evilhomer
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Posts posted by evilhomer
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^^being just a hair older than your son - i definitely prefer bourbon to scotch (and moreover have gone a great distance towards swaying my dad in the same direction, his dad is another story).
As an aside, I have noticed that here in Toronto glenfiddish has been sponsoring some very cool events of late, especially a great series at our recent jazz festival.
Having said that, our poor grad student liquor cabinet always, but always, has a single malt of some sort on the go and it is a particular pleasure enjoyed by many many of my peers. In this small corner of the world, fine whiskeys of all sort are enjoyed by 'the youth market' (which i guess means something very different to a liquor company from, say, a record label)
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i'm not sure if its the quantity or variety or what - but oftentimes (generally with dried) i find it ends up soapy tasting. I've had great succes mixing lavender and blueberries as a jam or just a quick warm sauce to spoon over ice cream or beside mild creamy cheeses (we have a sheeps milk one made here in ontario called ramembert that works very well with the blueberries and lavender).
I have also been served a lavender margerita which was delicious but I have not yet been terribly succesful in concocting it at home. The woman who served it to me though often kept lavender water in her fridge for sipping and this was quite good on it's own or with a slight splash of pastis.
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^^that's my base pickling spice too with the addition of dill. I make my own though - it's cheaper and you can control the quantites much better (i like lots of celery seed, not too much cloves/allspice typically)
to that little bits get added for various recipes ie. beets get caraway, cukes get white pepper and fresh dill crowns, green tomatoes get horseradish. Most 'meatier' pickles i use a good splash of cider vinegar in with the regular vinegar too.
I'm going to the farmers market this afternoon with the express purpose of finding something to pickle (probably the last asparagus which i make unreasonably spicy)
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England - Fish and Chips, ale
much better
canada - moose and maple syrup (and ice wine)
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the haligonian granite brewery has an outpost here in Toronto but there product is uniformly awful, I understand nevertheless that the original is significantly better. Some of the better local brews are Amsterdam (i'm partial to their nut brown and their spring bock), Creemore (their entire line is great and tastes the same wherever you order it, at least in part due to the fact that when they supply kegs, they also clean out the taps), Upper Canada (as mentioned, the Dark Ale and Rebellion Lager being personal favourites). Kawartha Lakes Brewery makes the only raspberry beer I've had that doesn't taste like candy. Big Rock has some great product too which has only been available here in Ontario for 4-5 years. My new favourite though is Cameron's which is also brewed here in Toronto though I've seen it around the province. Their auburn ale in particular is deeply red and caramelized with bitter refreshing edge - it is everything a beer ought to be.
Keith's and Rickards are both solid beers but I understood them to be now produced by labbats and molsons (Perhaps they are just distributed by these monoliths?)
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I've been eating some combination of these for lunch most every day and find that in situ assembly is obviously best. I've taken a paring knife but i feel a bit silly bringing that and anything i've ever taken camping has been cheap shite that rusts away in a season so i'm ready to take the plunge and purchase something worthwhile and of course i turn here for advice. Ideally it would not exceed 4", fold shut and lock open. Also, some of these online seem rather pricey, how much ought something like this reasonably cost (there is no such thing as reasonable cost when dealing with cooking knives)
thanks
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I would like to expand on this question - I really want to send some quality cheese to a very good friend who is in S. Korea for two years (and starting to go a bit batty after 6 fromage-less months). Is this at all feasible? What precautions should I take (vacuum sealing? fed-ex? cold paks? preferably none of the above) What sort of cheeses would prove hardiest for the voyage (my instinct is a hard pecorino or parm, maybe an aged farmhouse cheese, but if I could find a similarly sturdy bleu I would be overjoyed).
Thanks
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you can fritters too, shred up the squah and mix with an egg, tsp of baking soda, cup of flour and enough milk to make a batter. whip the egg white separately if you want it a bit fluffier. Spike with chili, oregano & goat cheese (which i think are good summer squash flavours but go with what takes your fancy). fry em up. Yoghurt makes a good dipping sauce.
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Mario - Do you have any literary sources for inspiration in the kitchen, or just for good reading? Any plans for a book in the vein of the Babbo Cookbook documenting any of your subsequent venture? I for one would not have even considered curing pork products at home until reading your books (with a footnote of gratitude to Tom Colicchio too) so thank you for that and please keep it coming.
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Yuet Sing I think is the pastry place. Still there and greasy and cheap, very good. I think of the best things about that place though is of the reviews on the wall there's a joanne kates one from 1978 about chinese food that's well worth a visit in and of itself.
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just moved so we're down to a highly personal set of basics.
Te Bheag (I like this considerably more than any of the other blends in this bracket and quite a bit more than the less expensive single malts available - glenfiddich, glenlivet. It's just got such nice spice characteristics)
Basil Hayden's (When this gets near done I will get another nice bourbon though probably not this one, maybe Blantons or Elmer Lee unless the LCBO brings in something else equally interesting)
Campari (I was given this in the cold months and resisted to urge to exchange it for a bottle of wine, now that it's warm I'm glad for that decision. Also been experimenting with it in the kitchen a bit but no swe inspiring successes yet)
Centenario Anejo Rum (Brought back from Costa Rica 6 mos ago, when it's finished I'm not sure If I would replace it with another dark rum, it certainly wouldn't be a top priority.)
Armagnac de Montal 1984 (I was given a bottle of Remy XO Brandy which I returned and kicked in a few more bucks to upgrade to this)
Next purchase (read: this evening) will be gin and it will be Plymouth although I would be happy to find a local bar serving hendricks as it sounds like it would be rather tasty, following that, something anise and not french. Before the holidays I'll pick up some sweet vermouth for manhattans (christmas in a glass) and a single malt of some stripe but right now I'm enjoying the te bheag and tasting broadly wherever I can because buying a bottle of scotch just seem like such a commitment. I do (patriotically) enjoy canadian rye and find it's one of the only dark spirits I'll mix with (manhattans, or with apple/ginger juice or even ginger ale or jamaican style ginger beer) So again, by the holidays I'll pick up something, likely canadian club.
(sidenote: for a great housewarming present get someone a scrabble board and a bottle of crown royal, it just works on so many levels).
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I'm a amazed no-one has answered this. This resto used to be here two years ago .. I have absolutely no idea if it still is.
Go down St George... continue on Beverly past college and then take either the first or second left (sorry .. don't remember which.. it's the street with the restos on it.)
About 1/2 a block down on the south side there used to be an Indonesian resto with a small terrasse.. oops PATIO.. had goood lunch specials. And there was that lovely old school chinese bakery across the street.. everything was greasy.....
Like I said it's probably way too late and god only knows if these places are still there.
I've never been there, but the street you speak of is baldwin and there is indeed an indonesian restaurant there.
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it is every tuesday from 3 until 7 (approximately)
every thursday at the same time (and with many of the same vendors) there is a similar market at the west end of downtown in dufferin grove (which is just south of bloor, on dufferin) I aim to go there this afternoon - ideally for some parsely, strawberries and bread, will report back.
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So I went to riverdale yesterday and dug it. Got some sheep yoghurt which tastes basically like yoghurt, but is texturally more like that we found in europe - thick and creamy with a subtle tang. Very good on it's own last night and this morning with some apricot jam mixed in. They had a brebis which was great too and although their meat was all frozen, I was promised any lamb parts I wanted could be brought in fresh (there's going to be some great shepherds pie this year). Got some salad greens and green beans (which fell out of my bag leaving a hansel/gretel trail all along parliament). There was a very cool if distracted (read: spacey) lady selling organic meats and grilling up elk burgers and lamb and goat sausages - the lamb sausage was delicious, slightly fatty and spiced just with salt and pepper the meat flavour really came through. Apparently she raises quite a bit of poultry too and if I wanted she could bring in fresh guineas, pheasant, goose, turkey, duck etc. when seasonally appropriate. Eggs looked good too. Found some jerusalem artichokes which I always think of as a fall thing but they looked great. Couldn't find any parsley for the life of me. Saw some beautiful garlic with the whole green (~80 cm long) attached and no papery skin. Nice orchid vendor too with interesting tropical plants, and a woman selling interesting herbs and plants including anise hyssop which smells just like root beer. It was surprisingly accesible too, Left work (queen/john) at 5.30 and I was tasting various sheeps milk products at 5.45.
I came admittedly late in the day if it starts at 3, but i was surprised to find no herbs (except potted plants) and no bread. Pleasant people though, lots of kids and dogs and a man with serious dreads noodling away some blues. Many vendors say they go to the dufferin grove market on thursdays and if not tomorrow, I'll check it out next week.
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i'm going after work today - will report back
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they had this at the LCBO's in Ontario for $85 CDN and I let it pass by (well the decision was basically made for me though it did sound rather intriguing). It seems to have sold out in a weekend, but if you can get some from ontario then check back regularly to www.vintages.com
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Where are the good farmers markets in town?
I find St Lawrence a bit underwhelming with respect to produce. Went to Bloor/Dufferin the past two weeks and enjoyed it but it is a bit of a commute and really small. I went to the riverdale market too and enjoyed it quite a bit though it is not exactly in my back yard either (I live close to Queen & Spadina).
So does anyone have a favourite spot?
Despite the few visits, I was impressed by the two above mentioned, but I suppose there must be so many more out there and I'm happy to go anywhere in Toronto for good fruit and veg (and maybe some organic meat, eggs, cheese and bread if that's not asking too much)
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(have head that Quebec is the only jurisdiction in North America where you can have cold beer delivered to your door).
You can have cold beer delivered here in Ontario too.
I think Montreal is the only place they deliver bud though.
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a few summers ago i added a splash of ouzo (though i've since found pastis to be at least equally good if not better) to a gin and tonic, it comes out a whole lot more refreshing if such a thing is possible and the herby spicy character of the alcohols meet up wuite well. This drink deserves a good squeeze of lime.
Negroni's - gin, campari and amaro rabarbaro are good for when you need something bracingly bitter.
If I had juicer I would try and replicate a drink served at fressen in Toronto where they mix Crown Royal with fresh apple ginger juice. With the first apples in late august it's perfect for when the nights just start to get a bit more bite (though that is thankfully still a little ways off)
Kawartha Lakes Brewery in nearby Peterborough makes the only framboise beer that doesn't taste like candy but rather like beer. of course this is arguably not a cocktail, but if we're going to count shandies then so be it.
cheers
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Going with girlfriend (actually, now fiancee) to register for wedding goods tomorrow morning and while we both enjoy the more than occasional beverage, I'm far more interested in the different sorts of glasses available. In terms of priorities, it's most important to have glasses to showcase red wines, champagne, and whiskeys (in that order). So please let me know what you all use, are happy with, unhappy with, etc. Any brands to watch out for, anything stupidly overpriced, anything worth it's escessive price?
Thanks
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is this what gives orange cheddar its colour?
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i like blueberry hill a whole lot, but they seem to be disappearing. There may be one on bloor near runnymede.
Chilies/Chilis/Chillis/Hot peppers: The Topic
in Cooking
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a mixed pepper jelly if you want to bother is an amazing thing to have around, a bit time consuming but not difficult or even particularly fussy.
otherwise pickle them, poke a small hole in each first or they'll float, make a simple brine and process them, let them sit a good month before eating to remove the raw edge. Then they're great everywhere, tossed with pasta, in sandwiches, on pizza, in potato salad, with some cheese or cured meat, a pickled pepper is a versatile thing.
you can also stuff them with cream cheese (remove the seeds and ribs first, leaving the pepper as intact as possible), batter and fry them. I've made it as a fun and fatty side dish for tilapia fillets but you can eat them on their own quite happily.