Trust Me, Try This

Trust Me, Try This: Your EastTO Fall To-Do List

By Eadrey Hemmings

We’ve all been there – after a few weeks (or maybe even months) of eating the same three or four meals and snacks every day, you’re bored. You find yourself on autopilot as you move around the kitchen with a Netflix show or podcast playing in the background, as you assemble a meal that once graced your Instagram story but now feels lacklustre and routine at best. But as Madame Benoît once said, a recipe is only a theme which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation. So, if you’re feeling uninspired by your home-cooked creations lately, it might simply be time to mix things up and get a little more creative with your go-to dishes.

To give you some inspiration, we recently sat down with Eadrey Hemmings, the founder of Eadrey Foods, a beloved Toronto company offering gourmet prepared meals and catering services. Eadrey is, after all, an expert in curating simple but delicious (and healthy) meals that help make dinner feel less like a chore, and more like an occasion.

Shop Local and Intuitively

“Right now, and especially in the fall, a lot of the farmers have stands at markets happening on a weekly basis,” shares Eadrey. “This gives us access to an amazing (and usually affordable) selection of fresh herbs, meat, and produce right from the source. Last night, as an example, I picked up fresh fish from the market, chopped up some fresh herbs from my friend’s garden, and blended them with olive oil to roast the fish on the BBQ. It was delicious!”

Eadrey recommends that Torontonians check out all the local markets, like East York Farmers Market or the Leslieville Farmers Market, from now until October/November to take advantage of amazing Ontario-fresh produce while it’s in season. “Let the produce speak to you,” she explains. “My mouth starts to water just walking through the market, and the recipe comes together on its own. Doing small grocery hauls at local markets on my way home, based on whatever mood I’m in, allows me to be intuitive with my grocery shopping and helps keep my meals interesting and seasonal. Not everything has to be exotic or meticulously pre-planned.”

PRO TIP: Eadrey tells us it’s currently plum season, so you could make an incredible pie (just by stewing them with some butter and making a nice crust), or use ripe plums in a salad.

Eadrey’s Best Kitchen Tip: Be Flexible

According to Eadrey, sometimes the best plan of action is no plan at all – but rather, a willingness to get creative with whatever you have in the fridge. “Sometimes when I come home, I take whatever I have in the fridge out and use everything up for that meal,” she shares. “This is especially common for families with kids who want to avoid wasting any fresh produce or meat they picked up that week. There are no rules in the kitchen, in my opinion. You should be able to make a meal out of anything in the fridge, especially when it comes to plant-based items.”

Eadrey notes that many individuals and families now maintain small gardens with herbs, which are an edible goldmine for interesting flavour profiles. “You can take herbs like thyme, basil, oregano or rosemary, and blend them with olive oil to create a ‘secret ingredient’ base. When it’s time to throw a meal together, simply lather a tablespoon over your vegetables and roast them in the oven, or use it to grill your meat or plant-based protein.

As for her favourite dishes using herbs, Eadrey says she loves to utilize tofu whenever she is craving a plant-based protein alternative. “If you cut tofu into small cubes and season it really well with herbs, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, you can roast it in the oven. Once it’s cooled, toss it with the vegetables or with fresh greens, like spinach or arugula.” Eadrey also uses this herb-and-oil base when she cooks chicken breast to make a healthy and savoury roast dish or salad.

What Is Eadrey Snacking On?

Of course, we had to ask Eadrey what her current go-to snacks are – and the answer might surprise you. “I love pickles, and they make a great snack. I also love beets (roasted or boiled and cut up into cubes), lightly salted radishes, peaches, soups, and stews,” she shares. “My favourite summer salad that I can load up and eat is watermelon black bean salad which has feta cheese in it. It's fresh and light and still fills you up thanks to the black beans. It’s both sweet and salty – all the flavours work so nicely together, and I garnish it with cilantro.”

Eadrey's Summer Salad

Eadrey’s Summer Salad Recipe:

Watermelon (cubed)

Black beans (1 can)

Corn (it’s in season!) (roasted; take the kernels off once it's cooled)

• Toss everything together with a vinaigrette dressing, maybe with some maple syrup, lime juice and olive oil.

• Crumble feta cheese on top, and garnish with cilantro

How to Set a Memorable Table

For table-setting, Eadrey prefers not to follow rules. “If I’m being honest, I don’t like a perfect table. Similar to my approach with ingredients, I think people can curate a beautiful mix of whatever is in their cabinet,” Eadrey explains. “A bit of mismatch and a vibrant theme of colours can make for a really warm and inviting table setting. I like old and new table settings, basic linen tablecloths, linen napkins, and wildflowers, and, FYI, you don’t always have to have roses as a centrepiece!” The style described here is officially termed “whimsical”, and a quick Pinterest search will give you endless inspiration for your own whimsical table setting.

How to Save Money With Home-Cooked Meals

“Meats are expensive right now, so they can be replaced with things like legumes or beans, which fill you up and go a long way,” Eadrey shares. “Chicken breast, as an example, has increased in price by 30 percent in the last few months, so lately I’ve been opting for more alternatives like tofu, grains, chickpeas, beans, etc.”

When she does feel like eating meat, Eadrey will buy a whole chicken to roast, and will break it up to use different parts of the chicken for different meals. “A whole chicken goes a long way – you can use it for stir frys, stews, sandwiches, and more. Usually, if I roast a chicken and use the dark meat for a meal, I will use the breast meat for sandwiches or salads, or even an appetizer dish. You can do so much with it.” Eadrey is also a big fan of stews, calling them the ultimate, easy-to-make comfort dish. “You can buy beef and use it for a stew with a nice red wine reduction, with vegetables like carrots and celery, and it can be frozen to ensure nothing is wasted.”

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Eadrey’s Kitchen Evolution

Eadrey has loved cooking since she was a kid, and grew up watching shows that featured chefs in their element. “I’ve always loved watching chefs, and I’ve learned a lot from them,” she shares. “I’m not classically trained, but I frequently seek out cooking courses and classes while travelling, like French cooking techniques in Paris. I also read a lot of cookbooks.” Eadrey describes her cooking style as wholesome and rustic, and says her favourite Toronto chefs to follow are Suzanne Barr, Miriam Echeverria, Ron McKinlay, Cheryl Torrance, and Rob Gentile. “I also love following great restaurants in the city, like Scaramouche, Ascari Enoteca, and Maison Selby.”

Seasonal Cocktails Are the Cherry on Top of Any Meal

“Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of amazing cocktail trends with elaborate garnishes,” explains Eadrey. “Seasonal cocktail trends are great: I love looking at the LCBO book to see all the new trends with cocktails. Even when I travel, I make it a point to go to bars and explore their cocktail offerings, taking in all the details, the flavours, the garnishes, the glassware and presentation.” When she goes shopping, Eadrey tries to visualize a plate and what cocktail would pair best with it, both in terms of its aesthetic and its flavours. “The LCBO book is always a good guide, but if you have a lot of liquor at home, you can start with a simple syrup (there are tons of easy recipes online) and squeeze your own citrus (like grapefruit, lime juice, lemon juice, etc.). Start there, and use social media for inspiration and experiment with whatever glassware you have in your house.”

What’s for Dessert?

Of course, we had to ask Eadrey what her favourite dessert is. “Oh, that’s easy. My favourite dessert is crème brulée,” she shares. “But I make it in small ramekins instead of bigger ones, and it’s the perfect end to any meal.”