wine food yum

"molecular gastronomy ingredients"

2009-02-26T21:43:00.004-05:00

hey folks! it's been a while since we've last posted. we have an excuse -

renovating our new future space and planning for a wedding! haha. i was pretty excited today as i saw this in the foyer - a nice box from UPS..

after the disgust from the import fees (why do we have that at all between the US and Canada, no explanation makes sense), i was super excited.

i know in some gastronomy circles, the term "molecular gastronomy" has some poor connotations attached.. why, i'm not sure of that either =)

anyhoo, without further ado.. here are some more pix:

SUPERBAG!

cluttered "pantry" anyone?

wonderful packets!

i can't wait to try to make the vanilla fruit pate and my version of piave noodles!

Alinea - Green Almond - Sweet, Hot, Sour, Salt

2009-01-06T23:01:00.004-05:00

Here's my first recipe attempt from Grant Achatz's Alinea cookbook - check out the restaurant site: here

Getting everything together

Getting ready to blitz

Foamy nuclear green

The "work" part of the recipe =)

Getting ready to seperate

Studio attempt

It was pretty challenging in terms of presentation and the photography. Definitely fun.. I've joined the Alinea Forums and it's a pretty cool community. There's at least 2 chefs who are trying to go through the entire cookbook.. Pretty ambitious. More posts to come as I cook!

top restaurant meals of 2008

2009-01-01T23:43:00.008-05:00

[mm]

I saw someone's blog post about their 2008 best restaurants: here

g may differ a bit, but I think this is a good summary for my dining experience ~~this~~ last year (if it doesn't list a city, assume Toronto):

d'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Las Vegas

Aux Truffes, Mont Tremblant

Susur

Pizzeria Due, Chicago

Peller Estates Winery Restaurant, Niagara

Tiara, Niagara

Jean-Georges, NYC

Marben

Colborne Lane

surprises:

Terroni Adelaide

disappointments:

Splendido

Amaya

Atelier Thuet (g loved her pasta)

would love to try this year:

top 50 restaurants, including, el Bulli, Spain

North 44

Nota Bene

Sushi Kaji

I'm sure there's lots I'm missing, but that's off the top of my head =)

On another note, I'm currently trying recipes from Alinea:

So far, I've made the cucumber gelee and pistachio brittle. More on the experiments (and photos) to come.

introducing TorontoEats!

2008-11-07T13:54:00.002-05:00

i was restlessly trying to fall asleep last night when i came up with my latest web initiative idea. introducing: TorontoEats.

TorontoEats - which is all about a "Toronto foodie armed with an iPhone and TwitPic, snapping daily shots of food in and around Toronto."

it was obviously a natural outcome of our love for food and obsession with trying new places in and around Toronto. photo syndication is html/javascript and you can check it out to the left under profile ->

follow on twitter: http://twitter.com/torontoeats
follow on twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/TorontoEats

happy friday :)

the jean gorges experience, nyc

2008-10-13T10:36:00.012-04:00

here we go - a few photos from jean georges in nyc, as promised :)

jg's famous egg caviar; sea scallops with caramelized cauliflower with a caper raisin emulsion; garlic soup with thyme and sauteed frog legs

turbot with chateau charlon sauce; lobster tartine with lemongrass and fenugreek broth and pea shoots; broiled squab with a onion compote, corn pancake, and foie gras

classic and delicious - though i might vote for a meal at l'atelier de joel robuchon over jg :)

chocolate malted whopper drops

2008-09-24T11:27:00.009-04:00

tastespotting (http://www.tastespotting.com) is one of my favourite food sites up to date - with daily updates of amazing photos of food - it's my favourite thing to do at 3pm every day. tastespotting is also how i discovered tuesdays with dorie (http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com).

tuesdays with dorie (or TwD) is a network of online food journals/blogs who all take part in the same recipe once a week. a few weeks ago, the recipe was "chocolate malted whopper drops" - think ovaltine and maltesers/whoppers. i was hooked. i had a free evening last night and so decided to tackle the recipe!

Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops
(from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)

1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 C malted milk powder (or Ovaltine, says Dorie)
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick plus 3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2/3 C granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C whole milk
2 C Whoppers/Malteses, coarsely chopped
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or chocolate chips)

[instructions]

Preheat your oven to 350º. Set up a few baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, malted milk powder, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.

Beat the sugar with the butter until creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then the vanilla.

Beat in half the flour mix, just until incorporated. Then the milk. Then the rest of the flour mix.
Stir in the whoppers and chocolate chunks.

Place heaping tablespoons of the dough on the baking sheets, about 2″ apart.

Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through.

a foodie's labour day adventure in nyc

2008-09-09T11:37:00.003-04:00

as many of you know, we were in nyc this past labour day weekend (friday august 29 to wed sept 3rd) and also happened to get engaged - in central park with yummy foods from bouchon bakery (a la thomas keller) at columbus circle, just one floor down from per se. sadly, there was no per se on our itinerary, but alas, we share with you the rest of our adventures - through photos :)

but trust me - this post is most definitely NOT disappointing . enjoy the food porn!

to the left, giant chocolate milkshake for two (or four!) from Tom's Restaurant near Columbia University.

- fat little italian sausage from Tom's Restaurant that made Andrea frown :\
- "surprise" dish from Baluchi's Indian Food, something like fried potato balls with the usual toppings
- sweaty hot dog man at the blue jays vs. yankees game (and 12th last game at yankee stadium!) - be sure to notice the dripping sweat from his nose garnishing the hot dogs with wonderful salty flavours

- beautiful baked goods + cupcakes at Dean & Deluca, courtesy mainly of Two Little Red Hens
- cupcakes before (clockwise from top left) marble cupcake, brooklyn blackout cupcake, vanilla raspberry cupcake - damn good cupcakes, but at $5.50 each, it's no wonder
- cupcakes after being demolished by a few hungry torontonians looking for cupcakes worthy of being called cupcakes

a trip to nyc isn't complete without a visit to Nobu. pictured to the left is the $17 usd "Yellowtail Jalapeno" dish which is always top quality sourced and melt-in-your-mouth.

we went to "nobu next door" since it was a last minute thought - but the Uni here was the best i've ever had, even compared to the Nobu Las Vegas and Prince Hotel's Katsura in Toronto

- on the way back from Nobu, we found ourselves at the door of David Bouley's Bouley Restaurant and across the street with a green awning, Bouley Bakery. i went for a visit the next morning, especially after an honorable mention in Celebrity Chef Restaurants on Any Budget
- croissants galore and i had a Pain Pear au Chocolat with a latte watching the lower east-side joggers and dog-walkers go by
- picked up 2 packs of cookies (sugar cookies + another oatmeal type) for home but deeply regret not picking up a few more packs (my coworkers, family & mm also regret this ..)

- after a dinner in little italy, caught up with tianne and mike and we went to gorge ourselves at Max Brenner's - if you love chocolate, then this place will open your eyes, warm your heart, and awaken the child within you
- fondue for 2 that 3 of us couldn't finish (clockwise from top left): chocolate fondue warmed by candle; small table top fire for roasting marshmallows (hidden); bowl of strawberries, bananas, and marshmellows; creme fraische with tart strawberry sauce; chocolate vial to pour on all the goodies; peanut butter bar topped with chocolate; chocolate mouse topped with white chocolate clumps and pop-rocks; vanilla icecream with chocolate sauce drizzle; banana caramel waffle.
- part of the menu writes, "Our chocolate should be savored with all senses. Listed to the most romantic music, then watch it like a child's fantasty that turns into reality, smell it like the rarest of perfumes, dip your fingers into it and lick it slowly - and passionately. Make love to it. Enjoy to the Max."

the tastiest hot chocolate i've ever had - the "Choc-o-Pops" hot chocolate, served with small wafer/crisp chocolate pieces that warms you right up and gives you that feeling of pure chocolate ecstasy, served in a "hug mug" that you hug in your hands, that makes the experience just that much more comfy, go to Max Brenner's!

- my surprise picnic consisted of wonderful goods from Bouchon Bakery
- an array of baked goodness: Sticky Buns to Danishes, Loaves and other breads
- sandwiches, paninis, croissant sandwiches, mousses, foie gras in a cup - and, (not pictured here) foie gras biscuits for DOGS in the shape of dog bones - yes that's right. pretentious, much? well, we thought so, too - until a lady with two bald dogs purchased two right in front of us :)

- ah, lovely bouchon bakery + food on the grass for a picnic in central park!
- wagyu beef sandwich, warmed in a press - absolutely delicious, tender beef, perhaps just slightly overcooked from the re-heat
- a large "arnold palmer" drink, a lemonade-lime-orange refresher!

- a vanilla blueberry mousse - check out all the specks of vanilla bean, yum :)
- pecan sticky buns from bouchon bakery are famous and now we know why . ..
- (after our engagement) - a wonderful celebratory mixed berry tart to complete the perfect picnic and to reiterate that "in a new york minute, everything can change."

another post to come on Jean Georges :)

the great toronto crepe search

2008-08-20T10:56:00.007-04:00

crepes a gogo, 18 yorkville avenue, toronto
just north of bloor and yonge

i finally *finally* got the chance to try crepes a gogo this past sunday, after 2 years of dwindling and trying to sink my teeth into this place. they claim to have crepes better than those you'll find in paris.

fantastic cozy little place, great patio. warm little cafe/bistro tables. espresso machine. crepes are fresh and made to order on crepe pans. all the staff speak french and speak to each other in french - which makes you feel like their crepes are even more authentic. they have savoury crepes, sandwiches, snacks, coffee. i got a chocolate crepe avec bananes - 4 dark chocolate sticks melted and folded with bananas. not too bad - but married with the cute paris cafe feel, it's just right.

cafe crepe, 246 queen st west, toronto
at queen and john, just across from citytv

now maybe i've crossed the line when it comes to crepes (is it more authentic to have chocolate sticks or heaps of yummy nutella), but there's something about cafe crepes spread of delicious nutella, array of hazelnuts or almonds, strawberries and vanilla - that is like music to my palette. serve it up with an illy espresso or latte, and it's perfection.

the feel's a little more modern/upscale, not as cozy as crepe a gogo, but is definitely a favourite. too bad they close so darn early! their crepes are a bit thicker than crepes a gogo, but crepes a gogo folds their crepes a lot more. i think the perfect crepe should be a balance between filling, flavour, thickness - all in a consistent bite-by-bite ratio.

in any case - cafe crepe is probably my favourite on my list so far of toronto crepe restos/cafes.

crepe it up, downstairs at st. lawrence market (95 front street) or 507 church street, toronto

is a great crepe restaurant story in toronto - owner's name is chris lee. him and his team make it out to a lot of events, and can be found weekly on thursdays at king street metro square farmer's market - where i like to pick up buttertarts :)

good savoury crepes, not usually overstuffed, can be a bit juicy/watery, but great for a light snack.

marche/movenpick, 42 yonge street, toronto (yonge and front)

always go to the movenpick downtown at yonge and front - everything tastes better and is done better. this goes to show that the franchise is not always consistent.

marche/movenpick was my first when it comes to dessert crepes - but is usually inconsistent, depending on the crepemaker. sometimes the crepes can be too thin, too burnt, too undercooked - but they fill with fruit/icecream and top with choc/vanilla sauce - the marche crepe is still part of my standard when it comes to enjoying crepes.

confessions of a pizza snob

2008-08-05T20:18:00.017-04:00

we just got back from chicago - known for its deep dish pizza, and so i thought it would be appropriate to write a quick post on pizza :)

i've come to wonder why (as is my job as a philosophy grad) it is that meet-and-greet group games often force you to answer such absolute questions like "what is your favourite food?" - when it's obviously a completely unfair question - but one that requires an answer to which your new-found-friends (whose names you've forgotten by the time it's your turn) will forever judge you, if you ever see them again (and don't pretend that you don't see them because you don't remember their names).

the following "why" question to my first "why" question is - why is it that "pizza" is always the default answer? you'd think it might be chicken. and why is pizza always the default food for serving the masses? i'd argue that i'm not sure it deserves to be held in such high recognition :\

thus, here are my "confessions" to my rather new-found realization that i've begun to have quite particular and strong feelings against pizza.

now, this wasn't always so. there was a time, i'd beg my dad to let us order pizza for a midnight snack. he'd order it from pizza pizza over the phone and we'd go pick it up, piping hot from the oven, extra cheese and all. three whole pieces and most of the crust would be gone by the time we got home.

but it seems that 10-15 years ago, the caliber of pizza coming from pizza pizza chains was 10x better than it is today. it just doesn't cut it for me anymore, even when it's piping hot from the oven.

i think that with the age of dipping sauces, stuffed crusts, salads, and chicken wings at the pizza parlour, came a long downhill slide of quality in many pizza shops, sadly.

panago pizza - is the sworn favourite of all westcoast and vancouver-ites. i have yet to see what the big deal is about, i find that panago's crust is often soggy and rather doughy. i'd put it on the same level with pizza pizza.

2-4-1 pizza, domino's pizza, pizza hut - can you even call this pizza? it's either flat and oozing with oil and waxy cheese - or see-through at the bottom from all the oil that's seeped through its super crusty crust that's trying to be a deep dish pizza.

mama's pizza - is probably the best take-out pizza i've found so far (of easy access in toronto) that appeases my taste at the moment: variety, good ingredients, thin crust - and a glorious pesto, sundried tomatoes, feta pizza.

as for the chicago deep dish pizza - we had a quick lunch at pizzeria uno's sister resto, pizzeria due, just around the corner a hop and skip away from the "magnificent mile" on michigan ave.

although i have an aversion of deep dish pizza, our bbq chicken deep dish was a great balance of enough dough to make a deep dish, yummy toppings, crunchiness, not too much seeping oil, without having soggy slices.

it was a nice surprise :) but i'm not sure if it has re-kindled my faith in pizza.

Magnotta Millenium Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

2008-07-14T10:00:00.008-04:00

[mm- matt] this whole series of blog posts are not necessarily related, but some of them randomly come together, like this one. AJ, this one is for you!

The last winery we visited in Niagara, in the Lincoln/Beamsville area was Magnotta. It's located less than a minute from the QEW exit and it's not really "green"/vineyard-like (think strip plaza/tavern/store look-a-like). More on the winery to come.

Let's rewind back to late 2006 - my friend from work, AJ, used to give out wine to business clients back in the day. He's not a drinker, per se, but he did extensive research and ended up buying cases of Magnotta Millenium Cabernet Sauvignon 1996. There was a time when he wasn't sure how the cases were stored and wasn't sure of the condition (I know, a problem a lot of us would like to have, just drink! :P).

He thought it would be a good idea to donate a bottle to the wine and cheese, but didn't want anyone to drink if it wasn't good. At the time, I was still pretty green (no pun intended) and while the wine didn't smell like vinegar, I couldn't really comment much on it. My sister, Ag, seemed to think it was fine and it went onto the cheese board course. Amongst all the guests, only Geoff commented on it (check out the post & comments here ) and really enjoyed it.

Fast forward, end of June 2008 - 100s of wines and many tastings later - AJ gave me another bottle for my 30th to "try out", amongst other bottles (thanks!). Geoff and I met up in my dining room, where most of the cheese, wine and yum action happens - used Spiegelau Grande Vino Bordeaux glasses (Spiegelau site: here).. more on glass to come later =)

Without decanting, we tried an initial ~3oz - visually, it was a little lighter than I expected and ruby coloured, with some legs on the glass. On the nose, classic cab sauv aromas - currant, blackberry. I'm glad that it was aromatic, with some vanilla and some smoky oak. On the first taste, it definitely had some fruit power, with some tannin and acid, although the finish was decidedly sour.

We gave the glass some time to breath and a more natural flavour started to come out. We decided to decant and used the Final Touch decanter and aerator, did a swirl for about 10-15 seconds and poured another 3oz. Definitely in the right space to drink and without the overt sour flavour.

My conclusion - definitely a good Cabernet Sauvignon, it could still live in the bottle probably another 5+ years. Thanks again AJ, good bottle =)

Here's Geoff's take:
[Geoff]

When Matt first asked me to write a review of the Magnotta Millenium ’96, I was a bit
hesitant. That’s probably because my knowledge of wine doesn’t include fancy terms like
“bouquet” or “legs” or “tannins” or other such fruity phrases. And by fruity, I’m referring more to one’s taste in people and fashion than the taste of wine. Instead, my oenological knowledge (see, Google and Wikipedia makes everyone smart) is composed of such refined technical terms as *yak*, “that’s gross,” “mmmmmm,” “I like it,” “oh yeah,” “gimme more of that good stuff,” and “gimme gimme gimme!”

Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, let’s turn to the vino. I drank the first glass right after popping the cork, and immediately noticed the acidity. I guess some experienced wine lovers would call this a “young” wine. I’m not a big fan of acidity. At this point, I would’ve considered the Magnotta just OK. I suggested to Matt that we decant it and try it again.
The difference after decanting was significant. It was much smoother. The flavours were more
easily detected. I noticed several complex flavours including oak and vanilla or, in my lingo, it tasted of wood and sweet stuff. The aftertaste wasn’t overpowering, but lingered on just enough to remind me that it was still there, kinda like a girl who stalks you just enough to be flattering, but not enough to require a restraining order. So, at the end of the day, I would give it a rating of somewhere between “I like it” and “oh yeah!”

About the author: This author doesn’t know what he’s talking about and probably should be
ignored.

a wining and dining long weekend

2008-06-30T18:33:00.011-04:00

this past july long weekend, we decided to take a "staycation" (a vacation nearby - the new "travel industry term") - and made our way to niagara on the lake - just one year after our very first wine trip! we stayed with the "ontario grape king" of 2006-2007 and got the chance to learn about growing vines and owning a vineyard.

my worthy mention goes to: peller estates winery, where we had our "fancy" dinner :) i was a bit underwhelmed last time we visited niagara and went to vineland estates winery for dinner, the same goes with the inn on the twenty restaurant (where anna olson was a pasty chef!).

peller estates winery restaurant

i had the luck of having the white wine menu (as seen to the left) and matt had the red wine menu. both were fantastic, although i've come to favour flavours of quail, truffles, scallops and foie gras :)

admittedly, there was a lack of that "existential moment" - you know, that moment when you take that first bite and your senses come alive because it's so tasty, so "umami" and sensuous - it was all still excellent and really well done! it was no joel robuchon, but it was still amazing. yum!

2 Italians and a souffle

2008-06-23T00:39:00.008-04:00

I started this post last week, but I didn't have that much time (too busy baking, eating & drinking) =)

Anyhoo, a couple weekends ago, GL and I had a short break before dinner and wanted to make some pasta for the next week's lunch. Didn't get a photo, but pretty much looks like this teamsugar.com photo:

Basic recipe, but super yummy:

Spaghetti, al dente (about 8 to 10 minutes in salted boiling water). Drain without a rinse.

Sizzle some diced garlic in olive oil. Add parsley, sun dried tomato, with some freshly ground pepper and voila! I almost ate a small bowl of it by just "testing"! =)

Last Sunday, we had a small get together and I wanted my first try at risotto. I bought the arborio rice a while back, but I didn't have the chance before to make it. NatY had also been giving me a lot of good tips (she gave me Giada De Laurentiis' "Everyday Pasta" - thanks!)

I did a modified version between Giada's and another online recipe:
8 cups of chicken broth
1 1/2 Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
Sliced, 1 Portabello, 4 button and 2 cremini mushrooms
2/3 cup Alsatian Riesling
12 spears of green asparagus, siiced to 1" sections
1 stalk of green onion, sliced thinly
1 medium onion, diced
Aged Parmesano-Reggiano and Piave, Stravecchio (red label) cheese

I couldn't find a decent veggie broth, so I picked up some Knorr cubes (I know, MSG!). I used 6 cups originally, but I used every drop, which is why I'm recommending 8 cups. Bring the broth to a light boil and blanch the asparagus and mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Leave the broth at a low heat and use a slotted spoon to take out the veggies and set them aside. In a medium saucepan, set on medium-high/high, melt butter with diced onions for a couple of minutes - don't let the onions get browned. Pour the rice in and let the butter coat the rice (don't wash the rice) and add any dry white wine - the riesling gave the risotto an amazing aromatic fragrance. Turn the heat down to medium/medium high and let the wine almost completely absorb (~2 minutes). Add 1/2 a cup of broth at a time and let the the rice almost absorb it completely. Should take about 20-25 minutes or until the rice is soft, but "bite-able".

Will talk about souffles another time, but here is what I baked last weekend:

nat is famous!

2008-06-18T13:45:00.002-04:00

Just as I mention NatC in the vanilla extract adventure, she's famous - Toronto Star - Picture with Jamie Oliver at the Cookbook Store. Check it out: here

the making.. of my own grey goose vanilla bean extract

2008-06-17T23:31:00.009-04:00

Safe to say - I'm a newly converted baker. I've been trying to tackle the meringue, souffle , creme brulee and the like. The one thing I've already been spoiled on is with vanilla. Yes, regular (fake) vanilla extract is cheap and it gets the job done - but after doing taste tests with my current fan-favorite #1 dessert, creme brulee, the tallies are in and real vanilla bean is a true hit. If I am not going to skimp on egg yolk or heavy cream, why mess around? Initially, cost was a major factor - $5-10 for one or 2 small beans just wasn't worth about half the bulk ingredient cost for making creme brulee.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago - my first shipment of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans arrived at work. I ordered them from The Vanilla Food Company. They're great and everything went smoothly. The order arrived 2 days afterwards (their warehouse shipment arrived the day after I ordered!! yum). They arrived at work and suddenly, we had our own scene from Harold & Kumar (take a look at just 1:19 at the very end.. it was *just* like that!). Moist, pliable and extremely aromatic (100+ beans have to be, I guess)

Now for some vanilla bean pix:

Okay, okay - onto the vanilla extract-making process. I was researching a bunch of different recipes, but they all pointed to the FDA's baseline of what percentage of vanilla extract was needed in a base alcohol (ethyl) to be "standard". Some math:

FDA (1-fold extract):

13.35 ounces (25% moisture) per gallon of 35-40% alcohol. 1 ounce is about 8 beans.

How many per litre (3.8L per gallon)?
13.35/3.8 = 3.53 ounces per litre

How many per cup (~250ml)?
3.53/4 = 0.88 ounces per cup

How many beans?
0.88 ounces * 8 beans (for 1-fold)= 7 beans per cup

So I need 7 beans for a 1-fold strength. I'm thinking, since all the pros use 2-fold or more, lets put 14 beans in this one cup. NatC suggested from all this effort, I might as well make 2 cups (14 beans/500 mL) and just leave it at 1-fold strength and add more beans later if i want to increase the strength.

Recipe/tools:
empty, darkish bottle (I used my old 750mL Delaforce Tawny Port bottle)
500mL vodka (1L+ of Grey Goose was just sitting around)
14 said Madagascar Boubon beans
3 knives (more on this later)

[empty port bottle, beans, my "vanilla knife", grey goose]

I apologize for the lack of photos as working with vanilla is a very messy/sticky business. Maybe I'll get someone to video tape next time =) The knife is actually a cutco knife that got melted while one of my parents left it on the stove! Hence the shrivelled/"vanilla" look.

[splitting, scraping, cutting knives]

You don't need a serated "splitting" knife, but it seemed to have the sharpest and narrow tip to get into the bean-ends. It's important to use a fairly dull "scraping" knife to harvest the beans and not really damage the bean too much.

To start off, I cut off the ends of the beans and put them in the bottle. I used the very tip (approx 5mm) of the splitting knife to slice the thin side of each bean lengthwise starting at one end, going all the way to the other. I then used the scraping knife to gather the beans/caviar, using multiple swipes and carefully tapped the beans into the bottle (also using the cutting knife to help scrape the splitting knife). After scraping all the beans, I chopped up the empty bean shells into 1" sections and added them into the bottle. I poured 500mL of the vodka into the bottle and shook vigorously. Looks like sticks in liquid or logs at the bottom of a lake =)

I'm keeping the bottle in the cellar and will probably vigorously shake the bottle once a day for the next week or so. In weeks 2-5, probably shake it 2-3 times/week. By week 4-5, I'm hoping the extract will be amazing! It already smells like a high quality vanilla vodka, go figure.

Stay tuned! It has also been recommended that the bean shells, etc be filtered out after 6 months. The extract should grace with age and, ahem, be like a "fine wine".

wine and food pairing

2008-06-09T00:15:00.005-04:00

Wine and food are one of the classic combinations in life - not the easiest task, but let me share with you some of this past weekend's delights.

Saturday evening, we had a bbq/sendoff for one of my brother's, EL. We had some fantastic ribs, salads and other bbq wonders. I sent him off with a Zin from Ridge, but for dinner, we tried LA Cetto Zinfindel 2005 (Vintages 405605). Coming out of Mexico, I wasn't expecting too much, but it ended up being a nice and fruity surprise. While we were on the patio, we were sipping on Darting Riesling Kabinett 2005 (Vintages 950212). The drier version of our current favorite from Kurt Darting (the spatlese), a well-priced, balanced bottle from Pfalz, Germany.

Tonight, TC and JF invited GL and I over for a 3 couple dinner at TC's place. Congrats again to ML+KL on their engagement and moving to HK!! On to dinner:

Avocado and Shrimp Salad
Anakena Ona Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Casablanca Valley, Chile (Vintages 59501)

Crostini with Beef Tartare
Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages, Burgundy, France (LCBO 122077)

Prociutto wrapped Asparagus with Spicy Mustard
Cono Sur Viognier, Chile (LCBO 64287)

for the guys:
Rack of Lamb with Mushroom Risotto
Eral Bravo Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Argentina (no stock left, Vintages 58081)

for the girls:
Salmon with Mushroom Risotto
Cono Sur Vision Pinot Noir, Colchagua Valley, Chile (Vintages 689992)

Spinich Ricotta + Butternut Squash Ravioli
matched with the Anakena Sauv Blanc

ML + KL brought:
Sponge cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Pineapple chunks
Huff Estates First Frost Vidal 2006, Prince Edward County, Canada (Vintages 63842)

Overall, I thought things went pretty well - most of the research came from the net, including: Nat Decants, Epicurious. I'm learning that pairing, amongst other considerations, have a lot to with acidity, binding and non-competition of flavours. Yum!

Paso Hondo Pinot Noir

2008-06-02T14:36:00.005-04:00

Paso Hondo Alta Seleccion 2007 Pinot Noir (LCBO Vintages #685925)

Another recent hit with fans of Pinot - Smooth, yet with some earthy tones. A good value light to mid-weight red at $14.95 - limited quantities at Vintages. Chile and Argentina have been producing some great wines at great prices.

2008-04-28T21:14:00.007-04:00

[gl] - i can't help it, i'm hooked. here's the info from the lcbo:

DARTING RIESLING SPÄTLESE 2006
VINTAGES 963207 | 750 mL bottle | Price: $ 19.95

Description
Over the past few years, current owner Helmut Darting has introduced a drier style to all levels of his wines. For example, his Spätlese tastes more like a Kabinett, while his Auslese comes across like a Spätlese. This Spätlese is filled with aromas and flavours of peach, pear, citrus and apricot. It is medium dry with a beautiful seam of acidity bringing the wine into excellent balance. Try it tonight with grilled salmon and lemon/dill sauce or with spicy Asian cuisine. It will also reward 2-5 years in a cellar.

mm, i don't think our stores are going to last me though the summer or even 2 months :\

[MM]
I am definitely a big fan of this wine. The only issue I have is that it is limited in production and is quickly running out at the LCBO (I even contacted the agency that represents Kurt Darting wines in Ontario, and they don't have access to more).

This is a great sipper, enjoyed chilled to about 10 degrees C. While the LCBO talks about it being closer to a Kabinett, it's has a nice sweetness to it, balanced amazingly with the acidity. Very smooth and a crowd favorite at any dinner party we've been to. Buy a case before it's all gone - that's what we did.

2008-04-03T11:08:00.010-04:00

[GL] that beautiful time of the year is returning - when you can stroll freely in kensington market without shivering your way quickly into the nearest store to get your things to get home quickly. it's also time to stroll along queen street west for birkenstocks :)

nonetheless, this past sunday, we were faced with a more or less impromptu wine + cheese gathering which we pulled off pretty well - although, we had to run to chapters to visit our favourite reference book: Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best.

mm decided it was time to get his own books, and so they arrived yesterday from amazon and we took them out eagerly and opened them up. of my favourite "lines" or quotes thus far include these two.

the first is from Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses by Ricki Carroll:

If I had a son who was ready to marry, I would tell him: "Beware of girls who don't like wine, truffles, cheese, or music."

phew, i'm glad i passed the test :) mm, you're a lucky guy, haha.

and the second, went something like this, from The Murray's Cheese Handbook: A Guide to More Than 300 of the World's Best Cheeses by Rob Kaufelt:

". .my best or favorite cheese memory is not tasting a perfect Piave in Italy, but it's from when I was eight and I ate cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches."

Buying a 6-pack, the redefinition

2008-01-23T00:14:00.002-05:00

[MM] Mmm.. G, lemme see if i can remember.. Vineland - ahha. I've also decided to include quick notes on the "package" set of wines that GL & I chose for HM & Iulia's wedding. I thought I'd try and give a good variety of styles and regions to sample from. So I'll talk about those first and finish with Vineland. You'll notice I'm not really rating wine (a la Robert Parker et al) per se, but I'll let you know if I like them =) The # beside the name is the LCBO reference, just in case you want to go buying - I always check online before I run to the store - super blessed to be near Bayview LCBO, imho the best all around in the GTA.

2005 Riesling
St Urbans-Hof

While celebrating a sendoff dinner (we were yet again underwhelmed at O&B, although not the point :P), a couple of wines were ordered and this is the only one I remember. HM & Iulia really enjoyed this and I eventually went on a serious goose chase trying to find this at the LCBO for them. I searched online (www.wine-searcher.com is really good). The LCBO was sparse, but on a snowy afternoon before picking up G, I bought some of the last stock. While the memory is faint, I definitely liked this wine - which could be the so-called "all spark" to my Riesling journey. I really like the Mosel (appellation/region) area of Germany for Riesling. Definitely more Riesling wine reviews to come!

Private Selection Chardonnay 2005
Robert Mondavi, 379180

This was inspired by our trip to Napa Valley, California in September 2007. I didn't know much about wineries at the time (still learning) or where to go, but for some reason, I remembered the Mondavi name (I think my sister had a bottle a while back). Suffice to say, the Mondavi estates are beautiful and we enjoyed just relaxing with our tasting glasses in gorgeous weather. Who would have known that Mondavi is the 6th largest seller of wine in the US (almost 10 million cases per year!).

Brut
Hungaria, 619288

Light & dry, a good value bubbly from Hungary - I'm still trying to appreciate traditional dry or 'brut' (from the word brutal) champagne or sparkling wine (101: champagne can only legally labelled from wineries from that region, everything else is sparkling). I admit, I haven't really tried any "nicer" bruts, but I'm not feeling the value/worth yet. I'm actually really liking some cheaper, sweet yet still light sippers.

Reserve
Perrin, 363457

A nice and light Southern France red, recommended by my friend from work Nat - it's her "house" red =)

Amontillado
Alvear's 112789

This is an off dry sherry from Spain, recommended by Lawrason (Toronto Life). Haven't gotten to try it yet, but i think it would go well with Piave!

Select Late Harvest Vidal 2004
Vineland Estates 563437

Yum - the first late harvest I've ever tried, but still definitely one of my favorites. Sweet without being too heavy, it's the perfect drink during dessert and with some medium cheeses.

In regards to our Vineland trip, we heavily sampled on the white side, moreso than red - I can't find our tasting menu, but we ended up bringing back some Late Harvest, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Semi-Dry Riesling and a Merlot (for G's parents). The *coolest* part of the tasting at Vineland - they use the proper glasses for each grape varietal! I'm still impressed as I haven't encountered this at any other winery.

vineland, the first and the finisher.

2008-01-09T21:02:00.001-05:00

[GL] - It was at Vineland Estates Winery in Vineland, Ontario - part of the Niagara wine region of Ontario, near Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls - it was here at Vineland that we made our discovery of the beauty and intricacy that is the world of wine.

On the 2007 July long weekend, we decided it was time for our first road trip. Time to get away from the busyness, the bustle, and disgusting sticky heat of downtown Toronto - to try something new, relax, and visit Anna Olson's bakery/cafe in Niagara-on-the-Lake. We researched a few different vineyards to see what would be best for 1) wine tasting, 2) photography, 3) on the way to NOTL, and 4) food. Voted as having one of the best fine dining restaurant experiences in wine country by (if my memory serves me correctly) Toronto Life, we had nothing to lose. So we set for Vineland.

One thing I've learnt in my various pursuits of fine food - is that a Chef's Tasting Menu, if available, is always a good choice and you often can't go wrong. This past New Years, we headed to Vegas and got to do some tasting menus at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Postrio by Wolfgang Puck, Andre's French Restaurant, and Nobu - and none of the above were a disappointment (except the chocolate souffle at Postrio which sadly enough, couldn't stand up to one I'd tried at Tour d'Argent in Paris).

Back to Vineland - we got there later than we had hoped and so missed the tour of the vineyards. Alternatively, we scheduled a tasting an hour before having dinner there. Our first tasting - we were fresh, wide-eyed, unknowing, and in a completely new space. We learnt to swirl, sniff, sip - and how to actually differentiate one wine from another (and we're still learning!).

Being highly recommended, I admit that I think my expectations were a little high, and dinner was weaker than I expected, but tasty, nonetheless. The customer service at Vineland and most wineries and vineyards, as we've come to learn, is always impeccable and friendly. Wine connoisseurs don't make assumptions or stick their noses up if you have no idea what you're talking about

I think that thus far on our adventure, we've dispelt the myths that say that only "ballers" and rich folk can enjoy and appreciate wine (and fine dining, at that) - but the average joe can, too :) All you need is an open mind, a good nose, and an eager tongue for tasting.

MM, tell us about the wine :)

viet style coffee, cafe du monde coffee & chicory, and the search for the coffee presses

2007-12-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

in the past few months, i have been on the hunt for the perfect french press. my fascination with french presses began with years of restauranting at various pho restaurants in toronto. if you've ever had the joy of eating at pho, and had their hot vietnamese style coffee with condensed milk, you'll know how much this cup of coffee is to die for - and it seems, almost undiscovered by the rest of the world.

when i tried searching online, i found it almost impossible to find out anything on how to i would be able to recreate a pho coffee! it was here that i found out about all kinds of presses, but not the one i was hoping for. while i'm still looking for my french press, i thought i'd tell you about how i was successful with the vietnamese style coffee - and how you can be, right at home!

first - you need to find the right press. the true vietnamese style press is small and will fit just on top of a normal drinking glass or coffee cup. don't buy it online, you'll be able to find them for about 10 dollars in random kitchenware stores in your local chinatown, or maybe even the chinatown grocery store. it comes with an insert that "presses," and a lid for the whole press. (and, there is no filtering system, in case you might look for one!)

second - while you're at the chinatown grocery store, pick up a can of condensed milk. and then go down to the aisle where they sell coffee and tea. look for a can of "cafe du monde: coffee & chicory." the chicory is a necessity when it comes to the vietnamese style coffee, and an absolute must!

third - put it all together. in a glass, pour about 2 tablespoons of condensed milk, or to your taste. second, and depending on how strong you like your coffee, i'd recommend putting about 3 tablespoons of coffee/chicory into the press. top the ground coffee with the press insert, and fill the press up to its rim.

now, you wait. the dripping can take some time, but be patient and don't force the press! this can result in getting extra coffee ground in your wonderful concoction. but here is a warning, even without forcing the press, you'll likely get a few traces of the grounds. it gives it character.

added tips: filter thru some more water, if you want to get some more, and add ice for an iced vietnamese style coffee. but, the hit of just one fill of the press and the condensed milk is enough to warm your heart :) enjoy!

tools of the trade

2007-11-22T23:14:00.001-05:00

In the world of men, there seems to be a fine line that is drawn between "toys" and "tools". I've never considered myself a gadget or toys person per se, being pretty content with the only cell phone that i've ever bought, not being into cars, not upgrading my iPod constantly and not owning a stand alone lcd of any sort. Then again, I look around and I have a substantial amount of gear, rivaling any collector or gearhead. I feel though, that I have at my disposal: tools. Tools to record music, tools to capture the still moments in time. Am I really attached to them? "Not really", I say - but when challenged to offload as much as possible, I utterly fail. Alas, I'm in the doomed category... but I digress...

The reason for this post is to share with you a couple of the wonderful tools that I've procured or used to great satisfaction in the journey of taste. We've all had that frustration of trying to open a bottle of wine unsuccesfully, even using something that we've used before succesfully.. DISASTER.. But without further ado, here is the Corkscrew, or otherwise known as a 'wine bottle opener' that I love (I took this opportunity to test the piece of plexi-glass that I picked up last weekend at Rona to add to my photography studio set-up):

This one hails from Inniskillin, the Ontario winery which is probably the most internationally recognized for it's incredible Vidal Icewine. It came *free* with certain bottles of wine when my sister was doing a tasting there about a month ago. The knife is quite handy (especially the teeth) in removing any of the wrap around the top of the bottle mouth that usually protects the cork. The spiral ("worm" apparently is the nomenclature?) of the corkscrew itself is pretty standard, but I like the sharpness of it. The "foot" is good, but the coolness comes in that it's a 2 step foot. Use the first foot to raise the cork to a certain height away from the mouth of the bottle, but use the 2nd step of the foot to get it all the way out.. Genius!

Anyhoo, onto the cheese plane. Gizelle and I picked up a multiset of cheese cutting tools from Kitchen Stuff Plus: 5 tools for $10 - pretty good, but the cheese plane wasn't so good (will show & tell in a future post). I was worried that we would have struggled through every stroke of planing cheese during our party. That would have been a disaster. But then Nat gives us a great lead at the Kitchen and Glass Place (anyone know the official site?), down the street from her current work-abode (The Cookbook Store. One of the nice gentleman led me down the row to the planes - he mentions a cheap one made in Taiwan, but mentions that Swissmar makes great products and that his daughter loves them. I'm parked illegally and sway back and forth between the Swissmar and this other adjustable-mouth plane (ie can vary the thickness of the planed cheese-but $30!!!). I worried about moving parts, etc.. and ended up with the Swissmar - yay! It's a piece of art in my opinion =)

[both shots D200, 17-55mm f/2.8 with Alien Bee B800 with Giant Softbox]

ps more people can comment about the wine & cheese!! you know who you are! haha

Our First Wine & Cheese Menu and Thoughts

2007-11-04T21:29:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for participating and making our first Wine & Cheese a success. Thanks for your patience as we were figuring things out for the first time and helping out. Just wanted to also thank everyone who brought fruit, wine, cheese, crackers, bread, and got involved with baking, prepping and cleaning.

We also want to survey you guys to see what your favorite parts of the night were. Please list your favorite 3 (or more) pairings and/or wine and/or cheese. I know it's hard, there's so many yummy things! Please use the blogger comments to leave your thoughts - this participation is mandatory =) !

GL's Top 3 pairings:
Piave/Osborne Sherry
Brie de Meaux/Sparkling Wine
Manchego/Rioja

MM's Top Choices:
Pairings:
Piave/Osborne Sherry
Roquefort/CEV Late Harvest Vidal
Crottin (du chevre)/Vineland Semi-dry Riesling

Wines:
Vineland Semi-dry Riesling
Chateaux des Charmes Gewurztraminer
Henkell Sparkling Wine

Cheeses:
Piave
Manchego
Brie

Here's the menu from the event:

Course 1
Manchego, Spain
Rioja, 2003 Reserva Muga, Spain

Brie de Meaux, France
Sparkling Wine, Henkell Blanc de Blancs, Germany

Stilton, England
Port, Croft Indulgence Port, Portugal

Course 2
Saxonshire, England
Cabernet Sauvignon, 1996 Magnotta Millenium, Ontario, Canada

Piave, Italy
Sherry, Osborne Santa Maria, Spain

Smoked Gouda, Holland
Gewürztraminer, 2006 Chateaux des Charmes, Ontario, Canada

Course 3
Fourme D’Ambert, France
Select Late Harvest, 2001 Twenty Valley, Ontario, Canada

Crottin (du chevre), France
Semi-dry Riesling, Vineland, Ontario, Canada

Cremeux du Jura, France
Pinot Grigio, 2006 Santa Margherita, Italy

Course 4
Roquefort, France
Late Harvest Vidal, 2005 Colio Estates Vineyard, Ontario, Canada

Course 4.5 (Cheese Only)
Calabrese
Prima Donna
12 Year Old White Cheddar

The Day I Met Piave. . .

2007-10-27T22:08:00.003-04:00

The day I met Piave, the very first taste was love. You think I'm joking, but it's true.

Let's Talk About Cheese Shops, Baby

This past Saturday, we went cheese-trying, which quickly turned into cheese-buying (as it often does) - to test and try out some cheeses for our first wine and cheese party this Saturday. The first stop was Alex Farm Products at Bayview and just south of Eglinton, while the second, the Cheese Emporium, was just around the corner at Avenue and Eglinton. Both had quite the variety of cheeses, while different in selection - but being Saturday afternoon, it seemed that store keeps and the real cheese experts, had little patience for those "trying" rather than "buying."

All day I searched high and low for my beloved Prima Donna, a cheese I discovered last year at my beloved Global Cheese store in Kensington market (by far one of the best cheese shops in Toronto, in terms of knowledgable, friendly service). Cheese Magic is good, too, but the claustrophobia often takes over. CM's great because they refrigerate a lot more than GC, though. Cheese Boutique on South Kingsway is amazing, but a little farther off :)

Back to our story. Alas, neither CE nor AF had to me, what was my "grail" of cheeses.

It was then that Rico at CE (his name wasn't really Rico, but I like calling him Rico) suggested I try a 4 year old Gouda - which would be "better" than my Prima Donna. That finished on the tongue as rather salty and so I declined.

The mark of a real cheese expert, like Rico, despite his impatience at 2 foolish beginner cheese appreciators - is his/her mastery and skill to match a cheese to a person. Much like Ollivander with wands, this skill must be appreciated: to be able to read one's very distinct and specific taste preferences, and try and match the perfect degree of saltiness, age, moistness, dryness, nut or fruit flavour, taste experience - all in one palm sized piece of cheese. Truly a gift, and possibly required years of intensive training in monasteries to develop.

That was how I met Prima Donna last year, and how I met Piave on Saturday. Piave is made in the Piave River Valley region of Belluno, Italy - and is a sweet and delicate cheese, and the block we tried was slightly aged and thus dry, but had a full and bold flavour with a little bit of crunch and nuttyness, especially near the end. Absolutely beautiful.

It was as if I was flying free, high in the skies - until I met Roquefort (scary music duh duh duh) - and fell 50 feet in the air, while breaking my arm hitting the ground.

Despite my love and my experience in cheese, I have learned that in the world of cheese, humility is always required. And so it was at CE, soonafter Piave, that I met my greatest challenge thus far: a very blue, moldy, and veined Roquefort that stung the tongue and made my head spin. Roquefort is known as one of the "king of cheeses" and I know that, much like coffee when you are 5 years old, Roquefort is something that grows on you with enough cheese experience.

Until then, I am amateur enough to be able to say - should someone really eat something with that much moldy blue in it? ;) Don't forget to RSVP for the Wine + Cheese Party by Wed/Oct/31/07 - you'll meet Roquefort in the "try if you dare" course.

the first!

2007-10-18T22:51:00.001-04:00

wine, food, yum: wine, fine food, and cheese exploration for newbies, amongst other fine arts.

About six months ago, we embarked on a short road trip to the Niagara Wine Region, and that is where this story begins. The blog, the vault of stories, sights, and multisensory experiences that will tingle your taste buds and catch your breath!

Many stories to catch you up on, including: the building of the cellar wine rack, the discovery of the hidden Bordeaux, the hot/dry inferno on Highway 1 to Napa Valley, and much more!

This post finds itself on the eve of our first Wine and Cheese Party - the culmination of only 4 months of experience. Stay tuned for more from these two foodies turned wine-ies, and the wonderful discovery of the age-old marriage of the juice made from stomped grapes.