palengke!

One of the things I look forward to on weekends is heading over to Kensington Market to buy ingredients for my next attempts at cooking. There is something about this marketplace that completely fascinates me. On one end, old Victorian-style houses converted into shops sell racks of vintage clothing and other eclectic pieces. Nearer to Baldwin Street, the houses give way to small shops peddling foodstuff from all over the world -- bakeries, fruit and vegetable stands, creameries, cheese, spice, fish and meat markets, and all other tasty fixings you can think of.

You know how chefs on TV shows always say something like "Oh, I spotted some of these splendid at the market the other day, and I thought I'd make something to bring out their delicate flavour"? Well, walking through this market always make me feel like that-- everything looks so good that I go into an ingredient-buying frenzy, never mind if I don't actually know what to do with them. Today, for example, I bought some loaves of Lebanese-style pita bread, rice cakes, walnut brownies and Portuguese rice pudding from the My Market Bakery, and some splendid Spanish cheese (I think it was Coulommier) from Mendel's Creamery. Then, I topped the day off with a wiener schnitzel (a giant pork cutlet that was about 3/4 of my plate!) from the Hungary Thai Bar & Eatery.

Still in heaven right now eating that cheese -- tomorrow, I have to figure out what to do with all that pita bread. ;)

*Kensington Market is located on Kensington and Baldwin streets, just west of Spadina.