rgruby

We were charged #3.95 each for water. Pretty reasonable considering it was constantly refilled. Didn't get a printed menu (wasn't offered, didn't ask), but the line by line receipt has a blank space between the skate course and the salmon. There's a spot there for something, but all it says is 2@ and then its blank. We had nine courses in all. It would indeed be interesting if they forgot to bring us a course. We did notice that others were being served a whole fish, but I just figured we got something else as it was nearing the end of the evening and perhaps they ran out of the porgy.

Simon, I didn't have the porgy - although some tables nearby did. I think we got the salmon instead? Was this your first time at Avalon? What did you think of the eel custard?

Given the discussion about Avalon in this thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=38663&hl= I thought I'd give a brief review of my meal there last night. We'd never eaten there before, but had eaten at Zocalo, the short-lived restaurant that opened along with Avalon (I'm guessing @ 1995 or so), and which shared the same kitchen and staff. I'll start with the summary before I get into details. My wife and I both had the "adventure menu" - basically a tasting menu. As we had had a few drinks before we got there, and because we're both not all that knowledgable about food and wine pairing, we opted to go the food only version of the menu - $120 per. (I think it was $175 if you had the menu with the wine pairings. And yeah, I know that we're not going to get more knowledgeable if we don't start ordering wine, but there you go). I opted for beer, and my wife had water. We were both served the same dishes - and which were mostly the same as the other tables around us that also appeared to have ordered the adventure menu. Neither of us had a "WOW" reaction to any of the dishes. Mostly it was a "that was ok", and a couple were less so. The adventure menu told us the cooking method - braised, steamed etc., but nothing else. I didn't take notes, so this is my recollection of what we had. First course was "raw" tuna - by itself, with sea urchin, and tartare in a shiso leaf. The ingredients were fresh - and this turned out to be my wife's favorite dish of the night. Next up was kingfish escabeche on a bed of orange peel and caramelized onion. My wife thought this way too sweet. As a small portion I thought it was fine, but I probably wouldn't want to eat it as a main without toning down the sweetness a touch, or offering another item on the side to counteract the sweetness. Next up was "salt-cured" foie gras with a squab leg confit and a butternut squash sauce. I think there were green beans as well. I liked this course, but it didn't wow me. My wife was somewhat put-off by the fact that the squab's foot was still attached. Next was a smoked eel custard with soya beans and roasted salsify. Neither of us liked this dish. Maybe we just aren't savory custard fans. Or maybe we aren't smoked eel fans? The soya beans and salsify were completely overwhelmed by the oily fishiness of the eel, and didn't do much for me on the texture level either. Deep-fried skate was next, accompanied by a parsley and a curry sauce. The batter had some nice Indian spices in it - but the batter was ... . Let me start by saying what it wasn't. It wasn't greasy. But it wasn't crisp either. It was soft, yielding. Was it supposed to be like this? Did it sit under a heat lamp for a couple of minutes because one of us went to the washroom? I don't know. The skate itself didn't have much flavour either. There were some good flavours going on here in the sauces and the batter, but overall I wasn't thrilled with this. Smoked king salmon on a potato foam with a fennel sauce arrived next. Again, I liked this dish - the salmon had a nice mapley, caramelized flavour, although it may have been a tad overcooked/dry, but it didn't floor me. Braised lamb cheek navarin was next and my favorite dish of the night. Pretty standard dish - albeit with cheek, nicely executed. A blood orange "gratin" was next up. A couple of pieces of the orange segments were improperly cleaned - resulting in my eating pith. Not the end of the world, but irritating at these prices. Last was a chocolate canelle with a carmel sauce and peanut brittle. This was ok - but again neither of us swooned over it and my wife only ate half of hers. This is chocolate - and my wife. Usually that combination results in the disappearance of the chocolate. So, all in all, we both were disappointed in our meal. The execution was mostly ok - but the flavours just didn't grab us. There were a few things on the regular menu that sounded tempting - next time we go, I think we'll try ordering off of it. Note: edited to resume a post I had to stop half way through.

I'm hoping to go there tomorrow. If I do, I'll report back. I've never eaten there, but I did eat at the Mexican influenced place he had when Avalon first opened, and that was run out of the same kitchen. I liked it. Avalon's been on my must do list for a loong time. Time to check it out. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

For those who don't know, pulparindo is a Mexican candy made from tamarind, and flavoured with chiles, salt and lime. It's a bit larger (in all dimensions) than the stick of gum you used to get if you bought baseball cards. The first time I tried Pulparindo I thought it was disgusting. A candy with tamarind? And chile? And lime?? (Many of the indigenous candies share these ingredients). But it grew on me, and now I find myself actually craving it once in a while, and seeking it out at some of the Latin places in town. Is there anyone else out there who has succumbed to the charms of Pulparindo? Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Are the sausages or dogs any different from vendor to vendor? They all look and taste pretty similar to me - although there can be differences in how long they've been sitting around, overcooked and so on. I look more to the range of condiments than the actual dog/ sausage, but maybe I've been missing out on some of the subtler flavour variations among Toronto street meat. What are your fave non-dog TO street faves? The U of T vendors, Little India corn on the cob in the fall have been mentioned. I've seen a guy in Little Korea/ Koreatown (whatever it's called) set up with a little barbeque outside one of the restaurants on Bloor cooking what I think are fish cakes of some sort. (As an aside I had my first pork bone soup today. It will not be my last.) Last year there were crepe stands on Baldwin and down on Harbourfront. Are there other little stands of non-conformity - perhaps out in the 'burbs - serving up interesting street food? As a further aside - does anyone here think the TO food media could do with something like Asimov's $25 and under in the NYTimes? The alterna weeklies delve into this a bit, but not enough in my NTLBHO. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

That caused a beer out the nose moment. He actually reminds me a bit of Montgomery Burns. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I haven't seen Food and Wine's complete list, but the Toronto Star published a couple of articles on the St. Lawrence Market, which is on the list. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...d=1078960507946 http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...d=1078960507949 What other markets made the list? What are your favourites? What are their specialities/ strengths? Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I think you've identified the two biggest factors. It's licencing. Food Health safety regs basically only allow hot dogs (and perhaps other precooked products). The chip wagons are a bit different - they're basically restaurants on wheels, with all the food inspection and sanitation requirements of a resto. I looked into this a couple of years ago as I wanted to bring a non - hot dog street food to our streets. I gave up pretty quickly after a couple of meetings with city bureaucrats. Not worth the hassle. If you want I can probably find the reg or the by-law that limits us to hot dogs. (I think it is actually a provincial reg that limits us to hot dogs, but the municipal by-laws limit where carts can be located, their dimensions etc etc etc etc.) And, I also heard a rumour that the street food vending industry industry may be, er, overseen, shall we say, by some non-savoury fraternal organizations whose origins lie outside of this country. I have NO idea whether this is true or not, but it also gave some concern about the practicality of trying to get our idea off the ground. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Nope. Definitely not tired of chipotles, in adobo or otherwise. I haven't read the whole thread, but I'll add my dos pesos and say that the quality of the adobo sauce that accompanies canned chipotles varies greatly. (I like the Herdez version, but I haven't seen it in these parts lately). Also, I'm a Canuck - we have a pretty small Mexican population, so Mexican food generally is not all that common. Even Tex-Mex is not really that common, unless you count bad roadhouse/ pub natchos smothered in chili. As a result, we haven't been overdosed with chipotles. In fact, I'd say the chipotle is still relatively undiscovered here. But not by me. I put em in/on everything. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I'll add a perspective from an out of towner. I didn't even consider one of his restaurants for our "splurge" meal last time we went to NYC. Not really sure why - I haven't eaten at one of his places yet, and I bought a couple of cookbooks of his (so I am interested in his food and I tend to like fusiony, or Asian-influenced food) - yet it didn't even really occur to me to consider Vong, for example, until right now. Weird. ARe his restos in NYC still packed every night? And, where else has he expanded to? I think Vegas? Anywhere else outside of NYC? Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Um, yeah, I originally asked for a general overview, but the more I learn, the more I realize that such a book, if it exists, is probably going to be superficial at best. (I did buy Root's book despite some misgivings expressed here). So, further opinions welcomed, but at this point I'd also like to gather recommendations about regional books, whether in Italian or English. Still don't know where I'm going, but Toscana or Emilia-romagna (or the coast of Marche) look most likely for now. Thanks for all the input so far, Geoff Ruby

Here's a link to the page on his website which in turn has links to sample menus. http://www.susur.com/philosophy.html The prices are there somewhere, but if I recall correctly the 7 course tasting menu is $110 Cdn. I believe the vegetarian version is $75. Although I'm decidely non-vegetarian, I'm considering trying this the next time I go. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Apparently the University of Toronto Press is putting it out. I assume this means it will be available at least in North America. Here's a link to the article in the Globe and Mail that alerted me to the reissue: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Art...0221/CUCINA21// Amazon.com lists it here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=books Cheers, Geoff Ruby Edited to add Amazon.com link

Hello again, I just found out that Pellegrino Artusi's "Science in the Kitchen ..." has just been reissued in Canada. Despite the fact that it is now over a century old, does anyone think it may also fit the bill for what I'm looking for? I haven't had a chance to have a look at it yet, but any comments about the book, and its relevance to modern / current Italian cuisine as found in Italy would be most welcome. Thanks again, Geoff Ruby

Great description and thanks for the pix! A completely different meal than the one I had in Nov - with the possible exception of the tomato consomme. I'll try and find the thread in a minute. Here 'tis: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=32544 Did you feel any of the courses were standouts? And, anybody going ot the Spanish chef coming in on Apr. !? I can't remember his name offhand. If anyone knows more about him, what his resto is like etc., could they enlighten us here? Thanks, Geoff Ruby Edited to add link

Thanks for the tip on the Reader's digest book! I'll try and keep an eye out for it when I'm over there. And, what is it about the Root book that you (or anyone else reading this) don't like? What about Elizabeth David's book? Someone else mentioned it. I realize both it and the Root book are getting a bit long in the tooth - but this may be a good thing for my interest in getting some context on the regional (and sub-regional) differences in cuisine in Italy and some info on why or how they developed differently from the valley next door etc. And, I've now had a look at Mariani's book - it isn't the type of book i was looking for when I initiated this thread, but I need it. thanks everyone for their suggestions. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I recall pretty extensive markets - street food and trinkets - surrounding and extending east of the Palacio National/Zocalo. If I recall correctly they're there every day - but it's been a few years since I was there. I got hooked on the tlacoyos - large teardrop/ diamond shaped masa (thicker than a garden-variety tortilla, less thick than a gordita) filled with refried beans, and topped with crumbled queso. Had something similar in the Maxwell St. Market in Chicago. The food markets, especially the giant Merced, the name of which I forget now, a subway stop of two east of the Zocalo, is immense and should provide plenty of opportunities for good street food. I was only there briefly and can't recall whether I ate anything there or not. Hopefully other will provide better suggestions than I have here, but do report back on what you find! Cheers, Geoff Ruby

It's easier to peel shallots (and onions too) if you cut them in half first - lengthwise. I've been told that this is not recommended as there could be pathogens - or at least some dirt - on the skin, but I figure I'm cooking the buggers anyway. (Does anybody out there think this is enough of a concern to worry about?) If I'm not in a hurry (ha!) I don't cut 'em in half. Otherwise I do. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Sybil Kapoor in her book Taste says foods containing capsaicin have the effect of heightening the sense of taste, flavor and texture. This sounds like a similar effect to the addition of salt, rather than a "warping" of flavours. But as I was just reading it, I thought I'd throw it out there. And, as others have noted, spicy, and/or peppery foods often happen to taste really yummy. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Well, we are waiting........what is this food you loathe so? Inquiring minds want to know, otherwise we cannot start the ridicule correctly. Yeah, fess up! There's a lot of stuff I plain dislike, and I suppose there may be a few foods that I would have a hard time choking down - including some innards. But I'm working on my dislikes, and, I'm not a restaurant reviewer. I still think you've got to be willing to try pretty much everything in that line of work, and have some idea whether it is prepared correctly. If you have such extreme dislikes that you're not willing to try everything, then I'm not so sure restaurant reviewing should be your job. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I will try and check it out. Thanks!

I'm not sure that someone who has already admitted to not liking something is a good judge of whether it is "adequately prepared" or not. Surely, even if you don't like something, you can at least tell if it is under/over coked or under or oversalted, etc. And, even if you don't like a particular flavour, you can taste something and say, yup, they've nailed it - this is exactly the flavour I dislike, cooked perfectly. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I'll be interested to hear your comments once you have read it. Finally got around to reading it. The opinions I expressed above remain unchanged. I think Ms. Burros approach to the anchovies is the least I expect from a resto reviewer. You don't have to like everything, but you've got to be at least prepared to taste everything and note whether the dish in question is adequately prepared. The one area I would make an exception to this rule is for food that could actually harm you. I don't think I'd want to eat chicken or ground beef so undercooked that nasties could still be living there. So, not eating the calves brains is perhaps defensible in my books. (I say this as a Canadian - where ALL the mad cows come from. ) And, I think Grimes would've eaten the tripe. Might've even liked it. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

It is looking pretty likely that I'll be doing a stage in Italy this summer. I'd like to pick up one or two books to bring with me to give me a bit of context on the foods & ingredients of the different regions. I have a few Italian cookbooks - Hazan and a couple of Pino Luongo's Tuscan ones, and a few other lesser ones. Recipes are fine, but what I'm most looking for is context - history of the foods of the different regions, ingredients and their preparations. Something that covers traditional preparations and modern updates would be a plus, but I think I'm looking for something that focusses on the traditional. I'm not sure exactly where I'm going to be, so I don't want something specific to one particular region, but rather something that explores the breadth of Italy. I suppose English would be preferred, but I'm trying to learn Italian, so that would be fine too. Waverly Root's book looks like it might fit the bill nicely, and Mariani's dictionary might also be useful. Any opinions on those two, and any recommendations on other books I should look into. Cheers, Geoff Ruby