rgruby

And a 2 star review from Grimes in the NY Times today. Congratulations!! Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hi all, Dined with my wife and another couple at Susur a couple of weeks ago. I'll try and describe the meal as well as I can (I realized about the second course that maybe I should take notes, and they petered out near the end. I also realize upon looking at them nearly three weeks after our meal that perhaps I should have transcribed them closer to the meal itself!) Also, neither couple dines out at high end restos on any regular sort of level. Susur and a NY Times 3 star (Patria) I dined in in Sept are the only places remotely of this level I've dined in this year. The other couple have dined in a Michelin starred resto (Tamarind), but neither my wife nor I have. This is simply mentioned to give you some idea what our palates have experienced. This was our 3rd trip here, the first time for the other couple. OK, onto the food. My wife and I both ordered the tasting menu - there was very little overlap between what we were served, with the exception of the pork belly course, where the protein (pork belly) appeared to be the same preparation, but with different sauces and sides. The other couple are "Darwinian" vegetarians. Basically they won't eat the flesh of creatures that managed to crawl out of the inky depths of the primordial ooze. They had the veggie with seafood tasting menu. The first course/ amuse was tofu with spinach. One featured steamed silky tofu with a traditional (whatever that means) black bean topping and a mirin-soy broth. The other was fried and topped with a mushroom duxelle. Both served on ceramic spoons. Everbody thought these were a good start. The amuse amused. Susur has this "reverse course" serving policy with tasting menus - instead of the app first, he delivers the heavier courses first and then works backwards towards lighter fare. In practice, I didn't see a whole lot of difference between the next three or four courses in terms of lighter / heavier. Not sure it would have affected the enjoyment of the meal had the serving order been mixed up - but the true hits and the relative lowlights mostly came later. Also, I have no idea how to choose wine with this type of cuisine. I'm no oenophile to begin with. My usual strategy is to order a decent bottle of Gewurtz and hope it can stand up to the heartier and/or spicier stuff without overwhelming anything delicate. And so we did. OK, next course. One plate had a lamb chop with a lemongrass heavy peanut sauce, snap peas, mint and chile sauce (?huh? - not sure that's right), a taro "dauphine" (I'd call it a puff), and zucchini stuffed with eggplant caviar. My plate had venison loin with a bone marrow and porcini crust, foie gras and lobster reductions, a candied walnut (I think), water chestnut (ditto) and a cube of very finely cut layers of potato and squash wrapped in bacon (I think they described it as a mille feuille - I know that is not spelled correctly.) In any event - mucho mandoline music. Looked great and tasted great. The Darwinians had what my notes say was lobster, with spinach, lobster broth and other stuff. Everyone liked what they had - the Darwinians were not blown away, however. They were impressed by the presentation and the care and attention to detail on the side dishes. For example, their dish had a chive sprouting out of a lobster antennae as a garnish. For the next course the Darwinians had a dish with romano beans, belgian endive, cherry tomato sauce (my notes say this but it wasn't really a tomato sauce at all really - my recollection is more a clearish broth with tomato bits), with parmesan cheese and garnished with a roasted tomato crisp as garnish. My description of this does not do this dish justice. I think it may also have contained heroin or something else highly addictive- it was very good and tasted far more complex than my simple description. And the Darwinians were more impresed with this than with the lobster course. The meat eaters had a smoked, roasted oyster and pan seared foie gras with black truffle sauce, jerusalem artichoke puree and a pastry "bridge". The oyster with the truffle sauce is one of the most amazing things I have ever eaten. My wife got the foie gras plate - including a spiced pear slice (can't remember how prepared), slice of foie gras torchon, beef tongue and pig ear terrine (interesting contrast of textures - -don't remember it being strongly flavoured though), squab in a chinese wine reduction with clementine powder, foie gras mousse and blueberry sauce on a ginger cracker, and a japanese wine "jelly". These were all served on a long thin plate. I say my oyster won this round, but the romano bean dish was freakin' amazing too, and I have opinions on vegetarians that would not be out of line with Tony Bourdain's. Next, the Darwinians got a japanese eggplant with onion oil, and a mirin (and I think soy again) reduction. Green onions, cilantro and tomatoes seem also to have been involved. At least one of the Darwinians has gone on and on about the layers of flavours in this dish since - I think it was a hit! The meat eaters got the pork belly. I understand this to be a signature dish - but - it wasn't my favorite. We were served a "blackened" (say my notes - the outside was - well not blackened exactly, at least not like a catfish - more like laquered) pork belly which had roughly equal portions meat and fat. The fat was actually very firm and the idea is to eat a bit of the flesh, fat, and the "blackened" exterior (jeez I'm not explaining this well) together. I found the surface (laquered bit) tough to cut through, and the flavour as a whole was not my favourite. In fact, there's not that much of it. There is an intersting contrast in textures going on, and the mild flavours do get perked up by the sauces. One was served with a tamarind reduction, garlic lentils, and an eggplant, onion happy thing (say the notes). The other was served with a raspberry sauce and daikon was also involved. (Note taking is getting sloppy already!) This one just didn't set off taste bud explosions like the previous course for me. After that came a seafood course. One found lobster tail meat wrapped in shoestring potatoes and deep fried. That plate also saw a pineapple ravioli, pickled red onion, green heirloom tomatoes, and possibly a dill sauce. The other offering was a scallop mouse cake topped with roast (I think pan-seared) crab with a dill sauce and garnished with lobster roe. The lobster in potatoes with pineapple "ravioli" was a definite hit. I don't have notes of what was in the pineapple ravioli - because at the time I don't think we figured it out. Thinly sliced pineapple served as the "pasta". And again, a lot more going on in these dishes than my notes and memory allow. This may have been the highlight for the Darwinians. Next up was the soup and salad course. The salad was spinach with tarragon vinaigrette, avocado, golden beets, goat cheese and parmesan crisps. Delicious, but probably for the first time all night I felt I could have made that. The soup was a tomato "consomme" with shrimp ravioli and a choux paste pastry with a lobster-corn topping. I don't remember too much about the soup. Dessert was up next. No notes. It was fabulous. I'm not sure Susur is noted for desserts, but I doubt they're second to anyone in TO anymore, if they ever were. Best I've had in this city, and far superior to what I had at Patria a couple of months ago. Sorry there are no pictures, but I pondered taking the camera, and at the end of the day decided I'd feel too self conscious doing so. I felt the service, while a bit informal, was very good. Not smothering, but definitely attentive. For me, this is a good thing. The Darwinians felt this was the best restaurant meal they have ever had. It's right up there for me too - maybe only topped by the first time I was here. I've had individual dishes, or at least elements of individual dishes, that rival what I've had here, but to keep coming, course after course, over a three hour period with food at this level, is not something I get to experience very often. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to eat food at this level, even if only once a year or so. Hope this gives a bit of the flavour of a meal at Susur. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

You folks is hardcore! Ground VENISON!! Whoa! Anybody add thickeners - masa harina for example? Cheers from a chili newbie (preparing, not eating), Geoff Ruby

Emeril. And, I have and use a banana holder. Things I have and don't use include garlic crushers, a shrimp deveiner (would be handy if it actually worked), and I had a "miracle chopper" thing that was pretty much useless. I try and stay away from single-use items when I can, but I've probably got a few of those kinds of things that I used once or twice at most kicking around the deep dark recesses at the back of my kitchen drawers. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hi, I looked at the Kasumi (and asked about them here). They are extremely light - if you like the feel of a heavier knife, they likely won't be for you. they are extremely sharp and hard (Rockwell @ 60 if I recall), but the finishing of the handle wasn't great - not totally smooth with the blade through the handle, rivets not being totally flush, etc.) Also, you can't use them to cut through bones, hack the knuckles off chicken legs etc. like you could with a heavy German number (although folks on this board also suggested you shouldn't use them either for that job), and you're not supposed to use them on frozen items either. I wonder if there are other things you shoudn't use them on - hard nuts maybe. I don't know if these concerns/ limitations regarding Kasumi also apply to other similar in appearance (damascas) or other very hard Japanes knives like the Kershaw ones Alton Brown is pimping, or the handsome ones pictured in this thread (thanks Joe - they do look fantastic!). So, the Kasumi might not be the most versatile knife around, but they do look pretty, and are very sharp (I'm guessing not the easiest to maintain / keep sharp though - can anyone enlighten on that aspect of high Rockwell hardness levels?), and are extremely light - which for me is a plus but will not be for others. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

OK, I haven't waded into this one yet as an infrequent poster on these boards - and someone who has never tasted RB's creations (Chicagoland or BK). But, as the one who started the Alice Waters in Saveur thread a couple o' months back (which involved a much less egregious compromise) - I'm gonna wade in. Bayless, whatever his strengths as a cook, restauranteur and promoter of honest Mexican food (and I made the chipotle Chicken soup out of his first cookbook this weekend and it is fucking fantastic - so you know I am not completely against the guy) set himself up on a pedestal as a promoter of good, small production, organic methods by beiong involved with the Chef's Collaborative mission. First, I will say good for him for being involved in the CC in the first place. Really. He may have fucked up, but he had a hand in getting this thing off the ground. It seems like a very worthwhile project. So, kudos where kudos are due I think. However, is that what people are really pissed off about - that he set himself up to a very high standard, and then let us down? Or, are we just pissed that he's a high-end resto-dude that became a shill for the ENEMY? I'm not sure the sandwich in question is even available north o' the 49th. And I don't much care to try it, so that may be moot. My opinion - as I understand the general drift of this thread - is that Bayless sucks because of his involvement in the CC, and that this sandwich seems to stand against their general principles (which he helped author). A hypocrite then. In reading this thread my opinions have gone back and forth. At the end of the day, I don't give a rat's ass if restauranteur X shills for company Y. Whatever. But, if you stake your reputation on representing one way as more "pure" - in foodie-land that'd be organic corn-fed yadda-yadda no pesticides bathed in mermaid's milk etc (I went out to eat with a raw foodie this week - forgive my curmudgeonlessness (sp??)) - it'll bite you in the ass if you take $$ from BK unless they truly embrace your position. Which BK clearly has not in this case - at least Bayless hasn't made a case out that they have. It may be a "better" sandwhich than their usual stuff, but so what? - that still don't make it a step closer to responsibly raised beef, organic veg and grains, and healthy (see debate elsewhere re: sodium levels). It does seem relativley low in fat, for what that's worth. OK, enough typing from me! Geoff Ruby

Is Fiesta Farms at Dupont and Ossington? Never been there, myself (if I've got the right place). On a slightly tangential tangent - I finally got around to the Dufferin Grove farmer's market - and it was pretty good. A dozen vendors tops- so smallish, but two or three (or five) veggie vendors, a couple that did meat, some bread, apple/cider, one that sold only trout. Probably forgetting at least a couple. Mostly organic / free range - eco-granola friendly (I'm not sure they're ALL organic vendors - but pretty close) and the stuff looked good and reasonably priced for organic in the toronto market. Someone was selling rotis too, but I didn't try one. Worth checking out, in my opinion, on a Thursday afternoon / early evening if you're in that nabe. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hi, For cookware I like Fortune on Spadina, and Nikolau's. for dishes, flatware etc I don't have faves. cheers, geoff Ruby

Thanks maggie! He actually would've been my uncle at the time - but nonetheless I realize I missed a lot not knowing him better. I don't have an atagonistic relationship with his kids (my cousins) but it could be better. In fact, I have not talked with any of them since my granny's demise (her braised chicken recipe I mentioned). As you know, it's weird, but egullet may be the impetus to renew familial connections. (We were close as kids). I'll let you know how it goes. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

3 more for me. Culinary artistry by Dornenburg & Page. Mrs Chiang's Szechwan Cookbook by Ellan Schrecker, & Easy Cooking for Today by Pol Martin. The last one has a bit of a story to it. Pol Martin was a French chef who came over to Canada and in the 1970s had a tv show on Canadian tv. (Anybody know whether it aired anywhere else?) He was also, for a time, my uncle. I'm not sure I ever ate his food! In this book, he has a recipe called "Braised Chicken Mama Knox". Mama Knox was my grandmother (Martin's mother in law). I was not aware that this recipe was in the book when I picked it up. I also don't know whether this was a recipe of my grandmother's or not. I'll ask my sisters and see if they remember it. I might try and track down my cousins too and see if they know the origins of the recipe. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I've actually eaten paw paw. Once. As a biology student at the University of Western Ontario (in London - just about exactly halfway between Toronto and Detroit) I took a course in the native trees of the region. Paw paw was one of them, and the university had planted a tree - which actually bore fruit at this location at the very northern tip of its range. we're going back almost 20 years now (forgive my digression, but yiiiikes!), but I actually tried some of the fruit. My recollection was that it was sort of like a cross between a melon and banana in taste and texture, well more texture, as I also recall it being bitter. Very strange that I have retained the memory of eating this when I can barely remember what I had for breakfast! Cheers, Geoff Ruby

OK, 'Tis the season, at least 'round here. I love the sweet & sour flavour combo, but am not really comfortable with using them. For example, what is the best way to clean them. I've heard that opening themup underwater works - the seeds float and the veins sink - or vice versa, and the juice doesn't squirt all over the place. Haven't tried this out yet though. So any tips on prepping, cooking etc. would be appreciated. And, history too. I don't even know where these are originally from. I'm guessing old world - maybe middle east/ persia? Am I even in the ballpark?? Thanks, Geoff Ruby

Swatow in toronto is supposedly Fukien. I don't know if the food is authentic to the region or not. It's been a few years since I've been there - I can't recall any dishes in particular. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hi, After perusing the cookbook thread, I am curious to see how many cookbooks people actually use. Using the admittedly arbitrary - and low - standard of using a cookbook more than once (so, minimum two different items), I figure I've only used maybe two thirds to three quarters of my cookbooks even to that little extent. And I don't own all that many cookbooks compared to many of you - I'm well under a hundred. On the other hand, I'd also be curious to know how many of you have cooked your way through all or most of a cookbook - and what that book was. In my collection, I think the only one that would qualify would be the Young Thailand cookbook. No idea if it is authentic, but the recipes are simple and end up tasting pretty close if not exactly like what you'd be served at the restaurant. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Thanks all! Reservations have been made. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hello, I just read the Alice Waters in Italy article in Saveur and, well, I have a question. A concern even. OK. the article revolves around AW and some Chez Panisse folks going over to Italy to cook for a slow food gathering. (I'm ok with that - in fact, sounds good to me!) But then, the hosts are snobby - at first, the kitchen sucks (no grill!), and some of the ingredients are no good - if only they had their purveyors back home. Now I'm starting to get a bit cranky. I thought the whole deal with the organic/local food movement was to show up, see what's fresh and cook with that. Apparently not, at least not in Italy. (Just as an aside, perhaps Ms. Waters now knows what the rest of us feel like when we - without a well-developed network of purveyors - try to buy organic. Up here in Toronto, the stuff often looks like it's been run over by a (non-organic) SUV or worse). Apparently AW wanted to cook peaches (or pears, or some other fruit that starts with P - I'm too irritated to look it up) and when she got to Italy, despite the fact that they weren't very good, she went ahead anyways. So, am I missing something, am I just a nutty old crank? Or is it a bit weird that someone espousing a cook organic, cook local philosophy would show up somewhere, and cook local produce that wasn't at its best just because she wanted peaches or pears or persimmons or ...? OK, end of rant. Still intend to eat at CP should I ever find myself in Berkely. And, to be fair, I'm sure that organizing this thing and pulling it off half a world away was not easy. Perhaps they were told the peaches / pears/ persimmons were exquisite that time of year in Turin and they got there and they weren't. But still - Alice wants fruit that starts with P - and off they go, despite the fact that the fruit is not so good. Bugged me, given what I know of her philosophy. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

I see that Alton Brown is endorsing these. They look very much like the Kasumi that I'm interested in. Extremely close in fact. Anywho, anyone know the situation in Seki? Is it possible that the Kasumi and Kershaw are being made by a very similar process, if not coming out of the same factory?? And, er, I got a Furi East-West (ie santoku style) and so far I like it quite a bit. It is really comfortable to hold, much more so than my 8" Sabatier Chef's knife. It seems sharper, but the blade is much, make that MUCH, thinner, which I think helps it cut through things. Still feels sturdy though. Is better than I thought for doing the rocking motion to slice things, although anything remotely large-ish - a large onion for example - I feel like I'm swinging the knife way up and that it could hurt me on the way down if I'm not careful. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but it does feel a bit different from yer standard chef's knife. And, due to the shape of the blade, doesn't do things like core a tomato (yeah I know perhaps should be done with a paring knife, but there you go). I'm still considereing Kasumi, Kershaw etc, so any other opinions welcome. But, the Furi is well worth checking out I think, for the comfort of the handle alone. those of you scared off by the metal handle/weird shape in my opinion that might be the least of the worries with this knife. But, I'm not using it day in day out for hours on end - dunno how it fares in that respect. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hi, Thinking of Patria rather than high-end Mexican (viz an earlier thread of mine)when I visit NYC in a couple of weeks. any thoughts, opinions etc. Anyone been lately? Recommended dishes? Thanks, Geoff Ruby

There are NO dive bars in Canada. Apparently. Cheers, Geoff Ruby (for the TO faction - does the Done Right Inn on Queen W. qualify as a dive bar? It certainly has daytime drinkers, but it feels far from dangerous. Not really sure if this qualifies, but it might be the closest thing in my 'hood that I frequent that even comes close to a "dive bar. It just seems too neighbourly or something to qualify. How bout Kensington or Parkdale haunts?)

Hi all, Visiting NYC in three weeks. Would be interested in opinions re: Mexican places on very opposite ends of the dining scale. First, anything that rivals Topolobampo/Frontera Grill in Chicago for a high-end Mexican meal? Second, are there any good places that replicate Mexico city's (or the Maxwell St. Market in Chicago for that matter) street food - tacos, tlacoyos, gorditas etc? I'm coming from toronto where there's not a lot of either. And, for what its worth, will be staying in the EV/LES area. Gracias, Geoff Ruby

There's a guy named David Chrystian (well, something along those lines - Chrystain, perhaps?) who created a bit of a buzz by doing "Canadian cuisine" - whatever that means. He first came to my attention at Cafe Societa in Little Italy, moved on to Patriot, then moved on to a hotel (the Crowne Plaza maybe), and has since moved somewhere else I recall reading in the last month or so. Despite the fact that I'm generally aware of the guy and where he's cooked, I've never eaten his food! He is one of the last chefs in town that I can recall that had a bit of a buzz of doing something a bit different, and that's been three or four years now. toronto does seem to get buzzes going regarding the latest cuisine or style - is it Brazilian this year?, but around chefs, not reallythat I can determine. could that be partly due to our multi-culti population that we seem to get more excited by new (to us) ethnic cuisines than to chefs? Is our relatively northern location, and therefore short growing season, also a factor? I dunno - just throwing some stuff out for discussion. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Hello, You can add 80 from me, the most 2 recent being Catalan Cuisine by colman Andrews and Fish Talking by Pino Luongo bought at one of those bargain book closeout places. they both look great, but I haven't cooked anything from either one. They also had a book by Larry Forgione that I was considering. Anybody recommend his book(s)? Actually, I'm sure this has to have been mentioned in this thread, but, especially for those with large collections, what proportion of your cookbooks have you actually cooked from at least once? For me, I'm guessing somewhere around 80-90 percent, but that leaves at least 10 cookbooks I haven't cooked from, and my collection is much smaller than a lot of others who've weighed in. Also, I love the idea of a top 100 list. And, is there forum discussing new cookbooks? (I admit I haven't looked. Give me a minute, I'm going to go look) Cheers, Geoff Ruby

One thing I hate about Nigella is the sound. Everytime she opens a bag of something the sound is like someone was opening it right beside your ear. Very crisp. Very exagerated. Very annoying. Cheers, Geoff Ruby

Um, re: chopping bones (I'll figure out the quote thingey later!) - I do use a chef's knife to take off the odd end of a drumstick, etc. Shouldn't a decent chef's knife be able to handle that kind of application? Cheers, Geoff Ruby PS - I have actually tried a Furi for a bit, and the handle doesn't seem slippery at all, in fact it is really comfortable. The blade itself is very thin and very light - like Global in that sense - and I would be afraid of whacking too many chicken bones with it.

Been mostly a lurker here for months, but I'll add my $.02 to this one. Faves include: Jeffrey Steingarten Michael Ruhlman - both for his narrative stuff and cookbook collaborations Rick Bayless and Julie Sahni's cookbooks (liked Tom Collichio's as well, we'll see if he does more and if they are good as well) Mixed feelings re: John Thorne - I'm mentioning him here to see if he piques anyone else's interest - don't think he's been mentioned yet on this thread. TV faves include Mario, a show on the Canuck Food Network called Cook Like a Chef (with a rotating cast of chefs), and jeez, I'm running out of steam on this one. I liked Ming Tsai when he was on up here. Prefer AB in print to TV - but still watch religiously. I think Jamie Oliver and Nigella are ok because the food looks good and doable - ie can be cooked by a regular, non-chef-trained person. Dislikes: OK - I'll start with the obvious and apparently just about universally reviled, at least here: Emeril, Rachel Ray and Marfa. Flay too, just a hair below those three. And, a couple of Canuck ones that'll give the others I mentioned a run for their money. Ken Kostick - I dunno how to even describe the horror that is his show - actually I could, but I won't. And lastly and perhaps least, Carlo Rota, the host of The Great Canadian Food Show. Smug doesn't even begin to describe this blight on the tv landscape. Flay, you ain't even in this guy's league. Truly, truly unwatchable. Cheers, Geoff Ruby