Issue 33 - Fall 2010

| FREE | Fall 2010

Celeb

rat

5 Yearing s!

catering

What you need to know for the holidays

get sharp with our

the quest for

PERFECT PIZZA

knife guide

Queen Margherita Pizza

Plus! Mustard + Apple Pie + Books + Kitchen Stuff

contents

from the editor The last time I even mentioned pizza in my editor’s letter, I sparked the ire of many pizza fans, and even received many pointed emails, and

Fall 2010

even a couple if invitations over for home-made.

Volume 6, Issue 5

(Sorry I couldn’t make it!)

Pizza is passion. You see it in the lineups at Libretto and Terroni, and the arguments over who makes the best. Now, of course, Queen Margherita has entered the fray, and they grace our cover. Me, I have no preference. I like all pizza, even some of the crappy frozen ones that got our “smackdown” treatment on p17. I grew up in St. John’s, NFLD, where we had two kinds of pizza: thick, gooey and covered in bacon; and thick, gooey and covered in ground beef. Yum to both. And yes, I’ve eaten at the original joints in Napoli, Italy—the birth place! The experience is indescribable.

I’m currently a fan of Pizza Nova. And I just discovered Albany, on Lansdowne next to the No Frills. There’s also Bellissimo on the Esplanade, just east of St. Lawrence Market. These are all decidedly down-market pizzerias, and yet the quality is there. Crust you can taste, mozzarella that’s fresh and creamy, tomato sauce that’s light and pure.

Tell us your favourites. Hit our Facebook page and give us hell.

Dick Snyder, Editor • dick@citybites.ca

Features 15

Perfect Pizza Our picks for take-out, delivery, frozen and make-at-home.

Plus, great pizza accessories to brighten your kitchen.

18

The CityBites Knife Guide What you need to know about the tools of the trade. How to buy, what to buy, where to buy.

21

One Word: Catering! With party season soon upon us, here’s how to pass the burden off to the pros, so you can kick back and eat. And drink… in peace.

masthead Editor Dick Snyder/dick@citybites.ca

Art Direction Craig Sinclair/craigdesign@hurontel.on.ca Associate Editor Signe Langford Wine Editor John Szabo Director of Vinous Affairs Zoltan Szabo Contributors Stephen Beaumont, Greg Clow, Sean Deasy, Konrad Ejbich, Arlene Hazzan Green, Stephen Temkin, Tom Gierasimczuk, Anne Popoff, Joy McCarthy, Marc Green, Ivy Knight, Mary Luz Mejia, Valerie Howes, Maia Filar Photography Stephen Elphick, Jeff Coulson, Signe Langford, Dick Snyder Publisher Paul Alsop/paulalsop@idmg.ca Managing Director for IDMG Donald G. House Account Executive Wendy Lyall Gardner/ wendy@citybites.ca

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Regular Bites 5

NewsBites Dig in to what’s going on in Toronto.

6

12

Stuff Devices for your culinary pleasure.

Crumbs Hot spots, new spots and dead spots.

13

Books Read ’em and eat!

7

The Urban Farmer Get your bed ready for winter. Cozy!

8

The Gourmudgeon Loud music and fine dining don’t mix.

9

Pantry Canadians own mustard.

Own it!

10 Foreign Correspondent

11

Apple pie in all its international glory.

Reality Check Even Coke’s lawyers know Vitaminwater isn’t nutritious.

14 Smackdown

Which apple cider will reign supreme?

23 Libations

Stephen Beaumont on Canada’s most patriotic whisky.

24 The Ej

Ontario’s wine, says Konrad Ejbich, is in the hands of babes.

25 Szabo on Wine

John Szabo picks some Canadian wine winners.

26 One Last Bite

A Spanish tour de force, in three sister acts.

Cover: Queen Margherita Pizza in Leslieville.

Photo by Stephen Elphick [stevenelphick.com].

Fall 2010

3

Premium Luksusowa Vodka now in an elegant new bottle Represented by PMA Canada Ltd. | www.pmacanada.com | Please enjoy responsibly.

the starters Star of India

By Signe Langford

The last time I saw the indomitable Mrs. Patel, it was only hours after she began the chemotherapy for the breast cancer that would eventually take her life. But to see her that day, death didn’t seem to stand a chance against this spirited woman. There she was, standing behind a table at a George Brown College fundraising event, smiling, and handing out bowls of fragrant basmati rice and curry.

Now, in the off chance that this matriarch of authentic Indian cuisine in Toronto— With her Indian Rice Factory, Amar Patel elevated Toronto’s appreciation of her perhaps, even Canada—is unfamiliar to native cuisine. you, here’s the abridged version. She arrived here in 1965, and five years later, founded the Indian Rice Factory, at a time when Indian food was practically unheard of—and was most often some sort of French or British creamy abomination with a teaspoon of stale curry powder mixed in. Does anyone remember curried hard-boiled eggs? No? You can thank Mrs. Patel for that.

She kept at it for 40 years, cooking, educating, feeding and opening minds to the complexities and subtleties of true Indian cooking. I don’t think it would be hyperbole to suggest that this soft-spoken lady from Bombay, via London, changed the culinary landscape of what was in 1970, a very milk-toast town.

Namaste, Amar Ji.

Hug a veggie!

Let’s appreciate the humble vegetable.

While October 1—designated World Vegetarian Day by the North American Vegetarian Society—is behind us, we still have the entire month of October dedicated to vegetarian awareness and education.

First, a disclaimer: we here at CityBites are in the business of celebrating all things edible and delicious, including things feathered, finned and furry. (Well, maybe not all things, we draw the line at ortolan—shame on you Anthony Bourdain!)

But we would like to share a thought from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters: “… eating a typical family-of-four steak dinner is the rough equivalent, energy wise, of driving around in an SUV for three hours while leaving all the lights on at home.” Ouch.

six delicious places where you can dine deliciously while bathing in good karma tonight...

and visit one of Toronto’s

Le Commensal >> 655 Bay St., 416-596-9364, commensal.ca

wonderful vegetarian and vegetarian-

Might we suggest you get out there

Raw Aura >> 94 Lakeshore Rd. E., 905-891-2872, raw-aura.com

friendly restaurants, make your pizza

Fressen >> 478 Queen St. W., 416-504-5127, fressenrestaurant.com

a veggie-lovers, or trade in that street

Live Food Bar >> 264 Dupont St., 416-515-2002, livefoodbar.com

meat for a veggie dog,

Fresh on Crawford >> 894 Queen St. W., 416-913-2720, and other locations, freshrestaurants.ca

at least one day a week? Think

Rawlicious >> 3092 Dundas St. W., 416-519-7150, rawlicious.ca

Tids and bits In its 7th year, the Wine Tasting Challenge highlights Canada’s brightest talent and draws the world’s best to compete at the highest level. Presented by Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), the WTC is open to professional sommeliers, servers, wineindustry professionals and students, as well as amateur wine enthusiasts. There is no fee.

Challenge date: Monday, Nov. 29. Register at winetastingchallenge.com.

Tawse Winery was named Winery of the Year at the

2010 Canadian Wine Awards, and you can read John Szabo’s rave reviews of three wines on p. 25. Tawse took 18 medals in this, the 10th year of the awards. This is the first time an Ontario winery has taken the top spot—so look out B.C.! It’s our turn. tawsewinery.ca

about it. No pressure.

Time to get schooled! On Nov. 1 at the MaRS Discovery District, the 3rd Annual Ontario Culinary Tourism Summit kicks into gear. It’s Culinary Tourism U: join head lecturer and Prince Edward Island’s culinary tourism ambassador Michael Smith, along with industry leaders like Local Food Plus, Hypenotic, Ocean Wise and Wines of Ontario. Panel discussions, field trips (Prince Edward County and Niagara) and a Localvore Cafeteria run

by Jamie Kennedy round out this in-depth exploration of our bourgeoning culinary tourism scene. Visit ontarioculinary.com/ summit for details.

Fall 2010

5

crumbs ... The eclectic trio of dining options at the Thompson Hotel,

Bar Salumi (1706 Queen St. W., 416-588-0100, barsalumi.ca), a

including Scarpetta and The Counter, has been completed with the

companion “aperitif and piattini [small plates] bar,” a few doors

opening of Wabora (59 Bathurst St., 416-777-9901), an off-shoot of

east of their original spot

the popular sushi restaurant of the same name, in Bracebridge

... While a posted sign says “closed for

renovations”, the dead website and unanswered phone of dim sum

News you can eat and drink ... Jennifer Rashleigh & Jeff Brown,

house Bright Pearl (346 Spadina Ave.) suggest that the closure might be

owners of organic & fair trade chocolate shop Delight in the

more permanent

that partners J.P. Challet, Jennifer

next door and opened Junction Fromagerie (3042 Dundas St. W.,

Decorte and Peter Tsang will finally

junctionfromagerie.com)

be opening Ici Bistro (538 Manning

... A new location of iconic, 24-hour

Ave.) in the next couple of weeks

... French bistro Beau Lieu Bistro

diner chain Fran’s, is now open near Yonge and Front (6 Front St. W.,

Fromagerie Junction.

647-352-3300, fransrestaurant.com)

... Agostino’s (2497 Yonge St.), the

somehow managed to get around

... Veteran restaurateurs

Michael and Margi Pagliaro (Barolo, Gavi) have returned with Carisma (73 King St. E., 416-864-7373, carismarestaurant.com), rumoured to echo the Ital-style and flavours of their previous place,

Il Mulino on Eglinton ... The Corned Beef House (270 Adelaide St. W.,

416-977-2333, cornedbeefhouse.com) has reopened just a couple of blocks east of their now-demolished original location

... Suburban

dim sum restaurants Crown Prince, Casa Imperial and Casa Victoria have a new downtown sibling, Crown Princess (1033 Bay St.,

... Dinah Koo has closed down her small take-out spot, Dinah’s Soup Kitchen (1057 Mount Pleasant Rd.) ... True

416-923-8784)

licenses on Ossington, unlike Salt Wine Bar (225 Ossington Ave.), which opened briefly using grocery and catering licenses, but is now closed again due to bureaucratic red tape

... Steve’s Place

Steakhouse & Seafood (234 Merton St.) and J38 (2050 Avenue Rd.) have both been shuttered, and will be replaced by new spots called Malbec and The Copper Chimney respectively

... Greens Vegetarian

(638 Dundas St. W.) is taking over from Full Moon Vegetarian on the southern edge of Kensington Market

... Annex residents will

soon have a new local spot for lunch, brunch and dinner, as Fanny Chadwick’s (268 Howland Ave.) is being prepped for opening at Howland and Dupont, with a note in the window promising that “the menu will focus on seasonally influenced quality comfort food”

local and organic thing might be, it takes more than that to keep a

... A third location of Craft Burger is coming soon to King and Church (50 King St. E., craftburger.com) ... Obikà Mozzarella Bar,

restaurant open

a popular chain from Italy that serves authentic Mozzarella di Bufala

Restaurant (69 Yorkville Ave.) has closed, proving that as hot as the

... Therese DeGrace and Karen Balcom have sold

Lola’s Commissary (634 Church St., 416-966-3991, lolascommissary.ca) after just one year, and are “moving on to new and exciting adventures”

... Residents of the Queen & Euclid area who were

holding out faint hope that a new corner store might replace the recently closed Square Fruit Market are out of luck, as the spot will soon be housing the third location of Dark Horse Espresso Bar (684 Queen St. W., darkhorseespresso.com)

... Michael Sangregorio

and Fabio Bondi, owners of Local Kitchen & Wine Bar, have opened

O L D WO R L D INSPIRATION

Campana DOP and other artisanal Italian foods, will open its first Canadian location in Brookfield Place (181 Bay St., obika.it), date TBA

... And speaking of Italy, now that Mark McEwan’s Fabricca

(47 Karl Fraser Rd., 416-391-0707) is finally open, can we please have a moratorium on new “rustic Italian” restaurants?!?

GREG CLOW is the co-publisher, news editor, beer writer and head dishwasher at Taste T.O. (tasteto.com), a website that reports on anything and everything to do with food and drink in Toronto.

NEW WORLD PERFECTION

W W W. T A W S E W I N E R Y. C A CityBites

photo: Signe Langford

closed after just over a year in business

(59 Ossington Ave., 647-345-5525) the moratorium on new restaurant

latest venture from veteran chef/restaurateur Franco Agostino, has

6

... It’s been a long

time coming, but rumour has it

Junction, have snagged the spot

the urban farmer

By Marc Green

It’s Bedtime!

photo: marc green

A cozy winter in the garden

Like a child at bedtime, here we go, kicking and screaming into the cold and dark of another winter. Who can blame us? Gardeners live for spring planting, summer tending and fall harvesting.

However, the garden’s slumber must be endured, and putting the soil to bed for the winter—comfy and cozy—plays an important role in maintaining a healthy northern-climate garden.

The best time to winterize is right after harvest, when your plants are no longer supporting fruit or vegetable growth. This usually occurs at different times in different areas of the garden. In a perfect world, you would winterize the soil in bits and pieces, as the finished plants are pulled out. It is, however, more expedient and perfectly acceptable to prepare the entire garden at once.

Start by removing harvested plants. Remove the roots as well—disease and non-beneficial insects can lay low over the winter in this organic matter and damage the new crop the following spring.

If you compost, the pulled plants can go straight onto the pile. If you don’t, start now.

Decaying plants make an excellent foundation for a new compost heap. Remember though, good compost needs a mix of both moist green matter (high in nitrogen) as well as dry brown elements (high in carbon). So make sure you add roughly equal amounts of greens and organic browns such as dried leaves, dried grass clippings, sawdust and straw to your compost pile.

Once the plants are out, amend the soil

by adding organic compost, organic manure, worm castings or a mixture of all three. Don’t wait until spring—give your soil a nutritional boost right after the demanding growing season. A two-inch layer, turned in to a depth of about six inches, will do the trick.

Although next years’ garlic is best planted in mid to late September, you may still have success if you plant right now, especially in light of Toronto’s recently mild winters.

Garlic planting is simple and works like this: 1. Separate the cloves from the bulb right

before planting.

2. Plant each clove, pointy end up, about

two inches from the surface.

3. Spacing the cloves six inches apart

yields nice-sized heads.

As long as the cloves have enough warm weather for the roots to set and a short sprout to appear—say three weeks before the ground starts to freeze—then you should see very early growth next spring.

The final step in bedding down your garden is to establish a blanket over the soil. This

Of Compost and Dead Grass Compost needs equal amounts of green and brown organic material, as well as moisture and air. Add water until the compost heap has the consistency of a damp sponge, and use a pitchfork to turn and aerate the pile. Before adding your pulled plants, remove the fully composted bottom layer and use it to amend your soil.

Straw bales are packed very densely. You can cover about 80 square feet to a depth of about four inches with just one bale. Don’t be surprised to see a few pieces of grass popping up next spring— straw does contain the odd seed. Hay, on the other hand, is full of seeds. Unless you plan on growing loads of rye, wheat or barley, do not use hay!

prevents sun-bleached soil—yes, even the winter sun is strong—and greatly reduces weed infestations next spring.

Straw makes an excellent winter cover. It’s cheap, ubiquitous and looks great dusted about the yard. Apply a four- or five-inch layer over the bed and secure it by running string across the top. It makes excellent insulation for garlic. In the spring, when you pull the straw off, you have instant browns for your compost, and the pieces left in the soil will just decompose and nourish your plants. CB Marc and Arlene Hazzan Green of The Backyard Urban Farm Company (bufco.ca) design, install and maintain organic vegetable gardens.

A cozy blanket of hay makes a nice bed.

Wine storage experts for 15 years.

Visit our showroom at 339 Olivewood Road, Toronto 416.285.6604 . 1.888.253.6807 www.rosehillwinecellars.ca

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. Wine Racks . Cooling Units . Cabinets . Stemware . Accessories . Gift Certificates Fall 2010 30

7

By Stephen Temkin

Dinner music The sounds of silence so seldom accompany a good meal out in Toronto One of my favourite places to eat is The Black Hoof, the small, unassuming carnivore boîte on Dundas West. The food is diverting yet unpretentious. The service is friendly, attentive and informed. Hauling out a good bottle of pinot and walking over there for a plate of calves’ brains or stuffed pigs trotters is my idea of a jolly good time.

Unfortunately, after my last visit, I am forced to give pause to the idea of going back.

There are other options in my end of town.

I thought I’d check out Nyood one day. I exposed myself to the place for all of 20 seconds. I darkened the door of Deluxe the other evening and then immediately lightened it again. Popped into Bohmer… well, bummer.

And there are many more that I hesitate to patronize.

The problem is loud music. Call me a crank, a geezer, a square, whatever makes you feel hip and culturally significant: I feel utterly oppressed, and I know I’m not alone. This problem is endemic on the local foodie scene.

Those who haven’t traveled far beyond these trendy shores could be excused for thinking that music is a necessary component of every restaurant environment. Of course, they are wrong. In France, the absence of music in many decent restaurants can seem, at first, weirdly conspicuous. But it grows on you. I love an establishment where the only sounds are the gentle clinking of cutlery on china and the subdued chitchat of diners who don’t need to holler at each other.

I’ve heard and read many complaints

about noisy restaurants in Toronto. Some blame the problem on acoustically dysfunctional interior designers. Others suggest it’s due to audio equipment made by overly caffeinated schoolgirls in China.

True, but my experience identifies the main problem as the hand on the volume control, and that hand seems oblivious to the mounting discomfort that it causes.

All species that use sound to communicate have the hearing ability to isolate their species’

among men than women—the natural ability to isolate and hear another person’s voice in the presence of background noise is impaired. This is a recognized auditory disorder known as KingKopetsky Syndrome (almost worth having just for the name). The disability occurs even though one’s hearing is otherwise normal.

This makes social interaction—often the very point of dining out—problematic in many restaurants. You can only say “pardon me, could you repeat that,” so many times before you just throw in the napkin. I usually end up contemplating the formational variations of people’s nostrils while smiling

“ You can only say ‘pardon me, could you repeat that,’ so many times before you just throw in the napkin.

I usually end up contemplating the formational variations of people’s nostrils while smiling and

nodding along like the fake reverse angle of a

television news interview.” voices within an environment of competing noises. This is a crucial survival tool. Naturally, the noisier the environment, the louder those voices need to be. Studies have shown that birds in cities instinctively chirp louder than their country cousins. Whale song grows louder in the presence of ambient noise from ships.

Humans are no different. Ambient sound forces us to talk louder, often without even realizing that we are doing so. When a restaurant cranks up the music, it sets in motion an escalation of volume that can become overwhelming.

This is more than mere grumpiness. For some such as myself—and it is more common

and nodding along like the fake reverse angle of a television news interview.

A good meal should be an engaging and soothing experience, not alienation and a kick in the head. I would like to compel all restaurant owners to give serious consideration to the auditory comfort of their customers. Turn down the music. Even better, try going completely unplugged and see what happens.

Black Hoof, do you hear me? CB When not eating, drinking, or writing about eating and drinking, Stephen Temkin makes fedoras. stemkin@rogers.com

Put your wine where the sun don’t shine.

We have the greatest selection of wine cellars in the city. (What did you think we meant?)

Riedel, Spiegelau Crystal and the widest variety of wine accessories are also right here.

We know just what you can do with your wine, and we’re not shy about telling you.

8

CityBites

Visit our Retail Showroom 250 The Esplanade, Courtyard Suite 104 Toronto 416-861-1331 or 1-800-268-8418 www.thewineestablishment.com

illustration: ©istockphoto.com/highhorse

the gourmudgeon

pantry

By Signe Langford

The not so Mellow Yellow It’s your patriotic duty to enjoy these mustards Even people who keep nothing in the fridge almost always own a jar of mustard. At the very least. One lonely little bottle.

At the other end of the spectrum are serious foodies who have every freaking description of the stuff in jars, tins, crocks and squeeze bottles.

What would a cold roast beef sandwich be without it? And who’s mom didn’t mix the bright yellow kind with honey for glazing the holiday ham?

The Brits have their Keans. The French, Dijon. The Japanese, wasabi. Across the Canadian prairies and here in Ontario, fields bloom

Mrs. McGarrigle’s Janet Campbell has been making mustards since 1988 in the town of Merrikville near Ottawa. Campbell is a pioneer: Who was even talking about artisanal anything back in ’88?

Each of her distinct flavours—cranberry port, chipotle lime, hot whiskey, British beer, Canadian maple and more—are bold, spicy and bursting with crunchy seeds. $2.95/60 mL and $6.50/190 mL at Harvest Wagon, 1103 Yonge St., 416-923-7542, mustard.ca

It’s a Canadian Fact Canada grows over 95% of the world’s mustard, and Canada is home to a number of mustard mills, including the biggest and oldest in the world.

buttercup yellow, blanketed in senvy. That’s the botanical name of the mustard plant.

Flashback to 13th century France. Seeds of the senvy plant were ground, then mixed with must, which is an old name for fresh wine.

Today, must means the leftover grape skins and such. But you see where this is going: must-ard.

We think mustard in all its myriad variations is wonderful and essential. It’s tart, hot and tangy, and does wonders for vinaigrettes, marinades, glazes and gravy. Here are some of our faves.

President’s Choice Sweet With Heat This stuff is addictive because it’s sweet and hot enough to get those natural endorphins going! It’s brilliant with smoked salmon or gravlax. $2.69 at any retailer carrying the President’s Choice brand, presidentschoice.ca

Kozlick’s He’s the undisputed reigning king of Canadian mustard. Anton Kozlick started making the stuff in 1948, and has since retired.

But, the business keeps on making great mustards from Canadian ingredients—in over 30 flavours—in small batches. Drop by St. Lawrence Market to sample the complete line.

Organics & Gold Entirely organic and available in four flavours: classic, garlic, wholegrain and orange-ginger, in textures from creamy to crunchy.

Handcrafted in small batches by ex-symphony musician Natalie Kessler, from prairie-grown seeds milled by certified organic millers in Ontario. Truly fantastic mustard. $8/197 mL at The Big Carrot, 416-466-2129, thebigcarrot.ca

$5.99/177 mL at select supermarkets and St.

Hawkshead Relish Company Honey Mustard Handmade in the beautiful English Lake District, with no additives, colourings or artificial flavours. This wholegrain mustard is blended with honey for a delicious sweetness.

Lawrence Market, 93 Front St. E., 416-361-

$7.99/160 g at Pusateri’s,

9788, mustardmaker.com

57 Yorkville Ave., 416-785-9100, pusateris.com

Fall 2010

9

foreign correspondents

By Signe Langford

Apple Pie The Americans would like to lay claim to this one, but apples are a European import— that’s right, the ubiquitous apple tree is not indigenous—so we feel Canadians deserve equal bragging rights. But since the Yanks are all, like “…as American as baseball, Mom and apple pie”, we’ll call it an American classic.

Three takes on your daily dose

Don’t want any hurt feelings south of the 49th.

In Europe, folks have been making apple “pie” in one form or another since the middle ages. Then, sugar was rare and dear, and apples cooked in a pastry shell was a savoury dish.

We’ve found three delicious takes on apple pie. Have a taste. CB

Madeleines, Cherry Pie and Ice Cream

1087 Bathurst St., 416.537.3131 Apple Dumpling | $6.95 What do we really know about the Dutch beyond wooden clogs, windmills, and tulips?

The Coffee Mill Restaurant

We know a whole whack of them arrived in

Didier Restaurant

1496 Yonge St., 416-925-8588,

North America and settled in and around

1496 Yonge St., 416-925-8588,

coffeemillrestaurant.com Apple Strudel | $5

Pennsylvania. And now we also know that this

restaurantdidier.com Tart Tatin | $12

This delightful time capsule of a café has been

delight is their doing, with a little help from

By way of France, golden, crispy puff pastry,

dishing up Hungarian-style strudel for 47 years.

the Amish. Here, baker Kyla Eaglesham stuffs

caramel, soft apples, upside down and cooked

Tender apples, cinnamon, and raisins are all

the inside of a Northern Spy with butter, brown

to order. Cool your jets for 20 minutes and

wrapped up in good, flaky pastry, served with

sugar, cinnamon, and brandy, wraps it all up

contemplate your good fortune.

a dollop of cream.

in pastry, and bakes it to yummy perfection.

Featuring an extensive wine list that focuses on artsinal producers from Ontario and around the world.

“Co-owner Dave Billington leads a smooth, friendly staff and has put together a wine list that favours Ontario stars at bargain prices.” JAMES CHATTO, TORONTO LIFE

CityBites_Oct:CityBites

9/30/10

7:09 AM

Page 1

234 King St. East | 416.363.8447 | info@localfare.ca | localfare.ca

9HULWDVB&LW\%LWHV$GB$SULO LQGG

CELEBRATING OUR

27

TH

ANNIVERSARY! SPECIALIZING IN ORGANICALLY GROWN, NON-GMO & ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE PRODUCTS.

www.thebigcarrot.ca ORGANIC JUICE BAR • NEW COOKING CLASSES • FREE NUTRITIONAL STORE TOURS

30

Natural Food Market 416.466.2129 Wholistic Dispensary 416.466.8432 348 Danforth Avenue (1 block west of Chester subway)

info@thebigcarrot.ca Monday to Friday 9:00-9:00 Saturday 9:00-8:00 Sunday 11:00-6:00

10

CityBites

stuff

by Signe Langford

Organic Lampong Peppercorns

They might look like regular old peppercorns but these tiny flavour bombs are shade-grown in Bali and picked while still immature, which means they’re smaller and pack more heat and sharpness. Get ’em while they’re fresh and at their flavour peak. $27/8 oz at Selsi Searocks, St. Lawrence Market, 93 Front St. E., Lower Level, 416-854-9088, selsisearocks.com

L’Essence de Courvoisier Cognac

First, buy a Lotto Max ticket. Second, win said lotto. Third, rush right out and buy this spectacular stuff. Trouble is, with only 50 on Canadian shelves and back bars, odds are it’ll be gone before your ship comes in.

You could, however, head on out to Harbour 60 or the Four Seasons, where the bartender will lovingly pour you a shot for the equivalent of a car payment.

Krups Rice Cooker

Did you know that a rice cooker can double as a slow cooker? Seems obvious when you stop and think about it, now doesn’t it? This one is way sexier than those country-kitchen ones from Chinatown, and features four cooking modes for rice, steaming, slow cooking and porridge making.

$3,200 at the LCBO

Komo Grain Mill Duett 100

A slow-foodie’s dream come true. Crafted in Germany from beech wood, the Duett 100 features a rough, ceramic grindstone and quiet motor for milling flour and flaking oats—right on your kitchen counter, people! How local and all-natural can you get?

$129.99/10-cup model at The Bay, 44 Bloor St. E.,

$945 at 1-800-887-8822 or yourethecure.com

416-972-3333 and other locations, krups.ca

photo: (lampong) Jeff Coulson

Newman’s Own Salsa

Good food, good karma and nature’s own Viagra. Okay, we can’t guarantee that last one. In four saucy flavours: Tequila lime, black bean and corn, original, and the magical, medicinal mango. Here’s a quote from a very happy customer: “Last week I bought some mango salsa. I had an immediate reaction to it… she took me into the bedroom for a three-hour romantic interlude!” Yowza! To date, Newman’s Own products have generated over $300 million for charities in Canada, the U.S. and around the world. $3.99 at grocery stores, newmansown.com Fall 2010

11

Books

By Signe Langford

Read ’em and eat Grilled Pizzas & Piadinas Craig W. Priebe and Dianne Jacob

On the off chance you don’t know, a piadina is a lovely, grilled, rolled-up sandwich. It is not to be confused with the 3 a.m.drunken-pizza-slice-rollup we’ve all wolfed down at some point. And yes, it’s October, and, well, grilling season is over for everyone but the truly hardcore, so think of this as your wish book for next spring.

Verbatim: “After Karla was robbed at knife point while delivering a pizza, we moved to Chicago, my hometown.” $23 | DK Books

The I Hate to Cook Book: 50TH Anniversary Edition Peg Bracken This American classic was probably funny when it was written 50 years ago.

It’s funnier now. Recipes call for packets of onion soup mix—often!—as well as canned, frozen, dried and left over things, without even a trace of shame or irony.

Verbatim: “Some women, it is said, like to cook. This book is not for them. This book is for those of us who want to fold our big dishwater hands around a dry martini instead of a wet flounder, come the end of a long day.” $27.99 | Hachette

Medium Raw Anthony Bourdain

Some foodies vowed to boycott this book because the globetrotting bad-boy chef says mean things about GQ magazine food writer Alan Richman. But who doesn’t love mudslinging? Verbatim: “Speaking of Old Fuckers, the James Beard House goes on the villain list, because it harbors [sic] and gives safe haven to villains.” $28.99 | Harper Collins

City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human

Lorraine Johnson

Richard Wrangham

Okay, it’s a tad earnest and a bit preachy, but if you’re looking for a guide to growing, raising, foraging, and picking your own in the city, this is it.

Verbatim: “Hiding three chickens in a downtown backyard the size of a municipal swimming pool is actually quite easy.” $19.95 | Greystone Books

Fascinating stuff about the origins of social structures.

Wrangham says it all comes down to fire and meat. Verbatim: “Rawfoodists do not fare well.

They thrive only in rich modern environments where they depend on eating exceptionally high-quality foods.” $33.95 | Raincoast Books

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CityBites

SMACKDOWN

By Dick Snyder

In search of the best apple cider Liquor is quicker and cider is finer. Very fine, in fact. Interesting to compare English cider—most popular, and widely represented at the LCBO—versus our local upstarts, including a fine interpretation from our friends in Quebec. The Irish weigh in, as they are wont to do, with a top-performer. Conclusion: Cider can be many things, and apple-y is only the beginning of the flavour exploration. Try a sampling and learn, as I did, that your favourite cider might not stack up so well to the competition. So long, Strongbow.

Strongbow England $2.95 | 500 mL | 5.3%

Bulmers Original Belgium $3.85 | 568 mL | 4.5%

England’s signature cider has, surprisingly, little to no discernable apple aroma, and merely faint notes of citrus and orange zest.

Light, vaguely fruity taste, lots of bubbles and an vaguely metallic finish. Flat and dull overall.

LCBO #560532

An English style (apparently), with an odd light salmon colour and a faint smell of fermented raspberries. The apples must have got lost on their way to Belgium.

This is little more than sweet alcoholic water with added glucose syrup, sugar…. and yech.

LCBO #99002

Waupoos Premium Waupoos, Prince Edward County $12.95 | 4 x 341 mL | 6.5%

Dunk your head into barrel of apples at picking time. That’s the smell of ripe apples (“late season apples,” says the label). Too bad the taste is sour and metallic— like drinking out of a can of Rougemont. Acidic and tinny, with a whopping alcohol content that throws it all out of whack.

LCBO #612804

Peeler Premium Light Cider Thornbury, Ont. $11.55 | 4 x 341 mL | 4%

Fresh apply aroma, yeasty like a croissant, some faint sweet spice.

A full, fresh-apple flavour, with a light crisp finish. Quite sweet, but balanced by acidity and loads of fruit. Flavours remain bright and distinct through a long finish. A real winner!

LCBO #146043

Get more cider!

See our Winter issue in November for a taste of special-occasion and premium ciders, including ice ciders from Quebec.

Yummy!

Cremant St-Nicolas St-Nicolas, Que. $10.50 | 750 mL | 2.8%

A “sparkling light cider.” Very pale, almost clear yellow/green with a shy but present bruised apple scent. Light in the mouth, sprightly with a reserved apple fruit taste that really comes to the fore on the finish. Refreshing and delicate. Serve very cold.

LCBO #61671

Blackthorn The West Country, England $2.75 | 500 mL | 6%

Deep yellow/gold colour and aromas of rust, wet autumn leaves, sour crab apples and a touch of sulphur. Very dry and full-bodied, with cloying, almost oxidized rosé wine flavours.

Not altogether pleasant. Seems sour and tired.

LCBO #619551

Spirit Tree Pub Cider Caledon, Ont. $5.95 | 500 mL | 6%

Magners Original Irish Cider Tipperary, Ireland $2.80 | 500 mL | 4.5%

Bold aromatics, like fresh-made apple sauce. Sweet and sour, tangy and full-bodied. The alcohol is a bit too present, but the acidity and fruit helps with the overall effect. Better with ice, though it’s a bit lacking in effervescence (perhaps that’s “pub style.”)

See spirittreecider.com for availability.

Copper-coloured, with persistent and pleasant aroma of bruised apples. Light in body, but with full flavours of apple flesh, sweet spice, apple pie. “Serve over ice,” the label says. They’re right.

This is good stuff, and the ice makes it all festive and clinky in the glass.

LCBO #699389 Fall 2010

13

reality check

By Joy McCarthy

Vitaminwater The label states “vitamins + water = all you need.” So it wouldn’t be so far-fetched to presume that Vitaminwater is healthy.

Not far-fetched, but completely inaccurate, according to the lawyers for the manufacturer.

They said as much in court, defending a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Center for Science in the Public Interest that states Vitaminwater’s labelling and marketing is deceptive. According to the judge, Coca-Cola’s lawyers suggested that “… no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking Vitaminwater was a healthy beverage.”

Ah, shame on us for believing Coke’s marketing pitch.

A bottle of Vitaminwater has 32 grams of sugar—a mere 10 grams shy of a can of Coke.

We all know pop is a sugar-laden beverage, in part responsible for the current obesity epidemic in children. So, if you throw in some vitamins, crystalline fructose and cane sugar, slap a label on it with some quirky tags, then you have the latest nutritional sleight of hand. A trick that sold 142 million cases last year.

The second ingredient listed is crystalline fructose. This may seem okay since fruit is a source of fructose. But fruit contains natural fibre, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Your body knows precisely what to do with an apple, but not a fractionated food-like substance. Fructose does not stimulate insulin or leptin, hormones that signal to your brain that you should stop eating.

Laura Cutsey, Vitaminwater’s senior marketing and communications manager, insists her product is “a delicious and healthy hydration option for both athletes and non athletes.

Vitaminwater contains no sodium and has all natural flavours and colours. It contains 100% of your daily vitamin C requirement and 25 percent of four B vitamins.”

Here’s the deal: No one ever sued a fruit for misrepresentation. If you want to get more vitamins, eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, good quality fats and lean protein.

Simple, natural food. It’s the real thing.

Joy McCarthy RNCP, CNP, is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Visit joyoushealth.ca.

Got a food item that needs a “reality check”?

Visit our Facebook page and leave a comment, or email us at info@citybites.ca.

14

CityBites

Jawny Bakers Newspaper Ad - OCT. 04 ’10

CITY BITES (4 COLOUR) 4.625” X 2.25”

Rounding up Toronto’s best takeout, eat-in and makeat-home pies

the

Almighty

Pizza

By Mary Luz Mejia

Toronto’s Best Pizza Our favourite joints for great pie There’s a pizzeria for every occasion in this pie-obsessed city. And there are as many preferences and tastes as there are pizzaiolo. We’ve rounded up our favourites, from kid-friendly to chi-chi.

Better than Chucky Cheese’s You wouldn’t be the only person to pass by Albany Pizza a hundred times on your way to No Frills—and missed out on some of the most kid-friendly and delicious pizza in town. It’s simple pie with quality ingredients: mozzarella, sauce and crust are all flavourful and fresh.

(Dare we say it, artisanal-tasting!) Thin, blistered crusts, great toppings loaded right to the edge— and yes, they deliver. Great in-store specials too. Albany Pizza, 222 Lansdowne Ave.,

To Your Door Competition may be fierce, but most take-out pizza is $%#&. Except Pizza Nova. Not only great corporate citizens— their charity, sponsorship and school programs are sincere and smart—they make a nice North American-style fat-crust pie with lots of goo and an exemplary tomato sauce.

Request thin crust and well-done for a trendier pie, if you must. 416-439-0000, pizzanova.com

The Priciest Pie In Italy, a pizza resplendent with caviar, lobster and a splash of Louis XIII Remy Martin cognac can be had for a mere 8300 euro. Toronto doesn’t go in for that kind of excess, but there is Prohibition Gastrohouse’s personal pie for $32: white truffle oil, garlic paste, woodland mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese, fresh thyme and— yep, you guessed it—foie gras. Prohibition

Proper Neapolitan La vera pizza Neapolitana has this city divided. On the West Side, Pizzeria Libretto reigns supreme. They follow guidelines set out by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, the Italian Government and the European Union. On the East it’s all about Queen Margherita Pizza. Both offer authentic, imported Italian toppings, thin crusts and 900°F wood-burning ovens that cook a pie in 90 seconds! And lest we forget the ones who started it all: Terroni, in it’s many locations and with its legions of loyal happy-to-line-up fans. Queen Margherita

Gastrohouse, 696 Queen St. E., 416-406-2669,

Pizza, 1402 Queen St., E., 416 466-6555,

myprohibition.com

queenmargheritapizza.ca; Pizzeria

416-533-7300, albanypizza.org

photo: Stephen Elphick

949 Gerrard E., 416-462-9666, pizzapide.ca

Gluten-Free Pizza Can’t eat gluten but love fresh-out-of-theoven pizza? Big Mama’s Boy in Cabbagetown has it covered. Their gluten-free pizzas are so good, folks from out of province have been known to drive to Toronto for a fix. Big Mama’s Boy Restaurant, 554 Parliament St., 416-927-1593, bigmammasboy.ca

W., 416-203-3093, terroni.ca; plus two

Vegan, Organic and Raw Live Organic Food Bar’s Mediterranean Pizza has it all. A crust of buckwheat and flax is loaded with a sundried tomato red pepper marinara, marinated baby spinach, black and green olives, mushrooms and cashew “feta cheese.” Vegans and raw-foodists can have their pie and eat it too! Live Organic Food Bar,

other locations (and more coming).

264 Dupont St., 416-515-2002

Post-Party Pizza A dose of carbs, fat and protein, just the thing to soak up the remains of an allnighter. Slices at Bitondo’s are generous— about a quarter of a pie—so this does the trick at 2 a.m. Don’t come expecting gourmet slices though. We’re talking classic cheese, sauce and pepperoni. Grazie. Bitondo’s

Deep Dish It For highly addictive, true, Chicago-style deep-dish pizzas, hit the highway out to Mississauga and Mickey’s Pizza. Co-owners Mick and Sandi Stoyan have spent the last 20 years perfecting their crust and sauce. Mickey’s Pizza, 1900 Lakeshore Blvd. W., Mississauga, 905-822-1411,

Pizzeria, 11 Clinton St., 416-533-4101

feedyourdragon.com

Libretto, 1 Ossington Ave., 416-532-8000,

Worldly Pizza The Turks have their own called pide (peaday), and while different in shape and toppings, it’s just as lip-smacking as its Italian cousin. Pide are long, thin-crust pizzalike breads, curled up at the sides and ends, reminiscent of row boats carrying precious, cheesy, meaty, delicious cargo. The Karisik pide offers a taste of sucuklu (cumin-scented Turkish sausage), pepperoni, pastrami, veggies and cheese arranged in rows so you can try each separately. Pizza Pide,

Obsessed with authenticity at Queen Margherita Pizza.

pizzerialibretto.com; Terroni, 720 Queen St.

Fall 2010

15

the

Coolest Pizza Stuff

By Signe Langford

Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

It’s not made of lava rocks from Mount Vesuvius, but dang, want that unbeatable smoky, blistered crust? “I already have a barbecue,” you protest, “why can’t I just use it for pizza?”

Because, mi amici, the risk of burning the bottom before the toppings are perfectly cooked and melted. This baby boasts a cooking chamber separate from the combustion chamber. Capish? $1,499.99 at Barbecues Galore, 490 Speers Rd., Oakville, 905-844-3224, barbecuesgalore.ca

Rock Maple Pizza Cutter

This one’s for cuttin’ it Old School.

Hand-crafted from rock maple—yes, it’s a very hard wood—it’s a gorgeous multi-tasker: both cutter and server.

DIY PIE Gluten Free Base Bulk Barns across the GTA offer a tasty gluten-free ready-to-top pizza crust and crust mix with an easy-tofollow recipe. bulkbarn.ca Semi-Scratching It Pick up a ball of some of the city’s best dough at Messina Ital Bakery & Deli.

Not too doughy or yeasty, and ready to roll—or toss— top, and bake. 19 Scarlett Rd., 416-762-2496, messinabakery.com Just Top It Don’t want the hassle of dough? Pick up a white or multi-grain Pizza Bianca from Fred’s Bread. The trick is to top it with good quality tomato paste thinned out with olive oil, some crushed garlic and your choice of spices and toppings. Best pizza you ever assembled! fredsbread.ca

$42 order by phone or online from Imagine Wood, 613-756-9759, imaginewood.com

Pizza Scissors

Mario Batali Cast Iron Pizza Griddle

Lot’s of folks swear by these dishwasher safe Scizza.

Smooth spatula tip with sharp, long-lasting, durable blades of hardened German stainless steel.

In Chef’s signature Croc-Orange, we’re not sure if this 14-inch pizza pan is better than a stone, but it sure is purdy, and the loop handles are a nice touch. $99 at The Inspired Cook, 1378 Queen St. E.,

$29.95 at Academy of

416-461-8886, theinspiredcook.com

Culinary Arts, 1703 Bayview Ave., 416-486-1859

$24.99 from Ventures International, 1-800-663-0088, venturesintl.com

16

CityBites

photo: xxxxxxxxx

Bamboo Pizza Peel

Not strictly necessary for the home cook, but the kids—and any easily impressed friends—will think you’re awesome. And let’s be honest, even if the thing never sees the inside of and oven, it will look fab hanging on the wall! Made from sustainable bamboo.

The Judging Panel The chef-turned-food writer: Only lets homemade slices pass her lips.

the

Sommelier 1: A man with a crazy palate and nose.

Sommelier 2: A man with a crazy palate and nose—and a thing for Dr. Oetker’s Ristorante tarted up with artichokes and prosciutto.

The Roomie: A woman grateful for frozen anything after 12-hour shifts on a film set.

The Kid: 15 years old, passionate about poutine, and no reluctant guest at a pizza party.

Freezer Pizza Smackdown

By Val Howes

Five experts, eight frozen pies, two “winners”

Dr. Oetker’s Casa di Mama Ultimate Deluxe Pizza

Amy’s Spinach Pizza Made with Organic Spinach and Tomatoes

$6.95 | Score: 6/10

$9.99 | Score: 5/10

Comments range from “crunchy crust” and “not too much cheese” to “taste-less,” “soggy” and “uneven spread of ingredients.” While the Kid sparks a mini debate saying, “I actually think it had flavour,” Sommelier 1 nips out to the car to find a replacement for our wine, Ogio primitivo ($8.85). He gets no points for etiquette, but for the SUR primitivo di Manduria he returns with, he gets a perfect ten.

PC Blue Menu Roasted Chicken and Red Pepper Wood-Fired Thin Crust Pizza $6.49 | Score: 4.5/10

This rustic-looking pizza wows the panel on its way to the table with an irregular crust and generous strips of rough-cut red pepper.

However, it falls down in the taste department. “Chicken and cheese is the strangest combination,” whines CTFW, laying down her slice.

“It’s doughy,” complains the Roomie. “I thought the cheese was nice at first, but it takes so long to chew and swallow that I can see it causing some rather troubling constipation,” says Sommelier 2. Next.

Authentic Toscano Gourmet Pizza Thin Crust Classico $3.84 | Score: 4/10

The Roomie points to the fresh appearance of the tomatoes, but ultimately declares them “bland.” CTFW shakes her head. “I hate peppers, I hate cooked peppers.” Sommelier 1 loses his grammar: “Completely ungood.” Never one to shy from controversy, the Kid says the Classico, “has personality,” then inflates its overall score with a 6.5.

Life Choices Thin Crust Pizza Chicken and Spinach $8.49 | Score: 4/10

Consensus is that this one is “hippie pizza.” While Sommelier 1 is happy it “actually has flavour,” he does go on to qualify “just not a good one.” Sommelier 2 gets specific: “The base is like soggy Ryvita; the chicken is dry and vile… it gives chicken a bad name.” The Roomie sticks the knife in with a 1/10, then the Kid floors everyone by finishing his slice. “I thought I wouldn’t like the spinach, but it worked out well,” he says.

The panel still has food in its mouth as the tirade begins. “Bland,” says CTFW. “It’s just got one flavour,” says The Roomie. “This one’s nothing special,” says The Kid. Sommelier 2 eyes his slice and darkens. “I once threw a pizza at an ex-girlfriend in a restaurant on Oxford Street,” he says. “We were arguing the whole time, and when the pizza arrived I was so angry I put it over her head.” Stories ensue about exes doused in drinks and smeared with baked brie. If anything, the company is classy.

McCain Traditional Crust Pizza Deluxe $6.49 | Score: 4/10

This big, fat, cheesy wad brings out the gentler side in Sommelier 2.

“It’s crap, but good crap; it knows what it is,” he says. “Other pizzas are like ‘I’m frozen pizza but I have aspirations.’” CTFW admires the stretch of the cheese but condemns the puffy crust. The Roomie thinks the ground meat is “a nice touch.” The Kid starts sounding kinda snobby: “This is only good for if you’re bored and hungry. It looks unorganized… it’s not a handsome pizza.” (The Kid will be referred to henceforth as Sommelier 3.)

Nestlé Delissio Crispy Flatbread Pizza $8.39 | Score: 4/10

Let’s start with the positive: “sweet, biscuity base” and “nice crust.” And now the deal-breaker…. “It smells like piss.” To be fair, those sommeliers are sensitive flowers. However the tenth, and by no means last, ingredient on the box is sodium aluminium phosphate. Just saying.

President’s Choice All-dressed Wood-fired Thin Crust Pizza $6.49 | Score: 6/10

Will redemption come with the final slice? The Roomie admires the cheese pull “the longest yet.”

Indeed, Sommelier 3 has a long string hanging from his chin as he pipes in “it’s greasy.” “Good thing or bad thing?” someone asks.

“Good thing!” CTFW identifies a fishy taste and says brightly, “Mmm, are there anchovies in this one?” From the kitchen: “No.” Worried looks all round.

Valerie Howes is a Toronto-based freelance food and travel writer who likes canned pineapple on her frozen pizza. Got a problem with that?

Fall 2010

17

knives Ask a Chef

Where do you get your best blades?

Howard Dubrovsky, L.A.B. 651 College St., 416-551-5025

“I haven’t bought any in ages, but lately I’ve been using my grandmother’s knives. When she passed away I opted to take as much of her kitchen equip as possible. Truthfully, some of it is not technically the best gear out there, but the fact that I am able to keep that connection with her makes it more than worthwhile. Her food was so formative for me. I remember dinner at her house, and the sense of nostalgia I get when using her knives is uniquely comforting. The Japanese have a notion that soul can be imparted into knives, it’s a Samurai thing.

I get that feeling when I cook with my grandmother’s tools. It’s a way of keeping her in my life. I also picked up a bunch when I was in Japan a couple of years back.

I went to a knife store in a small town en route to Fukuoka. The shop was set up like a jewellery store; the display cases were exquisite. There was no way I was walking out of there without making a purchase.

But here, Calphalon (425 King St. W., 416-847-2212, calphalon.com) does a chef discount day once or twice a year, and I like Nella (876 Bathurst St., 416-922-9055, nellacutlery.com).”

Joan Olsen, Joan’s Jars at Swirl 946 1/2 Queen St. E., 647-351-5453

Blade Review

Victorinox Ceramic Knives

Very cool to look at, extremely light in the hand, and razor-sharp. These ceramic blades are made from high-purity zirconium oxide powder compressed at very high pressures and sintered in furnaces at temperatures over 2700°F. This makes them diamond-hard, giving them outstanding edge retention, as well as resistance to corrosion and acids.

At Williams Sonoma in three sizes: 4 3/4” Utility Knife, $90; 6” Chef Knife, $125; 7” Santoku Knife, $135.

Donna Dooher, Mildred’s Temple Kitchen 85 Hanna Ave., 416-588-5695 I bought my first Victorinox 28 years ago. Still the best knife I own—fits like a glove, drives like a Porsche, chops like a samurai. German knives tend to be built for stevedores; Japanese knives have a gentler touch. I buy my knives at Nikolaou (629 Queen St. W., 416-504-6411).”

Douglas McNish, Raw Aura Organic Cuisine 94 Lakeshore Rd. E., Mississauga, 905-891-2872

“There’s a new little shop on Queen West called Knife (658 Queen St. W., 2nd fl., 647-996-8609, knifetoronto.com). He has the best Japanese knives

18

CityBites

around. And I bought a Kasumi at the store next to Whole Foods for a really good price about a year ago, but I can’t remember the name.”

photo: Sai Sivanesan

Dubrovsky with his Japanese treasure.

“I buy ’em when needed from where ever! But my favourite chef’s knife is from Grohmann Knives (grohmannknives.com) in Pictou, N.S., just a 10-minute drive from where I was born. There are bigger, better and fancier knives out there but this one is perfect for me. A short blade, so I can use it as an all-purpose knife, holds a great edge, and has some heft. The Japanesestyle knives are usually too light for me. And the handle [on my knife] is oak resin, so you can look around the kitchen and see the knife immediately. Everyone else has rosewood or metal handles. If anything were to happen to this knife, I would order another one to replace ASAP!”

Get the Edge

By Signe Langford

Running with scissors The return of the roving blade sharpener He’s a blast from the past. A slow moving, street-crawling, bellringing, piece of living history, right up there with the milkman, egg lady, and the doctor who still makes house calls. There are a few neighbourhoods lucky enough to have an old Italian fellow in a little blue truck—hand painted pictures on its sides of lawnmowers, scissors, and knives—the back flung open displaying wet stones and grinding wheels. He’s been doing this forever, and for a grown-up with a kitchen and shed full of dull blades, hearing the peel of his bell can whip us into a frenzy, comparable to a kid hearing the approach of an ice cream truck.

He’s on the endangered list, but as with many things slow and Old World, the young ’uns are realizing there’s a niche to be filled, and that maybe it wasn’t such a silly idea after all. Sharp My Knife, a mobile knife and garden tool sharpening business, was launched earlier this year by husband and wife Molly and Andrew Hutchinson.

Molly, a PR person, handles the marketing side, while Andrew, a mechanical engineer with a long history of playing with knives, takes care of the sharpening. His father was a chef, and he spent his teens working in kitchens, including one he and Molly ran for a time in Kitchener-Waterloo. So not only does he understand the mechanics, he’s keenly aware of the special bond cooks have with their knives. Unlike the ding-dong truck, you call and make an appointment, so no more mid-shower surprises and no more darting dangerously out onto the street, doing your best Edward Scissorhands. 905-878-2616, sharpmyknife.com

Book

Sharpen Your Reading Skills Knife Skills in the Kitchen

By Charlie Trotter, Marcus Wareing, Shaun Hill, Lyn Hall

DK Books | $23

Blade Review

This knife-owners’ manual is packed with clear step-by-step instruction on every aspect of knife ownership and use, from storing to sharpening and how to cut up photo: signe langford

anything from a lobster to a leaf of kale.

Verbatim: “During the Genroku period (1688 – 1704), the very first deba hocho knives for cutting vegetables were produced: knives with curved spines and lethal points, with the arched grace of a ballet dancer’s pointed toe.”

Shucker Paddy’s Oyster Knife

Shuck bivalves like a world champion with this shiv-like knife designed by Toronto’s own Patrick McMurray—who, as far as we know, has not spent any time in the hoosegow, but the man does know a thing or two about a custom blade—and this one fits like a glove.

The slim blade makes busting between two shells easy, and the molded guard protects hands from sharp edges. $30 at Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill, 100 Adelaide St. E., 416-3667827, starfishoysterbed.com; and Ceili Cottage, 1301 Queen St. E., 416-406-1301, ceilicottage.com Fall 2010

19

knives

Blade TLC

By Ivy Knight

Knife Do’s and Dont’s A little advice goes a long way We asked Barbara Ackerman of The Cook’s Place (501 Danforth Ave.), about knife main-

tenance. Let’s just say we got schooled.

CB: What is the most common mistake people make when sharpening their knives?

BA: The first big mistake you can make is to give your knives to the guy driving down your street in the little truck with the bell. There may be some who know what they’re doing but we don’t recommend them. The professional who sharpens our customers’ knives, says that knives sharpened by those guys in the trucks are his biggest source of business.

CB: What is the difference between a regular steel and a diamond steel?

BA: A regular steel has a rough surface and is used to realign the edge on a European knife.

CB: What can you tell us about ceramic knives?

BA: Ceramic is definitely a specialty knife; I wouldn’t recommend it as the primary knife. They are really sharp and don’t need maintenance but they’re also very brittle.

Once you drop it, that’s it. They are really good for cutting potatoes or apples, as the flesh doesn’t brown as quickly.

CB: Give us some basic tips.

BA: Don’t use a glass cutting board; it dulls

the knife very quickly. Don’t use your good knife to open a can of paint. A sharp knife is a safe knife; a dull knife is more likely to cut you.

It is for honing, maintenance. The diamond steel is very aggressive; it is for sharpening and should only be used for that purpose every so often.

CB: The best advice?

BA: Go to a store where they love knives.

[The knife section is] my favourite part of the store. I love talking about knives.

Blade Review Pure Komachi 2 9-Piece Set

Jelly-bean colours give the impression of kid stuff, but you’d be sorely mistaken. These high-carbon stainless steel blades mean business, and the colour coding helps the cook avoid cross-contamination. For the price on one top-drawer knife, this is the perfect set for the cottage or starter kitchen.

Oh, and the clear block is totally stylin’! $130 at The Cook’s Place, 501 Danforth Ave., 416-461-5211, thecooksplace.com

20

CityBites

illustration: ©istockphoto.com/apatrimonio

Ivy Knight is a food writer, culinary consultant on Food Network’s Pitchin’ In and the host of 86’d Mondays at the Drake Hotel. Her mother-in-law has a glass cutting board. ivyknight.com

catering 101

By Maia Filar

Feeding the Masses this is why catering is your saviour for party season The size of the party doesn’t matter. Sending guests home talking about the food does—be it an intimate sit-down dinner, a kids’ ice-cream social, or a black-tie event. We tapped Ken Marshall, operations manager at Daniel et Daniel, to dish on how to hire a caterer like a pro, even if you’ve never done it before.

........Tips........

Plan “You’re the boss,” Marshall says.

“The first thing you have to do is sit down with a pen and paper and some serious questions about what you, as the host, expect and what you want the evening to be like. Planning is everything.”

Consider style and venue; this will help narrow down your choice of caterers. use your connections Other professional contacts— DJ’s, florists, photographers— can help you find the best caterer for your needs. investigate Go behind the boss’s back, and find out if these are good people to work for and how the food is usually received by speaking with servers, cooks and other employees.

illustration: ©istockphoto.com/NLshop

it’s all about you You are the client. Your ideas should be met with enthusiasm, and you should walk away from every meeting with the confidence that everyone involved wants your event to be a smashing success. money Be honest about your budget, no matter how modest. Stating your bottom line right up front will save you a ton of back and forth, and according to Marshall, “A good caterer really won’t have hidden costs, but be aware; if you are going into a venue, especially a landmark in the city of Toronto, there are landmark fees for caterers, staff and beverages.”

taste test Taste a caterer’s food—especially what they are planning to serve— before making your final decision.

You’d be surprised how good something sounds vs. how it tastes. safety first If you are having a house party where the wine is flowing, always have cab money on hand or be ready for overnight guests. keep it simple You don’t need to stock up on Southern Comfort just because it’s uncle Jim’s favourite, limit the bar to one white, one red and a signature cocktail.

.......Tastes......

go local Caterer and locavore Chef Ezra Title (167 Rushton Rd., 416-3473609, chezvousdining.ca), spent a year with Daniel Boulud and has put in time at the Healthy Butcher.

His autumn menu includes a trio of local organic lamb and pan-seared Quebec foie gras with roasted figs, concord grape coulis and orange duck jus.

be trendy Meatloaf cupcakes and tuna tartar snow cones are big this season, find them on Daniel et Daniel’s (248 Carlton St., 416-968-9275, danieletdaniel.ca) winter menu, and a cheese course in place of dessert is a classic that you can keep local with cheese from Ontario and Quebec. For an international feel, hit T&T (various locations including 222 Cherry St.,

holiday feasting Treat your friends and family to the best—local and organic— by hitting some of T.O.’s best butchers. Sanagan’s Meat Locker (206 Baldwin St., 416-593-9747,

tnt-supermarket.com) for some prêt-à-porter pan-Asian hors d’oeuvres.

gourmet comfort Breakfast in bed with Allison

after midnight A midnight snack comes in handy when people have been drinking.

Pre-order a tray of Caplansky’s

sanagansmeatlocker.com) has grain-fed birds, and The Healthy

Cumming Gourmet Catering

Butcher (various locations,

516-3324, allisoncumming.com)

including 298 Eglinton Ave. W.,

(356 College St., 416-500-3852,

416-674-2642, thehealthybutch-

caplanskys.com) cocktail-sized

er.com) is a one-stop shop for organic meat and all the sides, including stuffing and potatoes.

includes quail eggs benny and miniature French toast, while the itty-bitty pulled pork sandwiches at The Salt & Pepper Catering Co

smoked meat sandwiches on rye baguette, or put out a party platter from Edo Sushi (484 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-322-3033, edosushi. com)—perfect for soaking up all

that booze come early morning.

TUMMY TROUBLE Calico Café (1226 Bloor St. W., 416-536-1883, calicocafe.ca)

owner Jared Davis creates vegetarian dishes using ingredients from his garden and can feed just about anybody, no matter what their intolerance.

(2285 Lakeshore Blvd. W., 416-

(by appointment only, 416-9240715, salt-peppercatering.com)

parting shot Once upon a time, Krispy Crème doughnuts were being given as party favours, then along came that sweet upstart, the cupcake.

Now, the French macaron is haute dessert du jour. The Sweet

and hush puppies and jambalaya from Southern Accent (595 Markham St., 416-536-3211, southernaccent.com) are fun

and funky.

AWE shicks!

Escape (55 Mill St., 416-214-2253,

Rodney’s (469 King St. W.,

thesweetescapedistillery.com)

416-363-8105 ext. 23,

makes these buttercream-filled cookies in flavours from fun to sophisticated.

rodneysoysterhouse.com) will deliver an expert shucker, superfresh bivalves and all the fixings.

Fall 2010

21

marketplace

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How to Buy Wine from an Agent

Buying consignment wines from an agent is easy.

Go online and get their list. Phone or email your order. Wait for delivery. Repeat.

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22

CityBites

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libations

By Stephen Beaumont

Spirit of Canada Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve is as delicious as it is patriotic The patriotic drinker in our fair city has more options than ever before. Think about it for a minute: ales and lagers brewed down the road; wines grown and fermented down the highway; even small batch spirits distilled here and there.

But what about a true-blooded, all-Canadian whisky? Sure, the folks at the Still Waters Distillery up in Concord are working on it, but their Scottish-inspired spirits won’t be ready for years to come.

And as for the major Canadian whisky brands‌ well, somehow the patriotic element seems a trifle muted when the company is owned by an international beverage giant.

Which brings us to John Hall of Kittling Ridge Estate Wine & Spirits. For close to a decade now, John has presented us with what might well be the best-value whisky at the LCBO, in the form of his terrific Forty Creek Barrel Select. To craft this impressive spirit, Hall individually distils and ages for up to 10 years whiskies made from three grains—corn, rye and malted barley—before marrying them with a further five or six months of aging in sherry barrels, all so he can sell it for a mere $24.95. The gently sweet, vanilla- and orange-accented whisky is ideal for sipping over ice, perhaps with a drop of soda or ginger ale, or mixing into any number of diverse cocktails.

Still, there’s something that rankles, and it’s big and made of wood. I refer, of course, to the barrels in which both the component whiskies and final product are aged.

Because while they may be past holders of Canadianmade sherry or American bourbon, the wood from which said barrels are coopered certainly didn’t came from any of our forests. American white oak? Most assuredly. French Limousin oak? Possibly. Canadian oak? Never.

That nationalistic disconnect, however, has just been rectified with the introduction of a new whisky, the third in Forty Creek’s much-lauded Reserve series. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve, unquestionably the most Canadian spirit produced in this nation in generations. Oh, and it’s delicious, too!

Like all whisky makers, John Hall is fascinated by wood and its effect on the spirits within, and as a Canadian distiller, this fascination extended to curiosity about what flavours would arise in a whisky aged in barrels made from Canadian oak. With no such barrels available, however, Hall’s curiosity seemed destined to flounder, until he discovered a grove of 150-year-old oaks located near Brantford.

Since the older oaks were in danger of suffocating the younger ones, Hall was able to sustainably harvest some of the trees and send them to Kentucky for cutting and air-drying, a process that alone consumed the better part of three years. Those staves were then made into barrels and shipped back to Niagara for filling.

The tighter grain of the Canadian white oak, which in our colder climate grows slower than its American cousin, meant some interesting and unknown variables would be at work.

Fortunately, the gamble paid off. Forty Creek Confederation Oak is a unique whisky, unlike anything I’ve ever come across, with a rich vanilla, fig, crème brulÊe and banana nose and a body that begins like dessert, with baked fruit and custard notes, before developing drier flavours of candied nuts, banana, light smoke and caramel, with peppery spice bringing it all to a satisfying close.

Stephen Beaumont This is the masterwork (so far!) of an already is developing a new accomplished distiller. Buy a bottle and sip it appreciation for Canadian neat, while singing O Canada! and watching whisky from his condo in the hockey game, if you wish. CB downtown Toronto.

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Fall 2010

23

the ej

By Konrad Ejbich

Growing up The Old Boys of wine are out. In with the new!

I have looked into the future and it is very bleak, if you happen to be a producer of cheap, fakeCanadian wine.

However, if you make 100 percent local wine that is both palatable and affordable, you are about to enter the Golden Age of Ontario Winemaking.

Winemaking has never been easy in Canada. As far back as a thousand years ago, Viking visitors tried to make wine from local grapes, and promptly left, never to return.

Ontario’s wine saviours.

Jesuit missionaries from France succeeded in making small amounts of sacramental wine from wild grapes, but the Frenchmen they served it to never bothered to make any of their own.

German immigrant, Johann Schiller, is noted for planting a vineyard and producing the first commercial batch of wine in 1811. There’s no mention of a second batch though.

In the middle of the century, pioneer winemakers began to emerge, but grew mainly foulsmelling concord and catawba grapes, which just proves how desperate these folks were for a drink. Despite the challenges of working with wild grapes, fighting off a Christian temperance movement and co-operating with American gangsters during Prohibition, the industry did grow.

The worst, however, was yet to come. In 1927, the provincial government created a Liquor Control Board to manage distribution, to tax sales, and to condescend to consumers. Existing wineries enjoyed a protected and captive market. With no need to improve, the industry stagnated until 1975, when upstart Inniskillin was granted the first “boutique winery” licence.

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Inniskillin and the newbies who followed made good decisions: to shun grapes of the inferior labrusca species in favour of classic varieties, including riesling, chardonnay, pinot grigio, merlot and cabernet franc; to lower crop yields for wines with greater concentration; and to label wines in a straightforward manner, indicating variety and origin.

But it took a generation before the voices of the new players on the block would be heard.

In 1988, they pressed the industry—still dominated by the six remaining Old Boys: Andrés, Barnes, Brights, Chateau Gai, Jordan & Ste-Michelle and London—to agree to new rules of production and appellation control for wines made from Ontario-grown grapes.

The Old Boys continued to grease the wheels of government, protecting their privileged access to private and public retail stores, and flooding the market with cheap, pseudo-Canadian wine. Meanwhile, smaller wineries have steadily raised the bar, winning countless medals in international circles. Now, it’s paying off.

For anyone still making cheap wine from foreign grapes and passing it off as Canadian, there is a deep-seated fear that the party’s over. Rightly so.

There are so many young, ambitious winemakers ready to carry the torch of quality Ontario wine. Taste the stunning bubblies made by Jonas Neumann at Hinterland or the pinot noirs

by Bruno François at The Old Third, both in Konrad Ejbich is a member Prince Edward County. Look for the cabernet of the Wine Writers’ Circle of sauvignons from CREW or brothers Rob and Canada. He writes for Style at Home magazine and answers Fabio Muscedere’s Syrah in southwestern caller questions on CBC Radio’s Ontario. Don’t miss the chardonnays from Ontario Today. He’s currently Ravine or the Amarone-style wines at A updating his Pocket Guide Foreign Affair. These are some of the new to Ontario Wines, Wineries, wineries with confidence and a plan. The Vineyards, & Vines. Follow twitter.com/WineZone plan is to make great Ontario wine. CB

24

CityBites

photo: ©istockphoto.com/koloskov

“ For anyone still making cheap wine from foreign grapes and passing them off as Canadian, there is a deep-seated fear that the party’s over. Rightly so.”

szabo

By John Szabo

What we do best Spotlight on some of our shining star wines The 10th Annual Canadian Wine Awards organized by Wine Access Magazine in the Okanagan Valley last month was the finest showing of Canadian wines yet.

The results show clearly what’s working and where. Chardonnay and riesling are the most exciting categories. Lees oak, no oak, more class, elegance, finesse, minerality. Exciting stuff. And riesling, long a top performer, firmly entrenched itself as one of Canada’s best.

Sparkling wines: yes we can. Aromatic white blends are clear winners. It’s the most sensible approach to making consistently tasty, charming, mostly unoaked whites in our unpredictable climate. For reds, pinot noir has finally taken its rightful place. Pinot noir is a short-cycle grape that ripens early, so it should work here. And now there’s a critical mass of good wines to prove it.

It’s different for cabernet sauvignon and merlot. We just don’t have the heat to ripen them to the point where they become interesting on their own. As with whites, the smart thing to do is blend.

Syrah (aka shiraz) has proven for years that it can make top-class wines. As for cabernet franc—disappointing. And what to do with hybrids... I may be shot for saying this, but let’s rip them out. Even the best examples are merely good. To paraphrase Michelangelo, the failure in life is not to have aimed high and missed it, but rather to aim low and achieve it.

Sparkling NV Hillebrand Trius Brut Niagara Peninsula | $24.95 This has consis-

tently been one of my top picks for bubbly in Canada. Classy, complex, elegant and half the price of champers. LCBO #451641 White Vineland Estates 2008 St. Urban Riesling Niagara Escarpment | $17.95 From some

of the oldest riesling vines in the province.

Steely, minerally, delicately honeyed, with deceptive weight and power—you need to pay attention to this. Vintages #89029 Tawse 2008 Robyn’s Block Chardonnay Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara | $41.95 A

fabulous ’08 Niagara chardonnay here, bright, fresh, restrained, mineral, with wellmeasured wood influence. Hate to draw vulgar comparisons, but this is like top-notch Burgundy. Available at winery.

Thirty Bench 2009 Winemakers Riesling Beamsville Bench, Niagara | $18.50

The ’09 is all citrus blossom and lemonlime flavours, sprinkled with crushed limestone. Riveting acid. Saliva- and appetite-inducing. Available at winery.

Flatrock Cellars 2009 Twisted Niagara Peninsula | $19.95 Different from

the rest of the wines in the white blends category, this is less effusively aromatic but has great texture and minerality, and a long finish. Vintages #86918

Tawse 2009 Riesling Niagara Peninsula | $19.95 Tawse is getting

riesling right on. Super tight, minerally, austere, barely off-dry but balanced by electrifying acidity. The way we like it. Available at winery.

Rosehall Run 2008 Cuvée County Chardonnay Prince Edward County | $17.95 The County

proves its suitability for first class chardonnay with this effort. It’s more Chablis-like in style and I wondered if it should be in the oaked chardonnay category, then I stopped fussing over details and just enjoyed the lively green fruit, superb balance, wood integration and limestone minerality. Vintages #132928 red Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2006 Grand Reserve Shiraz Okanagan Valley | $26.99 Whoa! This

smells quite simply like great wine. Mature, floral, violet, tar, red and blackberry fruit.

Well structured with plenty of life ahead.

Top shelf. Available at winery.

Mission Hill 2007 Select Lot Collection Syrah Okanagan Valley | $36.99 A more elegant,

peppery-floral style of syrah, with no shortage of sweet ripe cassis flavours and warm, satisfying palate. Available at specialty shops and winery.

Tawse 2008 Lauritzen Vineyard Pinot Noir Niagara Peninsula | $44.95 The first pinot

released by Tawse from the Lauritzen vineyard, this could easily be the top wine of the Ontario vintage. Silky, elegant, smooth, fruity and spicy—this has everything one could hope for in a pinot. Available at winery.

Henry of Pelham 2007 Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay Niagara Peninsula | $35 The exception

to the rule that ’07 Ontario whites won’t age. This is a hefty, intensely flavoured wine with beguiling complexity and impressive finish. Vintages #616466

CityBites, buyer for the Terroni Group of Restaurants and reviewer for WineAlign.com.

Catch his wine picks and news via twitter @johnszabo.

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Fall 2010

25

one last bite

By Signe Langford

Sister Act at Embrujo Flamenco

photos: Jeff Coulson

Authentic Spanish flavours are all in the family

The air is redolent with the aroma of sweet pork, smoky paprika and saffron. The crowed room pulsates with—well, with whatever the Spanish equivalent of joie de vivre is—as a singer’s voice rises above the happy clatter of cutlery and glasses.

Orchestrating this delicious, only barely controlled chaos, are the Fernandez sisters from Gigon, near Barcelona. Sister Jais works the floor with warmth, Eren handles the business and Chef Mali creates small, wondrously flavourful dishes.

On the menu: Gambas en Anis (shrimp and portobello mushrooms in an irresistible anise cream), Pimientos del Piquillo con Manchego (roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with Manchego cheese) and Berenjenas Fritas con Alioli (deepfried eggplant fingers with garlic and red pepper aioli).

On Friday and Saturday, descend the stairs to Café Madrid. Sip fine sherries, and nibble the simplest of tapas— mellow white anchovy, salty Manchego in olive oil, fragrant olives—and ethereal, melt-in-your-mouth slices of Serano and Iberico ham, expertly sliced from a pair of sexy gams on the bar.

26

CityBites

Embrujo Flamenco 97 Danforth Ave., 416-778-0007 embrujoflamenco.com

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Gentlemen, Choose Your Weapons.

THE CELEBRITY CHEF PASTRY COMPETITION – NOVEMBER 5TH AT THE ROYAL Come see Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman create a magical cake masterpiece, then stick around as he hosts a pastry showdown between local superstars David Adjey and Anthony Mair. It’s all included in opening day admission at this year’s Royal Winter Agricultural Fair. Learn more and order tickets at royalfair.org

www.royalfair.org | November 5 - 14, 2010