Bang-On

Hummus has got to be the easiest thing in the universe to make. A good hummus is irresistible and a bad one can turn you off the stuff for months. So why do so many people get it wrong? Why is it always so ho-hum? I think the answer is canned chickpeas, too much garlic, lemon, tahini or all of the above. I’ve often been charged with over seasoning of the lemon and garlic variety and I admit I’m guilty.

I learned just how bad middle eastern food can go, when I catered my friend Vanessa’s birthday at the sailing club years ago. Let’s just say the tahini sauce was reminiscent of peanut butter and had I not had the help of someone who used to have a Lebanese neighbour, I would have been in hot water.

I was determined to have a middle eastern meal last Sunday and with no decent shawarma shop for miles, I did what any good foodie would do. I made it all my myself, guessing where I needed to along the way. Surprisingly I had never made shawarma before, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me.

Somewhere amidst all the garlic and tahini I found my mojo. This meal was bang-on. I had a hummus epiphany that will forever change the way I make it. Who knew roasted garlic and oregano would be the secret?


This hummus was one of the best I’ve ever had, and paired with my old faithful tabbouleh and new shawarma recipe it was a feast fit for a Turkish king. But don’t take my word for it. Make it yourself. In fact, make all of it. You won’t be disappointed.



Roasted Garlic Hummus w/ Oregano

There is no tahini or raw garlic in this recipe. Gasp! I know…but trust me on this one. It’s delicious.

1 can chickpeas (if you have more time and can cook your own from dried- pls do)
2 tablespoons roasted garlic- see instructions below
1 tablespoon lemon juice (more to taste if you like)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (please don’t use dried, its not the same)
Salt to taste

To roast garlic- Take a piece of aluminum foil and place a head of garlic on top. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap the foil around the garlic head. Place in a 350 degree oven on the middle rack and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until fragrant. Take out and let cool. Slice off the top of a small piece of the top of the garlic head and squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves.

Rinse the chickpeas well and place in a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients. Blend until smooth adding some water if mixture is too dry.

Tabbouleh

I knew someone once who used a food processor and dried mint to make his tabbouleh. While these may seem like good short cuts- they aren’t! It takes a little more time and effort to buy things fresh and chop them by hand, but the result is certainly worth it.


1 bunch of Italian parsley
3 large roma tomatoes
½ cup bulgur wheat
½ bunch of mint
3 green onions finely sliced (white and green parts)
¼ cup good quality olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (or a little more if you’re an over lemoner like me)
Salt to taste

Rinse bulgur wheat well and place in a bowl. Pour half a cup of hot water on top. Drain after 15 minutes. Finely chop the leaves only of the parsley and mint, and finely slice the green onions. Finely chop the roma tomatoes. In a large bowl mix the bulgur, tomatoes, parsley, green onions and mint together. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice on top and add salt to taste. Mix well. Let salad marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Mix again before serving.

Chicken Shawarma













1 ½ lbs. Mix of boneless chicken breast & thighs cut into strips
Marinade
Juice of 1 lemon
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon sumac*
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

Mix all marinade ingredients together. Cut chicken into small strips. Pour marinade over chicken in a shallow dish or large Ziploc bag- and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Barbeque chicken strips on a grill until outside is browned nicely and chicken is fully cooked.

Serve chicken on a warm pita with hummus, tabbouleh, hot sauce (sriracha is nice) and any other ingredients you like.

*Sumac is made from a berry that grows wild in the Mediterranean. It is dried and then crushed into a powder form. The powder is bright red/purple in colour and it has a citrus flavour. If you can't find it, just omit it, but if you can- its worth buying. You can use it in most chicken and fish dishes.

Foodstock

Yes that’s right. Foodstock. Not Woodstock. It’s kinda like the original-a big outdoor event on farmland, except it will also offer the best food in Canada and your attendance will benefit an amazing cause.



Its rare that I use this space to promote an event or a charity appreciating that many of you might live far and away but I just can’t help but ask for your support. The local farmland and water is at risk of being contaminated where I live because of a proposed mega quarry. A group called the Highland Companies have made an application to create a limestone quarry over 2,300 acres in size on prime fertile agricultural land that will also disturb pristine aquifers that ensure we have clean water.

I am stunned that this has the potential to happen, and hope that you'll join me and thousands of others at Foodstock on October 16th. Over 100 of the best chefs from across Canada will be there cooking their hearts out, so it’s also a great opportunity to meet some awesome people and taste some fabulous food. The proceeds raised will go to help fund the costs to stop the quarry. Did I mention there will also be some great bands playing?

You can check out all the details here. I’ll be there tasting and taking photos. If you can’t make it, you can still donate on their website to help this great cause. Hope to see you on Sunday!

Oviedo

You know that rush you get when you walk through the door of a restaurant you’ve never tried, you have a look around, and you just know its going to be good? You’ve read the menu on-line a million times, but now you’re seeing it live and it looks better than you imagined. I love great food. Its an art, its hard work, its dedication and not everyone can pull it off although they might think they can. That’s why I get so excited when its done right, and Oviedo was right on cue.



There was a buzz, a comfort, a feeling of excitement as you walked in the door. No I hadn’t been drinking prior to arrival, there was just something magical about this place. It was like being at the best local restaurant in Paris minus the pretention. Waiters in classic black and white with bow ties, a maitre d to greet you at the door, white table linens, old school leather banquettes and fine wine bottles gracing the walls.

As you look around there’s a mix of hipsters, down to earth business types, 30 something’s and older trendy couples all mashed together. Laughter, cheers, and clinking glasses fill the air. Beautiful, picture perfect food is passing you by left right and centre and your heart is beating out of your chest with excitement. Generous portions of sumptuous pasta, risotto, meat, ceviches all not too overdone, no trendy foams or fogs on the plate, just good old school fresh fish, meat and seafood cooked to perfection and topped with some unbelievably bad for you but oh so delicious sauce. Hungry yet?



Oviedo was by far my favourite restaurant in Buenos Aires, and the meal I had that night will reside on my top ten list. Having consumed close to my body weight in beef for most of my trip in Argentina, I was in the mood for something different. The ceviche and shrimp risotto didn’t disappoint. Its rare that I have something in a restaurant and can’t nail all the ingredients, but these two dishes had me coming up short.

The ceviche was fresh and creamy with a hint of heat. The green avocado based sauce was smooth, and salty- so amazing I probably would have eaten a shoe if it was dipped in it.














The shrimp risotto was hearty, with a lobster based tomato sauce poured around the outside of the rice. The risotto was cooked to al dente perfection and the shrimp seasoned with garlic and rosemary were the perfect compliment.














At the end of the evening when the bill came, I honestly thought there had been some sort of mistake. A meal with that kind of service and food would have cost four times as much as I paid in North America. Unfortunately for the Argentines their dollar is still struggling. Just one more reason, if you didn’t have enough already to get to Oviedo if you can and support Bueno’s Aires most amazing Spanish restaurant. If you’re lucky enough to be in the beautiful city of BA, skip the tourist traps and head where the locals go.

Rewind

So the last few months I’ve kinda been a slacker. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t been a total schmuck, (yes, I just said schmuck) I’ve just been caught up in every day life. No time for cooking, restaurant reviews, dinners out and I really feel as though I’ve lost my mojo. No, it hasn’t been stolen by Dr. Evil. If it was I would just call Austin Powers to help me find it. I think it just slowly dwindled away as I put my passion on the back burner.

I’ve searched for an emergency foodie self help line to no avail. If one exists, please direct me. Or maybe there’s a support group for those who have lost their luster for hobbies? I’m imagining a big group of writers, and artists sitting in a circle starting their sentences with “My name is John and I’m…” well you get the drift.

I keep thinking about all the wonderful things I cooked and ate prior to losing my mojo, and am perplexed with where to start. I never posted about my trip to South America, my night with Anthony Bourdain, or the fantastic things I’ve done since, well…yikes- FEBRUARY! And then…it dawned on me. What better way to get my mojo back, then to rewind. I have the photographic evidence of all my great experiences, I just haven’t had the time to put it into words. Until now.

So here goes. A rewind in time. The next few posts will finally detail all the great things I’ve done this year. I’ll hopefully cover them off before 2012. And if I magically find my mojo along the way, foodtastic.