I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself an automobile aficionado, but I definitely know my way around a plate of food. So when I was invited to test drive the new 2013 Buick Encore on a road trip titled “Tantalize your Tastebuds,” I figured there was no better way to get into the driving spirit than a foodie road trip from Toronto to the Muskokas.

Our trip started off with lunch at the Hotel Le Germain‘s Victor Restaurant. Chef David Chrystian, who you may remember from Season 1 of Top Chef Canada, created our Toronto tasting menu, with dishes inspired by the city’s diverse neighbourhoods. We started with a creamy tomato soup flavoured with Chrystian’s signature “Toronto Spice” blend and topped with fried sunchokes and brussels sprouts. The Group of Seven entrée featured a chicken tagine (or, in my case, a vegetarian empanada) artistically arranged among dried fruit, mint purée and olives, followed by a course titled Ice Fishing in the Muskokas with white fish, bacon and sauerkraut (I had a perfectly fried egg). Dessert was a decadent tiramisu. I won’t lie. I ate mine and my table neighbour’s. I guess you could say I really went for the theme.

After lunch we piled into our shiny new Buick Encores and made our way toward cottage country.  The Encore is described as a luxury crossover, meaning that it offers features of an SUV without being, well, an SUV. It’s definitely sleek and sexy, and without sounding too much like an automotive personal ad, it’s the kind of car that is as comfortable in the big city as it is in the back country. I could easily see myself darting between downtown appointments and Plateau parking spaces as well as filling the trunk with equipment for a weekend of skiing. But I didn’t have to use my imagination for long: After nimbly navigating busy Toronto streets, we wound our way up to our first stop, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, where we toured the Group of Seven gallery and got a taste of the natural beauty of northern Ontario, and then drove in cushioned comfort to the Touchstone Resort on Lake Muskoka. No need to fight over the radio…we just plugged in our smartphones and took Leonard Cohen’s Live in London album for the ride.

Like the Encore, the Touchstone Resort offered the best of both worlds: modern comfort in a serene setting. We stayed in a luxury multi-room condo with pillow-laden beds and a deep soaker tub, just a short walk away from the main building that housed the restaurant and spa. The whole point of the trip was to enjoy the outdoors, rest, relax and eat our way into an oblivion, which we did at our 8-course Buick Encore Experience dinner created by Executive Chef Don Potter of Muskoka Catering.

Each course was paired with a different wine, including my new favourite bubbly Zinck Paul & Philippe Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé, which is sadly not available at the SAQ. The evening was pure decadence, featuring local ingredients and thoughtfully prepared vegetarian options for yours truly. My favourite course was the rich and earthy cappuccino of porcini mushrooms, which I would have happily eaten for each of the 8 courses.

After a good sleep and a big breakfast we left the Muskokas for a snowy drive back to reality, conveniently located in Toronto.

* Please note that the trip, accommodations, food and transportation were all provided by General Motors Canada

 

I have had a thing for French chefs and cooking since before the days of The Food Network and its foodie denizens, so when the opportunity arose to interview renowned chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel’s Maison Boulud, I jumped at it without hesitation.

Chef Boulud was in Montreal last week to join the restaurant’s executive chef Riccardo Bertolino for a special dinner. I was excited to meet the legend in person and found him in his crisply starched chef whites putting the finishing touches on a four-course menu and straightening table settings in the restaurant’s inviting interior. Clearly the evening’s meal was his priority, but when we sat down to talk, I sensed a sincere shift in focus and I knew he would be mine for the duration.

It has been almost a year since the Lyon native opened Maison Boulud at the refurbished Ritz-Carlton Hotel. “You certainly kept us waiting!” I said, alluding to the feeling among Montrealers that our city was long overdue for some international attention like this.

“Yes, it did take a while”, agreed Chef Boulud with a chuckle. “The timing and the partnership had to be right. I am excited to be a part of the Ritz, with its grandeur and history, and I couldn’t be happier with how the restaurant’s team has come together! Là, ça roule !”

Boulud’s special affinity for Montreal is no secret. He has been attending the city’s Formula 1 race for years, and counts a few of our very own gastronomic luminaries among his close friends and their restaurants among his favourite eateries, notably places like Toqué, Ferreira Café and Au Pied du Cochon. “After living for two decades New York City, Montreal reminds me of Lyon, of home.”

Of course, our conversation soon turned to food. I was curious to know what Chef Boulud always keeps on hand in his own kitchen, something that I’m not likely to have in my pantry. His answer was a surprise because it really isn’t the kind of thing I’d expect a world-class chef to stock at home. “Canned seafood,” he said. “Octopus, tuna – only the best: ventresca de bonito – or sardines. Straight out of the can, on bread, added to pasta or salad, it’s delicious!” While I made a mental note to search it out at Jean-Talon Market, he laughed and added, “I even tweeted about it a few weeks ago!”

And what about the kitchen of Maison Boulud ­– what does the chef recommend? He mentioned the tasting menu, “It’s like three or four meals in one, and everyone comes away happy.” What about tonight’s menu, I wondered? He enthusiastically described the Raviolo aux Petits Pois et Jaune d’Oeuf and the Duo de Boeuf using his hands as much as his words. He is obviously proud of the work Chef Bertolino is doing here in Montreal. I asked how the menu has changed or may evolve in the future. The chef says, “It really depends what our suppliers bring us.” He and Chef Bertolino have nurtured good relationships with local suppliers. “We rely on local cheeses and trout, venison and pork. And with spring on its way, fiddleheads and white asparagus will be on the menu as long as they last. Then we’ll be turning to local foragers. Last year foragers in Maine brought us matsutake and maitake mushrooms; this year we’re hoping to find a forager who is even more local.” This isn’t just farm to table, it’s forest to table.

After a gracious farewell, he was back in the kitchen with Chef Bertolino, putting the finishing touches on dessert, and I was back out in the spring sunshine. Ah, spring! It’s hard to believe it will ever come with snow still on the ground, but if Chef Boulud is counting on fiddleheads, it must be just around the corner.

Maison Boulud, Ritz-Carlton Montreal, 1288 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, 514-842-4224

www.maisonboulud.com/montreal

Follow Chef Boulud on Twitter @DanielBoulud

Montréal en Lumière is one of our favourite festivals of the year, and it isn’t just because it lights up the city both figuratively and literally. Every year, this festival revives Montreal’s food scene by bringing in fresh ideas and even fresher talent. This year, we were invited to dine at Restaurant Sinclair to experience the collaborative culinary efforts of Sinclair frontman Stelio Perembelon and Philadephia’s Jason Cichonski of Restaurant ELA, known for its artful American fare.

Between these two amazing culinary talents, we knew we were in for an awesome meal, and after taking one look at the menu ($62), we also knew that we were in for a lengthy one with seven courses to savor. In keeping with Montréal en Lumière‘s Argentinean theme, our meal was paired with wines from the country’s best vineyards. But first, to get things started, we were served an “Argentinean Cocktail” infused with chanterelle mushrooms, maple whiskey, and topped off with some fresh cranberries – like an Old Fashioned with a twist. Getting things going in the food department, our meal began with a Royal Miyagi oyster, whipped sun choke, horseradish and coffee. Served amuse-bouche style on a carefully decorated spoon, it was the perfect first bite. Next, we were served a dish of black cod, smoked beets, kumquat and sourdough bubbles. Cooked to perfection, the cod tasted buttery and fresh as can be. But the most decorated dish of the bunch was still to come, a combination of foie gras, black garlic, pickled parsley root, elderberries, saskatoonberries and beer bread chips. This dish could have easily doubled as a piece of modern art in an Old Montreal gallery. It tasted almost as good as it looked, the sweetness and tartness of the berries complimenting the richness of the foie gras mousse.

Moving onto main courses, we sampled an incredibly innovative scallop noodle dish, subbing the usual starchy staple for strips of scallop. Topped off with julienned carrots, peanut, sesame, dried pineapple and celery, it was like nothing we’ve ever tasted. Next up, we enjoyed some homemade artichoke agnolotti with shimeji, pickled juniper, red miso and pork crackling granola. This dish was nothing but comforting, but we were thankful for the conservative serving so as to leave room for the two more courses waiting in the proverbial wings. Our last main consisted of guinea hen, Brussels sprouts, a parsnip-coconut purée and Ceyland cinnamon. The meaty hen with the sweet yet savory purée made for an unexpectedly perfect pairing – a bit like Perembelon and Cichonski themselves. The meal came to a close with soft Manjari chocolate, sea-buckthorn curd and a pumpernickel crumble. Seriously, who could argue with a plate full of chocolate? Good to the last bite.

I felt like I had stepped into the Snow Queen’s enchanted castle when we arrived at Montreal’s Snow Village. The sun was setting and the hotel was lighting up with the delicate colours of the Aurora Borealis. Of course, I was also asking myself if I was crazy for agreeing to sleep outside in  -12C weather.

Guy Bélanger, one of the co-founders of the Snow Village, assured me I would be warm and safe. “We haven’t lost anyone yet,” he joked.

 

 

 

 

This is the second year that Jean Drapeau Park has hosted the Snow Village, a concept originally from Finland. It’s quite an engineering feat to take several millions kilos of snow and ice turn it into this unique hotel complete with chapel, restaurant, bar, winter slide, lobby and 25 rooms.

Even the chairs, tables, beds and windows are made out of snow and carved ice. There is something magical about walking through corridors bathed in blues and greens. With no sharp angles or corners, the whole place is one giant curve of an igloo.

This hotel is also an art gallery; some ofthe world’s best ice and snow artists were invited to participate in this year’s homage to the Big Apple.

 

 

 

The 16-metre wide lobby has an ice sculpture of the New York skyline seen from Central Park. Renowned artist Julien Doré created the Big Apple suite and Jesse Armand did the doomsday room with a sunken Statue of Liberty.

Two of my favourites were the Aquarium Suite with a red-throated shark springing out of the ice and the tribute to the New York cab where your bed is the taxi. For sheer whimsy you can’t beat the charming Eloise at the Plaza suite (although this hotel is part of the Intercontinental chain.)

After checking out the comfortable mattress in our room, appropriately numbered -18, it was over to the Jägermeister Ice Bar.  The best way to stay warm while partying in the snow: dancing and a few shots. We jumped around with an enthusiastic crowd while we waited for our dinner reservation at the Pommery restaurant.

 

Cooking in snow presents some interesting challenges. For one thing, it’s hard to keep the food warm and patrons can’t linger over their meal. After about 45 minutes, even when you’re tucked in with lovely faux furs, the cold does seep into your bones.

Executive Chef Matthew Saunier and his crew do an amazing job of serving up a three-course dinner from a kitchen that is really a well-equipped trailer. The artichoke soup and Cornish hen stew are gourmet comfort food, served with champagne that stays cold and crisp. The most surreal event of the meal was watching my fork shimmy across the table onto the floor; I hadn’t put it back onto its proper table setting.

 

 

 

 

We prepared for bed by gently cooking ourselves in the hot tub while gazing at the Montreal skyline.  Then it was the moment of truth – getting into bed. The rooms at the Snow Village are always between -1 to -4 degrees. Positively balmy when it’s -12C outside.  I zipped up my sleeping bag, put on my fuzzy toque and nestled down into sub-artic down.

The soft light from air hole woke me up the next morning. There was hot chocolate waiting in the lobby. The morning felt bright and fresh. I had survived.

 

 

For those not brave enough to face sleeping outside, the Snow Village offers tours or you can just come for dinner or lunch.

During spring break from Mar 2 until March 17, the Snow Village offers free entrance to kids under 12. There are a variety of activities for families including Norwegian sleds, snow slides, storytelling, dance sessions, workshops in ice sculpting and fireworks. Weather permitting the Snow Village will be open until March 21, 2013.

 

The Montreal en Lumiere festival comes at exactly the right time of the year. By the end of February, we’re feeling pretty beaten up by the harsh weather. And if it weren’t for the promise of great food, we might just stay in bed forever.

So when Verses Restaurant invited me to join them for a decadent dinner cooked by Top Chef Season 7 winner Kevin Sbraga, I couldn’t refuse. Did I mention I’ve seen every single show of every single season? Sometimes when I’m done making my morning cereal I’ll raise my hands in the air as if my time is up. And then I wait for Padma Lakshmi to judge me. But she never comes.

Kevin Sbraga won his season with the modern American cuisine he now serves at Sbraga restaurant, which he owns and runs in the festival’s select American city, Philadelphia. I was expecting winning cuisine, and I wasn’t disappointed. I asked Sbraga how he’d meshed his own cooking style with the local foodie culture. “Every dish tonight is currently on the menu at Sbraga,” he explained “When we’re traveling we try to do stuff that we’re familiar with, because it’s very difficult to go into a new kitchen in a new place and try something new. But what’s so interesting is that the products aren’t the same. Here in Quebec the foie gras is a lot richer and fattier and the cream and the butter here is so much better. And the venison is really, really good. So it just makes the dinner better!”

We were off to quite a beginning with a foie gras soup with rose petal relish and pumpernickel croutons. I abstained, having recently become an occasional fish-eating vegetarian, but I was told the soup was rich, creamy and delicious. But I was well fed with a replacement butternut squash soup that was quite wonderful, warm and comforting. Next up, a deliciously subtle smoked trout salad followed by a dramatic hit of spice with octopus with Thai chili-infused piri piri and roasted chick peas (my new favourite snack that I will soon learn to make at home). For the mains, the carnivores enjoyed a perfectly cooked venison filet with oatmeal, blackberry and brussels sprouts while I was served a crispy-on-the-outside and melting-on-the-inside parmesan polenta that made everyone else jealous. I have to admit, I’ve got a lot of respect for a chef who offers a vegetarian option that feels decadently naughty. Dessert featured chocolate ravioli and a surprise shot topped with whipped cream, followed by a sweet visit from Sbraga, himself.

I couldn’t help but ask the Top Chef how he was enjoying the local fare. “The food scene here is phenomenal,” he raved. “There is a lot of passion. You can tell that people love what they’re doing. We’re going to Pied du Cochon tonight and last night we went to Liverpool House. We’re making our rounds. We had lunch at Schwartz’. I loved it. The food here at the hotel is amazing. I was just back in the kitchen eating a tartare from the restaurant. They had three different tartares and you could taste that there was a lot of love in it.”

Is Sbraga planning a return visit? “I want to come back this summer,” he admitted. “I feel like I’m in Europe right now. I feel transported. And it’s only an hour and a half away by plane!”

He’s a Top Chef, we’re a Top Eater. Seems like a match made in foodie heaven.

Verses Restaurant, 100 Rue Saint Paul West,  Montreal, 514-788-4000, www.versesrestaurant.com

Working in the media industry, we tend to get a lot of invites sent our way and being the token single gal on the UE team, I tend to be the chosen attendee for all events pertaining to dating. This month, two such events fell into our proverbial lap: Dashing Date and Cook and Date. So, naturally, I signed up for both.

Meeting new people in the post-university phase of life isn’t the easiest task. Aside from joining the online dating brigade – a perfectly good option – one can either hang out in bars, coffee shops and bookstores waiting to stumble upon a dateable male or, as one friend suggested, stand at your balcony and sing “Hang With Me” to the people below. If soliciting strangers isn’t your thing or you’re merely interested in maintaining your dignity, Montreal has some creative and fun dating options on offer, none of which include a booze cruise or mixer at your local synagogue (though I’m sure my mother would very much like that). Case in point: Cook and Date ($70-$150). This service keeps things a little more casual and a lot less rigid than how I imagined speed-dating to be. Plus, it revolves around food and involves cooking with such notable Montreal chefs as Chuck Hughes and Weinstein & Gavino’s Giuseppe Sacchetti. So really, the worst that could happen is you have a great meal and drink a bit too much wine. The evening started off with a round of shots to get the conversation going and then Cristina, Cook and Date’s founder and organizer, paired us off into cooking stations. The theme of the night was taco-making, so while whipping up guacamole, salsa and nachos, casual flirting and number-exchanging ensued. The great thing about this service is that everyone seemed to have at least one characteristic in common – you don’t sign up for this event if you’re not into food in a big way. For single Montreal foodies, this is the way to go.

www.cookanddate.com

My second foray into the dating service world, Dashing Date, was a bit more traditional as far as speed-dating goes. Also, it’s a dating service with a superhero theme, so they basically had me at “hello”. With a fellow single girlfriend in tow, I braved my first real speed-dating session ($49). On the walk to Luca e Franco, the Saint-Denis resto where our Dashing Date event took place, I reassured myself (and my slightly anxious girlfriend) six or seven times that “all I’d have to do is talk about myself and ask a bunch of questions and what could possibly go wrong?” Luckily, Dashing Date’s organizer, Kavita, had all the details thought out from the cocktail handed to us upon arrival to icebreakers to question cards, leaving little room for error or awkwardness. Moreover, all participants are screened in advance to ensure maximum matchability. Ladies sat on one side of the table while men shuffled from one chair to the next for 8-minute dates-slash-interviews, and all participants were given a “Dash Card” where they could select “no”, “perhaps” or “yes” for each match. After the speed-dating portion of the evening had come to a close, guests were invited to hang out, have a glass of wine, munch on some yummy appetizers and get to know one another beyond “what do you do for a living?” and “where did you grow up?” The men I met over the course of the evening weren’t exactly my type (which hasn’t worked all that well for me in the past, anyhow), but it brought me to talk to people I wouldn’t otherwise have talked to and to find commonalities I wouldn’t have otherwise found. All in all? A pretty positive first speed-date experience. Second date TBD.

www.dashingdate.com

One of the things I like best about being a member of the media is the opportunity to try experiences well outside my comfort zone. Which is why I was particularly excited when I was invited by Canada Goose to join them for a day at Porsche Camp4. A far cry from campfires and canoes, Camp4 is a 3-day training program for Porsche enthusiasts who are looking to up the ante by learning skills for driving in dangerous conditions. Basically it’s a camp for girls and boys who want to play with some very expensive toys. And the luxury getaway doesn’t come cheap, hitting just under the $5,000 mark.

 

The participants on the media day were mostly automotive journalists jumping out of their skins to jump into the cars. As the official Camp4 outfitter, Canada Goose invited me to come along for the ride.

First on the agenda was taking the new 911 Carreras out for a spin. Literally.

Then we took the new Cayman out for a dizzying ride around the track. Each car was equipped with walkie talkies so you could let other drivers know when you were starting to spin out of control. Which seems like good manners to me.

So how did I like driving a Porsche? Well, I didn’t get to drive it for long. I generally drive a ten-year old fully automatic car, so I wasn’t quite prepared for the power of a Porsche. After my first spin around the track I decided to leave the driving to the experts while I relaxed comfortably in the passenger seat. I got really good at the walkie talkies. “Spin Spin!”

In the end I realized that, when it comes to driving, I’m neither fast nor furious. But whether you dream of driving a Porsche or aspire to hiring a chauffeur, it’s still a pretty sweet ride.

Thanks again to Canada Goose for the opportunity!

I can sing the Miss America  theme song off by heart. I know what my talent would be (speed reading) and I have practiced wearing a tiara on a number of occasions, often after a glass of wine or three. I’m also really good at smiling. No, I’m lying about the last one.

But seriously, if I weren’t Canadian, shy about walking on stage in a bikini and over a decade too old, I’m pretty sure I could put up a good fight for the crown.

Or so I thought until I met Mallory Hagan, the Alabama-born Brooklynite who went from Miss New York to Miss America with a whip-smart answer about gun control (“I don’t think the proper way to fight violence is with violence.”) and a tap shoe tribute to James Brown. The smiley blond beauty is the kind of girl you hate to love, with high cheekbones, an even higher behind, an easy laugh and a surprisingly sharp sense of humour. Girl even knows how to eat a cupcake like a gentleman. And worst of all, she’s modest about all of it. Grrr.

The recently crowned Miss America was in town to pick out her wardrobe from local designer, Joseph Ribkoff, a longtime supporter of the Miss America program. Even though she’s sent a box of new duds for each stop on her tour, she likes to pop in and say hi to the crew that dresses her. She also stopped by the Montreal Children’s Hospital (tidbit: She’s not allowed to let anyone wear the crown, but she breaks the rules for little kids) and to have lunch with a few members of the media. Did I mention she chowed down on lasagna and chocolate mousse? Do you want to hate her? Well, you can’t. I won’t let you.

Mallory Hagan is a decidedly different Miss America in an organization that is evolving to rid itself of its fuddy duddy, beauty-focused image. Though the pageant originated as a swimsuit competition, Hogan tells us that Miss America is “finally moving away from that ideal of perfection and focusing a lot more on education. We’ve always been a scholarship-based organization but now we are really digging deep into science engineering technology and math careers to promote that for young women. It’s not about being the most beautiful. It’s about living a well-rounded lifestyle and being the best version of you that you can be.”

Hagan sees herself as one of the first Miss Americas who truly represents the more individualistic ideal. She told us: “Whenever you’re being judged you start becoming a version of what someone else has instructed you to be. It speaks volumes that we had so many girls like we had this year who are so strong in who they are. I was not the most beautiful contestant on the stage. I was not the most physically fit. I did not have the most outstanding talent. I didn’t win any of the preliminary awards. But I’m comfortable with who I am and I think that showed. They say Miss America is won in the interview, in how you express yourself and communicate with others. And I know that’s what set me apart.”

Hagan comes by pageantry honestly. Her mom was a pageant choreographer and she started competing in Alabama when she was thirteen.”I kept being a runner-up so I thought, maybe if I keep going back I’ll finally win,” she admitted. “So here I am, eleven years later…out of eight state pageants I was a runner-up five times. This year would have been my last shot.”

For the next 8 months, Hagan will be living out of suitcases, traveling around North America. She requested that all her hotels have an easily accessible gym, but she admitted the lunches and dinners are taking a toll on her enviably tiny waistline. She misses her boyfriend who lives in NYC and is frequently teased about dating Miss America. When she has a few days off she gets together with her co-contestants and past winners. Though we might like to believe the girls have sweetly sinister smiles and well-manicured claws, Hagan shared that it just isn’t the case:”I’ve actually hung out with every state title holder when I’ve been in their town. Every girl I know through Miss America has the people she competed with standing beside her when she gets married.  You get so close because no one else will ever understand what you went through other than the other girls who were there with you. So we all have that bond.”

What’s next for Miss America (once she turns back into Ms Hagan in September)? She’ll finish her degree in Fragrance and Cosmetics Marketing at the Fashion Institutes of Technology. She’ll keep speaking on behalf of her personal platform Stop it Now: Child Sexual Abuse, working with an organization that educates kids through child safety workshops. She’d also like to break into the entertainment industry as a host. And she’ll keep tap dancing, just because she loves it.

And no, she doesn’t have to give back her tiara.

Become a fan of Miss America on Facebook and follow Mallory on Twitter

A few weeks ago, I went to a press conference for a new detox offered by Balnea Spa called “The Cure”. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting those few hours to convince me to make any drastic changes in my life, let alone forgo cooked foods entirely. But somehow, this cheeseburger-eating, beef tartare-loving, pasta and pizza-addicted vegan virgin became a raw foodist. Somewhere in between raw food chef Naïby Jacques dropping knowledge bomb after statistic, after value-shaking fact about the benefits of eating raw and the detriments of the typical North American diet (did you know that the molecules in cow milk are actually too large for the human body to absorb? And that we’re the only species that consumes another species’ milk?) and naturopath Claudel Hamel qualifying the putrification left over in our bodies by meat, dairy and processed foods as “garbage filling up your house,” I found myself committing to not only informing our readers about this detox but to actually doing it myself. Plus, it seemed like a good opportunity to do a litmus test on my level of discipline.

So the next day, I promptly removed meat, dairy and wheat from my diet (and thoughts) and said goodbye to my stove for the next three weeks. For those wondering what a raw food diet involves (which included myself three weeks ago, when I posed a tweet asking whether someone on a raw food diet can consume alcohol), it basically means consuming only what comes from the earth, and is untouched by any form of processing. In other words, no meat, no gluten, no dairy, no grains, no canned goods, no sugar and nothing packaged or processed, which leaves raw fruits, raw vegetables, seeds and sprouts. Sounds like fun, right?

As the standard North American eater would understand, this switchover makes for a rather shocking jolt to the system. My first few detox days came with their fair share of headaches – literally. I was weak, tired, forgetful, and my head felt like it was on a permanent Six Flags roller-coaster. A few days in, I was able to add breakouts to that lovely list of side effects. But after 25 years of consuming toxin-packed foods, this part made perfect sense. All of those pent up toxins were coursing through my system and to be quite honest, all I wanted was a cupcake. Or six. Speaking of cupcakes, there were cheat days in this three week period – two, to be exact. Full disclosure, there was one night of drinking, and one unavoidable press event held by Le Chop (which I have to say, was worth the guilt that ensued). But to be fair, Balnea’s plan calls for a diet of only 70% raw foods, which lessened my Jewish guilt some. (Thanks, mom!)

There was a light at the end of this dark, queasy tunnel though. After about a week and a half, the headaches started to fade, the cravings disappeared almost entirely, and I felt better than I had in a long, long time. All of the stomach sensitivities I had suffered from pre-detox were gone, which is especially interesting since the number one comment I heard from family and friends was “but that will be so hard on your stomach!”  The other finger that tends to be pointed at the raw diet? Cost. Sure, my wallet took a pounding in the first few days from investing in staples like sprouted lentils, chia seeds, gluten-free soy sauce, etc. However, buying groceries for the rest of the month was no more expensive than my normal trips to Loblaws were. The difference was that instead of Loblaws, I was shopping at Rachelle-Béry, and instead of buying bread, frozen foods, meat, fish, and dairy products, I was only buying fruits, vegetables, and non-dairy alternatives. More frequent (2-3 times per week), but no more expensive. Plus, this diet almost entirely rules out restaurant eating, so that $30 spent on sushi weekly was restored to my budget, too.

The main challenge was staying interested in the food I was eating. After the first week, once kale and avocado had lost their allure, I started to feel like I was taking the same five ingredients and just moulding them into different shapes – salad, lettuce wraps, cabbage cups… I won’t lie, by week three I wanted to throw my carefully crafted salads out of my 3rd story window. But all things considered, this is a pretty minor downside, and sites like Detoxinista and Rawesome helped, as did Crudessence for take-out and Righteously Raw Maca Bar for [inevitable] chocolate cravings. My digestion was way better, I had more energy, my skin looked brighter – oh, and I lost those five pounds that had found me over the holidays. I think it’s safe to say the benefits far outweighed the detriments of this detox. Just one bit of advice: if you do decide to try your own raw food detox, spare yourself the masochism and stay far away from Instagram, Foodspotting and other food porn hubs. You will thank me later.

Browse our gallery for some yummy raw recipe ideas.

When you’re a reluctant flier, you’d think that sitting around a swanky Toronto restaurant with a bunch of travel writers sharing tips on the best way to rack up Aeroplan reward points would be a drag. But you’d be wrong (I was!) It turns out that while I work on my fear of flying, I can accumulate points without ever leaving the ground. I also learned that there are some hard-core point collectors out there – I’m talking people who will deliberately take the longest route to their destination in order to grab the extra mileage, earning them more points and bumping up their elite status even further.  True story.

I was delighted to be one of the journalists invited by the lovely people at Aeroplan to take a luxurious trip to Toronto to check out their latest offerings.  Upon arriving at the spectacular, lakeside Harbour Westin Castle. I had just enough time to take note of the Pack Light Stay Fit Program for the ambitious traveler (they deliver workout clothing and shoes right to your room) before heading out to the trendy Airship37 for the Aeroplan Media event.

As I wandered around, learning the system and lingo, I was starting to see why people would be willing to tack on miles and time to their travel, in order to gain the extra points. This is a reward plan that puts an emphasis on spoiling its members. One of the sweetest deals was Essence Workshop, a Montreal company. They were on hand (well, nose really) and offering an introductory to the “scentuous” world of olfactory. Their regular workshop (from 16,500 points) offers you and a few pals an intimate session, allowing you to work with a chemist to discover (and leave with) your signature scent. I am tempted to visit them here anyway, even without the points!

Aeroplan generously gave me 10,000 points to use and I was grateful for the opportunity to donate it all to one of their charitable partnerships, the McConkey Family Charity (earning karma points for me!). But I figure life is about balance and later that night, our hosts took us to the trendy restaurant LUMA where I indulged in succulent grilled calamari, fresh pasta with tender shrimps and decadent lemon pie for dessert. Full, but happily satisfied, we headed over to the Royal Alexandra Theatre for a frolicking and lively production of La Cage Aux Folles.  I may not be leaving on a jet plane anytime soon, but it doesn’t mean I can’t spread my wings, just a bit.