Mr. Toronto

Since I’ve been blogging now for well over a year, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to blow my cover (a bit) and divulge that I work at the Delta Chelsea Hotel (just didn’t want you to think these blogs are advertisements of any sort – I do try my best to wear my Mr. Toronto hat and do nothing but offer up unbiased travel tips…).  Anyway, I am only telling you this because rather than my traditional “Toronto Tips” blog, I would like to share with you some culinary tips.  My experience during a recent – and thankfully short-lived – strike we had here at the hotel required me to leave my “normal” job and move down to the pizza counter in our restaurant– hauling crusts (heavy crusts!) and cheese from the fridge, opening up mega-tins of sauce (a miracle that I figured out how to use the can opener without losing a digit), chopping up veggies, meats and seafood, and using the left side of my brain to come up with interesting pizzas-of –the-day.

By my calculation, I created over 300 pizzas during this time period, so I feel somewhat qualified to share with you some observations on the ins and outs of the pizza oven.  In no particular order of importance:

1. Prepping beforehand is critical…make sure you have all the ingredients on hand before getting started
2. Use less sauce than you think you need (or it’ll be too soggy) and more cheese than you think you need (it seems to disappear)
3. Certain toppings cook better on top of the cheese (e.g. pepperoni and most meats), while others seem to do better underneath (e.g. mushrooms and other members of the veggie family)
4. Get to know the heat of your oven, or you’ll end up with burnt or soggy pies. (In our case, it seemed like the top oven baked much more quickly than the bottom one)
5. Speaking of burnt pies, it amazed me how many people liked their slices very well done (especially the pepperoni); I’m an “undercooked man” myself…
6. Having said that, always undercook the pizzas a bit; once they’re out of the oven, undercooked pizzas look a lot more appetizing than overcooked ones.  Plus, they get better done when you reheat them anyway….
7. It’s amazing what you can do with leftovers; if you try hard enough, almost anything can be put on a pizza and taste decent! Don’t be afraid to be creative.
8. Having said that, people in Toronto don’t seem to be ready for tuna on their pizzas (note to Torontonians – spend a couple weeks in Italy!!!)
9. Feta cheese and olives – no neutrality here -people either love ‘em or hate ‘em…..
10. Wait until the pizza cools a bit before cutting, or else you’ll have a cheesy mess on your hands.  On the other hand, if you wait too long, you’ll be fighting with the crust.

Just wanted to get these thoughts down while they were “fresh”.
It’s been a slice!
Mr. Toronto

OK, fellow blogees – don’t want to wait too long for my next entry, so I am taking the lazy way out this time and just cutting and pasting an excellent tip from Georgina McCormick, Concierge at the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville.  She has written about one of my favourite hidden gems in the City- Riverdale Farm:

“Honks, twitters, chirps and bellows. Familiar sounds of the big city. Imagine having these loud and intrusive noises actually become a pleasant escape. The honking, not from an impatient driver but from a gaggle of geese, the twitters and chirps not from your hand held electronic device but from chicks and rabbits and the bellows, not from construction equipment working on the latest condo development but from a cow attempting to capture the attention of her still wobbly calf. Suddenly, those sounds are inviting, exciting and heart-warming and can be experienced a mere 10-minute drive from “city central.”

The Riverdale Farm, an historical working farm, is an oasis for concrete warriors. For eighty years this site was Riverdale Zoo, Toronto’s first zoo. When the existing state-of-the-art Toronto Zoo opened further outside the city limits, the site was dormant for four years; the grounds were flattened with only three of the original buildings left standing.

The Donnybrook Ruin, the landmark tower surrounded by a lovely wildflower garden is perfect for catching a glimpse of a flitting butterfly, bee or dragonfly. The Island house still stands by the duck pond, and finally the Zookeepers House, originally built by local Don Jail prisoners, now updated and referred to as “the Residence” or “Meeting House,” a farm activity-based neighbourhood centre where many children enjoy having their birthday parties hosted! In the cooler months, it’s a drop-in spot for toddlers to play farm through books, puzzles and community-based programs. To facilitate the new venue, an historical barn from outside the city was donated and its stone, pine and cedar bones were reconstructed on the site along with a Victorian style farmhouse.

The Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation department re-opened the facility in 1978 as a “farm in the city,” allowing children old and young to experience something inaccessible to many. A present day visit to the farm nestled discreetly in the beautiful and historic Cabbagetown neighbourhood immediately whisks you to a different time and a divergent mood from the bustling city streets. The quaint wooden arched entranceway invites you along the herb and wildflower framed winding paths that present surprises at every turn. Enter the barn to watch a cow being milked. Witness piglets suckling from their mother as she lounges on a fresh bed of hay. See roosters strutting proudly and chickens tending their chicks. Outside a donkey brays next to neighbouring horses and cows all surrounded by rustic wooden fences as a farm cat saunters by to find a quiet barn beam to nap on. Sheep, goats, turkeys, bunnies and geese all happily call this urban hideaway home.

If you happen by on a Tuesday between May and October, have a chat with one of the regional Ontario farmers that travel in to sell their wares at the weekly Farmers Market. Stalls are dressed with pictures, stories and history of the farm to educate visitors about how farm life is brought to the Toronto kitchen. Sampling of products is a given! Fresh farm eggs can be purchased daily at the Simpson House farm kitchen right beside the poultry barn, where you can also purchase snacks. The Shop at the Farm is a chance for little ones to part ways with a wee bit of allowance for a unique reminder of their day at the farm. Open daily from 9-5 with no admission fee and no highway travel, this Toronto gem is one of my favourite must sees!”

Thanks, Georgina!  So get out there, y’all, and enjoy a beautiful fall in T.O.!
Mr. Toronto