Spaghettini con Ricci del Mare: Sea Urchin Pasta

Rich, creamy and bursting with delicious flavours of the sea, this Spaghettini con Ricci del Mare was inspired by the sensational Spaghetti Damigella ai Ricci di Mare I feasted on at Lido Azzurro da Serafino in Sicily. An indulgent dish made with a full tray of raw sea urchins, butter and a little cream, these little lovelies can be purchased at Diana's Seafood or Taro's Fish in Toronto.

Spaghettini con Ricci del Mare
Serves 2

1 tray fresh sea urchin, about 16 pieces
12 oz linguine or spaghettini
4 tbsp of butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup cream or sour cream
Maldon salt and white pepper, to taste
2 tbsp chopped chives, for garnish 


Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Mash the butter and uni in a bowl with a fork so they become creamy, reserving the 8 best looking uni pieces for garnish. When the pasta is al dente, drain quickly and return to the pot. Turn on low heat and add the uni-butter mixture. Gently stir the pasta and sauce together until well combined, then add some cream, and season with Maldon salt and fresh ground white pepper. Using the twisting technique, plate the pasta into a nest topped with with a few pieces of the reserved uni, and garnish with fresh chives. Serve immediately.

Churrasqueira Martins Grill House: A Portuguese Gem

Owned and operated by Carlos and Samantha Martins since 1992, Churrasqueira Martins Grill House is a neighbourhood gem, tucked away in a quirky plaza near Rogers and Old Weston Road in Toronto. Famous for its fabulous fish and succulent Barbecue Chicken, Martins imports their fish twice a week from Portugal which arrives fresh on ice, never frozen, and serves quite possibly the city's best whole grilled fish and seafood in the city. Cooked to perfection and flavoured with love, the Grilled Octopus is the best in the city. Relaxed and informal, with an outstanding menu of over 60 Portuguese classics and extensive wine list including their own wine brand of house red and white, Martins sensational cuisine is only matched by their warm, friendly and gracious staff, attentive to our every whim. 

Bowl of mixed olives

Portuguese bread rolls

Martins house wine from the Duoro 

A light and delicious wine

Martins menu of classic Portuguese dishes

Lula Grelhada: Grilled Squid topped with parsley infused olive oil

Chouriço à Bombeiro: Grilled Smoked Portuguese Sausage arrives flaming in Aguardente

The grilled smoked Portuguese sausage is carved at the table

Gambas Grelhadas: Grilled Tiger Shrimp

Dorada Grelhada: Grilled Whole Sea Bream served with broccoli, carrots, broccolini, 

arugula and smashed potatoes

Polpo Grelhado: Grilled Octopus served with broccoli, carrots, broccolini, 

arugula and smashed potatoes

Martins Slow-Roasted Charcoal-BBQ Half Chicken served with chili-laced Piri-Piri sauce, 

and mound of french fries

Creamy Chocolate Mousse

www.churrasqueiramartins.com

Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread: Meltingly Delicious

This luscious Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread is positively loaded with garlic butter, fresh herbs and plenty of cheese, all baked together to gooey perfection. Sliced in a criss cross pattern and generously stuffed with garlic butter and cheese, and baked until golden brown, this savoury recipe is deliciously easy to make and even faster to devour for a meltingly delicious and tantalizing treat, ideal on its own or with a comforting bowl of homemade soup.

The bread sliced and spread with garlic butter then stuffed with scamorza 

and garnished with parsley

Wrapped in foil and baked in the oven at 375°F for 15 minutes, the bread is then opened and baked at 400°F for 5 minutes until golden and the cheese has melted

The cheesy garlic bread is ready to be served

Garlic Cheese Bread
Serves 4-6
Recipe courtesy of Ciao Florentina

1 loaf Italian crusty bread or round sourdough
8 oz scamorza, mozzarella, taleggio or other melting cheese
4 tbsp butter, at room temperature
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Italian parsley roughly chopped
1/4 tsp Maldon salt
Parsley, chopped for garnish


Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the soft butter with the garlic, Maldon salt and 1/4 cup of the chopped parsley. Using a serrated bread knife, cut 1-inch thick slices into the bread, making sure not to cut all the way through to the bottom, as the bread needs to fan out much like an accordion with the bottom intact. Using a butter knife, spread a thin layer of the garlic butter mixture on each slice of the bread.

Then, using the serrated knife again, cut across the bread to form 1-inch squares, being careful not to cut through to the bottom. Slice the cheese into thin slices, and stuff one slice into each bread opening, then place the loaf on a baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, then open up the foil to expose the top and sides and turn the heat up to 400°F. Bake for a few more minutes until the top is nicely golden and the cheese has melted completely. Serve immediately and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Casa Boronia Bistecca alla Fiorentina & Bocce

Nearly every Tuscan home cook is an expert at Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a classic Florentine steak that calls for only a few ingredients. The steak is traditionally from Chianina cattle — an ancient Tuscan breed known for its prized and tasty meat — seasoned with local spices, and grilled over red-hot coals or wood fire. It’s ideally served very rare or 'al sangue', as it's a crime to overcook such a high-quality cut of meat. Purchased from a local Macelleria and cut to our desired thickness, we seasoned the bistecca with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary, and set it aside to relax as we prepared the wood fire in the outdoor pizza oven. Meanwhile we poured ourselves a glass of prosecco, nibbled on some pecorino and played our traditional twilight match of bocce in the front garden, as we waited for the wood fire to reach the perfect heat. Set on a standing grill and placed over the red hot embers, the Bistecca alla Fiorentina is grilled over high heat until the steak is nicely seared and the meat is still quite rare, then garnished with local Umbrian olive oil. Sliced off the bone and served with lovely roast potatoes and a luscious full bodied Umbrian Rosso di Montefalco by Cantine Giorgio Lungarotti, the bistecca was nothing short of exceptional, enjoyed outdoors under the stars on a beautiful summer evening.

Each evening at cocktail hour we enjoyed a game of bocce in the garden, keeping score each night during our month at our villa in Umbria

The upper dining area overlooking the Umbrian hills and bocce garden

A few lumps of Pecorino and a glass of Prosecco sustained us during our nightly bocce tournament

Roses in bloom 

The fire was roaring in the pizza oven and ready for the Steak Fiorentina to be grilled over red hot embers on a low grill rack

Cooked for 3-5 minutes per side then set bone-side up for another minute,

as Fiorentina-style steak is always served al sangue - very rare

Grilled to juicy perfection

Slicing the steak and prized tenderloin off the bone

Perfectly pink, thick and juicy

Roasted Umbrian potatoes with fresh rosemary from the garden 

A luscious full bodied Umbrian Rosso di Montefalco by Lungarotti

Dining outdoors on a beautiful summer evening

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Serves 2

1 well-aged bone-in Bistecca alla Fiorentina, cut between 2-3-inches thick

1 bunch fresh rosemary

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp Maldon salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Massage about half a tablespoon or more of coarse salt to the top of the steak. Prepare a charcoal or wood fire to cook the steak. When the charcoal or wood embers are red-hot, place the steak onto a flat roasting rack with bone portion towards the rear of the grill and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook second side for another 3-5 minutes. To finish, set the steak up on the bone side and cook for another minute. Meat should be seared and crisp on the exterior and red, almost raw at the very centre by the bone. 

When the steak is done, remove it from the grill and allow it to stand for 5 minutes, so that the juices are retained when the meat is sliced. Carve off the fillet and steak before slicing into portions. To serve, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Oven Roasted Orange Chicken with Rosemary

One of the true pleasures of renting a villa in Italy, are the golden opportunities to shop in local markets and being able to feast on the culinary rewards of cooking in the comfort of a well-equipped Italian kitchen. Inspired by the healthy maize fed yellow chickens that we saw throughout Umbria, we purchased a handsome 'pollo giallo' that had already been cut up into smaller pieces, and marinated it with some fresh Sicilian oranges, a splash of Umbrian Grechetto, and handful of fresh rosemary from the garden. Oven roasted for about 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through, our 'yellow bird' was magnificently moist and full of flavour. Raising our glasses, we toasted yet another glorious day in paradise.



Oven Roasted Orange Chicken with Rosemary
Serves 2

1/8 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp sugar
2 oranges, one juiced and one sliced
1/4 cup white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 small chicken, cut into serving pieces, pat dry
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary


Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, sugar, orange juice, white wine, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a rimmed baking dish. Place the pieces of chicken skin side up and spread out evenly in the pan. Pour the olive oil mixture over chicken, turning the pieces to coat all sides. Arrange the sliced orange around and under the chicken. Sprinkle all over generously with rosemary, salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and juices run clear. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and garnish with additional chopped rosemary.

Yasu: The Ultimate Japanese Omakase in Toronto

Tucked in a narrow white room on Harbord Street, Osaka-raised chef-owner Yasuhisa Ouchi delivers glistening sushi, one piece at a time, to 10 guests seated at his marble-topped bar, Yasu. The city's first sushi-only omakase restaurant, Yasuhisa's edict is simple — "In a global world where borders are becoming seamless, Toronto can now have access to the freshest seafood like what we have in Japan. Yasu took this opportunity to return to the roots of sushi, in which simplicity was the key ingredient in bringing out the taste of the sea. He uses classical methods to draw out the umami of seafood, with fish that is freshly sliced and placed atop warm, loose rice then brushed with a touch of nikiri soy for a perfectly balanced bite. In short, Yasu is all about capturing the essence of sushi. Seasonal ingredients are prepared at the sushi bar and served immediately for maximum flavour and freshness, for a true omakase sushi experience, made to order right in front of you and served a single bite at a time. 

My favourite omakase in Toronto, I am drawn to Yasu like a moth to a sushi flame, and have to satisfy my raw fish cravings every few months. The menu is a seasonally changing selection of 18 impeccably fresh pieces of edomae sushi for $135 per person, which can include Mackerel from Norway, Lobster from Nova Scotia, Uni from Vancouver and Boston, Snow Crab from Greenland and Shirako from Hokkaido. The trio of akami, chūtoro, and ōtoro Bluefin Tuna from Mexico melts in your mouth and the house smoked Bonito from Hokkaido is sublime. The chef's choice of sake perfectly paired with each evenings menu, served in glasses cradled in a traditional wooden masu box, is a delightful trip through the various styles of Japanese rice wine and well worth the price. For sushi enthusiasts, Yasu is an experience unlike like any other. Place yourself in the chef's hands, and you'll leave in a blissful state of sushi euphoria every time.

Hay Smoked Bonito from Japan

Shirako (cod milt) from Hokkaido, is in season now and considered a Japanese delicacy

but is an acquired taste given that it's the sperm sac of fish

Striped Jack from Shikoku Prefecture, Japan

Composing the uni sushi

Uni from Boston

Uni from British Columbia

Japanese Fluke with grilled fluke fin

Monkfish Liver with grated daikon and shiso leaf from Japan

Sea Scallop garnished with sea salt and lemon juice from Japan

Nova Scotia Lobster with grated lime and ponzu

Rich and flavourful homemade Stiped Jack fish broth made with hatchō miso,

known as the "emperor's miso" and garnished with green onion

Akami or lean red meat tuna

Chūtoro is medium fatty tuna found near the skin on the back and belly

Otoro is the prized pink fatty tuna

Snow Crab and Snow Crab Liver from Greenland

Black Cod from Vancouver Island

Composing the fatty tuna and inure rice bowls

Ikura with fatty tuna from Mexico served over rice and garnished with sliced scallions 

Norwegian Mackerel topped with sliced daikon

Japanese yellowtail

Unagi from Japan

Sous chef slicing Tamago

Tamago is a classic Japanese sweet egg and white fish custard

Homemade Black Sesame Iced Cream

www.yasu-sushibar.com/toronto.html