Toronto Eats: Dutch Dreams Ice Cream!

Dutch Dreams is a local ice cream joint at Bathurst and St Clair. It recently moved down a few blocks from it’s old location on St Clair. The old place had a ton of character and wacky decor in a narrow corner building. The new place is more open and spacious, still with the eclectic decorations. […]

Scented Rhubarb Fool

Scented Rhubarb Fool, Kiku Corner

Fools are old-fashioned British desserts made from a sweet fruit puree stirred through custard or whipped cream. This simpler cousin of the trifle was mentioned as far back as the 1500s. Traditionally gooseberries are used, so a similarly sour fruit like rhubarb makes a great variation. Serve the fool in glass bowls if you have them, for […]

Boston Cream Pie

Boston Cream Pie, Kiku Corner

Having recently come back from Boston, I am inspired by the historical Bostonian foods, including this Boston Cream Pie from the Union Oyster House. Some sources (like Wikipedia) say that the original recipe was from an Armenian-French chef, M. Sanzian, at Boston’s Parker House Hotel (which is also the source of Parker House Rolls, a type of dinner roll). […]

Toronto Eats: Brunch at Whippoorwill Restaurant and Tavern

Toronto Eats: Brunch at Whippoorwill Restaurant and Tavern, Kiku Corner

I met a friend from high school when she and her baby were visiting from Montreal. We had brunch at Whippoorwill Restaurant and Tavern, which is at Bloor and Lansdowne. The restaurant was homey and rustic, with thick wooden slabs for tabletops and jars of flower on the tables. The menu had a selection of […]

Ruby Red Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Ruby Red Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble, Kiku Corner 4

Rhubarb is a sour, pinkish green spring vegetable that cooks down into a delicious pink or red compote. It used to grow in our mother’s garden when we were kids, and we couldn’t resist taking a bite of the puckeringly sour stalks (just stay away from the leaves, which are poisonous). Once June rolls around, we […]