There’s a reason tacos are so popular; they’re easy to make, versatile, delicious and fun to eat. 

Originating in Mexico, tacos are a staple in Latin American cuisine, but they have since become an international superstar meal and a favourite North American comfort food. Simple, portable and cheap, tacos were an ideal street food throughout Latin America and were first introduced to North America in the early 1900s by Mexican migrant workers. 

The simple tortilla can be packed with any kind of meat, seafood or bean base and topped with a variety of seasonings, vegetables and flavours to tickle your taste buds. They’re also a cinch to cook at home and make the perfect hand-held meal for gatherings. 

Tacos have come a long way from their street vendor days and can now be found practically everywhere – from street carts and food trucks to fine dining restaurants. It’s no wonder there’s a hashtag dedicated to this tasty Mexican favourite.  

For busy families, heading out for tacos midweek can be a welcome break from the usual routine. Lucky for us, there are plenty of options. We’ve rounded up the top local spots for your next #tacotuesday. 

Familia Fine Foods, Burlington 

Owned by Colombia natives Juliana and Luis, this family owned restaurant serves up go-to Latin meals including – you guessed it – tacos! Familia serves chicken, beef, pork or vegetarian tacos from their restaurant, or you can order their famous taco bar for larger gatherings. The taco bar includes two or three meat options, soft corn tortillas, tostadas and corn chips, fresh cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, beans, pickled onions, spicy Latin dip, tomatillo sauce, creme fraiche, chipotle sauce, jalapenos and Mexican rice. It’s the perfect way for guests to make and enjoy their own tacos.
familiafinefoods.com

Burro Tacos, Burlington 

This Mexican establishment serves a variety of lunch and dinner chef-inspired tacos offering a unique twist on popular taco flavours. Burro also has a vibrant drink menu featuring Mexican beer, fun cocktails and of course, tequila. 
burrotacos.com

50 Pesos Kitchen & Food Truck, Burlington 

This food truck boasts some of the best tacos in Halton region. Made with fresh non-GMO corn tortillas, their taco menu includes chicken, carne asada, fish and even vegetarian options including the Biggie Black Bean Taco and Jack n’ Beans Tacos. 
50pesos.ca 

Pepe and Lela’s Eatery, Burlington 

This cozy Mexican restaurant serves up authentic Mexican tacos with a modern twist. Taco options include chicken mole, lamb barbacoa and fish tacos.
pepeandlelas.com

Por Vida Mezcal & Mexican, Oakville

This authentic Mexican and Mezcal restaurant in the heart of Bronte Village will transplant you to Mexico with its lively Mexican music and bright, colourful decor. Por Vida provides a rich chef-inspired taco menu including mole and roasted cauliflower, lamb barbacoa and slow roasted pork shoulder tacos with tortillas made from local, non-modified Ontario grown maize.
porvida.ca 

The Habanero Taqueria, Oakville

This vibrant Mexican taco joint allows you to customize your own soft tacos and serves up other traditional Mexican favourites including nachos, burritos and quesadillas.
thehabanero.ca 

Nostalgia Latin Market, Oakville

Ready to create your own taco bar at home? Hop over to Nostalgia in Kerr Village for some authentic Latin ingredients – from tortillas to condiments and seasonings for the perfect taco. 
nostalgialatinmarket.com

Salma Tacos

If you’re looking for tacos for a special event, Salma Tacos can help. This catering service provides all the fixings for a perfect taco Tuesday experience. 
salmatacos.com 

All things cookies appear to be a big culinary trend as we brace ourselves for shorter days, back to school and the close of yet another brief but sweet summer season.

A universally approved treat that even our topsy-turvy world can agree to enjoy, the cookie is enjoying some fame as of late. A scan of social media feeds will tell you cookies are a hot commodity across North America.

But you don’t need to travel far to savour melt-in-your-mouth morsels made with love. Spend a fall afternoon touring local bakeries for the best freshly baked cookies around – and, be sure to grab some to go!

First stop is Bronte Village’s Sweet! Bakery. Oatmeal, cranberries and pecans go into its biggest seller, a cult classic that bakery owner Ashley Armstrong says customers jokingly refer to as the “crack cookie.”  “If we stopped selling these people would be upset,” she says.

Another big hit for the Bronte bakery are its Lofthouse cookies. Often sold in grocery stores with thick pink or blue icing, these soft sugar cookies are plant-based so they’re great for vegans. Cookie sandwiches are popular, too, with a variety of versions such as the Nanaimo bar sandwich.

Our next stop offers the perfect antidote for grumbly kids who sulk at the thought of returning to classrooms. Cookies adorned with toppers saying ‘Happy first day of school!’ are available, says Erin Nocent, the owner of The Sweetest Thing, located in Kerr Village, Oakville.

But their most popular cookie is called Crispy Chewy, a chewy chocolate chip cookie with crispy cookie bits throughout. “People often buy a dozen at a time. They don’t last forever, especially if you have kids.”

While customers love their classics, The Sweetest Thing is always introducing new products, such as a Snicker Doodle cookie and its recently added Cosmic Brownie, a dense and fudgy chocolate brownie cookie topped with chocolate ganache and sprinkles. Last fall saw the debut of the Swifty, a vanilla chai latte cookie inspired by Taylor Swift.

Nocent claims cookies are a never-fail gift no matter the occasion. “People come in and put together two boxes of cookies, one for themselves and one for a friend. Maybe something good happened – they bought a house or it’s a new baby or maybe there’s a sick dog. People always like getting cookies as a gift. It’s a tangible way to show you’re thinking about someone.”

The cookie rush is pushing its way north thanks, in part, to the U.S.-based phenom known as Crumbl Cookies, a cult fave that opened in July in Mississauga at the Heartland Centre. With a weekly rotating menu of over 200 flavours and iconic pink boxes, the cookies feature frosted tops and creative decorations. It’s worth a trip to the company known for localizing its cookie flavours as they did with their Saskatoon Berry cheesecake cookie. 

Burlington’s favourite vegan bakery, Kelly’s Bake Shop, is known for its delightful cupcakes, but they also specialize in one-of-a-kind cookies. While there are plenty of decadent choices, if your sweet tooth is tempered by a health conscious bent, try the Skinny Cookie. Sweetened with bananas, coconut sugar and maple syrup, it’s their bestselling cookie.

Nadege Patisserie, in downtown Oakville, concludes our tour. In addition to classic cookies, croissants, cakes and bonbons, the bakery specializes in macarons, meringue-based sandwich cookies in pistachio, fleur de sel, cotton candy, cassis and others. These colourful confections that include a butter cream filling are popular with children, says Nadege supervisor Gigi Almsitaf.

In her experience, cookies provide comfort and kindness and that’s why they’re so universally loved. “One day I was sick and a school friend brought me cookies,” says the Syrian native. “That made me feel special. Cookies do that.”

Amazing to think that these small morsels have the power to lift spirits and wash away, if only for a moment, what ails you.

by Kelly Putter

Struggling to figure out what wine to open with your seafood dish? Although white wine does pair very well with fish, it’s a little more complicated than that. Not all white wines taste the same, and “fish” could mean anything from salmon to scallops. 

It’s a good idea to consider the texture and flavour of the fish you’re eating when choosing a wine. However, if the sauce is the most prominent flavour on the plate, then use the sauce as your guide. Some types of fish are delicate, light, and flaky while others are practically steak. Therefore, the intensity of the wine should match the texture of the fish. 

So, while whites generally rule, reds, rosés and sparkling do have their place. The below wine types (and their pairing ideas) should help you navigate your way through your next seafood and wine pairing. 

Sparkling Wine

Any reasonably dry sparkling wine is spot-on perfect for fried food. Most wines lose something when you pair them with tempura or a thick beer batter. Not so with sparkling wine; its bubbles and crisp acids cut through the weight of fried food as if the wines were made for the dish. These wines also pair well with oysters, scallops and shrimp salad. 

Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris

These are the aristocrats of white fish wines. Dry, austere and crisp, chenin blanc and pinot gris are the wines to reach for when serving lean, white fish cooked simply. Flounder, halibut, walleye, snapper, raw clams, or oysters all do well with these wines. Alternatively, you can use these wines to cut through the natural fat in some fish, such as striped bass, catfish, lobster or mussels. 

Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, Viognier

Chardonnay pairs well with salmon, bass, crab, raw oysters and lobster. The theory here is to match a full-bodied wine with a full-bodied dish. If you have a broth-based soup, chardonnay works wonderfully. If you have a fish that’s a little oilier, such as mackerel, try viognier. 

Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chianti

There are precious few instances where you’d want a big red with seafood, but light reds can pair quite well with salmon, tuna, marlin, swordfish, mackerel, bluefish, or other fatty, meaty, big-flavoured fish.  Pro tip: avoid combining reds with spicy seafood, as you are likely to get a nasty metallic taste.

Rosé

Rosé wines are great when a dish’s sauce is heavier than what a white would call for, but not quite right for a full-on red. Rosés can substitute for full-bodied whites such as chardonnay and fumé blanc. Consider them when grilling tuna steaks. 

By Carmelo Giardina

Summer is the perfect time to introduce more fish and seafood into your outdoor grilling lineup.  As barbecues are primed and ready, you should be too.

Morsel for morsel, each bite of seafood offers tender, succulent flavours that satisfy your hunger as well as your nutritional needs. Not only do you gain the dietary benefits from noshing on fish and seafood, you also achieve the bonus of eating tasty proteins that go easy on the waistline.

Generally, meatier fish and seafood is best on an outdoor grill as you don’t want flakes of fish falling onto your coals. Think shrimp, lobster, tuna, salmon and meatier white fish varieties such as cod, halibut or swordfish.  

Look for fish that has its skin intact as that makes the grilling process easier and reduces the odds of the fish falling apart. Also, says Dave Rihbany of Dave’s Fish Market in Burlington, don’t forget to oil the grill before laying down your fish as that will prevent it from sticking. If the grill feels too intimidating, place the fish on foil and then on the barbecue. That will save it from falling in.

What makes summertime the key time to expand your protein repertoire is the simple matter of availability. Certain types of fish and seafood are only available now so if you want maximum freshness and flavour, summer is the time to try it. “Getting stuff in season like fresh halibut and fresh salmon is good now because it’s not always available all year round,” says Shane R., a fishmonger at Whole Foods in Oakville.

The Mermaid and the Oyster in Kerr Village is a long-time favourite for its daily selection of fresh seafood, as well as a mouth-watering menu of seafood dishes for dine-in or takeout. And, if you want to bring an east coast-inspired oyster bar to your backyard BBQ get together, this is the place. 

When seasoning your fish and seafood, the experts often prefer simplicity. Shane suggests salt and pepper, fresh lemon juice and perhaps a dash of Cajun or blackening rub. “When it comes to white fish, you can use whatever seasoning you like as the fish is so mild it will take on the flavour profiles of what you use.”

To widen your fish and seafood experience, Rihbany recommends trying multiple cooking methods in one go. “I like a mixed grill,” says Rihbany, who’s been a fishmonger for 40 years. “Pick a piece with sauce and try a piece with nothing on it. I like to make kebobs with tuna, swordfish and shrimp.”

When it comes to selecting fish and seafood, stay away from discoloured flesh, dried or dehydrated skin or meat. Disregard product that has black spots because that means it has aged before it was frozen. “You don’t want it sitting out in the open air all day,” says Rihbany. “And I don’t recommend discounted fish.”  

Fish is a quick-cooking protein so engaging in a 15-minute chat with a neighbour while cooking may not be a good idea. Depending on your taste, fish does not need to be fully cooked and some people actually prefer it when it’s a little translucent in the centre. But Shane cautions against serving fish, especially wild fish, that is too underdone. “With wild varieties there’s a risk of parasites and bacteria if you eat it too raw. Any raw fish would run that risk, but typically wild varieties are more prone to it.”

One of the big draws of seafood is its perceived health benefits. It’s low in fat, high in protein and a great source of Omega-3 DHA essential fatty acids. Other health benefits in seafood are derived from vitamins A and D, which are found in fish liver oils, as well as high levels of the B complex vitamins, particularly niacin, B-12 and B-6.  It’s also a perfect protein for gluten-free diners and those following reduced gluten diets.

So fire up the grill, give the traditional burgers and hot dogs a pass, and experiment with seafood this summer.  You won’t be disappointed.

By Kelly Putter

I think we can all agree that nothing tastes better on a hot summer day than a delicious cold ice cream. Yet, in Halton region, there’s another cool treat that’s tempting residents’ taste buds: gelato! 

Gelato shops are popping up all over Oakville and Burlington. The latest is Il Gelato di Carlotta, that cut the ribbon on its new shop in Downtown Oakville on May 20. “People nowadays travel much more than in the past and have the opportunity to taste gelato in Europe and especially in Italy,” says Lolita Giannelli, retail and sales manager at Il Gelato Di Carlotta.

Isn’t gelato just Italian ice cream? While the literal translation for “ice cream” in Italian is “gelato”, when it comes to frozen treats, the differences between ice cream and gelato are more than just regional. 

There are five main differences between gelato and ice cream.  

A healthier treat 

Gelato contains fewer calories, less sugar and lower fat per serving than ice cream, meaning your waistline might actually thank you for choosing gelato as your frozen treat. As its name implies, ice cream contains more cream than milk. Gelato, on the other hand, is made with a greater proportion of milk to cream. The other main differentiating factor is the fat content. “Compared to traditional American ice-cream, artisan Italian gelato has one-third the fat content and calories, as well as 70 per cent less air,” says Giannelli. 

Smooth texture

Gelato has a smooth and silky texture. This is due to less air added to the dessert during production. “Gelato is traditionally churned at a slower rate than ice cream, giving it a denser consistency,” says Chris Iannuzzi, owner/operator at La Dolce Vita, another popular gelato shop in Kerr Village in Oakville.

Hold the cold

While ice cream is served at -20 C, Italian gelato is served at a higher temperature, around -13 C. The warmer texture enhances the flavours as they melt in your mouth.

Freshly made

Perhaps the biggest difference you can taste in gelato is the freshness. “Ice cream is made with ingredients designed for lengthy storage. Artisanal Italian gelato, on the other hand, is produced fresh daily,” says Giannelli. At Gelateria Morgana in Downtown Oakville, they source the highest quality ingredients locally and from around the world. “Our pistachio comes from Piamonte in Italy, the hazelnuts also come from Italy, and our limes and tamarind come from Mexico,” explains Oscar ArgÜelles, one of the owners.  

Robust flavours

Gelato’s production methods allow for a wider variety of flavours than traditional ice cream. La Dolce Vita has over 100 unique flavours such as maple cookies and cream, fire roasted marshmallow, Sicilian pistachio and ever sour lemon. “We can create pretty much any flavour with natural ingredients,” says Iannuzzi. La Dolce Vita’s most popular local flavour is strawberry rhubarb crumble gelato created with Niagara strawberries and rhubarb from Dundas. At Gelateria Morgana, Maestra Gelatera Kiren Miret has perfected the ever-popular classics as well as created innovative new flavours to delight her customers first in her original location of Mexico City, and now in Oakville.

If you want to experience a taste of Italy right here in Halton Region, check out any of the gelato shops below:

Oakville 

Il Gelato di Carlotta
312 Lakeshore Road East

Gelateria Morgana
92 Thomas Street

La Dolce Vita
22 Lakeshore Road West

Nyla’s Room
109 Thomas Street

Marylebone Cafe and Creamery
216 Oak Park Boulevard

The Flavour Fox
2464 Lakeshore Road West, Unit 5

Burlington

Centro Noca
590 Brant Street

I Love Gelato
1477 Lakeshore Road, Unit 8

Alia’s Gelato Café
1455 Lakeshore Road

Lola Choco Bar & Sweet House
423 Elizabeth Street 

Crema de Gelato
415 Locust Street

Hamilton

Amo Gelato
171 Locke Street South

By Lisa Evans