Friday Lunch from Drake Hotel BBQ

If you want to sample barbecue Drake Hotel style, dash over there by July 3 when Anthony Rose puts down his Q tools.  If you do go, our advice is to stick to the brisket sandwich.

We, of course, tried both brisket and pulled pork sandwiches.  Altough the brisket seemed a tiny bit dry, it displayed a perfect flavor balance amongst its sweet , spicy , tangy, and smoky  elements.  The judicious addition of a dollop of coleslaw gave the sandwich just the right texture.

Usually when sampling both brisket and pulled pork, we favor the latter.  The reverse was the case this time The pulled pork sandwich lacked the great balance displayed by its brisket counterpart.  Instead, it was vinegar rearing its acidic head. Where was the juicy succulence that makes pu8lled pork so seductive?

We are all in favor of authenticity--except when it comes to squooshy Wonder Bread-style buns.  We are pretty sure such buns are the platform for much of the barbecue served up across the American South.  However when you could choose something that has some taste and that is not disintegration-prone, why not?  Just sayin'.

We went whole hog here, so to speak, and had dessert--a pecan tart and a whoopie pie.  All sugar, all the time.  The pecan tart was a typical example.Cushioning the unadulteratedly sweet icing , the whoopie biscuits were crisp rather than cakey.  texture we had anticipated.  To borrow a phrase from Irish Alison--little pillows of Type 2 diabetes.


Price:  $24.25 for two sandwiches, a whoopie pie, and a pecan tart

Location: 1159 Queen Street West

Phone: 416-531-5042

Susur Still Has His Mojo!! An Exceptional Meal and Exceptional Wines.

I personally organized a menu with Susur for a private wine dinner for 9 friends. Susur  was in Toronto and in his kitchen. This was a red wine themed evening. The wines were all served with the amuses and hors d'oevres and enjoyed as we chose, with the rest of the meal. 


The exceptional wines were: Bonne Mare, Roumier, 1990; Romanee St Vivant, DRC 1979; La Tache, DRC, 1976; Chateau Palmer 1970; Chateau Haute Brion 1982;  Chateau Ausone 1955; Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1966; and, with dessert, Trochenbeerenauslese, Schloss Eltz, 1976.


Ameuse bouche of poached white asparagus, a quarter of tomato, artisanal butter and bread. 

The ameuses was followed by a marvellous, intensely flavoured lobster bisque layered on milk foam (no photo).


A group of the following hors d'oevres all on the same plate: beef carpaccio on garlic chip potato with reggiano cheese, lemon, olive oil and pickled white asparagus; asian duck confit, goat cheese roll and rare duck breast with puree of apple and cognac and spiced walnut; boneless quail filled with bacon, spinach and chicken liver foie gras pate all baked in a puff pastry.

Roasted squab  breast and squab leg that was stuffed with smoked duck, with a slightly smoky flavoured steamed plum, rice tuile and vidal ice wine syrup.

Venison loin marinated with coffee accompanied by cream of wild mushroom, puree of parsnip and potato and an apple/blackberry puree. The flavour of the coffee was very mild and well assimilated with the mildly gamey venison.

The elegantly presented cheese course served with a ginger mango chutney.

Vanilla panna cotta made with condensed milk, with apricot preserves, pineapple, raspberry ravioli and dragon eye fruit, a perfect match for our richly flavoured dessert wine.

Without a doubt, Susur did not fail to please us with a truly superb meal, well matched for our fabulous wines.

Barque Restaurant at Night

We began with a terrific, juicy miami ribs starter with a very tasty bbq sauce

Then, brisket arrived, presented in a cast iron skillet, not too smoky but with a solid beefy flavour and quite tender. The brisket was very good but I might have preferred a little more smoky flavour.

I had a combination platter. The chicken thigh had a nice smoky flavour, a very good caramelized BBQ sauce but the meat was a bit dry. The beef rib was nicely smoky and tender. The very good smoky pork ribs had a wonderful sauce with good texture but the meat was slightly dry. Cuban corn had terrific flavour but would have had better flavour and texture if it was regional and in season.

Very tasty, house seasoned fries with citron aioli.

The caesar salad  was unremarkable.

Dessert, I know, I know!! .....I just couldn't wait before I took my photo. This was a great pecan pie and sided with terrific Greg's roasted marshmallow ice cream, a very good combination.

The big problem if you come to Barque at night. They are very busy and despite highly competent servers, the orders come very slowly. I suggest that one should order starters like the miami ribs, because the mains could take 1 hour to come....no exaggeration.....but worth it!

The Drake Dining Roadshow: Summer School

The Drake Hotel  launched it's Dining Roadshow: First Stop: Summer School Dining Hall which runs from June 23 to Sept 4th. Its a restaurant-within- a- restaurant concept. After Sept 4th, it will change themes.


This evening, we had a chance to graze virtually the entire new menu. Unfortunately, my cell camera had run out of juice, so no photos.

Homemade tomato cream soup with alphabet noodles, garlic and scallion olive oil. This was a wonderful adult version of childhood's Campbell's Alphabet Soup and praised by all.

Crispy crusted, cheese stuffed, garlic bread baguette could have used more garlic but was very good.

Chili con carne came topped with sour cream and chopped scallions and was accompanied by very good crispy nachos.

Good creamy style cole slaw.

Interesting pickled vegetables.

A terrific lobster roll with wonderful chunks of lobster mixed with mayo on a well buttered toasted roll.

Crispy, brown crusted crab cakes, redolent of wonderful chunks of crab.

A very good, very long hot dog with a crunchy skin that snaps on the bite, served with relish and cheesy sauerkraut. For my taste, they should drop the cheese.

A very good fried fish sandwich wih a cole slaw filling.

"Buttered peas" otherwise known as mushy peas.

Mac and cheese a great rendition with a crispy bread crumb topping. Some diehards wanting to return to their infancy expressed their preference for more cheese and cream.

A tasty eggplant parmesan with zuchini and fried onion needed more sauce.

Pork and beans was a very good warm bean salad (mixed with dices of various cooked veg) with pork that should have a more central role in the flavour and composition of this dish.

A fabulous 1 1\2 inch thick well aged Cumbraes rib steak sliced and served rare. Everyone just LOVED this steak.

I did not stay for the interesting listed desserts.

To Market, To Market June 14

Both Borden Street Market and the Hospital for Sick Children's Market are still a few vendors sort of a full load. Jim Hayward, the Bizjaks, and Caroll Collins are still nowhere to be seen.  OK Farms which missed the first two weeks at Borden and the first week at HSC has arrived with strawberries.  Ditto for Andrews' Scenic Acres.

The absence of sunshine and heat this spring becomes obvious when sampling strawberries. They are plentiful, they cook beautiful, they are pretty much tasteless. Berries from OK Farms are noticeably better than any of the other berries.  Whatever variety they are, they have taken advantage of what little sun there has been.

Both Marvellous Edibles at Borden Street and Andrews' at HSC still have rhubarb. How can Marvellous Edibles be out of their superior lard when I still have pies to make? I have to make do with less perfect lard for a strawberry and rhubarb pie. Both vendors have excellent asparagus.

The van Harts at Borden have some lovely lettuce and loads of their mini heirloom tomatoes.  Oh, the disappointment. Like the strawberries, the tomatoes  look just fine.  But their true selves are revealed when bitten into: they crunch and are bitter rather than acidic.

If the early weeks are any indication,  market shoppers are going to have to choose carefully.  Definitely taste before buying.

To Market, To Market Sorauren,June 20

I seems that the Sorauren Market has grown so much that the vendors have spilled right over the ridge.Many of the new vendors offer opportunities to snack while shopping.  Always a good thing. Some of the "new" vendors have, in fact, migrated from other markets.  Pine River which sold beautiful garlic at Wychwood/Green Barns is now at Sorauren.  Bizjak Farms, missing from Borden Street, has left the MyMarket group of markets for Sorauren and a new market at Bay/Adelaide.

De la terre bakery stall is my first stop since I have been missing their Pelham sourdough all winter. The first chunk I tear off reveals that it is just as great as ever.

One of my fondest childhood spring memories is of eating morels. The often popped up under our swing. Since they did not appear every year they were a real treat when we did find them  My mother would clean them carefully, saute them in butter, squirting in a little lemon juice at the end with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then would serve them up on toast. So simple, so exquisite.  Well, lucky day, Forbes had a pile of morels. For $5.00 I got a large handful which are mine, mine, all mine.

The Singhs from Brampton, with their simple fresh veggie sign, are back with their first tiny Rodina beets. Once home, I baked them in foil  then mixed them with potatoes from Cutting Veg for a pink salad dressed with mustard and dill mayo.

For protein,  I stop at Field Sparrow Farm. The Bakkers are making their first CSA(community supported agriculture)delivery this week but they still sell cuts of grass-fed meet individually too. A sirloin steak becomes part of my family's dinner  Most amazing to see is that Annabelle who was not yet born at this time last year is walking about, taking her mother's calculator with her.

The Pasta Bar and Grill, Toronto

The Pasta Bar is one of those longstanding, reliable restaurants that has a tradition of being a place for a casual meal that one knows will be good. If you are wondering where you might eat before a show, where you might have a casual meal after work, this is one of those places that knowledgeable Torontonians will attend. The co-owner/ executive chef of both the Pasta Bar and Scaramouche, the more formal adjacent dining room, is Keith Frogget, a well respected and established toronto chef. The operations chef in charge of the Pasta Bar is Scott Hildebrandt. Co-owner Carl Korte is one of the best "front of the house" gents in the city, a classy, knowledgeable and knows most everyone, kind of guy. 


Below are the dishes I chose at a most recent visit. If a plate looks a bit "messy"....know that I started to gobble before I took the photo and had to re-fix the plate to make it look "ok".


Beef tartar, a very good, mildly spiced, standard rendition of this dish. Hand cut filet mignon with garlic crostini.

The Pasta Bar and Pangaea are the most reliable restaurants in Toronto for me to enjoy grilled liver properly cooked to a medium rare doneness, here served with french beans and caramelized onion mashed potatoes.

A side order of very tasty onion rings with a lightly battered crust.

Vanilla bean cheese cake with mango sorbet and fresh mango, was a refreshing finish.

GUIDE TO FORAGING BOOKS by Kevin Jeung

DISCLAIMER:

Foraging for your own ingredients can be a dangerous practice. Many edible plants have poisonous look-alikes that can be lethal. Even some of the edible plants can remain toxic until treated in a certain way, at which point they become the delicious products we see on our plates everyday. Please exercise caution while foraging; we encourage the enlisting of a trained expert to guide you in the right direction.

Right then.

It's an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, Man had always assumed that cultivated product was the most delicious product occupying the planet, instead of the *second* most delicious. The most delicious products were of course wild which, curiously enough, had long hidden in plain sight on planet Earth. They had made many attempts to alert mankind to their presence, but most of their communications were misinterpreted as amusing attempts to write an original menu or project one's food into the stratosphere of food elitism. So they eventually decided they would inspire Earth by their own means. The last ever message was misinterpreted as a surprisingly sophisticated attempt to exclusively conjure multiple Michelin stars, but in fact the message was this: We have arrived, and food will never be the same.

~ Adapted from the opening lines of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

THE FORAGER'S HARVEST

by Samuel Thayer

I'm going to go ahead and declare The Forager's Harvest the best foraging book we have available, in terms of it's versatility and also portability (believe it or not, but the Noma cookbook is a very disagreeable fit with the back pocket of, oh, pretty much every human being on the planet). Though it's still a bit larger than a pocket book, it fits conveniently into a shoulder bag, and contains a huge volume of information, not just for it's size, but also in terms of foraging books in general. Each profile contains photographs of the specific plant as well as habitat locations and preparation instructions. The introductory section also details proper and efficient harvesting techniques and includes a great chart that breaks down the harvesting season in months as opposed to the more popular seasonal divisions. The Forager's Harvest also remains neutral in terms of foraging regions; the book covers wild plants that grow worldwide instead of concentrating on a certain region.

Softcover, $24.95

EDIBLE WILD PLANTS AND HERBS

by Pamela Michael

One thing that instantly sets Edible Wild Plants and Herbs apart is the use of hand-illustrated photos of each plant. It's a question of trust, I suppose; do you trust the artist's interpretation of what a plant looks like when it comes to putting it in your mouth? Nevertheless, I can't deny that the illustrations are quite nice and an appreciated change of pace after leafing through the other books in this guide. Choosing to gear towards those just entering the foraging field (which, let's be honest, most of us are new to this plant-picking business), information is limited to more basic profiles instead of diving into the lore and history of each plant. Another neat feature of the book is that a large chunk of "recipes" are actually for more household-ish preparations such as Carragheen Bath Gel or Chamomile Hair Rinse. While this might not be everyone's cup of tea, it's nice to know that the author has chosen to include medicinal recipes in addition to those we eat just because they taste nice. Because of it's greater emphasis on being a recipe book as opposed to a field guide, the fact that the book is quite large compared to others mentioned isn't as significant an issue because it's not meant to be brought in a foraging bag.

Hardcover, $45

RIVER COTTAGE HANDBOOK #7 HEDGEROW

by John Wright

The smallest book in this guide, RCH7 is the closest to a "pocket guide" that we have available (then again, I think foraging suffers from Laser Eye Surgery Syndrome; how cheap are you really willing to go with surgery and how vague are you really willing to go with foraging notes?). With a concise and well-organized layout, RCH7 avoids a common pitfall of guidebooks in information bombardment. While the guide is written to accommodate the regions of Britain, one of the stand-out features of this book is that it includes a section in the back that profiles toxic plants that can be easily confused for edible ones. While this may seem obvious to include, none of the other books have a section dedicated to harmful plants (the pages are even headlined in red, in case you didn't get the message). It's one of those things you hope you never need to use, but you appreciate them being there. Similar to the other books in this guide, a calendar is provided detailing the peak points in each season at which to find specific plants. The writing is also executed in classic River Cottage style, appearing simultaneously Oxford and personable.

Hardcover, $25

THE WILD TABLE

by Connie Green and Sarah Scott

For foraging along the Western coast of North America, Connie Green's The Wild Table is a great recommendation. Known in the food biz as "The Mushroom Lady", she's supplied numerous fine dining restaurants with delectable wild ingredients. Thomas Keller even offers his ringing endorsement in the foreword he provides in the book. Though the majority of products detailed in the book are indigenous to the West coast, there are a few ingredients that grow elsewhere, and with today's network of international purveyors, it's not difficult to have terrific ingredients shipped to your door. One must also acknowledge the recipes included with the book, all of which take tremendous advantage of the seasonal bounty that foraging provides. While providing immaculate instructions on how to properly harvest and prepare foraged ingredients, her tone remains light-hearted and not as dry as some of the other guides that focus more on academia while Connie Green includes relevant anecdotes that shed light on the charm of ingredients that many people experience unfamiliarity with.

Hardcover, $50

NOMA: TIME AND PLACE IN NORDIC CUISINE

by Rene Redzepi 

Credited by many for popularizing the use of foraged and wild ingredients, Rene Redzepi's Noma was named the top restaurant of 2010 and 2011 in the global San Pellegrino rankings. It should be fitting then, that his cookbook be released that same year. While it's not a foraging guide by any stretch of the imagination (and many argue it barely qualifies as a cookbook due to sheer difficulty of recipe execution), Noma: Time And Place In Nordic Cuisine serves it's purpose as a piece of great inspiration to the professional cook. While I risk redundancy in mentioning that the ingredients in this book are all sourced from Copenhagen, where Redzepi runs his operation, I feel it's my duty to bear the bad news that 95% of the ingredients in this book are nigh impossible to come by on the plains of North America. Don't let the rarity of Danish ingredients hinder you; use Noma as a pool of ideas to draw from. Picking up the book and flipping to any given page is guaranteed to set off sparks of imagination instantly. Chef Rene Redzepi is creating some of the most innovative and original plates on the planet. Yes, I agree that most of the recipes are impossible to execute word for word, but hey, that cook-your-egg-at-the-table idea seems pretty cool...

Hardcover, $55 ON SALE for $30.25 (45% savings!)

REVIEWS by KEVIN JEUNG

What's Your Beef, Group of 7 Chefs at Cowbell, Toronto

The tragedy is that more people in the GTA did not get to hear about this stellar event held at Cowbell Restaurant. The chefs participating at this event are a good cross-section of the creative vanguard of cuisine in Toronto. Why does Toronto not have it's own version of a Time Out Magazine that could expose this kind of event to the public at large? This is the question of the moment. 



I was fortunate to be on the Cowbell email list. As soon as I heard about the event, I signed on. The theme of the evening was beef centric dishes, using conventional and offal parts of the animals supplied by regional farmers with whom the chefs had a relationship.


We began with chef Kevin McKenna's (Globe Bistro) tongue and leek terrine (Dennis and Sons Farms). Thin slices of tongue were neatly folded so that, to the diner, only a ribbon of the tongue was visible. The tongue was accompanied by wild asparagus tops and Indian celery and then a warm beef consomme derived from semmintal breed cows was poured over the ingredients. A terrific dish for tongue lovers.

Chef Rob Gentile (Buca) presented cuore di manzo, marinated beef heart cooked to rare served with wild cicoria, a slightly bitter tasting relative of the endive family, pickled ramps and preserved black figs. This dish was a triumph of flavours, the beef heart going so well with bitter leaves and the sweet fig.

Chef Bertrand Alepee's dish was hand chopped beef tartar with pickled radishes, crispy beef cheek deep fried in a tempura like batter and sauce gribiche. The pickled radishes were the perfect punch to contrast the flavours of both the tartar and beef cheek.

Chef Mark Cutrara (Cowbell) presented a dish with 2 types of beef to compare and taste: 69 day aged beef rib eye vs conventional rib eye with little aging, on the plate with celery root puree and salsa verde. For me there was no contest, the 69 day aged beef had a tender texture and a lovely complexity of flavours, that is a range of flavours with a "beginning", "middle" and "finish". The conventional beef had no finish and a very attenuated middle flavour. The salsa verde, although delicious, was too intense a flavour for the beef and overwhelmed the taste.

Chef Scott Vivian (Beast) gave us tripe "alla Beast", a delicious bowl of stewed tripe, a raw quail yolk partially "cooked" by resting in the hot stew, crispy seared chick peas and piquillo peppers.

Chef Matty Matheson 's(Parts and Labour) dish was eye of round, sourced from a trusted farmer, with sweetbread, beef tendon, black garlic and bone marrow butter, cauliflower puree, pickled carrot, sorrel, carrot tops and wild celery. As a dish, all of the ingredients came together into a flavour symphony. However, unfortunately, the meat from this animal, cooked to rare, was just too tough to enjoy eating. Truly a shame that does happen once in a while.

The dessert created by chef Guy Rawlings was raw milk and honey with smoked almond nougatine, sorrel and rhubarb served with a glass of raw milk. This was my first experience tasting raw milk. The flavour seemed to be more complex and more interesting than pasteurized milk, but from a flavour perspective not enough for me to prefer drinking raw milk over pasteurized milk. The presentation and various flavours on the plate, ranging from mildly tart to the sweet, reminded me of some of my recent Scandinavian experiences.

I was more than delighted by the creative culinary ideas expressed by these chefs. The presentation of each dish was an elevated composition of the common, basic elements of this rustic kind of cuisine, demonstrating that nose to tail eating can be an art. 

Barque, Take 2, Lunch at the Source

After reading about takeout Barque, I decided to go to the source. I was hoping for more than sandwiches, but that's it, that's lunch. For those of you hoping for bbq'd sliced brisket or bbq'd chicken or ribs or pulled lamb, those are dinner items only.


First I must declare that the Barque sandwiches are worth going out of their way for and it is quite a bit off the beaten path.


The brisket sandwich was very good and very enjoyable. Mildly smoky and slightly dry beef was well lubricated with fried onions and a tangy red cabbage slaw, all in a very good bun, delightfully crispy on the top. If I was served sliced brisket that had just been smoked like that, I may not have rated it well as an item to be eaten on it's own, as I prefer more smoke in a slightly fattier cut. But, I will hold judgement until I return for dinner. 

The bbq'd chicken sandwich was equally very good. Mildly smoky pulled chicken topped with candied smoked bacon, romaine lettuce and aoli with a bit of a bite, all on a very good crispy topped bun. The overall effect of the smoked bacon and smoky chicken satisfied my appetite for smoky flavours. The aioli provided a very flavourful bight and just the right counterpoint for this delicious sandwich.

In addition to the very enjoyable fillings for these sandwiches I must congratulate the chef on choosing such a highly satisfying bun, they hold up well and have a very pleasant crunchy skin on their tops.


I did not order the french fries!

Friday Lunch from Barque

Despite its location way north of the Mason-Dixon Line, Toronto just cannot stop its desire to be abarbecue capital .  One of the newest entries in the drive to create a barbecue restaurant on every block in the city, Barque, on Roncesvalles, is also one of the most subtle barbecue joints.

After a few too many soggy fries and smushed rolls, in theory, we think we should be seeking our lunches a little closer to home.In practice, we just cannot resist the call of whatever is new, no matter where it is.  Hence, Designated Courier is off on another subway/streetcar ride. And yes, the fries suffered...again. However, his quarry, a Barque brisket sandwich and a smoked trout sandwich, were well worth the miles travelled.

Smoked Trout Sandwich with Avocado, Olives and Arugula

The trout is barely smoked so that the flavour of the fish rather than of the smoke is foremost while the flesh maintains a rosy hue.  The tomato, arugula, olive and avocado are perfect accompaniments  , enhancing the flavour while also providing colour contrast.

Smoked Brisket Sandwich with Crispy Fried Onions and Pickled Red Cabbage

If your barbecue pleasure resides in gooey sauces and crunchy charred bits, this brisket sandwich is not for you.Again the smokiness is barely there. The meat is paired with  lightly dressed red cabbage for crunch.

The buns Barque uses for its sandwiches are excellent. With a chewy crust, they have enough body to contain their fillings--and to travel well.  Also, there is no breaking of teeth on an over baked crust!

French Fries and Coconut-Corn Soup (Bacon not visible)

Arugula and Shaved Fennel Salad, Orange Segments, Citrus Vinaigrette

The sides are as good as the sandwiches.  The coconut corn soup should not be missed.  A green-flecked sweet and suave puree, it will yield up the surprise of bacon in the last spoonful.  A salad of shaved fennel and orange is a refreshing companion to the sandwiches.  Although Older Eater is usually not fond of fennel, here the anisey flavor is not so apparent.  A little sprinkle of Maldon salt for added texture would have made a good thing even better. Two small samples of barbecue sauce also come with the sandwiches.  One is a typical dark and smokey rendition while the lighter hued sauce is a spicy mustard version.

Whoever worked out  the menu at Barque either has an inherently fine palate or is extremely thoughtful about pairing ingredients. Each element on the plate worked with the others to create a harmonious whole.  Not only is this rare in barbecue restaurants, it is seen less frequently in fine dining establishments than one expect.  So Barque, long may you run.


Price: Two sandwiches, salad and fries(bonus soup) cost $27.17

Location:  299 Roncesvalles

 Phone: (416) 532-7700

Friday Lunch from Pizzeria Libretto

We have the answer for anyone who has ever wondered what would result if a Western sandwich put on airs, pulled up stakes, and moved to Italy. It would turn into Pizzeria Libretto's truffle pizza. (Editor: One must note that this pizza is not on the regular menu; this special pie runs on the featured menu that rotates it's varietals constantly. Your best bet to possessing this culinary treasure is to call ahead of time, or keep your eyes peeled on Twitter @pizzalibretto for daily special announcements)

12-inches of black truffle and egg yolk nirvana!

This pizza seemed innocent enough. The usual exemplary Pizzeria Libretto crust was slicked with stacciatella --the creamy shredded mozzarella used to stuff Puglia's hollow burrata--then dabbed with truffle paste, and splashed with truffle oil. On top of this fragrant extravaganza, there were slices of Berkshire ham and an organic egg yolk. 

Yes, once again we had gone so far afield to snare our lunch that it was stone cold by the time The Designated Courier returned. Our local less-celebrated pizzeria refused to reheat it. The Designated Courier was thoroughly unimpressed, especially after having loyally purchased lunch there many a time. It made little difference. The crust was wonderfully chewy. The earthiness of the truffle brought out the best in the ham and egg. 

Why the mention of "seemed innocent enough"? It was only as the last bite of our third slices slid down our throats that the intense richness of this pie was suddenly apparent.Did we wish for one moment that we had stopped one slice sooner? Not on your life. That at lunchtime we did not have to stand in line to get through the door made every bite that much sweeter.

Pizzeria Libretto
221 Ossington Avenue
Take Out or Dine In

Price: $21.47 for a 12-inch pie

Loving Lunch At Nota Bene Resto, Toronto

I look forward to hearty lunches at Nota Bene. Wednesday has wonderful smoked meat (I skip the cheese!!). This time, a Thursday, I enjoyed lunch with a friend. So, we got to split the the fabulous, full of flavour, wagyu beef burger (beef from Cumbrae's), cooked medium rare, accompanied by terrific french fries, and the pulled pork sandwich. Both were knock your socks off good!

Below, the juicy pulled pork sandwich accompanied by tangy house made cole slaw and french fries. This perfect bun does not fall apart.

Below, the Cumbrae Farms Wagyu beef Burger (with "yellow mustard"...natch....not dijon!) topped with sauteed onions on a toasted bun.

Bitten June 6, 2011

They have not quite hit the status of cupcakes or macarons, but marshmallows have moved way beyond Kraft and Campfire.  We have sampled  strawberry and vanilla versions from Whole Foods.  We have sampled the more exotic flavors which Petit Thuet has sold.  Our latest temptation is from the chocolate shop, Leonides.

A chocolate shop cannot just offer up plain vanilla.  No, these poofy numbers are bathed in dark chocolate.  Whoever whipped these up achieved the perfect balance between body and airiness.  Strangely, though the chocolate  is dark, it is on the sweet side of the scale, sweeter really that the marshmallows themselves.

Considering that two approximately two inch squares cost only $1.30, these are a nice break from conventional chocolate bars.  With s'mores also having their moment, you can upgrade  this camping favorite by sandwiching one of these chocolate-covered marshmallows between two Peek Frean shortbreads.  If you want to pretend you are creating a slightly healthier snack, opt for digestives rather than shortbread!

The Drake Hotel, Toronto: Special Dinner for the Cookbook Store

A meal arranged by chef Anthony Rose for the staff of The Cookbook Store consisted of a succession of "surprise" courses.

Ricotta cheese with Olives, slow roasted cherry tomatoes with thyme, all drizzled with lovely olive oil, topped on country style grilled toast.

Warm oysters with ancho chile sauce (a great combo) and topped with chopped scallions, all on a warm bed of soybeans.

Grilled, tender chile seasoned squid, smoked sausage, rice and beans with green onion aioli. Can you visualize how these wonderful flavours and textures would come together? An amazing dish.

Sweet pea ravioli with grilled, early seasonal baby leeks, lobster, mushrooms and lobster mushroom butter. A sweet dish that just smacked of umami!

Pork belly fried rice, kernel peanuts, fire shrimp (butterflied and lightly breaded with maple syrup and spice), bok choy, hoisin sauce, all with fried egg noodles. The shrimp was crispy enough to eat tail and all (we did).

Crunchy broccoli with heirloom cherry tomatoes, pan seared garlic, chopped sweet red pepper and creme fraiche.

Cumbrae farms skirt steak had a lovely beefy flavour complexed by proper aging, was served with garlic chives butter. This tender, flavourful steak experience was a tribute to both the butcher, Steve Alexander and chef Rose.

And we just had to have the crispy fries and aioli.

Mile high “wacky cake” layered with nutella, chocolate ganache and crisps. Now this was wacky-good!

And this the result!!

Orange frito (caramelized corn chips) orange chiffon cake orange zest icing.

Another "wacky" dessert!

Anthony Rose is the king of comfort food, creative comfort food influenced by Asian and European traditions without any overbearing seasoning. The food flavours came through and never overwhelmed the palate despite the complexity of some of the dishes. What a meal!

Italian Wine Theme Dinner At the York Club for L'Ordre Mondial

Chef Jason Thede prepared an Italian inspired menu for this Italian wine event organized by Geoffrey Johnson for L'Ordre Mondial.


We began the evening with Prosecco di Vald Vend, Bisol, Brut D.O.C. 2009 along with 3 hors d'oevres: bresaola with arugula and onion marinade; roasted eggplant with parmesan and herb crostini; marsala-marinated foie gras terrine with shaved fennel and honey.


Pan-roasted branzino with concentrated tomato, clams, basil and Nicoise olives. The fish was perfectly cooked and the skin crispy. The lovely broth flavoured with clam juices, shallots and tomato were a wonderful accompaniment for the fish. With this dish we enjoyed Cevaro Della Sala, Castello Della Sala, Antinori I.G.T. 2007 and 2008. The 2007, particularly, was a wonderful wine with exuberant fruit, excellent balance and a very long finish, a wine that was so enjoyable on it's own. The 2008 was a  wine better with food, possessing a minerality and citrus notes that went well with the fish.

Our next course was lamb "sorpresa", creamy-textured lamb brain which had been gently sauteed and presented with a caper butter sauce and wilted spinach. The wines were Brunello di Montalcino, Biondi-Santi, D.O.C.G. 2003 and a spectacular Brunello di Montacino Riserva, Castel Giacondo, Frescobaldi D.O.C.G. 2000.

A dish inspired by chef Thede's stay at Villa D'Este, Italy followed, a shallow bowl of potato cream soup with some vegetables in a sour sauce in which a perfectly seared scallop complemented all of the flavours. The wines for this course were Chianti Classico Reserva, Nittardo, D.O.C.G. 2003 and Guado Al Tasso Superiore, Bolgheri, D.O.C.G. 2003.

Then, 2 wines were served on their own, a Tignanello, Antinori, I.G.T. 2004 that was wonderful, a big wine, typical of that vintage, and a Ca'Marcanda, Magari, Toscana, Gaja, I.G.T. 2007, that was also very good but did not have the presence of the Tignanello.


We enjoyed those wines as the next course was served, parmesan gnocchi with shredded oxtail, porcini and lightly charred asparagus. The only flaw for me in this meal was the gnocchi, which I found a bit too dense and heavy. Two more wines were poured, a wonderful Sassacaia, Bolgheri, D.O.C. 2003 and a very good Ornellaia, Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia , Bolgheri, D.O.C. 1999. both of these wines were still rather young and undeveloped and will be quite fabulous in about 10 years.

The dessert was a very enjoyable, luxuriously indulgent saffron and toasted almond ice cream on roasted figs, in a crispy Florentine tuile. Visually, a lovely presentation.