Oh, kitchen fails... I'm not a fan of making mistakes in general and, while it's nice that we learn from 'em & all, I don't think anyone REALLY ENJOYS making mistakes. Especially one that took a few hours off your New Year's Day. I was all excited to start a new tradition that would bring me and Mark into the New Year with extra luck (I don't know where I made the association between what I was about to do and having a lucky year, but my brain decided to make that connection somehow)...
Every New Year's Day I would make some type of celebratory pie. It would bring us luck and fortune in the coming year. Yes. Apparently a pie is responsible for all those things. And it's delicious to eat. One cannot lose, no?!
Well the tradition was set to start with my first homemade pâte brisée pie crust (Stirling Creamery was kind enough to let me sample some of their Churn 84 Butter
for the recipe - it is delicious and is higher in fat content than
other butters you can buy in Ontario so it helps pastries and pies and
other treats be much flakier than if you use normal butter). This was an ambitious first attempt to say the least.
Long kitchen fail story short, here's what NOT to do when following a pâte brisée recipe:
Forget to chill the blade! Damn it! My butter was freezing cold but I. Forgot. To. Chill. The. Food. Processor. Blade.
Add too much ice water! Even if the f*#*(*g dough won't stick together, DON'T ADD TOO MUCH BLOODY ICE WATER. Don't!
Overknead it! It makes your pie crust extremely tough. I had a crumbly texture like the recipe picture showed, but when it came time to form it just a bit, enough to get it into ball form for chilling, I couldn't get the dough to stick together. And if I couldn't get it into a decent ball, I knew it wouldn't roll out. So I had to sort of knead a bit to get it into a ball form... you're not really supposed to knead it at all but what's a girl to do?! LOL I couldn't even get enough to roll out properly to make a good size crust, let alone a double crust as I had planned. It was edible, and eat it we did, but it was pretty tough.
Use a food processor from the 1970s! Mine was my grandma's and, while I love it for sentimental value, I think its motor is a bit weak...
Pâte brisée, I will conquer you eventually! But I think for Jan. 1, 2014 I will master my mother's pie crust for sweet pies. :) Can't wait!
So what were you up to New Year's Day? Did you have any kitchen wins or fails? Tell me about 'em in the comments!
Mmm. Chowder! Creamy, hearty comfort food. I crave it now more than ever as the weather turns chilly. Perfect timing for the 2012 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown that the Vancouver Aquarium held in Toronto recently.
Twelve chefs shared their take on sustainable seafood / fish chowders in a friendly competition. Our favourite chowder was from Hapa Izakaya - Chef Takayuki Sato made his with halibut and also boiled down the halibut bones to help thicken the chowder. It had a decidedly Asian flavour with a squirt of Shiso-based sauce to top it off, but was still traditional enough to really hit the spot. Chef Amira Becarevic's Leek and Potato Chowder with Salmon and Mussels was a close second for us; she was there representing Epic, the restaurant in The Royal York Hotel.
The winner of the 2012 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown People's Choice prize was awarded to Chef Richard Baksh of Earl's Kitchen and Bar (King St. W. location) for his Manilla Clam & Seafood Chowder. And the winner of the competition as determined by a panel of culinary judges was Chef Albert Ponzo from Le Select Bistro, who made a chowder with squash, seafood and sausage.
As Ocean Wise's goal is to educate Canadians about sustainable seafood options, here are ocean-friendly options for Ontarians:
Smith Bros. Steakhouse & Tavern is a meat lover's destination with affordable prices. The steaks are wet aged for a minimum of 28 days, and come with a choice of sauces: Peppercorn Cream, Mushroom Cabernet, Teriyaki, and Crumbled Bacon & Bourbon.
Though wine is available, Smith Bros. advocates enjoying your steak with beer. They serve their own brand of $5 all-natural premium draughts in association with Great Lakes Brewery. They also have “The Tavern Sampler,” allowing you to try any 4 taps for $7.
I particularly liked how the sampler came on a numbered board so you could easily keep track of what brew you were sampling with every bite. Granted, 4 beers shouldn’t tax your memory that much, but it’s a nice touch as someone is bound to forget what’s what while engaged in lively conversation and delicious food.
Even if they do specialize in steak, a great draw at this steakhouse is the all you can eat Mussels and Fries for $17. It features PEI mussels steamed with Smith Bros. Premium Natural Lager, shallots and parsley. The matchstick fries tasted great. Their narrowness made them a little harder to handle (i.e. shove into your mouth), but gave you more surface area for flavour and added crunch.
We also tried their hearty Steak and Potato Chowder, loaded with lots of meat.
For mains, we tried 10 oz. New York Strip ($24) with Garlic and Cream Mashed Potatoes, and the 12 oz. Roasted Rib Eye ($25) with Sea Salt Rubbed Russet Baked Potato. We also tried the Atlantic Salmon.
The steaks were moist, tender, and flavourful. The sides were also yummy. We especially loved the baked potato. The sea salt rub made the potato skins crusty and salty, an awesome contrast with the soft and moist potato and the cool cream.
For dessert we had a Triple Chocolate Brownie and a Crème Brûlée. The Crème Brûlée came in a generous serving and was perfectly torched. The Brownie was to die for. It was dark and delicious with different textures to it and came à la mode.
While Smith Bros. isn’t Jacob’s or or Hy’s, neither are its prices. It certainly makes enjoying a good steak a more regular possibility than for those super special occasions. It stretches casual dining without stretching your budget, allowing you to include more friends or family perhaps. And at the end of you’re meal, you’re more likely to have a smile on your face as you enjoyed great company, food and drink, in a a smartly decorated environment, after shopping perhaps or before a movie right across the street , at the corner of Warden and Eglinton.
Smith Bros. Steakhouse & Tavern
880 Warden Ave
Toronto, ON
Phone: (416) 751-3100
Mid-October we checked out a wine launch at Turf Lounge, one of the much more upscale off-track betting places one can visit. We really enjoyed ourselves - Mark and I were each given $2 bet cards and I took both of them and placed bets with no knowledge of how to even read the screen (let alone having any prior understanding of how to bet on horses). Would you believe we won?! I bet both for horse #3 on Indiana Downs because that was the horse on the screen when I happened to look up - lo and behold, that horse placed first!
But the real reason we were there was to taste two wines available now at the LCBO from a US winery in Washington State called 14 Hands Vineyards. The Hot to Trot – Red Blend we sipped is mainly a Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, but also has hints of Mourvedre and other red varieties. It has notes of berries, cherries and currants; the tannins were soft, but I didn't really catch the baking spice and mocha on the finish as per the description. Regardless, the warmer red/dark fruits were definitely present, and I found it to be fairly easy drinking. I'm more of a white drinker though, so I was looking forward to trying the Hot to Trot – White Blend. It is predominantly a Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Semillon blend with flavours of pear, melon and lemon zest. I got a whole lot of pear and a bit of melon, and found it to be crisp and not too too sweet. I wouldn't mind having another bottle on hand at home, as I think I could see it pairing well with many different types of foods, from fish to creamy pastas.
We’ve heard a lot about Country Style over the years, (no not the donut chain, the Hungarian restaurant) so we finally decided to check it out last weekend. We weren’t expecting to be wowed since it was on the list of comfort food spots for many people. I’m writing about it anyway not because it’s trendy or a particularly excellent dining establishment, but because like many mom and pop shops that cater to niche markets or stay low-cost and under the radar, places like this have staying power and are an integral part of their community.
Though my first instinct was to try the Chicken Paprikash with Perogies for an app and perhaps some Goulash on the side, we had limited stomach room and opted for their signature Country Style Wooden Plate for two.
The plate was a combination of a Cabbage Roll, Wiener Schnitzel, Parisian Schnitzel, Fried Sausage, Beets, Rice, and Home Fries. The schnitzels were thinly pounded and incredibly large. We liked the Wiener (sounds like a sausage, but it's not) Schnitzel's breaded crust better than the Parisian's egg coating. We loved the firm and well seasoned fried sausage. The cabbage roll was a complete meal unto itself, not just because it was a huge, but also because you pretty much have your carbs in the form of rice, as well as meat and vegetable in it all together. We also had a side of dumplings, which in this context are plain doughy little things and not the stuffed Asian kind.
That was certainly more than enough food for the two of us, and we ended up taking the rest home. Because I'm Filipino, I had the leftover schnitzels with steamed rice and a little ketchup, like a Filipino-Spanish torta. It is comfort food after all.
Eat to the Beat is Canada's only fundraising event that brings together top female chefs who donate their time, talent, and materials to raise funds in support of women living with breast cancer. Sixty of Canada's top female chefs participated this year in a cornucopia of sweet and savoury food, wines, and premium beers and spirits. The event also included live music, a silent auction and a raffle draw.
This is one amazing food event. If you haven't been, check out their website next year and support this worthy cause.
We went to Keriwa Café to experience what I can only describe as aboriginal haute cuisine. We were pleasantly surprised with how delicious an experience it was, on par with some of the best restaurants in town.
The first thing you notice when you enter Keriwa Café is that it's one relatively small room with a full view of the bustling kitchen directly across from you, with a small bar on the far left. It's definitely not white linen, and if you just accidentally stumbled upon it you wouldn't know that it was a fine dining establishment. That subtlety, along with some discreet aboriginal decor and birch bark on a part of the wall, made it feel very inviting and very accessible.
The wait staff was somewhat informal, but very friendly and quite knowledgeable about the dishes and the ingredients that went into them.
I don't know if it was the fedora'd pumpkin on the bar or the word maple that enticed me to order a Maple Old Fashioned ( bourbon, maple, black walnut bitters ). Despite it falling into our "old man drink" classification ( i.e. Stacey won't drink it ), I thought that in keeping with our local theme for the night, I should give it a shot. It was good for what it was, but as with a Manhattan and other whisky based cocktails, its particular notes of musty cigar smoke filled bookshelf lined piano bar, causes one to see everything in sepia and want to shuck oysters and smoke Montecristos, while a tuxedoed waiter whips up a table-side Caesar salad... but I digress.
While waiting for our appetizer we nibbled on some good bread with creamy organic butter and a drizzle of salt... and some strangely bright orange coloured and very yummy spread that turned out to be seasoned, whipped Berkshire pork fat.
We started with a succulent and generously portioned Confit Pork Belly app. That was a ridiculously good appetizer if your definition of appetizer is something that makes your mouth water. The tender meat fell apart in my mouth whilst oozing all that salty fatty goodness. A little Asian fusion going on here with the cilantro balanced the richness of the pork nicely. The roasted red pepper and spiced popcorn added other layers of texture.
Confit Pork Belly, peach, red pepper, fennel, creme fraiche
For mains, we had the Bison Skirt Steak and the Lamb Shoulder. The bison looked incredible festive with tender, mildly gamey meat topped with bullberries, and nuts. The tart bitterness of the bulberries and and the crunchy nuts complimented the meat well and provided a good textural contrast to the decadent and juicy bison ravioli underneath. The actual fresh pasta wasn't so thrilling, but the filling and everything else more than made up for it.
My first thought upon seeing the lamb shoulder was "that's kind'a small," but as it turns out big taste can come from small packages. Often I mill around the periphery of dishes and taste its layers in isolation before going for that synergistic bite of everything together. I started with the smeared cauliflower purée and was pleasantly bewildered at how something can taste so light and rich at the same time, airy and creamy, a neutral yet powerful canvass. But even more delightful was the sauce on one side of the lamb, which seemed like a less viscous but jacked-up, fat-infused refrito.
The lamb was so tender that it easily fell apart with the slightest prodding and was so densely packed with flavour and wholesomeness that it's apparent small size seemed like an optical illusion.
Lamb Shoulder, Cauliflower, broccoli, white bean, nasturtium
Often we find that the dessert menus at restaurants are thematically disconnected from the rest of the food, much like an afterthought rather than an integrated part of the dining expereience. Keriwa's desserts are a very welcome exception, keeping up with the local motif, infused with flavours and textures that on a whole can be considered very Canadian.
I usually grab a cappuccino with desert, but since part of our dessert include a cheeseboard, I chose to go with some port this time around. I'm glad I did. The very delicious Saskatoon & Sea Buckthorn Semifreddo with nut brittle was absolutely transformed and infinitely better with port.
Dessert number 2 was a trio of refreshing sorbet quenelles: Peach Buttermilk, Wild Grape, and Crab Apple, in that order with our favourite first.
Sorbet - (clockwise from left) Crab Apple, Peach Buttermilk, and Wild Grape
Cheeseboard - Spiced nuts, Saskatoon Jelly, Red Fife Cracker
To cap things off, we had a cheeseboard where we could choose to have 2 of 4 available cheeses. Our first cheese was "14 Arpents," a nutty tasting, soft paste cow milk cheese from Quebec. Our second choice also from Quebec, was "Grey Owl," a goat's milk cheese with an ash covered rind. It was characterized by a white, firm, dense paste that crumbles in your mouth, with a sharp taste.
The cheeses where heavenly together with the spiced nuts, Saskatoon jelly and apple jam, washed down with some port. Cheese, particularly the more pungent and flavourful ones, just doesn't taste the same without an accompanying wine to release all those locked-in nuanced notes.
Keriwa Café totally blew us away with the calibre of its cuisine. My only beef with the place was that it was incredibly smokey and you'd totally perish if you happened to be wearing contact lenses. The woodsmoke smell totally gets into everything, and you end up smelling like a campfire, which if you want to be authentic may appeal to some. Ah the small price to pay to for such good food.
Sadly, the day we were there was one of the last ones for this restaurant's à la carte menu. Keriwa will be serving tasting menus on selected evenings of the month, and become a private dining and special events centre. You can contact the restaurant to be put on a list for these special tasting events.
1690 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M6R 1B3
(416) 533-2552 keriwacafe.ca
If you want to learn about fun things to do in Toronto, see Toronto Smarts. Learn about places to visit in Toronto, get concert information and sports info like when the Blue Jays play the Red Sox.
On an imported slab of heat-retention stone from Australia, you cook your own meal. Looks like fun! However it might be more about the experience than anything else - we heard some not-so-good reviews from a friend recently. We'll try anything once though!
¤Kultura (King East - Furniture District) Heard a lot about Roger Mooking's restaurants - think we're more obsessed with going there because of the fact that he used to be in Bass is Base!
¤ Cafe Gilead (King East - Furniture District) Jamie Kennedy's stuff is usually pretty good so we want to try it. ¤ Guu (Church St - The Gaybourhood) This place is trendy, so some people go there for that reason alone, but we'd be heading there to see what "Japanese tapas" is all about.
Follow a couple of foodies around the city as they discover the best (and worst) of what Toronto's culinary scene has to offer.
You can visit this site for some more info on the bloggers: http://www.tastingtoronto.ca/2009/06/so-who-is-behind-tasting-toronto.html
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