Olive Oil Emporium - Toronto

Limestone slopes and crags basked in a sunny, coastal climate – granted, it doesn’t sound like a description of a place to be found in Toronto, Ontario. Ah, but it is where you will find the product of a fruit grown in just those semi-arid conditions and presented in such a fresh state that you will evoke a vision of a kerchief clad matriarch in a full length skirt lovingly harvesting the fruit of the family olive grove into a wicker basket with weathered hands that have done this a million times before. Imagine sampling olive oils so fresh and light that they don’t even leave an oily film in your mouth when you drink it straight and discussing their complex properties in terms normally reserved for describing fine wines; peppery notes, mellow and sweet, to name a few. Only the very best olive oils are sourced and featured here at the Olive Oil Emporium located at 1707 Bayview Avenue, Toronto. All are 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oils that have been pressed within a few short hours of their harvest - a prerequisite to making it on the shelf here.

  

Not only oils but premium balsamic vinegars from Italy worthy of a place at your table can be sampled here. Taste not only the traditional olive oils and vinegars, but flavoured ones such as Blood Orange Olive Oil made by crushing blood oranges along with the olives, Mushroom Infused Olive Oil, Black Fig Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar. The hard part is making a decision but the process is undeniably one of a great deal of fun and exploration.  These versatile condiments will immediately take an everyday meal and escalate it to spectacular with nothing more than a drizzle. Really – it is that easy with the quality products found at this store.                                       

None of the olive oils or vinegars are prepackaged. Only once you make your selections are they bottled right before your eyes in the store, and then lovingly wrapped in tissue paper the colour of the olives themselves.

 

A good deal of thought has gone into the ambience of the store and the experience you will enjoy here, from the warm enveloping colours of an olive grove, the shiny stainless steel decanters which house the light sensitive oils and vinegars ready for your sampling to the impressive knowledge base owners Andreas and Mary Voulgaris are eager to share with you.  Each product has a descriptive taste profile, country of origin, a rating of the fruitiness, bitterness and pungency as well as the date the fruit was crushed, serving suggestions and for the health enthusiast and scientist in you, a chemical analysis with the amount of polyphenols, fatty acids and other properties.

If you cannot make it to the store, which is open seven days a week, this same information can be found on the on-line store which ships all over Canada and the USA, but I encourage you to make the visit so you, too, can bitten by the romance of the olive. It is good for your heart, both emotionally and physically.

Book Review - Waterfalls of Ontario

Unlike other geological features ,  a  waterfall will call out to you; sometimes in the softest of whispers and at other times in an undeniable roar of greatness.  Whether it cascades as a trickle or in a solid curtain of water, there is no denying the mesmerizing effect of the endless freefall of life’s most precious commodity. As one watches the reflective sunlight in the deep pools below, or the churn of froth where vertical meets horizontal once again and seemingly trips over itself to form eddies around obstacles and pillows over rocks, is it any wonder that people seek out waterfalls? Two such obsessed souls have created a book for those who want more of the experience, and you won’t find another with as much information as is packed in this one.

 

Waterfalls of Ontario by Mark Harris and George Fischer, is definitely authored with passion. Over 100 waterfalls are broken down into eight regions, each with a recommended tour mapped out in order to optimize your falls viewing pleasure.  In the pages that follow you will find precise directions  with parking information and how long of a walk you can expect to reach the falls and over what kind of terrain. The text is descriptive and lets you know what you can expect to see and if one vantage point is better over another.  Oftentimes they describe the best positioning for photo opportunities and what time of year presents the best flow. If there are viewing platforms, they will tell you that, too.

George Fischer is responsible for the beautiful full page photo of each waterfall featured in the book and the spirituality and peace he finds as he stands before them is reflected in every shot. He has even lost some equipment in his efforts to bring you the best view.

It is obvious to me that the author and photographer didn’t arbitrarily select the subject of “waterfalls” and then go on a marathon throughout the Province to tag each and every one they could find. A lot of time and care has gone into this book to not only provide you with what you need to find the locations of the falls, but also information that will further enhance your journey, such as whether there are gas stations nearby or accommodations, the nearest place and other points of interest you may want to take in.

My first book review has set the bar rather high. I know whether you are a hiker, photographer or just enjoy scenic drives, you are going to love this book. The only advice I could dare to add would be this; in the spirit of The Tao, go with the flow.