January 2016 - Eat Your Broccoli!

January 20, 2016

Modern Steak

I was looking for a restaurant for date night on a Sunday. My first choice wasn’t Modern Steak, but I was enticed by a 1,000 point reservation on Opentable.

I suspect that this was the former location of The Muse, as I remember the multiple levels and uniquely shaped downstairs dining area. We were seated downstairs, in a quiet corner. So far, so good. Hubby started off with the steak tartare. The beef was assertively spiced and the chips were nicely crunchy. Anticipating the meat fest ahead, I ordered the wedge trio salad. The salad looked massive; containing three quarters of an iceberg lettuce. All the dressings were house made. I especially enjoyed the green goddess dressing.

Hubby had the 10 oz Wagyu striploin for his entree with a side of brussels sprouts with maple and bacon. He thoroughly enjoyed his steak. I ordered the 7oz Ben’s filet. It was done to a turn (medium rare) and was flavorful. I had asparagus parmesan with a poached egg on the side. I also ordered Bearnaise sauce. It was rich and velvety.

We shared the crème brûlée for dessert. It was traditional and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The service was attentive, but not disruptive. The decor is modern and I do prefer that to the traditional 70’s wood paneled steakhouse decor.

Definitely recommended for that special occasion dinner.

Beef Tartare — Steak Tartare with dijon, caper, gherkin, farm yolk, truffle oil and chips

Modern Wedge Trio with 1000 Island & tomato, blue cheese and bacon, green goddess and red onion

L-R 10 oz Wagyu New York Strip, brussels sprouts and bacon, Bearnaise sauce, asparagus parmesan with 63 degree egg and 7 oz filet — L-R 10oz Wagyu New York Strip, brussels sprouts and bacon, Bearnaise sauce, asparagus parmesan with 63 degree egg and 7oz filet

January 4, 2016

Madras Cafe

I haven’t had a dosa in a long time. So when a friend of mine mentioned that Madras Cafe was having a dosa festival, I just had to go. They had a special menu that featured 100 dosa and dosa variants.

We started off with the podli idli. Idli is a savoury rice and fermented black lentil cake that is steamed. This version was subsequently fried and mixed with spices. It had a tang of heat and the fried onions added a nice crunch. I ordered the mix vegetable dosa for my main dish. It came with a side of soup and a couple of dipping sauces. It was quite tasty. Hubby asked the server for his recommendation. Our server, who I assumed was also the owner had a thick accent that I found difficult to decipher. Hubby accepted our server’s suggestion. It was a vegetarian dosa, bursting with vegetables and flavour.

I love hole-in-the-wall family run places. This is the sort of place that I would come back to, if I found myself in the area again.

January 1, 2016

Hardboiled Eggs

I made deviled eggs yesterday and finally figured out how to hard boil them and make them easy to peel at the same time. The eggs also do not have a grey ring around the yolk, which is caused by overcooking. It takes about half an hour, but the results are worth it! This is a combination of two methods, both which are referenced below.

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with enough water so that there’s 1 1/2 inches of water above the eggs. Heat on high until water begins to boil, then cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave covered for 14 minutes

After the eggs have simmered, pour out the hot liquid, and shake the pan to crackle the shells. Next rinse it in cold water for about a minute. Leave the eggs in the cold bath for 15 minutes, enough time to allow the eggs to cool and the stinky sulfur inside the eggs to dissipate into the water. Peel the egg, under a stream of water if you prefer.

Read more at: Food Network’s deviled eggs

Also, here for tips on boiling the perfect egg.