Easter European Cuisine in Toronto

Toronto is the home of many communities of immigrants from Easter Europe. Like other communities, they also have their entrepreneurs who invest in restaurants where we can taste their cuisine. This last summer, I decided to visit some places where I can find Eastern European dishes. .

Café Polonez

This restaurant is located in Roncesvalles Ave, in the heart of the Polish community of Toronto. It serves a great choice of traditional Polish and Eastern European dishes. It offers delivery, take-out and a quite patio where you can enjoy a great moment. You can read more here  

I decided to go for options where I can taste as many dishes as possible. I asked for a Platter for 1, that contains Schnitzel, bigos and pierogi. Schnitzel is a thin slice of meat, breaded and fried. The name is German and comes from the word “Sniz” that means “Slice”. It might come from the famous Wiener Schnitzel. Different kinds of meats may be used (veal, pork, mouton, chicken, turkey). 

This place offers the options of pork and chicken, I took the last one. Platter 1 comes with Polonez Schnitzel (In polish: sznycel z pieczarkami = Schnitzel with mushrooms), served with mushrooms and salad. Bigos, is often translated as hunter’s stew. It’s chopped meat (usually a sausage) stewed with sauerkraut and fresh cabbage. The bigos served in this place contains pieces of sausages and pork. For me, it was the first time I eat bigos, and I enjoyed the combination of flavours, from savoury to sour. New ideas for dishes to cook in future. 

Pierogi do not need presentation in Canada. They are so popular that can be easily found frozen in supermarkets. These Eastern European dumplings, commonly boiled and filled with different kinds of filing like potatoes, cheese or mushrooms, were brought to North America by Polish and Ukrainians immigrants. For some reason, their Polish name was widely adopted in our vocabulary (In Ukrainian they are known as Varenyky or Вареники). 

In short, Platter No 1 (As they named it) contains a representation of homemade dishes finely done. A great introduction to Polish cuisine if you are in Toronto. To complete my order I added a side of Polish sausage and another of Cabbage roll. 

The Cabbage roll (called in Polish : Gołąbki) served in this restaurant, is stuffed with rice and pork meat and topped with tomato sauce. There is a vegetarian version filled with rice and mushrooms, but I did not try it. The polish sausage served here is topped with fried onions. 

For drink I requested a glass of Kompot or compote, a sweet non-alcoholic beverage made of fruits. You can obtain it cooking fruits like apricot, peaches, apples, pears, plums and many others. It is served cold in Summer. In my home they used to prepare it for Christmas and New year season.

Europe Restaurant and Bar

It is a Hungarian restaurant located in 3030 Bathurst st. It’s an excellent place to taste traditional Hungarian and other Eastern European dishes. 

As a main dish, I tried Mátrai Borzaska, perhaps the Hungarian version of the Schnitzel. Mátrai Borzaska is also a thin slice of breaded meat, but coated in a mixture of grated potato, egg and flour and served topped with sour cream, garlic and cheese. The meat used by this restaurant was chicken. This dish was served with noodles (Resembling the Spaetzel) and cabbage salad. It all had a great taste. 

As a side dish I had a cabbage roll. In Hungarian language this is called Töltött Káposzta and it is served with a cabbage salad and sour cream. It is stuffed with pork and rice, but the Hungarian version often includes Paprika in the stuffing mix. Notice that the word Káposzta used for cabbage, resembles the word used for cabbage used in some Slavic languages (Kapusta).

Egyptian Food at Papyrus

Last Friday, Anna and I decided to try some new dishes. Checking some old notes, I noticed that some friends recommended me to try Egyptian food, and Toronto has some places where they serve food from this part of the world. We decided to visit the restaurant Papyrus, located in Danforth, in the famous Greek town. You can read more here. 

One of the things I noticed during my brief visit to the interior was a decoration on one of the walls with a list of words in 3 languages: English, Arabic and Egyptian (in Hieroglyphic script). They explain that this decoration was inspired in the famous Rosetta stone, a commemorative scripture found in Egypt, that contains the same text written in Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Egyptian Demotic script and Ancient Greek. (By chance, this restaurant ended up in the well-known Greek town in Toronto, an interesting coincidence).

We tried different dishes. One of them was Koshari ( كشري ), considered as Egypt’s national dish. This dish was originated during the 19^th century, probably under European influence. It has a mix of macaroni, rice and lentils, topped with caramelized onions and tomato sauce and garnished with chickpeas. This is a popular street food and a great choice for those who want to eat vegan food.

We tried T’ameya ( طعمية ), the Egyptian version of Falafel, and here is a patty-shaped deep fried meal made of fava beans and fresh herbs. Is one of the oldest meals of the Middle East. We ate the T’ameya Sandwich. The name of this dish is derived from the Arabic word T’am ( طعام ) which means “Food”. The form of this word suggest a small piece of food. It’s another good choice of Vegan food.

Our non-vegan choice of the night was Hawawshi, ( حواوشي ) Seasoned ground beef and served in Baladi bread with some vegetables. This is also a popular street food. We decided to have a taste of the lentil Hummus prepared by this restaurant.

For dessert, we chose Bassbousa and Konafa. Bassbousa ( بسبوسة ) is a classic Egyptian semolina moist cake. It originated in the Ottoman empire and spread throughout the Middle East with different names and styles. For those who like Lebanese food, the closest version is called Namura ( نمورة ). Konafa ( كنافة ), is a sweet made with vermicelli soaked in sugar-based syrup and filled with pistachios. This restaurant prepares a particular style that they call Canadiana, where this dish takes the shape of a canoe and is filled with blueberries, and a touch of Maple syrup. The waiter told us that the Bassbousa will be sweeter if we decide to share both dishes. Anyway, both sweets tasted delicious.

About the restaurant, we can add that most of the dishes they serve are vegetarian, with some exceptions, so it is a place where you have options to choose from. The plates are disposable and made from recyclable material. Of course we have to add a few words about the great service provided by the waiters who during all our visit were very attentive and with details they kindly answered all our questions. Indeed, this place is a must for visitors who want to try something new and different in the classic Greek town of Toronto.

Evening in the Patio

After long time, I met my friend Anna last Saturday. We decided to hang out and go first to a park for a walk (I would say a forest, but that is a topic for a separate article); then, we went to a shopping mall nearby to have something to eat. We wanted to enjoy a quite dinner on the patio, get some fresh air, and at the same time, enjoy a good meal. The place we found that met our expectations was The Bier Markt, located at Don Mills. You can read more here. 

The Bier Markt, is a place inspired in the concept of bierhaus (Bierhäuser in plural) from Central Europe, tavern or ale houses where people meet to talk, socialize while they enjoy good food and drinks.

Although the name suggests a place to taste beers, Anna and I are not really the most loyal fans of this alcoholic drink. But that was not an obstacle to enjoy our visit to this place.

We started our meals with a couple of entries, and we chose the Classic Poutine and Calamari.

As a Main course, Anna had the Schnitzel, a thin slice of chicken breaded and then fried, accompanied with Emmental cheese spaetzle (or spätzle, small noodles made with flour and fresh eggs) and cabbage. The schnitzel was finely cooked and tasted great.

I had Atlantic Salmon, served with quinoa and some veggies. The salmon was very well cooked, the use of quinoa as a side is a trend in the modern cuisine that in this case made a great combination.

Eating in the Patio has been a trend during this summer, now about to finish. A great way to enjoy the weather of this time of the year while maintaining the measures that we learn to follow during this pandemic.

Return to Restaurants with the Cuisine from the Caucasus.

For long time, I could not go anywhere to spend a nice evening tasting new foods. In fact, we are now in the second half of the year and I did not add anything new to this blog. Now in Toronto, restaurants are offering the option of Dine in and finally I decided to try something new to return to one of my hobbies.

For some time, the traditional cuisine from Caucasus has caught my attention. The original recipes from the different countries of this region that has been a place of intersection between Europe and Asia. Not only I tried ordering food from some Georgian restaurants, but I had tried to prepare some of those recipes by myself.

My first choice was to visit the restaurant Armenian Bistro . This is a small restaurant with a very simple menu where you can expect a great selection of traditional dishes from the Armenian cuisine. It is located in Etobicoke. They also sell some Armenian products that you can enjoy later on at home.

My first dish was Lula kebab. It is minced meat mixed with onions, spices and cooked on skewers. The one I tried was a mix of beef and pork. The meat was very juicy and well combined with a mix of vegetables.

I tried a small selection of Khinkalis (ხინკალი), the typical Georgian dumplings that exist in neighbouring cuisines. The ones I tried were prepared with a mix of beef and pork.

The following week I went to the East of the city to try a Georgian restaurant: Restaurant Tiflisi . It is located in Queen st E close to the intersection with Woodbine. After my visit, I learn that this restaurant just opened this year. My experience in this place was amazing.

From past articles you an guess which kind of foods I like to taste from different Georgian places. But I noticed that here there are available some options that are not that common and I decided to try some of them.

For appetizer I tried Kuchmachi (კუჭმაჭი), a combination of chicken gizzards, walnuts, cilantro, onions and spices and topped with pomegranate seeds. It is served cold. I enjoyed this dish very much. 

My main dish was the traditional Chakapuli (ჩაქაფული), one of the most popular dishes in that country and also a complex one. They present it as a lamb soup with plums and tarragon. But the lamb used is first cooked in white wine. Then it is mixed and cooked with green plums and a combination of herbs that include parsley, mint, dill, coriander. Garlic is added as well. A very nice soup to enjoy the evening. 

Georgia is famous for its wines. And those wines are among my favourites. But this time I decided not to add alcohol to my dinner but try some soft drinks of grape from that country.

Finally, Khachapuri (ხაჭაპური), the traditional cheese-filled bread. My favourite one is the Imeruli, a soft pastry filled with Imeretian cheese.

Iraqi Food

The year 2020 is almost done. A year where due to the Pandemic most of us were limited at the time to decide which new places to visit. There were some short moments where restaurants were able to serve food for dine in. I did use this short time to know different foods.

I was always curious about the culture in Iraq and whether the food there is like the food in other Arabic countries or is it different. which particularities are there.

A friend of mine recommended to visit restaurant Royal Mezgouf, an Iraqi restaurant located in the west end of Toronto. This restaurant serves real Iraqi food. You can read their web site. 

During my first visit I tried a dish called Kebab bel-Badhanjan (كباب بالباذنجان), fried slices of eggplant rolled and stuffed with kufta (Meatballs of ground meat with the shape of a cigar) and served with rice and a special tomato sauce. The taste was excellent. The presentation ot the rice, although a different rice, reminded me the Persian dishes I usually taste in different places of the city.

During my following visit, I tried the Royal Iraqi Kebab, a dish with 3 skewers of kebab made of ground beef and lamb. Visually this dish reminds me the Kebab Kubideh I have in Persian food. But the tastes are different. They are both served with rice, but the basmati rice used in Persian food is different than the rice used in Iraqi food. Iraqis use pickles as a side while Iranians prefer fresh vegetables. In both cultures they add sumac to the rice for seasoning.

The name of the restaurant, Mezgouf (المسكوف), is also the name of a typical Iraqi dish. It is fish based. Its carp grilled and slow cooked in firewood. I could see that it was served to someone else. This time I didn’t have the opportunity to taste it. I think next time if I go there with a friend I will request this dish to be prepared. If you are interested in this dish, please allow some time to cook it as it takes more than an hour to prepare it.

Back in February, before the lockdowns started, I had the opportunity to visit another Iraqi restaurant. It was the Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill, located in Lawrence East. This is a small restaurant specialized in kebabs Iraqi style. You can read their website here 

During the only visit I could pay to this place, I had the Iraqi Kebab, which comes with 2 skewers of Ground lamb meat. It is served over rice and has a side of pickles and hummus. Like their name say, they use sumac for seasoning. This place is a good alternative for fast food. Unfortunately it is far away from my home and the current situation does not allow me to go there, but for sure this will be one of the places I will visit once life in Toronto goes back to normal.

Cooking from Home – Georgian Food

Long time ago, and in past articles, I expressed my admiration for Georgian food. I had the opportunity to taste it and at least in 2 articles I posted some of the dishes.

In 2017 in my article called "Georgian Food, My First Sight" that you can read here. I mention dishes like Khachapuri (ხაჭაპური), Chanakhi (ჩანახი) and the famous Georgian dumplings or Khinkali (ხინკალი).

In another article: “Multiculturalism in the Teahouse”, that you can read here. Now, in times when I cannot visit too many restaurants, I try to reproduce some of those dishes in my own kitchen. My interest in Georgian food, music and language, pushed me to try the dishes of that interesting country.

The first dish I tried was Kharcho (ხარჩო), one of my favourites and a dish I previously tried to cook. It is a traditional beef stew that contains rice, chopped walnuts and Cherry plum purée. You can add onions, chopped tomatoes and coriander. I used lamb instead (I have been lucky to find a nice boneless lamb leg for this dish). The way to cook it is not different from other soups, but there are 2 key ingredients that make this dish special: one is tkemali (ტყემალი), a cherry plum purée, that adds a special sour taste; and the other ingredient for a spicy touch is Khmeli suneli (ხმელი სუნელი), a typical cocktail of spices and a common ingredient in Georgian cuisine. You can find both in Georgian shops and in many fine Eastern European markets.

The Tabaka ( ტაბაკა) is a traditional fried chicken. A special characteristic of this dish is that the chicken is flatten and then cooked. It is best to work with a small chicken. Cornish hen also works. You cut the chicken from the chest (remove some ribs if possible) and then open the chicken and press over it to flat. Georgians use a typical frying pan that has a press integrated. You can use something heavy to keep the chicken flat while you fry it. Chicken can just be prepared with salt and pepper before frying, but other spices are ok. Then you eat it with fresh vegetables, rice and use tkemali sauce to dip.

Other day I tried Shkmeruli (შქმერული), chicken in a cream base sauce. You take some pieces of chicken and fried them in oil until brown. Then chicken is baked while the same oil used for fry crushed garlic and milk (You can use cream). Then you add this mix to the chicken and bake it for half hour. You can use Coriander and parsley to serve it and then eat with rice.

Recently I tried a dish called Chakhokhbili (ჩახოხბილი). A traditional Georgian stew made with chicken and tomatoes. Perhaps the greatest difference between this stew and other chicken stews with tomatoes is the use of Khmeli suneli to season. I enjoyed it anyway with rice.

Fooding in times of Pandemic Part II

Since Ontario was placed in state of emergency due to the outbreak of COVID-19, I have been unable to visit restaurants and meet with my friends, gathering in different places where I can try new dishes. Restaurants in Ontario are allowed to work as far as they can provide options of Take-out or Delivery. In my last article I wrote about the options I found using different apps for food delivery. 

But this was a time to try new things in my own kitchen.

One of the dishes I like from the Cuisine of the Philippines is Kaldereta. It’s a stew usually served with goat, pork, beef or chicken. Vegetables usually include potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. I prepared my own version using pork and chicken and served with thin rice noodles.

My workmates have seen me eating mushroom pasta, a simple dish very easy to make. I just stir fry the mushrooms with garlic, parsley and some spices like dried oregano and crushed chilies.  Time to time I add other steamed vegetables.

Pasta dishes do not need to be complex. I found that a traditional pasta dish in Rome is “Cacio e pepe”, where you just add cheese and black peppers. Cheese can be Pecorino or Parmesan.

Rabbit is one of my favorite meats. I had the opportunity to find it in one of the supermarkets I have recently visited. I like to prepare it in the oven. First, I take the pieces of rabbit and I stir fry it with onions in oil and wine. Then I put it in a tray with potatoes and bake it. When ready, I like eating it with rice.

I do not often prepare desserts. But this time I found the time and opportunity. I read about a simple recipe of Riz au lait (French rice pudding). You can read good recipes on the internet. I use risotto grains for best results. To make something different, I added saffron, giving it a nice yellow color. What you see as decoration, these are apricot seeds.