A few of my favourite things...

It looks as if spring has finally sprung today; I had my first strolling-whilst-licking-ice-cream-cone and shorts-with-shiny-flats sighting this afternoon! (The latter definitely being more hopeful/wistful than the former - we Torontonians are such an optimistic bunch when it comes to the weather.)

The cheery sunshine has got the ol' mojo working, and like bear coming out of hibernation, I feel as if I'm starved for some serious grub. As someone who likes thinking about food nearly as much as eating the actual thing, days like this are a sort of all-you-can-eat mental buffet. I've got a couple of my favourite things on the brain, some snacks that always please, some dishes to inspire, tastes I can't wait to try again, and those few special things I just can't live without.

Dedicated to those raindrops on roses and those wee little whiskers on kittens, here, are just a few of...you know:

Dumplings

Gyozas

First, and perhaps closest to my heart, dumplings. Potstickers, gyozas, be they steamed, boiled or fried, the dumpling in all its individually wrapped, crispy, juicy bite-sized glory is truly a thing of beauty.

Men At Work (does anyone else remember this band?)


Behold, the shao long bao!!

It's my own personal belief that the absolute king of dumplings has got the be shao long bao. (The most awesome example of which my friend M and I had the good fortune to sample in a ram packed dumpling house in Shanghai...another story there!) Mmm, tender soup-filled dumplings. The black vinegar and ginger dipping sauce is pretty much the best thing ever too.

Caprese salad, with mozzarella di buffala

I have a very special spot in my heart (and several in my belly, it seems) for buffalo mozzarella. I will, and have been known to inhale a whole blob of its silky concentrated dairyness, a la Nigella, that is, by myself, late at night, as I sneak away from the fridge.

Chocolate croissants from St. Lawrence Market



Nothing satisfies my sweet tooth better.



Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, to finish a meal, at Pho Hung.


I love the set-up. Condensed milk in mug? Check. Grounds a brewin' percolating down? Check. Thermos of hot water handy? Check. Eat that, Starbucks!




Underneath lies sweet creamy coffee love.



The parmesan dusted fries at Thuet.


Crispy, cheesy, deep fried goodness.

A whole platter of potatoes, deep fried, then tossed in parmesan cheese. What kind of genius is that? (Think poutine with these would be overkill?)

Mrs. Whyte's ridiculously huge pickle (serves 2)


This mamba jamba is hee-ooge. Like kind of giggle and blush big.

I think this may be the same brand that gets served with Scwartz's killer smoked meat sandwiches. Either way, this is the perfect pickle. Great pucker to crunch ratio!

The fresh pasta guy, Saturday mornings at the market.


Am I the only one that gets excited by reading this sign?


Like a grown up, and infinitely tastier, version of our childhood Plah-Doh sets...






The start of an amazing meal...



Black truffle-infused pecorino moliterno


My current cheese obsession.

This, shaved over your lovely fresh pasta, drizzled with a touch of extra virgin olive oil...my idea of heaven!

Artichokes; boiled, fried, baked, roasted....

And dipped in butter, or aioli, or simply tossed in olive oil and a bit of lemon, or served raw, cleaned and very thinly sliced, tossed with arugula and parmesan shavings...

Tomatoes with a sprinkling of crunchy Maldon sea salt


Oh, this makes me wish summer would hurry up and get here already!

Crunch. Squish! The best part is that your face actually makes a smile when you bite into a tomato like this...you can't help but be happy!

So, those are just a few of my faves...what about yours?

cheesecake, CHEESECAKE!!

Once in a while, a compound word will come along that truly revolutionizes the very way we think, breathe, live. I’m not talking about those crazy fantastical science lab creations; Beefaroni and the Baconator, for example, or even the cuddly (and spooky) concoctions called Maltipoos and Labridoodles. (And don’t even get me started on the nonsensical dictionary dyslexia necessary to invent wannabe compounds like “Fabulash”, “Girlicious” or, really, the “TenderGrill Crossan’wich”; three reasons why we are becoming a nation of spelling idiots.)

I’m talking old school classy here, from back in the day when compounds actually joined a few ideas into one, descriptive, concise word. Take watermelon, or buttermilk for example. So simple, right? Ah, but deceptively so. Like Voltron, the end result is ever so much greater that its individual parts…

Such, then, is the case for the genius that is cheesecake.

Just think about what an incredible, awesome idea cheesecake is. It’s a cake. Made out of cheese.

Like sunshine and lollipops, like Christmas and your birthday, some things are just better when they happen together. So in the spirit of celebrating magical combinations (as well as a friend’s birthday), it’s time to bust out the springform pan and bring out the Philly!

You will need:

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling
4 x 8 oz packages Philly cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

(Optional, but totally recommended, caramel topping)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water

a 9-inch springform pan
parchment paper helps too

Preheat oven to 325°F.

If you have parchment paper handy, line the bottom of your pan now. (No worries if you don't have it, it just makes releasing the finished cake a bit easier.)

Mix together graham cracker crumbs, 3 tbsp sugar and melted butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. That's it for the crust; so easy!

About the cream cheese. I say you can't beat a classic; it's Philadelphia cream cheese all the way. And none of that light (or, sigh, "lite") nonsense either. You wouldn't want pretend sex; why make a pretend cheesecake?

Anywhoo, make sure your cream cheese is soft/room temp/able to get properly mushed about with your mixer or spatula - lumpy cake is not fun.

Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until well blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until smooth and blended.

Pour over crust. Very gently tap it on the counter to get rid of any sneaky air bubbles.

Bake until center is tender bellied, just barely wiggly jiggly, about 50-55 minutes. Crack the oven door open a bit and let your weighty masterpiece hang out, cooling gently in the still warm oven. (She is now like a skittish pony; no sudden moves and that includes extreme changes in temperature. This is to avoid the dreaded Cracked Cheesecake; no less tasty, but gosh, sometimes prettiness counts.)

Run a thin, sharp knife around the side of the pan. (When the cake cools, it will contract from the sides; this, again, helps avoid unwanted crackage.) Let the cake cool completely - patience, padawan, will reward you - before removing the sides. Chill in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight, if you're super disciplined.

If you'd like to add some more tasty goodness to the mix, and I know you do, add some quickie, sticky caramel sauce on top. Bring the brown sugar and water up to a simmer and let it bubble away for a few minutes, stirring now and again. You can check just how thick the glaze sets up by running a tiny drop across a cold plate - let it cool a second before running your finger through it. (You want the caramel to be gooey enough so that it stays on the cake, but not so tacky that it'll rip your fillings out. It's ok, that's a pretty wide margin.)

Carefully (this is burning hot sugar, no testing straight from the pot!) spoon your lovely caramel over your chilled cheesecake.

Please enjoy responsibly…eat it well, and eat it often!

The easiest meal. Ever!

The egg and cheese sandwich

This is my go to instant meal of late, an easy, one pan wonder that can be busted out one-handed, half in the bag, 3 am, whenever. Most importantly, it tastes amazing and makes you feel oh so happy.

Here’s what you need (feel free to substitute/improvise as you see fit):

2 slices bread
2 eggs
3-4 thin slices of cheese
1 tbsp butter
salt to taste

Before we start, though, locate a few slices of bread. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; regular wheat bread or even the wonder bread – texas toast variety is quite alright for our purposes here.

I’ve got gruyere cheese this time around, but I’ve also used cheddar (the applewood smoked stuff is awesome if you can find it), mozzarella or havarti. Again, use whatever cheese makes you smile. Be it black truffle infused moliterno pecorino, ooey gooey raw milk Riopelle or extra thick Kraft single slices, I say use what you love, whatever makes you happy!

So, toast up your bread and cheese. This is easy if you’ve got a little toaster oven, but if you don’t, do as I do and fry it up just like a grilled cheese sandwich. I know you’ve made plenty of those before, so no need to go into detail.

Now for the eggs. Oh, the perfect, lovely egg. Try to get the freerange, organic kind if you can; it really does make a difference.

Crack your eggs and beat them very gently with a fork. Add a pinch of salt at this point; the salt not only helps to season them at this point but will also help to slightly break them down, making them silkier when you cook them. Strange, but true.

Now for the scrambling. Heat your non-stick pan to medium high heat and add a pat of butter. Mmm butter.

Patienly wait until the butter sizzles and bubbles away…when, and only when, the pan is glistening and hot but silent, drop in your lightly beaten bundles of joy. Right away, use a spatula to gently fold over the eggs as they start to cook. At this point, turn off the heat. Really, please trust me! Eggs are tender, sensitive little snowflakes and need only the gentlest of attention to bring out the best in them. Cut the heat and continue to fold, lightly, easily, in the same motions you would use to ice a cake or pet a sleeping kitten, until the eggs are almost cooked all the way through.

Leave it to the French to have invented a specific word to describe the ultimate texture of a perfectly cooked egg….baveuse. It translates, roughly, into that slightly wiggly, jiggly state found in just barely set custards and jellies. I think it might actually come from the same word as drool and slobber too. Isn’t that sexy?

Anyways, at this point, collect the shiny soft-scrambled baveuse bundle to one side of your pan and proceed to deposit the golden fluffiness onto your awaiting bed of melted cheese and toasted bread.

The residual heat from both the eggs and your warm toast will continue to ever so slightly cook your eggs to the perfect fluffy doneness. At this time, slap on the top of your sandwich and proceed to cut as you see fit.

Somehow I feel that sandwiches of these sort end up tasting better when cut on a diagonal. But that’s just me.

Admire your swift handywork and proceed to inhale. This definitely isn’t fancy food, but it sure is satisfying!