Street Food!

This summer Toronto’s ‘A La Carte’ street food program finally takes off. 8 successful applicants will offer healthy fast food that reflects the cultural diversity of Toronto, giving us a little more choice than the usual ‘Street Meat’. The carts will be located across a fairly large geographic area, so you’ll have to do a bit of traveling if you want to check them out. You can see the listing of carts and locations at the City of Toronto site HERE.

It’s a start….I hope that the city continues to expand the program, in years to come – this is the best city in the world for cultural diversity, we can experience authentic food from all over the world whenever we want. A lot of visitors to Toronto default to the usual chain restaurants, and food carts are a great way for people a little shy about trying something new to explore without too much commitment.

Inspired by our city’s new foray into diverse street food, I’ve brought together some inspiring and creative approaches to street food that i’ve come across recently:

Kogi Korean BBQ-to-go! (credit to Sue for telling me about this one!)

A Korean Mexican food truck that has caused insane queues when it shows up in various locations around LA. The only way you can know where it’s going to be next is to follow them on twitter, (where they have way over 10,000 followers), or read their blog. Zagat called it “the hottest culinary phenomenon of the moment”. I’m really curious about Korean/Mexican fusion, but wont be going to LA anytime soon so anyone who’s given it a try your comments are appreciated. Go check out their Flickr feed HERE for some great shots

The Green Truck - Also in L.A. this mobile food truck is solar powered and runs on vegetable oil. Traveling far and wide (to offices such as HBO, MTV, the Discovery Channel…etc.), they serve healthy organic gourmet food that is sourced locally whenever possible.

Skillet “a mobile joint” – a small fleet of Airstream trailers kitted out with commercial kitchens cooking gourmet food. Sounds fantastic…and they sell ‘bacon jam’ – visit their site for more details and if you’re in Seattle, bring us back some bacon jam and you’ll be our best friend forever.

Fresher than Fresh – I know! i’m cheating, this is a snow cone truck, not exactly a meal…but it’s so neat and owned by a designer who also works at Hammerpress – so she has two of my dream jobs…haha.

Hey Cupcake! – I opened a door with the snow cones, but a cupcake stand (in another tweaked out Airstream) in Austin Texas? There’s really no limit to food on wheels.

Street Food Mobile – an italian architect has created a mobile street food unit out of an Ape Piaggio, complete with a soundtrack and a chef making traditional italian food and serving it in really wonderful unique packaging. I think it’s a prototype, but it’s really fun. I’ve seen a little Ape Piaggio around my neighbourhood that Cumbrae’s is using as a delivery truck, it always gets a lot of attention.

Looking forward to spring and getting out to some of Toronto’s new A la Carts, we’ll keep you posted when we visit them.

Swampland in Scotland?

It is official – I finally own property! It’s been a long time dream and now it is fulfilled. I am celebrating with a wonderful glass of single malt:

Laphroaig Quarter Cask Single Malt Scotch

The irony is that I have not seen the property I have acquired though I certainly hope to visit it one day. It’s a beautiful, if somewhat small, piece of land in Islay, Scotland. I don’t have plans to build any time soon. My square of land is 12 inches square and I’m not sure the neighbors would appreciated a condo.

Laphroaig is a very traditional, very peaty bottle of Scotch. It is not for everyone – their website takes pride in admitting that for many people will only taste their product once and reminds this is intended to be enjoyed and not endured. This was the first Scotch I ever tried and I still inform people that it tastes like a mixture between drinking a swamp and an old piece of wood. To many Scotch drinkers this means heaven – to others it is an instant past. If you are new to Scotch you may want to wait to build up to the incredibly strong flavors offered here. It is a lovely drink and, like all Scotches, many of the uninitiated simply put way too much in their glass or their mouth to enjoy and become overwhelmed quickly. This is a delightful sipping drink that will fill your mouth with flavor; patience is the key to a wonderful experience.

The bottle shown in this post is the Quarter Cask version – 48% alcohol by volume and created using techniques that have not changed for more than 200 years. The reference to a “quarter cask” is very relevant – the oak barrels in this edition are smaller than most high-production scotch which means that more of the Scotch comes in contact with the wood (they claim it’s up to 60% more than some standard techniques today) which has a tremendous effect on the final taste. The flavor in this bottle is not for the faint of heart. This is not the Scotch for everyone – lovers will adore it and others will run screaming. I love to concentrate on the smell and taste of the oak as I consume a sip and let it consume my mouth. This is a beverage that drinks me as oposed to the other way around!

Laphroaig provides it’s purchasers with the right to register their name and claim a one-square foot plot of land for the duration of their lives. Owners can (and do) visit their plots – some have been married on them, others have planted small ceremonial gardens and the like. Visitor’s are paid “rent” – the distillery will provide you a small dram of Scotch when you visit and you are welcome to take it on your quest to find your piece of land.

In addition to the small piece of land I now have access to an on-line community of Scotch drinkers from more than 150 countries and a great story to tell. Laphroaig started this tradition after buying land to preserve their unique water supply which is a critical ingredient to their liquid gold. The tradition predates the internet and social networking and is a neat benefit of a Scotch which bears the official endorsement/ seal of the Prince of Wales.

Before your next trip to Islay, let me know if you’re looking for a place to stay or for a taste of something local!

Angels of Harlem…I mean wine

Wine angels have been appearing around the world for the last several years. Singapore, London, Las Vegas. They are remarkably cool if you haven’t seen them before – and still fascinating to watch if you have:

Though many clones have arrived around the world, I believe this to be the original in Stansted Airport (London, England). Many of the “clones” are much smaller and lack the show that the angels in this airport perform – and thus the magic is somewhat lessened. I can’t imagine the thought of dropping one of the bottles – or doing this for a living! What a fantastic job!

3 stories of wine intersect with an acrobat and (in this case) a programmable LED tower which can be manually programmed to display patterns, letters or can respond to sounds and music in the room. Wine is apparently the drink of the gods.

Just to make me smile

It’s officially Spring – a good time to feel good, smile and welcome the summer back. I figure that’s licence to post something just to make us all smile – and I figure I’m not the only one who loved the Swedish Chef:

Kisses sweeter than wine

Pete Seeger sung the words of today’s title and I remember singing the song long before I actually kissed a girl – or drank wine for that matter.

A few years ago I was shopping for cheese when my cheese boyfriend (more on that in a later post – lets just say that we all have our vices) informed me that he had a wonderful balsamic vinegar. According to my cheesy BFF, it was 25 years old and it was wonderful – so sweet that you could actually drink it. I laughed and he insisted that this was no joke and poured me a small cup. He insisted (and still does) that the test of a good balsamic is its drink-ability.

De Nigris 25 year old aceto balsamico di moderna

Traditional Balsamic vinegar, such as the one above was not exported from Italy until the 1980s! Wine grapes are boiled to remove about one third of their volume before being aged in wooden barrels which age year after year. The wine loses about 10% of its volume every year as evaporation attacks the sweet elixir.

It is estimated that it takes 70 pounds of grapes (yes that is seven-zero!) to make 1 cup of true balsamic vinegar. The heavens drink a larger portion than we can ever imagine and leave us with their leftovers – fortunately they left the best for last.

De Nigris 25 year vinegar is a 100-year old family recipe that has been passed down from father to son. It is fantastic on cheese (Beemsters is my favorite), strawberries, salad, vanilla ice cream or, indeed, as a small sipper all by itself. It can be difficult to find for months on end before suddenly becoming available in abundance. Dollar-for-dollar it is the best vinegar I have ever tried.

The price tag scared me at first – a small taste is all that is needed here. We often use an eye dropper to put a few drops on a piece of shaved frommage before popping back a cheesy shooter.

This is a heavenly flavor and one that I encourage you to jump in and try.

Bacon Cupcakes… mmm Bacon…

I was walking with our brunch league when I ran in to the following sign:

We stumbled on the promised land – Yummy Stuff on Queen West. We entered with a morbid curiosity – I was actually a little embarrassed to ask in case this was some sort of sick joke. Yummy Stuff is an adorable little bakery filled with all sorts of yummy stuff:

After working up the courage to ask, my heart flickered with a little hint of glee that there was truth in advertising! Behold the golden gift from the gods of baking (or baconing):

Bacon Cupcake - too good to be true...but isn't!

Chocolate Chunks, Oatmeal, Maple bacon frosting and Bacon topping. It may sound completely overwhelming and I bought it for the absurdity of it. I was honestly surprised to find out that the whole thing worked – it was rich, creamy and satisfying. I wouldn’t eat it every day – then again Ièm not that much of a sweet tooth. It was well worth the effort and a great indulgence. Yummy Stuff has lots of other fantastic tasties – just donèt enter hungry!

Obama Bama Ding Dong

Cookies and cake aint exactly my thing – but more power to you if they are. They certainly are the thing of the Queen of Tarts in Toronto’s west end. This is an adorable little boutique shop on Roncesvalles that even got me excited about cookies:

The small shop has been a media darling – even the mighty Martha has featured this sweet spot. I can`t help but wonder if that makes her the Queen Mom…

We visited to see what the flavor of the month would be this month – survey says:

Off with his head! I mean... Take a bite out of the recession

If you are a cookie monster, this place is definately worth a trip!

The Power of Memory

This is a post about a wonderful experience at a fantastic establishment with a wonderful server/ waitress/ friend/ fiend or whatever you call the most amazing service people you have ever had. It is not about a specific place – so this is a rare occasion that I am not going to credit a place for great service – this is about all of the amazing and wonderful servers that exist in the world – so fantastic that calling them a server seems a disservice to their craft.

Moving downtown was tough on me (3 years ago this month). I loved the excitement, lights and certainly the company of moving in with Dana. The difficult part for me was the anonymity of living in a new place. I had been in and out of Markham since being a small child. The hamburger shop knew me by face and name. I could bump into friends in a variety of different places. The local bars knew who I was and the restaurants greeted me with a familiar grin.

Sharing a genuine experience with people is critical to my enjoyment of life – regardless if those people are friends, family or staff at a local restaurant. I want to genuinely interact with those around me and, to be honest with myself, I want to be remembered. A much longer piece of writing would explain my fear of being forgotten and simply wouldn’t fit within the focus here. Let’s just say that I was lost a few times in ways that I didn’t like and take great comfort in remembering others and being remembered by them.

Before I moved downtown, Dana and I would go to a local watering hole in the east end of the city (she lived down here). There was very little water but it was most definitely a hole (one of the most legendary in this city). It was a wonderful place which was filled with many, many different types of beer and friendly libations. It was a great place – the people were eclectic and many evenings were lost int he shadows of this small little hovel. It was a most wonderful escape – and the first place downtown that I could truly call my local.

Our favorite member of the bar was Heather. Heather always had a warm smile, was passionate about people and her studies (at OCAD at the time). She showed a genuine interest in our stories – would playfully interact with us, share some neat stories and never neglect us – or others – in the process. She would always remember my favorite (which was “surprise me with anything but Coor’s Light.”) She was simply fantastic.

The years have gone by and we live in a different corner of the city. We have bumped into Heather a few times – last we had hear she was opening a bar of her own in Hamilton.

We went for a wonderful stroll on Saturday and ended up back in the old ‘hood. We walked in to have a few bevies and were shocked to hear a giant warm greeting from behind the counter. She still works the occasional shift and seemed happy to see us as well. This warm greeting was repeated several times over as several others walked in with the similar histories. You could hear their excitement in seeing her and the same in return.

Being remembered is such a wonderful thing. I don’t know if many people who “serve” for a living know what an amazing part of someones lives that they can become. A memory is a most powerful thing and being remembered is such an amazing comfort. Thank you to Heather – and to all of the fantastic people who willingly put themselves on the line to engage with customers to make them feel like what they ultimately are – people. Thank you to those who are the best – you affect others in more ways than you can ever know.

When did being a Vegetarian become acceptable?

Before it sounds like I am declaring all out war with the Vegetarians amongst us – I am not. It’s not my role to judge what you eat for any reason – especially the very personal choice of eating meat; a choice that is often woven in ethics, Religion, Environment or personal choice. Two of my dearest friends are Vegetarian and I lasted more than 5 years not eating red meat or pork. This is not about what you eat – in fact it is actually a post about what you don’t eat!

The major chain supermarkets are really trying to up their ante – in many cases the results are fantastic. Cellared Ontario Garlic in February? Local Organic produce? Artisan cheeses and meats? All of these are starting to appear in major chains. The “local” feel of the neighborhood grocer is returning to some of the newest renditions of some of the big chains; small boutique-style alternatives can suspend your belief that you are in a giant chain.

Creating an illusion of small is difficult – it is tough to fake the passion and genuine interest the local store had in a relationship with it’s visitors. Such things can be manufactured – careful selection of people and training are critical to keep the seems from showing.

I was at a deli in a large chain today – surprised by the plentiful selection of meats. Cured, smoked, salted – varieites from all corners of Europe and a few local tastes. A pleasant woman offered me help with a warm smile. I informed her of what I was looking for – something spicy that I could eat as-is (i.e. nothing fried). She replied, “I’m sorry I have no idea – I’m a Vegetarian.”

I stayed calm, made a selection (begrudgingly) and moved on. This is not her fault – she is what she is and I respect that. However… Imagine going to Business Depot, asking what printer you should buy for your small business and the person answered “I have no idea, I’m a Socialist.” First of all, what they are is irrelevant to a recommendation and secondly, well… UGG. Frustration.

There are so many things that come to mind. I felt awful that this Vegetarian had to slice my meat, embarassed and slightly judged that I had asked them to do so. Upset that I couldn’t get a recomendation (regardless of them actually having tasted it) and robbed of the experience of sharing a passion with the individual providing me such sustinence. Is there no other role that this individual could do that could make a better outcome for all – or training that could let us both make the most out of an awkward situation?

This is not the first time this has happened to me – it’s surprisingly common in restaurants that staff have not eaten the food to make a recommendation and they will often explain it away that they are Vegetarian. I support them being whatever they want or have to be – however if I am the customer I expect the same courtesy in return – which includes a reasonable expectation for a recommendation – either based on direct experience or an informed and studied answer based on the experiences of others.

A Wonderful Weekend

A fantastic weekend – and it’s only Sunday morning!

Dana and I are so fortunate to have the company of many good friends – I couldn’t imagine life without them. As much as I think that my “survival item” on a deserted island would be a fully equipped chef’s kitchen and farm, the truth is it would be friends and family before fois gras.

Our friends are often connected by passion; each share a committment and pursuit and love of something. The topic of passion changes from person to person but the underlying commitment to things like food, cooking, photography, design, writing, art, cycling, wine, travel or something else binds us together.

I had the privilege of seeing our friend Margaret in her prime yesterday. Margaret is a professional photographer who is madly passionate about food and the people within the industry. Margaret agreed to help me get some bio pics. I am generally not comfortable in front of the camera lens and she made it relatively painless – I am thrilled with the results and even more thrilled to have seen her “do her thing.” She really is a special kind of talent and has a fantastic portfolio.

To check out Margaret’s work (much of it specializes in food and food industry), take a trip to her site. It’s worth a peak!

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