Eat, Drink and be Daring - Toronto Life Magazine

Eat, Drink and be Daring - Page 7 - December 2007

61. Red Fife Wheat

First planted near Peterborough in the 1840s, this distinctly nutty grain was one of the earliest wheat varieties to be widely grown across Canada, but it was replaced in the early 1900s by more commercially favourable varieties. Now slow food advocates, captivated by its flavour, are working to bring it back. Though it’s still difficult to find retail, Jamie Kennedy has begun incorporating Red Fife into his exceptional sourdough bread.
Jamie Ken­nedy Wine Bar, 9 Church St., 416-362-1957.

62. Jumbo Empanadas’ Beef Empanadas

Braised beef, sliced egg, olives, onions and spice, wrapped in a perfect pastry pocket. A contender for Toronto’s tastiest takeout.
$4. 245 Augusta Ave., 416-977-0056.

65. Fresh Dates

We’re so used to seeing them dark and wizened from drying and age that the sight of fresh dates—they’re plump little red or ochre orbs—can be a surprise. Even more so is their crisp, cara­mel bite.
$4 per pound. Nasr Foods, 1996 Lawrence Ave. E., 416-757-1611.

67. Jonathan Forbes’ Spruce Tips

Made from the tender new growth of eastern white spruce trees, wild foods king Jonathan Forbes’ pickled spruce tips taste of cit- rus and grass, with a bit of Christmas tree thrown in. A classic martini gar­nish, they also make a heady accompaniment to fish.
$11. Caviar Direct, St. Lawrence Market South, 95 Front St. E., 416-361-3422.

69. Rabbit and Riesling Sausages

Enormously flavourful (they get a huge dose of onions slow cooked in brandy), sloppy with juice (but without any added fat other than olive oil) and goosed with Henry of Pelham riesling. Sausage just doesn’t get any better.
$35 per kilo. www.angelobean.com.

70. Kozlik’s Amazing Maple Mustard

Milled in Hamilton from prairie seeds and prepared here in Toronto, Kozlik’s best-selling Amazing Maple balances maple syrup’s sweet, dark caramel flavours with a hot, swift mustardy kick. It’s an ambrosial accom­paniment to ham—or simply scooped from the jar on salted pretzels.
$6. St. Lawrence Market South, 95 Front St. E., 416-361-9788.

72. Jerusalem Artichokes

These native purple tubers were an early North Ameri­can export. Though we can’t say for certain that they first grew only around southern Ontario, we’ll happily claim them.
$5 per pound, mid-Sept to mid-Dec. Phil’s Place, St. Lawrence Market South, 95 Front St. E., 416-363-9153.

63. The butter Tarts at Nathan Phillips Square’s Farmers’ Market

The first known recipe for butter tart filling—the voluptuous mix of eggs, butter, sugar and currants—appeared in a cookbook produced by the Royal Victoria Hospital’s Woman’s Auxiliary in Barrie in 1900, attributed to one Mrs. Malcolm MacLeod. The pastries quickly became a southern Ontario staple; in 1908, the Daily News published a recipe from Mrs. G.M.B. of Toronto, and three years later the Canadian Farm Cook Book included variations (lemon, nutmeg, vanilla and corn syrup were popular additions) from housewives across the province. More than a century later, the love affair is still going strong. Some aficionados favour a light, flaky crust, while others insist that the addition of raisins or currants is sacrilege. No matter, these ones—not too sweet, moderately firm inside, with well-browned tops and a substantial, lard-based crust—are among the best.
$4.50 for six. The Andrews’ Scenic Acres stand, Wednesdays from June to October, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or in the off-season, at the farm in Halton Hills, 905-878-5807.

64. Barberian’s Steak Seasoning

From the institution that helped teach Toronto how to dine in style, this blend of sea salt, herbs and heady spice—made without Montreal steak spice’s usual hydrogenated oil—is one of the city’s classic tastes.
$6 for 200 grams. 7 Elm St., 416-723-5964.

66. Oh Canada brand Organic Wild Rice

Harvested, cured and roasted near Keewatin, Ontario, for more than 70 years, this richly nutty grain, with hints of lavender and green tea, is a Hogtown staple.
$7 for 250 grams. Pusateri’s, 1539 Avenue Rd., 416-785-9100.

68. Ontario Sturgeon Caviar

This creamy, clean-tasting, luxurious roe was once so plentiful that the province’s barkeeps would give it away as a snack. In the 1890s, fisher­men produced an annual 900,000 kilograms of sturgeon caviar from northwestern Ontario’s Lake of the Woods alone; the giant fish’s stocks soon took a (not completely unrelated) dive. But these days, the industry is more sustainable. And though Ontario caviar won’t likely turn up next to the beer nuts any time soon, strict management should have us in the good stuff for keeps.
$95 for 30 grams. Caviar Direct, St. Lawrence Market South, 95 Front St. E., 416-361-3422.

71. Cold-pressed Canola Oil

Jason Persall, a grain farmer in Waterford, Ontario, discovered a few years ago that when it’s cold pressed without chemicals or solvents, canola seed produces a vibrant and flavour-packed oil—one that’s brilliant for salads or dipping.
$13 for 500 mL, www.pristinegourmet.com.