Posted by Alison
SATURDAY AUGUST 15th, noon- 2pm
at The Cookbook Store
We couldn't let the opening of the new Julie & Julia movie go by without us throwing some sort of party, after all August 15th would have been Julia's 97th Birthday! Over the years Julia visited The Cookbook Store four times for book signings. We cherish every moment and will share the highlights with you.
So come to the store between noon and 2pm and share your favourite Julia moments, memories and inspirations. Hopefully you will have seen the movie which opens August 7th and we can discuss.
We will have food inspired by Julia and, if you would like to make something special that reminds you of Julia please bring it along, although not necessary, a sort of Julia pot luck if you will.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Josh at Union restaurant
Union Restaurant
72 Ossington
Toronto
A locavore's dream....wonderful quality, near-region sourced ingredients transformed into simple, intensely flavoured dishes that are very well executed. The highlights were smashed potatoes with radish and chives, the wood oven roasted chicken (my mouth salivates to think about it now), a lovely rhubarb/strawberry crumble. Wonderful, cooked seasonal greens were a very good complement for the cooked dishes.
Also good were the elk sliders (I would have preferred them a little less done) on challah toast and the charcuterie plate consisting of their own made corned beef slices, a rabbit terrine (slices) and some slices of smoked chicken breast, all served with both grainy and Dijon mustard, coarse sea salt and toasted challah bread. The fries that accompany the mains, although very tasty with a very complementary aioli, were not crisp enough for my preference.
72 Ossington
Toronto
A locavore's dream....wonderful quality, near-region sourced ingredients transformed into simple, intensely flavoured dishes that are very well executed. The highlights were smashed potatoes with radish and chives, the wood oven roasted chicken (my mouth salivates to think about it now), a lovely rhubarb/strawberry crumble. Wonderful, cooked seasonal greens were a very good complement for the cooked dishes.
Also good were the elk sliders (I would have preferred them a little less done) on challah toast and the charcuterie plate consisting of their own made corned beef slices, a rabbit terrine (slices) and some slices of smoked chicken breast, all served with both grainy and Dijon mustard, coarse sea salt and toasted challah bread. The fries that accompany the mains, although very tasty with a very complementary aioli, were not crisp enough for my preference.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Julie & Julia - Movie Review
Posted by Gina
Many customers at the store have been excited to see our book display in preparation for the upcoming movie Julie & Julia. I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of the film and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience.
Screenwriter and director Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seatle, When Harry Met Sally) skillfully combines blogger Julie Powells’s first book with Julia Child’s memoir, My Life in France. The book Julie & Julia is about Ms. Powell’s experience cooking her way through Mrs. Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, while My Life in France documents the years in which Julia Child initially learned to cook, developed her insatiable passion for French food, and laboured to complete and publish the same book on which Powell focuses.
The story seamlessly bounces back and forth between New York circa 2003 and late 1940s Paris, documenting both Julie’s and Julia’s challenges, triumphs, sorrows and joys. As is usual for most book-to-screen adapatations, noticeable liberties are taken with both stories, but the spirit of each book is truly given justice. In fact, after having enjoyed each of these women’s memoirs, I would venture to say that the interlacing and juxtaposition of the two lives makes for an even more enjoyable experience than the two separately.
Amy Adams’ Julie Powell wins you over as a regular gal fighting her way through the challenges of French cookery (and is much less annoying than the trailer makes her appear). Meryl Streep is her usual phenomenal, chameleon-like self, portraying the excitable, unmistakable Julia Child, with a dead-on rendition of that marvelous warbling, sing song voice proclaiming to all, “Bon appetit!”
For a more in depth version of this review visit here.
also,
Julie Powell's second book, Cleaving: a Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession about becoming a butcher is due out this November.
Many customers at the store have been excited to see our book display in preparation for the upcoming movie Julie & Julia. I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of the film and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience.Screenwriter and director Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seatle, When Harry Met Sally) skillfully combines blogger Julie Powells’s first book with Julia Child’s memoir, My Life in France. The book Julie & Julia is about Ms. Powell’s experience cooking her way through Mrs. Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, while My Life in France documents the years in which Julia Child initially learned to cook, developed her insatiable passion for French food, and laboured to complete and publish the same book on which Powell focuses.
The story seamlessly bounces back and forth between New York circa 2003 and late 1940s Paris, documenting both Julie’s and Julia’s challenges, triumphs, sorrows and joys. As is usual for most book-to-screen adapatations, noticeable liberties are taken with both stories, but the spirit of each book is truly given justice. In fact, after having enjoyed each of these women’s memoirs, I would venture to say that the interlacing and juxtaposition of the two lives makes for an even more enjoyable experience than the two separately.
Amy Adams’ Julie Powell wins you over as a regular gal fighting her way through the challenges of French cookery (and is much less annoying than the trailer makes her appear). Meryl Streep is her usual phenomenal, chameleon-like self, portraying the excitable, unmistakable Julia Child, with a dead-on rendition of that marvelous warbling, sing song voice proclaiming to all, “Bon appetit!”
For a more in depth version of this review visit here.
To Look Forward To:
Join us at the store on August 15 to celebrate what would have been Julia Child's 97th birthday. More details to follow.
Join us at the store on August 15 to celebrate what would have been Julia Child's 97th birthday. More details to follow.
also,
Julie Powell's second book, Cleaving: a Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession about becoming a butcher is due out this November.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
To Market, To Market!
Posted by Jennifer
It is high season for soft fruit at the markets. At The Hospital for Sick Children on Tuesday morning I see apricots, red, black, and golden raspberries, strawberries, red, white, and black currants, gooseberries, and both sweet and sour cherries.
With environmentalists predicting that global warming will cause the extinction of sour cherries I’m cooking up as many as I can while they are still around. In the three quarts I have pitted this week, there was only a single cherry that was unusable. The result: two pies. The first was cherry, black raspberry, and apricot. The apricots looked perfect but turned out to be under ripe - though they cooked up nicely. The second pie was a classic lattice-top cherry.
******************
Beets and Carrots
I also found more of my new favourite beet, the rodina, at Sick Kids. These were larger than the first ones I tried, but just as good.
The Collins from Puslinch (Borden, Sick Kids & Weston markets) have one of the best selection of carrots around. The very best of a great lot are their parisiennes. Unlike the long tapered roots we are used to, these are short and chubby, rather like an orange beet. Though they do not resemble the carrots of my childhood, they do have all the earthy sweetness that is the carrot of my memory.
It is high season for soft fruit at the markets. At The Hospital for Sick Children on Tuesday morning I see apricots, red, black, and golden raspberries, strawberries, red, white, and black currants, gooseberries, and both sweet and sour cherries.
With environmentalists predicting that global warming will cause the extinction of sour cherries I’m cooking up as many as I can while they are still around. In the three quarts I have pitted this week, there was only a single cherry that was unusable. The result: two pies. The first was cherry, black raspberry, and apricot. The apricots looked perfect but turned out to be under ripe - though they cooked up nicely. The second pie was a classic lattice-top cherry.
******************
Beets and Carrots
I also found more of my new favourite beet, the rodina, at Sick Kids. These were larger than the first ones I tried, but just as good.
The Collins from Puslinch (Borden, Sick Kids & Weston markets) have one of the best selection of carrots around. The very best of a great lot are their parisiennes. Unlike the long tapered roots we are used to, these are short and chubby, rather like an orange beet. Though they do not resemble the carrots of my childhood, they do have all the earthy sweetness that is the carrot of my memory.
Bitten: Black Currant Sorbet
Posted by Jennifer
Who knew the New York Times could be so helpful? Just as I decide to buy a quart of black currants, an article on that very subject with a recipe for black currant sorbet appears in the Wednesday dining section. I purchase a quart of fat currants at the Marvellous Edibles stand at the Bloor-Borden market (Wednesday 3-7pm).
Until recently commercial cultivation of black currants was banned in many states because currant bushes carry a fungus which kills pine.With the ban lifted in some states, farmers are trying to reintroduce the tart fruit to American consumers. That tartness is another reason black currants are not popular in the U.S. Americans like their fruits sweet.
The sorbet is simply made by cooking the currants in a sugar syrup until tender then sieving to remove the seeds--no need to top and tip. With a sugar/water ratio of 1:1, the syrup caters to the American sweet tooth. The recipe in Elizabeth Baird’s classic Summer Berries has a 1:2 ratio and a squirt of lemon juice from which this sorbet would certainly benefit. It is, however, simple to make, a beautiful colour, and works well even without an ice cream maker.
Who knew the New York Times could be so helpful? Just as I decide to buy a quart of black currants, an article on that very subject with a recipe for black currant sorbet appears in the Wednesday dining section. I purchase a quart of fat currants at the Marvellous Edibles stand at the Bloor-Borden market (Wednesday 3-7pm).
Until recently commercial cultivation of black currants was banned in many states because currant bushes carry a fungus which kills pine.With the ban lifted in some states, farmers are trying to reintroduce the tart fruit to American consumers. That tartness is another reason black currants are not popular in the U.S. Americans like their fruits sweet.
The sorbet is simply made by cooking the currants in a sugar syrup until tender then sieving to remove the seeds--no need to top and tip. With a sugar/water ratio of 1:1, the syrup caters to the American sweet tooth. The recipe in Elizabeth Baird’s classic Summer Berries has a 1:2 ratio and a squirt of lemon juice from which this sorbet would certainly benefit. It is, however, simple to make, a beautiful colour, and works well even without an ice cream maker.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Josh at Hashimoto: An Extraordinary Seafood Experience
Posted by Josh
Hashimoto
6435 Dixie Rd, Unit 10
905-670-5559
Dessert at Hashimoto
A week ahead, we planned a gastronomic seafood experience. The chef owner, Masaki Hashimoto, on our instruction, had special fish ordered directly from Japan, flown to Toronto, prepared and on our plates within 18 hours. My special request was a mostly sashimi meal. For this kaiseki experience I was joined by David and Sarah Kirkwood, Zara Fischer-Harrison and Sinclair Philip, chef owner of Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island.
We began with the most refined Okunomatsu daiginjo sake.
Stickleback fish, sesame tofu with wasabe and soy sauce. Firm egg yolk bathed in a vinaigrette and lily bud flower. Sakura soba was wrapped around Porgy fish and seaweed nori.
Kochi fish (flathead fish) sashimi with daikon and freshly grated wasabi, served with soy sauce.
Hamo fish (like conger eel) with a sweet ume (plum) sauce.
Sazuki sashimi (ocean trout family) with a thin slice of sudachi citrus, curled carrot with a white miso rice vinegar sauce.
Yari ika (Squid) with soy and ginger sauce, curled daikon a sliced cucumber.
Wild porgy fish (madai) thinly cut red raddish with fresh grated wasabi and soy sauce.
Banfun sea urchin from oita (kyushu) with sasai shellfish with cucumber and the liver of the sasai with fresh grated wasabi.
Soup:
Hamo fish with buttercup squash, suizen nori seaweed and julienne of sudachi citrus. The soup stock was made from the bones of the hamo fish and ground edamame.
Sasai shellfish with its liver and broth with a japanese vegetable called mitsuba.
Petit japanese eggplant, tarot root, ume plum soaked carrot, daikon with an eggplant, soy sauce and minced shrimp broth.
Porgy fish with fried ginger, pickled daikon with squid ink and sesame seeds, and a crane carved from daikon served with carrot dressing and fresh baby corn.
Dessert:
Donut and white peach agar agar jelly with gold leaf.
Grape powder with premium green tea crepe and premium green tea ice cream.
Hashimoto
6435 Dixie Rd, Unit 10
905-670-5559
Dessert at HashimotoA week ahead, we planned a gastronomic seafood experience. The chef owner, Masaki Hashimoto, on our instruction, had special fish ordered directly from Japan, flown to Toronto, prepared and on our plates within 18 hours. My special request was a mostly sashimi meal. For this kaiseki experience I was joined by David and Sarah Kirkwood, Zara Fischer-Harrison and Sinclair Philip, chef owner of Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island.
We began with the most refined Okunomatsu daiginjo sake.
Stickleback fish, sesame tofu with wasabe and soy sauce. Firm egg yolk bathed in a vinaigrette and lily bud flower. Sakura soba was wrapped around Porgy fish and seaweed nori.
Kochi fish (flathead fish) sashimi with daikon and freshly grated wasabi, served with soy sauce.
Hamo fish (like conger eel) with a sweet ume (plum) sauce.
Sazuki sashimi (ocean trout family) with a thin slice of sudachi citrus, curled carrot with a white miso rice vinegar sauce.Yari ika (Squid) with soy and ginger sauce, curled daikon a sliced cucumber.
Wild porgy fish (madai) thinly cut red raddish with fresh grated wasabi and soy sauce.
Banfun sea urchin from oita (kyushu) with sasai shellfish with cucumber and the liver of the sasai with fresh grated wasabi.
Soup:
Hamo fish with buttercup squash, suizen nori seaweed and julienne of sudachi citrus. The soup stock was made from the bones of the hamo fish and ground edamame.
Sasai shellfish with its liver and broth with a japanese vegetable called mitsuba.
Petit japanese eggplant, tarot root, ume plum soaked carrot, daikon with an eggplant, soy sauce and minced shrimp broth.
Porgy fish with fried ginger, pickled daikon with squid ink and sesame seeds, and a crane carved from daikon served with carrot dressing and fresh baby corn.Dessert:
Donut and white peach agar agar jelly with gold leaf.Grape powder with premium green tea crepe and premium green tea ice cream.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Conviction opens, a Thuet spectacular!
Posted by Josh
Conviction
609 King St W, Toronto
416-603-2777
The finale of the TV show revolving around Marc Thuet's new restaurant, Conviction, was held tonight. Some of us expected simple bistro cuisine at this restaurant that interviewed 36 former convicts to acquire a small group of passionate chefs and servers. What we received was artfully arranged and beautifully executed, sophisticated cuisine.
Petit salad of medium rare tender quail breast on a bed of asparagus, with figs radishes and a soft egg yolk filled ravioli, all dressed with a summer truffle vinaigrette.
Sweet pea and wild Quebec peppermint froth, diver sea scallops and coconut foam. The peppermint was a great and subtle complement for the peas and scallops.
Duo of steamed organic halibut and panko crusted oxtail, with fois gras carpaccio, peach coulis and oriental duck jus.
Ontario veal tenderloin with goat cheese and saffron fingerling potato mash and a chanterelle mushroom sauce.
Raspberry macaroon mille feuille with chocolate and sel de guerande, gianduja sauce and wonderfully complementary tarragon ice cream. The macaroon texture and taste was better than the best at Laduree in Paris!!
Conviction
609 King St W, Toronto
416-603-2777
The finale of the TV show revolving around Marc Thuet's new restaurant, Conviction, was held tonight. Some of us expected simple bistro cuisine at this restaurant that interviewed 36 former convicts to acquire a small group of passionate chefs and servers. What we received was artfully arranged and beautifully executed, sophisticated cuisine.
Petit salad of medium rare tender quail breast on a bed of asparagus, with figs radishes and a soft egg yolk filled ravioli, all dressed with a summer truffle vinaigrette.Sweet pea and wild Quebec peppermint froth, diver sea scallops and coconut foam. The peppermint was a great and subtle complement for the peas and scallops.
Duo of steamed organic halibut and panko crusted oxtail, with fois gras carpaccio, peach coulis and oriental duck jus.
Ontario veal tenderloin with goat cheese and saffron fingerling potato mash and a chanterelle mushroom sauce.
Raspberry macaroon mille feuille with chocolate and sel de guerande, gianduja sauce and wonderfully complementary tarragon ice cream. The macaroon texture and taste was better than the best at Laduree in Paris!!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
To Market, To Market
Posted by Jennifer
Tomatoes of many hues are beginning to appear at the markets. The last two weeks VanHarts and Bosco Farms have had a large, though a bit under ripe, selection. Always ready to try a field-ripened tomato, I take home a pint basket with red, black, yellow, and striped varieties. The subsequent sandwiches with mayo, a sprinkle of Maldon salt and red-speckled lettuce I’ve grown myself, are tasty, juicy even. I know, though, the messier renditions a few weeks from now are the ones I really want.
Tomatoes of many hues are beginning to appear at the markets. The last two weeks VanHarts and Bosco Farms have had a large, though a bit under ripe, selection. Always ready to try a field-ripened tomato, I take home a pint basket with red, black, yellow, and striped varieties. The subsequent sandwiches with mayo, a sprinkle of Maldon salt and red-speckled lettuce I’ve grown myself, are tasty, juicy even. I know, though, the messier renditions a few weeks from now are the ones I really want.
*****************
The beets of my childhood came in only one shade and one shape—an intensely winy-red, orb. Now golden, striped, round or oblong are the order of the day. I met my favourite beets so far this summer at the Sorauren market. The variety is the rodina, deep red and cylindrical. Those currently on offer are only about two inches long, perhaps three quarters of an inch around. Picked later, they will be up to six inches long. You can find these beets in an unmarked booth run by the Singhs from the Brampton-area. Their recently established farming operation has benefited from Farm Start.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Dhaba’s P.K. Ahluwalia Joined Kids Cook to Care
Postedy by Alison
Dhaba’s Chef P.K. Ahluwalia shared his tricks on how to infuse vibrant flavors into an authentic Indian meal. Together with the Kids Cook to Care’s children volunteers and their adult chaperons, they prepared ingredients for an Indian inspired meal to serve approximately 150 patrons at the Daily Bread Food Bank. The meal, based on the Indian staples, beans and spices were used for creating Saag Chana with an Indie Kachumber salad, all served on a bed of basmati rice.
At Daily Bread Food Bank, the Kids Cook to Care’s volunteers participated in an educational workshop that outlined the scope of poverty and hunger in the GTA. Following the workshop, the Kids Cook to Care volunteers served the meal along with Daily Bread’s Food Services Training Program trainees.
Kids Cook to Care is dedicated to providing children with a volunteer program that uses international cuisines to teach the fundamental methods of cooking while mastering the art of community service.
Dhaba’s Chef P.K. Ahluwalia shared his tricks on how to infuse vibrant flavors into an authentic Indian meal. Together with the Kids Cook to Care’s children volunteers and their adult chaperons, they prepared ingredients for an Indian inspired meal to serve approximately 150 patrons at the Daily Bread Food Bank. The meal, based on the Indian staples, beans and spices were used for creating Saag Chana with an Indie Kachumber salad, all served on a bed of basmati rice.
At Daily Bread Food Bank, the Kids Cook to Care’s volunteers participated in an educational workshop that outlined the scope of poverty and hunger in the GTA. Following the workshop, the Kids Cook to Care volunteers served the meal along with Daily Bread’s Food Services Training Program trainees.
Kids Cook to Care is dedicated to providing children with a volunteer program that uses international cuisines to teach the fundamental methods of cooking while mastering the art of community service.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Josh's favourite Thai meal in Toronto
Posted by Josh
Linda
11 Karl Fraser Rd, Toronto
416-971-7041
This meal was perhaps the most refined and flavourful Thai meal I have ever experienced in Toronto. A wonderful transparency of complementary flavours in each dish.
Pristine, fresh salmon tartar with olive oil, chili paste, lime juice, ginger and lime leaf in a rice paper noodle basket.
Chicken breast perfectly poached in chinese rice wine and fish saucea, paired with cucumber, on a skewer.
Seared Fois gras canape with a sauce of reduced lychee, saffron and white wine.
Pulled duck confit, sauteed with lemon grass served with a very complementary poached pickled bitter melon, and giving a very mild heat.
Steamed fish in an egg custard flavoured with coconut cream, finely chopped basil, lime leaf and red curry.
Thai pumpkin soup with a whole scallop. The soup was flavoured with lemon grass, galanga, coconut cream and with shrimp stock base and had a somewhat pronounced heat.
Pumpkin Soup
Stir fried pomfrit filet in black bean chili shallot, garlic sauce. We were instructed to eat the crisp fried bones and all. Crunchy and very flavourful.
Watermelon and apple marinated in mead wine made into a sorbet with an apple ring.
Sorbet
Honey dew panna cotta and ginger infused bread and butter pudding. This dessert was the only dish that disappointed. The bread pudding was very heavy and lacked the refined flavour found in all of the other dishes.
Linda
11 Karl Fraser Rd, Toronto
416-971-7041
This meal was perhaps the most refined and flavourful Thai meal I have ever experienced in Toronto. A wonderful transparency of complementary flavours in each dish.
Pristine, fresh salmon tartar with olive oil, chili paste, lime juice, ginger and lime leaf in a rice paper noodle basket.
Chicken breast perfectly poached in chinese rice wine and fish saucea, paired with cucumber, on a skewer.
Seared Fois gras canape with a sauce of reduced lychee, saffron and white wine.
Pulled duck confit, sauteed with lemon grass served with a very complementary poached pickled bitter melon, and giving a very mild heat.
Steamed fish in an egg custard flavoured with coconut cream, finely chopped basil, lime leaf and red curry.
Thai pumpkin soup with a whole scallop. The soup was flavoured with lemon grass, galanga, coconut cream and with shrimp stock base and had a somewhat pronounced heat.
Pumpkin Soup
The Pomfrit Filet
Beef panang - crispy and soft beef, sauce of roasted shallots, roasted garlic, ground peanuts, coconut milk and roasted chili in a base of thai curry and served with red rice.Watermelon and apple marinated in mead wine made into a sorbet with an apple ring.
Sorbet
Monday, July 13, 2009
Olive Oil Tasting with The Olivar Corp
Posted by Jennifer
Saturday, July 11th saw a visit to The Cookbook Store from Dolores of The Olivar Corp. Here are some highlights from the delicious and educational event.
Dauro - the unfiltered oil is pressed from olives within an hour of picking. Its gentle herbal flavour reveals just a hint of pepper as it slides down the throat. Frequently served at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner, it blends well with summer fruits and salads. It is from a small area in northeastern Spain between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees Mountains. Preferred amongst our tasters.
Almazaras de la Subbetica is the current top producer of organic olive oils. Its Parqueoliva is pressed from two varieties in an 80/20 split while its smaller batch oil, Rincon is a single varietal. Both have the intense pepperiness of antioxidants at the back of the palate with grassy and floral notes on first tasting—the Rincon is particularly floral.
The Greek oil, Terra Creta, as the name suggests, from the island of Crete, offered less distinctive characteristics though showing a tropical fruitiness. Its balance raised it above the usual supermarket brands.
From Tuscany, Campo, pressed from three Italian varietals, offered a big round nutty richness, perfect for those deeply satisfying Tuscan bean soups and stews.
Photos by Gina
Saturday, July 11th saw a visit to The Cookbook Store from Dolores of The Olivar Corp. Here are some highlights from the delicious and educational event.
Dauro - the unfiltered oil is pressed from olives within an hour of picking. Its gentle herbal flavour reveals just a hint of pepper as it slides down the throat. Frequently served at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner, it blends well with summer fruits and salads. It is from a small area in northeastern Spain between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees Mountains. Preferred amongst our tasters.Its sister oil, Aubocassa is pressed solely from arbequina olives in Mallorca. Although a bigger and more peppery oil, it is still well-balanced with the Dauro herbalness.
Almazaras de la Subbetica is the current top producer of organic olive oils. Its Parqueoliva is pressed from two varieties in an 80/20 split while its smaller batch oil, Rincon is a single varietal. Both have the intense pepperiness of antioxidants at the back of the palate with grassy and floral notes on first tasting—the Rincon is particularly floral. The Greek oil, Terra Creta, as the name suggests, from the island of Crete, offered less distinctive characteristics though showing a tropical fruitiness. Its balance raised it above the usual supermarket brands.From Tuscany, Campo, pressed from three Italian varietals, offered a big round nutty richness, perfect for those deeply satisfying Tuscan bean soups and stews.
Photos by Gina
Rainy & Musical Market Trip
Posted by Jennifer
Umbrella in hand and threatening skies overhead, I go off to The Stop’s Green Barn Farmers' Market on Saturday morning. By the time I step off the Christie bus, the rain is pouring down. Nevertheless, I manage to scoop up strawberries, shallots, new potatoes, eggplants, and the most perfect garlic I’ve ever seen—still attached to long, pale stems. Showing it off later, people think it is plastic.
The highlight of this soggy exercise is not the shopping but the music. Max and Frank Evans and their stringband—guitar, banjo, bass, and fiddle—move their act inside. Adults discreetly tap their toes while a bevy of toddlers do an exuberant, if wobbly, dance around the band.
After roasting the eggplants, I fold the flesh into a Georgian walnut sauce (from Please to the Table), using the perfect garlic and coriander from my own garden. The potatoes will be boiled for salad, the strawberries eaten out of hand.
Photo by Gina
Umbrella in hand and threatening skies overhead, I go off to The Stop’s Green Barn Farmers' Market on Saturday morning. By the time I step off the Christie bus, the rain is pouring down. Nevertheless, I manage to scoop up strawberries, shallots, new potatoes, eggplants, and the most perfect garlic I’ve ever seen—still attached to long, pale stems. Showing it off later, people think it is plastic.
The highlight of this soggy exercise is not the shopping but the music. Max and Frank Evans and their stringband—guitar, banjo, bass, and fiddle—move their act inside. Adults discreetly tap their toes while a bevy of toddlers do an exuberant, if wobbly, dance around the band.
After roasting the eggplants, I fold the flesh into a Georgian walnut sauce (from Please to the Table), using the perfect garlic and coriander from my own garden. The potatoes will be boiled for salad, the strawberries eaten out of hand.
Photo by Gina
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Josh Visits Ceili Cottage
Patrick McMurray (owner of Starfish) got this formula right. The place is booming!! A terrific open patio, and inside, a very informal, home style place to eat....a cleaned up converted automobile garage. 4 local and 4 Irish beers on tap; fresh oysters both shucked and grilled, especially the raw complexly flavoured Howard's Cove oysters; the "Moran's" grilled oysters with garlic, panko and butter; a unique and wonderfully tasty in house made peat smoked salmon...delicately smokey, served with baby pickled purple onions and sour cream and crusty house made bread; very good house made sausages with mash potatoes and onion gravy; mushrooms on toast with blue cheese chunks; peanut butter and jam sandwiches for a buck!! A terrific bread pudding. The other desserts are very ordinary.
Ceili Cottage
1301 Queen Street East
Toronto
416-406-1301
No reservations.
Ceili Cottage
1301 Queen Street East
Toronto
416-406-1301
No reservations.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Book Launch for Denise Roig author of Butter Cream
Posted by Alison
Last night was an intimate gathering of friends, family and customers for the launch of Denise Roig's new book Butter Cream. Although the book came out in October of 2008, Denise was unable to be here in the Fall as she lives in Abu Dhabi and is here for two months to escape the heat of the UAE!
We asked her about her experience of going to pastry school at the age of 56. She loved it and commented age did not seem to determine who stayed with pastry at the end of the course, as some of the most talented young students have gone on to completely different careers. Yes, she still loves to bake, especially brownies! The physical rigors of the kitchen were considerable. The course itself was demanding - studying, tests, exams all at a hectic pace. Something she did not relish returning to at her age but in the end she did enjoy the whole experience.
As a fiction writer, this was her first foray into non fiction and although Denise has a great appreciation for it she will stick to fiction writing. Her very first cookbook was the Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cookbook. Baking became a real passion at about the age of 17, which ironically was the age of her baking partner at the school.
A delightful read and well written, which can be unusual for food memoir books, but not for Denise.
Last night was an intimate gathering of friends, family and customers for the launch of Denise Roig's new book Butter Cream. Although the book came out in October of 2008, Denise was unable to be here in the Fall as she lives in Abu Dhabi and is here for two months to escape the heat of the UAE!
We asked her about her experience of going to pastry school at the age of 56. She loved it and commented age did not seem to determine who stayed with pastry at the end of the course, as some of the most talented young students have gone on to completely different careers. Yes, she still loves to bake, especially brownies! The physical rigors of the kitchen were considerable. The course itself was demanding - studying, tests, exams all at a hectic pace. Something she did not relish returning to at her age but in the end she did enjoy the whole experience.
As a fiction writer, this was her first foray into non fiction and although Denise has a great appreciation for it she will stick to fiction writing. Her very first cookbook was the Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cookbook. Baking became a real passion at about the age of 17, which ironically was the age of her baking partner at the school.
A delightful read and well written, which can be unusual for food memoir books, but not for Denise.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Strawberry Searching in South Western Ontario
Posted by Jennifer
I can stand a few extra papers blowing about the streets. I can tolerate the aroma of putrefying garbage, at least in the short term. What I can’t stand is the disruption of the farmers’ markets, which make it possible for city dwellers to eat fresh produce everyday of the week. Great news: as the second week of the civic employees strike ends, comes the announcement that all the markets will be running again next week.
Lucky for me, last week when they were all closed, I was in rural southwestern Ontario. Lunching at Auberge du Petit Prince in London, the food (salads, crépes) was only average, but worth the visit for the Lailey Riesling at only $24.95. Though listed as 2007, the vintage served was 2008. Whatever, it was the perfect wine for an early summer afternoon!
Heading north on Highway 4 to Auburn and Goderich, we stopped at a stand offering strawberries and homemade bread. The berries were the best I’ve tasted in what is a very mediocre harvest. Fairly large and a nice deep red throughout, they were neither intensely flavoured nor juicy enough to be perfect. Still, the quart disappeared quickly at dinner a few hours later. At $4.00, they were $2.00 less than I paid in Toronto for the same quantity.
Think old order Mennonites in Ontario, and you usually think of Waterloo County. East of Goderich, and north of Auburn along the Belgrave Road there is a thriving community built up over the last two decades. Along this road there is a sort of commercial district including a sawmill. But the “commerce” such as it is takes place on the farms. Turning left of the north road from Auburn onto the Belgrave Road, the first farmer offers eggs—ungraded, $1.25 per dozen. If they don’t have as many eggs as you need already in the house, the children (this family has 12) are dispatched to pluck more from under the hens. These eggs are so fresh that if you hardboil them right away, they are almost impossible to peel. In season, they sell strawberries and raspberries for $2.50 per quart. Cheap and no nasty chemicals.
One farm has a sign out front simply saying “Donuts.” Further along the road, the area Mennonite bishop has a very rustic general store with large gardens patrolled by armies of young children on the lookout for weeds. When we visit they have already sold out of strawberries but have the first harvest of peas, and tomatoes brought in from Harrow. We leave with some of the tomatoes which are tasty even this early in the season, bread and butter pickles which perfectly blend sweet and sour, and oatmeal cookies which look crisp but turn out to be just plain hard.
There is a familiar name along this road: Hillsview Greenhouses and Market Produce sell at several Toronto markets, including City Hall and Borden Street. The greenhouses are closed when we drop by but they are at Goderich’s Saturday morning market, held in the town square. So are several Mennonite families. Alas, no strawberries to be had. This early in the summer there was not much produce except for green onions and some lettuce. Instead several stands sell perennials for the garden, baked goods and home cured sausages. Two young Mennonite woman sell excellent butter tarts. Just as muffins have gotten sweeter and larger over the years, it seems butter tarts have too. These particular ones are not so sickeningly sweet and at a two-bite size, not so guilt-inducing. My brother-in-law, a health inspector, knows way too much about small meat producers so we skip the sausage, tempting though they appear.
The one place you must not miss in Goderich is Culbert’s Bakery, on West Street, just off the Square. They sell bread, cookies, pies, and scones but you can ignore them. The reason to go to Culbert’s is the doughnuts. If it’s a holiday weekend, best to call ahead, though they may not remember to box up your order. The doughnuts are all of the yeasted variety with interiors that are slightly chewy, like the very best home made bread. Like other doughnut makers, they use fake whipped cream in their cream variety but it tastes way better. Also highly recommended: raisin apple, chocolate chip and the classic standby, honey-dipped. Whichever one I sample gives me a little taste of home.
I can stand a few extra papers blowing about the streets. I can tolerate the aroma of putrefying garbage, at least in the short term. What I can’t stand is the disruption of the farmers’ markets, which make it possible for city dwellers to eat fresh produce everyday of the week. Great news: as the second week of the civic employees strike ends, comes the announcement that all the markets will be running again next week.
Lucky for me, last week when they were all closed, I was in rural southwestern Ontario. Lunching at Auberge du Petit Prince in London, the food (salads, crépes) was only average, but worth the visit for the Lailey Riesling at only $24.95. Though listed as 2007, the vintage served was 2008. Whatever, it was the perfect wine for an early summer afternoon!
Heading north on Highway 4 to Auburn and Goderich, we stopped at a stand offering strawberries and homemade bread. The berries were the best I’ve tasted in what is a very mediocre harvest. Fairly large and a nice deep red throughout, they were neither intensely flavoured nor juicy enough to be perfect. Still, the quart disappeared quickly at dinner a few hours later. At $4.00, they were $2.00 less than I paid in Toronto for the same quantity.
Think old order Mennonites in Ontario, and you usually think of Waterloo County. East of Goderich, and north of Auburn along the Belgrave Road there is a thriving community built up over the last two decades. Along this road there is a sort of commercial district including a sawmill. But the “commerce” such as it is takes place on the farms. Turning left of the north road from Auburn onto the Belgrave Road, the first farmer offers eggs—ungraded, $1.25 per dozen. If they don’t have as many eggs as you need already in the house, the children (this family has 12) are dispatched to pluck more from under the hens. These eggs are so fresh that if you hardboil them right away, they are almost impossible to peel. In season, they sell strawberries and raspberries for $2.50 per quart. Cheap and no nasty chemicals.
One farm has a sign out front simply saying “Donuts.” Further along the road, the area Mennonite bishop has a very rustic general store with large gardens patrolled by armies of young children on the lookout for weeds. When we visit they have already sold out of strawberries but have the first harvest of peas, and tomatoes brought in from Harrow. We leave with some of the tomatoes which are tasty even this early in the season, bread and butter pickles which perfectly blend sweet and sour, and oatmeal cookies which look crisp but turn out to be just plain hard.
There is a familiar name along this road: Hillsview Greenhouses and Market Produce sell at several Toronto markets, including City Hall and Borden Street. The greenhouses are closed when we drop by but they are at Goderich’s Saturday morning market, held in the town square. So are several Mennonite families. Alas, no strawberries to be had. This early in the summer there was not much produce except for green onions and some lettuce. Instead several stands sell perennials for the garden, baked goods and home cured sausages. Two young Mennonite woman sell excellent butter tarts. Just as muffins have gotten sweeter and larger over the years, it seems butter tarts have too. These particular ones are not so sickeningly sweet and at a two-bite size, not so guilt-inducing. My brother-in-law, a health inspector, knows way too much about small meat producers so we skip the sausage, tempting though they appear.
The one place you must not miss in Goderich is Culbert’s Bakery, on West Street, just off the Square. They sell bread, cookies, pies, and scones but you can ignore them. The reason to go to Culbert’s is the doughnuts. If it’s a holiday weekend, best to call ahead, though they may not remember to box up your order. The doughnuts are all of the yeasted variety with interiors that are slightly chewy, like the very best home made bread. Like other doughnut makers, they use fake whipped cream in their cream variety but it tastes way better. Also highly recommended: raisin apple, chocolate chip and the classic standby, honey-dipped. Whichever one I sample gives me a little taste of home.
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