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RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
FEATURES
Simple Fish & Chips
in Stratford
Rush Creek Wines
near Aylmer
Eddington’s of Exeter
Issue 21 • April/May 2010
THE ONLY
ON KING
London’s “Bad Boy”
Chefs Make Good
A delicious new season springs to life in Stratford!
Celebrate spring in Stratford as the swans parade to the Avon River amid a swirl
of bagpipes. Renew your spirit at concerts and soirées. Enjoy early bird rates on
theatre tickets and seasonal specials at hotels, inns and B&Bs. Savour the flavours
of Perth County produce – heritage meats and cheeses innovatively prepared by our
renowned chefs in special seasonal menus that we like to call Stratford Delicious.
APRIL
4
9
10
15
24
25
30 - May 2
30 - May 2
Annual Swan Parade
Wine Tasting Sommelier Peter Lavoie, The Old Prune
Louise Pitre with Stratford Symphony Orchestra
Rob Szabo & Matthew DeZoete Dinner & Concert, Foster's Inn
The Marigolds Live at City Hall Concert Series
Songs of the Earth Ali Matthews & Stratford Concert Band
Cooking Weekend Chef Neil Baxter, Rundles
Ontario Welsh Festival
MAY
1
1
2
7-9
14
15
16
20
A Taste of Spring Cooking with Chef Bryan Steele, The Old Prune
Innkeepers’ Dinner Knox Presbyterian Church
Delicious Stratford Participating restaurants (through to June)
Cooking Weekend Chef Neil Baxter, Rundles
Wine Tasting Sommelier Peter Lavoie, The Old Prune
Watermusic by the Avon Stratford Symphony Orchestra
Tribute to Canada Stratford Concert Choir
Royal Wood Dinner & Concert, Foster's Inn
www.welcometostratford.com/eatdrink
CONTENTS
9
APRIL/MAY 2010
6
ISSUE 22
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
Terroir: A Taste of Place?
By BRYAN LAVERY
9
RESTAURANTS
Only the Best at The Only on King, in London
By BRYAN LAVERY
18
18
Huron County Cuisine: Eddington’s of Exeter
By JANE ANTONIAK
21
Simple Fish and Chips, in Stratford
By DAVID HICKS
SPOTLIGHT
26 From Niche to Mainstream,
The Gentle Rain, in Stratford
By JANE ANTONIAK
SPOTLIGHT
21
28 A Flavour Rush at Rush Creek Wines, near Aylmer
By JANE ANTONIAK
SPOTLIGHT
30 It’s Business as Usual, at The Tasting Room
By HEATHER NESBITT
BOOKS
32 Eating: A Memior
28
34
Eating and cooking as storytelling
By DARIN COOK
COOKBOOKS
34 Sustainable C Food
By JENNIFER GAGEL
38 A Mouth-watering Manifesto: Good Food for All
By JENNIFER GAGEL
NEW & NOTABLE
39 The BUZZ
TRAVEL
50 A Cuban Odyssey: Casas and Cultura
By SUSAN LANEVILLE
54
54 Coffee, Guns and Social Justice
By DAVE COOK
WINE
57 A Perfect Pairing for Spring:
Reisling and Glorious Asparagus!
By RICK VanSICKLE
57
BEER
60 Warm Patios and Cold Kölsch
By THE MALK MONK
THE LIGHTER SIDE
62 New and Improved? The Contemporary Picky Eater
By SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD
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 an Interactive Magazine Online, Find Restaurants, Read Reviews and More!
Publisher
Chris McDonell — [email protected]
Managing Editor
Cecilia Buy — [email protected]
Contributing Editor
Bryan Lavery
Finances
Sande Marcus — [email protected]
Advertising Sales Director
Chris McDonell — [email protected]
Advertising Sales Representatives
Jane Antoniak — [email protected]
Diane Diachina — [email protected]
Mary Pat Pegg — [email protected]
Contributors
Bryan Lavery
Jennifer Gagel
Debra Bagshaw
Heather Nesbitt
Susan Laneville
Cecilia Buy
Jane Antoniak
Darin Cook
Rick VanSickle
D.R. Hammond
Chris McDonell
Sue Sutherland-Wood
Editorial Advisory Board
Bryan Lavery
Chris McDonald
Cathy Rehberg
Copy Editor
Jodie Renner — www.PolishedProofreading.com
Graphic Design & Layout
Joanne Grogan
Chris McDonell
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Copyright © 2010 eatdrink™, London Magazine Group and the writers. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or duplication of any material published in
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APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
www.eatdrink.ca 5
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Spring Forward
By Chris McDonell
W
e have a particularly strong
issue to present to you, and I
hope you’ll enjoy every page.
From Bryan Lavery’s serious
look at “terroir” — part of his ongoing promotion of our local culinary heritage — to
Sue Sutherland-Wood’s comical back-page
discussion of the contemporary “picky
eater,” we have a wide range of insights into
our burgeoning food culture.
Local asparagus will soon be thrusting its
way out of the earth and into our farmers’
markets and onto our dinner plates. Wine
writer Rick VanSickle offers an interesting
idea: pairing these deliciously crispy spears
with a good riesling, and I am looking forward to that. Our resident “Malt Monk” also
has me anticipating another rite of spring.
Patio season will soon be upon us, and as I
watch our restaurateurs sweeping away the
winter grit, I’m saying a little prayer that last
year’s “summer that never was” proves to be
an anomaly and fades to a distant memory.
The local restaurant scene is of primary
importance to us here at eatdrink, and it’s
hard not to see some particularly positive
trends. From our in-depth look at The Only
on King, our “cover boys” and important
players in London, to Stratford’s unassuming but progressive Simple Fish & Chips, to
the delightful Eddington’s of Exeter, we’re
profiling young chefs who combine creative
talent with a commitment to sustainable
agriculture and the health of both their diners and our environment. Of course, many of
our veteran talents have been ahead of the
curve here for years, and businesses such as
Stratford’s A Gentle Rain cut their teeth in
this realm decades ago. Connecting to the
land through local produce, such as Kim
and Wendy Flintoft of Rush Creek Wines
do, makes sense for so many reasons. But as
much as everyone wants to do what’s right,
nothing is more compelling than great flavour to help the consumer make a decision.
We look forward to delivering a new culinary guide with the next issue of eatdrink.
Taste London, a project we’ve undertaken
for Tourism London, will celebrate and
promote The Forest City’s bountiful culinary
resources, from our outstanding restaurants
to specialty shops, farmers’ markets and
food festivals. Stratford businesses have
recognized the culinary tourist for some
time now, to their credit, and initiatives to
promote our unique culinary identities are
springing up throughout our region. We do
our utmost to support all of these as much
as possible, and strive to spread the word.
There is so much to talk about!
Recommended in Where to Eat
in Canada ����–����
Featuring the
Finest Local
Ingredients
BED, BREAKFAST & BISTRO
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324 Smith St., Port Stanley
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OVER THE BRIDGE, BEFORE THE BEACH
www.eatdrink.ca
6
issue no. 22
APRIL/maY 2010
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
Terroir: A Taste of Place?
By Bryan Lavery
I
t is almost impossible to translate the
term terroir from the French in a way
that encapsulates all its subtle shades of
meaning. The French concept of terroir
was initially established over a century ago,
as a means of protecting, preserving and
advancing agricultural and artisanal practices and regional identities.
Many of us understand that the general
idea of terroir is at the root of the French
wine Appellation d’origine controlée (AOC)
system, which has been the model for appellation and wine legislation around the world.
At its core, terroir is the assumption that the
soil from which the grapes are grown imparts
unique characteristics, or rather a “taste of
place” or origin. The term terroir has more
recently become part of the wider culinary
lexicon to describe the vital connection
between a given locality and the food grown,
raised, made and cooked there. Terroir as a
concept allows us to examine “the taste of
origin” as a set of cultural values about place,
community, and agricultural practices.
Terroir IV
More than 300 hospitality industry
professionals gathered at the University of
Toronto’s Hart House for the fourth annual
“Terroir” symposium in early March. This is
a non-profit educational event designed to
celebrate the diverse culture of professionals
in Ontario’s hospitality industry. This year’s
theme was aptly titled Inspiration and
Innovation. It was an opportunity to meet
and network with peers and colleagues,
and was also an occasion to champion
the connection between “taste and place”
and experience some of the finest culinary
offerings and talent in Ontario.
Arlene Stein, Director of Events & Catering at Hart House, is dedicated to working
with growers and producers, chefs and restaurateurs to promote culinary experiences.
Stein is founder and chair of Terroir.. She
is a driving force in issues of food security
and sustainability and works actively with
many community organizations, as well as
being co-chair of Slow Food Toronto and
an active proponent of culinary tourism.
As chair of the Terroir Steering Committee,
Stein led a team that assembled some of
Ontario’s most gifted culinary professionals,
who interacted and shared their knowledge
and experience with their industry colleagues at Hart House. The purpose of the
event was also to showcase our regional food
products and wine and to interact with participants of the symposium with educational
panels and tastings.
Terroir IV kicked off with a sumptuous
breakfast. The symposium began with chair
Donna Dooher (Mildred’s Temple Kitchen)
welcoming the attendees. “The hospitality
industry shouldn’t take a backseat to the economy. We’re the gatekeepers of the nation, and
we must embrace that role,” she declared.
Dooher was followed by a lively in-depth
www.eatdrink.ca 7
APRIL/maY 2010
discussion featuring award-winning food
journalists from across North America.
Focusing on the role of press (both print and
online), the panel offered expertise on how
chefs and restaurateurs should engage the
media, as well as insight into how Ontario can
increase its exposure on the world’s culinary
stage, and observations on what makes a city
or region a great culinary tourist destination.
The panel challenged restaurateurs to
be positive and find “exciting narratives”
to showcase their businesses. They also
reminded the audience that editors and food
journalists are always looking for interesting
hooks for food articles.
Alan Richman, a food writer for GQ magazine, declared, “Paris is dead,” stating that he
prefers the intimacy and simplicity of dining in
villages, rather than large metropolises. Nevertheless, New York, Tokyo, Barcelona, Vancouver and Toronto were praised by the panel
for their dynamic culinary cultures. Mitchell
Davis, vice-president of the James Beard Foundation in New York, said it best when he told
the audience, “Any place can be a great food
city.” Giving unexpected acknowledgment
to the vibrant culinary scene in Milwaukee,
he added, “All it takes for a city to become a
sought-out dining destination is a passionate
citizenry that cares about food.”
The event featured interactive discussions
such as Creating Your Local Menu and how
to bring more “terroir” into your kitchen; To
Oak Or Not To Oak? on the impact oak barrels
have on wine production; Restaurant Review,
a discussion about the key ingredients for
establishing successful restaurants; the
power of mentorship; and a spirited debate
about whether tipping is an outmoded
practice. Preceding the debate on gratuities,
58 of attendees did not want to change the
established system on tipping, while some
40 were interested in experimenting with
a new model. At the end of the debate, the
number change was insignificant.
Later in the day, the keynote address by
David Kinch, chef/proprietor of Manresa,
a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Los
Gatos, California, was one of the inspirational highlights of the event. To build terroir
into a restaurant, Kinch states chefs must
use quality products that are representative
of the region. “You must show respect for
those ingredients,” he enthused. “You must
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8
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
also learn about and pay heed to culinary
tradition. Most importantly, you must have
clientele in the region who are willing and
able to support your restaurant, and you
must exhibit maturity in everything you do.
Ingredients are important, but it’s not just
about products.” True inspiration also leads
to innovation. “Imitate, assimilate, and then
innovate,” he advised, noting the importance
for chefs to remember the client. “Don’t
cook for yourself or other chefs. Keeping
your customers happy is the key.”
Chef Jonathan Gushue of Langdon Hall
assembled an exciting, diverse lineup of
Savour Ontario Dining Chefs to prepare
the day’s offerings. Featuring top-quality
Ontario-sourced ingredients, Gushue’s
roster included top Toronto chefs, but the
out-of-town contingent was also among the
province’s best. The breakfast contingent
included Jason Schubert and Paul Harding of London’s The Only on King (see this
month’s cover story). The morning seminars
were followed by a relaxed multi-course
culinary extravaganza for 300.
“Terroir is the leading hospitality event in
Ontario, and Savour Stratford Perth County
is pleased to host the networking reception this year. It is a great opportunity for
Stratford chefs to showcase the best of Perth
County products on an international stage,”
enthused Danielle Brodhagen, Programme
Development at Stratford Tourism Alliance,
who organized the Terroir reception with a
veritable who’s who of Stratford chefs and
graduates of the Stratford Chefs School.
Showcasing products from Perth County
farmers and artisan food producers, Stratford
has successfully linked food to place with its
emerging, modern cuisine du terroir with
a fidelity to origin and season. Stratford’s
APRIL/maY 2010
culinary talent included: Chef Lee Avigdor,
Down the Street Bar and Restaurant, serving Berkshire Pork Rillette on Red Fife Spring
Wheat Croutons, and Pickled “Soiled Reputation” Vegetables along with Marinated Weth
Mushrooms and C’est Bon Goat Cheese with
Arugula Croutons; Chef Sheldon Russell from
Keystone Alley Café, who collaborated with
Renecker’s Palace Hillside Elk Farm; Chef
Sean Collins and Chef Yva Santini of Pazzo
Ristorante, who prepared Red Fife Cavatelli
with Megen’s Family Farm Lamb Ragu; Chef
Marc Chartrand and Chef Hannah Campbell
from The Old Prune, featuring C’est Bon Goat
Cheese; Chef Paul Finkelstein and students
from The Screaming Avocado Cafe, showcasing Tanjo Family Farm’s Partridge with Red
Fife wheat and produce from their garden.
Chef Matt Duffy from Langdon Hall baked a
selection of artisanal breads that were paired
with Chef Ruth Klahsen’s Monforte Dairy
cheeses and accompanied with preserves
from McCully’s Hill Farm and August’s Harvest. Chef Shawn Hartwell of Simple Fish and
Chips (see this month’s spotlight) prepared
Perth County Root Vegetable Salad of Purple
Viking and Fingerling Potatoes, Jerusalem
Artichokes, Celeriac Root and Sweet Parsnips
in a Buttermilk Dressing with Lyndon Farms’
Smoked Rainbow Trout.
Events like Terroir reflect Ontario’s collective
culinary sensibility by marshalling our unique
resources to build a sustainable network of
culinary patriots, including farmers, chefs,
bakers, cheesemakers, food artisans, and
restaurateurs as well as tourism officials and
consumers.
BRYAN LAVERY is a well-known local chef, former
restaurateur, culinary instructor, and an avid proponent of the
regional culinary scene.
APRIL/maY 2010
www.eatdrink.ca 9
RESTAURANTS
Only the Best
at London’s
The Only on King
By Bryan Lavery
T
he Only on King strikes a fine balance. With its farm-to-table philosophy and a cooking repertoire
that is classic, clean, and both rural
and modern, The Only continues to evolve
in its third year while attracting savvy diners,
locavores and food purists to their intimate
40-seat dining room. But that should not
deter adventurists looking for their inner gastronome or for something a bit more upscale
— Foie Gras Parfait with Toasted Brioche,
Truffle Butter and Prune and Armagnac
Puree, perhaps — but first throw your preconceived ideas about dining out the window
and make a reservation for dinner. (The Only
on King does not serve lunch.)
Located in a historic building and former
dairy on King Street in the London downtown dining district, The Only on King has
a warm and welcoming ambiance. “Our
service is casual but professional,” offers
restaurant manager Scott Sloan, “which
The Only on King’s -seat dining room is clean and
classic, contemporary but with an homage to the past
with vintage black-and-white photographs on the walls.
The Only on King crew:
(from front to back) Jason Schubert,
Paul Harding, Scott Sloan, Geoff Spencer,
Aaron “A” Cowell, Aaron “A” Peyton, Dave Ripley.
Photo by Dave Schubert (www.colourbyschubert.com)
encourages a certain camaraderie between
our guests and the staff.” The Only on King
does not do perfunctory.
Chef/owners Paul Harding and Jason
Schubert share a mutual support that is creative in nature, working long hours, sharing
knowledge, and studying gastronomy (note
the shelves of cookbooks by the entrance to
the kitchen). I have had the great pleasure to
eat at this establishment on numerous occa-
10
www.eatdrink.ca
sions and have been a proponent of their
cooking since day one.
Schubert exudes enthusiasm, confidence,
and his trademark combative bravado
when he explains, “Sometimes when dealing with customers it can feel like we are
breaking horses.” He’s referring to the
intractable old-school type of diner who is
reluctant to embrace change or new concepts in modern dining, and how he and
Harding challenge old-fashioned perceptions about dining, which most often culminates in gaining the client’s trust. Yes, these
are London’s tongue-in-cheek “bad boy
chefs,” who are determined to keep their
clients informed, entertained and well-fed.
In fact, The Only on King was voted number 6 of “Canada’s Best New Restaurants
in 2008” by enRoute magazine. “You may
be surprised to know that the single best
dish of the year may well be the simple vegetable salad at this former dairy in London,
Ontario. If the kitchen can do this much
with a salad, imagine what it can do with
vitello tonnato (the classic Italian preparation of braised veal in a tuna sauce) or
braised beef cheek (which shows up alongside fingerling potatoes and Cheshire blue
cheese in its superb rendition of poutine),”
enthused enRoute. Last year the inconsistent guide Where to Eat in Canada lauded
the restaurant but not without first taking a
few swipes at the decor.
Harding began preparing family meals
in his youth and developed a passionate enthusiasm for cooking. Harding was
inspired by James Barber, the cookbook
author and television chef, who appeared
on CBC-TV for 10 years as The Urban Peasant. (Barber was an effusive cook who
rejected the snobbery and gourmet banali-
APRIL/MaY 2010
Chef Paul Harding, busy in the kitchen during a special
Norman Hardie Wine Dinner.
ties of the culinary world and endeavored
to make cooking straightforward and accessible.) After high school, Harding moved to
Toronto to attend George Brown College.
Paul worked in Toronto at Cafe Societa and
Michelle’s Brasserie, honing his skills, and
was later employed as the Chef de Partie at
Auberge du Pommier (Oliver and Bonacini’s
upscale tribute to modern French dining)
APRIL/maY 2010
and the much heralded JOV Bistro, an internationally acclaimed neighbourhood finedining bistro in its heyday.
Schubert started cooking at age fifteen at
the YMCA Camp, Queen Elizabeth, on the
rocky shores of Beausoleil Island in Georgian Bay Islands National Park. After high
school, he moved to Vancouver B.C., were
he trained under Andrey Durbach. Durbach
is the executive chef and former owner of
Etoile and co-owner of Parkside, La Buca,
and Pied-a-Terre restaurants, and the author
of the children’s book Delicious Chicken
Soup. Jason also spent time in Montreal
doing stages (a stage is when a cook or chef
works briefly in another chefís kitchen to
learn and be exposed to new techniques
and cuisines) in Guernsey and at Marco
Pierre White’s flagship restaurant Mirabelle,
that semi-legendary restaurant in Curzon
Street, Mayfair, which has been serving
extremely high-quality classic French cuisine for several decades.
The demands and disciplines of sourcing
and cooking an ever-changing daily menu
with a deep appreciation for the providential
bounty of Ontario is a testament to both
Harding’s and Schubert’s creativity and
unique perspective. This type of menu is forward-thinking by traditional standards, and
something that very few chefs/restaurateurs
would be in a position to execute with the
kind of success and commitment that the
kitchen at The Only on King has achieved.
The daily menus are consistent and accessible, and highlight the best in seasonal and
local food procurement. This type of cooking
can be very labour-intensive, and given the
traditionally slim profit margins in this type
of restaurant, the rewards are not necessarily
monetary. Harding and Schubert are among
the new wave of collaborative chefs who
embrace the tenets of terroir, sustainability,
seasonality and accountability.
A recent collaboration with Tawse Winery
and Chef/Co-owner Victor Barry of Splendido
restaurant in Toronto was a sold-out success
at the Only on King. Joanne Kates wrote in the
Globe and Mail of Chef Barry’s kitchen, “This
is food as design statement, and also a visual
enunciation of Splendido’s mission: to showcase and celebrate the local and seasonal.”
These types of collaborations reflect The Only’s
innovative, open-minded approach.
The Chefs possess a superior grasp of traditional French and Italian classics, as well
12
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
of their close friends, Mike Mathews, who
as an anthology of their homegrown southowns the historic Arva Flour Mills. The Arva
western Ontario cuisine that they express
Flour Mill has been operating
with creativity. Both Hardlocally since 1819 using still
ing and Schubert deliver
water power from Medway
food to the diners and are
Creek. The list of local prowell-informed and formiducers that The Only on King
dable culinary raconteurs
supports is a long one. Farben
who understand that great
Farms is the local source for
food and technically prorecent dishes featuring Berkficient cooking should be
shire Pork raised in a natural
accompanied by genuine
environment with no addihospitality and the ability
tives, hormones or drugs.
to provide intelligent comBoth Schubert and Hardmentary, not only on their
ing are becoming proficient
cuisine but on the wine.
at butchering and preparing
Dinner at The Only
many of their own houseon King begins with the
made specialties classed as
breaking of bread. A basket
Chef Jason Schubert
charcuterie. They are curing
of warm, white-linentheir own prosciutto. Butchery
wrapped house-made
of course is traditional and noble work, and it
bread, which is both rustic and delicious, is
is having a renaissance in ambitious restauaccompanied by long, crisp, melt-in-yourrant kitchens. Primary butchery consists of
mouth breadsticks and a generous pot of
selecting carcasses, sides, or quarters, from
good, creamy butter. In keeping with their
philosophy of local food procurement, flour, which primal cuts can be obtained with a
grains and legumes are purchased from one minimum of waste. Charcuterie, considered
How can you help? Dine out and have some fun!
presents
∙ Book a table for April 28 at one of the 35
locally owned participating restaurants.
∙ Go out for dinner with your friends, family
or colleagues and have a great evening!
∙ The restaurant will donate 25% of the cost
of your meal to the AIDS Committee of
London.
Make your reservation early to avoid missing
out! Plus, everyone who dines out at “Taste” will
get a chance to win some great prizes.
In its first six years, London has raised over $306,000 to
support people living with HIV and provide education and
outreach in our community to prevent new infections and
help people live healthier lives.
April 28,
2010
www.atasteforlife.org
519-434-1601
www.aidslondon.com
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
www.eatdrink.ca 13
With a dedication to using the entire animal, Chef Schubert sizes up a Berkshire pig from Farben Farms.
the dominion of bourgeois cooking, was
also until recently considered a lost art in
restaurants. Charcuterie is the category of
cooking devoted to the prepared meat prod-
ucts: bacon, sausage, ham, terrines, galantines,
pates and confit, primarily from pork. Harding and Schubert have perfected the necessary cooking fundamentals and techniques
Discover Downtown London
For more information contact:
phone: 519.663.2002
email: [email protected]
www.downtownlondon.ca
14
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
and the flesh is moist with juices that run
to achieve a repertoire of classic charcuterie
dishes. Pork rillettes are a noble item of French clear yellow. A classic Boudin (white sausage) of chicken has become
charcuterie, and at The Only
a delicious signature dish.
on King, they are rich and
Veal Chop can be found on
moist with aromatic flavours
the menu, but this chef duo
and a spreadable texture.
has a talent for cooking lesserHarding and Schubert
known cuts of meat to great
clearly think about the
effect. These cuts are often
visual and technical cominexpensive and versatile,
position of each dish they
with a depth of flavour when
prepare. Poaching, braising,
prepared using the right techsteaming, sautéing, seasonniques. Organic flat-iron steak
ing and sauce-making are
and grilled organic beef heart
the fundamental skills this
are cooked to perfection and
kitchen employs to attain
receive skilled treatment. The
their objectives. Muscovy
sauces at this restaurant often
Duck or de-boned and
elevate a good piece of meat
flattened Cornish game
to a superior one. Tender
hens and other domestic
beef cheeks from Fieldgate
fowl receive a deftness of
Organic Farms are remarkable
touch and are delectable
Antony John’s fresh Mesclun Salad
for their taste and texture.
and crispy skinned. In the
with pickled radish and heirloom
Properly cooked risotto
case of chicken, whether it
beet vinaigrette
is rich and creamy but still
is a leg or a breast, this bird
is always cooked by this kitchen with unpar- with some resistance or bite: al dente, and
comprised of individual grains. The risotti
alleled finesse. The skin is flawlessly seared,
repertoire, which is rarely properly executed
in local restaurants, is commendable in their
hands. I still remember a dish of house-made
pasta ribbons with a medley of delicious
barely-cooked wild mushrooms at the peak of
their flavour and combined with cured salted
pork belly. It was truly an unforgettable amalgam of perfectly synchronized flavours, even
before the addition of good-quality olive oil.
This restaurant also prepares delectable
desserts, mostly in the comfort-food realm,
but also the classics like silky crème brûlées.
A deep flavoured Chocolate Nemesis,
Chocolate Mousse and Walnut Torte have
all been memorable. I have brayed repeatWe service all major
edly that the kitchen knows how to make a
household appliances.
great bread pudding and turn the apple into
something truly elegant and consoling.
There is also has an excellent selection of
first-rate after-dinner cheeses on offer. The
revival of the cheese course is a strong culinary trend that includes a growing appreciation for Ontario and Quebec cheeses of
every flavour, texture and shape. One of my
mrappliance.com/london
favourites, and one that The Only on King
Locally owned and operated franchise.
introduced me to is a washed-rind cheese
from La Fromagerie Alexis de Portneuf in
Saint-Raymond de Portneuf, Quebec, known
as La Sauvagine. This melt-in-your-mouth
cheese with a creamy pale interior looks
519-601-1050
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
kind of like brie, but is softer. The rind is soft
and edible with a yellow or orange tint. This
cheese is so good that it was awarded the 5th
Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. The cheese
course is never an afterthought. The perfect
accompaniment after dinner is their impeccably full-flavoured espresso.
When I went to speak with the two chefs
about this article, they were waiting for a
delivery of Molise black truffles to shave
on the evening’s offering of house-made
gnocchi. In the meantime, I pressed them
to tell me what that their favourite local restaurant is. The answer was Shiki Japanese
Restaurant on Wellington Street. Shiki is
well-known by industry insiders for its sushi;
but being an ethical seafood eater, I press
for another choice. The chefs recommend a
late-night burger at Braise.
The food at The Only on King is interesting,
never boring or predictable, and the menus
are always evolving to scrupulously highlight
the best ingredients available. Over time, there
has been a progressive lightening of tone in
the restaurant, though not a relaxing of commitment or technique. The menu is designed
www.eatdrink.ca 15
to allow plenty of choice, prices are not over
the top for the quality, and good value is to be
had. At peak times, service can feel the pressure, but staff members are smart, helpful,
intelligent, and well-versed in the comedy of
manners. You can tell that the kitchen runs
the show. The Only on King is the gold standard for delicious, inspired cuisine in London. Harding and Schubert, with their patriotic acknowledgement of the local terroir and
support of local farmers and producers, are
the embodiment and archetype for culinary
tourism in our neck of the woods.
The Only on King
 King Street, London
519-936-2064
www.theonlyonking.ca
BRYAN LAVERY is a well-known local chef, former
restaurateur, culinary instructor, and an avid proponent of the
regional culinary scene. He is both Contributing Editor and
“Food Writer at Large” for eatdrink, and he shares his thoughts
and opinions on a wide spectrum of the culinary beat.
16
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
• Shop • Stay • Play
e
n
i
D
Enjoy Ontario’s West Coast
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
www.eatdrink.ca 17
www.eatdrink.ca
18
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
RESTAURANTS
Huron County Cuisine in a Historic Setting
Eddington’s of Exeter
By Jane Antoniak
J
ames Eddington has accomplished while
still in his early 30s what many other
chef/owners achieve in midlife or later:
owning and operating his own successful
restaurant, in a single location, for the past 13
years. When you do the math, you realize that
James started the restaurant in Exeter that
bears his name when he was barely 20.
Fresh out of Fanshawe College’s Hotel Restaurant Management course (which included
chef training at that time), he bought an 1870s
historic house (the original home of the Carling beer family) on Highway 4, about 40 minutes north of London, and rejuvenated the dining scene in southern Huron County. Likely, it
was the brashness of youth and his boundless
energy that pulled him through the experience
of restoring the former Robindale’s Restaurant
(which had been closed, leaving the building
unoccupied for nearly two years) into the first
version of Eddington’s. He has since renovated
and upgraded the establishment three times,
with more plans in the works this spring for
the gardens and patio. And he’s been able to
expand his
culinary skills
by travelling
to Australia
and Europe,
each time
broadening
his impressive
wine and food
knowledge.
A whirling
dervish who
Chef James Eddington:
does everythe finishing touch
thing from the
cooking, to
cleaning the
linen, James
has no regrets
about how
he spent his
hard-working
youth.
“This is
what I’ve
always
wanted to
Local bounty in a
do. I did
seasonal salad at Eddington’s
my own
co-op
placement, with myself,” he says, laughing.
“I didn’t have the money to get started, but
the previous owners agreed to lease me the
place for a year, and that was the only way,
as no bank would give me a loan. After a year
was up, I realized that I could own this place.
It really was a one-man place then. I had one
or two servers, often my friends from college, and that was it. My parents helped a bit,
especially my mom, who would come in and
teach me how to do things like wash and iron
my own linens!”
Eddington’s has since expanded to a
staff of eight, with seating for 70 inside and
another 50 outside on his comfortable patio.
Popular with the pre- and post-Huron Country Playhouse Theatre crowd (20 minutes
away) and with locals, Eddington’s also draws
from London, Kitchener and Goderich. James
has added a wine-tasting room upstairs and
accommodates larger outdoor parties, for
graduations, weddings, and other receptions.
James mans the kitchen himself with the
help of Tracey McKnight. He’s well known for
his love of Huron County produce, which is
readily available to him. “My favourite part
of food is using what’s in season and going
to the farms and roadside stands, picking
up products on my way into the restaurant.
There’s nothing better than knowing that
what you are putting on the plate was picked
just that morning. I can even walk to the
Exeter Farmers Market on the weekends from
the restaurant and grab what I need.”
James is a fan of Slegers fresh greens and
herbs from Strathroy, in nearby Middlesex
County, and he sources local beef, pork, poultry from the area, and fish from Lake Erie. He
is also known for serving Lake Huron white-
APRIL/maY 2010
fish, which offers a bit of a change from the
popular pickerel.
His menu strays from traditional and
local with such dishes as Shanghai Noodle
Stir Fry, Spinach Salad with mandarin
oranges, nuts, raisins, sprouts, eggs and
mushrooms, and Brushetta Naan bread
— all showing his love of international
travel. His most popular dishes are Seafood
Crepes, which are light and crispy on the
edges and stuffed with crab, shrimp and
sea scallops in a white cream sauce; and
Appleby Chicken, which is a seasoned and
breaded crispy breast topped with caramelized apple reduction and brie cheese — a
tremendous flavour. James is also known
for his special nights, such as Thursday
Pizza Nights, when he serves three types
of individual gourmet pizzas with toppings that include baked potato and bacon;
pancetta and herbs with balsamic reduction; and curry chicken with peppers and
onions. “It’s just a fun night and we always
have a good crowd. People get an appetizer
to share, some pizza and a bottle of wine - it
really sums up my version of a good night.”
Wine lovers would be well-advised to
order a premium bottle at Eddington’s, as the
mark-up on these is considerably lower than
in many establishments. Due to his personal
interest in wine, James now has a list of 45
bottles. He helped harvest and study at Yarraman Estates in Australia a few years ago, and
he loves to share his passion for pairing good
wines with delicious food at a reasonable
cost. He also has a license that allows guests
20
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
to recork and take home partial bottles.
When not working at Eddington’s (which
is rare), James writes a food column for the
Grand Bend Strip newspaper. And, this spring,
with Hayter’s Farms, he is launching Chef
Eddington’s, a line of premium turkey products including tenderloins, to be sold to restaurants and stores.
Despite all his hard work, James brings
a light-hearted approach and a youthful
zest to his classic setting at Eddington’s. His
passion for the industry and his forward
thinking are an interesting contrast to the
historic home he has carved out for himself.
Eddington’s of Exeter
 Main Street South, Exeter
519-235-3030
www.eddingtons.ca
HOURS OF OPERATION
tuesday–friday:
11 am–2 pm and 4:30 pm–9 pm
saturday & sunday:
evenings only
JANE ANTONIAK is a writer, and owner of Antoniak
Communications in London.
Recipe courtesy of Chef James Eddington
Contemporary Italian Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins
Serves 4
2 turkey tenderloins
2 slices of pancetta
1 chorizo sausage
3 ounces of feta cheese
Spinach
½ cup diced tomatoes
¼ red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 sprigs of fresh basil
2 tbsp of tomato paste
Olive oil
8 cranks of cracked pepper
Dash of sea salt
(Great alternative is a small splash of anchovy paste)
MARINADE
1 orange
½ tbsp of dried chili flakes
Olive oil
Diced fresh basil, oregano and thyme
(2 sprigs of each)
1 clove of garlic, diced
1. Marinate turkey overnight in marinade: Dice
orange with peel on, mix with diced herbs,
garlic, chilies and olive oil. Mix well, pour over
turkey, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Stuff turkey tenderloins with pancetta, chorizo
sausage, feta cheese, fresh basil and spinach.
3. Roast turkey in 400° F oven for 25 minutes. While
turkey is cooking, quickly sauté onions and
tomatoes with olive oil, minced garlic, tomato
paste, cracked pepper and sea salt together in
small mixing bowl.
4. Once cooked, cut each stuffed turkey tenderloin
in half and plate with polenta, risotto or starch of
choice. Drizzle tomato mixture over turkey and
serve. Enjoy.
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
www.eatdrink.ca 21
RESTAURANTS
Keeping It Simple in Stratford
At Simple Fish and Chips, sustainability is no flash in the pan
By David Hicks
O
ne of the trendier business notions
in circulation is Blue Ocean Strategy: using originality to open a
new, unforeseen market that a
business can own by being the first in and
keeping their ideas fresh. Instead of a bloody
feeding frenzy, it’s a big, blue ocean of innovation and opportunity.
If you want to see that marine imagery in
action and enjoy fresh seafood with a conservationist twist, visit Simple Fish and Chips in
downtown Stratford. Shawn Hartwell is Simple’s independent-minded chef and owner,
who has taken a culinary staple mired in
tradition and hauled it into an era of creativity
and sustainability.
“Stratford is loaded with restaurants, so the
last thing I wanted to do was go into direct
competition,” says Shawn. “I wanted to create
a different space in the city — take something
very traditional and change it up. Keep it
simple and take it in a different direction
No buoys allowed – Shawn and Candice
Hartwell avoided tradition and clichés when
they opened Simple Fish and Chips this winter.
that’s interesting, healthy for people, and
healthy for the environment.”
So instead of the usual overfished cod in
stodgy batter with prefab chips, Simple’s
menu offers five kinds of fish (four designated
Ocean Wise™ for conservation), with your
choice of five coatings: lemon pepper, lime
chili, Cajun, whole wheat, and gluten-free.
Personally, Shawn favours the halibut. “It’s
my favourite meat of all — and it’s ideal for
people who don’t like fish, because it doesn’t
taste fishy.”
Wading deeper into the menu, how about
jerked halibut with sweet potato fries, fennel
slaw and plantain chips? Or maybe Parmesan-crusted tilapia. Or wild salmon glazed
with lime, honey and balsamic vinegar. This is
not your typical colon-clogging “chippy.”
One of the daily specials might be Shawn’s
Baja Fish Tacos: soft tortillas, tilapia, guacamole, jerk-seasoned crema, Asian pear salsa,
and a southwest slaw made with avocado
oil and hint of chipotle. Or take the
cliché lobster roll on a hotdog bun:
Shawn’s Lobster Sliders are fresh
lobster salad with wasabi mayo and
butter lettuce in three miniature
brioches. “It’s just the kind of thing I
like to turn around and make it into
something interesting,” he says with
a shrug. (He also admits to using
roasted garlic at every opportunity.)
Shawn started asserting his culinary individuality early. He was
baking professionally in high school,
with a particular flair for cake decorating. As a young man, he worked
with London chefs Dani Gruden,
Bryan Lavery and Felipe Gomes
in kitchens, catered events, public
demonstrations and corporate teambuilding sessions. “But I’m kind of
a stubborn chef,” he admits. “I can
do anything you want, but I’ll do it
my way. I was always pushing these
quirky ideas, like sweet potato gnocchi and sweet potato cheesecake. You
22
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
Whole wheat (and even gluten-free) batters make
fish and chips a healthier option.
Candice took the plunge and kept up the
creative edge with a four-week “Fishland”
series of UK-themed specials: English (ale
batter, but the mushy peas were made
with the sweet summer variety), Irish
(Guinness batter, of course), Scottish
(with McEwan’s in the batter and a hootworthy Cullen Skink on the side), and a
“Brit” halibut in tikka masala (reflecting
curry’s overtake of fish and chips as the
Motherland’s favourite takeout).
see a lot more of that now, but back then I
was always pressing for something different.”
After a few more cooking jobs, Shawn met
his wife Candice, and her work led them to
nearby St. Marys. Shawn improvised for a
summer with an upscale sausage cart serving organic, naturally smoked sausages, and
events like an outdoor barbeque kiosk, “which
was a lot of fun and I met a lot of locals, but
what do you do when the season is over?”
Choosing Change
But this is not just different for the sake of
different. “I have this thing about doing the
right thing in terms of simpler values: slow
down, buy within 100 miles, organics, sustainability, the environment … and so on.”
Back in the kitchen, Shawn opted for lighter,
crisper, healthier, whole-wheat batters fried in
zero trans fat oil for lower cholesterol, a lighter
taste and less oil absorption, versus the traditional lard or shortening. He also changes the
oil every five days instead of the typical two
weeks and refiltering, and has three separate
fryers for fish, chips and gluten-free.
That gluten-free batter is a godsend for
diners constrained by celiac issues. And
while some vegetarians are okay with eating
fish, Simple also accommodates vegans with
battered tofu “fish” and chips — a malt vinegar marinade gives the organic tofu a flaky,
fish-like texture. “Customers have said, ‘My
God, I never thought I’d be able to eat fish
and chips again.’”
Deliberate choices extend to Simple’s vegetable sides, which favour 100-mile-friendly
A Place of Their Own
By then, he’d spotted an unfilled niche: fish
and chips. So they rented a cramped space
tucked behind the old downtown opera house.
“We just took the ‘Pathway’ name because
that’s what the previous ice cream shop was
called, so people could immediately place it,
then decked it out with nets and buoys and
stuff, and I was amazed at how it took off.”
Four years later, they were ready to up the
ante and move to Stratford. They closed the
St. Marys shop, gutted their Downie Street
storefront, built his dream left-handed kitchen
and eschewed the nautical clichés. “This
time the mantra was, Make it simple …
everything simple. The name, the décor,
the menu, the methods, the presentation … everything simple.”
Result: a light, crisp, aqua, white &
brown colour scheme, 28 seats and
uncluttered ambience. “In traditional
places, you smell the grease, you feel
the grease, you wear the grease — we
wanted to go in the other direction.”
And they opened last December 3.
In winter? In Stratford? At a time when
Shawn’s Lobster
restaurants often hold their collective
Sliders on brioches
breath, dial down their expectations,
elevate the lobster roll.
or even shutter for a while, Shawn and
APRIL/maY 2010
Ontario produce like Yukon Gold potatoes,
for crisper chips, lighter colour and less
absorption, and Antony John’s organic produce in the salads and slaws. “Obviously, crab
specials and halibut can’t be 100-mile, but
Lake Erie perch and pickerel are,” he says.
“And we took the six months to get our
Ocean Wise™ sustainability certification from
the Vancouver Aquarium. You really have to
know your stuff: where your fish was caught,
how it was caught, when it was caught,
where it was processed; you submit your
menu, they review it and make suggestions
… it takes time, but it’s worth doing.”
Items on the non-LLBO beverage list
(another “simple” decision) are non-cola and
made with natural flavours and organic cane
sugars. There are some desserts on the weekends, “but to be honest, people usually don’t
have room,” Shawn smiles. “I’ve never seen
people eat like they do here.”
And you can join in too. If you get takeout,
you can compost and/or recycle all of the
packaging. Even the cutlery can be composted. “For the table service, we compromised
with flatware and plates because customers
wanted more of a dining room experience,”
Shawn shrugs, “but in the back, we make
sure that 80 percent of our waste goes into a
composting program — the fees are five times
higher [for now] but it makes more sense
than dumping it in some landfill.”
So Simple has made a splash with their
fresh take on fish and their conscientious
practices. Have the locals taken the bait?
Shawn rolls his eyes. “It’s been crazy. I don’t
have exact figures to give you, but put it this
way: we’re going through a thousand pounds
of potatoes a week.”
Simple Fish and Chips
 Downie Street, Stratford
519-275-0400
www.simplefishandchips.ca
HOURS OF OPERATION
TUESDAY–SATURDAY: 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
SUNDAY: 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Learn more about Ocean Wise™ choices to enjoy seafood that’s
good for you and the oceans, at www.vanaqua.org/oceanwise.
DAVID HICKS is a branding consultant and freelance
writer in the Stratford area with (praise God) a high basal metabolic rate. You can reach him at [email protected].
24
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
Stratford is more than great theatre.
“I made a delicious discovery: Stratford has a culinary
obsession. And, for me, finding what I call a ‘food town’
is a rare and magnificent thing ... You’ve got a place that
feeds all the senses.”
— Marion Kane, Food Writer
www.marionkane.com
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
www.eatdrink.ca 25
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Executive Loft Suites
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99 Ontario Street
downtown Stratford
A fabulous place
to spend the night!
26
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
SPOTLIGHT
From Niche to Mainstream
The Gentle Rain in Stratford has developed naturally
By Jane Antoniak
T
here’s a “gentle rain” in Stratford
that’s been feeding the community
and gaining strength for more than
30 years. No matter the season, this
front has succeeded and flourished due to the
guidance of strong winds — in the form of Eric
and Marsha Eberhardt and their dedicated
staff and customers. Obviously, we’re not talking about a weather front,
but rather The Gentle Rain
store on Rebecca Street,
Stratford, which has grown
since 1979 from being a
self-described natural-food
niche-market store to a fullservice grocery and pharmacy, specializing
in organic, local, sustainable, and equitable
products for about 2,000 customers from as far
as London, Kitchener, Goderich and Listowel.
Their customer mix includes baby boomers,
young mothers, and people who want a smallstore experience. “We now see the children of
our customers — and their young children...
people who grew up eating organic and local
foods,” says Marsha. They also supply about
fifteen restaurants in the area, as well as the
Stratford Chefs School, where Eric has given
presentations about organic suppliers.
Spread out over 3,000 square feet are
displays of nuts, grains, cereals, fruits,
vegetables, meats and cheeses, along with
dairy, frozen foods, and even organic ice
Owners Eric and Marsha Eberhardt
cream cone cups to go with the Mapleton
organic ice cream. There are baking
provisions, pet supplies, protein bars and
books. Around another corner you will find
herbs and roots, cleaning supplies, soaps
and toothpaste, bath salts, detox kits, and
vitamins. Turn around again and you’ll find
clothing, perfumes, cosmetics and candles.
And on and on it goes — a
myriad of organic and
planet-friendly items for
everyone in your household,
including the dogs and cats.
Their focus is on food, with
about 65 of their sales
being food items. The stock is constantly
updated and changed as the Eberhardts
discover new products. They admit it’s a
constant juggling act to find room on the
shelves for new products. The store has been
expanded four times since opening.
“We were very interested in eating well,
and we started shopping at food co-ops. Our
store carries the kind of food we want to buy
and eat. This is the kind of store we wanted
in the community where we chose to live,”
explains Marsha.
Outside the building are solar panels helping The Gentle Rain produce electricity for
the local grid, Festival Hydro. Inside and
out, The Gentle Rain is the development of a
couple of American Vietnam draft dodgers
who made Perth County their home
and then gave back to the community
by developing a marketplace for their
neighbours’ products.
“When we started, we couldn’t get
nine-tenths of the items we have now.
We had to get some of the stuff from
Toronto, and even then we couldn’t
convince them to deliver all the way to
Stratford,” says Marsha. Her husband
quickly adds, “We don’t pick anything
up anymore! A lot of the suppliers
consider us the anchor store for their
products now.”
Considered a new concept at the
APRIL/maY 2010
www.eatdrink.ca 27
With the two owners now in
their 60s and with a growing
family of grandchildren, they
rely more and more on their
staff of 16 to run the day-to-day
operations of The Gentle Rain.
The Eberhardts say they have
gone from being on 24/7 to having their “very competent staff”
The Gentle Rain storefront
run many areas. Eric is still “the
visionary” and Marsha is still
time of opening, the increasing interest in
the bookkeeper. They hope that by giving
organic, local and sustainable products by
consumers has helped The Gentle Rain pros- more operations over to their staff, the shop
per. Eric believes that the addition of organic can continue for many more years, while
they find time for the other things in life that
products at large grocery store chains has
they enjoy, such as canoeing, kayaking and
actually helped his shop, making what they
camping. “I think we’ve become the elders,”
are trying to achieve more “mainstream,”
smiles Marsha...the healthy elders!
with a wider reach of customers.
When the Eberhardts’ store first opened,
The Gentle Rain
the term “organic” wasn’t popularly used.
 Rebecca Street, Stratford
Since then, Eric has been involved with
519-271-0388
establishing organic standards in Ontario. A
small farmer himself, he grows produce on
their five-acre farm near Sebringville, which
JANE ANTONIAK is a writer, and owner of Antoniak
became one of the first certified organic
Communications in London.
farms in Ontario in the 1980s. Eric has gone
from growing mixed grains to garlic, shallots
and spinach, all of which are sold in the store.
The rest comes from local area farmers — not
all organic, but all of whom pass Eric’s test
of being gentle on the earth and producing
a top-quality, healthy product. “It’s not just
what they don’t do, but what they do do
in terms of maintaining soil fertility,” says
Eric. “We prefer to carry something that is
locally and organically grown. If it is a choice
between local and halfway around the world
organic, we would carry local.”
A good example of this is Sheldon’s Beans.
The product isn’t organic but the farmer has
worked with Eric to reduce his pesticide use.
“I always say, fair trade starts at home,” says
Marsha.
As well, The Gentle Rain has been the
launching pad for several small product lines.
Mapleton Organic Ice Cream found the shop
as an eager new customer when it came onto
the market. Same with a small gluten-free
cookie company, Passion Flower Bakery, of
Stratford. Their cookies are now sold across
Ontario, including at the University of Western
Ontario. “People come here and develop longstanding relationships with us. Right now, we
are working with a company that produces an
avocado oil and a tomato paste line — it’s very
exciting,” says Eric.
28
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/maY 2010
SPOTLIGHT
A Flavour Rush
at Rush Creek Wines,
near Aylmer
By Debra Bagshaw
C
apture the true essence of the
fruit that grows on their farm.
That has been the endeavour
of Kim and Wendy Flintoft for
the past 14 years. The husband and wife
team have also developed their retail
location, near the Rush Creek Valley in Elgin
County, and an extensive calendar of events to
reflect the seasonal nature of their business.
When the Flintofts purchased their farm
in 1992, Wendy decided it would be prudent
to take some courses from the Ministry of
Agriculture related to the fruit-growing that
she and Kim were doing. A couple of courses
on how to start a winery piqued her interest.
“It seemed like there was a lot of red tape,
but we continued to research and to plant
more fruit,” says Wendy. “For two years we
did test batches, and gave away the product
with a survey. Our business plan was based
on that survey.”
A summer tour of the farm with Wendy
reveals her strong sense of connection to the
land. To say that Wendy is an outdoor enthusiast is an understatement. An avid hunter,
Wendy is happy to recount adventures of bear,
deer and wild turkey hunting trips. She is also
one of the Elgin Wild Turkey Chapter’s “Mud
Water Clucking Hens,” who organize the popular early-summer “Women in the Outdoors
Event,” where activities include handgun and
crossbow shooting practice, archery, canoeing, ATV trail riding, pheasantry, trap shooting,
and fly fishing.
Life on the farm is a bit
less adventurous, but still
something Wendy appreciates. She notes that the
rich sandy loam soil and
temperate Lake Erie north
shore climate nourish a
diverse range of crops. This
allows them to grow grains,
soya beans, raspberries,
Harvest Festival at Rush Creek Winery
red and black currants, gooseberries, rhubarb,
huckleberries, elderberries, plus 1000s of
pumpkins and sunflowers. She surveys her traditional English garden and fields with pride,
notes the stages of ripeness, and suggests wine
and food pairings as she goes.
When they opened, Rush Creek’s product
line included peach, raspberry and plum
wines. Fourteen years later, the winery carries
up to 21 varieties and produces about 45,000
bottles per year — several of which have been
award winners. They have a style for every
taste and occasion, from Pearfection (dry),
a 2007 Wine Championship winner, to the
best-selling Blueberry Rush (medium), Sweet
Spiced Apple, featured on the Food Network,
and Maple Rush Dessert Wine.
The goal of Rush Creek Wines is to deliver
wines with lingering, intense, smooth flavours.
The secret, says Wendy, is to start with a fermentation using pulp from the skins and meat
of the fruits. The Flintofts enjoy developing
new recipes by varying, for example, the yeast
or sugar level. Says Wendy, “People stop in and
ask what’s new, and we like to oblige them.”
When Wendy and I chatted in March,
Maple Dessert Wine production was in full
swing. Wendy noted that the process used in
making this wine is a bit different than with
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
fruit. While some winemakers like the final
product to present tastes of layered sugar,
Kim has worked to develop a maple wine
with a balance of alcohol and sugar—not
easy to do, since the yeast required for fermentation dies in high sugar environments.
His wine has a high sugar level of 20, but it’s
perfectly balanced by a 15 alcohol content
and complemented by the unique flavour of
maple syrup — a combination that has won
double gold internationally for Rush Creek.
Wendy suggests pairing this wine with desserts that have a nutty flavour, like carrot
cake, pumpkin pie or pecan pie.
Several seasonal events each year bring
families to Rush
Creek Wines,
beginning with
a “Mother’s Day
Open House and
Countryside Tour.”
Later in the year,
Rush Creek presents their unique
corn maze surRed currants rounded by thou-
www.eatdrink.ca 29
sands of sunflowers; a Harvest Festival in
September; Haunted Corn Maze approaching Hallowe’en; and Christmas Open Houses
in December.
Visitors are always welcome to stroll
the fields or to sit in the English garden,
picnic on the attractive licensed patio, barbecue (their own meats or ones purchased
from the winery), have a light lunch in the
Bruschetta Bar, or enjoy a wine tasting. The
gift shop includes entertaining and winethemed items, as well as a selection of work
by local artist Shelley McVittie.
Rush Creek’s unique offering of flavourintense wines, complementary events and
ambience all invite you to linger and savour
the seasons and the outdoors.
Rush Creek Wines
48995 Jamestown Lane, RR #2, Aylmer
519-773-5432
www.rushcreekwines.com
DEBRA BAGSHAW is the editor of Relish Elgin, a print
and web magazine (www.relishelgin.ca) featuring topics
related to food, home, culture and recreation in Elgin County.
30
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
SPOTLIGHT
It’s Business as Usual
at The Tasting Room on Richmond
By Heather Nesbitt
A
fter an unexpected two-month
closing, the Tasting Room Bar
and Bistro on Richmond Row is
open for business, repaired and
refreshed. Karl and Pamela Lansdowne welcomed customers and staff back in February
after a massive flood left the popular restaurant heavily damaged just as the busy holiday season was getting underway. A frozen
water pipe burst in an apartment two stories
above the restaurant, and as the tenant was
away, water eventually poured through
the ceiling onto tables and into customers’
plates and glasses.
Insurance covered the cost of renovations
as contractors repaired the damage, which
turned out to be more extensive than first
thought. “It was a lot of work – a lot of the
building had to be taken apart and put back
together,” says Karl Lansdowne, noting that
the time of year made things even worse. “It
was tragic for everybody because of what
happened, and since we normally give out
a bonus at Christmas time, I gave more this
year to help people get through Christmas.”
“Since we opened the door, we’ve had a
lot of people come
Inside the Tasting Room,
back,” says
after renovations
Lansdowne, who
had built
a steady
business
with a
great
kitchen
and a
strong
wine list.
But he
notes that
it takes
some time
to get the
message
out. “Fires
happen
and pipes
freeze ...
there’s not
much you
can do about it. You have to fix the problem
and carry on.”
The bistro’s atmosphere has an updated
look after remodelling, with new light fixtures and upholstery, black-ornamental
ceiling fans, mocha paint and new artwork.
Fortunately, the original bar withstood the
flood. “[Usually] you redo your look after ten
years,” notes Lansdowne. “Because of this
tragedy, we took seven. It gave us the opportunity to make a few changes.”
There are also a few changes to the menu.
The lunch menu offers Mini Lamb Burgers
topped with cucumber-black olive tzaziki
and crumbled feta cheese or Gourmet
Grilled Cheese with basil pesto, sliced
tomato, mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar
and fontina cheeses on a grilled ciabatta.
“We tend to change a few items on the
menu every three to four months anyway,”
says Lansdowne. Dinner offerings include
a Seared Ahi Tuna Loin served with mixed
baby greens, black sesame vinaigrette,
wasabi aioli and pickled ginger, a HerbParmesan Crusted Rack of Lamb served
with a sweet berry demi-glace and a classic
charbroiled Beef Tenderloin served with a
red wine and herb demi-glace.
The Tasting Room also still offers their
popular “flights of wine,” with four different
two-oz servings per glass. “A flight tends to
be a certain grade and we do different types,”
says Lansdowne, explaining how customers
can try various merlots, shirazes, chardonnays, or sauvignons blancs, for example.
“Right now there are six different flights.”
As the Lansdownes just opened a new
restaurant in September 2009 (The Bungalow Neighbourhood Hub), two months overseeing reconstruction of the Tasting Room
was a huge challenge. “You just do what has
to be done day by day to get your business
APRIL/maY 2010
running and get back to normal,” smiles
Lansdowne, noting that the loyal customers
and staff are the best and most important
aspect of the business. Once they were ready
to start serving customers again at The Tasting Room, the Lansdownes found that “We
really haven’t had to do much but open up
the doors. And it gets busier as people find
out that we’re open again.”
The Tasting Room Bar and Bistro
483 Richmond Street
London
(519) 438-6262
www.thetastingroom.ca
Hours OF OPERATION
Monday to Thursday: 11 a.m.–1 a.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m.–2 a.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m.–11 p.m.
HEATHER NESBITT is a local freelance writer. She is
a member of the Professional Writers’ Association of Canada
(PWAC) and writes on the arts, business, food and social issue
for various publications in London.
How can you help? Dine out and have some fun!
presents
∙ Book a table for April 28 at one of the 35
locally owned participating restaurants.
∙ Go out for dinner with your friends, family
or colleagues and have a great evening!
∙ The restaurant will donate 25% of the cost
of your meal to the AIDS Committee of
London.
Make your reservation early to avoid missing
out! Plus, everyone who dines out at “Taste” will
get a chance to win some great prizes.
In its first six years, London has raised over $306,000 to
support people living with HIV and provide education and
outreach in our community to prevent new infections and
help people live healthier lives.
April 28,
2010
www.atasteforlife.org
519-434-1601
www.aidslondon.com
32
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
BOOKS
Eating and Cooking as
Storytelling
Eating: A Memoir by Jason Epstein
By Darin Cook
I
n the world of publishing, Jason Epstein,
who sat as editorial director of Random
House for many years, is legendary
for his revolutionary ideas in the book
business. But he is also full of pithy advice
for the kitchen, such as “Let your taste be
your guide” and “Recipes should be more
like stories than like maps.” His book, Eating:
A Memoir (Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, $29.95),
is a collection of recipes told as stories,
since there are very few measurements in
sight and nary a grocery list to be found.
The cooking instructions offered by Epstein
follow more
of a narrative
structure on
how to make his favourite dishes,
such as Lobster Bisque and Egg Foo Yung.
These are not the type of recipes attached
to your fridge ready to be stained with oil
or dusted with flour. These are recipes that
Epstein hopes you read over, try your hand
at, and integrate into your own kitchen
storytelling.
The recipes are often specific to a time and
place, but by sharing them with us, they
APRIL/maY 2010
become timeless. Since Jason has some restaurant experience, some of the recipes were
learned on the job, and others are borrowed
from the cookbooks of famous chefs he has
published; but they are all perfected by his
trial-and-error methods of getting creative
in the kitchen. He has even fine-tuned memories of his childhood into nostalgic recipes
like Prime Beef Hamburgers, Homemade
Potato Chips, and Chicken Pot Pie.
Epstein may not be a trained chef, but his
advice is no less professional, and his dialogue with the reader is honest, such as the
warning in his Penne in Tomato Sauce recipe: “If you turn your back for a minute and
the jalapeno blackens or the garlic becomes
acrid, toss it out and start over.” And who
hasn’t used the line “The dish is even better
the second day, as leftovers,” as he does in
his recipe for Bolognese Sauce. He is also
a thoughtful writer, reminding us more
than once to wash our hands immediately
after cutting jalapeno peppers, because any
inadvertent touching of the eyes causes
searing pain.
There is more than a page dedicated to
techniques for opening clams for Clams
Casino, but Epstein consoles us by saying,
“Don’t be discouraged if you don’t succeed
the first or even the fifth time.” Overall,
the recipes are heavy on seafood, given
Epstein’s proximity to fresh bounty from
the waters surrounding Long Island. Out
of the forty-four recipes, there are twentyone revolving around seafood, including
six involving lobster, and we are even given
instructions for killing the crustacean
before eating it. Epstein assuages us by
writing, “There is no reason to be squeamish about this”; and seafood lovers will
agree the sacrifice is worth the taste.
Stories are not hard to come by for Epstein,
from a lifetime in the publishing industry —
dining on Shad Roe with Sorrel Sauce with
Jackie Onassis; cooking Lobster Fra Diavolo
for Norman Mailer — but above all else, he
illustrates that the events of a life are indelibly connected to food, whether it’s the first
meal he prepared after 9/11 or how he has
subconsciously designed his kitchen in the
same style as his grandmother’s.
DARIN COOK is a freelance writer who keeps himself
well read and well fed by visiting the bookstores and
restaurants of London.
34
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
COOKBOOKS
Sustainable C Food
Review and Recipe Selections by Jennifer Gagel
C
reativity. Sustainability. Hospitality. These are the first words
that jump out when opening the
ambitious concept cookbook, C
Food, by Robert Clark and Harry Kambolis
(Whitecap, 2009, $40).
Clark and Kambolis are the executive chef
and restaurateur behind C Restaurant, a
Vancouver establishment that is changing
the way seafood dining is approached. At C,
“We are devoted to serving you sustainable
seafood from our local waters, and ingredients that are distinctive and homegrown.”
To illustrate how seriously they take sustainability, C Restaurant was the founding
partner in Ocean Wise, a conservation program developed in conjunction with the Vancouver Aquarium. Five years later, the Ocean
Wise symbol can be found on menus across
Canada, as close as Simple Fish & Chips in
Stratford, assuring guests that the seafood
dishes are prepared with ingredients that
have been ethically selected and caught.
What C Food shows, in glorious, oversized
colour photos, is that serving sustainable fish
does not mean sacrificing anything. In fact, C
Food elevates sustainable to an art form.
Kambolis, a born host, speaks with a quiet
passion about ethical luxury. “Some people
will tell you that those two words don’t
belong together. Those two words are going
to mean more, and more, and more together
in the future.”
Clark and Kambolis are setting the standard for what ethical luxury looks like. At the
launch party for C Food, held at the Vancouver Aquarium, spectators were entertained
as a diver lifted the inaugural copy (safely
shrink wrapped) from within the waters of
one of the exhibits, while guests waited for
the edible spectacle that was to follow.
C Food was approached a bit differently
than a conventional cookbook. Clark and
Kambolis worked with photographer Hamid
Attie to develop concept photos of the
ingredients.
These photos were then used as the
inspiration in creating many of the dishes.
It was the art of the ingredients, captured
on film, that gave rise to the recipes, and
in most cases the concept photo remains
alongside.
These recipes showcase Clark’s talents as
a premier chef. To make the saffron cream
for the Roasted Wild Spring Salmon, he
reduces the base to almost dry and then
boils cream on top of the leavings. He
adroitly adds spinach to gnocchi, a finicky
recipe to begin with, for the uninitiated. Not
for the faint of heart, these recipes are fit to
inspire world-class chefs and demonstrate
that Canada has a creative role to play on the
global stage. The recipe for Chilled Icewine
Jelly lives up to C Restaurant’s mission of
focusing on distinctive, homegrown ingredients.
C Food is a progressive book, which Kambolis intends to be displayed and to inspire.
“Within these pages are pictures and ideas
meant to inspire rather than dictate, to spark
a reaction rather than demand reproduction, to instigate creativity, not limit it, and
to provoke conversation.”
Community. Ethics. Luxury. These are
also words that embody C Food.
JENNIFER GAGEL works at the London Public
Library and writes, mainly about food. She can be reached
at [email protected].
Links:
Ocean Wise: www.oceanwisecanada.org
C restaurant: www.crestaurant.com
February/march 2010
Recipes and images reproduced with permission from
Whitecap Books, from C Food by Robert Clark & Harry Kambolis
Chilled Icewine Jelly
with Raspberries & Fresh Mint
Icewine is the product that made everyone take
another look at Canada! After a second sip, the
world recognized that we have a credible wine
industry here full of passionate and talented
individuals, committed to moving our wine
programs forward and capable of competing on
the global stage.
ICEWINE JELLY
4 sheets gelatin or 1 tablespoon unflavored
powdered gelatin
1 bottle (375 milliliters) Canadian icewine
GARNISH
3 cups (750 mL) raspberries
1 bunch mint
1. To prepare the icewine jelly, temper the gelatin
sheets by placing them in a bowl of cold water
for 2 minutes to soften. Squeeze out the excess
water. Stir the soaked gelatin into ½ cup (125
mL) of the icewine in a double boiler until completely melted. Stir the remaining icewine into
the gelatin mixture. If using powdered gelatin,
put 2 tablespoons (25 mL) cold water in a bowl
and sprinkle gelatin over the surface. Let stand
for 5 minutes or until puffy. Put the bowl in a
small saucepan containing enough barely simmering water to come halfway up the sides of
the bowl. Stir for 1 minute or until the gelatin is
completely melted. Heat ½ cup (125 mL) icewine
just until steaming. Whisk the hot icewine into
the gelatin, then whisk in remaining icewine.
2. Pour the jelly into six 1⁄3-cup (75 mL) molds. Alternatively, pour the jelly into one 2-cup (500 mL)
mold so that, when set, you can cut the jelly into
desired shapes. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or
until set.
3. To serve, run warm water over the bases of the
mold(s). Invert the mold(s), allowing the jellies
to slide easily onto each of 8 plates or a larger
platter. If using a large mold, cut the jelly into
8 pieces and place each on a plate. Garnish the
jellies with the raspberries and mint.
Serves 6
36
www.eatdrink.ca
APRIL/MaY 2010
Roasted Wild Spring Salmon with
Spinach Gnocchi & Saffron Cream Sauce
Chinook or king salmon is the largest
of the wild Pacific salmon. I find that
its oil content makes it one of the most
forgiving salmon to cook, and the one
least affected by freezing. It is generally
our salmon of choice throughout the
winter months. If you want a real treat,
look for “white spring” or “ivory spring”
salmon during the summer months.
Though caught randomly up and down
the coast, in the summer and fall most
white springs are heading up the Fraser
River to the Harrison River to spawn.
SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE
½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine
½ cup (125 mL) Mussel Stock
2 tablespoons (25 mL) sliced shallot
1 whole clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 sprig tarragon
1 tablespoon (15 mL) tarragon vinegar
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream (35%)
Pinch of saffron threads
Kosher salt and black pepper
SALMON
4 pieces (each 6 oz/200 grams) wild spring
salmon
2 tablespoons (25 mL) clarified unsalted butter
Kosher salt and black pepper
1. To prepare the saffron cream sauce, reduce
the wine, mussel stock, shallot, vinegar, garlic,
bay leaf, and tarragon in a heavy-bottomed
saucepan until the saucepan is almost dry. Add
the cream and bring to a boil. Strain the sauce
through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the
solids. Return the sauce to the saucepan and
add the saffron. Reduce the sauce until it is thick
enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with
salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
2. To prepare the salmon, preheat the oven to 450°F
(230°C). Brush the salmon on both sides with
butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet and
bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until medium-rare.
3. To serve, lightly pool the saffron cream sauce on
4 plates. Stack the spinach gnocchi in a tidy pile
on the sauce and perch the salmon on top.
Serves 4
APRIL/maY 2010
www.eatdrink.ca 37
Spinach Gnocchi
4 cups (1 L) spinach leaves (no stems)
2 pounds (1 Kg) russet potatoes, scrubbed
2 egg yolks
1 cup (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (15 mL) kosher salt
¼ teaspoon (1 mL) grated nutmeg
Additional all-purpose flour for dusting
Unsalted butter for sautéing
Kosher salt and black pepper
1. Blanch the spinach leaves in boiling, salted
water for 30 seconds, then immediately refresh
in ice water. Drain the leaves and purée in a
blender (not a food processor) until smooth.
Avoid leaving the purée in the blender for too
long as the heat from the motor will cause it
to darken to an unattractive color. Pour into a
coffee-filter-lined sieve or fine-mesh strainer and
allow to drain overnight in the fridge. Discard
the water that drains from the purée.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the
potatoes for 1 hour or until tender. Beat together
the egg yolks and ½ cup (125 mL) of the spinach purée in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk
together the flour, salt, and nutmeg.
3. Peel the potatoes while they’re still hot and
pass them through a potato ricer or a fine-mesh
strainer. Mound the potatoes on the counter and
form a well in the center. Place half of the flour
mixture in the well. Pour the egg mixture on top
and cover with the remaining flour. Using your
fingers, gently mix together the ingredients until
a slightly sticky dough forms. Roll the dough in
additional flour to dust it.
4. Roll thumb-size pieces of the dough into ½
inch (1 cm) thick sausage shapes and place on a
floured baking sheet until all the dough is used.
Cut the sausages of dough crosswise into ½ inch
(1 cm) pieces. At this point, the gnocchi may be
cooked immediately or wrapped well and frozen
for up to 2 weeks for longer storage.
5. Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling, salted
water until they float to the surface. Remove
from the water with a slotted spoon and place
on an oiled baking sheet to cool. To reheat, sauté
the gnocchi in butter over medium heat. Season
with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 6 to 8
• Lakefront / Sandy beach
• 9 luxury bedrooms
• Ensuite bathrooms
• Indoor saltwater pool
• Hot tub & sauna
• Plus Off-site Cottages
[email protected]
38
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
COOKBOOKS
A Mouth-watering Manifesto
Good Food for All: Seasonal Recipes from a
Community Garden
Review and Recipe Selections By Jennifer Gagel
I
recently read something along the lines
of “We are at the end of what will one
day be called the golden age of food.”
Contemplating this thought invoked
frightening images of rising food prices,
environmental costs, and scarcity in stores.
The next time I scanned the produce section I wondered, what would I do without
lemons? Or mangos? I really love mangos. I
began to worry about what my future relationship with food was going to look like.
And then I sat down with Good Food for
All by The Stop, and realized that my future
is so bright that I’m going to wear shades —
while I attempt vegetable gardening for the
first time.
The Stop Community Food Centre is a
vibrant nonprofit organization that began 30
years ago as one of Canada’s first food banks.
Today, they’re on the leading edge of the
food revolution, striving “to increase access
to healthy food in a manner that maintains
dignity, builds community and challenges
inequality.”
In this innovative community centre,
amongst the programs for cooking, peer
advocacy, health initiatives, prenatal education, and the like, blossomed this treasure of
a book. Just like compost, it’s gold in the right
hands. And it is proof that good, local food
can be had by all, even in a Canadian climate.
My pantry includes several types of dried
beans and grains (most of which I don’t use
nearly enough). Good Food for All helped
me to deplete some of those jars with a
grain-cooking guide in addition to simple,
wholesome, adaptable recipes like Quinoa
with Asparagus, Peas and Feta. Leftovers
can be served, warm or cold, over arugula
the next day with extra dressing. Or reheat
by lightly frying with bits of scrambled eggs,
green onions and red pepper flakes.
The Rhubarb and Sorrel Gingersnap
Crumble is the perfect treat on spring nights
that still contend with winter. It was inspired
when rhubarb and
sorrel sprang up together in The
Stop’s garden.
“If two things are comfortable enough
with each other in the ground, it’s safe to say
they’ll be just as well-matched on a plate.”
They list seasonal substitutes for the rhubarb, but feel free to also try other cookies
in place of the ground gingersnaps, such as
ladyfingers, when peaches and blueberries
come in season.
The recipes are as varied as the multicultural neighbours involved with The
Stop. Indian, Mexican, Caribbean, Middle
Eastern, Thai and more — they all inspire
the dishes, in addition to the classically
European elements. Chef Joshna Maharaj
developed the recipes on which this book
is based. She believes that the richness and
diversity of our culture should be mirrored
in the food that we eat.
The book is organized seasonally for our
climate, so it’s easy to find plenty of inspiration for using what we can get our hands
on locally. The section called “Spring” uses
many ingredients found in greenhouses that
are much closer to us than those typically
seen in stores. At just under $20, this book is
a value-priced guide to eating in plant hardiness zone 5.
Not every recipe has a picture, but enough
of them do have such tantalizing and accessible photos that I don’t mind having a few
without photos. Or maybe it’s all the pictures
of people involved at the food centre that’s
so appealing. This book is alive with the pictures, words and ideas of its people.
“There aren’t many areas of life where the
most ethical choice is the most pleasurable
one. But when it comes to eating, the best-tasting food is often produced most sustainably.
Nobody can afford to be a purist all the time.
But that’s the great thing about food. You can
tackle the issue one ingredient at a time.”
I say, let the golden age of food begin.
www.eatdrink.ca 39
APRIL/maY 2010
JENNIFER GAGEL loves to write, especially about
food and social consciousness. She also loves to work at
the Crouch Branch of the London Public Library, which is
beginning gardening initiatives this spring in conjunction
with the Crouch Neighbourhood Resource Centre. To
contribute, donate or get involved, please email jennifer.
[email protected] or Jacquie Carr at cdfacilitator@
rogers.com.
Recipes courtesy of Good Food for All: Seasonal Recipes
from a Community Garden, (Simon and Schuster, 2009).
Quinoa with Asparagus,
Peas and Feta
Quinoa is an ancient grain that is nearly a
complete protein as well. It has a delicious
nuttiness and is probably one of the most
wholesome things you can eat. Treat is just like
any other grain, and experiment with the flavour.
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups quinoa
½ bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, chopped
into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup cubed feta cheese (optional)
1. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard and
garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a
boil. Meanwhile, wash quinoa well under running
water. Add quinoa to boiling water and cook
about 10 minutes, or until the little tails pop our
and each grain is tender but still intact. Strain in a
colander and rinse really well with cool water to
stop the cooking. Set aside to drain.
3. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Fill a
medium bowl with ice water and have it close
to the stove. When the water is at a rolling boil,
add a generous pinch of salt and the asparagus. Cook for 1 minute, until the green of the
asparagus brightens and pieces become tender.
Remove from pot and plunge into ice water
immediately to stop the cooking. Repeat this
process with frozen peas. Strain vegetables and
set aside.
4. Place quinoa in a large bowl and drizzle with
2⁄3 of vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper
and toss gently. Add asparagus, peas, feta and
remaining vinaigrette and toss to combine. Taste
and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Serves 6
40
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issue no. 22
APRIL/maY 2010
Rhubarb and Sorrel Gingersnap Crumble
Rhubarb and French sorrel come up at the same
time in our garden. Our garden staff excitedly
brought in a bundle of bright red stalks with
a bouquet of light green leaves, urging me to
make a crumble. If two things are comfortable
enough with each other in the ground, it’s
safe to say they’ll be just as well matched on
a plate. Feel free to omit the sorrel if you can’t
get your hands on any, but it adds a beautifully
mysterious flavour to this delicious dessert. You
can make this crumble in individual pudding
dishes, as shown, if you like.
FILLING
2 lb (1 kg)(6 stalks) rhubarb, trimmed and
chopped into ½-inch pieces (6 cups)
1½ cups brown sugar
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 or 5 leaves French sorrel, torn into bite-size
pieces
TOPPING
3 cups finely ground gingersnaps
1 tsp salt
1 cup quick rolled oats
¼ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus
more for the pan
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9- x 13-inch
baking pan or casserole dish and set aside.
2. Make filling: in a large bowl, combine rhubarb,
brown sugar, flour, vanilla and sorrel and toss
well to mix.
3. Make topping: in a medium-sized mixing bowl,
combine gingersnaps, salt, oats, flour and brown
sugar and stir. Add butter and, using your fingertips, incorporate it into the dry mixture until you
have pea-sized pieces.
4. Transfer rhubarb mixture to prepared pan
and press down slightly to pack it in. Sprinkle
crumble topping over rhubarb in an even layer
and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is
browned and rhubarb starts to bubble on the
sides of the pan. Remove from heat and allow to
cool slightly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Serves 6 to 8
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
www.eatdrink.ca 41
NEW AND NOTABLE
The BUZZ
S
pring is doing what it usually does,
and here at The Buzz we are looking
forward to the annual return to market of more and more local suppliers,
with their fresh-from-the-earth produce.
Our area businesses and organizations, as
they do throughout the year, continue to
cater to our tastes for experiences culinary,
social and sensual.
keeping with their philosophy of using local,
seasonal ingredients, with everything prepared
in-house from scratch. Fresh squeezed juices,
brunch classics and Garlic’s lunch favourites
are accompanied by complimentary freshly
baked breads and biscuits.
Among its many projects and undertakings,
The London Community Resource Centre is involved in a number of food-related
initiatives and events. If you were intrigued
The Western Fair Farmers’ Market is now
open Thursday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. by Jenna Gagel’s review of Good Food for
All: Seasonal Recipes from a Community
featuring 28,000 square feet of fresh local
Garden, you might want to visit the LCRC’s
produce, meats, cheese, baked goods and
informative website (www.lcrc.on.ca), for a
more. On the second floor, browse through
list of London’s community gardens. Among
another 28,000 square feet of gifts, collectables, home decor and other delightful finds. upcoming presentations by the LCRC is Gardening in the City, at the Stevenson Hunt
Room on March 10 from 7–9 pm.
Writing from the Old East Village, Linda
The Community Gardens program rents
Wayne tells us that the East Village Coffeehouse now offers coffees from Las Chicas del out garden plots throughout the city and,
on occasion, some plots are unused or
Café. All of Las Chicas coffees are Fair Trade
abandoned. LCRC is looking for community
and the company has made honourable
groups, organizations, and businesses that
efforts to improve the conditions in Nicarawould have staff members interested in
gua, where their coffee beans are grown. For
assuming the care of these unused plots in
more on the project go to www.laschicasdelorder to grow fresh produce, which in turn
cafe.com/coffee/london/index.html.
could be donated to emergency food providers or the London Food Bank. If your comAt Garlic’s of London, owners and staff are
munity group, organization, business or corproud to recognize local farmers. The menu
poration is interested in more information,
includes the names or locations of many of
or would like to Adopt-a-Plot, please contact
the producers who supply the foods served,
the London Community Resource Centre at
and servers explain to patrons that the menu
519-432-1801, or e-mail [email protected]
changes each month to reflect seasonal
availability. Sunday Brunch at Garlic’s is in
42
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 22
Now into it’s third year of operation, Growing Chefs! Ontario is getting ready to launch
it’s 2010 Classroom Gardening Project. The
program teams local chefs and volunteers
with London elementary school classrooms
to help students learn about urban agriculture, food sustainability, nutrition and the
journey from seed to plate.
Last year, Growing Chefs! worked with
over 15 local chefs and 10 elementary school
classes in the London area. If you are a local
chef, restaurant worker, or are just passion-
APRIL/maY 2010
ate about food and interested in getting
involved, e-mail growingchefs.on@gmail.
com or call 519-850-2061. You can also find
Growing Chefs! Ontario on Facebook.
Willie’s Café at 731 Wellington Street in London has added several “late morning breakfast/brunch” items to their regular lunch
selection on Saturdays, including Braden’s
Spiced Oatmeal Pancakes (only $6!), and our
personal favourite, the “Greasy Spoon.” Note
that Willie’s kitchen uses organic eggs!
A fledgling London restaurant that also functions as a gallery showcasing local artists
deserves some attention. Il Tenore (meaning “the tenor” in Italian) opened quietly at
196 Dundas Street in December. The tenor,
restaurateur/owner Ricardo Lopez, is living
a lifelong dream, strolling from table to table
in the evening, playing guitar and serenading
his dining patrons. Lopez is a professionally
trained singer and musician, a student of the
great tenor, Mario del Monaco, who taught
him the voice technique called sotto cuore. To
hear Lopez is in itself a reason to visit Il Tenore.
The restaurant serves both lunch and
dinner, and Chef Nicolas Berardi features
Mediterranean and Latin American-inspired
choices. Berardi grew up in Buenos Aires, in
a Spanish-Italian-Argentinean household,
and this is what informs his passion for
cooking. The menu is casual and strongly
influenced by the cuisine of Italy (with a
large selection of pasta dishes), but you
can also expect to find such Argentinean
ingredients as chimichurri. Il Tenore (www.
iltenore.ca) will be participating in the Taste
for Life event on Wednesday, April 28th. For
reservations, call 519-438-2416.
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
On May 6th, you can sip fine wines from the
world’s top wine regions; savour a delectable
menu, prepared by some of our region’s
premier chefs to complement each of these
wine regions; and support London Health
Sciences Foundation. The Foundation is
once again hosting its Tastings food and
wine event. Proceeds from this annual
event support research and patient-care at
London Health Sciences Centre. Each year
a different program at the hospital is chosen
as the beneficiary. This year’s event supports
head and neck cancer research. Tickets must
be purchased in advance. There are also a
limited number of tickets available for the 5
p.m. Pre-Event Tasting of rare vintage wines
with a master sommelier. For tickets and
information call 519-685-8500 ext. 52067 or
visit www.lhsf.ca.
February saw the grand opening of Smitty’s
Downtown, at it’s new location at 691 Richmond Street. Although Smitty’s restaurants
are franchises, they are owned and operated
individually. Offering all-day breakfasts and
roadhouse-style dinner entrees, Smitty’s is
open every days, from 7am until at least 9pm
on weekdays and at least 10pm on weekends.
On Wednesday, April 28th A Taste For Life
celebrates 7 years of locally owned restaurants,
diners and supporters showing they care
about HIV/AIDS in our community. When you
dine at one of the participating restaurants, the
equivalent of 25 of the proceeds from evening will be donated to the AIDS Committee of
London. For details, and a listing of participating restaurants, c all 519-434-1601, or visit www.
atasteforlife.org. Reservations are recommended for this very popular event.
www.eatdrink.ca 43
After serving Londoners for 15 years,
Everything Tea has closed its store at 356
Talbot Street and moved online to www.
everythingtea.ca. Owners Gary and Martha
McAlister tell us that they will miss the
personal contact with their many “wonderful
customers, most of whom are delighted
and proud to call each other friends.” The
McAlisters will continue to serve and assist
customers in any way possible. Delivery
service is available, and as always, they will
continue to be an innovative and service-
44
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issue no. 22
centred source for “everything tea.” The phone
number is still 519-433-9522.
Fanshawe College has a little secret.
Saffron’s Restaurant is part of the School
of Tourism and Hospitality, and it welcomes
visitors to enjoy great food at lunch or
dinner, Monday to Friday. Saffron’s is
celebrating its 10th anniversary, and has
a special promotion on until April 23rd.
Visit www.fanshawec.ca/saffrons to print
the promotional flyer that entitles guests
APRIL/MaY 2010
to a free Appetizer with the purchase of an
Entrée and Dessert. This is a popular spot,
and reservations are recommended. Call
519-452-4433.
Enterprising people are teaming up to create
some great products. Railway City Brewing
Company of St. Thomas has partnered with
The Fire Roasted Coffee Company and
recently filtered their first batch of Mocha
Porter. They’ve “pre-snuck” a few samples
to impressed customers. We hear that “it’s
absolutely AWESOME!”
Railway City is currently working on getting everything ready for the Spring release
of their “Dead Elephant” ale, which will be
part of the LCBO’s Premium Specialty program, and available in select LCBO stores
between March and the end of May.
The Covent Garden Farmers’ Market, 130
King Street at Talbot, opens on Saturday
May 8th, 8am-1pm. Meet cookbook author
Erin Bolger aka The Happy Baker; Tour the
state of the art kitchen of Foodland Ontario’s
“There’s No Place Like Home” mobile education trailer; enjoy samples, music, and of
course, local farmers with produce, bison,
baking, maple syrup, honey and more.
Take a Flight to Italy with Blackfriars Bistro
& Catering on Thursday, April 22 at 6:30 pm.
The 4-course dinner and matching wines
features “regional Italian” fare. This special
dinner will be offered in the new Blackfriars
Downtown location at 200 Dundas Street
(no worries, the Bistro at 46 Blackfriars
Street remains open!) and seating is limited.
$69 per person. For reservations, call the
Bistro at 519-667-4930.
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
www.eatdrink.ca 45
In tourism-dependant towns many restaurants and businesses close up for the winter,
but now, feather dusters in hand, proprietors
from Pelee to Port Stanley, and from Kincardine to Kettle Creek are opening their doors
to the spring air. It’s time to navigate the
compass rose in our region, support our local
businesses, and have some fun doing it.
Bring the family to McCully’s Hill Farm
(www.mccullys.ca) for Horsedrawn Sugarbush Tours running weekends from March
13 – April 11. Every weekend enjoy a pancake
and maple sausage breakfast, see maple
syrup demonstrations, and visit baby lambs
and bunnies. Costs $6 per person, $20 family
of four, children 2 and under are free.
In Bayfield, Forager Foods is among those is
re-opening at the end of March, after taking
the winter months off. This year, Forager is in
a new location at 27 Main Street, also known
as the Martha Ritz House.
Stratford’s venerable The Old Prune
Restaurant (www.oldprune.on.ca) remains
a premier fine dining destination, but
Hessenland Country Inn re-opens for the
2010 season at the end of March. Guests
will be treated to newly renovated rooms.
The owners, Frank and Liz Ihrig, were very
busy over the winter replacing windows and
updating the bank of 13 rooms attached to
the main dining room. The Hessenland is
a popular spot for weekend weddings and
dining, about midway between Bayfield and
Grand Bend. Chef Frank draws large crowds
every Thursday night in the summer for his
popular Mongolian Grill nights, too. Book
early for the coming season!
The “Coffee Chicks” are keeping busy. Maria
Fiallos and Valeria Fiallos-Soleman, owners of Las Chicas del Café, will be running
a coffee tasting at Foodies, 13 Main Street in
Grand Bend, on Saturday April 24th, from
10 am to noon. The duo will be offering
samples and education about the different
varietals of coffee which they import from
their father’s farm in Nicaragua and then
roast and grind at their 207 Exeter Road
roastery location.
46
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issue no. 22
also maintains an intimate relationship
with the greatly respected Stratford Chefs
School and offers some of their own classes
too. Sommelier Peter Lavoie hosts wine
appreciation sessions at The Old Prune,
featuring a variety of unique wines from
private Ontario wine agencies. An evening
includes 6 to 8 samples of wine accompanied
by delectable foods and classes, limited in
size, sell out quickly. April 9 features Ontario’s
Best, April 23 features wines of British
Columbia, May 7 is for wines of Chile and
May 14 features Assemblage-The Blend.
Join Chef Bryan Steele at The Old Prune
for “A Taste of Spring” to learn cooking
methods and cook classic dishes from the
French and Italian repertoire. The Saturday
classes are hands-on and feature unusual
ingredients. Spring 2010 classes run consecutive Saturdays from March 27 – May 8.
Good comfort cuisine, décor and great
music is yours at Foster’s Inn (www.fostersinn.com). Hear Rob Szabo, a gifted musician with a soul of a poet, and singularly talented Matthew DeZoete in their dinner and
concert series on April 15th. Royal Wood, a
APRIL/MaY 2010
self-taught multi-instrument artist, creates a
romantic and nostalgic mood on May 20.
August’s Harvest’s farm located just outside
Stratford is still accepting members into
their Community Shared Agriculture
(CSA) program. Joining this CSA means you
will receive a basket of fresh, local, organic
vegetables and fruits once a week for 22
weeks from June to November. This keeps
your dollars local, your produce fresh and
helps the environment by reducing carbon
dioxide emissions. This program is available
to Stratford, London, Kitchener, Waterloo and
Cambridge. Call 519-393-5550 or 1-877-2721742, email [email protected] or visit
www.csaaugustsharvest.com for more info.
Chef Neil Baxter from Rundles Restaurant
(www.rundlesrestaurant.ca) leads weekend
cooking classes, a unique “hands-on” culinary experience under the guidance of one
of Canada’s most celebrated chefs. Dates for
spring 2010 classes are April 9–11, April 16–18,
April 23–25, April 30–May 2, and May 7–9.
Join Slow Food Perth County (www.slowfoodperthcounty.ca) for a morning of forag-
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
ing near McCully’s Hill Farm and Wildwood
on April 25. Guests will enjoy the fruits of
their labour with a local lunch prepared by
Chef Chris Woolf at Woolfy’s at Wildwood.
Take a step back in time and experience
local life as part of the Innkeepers’ Dinner
at Knox Church in Stratford on May 1. This
unique event provides both a taste and a
glimpse into the past as Innkeepers along the
Huron Tract attend the dinner, recalling life
in earlier times. Local heritage products are
incorporated into the menu catered by Sirkel
Foods. Live music adds to the character of
the evening in support of the Stratford Perth
Museum (www.stratfordperthmuseum.ca).
First Annual Empty Bowls Project, a hunger
awareness fundraiser on Saturday April 10,
invites guests to lunch provided by Stratford
chefs and local farmers between 11:30 am and
2:30 pm, served in bowls donated by Clay Café
and painted by local artists and community
groups. Cost is $12/person or $40 for a family of
4. For more information, call 519-273-3433.
Celebrate fresh and seasonal Delicious Stratford menus (www.welcometostratford.com/
delicious), at Stratford’s finest restaurants.
The chefs are recharging their menus and
invite you to sample their newest creations
and culinary ideas. Restaurants are offering 3-course lunches starting from $20 and
dinners starting at $35. Participating restaurants include; Bijou, Down the Street Bar
and Restaurant, Fellini’s, Foster’s Inn Bar
and Restaurant, Molly Blooms, Pazzo Ristorante, René’s Bistro, The Annex, The Belfry, The Church Restaurant, The Old Prune,
The Parlour, The Sunroom, Wildstone Bar
and Grill, and Woolfy’s at Wildwood. Special
menus continue through May and June, and
www.eatdrink.ca 47
will begin with a special event on Sunday,
May 2. The Delicious Stratford Launch will
feature afternoon nibbling at Delicious Stratford venues. Guests can stroll from restaurant
to restaurant sampling fresh new menus, with
each delicious bite paired with a local craft
beer or VQA wine. All proceeds will benefit
the Community Dinner Program at Northwestern Secondary School. For tickets, visit
www.welcometostratford.com/dine.
Chef Jordan Lassaline, formally the
sous-chef at The Old Prune and cookery
48
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issue no. 22
instructor at the Stratford Chefs School
is now the Chef at Pan Tapas & Grill on
Downie Street. Chef Lassaline’s focus is the
best of Perth County products. Pan Tapas &
Grill opens this spring with a 30-foot patio
directly across from the Avon Theatre in the
heritage district of Stratford.
Perth County Slow Food members and likeminded people are invited to join Slow Food
Socials, informal discussions about local
food and related issues and opportunities.
April 15th, 8pm, meet at Down the Street Bar
and Restaurant and on May 20th, 8pm, meet
at Molly Blooms. For a complete schedule,
visit www.slowfoodperthcounty.ca.
Stratford’s newest culinary guide will
be launched in late April. New restaurant
menus, culinary experience packages and
Epicurean Treks will be unveiled. Read Margaret Webb’s introduction to Perth County
farms that are opening their doors and share
their passion for food on the Epicurean
Treks. Sign up for in-depth cooking classes
with Stratford Chefs School students, learn
APRIL/MaY 2010
to make candy at Chocolate Barr’s, or experience artisanal cheese making at Monforte
Dairy. The guide can also be viewed online
at www.welcometostratford.com.
With just a little stretch, The Buzz reaches
out to embrace our wine-producing neighbours in the Lake Erie North Shore and
Pelee Island Wine Region. The Southwestern Ontario Vintners Association (SWOVA,
www.swova.ca) has 12 member wineries,
including Sprucewood Shores Estate
Winery in Harrow. On Friday, April 16 they
will be hosting their first “Salsa Into Spring”
party. What could be more fun than a night
of Latin food, free Salsa lessons, and hot
Latin music? Go to www.sprucewoodshores.
com to reserve tickets, as space is limited.
Pelee Island Winery invites visitors to
attend the 2nd Annual Southern Ontario
Wine & Food Festival, from April 8th to April
10th, at the Windsor Expo Centre, 1508 Walker
Road. Enjoy local entertainment, restaurant
cuisine and wine tasting from local wineries.
For details, go to www.peleeisland.com.
APRIL/maY 2010
From our “Sorry, We Stumbled” department:
Kantina Cafe and Restaurant, at 349 Talbot
Street in London, features fine Serbian cuisine (not Croatian and Bosnian as stated).
Kantina is now open for business, and The
Buzz has been hearing rave reviews about
their chef, and the quality of the food coming out of his kitchen.
Contact information for On the Move Organics (www.onthemoveorganics.ca) was accidentally edited out of our story on Jeff Pastorius last issue. In addition to finding Jeff at
the Western Fair Farmers’ Market in London’s
East Village, he can be reached at [email protected] or 519-719-7675.
Here at The Buzz we like to think that, like
Adolph Ochs, we publish “All The News
That’s Fit To Print.” But we can’t print it if
you don’t send it. Please forward any items
that would be of interest to our readership:
events, fundraisers, and culinary news from
the southwestern Ontario region. The column does not run advertising-related items
(very often). Send to: [email protected]
50
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issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
TRAVEL
A Cuban Odyssey: Casas and Cultura
By Susan Laneville
Hotel Inglaterra, Havana
L
ast night, I dreamed of Camaguey.
Actually it was more of a daydream,
but let me take you to the beginning
of my story.
My husband and I had long ago visited
Cuba, staying at one of the all-inclusives on
Varadero. But we had often thought of experiencing more of the real Cuba, which, since
Castro permitted legal “casas particulares”
in 1997, was a possibility. Casas are similar to
our bed and breakfasts, where one stays in
private homes with one’s own bedroom and
bathroom. Breakfast and dinner are usually
available for a reasonable cost.
After much research on the Internet and
reading every Cuban guidebook our library
could offer, we finalized our plans for a
three-week road trip.
We began our odyssey in Havana, staying
in Centro, which is between Vedado to the
west and Habana Vieja (Old Havana) to the
east, both within easy walking distance.
As our taxi neared our destination,
Claude and I looked at each other and
wondered when the neighbourhood
would start improving. We were driving by decrepit buildings, with washing
hanging out of windows, people sitting
on front stoops, and dogs everywhere.
Well, by the time we reached our
casa, one block south of The Malacon,
the 8 km long sea drive, nothing had
changed and we had our first moment
of doubt. However, once we rang
Susan with Casa hosts Rafael and Emma in
Camaguey, Cuba
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
the doorbell, we were welcomed into a foyer
replete with antique furniture and then into
a beautiful courtyard full of plants and vines,
with rooms opening off on three sides.
Cuban cuisine is inspired by dishes from
Africa, Spain and the Caribbean. Spices are
not extensively used, with onions and garlic
providing most of the flavour. Pork, chicken
and fish are readily available, but beef tends
to be reserved for state-owned establishments, as is lobster.
At the casa on our first evening our dinner, served by our host Luis Miguel,
began with a delicious potaje, black
bean soup, followed by a seasonal
salad, then fresh red snapper and
rice. We finished up with cafe
Cubano and the very popular flan,
a baked custard dessert. The following morning for breakfast, we each
enjoyed a glass of fresh juice with a
plate of fruit consisting of bananas,
pineapple, papaya (which in more
polite circles is called fruta bomba),
and guava. After the fruit plates, we
were served toast and omelettes with
coffee. This proved to be the pattern
for breakfast in subsequent casas we
visited.
Habana Vieja is the city’s historical
centre with four main plazas and architecture ranging from the beautiful 18th century Church of St. Francis of Assisi — now a
concert hall — to the fabulous art deco Edificio Bacardi, built in 1929.
If you are daring (some would say foolish),
street food such as pizza, ham and cheese
sandwiches or cajitas (little boxes filled with
a chicken and rice concoction) is available
for a few pesos of the local currency. A common sight on street corners is a vendor with
www.eatdrink.ca 51
a cart and portable grill holding a whole
roast pig. Bocaditos de cerdo are very tasty
pork sandwiches and yes, we did try them!
Home-cooked pastries are on offer, sold
from open doorways, and every afternoon,
lines would form outside the national chain
for the ever-popular Coppelia ice cream.
In Centro, but very close to the historical
district, we found a great place for a beer
or a glass of wine and a wonderful spot to
view passing parade of humanity. The Hotel
Inglaterra is located on the Paseo del Prado,
Casa in Santiago de Cuba
also known by its more modern name, Paseo
de Marti. Nearby is the Hotel Sevilla, where
Graham Greene is said to have written Our
Man in Havana. Enchanting as we found
the city, we would make one suggestion to
El Jefe: please enact a “poop and scoop” law!
Habaneros love their little dogs, and evidence of their presence is everywhere!
After five days in Havana, we caught an
early morning bus to our next stop, Cienfue-
52
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issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
An outdoor market in Camaguey, Cuba
gos. The city is located on a bay that opens up
to the Caribbean Sea to the south. The Perla
del Sur was founded by French émigrés from
Louisiana, and their influence is apparent
in the beautifully laid-out park surrounded
by classical buildings, including, strangely
enough, a miniature Arco de Triunfo!
Claude and I stayed in a waterfront casa
in Punta Gorda, which is about three km
south of the central area. Our suite included
a lovely private balcony overlooking the bay
where we enjoyed our meals. On our first
night, our hostess spoiled us with a delightful coq au vin style dish. We stayed three
days, and would have been happy to linger,
as every meal was memorable. Although
Demaris spoke no English and we only knew
a dozen words of Spanish, we managed to
communicate without too much trouble.
Next, on to Trinidad, just an hour and a
half away. Trinidad is a small colonial town
with cobbled streets and a beautiful beach
easily accessed by taxi. At Playa Ancon,
Claude enjoyed a dive along a coral reef
reached by a 1 km boat ride. The casa we had
booked was full — a common occurrence,
we learned. However, other accommodations were soon found and we were shortly
enjoying the popular mojito sitting on a balcony gazing out over old mansions and the
nearby Plaza Mayor. By happenstance, we
arrived in Trinidad in time for the Semana
de Cultura and were treated to soulful
Cuban music each night.
Our hostess, Barbara, prepared a meal
featuring a popular dish, lechon asada,
which consists of pork chops simmered in
lime juice, thyme and peppercorn and then
shredded. This was accompanied by a type
of tuber known as malanga.
After three days in Trinidad, we hit the
road once more for a three-hour bus trip to
Camaguey. The energy bars we had brought
from home proved invaluable on these trips,
especially if we left before breakfast!
It’s easy to get lost in Camaguey, with
its winding narrow streets and picturesque plazas, but it’s also called the City
of Churches and we always found our way
back to Rafael’s casa by the spire of the
impressive church close by. Our casa was a
lovingly restored colonial house with rooms
arranged around the patio, again with more
plants than one could count.
Like many Cuban households, Rafael’s
consisted of three generations. Here the
household included the abuela or grandmother, mother and father, and three children, one newly married with husband.
For our first dinner here, we once again
enjoyed fresh fish, served with a black bean
and white rice dish known as Moors and
Christians — for obvious reasons! Dessert
was a very sweet, heavily iced cake and a cup
APRIL/maY 2010
www.eatdrink.ca 53
issue no. 22
courtyard included a water fountain shaped
of strong Cuban coffee. Many times, we saw
like a sort of earth goddess, complete with
such cakes being delivered by bicycle, one
hand holding the platter while the other hand a resident turtle and numerous goldfish,
and a small shrine. In fact, we returned one
steered the bike!
afternoon to find
The following day
her sitting before
we headed for the
a Santeria priest
Gran Hotel, which
who was divining
offers a 5th floor bar
her future with sea
with a 360 degree
shells.
view of the city,
Although lobster
also a good way to
is illegal in private
get oriented. The
homes, one can
Mercado el Rio to
discreetly request
the south sells fruits
it, and our last
and vegetables, all
dinner here was
grown locally: lots
certainly a culinary
of braided ropes of
celebration, shared
garlic, onions, tomawith two fellow
toes and cucumbers,
travellers visiting
as well as strange
from France. This
root vegetables
was served with
and every kind of
fried plantain and
tropical fruit imagia tasty rice cooked
nable. The stalls
A street scene in Camaguey, Cuba
in broth, as well as
are all adorned with
soup and tomato-beet salad.
Che murals and ideological exhortations to
On our last day, we visited a small fishing
achieve victory.
village on an island, Cayo Granma. Here in a
Then, a six-hour bus ride to Santiago de
private home, we lunched on a fresh shrimp
Cuba. This time, our granola bars were supdish cooked in a simple tomato sauce and
plemented by freshly picked oranges bought
served with the ubiquitous rice.
from a roadside stall. Santiago is the city
Finally, on to Guardalavaca where we
where the Bacardi rum dynasty was founded,
finished up our holiday at Las Brisas Resort.
and from where, much later, Fidel Castro
Being an all-inclusive hotel, there was little
launched his revolution. There is a very disto do but eat, drink and enjoy the beautiful
tinct cultural feel here, being closer to Haiti
sandy beaches — a very different experithan Havana, and the African influence is
evident. Santeria, an African-Cuban religion, ence, and enjoyable in a different way.
which also includes musical traditions and
ritualistic drumming, is widely practised.
Maruchi, the charming owner of our casa, SUSAN LANEVILLE and her husband enjoy
travelling, and savour the culinary in tourism.
was a practitioner of Santeria. Her beautiful
“An oasis for food lovers”
David’s
bistro
432 Richmond St. at Carling • London
LUNCH Wed to Fri :-:
DINNER from pm daily
  
www.davidsbistro.ca
FREE PARKING
After 6 pm
off Queens Ave.
54
www.eatdrink.ca
TRAVEL
Coffee ... Guns ... and Social Justice
By Dave Cook
T
his was to be an article about food
travel, or maybe a food pilgrimage,
but it has evolved into something
very different. It is a story about
people. People wanting to grow and market
products co-operatively and the threats they
face in doing so. It’s about challenging the
status quo.
Traveling to “origin,” as it is called within
the specialty coffee trade, had been a dream
of mine for many years, and it’s one of the
quickest ways to really learn what goes into
the growing and processing of coffee before
it comes to North America. Sure, I had read
every coffee book I could get my hands on
and did the “resort” drive-by visits several
times, but I never immersed myself in the
culture as fully as possible. As a Fair Trade
certified roaster, I was always aware of the
conditions that were prevalent within the
industry that led to the creation of socially
responsible products, and I understood that
in many coffee-producing regions, it is a very
humble and challenging existence. Poverty
and lack of medical access, schooling, and
adequate shelter are all challenges still being
faced by many farmers and workers.
Early this year, we decided to visit the
coffee-growing areas of Guatemala. Flying into
Guatemala City with its volcanoes carving the
clouds was exhilarating. The sheer size of them
seemed to go on forever. We were very lucky to
be able to make the trip with a friend or ours,
Coffee drying in the sun, near Cerro de Oro,
Guatemala, with Lake Atitlan in the background
Luis Rivas. Luis was born in El Salvador and
understands the culture and speaks the language. This enabled us to start interacting with
the local people immediately upon landing
and head straight for the hills into the agricultural area toward Lake Atitlan. Our destination:
an organic co-operative called the CCDA, or
The Campesino Committee of the Highlands,
whose members grow and process a coffee
called Cafe Justicia (Coffee Justice).
Driving up the side of cliffs overlooking Lake
Atitlan, with bright red coffee cherries everywhere, it seemed the whole countryside was
alive with the harvest of coffee. The CCDA had
emerged during tumultuous times
of the civil war in Guatemala in the
1980s. Its direct purpose was to fight
for access to land and labor rights
for Mayan campesinos. This was not
without risk, and their organization’s
directors faced arrest, disappearance,
assassination threats, and exile.
Who is a campesino? A campesino
is a Spanish term for a farmer or farm
worker, but really means more than
this, as most campesinos are landless
and are farming mainly for survival,
rather than for profit. There were
many
events that contributed to the
Elvis Morales of Guatemala’s Campesino
Committee of the Highlands ( CCDA) civil war but the main one was access
APRIL/maY 2010
to land. In Guatemala, many campesinos
work for large landowners such as coffee
and sugar plantations in exchange for very
basic shelter and food, and at the very most
a small wage. When the commodity prices of
the crops fell, it became no longer profitable
to produce them. The farms became idle and
the campesinos lost the only option available
to them for a livelihood. Since a small minority of the population owned almost all of the
land, the majority of the people were without
employment and without access to land to
grow food for themselves.
Since these incredibly difficult and
dangerous times, the CCDA has greatly
expanded their land holdings, and has
increased the number of families actively
supported by the organization to 12,000
families. While coffee has been their primary
income crop, they are also developing markets for sugar, vanilla and macadamia nuts.
The coffee that becomes Cafe Justicia is
grown in the highlands around Lake Atitlan,
which has a cool climate and an elevation of
over 5000 feet. This makes it an ideal climate
for growing specialty coffee. The coffee that
we roast dark has a haunting sweetness, with
caramel overtones and a rich deep roast,
and has quickly become my absolute favourite of the 40 or so coffees we roast.
The CCDA’s success in growing the market
for their coffee is due to the fact that they
travel the world telling their story. They have
done an incredible job in Canada in making
us aware of the challenges that coffee growers face. In a recent speaking engagement
at Kings College, Lesbia Morales showed a
powerful video they produced about their
struggles. It is incredibly compelling, and it
was her message and the video that led me
to want to visit Guatemala and support their
cause. Check out the video at www.fireroastedcoffee.com/coffeevideos.html.
In visiting the beneficio (farm) where they
produce their coffee, I was struck by how
much this group has achieved with so little.
It is very unusual for groups in Guatemala
to have such facilities in such a strikingly
beautiful location. They were in the process
of building eco-lodges where people can
stay amidst the beauty and smells of the coffee harvest. The organic-certified beneficio
was built with much environmental forethought, such as waste-water filtering and
red wiggler composting of solid processing
waste. It was very apparent that there was an
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issue no. 22
incredible amount of pride in their achievements. When asked, almost all of the people
working at the beneficio said they used to
work on fincas (ranches) and now they run
their own.
We came away with a newfound friendship, an informal agreement to purchase a lot
of coffee — which was our first direct trade
relationship — and a much clearer understanding of the struggles that our producers face. It was hard to
express to people when
we got back the feelings
that this trip created — it
was very primal and it
was the first of many trips
to origin.
This amazing experience was incredibly
positive and enlightening
until this email recently
arrived from Steve Stewart of BC Casa, who was
an early CCDA supporter: Drying coffee beans
Dear All,
As some are already aware, the CCDA, the Mayan social
movement that produces Cafe Justicia and “Sweet Justice”
panela, suffered some serious attacks last week. On February
10, there was a break-in of the CCDA’s warehouse at their coffee
processing mill near Cerro de Oro.”
Thieves made off with 18,500
lbs – worth about US $37,000 – of
coffee that the CCDA were preparing to export to us here in Canada.
At that point, common robbery
was suspected, although the CCDA
was surprised at the casualness of
the thieves, who apparently took
the time to build a bonfire and sit
and drink beer and smoke during
the theft.
Three days later, however, notes
were delivered to the coffee mill
A coffee collection point
and to the CCDA office in Santa
Cruz Quixaya threatening to kill Leocadio Juracan, national
coordinator of the CCDA, and the main person responsible for
coffee exporting. The following day, a note was delivered to the
room his daughter Neydi rented in Guatemala City (she had just
begun university there — the first from her village), threatening to kill her, her two brothers and Leocadio. A few days later,
an activist in a peasant-native coalition the CCDA belongs to
(MISCG) was shot 17 times near his home in Huehuetenango. He
too had received death threats.
At that point the family went into hiding, accompanied by
two very brave Canadian human rights workers who helped
APRIL/MaY 2010
them get in touch with our embassy. The Canadian Embassy
staff’s behaviour was exemplary on this case, and within a few
days they obtained temporary visas for the family. The International Trade Union Confederation sprung for tickets, and this
Sunday, February 21, the family arrived safely in Canada.
Under the circumstances, the family could apply for refugee
status and obtain temporary government support for housing
and English language training. But Leocadio doesn’t want to do
this, because he believes that there is too much work left to do
in Guatemala. He plans for the family to return in a few weeks,
once things have cooled down.
For this to happen, we need
your help. Without international
pressure, the Guatemalan state and
police will do nothing to resolve
the problem that has forced Leocadio and his family into exile. However, letters from abroad can have
an important effect in convincing
them to act.
As you can see, sometimes it requires an
even greater effort than
purchasing fairly traded
products to create change. Unfortunately,
the problems that seemed in the past are
still very real for these Guatemalan coffeegrowers in their day-to-day struggles. Anyone
who believes in the right for people to grow,
harvest and market their
own crops is encouraged
to send a letter to the
Guatemalan government
to assist the people of the
Mayan highlands in carrying forward their plan
for social justice and
land reform.
Contact info can be found at
www.fireroastedcoffee.com.
We are also starting a petition
in our coffee roastery, which we
encourage people to drop by and
sign to assist the cause. Leocadio Juracan is scheduled to be
here for speaking engagements at our roastery right about
the time of this issue, and details will be found on the site as
well.
Visit the CCDA’s website at http://ccdamaya.free.fr/
english.htm
DAVE COOK is the owner of The Fire Roasted Coffee Company and manager of the Western Fair and Masonville Farmers’
Markets. He is a strong supporter of fair trade principles and is
passionate about local food.
APRIL/maY 2010
issue no. 22
www.eatdrink.ca 57
WINE
A Perfect Pairing for Spring
Reisling, and Glorious Asparagus!
By Rick VanSickle
E
very year, just like clockwork, tiny miracles pop up all over Ontario. Petite
green spears start bursting through
the muddy soil of our spring gardens
— asparagus, glorious asparagus! It’s the first
vegetable to show itself after a cold winter’s
slumber, and for foodies, chefs and wine lovers, it’s the official start of the spring culinary
season.
Ontario asparagus is plentiful in May and
June, and it’s always a mad dash to scoop up
the freshest asparagus you can find.
Asparagus is a wonderful and versatile
food that helps to build new red blood cells
and reduce the risk of heart disease. It’s also
a tasty vegetable that just happens to be a
perfect match for one of the greatest wines on
the planet — the wonderful Riesling.
And spring is the perfect time to enjoy both.
In Germany, it’s almost a ritual when the
“spargle” arrives. Festivals, restaurants, wineries, markets and home chefs pay tribute to the
white variety of asparagus, which is just green
asparagus that is grown without sunlight.
Only a small percentage of all the
asparagus grown in Ontario is of the white
variety. It’s considered a delicacy in Germany
and other European countries, and you may
find that it is more expensive than its green
cousin. It is slightly thicker in size (which
may require some peeling) but it also thought
to be milder in taste than green asparagus
and more tender, according to the Ontario
Asparagus Association.
White or green asparagus will work in most
recipes (a good selection can be found here:
www.asparagus.on.ca/). And it also holds
true when matching it to Riesling wine.
I was given an introduction to Riesling
and asparagus pairing during a whirlwind
trip to Germany during spargle (the German
word for asparagus) season a couple of years
ago. I still crave the flavour-packed white
spears smothered in butter or hollandaise
sauce, or the more elaborate methods of
wrapping the stocks in Black Forest ham or
other spicy meats. Of course, asparagus in
Germany is served exclusively with the off-
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issue no. 22
dry (sweet) style of Riesling that dominates
the wine regions. The racy acidity and
citrus fruits with residual sugar combine
to provide a perfect food-wine matchup.
We have the benefit of living in a province rich in asparagus and homegrown
Ontario Rieslings to match it with. But,
you can also try different styles from
around the world, including Germany,
to match with this spring delicacy. Here
are some to choose from:
Niagara Rieslings
Niagara is now producing world-class
Riesling. It is the one grape that shows
consistently well vintage to vintage.
Styles range from bone dry to super
sweet (Riesling icewine). But it’s in the
middle ground, slightly off-dry, where
the best Rieslings show their distinct
minerality, purity of fruit and zesty
flavours. Try these:
Cave Spring Estate Riesling 2008
(Vintages, $18). Cave Spring is the
benchmark for Riesling in Canada. It
simply has the most extensive program right
APRIL/MaY 2010
up to the iconic CSV Riesling. This is a midpoint wine that shows peach, citrus, mineral and petrol notes in a dry style.
Fielding Estate Riesling 2008 (LCBO,
$16). This represents everything that is
great about Niagara Riesling, with a generous nose of citrus zest, apple, orange
peel, honey and lime, which all follows
to the palate, adding a subtle bead of
minerality.
Henry of Pelham Riesling Reserve
2008 (LCBO, $15). This is another
very good producer of Riesling made
in myriad styles. The only hint of
sweetness comes from ripe applecitrus flavours. An intense style with
a nice, clean finish.
Pelee Island Riesling Dry 2008
($11, LCBO). We too often overlook
the great Lake Erie North Shore
and Pelee Island wine appellations
that stretch along the warm,
shallow waters of Lake Erie. This crisp and
APRIL/maY 2010
refreshing white is loaded with peach and
citrus fruit in completely dry style.
A zesty treat for a great price.
Château des Charmes Estate
Riesling 2008 (LCBO, $12). I’m
pretty certain you won’t find a
better Riesling for the price in
Niagara. This is made in a dry style
with a nose of flint, lemon-citrus
and apple. The lime and lemon
notes gush on the palate, backed
by racy acidity. This is made for
grilled fresh-water fish.
A Few International Rieslings
Trimbach Riesling 2007 ($20,
Vintages). One of my favourite
regions for Riesling is in Alsace,
France. The wines here tend to
be a bit more fleshy and substantial. This Riesling has a nice
mineral edge and peach notes
with the acid held in check. A
bolder style, but delicious.
Dr. Loosen Dr. L Riesling ($14, Vintages).
One of the most popular German
Rieslings in North America. This
is Loosen’s entry-level wine but
don’t let that fool you — it’s fruity,
zesty and a wine you can enjoy as a
sipper or paired with asparagus or
seafood. Versatile and delicious at
a great price.
Wynns Coonawarra Riesling
2008 ($17, LCBO). Fresh
aromas of lemon rind, citrus
and white flowers. This is
made in a bone-dry style
with zesty lemon-lime and
grapefruit flavours bolstered
by lively acidity. A bold
expression of the grape from
Australia.
RICK VANSICKLE is an avid
wine collector and freelance wine
writer. He writes a weekly column on Niagara wines
in the St. Catharines Standard. He can be reached at
[email protected]. You can also follow him on
Twitter @rickwine.
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issue no. 22
APRIL/maY 2010
BEER
Warm Patios and Cold Kölsch
By The Malt Monk
F
or the hard-core bierophile, the rites
of spring are punctuated by stolen
moments spent on a sunny patio.
Lighter fare such as pale ales, pilsners,
wheat beers, MaiBocks, Märzens and spicy
Saisons will soon embellish beer café menus,
LCBO shelves and brewery retail stores. But
this spring there will be a new and welcome
addition, with our first exposure to Kölschstyle ale. Kölsch is the original patio beer, but
has never been available in this market, to my
knowledge, and that’s a shame.
(marinated roast
beef), “Halver Hahn”
(a large rye bun
stuffed with aged
Gouda and onions),
and “Hämcher” (poached
ham hock in sauerkraut).
Kölsch History
Kölsch has its origin in the northern Rhineland
City of Köln (Cologne, in English). This ancient
city has been a trade centre since Roman
times and was a significant brewing centre
gifted with soft carbonate brewing water and
advanced malting technology. Historically,
Cologne’s indigenous ale was a widely soughtafter trade commodity popular in much of
northwestern Europe. The Kölsch Konvention
of 1986 saw the Cologne brewers’ guild put a
trademark restriction on selling beer made
outside Cologne as “Kölsch.” Later, the EU
made Kölsch a protected designation of origin
— if it isn’t from Köln, it isn’t authentic Kölsch
and it can’t legally be marketed as “Kölsch.”
The Kolsch Style
Kölsch is one of three original archaic German ales still being made. The other two are
the copper-nutty Altbier from Dusseldorf,
44 kilometres downriver from Cologne and
spicy-fruity-dry Bavarian Weissbier. The
Cologne style of lagered pale ale has its
admirers outside EU authority, and many
North American craft brewers make a Kölsch-styled ale. Kölsch is essentially a palecoloured, refined, delicate German barley
ale. It’s lightly fruity (apple) in the nose with
a soft non-mineral palate from soft Köln well
water and a delicate dryness in the finish
from German hops (generally Tettnanger
or Hallertauer) and small percentages of
malted wheat. It’s brewed with top fermenting yeast at warmer ale temperatures,
then cold-conditioned like a lager for several
weeks. It has a smooth, crisp, well-balanced
finished character and great drinkability.
Kölsch Culture
Modern Cologne has a culture based around
the beer and foods unique to the city. Many
hours are spent in “kölschkneipe” (corner
Kolsch bars/patios) drinking the Kölsch
ale being hustled about the tables by
“köbes” (traditional beer waiters
uniformed in white and blue)
carrying a krantz (a round serving tray) filled with “stangen”
(cylindrical 200 ml glasses) of
Kölschbier. The Köbesse (plural)
keep the beer coming, replacing your
empties with full stangen until you
place the beer mat over the mouth of
the glas s. The kölschkneipe also serve
many foods meant to complement Kölsch ale,
such as “Kölsch Kaviar” (a sort of local black
sausage with onion rings), “Rievkooche”
(grated potato cakes), “Rhenish Sauerbraten”
Local Kölsch Offerings
Beau’s Lug Tread Lagered Ale (LCBO
#73296 and on tap at better craft beer cafes).
We are fortunate to have a new craft brewer
offering a world-class Kölsch-style ale in the
Ontario market. In respecting the trademark restrictions of the Kölsch Konvention, Beau’s do not brand their
beer as Kölsch (although the
beer is a Kölsch in almost
every aspect except the brewing location). In “Beau’s Lug
Tread Lagered Ale,” they have
created Cologne-style Kölsch
using natural organic malts and
authentic German hops. The
water in the brewery’s locale also approximates Cologne’s soft water. I have sampled
Beau’s excellent Kölsch-style ale many times
in the past few years, although I’ve never had
APRIL/maY 2010
the luxury of sipping on this locally or on
my back patio. But the folks at Beau’s have
informed me that they will be in London area
LCBOs some time this spring, and Milos at
Chancey Smith’s says that he will have it on
tap as soon as it is available.
My most recent sample of Beau’s put a
lightly hazed pale gold ale in the glass with a
proper 6 cm frothy white cap. The aroma has
a light graininess, subtle apple/pear tones,
light musty-woody tones from Hersbrucker
hops — very dulcet aromas, true to style. Soft
rounded mouth feel, delicate flavour and perfect balance, smooth delivery, crisp finish. It’s
delicate in complexity, has top-tier German
ingredients. Try some and you may throw
your favourite pilsner out of the beer fridge.
Malt Monk’s Beer(s) of the Month
A tie this month. Not often does a single
brewer have two seasonal beers out that get
my recommendation, but Neustadt Springs
has two that are must-tries. You can find them
in cans at the brewery or on tap at Chancey
Smith’s or the King Edward in Ilderton.
Neustadt Springs 456 Märzen — Märzen is traditionally brewed in March and is
the forerunner of Oktoberfestbier. It’s a rich
full-bodied amber lager usually served with
festival foods. Neustadt has made a very good
seasonal offering here, which approximates
the Munich Marzen style, but with a unique
difference. This is a flavourful presentable
rendition with rich Marzen character, good
drinkability and a unique twist — the hop
bite in the finish is from New Zealand noble
hop varieties. Top flight effort! Enjoy it while
you can — it will go fast.
Neustadt Springs Texas Tea Stout — This
stout taps a deep opaque black with a smallish
sticky mocha cap. Aroma is pungent with roast
grains, cocoa and a honey note just below the
grassy-spicy hops. Rounded mellow character, chewy mouth feel, big roasty-cocoa-malt
with an underlying tangy honey note which is
pleasantly detectable but nowhere near cloying. A long finish punctuated with roast cocoa,
some char astringency and a spicy hop bite.
This is a unique take on a traditional sweet
(milk) stout, with local unpasteurized honey
substituting for the lactose usually used in
these sweet stouts. Another decent offering
from this craft brewer.
THE MALT MONK is the alter ego of D.R. Hammond,
a passionate supporter of craft beer culture.
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issue no. 22
APRIL/MaY 2010
THE LIGHTER SIDE
New and Improved?
The contemporary picky eater
By Sue Sutherland-Wood
W
hen it comes to discussing the
“Picky Eater” in the family,
most parents have a few stories
to tell. Whether it’s extracting
individual raisins from a muffin, only eating
cheese with a “z,” or making sure that peas
and potatoes never rub shoulders on the
same plate, the Picky Eater knows exactly
what he wants — and doesn’t want! But there
is a new, kicked-up version of the Picky Eater
in our midst — the young discriminating
eater from a generation who’ve been raised
with celebrity chefs, the Food Network, and
the notion that it’s no big deal for sushi to be
made fresh at the grocery store.
None of this is a bad thing, of course; we
want our children to eat organic foods if and
when we provide them. We want them to have
a balanced diet and hopefully to enjoy foods
from a broad nutritional and ethnic spectrum.
And for mothers especially, there’s a
certain feeling of accomplishment
and nurturing when our families
eat well, since the act of preparing
food is essentially an act of love.
But sometimes I wonder if I’ve
gone too far when I hear comments
such as: “This is okay, I guess — but
wouldn’t it be better homemade?” or “I
prefer the meat sauce just slightly smoother.
Did you use the whizzer stick on this?” Or
how about — my personal favourite — “Tea
biscuits are best right out of the oven. I don’t
really like them the next day.”
Experts usually counsel at this point —
yes, often on Food TV — that getting the
family involved with meal preparation is key.
My eldest son and I got this concept rolling
all by ourselves nearly 20 years ago, when I
came to the startling realization that he was
fascinated by Pasquale’s Kitchen Express.
My infant son would be transfixed as the
Italian chef chopped, sautéed and occasionally launched into sudden, stacatto bursts of
opera whilst I enjoyed a crafty cup of tea and
a much-needed sit down. (All right, it was
sauvignon blanc, and sometimes I sang with
Pasquale, but the show aired at 4 p.m., so no
judgment please….)
Weekly shopping expeditions taught
my son the names of all the different pasta
shapes, and soon he was helping to make his
own sauce at home and even pilfering the
fresh basil from the garden, for a little snack.
Ah me, but these were idyllic times.
Son number two arrived. Pasquale was no
longer in the afternoon spot. Now there was
Nigella Lawson. My young sons both adored
Nigella and years later still do — although
I’m still not sure how much this devotion
is linked to her recipes. In any case, we all
learned about late-night fry-ups and the
economy of emptying post-party wine into a
container for future marinades.
Food is a keenly social issue for kids, and
birthday menus for the eating elite can be
especially problematic. We finally settled on
Hebrew National hot dogs. Both of my
young sons took an almost personal
reassurance in the brand’s slogan
(“We answer to a Higher Authority”)
and what they felt was an implied
immunity from a regrettable “knob
and tube” experience in their hot
dog pasts. As I set out the usual
condiments for the guests — ketchup,
French’s mustard, relish, dill pickles, fried
onions — I asked companionably if everyone had what they needed.
A clear, bright voice came from across the
room: “I’d love a grainy Dijon if you have it.”
I think my jaw slackened. How did Noel
Coward get in without an invite? But no! One
of my son’s friends, an avid hockey enthusiast, just happens to prefer Dijon, and to my
delight he felt comfortable enough to say so.
And that is how I came to realize that kids
really do find other friends just like themselves and it’s all very, very wonderful.
SUE SUTHERLAND-WOOD is a freelance writer
who also works in the London Public Library system. She lives
in London with her teenage sons and a floating population of
dogs and cats.