ATE — October 16th to 22nd — Foodstock vs Flatbread vs Chicago Pizza

By it's very nature —line-ups, crowds, nature — I should not have enjoyed Foodstock. But I did.

There is no traffic in this field because it doesn't have bicycle lanes.

This is what I loved. A forest peppered with fire pits, each one cooking something great. If only for the smell alone, it was worth getting wet (though we did stop for pho on the way home, as we were very hungry).

Having learned that you can definitely over-brine, I was not taking any chances. I even posted a note on my laptop that said, "look in mirror".

Interview tip for journalism students: feed them fried chicken and press record.

Leftover surprise becomes dish of the week: Brussels Sprouts + Potatoes + Fennel + Parsley + Mustard Seed + Cilantro Aioli + Dijon

Before my road test, I was practicing parking using chopsticks as parking lines. I was like, 'Ok Tomatillos, back into the spot to the right of the bread.

I had a tummy ache after this bowl of soba with almonds, kimchi, pickled carrot and daikon. Too much acid?

The deep-dish pizza from Parlour Pizza. Weighs two pounds.

MINTZ
I’m calling to find out what the deal is with your new pizza business.

WILKINSON

My new pizza business?

MINTZ
Yes.

WILKINSON
That’s not my new pizza business.

MINTZ
It’s not?

WILKINSON
No. I was just on Orderit.ca today. Trevor Kitchen & Bar is on orderit and I just noticed it.

MINTZ
Right. Well it’s address and phone number are yours.

WILKINSON
It’s address and phone number?

MINTZ
Yeah. The main page for the Parlour Deep Dish Pizza has three links on it. It’s got an email, a menu and an orderit.ca page and the address is 38 Wellington Street East and it’s your phone number.

WILKINSON
FUCK! Alright. It is my pizza business. I don’t want anyone to know it though. Jesse and I, well, more Jesse than me, came up with this idea like a year ago. There’s just no deep dish pizza in Toronto. So we’re trying to launch it online to see how it goes, and potentially open a deep-dish pizza place. We’re just going to trial run it out of our restaurant. And I did not want to tell someone like yourself in the media. I fucked up getting on Facebook and doing that this morning.

MINTZ

You did.

WILKINSON
But I would really, really, really appreciate it if you did not tell the world that it’s mine.

MINTZ
I’ve already told an editor. Sorry. Doing my job.

Almost healthy snack of broccoli with just a hint of guanciale. Then something or someone made me add egg yolks and cheese.

Such a quality, Charles Burnsesque design on this package. Too bad it's for rat poison. Great name.

Potatoes and brussels sprouts. Should I feel this bad about eating potatoes?

At the Thanksgiving dinner I was invited to, above the sink.

Then, next to the sink: shaman, candle, feather, magic stones. Yeah, it's a cult kitchen counter.

Anyone who doubts China's ability to break into the international wine market has never met the American consumer.

I am happy with every part of this salad: Barley + Brussels Sprouts + Almonds + Almond Oil + Parsley + Lots of Black Pepper. Only thing I would maybe add is horseradish.

Served in Chinese take-ou containers. +2 ADORBS points.

It was the second course at a Fed dinner centring around street food. Solid crew —(left to right) Colin Tooke, Hassel Aviles, Andrew Richmond, Jonahtan Goldsbie, Marianne Moroney, Cameron Hawkins— provided great dialogue. Column and post coming soon (by which I mean two weeks).

Cilantro aioli, folding in the last of the oil.

Those flatbreads I was testing last week ...

... finally got into the groove of rolling out, brushing with butter, twisting up and rolling out again.

Yes, the dough keeps.

And it was fine to cook them all off earlier in the day. But I should have reheated them for dinner. I don't have a good reason for why I didn't.

No one said anything (though Tooke noticed) that I was using up pork belly from like, five different batches. Which means it's time for a braised pork belly re-up.

Straight out of the Mission Street Food book: Pork Belly + Jicama & Pickled Chilies (no red jalapenos so I used banana peppers) + Cilantro Aioli + Butter Flatbreads. WHY didn't I reheat the flatbreads? Would have tasted so much better.

Every time I get pork belly or brisket or oxtail from the butches, I buy just as much will fit in the four quart pot that I braise in. How did it take me this long to spend $20 on a half-pan insert, so that I can braise like five pounds at a time?