Category Archives: Veggie

Feb 18 2013
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Veggie

Quattro Formaggio at Rose and Sons

Rose and Sons

WHAT Quattro Formaggio grilled cheese sandwich with pickled hard-boiled egg
WHERE Rose and Sons, roseandsons.ca
PRICE $14
WHY Grilled cheese done right (finally)

Sandwich lovers! Apologies for the lengthy delay in posting, which is due to a carb detox and a few lunches with underwhelming sandwiches. Fortunately, dinner at the recently opened Rose and Sons proved fruitful.

You’d think a grilled cheese is the easiest sandwich to make, what with the ingredient list being bread and cheese, but this creation is surprisingly difficult. Diners are apt to be disappointed more often than not, which is why I was so happy/relieved to love this creation from Anthony Rose, former chef of the Drake Hotel in Toronto.

The bread is appropriately buttered, but not soggy (you know the sort, the kind that leaves you feeling like you’re coated in butter), the cheese medley flavourful without being offensive (Rose doesn’t get fancy with the cheese selection, and for that I’m grateful), and it’s all contained in four quarters, just like mom used to do.

As a bonus, the pickled hard-boiled egg has a sweet kick to it, perfect respite for your taste buds. I had my sandwich with a glass of riesling from Norman Hardy, which was one of the best glasses of wine I’ve ever had.

Rose and Sons, 176 Dupont St., Toronto, $14

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Dec 10 2012
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Veggie

Holiday indulgence: Vodka, jam and grilled cheese

Belvedere

When you’ve got quality products you don’t need a lot of them to create a flavour-filled drink or dish.

I first had a cocktail using jam when I was visiting Austin, Texas. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to make it at home, so when I got my hands on Petite Thuet’s jam, I knew this was the time. And, frankly, what better way to indulge or relax during the holidays than with an awesome sandwich, and some liquor. :)

Vodka and jam

Vodka & Jam
2 oz Belvedere vodka
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 tbsp quality jam
Ice

This recipe could not be easier: Mix vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup in shaker. Pour into tumbler over ice (cubed, crushed, whatever your freezer has at the ready). Then add a dollop of jam, stir in and enjoy. It’s tart, it’s sweet, it goes down easy.

And while you’ve got the jam jar open, now is also the time to make one of my favourite grilled cheese sandwiches. Again, quality ingredients are key, especially since there are only three.

Sandwich

Jam & Goat Cheese sammie
2 slices Ace Bakery miche bread (bought at Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens)
Petite Theut strawberry jam
Grey Owl pasteurized goat cheese from About Cheese

The bread is a touch sour, the cheese mild and creamy and the jam perfectly sweet. The flavour combo is one of my favourites. My only advice for the construction of this sandwich: Don’t skimp on the fillings!

This post was sponsored by Belvedere vodka. For more drink ideas, visit Off the Grid.

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Oct 09 2012
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Veggie

BLT from Tori’s Bakeshop

WHAT ”B”LT (organic hickory-smoked coconut, lettuce, tomato, soy-free veganaise, spelt bread)
WHERE Tori’s Bakeshop, torisbakeshop.ca
PRICE $10
WHY Faux bacon that even the most ardent meat eater can get behind

The Tori behind the Bakeshop has already told us about one of her favourite sandwiches, and I finally made it to the Beaches to try the sandwich that’s made her shop famous. I am not vegan, nor vegetarian, heck I’m not particularly a bacon liker (nevermind lover), but boy does this sandwich smell great. Like, I spent a few minutes just inhaling the hickory scent from the coconut before finally taking a bite.

Tori has taken care to stay true to the look and feel of a meaty BLT, while using fantastic spelt bread (which was soft and chewy, but didn’t crumble, which — annoyingly and so often — gluten-free bread does), fresh lettuce and tomato. The veganaise provides a nice tang and brings it all together.

Best of all, when eating it, you don’t feel like there’s bacon grease oozing out of your pores, because, you know, there isn’t any. Meat eaters, these vegans might be on to something …

Tori’s Bakeshop, 2188 Queen St. E., Toronto, $10

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May 08 2012
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Veggie

Jalepeno cornbread grilled cheese from Comida del Pueblo

WHAT Jalepeno cornbread grilled cheese with guacamole and crema fresca
WHERE Comida del Pueblo, facebook.com/ComidaDelPueblo
PRICE $5
WHY Hearty with a kick

Hi sandwich lovers! Apologies for the absence — I was on a two-week long detox, which meant minimal carbs and no bread. No bread = no sandwiches, obvs, but that craziness is over, so let’s eat!

This past weekend I went to Toronto Underground Market‘s Street Food Block Party and got a taste of Comida del Pueblo’s cornbread grilled cheese sandwich. The lineup was way too long the last time I hit up TUM, so I made a point of making these guys one of my first stops.

The sandwich is what they say it is, and what they say is that it’s fantastic.

Cheddar with sauteed onions melted between two hearty slices of jalepeno cornbread, topped with guacamole, crema fresca and cilantro garnish. The bread soaks in the butter, so that it doesn’t feel greasy to the hands, but it can be crumbly (it is cornbread, after all) — cut in four and the bread isn’t weighed down; cut in half and it crumbles, but that’s nothing a fork can’t solve. (In fact, shovelling a sandwich into your mouth does hold some appeal.)

Comida del Pueblo doesn’t have a food truck or bricks-and-mortar location, track them down at food events around the city. It will make the sandwich taste that much better when you do finally get your hands on one.

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Mar 08 2012
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Veggie

Peperonata from Popover Girl

WHAT A plain popover stuffed with sweet peppers, eggplant, onion, tomato, capers and black olives and topped with feta and fresh basil
WHERE Popover Girl stall at the Toronto Underground Market, popovergirl.com
PRICE $5
WHY ”It tastes like summer.”

My sister Naomi and I braved FREEZING temps last weekend to sample the stalls at the Toronto Underground Market. Fortunately we got there 10 minutes before doors opened, and had about 30 minutes inside before lineups became too daunting to deal with.

We tried a few dishes, including a few sandwiches, but really, how many pulled pork sammies does one need to eat in a lifetime? This is why I was so glad we found Lora Bertolo’s Popover Girl stand.

First, the presentation of the popovers (aka Yorkshire pudding) is fantastic — it’s like a sandwich in a cone (and yes, pudding or no, this IS a sandwich). Second, the variety on offer ran the gamut from savoury, to veggie, to dessert.

We settled on the Peperonata, full of fresh veggies, aromatic basil and cubes of feta. “It tastes like summer,” my sister said after her first bite. I couldn’t have said it better, and since we were sharing the sandwich, I proceeded to finish it.

The popover itself has a crispy outer shell, but is soft and chewy on the inside, and thick enough that these ingredients did not make the bread soggy.

“I became ‘popover girl’ this past summer, when I took part in the farmers’ market at the Distillery,” says Bertolo.  ”I first heard of TUM through a customer at the Distillery and was thrilled because once the market was over I didn’t know how I was going to keep Popover Girl alive. I hope to be a part of many more TUMs, and one day have a Popover Girl cafe.”

Track Popover Girl down at an upcoming TUM (of which a few are already planned). It’s worth the lineup.

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