Toronto Street Dogs

Toronto has got some tasty hot dogs. I was in T.O. over the weekend on a relaxing break from New York, so I followed the recommendation of Frugal Traveler Matt Gross and sampled a street hot dog with all the fixings. It was a very fine hot dog.

What's especially nice about the Toronto street dogs, as opposed to NYC street dogs, is that Toronto grills not only the frank but the bun as well making for a warm and more textured flavor combination. Plus - and this might be heresy to some hot dog lovers - each Toronto cart offers a slew of enticing condiments which go well beyond the mustardketchupsauerkraut options that NY tends to offer.

I'm hardly a purist when it comes to hot dog toppings -- the more the better -- so I basically buried my dog under a pile of whatever was available to me, including mustard, relish, ketchup, chilies, jalapeno, pickles, and Sriracha (my new favorite hot dog condiment).

Next week I'll be in Los Angeles for a conference and while I've never had a Pink's hot dog, I can't say I'm really interested in trying one. The line just seems too long and the hype seems too large. For those fans I might have just offended, the Library does have a documentary on Pink's which looks interesting, and with a 18-minute running time it's a lot shorter than waiting on line.

Newlywed Cookbooks

The Times beat me to the (celebratory) punch.

Just last Wednesday, as I was strolling through the stacks of the Library, my eyes landed on this interesting title: The Groom Boils and Stews: A Man's Cookbook for Men.

Cookbooks for men are alone a genre worthy of discussion, but since the New York Times today provides a highly agreeable list of cookbooks suitable for newlyweds, I'm opting to focus on the Groom part of the above title to see what other gems we have in our collection.

In searching for appropriate cookbooks in our online catalog I was somewhat surprised to learn that no subject heading exists for newlywed cookbooks. The closest subject category seems to be Cookery for Two which includes such titles as Cook'n to keep him and the less gendered - and much more appealing title -- Cuisine pour toi et moi.

But back to The Groom Boils and Stews where the first recipe is how to boil water and chapter one starts with "If you've been hooked into the great dragnet of matrimony, there are a few fundamental principals regarding the laws of self-preservation you should know."

Arguably it's not a promising beginning, yet believe it or not, once you get past the silly chapter introductions -- the dessert intro is a doozy -- many of the recipes are straightforward, practical, and dare I say, appetizing. Consider this recipe for Atomic Beets:

Drain and cube two cups of hot cooked beets. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Stir in two tablespoons of horseradish and add the cubed beets. Season with salt and serve steaming hot.

The Groom Boils is also one of the few cookbooks I've found in our collection catered specifically to the groom, that is, a married man sharing the household cooking responsibilities with his wife. Most of the other male-centered cookbooks I've seen simply target bachelors whose main goal is not to starve to death while waiting for the right cook, I mean wife.

Bridal cookbooks are a different story. Cookbooks, in general were often given to young women as gifts upon entering the "great dragnet of matrimony." Some of the more popular gift cookbooks included classics like Joy of Cooking, The Boston Cooking-School cook book, and The Settlement Cookbook , and despite their lack of an obvious "bride" label, there was no doubt as to who they were meant for.

Of the bridal-specific cookbooks, one of the most comprehensive I've found is Betty Wason's 1964 book Bride in the Kitchen. This all-encompassing volume includes wedding gift/kitchen supply suggestions, grocery saving tips, a meat buying guide, and most importantly -- for the groom, at least -- a chapter titled Desserts for a Sweet-Tooth Man.

For more up-to-date newlywed cookbooks, one could try the Williams-Sonoma's Bride and Groom Cookbook (2006) or Abigail Kirsch's The Bride and Groom's First Cookbook (1996).

But really, if you want my professional (and somewhat biased) opinion, just don't marry anyone that can't cook!

Culinary Research

I'll be teaching a class on Tuesday, June 10th at 3:15PM at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library on the best ways to begin one's culinary research.

It's free and no reservations are necessary, so feel free to stop in.

The class will take place in the South Court classrooms on the first floor.

Verdura

After what seemed like weeks of boring cooking and eating takeout, my kitchen was miraculously brought back to life this week, bustling with seasonal ingredients and two cookbooks: a new favorite and an old standby.

On Wednesday after a very special day of talking about artichokes in the Library (more about that at a later date…), my boyfriend and I walked the talk and braised some of the “thistly but delectable vegetable”** with peas and shallots. I’m embarrassed to say that prior to Wednesday night, I was more fluent in opening jars of artichokes than spooning out their chokes, but after Lidia’s recipe for braised artichokes in Lidia’s Italy (my new favorite cookbook), I’m officially a convert.

And last night I broke out Viana La Place's Verdura which, alongside some SPF 60 (you think I’m kidding?), is my constant companion until October. Verdura was given to me years ago by one of my oldest friends who at the time was working at Kitchen Arts and Letters – the ultimate cookbook store. If it’s good enough for Kitchen Arts to recommend, it’s been vetted enough for me. La Place's recipes are all wonderfully simple, allowing the flavors of the vegetables to shine through and take their rightful center stage. I can't think of a better summer cookbook than Verdura.

Last night I made La Place’s recipe for escarole bruschetta, featuring a cast of roasted pine nuts, plumped up raisins, and chopped olives all mixed with wilted escarole for a medley of unique flavors that come together seamlessly. And with escarole blending the winter green with the spring flavor, it was the perfect way to start an early June meal.

I also made what I like to call Old Faithful: zucchini coins cooked over high heat in olive oil and then liberally showered with pecorino romano and basil. A simple, but always satisfying side.

As far as I’m concerned, summer has officially begun.

**This quote, describing artichokes, is featured in a December 22, 1935 article in the New York Times detailing Mayor La Guardia’s ban of the artichoke which was put into effect to help put an end to food racketeers.

Braised Artichokes with Pecorino (and added peas...)
(adapted from Lidia Bastianich’s Lidia’s Italy)

2 lbs. small artichokes
1 lemon for acidulated water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups chopped onion (we used shallots)
1/2 t. coarse sea salt
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded pecorino

Trim the artichokes, slice very thinly and soak the slices in acidulated water.
Pour the olive oil into the skillet, and set it over medium heat. Scatter the garlic and onion in the pan. Cook for 4 minutes or so, stirring and tossing occasionally; season with the salt and red pepper flakes.
When the vegetables are sizzling and wilting, lift the artichoke slices from the acidulated water, drain briefly, and drop them into the skillet. Stir well, cover the pan tightly, and let everything cook slowly.
After 10 minutes, the artichoke slices should be softening - if they're hard and the pan is try, add some spoonfuls of acidulated water and continue cooking, covered. Braise for 15 to 20 minutes total, until the artichokes are tender and lightly colored.
Turn off the heat, and spread the artichokes out in the skillet bottom. Scatter the shredded cheese evenly on top, and cover the pan. Let it melt into the vegetables for several minutes before serving.

Bruschetta with Sautéed Escarole
(adapted from Verdura by Viana La Place)

2 T. raisins
2 T. pine nuts
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium head escarole, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
1/3 cup Kalamata olives
6 thick slices country bread

Cover raisins with warm water until plumped, about 20 minutes. Drain. Toast the pine nuts in a small sauté pan over medium heat, until light brown, then transfer to a small dish. Pit olives and cut into quarters. Finely chop 3 cloves garlic. Rinse escarole in cold water, and drain but do not dry. Place a large pan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and chopped garlic, escarole and salt and sauté until escarole is tender, about 10 minutes. Add raisins, pine nuts and olives, and toss. Grill or toast bread. Rub with remaining garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon escarole over bread, and serve.