Bitten

If you are an ice cream lover who finds your favorite treat just a little too rich in the blazing heat of summer, run, do not walk to Gelato Simply Italian(2076 Yonge Street or the new location, almost our neighbour, 146 Cumberland).  To some people $5.00 for a small cone or cup might seem pricey.  Well, it is not for something this yummily refreshing.  The many variations on a citrus theme are the perfect antidotes to the summer heat:  lime with cilantro, ruby grapefruit, blood orange,  lemon.  That $5.00 gets you two flavours per serving--if you opt for a larger serving you can choose three.  The combination of plum with hazelnut was particularly scrumptious, and something that would go well with autumn desserts.  The only less-than-seductive flavour was rice--both bland and too sweet.

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!

Chocolate Bar of the Week

Everything  is coming up violets--lipstick, clothing, even renowned chefs are drizzling violet syrup on their dishes.  Now the acclaimed French  chocolatier, Yves Thuries, has created chocolat noir aux eclats de violette. A word of warning:  if you have delicate teeth this is a bar to avoid.  Those eclats aux violette are really hard.

When unwrapping this bar, there is only the faintest scent of violets despite the generous number of fragments embedded in the surface.  Often with lavender-flavored bars,  one has the nasty sensation of having bitten into a bar of grandma's favorite soap. This is not the case with this violet version.  In fact, the violets add very little to this chocolate.  However, the dark chocolate on its own is very good with a smooth finish and balanced flavor.
We will definitely try an unembellished version for both eating on its own or in baking.
Price:  Regularly $6.95 but it has been 20% off at Leonides.

CHOCOLATE BAR OF THE WEEK

Dolfin Chocolat Noir 70% Cacao

Some chocolate bars make a first great impression whether from an intense whiff of cocoa as the wrapper is removed, or from the flavor on the first bite. Belgian - made Dolfin offered little initial impact.

However, just as the chocolate slides down the throat, floral and fruity - epsecially orange - flavours burst forth.
Although it is a 70% cocoa bar, it seems less bitter than some other dark chcolates. While the snap is consistent with a high-end product the interior is rather rough and pale, the exterior not so shiny.

With its subtlety, we would not use Dolfin in baking. It would, however, be perfect dessert chocolate, a companion for tea, coffee, brandy or a fortified wine at the end of a meal.
Price: $5.95 at Dinah's Cupboard

CHOCOLATE BAR OF THE WEEK

Soma's Chocolate Exploration Box features four of their artisanal chocolates, created right from the beans, in their Distillery district shop.
Cocoa Latte 60%; Green Tangerine 65%; Dark Fire 66%; Black Science Dominican Republic 70%; all are sophisticated chocolate to slowly savor, not to pop into the mouth and forget.

Cocoa Latte, a milk chocolate is rich, smooth, lower in sugar and higher in cocoa than most other milk chocolates. Green combines a subtle orange essence with dark chocolate, again less sweet than many fruity chocolates. Dark Fire delivers a hit of cinnamon at the front of the mouth before setting the sides and back of the tongue aflame with ginger and chili. Finally, Black Science, from organic Fairtrade cacao from the Dominican Republic, offers a bouquet of flavors. The wrapper claims dried fruit, cranberries and tobacco. Along with the dried fruit/Christmas pudding taste, we sense caramel, and scorched soil. The latter is more a feeling on the tongue than a flavour. The four very different chocolates provide a feast for the mind and the palate.
Price: $20 for 120 grams. Note: Although it is called an exploratin "box" the individually wrapped squares are rolled exquisitely in a bamboo mat.

CHOCOLATE BAR OF THE WEEK

Mo's Bacon Bar
With people such as the Dubys and Heston Blumenthal blurring the line between sweet and savoury, a bacon chocolate bar was almost inevitable.

From Vosges Haut-Chocolat, Mo's Bacon Bar features applewood smoked bacon and alderwood smoked salt embedded in milk chocolate. The first revelation to his us when biting into this bar is the milk chocolate. This is not your average cloying sweet milk chocolate. In fact, it is hard to believe it is not semi-or bittersweet. The combined smokiness of the salt and bacon gives added depth of flavour, with the saltiness serving to offset what sugar content there is.

Alas, the texture lacks the impact delivered by the flavour. Rather than crispness and crunch - expectations raised by Lindt's fleur de sel bar - the bacon bits are chewy, and the salt AWOL in terms of texture. Not only that but the bacon seems to stay in the mouth long after the chocolate is gone.

Still, what might have been just strange is, in fact, a fine combination. But then the bacon/sweet fusion has long been a feature in cookbooks from the American South. It is a reminder that everything old is new again.
$9.99 at McEwan

Bitten: Rotisserie Chicken Part Two - Gourmet Grocers

Universally popular, rotisserie chicken is also a feature of the upscale food emporia. Can the $7.99 bird from Rabba ever hope to hold its own against a costlier one from McEwan, Pusateri's or Whole Foods Market?

McEWAN - $13.99
Packaging: The ugiquitous covered plastic tray was larger than usual but not because the chicken was any bigger than standard. Storage temperature warnings. No juice in the tray.

Appearance: A shower of herbs gave a jolt of colour to the pale golden skin. Looked plump and moist.

Flavour: Despite the sprinkle of herbs on the outside and the bunch of thyme in its cavity, the chicken tasted only slightly of herbs. Though it had cooled somewhat before we tasted it, the flesh had not dried out.

Overall Impression: While herbs perked up the appearance of this chicken, they did not lift it above average in terms of tate. Wehn you are paying a premium price for a rotisserie chicken you not only want a pretty bird, you expect exceptional flavour.

PUSATERI'S - $8.99
Packaging: Plastic tray and cover in which a small amount of liquied had accumulated.

Appearance: This chicken owed all its colou to a rub. Judging by the hue, it was heavy on paprika. both breast and lega seemed a little scrawny.

Flavour: The dry meat betrayed very little taste - either seasoning or inherent chicken.

Overall Impression: We wanted to see some colour from the cooking process not just from a rub. It just seemed small and unloved. At least it wasn't overpriced.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET -$11.99
Packaging: Plastic tray and cover in which a small amount of liquid had accumulated.

Appearance: A plum bird, it was a lovely burnished brown without being burnt.

Flavour: We had thought we were picking a plain chicken but when we looked at the label later, it said "Lemon". What we actually tasted seemed more like tarragon.Whichever, it was delicious and the dtectable herbal taste did not overwhelm the innate flavour of the juicy meat.

Overall Impression: Second most expensive, this was certainly the most attractive and tasty. Though the chickens Whole Foods uses are not labeled organic they are antibiotic and hormone-free, raised on a vegetarian diet and are not caged. With its appeal to many sense, this chicken was definitely worth the price.

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN -  THE VERDICT!
1. Whole Foods Market
2. McEwan
   & Rabba   TIED
4. Valumart
5. Sobey's
6. Pusateri's

Though some were better than others, none of these birds were unacceptable. In some cases we got more than we paid for - the least expensive one tied for second with the most expensive. If money is an object, rest assured the $7.99 Rabba chicken is just fine. Some shops such as Whole Foods have them on special during the week.

The one thing missing from all these birds: crispy skin. Whether packed in a covered plastic tray or foil-lined bag, a hot bird will steam. While the plastic containers may appeal visually they are more difficult to transport than a bag, create a pile of garbage, and seem to create more steam than a bag.

Bitten: Rotisserie Chicken Part One - Value Brands

For a fast food dinner that still has a semblance of nutritional value, nothing beats the take-out rotisserie chicken. They can be quickly turned into a pie. The carcasses make great stock. But which rotisserie chicken to buy? Fear not, we are here to help. Our first three chickens are from typical neighbourhood sources; Valumart (Loblaws affiliate), Sobey's, and Rabba.

VALUMART- $9.99
Packaging - Dark plastic tray with clear cover. Cardboard wrap forming handles. Lots of storage info labels (one listing the ingredients). Only packaging which leaked.

Appearance - Large, plump bird. Missing a strip of skin across the breast. Not well browned.

Flavour - Innocuous flavour.

Overall Impression - This bird was awash in a sea of juice, which soaked into our reusable bag. A bit fatty, the bird was moist but bland. Too much packaging.

SOBEY'S - $9.99
Packaging - Covered tray with cardboard. Like the Valumart version, this one came with instructions to store the bird under 40F or heat to above 140F.

Appearance - Nicely browned, but the skin was wrinkled.

Flavour - Tastiness is undercut by the dryness of the flesh.

Overall impression - Though the skin was a good colour, everything about this bird pointed to overcooking, compounded by steaming in plastic packaging.

RABBA - $7.99
Packaging - Foil-lined paper bag with no info

Appearance - Noticeably smaller than the other chickens, but still plump. Evenly golden.

Flavour - The wings tasted like celery salt, but the rest of the very moist flesh had the flavour of a classic Sunday-dinner chicken.

Overall Impression - Rabba's no frills, rotisserie chicken was attractive, delicious, and a bargain.

Stay tuned for Bitten Part Two - the Gourmet Grocers!

Bitten: Fiana Potatoes

At the Green Barn I picked up another variety of potato I had never tried before. Fiana is a Dutch variety. At the booth where I picked them up, they were labelled as a mashing potato. They are yellow-fleshed and floury. What I did not expect was their wonderful aroma. One does not usually think of potatoes as having a particularly seductive scent but these filled the house with a really appetizing potato smell. Though they did not have the rich buttery taste of German butterballs, they did have a quintessential traditional potato flavour.

With further research, I discovered that Fiana is also a good chipping potato. Rather than deep frying, I tossed sliced potatoes in oil and baked them in the oven.  They turned a perfect - crisp gold outside, tender within.

I hope these were not the last of the crop. I do not have to wait until next fall for more. To make matters worse, I did not notice the name of the producer.

Can anyone point me back toward them?

Bitten: The Nog-Off

Posted by Jennifer

‘Tis the season to drink eggnog.  But which one?  We sipped our way through national brands, a house brand, artisanal, and egg/milk-free varieties. Reading the ingredient list is a sobering exercise: most have at least two types of  sugar; additives abound - carrageenan, guar gum, locust bean gum - all in the name of a
creamy texture. The quantity of sugar and the perception of sweetness were not always related.
 

The Nationals

Neilsen:  The opinions on probably the most readily available eggnog varied widely. Though it has a very eggy yellow colour, the texture is thin. Indeed, the first ingredient listed is water. Some of us thought it had an overwhelming artificial rum flavour. One thought this was perfectly balanced and the one she would take to a party, since it would not need a last minute dusting of nutmeg or extra alcohol.  For another, this was the taste of Christmas being her family’s preferred brand. $2.69/litre

Sealtest:  This one is very custardy in both texture and colour. Some found it too sweet, forcing one of us to admit that she would not be able to drink a whole carton! There was no chemical taste but might need some doctoring with nutmeg and alcohol. $3.29/litre

Beatrice:  Rich yellow in colour, Beatrice’s eggnog is not quite as sweet as the Sealtest nog while offering sufficient flavouring and great “mouth feel”. While tasters commented on the sweetness of the Sealtest eggnog, this one did not register as particularly sweet, despite its 34mg of sugar! We had to search a little harder for this one but it was worth it. Definitely one to take to a party. $2.79/litre

House Brands
We tried two President’s Choice eggnogs, one in a plastic bottle, the other in a carton.

The bottled product, ultra pasteurized, does not require refrigeration until just before serving, a plus at this time of year when storage space is at a premium.  The first sip had an off-taste, but that disappeared quickly. This is one of the few nogs listing both cream and rum as ingredients. As expected when there is cream
present, the texture is very seductive, but the flavour is innocuous. $3.00/litre

The carton version is not quite as creamy, but tastes better than its bottled cousin. It claims there are no artificial flavours or colours. $1.99/litre

Artisan
Premium milk brand also offer premium eggnogs.

Harmony:  Harmony’s version is, like its milk, sold in returnable glass bottles. Everything about it is lovely, especially its creaminess, both visually and on the palate. It is not too sweet. Some tasters thought it needed more flavour while others thought the balance of texture and taste perfect. This product has no ingredient list. $6.99/litre plus deposit at Whole Foods

Organic Meadow:  This eggnog is sold in a carton. Who knew you could have organic additives? The milk and eggs here are also organic. Unless you really care about buying organic products, the difference in taste is
not worth double the price. It also seems quite sweet, although lower in sugar than the Beatrice version, and slightly less luxurious on the tongue. $5.99/litre at Whole Foods

The Vegan Alternative

So Nice Noel Nog:  All we can say to vegans or those with health issues, who want to keep the Christmas eggnog tradition:  move past it.  There are no redeeming features to this drink. Well, it is high in calcium, but its watery texture and lingering, unpleasant taste is no treat for the mouth. Do not go there. $2.99/litre

Bitten: Tim Horton's Pomegranate Danish

Posted by Jennifer

Say it ain’t so, pomegranate. Have you really gone from “It” fruit status to latest flavour of a Tim Horton’s cheese Danish? Scanning the display case, one finds it is only too true.

The glob of jelly in the centre of is certainly a deep, rich pomegranate-ish red. But, bite into this fancifully named bun and what registers? Why, only the unmistakable taste of a Tim Horton’s pastry. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but there is none of that uniquely astringent zip we expect from pomegranate.

Yes, you leathery red orb, your name is known on every street corner in Toronto, at every small town’s major intersection from Goderich to Cochrane(birthplace of the infamous Maple Leaf defenceman). But, you
sold your soul.

Bitten: Meringues

Posted by Jennifer

Meringues are perennially seductive, their billowiness promising the experience of biting into a cloud. Alas, so often they disappoint. Too hard. Too weepy. Too sweet. Not puffy enough. There are so many ways to fail with meringue.

Co-worker Gina, a recent graduate of the baking certificate programme at George Brown College not only followed the Ottolenghi cinnamon hazelnut meringue recipe to perfection, she shared! Crispy on the outside, marshmallowy on the inside, they were the ultimate meringue. How to top this triumph? Perhaps the pistachio rosewater variation.

Photo by Gina

Bitten: Lindt fleur de sel chocolate

Posted by Jennifer

After two people in a row came into the store this afternoon trumpeting the pleasures of Lindt Excellence chocolate with fleur de sel, we too had to rush out to try it. We were promised little bursts of caramel rather than overt saltiness. In fact, the saltiness hits just as the chocolate slides down the throat. The overall texture is one of creamy smoothness--at a minimum of 47% cacao solids it is not terribly bitter-- with just the occasional crunch of a salt flake.

We would try it in millionaire's shortbread as a counterpoint to the caramel layer. For the more sophisticated palate, we would use it in a chocolate terrine with prunes soaked in Armagnac. Easiest of all, it is a lovely treat on its own.

In a quick jog around our Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood, we found it at three places, and at three different prices. We bought it at Pusateri's which, despite its reputation, was least expensive at $3.00 per 100 grams. At Shoppers Drug Mart, it was $3.59, and at Rabba, $4.29.

Bitten: Ooey Gooey

Posted by Jennifer

One of my favourite stops on my neighbourhood shopping circuit is About Cheese on Church Street south of Wellesley. The fine selection of Canadian and international cheese, EPI Breads, Thornloe artisanal butter, and the generous samples are all reasons enough to draw you into this tiny shop. However, it gets better: they make a grilled cheese sandwich ($6.50).

The combination of Riopelle and Frère Jacques cheeses between slices of rosemary olive bread is transformed into a molten mass Usually, I think that Riopelle, like brie, is best served unadulterated. But, who can resist this golden goo?

The six minutes this transformation takes gives ample time to race to close-by neighbour Cumbrae Farms, to pick up some of their Berkshire lard or cream-fed pork belly.

You can also have the sandwich with la Quercia rossa prosciutto. Personally, I prefer it without. Any additions take this already indulgent treat way beyond.

Photos by Gina

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.