CoffeeAddict

Sorry to reply to such an old post! Another Korean from Canada here I tried authentic jeju pork 12 years ago now!! I have no honest recollection of the taste but do remember really chowing down on pork like I never had before. I was pretty much raised on beef growing up. My parents were in Jeju back in Oct 2007 and they told me they didn't see any traditional shit-fed pork there. I don't know if it's totally unavailable now but it doesn't seem to be as common anyway. I'm inclined to believe if you have good berkshire pork you're probably ahead of the taste of the "shit" pork.

piri piri sauce when done right is SO good i like to have my piri piri sauce with a dash of chicken I'm not sure what's in a traditional piri piri but Emeril Lagasse's version sounds like it has the right flavour profile. It has olive oil, jalapenos, poblanos, red pepper, salt, pepper, and garlic. I think it's the poblanos specifically that give it a wonderful character. I don't believe it's a vinegary sauce ever either... it's smokey and spicy and all around wonderful. I'm trying to revive my tasty memory but i think in Toronto's version there might be some ketchup? I'm thinking i detected that sort of sweetness and mild tartness but i could be just dreaming that up. I also think that a maple bbq sauce would be wonderful. Maple and pork would be heavenly together! I personally like maple syrup with lots and lots of caynene as a sauce for pork tenderloins. I toss in some orange and lemon juice along with their rinds as well. Unfortunatley I can only do this in bbq season at other people's houses as it's not condo oven friendly =( Works well as a chicken glaze too.

Just wanted to point out that tender octopus in japan anyway is made by beating it with daikon radishes. It's their version of the cork in the pot. I don't know if there's any science behind it but it's tradition for them to do so as well. My point of reference on this is Iron Chef Japan but Harold McGee mentions both octopus tenderizing techniques here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/0...ing&oref=slogin

The first one of this series i watched was the Xmas special and i have recently completed watching both seasons. I can't wait to watch it all again! I'd love to make all the dishes actually.... I have done the roast chicken recipe but had to tweak it because my oven doesn't go down to the temp he specified. Didn't come out like HB's but it was my first attempt

Wat bothers me more than Stefan is the editing on this show! The way they have manipulated the show just through editing alone is very cheesy. I wouldn't even mind the product placement so much if they would just show an honest representation of what these people can do in the kitchen. Look at a show like masterchef from the UK. I think it's a lot more fun and pleasureable to watch just because it feels more honest. I have no idea how close to the actual experiences of the judges and contestants it is but it at least FEELS more honest and I'm not being shoved product in my face every 5 minutes. There was one line that Carla said that just boggled me... "I took my Calphalon pan..." I mean that sounds SO scripted! How much of the show is scripted?

Back in Oct 08 I had the pleasure of dining at Le Buerehiesel. I wish I had been able to go back when Antoine was chef but I think Eric's food is showing some promise as well. I believe he currently has one star awarded just prior to my visit. I didn't have time to sit for dinner but I did have the menu affairs which I thought was a bargain at 35 euros. I wish I had taken better notes as I only can name all the ingredients in the first and last course but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Wild salmon and local whitefish and potato "terrine" with olive. I don't recall what the saucing was unfortunately. I thought the delicate flavour of the whitefish stood up quite well to the treatment of the salmon. And I was again wowed by just how tasty potatos are in France and Switzerland! I don't quite know what it was but the potatoes were just magnificent on this whole trip! Braised rabbit stuffed with rabbit innards. I thought the rabbit and innards were cooked perfectly and the sauce was heavenly but the mashed potatoes were way too salty. My girlfriend's potatoes were the same. The lemon meringue was pretty standard but the lemon "chip" was quite tart and tasty. Wished there were more of them! Overall not something I swooned over but for about $110 in food for two people with taxes and tips in (not including wine) I thought it was a bargain. To get this kind of food in Toronto would require a lot more spending.

I was in Annecy back in Sept/Oct 08 and managed to dig up a couple of photos while i'm at the office We picked up some saucisson and some fruits and veg to have on a picnic later in the day. Including a saucisson of the aforementioned sanglier

Ditto i thought it felt uncomfortable and AB did ramble on quite a bit about how he was dissapointed with Augusto as a "fixer". I thought that was a bit unnecessary and maybe a bit cruel even on AB's part? The telling thing though is how it resonated with Market Man and with a LOT of Phillipino people on both the Market Man blog and on AB's blog. Just goes to show whatever we think, the episode meant something to Philipino people and I think that's pretty cool! Means he's doing something right for sure! I felt the same way with the South Korea episode a long time ago with Nari. He complained a bit and there were things that I thought could have been done better but I thought it was a reasonable representation of what I believe my culture is like as a Canadian-Korean.

The Big Carrot on the Danforth carries a small selection of Cumbrae's Farms meats. The lat time I was at the Carrot I saw fresh chicken and fresh beef tenderloin I believe. Prices are a bit cheaper than Cumbrae's as well. For reference a small chicken was about $11 at the Carrot. Wish I remembered the exact weight of the bird or cost per lb. They also carry frozen Cumbrae's meats as well I'm told but I didn't see any on my last visit. The Carrot is also very close to Blackstone which apparently has very good berkshire pork.

Any thoughts on the Philippines episode? I thought there might have been a bit too much focus on Augusto but overall I thought it was a good intro into a cuisine and culture I admittedly know very very little about. I think Tony really shines in episodes like this when he balances the food porn with what this culture is all about and his journey in trying to understand a foreign culture.

I've been to Vdara in the old Habitat space and it's pretty good. They have some pretty good fare for very reasonable prices. Now has a pretty good summation http://www.nowtoronto.com/food/venue.cfm?v=5159 Chef likes to source stuff locally when he can but it isn't a "locavore" joint. I've had the prosciutto and the carpaccio and both were done quite well. Marinade wasn't too heavy handed on the duck and the prosciutto was good but not memorable but to be honest I wasn't paying that much attention to it. Boar and bison stew was fantastic. Basically a red wine pot roast in style but done very well. Very tender meat. Barney beef ribs were not particularly fantastic or bad... just good. Sides were a bit of a letdown as they were a bit boring. It sounds like I'm being heavy handed in the critique but I do think this is a great place for the price point. With all but one main at less than $18 and a very fairly priced wine list I think this place should do well.

One thing I wanted to stress is how safe Toronto is. I don't think you would find it any scarier to walk the Toronto downtown core alone as a woman than you would in downtown Vancouver. There ARE areas of the city I wouldn't want my significant other to walk alone through but there's no reason for you to be in those areas and even then I'd be over concerned more than anything else. Even the PATH underground is totally safe at night even though it's deserted. It's quite well lit and patrolled frequently by security and monitored on camera.

Just wanted to add that when you're here some restaurants are running an event called Stop For Food. You can find more info here: http://www.crosstownkitchens.com/mission.html I haven't been to any of the participating restaurants but I thought it would be worth a mention. Endy gave a pretty good rundown of the options available downtown. Of his "safe" mentions I have only tried Reds. It is indeed "safe" food and I think it is done really well. I'll also add that I think JK Wine Bar will be a much better place for you to dine alone. Sit at the bar and the staff will make you feel welcome! You might even be able to chat with a fellow foodie. I have heard reports of inconsistent food but at the very least I find the execution at Jamie Kennedy's small operation, Gilead Cafe, is very very good. I haven't personally been to JKWB in a long while but when I was going it was very good. I still have thoughts about gnocchi there with smoked provolone.