Jessica da Cunha, Author at Toronto Guardian

5 Cheese Scalloped Potatoes from Summer Fresh

Jessica da Cunha — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 05:30:17 +0000

Summer Fresh’s 5 Cheese Scalloped Potatoes offers a new take, and a lot more taste to a family staple. The 5 Cheese Dip provides added flavour and texture to this classic side dish.

Photo Credit: Summer Fresh

5 Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

– 227g Summer Fresh 5 Cheese Dip
– Oil Spray
– 6 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
– ½ onion, thinly sliced
– 1/3 cup milk
– 2 cups mixed, Shredded Cheese Blend, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. In a mixing bowl, Mix together milk and Cheese Dip, set aside.

2. Grease a 2 small 2.75 qrt. baking dish with canola oil spray. Arrange half of the potato and onion slices in an even layer in baking dish, slightly overlapping as you go. Spread half of the 5 Cheese mixture over potatoes and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat potato and dip layers (the second layer of the cheese will be added later)

3. Cover dish and bake in oven for 60 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. At 30 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and carefully stir, add additional cheese to the top of the potatoes and returning the dish to the oven without foil. Continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes or until cooked though and golden brown, remove from the oven.

The post 5 Cheese Scalloped Potatoes from Summer Fresh appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

“Five Minutes With” Singer, Songwriter and Producer LEVELSEVEN

Jessica da Cunha — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 05:30:36 +0000

My name is Nina Platiša, also known as LEVELSEVEN, I was born in Belgrade, Former Yugoslavia and I’m currently based in Guelph, Canada. I’ve moved around a lot having previously lived in Vancouver and London UK, but Toronto is where I spent most of my adult years: studied Performance Production and Philosophy at Ryerson University, met my now husband (Charlie) at the Eagles Club on Elm St., and began writing music in the old Ryerson Theatre School dance studios on Gerrard St. There are two main strands to the music I make.

My new single I Wove A Garment For You was released under the moniker LEVELSEVEN – I’m the songwriter, vocalist and producer of music spanning the electronic, pop, and R&B genres. Secondly, as a lifelong pianist and composer, I create solo piano works. With the generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council, I’m currently creating Za Klavir: For the Piano, a collection of 24 original compositions blending minimal, contemporary and classical roots with elements of Balkan folk.

Photo credit: Katarina Šoškić

Name: LEVELSEVEN (aka Nina Platiša)

Genre: electronic, pop, and R&B genres

Founded: 2019

# of Albums: 0

Latest Release: I Wove A Garment For You (single)

Latest Single: I Wove A Garment For You

Latest Video:

Favourite local Restaurant:

Mitzi’s Cafe on Sorauren Avenue – Charlie and I used to live a few blocks away and this was our favourite breakfast/brunch spot especially in autumn when the patio was still open.

Favourite band as a teenager:

The first band that comes to mind is Jefferson Airplane but I went through many different phases and listened to and loved a variety of artists and genres during this period. Others I can think of off the top of my head: Janis Joplin (Big Brother and the Holding Company), Al Stewart, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Feist, Alexisonfire, The Blood Brothers, MGMT, CocoRosie, Iron & Wine, Missy Elliot, Mariah Carey… like I said, MANY different phases. I was also in the thick of completing my piano training and listened to a lot of Chopin.

Favourite band now:

Always changing but I’ve been listening to A LOT of Robyn – the Honey album in particular.

Guilty Pleasure Song:

Still listening to New Rules by Dua Lipa… but when it’s that good does it even qualify as a guilty pleasure…

Live Show Ritual:

I haven’t played live as LEVELSEVEN yet but I can see a glass of whiskey coming in handy.

Favourite local artist:

Feist – I once saw her come out of an apartment on Queen Street many moons ago and was giddy with excitement. She’s too cool for school.

Sneaky Dees nachos, pasta from Terroni or a superfood salad from Fresh?

I’ll almost always choose pizza over pasta so I’m going to go with pizza from Terroni.

Queen or College St?

Is this even a fair question? I sometimes house sit for my friend Julia who lives near College so when I’m there, I’m more “College” bound. If I’m just coming in for the day, I like to walk along Queen Street, have a peek in at Craft Ontario, get a coffee and take my dog Miša (Misha) to Trinity Bellwoods.

Trinity Bellwoods or High Park, Riverdale or Kew Gardens?

Before we moved to London, my husband and I lived in Roncesvalles. We moved there to be near High Park so it holds many fond memories for me. When we come in for a quick visit our dog gets her squirrel chasing fix there.

EP or LP?

Doesn’t matter to me if I love the collection of songs.

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl.

Road or studio?

Studio.

Swiss Chalet or Roti?

Roti.

Where can we follow you?

Any shows or albums coming up?

I’m currently working on composing 24 original pieces for the piano. Hoping to record and release these sometime in 2022.

The post “Five Minutes With” Singer, Songwriter and Producer LEVELSEVEN appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Vegan Hummus and Pasta Bake from Summer Fresh

Jessica da Cunha — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 05:30:12 +0000

Created with individual portions in mind, Summer Fresh’s Vegan Hummus and Pasta Bake caters to those with dietary requirements, but is a dish that anyone will love. The hummus, broccoli, squash and cheese provide a delicious mix of flavours, easily making this a new staple at the dinner table for the holiday season and beyond.

Vegan Hummus and Pasta Bake

Ingredients

– 227g Summer Fresh Caramelized Onion Hummus or Roasted Garlic Hummus
– 2 cups Pasta (of choice)
– 1 cup Butternut squash, diced (steamed)
– 1 small crown Broccoli, chopped (steamed)
– 1 tbsp Olive Oil
– 2 tsp Garlic Powder
– 1 cup Pasta Water
– Juice of 1/2 of a Lemon
– 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
– 1 cup Vegan Cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserved 1 cup of pasta water

3. Add the hummus, garlic powder and lemon juice to the pasta. Add pasta water, starting with 1/2 cup and increasing as needed to form a creamy consistency.

4. Mix in, broccoli, butternut squash, vegan cheese.

5. Divide the pasta equally into four greased oven-safe baking dishes and top with bread crumbs.

6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the dish is lightly browned.

The post Vegan Hummus and Pasta Bake from Summer Fresh appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

“Five Minutes With” Local Singer-Songwriter Matt Von

Jessica da Cunha — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 05:30:03 +0000

Matt Von is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Toronto, Ontario. From releasing his first debut EP titled “New Day” in 2017, Matt has come a long way in remaking and reintroducing his sound to the world. Music has played an important role in Matt’s life ever since he was a little boy.

Guitar was the first instrument that he learned, but soon after that he developed a passion for singing which made him into the artist he is today. Matt has collaborated alongside his sister Sarah Jordan, and they developed a brother/sister duo called “Sarah Jordan and Matt Von”. They have released 3 singles together, with their first in March of 2019.

The song writing process then continued to develop and improve from that point on. “Crazy” is Matt Von’s first individual single in over 3 years and is excited for his fans to see the new direction he is taking in music. This track was produced by two incredible music talents outside of Canada, who mainly worked on the beat and overall vibe of this single. Hit Music Producer KDel from Denmark, Europe and DCat from Los Angeles, California collaborated with Matt on this new single.

Look out for more new music from Matt Von coming soon. This is just the start of something special for this young talent from Toronto.

Name: Matt Von (Real Name: Matthew Giordano)

Genre: Pop, Contemporary, Acoustic Pop

Founded: I have been a solo artist for many years, but overall, in my career have been in a brother/sister duo with my sister Sarah Jordan! In September of this year, I have released my first individual single in 3 years!

# of Albums: 1 (New Day EP – 2017), released 4 singles with my sister and 1 single in September 2020 titled “Crazy”

Latest Release: “Crazy” which is my first single in 3 years

Latest Single: “Crazy” which is my first single in 3 years

Latest Video:

Favourite local Restaurant:

Either Burrito Boyz or King Slice

Favourite band as a teenager:

Maroon 5

Favourite band now:

It is still Maroon 5, but I also love OneRepublic and Coldplay

Guilty Pleasure Song:

Justin Bieber – As Long as Love Me

Live Show Ritual:

I know it is weird and random, but most of the time before a live show I always yawn. Performing live is my favorite thing to do in the world, but I do not really have a ritual. I just always want to perform my best!

Favourite local artist:

Scott Helman/Shawn Mendes/Justin Bieber

Sneaky Dees nachos, pasta from Terroni or a superfood salad from Fresh?

Definitely pasta from Terroni since I’m Italian!

Queen or College St?

Queen St!

Trinity Bellwoods, High Park, Riverdale, Kew Gardens, or other?

I have to say Trinity Bellwoods and High Park, since I have not been to the others!

EP or LP?

EP!

Early bird or night owl?

Not an early bird and not a night owl, somewhere in between!

Road or studio?

Road!

Swiss Chalet or Roti?

Swiss Chalet

Where can we follow you?

Facebook
Instagram
Soundcloud
YouTube
Spotify
TikTok
Official Website
Apple Music

The post “Five Minutes With” Local Singer-Songwriter Matt Von appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

“Five Minutes With” Indie-Pop Collaboration MEAR

Jessica da Cunha — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 05:30:47 +0000

MEAR is an indie pop collaboration between singer-songwriter Frances Miller and electronic composer Greg Harrison. Together, their music combines catchy melodies and poignant lyrics with their shared love of experimental music. Miller and Harrison met while working at the music venue Massey Hall in Toronto and began collaborating shortly thereafter by sending tracks back and forth over social media. Their debut single “Perfect Mess” was featured by The East, edm joy, and OMGblog and was selected by CBC Music as a “Song you need to hear this week.” Mear has received funding assistance from The Canada Council for the Arts and FACTOR and is set to release their first full-length album in early Spring, 2021.

Name: Mear

Genre: Pop… kinda

Founded: 2018

# of Albums: None (but our debut album comes out Spring 2021!)

Latest Release: “Soft Chains” single

Latest Single: “Soft Chains” single

Latest Video:

Favourite local Restaurant:

Fran’s fav is Donna’s, Greg’s is The Wren

Favourite band as a teenager:

Greg liked The Police, Fran liked Propagandhi

Favourite band now:

Greg – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Fran – Angel Olsen

Guilty Pleasure Song:

Fran: Enya – “Orinoco Flow”, Greg: Lionel Richie – “All Night Long”

Live Show Ritual:

diarrhea maybe, lol

Favourite local artist:

Greg – Carlos Delgado (the painter) and Fran – Kerry Zentner (an awesome visual artist who also shot and co-directed our latest video)

Sneaky Dees nachos, pasta from Terroni or a superfood salad from Fresh?

This is a tough one but for Fran it’s probably Dees and for Greg it’s Fresh

Queen or College St?

Queen Street EAST

Trinity Bellwoods or High Park, Riverdale or Kew Gardens?

Greg – Kew Gardens, Fran – High Park

EP or LP?

Early bird or night owl?

We’re both night owls for sure

Road or studio?

Studio

Swiss Chalet or Roti?

Roti stuffed with Swiss Chalet

Where can we follow you?

Any shows or albums coming up?

What are shows? *weeps softly* But we are putting together a video album with some funding from The Canada Council for the Arts. We’ll be releasing a video for every song on the LP. Hopefully by the time that’s finished we’ll be able to play some shows in real life.

The post “Five Minutes With” Indie-Pop Collaboration MEAR appeared first on Toronto Guardian.