TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL 2008

We went to the Toronto Jazz Festival in the Beaches the other day. I don't have a lot to say about it other than that the music was great and that it was fun. Next year I'll definitely return and spend more time there than I had this year.

Kaitlin and Garret (my kids) joined us there and Garret got bored of the music pretty quickly. I don't think it's a venue for children, unless they are fans of live music. But Kaitlin liked the music because she is musical herself. She sings and had spent the last few years in her school jazz band learning the saxaphone and the flute.

There were several bands playing - about 20 - and they were all awesome. The Latin bands were my favorite, but that's because I love Latin music. I will say though that I watched a lot of passers by start dancing when they were in the Latin section. It's infectious!!

Here are a few pictures, although they aren't the greatest. I wanted to get more shots of the "street food" but I was pressed for time. Maybe next year.

ANTIPASTO

It doesn't take much to throw together a quick antipasto, and there's nothing better with a little wine and some good company. Antipasto can be as informal as you want it to be and keeping it simple best.

A few assorted olives...

...a bit of cheese...

...a little roasted garlic...

...some marinated mushrooms...

...some more fromage...

...a little sausage and a little fresh crusty bread and you're happening!

CAFE TASTE - A GREAT OASIS FOR WINE AND CHEESE

Lola and I tried to go out for a nice dinner the other night and it seemed like it just wasn't meant to be. We wanted to go to one restaurant in particular but found that it was closed for a private party when we arrived.

We walked up and down Queen Street looking for something nice, but didn't happen upon anything that sparked our interest. When we did find one that looked interesting (we'll try it soon) we found they didn't take Interac. We looked up and down that area of Queen and couldn't find an Interac machine that worked! Grrrrrrr!

All of this walking around wasted about an hour or so and as we passed the original restaurant we wanted to go to, we found it had opened up to the public again so we decided to go there for dinner.

As we were walking home along Queen Street, we were passing other restaurants looking in at the staff as most of them were closing up and reading menus posted on windows. We were passing one place - Cafe Taste - and a waiter standing in the door asked us to come in to see the patio in the back. We went in and decided to have a look.

Cafe Taste is a wine and cheese bar that offers over 30 wines by the glass and up to 30 cheeses. We came in at the close of the night after there had been a wine event, but there were still a few people lingering on the patio sipping wine over quiet conversation by candle light. Lola and I ordered a glass of ice wine each and had a sampling of two cheeses. It was a nice way to end a what started out as a not so perfect evening.

The best thing about the night was that we discovered Cafe Taste; we want to go back soon for a night of wine and cheese. Cafe Taste not only offers a vast array of wine and cheese for sampling, but they are proud of the fact that they search for local products to offer their guests.

While we were enjoying our ice wine, we were brought a really nice blue cheese that paired well with it. I also wanted some goats cheese which was supplied without a problem.

As a wine and cheese lover, I want to go back to Cafe Taste to bust a gut one night. I think it will be a a night of sensual pleasure and fun!! And if you're a wine and cheese lover...you should check it out too. You may find a new favorite.

Here's a link to the Cafe Taste web page: http://www.cafetaste.ca/

Cafe Taste 1330 Queen St West (@ Brock St.) 416.536.7748 cafetaste@rogers.com

CRABLESS CRAB CAKES

Do you ever get those cravings sometimes that just don't go away until you satisfy them? You know...the "I gotta eat that or else I'll die" cravings? Well, the other day I had a craving for crab cakes something fierce and I just had to make some. I think it was the crab cake recipe Lola had hanging on the fridge that did it to me; it's been there since January and I've been looking at it ever since. Anyway, the situation finally came to a head and I had to do something about it. I had to make some crab cakes!

Unfortunately for me, I shopped for all of the ingredients I needed to make crab cakes before discovering that the store had no crab. Can you believe it...no crab! So, I decided to combine shrimps and salmon in place of the crab meat. Improvise when necessary I say!

Here, some white shrimp, shallots, garlic, scallions and parsley are ready to be minced for the cakes.

The shrimps are minced roughly...

...and combined with the other ingredients.

The salmon fillet awaiting mincing.

The minced salmon added to the rest of the ingredients fleshes out the shrimp. Any other fish can be used as well.

A bit of grated potato adds filler to the cakes . I also added some chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper, Old Bay Seasoning and lemon juice.

Stir it all up....

...add some mayonnaise....

...stir it again....

...add bread crumbs to dry it out a bit...

...ball it out the same as you would for hamburger patties...

...press it down and VOILA...fish cakes ready for the pan! The cakes are fried in olive oil and butter until golden, flipped and fried on the other side until golden. I finished them in the oven for five minutes to ensure they were cooked through. These babies are big!

Lola made a really nice salsa/salad of charred corn, pepper, avocado, jalapeno, olive oil, lime juice and cilantro to go with the cakes.

Up close and personal.

The cakes with chile chipotle mayo!

In your face!

Done deal! And this is soooooooo goooooood!

Give it a try!!

THE PERFECT STEAK

There are a lot of opinions on how to grill the perfect steak. I have mine too. But no matter what the thought on the matter is, it's the final product that wins the argument. So, here I will lay out my version of the perfect steak and you can decide for yourself.

First of all, we have to decode on the perfect cut. Some like the New York Striploin or the Fillet the best, but I like the Ribeye. I like this cut because of the fat content present in the rib. It makes for a jucier steak than all the others at the end of the day in my opinion. But if you're looking to grill a great steak, choose from one of these three cuts if you want something tender.

As you can see, this rib steak is well marbled. That is, it has a good amount of fat within the muscle which will disolve during cooking and add moisture to the steak. Yeah...fat is desirable sometimes!

So...there's a juicy little mama waiting for someone to come along and set her free. I think I can handle it!

First I like to make a marinade of rosemary, shallots, garlic and olive oil to soak the steak in before grilling. This combination adds flavor to the steak by infusing it with the aromatic shallots and garlic and the oils in the rosemary permeate the surface of the meat with savory perfume. The olive oil coats the steak and helps to sear the surface during grilling as well as adding flavor.

Here are the three ingredients - shallots, garlic and rosemary - minced and ready to use as a marinade.

The steak is coated in olive oil.......

....and the aromatics are sprinkled over both sides. The steak is then allowed to soak up the flavors for a few hours.

Now what I like to do is prepare a baste for when I grill the steak. This particular baste is one I like because it's simple and it adds a decent amount of flavor the the steak as it sizzles over a bed of hot coals. This is a mixture of red wine, balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, rosemary and olive oil. I also add sugar to the mix to assist in the caramelization process.

I just allow this baste to "come together" for an hour or two before I lite the coals. This allows a bit of time for a glass or two of wine too.

As the steak is cooking over the coals, I just baste it with the mixture and allow it to caramelize on the surface of the meat. There are many bastes you can make to add flavor to your steaks and chops and you can purchase a lot of different ones in the grocery store. Just remember that the function of a baste is to cook onto the surface whatever it is that you're cooking and that continuous basting is essential.

Here, the finished product is served with a few sauted Shitake mushrooms and a simple spinach salad. The steak is so large that nothing much else is needed to satisfy even the hungriest person on your list.

So...some would say I'm wrong, but I think this is a pretty good way to grill steaks. The ingredients may not suit the taste of every individual, but the process is what is most important. Play around a little...do some research...and above all...have fun!!!

Happy grilling!!!!!

RISOTTO WITH ROCCO

Rocco's Plum Tomato Trattoria is a restaurant we found quite by accident. It is a place we have been passing again and again as we go to and fro grocery shopping, and because the sign looked so interesting combined with the fact that it just looked like it served up some decent Italian grub, we decided to stop into this restaurant one evening after shopping. We were glad we did.

Rocco's is really casual and even the decor reflects that. It has a rustic theme which is reflected in the wooden floors, tables and chairs as well as in the wooden art work which hangs on the walls. The carvings are magnificent and intricate, not to mention huge. And tile mosaics adorn the walls and ceilings.

The menu and sign out front are designed with the same hand-painted theme.

Some of the wooden carvings and tile mosaics.

Another very cool carving.

The candles on the tables provide a relaxing atmosphere.

First thing's first...VINO!

Complimentary olives, breads and oil/balsamic dip.

Caesar Salad. Actually...I rarely order Caesar when I go out because most are nothing exceptional (and I prefer my own) but I was in the mood for one when I was at Rocco's. It was good.

I had the Seafood Risotto. Here you see it is served in a tomato cream. It was very rich and satisfying as a good risotto should be. It was packed with flavor too. Very tasty!!

Lola had the Orange Roughy with a side of risotto The Roughy comes topped with shrimps in a creamy tarragon sauce. I had this dish my first time at Rocco's and can attest to the fact that it is very tasty. Above is the side of tomato risotto.

Here, a very blurry picture of the Roughy topped with shrimps. Sorry the shot is so blurry but it's the only one I had. The wine must have gone straight to the camera!

So, Rocco's is a good place to go for a relaxed atmosphere and some comfort food. They make pizzas, which look amazing, and a variety of pastas and mains as well. I recommend it for sure

ROCCO'S PLUM TOMATO TRATTORIA
156 THE QUEENSWAY, ETOBICOKE,