Balance of Food

Temptation of the Week: Maple bacon jam

Maple and bacon in themselves, provided they are real, can prove overpowering as adjectives to describe food. Combine the two in, let's say, a jam, and you have a strong temptation to order that wherever you can find them together.

Well, the maple bacon jam on the cronut burger at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto was determined to be the source of about 223 cases of food poisoning.

The parallels were a bit eerie for me: I've been to the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in 2010 to try deep-fried butter. If I were on the grounds, resisting a cronut burger would have been difficult. Adding maple bacon jam would have made the experience that much sweeter. The "you only live once" mantra would have been screaming in my head.

Does that mean I would have been sick as a result? That part still isn't clear. After all, many more people would have consumed the burger than those who became sick. Perhaps the timing of when you bought the burger determined whether some got sick and others didn't. Weakened immune systems could have played a factor.

Being sick is bad enough, but imagine being sick on vacation, then imagine being sick on vacation in a foreign country (albeit with better health care). You can run into similar issues at any point, home or away, but away has many more perils.

Before the maple bacon jam was identified as the source, the fear was that the cronut burger was the cause. As we've noted, Canada is extra paranoid about overcooking its burgers. In a setting such as the CNE, the concern would be to overcook rather than undercook. Turns out the burgers weren't the issue; while the jam was at fault, we still don't know whether it was the jam or how it was handled.

All of this for a food that would have been interesting, but let's be honest, so complicated that you might not have even noticed the individual tastes.

Previous coverage:

Deep-fried butter: a little is all you need

As disturbed as people are when I tell them the story of deep-fried butter, you could really taste the butter. In a cronut burger, chances are you can't appreciate the burger or the cronut in its purest form. And you aren't ordering a cronut burger because you think the meat is outstanding.

While the deep-fried butter had its share of calories, the cronut burger had a reported 7,000 calories. That is about 3½-4 days worth of calories. A taste, perhaps, but not sure I could have finished 7,000 calories in one sitting.

Full disclosure: I still have not had a cronut, so maybe they are awesome. Or not. Still, I would want my first cronut to be by itself without meat or jam in the mix.

I also have never had maple bacon jam, though that with a croissant, sounds pretty good. Provided, of course, that the maple bacon jam was in good care.

There is no doubt that, if offered, I would have tried the burger. And likely I would have been sick as a result.

When I was in Paris, my stomach was upset for about 36 hours. I had a hunch as to the source, but couldn't tell you exactly. And while I felt uncomfortable, I wasn't ill. I nursed it along with French Coca-Cola, which was great, and sure enough, my stomach got better. But I was ready to find the green crosses that I knew symbolized the pharmacies scattered throughout Paris.

When on vacation, you need to be aware of what you are eating and any symptoms that may result, whether the fault of the food you are eating or not. And if you really are getting sick, find a way to get help.

Travel and food always involve risks, though hopefully, not on the scale of these food poisonings.

At some point, I will end up at the CNE or some other provincial or state fair and will likely indulge in some similar type treat. Eating that food might be a gamble but food is a risk. Be smart, do some homework, but don't shy away from trying something you can't get at home. You'll get a wonderful experience that still has very good odds to be worthwhile.

photo credit: http://www.thegridto.com/; t-shirt available through here

Assessing poutine in Vancouver

When the "Today" show profiled poutine in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics, most Canadians likely scoffed over the idea that Vancouver had good poutine. Belgian Fries was featured in that report. Does it still have the "best poutine in BC"?

If atmosphere won out, La Belle Patate (West End) would win hands down. Tried the Montréal smoked meat version (sans cheese) since Montréal was a theme in the decor.

Didn't end up with much smoked meat, and the gravy was peppery, but not in a good way. Even though this was the first poutine I had on the trip, I knew I could find better.

Fritz European Fry House (Downtown) was tiny with pew seating. Funky, but I liked that.

Got the Montréal smoked meat version (avec cheese). Fritz let me watch the presentation: 2 layers each of fries, cheese, smoked meat, and gravy — repeat.

The poutine was stacked — looked pretty, but couldn't mix things together well. So I ran out of smoked meat at the end and ended up with too much gravy.

Still, the fries were excellent, cheese was good, and the gravy was worth licking off my fingers.

Though not on my original research sheet, Smoke's Poutinerie (Downtown) had made its way to the West Coast. Hadn't had Smoke's since 2010 in Toronto.

Keeping the theme, I went with the Montréal smoked meat version, which I have not had at Smoke's.

Smoke's has some fun with the smoked meat version and serves it with a pickle spear and a side of mustard, in honor of the sandwich.

I couldn't tell you how the ratios worked since I dipped a lot of the smoked meat in the mustard. Very tasty. Think I liked Smoke's take on the Montréal smoked meat the best (the meat, not necessarily the poutine).

Smoke's tasted the same as I remember from Toronto. It will never be the best poutine you will ever eat, but you feel better having eaten it.

In ranking the Vancouver poutines, Smoke's won't count since you can get Smoke's in many other Canadian cities.

Finally, I tried Belgian Fries (Commercial Drive). I ordered the medium classic, though they don't have small sizes. The fries were tempting by themselves, especially cooked the Belgian way of twice frying. Belgian Fries had open-air seating outside as well as the air blowing in for those sitting in front.

The fries were really good, the cheese wasn't as prevalent, and the gravy was there, but not all that exciting or overwhelming.

Before ranking the Vancouver versions, only one (the Vancouver winner) could compete in Montréal (not counting Smoke's). They were all better than what you could get in Chicago, though that standard isn't terribly high. The fresh-cut fries were a theme in this city; you really have to pace yourself in Vancouver.

Fritz's came out on top, with Belgian Fries in second, mostly because the fries were that good. La Belle Patate came in last, despite wanting to like them. I would Smoke's ahead of Belgian Fries, though Belgian Fries' fries with Smoke's toppings would have come close to Fritz's.

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Obviously, I didn't try other places such as Frenchies, which I discovered once I was out here, and Mean Poutine, which insisted on using beer-battered fries (oh so wrong) and had no seating whatsoever.

While I had the seafood poutine in Victoria at Red Fish, Blue Fish, I couldn't compare that to actual poutine.

Vancouver surprised me with better attempts than what I would have expected. Things have definitely improved in recent years for West Coast poutine, especially with European style fries were in the mix. Factor in Robson Fries in Tokyo, where the owner was inspired to open a poutine shop based on eating poutine in Vancouver. The owner studied in Montréal and Vancouver before opening a place in Tokyo.

Of course, Tokyo is East Coast for Asia, but the West Coast in North America has stepped up on poutine.

Temptation of the Week: Sustainable fish

We hear the term "sustainable" but sustainable is clearly crucial where fish and seafood are concerned.

But is sustainable worth the effort?

Not that food trucks and restaurants on my recent Pacific Northwest trip count as an accurate effort to determine sustainability, each place makes sustainability an element of what they do.

The first place I tried was Go Fish. The location is next to a marina just west of Granville Island in Vancouver. You can see the water and more while eating your sustainable fish.

The place is known for people waiting in long lines. I did go right when it opened, so the wait was fine. The line was a lot longer once I left.

I ordered the cod and fries, along with a grilled salmon tacone. Since I've already raved about the grilled salmon tacone, I'll focus on the fried cod.

The fish came with a ton of fries, which was a little off-putting since I was there for the fish. The cod was good but didn't taste significantly better.

I could have eaten 10 tacones, they were so good. And that fish is also sustainable (and cheaper), so Go Fish gets good marks but more for the tacone.

Red Fish, Blue Fish also had a line and also had a beautiful view of the water, in this case, Victoria's harbor. Most of the seating is outside, but was able to sneak in a seat that was shaded. If views won out, Red Fish, Blue Fish would be on top.

My intention was to order a 1 piece fish and chips, cod specifically. The line was long enough that I ordered a 2-piece with cod and salmon. They charged me 50¢ to do that, a reasonable charge.

The breading was more traditional, a thicker crust. As much as I enjoy that, I worried that the batter would overwhelm the fish.

You could still taste the fish, especially the salmon, and the batter, also quite good. I had kicked up the fries for a seafood poutine for $2.75 with local shrimp, smoked tuna belly, scallions, and miso-clam gravy. I couldn't follow the tastes in the "poutine," but was certainly enjoyable eating.

The pieces of fish were gigantic, and the price was higher than Go Fish.

I intended to go back for the tacones but ran out of time.

I felt good eating sustainable, but also enjoyed the fish very much. Victoria is difficult to get too, but if you are there, you will be happy you stopped by there.

Fresh Local Wild is a food cart (truck) in downtown Vancouver. You can see the water off in the distance as you looked north on Burrard Street. But the view paled in comparison.

The steelhead at $12.10 was the cheapest option, but the most expensive 1-piece option of the three places. The ling cod and the halibut cost even more.

The guy slapped tartar sauce on the fries, with the fish presumably resting on top. I didn't want tartar sauce to even touch this fish, but I asked him to switch that out. Was not a problem for him.

I did use some malt vinegar as I had on all the other fries. Otherwise, I wanted the pure fried fish experience.

Like Go Fish, I got way more fries than I should have (good fries, just too many). But the steelhead was the most beautiful fish to eat of the three. The fish was lightly breaded, so the taste really came through. The initial taste is usually what determines whether a food is worthy, but this fish tasted better as the tasting process advanced. Blown away is an understatement.

I could have eaten 12 pieces of the steelhead with half of the fries I got. I'd be broke, but boy what a meal.

In most of the fish and chips I've ever eaten, I couldn't tell you much about the taste of the fish and certainly not the sustainability. I would definitely eat the fish from Red Fish, Blue Fish and Fresh Local Wild even if it weren't sustainable. As for Go Fish, I'd stick to the tacones, but even its fish was still better than most of what I've eaten.

Environmental eating is important to me, but cost and taste also need to factor in the equation. These fish simply tasted better. If I lived in Southwestern British Columbia, I'd save up my pennies. Then again, given the cost, and the fact that Canada isn't issuing new pennies, make that saving up my nickels.

14-year-old girl proves sharp defender of GMO labeling

The future of food lies in young people who are growing up in a world where they know more about food than their parents did, but have been more subject to the radical changes in our food supply.

Meet 14-year-old Rachel Parent, who debated GMO labeling with Kevin O'Leary on the Lang and O'Leary Exchange on CBC television in Canada. As you can see in the video, Parent challenged O'Leary to put her on the show, and so they did.

The exchange on the program consists of O'Leary treating her as an adult spokesperson who wants overseas children to die because there isn't enough food. Yields aren't as significant as O'Leary makes them out to be. O'Leary never defends the GMOs themselves.

Parent's major point is that we should know what is in our food, and that there hasn't been enough testing on GMO food, especially independent testing.

Parent comes across as the mature adult while O'Leary is the child, but also condescending to her and trying to bait her into admitting that she doesn't like GMOs. We wait through the entire interview for O'Leary to say good things about GMOs, and we never get that moment.

At one point, O'Leary accuses Parent of being anti-science because she isn't praising GMOs. "I'm not anti-science, but I'm for responsible science and ethical progress," Parent replied. Well played.

Amanda Lang serves as the referee in this debate, but doesn't do a whole lot. She tries to help O'Leary about what would happen that if GMOs were labeled, people might not buy that food. She also notes that GMOs are virtually everywhere, ignoring local farmers and farmers markets. She certainly can't get her co-host to move to another line of questioning.

Rachel Parent ironically has the free market position on a business show. Let consumers know what is going on and let them decide. Companies can then decide whether it makes financial sense for their foods to continue GMOs. Even though Lang and O'Leary cover business for a living, a 14-year-old girl shows them how business should be done.

Canadian Trader Joe's lovers can get fix in Vancouver

If you live near a Trader Joe's and follow most of what we do here at BalanceofFood.com, you probably appreciate that you live near one and feel bad for those who don't.

Those who live in Vancouver, BC in Canada don't live near a Trader Joe's because the company is not in Canada, though they can cross the border and go about 60 minutes each way to shop at the Bellingham, WA location. Or they can pay a little more and go to Pirate Joe's.

Pirate Joe's on West 4th Avenue in Vancouver with Trader Joe's items purchased from Trader Joe's.

Of course, you will pay a price. For example, a pound of Trader Joe's whole wheat spaghetti costs me $1.39 while he charges $2.99. Food in Vancouver, like the rest of Canada, is more expensive than in the States, so $2.99 doesn't sound that bad.

If you find yourself around 4th and Vine in Vancouver, you are close to the Pirate Joe's store, a Whole Foods, and a Safeway. Most Americans can't get that good a one-stop shopping experience.

No driving across the border and waiting at the Peace Bridge. No spent gas and lost time. Just go to his store and pay.

As you might imagine, Trader Joe's isn't happy with Michael Hallat, creator of Pirate Joe's, and has filed a lawsuit. Barry, who works at the store, argues that no one would think Trader Joe's is connected with his store, and to be fair, the sign out front does spell that out.

The store features only Trader Joe's products as opposed to other brand names the store carries. The location is filled with mostly dry goods; some products would be more difficult to get across the border.

Though Vancouverites can shop in Bellingham, Barry said the Bellingham store banned them from shopping there. (I didn't ask where they shopped.)

Ideally for Canadians, Trader Joe's will go into Vancouver and Toronto, if not more Canadian cities. On behalf of those tuning in from our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com, Canadians deserve a shot at these products. So let's make a trade: more Trader Joe's for Canadians and more Tim Hortons for the United States.

Temptation of the Week: Tacone

If you had asked me two weeks ago what a tacone was, I couldn't even make up a lame joke. Had no idea.

Turns out a tacone is a taco wrapped to look like a cone. Not a wrap nor a burrito, but with the ingredients of a taco and shaped like a cone.

I sampled the salmon tacone at Go Fish in Vancouver along with the fish and chips. The fish and chips filled me up, so I only ate part of the tacone, but saved the rest for later at the beach.

As good as the salmon tacone was at the establishment, the flavors held up really well eating it later.

We love tacos but they can be messy. To eat a tacone at the beach with a beautiful view added to the experience.

I did see tacones on the menu in Red Fish, Blue Fish in Victoria, but ran out of time before I could order one.

While I only had one, and the taste was good, I think I could like parts of a not-so-great tacone.

Burritos don't thrill me because they are stuffed too much with ingredients. The tacone had a better ratio of ingredients to covering.

Instead of having food fall out, upsetting the mix of ingredients, I could enjoy the mix as the creator originated.

You aren't eating just tortilla at the end since the tacone is packed well enough so the flavors extend all the way to the end.

When searching for "tacone" on the Internet, you get taco fillings in a waffle cone. Not bad, but I wouldn't trade it for what I had.

Given my awkward origami skills, the chances of being able to make one, even if I knew how, are slim. But if you do get a chance to eat a tacone, go for it. If done right, you don't have to worry too much about napkins.

Peeking into Canadian food ads: 2013 MLB midseason edition

Fast food fans in the United States got a dose of jealousy if they saw the ad for the McDonald's Quarter Pounder BLT during Toronto Blue Jays games in the 2013 MLB midseason MLB Extra Innings free preview.

Canadians can order a McDonald's Quarter Pounder BLT and Americans can't. Those in the States still can't get the Double Big Mac either. What are they waiting for?

True, fast food lovers can't get a lot of international variations. But Canada is so close to a lot of Americans, and occasionally ads creep into their living rooms.

From our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com:

McDonald's has a new Quarter Pounder BLT, which I haven't seen in the States. Still waiting for the U.S. to "import" the Double Big Mac.

The debate between the two friends in the ad is whether the sandwich should be the QPC BLT or the BLT QPC.

Outside McDonald's and its advertising agency, nobody says "QPC" to refer to the regular sandwich. And the ad agency only does so to suck up to McDonald's. The ad would have made its point better if the "quarrel" had been between BLT Quarter Pounder vs. Quarter Pounder BLT. The initials make it funny, but QPC is lame.

Jack in the Box ran a series of commercials where an ad agency was struggling to come up with a name. "It's a BLT and a burger." Jack says, "Why not call it a BLT Burger?"

Naming a fast food sandwich shouldn't be complicated.

For more on the many ads, including a racy potato thins ad and some cool beer ads, check out this column from our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com.

Temptation of the Week: Homemade Clamato in your Caesar

Even if you're not a drinker, you have some idea what a Bloody Mary is. Vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and a lot of kick.

Few outside Canada know what a Caesar is. The Caesar is essentially a Bloody Mary made from Clamato and the rim of the glass is decorated in celery salt. The garnishes are a bit different with pickles and olives in the mix as opposed to the traditional celery in a Bloody Mary.

First, I should explain that Clamato is a drink that combines tomato juice and clam broth and is actually sold in stores in the United States. Though clearly the drink is more popular in Canada, people in the United States are buying Clamato.

The problem for me and others is that Clamato has MSG and high-fructose corn syrup. Having MSG is disturbing, but since salt helps some deal with the taste of tomato juice. I can't imagine why high-fructose corn syrup, much less sugar, would need to be in Clamato.

I've had quite a few Canadians talk about their special drink when I travel in Canada. And I've also had quite a few Canadians assume that Clamato is just a Canadian thing.

I have had a Caesar in Canada, or rather a Virgin Caesar made with Clamato. And the drink is quite good. It's spicy and tasty and usually served with olives and pickles on top.

I wondered if I could improve on the drink by making a homemade version of Clamato.

Clam broth is not clam juice, but clam juice is clam related, and I do sometimes use the clam liquid residue from the canned clams in other dishes. (Yes, I rinse the clams off, but keep the juice.)

The clam juice has salt, so starting with a low-salt tomato juice is ideal. Mott's won't share its ratio of clam and tomato with us, so I went with a 3:1 ratio of tomato to clam. I mixed the Virgin Mary drink mix separately and poured out 6 oz. and then added 2 oz. of the clam juice. This is different from the clam juice you can buy in the store, though I've already paid for the clam juice from the can.

The clam juice mellows out the drink, but not too much. A good Bloody Mary or a Virgin Mary is designed to be a little harsh, but the clam juice still leaves you with enough of an edge.

The taste was a lot cleaner than using regular Clamato. The only sweetness came from the tomatoes themselves, the right way to do this type of drink. For those who find tomato juice too much to take, a bit of clam juice will help that out.

Even with a shot of vodka, the homemade Caesar is a relatively nutritious drink by mixed drink standards. If salt or sodium is an issue, you may have to steer clear. Otherwise, the drink is unusual, exotic on some level, and can you make you seem that much cooler at the bar. Once, of course, you explain what a Caesar is to the bartender.

Temptation of the Week: The Radish

I've eaten more radishes this summer than I have previously in my entire life.

Sometimes, you get that moment about a food. Jumped back into olives, especially Kalamata olives, a while back. Now this is about the radish.

I tried the radish when I was a kid. The peppery flavor appealed to me even then. But radishes were presented as seasonal and only meant to be sliced and put on salads. For a few weeks a year, radishes had an impact but not much of one.

Radishes were mostly avoided in the early adult years — not worth the effort.

The difference this summer was more about the ease of bringing a vegetable to work. The vegetable needs to travel well, doesn't have to be refrigerated (at least for a few hours), and munch worthy, especially in the afternoon.

At first, I was slicing them thin and eating them. After a number of radishes, I started cutting bigger pieces to enjoy.

The peppery taste helps them stand out as a treat, eating them sans accoutrement.

According to Wikipedia, radishes are "rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium" and a good source of "vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium." A cup of sliced radishes has 19 calories.

I had to look that up to see the nutritional value of radishes. Hard to think of radishes when you don't really know why you're eating them, nutrition-wise.

Not to compare radishes to celery, but eating radishes does feel like you're burning close to the number of calories you are consuming (only a perception, not a proven fact).

When I was chasing down olives, salt was the main motivator. But a missing flavor was also an issue — took me awhile to figure out Kalamata olives was my ultimate goal.

In the case of the radishes, flavor was the motivator.

Yes, you can have cravings without being pregnant. Most of our cravings end up being for food that doesn't have long-term flavor (e.g., most junk food). Satisfied in the moment, but no long-term joy.

The radish is an all-around winner. Tasty, healthy, convenient, and really low in calories.

The radish may not be your idea of a winner. Too peppery or too weird to eat; that happens. Finding your equivalent of a radish can make summertime fun eating more fun with some health thrown into the mix.