April 30th, 2010 by Dawn Becker

It wouldn’t surprise me if some were wondering when I will cook again since all my posts this month have been about events and dining out. Actually I do cook all the time and try to record much of what I cook. There’s so much fun food stuff that happens here in the kitchen and beyond that I wonder when I’ll get time to write about all of it. And therein lies the rub. Who stole my time?

When you add up what it takes to run your own business with five conferences left to be produced this year, raising two awesome kind souls, writing weekly restaurant reviews for another site, and keeping up socially with friends, lest I become a spinster any time soon (HA! let’s hope not) I often wonder how I keep up with myself. Time management is the curse of the modern woman and a skill to be mastered for a successful life.

Truth be known, it’s cooking that helps me maintain my sanity. And there’s not much I love more than to cook using seasonal ingredients and methods. I’m also fortunate that our building offers a gas line to the balcony so we can legally and safely have gas-powered barbecue meals from our suite. No trucking stuff up to a rooftop barbecue station or begging your friends to heat up the coals in their backyard, we’ve got it all in hand right here.This spring, I happened upon garlicky ramps at the St. Lawrence Market. Ramps are wild leeks and have a flavour that’s a cross between mild garlic and Chinese green onion. These beauties were sitting in a bucket of water in one of the lower level vegetable shops, begging me to take them home. I happily obliged.

Ramps are delicious drizzled with olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and grilled directly on a medium-low barbecue. If you’ve got an overly hot grill, you can also wrap them in foil and then barbecue them so they don’t char to a crisp. You can eat them just like that or dipped in aioli or some sort of hot sauce mixture, whatever your preference. You can also pan fry them and serve as a side dish, stuffed in a sandwich, quiche or anything else where you might enjoy sauteed greens or green onion. Ramps are hard to come by in Toronto so when you see them, grab them, or email me and I’ll get them!!

Another favourite of mine when grilling season begins are Korean-style beef short ribs marinated in a galbi sauce. Many Korean families seem to own an electric grill. As handy as they are, it’s not advisable to grill anything indoors that has sugar in the marinade because it’s going to smoke badly. Unless you own an industrial strength exhaust fan, it’s best to keep the grilling outside if you can.

You can buy these short ribs, pre-cut, sliced across the bone, at an Asian grocery store, though most likely in a market that sells Korean goods (not one that carries only Chinese products). P.A.T. Central located at 675 Bloor Street West in downtown Korea Town sells Korean-style beef short ribs, also known as L.A. cut, in both a bone-in and boneless variety. Your local butcher might cut the short rib meat off the bones for you too.Normally, I would consider myself in the bone-sucker camp but I love these short ribs boneless as there’s often a piece of gristle around the rib bone that can be annoying. It looks like you should be able to eat it but you can’t possibly chew through it. That’s foodie frustration at it’s best. As these short ribs are marinated and then flash grilled, there’s no time for the gristle to become tender unlike if you were braising or slow cooking short ribs. Usually you just eat around the gristle. With the boneless version, there are no chewy leftover bits to taunt you with.

You can make your own galbi marinade which is a blend of soy, garlic, sugar, mirin (sweetened Japanese rice wine) and sesame oil. Here’s a recipe you can try and an even a simpler version. I have also seen recipes that include a mashed kiwi (no skin) into the mix and one with pineapple juice. The acidity might be a factor in tenderizing the meat. But today I choose to go the easy route and buy a bottle of Korean barbecue sauce when I buy the short ribs at the store. You can marinate the short ribs in the sauce from an hour to overnight, as desired.I pick up a package of perilla leaves, also found at P.A.T. Central and other Asian grocery stores. Perilla leaves come from the mint family and smaller ones can often be found in Japanese restaurants in Toronto often as a garnish. I plan to use these as a wrap for the boneless short ribs. If perilla leaves aren’t available, iceberg lettuce or large spinach leaves would be a fine alternative. I also sautee some bean sprouts with sliced garlic to add to my wrap. You may want to have carrot matchsticks, sliced Asian pears, green onion strips, cilantro, and steamed rice on hand.

Once your fillings are ready, heat your grill to medium high and remove the short ribs from the marinade. Grill the short ribs till just browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare. Serve with gochujang, a spread of Korean hot pepper paste that you spread on the perilla leaf, then add a piece of the boneless short rib and your choice of fillings. Adding rice to the wrap makes them heftier but you can live without it. Wrap one and consume immediately, changing the filling each time to suit your taste. Yum!

I can eat several (hundred) of these at one sitting, so keep your hands out of my way.

April 26th, 2010 by Dawn Becker

Swimming through the deluge of Japanese restaurants we have in Toronto can be daunting. There are literally hundreds of sushi places to choose from with new ones popping up every day. The best way to wade through is to ask yourself what your expectations are. Is price a factor? Because, unless you happen on a gem, you usually get what you pay for and so you need to decide accordingly. Are you looking for something more traditional? Are you looking for atmosphere? Or an expanded menu beyond the raw selections and maki sushi rolls? Or is fast-food style fine with you?

I’ve reviewed two of my favourite places here, Guu Izakaya Toronto and Tokyo Kitchen. They’re both excellent examples of different styles of Japanese restaurants in Toronto. As an izakaya, Guu offers plenty of atmosphere and entertainment with the communal tables and shouted greetings, along with a great variety of menu offerings. Tokyo Kitchen’s menu is more traditional in spirit, providing many options you don’t get elsewhere such as the popular Japanese-style curry. Plus their lunch specials won’t break the bank.

Recently, I went to Ichiriki located on Bloor Street just east of Yonge and I’m happy to conclude that it is n my list of top go-to Japanese places. The first time, I went during lunch with one of my clients at Rogers. Their office is located close by. It had a suit and tie feel to the place then, mostly because the lunch crowd comes from the surrounding business towers. Ichiriki featured standard bento box lunch specials and while it was good, it kind of slipped my mind these past years, as it didn’t make a lasting impression then.

A couple of years later, I went with Martin – I just posted about his 30th birthday party – who loves the raw fish at Ichiriki, and not because he lives across the street, though I’m sure they know him well by now. On another occasion, while dining at Cava, I sat beside this intriguingly obsessive couple who talked about all of their favourite food places, including Ichiriki and more importantly told me about the Chef’s love of jazz. When you walk in, it’s hard not to notice this, considering it plays beautifully in the background and the Chef even has a wall of photos devoted to showcasing these musicians.

I went again this week, having just missed the latest Jazz Dinner held on April 17, 2010 where they bring in musicians to play after your meal. It’s a wonderful idea, a starter of finely orchestrated Japanese dishes followed by a symphony of jazz to digest on as you sip on a glass of sake.

On our latest visit, we tried a number of the Chef’s Recommendations and to our delight, they were all hits. They included:

Tororo (Grated Taro Potato) with Raw Quail Egg ($5.50) shown above topped with a dribble of soy sauce.

I can say with confidence that tororo is not for everyone. But those of us who are fans will appreciate what a real treat this gruel-like looking dish is when we can get our hands on it.Maguro with Tororo or Fresh Tuna with Grated Taro Potato ($9.00) again with the self-administered soy sauce topping.

My favourite Chef’s Recommendation is the Maguro with Natto or Fresh Tuna with Fermented Soy Bean ($9.00) above. Again, the strong scent and sticky texture of the natto, means that this dish will not have the broadest appeal. To me, I am wishing I could eat some right now!

We inhaled the Mushroom Tempura ($5.00) before the camera could come out but sometimes that happens. The enjoyment of the dining experience will always be my first priority and if that means I can only describe it to you without a visual, well that’s how it has to be. Some dishes should really be eaten upon arrival and the batter of the fried tempura mushrooms, a mix of enoki and king oyster, was so light and crisp it begged to be consumed while hot.

An order of kaki fry which consisted of panko-crusted medium plump oysters came to the table steaming hot right out of the fryer. The accompanying tonkatsu sauce – a worcestershire-based sauce shown top right – was too thick and cloying for the delicate bivalves so I enjoyed mine with a simple squeeze of lemon to ensure I was getting full oyster flavour.

We had a large selection of raw fish including the sushi and sashimi set ($19.00) plus fresh lobes of uni (sea urchin gonads), ikura (salmon roe) and a type of yellow tail (not hamachi as they were sold out by this time) to name a few, and a savoury spicy salmon hand roll that makes my mouth water to think of it. The nori was super crisp and the crunch with each bite worked well to contrast the softness of the minced salmon and spicy sauce mixture. Julian enjoyed it so much he ordered another one for dessert.

Talking about dessert, we were treated to a complimentary bowl of ice cream which I believe is par for the dinner course. We tried ginger, red bean and green tea ice cream. The ginger ice cream was creamy with a mild flavour that contained ginger chunks which were happily not as sweet as your average crystallized ginger, but similar. The red bean ice cream was my favourite.

Leaning back in my chair, sipping on sake, listening to the rhythms of the sultry jazz tunes in the background with some of my favourite dining companions, that is what I call a sweet ending.

April 19th, 2010 by Dawn Becker

Creating a new heading under Bits And Bites, this post consists of a short summary of things I’ve been doing, perusing and pondering.

Blogging About Food In Toronto

I recently started doing some restaurant reviews for blogTO — three to date on Chick-N-Joy, Linda by Salad King and just this week, Family Dumpling House. Writing for someone else is not as easy as writing for yourself. I’ve learned quite a few things already from the blogTO editor and also from the readers’ remarks, both positive and negative. It’s an opportunity to learn more about what flies and what doesn’t and I’m open to seeing how this turns out.

A few hiccups along the way have already occurred with things happening out of my control, say a by-line on an announcement that I didn’t write, and one unhappy restaurant owner, which for the most part is par for the course. And if I am willing to critique a restaurant I must in turn be willing to expose myself to the swath of comments and criticisms about what I say. I believe that a thicker skin will be needed with everyone being free and entitled to make a remark or better yet, a compliment. That is part of putting yourself out there publicly. Not everyone has to like my work… but of course, it would be nice.

In the end, I hope writing for blogTO will have the added benefit of exposing BananaViews to more readers. As much fun as it is having the opportunity to express myself here, it’s even better knowing that you’re out there. And thanks for that.

Jealous of Judith Jones

I just read The Tenth Muse by Judith Jones and I’ve been thinking about what a great life she’s had working with some of the most critically-acclaimed chefs and cookbook writers around, most famously Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Marion Cunningham and Lidia Bastianich to name a few. It’s written so sincerely and she tells about her encounters managing each of these “greats” so graciously. Each page flows and you can easily devour this book in an instant.

Even better, she also devotes the last quarter of her book to recipes including a section called Cooking For One which looks like a prelude to her recent book The Pleasures Of Cooking For One. I am looking forward to reading The Pleasures Of Cooking For One but have delayed it out of sentimental reasons. The idea of one day cooking for one compared to my busy household now sort of breaks my heart. Yet surely the intention of her book is to contrast just that and is exactly the reason why I should read it.

Martin Turns Thirty

My friends throw fabulous parties and Saturday we celebrated Martin’s 30th birthday party which included a mash of Martin’s social circles. Martin (pictured left) decided to have a private party at PM Gallery owned by Powell MacDougall and the wife of our friend, Geoffrey who helped to host the night with Powell catering in the kitchen.

Powell’s cooking is a side benefit if you’re lucky enough to host a reception in her gallery, surrounded by interesting (and very buyable) art. Martin loves his wine and knows quite a thing or two about it and in combination with Powell’s treats this was a tasty night. He served us a refreshing bubbly, Codorniu Pinot Noir Rose Brut Cava, which was bright and light on the palate with nice berry notes. He also served a smash hit rioja that I can’t remember the name of, likely due to having too many of them. Must ask Martin to send me the wine list.

Rowena and Marcus brought Baby Lennon so we could meet him in person. I posted about the big Philippine-style baby shower a while back and here he is.Overall, a fantastic night of frivolity. So as a reminder of the revelry, here are some shots of the party. Note that I didn’t bring my DSLR which would have produced crisper photos but that’s how things go when you’re decked out in heels with a small purse. Happy Birthday Martin!

April 12th, 2010 by Dawn Becker

When I was 11 years-old my parents got divorced. Sitting in King’s Noodle Restaurant, it occurred to me that later visits with my dad consisted almost exclusively of dining out. We regularly went yum cha, essentially stuffing ourselves eating dim sum and drinking tea (the latter being what yum cha means in Cantonese), had late-night wontons, ate steaming soupy dumplings, and sat through hours long banquet-style dinners.

Being at King’s Noodle, with their wide selection of standards such as their quick-fire noodles in soup and congee along with many stir-fried dishes and their ever-improving quality of dim sum, is like the best combination of past meals with my dad. Highlights of the delicious dim sum offerings that I regularly crave at King’s Noodle include:

Tender, savoury, chicken feet

Sweet and plump har gow (shrimp dumplings)

Five-spiced fried squid tendrils

Rice noodle rolls with beef topped with sweet soy

And something new for me, a surprisingly flavourful Singapore-style pan-fried radish cake that’s the right mix of curry with a gentle heat, perfectly melding with the sweet soft texture of the radish cake.

I only now realize that I probably got my love of food from my dad… especially for the more adventurous dishes such as savoury duck’s tongue or braised beef with tendon (shown below).

King’s Noodle is a food landmark for me, having been around on the same corner of Spadina and Dundas Avenues for as long as I can remember. It’s always been that reliable place that offered consistent noodle and Chinese barbecue dishes in a dive-like atmosphere. A renovation a few years back has never been able to fool me long enough to exorcise that fast-food Chinese diner feel that still lingers when I’m there.

Now as a single mom, I find that two of my favourite dining companions are my sons. Julian and Cole have a refined palate that can match and surpass many adults. I don’t know where they got it from but they’re rather opinionated about food, hmm?? When I was their age, I was never as patient as they are in restaurants and I consider myself lucky that we’re a pro-food family that enjoys eating together. Funny how things come full circle. Repeating history (in a way) has never been so tasty.

April 7th, 2010 by Dawn Becker

I’m not a huge proponent of the Dr. Phil show but it happens to be timely as one of the things I’ve been thinking about lately: Fat vs. Thin. The episode is called “The Ultimate FAT Debate”. Those of you who really know me understand that I have been living with the FAT debate for pretty much all of my life. My family is predominantly thin, at least on my mother’s side. And though I’m over blaming her, my mother still has trouble not reminding me of my fabulously flabby self. If you have a look at my current driver’s licence, which I will show you in a fit of drunken bravado, you can see that in the past year or two I was not at my healthiest, slimmest, sexiest, fantastic self. I personally believe that my body is meant to be a little more “meaty” than my sister(s)* because I would say that I have a more athletic build, matched by my verve for team sports, than either of them. Bigger bones right?

Now if you see me, you would wonder how FAT is fat? Truthfully I carry a few extra pounds but I am not obese and really, I no longer see myself as being fat. Actually I’m just old (LOL) and those few pounds have actually shed lately due to some good decisions that involved letting go of 175 lbs of extra dead weight (an incompatible boyfriend that I didn’t realize I was actually miserable with, and with that day to day feeling of not being happy, well you know, it gets fixed and filled in different ways and mine was to eat at all hours of the night and drink excessive amounts of high calorie wine).

And now, well I’m not exactly model skinny but I no longer live with a fat mentality. Discovering I had a years long consistent tummy problem (acid reflux) which meant that I had to reduce the amount of food intake at any sitting, leaving me with as many sittings as I wanted, resulted in a great deal of relief. So I eat as many times as I want but I’m a little more aware of the portion size. Buffet is not my way but tapas over many hours works well for me. A little wisdom I learned that has resulted in a slightly thinner me.

However, I am still about the same physical weight. Yes, I will tell you. 128 lbs more or less depending on the time of the month. It’s not excessive but the weight now sits differently on my body and I’m glad that I’m aware of all of it.

What really shocked me the other day was at the check out at Price Chopper. I was in line behind a lovely woman who helped me with my over-abundance of groceries. I often think, WOW! I’m carrying my weight in food every time I do grocery shopping, and that’s a lot, since I love to cook and want fresh daily.

I found myself looking at this lovely woman’s groceries in the check out lane and I found myself thinking the world is a little unfair. She was obese. Not a few pounds extra but the kind of person that had to shimmy to get through the check out lane. I reflected on my own grocery choices and compared mine to hers and realized that her choices were much healthier than mine. She had a loaf of whole grain bread, a tub of low fat plain yogurt, a variety of fresh vegetables, cans of light flaked tuna, sardines (very calcium rich), and as a splurge one lonely box of Kraft Dinner spirals. Compare that to my check out items which included a pound of peameal, a package of beautifully fatty pancetta, a giant block of old cheddar, four bone-in pork chops (yes, it was a pork day), full fat fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt and some deli meat. Sure I had more fresh veg than she did and I am buying for a family of three but I think you can understand that I was slightly embarrassed by my food choices as she helped me to load up my groceries from my overwhelming arm-load.

It left me wondering how a simple choice of smaller portion sizes has made a relatively quick effect on my body, leaving me feeling and looking lighter (though the pounds are the same). And I wonder how many cans of tuna and low fat yogurt my lovely friend will have to bear through in order to achieve the same. I want to say be happy and do what you want, but a part of being happy is also feeling good about yourself. So instead of thinking how sad it is not to be able to eat everything you want, I am thinking how great it is that she is eating consciously and it reminds me to stay on course. Eat consciously, love your life, be healthy and live long in joy.

*My younger sister, Joy, passed away a few years ago from a mental illness called Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The drugs involved in sustaining and helping her to maintain a sense of normalcy in our society created a swing of weight issues from anorexia to her unusual heftiness before she died. It was a strange side effect of the medication that caused a great deal of weight gain to my normally svelte little sis, who was highly affected by her visible and conscious self, which became the saddest part of observing her situation. Imagine how plagued you would feel if the good-for-you medications made you gain an unnerving 20 or 30 lbs, when dealing with so many other daily mental health issues? Would you stay on your meds if that was the result? When your issues were a majority about self-esteem and fitting in and feeling good? Was it a lost cause? Not for Joy. She handled it as best she could and at the end there were outside sources that got the better of her. We love you Joy with every breath and bite we take.