(this post is also titled, why I must justify purchasing this knife)

Butchering your own meat from a primal cut is not new. In fact it’s done in small towns with local butchers for quite some time. Toronto chef Ryan Donovan has started having demostrations of how to do it and this hopefully starts a trend. Already you can buy whole loins of beef from Costco to make your own steaks, this just allows even more freedom.

Squeemish? All meat has to come from animals…

Kitchen Confidential is the book that made Anthony Bourdain famous. The TV host of food and travel show, “No Reservations” got his start in the self-described “dark underbelly” of New York’s restaurant kitchens. It’s a very raw look at the life of a chef and insightful look at the man on TV.

The book, now almost 10 years old, gives a look into a much younger and much bolder Tony Bourdain. It’s entertaining and filled with colorful stories. If it was a movie it would probably be rated ‘R’.

On a different note, I learned of an episode of No Reservations that I have yet to see on TV. It was an episode filmed about their trip to Beirut. On the second day of the trip, the 2006 Lebanon War broke out and what started as a food documentary turned into human drama. The episode focuses much on what it was like being in the middle a war in the relatively safety of their hotel/safehouse while waiting to be evacuated by the US Government. It was probably the best episode of the series – and won an Emmy.

I find myself contemplating starting a food blog more and more. It would let me combine my food photography with blogging, and provide some fuel to a cookbook I’ve thought of creating. While browsing various food blogs, i stumbled upon Epicute, a great food website with some fantastic photography. Check it out.

Rasa Malaysia is a food blog that my Dad mentioned to me. It features great recipes from lots of different Asian cultures and LOTS of great food photography.

It features sections for Chinese, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Filipino and Nyona cuisine. One absent member are Korean recipes but given the breadth that they cover it’s a forgiveable oversight. Especially since I’ve already discovered Maangchi.

Both the recipes and photography on the site are top notch. I definitely need to start working on my own cookbook!

The list of 150 restaurants participating in this year’s Summerlicious has been posted on the City of Toronto website. Reservations open on June 18th but Amex cardholders can start booking on the 16th and 17th.

I made this stir fry today quickly and with a bunch of stuff that was in the fridge, however it came out quite nice. The secret was lots of “rooster” sauce to make it extra spicy.

Since it was thrown together I’ll just put down the quick recipe instead of writing the full setup. Beef was sliced thinly on the biased and marinated with soy sauce and sesame oil. After stir frying I added all the vegetables that were cut bite size: bok choy, carrots, celery plus garlic and green onion for taste. Added udon noodles instead of normal thick-cut shanghai noodles because they were in the fridge. Finished with soy sauce and “rooster” sauce.

My proximity to the Korean Grill House, Oja and Little Korea has me craving a lot of Korean food at home. For a while I’ve been getting recipes online and making them on my own, however I just discovered a great website with both recipes and videos. Called Maangchi, it’s made by a Toronto ex-pat who now lives in New York. Her a great list of recipes of home-style Korean dishes.

Her recipe for Bibimbap is below, I used a variation of it in the picture above.

Bibimbap from Maangchi on Vimeo.

The perfect omlette is nice and fluffy, and not overcooked on one side. My way of doing the omlette requires no flipping! Instead, use that “broiler” function on  your oven that you never use. Be sure to move the racks in the oven as close as possible, leaving enough room for your omlette pan. Yes, this means you have to have an omlette pan without oven-melting plastic handles.

• 3 large eggs
• Soft white cheddar
• Ham, green onion, tomatos

1. Whip the eggs together using a whisk, not a fork. This makes it easier to get a light, fluffy omlette. Don’t overwhisk the eggs! I add just a touch of milk after whisking and gently fold in.
2. Turn the oven onto “broil” mode at a high heat setting (400F).
3. Turn the stove up to medium high, and melt a small pad of butter.
4. Pour in the eggs and let them form curds on the bottom. Once soft curds are formed, genlty push into the middle of the pan and let uncooked egg move to the sides. Repeat until most of the egg is cooked (usually when it’s hard to pour uncooked egg to the sides).
5. Layer your toppings on top of the pan, then put under the broiler until cooked (usually only a few minutes)
6. Enjoy!

Tucked away on Dupont is a new shop called Nancy’s Cheese. Once part of Harbourd Bakery, this is now her exclusive new location and opened just before the winter. She hostsCheese chaTon aTuesdaY for $25 you get to sample about ten different cheeses. With a strong focus on Ontario and Quebec cheeses, this shop is a welcome addition to the North Annex.

A review at Martiniboys was posted in February.

Over the weekend I got a chance to sample some of the wine I’ve been collecting over the winter months. This bottle was $22 at the LCBO. Scored a 92 by Wine & Spirits, the LCBO goes further to describe the Pio Cesare Barbera d’Alba 2006:

This is substantial barbera, boasting ripe, rich fruit and luxurious new oak flavors. It gains complexity with air, the oak receding into a supportive role. Elegantly composed and vinous, this lasts with flavors of cherries and plums. Decant a bottle for a steak tagliata.

Definitely let it air a bit before drinking and you’ll find it a nice enjoyable wine with a strong dinner. I had it with a nice hearty pasta dish and the wine stood up to the strong flavours of olives and tomatoes in the dish.

Here are some other comments from wine.com:

Pio’s Barbera is a wine quite different from many other Barbera. This is because the Barbera grapes are grown alongside the Nebbiolo grapes. This, combined with the extensive barrel ageing, results in a wine with the strength and wild energy of a Barbera, but the refined elegance of Barolo. This is a unique Barbera—full and brave, yet soft and supple.

Our Barbera has an intense ruby color with garnet reflections. The bouquet is distinguished and vital, with fresh, ripe fruit. The palate is clear and definite, with hints of ripe pulpy fruit, cherry, and notes of chocolate, frame with a long and pleasant finish.