The Waffle

From all of us here at The Waffle, a special Christmas Treat via the creators of This is Why you’re Fat.

A tree made of parsley, tomatoes, sausages, wieners slices and cocktail weenies makes for a tasty decoration around any house, and it will feed all your guests while entertaining them at the same time.

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas.

During a campaign, breakfast rallies are interesting events.  Some people are barely awake.  Everybody is sitting down.  Some are eating, most are sipping coffee.  And it was the case again at the Resto-Deli Jimmy on Hochelaga Boulevard in Montreal.  Jean-Claude Rochelau was hosting NDP Leader Jack Layton, ahead of the November 11th by-election.

Owner Jimmy Stefrimitos was on site, happy to see the NDP Leader visit his establishment.  The staff, who’ve seen weirder stuff, kept serving, squeezing by the tables, the chairs and the orange balloons.

I ordered the workers’ breakfast special:
2 eggs (scrambled), beans, home fries, french toast, pancake, sausage, bacon, ham for $5.  Quite a deal.

As far as greasy spoons go, this was half decent.  The french toast and the pancake were a bit soggy, the eggs a bit dry, the beans a bit boring.  But the meat was nicely cooked and crispy, and the home fries were warm, crisp on the outside and flaky inside.

I would go back to Jimmy if I was in the neighbourhood, and I bet it’s even better at lunch.  But it is unlikely I would make a major detour to stop there.

Our trip to Malta included a lay-over in Frankfurt.  The same was true on the way back, so I picked our flight in order to spend some time in Germany, almost 24 hours in fact.

We had picked the City Hotel Frankfurt, on Allerheiligenstrasse in the Cultural Quarter, on the Main’s northern bank.  After checking in, we soon found ourselves wandering down Zeil, a pedestrian street from two major plazas - Hauptwache to Konstablerwache.  Since the end of the last century, it has been the city’s major shopping street.  The “Golden mile”, it is lined with well-known department stores.  It used to be known for its grand buildings but most of them were destroyed during World War II and were not rebuilt.   In fact, most of the city was destroyed, it seems. Konstablerwache was the plaza closest to our hotel, and it is where we encountered a buzy public market, around 4 pm, as we were starting our exploration.

During our time in Malta, Euronews broadcasted a report about the opening of the Currywurst Museum in Berlin.  I had never heard of this dish before, but I was quite excited about going to Germany so soon after the opening of a museum celebrating a post-war delicacy:

Wurst. Grilled. Sliced.
Ketchup.
Curry powder. Lots of it.

After flying over the Mediterannean Sea, and over half Europe, I was quite hungry. And quite happy to find, in the public market, many Germans enjoying some sausage and beer after a hard day’s work.

I’ve got to admit that it was surprisingly delicious.  The wurst was dense, juicy, warm throughout.  The ketchup was kept warm and poured over the wurst.  They were not shy on the curry powder, which partly diluted in the warm tomato sauce.  The snack came with a roll, which was fine, but was oh so overshadowed by this Berlin-born mixture.  I must try to do this at home.

After our snacks (well, mine ), we had to fill Mel’s appetite for shopping along the Zeil.  Truth is, Frankfurt is no Malta, and if I was happy with the 15° C, Mel was in a dire need of a sweater.  After finally finding something at one of the two H and Ms on the Zeil we wandered around for a while, walking through Franfurt, crossing the Main, watching the barges slowly making their way up the river.

All this walking made us hungry, it was getting late, so we set out to look for a place to have dinner. The heart of Frankfurt is the Römerberg, with it’s 13th-century cathedral of St Bartholomäus and the gables of the Römerplatz. And it is on the Römerberg that we looked for dinner, hoping that, despite the tourist trap feel of the place, we would be okay.  And so we picked the Zum Standesämtchen, at the “Römer” straight across the city hall.

The restaurant, open since 1983, is located in an historical building which was rebuilt after the war. An original pillar from 1543 is still standing, and the whole interior gives a very warm and restful vibe.  It was a quiet night, but you could almost hear the clashing of the Steins, the singing and the laughter of the F rankfurters into the night.

We ordered a couple of German beers with a name I couldn`t pronouce sober, and  I didn’t improve throughout the evening.

We peered at the menu for appetizers - we were quite hungry. I spotted the Weinkäse mit Musik right away, and I encouraged Melissa to order it, despite the protest of the owner. Local soft cheese, onions, vinegar. What is not too like? For my part, I ordered a hearty Kartoffelsuppe, a potato soup.

Mel felt that she should have listened to the German food expert as opposed to the French-Canadian poutine expert.  The cheese was quite soft, milky, light.  It was covered with marinated raw onions and herbs, and generously drenched in vinegar.  The onions were, in my opinion, tasty, if you like marinated vinegary onions.  But there was a lot - a hell of a lot - of it.

The soup was very flavourful.  With chicken stock and bacon as a base, there was lots of potatoes, obviously, but also carrots, onions, herbs (a bit heavy on fresh parsley). The final product was very rich, but thankfully the potatoes were not too starchy, and the texture was great.  Mel was eyeing it, and since she was blaming me for her poor choice of appetizer, I did share my soup with her, much to her content.

That behind us, we were able to focus on our main target in Germany, something she had been focussed on ever since we had landed in Frankfurt:  Schnitzel.

Schnitzel means a cutlet without bones. It is a traditional dish and is a popular part of German cuisine. Usually, it is thin slices of veal coated in breadcrumbs and fried, though other types of meat are now sometimes used.

Mel picked the classic Wiener Schnitzel but I picked the Jägerschnitzel - in her honour.

Now, I have already pointed out that this place had the feel of a tourist trap, and some had bad experiences here. But the place was empty, and therefore the cook could take his time - these schnitzels were the best we’ve ever had.

Mel’s veal was lightly breaded and nicely golden, tender and juicy.  The traditional piece of lemon was there in lieu of any sauce, giving the meat an appetizing zest.  Her dish also included small fried potatoes and a side of green beans sauteed with lardons.

My Hunter schnitzel was served with ordinary french fries and a small garden salad.  Nothing to talk about.  Served with a dark mushroom gravy and lots of mushrooms, it was dense, rich.  Very woody, touches of rosemary and parsley, I was left begging for more - and finish the sauce with bits of Mel’s schnitzel.  I do enjoy the variety in the sides, completing each dish differently.

After our meal, we were too full to move.  So we had to order more beers, and drank them while exchanging pleasantries with the owner, who was happy to be able to take some time to actually talk to some international consumers, instead of only taking their money.  Talking of money, the bill amounted to 70 Euros, 8 beers and tax included.

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One of the great things about our trip to Malta was our apartment.  Located in Valletta on Old Theatre Lane, it had a great view of the Marsamxett harbour and a well equipped kitchen.  So we were able to save money while having romantic dinners, relaxing and enjoying the views that were offered to us.

Mel loves pasta, and I was happy to oblige. Here, I made Spaghetti with a very simple tomato-basil sauce. On the side, bread with a cheddar gratin. To accompany our meal, we had a bottle of Corvo Vendemmia 2006, a very nice wine from Sicily, smooth and light in tanin.

In the background, Manoel Island and its Fort, which was built in the XVIII century and was a strong defensive position all the way to World War II, when anti-aircraft guns were deployed in and around the fort.

Another Spaghetti dish, this time I decided to be more creative. I first roasted some garlic in olive oil, then added some lardon. When everything was nicely golden, I tossed in some oregano and bits of Ġbejniet. Ġbejniet is a cheese, originating from Gozo. When you buy it, it looks like a ball of Mozzarella. Made from sheep milk, but originally from goat milk, it has a smooth texture and a subtle, creamy flavour. I was hoping it would melt a little like Mozzarella, but it remained much firmer. A bottle of Medina Sangiovese was the wine du jour. Very soft tannins, but a little acidic. It did worked with the dish, however.

Malta is a very Catholic country, and they take their Saints very seriously. Our stay began a few days before the Feast of St. Julian. So every night in the leadup to the feast, there were fireworks, from two, sometimes three different locations. Every night. And on the Saturday before the feast, the spectacle lasted for well over two hours.

For this meal, even though I decided to stick with pasta, I mixed it up a bit, going for penne this time.  The sauce is a tomato-chili base, with garlic and oregano.  I topped the dish with lardons and fresh green peppers.  Vegetables were easy to find in Valletta, and all kinds of little outlets were offering them in fairly wide varieties.

We enjoyed our penne with a bottle of Cape Quarter, a Shiraz Pinotage from South Africa, as the sun was setting on the islands and numerous boats were coming back to  the harbour. I had never had a South African wine before, and this one was quite pleasant, lots of dark berry flavours including blackcurrant.

Right in front of the Grand Master’s Palace is Valletta’s covered market, the Is-Suq, which has various stands and stalls where you will find fresh vegetables, fish, groceries, meat, herbs and spices.  It is quite busy in the morning, as is the rest of merchant street.  However, the longer you wait, the less merchants there are .  We wandered there a few times, especially when we were craving meat. We got two huge steaks - the Suq’s butcher basically had half a cow on the counter, and asked us how thick.

I cooked the meat in olive oil, adding just a few spices as I wanted to maximize the pure meat flavour.  Then, I reserved it, and caramalized some shallots and garlic in the jus. When that was done, I deglazed with some red wine.  The meat was not the most tender I have ever eaten, but the meat was oh! so fresh.  Obviously, they had not aged it 30 days here, and the taste was very powerful.  On the side, we have yellow courgettes, baked with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and finished with a blend of fresh cheese.

The view at night was spectacular.  The lights from the more modern buildings and hotels from Sliema were reflecting on the water, making our dinner even more enjoyable.  The wine, a Bacchus Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, was bold enough to go well with our meat, but again, this Maltese Winery can only improve with time.

One could think we would have gotten tired of pasta, but the atmosphere just was right for more and more.  With cheese bread on the side, it was simple enough not to take too much time, but I could find a twist everyday to make every meal very different.   This time, I picked three fresh maltese sausages.  Maltese sausage are made from minced pork, mixed with spices and herbs. They are air cured and are often served and eaten raw. Melissa was unpleasantly surprised when she was served some with a platter of Maltese Antipasto at Giannni - but I personally didn’t mind it, though the texture is somewhat strange. So I fried them slowly, sliced them, and served them with penne and a spicy tomato sauce.  Fried like that, they were quite tasty, but gone was the mushy raw meat texture.  And Mel was happy, so much so that she didn’t realize they were the same.  In fact she stated that this was the best pasta meal I made in Malta, and thankfully I made them before our escapade to Sicily.

We had a bottle of Rosso di Puglia with this meal, a solid, full bodied Italian wine. We finished it under one of the most spectacular sunsets yet, where pink and red colours were brought out by the clouds, which were present more than normal. Just spectacular.

We usually had lunch away from home, but from time to time we would have a light lunch at the appartment. Or sometimes, we would come back early from an afternoon of touristing, and we would put together a nice snack platter.  Cured meats and cheese are easily available in Malta, lots of varieties, some local made, some imported, but everything very fresh.  Add to that a fresh bunch of grapes, a cool bottle of white wine, (and, quite frankly, very cool AC!!) and there you have it! A Maltese snack at its best. We would eat slowly, enjoying the different flavours, the spices, the aromas, the textures, while looking at the ferry go back and forth in the harbour…

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Last day at our HQ in DC, the Omni Shoreham.  

And today, I got to enjoy Robert’s Restaurant’s breakfast, featuring:The Art of Breakfast Buffet.

At $18.50, its not cheap.  But it is of a very good quality - everything is natural, meaning their meats have not been injected with anti-biotics or hormones, and they offer organic coffee and cage-free eggs.

You can also go A la carte, but why would you? The buffet includes cereal and toast sections, including bagels; fresh fruits, smoked salmon, cured meats, cheeses, oatmeal, waffles, and their hot breakfast section, which today included scrambled eggs (regular or with spinach), home fries, and an extensive selection of meat:  Thick-cut bacon, chicken maple sausages, breakfast sausages and home made corned beef hash.

Never afraid to go all out for you, dear Wafflers, I decided to sample every type of meat offered.

The bacon was indeed thick - and therefore, it was not overdone as is often the case in buffets.

It was not too salty either, a little crispy. Well done.

I’ve never been a big fan of corned beef - too salty.  And this corned hash was no exception, despite cutting the meat with some bread crumbs, it was still a very salty affair.  Just not what I like.

The breakfast sausages were awesome.  Thick, juicy, spicy, they were the highlight of the meat selection.  They were fairly dense too, but they were definitely not dry.

The chicken maple sausage came in the form of a sausage patty.  Unfortunate, as the taste wasn’t bad, but the texture would have been better had the meat been properly encased.  It was also a bit dry.

The potatoes were good - not deep fried, which is good - the red peppers gave them a nice touch, but I would have added more onions.  They could have been a touch crisper too, but still, they were a good side-dish.

As for the scrambled eggs, they were quite creamy and uniform - they must use liquid eggs.  So of course they are cage free eggs, it is really hard to keep liquids in a cage.  The ratio of spinach and tomatoes was just right, and with a bit of black pepper, it was a very honest performance

The restaurant’s entrance is at the bottom of some stairs opening directly into the lobby, which can get pretty noisy, but it wasn’t too bad, and I got to enjoy my breakfast with the USA Today as a companion.

Is there something more traditional in Quebec than a spring visit to a Sugar Shack? I don’t think so.

A folkloric atmosphere, the comforting warmth of a wood stove, and the odours, from the burning logs, from the wood furniture, and especially the aromas from the kitchen.

There are a few cabane à sucre in the National Capital Region, and this time, la Sucrerie du Terroir drew the lucky number, and 6 of us plus a baby headed over, on a sunny springy morning.

Located in Val-des-Monts, La Sucrerie du Terroir is very traditional, smaller than most shacks, making it a very cozy place. The staff was very friendly, and were wearing traditional costumes. Although they do not sell booze, you can bring your own.

First came the French Toast.

A classic appetizer.

Nothing fancy, just some thick white bread soaked in eggs and milk and fried.

Covered with maple syrup, they sure started our meal the right way.

All you can eat.

Then came the main meal, with the beans.

They were nothing special, no meat, making it vegetarian-friendly, just plain beans baked in molasses.

The texture was nice, but it was a bit bland.

Which is why you smother them in maple syrup.

ll you can eat.

Another side dish - les oreilles de crisse - was a better hit.

Deep Fried Smoked Pork Fat - sorry, Jowls. What can be wrong with that?

Actually, they were Bacon Rinds.

They were quite dry and salty, so to re-establish the balance, you soak them into maple syrup.

All you can eat.

Of course, you need some home fries. Potatoes are a classic fare for a sugar shack meal.

These were very small, crispy, a bit greasy.

They don’t go as well with maple syrup, so I focussed on ketchup.

All you can eat.

Maple Smoked Ham and country-style sausages were also on display.

The ham was a pre-cooked one, as opposed to an all-natural. Still good.

The sausage were juicy. Nothing like meat in a tube.

The meat went down with a nice touch of maple syrup.

All you can eat.

The master piece was definitely the omelette.
Oven baked in a cast iron pan, it was fluffy, with crunchy edges.

Is stayed warm throughout the brunch.

The great thing was, with maple syrup, it was melt in your mouth.

All you can eat.

For dessert, we got maple mousse tartellettes.

Some of us couldn’t add any more sugar to their diet.

Their loss.

The sugar maple filling was very sweet, but quite smooth.

The crust was a bit crispy, a bit moist - showing that they were not super fresh and sat in a fridge for a little while.

I sprinkled a bit of maple syrup to season them properly.

The 6 of us had a half-bottle of syrup with our meal.

I would say we were quite reasonable. It was a good quality syrup, a nice amber, rich colour.

Grade Canada B medium.

All you can drink.

And to digest all this delicious food, nothing like maple toffee on ice.

It wasn’t a cold day, and snow was getting sparse, but it was fresh enough for the delicious instant candy to solidify and remain fairly solid on the stick.

For some reason, I was the only one of our group to indulge.

I don’t get it.

I did however spend the rest of the day recovering from the sugar crash.

23$ per person.

All you can eat.

Money well spent.

Scott had wanted to showcase his new Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker #WMK300A for some time.  He imported it directly from the US via TheKitchenStore.com and he was updating me as he was keeping an eye on its progress with the tracking number.

The Waring Pro WMK300A  features extra-deep pockets to produce the thickest Belgian Waffles available! There is a 180-degree rotary feature that ensures even baking on the top and bottom and a superb control knob lets you pick a shade of brown between light and dark!

There is even an audio Beep to indicate that the Waring Pro WMK300A is ready to bake, and another one when the waffle is finished baking! Marvelous. If you have hearing problems, there are also LED indicators in place to help making a perfect waffle. Every time.

The beast had to be tested.

A bunch of us were therefore invited to witness the miracle, and a miracle we witnessed.
He was really proud to host a brunch to warm our hearts in the heart if February with fresh, warm waffles.

First, he had to make sure we wouldn’t run out of meat.  He grilled a few sausages and fried some bacon.

Second, he had to provide some garnishes for the waffles.  Fresh berries were the pick of the day, a colourful selection was on hand.

Third, he had to pour his homemade waffle mix into the Waring Pro WMK300A.

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