Recipe - Cheesy Potato Soup

I am not a soup person. Well, let me clarify that. I am a lover of noodle soups (which is very big in the Vietnamese culture), but I am not generally a fan of soupy soups. You know, the kinds you find in cans in the grocery stores...not my thing. I want body and texture to my soups, not the watery bleh-ness that makes me think I’m eating a bowl of savoury tea.

That being said, the boyfriend loves soup. He could eat soup morning, noon and night and be happy as a clam. I think I found a solution to the great soup divide, and it all came about because I had a bunch of potatoes and carrots that needed to be used, and used in mass quantities. This soup has the substance I need with its chunks of vegetables and potatoes, as well as the warm comfort that the boyfriend likes from a hearty bowl of old fashioned soup. I like the simplicity of this recipe that yields such a deep flavour, from hardly any work at all. In fact, the basic ingredients when combined in this bowl of awesome, all lend such distinct flavours that it tastes much more complicated than it really is. Just be prepared for a lot of chopping (I hate chopping).

 Cheesy Potato Soup

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 6 large)

4 Cups, chicken broth (low sodium)

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

2 Cups, milk

2 Cups, grated cheddar cheese + more for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

*Optional: chilli powder and garlic powder

1.       Heat oil in large soup pot and cook onions and carrots until softened.

2.       Add potato and chicken stock (should be enough stock to cover everything, if not, add more or water).

3.       Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, approx. 20-25 minutes.

4.       In separate pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, add flour to form a roux, whisking to combine. Cook for about a minute.

5.       Add milk to roux slowly, whisking constantly to smooth out any lumps. Continue to heat while whisking until mixture thickens, approx. 5 minutes. (If mixture does not thicken, add a bit more flour).

6.       Once it reaches the desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in grated cheese until creamy and smooth.

7.       When potatoes are tender, pour the cheese mixture into the soup pot, stirring well to combine. Heat to simmer and cook until thickened. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. (For an extra kick, add chilli powder).

8.       Sprinkle extra grated cheese on top and serve with crusty bread.

Makes 6 large servings. Freezes well.

Baton Rouge

Recently, the boyfriend and I had tickets to a show and had under an hour to find something quick and delicious to eat. Just outside the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts, we came across Baton Rouge and popped in hoping that we could find a good meal in a very short period of time. After confirming with the hostess that it wouldn’t be a problem (they get asked all the time from people who have tickets to shows if they can accommodate a quick meal), we sat in a big booth in the bar area. 

The restaurant itself is decorated in dark wood everywhere. The entrance doors are large and heavy, and the hostess stand was large and imposing. Everything seemed to be much more oversized than I’m used to, and I felt small in our booth.

There is a promotion on at the moment that is the Mardi Gras Prix Fixe Menu – for $25 you can have your choice of appetizer, entree and dessert, all in the Mardi Gras theme. Both of us opted for the fixed menu since it sounded like the best bang for our buck.

We both started with the Jambalaya Cajun Soup, which came with a side order of sweet rolls. The rolls were rock hard and as cold as if they were just pulled from the refrigerator. Such a shame too, since they actually would have been tasty if they were warmed up, with buttery, sweet dough. The soup was steaming hot and hearty, with rice, sausage, shrimp, chicken and plenty of vegetables. The flavour was amazing from all the different ingredients with the tiniest hint of pepper. It was a good way to warm up after walking in the cold.

The Penne with Shrimp and Sausage was a huge portion of pasta with a side of another sweet roll. This roll was room temperature, so it was a bit better than our soup accompaniment. There were large pieces of sausage that reminded me of the sausage the hot dog cart by my work sells, and a couple of big, meaty shrimps. There were large pieces of carrot in the sauce, which is strange, since I don’t think I have ever had pasta with carrots before, but it surprisingly suited the dish pretty well. The sauce had large chunks of tomato but it was runny and there was too much of it. 

BBQ Pork Back Ribs came with a large scoop of coleslaw, sweet potato fries and a Cajun dipping sauce. The ribs were tender and fell off the bones, but what I liked the most about them was that they were so lean. There was hardly any fat on them, and they were extremely meaty. The fries were hot and crispy, but the dipping sauce tasted like mayonnaise with seasoning salt. I much preferred the fries dipped in the BBQ sauce off the ribs. Finally, the coleslaw, though plentiful, needed more dressing and less parsley. All I could taste with each bite was parsley, and I only ended up eating a couple of forkfuls.

There were only two choices for dessert, and we chose one of each to be able to try them both. The Key Lime Pie was a disappointment for me, but the boyfriend said he didn’t mind it so much. My biggest complaint was that it wasn’t very lime-y. It tasted more like a cheesecake with a slight hint of lime. When I order key lime pie, I want the lime to be the featured flavour (I want it to punch me in the face when I bite into it, was how I explained it to the boyfriend) but this lime was pretty muted. Not to say that the pie wasn’t good, because it was very creamy and smooth and not overly sweet, but the lime was too subtle for me to consider it a true key lime pie.

Finally, the Bourbon Banana Bread was interesting and not at all how I thought it would be. The bottom layer was banana bread and the top layer was bread pudding, and the whole piece was drizzled with a thin caramel sauce of sorts. I was expecting it to be typical bread pudding with banana flavour? Not to say that it wasn’t good, because it was moist and sweet, but it just wasn’t what we were expecting. It was ok, but it was different.

We ended up making it to our show with a few minutes to spare, so we really appreciated the staff for making our order quickly and getting us out on time. I have to commend them because at no point did we feel rushed, or that we were being bothersome because they had to hurry with our order, and it still felt like we had a relaxing meal. Though not a perfect experience, you can’t beat the price, and I would give it another try. The Mardi Gras features run until March.

Baton Rouge
5000 Yonge St., Toronto
www.batonrougerestaurants.com

Swiss Chalet Rotisserie and Grill

There aren’t enough holidays where we can eat turkey in my opinion. The stretch between Christmas and Easter (do people eat turkey at Easter?) is too long, and we should start eating turkey for lesser celebrated holidays, like Valentine’s Day o r St. Patrick’s. I’m sure the turkeys would appreciate not being a two or three time a year food, and then we get turkey every month! Who’s with me? Turkey lovers unite! 

... hello? 

Ok. So while I wait for the movement to really catch on and take flight, I will take comfort in turkey’s little brother, the roast chicken. See, this is why I can’t possibly be the only person who wants turkey all the time, because any time I try to go to Swiss Chalet when the chicken craving hits, there’s always a line up to wait for a table, and it’s always ridiculously busy...which was exactly the case the last time we went to the Appleby Line location in Burlington.  The restaurant has a take-out counter, and it’s attached to a Harvey’s in a strip mall plaza, so the parking is always really sparse. We were lucky and just as we were pulling into the parking lot, a car was leaving and we got a great spot by the door. (Doesn’t that just make your day? I love when that happens.) 

We sat on the bench in the lobby and waited for a good 15 minutes or so before we finally got a table. The restaurant was completely full, and there were servers running back and forth in every direction. We were lucky to get a booth in the back corner and took a few minutes to look over the menu and take in our surroundings. The restaurant itself is warm and cozy with dim, but not dark, lighting and neutral colours. There are a lot of tables and booths and if it’s busy, you can certainly hear the conversations at the table next to you because they’re so close. 

Our server was attentive even though his section was completely full, and I was impressed with his efficiency. (Side note: he looked like Alan Rickman, and it made me want to ask him what Hogwarts was really like in person.) He brought us our drinks and took our order without making us feel rushed even though we had questions about a few of the items. Overall, I was very impressed with the service we received. 

We started with the Cheese Perogies ($6) which were seven deep fried potato and cheese filled dumplings. They were sprinkled with paprika, which did nothing to help the fact that they were bland and disappointing. The dough was too thick and the filling tasted like plain mashed potatoes. The menu stated it was served with Cajun sauce, but it tasted and looked like sour cream mixed with paprika. I would take a pass on these if I was looking for an appetizer again. 

There is a special on right now called the Winter Warm Up ($14) which is a half chicken dinner with a soup.  The soup is comfort food to the max, with its large chunks of chicken, soft pasta and vegetables. The broth is well seasoned and it’s the kind of chicken soup that puts canned soup to shame. The roast chicken was juicy and flavourful and fell off of the bone. As a side, the restaurant was offering spicy fries, which we decided to try upon the recommendation of the server. I think they were confusing spicy with salty, because these were the saltiest fries we had ever tasted. If you look at the picture you can see the flecks of seasoning on the fries – that was pure salt. It was so salty we actually couldn’t eat it and had to send it back for regular fries. The server was apologetic that he had recommended them, but was more than happy to bring us fresh, hot, regular fries.

The other promotion on right now is the Chicken and Shrimp ($12) combo which is a quarter chicken with five garlic shrimp and rice pilaf. The shrimp were described as sautéed with garlic, tomatoes and green onion but there were neither tomatoes nor green onions on my plate. There was a slight hint of garlic, but it was all overwhelmed by the oil from the rice pilaf and the shrimp. My shrimp and rice were literally shiny due to the amount of oil used, and that made it hard to eat. The chicken was as delicious as the chicken in the other dish, and I enjoyed it very much.

Swiss Chalet is a good restaurant to go to if you are looking for comfort food at reasonable prices. The service is generally good from what I have experienced, and the wait time for food is average. The specials they offer seem to be hit or miss, but if you stick with the classics, they are generally your safest and most delicious bets.

Swiss Chalet Rotisserie and Grill
1950 Appleby Line, Burlington
www.swisschalet.com

Ritorno

One of the hard things to do when you have food allergies, or know someone who has food allergies, is finding a good restaurant that can accommodate and cater to your specific needs. Recently, one of my co-workers was on a limited wheat diet but wanted to indulge in pasta. So when we heard that Ritorno had a selection of gluten-free choices on their menu, we decided to make a group trip out of it and see what deliciousness awaited us.

We arrived at the restaurant shortly before noon and our group of four was one of only three tables. Looking around the restaurant, it was bright and cozy with lots of natural light from the big windows along the wall that faced the parking lot. The tables were a dark wood and there was an open view into the kitchen from where we sat. The walls were lined with family pictures and it was a quaint atmosphere meant to make you feel at home while you ate. 

Our server came by and took our orders, and we were given a plate of sliced bread with three dipping choices: olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette and a spicy chilli sauce. The bread was soft in the middle and crusty on the outside – we actually ended up asking for a second plate of bread since we were so hungry. (And by “we,” I mean me. I fully admit I ate the majority of the bread.)

Somewhere between ordering our food and receiving the bread starter, a group of eight was seated next to us, and this is where it started to go downhill. Our server was pre-occupied with that table (although there were three servers working that we could see and only five tables in total), and we seemed to have been forgotten. After waiting almost 20 minutes, we finally got our drinks and those of us who ordered soup got our soups. Keeping in mind we were on a tight schedule because we had to go back to work, it seemed a long time for a few waters and a pop.

The restaurant offers a Potato, Asiago and Arugula soup ($8) which unfortunately sounded much better than it actually was. The soup was a creamy puree of potato, cheese and cream as the menu stated, but there was absolutely no flavour to it. It tasted watered down and lacking of any seasoning; while the basil pesto drizzle added a strange oily consistency to the soup. The arugula was plentiful and the only thing in the soup that gave it substance. Overall, it was extremely disappointing for the price.

Again, after waiting another long stretch with no acknowledgement from our server, our main entrees were brought out. Two of us ordered the soup and half sandwich combination ($13) from the lunch menu, but were brought the wrong soup. When we were able to bring this to our server’s attention, we were met with rudeness – as though she couldn’t have been wrong; we must have changed our minds and it was our fault. Instead of bringing back our correct soups immediately, she took her time and was standing by the kitchen chatting before she came back with our food. By then, we had decided we were going to eat the rest of our food or else it would have been cold.

The new soup was the daily soup, which for the day was a Potato Chowder. Large cubes of potato, corn and onion were in a tomato cream broth. The vegetables were cooked perfectly (read: they were not mushy) but again, the soup itself lacked seasoning and was quite bland.

With the soups, we had the Sausage Panini and the Meatball Panini. Both sandwiches were well prepared and stuffed full of meat. The meatballs were covered in a thick tomato sauce that was average, but the meatballs themselves tasted fresh and homemade. The sausage was the better choice of the two, and came with delicious roasted vegetables. 

The Fettuccine Alfredo ($16) with additional Chicken Skewer ($5) looked promising. The pasta itself was cooked to a perfect al dante with no noodles sticking to another. The sauce however, was again, bland and forgettable. As she was eating it, my co-worker remarked that it tasted no different than alfredo sauce from a jar at the grocery store. The chicken skewer was grilled to perfection – moist on the inside and not chewy on the outside. There was no noticeable taste to it that we could tell, so essentially, you’re paying $5 for four cubes of meat.   

Lastly, the gluten-free dish was the Penne Bolognese ($10) in the “piccolo” size (smaller than the normal servings, but still probably much more than what you should eat when it comes to proper serving sizes). Again, the pasta was cooked to a perfect al dante and was nice and hot. The fact that it was gluten-free didn’t make much difference to the taste or texture, if I hadn’t known I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell gluten-free pasta from regular pasta. The sauce had good texture with chunks of fresh tomato and a fair amount of meat, but the taste was a letdown. My companion also made the comment that she could probably do better with a jar of grocery store sauce for less money.

Overall, our trip to Ritorno was hugely disappointing, topped off by unfriendly service and an extremely long wait (it took us over 1.5 hours to get out the door – and we ate fast!) For the price we paid, we were unhappy with the lack of seasoning and flavour to any dish. There was no “wow” factor anywhere, and the service needs a lot of work. A quick poll of my companions and we all agree – we won’t be “Ritorno-ing” here again.

Ritorno
261 Oak Walk Dr., Oakville
www.ritorno.ca

Artisano Bakery Cafe

The area around my office is filled with every kind of restaurant you can think of, so there is certainly no shortage of places to go for lunch when you wake up late and had to rush out the door before packing something to eat. Not that I would ever do that. I am obviously the responsible one who packed her lunch the night before, always goes to bed early so as not to be rushed in the morning and I would never, ever hit the snooze button 239487342 times.

When I saw that Artisano was open close to the office, I was really excited because there is something magical about having a sandwich made on fresh baked bread. Located in the plaza next to the Mandarin and grocery store, Artisano is a place that promises fresh baked goods, hearty soups and big salads. Needing something quick and relatively healthy, LJ and I decided to try it out.

Walking in, I noticed that it was a mixture between a bakery and a coffee house. You order at the counter and you are given a CD-sized disk that vibrates and flashes once your order is ready. If you are coming at lunch, I suggest you try to come early in order to get a seat – we got there a little after noon and managed to score one of the last tables. The front has a display of fresh baked sweets and treats, and to the left of the cash registers is the pizza oven and the sandwich prep station. If you order a drink, you are given an empty glass to fill up at the fountain machine and refill at your leisure.

LJ and I both went with the combo deal: $8.99 for a half sandwich and soup or salad. The sandwich menu is extensive that ranged from classic sandwiches such as egg salad to gourmet sandwiches such as steak and portobello. The salad menu offered quite a few choices that went beyond a typical garden or Caesar. Finally, the soup offerings were plentiful and change depending on the day. There were at least six choices that I can remember being offered that day, which is a nice treat for those looking for something a little different.

LJ chose the Tomato Bisque for her choice, and it came with a fresh slice of baguette. The portion size was adequate and the soup tasted fresh-made rather than a frozen or canned concoction. Unfortunately, the taste of the soup was nothing special and it tasted similar to a cream of tomato soup that was under-seasoned.  The baguette was fresh and soft and made for a good dipping companion to the bisque. LJ’s sandwich choice was Turkey, Brie and Green Apple on a ciabatta bun, which was fantastic. The bread is spread with a generous layer of cranberry mayonnaise and layered with real turkey breast, slices of brie, green apple and topped with fresh arugula. The bread was slightly crisp on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside, and all of the ingredients worked well together. The cranberry mayonnaise was sweet but worked well with the tartness of the apple. The sandwich is served cold so the cheese was cut in thick slices that were creamy but not melted. 

I decided to try the corn chowder which was full of corn and potato and carrots. It was not a thick chowder, but it was definitely creamy and sweet from the corn. It was served piping hot and was seasoned perfectly. I decided to try the Pulled Pork sandwich upon the recommendation of the customer in front of me and the server at the cash register.  Served on a toasted egg bun with barbeque sauce and coleslaw, the pork is piled high and doused in sauce. The pork was also scooped using what I guess was an ice cream scoop because it was uniformly packed on top of the bun, which to me, did not look overly appetizing. The barbeque sauce is sweet, but the less flavourful coleslaw cut the sweetness a bit. The meat was tender and juicy, but the sauce overpowered the sandwich too much for my palette. I prefer a more muted barbeque sauce so I can taste the other flavours that accompany it.  Probably not something I would order again with the other options available to me, but certainly not the worst pulled pork I have ever had.

Artisano is a great place to go if you are looking for something that is quick, comforting and fresh. The prices aren’t bad for the portion size and the quality of ingredients, and it definitely beats a peanut butter sandwich every day. If you’re looking to spend some time there to unwind, they also have free Wifi! 

Artisano Bakery Cafe
3145 Dundas St. W., Mississauga
www.artisanobakery.com

Pho Mi 89

Having grown up in a fairly traditional Vietnamese household, I always find myself drawn to traditional Vietnamese food when I’m looking for comfort. Of course, with a cook as awesome as my mother (and who doesn’t say their mother is the best cook in the world?), I am picky with what I consider authentic Vietnamese.

Traditional beef noodle soup is a popular dish in Vietnamese cuisine. Pho (Please don't pronounce it "foe." The closest I can think of to explain it is by telling you to pronounce it “fuh.”) is a rice noodle soup in a beef broth, generally with sliced beef and onions on top. There is a multitude of Vietnamese restaurants in the Burlington-Oakville area, each with its own variety of dishes, but I judge whether or not I like a place on its pho. If I’m trying a new place, I will always order the hot, steamy bowls of noodle soup as my first meal; if it passes the test, then I will venture into other offerings.

It was cold and rainy yesterday so I told myself I wanted something hot and hearty. Soup. With noodles. And meat. Yum. I had been to 89 on countless occasions, so I knew exactly where I was going to get some heart-warming goodness. Plus, being swamped by meetings all day, I didn’t have much time on my hands and needed something quick that didn’t break the bank.

I pulled into the parking lot just after 1 p.m. and walked inside where the dining room was about 50 percent full. There were only two servers working outside the kitchen, and between the two of them they managed to take orders, serve, clean tables and man the cash quickly and efficiently.

Typical Vietnamese restaurants leave menus on the table for customers, along with a pen and a blank order form. Menu items are numbered and you are expected to write the number of your dish on the form, along with the quantity. It is a quick ordering system that saves the servers time instead of waiting for you to tell them what you want. Knowing what I wanted, I didn’t need to fill in a form and just asked the server for a small bowl of pho with everything in it (Pho Dac Biet, $5). By the time I had taken my jacket off and settled into my chair, my food had arrived. A hot cup of complimentary tea is always given, along with fresh vegetables to add to the soup.

With pho, you don’t want to see a broth that is murky with a lot of fat sitting on top. This broth was clear and flavourful, the noodles did not stick together in a clump (a huge pet peeve of mine) and the sliced white onions and scallions on top were nice and fresh. Since I ordered the Dac Biet, there was a plethora of meat on top of the noodles: well-done beef, medium-cooked beef, beef tripe, beef tendon and a single beef meatball. If all that sounds like it would make you hesitant, there are choices that include chicken or even no meat at all, though it is still cooked with beef broth, so it is not a vegetarian option.

The vegetables that should accompany a bowl of pho are fresh bean sprouts, sprigs of basil and a wedge of lime. I prefer my pho with a squirt of the lime, lots of hoisin sauce to give it some sweetness, and lots of hot sauce. The basil leaves are plucked off to soak in the bowl as you eat them with the noodles, and I generally don’t add bean sprouts because I find it cools the broth down too much, and I like it steaming hot.

Pho Mi 89 is a great option if you are looking for a quick, inexpensive meal and don’t want your standard fast-food junk. I feel better with an option such as this since there are vegetables and other fresh things and nothing is fried. For a meal that costs less than most burger combos, is satisfying and will leave you full without spending your whole pay, it is a choice you should absolutely consider. The service is quick (I was in and out in 20 minutes) and the food is comforting. Just be prepared to smell like Vietnamese food for the rest of the day, because that soup smell certainly knows how to permeate your clothes.


Pho Mi 89
2501 Prince Michael Dr., Oakville

Tim Horton's - French Onion Soup

I've been wanting to try Tim Horton's french onion soup for the longest time.  I never understood how some restaurants sleep at night knowing they charge upwards of $10 for a bowl of soup.

I honestly didn't have great expectations when I heard that a fast food style place was going to serve french onion soup.  It doesn't seem right without the crusty baked cheese on top, the bread with the crispy edges but the soupy middle...it makes me miss my mom's when she made them in the little bowls with the thick handles.  *sigh* Food that makes me feel nostalgic always have a soft spot in my heart.

After trying the Timmy's version, I can say that it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for either.  I had to rush back to the office, so I'm not sure if it would taste better had I been in-store.  When you take the lid off, the soup's appearance doesn't scream french onion.  It's a dark brown broth with cubes of bread floating on top.  My initial reaction was "where's the cheese??"  I'm not a huge fan of cheese, but you need it in this soup!  I stirred it around and found a puddle of cheese curds on the bottom of the bowl and a few onions.  The soup itself wasn't very hot - again, not sure if the 4 minute drive back to my office cooled it significantly, but I'm giving Tim's the benefit of the doubt.

Initial impression: it smells like french onion soup and it kind of looks unappetizing because of the odd shade of brown with no cheese on top, but the taste is decent.  It's not as watered down as I've found the majority of their soups, and there's a nice onion flavour.  The only problem with that statement is that there really weren't enough onions in the soup.  So either I got ladled a bowl from the top of the pot and the onions were at the bottom, or there are a lot of different "onion" flavoured seasonings in that broth.  I don't know if I'd classify it as a true french onion soup.  Perhaps a more accurate description would be a french onion-style consumme.

I would buy it again if I really craved the french onion soup taste, but didn't want to pay a lot of money. Or if I didn't feel like a lot of chewing.