Skip to main content

Kensington Market

One of my favorite places in all of Toronto has always been Kensington Market.

When I first moved here in 1994 as a university undergrad, I quickly discovered the vintage stores there as a source of great, affordable fashion finds.

It was also a place I visited regularly to satisfy my dried fruit habit (I used to eat POUNDS of dried pineapple in the days when I could still convince myself it was "healthy"), and to pick up fresh produce.

A lot has changed about the market - like many more trendy/upscale restaurants and swanky clubs - but a lot has also stayed the same. There is still a cornicopia of fresh produce markets, as well as Latin American and Middle Eastern grocery shops. There are still lots of grundgy cheap and cheerful bars and cafes, and virtually no chain stores (not a single Starbucks in the market!), and it remains a treasure-trove of ingredients for anyone who loves to cook or eat.

Sadly, although it's only a 45 minute walk, or 15 minute bicycle ride from our place, I rarely get there anymore. However, yesterday my allergist cancelled my appointment at the last minute. Since the weather was unseasonably warm and it was a lovely day, I decided I had time for a market visit. I hopped on my bike and rode down. I had the best time!!

Here is a roundup of my favorite places in the market:

House of Spice - A MUST if you love to cook, they have an amazing selection of herbs and spices and the prices are great. I have found things here that I have never been able to find ANYWHERE else!!

Essence of Life - Health food store with an abundant array of products and good prices.

Blue Banana Market - Fabulous place for crafts and gifts.

Dancing Days - My main source for funky clothes back in university. Very good selection of vintage wear.

Courage My Love - Well-known shop full of unique new and used fashions.

Of course there are many, many other fabulous restaurants, cafes, grocers and stores full of fashion and home decor items. If you live in the city and haven't been in a while, you should go!! And if you don't live here but ever come to visit, put it on your list of places to see, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Stay tuned for some new recipes over the next few weeks using some of the excellent ingredients I picked up yesterday!!

It's wonderful places like the market that make the not-so-awesome aspects of living in Toronto (i.e. the constant, constant, CONSTANT traffic) bearable. Note that the market has pedestrian only Sundays, which makes it the perfect day to head down, grab a healthy brunch and stroll through the charming,quirky streets while picking up exotic ingredients to make a spectacular dinner.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Japanese 7-Spice Kelp Noodles

I love trying new spices and seasonings, so I am very excited that the President's Choice Black Label line now has a bunch of new spice blends available.  My most recent find: Shichimi Togarashi, or Japanese 7-Spice blend. It's a combination of crushed red chili flakes, sea salt, Szechiuan peppercorns, black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, orange zest, wasabi powder and nori seaweed flakes. I make Japanese-inspired dishes all the time, but resort to the same old flavours most of the time: miso, soy, sesame, ginger and garlic.  I was so excited to be able to liven things up a bit. This dish is easy and tasty, although be warned that this seasoning packs punch.  I used 1 tsp, which ended up being too spicy for me, and I have a high tolerance for heat!  I recommend 1/4-1/2 tsp, or, if you don't like heat at all, make your own at home and omit the red chili flakes.  You'll get all the flavour without the heat. I served these noodles with a mix of seafood (

Blackfly Coolers: Product Review

Summer is over! Well, at least if you're a student. Officially it doesn't end for a few weeks, and it certainly still feels like summer. Yeah, I hate it. This f*cking hot, humid weather needs to end NOW! We made the most of our last weekend of the summer with our annual trip to the CNE on Friday, with a crowd of friends. It wasn't unbearably lot, thank goodness, and the girls and their friends had a blast on the rides.  Saturday I had to work, and Sunday was errand day. Monday we took the girls berry/apple/pear picking but didn't last long due to the heat. I organized the house to prepare for the construction workers starting back up yesterday, while Adam took the girls for a swim in our neighbourhood pool. Yesterday was the first day of school. Grade 2 and Grade 5. Yep, the girls are growing up.  We are fortunate that the girls don't have much anxiety about school, they are so much more confident than I ever was as a kid! But now, in the midst of our reno ch

How to Look Like a Celebrity

Okay, I know you're going to be interested in this post! I am sure virtually every woman in North America has wondered how Hollywood celebrities achieve such 'perfect' bodies.  Well, at CAN FIT PRO last week, one of Hollywood's top fitness trainers, Eric the Trainer , was there to tell us fitness professionals the secrets! Eric the Trainer, gave several presentations, and I caught the one on Celebrity Secrets, and it was most interesting!!!  I also found some of what he said rather disturbing. First off, he was very upfront about the fact that celebrities come to him for improve their appearance.  Not to improve their health or athletic performance.  To look their best.  He admitted that his approach then, is entirely dedicated to that end. Male and female celebrities are trained in completely different ways because Hollywood wants women to be lithe and thin and in his words, "look like they dropped out of heaven looking this way without every having ste