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Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario
FREE
www.eatdrink.ca
PLEASE TAKE ONE
INCREDIBLE
ICE CREAM
The Local Scoop
The King Edward
in Ilderton
M.E. & Suzie’s
in Port Stanley
The Taste Trek
in Huron County
Issue  • June/July 
Stratford sizzles this summer!
This summer in Stratford, lounge and listen to lively music
from Stratford Summer Music’s river barge while savouring
the flavours of a picnic from a local bistro. Feed the swans
as you glide along the Avon River in a paddle boat and then
watch a movie outside under the stars.
Adventure into the Perth County countryside and taste the
best of the season on a Summer Epicurean Trek. Practice your
pie-eating skills at the “In Your Face Pie Festival.” Join in a
Slow Food pig roast barn dinner or go fishing for your family
supper.
Refresh yourself and your sweet tooth at our ice cream
parlours and candy shops, browse our many book shops
and play in our toy stores chock-full of jokes, puzzles and
nifty novelties.
www.shiningstratford.com/eatdrink
CONTENTS
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE

The Language of Food
By BRYAN LAVERY
12
16

SEASONAL SPOTLIGHT
The Local Scoop on Ice Cream
By JANE ANTONIAK

RESTAURANTS
M.E. & Suzie’s, in Port Stanley
By JANE ANTONIAK

TRAVEL
Take a Culinary Road Trip
By JANE ANTONIAK
23

TRAVEL
La Ville Est La Vie, in Nice
By ANN McCOLL
SPOTLIGHT

Hot Dining, Summer in the City, in London
By MELANIE NORTH
32
47

RESTAURANTS
The King Edward, in Ilderton
By MELANIE NORTH
35
NEW & NOTABLE
The BUZZ
Compiled by CHRIS McDONELL
BUZZ
COOKING FROM THE GARDEN

An Easy and Elegant Picnic Meal
By CHRISTINE SCHEER
BOOKS

Cuisines of the Axis of Evil & Other Irritating States
By DARIN COOK
COOKBOOKS
52

No Time to Cook and Select Recipes
By JENNIFER GAGEL
WINE

Summer Wines
By RICK VanSICKLE
eatdrink
™
RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
A Food & Drink Magazine Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario
www.eatdrink.ca
» A virtual magnet for all things culinary
— read the interactive magazine online, find restaurants, read reviews and much more.
Publisher
Chris McDonell — [email protected]
Contributors
Bryan Lavery
Jane Antoniak
Jennifer Gagel
Darin Cook
Finances
Sande Marcus
Advertising Sales Director
Diane Diachina — [email protected]
Melanie North
Christine Scheer
Chris McDonell
Rick VanSickle
Editorial Advisory Board
Bryan Lavery
Chris McDonald
Cathy Rehberg
Advertising Sales Representatives
Jane Antoniak — [email protected]
Sue Laur — [email protected]
Jennifer Long — [email protected]
Sharon Poole — [email protected]
Copy Editor
Jodie Renner — www.PolishedProofreading.com
Telephone & Fax
519 434-8349
Graphic Design & Layout
Hawkline Graphics — [email protected]
Ann Marie Salvo — [email protected]
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Mailing Address
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London ON N5Y 4J6
Website
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News & Feedback
[email protected]
Copyright © 2009 eatdrink™, Hawkline Graphics and the writers. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or duplication of any material published in
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welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for
unsolicited material.
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june/july 2009 • no. 17
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Bite Into Summer
By Chris McDonell
T
he kids are out of school and the heat
has arrived. It’s the perfect time for an
ice cream cone, and we’ve got some
suggestions for where to find “the good
stuff.” Enjoy, but mind the drips ... We’ve
also rounded up an eclectic suggestion for
seasonal dining in London and, as usual, a
number of great ideas for getting out and
about to enjoy the rest of Southwestern
Ontario. How about a Taste Trek for an
exciting, and delicious, adventure? Or just
add an extra stop or two, whether you’re
headed to a lake or theatre, and fashion your
own tasting trip.
They say, “if you can’t stand the heat, get out
of the kitchen.” Sometimes this is easier said
then done, but these challenging economic
times are putting an extra burden on a
restaurant industry that has profound challenges even in the best of times. Some will
decide that the struggle is not worth pursuing but the vast majority are continuing to
find the fortitude and the creativity to survive — and thrive. The prevailing consumer
mindset seems to be one of caution, but let’s
turn this into a commitment to “thoughtful
spending.” Everyone has to eat and drink,
but think about your decisions and buy the
local produce, because it’s better for our
economy, environment and taste buds. Pay
a little more for the organic and artisanal
products but eat a little less and enjoy yourself a little more. Support quality establishments that offer real value through their
creativity and quality. Patronize your
favourite spots and think about trying someplace new too. Savour your summer in every
way, because it, like those ice cream cones,
needs to be enjoyed right away.
All the best,
7ARNCLIFFE2D3,ONDON/..*-
4EL#ELL
6
always more online @ www.eatdrink.ca
no. 17 • june/july 2009
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
The Language of Food
By Bryan Lavery
T
he relationship between food and
language is interesting. In Italy,
where gastronomy developed along
provincial lines, this pairing is culturally
informative as well as entertaining. Until
the unification of Italy in 1861, one could
not speak of a national cuisine. The reality
of Italian cookery is an amalgamation of
distinct regional cuisines more diverse and
idiomatically inspired than anywhere else
in Europe. The home is still the safeguard of
Italian indigenous cooking and culinary
traditions, which may account for the colloquial Italian expressions used as the
colourful names of various dishes.
The ubiquitous tiramisu, for example, is
a Venetian colloquialism meaning “pick me
up.” This dessert, renowned for its power as
a quick fix, is made of Savoiardi (lady fingers) dipped in espresso and layered with a
whipped mixture of mascarpone cheese,
sugar and egg yolks, then topped with
cocoa powder. It has attained widespread
popularity due to the cachet associated
with anything Italian. Interestingly, professional cooks in
Italy comment, “Tiramisu is
arguably so passé one would
be embarrassed to serve it.”
The list of Italian colloquial
culinary terms is endless.
Some interesting examples are:
saltimbocca (a veal dish meaning “leap in the mouth”), salsicce
e facioul d’pane (sausage and
beans like bread) and Per’ e
Palummo (a variety of grape
meaning “pigeon’s feet”).
At La Sangiovesa Ristorante in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, I was first introduced to strozzapreti, which literally means
“priest stranglers.” Folklore has it that the
travelling clergy would gorge themselves on
it to the point of choking. The name strozzapreti reflects the power of the church and
the fear of the churchgoer. At one time,
liturgical power was manifested in such acts
as peasants “buying” blessings from doorto-door travelling priests willing to pray diligently for absent souls in purgatory.
Sitting in the dining room of the Ristorante Belvedere in Bertinoro, Italy, under
its unusual antique lacunar ceiling, we were
looking across the terrace towards the Adriatic when we were handed a card that
stated, roughly translated, “Two are the
pleasures in life: the table linen and the bed
linen.” Perhaps this is what is meant when
Italians speak of la dolce vita (the sweet life).
Food Matters
Mark Bittman is the author of the weekly
New York Times cooking column, The Minimalist, as well as complementing web
videos and an informative daily blog, Bitten.
Bittman is also the author of several popular cookbooks, including his most recent
work, Food Matters. Food Matters is a guide
to conscious eating and cooking environmentally friendly and ethically
produced foods. In this book,
Bittman, who is not a trained chef
but developed an interest in food
through his career as a journalist, explores the connection
between climate change and
other environmental challenges. Other themes include:
diet and health and the unethical and needless overproduction and overconsumption of
meat, simple carbohydrates,
and junk food. Also an avid tweeter
on Twitter, Bittman’s posted updates can be
followed under the names “nytimesbitten”
and “bittman.”
Twitter
Speaking of Twitter, a new study released
from Ipsos Reid states that three out of four
(74 percent) of online Canadians are
unaware of Twitter. In case you don’t know
yet, Twitter is a free online minimalist communication tool for networking and microblogging that allows its users to send and
receive short messages, known as tweets.
Tweets are text- based posts of up to 140
characters, displayed on the author’s profile page and routed to other users —
known as followers — who have subscribed
to them. Tweets can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the Web.
Yes, I too was skeptical about Twitter at
first. Faced with the challenge of soliciting
friends online, I never cottoned to the idea
of social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace. But Twitter is a different
animal.
The appeal of Twitter and the reason for
joining occurred to me after reading an
article about it being the breakthrough
social media tool for journalists in 2008.
The fact that journalists are increasingly
using it to cross-promote ideas, to direct
followers to important stories and articles,
to comment, critique, inform, and educate
others, and to connect with like-minded
contacts outside their usual orbits
appealed to me. Mine is a curious nature,
and so as a natural extension of my curiosity, I found Twitter to be a very effective
way to glean and share information. A
tweet can contain links to websites, articles,
documents and photographs. Soon you will
be able to follow eatdrinkmag on Twitter,
but in the meantime, check out tweets from
sustainablestratford, ethicurean, herdshare,
MonforteDairy, cgfarmersmarket, wellpreserved and the ethicalgourmet.
“It doesn’t take a historian to see that
events that took place hundreds and thousands of years ago reverberate to our day,
and it doesn’t take a scientist to see the
profound effects of every significant
advance in technology, from the invention
of the wheel and internal combustion
engine to that of the microchip.” says
Bittman in Food Matters. Twitter aside,
these remarks also got me thinking about
the ramifications that high-speed rail could
provide for our local food community and
for culinary tourism in particular.
7
8
region and spurring in-fill development
along its corridors. With greater Toronto
growing and immigrants continuing to
flood in, it would stretch out the development frontier while building size and scale
across the entire corridor over time.”
High-speed rail promises improved
mobility, as well as economic, urban developmental, and environmental benefits. London’s strategic location has established the
city as a major transportation hub in southwestern Ontario. Being a transportation hub
supports tourism as well as our agriculture
industry, recognizing that London sits amid
a fertile nine-county region for food production. To this end, London City Council has
put its weight behind the idea of creating a
high-speed rail service between Windsor
and Quebec City, with a key stop in London.
High Speed Rail
High Speed Rail Canada is a national citizens’ advocacy group dedicated to the education on, and the implementation of,
high-speed trains in Canada. At a recent
symposium in London, a private consortium of firms and other proponents discussed the feasibility of high-speed rail
service in the province. The symposium
was co-sponsored by the London Economic Development Corporation and the
City of London. Economic history has
shown that major changes in transportation infrastructure are a catalyst for significant economic growth. Most experts agree
that Ontarians would benefit enormously
from a high-speed rail system.
Writing in The Atlantic Monthly, urban
theorist and Creative Cities advocate
Richard Florida says, “Momentum is building in Canada for a high-speed rail link from
say, Windsor (just above Detroit) through
Toronto, over to Ottawa and onto Montreal
and Quebec City. This would be a way of
gluing together Canada’s largest mega-
Downtown Dining Culture
Further, on the London home front, the
Downtown Master Plan is the next logical
step now that the Millennium Plan has been
delivered. The Millennium Plan was instru-
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mental in setting the stage for the economic
development that followed. It included the
Covent Garden Market rebuilding, the John
Labatt Centre, the new downtown London
Public Library, destination restaurants,
food-related businesses
and kitchen shops. The
plan shows us that if you
create the infrastructure
and conditions that people want and aspire to,
economic development
will follow. The Millennium Plan committed
the city to invest over 100
million dollars in order
to revitalize the core, and
apparently it has generated at least double
that amount in private sector investment.
Since 2000, the private sector has invested,
on average, $27 million dollars annually in
the downtown core. This investment has led,
amongst other projects, to the construction
of eleven new residential towers housing
3,000 new residents in the downtown, with
more to follow.
Now that the work is mostly complete —
with the exception of a performing arts centre — Londoners are asking, what is next?
The Downtown Master Plan will be the blueprint to potential future
investments in the core
by further stimulating
economic development
in the city. The Downtown Master Plan will
identify existing retail
uses and restaurants
that add to the vitality of
the core and will pinpoint areas where new
businesses should be
encouraged. Those recommendations are
expected to be delivered later this year. The
food industry has directly benefited from
this investment and has contributed to this
regrowth, while helping to solidify the
downtown as the core of the local food community. Recent multiple revitalization
efforts have helped restore our downtown as
9
an entertainment destination encompassing
a wide array of food-related businesses, food
festivals and destination restaurants.
As I stated in my article “Creative Cities
— Creative Restaurants” in the March/April
issue of eatdrink, the downtown core has
the highest concentration of owner-operated casual and fine-dining restaurants in
the city of London. The proximity of these
restaurants to the major hotels, the Convention Centre, the John Labatt Centre, the
Grand Theatre, performance halls and most
of London’s outdoor festivals has created a
uniquely diverse downtown dining culture.
This allows us to create and market a
“downtown dining culture” in a “downtown
dining district.” Having said this, I am not
trying to preclude any of the several pockets
of unique culinary offerings around the city
that add to the vitality of our community.
Stratford, Ontario has been an excellent
example of promoting a local culinary culture. They have actively implemented and
promoted culinary tourism by including
culinary walking tours, epicurean treks,
Savour Stratford Perth County (a two-day
festival in September featuring the best of
Stratford’s culinary and arts culture that
showcases local producers, farmers, chefs,
The Stratford Chefs School and food artisans) and From Field to Chef, where the
local harvest is celebrated on restaurant
menus. The successful promotion and
implementation of Savour Stratford and
the attention that it garners has given them
the opportunity to initiate a variety of culinary events that bring attention to all sectors of the community in Stratford and
Perth County.
Londoners might be wise to follow the
lessons expounded by smaller centres such
as our neighbours in Stratford where cooperation and collaboration among the various stakeholders has resulted in exponential
results for the local culinary culture. 10
BRYAN LAVERY is a well-known local chef, culinary instructor and former restaurateur. As eatdrink’s “Food Writer at
Large,” Bryan shares his thoughts and opinions on a wide
spectrum of the culinary beat.
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12
SEASONAL SPOTLIGHT
The Local Scoop on Ice Cream
You Can’t Lick Tradition for a Sweet Treat
By Jane Antoniak
A
s American as apple pie, as synonymous with an Italian holiday as red
wine, loved around the world, and
yet it’s the Chinese who claim it as their
own invention. Call it ice cream, sorbet,
gelato or crème glacée — nearly every
nation treasures it as a favourite dessert. It’s
bought at the drive-in diner and served at
state dinners. It’s a favourite dessert for
kings and baseball fans. Made into cakes,
shakes and sundaes. Floated with soda pop
and crammed into a cone or cup. Licked off
a finger and eaten in the middle of the
night by lovers standing in a kitchen with a
single spoon. We all swoon for the queen of
the dairy — the king of the ice — the crème
de la crème. Ice cream — just saying it
makes you smile.
And so, it was with a light-hearted step
and a gleeful grin that I set off to search for
the essence of summer, scouring Huron,
Perth, Middlesex and Elgin counties for
honest-to-goodness ice cream and gelato.
We shall not wade into the pre-frozen
dessert debate — nor did those products
pass our lips. This story is about the people
who make, on the premises, their own ice
cream and gelato. While it is, by far, not a
complete list, it is a good start. We invite
you to head off on this ice cream trail this
summer — loosen the belt, take along the
kids and grandparents and enjoy!
Shaw’s Ice Cream is one of the oldest
remaining ice cream manufacturers in our
area and still serves up to 2,000 customers
on a busy Sunday, from its location on Sunset Road (Highway 4 South)
between St. Thomas and
Port Stanley. Started in 1948
by Carl Shaw, it is now
operated by a trio of sisters
from Tillsonburg — three of six sisters
whose names all begin with K: Kristine
Hayes, Kelly Heleniak and
Kim McCutchen. They
used to operate Dad’s Ice
Cream as teenagers, and
in 2001, while still in their
early 20s, they bought the
Almond Joy,
from Marble
historic Shaw’s operation
Slab Creamery
from Beckers and resumed
making ice cream “the oldfashioned way.” That is, their ice cream is
made from 100 Canadian cream.
“I feel very passionate about food,” says
Kristine. “I don’t think you should take the
cream out of ice
cream. So, I want
people to know what
they’re paying for. We
want ours to be that
1950s type of ice
cream, so when you
come here you know
what you are getting.”
So you can get Tiger
Tail, Maple Walnut,
Rum Raisin and —
my favourite — Black
Licorice, which has
evolved from a grayish concrete colour to
a white ice cream
Shaw’s Ice Cream uses 100
with licorice swirls.
Canadian cream.
Shaw’s has several
claims to fame. Certainly, the crowds line
up for their traditionally made milk
shakes, which are
hand-packed scoops
of ice cream, shots of
syrup and milk
swirled in a spindle
machine while you
wait. Lesser known,
but certainly a huge
local favourite for those with monstrous
appetites, is The Elgin Special — which is
five scoops of ice cream layered with strawberry, chocolate and marshmallow sauce,
nuts, whipped cream, bananas, pineapple
and a cherry. To die for!
Just to prove that they aren’t afraid to
challenge a few traditions, the sisters also
enjoy creating new flavours such as this
summer’s new offering: Caramel Turtle
Fudge, a combination of caramel ice
cream, fudge ribbon, chocolate turtles with
caramel under the shell and chocolate covered pecans. Delicious!
All ice cream is made at the Elgin location and is sold by the tub to Mom-andPop scoop shops and restaurants in the
area. Shaw’s also has a scoop shop at White
Oaks Mall in London.
“I love what I do,” says Kristine. “It’s
about having fun and we have a great staff.
At the end of the day, we have amazing customers. We were able to restart the company founded on loyal customers and we
are very grateful.”
London Ice Cream Company is the relatively new kid on the block but, like Shaw’s,
it believes in making old-fashioned ice
cream. Started by Alan Sargant in 1998 in
the old Pop Shoppe location (now known
by its brilliant pink exterior) on Baseline
Road West in London, London Ice Cream
Company was purchased in 2005 by
New Wave Ice Cream led by Cyril
Chalykoff. The Baseline Road operation is run by plant manager
Karen Minielly, who personally
oversees the production of singlebatch ice cream by a staff of ten. To
date they are making 98 flavours and growing — including a brand-new flavour Karen
is experimenting with which involves mixing pop rock candies and ice cream for a
mouth-crackling experience.
“It’s a great business because ice cream
doesn’t have any other purpose than to
make people happy,” says Karen. “We make
ice cream the way it used to be made — a
way that harkens back to our single-batch
pasteurization style. Our smallness, our
specialty flavours and the enthusiasm and
love that we have are what everyone feels
here. Everyone feels in love with ice cream
here,” she says.
The multitude of flavours is what keeps
people coming back to London Ice Cream.
While Moose Tracks (vanilla ice cream with
Denali fudge ripple and mini peanut-butter
cups) and Acadian Vanilla are still the
biggest sellers, Karen and company are
hoping that their newest creations
will be a hit this summer. She offers
up Rocky XVII — caramel toffee ice
cream with peanut caramel ripple
and caramel-covered peanuts —
alongside her two newest favourites:
Mojito (as in the cocktail) — a lime, mint
and rum sherbert — and Black Forest Cake
ice cream — chocolate cake ice cream with
brownie pieces, sour cherries, rum flavour
and whipped cream ripple. It actually
tastes a bit different with each bite as you
get a cherry or some cake.
The busiest hours at the store are after
soccer and baseball games and, frankly, any
nice summer evening. Ice cream, it seems,
is an evening treat for many. Less drip factor, perhaps, than on a hot afternoon?
Marble Slab Creamery is a Calgary-based
franchise chain that placed its first store
east of Calgary in London. Rick Bruijns
went from working in the wine and beer
industry to becoming the owner/franchisee
of three locations in London. His first was
on Richmond Row, followed by a second, larger location in Masonville,
and then a third in Southwest London on Wonderland Road South.
Another franchise has since been
opened in Stratford.
Ice cream is made on premises at
the Masonville location by the single
batch. It all starts out as Sweet Cream
(which is also a popular flavour with customers). “From there we add a variety of
flavours, fruits, nuts and exotic flavours like
rum and amaretto to create our ice cream,”
explains Rick. It doesn’t stop there — Marble Slab’s unique specialty is that customers
can choose from 54 varieties of “mix-ins,”
including candy, fruit and even a slice of
apple pie, which are then cut into the ice
cream flavour of choice before being served
up in a waffle cone or cup. One of
the most popular choices is Birthday Cake ice cream mixed in with
cookie dough, fruit or candy. “It
tastes like a vanilla cream slab cake, very
sweet and nice,” says Rick. He recommends
that customers choose one crunchy and
one soft mix-in for a premium experience.
During our visit, Rick personally
whipped up his own on-the-spot creation:
he mixed together a bit of coffee, amaretto
and caramel ice cream, then added
almonds and part of a Skor candy bar. Tasting like a sweet version of a fancy coffee, it
would make an excellent after-dinner treat.
At peak times, Marble Slab Creamery can
serve up to 100 customers an hour, and
each customer has his or her “moment” at
the marble slab counter to enjoy watching
their creation being made. “Going out for
ice cream is a big social thing. It’s often
a date or a treat or an after-game
reward. People come in as families
or groups and we try to create an
atmosphere of having fun. We like
people to hang around and let them
chat, taking their time with each creation — we want people to leave with a
smile on their face.”
14
Sweets & Memories is a gelato shop on the
Square in Goderich, where owner and operator Lynn Neitsch has perfected in-store
batch gelato production. Her specialty lies
in her ability to source local fruits, in season, and then freeze them on site so that
she can produce gorgeous peach, strawberry, pear and other fruit creations all year
long. Using Italian Frigomat machinery
(even her gelato display freezer is
from Italy), she rotates up to 58 different flavours (including some
sugar-free recipes) through the
store on an ongoing basis. At any time, customers can choose from 7 flavours — and
she takes requests for custom batches while
also supplying several local restaurants,
such as Restorante di Martha in Bayfield
and Thyme on 21 and Bailey’s in Goderich.
You can almost always get a traditional
palette-cleanser lime, lemon or pink grapefruit gelato. And she always has three milkbased flavours, one of which is always a
type of chocolate. Using European cocoa,
she jokes that she “has to wipe down the
walls from the amount of cocoa that floats
in the air when we’re making it!”
Neitsch’s gelato is fluffy, yet has very little
air content (6 percent maximum).
Using real fruit, she can create a
raspberry flavour that even
has tiny seeds. Other
flavours come from Italy,
such as chocolate hazelnut,
mint and cinnamon-ginger.
Unlike ice cream, gelato has
no cream but is made with
homogenized milk. “You’ll find
that you are not thirsty after eating it as there is very little salt and I
don’t use preservatives.” And the
best news is that it is much lower in
calories — Weight Watchers says one
scoop of her gelato is only one point,
for those on their system.
Cotton Candy
Circus, from
Marble Slab
While time and space limits
Creamery
our ice cream/gelato tour, we
do also recommend that you check out
some other interesting producers. Mapleton Organic Dairy in Moorefield (north of
Listowel) makes a line of organic ice
creams which can be found in a variety of
health food stores across our readership
area, including Sobey’s grocery stores, Forager Foods in Bayfield, Lyn-Dys Health
Food Store and London Quartermasters
Store in London, Balzac’s Coffee in Stratford and McCully Hill Farms in St. Marys.
Mapleton’s is a family owned and operated
farm. They raise and care for the cows that
supply the milk for their ice cream. They
also raise a flock of laying hens to supply
eggs for their ice cream.
Also, there are many other gelato shops
across our area, including a new operation
at Capo Foods in London, specializing in
Italian flavours. Coppa Di Gelato has
been in London for some time
and has recently moved from
its Commissioners Road West
location to serving gelato in
Springbank Park. The company also wholesales gelato
to several other shops in our
area, including Chocolate
Barr’s in Stratford.
We did not venture into the
world of soft serve, but for those
who love that product, many seek
out Merla Mae on Adelaide Street in
London, a traditional drive-in ice
cream shop (they also have regular ice
cream) that also offers entertainment
in the parking lot. The Dairy Dip on the
main strip of Grand Bend is another
family-operated and much-loved softserve shop.
I hope you can cool off or end a long, hot
day with a sweet treat this summer. Be it ice
cream or gelato, consider taking time to
appreciate the efforts of those chefs who
carve out a sweet scoop of goodness by carrying on the fine tradition of making, with
care, this wonderful dessert. The Freshest
Ice Cream
on Earth.™
15
JANE ANTONIAK once formed a high school club dedicated
to the appreciation of ice cream. The secret society once
famously gathered and consumed The Super Sleeping Giant
Sundae — 65 scoops of pure pleasure.
BUY 1 GET 1 FREE
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customer. Expires August 31, 2009.
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573 Richmond at Albert
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16
RESTAURANTS
Local Fare from the Lake
M.E. & Suzie’s in Port Stanley
By Jane Antoniak
A
fter growing up in Northwestern
Ontario and spending some great
days fishing for pickerel on a boat,
and even occasionally in a float plane, one
develops an absolute emotional, sentimental and physical desire to dine on this
sweet, light fish whenever possible.
Through all those pickerel experiences —
from pan-fried in beer batter on the shores
of a lake to pan-seared and served on a bed
of chutney at F.I.N.E, a Restaurant in Grand
Bend — I have never before seen or experienced this lovely fish served up in a soup.
And all I can say is that it is well worth the
drive to M.E. & Suzie’s in Port Stanley for
an amazing bowl of soup featuring this
truly loved Canadian fish.
Chef Earl Wilson at M.E. & Suzie’s (he is
the M.E. in the name — for M. Earl) has
created a hot and sour soup in a Thai-style
broth with chunks of fresh Lake Erie pickerel and local shitake mushrooms. Admittedly, it sounds a bit off-season to be
writing
about
spicy
soup in
the middle of the
summer,
but this
The cottage-like facade (above) hints at
selecthe deceptively simple and delicious
tion was
menu inside, while the patio (below and
perfect
on the opposite page) offers a more
with a
contemporary but peaceful sanctuary.
nicely
chilled
glass of Dan Aykroyd ’07 Riesling — making
the taste buds jump from hot and sour to
cold and peachy ... delicious!
The soup and wine are two examples of
how Chef Wilson uses only Ontario foods
and beverages in his restaurant. Right
down to his cooking oils and beers, everything at M.E. and Suzie’s is sourced within
Ontario and most of it is from the north
shore of Lake Erie, which is just a
stone’s throw from the restaurant
on Bridge Street in Port Stanley,
right across from the Port Stanley
Festival Theatre. Chef grows some
of his own herbs and vegetables at
his nearby farm. The rest come
from a long and interesting list of
local and provincial suppliers
including Pine River Cheese,
Golem Fisheries, Cumbrae Farms,
Essence of Niagara Vinegar, Ferguson’s Fancy Beans, Arva Flour
Mills and Shepherd Dairy.
The only item in the restaurant
that is not Ontario-based is a single malt scotch, only because Earl
has been unable to find one made in
Ontario. But the menu is mostly designed
around a solid list of Ontario wines including Pelee Island, Eastdell, Lakeview and Kittling Ridge, along with some homemade
house wines including Pinot Grigio and
Cab Franc. M.E. & Suzie’s took the big step
of selling only their own, exclusively brewed
beers, which are made at Better Bitters
Brewing in Burlington, with no preservatives or sugars added. The beers carry interesting names such as Lachlan’s Light Lager,
which is named after Earl’s son. They also
sell a specially crafted “Iron Spike Light”
from Railway City Brewing in nearby St.
Thomas. None of the beer comes in bottles
and none is pasteurized. “It comes out a bit
less bubbly but I think it sits better,” says
Earl, tapping his stomach. “People said
we’d never make it without Labatt and Molson, but I think simple is important — and
these beers have a great finish, too.”
Simple is evident on the menu with such
old-time classics such as smelts — only
they’re now served “uptown” in a tempura
batter with roasted red pepper and garlic
rouille for dipping. They are just as fishytasting as you may remember if you ever
went late-night “smelting” as a kid. Still,
they are popular with “old-timers,” according to Earl, who are thrilled to see the classic on the menu in a village that is primarily
known for perch.
M.E. & Suzie’s carries perch too — panfried Lake Erie Yellow perch coated in a
soda cracker meal and also bacon-wrapped
17
perch as an appetizer. “It’s our version of
scallops — and our cocktail sauce is good
old Leamington ketchup, doctored up a
bit,” laughs Earl. Clearly, he is having fun
adapting local ingredients to suit the needs
of diners expecting a more international
menu. There is also a blackened pickerel as
a main served with peach salsa — another
ONTARIO’S
INNS
member
18
hearty meal for the fish lover who likes to
Farms, which has been marinated in chipospice things up a bit.
tle and topped with a maple sauce.
Some of Earl’s salads are
Hot, sweet and sour are defimore like a meal, notably the
nitely Earl’s trademarks, and
Sunburst Beet Salad, which
he also enjoys modern
is not only large but also
plating presentations —
very colourful. Combinlarge, white, square
ing golden and purple
plates set off his presenbeets with baby greens,
tations nicely against
Earl adds maple-glazed
black high tables. He
northern pecans from
calls it “fairly fine dinGrimo’s Nut Nursery in
ing,” creating an atmosNiagara-on-the-Lake. The
phere of dressed-up pub
salad is tossed in maple
without the sports playing
vinaigrette with syrup from
on a TV, thank goodness.
nearby Roger’s Sugar Bush,
Earl came to Port after
adding a lovely contrast to
spending some time on the
Chef Earl Wilson, aka M. Earl, is the other Great Lake in our area
the crisp vegetables.
“M.E.” in the name M.E. & Suzie’s. — Lake Huron. He started his
For those without “sea
legs” or, in the case of M.E. &
culinary career in 1990 at the
Suzie’s, without “lake legs,” Earl offers a
Oakwood Inn in Grand Bend and worked
substantial smoked pork loin — think doghis way up in the kitchen while also graduatgie bag and you’ll certainly have enough for ing from the Stratford Chef’s School. “I came
an omelette the next morning. He grills a
here to Port Stanley for a summer and I
very large piece of pork from Cumbrae
never left,” he muses. He and two partners,
Suzanne Van Bommel (who is also a farmer
and local political activist in Elgin County)
and Helen LeFrank, opened M.E. & Suzie’s
in 2006. There is seating for 40 inside, with a
few spots at the bar, and in summer a large
patio opens up for up to 60 people.
Earl’s dream is to open more versions of
the restaurant across Canada, one in each
province, featuring the foods and beverages of that province. Ontarians can consider themselves lucky that he decided to
start his concept here — if only for the pickerel soup! JANE ANTONIAK is a journalist and owner of Antoniak
Communications. This summer she will be pickerel fishing
on Lake Shebandowan, northwest of Thunder Bay — perhaps with a beer in hand, too.
M.E. & Suzie’s
295 Bridge Street, Port Stanley ON
519-782-3663
www.meandsuzies.com
summer hours: open daily, 12 pm to 9 pm
19
TRAVEL
Take a Culinary Road Trip
Taste Treks have something for everyone
By Jane Antoniak
F
or those looking for an interesting
culinary travel adventure this summer that’s a whole lot closer to home
than, say, Tuscany, consider taking a stab at
the Taste Trek — just one of the self-guided
road trips described in the Shakespeare to
the Shoreline program. You can read about
it online at www.shakespearetotheshoreline.ca or pick up a hardCulbert’s Bakery
copy brochure at most
tourism centres in Huron
or Perth counties.
Eatdrink staffers have
enjoyed travelling much
of the trek since we
expanded the readership
area of the magazine into
Huron County last summer. So we’ve decided to
highlight just a few of the
many enjoyable and
mouthwatering stops for your consideration. Toss a cooler in your vehicle, add a picnic basket, and maybe even a toothbrush if
you want to stay the night after enjoying
some sociable beverages!
If you’re heading north
from London, consider
making the first leg of the
trip first thing in the
morning by heading
straight up Highway 4 to
Clinton and then join the
“main spine of the trek,”
which is Highway 8. Veer
onto Highway 8 to
Goderich and beeline it
to the best bakery in
Huron — Culbert’s Bakery at 49 West
Street, just off the Square. Best to arrive
before noon if you want to sample and take
home their famous crème-filled donuts.
The third generation of Culbert’s bakers are
making the same great donuts they made
when the bakery first opened in 1942 —
which are crispy fried pieces of dough filled
with crème and topped with chocolate. You
can also get a jelly-filled donut (we used to
call them jam busters as kids), and a wide
variety of other flavours including cherry,
lemon, chocolate chip and apple — at $6.99
a dozen they are a fantastic road trip treat.
Culbert’s also sells
muffins, cookies,
squares and delicious
dinner rolls. It’s a tradition in Goderich to take
donuts to former townies who have moved
away — they’ve even
made their way to the
Yukon and Alaska — and
tourism officials take
them to events in Toronto
to wow the big-city
media with their small-town culinary charm.
But, be warned, they only create enough
donuts to last the day — and they don’t keep
that well — so best enjoy them at the start of
the Taste Trek.
Bayfield Berry Farm
Leaving Goderich and
heading south on highway 21 towards Bayfield
will take you to a wonderful — and bit healthier — stop on the Trek at
the Bayfield Berry
Farm. Located one road
northeast of Bayfield on
Orchard Line, the Berry
Farm features fruit, vegetables, preserves and
herbs in season. There is also a seating area
for breakfast and lunch amidst all the
goodness. The Berry Farm also offers baked
goods — especially pies and breads — for
taking home. It’s open daily until Christmas
and is a nice place to stretch your legs and
20
The Hessenland Country Inn fires up its
Mongolian Grill on Thursdays.
pick up some fresh produce a bit off the
beaten path.
Returning to the 21, head south into Bayfield and make sure you stop in at Forager
Foods, right on the highway in a new plaza
next to the Church. You’ll likely be greeted
by Bill or Sam, who will help you fill your
cooler with “gourmet to go” frozen foods
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based on recipes by Sam’s
brother, who is a Toronto-based
chef. You can take home personal
or family-size portions of classics
such as mac and cheese, stews,
pot pies and curries. The store
carries fresh items including vegetables, breads, meats and
cheeses. Sam has prided himself
in “foraging” out some unique
and rare artisanal cheeses including Thunder Oak Gouda from
Thunder Bay and a variety of delicious Quebec crème cheeses.
While in Bayfield, and perhaps feeling
thirsty, stop in at The Black Dog Pub for a
unique selection of beers and liquors. (This
is where the toothbrush may come in
handy as Bayfield is also a great place to
spend the night if driving home is an issue.)
The Black Dog is a great and fun pub with
an interesting selection of craft beers. And
it’s just a stone’s throw from the gorgeous
Little Inn,
Forager Foods
where
trekkers
may want to
spend the
night in
style and
enjoy a topquality meal
in the dining room. If
you land on a Friday, remember it’s
Seafood Night at the Inn. The rest of Bayfield will also be serving up fish on Fridays
— always a tasty Lake Huron treat. Or, you
can consider partaking in casual bistrostyle dining at The Red Pump — especially
on a nice day when the back patio is open.
This private courtyard behind The Pump is
a tropical paradise and provides a welcome
break from the road. Consider ordering the
calamari for a new twist on fish night in
Bayfield. Served sautéed and without any
batter, it’s a fresh take on a pub favourite. If
you do stay the night, allow time the next
morning for coffee on the patio at Da Vinci
— a lovely coffee shop which features local
art and a certain savoir faire. You can take
in the sights of Main Street and shop the
boutiques, or venture out back to the quieter patio for your morning java … mmmm.
If your Taste Trek occurs on a Thursday,
an absolute must at dinner time in the
summer is partaking in the Mongolian Grill
at the Hessenland Country Inn. Located
on highway 21 near the Zurich-Hensall
intersection is this classic inn, which is
popular as a wedding destination location.
While it may seem odd that a European inn
is offering an outdoor Mongolian grill, you
can thank Chef Frank for bringing this
unique dining experience to Huron
County. Guests select a variety of meats,
fish, vegetables and sauces and then watch
as Frank and his team cook it outdoors on
the flat iron grills. The meal includes a glass
of wine (again, the toothbrush!) and also
entertainment on the keyboard by Pedro
Quintana, a Cuban-born musician who
now makes his home in Grand Bend. He
has a big following of fans in Huron and in
London, and it makes for a most enjoyable
evening. The Inn offers rooms and so does
Brentwood on the Beach, a large B & B
just a short distance away on Moore Court,
off the 21. Both locations have beach access
— and views of the famous Lake Huron
sunsets. Brentwood is also known for its
lovely breakfasts.
If you do spend the night, the next morning you will want to head further south on
the 21 to Grand Bend — officially in
Lambton County now — and stop in at
Grandpa Jimmy’s Scottish Bakery for
some of Ruth’s wonderful rhubarb scones.
You can also take home a tasty turkey pie or
plump sausage rolls — although they may
not make it home! It’s directly across from
Tim Horton’s in Grand Bend, just before
you get to the strip. If lunching in Grand
Bend, pass on the fries and pizza and head
directly to F.I.N.E., A Restaurant, also on
Highway 21, just past Main Street. Chefs
Erryn and Ben create delicious lunches
including the Bonnie Dunne Salad and, if
you’re lucky, Ben will be making Lobster
Poutine. Erryn is renowned in the area for
her desserts — stop and enjoy!
Back on the Taste Trek and backtracking
north on the 21 out of Grand Bend, take
Goderich
Celtic Roots Week
Instrumental
Music
Singing
Dancing
Craft Art
Culture
Celtic College
Kids Camp
Festival
Mairi
Rankin
August
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Highway 83 towards Dashwood and Exeter
to allow a stop at Hayter’s Turkey retail
store. This is a great spot to pick up frozen
turkey burgers, turkey breasts and even a
bottle of wine, as it is a licensed LCBO and
beer store. Continue towards Exeter on the
83 and then head north
Hayter’s Turkey
again on highway 4 for a
short detour to Hensall.
Stock up on more ice at
Ice Cultures and follow
Brock Avenue past the
big blue ice building,
around the corner to
Metzger Meats. They
carry an incredible array
of fresh and frozen meats
for the BBQ — all from local fields. Gerhard
Metzger is known for his European touch
with salami, and the pork tenderloins and
the massive 8-oz frozen burgers are great
take-home products for future summer
meals.
Heading back home towards London,
you may need a quick pick-me-up at Sugar
and Spice Chocolates, which is conveniently located across the street from Coffee Culture — coffee and chocolate are sure
remedies for tiring trekkers! Coffee Culture
also has wireless Internet and a flat-screen
TV for those looking for a little down time
or a need to be rewired
to the outside world!
And it goes without
saying that some of the
tastiest trekking will
happen at farm gates all
over Huron county.
While in season, enjoy
berries, beans, corn and
tomatoes. We thank our
farmers and count our
blessings on this trek.
Drive safely and remember — you don’t
have to do it all in one day! 22
JANE ANTONIAK is a journalist and owner of Antoniak
Communications in London, and a regular contributor to
eatdrink.
PEN !
O
W
O
N NDON
IN LO
 Clarence Street,
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When other Stratford
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they dine on their
evenings off, the
name that comes up
again and again is
“Raja.”
— Cecilia Buy,
eatdrink Magazine
Open Daily
Serving Lunch
& Dinner
Take-out
Available
10 George Street West, Stratford | 519-271-3271 | www.rajafinedining.ca
23
TRAVEL
La Ville Est La Vie ... The City Is Life
By Ann McColl
T
hanks to Web magic, we located an
apartment in an eighteenth-century
block in the historic centre of Nice,
surrounded by all that gives value to life.
From a wicker armchair in front of a long
window overlooking the flower market, I
stare at Mount Boron, the ancient archeological headland where Paleolithic man lit
the first fires for cooking and comfort on
these Mediterranean shores. Directly facing
me is the tall yellow house where Matisse
captured the light and life of this coast. Just
below it, Greek sailors pulled their boats into
the small bay and christened their new
colony Nikaia in 400 BC. Centuries later,
Isadora Duncan danced in one of the fishermen’s huts she had converted into a studio.
My precariously small balcony hangs over
Le Cours Saleya, four long rows of vendors’
stalls loaded with olives and lavender from
the hills that hug the bay
and with glistening fish
from its waters.
Jewel-toned fruits and vegetables from
Spain and Africa fill baskets under striped
awnings that run parallel to palms fringing
the Mediterranean.
At street level, four floors directly below us,
La Cave Bianchi has been supplying clients
with vintage wines since 1860. On our first
outing, David goes into this emporium where
crystal chandeliers hang over wooden barrels and is greeted by the owner, Frank Obadia, who gives him a tour of the cave and
allows him to hold a 1961 St. Emilion. Mr
Obadio is also an artist who paints wine signs
and posters. He calls his exhibitions, WineMan-Show. During our six-week stay, we
develop a preference for the pale rosés of
Provence, particularly those from the Var
District out past the airport.
A professionally stocked kitchen store is
next to our heavy green entry door. Rented
kitchens always need a rubber spatula, a
wooden spoon and an extra knife. At one
corner of our block, Queen Victoria’s stationary supplier is still in business. The
Queen spent her last few winters in Nice and
sent the staff down to our block to pick up
some pens and ink. David went in often for
watercolour brushes and painting pads.
The gold leaf lettering of the
Royal emblem
Our apartment offered an excellent view of
the market and central Nice, France
24
The wine shop
has survived over their door and the business still remains in the Rontani family.
Across from this store is L’Hotel de Ville,
Nice’s City Hall. Under Napoleonic Code, all
marriages must take place here in a civil ceremony. So every Saturday afternoon, a
parade of honking cars circle our block on
their way one street south to the grand
Promenade des Anglais for miles of celebratory driving along the coast. The wedding
parties pass the ornate Opera House that
commands the block between us and the
sea. Two doors along, I am buying a bright
yellow tin of olive oil at Alizari’s, a family
renowned for the olives grown on their
lands. Across the street, in gilt and glass
1850s decor, Confisserie Auer displays giant
chocolate eggs and myriad boxes of pastel
bonbons, tied with satin ribbons for Easter.
St-Francois-de-Paule has been at the
heart of our block since 1773. Its square bell
tower is visible from all parts of Nice. We use
it as a signpost for the apartment when we
are wandering around the city. As the sun
sets, we sip campari and tonic opposite the
Dominicans’ small terrace garden. Our bedroom is just metres away from the two huge
lead bells that make the room vibrate with
joyous pealing.
The location’s icing on the cake is Bar de
la Terrasse, the small brasserie that anchors
the key corner of the block. Every morning,
just steps from our front door, their chalkboard straddles the sidewalk announcing
the chef’s daily special plate. On our first
day, we slide onto the leather banquette facing the bar and order quaille et potat rosti.
Each subsequent day, I check the board on
my morning baguette run and schedule our
activities accordingly. If the plat du jour
sounds irresistible, we visit a museum or a
park in Nice rather than do a Riviera day trip.
I start to keep a list of their plats in a notebook. The repertoire, all produced and
served by a three-man team, is extensive,
with few repetitions during our stay. The
chef works from a six-foot square area, open
to view at the end of the bar. The bartender
fills the carafes with very reasonable house
red, white or rosé, uncorks the name vintages, and pulls a serious espresso. The
waiter deftly services all twenty places as
well as the few tables outside under the
awning. One round table inside is reserved
for a large bouquet of fresh blossoms.
On our return visit for la tranche de gigot
d’agneau aux herbes provinçal, the waiter
brings us a complimentary liqueur glass of
limoncello after we mop up every spot of the
sauce with our bread. He realizes we are
neighbours and offers emportez — we can
take away meals up to our apartment, so it’s
no longer necessary to stay in town for the
plats du jour.
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The flower market
Once, when David takes a train ride up
into the mountains, I stay at home, shopping
for vintage clothing in the flea market until it
is time for lunch — daube niçoise avec gnocchi. Chunks of beef fall apart on the fork in a
dark, spicy sauce with a hint of orange, so
good I asked for a take-away for David. While
the waiter brings me a complimentary
espresso, the chef scrapes all that is left of the
day’s special into a large white bowl for me to
carry upstairs. The bartender willingly writes
the name of the cut of beef used on the back
of my bill. I’ve already looked up the recipe.
This corner is close to the law courts,
guaranteeing a steady clientele for their
lapin aux chausseurs spagetti or picatta de
veau au citron. But it is the quality of the
ingredients and skill of the chef that brings
back customers. Plus the fact that the plats
range from 9 to 11 euros, there is no waiting,
no attitude, no risk of disappointment.
Since coming home, we have attended a
talk given by the urban designer for our city
of London. The phrases he used to describe
a downtown that works were: “wholesome
mix of commercial, residential, retail; variety
dependent on density; improving design of
apartment buildings; invest in attractive
public spaces; pedestrian friendly.” Some
places never lost it. ANN McCOLL is a London-based writer and an inveterate
world traveller with her painter/photo-grapher husband
DAVID LINDSAY. For 30 years, they owned and operated
Ann McColl’s Kitchen Shop, fondly remembered as a fine
example of how to blend commerce and culture.
Boeuf Daube Nicoise on Gnocchi
The cut of beef recommended by the chef was
joue or jarret. My Larousse Gastronomique
translates this as cheek, knuckle or rump. The
method and ingredients are very similar to the
classic Boeuf Bourguignon, with the following
exceptions that give the dish a regional
provençal flavour.
1 Cut the beef into cubes and marinate
overnight in the following mixture:
2 Sauté chopped onions, carrots, and celery
in olive oil.
3 Stir in 3 cups of red wine, a clove of garlic, a
bouquet garni, salt and pepper.
4 Simmer 20 minutes. Cool. Pour over meat
cubes.
5 The following day, lift out the meat, drain
it, and proceed, following the traditional
beef bourguignon stewing method in a
heavy cast-iron Dutch oven, with the addition of the marinade, thyme, cloves, olive
oil, a piece of pork rind, and the rind of a
small orange. Add a handful of the small
Niçoise black olives to enhance the distinctive flavour.
6 Serve over gnocchis, available from Glenda
Smith in Covent Garden Market.
— A.M.
Explore
Ontario’s
West Coast
on the
Lake Huron
Shores
GRAND BEND
BAYFIELD
GODERICH
The Little Inn of Bayfield
A Real Country Inn... In a Heritage Village... On a Great Lake
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Summer Specials
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28
SPOTLIGHT
Hot Dining, Summer in the City
London Offers Eclectic Seasonal Excitement
By Melanie North
a
b
c
You just got back to the city after a long
day at the beach, and don’t feel like
making dinner.
You’ve been running errands all day,
driving through the city’s many construction zones, and deserve a little
afternoon treat.
You have a special date lined up and
are looking for a romantic patio.
N
eed some ideas for one or all of the
above? Here is a roundup of some
of the unique summer dining experiences that London has to offer.
The Church Key Bistro-Pub
 Richmond Street, 519-936-0960
Named for the ubiquitous bottle opener,
this bistro-pub has it all. They serve classic
British fare like fish & chips and steak &
stout pot pies, as well as more upscale
bistro entrées. As of July 1, summer entrées
include several entrée salads (hint: one will
be Smoked Seafood & Melon).
They also serve a great selection of
imported and Canadian specialty beers,
including Scotland’s Innis & Gunn Smooth
Premium, Cameron’s from Oakville and
Toronto’s Mill St. Brewery.
The patio has a sophisticated mix
NEW of comfortable tables and chairs, a
water fountain, soft lighting, and a
seating area with sofa and coffee table
for drinks. Situated across from the Grand
Theatre, the outdoor space is located right
on Richmond Row, tucked in between the
greenery of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the red
brick exterior of the pub’s heritage building. A peaceful oasis with church bells ringing in the background, this is a great patio
for dining and drinks pre- or post-theatre,
or after a long hard day in the sun!
Sunday Brunch is served from 11 to 3,
with a choice of four entrées, two desserts,
and a selection of breakfast pastries by
London Pastry Chef Cliff Briden.
The Idlewyld Inn
36 Grand Avenue, 519-433-2891
Walk straight through this beautiful mansion-turned-inn and out the back door into
a quiet garden courtyard patio with seating
that has been arranged with privacy in
mind. Beginning June 27, enjoy Spanish
Tapas grilled on the patio from 3 to 9
p.m. Monday to Friday. Tapas are
small savoury Spanish dishes,
TAPAS
often served as a snack or with
other tapas as a meal. The selection
includes small bites like aceitunas alinadas, which are marinated Spanish olives
with citrus, olive oil and garlic; escalavida,
a Catalan grilled, marinated vegetable
salad with romesco sauce; or heartier
dishes like patatas bravas a la parilla, which
are fire-grilled potatoes with spicy bravas
sauce and alioli; chorizo a la parilla con
insalata tomate, a grilled chorizo sausage
with a fresh tomato salad with olive oil, sea
salt, parsley and lemon; or gambas al ajillo,
classic Spanish shrimp with, garlic, parsley
olive oil and grilled bread.
Afternoon Tea, served Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m., offers a selection of
teas and scones, preserves, tea sandwiches
and pastries.
Auberge du Petit Prince
- King Street, 519-434-7124
Enjoy the French ambience and menu of
this fine dining establishment. The outdoor
patio located at the front of the restaurant
has a retractable red and white striped
awning to protect you from the heat of the
summer. Enjoy the French countryside atmosphere with planters of
Classic flowers, as well as pots of herbs
that chef and owner Nicole
Arroyas uses in her blend of modern and
classic French cuisine. The full menu is
available on the patio, where the tables
even have linen napkins and crystal wineglasses. The Lady Helen Tea is served daily
from noon until 4:30 p.m. Named in dedication of Nicole’s grandmother, the tea is
for two and includes tea sandwiches,
scones, croissants, crème fraîche, homemade fruit preserves and assorted pastries.
This is a great spot to celebrate a special
occasion or experience a touch of France
outdoors in the city.
Lounge. Chic and modern, this patio is a
great date-night destination and a popular
place to unwind on Fridays after
work. Granite and slate stone
décor add texture to the patio, and CH
IC
a fire pit and a two-level waterfall
cascading into a lit pond add lots of
ambience. Featured from June 11 until
August 5 is a “Big Life Summer” menu
including Baja Fish Tacos, Miso Sablefish
and a Summer Sirloin. Every Thursday,
enjoy live-to-air music from London’s Best
Rock, FM 96.
Windermere’s Café
Chancey Smith’s
Relax
 Collip Circle, 519-858-5866
Driving north through the
city on Richmond or Western
Road, go past the University of Western
Ontario, then take a little detour left on
Windermere Road to the Windermere
Manor Conference Centre. Here you’ll find
the cozy Windermere’s Café with its spacious outdoor patio, where they’re serving
a special Summer Patio Snack nightly from
4 to 6 p.m. Sleeman’s Premium Light is on
tap and the menu includes nachos, sweet
potato fries and buffalo wings. But why
stop there? Breakfast, lunch, dinner and
Sunday Brunch can also be enjoyed on this
lovely patio surrounded by tall spruce trees
in a quiet corner of London.
29
 King Street, 519-672-0384
Located at Covent Garden Market, Chancey
Smith’s has a relaxed vibe going, with
flowerboxes filled and live entertainment
by Graham Goss on Friday nights
from 5 to 8 p.m. Enjoy the indoor
menu outdoors and peoplePatio watch
on the wraparound patio.
Known for a great selection of
Canadian craft beers, steaks and fresh oysters on the half shell, this patio is a great
place to gather with friends after a day “at
the Bend.” Monday night is “Wings Night”
after 5 p.m. Along with a pitcher of Grand
River draft beer, is there a better way to
while away the summer hours?
Barney’s
Eldon House
 Ridout Street North, 519-661-0333
This year marks the 175th birthday of Eldon
House, one of London’s historical gems.
Take the opportunity to relax outdoors and
enjoy their traditional summer tea surrounded by heritage gardens and a beautiful view of the Thames River. Tea is
served Wednesday through Sunday
from 2 to 4 p.m. Reserve your table
TEA at 519-661-5169 for this relaxing
time-out on a busy summer day.
The menu includes scones, butters and
jams and a variety of teas. Tea is served
from July 8 until the end of August.
Moxie’s Classic Grill
 Richmond Street, 519-936-0745
A new patio is turning heads in the heart of
London’s downtown at Moxie’s Patio and
 Richmond Street, 519-432-1232
If you’re looking to party-hearty in the heat
of the summer, this huge patio is
the place to go. The all-ages
PARTY crowd is loud, lively and lots of
fun. The food menu is standard
pub fare, and a current favourite is
the Ahi Tuna sandwich. Sunday nights
there is a Domestic Draft special, on Mondays order $5 Margaritas, and Tuesdays
there is a special on Coronas. Friday afternoon is a great time to wind up the work
week with a few drinks and a live band on
the patio. You’ll feel like you’re hanging out
at the beach, complete with picnic tables
on the deck, at this hotspot in the city. MELANIE NORTH is the editor of CityWoman magazine
and a regular contributor to eatdrink.
Discover
Grand Bend ...
Again!
F.I.N.E.
A Restaurant
Serving
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&
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1-888-338-2001
reservations
recommended
Visit our Welcome Centre
1 81st Crescent, Grand Bend
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Grand Bend
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Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce
Always closed
Monday
519-238-6224
42 ontario Street S., Grand Bend
www.finearestaurant.com
Gobble up the goodness.
BBQ season is here!
On the way to the lake, Highway 83, Dashwood Road.
Open 7 days a week for summer.
One-Stop Shop
for thick and juicy Turkey Burgers,
succulent marinated Turkey Breast Fillets
and our own Dashwood Broil
519-237-3561
www.haytersfarm.com
"We’re proud to be
supplying retail
customers and chefs
with top quality
local Angus beef
and superior local
pork, plus a wide
variety of smoked
meats, cold cuts,
sausages and
salamis.”
etzger
M
Gerhard
LCBO Agency & BEER STORE Retail Partner
Trust Us for
The Best
BBQ
BB
www.metzgermeats.com
 Brock Avenue,
Hensall ON
Retail Store Hours
Monday to Friday 8am-6pm
Saturday 8am-3pm
519-262-3130
32
RESTAURANTS
What’s on Tap in Ilderton?
The King Edward Restaurant & Pub
By Melanie North
i
If you’re looking for traditional British pub food
and real hand-pumped
ale, not to mention free
parking, then head north to
Ilderton and the King
Edward. A charming fixture
on the main street, this 115year old building has gone
through many incarnations
over the years, but still
retains its original hardwood plank flooring and
ornate tin ceiling. Bought
and refurbished in 2005 by
Rich and Deb Hunter, the
Housed in a heritage building, the King Edward offers plenty of
restaurant has a comfortatmosphere and architectural charm (above) with the de rigeur patio
able ambience with ceiling
(below) for more modern sensibilities.
fans, dark wood trim and
decided they needed a life change. Opening
“British racing green” walls surrounding
a restaurant seemed like a great way to get
the roomy booths and tables. A smaller
out of the Toronto “rat race.” Rich had
lounge area is perfectly suited for informal
worked summers in England dishwashing
meetings and private parties, complete
and waiting tables, so was familiar with
with Nintendo Wii and a dart board for
British pubs, and once the decision was
more traditional games.
made to eventually open their own pub,
Rich, an audio engineer from Cornwall,
Deb got to work in the business, gaining
England, and Deb, a former set builder,
valuable experience over two years and
were living in Mississauga when they
becoming the manager of
an Italian restaurant. The
couple took a long look
around to find the perfect
spot to realize their dream,
covering ground from Nova
Scotia to western Ontario.
When they saw the King
Edward, they knew it was
just what they wanted. It
took 18 months to close the
deal, but once they did,
their business plan went
into action and has served
them well. Rich says, “It’s so
important to have that plan
33
and stay close to it. It tells you the amount
mean for taste? Ales from a hand-pump are
of money you’ll lose and how quickly!”
slightly warmer (9-10C), more flavourful,
Originally, Rich was in charge of the
rounder, smoother, fuller and richer than
kitchen and Deb managed the front of
the norm without the excess gas and it's
house, but over several years their roles
bloating effects. Rich says, “To real-ale fans,
reversed. Now Rich handles marketing,
it’s the Holy Grail of Beer.” He imported the
greeting and maintenance, buses tables and pump from England and installed it himruns the website, while Deb runs the
self. At the start of each day ¾ of a pint of
kitchen. These two are also
strongly committed to the
Ilderton community. Rich
voluntarily runs the Ilderton.ca website and the site
for the Ilderton Fair, and Deb
belongs to the Optimist club
and is involved in a number
of children's activities there.
One of the star attractions
at The King Edward is the
hand-pulled cask-conditioned ale. For those of you
who don’t know the significance of that, let me explain.
When you see beer on draft
in most restaurants and
The King Edward proprietors, Deborah and Richard Hunter.
pubs, your bartender literally opens a tap and pours a beer that has
beer is flushed from the pump as it has sat
been brewed, filtered, sometimes pasteurovernight in the line so is out of "condition",
ized, then put into a pressurized container
not servable, he says “It’s a great addition to
called a “keg” and chilled to 2 or 3 degrees
soups and the gravy we make for Bangers
Celsius. It is served by connecting it to a sys- and Mash and Liver and Onions.”
tem that is propelled by a tank of beer gas
Occasionally, Wellington Brewery, a craft
from the keg to the taps, which also adds
microbrewery in Guelph, will make a batch
extra gas to the beer (and gas can create
of SPA (Special Pale Ale) three ways: in botgas!). At the King Edward, you’ll find the
tle, keg and cask form. Then the King
regular system and more. It boasts the only
Edward has a three-way tasting. There is
hand pump in our part of southwestern
not much difference between the taste of
Ontario. What that means is you’ll get a
the bottle and the keg, but when it’s handglass of real ale that is not filtered at the
pulled from the cask, it’s hard to compare,
brewery, not pasteurized, so remains a mix and most people like the difference in taste.
of beer and yeast with a little added sugar,
The restaurant has really focused on local
then put into an un-pressurized container, craft breweries, with offerings from F&M
called a “cask”, along with “finings”. Once
Brewery in Guelph, which produces the
delivered and set in place in the cellar at
StoneHammer family of beer; the Grand
The Eddy the finings drag the yeast into a
River Brewery in Cambridge; and the
heavy sediment at the bottom of the cask
Neustadt Springs Brewery, reputed to be
leaving the beer clear yet continuing to fer- the oldest operating original brewery in
ment the beer, producing its own natural
Ontario. One of the most popular ales is
carbon dioxide that keeps it in "condition".
Grand River Mild on cask with only 3.2
This cask is cellared to a temperature of 9
alcohol, which makes it easy to drink, eat
degrees Celsius and since it isn't driven by
and drive home safely.
excess (forced) gas pressure it is necessary
Although beer is a main draw, Rich and
to hand-pump it to the tap. What does this
Deb have slowly changed gears. When they
34
first opened, the clientele was mainly rural local,
and now it caters more to London families. Rich
declares that “instead of being a pub that serves
good food, we have become more of a restaurant
with a bar.” Friday’s menu is more upscale, with
a recent offering of tilapia with mango salsa,
thyme-infused herbed rice and grilled vegetables. Sunday night is traditional British fare —
Prime Rib, slow cooked for 14 hours and accompanied by Yorkshire Pudding, mashed potatoes,
homemade gravy, slow-roasted carrots, and peas
and corn. And of course, there are the burgers.
The “Signet Burger” was developed when Deb
and Rich lived in Mississauga and regularly
entertained large groups of friends around their
backyard barbecue. It’s a hand-seasoned 10ounce patty embedded with a coin of homemade frozen garlic butter, which releases its
flavour during cooking, and it's served on a ciabatta bun. Other burger offerings include Asianinspired turkey burgers and a Greek seasoned
lamb burger. Add the pub mainstays of Bangers
and Mash, Fish and Chips, Steak and Guiness
Pie, Liver and Onions and homemade Macaroni
and Cheese, and you’ve got options for the
entire family. The King Edward Restaurant & Pub
13239 Ilderton Road, Ilderton
519-666-1991
www.thekingedward.com
Expect traditional British pub fare done right,
such as pot pies, fish & chips, and ribs, but
Asian-inspired dishes also make appearances
on the menu.
hours of operation
monday to saturday: 11am to 11pm
sunday: 11am to 9pm
MELANIE NORTH is CityWoman magazine editor and a frequent
contributor to eatdrink.
NEW AND NOTABLE
The BUZZ
Compiled by Chris McDonell
R
ailway City Brewing Company’s
Spike Amber Ale was recently lauded
at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
The St. Thomas brew will be one of seven
served (59 craft beers competed) in the Legislative Assembly’s main dining room and at
other Queen’s Park events this year. The
brewery is open seven days a week but the
LCBO now stocks Railway City products as
well. (www.railwaycitybrewing.com)
Please take note of this issue’s centrespread insert for Taste of Huron, August 24
to 30. The week will highlight Huron
County’s agricultural and culinary sector,
offering numerous demonstrations of the
“farm to fork” experience.
“Food for Thought” is a series of four
theme dinners taking place throughout the
week leading up to the weekend festivities.
Each night a different dining establishment
located in the County will host an information session on a food-related topic, with a
fixed price menu based on the theme.
Another series of information sessions will
be aimed at farmers and producers. A Corn
and Pig Roast will feature these two key agricultural products as well as old-fashioned
country music and fiddling in a charming
barn outside Hensall. Farm tours, culinary
workshops, chef classes, markets, a gala dinner, a locavore brunch … there will be something for everyone. Go to
www.tasteofhuron.ca for more info.
35
from the Blyth Festival, offers several interesting Canadian food and kitchen items this
summer. The store is a compilation of vendors and crafters from across Canada. Foodies will find ice wine chocolates from Heart
Industries, In a Jam jams and jellies from a
Melbourne, Ontario crafter, Garlic Box
spices from Hensall, and other items including a large selection of Quebec made food
products including exocitc pie fillers and
gourmet coffees. Crafters and vendors also
staff the Maple and Moose as part of their
SUNDAY BRUNCH
“Modern, delicious, comfort food.
Join us on the patio or
in our beautiful new pub.”
The Maple and Moose in Blyth, right across
20 Different Tequilas
476 Richmond Street, London
(across from the Grand Theatre)
519 936 0960
www.thechurchkey.ca
Open 7 days a week, 11am–1am
(’til 2am Friday & Saturday)
25 Different Margaritas
6 Ice Cold Mexican Beers
Summer Sangria
DJ on Friday & Saturday Evenings on the Patio
From Mild to Wild with no MSG or other additives
Serving Creative
Mexican Cuisine
for over 35 years.
Richmond at Piccadilly
519-435-1197
contract, and the store is always int erested
in taking on new Canadian suppliers.
July 1 – July 18
“HARVEST”
by Ken Cameron
July 22 – Aug. 8
“A BENCH IN THE SUN”
by Ron Clark
Aug. 12 – Sept. 5
“MENDING FENCES”
by Norm Foster
Artistic Director:
SIMON JOYNES
Apropos
Season Sponsor
Box Office:
519-782-4353
psft.on.ca
Chef Joseph Watters, from the Little Inn of
Bayfield, has a new summer menu that
includes a range of “molecular gastronomic”
dishes prepared with the recent purchase of
specialized equipment utilizing Liquid nitrogen, dry ice, and sugar work, as well as sous
vide. Boiling cold soup. disappearing fettucinne, foie gras rocher (like ferero rocher)
are among the highlights. Rumour has it he is
in discussions with Global TV regarding a
new show.
Stratford Tourism is offering Guided Culinary Tours on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Your foodie guide will introduce you to
the flavours of Stratford’s local producers,
including chocolate shops, preserves and
bakeries where you will enjoy a tasty sample
as you make your way about town. Wear
comfortable walking shoes and bring an
umbrella if it rains. Tours begin at Stratford
Tourism, 47 Downie Street at 10:45 am. Cost
is $7.50 per person.
Epicurean Treks continue throughout the
summer. With over 20 stops to visit in Stratford and throughout the county, you will
meet producers who are passionate about
the local products they grow and produce.
For a list of stops, maps and descriptions see
www.welcometostratford.com.
Three food experience packages are
offered in Stratford including Tea and
Chocolate, A Fresh Approach to Healthy
Baking and Cultivate your Palate with the
Manic Organic. Each package offers handson activities, tasting and takeaway items to
complete the experience. Learn more at
www.welcometostratford.com
Special foodie events this summer make fun
family choices. St. Marys Stonetown Festival takes place July 10-12. Go to www.townofstmarys.com for details.
The Live Release Family Fishing Derby is
on July 11 at Wildwood Conservation Area.
The Flavours of Perth Dinner will be held
on August 8 in Shakespeare at the Optimist
Hall. This home-style, family dinner is a
fundraiser for the Stratford Perth Museum,
now located in a new space just west of Stratford on Huron Street. A generous portion of
tasty local fare is served up including dessert.
www.stratfordperthmuseum.ca
Cornfest in Mitchell runs August 14-16.
This is a wonderful community event that
starts out with an outdoor pancake breakfast. A baseball tournament, soap box derby
and dinner and dance are features of the
event. See www.perthwest.com.
The Slow Food pig roast barn dinner will be
held at Punkeydoodles Corners on August 30.
www.slowfoodperthcounty.ca
The St. Marys Farmers’ Market, the St.
Marys Friendship Centre and Home Support Services are presenting two special
Food, Glorious Food sessions this summer.
July 21 focuses on home canning so that
local food can be enjoyed throughout the
year. Then on August 25 the session will provide an opportunity for members of different
generations to come together to discover the
joy of cooking and baking together. Both sessions will have a healthy eating focus and
are supported by the Ontario Agri-Food
Stratford Summer Music runs July 20 to
August 16. Over 80 concerts by international
and Canadian artists take place in historic
venues, intimate restaurants and outdoors.
Many concerts are free. Coffee and music go
together at Balzac’s where you will hear the
Coffee Cantata. Add jazz to your dinner at
Pazzo Ristorante, or stay up for a late night
cabaret at The Church Restaurant. Pick up a
Perth County lunch and lounge on the banks
of the Avon River while live music from a
barge entertains. Be surprised as “guerilla
music” breaks out on the street.
www.stratfordsummermusic.ca
McCully’s Hill Farm offers fun events and a
day camp July 13-17 and August 10-14. This is
a great program for kids to learn about the
farm and make the connection between
their food and it’s source.
The In Your Face Pie Festival on July 25 is
a new event that promises to be lots of fun
for those who can’t resist pie.
CORNival at McCully’s Hill Farm on
August 16 celebrates one of our favourite
vegetables with a day of games, displays,
horse-drawn wagon rides and a BBQ dinner
on the farm. The farm market is open
Wednesday to Sunday throughout the season. Go to www.mccullys.ca for more info.
The Listowel Agricultural Fair takes place
July 16-19. In addition to the regular fair fun
there is a Pork BBQ Challenge for the foodies
to explore on Saturday. The PRO division,
new this year, has four categories: pork ribs,
pork roast, beef brisket and chicken. The
amateur contest is ribs only.
www.listowelfair.com
Recommended in Where to Eat
in Canada 2008 & 2009
BED, BREAKFAST & BISTRO
519.782.4173
324 Smith St., Port Stanley
www.thewindjammerinn.com
37
True Canadiana
“One of the Lake Erie shore’s most exceptional
bed and breakfasts.... a tour de
force of tempting choices.”
Celebrating
Our
5
Year
— Janette Higgins,
The Best Places to B&B in Ontario
Anniversary
August 1
Vicci & Jon Coughlin
205 Main Street, Port Stanley ON
--
www.telegraphhouse.com
Open for
Lunch & Dinner
7 Days a Week
LIVE
Acoustic Music
Friday Nights
and
Sunday Brunch
OVER THE BRIDGE, BEFORE THE BEACH
Education Inc.’s Healthy Eating Program.
Both sessions will take place at the St. Marys
Friendship Centre, 317 James St. and run
from 7-9 p.m. $15 per session but free for
anyone 16 and under. To register, call Allyson
at 519-284-3272, ext. 639.
of creating a dairy. As soon as possible,
they’ll start selling cheese. The official opening is January 2010, with cheesemaking
beginning when the milk flows. Fresh
cheese should be available by March with
aged cheeses to follow.
Monforte Dairy moved into 49 Griffith Road
in Stratford on July 1. The facility houses an
office, storefront, and a view into the dairy
itself, with room to expand in the coming
years. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to
4 pm, all are welcome to watch the process
The Londonlicious Festival will kick off its
inaugural event July 10-23. An impressive list
of 17 London restaurants — including such
stalwarts as Auberge du Petit Prince, Jambalaya, Under the Volcano, The Windermere Manor and Blackfriars —will offer a
select three-course dinner for $20 or $25
during the event. See the inside back cover
of this issue for the complete list of participating restaurants.
38
Everything Tea, “London's Premier Tea
Store” of 13 years, has relocated to directly
across the street at 356 Talbot Street. The
phone number remains 519-433-9522. You
are invited to their newly expanded premises with 25 off of all loose and packaged
teas and 30 off teapots and all accessories,
and many other specials.
Crazy Joe’s Shisha Cafe at 405 Wharncliffe
Road South is expanding outdoors so that
you can enjoy all that this cozy little renegade pub/meeting place has to offer el frescoe. In addition to the new patio, Crazy Joe’s
is also offering belly dancing instruction.
Learn this exotic art and you are guaranteed
to impress your friends and family!
Chef and artist Warren Laine-Naida will be
launching his new book Art in Chocolate
in London at two events in July. The Braywick Bistro will be hosting a “Seven
Deadly Chocolate Sins” tasting menu dinner on Thursday, July 17. Lanie-Naida and
Chef Aaron Variotes of The Braywick Bistro
will highlight chocolate’s many gustatory
faces, with Chef Joan Brennan of Elegant
Catering.
Sponsored by Dominique Fox, owner of
Books for Cooks Bookstore in the Covent
Garden Market, Laine-Naida will be signing
his book at the store from 11am-5pm on July
18, as well as showing several of his sculptures. He will also be working on a new
sculpture while at the Market. You can see
his work at www.chocolatecheese.de. Contact Joan Brennan at 519-438-3046 for info.
mercial gas stove, stainless steel work area,
hobart mixer, triple sink, freezer and cold
storage. Current day rental spans 10 am to
9pm Rate $50.00 No lease, minimum time
required, just a rental agreement regarding
rules of use. The Briscoe Cafe is at 325
Wharncliffe Ave. S. Call Linda, Glen or Larry
519 438-7878 or 519 438-2555 for more info.
BackyardCuisine, billed as “Canada’s first
on-site outdoor gourmet grilling experience,” offers a fully localized, seasonal and
organic (where possible) menu. Serving the
London-to-Toronto area, grill master Nick
McDonald comes to your backyard for
entertaining guests, out-of-office get-togethers or simply for the times no one in the
family feels like cooking. Lunch or dinner for
four starts at $75. Call 519.520.6700 or check
out Backyardcuisine.ca to find out more.
39
The London Wine Tasting Club meets next
on July 5, hosted by Trü Restaurant at 6pm.
Celebrate Canada Day with some of the best
Canadian producers. Contact Jeff Terpstra at
Tru to book your seat, at 519.672.4333.
Does your business or organization have
news to share? Don’t forget to be part of
creating the buzz. Inclusion is free, and
independent of paid advertising.
Email your interesting local culinary news to:
[email protected] CHRIS MCDONELL is Publisher of eatdrink.
The Briscoe Cafe will rent their commercial
kitchen by the day. Use their 6 Burner com-
Katafnéa
Ka
“A little out of
the way,
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the ordinary!”
519-455-9005
Lunch 11 to 3 (7 days a week)
Dinner 5 to 10 (Wed to Sun)
Breakfast 9 to 12 (Sat & Sun)
2530 Blair Rd, London
Diamond Flight Centre
Stratford is more
than great theatre.
“I made a delicious discovery:
Stratford has a culinary obsession. And, for me,
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— Marion Kane, Food Writer
www.marionkane.com
Restaurant
151 Albert Street
Stratford
RESERVATIONS
519-271-5052
Chef de cuisine
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42
COOKING FROM THE GARDEN
An Easy and Elegant Picnic Menu
By Christine Scheer
T
ake advantage of the short but sweet
season for English peas, tender
young leeks, abundant herbs, and of
course spinach, either from your garden or
at Farmers’ markets now.
An early summer picnic is simple
enough to assemble by using market-fresh
ingredients. All of these dishes are tasty
served warm or cold. Finish the meal off
with a bowl of fresh strawberries.
Chilled Pea Soup with
Fresh Tarragon
My favourite way to eat fresh garden peas is
straight from the pod; this soup preserves
their fresh flavour, and takes it up a notch.
When fresh peas are not available, you can
use frozen.
1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil
2 shallots, minced
2 cups (500 mL) fresh peas
2 cups (500 mL) chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup (125 mL) plain yogourt or low-fat sour
cream
2 tablespoon (30 mL) fresh tarragon, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.
Add shallots to the pan and cook for about
3 minutes. Stir in the peas and the stock.
Bring the stock to a boil and let simmer for
a few minutes, just until peas are cooked.
2
Can you
or I
or anyone know
How oats,
peas,
beans,
and barley grow?
Traditional Folksong
Remove soup from heat
and puree with a food processor or with hand-held
immersion blender. Chill.
3 When soup is cold,
whisk in yogourt or sour
cream, stir in tarragon,
and season to taste
with salt and pepper.
Remember, cold soups
take a bit more seasoning. This soup can also
be served warm. Do
not bring back to the
boil once yogourt or
sour cream has been
added.
Makes 3½ cups, enough
for four servings.
Chicken Roulade with
Leeks and Spinach
Like the soup, this chicken is delicious warm
or cold.
2 tablespoons (30 mL) vegetable oil
1 cup (250 mL) small leeks, white parts only,
chopped quite small
4 cups (1 L) loosely packed fresh spinach
1/2 cup (125 mL) goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 Heat oil in medium-size sauté pan set over
medium-high heat. Add leeks to pan and
cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally
and adjusting heat so they do not burn.
2 Meanwhile, cook the spinach (I find the
microwave is the easiest way), squeeze out
excess water and then chop. You will have
less than a cup. Combine the spinach with
the leeks, and let cook for a few minutes,
until any excess liquid is cooked off.
Remove from heat and let cool.
3 Meanwhile, heat oven to 375° F. Pound out
chicken breasts so they are thinner, but
not so thin they tear. Stir goat cheese into
cooled spinach and leek mixture, season
with salt and pepper. Spray 4 pieces of aluminum foil with cooking spray on one
side. Lay each pounded chicken breast out
onto a sheet of foil. Spoon the spinach and
leek mixture into the center of each piece
of chicken. Roll up breast into a cylinder,
tucking sides in so filling does not come
out. Wrap each stuffed chicken breast up
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securely in the piece of foil. Place on a baking sheet seam side up, and place in oven.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until
cooked through.
4 Let sit for at least 10 minutes before
unwrapping and slicing up. To serve completely chilled, unwrap from foil and rewrap in plastic wrap and chill thoroughly.
Serves four. Makes about 20 slices of chicken
roulade.
add the flour and the salt. Beat until a stiff
dough is formed, and then knead for
about 10 minutes, until dough is quite
smooth. Be careful not to add too much
flour; this dough does better with a bit too
little flour rather than a bit too much. Form
dough into a ball.
Appetizers Soups Salsas
Chilies
Salads
Bean Dips
Desserts
Soybean
Snacks
519-657-0887
Available at:
REMARK FRESH MARKET
1180 Oxford St W @ Hyde Park Rd
HAVARIS PRODUCE
Covent Garden Market, 130 King St
UNGER FARM MARKET
1010 Gainsborough Rd
ARVA FLOUR MILL
2042 Elgin (off Richmond)
Thyme and Feta Focaccia
2 cups (500 mL) warm water
1 teaspoon (5 mL) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) active dry yeast
5 cups (1.25 L) all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) feta cheese, coarsely
crumbled or chopped
¼ cup (60 mL) fresh
thyme leaves
Coarse salt
(optional)
1 In a
large bowl,
dissolve the
sugar in the
water. Sprinkle in
the yeast and let it sit
for a few minutes, until it
burbles to the top and looks
foamy. Stir, and then gradually
2 Pour oil into a large bowl, and place ball of
dough in bowl. Roll it around so it is coated
in oil. Cover bowl securely with plastic wrap,
and let dough rise until doubled in bulk,
about 1½ hours. Punch down the dough
and let it rise again for another hour.
3 Heat oven to 400° F. Spray one large
(approximately 12“ x16“) or two small
rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.
Scoop dough out of bowl directly onto
baking sheet, and press down into pan
with hands. Sprinkle with feta and thyme,
pressing them into the dough a bit. Sprinkle sparingly with coarse salt. Place in oven
and bake for 25–35 minutes, depending on
size of pan. The focaccia is ready when it is
golden brown around the edges and turning brown on the bottom.
Serve warm or cold. CHRISTINE SCHEER is a chef who lives with her family on
an organic farm. She currently runs the Oakridge Superstore cooking school. Her passions include using seasonal,
local ingredients and teaching children how to cook. You can
reach Christine at: [email protected].
45
BOOKS
Dining Out With Dictators
Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States:
A Dinner Party Approach to International Relations
Review by Darin Cook
K
itchen bookshelves have never seen
a cookbook like this before. Julia
Child or Bobby Flay are nowhere in
sight, but there is plenty of Fidel Castro and
Kim Il Sung, along with recipes of their
respective countries. For those looking to
keep political conversation alive over dinnertime, Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and
Other Irritating States is the book for you.
Chris Fair, a military and political analyst,
knows that humans crave more than food
alone, and she brings international relations and world politics to the dinner table
in a most interesting cross section of ideas.
With plenty of recipes, this book is shelved
in the cooking section of bookstores, but it
contains equal parts foreign policy, dinner
party etiquette, and evil dictator biography.
Fair feels this is the right kind of travel
cookbook for our times, since 80 percent of
American citizens do not own passports
and many cannot even find Afghanistan or
Iraq on a map. Americans may rail against
the evils of Iran and North Korea, but they
will never know firsthand what these countries offer to world culture. Religions, political views and social customs differ across
international boundaries, but food is the
most fundamental thing that humans share
with friend or foe.
The book is divided into ten parts. The
first nine chapters each deal with a particular country that has negatively impacted the
United States or seems to threaten world
democracy: North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Israel,
India, Pakistan, Cuba, Burma and China.
The intent of each chapter is to give enough
fodder — both intellectual topics and a fullcourse menu, including desserts and beverages — to host a dinner party that represents
each country. In the tenth chapter, Fair looks
back at the U.S.A. itself and presents a traditional menu from her stomping grounds in
the American heartland.
If you fear the political analysis will get too
deep, take heart that Fair always slips back
into food mode at the end of each chapter
with recipes and cooking tips. Background
information about the race for nuclear
weapons among Israel, India and Pakistan is
good for dinner party chatter, but advice on
working in the kitchen seems more practical.
For example, nan bread, from both the
Indian and Pakistani menus, is best cooked
in a traditional tandoori, but home-cooked
versions can come pretty close with a pizza
stone in a conventional oven. The cultural
tips that Fair offers are also interesting. For
“A Unique Cafe”
Comfort Food ...
Made from Scratch
• Customized Menus
• All Occasion Catering
• Homemade Entrees
and Desserts
• Eat In and Take Out
• Your Dish or Mine!
46
instance, when drinking tea with Iranians,
Fair notices they don’t put sugar
in the tea, but rather clench a
sugar cube between their teeth
and sift the tea through it.
The book may be taking a leap
of unusual proportions by presenting discussions about
Ronald Reagan’s Iran-Contra
Affair alongside the Iranian
chicken and pomegranate
dish, Khoresh-e-Fesanjan, but
it works in an entertaining
and educational way. There
may be countries in the world
with war-torn histories, duplicitous backgrounds, and downright evil leaders, but
they also have a unique culture and foods
that are far different from our
own. For those of us looking
for answers to political problems, the dinner party may be
just the venue to do it comfortably. “Sitting around the table
eating and — when not prohibited by law or religious beliefs
— drinking,” writes Fair, “everyone gets a free pass at speaking
their mind.” DARIN COOK keeps himself well-read and
well-fed by visiting the bookstores and
restaurants of London.
Recipe selected from the North Korean chapter of Cuisines of
the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States: A Dinner Party
Approach to International Relations by Chris Fair.
Bulkogee (Fire Beef)
Bulkogee, despite its translated name, is not
spicy. It’s a sweet and richly flavoured dish
that draws from soy sauce, garlic, honey, and
pear. It is typically served in leaves of romaine
lettuce with spiced scallions. The recipe calls
for ⁄-inch slices of beef. I don’t know about
you, but I can’t slice beef that thin. I go to a
Korean grocer that sells bolkogee cuts, but
you can also use the “fajita” cuts found in
many markets, although it is thicker than is
preferable. You could also ask your butcher, if
you’re lucky enough to have one. Finally, if
you absolutely can’t get it this thin, you will
lose points for style but it will still taste good,
although the thinner the beef, the better the
marinade soaks in.
⁄ tsp (0.5 ml) sea salt
2 pounds (1 kg) thinly sliced beef (try sirloin),
preferably ⁄-inch thick
FOR GARNISH
Sesame seeds
Scallions, halved lengthwise and cut in 2inch pieces
Clean leaves of romaine lettuce
1 In a large Ziploc bag or plastic bowl, whisk
together the grated pear and all the seasoning ingredients. (Pick a bag or bowl
that is big enough to comfortably accommodate the meat.)
2 Add the meat and toss to thoroughly coat
with the marinade. Let the meat marinate
in the fridge, preferable overnight, but at
1 Asian pear, grated, with the peel but not the
least 4 hours. Agitate periodically to
core (If you can’t find an Asian pear, any ripe
ensure that all the meat gets coated.
pear will do; a Bartlett is a good substitute.)
⁄ cup (75 ml) soy sauce
3 Grill the marinated beef under the broiler.
⁄ cup (75 ml) honey
This will cook quickly — maybe 3 minutes
⁄ cup (75 ml) rice wine
on each side or sooner, depending on how
4 cloves garlic, pressed
thinly you sliced the meat. (You can also
3 scallions, finely sliced (You can use most of
cook with a countertop or stove-top grill.)
the scallion, except for the nasty roots and
4 Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.
scraggly, dry green ends.)
Serve with steamed rice or wrapped in let2 tbsp (25 ml) sesame oil
tuce leaves.
¼ tsp (1 ml) freshly ground black pepper
47
COOKBOOKS
No Time to Cook
Fresh & easy recipes for a fast forward world
Review by Jennifer Gagel
A
ll right, I’ll admit it.
There are days when
I justify scraping
ketchup out of a cardboard
box with a soggy French fry by
telling myself, I have no time
to cook.
Much to her chagrin, after
having two boys, Donna Hay
started saying it too. “When I first
contemplated starting a family, I
imagined not much would
change in my life. I dismissed as alarmist
rubbish any suggestion that I’d find myself
heading off to work a sleep-deprived zombie and returning home in the evenings
with barely the energy to read a storybook,
let alone prepare dinner. With the 20/20
vision of hindsight, I now know that I was
being a tad optimistic and that all parents
are legends.”
Her latest book, No Time to Cook, was
developed for the zombies out there. “And
so it is that these recipes were devised as
much for us as for you,” she writes in her
brief, three-paragraph introduction.” No
pantry lists or discussions of equipment.
Just jump right into the first recipes for an
assembled dinner. “It’s time for a quick trip
to the deli and your favourite greengrocer.
Team your purchases with a
savvy selection of snapping
fresh produce, and in a matter
of minutes you’ll be enjoying
delicious alternatives to takeaway.” Assembling the satisfying Tuna & Hummus
Bruschetta takes less time
than waiting in drive-thru,
and will have you thinking
about what else you can
throw together in minutes.
The recipes use a combination of weight
and volume measurements, depending on
which is more convenient. A kitchen scale
does save on time, and on dishes too, as
was brought abruptly to my attention when
the battery died in mine. In the main, I
found her measurements to be suggested
guidelines rather than exact. Keep your
own preferences in mind when deciding
how much to add, especially on such
potent ingredients as soy sauce. But gauging by eye is much faster and liberates your
cooking anyway. In exchange for thinking
just a little bit outside the recipe box, you
will be richly rewarded with increased
speed in the kitchen and the enjoyment of
your own fabulous inventions.
For example, the Baked Haloumi & Sour-
“Exquisite Artistic Elegant Catering”
A personalized
approacht o
Weddings,
Dinner Parties,
Corporate Events, etc.
48
dough Salad, from the chapter titled “One
wards is desserts?” Mix together Coconut
Dish,” is a whole new take on what is tradiRice with Seared Mango for a simple yet
tionally thought of as salad. My kitchen pro- sumptuously creamy finish to any dinner.
duced a veritable cornucopia of impromptu
As you relax your style in the kitchen,
veggie and bread creations using whatever
increase your vigilance at the grocer. These
was on hand, all with minimal cleanup. This recipes count on the peak of brightness in
is a simple standby that has the added
fresh herbs, the essence exuded from a
bonus of cleaning out the crisper contents.
fresh citrus squeeze, and high-quality
This book will absolutely evolve your
ingredients to stand simply and relatively
cooking. Photographer Con Poulos is my
unadorned.
new favourite, capturing every recipe (yes, a
In addition to reducing kitchen time, prophoto for every recipe) with a crystal-clear
viding inspiration for a wide variety of gourfull-on picture, shot with a perfectly focused met combinations and cooking methods,
lens. Layout and design
and being exceptionare also incredible. It
ally healthy, the
has a new classic kind
recipes work in an
of feel — as thought the
unexpected way, too.
iPod marketing departBecause of the large
ment got hold of a
chunks and rustic
country kitchen. It
preparation style of
always looks fresh and
these recipes, they
will keep you turning
often have compoback to it for inspiration
nents that need to be
time and again.
squished out, like garUp early? Find your
lic cloves, or squeezed
impetus in “Cheats 1:
over, like roasted
Breakfast & Brunch.”
lemon. This manner of
Maybe it will be Baked
dining lends a comPeaches with Rosewater
fortable intimacy and
Yoghurt, which pairs
engages people, espeperfectly with coffee, or
cially young ones, in
maybe it will inspire
their food.
Baked Haloumi & Sourdough Salad
something with plums
Enjoy mealtime in a
instead. Groaning at the
whole new way. Throw
thought of dishes? Turn to “One Pan.” If you together gourmet sustenance with Donna
pick something with parchment paper,
Hay as your muse tonight.
cleanup can be done in under five. Stressed
out? Think about Hay’s wise words, “Is it
Recipes courtesy of No Time to Cook by Donna Hay is pubjust coincidence that stressed spelled back- lished by Harpercollins Canaad (2009), a bargain at 36.99.
Meet Me at Williams!
enu!
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t
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u
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ck
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All Day Breakfast Soups Salads
Baked Goods Cafe Desserts Chilled Drinks
Hot Beverages Gourmet Sandwiches Signature Entrées
578 Richmond St, London
519-673-3677
3030 Wonderland Rd S, London
519-649-6767
Licensed LLBO (this location only)
Artwork By Local Artists On Our Walls
www.williamscoffeepub.com
Baked Haloumi & Sourdough Salad
Tuna & Hummus Bruschetta
Serves 2
Serves 2
4 thick slices sourdough bread, torn into chunks
8 cloves of garlic
250 g haloumi, torn into chunks
200 g grape tomatoes, pricked with a knife
2 tablespoons (25 ml) olive oil
pinch chili flakes
½ cup (125 ml) flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup (125 ml) mint leaves
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive
oil
4 slices bread
olive oil, for brushing
1 clove garlic, halved
¾ cup (200 g) store-bought hummus
40g baby English spinach or rocket
(arugula) leaves
2 tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup (50 ml) mint leaves
425 g can tuna, drained
2 tablespoons (15 ml)
salted capers, rinsed
sea salt
cracked black pepper
1 lemon, halved
Preheat oven to 355°. Toss
bread, garlic, haloumi and
tomatoes together in a
baking dish. Combine oil
and chili flakes and drizzle over the bread mixture. Bake for 20 minutes,
toss bread mixture then
continue cooking for
another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and
place bread mixture in a
bowl. Add parsley, mint,
lemon juice and olive oil
and toss to combine.
49
Toast the bread in a
toaster or grill until
golden. Brush with
olive oil and rub with
garlic. Spread the toast
with hummus and top
with spinach, tomato,
mint, tuna and capers.
Divide between serving
plates, sprinkle with
salt and pepper and
squeeze lemon juice
over to serve.
dh note: Haloumi is a firm white
Cypriot cheese made from sheep’s Tuna & Hummus Bruschetta
dh note: Store-bought dips
milk. It has a stringy texture and
and salsas can serve as great
holds its shape during grilling and pan-frying so is great to
fillings for sandwiches or rolls as well as instant sauces. Do a
use for kebabs and salads.
bit of your own research and you’re bound to develop a list
of favourites. Mine include hummus, tzatziki and baba
jg note: Haloumi is available at Smith’s Cheese in the
ghanoush.
Covent Garden Market. For an easy variation, try feta with
olives and fresh oregano.
jg note: Tuna quality is essential, though I used less. Don’t
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50
bother measuring out the hummus, just spread it on thick. Try
spraying rye bread lightly with olive oil before toasting, or using
thick sliced deli meats, flash-fried as the base for your own sandwich creations.
Chicken with Sumac &
Almond Couscous
Serves 2
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 x 200 g chicken breast fillets, halved lengthwise
sea salt and sumac, for sprinkling
baby English spinach leaves, to serve
ALMOND COUSCOUS
1 cup (200 g) instant couscous
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
pinch chili flakes
25 g butter
3 green onions (scallions), finely sliced
⁄ cup (45 g) toasted slivered almonds
To make almond couscous, combine couscous and
water in a small heat-proof bowl, cover with plastic
wrap and set aside for 5 minutes. Remove plastic
wrap, fluff couscous with a fork and stir in chili,
butter, onion and almonds. Combine oil and garlic,
brush over chicken and sprinkle with salt and
sumac. Preheat a char-grill pan (broiler) or barbecue to medium-high and cook chicken for 3 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Divide the
couscous between plates, top with chicken and
serve with spinach.
jg note: Sumac tastes a bit like ancho chili powder without the
kick. It can be found in any Middle Eastern store. It’s also excellent
sprinkled over hummus. Leftover couscous can be mixed with chutney and served over salad greens.
Chicken with Sumac & Almond Couscous
Baked Peaches with Rosewater
Yoghurt
Serves 2
Halve 2 peaches and remove the stones.
Place cut side up in a baking dish lined
with non-stick baking paper, and sprinkle cut sides with sugar. Bake in a preheated 355°F oven for 20 minutes until
soft and golden. Combine 1 cup (280 g)
thick vanilla yoghurt with ½ teaspoon (2
ml) rosewater. Place peaches on serving
plates, top with rosewater yoghurt and
chopped unsalted pistachio nuts.
jg note: Freestone peaches are much faster as the
peaches must be baked as halves to keep the juices
inside. Cutting out a clinging pit slows you down. I
Bienvenue!
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51
thickened. Remove from heat and refrigerate until cold. Cut two cheeks from each
mango and sprinkle cut side with sugar.
Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over
high heat, place the cheeks, sugared side
down, in the pan and cook for 30 seconds
or until the sugar is melted. Divide the
coconut rice among serving bowls and
serve with the seared mango cheeks.
jg note: I already had the oven on, so I broiled the
mango cheeks, with a cross-hatch pattern cut into their
flesh (be careful not to pierce the skin) and a squeeze of
lime juice over the sprinkled sugar.
JENNIFER GAGEL can be found at the Crouch Branch
of the London Public Library or cooking in anyone’s
kitchen who will let her. She can be reached at [email protected] .
Baked Peaches with Rosewater Yoghurt
went easy on the rosewater and think this would also
be good with orange blossom water.
Coconut Rice with Seared Mango
Serves 4
2 cups (330 g) cooked rice
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed
⁄ cup (75 g) sugar
½ cup (125 ml) water
2 mangos
caster (superfine) sugar for sprinkling
Combine rice, coconut milk, vanilla seeds,
sugar and water in a medium saucepan
over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the sugar is
dissolved and the rice mixture is slightly
Coconut Rice with Seared Mango
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Monday–Saturday: 11–2 & 5–10; Sunday: 5–10
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519-439-8983
350 Dundas Street, London (at Waterloo)
52
WINE
Summer Wines
By Rick VanSickle
A
hhhh, summertime … and the livin’
is easy. And, for many of us, that
livin’ is mostly done outdoors on
the backyard deck or patio. A final checklist and we’re ready to go for another glorious season.
Deck chairs.
Check.
Hanging flower baskets.
Check.
Propane for the barbecue.
Check.
Citronella candles, torches and DEET in
various cans, bottles and wipes.
Check.
Cooler.
Check.
Solar lights.
Check.
Wine? OMG! (as my twin 12-year-olds
say in their emails) The wine! What about
the wine?
Around our house, wine is the active
ingredient for a successful summer outdoors. Busy lives and a Canadian winter
make every moment on the deck with a
good glass of wine a crucial part of our
existence. And having the right wine for
the right situation outdoors is the key to
happy summer days and evenings.
With that in mind, here’s a case of
wine (six whites and six reds) no
home should be without this summer — it’s specifically designed for
(affordable) outdoor summer living.
The Whites
We’ll split the whites into two categories. First, the crisp, flavourful and
affordable quaffers that can be
uncorked or, even better, unscrewed
all day long under the hot sun and
kept on ice all day just in case unexpected guests turn up. Second will
be the more elegant whites, prima-
rily for after sundown when whites of substance are called for. But we’ll lead off with a
rosé — not exactly white or red, but a must
for summer.
Cono Sur Merlot Rosé 2008 ($10 lcbo)
— Cono Sur is a great Chilean supplier of
good value wines with consistent quality.
This is the first rosé by this producer and
it’s wonderful. Nice red berry aromas
with an appealing savoury note. The red
berries carry to the palate in a crisp,
bright and cheery style.
Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($9
lcbo) — A perfect little wine for the
deck with fresh, crisp lime-citrus
notes followed by tropical fruits. An
all-day sipper.
Deinhard Green Label Riesling
($10 lcbo) — No deck is complete
without some Riesling chilling in
the cooler. This bargain wine from
Germany has it all — intense green
apple and citrus in a completely dry
style. German Rieslings tend to be lower in
alcohol as well, so your guests won’t be
falling in your flower bed.
Louis Latour d’Ardeche
Chardonnay 2006 ($12 lcbo) —
Louis Latour is one of the most
famous value producers from
France and this baby chard
shows a lot of wine for the
price. A floral nose with pear
and spice notes. A wellcrafted wine at this price
with creamy, apple-pear and
vanilla notes.
Oyster Bay Sauvignon
Blanc 2008 ($19 Vintages) —
OK, a tad pricey for an
everyday white, but this is
one fine deck sipper (save
for your best friends).
Assertive lime, kiwi and
herbaceous notes on the nose.
It’s focused on the palate with vivid citruslime and tropical fruits. A beauty.
Cave Spring Estate Chardonnay 2006 ($19
Vintages) — Fabulous Niagara Chardonnay
with apple, butterscotch and creamy aromas
to start. In the mouth, the apple flavours are
bolstered by balancing oak and minerality.
Very nice crisp fruit flavours, yet kissed
lightly with just the right amount of spice.
The Reds
uctive
savoury notes
d svelte tannins.”
We’ll divide this into two categories: the lighter style pinot
noirs and the big, full-throttle
ich, Chief Winemaker
flavour bombs.
Affordable Fine Dining
A relaxing atmosphere overlooking the Thames
River and Golden Plate Award-winning
maitre d’extraordinaire Jack DiCarlo and staff
have made Michael’s on the Thames one of the
finest dining rooms in London. With tableside
cooking, flambéed desserts and coffees, the
restaurant specializes in continental cuisine.
Group-set Menus to Suit Any Budget
Affordable Lunches Monday to Friday
Open for Dinner Every Day
1 York Street
(Just West of Ridout)
26
Years of
EXCELLENT
Service
519-672-0111
www.michaelsonthethames.com
Pianist Tuesday to Sunday Evenings
Plenty of FREE Parking
Welcome to Windermere’s Café,
where our unique character, charm and
distinctive natural setting are sure to
captivate you!
of Oyster Bay is to produce fine, distinctively regional wines that are elegant and
Louis Latour Pinot Noir 2007
($18 LCBO) — Sweet raspmary focus. Each vineyard block is harvested as a separate parcel and treated
berry aromas to go with
ach stage of the winemaking process. This enables us to influence and enhance
traditional winemaking
techniques, adding
subtlety and complexity.and
We use a
touches
of cinnamon
barrel and tank fermentation and mature the wine in a mix of new and older
cloves.
Itelegant
allcool
follows
ter Bay Marlborough
Pinot Noir is
climate pinot to
noir atthe
its best.
nd flavourful with aromas of ripe cherries and sweet fruit tannins that provide
palate. Just a
ngth.
nice, flavourful pinot
that’s silky
smooth
going down
the hatch.
orious fruit flavours. With every vintage we are working with more established
vineyard sites, each chosen for its aspect and uniform soils of moderate fertility,
xtended ripening and enhanced fruit flavour profiles. With pinot noir the fruit
Reservations encouraged...
 Collip Circle
@ The Research Park
The UNIVERSITY of WESTERN ONTARIO
(Windermere at Western Road) • London
54
Oyster Bay Pinot Noir 2007 ($20 Vintages)
— Again, a little overpriced for a deck wine,
but if you like your pinots with personality,
put this on your list. Black cherry, cedar,
plum and mocha all play a role on the nose
of this big pinot. In the mouth look for
vibrant fruits of cherry, wild berry and
spice on a silky smooth frame.
El Burro Kickass Shiraz ($13 lcbo) — This
is the epitome of the deck wine. Jammy
raspberry-blueberry aromas with a nice
“A delightfully charming story for
animal lovers of all ages.”
by Ann & David
mocha kick. Myriad wild fruit flavours on
the palate, highlighted by juicy
fruits and some mint and spice
notes. Great party wine.
Cave Spring Gamay 2007 ($13
lcbo) — Cherry and blackberry
fruit on the nose with earth
and spice notes. The aromas
are echoed on the palate of
this easy-drinking, fruit-forward red from Niagara. Can
serve this slightly chilled.
Yalumba Y Series Shiraz
Viognier 2007 ($16 lcbo) —
Blueberry, wild berry, pepper
and herbs all play a part on
the exciting nose of this
Aussie red. The fruits are pronounced on the palate in a
ripe style that’s bolstered by
savoury-spicy notes.
Creekside Shiraz 2007 ($16, lcbo) — Sensibly packaged with a screwcap, this is a
wonderful shiraz with spicy, smoky fruit
on the nose. On the palate it’s loaded with
wild berries, cherry, plum, roasted coffee
bean, mocha and and savoury spices. A
real treat at a great price. Lindsay
David and Ann Lindsay owned and operated
Ann McColl’s Kitchen Shop with the help of their
animal friends in London
Ontario from  to .
Available at:
The Oxford Book Shop Ltd.
Attic Books
Jill’s Table
RICK VANSICKLE is an avid wine collector. His weekly wine
column appears regularly, in various forms, in the Calgary,
Ottawa and Toronto Suns. He can be reached at
[email protected].
.
Sales benefit The London Humane Society
The Sunnivue Farmstore
Organic Meat and Produce
The
Store Opens
Saturday, June 6
for the season!
Here’s one of the many ways to Sunnivue: Take
Richmond St. to Elginfield and turn left on Route 7.
Continue to Ailsa Craig and turn left in the middle of
TUES
DELIVEDRAY
AVAILAB IES
LE!
Call Da
g ar
for detam
ils
town on Queen (which becomes Petty St.) Turn right
on New Ontario Rd., a short distance outside of
town, and drive about 1 km. to Sunnivue, on the left.
Organic Vegetables
& Herbs
Fresh-Cut &
Dried Flowers
Beef, Veal & Pork
Eggs
Beeswax Candles
Home-Made Bread
&Buns
Maple Syrup
Honey & Jam
All Subject to Seasonal Availability
www.sunnivue-farm.on.ca
519-232-9096
“More than a visit...An Experience!”
“We would like our guests to have a unique dining
experience, like no other in the city, with a focus on
attention to detail from start to finish. My philosophy is
that in order to have great food you must start with a
great product. At Auberge, we strive to be as consistent as
possible and use as many local products as we can. We
prepare our food in-house and everything is made from
scratch. Our dining rooms are comfortable, elegant and
inviting. You will feel like you have stepped out of London
and arrived in France. Bon Appetit!”
Executive Chef/Owner
Nicole Arroyas,
Auberge Experience Cuisine
Open Monday-Saturday
from : am
Located downtown at
- King Street, London
(at Maitland)
Free Parking
 unique private dining rooms
inspired by cities in France to
accommodate - people
 Fireplaces
Enclosed year-round veranda
Outdoor patio
Business meetings: wireless
internet, projector and screen
--
www.aubergerestaurant.ca
Take-out boxed lunches from $
Lunch starting at $
Afternoon Tea
Dinner starting at $
• Affordable Wine List
& Reserve Cellar Wines
• Prix fixe & Tasting Menus
• Vegetarian options
• Diet Requests Accommodated
• Traditional French food
Turn the page for the
Special Insert
TAKE ALONG
EVENT GUIDE
AUGUST 24 TO 30, 2009
Celebrate Huron County’s Harvest: A week-long Festival of Flavours
and Feasts on Ontario’s West Coast. Join renowned and up-and-coming
chefs, award-winning cookbook authors and food writers. Savour the
best of Huron County’s local harvest, hands-on culinary workshops,
special restaurant and gala dining events, farm tours, markets and
more!
Taste of Huron Culinary Festival 2009
www.tasteofhuron.ca
Special Dining Events
Food for Thought Dining Series
Hosted at restaurants all around the County, diners will enjoy presentations and lively
discussions of 100 mile menus, wines and winery development in Huron County, special
ingredients, food choices and just what “certified organic” really means.
Cost: $35.00 (does not include: alcoholic beverages, taxes or service).
Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Details: Please call individual restaurants for reservations
Mon. Aug. 24
100 Mile Diet – Eat
Well Locally –
presented by Kathy
Douglas at:
Benmiller Inn
1-800-265-1711
www.benmiller.on.ca
Tues. Aug. 25
Matches & Marriages
Wines and Menus –
presented by Pelee
Island Wine Master,
Walter Schmoranz at
Hessenland Country
Inn
1-866-543-7736
www.hessenland.com
Wed. Aug. 26
Fat: An Appreciation
of a Misunderstood
Ingredient* - Author
Jennifer McLaglan
2009 James Beard
Cookbook of the Year
at Eddington’s of
Exeter
1-519-235-3030
www.eddingtons.ca
Thurs. Aug. 27
“Certified Organic”
and what that
means, presented
by Canadian Organic
Growers at The Little
Inn of Bayfield
1-800-565-1832
www.littleinn.com
Culinary Workshops
Home chefs and food fans get their hands-on opportunity at local dining spots working
with chefs and food specialists: cupcakes, flavours of the Caribbean, jams and sauces,
getting local, barbeque & craft beers, curries of all kinds, artisan and specialty cheese
tasting and art of the sandwich.
Date: Sat. Aug. 29 & Sun. Aug. 30
Location: Dining establishment kitchens throughout the County
Cost: $20.00 per workshop
Tickets: 1-877-862-5984
Other Highlights
Family Farm Tours - including: Amish, Organic, Traditional & Fruit Orchard.
Taste of Huron Village Market - Marketplace showcasing everything food and drink
including: producers, chefs, dining establishments, community organizations and ethnic
cuisines. Plenty of samples for you to try.
Cultivating New Markets - Information sessions for farmers & producers.
Visit www.tasteofhuron.ca for full details.
www.tasteofhuron.ca
Culinary Experiences
Locavore Brunch
The menu will feature the best of brunch-time favourites in two seatings. Canadian
Living executive food editor Elizabeth Baird will entertain with her refreshing approach
to cooking the foods of Canada in the first seating. Michael Stadtlander will host the
second seating of the Locavore brunch, another not-to-be missed opportunity to meet
one of Canada’s most renowned chefs.
Date: Sun. Aug. 30
Location: Bluewater Shores Resort, 77683 Bluewater Hwy. Bayfield
Cost: $25 per person
Time: First seating -10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Second Seating - 12:00 PM -1:30 PM
Taste of Huron
Tickets: 1-877-862-5984
Ticket Agent
Sponsored by Egg Farmers of Ontario - www.eggs.ca
Blyth Festival
Box Office
Taste of Huron Gala Dinner
This is the must attend event for serious gourmand fans, an elegant five-course dinner
emphasizing the quality and taste of locally produced ingredients prepared by a team of
the best chefs in the County. Each course is paired with different Pelee Island wine.
Date: Sat. Aug. 29
Location: Bluewater Shores Resort, 77683 Bluewater Hwy. Bayfield
Cost: $75 per person (limited seating of 120)
Tickets: 1-877-862-5984
Sponsored by Pelee Island Winery - www.peleeisland.com
Huron County’s Country Corn & Pig Roast
Settle in for a feast of fresh corn and the fixing’s and succulent pork BBQ – simple and
delicious food from just down the road! Kick up your heels with fiddle and square dancing
too. True country food and atmosphere in an authentic barn.
Date: Fri. Aug. 28
Location: Bayley’s Peckerwood Barn, 72924 Airport Line, Hensall, ON N0M 1X0
Cost: $20.00
Tickets: 1-877-862-5984
Sponsored by Steelback - www.steelbackbrewery.com &
Pineridge Barbecue Co. - www.pineridgebbq.com
Buy your ticket - 1-877-862-5984
www.tasteofhuron.ca
Ontario’s West Coast - Huron County
LAKE
HURON
You’ll find Huron County 3 hours west of Toronto and less than
an hour from Stratford and London. This vibrant rural county
is the most agriculturally productive region in Ontario. Huron
County is a leader in agricultural technology and innovation.
Countryside and coastline - Huron County welcomes you to
savour our relaxed and rural setting.
www.huroncounty.ca
Special Guests
Elizabeth Baird
Elizabeth Baird is the executive food editor of Canadian Living Magazine
and was the magazine’s food editor for more than 20 years. She is Canada’s
foremost expert on Canadian cooking and the foods of Canada. She is the
author of several best-selling cookbooks, including The Canadian Living
Complete Cookbook, Canadian Living Make It Tonight and The Complete
Canadian Living Christmas Book. In addition, Elizabeth was one of the hosts of
“Canadian Living Cooks” on Food Network Canada. Presented by The Village
Bookshop.
Jennifer McLaglan, an Australian-born chef and food stylist in Toronto, is
establishing herself as something of a culinary contrarian. We might live in
olive oil-drenched, lite-obsessed times but after writing a book on the virtues
of cooking with bones, she has turned her attention to fat. Fat dips into the
alleged health risks of animal fats and points out that many, such as largely
monounsaturated duck fat, for example, are not as treacherous as their
reputations. Presented by The Huron County Library.
Jennifer McLaglan
Born in Germany, Michael Stadtländer began his professional culinary
training while still a teenager. After immigrating to Canada in 1980, he and
colleague Jamie Kennedy made their mark on the Toronto restaurant scene at
Scaramouche. In 1993, Stadtländer and his family moved to a 100-acre farm
near Collingwood, where they could live on the land. For several nights a week
throughout the year, the Stadtländers welcome guests to their home to enjoy
his food. Eigensinn Farm has become an internationally celebrated destination
Michael Stadtländer for gourmets.
Taste of Huron Sponsors

June 09 Issue final:eatdrink sample text.qxd.qxd

Transcription

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