Season's Eatings
Each year ends in much the same fashion. The early morning frantic searches for missing travel accessories. The march with two-weeks worth of luggage through a foot of snow. Braving the construction maze of Union Station. Finally, watching the snow-covered landscape of Eastern Canada quietly roll by my train window. Now, comfortably speeding at 160 km/hr, I am full of anticipation to see all of the people I’ve missed - and to eat all of the special treats exclusively reserved for holiday consumption. There is nothing like going home for the holidays.
Winter Libations
Holiday parties are times for good friends, good food, and - yes - good drinks. There’s a dizzying amount of options a host looking to provision the bar. Do you play it safe with trusted beer and wine? There’s always winter traditions: mulled wine, well-spiked eggnog, and - if you’re an old British Isle descendant - sherry. This year, we broke out the cocktail shaker and tried our hand at some winterized renditions of classic cocktails.
Finding Your Appy Place
The most wonderful time of the year is here. No, it’s not the snow, the gifts, the gingerbread everything, the ugly sweaters, or the equally ugly crowds programmed to spend to Mariah’s “All I Want for Christmas” on repeat. I am not a fan of excessive consumerism, but I am a fan of excessive consumption and the merriment that ensues. The holidays are one of the only times of the year when we are not just invited, but expected, to eat everything.
Coffee's (R)evolution
The independent coffee shop - the natural habitat of the hipster. You know the ones: white walls, antique hammered-copper ceiling, dark wood and vintage iron accoutrements. Or, perhaps it's going for a more modern look: clean stainless steel and glass, marble bistro tables, and a simple picture frame proclaiming "keep calm and drink coffee". The baristas sport interchangeable outfits of vintage finds, visible tattoos, and perhaps a spacer or two. Their coffee is single-origin, fair-trade, ethically-sourced, and available for your drinking pleasure prepared from a $20,000, custom-made espresso machine.
Fresh Coffee, Fair Trade, Green Business
It all started with the search for better coffee. A little over three years ago, I moved to Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood. Before my bags were even unpacked, I ventured to find my new local coffee house. I sure had my priorities straight. Merchants of Green Coffee was one of only two in the immediate area, hidden on the side street of a side street. When I walked in and looked around, I knew immediately that I had found a home.
Coffee Ex Machina
We’re coffee snobs at The 3 Spoons. In only the most dire circumstance will mere chain coffee do; and perish the thought of coffee at the press of a button. So, it shouldn’t surprise you, then, that we’ve gathered a few coffee gadgets over the years. A French press, pour-over, Aeropress, espresso maker, Turkish pot, and Vietnamese drip all vie for precious cupboard and countertop space.
The Best Toronto Cafe Workspaces
In a world where remote work is becoming the new norm, ‘anywhere’ is now the new office. And while this lifestyle sounds pretty sweet, it comes with its own intricacies. The biggest challenge for independent workers is setting boundaries; when there’s barely any physical separation between work and home, the mental line separating work from life begins to blur.
Grand Cayman: A Snowbird’s Diet
When someone you know offers to share their timeshare - located in a tropical clime, no less - you say ‘yes’. This was the case for Kim and Nick, who travelled to Grand Cayman with Kim's mother for a week of sun, sand, and - yes - food. Welcome to the Canadian snowbird life. Welcome to Grand Cayman.
The Secret Life of Roselle
I remember the first time I bit into Roselle’s ethereal Banana Cream Pie Éclair. It was my birthday cake (or rather, my birthday pastry), a year I had ironically decided that I didn’t want cake or anything sweet for that matter. I wanted croissants. Lots of them. So the 3 Spoons set out on an adventure, walking from Corktown to West Queen West, to eat every notable croissant along the way.
The Perfect Fall Pies
Yes, fall is here. That also means it's harvest time for the last sweet ripe crops in Ontario. Food preparation starts to gravitate towards warmth and decadence; what better way to prepare for impending winter?
And what better way to celebrate fall-time sweets than with the pie? Or, in our case, three pies.
The Toronto Doughnut Throwdown
The gourmet doughnut. The doughnut is arguably the most accessible pastry in North America; it’s the people’s pastry.
From sharing birthday Timbits with your Kindergarten classmates to your everyday Timmies run, doughnuts (and I guess Tim Hortons?) have always been there for us. It’s the quintessential greasy diner dessert and iconic breakfast of law enforcement champions.
Sugar: The Sweet Addiction
This month's issue is an ode to la dolce vita: the sweet life. And what better way to start a dialogue about our relationship with food than to begin with our oldest fling? Sugar.
We love to hate all things sweet. Sugar's always there for the good times - and the bad. But now we're starting to realize that maybe this relationship is more toxic than it once appeared.