All posts by Scott@SCK

Eating Out

Friday dinner at Sorriso Italian Deli

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Last Friday night, Kathy and I were at the end of a long and trying week so while doing some running around we decided to hit a fairly regular Friday haunt of ours for dinner.  Upon arriving there, we were welcomed by a “Closed for Holidays” sign.  Ok, time for a Plan B.

We didn’t want to venture too far, and neither of us were too excited by the prospect of fast food.  So after thinking about it, we decided to go for a return visit to a place we had been to a few times before, Sorriso Deli & Restaurant. 

Now, like every town, there are areas in our town that aren’t maybe as ‘popular’ as others.  This area of our home town is considered by some to be one of those areas.  That said there really isn’t anything wrong with it, it is just a bit off the beaten path.

When it comes to food, understand that for me ‘off the beaten path’ is a good thing.  It is there that you tend to find restaurants that are eclectic, unique and more about the food than fancy presentation.  Simple, homey and unique are things I truly treasure in my eating experiences.  These are the kind of out of the way places I seek out when travelling, eat where the locals eat kind of thing. 

Sorriso is one of these places.  We have been a few times, basically it is a deli with a restaurant area at the front.  If you are looking for good quality Italian cooking ingredients, it is great store.  If you are looking for Italian Deli items, it’s got a good  selection.  If you would like someone to take the ingredients and serve them up in a home style meal – they have you covered there to. 

The atmosphere is very casual.  There is a very small bar, and it always seems to have a handful of colourful characters hanging out visiting and having a drink – think a 6 stool version of Cheers.  There are a handful of tables, and the menu actually offers a pretty good selection given the size of the place.

I have had a tendency to order the Gnocchi Gorgonzola on my visits –  Ok, I’ve only ever ordered the Gnocchi Gorgonzola – it is really good, it is unique and not something I have ever seen anywhere else.  Perfectly cooked gnocchi, with a rich cream sauce with a perfect amount of blue cheese.  Kathy normally orders the penne, and they have a very, very good red sauce for it.

Tonight, they were out of gorgonzola, so that was my second strike on the night.  They had two specials, Penne with meatballs, and a Cannelloni.  Now, I am very gun shy about ordering cannelloni in restaurants.  Most of the time, I have been somewhere between somewhat and highly disappointed.  It could be the flavor, or the texture, or the sauce, but there is a myriad of ways to go wrong with cannelloni, so usually just avoid it.

Tonight however, I decided that I would give it a try.  What the hell, it had been a rough week, and two strikes into the night what was there to lose.  Well…

Apparently nothing!  I was treated to one of the best cannelloni dinners I have ever had.  The portion was sensible, the pasta and filling were absolutely to my liking, and the red sauce was perfect.  I was really impressed by it, and I am eager to order it again.  Kathy’s penne was also very nice, and the Caesar Salad’s we started with were very good.  The Vanilla Bean Gelato with Balsamic Glaze (read about it here) was over the top good as our desert.  Both specials included bread with olive oil and balsamic dip, salad, entre and dessert.  Both were under $20, so the value was definitely up there with the food.

If you are looking for a bit of a ‘Triple D’ type experience without Guy F, and you just want some simple but excellent Italian home cooking, give Sorriso a try.  What it lacks in pomp and flash, it more than makes up for with great food!

Enjoy!

Eating In

Must Haves – Item #6 – Chef’s Knives

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One of the biggest challenges I sometimes encounter when helping to cook in others kitchens, is not having sharp knives. I will be the first to admit, I am a bit of a knife snob.  A bit of one, not obsessive to the point of owning very expensive fine quality Japanese stainless cutlery, but I do love a good quality knife.

There are a lot of technical considerations when it comes to knives: stamped or forged, Hi Carbon or Stainless Steel, handle style, tang style and blade size and shape being just a few. I am not going to ramble on what think may I know about the subject, there is much better information available out there on the ‘net than I could put together here.  I do encourage you to do some research before you chose a knife, as you want to make sure you invest in a quality product.

After doing my own research, my personal choice is the Wusthof Grand Prix II series of knives. I feel they offer a good balance of quality, availability and price.  They are forged from high quality stainless, so while they take a bit more to sharpen they hold their edge very well.  I have a selection of them, my favorite being the Santoku blade for most of my kitchen work.

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I also have a Victorionox Chef’s knife, which was my first good kitchen knife. They are also a very good knife, but are a bit lower quality steel so require a bit more work to keep them sharp.  However, they are also considerably less expensive, so not a bad choice for the burgeoning knife-o-holic.  This is the knife a lot of professional chef’s use.  I just like the Wusthof feel and steel a bit better.

One of the things currently happening in the world of knives it seems, is that the traditional 22 degree blade bevel common on western knives is giving way to the sharper 15 degree blade bevel of Asian knives. My knives are all 22 degree, but I will be changing a couple over to 15 degree by regrinding the edges in the next little while.  This can be done at a knife sharpening shop, or by using a knife sharpener such as:

Once you have a good knife (or 2, or 10), the next most important thing is to keep them sharp. Dull knives cut cooks – sharp knives slice the food.  A steel is super valuable on a day to day basis to straighten the edge, which will make the knife cut better.  However, from time to time when steeling the blade just doesn’t get the result, then you need to regrind the blade to sharpen it up.

Then, once you are addicted to your knives, grab a chef’s roll for them so that you can take them with you to spread the word of how wonderful good knives can be!

Enjoy!

Next Up – Rice Cooker

Eating Out

A new taste experience

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After a bit of a long and trying week, tonight Kathy and I finished it off with a quick impromptu meal at a local Italian deli restaurant.  After a good feed, we finished off our meal with little bowls of Vanilla Bean Gelato.

When it arrived at the table, it had a drizzle on it that we took to be chocolate.  Now, chocolate isn’t Kathy’s favorite, but we forged ahead non the less.

Straight away we figured out the drizzle wasn’t chocolate.  It was sweet, but also tart, and acidic, and sour…  it was quite literally… amazing.  Combined with the creamy richness of the gelato, it was really quite spectacular.

Kathy picked up on it first – balsamic vinegar??  The waiter came over and we confirmed it was a sweetened balsamic vinegar.  As unbelievable a combination it sounds, it was one of the best and most incredible taste experiences I have had in recent history.  it wasn’t at all weird, it was just plain great.

What was even better is they sell the sweetened balsamic glaze in their deli section.

Maybe the best flavor to come in a bottle
Maybe the best flavor to come in a bottle

I look forward to trying this as an ingredient in a number of dishes, as well as serving it on top of my favorite vanilla ice cream.

I heartily suggest checking out Sorriso, and pick up some of this glaze while your there!

I will be adding a review of Sorriso over the weekend, once I have had a bit of time to write it.

Enjoy!

Eating In

Must Haves – Item #5 – Sticky Stuff Measuring Cups

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These little gems are such a time saver in the kitchen. When working with anything sticky or thick, like honey, molasses, peanut butter, sour cream etc., it is so convenient to be able to set the desired amount on the cup, fill the container to the top and then press the plunger to discharge the ingredient cleanly and completely out and into the mixing bowl.

They really take the frustration and mess out of trying to get sticky ingredients measured up and into your vittles.

I have 5 – a 2 cup, a 1 cup and 3 tablespoon measures. They come apart for easy cleaning, and beyond putting a thin layer of oil on the silicone seal when you put them back together, they are pretty much maintenance free.

I use the KitchenArt Pro Adjust-A-Cup series, and have had great success with them. The only caution is that you have to follow the directions and lube the silicone seal with cooking oil, or it can tear on reassembly and destroy the cup – a lesson learned the hard way.  There are others out there that are likely just as good, but these are the ones I use.

Hopefully this will keep you from getting into a sticky situation!

   

Enjoy!

Next Up – Knives

Bloggers Blog, Daily Life

Major Announcement – New Site Feature!

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Well, it has been a busy few days here at SCK.  One of the things that has been on my ‘work in progress’ list for the site has been to make it an interactive experience, instead of just a place to read and maybe comment on what I have posted.  I wanted from the outset for this to be a truly interactive site, where anyone and everyone who wishes to come visit has an opportunity to share and interact, sharing the diverse knowledge that we all bring to the kitchen table.

Today I completed the work on establishing this feature for the site.  It will likely need some adjusting over time, but I believe that it is good to go and ready for you to play with.  The new features include messaging as a group and privately between members, and a forum to communicate as a wider group.  While anyone can continue to comment on posts without registering as before, to participate in the Community requires registration.

On the top left of the screen you will find a Registration link.  It’s quick and easy, just your name, email and pick a user name.  Then you validate your registration by an email, and your all done!  You will then be able to log into the site and be part of the community.  My hope is that over time, with enough interest it will become a place where one can ask and answer questions, share stories, make friends and enjoy some company with like minded people.

If you have any issues with the process, please let me know right away.  As mentioned before, this is a learning process for me.  However I think that this will be worth the effort.

Thanks, and I hope to see all of you in the Community area!!

Scott@SCK

Bloggers Blog, Daily Life

I’ve been at it again…

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Hi all

I have been working on the site quite a bit the last couple of days.  I have revamped The Storeroom, changed up the format a bit and added some content that hopefully you will find interesting.

One of these changes is  the addition of information on some of my favorite publications and websites.  I have added pages and links for Cooks Illustrated / Cooks Country / Americas Test Kitchen, as well as Alton Brown’s Good Eats and books.  These are two of my most favorite sources of information and education on cooking.  I really encourage you to check out these sites / publications.

I have included links to these and a number of other items on Amazon.ca as part of the pages.  I hope that it adds some utility to the pages, making finding some of my favorite items online a snap.

As we recover from the Holiday season, and life begins to get back to normal, I look forward to continuing my work here, and I hope that you will continue to drop by.

I am interested in any suggestions, comments or questions you have for or about the site, and I hope to see you again many times thru the year.

All the best,

SCK

 

Daily Life, Eating Out

A great New Years evening

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For a second year, we had opportunity to ring out 2015 and 2016 in with our friends Elaine and Rob.  After completing our last day of work for the year, we met at Fiesta Mexicana for a nice Mexican meal.   We have been to this eatery on a number of occasions, and the dinner was very good as usual.

A wonderful creation of pâte à choux, carmelized evap milk, whip cream, bananas and chocolate. It was very nice!
A wonderful creation of pâte à choux, caramelized evaporated milk, whip cream, bananas and chocolate. It was very nice!

We then headed back to Rob and Elaine’s for drinks, a very nice dessert and a selection of baked goods from her kitchen and ours.  We played with their dogs, chatted and visited until we turned on the TV to watch the fireworks from the Seattle Space Needle.  10-9-8-7-6-5…

After 2015 moved into history, and 2016 was toasted into existence, we spent another couple of wonderful hours visiting and snacking.  We so much prefer quiet intimate celebration with friends, than loud bustling alcohol fueled events, and the time spent with our friends on this night again proceed this preference right.

Thanks to Rob and Elaine for a wonderful time, and I hope that everyone our there had an equally wonderful New Years Eve, however you chose to spend it.

All the best for an awesome 2016!

SCK

Eating In

Must Haves – Item #4 – Mixing Bowls

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All the fanciest ingredients in the world won’t be of much use if you don’t have bowls to mix them in. These big brothers to the prep dishes  definitely make the list of must have’s for the kitchen.

Now, most everyone has a bowl or two in the kitchen, and really the science behind them has been around for millennia.  Make a container out of whatever you have at hand, and seal it so that the wet stuff can’t get out.  Pretty basic really…  Of late, there have been some interesting attempts to create the better mousetrap, but basically, a bowl is still a bowl.

I have these in my kitchen, and find them very good for the tasks at hand:

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The stainless ones are of medium gauge, so they don’t feel flimsy but I don’t need a crane truck to move them around. They have a sufficiently large flat spot on the bottom to ensure they are stable on the counter, and high enough sides to whisk dry ingredients without sending them flying.

The only other thing that I look for is that they nest together for storage. This also works together with having a variety of sizes to choose from, as having the right size bowl for the job is really handy.

The glass bowls are basically the same idea, but just in a heavier and more ‘hot stuff’ friendly format.

I have seen and had opportunity to work with some of the new silicone bowls that are out there…  All I will say is that my momma said if you can’t say anything nice…

The other bowl I value greatly is the ‘mondo’ stainless bowl that I use when working with large quantities of ingredients, like my Italian Burger mix. It doesn’t see daily use, but when I need it, it is indispensable.

Being a bit OCD (stop it Dear, I hear you) and being used to my own kitchen, when I go to another kitchen it is always an adjustment to working with others gear. It surprises me how so many people only have 2-3 bowls, and that can creates a challenge for any large cooking project.  The value in a good number and selection of mixing  bowls  in your kitchen really can’t be overstated.

Besides, what good is a cleanup crew, if you can’t leave a large selection of dirty bowls for them??

Enjoy!

Next Up – Sticky Stuff Measuring Cups

Daily Life

Happy New Year!

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Greetings all!

As 2015 comes to an end, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our family, friends and visitors to the Country Kitchen a very happy New Year.

2015 has been great year, and I have really enjoyed starting this project.  I have appreciated the comments and feedback, and I look forward to talking to everyone more as the site develops and I try some new things in 2016.

On behalf of Kathy, myself and our K-9 Kids Eve and Harley, we would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2016!!  May you find all the happiness you deserve!!

Happy New Year!

SCK

Bloggers Blog

The Storeroom

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As we close in on the last day of the year, I have started the process of bringing The Storeroom online.  In The Storeroom I will be listing some of the kitchen items that I use, and that make my time in the kitchen more productive and enjoyable.

I will be listing link to some of the products on Amazon.ca.  My experience with Amazon as a consumer has been very good, and I am pleased to being trying the Associate Program with them which will allow me to link to their products, and receive a small commission on any sales.  I am not looking to make my fortune, but if it helps cover some of the costs of maintaining the site, that would be a bonus.

As with everything else on the site, it is a work in progress, but I hope that you will find the information both useful and interesting.

The Storeroom

Happy New Years all!!

Scott, Kathy & the K-9 Kids Eve and Harley

Eating In

Must Haves – Item #3 – Prep Dishes

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There are so many cooking techniques out there that one loses count.  Some are basic, some take years of practice to master.   However I think the most valuable techniques any cook can develop in order to improve the success and enjoyment of cooking is also one of the easiest to learn.

The French call it “Mise en place”. In English, it means “putting in place”.  Ever notice when you watch a cooking show that most chefs have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go?  They just grab the little dish with the ingredient and in it goes – no muss, no fuss, no measuring…  This is mise en place at work.  The other advantage of mise in place is it puts an end to every cooks nightmare scenario – being mid cooking, going to the pantry for an ingredient and then quizzically staring at the shelves saying to oneself “I was sure I had that…”.

Mise en place only requires a little bit of time and a small set of dishes to organize the ingredients in. I have about 20 prep dishes, about half are glass, half are stainless, and they are a variety of sizes.  I also use ziplock sandwich bags for larger amounts of items.  Here is my collection of dishes

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These dishes are inexpensive, and for less than any ‘as seen on TV’ kitchen gadget you can stock yourself with a healthy selection of dishes.   The type and size is really up to you, I like the wide shallow glass for herbs and dry ingredients, and the deeper metal ones for liquids.  The only kind I don’t really care for are the silicone ones, they are expensive in comparison, and I don’t like working with them as much.  Explore your local kitchen shop or mega mart and you will find a selection of them that will work for you.

Once you get into the swing of assembling your ingredients in advance, you will never go back to trying to measure out something while the step before is burning in the pan. Your cooking will improve, your stress will decrease, and you will be able to tell everyone you have mastered a really useful French cooking technique!

Enjoy!

Next up – Mixing Bowls

Eating In

A Christmas Dessert Triumph

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One of the things I love about cooking is sharing the discovery of new foods and preparations with others. So much of the joy of food comes from this sharing, much of the time being the one learning, sometimes being the teacher. Other times you just get to be there to witness someone achieve a successful adventure into something new to them. No matter which it is, it is something that brings me a great deal of enjoyment. This leads me to todays post…

In our modern age, Christmas has changed from what they were generations past. Families seem to be far more spread out around the country, or the world, and getting together over the holidays becomes much more difficult. The joining of extended families at the same table for Christmas dinner seems to be getting more and more rare.

Fortunately, this year we were able to spend Christmas dinner with my sister and her family, and as we live very close to one another, we were able to combine efforts on the dinner. I handled the bird, stuffing, gravy and cranberries, she handled the rest.

My sister is a quite capable cook, but like most people she hasn’t ventured too far outside of her day to day comfort zone. But she has the spark of someone who seeks to venture into new territory, and I have enjoyed sharing some recipes and kitchen time with her since she moved here from the Coast. One of the things that fell to her for Christmas dinner was dessert, and much to her credit she decided to head into what was for her uncharted territory and make a Cheesecake.

Dinner came off really well, and we all had a healthy helping (or two) of the bounty that was presented. I could tell from the conversation that my sister was equal parts excited and nervous as the time for dessert came about. She had chosen to do a Candy Cane Cheesecake with chocolate glaze, and it looked great. So hurdle one was cleared, because we all eat with our eyes first.

Very Festive!!
Very Festive!!

She cut generous slices, and served it up to an eager group. There is an old saying that ‘the proof is in the tasting’ – and the tasting proved that she had nailed it. The texture was great, the flavour even better. It was an awesome Christmas time flavour, and a perfect finish to a great meal. It was really good, and it was so neat to see the confidence that came to her in the knowledge that she has just nailed a new skill. I really enjoyed watching her realize that she had done a great job of something new.

Nice job sis, you just chalked up a new skill to be proud of and drawn upon again!