Dinner with friends

We recently had the pleasure of being spoiled by a very dear foodie from far far away… The company was great, the evening full of laughs and to top it all off, the food was outstanding.

Since we like to believe in the idea of “go big or go home” we enjoyed a seven course tasting menu that evening. Everything from bacon wrapped scallops with fiddle heads to home made BBQ to sunchoke puree and an amazing chocolate mousse for dessert. I wish I could attach little tastings for all those reading this at home but the best I can do is some pictures…. Enjoy and happy drooling!

One more creepy factory food machine.

It is a reality that our food delivery chain depends on systemization and increasing mechanization. That being said, it is strange and creepy. As a result, people are moved further and further away from the food they eat.

This video is disturbing and quite graphic. It shows the JR-50 Robotic Hog Head Dropper severing the Atlas joints of a never ending stream of dead pigs. The matter of fact voice over details the efficiency and saftey of the JR-50. Terms like ‘vertical integration’ and ‘downstream processing’ are used to to describe the device and in effect, de-nature the process of butchering an animal.

After watching this clip, I am fileld with a mix of emotions. I feel disappointed that these animals are treated so industrially; with out care or thought. I am ashamed that I am only just beginning to understand the true scope of where my food comes from and how it gets there. I am saddened by the fact that the drive for cheaper and cheaper food has born the need for machines that can process 2500 hogs an hour, without so much as a hint of humanity.

I suppose I shouldn’t be so naive, but the fact remains that this clip is chilling and disheartening.

Again, this is a graphic video, viewer discretion is advised.

The clip is here.

Summer Slow Down

I have to apologize for our summer slow down.  We have been eating, traveling, relaxing and well, not really posting much.  There are a few travel posts coming up soon and in the spirit of being proactive, here is a neat-o meat tid-bit.

Behold, the wondrous, incredulous and all together frighting automatic chicken de-boner.  It slices, it dices and little robot hands strip flesh from bone with the aid of computer eyes. It can process over 1000 chickens per hour and maximises yield using state of the art image technology.

 

Thanks to Gizmodo for this one.
 

Les Quinze Nits – Barcelona

There’s never been a restaurant more embedded in my memory as Les Quinze Nits in Plaza Real, Barcelona, Spain. More particularly, I remember every nuance of the dessert that I had there, the dessert that started my culinary passion. I even waited in line a second night in a row in order to experience that same bliss. However, that was six years ago and although the restaurant still remains nothing is the same!

Located in a beau

tiful plaza off Las Rambas in Barcelona (the main pedestrian walkway connecting the port to the rest of the city) this giant restaurant has been around for almost a decade and it still has a line-up at the door. It is recommended in every tourist guide as the one restaurant to eat at for the value and the true Catalan cuisine. But things are no longer rosy, food is no longer good and the service is shameful.

After waiting arou

nd for about 45 minutes we were seated in a dining room upstairs only to realize that the line-up was just for show and they wanted to appear busy while this dining room sat empty. Seating a big number of people at once can only mean that the kitchen will be overloaded with orders at the exact same time and therefore most of the meal is precooked or even worse – frozen. And we were right!

We started with an appetizer of Catalan sausage and potatoes being very intrigued by the local fare but received a pile of soggy home fries with a pathetic drizzle of what resembled a very poor store bought Caesar salad dressing. Tiny morsels of cheap sausage scattered throughout the damp spuds made the dish even more embarrassing. For our mains, we ordered a rare steak with fries and a “local” dish of shrimp and Iberico sausage sauteed with mushrooms. I won’t get into the details of how pathetic the seafood dish was with its four frozen shrimp (funny how Barcelona is a port city and it receives more than enough fresh seafood daily) and the microwaved medley of vegetables that accompanied it. I will however mention that my companion received a piece of meat that was raw and cold on the i

nside and upon his request for a little more time on the grill, received a grey microwaved piece of shoe leather. Being hopeful that at least my dessert with be the only redemption for this joke of a meal, I ordered my kryptonite, the Crema Catalana. This dessert is the Spanish version of a Creme Brulee but much more refined (no offence to those taking offence right now). A silky vanilla custard (runnier than its French alter ego) with a slight hint of cinnamon served with a caramelized sugar top (crispy) and sitting in a bath of caramelized sugar syrup. What I got that evening  was a chunky vanilla pudding made from powder making this meal one of the worst I’ve ever had.

Only to make matters worse, the service was horrendous. Only one server took orders for an entire dining room with the rest of the staff being food runners that handled plates and glassware like barbarians. On several occasions we saw their fingers nearly dipping into customers’ drinks while the glass was being moved in order to place a plate down. The service was slow and scarce with everyone pretending not to notice when bei

ng called or even asked a question. Our particular server had the audacity to be patronizing while we complained about the numerous issues with our meal. It was the only time we felt so outraged that we spoke out and our issues were nearly laughed at without any sort of attempt to fix their mistakes.

I was mortified having included Barcelona as the final stop on our tour of Europe only because of this restaurant. Only because of this phenomenal dessert. But there is a lesson to be learned in all of this and it’s to be cautious of your dining surroundings. My memories of the place overtook reality and I didn’t pay attention to the signs of a restaurant overwhelmed by its customers. I definitely do not recommend this place to anyone and hope my little review will keep at least one person from wasting their money on their less than mediocre food.

Pedestrian Physics

After trial by fire, and over a week immersed in Italian culture, I have learned a few things about pedestrian physics here in Italy.

1. Italians drive very well. They also drive very fast. Italians are very aware of their surroundings as they do not rely on/need/enjoy using traffic signage to regulate their vehicular movements. What more is lane demarcation other then a rough theoretical spacial allotment? Signage indicating ‘one way’ merely informs the driver that oncoming traffic may be more prevalent then on two way streets as they head up against the grain.  With these thoughts in mind, crossing the street becomes a little more involved.   When you cross a street in Italy, look both ways only to determine if on coming traffic has time to stop. Walk directly out and into the street. Do not look again, and do not hesitate. Traffic will negotiate its way around you; like water flowing around a boulder in stream. Hesitation makes this more difficult as each driver has already plotted a trajectory based on your current and, most importantly, consistent velocity.

2. Italians walk like they drive. Walking an Italian sidewalk is much akin to a pretty slow game of chicken. Each player walks as though they exist alone the sidewalk. The idea of sharing space does not apply in Italy. Thus, to walk unhindered and with out being pushed/bullied/bounced all over the sidewalk it is important to focus on a point far off in the distance, set off with stoic determination and never, ever waver from your course. Again, as Italian pedestrians are aware of their surroundings, when they encounter an immovable obstacle, they will move. But, like a dog sensing fear, you must commit whole heartedly lest they get a whiff of your vacillating resolve.

3. In Italy, endless hours of fun can be had watching tourists in local areas learn/not learn these two simple laws of pedestrian physics.

A Traffic Clip

Untitled from rob james on Vimeo.

 

Some More On Rome

Its a beautiful morning here in Florence.  The sun is shining and the air is crisp; a little Joan Jett playing in the background.  

A far cry from the hustle and bustle of the ginorma-city, Rome. 
WIth a little time for reflection, Ive got some thoughts about Rome.

It is a wonderful city.  There is a close connection to history.  There are literally hundreds of archeological sites around the city.  Some fully restored, some in progress, others, just kinda hanging out.  Rome is not, however, very welcoming.  It is a giant tourist trap.  Picture Niagara falls with spread over 1200 Km/sq with some 5 million people crawling over it.  Add to that another 3 million tourists and, bingo, you have Rome. It is awash in people and any sense of community has been diluted into a murky brown haze that hangs over the city.  

The population, while, in the city center to be sure, are dependent on tourism have come to resent the endless stream of travelers who don’t speak the language, don’t share the same values, who attract crime, who soil and dirty the city, who are demanding and expect a lot.  The result is a relatively tense environment.  When we met the owner of our apartment, he arrived, barely took the time to say hi, took his money and left us to a moldy, tiny, uncared for apartment.  The place was small, but offered a lot of potential.   The location was great and for the most part it functioned.  However, it was clear that the owner didnt care about who took the place or how it was treated; he was much more interested in getting paid.  We did all of our cooking on an electric two burner hot plate, of which the larger element did not work.  There was no oven, no stove, no micro, and only a couple of pots/pans that looked like they were dug up at the Forum across the street.  Not that Im complaining too much, the space offered us exactly what we needed, but it was far from charming.  We managed three excellent meals on that tiny burner and my eyes were opened to the quality of Italian ingredients.  

Rome is very expensive.  A small 23sq/m apartment starts on the low end at about 300 000 Euros but will typically sell closer to 1 000 000.  The people who live in Rome’s center usually have lived in the same place for generations or are the elite rich.  Having spent a day in Florence the high prices of Rome are immediately apparent.   Food costs are about 40% less and the grocery stores, paying less rent, can occupy more space and carry more products.  Yesterday, I saw traditional black hoof prociutto at the grocery store.  It is still a premium product at 7.50/100g but to put it in comparison, at Cava, the same prociutto ran for $25 for three slices on a plate.   Being in Tuscany, the agro capital of Italy, means that there is produce here in abundance.  Unlike Rome, a mere 400km south. 
Rome becomes a relative ghost town after 10p.m.  Yes, there are bars and restos open till 3 am, but because of its size and spread, its hard to find places with people in them.  We heard about fashionable clubs, but finding them is pretty hard and getting in requires a small mortgage as they are really only intended for the glitterati of Rome.  

We saw two Lamborghinis flying around the city.  They look much more at home in Rome then Yorkville.
 
At the end of the day, go to Rome to see the remains of a 1000 year empire. Go to Rome to be inspired by mind blowing scale and architecture that stirs the heart.  Go to Rome feel the ebb and flow of its sheer size.  Go to to Rome for two days and get the hell out.  Italy has so much to offer.  

Our culinary adventures in Rome (Part 2)

With my fellow blogger being so detailed while describing our Roman vacation I’d just like to talk about the pastry side of things. Unfortunately, it seems as though the Romans don’t really appreciate a fine pastry and will just settle for mediocre. The best looking pastries we’ve seen were at a French bakery and that’s not a joke.

The bread as a whole is tasteless and generally pretty disappointing. Their “secret” is to avoid putting salt in their doughs in order to allow for the salty cured meats they put in their paninis to shine through. I appreciate the gesture but I’d rather have great tasting bread!

Probably the best pastry I had in Rome was a Sicilian Cannelloni!!! The key word there being Sicilian…. but disregarding that, it was a perfect dessert. A very dense filling of riccotta and whipped cream flavoured by the simple yet amazing aroma of preserved orange peel. The shell crumbled only in your mouth, holding it’s cylindrical shape until the last bite and unlike its Canadian counterparts, it wasn’t soggy in the least bit.

That’s it for now… off to Florence for some more culinary adventures, we’ll keep you posted!

 

 

Notes On Europe: Rome

We have been in Italy for the better part of a week and we have settled into our beautiful apartment in Florence. We spent the last few days in Rome walking around the largest city I have ever seen. I would have posted sooner, but the interweb is hard to track down in Rome. Heres a short recap of whats gone on so far. Bare with the writing, there is a lot of wine to taste here.

Part 1.
The trip so far.
Flew KLM from toronto to amsterdam. 6 hours plus in a plane really wears on you. The saving grace is that KLM is an exceptional way to fly. The service is outstanding, and the planes are very well equiped. The food was, well, airplane food, but I can honestly say Ive had a lot worse both on and off a plane.

Arrived in Amsterdam.
The airport is a a mega hub. Tons of people kicking around at 6am. So much so that you would be hard pressed to tell the time here. Bars are open, seafood restos are open and even at 6am the place is pretty much running at full steam.

Its interesting. There are several restos here all sporting solid looking food. They are packed while the food court, hidden away on a second floor, is pretty much empty. Right off the bat its clear that food is much more important here then it is back in Toronto.

Off to rome.

Part 2
The fist day in Rome consisted of wandering the city. It is epic in scale. While we have some large buildings in Toronto, nothing compares to the sheer scale of buildings in Rome.

It is a city of a million small restaurants, snack bars and cafes. For the most part each designed to take from the tourist. So far we have managed to find one local spot for coffee and it is incredible. Forget everything we have in the city, forget every barrista maven and trendy coffee hangout, coffee in Rome is serious. Locals dont sit on a patio nursing a cup. They walk in, order and slam back a coffee in no time flat. They drink the coffee, standing, at the counter.

We decided to stay in for diner for dinner and hunted down a grocery store. No small feat in Rome. As it turns out, most grocery stores here feel like shopping at a glorified convenience store. While the selection was slim, prices were in line with Torontos but the food quality was outstanding. Sad to say, but the food we get in Ontario is poor by comparison. Standard, run of the mill, non artisanal charcuterie is mind blowing. Delicate textures, beautiful cures and a noticeable lack of salty burn make even the most regular meats outstanding. Everything so far is much better then anything I have tried at home. I have quickly come to understand that we have a long, long way to go.

NEXT

Breakfast at our apartment. Eggs, fresh bread, french brie and brassola. Unbelievable. Eggs with bright yellow-orange yolks, bread slightly sweet from semolina flour and creamy, divine french brie. I cant adequately relate how good the raw ingredients are here.

After walking for most of the day taking in the sites and sound of Rome, it is dawning on us that most of the restos aim at the tourist market. sit on a patio and espresso costs 4euros, almost three times as much as it does inside. The key to eating in rome is to either run with the Michelin guide or, talk to people and find out where the locals eat. While the tourist spots may offer good food, it is a far cry from what can be had.

That being said, we found a little out of the way spot, tucked out of the way in the Trastevere area. Red and white check table cloths,drunk locals singing their hearts out and perfect food. Tomatoes are just coming into season here. They are epic. I almost cried at my first bite of perfectly seasoned bruschetta. So simple. Tomatoes, a little olive oil, salt, and garlic on fresh bread. Fall down amazing. Two thin crust pizzas, fresh and unreal. Again, ingredients and care made each dish. A liter of house wine and we walked out paying about $45 CAN, tip in.

AND THEN

Tracked down two farmers markets on Sat. Both really fun and offering far more then every single grocery store in Rome. People don’t shop at grocery stores, they shop at the market and buy, for the most part, from the farmer. We bought some beautiful food:
800g rib steak. Butchered with massive knife and cleaver for us.
200g oyster and beech mushrooms
300g new potatoes
4 brand spanking new carrots
fresh bread
total: less then 20 Euros.

What is important to note here is that meat is very expensive. Every where you go in Rome, even at the markets, Meat is very pricey. That being said, its of top quality. People simply will not buy factory meat here. Chickens are sold whole and are a luxurious yellow color and come with a healthy fat cap. Pork is clean and tastes like, well, pork. The steak we bought had a rich red color, smelled of proper aging and was a little bit of bovine heaven.

More to come…

Torito Restaurant, Toronto

A fierce competitor for the number one restaurant in Toronto (in my books anyways) is Torito, a little restaurant in Kensington Market (Augusta and College st) serving up delicious tapas. The atmosphere is very laid back and friendly, the staff is very knowledgeable and very genuine and welcoming and the kitchen (open to the dining room) is absolutely spotless.

Although for appetizer sized portions this place is a little pricey, it is definitely worth the splurge just for the attention to detail and flavour that is apparent from the chef.  The ceviche was light and delicate with finely hand chopped white bass complemented by lime juice and a hint of red onion, toasted corn kernels and cilantro. The yam chips were also a great accompaniment to this palate awakening dish. Chef Luis Valenzuela showcases his talents on my favourite dish of the night, the grilled octopus. It was cooked to perfection, not chewy as it easily turns out, and was complemented very well by the smoky taste of the grill. The tongue and cheek dish melted in your mouth. The fiery paprika and sherry shrimp were divine, so good that we ended up licking our plate clean. Unfortunately not on the regular menu, but the “raw” pasta special of the night was a kaleidoscope of flavours I will be sure to steal inspiration from. The pasta in itself was made from thinly julienned carrots and zucchini, texturally similar to pasta but a little strange. However, the soy peanut sauce it was served with was out of this world. (definitely outside the Latin influences of this restaurant). Finally, our dessert: stuffed churros. They were incredible, served still warm, oozing a very sweet chocolately filling that I surely could have eaten a whole liter of!

I definitely recommend this restaurant as a place to grab a drink and some tapas, but definitely don’t go if you’re ravished (unless you’re ok with a higher bill). I cannot wait to return once their patio opens up so I can enjoy a glass (maybe pitcher) of sangria and some wonderful Spanish cuisine.

Ferran Adria speaks on water.

You have to respect the man and his absolute dedication to food and science. He is also really good at answering questions. Maybe something is lost in the translation?   The magic really begins at about 2:15ish.

 

Transcript:

opnik: What’s the earliest memory of a transformational food experience?Adria, via translator: Before that, he would like to make people think about something. And after that we’ll talk about cooking and cuisine. So, how many times do we all do this within our days or our lifetime? (Adria drinks water)

Adam’s just doing this now. We do this thousands of times. And we don’t seem to give it the importance it deserves. So let’s get concentrated.

So, we will observe the glass of water. We will observe that it’s transparent–it’s translucent. We will smell it. It has no smell. Then we will observe that something that is odorless, transparent, has no flavor, if you analyze it would be very hard to find anything quite like it. There are not many products like this in the world. So we will then drink. We will observe it is about ten degrees. Then we will think about the fact that the human body can accept a variation of about minus fifteen degrees–for ice cream–or plus sixty degrees–which would be a consommé or a broth. It is nothing compared to the temperature of the nucleus of the earth. But enough to create a contrast in temperatures. Then, we will observe that it is a liquid. There are so many million different types of edible textures. Then we will observe that it has no base taste: it is not sweet, it is not bitter, it is not salty, it is not astringent, it is not spicy, it has no variations and no flavor. And then we will think and we will observe until now we have used our senses and then we will use our intellect.

We know it is water because that is a fact. If extraterrestrials were to exist and they came to Earth, they would not know it is water. We will then observe and reflect upon the fact that, if you don’t drink water, you can die, and that makes it one of the most important ingredients or products in nutrition. It has a social component because we will also realize that there are thousands and millions of children that die every year because they don’t have enough drinking water.

So, in order to talk about cooking or cuisine, we’ll have to decide about which two aspects we’re going to talk.

 

 

 

Thanks to the good people at  Eater for the transcript and bringing this video to light.