Eatdrink #49 September/October 2014

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Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario № 49 • September/October 2014 www.eatdrink.ca

40

Years of Bohemian Rhapsody at

Marienbad

& Chaucer’s Pub

FEATURING

Five Fortune Culture Restaurant “Pure Chinese” Cuisine in London

Eddington’s of Exeter

Savour the Harvest & Drink in the History

Twin Pines Orchards This Cider House Rules, in Thedford

ALSO: Savour Stratford 2014 | Wine Clubs | The Third Plate | Flex Appeal Review & Recipes

STRATFORD your culinary

fall getaway

We’re dedicating an entire weekend to garlic with chef cooking demos and black box competitions. Sample garlic everything - jellies, shooters and even garlic ice cream at the Stratford Garlic Festival, September 6 & 7.

Get an early start on the foraging trail for miniature puffballs and bluet mushrooms or join a local foodie guide as you sample Stratford’s best on Flavours of Stratford Culinary Walking Tours. How about an afternoon’s culinary quest along the Bacon & Ale Trail – exciting bacon inspirations paired with refreshing craft brews at our pubs and food shops. Don’t be scared, come and join our Pubs, Pilsner and Spirits tour, a unique pub crawl sipping Ontario craft brews in heritage pubs while stories of spirits and brewing history are spun.

Come to Stratford, we love to share our food. For more culinary events and tickets go to visitstratford.ca

@StratfordON

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OUR COVER: Photographer Steve Grimes (www.grimesphoto.com) captured the Marienbad Restaurant/Chaucer’s Pub Carling Street patio on a beautiful August day, helping celebrate the business’ 40-year anniversary.

contents

ISSUE № 49

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8

F O O D W R I T E R AT L A R G E

By BRYAN LAVERY

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21

Bohemian Rhapsody! Marienbad & Chaucer’s Celebrate 40 Years Five Fortune Culture Restaurant: “Pure Chinese” Cuisine

By BRYAN LAVERY

Savour the Harvest at Eddington’s of Exeter

By TANYA CHOPP

ROAD TR I PS

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD

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This Cider House Rules! Twin Pines Orchards, in Thedford

FA R M E R S & A R T I S A N S

By ANTONY JOHN

N E W & N O TA B L E

T R AV E L

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Z Z U THE B

The Food Web: Part III — Summer

39

21

By BRYAN LAVERY

R E S TAU R A N T S

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Canadian Culinary Stars at 2014’s Savour Stratford Festival

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

The BUZZ

Finding Fresh, Friendly and Local on Vancouver Island

By KYM WOLFEI

IN THE GARDEN

By ALLAN WATTS and RICK WEINGARDEN

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Fall into Your Garden!

WINE

24

48

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Join the Club! The joys of wine club membership

By JANE ANTONIAK

B E E R M AT T E R S

By THE MALT MONK

48

Patio Pleasures and Liquid Passports

T H E AT R E

54

51

Coming This Fall: Over the Top!

By DONALD D’HAENE

BOOKS

Review by DARIN COOK

COOKBOOKS

Review by TRACY TURLIN

THE LIGHTER SIDE

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD

54

57

62

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The Third Plate: A Field Guide to the Future of Food

Flex Appeal by Pat Crocker and Nettie Cronish

Beyond the Paper Bag Princess

58

navigate great № 49 | September/October 2014

TO

TIMES

in

Lambton County

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LAMBTON SHORES

SARNIA & POINT EDWARD

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ST.CLAIR RIVER DISTRICT

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LET US GUIDE YOU THROUGH OUR VACATION PLAYGROUND!

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

food writer at large

Canadian Culinary Stars at the 2014 Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival

By BRYAN LAVERY

S

ince its inception six years ago, Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival has been a hands-down triumph.

The event is an opportunity to meet and engage with a genuine fraternity of talented tastemakers and culinary advocates. A mecca for food enthusiasts and professionals, it has become one of Ontario’s most prestigious culinary festivals — if not Canada’s. In many ways Savour Stratford has become as much a cultural celebration as it is a Enjoying Revel Caffe’s offering at Savour Stratford’s Grand Tasting gastronomical one.

By changing the date of the festival On the back terrace of Monforte on from fall to mid-summer, the organizers hoped for increased accessibility, inclusivity Wellington, the festivities began with a welcoming reception. It was the perfect and better weather. With two official days summer evening for alfresco dining. The of sipping, sampling and taste education staff proffered a pair of lavish cheese and the festival again celebrated farm-to-table charcuterie boards and provided guests with ideology and what modernist chefs are an intelligent tutorial about the provenance calling the “new culinary regionalism”. of each item.

“Coast to Coast to Coast”, was the theme During Saturday’s GE Café Series, we of this year’s festivities, as the chefs visiting attended a five-course lunch prepared the festival from Newfoundland to British at Stratford’s Local Columbia shared their Community Food Centre regional food culture and by chefs Dale Mackay of their own long-standing Ayden Kitchen and Bar traditions and culinary in Saskatoon, and Derek expertise. Children’s Dammann of Maison programming included Publique in Montreal, worm composting, earth and featuring winemaker Dan Sullivan of sundaes and dessert veggies, as well as chef Rosehall Run in Prince Edward County.

Jeff Stewart’s informative teachings on the This lunch was perhaps the most benefits of eating bugs. indulgent of the events being offered Food and wine enthusiasts once again and was moderated by Claudia Bianchi, flocked to the riverfront festival, which was co-owner of Toronto’s venerated Actinolite located along Veterans Drive and York Street, with the Toronto Star Culinary Stage occurring restaurant. Coincidentally, Actinolite was recently decreed by Toronto Globe and Mail at the former Nancy Campbell building and dining critic Chris Nuttall-Smith as “one of tastings being held at the Knox Presbyterian the most essential places to eat in Ontario, if Church amphitheatre. The area was bustling with participants taking in the artisan’s market not in Canada.”

We were presented with an amuse-bouche vendors, tutored talks and the gourmet tasting of spot prawns with marinated radishes, tents that are a signature draw.

№ 49 | September/October 2014

cherry tomatoes and chilli, which was followed by extravagantly thick slices of raw and immaculately firm British Columbia sockeye salmon, complemented with a tomato gelée vinaigrette, salmon roe, and basil seeds. This was followed by panroasted, melt-in-your-mouth loin of British Columbia halibut (sourced near Haida Gwaii) and served with cucumber yogurt, dill, fava beans and salty, crunchy sea asparagus.

The next course was smoked and charcoal-seared Frost Village pork belly, served with braised kale and plums. Dan Sullivan described the 2011 JCR Pinot Noir he’d chosen to pair with the pork belly as “the purest iteration of what (his) land does.” Chef MacKay explained that our dessert, a small dice of firm-to-the-bite strawberry-poached rhubarb with vanilla crémeux and pie crust crumble, had been prepared with rhubarb he’d picked from his Saskatoon neighbour’s backyard.

Sullivan’s description of how the wave of agriculture and wineries has turned around the Prince Edward County economy was a compelling case for culinary tourism.

Several of the guest chefs that returned to Stratford this year, including James Walt of Whistler’s Araxi, and Northwest Territories’ chef Rich Francis, who strives to raise the profile on modern aboriginal and Northern Canadian cuisine, are graduates of the Stratford Chefs School.

This year the festival supported a variety of educational and enrichment activities that made the events programming its most welcoming and informative ever.

Chef Derek Dammann of Maison Publique in Montreal (co-owned by British

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Savour Stratford Women in Food panel celeb-chef Jamie Oliver) who is known for his charcuterie and dishes like lamb tartare, seal-lami (salami made with seal) and duck testicle pasta, took to the Toronto Star Culinary Stage twice. He demonstrated how to prepare the delicious raw sockeye salmon and the pork belly he’d made earlier for the GE Café Series.

Chefs Carl Heinrich and Ryan Donovan of the ingredient focused and technique driven Richmond Station in Toronto devoted their segment to the tenets of nose-to-tail cuisine and whole animal butchery. With tongue-incheek the chefs demonstrated how to make presskoff (headcheese) and charcuterie.

Chef Todd Perrin of Mallard Cottage, in Quidi Vidi Village on the outskirts of St. John’s, is known for using Newfoundland ingredients in non-traditional ways (like re-imagining seal flipper pie) showcased his sustainable sea-to-table repertoire with a boudin blanc (white sausage) of cod fish and pork.

Two-Michelin-star awarded, youngest Grand Chef in the world and Top Canada winner Dale Mackay, a protégé of chef Gordon Ramsay, paired Saskatchewan produce with locally sourced walleye, black beluga lentils, tomato butter sauce and basil oil.

Chef Rogalski, of Calgary’s Rouge and Bistro Rouge, gave a lengthy and humorous riff on how to prepare a collapsed Gouda soufflé.

Chef James Walt of Whistler’s Araxi presented Ocean Wiseapproved sustainable west coast Continued on page 12 ...

Savour Stratford 2014 Grand Tasting Winners

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Continued from page 9 ... seafood. Chef gave his thoughts on aquaculture and showed the audience how to cure salmon, and followed that by demonstrating how to make a ceviche of geoduck clams, spot prawns, octopus, wild scallops and wild salmon.

Another high point of the weekend event was the poignancy and passion of the pioneering “Women in Food” breakfast panelists at The Church Restaurant. A stellar line-up of inspirational women in agriculture was moderated by The Cookbook Store’s stalwart Alison Fryer. They shared anecdotes on the challenges of cheesemaking, shepherding, heritage breeding, organic farming and innkeeping.

The panelists included Susan McDonough of Smokey Creek Farms, who had the audience in stitches with her references to a hypothetical 1-800-Farmboy. Culinary innovator and cheesemaker Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy made the observation that “food needs to be valued in a different way and consumers need to step up and pay for it.”

The panel was rounded out by other agri­ cultural and ecological activists including Ingrid de Martines, a well-known heritage pork producer; Pam Rogers of Kawthoolei Farm Organics; Miriam Streiman of Mad Maple Country Inn; and Gillian Flies of The New Farm. All the women came to farming, in part, from the standpoint of improving the world through access to food.

The pièce de résistance was the Grand Tasting, a stylish garden party in two elegant marquees fronting the Avon River. The tasting showcases chefs and producers who are paired to create a truly terroirdriven regional tasting experience. Besides the tasting samples there were VQA wines, craft brews and locally-created beverages.

Savour Stratford and its partners continue to successfully link food to place with the still emerging modern cuisine du terroir. Coast to Coast to Coast one can see that the local food movements are regional culinary revolutions in the collective mindset of innovative chefs and farmers across Canada.

BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Writer at Large.

Photos courtesy of STRATFORD TOURISM ALLIANCE.

A farm to table celebration

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Prix Fixe and special feature “local” menus

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

restaurants

Bohemian Rhapsody!

Marienbad and Chaucer’s Celebrate 40 Years in London

By BRYAN LAVERY

|

Photography by STEVE GRIMES

W

hy do some restaurants stick around for decades while others seem to disappear before people know they exist? There are a good many reasons that Jerry Pribil’s landmark Marienbad Restaurant and the adjacent Chaucer’s Pub celebrated their fortieth anniversary this past March.

The brother businesses feature a welcoming sidewalk patio with a black iron fence, flower boxes, and comfortable tables with umbrellas that recall the gentility of the European-style outdoor café. Dating back to 1854, the ochre-coloured building is the original home of the London Free Press. It functioned as a hotel from 1871 to 1920 and became the home of the “Farmer’s Advocate” from 1921 to 1965.

With the idea of bringing eastern Euro­pean flair and Czech cuisine to London’s downtown, former owner Jindra Dvorak opened the Marienbad in March of 1974 to much fanfare. The restaurant was named to pay homage to the well-known spa, Mariánské Lázne (Marienbad).

Over the years, a veritable who’s who of restaurant professionals has been employed by the Marienbad.

The longevity of some of the staff is well-known by restaurant insiders. The friendly service, cheerful repartee and familiarity of the servers have

contributed in part to the loyalty of Marienbad’s faithful patrons.

To my mind, the kitchen evokes the Mittel-European cooking styles of Central Europe, specifically the Czech Republic (Bohemia), Germanic, Slovakian and Austro-Hungarian Marienbad & Chaucer’s give the Carling streetscape a European feel. Dating back to 1854, the ochre-coloured building was the original home of the London Free Press.

№ 49 | September/October 2014

The Marienbad dining room reflects old world style and a mix of Central European history and culture culinary vocabulary. Both the restaurant and the kitchen have remained old-school and true to their roots. There are rarely any surprises on the menu. On occasion, familiar comfort food menu options are added to keep the menu relevant, fresh and sufficiently varied. What keeps many of us returning may be that it seems less like going out to dinner than eating at a trusted friend’s home.

Pete Wells recently stated in The New York Times, “German chefs tend to play a long game, honing their craft in the same kitchen for decades.” My own experience working alongside several remarkably dedicated German-born, French-trained chefs make me think that there is a lot of truth in that particular statement. Chef Klaus Campbell, originally from Germany, took the reins of the kitchen at the Marienbad when he became chef in 1988.

Chef’s humble dill pickle and potato soup is thick and creamy and tastes great. Especially popular are the house specialities like goulash with Bohemian dumplings and earthy chicken paprikash served with haluska (cabbage and noodles). The Carlsbad rouladen is thinly sliced beef wrapped around ham, pickle and egg and served with dumplings.

The kitchen’s forte is schnitzel. The perfect schnitzel has a dry crust that rises like a soufflé and shatters with the touch of a fork, revealing the tender meat within. The menu offers a variety of classic schnitzels including crispy Jäger schnitzel (hunter schnitzel) with mushroom sauce; Franz Josef schnitzel stuffed with ham and cheese and lightly Chaucer’s Pub features striking woodwork, stained glass, an antique clock and a huge stone fireplace

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seasoned with mustard; and the classic Wiener schnitzel.

There is an exceptional “beefsteak tartar,” a dish made from finely minced raw beef that has become a local legend.

In the competent hands of Chef, this dish is a beautiful thing, with sublimely balanced flavours and a deep red colour.

Chef’s version is served with proper accoutrements: minced red onion, capers and a raw egg yolk in the centre of the beef, accompanied by lightly toasted garlic bread. However, Chef’s beef mixture recipe remains a closely guarded secret.

In most restaurants today, steak tartare means finely chopped beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard or tabasco sauce, and mixed with a raw egg yolk, chopped onions, capers, chopped parsley and occasionally chopped gherkins. Some chefs use condiments like ketchup to give the mixture a deeper pigment. Steak tartare may have had its vogue in the 1960s and ’70s, but it remains a classic. The dish was dubbed not for raw-meat-eating Tartars, but for the tartar sauce that accompanied it.

Marienbad is one of the restaurants where you are sure to find local Europeans, who come for the authentic fare. Ingrid Blanke, former co-owner of London’s once celebrated Gabriele’s (which in its heyday served German and French haute cuisine — who can forget chef Heinz Klaus’s magnificent cake counter with Sacher torte, Viktoria torte and chocolate mousse cake?) — was lunching at the Marienbad recently with a group of German-speaking friends, most of whom were partaking in the beefsteak tartar.

Chef’s creamy chicken liver pâté, piped on open-face pumpernickel and garnished with

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Above, clockwise from top left: Manager Marco Grigic, Amy Forget, Manager Mary Cole, Chef Klaus Campbell & Michelle O’Neal (seated).

Below, Owner Jerry Pribil. roughly 85 different brews from six continents.

Chaucer’s is also well-known for an exceptional selection of single malt scotches on offer.

A selection of private rooms includes the “Fireplace Room” that seats up to 85 people, the “Prague Room” has seating up to 45 and the “Atrium,” with its mural of Carlsbad, seats up to 40.

Marienbad is also known for hosting interactive Murder Mystery evenings where guests are encouraged to play different roles. I’d venture to guess that the old world flavour, consistency and olives, is reminiscent of really style of the Marienbad and Chaucer’s good liverwurst, the kind that Albert’s coffee shop used to serve in the old Pub appeals to a broad demographic, no matter their heritage. incarnation of the Covent Garden Market.

At lunch, there is the Czech Ploughman, Marienbad Restaurant & Chaucer’s Pub a traditional sandwich with house potato 122 Carling Street, London • 519-679-9940 salad on French stick and crowned with www.marienbad.ca smoky Prague Ham. The Wenceslas cheese mon: 11:30 am to 10:30 pm; is gooey, nutty, Edam cheese encased in a tues & wed: 11:30 am to 11 pm; crunchy fried crust and served with tartar thurs: 11:30 am to 11:30 pm; sauce and fresh fruit.

Russian egg on potato salad with salami, fri & sat: 11:30 am to 1 am; sunday: 4:30 pm to 9 pm ham, Swiss cheese and caviar is a classic.

There is strudel, a variety of cakes and BRYAN LAVERY (ethicalgourmet.blogspot.com) is eatdrink’s Food several versions of palatschinka which are Writer at Large. similar to the French crêpe — very thin, STEVE GRIMES (www.grimesphoto.com) is a regular contributor transparent in texture and golden brown. of photographs to eatdrink.

Chaucer’s Pub offers a more laid back ambience than the Marienbad.

This comfortable and convivial pub features a large bar with striking woodwork and a brass rail, beveled and stained glass, an antique clock and a large stone fireplace.

Craft beers and imports will mollify the most discerning patrons. Try one 1 of the 12 European beers on tap, poured and presented 2 according to tradition. While there is an emphasis on Belgian beers, Chaucer’s offers 1 –Goat cheese and spinach stuffed Chicken with tomato coulis; 2 –Czech Ploughman sandwich with house potato salad on French stick, crowned with smoky Prague Ham; 3 –Signature Jäger schnitzel with mushroom-brandy sauce; 4 –Antipasto di Casa

4

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Authentic

№ 49 | September/October 2014

CULINARY

EXPERIENCES FROM FARM TO TABLE, LONDON'S CULINARY CULTURE IS COOKING WITH LOCAL FLAVOUR

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

restaurants

Five Fortune Culture Restaurant “Pure Chinese” Cuisine

By BRYAN LAVERY

A

lthough the ethnic cuisines of Yunnan province may not be particularly well known in the West, they are touted as being among the best regional eating experiences in China.

There are 26 ethnic groups in this southwestern Chinese province, all contributing within their cultural Wenbei, a former fashion designer, has an excellent singing voice. cuisine subgroups. Agrarian by nature, Yunnan is the birthplace of tea. experience. This is not the formulaic Yunnan’s northwest corner is said to be the Chinese restaurant serving Anglo-genres inspiration for Shangri-La, as described in James Hilton’s utopian classic, Lost Horizon. conceived by old-style Taishanese and rural Cantonese immigrants who adapted A recent surge of interest in ethnic and traditional Chinese recipes to suit local regional Chinese cuisine is reflected in the tastes and available ingredients. The cuisine, growth and popularity of Yunnan restaurants as prepared by Jie Liang and interpreted in both Beijing and Shanghai. Encouraged by an explosion in cultural tourism the boom is a by Wenbei is, “Pure Chinese,” Yunnan with result of China’s modernization strategy which Sichuan and Guizhou influences.

Many Yunnan dishes are typified by has put Yunnan on the gastronomical map.

In downtown London, Five Fortune Culture bold flavours, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use Restaurant proprietors Wenbei and Jie Liang of chili peppers and garlic of bordering Yin (Jeff) are part of the groundswell of Sichuan province. Southern Yunnan takes its restaurateurs offering a true ethnic dining influences from Vietnam, Laos and Burma and many dishes have a similarity to Thai cuisine. Meat commonly plays a supporting role as a mere seasoning to the vegetables.

Aromatic steamed pineapple rice is popular among Dai people and the perfect side dish to soothe the heat of spicy offerings. In Jie Liang’s hands the fragrant rice has a stunningly delicate balance of sour and sweetness. A ripe pineapple is scooped out and the flesh is cut in small cubes and mixed with the scented rice and other aromatics. It is served in the hollowed pineapple shell with the leaf crown acting as a lid to keep the rice hot.

The cuisine is “Pure Chinese,” Yunnan with Sichuan and Guizhou influences. At left, Seaweed and Kimchee Salad

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Yunnan is the home to a vast range of fresh rice noodle soups and stir fries. Mixian or fresh rice noodles are gluten-free with a silky texture which absorbs flavours efficiently.

Yunnan’s best known dish, Crossing Bridge Noodles is a bowl of extremely hot broth served with a range of ingredients supplied raw to the table, including rice noodles, thinly sliced pork, poultry and fish, leaf vegetables, bean curd, Chinoiserie and other decorative arts and imagery decorate the dining room, aromatics and cilantro to giving personal expression to Wenbei and Jie Liang’s former lives in China. balance out strong flavours, thirty-six hour process from start to finish. much like a hot pot. If you’re not familiar The fish is wrapped in foil and steamed on with these flavours, it’s an assertive dish. If the grill which keeps the firm interior moist you are, it’s simply enjoyably comforting. and intact, the outer skin of the fish was A trio of fish are offered whole, with candy-sweet and caramelized with green head and tail intact. The choices were onion, soya, ginger and garlic. salmon, tilapia and a deep- sea fish with Spicy Tom Yum seafood pot has a sharp an untranslatable name. We chose the freshness and briny meatiness, deriving its untranslatable-named fish. Jie Liang’s pungency from lemongrass and pepper. grandmother provided the recipe which is a

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Other specialities include thick, soft and chewy Udon noodles made from wheat. The green onion pie is flavoursome and reminds me of the Japanese savoury pancake, okonomiyaki. Try the jiggly iced congee and glutinous dia bao (steamed buns). You will never need Sriracha again, once you’ve tasted Wenbei’s homemade, hot and spicy, red pepper dipping oil. She jars it and sells it in the restaurant.

Chinoiserie and other decorative arts and imagery decorate the dining room, giving personal expression to Wenbei and Jie Liang’s former lives in China. The purpose of a “culture restaurant” is to be an emissary and to facilitate the exchange of Eastern and Western cultural values. On selected evenings there is traditional song and dancing on a small stage that flanks the dining room. Wenbei, a former fashion designer, has an excellent singing voice.

Wealth, health, longevity, love, and virtue are the five good fortunes. Five also happens to be the name of their former business

The Five Fortunes: Wealth, Health, Longevity, Love, and Virtue portfolio in China which they wanted to extend to include this restaurant. The investment projects included Five Fortune Herbal Cuisine (herbal cuisine restaurant), Five Fortune Very Ethnic (traditional embroideries and clothing), Five Fortune Arts (Chinese art and paintings), and Five Fortune Clothing (clothing design and production of ramie cotton produced from the nettle plant).

Hoping to live a more peaceful life, the couple travelled nearly eight thousand miles to start a new life in a strange land.

Wenbei, who comes from a lineage of doctors, cites Norman Bethune, who is enshrined as a national hero in China, as an influence on their decision to immigrate to Canada. Famously, Bethune’s accidental death from septicemia evoked Chairman Mao Zedong’s essay “In Memory of

A selection of Wenbie’s “Very Ethnic” silks and embroideries are on display in the restaurant Norman Bethune,” which urged all Chinese to match his spirit of responsibility and humanitarianism and became required reading for the entire population.

Jie Liang, who studied to be an art designer belongs to “Dai” a Tai cultural group from Yunnan that traditionally adheres to Buddhist principles.

In the future, Wenbei plans to establish a restaurant franchise that focuses on cultural cuisine and create a culinary school dedicated to Yunnan cuisine. At Five Fortune the Chinese servers are intelligent and hospitable students that understand her vision and speak English fluently. The service is welcoming and helpful with the kinds of detail about the dishes that can be hard to find in some ethnic restaurants There is a saying in Yunnan, “We will eat anything with four legs except for a table,” says Wenbei. Jie Liang’s translation of Yunnan cooking both pays respectful homage to the culture and, in the hope of making it more accessible, takes the most minor liberties with it. An epigram on the menu states, “The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose ...”

Five Fortune Culture Restaurant 368 Richmond Street, London 226-667-9873 wednesday–sunday: 11:30 am–10:30 pm closed mondays & tuesdays BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Writer at Large.

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

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restaurants

Savour the Harvest and drink in the history, at Eddington’s of Exeter

By TANYA CHOPP

I

n the quiet town of Exeter, just 50 kilometers north of London, the last sounds of summer are fading against a backdrop of still September air.

Crickets drone, water cascades softly in MacNaughton Park, and if you listen very closely, you can almost hear the trees taking their last breath of green, before exhaling into a vibrant plethora of yellows, oranges and reds.

Sure, you can watch autumn unfurl in London but why not celebrate the changing of the seasons with a leisurely 30-minute drive through the scenic farmlands that line Highway 4, and enjoy a relaxing lunch or dinner at Eddington’s of Exeter?

As you enter the town, you can’t miss it.

The yellow brick mansion at 527 Main Street stands out — a gentle limestone giant sitting on a well-manicured lawn on the west side of the street. Eddington’s, which is owned

by Chef James Eddington, now occupies the 1870’s Carling homestead, which used to be home to the Carling family (yes, the Carlings of the Carling brewery).

Enter through the welcoming red door and you’ll find yourself with a choice — to be seated at one of the well-placed tables that Chef Eddington has arranged with

Eddington’s of Exeter occupies the former Carling mansion, circa 1870 intention of creating flow and privacy, or head upstairs to the old parlour for a drink, and old-time ambiance.

It’s easy to see why Chef Eddington tumbled head over heels into a 17-yearstrong love affair with the location, after only one peek through the yawning window of the then-vacant building.

Today, the restaurant’s reputation for fresh, seasonal and diverse offerings has breathed life into the space once more.

Though Eddington’s is technically listed as casual fine dining, more descriptively, it is a destination to aim for if you are searching for an establishment that provides class without pretense.

It’s been updated throughout the years, most recently with a 60-seat patio, a new fireplace and wine rack, and the addition of a 20-seat dining room that brings the restaurant’s total indoor capacity to 80.

As for the philosophy behind the continental fare, Chef Eddington has built Chef James Eddington welcomes guests to the dining room of the restaurant

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his business on the belief that when you support the community — whether through buying from local farmers, or through philanthropy — the community will lend its support back to you. Eddington’s extensive list of local suppliers can be found on the restaurant’s website, and many of the farms are only within a few kilometers radius of the restaurant itself. Hayter’s Turkey, Masse’s Fruit and Vegetables, Coastal Coffee Company, Jennard Cheese, and Stirling Creamery are only a few of the businesses that Eddington purchases from.

But beyond the sense of community, Eddington recognizes that nourishing local roots offers other tangible benefits.

“The quality of the product, knowing where it is from, and the relationship that we have with the farmers and the producers are all important,” he says.

“I think the customers can taste the difference, and I know I can see the difference cooking it.”

A small garden plot in the backyard of the restaurant, as well as several herbs stashed in outdoor containers, also supply the kitchen, and when the growing season runs out, Eddington can rely on many of the items that have been pickled and canned.

Thanks to the experience and influence of working alongside several great chefs, Eddington prides himself in employing several old school cooking techniques, including making all of the restaurant’s stock. And in the name of ensuring that the menu stays dietaryrestrictions friendly, all roux and white sauces are made with gluten-free flour.

But Eddington doesn’t take all the credit. “We have a great team and I think that’s been a part of our success.

We have 10 staff members and right now I have Neil Hayward and Lori De Brouwer in the back helping me cook. Neil’s been here now for eight or nine months and he’s doing a great job. Laurie actually ran her own catering business, prior to this, so she’s very knowledgeable on all parts of the business.”

Certainly, customers are finding what they like. The restaurant has regulars, whom Chef Eddington recalls with pride. While the menu changes with the seasons, several staples remain for their popularity, such as the Chicken Appleby — a breaded, herb-crusted chicken with Brie cheese and apples.

Many locals and visitors alike get their first taste of Eddington’s via theatre and dining packages, or are enticed by the restaurant’s many promotions and theme nights.

“This fall we may host an Ontario whiskey pairing, or some live music nights,” says Eddington. “Thursdays we do our gourmet pizza nights and we often host wine nights. We have the license that allows us to cork Relax in the bar, enjoy fresh local ingredients — in season — and make your selection from a range of new and old world wines.

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Outdoor containers provide fresh herbs a bottle of wine so you can take it home, sit in your hot tub and finish it if you’d like.”

For those looking to stay in the know on up­com­ing promotions, there’s an e-clients section on Eddington’s website where patrons can sign up for discounts and be provided first opportunity for reservations.

This autumn, there are sure to be menu changes and events worth watch­ ing for. The harvest season offers the most diverse oppor­ tunity to explore the region’s bounty — and affords Edding­ ton the opportunity to create the best comfort food in this cozy small town A seasonal patio atmosphere that offers its own unique ambiance.

“I love being able to present food that’s fresh and that’s local and it’s good,” he says.

“Not to knock big cities, but when you come here, you’re getting an experience that you won’t get in a larger centre. You don’t have to be in a big city to create big things.”

Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter 519-235-3030 www.eddingtons.ca lunch: tuesday–friday: 11 am–2 pm dinner: tuesday–saturday: 4:30 pm–9 pm closed sunday/monday TANYA CHOPP is a London communications specialist, writer and strategic editor who loves writing on several ‘f’ word topics, including food, fitness, and fun things to do around town.

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road trips

This Cider House Rules!

Twin Pines Orchards, Cider House & Estate Winery, in Thedford

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD

F

or many years my family rented a cottage in Port Franks, close to the popular summer destination of Pinery Provincial Park, and each year on the journey we would pass through the little town of Thedford, whose sign proclaims that one is about to enter the “Onion Capital of Canada.” I’m slightly ashamed to admit that we always laughed a little at this unique claim to fame, and am equally sorry now that this is the one real association that I have ever made with the Thedford area.

Imagine my delight though when we recently turned down the Kennedy line — a pastoral side road reminiscent of the Eastern Townships — and discovered a quiet laneway flanked by nodding trees, the heady perfume of clover rising up in the summer heat and a complete stillness broken only by the piercing trill of a red-winged blackbird.

As we progressed further, we could see the bold outline of a building which is the home

Pumpkin time! of Twin Pines Orchard and Estate Winery. It was as though we had suddenly happened upon Tolkien’s Shire.

Twin Pines has been growing and evolving as a cherished family business since 1968 when Joe and Alma Vansteenkiste purchased an old ramshackle farmhouse and (with four young children under 8!) began to nurture and enhance the surrounding property by planting strawberries and fruit trees.

Since that time, the property has swollen to include about 10,000 apple trees which can yield a million pounds of apples. Twin Pines is very much about family and in every

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certification which involves knowing the difference between beneficial and up-to-no-good insects) since well before the term was even coined, and they are extremely mindful of working with nature. Mark is also understandably proud of their “Estate Winery” designation which reflects the fact that “we press what we grow.”

(Incidentally, sweet cider, the nonalcoholic sister to “hard” cider, is also made here.)

Up in the loft area of the Twin Pines Cider House, in the sunlightThe sun-lit tasting room in the Twin Pines Cider House loft flooded ‘Tasting Room’, Mark sets up some glasses and explains that the cider aspect of the operation a family member is sure to be found, from the lovely nieces who brand ‘Hammerbent’ is actually a term for the framing style of the building, which the operate the store counter, to brothers Mark family constructed themselves. and Mike Vansteenkiste who devoted about Sampling the hard ciders is trickier than ten years to research and perfect the art of I would have guessed. The tastes are varied making authentic cider in Ontario. and hard to pin down which is not surprising This commitment, patience and attention since there are 17 British cultivars involved, to detail have certainly paid off. Twin Pines from Russetts to lesser-known varieties such recently won “Best in Show” for their Ham­ merbent Red at the 2014 Great Lakes Interna­ as Yarlington Mills and Tremletts. From the authentic twang of “scrumpy” (which tional Cider and Perry Competition, beating out over 300 entries worldwide. It also scored moist-eyed Brits have told Mark is “just like home”) to an absolutely stellar Ice Cider Gold, Silver and Bronze in other categories. with satiny texture and soft, intensely apple Indeed, cider is enjoying a huge flavour, it’s easy to see why Twin Pines is resurgence in popularity at the moment. making its mark. There’s also Perry — a In Britain of course, cider has been revered purely pear drink complete with heavenly for some time. In 55 BC after the invasion, perfume and not in the least bit astringent.

Julius Caesar is on record as being quite My favourite turns out to be Hammerbent partial to it himself. To this day a full 45% Red. Its assertive, full-on apple taste has a of all apples grown in the UK are used for fresh, delicate sharpness. Nothing like the making cider. (And, recent studies show unfortunate ciders of my youth which could that a glass of cider offers up the very same be either deeply cloying or just something antioxidant benefits found in a glass of red wine.) On this side of the pond, cider sales in to be regretted later. Mark laughs when I Ontario have spiked from $6 million in 2004 mention this and references a drink called to approximately $60 million this year so it’s the “Priest’s Collar” which involves a pint of not surprising that there are now more than Guinness and cider.

60 craft cider makers in Canada.

When Mark Vansteenkiste comes out to welcome us he’s full of boyish, selfdeprecating charm (he made them repeat the news twice when he was contacted about the award winning ciders this year!) and the genuine vocation for what he does at Twin Pines shines through. Mark explains that he and brother Mike have been using ‘Integrated Pest Management’ (a Not just cider: the Twin Pines store offers pies, preserves, art, handcrafts, and more

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

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hours of operation september 1st to december 31st monday to saturday 9–5; sunday 1–5 january 2nd to june 30 saturday 9–5 ; sunday 1–5 july 1st to august 31st monday, thursday & friday 10–4; saturday 9–5; sunday 1–5 tastings are available on weekends or by appointment.

If you are looking for a short day trip, either with or without children, Twin Pines is ideal at any time of the year. In the autumn, it offers pick-your-own apples, and 10 varieties of pumpkins. Over 100 kinds of preserves are always on sale, still made by Mark’s mother Alma, as well as her celestial take-home-and-bake pies. Ice Cider especially would make a unique Christmas gift and at only $19.95 is very reasonably priced. There is also a sort of “secret garden” on the property as well as free wagon rides during the fall. (Hot cider donuts made available at this time are apparently addictive — and having sampled the pearstreusel pie I see no reason to question this!)

Twin Pines is a destination that will just make you feel better.

Twin Pines Orchard & Cider House 8169 Kennedy Line, Thedford Directions and much more at: www.twinpinesorchards.com SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD is a freelance writer who also works in the London Public Library system. She lives in London with her teenage sons and a floating population of dogs and cats.

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

farmers & artisans

The Food Web Part IIl: Summer

By ANTONY JOHN

I

get asked on an almost daily basis, “How’s the growing season?” I’m sure the person inquiring wants nothing more than a pleasantry exchanged.

Their eyes begin to glaze over as I launch into my (regrettably) usual answer. “It depends on the crop you’re talking about”.

Fifty different types of vegetables have almost as many growing requirements.

I’ve seen huge differences in success even within varieties of one vegetable. Potatoes, for example: a hot, dry summer will favour one variety over another. The next year, a cold, wet season will help a different variety to flourish. This is precisely why we grow so many different varieties of any given vegetable. It is also why genetic diversity is so important in agriculture. Risk due to changing weather is ameliorated by diversity, not to mention the visual and culinary variety this growing strategy brings.

Summer, this year, has been the toughest test of this strategy in a long time. I would characterize this growing season as schizophrenic, if not downright bipolar (with emphasis on the ‘polar’!). A very dry early summer baked our clay soils, and made germination difficult for small seeds.

Fortunately, our transplants (onions, lettuce,

brassicas) could Ruby-throated Hummingbird find abundant subsurface moisture in the same clay soils, and never looked back. Come July, the rains came and more than made up for their absence. Successive events of two inches of rain in 24 hours have a way of overriding previously mentioned genetic strategies, by simply flooding everything. Fortunately, huge populations of worms feed on our abundant organic matter. Their underground tunnels create drainage channels four feet deep.

Back in January, betting on a cool, wet year, I ordered lots of pea varieties and fava bean seed. Since these are planted in early spring, they had enough moisture to germinate and thrive. Edamame and haricot verts, however, did not like the cool conditions. Bean-planting strategy this year more closely resembled the castle-burningdown-and-falling-in-the-swamp sketch from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Every week from late April to September, I’m seeding new salad beds to keep ahead of the weeds, and change the flavour pro­ file of our

№ 49 | September/October 2014

salad mixes with the seasons. In between, we transplant seedlings (radicchio is the last to go out), weed, and harvest, non-stop. Leafy greens are the first to come off the fields in spring, with rhubarb and its cousin, sorrel.

After the first radish gets picked, and we move to our outdoor markets, things come on fast and furious, and summer days melt into one another. Rainy days are spent in the greenhouses, seeding beds with weed-suppressing, honeybee-approved buckwheat and soil-building clover.

While our apiarist, Mike Roth, tends to the workings of his 24 hives on our property, I make sure the bees have as diverse a menu as the crops we grow for people. Our buffer strips for organic certification are sown with leguminous crops that feed the soil, suppress weeds, provide nesting habitat for meadow species such as bobolink, vesper and savannah sparrows, and furnish the bees with abundant blossoms. Sweet clover is one of the best species to use in these roles, and the honey made from it is unsurpassed in flavour. Elsewhere through the farm our various flowering crops, such as squash and edible flowers, attract a wide variety of pollinating insects, from at least five different wild bee species, to butterflies and, if we’re lucky, hummingbird hawk moths.

As I rototill the ever-growing weeds to prepare yet another seed bed, the swallows instantly join me, easily flying circles around my slowly moving tractor. They have learned that there is an easy meal to be had as I flush a cloud of insects out of the weeds. At least four different swallow species will take their bounty back to various nest sites throughout our farm, and feed their fluffy, shovel-mouthed young. This year has been kind to the barn swallows. An abundance of insect food has meant they’ll raise two and perhaps three broods before heading south to Brazil. For us, biodiversity is the main crop we grow, and as I see and hear all the young birds of various species moving about our farm, I know it’s been a good growing season.

ANTONY JOHN is an organic farmer, painter and avid birdwatcher.

He lives near Stratford. This is the third of a series of reflections on the food we grow and buy.

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Barn Swallows

Black Swallowtail

Tiger Swallowtail

Bobolink

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

The BUZZ ... new and notable

W

ith autumn comes the harvest: a perfect time to take a road trip, and to discover and enjoy nearby farmgates, markets, restaurants, wineries, and fall fairs.

Farmers’ Markets Ontario provides a gateway to finding top-quality and farm-fresh products — lists of markets, maps, dates of operation and more. farmersmarketsontario.com September is back-to-school time. Local colleges and community centres offer culinary courses for interest and enjoyment.

Fanshawe College in London even has courses for the beer enthusiast! For cooking classes, check out local retailers like Jill’s Table (jillstable.ca), Kiss the Cook (kissthecookonline.com) and Aroma Restaurant (fginternationalcorp.com/experience/ cooking-studio) in London.

Vegan? Know thy Food is a mobile business catering to vegans in Southern Ontario. The company offers Vegan Step by Step workshops and private classes. veggiecookingclasses.com Get the best, home-delivered! More and more businesses are providing home delivery of fresh and local produce. In London, On The Move Organics offers fresh, certified organic fruit and vegetables - 100% local boxes in season, featuring fresh produce from small-scale organic farms surrounding London. onthemoveorganics.ca

New in the area is The Food Box Project, offering prearranged boxes of organic produce for pick up or delivery in and around London. Weekly pick-ups are held at Springbank Park and in Dorchester. thefoodboxproject.com Eat Green Organics has partnered with Emily Peat of EcoPlace Organics to provide delivery to London, Woodstock, Sarnia and the surrounding areas. eatgreenorganics.com From Aylmer to Wyoming, there’s a fall fair coming to a town near you. For a full listing, by location and by date, visit www.ontariofairs.com Farm to Table celebrations bring chefs and food producers in Oxford County together throughout the month of September.

Discover the amazing culinary experiences that can be found in this uniquely charming county. oxfordfresh.com/oxfordlicious A visit to Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese shop gives you a day out in the scenic peace of the country, and a chance learn about cheese making. And, of course, the opportunity to buy delicious award-winning cheeses. Book a tour for your group, or to sign up to be a cheese maker for a day. Five minutes south of Woodstock, directly off of highways 401 and 403. gunnshillcheese.ca Farm Boy is holding a Vendor Fair to expand its offering of locally grown and processed foods. Area producers and farmers hoping to sell their goods on Farm Boy’s shelves are

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

invited to meet with buyers at its Wellington Road store on Tuesday, September 30. The London store, which opened its doors on June 12th, already carries products from more than 40 local producers. Farm Boy buyers are looking for unique products such as natural and organic produce and meat, artisanal foods made in small batches and fresh bakery and dairy items. Contact FBmail@FarmBoy.ca before September 15 to make an appointment. www.farmboy.ca/london The new Smart APPetite app, a collaborative program, alerts participants when local foods are in season, where to purchase them and offers healthy recipes. For the last several months a brigade of volunteers — many of them food and nutrition students at Brescia College — has toured Southwestern Ontario to connect with farmers, food processors, vendors and restaurateurs to collect input for the app. The app and website, set to be launched in early September, connects farmers, producers, restaurants and vendors with customers across Southwestern Ontario. www.theheal.ca/SmartAPPetite_project.php Railway City Brewing Co. in St. Thomas, home of Iron Spike and Dead Elephant Ale, holds Thursday Night Session events at the brewery. These events feature a blind sample session whereby the attendees are encouraged to take their own Tasting Notes and determine which of the beer they actually enjoy. At the end of the event,which samples were actually served is revealed. railwaycitybrewing.com Bill Wittur of Noteworthy Wines is proud to announce that their suppliers received a whopping 15 medals at the recent Intervin Wine Awards, including two Gold medals.

These wines will be available for sampling at the annual London Club Wine Fair on October 17, but you can order any of them sooner by emailing bill@noteworthywines.ca.

Celebrate the official opening of Museum London exhibitions on Friday, September 26. Tour the exhibitions and enjoy refreshments and a cash bar. museumlondon.ca Sprouting in the Forest City! VegFest, Saturday, October 25 at the Western Fair District, will provide an opportunity to experience the abundant, and healthy options that veganism provides through vendors, activities and speakers. www.vegfestlondon.com Opened in 1944, Restaurant Equipment & Supply was the go-to shop for generations of London restaurateurs, chefs

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and enthusiastic amateur cooks. Long-time proprietors Ruth and Brian Govan retired last year, and sold the business to Trimen, a full-service dealer that carries a broader range of brands and products. The business remains at 234 William St., and is still under the watchful eye of Kathleen Underwood, daughter of Ruth and Brian, now with 42 years working in the store. The child labour laws must not have been enforced in the 1970s! www.trimen.com Wine Trail Rides are a great way to explore Essex County’s wine region. Cycle through the region and explore the sites, sounds and tastes of Ontario’s other wine route! Each Wine Trail Ride includes tastings, tours, a guide, support vehicle

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

and a meal made with local foods produced in the region. ontariossouthwest.com HAITI Street Festival “Jump on the TAP-TAP” is a benefit for LifePaths Global Alliance (LGA). Enjoy live music, drumming, dancing, food, beer tent, vendors and a children’s area. Saturday night will see a concert at The APK with headliner Passito Rap Kreyol and other special guests. Saturday September 13 and Sunday September 14. www.facebook.com/events

In restaurant news…

The newly expanded space at The Root Cellar, 623 Dundas St., is now licensed. The restaurant now offers a selection of Pelee Island wines, each $6.00 for a six-ounce jar. The really H NC U BR pm AYm−2 D a N 1 SU 1

PATIO Still Open!

Sun–Tues 11am–11pm, Wed/Thurs 11am–midnight, Fri/Sat 11am–1am

{

cool part though is the on-site brewery! London Brewing Co-operative (LBC) is the first worker-owned brewery in English-speaking Canada. It is proudly pouring its first brews: a wheat beer, a nut-brown ale and a watermelon wheat beer.

Retail beer sales to follow —stay tuned!

Garlic’s of London is holding a Honey Harvest Event & Dinner.

Join in for a fun evening as the staff harvest the honey from the rooftop hives! Chef-led demonstration, complimentary mead and honey samples, fresh bread and honey for purchase. Special mead cocktails, three-course honey inspired dinner, and more!

September 11. garlicsoflondon.com Chef Scott Sanderson has left La Casa and is now Executive Chef at Bertoldi’s Trattoria, on Richmond Street. Chef is excited to introduce some new menu items this fall. www.bertoldis.ca La Casa, in the heart of “Restaurant Row” on King Street, is now in the very experienced hands of Chef Jason Eccles and Chef James Smith. Both chefs have been there for many years and carry on the venerable ristorante’s tradition of consistent excellence. www.lacasaristorate.com Crossings Pub and Grill on Hyde Park Rd., known for its outstanding patio and pub fare with a twist, is spreading its friendly ambiance by adding a new location at 2300 Wharncliffe Road South, in Lambeth. Formerly the long-time home to Bing’s China House Restaurant, the new location will follow the formula that has made its Hyde Park location so popular. www.crossingsgrill.ca The Crossings team has also taken ownership of Crave Restaurant and Maxwell McCoys Eatery at Richmond and Fanshawe Park Road. Both Masonville restaurants feature new menus and new management teams. www.craverestaurant.ca & www.maxwellmccoys.com The King Edward in Ilderton is closed Sept. 8–11 (inclusive) while they refinish the floors. Back open on Sept. 12, and featuring a new cider from Twin Pines [see our story this issue!] in Thedford. “Hard Dicken’s Cider” is an English-style cider.

As King Eddie owner Rich Hunter says, “This fits our local Ontario philosophy perfectly.” Cheers! www.thekingedward.com This is Toronto news, but with a regional connection. Nic and Gresham Bayley are nephews of Julian Bayley, founder of Iceculture Inc. in Hensall. They’ve taken their experience around

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the globe, and this summer opened the newest Chill Ice House, on Bathurst Street. The bar and lounge offers entertainment in an icy environment — 185,000 pounds of ice sculptures, ice benches, a functioning ice bar, and an ice chandelier!

Chef Christie Massé is busy these days organizing the opening of her restaurant and juice bar in Wortley Village.

Details next issue.

An upscale sandwich shop with an open-kitchen called Wich is Wich: “A proper sandwich shop” is opening at 125 King Street, across from the Covent Garden Market. The 40–45 seat shop will offer dine in, grab & go and catering services.

Customers will be able to email their orders in and pick up orders. The business is the brain-child of Elaine Sawyer (former on-air radio show host) and her son Chef Josh Sawyer formerly of the Byron FreeHouse). ReDesign, a local design shop, is handling the restaurant design.

After seven years running Friday Knight Lights on Richmond St., Tim Best, the husband of former London mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best, has sold the business to Jim Ferreira, who will relaunch the premises as The Grinning Gator shortly after Labour Day. www.grinninggator.ca Covent Garden Market produce merchant Chris Doris and Woodstock restaurateur Greg Efstatheu are expected to open Olive R. Twists in September. The newly refurbished and renovated premises, formerly home to UpFront at the Market and Chauncey Smith’s, features one of the city’s premiere patios.

Restaurateurs Joe and Cheryl Duby, owners of the megasuccessful Blu Duby at 32 Covent Market Place, have recently appointed Graham Stewart (formerly at Crave), Erin Holmes and Jennifer Witmer to their culinary team. Drop by the Duby and have uber-bartender Ray Nerenberg make you his Exploding Pineapple Caesar or his Key Lime Pie Martini. www.bluduby.com Zack Agathos, formerly of The Huron House, has opened the newly-licensed Icarus Resto Bar on Richmond Row, next to Black Trumpet. Chef Kevin Greaves, formerly of Jambalaya, has joined Executive chef Thomas Waite in the open kitchen. www.icarusrestobar.com Wondering where your onions come from? Visit the informative

“Fun with Food” table at Western Fair Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market to learn about local food, where it comes from, and how it got to your dinner plate. www.londonsfarmersmarket.ca The Only On King is hosting a “Chef vs Winemaker” show­ down on Tuesday, September 16. Chef/owner Paul Harding squares off against Beamsville, Ontario’s Rosewood Winery.

Each course of a harvest-style tasting menu will be paired with Rosewood wines chosen by both Paul and the winemaker. You decide who did it best. www.theonlyonking.ca The Goodah Gastrotruck has taken over the premises occupied by The Only On King on the main floor of Western Fair Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market. www.goodah.ca

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On the Move Organics will be offering salads and sandwiches similar to those found in their Root Cellar Café at the end of September upstairs at the Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market at Western Fair. www.onthemoveorganics.ca Down by the Lake Huron shore near Zurich, the Hessenland Country Inn has started taking reservations for their popular “Novemberfest” celebration in support of Parkinson’s research.

Featuring the Inn’s own Hessenland Helles beer, a Germanstyle pilsner, and Chef Frank Ihrig’s creative cuisine, in the German tradition with a local twist, the event will be held on Saturday, November 8. www.hessenland.com

an experience to savour ... casual fine dining world-inspired cuisine enhanced by local and seasonal ingredients private dining rooms for lunch & dinner

OPEN MON–SAT lunch & dinner

523 richmond st. just N of the Grand Theatre

519-850-1500 blacktrumpet.ca

Stratford

The Stratford Chefs School has announced that Lucy Waverman has been named the Joseph Hoare Gastronomic Writer in Residence for the 2014-15 school year.

There’s always a lot going on at Mercer Hall. Join them Monday nights this fall for a culinary adventure. Nosh returns.

No menu, no decisions to make, you just sit back and relax while the kitchen creates tasty small plates, served family style! Reservations recommended: www.mercerhall.ca Importance of Probiotics and Fermentation — This class will explain the importance of your gut health- 80% of your immune system is your gut! You will receive a booklet with the benefits as well as sample some fermented foods (recipes to make your own will be provided!) Cost: $20.

Pre-registration is required. Limited seating. Wednesday September 10. thegentlerain.ca Flavours of Stratford Culinary Walks — Two guided walking tours present locally produced culinary delights in the heart of Stratford. Morning tours are held 9:30am-12pm; afternoon tours 1:45pm-4:15pm. Tastings along the way conclude with a custom sandwich and sample of craft beer or wine. Cost $39/person, offered every Wednesday-Saturday through to Thanksgiving. visitstratford.ca/attractions United Way Kick Off Luncheon — Help the United Way Perth Huron kick start their campaign, Friday September 19 11:30am–1:30pm at the Kiwanis Community Centre. Cost: $8/ Advanced $10/at the door. www.perthhuron.unitedway.ca This summer The Parlour Inn boutique hotel in Stratford welcomed Executive Chef Randy Dupuis. After more than twelve years at the Bridgewater Café in Welland, Chef is relishing the Stratford culinary environment, and enjoying getting to know his local suppliers. Peter Lavoie, longtime sommelier at The Prune, also joined The Parlour team earlier in the season. www.theparlour.ca Savour Stratford Tutored Tasting: Pucks Plenty’s October Fest of Mushrooms — Take to the woods to collect choice mushrooms and return to Stratford Tea Leaves for a feast of local fare, including cheeses from Mountain Oak Cheese; breads, mushroom quiche and soups from local shops; and awarding-winning Tea Leaves tea. Samples of nettle beer

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will be offered along with beverages from local breweries and Niagara wines. Cost: $45 plus a handling fee and HST. pucksplenty.com Stratford Food: An Edible History: The Dinner! — A unique fundraising dinner for the Local Community Food Centre. Based upon the new book by Steve Stacy focusing on the history of food in Stratford. It is a nine-course dinner prepared by chefs from the Stratford Chefs League with each course inspired by a chapter in the book. Sunday, October 5, 6pm–10:30pm at The Local Community Food Centre.

Cost: $125 (includes a copy of the book). thelocalcfc.org

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Pubs, Pilsner and Spirits tours — Stratford enthusiasts guide you on a unique pub crawl in Stratford’s heritage district. Sample four craft beers as you visit heritage pubs and listen to spirited stories as well as the tumultuous brewing history of Perth County. Cost: $25 per person. Offered October 9th and 23rd visitstratford.ca/pubstour Savour Stratford Tutored Tasting: Dark Beer and Stinky Cheese — Varieties of cheeses and beers from all over the map come together for this ghoulish pairing. Saturday October 18 ,3pm–5pm The Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop, Cost: $35 (plus a handling fee and HST; age of majority required) Tickets available online: www.visitstratford.ca Formerly RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY CO.

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Savour Stratford Tutored Tasting: Raw Milk Cheese and Craft Beer — Grass Roots, small batch, artisan, local, unfiltered, unpasteurized — a great tasting for foodies and lovers of all things local. Saturday October 25, 3pm–5pm The Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop, Cost: $35 plus a handling fee and HST (age of majority is required) www.visitstratford.ca

We want your

BUZZ!

Do you have culinary news or upcoming events that you’d like people to know about? eatdrink has thousands of readers across Southwestern Ontario Get in touch with us at

Chocolate Barr’s has moved! Congratulations to Derek and Jacqueline Barr on their beautiful new space and open viewing window so you can see your favourite candy in the making. Look for them at 55 George Street West across from The Parlour. www.chocolatebarrs.com

editor@eatdrink.ca

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travel

Finding Friendly, Fresh and Local On Vancouver Island, BC

By KYM WOLFE

F

rom the Okanagan Valley to Salt Springs and Vancouver Islands, British Columbia offers such a bounty of locally grown food and drink that it was nearly impossible to take it all in during our short stint on the west coast — but we certainly did our best! Fish tacos and wild salmon; breads made from locally grown wheat and grains; cheeses, yogurts and small-batch ice cream made with milk from island-raised raised cows and water buffalo; and the produce! — fresh, seasonal and a staple in eateries that range from food trucks and casual diners to upscale bistros and fine dining restaurants.

Foodies on Vancouver Island were among the first Canadians to act on their concerns about food security, to consciously support local food growers, and to embrace the slow food movement. Cowichan Bay became North America’s first officially certified Cittaslow/Slow City in 1999. Then in 2007, two B.C. writers (Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon) wrote 100-mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating, and ignited the locavore movement. Today the island is a pretty self-sufficient place — you can even season your dishes with locally made sea salt — and creativity abounds. As B.C. food writer Shelora Sheldon describes it, “Menus are not written, they’re curated.”

We started our travels in Victoria, a charming little city with an overwhelming number of eateries and a healthy selection of microbreweries and brew pubs. When in doubt ask the locals! That led us to four distinctly different experiences at Spinnakers, Moon Under Water, Irish Times Pub, and Pagliacci’s.

Located along the scenic Songhee’s Walkway, Spinnakers (308 Catherine St.) opened in 1984 as Canada’s first purposebuilt gastro brewpub. The warm weather drew us to enjoy our meal on the waterfront patio, with its beautiful view of Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Spinnakers menu showcases food from 35 local farmers and producers, more than two dozen craft beers that are brewed on site, and a selection of provincial wines. The seafood chowder and Island grown salad greens were a delightful introduction to tasty local fare!

Moon Under Water (350 Bay St.) is one of Victoria’s newer brewpubs. I enjoyed a flight of craft beers, most brewed in-house and a few from the guest taps which feature other Island microbrews. My hands-down favourite was MUW’s Creepy Uncle Dunkle, a pilsner Spinnakers — Canada’s first purpose-built gastro brewpub — overlooks Victoria’s Inner Harbour

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Co-owner and brewmaster Clay Potter, with his dog, Brew, at Moon Under Water

made with dark Munich malts. We were offered a tour of the brew house with co-owner and brewmaster Clay Potter, a graduate of the Brewing and Distilling Master’s Program at HeriotWatt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Clay describes his beer as “a west coast interpretation of traditional European styles” and proudly describes Victoria as “the best craft brew city in Canada, second only to Portland in per capita breweries.” We also met Brew, the inspiration for Canada’s first dog beer, a non-alcoholic concoction for canines made from the grains that are left over at the end of the brewing process, then bottled and sold onsite.

The Irish Times Pub (1200 Government St. at Bastion Square) is just one of the Britishstyle pubs in beautiful historic buildings that are sprinkled throughout the city. The menu offers traditional pub fare, but also fresh seafood and dishes built on local seasonal ingredients, like the locally raised pork and lamb, and the bar takes pride in serving 10 beers brewed within two miles of the pub. A visit here is a feast for more than the palate - the architecture and décor are beautiful, the food presentation is visually appealing, and the nightly live Irish music will have you humming along and tapping your feet.

Pagliacci’s (1011 Broad St.) is a At The Irish Timest Pub enjoy traditional pub fare, local brews, and live Irish music.

local favourite — even after 35 years, you still need go early to avoid the lineup. This fun and funky eatery is colourful and busy, and has a high-energy atmosphere, in contrast to the typical relaxed west coast approach.

Pagliacci’s serves up mainly Italian dishes (healthy portions, local ingredients, lots of gluten-free options) and amazing desserts, with everything made in-house from scratch. Most evenings there is live music, an interesting range of styles including klezmer — likely a nod to owner Howie Siegel, a selfdescribed short, balding Jew from Brooklyn and former stand-up comedian who purposely brought some New York hustle to his restaurant.

On to Tofino! Rugged landscape, a mecca for surfers and home to a number of upscale resorts and a wide range of eateries. On the recommendation of the locals, we had lunch at Tacofino (1184 Pacific Rim Hwy.), a permanently parked food truck that offers tacos, burritos and gringas (a type of taco made with a quesadilla as its base), filled primarily with Island sourced food. The outdoor dining tables are fashioned from huge slabs of wood, harvested from local trees. We finally tasted the fish tacos that everyone had been raving about - truly delicious (although after our long drive to get there, that may have been a testament to the fact that “hunger is the best sauce”!)

At Jack’s Pub at Marina West we enjoyed dinner with a commanding view of the mountains around Clayoquot Sound, and a brief visit from a sea

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It’s always a good idea to get recommendations from locals, like food truck Tacofino. lion who swam up to check out the dockside diners. I savoured the taste of freshly caught, beer-battered fish and wheat ale brewed down the road at Tofino Brewing Company. Sunset on the beach was the perfect end to a long day!

Our last stop on the Island was Nanaimo.

There is a surprisingly large range of dining options, but we narrowed our choices to the Dinghy Dock (Canada’s only floating pub, accessible by ferry) and Gina’s Mexican Café (47 Skinner Street), which our Nanaimo hosts favoured, so that’s where we ended up. The city’s original authentic Mexican and TexMex eatery opened 28 years ago and is a local institution. Fondly known as “The Pink House on the Hill,” it is brightly lit and colourful inside and out. Restaurant reviewers have raved about Gina’s food, and I have to agree — everything tastes authentic and homemade, portions are generous and when the bill came it was pleasantly reasonable. But next time...I’d really like to check out the Dinghy Dock!

The next morning we hopped on the ferry that would take us to the mainland, ready to explore Vancouver and enjoy its food and drink offerings ... but that’s a story for another day!

Tuscany, Wine & Cuisine

May 8–18, 2015

May 8–18, 2015

EXCLUSIVE TOURS

Accommodation for 7 nights at Villa Marta, located outside historic Lucca, and 2 nights in Rome.

Group Host is Sommelier Bob Latham, instructor at the Stratford Wine School & Stratford Chefs School.

Experience local wine, cuisine and renowned attractions in Lucca, Pisa, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Rome and the gorgeous Tuscan countryside. Enjoy private wine & olive oil tastings, and wine pairings with most dinners. Limited to 20 passengers so please book early.

For more information on this exciting tour, contact: Carlson Wagonlit Travel 450 Columbia St. W. Unit 6, Waterloo ON 1-800-267-9269 email: waterloo@carlsonwagonlit.com TICO Registration 50020877 www.cwtvacations.ca/waterloo

A Taste of Europe since 1974

40 YEAR

Anniversary

KYM WOLFE is freelance writer based in London .

• 3 Banquet/Meeting Rooms • Free Room Rental • Free Wi-Fi • Murder Mysteries • Christmas Functions

Gina’s Mexican Café is a local icon in Nanaimo

122 Carling Street (at Talbot, around the corner from Budweiser Gardens) Open Daily for Dinner 519-679-9940 Lunch Monday–Saturday www.marienbad.ca

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in the garden

Fall into Your Garden!

By ALLAN WATTS and RICK WEINGARDEN

E

very spring, especially after a long winter like this past year, people love to see those harbingers of spring: bulbs! Spring bulbs are hardy enough to survive our winter and magically pop up when the temperatures are warm enough to coax them out of their winter slumber. They are also a great way to bring life and colour to the otherwise dormant garden. If only you could purchase the bulbs when they are in bloom, the decision-making would be easier.

If you like bulbs you can definitely plan to have a constant show until your perennial garden wakes up.

Just a few of our favourite early species are Winter Aconite, Snow Drops, Scilla, Iris Reticulata and Tulipa Tarda. These are some of the small flowers that form masses in lawns and gardens very early in the spring.

Tulips and daffodils are the favourites of many people. They are available in hundreds of different varieties and colours, and bloom from mid-spring all the way into early summer. A new species of tulip for us this year is Praestans Moondance — a lovely crisp orange-red with a blush of yellow.

Species, or botanical, tulips are the best naturalizers and will multiply each year.

They have smaller flowers and bloom much earlier than many other varieties.

Tulips and daffodils may be the most popular however there are many other exciting species available. Alliums have

Iris Reticulata

Tulip “Heart’s Delight”

Tulip “Exotic Emperor”

Tulip “Moondance”

Tulip “Black Parrot”

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2014-2015 OCTOBER CONCERTS

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Crocus coming up through snow in springtime really gained popularity in the last few years and their striking ‘ball on a stick’ growth offers a unique architectural shape in the garden—which we appreciate year round.

New this fall is a variety of Fritillaria, Vivaldi, a shorter (24”) Crown Imperial variety, but in cherry red! It offers a great contrast when planted within mass plantings of spring bulbs.

Plant spring bulbs now!

The time to plant spring bulbs is from midSeptember up until frost. The fall is a great time to be in the garden. The temperatures are comfortable and the bugs are mostly gone.

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Colchicum. These unusual flowers send up their leaves in the spring and their flowers in the fall. Their common name is Naked Ladies! With only the flowers piercing the landscape they need some foil or background—plant amidst ground covers for great effect. The Sativas fall crocus is also the Saffron crocus, and the stigmas can be harvested for cooking.

While planting your spring bulbs, take the opportunity to seed some more radish — Watermelon or White Icicle are good varieties for cooler temperatures. Also, it’s a great time to re-seed lettuces or mesclun mixes for late fall harvest. Grow your own ‘greens’ as long through the season as you can. Nor is it too late to enjoy growing gourmet Japanese baby white turnips named Mikado. Many other plants can be seeded to grow into the fall for as long as the season will allow. They may not make it to full maturity but baby beets or beet greens can be very welcomed in late October.

Baby kale shoots are also a nice addition, especially for added nutrition in salads.

Planting bulbs that will bloom the following year is like planting hope, with the anticipation of the beautiful flowers to come.

Fall into your garden and extend your season and your enjoyment! As your garden falls into its winter dormancy and the blanket of snow protects your work, you can dream of the bulbs you planted and the joy they will bring you after another Canadian winter.

RICK WEINGARDEN and ALLAN WATTS own Anything Grows SEED Co. (www.anythinggrows.com). They can be found at the Western Fair Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market on Saturdays, and at various gardening events around the region.

Plan now, to harvest late fall greens Another question asked often is where to plant them? You may have a great amount of space which is currently covered in hostas or other perennials, but these plants are dormant when the spring bulbs will be coming up. As you tidy up your garden, cut back the hostas as they die back to discover a lot of areas to dig holes between them.

Plant at least five to seven bulbs in each hole for best effect. Mass plantings also allow you enough flowers for cutting —it’s so nice to celebrate your own flowers indoors as well.

Fall is also the time to plant varieties of charming fall blooming crocus and

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wine

Join the Club!

The joys of Wine Club membership

By JANE ANTONIAK Photographs by BRUCE FYFE

A

wine club may sound like some­ thing out of reach for many, reserved for the elite.

But thousands of Ontarians of all ages and economic groups are members of Niagara winery clubs.

Through membership they become part of a social and educational group, allowing them access to seminars, tours, tastings, special events and delivery to home of wines often only available at the winery.

Memberships run up to $50 a month and provide the member with a monthly delivery of two bottles of wine which are selected by the winery. Also in the monthly kit are tasting notes and a recipe to pair with each wine. These recipes are crafted by some of the top chefs in Niagara, who pride themselves on exact pairings of food with wine while creating recipes aimed at the home chef: they are easy to follow and contain accessible ingredients.

“Many of our members are younger now

Food and wine pairings at Peller Estates (above) and Fielding Estates wineries as wine becomes more out in the open and because of the large growth of wine and food pairings. The club draws people of all age brackets and income ranges,” says Ashley White, a Wine Club and Direct-to-Home specialist at Peller/Trius for nine years. Peller and Trius are both owned by Andrew Peller but each maintains its own wine club, with a combined membership of 6,000. Members can enjoy tasting and tour privileges at either winery as well as at 30 Bench in Beamsville.

White says that wine club memberships are very popular now as wedding and holiday gifts. “A large majority of people who receive a membership as a gift (the minimum is six months) keep the membership up and then end up giving it as a gift to others down the road,” says White.

Some clubs also include bonus gifts with their monthly deliveries. Peller Estates recently sent its members a set of four Govino outdoor wine glasses while Vineland Estates Winery included a sample of Sarafino A sample Wine Club offering from Trius Winery

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

balsamic vinegar. The and with our wines,” says clubs pride themselves owner Heidi Fielding. “Our on creating special access members are like family.” for members. At Trius The Vineland club is (the former Hillebrand unique in that it ships to Winery), members can its 1,000-plus members take the Sparkling Wine other winery wines as tour with up to five guests well as their own. “Yes, we at no charge (normally a actually promote the best $15 per person tour). The from other wineries to our tour includes viewing the best customers and the impressive sparkling cellars members love it,” says David and sampling four kinds of Hulley, Director of Customer sparkling including Cuvée, Experience at Vineland. which is infused with ice “We also do a live tasting on wine. At Peller, members can YouTube every month so we also take up to five guests on can interact with members tours and seminars including Wine tasting at Vineland Estates who cannot make it to the the spectacular Chicks & Winery — Circle of Friends Wine Club winery.” Vineland also offers Chocolates seminar, held in cheese pairing tips each the cellar room. Four custommonth. It was great to see made chocolates are paired with four wines. them promoting Gunn’s Hill Tipsy cheese from This irresistible seminar is not to be missed!

Woodstock paired with their 2012 Cabernet The seminar would cost non-members $15 Franc, Circle of Friends. but is complimentary to members and their While all these perks are fantastic, guests. As you can see, spending a day in what many wine lovers want from their wine country with friends and taking in membership is the chance to sample tours and seminars can quickly cover the exclusive winery releases — wines not cost of the membership. sold at the LCBO. All the wines shipped Fielding Estate Winery started its club in 2005 to members are VQA (Vintners Quality and has 200 members who eagerly flock to the Alliance). As well, club members are often annual summer party. It is a catered afternoon invited to exclusive pre-release tasting with wine and includes a wine related activity events. In all cases, if a member enjoys such as a blending seminar where members a wine that has been sent to them in a can choose which blend they would like bottled monthly mailing, they can order more as a future wine club offering. directly from the winery to be shipped “We loved the idea of a wine club so we directly to home. could connect with people on an ongoing If you do plan on joining and spending a basis and keep them in the loop and excited day taking in seminars, tastings, tours and about what we are doing at the winery special events it is advisable to pre-book.

Recipes and photos courtesy of Vineland Estates Winery, Connections Wine Club

“VEW” Burger

Suggested Wine Pairing: Vineland Estates — COF 2012 Cabernet Franc 1 lb. Ground Fresh Sirloin 1 tsp each of Salt, Ground Pepper, Espelette Pepper, 4 Spice, Sambel Oelek, Maple, Roasted Garlic, Worcestershire, Dijon, Triple Crunch Mustard (grainy would work) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Grill as desired — if it’s grass-fed beef, feel free to do it a little less well done.

I like to top mine off with: smoked cheese, roasted pork belly, pickled cabbage, aioli, and a thick slice of garden-fresh tomato!

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As the popularity of wine club membership grows, so too does the demand for these member privileges. However, every club has wine concierge services, and staff will help members plan a full day of events. Some clubs, such as Trius, offer discounts at hotels as well. After all that “clubbing” you may need to rest!

Steamed Mussels

In a large pan on medium-high heat, add a couple glugs of oil and your double smoked bacon. Once bacon is almost crispy, add your shallots and sauté.

Deglaze with the cooking wine. Add triple crunch mustard, roasted red peppers, lemon zest

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JANE ANTONIAK, a regular contributor to eatdrink, is also Manager, Communications & Media Relations at King’s University College, London, where staff and faculty enjoy Pelee Island wines at special events.

BRUCE FYFE is a photographer for eatdrink and a librarian at Weldon, Western University. He is also a member of the Peller Estates Wine Club.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Vineland Estates — NORTH 2013 Pinot Blanc 2 pounds Mussels 1 cup Double Smoked Bacon, diced 1 Shallot, large 1 tablespoon Triple Crunch Mustard 1 Lemon, zested 2 Red Peppers, roasted and sliced 1 Scallion, chopped 2 tablespoon White Cooking Wine 1 cup 35% Cream Parsley, fresh and chopped and mix together. Then add mussels and cream and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Discard any mussels that do not open. Finish with chopped scallions and fresh parsley.

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BEER MATTERS beer matters

Patio Pleasures and Liquid Passports

By THE MALT MONK

H

oo-wha, I love summer! Not just the weather, but the seasonal offerings local brewing artisans bring to café tables. Forgive the indulgence of my title but it dovetails into the theme I’m working into this edition’s column; I’m reviewing and recommending a few delectable craft beers I experienced on tap at sunny café patios this summer as well as a couple of memorable sessions with limited release bottled brews on my own patio. The common thread is they are all imported or use imported ingredients — thus the “passport” component of the title.

Xingu Black Lager is a wonderful decadent Schwarzbier (light-bodied German black lager) from an award winning Brazilian craft brewer. This is a more robust interpretation of the traditional Schwarzbier style.

Served fresh from the tap you get a deep chestnut hued lager with a puffy tan cap and subtle aroma.

There is a fleeting hint of malt sweetness before the rich roastychocolaty demeanour goes into a dry, hoppy clean finish. This is one of the best black lagers I’ve tasted — slightly rich without losing its light-bodied character, very easy drinking — like Kostritzer on steroids. If they were serving this in Brazilian

sports bars during World Cup, no doubt it made Brazil’s loss much more palatable.

Rogue Farms 7 Hop IPA is produced by Oregon’s Rogue Brewing Co. from the proprietary grains and hops grown on its Willamette Valley farm.

This is a true all-natural unfiltered beer with locally grown ingredients, with no preservatives, adjuncts or stabilisers, made from seven proprietary hop varieties and three malts. I can attest to this being a profoundly quenching, satisfying, brightly hopped ale when served fresh on tap. The local traditionally grown (no insecticides) proprie­ tary ingredients truly give you an earthy sense of the terroir of this brew’s origins — every sip shouts “Made In Pacific North-West”. Highly recommended for those who enjoy IPAs and bright fresh tasting beer.

Side Launch Belgian Hat Trick is a summer offering from this re-established craft brewer. Hat Trick is a Belgian triple abbeystyled ale. The master brewer’s touch in the attention to detail, ingredients and process is evident in this on-tap offering. It’s obvious an esoteric strain of Belgian yeast was used along with imported malts. For a high-gravity ale this one is fully finished, no sharp edges, mellow, flavorful and smooth as silk in delivery. Very aromatic with abundant fruit and floral notes,

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lightly complex in flavor with apricotbiscuity-earthy tones amalgamating with the spicy, leafy hop selection — clean dry finish with not a hint of the 8.5% alcohol present — deceptively delicious with a rich satiny mouth feel. On tap this was a truly rewarding brew when paired up with the pub’s trencherman’s platter of cheeses and smoked meats. I hope Side Launch decides to make this again and possibly bottle it for cellaring.

Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca (LCBO# 365734) — A Belgian “white ale” from a Michigan artisanal brewer. Calabaza Blanca is aged in large oak casks and refermented in the bottle. Spiced with orange peel and coriander, and utilizing wild yeast strains (Brett), its delivery is refreshingly tart and spicy with a wonderfully dry finish. This brewery produces some of the best bottleconditioned beers anywhere. All of its beers are aged in oak barrels with wild yeasts giving a subtle, pleasant acidity not unlike tart fruits. After oak maturation these beers are re-yeasted, and allowed additional time to develop natural carbonation in the bottle and further enhance complex flavour refinement in the finished beer. Because of this you must learn to gently handle the opening and pouring of bottle-conditioned beers to avoid the “foaming volcano” effect. This white ale was particularly quenching paired with a chipotle-chicken salad after a hot day.

One of 2014’s

TOP 10 Beer Bars in Canada

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Flying Monkeys Green Man Imperial Amber Lager is a very limited release from this innovative craft brewer. This, at first blush, appears to be an amped up imperialized version of a marzen amber lager. A closer inspection reveals that this is another of Peter Chodo’s concept beers utilizing esoteric hop varieties

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against a supporting blend of specialty malts in a common style, yielding uncommon results. In Green Man we see the use of some unique New Zealand hop varieties which are normally used in ales — and these abstract elements spice up this big malty lager and

Malt Monk’s Taste o’ the Moment

Bush Pilot “Norseman” Eisbock (LCBO #399154) is a new offering from a local maverick brewing company, this time done in collaboration between Bush Pilot, Nickel Brook Brewery and Kjetil Jikiun, the founder of legendary Norwegian craft brewery Nøgne Ø. In keeping with the bush plane theme and to celebrate the Norwegian component of this brewing project, they named it Norseman and created a seasoned Armagnac barrel-aged Eisbock (A doppel bock that goes through an ice reduction process).

My sample came in a 750 ml dark green champagne bottle — crown capped — kept from light in a container tube.

Ambience: cool early summer night, consumed by a roaring campfire with a meal of fresh caught steelhead, cooked on a cedar board served with capered basmati rice and fresh fiddlehead greens.

Serving temp: spent about 30 minutes on ice in the cooler (approx.) 45°F Serving container: thick glass tumbler (chilled) Color and appearance: pours a dark murky chestnut color with a moderate off white cap which fades quickly to a clinging surface lace (not surprising for a high gravity brew) Aroma: complex, changes and gets more pungent as it warms but the core elements are figs, port, robust roasty grains — toasted pumpernickel with cocoa, wet oak, light smokiness, just a hint of yeast funk, some fusel tones come forward as it warms.

Character: rich, full bodied, solid malt spine verging on silken mouth feel but it gets a tad hot in the finish from big alcohol.

Flavour Profile: a big hit of roasty malts and dark fruits up front, lightly sweet, hops provide some spice and balance although

№ 49 | September/October 2014

connect well in this beer. Big, malty, hoppy, modest complexity with subtle unexpected tastes for a lager, like vanilla, caramel, nuts, and lemon grass. Medium bodied and satisfying, this is a big lager with all sorts of pleasant unconventional surprises.

malt and dark fruit esters carry the profile here ... mid-palate you get complex flavour impressions — muscatel, raisin bread, pipe tobacco, filberts, Madera, woody tones ... long, rich, warming finish.

Overall Impression: This is a well-designed ice process dark doppelbock lager. Very judicious selection of hops and malts along with care and control in the brewing, barreling and ice process has yielded a really unique vinous-like bock. If you didn’t know what you were drinking you’d swear it was a rich dark fortified wine of immense gustatory sensation. I love bock, I drink a lot of it, but it pales in comparison to the intensity of this brew.

I have had a lot of high gravity doppel bocks but this is a new experience — very much like one of the intense beers Brew Dog experiment with but easier drinking. If there is a flaw, it’s that the alcohol is a tad evident now for some palates.

This is not a disadvantage if you savour ports or Madeira. However a few months to a year in the cellar will certainly improve this Eisbock by taming the alcohol. I will be buying a few bottles to cellar because I’m deeply curious to see what bottle aging will produce. For those who missed the April release of this brew, be advised there will be an early winter (December) release of a second lot that has more aging on it. I can recommend this big beer for those who like intense brews, or who like to cellar age fine brews, or for those who like fortified wine and wish to venture into strong barreled beers.

THE MALT MONK is the alter ego of D.R. Hammond, a passionate supporter of craft beer culture. He invites readers to join in the dialogue at maltmonksbeerblog.wordpress.com/

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

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BEER MATTERS

theatre

Coming This Fall: Over the Top! Donald DISHES on Theatre

By DONALD D’HAENE

R

ecently someone asked, after hearing of my latest acting adventure, “Why would you want to be someone else?” Twentyseven years in the biz and I’ve never been asked that.

“I’m an actor; that’s the gig,” I replied. But, I wondered, why wouldn’t I? Although acting usually involves portraying a character written by someone else, I believe that humans have acted since the beginning of time.

No doubt even Eve did some acting with her Adam back in their Garden (we know the Serpent did — the first acting coach?).

But one of the first to go public with their “skill” was Thespis, in ancient Greece (12 BC). Heard of actors being called thespians?

Well, blame old Thespis.

I’m here to tell you that this fall there’ll be a whole lot of thespians being anything but themselves. “Over-the-top” and “out of this world” would not be understating what’s on the horizon.

Those terms describe The Addams Family, The Grand Theatre’s latest High School Project, to a ‘T’. Director Susan Ferley promises this family is “macabre, eccentric and unique!” She also note that this production is “very different than last season’s Legally Blonde.”

Whereas the contemporary Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa.

Blonde’s cosBased on Characters Created by Charles Addams. tumes could be SEPTEMBER 16 TO 27 bought off the TICKETS ON SALE NOW! rack, Addams’ range of eras and GRANDTHEATRE.COM | 519.672.8800 places offer the wardrobe department a challenge.

Andrea Surich, Production Manager, told me the costumes must be built reflecting “periods that range from the cavemen to the HIGH SCHOOL PRO JECT FALL 2014

Spanish Inquisition and Modern Times.” In addition to the costumes, students are creating everything from gravestones to instruments of torture.

Ferley reminded me that this musical is “about a unique family that loves passionately.

The story is about facing the darkness of our fears and by doing so illuminating the mysterious … living life richly.”

I wonder if Morticia had that in mind when she told her husband, “Don’t torture yourself, Gomez. That’s my job.”

I can’t wait to experience this playful and witty musical.

The Addams Family, High School Project, September 16–27, grandtheatre.com Next up, Rick Kish and playwright Denise Hay have created a show that juxtaposes fiction with the very real music of Judy Garland and gay life pre-Stonewall. JUDY: Stonewalled! was my favourite experience in this past June’s London Fringe Festival and, fortunately for those who missed it, this drama with music is being remounted at the McManus Studio (UnderGrand) in October by a missing link theatre WEIRD IS RELATIVE company.

I asked Kish if he was surprised at its success.

“We had no idea if anyone else would get it. We knew we liked it but you never know, right?

We all chose to believe in these characters and to stay focused on the truth of each of them and see what happened. Then the audience came into the picture, and to our collective delight, they embraced it.”

I loved its raw rendering of what is considered to be the beginning of the LGBT movement — The Stonewall Riots in New York SE ASON SPONSOR

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

JUDY Stonewalled: Martha Zimmerman, Rick Kish, John White, Mark Medeiros, Michael Bergeron, Natalie Howard Grant. Photo credit Dylan Woodward City. For the first time this scribe was even remotely able to comprehend what it must have been like to experience Stonewall — in the early hours of June 28, 1969, a group of gay customers at a Greenwich Village bar took a stand against the harassment by police. When word spread quickly throughout the community a riot broke out. (New York had laws then prohibiting homosexuality in public, and private businesses and gay establishments were regularly raided and shut down.)

Natalie Howard-Grant’s rendering of Judy Garland’s classics is not to be missed and the delivery is all the more heart-wrenching when one realizes that Garland’s death coincided with that week of riots.

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Another fall show actually compliments the themes of both shows above and takes this column full circle. It’s the dramedy Hosanna, a true Canadian classic by Michel Tremblay, that hasn’t been produced in London since 1989. Double D Productions (Dave Semple and yours truly), in association with London Community Players at Procunier Hall (beside the Palace Theatre on Dundas, palacetheatre.ca) will present the Hosanna leads Donald D’Haene show during the (left, as Annie Lennox) and Dave first two weeks Semple (as Courette) of November.

Hosanna is set in Montreal, about five years after Stonewall, and centres around the love story between transsexual drag queen Hosanna (played by moi) and homosexual biker Cuirette (Semple). Both characters deal with several issues including gender and sexual identity, the ignorance and acceptance of ageing, and social expressions of homosexuality.

Actors have to deal with ageism as well.

Luckily for Dave and me, Hosanna requires aged actors. To the question my friend raised at the outset, although it’s true that I’ve performed in drag, I do have to act.

Drag is safe and distant and almost always humorous; transvestitism is a whole different culture. This play shines a light on this somewhat invisible part of our community.

Even so, is there such a thing as a drag queen who isn’t over-the-top? Hosanna is raw, tragic and outrageously funny. Of course, we’re hoping for just a fraction of the fabulosity of The Addams Family and JUDY: Stonewalled!

If plays are meta­phors of theatre as an imperfect reflection of real life, perhaps we actors are really only playing different versions of ourselves.

DONALD D’HAENE is Editor of donaldsdish.ca. Twitter @ TheDonaldNorth and email: donalddhaene@hotmail.com.

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

books

The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food

By Dan Barber Review by DARIN COOK

I

f you read only one book about food describes as this year, let it be this one. The Third a traditional Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food steak meal (Penguin Press, 2014, $32.00) by Dan with a side of Barber takes the discussion about food to vegetables a new level. As soon as I closed the back (the first cover, I turned to the first page and started plate), followed by the again because Barber’s writing style is so farm-to-table meal with the same meat, compelling and his subjects so intriguing. but grass-fed, and heirloom vegetables Amid discourses about the ecology of natural produced more organically (the second food systems and the revival of ancient seeds, plate). Barber is slightly critical of the Barber writes about everything that impacts traditional farm-to-table plate when saying, the end goal of all chefs — the flavour of food. “Farm-to-table allows, even celebrates, a As a chef, Barber has come to realize that kind of cherry-picking of ingredients that are “truly flavourful food involves a recipe more often ecologically demanding and expensive complex than anything I can conceive in to grow.” The distinction he makes between the kitchen.” And it starts on the farm. The the second and third plate is that even with land imparts flavour to everything: plants organic, sustainable products, for the second get their flavour from the soil, which in turn plate they are being grown according to an feed the animals. Barber argues that flavour agenda. He feels that food the land provides has diminished because of changes in most naturally should be the driving force, farming practices that deteriorate the health not the chefs designing a menu and then of the soil, like decreasing crop rotation and demanding the food required for it. increasing chemical use.

His Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant, Barber is a perfect guide for this next level set on a farm surrounded by the land that of food education. He grew up on a family provides the crops and livestock, started as farm and his two Blue Hill restaurants in a farm-to-table restaurant, but has evolved New York are linked to Stone Barns into much more. There is a symbiotic Center for Food and Agriculture, relationship at work with the a research foundation doing farm’s morning harvest arriving innovative things in the in the kitchen’s coolers and culinary world. Not the least being used by the end of of these is spreading the dinner service. Chefs have word about the third plate a vested interest in what — “an integrated system of farmers are producing, thus vegetable, grain, and livestock Barber’s reason for this close production that is fully association. Barber writes Dan Barber supported — in fact, dictated that “a chef’s worth is largely — by what we choose to cook for determined by his interpretation dinner. The third plate is where good of great ingredients.” This is why his farming and good food intersect.” restaurant has no menu. He takes what Barber sees it as a logical progression to comes in from his farmers and creates the replace the previous two plates, which he meals out of the day’s bounty.

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His investigations into organic farming highlight the importance of soil health, insect control, and crop diversity, and he seeks out farmers that model these practices to breed crops and animals for flavour, rather than volume. Barber’s popularity draws people like Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills who passes off specialty seeds to chefs to get exposure for grains that are not well known, but are unique and flavourful. When Roberts came calling with special corn seeds, Barber saw it as “a chance to work with an ingredient no other restaurant could offer on its menu.”

Choosing what goes on a menu is an important decision; Barber learned the hard way by serving Bluefin tuna with his farm fresh yield and getting called out on it for using a fish nearing depletion. This led him to Chef Angel Leon from Spain who has convinced fishermen to sell him the types of seafood that become detritus on fishing boats. This initiative has lessened waste in the industry, and broadened the fish options on his menu.

Barber tackles other controversial menu items, like foie gras and Iberico ham. The system that harvests Iberico ham is so natural it seems odd to call it farming.

№ 49 | September/October 2014

Iberian pigs live on the dehesa tracts of land in Spain and gorge themselves on acorns from November to March each year. There is an art to raising these pigs and curing the ham they provide, and a line of dedicated farmers keep the process going by nurturing the natural systems to ensure long-term sustainability, knowing that any negative impacts to the ecosystem are detrimental to the ham’s flavour.

The third plate is still an idea on the fringes of the culinary world, but Barber wants it to evolve into an overriding philosophy of cooking that focuses on the whole farm, the whole animal, and by-products usually thrown aside. Barber is an eloquent and engaging writer who provides an entertaining book of creative ideas, the same way he cooks creative cuisine, for all of us to think about and hopefully realize.

DARIN COOK is a freelance writer who works and plays in Chatham-Kent, and keeps himself well-read and well-fed by visiting the bookstores and restaurants of London.

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cookbooks

Flex Appeal A Vegetarian Cookbook for Families with Meat-Eaters

By Pat Crocker and Nettie Cronish Review and Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN

H

ave you ever been planning a party and realized that one of your guests is a vegetarian? Has your teenager come home and announced that cows are too cute to eat?

Then the newest cookbook from Pat Crocker and Nettie Cronish just might save your bacon, so to speak.

Flex Appeal; a Vegetarian Cookbook for Families with Meat-Eaters (Whitecap; May 2014 ;$29.95) is more than a cookbook. It’s a guide through the sometimes treacherous landscape of food choices in the twenty- first century. We’re facing increasing health, environmental and ethical dilemmas regarding the way we raise and process food animals. It can be tough to balance that with a culture that says we should have what we want, when we want it. Flex Appeal shows us that we can please both sides and still have dinner on the table in less than an hour.

At the end of a long day, that’s what really matters to most of us.

Nettie Cronish describes her younger self as an evangelical vegetarian (she blames Paul McCartney for this). These days, she

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takes a more laidback approach and calls herself a vegetarian ambassador. She certainly appreciates the challenge of a mixed diet family; her children are non-vegetarians.

Pat Crocker is a home economist and writer who is passionate about health, herbs and food. She’s also the photographer for Flex Appeal. Photos of the dishes are often accompanied by wonderful shots of the ingredients in their raw form.

The book has over 100 recipes, most of which can be made in less than an hour.

There are easy to read ingredient lists and make-ahead suggestions as well as time saving tips. The highlight of the book is that most of the recipes have Flex Appeal. These are additional instructions for including a meat or fish option for two portions of the recipe, and means that everyone can enjoy the same dish and that the cook doesn’t have to do double duty.

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These recipes are not light, salad-y affairs mozzarella. Pine nuts or sunflower seeds add that are saved by the meat or fish richness to the dressing. The optional options. They are hearty, comforting chicken breast is poached in broth foods in their own right. I could with lemongrass for an extra layer easily imagine making them on of lemon flavour. any weeknight with or without Another great option for a the meat. weeknight dinner or lunch on Flex Appeal introduces the the run is Grilled Vegetable reader to a number of ingredi­ Shwarma with Tahini ents that may be new but gives Dressing. I am addicted to wonderful descriptions, photos shawarma and am always Nettie Cronish and instructions for their use. A looking for a good homemade chapter on seasonings and sauces version. I was concerned that was a nice addition and includes there didn’t seem to be a lot of spice instructions for making your own ricotta in the vegetable mixture but the smoky cheese. There is also a dessert chapter which cumin brought out the best flavours of the has some surprisingly decadent chocolate vegetables while the tahini dressing finished recipes. My favourite, however, was the Bal­ it off beautifully. The lamb was a tasty samic Roasted Strawberries. I was intrigued by addition. this recipe as it looked more like a treatment Whether you are vegetarian or omnivore, for fish than fruit but it was delicious.

Flex Appeal is the answer. This book is packed If you insist on eating dinner before your full of dishes that swing both ways. dessert, try the Lemon Tarragon Linguini.

Linguini noodles are tossed with a lemon TRACY TURLIN is a freelance writer and dog groomer in herb dressing served with fresh tomatoes and London. Reach her at tracyturlin@gmail.com

Grilled Vegetable Shawarma with Tahini Dressing with Lamb Flex Appeal

Lamb is the meat of choice for this Middle Eastern dish, but these hefty rolls are definitely good without the meat, so try the veggie version first. We used whole wheat pocketless pitas, but you could stuff this into a pita pocket and make it easier to eat.

Either way, the taste is divine. —Pat Makes 4 servings.

3 Tbsp (45 mL) coconut or avocado oil, divided 1 onion, sliced 2 cups (500 mL) cubed eggplant 1 cup (250 mL) sliced mushrooms 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin 2 cups (500 mL) spinach leaves 4 pitas, warmed (see Warming Wraps) ½ cup (125 mL) Tahini Dressing (recipe follows) tzatziki (optional) In a tagine or a skillet with a lid, heat 2 Tbsp (30 mL) oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 4 minutes.

Add the remaining oil and the eggplant and mushrooms and stir to mix well. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

Stir in the garlic, cumin and spinach.

№ 49 | September/October 2014

From the Field

to Our Kitchen to

Photos and recipes courtesy of Flex Appeal by Pat Crocker and Nettie Cronish, published

by Whitecap Books (2014)

Your Table

EST. 1996

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.

On a work surface, lay out pitas. Spread Tahini Dressing over each pita, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border around the edges. Spread onion-eggplant mixture down the centre of each pita. Fold sides of the pita around the filling and secure with toothpicks. Serve with tzatziki, if desired.

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1 Tbsp (15 mL) coconut or avocado oil 2 bone-in lamb leg chops (about 6 oz/175 g) In a skillet or cast iron grill, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the lamb chops for 3 minutes per side. They should show some pink on the inside (145°F/63°C for medium-rare).

Cut into strips and spread over the vegetables on 2 of the pitas in step 2 above. If you have coloured toothpicks, use a different colour to secure the lamb shawarmas.

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TAHINI DRESSING Makes ½ cup (125 mL) ¼ cup (60 mL) mayonnaise 2 Tbsp (30 mL) tahini 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, tahini, garlic and lemon juice.

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Warming Wraps

It is essential that you work out an easy way to warm tortillas, tacos, pita and other wrap breads if you want to fully enjoy them. If you have a flameproof clay tortilla warmer as pictured here, you can heat them over a stovetop flame just before filling and rolling.

To warm wrap breads using an oven, cover them with a dampened tea towel and seal in foil or place in a casserole dish with lid. Heat for up to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 300°F (175°C). If using a microwave oven, cover with a dampened tea towel and microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

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Lemon Tarragon Linguine with Chicken Flex Appeal

The tart lemon and fragrant, licorice-tasting tarragon are a great taste combination, and also perfectly complement the chicken option. Pine nuts add a soft, almost creamy texture, and are also a good match for this dish. —Pat Makes 4 servings.

1 lb (500 g) linguini noodles ½ cup (125 mL) Lemon Tarragon Dressing (recipe follows) 4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced 2 buffalo mozzarella rounds, torn in half (see About Fresh Mozzarella, following) 4 sprigs fresh tarragon Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and bring back to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until al dente.

Drain and toss with Lemon Tarragon Dressing.

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Divide the tomato slices evenly among 4 plates.

Divide the pasta into 4 portions and swirl onto tomatoes. Garnish with mozzarella halves and a sprig of tarragon, if desired.

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In a saucepan, bring the broth and lemongrass, if using, to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 9 to 10 minutes or until the chicken turns opaque and there is no sign of pink on the inside. Chicken is cooked safely when a meat thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) when inserted into the meatiest part.

Let cool and slice into crosswise strips. Divide in half and add to 2 of the plates in step 3.

LEMON TARRAGON DRESSING Makes ½ cup (125 mL) ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped fresh tarragon) ¼ cup (60 mL) sunflower seeds or pine nuts 2 Tbsp (30 mL) grated lemon rind 5 Tbsp (75 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ cup (125 mL) olive oil 1 Tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar or to taste In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the tarragon, sunflower seeds, lemon rind, lemon juice and olive oil. Shake to mix well. Taste and add sugar to desired sweetness.

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The mozzarella most widely used by North Americans (mostly for pizza) is the low-moisture variety, which is drier and somewhat harder than fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is high-moisture, soft and delicate. Fresh mozzarella, which is what we recommend for this recipe, is found in specialty food stores and has a shorter shelf life. We love it for this recipe because it can be easily broken or pulled apart and is the perfect texture to eat with the heritage tomatoes and tarragon linguini. Once the linguini is plated, we dredge the mozzarella halves in the Tarragon Dressing at the bottom of the bowl to coat them with the seeds and tarragon.

Our word mozzarella comes from the Italian mozzare, which means to cut, a technique used in the making of mozzarella.

Fresh mozzarella may be made from buffalo or cow’s milk, and in Italy raw milk is still used because of its flavour. An Italian specialty, burrata (from the Italian word for buttered) would be a perfect cheese for this dish if you can find it—try Italian specialty or cheese shops. It’s made by forming fresh mozzarella around a lump of sweet cream butter or by mixing mozzarella with cream and wrapping it in fresh mozzarella.

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Featuring specialty foods, kitchenwares, tablewares, cooking classes & gift baskets.

Working with Tarragon

The first rule when working with this aromatic, anise-flavoured herb is to taste it to gauge the intensity of its fragrance and peppery, pine-licorice taste. Start with a small amount in recipes and add more if you like it. Cooking diminishes the aroma, but the flavour is sometimes intensified, especially if teamed with fats such as butter, oils or cream cheeses. In this recipe, you may wish to use less than ¼ cup (60 mL), or substitute chopped fresh basil if you prefer its milder, nutmeg-spiked taste.

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№ 49 | September/October 2014

the lighter side

Beyond the Paper Bag Princess

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD

N

othing heralds the end of summer more than kids heading back to school. Even if you don’t have children, you can’t fail to notice a certain September smell in the air, a softer, more golden light in the mornings. And for parents this also indicates an abrupt aboutface in terms of routines that have gradually ebbed away in the warm relaxed glow of the holidays. Regular bed and bath times will have to be re-established and, unfortunately for many, a gruelling return to the daily ritual of packing lunches.

Of all tasks, I have always reserved a special kind of loathing for packing lunches, even though I suspect that I have done it well over the years. For people like myself, the pizza day committee at school could name their price and I would still be happy to pay in order to obtain that special Get-Out-of-Jail-Free feeling and an extra few minutes in bed.

Nowadays of course the packed lunch has been raised to new heights — entire books are devoted to the art of a portable lunch, ranging from variety to vegan to the strictly economical. There’s even a bit of a Bento box movement afoot whereby tiny morsels are arranged in all manner of pleasing shapes: carrots become butterflies, cucumber wisps are folded concertina style and a wee spoonful of rice shines with a dab of sweet sauce. I often wonder, how many mummies sigh when these works of art return home untouched? Or perhaps I am alone in having had children who would rather trade with others in order to obtain that very special kind of cheese that can only be spread with a little red stick. Making lunches is certainly not for those who are easily discouraged.

My own history with school lunches has stayed with me all my life, having survived the fate of living through a pre-Jamie Oliver Britain and the colourful experiences supplied by the ladle-toting “Dinner Ladies” on staff. These forbidding women — possibly trained by the Gestapo — would offer up a tall, quivering

slice of bacon and egg pie whose fatty, under­ cooked bacon was the pink of a cat’s tongue.

I also recall the especially dreaded Brussels sprouts, a previously green vegetable which had been boiled for so long it now resembled cat sick and was distributed onto our plates with the kind of deft wrist action usually reserved for the ketchup bottle. If we had been served “Turkey Twizzlers,” Jamie, it would have been a very happy day indeed …

I’d like to report that on the last day of class, I cleaned out my children’s backpacks thor­ oughly, sluiced them with hot, soapy water and then line-dried them in the lavender-scented summer air so that they would be all ready in September. I’d like to report this — but unfortunately, it would be a vile untruth.

The reality is that many times I have unzipped those backpacks on Labour Day evening and encountered that sweet, sickly smell of decay sometimes associated with the Black Death. I’ve seen hard-as-golf-ball mandarin oranges and a sticky clutch of ugly, random teaspoons that may have recently been used at a prison facility where only strawberry yoghurt is served. In the side pocket — always a danger zone — a dark, ominous smear turns out to be thankfully nothing more than road-kill raisins. But there’s also a thin, brittle circle of what appears to be electric blue shag carpet. I still don’t know what this is and it haunts my dreams.

I recall once, after a processed meat scare, turning to my crockpot for reassurance. By night, I poached whole organic chickens so that I could fill soft Kaiser buns with cubes of tender, herb-scented meat, shaved celery and a thin drizzle of mayonnaise. Ever desperate for recognition, I asked my eldest how his lunches were. “Not bad,” he said thoughtfully. “But Robbie says he likes the ham way better.”

SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD is a freelance writer who lives in London with her teenage sons and a floating population of dogs and cats.

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