LE SOUP DE JOUR

Welcome back food lovers and friends.  Beats and Eats for today as I prepare a cream soup with Fennel, Cauliflower, Leeks, Pear and some Coconut Oil for flavour.

Ingredients:

1/2 head fennel chopped mirepoix

2 leeks chopped mirepoix while only

1/2 head cauliflower mirepoix

2 peeled mirepoix bosc pears

8 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp coconut oil

4 tbsp butter

200 ml heavy 35% cream

1 tbsp tarragon dry or fresh chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 whole nutmeg finely microplaned approx 1 tsp

1/2 lemon

Method

- sweat shallots , fennel with butter and coconut oil in a large pot

season with salt and pepper to help sweating

- after translucent, add pears,  cauliflower cover evenly with butter coconut mixture

once beginning to cook, add all the stock, tarragon, lemon juice and nutmeg

 - bring to a boil and lightly simmer for 45 mins

- after 45 mins, use a hand blender to puree the ingredients, add whole cream, add salt and pepper to taste

- garnish with fresh leek strips, fresh pepper

The finished product tastes heavenly.  Subtle coconut hits the top of my pallet while the warm sweet nutmeg sits just under my tongue. Creamy, buttery texture...hints of fennel arise to the nose if garnished with fresh fennel leaf..to spice this up, add a bit of your favourite alcohol.  Goldschlager is something to consider as a holiday or warm up touch!!  The tarragon really comes through when it needs to and never disappoints in this wonderful cream soup.

WHEN LIFE HAS YOU....

 MAKE A PICKLE!!

Welcome once again food lovers and colleagues...to the wonderful world of preservation.  An old school way to store and save food safely for times of less abundance, is now one of the most respected crafts in the culinary world!!

For my first picking/canning and preserving experience I have chosen to go with a classic...sweet, fresh, organic carrots.  Markets are bound to have some organic carrots around if you look hard enough.  Although here in Ontario, I must say we have some of the world's finest.  In one of Chef Inniss' lecture presentations he presented a wonderful plate filled with beautiful picked veggies.  This is what inspired me to make some wonderful carrots.

REMEMBER...K.I.S.S.

9-10 halved organic carrots

4 cups white vinegar

1 cup spring water

1 cup organic cane sugar

2 tsp picking raw salt

1 tablespoon each:

fennel seed

dill seed

2 sprigs bay leaf

1 stick cinnamon

1 mason jar

Method:

Combine vinegar, water, salt and sugar to make a brine. Bring to a low simmer.  If you are canning the carrots for dry, room temp storage you will need to blanche the carrots in the simmering brine for about 3 minutes or until slightly bendable to the touch. Place mason jar in a pot of boiling water.

Remove carrots, place into a cold bath to stop cooking.  Remove JAR ONLY FROM BOILING WATER, LEAVING THE LID AND CAP INSIDE.  Combine dry ingredients in mason jar and add the cooled carrots.  Pour the hot bring over the carrots .

Remove cap and lid from boiling pot and use to tightly close the mason jar filled with liquid.  Place the jar in the boiling pot to commence the canning process approx 10 mins.  

SERVE AFTER 24 HOURS MINIMUM TO ABSORB MAXIMUM FLAVOUR!!

This recipe is a classic!!  I flavoured it with my own personal touch however that brine and pickling base is something that has indeed changed the way we all eat.  Nutrients are locked into the vegetables and that amazing crunch can still be enjoyed with the wonderful flavours and undertones.  Cinnamon, fennel, and dill are all complimentary garnishes for these wonderful carrots. 

Suggested Serving - 

Delicious antipasto plate, combining seasonal pickled veggies (giardiniera) such as beans, carrots, cauliflower, peppers.  Fresh Bocconcini, Seafood Salad, Radicchio, Prosciutto Di Parma. Crostini to garnish!

A PEAR OF GREAT FLAVOURS

http://en.blog.hotelnights.com

Once again, I find myself in the heart of Toronto, Chinawown/Kensington Market.  Looking for fresh, delicious fruit in the dead of winter is quite difficult, but my asian friends at K&K Specialty Supermarket Have it covered!!  Behold the Thai Rose Apple!

The ladies could not resist but tell me the striking taste resemblance to that of a Pear, which is what I went in for to begin with. Am I ever glad they recommended this wonderful fruit.  As exotic, and rare  as they come, Rose Apples are non-climacteric fruit that are best eaten picked from the tree, crisp and juicy!

                                               Here is a small relevant breakdown of the fruit:

   Origin: Asian/ Malay/ Thai

Sister Fruit - Water Pear

Relative Botanical Plant - Guava, Eucalyptus

Size - 1-2 inches wide/ 3-4 inches high

Cost : 8$ per lb

Considering the hefty weight of just one Rose Apple, I imagined it would have a high water content, similar to the ratio that a watermelon would have.  Conventional applications of the fruit are salads, Sautés and medicinally extracted to treat several ailments in asian countries.  The anticipation grew as I made my way home to try our this awesome new discovery!!

Visually stunning, the Rose Apple has a pear like shape with an interesting base.  The fruit folds into itself to make a rose like appearance.  Red, smooth, shiny...like a red rose!!  Time to cut in!  As I slice the fruit, I notice a distinct texture and crispness, the skin seems thick but peels away quite easily.  The flesh is almost transparent, filled with juice/water.  My senses smell something similar to a fresh plant growing, and similar to the smell of a watermelon peel.  To my surprise it tasted nothing like an apple, or pear!!..I tasted watermelon all the way!!  A bit bland perhaps because of the freshness and importing factors, and I imagine if this was fully matured on the vine...it would be hinted with rose flavours.  I get the slightest floral taste on my pallet, and it is quite refreshing....possibly the juiciest fruit I have ever tasted for its size!

Now for the interesting part...what to do with it!! ? .....I go back to my watermelon flavour and texture, and can't help but suggest...FUSION!!

A gorgeous sliced Rose Apple...on a bed of fresh Arugula...some Prosciutto di Parma spirals, crostini...and of course a few slivers of Grana Padano!!  Balsamic to Glaze if possible otherwise reduce the vinegar and make your own...you will thank me you did!! ;)

My learning here at GBC never ends....Once again chef hats off to chef Jason Inniss for developing this wonderful blogging trend...my lesson for this one...what looks like a pear, is called an apple, and resembles a flower...not necessarily does the name always match the flavour!!

Salute!!

RAMEN AROUND THE MARKET

THE RAMEN QUEEN

Enter the world of Ramen!  A traditional Japanese dish filled with flavourful broth, fresh veggies, noodles, and of course meat!

"BEST"

A few blocks away from Toronto's Kensington Market, and Mid-China Town you will find a welcoming smile and what seems to be the worlds largest Ramen bowl.  Looking for a spot was made east by simply looking down to see "BEST" written in the entranceway!!  Ajisen Ramen welcomed me with open arms.

As I walked in I was greeted by wonderful staff, given a warm bowl of jasmine green tea with a smile.  I mentioned to the waiter I was a culinary student and blogger on a mission and he was eager to help.  He quickly recommended a  Tender Pork Rib Ramen, and as I looked at the menu it seemed to be quite popular amongst the enthusiasts.

The aromas of freshly chopped green onion and miso filled the restaurant air with a subtle hint of the litres of jasmine tea brewed and served table side.


My Bowl appeared approximately 10 minutes into my sit-down, and let me tell you what a treat it was....ready...set....RAMEN!!  The components were simple, and yet the flavour was out of this world.  Visually, bean sprouts float with wilted seaweed to the side, the aromas of the fresh green onion contrasting with a half milky miso broth.  Perfectly done pork ribs seem to have a jelly like feel from being slow cooked for hours...a brown glaze covers the ribs as they sit on the bed of yet uncovered fresh noodles.

Breaking down the components to assertively taste and understand this wonderful soupy, noodly, meaty dish...i eat one by one the elements before digging in for the swim.  The pork...fall apart tender., sweet, braised for sure. Bones turned into a kind of jelly like consistency, and yes....I ate it ALL!! even the Jelly parts! Raw plain bitter bean sprouts are well suited and bring a fresh crunch to the dish while the wilted seaweed brings a little sourness that traditional miso/seaweed flavour that the Japanese do so well.  I mean its like a miso soup that worked out for a year! The broth definitely traditional semi salty miso inspired, however the glazing and fat from the pork ribs enter the broth and add a reddish colour palate that slowly mixes and integrates to the dish as you go along.

" WE ARE NOODLE FOLK, BROTH RUNS THROUGH OUR VEINS"

(kung fu-panda)

The noodles were fresh, egg noodle.  Cooked just perfect, not mushy or bland.  They are the hidden gems in these dishes and add the balance to the salty broth and absorb the liquid.  They also make for a nice twist in the chopsticks...you can tell they weren't sitting around for hours on end.

RAMEN MASTA
JOHNNY LUK

 To my surprise I was greeted by the man himself, Ramen Master Johnny Luk and his wonderful assistant Belle with an ON THE HOUSE selection KOJI SALT PORK RAMEN.
This dish featured a sliced salted pork scallop and hardboiled egg, with the usual fixings.  The egg gave this dish a great addition as it added a certain "raw" or umame aspect to this dish along with the ever so thinly sliced pork.

A few things I have learned today are...


1.  Don't ever second guess Japanese Cuisine
2.  Salty and "salty" can be two different things
3.  My palate...although mostly dominated by miso and seaweed flavours...my palate was able to find balance in these dishes by taking time to eat.  I have noticed that breathing, taking your time and enjoying what you eat can make the experience that much more rewarding.
4.  Don't ever rush your food!  OR JUST USE CHOPSTICKS!

LIKE THE JAPANESE WOULD SAY "ARIGATO"  TILL NEXT TIME...SALUTE!!

HELLO AND WELCOME TO MY GASTRONOMIA BLOG!

‎”This is my advice to people: Learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun”-Julia Child

Ciao!, and hello to the wonderful people who love food as much as I do!   Yes, of course my name is Giancarlo Bellisario, an Italian Canadian Culinary Student at George Brown College in Toronto.  My family is my main influence in the kitchen.  My family roots stem from Madrid, Spain in the late 1800's and later to Pescara, Italy which is where most of my folk call home ;).  My 90 year old grandmother always told me ..."food is a love, a passion..the kitchen is a home in itself".   This is also my philosophy, cook with your heart.  Watching my grandmothers cook as a child, and young adult is what has made me want to become a chef.  The flavours, patience, love, and compassion really came out in every meal.  Today, I cook in the honour of my grandparents with a love for food that is impermeable.  With this blog I hope to share my experience and grow as a chef and individual!

Wild Mushroom Trio/
Picahna Brasil w/Chimichurri Butter

Thai Peanut Chicken/
Stuffed Pepper w Quinoa Salad

Herein you will find my journey, and the people whom I am blessed to have inspired me, and continue to support me.  My art consists of two forms, Food and Music.  As a proud member of the 90's rave culture...I took a passion to house music as a young individual..17 years later, I am still playing!! I own an Event Management company, Batts Event Group based in Toronto, and we do many events with a rapidly prestigious growing client base.  My journey into culinary school is this same passion driven by the same ambition and respect.

Pulled Pork Tacos/Lime Crema

I am blessed to be a part of an amazing team, at a great school.  This blog is will be dedicated to my family, the chefs I learn from, Chef Inniss for giving me the best impression of culinary school possible, and to you...FOOD LOVERS! NOW ENJOY AND...SALUTE!

Above are a few of my creations pre culinary school at George Brown all photos are 100% authentic, real and taken in my own home.  


Here is a link to a great blog for food and nutrition enthusiasts
http://www.abbeyskitchen.com/blog/

The blog is great! I would like to see a little more of an international influence in some dishes however the information is overall good for everyone to read.  The nutritional information is quite accurate and lots of tasty ideas here including recipes to get any enthusiast excited for time to Mangia!(eat)

question...
WHAT IS CANADIAN CUISINE?

Jamie Sarner.  (2016) Shedding a New Light on Canadian Cuisine retrieved from
http://jamiesarner.com/toronto-restaurant-reviews/boralia/

Boralia restaurant at Ossington and Queen, north of Liberty Village, has offered an answer to the age-old question: what is Canadian cuisine?

Another mission of mine is to examine and discover what is our Canadian Cuisine?  The many influences and melting pot factors are an imminent motivation to dive right in!!  This restaurant above has seemed to set a new standard in the Canadian Culinary forefront in Toronto.

MY TALISMAN

MOVING FORWARD, WE WILL BE USING A PINK RIBBON IS SUPPORT OF CANCER AWARENESS WORLDWIDE IN SUPPORT OF A CURE FOR LIFE GROUP!