eatdrink Issue 37: September/October 2012

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Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario № 37 • September/October 2012 www.eatdrink.ca

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Inspired Renewal at Mercer Hall Stratford’s New Take

On Sophistication

AND FEATURING

Pasto’s Grill

Hospitality, Italian-Style

Blu Duby

Remarkable Dining

Old East Village

Innovation on Dundas Street East

Kiss the Cook

October 11-13

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London’s Razor-Sharp Retailer

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Restaurants | Chefs | Farmers & Artisans | Culinary Buzz | Recipes | Wine | Travel A Food & Drink Magazine Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario

Think Global.

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Publisher

Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca

Managing Editor

Cecilia Buy – cbuy@eatdrink.ca

ONLINE

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Contributing Editor Bryan Lavery – blavery@eatdrink.ca Social Media Editor Jane Antoniak – jantoniak@eatdrink.ca Advertising Sales

Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca Jane Antoniak – jantoniak@eatdrink.ca

Finances

Michael Bell, Jim Sisco – finance@eatdrink.ca

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Graphics

Chris McDonell

Writers

Editorial Advisory Board

Bryan Lavery, Cecilia Buy, Jane Antoniak, Jennifer Gagel, Rick VanSickle, Darin Cook, D.R. Hammond, Sue Sutherland Wood, Jill Ellis-Worthington, Mary Ann Colihan, Nicole Laidler, Christie Masse, Mark Kearney Bryan Lavery, Cecilia Buy, Cathy Rehberg

Copy Editor

Jodie Renner – www.JodieRennerEditing.com

Website

Milan Kovar/KOVNET

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Impressions Printing, St. Thomas

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Cover Photo: The Charcuterie Board at Stratford’s Mercer Hall, designed for sharing and featuring artisanal meats, housemade pickles, and St. John chutney.

Photo by Derek Barnes.

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contents

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16 22 27

ISSUE № 37

F O O D W R I T E R AT L A R G E 12 Culinary Innovation in London’s Old East Village

16

22

27

30

42

69 78

By BRYAN LAVERY

R E S TAU R A N T S Inspired Renewal: Mercer Hall in Stratford

By JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON

Hospitality, Italian-style: Pasto’s Grill, in London

By CECILIA BU Y

Remarkable Dining with Blu Duby, in London

By BRYAN LAVERY

Bringing Back Benmiller Inn & Spa, near Goderich

By JANE ANTONIAK

The Tree House, Lola’s, and Bridges, in Sarnia-Lambton

By JANE ANTONIAK

FA R M E R S & A R T I S A N S 25 Birtch Farms & Estate Winery, near Woodstock

By NICOLE LAIDLER 45 Harbourtown Fudge, in Port Stanley

By CHRISTIE MASSE

C U L I N A RY R E TA I L 48 Razor-Sharp Retail at Kiss the Cook, in London

By MARY ANN COLIHAN

T R AV E L 36 A Lake Superior Circle Culinary Road Trip

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

By JANE ANTONIAK

N E W & N O TA B L E 50 The BUZZ

THE BUZZ

B E E R M AT T E R S 59 Chasing Down the Domestic Rousse

By THE MALT MONK WINE 62 A Tasty Debate: Wine versus Beer

By RICK VanSICKLE

59

C U L I N A RY E D U C AT I O N 66 Going to the Source with Growing Chefs!

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD COOKBOOKS 69 Vegetables: Revised by James Peterson 72 The Tuscan Sun Cookbook by Mayes & Mayes

Reviews and Recipe Selection by JENNIFER GAGEL

BOOKS 76 Taste What You’re Missing by Barb Stuckey

By DARIN COOK

THE LIGHTER SIDE 78 To Tea or Not to Tea

By MARK KEARNEY

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tidbits

Welcome to Culinary Tourism!

By CHRIS McDONELL, eatdrink Publisher

W

hile I am excited about London hosting the Ontario Culinary Tourism Summit on October 22, in conjunction with the 2012 Ontario Tourism Summit, I worry that many people, even some in the industry, fail to see the importance.

I asked our Contributing Editor Bryan Lavery to help me articulate what is going on, and I thank him for the following: In its broadest sense, Culinary Tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable culinary experiences of all kinds, often while travelling, but one can also be a culinary tourist at home. Today, our region is dotted with producerbased farmers’ markets and farm-gate markets.

Our chefs are committed to promoting local foods and buying directly from our farmers, pioneering an emerging culinary regionalism.

When it comes to food, what’s local is usually

what is best. Culinary Regionalism includes culinary and agricultural features special to a particular region. It recognizes uniqueness and the idiosyncratic characteristics and culture of the places where the food is produced and of the people who produce it. It respects and resonates with the rhythms of the seasons and the distinctive features of the landscape. For many cooks, it means reinterpreting culture-specific culinary specialties with home-grown ingredients and techniques intrinsic to a precise geographic area.

For others it means rediscovering time-honoured indigenous recipes handed down by generations.

Here at eatdrink, we actively promote Culinary Tourism and Culinary Regionalism, both integral aspects of our mandate to celebrate quality food and drink experiences. Cheers!

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

food writer at large

Culinary Innovation and Incubation and the “New” Old East Village Food District

By BRYAN LAVERY

G

the Palace Theatre, and the Potter’s Guild. ood things are happening in In recent times the area has seen a new London’s Old East Village, with arrival of foodies, hipsters, musicians, the rehabilitation of London’s artists, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs. once-beleaguered Dundas Street Recently opened, creative independent East. Two decades ago, this corridor businesses like Unique Food Attitudes initiated a burgeoning indie streak at Dundas and Lyle and The Root Cellar that made it a destination for artist and Organic Cafe near Dundas and Adelaide musicians and “pickers” to source retro furniture and accessories. Today, a sense of add another level of sophistication to the OEV. Both businesses are innovative, optimism is pervasive. stylish and original.

Old East Village is just a stone’s Barbara Czyz has operated throw east of downtown Unique Food Attitudes as London. It is bordered to a catering business for 17 the north by the CP rail years. Right behind her yard at Central Ave, to chic storefront bistro, the west by Adelaide Medallion Development Street, to the south by is completing a 324-unit the CN rail lines at York residential tower with Street, and to the east move-in slated for the start

by Ashland Avenue and of the fall school session. A the CN/CP feeder lines The Western Fair Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market second tower is in progress. at Kellogg’s on Dundas (WFFAM) has had a substantial economic The restaurant has been Street. One of the oldest impact on Old East Village, serving as a an instant success due and most culturallybusiness incubator and community centre to its modern European diverse neighbourhoods sensibility, changing of London, Old East chalkboard menu offerings, fabulous food, Village is known for its “friendly front and warm hospitality. porch mentality,” and the corridor has a In late July, the On the Move Organics hip reputation for the avant-garde and as cooperative opened their latest initiative, a haven for artists and musicians whose the funky Root Cellar Organic Juice Bar & support has helped sustain important Café on Dundas Street just east of Adelaide, cultural venues such as the Aeolian Hall, next door to the St. Regis Tavern. The team serves a healthy, seasonal menu featuring cooking and baking with mostly local and organic ingredients. This is where locals go when they are looking for a filling breakfast, a simple and healthy lunch, or evidence that organic muffins are yummier than conventional. In addition to ethically Dave Cook (right) and his colleague Luis Rivas (left) chat with celebrated chef Michael Smith’s manager Maureen Hanley at a Bethany’s Hope event. Cook is the energetic and innovative proprietor of the Fire Roasted Coffee Company, Habitual Chocolate Roasters, and the WFFAM

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Within weeks of opening, Chef Erin Harris, The Cheese Poet, attracted a loyal clientele at the WFFAM sourced coffee and tea, the café also features a fresh juice and smoothie bar, where local denizens can pick from an expansive selection of nutritious, energizing, detoxifying, or just plain refreshing drinks.

A few doors east on Dundas, a 72-unit seniors’ housing development is nearing completion. The $12-million redevelopment received funding from three levels of government and fills a gap in the streetscape left years ago by Hudson’s department store and, later, the Centretown Mall. Local developer Jen Stickling has spoken about ideas for an organic local food market and a café and community kitchen on the storefront ground level space.

The Old East Village Business Improvement Association (OEVBIA) is directed by manager Sarah Merritt. A dynamic grassroots-driven revitalization initiative, it works in partnership with the City of London and the Old East Village Community Association.

Identified as a “food desert” in 2008 by a study co-authored by Dr. Jason Gilliland of Western University, the OEV is quickly emerging as a burgeoning local food and arts district. In follow-up analysis, it was discovered that the formation of the Western Fair Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market (WFFAM) has significantly elevated the selection and cost of nutritional foods available in an area that had previously been without access to retailers of healthy, affordable food.

Further collaborative research (led

by OEVBIA Researcher, Michael Clark) has identified how the Market has had a substantial economic bearing on

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Barbara Czyz, shortly after opening her chic Unique Food Attitudes restaurant on Dundas Street the community. Grocery prices in the neighbourhood have decreased by almost 12% in 3 years.

Several local culinary and agricultural initiatives are dedicated to developing and advancing the OEV and the market as a recognized, year-round culinary tourism destination, with authentic and diverse offerings of unique local products and cultural experiences.

One of the core objectives of the OEV Economic Development Plan is to generate business growth through innovative partnerships (both local and regional) and to kick-start projects that build upon the success of the WFFAM as a food-business incubator. One of the proposed projects will be targeted at an emerging sector in which the community has a comparative advantage: a local agri-food hub.

Dave Cook, proprietor of the Fire Roasted Coffee Company, Habitual Chocolate Roasters, and the WFFAM, continues the weekly tradition of Saturday market days. Located at the historic Confederation building, the WFFAM has established itself as an innovative business incubator, neighbourhood social centre, and community tradition.

Cook points out, “In attempting to change the area’s economy, one of the key initiatives is to promote entrepreneurialism.” Cook’s businesses have a social consciousness and fit into a new economic reality that is transforming retail: folks dedicated to sourcing quality, ethical, healthy food, and concerned about where it originates.

The term artisanal, overused as it may be, is not mere artifice but something palpable and authentic in the case of the WFFAM.

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Market-goers love the market because they can buy high-quality farm-fresh products directly from the people who produced them and can find unique products they won’t discover anywhere else in the city.

The neighbourhood loves the market because it brings people together and has transformed a former culinary desert into a hive of productivity, attracting entrepreneurs, culinary artisans and innovative thinkers. The market also serves as an anchor for community life by providing a setting for interactive cultural and civic activities in London’s Old East Village.

The market also has an unsurpassed variety of artisan bakers who bring in their fresh-baked products every Saturday morning: Chef Theo Korthof’s in-house Flair Bakery, Allan Mallioux’s Downie Street Bakery from Stratford, and Burdan’s Red Cat Farm (seasonal) from Goderich.

Lindsay’s Bakery developed out of a natural entrepreneurial enthusiasm and a desire to share really good baking. From his bake kitchen in the cellar of his Sebringville home, Lindsay Reid and his sister Mari-Jane hand-craft deliciousness.

Farmers’ markets are ideal “incubators,” Sarah Merritt says, because they offer entrepreneurs both low startup costs and opportunities to get immediate feedback from shoppers sampling the wares. The WFFAM, which draws between 2,500 and 3,200 people Saturdays, has become an informal incubator for new businesses that can then expand by creating store-front locations in the community and across the city.

Some of the expansions are True Taco (which is moving to a larger location across the street from its present location) and The Root Cellar, the organic cafe that just opened as a natural extension of the On the Move Organics business model. Flair Bakery, which will be renamed the Artisan Bakery, is slated to open kitty-corner to WFFAM in the early fall. Sweet Lemon Bakery recently opened downtown. Fire Roasted Coffee is positioned to open a highprofile flagship location downtown, across from the Covent Garden Market.

The creation and success of the Western Fair Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market has quickly changed the neighbourhood’s centre of gravity. The WFFAM is home to an emerging community of culinary

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Ellie Cook, one of the principals in the newly launched Root Cellar Organic Cafe, on Dundas Street professionals who are actively fostering the development of a distinctive food district and promoting innovation in food and sustainable strategies for the development of quality culinary practices.

In the present stage of the revitalization initiative, the OEV BIA has reinforced its partnership with the Western Fair District to create a local economic development

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plan for the Old East Village. In this research phase, the BIA, the Western Fair District, and a range of local partners are expected to explore opportunities to develop educational and awareness opportunities around food production and consumption, technological exchange and learning opportunities between farmers and the community, and closer interaction between agri-food producers and users, in order to foster innovation and business expansion activities in the Old East Village.

The Old East BIA is also receiving support from an investment impact group that works out of the innovative MaRS think tank in Toronto and brings together thought leaders to engage with a variety of stakeholders. “They feel the communitybased model in Old East Village can be duplicated across Canada,” Merritt says.

Among his many culinary pursuits, BRYAN LAVERY is also the Artisans` Market Manager for the Western Fair Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market. Bryan can be reached at blavery@eatdrink.ca.

“Reasonably priced, fresh, well-executed Ethiopian cuisine ...”

— Bryan Lavery, eatdrink magazine

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

restaurants

Inspired Renewal at Mercer Hall in Stratford

By JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON Photography by RALPH LEMBCKE and DEREK BARNES

W

ithout doubt, getting into the restaurant business in a town well-stocked with great establishments and during a time of shaky economy takes guts, but it also takes smarts.

That’s the approach Tim and Jessie Larsen are taking as new partners in Mercer Hall.

Many Stratford residents and visitors to the village have enjoyed gourmet sandwiches and coffee at Tango over the past ten years, but Dave and Ann Martin knew it was time to change things up.

Partnering with the Larsens, the Martins have tapped into a wealth of youthful energy, managerial expertise, and culinary talent.

Wanting to step back from the hospitality industry over the next few years, the Martins will be handing the reins over more and more to the Larsens. “We bring vibrancy and experience to this type of casual fine dining,” says Jessie, “and it was time for a change.”

Dave Martin explains it this way: “It’s a hybrid of a local format and high-end dining that reflects what’s going on behind the scenes. We (he and Anne) are old school

Head Chef Tim Larsen and Jessie Larsen, who runs the front of the house, are the new partners in Mercer Hall with longtime proprietors Dave and Ann Martin and they (the Larsens) are new school.”

With 25 years in the hospitality industry, Martin looks forward to having an advisory role as managing partner.

First step was the physical renovation of the space, over a four-month period. Walls came down, a new layout was established, and the décor was completely changed from funky cafe to sophisticated bistro.

Gone are the crazy colours, replaced by a muted palette of taupe and cream, balanced by polished woodwork and crystal chandeliers. “We wanted a classic, timeless, Europeanstyle ambiance,” explains Jessie.

Tim Larsen earned his chef’s chops by apprenticing to chefs and working his way up the chain at fine dining establishments like The Church. Much of his training was gained at the The serenely distinctive Mercer Hall patio

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Charcoal Group restaurants in KitchenerWaterloo. He has upended the casual fare of Tango and replaced it with classic dishes made with flair and a total focus on local ingredients. For example, the pastrami sandwich is made from locally-grown brisket marinated and smoked in-house. It is incomparable to the normal luncheon fare that shares its name because of its superior flavour and moistness.

Same with the burger. It seems a shame to refer to something so superlative by such a pedestrian title. The field-gate purchased organic beef is hand-ground. The patties are prepared sous-vide for extra tenderness, and finished on the grill. To accompany this delectable patty, they make their own ketchup. Nope, no detail is too small.

An appetizer that my dining partner and I especially enjoyed was the Arancini. These were new to us and we were instantly in love, enjoying a trio of risotto and smoked mozzarella balls encasing sweet tomato jam rolled in panko bread crumbs and fried.

Crispy morsels of goodness — every bite a delight.

The charcuterie board receives the same onestep-up treatment, with house-made goodies that boggle the taste buds: fennel pollen salami, duck prosciutto, freshly pickled veggies, and foie gras pâté — all made in-house — were highlights of this scrumptious feast. The selection may vary depending on the availability of fresh ingredients.

Besides offering full lunch and dinner menus, later in the evening they feature a selection of tapas. They call this the Nosh menu and it’s available after 7:30 most nights and all evening on Mondays.

Local, local, local — that word was oft repeated during my conversation with Chef Tim. “Some­ times local farmers will come in with produce that

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The arancini (above, small plate, centre) are crisply fried balls of risotto and smoked mozzarella encasing sweet tomato jam rolled in panko bread crumbs. Below, the perfectly prepared steak tartare with gaufrette chips and lemon-dressed microgreens.

Head Chef Tim Larsen has created innovative signature dishes and contemporary twists on some classics. He is ably assisted by Mark Dragasevich (facing away) and Sous Chef Sean Collins, here plating mussels Photo by Derek Barnes

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

Exquisitely ornate chandeliers, beautiful millwork, hardwood floors and drapery contribute to the pleasing

mix of textures and lighting that evoke a timeless, classic European-style ambiance

they’ve picked that day, something really special, and we’ll buy it and have daily features with that ingredient. We like being flexible.”

With veggies from Soiled Reputation, pork from the de Martines (of Perth Pork Products) and Churchill Farms, and cheese from Monforte — to name a few among the many local suppliers — the new Mercer Hall turns 100-mile diet into 10-mile diet.

Jessie mentions that the cocktail menu gets the same treatment.

The infusions for such specialties as the strawberry rhubarb mojito (deliciously fresh)

are made in-house, as are off-beat offerings like bacon rye and cherry bourbon. The cocktail menu will change and diversify as the culinary features do. Jessie has wide experience behind the bar and has

The Mercer Hall bar offers an inviting atmosphere for a latenight bite or beverage Photo by Derek Barnes

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Photo by Derek Barnes

Sous Chef Sean Collins (left) and Head Chef Tim Larsen share a laugh in the open kitchen undertaken sommelier training as well.

She adds that the couple’s travel adventures have widened her array of libations.

The beer and wine lists feature many Ontario offerings, as well as those from other Canadian regions and foreign lands.

Jessie plans to maintain a strong local focus on drinks to keep them cohesive with the kitchen.

Open seven days a week, year-round, this eatery has a strong focus on attracting and pleasing local diners. Still, with so much competition for the dining dollar, the Larsens know they have a long road ahead. “It’s not easy, but if you do things with integrity, people will respond well,” says Jessie.

The duo has a full plate running the restaurant, but they are also slowly learning the innkeeping part of the business and plan to take that over eventually, as well. This winter they’ll be offering couples’ getaway packages, so stay tuned to the website.

Mercer Hall Inn 108 Ontario Street Stratford 519-271-1888 www.mercerhallinn.com hours of operation sunday – tuesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. wed – saturday: 11:30 a.m. to midnight JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON is a freelance writer and chief communicator for Write.On Communication Services International (www.writedoton.com).

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restaurants

Hospitality, Italian Style at Pasto’s Grill in London

By CECILIA BUY

F

or many who work in the hospitality industry, the emphasis is on the industry, and the bottom line is what drives them. At Pasto’s Grill, on the outskirts of London, it’s the hospitality that keeps the customers coming back.

Pasto’s is a family affair. Maybe that helps. Siblings Natalie Zima and Peter Johnson, along with their parents, have spent the last fifteen years creating a warm and welcoming environment for their customers. In the late ’90s, the family opened the Stoneridge Inn, just off Colonel Talbot Road near the 401. Pasto’s Grill serves the hotel guests, of course, but the Italian-inspired cuisine and the congenial atmosphere are available to anyone who wants to enjoy it.

While the inn is Natalie’s purview, and the kitchen is Peter’s, there is considerable overlap, and they’re comfortable working together. “We have our moments, but you get it out and go back to work.”

The family heritage is obvious in the menu. Many of the traditional recipes come from the kitchen of Natalie and Peter’s mother. From appetizers like Ravioli alla Langoustine (lobster ravioli in a lobster bisque) through to Veal Marsala with wild mushrooms, and pasta, pizza and

Siblings Natalie Zima and Peter Johnson work closely with their parents, with the Stoneridge Inn Natalie’s purview, and the kitchen Peter’s. panzerotti, the food is fresh and housemade. Says Peter, “There are no shortcuts in the kitchen.” Some items offer a more modern aesthetic, like the Pear Salad (turn the page for the recipe!), with field greens, red peppers, blue cheese, caramelized pecans and champagne vinaigrette.

Similarly, the wine list reflects the family’s culture. With plenty of Italian wines and a smattering of New World offerings, the list offers a good selection, all well-priced, from Australian Shiraz to Brunello di Montalcino. How is the list decided upon? Maybe on a family Sunday afternoon around the table, tasting and discussing, with input from everyone.

While quality and price are important, so is taste and the matching of food and wine.

Moreover, as Natalie says of the selections that make the list, “they’re our favourites.”

The bar is especially popular with the after-work crowd

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A table by one of the wine racks, with a close-up, shows off the Mediterraneo Pizza — with roasted red peppers, eggplant, zucchini, red onion, kalamata olives, goat cheese and mozzarella; Baked Goat Cheese Antipasto Salad — warm sesame-crusted goat cheese, roasted tomato, grilled eggplant, zucchini, Portobello mushroom, roasted red pepper and field greens with Dijon-balsamic drizzle; and Mussels Portofino — in a garlic, tomato and white wine broth with fresh herbs The beverage list also offers a variety of beers, cocktails, liquors and liqueurs, including a nice choice of scotches, cognacs and Armagnacs.

But before you enjoy your digestif, indulge in a treat from the dessert menu. There’s something to suit every taste: a mini crème brûlée (regular size is also available); dacquoise (here offered with almond meringue, ice cream, fresh berry sauce and whipped cream); chocolate walnut tart; warm apple crostata, and more. All desserts are made fresh daily, in-house.

In 2000, Stoneridge Inn became an associate in Best Western International. The relationship requires that the inn maintain set standards of service, and while allowing members to have an

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independent identity, offers the advantages of a strong brand. Best Western also has requirements for the kitchens and the quality of food served at functions and to the hotel guests.

The restaurant itself is not subject to monitoring.

As it happens, in the case of Pasto’s, that’s not really relevant. Peter Johnson has his own standards, shared by the rest of the family. And they are high: fresh ingredients, flavourful and healthy food, and professional friendly service.

The dining room is built in a half-circle. The kitchen is the physical and metaphorical hub, separated from the dining area by a couple of comfortable curved bars (popular with the after-work crowd). Tables are each given generous space around the arc of the outer wall. The colours are predominantly warm shades of terra-cotta and cream, and between the windows, most of which give a view of surrounding fields and trees, the walls are filled with wine racks and period posters. Overall, the ambiance, while sophisticated, manages to be casual, comfortable, and that word again — hospitable. The staff is mostly young, some university students, some neighbours, and some former clients who started coming to Pasto’s with their families and are now “serving age.” But young and local doesn’t mean untrained. Service here is friendly and professional.

Pasto’s Grill and the Stoneridge Inn, like the family behind them, support each other.

Peter’s kitchen and staff are responsible for preparing food for the hotel guests and for the numerous corporate and private functions hosted by the inn (it’s a very popular site for wedding receptions). People attending events at the inn will often take a break in Pasto’s, and it’s not uncommon to see a bride relaxing for a while in the dining room. The kitchen also provides catering services for both business and private occasions. And a few years ago, a new facility was added to the enterprise. The

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№ 37 | September/October 2012 CECILIA BUY is eatdrink’s Managing Editor, and is happy to drive any distance for good food.

Recipe courtesy of Pasto’s Grill, London

Pear Salad 1 head romaine lettuce, trimmed and torn into pieces 10 oz mixed baby greens 2 ripe Bosc or Anjou pears, cored and cut into ¾” slices 1 red bell pepper, seeded, deveined and julienned 2 cups crumbled blue cheese ¾ cup Champagne Vinaigrette kosher salt freshly ground black pepper

A second curved bar adds interest and character Rose Chapel, just across the lane from the main inn, was built in 1886. The former church has been gracefully restored, and provides a venue for non-denominational ceremonies and services.

Pasto’s location outside of London’s urban centre has been a challenge. “It took us a long time to build a customer base,” admits Natalie. But they now have a loyal local clientele, and benefit from strong word-of-mouth advertising. “We wanted to make this a comfortable spot for everyone.” Patrons come from all over the surrounding area, including Port Stanley, West Lorne, and St. Thomas. Driving from the Western Fair Market in London was a surprisingly easy twenty minutes.

On advertising for Pasto’s Grill, the 4 tagline reads, “Italian seduction, bite by 3 bite.” If you’ve enjoyed Pasto’s already, then you don’t need to be sold on it. If not, take that very short drive. Be seduced — by the food, and yes, by the hospitality.

Pasto’s Grill 6675 Burtwistle Lane, London 519-652-7659 www.pastosgrill.com hours of operation* monday & tuesday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. wednesday to saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. sunday: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. * Hours are subject to change without notice.

CANDIED PECANS vegetable oil cooking spray 1 large egg white 10 oz pecan halves and pieces (about 2 ½ cups) ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE 1 shallot, quartered 1 small clove garlic 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons sugar 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt Dash of freshly ground white pepper ½ cup Champagne vinegar 1½ cups canola oil

21 To make the candied pecans, preheat oven to

325ºF. Spray the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. In a bowl, whist the egg white until it is completely foamy and no liquid remains. Fold in the pecans and brown sugar. Toss gently to coat. Arrange the pecans on the prepared baking sheet, keeping the individual pieces separate. Bake until the egg-white sugar mixture is cooked through and the nuts are golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Loosen the nuts from the pan with a spatula. Set aside to cool.

2 In a blender or food processor, process the shallot and garlic until finely minced. Add the mustard, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar.

Process to combine ingredients thoroughly.

Gradually add oil (with machine running) in a thin, steady stream to form an emulsion.

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

3 To assemble: In a large bowl, combine the romaine, mixed baby greens, bell pepper, cheese and pecans. Add the Champagne vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

www.eatdrink.ca

№ 37 | September/October 2012

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farmers & artisans

Fruits of Their Labour Diversity is Key at Birtch Farms and Estate Winery, near Woodstock

By NICOLE LAIDLER

T

his year’s summer-in-March might have wreaked havoc in the orchards, but it hasn’t stopped Birtch Farms and Estate Winery from celebrating harvest season with their annual Apple Festival.

“We spent March 21 at the beach in Grand Bend,” recalls Dyann Birtch, who owns and runs the fourth-generation farm with her husband Bob. “We knew it was going to be trouble.”

The extraordinary warm spell followed by several nights of frost virtually wiped out the local apple crop. Dyann expects to harvest around 50 bushels this year compared to the usual 5000.

Luckily, Birtch Farms is a diverse operation well-positioned to withstand any setbacks caused by Mother Nature.

Located just north of Woodstock, the 98-acre farm was bought by Bob’s grandfather in 1947. He grew tomatoes for Heinz, as well as cash crops like corn and beans, adding the first apple trees in 1958.

Dyann Birtch runs the well-diversified family farm with her husband Bob After buying the property in 1978, Dyann and Bob expanded the apple acreage and decided to get into the retail business, selling their produce at the Waterloo Farmer’s Market and directly from the farm.

They currently grow fifteen different types of apples, including heritage varieties like Northern Spry, Tollman Sweet, Snow Apples and Courtland.

The first Apple Festival — which usually marks the official kick-off to the pickyour-own season — was held in 1993 and

The apple orchard now includes 15 different kinds of apples

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has since become one of the region’s most popular fall destinations.

With horse-drawn wagon rides through the orchards, a corn maze, Farmer Bob’s Barnyard Adventure playground, wine tasting, and plenty of freshly-baked goods from the on-site bakery, the September 15 and 16 festival promises plenty of country fun for young and old. And thanks to some apples sourced from Simcoe, there will even be fresh Ontario apples for sale.

Birtch Farm’s pumpkin crop is another popular draw, and wasn’t adversely affected by the unusual spring weather.

The five-acre pumpkin patch offers several different varieties, from smooth-skinned ‘wee be little’ minis, to larger types perfect for jack-o-lanterns. This fall favourite is celebrated with an annual Pumpkin Festival, held October 20 and 21.

Birtch Farms also grows squash and decorating crops like ornamental corn and gourds, and is well-known for its awardwinning fruit wines.

“We always enjoyed making our own wine,” says Dyann. Encouraged by friends, the couple decided to turn the hobby into a business in 2001.

Today, Birtch Farms offers more than 15 different fruit wines ranging from sweet to dry. “My favourites are the Rhubarb, the Cranberry, and the Oak-Aged McIntosh,” Dyann says. All are made on-site from locally-sourced produce.

The farm’s retail store, bakery, and wine store are located in a charming converted barn, which is open seven days a week from August to Christmas.

The store offers a wide selection of local jams, preserves and spices, as well as Birtch Farms’ own Pumpkin Butter and Wine Jellies.

Dyann has seen many changes in her

№ 37 | September/October 2012

Farmer Bob’s Barnyard Adventure playground thirty years of farming. “It’s either gone to niche farming, like us, or to professional farming on a huge scale,” she observes.

“And those of us who have stayed small definitely have to have a passion for what we do.”

Despite the challenges faced by smallscale family farmers, she believes the local food movement is here to stay.

“I see my children’s generation. As they have children, they are really caring about the food they eat. They are going back to finding farms so they know where their food comes from. Food in the grocery store has become so removed,” she comments.

“And of course, you don’t find the same taste in something that hasn’t been ripened on the tree or vine.”

Other upcoming special events at Birtch Farms & Estate Winery include the Food & Wine Festival (September 30) and Orchard Afternoons for Booklovers (September 8, 19, 23 & October 13).

Birtch Farms and Estate Winery R.R. #7, Woodstock, ON 519-469-3040 www.birtchfarms.com NICOLE LAIDLER is a London freelance writer and business communicator. Fall is her favourite season. Visit her at www. spilledink.ca.

The retail store offers a wide variety of culinary items, including more than 15 different fruit wines

№ 37 | September/October 2012

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restaurants

Remarkable Dining Downtown Blu Duby offers a recession-friendly gourmet menu

By BRYAN LAVERY

B

lu Duby, one of this summer`s most highly anticipated restaurant openings, definitely lives up to expectations. The restaurants tagline is “A remarkable experience designed to accommodate every budget.” The result is a streamlined operation with a recession-friendly gourmet menu that appeals to a broad demographic. The idea of guests sharing a succession of small plates fits perfectly with Blu Duby’s mandate of providing a vibrant and welcoming ambience to encourage conversation and conviviality.

Joe Duby is a natural-born raconteur and a well-known restaurant professional with many years of experience and a large following of admirers. Many downtown denizens and diners tripped the light

The walnut bar and variety of interesting lighting fixtures add to the warm ambiance of Blu Duby fantastic with Duby for the eight years he managed Waldo’s on King.

Cheryl Duby is cofounder and President of Bigger Solutions Inc and President of International Automotive Solution. Cheryl is a legendary party-giver among the restaurant glitterati and a much admired and well-respected businessperson in her own right. The recently married couple are the co-owners and face of Blu Duby.

Together the Dubys hand-picked a team of dynamic hospitality professionals known for their exemplary customer service skills, clever repartee, and wit. Daytime manager Mathew Mckenzie, the redoubtable Kim Miller, William McKillop, Ray Nernberg, Hannah Kenwell and Toni Mansilla make up the winning team. Part of Joe’s skill has been to hire the right mix of critical talent.

Blu Duby, which opened in mid-July in the revitalized interior of a former warehouse (previous premises of Rob Taylor’s Braise Food and Wine) and adjacent to the chic boutique hotel project, Metro, in downtown London, has access off both Covent Market Lane and Dundas Street.

Modern sophistication and stylish décor meets family-friendly comfort food and artful cuisine

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The brick walls, wood panels, sleek banquettes and “sharkskin” coloured accents make a perfect backdrop for Artist Greg Benz’s modern abstract paintings

Braise’s former visage has been wiped clean. The new slate has contemporary lighting fixtures, new tables and chairs, banquettes, and a very different colour scheme. The Dubys bought back most of the kitchen equipment at auction. The contemporary and comfortable black chairs and tables provide contrast to the reclaimed exposed brick walls, solid maple hardwood flooring, fourteen-foot ceilings, and a structurally solid postand-beam construction. The brick walls and other “sharkskin” coloured accents make a perfect backdrop for Artist Greg Benz’s modern abstract paintings. Sade and other great tunes playing in the background add a tranquil but upbeat ambience.

To fill the 126-seat restaurant, the Dubys and their staff are working to build a diverse clientele by combining The tempting wine list features bottles from both mainstream and “off the beaten track” regions

№ 37 | September/October 2012

an accessible menu and wine list with a casual atmosphere.

The restaurant sports modern sophistication with its stylish décor, combined with an innovative approach to family-friendly comfort food and artful cuisine.

The Dubys also focus on the corporate and private dining sector of the business. Three separate areas can be easily transformed into private dining rooms to accommodate parties of 14 to 22 guests. The restaurant can also seat from 44 to 65 people in the banquet facility of Metro’s indoor courtyard, which features a stunning 35-foothigh sky-lit atrium.

Casual bistro-style selections and tantalizing vegetarian choices are on offer, as well as many old favourites that have been updated and reimagined by uber-Chef Alicia Hartley (formerly of Jose’s Noodle Factory in Windsor, The Tasting Room, and The Onyx). The dynamic chef team also includes the talented Phil Kirby.

Hartley is a native of Guyana, the home of classic fusion cuisine, and although she immigrated to Canada at thirteen, it informs her cooking. Hartley’s culinary approach is both instinctual and thoughtful. She is a proponent of combining varieties of ingredients from various cuisines and regions with contemporary ideas. Hartley is known to ramp up the spice quotient, which she does to great effect. She credits the Asian influence in her cooking repertoire to

Photo courtesy of A. Paul Mitchell London Dining Review, www.ldnontrestaurants.com

№ 37 | September/October 2012

her mother, who is part Chinese. Try her Thai Red Curry Soup and her Thai Glass Noodles with crispy tofu, candied pecans, lime and chili sauce.

If you are feeling adventurous, Chef Alicia Hartley be sure to order the melt-in-your-mouth prosciuttowrapped fresh sardines and chunky tomato and fennel concasse — it’s aces.

The chefs prepare most everything in-house from scratch, including baking their own bread. A few desserts are purchased from Nicole Arroyas’ Petit Paris. However, the delicious chai tea crème brûlée and other desserts are made in-house.

The menu combines international classics with modern European, Asian and Mediterranean twists, and features such items as Miso Salmon, Polenta with Sundried Tomatoes and Chorizo Sausage, Mac and Cheese with Truffle Oil, and an AAA Alberta Entrecote. The restaurant’s cooking repertoire keeps evolving, and the presentation is both stylish and simple.

With a selection of over 22 appetizers and vegetarian options to choose from, diners are certain to find something to enjoy.

The restaurant features a super diverse wine list offering 24 wines at a variety of price points but with half the list under $10 a glass. The tempting list features wines from both mainstream regions as well as off the beaten path.

Friday night the restaurant draws a bar crowd. When Nernberg is behind the bar, it’s like watching a bad (but amusing) pantomime with slapstick turns and unintentional juggling performances.

Speaking of theatrical performances, an interesting collection of framed vaudevillian photographs graces the walls in the bar and adjoining private room, which pay homage to Joe’s showbiz lineage.

Joe’s father, Ralph, owned and operated the Coral Reef Inn (now the Aux Saubles Inn) in Grand Bend, where Joe got his initial taste

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The menu combines international classics with modern European, Asian & Mediterranean twists. Above, Sushi (tempura california rolls served with warm edamane) and below, Salad (cucumber, mozzarella, tomato, mustard greens and aged balsamic)

of the business — that and from washing dishes at The Keg. Blu Duby is without a doubt an up-andcomer. The dinner business is strong and it will inevitably become a lunch hot spot. Blu Duby is slated to become a true downtown institution. Walk-in business is encouraged, and the star attractions are the owners and the staff. Throw in some delicious Lobster Tacos, Caribbean Jerk Tempeh, and Hartley’s Seafood Cakes, and Bob’s your uncle.

Blu Duby 32 Covent Market Place or 125 Dundas St., London 519-433-1414 www.bluduby.com open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink magazine’s Writer at Large and Contributing Editor. He can be reached at blavery@eatdrink.ca.

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

restaurants

Bringing Back Benmiller The tornado took a toll on the historic Benmiller Inn & Spa

By JANE ANTONIAK Photography by BRUCE FYFE

L

ots of attention has been paid to Goderich since the F3 tornado last August, but not as much light has shone on the damage wreaked upon Benmiller, the hamlet just inland from Lake Huron. Home of the picturesque and historic Benmiller Inn, the community lost more than 700 trees and the Inn suffered damage to buildings.

Now, in keeping with the incredible feeling of resilience and positive outlook that is emanating from Goderich and area, the Benmiller Inn is being brought back to life, in ways that more than bricks and mortar can accomplish.

“We got beat up pretty good by the tornado and we are coming out the other side. By this time next year, the property will be fully redeveloped and looking better than ever. It’s the silver lining — we get to put it back together the way we want it,” says Kevin Reid, innkeeper.

To date, 150 trees have been replanted, and the final repairs to the buildings are almost done. The hiking trails have reopened just in time for that wonderful area fall activity.

Guests are also allowed to go fishing in Sharpe’s Creek, the mill pond, and the Maitland River, where it runs through the 25-acre property belonging to the Inn. Most importantly, the Inn has remained open The rustic front entrance to with its kitchen the historic main building and lovely Ivey Dining Room untouched by the storm. Eatdrink staffers visited the property twice this past summer and enjoyed the rustic charm of the historic property, originally built in 1861 as a woollen mill by the Gledhill family. It was converted to an Inn in 1974 by members of the Ivey family from London.

Guests enjoy a hearty breakfast and can opt to include a dining

Photo courtesy of Benmiller Inn

“We were twisted, but we aren’t broken!”

New Shops and Restaurants Open!

Goderich — farmers’ markets, beaches, history, cultural events and heritage — still going strong!

Visit us again!

BEFORE the tornado

For information please contact:

Tourism Goderich 1 800 280 7637

or visit our website at:

goderich.ca

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package with their overnight stays.

Chef Spencer Vail has been running the kitchen for three years now and has embraced the bounty of the region, using local suppliers such as Coastal Coffee, Metzger Meats, and The Ivey Dining Room (above) Lake Huron and Jonathan’s Lounge (below) fisheries, along with local Mennonite farmers and maple syrup producers. Some signature dinner dishes include Pan-Seared Whitefish and Metzger Beef Tenderloin with a Hunter Sauce that takes chef fifty hours to prepare. It’s a true demi-glaze with pearl onions and doublesmoked bacon slowly reduced to a delicious sauce. As well, the Meatloaf Burger and the Antipasto Plates with Chorizo Sausage are popular regional treats.

Post tornado, Vail offered a “temporarily twisted menu,” which featured a prix fixe three-course dinner for $29 — a steal at this Four Diamond dining room. He has

Enjoy a view of the gently rolling Maitland River

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Photo courtesy of Benmiller Inn

The Inn features 57 unique and comfortable guest rooms kept it on offer as a special tip of the hat to his local guests as the community works together to rebuild.

“We want to offer value to more of our local people and to show them that Benmiller is not just a special occasions place — you can come and get fine dining for a reasonable price,” says Reid.

Everything at the Inn is made in-house, including all baked goods. Their scones and jam are a popular Inn duo that contributes to the feeling of being in an English Inn with flowery wall paper and exposed wooden beams in some guest rooms. The jam is available for sale, and we’ve secured the scone recipe to share!

The Inn has an extensive wine list of more than 150 offerings, including a good selection of Ontario VQA. Jonathon’s lounge is a nice spot to sit by the fire and enjoy a beverage. This area was renovated a few years ago and features an interesting combination of modern touches and classic woollen-mill antiques. The lounge was named after Jonathon Benmiller, who was claimed to be the largest man in Canada in the 1880s, at 480 pounds! There is a huge chair in the lobby that they claim was his.

The eclectic feeling of the Inn is part

Photo courtesy of Benmiller Inn

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of its rustic charm. Unlike posh resort inns, Benmiller is more about taking it slow, enjoying the outdoors, and possibly spending some time in their spa or indoor pool. It is also a good home base for road trips into Goderich for shopping, dining or the beach. Bayfield is also a short drive away. Some guests come by bicycle, enjoying the back roads away from traffic.

“When people say, ‘What do we do when we come there?’ We say, ‘You come to be still and relax. Listen to nature. Take time and care,’” says Reid, who seems to live this philosophy himself as a local.

“It’s the classic, real, no-shortcut cooking in a relaxing atmosphere.”

Benmiller Inn & Spa 81175 Benmiller Line, Goderich 519-524-2191 or 800-265-1711 www.benmillerinnandspa.com JANE ANTONIAK owns Antoniak Communications and enjoys touring the back country roads for eatdrink magazine.

BRUCE FYFE is a contributing photographer to eatdrink who especially enjoys discovering new sources of locally grown food for his own kitchen in London.

A Benmiller Inn & Spa Signature Recipe

Breakfast Scones These pastries can be made ahead and frozen.

710 grams Flour 43 grams baking powder 1 large egg 200 grams sugar 275 grams butter (cold) 400 ml buttermilk 1 Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Use a large cheese grater to cut butter into flour mixture. Toss butter with flour often and keep ingredients cold.

2 Whisk the egg and buttermilk together and add to the mixture. Loosely toss together to combine all ingredients until a shaggy dough has formed.

3 Transfer dough to a floured work space and gently knead the dough together. DO NOT overwork. Let dough rest for 15 minutes in fridge.

4 Roll dough into 1½” thickness and cut into 2¼” circles. Place on parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes at 350ºF. (17 minutes if baking from frozen).

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• Shop • Stay • Play e n i D

Discover Huron County’s Bounty!

Enjoy Ontario’s West Coast

“We are so blessed to be living in such an agriculturally rich area of the world.”

— Owner James Eddington

Eddington’s occupies the original Carling homestead, built in the 1870s.

“Country Dining at Its Best” Serving Lunch and Dinner BREAKFAST ~ LUNCH ~ DINNER Tuesday to Friday: 9 am to 9 pm Saturday & Sunday: 8 am to 9 pm

Private Room After Thanksgiving, CLOSED Mondays & Tuesdays Available

Seasonal Hours

Open 6 Days a Week Always Closed Monday Reservations Recommended

519.238.6224 42 Ontario St. S., Grand Bend

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A Fresh Take on Tradition

www.eatdrink.ca

Fresh, Locally Raised Beef & Pork

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Specialty Grocery Items Fresh Baked Breads ➤ Exceptional Cheeses ➤ ➤

Tickets Now Available

Novemberfest

Come for dinner or a romantic getaway on the Huron Shore

Saturday Nov. 10

to support Parkinson’s Disease Research

Stylish German Cuisine Distinctive Accommodations www.hessenland.com

“Good food, so fresh, that I’m honoured to put my name on it.”

Also offering a variety of freezer packs of meats Open 7 Days a Week, On The Square

— Chad Shanahan

RR #2 Zurich ON Hwy 21, north of Grand Bend, 1 hour from London 519-236-7707 or 1-866-543-7736

104 Courthouse Square, Goderich 519-421-6328 www.shanahansqualitymeats.com

Come in and get fed up!

NEW!

Sunday Breakfast Buffet and Omelette Bar. And try our NEW ½-pound Bagel Burger!

ON THE SQUARE Open 7am - 4pm, 7 days a week • 68 Courthouse Square, Goderich

Red Pump

the

Bayfield, Ontario Canada N0M 1G0

Most Romantic Guest

Suites & Gourmet Cuisine suites@ theredpumpinn.com

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

travel

A Culinary Road Trip The Lake Superior Circle Tour

By JANE ANTONIAK Photography by BRUCE FYFE

T

he world’s largest freshwater lake is practically on our doorstep, and it’s a lovely destination for a fall car trip to see the colours and take in some unique and fun regional Ontario food. From breathtaking scenery to world-class fishing and hunting, the Lake Superior Circle Tour is something for the Canadian adventurer’s bucket list. I’ve done the whole circle twice, and several parts of it along the north shore between Sault Ste. Marie and Grand Marais, Minnesota, countless times en route to my hometown of Thunder Bay (actually, Port Arthur, but we won’t fight that fight again here…). While we are blessed in southwestern Ontario to have two Great Lakes, Huron and Erie, there is something uniquely special about the dark waters and rocky coastlines of Lake Superior.

The entire tour is 1300 miles long and takes you through Michigan, Wisconsin and Minne­sota on the US section, and then through the vast, unspoiled section of North­western Ontario between Pigeon River and Sault Ste. Marie. There are beaches, marinas, parks, waterfalls, and rock cliffs along the way, and the tour varies quite a bit between the south shore (Michigan, Wisconsin) and the north shore (Minnesota and Ontario).

For many, the most spectacular views are driving east along the north shore between Grand Marais and the Sault — especially near Grand Portage, Minnesota and Old Woman Bay. But one could spend days enjoying side trips to places like Ouimet Canyon, Lake Superior Provincial Park, and Kakabeka Falls, or visiting an amethyst mine or stopping to

pick blueberries. One thing is for certain, you won’t go hungry — especially if you love freshwater fish.

Getting There

Driving: Cross into the US at Sarnia/Port Huron and take the I-75 all the way up the peninsula to the spectacular Mackinaw Bridge (7 hours). You may want to spend the night on Mackinaw Island at the famous Grand Hotel — but bring your dinner jacket. Enjoy a cocktail in the Cupola Bar, which provides a panoramic view of the Mackinaw Straights.

To begin the full tour, take Highway 2 right off the Mackinaw Bridge and enjoy sensational beaches along the top of Lake Michigan before heading north to Highway 28, which takes you up to Superior. This is the start of the American south shore section of the route.

Give yourself a week and enjoy stops in places like Marquette, Michigan, where you can dine and view the impressive iron ore trestles, and Ashland, Wisconsin, with its delicious lakeside restaurants and hotels for fabulous fish dinners.

The Hotel Chequamegon has an especially delightful porch overlooking the bay. As you wind your way towards the north shore, you’ll hit the port city of Duluth, Minnesota, which is the starting point for the northern leg of the tour. Plan to only drive in daylight with plenty of time to stop at roadside lookout points. The Duluth tourism centre offers great information and a hilltop view of Lake Superior.

Sleeping Giant as seen from Thunder Bay marina

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

CRUISE HOLIDAYS EXCLUSIVE AMENITIES PREPAID GRATUITIES & SHIPBOARD CREDITS ON SELECT OCEANIA CRUISES

Join Jill Wilcox from Jill’s Table for

EURO PEAN CHARM S Rome to Barcelona | Riviera - June 6 - 16, 2013 Includes - roundtrip airfrare from Toronto or Detroit* Roundtrip transfers, Prepaid Gratuities* • Culinary cooking classes onboard* “Exclusive” shore excursions with cooking class, lunch and wine pairing* Private cocktail parties

New Office in London 1422 Fanshawe Park Road, West, Unit 9A London N6G 0A4 Phone 519 474-1111 *Offers expire September 30, 2012. All advertised fares, offers and any applicable shipboard credits, upgrades or special amenities shown are per person based on double occupancy unless otherwise indicated, are subject to availability at time of booking, may not be combinable with other offers, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn without prior notice or remain in effect after the expiration date. Any advertised fares that include the ³Free Airfare² promotion include airline fees, surcharges and all government taxes. Some airline-imposed personal charges, including but not limited to baggage, priority boarding and special seating, may apply. For details visit exploreflightfees.com. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Complete Terms and Conditions may be found in the Guest Ticket Contract. Ships’ Registry: Marshall Islands. PRO28205 TICO #50019979

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

Winding west, a great spot for a fabulous — and sustainable — fish meal is at the Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Perched over the marina, this former fishing shanty serves organic and sustainable foods, including wild rice and delicious Lake Superior herring. They use wind-powered electricity and support local producers. It closes in mid-October for the winter and reopens in May. Perfect spot for a cold beer

Thunder Oak Cheese Farm

Walter Schep with gouda in aging room at Thunder Oak Cheese

www.cheesefarm.ca.

Coming into Thunder Bay from the border on highway 61, it’s worth the two-kilometre detour west on Boundary Drive to this small but tasty local producer of Dutchstyle Gouda cheese. Thunder Oak is a Schep family business that produces a dozen flavours of Gouda using milk from their own herd of 75 Holstein cows. They also grow their own feed.

You can view into the aging room and sample. Make sure you pack your cooler with these cheeses for your road trip. This award-winning Gouda is made with no preservatives or added colouring, although they like to play with natural ingredients to change the colours of the rinds. They have four different ages of cheese and also sell squeaky good curds in three flavours. You can have them ship you cheese — they have customers as far away as the Yukon. Their Gouda has been for sale, on occasion, at The Milky Whey in Stratford. Some big sellers are the extra old and the jalapeño.

The North Shore of Lake Superior

and as close to the water as you will ever get without going in. www.angrytroutcafe.com From Grand Marais, a daylight drive to Thunder Bay is a must, with stops at Grand Portage to take in wideangle views — don’t miss a single roadside rest stop. From the American/Canadian border, you’ll see the edge of the Great Nor’wester mountain range — and no more water — until you hit Thunder Bay, where we recommend you spend a few days enjoying Northwestern Ontario cuisine.

The Hoito Restaurant

314 Bay Street, Thunder Baywww. finlandiaclub.ca No stop in Thunder Bay is complete without a visit to the Hoito for Finnish-style pancakes, bacon, and maybe some salt fish. Nestled in the basement of the Finlandia Club, a historic building from 1910 that was originally used as a centre for Finnish bush workers, the Hoito (which opened in 1918) is loved by all ages for its simple and filling Finnish-style food. The pancakes are very thin, have crispy edges and are served in stacks of three.

To put their popularity into perspective, the pancake mix is made overnight Hoito Restaurant/ Finlandia Hall, Thunder Bay in 16-litre pails — and they typically use 12 pails every day to keep up with demand! We were lucky enough to be allowed into the kitchen for some rare photographs. Bay Street has several Finnish gift and food shops where you can buy Piirakka (meat pastries) or cardamom bread. A visit to the Finnish Book Store, which Making Finn pancakes in the Hoito Restaurant kitchen is home to the Kitchen Nook, is worthwhile. With every gadget imaginable, this is a culinary browser’s dream.

Maybe they can teach you how to make the pancakes?

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The Persian Man

899 Tungsten St. or 400 Balmoral St., Thunder Bay The persian, Thunder Bay’s regional treat slathered in a super-sweet pink icing (think lard and sugar) is so popular that ex-pats order these doughy, fried pastries in special packing to take on the airplane. People in Northwestern Ontario love to slice these baked goods in half, spread them with butter and fry them in a pan like a grilled cheese sandwich. The icing melts into a caramelized goo and drips off your fingers as you devour it quickly before you teeth start to hurt! Originally created by Art Bennett of Bennett’s Bakery, the persian was supposedly named for a visiting marine officer friend in Duluth. The bakery was Spencer and Danny Nucci bought by the Nucci family with persians at The Persian and they have since added Man, Thunder Bay chocolate and blueberry icing — but pink rules the day. You need to order ahead if you want a dozen with “icing on the side,” which means it comes in a tub and you can slather it as you wish.

The northern shore tour of Superior from Thunder Bay to the Sault includes great vistas at the Terry Fox Monument, just east of Thunder Bay, and at Wawa, home of the famous goose. The big scenery is from Montreal River Harbour to Pancake Bay Provincial Park, through Batchawana Bay. A breathtaking view is at Old Woman Bay, close to the Sault — also a special place for a swim. Lake Superior is breathtakingly cold but worth at least one dip!

Once you complete the 1300-mile trek, you can actually get a sticker for your car, motorcycle or boat and a certificate! Full

details at www.lakesuperiorcircletour.com.

The organization also publishes its own magazine. Many think that this would be the ideal trip by motorcycle. But where would you put the cooler?

JANE ANTONIAK was born and raised in Thunder Bay. She now operates Antoniak Communications in London and makes regular trips home for pickerel, perogies, persians and pancakes.

BRUCE FYFE enjoyed his first trip to Thunder Bay this summer and was thrilled to be allowed inside the Hoito kitchen — and to eat the pancakes.

growers & creators of fine lavender products

DISCOVER

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world win

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2nd Annual

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100+ vineyards 60+ culinary samplings art dealers micro breweries tequila lounge sculpted ice bar world-class musicians cirque performers

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LONDON CONVENTION CENTRE Tickets available at

Centennial Hall Box Office 519.672.1967 or www.centennialhall.london.ca A portion of the proceeds to benefit the patients and residents served by St. Joseph's Health Care London

eatdrink THE LOCAL FOOD & DRINK MAGAZINE

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

restaurants

Three Gems in Sarnia-Lambton The Tree House | Lola’s Lounge | Bridges Restaurant

By JANE ANTONIAK Photography by BRUCE FYFE

S

ome people who live along Lake Huron call September the new June. Warm weather, smaller crowds and no bugs make lakeshore travel in the fall a special delight.

A road trip to Sarnia-Lambton offers the ­possibility of lakeshore and riverside

drives, beaches and marinas, as well as some unique restaurant offerings. We recently visited three eateries — a vegan, organic, gluten-free café; a funky nightclub; and a restaurant with an all-Ontario tasting menu. Take your pick — you won’t be disappointed!

The Tree House Coffee Bar & Eatery 192 Christina Street North, Sarnia • 519-704-1525 www.treehousesarnia.com

Sautéed walnut meat, cashew sour cream, and Daiya “cheeze” are just some of the unique ingredients that Chef Greg Laviolette uses to create Fiesta Fridays: traditional Mexican street food that is 100% vegan and 100% glutenfree at the Tree House in downtown Sarnia.

As owner of Veganerific Bakery, he is also part of a “potting” project with the owners at Tree House that allows Laviolette to run the kitchen on Friday nights and offer vegan, gluten-free brunches on the weekend. This arrangement suits owner Moe Harmer and her partner Josef Gumpoldsberger perfectly: they split for the nearby beaches or tour farmgate stands and keep their relationship alive while avoiding the usually gruelling life of non-stop restaurant ownership. Moe and Joe walk the walk of wellness that their café delivers to devoted health-conscious followers. A banner in the café proclaims: It’s not the food in your life, it’s the life in your food. “I just like to eat things that make me feel good,“ says Moe. The couple moved to Sarnia in 2008 after operating sustainable restaurants in Campbell River, BC. “This is our hub, with all our energies merging here,” says Moe. “We have travelled the world and brought all our energies here.”

Tree House offers a variety of wraps, pizzas, and salads, along with organic and fair trade coffees, teas and delicious juice cocktails.

There are also a few shelves of organic grocery items. Not to be missed is the Cheeze Cake, which varies in season. We devoured the Chocolate Blueberry Cheeze Cake,

which is dark and rich, made with organic fair trade cacao, organic palm sugar and organic blueberries on top of a crunchy crust of medjool dates, seaweed and almonds.

The 600-square-foot café also has a side outdoor patio.

Inside, Moe encourages her staff to display their own art.

“If they put their energy into it, they can do whatever they want here,” she says. She is clearly leading by example.

From the top: Gluten-Free Burrito with tomato infused organic brown rice, Daiya shreds, cashew sour cream shown with Agua de Mango juice; Gluten-Free Organic Tortilla Chips with guacamole & roasted jalapeno hot sauce; Blueberry Cheeze Cake on a base of medjool dates, almonds made with cashew sour cream, seaweed and free trade organic cocoa (vegan).

www.eatdrink.ca

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Lola’s Lounge

110 Christina Street South, Sarnia • 519-336-8088

A night at Lola’s Lounge starts with a Jar of Jam. Not meant for your toast. But rather to toast our host, Tania Auger, who has just celebrated ten years of Lola’s in Sarnia. This dynamo of the restaurant business with a smile as big as her generous heart may well be remembered by Londoners from her time at 99 King. Thankfully, the years have not diminished her effervescent personality, and we enjoy a tour of martinis, unique wines and some of her classic recipes from her London days.

Back to the Jar of Jam: just one of dozens of martini cocktails whipped up by long-time sidekick Natasha Storozuk, who delights in making Tania and her guests happy. “Bring us the Bitch wine,“ urges Tania. Natasha happily complies with a bottle of California red that features tasting notes that simply say “bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch.” “I bought the last 50 cases — it’s perfect for Lola’s,” says Tania, laughing.

It’s also perfect with her Bourbon & Maple Syrup Lamb Chops — something Tania says “I dreamt about” during her London days. It’s been a hit ever since. In classic nightclub dining style, Tania also orders up Oysters Rockefeller, which have a tangy, chewy cheese topping, and Tequila Mussels & Frites, which alone are worth the drive. Zesty and boozy, these mussels are flavoured with jalapeño, lime and, as the name implies, tequila. You can also get them “loaded” — topped with shrimps and scallops. The creamy frites are better than the Point Edward fry truck — just saying.

Tania describes her restaurant as “funky

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From the top: Tequila Mussels with frites; Bartender Natasha Storozuk with impressive cocktails including Jar of Jam and Bloody Orange martinis; Signature red interiors with ever-changing lights and ceiling decor. chichi.” The music is jazzy and prominent without being over­bearing, the elaborate lighting system includes glowing glass globes that swing from the ceiling, and the bar features a selection of art glass from Tania’s collection. With seating for 70, the place is packed on a Thursday night with patrons of all ages — who all want to greet Tania. “This place is special to me because my parents met here when it was The Embassy. I love Sarnia. I can’t say enough about it: the water, a beautiful home. I love it here.” It shows. Thanks, Tania.

Bridges Restaurant

1498 Venetian Boulevard, Point Edward • 519-336-4130

Chef Phil Washington of Bridges Restaurant has led the way in his community and throughout the Holiday Inn/Fortis chain as a proponent of locally sourced menus. Two years ago, he convinced a group of Holiday Inn chefs across Ontario to offer “A Taste of Ontario” menu at their hotel restaurants. Now he champions that menu himself at Bridges Restaurant. The restaurant overlooks a nine-hole golf course, and in the distance is the Sarnia marina. It is part of the Sarnia Holiday Inn near the Bluewater Bridge to the United States.

Washington’s Taste of Ontario menu is four courses of Sarnia-Lambton-sourced dishes including Purdy’s Pickerel Fingers, Bluewater Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio, and Lena’s Lamb Chops. He also sources some unique greens from Elgin County, including delicious popcorn sprouts, cilantro sprouts and

heirloom tomatoes. The Woolwich Goat Cheese Croquette is especially delicious — crispy and creamy, with tangy balsamic reduction for dipping. The entire menu is paired with Colio Estates wines, keeping the Ontario theme intact. It’s a bargain-priced tasting menu at only $36 for four hearty courses. The wine pairings are an additional $18 for four glasses.

“We are definitely successful with the menu, here. I really like the idea of cooking and eating like this. It’s reasonable. It’s how I like to eat: small plates. It’s fun! And the pickerel just came out of the lake,” he says proudly.

The Taste of Ontario menu changes every four to six weeks, depending on seasonality.

Often Chef is invited to dine with his producers in their homes, allowing him to gain a further insight into their products.

Chef pays attention to the little things: he makes his own zesty ketchup. His white

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From the top: The Woolwich Goat Cheese Croquette is served with a tangy balsamic reduction for dipping; Purdy’s Pickerel Fingers served with a cone of chips with a rosemary sprig garnish, housemade tartar sauce and fresh slaw; Bluewater Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio with lemon, parmesan and crostini. plates are artfully styled with sauces and sprigs. He clearly enjoys his home at Bridges where the hotel has given him great freedom to stray beyond typical hotel fare.

Washington also enjoys the benefits of working for a larger

corporation. He was part of a ­culinary team representing Ontario that cooked a Canadian tasting menu at the James Beard Foundation in New York. His wife, Josina Washington, is also a chef who teaches baking at Lambton College.

They like to experiment in their home kitchen, testing new dishes on their sons. “It just seems to be the right way to cook now. It’s what I like to do at home with my kids. And when I ask my five-year-old where he likes to go out to eat, he always says Bridges. I like that.”

Originally from Sarnia, Washington was trained at Niagara College. He returned home and has been operating the Holiday Inn kitchen for fifteen years and has no plans to leave. “I get to do what I like. It’s hard to compete with freestanding places, but it’s the little things here that separate us from them.

And the restaurant here is still my favourite place to be.”

For further info about Sarnia, visit www.tourismsarnialambton.com.

JANE ANTONIAK enjoys culinary road trips to the regions around London — especially those near water.

BRUCE FYFE enjoys breaks from his research librarian position at UWO, by taking culinary tourism photographs for eatdrink.

Tranquility is closer than you think.

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It’s where hospitality comes naturally!

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

www.eatdrink.ca

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farmers & artisans

Felicity in Fudge at Harbourtown Fudge of Port Stanley

By CHRISTIE MASSÉ Photography by PHILIP J. BELL

V

eteran chefs Jon and Vicci Coughlin prove that practice makes perfect with their ambrosial offerings at the Harbourtown Fudge shop of Port Stanley. The couple, who own and run the Telegraph House Bed & Breakfast, have recently decided to offer house-made fudge and other traditional confectionery delights at their B&B, housed in a beautiful Victorian heritage building on Main Street.

Chefs Jon and Vicci Coughlin offer their Harbourtown Fudge from their well-established Telegraph House Bed & Breakfast location Following years of long hours and hard work in down and specialize in fields of interest, the restaurant business, including Billy’s including chocolate-making and the art of Deli Restaurant in London, Jon and Vicci artisanal fudge. have successfully transitioned from Following professional training in owning and running restaurants to the less chocolate-making at the Culinary Institute labour-intensive atmosphere of a bed and of America, California campus, the chefs breakfast with an attached sweets shop. have been playing trial and error with Living a professional chef’s dream, this the temperamental art. Learning that couple has taken the opportunity to slow our humid climate is not conducive to the art has given these professionals the opportunity to focus on their skills in the off-season when the temperatures have dropped and their free time has increased. They will be right back at it in the fall and throughout the holiday Although culinary veterans, the Coughlins got professional training in chocolate-making at the Culinary Institute of America before launching Harbourtown Fudge

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In addition to the handcrafted creations made in-house, the sweets shop, ensconced in one of Port Stanley’s great

heritage homes, stocks an enticing variety of nostalgiainspired candies and local maple syrup and honey

season, offering specialty handcrafted chocolates for the true chocolate lovers on your gift list.

The focus of the shop and the star of the show is the decadent seasonal housemade fudge. Made with real butter and the love of a passionate chef, their fudge is of highest quality, texture, and taste. As Vicci explains, “The turnover is so quick that our fudge is fresher and creamier than the average product. It is all made in-house so there is no shipping, and the

smaller batches mean less time spent on the shelf.” After sampling their two best sellers, chocolate and maple, I can say with confidence that it has reset my standard for a proper fudge. The consistency, attention to detail, and expertise are more than evident in the perfect texture and flavour of the product. Jon explains, “At first we were ‘MacGyvering’ our way through the process with a homemade kettle using our 20-quart mixer bowl as a double boiler and a step stool over the stovetop.” Now with a professional tilt kettle, both the process and the product have been perfected. There are at least 16 to 20 varieties available, inspired by seasonality and the chefs’ adventurous creativity. Look for flavours such as Pumpkin, Cabernet Chocolate, and Whiskey fudge, plus many more.

Rush Creek Wines

Whimsical specialty handcrafted chocolates complement the inspired range of artisanal fudge

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

As a member of Savour Elgin, the shop also offers local products for retail and utilizes them in their recipes. These include Crocker Honey of Elgin County and Rogers Maple Syrup of Port Stanley. You will also find nostalgia-inspired candies suited to this beautiful heritage home.

A trip to Harbourtown Fudge is a lovely step backwards in time that leaves a sweet aftertaste. open wednesday to sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Fresh & Locally Focused” Our Fabulous Patio rem ain OPEN s this fall!

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Telegraph House Bed & Breakfast 205 Main Street, Port Stanley 519-782-3006 www.telegraphhouse.com CHRISTIE MASSÉ is a graduate of the Stratford Chefs School and now runs Crust Catering & Bakery in St. Thomas. www.crustcatering.ca.

PHILIP J. BELL is a commercial and portrait photographer and can be reached at Shutter Studios, St. Thomas. www.shutter.ca Perfect for Dinner or Lunch/Pub Fare Featuring Local Cuisine Stay a Night or Two 519.782.3388 www.kettlecreekinn.com We’re right at the traffic lights in PORT STANLEY

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www.eatdrink.ca

№ 37 | September/October 2012

culinary retail

Kiss the Cook — and the Knife Sharpener

By MARY ANN COLIHAN

L

awrence Burden’s retail career has had a few sharp turns. But being on the knife’s edge — literally — is Kiss the Cook’s competitive advantage.

Burden gave up a career teaching Hebrew studies to join his father’s beauty supply business. After they sold the company, he partnered with Linda Boniface of Chez Cheveux Hair Salon, whom he calls a merchandising guru, to open a Richmond Row kitchen shop. When she died in 2003 he had to adjust, quickly. “She was the foodie. I was more the retailer,” he says. “I had to learn the trade in-depth.”

Burden’s strategy is simple. “I hire really talented people,” he says and feels fortunate that Sally Davies has worked in the store since they opened in 2000.

Burden also has a samurai soldier in the war against dull knives. Devon Curtis, a classical studies graduate from Western

Devon Curtis is the shop’s resident knife specialist. He is particularly fond of Japanese knives for the hardness of

Proprietor Lawrence Burden has made his Richmond Row’s Kiss the Cook one of the region’s premier kitchen shops University, is Kiss the Cook’s resident knife specialist. He started to work in the store as a student. “I love food tools of the trade and

the steel, but adamant that knife maintenance is key.

Knife sharpening and lessons are available!

№ 37 | September/October 2012

www.eatdrink.ca

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I love to cook,” says Curtis. “My first passion was photography, and that’s where I learned the importance of the right tools.

Lots of people like knives because of the macho aspect, but that’s not it for me.”

Kiss the Cook stocks a full range of the sharpest sabres in town. Curtis is adamant that the quality of the knife is secondary. “The difference between a $20 knife and $100 knife is huge, but between $100 and $200 — not so much. It’s all about how you maintain it.”

He is partial to Japanese knives because they are made out of Quality stock such as Le Creuset cookware from France is the rule the hardest steel and are like in fiesta shades like tangerine, turquoise, works of art. They stock major German and Japanese brands like Kikuichi navy, green and red. “You have to make these all stainless steel kitchens pop,” and Shun. Curtis also recommends says Burden. “That’s why these bright wooden cutting boards so knives hit a colours are so popular.” natural surface with a grain.

Burden says his customers also Watching Curtis sharpen a knife is like look to cast-iron cookware as an poetry in motion. He uses two stones as environmentally friendly choice. “People well as stone clamps and stone flatteners.

Remarkably, although he hones knives to a come in and want to know what they should be afraid of,” he says about the scalpel’s edge, he has never been cut. “The technique comes through doing it, the logic concern over non-stick pans.

Kiss the Cook provides a wide range of of it,” he says. “You need to have a Zen-like cookware and kitchen gadgets, and they concentration so you don’t slip. The stone also stock giftware and offer a popular and edge of the knife must be in contact. bridal registry. Chris Squire, who was Then it is not on your finger.” also partly responsible for dreaming up Another best seller at Kiss the Cook is Le Creuset French enamel cast-iron cookware the name Kiss the Cook, is their Chefin-Residence, along with a variety of local chefs who offer cooking classes.

For those of us Lost in Translation when it comes to knives, Kiss the Cook has the answer: maintenance. They recommend sharpening knives two to four times a year and charge $10 per knife. They will also hone knives to suit a left-handed cook.

Along with a myriad selection of kitchen gadgets, Kiss the Cook also stocks a wide range of giftware, and offers a popular bridal registry

MARY ANN COLIHAN writes about the environment and sustainable food systems. She co-authored a book on farmers’ markets and is at work on a book about Kingsmill’s Department Store.

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

The BUZZ ... new and notable

W

e could be at a literal “tipping point.” At the beginning of May, NDP MPP Michael Prue announced plans to reintroduce a Private Member’s Bill (Bill 107) — an amendment to The Employment Standards Act, 2000 — which will prohibit restaurant owners and managers from sharing in servers’ tips.

The Protecting Employees’ Tips Act is scheduled to go before an Ontario legislative committee in November.

Although cheesemaking began nearly a year ago at Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese in Oxford County, selecting names for the cheeses has been a long, slow process, much like the aging of the hundreds of wheels of cheese in their curing room. The three names cheesemaker Shep Ysselstein has chosen are: Handegg (formerly known as Gunn’s Hill Firm), Five Brothers (formerly known as Gunn’s Hill Semi-Firm) and Oxford’s Harvest (formerly known as Gunn’s Hill Soft).

The McMillan Family and the Lunn Family are two families with dairy sheep, similar backgrounds, ambitions and goals. They recently brought Crossroad Sheep Gouda to Smith’s Cheese at the Covent Garden Market.

In London, Rick Peori of All Bout Cheese is open Thursdays and Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Western Fair

Farmers and Artisans’ Market, and Fridays at Masonville Farmers’ Market. Peori specializes in imported and artisanal cheeses and carries Gunn’s Hill cheeses.

The Cheese Poet is passionate about locally crafted artisanal cheese and charcuterie. Chef and owner Erin Harris has carefully sourced exceptional cheeses and other dairy products that are made using the highest quality hormone-free sheep, goat, and cow’s milk from local Ontario farms. As well, Harris offers a selection of fine charcuterie made from hormone-free, whey-fed pork and pastured beef, all from animals raised in Ontario. The cheeses on offer are made with microbial enzymes, and/or organic rennet only, as the Cheese Poet is a vegetarianfriendly business. Open Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Western Fair Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market.

New this year, after three years of partnership on the Ontario Culinary Tourism Awards, the Ontario Culinary Tourism Summit will be held in London on October 22 in conjunction with the 2012 Ontario Tourism Summit. This exciting development will further grow culinary tourism in our bountiful province, while giving both tourists and industry alike a taste of place. The Summit is an annual forum for the tourism industry to learn the latest trends, share new ideas and best practices,

& custom labelling

1570 Hyde Park Rd ¡ Unit #7 London ¡ Ontario ¡ N6H 5L5 P: 519-471-OLIV (6548) E: info@olivemeco.com

London’s Finest Olive Oils & Balsamic Vinegars.

Custom blends & fresh bottling.

Come in and Sample!

Welcome To Our Tables BILLY’S Parking

113 Dundas St @ Talbot 519-679-1970 Breakfast or Lunch Tuesday−Saturday 7:30am−3pm Sunday: 9am−2pm

www.billysdelirestaurant.ca

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and network with colleagues. Entitled Strategies for New Growth, the 2012 conference theme will include insightful discussions to help us explore new areas of growth.

A reception, hosted by Tourism London in partnership with the Ontario Tourism Summit, will feature sixteen wineries from Ontario and include locally sourced tastings highlighting eight London restaurants and some of Ontario’s Southwest’s most delectable destinations. Online registration closes October 13, 2012. All registrations after this date must be made via telephone or on-site at the London Convention Centre.

For three exclusive evenings in October, the London Convention Centre will be transformed into a sensory playground designed to tantalize the most discerning of palates.

The awe-inspiring World Wine & Food Experience will boast over 100 world-renowned vineyards, gastronomical offerings from London’s top 20 chefs, and a dusting of entertainment by world-class musicians and Cirque performers. To complete your evening, enjoy a sculpted ice bar and sample offerings from first-rate Scotch and Tequila purveyors. The World Wine & Food Experience has something for everyone. Limited-capacity admission to this event includes a Riedel wine glass, a tasting guide and a tasting-notes tablet. For more information, go to www.worldwinefoodexperience.com, or the Facebook page, or call Centennial Hall Box Office at 519-672-1967.

With 25 years of food skills training, advocacy for careers in food service, and a commitment to a local, sustainable food system, London Training Centre is pleased to present the centre’s third annual “Food for Thought” fundraiser to support their Local Food Skills Program. On September 6, 250 guests will enjoy a Tapas menu, award-winning local craft beers, Ontario wines, the skills of guest chefs and food artisans, live music, and much more. Every month, the Local Food Skills program culminates in a three-course dinner prepared and served in their kitchen. Demonstrating the skills and experiences gained through the program, this meal is provided by the participants under the guidance of Chef Steve James.

The fall issue of the LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine will have a feature about gastropubs. They are featuring three Ontario establishments in the issue, and The Church Key on Richmond Row is one of them. Owners Pete and Vanessa Willis are planning to highlight their gastropub roots on the fall/winter menu. In the meantime, their Salmon-wrapped Scallops are one of the most delicious appetizers in the city.

Bringing GREECE to London for over 38 years!

“A sacred place where we celebrate life and each other with joy, warmth, good food and drink.”

Garden Patio Open Daily We Host Parties — from 8 to 80 We Know How!

BEST GREEK RESTAURANT MYKONOS

572 Adelaide Street, London 519-434-6736

www.mykonosrestaurant.ca

Mon−Sat 11am to 10pm Sunday 11am to 9pm

swiss quality cheese, crafted right here.

Visit our local cheese shop and sample our delicious handcrafted cheeses, made using fresh milk from our 3-generation family farm.

Speaking of Richmond Row, The Tasting Room is quickly approaching its tenth anniversary. Chef Paul Eadie tells eatdrink he is putting the finishing touches on his new menu, available at www.thetastingroom.ca Upfront at the Market’s eclectic menus reflect owners Josh and Jody Stall’s passion for bold, exuberant and diverse flavour combinations. The cuisine is a fresh amalgam of world-inspired signature dishes with diverse influences and ingredients. Check out their rotating roster of international-themed dinners. www.upfrontrestaurant.com

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Also Available in London: Jantzi's Cheese Western Fair Farmers’ Market

gunnshillcheese.ca 519-424-4024

№ 37 | September/October 2012

Bonnie’s ‘Tole’ House Unique Handpainted Gifts

Hand-painted glassware, plates, coffee mugs, flower vases, wood trays, small tables and handmade jewellery

519-951-1777 www.bonniestolehouse.ca london:

The flavours and textures of Korean food are exhilarating.

Manna Grill at 276 Wharncliffe Road in London has been a Korean hot spot for as long as we can remember. We love their fiery kimchee. Now there’s a new kid on the block — Lee Chul Wha — serving delicious versions of bibimbap and bulgogi. Korean House at 170 Adelaide Street and Hamilton Road has some serious culinary aspirations and great word of mouth.

Penelope Holt’s micro-bakery, LOAF, proudly keeps it slow and organic with sourdough loaves at Covent Garden Farmer’s Market Thursdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Organic Works Bakery is a stylish Bakery and Cafe located in the heart of London’s SoHo at 222 Wellington Street, between Simcoe and Horton Streets. Owner Peter Cuddy looked far and wide and discovered he couldn’t find bakers who created this way, so an idea was born.

They specialize in recipes made with organic, gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan ingredients that tantalize the palate.

Jack DiCarlo, who has retired after 27 years as maître d’ at Michael’s On the Thames, was legendary for serenading diners. DiCarlo, who was sad to leave behind the legacy he’s created at Michael’s, has left the restaurant in good hands.

London’s “celebration destination” welcomes Michael Hearse as its new General Manager. Hearse is an experienced food and beverage manager and, in addition to applying his skill and knowledge as a restaurateur, is focused on creating great dining experiences for this perennially successful establishment. Michael’s on the Thames’ owner-operator Brian Stewart has expressed his gratitude for Jack DiCarlo’s many years of service.

Porcino opened its doors at 1700 Hyde Park Road just over a month ago, and restaurateurs Gino Parco and Dave Todesco are receiving accolades for their authentic Italian cuisine and wood- fired pizza oven.

Paramount Fine Foods is the new go-to place for the authentic, marche-style Halal, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. The restaurant opened at 769 Southdale Road East (at Adelaide) in mid-June. The restaurant has an attractive stone facade and sports chandeliers, waterfalls, an attractive patio, and a wood-fired oven. Everything on the menu is prepared in- house using fresh ingredients. The bakery produces fresh baked pita, and menu items include shawarma, falafel, tabbouleh, shish tawouk, and their specialty, charbroiled chicken and beef. Also on offer is a full line of hand-rolled, house-made Arabic sweets and pastries.

Paramount is hoping to open a gourmet Halal butcher shop in the near future. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 10 pm.

Eatdrink writer and culinary guru Jane Antoniak is finalizing plans to open her own boutique shop, Saucy: Meats & So Much More! at the Western Fair

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Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market on Saturdays Saucy will feature some of the best of regional meat products, including from Metzger Meats of Hensall. Butcher Gerhard Metzger (Did you know metzger means butcher in German?) is known for the exceptional quality of his products, all made with artisanal passion and care. Saucy will also feature products from Martin & Teresa Van Raay’s The Whole Pig, and there will be a full line of regional sauces and spices from suppliers such as The Garlic Box, Steed & Co. Lavender, Pristine Olive Oil and Stonewall Kitchen.

In early September, the Western Fair Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market will also be welcoming some new vendors to the Artisan floor. Among them is Kantina Café. Owner Miljan Karac and Chef Danijel Markovic, who reinterpret classic cuisine with plenty of skill, expertise and local flavours in their downtown London restaurant, are opening a satellite operation at the top of the stairs. Also, Lindsay Reid of Lindsay’s Bakery is expected to move inside to the second floor after the market season ends.

Also in the market, you can find the sweetest of goodies at Candy Culture, where colourful candy favours are abundant. Come by and try unique products like candy aquariums or decorative candy batons. Or talk to them about customizing candy favours for your upcoming event or creating a one-of-kind candy buffet for your wedding. www.candyculture.ca Don’t let the self-deprecating name fool you. Grub To Go is “The only 100% all-Canadian restaurant anywhere — and if there’s another, I’d love to talk to them,” says owner and chef Robert Rose, formerly a pastry chef at Langdon Hall and chef at The Belfry/The Church in Stratford. Robert and his wife, Jessica, opened the 85 Downie Street takeout-only, modeled after famed Trotter’s To Go in Chicago. Their best sandwich so far is Pork Terrine with Cider Pickles and House Spicy Mustard. The Roses enhance their Canadianonly ingredients with heritage food strategies like drying and preserving seasonal fruits for fruit salads in winter, or substituting hand-rendered lemon balm oil for imported lemons. wawagrub.ca Flavors of Stratford — Off the Eaten Path Culinary Walking Tours offer a unique downtown tour of Stratford’s sensational culinary stops. Meet the passionate culinary artisans who work wonders with the best of what grows here and the best from around the world, all on a delightful tour of the senses. Join your Flavors of Stratford tour guide for a delectable two-hour walking/tasting tour of our epicurean gems. Tours are offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings, and again Friday and Saturday afternoons for $42 per person. Call 519-272-6409 or

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551 Richmond Street, London 519-850-5477 ○ www.kissthecookonline.com

CAFÉ OPEN TUES TO FRI, 11-4 SUNDAY BRUNCH, 11-4 AVAILABLE EVENINGS FOR PRIVATE DINING, WEDDINGS CORPORATE EVENTS, ANNIVERSARY DINNERS, CHRISTMAS & BIRTHDAY PARTIES

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Your love of all things Italian begins at

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1-877-812-8687. Please reserve your spot two days in advance.

Meet at Stratford Tourism Alliance, 47 Downie Street, ­Stratford. www.flavorsofstratford.com The Stratford Garlic Festival, September 8 & 9, is a true celebration of the most pungent bulb! Celebrities such as culinary expert Elizabeth Baird, master gardener Sonia Day, Chef D TV Darryl Fletcher, cookbook author Rose Murray, and professional home economist Emily Richards share their garlic secrets throughout the weekend. The festival features an extensive Ontario garlic market, garlic food vendors, cooking demonstrations, educational talks, fascinating presentations, and musical entertainment. Saturday’s garlic dinner will be a highlight, along with Sunday’s garlic chef competition and garlic-braiding demonstrations. Make your way to the Old Stratford Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, September 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy this tasty community project of the Kiwanis Club of Stratford. Cost: $5 per day, with free parking on-site. www.stratfordgarlicfestival.com.

Photos by Robert Miedema Photography, London

Your Local Market Coop hosts nutritional workshops that expand traditional, health-creating cooking skills including: Healthy Sourdough, Traditional Bone Broth, and Preparing Nuts and Dried Seeds. Led by Samantha Bankert, RHN, the workshops run Wednesday evenings in September and October.

For more information, visit www.timehonourednutrition.ca.

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, London

Private Events

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Pairing Dark Ale and Stinky Cheese! Taste your way through an afternoon with cheese expert Liz Payne on Saturday, October 20 and Saturday, October 27. The Milky Whey Cheese Shop, 118 Ontario Street, Stratford. For more info, call 519-814-9439. www.themilkywhey.ca Stratford is the perfect destination for a unique Culinary Getaway. Our experts share their passion in professional guided workshops. Try your hand at truffle making, learn about healthy teas, or create a meal just like your favourite Canadian celebrity chef. Each package includes a culinary experience, accommodation, and dinner. Watch for new culinary getaways focusing on Raw Food, Fermentation, and Seasonal Preserving. More information and details for booking are available at www.visitstratford.ca/packages.

Join a guided pub crawl with a haunted twist on Stratford’s Pubs, Pilsner and Spirits tour! Tour Stratford’s original brewery and six historic pubs, each with its resident ghost.

Sample local micro-brews at each stop and hear haunting tales of spooky spectres. Tours begin at 7 p.m. on October 25 and 30. Cost: $25 + HST. To reserve a space or book a custom tour, call 1-800-561-7926.

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, September 21–23, 2012, is Ontario’s premier culinary event. Meet culinary celebrities and celebrate the creative partnerships between producers and local chefs that result in innovative and delicious culinary presentations at tastings and learning events. Free music concerts, artisanal markets and street theatre all converge in Stratford’s heritage garden district for a flavourful weekend of fun! Highlights include: BBQ, Blues & Brews — Southern Style! Spend a night savourin’ and swingin’ under a tent in Stratford’s historic Market Square. Inspired by traditional southern pit BBQ, Hog Tails BBQ Road Show brings authentic finger-lickin’ southern fried chicken and Kansas City award-winning ribs washed down with Ontario craft brews. Sway to the sounds of the New Country Southern Rock by Dry County, outlaw indie country band New Country Rehab, and a special appearance by Ginger St. James, a sassy blend of blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll, at the Saturday night party. You’ll get a beer sample passport and choose from the Southern BBQ menu of Southern Fried Chicken,

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Kansas City Style Ribs, Mac & Cheese, and Homemade Cornbread, served in a biodegradable take-out box (just in case you can’t finish it). Saturday, September 22, from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. $40 per person plus HST includes meal, entertainment, and beer samples. $25 per person includes entertainment and beer samples. Age of majority required.

Breakfast with Culinary Champions: Connie DeSousa, Finalist on Season 1 of Top Chef Canada, returns to the festival to join Carl Heinrich, Winner of Season 2 of Top Chef Canada, for an exclusive breakfast. Hear behind-thescenes secrets from Top Chef Canada, and watch Connie and Carl compete in a Black Box Challenge. Sunday, September 23

presents

The Great Gatsby Gala October 12, 2012 6:00 pm- Midnight * Bellamere Winery Get your roaring twenties on!

Come dressed as a flapper, a gangster and his moll..... or just as yourself.

windellschocolates.com Follow our trail of 1920’s trivia and costume tips at Windells Chocolates

Tickets & Info: windellschocolates.com info@windellschocolates.com Chef Erin Harris

Caterings • Private Tastings • thecheesepoet@gmail.com • 519.319.9795

www.thecheesepoet.ca • Western Fair Farmer’s Market • Thursdays & Saturdays

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at the Stratford Country Club, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. $30 for adults, $20 for culinary students, $15 for children under 12.

Savour Stratford Sunday Tasting: The highlight of the Culinary Festival, this tented garden party in Stratford’s Market Square presents 30 top local chefs paired with Perth County producers to create an array of seasonal morsels to savour, complemented by Ontario VQA wines and craft beers. Sip and sample all afternoon while enjoying musical entertainment from The Boxcar Boys and Jazz Gents. VIP Ticket $125 per person plus HST includes early admittance and a one-of-a-kind VIP bag filled with products and coupons from area businesses! Regular admittance is $75 per person plus

Garlic & Cilantro Corn Fiesta Seasoning

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FOR: corn (any way you like it), soups, salads, potatoes, pasta, dips & salsas

“When food matters, The Garlic Box brings the very best to your table.”

Visit www.thegarlicbox.com for GREAT recipes using the Garlic & Cilantro Corn Fiesta Seasoning toll free 1.888.772.9994 • Hensall, ON Available at Jill’s Table, Kingsmills, Remark Fresh Market & Bradshaws (Stratford)

HST. Sunday, September 23, from 1 to 4 p.m. 1-800-561-7926 The Talks & Tastings lineup is also impressive. On Saturday, September 22, check out: Bacon and Eggs: Chef Mike Booth and Farmer Janet Cox will stimulate both your palate and your mind with artisanal bacon and eggs. Learn the key differences between meat and eggs from small-scale, artisanal, pasture-based production and those raised using large-scale factory-farming methods. Explore the differences, enjoy hands-on experiences, and taste heritage pork and eggs. 10–11 a.m. $25.

Fortified Wine Tasting: Jamie Drummond, former Sommelier for the Granite Club and the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, and Senior Editor for Good Food Revolution, takes you on a revealing tasting from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. $25. Age of majority required.

DIY Cheesemaking & Tasting: Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy teaches you how to use one recipe to make three different cheeses at home, including what equipment you will need,, from 3:30–4:30 p.m. $15.

The Apartment Farm Tasting: David Tracey, ecologist and author of Urban Agriculture, will dig in to show that no matter what size your “farm,” you can grow more than you thought possible, from 12:30–1:30 pm. $15.

Riedel “O” Stemless Wine Tasting: Enjoy a tasting of Ontario wines with Riedel’s Wayne Bentley using the stemless Riedel “O” glasses and see how the enjoyment of aroma, taste, texture and finish of a wine is maximized by the right glass.

Attendees take home a set of 5 “O” glasses. In the Bradshaws Kitchen Classroom, from 2–3:30 p.m. $60.

Cooking with Ceramics: Traditional Methods for the Modern Kitchen: Presenter Emily Richards will teach you about the traditional tagine, using a pizza/baking stone in your oven and on your BBQ, how to make a crusty and chewy loaf of bread using simple local ingredients and a classic French oven, and various other ideas and benefits of cooking with ceramics. In the Bradshaws Kitchen Classroom, 12 noon to 1 p.m. $15.

The Sweetness of Bees: Dr. John Pollard, a bee researcher, will talk about what is being done to save the honey bee and local beekeepers. Stuart Arkett will walk through the basics of beekeeping, and attendees can try their hand at honey extraction using a hand-cranked machine. (There will not

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

be any bees in the demo.) 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Cost: The Savour Stratford Wristband — $5.00.

Henckels Knife Sharpening 101: Knife Specialist Jamie Rowlad of Zwilling J.A. Henckels will teach you how to properly hone and sharpen your knives at home. If you own a sharpening steel but don’t know what to do with it, this demo is for you! And learn how to use a whetstone and practice with Jamie’s guidance. In the Bradshaws Kitchen Classroom, 10:30–11:30 am. $15 per person.

Coffee 101: Discover the joy of making coffee: from selecting the right beans to how to grind, brew, froth and tamp your way to a better home-brewed coffee or espresso. And enjoy a coffee and a freshly baked scone from Revel Caffè. Bradshaws Kitchen Classroom, 9–10 a.m. $15.

Whisky vs. Bourbon Tasting: Ever wondered what makes Canadian whisky, Scotch and Bourbon different? Join Davin de Kergommeaux, Canada’s leading expert on whisky, in a tasting that will demonstrate the complex flavours of this legendary drink. Tasting Tent South, 2:30–3:30 p.m. $45.

Sake and Sashimi: Jake Richards of Grape Expectations and Kristin Donovan, owner of Hooked, the sustainable fish store, take you on an intriguing journey pairing a variety of sakes, from Izumi Spring Water Sake Co., Ontario’s only sake brewery, with different types of sustainable fish. Tasting Tent South, 1–2 p.m.; $35.

Butchery: Everything But the Cluck: Join the Executive Chef and Head Butcher from The Healthy Butcher, Dave Meli, as he guides you through the beak-to-tail use of a free-range chicken from Neubrand Country Produce. In the Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival Chefs Learning Centre, 11 a.m.–noon. Cost: Savour Stratford Wristband — $5.

The Butcher’s Ultimate BBQ: Chef Mark Cutrara, Cowbell Restaurant, and Sommelier Jamie Drummond, Good Food Revolution, present a cooking demonstration and wine tasting combo. Chef Cutrara will show you how to select your meat and will share his grilling secrets to cook the perfect BBQ, while Drummond will present a tutored wine tasting to accompany it. Chefs Learning Centre, Sunday, September 23, 12:30–1:30 p.m.; $15 (includes wine tasting).

For more details on Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, visit the website at www.savourstratford.com

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Herb & Sherry Marshall of Park House bar and restaurant in Goderich, have an exciting project on their hands. They are moving and refurbishing the former CPR Station, built in 1908, and converting it to a restaurant. They are moving it 300 yards closer to the water at the Goderich Harbour/Main Beach. When completed, it will be a 320-seat restaurant, to open next summer. The project is now in the hands of a mover from Whitby.

Pat & Kevin’s On The Square in Goderich is a new deli diner that is now adding weekend omelette bar and brunch options.

Located in the former home of Sweets and Memories, the deli makes tasty Montreal-style brisket sandwiches. Besides adding more breakfast items, Pat and Kevin are also offering a half-

London’s Celebration Destination

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29 Lunch Weekdays Dinner 7 Nights a Week

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From an amazing Caesar Salad to flaming coffees, Michael’s makes your celebration an event.

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BEST FINE DINING AND MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT MICHAEL’S ON THE THAMES

Baby Grand Pianist 6 Nights a Week Plenty of Free Parking

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pound Bagel burger made with their own mix of ground beef and smoked meat and served on a choice of bagel. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come hungry!

Liz & Frank Ihrig of The Hessenland Inn are putting a new twist on their annual fund-raiser dining event for Parkinson’s.

Novemberfest, formerly known as Oktoberfest, will be held on Saturday November 10 at the picturesque Inn in St. Joseph, between Grand Bend and Bayfield on highway 21. Come and enjoy German food, beer and entertainment, including a tapping of the keg, the band Edelweiss Trio, a silent action, an impressive German buffet, and Paulaner Oktoberfest beer straight from Germany. Tickets are $65. www.hessenland.com Reviving the Lost Arts: From One Generation to the Next. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers didn’t “add water and stir,” “heat and serve,” “refrigerate after opening” or “microwave on high.” They kneaded, proved, rolled, pulled, punched, let sit, canned, baked, simmered, tapped and boiled.

Join us as we celebrate our Ladies of Elgin as they share some of their finest tips and techniques. You’ll love being able to say, “I made it from scratch!” September 13, 6:30–8:30 p.m. www.theartsandcookerybank.com Saturdays in September — Clovermead Annual Honey Harvest Festival. Come and see how honey is harvested from the hive, dip your own beeswax candle, safely see a live beehive opened, and ask your questions. Bee Beard demonstration at

• Sunday Brunch • Family Dinners • Fully Licensed by LLBO • Banquet & Wedding Packages Available • Take-Out & Delivery Available (ask for details) • Family Owned & Operated

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2:30 p.m., plus wagon rides, bee barrel train rides, jumping pillow, pedal go-karts, music, animals, and buckets of fall family fun on the Adventure Farm! $10 per person; group of 5 is $45.

11a.m. to 4 p.m. Clovermead Bees & Honey Adventure Farm, 11302 Imperial Road, Aylmer. www.clovermead.com Birtch Farms and Estate Winery invites you to a two-day kickoff to the fall festival season on September 15 & 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pick your own apples and pumpkins, take the family on horse-drawn wagon rides along the “Apple Tale Trail,” and visit their newest attraction, “Farmer Bob’s Adventureland,” an interactive play area with pedal carts, mazes, play structures and games. Enjoy scarecrow-making, a corn maze, a food tent, wine-tasting, new product sampling and strolling musicians. Fresh-baked apple fritters, apple pies, apple muffins, caramel apples and much more will be available throughout the weekend. Admission: $6 per person over 2 years of age. 655514 15th Line, Woodstock, www.birtchfarms.com.

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Our readers want to know, so send us info about culinary events, fundraisers, and regional news. With BUZZ in the Subject line, send to: editor@eatdrink.ca.

We tweet and retweet, post to our Facebook page, and print all the news we can. Let’s get better connected!

New Location 28537 Centre Road, Strathroy just off hwy 402 @ Hwy 81 and Second Street

519-245-5400

www.amys-restaurant.com

www.eatdrink.ca

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BEER MATTERS beer matters

Chasing Down the Elusive Domestic Rousse

By THE MALT MONK

I

t’s long past time that North American red ale be identified and recognized as a distinct domestic beer style. Red ale has its roots in the Old World as the venerable Irish red ale, among others, which were malt forward, lightly sweet, toasty, modestly hopped medium-bodied reddishamber ales. Some commercial examples of this style are Smithwick’s Irish Ale, Kilkenny Irish Beer, Beamish Red Ale, and Caffrey’s Irish Ale. When traditional red ale styles were revived and interpreted by North American microbrewers and artisanal brewers in decades past, they took on a whole new genre-bending attitude and flavour profile.

Unfortunately, the official and near-official beer industry style-classification committees have not made North American red ales or Canadian Rousse a district category (lumping them in with the “amber ale” catch-all classification), even though crafters have distinguished it enough through trial and innovation to be its own district style.

The North American craft/microbrewing industry first took interest in red ales when they tried to improve on Irish and UK amber ales in colour, body and flavour. The North American red ale style is very popular in Quebec, and many craft brewers there produce a “rousse” (red) ale. The Quebec style is ­generally malty with a touch of caramel in the front, but crisp and dry in the finish with a decent hop bite at the end. It’s like a pale ale, but with a little more caramel and toastiness in the profile. The style is so popular in La Belle Province that most independent commercial brewers there offer a rousse.

If you’re an ale-head, and pale ale is your go-to session beer, then you’ll find rousse is a pleasant change of pace.

The “rousse” style was picked up by microbrewers outside Quebec who had traveled there and tasted this unique Quebec quaffing ale. It is now not un­­common to see microbrewers producing rousse-like red ales

outside Quebec.

Generally, red ales brewed outside Quebec tend to have a slightly sturdier body and are a bit heavier in character. Also brewers are experimenting with specialty grains like rye, buckwheat and spelt in their red ale renditions.

These specialty grains add a new dimension to the rousse style and improve on its original profile.

The “red” in Quebec rousse and North American micro red ales is generally the result of using caramalt (malt that is caramelized and has reddish melanoidins), which imparts the malty caramel flavours, as well as giving a distinctive reddishcopper colour. However, the use of malted rye and buckwheat really add a spicy dryness to the finish. These specialty grains have a natural affinity for the red ale style, so it’s no surprise that some of the best red ales and imperial red ales I’ve tasted were made with more than 30 percent malted rye.

On the whole, North American reds and Quebec rousse are great quaffing ales — flavourful with caramel toasty accents but crisp in finish and fuller bodied, while light enough to be a good quencher or sessioner. The flavour profile is very flexible and lends itself to accompanying a wide variety of foods. From personal experience, I can state that red ale is as at home with spicy Thai or Mexican cuisine as it is with homemade comfort foods.

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Recommended Rousse

BrewDog 5 a.m. Saint — Special order though Ontario agents and at better craft-beer venues. 5 a.m. Saint is said to be the “holy grail of red ales.” From my tasting perspective, that isn’t an exaggeration. It pours a hazed amber-red in the glass with a three-finger tight sand-coloured cap. Aroma is subtle but complex: layered malts and layered hopping, the result of careful mashing and multiple dry-hopping stages — simply awesome nose to this. Medium-bodied with a rounded character.

Flavour has a rich complexity of malts in front that is almost perfectly balanced with a layered mix of hop varieties.

You get biscuit, toast, bready, sweet dough, ­toffee, malt meeting pine, citrus, floral, herbal woody hopping. Clean and distinctive, with a demure complexity.

Crafted red ale at its best.

McAuslin Griffon Rousse — lcbo #613596 and at the Beer Store. Reddishbrown coloured ale with a smallish cap. Light clean nose, hints of caramel malts with some walnut and wet hemp tones. A clean drinking ale with a medium-light body, some sweet bread and nutty decrements, hops are spicybitter in good balance, clean dry finish with a light bitter bite at the end. Good session ale with malty profile and all natural ingredients. Very popular in Quebec.

Lake of Bays Rousse — lcbo #242180 and at the Beer Store. Decants a dark copper with reddish tones. Ample cap laces the glass. Aroma reveals a good mix of malts and hop varieties. Roasty-toastytoffee, some earthiness, pine and fruits. Flavour is equally easy to define — a pleasant amalgam

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of red and pale malts with enough hop balance to keep it interesting. Crisp finish with roasty-toasty malt tones eclipsed by an increasing bittering. A very drinkable brew that has depth without being complex — a good rendition of the Quebec original “rousse” style.

Wellington Rye-it — rotating seasonal at Wellington County Brewery store or local pubs. Pours a rich copperred with a decent onefinger cap in the glass.

Aroma is pleasant — caramalt over some citrus and pine notes. Medium-bodied, gritty mouthfeel, malty but spicy-dry character. Flavour starts with rich caramalt semisweet maltiness in the front, then is balanced with a spicy-piney bitterness; goes dry in the finish with a resinous bittering.

A great flavour amalgam of caramel malts and dry spicy rye in the finish, wonderful choice of complimentary hops. This is an easy-drinking rye red ale with lots of sessioning potential. I wish Wellington made it all year round.

Rogue Northwestern Ale — Seasonally at the LCBO and at craft beer emporiums. An award-winning red ale from an established US microbrewer, Northwestern is reddish-brown in the glass with an off-white cap. In the aroma you get citrus-earthy-pine-hop tones mingling with caramel malt with some toasty notes — some nice complexity here. The flavour profile’s front side is dominated by malts — roasty, toasty, nutty, some caramel/ toffee — then the hops appear suddenly to add balance and some complexity. Long wet clean finish that leaves a roasty-bitter taste.

Sandy mouthfeel, medium body. Very nicely constructed ale, lots going on here, like a

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micro red ale–IPA mutation with west coast dry hopping thrown in the mix.

Good quaffer. Grab some if it appears on the LCBO shelves this year.

Malt Monk’s Pick of the Month

New kids on the block, Sawdust City Brewing in Gravenhurst have had a couple of winners right out of the gate. Their Lone Pine IPA is great, they have an Altbier to die for that is as good as any imports, and they offer this superb Imperial Russian stout. It seems that comic doubleentendre names are all the rage with unconventional brewers these days, thus we see this offering named “Long Dark Voyage To Uranus” (LDVTU). Don’t let the name put you off, this is one of the better microbrewed Imperial stouts I’ve tasted.

LDVTU pours blacker than a tax collector’s heart, with a two-finger tight-pored mochacoloured cap, very soft carbonation, and a silken mouthfeel.

Big coffee/roast tones in the aroma as well as some dark fruits, a touch of vanilla, and some wet hay. Big hefty body and robust character, roasty-coffee-fruity flavours in front with a nice hop bite and a long drying finish. A really satisfying drink. Until they

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get bottling in full production, their beers will only show in this market on tap at better craft beer venues. Hope they get this in bottles soon.

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, and you'll find more of his personal impressions of the beers in this column, at http://maltmonksbeerblog.wordpress.com/.

CH UN R m Y B 2p DA1am− N SU 1

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wine

A Tasty Debate: Wine versus Beer 13th Street Winery and Mill Street Brewery Go Head-to-Head

By RICK VanSICKLE

T

here’s an oft-uttered phrase in the winemaking business: “It takes a lot of beer to make good wine.” A great wine vintage is celebrated by winemakers the world over with a great craft beer. And a hard day’s work in the winery is followed by a few cold ones at the local tavern. And nearly every wine-tasting event I have been to has been followed by a frosty pint of draught at the nearest pub.

Beer and wine are linked even though the two elixirs are vastly different, both in ingredients and in how they are made.

But with the growing popularity of local craft beers, the question more and more has become: What pairs better with food?

Beer or wine?

To answer that question, Toronto’s Mill Street Brewery and Niagara’s 13th Street Winery have been travelling around Ontario.

Joining up with various restaurant partners, Mill Street and 13th Street have paired their beers and wines with dishes prepared by the restaurants, and participants were asked to vote for the favourites.

At the Ottawa event, beer emerged the victor in a closely fought battle with wine.

In the Niagara event, at the 13th Street Winery, wine scored a decisive victory over beer.

I attended the Niagara event. This is how it went down.

vs.

wines and Mill Street’s craft beers. Winners were declared in three categories: Best Dish, Best Drink and Best Pairing. The people would decide this smackdown by voting with their mouths.

It was such a perfect evening at 13th Street’s lush garden setting as dusk set in.

Diners had staked their claims around the winery wherever they could find an empty spot, whether it was on the comfortable back porch, around the fire pit surrounded by art

The Smackdown in Grapetown

Billed as “the Smackdown in Grapetown,” a “bottle royale of beer versus wine,” the reputations of both 13th Street Winery and Mill Street Brewery were on the line, at least for one glorious summer night.

Niagara food truck pioneer El Gastró­ nomo Vagabundo prepared their Thaiinspired street food while the other food combatant, Toronto’s Amaya, cooked up its Indian-inspired restaurant food.

The dishes were matched to 13th Street

Restaurant Food versus Street Food added a further dimension to the competition

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affordable business lunches eclectic evening dining

In a “bottle royale of beer versus wine,” participants also enjoyed a multitude of fresh-cooked foods.

private rooms available a beautiful atrium for meetings

installations, or just standing around the many empty wine barrels.

But mostly they stood in line waiting for fresh-cooked food from El Gastro or Amaya and then sought out the suggested winebeer pairings.

It was a feast, a glorious feast of spicy Asian-Indian food washed down with plenty of tasty beer and wine.

13th Street’s resident sommelier Peter Bodnar Rod and Mill Street brewmaster Joel Manning have conducted this “poetry of winemaking versus the science of brewing” before, and results always differ.

From my point of view, a wine guy, it was a chance to appreciate the pairing of good craft beer with food. I don’t often think to match the two, primarily because I don’t know a lot about beer.

Many people believe that beer just might be easier, and certainly more versatile, to match with food. Beer certainly offers far more variations. While wine has primarily one ingredient (grapes, two if you count oak), with beer it’s really unlimited (barley, hops, yeast, spices, nuts, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables).

32 Covent Market Place or 125 Dundas Street, London 519-433-1414 www.bluduby.com

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Smoked Chicken Tostada

№ 37 | September/October 2012

Jackfruit Biryani

Spicy Fish Taco

There are very few rules for making beer, and brewmasters are riding a wave of popularity right now and throwing everything but the kitchen sink into their recipes, as followers of the craft beer movement are more than willing to try anything at least once.

So, was the event stacked in favour of Mill Street for this Smackdown? Not if you listen to the voters. Here’s what they liked: • Best Dish went to El Gastro’s Seared Scallop and Twice-Cooked Pork Belly.

• Best Beverage went to 13th Street’s June’s Vineyard Riesling 2011.

• Best Pairing was a tie between El Gastro’s Smoked Chicken Tostada paired with

Seared Scallop & Pork Belly

June’s Riesling, and the Seared Scallop and Pork Belly from El Gastro paired with 13th Street White Palette 2011.

On this night, wine bested beer, and Asianinspired food bested Indian-inspired food.

I only partially agreed with the results, but understand why Amaya had its challenges.

The Indian dishes all contained high heat from the spices. Some of the beers worked well, but more as an extinguisher than perfect pairing. I loved the dishes; the Fish Taco was fantastic and was paired brilliantly with the Riesling and Lemon Tea Beer.

But for me, the bomb was El Gastro’s Seared Scallop and Pork Belly with Mill Street’s Lemon Tea Beer. It was one of the first matchups I tried and couldn’t get the

Fun, fashion and fundraiser for Wellspring London. the

NOVA VITA

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2012 Friday, September 21st – The Music Hall, 185 Queen St. Doors Open at 6pm – Advance Tickets $40 50 at the door (if available)

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Nova Vita Hair & Fashion Show – Live Auction for Wellspring Silent Auction & Raffle – Food, Fun, Fashion & Wine

Prize for best black dress! www.littleblackdressevent.ca

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

AND ONLINE

All proceeds to Wellspring. Little Black Dresses expected!

THIS YEAR WE ‘Believe with Bekka’ AND HOLD ‘Inspirational Nicole’ IN OUR MEMORY

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flavours out of my mind. It was perfect, for my palate, both from a flavour point of view and texturally, with the coconut tapioca. The wine pairing would have done better with June’s Riesling rather than the White Palette.

I also enjoyed the Amaya Indian Chicken Tikka Masala with the bold and flavourful 13th Street Red Palette 2011. The acidity and ripe red fruits cut through the spices nicely and added a new dimension to the dish.

I also loved the Amaya Jackfruit Biryani as a single dish, but nothing, beer or wine, would ever pair up to the heat of the spices in that dish.

It was a wonderful experiment, and I’m happy to see beer and wine people getting along so well. I don’t know where or when there will be another Smackdown, but you are well-advised to take in the next event.

It’s a wake-up call for all of us wine folks who merrily go through life pretending nothing beats the marriage of food and wine.

Other Pairings

Here are a few of the other pairings served at the Smackdown in Grapetown: Food from AMAYA INDIAN Spicy Fish Taco (crispy fish marinated with green chili, pickled red onion, arugula, radish, kachumber and raita in whole wheat chapati) served with 13th Street June’s Vineyard Riesling 2011 and Mill Street Lemon Tea Beer. Fantastic dish, and both the Riesling and Lemon Tea Beer paired nicely with it.

Chicken Tikka Masala (cooked on-site in a tandoor oven) on fresh garlic naan topped with cilantro chutney, paired with 13th Street Red Palette 2011 and Mill Street Tanhouse Ale. As mentioned above, the Red Palette with this was delicious.

Food from EL GASTRÓNOMO VAGABUNDO Seared Scallop and Twice-Cooked Pork Belly, chili caramel, coconut tapioca, kaffir lime, Thai basil, crispy shallots, and crispy garlic, paired with 13th Street White Palette 2011 and Mill Street Lemon Tea Beer. Best pairing of the night (in my opinion) with the Lemon Tea Beer.

Smoked Chicken Tostada, avocado, candied jalapeño, and green papaya salad, paired with 13th Street June’s Vineyard Riesling 2011 and Mill Street Hellesbock. Voted (a tie) best pairing with the Riesling. I thought the Hellesbock was a pretty hot pairing as well.

Enjoy!

RICK VanSICKLE publishes the www.winesinniagara.com website and can be reached at winesniagara@gmail.com.

Autumn Events — An Evening of Elegance — Enjoy Dinner and a Fashion Show Monday, September 24

— Ladies Night —

Dessert Canapes & Wine

Thursday, October 18, from 6pm-9pm

— Prime Rib Dinner Night —

with Three Penny Piece for entertainment Friday, October 5

Book Your Christmas

Parties NOW!

Join us for lunch or dinner on our patio or indoors in our exquisite dining room.

Make your Reservation today!

— Bonnie Preece

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culinary education

Going to the Source Growing Chefs! delivers the simple truths about food

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD Photography by JOSEPH DAVID

F

ood sustainability. Urban agriculture. These terms are becoming familiar, and the concepts they represent are slowly gaining support in our communities.

Spreading the words more widely can be accomplished by connecting people with caring and knowledgeable chefs, growers, and producers. This is part of the mandate of an organization called Growing Chefs!

And they’re not preaching to the converted, but rather to a segment of the population who have likely never heard about eating locally: school children.

Andrew Fleet is the founder of Growing Chefs! Ontario. Since its incorporation in 2008, this non-profit organization has been educating, exciting and entertaining children about the food that goes on their plate and how it got there. Fleet, whose background includes working his way through the varying strata of the restaurant industry to management, was originally inspired by a similar program in Vancouver, created by colleague and pastry chef, Merri Schwartz. A parent himself, Andrew is now a convincing and passionate advocate for involving children

Planting in the garden at the Grickle Grass Festival, hosted by the London Regional Children’s Museum in all aspects of food, including growing and kitchen prep work. He strongly believes that the key to changing a fast-food mindset starts with getting children, and indeed, entire communities on board with the notion that eating healthy can be both fun and easy.

“We don’t need to overthink this because kids already get it,” Fleet says, laughing. “Good food is often really simple.” He cites the example of a perfect heirloom tomato sliced up and scattered with salt, best olive oil and balsamic vinegar. “When I served Vegetable Art (Foods with Moods)

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

this in a restaurant situation, I was sent to ask the chef no less than three times to find out what he had done to make it taste so amazing. The last time, he just put his knife down and said ‘It’s just the tomato!’ ” Growing Chefs! provides a perfect platform for local chefs to channel their vocational love of cooking into a meaningful and important instruction for both children and young adults. The response has been incredibly positive. The Growing Chefs website features a list of chefs who are currently involved, and it’s a veritable who’s who in London. Fleet says he has been awestruck by the kindness and generosity of these extremely busy volunteers who willingly give their time.

He also laughingly credits the “Spiderman effect” — that moment when a chef enters the class dressed in his whites and hat — for really making an impression.

The programs have been carefully constructed with the school curriculum in mind, and use food to help teach math, history and science. Noteworthy is the Covent Garden Market’s “Fresh Food Frenzy,” during which the chefs and

Making salad dressing students tour the market, embark on a scavenger hunt to select ingredients and finally, prepare a meal which they will ultimately eat together.

Young adults and teens are included in the “Growing Communities” program,

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which offers itself in correlation with were also featured later and proved to be London youth groups. Growing Com­ especially mysterious — even to some of munities is very flexible and will adapt a the staff!) hands-on experience of food prep, cooking Cynics should be referred to the skills and field trips to outstanding success suit the needs of the and sheer joy wellgroup. Access to a full documented at this kitchen space is often year’s fundraising not even necessary.

Grickle Grass Festival Check out the details (www.gricklegrassfest. on their excellent and com) hosted by the informative website: London Regional growingchefsontario.ca/.

Children’s Museum, Fleet provides a where Growing Chefs stream of anecdotes featured prominently.

— some amusing, Delighted children some quite poignant made their own salad — about children’s dressings, dabbled in reactions toward “food art,” and generally common vegetables. had a blast.

For example, when a On a very basic chef in the classroom level, we all need to mentioned corn-oneat three times a day, Executive Chef Kim Sutherland, from the John so mastering how to the-cob, one child called out “Corn on the Labatt Centre do this economically, what?” When a show of mindfully, and with hands was requested, at optimum taste and least a dozen children nutrition is a superb life had never heard of or skill to be armed with. even sampled “cornAndrew Fleet notes: on-the-cob.”

“We all know that we Vegetables also — and of course our provide an opportunity children — should be for playful guessing eating healthy foods. games. The chef But then there’s the holds up a number matter of what we of different varieties actually do eat. It’s a Chef Laura Wall, from Petit Paris and the class tries to serious disconnect. The provide the correct missing piece is that we name. Results can all need to know how to be surprising. For eat well and understand example, out of that it can be done. approximately 450 students, only twelve recognized a radish, SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD and not one of them is a freelance writer who also works could identify either in the London Public Library system. rutabagas or beets!

She lives in London with her teenage Similarly, although sons and a floating population of Yoda Olinyk, from Yoda’s Private Catering all of the students dogs and cats. Read more of Sue’s & The Only On King were clearly familiar work at www.womenspost.ca with ‘B is for Broccoli’ on the classroom JOSEPH DAVID took all of the photos accompanying this alphabet sign, an actual real-life article at the Grickle Grass Festival. He can be reached at Joseph broccoli on the stalk did not evoke any David Photography, www.josephdavidphotography.com connection. (Purple heirloom carrots and the intergalactic-looking fennel bulb

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cookbooks

Vegetables Revised

by James Peterson Review and Recipe Selections by JENNIFER GAGEL

I

n 1996, James Peterson set out to write a cookbook that would honour the simple flavours of vegetables.

He did this so well that his original offering, Vegetables, won a James Beard award and is frequently referred to as the definitive work on the subject.

Sixteen years later, Peterson saw that even a perfect cookbook might benefit from an update. He has given us Vegetables: Revised (Ten Speed Press, 2012, $40).

This is not just an old book with a new introduction. Vegetables: Revised presents the reader thirty new vegetables, beans, lentils, gourds, legumes and rhizomes, and fifty new recipes. The first section of the book is a guide to buying, choosing and preparing vegetables. The second half, which shows us how to cook the vegetables, sometimes reads like an exotic catalogue.

What to do with zucchini blossoms? What to do with drought-tolerant amaranth? Recipes include refreshing salads, soups, stews, casseroles and pastas. Not all of the recipes are strictly vegetarian, but the vegetables are definitely the centrepiece of each dish.

Peterson understands that good ingredi­ ents are only a beginning. Technique and respect for the food are vital for the success of any good recipe. He takes the readers by the hand and leads them carefully through the entire process. He takes us to the local farmers’ market and shows us how to choose a basket of the best produce the season has to offer. We stop on the way home at the kitchen supply store to learn how to find the best kitchen tools, and then he shows us exactly how to use them to their best advantage. Once we’ve gained some confidence in our skills, he helps us store and preserve our vegetables to maximize their fresh, nutritious goodness.

As always, Peterson combines his love of

excellent food and doing things right with clear instructions to give us this new version of an old favourite cookbook. His artistry shines through in the 300 beautiful recipes as well as in the nearly 500 stunning full-colour photographs. An accomplished photographer in his own right, he shoots the best farmers’ market selections, following the seasons from May to October.

He also knows that the North American palate has changed in the last few decades.

Rich European flavours still have their place in our hearts and on our tables, but an increasing number of cooks are looking for the bold tastes of Asia. In response, Peterson spent mornings combing through Asian markets looking to increase his understanding of vegetables that many of us may have only looked at perplexedly.

He brings these into our kitchens with the same passion that led him to share the recipe for the perfect corn on the cob.

Peterson explains in his introduction that he wanted to create recipes for tried and true dishes, as well as new and exotic items.

A trip to the local market is great, but who hasn’t been stuck for a dinner idea and had to make do with what’s in the fridge? His recipes are accessible because he knows we aspire to be great cooks but sometimes we just need to get food on the table in a hurry.

This no-nonsense approach can be seen in his versatile recipe for Sugar Snap Peas with Mushrooms, Curry, Coconut Milk, and Shrimp, which comes together in a flash.

But the approach doesn’t stop him from including such decadent and unique items as Candied Lotus Root à la Grace Young.

Veggies for dessert must be guilt-free, right?

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He takes some of the mystery out of timing with the simple but often overlooked instruction to taste the vegetable and see if you like the texture. I’m sure many of us wish our mothers had heard this advice back in the good old days of soggy boiled carrots and mushy Brussels sprouts.

More than a collection of recipes, Vegetables: Revised, illustrates concepts and teaches the reader to understand how

№ 37 | September/October 2012

to combine flavours. Peterson encourages us to improvise and try new recipes, even those not found in the book. If going to France to study with a Master Chef isn’t in the travel budget this year, Vegetables: Revised is a wonderful and deliciously entertaining alternative.

JENNIFER GAGEL is a freelance writer who can be reached at jenna@bardandgage.com.

Recipes courtesy of James Peterson, from Vegetables: Revised (Ten Speed Press, 2012)

Pan-Fried Sage-Scented Zucchini Pancakes Makes 4 side-dish servings (4 pancakes) 4 medium zucchini 1½ tablespoons (40 mL) coarse salt 3 cloves garlic, minced and crushed to a paste 9 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped ¾ cup (175 mL) all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons (75 mL) water Freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons (40 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 1 Cut off the ends of the zucchini and cut the zucchini crosswise in half so you end up with 2 pieces about 4 inches long. Using a vegetable slicer or by hand, slice each of the zucchini pieces lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. With a chef’s knife, slice each of these into 1/8-inch-wide julienne strips. (If you have a French mandoline, you can use the julienne blades to julienne the zucchini in one step.) Rub the salt into the zucchini strips until the salt dissolves and you can’t feel the grains. Drain the zucchini in a colander for about 30 minutes.

2 Combine the garlic, sage, and 6 tablespoons of the flour in a small mixing bowl. Stir the water into the flour mixture and work to a smooth paste with a small whisk.

3 Spread the remaining 6 tablespoons flour on a work surface.

4 Squeeze the zucchini in small batches in a tight fist to extract as much water as you can. Gently stir the zucchini into the flour-water mixture and season with pepper. Form the mixture into hamburger-shaped pancakes about ½ inch thick and about 4 inches across and gently flour them on both sides.

5 Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or castiron skillet. (If you don’t have a large enough pan, you’ll have to make the pancakes in two batches.) Gently slide the pancakes into the hot oil.

Cook for about 7 minutes on the first side until golden brown. Gently turn the patties over with a spatula and cook for about 5 minutes on the other side—flatten them from time to time with the back of a spatula to compress them.

Serve immediately or reserve in a 200ºF oven for up to 30 min.

Variation: Replace the flour in the sage and garlic mixture and the flour for coating with the same amount of finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Don’t add any water to the sage-garlic-cheese mixture.

ED note: If you have a mandoline (a wise investment), then the julienned strips are easier. Otherwise I’d try grating the zucchini. You can substitute any herbs for the sage.

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Sugar Snap Peas with Mushrooms, Curry, Coconut Milk, and Shrimp Makes 4 main-course servings 2 tablespoons (25–30 mL) peanut oil 2 teaspoons (10 mL) garam masala or bottled curry powder 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons (10 mL) grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried red pepper flakes 8 ounces (225–250 g) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, or white cultivated mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices 8 ounces (225–250 g) sugar snap peas or snow peas, trimmed 1 pound (450 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened coconut milk 1 tablespoon (15 mL) Japanese dark soy sauce 2 tablespoons (25–30 mL) chopped fresh cilantro 1 Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Stir in the garam masala, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.

2 As soon as the ingredients start to froth, after about 15 seconds, add the mushrooms and peas. Stir or toss the mixture over high heat for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir or toss for 2 minutes more.

3 Pour in the coconut milk, soy sauce, and chopped fresh cilantro. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve immediately in hot bowls.

Candied Lotus Root à la Grace Young Makes 4 dessert servings 2 pieces of orange zest, about 3 inches long and ½ inch wide 2 medium lotus roots, peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick 2½ cups (625 mL) sugar 2 cups (500 mL) fresh orange juice, strained 1 star anise 2 slices fresh ginger 2 tablespoons (25–30 mL) lime juice, or to taste 1 Blanch the orange zest in boiling water for 30 seconds to eliminate bitterness.

Drain in a strainer and set aside.

2 Bring 8 cups (2 L) water to a boil, add the lotus root slices, and cook for about 1 minute. Drain and repeat twice more.

3 Combine the orange zest, lotus root, sugar, orange juice, star anise, ginger, and lime juice in a saucepan and simmer gently until the lotus root slices turn translucent, about 90 minutes. Serve cool in its syrup.

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cookbooks

The Tuscan Sun Cookbook Recipes from Our Italian Kitchen

By Frances Mayes and Edward Mayes Review and Recipe Selections by JENNIFER GAGEL

M

ost cookbooks are written by chefs who become authors.

Frances Mayes is a wellknown author and poet who has already captivated readers with her tales of an American living in Italy.

Along with her husband Edward, she renovated a Tuscan farmhouse and wrote a bestselling book about it. Seeing that most of their adventures in the beautiful Italian countryside revolved around the preparation, preservation and celebration of food, they gathered those recipes into The Tuscan Sun Cookbook: Recipes from Our Italian Kitchen (Frances Mayes & Edward Mayes, Clarkson Potter, 2012, $31.99).

The author of that earlier book (Under the Tuscan Sun) has always loved the Italian approach to food and has woven their cuisine into many of her stories. Now she and her husband have gathered those recipes into a rustic, homey collection that walks us through their 20-year Italian dream. It was here that they learned to cook the best food they’d ever made, even when their kitchen table was a door on sawhorses. From there, they added olive groves and a wood-fired bread oven, from which they prepare feasts to share with their dear friends and neighbours.

Both writers use their considerable skill with language to transport us to Tuscany, and stunningly beautiful photographs by Steven Rothfeld help to bring the journey to life. What foodie hasn’t dreamed of baking bread in a wood-fired oven in an Italian olive grove?

As outsiders, the Mayes have access to members of all walks of life in their region, dining with politicians and shepherds, businessmen, chefs and grandmothers. Some of the recipes they offer are their own, some come from other chefs they know, and some

are traditional Tuscan fare, such as Guisi’s Ragu.

Mayes explains that in Tuscany it’s common to forage for food, combing fields and woods for chestnuts, green almonds, blackberries, and porcini mushrooms. This approach is so far removed from our culture of supermarkets with fluorescent lights that readers may feel they’ve entered a different world. The authors also explain that there are often local festivals, called sagre, dedicated to a specific food in its season.

Ingredients are few but of the best quality. Time and love shine through in every bite. The recipes in this book are about so much more than getting food on the table; they are about building (or at least, imagining) a life that one can love for the simple joy of it. The cooking and preparation are as much a part of that joy as the consumption of the food. Italians love life too much not to eat well.

Vegetables are at the centre of many of the recipes, reflecting the Italian love of fresh, seasonal produce. Along with that passion comes the drive to preserve that produce, providing the home with a wellstocked pantry, la dispensa. It’s this that allows the Tuscans to prepare large meals every evening with ease, considering it a relaxing event. A variety of meat recipes include the expected beef, lamb, veal and ham, but also rabbit and chicken livers.

Wine pairings are often suggested.

Mayes has a gift with words that can transform the simplest ingredient list into a dish you crave the minute you read it. Over

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150 recipes are organized in the order of a traditional Italian meal, from the antipasti (appetizers) to the dolci (desserts). You’ll find instructions for cooking fresh or dried pasta — and yes, Italians use both. There are directions for making fresh pasta by hand or by the more modern food processor method.

They all have their place.

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Pour yourself a glass of wine and spend a long slow afternoon enjoying life under The Tuscan Sun with the Mayes. Better yet, bring the bottle and invite some friends to share the adventure.

JENNIFER GAGEL is a freelance writer who can be reached at jenna@bardandgage.com.

Recipes courtesy of Frances Mayes and Edward Mayes, from The Tuscan Sun Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2012)

Eggplant Involtini Italians love the involtini concept — something filled and rolled. I experimented with this idea, since I had a nice firm gigantic eggplant. For this dish, choose the brick-shaped part-skim mozzarella as it has less moisture. For beauty, tie the involtini with chives.

Serves 8 3 tablespoons (40 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the parchment 1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 8 slices 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh oregano leaves or 1½ teaspoons (7 mL) dried 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt ½ teaspoon (2 mL) pepper 8 tomatoes or 1 28-ounce (796 mL) can whole tomatoes almost drained of liquid, chopped 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 garlic glove, minced 8 slices prosciutto 8 slices part-skim mozzarella fresh chives ¼ cup (1 ounce or 25-30 g) grated Parmigiano-­Reggiano 1 Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a parchment-lined baking sheet.

2 Place the eggplant slices on the pan and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons (25 mL) of the olive oil. Sprinkle on the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, turning once. They will then be supple.

3 While the eggplant is in the oven, make a simple tomato sauce by whirring the tomatoes briefly in a food processor. In a medium skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion for 2 to 3 minutes in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cook the mixture briefly, just to blend flavours, about 2 minutes.

4 Remove the eggplant from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF. 5 On each eggplant piece, place a slice of prosciutto and a slice of mozzarella. Roll the pieces from the small end forward, and secure the neat little bundle with a toothpick or by tying a chive around it.

6 Slather the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with some of the tomato sauce, and arrange the involtini seam side down. Over each bundle spread some more tomato sauce and a scattering of the Parmigiano. Warm well in the oven, about 15 minutes. Finito!

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Roasted Veal Shank Your butcher may have to order this cut, which is ossobuco left whole. This is our number-one house favourite—fall-off-your-chair tasty and so very easy. Our friend Riccardo Baracchi’s Ardito, made from Syrah and cabernet sauvignon grapes, is a perfect choice for this meltingly tender vitello.

Serves 6 1 veal shank, about 3 pounds (1.5 Kg) 2 tablespoons (25 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh thyme leaves or 1 ½ teaspoons (7 mL) dried 1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced fresh rosemary or 1½ teaspoons (7 mL) dried 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pepper ½ cup (125 mL) water ½ cup (125 mL) white wine

1 Preheat oven to 275ºF. In an 8-quart (8-litre) enameled casserole with a lid, over medium heat, brown the shank all over in the olive oil for about 8 minutes.

2 Remove from the heat. Let it cool enough

so that you can pat the herbs, garlic, and seasonings onto the meat. Return it to the pot, cover and slow-roast for 1½ hours.

3 Gently turn the meat and pour the water over it.

Continue to roast for 30 more minutes, and then pour the wine over it. Roast for 1 hour more (3 hours total).

4 The meat will have shrunk away from the bone somewhat and will almost fall off. Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

5 Serve whole on a platter and pull pieces off with a large fork. Serve the pan juices in a separate bowl or douse the veal all at once.

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№ 37 | September/October 2012

books

Taste What You’re Missing The Passionate Eater’s Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good

by Barb Stuckey Review by DARIN COOK

W

e all know certain foods taste wonderful, but we rarely consider why they taste this way — the saltiness of your favourite potato chip, the spicy tingle of a curry, or the pleasant bitterness of coffee.

Not to mention the flip side of the flavour equation and those foods we can’t stand to have on our plates. Good or bad — that’s where science comes in. In her book, Taste What You’re Missing: The Passionate Eater’s Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good (Free Press, 2012, $29.99), Barb Stuckey demystifies the science behind our food. As a professional food developer, she makes gastronomic chemistry accessible to non-scientific-minded people who are just out to eat good food.

Each of us experiences hundreds of flavours every day, but they can all be broken down into five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty and umami. These are the basic tastes detected by the tongue, but other sensations are integral to the eating experience. Stuckey writes: “Taste happens in your mouth, but that’s only about 20 percent of the story. Food that tastes good also looks good, smells good, feels good, and sounds good.”

It is the working of all five senses together that create the Barb Stuckey

ultimate flavour profiles. Most of taste, in fact, comes from the aroma of the food wafting up through the nose; it is estimated that as little as 10 percent of flavour comes from taste and the other 90 percent from smell.

Each of the other senses also plays a part in providing the full perception of flavour.

Stuckey writes: “Dining in a restaurant is one of the most complete multisensory experiences available to us.” We may not be attuned to how noise influences flavour, but experiments prove the sound of waves on a shore in a restaurant makes seafood taste more like the essence of the sea.

High levels of auditory interference can even have a masking effect on taste — one reason airplane food isn’t usually good is because the roar of jet engines overpowers subtle tastes. There is even a theory that certain types of music stimulate your brain to taste the nuances of certain wines.

Apparently, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”

by Otis Redding is perfect for optimizing the flavours of a Merlot.

Texture or tactile sensation also plays an important role in how tastes develop in your mouth, especially for those who have a decreased level of taste and smell perception. Ben Cohen, of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream fame, was fixated on textures in the creation of their ice cream flavours because he suffers from an inability to smell. He set out to compensate with textural indulgence in the form of chunky treats embedded in the ice cream, like crunchy chocolatecovered pretzels and moist fudge brownies.

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Visually, food relies on colour and presentation to make it palatable before it hits our mouths. Sight can also have a confusing effect on taste. The phrase “We eat with our eyes” is true in research cases where beverages are purposely miscoloured. Stuckey discovered, “If you are given an orange-coloured glass of apple juice to savor, you are likely to say that you taste orange juice. If you are given a glass of clear but flavored liquid, you’re unlikely to recognize it as cola even if the beverage tastes exactly like the cola you drink every day.”

With all the senses at work at different levels, taste comes down to a very complex scientific process. And it is also a very personal phenomenon. Different people taste differently for many reasons: genetics, brain activity, medical history, and tastebud density.

Taste What You’re Missing has sections that act as an instructional manual to improve your perceptions of flavour. There are interactive exercises to measure how many taste buds you have on your tongue, how to adjust your coffee with sugar and cream for the optimum level of bitterness, and a Spice Rack Aroma Challenge to detect the subtle smells within the spectrum of spices. Stuckey offers these personal experiments to learn how to make every bite count as a sensual experience.

At the top of the tasting chain are wine tasters. Nothing has as much rigour around its flavour as wine. A simple wine tasting incorporates all the senses: the tongue gives us taste, slurping the wine increases the aromas that resonate through the nasal system, swirling the wine gives a visual impression in the glass, the tannin levels give degrees of texture, and glasses are clinked together in a toast for sound.

Stuckey wants us to know that if we put the attention toward food in the same vein as a wine taster, “our meals would progress more slowly and we would absorb much more sensory input. In the same way that the nutrients nourish our body, sensory input nourishes our psyche and makes a meal truly satisfying.”

DARIN COOK works and plays in the locality of ChathamKent and regularly contributes to eatdrink.

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the lighter side

To Tea or Not to Tea

By MARK KEARNEY

W

e all enjoy coffee breaks, but can we please change the name to “coffee AND TEA break?”

I know that’s hard to roll around on the tongue, but tea drinkers like me have been treated as second-class citizens for too long. It’s time we brandished our tea bags proudly and asked for equal treatment.

How many times do you go to a confer­ ence or lecture, and there’s a break but only coffee is served? You ask for tea, and the usual reply is, “Oh, sorry, we don’t have any. But there’s juice.” Since when did orange juice soothe the spirit like a nice steaming cup of Earl Grey?

Go to your basic restaurant or banquet hall and inevitably you’re asked if you want coffee. Ask for tea and all too often they bring you one of those little aluminum pots with lukewarm water, a bag on the side, and a little plastic container of cream.

“Where’s the milk?” you want to shout.

And just try pouring the water out of one of those contraptions without creating an instant pond on the tabletop.

Don’t even get me started about trying to get tea in the U.S. First, you have to ask for “hot tea” even when it’s minus 10º. Then they almost never serve it with the tea bag steeping in the pot.

And when you ask for milk with it instead of lemon, they look at you with an expression that says , “Where y’all from?”

Airlines, to their credit, always offer you the choice of tea or coffee, but too often we tea drinkers get the smiling face and “I’ll be right back with that” from the flight attendants working their way down the aisle. By the time they’ve returned, I’m either in the bathroom lineup or the in-flight movie has started.

Coffee drinkers invariably do a double take when I say I don’t drink coffee at all.

“You mean never?” they sputter. “Not even at breakfast?” And then they usually regale me with how they can’t start the day without their coffee, which Tim Horton’s they go to, the great cappuccino maker they got one Christmas, blah, blah, blah.

Now I realize more people in Canada drink coffee than tea by a large margin. But tea used to be the most popular beverage in Canada into the 1950s, and it has enjoyed a resurgence in the past decade or so as coffee prices have skyrocketed and people have become more health conscious.

Even the way we drink the two differs.

You grab a cup of coffee; I sip my tea.

Coffee is the fast-paced, go-go-go, rolled-up shirtsleeves world. Tea mollifies.

It’s the drink that makes everyone feel better in all those old British movies.

Family crisis? On the dole? Being bombed by the Nazis? Have “a lovely cuppa,” and everything will be fine.

Just think what might happen in Canada if coffeephiles gave us tea drinkers our due.

Feeling bad about the economy? Crime on the streets got you down? Bad hair day?

Here, have “a cuppa.”

Ahhh, now doesn’t that feel better?

MARK KEARNEY is an award-winning journalist who has co-authored 10 books. When he’s not writing or drinking tea, Mark is a lecturer in the undergraduate writing and graduate journalism programs at Western University.

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