Christmas Break

Sorry for the hiatus!

We’ll be back with your regularly scheduled reviewing in the new year.

Expect posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!

Great Eggspectations

Now that you know how to choose fresh from foul eggs, you need to learn the tricks of preparing the perfect egg.

boiling egg

Boiling eggs is a tried, tested, and true method of cooking eggs and perhaps the most elementary way to prepare proto-fowl, but even something as simple as boiling an egg can be complicated—eggs crack, they over cook, they undercook, and they get discoloured. This quick and elementary guide will provide you with tips and techniques for faultless eggs every time.

Soft-boiled

runny soft-boiled egg

Soft-boiled eggs are a difficult to time perfectly. This is complicated by the fact that not everybody’s idea of what exactly constitutes a soft-boiled egg synchs up.

Wait till the water comes to a boil, and then turn the water down to a simmer; too roaring a boil and your egg might get cracked on the bottom of the pan. Cradle your egg in a spoon and sink it down to the bottom of the pan. Just dropping your egg into the pan nearly guarantees a crack.

Generic soft boiling times

• For a medium sized egg: 3 minutes for runny; 5 minutes for a medium-boiled egg (the yolk runs a bit in the centre, but everything else is pretty much solid). For large eggs add one minute to these cooking times, and for extra large eggs add one more minute to the cooking times.

medium soft-boiled egg

Plunge the egg into cold water after removing it from the pan. This will stop the cooking process and keep the egg at your desired runniness.

Hard boiled

Unlike soft-boiled, the timing with hardboiled eggs is a little more flexible. Thus, if you are in a rush, you don’t have to wait for pot to come to a boil before plunging the egg into the watery depths (just add a 3 minutes to the cooking time). Once the water is boiling, reduce your heat to simmer, again insuring your precious cargo doesn’t crack.

• Boil your egg for 10-12 minutes (judge based on sized).

Once the eggs are boiled submerge them into a cold bath promptly. But why you ask? Boiled eggs can’t over cook can they? Well, not in the same way that soft-boiled eggs can overcook, but the eggs can develop dark green rings around the yolks if cooked on too high of a temperature or cooked for too long.

overcooked franken-egg

What are those dark green rings that appear around yolks? When eggs are overcooked, cooked at too high a temperature, or the cooking water is iron rich, then a green ring appears around the yolk. This green ring is a manifestation of the iron and sulfur compounds in the egg. It doesn’t affect the taste, but it’s unsightly for some egg dishes, and over cooking does compromise the integrity of the egg’s protein. Ultimately, it’s just not optimal.

So, what if my egg did crack, do I need to start over? Nope, if there’s a small crack on your egg just add a little vinegar to the cooking water. Vinegar prevents the egg white from seeping out of the egg. A common reason eggs crack is due to heat expansion. Rather than throwing your fridge cold eggs in a pot of boiling water, warm them up a bit! By placing your eggs in warm water for a few minutes while the water is coming to a boil you will insure crack free eggs (nearly) every time.

Is there ever a time I should crack my eggs? Some people like to put a small puncture with the tip of a knife into the air cell of the egg to reduce the likelihood of cracking. I think this is nonsense and leads to more cracked eggs and undesired omelets than necessary. There is one time that cracking your egg is essential: before allowing your hard boiled eggs to cool in a bath of cold water. Cracking the egg before cooling it will make future peeling a breeze.

young love

Since I was knee high to a grasshopper I loved to cook.

Eggsposé: Deciphering Egg Cipher

Eggs are fantastic. They’re so multifaceted. They can be beaten, boiled, fried, scrambled, baked, sweet, or salty, and they’re integral to so many different and delicious dishes from soufflés to flaeskeaeggekage (the Danish bacon and egg cake). Eggs are great for a healthy satisfying meal that’s quick and wallet friendly, but they’re a little secretive. How can you tell when an egg is fresh? You can’t squeeze it like a tomato, or smell it like a fish. This article will help you decipher egg cipher.

How do you tell if an egg’s fresh? Old eggs have a smooth and shiny shell, that when hard-boiled is easy to remove, while fresh eggs have a rough and chalky shell that is, you guessed it, harder to remove when hardboiled. If texture is not a clear enough indicator, there is an easy way to test the freshness of your egg.

• Fill up a bowl, or glass, with cool water. The water level should be at least three times as high as your egg is tall.
• Place your egg in the water and wait while the egg settles.
• Observe your results: the fresher your egg, the deeper in the water it will settle. A very fresh egg will settle on the bottom and lay on its side. A moderately old, but still edible, egg will lie on the bottom balancing on its smallest tip. If your egg floats to the surface then it is no longer edible and should be thrown away.

The reason this trick works is that as an egg ages it absorbs air that causes the cell expands. Thus, the older the egg is the higher it will float when submerged in water. It’s like there’s a tiny balloon in the egg, that grows in girth with every passing day. If you want to slow down the egg aging process it is best to keep your eggs dirty. I know that sounds strange, but by washing the egg you remove their protective coating; without their film of dirt the eggs will spoil faster and absorb fridge odors.

Is the colour of the yoke an indication of freshness? No, it’s not. The colour of an egg yolk reflects the chicken’s diet and has nothing to do with freshness. The yellow colour is the result of the chicken eating foods high in xanthophylls (this fancy chemical is what makes leaves turn pretty colours in fall). Chickens that eat barley or wheat have lighter yolks, whereas chickens that dine on corn or alfalfa yield medium yellow yolks. Some farmers will even feed their chickens marigolds, or other orange plant matter, to induce that bright orange yolk colour associated with free range eggs.

What are those weird red spots in the egg? When I was little my friend Jordan and I tried to hatch a clutch of chicken eggs, and so we made a nest out of old clothes and placed the eggs next to the radiator to keep them warm. I think we might of even tried sitting, ever so delicately, on the makeshift nest; however, after about a week her older sister kyboshed the eggsperiment. Jordan and I were particularly distraught because in one of the eggs there was a large red spot that looked like an embryo about to take on life.

Later I discovered that the embryo in question, referred to by ovologis, and internet eggsperts, as a blood spot, did not signify fertilization. Blood spots are caused by a ruptured blood vessel during the formation of the egg; they do not indicate that the egg is fetid. In fact, the their presence denotes freshness, because blood spots dilute as the egg ages.

What about those rope-like strands of egg white? What’s their deal? Those are called chalazae, and they help to keep the yolk of an egg centered. By keeping the yolk suspended the chalazae protect the yolk from damage insuring better embryonic development. Chalazae are also indicator of freshness—the more prominent they are the fresher the egg. If you are really bothered by them you can remove them with the tip of a knife or with tweezers (blood spots can also be removed this way).

Are brown eggs more nutritious than white eggs? Neither brown nor white eggs are any better than the other. A chicken with red earlobes will lay a brown egg, whereas a chicken with white earlobes will lay a white egg. The colour of an egg has no impact on taste or nutrition– the differences are purely cosmetic.

So, to recap…

This is how to tell if an egg is fresh

1. Rough, chalky shell
2. Sinks when placed in a bowl of cold water
3. Has red spots
4. Has white ropey strands

In the next tips segment I’ll give you tips for perfect eggs every time. Stay tuned.

Miss Cora’s Not Missing a Beat

A healthy hearty lunch for five dollars has become nearly myth in Toronto. Now, imagine a place where you could not only get lunch for five dollars, but lunch with a sweet mouthful of dessert and fifty cents change left over for… Well, ok, fifty cents won’t get you far these days. So, let’s recap—I am promising you lunch, desert, and a phone call for the sum total of five dollars. But where is this mythic provider of reasonably priced lunch foods and other goodies? Right in the heart of Kensington Market.

Miss Cora’s Kitchen settled into the heart of Kensington three years ago and have found themselves comfortably at home in the market. Cora’s soul warming food focuses on organic ingredients sourced from the market. A note to the waist wise: it’s healthy because it’s wholesome, not because it’s particularly diet friendly. If I only had one word to describe the effervescent proprietor it would be: epicurean.  Miss Cora’s philosophy is that food is about striking a balance between nourishing the body and nourishing the senses and the soul. Ultimately, according to Cora, it’s “about knowing that what you are eating was made using fresh ingredients, by a real person with love” and deriving pleasure from the experience.

Miss Cora’s Kitchen’s primary focus is catering, but when not feeding office meetings and wedding parties they’ll gladly prepare a few mouthwatering bites for those strolling through the market. Their daily offerings run the gamut from sickeningly sweet to salty and savory.

On the savory front Cora offers a daily soup, a handful sandwiches (5$), and an eclectic array of pizzas(3$), and if you come at the right times, hot mains like homemade pasta with marinara sauce (5$) or Mahogany Beef Stew. The sandwich bread leaves something to be desired, but their fillings steal the show.

The BRIE.L.T, is simple, but delicious. With a healthy serving of brie cheese, accompanied by spinach, a touch of mayo, and ripe roma tomatoes; it’ll satisfy even the loudest of lunchtime stomach growls. The pizzas are unorthodox, made on whole-wheat Persian barberi flatbread (and the tomato sauce is, of course, homemade, and fantastic).

Pizza toppings change to reflect what’s available in season and available in the market. It’s hard to guess what Cora’s next pizza creation will be, but past pizzas have included: chicken breast, with grilled artichoke, and mozzarella; goat cheese, sundried tomato, and baby zucchini; BBQ roast chicken, roasted bell pepper, and basil; steak, blue cheese, and onions.

On the sweet side Cora offers a butter tart your grandmother wishes she could make; flakey, buttery, crusts, filled with a caramel that is neither too runny nor too viscous. This may be butter tart perfection. There is a price to pay for perfection, and it isn’t cheap—2.50$ for these seraphic tarts.

Cora’s was deigned best cupcakes in Toronto by blogto.com. While their cup cakes are good, they’re fairly expensive for a less than euphoric experience. Their mini-cupcakes can often be a little dry, from sitting in the fridge, and lacking in flavour. Their vanilla has a bland cake-bottom and an over vanilla-ed frosting, while their chocolate cupcakes are lacking that ‘wow factor’. Their vegan coconut and their pink velvet cupcakes, however, are dense and absolutely delicious!

1 slice of gourmet pizza with toppings piled high 3$+ 1 mini pink velvet cupcake 1.50$ + 1 phone call = 5$ lunch

Miss Cora’s Kitchen is focused on catering more so than it is its takeaway nibbles, so don’t be too distraught when they run out of sandwiches or other treats, or if something isn’t crafted on the spot for you, there’ll always be tomorrow to sate that sweet tooth.

SERVICE 5/5 — Cora goes the extra mile to make you feel like a welcome friend, instead of a guest, in her kitchen.
AMBIANCE 3½/5 — It’s small, with little sitting room. Three stools to be exact. But the atmosphere is cozy, with butcher’s block counters, warm lighting, and fresh flowers. The kitchen takes up three quarters of the space, but it’s always fun to take a peek at how the magic’s made.
PRESENTATION 3½/5
TASTE 4/5
PRICE ¢
HOURS Monday-Sunday 12-6
LOCATION, LOCATION 69 Kensington Street

7$ soup to feed 7: Peas Please

Peas are a great legume, but outside of England they seem to be a little neglected. This recipe actually combines two neglected delectables: peas and tarragon. The woody anise flavour of the tarragon is a nice accent to the naturally sweet peas.

This is a delicate, but filling soup, with a great colour.  It’s easy to make, but your guests’ll think you slaved away. It’s best with fresh English peas, but a bag of frozen peas will work just as well. Feel like experimenting? Try mint instead of tarragon, or blend the two.

What you’ll need…

1 tbs butter

1 medium white onion (0.50)

1 bag of peas  750 g  (2.00)

¾ cup Sweet potatoes  (0.75)

5 cups vegetable or chicken stalk (1.50)

¼ cup heavy cream (1.00)

1 splash dry white wine (0.25?)

1 bunch tarragon (1.25)

Optional garnish: bacon or goat cheese

Preparation

• Peel and chop onion coarsely
• Peel and cube the sweet potatoes
• Wash the tarragon, strip leaves from steam and chop Reserve seven 4cm top tufts for garnish

Turn Up The Heat

1. In a large pot melt 1 tbs of butter, add onions and cook on medium until translucent.
2. Add sweet potatoes, peas, and stock. Let simmer for 25 minutes on medium low.
3. Test to ensure that potatoes are cooked through by piercing a larger potato morsel with a fork. The potato should give no resistance, for soup you don’t want to keep the potato’s integrity in tact. If the potato breaks apart, then you know you’re in business.
4. Remove soup from the burner and let cool down for five minutes.
5. Blend with a hand blender, adding cream, tarragon, and wine while blending.
6. Salt to taste. Taste before salting, store bought stock is pretty sodium rich.
7. Serve garnished with a sprig of tarragon, a crumble of goat cheese or a drizzle of cream, and if you’d like, a dusting of bacon bits.

Bon Appetite!

Aunties & Uncles

Some restaurants are pros at handling a deluge of customer’s; Aunties and Uncle’s, however, shines brightest during slow weekdays. The small space and open kitchen are often overwhelmed by stumbling undergrads seeking to assuage their hangovers. The wait staff get overwhelmed, the kitchen becomes chaotic, and the patrons grumble and moan about wait times that exceed the half hour mark. But, come on a lazy Thursday for lunch, and you can expect a piping cup of joe that rarely runs dry (2$, Reunion Island), some friendly banter with your sports enthusiast server, and well prepared and plated food.

Yves drinks a cup of Reunion Island coffee. Grown in Madagascar, roasted in Toronto, brewed at AU.

The decore is quaint, but a bit affected—it channels small town Ontario circa the 1950s with its airplane wall paper, outdate maps, long stopped coca cola wall clock, and pastel coloured Formica furniture. AU is homey not because it is particularly comfortable, but because it reminds you of what you think your grandmother’s kitchen would have been like.

Their set menu is ample and diverse with savory, sweet, and vegetarian options. And they are very flexible about sides; choose between challah bread, hash browns, Dijon potato salad, and mixed greens. Their potato salad is possibly the best in Toronto. Made with coarsely cut red skined potatoes, Dijon, fresh dill, and secret spices, this side is sinfully creamy, but it’s actually mayonnaise free and, surprisingly, vegan.

While the menu at Unties and Uncles is excellent for those watching their wallet (nothing over 8.75$), it’s not great for those watching their waists. Almost everything on the menu is heavy, buttery, and eggy. This may be why so many hangovers have been cured at AU. They are channeling that old diner vibe, so, grease should be a given, and on a cold winter day there’s nothing like a full belly to keep you motoring.

Three mains that will fill your belly

The breakfast tacos without chorizo. A poor decision.

The Breakfast Pocket (8.75$) is a patron favourite. The Breakfast Pocket is served on a warm onion bun, and thus is more of a breakfast sandwich than a pocket, but semantics aside, it’s delicious. Full of fluffy eggs, perfectly seared peameal, accented with caramelized onions, cheddar, and a hint of mayo, this sandwich/pocket is sure to fight off any hangover and all hunger pangs.

The Breakfast Tacos (8.75$) are satisfying, but my first mouthful failed to transport me to Mexican warmth. Despite the delicious cilantro sour cream, these tacos lack one key ingredient: salsa. Without ruffage the tacos are heavy, and their only real saving grace is the in house made chorizo and authentic Mexican tortillas. On my last visit to AU I decided to substitute the chorizo for mushrooms, big mistake. It’s the perfectly spiced chorizo that’s holding this dish together.

The Grilled Brie served with disappointing and underwhelming hash browns. The lesson: go for the amazing potato salad. Always.

If you are looking to forgo eggs, try the Grilled Brie (8.25$) served with pear chutney on challah toast. The natural light sweetness of the challah bread provides a great counterpoint to savory Brie. The Brie AU uses tends to be on the mild side  and does not overwhelm the delicate pear chutney. However, the walnuts can, and often do, overwhelm the sandwich. Walnuts have a high tannin level in their skins when compared to other nuts, that when unblanched can inundate the palate with bitterness. The bitterness could be balanced by a more flavourful pear chutney, or by blanching the walnuts, or by chopping them more finely, thereby sacrificing aesthetics. All together a good, and satisfying sandwich, but with a few small kitchen tweaks, this could be an awe inspiring, dream worthy, sandwich.

The meal was leisurely, the portions satisfying, and the service was good. The total for two people came to just over 21$. Ultimately, it wasn’t an out of body gastronomic experience, but it hit the spot, and as far as value for your buck goes, AU vying for first.

Full for 10$, I can handle that.

SERVICE 3.5/5
AMBIANCE 3.5/5
PRESENTATION 3.5/5
TASTE 3.5/5
PRICE $
HOURS Monday – Sunday 9 am – 3 pm
LOCATION, LOCATION 74 Lippincott Street (just north of College)

NOTEWORTHY

• Cash only
• Homemade ketchup with undertones of cinnamon and deliciousness
• Belgian waffles that strike a balance between a crispy outside, and a soft doughy inside.

25$ Day for 2: December Edition

It’s Saturday morning, but that’s no excuse to sleep the day away. Just because it isn’t summer anymore doesn’t mean that the city isn’t bustling away because you can’t kick off that cover. So, kick it off and kick-start this kick ass day date!

Things To Pack

• Tupperware
• Thermos
• Skates (If you have them, if you don’t I suggest investing in some to reinforce your Canadian identity. Also, they make impromptu free fun much easier and cheaper.)
• A Swiss army knife
• 1 canvas shopping bag or backpack

The Toronto Christmas Market has modeled itself on Old World European markets like the one held annually in Prague.

Start your day, and month, off the right way by heading to the Distillery District. The Distillery District is fun most any time, but from December 3 – December 12 there will be a traditional European inspired Christmas market taking place along its cobbled streets. The Toronto Christmas Market will be filled to the brim with sweets, treats, and live music.

Take a ride on the Ferris wheel, browse for Christmas ornaments, or decompress in one of the many beer and mulled wine gardens. Every day of the Christmas Market has a different event schedule. Expect entertainment to range from brass ensembles to folk dancing. Before you leave it’s time to hit the Soma Chocolate Factory. Fill your thermos with spicy Mayan hot chocolate and tuck it away for later.

Depending on whether you’re a Looky Lou or a Purchasing Pamela your spending will vary for this portion of the day. I would estimate that you will spend approximately 10$, but all spending, like time, is relative.

Looking down on the market from the top of the Ferris wheel

Now that you’re ruddy with Christmas spirit it’s time to head westward to the St. Lawrence Market. Don’t waste money on the TTC, it’s only a ten minute walk.

On Saturday’s the St. Lawrence Market is bustling. But, relax into the atmosphere and enjoy yourself, crowds are part of the experience. There are two markets at the St. Lawrence: North and South. The North Market offers a weekly famer’s market that’s open from 5am to approximately 4pm on Saturdays. Go to the North Market for produce, fresh pasta, fresh bread, eggs, and specialty meats. The South Market offers a variety of restaurants in the basement, as well as meat, fish, and cheese on its ground floor. The South Market is open Tuesday through Saturday.

Before buying dinner ingredients it’s time to fulfill your mid-afternoon stomach cravings by grazing on free tidbits. Both the North and South Markets offer shoppers delightful mouthfuls of this and that to entice and seduce their palates. Fill up on everything from wine, to cheese, to strudel that rivals your grandmother’s, and all for free. My favourite complimentary amuse-bouche provider is without a doubt Anton Kozlik’s Canadian Mustard. At Koslik’s enjoy freshly seared peal meal bacon dipped into one of their scrumptious Canadian made mustards. It’s really hard not to walk away with a bottle of this artisan mustard. While 8$ seems steep, this mustard is worth it. It transforms the sandwich experience. Recommended: balsamic + Fig & dates and Italian mustard.

The South market bustles with busy shoppers.

Now that you’ve cased the joint, it’s time to decided on supper. You can gather ingredients for a gourmet salad or sandwich, or hit up the amazing Polish restaurant in the South basement for wallet friendly perogies and cabbage rolls. The total for dinner should be approximately 10$. If you go back to the North Market at around 4pm the farmers are just about giving unsold goodies away. Go there for hyper-reduced bread and baked goods.

It’s time for the final leg of our magical December day date. Again, forget the TTC because the Harbourfront Centre is only a 15 minute walk from the St. Lawrence.

The Natrel Rink isn’t gargantuan, but admission is free, and skate rentals are affordable at 7$ a pair, and the view over Lake Ontario is second to none.  Saturday nights are DJ nights, so enjoy some retro classics and boogie down hand in hand, around and around.

The drink of the gods is an excellent and, needless to say, delicious way to close the night.

Now that your ankles are sore and you’ve fallen at least once, it’s time for super. Hobble on over, skates still on, to one of the benches that looks over Lake Ontario and dig into your affordable feast.

It’s time to end this date with some spicy Mayan hot chocolate and maybe a final slow skate for two.

Itinerary:

• 10:00 wakeup, wash, and eat breakfast
• 11:30 time to head out!
• 12:00 Christmas Market opens
• 15:00 Don’t forget the hot chocolate!
• 15:3o St. Lawrence Market Graze-a-thon
• 17:30 Harbourfront Skating
• 19: 00 Dinner time overlooking Lake Ontario
• 19:30 Warm up with hot chocolate
• 20:00 One last skate

LOCATION LOCATION:

• Distillery District: Mill Street & Trinity Street
• St. Lawrence Market: Front Street East & Lower Jarvis Street
• Harbourfront Centre: 235 Queens Quay West

 

Try some mulled wine or roasted chestnuts, and then stroll down the cobble stone streets until you find a cosy fire pit to warm-up by