Day 59: Raclette Cheese

Fall is here, and winter is approaching. So I decided to try out an old favourite of mine. Raclette is the perfect melting cheese. As I don't own a fondue set, or a raclette grill, I just take a ramekin and stick it in the oven beside whatever else I am cooking, and wait til it gets nice and bubbly. The ramekin keeps the heat so it stays warm long-ish, and I just take a knife and slather it on whatever you want.

The smell is a little bit strong at first, so be prepared (I'd be lying if I said it didn't at first remind me of feet). But if you can get over that, you get a nuttiness, you get a texture that is firm enough to perfectly yield to the tooth. You get raclette.

When I lived in France, this would be a special dish that we would eat in mid-afternoon, pre-dinner, and when guests arrive. We also had our own raclette grill that would keep it all nice and hot and bubbly until you were ready. Here in Canada, it's very affordable (a snack-size wedge will run you ~$5), and you can prepare it in the oven or even on a pan and then literally scrape it with a butter knife onto a toasted baguette, onto root vegetables, or if you are really hungry and short on time, just Melba toast or Paris toast.

On Raclette:

Raclette is both a type of cheese and a Swiss and French dish based on heating the cheese and scraping ("racler") off the melted part.Raclette is a semi-firm, cow's milk cheese - most commonly used for melting.

Raclette is also a dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland and the Savoy region of France. The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates; the term raclette derives from the French word racler, meaning "to scrape". Traditionally, it is accompanied by small firm potatoes (Bintje, Charlotte or Raclette varieties), gherkins, pickled onions, and dried meat, such as jambon cru/cuit and viande des Grisons.

In the Swiss canton of Valais, raclette is typically served with tea or other warm beverages. Another popular option is to serve raclette with white wine, such as the traditional Savoy wine or Fendant, but Riesling and Pinot Gris are also common. Raclette was mentioned in medieval writings as a particularly nutritious meal consumed by peasants in mountainous Switzerland and France (Savoy region). Traditionally, the Swiss cow herders used to take the cheese with them when they were moving cows to or from the pastures up in the mountains. In the evenings around the campfire, they would place the cheese next to the fire and, when it had reached the perfect softness, scrape it on top of some bread.

A modern way of serving raclette involves an electric table-top grill with small pans, known as coupelles, to heat slices of raclette cheese in. Generally the grill is surmounted by a hot plate or griddle. The cheese is brought to the table sliced, accompanied by platters of boiled or steamed potatoes, other vegetables and charcuterie. These are then mixed with potatoes and topped with cheese in the small, wedge-shaped coupelles that are placed under the grill to melt and brown the cheese. Alternatively, slices of cheese may be melted and simply poured over food on the plate. The accent in raclette dining is on relaxed and sociable eating and drinking, the meal often running to several hours.

Day 58: Chanterelles Mushrooms

I believe that Chanterelles have been in season for a few months already, and will continue to be in season for a few months more, but until then, they really are an amazing mushroom. A nice firm texture, and slightly fleshy. The flavour is earthy and sweet, and holds its own against even stronger flavours, even against cheese, poultry, or fish.

I like them simply pan fried, with butter, thyme, and pepper. But if you're feeling exciting, add some white truffle oil and/or mirin.

On Chanterelles:

Chanterelles are common in northern parts of Europe and North America, including Mexico, in Asia including the Himalayas, and in Africa including Zambia. hough records of chanterelles being eaten date back to the 1500s, they first gained widespread recognition as a culinary delicacy with the spreading influence of French cuisine in the 1700s, where they began appearing in palace kitchens. For many years, they remained notable for being served at the tables of nobility. Nowadays, the usage of chanterelles in the kitchen is common throughout Europe and North America. In 1836, the Swedish mycologist Elias Fries considered the chanterelle "as one of the most important and best edible mushrooms."

Chanterelles as a group are generally described as being rich in flavor, with a distinctive taste and aroma difficult to characterize. Some species have a fruity odor, others a more woody, earthy fragrance, and others still can even be considered spicy. The golden chanterelle is perhaps the most sought-after and flavorful chanterelle, and many chefs consider it on the same short list of gourmet fungi as truffles and morels. It therefore tends to command a high price in both restaurants and specialty stores.

Day 57: Burger from South Street Burger

Toronto is quite a burger place. Lots of places, lots of hype, but in the end, it's a chain, called "South Street Burger" that, for me, takes the cake. Whenever I go for a burger, I look for what I call a "truly outstanding burger"

What makes a "truly outstanding burger"? I'll start with the bun. Like so many foods, whether it's a dumpling or an empanada, or a sub, or a sandwich, or a wrap, or a burger... the starch is the secret. For me, a good bun has to be soft, it has to be toasted. I know I've seen recently lots of ciabatta breads for sandwiches, and for me, when it's too hard, it causes all the "stuff" in the middle to just squeeze out and ruins the filling. Baguette sandwiches, you ask? Yes, it's the french way... not my way.... the French way. Me, I'm not French. Another advantage of a soft bread is that it just soaks up the flavour, the juices, the oils, and fats of the meat and the fillings and acts as a vehicle for flavour. If you can cook the bread on top of the meat, even better, you really do get all those flavours to penetrate.

When I think about what I love about McDonald's Filet-o-Fish, it is the soft bun. Also, obviously, then meat is important. The secret is in a soft meat, usually by using fresh, high quality beef. A char from a barbeque is a huge bonus, but not present on this burger. A little bit of pink in this South Street burger is good too, and it's possible at this joint only because the meat is thick and fresh.

Fillings are also important. Guacamole adds a wet, squishy, texture and a contrast to the soft/crunch bun, and the meaty burger. Blue cheese adds a new level of flavour and is the perfect complement to beef. Tomatoes have to be fresh and huge. But on top of all of that, at South Street Burger, they have a smorgasboard of different topping, including cajun onions, wasabi mayo, and mango chutney.

And then there's the fries, made by New York Fries. I always eat my fries first so that they don't get cold. I like my fries slightly crunch on the outside, yes, like McDonald's fries. The epitome of the wrong fry, in my opinion, is the Swiss Chalet fry. A great burger can be ruined by a bad fry or bad onion ring. When I get fries from South Street Burger, I pour them all over my tray, add freshly ground pepper, and then take the lid off of the cajun spice, and dump it onto of the fries and mix them. And then I dip it into a ketchup laced with Tabasco Jalapeno sauce. Damn good.

Day 56: Local Peaches

You might be asking why I don't specify where my peach comes from or exactly what variety it is? Well, not really being a peach afficionado, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that it is local, and in season and the reasons are probably pretty obvious. When it's local, it can ripen right on the tree and so you get all those natural sugars crystallizing right on your tongue. When it's in season, it doesn't have the time to sit in the cooler and change its texture. Most of us are aware of the difference between vine-ripened tomatoes versus those which are picked early, and then allowed to ripen on the freight trains that ship them from central and latin America. The flavours are never remotely close to being as robust, and the texture is always too hard. This is even especially true for peaches and all other soft fruits.

I got these peaches from the farmer's market for $6 for about 20 peaches, but the price is approximately the same at the grocery store (I can bore you with the economics of it another time) and I could be wrong, but I think the two are fairly similar in terms of freshness and time to market. They are amazing at this time of year. The skin is soft and chewy, the flesh is bursting with juice, the colour is a vibrant orange mingled with red.

The real kicker, though, is the texture. Soft and mushy but also firm, fibrous, and juicy. As a sort of side note, when you really think about the benefit of eating fresh fruit, it's yes, about the flavour. But it's equally really about the texture. The texture, after being shipped from out of country, is either too hard (if it's put on the shelf early), or too dry. So for me, freshness really is about texture and that's pretty much the same for most foods. Except for a few food snobs, most people can't probably can't taste the difference between a frozen and a fresh fish other than that one has more flavour than the other. But the texture is immediately obvious to even to the simplest human being.

Also, to really enjoy it you have to be able to just tuck right into it. Take a knife, and cut a piece off right in your hand. Let it drip down your chin. Let it get sticky on your fingers. And you have to eat the skin right off the peach. The skin is one of the best parts. It's a primal activity, yes it absolutely utterly is. And when there's little soft mushy spots... yum, eat them... that's where all the sweetness is! Whenever I go to an South Asian restaurant and see people eat with their hands, I get so jealous because I have some stupid innate inhibition to eat anything wet and drippy in public. Food just, plain and simple, tastes way better when you dive in with your hands.

Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against a mango salsa . But picking at it with a silver fork, you really lose the essence of the mango. Give me a real mango that I can suck dry, right down to the seed and I would take that ANY day of the week. Growing up on a farm, I can attest that here in Canada, we get some of the best apples, peaches, pears, cherries, you name it, in the whole world.

So my advice is, if you could humour me, to right now, go to a farmer's market. Go to an orchard. Go to a supermarket. It doesn't matter, but when the peaches are as good as it is right now (AND as cheap), take advantage of it. Eat them with your hands. And make sure they are at room temperature - the texture and the flavour are way better than when they're cold. Bon appetit!

On the seasonality of Ontario peaches (from OntarioTenderFruit.com):

Semi-Freestone Peaches - available July 25 to mid August.

The flesh of the semi-freestone variety partially clings to the pit. These peaches are excellent for eating out-of-hand. Types of semi-freestone peaches include: Harrow Diamond, Springcrest, Candor, Harrow Dawn, Early Redhaven, Garnet Beauty, Risingstar, Brighton, Sunhaven, Harbelle and Sentinel.

Freestone Peaches - available August 15 to September 30.

The flesh of a freestone peach separates easily from the pit. Perfect for eating fresh and for all your preserving needs. Types of freestone peaches include: Redhaven, Vivid, Harbite, Harson, Blazingstar, Harrowfair, Starfire, Veeglo, Harrow Beauty, Loring, PF24, Allstar, Coralstar, Cresthaven, Redskin, Glowingstar and Harcrest.

Day 55: Effingham Inlet Oyster

Huge, massive texture, almost like biting into a flan. The flavour of the sea came right through. One of my all-time favourites from my time in BC. Slightly flaky to open though.

On Effingham Oysters (from dianasseafood.com)

Effingham Inlet oysters are grown in a remote deepwater site on the west coast of Vancouver Island, inland from Barkley Sound. They are an intensively cultured product of uniform size with nice deep cups. The waters of Effingham Inlet are salty and nutrient rich, yielding oysters that are salty, plump and sweet, finishing with a mild watermelon aftertaste.

Day 54: Virginica Oyster

A really uber fresh oyster, a milky texture, absolutely full of meat. The flavour held up on its own enough to stand a habanero hot sauce on it. Loved it.

On Virginica Oysters (from dianasseafood.com):

Virginica oysters are raised in two different Washington locations, southern Puget Sound’s Totten Inlet and and northern Puget Sound’s Samish Bay. They are unique in that they are the first eastern oysters to be grown commercially in Washington state since the early 1900’s, when a large quantity were grown in Willapa Bay for the oyster hungry San Francisco market. Virginicas take three to five years to reach three and one half inches, which is the size at which the cup has fully developed. They have an attractive and clean pear shape, and the shells are quite smooth, lacking the sharp flutes common to pacific oysters. Their flavor begins fairly saltly, then goes very sweet for an eastern species, and ends with a mild mineral like finish.

Day 53: French Kiss Oyster

A very salty flavour, with not a whole lot of meat, which could be a seasonal thing. The texture reminded me a bit of a malpeque.

On French Kiss Oysters:

This unique oyster with a sexy name is a special package from Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick. French Kiss oysters have a deep cup and are recognizable by their paisley shaped shell, profound salinity and sweet finish.