No one ever said that tofu was boring. Its uses and applications abound. At the mega-mart, you can find tofu in many products from roasts and burgers to vegan cheese. In the kitchen it can be just as versatile. Depending on what preparation you purchase, tofu can be used to make sauces, milk shakes, pie fillings, or even cakes. Of course, if a savory preparation interests you, traditional Asian cuisine dictates that tofu be deep deep fried, pan fried, or mixed into various stir-fries.

For Asian dishes, the tofu of choice comes in blocks of different firmness from silken (softest) to firm (pressed). The difference in texture is due to the quantity of remaining liquid. Tofu can be pressed, removing liquid and resulting in a firmer texture. Different recipes depend on different textures of tofu.

The following recipe uses "regular" or medium tofu blocks. These blocks can be purchased at most Asian food markets, like those on Somerset St in Ottawa. They come in white tubs, surrounded by water. Please note that proper storage of medium tofu involves prompt refrigeration and regular changes of the water.

Recipe follows:

More after the jump...

Chocolate + Cream = Ganache. Ganache is the stuff of dreams to chocoholics everywhere. It is used in chocolate truffles, glazes, frosting, and, if you're Alton Brown, fudge pops. Ganache also happens to line the middle of chocolate babe cakes.

According to the Holiday 2003 edition of LCBO's Food and Drink magazine, baby cakes are small cakes that serve 1 or 2 people. In this recipe, the destined size of the cake is small for good reason. These cakes represent the zenith of chocolate decadence.

I made these cakes as a gift for an extremely good friend of mine, wrapping each in cellophane and tying with a ribbon. I have not made these things since for one particular reason. Each cake contains approximately 3 oz of chocolate. This is no wimpy or wussy chocolate either. We're talking bitter-sweet and semi-sweet chocolate; chocolate that is high in cocoa butter and chocolate liquor. No, alcohol is not involved. Chocolate liquor is the mixture of cocoa butter and cocoa solids that comes from grinding the nibs of cocoa beans. It is the essence of real chocolate.

Recipe follows:

More after the jump...

Earlier this month a study was released on Reuters.com, stating that a traditional Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and nuts, appears to protect against asthma and nasal allergies. The study involved 690 children between the ages of 7 and 18 in rural Crete. Nine days later, a news article appeared on UPI.com, stating that approximately two out of three (63%) Brits have switched to a more Mediterranean diet, "dropping fish and chips for paella."

Whether or not the two releases are correlated remains to be said. Paella, on the other hand, has spiked my curiosity ever since I heard the dish's name on an old episode of Seinfeld. As such, I have recently undertaken a search for the Mediterranean Paella.

The picture comes from alibab.com.

Experimental Recipe follows:

More after the jump...

Last weekend, Yahoo.com published an article about eating healthily while shopping in a typical North American mall. In it, a registered dietitian named Cheryl Koch outlined some interesting tips about choosing what to eat at typical North American Chinese, burger, Sandwich and Latin American food court venues.

The following is Koch's recommendations when it comes to what I like to refer to as "Chop Suey" outlets:

"Among the mostly fried selections in this cuisine, it's best to stick to vegetarian or mostly vegetarian dishes. Order steamed rice (brown is better than white, if that's an option) to add some bulk to the meal. If you want to cut calories, stay away from fried items ? fried rice, egg rolls, and sweet and sour chicken ? and avoid dishes with heavy sauces or lots of nuts."

I wonder what Ms. Koch would think of the dishes that are available in typical Asian shopping mall food courts. For instance, last September, I visited the Pacific Mall (Pac Mall) and Market Village in Markahm Ontario.

At Market Village's food court, you will not find sweet and sour pork, general Tsao's chicken, or egg rolls. Instead, there are various noodle houses, an Asian Barbecue house, a Dim Sum take out, and other Hong Kong-style cooked food stalls called dai-pai-dong's. Here, the following dishes are common-place:

Rice noodles in beef broth with Chinese greens and sliced beef.

Soup Noodles
Roast duck with barbecued cuttle fish on a bed of steamed white rice.

Rice Plate

A former house mate of my better half visitted us last weekend. During her stay, we decided to take her on a tour of downtown Ottawa. Being favored by many patrons of the Byward Market, we visitted the Sugar Mountain on William Street. In it, we found a display of insect edibles: chocolate covered ants, meal worms encased in hard candy, cricket lolly pops, and the like.

I just ran across a posting on digg.com that links to a site that lists 32 edible insect foods available for purchase online.

Apparently, what we saw at Sugar Mountain could be considered an appetizer. SHUDDER!!!

Update: Here are pictures from the display at Sugar Mountain.

Scorpion Suckers

Cricket Lickits

Wide-View of Display

Like potstickers and other such dumplings, wontons, deep fried or otherwise, exemplify the concept of balance that is predominant in Asian cuisine. Crispy Skins... Soft and flavorful fillings... Deep fried wontons are an elegant delivery system for meat and vegetables. Where else can you get two-bite portions of a savory meat and vegetable filling, all enclosed in a wonderfully crisp wrapper?

Deep fried wontons go wonderfully with Thai sweet chili sauce. I've actually replaced ketchup in my pantry with sweet chili sauce. I hear that a lot of Aussies have done the same as well.

Incidentally, the pictures come from a dim sum lunch I made for my fellow staff members a couple years back. I recently came across the hand written recipes. I figure it's high time, I shared them. Consider this the first in a multi-course series of dim sum great eats.

Recipe follows:

More after the jump...

On Friday night, my better half and I walked to the local Loeb to buy some low acid orange juice. On our way, we saw that the vacancy at 1293 Wellington Street that was left by Juniper had been filled and was serving patrons. No sign-age was present, but the paper covering the windows had come down, the walls were freshly painted, two dining rooms were open, and the kitchen was in full swing.

The next morning, we wandered down again. The place was closed but, the chef and the owner were present. Seeing us peaking through the front window and with a small crowd gathering around us, the owner invited us in to take a tour of his new restaurant.

The owner was friendly and welcoming. He showed us around his new bistro, mentioned the tapas, and placed copies of the tentative menu in our hands. Apparently, a total of 25 people took part in a test of the new menu the evening before. The official opening is actually scheduled for next Monday (April 16, 2007). This most likely explains the ample boxes of wine on the floor and the sheets of plain paper that constituted the menu. The menu itself was short and sweet, just the way a bistro menu should read: a page for starters, a page for entrées, and a page of desserts. Of course, a wine menu was present as well.

Seeing the warm dining area with cinnamon colours, hard wood floors, and soft lights, Jenn and I made a reservation for the same evening. Besides, the menu lists a curious variety of dishes that can be best described as a fusion of worldly delights. Spanish tapas is present, but so too are some Asian (tuna sashimi), Italian (cannelloni), and classical French (coq au vin) dishes.

Our review follows:

More after the jump...

Found this in the April 2007 edition of Bon Appétit

Bamboo Spork
Image from greenfeet.com
Commentary: Sustainable Cutlery...Yaaaay!!!

Found these from digg:

The Chork
Image from gadling.com
Commentary: These look like wooden versions of tweezers that women use to pluck eyebrows. They also double a stabbing weapons.


The Futter
Image from kitchencontraptions.com
Commentary: Umm...Unless I'm shaving in a controlled environment, I don't plan on having anything like a circular blade anywhere near my face. This thing looks frightening...

Kitchencontraptions.com is a very cool site that provides information on new items for the kitchen arsenal.

Click for Screen Capture
Source: Google News
Title: "First aboriginal food guide balances traditional, practical"
Picture: A Caucasian lady with a green apple
Caption: SpiritIndia
Correlation: Ermm...Should someone point out to Google that the species of apple in the picture doesn't originate in North American? As such, it most likely isn't a traditional component of an aboriginal diet.

Furthermore, the picture links to an article, whose title reads "Study of US restaurants shows no healthier foods without healthier profits." Save for the "India" in the url, how do these two items correlate? Neither the word "Indian" nor the word "aboriginal" appear in the article.

I live in the Wellington Village. Characteristic of my neighborhood is a stretch of Wellington Street that has a higher density of restaurants, specialty food shops, coffee shops, and bakeries than arguably any other street in the National Capital Region. Elgin Street comes a close second. However, unlike Elgin, there are no large chain restaurants on this end of Wellington Street.

Any foodie in Ottawa will know the names: Saslove's Meat Shop, Parma Ravioli, the Ottawa Bagel Shop, Il Negozio Nicastro, and the Herb and Spice Shop. All are within steps of each other on Wellington Street West. Need I even mention the Caffé Mio, Siam Bistro, Bella's Bistro, The Roses Café, or the Wellington Gastro-pub? I thought not!

There are even more eateries if you travel further westwards where Wellington becomes Richmond Road. Juniper immediately comest to mind. As a matter of fact, this lovely restaurant is a Wellington expatriate that recently took over a portion of the Subaru dealership on Richmond Road. However, this entry is going to concentrate on a new restaurant that joins the Wellington Street epicurean row, "The Diner."

My review follows:

More after the jump...

Recently, a colleague of mine asked me how to make the "lacquered" meat that is served at North American Chinese restaurants. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea what dish she was referring to. However, if all things sweet and sour (you know, that ubiquitous red sauce) peak your fancy, you can either go purchase a prepared sauce or you can look into a simple ratio of some common ingredients.

Though I am not going to describe how to make sweet and sour pork or beef, the recipe I use for the sauce of all things sweet and sour follows:

More after the jump...

Whoever said that bridges need to be made of concrete and steel to span two points? Of course, civil engineering students get to build bridges with toothpicks or Popsicle sticks to test how well they were listening during their lectures. However, during one weekend in 2003, two enterprising house mates of my better half chose to build a similar structure with cardboard, empty cereal boxes no less. Neither participant was an engineering student. In fact, one is now a medical doctor. The other, an occupational therapist.

The following is the result of their handiwork for posterity:

More after the jump...

I'm posting this recipe for two reasons.

Firstly, during the past month, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (an American non-profit organization) released a report that states that Chinese food is unhealthy. I believe the aim of this report is to demonstrate that there is no cuisine, ethnic or otherwise, that is ultimately healthy. As such, consumers must pick and choose what to eat and how often. However, the majority of the media coverage makes correlations between this report and North American Chinese Food, not traditional Chinese food. For instance, many online news articles mention lemon chicken, chicken balls, egg rolls, and general Tao's chicken. Since I have never really eaten North American Chinese Food and I want to demonstrate that Chinese food can be healthy, I am posting a healthier alternative to the spring roll. Spring rolls are typically served with Dim Sum, a traditional Chinese brunch.

Secondly, the sun has come out after 4 days of overcast skies. I feel that this recipe is playful and light, which is accordingly appropriate.

Recipe follows:

More after the jump...

When it comes to sponge cake, I usually serve individual slices with whipped cream and gently macerated berries. The juice from the berries soaks into the cake, creating a wonderful mix of texture and flavor. The whipped cream is lighter than frosting, which I feel is appropriate for sponge cake.

Anyhow, if you want to make the lemon cake recipe I posted earlier with oranges (orange cake then...), here's a nice recipe for an orange whipped cream.

Recipe follows:

More after the jump...

Back in the days when I worked in downtown Ottawa, my department proposed a cake baking competition to raise money for the United Way. Of course, I entered. The opportunity presented new recipes to try and a captive audience to try them on. It would have been for a good cause too.

Unfortunately, the competition was not to be. No one in the building I worked in wanted to participate in the competition itself, so it was canceled.

However, I did manage to find and develop a lemon cake recipe that one of my colleagues described as "sweet, but not clawlingly (sp?) so."

The cake is essentially a standard sponge cake that is baked with many things citrus.

The recipe follows:

More after the jump...

Source: Google News
Title: "Hershey's major shareholder pledges to keep power"
Picture: Chocolate Jesus (Don't believe me? Click on this link)
Caption: CNNMoney.com
Correlation: Choco! Jesus! Good! Good!

After having wandered around much of downtown Ottawa, apartment hunting, a friend, my better half, and I decided to hunker down for something warm and mildly unhealthy. Accordingly, we found ourselves at Dunn's on Elgin Street. This establishment is our local chapter of the legendary smoked meat shop that originates in Montreal. This is also where my friend introduced me to the smoked meat poutine: fries, cheese curds, gravy, and (surprise!) chopped smoked meat.

I was in cholesterol heaven. The fries were freshly fried, hot, and crispy. The smoked meat actually added a depth of flavor to the gravy and the curds melted into strings, providing texture. It was meat and potatoes in a refined state.

Now, I have adored poutine ever since I discovered the French Canadian dish at a fry shop on my former University's campus. However, never would I have imagined that the mixture of fries, cheese curds (never shredded cheese), and gravy could be made heartier. Suffice it to say, I couldn't eat anything more for a good 15 hours. Though wholly satisfying, I don't think my gastro-intestinal system has yet forgiven me. I have absolutely no idea why Dunn's considers smoked meat poutine a starter. I recommend only eating this dish as a meal after weathering several consecutive hours exposed to the deep cold of the Canadian Winter or early Spring if the temperature falls below 1°C.