Posted by Jennifer
The last Tuesday in October is one of those warm, slightly hazy days that defines Indian summer, a day that makes you forget that slush season is just around the corner. Remember we must, since it is the final day for the Riverdale Farm Farmers Market. There are a surprisingly large number of both vendors and customers including several little children in their Hallowe'en finery.
I stock up on staples—garlic, onions, carrots (fancy red ones from Sosnicki Organic Produce - who are year round at Dufferin Grove and the Green Barn), and more from the Quinte Organic Farmers’ Cooperative. Since I am running out of olive oil, I try a small bottle of olive grower Angelos Kapeleris’s oil. If I like it, it too will be at Dufferin Grove and Green Barn over the winter. I almost resist the urge to buy a jug of cider after trying a sample from Lynn and Ralph Robitaille of Pineapple Orchards in Penetanguishine. I resolutely head for the gates, before turning back for that one last purchase.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday Lunch: Black Camel
Posted by Jennifer
Sunny, cool days offer the invitation to go for a walk, and the Black Camel is the right distance for a break from work So much the better that it sells two of our favourite sandwiches in the whole city—pulled pork and brisket.
When limited to just one of those two, we opt for the pulled pork. Topped with caramelized onions and a slather of barbecue sauce, it is a thing of beauty. We, on the other hand, are not so lovely after eating a pulled pork sandwich since we usually manage to squirt a little of the sour/sweet sauce on our chins or right down our fronts. The bun has enough body that it doe not completely disintegrate in the hand. As an added topping, we pile on some of our side order of peppery, slightly creamy, coleslaw.
This time our second sandwich is roasted red peppers and eggplant with arugula, fontina, and basil pesto mayo. Despite the absence of meat, it is as hearty as the pulled pork.
Our dessert is the only weak link in this lunch. The pastry on our Portuguese-style custard tart is flaky but tough. One of us thinks there is a coconutty undertone to the vanilla flavouring.
Two sandwiches, a coleslaw, custard tart, and two San Pellegrino citrus sodas cost $25.72.
Sunny, cool days offer the invitation to go for a walk, and the Black Camel is the right distance for a break from work So much the better that it sells two of our favourite sandwiches in the whole city—pulled pork and brisket.
When limited to just one of those two, we opt for the pulled pork. Topped with caramelized onions and a slather of barbecue sauce, it is a thing of beauty. We, on the other hand, are not so lovely after eating a pulled pork sandwich since we usually manage to squirt a little of the sour/sweet sauce on our chins or right down our fronts. The bun has enough body that it doe not completely disintegrate in the hand. As an added topping, we pile on some of our side order of peppery, slightly creamy, coleslaw.
This time our second sandwich is roasted red peppers and eggplant with arugula, fontina, and basil pesto mayo. Despite the absence of meat, it is as hearty as the pulled pork.
Our dessert is the only weak link in this lunch. The pastry on our Portuguese-style custard tart is flaky but tough. One of us thinks there is a coconutty undertone to the vanilla flavouring.
Two sandwiches, a coleslaw, custard tart, and two San Pellegrino citrus sodas cost $25.72.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
At last, the end, after 36 courses!! the post desserts.....mignardises. This was a truly hard choice....so I tried them all!!!!
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
"Shell fish" with candied lemon pieces. When I opened one shell, I found a lychee fruit pearl; on opening another, it was filled with toffee and szechuan pepper ice cream.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
On the top, "cherries" filled with kirsch, to be eaten in one bight. Below, chocolate with mint, rum, toasted sesame and passion fruit sorbet.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
A frozen coconut/curry "egg", eaten, once broken, by breaking off pieces.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Above, crispy rabbit's ears, one topped with snail eggs, rabbit tongue and rabbit sweet breads and the other crispy ear topped with rabbit kidney and rabbit brain.
Below, sugar with mint and iced mint tea (the seasoned powders coated the top as if an ice shell with the mint tea inside), all eaten with a spoon.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Parmesan cheese ravioli with balsamic vinegar and gold leaf.
A thinly sliced lamb's kidney, camomille oil and ham consomme.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Pine nut and praline filled pine nut ravioli with pine nut water for dunking.
Sea cucumber with water gelle, with soya and ginger oil.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Sea anemone with caviar and seaweed. This was my finest experience with sea anemone, far better than my experience at the newly 3-stared Gerard Passedat in Marseille.
Fresh abalone with shimeji mushroom, ginger, codium seaweed, panchetta and hazelnut oil.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Rose petals with artichoke sauce and a silver leaf. A large rose was placed on a silver salver on the table when this dish was served and it gave off an intense rose perfume.
Sandwich of pumkin meringue in which there were pieces of pumkin, white truffles and almonds. What an intense and complementary combination of textures and flavours!
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Salmon roe, double cream and trout roe ravioli topped with gold leaf.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
"Mimetic" almonds served with and intense tomato ice and mango with umeboshi.
Cockles with fennel, yuzu and vermouth.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Above, a very intense prawn "essence" in the spoons. Below, the prawn tail and and crispy legs, all of which are to be completely devoured.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Chervil "tea" being whipped with a bamboo instrument, as with Japanese sencha. The flavour of this tea was very intense and slightly bitter. It seemed to set the palate up for what followed.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Above, oyster leaf with onion flavoured vinegar. The leaf did taste like an oyster!
Below, crisp chicken skin canape topped with an incredible melt on your tongue chicken tendon.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Coconut frozen sponge followed by a soft black cake with miso, eaten in two bites.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Hibiscus flowers; the bottom of the flower is removed and jasmine nectar is sucked from the base of the flower.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
On the left, on the El Bulli terrace overlooking the bay, we are about to enjoy "corn paper wafer" with salt crystals and caipirinha mojito sugar cane sticks (in ice). Below, "peanut" snacks served with pine cone water in a glass (not shown). The peanut "shells" were filled with an intense peanut tasting liquid. We were also served vanilla chips (not shown) and cherries (not shown), sliced in half that were splashed with umeboshi vinegar that really intensified the cherry flavour.
A pilgrimage to El Bulli, Rosas, Spain
Our group in the El Bulli kitchen: from the left chef David Lee, Josh Josephson, Steven Sokolowski, chef Feran Adria, our trip organizer, Annie Sibonney, Jennifer O'Brien, Steven Latner and Lynda Latner
Monday, October 26, 2009
Eating Words - The Art of Food Writing
Saturday, November 14th, 2 pm
A Highlight of the Stratford Chef School Gastronomic Writer in Residence Program
A Roundtable Discussion and Q & A
Saturday, November 14th, 2 pm
So you want to write about food. Start here with some of the best in the business. Blogs, essays, twitter, websites and oh, yes, books, where to begin! This is a unique opportunity to hear award winning writers from around the world, and here at home, discuss the art of food writing and the future of the craft. Bring your questions and see where the discussion leads us. Panelists:
Location: Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave
Tickets $25/15 students. Available at The Cookbook Store
A Highlight of the Stratford Chef School Gastronomic Writer in Residence Program
A Roundtable Discussion and Q & A
Saturday, November 14th, 2 pm
So you want to write about food. Start here with some of the best in the business. Blogs, essays, twitter, websites and oh, yes, books, where to begin! This is a unique opportunity to hear award winning writers from around the world, and here at home, discuss the art of food writing and the future of the craft. Bring your questions and see where the discussion leads us. Panelists:
- Corby Kummer, 2008-2009 Writer in Residence, senior editor at The Atlantic, author of The Pleasures of Slow Food
- Michael Symons from Australia and the 2009-2010 Writer in Residence, author of the books One Continuous Picnic: A History of Australian Eating and A History of Cooks and Cooking,
- Margaret Webb, author of Apples to Oysters, short listed for Cuisine Canada Book Award
- Ian Brown, Globe and Mail writer, award winning journalist and author of The Boy in the Moon.
Location: Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave
Tickets $25/15 students. Available at The Cookbook Store
The "Main" Event at Hasai
Sorbet of xanthornberry with wild apple.
Eiginsinn farm piglet pork belly, braised in creemore and apple cider, with roast leg crackling, pine mushroom and vegetables from their garden.
The pig and pig crackling were perfection and what an intriguing match of flavours with the unusual taste of the pine mushroom (which tastes like pine smells). These courses were followed by a cheese course and then dessert.
More Hasai...
White fish schnitzel with parsely and beet mayonnaises, with coarse chopped radish (top). Lake trout wrapped in smoked bacon on top of pear puree, with cinnamon and blue potato puree and a wild leek pickle (bottom).
Hasai Dinner continues...
Chicken liver and chicken heart dumpling, chicken gizzard and onion on a skewer in beef consomme, a composition of intense elemental flavours (top) followed by squash and fois gras ravioli in carrot sauce with chervil and this a sublime combination of tastes (bottom).
Dinner at Stadtlander's Haisai Restaurant
Oyster with chili/saki mignonette sauce (top). Eiginsinn Farm ham cold smoked for 6 months (this dish was a taste/texture revelation!!!), served on their own rye bread and presented on a small wood cylinder (bottom).
Friday, October 23, 2009
A Haunted Happening
Posted by Gina
BOO!
Join us at the store on Saturday, October 31st (that's right, Hallowe'en!) from 2:00 to 4:00 pm for a ghoulish gathering. Feel free to drop in anytime and share with us your favourite Halloween stories, treats and customs.
We will be all decked out, sampling a selection of spooky and delicious Halloween treats from a number of different cookbooks.
Hallowe'en appropriate dress is welcome and encouraged! And don't forget to bring your little trick or treaters along -- human or otherwise!
Friday Lunch: Gourmet Burger Co.
Posted by Jennifer
Another day, another burger. What is one to do when Aussie-inspired (the owner is an Australian ex-pat) Gourmet Burger Co. has just opened on Charles Street?
The company is famous for its toppings which, due to its down under connection include fried eggs, beets, and pineapple. Thinking, as I do, that pineapple belongs on a burger about as much as it does on a pizza -- NOT -- we stick to the basics on our two beef and one lamb burger.
Despite the fact that both the lamb and the 30-day-aged Canadian beef burgers are too well-done for our taste, they do retain lots of flavour. The balsamic caramelized onions, which one of the beef eaters has chosen are an excellent complement. Though rather ordinary, the bun holds together without oozing juices down our fronts.
A side of sweet potato fries has steamed a little in its box on the trip from restaurant to store, but they are otherwise perfect. Often sweet potato fries are cooked until bitter. These were retrieved from the fryer before “caramelized” became “burnt”.
As at Craft Burger, the service is friendly but when it comes to the burger, Craft still has the edge.
Cost for three burgers with two bottles of water was $26.40.
Another day, another burger. What is one to do when Aussie-inspired (the owner is an Australian ex-pat) Gourmet Burger Co. has just opened on Charles Street?
The company is famous for its toppings which, due to its down under connection include fried eggs, beets, and pineapple. Thinking, as I do, that pineapple belongs on a burger about as much as it does on a pizza -- NOT -- we stick to the basics on our two beef and one lamb burger.
Despite the fact that both the lamb and the 30-day-aged Canadian beef burgers are too well-done for our taste, they do retain lots of flavour. The balsamic caramelized onions, which one of the beef eaters has chosen are an excellent complement. Though rather ordinary, the bun holds together without oozing juices down our fronts.
A side of sweet potato fries has steamed a little in its box on the trip from restaurant to store, but they are otherwise perfect. Often sweet potato fries are cooked until bitter. These were retrieved from the fryer before “caramelized” became “burnt”.
As at Craft Burger, the service is friendly but when it comes to the burger, Craft still has the edge.
Cost for three burgers with two bottles of water was $26.40.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
To Market, to market
Posted by Jennifer
The Bloor/Borden market is not quite so deserted as its sister market at Sick Kids was the previous day -- not even by Bosco/Sweetiebelle farms who claimed they were going home for the season. Leeks, squash, rosemary, and more German butterball potatoes find their way into my bag.
Monckton Organic Farms & Bakery, which is also at the Green Barn on Saturday will be moving indoors at that location for the winter. Potato Lady -- Ayse Akoner -- and her family are bringing their Marvellous Edibles stand indoors at the Green Barn too. Initially, it will be only once a month to see how things go at this much larger market. Their first day is November 14. Meanwhile, there is one more week at Bloor/Borden.
The Bloor/Borden market is not quite so deserted as its sister market at Sick Kids was the previous day -- not even by Bosco/Sweetiebelle farms who claimed they were going home for the season. Leeks, squash, rosemary, and more German butterball potatoes find their way into my bag.
Monckton Organic Farms & Bakery, which is also at the Green Barn on Saturday will be moving indoors at that location for the winter. Potato Lady -- Ayse Akoner -- and her family are bringing their Marvellous Edibles stand indoors at the Green Barn too. Initially, it will be only once a month to see how things go at this much larger market. Their first day is November 14. Meanwhile, there is one more week at Bloor/Borden.
Kitfo
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