September: I'm Dreaming of...

 

Gosh, how is it September already?! I really don't want to let go of summer...not just yet. 

It just seems so hard to think about September when I don't even know where August went.  I've had to mull on this for a few days as you can see, this post did not come out till many days after Labour Day.  The city is also abuzz with TIFF so September is definitely upon us.  Would love to say I'd be going to see a film, but just can't devote time at this point.

So onto things I can devote time to.  I recently have enjoyed a breakfast of smoked salmon on a baguette and cream cheese.  Add a cup of tea (green tea went well), and it's the start to a great day! Love the fact that it's such a simple breakfast but at the same time feels like such a treat.  These types of breakfasts just make the start of the day so great!  Check out this blog and this blog for breakfast ideas.  Each has a different feel to them but they are both mainly devoted to breakfast. 



I'm definitely thinking of cooking and baking things with produce from the farmers market.  I picked up some pea sprouts, white peaches and strawberries from the farmers market.  White peaches are not as common as the yellow kind but are really nice and sweet.  Hmmm, white peach mousse cake?  My little one loves to pick off the baby leaves of the pea shoots. The first time she did it she put it in her mouth but was not accustomed to eating raw greens. Like lettuce leaves, she'll chew and then spit it out.  But, she wanted to do it again and again. Maybe she can somehow taste the flavour but just can't chew through the raw leaves/stems just yet.  Would love to see her in a strawberry field!

I'm also thinking of cheese...like the etorki cheese I had a friends place some time ago...or the smoked gouda at a bbq, or gruyere!  Maybe it's this book I'm reading, Picnic in Provence, that I'm thinking about cheese.  If you know anything about France, you know that cheese is loved very much and is an integral part of French cuisine and culture...so a book based in Provence most certainly refers to cheese numerous times.

 

So, September...I'm dreaming of simple yet indulgent breakfasts, eating some of my favourite cheeses and maybe trying new ones, and definitely enjoying the fruits of the season!

 

Fahrenheit Coffee - For Tea and Baked Goods?

Fahrenheit Coffee
120 Lombard Avenue
Toronto, ON M5A 4J6

Who goes to a popular coffee house and orders tea?!

Me...(I say quietly)
Well, I was actually looking to have a ginger molasses cookie.

Huh?!  (Would be the response of most people.)

Yes, I've been seeing ginger molasses cookies at a lot of cafes and started to have a craving.  I tried to bake some in the morning, but I'm either a truly bad baker or the recipe I found online was not quite right...

Anyway, I wanted a cookie and of course going to a coffee house, it seems a little weird to just buy a cookie so I ordered a drink.  I wasn't in the mood for something strong like coffee so got a Sencha Tea Latte.  The milk was nice and foamy and I really enjoyed it (the tea was okay too). But, don't expect any latte art, cause well, I don't think it can be done in tea.  Overall, a nice beverage.

This makes me want to buy my own milk frother, the expensive over a hundred dollar kind.  It's actually been on my wish list for some time, but it is another gadget I just don't have the space for...and let's face it...I'd probably only use it a few times a month.

So, aside from the tea latte, I got a scone.

What?!  Thought you were looking for a ginger molasses cookie?

Yes, well, they ran out when I went (I hear laughter somewhere)...so since I was in the mood for a baked good, I got a white chocolate cranberry scone.  Not much white chocolate but very buttery!  It's quite different from other scones I've had in that the texture is different and it seems double baked.  Before they served it to me they also heated it up in their oven which was nice.

Space is small so this is not a place to linger/chat/work.  Maybe during off peak hours you can stay a bit to chat especially since there are a few items that are only served in-house, but this is more of a to-go kind of place.  Baristas are nice and you do feel like they want to be there.

Although I didn't get the coffee, looking at other people's drinks, they look well made.  If you like tea lattes, this is also a good place to go.  Ginger molasses cookies...I'll have to let you know another day.

  

 

Week 35 Baking: Buckwheat Strawberry Shortcakes

I needed something fast to bake and instantly thought of these buckwheat shortcakes from the book Pure Desserts. Combining a few simple ingredients, flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream; baking in a 425 degree oven yields 9 lovely little shortcakes...great on their own when right out of the oven or of course, with strawberries and cream.

I picked up these strawberries from the farmers market.  (Gosh, I really need to take a course in food plating or food styling...the strawberries look so awkward!) Quite surprised to see strawberries still around and the seller at the Thames Farm Stand told me that they are a varietal that they can harvest well into the fall.  After doing a bit of research I found that these strawberries are likely an "everbearing" varietal.  They were small but sweet, soooo good!  Too bad, there are bound to be several that are overripe and bruised.  Here is a short video by the Ontario Berry Growers Association on how the "everbearing" or "day-neutral" strawberries are grown here in Ontario.  Hmmm, I just might have to make a fall strawberry picking trip!

Book Review: The Food of Taiwan by Cathy Erway

Pork Meat Sauce over Rice (Lu Rou Fan) 滷肉飯

If you know me, you know I love Taiwanese food and of course, when I first heard that this book was going to be published, I knew I had to get it! This is Cathy Erway's second published book, but first cookbook (although I think her first book had some recipes).   I miss the food in Taiwan and this gave me the motivation to make some of the dishes that I crave. 

The book contains 100 recipes, many are simple traditional dishes that you'd find at many local restaurants in Taiwan and some staple night market dishes as well. Some dishes have origins from China (as many people in Taiwan have ancestry from China), but have become more of a local dish over the years.  Erway does note in the book that she had to keep asking herself" what makes the dish distinctly Taiwanese?  Meaning, not something that's merely a riff or extension of something you'd find in some part of mainland China, nor an attempt at something from an even more far-flung locale".  I like this about her book as she really does attempt to showcase many dishes that would be considered Taiwanese.  She briefly looks at how social factors have led to the formation of Taiwanese cuisine as well as overseas influences.

It's not an indepth look at Taiwanese culture and cuisine, but does touch on many significant areas that gives some good background info about Taiwan.

The recipes I tried:

Pan-Fried Rice Noodles with Pork and Vegetables (Chao Mi Fen) 炒米粉
Noodles with Minced Pork and Fermented Bean Sauce (Zha Jiang Mian) 炸醬麵
Pork Meat Sauce over Rice (Lu Rou Fan) 滷肉飯
Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji) 三杯雞
Mochi (Ma Ji) 麻糬 - this was actually filled with peanut but I didn't use peanut (for this recipe, I have made a comment about it here)

There are still so many recipes that I'm interested in making (like one for Pepper Pork Buns (Hu Jiao Bing 胡椒餅) but just haven't had the time.


What I liked...

- Lots of interesting recipes
- Recipes aren't altered to cater to western palates but does try to present recipes where ingredients could be easily purchased in North America. 
- Each recipe is introduced with a little info or personal story
- A range of recipes from very easy recipes to more challenging ones
- Summarizes the food in Taiwan and the people very well


What could be improved...

- I wanted to love the book and find nothing that I could constructively critique, but there was something that I was unfortunately surprised to find...a number of the dishes I tried seemed too salty.  Maybe it is the brand of soy sauce I used but I had to reduce the quantity of soy sauce (by a quarter)for almost all the recipes I tried except one, the fried rice noodles "chao mi fen".  I used a Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce but I think in Taiwan, a popular brand is Kimlan which I've used in the past.  This might be a less salty soy sauce.  Aside from this, the recipes were great in terms of method and other ingredients.

- There other thing I want to comment on is the small section on tea.  Taiwan is famous for tea, particularly oolong tea and the term "fermented"is used in the book instead of oxidized.  I don't believe this is Erway's error as I've seen the use of the word "fermented" in text from Taiwan.  Fermenting is a different process and this term was erroneously used in the past to describe the oxidation process that occurs when oolong (and red/black) tea is made.  So, some people will still use fermenting to describe the processing of tea.

Noodles with Minced Pork and Fermented Bean Sauce (Zha Jiang Mian) 炸醬麵

Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji) 三杯雞 (I forgot to take a picture right after cooking so you'll have to settle for this one)

Pan-Fried Rice Noodles with Pork and Vegetables (Chao Mi Fen) 炒米粉

Overall, I think this book is well written and does deliver on pretty authentic recipes.  Except for the quantity of soy sauce, all the other measurements were pretty good and the instructions were great.  I know that there are some foods that just can't be replicated exactly, especially when it comes to freshness of ingredients, but I think most people will find at least a few recipes that will become standard dishes in their home.

Rose City Kitchen - Middle Eastern Lunch

Rose City Kitchen (RCK)
36 Toronto Street
Toronto, Canada M5C 2C5
T: 416-306-0440
This location is only open M-F (11am - 6pm)
http://www.rosecitykitchen.com/

Yum!!  Saw some pics of this place on Zomato (the Queen St. location) and knew there was one near work so I tried it out last week and it's a pretty good lunch box!  I originally wanted the steak but they ran out, so I tried halloumi cheese instead.

I got the Egyptian box which consists of a bed of brown rice, topped with red cabbage, eggplant/chickpea/date puree, corn, tomatoes, and your choice of protein.  The eggplant puree was slightly sweet and went well with the other items in the box.  It was a quite a balanced box in terms of nutrition as well.  The portion might seem small, but it actullay turned out to be filling enough.  (But I'm thinking of some men I know that would need an extra sandwich or side.)  I've mentioned before that I don't usually buy lunch on weekdays, but there are days when you just don't have the time or energy to make a healthy lunch and RCK does a good job at filling the need.



Note: price of the box meal I got $10, includes the tax.

This was my first time trying halloumi but I've heard good things about it, especially that it has a unique texture and it can be grilled so it can be an easy vegetarian substitute.  Personally, I thought it was okay...I'm all for different textures but I guess I prefer hard cheeses like gruyere, soft ones like unripened goat cheese, cheddar anything, and of course a melty baked brie is devine.  The halloumi was salty which balanced out the slightly sweet eggplant puree and initally feels like you might be biting into something like meat but I guess it ends there.  There wasn't a creamy mouthfeel afterwards like other cheeses and doesn't have the texture of meat, so to me I'd eat it but it wouldn't be something I'd crave.

Rose petal hot sauce and harissa ketchup are available if you need a bit more kick to your meal. And I'd definitely recommend the harissa ketchup on halloumi.  Several long communal tables are available for you to eat at which is nice.

I'd definitely go back to try their falafel and other boxes, but just have to go earlier to get that steak!

  

 



ZenQ - Grass Jelly Dessert to Cool You Down

ZenQ

1076-8333 Kennedy Rd (The Square at Langham Mall)

Markham, ON L3R 4P8

1-855-999-ZENQ (9367)

It‘s been quite a hot and humid weekend in Toronto so I was craving some cold dessert.  Initially, I was thinking shaved ice and ZenQ had a pretty good selection of flavours that I'd be interested in (i.e. black sesame, milk tea, and matcha flavoured).  I‘ve only had the milk teas at ZenQ in North York so was interested in trying their desserts.  Instead of shaved ice, I ended up getting a grass jelly dessert plate with red bean, tapioca pearls, mochi, and grass jelly ice.  (Also, a side of ice cream was an additional dollar.)

The grass jelly was smooth and cooling as expected and was a very good portion size.  Quite enjoyed it; just what I needed. This dessert is not that sweet and they don't give you a side of sugar syrup like some other places so be aware of this, it's not going to statisfy a sweet tooth.  I think the only disappointing part was I was hoping the 3 flavoured mochi would be a little more distinct in their flavours.  I know taro and sweet potato are harder to taste, but matcha should have been easier.  Despite this, still would recommend the grass jelly here.

Decor is bright and modern with a mix of seating that includes a couple of booths.  (Noticed one high chair for parents with toddlers.)

Haven‘t tried the meals here yet but their special combos look pretty good, $9 for food and a drink between 12pm - 9pm.  Next time!

Making Elderberry Syrup

My little one was sick and then me, so blogging has not been a priority.  Starting to feel better and I realized I haven't posted on the elderberry syrup I made.  After my visit to Petit Nuage and then subsequent stop at North York Centre's farmer's market (open on Thursdays), I picked up a pint of elderberries.  They look so beautiful :)

I decided to make an elderberry syrup with them following David Lebovitz's recipe which was pretty simple.  The time consuming part as mentioned is de-stemming the little berries, which a pint took me about 20 minutes.  Since I only had a pint (250 g after de-stemming), I reduced the recipe to a quarter of the amounts.  Came out pretty good, but I think next time I'm going to try less sugar; would have liked it slightly more tart.

I've added to plain yogurt, made elderberry yogurt popsicles, and also tried it mixed with club soda and a squirt of lime.  

Side note: according to folk medicine, elderberries are supposed to have some effect on treating the flu...too bad I didn't load up on this before we got sick!  But, I'd be interesting in reading more studies on this.