November links.

[image via bant-shirts.com]

Food

• Guess what?  Mother nature makes her own GMOs – [NYT]
• Some pretentious (but correct) tips on tipping – [Chowhound]

Enviroish

• The best ROI on climate change abatement?  Family planning – [Chris Blattman]
• How to build the supergrid – [ScientificAmerican]
• The future of paper, or possibly wood, or both – [BoingBoing]

Toronto

• The app kings – young tech millionaires trying to turn Toronto into Silicon Valley – [TorontoLife]
• Kory Teneycke, the new-departed Sun News TV chief, wanted to attack David Suzuki – [TorontoLife]

Misc

• MapCrunch.Com – click a country or two or seven, click go, and you’re there

Creating ink.

A beautifully shot short on how ink is made here in the GTA.  Think of it as if TLC’s How It’s Made had an art director (or a good videographer).  Watch the whole thing, they make a Vaughan factory feel beautiful.  Thanks be to BlogTO.

Toronto mayoralty race.

In the words of Toronto psychogeographer (barf title) Shawn Micallef:

The true believers behind candidates, as well as ideologues and utopians, who would not benefit from strategic voting will tell you it’s a bad idea. Sure, it’s depressing and it breeds political cynicism like nothing else. It’s awful, not being true to what both your heart and mind is telling you. But then there’s reality: across the political spectrum, we’re left with candidates who haven’t excited us. The left-of-centre Miller regime put its succession faith in weak candidates who either committed spectacular political suicide or have failed to grab the wider public’s attention, and the right-of-centre haven’t been able to field a candidate who they could fully get behind (this is why John Tory’s name was tossed into the ring over and over).

So, who to endorse in this critical but meh-inspiring election? Vote for number two. That is, whoever is polling behind Ford on election day is who I’ll vote for. Then I’ll go say a little prayer, take a walk, and remind myself why we’re called Toronto the Good. With the anti-Ford vote at risk of being split, this is the only way to coalesce the opposition votes. It’s not pretty. A smart city like Toronto deserves better and it feels hard to do, but anything else leads to a split.

Should have voted in the advance polls last weekend, I hear voting takes awhile with the electronic ballots.  Either way, I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Micallef.  It breaks my valves a little bit, but I’m voting head and not heart for the election.  Polls are showing the majority of Mr. Smitherman’s support comes from the exact same place.  Toronto deserves better, but at least we can coast.

Evergreen Brickworks.

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.

Late July links.

Toronto

• 2010 Nuit Blanche program released – [NuitBlanche]
• Vaughan – gridlocked in suburbia – the worst [worst) - [National Post]
• Best cheap drinks in Toronto – [BlogTO]
• Giambrone vs. Presto cards – TTC and Metrolinx argue over future transit payment systems – [Toronto Life]
• Little Italy gets a hookah bar- [BlogTO]
• Bixi Bash hopes to get itself off the ground in Toronto – [blogTO]
• Toronto: mobile app centre of the universe – [Toronto Life]
• Toronto lands a big NYC chef – and the s-storm begins – [JamesChatto]
• Toronto through the eyes of mayoralty candidate Sarah Thomson – [blogTO]
• How to be cool in Toronto – have a 416 number – [Star]

Food

• Grilling corn on the BBQ – [NYT Mark Bittman]
• How to make perfect ribs – [Toronto Life]
• 13 of Toronto’s best doughnuts - kind of disappointing, almost all super high end spots – [Toronto Life]
• More on the raw milk debate – the adventurous flavour purists vs. the milk lobby

Politics/News

• The Tea Party is Perverted and Irrelevant - [Matt Taibbi - Rolling Stone]

Miscellanium

• Where do currency symbols come from? – [Slate]
• Are we naturally lazy? – Happier when busy but inclined towards laziness – [via NYT]
• Watch Jack White butcher Beatles tune “Mother Nature’s Son” in front of Obama and McCartney - but all the Jack White disciples will love his “unique style”. [Pitchfork]
• One cup of coffee per day ok for pregnant ladies – [CBC]
• E-book sales outpace hardcovers at Amazon – [CBC]
• Bill Murray GQ Interview – [GQ]

Jarvis bike lanes.

One small spoke for Toronto. One small leap for simple ideas?  muh.  Jarvis got a bike lane today, going from 5 lanes to 4.   We’ll see how it goes, but I think it will be nice for those cyclists.

ergo de facto, I’m your boss.   Capacity 2,100.  Busiest traffic much less.  Even with margins of error, still looking good.  Numbers don’t politicize, you disappointingly poor mayoralty candidates you.

via Twitter @larrylarry.

Guu Izakaya.

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.

• Takoyaki – deep fried octopus balls w mustard mayo and an Asian style BBQ sauce
• Okonomyaki – deep fried pancake w mustard mayo and BBQ
• Kakuni – sweet miso braised pork belly with boiled egg
• Grilled saba – simply the best whitefish I’ve ever had the pleasure of ingesting
• Homemade udon noodle w kimchi
• Salmon natto yukke – salmon sashimi, garlic chips, diced veg, raw egg yolk all mixed together and put in nori.
• Tontoro
• Karagge

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.

mid-July links.

Environment

• Learn more about the eco-fee – It’s not a tax, it’s run by an arms length organization, no money to government – [Globe]
• New rules threaten future of US wood waste biomass power industry – [NYTimes]
• Arid Australia turns to desalination plants for water supply, despite costs - environmentalists often seem to omit desalination from their brains when it comes to the “water crisis”- [NYTimes]
• NYC launches a large tap water promotion campaign – [NYTimes]

Food

• How to make béarnaise sauce – Everyone has their own tricks w french sauces – [Globe]
• Take a (food) day trip to Beamsville – [TasteTO]
• Servers can now type in orders to the kitchen on their iPhones – [TorontoLife]
• David Lee from Nota Bené discusses ‘terroir’ for vegetables – [Globe]
• Linking the farmers to the foodies – [Globe]

News/Politics

• Learn more about your new DJ Governor General – I bet lots of Waterlooians have stories, I’ve had many solid interactions with him as a semi-official UW apologist (aka student ambassador) – [Globe]
• Learn more about why Harper deserves credit for making his Governor General search non-partisan – Canada 1 – [Globe]
• Don’t mess with the census, statisticians tell Tories – [Globe]
• The federal government is senseless on the census - [Globe ed.]
• Huffington Post’s advice to American jobless – move to Canada – [Globe]
• Tim Hudak cops out – [Globe]
• Kabul rocked by guitars – [Globe]

Life

• The true cost of living in the city vs. the suburbs – [NYTimes]
• Wedding expenses that aren’t worth it – [NYTimes]
• The paradox of parenting – parents are less happy than non-married peers – [NYT Freakonomics Blog]
• Gen-Y’s tough choice between entrepreneurship and corporate world - [Globe]
• You can be too rich – [Globe]

Toronto

• TTC Stations could get cell service – [CBC]
• City of Toronto makes an excellent road construction (interruption) map
• Bellevue Cafe – 3 guys who make crazy, disparate, but tasty sandwiches - [NOW]
• Susur Lee’s new Toronto restaurant - [Toronto Life]
• Toronto road tolls go from abhorrent to approved: how’d that happen? - [Toronto Life]
• Ideas for Toronto: Personal Rapid Transit – [Spacing]

Science

• Laws of hurricane power discovered – [New Scientist]
• Mass transit encourages exercise and weight loss – [New Scientist aka Duh! Aficionado magazine]
• Prozac prawns, cocaine crabs, trace elements of drugs in our waste water - [New Scientist]
• Learn more about what’s

Globe Earth.

photo c/o foodpr0n.com

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:

• Norman Hardie Prince Edward County white
• some of Rodney’s famous oysters
• Crispy ewenity curds (photo above) – deep fried cheese curds with house made ketchup.  Think of the best possible mozza stick fritter with some nice curd mouthfeel.  It’s all about the squeaky bouncy.
• Sunday roast special – lamb w chorizo, fingerling potato salad, tomato relish.
• Beef tenderloin with charred asparagus salad – whenever asparagus hits a grill, there is magic.
• Had some fruit ginger crumble with some amazing Niagara late harvest to finish it off.  The server made a mistake so it was on the house!  If you dislike ice wine or port, try late harvest. It’s the perfect happy medium.  Not too sweet, super delicious.

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.

This weekend.

Toronto – “a changed city”.  One side completely fueling the other.  The postitive feedback loops of completely excessive and addictive media coverage, massive government spending and isolation, and public anger.  More obvious – everyone is to blame.  A few hundred angry idiots smashing and burning.  A few hundred cops way too eager to assault and arrest.  All the while the press coverage is literally fuelling the fire with 95% chaos, 5% ACTUAL G20 policy.  And we’re all not that surprised.  Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhh sigh.

Follow Steve Paikin on Twitter, you know who he is.  The host of Ontario’s best television program, The Agenda.  One of our best interviewers/journalists.  He witnessed very undemocratic protests last night downtown.  I’m sure he’ll be throwing down on The Agenda on TVO tomorrow night.

Probably my favourite Kensington resto.

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:

• Shrimp & crab wonton tacos with avocado and salsa verde
• Grilled Argentinian styled steak with chimichurri dressing and matchstick potatoes on roasted mushroom salad with a balsamic vinaigrette
• Dumplings: Crispy shrimp, pork and garlic chive dumplings served with a ginger-soy dip
• And of course their famous whiteperson accessibility Thai dish, Pad Thai.  They make a mean one.

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.

I saw LCD Soundsystem last week.

Read a great review of this very show c/o Toronto music blogger Frank Yang @ Chromewaves. In Toronto @ The Kool Haus.

Going to a show like this is undeniably fun.  As Chromewaves said, it was great to see so many different groups of people sweat exactly the same amount.  Other than Daft Punk a few years back, this was the only show where so much evaporated sweat was gathering above our heads that the ceiling and ductwork had pure sweat condensation saturated all over the venue.  Near the end of the show, it was literally raining sweat.  Well more like spitting sweat.  From the ceiling.  LCD Soundsytem: the shows where 5% of the sweat is yours.

They played some classiques and some solid new offerings from their new record, This is Happening. This is fun, repetitive, backbeat-based music with a scholarly knowledge of rock’s broad history.  Simultaneously immature and mature, smart but primal.

Auberge de Pommier.

I was star-crossed to be able to go to Auberge de Pommier with C and some of her fam.  Owned by the Oliver and Bonacini empire (Canoe, Jump, Biff’s, etc.), this is the sort of restaurant where expectations and preparatory menu gawking accomplish very little.  This will not be a foodie freakout because guess what.  The evening was amazing, just as it should have been.

Tucked behind country club landscaping, adjacent to a gawdy evangelical temple and benign office buildings, Auberge is located in a simply weird spot north of Yonge and York Mills, a true island in the North York corridor.

Once you forget about the neighbours and walk up the entrance and head inside, you forget everything.  This is likely the nicest dining room in the city.  Massive cushy chairs, country home stone, undeniably beautiful.  Like a whitewashed Club Chasse et Peche but with more money and less adventure in interior design.

Service was perfect – warm, friendly but distant, almost classic French service just without the white gloves, thank goodness.  Massive white plates, precious presentations, tasteful portion sizes, lots of butter.  Classic haute cuisine stuff.  Maw.

Here’s a rundown of some choice selections we had at the table:

Apps

• Puréed mushroom and truffle soup with velvet shank cream and Parmesan biscuit.

• Escargots and wild mushrooms perfumed with brandy and thyme on Jerusalem artichoke velouté

• I had caramelized sea scallop and braised beef cheek with sweet peas, morels and summer truffle Champagne cream.  Never had beef cheek before, beautifully done, super tender, just like braised brisket.

This totally furthers my proof that apps are always better than mains.  Always.  Something other than protein/pureed starch/vegetable.  The highlights were definitely the appetizers.

Mains

• I had grilled beef tenderloin on creamy cauliflower velouté with wild mushroom croquette, horseradish scented tomato confit and Bordelaise.  Arguably the best cut I’ve had, just would’ve liked a better sear.  Regardless, who wouldn’t be ecstatic over a beautiful Chateaubriand, cipollini onions, and croquettes.

• Butter poached lobster glazed under an aromatic, citrus and tarragon mousseline with braised endive and citrus salad.  Beautifully cooked lobster, but other things on the plate weren’t as impressive for us diners.  And butter butter butter.

Cara’s dad bought the envy of every wine freak’s dreams – Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2006 Reserve.

This isn’t  meant to be a gloaty post.  If you have a very special evening and you want to celebrate with the best vibe in the city and beautiful French food, you know where to go.  I was a lucky man to be able to go, definitely a big check mark on the Toronto restaurant canon.

Newspages.

I’ve decided my links are the best on this side of Somerset.  Happy reading.

Toronto

• Banksy comes to Toronto, people deface his loveliness – [Torontoist]

• Toronto the good?   Try great – [Globe]

• Markham votes to build over “best farmland in Canada” – [Toronto Life]

• Bixi Toronto bike sharing program starts May 2011 – [National Post]

• Human towers – NFB documentary project showcase Toronto’s high rises - [Eye Weekly]

• TTC wants you to meet your new ride – [Spacing]

• Turning the Gardiner Expressway into a park – an idea becomes safe for Toronto when New York does it first – [Toronto Life]

• Richard Florida – 10 things I can’t live without – [Toronto Life]

Energy/Environment

• U.S. Climate bill arrives in Senate – cap and trade by 2025.  Yay?  – [Scientific American]

• Securing the smart grid – [Scientific American]

• Privacy concerns surround Ontario’s Smart Grid plan – [CBC]

• Environment backlog puts Jim Prentice at risk of contempt charge – [Globe]

• Google’s energy foray: what’s up? – [New York Times]

• Protesters ask for wind turbine moratorium – [CBC]

• Polluted water kills more than all violence: UN – [Globe]

• Cactus gum could make clean water cheap for millions – [New Scientist]

Science

• Did humans and dogs become domesticated together? – [Globe]

• What are dark matter and dark energy? – [HowStuffWorks]

• Southpaws – the evolution of handedness – [New Scientist]

• Water ice found on the surface of an asteroid for the first time – [Scientific American]

TV/Music

• CBC execs head to L.A. to poach Canadian writers – [Toronto Life]

• Watch Conan’s visit to Google Headquarters – [Gizmodo]

• The Guardian profiles Brian Eno – [Guardian]

Politics

• Anti-consumer copyright bill on way: expert – [CBC]

• Liberals, Tories agree: MP expenses aren’t for the public to see – [Toronto Life]

• Liberals promise national food policy – [CBC]

• All the Obama 20-somethings – [New York Times]

• Electoral dysfunction: why democracy is always unfair – [New Scientist]

• Beating up the CBC is like beating up a sick puppy – [Globe]

Food

• The man who is responsible for your love of the cheap Malbec Fuzion – [Globe]

• Mark McEwan tapped to be head judge of Top Chef Canada – [Toronto Life]

• The rebirth of booze – [Toronto Life]

man towers

A new NFB documentary project looks at our neighbours in the sky

Dinner (The Black Hoof).

So.  THE place.   The charcuterie mecca of Toronto.  The Black Hoof on Dundas Street W.  Just went Monday night.  Overall, delicious but I read too many reviews.  Lots of hype. Monday nights are an awesome time to go  – it’s their Friday night, I saw Bob Blumer, and there were tables free until 7 or 7:30.

Had the standards – Beef Tongue on Brioche (tasted like the best American style pastrami you’ve ever had), southern fried sweetbreads (best sweetbreads I’ve ever had), large charcuterie, and roast bone marrow.

I’m missing a few, but charcuterie as far as I can remember was:
- lamb rillette
- blueberry salami
- caraway salami
- fennel salami
- chorizo (amazing)
- spicy calabrese
- duck breast proscuitto
- pancetta (nicely spiced)
- foie mousse
- There was a rabbit one that reminded me of a mild kielbasa, and one more salami.

A very memorable meal.  Only iffy spot was how the bone marrow was roasted.  However, some of the best service I’ve ever received in this city. Thank you Black Hoof!