Toronto FOOD 2012

We went to Toronto! I didn't take pictures of the 10 million book stores we visited. (Other travelers put the number closer to 7.) But I did take photos of food, because being in such a huge city (2.6 million) means there are so many good places to eat. We did our best to try lots of things in our ~45 hours there.

After settling in at our B&B, we walked over to Kensington market. Our first Toronto food was a spicy beef Jamaican patty. Why don't they have these in Brattleboro?? They seem so simple, and cost less than $2 each. Check out Hungry Canuck's patty post for a photo and musings.

After a lot more walking, we had a late dinner on Baldwin Street at Etsu, an adorable Japanese place nestled next to a Chinese place and a Korean place. It had a cute water feature and lovely planters full of flowers creating a mini-jungle on the minute patio. My companion had Bulgogi (below), a Korean beef dish that was highly spiced and highly succulent. I had a Japanese sampler (sushi, tempura, teriyaki). We both got awesome seaweed salad & miso soup for starters, and tiny scoops of ice cream for afters--one tasted like Thai basil and the other like burnt caramel. Afterwards the owner came out to chat. Baldwin Village is ADORABLE.

This below is at Shi Shawarma for lunch the following day. We'd walked MILES down shopping streets Queen St. West and Yonge St before we finally agreed on a lunch spot.

I was very happy with my chicken shawarma--it had strange flavors and large skinny peppers that I wasn't expecting but totally loved. The fries were clearly handcut and served with a dollop of mayo (see blob in center). They tasted like a Middle Eastern vacation. Shi Shawarma had free wifi and said they were open til 4am to cater to drunk Torontonians. I highly recommend Shi Shawarma.

Next is another photo fail--I did not take a picture of the yummy PEI oysters or the sautéed mushrooms with bleu cheese & toast, that we enjoyed in Leslieville's Ceili Cottage for dinner that evening. But they were SO GOOD. I'll blame it on the local hoppy beers that I was trying, which were also so good. We sat out on the patio on a perfect summer evening, but The Ceili Cottage was so cozy inside I almost wished it was winter so we could pile in to the Irish-looking bar area and recite poetry scraps.

After Ceili Cottage we retired to Fynn's of Temple Bar on King Street West--more Irishness. At 1am it was imperative that we have some snacks from Hero Certified Burgers. The beef in these burgers is described as 100% hormone free and antibiotic free. I didn't have a burger though.

I had a giant container of poutine. This made me feel very happy and very Canadian.

The next morning, my ultimate brunch request: dim sum.

I've been to a few places that are OK, but I wanted something new. So we wandered Dundas St. in Chinatown until we found the answer. Dim Sum King.

I may have some problems chilling out in life, but quality dim sum is so grounding and satisfying. What are these dumplings? Who knows! Bloody good though.

What I loved about Dim Sum King was the Chinese-speaking ladies who Did Not Care if you couldn't understand them, the amazing flavors that I really can't remember ever tasting before, and the little chin-lift-smile that you learn, which indicates: "Please show me what's on your cart because I have no idea what you said."

There is even dim sum with greens in it! This fantastic rice noodle roll was filled with some bitter yet perfect tender green, a little like pea shoots, a little like nettles. Fabulous.

The last items we got were the first I recognized--shrimp har gow and pork siu mai. I wish I could come back here every week with 20 people each time and try everything. Maybe even the chicken feet.

The dining area at 10am.

Now you know.

Tropical Storm Irene

When Irene spoke to the mountains
They flooded to the seas
Along with the flood waters
Went my sweet Jean Marie
Irene, Irene, you scrubbed our state clean
Irene, Irene, where is Jean Marie?

I saw the houses and the trees
Fall into the stream
Our bridges and our roads are gone
And so is Jean Marie
Irene, Irene, you scrubbed our state clean
Irene, Irene, where is Jean Marie?


This is the beginning of an epic ballad about Tropical Storm Irene that I began last month when I decided that in the "olden days" there would be many songs sung and tales told about Irene and what she did to Vermont. (Naturally, Jean Marie is a fictional construct to represent personal loss and statewide confusion.)

It turns out that the Connecticut River Watershed Council felt the same way--they put together a song contest called Goodnight Irene that will be performed today (August 28, 2012), on the anniversary of the storm. The show is in Deerfield, MA. Check it out if you're in the area!

Here's some dramatic video footage of what happened in our town one year ago:

Hooray for Bluebies!

I've been eating salad! The profusion of vegetables that are available and IN OUR HOUSE right now is forcing even me, Lazy Lunch Lady, to do more than just slap together a pbj or grab leftovers as I run off for work each day. Instead, I take an extra few minutes to make a salad. It is surprisingly easy. Tons of tomatoes from Grandma's garden. Crisp cucumbers, bright peppers, and heirloom carrots from the farmer's market. Tender vermilion beets pre-cooked and stored in the fridge. Some leftover corn kernels or beans from Meatless Monday. And what's this on top of my salad? Blueberries!

I am obsessed with the taste of blueberries in salad dressing. Blueberries could be the new bleu cheese. Generally, I like a fresh-picked apple, a juicy plum that overflows to drip from my elbows, or handfuls and handfuls of berries. Watermelon chunks stolen from what I'm cutting up for children. But I don't really MIX fruit into other things. It's too good! 

This week though, I am changing my ways. Blueberries in salad add an unexpected little bite. They're a touch of sweet among the massive vinegar/garlic wallop of my homemade dressing. They're pretty. They're adorably bite-sized. And they're superfoods. I highly recommend this combo!

Are you eating more salad these days because it's crazy harvest time? Do you like fruit in an otherwise "normal" salad?

Farro Tabbouleh

I needed the perfect potluck dish--something hearty and delicious, able to withstand July heat at mid-day, portable, and plenty. I asked my wise friend what she recommended. She immediately replied, "Farro!"

Farro is one of those interesting bulk grains near the quinoa and teff and amaranth in your local bulk grocery section. It's a kind of wheat. At our food coop, it comes "pearled" (hulled and smoothed out), like barley. I also got the full scoop on what to do with the farro. I'm calling this recipe Farro Tabbouleh.

So you've cooked your farro. To make salad, cut up a red onion or whatever you've got (I used purple scallions), and quick-pickle it by placing it in vinegar. This is red wine vinegar.

Assemble your crunchy summer veg, and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Chopped radish, bell pepper, and cucumber go into the mix.

Since there's always too much zucchini around, I used my zester to create long, finely grated zucchini pieces to add to the mix.

The next Very Important Step is to add herbs. Use whatever is growing nearby (if you can). Here we have parsley, cilantro, and basil. I chopped them up with a mezza luna and threw them into the salad.

Seasonings! Why use salt when you can use Trocomare, aka "herby salt"?! Also I decided to throw in some Za'atar. Hey, farro is apparently from the Middle East.

To complete the dressing, whisk some olive oil into your vinegar pickling mixture. Pour over all and thoroughly incorporate.

Farro tabbouleh seemed like a big hit!


Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 t salt
• 2 cups farro
• 1 T (generous pour) olive oil
• 3 purple scallions, diced (or 1/2 red onion)
• 1/4 cup red wine (or any) vinegar
• 2 cups or so of summer vegetables, chopped into bite sized pieces (e.g. bell pepper, radish, cucumber, etc.)
• grated or "zested" zucchini, as much as you want (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped herbs (2 large handfuls), such as parsley, cilantro, basil
• 1 T za'atar
• 1 T seasoned salt, such as Trocamare (or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Assemblage

1. Bring water to a boil. Add salt. Add farro. Cook for 40 minutes.
2. Fluff farro and add olive oil. Stir to incorporate. At this point you can refrigerate the farro until you're ready for the potluck prep.
3. Make the quick-pickled scallions and set aside.
4. Stir in chopped vegetables, and zucchini if using. (Go crazy and use other vegetables or additions! Feta! Olives! Capers! Etc!)
5. Chop and add desired herbs. Put in lots!!
6. Whisk together your dressing by adding oil to the pickled onion. Mix into salad.
7. Done! If you're not dining right away, refrigerate until ready.

Have you tried farro before?

THANK YOU Mags for the many farro tips! Far out!

Beloved Botanicals

My favorite flowers are in bloom. I'm so happy!

Living gems with cute parasol leaves. There's nothing like nasturtiums. And you can eat them! (My daughter keeps volunteering to eat these, but I won't let her yet. They're too lovely and cheerful!)

My brain is pretty fried these days from parenting and work and paying bills and generally being a grown-up. But one thing that has always made me happy, and still does, is checking out the amazing plants that happen to be growing where I live. Taking a tour around the garden never fails to cheer me up and get me excited. (And I say "happen to be growing" very seriously. I love weeds just as much as cultivated plants, and am not a great gardener.) I like to get out my Peterson Field Guides and do some on-the-fly plant research. I did it today just before dinner. That's how I roll.

This is purslane, which usually shows up in our herb garden--this is the first time I've seen it in 2012. Yay! Purslane is an edible succulent with cute paddle shaped leaves. I can't wait to sneak some into a salad someday soon.

This is a wild lettuce. My Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants says you can eat the young leaves boiled or raw, but even when young they are a little bitter. What I like about wild lettuce is that it's a monster--this one is almost to the top of a 6-foot fence. The guide says they can reach 15 feet tall. !!!

I decided this was pokeweed, and was very pleased to find I was right. Those whitish flowers will turn to sprays of blue-black berries in the fall. (Mom, these are the things growing by your herb garden.) This is another tall plant.

My beloved mugwort is just starting to bloom, these are her tiny, luminous buds. This is a midsummer bloomer (like St. John's Wort). And another TALL plant--she is already taller than my head and not done yet. I planted her from seed back when we lived somewhere else, and returned to dig up part of the plant for our new home. She is thriving and spreading and I believe has a protective, benevolent influence over the whole property. Big ups to Mme. Mugwort!!

How adorable to find a purple twist of morning glory climbing among the mugwort. I adore this photo. I took it with a phone!!

Do you have strong feelings about weeds? How about Field Guides? I find Field Guides fascinating. They are so organized and full of neat facts and images. I wish more information could be presented this way.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July, or as I like to say, "Happy half birthday to me!" That half year just flew by. Isn't it strange to have a holiday on a Wednesday? Canada got to have a long weekend with the bank-holiday Monday off, but we'll take any old day off! We've got two Fridays this week!

I am a little overexcited today because I ran the local "Firecracker 4-Miler" first thing in the morning (aka 9:30am). I averaged 8:40 per mile, which is pretty good for me so I'm happy. I surged past someone right at the very end (I found out later he was 13 years old) and then relaxed and chugged water for the next several hours. I chugged water all day yesterday too, come to think of it. I read somewhere that mega-hydrating is helpful for race prep. Drink water until Nature calls to tell you that you have totally had enough.

My major project for this Fourth of July was to try a recipe from Bon Appetit's Summer Grilling 2012 issue. The recipe is Steak Skewers in Scallion Dipping Sauce, and may I say right off the bat that it tasted AMAZING. The recipe is from Zakary Pelaccio, who runs the restaurant Fatty 'Cue. The recipe seems right on Fatty 'Cue target because one of the main ingredients is fat. Then it all gets barbecued.

The idea for these skewers is to use a Malaysian grilling technique of building a "medium fire" that is kept low with minimal flare-ups. Also, use a LOT of fat so that the skewers get basted and succulent as they slowly cook. That's the idea anyway. Here's what really happened...

Taking your recipe with you to the butcher can be immensely helpful. I am a bit shy sometimes, and being able to hand over page 90 of Bon Appetit and explain that I needed "2 lb. tri-tip, top sirloin cap steak, or rib eye, fat cap left on" was great. Because I have no idea what those cuts of meat are. The butcher had both tri-tip and rib eye, and I opted to get some of each--about 1.25 pounds of tri-tip and .80 pounds of rib eye. If you're wondering, the rib eye is the more succulent (and more expensive) cut. The butcher was also super-cool by giving me free veal fat, because none of the steaks there had "fat cap left on." (Maybe Vermonters don't like something called "fat cap.") He went into the back and brought out a bunch of veal fat he had removed the day before, and wrapped it up in a brown paper packet with no price tag. NICE!

The meat gets marinated overnight in an amazing mixture of unsweetened coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, and more. Then you string it onto soaked skewers by alternating meat bits with fat bits. Very promising.

This is the marinade. After putting the meat/fat pieces onto skewers, you take whatever fat is left and render it briefly (heat in pan), then add a mixture of more coconut milk, fish sauce, garlic, & lime juice. This gets basted on every few minutes during the first part of grilling.

We don't have an American grill that you can, like, TURN ON. We have a hibachi. It involves charcoal, and it is very close, fine work. I still haven't gotten the hang of it. Having a charcoal chimney, pictured above, definitely helps. Here, the charcoal is hot and grey on top, so ready to pour into the hibachi and grill. (Somebody please save me if this is the wrong way to use a hibachi!)

Everything is under control here. We are following the rules for when to baste and when to turn the kebabs. Yay!

Things are starting to get a bit hot. I opt for a different kebab orientation. Still pretty much under control. I'm feeling totally Malaysian street style, yo.

Ummmm, those alternate layers of fat went kind of crazy just two inches away from the charcoal. Major flare-ups happening. I am not in control of this grill anymore. May Day! Halp! I removed all the kebabs from the conflagration as quickly as possible.

Here are the rescued skewers, succulently resting on the side of the driveway. To complete cooking, I kept rotating them onto the fire to go for that crispy, carmelized surface that Bon Appetit kept talking about.

Oh my goodness, yum. These skewers were an amazing hit with everybody, and they're going on my permanent grilling success menu (along with Turkey Shawarma). So good! So salty! So subtle! Even though the marinade contained a jalapeño, it was no big deal once grilled! (I subbed in the jaly instead of 4 Thai chiles). Note the purple-scallion dipping sauce, which is part 3 of the Bon Appetit recipe. Guess what--it called for fish sauce.

This bottle of fish sauce was full when I started the recipe. Only about 1/3 left.

For dessert, Orange Creamsicle ice cream from David Lebovitz's amazing and exhaustive ice cream book, The Perfect Scoop. Yes, it really was perfect. Orange zest, sugar, orange juice, half&half, sour cream, and more, blended into tangy, popsicle-licious, refreshing scoops. Perfect for a hot, fish-saucey, 4-miler kind of day.

Cold Radish-Feta Salad

I don't know why I feel I must specify this veggie salad is "cold," but that does seem to be a key part of it. Maybe it's July setting in! Cold Radish-Feta Salad could be a great side for Independence Day or any summer do. Happy July!

This recipe was inspired by someone else's contribution to a work potluck. Hers had grape tomatoes in it and probably other things. I fell in love with the chunky dice, the radish crunch, and the FETA-ness of the whole thing. Here's my version.

Ingredients:

• 10 radishes (or so), large dice
• 1 cucumber, large dice
• 1/2 kohlrabi, medium dice
• 2 ounces of feta cheese (somewhat less than a deck of cards in size)
• your favorite dressing (I made my go-to vinaigrette*)
• salt to taste (remembering that feta is super-salty)

I have been craving radishes this week. Is that weird?

Add cucumber pieces to radish pieces.

This is chopped kohlrabi, which we think tastes a little of radish, a little of apples.

Feta crumbled everywhere!

I drizzled on several tablespoons of vinaigrette, closed the container, and gave everything a shake. To make this properly COLD, stick in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

A chilly respite on a summer's day. I was stunned when my 2 children ate this as part of dinner with no question. They liked it!

Does that other side salad look tasty too? It's my Perfect Coleslaw! Also eaten with pleasure by my children. Amazing.

* My go-to vinaigrette is: 1 crushed garlic clove, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard, and a very generous shake of Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt. Shake vigorously and you're done.

What summer side salads do you like?

Scape-rubbed chicken

Scapes are back in season! Bushels and bushels of them are available at the Brattleboro Farmer's Market and at local farm stands, each one representing a garlic plant that is being persuaded to turn its attention to its root, and forget about the normal flowering thing. These sinuous unopened flowers have coiled their way into my very refrigerator, and it's up to me to figure out what to do with them.

Six years ago I posted a few ideas, and I came up with a tofu-based recipe in 2008. But I wanted something different today, and kid-friendly, so I turned to the "scape pesto" idea. "Pesto" means "paste" in Italian. In Southern France the same thing is called "Pistou." It usually involves basil and olive oil, but one can definitely swap things around.

I put the scapes into the food processor--maybe about 10 scapes here

Add 1/2 cup walnuts

Do a rough chop of scapes  walnuts before adding olive oil

Drizzle in olive oil with the food processor on, maybe 1/2 cup. Think emulsification. Add salt too.

After over a minute of blending and scraping down, things are starting to look more creamy

I slathered a bunch of pesto on the bottom of a baking dish

Three chicken breasts (tenderloins removed) go on top

Cover chicken breasts with more pesto. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes--or more!

This was a hit with kids (the one who eats chicken anyway), so I count it a success. It was a very mild flavor though, tasting as much of walnuts as it did of garlic scapes. Which is fine. If serving to grown-ups though, I might bake it for longer to try to create a pesto crust. I might also add cilantro to the mixture for more of a kick.

You pesto-philes might be asking--where's the cheese? I decided not to add any parmesan to this recipe because I didn't want it to burn as I baked the chicken.
Do you have a great scape recipe? Do you make your own pesto?

Running Up That Hill

Brattleboro has a distinctive landmark nearby, and it's not even in Vermont. It's Mt. Wantastiquet, which lies just across the Connecticut River in New Hampshire. "Rattlesnake Mountain" looms over Brattleboro and is a familiar part of the downtown view.

Mt. Wantastiquet as seen from Brattleboro (top of Green Street)

I heard that people sometimes RUN up Mt. Wantastiquet, so I made a running-buddy date to try it out! We arranged to meet at 7:30am.

Supplies! I may have overpacked...

I had no idea what to bring. I settled for a hat with brim, sunscreen, two waters, and a whey protein shake (with cooler & ice block to keep it chilled).

Let me review those choices in retrospect. Sunscreen: totally not necessary for a run in the woods. Bug spray would have been a better choice. Water: did not need two bottles. I decided not to carry a bottle, so when we got back down I just drank water that I left in the car. Cooler with chocolate shake: excellent idea. This also stayed in the car. Hat: Easier to keep on than sunglasses, and it covered my frizzy 7am hair.

It wasn't so hard!

We ran up the mountain in 31 minutes. It was not as grueling or as difficult as I'd imagined. Maybe I got a little overamped reading about this amazing 70 mile ultra race report the night before. The steepest bits of the trail were covered with rocks, so I couldn't run up them even if I wanted to. We had to step carefully going up, and try to avoid muddy bits. The rest of the trail was pretty mild incline, or even flattish, so didn't seem hard at all.

I was surprised that we reached the top so quickly! View of Brattleboro from the top.

Down the hill took longer, and looked so completely different than up! It took more concentration to find good spots to step and not to fall on my face. It was another 45+ minutes to get down again.

Would I do this again? Sure! I wasn't sore afterward except for a little bit right inside my shins, probably whatever muscles are needed to keep my knees working on the downhill part. 

Have you ever run up a mountain? Or tackled something you thought might be scary/grueling but it wasn't so bad?

Happy 10th Birthday, Blog!

My blog is 10 years old today!

Ten years ago (2002) I was working in Cambridge, MA. I left my job that summer and moved back to Brattleboro, VT, my boyfriend's hometown (and where I lived before moving to Cambridge in the first place).
In 2003 I started DJing on radio free brattleboro.
In 2004 I got married to my true love. Same guy mentioned above.
In 2005 the FCC shut down the radio station.
In 2006 we had a wonderful baby girl. I also went back on the air with WVEW, the new licensed station in town.
In 2007 I was dealing with being a working mother. Looking back, that was hard.
In 2008 I got really into food blogging. That November I posted every day about "Cheap Dinner Ideas."
In 2009 I got really into fitness, mainly running. I lost about 15 pounds and won a local 5K in September.
In 2010 we had a wonderful baby boy. Being at home with him on maternity leave was one of my happiest times ever.
In 2011 I got a great new job that is interesting and challenging and feels like a great fit.
In 2012 I turned 40.

I am dedicating this new decade to myself, to learning and trying to be my very best both for me and for the people around me. This involves:

• loving my husband very very much
• being firm yet kind with my children
• running and cross-training
• drinking more water
• taking healthy supplements
• practicing moderation, including in moderation
• continuing to blog, yo!

Actually I don't have many gigantic goals because I've already accomplished just about everything I set out to do. I would like some time to enjoy it, and be grateful and present for it. It would be nice to see Europe again, and New York City, and go out West.

It would also be nice to visit my hometown sometime. Including the bar at Kelly's.