CALABRESE BREAD/PANE IN RICHMOND HILL ROBERTO'S BAKERY

My daughter, husband and children recently moved to Aurora Ontario. It is convenient for me as I have found a new bakery for bread on the way to their place.

Actually I heard about the bakery one day at Grande Cheese- a wonderful store for cheeses and a variety of Italian products. One of Barb's favourite stores! On Sundays Roberto's bakery brings their bread there. There was a crowd waiting for it. It was the hard bread in the style from Calabria- a southern province of Italy. Someone said if you like it so much, you can go to the bakery, it is just on Bathurst north of King side road. Still Richmond Hill address but closer to Aurora.

Barb and I took the grandchildren home around 0730 from a sleepover last weekend and stopped for a  cappuccino on the way home while waiting for the bread to be finished. An early morning shot of the store while the new supply of goods was being freshly baked. Chatting with the baker/owner who said he gets up at 5 not 3 like some bakeries. He made our coffees then went to the back to finish the first round of baked goods. They have been in this spot for over 5 years. We told the baker/owner that we love the bread and have told others. New satisfied customers.
I asked the lady who came later how the crust becomes so hard. She said they bake it an extra hour.

I wanted the regular loaf and buns. There is the round version that is popular too. The bread fresh from the oven is good with fried eggs for breakfast. Tomatoes with some oil, garlic and parsley on a crunchy piece is very tasty too as a quick lunch item. Or just a fresh slice with anything!
Roberto's has other items like cakes, pastries, a hot table for lunch, deli and coffees. It is a little place but does the trick with its good food.

Now another reason to want to go to see the family in Aurora!

GRANPA'S VISIT TO THE ST. LAWRENCE MARKET TORONTO

Barb wanted to visit as many markets this summer so we could find ideas and pictures for her blog and mine.

Driving down the Don Valley Parkway from Richmond Hill is 1/2 hour more or less on an early Saturday morning. The St. Lawrence Market's south building is in the first Telegraph building in Toronto. The north building on the right has a farmer's market inside as well as booths on the street. We started looking around about 7:30 a.m.

Ready made appetizers at the one cheese booth look good. I bought some Italian hard Parmesan/parmigiano cheese. Barb bought some bocconcini as well as camembert.

There are many meat counters- marinated steak, sausages of all kinds for example. Toronto is very cosmopolitan with foods represented from all over the world. Sausages were Italian, Portuguese and German to name a few.

Seafood of all kinds can be found. I decided on some fresh Prince Edward Island mussels for dinner with a nice canned tomato sauce and spices.

The fresh homemade pasta and sauce looked good but mine is better!!!

One of my favourite parts of the day was buying "the Toronto's tradition peameal bacon on a soft country bun" and then eating it outside sitting on a table to take a little break from walking around the market.

Actually world famous sandwich according to the sign Barb and I saw while eating!

As in Italian tradition, top off any meal with a short espresso. Barb had a cappuccino.

With our purchases in our tote bags, I was ready to leave the market after an hour and  1/2. Barb loved the atmosphere of Torontonians and tourists shopping- families with little children, couples, empty nesters! I was happy to be on the road home as I really do not like crowds. The market allows anyone to buy whatever they need for a real feast.

Saturday dinner was an appetizer plate with the cheese, mussels with tomato sauce and fresh bread, shrimps and small lobster tails from the freezer, boiled new potatoes bought at the market and the fresh lemon and berry tarts for dessert. The fudge will be a treat for Barb's colleagues on Monday.

I definitely will make another trip to the St. Lawrence Market. Perhaps another place to take visitors-especially ones who love to eat!

Visit their website. St. Lawrence Market
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