The Culinary Adventures of the Chef and the Princess...

Aussie Wine Resurgence

2011-05-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Last night we attended a wine tasting put on by our friends at the iyellow wine club www.iyellowwineclub.com. The theme of the night was Australian wines and there were about 100+ to taste. They held it at 99 Sudbury....The last time I was there it was a dumpy strip of industrial units set in a residential area, but wow, has this place undergone a beautiful transformation and emerged as a gorgeous event venue that doubles as a nightclub. It was a great setting to taste some lovely wines. A few familiar vintages were there....Hardy's, Jacob's Creek, Wolf Blass, Rosemount and Lindeman's. But I loved some of the names that were new to me like Fifth Leg, Henry's Drive, Stella Bella, Yalumba, Kilikanoon, Camelback and Yabby Lake. Two vintages in particular emerged as my favouries.....2009 Angus The Bull Cabernet Sauvignon which is distributed by our friends at Diamond Estates www.diamondestates.ca (the same folks that distribute Patron among many other fine spirits and wines), and 2008 Stone Dwellers Cabernet Sauvignon from Plunkett-Fowles winery in the Victoria region of Australia.www.plunketfowles.com.au. Matt Fowles is a big fan of wild game and gave us a card for 'Ladies who Shoot their Lunch'. www.ladieswhoshoot.com.au Loved it!
There were some snacks to soak up the alcohol which were yum, but special mention goes to 'Pig Out'. They do an entire pig on the spit and carve off delicious pieces served with bbq sauce on a bun. If you were really lucky, you got a crispy piece of pig skin in your sandwich...my mouth waters as I write this.
When I first started drinking red wine (many, many years and probably thousands of bottles ago...) I favoured Aussie wines for a long time. I moved away from Aussie wines and into other areas like California (still my fav region), Argentina, Chile, Italy, South Africa and more. But this was a good experience to remind me of the region I once loved so much and will definitely put me back in the direction of 'down under' at the LCBO.

Willow Springs Winery and Woodlot - Two Gems

2011-04-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

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

Weekend at Blue Mountain

2011-04-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

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

My Love Affair with Food

2011-04-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

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

The Weekly Roundup

2011-04-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

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

A Few Thoughts from the Princess....

2011-03-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

So…this is my very first blog….ever. They say you should write about something you know and love, and there isn’t much I know and love more than food, wine and spirits (and my Chef). As Chef mentioned in the intro, we are not food snobs. I grew up with a relatively broad palate, having been reared in an Eastern European household with a wide variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences due to my parents’ extensive travels prior to landing on the shores of our great nation. Here are a few things about me to give you an idea of where my points of view are coming from…..
• Having travelled a fair bit myself, I am open to new tastes and experiences but I have my limits. No bull testicles, or goat brains for this princess, I can’t even handle liver.
• I love wine, I mean, really love wine. I don’t believe that expensive = quality, and I’ve found lots of bottles that are inexpensive, smooth and pair perfectly with or without food.
• My favourite veggie is spinach. It’s so versatile and maybe I love it so much because my Mom often made homemade spanikopita which was my very favourite treat.
• Bread….sigh. The bane of my existence. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Love the smell, the feel of a crusty artesian baguette, the caraway seeds from the rye loaf that get stuck in my teeth. It’s just so versatile….you can eat it plain, toasted, with an endless number of toppings, dipped in soup or sauce, in salads as croutons, or warm out of the oven lovingly smothered with freshly churned butter. It’s comforting….who didn’t get ‘toast and tea’ as a kid when they were sick or come home from school at lunch to a grilled cheese sandwich (back in the day when kids could go home for lunch). The problem is that bread doesn’t always love me back. Apparently it’s not a good dietary decision to make it the central component of every meal, even though that is quite easily accomplished.
• Pasta – see ‘bread’ above.
• Meat/poultry – essential like water. If I am going to eat liver, it needs to be in the form of fois gras or liverwurst. (I like them both, see? Not a snob.)
• I don’t know the name of every ingredient in a dish or remember the name of every bottle of wine.
• Value – like Chef said, we don’t mind paying a good buck for a meal. But I can’t stress enough that there has to be value for the money. This is a key principle for me.

We will blog about our ‘wow ‘experiences (not to be confused with an ‘aha’ moment) around food and dining. It won’t always be about food, it might be about a great server or exquisite décor. Could be about anything that caused us to think, or more often, say out loud ‘wow…..(fill in the blank) was fantastic/decedent/delicious/gorgeous’. We all experience moments that we’d rather forget, but we don’t want to focus on those, unless we think our followers need to know as a matter of public safety.

Here are some notable ‘wow’ moments from the past few weeks, just to get you caught up…..

Lisbon by Night – somehow good dining experiences in Toronto are often associated with new, slick, trendy and fashionable places. Thank goodness that isn’t always the case. Lisbon by Night is a throw back to restaurants we went to with our parents…. bulky chairs, lots of photos and memorabilia on the wood paneled walls, chunky, sturdy cutlery and dinnerware. This Portuguese restaurant combines great food, excellent service, live entertainment, and a lively, friendly atmosphere to give diners a thorough ‘wow’ experience. We were at the corner of Dundas St. and Bathurst St. and yet, for a few hours, felt oceans away from Toronto. Food – excellent with special mention for the sardines, Portuguese sausage appetizer, grilled grouper and Vera’s home made dessert (although we are told the recipe was originally her sister Carmen’s). Chef had the Fish Rodizio which is a constant flow of nine different kinds of perfectly grilled succulent fish and seafood from sea bream to shrimp, accompanied by rice, tomato, cilantro and onion salsa, and grilled pineapple. We had white port as an aperitif which was a nice change from our usual favorite martini, and went surprisingly well with all the apps. Not knowing much about Portuguese wine, Carmen, our perfectly attentive and knowledgeable server, helped us select a great bottle of white (sorry, don’t remember the name). We switched back to port with our dessert, and she brought us a special treat – a 1978 port which was smooth, not overly sweet and perfect with Vera’s home made dessert (layers of light fluffy mousse with a graham cracker crumble and chocolate). Throughout this mouth watering meal, we were entertained by a very talented duo that played quite a selection from Pink Floyd to traditional Portuguese music. Of course, there was a small dance floor and it was wonderful to see people up dancing. You just don’t find that kind of experience in the city very often and we would go back in a heartbeat. If you are looking for little taste of Europe in the city, check out www.lisbonbynightrestaurant.com.

Liquor Tastings at Toronto Temperance Society www.torontotemperancesociety.com - as members of this excellent private club, which is modeled after a pre-prohibition era speakeasy and makes exquisite cocktails with the best and freshest ingredients (syrups, bitters…even the tonic water is made in house), we often get to partake in liquor tastings put on by the manufacturer and/or distributors. We’ve been to several notable tastings in the last few months…..
• Bruichladdich Scotch – this scotch is distilled on the Isle of Islay, off the coast of Scotland, one of the very few distilleries that has not adopted technology and continues to distill using the same techniques forged in the late 1800’s. It is also one of the few distillers using only organic barley all grown in Scotland. We were thoroughly entertained by the rep from the distillery who had great and inspiring stories to tell and guided us through the tasting from light and spicy to complex and smokey. www.lochindaal.com
• St. Germain – this is a fantastic liqueur made in France from elderflower blossoms. The best description is a taste of ‘spring in a glass’. We were lucky enough to try it before it was released at the LCBO, and of all the different cocktails we tried, our favourite was the classic St. Germain….liqueur, proseco and a splash of club soda with a twist of lemon rind. The perfect summer patio cocktail. www.stgermain.fr
• Oxley Gin – our friends at TTS managed to get their hands on a case of this fine gin, distilled in London. This is a cold distilled gin, crafted in small batches so it’s not available at the LCBO, but a few cases were distributed in the city to selected establishments, and we were extremely fortunate to be included in this tasting. We are huge gin martini fans (TTS makes the best in the city, by the way) and the Oxley Gin was fragrant with juniper, fresh and intense. Classic taste simply on the rocks. www.oxleygin.com
• Patron Tequila – so Patron is, or should be, near and dear to all Canadian’s hearts, as Dan Aykroyd owns the rights to Canadian distribution of this fine tequila spirit. We tasted five of the tequilas – Silver, Anego, Reposado, and two fantastic flavoured tequilas….Patron Citronge (a lovely, fragrant orange liqueur) and Patron X.O Café (rich, intense coffee flavoured liqueur). The reps from Patron were funny, engaging and true enthusiasts. They mentioned that the bartender at the W Hotel in Montreal is using the Patron X.O. Café in their summer house cocktail this year. If you’re in Montreal, check it out! www.patrontequila.com
L.A.B (Live and Breathe) – this is an outstanding, intimate, fashionable restaurant on College St (which is one of our favourite dining destinations). Recommended by the folks at TTS, we ventured over there late on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago. Told it was ‘molecular gastronomy’, I was worried that equaled small and expensive. L.A.B, was anything but. This meal was so delicious, I feel compelled to list everything we ate.
We started with a few appetizers….Mushroom Ragu, Beet 3, and Tortiere. This was more than enough to entice us on to mains….Braised Veal Shoulder for me, and Rabbit “Marrow Bones’ for Chef, all washed down with a few glasses of red wine (don’t recall what we ordered, but it was excellent). Somehow, after all this deliciousness, we couldn’t help ourselves and ordered dessert. It was a tough choice, but we went with the L.A.B S’mores and were not disappointed. Owner/Chef Howard Dubrovsky joined us afterwards for shot of tequila as we talked all things food. This the best dinner we’ve had in a while, and we have a lot of great dinners. For full menu descriptions or to make a reservation (which I highly recommend) go to www.labrestaurant.com
Cupcakes – there are a lot of places doing cupcakes now, and we’ve tasted more than our share lately. But…I have to give a mention to For the Love of Cake in Liberty Village for their ‘Cookies and Cream’ and ‘Crazy Carrot’…..www.fortheloveofcake.ca

Okay, that’s enough for now….I hear the laundry calling. Yes, even princess’ have to do laundry sometimes.

The Princess

Once Upon a Time...

2011-03-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Not so long ago in the thriving metropolis of El Toro a Gypsy Chef met a downtown big city foodie. After falling into culinary lust... low and behold the inevitable happens and a few months later "The Culinary Adventure Company" was born.

In the months it took to put our little venture together, we took a veritable tour through culinary underbelly of the Toronto food scene...tasting the good, the bad and the down right nasty. We shared many great meals, discovered eclectic neighbourhoods, and had a few laughs. Then we thought... wouldn't it be great to share these experiences with others....so we decided to co write "The Culinary Adventures of the Chef & the Princess". As we continue to check out new and interesting places, we will keep you up to date on our latest food finds.

But to start, lets get a few things straight. First off... I am a real Chef...she is NOT a real princess... and neither one of us are food snobs.We write it as we see it....without an any agendas, bias or compensation.We enjoy it all... from opulent fine dining to a buck seventy five Vietnamese sandwich in China town. We might not always be right, we might not always agree with each other, but we do seek out good value for money and quality ingredients. We don't mind forking out some dough but the food quality and the service better be up to snuff....'Cuz as a chef I get down right cranky when its not... and so does the princess...Old Gordie Ramsey has nothing on us....LOL. So until next time, I leave you with one of my favourite food quotes....

"Cooking is like love....it should be entered into with abandon or not at all" - Harriett Van Horne 1920-1998

Thanks for reading...

Chef