To Market, To Market

How time flies when you are enjoying fresh food! The final Borden Street market for 2011 ended in a deluge on October 27. In fact, it was the third rainy market day in a row.

Several vendors were already gone--VanHarts, Bosco, Collins, and O.K. Farms. The remaining vendors had plenty to offer.  Despite the fact that it was the last week of October there were still raspberries and tomatoes, fragile crops for immediate pleasure.  For the long hiatus ahead, there were root crops , hard winter squash, and apples. Monforte also had their well-worth -the-expense butter again.

The good news is that there need not be much of a hiatus.  From the first Saturday in November until the spring Marvellous Edibles will be at both Brickworks and Wychwood Barns. Other farmers are planning to sell at a twice monthly market in the atrium at the Hospital for Sick Children.  Stay tuned for dates and hours. Of course, Dufferin Grove is also open year round on Thursdays and Sorauren is open on some Mondays.

If you cannot bear to slog through inclement weather consider joining a CSA (community-supported agriculture)scheme which will bring fresh produce(some also offer meats),if not to your door, at least close to it.
So really, you have no reason not to support your local farmers at any time of the year.

What's New at Canoe

Canoe restaurant has undergone rather extensive renovation. It feels lighter and more open. The service is invariably impeccable.  But, how was the food? We had the good fortune of being cared for by the # 2 chef, John Horne, a gent who seems well assured, attentive, observant and very good with the execution and fine tuning of the concept of a dish. We worked with him planning an event for the Chevalier Du Tastevin (Burgundy Wine Society).

We began with various hors d'oevres, Screech marinated fois gras torchon, topped with peach compote, on toasted brioche. The Screech braces your palette for the rich foie gras and sweet contrast of the fruit.

Pristinely fresh east coast oysters were topped with cucumber pearls, a highly flattering match of flavours. We did not add the flavours of lemon. It was not only not needed but would be unflattering for our rich white burg wine. 

Our final app was tempura fried pickerel cheeks partnered with a lovely tarragon flavoured mayonnaise and candied blood orange. This chef is very wise with his flavour pairings.

We enjoyed a pan seared Qualicum bay scallop with a very sweet, perfectly underdone centre that was paired with maple braised St Canut pork belly, aged sunflower seed oil, all mounted on a sweet and slightly earthy cauliflower puree. The fat of the St Canut pork is a favourite of mine, the pig being finished on sweet cream the past few weeks of it's life and was enjoyed with the flavours of the puree and scallop. 

Apple wood smoked goose, once again perfectly cooked rare and so pleasantly flavoured with smoke was well paired with the flavours of a sweet squash puree, a ball of Swiss chard, huckleberry and concord grape jus and the wonderful texture of the red quinoa.

Wellington beef tenderloin that had been rubbed with green elder flower and black plum, was perfectly rare and juicy and so well matched with a chestnut tourtiere, seared leek and earthy flavoured steel cut oats that added a wonderful texture to this dish.

Caramelized Niagara pear tart was presented with a caramelized birch sauce and a Labrador tea ice cream. A perfect dish for a well matched sweet flavoured sauterne with a pleasant and necessary mildly acidic finish. 

"Bacon and Eggs" at Splendido Restaurant!!

From time to time, a visit to Splendido provides a wonderful culinary surprise by chef Victor Barry. This time, a novel dish and a new pastry chef awaited us. It was also the beginning of the arrival of fresh white truffles and a special truffle menu was available.


We were surprised by the presentation on a wooden platter placed  before each of us. We were asked to make our own "bacon and eggs". The arrangement on the platter consisted of a spoon with truffled compound butter, a raw egg in it's shell and thin slices of culatello. We were instructed to place butter in the very hot cast iron pan, add the egg and the bacon (with the tweezers provided) and cook each ingredient to our liking. A waiter came around with a saucepan with a red wine reduction, pearl onions, button mushrooms and chopped black truffle, that was spooned over our finished eggs, while in the hot pan. How yummy!! We ate this fabulous presentation right from the pan and mopped up any delicious residues with the wonderful house made rye bread. For me, this is one of the great dishes to eat in Toronto, at this moment! 

The finished "bacon and egg" ready to be eaten.

The new pastry chef introduced himself with 3 desserts which we all shared. First, a very refreshing and palate cleansing Ontario plum, buttermilk panna cotta with caramelized white chocolate and pomegranate.

Next, a very seasonal and well-made heirloom carrot pain d'espice with bourbon-soaked sultana raisons, ginger and spiced ice cream.

And finally a milk chocolate tart ( I never eat milk chocolate and so would never have ordered and tasted this dish, but this dish was the desire of one friend) with mango, passion fruit and pecan and pistachio praline. I was so surprised to be so seduced by this wonderful dessert....me, eating milk chocolate??! None of my friends believed that they saw me eating this course, with such relish!

BOOK REVIEW: Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook by Christina Tosi

 Christina Tosi has brought out the pastry chef in me.
There, I said it.

   Not since Albert Adria’s Natura cookbook have I been so inspired by the sweet side of the kitchen.. She’s reached deep into my soul and dragged up that neglected part of my culinary psyche, slapped it around and said “Come on, you can be so much better than this!”

   I admit, shamefully, that I had doubts about how good this book would be. I remember distinctly saying “Come on, [David] Chang is a great chef, but this dessert book is going to be a big book of different ways to make cereal milk.” To Ms. Tosi’s credit, she does devote an entire chapter to cereal milk (perhaps the iconic dessert of the Momofuku name... or is it the Crack Pie…?) but she make sure to keep it engaging, interesting and entertaining at the same time.

  This brings me to my next point; like the Momofuku Cookbook before it, the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook focuses on developing that quirky, ADD-like personality that made the former such a great read, even if one wasn’t planning on cooking from it (for the record, I have cooked many, many things from the Momofuku Cookbook). Because of Christina Tosi, the words “hardbody” and “real talk” have new meaning and frequent usage in my everyday vocabulary. The story of how Tosi became the pastry chef at Momofuku is as wild and inspiring as the recipes she creates.

  One of the first things you’ll notice in this book is that the recipes are divided differently than your average pastry cookbook. Tosi explains in her introduction that she built her entire Momofuku pastry empire upon a select roster of “mother recipes” that can be varied to different results. Similar to a mother sauce such as Bechamel laying the groundwork for a Mornay (add cheese), Soubise (add pureed caramelized or sweated onions) or Nantua (add crayfish shells), Tosi’s mother recipes such as Cereal Milk and Mother Dough yield incredibly creative dishes such as Cereal Milk Panna Cotta and Bacon and Scallion Bagel Bombs.

  Excitedly, Christina Tosi’s literary voice accompanies every recipe, often with a short story about how such a creative and wildly out-of-left-field dish came into existence. Throughout the book she remains humble to her roots; making sure to give credit where it’s due to the cooks, family or friends who inspire her every day. Her philosophy is infectious, and it’s easy to understand how she and David Chang co-exist under the same roof; they both share that weird “quirkiness” that defines the way they cook, think and see the world. It’s always refreshing to read a book with such beefy, personable text.

  The day this book fell into my hands, I raced home and cranked my oven, anxious to take a recipe for a spin (see: Alpha Male buys new car). Upon flipping the pages, one realizes that the measurements are in volume and weight. Grams, people, grams! Tosi addresses her decision to use both units of measurement throughout the book, citing and stressing that weight will always result in a consistent product, while those who use cups, tablespoons and teaspoons leave themselves vulnerable to the occasional mis-bake (seriously people, buy a scale!). 

  When I pulled the first tray of Roasted Cornflake-Chocolate Chip-Marshmallow Cookies out of the oven, it was like rediscovering cookies all over again. It’s like the guns-blazing, gung-ho attitude that birthed such Momofuku classics as Frozen Foie Gras Snow and the iconic Pork Belly Bun was injected into classic American dessert for the benefit of oh, say, the whole wide world.  I guarantee after eating your first Milk Bar cookie, you’ll never cream your butter, eggs and sugar for less than 7-8 minutes ever again.

  So what is it about Momofuku that enchants thousands of eaters around the world? I believe you’ll find an understanding of the philosophy within the pages of this book. It’s not in the text, the recipes, or the photographs; but as a whole, in reading everything you embrace the Momofuku way of life. Food no longer has boundaries; the cornflakes on the counter are no longer for the cereal bowl, nor the Ovaltine destined for the mug of warm milk. It’s a different kind of inspiration than that of an Albert Adria, Alex Stupak or Johnny Iuzzini. It’s neither better nor worse, just… different. The approach is that of childhood; of drawing on memories and the warm feelings of the past to create something new, yet familiar at the same time. It’s a rare occasion when a force re-innovates food in ways radical and exquisite, but I feel that what Christina Tosi has done stands as good a chance as any to inspire sweet teeth the world over.

Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook by Christine Tosi       
Hardcover, 256pp, $40 
Reviewed by Kevin Jeung

A Stadtlander Barn Burning Fundraiser at Bohmer Restaurant, Toronto

Friends of chef Michael Stadtlander and his dynamic wife, Nobuyo, gathered for a fundraiser at the Bohemian Gastropub, to raise money to support the rebuilding of the Stadtander farms barn, that had recently burned down.

At the reception we enjoyed fresh oysters from Adam Colquhoun of Oyster Boy, Sushi by chef Hiro Yoshiday of Hiro Sushi, finger sized merguez sausage in a bun topped with chopped, pickled, sweet red pepper, by chef Taylor Mcmeekin of Mildred's Temple kitchen, crispy mini-Scotch eggs topped with mango chutney by chefs John Higgins and Oliver Li of George Brown College and for me, the triumphant roasted Eiginsinn Farm suckling pig served with it's crackling, accompanied by apple slices roasted in the pan juices, by chef Michael Stadtlander.

Sesame tofu, preserved, flattened and dried tofu skin, natural soy and yuzu sauce, was accompanied by buttery yellowtail sashimi mounted on a shiso leaf, created by chef Daisuke Izutu.

Perfectly pan seared Lake Huron white fish, crusted in fennel and celery seed was accompanied by lovage, potato dumplings, lobster bisque sauce and speckled trout caviar, by chef Kevin Mckenna from Globe Bistro.

A rustic, exceptionally flavourful and satisfying soup of goose broth, soft cooked goose egg, potato poached in goose broth, goose bacon, wild mushrooms, mustard greens and collard greens, by chef Anthony Walsh of Canoe.

Grilled red Chicken mole, crispy tortilla, cilantro, radish pico de gallo, queso fresco and wild mushrooms by chef Anthony Rose, of the Drake Hotel. This delicious dish of wonderful flavours and textures, accompanied by the perfectly cooked juicy chicken, generated a fair amount of pleasant heat.

Pan seared, rare venison loin, pumpkin puree, the roasting reduction with a touch of maple syrup, accompanied by sauteed spinach, by chef Paul Bohmer of Bohmer and Bohmemian Gastropub.

Sweet, bread pudding surrounded by a rich creme anglais, by chef Jamie Kennedy of the Gilead Cafe, was not only a satisfying dessert but also a perfect complement for the dessert ice wine.

BOOK REVIEW: THE ART OF LIVING ACCORDING TO JOE BEEF

 

  Even from just reading the abnormally long title of The Art of Living According To Joe Beef : A Cookbook Of Sorts, one gets the inkling that this is no ordinary cookbook. Indeed, it seems that unconventional cookbooks are a natural occurrence in Quebec (see: Au Pied de Cochon Cookbook). Upon flipping through the pages you see photographs of the beautiful old Montreal, memoirs, essays on the history of icons notable to the restaurant and quirky little hand-drawn cartoons that only add to the unique and charming aspects of this restaurant.

  And finally you see the recipes, and the photos of the food, and that's when you realize you have something supremely special balanced in your lap (or on your kitchen counter). I have this personal principle when deciding how close a restaurant is to maximizing it's potential. When you survey the menu, evaluate each dish on terms of whether or not it makes you want to eat it. Don't discount anything; the bread basket, the house salad and half-shell oysters are all fair game. The truly great restaurants in the world but as much thought into the simplest dishes on their menus as they do into the expensive, feature dishes and specialties.

  Upon seeing the recipes, I honestly was astounded at how creative, whimsical and ridiculously delicious everything sounded. I will say on record, that the only time I have ever felt this way about a cookbook (where I want to cook/eat everything written in it) is with the Momofuku Cookbook. Incidentally, David Chang (the chef/owner of the Momofuku restaurant brand) personally pens the forward to the book. A fitting decision (and there is a whole story behind the selection as well), seeing as envelope pushing is a treasured past-time of his.

  Seriously, I can't get over the ridiculosity (is that a word? it is now... see "pushing the envelope") of the food in this book. I feel like to achieve these ideas, they kidnapped a hundred chefs, made them work a 16 hour shift, including a Saturday night dinner service, and asked them after it was all said and done "So, what are you craving right now?" And it's in that adrenaline-juiced, exhausted yet empowered state of mind that the chefs may answer something like...

"Let's make lobster pasta, cram it into a squid and then braise it in lobster juice"

or...

"Let's cut the crust off a loaf of Pullman bread, brown all the sides in butter, hollow it out and fill it with creamy, rich scrambled eggs and top it all off with creme fraiche, chives and caviar!"

  It's undoubtedly, and I say this in the best, most respectful and affectionate way possible, aristocratic stoner food. And before I get jumped on by angry fans for that comment, I want to say that as a cook in Toronto, I would do terrible, shameful things to get a Joe Beef outpost in our city.

  Unlike conventional cookbooks, TAOLATJB: ACoS (you know a cookbook title is long when the acronym is longer than every word in the proper title, let's just call it the Joe Beef Cookbook from here on in, shall we?) divides it's recipes into groups based upon sources of inspiration. Chapter names include "How to Build a Tiny Restaurant in the Middle of Nowhere" and "Building a Garden in a Crack Den". Drawing on the rich and storied history of Montreal, recipes are derived from classic dishes such as Chicken Jalfrezi while an entire chapter is devoted to recipes featuring the beef that gives the restaurant it's name.

  I feel obligated to inform you that amongst the brilliant recipes included in the book, there's a bright light emanating from the page that houses the recipe for "Chicken Skin Jus". The recipe states it as a liquid extraction of "the deliciousness of crispy chicken skin". I immediately scratched it into my notepad of "Things to invent when taking a time machine to the past".

  Despite being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan all my life, and being raised to hate everything about Montreal, I can honestly and proudly say that I am ecstatic that the Joe Beef Cookbook is finally making an appearance. A place like Joe Beef is what contributes to Canada's culinary identity. It's something unique and original and hey, if David Chang loves it enough to write the forward, it must be ridiculous, right? In the end, Joe Beef has put out more than just a cookbook, they've presented their food in a way that redefines the light that people will see Canadian food in from here on and into what is shaping up to be a bright future for our culinary scene.

Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook Of Sorts 

by Frederic Morin, David McMillan & Meredith Erickson

Hardcover, 292pp, $40

Reviewed by Kevin Jeung