this is taste

Welcome

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:34:17 -0400

Welcome to This is Taste. On this page you will have access to all my thoughts and things worth sharing in the world of food and culture.

You can read my posts on the culmination of all things food and culture here: food for thought

This is it. The perfect combination of my favourite foods in...

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:33:52 -0400

This is it. The perfect combination of my favourite foods in one glorious breakfast meal. There is nothing complicated about this meal, potato pancakes topped with goat cheese brie, avocado, fried egg, and pulled pork. What makes it so great is the combination of these ingredients.

Now making pulled pork is quite the process, you can read about it in a previous post of mine here. Usually when I make a meal like this, the pulled pork I’ll be using will be left over from a previous meal, making it from scratch for breakfast would be near impossible. The only thing you will have to make from scratch is the potato pancakes.

Making potato pancakes is relatively easy, but can be a bit time consuming. You’ll need the following ingredients:

2 large russet potatoes (basically a potato a person)

1 egg

1/2 of a small onion

1 tbsp of flour

1/2 cup of grated cheese (your choice)

salt, pepper, spices to taste (get creative)

Grate the potato using a standard cheese grater, place in a strainer and rinse thoroughly removing all the starch. This step is the most important, by skipping it your pancakes will turn mushy and gross. Once the water runs clear through your potatoes, let them stand for a minute to drain and then repeat the process once more. Once done, return to your mixing bowl, grate in the onion and add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. You will likely have excess liquid in your bowl, do your best to remove it at this point.

Heat a large frying pan to around medium. Coat the bottom of your pan with a frying oil of your choice (I used vegetable this morning) and allow it to get hot. Form the potato mixture into pancake shapes and add to the frying pan. Cook both sides till golden brown (don’t flip them until you see that they are golden or else you risk them falling apart. Until these are cooked they are very delicate.) Once done, pat off any extra oil with some paper towel and you are ready to serve. Top them with the remainder of the ingredients and your breakfast is ready. Feel free to change up your toppings, everyone has their own favourites.

agreed.

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:32:35 -0400

agreed.

Although I’ve discussed this before, I thought it was...

Mon, 28 May 2012 11:20:46 -0400

Although I’ve discussed this before, I thought it was about time for me to revisit the topic of yogurt for breakfast.

I learned very quickly when eating yogurt that there is only one kind you should buy - plain, fat free, Greek yogurt. Some people may scoff at that statement and argue for their favourite probiotic, peach, silky smooth, blah blah blah yogurt, but I’ll tell you why your wrong. Plain, fat free, Greek yogurt is the healthiest, most versatile, and tastiest yogurt you can buy. Plain Greek yogurt can be used not only for breakfast but also in cooking, is very high in protein and when you buy the fat free kind…well, it’s fat free. I understand the process of having to add your own fruit can be tedious and logistically problematic (say while driving in a car), but I’m trying to keep this argument on the topic of “eating yogurt for breakfast while in the comfort of your own home”.

Here are some tips that will make your next bowl of breakfast yogurt the best you’ve ever had:

- Kashi makes some cereals that go great with yogurt, try their “Toasted Cinnamon Crisp” or “Go Lean Crisp”

- fruit of your choice and some honey are all you will ever need to add

- finally, this trick has taken yogurt to the next level for me: lime zest and a little lime juice. No matter what else you put in your yogurt, I promise you the addition of lime zest and juice will be most welcome.

Well, we are off to Philadelphia. In case you are not in the...

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:44:00 -0400

Well, we are off to Philadelphia. In case you are not in the loop, myself and some friends are going to Philly this weekend with our bikes (driving there, bikes in the van) to explore the city and take in what it has to offer. Some of the things we have booked are a Phillies game, hitting up the “Rocky Steps”, and seeing the famous Liberty Bell.

Philly is a beautiful city and I can’t wait to get back there to explore every corner of it. I will be updating as regularly as I can about the food we eat and the culture we experience while there. Have a great long weekend!

I wish this album was finished and properly released. It...

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:59:00 -0400

I wish this album was finished and properly released. It probably would have been the best album of all time.

my week as a vegetarian

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:02:21 -0400

So after an extremely fun but overly meat filled weekend at my cottage, I thought I’d give my cholesterol levels a break and at the same time give myself a fun challenge by going vegetarian for a week. From a health point of view I’ve had a very successful week. For the most part I had substantial and delicious meals and hadn’t really craved meat in anyway. That being said I was extremely surprised by the challenges I faced. On any given week the ratio of how much I cook at home versus how much I eat out at restaurants is different. It happened that this week was heavy on the later half of the equation due to my schedule. Now cooking vegetarian cuisine at home is not a problem at all, I enjoy cooking with vegetables so having a meal entirely composed of them is not of any concern. However I was very surprised at the difficulty of eating vegetarian at restaurants. Now I’ve always noticed that even some of the best veggie friendly restaurants usually only have a few options for vegetarians but I was shocked that the choices I had this week were limited at best. I can’t tell you how many veggie burgers and cheese pizzas I was forced to eat, while I had to pass up on so many delicious options because they unnecessarily contained things like bacon, chicken strips or ground beef. In some cases these could be removed but often that resulted in the meal missing a flavor component or now being over priced for what you got.

I don’t think any stark revelations were made during this exercise but I have learned two things about restaurant cuisine when it comes to vegetarian fare: there is an unnecessary obsession with meat, and a lack of creativity on the side of most restaurants to create meals with out it. I think this is something that should be addressed by most chefs as it’s not a hard mentality to change. There are plenty of meat substitutes out there and people will learn that their meals can be equally as delicious and filling with these changes.

Ultimately this post won’t reveal anything new for the vegetarians out there, just now know you have a supporter for your cause. I haven’t decided how I will work vegetarianism into my life. Whether it’s eating vegetarian one week a month, or part of every week, I’m unsure, but I do know I will be eating less meat from here on out.

cross genre covers are always interesting. ...

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:20:11 -0400

cross genre covers are always interesting.

fleetfoxessing:

“Pony” by Ginuwine

Watch the original video.

This was requested by faithsilva.

Let's put an end to 'dietary tribalism' by Andy Bellatti

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:14:00 -0400

As someone who is dedicated to food culture, I’m inevitably interested and concerned with a healthy diet. I have been focused lately on creating a diet for myself that combines the knowledge of all the food culture factions (vegans, vegetarians, paleos etc.) and my own personal taste in what food i like to eat. In this approach I hope to satisfy my nutritional requirements, help with food sustainability, and as much as possible, animal rights.

I have been lucky in my attempts that I have many friends in these factions that are open minded and supportive. It is with their help that I am likely to succeed in my goal. But I am also very aware that surrounding my food oasis there is a war going on between these factions and that they are all missing the point.

Andy Bellatti has made the best food culture argument I have possibly ever heard. In summary it is this: It doesn’t really matter whether you are a paleo, vegan, vegetarian, low-carb eater, or whatever, your main goal in this choice is to live a healthy lifestyle. And instead of arguing whose diet is better, these ‘dietary tribes’ should unite under their unified goal of a healthy lifestyle to combat the major problems in the food industry.

You can read the article here. I highly recommend you do.

This came via my good friend Dave

Spring is a very exciting time at the cottage. It is when the...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:55:00 -0400

The boats are in the water

the liquor selection

beer kegs

the best ice cream in the world

4lb whitefish

Jambalaya

steak

appropriate fishing attire

Spring is a very exciting time at the cottage. It is when the ice melts. It’s when the grass begins to grow. It’s when the dock and the boats go in the water. It is when the idea of summer really grabs hold and you can’t help but feel great. I spent this past weekend up at the cottage for the annual fishing weekend, enjoying the fruits of spring while preparing for the summer to come.

As all the men in the family gather to try and best each other in catching the biggest and the most fish, inevitably more time is spent drinking and cooking food of all sorts. Of all the highlights of this years fishing weekend the one that will stick with me the most is having my father, who has been one of my most important teachers when it comes to cooking, look to me for advice in preparing meals throughout the weekend. Still as proud as that makes me feel, I am still in awe of his BBQ abilities. Enjoy the photos and if your lucky one day you may be able to enjoy the cottage as well.

Here is a small playlist that highlights some of the music I listened to while at the cottage:

Neil Young - Out On The Weekend

Bon Iver - Michicant

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Woman

Deerhunter - Helicopter

The Wooden Sky - I’m Your Man

Death Cab For Cutie - Passenger Seat

My friend Dave is a smart man. Here’s a good way to get...

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:05:37 -0400

My friend Dave is a smart man. Here’s a good way to get your spices in order and on the cheap. The only thing I will argue with Dave about is why rosemary, thyme, and cinnamon aren’t in the must haves (unless you are growing fresh thyme and rosemary), but that’s nit picking and maybe I just use those so much because of my love for Italian food. Either way, this is a great place to start for anyone getting into the culinary game.

shoveitdownyourpiehole:

HOW TO GET ALL OF YOUR SPICES ON A BUDGET

It’s Spring. You’re convinced that this year you will be doing more cooking.

Maybe you’ve seen a few different Tumblr accounts with delicious food and said to yourself “I’m totally going to make that.”

But then you read the ingredients…

“I don’t have that much ginger?!!?” you say to yourself.

And I’ve been there. When I first moved to Toronto, I got super bummed that all the recipes I wanted to try had these foreign ingredients that cost an arm and a leg.

The last thing you want to be doing is spending $5 on a jar of cardamon so you can make one dish that appealed to you on some random photo/cooking blog.

But I have a solution.

In order to make cooking easier, you need the right tools and the right ingredients. And yes, justifying a $7 bottle of organic molasses is sometimes hard to do.

But ALL of your spices can be purchased and organized for under $20.

AND THAT’S FOR EVERYTHING.

Read on.

Spices have a shelf life of 6 months (to a year, max) before they start to lose their flavour. So for the most part, you really don’t need an entire jar of anything. Especially those ‘rare’ spices you use once every month or so.

You also don’t need $3 glass jars with a fancy spice rack when you are just starting out. Why not just get very basic containers? You can upgrade later if you really want to.

So here’s how it works.

Let’s start with Storage.

I know this place in China Town called Tap Phong. They sell cooking supplies for restaurants and it is ridiculously cheap.

Look for the equivalent store in your city, because it definitely exists. Otherwise hit the Dollar Store.

In this store, you will find small plastic containers (like Tupperware but much smaller). The cheapest I found were 0.65¢ each. So 15 containers cost me under $10. Sometimes when I buy bulk, I ask for a “bulk item discount” like I know what I’m talking about. Seriously. It works all the time. And in this instance, they decided not to charge me tax (Ladies, I’m not just a pretty face).

Next Stop, the spice store in the market.

Let me just stop you here.

Do not go to the grocery store. Do not hit the local convenience store or even the fancy, overpriced Health Food Store.

You want the legit spice store with the big giant bulk bins. Where YOU choose how much you take.

Because Prepackaged spices are a ripoff.

The next part is why I’m here to help.

Chance are, unless you prepare Asian-inspired recipes from scratch on a regular basis, you will not need very much Chinese 5 Spice. Same goes for Poultry Seasoning (the spice that makes things taste like Thanksgiving), or Cloves, Chilli, Cardamon, etc etc etc.

So let’s not go wild here, okay? It’s not like you can’t whip back down on your bike ANY DAY and pickup a couple of cents (literally) worth of fennel seed if needed.

So go grab half of half a spoon (or less!!) of some of the following spices:

Should Have:
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Basil
Paprika
Cumin
Onion Powder
Poultry Spice
Bay Leaf
Turmeric
Salt
Pepper (Whole Peppercorn if you have a grinder)
Cayenne

Can Have:
Mustard Seed (ground)
Curry Powder
Chinese 5 spice
Rosemary
Tarragon
Chilli Powder
Thyme
Sage
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Parsley
Dill
Celery Seed
Arrowroot (great for thickening sauces)
Ground Ginger
Cloves
Chipotle
Nutritional Yeast

Now remember, you do not need to go overboard. You likely won’t have a recipe that calls for more than a tablespoon or two of ANY of these spices at one time. And don’t feel bad for grabbing a tablespoon or two of any weird spice if you just want to try it for one recipe. After all, it’s about experimenting, but $5 on Celery Seed does not necessarily make sense. For my entire plethora of spices, it cost me $10. Most of the spices I got cost under $1. It’s all based on amount, and not going overboard will save you money.

Now it is okay to grab a healthy portion of the spices that you see in a lot of recipes. For example, I use a lot of Paprika and Cumin, so I buy more of that stuff.

Then go home and pour your new array of spices into those containers (I’d suggest washing and drying them first). Label with a black permanent marker and stack!

This is your first spice rack. And now when you see those potentially intimidating recipes online, you don’t have to be worried. You’ve got this.

Oh, and here’s your song for the day.

This is just a little teaser for the upcoming post Game of BBQs...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:30:12 -0400

This is just a little teaser for the upcoming post Game of BBQs which will be posted shortly on Food for Thought.

So as some of you know, I moved at the beginning of April. ...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:15:10 -0400

So as some of you know, I moved at the beginning of April. Among the many changes the move brought, none are more significant at this point than the outdoor space I now have. Having this space has allowed me to bring a BBQ back into my life and subsequently into the lives of many of my friends. When it comes to owning a BBQ there is nothing better than charcoal, so I decided to buy a classic 22” Weber. Charcoal does have it’s challenges, it’s more work, it can take longer to cook with (getting the BBQ up to temperature), and it can be messy, but the results are unparalleled.

Here are some pictures of the BBQ’ing that has taken place over the last week, I’m sure there will be many more to come.

So I had the pleasure of seeing this beautiful documentary last...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:31:44 -0400

So I had the pleasure of seeing this beautiful documentary last night. As a fan of food I really enjoyed this movie for the obvious reasons. It’s beautifully shot, giving you ample insight into the preparation of the worlds best sushi, from the market to the table. But this movie is far more than just that. This is the story about quite possibly the worlds most dedicated and hard working man. Jiro, is an 85 year old man who’s been working at his trade for almost his entire life. Never interested in anything but his work, after 75 years of making sushi, he still claims to love his job and have no complaints about it. Beyond that, this story looks at his relationship with his two sons, who also work in the sushi industry, and how his passion for his work has affected their lives.

My only issue I had with this movie is that, at times it feels like a Tarantino film. The film jumps all over when discussing Jiro’s life, sushi making, and relationship with his sons. There were many times when I wanted to yell out for him to just finish explaining how to make a type of sushi. He ultimately does and you will leave satisfied, but while watching there might be moments of frustration.

Ultimately Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a wonderfully inspiring tale. Jiro’s dedication to his craft and the passion he has for trying to achieve greater perfection in his work are truly inspiring. Whether you work as a chef or as an artist, musician, or even an accountant, when you leave the theatre Jiro will have inspired you to go home and work at perfecting what ever it is you love to do.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is playing at TIFF Bell Lightbox until Thursday April 5th. Go see it!

Well CMW is over. In a way I wish it never ended, and at the...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:02:00 -0400

Joel Plaskett and The Emergency

The Balconies

Ewert and the 2 Dragons

Well CMW is over. In a way I wish it never ended, and at the same time I couldn’t be happier it’s over. Many people will argue that this years list of performers was weak and it was not a very exciting CMW. And for the people approaching the festival as strictly a concert going experience they might be right, in their own world. But to many of us CMW is far more than that. And to me personally I had a great time attending conference activities and seeing some great bands both familiar and new.

I won’t delve to deep into my time at CMW as you can find many reviews of almost every show presented. So I will just give you a list of my personal highlights of my CMW. They include:

- Joel Plaskett and Ben Caplan at the CN Tower

- The Audio Blood Loft Party featuring The Balconies, Sandman Viper Command, and more

- Zeus and The Darcys at The Horseshoe Tavern

- The Official Young Lions Music Club showcase at Sneaky Dee’s featuring Rouge and Sheezer

- Ewert and the 2 Dragons at The Dakota Tavern

- The YLMC Artist Selects Series (Brendan Canning night) featuring Teenage Kicks, ALX, and The Balconies

CMW 2012 I will miss you. I will miss the excitement of the shows, seeing many friends both new and old, and learning a little more about the industry in which I work. That being said, you kick the crap out of me and it will probably take the whole year until you return to completely recover.

And that leads us to quite possibly my favourite meal in the world, Tom Yum soup (specifically Tom Kha in this case because of the coconut milk).

Tom Yum soup (and all it’s variants) is extremely delicious, and extremely good for you. It is believed that the combination of ingredients provides a boost to your immune system and even helps prevent forms of cancer (read more about that here). So needless to say, after an eventful CMW, Tom Yum was the perfect meal for me.

Here’s how you can make your own:

Ingredients:

2 dozen raw prawns peeled

2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

3 stalks of lemongrass

5 slices of ginger

2 litres of chicken/vegetable stock

1 can of coconut milk

5-7 Thai chilies, bruised

5 makrut (kaffir lime) leaves, torn

3 tbsp of fish sauce

100 g of button mushrooms, quartered

2 green onions, diced

3 tbsp of lime juice

cilantro leaves, for garnish

Now you should by your prawns whole to make this meal as best as possible. If you do, remove the heads and shells and heat them in a large wok with a little bit of oil. Add the stock, 1 lemongrass stalk and ginger and bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or so. Once done, strain and put the liquid back in the wok and discard the shells, heads and flavourings.

While you were doing this, cook your chicken breasts (lightly seasoned) almost entirely, leaving some room for further cooking when added to the liquid.

Add the remaining lemongrass (finely sliced), fish sauce, lime leaves, chilies, mushrooms, onions, and chicken to the liquid and simmer for another 5 minutes or so.

Finally add your prawns and coconut milk and cook for another 3 minutes or until the prawns are done. Taste and add lime juice and extra fish sauce as needed.

garnish with cilantro.

You can easily make this meal vegetarian by substituting the meat and prawns with grilled tofu or another vegetarian protein. Missing out on the fish sauce will hurt the dish but if it has to go, it has to go. Add a few more vegetables (such as grape tomatoes, baby corns, and snow peas) to add a bit more complexity.

And that’s it. The perfect meal to follow up the madness which was CMW.

"We all get caught up in trying to identify what we see as trends and fads— things we can just put an..."

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:54:05 -0400

“We all get caught up in trying to identify what we see as trends and fads— things we can just put an umbrella over and give a name to. At this point in my life, I don’t look at it like that. Records are important. Artists are important. One of the reasons why I thought it was a good decision to put Def Jux on hold is that it’s a hell of a lot easier to dismiss something as a movement than to dismiss individuals making good records. What’s happening now is that there are a bunch of different people who are making exciting shit, and everyone’s trying to make it a ‘scene.’ And I’m really proud of everyone for not letting anyone do that. Because as soon as it’s called a scene, then there’s some guy who wants to be the first person to say that he’s over it.”

- El-P talks to us about the current state of hip-hop’s underground and his forthcoming album, Cancer for Cure. (via pitchfork)

It’s very fitting that spring has come early. It’s...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:30:09 -0400

It’s very fitting that spring has come early. It’s almost as if the good weather was promotional tool created by James Mercer himself for the release of the new Shins record Port Of Morrow. This record is fresh, fun and ready to be played during all your summer adventures. Clearly Mercer’s time with Broken Bells served him well, go get this record now.

So I’m a little behind the curve on this one. I mean I...

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:21:00 -0500

So I’m a little behind the curve on this one. I mean I knew about this movie when it was being released, and I always wanted to see it, but it wasn’t until last night that I finally did. If you want to measure my stupidity sometimes, this is a good place to start. What a fantastic documentary. Comprised of a huge amount of actual footage from Senna’s life and professional racing career, you would almost think that this was a scripted movie, it’s that detailed. Beyond the film making, this documentary is inspiring on all levels. We get to see into the life of one of the most skilled and dominate athletes in their respective sport, and learn that he is genuine, honest, and humble. It’s a rare thing to see someone with so much fame and popularity stay so true to who they are. It’s a real shame someone like Senna had die so tragically and so young.

Even when it feels like you have nothing left in your fridge,...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:05:05 -0500

Even when it feels like you have nothing left in your fridge, you can usually pull something together for a delicious meal. For breakfast this morning I had to navigate my way through a few ingredients to make what turned out to be a great meal.

Here’s what I managed to find in my fridge: a leftover burger (excellently made by my roommate the night before), an egg, half a tomato, half an avocado (left over from dinner two nights prior), a piece of cambozola cheese (from my previous snack making), a couple strips of bacon, a bunch of spinach, and 1 potato.

Needless to say I was lucky, I found a good amount of ingredients in small quantities and they all worked together to make a great burger and home fries. Had I been cooking for more people we would have been out of luck, and had my roommate not left a burger in the fridge I would have had a pretty weak breakfast.

It just goes to show, that even when you think your fridge is empty you can usually find something. The best strategy is to just pull out everything you have and conceptualize a meal that incorporates as much of what you have in the best way. I’ll be making more posts on this topic in the future as it’s one of my favourite culinary challenges, and lets be honest, I got off easy this time.

Here’s a video to get your morning going. Bahamas...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:36:29 -0500

Here’s a video to get your morning going. Bahamas performing Okay Alright I’m Alive off his new record Bar Chords…but almost 3 years prior to it’s release (it’s still just as great)