So on with the show… I decided to go check out Toronto’s main market, the St. Lawrence market. This post isn’t meant to be about the market (I will do a more in depth piece in the future, I promise), I just wanted to get back to basics…food and cooking. Like most meals I make, I usually wing it, which works out or, in some cases, doesn’t.

This meal was originally going to be with fish, but I’m not a huge fan, and the sausage just looked too good to pass up. I went with Italian (hot), and fried them up with tons of garlic. The salad was traditional Italian insalata caprese, which is basically fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, topped with olive oil and salt and pepper. It’s a great summer meal, light and fresh with a great spicy sausage.

Now that things are starting to get started in Toronto I promise to try to upkeep this site with lots of great things to eat, drink and cook! Until next time.

Cheers!

Simon

After a weekend in Dublin, I have to say it’s expensive! Now, I knew this prior to leaving, but I had little idea as to how expensive it really was. Granted we spent all our time in the “touristy” sections of the city, but blimey! I mean for an entire city trying to lean towards being fairtrade, it would be nice to actually be able to sample some of the fine food.

We did manage to find a little hole in the wall (and I’m sure there are many)  oddly named Busyfeet and Coco Cafe, which offered a reasonably priced breakfast and tea. Afterward we wandered the shops, again astonished by the prices. One poor tourist went to the till to purchase a cashmere scarf only to find out it cost 65 euros! Ouch.

Anyway, I don’t mean to sound like I didn’t enjoy my time in Dublin, because I did. But really, in times like these it’s hard to justify such prices. I mean 12 euro for a kebab? OK, OK I’ll stop, but maybe if you’re planning a trip to Ireland, you should either spend lots of time outside the capital, or have a fat wallet.

Cheers!

Simon

Like most comfort foods, soup and a sandwich can be eaten anytime, and I’ve really come to enjoy making my own soups. However, as with smoothies, I haven’t done so lately because of a lack of blender, though a lot of soups don’t need to be blended.

Mostly there are times when I want a soup and sandwich, but don’t always have fresh homemade soup on hand. There are tons and tons of options when it comes to pre-made soup – whether it from a can, carton, box – but most of these are bad, especially from a can. The purpose of those I guess is to last a long, not taste good. I must admit I am sucker for Lipton’s chicken noodle from a box, with the little noodles and the salty goodness (especially when I’m sick).

But for this post I’m hoping to show there are better options: enter New Covent Garden Food Co. They bare a similar idea and packaging to Innocent Smoothies, except it’s soup. And I have very similar ideas about the product: yes you can make your own, yes they have nice branding, yes they have a nice website, and yes sometimes I’m too lazy to make stuff from scratch.

The company mainly deals with soup, and good wholesome soup at that. Packing fresh ingredients with flavour into a carton box seems like a no-brainer, but I’ve yet to see anyone else doing it until coming to Edinburgh. With basic packaging and simple ingredients, they’re a bit expensive, but with a small monopoly I guess you can charge what you like, and did I mention they taste good?

I’ve seen more and more “fresh” soups popping up, mostly in high end boutique stores, but these guys are selling to the masses and I’ve seen them in pretty much every major supermarket. So good luck, and hopefully this trend continues because I love my soup and sandwich.

Cheers guys!

Simon

Recently, an opportunity arose to apply for a job at a place called The Store. The basis behind The Store is that all the products are from their family farm, which produces fresh, organic meat and veg. They have two stores, one in Aberdeen where the farm is located, and another located in what I would call the foodie capital of Edinburgh: Stockbridge.

The rest of this story goes I applied to this job and was offered to work for a day to see what I was capable of. Not going into too much detail, I enjoyed my day of work, and ended up learning a fair amount throughout. The main selling point I would say is their vast assortment of meat, ranging from different cuts of steak, lamb, and chicken. Their emphasis is on fresh, as well as treating animals in a humane manner, as well as promoting the idea of where food actually comes from…the farm.

At the end of the day I was rewarded with a bag of food, or rather meat, which I was actually quite delighted about, seeing as how I would never be able to afford it’s contents on a regular budget. Items included were: two ribeye steaks, a small rack of lamb, fresh steak mince, and a package of very large pork sausages. As someone who doesn’t eat meat regularly, I must say I was a bit daunted. Having never cooked a rack of lamb before in my life, I was determined to give it my best shot.

The sausages were eaten over the weekend with our weekly brunch, and the mince became the best hamburgers we’ve had in a while. The main dishes to tackle were of course the lamb and steak, trying to get as much out of the offerings as possible. First up was the lamb, which I seared in a frying pan first, then put in the oven for about half an hour. I was a little worried that it was undercooked, but found out that it’s perfectly fine to eat a little rare. And boy did that make the difference – it was amazingly buttery, quite literally melting in your mouth. Lamb has always been a hit or miss thing for my picky palette, but this was by far the best I’ve ever tasted, and I cooked it myself!

After gorging on the lamb on Sunday, we felt we should give our stomachs a few days rest before we embarked on the massive steaks. Like the lamb, I wanted to make sure to get as much out of it as I could, so I just pan fried them, making sure not too overcook. I think that has always been my problem with cooking steaks in a regular frying pan, not getting it hot enough at the beginning so it ends up taking too long to cook, thus ending up stiff and rubbery. Luckily, my new lamb-induced confidence helped me not worry so much about seeing some blood when cooking these, and they ended up being pretty darn good. Again like the lamb, the meat was extremely moist and not chewy at all.

In the end, I believe the quality and freshness of the meat won out overall, and with a little more confidence I might start cooking more meat. But it’s still a price issue: meat is generally very expensive when you’re on a budget. But as a nice meal for a special occasion I think lamb might become more popular in my books.

I recommend people try to find an alternative to buying your meat from the supermarket and  keep an eye out for a farmers market or specialty shop – it really is worth it.

Cheers!

Simon

First up is a new idea to me, “green” chai. Black chai has been one of my favourite tea’s for a while, however I find it can be a little strong when steeped too long (I usually keep the tea bag in when making just one cup, as I reuse the same bag until it’s flavour runs out).  I’m a huge fan of chai lattes, which usually works to combat the harshness of chai spice. Until I found this little box of Yogi Tea – the perfect balance of spicy chai flavour and the subtlety of green tea.

I’ve been drinking this tea non-stop for the last month: I highly recommend it to fellow chai lovers, and especially to those who have never had chai tea before. It’s a great way to enjoy the spiciness of chai without it being overpowering. So pour yourself a cup and watch out for next month’s selection.

Cheers!

Simon

I must admit it’s taken me a while to find familiar haunts in Edinburgh, I’m getting there but it’s been a rough go. Since finding Artisan Roast I’ve been a lot happier, because I’m a creature of habit and I can now tick “café” off my list.

This place is wonderful, located in a great area on Broughton Street, filled with little newspaper stands, pubs and cafes. The first thing about Artisan you notice is that the brewing area is open, you can sit and watch the baristas work their magic right in front of you. Unlike some places (ie- Starbucks), where you feel as if they hide the whole process from you.

The atmosphere in the front is all business, with a lot going on and things going quickly when it’s busy, usually only one barista working at a time. However the back room is full of wooden box seats and couches, with warm colours and a window overlooking the back garden.  This is the perfect place to sit alone with a book or enjoy a Sunday afternoon with some friends.

I feel in this day in age the coffee is not quite as important, and I mean this is in a good way – for me to say they offer fairtrade organic coffees and teas would sound a bit redundant. However, I’m not saying everywhere that sells fairtrade coffee has “good” coffee, but it’s becoming more and more common for cafes to offer this. To make them stand out a lot of cafes have started to roast their own in-house blends, and Artisan does just that. They have the best tasting espresso I’ve had in a while (probably since Italy) and the baristas know their way around the machines and are confident in their skills (thus the open plan concept in front). The result is the best cappuccino in Edinburgh.

A café is meant to be a sanctuary, a calm atmosphere where you feel comfortable. I assume that’s why so many people write in them (as I write this from the back room of Artisan).  I rely on certain places to make me feel welcome, and Artisan Roast has become one of those. So my suggestion to you is: head to your own local café and order a big cappuccino, sink into a big chair and relax. If you happen to be passing through Broughton Street in Edinburgh, stop by Artisan Roast – they’re worth it.

Cheers everybody!

Simon

I used to get falafel at least once week from the “Mad Greek” when I worked at Timothy’s in Halifax, probably not the best way to save to come to Edinburgh. I’ve tried a few different “box” mixes and they can either be very bad, just OK, or rarely very good. I’m happy to announce that Just Wholefoods makes a very good one. I find most box falafel mixes are too dry, and when you go to fry them they fall apart. However, this lovely brand stays moist in the middle and, when pan-fried, nice and crispy on the outside.

Now, I know some of you will say, why not make them from scratch? This is perfectly fine, I’ve attempted my own a few times with varied success. Possibly with a little more practice I will perfect them. But sometimes I can’t be bothered to boil the chick peas, mash them up with herbs and spices, let them cool, then proceed with the usual rolling and frying. With box recipes you get to skip a few steps (depending on the brand) and cut right to chase – I made these in less then 10 minutes.

So if you’re a novice chef, or just hungry and can’t wait to eat your falafel right away, I suggest checking out a box recipe. If you can find this brand I would definitely pick it up, otherwise try out a few until your happy with one. Falafel is  a great healthy snack or meal for those of us who want something quick and easy. Happy eating, and be prepared for that falafel gut (those spices can sneak up on you, but its oooh so worth it!).

Cheers everybody!

Simon

While at the supermarket today, I noticed the “Innocent” brand smoothies were on sale (2 for £4). It’s not a steal, but normally these guys are £3-4 each. I’ve seen them at most supermarkets here and have always been tempted to try them – mainly due to the enormous variety of flavours. These include bizarre pairings like carrot and mango, or the more modest strawberries and bananas, with many others in between.

On inspection of their website I found they also offer a variety of soups, kid’s drinks and thickies (kind of like yoghurt, but not) among other delicious sounding products. As a company they seem pretty cool, with quips such as “…set the world’s finest orange juice free to pursue its solo career. Sort of like when Justin left NSYNC, except with oranges.” hidden throughout their product descriptions.

But what does it actually taste like? Good, very good and definitely worth the 2 for £4 price tag, although I’m not sure if I would pay full price. You could buy some bulk fruit and make your own, but if this isn’t an option (i.e. if you don’t have a blender) then these are worth it, but maybe only as a treat. The kinds we got were strawberry and banana and cranberry and raspberry, both tasted exactly as they were named. With no added sugars, preservatives or colouring, they are a welcome addition to the diabetes-inducing juice market.

In the long run, I won’t be buying these every week, but I’m glad to see some great products coming out on a large scale that are both a) healthy and good tasting and b) well marketed with some pretty neat branding ideas. So of you happen to see these pop up anywhere else, I’d give ‘em a shot.

Cheers!

Simon

P.S. If you want to get in touch with the company:

]]> http://sweetlimeblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/innocent-smoothies/feed/ 0 Simon innocent1 innocent2 bananaphone