Raw: The Tartar-Off for Grapes for Humanity

Grapes for Humanity is a charitable organization that has an annual fundraiser, this year to help build a school in Guatamala.


The tartar-off event, of which I was one of the judges, including Rush's Geddy Lee, chef John Higgins, journalist and food writers Cory Mintz and Amy Rosen, used beef donated by Cumbrae's Meats and fish donated from Daily Seafood, Inc.


Amateur participants were: Martin Malivoire from Malivoire Vinyards; Paul Pender from Tawse; Harold Theil, Hidden Bench. The winner was Paul Pender who presented a classic beef tartar.


Chefs who participated were: Brook Cavanaugh, La Palette; Didier Leroy, Didier; Mark Cutrara, Cowbell;  Alberto Ponzo, Le select; Tim Palmer, Fairmount Royal York; Patrick McMurray, Starfish; Lorenzo Loseto, George; Jamie Kennedy, Gilead Cafe; Jason Bangerter, Luma. 


The winner was Lorenzo Loseto from George, "hands down",  who presented cobia tartar, a white fleshed fish with a high oil content, a tartar with perfect texture, not at all overworked, with finely diced ginger and shallots, mushroom gelee, on a bed of sesame/miso mayo and topped with fingerling potato chips and a touch of chili spice.


The presentation of the chefs competition for the judges, each tartar numbered.

Stirling Creamery Butter Tasting

Didn't see any candlestick makers, but the proverbial butchers and bakers were definitely out to sample Stirling Creamery's Butter Collection at RubyWatchCo.

Located in-oh, shock--Stirling, in eastern Ontario, the creamery has churned out quality butter since 1925, and has had the same master butter maker, Chet Blair, for the last 30 years.  Stirling Creamery's reputation took a huge leap four years ago when its unsalted sweet cream butter made Saveur's list of the top 30 butters in the world.  Incidentally Lanctancia's light butter, also from Ontario, Liberte's goat milk butter, and L' Ancetre Bio Organic Salted butter, both from Quebec also made the select group.

There are four butters in the collection:  Stirling Goat's Milk butter with no salt, colour, or preservatives; Stirling Whey butter, made from the liquid by-product of cheesemaking; Stirling salted butter; Stirling European-style butter or Churn 84 Reserve with a whopping 84 % butter fat--even more than the much celebrated American European-style product, Plugra.

The first step was to sample the butters with their most perfect partner, bread.  Except for the goat milk butter, all were salted, and to some tastes, including my own, too salted. Salt aside, they were all fine butters with solid, rich texture.  The whey version was the deepest yellow while the Stirling salted was lighter but still darker than the regular unsalted version.  The Churn 84 Reserve was densest.  Unexpectedly, it was the goat milk butter that really captured my tastebuds--pure, simple, pale.  Apparently, it develops a more pronounced goatiness if allowed to age for a week or two under refrigeration.  I can't imagine who could keep their hands off of it for two weeks.

My expectations ran high for the Churn 84 but were dashed, so to speak, by its saltiness. I have used it at home in a kouign amann, the yeasted Breton butter cake.  Even my family noted the saltiness.  Though it is not available to mere mortals, there is an unsalted version marketed to the industry.  Want some, want it now. Visions of croissants and brioche made with this butter and duck eggs are dancing in my head.

Guests did not have to make do with just sampling the butters by themselves.  Ruby WatchCo Chef Lora Kirk served up two dishes for each butter.  All were scrumptious-- a chocolate and beet red velvet mini cupcake with white chocolate butter cream employing the goat milk butter was particularly over the top.  However, the Churn 84 which was so salty on its own, paired with rosemary honey and served with a slice of heirloom radish, was utterly refreshing.

The best part of the event was the gift bag laden with butter.  Though tempted to keep it  for myself, I thought better of it and shared some--not all--with our customers.  They, too, were drawn to the snowy goat milk butter.  That said, I have to admit that few of them found the others too salty.

Churn 84 is available at the Healthy Butcher.  WholeFoods Market, Scheffler's in St. Lawrence Market, and others carry some of the other Stirling Creamery butters.

Restaurants of Vail, Colorado

Elway's

Steak taco app was good: small tender, very flavourful beef chunks with guacamole, salsa and soft tacos.

"U.S. Prime" rib steak I rated ("Beef Boys" rating: taste/texture/tenderness, all out of 10): 6/6/6. The steak seemed "mushy" as if tenderized, and my request of "rare" arrived medium rare. I ordered caramelized onions and they seemed like they were sitting too long.

Grilled artichoke was a side order and was very good. I really like the way the sliced the choke in half and seared it.

A side of fried rice with duck confit, was ok, but not enough duck flavour.

Cream spinach was rather mediocre because the sauce was unpleasantly watery/creamy.

New York style cheese cake was ok, but not worth the calories.

Moe's BBQ

Chicken was very moist but had a barely smokey flavour. Pulled pork was very moist with a very pleasant smokey, porky flavour. The ribs had a very nice smoky flavour and were perfectly cooked, coming of the bone easily, but not too easily. The seasoning was nice and peppery but the ribs were too salty. The ribs were dry rub only, no sauce. Good Texas toast. no distinctive BBQ sauce was offered.

Pepi's

Beef tartar with capers and finely diced onions was very good and was sided with thinly sliced red onion, pickles, sliced tomato, sliced boiled egg and lumpfish caviar. (no photo).


Tafelspitz, a favourite dish of mine when I am in Vienna, did not live up to my expectations, but their simple preparation of this dish had very tender, juicy beef covered in a mild horseradish sauce and was accompanied by sauteed potatoes, boiled carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and a sliced of cored cooked apple with a blueberry sauce.

Wienerschnitzel had a nice crispy, un-greasy crust and the veal was very tender and accompanied by sauteed potatoes, boiled carrots and cauliflower and red cabbage salad.

Microwaved strudel with  limp, uninteresting pastry with an overly sweet apple filling in a viscous, sugary sauce and accompanied by creme anglaise, whipped cream and cinnamon ice cream.

Key lime pie cheesecake with creme anglaise, and whipped cream. I ate as much as you see missing.

Vail Chophouse.

The rib steak, ordered rare, arrived medium rare and I rated (Beef Boys: taste/texture/juicyness, all out of 10) as 61/2/7/7 (no photo).

Matsuhisa

Oyster shooter: Saki, ponzu, raw quail egg with scallions and a raw oyster. Good for what ails you!

Salmon skin roll had a slightly smoky grilled skin, which combined with the other ingredients (pea shoots, tobiko roe, tomago egg omelette and chopped scallions), made for some wonderful complementary flavours.

Salmon sashimi with garlic puree, chopped chives and sesame sauce, a wonderful dish.

Black cod arrived sweet and perfectly cooked.

Soft shelled crab was perfectly crispy.

Tuna "taco".

Mixed sashimi: red clam, toro tuna, sweet shrimp, salmon with grilled eel and salmon roe sushi. I found the fish quite a bit fresher tasting, than expected.

Mochi, one of my very favourite Japanese desserts, each one with an ice cream filling: red bean, green tea and mango. They did this well.

Chocolate mousse filled "cigars" (not my choice).

Coconut banana spring roll. This was a very good dessert, crispy crust and lovely filling.

Where to Eat On The Mountain: Wildwood Smokehouse!!

Smoked chicken, nicely smoky, tender and juicy. Perfect.

Perfect baked beans, thick, with a nice smoky flavour from bits of smoked brisket.

A very tender, smokey beef brisket with Wildwood Smokehouse's own, wonderful BBQ sauce, a rich a smokey version and a perfect complement for their food. I bought a few bottles to take home. The bun was a mediocre choice.

Kelly Liken

Crispy celery root chips with a sweet and sour beet mousse and a honey crisp apple slice.

Barely seared elk carpaccio with bulgar tabouleh salad and whole grain mustard aioli.

Cauliflower and parmesan agnolotti, roasted maitake mushrooms, caramelized cauliflower, mushroom broth, fine herbs (including coriander). The combination of flavours made this a marvellous dish. The delicate pasta made the experience exceptional.

Bone marrow risotto: creamy parmesan and bone marrow risotto with roasted marrow bone, gremolata salad, chopped parsley. I loved the marrow flavours with the parmesan and saffron and the creamy texture was perfect.

Colorado beef short rib with horseradish and potato puree, roasted rutabaga and shallots, all with red wine jus. Not my fave, my adequately rendered.

Roasted root veg and cipollini onions with house made duck chorizo. This was a great side with earthy, caramelized flavours.

Citrus, olive oil cake with sweet rosemary mascarpone, red wine caramel sauce and blood orange. A very good dessert and an excellent rendition of olive oil cake.

I would have to say that Kelly Liken was my best restaurant experience in vail, of the places I chose.

Chicago's O'hare Airport, Eat Here: Tortas Frontera by Chef Rick Bayliss

A food oasis at O'hare!! My sandwiches were so good, I could not wait to return, on my way back to Toronto! Sandwiches are all custom made. They give you a beeper and tell you that it takes about 9 minutes for your order to be ready. Worth the wait!

The cubana torta, griddle baked sandwich, (as requested, with no cheese), a crispy sandwich bun with smoked pork loin, Nueske's bacon (one of favourite Amercan bacons), black beans, cilantro crema, chipotle mustard, avocado with sides of extra guacamole, green and red salsa.

The pepito torta, griddle baked sandwich, (as requested, with no cheese), beer braised beef short ribs, pickled jalapenos, black beans, cilantro crema and arugula. Some green and red salsa on the side (not in photo).

In case some of you readers are wondering, for the most part, I dislike the addition of cheese to any meat sandwich or burger, from an aesthetic point of view. for me, it adulterates and takes away from from the meat flavours that I enjoy. It's a personal thing.

TEST DRIVE by Julia Aitken

IT'S A WRAP!

I’ve long been gripped by plastic-wrap angst. Like it or not, the flimsy film does a good job of protecting food in the fridge or freezer but eco-friendly it ain’t. So, I’m thrilled with Cuisipro’s new Date Dial Sealing Lids. The reusable silicon disks come three sizes to fit bowls up to 9-1/4 inches (23.5 cm) in diameter. Lay the lid on a plastic, metal, ceramic or glass container and press down gently to create a vacuum seal. The dial in the centre can be set to record either the date you stored the food or an expiry date (handy if, like me, you occasionally find what can only be described as science experiments in the far reaches of your fridge!). ($12.99 to $19.99; visit www.cuisipro.com for retailers.)

PASTA MADE PUKKA

That lovable kitchen scruff, Jamie Oliver, seems to be everywhere these days and now you can even find him in your pantry. Oliver’s range of more than 30 Italian staples, including Italian-made pasta sauces and pestos, has just launched in Canada. I found his Tomato & Basil pasta sauce a little too sweet (kids would love it), preferring the Red Onion & Rosemary version. Rich and aromatic with just little kick of chili, one 350-gram jar dressed 1 lb (500 g) pasta nicely.

While the sauces were good, it’s Oliver’s range of six pestos that really knocked my socks off. I usually make my own and have yet to find a commercial brand that compares but the two I tried (Walnut & Sweet Pepper and Coriander & Cashew) were both fresh-tasting with a depth of flavour that could tempt me into pretending I’d made it myself. (Pasta sauce: $4.99/350 g, pesto: $4.90/190 g; Sobey’s Urban Fresh, Rabba, Valu-mart, T&T and other independent grocery stores.)

WONDER FROM DOWN UNDER

A while ago, on a trip to New Zealand’s North Island, I spotted a bottle of New Zealand olive oil in a store near Lake Taupo. Intrigued, I snapped it up, took it back to the house we were staying in and conducted a little tasting. I was so smitten, I bought two more bottles and a sheet of bubble wrap and managed to nurse them home to Canada. That was six years ago and now I’m relieved to find that I can buy Village Press olive oil in Canada. After all, it will save me a bundle of air fares!

The single-varietal oils are made from olives grown in the wine-producing region of Hawkes Bay on New Zealand’s east coast. Three varietals are available here, each with handy tasting notes and serving suggestions on the label. Manzanillo has fresh, herbaceous flavours that work well in vinaigrettes; Picual (good with chicken or fish or for dunking bread in) is rich and peppery; Barnea is smooth and buttery and perfect for red meat dishes and pasta. ($22/500 mL, $12/250 mL; Olive  & Olives, Leslieville Cheese Market, Organic Garage in Oakville, The Milky Whey in Stratford)

Enoteca Sociale, Toronto

This was my first visit to this restaurant in quite some time. I have been frequently out of the country and only here for short intervals. Invariably when I have tried to reserve this ever popular resto, it was booked. Grant van Gameren, the former chef of the popular Black Hoof restaurant is now the resident chef.

We began with a very good puree of cabbage soup, accompanied by grilled sausage (on a separate plate) with wonderful rosemary black pepper crostado (I could have had these wonderful toasts throughout the meal. What great flavour and texture). Loved this earthy dish, a perfect dish for the winter blahs.

I request roasted marrow bone as an app as I saw marrow bones on the menu in another dish. The chef very kindly agreed to satisfy my craving and I was not disappointed. Perfectly cooked bone marrow accompanied by the wonderful crostado!

Baked Kale salad, persimmon, king mushrooms, faro and pine nuts. Bright earthy flavours and for me a perfect salad that is comfort food.

Grilled pork shoulder with roasted parsnip and braised porcini emulsion. This was another dish that hit the spot with wonderful complementary and belly satisfying flavours.

Spaghetti cacio et pepe (no photo). This dish was a bit of a disappointment. The last time I had it here, it was an exceptional rendition, as good as I have enjoyed anywhere, the sauce rich and thick with the egg and cheese and redolent of the intense flavour of good ground pepper. This time, I found the sauce rather uninteresting and thin, lacking in flavour. The pasta itself was fine……but, I’m not Italian. For me, it’s all about the sauce.

Spaghetti carbonara, smoked king crab and house made guanciale. Good idea, but the flavour, in particular, did not work for me, texture of the crab (which was too fibrous rather than fleshy) did not work with the dish and the smoky flavour was lost. In my opinion, this dish can only work with very fresh crab meat, cooked perfectly.

Rutabaga mezzaluna with pickled black trumpet mushrooms and lemon, maple butter. The pasta was perfect, delicate and not too thick. The sweet flavour of the rutabaga filling went so well with the mushrooms and butter. This was a very good dish, one of my favourite courses of the night.