By Michael Lowe
Niagara chef Adam Hynam-Smith’s cookbook, Curbside, hit bookstores a few months ago, much to the delight of local foodies. Here’s my take on it, from a cook’s perspective.
My early introduction to cooking has led to a life-long passion for good food, spanning almost 50 years. So after tasting many dishes from Hynam-Smith’s (seen above signing his book at the Oast House Brewers kitchen where he cooks every Friday night) wildly successful food truck, El Gastronomo Vagabundo, challenging myself to replicate some of his dishes from the book was a no-brainer.
The book is a collection of dishes inspired by Hynam-Smith’s life on the road and, as such, you will find ingredients and techniques —perhaps foreign to some home cooks — from Korea, Morocco, Spain, Thailand, and even his native Australia.
The first recipe to catch my eye, butter chicken with roti (page 65), is a favourite of mine. Hynam-Smith’s recipe means that your spice cabinet best be stocked beforehand, but the deliriously tasty end result (above photo) is easily mastered by following his steps to the letter.
I love octopus, so pages 163-164, were of particular interest. A friend, and owner of a Greek restaurant, swears that Moroccan octopus is the best. The one I used was sourced from Commisso’s Fresh Foods in Niagara Falls, where it is often available. Following instructions carefully, such as successively plunging the cephalopod into boiling water for a few seconds, keeps the skin intact (above photo). This recipe takes patience but the work is worth the wait (below photo).
Scallop and Zhoug ceviche (page 172) is a dish to fall in love with. The Zhoug with its abundance of cilantro screams summertime while toasted caraway provides a warm, contrasting background flavour. This no-cook dish is, well, dead easy and one worth preparing. My impromptu crack at the dish meant having to garnish with parsley leaves instead of cilantro (below photo) — a point called out in good fun by Hynam-Smith when I first posted the pic on social media.
Almost everyone loves roasted veg, especially at this time of year. Tunisian carrot salad (page 30) with Harissa dressing is a fantastic accompaniment to almost any meal. Although I substituted black olives for Kalamata, the result still allowed the warm spices of cumin and caraway and sweetness of the carrots to shine (below photo). Of note here is the step requiring the removal of the tough core from the carrots, which yields a uniformity of tenderness.
In the indispensable section titled Mise en Place, Hynam-Smith shares recipes of many of the sauces, dressings, and other key preparations used in the dishes. Although I have focused on savoury dishes the book also has sections dedicated to drinks and desserts. Clear, concise, easy to read recipes mean good results, even for a beginner in the kitchen.
Curbside is a book that deserves a place on the bookshelf of every adventurous, avid home cook. The well-written forward by Hynam-Smith’s wife, Tamara Jensen, introduces the reader to the chef, shares stories of their chance meeting, and recounts the early days of the couple’s popular food truck.
Hynam-Smith’s passion for food, as well as his outgoing personality is prevalent throughout the book.
If you crave exotic, bold and exciting flavours Curbside is the book for you. Buy it, use it and travel the world through your cooking.
Curbside: Modern Street Food from a Vagabond Chef
Author: Adam Hynam-Smith
Published by Whitecap Books
Available at Chapters/Indigo and Amazon
Where is the book avaiable?
Chapters/Indigo and Amazon.