"Would you like Ketchup with that?"

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Have you ever had a craving you just couldn't ignore? I have them all the time! When I'm not craving sushi, I'm most certainly craving poutine.


Imagine.... A plate of crispy fries, sprinkled with creamy cheese curds, smothered with rich, hot gravy. But wait, that's not all -- we can't forget the ketchup. The ketchup? Oh yes! A poutine slathered in ketchup is Tonia's primo poutine choice. 


I know, I know, you're probably thinking that's not appetizing at all, but it really is! The saltiness of the fries and the cheese combined with the savoury taste of gravy pair well with the sweetness of ketchup. Yum! 


Do you have any quirky food cravings? If so, what do you crave?

Sushi for Thought

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Sushi.

Su. Shi.

Suuuuuuushi.

I love sushi. Morning, day, evening, night. I can eat sushi all day, every day, 365 days a year. 

People ask me, "Tonia, what's your favourite food?"

Without hesitation or a moment of thought, I respond "sushi."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"You're Italian."

"What does that have to do with my favourite food?"

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being Italian-- we have some of the greatest food, but there's something about sushi that just takes my hunger away.

Mind you the epic amounts of white rice literally satisfy hunger because carbs tend to make you full faster anyway; however, from a palette perspective, it's not the rice that makes sushi. The rice compliments the sweet taste of sashimi, the salty of soya sauce, the bitterness of ginger and the savory of wasabi. Rice is simply the supporting actress in this Tonia-nominated foodie delight that considers all actors of taste part of sushi's outstanding palette performance.

The joy of sushi is not just eating it, it's how you eat it -- it's an experience that requires no fork and it's meant to be shared (probably one of my favourite aspects of eating sushi). 

Once you are seated (I like to sit in one of those private rooms where there's a make-shift door that looks like a curtain), on the table in front of you lays a small plate and dipping bowl for your soya sauce and wasabi. The hostess brings you a cup of piping-hot green tea. Often times it's the brown rice green tea -- delicious! Next, you place your order -- I'm a sucker for the "Arctic Roll": salmon sashimi, kani sashimi, tempura bits, avocado, and spicy sauce all neatly tucked within rice paper.

Once the food arrives, it's time to dig in sans fork (unless of course you ask for one, but it's sushi! Try something new, use chopsticks :) ). You take your chopsticks and gently press the ends on either side of the sushi piece. You dip the sushi into the soya-wasabi sauce and eat. Repeat 25 more times. If you're my friends, multiply that by 2. This naturally takes a bit of time, but with great company (since we all know Tonia enjoys sharing her experience of food with friends and family) the time flies and it allows you to not only savour and reflect on the food you're ingesting, but also to acknowledge and appreciate the conversation around you.

The intense flavour palette with the delicate use of chopsticks and stimulating company makes sushi an experience rather than a drive-through meal.

What is your favourite food? Why? Do you enjoy eating amongst friends and family?

Brace Yourselves, Christmas is Coming!

 

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I'm Italian and with great Italian ethnicity comes great responsibility... to food.

We love food! We grow it, we cook it and we most whole-heartedly eat it in abundance. "Love" is an understatement.

Ever since I was a kid, food was the center of the Casiello-Ranieri household. Considering both of my parents are Italian, you could call it a double-dose of gastronomy.

Birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving (speaking of, my nonno thinks turkey is a snack, but that's a whole different post), and Christmas. Christmas is the epitome of my family’s gluttony. On Christmas Eve, we refrain from eating meat (a tradition for many Catholics), so my nonna makes fish. Not one fish, two fish, or three types of fish (Dr. Seuss would be proud), but over five types of fish! What types of fish you ask? Lobster tails, crab legs, halibut, grilled shrimp, breaded shrimp, coconut shrimp (did I mention my nonna really likes shrimp?), mussels, squid, scallops.... Hold on a second! We can’t forget the ricotta and spinach cannelloni. The cannelloni marks the beginning of our Christmas Eve feast, then follows the various fish accompanied by salads and vegetables. Are you full yet?

Well, I hope you have room because now it’s time for dessert! Picture this -- a lavish red Christmas tablecloth with 2 white candlesticks centered and surrounded by 12 satiated Italians. Satiated? There's no such word in Italian for full. "Abbastanza" may come close; however, nonna thinks "dessert". She enters the dining room, glass plate in hand, a pyramid of homemade chocolate eclairs grace us with their presence. The espresso is hissing as it hits boiling point on the stove top. I see my uncles eyeing one another, ravenous with sheer determination to see who will snatch an eclair first. The plate is set down and all heck breaks lose. Seconds pass and the plate is bare. It’s no wonder my nonna doesn't believe us when we say we’re "full". Than again, nothing ever compares to nonna’s cooking, so why resist? :)

When your family celebrates a holiday, does food play a major role? If so, what kind of food is served? and why?

Welcome All Foodies To My Blog!

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Food is an essential part of our lives --  it gives us sustenance and joy that takes over all our senses. Imagine a world without food; a world where you couldn't eat that grilled rib-eye steak with garlic mashed potatoes and freshly steamed vegetables or indulge in that rich, creamy, chocolate cheesecake served with a frothy cappuccino... Mmmm, are you hungry yet? Food is not only a universal necessity, it's an experience that's full of the bitter, the sweet, the salty, and the savoury; it's an experience that is delightful on its own, yet best served when shared.  

Hello, I'm Tonia and welcome to my food blog. 
Why food? Because who doesn't love food! Food truly is the way to my heart ♥. I'm a soon-to-be 25 year-old female and in my first year of the Advertising and Marketing Communications program at Sheridan College. I previously graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Fine Art History and Philosophy (I would also consider 'Food' one of my majors, but alas, they didn't offer a designation for 'Food Glutton'). After graduation, I spent my time working and thinking about my future. Like most university grads that moment of "oh crap! What do I do now?!" swallowed me whole, leaving me helpless and lost as to what to do next. For months, I didn't know what to do. Finally, one day, I discovered cooking.



Cooking gave me a sense of freedom and control that I felt I lacked when it came to my future (and of course, often times, the thought of a jobless future felt like an impending doom - ever felt this way?). Not only did I love cooking because I loved food, but I also took great pleasure and relief in the fact that I could be creative without worrying whether or not I put too much curry in the stir-fry (oh yes, prepare yourself for the oncoming metaphors!). If I did make a mistake, all I had to do was add a little more coconut milk and no one would've noticed the mess up. At that point the mistake didn't matter because once the meal was served everyone loved my dish. This was when I experienced my food-induced epiphany: in the end, no matter how many mistakes I make to the recipe, I can always fix it and still serve a delicious meal.


Life is very much like a recipe -- it may take a little more coconut milk to even out the curry spice, but after a little tweaking, a meal is created just right. When it comes to figuring out your future, you're bound to make mistakes and not know what to do all the time. That's okay. By making mistakes you learn what works best for you. With that experience, you're better able to make decisions that ultimately make you happy. 


What are you passionate about?

For me, it's food.

Buon Appetito!
Tonia