We spent the weekend at the open house at Willow Springs Winery. I never knew we had such a beautiful spot just north of the city in Stoufville….easy to find and what a ‘find’ it is! Winemaker Mario Testa has agriculture in his veins, converting the family farm many years ago to a vineyard and now turning out an award winning VQA product. We used his 2007 barrel fermented Chardonnay and 2008 Meritage at our Lamb Class last week to great reviews. Mario has recently sold the winery to newcomer Sheriden Huang so he can focus all his time on growing, harvesting, fermenting and bottling their delicious bounty. Oh, did I mention their icewine?? All I can say is ‘wow’…both the bouquet and taste of their two ice wines were outstanding - 2007 Vidal Icewine and 2007 Cab Franc Icewine, the former being sweeter with strong fruity bouquet. We picked up a few bottles that will wind their way into one or two of our cooking classes. (I might hide one at home to pour over fresh Ontario strawberries and ice cream…but let’s keep that between us okay?.)
Ever since the Food Network, Chefs have been elevated from the ‘hired help’ to celebrity status and Chef was every bit the rockstar all weekend. It was amazing to watch people linger around, listening and laughing at his chef stories…or maybe it was because he was the guy with the food…. Either way, folks lined up to receive such delectable treats as Soy and Chardonnay Infused Shrimp with Tropical Fruit Salsa (I love the hint of cilantro in the salsa), and perfectly cooked medium rare Beef Tenderloin thinly sliced and served on a crostini with a dollop of garlic mashed potato and a splash of Meritage & Blue Cheese demi-glace. I am getting hungry just writing about this….
If you want to take a leisurely Sunday drive, we recommend a stop at Willow Springs. It’s well worth the trip. www.willowspringswinery.com
On Saturday night, after a long day at the winery, Chef was in the mood for a martini and something tasty that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. We stopped at Toronto Temperance Society so Chef could have a perfect martini and ponder our dining options. I sipped a St. Germain and watched his mind spin with possibilities. We settled on walking a couple of blocks to a spot we had seen but hadn’t tried yet. Woodlot Restaurant and Bakery is a converted auto garage on Palmerston, just a few metres south of College, that functions as a bakery during the day and fabulous restaurant in the evening. We were warmly greeted and offered a seat almost immediately at their communal dining table next to both the kitchen and the wood burning oven. The place was buzzing with happy, satisfied diners. The placement of the fridges and wood oven prep area outside of the tiny kitchen provided fantastic entertainment value. Chef and I watched these young chefs (I swear no one in the kitchen was over 25) in ball caps and aprons, put their heart and soul into the food and their passion was evident in the supreme quality of the offerings. We started with some seared scallops (came with lentils and vintage 1927 vinegar) and red fife papardalle with pulled lamb ragu, pecorino and fresh herbs. What a beautiful and rich delight. It was a tough choice for mains, but Chef settled on the snail and bacon ragu served over polenta, while I had the baked haddock over saffron fregola. Kevin in the kitchen sent us sides of perfectly smooth potatoes whipped with bone marrow and rapini sauted with anchovies and garlic. Both were amazing but the potatoes were like rich velvet over the tongue. I could have had just a bowl of those…until I tried the mains. My haddock was perfectly cooked, crispy outside and meaty and tender inside, pairing perfectly with the fregola pasta (kind of like Israeli couscous but bigger). And the snail ragu….I am not even sure how to adequately describe this dish. Rich and flavourful, the snails were tender (not rubbery at all) and the sauce was meaty and decadent tasting, no doubt as a result of the bacon. The polenta was perfect, and paired with the ragu, made for a taste experience like we haven’t had in a while (since our amazing dinner at LAB). How we made room for dessert I have no idea, but they sent us a lovely tarte tartin with honey gelato and a lemon custard tart with fresh blueberries and rich meringue. We washed all of this down with a lovely bottle of French Pinot Noir (Rene Bouvier). Our server Janelle was young, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and a delight…..in fact, all the staff was so impressive that we insisted on a round of shots for Janelle, Kevin and the other kitchen staff, and their dishwasher (everyone knows a good dishwasher can make or break the kitchen). Kindly, they obliged. We will be back to this place and it goes on our list of top 5 recommendations. Reservations recommended, but they take walk-ins for the communal table, which in my opinion, is the best seat in the house. www.woodlotrestaurant.com
Monday, 18 April 2011
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Weekend at Blue Mountain
Took Chef away for his birthday to the village at Blue Mountain. We stayed at the very beautiful Westin Trillium Lodge which has a gorgeous outdoor heated pool and hottubs - naturally we took full advantage, the weather was perfect for such activities.
Arrived Saturday early afternoon, and after getting settled, we set out to do a little exploring. I had my very first maple taffy...basically warmed up maple syrup poured over crushed ice then twirled around a popsicle stick. What a gooey, sticky, sweet treat! We browsed in and out and all around taking in the sights and the smells - there is a constant wood fire going in the middle of the village which makes the whole place smell like a chalet or campground. One of my very favourite smells. Deciding we were a bit peckish and not having dinner reservations until 8 pm at the trendy steak and seafood resto, we stopped into a Greek restaurant because the menu looked so very appealing. Chef had a martini and I went straight for a glass of New Zealand pinot noir...sipping and chatting while we waited for our lamb chop appetizers. They arrived quickly and were perfectly cooked, albiet needing a little salt but otherwise very nicely spiced. We moved on to the mussels in tomato broth and they were equally as tasty. The great food, wonderful ambience, stellar service and promise of a 'Greek show' was enough to get us to cancel our reservations at the steak resto and come back to Tholos for dinner.
After our swim and a little pre-dinner nap, we returned to Tholos. Staff who had chatted with us earlier in the day all stopped by to see how we were enjoying our main meal. We have to give props to Sue, Zoran, Steve and our server Heather for the perfect service which complimented a great meal. Starting with flaming saganaki, doused in butter and fresh lemon juice and ouzo, we devoured that with a couple of aperitif cocktails. Chef had the bone in tenderloin with shrimp on the side. The meat was seasoned and cooked to perfection and was my first taste of a bone in filet. What a difference! I had the lamb shank which came with rice and butter beans in tomato sauce. The lamb could have used another hour or so of braising because it wasn't 'falling off the bone' tender, but, the taste was fantastic - exotically spiced and very flavourful.
So far we are two for two....great food, great service. Then comes the entertainment! The had a (very cute) mandolin player who was entertaining the crowd and all of a sudden was accompanied by a sexy belly dancer. Now I am not sure belly dancing is Greek, I always considered it more Turkish or Egyptian, but hey I am not one to complain. She was very talented and soon had several young women up on the floor joining her. As if this wasn't enough (much more then you get at most places) the staff then got together and started doing traditional Greek dancing. The line was moving and within seconds had expanded to include about 20 diners, everyone joining in and having a blast. As the music sped up, the plates came out and the smashing and 'Opa!!' started, rocketing the place into excitement. We had front row seats (courtesy of the amazing maitre'd) and loved every second! Who knew you'd get an experience like that at Blue Mountain? Completely unexpected and completely appreciated. We highly recommend this restaurant....www.tholos.ca
We moved on to a couple of other places that night before finally climbing into bed around 2 am (I am getting too old for this...). The next day we stopped for breakfast at a lovely little diner on Hurontario St in Collingwood that made perfect eggs and peameal bacon for breakfast. The rye toast was unusually delicious. Another pleasant surprise...www.duncanscafe.com
When all was said and done, Chef was quite happy with his birthday getaway. I often don't expect much when going to a place as 'touristy' as Blue Mountain village, and perhaps that is why I was so genuinely delighted at all of our meals and the entire weekend experience.
Good times!!
The Princess
Arrived Saturday early afternoon, and after getting settled, we set out to do a little exploring. I had my very first maple taffy...basically warmed up maple syrup poured over crushed ice then twirled around a popsicle stick. What a gooey, sticky, sweet treat! We browsed in and out and all around taking in the sights and the smells - there is a constant wood fire going in the middle of the village which makes the whole place smell like a chalet or campground. One of my very favourite smells. Deciding we were a bit peckish and not having dinner reservations until 8 pm at the trendy steak and seafood resto, we stopped into a Greek restaurant because the menu looked so very appealing. Chef had a martini and I went straight for a glass of New Zealand pinot noir...sipping and chatting while we waited for our lamb chop appetizers. They arrived quickly and were perfectly cooked, albiet needing a little salt but otherwise very nicely spiced. We moved on to the mussels in tomato broth and they were equally as tasty. The great food, wonderful ambience, stellar service and promise of a 'Greek show' was enough to get us to cancel our reservations at the steak resto and come back to Tholos for dinner.
After our swim and a little pre-dinner nap, we returned to Tholos. Staff who had chatted with us earlier in the day all stopped by to see how we were enjoying our main meal. We have to give props to Sue, Zoran, Steve and our server Heather for the perfect service which complimented a great meal. Starting with flaming saganaki, doused in butter and fresh lemon juice and ouzo, we devoured that with a couple of aperitif cocktails. Chef had the bone in tenderloin with shrimp on the side. The meat was seasoned and cooked to perfection and was my first taste of a bone in filet. What a difference! I had the lamb shank which came with rice and butter beans in tomato sauce. The lamb could have used another hour or so of braising because it wasn't 'falling off the bone' tender, but, the taste was fantastic - exotically spiced and very flavourful.
So far we are two for two....great food, great service. Then comes the entertainment! The had a (very cute) mandolin player who was entertaining the crowd and all of a sudden was accompanied by a sexy belly dancer. Now I am not sure belly dancing is Greek, I always considered it more Turkish or Egyptian, but hey I am not one to complain. She was very talented and soon had several young women up on the floor joining her. As if this wasn't enough (much more then you get at most places) the staff then got together and started doing traditional Greek dancing. The line was moving and within seconds had expanded to include about 20 diners, everyone joining in and having a blast. As the music sped up, the plates came out and the smashing and 'Opa!!' started, rocketing the place into excitement. We had front row seats (courtesy of the amazing maitre'd) and loved every second! Who knew you'd get an experience like that at Blue Mountain? Completely unexpected and completely appreciated. We highly recommend this restaurant....www.tholos.ca
We moved on to a couple of other places that night before finally climbing into bed around 2 am (I am getting too old for this...). The next day we stopped for breakfast at a lovely little diner on Hurontario St in Collingwood that made perfect eggs and peameal bacon for breakfast. The rye toast was unusually delicious. Another pleasant surprise...www.duncanscafe.com
When all was said and done, Chef was quite happy with his birthday getaway. I often don't expect much when going to a place as 'touristy' as Blue Mountain village, and perhaps that is why I was so genuinely delighted at all of our meals and the entire weekend experience.
Good times!!
The Princess
Monday, 4 April 2011
My Love Affair with Food
Food Philosophy…Fresh… Simple…Local…
My love affair with food began when I was a child; my mother introduced me to cooking at a young age, as I would often get underfoot while she was making her homemade bread. The smell of fresh bread baking still brings back fond memories and I make it to this day. I have a batch in the oven right now as a matter of fact.
From these humble beginnings, I got my first taste of a restaurant kitchen as a dishwasher while still in school. I adapted well to this environment and it eventually led to me learning the business from the ground up. Now more than 20 years later, I have never looked back.
What amazes me most about cooking is that no matter how long you have been doing it, there is always more to learn. It allows us to be creative, experiment and discover new flavours, textures and dishes. It is almost magical how a few simple fresh ingredients can be turned into something wonderful. Unfortunately, today’s busy lifestyles have led people to eat so much processed and genetically modified food, all in the name of convenience. There is a lot to be said for the taste of a local carrot…fresh picked from the garden… or the delicate aromas of slowly braised venison Osso Bocco.
I believe in simplicity…it should be the goal of every great chef or cook to produce a truly memorable dish using the fewest ingredients possible. Don’t ever be afraid - let the flavours of the ingredients speak for themselves. If we use quality ingredients, proper techniques and put passion into the dish, the results will be tastefully delicious. Most importantly… don’t rush, give the food the time it needs for flavours to marry. If we follow these few simple rules, success is almost guaranteed. We must always challenge ourselves in the kitchen; or better yet… let the ingredients challenge us. What can we do with these beautiful heirloom tomatoes, or this generously marbled organic beef? The possibilities are endless.
As a chef I am conscious of where my ingredients come from, how the animals were raised…what was their diet… how the vegetables were grown…is the seafood sustainable etc.? My passion for food comes from within; there is no better feeling in the world than sharing a delicious meal that you have prepared… with family, friends or even total strangers. To see the smile on their faces, as they taste a dish… you can tell how much they are enjoying it….and that is priceless!!!
Until we eat again, Yours in Food & Wine...
Chef
My love affair with food began when I was a child; my mother introduced me to cooking at a young age, as I would often get underfoot while she was making her homemade bread. The smell of fresh bread baking still brings back fond memories and I make it to this day. I have a batch in the oven right now as a matter of fact.
From these humble beginnings, I got my first taste of a restaurant kitchen as a dishwasher while still in school. I adapted well to this environment and it eventually led to me learning the business from the ground up. Now more than 20 years later, I have never looked back.
What amazes me most about cooking is that no matter how long you have been doing it, there is always more to learn. It allows us to be creative, experiment and discover new flavours, textures and dishes. It is almost magical how a few simple fresh ingredients can be turned into something wonderful. Unfortunately, today’s busy lifestyles have led people to eat so much processed and genetically modified food, all in the name of convenience. There is a lot to be said for the taste of a local carrot…fresh picked from the garden… or the delicate aromas of slowly braised venison Osso Bocco.
I believe in simplicity…it should be the goal of every great chef or cook to produce a truly memorable dish using the fewest ingredients possible. Don’t ever be afraid - let the flavours of the ingredients speak for themselves. If we use quality ingredients, proper techniques and put passion into the dish, the results will be tastefully delicious. Most importantly… don’t rush, give the food the time it needs for flavours to marry. If we follow these few simple rules, success is almost guaranteed. We must always challenge ourselves in the kitchen; or better yet… let the ingredients challenge us. What can we do with these beautiful heirloom tomatoes, or this generously marbled organic beef? The possibilities are endless.
As a chef I am conscious of where my ingredients come from, how the animals were raised…what was their diet… how the vegetables were grown…is the seafood sustainable etc.? My passion for food comes from within; there is no better feeling in the world than sharing a delicious meal that you have prepared… with family, friends or even total strangers. To see the smile on their faces, as they taste a dish… you can tell how much they are enjoying it….and that is priceless!!!
Until we eat again, Yours in Food & Wine...
Chef
Saturday, 2 April 2011
The Weekly Roundup
Last week was a long one for both the Chef and I. We are always very busy working on our business, The Culinary Adventure Company. But Chef also cooked for over a 1,000 people and I was swamped with my ‘day job’…one of the corporate kind that is draining enough on its own. I decided to pick him up last night after work, he was still at the culinary school doing last minute stuff. I followed him into the walk in cooler regaling him with stories of my day. Eyeing some mini quiche on a tray and being starving, I popped one into my mouth. “These are pretty good” I said. “Of course” said Chef as he looked at me quizzically and wrinkled his nose, “I made them”. We head downtown towards home, both of us hungry and weary. “What do you feel like for dinner?” Chef asked. “Dunno” was the reply. “Pho?” “Nah” said Chef, “not in the mood for pho”. “Sushi?” he countered. “Nah, not in the mood for sushi” I said. “You know what the problem is?” Chef asked, “too many choices”. We continued to rhyme off a list of potential places, tossing each choice aside because being tired and hungry is the worst time to have to make a decision. We ended up checking out a little pub around Dundas and McCaul called Sin & Redemption, lured in partly because of the name, and partly because it had a big crowd inside, which is always a good sign. Once inside, it was obvious this was a serious beer and scotch joint. I had a Belgium Honey Dew blonde ale, which had a nice sweet, smooth taste and was their only organic beer. Chef ordered a Carlsberg and we snacked on some Flemish meatballs with sour cherry sauce while we waited for our fish and chips. The meal was really just sustenance, not memorable, but the place was buzzing and if you are a beer fan, definitely one to visit.
Next weekend, however, we have some friends joining us downtown and we are taking them to Buca which is my very favourite Italian restaurant www.buca.ca. You won’t find much on the web, because the menu changes quite frequently, they never bother to post it. I was so delighted to be introduced to this restaurant a couple of years ago. I was going through some “Italian fatigue” in restaurants because every time I read a menu, it was always the same stuff…pizza, pasta, veal, antipasto plate. I suppose Buca serves much of their food along the same lines, but the difference is Buca adds such a layer of authenticity to the food (for example they have their own aging room for cured meats), I feel like I could be eating in Italy. Crispy pigs ears with fennel salt is an amazing delight. My favourite appetizer is asparagus steamed with a mascarpone cheese and shaved truffle. It’s served with a duck egg wrapped in crispy pancetta bacon and when you cut the egg open, the yolk is perfectly runny and oozes out over the asparagus. It is so incredibly rich, I would dare to call it a “sensual” eating experience. This wasn’t on the menu last time Chef and I were there and I hope it’s back now. Other amazing things I have tried include lamb meatballs on a bed of creamy polenta, all smothered in tomato sauce. They’ve made the same dish with beef shortribs and it was equally as tasty. The spaghetti carbonara is a very decadent treat, it arrives with a fresh egg yolk sitting proudly on top and is tossed tableside, giving the whole dish a beautiful, rich, yellow colour. I really could go on and on, but if you are looking for an authentic Italian meal, you must visit Buca. I will let you know what our friends think next weekend, considering one of them is an authentic Italian himself.
It’s Chef’s birthday today and I am taking him north for the weekend. He’s not native to Toronto (he is a transplant from New Brunswick via Montreal and many international locations) and he hasn’t spent much time north of the GTA. I can’t reveal where yet, because he doesn’t know and will likely read this before we leave, but I will fill you in on our adventure when we get back. Let’s just say it involves a luxurious hotel, heated outdoor pool and hottub, a little shopping, some good food (I hope) and a little one on one time that we both deserve.
Have a great weekend!
The Princess
Next weekend, however, we have some friends joining us downtown and we are taking them to Buca which is my very favourite Italian restaurant www.buca.ca. You won’t find much on the web, because the menu changes quite frequently, they never bother to post it. I was so delighted to be introduced to this restaurant a couple of years ago. I was going through some “Italian fatigue” in restaurants because every time I read a menu, it was always the same stuff…pizza, pasta, veal, antipasto plate. I suppose Buca serves much of their food along the same lines, but the difference is Buca adds such a layer of authenticity to the food (for example they have their own aging room for cured meats), I feel like I could be eating in Italy. Crispy pigs ears with fennel salt is an amazing delight. My favourite appetizer is asparagus steamed with a mascarpone cheese and shaved truffle. It’s served with a duck egg wrapped in crispy pancetta bacon and when you cut the egg open, the yolk is perfectly runny and oozes out over the asparagus. It is so incredibly rich, I would dare to call it a “sensual” eating experience. This wasn’t on the menu last time Chef and I were there and I hope it’s back now. Other amazing things I have tried include lamb meatballs on a bed of creamy polenta, all smothered in tomato sauce. They’ve made the same dish with beef shortribs and it was equally as tasty. The spaghetti carbonara is a very decadent treat, it arrives with a fresh egg yolk sitting proudly on top and is tossed tableside, giving the whole dish a beautiful, rich, yellow colour. I really could go on and on, but if you are looking for an authentic Italian meal, you must visit Buca. I will let you know what our friends think next weekend, considering one of them is an authentic Italian himself.
It’s Chef’s birthday today and I am taking him north for the weekend. He’s not native to Toronto (he is a transplant from New Brunswick via Montreal and many international locations) and he hasn’t spent much time north of the GTA. I can’t reveal where yet, because he doesn’t know and will likely read this before we leave, but I will fill you in on our adventure when we get back. Let’s just say it involves a luxurious hotel, heated outdoor pool and hottub, a little shopping, some good food (I hope) and a little one on one time that we both deserve.
Have a great weekend!
The Princess
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