Get your kicks at The Annex

There's something about the Annex Room Restaurant that just exhales comfort. The menu is elegant but casual with comfort food abound: gourmet pizzas of multiple varieties, dijon-crusted chicken surpreme (one of my favourites), beef tenderloin, Asian mango salmon, pastas like shrimp or chicken linguini, teriyaki chow mein, spinach and ricotta ravioli. Yumm.

Its appetizers are fabulous, and I use that word sparingly. When I was there last Saturday, I ordered its salad special: a Thai-inspired beauty with cabbage and peanut sauce that had me thanking to Buddha for such a delicious gift. I also couldn't pass up the 'Annex Mezze Plate for Two' with a trio of dips and spreads served with warm pita bread. And then I remembered - every meal at The Annex starts with a warm bulb of roasted garlic that spreads on freshly-baked bread "like butta." Let's just say I had to take half of my main course home. My eyes instantly grow bigger than my belly at this place!

And why wouldn't they, especially with so many dishes being inspired by fresher-than-fresh local offerings. Talk to Christine and she'll tell you that many of The Annex's fruits and vegetables come from her father's own garden.

Christine is just one of the members of The Annex who will make your experience first-rate. This place is all about service and extreme hospitality. Last year, my husband and I decided to host our son's post-baptism lunch at The Annex for 30-some family members. I was, and continue to be, amazed by the outstanding - and affordable - food and impeccable service. Each time I go in there I feel like family from the moment I walk through the door.

Cheers to The Annex Restaurant. You've raised the bar on the Stratford dining experience. And that is really something.

Rush to Stratford's Slow Food Sunday Market

As I attended Stratford's first Slow Food Sunday Market on June 6, a Margaret Mead quote kept running through my mind: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

I like to think of these vendors as food whisperers. And what are they whispering to that gorgeous, ethical and socially responsible food? "Good, clean, fair." It's the Slow Food motto, after all.

So what is a Slow Food Market? First and foremost, it's community run, which strengthens local food networks. It provides access to quality food you can trust, bought directly from the producers. It offers fair prices for consumer and producers, fostering local economies, and locally-sourced food that reduces food miles and shortens the food chain. What's different about a Slow Food Market is that consumers become co-producers, learning from producers and educational activities.

Like a well kept secret, it's a bit tricky to find. It's located at 49 Griffith Road at the Monforte Dairy. The market runs Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through to the end of October.

What the first Sunday market lacked in quantity, it made up for in the quality of vendors, which included Koert Organics, Deeply Rooted Farms, Anything Grows, Kawthoolei Organic Farm, Soiled Reputation, Creton's Garden Fresh Produce & Herbs, Bizjak Farms along with host, Monforte Dairy.

Of course, as the growing season ripens, the market will continue to grow, along with each vendor's offerings. New vendors are also invited to e-mail the Slow Food Perth County Convivium at info@slowfoodperthcounty.ca to learn how to participate.

Sundays often turn into my Slow Food cooking days, and now with a Stratford Slow Food Sunday Market and the "season of fresh" upon us, who knows what sweet or savoury dishes might leisurely emerge from my kitchen.

Hooray for Herrle's!

Imagine my surprise and delight when Herrle's Country Farm Market, intended to open mid-June, opened its doors to aisles of gorgeous seasonal local produce on June 2 instead!

Located at 1243 Erb's Road in St. Agatha, Herrle's is a family-run farm that has been in operation for 152 years. In 1964, Howard and Elsie Herrle started a retail farming business when they grew a few acres of sweet corn and sold it from their garage. The Herrle name soon became known for its fresh-from-the-field sweet corn. And six generations of Herrles later, the sweet corn fields mingled with strawberries, peas, beans and pumpkins too.

In 1988, the Herrles built their Farm Market - what you'll see today - which opens from June until the end of October. Field production expanded to add cucumber, beets, spinach, zucchini and squash. Herrle's also built a bakery that same year, and today customers are greeted with the aroma of freshly baked pies, muffins, butter tarts, chelsea buns, and cookies. And raspberry tarts! Oh, I couldn't keep my eyes off those when I visited last Friday.

Another great feature of Herrle's is its pick-your-own-patch option for customers wishing to foray into the fields for freshly picked berries. Although with a motto like "Freshness Makes the Difference," you're sure to be surrounded by freshly-picked freshness in every aspect of the farm store too.

While I was pressed for time on Friday, I couldn't resist visiting Herrle's for the first time this season. I picked up fresh strawberries, peas in the pod, peppers, cherries, mushrooms and asparagus.

To continue on this local and fresh path, today I think I'll venture over to the new Stratford Sunday Slow Food Market at 49 Griffith Road to enjoy more fruits and vegetables of the season. More on that later.

The season of abundant Ontario farm-fresh produce is officially open! And it tastes spectacular.

Swan Lake

Another Stratford joy: the magestic swans that glide across the Avon like ambassadors to our fair city. Many river walks have been interrupted by a need to stop and marvel at their beauty and elegance. I'm continuously transfixed by the baby cygnets that breathe new life into our waters. It's no surprise that swans are symbols of gracefulness, calmness, sensitivity, love, and beauty.

In fact, swans are revered in many cultures, including Hinduism, where they are compared to saintly persons whose chief characteristic is to be in the world without getting attached to it, just as a swan's feather does not get wet although it is in water. The Sanskrit word for swan is hamsa or hansa, and the vehicle of many deities like the goddess Saraswati. It is mentioned several times in the Vedic literature, and those having attained great spiritual capabilities are sometimes called Paramahamsa ("Great Swan") because of their spiritual grace and ability to travel between various spiritual worlds.

Ironic, in light of recent events. I wouldn't want to be the karmic recipient of this one.

I've been saddened and disturbed by what happened last weekend to Angela, the gentle swan who mothered her eggs in a nest below the William Hutt Bridge. A cruel and unfathomable attack by bullies - human bullies - brought an abrupt end to her life, as well as the lives of her seven babies expected to hatch this week.

It saddens me that kindness and goodness were so far removed from this random act of violence. Many times I've wondered how the attacker(s) felt in the moment. Did regret follow? How are they sleeping at night? My heart sinks a little each time I pass the abandonned nest where Angela's mate, Nick, paces. Most swans mate for life and can grieve the loss of a partner for up to two years.

This post pays tribute to Angela, Nick and the 18 other swans in our local flock that have brought joy to so many. May you find peace, tranquility and security again.

And thank you to all who love and care for these precious animals. Your kindness is noted and appreciated.

The gallery has left the building

I love Stratford in the summer. And Lord knows, this week has felt like it. The bustle of the tourists makes me giddy. The swollen downtown core, the buskers outside the Avon Theatre (this is where I first saw Justin Bieber - ever heard of him?), the kids lined up outside Scoopers Ice Cream, the peddle boaters, the HMS Razzamajazz that glides down the Avon on Wednesdays and Sundays with a quartet of spirited jazz musicians - it's all just so breathtaking to me.

I also love how, for the last 42 years, Stratford has offered Art in the Park, an outdoor gallery for round-the-river strollers peckish for a tad more culture. What's unique about this casual set-up is that it often lends the opportunity to chat with the artist to learn more about their work and creative process. The exhibit features fine art, sculptures, pottery and jewellery - all available for purchase.

So take a stroll down Lakeside Drive on Wednesdays, Saturdays or Sundays during the summer months (weather permitting) to absorb the alluring artisanal exhibit that radiates true talent and charm.

A tip of the hatzo for Pazzo

Why has it taken me so long to write about Pazzo? I'm pazzo about Pazzo! I've been there more times than I can count. Mostly to the pizzeria because pizza happens to be one of my favourite foods and Pazzo is my all-time favourite pizzeria (Chef Greg Kuepfer belongs in the Pizza Hall of Fame and thank you a thousand times for inventing the Medici). However, on Sunday night, I gathered my crew and ventured upstairs to the ristorante where we basked in the swanktacular decor and were served up the most scrumpterrific dishes.

I'm not going to lie to you - the evening began with cocktails. Martinis to be precise, and our dear friend Megan whipped us up a rainbow of the prettiest little elixirs, including: a Farmer's martini, the Bee's Knees, Pomtini and Do Not Go Gentle. Rrrow!

And then came the food. But before we get to the courses, can we please pause for a minute to pay tribute to Pazzo's focaccia? I'm not sure where they get this stuff (maybe it's made in house) but deLICIOUS! Soft spongy interiors with a lightly crusted top that is sprinkled with quality salt. You know, the fleur-de-fancy stuff that just tastes better.

Onto the appetizer: I started with a salad of roasted asparagus, ricotta salata and beets with walnuts and thyme vinaigrette. There's nothing like just-plucked asparagus in its prime.

I'm a sucker for risotto, so I just couldn't pass it up on the menu, especially after our server sang its haute praises. She didn't let us down - I don't think I've tasted vegetable risotto accented with mascarpone and mint. Amazing.

And that, my friend, is what I love about Pazzo: if it's in season, they're serving it up. Chef Sean Collins and Sous-Chef Yva Santini take special care to ensure you're enjoying the plentiful harvest that Perth County has to offer.

The Grand Finale: lemon and olive oil tart with creme fraiche gelato. I mean, seriously.

So yeah, I'm running out of adjectives for this place and its food. Spectacular. There's another. Just go. You'd be pazzo not to!

May-cation 2010

Six years ago when my husband and I were married, we promised each other to always take the time to celebrate our anniversary in a special way. And so this year, we spent a day packing up our 13-month-old son's belongings to transport to Nana and Papa's house, where he'd spend a glorious weekend being spoiled while we did the same for ourselves in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

There's nothing like a May-cation to kick-start the summer. Even if the weather's a little cool, you know patio season is just around the corner. We spent two enchanting days strolling through the downtown shops, daydreaming about the magnificent properties we'd purchase with lottery winnings, sauntering off to vineyards for "educational tours" and ahem...a few tastings. Oh, and we ate like nobility.

My favourite sights: the Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum (journalism grad, what can I say), Vineland Estates, Frog Pond Farm Organic Winery, The Olde Angel Inn, the Stone Road Grille, the Charles Inn and sightseeing at the foot of Brock's Monument.

Once again, I was bamboozled by the beauty that surrounds us here in Ontario. My father-in-law, a man of many words, has often remarked that "we live in the land of milk and honey." And you know, that wordy-but-lovable man was onto something.

Skip answering to customs officers and cruise down the QEW instead for a splendid local getaway to this enchanting part of the province.