My Plastic Surgeon

11/25/2025

Skip heavy foundations that settle into lines; opt for sheer, hydrating formulas with hyaluronic acid for plump, dewy skin.

11/24/2025

Happy Monday!

11/21/2025

Are you looking to sharpen your knife skills? The Depanneur is holding a knife skills class tomorrow. It could help you get ready to slice, dice, and dazzle this festive cooking season!

Knowing how to choose, use and care for knives is one of the most essential parts of any cook’s skill set. Join Chef Sonya Gammal for a solid primer on knife skills and kitchen fundamentals. In addition to learning about the knives themselves, participants will get ample opportunity to practice a ...

11/19/2025

This recipe is a bit time consuming, but it's worth it as a weekend meal.

Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder

INGREDIENTS
Braised pork shoulder
3 pound pork shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ yellow onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups apple cider
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
fresh thyme 5-10 sprigs
fresh sage 10-12 leaves, on stems
½ teaspoon black pepper plus pinch of cayenne, optional
Apple cider gravy
1 cup pan drippings fat strained off
3 apples
1 tablespoon apple cider
1 teaspoon cornstarch or more as needed

INSTRUCTIONS
OVERNIGHT
Salt the entire outside of the pork shoulder the night before, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it (can do this up to 2-3 days before, if desired).
SEAR & COOK AROMATICS
Preheat oven to 275℉. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high.
Sprinkle the outside of the pork shoulder with a little more salt and then rub with brown sugar. (The sugar adds flavor and helps sear the outside). Add some oil toe the pan and sear the outside of the pork shoulder - it should only take 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from dutch oven and set aside.
Add onions and garlic to the pan and cook until the onions start to soften. Pour in cider & vinegar and deglaze the pan (scrape it with a wooden spatula to remove stuck bits). Toss in the herbs, no need to remove stems, and bring liquid to a low simmer.
Add pork shoulder to the pot of braising liquid.
BRAISE the PORK SHOULDER
Transfer the dutch oven to the oven and cover with the lid, leaving the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape. This keeps the max temp inside the dutch oven around 185℉, preventing the braising liquid from boiling. Boiling is bad - it cooks the meat too hot and too fast, making it tough.
It should take roughly 3 hours to cook. You want the meat to get to 160℉ and then stay between 160℉ and 180℉ for 30-60 minutes (as a rough guess - the longer it's in this range, the more the collagen breaks down for tender meat).
Cook until the pork shoulder until it feels really tender when poked with a fork. As a guideline, 185℉ is a good temperature if you want to slice the meat, and 205℉ is better if you want to shred the meat.
Remove pot from oven, let roast cool in the braising liquid for 30 minutes (if you have time, otherwise, take it out and set aside).
CIDER GRAVY
Strain the pan drippings to remove the herbs. Add the onions back into the drippings (if desired). Separate the fat.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the fat in the dutch oven. Add chopped apples and cook until they start to soften. Add in the pan drippings. Heat until warm. Taste the gravy, if it's too salty from the drippings, add water or more apple cider - then thicken it in the next step.
To thicken the gravy, mix corn starch with a cool liquid (apple cider or water) until blended and smooth. Then slowly stream the cornstarch-liquid into the gravy, stirring constantly. This is pretty foolproof and you shouldn't have any risk of clumps - the corn starch will clump if added directly to the hot pan without pre-mixing.
If the gravy isn't thick enough, add more cornstarch (AFTER pre-mixing it with cool liquid again). If it's too thick, add more pan drippings, apple cider, or broth.
SERVE & SAVING LEFTOVERS
Serve the braised pork shoulder with gravy on the side. Top with fried sage leaves if you're feeling fancy.
Refrigerate leftovers. To reheat, you can add sliced (or shredded) meat with the gravy and gently warm in a pan on the stovetop.

Recipe and photo courtesy of The Food Geek

11/18/2025

If your brows are sparse, patchy, or just won't look full no matter what you do, do this:

Most people only do one layer. That's why your brows look flat and drawn-on. This hack uses LAYERS to create actual dimension and texture. The difference? Instead of just filling in your brows, you're actually building TEXTURE and VOLUME. Each layer adds dimension so your brows look naturally thick.

1: Brush DOWN first, then UP with your brow gel. Wiggle at roots like mascara

2: Draw tiny HAIRS (not lines!) Only in sparse areas.

3: Gel again to seal & blend. FINISHED!

11/17/2025

Have a wonderful week!

11/14/2025

Looking for something to do this weekend? How about pastry-making? There's an Eclairs, Choux Pastry & Cream Puff Masterclass at the Le Dolci Culinary Classroom tomorrow.

Enjoy the weekend!



https://www.ledolci.com/collections/pastry-sweets/products/cream-puff-masterclass

11/12/2025

All you have to do for this is toss everything on a sheet pan and stick it in the oven. How easy is that?

SHEET PAN CHICKEN & CAULIFLOWER WITH MUSTARD & PARMESAN

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large cauliflower , cut in 1 1/2-inch florets
4 chicken breasts , cut crosswise into thirds
6 green onions , cut in 2-inch pieces
salt and pepper
2 balls fresh mozzarella (125 g each), torn into pieces
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F; line baking sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, stir together olive oil, garlic, fennel seeds, mustard, lemon juice and Parmesan. Add cauliflower, chicken and green onions; toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes. Arrange mozzarella over top; cook until chicken and cauliflower start to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (Finish cooking under broiler to crisp cauliflower, if desired). Sprinkle with pine nuts and dill.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Canadian Living

11/11/2025

Today we honour and remember the men and women who have served, and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict and peace.

11/10/2025

Got knocked down? Take a moment to recoup, then get back up.

Have a wonderful week!

11/07/2025

Are you a fan of photography? Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at the ROM starts today. Could be a great day out!

Have a good weekend, all!

Showcasing a new year of stunning photographsROM is delighted to present this year's competition finalists and winners in a vibrant new exhibition.Powerful, inspiring, and enlightening, the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition invites viewers into a world of extraordinary images and v...

11/06/2025

Did you know that was initially developed not for cosmetic reasons but as a medical treatment for umbilical hernias? In the 1890s, French surgeons pioneered early versions by removing excess abdominal skin to access and repair herniated tissue, accidentally discovering the slimming cosmetic benefits. It wasn't until the mid-20th century (1960s–1980s) that abdominoplasty shifted toward cosmetics.

Fun fact: The procedure's name was coined in the early 20th century, blending anatomical and surgical roots, reflecting its blend of medical necessity and artistic form!