Golden Cook Caribbean Restaurant Reinvents Itself in New Toronto

Golden Cook Caribbean Restaurant and West Indian Store has been a fixture on the Lake Shore Blvd. strip of the south Etobicoke neighbourhood of New Toronto for many years.

Located just west of Islington Ave., it has always had good food, but until very recently you could only enjoy this as takeout. The spot consisted of a service counter and then a couple of aisles of assorted West Indian groceries and sauces.

After shutting down for a few weeks it has now reopened with a new dining area so that you can enjoy the fall-off-the-bone oxtail, the delicious goat and all the other dishes they have to offer dine in.

They do still have a grocery section as well so you can pick up some extras on the way out.

The oxtail in gravy is better than ever. Incredibly moist it can be had, as is true with all the dishes,  with plain rice or rice-and-peas.

The goat dinner is to my mind really a house specialty. It has their own unique saucing and is some of the best curried goat around. 

 Ackee and Saltfish is a Caribbean classic that is seen by many as Jamaica's national dish, and Golden Cook's version does not disappoint with its blend of salty and fruit flavours.

Some fried plantain on the side. Golden Cook also makes terrific dumplings.

A good menu is often a focused one and Golden Cook does all of its staples very well. Over years of trying what was on offer I have never had a dish that was a miss. 

All of the main dishes that we had ran from $10 for small to a high end of $17 for the large oxtail. The portions are very generous and service is quick and friendly.

Golden Cook is located at 2955 Lake Shore Boulevard W just west of Islington Ave. It is open Monday to Friday 10 am - 7 pm and Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 6 pm  (416) 259-3003. It is on the 501 streetcar line and just steps from the end of the Islington South bus route. 

1941's Wilson's Meat Cookery w. Oyster Pie, Chicken Gumbo, Deviled Broiled Pig's Feet & more -- Vintage Cookbook TBT

Vintage Cookbook: Wilson's Meat Cookery, George Rector 

Publication Details: Wilson & Co., 1941

Published in 1941 Wilson's Meat Cookery was meant to promote the extensive line of meat and butter products of Wilson & Co. Unusually for this type of cookbook they did not put branded product names in the recipes themselves though they did have a full colour advertising spread in the middle.

We have included a couple of these ads as they are somewhat humorous now, especially the one for their alternative to Spam -- which they called MOR -- as well as for their "Gelafinish Boneless Ham", both of which they promoted as a great sign of progress in American cuisine.

For the most part, though, the recipes are fairly classic and are divided into standard sections like Poultry, Meat, Egg dishes, etc. As is generally the case with older meat cookbooks they have recipes for things that are used less today such as pig's feet and tripe. There is a recipe for Spaghetti Milanaise that uses tongue in place of bacon and I have, of course, included this.

There is a solid recipe for ox-tail, which followers of this blog would know is one of my favourite ingredients.

I have also included some of the campy illustrations and the photos of the "Wilson Kitchen and Dining Room" where the company chef and the book's author apparently whipped up his special creations.

(click on scans to enlarge)

Mitzie's Jerk in Etobicoke -- Home of the Ultimate Oxtail Sandwich!

Mitzie's Jerk is an all around terrific Jamaican take-out restaurant that is just east of Islington (and the Islington subway station) on Bloor St. W. in Etobicoke.

There is lots to love at Mitzie's. As the name implies, they make excellent jerk chicken which is what often springs to mind when you think of jerk. But they also make a delicious jerk pork that is simply mouth-watering and nicely seasoned.

Both the jerk chicken and jerk pork can be had as dinners served with rice (or rice and peas) and coleslaw (chicken is $10.50 small and $13.50 large while the jerk pork is $12.50 small and $15.50 large) or as rotis ($12 chicken / $13 pork).

Mitzie's rotis and dinners generally are all worth trying. The goat is moist and tender in a curry sauce and the oxtail is fall off the bone as you want it to be. (oxtail and goat dinners are $12.50 small and $15.50 large while the goat roti is $13).

Oxtail Dinner

Mitzie's also makes a great veggie roti for $10.50.

Veggie Roti

If you are having trouble making up your mind Mitzie's has a very cool "Mix-Up" option where you can all the meats from jerk to oxtail to goat, etc. in small portions served with the rice (or rice and peas) and coleslaw. A woman at the counter described this to me as a "buffet in a box". This runs $15.50 for a small and $18.50 for a large.

But Mitzie's also has a unique and really incredible menu option that makes a trip to it all the more worthwhile.

These are "Kristle's Ultimate Sandwiches" and they are awesome. The idea is to take the jerk chicken, curried goat, pork or oxtail and serve them, boneless, on a fresh large-sized bun.

OMG...Boneless Oxtail on a Bun!!!

Seriously, boneless Caribbean style oxtail on a bun!

The Ultimate Sandwiches are $10.75 each and they are huge. Great concept really well executed.

Mitzie's Jerk is located at 3337 Bloor St W in Etobicoke. It is just a couple of blocks east of the Islington subway station. 647-345-0077. They are open 11 am to either 9 or 10 pm from Monday to Saturday (closed Sunday). See their website for more information. 

See also: Ali's West Indian Roti Shop w. Fiery House Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

Vindaloo Flavoured Slow Braised Seasoned Oxtail

As regular readers of this blog know, I love making oxtail!

Today, as I have in the past, I am going to make an oxtail dish that is braised on the stove-top, though this time in a large saucepan as opposed to a Dutch Oven.

Also, I have changed the ingredients up somewhat in a way that adds some stronger Indian flavours to this classic Caribbean dish.

We used around 3 lb. of oxtail for this recipe.

To begin, in a large bowl season your oxtail with the following:

2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon tandoori masala seasoning
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon black pepper
sea salt to taste

Toss thoroughly to evenly coat.

In a large saucepan heat some olive oil over medium-high and then brown the seasoned oxtail pieces about 2 minutes or so a side. As you are browning the oxtail be sure to scrape around any of the seasoning and juices that get on the bottom of the pan.

When the oxtail is browned add enough beef stock to just cover the oxtail pieces. To this add 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 4 bay leaves and 3 heaping teaspoons of Vindaloo style curry paste.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for four hours. At this point the meat will be fall-off-the-bone tender!

This is great served with rice (or rice and peas), coleslaw and some roti or naan on the side.

Stay tuned for some more oxtail variations in the near future.

Enjoy.

See also: Stove-top Caribbean Style Braised Oxtail

See also: 12-Hour Slow Cooked Caribbean-Style Oxtail

Charlie's Caribbean Cuisine: West Indian-Chinese Fusion in Mississauga

Charlie's Caribbean Cuisine is a really terrific West Indian-Chinese fusion style restaurant on Hurontario St. in Mississauga.

Charlie's does so many things so well. There are a number of standouts on the menu. In fact I have yet to eat anything from Charlie's that was not top-notch.

Notable dishes include the Fried Red Snapper which is a fish served whole that has been seasoned to give it a nice Caribbean flavour and that is then deep-fried giving it a terrific texture ($10.99 on its own or $12.99 with rice). Charlie's is known for its rotis but vegetarians will love the incredible Mixed Vegtable Roti that includes curried chickpeas, pumpkin, curried potatoes, long beans, spinach and okra! ($9.99) The Pepper Shrimp ($10.99) and Chili Chicken ($9.99) are perennial favourites as are the fusion Chow Mein dishes.

Special Jerk Chicken Low Mein - $10.49

This is a must get dish at Charlie's. Perfect, moist jerk chicken is served atop absolutely delicious noodles with vegetables and chicken. Just fantastic. 

Fried Shrimp Wontons - $7.99

A crowd pleasing appetizer nicely prepared. 

Curried Goat (Bone-In) - $8.99

A classic executed very well and served with rice or rice and peas. You can order it large (+$2.00) and/or with extra meat (+$3.00)  as I did above. A boneless version is available for a dollar more.

Charlie's Special Mixed Fried Rice - $10.49

Another great fusion dish, it is fried rice with chicken, beef and shrimp that is topped with pieces of Caribbean style fried chicken.

Oxtail - $10.99

As any regular reader of this blog knows, I love oxtail! Charlie's makes a terrific one, exceptionally moist, served with rice or rice and peas. Large size and/or extra meat are, again, an option.

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Fried Plantain - $2.00

Do you want some fried plantain added to your dish for $2.00? Yes...yes I do!

Chicken Wings (10 pcs) $8.99

They make terrific wings with an assortment of saucing options. The Spicy Sauce packs real punch and is full of flavour.

Charlie's Caribbean Cuisine is located at 3055 Hurontario Street just north of Dundas St. 905-949-0663. They have a website with their full menu and a Facebook page. They are open 7 days a week and they are licensed. If you live within the delivery area, delivery is available from skipthedishes.com

See also: Butter Chicken Roti -- Fiery Spicy & Delicious Indian Rotis on Queen W.

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

Braised Oxtail Stew with Carrots and Potatoes

As any regular reader of this blog knows, I am a huge fan of oxtail as an ingredient. I have looked at some of my favourite take-out Caribbean oxtail in Toronto, as well as a couple different recipes of my own on how to make this type of oxtail dish at home.



While various Caribbean oxtail dishes are my favourite take overall, I also like oxtail dishes and stews from other regions and culinary traditions. Today I am going to take a look at a European oxtail stew that is served with carrots and potatoes. It is a delicious way to make it.

As is the case with West Indian oxtail dishes, the oxtail in this stew needs to be braised for a very long time. While the long cooking time may be inconvenient, it makes for a truly divine, moist and tender meat when it is all done!

Today's recipe is for between 2-3 lb. of oxtail pieces.

To begin with, season your oxtail liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper and then lightly dust it all over with flour.

Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat on the stovetop in a large saucepan or in the bottom of a Dutch Oven. Add the oxtail and saute it, stirring it and flipping it regularly, until browned. This usually will take 3-5 minutes.

When the oxtail is browned, add 2 cups of red wine to the pan. Then add enough beef stock to just cover the oxtail pieces. Then add the following ingredients:

salt and black pepper to taste
3 bay leaves
5 crushed, peeled cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
A couple (or a few!) dashes cayenne pepper

Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, chop up 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs and 3-5 potatoes, unpeeled and quartered or chopped into large chunks. I used red potatoes, but you can use any you like. Add the vegetables to the pan, and continue simmering, covered, for another 45 minutes to an hour or until the vegetables are done to your liking.

Before serving remember to remove the bay leaves.

This dish is perfect served atop a bed of rice or with buttered and lightly seasoned egg noodles. Very hearty, it also pairs nicely with red wine and should be enjoyed with a nice, rustic loaf of bread.

Enjoy.

See also: Michael's West Indian Flavor: Perfect Oxtail in New Toronto

See also: Stove-top Caribbean Style Braised Oxtail

See also: 12-Hour Slow Cooked Caribbean-Style Oxtail