Starfish, Toronto, My Fave for Bivalve Molluscs and Lobster

Starfish is my “go to” spot for a fabulous selection of pristinely fresh oysters, clams, raw, sweet scallops on the shell (when available) and for me, the best prepared (read: perfectly cooked) fresh lobster in Toronto (I always ask for the male).

This visit I enjoyed, oysters from Jersey Rock (uk) and Clarenbridge Bay from Ireland.

Creole crab gumbo with sliced okra, cubed carrots in a deliciously rich, mildy spicy broth.

House smoked haddock fish cakes with a dab of taramasalata, cucumber salad with a dill yogurt dressing.

And, of course the best prepared lobster in Toronto that comes with addictive french fries.

The desserts are also very good here, but, this time I abstained (one must cut back somewhere!!).

Queen Marguerita Pizza, Toronto

I had been reluctant to return to Queen Marguerita Pizza simply because   my first experience there, take out (although eaten right outside of the           resto), was rather disappointing. The sauce flavour was timid and the crust   too chewy and soft, especially  in the centre and also the crust was not          particularly flavourful. I decided that eating the pizza in the restaurant, as it was presented, would be a fair way of assessing the result. Let me say from   the first, that these are beautiful looking pizzas that in their appearance        offer so much potential.


I ordered 3 pizzas. The Giovanni arrived with tomato sauce, fior de latte        cheese, prosciutto di parma, arugula and cherry tomatoes. The tart melted    tomatoes went well with the earthy prosciutto and slightly bitter arugula.       The pizza presented beautifully but the crust, as I mentioned, was                  disappointing.









The Roberto arrived with porchetta, caramelized onions, fior di latte cheese and hot peppers. The very pleasantly porky flavours went well with the         sweet enticing taste of the caramelized onions, but needed the hot peppers to cut the grease. 







The final pizza, the Rocco presented with tomato sauce, fior di latte cheese, gorgonzola cheese, Italian sausage and red onions. The strong taste of the
gorgonzola went well with the sausage flavours, onion and tomato sauce.









The controversy of who has the best pizza continues, but for me, Pizza         Libretto is still the best crust, even if it is not quite a good as it was shortly     after the restaurant opened, the crust is still flavourful and crispy. Queen         Marguerita's  is still a very good pizza.

BOOK REVIEW: UCHI by Tyson Cole

After spending time with the Uchi Cookbook (named after the restaurant of the same name in Texas), I've come to realize the undeniable parallels between Uchi and the Momofuku philosophy of cuisine. Uchi is to Japanese food what Momofuku is to Korean. Even chefs Tyson Cole and David Chang seem to possess the same perfection-driven attitude, in addition to both having won James Beard Awards and international accolades.

                It's uncanny then, that both the Uchi Cookbook and Momofuku Cookbook share similar characteristics; amazing photography, intriguing personal anecdotes and even similarly styled recipe introductions. Those skeptical about a sushi restaurant in Austin, Texas can put out of their mind any misguided preconceptions; Cole's creations strut the line between traditional Japanese and New American. Original rock star-like creations include Shitake Mushroom Bacon and Poached Lobster with Canary Melon Gazpacho. Japanese ingredients and philosophy are used expertly along with the bounty of America to manifest amazing, original dishes.

                Chef Cole's recipes share much of the same difficulty as other restaurant-level cookbooks; perhaps even more so if one has to search out the freshest fish for the sashimi and sushi applications. Garnish components (called "Yakumi" in Japanese) are featured in their own section of the book, where the reader is at liberty to prepare any of the plentiful and deliciously original recipes for use in virtually any recipe in the book, or even as a side to a meal prepared by other means. Cole makes no effort to hide his affection for the compression technique using an expensive chamber-vac machine, but he also provides more user-friendly recipes as well that don't break the bank (here's looking at you, Modernist Cuisine!).

                While some may look at certain recipes and wonder how the flavours could ever mesh and work together, Tyson Cole explains that when creating a new dish, he splits his ideas into components, supplementing different ingredients of similar flavour profiles to create an original experience. One example of which would be the use of a Peach-Kimchi Puree on a dish with Wagyu Beef Short Ribs; the sweet-sour puree replaces the traditional reductions such as Bordelaise, while still maintaining the same flavour profile.

                The art direction of the book itself is worthy of galleries. In addition to the gorgeous, vibrant photographs of each plate, Cole pays his dues to the crew that works hard beneath him to make the Uchi machine run smoothly. His staff photographs are prolific throughout the book, some shot in color and some in black and white. It's nice to see a chef bring himself to a level where he recognizes the level of work those around him have put in as well. The "Yakumi" chapter showcases each individual garnish on a white canvas to show off it's vibrancy and perhaps also to inspire the reader to think of them as independent, as opposed to being tethered to specific recipes.

                It's a tough job, I imagine, preaching the wonders of Japan in the balmy city of Austin, Texas. Cole admits himself that at first his food was a hard sell. Since then, however, his rise has been meteoric as Texans realize the magic and quality that is being presented from behind the polished wooden bar at Uchi. He's doing an important thing, Tyson Cole, in pushing people beyond their comfort zones. Part of the fun of eating something like, say, Foie Gras Nigiri (besides the taste, of course), is the concept that you're about to put something completely new and exciting in your mouth. Excitement is something Uchi is churning out like a nuclear power plant, and for those of use who don't get the opportunity to visit Austin on a regular basis, Chef Cole's cookbook provides an alternative gateway to something mind-blowing.

Reviewed by Kevin Jeung
Uchi by Tyson Cole

Hardcover, $47.95, 260pp

Friday Lunch from Arepa Cafe

Just when we think we have tasted it all, something different comes along.  A Latin American specialty, an arepa resembles a fluffy grilled cross between a pancake and a flatbread.  It can feature toppings, or as the Venezuelan version we sample, stuffings.

The Designated Courier opts for adobo roasted pork and the reina pepeada--chicken in avocado sauce.  We are expecting red-tinged pork since the major ingredient of the adobo marinades we are used to are usually built on paprika so we are disappointed by this wan version.   However, a bit of research reveals that in Venezuela the term just refers to a mix of salt with herbs and/or spices. Though pale, the pork is still tender and juicy, enhanced by caramelized onions which could have been cooked a little longer.  The DC makes a big mistake by glomming on lots of the accompanying side sauce which he thinks is romesco.  Au contraire! It is a hot sauce, a very, very hot sauce.

The chicken version is more avocado with chicken than the other way around.  This is not something one should complain about since this suave sauce is utterly delicious.  Unlike guacamole where chunks of tomato or onion can distract from the avocado, the avocado flavour zings right through from what must have been a perfectly ripe fruit.

The arepas themselves have enough body to contain the filling but are ethereal enough to melt in the mouth. Besides a pancake/flatbread cross, they are also reminiscent of a well-made grilled polenta.  After the shock of the hot sauce we are a little reticent in trying the salsa verde.   A tiny side of coleslaw is completely pedestrian.

If you want to eat in, the high-ceiling-ed space is welcoming and comfortable. We will be back for more of these and to sample some the of seafood varieties.


Price for two arepas: $17.52

Location: 490 Queen Street West (near Augusta)

Phone: 416-362-4111

Photos From Noma, the #1 Restaurant In The World, Copenhagen, Denmark

I wrote the highlights of the dinner I enjoyed at Noma Restaurant, that appeared very recently in the National post. Please click on this link to read the article: http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/05/01/no-place-like-noma/

For a food lover, you have reached the top of the mountain when the chef of the number one restaurant in the world walks out the front door of his establishment, at prime dinner time, to personally greet you with a generous hug and hello. Chef Rene Redzepi and I recently bonded in Toronto during a speaking engagement and dinner organized by his publishers and The Cookbook Store.

Left to right, Lynda and Steven Latner, Noma Chef/owner Rene Redzepi, Dr. Josh Josephson, Chef David Lee


The experience of eating at Noma was quite profound. It was one of the best meal experiences of my life. It took me in a new direction of thinking about food elements and how one might experience cuisine.


Below, you will see the photos of all of the dishes that we enjoyed at Noma Restaurant. The name of each dish and a description is provided. Unfortunately, the photos can't really reproduce the experience that made me feel like the chef and his apprentice and sous chefs were leading me on a nature trip, introducing me to foods and flavours found in the environment.

Malt flat bread.  Flat bread flavoured with pine and juniper was presented as budding twigs mixed amongst living wild herbs, budding wild flowers and blooming branches all beautifully arranged in an alabaster coloured vase.

Moss and cep. Fried, crispy silver moss from Finland presented with cep mushrooms, on a living, green moss base on which there was also a twig, covered in bits of green moss. A small, contained ecosystem.

Mussels on the half shell, presented on a half “shell”, a thin, cookie crisp that was coloured and flavoured with squid ink. Each piece was mixed in with real mussel shells.

Seabuckthorn berry leather and pickled rose hips

Cookie with lardo and currant. Savoury cookies made with smoked speck, lardo and freeze dried black currents, topped with a spruce shoot.

Leek and Garlic. Only the fried bottoms are eaten.

Rye bread, chicken skin, lumpfish roe and smoked cheese. Danish dark rye bread , topped with fried chicken skin, lumpfish roe, smoked cheese and a bit of dill. The sandwich was presented with the rye bread facing up and the chicken skin on the bottom   

 

Pickled and smoked quail egg. A ceramic egg was presented. We were instructed to remove the top half, releasing a small amount of smoke from the still smouldering straw, on which rested an apple vinegar pickled and smoked quail egg. The rich yolk was still soft and warm.

 

               

Radish, soil and herbs. Newly arrived seasonal radish, with stems and leaves sprouted over the top, arrived buried in a flower pot. We were asked to use our fingers to push the radish through the “soil” in which each was buried, and to scoop up the “soil”, below which was a tarragon, chive and parsley flavoured sheep’s milk yogurt. The “soil” was a mix of ground hazelnuts, malt and beer that had been heated and dried for about six hours

Toast, herbs, smoked cod roe and vinegar. Toasted bread topped with a salad of fresh herbs flavoured with an emulsion of smoked cod roe and vinegar and topped with a piece of fried duck stock.

AEbleskiver and muiiko. Lightly fried dough ( Aebleskiver) filled with fried muiiko, a small fish from Finland, which we ate, head and tail.

Goat cheese cream with fried bread, pork skin and onions. White goat cheese cream with a bit of butter made into very dense foam that was topped with bread crumbs fried in pork fat, finely diced onions and fine bits of pork skin.

Leek and seaweed. Sliced leek with seaweed and horseradish gel.
 

 

Razor clam and dill, buttermilk and horseradish snow. A single, cold, raw razor clam, removed from its shell, presented in a white bowl, was tenderized by fast freezing for 24 hours, then rolled in a cool gel made with blended, finely sieved parsley and spinach. The clam was abutted by a line of "snow", frozen horseradish and buttermilk lightly sprinkled with flakes of sea salt. A small quantity of cold, clear mussel stock flavoured with white wine, shallot, thyme was combined with dill flavoured oil, was added to the bowl. The texture of the clam was like eating very soft somewhat overcooked asparagus. The intense sea flavours that were well complemented by the horseradish buttermilk “snow”.

Scallop "leathers" with beech nut, watercress and grains. Dehydrated scallops were presented as “leathers” and were plated with beechnut, grains and watercress leaves and accompanied by a sauce of mussel juice and squid ink.

 

Chestnut, lojram cress and walnut with bleek roe sauce. Sliced raw chestnuts with bits of chopped walnuts, topped with local lojrom cress topped with a butter sauce of seasonal bleak roe that had been combined with  birch wine and mustard seed.

 

Oyster and the ocean. A large perfect oyster, resting on oyster shells, topped with little jewels of different colours consisting of elderberries, three different kinds of seaweed and cream.

Vintage potato and milk skin. Potatoes that were in the ground for two seasons and then harvested, were covered with milk skin and accompanied by potato chips, wild chervil, wild ramps, lovage and watercress. The sauce was a combination of yogurt and whey.

 

Purple carrot and truffle. One year old (in the ground) purple carrot, slow cooked for about an hour in goat butter and served with sliced black truffle (from Gotland ,Sweden), truffle butter and fresh sorrel. The carrot had a beet-like texture

 

Pickled vegetables and bone marrow. Thin peels and sliced sections of pickled carrot, parsnip, beet and turnip, were accompanied with bits of poached bone marrow and paired with a sauce made from roasted pork ribs and brown butter. All of this was topped with foraged herbs and leaves.

 

Reindeer tongue and apple malt with browned butter. A personal knife with a bone handle, made in Lapland, was presented on a plate to be used for the course that followed. A one cm thick slice of reindeer tongue, cooked sous vide for 16 hours, was accompanied by thin peels of apple and a scoop of raw apple, referred to as an apple “boat”. All of the apple pieces were dressed with apple juice. Fried malt dough “apple seeds” were scattered around the plate along with wild coriander and cress leaves. Powdered dried apple skin was dusted over the whole dish. A sauce made from reduced reindeer juices and brown butter bound all of the flavours. 

 

Pear tree. Fresh pear, grilled and covered with fresh herbs and chive flowers surrounded by pear sauce flavoured with schnapps was accompanied by a sponge “parfait” seasoned with pine needle extract. The dish cast off an aroma of fresh pine needles.

Snowman. Two balls of “snow”, the lower ball larger than the top ball, all rested on a mound of “snow”. The very thin filament end of a carrot was placed in the top ball to simulate the nose. Elderberry flowers were used for the arms. One snowball was a meringue made from seabuckthorn berry mousse, caramelized sugar and egg whites. The other snowball was a combination of frozen buttermilk and yogurt. The yogurt and meringue snow was placed over a base of sweetened carrot puree and carrot brunoise, followed by the yogurt meringue ball and finally the sea buckthorn mousse meringue ball on top.

 

Old bread crumble with milk foam and sour milk sorbet.  Old rye bread crumbs, baked in malt beer served with milk foam made from sour Icelandic milk and accompanied by a scoop of sour milk sorbet.

Milk chocolate covered balls of yogurt cream. Slightly salty milk chocolate covered balls of yogurt, egg white and sugar “cream”.

Dark chocolate covered potato chips. Crunchy potato chips bathed in dark chocolate, flavoured with fennel and topped with a few fennel seeds. 

Smoked bone marrow caramels. One cm thick marrow bones filled with a solid combination of smoked marrow, caramel and butter. 

At the conclusion of our meal we were given an extensive tour of the kitchen.

Chef Rene Redzepi at work