Fish.Chips.Pea (Fish chips and mushy peas)

Fish chips and mushy peas (frozen pea puree)

Reverse engineered fish chips and mushy peas. Well not exactly. But if you are looking for something different then take a look at this dish

Frozen pea puree is added to potato and haddock. The pea puree is placed in the center when frozen. The 'fish cakes' and then placed in the fridge for 30 minutes until the pea puree begins to melt.

The pea puree is simply frozen peas, some seasoning and a little stock, it is then placed into a special spherical ice tray where they are frozen to form cool balls of frozen goodness.

Once the fish 'cakes' are removed from the fridge, they are lightly floured, then dredged in a batter made from rice flour, white flour, vodka, honey and beer. Beer is placed in last, the mixture is lightly whipped then placed into an iSi cannister, and injected with Carbon dioxide. This is then placed into the fridge to chill for 30 mins.

Once they are dredged in this batter mixture they are fried in clean vegetable oil at 350 Fahrenheit for about 6 mins until crisp and golden brown. The batter is actually taken from the mad food scientist that is Heston Blumenthal

Here you can see the pea puree is in the center. The best thing about this dish, is it is refined, and you get a more full flavour in each bite. I would serve it as a second course, maybe two 'cakes' each - not forgetting they are in fact round.

These fish chips and mushy pea encapsulations are just awesome. My Canadian fried made some tartar sauce which we served it with. Here in Canada it is not common to have 'mushy peas' with fish and chips, rather tartar sauce is the defacto option - but he loved the combination. The flavours work well. In other fish related dishes you will see pea puree such as cod fillet, or halibut maybe. So not 'that strange'. In England however you will find mushy peas on more or less every fish and chip shop menu.

Fish chips and mushy peas. Who'd have thought!

eHow sucks

This site seems to be everywhere in Google, yet the content is terrible, some form of search engine pollution?

Sage Vodka, Rhubarb Vodka, Mandarin Vodka

A Trio Of Vodka

Made fresh using Stolichnaya aka Stoli

Can't wait to try the Sage and Mandarin Vodka. I have tried the Rhubarb and it is delicious. I made a few drinks with this one called Rhubarb and Custard which is listed below. All are made with fresh ingredients, and the taste is pronounced - I intend to make a nice cocktail with the sage and mandarin.

The Rhubarb one took two weeks, sage will be just a few days to impart the sage note. Mandarin has fresh mandarin juice and peels, pith removed.



Rhubarb n' Custard Cocktail


2oz Rhubarb Infused Vodka
1 oz of Advocaat
Dash of Rhubarb Bitters

Shake all on ice serve in a stemless martini glass.

Barchef Toronto Review

So a recent trip to Toronto was fun which brought about a visit to one of Toronto's latest bars entitled 'Barchef'. Barchef is located on 472 Queen Street West, in a darkly candle lit establishment. Serving a variety of cocktails from $10'ish up to $45 for some smoked aged and rare Manhattan which is smoked with real wood chips right in the place.

The bar is the best place to sit to see all the action, which is subtly lit with a lot of candles, which intertwine amidst a range of syrups and bitters.

The bar itself is pretty cool, not too big - quite small actually with seating scattered about. It is a cosy and dark affair with nice ambient touches like a TV that plays some old black and white movies (on mute) while either minimal techno, or some DJ spins. I guess the music varies depending on the night you go, I went on a Saturday night and it was pretty busy. I did manage to get a seat at the bar, where I went about imbibing a few cocktails. I did want to try something 'molecular', but apparently they had stopped serving these as it was too late - or something.

I do remember trying one named 'Peat', which as listed on their website is: Islay Scotch, cinnamon infused sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, cynar soaked sugar cube, absinthe rinse and a lemon twist. This drink was tough to drink, definite sipping drink, think it took me a good 20 mins to digest it.

There were a couple more cocktails I tried, some 'newly fashioned' - a play on the classic cocktail the 'old fashioned'. This was good but not mind blowing, with some addition of house made cola bitters.

The problem to me seems to be that you are getting slightly different experiences depending on which bartender serves you. The guy in the picture is one of the owners, and he was making drinks for guests in the back - Drake in fact.

I like creative drink making, and Barchef would be one of those places you should check out if you are looking for something a little different from your cocktails.

Next time I will try the molecular drinks/amuse bouche.

Eating Clean or Clean Eating

I love food, but you need to have balance in what you imbibe. If you can manage a burn body fat and eat well you are on the right track when it comes to overall health and nutrition.

Modern buzzwords include things like eating clean. What does this mean exactly? Pretty much eating pure forms of food with no preservatives or additives. You can subscribe to this magazine and find it in local stores.

People often get confused with eating healthy and eating boring. Most times it is just a matter of learning new things to do with the same proteins.

Certain principles apply when eating clean, don't deep fry unless necessary, you can bake instead. Although proper frying techniques should only crispy the outside, don't cook in tons of crap oil or butter. Use quality ingredients, organic if possible with no pesticides etc.

Buy eggs without antibodies, or hormones, don't drink pop (maybe San Pelligrino) is fine, avoid pasta and white bread (ok to some degree), and don't eat sugary cereals.

Now having said that I am ok with eating some of it sometime, but just don't consume all that all the time.

Eating clean is a good way to maintain both low body fat and a healthy body.

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb Cooking Instructions

This recipe is incredibly simply and delicious total cooking time is around 30mins.

First of get the ingredients ready:

Rack of lamb for two
Few sprigs fresh thyme sticks removed
Few sprigs fresh rosemary
Small bunch of fresh curly parsley
Djion mustard
Cup of white breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of parmessan cheese
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Cooking method:

Heat a pan to medium high, score the skin of the meat in a cross hatched fashion with a knife - brush lightly with the oil, then after seasoning both sides of the rack of lamb, place into the pan, the meat should sear upon contact. You need to put some colour on the meat, once this is done, transfer to the oven at 400F or 200c for 15 mins.

While that is cooking, throw all the other ingredients in food processor and blend until powdery in texture.

Once the lamb has been in the oven for about 15 mins, remove and brush all over with the mustard then dip like a sherbet lolly into the herb mix, once well coated transfer back to the oven and cook for a further 15 mins or until the herb has developed a crust and looks browned slightly.

Let rest before carving for a few mins.

Two Urban Licks Atlanta

Not too long ago I had had the opportunity to experience Two Urban Licks, a restaurant owned and operated by the same people that operate One Midtown Kitchen and Trois. Self referred to as ‘spicey American food,’ Two Urban Licks offers a diverse menu that changes on a daily basis, and provides delicious seasonal dishes with options that actually replenish gluten-free bellies.

Ponti Seafood Grill Seattle

One of the hallmarks of a great restaurant is how well they make you feel as in service quality. Ponti deffo scores high on this aspect alone as I rated the restaurant 5 stars, for their fast service, delectable food and the beautiful, romantic setting.
  
After having it on my wishlist for considerable sometime, I decided to visit Ponti this last week. For the appetizer I decided to try their incredible lomi lomi salmon, and for mains I went for the luscious lamb shank, both dishes were cooked to a high perfection. My accomplice went for their signature Thai curry penne, we shared a nice bottle of Cab to wash the meal down.  Ponti is a real Seattle gem! Check out more details and book online at Urbanspoon.

Bored? Some Random Fun Online

In between finding myself writing restaurant reviews I will entertaining myself online, my PC is currently being upgraded, but on my laptop I have found the list of the following to be fun.

GameHobbit

Provides a selection of the best rpg games online, I personally like the selection of physics based games, such as this one called crush the castle. Also be sure to check out the other cannon shooter games, there is the add-on pack also. Another one I will give credence to is Hansel & Gretel. A story based on the famous fairy tale, you control the little girl in a hand drawn adventure.

Kongregate

Another neat site which has leaderboards and a large selection of games. Some faves include Infectionator. The basis for this is to infect the general world population with a viruses. Good fun!

666Gamer

Provide a rather cool selection of scary games. You might want to turn the lights off on this site as you get scared often on many of the games including one of my faves the scary maze.

So there you have it a few sites and games to keep you busy for a while inbetween cooking or reviewing restaurants.

Volterra

An ideal spot for brunch, Volterra offers an accessible and outdoor setting (weather permitted) for those looking for a mid-day bite. After arriving at Volterra, I ordered the “Milano” herb breading pudding with scrambled eggs and brie. The food arrived promptly and every morsel was exquisite. Each item perfectly complimented one and other and came at such an unbelievable value.
My brunch guest a more meat heavy order, poached eggs with Italian sausage and toast. The eggs with poached to perfection and the sausages were crispy. Even the toast was just the right crunchyness and Volterra offers a wide variety of jams for you to slather on the toast.
While I’ve experienced the dinner menu at Volterra, I don’t find it quite compares to the quality that is offered during brunch. Overall, Volterra offers a well balanced menu no matter which time you show up.

Restaurant Zoe

It’s all about the gnudi according to local Seattleites who’ve dined at Zoe. What is gnudi you may ask? Well, gnudi is effectively bare gnocchi or in ricotta without the starchy shell. The process for this is simple, just leave the bare gnocchi out to form its own shell and voila gnudi. Now apparently Zoe had the best gnudi in town and after sampling it myself, I can confidently say this is the best gnudi in the Seattle area.
Dessert wise, Zoe offers a small yet satisfactory selection of chocolately and not so chocolately concoctions. I sampled the peanut butter brownie which comes covered in gold-flecked banana ice-cream with a nice drizzle of caramel. Decadent would aptly describe this dish, a tinge on the sweet side and could have used a bit more salty bite but overall delicious and well presented.

Harvest Vine Madison Park Seattle

Harvest vine is a very small tapas restaurant featuring an intimate setting and seasonally rotating dishes. Given its size and popularity, I highly recommend making a reservation at Harvest Vine then risk having the sometimes extended wait to grab one of the precious few tables.

Now because of Harvest Vine’s policy of having a seasonal rotation of dishes, you can expect a high degree of variation in the dishes. The dishes themselves can easily be labeled as gourmet. If you’re lucky enough to be seated near the chefs, you can see them work their magic in their tiny little kitchen area.

As for the food, I sampled the foie gras and squash and can safely say both were immaculately prepared and delicious. The octopus salad was also very fresh, covered in some sort of citrus based dressing with crumbled blue cheese. Harvest Vine also offers a large selection of wine’s for one to sample. The wait staff seems to all have a grasp of which wine will compliment which dishes so don’t be shy on asking.

Paseo - Freemont Seattle

Nothing beats a good sandwich.

If you stop by Seattle make sure you try out the Midnight Cuban Press, which is a porky delight - and worth the wait. The cost is reasonable at this sandwich joint, and you will be pleased with the sides on offer. The grilled pork sandwich ($6.75) is also a winner. This place can get busy so make sure you call to place your order:(206) 545-7440

Synopsis:
Simple food, well prepared, nicely seasoned, generous portions, reasonably priced, with friendly staff and service.

Fonté Wine and Coffee Bar

What makes an exceptional café? It would seem that Fonté has captured that almost je ne sais quoi essence that makes a café a truly exceptional experience. Fonté is well known for its more than reasonable prices. Despite my extended stay at Fonté and large sampling of dishes, my total bill came under $50 which is a rarity these days.
Fonté boasts a large selection of wines to compliment any dish you may order. The food was magnificent. Fonté’s cheese plate in particular was rather unusual in its assortment of goodies but they were both incredibly delicious and surprisingly complimentary. As well, the complimentary bread seemed to be freshly made and was simple and elegant
The main courses put interesting twists on some classic dishes including a spicy macaroni and cheese dish which was almost too much food for a single person. Fonté also has an all day breakfast and on the particular day, their special was French toast which they apparently rotate every day. For the price, level of service and quality of food, it is hard not to recommend spending an evening at this café.

Toulouse Petit

If your ideal meal consists of either seafood, pork and any other meat than Toulouse Petite may just have what you’re looking for. Toulouse features many exceptional dishes including, crispy pork cheeks confit, garlic sausages and shrimp cakes. Portions can air on the smaller side so it may be recommended you sample a variety of dishes.
Aesthetically, Toulouse, features a clean and plush interior with moody tones which is a nice change of pace from their former occupant who stylings were less than appealing. Pricing wise, Tolouse, is more than reasonable given the exceptional quality of food. If you’re after some delicious Creole styled dishes at affordable prices, then you are going to want to sample this restaurant.

Suehiro Los Angeles, CA 90012

If you're looking for a cool place to grab a bite to eat after leaving the bar, then maybe consider this place. Tucked away in little Tokyo. This place represents an eclectic mix or people and decor, from random art on the wall to the crowd that eat there.

One thing to try are the Odon or soba noodles or Katsu Don, the Udon and soba noodles, katsu don (breaded pork cutlet) is delicious and worth trying. 


It does seem popular with the late night crowd.


Get's four stars from me.

Hidekazu Tojo - Tojos Vancouver

Crazy little Japanese chef!

If you ever get the chance to go to Vancouver, make sure you check out this Japanese restaurant run by owner and head chef Hidekazu Tojo!

In 2009's battle of Vancouver Golden Plates, chef Tojo came second with the following

"Tojo decorated his plate with a real maple leaf and pine needles topped with a paper parcel tied tightly with raffia. Inside the parcel was a remarkable offering: a juicy chunk of supple poached pine mushroom; a panko-crusted shiitake mushroom with its own slightly different texture; a gloriously plump West Coast mussel taken out of its shell and topped with a morsel of lobster. These elements were wrapped in a cloak of soft, warm, golden smoked sablefish and shared their parchment prison with a green chili of the most subtle capsicum heat stuffed with a delicate mousse of ling cod. Outside the package was a small dish of crunchy sweet-tart Japanese pickled vegetables that provided a delightful and refreshing contrast. Tojo chose an excellent wine as a partner to his dish - the 2007 Riesling from Mission Hill Family Estate winery in the Okanagan."

So if you happen to be in the V town - go check this place out.

Tavern Law Capitol Hill

Yummm is first word. This place conjures up images of a Wild West saloon, with swinging doors. You enter the tavern through a door which is located on 12th floor, that opens to reveal a spacious, high ceilinged café.

I loved the little nuances about this place including the hand written menu and unique drinks with egg whites and other fancy additions to the cocktail menu.

What really impressed me about this place was the assortment of drinks and small plates along with the uber impressive service that was in place. I had too much ice in my drink, and the mixologist was quick to fix it.

Will be back for some more cocktail sipping. ;)

Joy Burger Bar

For all burger'ists and general fans of burgers. Joy Burger Bar at Lexington is an order at the counter type of burger bar, which allows some cool customization of all things burger related, from the size of the bun to the toppings.

The toppings or sauces for the burgers are particularly run of the mill, you can chose from things like garlic mayo, spicy mayo, spicy chutney, pesto, sweet chili and a fair few more.

My burger was promptly served along with a delic strawberry shake which was entirely satisfying. The beef patties are 100% fresh ground beef.

All in all comes highly recommended for all burger fans in NYC.

Queen City Grill Belltown Mmmm

A glorious feast of wine and great food and decor.

A group of us recently went to Queen City Grill in Seattle when on a trip for a conference. We heard about this place from various sources, so decided to check it out. We made a reservation for that evening for four of us. We were escorted towards a nice looking booth. The floors and exposed brick in the place were nice.

The restaurant is said to build upon a Northwestern seafood tradition.

Anyway on to the dishes which we paired with some nice cab sav, forgot the name.

I opted for the prawn cocktail which was served with a delicious tangy sauce, the shrimp was very succulent and fresh. For mains I chose the Grilled Alaskan King Salmon, which was delicious.

Desert opted for the cheese platter, yum, washed down my wine and left a decent tip.

4 stars!