Warm Lemon & Rosemary Mixed Olives

Grand, glossy and gorgeous, these fragrant Lemon & Rosemary Marinated Olives with Peperoncino are a tangy and tasty hors d'oeuvre with a glass of wine, a lump of cheese and some warm crusty baguette. Sautéing the olives with some garlic, hot red pepper, lemon zest, rosemary and some infused olive oil catapults this appetizer to another gastronomic level — one that is fast, easy and wonderfully delicious.



Warm Lemon & Rosemary Mixed Olives
Makes 2 cups

3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups mixed olives with pits: nicoise, cerignola, kalamata, picholine
1 clove of garlic, minced
zest of one lemon
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 hot red pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
Garnishes: rosemary sprig, lemon rind strips

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sliced pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the mixed olives and lemon zest and cook, stirring frequently, until warmed though and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 10-15 minutes. Garnish with some lemon curls and fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve warm with some crusty bread and your favourite cheeses.

Ariana Bundy's Special Persian Dinner at Diwan

Author of 'Pomegranates and Roses', Toronto's Aga Khan Museum featured Chef Ariana Bundy this past weekend, with a delectable collection of her favourite Persian recipes. The evening, which launched the museum's new culinary series, began with Chef Bundy discussing Persian food culture, followed by a selection of Persian dishes carefully chosen from her cookbook. Ariana inherited her love of food and cooking from her grandparents, who grew fruit and grains and had vineyards producing prized grapes, and from her father, who owned and ran the first fine-dining French restaurant in Iran. Over the course of this special culinary evening, Ariana made a point of chatting with each guest a number times, thanking them for coming and then returning to see how everyone was enjoying her family-inspired Persian cuisine. Warm and gracious with a great love of life, Ariana made the evening a very special and absolutely delicious dining event.

Beginning with a glass or two of Prosecco, guests were served a mezze called Zeytoon Parvardeh, a tapenade made with marinated olives, herbs, pomegranate and walnuts spooned onto crisp naan crostini and garnished with pomegranate seeds, followed by "My Maman's" Pomegranate Soup created with fresh herbs, split peas, rice, petit meatballs and garnished with caramelized onions and fried mint. Following the soup, two entrées were presented - first a Rose and Citrus Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Jewelled Rice served with chilled Mast o Khiar, a thick yogurt dip with cucumbers, mint, raisins, rose petals and walnuts, and topped with a fresh herbed medley of Sabri Khordan; then Caspian-Style Torsh Kabab which were char-grilled lamb chops marinated in pomegranate and walnuts and served with saffron-mousseline potatoes and a pomegranate-citrus drizzle. The grand finalé was a light and creamy Wild Orchid Ice Cream made with rosewater, saffron and pistachios dotted with sweet frozen cream, a mini meringue, gold leaf and edible flowers. 'Sapas' Ariana for a wonderful evening!

Ariana's cookbook 'Pomegranate and Roses'

The 'Dining with a Celebrity' Arian Bundy Persian dinner menu at Diwan

Unless glasses of Val D'oca Prosecco Brut Superiore 2010 were served as guests arrived for the dinner, 

in addition to non-alcoholic mango and cranberry juices

Sumptuous ceiling detail at Diwan of a 9th-century wooden panels hand-carved and painted in Damascus

Zeytoon Parvardeh on naan crostini, a tapenade of marinated olives, herbs, pomegranates and walnuts

'My Maman's' Pomegranate Soup made with fresh herbs, split peas, rice, petit meatballs, 

caramelized onions and fried mint

Diwan's modest but succinct wine list

Malbec Humberto Canale 'Black River' Patagonia 2014

Rose and Citrus Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Jewelled Rice served with Mast o Khiar

Mast o Khiar, a yogurt dip with cucumbers, mint, raisins, rose petals and walnuts, 

and topped with Sabri Khordan — a fresh herb medley

Caspian-Style Torsh Kabab - Char-Grilled Lamb Chops marinated in pomegranate and walnuts with a Saffron-mousseline potatoes and finished with a pomegranate citrus drizzle

Wild Orchid Ice Cream made with rosewater, saffron and pistachios dotted with sweet frozen cream, 

mini meringue, gold leaf and edible flowers

www.agakhanmuseum.org/dine

Taachin
(Persian Yoghurt & Garlic-Marinated Chicken in a Saffron Rice Cake)
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Chef Ariana Bundy

Taachin means ‘to arrange everything at the bottom.’ This is a savoury cake that’s perfect for parties because of its stunning visual effect. It’s ideal for picnics too, as it’s easy to transport. 

800g basmati rice, soaked in water for at least 5 hours
500g to 600g skinless, boneless, chicken breasts cut into cubes
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
A few twists of pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
6 to 7 small garlic cloves, peeled and diced
1kg Greek yoghurt
1/2 tsp saffron threads, pounded then dissolved in 2 to 3 tbsp hot water
75g dried barberries, for garnish
4 large egg yolks


Cook the rice until it’s al dente. Place the chicken, butter, oil, onion, some salt and pepper, turmeric and half of the garlic in a large frying pan. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes on a low heat. Tip the mixture into a bowl and cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the yoghurt, the rest of the garlic and saffron liquid and mix well. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Take the chicken out of the marinade and set aside. Add the egg yolks to the marinade mixture with some extra salt and stir well. Then take the cooked rice and set aside 175g for later. Ladle the remainder of the rice into the yoghurt and egg mixture. Fold it in, but be gentle so that the rice grains don’t get crushed, otherwise you’ll be left with a mushy cake. Stop as soon as the whole mixture is combined smoothly.

Take a non-stick baking dish and spread the reserved cup of plain rice over the bottom. Then add 1/3 of the rice and egg mixture. Layering the dish in this way stops the rice and egg mixture coming into direct contact with the pan and burning. Add a layer of chicken pieces and barberries, then a layer of rice again. Repeat until the dish is filled. Cover with a lid or wrap with foil. Place in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours until the bottom is golden brown. When the dish is cooked, turn it out over a plate immediately, so that the crunchy taadig crust at the base doesn’t go soggy.

Zeytoon Parvardeh
Serves 4 to 6
Recipe courtesy of Ariana Bundy

1lb green olives
1 cup walnuts
4 garlic cloves
4 tbsp pomegranate paste or molases
1/2 cup fresh mint, packed
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 tsp ground angelica, optional
salt & pepper


Toast walnuts until their aroma rises. Allow to cool to room temperature then rough chop. Remove seeds from olives and with a sharp knife, roughly chop. Add together in a bowl the olives, walnuts, small chopped mint, minced garlic, and pomegranate paste. Add a pinch of pepper and a small pinch of salt. Mix well then place in an air tight container and place in the fridge over night. When ready to serve mix pomegranate seeds with ground Angelica, then add to the olive and walnut mixture. Mix well so that the flavours are well incorporated. Ariana puréed it into a smooth tapenade and served it on a crisp crostini, but it can also so be served chunky with Lavash bread, baguette slices or crackers.

Pizzeria Libretto on University: Classic Italian Pizza

We're fortunate to have a fabulous selection of authentic Neapolitan pizzerias in Toronto, and one that's received it's fair share of media buzz is Pizzeria Libretto, the brainchild of chef Rocco Agostino and his partner Max Rimaldi, who in 2008 sparked a Neapolitan pizza craze serving blistered, wood-fired thin-crust pies at their first location on Ossington Avenue, followed by one on the Danforth and now a third sibling in the financial district on University Avenue above King which opened just over a year ago. Designed by Bukhara Design, this space is an intoxicating mix of Libretto’s classic charm with a more polished downtown aesthetic: sexy Ferrari-red light fixtures, Italian leather banquettes, patterned reclaimed wood wall panels, glistening white subway tiles, polished concrete floors, a long Carrera marble dining bar and lots of natural lighting from banks of soaring floor to ceiling windows. Also different at this location is the attention to cocktails and craft beers, but the heart of the operation is the open kitchen anchored by a pair of custom-designed Ferrara domed pizza ovens blazing away in the back. Like an old friend the menu is wonderfully familiar staying true to its Neapolitan roots with Agostina's classic VPN-approved signature pizzas, addictive assaggini and delectable dolce. “I'm really excited about being in the downtown core and bringing Neapolitan pizza to this neighbourhood,” says Agostina. “Pizza is one of those things that evokes really good memories, no matter how old you are, or what background you’re from, it just seems that at some point someone had a pizza that’s that comforting memory that really hits home.”

The modern interior of Pizzeria Libretto on University with soaring ceilings, 

expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and dramatic Ferrari-red light fixtures

Pizzeria Libretto's menu

Pizzeria Libretto's lovely fresh squishy bread with a little bowl of olive oil and balsamic

With a respectable Italian wine list, we selected a 2013 Falesco Sangiovese from Umbria,

grown in vineyards near Montecchio and Orvieto

Bright ruby in color, this Italian red quaffer offers intense fruit and floral aromas on the nose and pairs perfectly with tomato sauce based dishes such as Margherita Pizza!

Prosciutto di Parma served with seasoned grilled pizza dough grissini and marinated carrot and cauliflower salad

Warm Marinated Bella, Infornata and Kalamata olives

A classic Margherita Pizza with tomato, basil and mozzarella

La Pizza del Giorno - Zucchini and Mushroom Pizza with tomato, caramelized onion, roasted garlic, basil, Nduja, bomba sauce and shaved Grana Padano 

The very handsome Nuova Simonelli espresso maker that I had been eyeing all night, 

with dreams of a hot cappuccino at the end of the evening

A perfect Cappuccino 

pizzerialibretto.com/pizzeria-libretto-155-university

Fresh Ricotta
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Recipe courtesy chef Rocco Agostino, Pizzeria Libretto

4 cups whole milk
1 cup 35 per cent cream
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Crusty bread
Extra-virgin olive oil


Stir milk, cream and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Let stand, without stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes until mixture separates. Line a colander with 5 layers of cheesecloth. Place lined colander over a bowl so excess liquid can drain. Pour mixture into lined colander and let stand for 1 hour. Transfer ricotta to a serving dish or container. If making ahead, ricotta will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Serve with crusty bread and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Libretto Meatballs
Serves 4-6
Recipe courtesy of Rocco Agostino, Pizzeria Libretto

Meatballs:
1 1/2 kg ground beef, ground pork and ground pork belly
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped chives 
1/4 cup chopped oregano
1/2 cup red peppers, roasted and puréed
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano 
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper

Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 large onion, finely diced
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 litre canned San Marsano tomato, puréed
1/4 cup chopped basil 
1/4 cup Bomba, a spicy condiment found at most Italian grocery stores
1/2 tbsp salt
6 slices crostini from a baguette,  3/8-inch thick
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Parmigiana, coarsely grated

Combine all of the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well. Roll the meat into tight circular balls and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside. For the tomato sauce, add 1/4 cup of olive oil to a pot large enough to hold meatballs. Sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato purée and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chopped basil, Bomba, salt and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and any drippings left in baking tray, and simmer for another 15 minutes. While the meatballs simmer, lightly brush the crostini with olive oil and bake at 375°F until the bread is golden, then remove from the oven and set aside. To serve, place three meatballs into each bowl and pour sauce overtop. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of grated Parmigiano over the meatballs, and add a crostino to each plate.

Despina's Stuffed Cabbage with Avgolemono

Lahanodolmades, or stuffed cabbage rolls with meat and rice, are one of the most popular and beloved dishes of traditional Greek cuisine. While there are many variations throughout the Balkans, Northern and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East, this version is garnished with a light and luscious egg and lemon avgolemono sauce — a dish known as Lahanodolmades Avgolemono. A Greek winter classic, these homemade stuffed cabbage rolls were a gracious gift from the kitchen of my sister-in-law Anna's lovely Mum Despina, and her timing could not have been more perfect. With temperatures hovering below zero and the first shock of snow on the ground, what could be more nurturing than this comfort food classic made with lots of manoula love — sas ef̱charistó̱ — thank you!




Stuffed Cabbage with Egg Lemon Sauce - Lahanodolmades Avgolemono
Serves 4

1 cabbage
1 lb ground beef, pork or veal
1/2 cup white rice
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, finely diced or grated
1/2 cup fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste
2 cups chicken broth or water

Avgolemono:
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup broth from the lahanodolmades


Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Carefully remove the core of the cabbage and discard, then add the remaining cabbage head to the boiling water until the outer leaves become tender, about 10-12 minutes. Carefully peel the cabbage, layer by layer, and set aside each of the leaves. 

In a large bowl, mix together the ground meat, rice, beaten egg, onion, dill, salt and pepper until well combined. To make the cabbage rolls, lay a cabbage leaf flat on a clean work surface and place a heaped spoonful of the meat mixture on one end of the leaf. Neatly fold in the edges and then roll it up like a cigar, then place seam side down in a large pot or casserole, starting from the edge to the centre. Repeat with the remaining leaves, filling and folding, and place them next to each other in the casserole. Second and third layers may be placed on top, then covered with an inverted plate so the lahanodolmades don't open during cooking.

Pour the broth or water into the casserole, making sure the cabbage rolls aren’t submerged completely, but the liquid  can be seen coming up from the sides. Bring the broth to a boil and then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, until the cabbage is very tender. Once done, drain most of the broth but reserve 1 cup for the avgolemono.

To make the avgolemono, mix together the eggs and lemon juice, then add the corn starch to make a slurry. Using a few ladles of the broth from the cabbage rolls, slowly add to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking continuously, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the avgolemono sauceinto the pot, again stirring continuously. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls, and serve garnished with chopped dill. The cabbage rolls can also be prepared earlier in the day, and simply reheated in the Avolemono sauce.

Cod Cakes in Tomato Sauce with Yogurt & Sumac

A wonderful recipe from Ottolenghi's most recent cookbook, 'Jerusalem', which celebrates the rich, many-textured cuisine of his home city, in this deeply satisfying Syrian-Jewish fish dish. Simmered in a sweet and lightly spicy sauce these fish cakes, typical of Syrian Jews, manages to capture much of the spirit of Sephardi food. Moist, soft and delicate, they're just as good the day after they're cooked; just remember to bring them back to room temperature or warm them up before serving. It's delicious served with bulgar, rice or couscous, or just by itself with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of sumac.

Chopped fresh cod, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, ground cumin, eggs and panko

Formed into 3-inch round cakes and fried in olive oil until browned, about 3 minutes each side

Placed into homemade tomato sauce and simmered covered for 20 minutes, 

then allowed to sit uncovered for another 10 minutes

Cod Cakes in Tomato Sauce
Serves 4
Recipe adapted from Ottolenghi 'Jerusalem'

3 slices white bread, crusts removed 
1 1/3 lb cod, halibut, hake or pollock fillet, skinless and boneless - 462g
1 medium onion, finely chopped 
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 oz flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 oz cilantro, finely chopped plus extra for garnish
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
4 tbsp olive oil

Tomato sauce:
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
14 oz tin chopped tomatoes
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp white sugar
2 tbsp mint leaves, roughly chopped
salt and black pepper

Garnish:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp sumac


To make the tomato sauce, start by heating the olive oil in a very large frying pan for which there is a lid, and add the spices and onion. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the onion is completely soft. Add the wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chilli, garlic, sugar, ½ tsp of salt and some black pepper and simmer for about 15 minutes, until it becomes quite thick, then taste to adjust the seasoning and set aside.

While the sauce is cooking make the fish cakes. Place the bread in a food processor and blitz to form breadcrumbs. Chop up the fish very finely and place in a bowl with the bread and everything else, apart from the olive oil. Mix well and then, using your hands, shape the mixture into compact cakes, about 3/4-inch thick and 3-inches round. The mixture should make 8 cakes. If they are very soft, refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm them up. 

Heat up half of the oil in a frying pan and sear the cakes for 3 minutes on each side, so they colour well. Add the remaining oil as you fry the remaining cakes. Place the seared cakes gently, side by side, in the tomato sauce. Add enough water to partially cover the cakes, about 3/4 cup. Cover the pan with the lid and simmer on a very low heat for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the cakes to settle, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with mint.

Mercatto: 'La Dolce Vita' on Toronto Street

Tucked away on Toronto Street between King and Adelaide is Mercatto, our favourite neighbourhood Italian restaurant. Warm and inviting, even on the coldest winter day this year, it's a place that serves a little taste of Tuscany and a decent bottle of wine without breaking the bank. Not only do they serve simple authentic italian cuisine all day, every day, but with a an extensive list of regional Italian wines, it's a winning combination that's pretty hard to beat. The interior is as warm and welcoming as the menu: polished dark wood floors with cozy sage banquettes, polished marble tables and a long reclaimed wood dining table sits front and centre, perfect for a large group. For more intimate dining, a private dining nook is nestled off to the side, wrapped with a wall of wine and crowned with a fabulous "branchalier" — a handmade twig chandelier — the perfect spot to celebrate special occasions, like the night we arrived bundled up for -30° weather. A big table of handsome young men were decked out in flowery leis celebrating the departure of good friends who were 'picking up stakes' and moving to Hawaii. On this night, as every night, the warm friendly service and consistent quality of the cucina Italiano is what makes every visit to Mercatto a memorable and enjoyable experience, and keep us coming back, again and again. It's what a successful neighbourhood restaurant is all about — la dolce vita — the small touches that make life a little sweeter. Aloha guys!

Mercatto's menu features assaggi, risottos, pizza, pastas and selection of piatti

Housemade Q-Water

An oversized chalkboard celebrates Mercatto's extensive selection of wines

A Tuscan Campinuovi Sangiovese from Montecucco

Carciofi - fried marinated artichokes with peperonati and a pesto cream

Barbabietole Arrosititi - roasted beets, burrata, arugula and almonds with a balsamic vinaigrette

Our server Jesse, who is also an actor and friend of the family!

Pollo alla Diavola - spicy chicken and creamy fregola with pancetta and cavolo nero

Siciliano Pizza with white anchovies, tomatoes, gaeta olives, chili and fior di latte

Rissoto Zafferano with saffron, ‘nduja, octopus, mussels and scallops

mercatto.ca/toronto-street

Orecchiette with Italian Sausage and Rapini
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of chef Doug Neigel

1 bunch rapini, with 2-inches trimmed from bottom of stalks
4 cups dried orecchiette pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
12 oz Italian pork sausage, removed from casing
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 fresh red chili pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
4 tsp butter
1/4 cup grated Grana Padano cheese
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper


In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring heavily salted water to a boil. Add the rapini, return to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes, or until tender. Transfer the rapini to a colander and drain well. When cool enough to handle, chop into 1-inch pieces. Bring the water back to a boil, add the pasta and give a good stir. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook according to package directions. When cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned on all sides. Add the chopped rapini and reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the garlic and chili pepper. Add the white wine and the reserved pasta water which will give some starch and body to the sauce. Add the drained pasta and reduce the heat to low. Add the butter and cheese and combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. To serve, mound the pasta into a large serving dish or divide among individual serving bowls. Grate more cheese overtop, if desired.