this is water.
This is water. Some are lakes. So yes, I write about obvious things.
I also have some songs here:
 | Mike Christie on Of Montreal. |
 | Shan'e Harris on Of Montreal. |
| Mike Christie on Of Montreal. |
 | Ben on Of Montreal. |
| Mike Christie on Kitchener will save the w… |
Salmon (skin side up all the way), raw root slaw (celeriac/carrot/creme fraiche/dill/lemon), mashed potato cake.
Seared tenderloin, roasted parsnip puree, gingered bok choy, caramelized onion and red wine reduction. Knock Bruno’s if you want, but their tenderloins continually dominate. Thanks be to Dave for the Sterling 2007 Cab.
Wow. Toronto points. Actually, midtown Toronto points. Midtown doesn’t get enough love. C and I were thinking of moving to High Park area, but this place now has some big pull in the moving decision.
Evergreen Brickworks is the newly retrofitted environmental education centre that used to be home to Toronto’s brick quarrying and manufacturing. A massive geologic deposit of clay soil allowed for major brick production in the quarry stopped producing that now features an environmental education centre, modern art installations, a Saturday farmer’s market, event space, and about 8 other buildings worth of drools. The best part? Our walk involves no roads or streets or sidewalks. Through the park, through the Mud Creek ravine trail system, right to the Brickworks. They knew what to do.
Bustling market – beautiful looking prepared baked goods, hot lunches, etc. Not much produce when we got there (late), just apples + cider.
Construction is still ongoing, but most is done.
Into the art installation building. Yes, I loved that they’ve kept as much of the graffiti intact as they could. Sad to say, I’m not Rob Ford. Was impressed (with myself) that I recognized a name from one of the installations (Werner Herzog).
Forgive me and my blatant perspective photos, I’m no photog. And we did not leave empty-handed. Of all things I found some great looking tomatillos at the market. Never made Mexican salsa verde before so I went for it. That’s why I love markets – great alternative ingredients to really get something new on your Sunday dinner plate.
This place really stands at the Venn circle intersection of food, environment, and design. Let’s start our own lecture series and call it FED Talks.
I have Twitter now, so if you follow me (you probably don’t), then these links are like… so 5 minutes ago.
Environment
Food
Miscellanium
via New York Times and Chris Blattman:
The local food movement now threatens to devolve into another one of those self-indulgent — and self-defeating — do-gooder dogmas. Arbitrary rules, without any real scientific basis, are repeated as gospel by “locavores,” celebrity chefs and mainstream environmental organizations.
…The real energy hog, it turns out, is not industrial agriculture at all, but you and me. Home preparation and storage account for 32 percent of all energy use in our food system, the largest component by far.
Just a good reminder for the cool foodsters.
Now – locavores don’t try and eat local for purely environmental reasons. They are also interested in decentralized agriculture, “food security“, and supporting their local economy. They also may be environmentally righteous when science isn’t always on their side.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for all of these things, but unfounded bourgeois dogma without a good foundation in “full cost accounting” gets dangerous.
Eating insects. The U.N. recommends it this week:
The raising of livestock such as cows, pigs and sheep occupies two-thirds of the world’s farmland and generates 20% of all the greenhouse gases driving global warming. As a result, the United Nations and senior figures want to reduce the amount of meat we eat and the search is on for alternatives.
[Read the Guardian article here]
It’s definitely becoming a buzz topic in western food culture, mainly laced with the well-intentioned allegory of “Let the West catch up to the rest of the world and no longer be in the anti-insect eating global minority”.
A good source of protein and other nutrients, fast reproduction, easy/cheap to produce, low carbon/water footprints. Definitely a matter of when, especially when looking at the demand for meat across all newly industrializing nations. I just hope things stay crunchy – gooey may be too tough for me at first.
Everything they say is true. This place is a blast, and the food is absolutely brilliant. One of Toronto’s bests.
Guu Izakaya, the Vancouver Japanese pub institution, exports the greatness to Toronto. Toronto tries to kidnap the best of all Canadian cities – the rise of gourmet poutine and Japanese food is no coincidence. Our own insecurity feeds this buzz, so we can stay south of Steeles and quell any cockiness from the justifiably proud Montrealers and/or Vancouverites.
You may know how it goes – the hostess stays outside and minds the 20 or so in line (always a line). Once she pries open the weighty front door, it’s instant surprise party. Loud, smiling, chanting. Almost exclusively communal tables (we sat on the end so impact was minimized). Small $5 plates, $15 Sapporo pitchers. Love it.
Just get those, I promise you will flip. Go. And go early, and be patient, and be tolerant of the 2hr time limit.
Go to foodpr0n.com’s post on Guu, they have some great photos. Go.
I’m starting a new job at the Ministry of Environment soon. I get to look at water quality science on a provincial scale. HI. Excited is a large understatement. To celebrate, Cara and I went to Globe Earth in Rosedale.
Their ethos is local food (with a bit hypocrisy with many international wines, but I digress). They source all ingredients from local suppliers, very responsible, bourgeois, Rosedalian but reasonable prices. No complaints.
Here’s our rundown:
Bill wasn’t too damaging, especially for a nice place in Rosedale. Great service, vibe a bit too modern but very comfortable. Definitely will return.
It’s summertiiiime. Grilled vegetable salad with crostini and goat cheese/lemon dressing. Eggplants, yellow/green zucchini, peppers, avocados. Ladies and gentlemen, grill your avocados. Make sure they’re firmish, but they come out brilliant on the grill.
Sometimes it pays to work in Richmond Hill. The reverse commute, and amazing value Chinese food.
Enter Northern Dumpling Kitchen, in “Times Square” at Leslie and Highway 7. Good try Richmond Hill, a clock at the top of your GTA mini-mall does not quite equal 42nd and Broadway. Northern Dumpling Kitchen mainly serves dim sum and some northern Chinese dishes.
One of the coolest things on the menu is tea smoked pork belly, served with scallions, hoisin, and the tastiest pita like bread product you’ve ever had. Hybrid of naan, croissant, and the deep fried Kelsey’s pita chip (that partners the ubiquitous spinach dip). Unreal. Here she is.
Big thanks be to Paigu for the photos.
Few but mighty this week.
Cheap, reliable, east meets west, small plates, entertainment in the back, good beer selection, no split cheques. Cause you know, you’re sharing. Favourites at The Supermarket in Kensington are:
We were just there last weekend. On Sundays they are making Kensington streets pedestrian-only, and we had a fun funk band playing right outside the Supermarket with compulsory Kensington crazies dancing to their own drums. It was fantastic.
I find I always go back to this part of Toronto to eat. The Augusta/College vibes. Torito, Grace, Sidecar, Caplansky’s, Burger Bar, Negroni, . Now L.A.B. has just opened up to major buzz, as has Cinq 01 for the yuppie dates. College is back.
