To Our Adopted Kitchen Mother - Julia Child

Happy Birthday Julia! 

My What a Revolution You Have Sprung On Us! 

To many she is was spark that opened the doors to the wonderful world of culinary. Professional Chef or home cook she has touched us all and we should all thank her for her gift. She proves that yes everyone can cook. Some better than others...but what of it? Cooking from the heart is what matters...everything else is just bunk. On the celebration of her 100th Birthday let us all charge a glass and say "Cheers!" to her and the joy that she has brought to so many! Big Hugs! Lots of Laughs and Love to our adopted kitchen Mother...Julia Child! Happy Birthday! May we never forget....truly one of a kind!

Photo courtesy of Vanity Fair

  Photo courtesy of Google

 

 

One Pot Wonders Equal Comfort Food for the Soul

Kale, Cabbage, Beer and Smoked Sausage One Pot Meal

Ingredients

Olive Oil

Bay Leaf

Garlic Cloves (3)

Bunch of fresh Kale (wash and de-rib)

Green Cabbage 1/2 (wash and cut into uniform chunks - about an inch wide)

Bottle of your favourite Beer, Stout, Bitter or Lager

Chicken Stock (1 cup)

Heavy Cream (1/2 cup)

Smoked Pork Sausage 

Dijon Mustard (1 tbsp)

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Heavy pot – preferably Le Creuset for even heat distribution and supreme cooking

Dijon Mustard

Instructions

Wash and de-rib the kale, drain

Wash and cut the cabbage in to uniform chunks about an inch wide, drain

Place Le Creuset on the range on high heat

Once things get going things are going to get done in pretty quick order…get ready!

Add olive oil, bay leaf and garlic cloves to the pot. Note do not burn the garlic

Add Kale – stir, let it sweat for a few minutes, kale takes quite a while to soften.  Make note to ensure that Kale does not burn!

Reduce heat to Med-High on a gas range – if you have electric…manage your heat so that the bottom does not burn!

Add Cabbage – stir, let it sweat as well for a few minutes, like Kale cabbage is a harder vegetable, takes longer to soften but is ideal for stews and casseroles

Now time for the beer – this adds flavour, steam, complexity to the end result.  The alcohol will cook out. Reduce. To reduce means that the water evaporates from the liquid  you added, intensifying the flavour. Make sure that it boils.

Add chicken stock. Reduce as well. IF you don’t have chicken stock…lord knows why not…just add a dry white wine.  Make sure that if you wouldn’t drink it…why would you cook with it?

Add heavy cream. Reduce and simmer.

Now for the Smoked Sausage. Place on top. Cover the Le Creuset.

Leave it alone now on a Med-Low Heat and let the sausage cook up and the juices flow over the vegetable mixture. Stirring occasionally.

Add Dijon Mustard at the end just before you are going to serve. Just a tablespoon or so…it is to taste.

Seasoning is important! I always season as I go and so should you.  

Enjoy!

Recipe created by baguettes and butterscotch and heavy influences from mentor and friend Master Chef Robert Orsi

'Hot Balls' from Table 17 with Executive Chef John Sinopoli

Table 17 is located in the heart of Leslieville - Riverside.

This wonderful wine bar & bistro exudes a fun casual atmosphere in an ever increasingly trendy neighborhood.

With an ever-changing seasonal menu, inspired by local ingredients and European preparation techniques, Table 17 is a great option for those that live in the neighborhood or for those who just enjoy great food and wine! Open for dinner service all week and for brunch on the weekend! Contact them directly or visit their website for reservations!

Table 17

782 Queen St. East

Toronto, Ontario

M4M 1H4

416 519 1851

www.table17.ca 

The Pork Belly Experiment - Confit of Pork Belly

Beautiful pork belly from our local butcher, note that the top skin is still on but it has been de-boned.

I carefully remove the top-skin and set it aside, do not discard.

All the ingredients prepared to cure the pork belly. Star Anise, Juniper berry, Bay leaf, Kosher salt, Brown sugar & wine.

Lovely cinnamon sticks.

Detail shot of the curing mixture on the pork belly in preparation to store in the fridge for two days.

Another shot of the mixture on top of the pork belly in preparation to store in the fridge.

I love pork belly!

Place in the deepest, coldest part of your fridge. Use the top-skin as a blanket to prevent from drying out too soon.

Note how compact the pork belly has become, the colour has also intensified. The pork has become more dense.

Pork belly in the pot covered in olive oil in preparation to be poached for 5 hours.

Detail shot of the pork belly cut into pieces to fit the pot. Note that the top-skin is lining the bottom of the pot.

Make sure that you use enough olive oil to cover the pork.

Once ready bring the pork belly up to a simmer. Do not cook covered, do not rush this process.

Just a shot of the pork belly on my range.

Just a detail shot of the pork as it cooks. Once the colour changes and deepens you are getting close to being done.

Beautifully cooked and cooled pork belly. Store in air tight container. 

When you are ready to serve. Cut into portions. Sear in a pan and serve with a celery root, yukon potato mash.

Ingredients

Pork Belly – boned and top skin removed

Cinnamon Sticks

Star Anise

Juniper berries

Peppercorns

Dark brown sugar

Kosher salt

Bay leaf

Olive oil

White wine

Methodology

Day One

To prepare the pork belly make sure that it has the rib bones removed. If you have a good butcher ask them to remove for you. The top skin should be removed as close to the time that you are going to prepare the dish.

Remove the top skin. Do not discard the skin.

Prepare the ingredients and combine:  star anise, cinnamon, juniper berries, peppercorns, dark brown sugar, bay leaf and kosher salt

Dry the pork belly and place in a shallow tray.

Pour the mixed ingredients all over the pork belly and rub the mixture into the meat.

Pour the wine over the pork belly.

Blanket the top skin over the whole pork belly and place in the coolest part of your fridge. Store over night.

Day Two

Check the progress of the pork belly – you will notice that there is a significant amount of liquid. Drain it.

Flip the pork belly and re-position the top skin on the top to blanket the curing pork belly.

Place the pork belly back into the fridge.

Day Three

Remove the pork belly from the fridge.

Place in a large pot that allows for the pork belly to fit without too much spare room as you will be using olive oil as the poaching liquid. You do not want to waste too much unnecessarily.

If you need to cut as I have with this one please try to maximize the size of the pork – keeping in mind what is the planned portion size.

Pour enough olive oil to cover the whole pork belly completely.

Bring up to a simmer and leave it at a good low simmer. Step away – keeping temperature at about 120 – 130F.

The planned poaching time is a bit hard to judge – it is a matter of colouring and tenderness.

I anticipate that the required time is a minimum of 4 -5 hours.  Please see the colour in the final photos to compare with your end results.

Remove from the olive oil poaching liquid. Do not discard. You can reuse after you strain the sediment.

Cool and then store in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

I would suggest that you cool and store over night before you serve.

How to Serve

Once you have decided to indulge and serve this confit of pork belly to yourself or your guests.  I would suggest that you have some mash prepared, a reduction of basalmic or a gastric to glaze.

Cut the pork belly into the desired portion size and heat a pan and then sear on all sides and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Foodies Flock to the Market!

St. Lawrence Market – One of my favourite places in the world!

On any given day, rain or shine, one of Toronto’s favourite food market opens its doors early in the morning to those hungry for fresh produce and tasty treats. Why do I visit? I love strolling the laneways, visiting the specialty vendors to see what unique and delicious ingredients are being offered to the thousands of people that visit the St. Lawrence Market each and every day except Sunday and Monday when they are closed.

A bit of what's local around the market in the heart of the city of Toronto!

If you like food, you have to visit the market…it’s filled with great seafood, meat, cheese and beautiful vegetables. Specialty stores fill every nook and corner of this vast and historic building that once was Toronto’s first city hall, police station No.1, a city council office and Toronto’s first food market. Today, the building is home to an art gallery, culinary classrooms, but it is mostly dedicated to the food purveyors that sell some of the most beautiful fruit, vegetables seafood and meats that you can find anywhere. The range of food items far exceeds anything you’ll find in your local grocery store. Some of food sold at the St. Lawrence Market borders on the exotic and luxurious. One of Toronto’s only caviar boutique and truffle houses makes its home here. Ostrich, bison, kangaroo, boar and monstrous scallops are but a few of the foodie porn treats that you can pick up here. It is not unusual to find yourself in the company of local chefs who often visit the market to pick up fresh ingredients for their menu. 

The North Building - Local Growers, Butchers Selling their goods

 The market is housed in two buildings: North and South. The north building is opened on Saturday and features smaller local farmers and their produce. It’s a great place to pick up locally grown vegetables. The south building is the main building and is opened throughout the week. The majority of the larger purveyors of meat and vegetables are located here and compete against each other for your business.

The South Building - Buzzing with patrons shopping. Good eats and great food!

The market is not only a good for picking up great food to take home, you’ll also find delicious meals to enjoy while you shop the market. Every time I visit, I have to visit the legendary Carousel Bakery for a peameal bacon sandwich. So simple, yet so delicious! Carousel Bakery piles on the Canadian peamla bacon on a fresh Kaiser bun topped as you choose. Sauces range from nasal clearing horseradish to honey mustard and everything in between. For me, I love the hot horseradish and a bit of honey mustard to balance the flavours. Business is brisk all the time and seating space is limited. I must have at least one, yeah I said at least ONE. This sandwich is so popular that people from all over come to experience this local specialty. Celebrity photos and letters of appreciation are posted on the wall. Chef Emeril, Dan Aykroyd and Catherine Zeta Jones are just a few celebrities that have come to visit and sang its praises.

The famous PEAMEAL BACON sandwich on a fresh country bun! I love love love it! I know you will too!

If you are ever in Toronto, ON and you are a devoted foodie like me, you must visit St. Lawrence Market.  There is something for everyone who loves food. Located in central downtown Toronto, there are many other attractions nearby. The St. Lawrence Market is just one place that makes me love Toronto for its food culture.

St. Lawrence Market

Building North and South

92- 95 Front Street East
Toronto, ON M5E 1C3
(416) 392-7120

www.stlawrencemarket.com

I love the market...here are some more photos!

You can get the best quality meat, locally sourced even the Kangaroo.

Cheese, cheese and more cheese! Everything from the standards to local small producers! Love it!

Cooking demonstrations and yes sample tastings!

Small locally produced goodies, I love this horseradish mustard! Goes great with sausage on a bun!

Restaurant rapidfire! Quick reviews for fastfood!

Caldense Bakery

Home of the “Nata” Custard Tart!

Well in one of my fuzzy brain moments that I sometimes have after being deprived of sustenance for hours. I stumbled into one of my little secret foodie joints…Caldense Bakery! Not more than 5 minutes from where I work. I discovered this bakery a little while ago...now…lucky for you I am willing to share!

The bakery is attached to a Portuguese grocery store named, Tavora (I will review in a future post). It is filled with ex-pats looking for that special taste that reminds them of home. Upon entering, you are greeted with the amazing smell of pastries, fresh bread and chicken roasting in piri piri sauce.  I think to myself, this is definitely my kind of place!  I have had the roasted chicken with salad before and it was delish! However, today I wish to share with you what has to be one of the best grilled chicken sandwiches that I have had the pleasure to eat! Imagine lemon marinated roasted chicken breast, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a fresh soft baked bun! So simple and oh so yummy! People who know me know that I am not a huge fan of chicken sandwiches…especially without mayo.  Why? Well, the chicken breast always seems to be dry, overcooked and without flavour. This one is different! The chicken breast was served warm, fresh and moist.  Clearly, they know how to make a great sandwich and it is easily one of the very best that I have had – excellent!

I also treated myself to two of their pastries – I do share!  They have a large selection of fresh bake pastries…all baked in house, all so tempting! It was very difficult to choose only just one…so I didn’t! Today I chose a sfoliatelle “lobster tail” and a lemony jelly filled doughnut in honor of one of my favourite days…National Doughnut Day!

If I had any advice…it would be to ask for a small side of piri piri sauce with the sandwich it would be fantastic!

Caldense Bakery

1030 Dundas Street East,

Mississauga, ON

L4Y 2B8

Open 7 days a week

www.caldensebakery.ca

Adored boîte hits the spot! Bravo!

Café du lac….a little neighbourhood gem!

What can I say that hasn’t been said already about Café du lac? It truly is a gem - a neighbourhood secret that is frequented by faithful patrons. The restaurant delivers service with a smile and most importantly, it is deliciously Quebecois. I love all regional cooking but the food from this region is truly unique and distinct.  

We chose a weeknight to visit. First impressions do not disappoint. Kathryn, the owner, greets us warmly and sits us at our table. It’s a bit early but she confides in us that they are fully booked for the evening. Lucky for me, my wife Michelle has had the foresight to call ahead to make reservations. Reservations aren’t always necessary but are recommended especially on a Friday or Saturday night. They have live music performances on Friday and Saturdays are very lively and business is brisk.
As this was our first visit, we took the time to peruse the food and drink menu. The menu isn’t extensive, but very inspired. There is a definite flair for the classics, but the menu also includes a few unique dishes. Serving various types of game meat and inspired by the Quebecois region for its unique flavours, the food is comforting. Drinks are ordered and bread follows. Perfectly baked and accompanied by sun-dried tomato whipped butter, the warm bread was the perfect beginning towards a great evening of service and delicious food.

The charcuterie was the first dish to arrive at our table. I must confess I absolutely LOVE charcuterie!  I don’t know what it is about cured meat, crostini and terrine/pâté that I just can’t get enough of. I love trying all different kinds. Each and every charcuterie plate is unique to the chef - many cure and make their own, and even if they don’t, it’s just interesting to see what the Chef wishes to highlight. On this particular evening, the Chef served a trio of venison cured meat selections: 1) peppercorn venison, 2) sea salt and maple glaze and 3) blackcurrant venison salami. Other items on the plate included a duck breast prosciutto and a generous portion of foie gras perfectly seared and accompanied with chutney that was sweet and tart.  A sprinkle of sea salt over the foie gras was the perfect touch to balance all the flavours. This charcuterie is perfect for two as a starter or if you’re like me… potentially it is a meal for one.  It goes extremely well with a cider or a glass of wine.

Our next dish was one of Café du Lac’s signatures – poutine with cream sauce, cheese curds and pulled beef short-ribs. The cheese curds are gooey and oh so yummy! The pulled pork is tasty and adds the ideal touch of salt needed to pull the dish together.  The fries are golden and treated with care, made with Yukon Jack potatoes, fried twice and piled high on the plate. I have had my share of poutine and this one is definitely at the top of my list. It is decadent and comforting. You also have the option of adding foie gras. 

For our main dish, we were lucky to have the opportunity to experience Canard dans une jarre - Duck in a Jar. If you want to enjoy this divine foie gras stuffed duck magret immersed in venison balsamic reduction with savoy cabbage, leeks and Berkshire pork double smoked bacon on a week night, you must pre order one day in advance (otherwise it’s a weekend special). This delicious dish will please all your tastes buds. When the jar is removed, you’ll be overwhelmed with the scent of bacon, balsamic reduction and the duck. The rustic mashed potato is the perfect compliment to the dish. Every bite I took made me smile. I crave to have it again (soon)!

Before dessert, the owner, Kathryn, came by to ask how we were doing and was beaming with pride with her kitchen staff and the menu that she has created and rightfully so! When we heard the desserts were homemade, we had to try. The dessert menu is small, but there is most certainly something for everyone. It ranges from the chocolaty to sweet to tart. Michelle and I opted for the maple tart with vanilla and lemon Chantilly and the bagatelle. I must say that I am not normally impressed with sweets and only very rarely have what I would describe as an epiphany, but these desserts gave me pause to reflect and reconsider my normal aversion to sweets. The maple tart was perfectly balanced (we were concerned it would be too sweet, but upon Kathryn’s suggestion, we gave it a try and were glad we did).  It was elegant and oh so dreamy good! The bagatelle was a lovely, a lemon curd triffle vanilla sponge cake that had a punch of tartness that was counter-balanced by sweetness of berries and whipped cream.  Magnificent and very rewarding! 

Café du lac impressed and delighted our palettes with its dishes and desserts.

Scoring 4.5/5

Notes:

Owner Kathryn Ashby

Chef  Hudson Bernard

Dress is casual

Live music on Fridays

Reservations recommended

BYOW on Thursdays ($5 corkage applies)

website:

www.cafedulac.ca