Mushroom Risotto

This is one of my favourite risotto dishes. A hearty and meatless entree that is easy to prepare and a great compliment to any meal. So worth all the stirring!

Ingredients:

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock, plus more as needed
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb. white button mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced
2 cups medium-grain rice, such as Arborio
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 Tbs. beef demi-glace
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Directions:

in a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

In a large saucepan or risotto pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring just about wilted, for about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring until the grains are hot and coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and continue to cook, stirring often until all the liquid is absorbed.

Add the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and making sure the liquid has been absorbed before adding more. The risotto is done when the rice grains are creamy on the outside and firm yet tender to the bite, 20-25 minutes total.

Remove the risotto from the heat. Sir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, the demi-glace and cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into warmed soup bowls and serve immediately. Serves 4-6.


Source: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Savoring Series, Savoring Italy, by Michele Scicolone.

House of Moments

I recently celebrated a friend's birthday at House of Moments, in the industrial loft district on Carlow Ave. It originally opened in May 2012 as a cavernous 12000 square-foot art gallery where the owner, an avid global art collector, could display his massive collection, including dozens of giant Buddhas from Thailand, Cambodia and India. The gallery also hosts a revolving art collection of select artists that changes every month. The giant loft space is thoughtfully carved up into intimate spaces by dividers - a series of hand-crafted 17th century doors from Jaipur and white flowing curtains. In August, the gallery also became a place to tantalize the taste buds with the opening of it's restaurant and lounge, specializing in Japanese-Middle Eastern fusion cuisine. The decor is rustic and decadent all at once. Nothing is spared in it's dedication to detail, down to the beautifully crafted servings of sushi, adorned in petals and twigs. A generous portion of food was just as appreciated.

Founded in the dingy industrial district, stepping into the warm glow of the House of Moments will awaken all your senses to the brink. Prepare yourself for an evening of magical moments.





House of Moments
105C-388 Carlaw Ave
(416) 901 6003
www.houseofmoments.com

Rating: 9/10

Pumpkin Soup with Leeks and Chervil

This is the classic autumn soup and one of my all-time favourites. I always use fresh pumpkin for this soup, and the hearty and soothing fresh flavour is completely worth the extra elbow grease that goes into cutting the pumpkin. You can also use a combination of pumpkin and another squash for a more complex flavour pairing. To add a little dose of sweetness, add a small handful of chopped apples along with the vegetables.

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp butter

1 leek (white and light green parts only), well rinsed and diced

6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

12 ounces pumpkin or any other winter squash (such as butternut or kabocha), peeled, seeded and diced

1 potato, 6-8 ounces, peeled and diced

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups dry white wine or 1 cup dry vermouth

Grating of nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Garnishes

Creme fraiche, about 1 tbsp per serving

4-6 tbsp chopped chervil

2-3 tbsp chopped chives

Melt the butter in a heavy soup pot over low heat. Add the leek, garlic, pumpkin and potato. Cover and sweat the vegetables over very low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until they are tender but now brown.

Add the stock and wine, bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor, then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with the creme fraiche, chervil, chives, or toasted pumpkin seeds.

Source: The San Francisco Chronicles Cookbook Volume II

Momofuku Noodle Bar

In 2011, I walk into Momofuku Noodle Bar in the East Village in NYC by accident on New Year's Day, when I couldn't find another place open for brunch. But Momofuku was open and with a line up. Seriously, for ramen? Unbeknown to me, I had stumbled into one of the most popular restaurants in the city that specialized in "gourmet" ramen, a popular culinary trend that had taken off like a rocket in NYC. As a typical Asian, ramen was nothing new to me and I was quite taken back by all the fuss over this.

Ever since that day, I could not stop hearing about the Momofuku name like it was the best new thing since sliced bread in the culinary world. So when I heard chef David Chang was opening his trademark restaurant in Toronto's new Shangri-La Hotel, I was happy to visit again. 

Like with any new opening of a hot restaurant, hour-long lineups are inevitable. We wisely tried our luck right at 5 pm on a Sunday evening as soon as it open, and got in right away. We quickly ordered their namesake ramen (pork belly and shoulder, fish cake and egg) and their ridiculously famous pork buns. Good service - the food came just as quickly. Plus we sat at the bar and watched the newbie staff in action and hustling it (Love this - it's like live theatre to me).

Ramen itself is nothing earth-shattering but make no mistake: this ramen is no Mr Noodle. These fresh noodles have a wonderful chewy texture and authenticity about it. The broth has a hearty yet complex flavour (supposedly made from chicken legs, roasted pork bones, ham hocks and bacon) with morsels of juicy Berkshire pork belly swimming in it. Each bowl is nicely topped off by a couple sheets of nori to add texture.

There is so much hype over their pork buns and when they arrived, I was taken back by the simplicity - a generous morsel of pork wrapped in a mini pita-like fluffy pillow, served with hoisin sauce, scallions and cucumber. But they were so very good and I could've eaten half a dozen. The freshness makes all the difference.

I will surely head back to Momofuku from time to time to get my dose of one of my favorite comfort foods. It's also worth the visit next door to check out the captivating lobby of the Shangri-La Hotel. 

Rating: 8/10  

Classic Tomato Soup

The iconic Campbell's Tomato Soup is a staple in most people's pantry. But you haven't really enjoyed tomato soup until you make you own. The secret to this decadent but simple soup is the extra step at the beginning: roasting the tomatoes and onions before folding them into the soup. The caramelized vegetables add a tremendous dose of flavour and richness. So worth the extra bit of time and effort!

Watch Chef Kari prepare this soup at www.indigo.ca/fall

Source: www.indigo.ca/fall

Triscuit Thin Crisps

I've been a fan of these super tasty and addictive baked whole-grain crackers for a while now. I first got hooked on their Rosemary and Olive Oil flavoured crackers. I never thought I would enjoy anything THAT healthy so much (only 90 calories, 3% fat, 3% sodium). No guilt at all going through a box! Today, I discovered their new Applewood Smoked Barbecue flavour and it so ridiculously good that I had to mention it to everyone. Bye bye potato chips, hello Triscuits! Check out all the the other flavours here

The Burger's Priest

Being blessed with another incredibly warm March weekend in Toronto, it seemed like everyone was out in the city streets revelling in the joy of our early spring weather. I also never noticed so many people dressed in green (in shorts and sandals too) on the streets to celebrate St Patrick's Day on Saturday. An extra dose of Irish Spring fever in the air!

So what goes better with great weekend weather than a damn good burger? I finally made my way to the The Burger's Priest on Queen St East to try their much talked-about classic American cheeseburger. The two draw-backs about this place are the long line-ups and that it's strictly takeout. Considering the warm weather, I didn't mind waiting outside for a bit and taking the food to go. Once inside, my first thought was that this joint was TINY but the looks on people's faces were of pure happiness and thick with anticipation. I had high hopes for this food considering Zagat's 2012 Restaurant Survey has named this restaurant the 3rd best food in Toronto (following the far more upscale Scaramouche and Chiado/Senhor Antonio Tapas and Wine Bar).

I ordered the "The Priest", a cheeseburger topped with a fat juicy fried Portobello. Did I mentioned the mushroom was also stuffed with cheese? Hello heartburn. It was tantalizing to see the whole masterpiece assembled and cooked right in front of you.

The bottom line: This burger couldn't get any more fresher and juicier. I love mushrooms, so the blend of flavours and textures bursting in my mouth was amazing. It was well cooked, not overdone so juice was dribbling down my face. It did lack a signature taste, compared to a Harvey's burger (which coincidentally is across the street). But the taste is truly home-style: biting into the burger, I dreamily recalled hot summer days and BBQs. This is the perfect burger you can grill yourself, without having to.

The Burger's Priest

1636 Queen St West (and Coxwell Ave)

www.theburgerspriest.com

(647) 346-0617

How to Make Better Scrambled Eggs

Who doesn't want to start the day with a plate of hot creamy, buttery eggs? According to Ruth Reichl, the simple secret for the most luxurious eggs is to keep the heat low and keep stirring. Take it away, Ruth...

Everybody thinks they can make great scrambled eggs. Most people are wrong. They think that great scrambled eggs are fast and easy. They aren’t. They think they need a lot of fancy added ingredients. They don’t. The main point to remember—other than using the best, freshest eggs that you can find along with good sweet butter—is that scrambled eggs, cooked with great patience, have a texture like velvet and a taste that reminds you why you want to be alive.

I learned how to make this kind of scrambled eggs from The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book, and Alice learned to make them from the painter, Francis Picabia, who understood that scrambled eggs should not be fluffy curds, but a dense, almost custardy concoction that you eat with great joy and concentration. To achieve that, Mr. Picabia had five rules:

Cook them over very low heat.

Stir them constantly; he used a fork, but I prefer a heatproof rubber spatula.

Keep adding butter as you cook them. Mr. Picabia preferred 2 tablespoons of butter per egg - which comes out to a stick of butter for every 4 eggs that you’re cooking. “More,” he counseled, “if you can bring yourself to it.” I don’t mind counseling the opposite; it’s really the slow cooking that makes these eggs, not the butter.

Don’t rush; Mr. Picabia says to take half an hour to prepare the eggs. That, I’ll admit, also seems slightly excessive to me. I think you can turn the heat up slightly and do it in about 15 minutes.

Below is the recipe verbatim from The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book. Feel free to adjust it as I have, but as long as you keep the heat low and your hand moving until they’re creamy but nearly set, you’ll end up with the most luscious eggs of your life.

Eggs Francis Picabia

Break 8 eggs into a bowl and mix them well with a fork, adding salt but no pepper. Pour them into a saucepan - yes a saucepan, not a frying pan. Put the saucepan over a very, very low flame, and keep turning them with a fork while very slowly adding in very small quantities ½ lb. butter - not a speck less, more if you can bring yourself to it. It should take ½ hour to prepare this dish. The eggs of course are not scrambled, but with the butter, no substitute admitted, produce a suave consistency that only gourmets will appreciate.

Source:
http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/4078-how-to-make-better-scrambled-eggs

Crispy-Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I'm craving chocolate, nothing hits the spot like fresh homemade cookies (plus a glass of milk or scoop of vanilla ice cream). This cookie is exactly how I like it. The high oven temperature makes the cookie crispy around the edges, while the middle stays thick and cakey due to the short baking time. You can achieve this texture especially if you scoop smaller-size mounds of dough.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.

Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (use the paddle attachment for a stand mixer). Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dough and refrigerate at least 1 hr or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop scant tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown around the edges but still light in the center, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Source: Food Network Magazine