Baby's First Kalbi - Korean Baby Food

Baby's First Kalbi

Lil T will eat just about everything.  Oddly enough though, I've definitely noticed a pattern in his disinterest in 'leftovers'.  I work so I tend to prepare his food for a few days.  I steam a bunch of Broccoli or other veg for a few meals ahead of time.  The day of, he will eat his green veg like it's candy.  By day 3, he's throwing it at me saying what I believe is 'bat' or bad.  Sigh.  I don't have the same issue with fruit though.  He'll eat anything sweet with gusto.  Proteins? Well, it's similar to the Veg situation.  He doesn't really like it on day 3.  Man! Who's kid is he anyway?  I love leftovers.  Since vegetarian food can be a bit labour intensive, I used to make big batches and eat it for a few days; soups, salads, stews, sauces.  D on the other hand regards leftovers differently.  He doesn't like to eat something two days in a row but he'll keep leftovers longer than I would.  So what's up with lil T and his aversion to the refridgerated treasure trove.  I reckon he picked it up while we were living with my folks for a few weeks when we moved to #Toronto.  Mom is a zealot about fresh food.  My dad has never had a leftover in his married life.  Lil T better get over it tout suite!

I've been easing the lil dude into 'real' food though.  What I mean is that I'll give him steamed veg or grilled meats or Tofu but I've been very careful about Asian sauces since they tend to have alot of additives.  He's had our Tomato sauce which he adores but Asian food is difficult.  He can't have anything too spicy nor too Salty.  I searched for a while for Organic Soy Sauce with no success.  D said I should use mom's soy sauce.  She makes it from scratch.  I said, well, while I know she's not adding any preservatives, I think she used too much Salt and since she buys her soybeans at the market in bulk, I'm fairly certain they're not Organic or nonGMO.

I have since conceded on the organic bit and at least insisted he get Low Sodium Soy.  I started by sprinkling a bit on his Organic Brown Rice and he just shovelled it in with both hands.  I then asked mom to make some Kalbi for him with Low Sodium Soy.  She also went the extra mile and reduced the amount of sugar.  She's been using Raw or Brown Sugar instead of White for a while but she started to cut that back and replace it with Apple or Pear purée.  That made me particularly happy.  I cooked one bone's worth in the toaster oven on a sheet pan at 375 for 11 minutes.  It's fairly thin so it cooks quickly. 

Success!  Lil dude devoured it with two hands full at all times.  I cut it up into tiny bits.  He only has two teeth for the moment.  You can feel his molars just under the surface so he's never had an issue with chewing.  D reckons he liked the sweetness of the Kalbi marinade.  In anycase, after having him throw some grilled simple Organic Flank Steak at my face last week, I was thrilled. 

 Now I know the food in the photo looks like alot but I cooked extra vegetables in case he didn't like the Kalbi.  I needn't have worried.  He was double fisting while still chewing.  He didn't touch the Sweet Potato.

Side note.  I'm having mom and dad talk to him in Korean but they've both been here for so long that they speak a brutal Korglish.  I have to keep reminding them to say Guk-soo instead of Noodle or Bego-pa-yeo? instead of Hungry-ya-yeo? The one thing I've had to ask my mom to avoid in Korean is Baby Talk for food.  Food in Korean is 'Bap' which also means Rice, probably because we have Rice at every meal.  I still feel funny if I don't get a starch.  Anyhoo, Baby Talk for Food is not 'Bap' which is easy for lil T to say since he only says B words right now, it's 'Mamah'.  My mom insists up and down that Mamah and Mama are different.  Brutal.  But it's confusing for me and T when my mom asks him if he wants 'Mamah'. 

Next up will be some #Korean BBQ Chicken... (similar to Teriyaki).

XinYi Garden - Neighbourhood Chinese Takeaway

Seafood Chow Mein -XinYi Garden

There are a few things you need to find in any new neighbourhood you move in to, well, in my books anyway.  1) a neighbour you trust enough to tell that you are on vacation. 2) bike paths. 3) closest drug store/ late night market 4) now with lil dude, nearest clinic 5) staple takeaway joints: Chinese, Thai, Indian, and pizza. 

There are concessions D and I make about Takeaway for Chinese that we do not make for the other takeaway or sit down.  Bad Thai food is bad Thai food whether or not it comes in a foil container.  And bad pizza is easily replaced by freezer pizza.  But there is something about takeaway Chinese that we expect to have at home that we wouldn't really if we sat down in a nice Chinese restaurant.  Perhaps it's the nostalgia.  We grew up in the days that cultural diversity was just in its adolescence.  Thus, alot of 'ethnic' foods catered to western palettes and or had to make due with a dearth of authentic ingredients.  So perhaps it's not exactly good Chinese food we seek when we order from this lot but the Chinese takeaway from our youth.  Now, let me make it abundantly clear.  This ilk of Chinese is still MILES AND MILES above the type of Chinese food you would still find in most Malls.  Blech.  Puffy, doughnut battered chunks of Chicken glazed in some mysterious dayglo red sauce.  Awful.  Still, what rules do we break when we look for neighbourhood Chinese food? a) more Chinese people eating than western. b) no western or other ethnic foods on the menu i.e. pad thai or french fries. c) dusty plastic plants all over the dining room.  d) a cathode ray tube TV prominently perched on the counter.  Yeah, you wouldn't catch me looking for a night out there.  But here I am at home, exhausted and jonesing for a good chow mein, yeah, I'm picking up the phone. 

Kung Pao Shrimp - XinYi Garden

XinYi Garden is one of these places.   IT is actually, on the lower end of this range in some aspects because alot of these, though they may make concessions on the menu, still have wicked core Chinese.  Sadly, XinYi Garden did not have a wide variety of noodles or veggie dishes which I crave, particularly my preferred Ho Fun or Eggplant (w/o Pork).  Still, it had it's highlights.  The brightest of which is that it is a 2 minute walk from our new rental.  That means we could pick up if we wanted to stretch our legs and get a 10% discount or fully veg out and get it delivered in less than half an hour from hanging up the phone.  Come on!  Since the menu they keep dropping at our door included a coupon for Egg Fried Rice if I paid cash, I opted for the delivery since we had to order a minimum anyway.  In retrospect, it wasn't entirely worth it except to give dad a good dose of Chinese which mom NEVER orders EVER.  She's a purist as far as being a home cook. 



Szechuan Eggplant with Tofu - XinYi Garden



We ordered the Seafood Chow Mein, Szechuan Eggplant with Tofu and Peppers, Kung Pao Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice.  It was quite funny.  Mom and Dad were over to play with lil dud so Mom was trying to work out how much to tip since they were only coming from up the block.  We didn't have the right change and in the end, dude strategically brought enough change to round to the dollar where he knew we likely wouldn't have had the right amount to work out well and got himself a hefty tip.  HA! I'm picking up next time.  Especially since the Egg Fried Rice was a bit of a disappointment.  IT tasted alright as this type of Chinese does but it did not taste made to order.  IT also had that aspect of too much soy since every grain of rice was thoroughly tinged dark brown.  That aside, since as I said, it tasted alright, there was BARELY any Egg.  I guess you get what you don't pay for.  I'll do what I normally do and make my own steamed rice next time. 

The Noodle Dish was quite nice.  The noodles were the thin Egg Noodles which are not my favourite but they hit the spot.  The sauce was a generic Chinese sauce but there was a good amount of Seafood and Vegetable.  The Kung Pao Shrimp was just okay.  The Shrimp were large and tasty but not as plentiful as other places since there was a lot of 'filler' veg like Carrots and Celery.  Normally, when you order a Shrimp dish, unless specified, there are no veg, just a heaping serving of Shrimp.  Plus, there was no POW in the Kung Pao.  I think I'll have to specify next time.  The Eggplant dish was nice except for the scarcity of the actually Eggplant.  There were more Peppers and Onion than Eggplant.  My favourite Eggplant dish is this very Spicy, slightly sticky Eggplant dish that is nothing but searing hot Eggplant strips.  That was what I was hoping for.  Waah.  That, I'll have to keep looking for.   

All in all, it was decent.  Decent enough that I would try again but probably different dishes except I think I'd have that noodle dish again.  I mean really, I laugh at the other reviews on Urbanspoon.  You can't seriously order 6$ fried rice from this place and expect Susur Lee as the chef.  It is what it is and it's okay for what it is.

On the heat side, given the location in the Bloor West, wonder bread community, I'm not surprised that they've played it safe on authenticity on the sauces.  I say wonder bread because I'm quite a bit of an anomaly on my block.  Sometimes, out with lil dude in his wagon, I feel like I look like his imported nanny :^P.   Next to tackle will have to be good takeaway Thai.  Goodness help me, I will not order it from the XanYi.  No!  That's just wrong.

Cost: $$
Service:(delivery) prompt, have exact change or except to over tip
Xin Yi Garden
Bloor West Village
282 Jane Street
Toronto, ON M6S
(416) 762-7297
 

for local Takeout



Hanging out in our potential new hood - Roncey - The Friendly Thai

Spicy Noodles with Chicken (Pad Kee Mao) - the Friendly Thai

D was not thrilled at the prospect of moving to Toronto though it was his job moving us!  We are insistent that we want to live in a part of the big city that still offers that 'village' feel.  Green tree-lined streets, variety of people, grocery stores, restaurants, specialty stores all withing walking distance.  The idea of weekends driving from box store to box store in some cookie cutter suburb or in some glassed up condo makes me cringe.  Roncey sort of reminds of Commercial in Vancouver.  EXCEPT! you will not find a Starbucks on it.  The area has strived quite hard to avoid the big chains opening up, thankfully.

So, woefully as we miss the Wet Coast and the fresh fish, I am glad that Toronto is great for Thai food .  IT's everywhere and has a decent range of price and quality.  That's been my perception anyway as I've been visiting in and out for the last decade visiting the folks.  Vancouver was not so good with the Thai food.  We settled on a couple of places as our go-to but, yeah, no where I'd be recommending visiting friends to try as a point of their visit.  You'd sooner recommend they try seafood or sushi.

There we were after a disappointing round of househunting and we were strolling down Roncey.  I popped in and out of cute shops like the Mercantile while D patiently waited on the sidewalk, since we were on a lunch run after all.  What was I craving he asked?  I said sushi.  I am always craving sushi as a default.  We walked past one that didn't feel inviting.  IT was dark and smelled of old tempura oil... or was it the deli next door grilling Kielbasa on their doorstep.  Anyhoo, we walked on.  I saw a lunch special sign outside the Friendly Thai for a Shrimp Curry Phad Thai, I was set and so was D.

Oddly enough, he didn't order the special... I grumbled as I thought of all the big houses in High Park we couldn't afford and there goes another 5 bucks :^P.  He ordered the Phad Kee Mao or Spicy Noodle.  That was odd to me.  Though Vancouver isn't great at Thai food, they put the proper names next to the dishes.  They didn't have D's preferred dish of Phad See Ew, nor did our server know what it was.  I suggest the Kee Mao cuz that is normally my favourite because I love the Thai Basil. 

Shrimp Curried Pad Thai - the Friendly Thai - Roncey

They both came out reasonably quickly and piping hot.  The portions were on the generous side for lunch which pleased me.  It wasn't a skimpy lunch special portion.  Mine was a luscious coconut based curry Phad Thai heaped with Tofu and Shrimp.  The sauce was tasty and just on the right edge of not too rich.  D's was really good as well.  They grilled all the veg and chicken before stir frying it so it had a nice smokey grilled flavour that went quite well with the sauce.  The portions did in the end beat us.  Of course we had bought some wasabi edamame at the Mercantile and some baked goods from the girls soccer team having a bake sale up the street.

The design is clean and modern without being pretentious.  They have a lovely folding door in the front to let the spring in now that days are sunny and blue.

Ambiance: Modern, clean
Cost: $-$$
Service: friendly and prompt
Family friendly: space for a stroller is very tight and the toilets are downstairs
The Friendly Thai
(416) 535-0111
 Roncesvalles Village
223 Roncesvalles
Toronto, ON
M6R2L6
http://www.myfriendlythai.com/

for Casual Thai Food





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Caved and bought Toronto Lunch Sushi - The Sushi Shop

I have been working out of the Toronto Financial district for a couple of months now.  I'm quite isolated from any interesting lunch joints.  I'm surrounded by food courts, junk food chains and more Tim Horton's than you can shake a stick at, if shaking a stick is your thing.  After wandering out a couple of times at noon, I spent a week drinking Booster Juice for lunch.  Then one day, I decided to look up the calorie count, yeah, I stopped that.  I've walked into and walked out of the Sushi Shop near by three times.  I even grabbed a menu so I could study it.  Each time, I looked, rather forlornly at the anemic looking refridgerated rolls, sighed and left.  There some rolls that were both 'thin' on filling and barely covered in rice. Oh and to add insult to injury, it is VERY VERY expensive, well compared to the lunch places near my office in Vancouver.  Sigh.

After a couple weeks of brown bagging it with dinner leftovers, I caved in today after a lunchtime conference call with half an hour until the next meeting, and went to one of the three The Sushi Shops within 5 minute walk from me.  I didn't have time to pick a roll for order as I would have preferred. I prefer to avoid the mini-bullets that result from refridgerating rice.  My time was limited so I examined the prepackaged with trepidation.  For crying out loud! 15 bucks for a 12 piece combo of refridgerated sushi!? Well, I couldn't get another Booster Juice and I didn't want to stand in line for a sandwich so I grabbed a combo.

I grabbed a Brown Rice combo that staff had just placed out.  I thought it might have just been made.  In the end it wasn't.  I think that he must have just brought out from a larger refridgeration unit in the back.  There was NO way that was fresh rice.  It reminded me of long line ups in front of empty bars.  Is it meant to give the illusion of high demand?  I also asked for low sodium soy.  In Vancouver, I keep a big bottle of low sodium soy in my desk... seriously.  The dude told me that their 'soya' has less sodium than regular soy already.  It did.  It tasted more like a ponzu or tempura dipping sauce.  It was nice.

Overall the ingredients tasted fresh other than the rice.  The Rice and Nori (seaweed) made ahead and chilled is not a particularly nice textural experience, bullets wrapped in a rubberband.  As well, the fish was a bit sparse.  Yes, I realise I'm not on the Wet coast anymore but come on! Check on the tiny speck of Salmon in the roll on the left.  I am glad that I got the brown rice though.  At least it added some flavour to the rice, though minimal it was.   The rice was not dressed with any Sushi seasoning.  You really need that dipping sauce because the roll does not stand up on it's own like it should. 

I will likely go back in similarly desperate situations, short on time and ideas but not for a purely Sushi craving.

Ambiance: Take out
Cost: $$$$ (for take out sushi of middling to low quality)
Staff: friendly
the Sushi Shop
(416) 203-9388
25 York Street Lobby
Toronto, ON M5J 2V5
 http://www.sushishop.com/
 

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John's Fish and Chips - Sometimes you can't go home again

John's Fish and Chips - Etobicoke - Halibut

I grew up in Etobicoke.  Nearby by my home was this family run fish and chip restaurant.  We used to go all the time.  I used to love watching him, John, drop the batter coated pieces of fish into the oil and wonder at how the batter would magically puff up like a cripy pillow.  I loved their fresh french fries which were cooked in the 'over dark' way that I find fries are done here in Toronto.  They're very much unlike the bright-golden fries in the fish joints in Vancouver.  I wrote earlier I assumed that that was attributed to local tastes or older oil.  I think it might be a combination of both. 

Well, I recently moved back to Toronto and was hanging out with a cousin who, having moved back from Manhattan, will drive all the way to Scarborough from downtown for his fish and chips.  He grew up there and still hankers for the nostalgic tastes of childhood.  Having heard from my other cousin that he'd dragged there that the fish was ...'just eh'.  I threw down the gauntlet of a 'childhood fish and chip off'. His Scarberia greasy spoon against John's.

Well, I thought if I'm going to put my name on the line here, I should at least revisit.  I hadn't been back since, well, over a decade.  I mean there used to be a high school where about 4 condo towers and a hundred townhouses stand today.  So last week afterwork, I dragged D and my dad (as if dad needed dragging to fried food) to a bit of boxed nostalgia.  The three of us ordered Halibut and Chips with Coleslaw for takeout.

We rushed home as fast as we could.  My folks only live 10 minutes away.  Even so, Fish and Chips are very unforgiving about being toted about.  But we all made allowance for the slight wilting due to steam as you do.  That said, it was still a bit of a ... like finding Santa's wrapping paper in your parent's closet.  Yeah. 

The Fish was a nice big portion as I recalled.  My favourite place in Vancouver, Go Fish! have been culling back on their portions to a point that I fear when I go back someday with lil T, I'll receive a fish stick in my basket.  Anyhoo, the batter was crispy as I remembered but very very very oily and I realised alot of the 'wilting' was not steam from the carry out but from the oil.  As well, the batter itself was a bit bland and flavourless.  In the days of my youth, they may have relied on the fat frying flavour and now having retained the recipe but changed for healthier frying fare like canola and the like, have not added anything to the batter like beer or seasoning.  This meant that I was going to shamelessly abuse the amount of Tartar sauce.  I was quite palpably embarassed that they used prepackaged squeeze packs rather than homemade.  I think any self respecting fish restaurant should make their own Tartar sauce.  I've had brilliant Fish and Chips with homemade Tartar sauce out of a truck, Frying Scotsman, in Portland.  Sigh.  At least they also threw in some prepackaged squeeze packs of Malt Vinegar.  Mmmmmm.  Fries need vinegar!  The Fries were okay.  They were that typical dark fry that I mentioned and a bit soggy from the trip home but still crispy.  That said, I watched the cook in the back dump the fries in the oil from a bag.  Sigh.  They do not cut their own fries from Potatoes.  How hard is that.  Get a press attached to your wall and cut your fries as you go.  The other two places I mentioned, one out of a truck and the other out of a used railcar, both do.

Then there was the slaw.  D's words were 'bucket slaw'.  John correct me if I'm wrong but the slaw did indeed appear to be pre-made slaw.  The well soaked, machine cut, vinegary Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw.  It was okay but again, as it wasn't a fast food joint and specialising if Fish, I expect fresh cut fries, homemade Tartar sauce and in house Slaw.  Sigh.  I fear that unless my cousin was grossly exaggerating about his Scarborough fish, I may lose this challenge.  I'll have to give it one more go before I totally walk away and eat in next time.  But today, I found Santa's Christmas wrapping behind dad's box of old shoes.

Ambiance: Suburban local joint - dark
Service: Lovely and warm
Cost: $$ - very reasonable
Family friendly: did not check the bathroom for change table but a few kids were colouring in the dining room.

John's Fish & Chips
(416) 231-3474
Etobicoke
5090 Dundas St W
Toronto, ON M9A

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Memphis Blues (Commercial) - Sooooo Meaty!

Memphis Blues Pulled Pork and Sausage Double Meat Sandwich

We like to buy our groceries on Commercial when we have the time and a big shop to do.  The prices are significantly better than Granville Island and more diverse.  That said, the quality (like on Granville Island) can be spotty.  Alot of the shops buy what I believe are 'seconds' from the supermarkets.  Some, I suspect, get 'fourths'.  Those are the ones to avoid like Triple A.  Blech.  But we tend to eat our veg right away and we know which shops get the better end of the range like Stanley's and  Santa Barbara.  We were picking up a few things at Santa Barbara when D noticed a sign for a Double Meat Special on the sandwich board of the Memphis Blues next door.

After sidestepping the drool on the sidewalk, D lured me in with promises of their fries which are yum.  Memphis Blues is an institution here in Vancouver.  When I first moved here, I met some new friends playing Ultimate Frisbee and they were obsessed with the place.  I had originally thought it was a guy thing.  Not so.  I even had to attend a work BBQ catered by Memphis Blues.  Alas, I only partook of the awesome Slaw, Fries and Cornbread.  There isn't much to the restaurant.  It looks like a cottage town shack.  The tables are wooden picnic tables and the sauces and brown paper towels are on all the tables already.  You serve yourself your beverage and the people are friendly.  I guess it's easy to be when everyone is happy to be there.

There isn't much more to the sandwich than the title would suggest.  It was a heaping portion of their famous, moist (as attested to by D, not I) Pulled Pork and joined by a large Smoked Sausage.  D thoroughly enjoyed it and after posting photos to my family, my sister O and dad wanted to hop on a plane.  Actually, I believe we were there on a Monday.  Monday is there all you can eat Rib day.  I asked D if it were worth it because it seemed like an awesome deal  to me but I don't partake.  D reckoned that it worked out to about a full back so not  really.  He happily had his double meat instead.

Memphis Blues Fries

The fries are fresh though a tad salty. 

Cost: $
Ambiance: Roadside shack
Baby friendly: didn't change T but area is tight for a stroller but easy for baby to hang out.

Memphis Blues Barbeque House (Commercial)

(604) 215-2599
1342 Commercial Dr
Vancouver, BC V5L
http://memphisbluesbbq.com

3-Shroom Swiss Souffle - Nutty and Luscious

Three Mushroom Swiss Cheese Souffle - Chanterelle, Porcini and Crimini

I was going to make this Souffle while my cousin H was visiting from Toronto but D wanted to take her to our fave noodle place, particularly since it was a place we could all eat out at without fuss about a baby.  It was probably a good idea because after a day of touring a round with a guest, I was pretty tired and souffles require alot of motion.  There's not alot of sitting or stewing or resting.  That said, it needn't be as dauting as they may seem so long as you're organised. They seem impressive and decadent for an Egg dish! Great for guests.

I used fresh Crimini Mushrooms but used dried Chanterelle and dried Porcini.  We always keep them in the house.  To reconsistute them, I used the Milk I'd use in the recipe so it was extra mushroomy.  I find dried Mushrooms alot stronger in flavour than some of the fresh ones.  We always serve our Souffle's with Truffle Oil on the table as an optional garnish because Eggs and Truffle Oil is gorgeous but D didn't use it at all, neither did I.  The flavour was amazing!

3-Shroom Swiss Souffle


5 Eggs, separated
1/4 t Lemon Juice or Cream of Tartar (if you have neither, don't worry and leave it out)
4 T Butter (separate 3 T and melt 1 T)
3 T Flour
1 1/4 c Milk
1 Shallot, finely minced
2 T Celery, finely minced (~1/2 stalk)
1/2 t Dried Mustard
3/4 t Cayenne
1/2 t Garlic Powder
1/4 t Nutmeg, freshly ground
150 g Ementhal or Swiss or Gruyere Cheese, grated
50 g Parmesan, freshly grated
5 Crimini Mushroom, chopped
1 1/2 T Dried Chanterelles
1 t Salt
1/4 c Dried Porcini

Melt 1 T of Butter, soft enough to spread. I use a silicon brush but you can use some wax paper. Thoroughly butter your souffle dish and place it in the fridge.

Take the Eggs out and leave them on the counter during the next sequence of directions. It is better to have them at room temperature and most commercial Eggs are pasturiesed anyhoo.

Heat the milk in a large measuring cup or medium bowl for 1 min in the microwave. Hot but not boiling. Add the Chanterelles and the Porcini. You may want to break some of the larger Porcini into smaller pieces. Let them soak for 15 minutes. Grate the Cheese and set aside in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 400F

Take the souffle dish out and leave it out on the counter.

Separate your Eggs. Sequester each White before adding them to the mixing bowl of you stand mixer. Place the Yolks in a small bowl. Add the Lemon Juice to the Whites. Leave them. The reason I say if you do not have Lemon Juice or Cream of Tartar that you can leave it out is because it is debatable that it does what is claimed.  Lots of people believe that the added acidity help the foam form.  Do note, that Cream of Tartar is a white powder that is derived from wine barrels.  It is not a sauce for fish.

In a medium sauce pan melt the 3 T Butter on medium. Drain the Mushrooms and kep the Milk. Add the Shallot, Celery and Spices (not the Salt). Sauté for 2 minutes until softened. Add the Mushrooms and stir for 1 min. Sprinkle the Flour over the Veg while switching to a small/medium whisk. Cook the Flour by stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the Milk whisking constantly. Bring to a boil then immediately turn the heat down to low. It should be quite thick like cake batter.

Add the Yolks to the pot one at a time whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Wait until completely absorbed plus 30 s then add the next. When all the Yolks are in remove the sauce pan from the heat.

Switch to a spoon if you want. Add the Cheese in handfuls to the pot while stirring. Yes you are getting a workout. Add the Salt and taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed. When all the Cheese is in set aside to cool.

Turn your stand mixer on high and whisk your Whites until you have Stiff peaks. Stable but not dry. Take a large rubber spatula take 1/4 of the Whites and mix into the pot vigorously ensuring to scrape the bottom. Don't worry about deflating the foam. You're just lightening up the sauce now.

Add the contents of the pot into the Whites. Gently start folding the mixture together by slicing down the middle and scooping across the bottom and up the side. Turn the bowl a quarter turn. You should only need to fold maybe tn times. You don't need the mixture to be perfectly consistent and you don't want to completely deflate the foam.

Pour the mixture into the Souffle dish. Place the dish in the oven and turn the oven down to 375. Bake at the bottom level for 40 minutes. Do not open the door at all for at least 25 minutes no matter how tempting. You can check it at 30 minutes if you want but 40 has worked for me a few times.

It should be puffed above the rim and browned.  If it is browing too fast, you can lightly place a piece of foil on  top but do not do this until the 25 minute mark where the foam is stable.

mmmmmm

Kimchee Bokum Bap - Korean Leftover Favourite!

Kimchee Bokum Bap - Kimchee Stir Fried Rice

There are dishes in every cuisine that will never be found on a menu.  Alas, they are often the best.  Perhaps some day the homey Korean favourites will become more popular they way peasant dishes like Bread Pudding and Haggis have.  Until then you'll have to enjoy my photos or try it out yourself.

There is always cooked rice in a Korean home.  I remember a few years back, we all joked about the omnipresent halogen fire hazard lamps everyone was buying as being aliens setting up for the invasion.  Well, that could certainly be said of the ubiquitous Rice Cooker in Korean homes.  I'm not talking about the tin bowled, one button dealy you can buy at Walgreens or London drugs for 20 bucks.  No.  Those work fine except on harder grains or brown rice.  Forget brown rice in those things!  No, they've come along way, the simple Rice Cooker.  For years, the next generation were the self contained cookers that let you know when they're done and kept your rice warm for upto a day.  Though mom still had to do the end 're-do' where you press the cook button one last time to ensure the bottom was 'cooked' away from the bowl.  Then a few years back they evolved yet again.  The Rice Cooker!??  Now mom's Rice Cooker plays some Bach when the Rice is done and it needed be pressed again.  It shows a timer for cooking and how long it 'should' be kept in the cooker.  The link is to a similar one. 

Regardless of the model, we always had warm or cooled cooked rice sitting around the house.  Why Korean mom's never got into the habit of cooking to order still baffles me.  Mom still cooks for twice as many people as are at the table.  Leftover rice in many cultures hardly ever goes to waste.  Indian, Chinese and Koreans like to stir fry theirs.  Italians roll and fry theirs into Arancini.  Koreans also sometimes deepfry the drier bits left clinging to the older Rice Cookers and sprinkle them with Sugar.  mmmmm

One of my favourite dishes as a kid with leftover Rice was Kimchee Bokum Bap.  Bokum is a stirfry. Bap is Rice.  It is a simple and humble dish that is super simple and amazingly tastey. 

Kimchee Bokum Bap

2-3 c cold leftover Rice
1 c chopped Kimchee (Cabbage Kimchee, bit sized)
1 c Mung Beans, blanched
1 small Onion, sliced
1-2 cloves Garlic
2-3T Kochujang
1/2c - 1c Cucumber, seeded and sliced
1-2 T Canola/Peanut Oil for cooking
Sesame Oil for garnish
Toasted Sesame Seeds for Garnish
Scallions for Garnish

In a Wok, heat the Oil on high.  Your Bean Sprouts should be blanched and drained before frying.

Toss the Onions for a minute or two until slightly softened.  Add the Garlic for a minute. Add the Rice Sprouts, and Kimchee.  Toss and mash.  Toss and Mash.  Add the Kochujang and distribute thoroughly.  If the Kimchee is spicy enough for you, leave out the Kochujang and add a couple of T of the Kimchee juices.  Mom made her own Kochugadru (Chili Powder) for her Kimchee so it was pretty firey as it was.

Turn the heat off.Add the Sesame Oil to the pan and distribute.  Garnish with the Cucumber.  You can use Scallions and Sesame seeds too.

Comforting Yummmmmmmmo!

Le Club Chasse et Pêche - Hubbo's Birthday - cozy old school Montréal

Halibut with Clams - Le Club Chasse et Pêche

I'm back!  The inertia of the holidays got the better of me.  You'd think that having family around would alleviate the burden of the new lil one but it just made me more tired.  We were home for nearly a month for the Christmas break and the grandparents were able to bask in the their first little one.  I say the first because his paternal grandfather has other grandchildren and he's not really a baby or kid person.  He certainly wouldn't bask.  It takes him a few minutes to realise there is a non adult in the room.  If you can't keep up your end of the conversation, you're not worth the energy to recognise.  My story about the unruly grocery store clerk is far more important! Listen up!  Gee, I hope D doesn't see this :^D

Anyhoo, we spent Christmas in Montréal this year which meant that we were also able to spend D's birthday together.  He was born on Christmas Eve Eve.  That meant of course, when he wasn't old enough to keep up conversation with his dad, he was too a forgotten birthday boy.  He took it in stride.  Not me!  I would have expected double the Christmas presents.  I took him out while our niece baby sat.  The last image I had was of him sitting on a personal sized trampoline while the younger one was doing ballerina twirls.

I wanted to make the most of dinner and asked D to pick.  He told me of a handful.  I was close to selecting Chuck Hughes place down the road but for some reason landed on Club Chasse and Pêche.  The menu looked a tad more diverse, though albeit, less adventurous.   It is a classic French Game style.

Le Club C&P is around the corner from the Notre Dame church on, well, Notre Dame.  So bear that in mind when thinking about parking.  We just go lucky when a gent pulled out and offered us his parking stub.  Woohoo!

Sweet Breads - Le Club Chasse et Pêche

First thing you'll note about le Club is that it is rather unremarkable from the outside.  I almost walked by, or rather slid by.  There had just been some sleet.  It is dark and a bit cavernous on entry.  D tried to convince me it was meant to convey the feeling of a hunting lodge.  I'd rather disagree.  With it's chunky purplishish/bluish painted walls and random use of crystal and glass intermingled with some taxidermy, it was more like Vincent Price meets Liberace's den.  The rooms are separated with heavy velvet curtains.  Odd.  We were seated at a small table in the smaller room which was fine.  The vestibule and the velvet curtains kept most of the draft out.  It was packed when we arrived and when we leisurely left.  So despite it's uninspired decor, it is still a popular locale.

Artic Char - Le Club Chasse et Pêche

We started our dinner with some starters.  I ordered the Halibut with Clams with a nice rich veloute. The Halibut was perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned.  The Clams were equally well cooked, not at all rubbery or fishy, very tender. D had some Sweet Breads on Risotto.  The Risotto was well cooked and balanced.  Our server helped select the wine.  I insisted to D that since it was his birthday, that he needed be concerned with my order.  I wanted him to enjoy his meal.  He prefers a bigger red but when we eat out he usually orders on the lighter side because I do not eat meat.  Our server recommended this wine based on our conversation.  It worked very well with both our meals.  Though it seems like trend/style deal with the whites and seafood.  There are some reds that simply clash with seafood.  I experience a very very unpleasant metallic, jaw tightening sensation with some reds and seafoods, particularly white fish or tuna.  Not so with the Abadia.

Duck three ways - Club Chasse et Pêche

I ordered the Arctic Char.  I struggled with it because I liked the sides on another dish.  That said, be aware that the restaurant does turn the menu over every so often.  I would rather draw your attention to the quality of the ingredients, and the skill of the chef.  The Char was well cooked with a nice crispy skin.  The Eggplant puree was tastey though lacked a bit of texture.  There was originally some meat on this dish which may of contributed to the Eggplant's lack of texture.  That said, they were very gracious in offereing to leave it off.  D ordered the Duck three ways.  He was concerned that normally the Duck breast in this sort of dish is often dry and a let down.  Our server assuaged his fears and D thoroughly enjoyed his Duck.

I had discretely told our server that it was D's birthday but when it came to dessert, he was otherwise occupied with another large table so another server took our dessert order.  I couldn't stall much longer.  So when our lovely dessert came out, our server was confused.  He had planned for something else.  But very generously, he offered us a glass of Brut Rosé in lieu of an embarrassing candle in another dessert.  Perfect for D.

Apart from the odd decor, it is a cozy restaurant.  The servers are very welcoming, and knowledgable.  The food was wonderful and fresh and very well prepared. Though the menu may read otherwise, it was not a heavy meal.

Cost: $$$-$$$$
Wine list: Extensive
Service: Excellent and warm
Ambiance: Dark yet cozy

Le Club Chasse Et Pêche

(514) 861-1112
Old Montréal
423 Rue St-Claude Map.4536f2c
Montréal, QC H2Y
leclubchasseetpeche.com

Gotta Use the Eggs - Caribbean Salmon Souffle

Gotta use the Eggs - Caribbean Salmon Souffle

We're heading out soon for Christmas and we have half a dozen Eggs left in the fridge.  We don't normally eat Eggs for breakfast mid week so we were left with the typical vacation quandary.  What do you do with the Eggs?  Milk is not as big a worry because I drink quite alot of it but the Eggs are a challenge.  We always need them in the house but we don't eat them that often yet when we want one we're often out.  You know.  So here we have half a dozen Eggs and some basic pantry items.  What to do?  Well, a Souffle may not initially jump out at you as the easy option.  Yes you could default to an omelet.  I do love a good Spanish Tortilla (Potato Omelet) and I did just buy some adorable Peewee Potatoes.  Nope.  This Soufflee is super easy and needs little shopping if any.

I have made it a few times before and the link is here: Caribbean Salmon Souffle

What do you need in the house? 

1 rib of Celery.  Most markets sell Celery in ribs now or often they don't but the price is per pound so I am not shy about breaking off a rib or two.  Actually, I always buy two.  1 to cook the other to munch.
1 clove of Garlic.  If you don't, leave it out. 

1 half small Onion or Shallot
At least 1 c of Milk and Butter.

1/2 c flaked Coconut.  Most bakers stock this.  I do.  If you don't, leave it out.  Don't fear the souffle!  Once you get the base, the acoutrements are the fun bit.  I forgot the Coconut once even though it was sitting in the pan toasted on the stove.  It was fine.  It was not as interesting in my opinion but it was fine.
The only thing you may not already have in the house but most do is 1 tin of Salmon.  If you don't, any Frozen seafood like, Snapper, Shrimp or Crabmeat lurking in your freezer or pantry will do.  About 1 cup. 

The thing that is different today is that normally I do this Souffle with 4 Egg Yolks and 6 Egg Whites.  That is normally fine because the Yolks get used somewhere.  But since this is a preholiday fridge clearance, no Yolk shall be left behind.  I put in 6 Egg Yolks and 6 stiffly beaten Egg Whites. 

To compensate for the extra liquid in the 'Custard', I added 4 T of flour instead of the usual 3 T.

I still baked it for 30 minutes.  It is normally entirely set this we 5% gooey in the middle this time (extra Yolks!) which was yummo!.

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Spicy Double Chocolate Ginger Diablo Cookies - revisited

Spicy Double Chocolate Ginger Diablo Cookies

I made my Spicy Double Chocolate Mexican Diablo Cookies again for my weekly mommies session at the local Community Centre.   D suggested I cut back on the Cayenne so if you click on the cookie title above to the original post, note that for this batch, I only used 1 t of Cayenne.  I thought it wasn't spicy at all but the consensus was that it was the right amount of heat.  I only had a few left to bring home.  We had hoped to give all of them away since D and I are still both carrying baby weight. :^D

I thought I would also note that the dough was ALOT stiffer this time.  The last time it was like Muffin batter and quite easy to mix.  This time it was quite stiff like more traditional cookie dough.  I might have chosen to use the stand mixer but it was too late.  I guess it was the size of the Eggs because I changed nothing else.  So I thought I would advise those who want to try it.  That you could hold back 1/4 of the Flour until later if you are concerned but you don't have to.  Just keep turning the dough over and over.  It will come together.  But a stand mixer will  make quick work of it.  Just mix it until the dusty look is gone.  I still chilled the dough as before.  I did use a 1 oz scoop this time.  You could use a Coffee Bean scoop, they are normally 1oz/2T as well but unfortunately, they don't have the sweeper for easy extraction.  Otherwise, roll them with your hands roughly the size of a ping pong ball.
Do not squash down. They'll spread a little but these are chewy in the middle.  If you like crispier thin cookies, you could use softened Butter instead.  Not the same though. This made a batch of 48 cookies.  I used two sheet pans at the 1/3 and 2/3 levels in the oven. Still cook for the 15 minutes but at 8 minutes swap the levels of the pans and rotate the front to the back.  Allow to cool for only a minute or two and they'll be firm enough for you to move.  Don't pile up until completely cooled. 

Yummo!

Frying Scotsman - Portland - Homemade Tartar Sauce! Need I say more?

Frying Scotsman Halibut and Chips

That title is my whole post.  I mean really! The dude makes his own Tartar sauce from scratch in his little truck.  Come on! That's food passion.  I doesn't have to be expensive fine dining to be haute.  Dude cares and it comes through in his food.

Little Frying Scotsman Trailer

We saw him on Eat St.  It's funny too because he has the ad for the show hanging in his cart now too.  He's as warm as he was on the show and we weren't holding TV cameras.  The fries are Handcut and the fresh Fish dipped in his own crispy Batter!  It's a very busy cart now because of his recent celebrity so everything is made to order as the fish is churned out at quite a pace.  It's a bit harder to sit in the downtown area near the carts but luckily he has a couple of standing tables in front of his cart.

The batter was very tasty and crisp.  It was a tad on the greasy side as he's moving so fast.  It could have been allowed to drain in the basket a few seconds longer.  The fries were PIPING hot.  Awesome.  And he doesn't over salt them so you can dress them as you please.  With Vinegar, good man!  Where else in the states!? Well, I guess it's caught on lately.  When I was a kid and we travelled and asked for Vinegar for our fries we were met with such stares.  And occasionally, a kind server would come from the kitchen with a bowl of vinegar and wait to see what we'd do with it.  Haha!

Service: Warm, welcoming, and enthusiastic
Ambiance: It's a foodtruck. Busy downtown cluster had a sort of fair ground feel.
Cost: $$

The Frying Scotsman (Food Cart)

(503) 706-3841
Downtown
SW 9th And Alder St Map
Portland, OR 97205
thefryingscotsmanpdx.com

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Fifteen Minutes Fridge to Fork - Poached Eggs on Cheddar Polenta with Mushrooms



Fifteen Minutes from Fridge to Fork - Poached Eggs on Cheddar Polenta with Mushrooms

Lil dude decided to get up half an hour early today so I decided I was going to need a nice hearty breakfast to get through the morning. It was Saturday as week. I like to reserve hot breakfast to weekends. I don't know why while I'm on Mat Leave. After he'd had his Brekkie of Organic Pears and Apples (w dash of Carrots) with Oatmeal, I dove I to a majesty of engineering in the kitchen. I made my Poached Eggs on Polenta with Mushrooms in 15 minutes from fridge to fork on the fly.

Poached Eggs on Polenta with Mushrooms - 15 Minutes Fridge to Fork

1. Take out medium saucepan, small saucepan and a small nonstick pan. Fill the medium saucepan with Water and add 2 T White Vinegar + 1/2 t Salt turn on high heat. Add 1 T Olive Oil to the pan.
2. Goto fridge and fetch 2 Eggs, Milk, 1 c Crimini Mushrooms (leftover from Risotto on Thursday so already cleaned, woohoo. I would have grabbed whatever), 1 Scallion/Green Onion, and White sharp Cheddar if you have it
3. Turn on heat to frypan to medium. Throw in Mushrooms spread out and leave.
4. Measure out 3/4 c Milk and 1/2 c Water into small saucepan. Add 1/2 t Salt, dash fresh Nutmeg if you have it. Pepper to preference. Bring to boil. Measure out 4 T Cornmeal/Polenta Medium/Fine. Ours is in dry good jar on the counter :-). When Milk is boiling, turn down to Medium. With a whisk in one hand and the Corn in the other, whisk the Milk constantly and vigorously as you sprinkle in the Corn. Mix until it thickens. Taste to season. Cover and leave on low heat.
5. The water in Medium saucepan should not be boiling but steaming and with small bubbles on the bottom like it wants to. Break 1 Egg into the bowl you had the Corn. Stir the Water until you get a funnel in the centre. Stop stirring and drop the Egg in. The White should close in on itself like a chocolate kiss. Leave for 2 minutes. Toss the Mushrooms.
6. Slice the Scallion
7. Break the second Egg into the small bowl. Lift the first Egg out with a slotted spoon and place in a shallow dish on the side. Swirl the water again and drop the second Egg in for 2 minutes. Add back the first Egg. Toss the Mushrooms.
8. Stir the Polenta. Add some small pieces of 2 T Cheddar or grate it. I used the rasp I used for the Nutmeg. Finish with 1 T of Butter or Olive Oil. Dollop on to your plate.
9. Drain your Eggs with the slotted spoon. 4-5 minutes for Medium yolks. Place on the Polenta.
10. Top with the Mushrooms and garnish with the Scallions. Salt and Pepper.

15 minutes max. Lil Dude was in his high hair in the kitchen and that's the maximum amount of time he will tolerate sitting there. He'll sit contentedly watching me eat though. :-).  Another hour and a half of terrorizing the living room and he's napping now.

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Portland Soup Company - Okay food and Not-so-okay company

Portland Soup Company Food Truck

I dragged D and lil T to the Portland Soup company.  I'd seen them on the Eat St. or Diners and was impressed how this young guy was making his own food from scratch.  I am a sucker for homemade soup.  D was not as excited and less so when we discovered it was in the cluster of foodtrucks out by the University.  Portland is a haven for foodtrucks.  They are everwhere and not just downtown.  You will mostly find them in clusters and semi-permanent sites in a sort of strip mall set up in parking lots and empty lots.  Sounds awesome but then as a local told us, it becomes harder to distinguish the good from the 'me-too'.   Well, I thought from the sounds of this one, that this was going to be one of the better ones with a guy who cares about good food and his patrons. Well, I regretted dragging D away from the downtown cluster and the Frying Scotsman for this one.  

Portland Soup Company Menu

First thing to note is that the soup was sold out by shortly after lunch as the Pork Butt he wanted.  Okay.  D looked at me, unimpressed and asked if I wanted to go elsewhere since I seemed so fixated on Soup.  I said no, undaunted since he was also known for his fresh Sandwiches and Salads.  So I ordered the Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich and D ordered a large Arugula Salad.  

Portland Soup Company - See the Salad titled ARUGULA?!?!

D then proceeded to take lil T and the stroller away to find a shady spot to eat.  I paid and waited.  After already running my creditcard, the dude behind the counter said he was out of Arugula.  I said, rather sarcastically and incredulously, "What!?".  He said again "We're out of Arugula.  Would you like to replace it with Spinach?"  I said "well, it was my husband's order and he's rolled away.  He really wanted Arugula."  I hemmed and hawed and said "Okay, give me the Spinach."  Dude turned around and exchanged words with dude#2 and cameback to me to say "we're out of Spinach.  Is mixed greens okay."  I said, emphatically "No. That's ridiculous."  He said to me, rather nonchalantly and exasperated "It's the same thing" To which I said "If that were true you wouldn't have felt it important to title the salad "Arugula Salad".  Then Dude#2 muttered, audibly, "What time is it?  Let's get out of here."  Arse!

Portland Soup Company - Arugula Salad without Arugula!

Portland  Soup Company Bland Mozzarella Sandwich

So left with no alternative and knowing D would have not been happy if I returned without his salad, I accepted the Mixed Greens. It was not the same thing.  The Salad had about as much personality as one of those plastic clamshell salads from McDonalds.  I guess that was why the chef had chosen Arugula!  The Sandwich was fresh enough but the Mozzarella was bland and the whole thing was not seasoned enough.  It tasted thrown together.  Disappointing food and experience.  Should have had the Mexican a few carts down.  Oh well, at least the Bangkok Duck&Chicken Thai (just the name, not what I ordered) and the Frying Scotsman the nextday was good and friendly.  

Service: Snotty

Ambiance: It's a foodtruck but University zone offers lots of alternative seating in shade. 

Cost: $$

Food: Mediocre and offered substitute was not par

                        

The Portland Soup Company (Food Truck)

(541) 968-1230
University area
SW 4th and Hall Map
Portland, OR 97201

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Awase Miso Clam and Mushroom Chowder - Fusion Comfort

Awase Miso Clam and Mushroom Chowder

It's hard to have Deng Jang in the house when you don't eat Korean food everyday.  Deng Jang is Korean Miso.  It is more pungent and spicier.  Like Miso, store bought Deng Jang is very perishable.  If it isn't, it has preservatives like MSG.  Homemade Deng Jang lasts longer as there is more time and care taken in preserving it.  I remember as a kid, mom would be sat in the kitchen beating the basic version into loaves to ferment.  They would age and develop a sort of patina that looks like aging Cheese.  You won't find that sort of quality in the shops so if you're going to buy in the shops, you want to look for non GMO (not only organic) Soy and no MSG.  Soybean farming is quite dominated by the evil chemical empires that have GMO'd the crap out of much of the production but the regulation on GMO labelling is only for raw ingredients and not products containing GMO ingredients.  Tofu can be Organic but still be GMO.  Be aware.

But I digress.  So when we do buy Deng Jang, or Miso, D likes to find various ways of using it so we are sure to go through it.  To confess, D does prefer Miso over Deng Jang.  He finds Deng Jang too pungent for his palate.  When used in very small quantities, it needn't dominate a dish.  It can be used to add what is commonly known as 'Umame'.  The term is used to describe a depth of flavour.  It's the difference between a well developed broth and a limp watery one.  Literally, it means flavour or savoury in Japanese.  It was the objective for the discovery of MSG which has been associated with though not proven to be linked to health issues.  That aside, it doesn't taste very good as many shortcuts don't.  You'll find that 'flavour' in lazy Korean or Japanse restaurants in their broths, i.e. Royal Seoul House on Broadway, blech. So you can use Deng Jang or Miso in smaller quantities to create that flavour in things like Risotto, Salad Dressings, Soups, Marinades/Rubs, Dips.....or Chowder.

Awase Miso Clam and Mushroom Chowder

serves 4 as a main

3 lbs Manila Clams
1 c Dry White Wine (or 1/2 c Wine and 1 1/2 c Water)
1 c Water
1 c Water (2nd cup, or Clam Juice from a bottle, in addition to the juice from the Clams in the Chowder)
1 T Olive Oil
3 T Unsalted Butter
1 small Onion, diced
2 ribs Celery, finely diced
1 pack (1 c) Enoki or Brown Clamshell Mushrooms, brushed and roots trimmed
4-5 sprigs fresh Thyme, length of your index pinky finger
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Bay Leaves
3 T Awase Miso (light Miso paste, but not the lightest. Look for non GMO, no MSG)
1 1/2 Yukon or White Potatoes (not Russet) 1" cubes
1 c Cream
Fresh Parsely, optional
Salt and Pepper

Scrub and rinse the Clams.  Use live.  They can stay in the fridge covered in a moist towel for upto two days but try to use them within 24 hours of getting them home.  We buy ours at TnT in their live Fish section.  We can pick our own Clams and Mussels. Throw any open ones away.  To double check, knock on them and they may spring closed. If they do not,  they are dead.

In a dutchoven or heavy pot, add the White Wine and the first cup of Water on High Heat and bring to boil.  You can reduce the amount of Wine to 1/2 a cup here if you want and increase the Water.  Dry White means not Sweet.  As well, do not use anything too Oaky.  American Chardonnays are too Oaky for this application.  Add the Clams when the liquid is boiling.  Cover and shake occasionally for 6-10 minutes.  After cooking, throw any closed ones away.  Lift the Clams out with a slotted spoon into a large bowl and set aside.  Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and reserve. Stop short of pouring when you reach the sand at the bottom of the pot.  You should have about 3-4 c.  Throw the sand away and rinse the pot.

Add the Olive Oil and the Butter to the pot in Medium heat.  Sautee the Onion and Celery until soft, ~5 minutes.  Add the Potatoes, Thyme, Bay Leaves and Garlic and sautee briefly.  Add the Miso and spread around.  Add the Clam liquid back and the Water/Clam Juice.  The Miso can be salty so only season after you've added the liquid.  Add the Cream and simmer for at least 10-15 minutes until the Potatoes are tender.  Add the Clams back and the Mushrooms.

Garnish w Parsley and serve with Toast. Soooo Yummo!  I would have added another Tablespoon of Miso and D would have liked to add Bacon.  He crumbled some Bacon he cooked on the side on top.  I think the Bacon would dominate the dish and think it is nice left out.


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Byways Café - Bountiful Brekkie in Portland

Byways Cafe Portland

We visited Portland this summer to test the road with the new baby and to visit all the Yummo places we'd seen on FoodTv. One thing we hadn't anticipated was how spread out Portland is. We came down by train and didnt rent a car. We assumed we could get around on the extensive and FREE public transit system. Alas, some of the places on our list, like a famouse biscuit place and BBQ joint were well away from downtown. Thankfully, the Byways Café was right downtown and close enough to roll out of bed for breakfast.

They're well known for their scratch made food and generous portions. D and I like to call it 'American sized' portions because you will not find a plate of housemade Biscuits and Sausage Gravy as bountiful as theirs north of the Peace Arch.

Keeping the baby travel in consideration, it should be noted that accessibility into the Café and inside is not the greatest. We thought about sitting outside but it was too chilly and the view too industrial. Plus we would have missed out on their famous retro decor! It is packed to the rafters with vintage toys and memorabilia. It isn't very big so if you could wait. It is very tricky to manoeuver a stroller in, that's for sure.

Byways Cafe Portland Plate Wall

I ordered. The Blue Corn Pancakes that I has seen on TV but they'd sold out. I'm always surprised when a place runs out of their star dish early in service. Boo. So I ordered their Amaretto French Toast with Maple Pecan Butter made with Brioche!! D ordered their famous Biscuits and Gravy.

Byways Cafe Portland - Amaretto Brioche French Toast

Lil T decided to wake up, just as we were served, asking for his breakfast so D had to cut up my food for me. I had to eat my scrumptious French Toast while balancing T on my lap and wearing my 'hooter hider' cape. Normal day now. The Brioche was wonderful and nicely soaked. The Toast was nice and crispy on the outside and just creamy in the centre. The Maple Butter was crazy good. And even though I tried, D had wrestle my fork from me, I could not finish it. The portion was very generous. They offered to wrap it up but we were on foot as tourists and had more eating to do, sowe declined.

Byways Cafe Portland - Biscuits and Gravy

D's Biscuits and Gravy was something else. I'd only seen such plates in movies and TV. It was a heaping mound. Then on the side of that they give you two Eggs your way! The Biscuits were flavourful and flaky. D thought the Sausage was tasty as well but he just about got through half his plate. I tried to stab some Biscuit to help but he wrestled my fork away again. Food was great though. Service was friendly and didn't get mad at us for not finishing. :-P

We were going to change T before we left but it was a tiny little facility in the back. Don't get me wrong. I give a wide berth of understanding here. We have changed T in some tight places but there was no way. We changed him quickly on a park bench up the block. Poor Lil T, it was still quite chilly.

Service: welcoming and friendly
Cost: $$
Ambience: diner/grandmas 60s living room
Baby friendly: not so much

Byways Cafe

(503) 221-0011
Pearl District
1212 NW Glisan St
Portland, OR 97209
http://bywayscafe.com

for a diner

Ask D, that's a high rating for me.  The way I see it, you have to leave room for the rare 7s :-D

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