Unusual Meats in Unusual Recipes!

I dedicated most of this blog to existent restaurants and ethnic foods. At some points, I had the opportunity to show some dishes made by me. Today, I am going to dedicate this article to some experiments I made in the kitchen during this year, which is about to end.

One day, I decided to prepare pasta with minced meat. Most of the recipes for pasta, I learned them from an Italian family. When I prepare pasta, I usually cook the meat with onions, basil, salt and pepper (I sometimes add garlic as well). But unlike the recipes of my masters, this time I decided to prepare my pasta with a slightly different meat….

For this dish, I used ostrich meat. This meat is lean and very rich in iron. It is red and tastes very different from chicken and to any other poultry meat. Because it has almost no fat you have to be very careful not to overcook it. But it shows to be an ideal meat for pasta dishes.

On a separate occasion, I was checking some recipes. I spotted a simple recipe to make Fesenjoon, a Persian stew flavored with pomegranate and ground walnuts. This dish is usually prepared with chicken or duck and served with rice. I decided to follow the instructions of the recipe and prepare it, but I decided to use slightly different meat this time…..

For this dish, I used Crocodile meat. This meat is a source of high-quality protein and very low in fat. It has a similar taste to chicken. If you go for an alligator, the flavor can be a little bit fishy. Although much more expensive, it can be an excellent substitute for chicken.  

One day, I was in the mode of Asian Cuisine. I spotted a recipe to prepare Kaldereta, a goat meat stew from the Philippines.  The meat is commonly stewed with vegetables and liver paste. It usually includes potatoes, bell peppers and sometimes tomatoes. If you do not want to use goat, you can substitute with beef, chicken or pork. But, what about if you want something different? That was the path I decided to follow.

I cooked my Kaldereta using Camel meat. Camel meat tastes like lamb. Although I read some pages saying that it is quite hard meat, at least in my case I found it very tender. It has less fat than other red meats.

Different experiences with different meats. What a great learning experience for an amateur chef like me. BTW, I cannot stop mention where I found those meats in case you want to try and experience new recipes.  The meats were bought in Whitehousemeats  in St. Lawrence Market. You can find these and other uncommon game meats in this store.   

Brunch, Autochthonous Style

A couple of weeks ago, while researching indigenous cuisine for homework, I spotted a place in Toronto that works with this kind of food. But their way of work is quite different from other restaurants. I decided to visit this place.

The place I am talking about is NishDish Marketeria& Catering.  You can find more information on their website. NishDish is a business built on traditional Anishinaabe food (Here the meaning of Nish). The ingredients are sourced locally from many different First Nations communities. The Menu regularly rotates and is based in the traditional indigenous food. Right now, they focus on their “all-day brunch” during the weekends.

The first meal was an omelet with boar bacon. A few grains of wild rice and berries were added. An interesting option for a breakfast

Venison sausages with wild rice. A fresh salad using local ingredients was used as a dish side.   

Bannock, the typical bread made by local indigenous. With a homemade flavor and warmed with butter. 

Cornbread with a side of berry jam.

I had cedar tea with all my meals. For our indigenous, the use of Cedar leaves is related to balance and positive energy. There are other options of coffee and tea as well, usually sourced from local First Nations communities.

I do not often have breakfast outside my home. But I feel that this brunch was a good choice. Healthy good locally grown, with an outstanding combination of flavors, very simple and very affordable. the place is not big so for a friend gathering I would recommend their gathering option. But an outstanding experience if you go with a partner or a friend.    

Korean Food

Since I came to Canada, I visited different sites of Korean food. In fact, the very first restaurant I visited since I came to this country was a Korean restaurant, where some friends invited me. Although I became a fan of Korean food, since I started to blog, I could not decide to post about which place.

The answer to my question came through a good friend, Anna. She is also a fan of Korean food, but fortunately, much more determined than me. She asked me to go with her to Huhgane, a place of Korean food in Finch ave, just west of Yonge st. Anna not only guided me to the menu, but she also prepared the pictures I am sharing with you now.

Every Korean meal in a restaurant starts a group of collective small side dishes that include Kimchi, vegetables and sometimes cold noodles. A later research leads me to the name of this: a Banchan (반찬), this is a group of dishes that traditionally are served with cooked rice. They do not include meat and the number of dishes can be 3, 5, 7 or 9 (We were served 7 as we can see in the picture).

Our first election was Deok Man Du (뚝만두). Where the word Mandu (만두) is the Korean word for dumplings (curiously a similar word for dumplings is used by Turkish and Uyghurs).  Deok ManDu is a soup of dumplings, rice cake, and vegetables. The dumplings were filled with meat. There were pieces of brisket also. This soup is special for those who do not want spicy or very salty food. I recommend it for cold weather.

Another dish that we had was the iconic Bibimbap (비빔밥) hot steamed rice with beef, a fried egg, vegetables, and a Korean sauce. It is served in a heated stone bowl. This is one of the best known Korean dishes in the world.

Bibimbap

We had also a Chicken Gaseu (I found this name in Korean “치킨가스”) which is actually a name of English origin. This is a deep pan-fried chicken with a spicy sauce. This dish is a signature dish of this restaurant where the sauce is made by the restaurant. I recommend this dish for lovers of spicy fried chicken. The chicken was very juicy.

Anna and I eating our Deuk Mandu. at the center, we have our Banchan, then at the right corner we can see some friend dumplings.at the extreme left, we can see the Chicken Gaseu.

As a side dish, we had Korean purple rice. In Korean, you can find this dish with the name “Heukmi Bap” (흑미밥), which is scarlet glutinous rice. It can be found in many Asian grocery stores. It is served with grains (like beans, corn) and pork. It has a special flavor. During my research, I found articles where they talk about the health benefits of this rice.

Deuk Mandu at the left and Heukmi Bap at right. We can see another view of our Banchan.

Thanks, Anna!

I finish this article with a picture of one of my favorite Korean dishes, the Ori-tang (오리탕) which is a Duck soup with chili. You can find this same dish in this restaurant, but my picture was taken in a different restaurant. Lim Ga Ne restaurant in Bloor st (Koreatown)     

Canadian Dishes

To celebrate my citizenship, I decided to taste some dishes from Canada. Here is what I had.

If we ask about a typical Canadian Dish, very often the answer will be “Poutine”. This is a dish that includes French fries and cheese curds topped with brown gravy. This dish originated in the province of Québec. I include an old picture of poutine that I ate in Montreal in the famous restaurant La Banquise just for information to my readers who do not live in Canada.

A variation of Poutine

This weekend, I visited a restaurant called Le Papillon on Front Street. This the restaurant specializes in French food and the cuisine from Québec.

The main dish I ate was Tourtière, a meat pie originated from the province of Québec. The meat is usually a mix of minced veal, beef, and pork with potatoes. This dish is exclusive French Canadian and there are variations that exist among other French Canadian groups. We can find also the tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean and the pâte à la viande.  

I had Escargots as an hors d’oeuvre (starter). These are edible land snails. This restaurant serves it in garlic parsley butter. This is not really a Canadian dish but a popular French dish. 

   

My dessert was Pouding Chômeur, a popular dish from Québec.  This is a cake batter with hot caramel syrup that is poured before baking. It is served with a vanilla ice cream. The name of the dish, Pouding Chômeur is translated as “unemployed man pudding”. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia this dish was created by female factory workers during the Great depression in Québec, with the idea of having a simple dessert with few ingredients in a time of economic hard times.

Later on, when I went to the CNE, I had to opportunity to see and taste bannock. This is a variety of flatbread baked from grain. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the name Bannock is from Old English bannuc and this from Gaelic bannach.  The version that we know came from Scotland. Different indigenous groups in Canada adapted to their own cuisine and they use it in gatherings and festivals. It is deep-fried or baked. The kind of bannock that I tasted was the indigenous one from northern Ontario.

There are other famous foods that are Canadian. We have the Montreal style bagels, the California roll (Created in Vancouver), beaver´s tails, maple syrup, and Nanaimo bars. Here is an old picture of fried cod tongues, a popular dish from Newfoundland.    

   

Xinjiang – Uyghur Food

Recently, while visiting a street festival in Toronto, I was delighted to find a stand of Uyghur food. After the event, I decided to research more about possible places where I can taste Uyghur food in Toronto.

Uyghurs are a minority Turkic ethnic group that mainly live in China in a region called Xinjiang. Their food is a mixture of Central Asian Turkic and Chinese influences.  Kebabs and fried rice coexist. Hand-pulled noodles are common. The most common meat is lamb. Spicy food is common. Because the majority of Uyghurs are Muslims, the food is typically Halal.    

I found a few restaurants. I decided to visit two of them. Here is what I found:

Kroran

Kroran is a typical Uyghur restaurant located in East Toronto. Their menu is very simple but is very traditional. The name “Kroran” or “کروران “ (In Mandarin “Lóulán” = 楼兰 ) was an ancient kingdom located in today’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region in China. It was a key point of the ancient Silk Road.  

The first order was a “Kroran Lengmen” (楼兰过油肉拌面 = Noodles with stir-fried meat). The name suggests stir-fried meat with noodles Kroran style. Lengmen can be found using the names “ له‌گمه‌ن “ that might be derived from Chinese 拉面 that is the name given to the hand-pulled noodles.   

 It has handmade hand-pulled freshly made noodles, with stir-fried lamb and vegetables.  Among the vegetables, they used carrots, peppers, chilies, and cabbage. A truly Uyghur experience.

I ordered a Ziq Kawap. This name is another transliteration of the famous Shish Kabab and is prepared seasoned with cumin and chili powder. It is served with Nan bread. This is one of their most popular dishes.

 Zip Kawap

Xin Jiang Restaurant

  

Xin Jiang Restaurant also serves Uyghur food. But its style reflects the presence of other ethnicities that coexist in this region and the Chinese influence over the food. They also serve Halal meat, but the variety of dishes is reflected in a larger menu.

A typical dish from the area is the Lamb soup. I decided on one.  

It is prepared with noodles and green vegetables. Later, after reading the name of the dish in Chinese (回民羊肉粉汤), I realized that the style of the soup is from the Hui people, a minority group of Chinese origin, who speak in Mandarin but follow the Islamic faith. Because they follow the Halal rules, their food has some Turkic and Central Asian influence.

I ate a fried rice Xinjiang style, a dish where the mixes of eastern western influences coexist (新疆特色炒飯). The typical Chinese fried rice with eggs and beans, but with carrots and almonds, ingredients that are commonly found in the local pilaf rice. The meat used was ox meat.  

Xinjiang Fried Rice 

Tea served like in a Chaikhane

Serbian Food in West Toronto

When we talk with our relatives and friends about foods and culture, it might be unlikely that Serbian food is mentioned. Recently I heard about a good place to try Serbian food in Toronto, and I became interested in it.

The restaurant is Bonimi, a Serbian restaurant near Islington subway station. About Serbian food, I have to say that its traditional cuisine has several influences. We can highlight the influences of the Mediterranean world, the old Austro Hungarian Empire and some Slavic influence.

One of the most popular dishes is the Ćevapi, or Ћевапи.  It is grilled minced meat, related to the popular Turkish Kebab. Rolovani Ćevapi is a mix of pieces of grilled beef, veal, and lamb, wrapped in bacon. It is accompanied with potatoes and salad. I read in several pages that traditionally a dish has groups of 5 or 10 pieces, but I did not find a specific reason for the numbers.  

One of the most popular starters that this restaurant offers is lepinja sa kajmakom. Lepinja is a flatbread. Kajmak is typical cream cheese. The word kajmak Is of Turkish origin. Interesting to note that I read in different sites that both foods are traditionally served as sides in a meal with Ćevapi.

Grilled Calamari can be seen in different styles in the Mediterranean cuisine. What is different is that those large squids are grilled already stuffed with mozzarella cheese and smoked prosciutto. 

Salsa Festival in St. Clair and Street Food

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the “Salsa on St Clair Street Festival”, perhaps the most famous Latin street party of Canada. This event is a good opportunity to enjoy dancing different rhythms from Latin America and to taste some street food from that area.

Latin American street food is diverse. Some dishes are very well known as “Empanadas”. Beef is very popular in South America and to find options offering grilled meat is very common. But there are some other very popular options that are not widely known outside the area.

Ceviche is a popular seafood dish. Although it is considered to be originated in Peru, it can be found in other countries of the Pacific area like Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and certain Central American countries. It is made with raw fish or shrimps cured with lemon juice and spiced with Chili peppers and other ingredients. It is served cold.     

Shrimp Ceviche with Corn

Pupusas are made of corn. They are flat and are eaten like bread. They are from El Salvador but can be found in other Central American countries. They resemble another popular dish from the Caribbean which I already dedicated 2 articles in this blog: Arepas. They are prepared with the ingredients used to stuff it, which can be cheese, beans or pork.

Pupusas with Spicy Cabbage and Sauce

Fried sweet plantains (in Spanish they are called: Platano Maduro), are popular in many countries of South America. They can be sliced before preparing them and cheese is commonly added. They can be eaten as a side dish or just a snack.

But not all the food options are related to Latin America. Today it is common to see different options in each festival that come from different parts of the word. In this case, I was delighted to see a stand of Uyghur food.  They were serving grilled lamb and octopus, prepared in a traditional way. I will research more about Xin Jiang food in Toronto to see if I can post more. 

  

With Grilled Octopus

    

Northwestern Chinese Food

Chinese food is always popular around the world, and in Toronto, there are many options to taste it. We always expect to see in the menu some fried rice, noodles, dumplings or BBQ meat.  

But the truth is that Chinese food is very diverse, and from one region to another, the ingredients and the style can be so different, that is like going from one country to another. In this case, I had the opportunity to taste the food from northwestern China.  

The restaurant I want to recommend can be found with the name “Northwestern Chinese Cuisine” or西北风味 (Flavours of the northwest). In Google, you can also find this place as 白家老汤 (Homemade White Soup). This place used to be known as “Potato Noodle Soup of Bai” and still you can find this place with this former name. There are different branches, but the one I have visited is located in North York, at Yonge and Finch.

The northwestern food prepared in this location is based on a combination of styles from regions such as Shānxī (山西), Shănxī (陕西) and Sìchuān (四川). The salty flavors from Shānxī and the spicy from Sìchuān. In this cuisine, it is common to see the use of Chicken, Lamb, Pork, and Duck. Peanuts are present in many dishes.

The first meal that I had was鸭丝养生鱼粉, that is translated as Multi-grain fish rice noodles with shredded duck. A noodle soup that has peanuts, beans, and lettuce.  It is an interesting combination for a warm soup.  

As an appetizer, I took Black fungus and Onion or洋葱拌木耳 (Mix of onions and Fungus). An interesting combination with a sour flavor.

In a different visit, I had Spicy chicken gizzards or香辣珍心 (Spicy precious heart) as an appetizer. The Spicy and fragrance combination creates an interesting sensation to my mouth that I never felt with other spicy tastes.

The main dish was Lamb Pàomó or羊肉泡谟. This is one of the most popular dishes from the province of Shănxī (陕西), a hot lamb soup cooked with chopped leavened bread. It uses black fungus and noodles. A typical dish that you will not find in the cuisine from other parts of this country, full of culinary traditions.