘de rigeur’ for everyone to wear a scarf. It is actually quite humorous to see the variety of colors, textures and styles of presentation. The other requirement seems to be eating a gelato. The gelato shops are on all streets. I think they compete in their artistic presentation of the mounds of various flavors. It is an artistic delight to look at the array of flavors. It is a gourmet delight to taste them.

The only irritation is the multitude of tourist groups everywhere. Dodging them can be an artful activity. I chose to walk on the narrow quaint streets as much as possible. And walk I did. It is the best way to see this spectacular city. I always suggest taking a city tour on the first day. It gives you an overview of the points of interest and sets the stage for you to plan your personal itinerary.

The museums are noteworthy. I managed to take in several of the world famous museums in town. I finally saw the statue of David and marveled at his beauty.

Cooking courses are also available. I was so excited about the half day course I booked. I’m sure it would have been wonderful. The hotel failed to tell me that the clocks changed the night before and I waited at the appointed spot to no avail. I tried to be philosophical and put it down to a minor irritation on an otherwise perfect trip. The hotels all carry brochures listing the available events and trips.

Side trips to Pisa, Luca and all parts of Tuscany are so easy to book. I was fortunate to use www.florencetour.com or e-mail Paola Migliorini at info@florencetour.com. Paola and her husband run a private company. She speaks many languages and uses her comfortable van. She is such a great source of information and presents it all in an interesting manner.

The train system is fantastic. One day I looked at the board and decided to take a train to Bologna. No problem.

Eating is an important pastime. I found the food to be outstanding at every place I stopped. I preferred the small wine bars. I loved Enoteca Coquinarius Wine Bar at 15 Via delle Oche. You must have a reservation. Tel: 055 23 02 153. Some only had a few tables. The food was always great. Pasta just tastes better in Italy. It is the quality of the flour and they know how to cook it perfectly. The wine is always so flavorful. Everybody was friendly and the service impeccable. I love Italian food and I love being in Italy.

Do I need to mention shopping? Leather shops are on every block. The purses, gloves and shoes are such great purchases. I found Martelli at 18 via Por Santa Maria to be the best for leather gloves. It is on the main street just before arriving at the Ponte Vechio. Of course you can also buy scarves so you can look like all the other people in the city. The shops stay open every evening.

Florence is a jewel.

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is a schizophrenic city. The old and the new vie for your attention. The old original city was known as the White City because all the buildings were white and of the Bauhaus architectural design. Today many of the buildings are in ruin. Most need a painting but the fine design remains. The outskirts of the city feature the finest modern architecture. I marvel at the high buildings of exquisite original design. I love to look at the new buildings but prefer to stay in the central area with all the noise, excitement and activities. In 5 minutes I can be at the Mediterranean. I can walk for hours along the boardwalk. I have walked from the northern port area all the way to Jaffa while enjoying the sea breeze and looking at the pure white sand of the beaches. How clever to have small gym areas all along the shore. They are well used and it is all free.

In no time I can be at the centre of the city with the shops and the large central market. Cafes line the streets and they are always busy at all times of the day and night. Every block has at least one fresh juice stand. There is absolutely nothing as good as the taste of a fresh squeezed Israeli orange.

It is a short bus or train ride to Jerusalem. Jerusalem has to be one of the most unique cities of the world. The history is fascinating. The whole city is build of white stone. The old and the new have the same look. The city is up on the Judean hills and overlooks the beautiful countryside. The Dead Sea, Haifa and Eilat are big tourist favorites. I found Sefat a most interesting place. It is an artist centre and also the known for its mystical studies. If you ever get a chance to go you must book at the Artist Colony. It is a boutique hotel with only 4 rooms. They all overlook the Galilee and are constructed with modern Italian plumbing and featuring the old original stone walls. Israel is a small country and you can travel throughout the country in no time.

I love Tel Aviv because of the balmy weather and the exciting Mediterranean energy. My favorite food is Shashooka. It is similar to Mexican eggs. It is prepared in small copper pots. A fresh tomato sauce is the base. Israeli tomatoes have a wonderful flavor. Two eggs are poached in the middle of the sauce and it is served in the cooking pot. I ate it every day. Very often several side dishes are also served. Mazzarine Patiserie and Chocolaterie at 17 Gordon St was the best. It also had the best chocolate cake.

I can’t go to Israel without eating a falafel. On the corner of Fishman and Dizengoff There is a small kosher falafel stand. It has 4-5 tables on the street. It is busy all day and well into the evening. The falafels are amazing.

Sonyas is the most charming restaurant. It is on a small alley at 1 Simta Almonit. It is an old street just off King George St near the Carmel Market. It looks like a grubby café. You enter the door and then go to a large outside garden. The tables are on a cobblestone backyard. The trees are lit with little lights. The food is delightful and always a favorite of mine.

Pastry shops are a big Israeli favorite. I had the best cheesecakes and hot chocolate cakes. Each place seemed to be better than the last one.

My favorite café is XOHO on Mapu Street near Ben Yahuda. It is an artistic delight. It is whimsical and charming. The food is creative and original. It is always busy and for good reason. The baking is prepared in the tiniest kitchen I have ever seen. The food is tasty and very creative. What a delightful spot!

The Mann Auditorium is the home of the Tel Aviv Philharmonic. It is a world famous organization.

When the sun shines Tel Aviv is paradise. When it rains it is a horror story, The water fills up at the curbs and it is like walking through a lake to cross the road. The sun can come up in short time and the water disappears quickly.

Win Win

Win Win

I didn’t think it was great. Maybe I was on jet lag. Maybe it was the thought of all the laundry and getting things unpacked. Whatever, I found this comedy somewhat lacking.

Paul Giamato is the saving grace. He is a fine actor. His soft toned voice and presentation seem to work for him in every film he does.

He plays the part of a lawyer struggling to make ends meet. He has a loving wife and family. After hours he coaches a high school wrestling team. The team is a total failure (probably largely due to the coaching) He is in financial difficulty and in order to help his family he takes on a client who is aging. He agrees to be his guardian for a payment. The poor old man is put in a home because that makes the job easier for the guardian.

Unexpectedly a grandson shows up at the lawyer’s home. He has left a bad family situation and wants to live with his grandfather. Unfortunately the actor is not believable and the situation also doesn’t ring true. It turns out the young man is a good wrestler.

He comes to live with the lawyer and they accept him as a family member. The young boy’s mother shows up. She also does not play her part in a believable way.

The ending was unsatisfactory because it could not happen.

I know you should not take a comedy seriously. It is supposed to make you laugh. This film was humorous but there was a serious side as well. Putting an older person in a home against their wishes is not funny. A young boy in a negative family situation is sad. It just didn’t work for me.

In a Better World

In A Better World

If there was a better world the characters of this film would not have suffered so much. For that matter I also would not have been in such pain. This is a superb film that has garnished best foreign film award and also an award for director Susanne Bier. The Danish film has English sub titles.

Everybody in the film is suffering and as part of the audience I also felt the pain. It is interesting to note that the Danish title Haevnen translates as revenge. This is a better title than the English title.

Two families take centre stage as the drama unfolds. Anton is a saintly doctor working in Africa to save lives in a tented refugee camp. He loves his wife and son. Unfortunately for all the family he had briefly strayed while working in Africa and his wife cannot forgive him. They separate and son Elias is left to live separately with both parents. Elias has a good friend Christian.

Christian suffers since the death of his mother. He has trouble relating to his father and he seems to have a scheming mind to get back at the world.

In one situation Anton breaks up a fight with two boys. The father of one of the boys yells at Anton and slaps him for touching his son. The soft spoken Anton tries to reason with the bully father and explains he was trying to help. The bully father continues to be a problem with Anton.

Christian and Elias want revenge and plot to make a bomb to blow up the bully’s van. It all goes wrong and Elias almost dies.

It took that horrid action for the families to sort themselves out. In other words this Danish film has a rather Hollywood ending. Before the conclusion I had to sit through all the trauma.

Obviously the direction was superb because Susanne Bier won an award. The actors all perform well. Each issue was heavy duty. The problems in the camp in Africa were a secondary plot but enough for a movie in itself. Anton worked so hard to help saves lives in the camp. When the big terrorist who had brutally harmed many of the camp survivors came for help with a serious leg wound Anton was faced with an ethical dilemma.

Elias faces the crisis of his parent’s divorce. He also was traumatized when he saw the bully hit his father.

Christian is in torment because of his mother’s death. He also did not like watching Anton being hit by the bully. He didn’t know how to let out his frustration in an acceptable manner. He wanted revenge and chose a violent method that almost killed his good friend.

The cinematography is excellent. The camera lingers on a face or a situation. In one scene the camera focuses on a spider web with the spider firmly entrenched in the middle. I realized this was an analogy for the total film. Everybody felt trapped in one way or another and couldn’t seem to get out of the predicament.

Everybody was searching for a better world.

Amore Trattoria

Amore Trattoria 2425 Yonge St 416 322 6184

Family from Vancouver was visiting in town. Unfortunately they were staying in the ‘far north’ of the city. For everyone’s convenience we decided to meet north of Eglinton. I remembered Amore because I had eaten there before and had very positive memories.

I have just returned from Florence Italy. The food there is beyond fantastic. I was a little concerned about choosing Italian food. When I saw how crowded the place was I knew it was because the food was good. I noticed several other restaurants in the same block and they were almost empty.. Amore was the crowded restaurant and it got even busier as the evening went on. There is a gallery upstairs and if you are lucky enough to get the tables by the rail you can look down on all the first floor diners and see what looks good.

The service was impeccable. When a glass of wine was suddenly knocked over the servers immediately went into action. The wine was replaced. The table covering was changed and they apologized to us. How good is that?

The next problem became our choice of food because the menu is extensive and the list is all very tempting. In addition an insert to the menu listed all the specials of the day.

I was tempted with the thin crusted Pizzas. There were a few at the next table and I had to restrain myself for reaching for a piece. The Vegetari offers tomato sauce, mozzarella, broccoli, tomatoes, snow peas and onion.($12.95) Palmi is a tomato sauce, mozzarella, chicken, red peppers and snow peas.($14.95)Pizzas are available with regular, multi-grain or spelt crust. There are so many choices.

Entrees offer a selection of meat and fish dishes. Fegato is a pan-fried liver with red onion, mushroom, port wine sauce served with potato and vegetables.$17.95) Pollo Parmigiana is a pan roasted veal scaloppini with mozzarella and parmesan cheese with tomato sauce and served with potatoes and vegetables.($18.95) Salmon is topped with spinach and bean sprout, served with rice and vegetables.(19.50)

We were in an Italian restaurant an so we all opted for pasta. I just returned from Firenze and couldn’t resist the Firenze Pasta. Whole wheat penne was prepared with spinach in a pesto tomato sauce. The dish is prepared with chicken but they were kind enough to change my order to shrimp.($14.25) The portion was large and served in large white bowls. The penne was al dente and the sauce was rich and flavorful. The Lugo was linguine pasta with grilled chicken, asparagus, red peppers, spinach and served with afresh herb garlic olive oil.($14.95) Venezia is a linguine base with grilled chicken, plum tomatoes and mushrooms in a pesto cream sauce.($14.95) The pasta types are numerous. The sauces vary and the ingredients are numerous. The server is happy to mix and match with the pasta and the sauce. All three of us were so delighted with our choice.

The service continued to be excellent throughout. We were delighted with the variety offered on the menu. The taste was fresh and the dishes were all delivered at the same time. Amore is a central location in town. I do advise a reservation.

It was a wonderful evening. It was great to have a visit with the relatives. We were all so pleased with our food selection. What a good choice! Amore means love and we agreed that we had enjoyed a lovely evening.