When I was a child my Mom would make donuts on a fairly regular basis so that my older brother could hand them out to fellow newspaper carriers. The big tarp covered box where the newspapers would be dropped off was in our yard. Over the years, my definition of a doughnut became a Tim Horton’s version. Now I am happy to say, donuts like Mom use to make are making a comeback. I might add, with some fun improvements.

“Bronuts” is the creation of brothers Brett & Dylan (assisted by wife/sister-in-law Meghan) and I have a hunch that a family recipe may have something to do with the success of their Exchange District shop. I understand that the place is jammed each morning with hipsters who work nearby picking up their tea and/or coffees with the sustenance that a donut can provide.

Bronuts don’t use artificial colouring or flavours and they make all the toppings, jam, and custard from scratch. I might add that they go easy on the sugar which is unexpected at first bite. That is what allows the yeasty dough taste to share the stage. I couldn’t make up mind the day that I stood in front of the display case in their sparkling shop, so I ordered one of each to go.

I had a gang over for coffee that evening so I had an ulterior motive.

The vanilla glaze tasted most like my Mom’s. Everyone had their own preference from the myriad of toppings. The pumpkin cheesecake donut with cream cheese glaze was a hit

as was their most popular peanut butter and jam. My sister declared that it tasted like a homemade sandwich.

The peach pecan fritter was my personal favourite

and chocolate lovers leaned towards the chocolate cake donut called Margot or the cookies and cream one.

One of the brothers told me how they typically sell out of product in the early afternoon which means that they can start fresh in their kitchen for the next day. So when you visit, keep this in mind.

Kath’s quote: “Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do”? -Matt Groening

Love never fails.

We were so glad to have included San Gimignano on our way home. The the medieval towers provided the set for the movie “Tea with Mussolini” (standing in for Florence).

After spending the afternoon in the beautiful village we made our way back to Montecatini on the back roads. They were not particularly scenic and very difficult to navigate.

We had one very stressful incident. In order to avoid what D thought to be a fatal car crash, D slammed on his brakes. We could see a truck coming around a corner but knew that those behind us could not. The fellow in the car behind us was not happy with D and came up to knock on the car window. He was cursing and waving his hands around and was very, very angry. As soon as D explained that we were not Italian, he cheerfully apologised and let us continue on our way. Phew. The exchange could have gone in a very confrontational manner because D absolutely believed that he had saved the Italian’s life!

Kath’s quote: “Arabella, you might love art, but art certainly doesn’t respond to your affections”. –Lady Hester in Tea with Mussolini

Love never fails.

I have waited for what seemed like eons for the time to come when I could visit Clementine at 123 Princess St. in the Exchange District. I spotted Owner Chef Adam Donnelly who I have long admired for his tapas restaurant –Segovia, as I sat down. As with Segovia he is teamed up with his wife Caroline Konrad. They have added extended family members Reya Konrad and Chris Gama for this venture.

Some say “anything worth doing is worth the wait” and in this case I would whole heartedly agree! We were perched at a high table in the cosy lower level as every other table was full with other enthusiastic diners. From this vantage I could spot another Winnipeg Chef (a very good sign) arrive to sample Chef Donnelly’s fare.

My lunch mate groaned when she found out that they were out of waffles that day (with blueberries, pecans, maple syrup, maple cream and rhubarb compote) and settled upon the porridge. This was not just any porridge-made with almond milk, apple butter, kiwi, blueberries and pecans; she was so satisfied that she took half home for her next breakfast.

I on the other hand, went past my satiation point and ate the entire order of Fried Chicken Toast. The chicken was so crunchy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside and beautifully balanced with pickled carrots and a maple drizzle that I would moan as I cut into another bite. If you are like me and love sweet and salty tastes as well a variety of textures, you will love this dish.

I was prompted ahead of time that the Braised Bacon Benedict was fabulous, as well as their Home Fried Potatoes. Thinking about Segovia’s Patata Bravas that I have long loved, I ordered the home fries for “dessert”. Actually, I sampled a fabulous bite and then took the rest home to my husband as compensation for not being able to join me on the visit. The Salsa Negra and Lime Mayo take the humble fried potato and elevate them to a starring role!

Kath’s quote:

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”
“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”
“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.”
― A.A. Milne

Love never fails.

Honey Fungus mushrooms are called  “peedpenky”  by the Ukrainian community. They are  best  stored  frozen or canned.  Drying tends to toughen them.  My method is to clean them, without washing, as best I can, discarding stems from bigger mushrooms as they can be tough.  I cut them into the size I prefer, measure out 1 lb and freeze them raw using my vacuum sealer.  They can be stored this way in the freezer for at least a year. These mushrooms are almost as good as fresh when thawed.

When ready to use them I let them thaw and because they can contain a mild toxin I boil the peedpenky for 3 -4 minutes in slightly salted water. They are then rinsed, which provides the washing of them as I do not wash before freezing.  They are now ready to cook as you wish. You can sauté them with onions, garlic and parsley, thickened with a little cream and served with pasta or perogies.   You can also add them into your gravy while it is cooking.

Another method of preserving peedpenky is to clean as best you can, cut into appropriate size and rinse. They should then be blanched for 3-4 minutes, then drained and frozen using fresh water. When you are ready to use them they can be thawed, rinsed and then sautéed and put into gravy or other dishes.

Find out more:

http://honest-food.net/2010/12/27/honey-mushrooms-caution-and-pierogi/

http://www.mssf.org/cookbook/honey.html

Kath’s quote: “The sudden appearance of mushrooms after a summer rain is one of the more impressive spectacles of the plant world”.- John Tyler Bonner

Love never fails.

We were off again!

Although our touring of Montecatini and Siena had been pleasurable, I was longing for the countryside. D accommodated me by making the long drive to Montepulciano. I did not know a whole lot about the community itself but had heard a great deal about the Val d’Orcia, the valley where the village is located from my friend Tuscan Muse, who operates themed tours in the area. She happened to be in Rome that day so we missed meeting in real life.

As it was another rainy morning the streets were deserted.

My favourite part about the time spent in Montepulciano was actually the views from the town to the valley below.

We were fascinated by this exquisite cart that was all by itself in the square.

Upon inquiring we found out that a TV set had just packed up the day prior and they hadn’t had a chance to remove the prop. You can see the back of the cart next to Dustin Hoffman! We had missed seeing him in action by a single day….groan. The TV drama also featured a popular and handsome fellow from The Game of Thrones.

The rain continued and we were not quite certain what to do in Montepulciano in the rain, so we found a vineyard store and did Vino Nobile and Brunello wine-tastings, with a couple of bottles secured to take back to Canada.

I couldn’t get enough of the surrounding countryside, so I stay near the town’s edge to capture as many digital memories as possible. I must admit, I was disappointed in the weather and the fact that I hadn’t researched the area well enough to know exactly where we could go and just sit and enjoy the valley. By this time though we were getting peckish and decided to start our search for a trattoria while at the same time knowing that we were almost out of gas.

We made it as far as the neighbouring community of San Quirico d’Orcia.  We stopped at a Hotel/Bar/Restaurant called Il Garibaldi as they had gas pumps out front. We were told that we could not get gas until the attendant returned from what we thought must have been his siesta. Since we couldn’t go anywhere anyway, we decided that this was the perfect place for lunch.

For 12 euros each (including aqua, house wine and cappuccino) we were served the collections of items listed here. We thought we got to chose one of the items but no, we were served everything on the board!

We think that this pasta was boar over polenta which I was not partial to.

So I shared D’s pasta casserole with a variety of cheeses.

We were also served a blend of spinach and peas, a casserole of pureed broccoli, roasted chicken and fish in a tomato sauce. D was delighted by the find and thought that lunch was one of the highlights of the trip.

The stop may have been a highlight for me as well but for a different reason-the view from back of the hotel and gas station was absolutely breath-taking! We now have a gorgeous black and white framed photo of the Val d’Orcia on our kitchen wall.

Kath’s quote: “Any arbitrary turning along the way and I would be elsewhere; I would be different.”  ― Frances Mayes

Love never fails.