Suckling Pig, Kangaroo Burgers, and Ostrich Thigh, oh my!

The weekend was an eventful one here at Taste. We hit the ground running on Friday with a packed Australian wine tasting hosted by guest speaker Doctor B!

The wines: (which are all currently on the menu)

2006 Harvey Riverbridge Shiraz

2007 Harvey Riverbridge Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Billy Goat Hill Estate Cabernet

Admittedly it turned out to be an excuse to bust out kangaroo burgers and ostrich thigh. To my pleasant surprise we had quite a few adventurous types in the house as the ostrich with rapini, peppers and Portobello side was gone before nine o’clock.

Saturday, pardon the pun, was a completely different animal, with a whole suckling pig on the menu for a Viking themed bachelor party. Staying on point I served it with sweet potato and apple stuffing and a side of roasted potatoes.

*The picture was taken in jest. I mean no disrespect for the animal who gave its life to nourish others.

What’s cooking:

On Saturday the 26th, Rack of lamb with red wine reduction, cranberry chutney, and grilled veg. AND Angelo Bean Sausages!

Events:

Tuesday 22nd, Mozilla’s private function.
Thursday the inspiring music of Jason Phin!
Friday, a Chilean wine tasting with special food pairings.


David Berman

Food Geek

Chocolate and Wine Pairing!

While cheese and wine and culture might have all evolved together, I have managed to learn one irrefutable truth about chocolate and woman; do not, under any circumstances, attempt to come between them. So in tribute to our clientele, whom are mostly women, we are turning this month’s wine tasting into a wine and chocolate pairing.
I’ll be making my Asathoth chocolate (a blend of 3 chocolates, homemade biscotti, almonds and spices), Nug (A milk chocolate cup with cashew, almond and flaxseed butter filling.) dollops of dark, milk and white chocolates, fudge and straight dark chocolate.
I expect this to be very well attended, so buy your tickets before it’s too late.


What’s cooking:

The $3 Recession Pasta for this Tuesday (The 15th), is my cheese and veggie lasagna.

Angelo Bean sausages will be up for this weekend on the Patio!


Events:

Wine and chocolate wine tasting on September 16th.


David Berman
Food Geek

Summer Waning

As we push into the tail end of a summer that never was, café Taste is humming along. Wine tastings, private patio parties, anniversaries and every manner of booking have us on our toes. It’s always exciting to see the efforts of one’s labour bare fruit.

I am personally very excited about the new cheeses in house:

Peau Rouge: A hard Quebec cow’s milk cheese that is intensely savoury, nutty with notes of fruit and smoke. When me and Jeremy first tried this at Glen Echo Fine Foods I knew we had to have it on the list. Delicious!

Jensen Cheddars: 3 generation cheese makers are behind all the cheddars we now have in house. The extra old goes wonderfully with any of our bigger reds.

Asiago: An Ontario made asiago that lives up to the traditional flavour profile. Firm, sweet, salty and nutty.

Figaro: One of the standouts from the Ontario Wine Fair. A soft bloomy-rind cheese that is leaf-wrapped for two weeks. A complex cheese that will certainly hold your interest.

Lighthall Tomme: Another beautiful cheese from 5th Town cheese makers in Prince Edward County. This internationally award winning cheese is firm, savoury with notes of wood, earth and smoke.

Blue Haze: A proprietary cheese from Provincial Fine Foods. The blue cheese in produced in Quebec and brought to Provincial’s smoke house north of Toronto. Roquefort mold, semi-soft and aged 3 months.

Douanier: A Quebec cow’s milk cheese, soft rind with a morbier line. A mellow semi-soft cheese which still holds your interest and pairs nicely with most whites and less tannic reds.



What’s cooking:

The $3 Recession Pasta for this Tuesday (The 1st), is Grilled Chicken Spaghetti in my homemade tomato sauce.
My 100 ingredient Jambalaya on the weekend. Miss it and you’re out of the will.
Angelo Bean sausages on the Patio on Sat!


Events:

4 different wine tasting events this month AND our wine list now represents the winners of the people’s choice awards from the Ontario Wine Fair!


David Berman
Food Geek