Kimchi: The Beginner’s Guide to Fermenting
You may have noticed that we, The 3 Spoons, have developed an obsession with fermentation - the most ancient and natural practice of preserving food. By delving into the making of beer and sourdough bread, we’ve been indoctrinated with its health benefits, but even more fascinating is its crucial role in the history of human civilization. This issue, we are exploring the afterlife of food - the different methods of natural preservation - and thought it fitting to start with something our dinner table is rarely without.
In our household, there are a handful of things that you will always find: Keen’s mustard, freshly roasted coffee beans, cornichons...and kimchi. Our avid consumption of kimchi is arguably comparable to most Korean Canadians. Unusual, given that neither of us is Korean. Given the speed at which we can finish a 1.2 kg tub of kimchi, I’ve begun to make my own.
Summertime Cocktails
It was a struggle to figure out how to fill an issue about dining al fresco in Toronto that wasn't just about booze and BBQ. But the reality is, that's exactly what we as Torontonians - no, as Canadians - do to cherish our impossibly short summers. So, rather than fight it, we went with the flow.
The Art & Struggle of Sourdough
There's flour everywhere. It's pervasive. It's in my hair and smeared across my apron. There's a fine dusting of the stuff on every surface of my house - cooking space or not. But it's not this wheat invasion that's concerning me; it's the amorphous mass of flour and water in front of me, mocking me. I'm trying to make bread, and it's going horribly.
Cooking With Tea
We make a 3-course tasting menu featuring one of the world's favourite beverages: tea.
Step into any pastry shop today and you will likely find a sweet ode to matcha, or perhaps chai or Earl Grey. Tea has broken into the pastry game, and the results are delicious. Cocktail bars have also adopted the brew, incorporating it into their revisions of old classics. Before long, tea will be making its way into savoury dishes in the hottest spots around town. I’m surprised it hasn’t already. What’s taking so long? After all, it’s no novel idea.
The Chilli Cookoff
Chilli. It's about as crucial to the American identity as apple pie or baseball. While a bowlful of chilli can conjure up images of cowhands on an open range, what we're after is a simple one pot meal to stave of the Canadian cold. But with so many different recipes - some counter to 'tradition' - its hard to pick the right recipe. It's time for a good ol' chilli cookoff.
The Unapologetic Paella
The best paella I’ve ever had is my Uncle Gerard’s. Growing up in the suburbs of Montreal, it’s really the only paella I was exposed to. His special seafood paella was reserved exclusively for our annual New Year’s Eve family dinner; an event that I, sadly, consistently missed for almost a decade. Meanwhile, over the past 10 years, I’ve tried paella wherever I could find it, and found it mostly to be dry and overcooked with little exception. I didn’t miss family dinner this last New Year’s Eve and when I finally bit into my uncle’s paella after all these years, I was finally satiated. It inspired me to try making it for myself … again. I’ve made an attempt once; it’s a dish that is more so intimidating than it is difficult, in part because it requires the confidence to overcome the fact that no matter what you do, your paella is likely to offend a Spaniard.
The Hot Pot
It's the doldrum days of winter. Chilly, grey days have replaced the bright lights of holiday festivities, and the novelty of snow and cold weather fashion has worn out its welcome. For days like these, nothing beats the chill like the warmth of good company around a simple one-pot meal. Today, we're making a hot pot.
Winter Libations
Holiday parties are times for good friends, good food, and - yes - good drinks. There’s a dizzying amount of options a host looking to provision the bar. Do you play it safe with trusted beer and wine? There’s always winter traditions: mulled wine, well-spiked eggnog, and - if you’re an old British Isle descendant - sherry. This year, we broke out the cocktail shaker and tried our hand at some winterized renditions of classic cocktails.
Coffee Ex Machina
We’re coffee snobs at The 3 Spoons. In only the most dire circumstance will mere chain coffee do; and perish the thought of coffee at the press of a button. So, it shouldn’t surprise you, then, that we’ve gathered a few coffee gadgets over the years. A French press, pour-over, Aeropress, espresso maker, Turkish pot, and Vietnamese drip all vie for precious cupboard and countertop space.
The Perfect Fall Pies
Yes, fall is here. That also means it's harvest time for the last sweet ripe crops in Ontario. Food preparation starts to gravitate towards warmth and decadence; what better way to prepare for impending winter?
And what better way to celebrate fall-time sweets than with the pie? Or, in our case, three pies.