That dish is SO last season

Lately, I've been watching a lot of The Supersizers Go... on The Food Network. If you're not familiar with it, it's based on Morgan Spurlock's movie, Supersize Me. In each of the show's handful of episodes, the hosts spend a week gorging in the style of the wealthy of several significant periods of British history - from the Elizabethans, to the Victorians, to World War era rationers, and even to the high-powered, cutthroat sharks of 1980's Square Mile.

While also being hilarious, the show highlights the fact that food, like art, architecture, fashion, design, music, political movements, charitable causes, and so on and so forth, is extremely subject to trend - what's popular at the time. Dishes go in and out of style as quick as leg warmers, Jhery curls, grunge, post modern art, environmentalism, and vegetarianism.

The Material Girl

What makes The Supersizers Go... super interesting to me, is that food, unlike fashion for example, is essential to life (though some would disagree). It's easy to overlook that food and food customs initially spread in the same way as language and religion, and today they go out like last year's colors. Even though today our trends are short-lived by comparison to those of 500 years ago - they may no longer be impacted by war and rule, and they may not be as extreme as to give us dishes like pressed duck, cockentrice, pickled fish tarts, boiled sheep heads, or eel pies; they exist just the same.

The Duck Press

So as I sit in my bad jeans, old shoes, and faded polo shirt, I can't help but think about some of the culinary trends that have passed us by more recently. Check out my list here!

Today, it seems that the average person is well educated about ingredients and cooking techniques. Maybe it's thanks to the rise of the celebrity chef, or the pervasiveness of food TV shows, or wildly popular restaurants that end up being turned over faster than an egg on a tin roof in the summertime. 

Though I'm not in any position to say for sure, to me it looks like we're moving toward a more 'European' attitude toward food in North America. Portion sizes seem to be coming into control, and there seems to be a growing appreciation for the basics - good, fresh ingredients, seasonal eating, and simple cooking. Amen.

GG

Flour - not just for baking

I don't know about you, but when I see an open jar of flour (maybe with a scoop in it, and a little flour on the counter for good measure), I think of baking - muffins, homemade bread, pizza dough, pies...

Flour is another staple of the staples which dates back to the days when grunting in loincloths in public was not part of a hazing ritual. As you probably know, flour is a powder made of grains, seeds, or roots. And, as you also suspected, flour ain't just for baking.

The main use of flour for me, is as a thickening agent. Flour is a key component of a roux - which you wouldn't even notice in stews, sauces, and some soups, unless it was missing. Marie-Antoine Carême, 'the king of chefs, and the chef of kings', and one of the first ever celebrity chefs, classified sauces into four 'mother sauce' categories (Béchamel, Espagnole, Velouté, Allemande) as part of his newfangled 'haute cuisine'. Three of these four sauces are made with a roux. A roux is similar to a beurre manié, except that a beurre manié isn't cooked and is added after cooking to thicken. Where would you be without dextrinization?

Another main use of flour is for frying. Flour is used for both breadings (dry, for frying or baking), and batters (wet, for deep-frying). The world would be a sad, sad, skinny place without fried chicken and tempura shrimp. Oh, and as a side note, when you're breading meat you always need to go from wet to dry - meat to flour to egg to breadcrumbs. 

This superhero of the kitchen even has some non-culinary uses. Next time you bake a batch of aunt Mabel's oatmeal cookies, use some flour to get the oil off your poker cards. I've seen mixed info on using it to put out grease fires, so for safety sake I'd say don't try it. You can however make your significant other happy by cleaning the sink, and then whipping up a batch of play doh to keep the kids at bay.

Astounding!

GG

Lakeview Revisited

As much as I love gourmet, barbecue will always be my ultimate - and unapologetic - favorite. If my next meal had to be my last, it would be smoked. When I say barbecue, I'm not talking about hot dogs, I'm talking about slow-cooking: ribs, brisket, and the favorite - pulled pork. My quest to find the best pulled pork in the city is what originally brought me to Lakeview, but other devilish items brought me back.

After some brief correspondence with Derek Newall, the executive chef of Lakeview, I was invited in for a chat. It turns out that Derek and I both worked at Urban Restaurant in Toronto. I was a prep cook, peeling shrimp for hours, and he was an executive sous chef, working alongside executive chef Robert Mutch. When I was there, Urban had great items on the menu, including a beef steak sourced from a Mennonite farm, and aged for 28 days.

Derek Newall

Derek began his training at George Brown in Toronto. Growing unsatisfied with the program, he went on to cut his teeth at Splendido under David Lee. Derek feels that he did most of his learning there, citing a change in staff that allowed him to have greater creative control, while working with noted pastry chef Charmaine Baan. A source of pride for Derek is his hand in bringing Splendido to #1 in Toronto Life during his time there. No rookie, he's also worked at The Bloor Street Diner/Eatertainment, and MEATing at the Bottom Line.

At Lakeview, Derek enjoys the downtime that a 24-hour restaurant provides, "It let's me experiment and do more from scratch". When I arrived at the restaurant, Derek was half-way through a tasting with the owners. He's currently developing menu items, one of which I managed to get a sneak sample of.

Derek is genuinely excited for the ambitious future of Lakeview, which includes the opening of a satellite kitchen, which will function as a market and catering prep area for the restaurant and the public. He's thrilled to be able to design the kitchen from the ground up. The kitchen's revolutionary scanning and organizing system will help him "facilitate the inventory side of the business, which is always at odds with the creative side". The kitchen will allow Derek to indulge in a favorite aspect of his work - shopping for random items and getting the creative process going. However, like a true chef, his favorite thing to cook is "whatever uses up the leftovers".

Next time you're at Lakeview, Derek recommends the Ossington Massive breakfast, the Lakeview burger, and the Poutine Lakeview: with sweet potato and fresh cut fries, cheese curds, peameal bacon, garlic onion crunch, sauteed mushrooms, and house gravy.

So the new menu item? An evil genius eggs benedict, consisting of a cheddar cheese biscuit, topped with a corn flake crusted chicken filet, poached egg, and country gravy. You're going to want to try this.

GG

Roti (Almost) Worthy of a Mahatma

Since The Global Gourmand has become my altar of sorts, from which I pontificate on all sorts of culinary matters to my church of no one, I figured that I would continue with my Toronto-based restaurant/take-out recommendations while still in this great city - to no objections.

Gandhi Cuisine is a hole in the wall that is definitely one of my favorite little spots in Toronto. In my last life as a corporate ladder climber (really, that was my job), I would make regular noontime pilgrimages to Gandhi. On a good day I might even credit the place for showing me the light and putting me on the path to spiritual (read: gourmand) enlightenment.

Those familiar with Caribbean rotis will note that as the name suggests, these are not your standard rotis. I like to think of them as East Indian food wrapped up the island way, in a roti more resembling a thin naan than a traditional West Indian roti with dhal puri. Can you tell that I like my rotis?

First of all, if sufficient lunchtime manna is all you seek, you will not leave unsatisfied. You may not even have to eat again for the rest of the day for that matter. These grail-sized entities are like pouches of holiness filled with delicious Indian curries. No creature need be harmed either, as there are lots of veggie options, such as the saag paneer and chana masala rotis. For me however, since I'd rather spend my next incarnation as a feeder worm than give up meat, I go straight for the butter chicken or chicken tikka rotis. The brave souls ask for lots of pepper, but if you're new on your journey to chili Bodhi, you may want to say a quick prayer before you adopt that dogma. You're in an Indian restaurant afterall.

Heed my words - always call ahead to put in your order - the Great Ones reward foresight with prompt roti conveyance. I highly recommend checking this place out. It will fill the empty spot in your soul that you didn't know you had.

GG

Gandhi Cuisine

554 Queen St. West

Toronto, Ontario

416.504.8155

Best way to spend the folks' money + still look poor

In Toronto, if you're not west west west of Yonge, you're nowhere. I can really see the motivation behind the gentrification of such a colorful area: in just a few city blocks, you've got over-priced condos, CAMH, some of the city's shadiest parks, a thriving hipster scene, and not to mention, as my good friend Adam says, a great view of the Price Chopper from the top of the Gladstone.

A couple years ago, a night out at the Drake for GG and company would have led to a pizza slice at Cora's. Now, since it's so cool, why not take a walk up Ossington to Dundas and hit up Lakeview?

Lakeview isn't exactly a new place, first opened in 1932. In 2008, it looked as if newspaper was going to cover the windows for the last time, until it was saved again. Today, the new owners are really making up for lost time by being open 24/7/365. I personally think diners are museum-worthy relics that should be preserved in all their glory, along with delis and bbq spots - as long as they're GOOD. There's nothing more upsetting to me than a skinny, cold, dry corned beef sandwich, or a tough rib. Nothing.

Thankfully, it looks like the new management agrees with me. Lakeview is good. When you're stumbling around at 5 a.m. looking for food but not sure what you're craving, it's this place. I'm a bit of a sucker for a pulled pork sandwich, and Lakeview's rivals the best I've had. Theirs is seasoned in a million-dollar secret rub of 50+ spices and braised in beer. The braising liquid then forms the base of the sauce which is by no means traditional - containing umami-rich hoisin sauce, tomato, chipotle, and maple. Am I salivating?

If pulled pork isn't your thing, even though you're crazy, the classic diner breakfasts may be more up your alley. With no shortage of cheese, egg, and peameal and sausages worthy of committing a deadly sin, I can't really think of a better way to soak up the Pabst you drank at Sweaty Betty's. Their sweet potato fries are spot-on with ancho chili garlic mayo, and their quattro grilled cheese with asiago, cheddar, havarti, and feta is just that good.

Wait, pulled pork poutine? Looks like you just might need an elastic waist on those skinny jeans.

GG

Lakeview Restaurant
1132 Dundas St. West
Toronto, Ontario
416.850.8886

Wanted: Good Hummus, $$$ Reward

Detective Case Journal #24601 

Yesterday, Jimmy 'The Snake' Skibowski got handed 25-life thanks to my big lead. The station was pretty quiet so Sarge gave me the day, and for once I decided to take it.

Now I've never been one to relax for all that long, so I went over to Mel's diner to grab a bite with the boys.

Mel's been losing it since his old lady left. He started making this hummus platter and Susie gave us one to try. After one bite I nearly drank my weight in water. It was dry, grainy, and just not good eats. Good thing it was on the house. You could also build a house out of it.

This got me sleuthing for good hummus; one that was everything I wanted it to be - garlicky, smooth, good chickpea flavor, and just the right moisture content.

Me Va Me's. What made theirs so good? I got the owner into interrogation on unpaid parking tickets but he wasn't talking. One thing was clear, he had a soft spot for the joint. After a little carefully placed flattery, he finally slipped up. The secret, as I suspected, was all in the blender.

- 1 large can of chickpeas (approx. 2 cups, retain the liquid)

- Juice of 1 lemon

- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic (roasted, if you like)

- 1/4 - 1/3 cup of tahini

- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

- Sea salt to taste

- Olive oil

- Paprika

* In a blender, combine the lemon juice and tahini until smooth and frothy

* Add the garlic cloves, pinch of salt and continue to blend

* Add the chickpeas, about 1/3 at a time - try to get as few skins in as possible

* Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, add the sour cream, and continue to blend

* If the hummus is dry, add a little bit of the chickpea liquid/oil until the consistency is smooth and moist

* Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil for serving

I could now get my first good night's sleep in a month, knowing that I had done my part to help get bad hummus off the streets and the good stuff into the recipe books, where it belongs. Sorry Mel, stick to the liver and onions.