Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[bessmarvin]

FYI the biggest cause of kitchen fires in the UK is people going home drunk after a night at the pub and deciding they feel like a batch of chips before they go to bed, so they turn on the deep fryer...!

Our favourite food at the CNE was the Lancia pavilion in the Food Building, a platform with a blue-and-white striped awning with waitresses that was always lined up, only one item on the menu--a plate of spaghetti for about $2. Fabulous! And of course gone. At least Tiny Tom donuts are still there.

It's not so bad. I've made it at home a few times lately and it goes together quite quickly. Pick up a couple fillets of whatever you like. Whisk together a cup or so of flour, a pinch of baking powder and a bottle of beer. A quick dip in the batter and gently lay the fillet in the hot oil, holding one end until it starts to float on its own.

Use frozen fries, there's no point in going through that hassle.

Definitely get one of those deep fryers with the built in filter and storage tank.

 

[bkeith]

Thanks bkeith,

I wonder how many will try this this weekend.

Your mention of the air filter on the fryer brings me to my unstated reluctance to making F & C at home which I will now state , if anyone tries to make F & C in a kitchen without a vent fan, the air will become unbreathable. When I rented and had such a kitchen one other solution was to lay a damp dishcloth atop a splatter screen over the pot of oil - it caught a lot of the oil smoke.

Filter-wise, I meant the kind of fryer that filters the oil into the holding tank below. Then all of the parts (except element) just drop in the dishwasher. You're right about the air, though. I bought a new range hood and vented it directly through the wall to the outside. Certainly helps with the deep frying. High temperature wok cooking absolutely requires it.

 

[adma]

My family household got a deep fryer in 1976 or so; got off on using it for a couple of years before tiring of it, the greasy mess involved, etc. I repatriated it in the 90s to fry shrimp chips and the like from Chinatown (using the oil more mess-avoiding sparingly and conscientiously, and cleaning the whole thing w/baking soda after)

 

[dbailey62]

The Football Factory on Bathurst a block south of Queen does them up very nicely.

 

[Mustapha]

Do I also recall a Fran's on Yonge St across from Sams. It was down in the basement and had all you can eat spaghetti on New Years Eve. At least back in 1972

I remember this now. It had a second floor too. Thanks, and Welcome, Gebbois.

 

[Mustapha]

Speaking of train wrecks, here are two shots of one from the Ontario Archives dated June 13, 1948. Any suggestions on where this might be, team?

Interesting. Left photo: Upper left hand corner. That's quite a factory complex at the NW corner of Booth and Queen. It's Jimmy Simpson Park now. Right photo: That's quite a church at the SW corner of Strange and Queen. It's not there anymore.

Also interesting is the fact that an air force plane took the picture ['CF' marking on wing].

 

[Mustapha]

My family household got a deep fryer in 1976 or so; got off on using it for a couple of years before tiring of it, the greasy mess involved, etc. I repatriated it in the 90s to fry shrimp chips and the like from Chinatown (using the oil more mess-avoiding sparingly and conscientiously, and cleaning the whole thing w/baking soda after)

Mmm, shrimp chips, <crunch crunch>.

 

[Mustapha]

The Football Factory on Bathurst a block south of Queen does them up very nicely.

That's two new F&C places to try out. I wonder if eating F&C once a week is too often.

 

[Mustapha]

Mustapha: I recognize the CN Tempo coach derailed in the 1/1/70 picture being lifted by the wreck crane in the center of the picture...

I believe that they were built in 1968 by Hawker-Siddeley and CN used them in Corridor regional train service out of Toronto and later became VIA property...

I believe that they are now in ski train service in the Denver,Colorado area today...

LI MIKE

Don't know much about trains; 40 years and still in service; that's pretty long lived.

 

[Mustapha]

Is this real? or its just edited???

Real. Happens too often unfortunately.

 

[Gebbois]

That's two new F&C places to try out. I wonder if eating F&C once a week is too often.

You know what they say. Eating Fish 7 days in a row makes one weak (week)

 

[Goldie]

There are two F&C places in Scarborough that, in addition, offer a Scottish menu.
Andrew's Fish & Chips and Highland Fish & Chips offer Haggis, Scottish meat pies, black pudding, 'mooshy' peas and a few other odd items.

 

[mattelderca]

There are two F&C places in Scarborough that, in addition, offer a Scottish menu.
Andrew's Fish & Chips and Highland Fish & Chips offer Haggis, Scottish meat pies, black pudding, 'mooshy' peas and a few other odd items.

Well, if we are going to talk F&C I might as well add my story.
When we lived at Queen and McLean I would sometimes be left "dinner Money" by my parents. I would either walk (or ride my bike) east to the Goof or west to Nova F&C.
Nova was always worth it! The best little black and white Deco building and old school F&C wrapped in newspaper. Ahh, good times! Good eats!
Anyone have a pic of the original store, circa 1973?

 

[Mustapha]

You know what they say. Eating Fish 7 days in a row makes one weak (week)

Ah, a wit.

 

[Mustapha]

There are two F&C places in Scarborough that, in addition, offer a Scottish menu.
Andrew's Fish & Chips and Highland Fish & Chips offer Haggis, Scottish meat pies, black pudding, 'mooshy' peas and a few other odd items.

McCowan F&C at 623 McCowan is very good too. Been there a couple times.