London - eatdrink Magazine

Transcription

Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario
FREE
www.eatdrink.ca
PLEASE TAKE ONE
CUPCAKE
CULTURE
in London
Volker’s in Hyde Park
in London
Raja Fine Indian Cuisine
in Stratford
The Telegraph House
in Port Stanley
Creative
Cities,
Creative
Restaurants
Issue  • March/April 
City Pleasures and Country Charms converge in Stratford
Search for the place where the finer things in life align with the
tranquility of nature, and you’ll discover the jewel that is Stratford.
Stroll past award-winning gardens and historic homes or down by
the river where majestic swans glide. The pomp of the theatre, the
cuisine of the finest, innovative chefs, the treasures waiting to be
claimed, the quietude of nature. Getaway to Stratford.
Your spirit awaits.
March
5 - 8 Stratford Garden Festival
7
Cooking at The Old Prune (weekly to May 2)
14
International Dinner Series – Russia- Foster’s Inn
14
Live at City Hall – J.P. Cormier
17
International Dinner Series – Ireland – Foster’s Inn
27
Wine Enjoyment at The Old Prune (weekly to May 1)
28
International Dinner Series – Morocco – Foster’s Inn
April
3 - 5 Stratford Spring Home Show
5
Annual Swan Parade
11
Stratford Shakespeare Festival begins – West Side Story
18
Stratford Civic Orchestra Concert
19
Organ and Choral Recital – St. John’s Church
25
Live at City Hall – Jack De Keyzer
26
Stratford Concert Band at the Movies
www.welcometostratford.com
CONTENTS
TRENDSPOTTING

London’s Cupcake Culture
By MELANIE NORTH
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
6

Creative Cities, Creative Restaurants
By BRYAN LAVERY

RESTAURANTS
Volker’s in Hyde Park, in London
By MELANIE NORTH
15

KITCHENS
Mama’s Pasta
By ANN McCOLL

RESTAURANTS
Raja Fine Indian Cuisine, in Stratford
By CECILIA BUY
SPOTLIGHT

Where’s the Beef? At Metzger Meat
By JANE ANTONIAK
20

RESTAURANTS
The Telegraph House, in Port Stanley
By MELANIE NORTH
SPOTLIGHT

Bon Appetit, Mr. President
By CHRIS MCDONELL
33
34
NEW & NOTABLE
The BUZZ
Compiled by CHRIS McDONELL
BUZZ
SPOTLIGHT

From Columbia, With Love
By CHRIS MCDONELL
TRAVEL

Exploring Italy, Family Style
By CHRISTINE SCHEER
45
50
COOKBOOKS

The Art of Simple Food and Select Recipes
By JENNIFER GAGEL
BOOKS

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
By DARIN COOK
WINE

Food Pairing in Napa-Sonoma
By RICK VanSICKLE
BEER

Cream Ale is Like the Girl Next Door
By THE MALT MONK
52
THE LIGHTER SIDE

A Cook’s Life: Part II
By DAVID CHAPMAN
eatdrink
™
RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
A Food & Drink Magazine Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario
www.eatdrink.ca
» A virtual magnet for all things culinary
— read the interactive magazine online, find restaurants, read reviews and much more.
» At your request, we can send you an “advance notice” email when a new issue is out
— more recipes, photos, stories and links.
Publisher
Chris McDonell — [email protected]
Office Manager
Cecilia Buy
Advertising Sales Director
Diane Diachina — [email protected]
Advertising Sales Representatives
Jane Antoniak — [email protected]
Nancy Abernethy — [email protected]
Brad Arthur — [email protected]
Telephone & Fax
519 434-8349
Mailing Address
London Magazine Group
525 Huron Street,
London ON N5Y 4J6
Editorial Advisory Board
Bryan Lavery
Chris McDonald
Cathy Rehberg
Copy Editor
Jodie Renner — www.PolishedProofreading.com
Graphic Design & Layout
Hawkline Graphics — [email protected]
Ann Marie Salvo — [email protected]
Website
Milan Kovar/KOVNET
Printing
Impressions Printing
St. Thomas ON
News & Feedback
[email protected]
Contributors
Bryan Lavery
Cecilia Buy
Christine Scheer
Chris McDonell
Rick VanSickle
Ann McColl
Melanie North
Jane Antoniak
Jennifer Gagel
Darin Cook
David Chapman
David Lindsay
Copyright © 2009 eatdrink™, Hawkline Graphics and the writers. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or duplication of any material published in
eatdrink™ or on eatdrinkmag.net™ is strictly prohibited without
the written permission of the Publisher. eatdrink™ has a circulation
of 10,000 issues published monthly. The views or opinions
expressed in the information, content and/or advertisements
published in eatdrink™ are solely those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily represent those of the Publisher. The Publisher
welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for
unsolicited material.
march/april 2009 • no. 15
always more online @ www.eatdrink.ca
5
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Spring Is In the Air
By Chris McDonell
A
s comedian Steve Martin once
observed, “a day without sunshine is
like ... night!” It’s been a dark and
gloomy winter, with discouraging economic news a daily occurence. Today, however, the sun is shining and the birds are
singing with gusto. A little good news goes
a long way in 2009. To all the culinary businesses and professionals out there: Make
sure you share your highlights with us so
that we can pass them along.
I thought the best news in the past few
months was the election of Barack Obama
as U.S. President. So I’m pleased to have a
picture of him in this issue. Elgin County
Chef Jonathan Collins had the privilege of
cooking for Obama recently and he shares
the distinctively Canadian menu with our
readers. It sounds good to me! Online,
we’ve got a recipe for one of the dishes.
Likewise, our online edition has another
recipe from Alice Waters, whose The Art of
Simple Food book is reviewed here. We’ve
found room in print for a few more stories
than usual, though. We hope you enjoy the
additional content.
Remember to support quality businesses,
with your wallet, as we get over this economic hump. Eat well!
All the best,
6
no. 15 • march/april 2009
TRENDSPOTTING
Oooooh — They’re so cute!
London’s Cupcake Culture
By Melanie North
T
he cupcake craze has taken hold —
and why not? Those delightful bites
of confection, now in limitless gourmet flavours, are a perfect antidote to the
doom and gloom of both the weather and
the economy. They are playful and hip at
the same time. For a time almost exclusively relegated to kids’ birthday parties,
the hit show Sex in the City elevated them
to trend status when elegantly designed
cupcakes from The Magnolia Bakery in
New York City were featured on an episode.
The origins of the cupcake seem to lie in
convenience. Kitchens in the 1800s saw a
switch from time-consuming measuring of
ingredients by weight to the ease of using
measuring cups. According to the Food
Timeline Website, a batch of cupcakes
required one cup of butter, two cups of
sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs, one
cup of milk, and one spoonful of soda. They
were also easy to bake in small containers
that took much less time in the ovens than
a large cake. Commercial cupcakes take
their origin from the Hostess Chocolate
Cupcake that went into development in the
United States in 1919. It was a convenient
and sinfully delicious treat, just big enough
to satisfy without the guilt.
London cupcakeries have embraced
the trend and offer a treat that’s tasty
and fun. Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes,
at 316 Horton St. East, was the first
cupcakery in London. They have
recently added a kiosk operation
at Masonville Place. Owners
Connie Hartley and her son
Steve Domjancic have developed
a true cupcake experience.
Hartley, who is in charge in the
kitchen at the back of the shop,
bakes the cupcakes from scratch,
using her own recipes. Domjancic
is in charge of operations and
marketing. He says, “I think the cupcake is
popular because it’s a cake for one. It’s
individualized and more personal, and
people like the detail and the quality.”
Names like Chai Cream Electric Slide,
Vanilla Chocolate Hootchy Kootchy,
Lemon Funky Chicken, Chocolate Banana
Fox Trot and Vanllla Skor Fandango conjure up delightful images. With 15 basic
cakes, including vanilla, chocolate, apple,
carrot, lemon coconut and pumpkin, Razzle Dazzle offers 75 variations. The price for
a single cupcake there is $2.60 plus tax, and
$29.95 per dozen. They use the highest
quality ingredients, for example Jelly Belly
jellybeans, and top-quality
flavourings for their buttercreambase icing. Steve says
they are just
scratching the
surface.
Glutenfree
The Chocolate Banana Fox Trot
cupcake from Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes.
and diabetic cupcakes are among future
offerings, and he is developing a grand
marketing scheme that will make going to
Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes like “stepping into
a fairytale story.”
Over at Hey, Cupcake! at Oxford and
Wharncliffe, owners Krista and Heath Trollope started their operation up in December. Krista, formerly an accountant, had
been baking cakes in her home for years for
friends, family and special occasions. Krista
and Heath’s new business is truly a “mom
and pop” operation. Krista bakes the cupcakes, so everything is made fresh on the
site, and Heath helps at the counter. “What
sets us apart are our filled cupcakes,” says
Heath. The Lemon Meringue cupcake is a
vanilla cake filled with lemon curd,
then topped with
real meringue.
S’mores have graham cracker bits mixed in
with the cake batter, which is then injected
with a creamy marshmallow filling and
topped with milk-chocolate buttercream
icing and three tiny roasted marshmallows.
Heath says, “Our biggest problem at the
moment is selling out. The response has
been totally humbling. We have developed
a strong appreciation for our customers
and we try to live up to their expectations.”
Cupcakes here are $2.89 plus tax and $32.99
per dozen.
Covent Garden Market also has a cupcakery called Sweet Cakes London, owned
by Kendra Gordon-Green. She first came
across the cupcake phenomenon five years
ago on a trip to Vancouver and was
intrigued. “We bake anyway [at the Red
7
8
London’s three
dedicated
“cupcakeries” offer
a wide variety
of creative
interpretations of
the classic cupcake.
Sweet Cakes
London (left),
makes choosing,
whether it’s one or
a dozen, a delicious
challenge.
Roaster, her longstanding business] and so
I thought it would be a good addition to
London and we had the available space at
the market.” Over the
last several years,
she’s been developing the concept, the
logo and the flavours.
Sweet Cakes London
offers classic cupcakes for $2.75 plus
tax, $30 per dozen,
and their feature
cupcakes are $2.25$3.75 each. The cupcakes are baked at a
nearby nut-free facility. Sixteen classic
flavours are offered daily and there is a
monthly feature with a “neat flavour and a
theme.” February was the snowman cupcake, and March is lemon ginger. Kendra
says “People literally can’t help but stop
and look and it brings a smile to their face.
They have to buy six because they can’t
decide. People will treat themselves to
small delights.”
All of London’s cupcakeries are happy to
fill custom orders for special occasions
such as corporate events, weddings and
family celebrations, and even “thank-you”
boxes of cupcakes. Cupcakes are indeed a
treat for all ages. As one customer said,
upon leaving Razzle
The Vanilla Dazzle with her box of
Chocolate Chip cupcakes, “I’m so
Hoochie Koochie, excited to eat these!”
from Razzle
Dazzle Cupcakes.
The Strawberry Cream
Cheese Swing cupcake, also
on the magazine cover, is from
Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes.
9
MELANIE NORTH is the editor
of CityWoman magazine and a
seasoned communications professional. She has experience in
broadcast TV, corporate video,
website development, communications strategy, writing and editing. She can’t cook, but
loves to eat!
Hey Cupcake!
275 Wharncliffe Rd. N. at Oxford, Unit 200,
519-433-CAKE
Razzle Dazzle Cupcakes
316 Horton St. and Masonville Mall
519-936-4772
Sweet Cakes London
Covent Garden Market
519-667-1751
10
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
Creative Cities — Creative Restaurants
Embracing Culinary Culture
By Bryan Lavery
O
ne would think the degree to which
we take our restaurant community
for granted is evidence of a thriving
and healthy restaurant culture. However,
this kind of naiveté does little to ensure
your favourite restaurant will still be there
the next time you decide to return.
As 2008 came to a close, the fine-dining
sector in Ontario experienced a sizeable
drop in customer traffic. This, combined
with lower average checks, resulted in a 14.6
percent reduction in spending in this sector.
Many restaurant professionals divulge
that they are noticing the effects of the
challenging economic climate and have
been motivated to make changes to ensure
their restaurants remain attractive and
affordable to their clientele. Tough times
mean the difference between making and
losing money, and restaurateurs are discussing tactics to keep the wolf from the
door. Strategies include stepped-up advertising, editing and revolutionizing menus,
switching to alternative lower-cost offerings, trimming prices and adding inducements like prix fixe menus.
The restaurant business is a challenging
way of life, and one that even the most dedicated and talented professionals are often
ill-equipped to endure. Restaurateurs are a
hardworking lot, but this business is legendary for its high turnover and burnout
rate. The reality is it takes more than tenacious determination and open-minded
optimism to succeed in this competitive
and labour-intensive field, especially during difficult economic times.
Pessimistic pundits insist on invoking
the economic downturn with comparisons
to the great depression. But not Richard
Florida, urban studies theorist and Creative
Cities advocate, who views recent economic events as a realignment and natural
restructuring of our financial system.
At a recent student-to-business conference at the London Convention Centre,
Richard Florida spoke to an audience of
post-secondary students and business
leaders about the economic impact of the
creative class in the community. Florida is
best known for his research in developing
the concept of the creative class, and its
effect on urban renewal, which he has
articulated in a series of bestselling books
and lectures. As well as thinkers, innovators
and decision-makers, the creative class
includes artists, chefs, writers, musicians,
designers, architects, gallery owners,
restaurateurs and others who contribute to
the creative vitality of the city.
Hospitality and the culinary arts have
always been an important and integral part
of a creative city. This fact is among the
many reasons that it remains important to
advance our local food culture and to recognize that promoting our culinary identity
greatly contributes to the overall community and local economy.
Hospitality and tourism, once among the
fastest growing sectors in Ontario, are
experiencing tougher times. Yet culinary
tourism is on the rise with an increasing
demographic of travelers who design their
trips, excursions and holidays with food
and drink as their principal focus and to
satisfy a preference for regional cultural
experiences and culinary knowledge.
The Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance
(OCTA) is the industry-driven network
advancing and promoting the province’s
ten-year Culinary Tourism mandate. OCTA
is dedicated to positioning and branding
Ontario as an international destination for
culinary tourism.
Promoting dialogue between growers
and producers, on the one hand, and chefs
and restaurateurs, on the other, facilitates
the development of new culinary tourism
experiences and ensures a sustainable food
culture. OCTA is the organization advancing efforts in research, education and product development to build infrastructure for
culinary tourism.
OCTA, at www.ontarioculinary.com, is
the virtual farm-to-fork and vine-to-wine
business collaboration network. The information you exchange through this site will
help your organization while building
capacity for culinary tourism in Ontario.
Interestingly, in 2008, the glossy promotional magazine My Ontario, published by
the Ontario Marketing Partnership,
devoted a mere three sentences out of 132
pages to tourism in London. While we’re at
it, let’s not forget the snub from the tiresome and poorly researched Where To Eat
in Canada, whose editors appear to have a
long-standing indifference to dining establishments in this city.
Locally, Tourism London caters primarily to a membership that is required to pay
for the privilege of promotion, and its mandate does little to encourage or honour our
culinary sector. Tourism is one of the main
focuses of the city’s administration that
chooses to actively promote and position
London as Canada’s premiere centre for
sports events and competitions. Another
mandate of Tourism London is to book
31,000 room nights annually in London
hotels, which is commendable but only
speaks to a small segment of the hospitality
industry.
London has a culinary history that I am
able to date back to 1860. The city offers a
diverse and sophisticated selection of multi-
cultural culinary experiences. There is a
growing recognition of local and artisanal
food services, and a number of well-known
accredited chefs, cooks, teachers and lecturers are advancing the local culinary culture.
Tourism London needs to be encouraged
to cultivate our culinary excellence and
recognize us as a quality culinary destination in a unique agricultural region.
I know from personal experience that
many restaurants rely on tourists to survive.
I have not forgotten the tremendous slowdown in tourism as a result of 9/11, the 2003
blackout and fallout from S.A.R.S, the PR
nightmare of mad cow disease, and the
once-frequent American tourists who are
now reluctant to travel beyond their borders.
In Stratford, the restaurant community is
more closely integrated into the community’s overall approach to tourism. Even to
the untutored eye, Stratford reveals a
poised authority when it comes to culinary
matters. The landmark triumvirate of the
Church, Old Prune and Rundles Restaurants has cemented Stratford’s reputation
as a stellar international culinary destination. These unique and distinctive establishments have thrived, prospered and
metamorphosed, making Stratford a serious destination for culinary tourism.
Although not the only culinary game in
town, this trio has stood the test of time
and, alongside the Stratford Chef’s School,
has been instrumental in putting and keeping Stratford on the epicurean’s map.
The Stratford Tourism Alliance seems
eager to work in partnership with all participants of the tourism industry and places
11
particular emphasis on promoting the city’s
innovative cuisine. Last year, Danielle Brodhagen, the program development coordinator with the Stratford Tourism Alliance,
spearheaded the idea of Savour Stratford.
Savour Stratford proved to be an extremely
successful two-day culinary event in collaboration with the Stratford Tourism Alliance,
The Perth County Visitors Association, The
Stratford Chef’s School and Slow Food
Perth County. This event, which was also
promoted on the Tourism London website,
brought together local farmers, artisanal
food producers, chefs, cooks, artists and
writers and culminated in a month-long
celebration in participating Stratford restaurants featuring local products. Other
regional tourist boards like Elgin and Huron
Counties are actively formulating regional
strategies and developing culinary tourism
in their regions.
I think it is fair to say that London restaurants have a tradition of standing independently and succeeding with little
outside help. The exception to this rule is in
London’s city core, where support, mentoring and recognition come from incentives
and programs provided by MainStreet London. MainStreet London is the nonprofit
organization funded by the London Downtown Business Association and the City of
London. Its mandate is to help revitalize
buildings, improve streetscapes and
façades, and implement a variety of programs and special initiatives designed to
improve the downtown area.
I can’t help but think that there is a
missed opportunity that other communities big and small have capitalized on.
Other innovative cities have leveraged their
vibrant and strengthening restaurant communities in ways that have benefited their
restaurants and the greater community.
Among notable examples are Toronto’s signature culinary events like Winterlicious,
the restaurant prix fixe promotion portion
of the Winter City Festival, as well as the
very popular Taste of the Danforth event.
The enormous popularity of A Taste for
Life, a very successful annual restaurantdriven fundraiser to benefit the Aids Committee of London, speaks to the fact that
Londoners do support organized dining
experiences. The popularity of some of the
multi-cultural festivals also indicates the
attraction power of the food community.
In London, the restaurant community
has been seldom valued for its economic
and cultural contributions or the entrepreneurial vitality that supports and infuses
our city.
Our downtown core has the highest concentration of owner-operated casual fine
dining restaurants in the city of London.
The proximity of these restaurants to major
hotels, the Convention Centre, the John
Labatt Centre, the Grand Theatre, performance halls and most of London’s outdoor
festivals has contributed to a uniquely
diverse downtown dining culture.
12
Speaking of downtown London, the story of
restaurateur/entrepreneur, Rob Taylor,
owner of Braise Food and Wine, and
recently one of the five finalists for the VenturePrize London Business Plan Competition (sponsored by the collective efforts of
the London Economic Development Cor-
“An oasis for food lovers”
David’s
bistro
432 Richmond St. at Carling • London
LUNCH Wed to Fri 11:30-2:30
DINNER from 5pm daily
519 667 0535
www.davidsbistro.ca
FREE PARKING
After 6 pm
off Queens Ave.
poration, the Small Business Centre, Tech
Alliance and Stiller Centre for Innovation) is
an inspirational story of a creative business.
The VenturePrize Competition celebrates
London’s entrepreneurial culture and
acknowledges the role that independent
businesses perform in our economy. For a
restaurateur to be in the top five with other
businesses is prestigious and translates to
serious recognition of Taylor’s astute business acumen and hospitality expertise.
Braise is the main floor complement to
Metro, the boutique hotel currently under
development at 125 Dundas Street. Braise is
an exceptional undertaking and is on par
with some of the most prestigious restaurant
projects in larger, more cosmopolitan cities.
The creativity and experience of Taylor’s
chef, Dan Geltner, a Montreal native who
trained in France and is formerly of Bar
Boulud in New York, also indicates the
quality, sophistication and calibre of this
project. The kitchen at Braise will showcase
regional and international cuisine using
organic, local and natural ingredients.
Old East ’Hood
Much has been said recently about the
resurgence of Old East Village, with the
announcements of two proposed condo
developments and its designation as a heritage district. Inevitably, more residents
attract more destination businesses to a
district. Savvy entrepreneurs know that in
order to succeed, they need access to their
target market, and with a growing residential base in this east-end neighbourhood,
we are starting to see unique owner-operated business openings again.
“A sacred place
where we
celebrate life
and each
other with
joy, warmth,
good food
and drink.”
www.mykonosrestaurant.ca
13
The front counter
of the East Village Coffeehouse
The Saturday Farmers’ Market at the
Confederation Building at the Western Fair
Grounds is now under the ownership of
Dave Cook, an original vendor of the market and owner of the Fire Roasted Coffee
Company (roasting and selling over 70
brands of coffee). The Saturday Market is
helping to solidify the character of the
community and provides a popular gathering space for its residents and visitors. New
small independent vendors and some longtime London mainstays provide a muchneeded injection of artisanally produced
prepared foods and products, and give us
the opportunity to experience a variety of
cuisines from diverse cultures. Be sure to
try the Nepalese dumplings, for example.
In the springtime, we will see a marked
increase in the amount of local produce
and products when the outdoor farmers’
market returns.
Well positioned because this ’hood is
where a lot of London’s creative and artistic
community lives, The East Village Coffeehouse, a gallery/café with a laid-back vibe,
opened on Dundas East to an appreciative
mykonos
restaurant and takeout
Garden Patio
Open Daily
Original
me of the
Ho
Bringing
GREECE to
London for Over
Years
30
We Host Parties • From  to  • We Know How!
English s
 adelaide street, london
p
i
h
C
--
&
Fish
Monday-Saturday: am-pm • Sunday: am-pm
14
The Wisdom Tea Shop in London’s Old East Village
audience six months ago. From a cultural
perspective, coffeehouses traditionally
serve as hubs for community interaction,
providing customers with a place for conversation, light food, games and musical
entertainment. The very hospitable East Village Coffeehouse offers all of this in spades.
The sibling team of Linda Wayne and
Glenn Kiff, former professors who share a
passion for embracing culture and community, took a tired, dilapidated space and
turned it into an exciting space with a
unique personality that is an expression of
the owners’ combined creative sensibilities
and hard work. “This about as far as you
can get from commercial capitalism, which
is all about the hype,” says Linda.
There is no sign, just a small art nouveau
inspired poster in the front window and a
bright pink A-frame on the sidewalk. The
coffeehouse is located down the street from
the Embassy Hotel, which is to be torn down
to make way for one of the condo developments in the area. Steps from the Aeolian
Hall and a block and a half from the Palace
Theatre, the coffeehouse is well situated.
The décor is distinctive and identifiable
as homage to the art deco period. A 1930s
stylized pendulum wall clock sets the
mood, with red, black and silver accents on
the counter, red lacquered table tops and
chairs, and a colour palate that includes a
purple/blue hydrangea-coloured classic
tin-tiled ceiling, and periwinkle and lemongrass walls featuring oil paintings commissioned by the brother and sister duo. The oil
paintings, which are for sale, are predominately art nouveau and art deco inspired
works of Vietnamese artists whom Kiff met
while teaching English in Vietnam.
The blackboard menu prices are a reasonable reflection of the quality and the cost of
the ingredients. The artisanal approach to
the ratatouille, a garlic-scented eggplant
casserole, and a variety of delicious
quiches,(savoury sweet potato being a
favourite), might be perceived to be a bit
more upscale than you would expect to find
in a coffeehouse, but it reflects the diversity
of the neighbourhood and the sustainable
philosophy of the owners. The food is locally
sourced, the coffee is from The Fire Roasted
Coffee Company, teas from the London Tea
Company, and you can even purchase
organic flour produced by the Arva Flour
Mill. Eclectic menu offerings include
lasagna, spanakopita, Jamaican patties,
samosas and a variety of salads and desserts.
The Wisdom Tea Shop is another example
of Old East landlords taking the ultimate
plunge by opening their own business in
their own building. The zen-like tranquility
of the tiny shop’s atmosphere provides a
welcome oasis at the corner of Dundas and
Adelaide Streets. The shop offers a selection of more than 85 varieties of the freshest and most exotic loose-leaf teas. You can
arrange for a tea tasting for groups of six to
eight people by reservation. Occasionally
the shop is used as a nonsectarian centre
for meditation practice in the Buddhist tradition. For additional information, see their
website at www.wisdomteashop.com.
I can’t help but think that if we all decide to
become penny-pinching, stay-at-homecooks, when the economy strengthens, our
favourite restaurants might no longer exist.
Although we are unable to keep the entire
fine dining restaurant scene alive singlehandedly, what we can do is patronize and
support the restaurants and staff that have
been significant to us in the past. In these
tough economic times, we need to sustain
and uphold the creative vitality of our culinary community. BRYAN LAVERY is a well-known local chef, culinary instructor and former restaurateur. As eatdrink’s “Food Writer at
Large,” Bryan shares his thoughts and opinions on a wide
spectrum of the culinary beat.
15
RESTAURANTS
Out of the Boardroom, Into the Kitchen
London’s Volker’s on Hyde Park
By Melanie North
I
t was with great pleasure that I recently
met with Volker Jendhoff, owner and
chef of Volker’s on Hyde Park. With his
wife, Christine (who is Manager, Front of
the House), Jendhoff purchased the Hyde
Park restaurant formerly known as The
Horse and Hound almost nine years ago.
A world traveler, as many chefs are, European-trained
Jendhoff has been in charge of a wide
variety of large-scale establishments: the
Hilton Hotel in London, England; a casino
on the Promenade Anglaise in Nice,
France; a cruise ship with Holland America
Lines; the Calgary Tower; and The
Bayshore Westin in Vancouver.
How did he end of up Canada? Even as a
child growing up in Germany, Jendhoff was
interested in Canada. He always liked the
idea of it and remembers reading books
about Canada that talked about places like
“Great Slave Lake” and it seemed like a
romantic adventure to go there. He remembers visiting the Canadian Consulate in London to fill out forms and be interviewed. “I
went to the interview in this office. The man
had a great big desk and behind him on the
wall was a huge map of Canada. He asked
me where I wanted to go and I picked
Toronto. He was somewhat dismayed and
asked if I would consider Regina. I asked
him to show me on the map where Regina
was, and I really couldn’t imagine being in a
place that small and far from everything. I
had worked in very large cities in Europe
and that was what I was used to. We compromised and I settled in Calgary, which
was really a cow town in those years.”
After one summer in Calgary, Jendhoff
moved to the Bayshore Westin in Vancouver, and in 1984 came to London to the
Hilton – with 700 rooms and located
halfway between Detroit and Toronto, he
thought it would be a challenging opera-
tion and
agreed to take
it on. He
bought a
home and
settled into
London with
Christine
whom he’d
met here in
Canada, and
several dogs
and cats. FolChef Volker Jendhoff
lowing his 15year term at the Hilton, Jendhoff’s next
move was to the Savannah Hotel, a resort
hotel on the southern coast of Barbados.
His wife was reluctant to pack up the pets
and move south, so he returned to Christine and London and decided to take some
time off and plan his next move. After turning down an offer to work in a major hotel
in Moscow, he discovered that the Horse
and Hound was on the market, and the
rest, as they say, is history. This is Jendhoff’s
first experience as an owner/operator and
he likes it. It’s his passion to be in the
kitchen, not the boardroom.
For the first four years of operation, Jendhoff kept the “Horse and Hound” name, but
he decided to rebrand in 2004 and changed
Volker’s at Hyde Park, 1269 Hyde Park Road
16
A stately staircase rises opposite a wall of awards.
the name to Volker’s on Hyde Park. The
Olde English atmosphere gave way to subtle
changes in the interior — a more modern
palette of paint colours, white table cloths,
and a separation between the formal dining
spaces and the more casual “study” atmosphere of the back room with its curved bar
and fireplace. There are a total of seven
rooms, each with seating for anywhere from
ten to thirty-two.
It’s been quite a journey for Jendhoff,
going from a teenaged schoolboy in northern Germany to overseer of large hotel food
and beverage operations. One of his uncles
had a furrier atelier (workshop) in the hotel
district of Bad Kissingen, a famous spa
town in Northern Bavaria. From the windows of the atelier, the uncle could look
down into the windows of the kitchen of a
nearby hotel and see all the cooks and
chefs with their tall white hats working
away. He said to Jendhoff, “Why don’t you
become a chef? You can travel the world.”
“Being a young man, the idea of travel
was very exciting,” recalls Jendhoff. “And so
I became an apprentice in a major hotel
there.” Jendhoff’s training included the
local cuisine, but was dominated by French
cuisine and French service. Each dish had
its own silver platter and waiters wore tuxedos. It was normal in Germany, at the time,
for both wait staff and chefs to apprentice
for three years and then do exams — verbal, written and practical — in order to
become licensed. “A Chef’s trade in Europe
is hundreds of years old,” says Jendhoff.
“When I came to Canada it was not really
recognized as a profession.”
Now that Jendhoff is his own boss, what
does he like to do best in the kitchen? “I like
to work with seafood. It’s one of my preferences, something I enjoy. Fifty percent of my
menu here is seafood and I feature it everyday. It’s creative to work with, you can spice
it with curry or grill, serve it with salsas.”
Right now, of the nine appetizers he has on
the menu, five highlight seafood, including
lobster, shrimp, Blue Point mussels,
Malpeque Bay oysters and Smoked Norwegian Fjord Salmon. Entrees also showcase
Jendhoff’s love of seafood: roasted monkfish
in a curried mussel broth; New Brunswick
Seafood Boil, which contains salmon,
shrimp, sea scallops, blue point mussels and
calamari, and is simmered in an aromatic
fish broth with white wine; grilled butterfish
with a sweet and sour grape-tomato salsa;
and Atlantic shrimp and sea scallops.
For produce, when in season, Jendhoff
gets heirloom tomatoes from a small
grower just outside of London, duck from
Everspring Farms in Ilderton and peppers
and fingerling potatoes from Ailsa Craig.
He also uses Ontario venison, and lamb
from either Ontario or Alberta.
Jendhoff’s favourite ingredients, he
admits, are fresh herbs. “For sure I like the
small punch of fresh herbs. They have more
flavour than dried.” He is also freshobsessed when it comes to garnishes and
uses micro-greens like pea tenders and sorrel leaves to add a special touch to a dish.
“I really describe my style as global cuisine,” says Jendhoff. “What I like to do is
some Caribbean and some traditional
French, but using lighter sauces so there is
a modern twist on the traditional.”
Asked what his biggest influence has
been, Jendhoff recalls, “My very first chef,
who was Belgian, was tough, but I learned a
lot about classical cuisine. It wasn’t so
much a specific cuisine, but local cuisine
under French influence. He taught me
technique and leadership. There were
25–30 cooks in the kitchen and everyone
was always respected, even the dishwashers and apprentices. I admired him. He was
always as fair as he could be.
Jendhoff’s life is very different now. What
does he miss the most about a large venue?
What he doesn’t miss is the meetings. He’s
moved from large venues to a small-scale
establishment, from large cosmopolitan
cites to London, and Hyde Park, and from
an army of staff to a few. “I like the cooking
and I get to do that now. As Executive Chef,
I was always managing, doing the accounting, going to tons of meetings. It was terrible. But this is my passion, not my hobby
and it’s a lot more fun. I was Executive Chef
for over 35 years and you become “corporate.” I’d had enough, and I thought there
must be something better. At my last meeting, 28 of us met at the table, and I just got
impatient, so I made up my mind to leave.”
Jendhoff has no regrets. He has done
things that a lot of people would love to do,
but being his own boss is gratifying. He and
Christine work well as a team. Of course he
has responsibilities, “but I make my own
decisions and there are definitely NO
MORE meetings!” Volker’s on Hyde Park
1269 Hyde Park Road, London
519-472-6801
www.volkers.ca
17
The dining rooms offer
subdued elegance.
lunch
tuesday thru friday — 11:30am till 2pm
dinner
tuesday thru saturday — 6pm till 10pm
sunday brunch
11am till 2:00pm
MELANIE NORTH is the editor of CityWoman magazine
and a seasoned communications professional. She has experience in broadcast TV, corporate video, website development, communications strategy, writing and editing. She
can’t cook, but loves to eat!
Elegance & Simplicity
• Cabinetry
• Vanities
• Countertops
• Millwork
It’s a feeling. When
craftsmanship of
cabinetry meets the
detailing of hardware,
it creates a symmetry
of elegance and
simplicity that just
feels right.
From Roy Thomson
Hall and the John
Labatt Centre to
many fine homes in
London, integrity of
design has been the
hallmark of our work
for over 45 years.
Call or visit our
showroom for a
consultation.
CONTINENTAL
CABINET
COMPANY INC.
519.455.3830
547 Clarke Road (Between Oxford & Dundas)
Showroom Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-Noon
www.continentalcabinet.com
18
KITCHENS
Mama’s Pasta
By Ann McColl | Illustrations by David Lindsay
I
experienced freshly made pasta for the
first time at Il Ristorante Cesarina in
Pasta Machine
Rome on, March 16, 1978 with my husband David. I remember the date because
as we walked past the news vendors’ stands
on the Via Veneto that night, the headlines
cellophane package can come close to the
broadcast in bold print that former Prime
nourishing, velvety smoothness of properly
Minister Aldo Moro had been kidnapped
by the Red Brigades. Once seated under the made egg pasta. It is a mother’s embrace —
and as easy to give.
stone arches at a white-draped table in a
All you need is a flat surface — the
corner of “Mama Cesarina’s,” we felt safe.
counter top is fine — a fork, and a cut-down
Even in the midst of national turmoil,
homemade pasta can sooth and nourish. A broom handle or a long, narrow pasta
rolling pin. In the centre of the space, pile
dignified matriarch in a black silk dress
one and one-half cups fine Semolina flour
with a snowy white starched bib apron,
or hard wheat (Durham) all-purpose flour.
Mama herself approached us with a plate
It is easier to start with this small amount
of spinach tortellini in a light béchamel
until you get the mixing technique down.
sauce, a perfect primo. As our veal chop
Add a pinch of salt. Twirl your finger around
cooked over red embers shaken from the
in the centre to make a crater like the top of
glowing coals of the grilling fire, I studied
Vesuvius. Drop in two medium-size eggs at
the array of pasta shapes in the glass case
room temperature. Use the fork to swish
on our left. Who could have made these
them with the surrounding flour, supporthundreds of intricately cut, expertly
ing the sides with your
twisted, painstakingly stuffed pieces of
other hand, until you
pasta? I found out
Pasta Rolling Pin
gradually amalgamate
the next day.
all of it into the eggs
Early the following
and you have a sticky ball
morning, I returned to the
of dough. If it refuses to
restaurant for a book I had left the
hold together, dab on a
night before. Seven or eight waiters were
very few drops of water.
seated around one of the largest round
Sprinkle the board lightly with flour and
tables, like women at a quilting bee, cutbegin a vigorous ten minutes of kneading,
ting, stuffing and folding the pasta for that
until the ball of dough is smooth. Cover it
night’s servings. It was being handkneaded and rolled at a long floured trestle with a bowl so that you and the pasta can
both take a ten-minute break before the
table by Mama. This timeless scene,
rolling begins.
repeated in countless Italian kitchens,
Apply pressure along the elongated
raises basic meal preparation to an art
form. Italy has a different pasta for each day wooden pin, rolling in all directions until a
of the year. It is their gift to the world. Dono thickness of one-eighth inch is achieved.
Keep going until it is almost as thin as a
means the art of giving; donna means
dime. Let it have another rest for fifteen
woman. This common root expresses the
minutes. Give it a gentle rub with flour
nurturing associated with the
before folding the sheet over and over into
Italian mother and the plenty that flows
a four-inch wide long flat roll. Cut into onefrom her kitchen. No dried pasta from a
19
quarter inch strips, shake them loose, and
wheels and kneading boards to charts illusyou have fettuccini. The flat dough could be trating the origin of pasta shapes (tortellini
fashioned into ravioli by
was inspired by Venus’
using a partitioned tray or
navel). One room is filled
a crimped press or cut in wide
with giant industrial equipPasta Fork
strips for lasagna.
ment, from an eighteenthThis time-honoured process can be
century stone grinding mill to
updated by whirling the flour and eggs in a a massive steel machine that can churn out
food processor, then passing the resulting
over three hundred intriguing shapes. I was
ball through the rollers of a steel tabletop
most impressed by the ancient manuhand pasta machine. When it is thin
scripts from Sicily that dated production
enough, proceed to one of the two cutting
from 1154 and the transportation by ship
blades. A customer once brought me in a
of pasta to Muslim and Christian counphotograph of her threetries. There is nothing like free trade for
year old son turning
the exchange of all manthe handle to make
ner of good things. noodles.
Once you have
mastered the making
ANN McCOLL is a London-based
of pasta, be careful
writer and an inveterate world
not to ruin it by overtraveller with her painter/photocooking. Fill a pot, larger than four
grapher husband DAVID LINDSAY.
Ravioli Cutter
quarts, with water. Once it comes to
For 30 years, they owned and operthe boil, add salt, then drop in your fresh
ated Ann McColl’s Kitchen Shop, fondly remembered as a
noodles a handful at a time. Watch the pot
fine example of how to blend commerce and culture.
come back to the boil, then give it four or
five minutes until you see your pasta float to
the top. Use a long wooden fork to gently stir
it and to lift up strands to check if it is done
to the point where you can bite through with
a little resistance. Don’t let it get mushy!
Note that commercial pasta takes twice as
long to cook.
Restrain yourself from burying your masterpiece in buckets of tomato sauce. Try
“A Unique Cafe”
one of the other 364 recommendations,
such as olive oil, minced parsley and garlic;
or butter, parmesan, nutmeg and walnuts;
or cream and cubes of ham.
Customized Menus
Italians are proud of this culinary gift to
All Occasion Catering
the world of an inexpensive, balanced food,
and they admire those who have the skill to
Homemade Entrees
prepare, serve and eat it wisely. China,
and Desserts
Korea and Japan serve sustaining noodle
Eat
In and Take Out
soups; Greece does avgolemono with verYour
Dish or Mine!
micelli; Matzo noodles float in chicken
broth; but only in Rome will you find a
museum devoted to the history and manufacture of pasta. In an elegant Renaissance
palazzo near the Trevi Fountain, the Museo
Nazionale delle Paste Alimentari traces the
evolution of pasta back through the centuries. Exhibits range from ancient cutting
Comfort Food ...
Made from Scratch
•
•
•
•
•
20
RESTAURANTS
Fit for a Prince
Dining at Raja Fine Indian Cuisine in Stratford
By Cecilia Buy
Z
afar Quazi journeyed a long
way before ending up in
Stratford, Ontario. From his
Bengali home, Zafar traveled to
the Ukraine to study civil engineering. Between-term jobs in
London, England led him to abandon that profession for a new passion — the restaurant business.
With his Ukrainian wife, Olena,
and their young daughter, Zafar
moved to Great Britain. They
opened their first restaurant in
Inverness, capital of the Scottish
Highlands. Three years later, the
family decided to move to “the
Crisp white linen and deep red walls create a regal ambiance.
land of opportunity” — Canada. This
or business groups. The washrooms are
expression is not just a cliché to the Quazis,
but a firmly held belief, borne out by experi- accessed from a bright and comfortably
furnished anteroom. Raja also enjoys an
ence. Their initial enterprise was in Brantoff-street patio. In the busy theatre season,
ford, followed by a second restaurant,
all 138 seats are usually filled, and turned
Tandoori Grill, in Fergus. While there, they
realized that there was a potential market in over two or three times.
Of course pretty looks alone do not a sucStratford for Indian cuisine. Raja opened on
cessful restaurant make. The kitchen at Raja
George Street nearly three years ago.
The several months spent renovating the is staffed mostly by Indian chefs that Zafar
hires from his native country, who, while
premises probably raised some Stratford
experienced in producing Indian cuisine,
eyebrows, where the citizens are used to
are also capable of adapting that cuisine to
seeing the high hopes of would-be restauaccommodate our western preferences. (He
rateurs dashed on the rocks of reality. But
no longer works in his own kitchen, but
Raja was a success from the get-go. And
shares front-of-house duties with Olena, to
part of that success is no doubt due to the
ensure that the style and service in the dindécor: tables are covered with crisp white
ing room stay up to snuff.)
linen and set with sparkling glassware and
In a previous issue of eatdrink (March,
cutlery; they sit on polished granite floor2008, available on-line at www.eatdrink.ca),
ing and shine against the deep red walls
Bryan Lavery offered an in-depth discusand dark woodwork. Daylight filters
sion of Indian cuisine and its permutations.
through draperies of gauzy, embroidered
Rather than reiterate that here, let me just
Indian fabric. The restaurant has two dinprovide a description of the foods you
ing areas. The main room contains a bar,
might enjoy at Raja.
and about half of the tables. Further back,
The beverage menu is extensive. Martinis
and down a few steps, is another room,
are popular, and the menu offers an exotic
similarly well appointed, a little brighter.
twist on tradition — the mango martini.
This space is often used for private parties
21
North Americans tend to like beer with
(not the common insult to youth: this
their Indian food, and here you can choose includes Chicken Tikka). There are also
from a selection of domestic and imported pre-theatre menus to ease the what-toproducts, including the Indian lager Kingchoose dilemma (and not incidentally
fisher. Zafar himself prefers wine, and has
speed the dining experience).
built a list to appeal to most tastes and
Raja is open seven days a week, year
budgets, from the ubiquitous Yellow Tail to round, for lunch and dinner. Summer on
a vintage Barolo (Cabutto, Tenuta La Volta, the patio sounds inviting, but right now is a
2003). Non-alcoholic drinks include lassi,
good time to enjoy the restaurant without
in sweet, salty and mango versions.
the crowds. If you need further incentive,
Upon arrival, diners are provided with
consider this. When other Stratford chefs
poppadoms and a selection of sauces and
are asked where they dine on their
chutneys, from sweet to spicy, to stave off
evenings off, the name that comes up again
starvation while perusing the menu. If you
and again is “Raja.”
can’t make up your mind about the appeAnd for London diners who don’t forage
tizers, go for the selection. Two of everyfar afield, here’s a spicy tip: Zafar and Olena
thing, served sizzling hot.
are planning a new venture, The Raja, to
There are a number of flatbreads availopen this spring, on Clarence Street.
able to accompany the meal, all freshCanada offered the Quazis “opportunity.”
baked in the restaurant’s tandoor (clay
They have given us Raja. I think that’s a fair
oven). Consider the Peshwari Naan, layered trade. with almond paste, and providing an interesting counterpoint to the main dishes.
After salad or soup (the menu includes
10 George Street West, Stratford
mulligatawny), choose from chicken,
519-271-3271
beef, seafood or vegetarian dishes,
A recipe from www.rajafinedining.ca
which range from mild to very spicy: Raja is on the
hours of operation
from Butter Chicken, boneless, marinext page mon to thurs: noon to 10:30pm
nated in yogurt and spices, barbecued
fri & sat: noon to 11pm
in the tandoor, and served in a creamy
sundays: 1pm to 9pm
tomato sauce, to the very spicy Vindaloo —
lamb or beef.
CECILIA BUY is a writer and designer who has enjoyed livAmong the desserts is a selection of pret- ing and dining in London and area for the past 17 years.
tily-presented fruit sorbets, certainly a
refresher after all that taste-bud activity.
If your youngsters aren’t yet ready for
Rogan Josh, Raja offers a children’s menu
Martinis are popular but it is the traditional
Indian food that sets Raja apart from the rest.
22
www.eatdrink.ca
Recipe courtesy of
Stratford
Prepare to be
enchanted!
Peshawari Naan
3 cups (750 ml) bread flour
1 cup (250 ml) milk
one small egg, beaten
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
salt to taste
STUFFING
Combine the following to make about 1
cup of stuffing: almonds, dried apricots,
raisins, flaked dried coconut, 35 cream,
sugar
1 Sift the flour in a large bowl and add all
the other ingredients except the stuffing .
2 Mix the dough and add lukewarm
water until it comes together as a soft
dough. Knead well. Place it back in the
bowl, cover and let it rest on the
counter for about 4 hours.
3 Meanwhile, place the stuffing ingredients in food processor; grind into a
coarse mixture.
4 Knead the dough again, sprinkle with
a bit of flour, roll it out into a small circle and put the stuffing in side.
5 Bring the edges together, press it
down, and roll it again into a tear-drop
shape.
6 Heat the broiler. Top the naan with
some butter and place under broiler.
(In our restaurant we make it in our
special clay oven tandoor.)
7 Once brown spots start appearing,
turn it over and repeat the process for
the other side. Serve hot, spread with
some butter.
“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.
I savour Stratford’s every delectable moment.”
— Marion Kane, Food Writer
(Dish: Memories, Recipes and Delicious Bites)
www.marionkane.com
/PENßYEARROUNDßß
ß
ßß
ß
WINTERßHOURSßFRIßßSATßPM
ß
ß
ß ß
ß
ßERIEßSTREETß\ßSTRATFORDß
ß
ß
ßß
ß
ß\ßBIJOURESTAURANTCOM
ßß
Pearl Sushi
JAPANESE
RESTAURANT
Chef Bud Park
 Downie Street, Stratford
--
www.pearlsushi.ca
8FNBLFCVUPOFUIJOH
BOEXFEPUIBUXFMM
i$"/%:u
Z Z Z U K H R W K R P S V R Q FR P
ɝ ɝ $OEHUW6WUHHWLQ'RZQWRZQ6WUDWIRUG
Ǯ Ǯ
2SHQ0RQGD\WR6XQGD\
WWW.FOSTERSINN.COM
111 D o w n i e S t r e e t , S T R AT F O R D 1- 8 8 8 - 7 2 8 - 5 5 5 5
Just steps away from Theatre
Tea Heaven Worth the Drive to Stratford
Bring this ad to our store
and receive a
15% discount
on tea only
Offer Valid Until May 31, 2009.
Limit one discount per customer.
DISTINCTLY TEA Inc.
18 York St., Stratford
519 271-9978
Wholesale
3998 James St., Shakespeare
519 513-0315
www.distinctlytea.com
Exclusive limited-time offer!
Buy any show, get
your second 25% off
2009 Season
April 11 to November 1
Macbeth
West Side Story
Cyrano de Bergerac
Paul Nolan and Chilina Kennedy. Photo by David Hou.
West Side Story
With Chilina
Kennedy
Paul Nolan
Based on a Conception of Jerome Robbins
Book by Arthur Laurents Music by Leonard Bernstein Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Entire Original Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerome Robbins
Originally Produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince
By Arrangement with Roger L. Stevens
Production Co-Sponsors
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Importance of Being Earnest
Julius Caesar
A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to the Forum
Three Sisters
Bartholomew Fair
Ever Yours, Oscar
Phèdre
The Trespassers
Rice Boy
Zastrozzi
Call today
and quote
promotion
code 26952
1.800.567.1600
stratfordshakespearefestival.com
This offer is personal, non-transferable and subject to ticket availability. 25% discount applies to the lowest price tickets in the order. Excludes group orders (15 tickets or
more for any one performance date). Not valid on previously purchased tickets, on exchanges or in combination with any other offer. Offer expires May 15, 2009.
25
SPOTLIGHT
Where’s the Beef?
Metzer Meat Products
By Jane Antoniak
W
here’s the beef? In Hensall,
Ontario — and well worth the
drive to Metzger Meat Products,
according to plenty of chefs who rave about
the superior beef and pork products found
here. Uber-busy butcher Gerhard Metzger
took some time out from running his
impressive (and meticulously clean)
slaughter house and processing/packaging
plant to show us around and explain why
so many people (including my picky
teenagers) think his AAA Angus beef and
homegrown pork are so tasty.
At 43, Metzger is a lean, high-energy
machine of a man who has managed the
tricky combination of old-world butchery
skills and new-age technology and recipes.
He bought an aging Mennonite sausage
plant in 1990, after arriving in Canada with
his parents and siblings two years earlier.
He had worked on the family farm for a few
years, and decided to make Canada his
home too, so he began to create one of the
few start-to-finish meat
production operations in
Ontario, hanging onto traditions yet looking to the
future with an open mind.
You can rest assured that
his meat is properly dryaged and contains no
fillers. Yet he also is willing to toy with
exciting new flavours and techniques, producing more than a dozen different
salamis, including jalapeno, chipotle and
pizza — or any other new flavour his chefs
or customers may dream up. Don’t care for
pork? Try his handmade beef bacon. Looking for something new to put between the
bread? How about prosciutto salami that
has spent a year curing in his plant? It is all
part of his philosophy to provide start-tofinish meat processing under one roof.
“We don’t
want to give up
Butcher Gerhard Metzer
the traditional
ways,” explains the German-born and trained butcher. “But we also want to apply
new techniques. We have made improvements over time and slowly we grew larger
and larger. We wanted to take our time and
do it right. I believe in and understand the
connection between farming and production, which gives us valuable insight into
our start-to-finish attitude,” says Metzger.
The finished product more than speaks
for itself. Whether it’s a cut of beef destined
for the slow cooker (which recently fed my
sports-playing teens, to their immense satisfaction) to a premium cut of beef destined for the plate at some of our
higher-end establishments, such as The
London Hunt Club, FINE in Grand Bend, or
the Benmiller Inn in Goderich, Metzger’s
meats consistently draw rave reviews. His
secret? Mostly, he knows where and how
his meat is grown. Brother
Matt Metzger operates the
family pork farm in nearby
Dashwood, which produces
a cross breed of Berkshire
pork with their own landraised York breed. Metzger’s
beef is grown in Hensall by a
long-time local family producer. Fresh
slaughtering is done weekly in small quantities in the plant, as the first step in his
continuous flow operation, which he
added in 2002. The business is now 7,000
square feet and employs ten people plus
family members, including his wife Heike,
who operates the retail store.
His other secret is the way the plant operates. Metzger is fanatical about temperature
controls and the proper movement of the
meats through the system. There is a curing
26
room for pickling ham, bacon, prosciutto and
salami. He uses only fresh ingredients and natural spices such as fresh garlic and parsley when
creating salamis. The processing rooms allow for
the cutting of sausage and the production of their
own ground meats, depending on demand. “It is
our style to be very flexible, and with the way we
are set up, we can make different products and
change all the time,” he says. He believes in dryaging his beef for up to 21 days. He is aghast at the
practice of liquid injections into meats and is
firmly against fillers of any kind.
There is also a drying room for salami where
various products rest from ten days to a year. He
does water tests before putting these products out
for sale. Next to it is the smoking room, which
runs on a variety of wood chips he imports from
Poland and the United States to create a smooth
flavour.
No wonder so many chefs turn to Metzger for
their meats. He does ship out across the region
from Goderich to London with his own truck.
And the personal consumer can shop at his wellstocked retail outlet where Heike is happy to
hand out cooking tips – such as how to create a
superb slow cooker roast by adding some of their
homemade demi-glaze to the pot. Their customers come from as far as Windsor and Toronto,
looking for European specialties or to stock up on
quality meats. In fact, the Metzgers see their business as recession-proof these days, noting an
increase in January sales over last year, perhaps
as people cook at home more often. And he is
hopeful that his chefs will continue to prosper as
well.
“I see that people are doing more things
locally, including supporting good quality,
higher-end restaurants. I see from our sales that
Valentine’s Day was excellent for our restaurants
and our retail store. So, I hope the consumers do
their part by continuing to spend on quality
foods!” Metzger Meat Products
180 Brock Ave, Hensall ON
519-262-3130
www.metzgermeats.com
monday to friday: 8am to 6pm
saturday: 8am to 3pm
JANE ANTONIAK is a London-based writer and operates Antoniak
Communications.
Explore
Ontario’s
West Coast
Visit the
eatdrink
booth at the
Women’s
Lifestyle
Show
March 21 & 22
(London Convention Centre)
and enter a draw
for a
West Coast
Getaway
Weekend for 2
Two Nights Accommodations
including Breakfasts
Saturday Night Dinner
Theatre Tickets to a Show
“It’s a matter of taste”
Catering Available
A
Featured in Where to Eat in Canada
& Toronto Life Magazine
[email protected]
120 Court House Square, Goderich, ON N7A 1M8
519-524-5166
Explore
Ontario’s West
Coast
and the towns that lead to
the beautiful
Lake Huron Shore
GRAND BEND
BAYFIELD
GODERICH
PARKHILL
F.I.N.E.
A Restaurant
Serving
luncH
&
dinner
...
Seasonal hours
...
reservations
recommended
519-238-6224
42 ontario Street S., Grand Bend
www.finearestaurant.com
The Little Inn of Bayfield
A Real Country Inn... In a Heritage Village... On a Great Lake
/5
4 = 4@= = 2 A 3 @
svsbm/!mpdbm/!gsfti/
Regional Homegrown Products …
Fresh Meats and Cheeses
Prepared Meals
— frozen or ready for the BBQ
Catering Services
1-800-565-1832 www.littleinn.com
7-2 Main St S (Hwy 21),
Bayfield ON
Coming Events
March 27-29 Modern French Cooking Class
March 28 New Zealand Wine Dinner
April 11 “Megalomaniac” Wine Dinner
April 18 California Wine Dinner
519 565 4866
[email protected]
www.foragerfoods.ca
Lobster Fest! Fridays in May
Communities In Bloom “Prettiest In Town” Award
Recommended in “Where To Eat”
Eat Smart Award of Excellence
Spirit of Success 2009 Hospitality Award
Our Chef Terry Kennedy creates fine cuisine using the
freshest, seasonal and local ingredients. Our beautiful
Victorian house offers the perfect setting to enjoy lunch
or dinner with excellent food, wine and service.
80 Hamilton Street, Goderich, Ontario | 519.524.4171 | www.thymeon21.com
"We’re proud to be
supplying retail
customers and chefs
with top quality local
Angus beef and
superior local pork,
plus a wide variety of
smoked meats, cold
cuts, sausages and
salamis.”
Gerhard
 Brock Avenue,
Hensall ON
Metzger
Retail Store Hours
Monday to Friday 8am-6pm
Saturday 8am-3pm
www.metzgermeats.com
519-262-3130
30
RESTAURANTS
Perch and Eggs in Port Stanley
The Telegraph House and The Pineapple Dining Room
By Cecilia Buy
O
pen the front door to the
two-storey Victorian yellow brick Telegraph
House in Port Stanley, and you
are instantly welcomed by a
warm breath of hospitality. Built
circa 1875, the Telegraph House in
its present form consists of a Bed
and Breakfast and a restaurant,
The Pineapple Dining Room.
Pineapples, the New England
symbol, of hospitality, are abundant in many forms: displayed on
shelves, designed into lamp
The Telegraph House, Port Stanley
bases, and on the menu. The
colonial cream colour of the walls
translates as a beautiful yellow that
greens come from Pat England Organics at
matches the damask table linens and com- Encounter Farm Enterprises. Area seasonal
plements the original wide-plank pine
fruit is available to them: rhubarb from
flooring and fireplace.
Lang’s in Sparta and strawberries from
Jon and Vicci Coughlin, who previously
Great Lakes Fruit in Port Stanley.
owned “Billy’s Deli Restaurant” on Dundas
Jon changes the lunch menu four or five
St. in London, bought the big Port Stanley
times a year, but his customers have their
house in 2002 and spent 2 years on extenfavourites that are always in evidence. Jon
sive renovations. In 2004 they opened The
is always cooking fish. Mark Golem is the
Telegraph House that offers three beautiful local fisherman who supplies Jon with yelBed and Breakfast Suites and living quarters for the couple. But what brings me here
today is the Pineapple Dining Room, open
to the public for Breakfast and Lunch.
The husband and wife team, Jon and
Vicci, have been cooking together for 25
years. Jon takes the savoury side and Vicci
expertly dishes up the desserts.
Jon admits he is a soup and savoury,
meat and potato kind of guy. He shops for
his menus as locally as he can. In the summer, vegetable stands and suppliers in the
nearby vicinity supply his produce. The St.
Thomas Briwood Farm Market brings in
local area root vegetables and herbs. Flour
for Vicci’s confections comes from the Arva
Flour Mill and they use Hewitt’s Dairy sour
Vicci and Jon Coughlin,
cream for Vicci’s famous pies. Lettuce and
Proprietors
low perch and pickerel fresh from the lake.
“Most Port Stanley establishments serve
perch breaded in crackers and deep-fried,”
says Jon, “but ours is different. I use cornmeal, flour and seasonings and panfry it.
It’s at the top of our breakfast menu and
served with two eggs, a potato latke, a
housemade corn muffin and our own
strawberry jam.” On the lunch menu, perch
is featured again, but Jon also offers Lake
Erie pickerel with cornmeal coating, or a
“blackened” version that he is famous for.
The original recipe came from Louisiana
Chef Paul Prudhomme, but was too salty.
Jon took out the salt and developed a combination of seasonings that include
paprika, cayenne, garlic, black pepper,
onion powder, thyme and oregano. “I don’t
use too much heat so the flavours combine
and you get a piquant taste. Add a glass of
red gamay or a white wine and greens and
it’s a great meal.”
Jon describes his lunch quiches as “over
the top.” One version uses spinach and
mushroom with Greek seasonings, feta and
goat’s cheese, red onion and red pepper.
Soups are big here too. Jon has a huge
interest in soups and finds it “quite a creative outlet.” On any given day you can find
traditional beet borscht or calde verde, a
hearty textured soup made with kale,
smoked ham, potatoes and cream. Or perhaps Jon has the ingredients and is in the
mood to make yellow split pea with herbes
de Provence, or his housemade French
onion soup, baked the traditional way. He
also sells a lot of Thai
curry soups, and in
winter the classics
include pumpkin curry,
carrot and parsnip
curry and butternut
squash curry.
The pineapple symbol is not only a theme
of hospitality here, but
pervades the entire
menu, from Jon’s
pineapple chicken
curry made with
chicken poached in
pineapple juice to
Vicci’s pineapple
The Pineapple Dining Room presents a comforting,
relaxed atmosphere. The pineapple motif, a traditional New England symbol of hospitality, is carried
throughout, from lamps to artwork. The porch
(below) becomes a favourite spot in warmer weather.
31
coconut white fruitcake at Christmas, and
her pineapple cream pie. Speaking of pies,
this is the place to come if you are a pie
freak. Imagine fresh Mennonite rhubarb
sour cream pie with a crumb top made
from butter, flour and brown sugar. (Her
32
for 30 is available “on the porch.”
The favourite table in the Pineapple Dining Room is for two and
tucked into the bay window.
Beverages include coffee
sourced from Los Chicas de Café
and tea from the Metropolitan
Tea Company in Toronto. Windsor Castle is their house tea. It’s a
flavour-filled tea with hints of
Darjeeling, a maltiness from
Assam and flavour from Ceylon.
Three beers are served as tall
boys (16 oz.): Steamwhistle,
Stella and Coors Light. Wines are
Hearty breakfasts (above) are the rule here, a recipe the Coughlins
learned well after owning Billy’s Deli in London years ago. The pies predominantly from California.
(below) are another mainstay, with three choices available on winter Jon and Vicci travelled to the
days and eight to ten varieties when the summer fruit is plentiful. California Culinary Institute in
the Napa Valley for a wine course
and came back with a huge love
of Californian wine. They serve
both by the glass or bottle and
include some Ontario wines as
well. California favourites are
McManus red Cabernet Sauvignon and Obsession, a white
blend.
Jon and Vicci were looking forward to a change of lifestyle from
the hectic pace of Billy’s Deli. Jon
loves sailing, and three rooms
and a dining room for breakfast
and lunch was the answer. Jon
says, “It’s important to our
recipe is on their website.)
lifestyle
that
we don’t have a dinner service
There are three pie choices a day in the
— so we close at 3 and the pie is generally
winter, including one cream pie, and eight
sold out!” to ten choices during summer when fresh
fruit is readily available. Vicci can tick the
varieties off throughout the growing season: rhubarb, then her famous strawberry
pie, raspberry, blueberry, peach, Arkona
cherry, then pumpkin and apple in the fall.
She does import pecans from Alabama at
Christmas for pecan pie. She might be
famous for her pies, but she also offers a
chocolate carrot cake with cream cheese
icing or a fresh lavender brulée, a different
take on the traditional crème brulée. The
cream is infused with fresh lavender that
they grow at the Telegraph House.
The dining room seats 24, and in the
warm weather months, additional seating
The Telegraph House
205 Main Street, Port Stanley
Tel: (519) 782-3006
www.telegraphhouse.com
The Pineapple Dining Room
wednesday to friday: 12 noon to 3pm
weekends: 10:30 to 3 pm
MELANIE NORTH is the editor of CityWoman magazine
and a regular contributor to eatdrink.
33
SPOTLIGHT
Bon Appetit, Mr. President
Local Chef Jonathan Collins cooked for Barack Obama
By Chris McDonell
A
lthough no stranger to 24 Sussex Drive, local Elgin County
Chef Jonathan Collins helped
with a particularly auspicious dinner
when United States President Barack
Obama made a visit to Ottawa last
month. Collins owns Shutters on the
Beach (www.shuttersonthebeach.ca)
in Port Bruce with his wife Cynthia
and is Executive Chef of his parents’
restaurant, Lakeview Gardens
(www.lakeviewgardens.ca). He’s
worked in the Prime Minister’s
kitchen previously, so when the current
executive chef for the prime minister, Oliver
Bartsch, asked him to help prepare lunch
for Obama, he had a good idea of what he
was getting into. Still, he admitted, “It was
kind of cool” to meet the new president.
Collins shared the entire lunch menu
with eatdrink, and we’ve posted his recipe
for the Tuna with Citrus Vinaigrette
online. The Cordon Bleu-trained chef even
passed on a suggestion to Obama’s staff,
Chef Jonathan Collins shakes hands with US President
Obama (above) and Prime Minister Harper (left). The
four-member team of chefs (bottom left) prepared a
menu reflecting Canada, coast to coast to Coast.
leading to the President making an unannounced detour into the Byward Market to
pick up some maple cookies for his daughters from Moulin du Provence. Collin does
the same thing himself when he’s in
Ottawa.
Gastronomes probably winced when
they heard Obama also stopped for a
beavertail, a fried pastry akin to the “elephant ears” sold at London fetivals, but it
seems Collins had nothing to do with that!
Barack Obama & Stephen Harper Luncheon
APPETIZER
Pacific Coast tuna with a Chilli and Citrus Vinaigrette
Maple and Miso Cured Nunavut Arctic Char
Lightly Pickled Vegetables and an Organic Beet Relish
MAIN COURSE
Applewood Smoked Plains Bison
Winter Root Veg and Local Mushrooms
Cauliflower and rosemary puree, juniper and niagara red wine jus
DESSERT
Saugeen Yogurt Pot de Creme with a Lemon and Lavender Syrup
Wild Blueberry and Partridgeberry Compote
Acadian Buckwheat Honey and Sumac Tuile
34
NEW AND NOTABLE
The BUZZ
Compiled by Chris McDonell
T
astings, a fundraiser for London
Health Sciences Foundation, provides one of the hottest wine and
culinary experiences of the spring season.
The event takes place 7 May 7 at the London Hunt and Country Club. At $250 per
ticket, this is an elegant epicurean experience, pairing exquisite wines with delectable food prepared by some of the region’s
best chefs from well-known restaurants
including host chef David Rosen. Canada’s
first (and currently only) Master Sommelier
will be on hand to share his tasting experience, along with Tim D’Souza, Idlewyld
Inn’s Executive Chef and Mike Buck from
Lifford Wine Agency. This year, the proceeds will support the hospital’s Cardiac
Care Program. Tickets for the event, which
also features an auction of fabulous wines
and more, are available through London
Health Sciences Foundation at 519-6858409, or by visiting their website at
www.lhsf.ca.
Meanwhile, over at the Idlewyld Inn, Chef
D’Souza is showcasing Bistro Nights every
Sunday through Wednesday which feature
bistro menus from around the world: Italy,
Spain, Australia & New Zealand. Call 519433-2891 for details.
A Local Foods Farmer/Food Buyer Speed
Networking Event comes to Western Fair
Entertainment Centre in London on Tuesday March 31, connecting farmers and food
buyers to tap into the Buy Local food market place. While several excellent conferences dealing with the broad issues around
local foods have been held recently, this
event is designed to create opportunities for
farmers and food buyers to meet in rotating
one-on-one sessions to explore opportunities to do business together. Pre-registration
is required via the London Economic
Development Corporation website at
www.ledc.com or contact the London
Community Resource Centre at 519-4321801 ext. 300 or email [email protected].
The London Club is pleased to welcome a
new Executive Chef, Mark Kilner. Welcome to London, Chef!
The London Gay Wedding Show, the first
gay wedding show in Southwestern Ontario
(for lesbians, gay men and alternative couples) will be held at the Elsie Perrin
Williams Estate on Sunday May 10, 2009
from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. The show will feature champagne cocktails and complimentary hors d’oeuvres for a bargain $5
entrance fee. Vendors who understand gay
culture will make you feel totally comfortable and at ease as you plan for your wed-
Bienvenue!
Lunch • Afternoon Tea • Dinner
• 5 Unique Dining Rooms
inspired by cities in France
• Enclosed Year-Round Veranda
• Two Fireplaces
• Affordable Wine List
& Reserve Cellar Wines
- King St. • London
• Traditional French Food
--
• Free Parking
Mon-Sat from : am
www.aubergerestaurant.ca
Reservations Recommended
ding. Contact Joan Brennan ([email protected]) or Louise Fagan
([email protected]).
along enthusiastic praise. Of particular
interest was the Chefs’ updated interpretation of traditional poutine featuring slow
braised organic beef rib, curds, and foie
gras gravy with purple Viking potato frites.
Chef Kitching says the accolades for the
poutine have convinced him that they
should be an item on his upcoming new
menu at Waldo’s. The next organic dining
event is slated for March 26. Call 519-4336161 for reservations.
This year there is a Taste for Life launch
party, called The Big Taste, on Thursday
March 26 from 6 pm until 10 pm at Club Lavish. The space is being donated by Eddy
Phimphrachanh, owner of Club Lavish and
also Thaifoon, one of the 34 restaurants that
as we go to print is currently confirmed to
participate in the Taste for Life dining event.
The restaurants are donating sample appetizers for the launch party. Tickets for the
launch party are available for $20 in
advance or $25 at the door. Michelle
McKay, fund development coordinator at
the AIDS Committee of London (ACOL),
hopes that the launch event will grow in
future years to be a stand-alone fundraiser
for ACOL. Volunteers will present sample
appetizers and desserts from participating
Taste restaurants introduced in “fashion
show style” on Lavish’s catwal. This promises to be a fun evening and it is an opportunity to make early reservations for your
restaurant of choice for the main Taste for
Life dining event on Wednesday April 29.
Call 519-434-1601 or visit www.atasteforlife.
org for more information.
Chef Mark Kitching welcomes guest Chef
Steve James to Waldo’s on King Bistro
and Wine Bar for a monthly organic dining
event. According to Matt McKenzie, server
extraordinaire and local London thespian,
the inaugural event for 2009 was a culinary
triumph. eatdrink staff writers sampled
selected items from the menu and passed
35
The downtown London premises formerly
occupied by Copperfields, across from the
Grand Theatre on Richmond Street, are
reportedly transforming to an upscale pub
called The Church Key sometime in May.
The restaurant name is owners Vanessa
and Peter Willis’ clever nod to their next
door neighbour, St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Noted chef Kevin Greaves is hard at work
transforming the former Bistro Chocolat
space at 119 Dundas into his popular
restaurant Jambalaya. Chef Greaves has
been busy researching the latest innovations in restaurant equipment and restaurant aficionados will be interested to know
that he plans to use a new type of stove that
incorporates a modern ventless hood.
Books for Cooks, a specialty bookshop in
London’s Covent Garden Market, has
gained a following of local chefs. Owner
Dominique Fox caters to professionals and
the surrounding food community, helping
them find specialty books and industry
favourites. She also stocks the popular books
about and/or written by celebrity chefs as
“Exquisite Artistic Elegant Catering”
A personalized
approach to
Weddings, Dinner
Parties, Corporate
Events, etc.
For Lesbians, Gay Men & Alternative Couples
Sunday May 10, 2009
11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Grand Prize Draw: A Honeymoon in Italy!
well as a wide selection of the classics and a
fine selection of culinary magazines.
Prepare to play with your food — in a
library, no less. It’s not surprising the London Public Library would create an
annual fundraiser, Books2Eat, for literacy.
What is startling is that everyone will get to
eat, drink and make as much noise in the
library as they like. Live music will set the
stage, and from across London, fine food
artists will bring their edible book creations. Last year’s event was won by
Auberge du Petit Prince for a beautiful
cake sculpture of the children’s classic, Le
Petit Prince. Books2Eat will be held April 3
at the Central Library, 251 Dundas St.,
London. Tickets are $25 in advance. 519661-4600
The former Inside Inc. premises at 93 King
Street have now been transformed into
King West Bar & Grill. The exterior features
an inspired design by UW Design Group
and is a dynamic combination of cultured
stone, stained wood accents and a rooftop
patio with an attractive glass railing.
Located just across the street from the John
Labatt Centre, this location promises to be
a hub of activity for dining and entertainment patrons. This is the latest project by
the same group that developed the London
Mansion nightclub, and more projects from
this group are apparently in development.
The Red Door Café, located at 1035 Gainsborough Road at the corner of Hyde Park
Road, is doing a brisk business since opening approximately two months ago. Owner
Jan Cottle, former owner of Dishington’s
in Lambeth, says that rising star pastry chef
Laurie Ford makes everything in house,
from scratch. Popular signature baked
goods include their classic butter tart, carrot cake, pumpkin streusel muffins, and
delicious rosemary sundried tomato
scones. Lunch is very popular so arrive
early. Loose teas, recommended by Stratford tea sommelier Karen Hartwick, and
superb Fire Roasted Coffee selections are
on offer.
The London Food & Wine Show proved to
be a perfect venue to showcase and promote participating local restaurants.
Restaurant insider, chef and wine connoisseur Robbin Azzopardi, currently working
in the front of the house at The Tasting
Room, accompanied our writers on a VIP
spirit and wine tasting event prior to the
opening of the show. The show provided a
rare opportunity to sample a variety of premium vintages currently available from the
LCBO. As well, a fine selection of vineyards
and winemakers were on hand to offer a
comprehensive sampling of Ontario viticulture. On the food side, we were pleased
to see the Ontario Cheese Society returning to the show, as well as a variety of
restaurants and businesses from Elgin
County along with many London-based
businesses.
eatdrink magazine welcomed the
opportunity to interact with readers and to
introduce some of them to our new “sister”
publication CityWoman: London’s Premier Magazine for Women. Congratulations to Londoner Susan Lachance, who
won our Weekend Getaway to Bayfield
(two nights, breakfasts and a dinner at The
Little Inn of Bayfield, dinner at The Black
Dog Pub & Bistro and a gift basket from
Forager Foods) draw prize. We are pleased
to see the continued growth of this wellattended annual event and look forward to
next year’s offering.
Speaking of Forager Foods, this interesting
Bayfield enterprise is expanding to Toronto
with the acquisition of Olliffe Fine Meats, a
store with 35 years of history providing
Torontonians with high quality meats.
Huron county products will be sold at
Olliffe and a taste of the city will come to
Bayfield. Forager owners Sam and Sara
Gundy have taken on new partners in the
venture: family members James Aitken
and Ben Gundy, who is also a chef in
Toronto. Congratulations and best wishes!
Just in time for Spring, Thyme on  in
Goderich has begun serving its new maple
inspired special menu, called, not surprisingly, Spring Thyme. On the new menu is
Spinach Salad tossed in a Maple Vinaigrette, Metzger’s Smoked Pork Chop with a
Maple and Apple Chutney, BaconWrapped Scallops with a Maple Glaze,
Maple Crepes andMaple and Pecan Tarts to
top off the sweet sounding offerings.
Anita Stewart, Canada’s renowned culinary activist as keynote speaker. Farmers
and producers have the opportunity to set
up a table displaying their product at the
“Speed Dating” Session. Pre-registration is
required. The registration fee is $55 + gst
per person and includes lunch and an
evening networking reception with local
food and Ontario wine.
To Register, visit www.welcometo-stratford.com/foodsummit or by phone at 519271-5140. Presented by Stratford Tourism
Alliance and Savour Ontario. Supporting
Sponsors include Canadian Organic
Growers, Ontario Culinary Tourism
Alliance and Perth County Visitors Association, Huron County Tourism, Corporation of the County of Perth and Wine
Council of Ontario.
38
Speaking of maple syrup, McCully’s Hill
Farm in St. Marys invites everyone to the
farm to enjoy pancake breakfast and Sugar
Bush Farm Tours. The trees are tapped,
buckets filling, wood stacked for the boiling
of the sap, jars wait to be filled. It’s an
annual part of life on the farm, and nothing
can replace it.
Keystone Alley Cafe in Stratford unexpectedly became a drive-through in February
when a car plowed through the front of the
restaurant. The driver came out of the Bank
of Montreal across the street and passed
out with his foot firmly on the gas petal.
The result is that the restaurant has been
closed since and hopes to re-open in April.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
There is a lot of talk about the importance
of buying local, culinary tourism, food sustainability and supporting our local farmers. However, how does a restaurant, B&B,
hotel or retail store feature local food?
What are the opportunities and the challenges with serving local food? What is the
benefit to your business — for the farmer,
the restaurant and the buyer? What is Culinary Tourism?
The Regional Food Summit at the Arden
Park Hotel in Stratford on March 23, 2009
will address these questions, allow you to
meet your chef/farmer partners, outline
the local food opportunities and more.
While Monforte Dairy has doubled its
sales every year since they started making
cheese in 2004, the business is embarking
on a “renaissance” project. Ruth Klahsen,
the cheesemaker, decided to close her currently rented location and establish an
owned facility through Community Shared
Agriculture principles. In short, she’s trading cheese for funding, and plans to open
her new dairy January 4, 2010. The objective is to create a sustainable micro-producer/dairy with an apprenticeship
program and to develop new products to
complement Monforte’s award-winning
cheeses. Go to www.monfortedairy.com for
more information or to help out.
A Taste of Spring, with Chef Bryan Steele
at Stratford’s The Old Prune, offers small
Katafnéa
Ka
“A little out of
the way,
A lot out of
the ordinary!”
519-455-9005
Lunch 11 to 3 (7 days a week)
Dinner 5 to 10 (Wed to Sun)
Breakfast 9 to 12 (Sat & Sun)
2530 Blair Rd, London
Diamond Flight Centre
cooking classes organized around a
selected menu. The instruction is very
hands-on, and participants take responsibility for a particular dish or component of
a dish. In general, the menus and recipes
focus on modern interpretations of classic
dishes from the French and Italian repertoire. Chef Steele often explores wide-ranging influences from cuisines which have
intrigued him including Mexican, Asian
and Spanish. The classes finish around the
table as the group relaxes and shares the
completed dishes. Participants are welcome to bring wine to accompany the
menu. Classes continue through to May 2
running from 1:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The cost
is $100 per person and can be booked by
email: reservations@ oldprune.on.ca
mum of 16 people per class. Reservations
are required in advance. $70 per person.
Classes begin Friday, March 27 and run
through until May 1. Contact lavoie@rogers.
com to reserve your space.
Wine Enjoyment at The Old Prune. Friday
evening classes include eight wines and
food pairings with Peter Lavoie, Sommelier at The Old Prune and Wine Instructor
at the Stratford Chefs School. This intimate experience will be fun with a maxi-
39
The final International Dinner Series
evening at Foster’s Inn will feature a Moroccan dinner on March 28. Reserve your space
at 519-271-1119 or email: info@fostersinn.
com. Menus and more information at available at www.fostersinn.com
Does your business or organization
have news to share? Don’t forget to
be part of creating the buzz. Inclusion is free, and independent from
paid advertising.
Email your interesting local culinary news
to: [email protected] CHRIS MCDONELL is Publisher of eatdrink.
“the ultimate experience in fine dining”
LUNCH Tues to Fri am–pm
DINNER Tues to Sat :pm–pm
SUNDAY BRUNCH am–pm
Closed Monday
 Hyde Park Road, London
  
www.volkers.ca
Chef Volker Jendhoff
Shop Like a Chef!
Buy Wholesale!
Open to the Public
 William St., London
..
www.rescolon.ca
Restaurant
Equipment &
Supply Co.
0QFO.PO'SJUP
4BUVSEBZTUP
40
SPOTLIGHT
From Columbia, With Love
By Cecilia Buy
G
ranadilla. Tamarillo. Curuba. They
sound so exotic. And of course they
are, to us. But these fruits are commonly consumed in many countries. Humberto Jaramillo and Nohra Tatis are helping
to spread the word here in London.
The couple came to Canada from Colombia a few years ago, with their three young
sons. Unable to obtain work in their professions, they decided to put to use their earlier
experience with family businesses and their
connections in their home country. And
now we can enjoy the fruits of their labours.
Entering London’s Farmers’
Market at the Western Fair
Grounds, you’ll forget the
snow and ice outside when
you see before you the
selection of strange and
colourful produce displayed at Humberto and
Nohra’s stand. Samples are
available for tasting. Go on, I
Tamarillos
dare you!
You’ll succumb to the intriguing possibilities, and treat your taste buds to some new
and pleasing sensations. But then you’ll
wonder… What the heck do I do with them?
In this Internet age, the answers are at your
fingertips. Plenty of recipes can be found
online.
You might be familiar with the purple
passion fruit, or at least its juice. But try a
cousin, the granadilla. Crack open the
golden shell and scoop out the sweet seeds;
it’s a little like a pomegranate to look at,
without the finicky aspect.
Sample some
Physalis
physalis, known
as uchuva in
Spanish, and
also called
“ground
cherry,”
“goldenberry”
and “cape goose-
Grenadillas
berry” (for
the papery
“cape” that
encloses the
fruit, according to one
source). Physalis contains antioxidants, and in its native habitat has both
medicinal and culinary value. Use it in a
salad, chutney or salsa. Make jam, bake it
in a pie, or simply enjoy it au naturel. I even
discovered a recipe for coffee crêpes with
physalis filling.
The outer skin of the tamarillo, or treetomato, is tart, even bitter. But the seeds
and flesh are tangy, sometimes slightly
sweet. Rich in vitamins (especially
Vitamin E) and iron, the tamarillo can be eaten as it
comes, in a salad,
sliced in a sandwich
or with cold meats. Generally,
however, it is cooked. Try tamarillo in a
sauce or curry. Wikipedia’s suggestions
include adding it to boeuf bourguignon.
And, as for most of these fruits, there are
appetizing dessert recipes to be found.
Related to the tamarillo is the bright
orange lulo, or naranjilla (“little orange”).
Juicy, slightly acid, with a pineapple-lemon
taste, the pulp can be eaten raw or used in
jams, jellies, sherbet, or baked desserts. Most
commonly, lulos are used to make juice.
Humberto and Nohra import all these
fruits, and more, from their native Colombia. Stop by their stand at the Market and
broaden your horizons. Be sure to try some
of the delicious juices that are also on offer.
Then take some granadillas (or curubas, or
physalis, or another discovery) home to
your kitchen and get adventurous. Bon
appetit, or rather, buen provecho! Enquiries? Email [email protected]
CECILIA BUY is a writer and designer who has enjoyed living and dining in London and area for the past 17 years.
41
TRAVEL
Exporing Italy, Family-Style
By Christine Scheer
F
irst stop: Rome. Fortunately, I had
arranged with our hotel for a driver to
pick us up. It was a hair-raising drive
from the airport through the streets of
Rome, and yes, sometimes we were going in
the wrong direction on one-way streets! Our
small and quintessentially European hotel
was only a half-hour walk from Vatican City.
The window looked out onto the incredibly
busy street below, where there had to be
fifty scooters parked in a space that would
fit two North American cars. First things
first: we went on a walk to find something
to eat, and discovered the local gelateria.
The trattorias didn’t open for dinner until
seven or eight o’clock, so we went for a
breathtaking tour of St. Peter’s square and a
stroll around the neighbourhood.
That evening we ate at a small trattoria,
which had a prix fixe menu for 25 euros per
person. We could split one of the dinners
between our two daughters, which was a
good thing considering the vast quantity of
food served to us. We started with toast,
beans and salami; moved on to spaghetti,
rotini, and gnocchi; and still managed some
stew, roast beef, and oxtail (we skipped the
tripe and rabbit), before we relaxed with biscuits and sweet wine.
Two days later, we took the train to the
ancient walled city of Lucca, the hub of Tuscany. Well known for its outstanding art and
architecture, Lucca is also renowned for its
olive oil and regional cuisine. We stayed just
outside of the city at a hotel that would be
our home for the next four days and the
base of our cycling day trips — which
included a grueling but spectacular ride to
Pisa and the breathtaking Field of Miracles.
The food at the restaurant associated
with our hotel was always wonderful.
Homemade ravioli was their specialty, but
we had some of the best gnocchi of our
entire trip at that restaurant. Just to put that
in perspective, between the four of us, we
ate gnocchi at least once in every city we
visited: with cream sauce, with pesto, with
mushrooms, with cheese. We considered
ourselves to be “gnocchi experts” by the
time we left Italy.
Four days later, we changed location and
cycled from Lucca to Vinci, which was a
trying morning of cycling on Italian roundabouts and highways, before we ended up
in the rolling hills of Tuscany, in search of
our “Agriturismo.” After a few wrong turns
and several gelatos, plenty of Italian chocolate, a few café lattes and paninis later, we
eventually found our way. What a spectacular setting! The farm was nestled amongst
olive groves, and only a short walk through
the winding hills from Vinci. This area was
by far our favourite part of the trip. The
town of Vinci had enough to offer with its
museum dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci
and his inventions, his birth home just
down the road, many hiking trails, several
gelaterias and a few restaurants.
Our farmstay had a dining room with a
prix fixe dinner each night.
The most memorable meal
started
with a
piping hot penne, followed by a green salad
and carpaccio — thinly sliced raw beef —
which was topped with a dab of melted garlic butter. Our host showed me how to eat it
on top of greens dressed with balsamic
vinegar and olive oil. That delicious meal
continued on to little fritters, and finally the
ubiquitous biscotti to dip in sweet wine.
Our room was actually a generous apartment that boasted a large kitchen and sitting area. So, it was off to the local grocery
store for us to explore regional offerings,
and we made our own dinner with local
ingredients for two of the nights at the farm.
We tried the most amazing cured sausage; it
melted like butter on your tongue, probably
because it had the biggest globs of fat in it
I’ve ever seen. Gosh, it was good.
Breakfast at the farmstay was homemade
apple cake sprinkled with pine nuts, thick
hot chocolate for our daughters and cappuccinos for my husband and me. Good
fuel for cycling and hiking.
The farm had its own olive oil produc-
tion, wine and honey. In fact, all around
Tuscany you could find local honey, which
we ate with cheese and bread every day at
breakfast.
Our final destination on Easter weekend
was Florence, where we stayed at a magnificent hotel very close to the train station
and within walking distance of everything
we wanted to see. And walk we did, from
our hotel to the Duomo, the Piazza della
Signoria, the Pont Vecchio, the Palazzo
Pitti, the Giardini di Boboli, and of course
the expansive outdoor market.
Of course we loved the culture, the history, the wine, and the food of Italy; I still
recall with mouth-watering fondness the
incredible tiramisu that I had in Florence.
This trip made me realize that I enjoy quiet
small towns and villages much more than
bustling big cities. The thing that surprised
and struck us at the end of our Italian
adventure? How good we have it here at
home. So much space, rich farmland, good
wine, and good local food that matches
anything we ate in Italy. Really.
I organized the entire trip using the Lonely
Planet guide to Italy, and the Internet. Here
are ar couple of recipes for dishes that we
enjoyed, easily duplicated here with our
abundant local products.
42
Roasted Vegetable Ravioli
Appetizers Soups Salsas
Chilies
Salads
Bean Dips
Desserts
Soybean
Snacks
Available at:
519-657-0887
REMARK FRESH MARKET
1180 Oxford St W @ Hyde Park Rd
HAVARIS PRODUCE
Covent Garden Market, 130 King St
UNGER FARM MARKET
1010 Gainsborough Rd
ARVA FLOUR MILL
2042 Elgin (off Richmond)
HOME-MADE PASTA
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour, plus more
for rolling
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
4 eggs, beaten
FILLING
2 cups (500 mL) smooth ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup (250 mL) fontina cheese, crumbled
SAUCE
10 plum tomatoes, sliced in half
4 cloves garlic
2 red peppers, seeded and diced large
2 green peppers, seeded and diced large
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow zucchini, diced large
1 green zucchini, diced large
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil and Canola oil
Salt and pepper
SERVE WITH:
Freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh basil, sliced for garnish
1 First, make the pasta: pour the flour onto
your countertop and stir in the salt, then
make a well in the center and add the
beaten eggs. Using your hands, mix the egg
and flour together. Knead for 8 minutes.
You can do this by hand or with the dough
hook on a stand mixer. The dough should
not be sticky, so add more flour as needed.
It’s probably best to let the dough “rest” for
a while before rolling, so wrap it up in plastic wrap and leave it alone for an hour on
the counter, or overnight in the refrigerator.
2 While the dough is resting, combine the
ingredients for your cheese filling. Cover
and refrigerate while you roll the dough.
3 Also, while the dough is resting, make the
roasted vegetables for the sauce. Heat
oven to 400˚ F. On a large baking sheet or
large Pyrex dish, lay out the plum tomatoes with the 4 cloves of garlic. Drizzle
with olive oil and canola oil. Place in oven
for about 30 minutes, or until tomatoes are
super soft and pulpy. Do the same with
the remaining vegetables on a separate
baking sheet. When the vegetables are
done roasting, puree the tomatoes in a
food processor until quite smooth. Puree
the remaining vegetables until not quite
so smooth. Combine the tomatoes and
other vegetables in a large saucepan and
let simmer on very low heat for 20–30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sometimes I add a pinch of sugar or a
splash of balsamic vinegar, or even a
43
splash of vodka or 35 cream.
4 Roll out the dough according to your
pasta maker directions. Roll out
sheets that are fairly thin, but not so
thin they will split when filled with
the cheese mixture. Lay the sheets
out on the counter and put little dollops of cheese strategically on the
pasta. Top with another sheet of
pasta. Gently press down around the
cheese and seal the edges of each
section. Cut out with a knife or a ravioli cutter. Gently set aside until you
have a large pot of salted water
boiling. Gently slide the raviolis into the
boiling water, and let them cook. Turn
down heat if necessary so they are not at a
rolling boil — a simmer is adequate. Cook
for about 5 minutes or until pasta with filling is cooked through. Drain and serve
immediately.
5 To serve, ladle some sauce onto plate, top
with 3 or 4 raviolis, sprinkle with Parmesan,
and garnish with sliced basil.
Serves four.
LONDON’S
FARMERS
MARKET
Amazing Ethnic Food •Locally Grown Produce
Fruits • Vegetables • Meats • Cheeses
Baked Goods • Eggs • Flowers • Handicrafts
Local Art Displays • Live Music 10-2
Second Floor, A Must to Explore!
Join Us Every Saturday: 8am-3pm
Located at the Western Fair
Dundas at Ontario Street, London
519.639.4963
FREE PARKING
www.londonsfarmersmarket.ca
44
Tiramisu
SPONGE CAKE
5 eggs
1½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour,
sifted
1 In a large bowl, beat eggs and
sugar with electric mixer for 10
to 12 minutes or until more than
doubled in volume and batter
falls in ribbons when beaters are
lifted. Gently fold flour into egg
mixture.
2 Spoon into greased or parchment-lined
13x9-inch cake pan. Bake in 375° F (190° C)
oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tester
inserted into center comes out clean. Run
knife around edges to loosen cake; let cake
cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove
from pan and let cool completely on rack.
1 tbsp (15 mL) amaretto
1 tbsp (15 mL) coffee liqueur
COFFEE MIXTURE
1½ cups (275 mL) strong coffee
1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar
Shaved dark chocolate, to garnish
MASCARPONE FILLING
3 egg yolks
3 tbsp (45 mL) granulated sugar
1 tub (500 g) mascarpone cheese
3 cups (750 mL) whipping cream, whipped
3 Combine coffee with sugar, amaretto and
coffee liqueur.
4 Mascarpone filling: In large heat-proof
bowl set over simmering water, whisk egg
yolks and sugar for 10 to 12 minutes or
until very thick; remove from heat. Whisk
in mascarpone. Sir in one-quarter of the
whipped cream; fold in remaining
whipped cream.
5 To assemble tiramisu: Cut sponge cake
into 2 layers. Place one of the layers into a
Pyrex 13x9-inch pan. Soak with half of the
coffee mixture; spoon in half of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with remaining
cake, coffee, and mascarpone. Sprinkle
shaved chocolate over top. Chill for 4
hours or up to 8 hours.
Makes 12 servings. CHRISTINE SCHEER is a chef who lives with her family on
an organic farm. She currently runs the Oakridge Superstore cooking school. Her passions include using seasonal,
local ingredients and teaching children how to cook. You can
reach Christine at: [email protected].
45
COOKBOOKS
A Delicious Food Manifesto
The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
Review by Jennifer Gagel
A
fter three decades of
living passionately with
food, Alice Waters has
developed nine food fundamentals: eat locally and sustainably;
eat seasonally; shop at farmers’
markets; plant a garden; conserve,
compost and recycle; cook simply;
cook together; eat together; and
remember that food is precious.
But instead of preaching her
philosophies, she inspires converts by giving us The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious
Revolution (Clarkson Potter, 2007, $44).
Feel free to set the ethics of the revolution
aside, as you will want to eat this way simply because it tastes so delicious.
“When you have the best and tastiest
ingredients, you can cook very simply and
the food will be extraordinary because it
tastes like what it is.”
Waters believes anyone can cook. “Good
cooking is no mystery ... You need only your
five senses. You need good ingredients, too,
of course, but in order to choose and prepare them, you need to experience them
fully. It’s the many dimensions of sensual
experience that make cooking so satisfying.”
This is very much a book for cooks, but
her goal is to actually liberate you from the
book. Lessons come complete with handy
rules of thumb to memorize, and what to
look for and taste while cooking. There are
blank pages at the end of every chapter and
generous margins with plenty of room for
personal notes.
While there are no pictures, she still
inspires. “Cooks who love to grill have an
instinctive attraction to fire, where it’s
warm and sociable and where we can
smell the food cooking; we have a built-in
need to poke at coals and take in the perfume of smoke and the visual sizzle of the
action on the grill.”
In order to eventually free you
from recipes by rote, each lesson
is replete with all the fine and
expert details on how to cook
anything to perfection. Her
risotto lesson, for example, is
two and a half pages long.
Almost every recipe has
several variations that clearly
demonstrate the different directions
recipes can take. Or instructions on how to
make extremely simple ingredients —
lamb, salt, and pepper, for example — sublime, with just a bit of practice.
Throughout, Waters’ passion for the new
The Only On King
172 King Street • London
519.936.2064
www.theonlyonking.ca
#6
Best New
Restaurant in
Canada
– enRoute magazine
Reservations Recommended
food movement weaves its way in. Even if
we were to adopt just one of her philosophies, our homes would be richer, more
vibrant places.
The three sections are comprehensive and
inspiring. They cover the basics of simple
food, essential cooking techniques with
basic recipes as lessons, and more recipes
that are simple once you’ve learned the lessons by heart. This is a book you work
through, and that works with you. It empowers you to elevate your cooking into art.
JENNIFER GAGEL has been cooking for food lovers and
fickle eaters, under the tutelage of her two European grandmothers, since she was a child.
46
The Best Products
You’ll Never See
Acrylic:
Clear to Your Needs
Acrylic poster holders can be
placed anywhere around your
restaurant or business. Vertical Poster Holder
or slant frames are perfect to
hold promotional flyers and
messages that can be easily
changed for each season or
sale. Keeping menus and other Brochure
Holder
literature in neat and easily
accessible areas is a snap with These are just two
examples of what
acrylic holders.
we can do for you
in acrylic. We custom fabricate our
products to suit
your specific need.
The only limit is
your imagination!
Granton
Plastics
519 520 1270
www.grantonplastics.com
[email protected]
Call for your free
estimate.
Recipes courtesy of Alice Waters, from The Art of Simple Food
(Clarkson Potter, 2007).
Poached Egg with Curly Endive Salad
Serves 4
1 Remove the dark green outer leaves from:
2 large heads of curly endive (frisée)
2 Separate into individual leaves and wash
and dry well.
3 Cut into ⁄-inch pieces:
2 bacon slices
4 Warm in a small heavy pan, over medium
heat:
2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil
5 Add the bacon pieces and cook until
brown and rendered, but not crisp.
Remove from the pan. Pour off the fat
from the pan and reserve.
6 To make the dressing, mix together:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard
Salt and Fresh-ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
7 Whisk in:
2½ tablespoons (35 ml) bacon fat
8 Taste for salt and acid and adjust as needed.
9 Fill a heavy saucepan with 4 cups of water
and add:
1½ tablespoons (20 ml) red wine vinegar
10 Heat to just below a simmer and slide in:
4 eggs, cracked from their shells
11 Poach for 3½ to 4 minutes. Use a slotted
spoon to remove them from the water and
keep warm. Put the vinaigrette into a large
bowl (remove the crushed garlic clove),
The Sunnivue Farmstore
Organic Meat and Produce
TUES
DELIVEDRAY
AVAILAB IES
LE!
Call Da
g ar
for detam
ils
Here’s one of the many ways to Sunnivue: Take
Richmond St. to Elginfield and turn left on Route 7.
Continue to Ailsa Craig and turn left in the middle of
town on Queen (which becomes Petty St.) Turn right
on New Ontario Rd., a short distance outside of
town, and drive about 1 km. to Sunnivue, on the left.
Organic Vegetables
& Herbs
Fresh-Cut &
Dried Flowers
Beef, Veal & Pork
Eggs
Beeswax Candles
Home-Made Bread
& Buns
Maple Syrup
Honey & Jam
All Subject to Seasonal Availability
www.sunnivue-farm.on.ca
add the bacon, and put the bowl over the
pan of hot water to warm. Add the greens
and toss well. Divide the greens among
warm plates. Gently blot the eggs and dry,
and put 1 egg on top of each salad. Grind a
little black pepper over the top and serve
immediately.
Variations
1 Try other greens such as: spinach, escarole,
dandelion greens, or tender radicchio varieties such as Castelfranco or Sugar Loaf.
2 The warm salad can be served without
poached eggs.
3 Omit the bacon, increasing the amount of
olive oil in the dressing to make up for the
loss of bacon fat.
4 Make some rustic croutons and toss them
while still hot with fine-chopped garlic.
Dress the croutons with a little vinaigrette
and toss with the greens.
Gift Certificates Available
Grilled Lamb Loin Chops
4 servings
1 Season:
8 lamb loin chops cut 1½ inches thick
with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
2 Prepare a medium-hot bed of coals. Brush
and clean the grill. Brush the chops with
oil and put them on the grill. Cook for 3
minutes and rotate 45 degrees if desired,
for grill marks. Turn the chops after 6 minutes and cook until medium rare, about
another 4 minutes. Let rest for 4 minutes
before serving.
OPEN SUNDAY FOR DINNER & M ON-SAT – LUNCH & DINNER
FOR RESERVATIONS: 519-652-7659 • HWY 401 & 4
True Canadiana
“One of the Lake Erie shore’s most exceptional
bed and breakfasts.... a tour de force
of tempting choices.”
Book
now for
Easter Brunch,
— Janette Higgins,
The Best Places to B&B in Ontario
Sunday,
April 12
Variations
1 To grill lamb rack chops, count 3 per person, and season as above, but cook over a
hot fire for only about 3 minutes on each
side.
2 Grill pork chops over medium coals. Oneinch-thick pork chops will take about 10 to
12 minutes to cook. always more online
Vicci & Jon Coughlin
www.eatdrink.ca
EXCLUSIVELY online, you’ll find another recipe
from The Art of Simple Food. Click this link in our
“way cool” digital issue for Alice Waters’ fabulous
Asparagus and Lemon Risotto.
205 Main Street, Port Stanley ON
--
www.telegraphhouse.com
48
BOOKS
Eating Local, Eating Fresh
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Review by Darin Cook
B
ecoming a locavore (someone committed to eating only locally-produced food) takes a dedication to the
natural food chain and requires certain sacrifices, such as never eating bananas –
unless you live in a tropical country. And
sometimes it entails relocating to areas with
more agricultural variety. That is what novelist, Barbara Kingsolver, did by moving her
family from Arizonan desert to Appalachian
farmland for a more rural lifestyle, where
the family had a better chance of reacquainting itself with the knowledge of
“which animals and vegetables thrive in
one’s immediate region and how to live well
on these.” As a mother and a wife, King-
solver feels it is
important to instill
these family values
in the same way that grammar and
algebra are taught in school.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year in
Food Life (Harper Perennial, 2008) is the
resulting book in this shift in eating philosophy, and the book itself becomes a family
affair. Being the matriarch author, Kingsolver
writes the majority of the text, but her husband, Steven Hopp, adds several environmental segments, and their oldest daughter,
Camille, contributes the perspective of a college student. Another daughter, Lily, is only
in second grade and does not contribute any
“Worth the Drive ... Worth a Visit!”
When the
family wants
to eat, they call
Skinny Pete!
PANZEROTTIS
SALADS
WINGS


•PIZZA
  •    
WHEATFREE
Dough Available
Tues-Thurs am-pm
Fri am-pm
Sat pm-pm
Sun pm-pm
Closed Mondays
writing, but she is the family’s biggest entrepreneur by tending the chickens that contribute to the egg-selling business.
Not only does their local experiment keep
grocery money in the neighbourhood, but it
allows the family to celebrate the freshness
and flavour of food as the seasons govern
their daily menus. As a mother, she wants
more than “a cartoon character with spinachdriven strength” to inspire children to eat
greens, and she believes palatability will
save the day; “even Popeye only gets miserably soppy-looking stuff out of a can” she
writes. It is the flavour of local produce that
hasn’t been tampered with by genetic modification that Kingsolver knows will make
families and children relish vegetables.
This “Year in Food Life” captures a lifetime of food education, including a cornucopia of topics such as canning tomatoes
for the winter months, finding heirloom
vegetables from nearby markets, nutritional recipes, environmental sustainability, nourishing seeds into a garden of their
own, making cheese from scratch, and liv-
ing among animals that are not pets.
Their mission of “eating home-cooked
meals from whole, in-season ingredients
obtained from the most local source available” is geared to be better for their health,
their finances, and the environment. It is
no small task to give up so much convenient food to feed a family, but Kingsolver
sees it as a small gesture given the scope of
other global problems. There are so many
lessons that bloom from this book that it is
impossible to encapsulate them all, but
Kingsolver shows us that her efforts make a
difference by writing: “Small, stepwise
changes in personal habits aren’t trivial.
Ultimately they will, or won’t, add up to
having been the thing that mattered.” This
year of eating deliberately, documented in
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, is just the
beginning for this family, their neighbourhood farmers, and, if enough people follow
their example, the world at large. DARIN COOK keeps himself well-read and well-fed by visiting the bookstores and restaurants of London.
The secret’s out.
Come in and check out Shelly’s all new
(and surprisingly affordable) menu and lounge.
Meet me at Shelly’s.
The Lamplighter Inn, 591 Wellington Road
www.shellystapandgrill.com
49
50
WINE
Food Pairing in Napa-Sonoma
By Rick VanSickle
NAPA VALLEY, California
W
e’re in the famed kitchen of Jeffrey Starr, culinary director for
Sutter Home Family Vineyards, in
the heart of Napa Valley.
There is nothing remarkable about Starr’s kitchen,
other than the chefs who
busy themselves around
our group of wine writers
and sommeliers here to
learn more about pairing
wine with food. Starr and
his team are masters in this
department and work fulltime matching food to
wine, no matter how difficult the pairings.
Sutter Home Winery
dates back to the late 1800s,
when a Swiss-German
immigrant named John
Chef Jeffrey Starr
Thomann established a
small winery and distillery in the heart of
California’s Napa Valley. The Trinchero
family purchased the winery in 1947 and
has built the company into the tenth-largest
wine producer in the world, with a production of 15 million cases of wine a year.
Much of that success is built on the reputation of its most popular wine, white zinfandel, with an annual sale of four million
cases. And before you start snickering
about white zin, it should be noted that 25
percent of all wine sold in the U.S. is white
zinfandel — a blush, pink wine with
refreshing crispness to go with strawberries
and melon that sells for a very affordable $9
at the LCBO. And it pairs great with spicy
Asian foods, as well.
Starr and his team are preparing a lunch
that emphasizes difficult pairings. As our
group watches the chefs go about their
business, the aromas of panko (a Japanese
term for bread crumbs) crusted rock
shrimps with Tahini miso and Sambal aioli
fills the kitchen. This is paired brilliantly
with a Trinchero Family Riesling Monterey County 2007. The tropical and citrus
flavours match perfectly
with the crispy-coated
shrimp, and the off-dry
sweetness complements
the miso in the dish.
From there, Starr cooks
up a pan-seared filet of
Atlantic salmon (which was
actually raised and farmed
on the West Coast) with
sweet corn pearl couscous,
chives, pea shoots, crispy
serrano (dry-cured ham),
golden balsamic syrup and
roasted tomato-basil butter.
The salmon is matched with
a Napa Cellars Pinot Noir
Napa Valley 2007. I’ve
always enjoyed pinot noir with salmon, and
the salty-crispy serrano is a perfect match
with the wine. We end with a delicious
warm pineapple shortcake served with a
sweet Moscato.
In Napa Valley and Sonoma County, food
and wine are always top priorities for visitors,
whether dining at any of the restaurants in
wine country or enjoying a special dinner
prepared by an in-house chef at a winery.
Here are a few memorable matchups from
our trip to Napa-Sonoma, with wines you
can find at your local wine store.
• Fennel-dusted local Petrale sole with
garden sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes),
fennel, and brown butter sauce. This
ocean sole with fennel works extremely
well with Kendall-Jackson Grand
Reserve Chardonnay 2006 ($20 at Vintages). This big, fruity chard with pear,
apple and citrus notes has just enough oak
spice to complement the fennel.
• Spit-roasted autumn duck with apples,
pine nuts and pomegranates, served with
Bridlewood Estate Winery Reserve
Syrah Central Coast 2006 ($27 at Vintages). We enjoyed this pairing in
Sonoma County at the MacMurray Ranch
property owned by the Gallo family.
(MacMurray Ranch is famous for its
former owner, Fred MacMurray, the
same Fred MacMurray who played
the lead role in My Three Sons, a
boomer TV staple.) Duck pairs
extremely well with syrah, especially a
smoky, meaty, and currant-infused
wine such as this one from Gallo’s Bridlewood Estate. Equally up to the task
was a Frei Brothers Reserve Pinot
Noir from the Russian River Valley.
• Seared day-boat scallops with parsnips,
pears, apples and balsamic vinegar, served
with Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Fumé
Blanc Reserve ($25 at Vintages). We
enjoyed a fair amount of scallops on our
trip to California and this was the best
matchup. This style of sauvignon blanc,
made famous by Robert Mondavi, is lightly
oaked, which makes it stand up to ingredients such as vinegar. It’s also loaded
with lime zest and citrus, which pair well
with scallops of any style.
• Slow-roasted pork shoulder with
pear chutney, Yukon gold potato purée,
wilted escarole and garden kale, paired
with Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($79 at
Vintages). The wine is a 75–25 blend of
cabernet sauvignon and merlot, and
even though it’s from the 2005 vintages, it’s still a baby and needs a nice
cut of meat to show itself properly. It
has plenty of upfront blackberry fruit
and firm tannins that melt away with
the pear chutney and pork flavours. A
pork dish like this is a great matchup for
any bold Napa Valley cabernet sauvigon. 51
RICK VANSICKLE is an avid wine collector. He has written a
weekly wine column since 1999 and appears regularly, in
various forms, in the Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto Suns. If you
have questions, he can be reached at [email protected].
Fine Dining at an Affordable Price
A relaxing atmosphere, a site overlooking
the Thames River, the elegance of a Baby Grand
and Golden Plate Award-winning
maitre d’extraordinaire Jack DiCarlo
and staff have made Michael’s on the Thames
one of the finest dining rooms in London.
With tableside cooking, flambéed desserts and coffees,
the restaurant specializes in continental cuisine.
Private Rooms Perfect for Bridal Parties and Rehearsal Dinners
Group-set Menus to Suit Any Budget
Affordable Lunches - Monday to Friday
Open for Dinner Every Day
1 York Street (Just West of Ridout,
Only 2 blocks from the John Labatt Centre)
519-672-0111
25
of
YEARSENT
L
L
E
C
EX
E
SERVIC
www.michaelsonthethames.com
Pianist Tuesday to Sunday Evenings
Plenty of FREE PARKING
Gift Certificates – the Perfect Gift
Call Us
Now to
Book for
Mother’s
Day
52
BEER
Like the Girl Next Door
Cream Ale is a Domestic Beauty Rediscovered
By The Malt Monk
T
his time of year, I like to reacquaint
my palate with the occasional
quenching, sparkling reminder of
warmer days. Recently I went to a themed
beer tasting centred upon crafted cream
ales. It was a great winter getaway to the
beers of summer, and a reminder that this
particular underappreciated domestic gem
— cream ale — is a style endemic to the
Canadian dominion’s brewing tradition.
Our American friends like to think
they pioneered this style, but Canadian ale makers were using the cream
ale process years before it was popular in the US. It’s also a neglected
domestic style currently in resurgence, thanks to local craft brewers.
Style and History
The prototype cream ale style was
first offered in Canada sometime in
the later part of the 1800s. It was
the result of established ale makers trying to recapture markets
lost to the new and wildly popular Bavarian “lager” beers
brewed in Waterloo, Gray and
Bruce counties. Coming from the
German settlements of upper
Canada, lagers from Swan,
Huether, Kuntz, Capitol, Dominion and Lion breweries swept the
region by storm with lager’s
smooth finished (cold-conditioned) taste.
Ales at the time were a matter
of kegging a darker, bitter, very
young, top-fermented threepenny tavern ale and letting it mature at
the tavern — if it could. Colonial era Canadian ale was a coarse unfinished drink with
some sharp edges from poor aging. To
make a smooth, ready-to-drink ale, more
like a lager, ale makers began making their
ales lighter and a tad sweeter, and let them
cold age like lager. Many ale makers kräusened their fermenting ale, like lager brewers did, to get mellow taste and natural
carbonation. This hybrid ale style became
as popular as lager in Canadian taverns just
prior to prohibition. However, after prohibition the style was abominated by corporate brewing shortcuts and did not
approximate its original form until the
recent craft beer revival.
Essentially, cream ale became a
distinct style defined by process and
taste. It was made with lighter and
sweeter malts fermented at warm
temperatures to get the fruity signature of ale, then kräusened and cold
aged to mellow and finish the beer
like lager. Domestic ingredients were
used. A combination grain bill of
local six-row pale malts and tworow caramel malts, and sometimes flaked corn, was added.
Soft water is preferred. Any variety of hops was used for bittering
and finishing, but locally grown
Golding varieties predominated.
Style Characteristics
Aroma: Light and grainy, with
bready tones. A sweet
caramelised presence. Hop
aroma low. Ale esters will be
present; apple, peach, apricot.
Appearance: Moderate gold
colour, although can be on the
pale side. Medium head with moderate
retention. Brilliant, sparkling clarity.
Flavour: Low hop bitterness. Soft malty
sweetness. Neither malt nor hops dominate
in the taste. Fruity tastes like apple, peach,
apricot, even citrus, should be present in a
better cream ale.
Taste of the Month
Mouthfeel: Generally light and crisp,
although body has smooth, rounded,
creamy character and sparkling “thirst
quenching” finish.
Local Recommendations
Magnotta True North Cream Ale (on
tap or bottled at the beer store)
Cameron’s Cream Ale (Available
on tap at better beer bars/beer
store/lcbo 497495)
Nickel Brook Draft is actually a
draft-smooth cream ale (on tap/at
the brewery store)
Muskoka Cream Ale (Beer store or
lcbo 508622)
McAuslan Cream Ale (on tap only)
Railway City Iron Spike Blonde
(on tap at King Eddie’s in Ilderton
and in bottles at the brewery)
53
Magnotta True North Cream Ale is a deep
honey-gold colour with a fresh, breadlike sweet malt nose enhanced by fruity
esters and faint hop aromatics. Flavours
of fresh malt, subtle sweetness, citrus
hops and pleasant ale fruitiness. Magnotta scores again on accurate style
interpretation with this one. Good
quencher and pleasant to drink
A Heads-Up
Bierophiles may want to keep an
eye open for what hits the shelves of
the LCBO in the mid-March spring
release. There appears to be a couple of authentic Bock beers, Trappist ales and herbed ales on their
way. Cheers! THE MALT MONK is the alter ego of D.R. Hammond, an industrial consultant by day and a passionate supporter of craft beer culture. He has been
a home brewer and reviewer/ consumer of craft beers for as
long as he cares to remember.
54
THE LIGHTER SIDE
A Cook’s Life: Part II
By David Chapman
I
n a large Belfast hotel with 24-hour
service, labour costs were a problem in
the 1960s. To deal with this, most
kitchen staff were required to work split
shifts. We would start at 9 a.m., get prep
ready for lunch and dinner service, serve
lunch and then take a couple of hours off.
We’d come back and serve dinner. So what
do you do for two hours? Well, a lot of the
more senior chefs would do what I call “the
split-shift shuffle.”
In Ireland, you will always find a bookie
(off-track betting office) next door to a pub.
So first you go to the bookie and place your
bets, then you shuffle next door to the pub
to watch the race on TV. This was a win-win
situation for the pub, as one would either
drink to celebrate a win or drink to forget a
loss. I was not old enough to participate in
these activities but would tag along to
enjoy the fun. Dinner service would usually
end by 9 p.m. and this would give me just
enough time to catch the last bus home.
Belfast was not a late-night town at that
time.
One lesson that I learned early was that
the most important thing a chef earns is his
reputation among other chefs. A kitchen
brigade is dependent on many people
working in highly stressful, hot, fast-paced
Enjoy eatdrink?
Help spread the word. Sign up
for a FREE digital subscription,
and tell your friends.
www.eatdrink.ca
Interested in a woman’s perspective?
www.citywoman.ca
conditions, with all those characters and
temperaments coming together to create
someone’s lunch or dinner. If you are the
weak link and can’t do your part, you will
be quickly ostracized. But if you are good,
you will be accepted as an equal.
All the time, Chef will be watching and
assessing your performance as well. Once,
while I was entremétier (vegetable cook), I
tried to impress him by tossing some peas
in a pan. I got a little overambitious and
kept tossing them higher and higher, until
disaster struck. I missed the pan and peas
went everywhere, the little bastards rolling
all over the place. Chef said nothing but the
smile on his face haunted me for days.
After many months of total focus, dedication and hard work, I was finally
accepted as someone who could be relied
upon to do a good job. When I realized I
had achieved a good reputation, it was a
seminal moment.
You would think that in a kitchen you
could eat well. Quite the opposite. After
labour cost, food cost was the most closely
watched. We usually had a staff meal of
yesterday’s special, or we would grab a
stray morsel here and there.
One morning, I was helping myself to
some porridge left over from breakfast.
Wolfing it down, I heard a noise behind me.
It was Mr. Clapham, the general manager, a
despicable little man who was as mean as
he was ugly. “Chapman, how long have you
been here at the Grand Central?” he asked.
Wow! Recognition at last, I thought. Maybe
he is going to give me a raise! “Two years,
Mr. Clapham,” I proudly said.
“Then you should know you can’t eat
during work.”
I had to pay for the porridge. As I said, a
despicable little man! DAVID CHAPMAN has been a creative and respected fixture
in the London restaurant scene for over 20 years. He is the
proprietor of David’s Bistro and manages The Katana Kafe.
Come for the Taste ...
Stay for a Visit!
Coffee Culture Café & Eatery is
a perfect spot to grab a quiet
cup of coffee, hold a casual
business meeting or take
advantage of the café’s free
wireless internet access and
plasma TV.
Gourmet Coffees
Frozen Coffees
Cold Beverages
Chillers
Catering
Crepes
Cakes
Bakery
Breakfast Bagels
EXETER, 386 Ciabatta
Main StreetSandwiches
South, 519-235-6222
GODERICH, 58
Courthouse
Square, 519-524-9191
Grilled
Sandwiches
LONDON, 260 Dundas Street, 519-850-2233
LONDON, 519 Richmond Street, 519-433-3555
ST. THOMAS, 831 Talbot Street, 519-637-7772
EXETER, 386 Main Street South, 519-235-6222
ST. MARYS, 5 Water Street, 519-284-0550
GODERICH, 58 Courthouse Sq., 519-524-9191
LONDON, 260 Dundas Street, 519-850-2233
LONDON, 519 Richmond Street, 519-433-3555
ST. THOMAS, 831 Talbot Street, 519-637-7772
ST. MARYS, 5 Water Street, 519-284-0550
www.coffeeculture.ca
Present this coupon to receive $1.00 off
any one of our specialty beverages.
Valid One Coupon per Customer, per Visit. Offer Expires July 31, 2009.
Present this coupon and receive 2 medium
coffees and a slice of cake for only $6.77
Present this coupon with the
purchase of any Sandwich Combo and
receive a second Sandwich Combo of
equal or lesser value for ½ price
Present this coupon with the
purchase of any Breakfast Bagel Combo
and receive a second Breakfast Bagel
Combo of equal or lesser value for ½ price
“More than a visit...An Experience!”
“We would like our guests to have a unique dining
experience, like no other in the city, with a focus on
attention to detail from start to finish. My philosophy is
that in order to have great food you must start with a
great product. At Auberge, we strive to be as consistent as
possible and use as many local products as we can. We
prepare our food in-house and everything is made from
scratch. Our dining rooms are comfortable, elegant and
inviting. You will feel like you have stepped out of London
and arrived in France. Bon Appetit!”
Executive Chef/Owner
Nicole Arroyas,
Auberge Experience Cuisine
Open Monday-Saturday
from : am
Located downtown at
- King Street, London
(at Maitland)
Free Parking
 unique private dining rooms
inspired by cities in France to
accommodate - people
 Fireplaces
Enclosed year-round veranda
Outdoor patio
Business meetings: wireless
internet, projector and screen
--
www.aubergerestaurant.ca
Take-out boxed lunches from $
Lunch starting at $
Afternoon Tea
Dinner starting at $
• Affordable Wine List
& Reserve Cellar Wines
• Prix fixe & Tasting Menus
• Vegetarian options
• Diet Requests Accommodated
• Traditional French food
www.eatdrink.ca
Web1
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
More from Bon Appetit, Mr. President
A Recipe from the Barack Obama/Stephen Harper Lunch
Recipe courtesy of Chef Jonathon Collins
Tuna with Citrus Vinaigrette
Beet Relish
TUNA
Tuna loin – 50-100 grams per person (or 250
g/person as a main course)
3 tbsp (40 ml) unsalted butter
3 tbsp (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil
pinch kosher salt
pinch white pepper
1 red beet
1 yellow beet
1 chioggia beet
1 cylindra beet
1 Combine butter and olive oil over
medium-high heat in sauté pan.
2 Broadcast salt and pepper evenly over
each side of the tuna.
3 Sear the tuna for 30-60 seconds on each
side evenly.
4 (Cook longer for more well-done, shorter
for more rare.)
VINAIGRETTE
1 shallot (finely diced)
1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
1 tbsp (15 ml) grain mustard
1 tbsp (15 ml) black sesame seeds
1 tbsp (15 ml) mirin*
1 orange (zest and juice)
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 lime (zest and juice)
¼ cup (50 ml) champagne vinegar
¼ cup (50 ml) cider vinegar
1½ (375 ml) cups extra virgin olive oil
pinch kosher salt
pinch cayenne pepper
dash of water
* Mirin is a sweet rice wine similar to sake.
It’s very mild and a great source of flavour.
Ingredients will need to be adjusted slightly
to achieve balance. The quality of the ingredients will improve the flavour dramatically.
5 Combine all ingredients (whisking),
adding the olive oil at the end and slowly
emulsifying the mixture.
6 Wash beets and roast with skin on at 350°F,
covered with foil until tender, approximately 40-50 min.
7 After roasting, cool and peel then dice
(approx. 1 cm square), keeping colours
separate until service.
8 To finish, fold beets together with the
vinaigrette, placing a spoonful or two on
the plate.
9 Slice 3 or 5 thin portions of the tuna and
fan out the slices on top of the relish, leaving it partly exposed.
10 Top the tuna with the vinaigrette and
serve.
Web2
www.eatdrink.ca
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
More from The Art of Simple Food
Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution
By Alice Waters
Asparagus and Lemon Risotto
4 servings
1 Snap the ends off:
1 pound (500 g) asparagus
2 Cut the spears on the diagonal into ¼-inch
pieces.
3 Remove the zest from:
1 lemon
4 Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the
juice.
5 Melt in a heavy-bottomed 2½- to 3-quart
saucepan over medium heat:
2 tablespoons (25 ml) butter
6 Add:
1 small onion, diced fine
7 Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
8 Add:
1½ cups (375 ml) risotto rice (Arborio,
Carnoroli, Baldo, or Vialone Nano)
9 Cook the rice, stirring now and then, until
translucent, about 4 minutes. Do not let it
brown.
10 Meanwhile, bring to a boil and then turn
off:
5 cups (1250 ml) chicken broth
11 Stir the lemon zest into the sautéed rice,
then pour in:
½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine
12 Cook, stirring fairly often, until all the wine
is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the warm
chicken broth and cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring occasionally. When the rice
starts to get thick, pour in another ½ cup
of the broth and add some salt (how much
depends on the saltiness of the broth).
Keep adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, every
time the rice thickens. Do not let the rice
dry out. After 12 minutes, stir in the cut
asparagus. Cook until the rice is tender but
still has a firm core, 20 to 30 minutes in all.
When the rice is just about done, stir in
half the lemon juice and:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter
⁄ cup (75 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
13 Stir vigorously to develop the creamy
starch. Taste for salt and lemon juice,
adding more as needed. Turn off the heat,
let the risotto sit uncovered for 2 minutes,
and serve. Add a splash of broth if the rice
becomes too thick.
Variations
1 Stir 2 or 3 tablespoons (25–45 ml) chopped
chervil or parsley into the risotto before
serving.
2 Clean 1 pound (500 g) scallops, removing
the small muscle (the “foot”) attached to
their sides. If they are very large scallops,
cut them in half horizontally — so that you
end up with 2 thinner disks of scallop. Stir
the scallops into the risotto 5 minutes
before it has finished cooking.
3 Add 1 pound (500 g) peas, shelled, 10 minutes before the risotto has finished cooking.
Garnish with chopped chervil or a few fresh
spearmint leaves cut into thin ribbons.
4 For a winter squash risotto, omit the
lemon and asparagus. Peel 1/2 small butternut squash and remove the seeds and
strings from the inner cavity. Cut into small
dice. Heat 2 tablespoons (25 ml) butter in a
heavy-bottomed pan, add the squash with
a few leaves of fresh sage, and season with
salt. Cook over medium-low heat until the
squash is just done, cooked through but
not soft. Add the cooked squash 5 minutes
before the risotto has finished cooking.
(Alternatively, add sage to the sautéing
onions and stir the raw diced squash into
the risotto with the second addition of
broth.) This works well with parsnips, carrots, and celery root also.
5 For a potato and pancetta risotto, omit the
lemon and asparagus. Peel 2 large yellow
potatoes and dice small. Dice 2 slices
pancetta. Add the pancetta to the onions
while they are sautéing. Stir the potatoes
into the rice with the first addition of
broth.
6 For a grilled radicchio risotto, omit the
lemon and asparagus, and just before
serving, stir in about 2 cups chopped
grilled radicchio.
www.eatdrink.ca
Web3

London - eatdrink Magazine

Transcription

Similar documents

flyer

Bragard launches its new collection: "Chef on the Move"!

VENEZUELAN NIGHT

lurcat naples

Culinary School Stirs Hope — Social Good CLT

promo bebek betutu website

112 - Providence

LULMay16posterFINAL

The Brimi Cuisine Education Office is a joint effort

Maggiano`s Little Italy.indd