icey's Profile
ISO stracchino cheese in GTA
h2o, if you are ever back in Vaughan, I suggest that you go back to Quality Cheese and try the buffalo ricotta or their burrata or mozzarelle. They really are quite good.
Enjoy!
ISO Authentic Italian in Vaughan Area
I highly suggest Motorino on Velmar Rd (just west of Weston and Rutherford). Really nice spot, Enomatic wine system, and really delicious pizza (comparable to the best in downtown TO). I also second Autostrada; besides a few service issues, the food has always been very good.
To be honest, my two visits to Mastro Roberto were both not good at all....
Vaughan and RH
I would recommend either Autostrada (in front of Vaughan Mills) or Motorino (in front of St. Clair of Assisi church, south side of Rutherford, West of Weston). Motorino has, in my opinion, the best wood oven pizza in Vaughan. They have a Enomatic wine system and has a really nice atmosphere.
Scarborough To-Do List - What have I missed? What SHOULD I miss?
Googs, I know you are looking for sit-down dinner places, but I thought I would include Francesca Bakery just in case you had a hankering for dessert. I am not at all familiar with Scarborough but we have friends in the area and have stopped by Francesca Bakery a few times to pick up some dessert to bring to their house. We've tried a few of the breads, one with semolina was the standout for me. Also, they have some really fabulous desserts (I can't eat them personally but my husband and our friends really like them), we tried the Seteveli and the Nocciolina, as well as a Pistachio and Strawberry. I find that the prices are much more reasonable than places in Woodbridge and in Toronto.
Hope you are able to make it there. It is located at teh 401 and McCowan.
GTA Gelato Wars 2012
Lazar, the only one on this list that I haven't heard about yet is Carnevale Di Venezia. Since my husband is from around Venice, I would love to take him. Can you please give me some more info on where it is located and whether you liked it?
Making Mayonnaise
I was in the same boat as you jk1002, and hopefully you've fixed your mayo problems since 2008, but for anyone else who is interested, I make mine in a food processor that has the little insert that you put in the top that allows oil to drip in a slow steady stream. I use Martha Stewart's mayo recipe from her Cooking School cookbook and it comes out perfect every time.
Something simple to teach
Considering his skill level, I suggest Shake n Bake....seriously!
I don't use it often, and always just the original one, but I just wet some chicken pieces, and toss them in the Shake n Bake. Put them on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 400 until done. It really doesn't get much easier.
With that, I suggest some simple veggie preparation or show him how to make a good salad with a cheap, homemade basic vinegarette.
Looking for a birthday party venue in Yorkville
I think Ciao would be good enough. I have been to 2 birthday parties in their private room downstairs and it was a nice evening. The food is good, stick to apps and pastas. The pizzas are ok. The cocktails are very nice. I think you would be able to stay in a lower price range than Mistura or Pangaea for sure.
The only issue would be whether the stairs would be an issue for your mom.
I want to love my slow cooker, can you help?
I make chicken broth in it all the time, but if you are looking for actual dinners, I make a decent chili in it. If you don't have time to brown everything, it will still be good, just not as deep in flavour. Add a thickly sliced onion, a carrrot (diced), and a few celery stalks (diced) to the pot, very lean ground beef, a can of tomato puree, a can of kidney beans (rinsed), and a can of Navy beans (rinsed), ground cumin, ground chili powder, and either chipotles in adobo or sriracha for heat. Cook on low for 10 hours, and you should be good to go.
Stretching money with beans without stretching my pants with flatulence
My mil swears that adding a bay leaf or two to the beans while they are cooking reduces the flatulence causing effects.
In Surrey/Langley for the week...any recommendations?
Hi Everyone!
I am in BC on an unexpected, last minute business trip and will be staying in Surrey near Langley (around 96th Ave, and 200 St) for the week.
I am by myself, and a big jet lagged so would rather stay in the surrounding area if possible. As much as I love Vancouver, I just don't feel like venturing downtown this week.
Is there any places that you would recommend I try? It can't be too cost prohibitive as I have per dium rates I have to stick to but in terms of cuisine, I am pretty much open to trying anything.
On my past trips, I have really enjoyed Sen Viet Restaurant, which I will be going back to. Is there any place to find say, a good steak or decent sushi?
Thanks Chowhounds!!!
Cappuccino after dinner? A-ok or a no-no for "authentic" Italian dining?
+1 on this. In general it is viewed as too heavy to be drunken after dinner.
Italian restaurant ok for old crowd
So what did you eat? I'm curious whether the name change at the restaurant has changed the menu or the food at all.
What goes with Pistachio Gelato
My husband tried this the last time we had Pistachio Gelato in the house for a dinner party and it was actually really really good. He put a big scoop of Pistachio Gelato in a bowl, and just sprinkled it with a bit of fruit and nut muesli and just a drizzle of Prugna (a Northern Italian liquor of prune flavoured grappa)
Wood Oven Pizza on Roncesvalles!
Went to Pizzeria Defina last Tuesday night when we didn't feel like waiting 45 minutes for a table at Libretto. I was a bit pessimistic because I had heard some mixed things about the service.
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. And although I'm still not sure that it is as good as Libretto, I really enjoyed it and would go back, and I also perfer the atmostphere here as it doesn't seem as chaotic.
All 4 in our party had pizza on the Roman crust, and the general consensus was that it was very good and the tomato sauce was the best we have ever had in Toronto; soo flavourful.
To back track a little bit, I asked our waiter whether it would be a problem to make some modifications to the pizza because of a dairy intolerance, and he said that it would be no problem at all.
I had heard one critique that said that pizzas were left in the pass for several minutes before they were picked up, but I think this has been corrected, as I noticed that the chef was ringing a little bell when the pizzas were ready and would ring it again or stop one of the servers if they were sitting for more than 30 seconds. I also saw the chef actually delivering a few plates himself to certain tables.
3 pizzas arrived to my table, and since we were sitting near the pizza oven, I realized right away that they had added cheese to mine as I heard the chef and waiter talking. The nice thing was that the waiter came to the table, explained that a mistake had been made on my pizza and that a new one was being made right away. When my pizza was ready, the chef actually delivered it to the table with another apology! Bonus points for that!
In any case, service was great, pizza was pretty darn good, atmosphere was good as well so I will definitely be back!
HELP! What do I do with all these turnips?
LOL! I guess so! I was trying to figure out how best to describe it.
In any case, I think you will absolutely love it with the Brovada because the vinegar helps to cut the fattiness of the cotecchino.
Let us know if you try it!
HELP! What do I do with all these turnips?
Have you ever heard of Brovada? It is like the Northern Italian (actually Friulan) version of saurkraut. Basically, peel the turnips, grate them on a box grater, and put them in a tupperware. Cover it with red wine vinegar (and if your vinegar is super strong, you can dilute it a bit with water). Let it sit over night in the fridge.
The next day, taste it. If it is too strong from your taste, rinse it a bit. If not, cut an onion super thinly and sweat it in olive oil. Drain the turnip and add it to the pot. Let it cook down for about an hour, adding a bit of water in case it dries out too much.
Traditionally, it is served with cotecchino (a large boiled sausage). Most people wil boil or steam the cotecchino, then take it out of the casing, and let it cook a bit longer in the brovada to enhance the flavour.
It is so delicious!
Preserving parsley (not dried)
Parsley and Sage are the only 2 I freeze. I do not chop the Sage though, and just leave it in leaves in a ziploc bag. Both work very well.
I have tried cilantro and was not too happy with the results.
Preserving parsley (not dried)
I freeze my parsley every year. Basically, I just cut it out of the garden (usually doing 2 cuts a year), and then wash it and let it dry on some paper towels overnight. The next day, I chop all of it using a mezzaluna (I really don't know what the english name is for the half moon blade) and then put it into little tupperware in my freezer.
When i need it, I just crumble some into risotto or stews, etc, and it is fantastic. The flavour does not change much, nor does the colour.
Got panko, need ideas
I use it to make a topping for various baked fish dishes. I'll take panko, some finely minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and some lemon zest, then I bind it all with some olive oil.
Then I top a thick salmon fillet, or I've also topped baked clams with it. It is really delicious.
Need dinner idea to bring to family with new baby
Although I don't have kids, I did help out a friend that had the baby blues after her first was born. I made a whole bunch of stuff that could freeze or that were in individual servings.
I made a big batch of oatmeal cranberry muffins, tons of mixed greens that I had already washed, and a big bottle of homemade dressing. Then I washed and cut a bunch of different veggies, and made some containers of hummus and baba ganosh that they could freeze.
My friend said that she really enjoyed these lighter things as her mom was providing her with a lot of the heavier meals and main dishes.
artegelato
I just read an article about them on Post and found out that Sebastiano, the owner, used to own La Casa del Gelato in Oakville; no wonder the picture looked so familiar! I had been to La Casa a few times with friends and used to love the gelato. Haven't been back since he sold the place though. If anyone has been to both, I would love to know if the gelato seems as good as before.
decent charcuterie, besides the Black Hoof and Buca?
I've always enjoyed the different salumi platters at Romagna Mia. I am particularly partial to the guanciale with honey and pistachios, and felt that the value was much better then at Buca. However, please be aware that I have not been to the restaurant since they reopened as Paganelli's so I would double check to see if it is still on the menu....
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Buca
604 King St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6, CA
Your best non-sweet pork tenderloin recipe?
My go-to way of preparing Pork Tenderloing is to place them in a ziploc bag with really spicy mustard, herbs de provence and some salt and pepper. Let that sit for a while and then toss in a hot oven for about 10 minutes or so. Simple and Delicious.
Buca
LOVE that pizza with the pork spread but it is sooo heavy. I think it's called Ciccarilli? I've also enjoyed their charcuterie platter and nodini.
I've also had their octopus and clams with fregola, which was very good, but wasn't a standout for me.
Best Carbonara Recipe
Actually, your adult version sounds pretty authentic to me!
I remember about a year ago, a downtown Toronto restaurant that specializes in Northern Italian food invited a few chefs that were visiting from Italy to make their best carbonara recipe, and every single one was slightly different.
Mine starts with my father's homemade pancetta (or guanciale) that has a mixture of spices on it, which include a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg and lots of black pepper. This is sauted with just a smig of a good olive oil. Once ready, I remove it from the heat, and drain excess oil if there is too much.
I boil linguine because that's my favourite. In the meantime, I put 1 egg yolk per person (Only YOLK) in a bowl, and add pecorino and black pepper. Once the pasta is almost ready, I temper the egg yolks with pasta water. I also set aside some pasta water just in case.
Once I've drained the pasta, I put it back in the pan but off the heat and I stir in the pancetta mixture first. Once that is well incorporated, I add the egg mixture and mix vigourously and add additional pasta water if necessary.
It is then served immediately in hot bowls. This is my ultimate comfort food.
Lots of sage! Looking for ideas.
That's my absolute favourite...fried sage leaves! They are such a great little treat with drinks when you have company.
I make a simple batter of egg, carbonated water and flour and then let the batter sit for a while. I dip the leaves in that and then fry to a crisp golden brown, salting once they come out of the oil.
What's for Dinner? Part 102 [OLD]
Thanks! I will definitely try your recipe shortly. Last night I had a real hankering for it since seeing your pictures, so I looked up an old Gazpacho thread here and looked at Mark Bittman's recipe that someone had posted and used that as a guideline.
All the veggies came from my garden and it was a great new way to use up the cucumbers.
I took 4 extra large super ripe tomatoes that I would normally only make sauce out of. Added a big cucumber, a big handful of celery leaves, 1 serrano (ribs and seeds removed) and a few sweet banana peppers, salt, pepper and olive oil. I also soaked 2 small slices (crusts removed) of calabrese bread in water and then added those as well, along with a small clove of garlic.
Blended everything up in the food processor but let a bit of texture.
I then chopped up a bit of cucumber, banana pepper, tomato and celery and served that on top of the gazpacho for some added texture.
The soup was served alongside a grilled porkchop that we ate with some really spicy mustard.
What's for Dinner? Part 102 [OLD]
Hi Jen10. Would you mind sharing your Gazpacho recipe? I want to use up the various veggies from the garden but most of the recipes I have seen ask for Vegetable juice or tomato juice from a can (like V8) and I really don't like those vegetable cocktails...
What's for Dinner? Part 102 [OLD]
Last night was PC street dogs with their yellow hot dog buns. On the side, we added a ton of grilled zucchini and a "bruschetta" style salad; small diced tomato, basil, and a crushed garlic clove, but sans bread.
Tonight will be a broccoli soup (a la Martha Stewart again), that was supplemented with some extra zucchini thrown in, with some goat cheese and corn on the cob.
