Kayahara.ca

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t write about the same topic twice in such rapid succession, but these aren’t quite normal circumstances. You see, after following their blog for years and waiting for the right opportunity to come along, I finally get to eat a meal prepared by Ideas in Food (or, at least, half of [...]

The Collins is not just one drink; it’s a family of drinks, and like any family, it has its luminaries and its underdogs. The complete family history can be found in David Wondrich’s book Imbibe!, but you’ve probably already met the most eminent member: the Tom Collins, which is made with gin, lemon juice, sugar [...]

In Canada, maple syrup is classified into three grades and five colours: Canada No. 1 syrup is divided into “extra light,” “light” and “medium” colours; Canada No. 2 is also called “amber” and Canada No. 3 is “dark.” Unlike the USDA classifications, we have no grades “A” or “B”, though USDA Grade A is essentially [...]

The weather outside is starting to hint at spring, and that can mean only this: it’s maple syrup season! In their book Culinary Artistry, Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page have a list of flavours associated with various cultures. The entry for Canada consists of only one word: maple. (Even Canadian bacon didn’t make the cut, [...]

As a meat-eater, I feel that it’s important to adopt a “whole beast” approach to the animals I eat. For two reasons: first, it’s less wasteful than eating only the “premium” cuts, and allows you to get more nourishment out of each animal. And second, because it acknowledges that the meat you are eating comes [...]

Like everyone who reads widely on the Internet, I sometimes collect lists of interesting articles that don’t necessarily warrant a complete post, but are worth passing along, like the random assortment of meats and vegetables you find in your fridge that end up in a pot pie. Here’s some of what I’ve been reading lately, [...]

On the heels of the cassoulet I made a couple of weeks ago, I’ve continued working with dried beans, trying to get a handle on the best way to cook them. It seems I’m not the only one who has dried beans on the brain. At this point in the winter, many storage vegetables are [...]

Substantially less macabre than its name implies, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 is a classic’s classic, dating back at least to the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. As such, more illustrious cocktail writers than I have covered this drink extensively, most of them including the obligatory, humorous Savoy quote – “Four of these taken in swift [...]

Although I clearly don’t mind using the occasional additive in my cooking, my collection of modernist food chemicals is still far from complete. So while everyone else I know has been busy making the macaroni and cheese from Modernist Cuisine, I’ve had to hold back, for want of carrageenan. (I do have the sodium citrate, [...]

In the realm of all things spudular, French fries are king, but mashed potatoes are a close second. As with fries, there are certain criteria that can be used to distinguish good examples of the genre from bad. Mashed potatoes, however, come in two acceptable styles, like peanut butter: chunky and smooth. Chunky mashed potatoes [...]