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eatdrink
Serving London, Stratford & Area
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PLEASE TAKE ONE
RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
Chef Daniel irvine
and His “trü” Calling
on the Road Less
Travelled at
Blackfriars Bistro
Trendspotting: Chocolate
— Food of the Gods
eatdrinkmag.net
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Issue Six • January 2008
Featuring a unique menu fusing
the best of Mediterranean ingredients
and Thai flavours,
with an extensive wine list
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CONTENTS
restaurant profile
6
on the Road Less Travelled
although 12 years old, Blackfriars Bistro is still being discovered.
By MeLanie north
10
wine
wine, Stir Fries and Soy Sauce
Wine pairing when you’re eating lighter.
By shari DarLing
14
spotlight
Black walnut Bakery Café
By Chris McDoneLL
15
trendspotting
Chocolate: Food of the Gods
Chocolate has health benefits, and other news about one of our favourite foods.
By MeLanie north
19
books
a review of e Complete Light Kitchen and selected recipes
By Jennifer gageL
22
a review of Service Included
By Darin CooK
24
Chefs
a trü Calling
Daniel Irvine has found his niche at his trü restaurant and lounge.
By MeLanie north
32
food writer at large
Virtues of Professional Service
By Bryan Lavery
40
eatdrinkbuzz Compiled by Chris McDoneLL
42
Lambics: a walk on the wild Side
beer
By the MaLt MonK
46
seasonal reCipes
a Substantial Sunday Dinner
By Christine sCheer
48
travel
Time in the Kingdom of Fife
By Christine and voLKer JenDhoff
52
Mixology
Looking for our Best Bartenders
By DarCy o’neiL
56
the lighter side
The Potato Thing
By Kitso MashiLe
eatdrink
™
RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
eatdrinkmag.net
A Food & Drink Magazine Serving London, Stratford & Area
™
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Mailing Address
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Contributors
Bryan Lavery
Melanie north
shari Darling
Christine scheer
D.r. hammond
Jennifer gagel
Christine and volker Jendhoff
Darin Cook
Darcy o'neil
Kitso Mashile
Editorial Advisory Board
Bryan Lavery
Chris McDonald
Cathy rehberg
Copy Editor
Melanie north
Graphic Design & Layout
hawkline graphics
[email protected]
Website
Milan Kovar/Kovnet
Printing
impressions Printing
st. thomas on
Cover Image
Chef and restaurateur Daniel irvine stands behind the bare
in his trü restaurant and lounge.
the photo is by Melanie north, who has been a tour de
force this issue. Melanie also took the“people”shots in the
cover story, all the photos in the Blackfriars Bistro feature,
and the photo of Michele Lenhardt in our“spotlight.” she
also penned a number of articles for this issue.
Copyright © 2008 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. e 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. e Publisher
welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for
unsolicited material.
january 2008 • issue six
always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net
5
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Toasting the new year
By Chris McDonell
appy New Year from everyone at
eatdrink. We’re looking forward
to 2008 and we have some exciting
plans lined up. e gratifying reception
we’ve had in our first six months has put
wind in our sails. We anticipate real
growth in the magazine and that will allow
us to tell even more of the great stories that
are out there.
H
Our contest for new subscribers to our free
digital edition is going well. No worries if
you’re already a subscriber—you’re already
entered—but on January 24, 2008, we’ll randomly select the winner of a fabulous prize
package. Details are below and entering is
easy; just follow the “Magazine” link on our
website and register. As always, we guarantee no spam, and you can unsubscribe at
any time. We’ll give you a monthly email
invitation to read the new issue online, or
whet your appetite if you prefer the print
edition. We’re adding more pickup locations every week, so you’ll always be able to
find one handy.
Have you visited our website recently? Our
Restaurant Reviews are up online and waiting for your input. Had a dining experience
that you’d like to share with other readers?
Be our guest. It’s simple, fun and useful. WIN AN eatdrink WEEKEND
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employees of eatdrink and the sponsoring businesses, and their
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they be randomly selected, another name will be drawn. the
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occupancy and must be redeemed before april 2008.
the Winning Package for 2 includes
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+
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Fellini’s
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saturday night Dinner at
The Keystone Alley
a random draw of subscribers
will be held on January 24, 2008.
this prize has a suggested retail value of approximately
$60o (alcohol is not included) but has no cash value.
6
issue six • january 2008
RESTAURANTS
on The Road Less Travelled
Blackfriars Bistro is still being “discovered”
By Melanie north
H
oused in an old building just down
the street from London’s historic
landmark bridge of the same
name, Blackfriars Bistro has become
something of a local fixture itself. e
building’s original interior structures are
still intact, so that the kitchen is large but
comprised of a series of small rooms. e
walls are covered in serviceable but typical
white tile, but as I walk through several
spaces into the final room, a wonderful
aroma escapes from the big pot simmering
on the stove: Mongolian Red Lentil Soup is
destined to be a popular offering for lunch.
e transition between the back and the
front of the house is startling. When you
pass through the elaborately painted
swinging doors, you enter another world
altogether, a world of art and comfort.
Deep purple, lavender and periwinkle
blue walls are tempered by the tile floor
and Persian area rugs. All of the bistro
tables are covered in mosaics varying from
snakes and frogs to exotic birds and fish.
Add to that the time-honoured bistro
chalkboard and original art and pottery
and it all culminates in a satisfactory exotic
mélange. is room seems to have a definite life of its own.
Owner and “Jill of all trades” Betty Heydon has not only presided over Blackfriars
for the last 12 years, but also washed
dishes, worked in the kitchen, even shoveled the snow off the walk. In the beginning, she was doing most of the cooking
but a couple of years ago she came out of
the kitchen to interact more with her customers. “People like to meet the owner,”
she says, and she enjoys the interaction.
Betty, being Italian, likes to feed people.
And not just food, but their souls.
Although it wasn’t intentional, she thinks
Blackfriars Bistro’s vibrant facade gives
a hint of the creative menu offered inside.
7
of Blackfriars as a “women’s place.” Not fruit, not added sugar. No matter what diet
only is the staff almost all female, except you are on or restricted to, Blackfriars can
for one server, but most of her customers and will prepare a wonderful meal for you.
are female too. It just happened to evolve Betty takes care of your comfort needs and
that way, like many things at Blackfriars. your “body” needs. Since everything is
For instance, Betty changes the wall colour made to order, it’s easy to serve the lacevery year, and last year started watching tose-free or gluten-free or heart-smart cuswhat her customers were wearing. After tomer without “losing the decadence.”
two weeks of observation, she realized
ree times a year, the menu changes
purple was the “in” colour, and so went the and Betty “dreams” the new one. It just
walls. It is a nice alternative to bistro red, “comes to her”—like the aforementioned
and seems to be hot and cool at the same lasagna. She also gets input from the team
in the kitchen. She’ll ask her chefs—Head
time.
Betty would know about colour because Chef Abby Roberts along with Julianna
she is, foremost, an artist. With a degree in Guy and an occasional guest chef such as
art and art history, she set out to be a Jacqui Shantz—to write down any ideas
painter. Indeed, some of the paintings in they have and she’ll try to incorporate
the bistro are hers. But, she says, “If you them into her own ideas. en Abby tries
want a career in art you need to work in a to figure out how to make it all work. “One
restaurant.” Common fact: many a starv- chef wanted to make a cassoulet with lots
ing artist and actor have survived through of beans and I wanted old-school baked
restaurant work. Turns out for Betty that beans,” offers Betty as an example.
she was more successful at the restaurant “ey’re really good for you.” e comproand so it began. She refers to it as the cul- mise was “Medallions of Pork Tenderloin
mination of an artistic path. Food is cre- with an Apple Cider Reduction on Bourative and she uses the same kind of energy bon Spiked Baked Beans and Grilled
Sweet Pepper Studded Corn Bread”. At first
on a painting as she does on a menu.
What you’ll find at Blackfriars is indeed glance, this is not a typical health food
a very creative and eclectic menu, hand- menu, yet all the ingredients are top-notch
written by Betty. (How could it be other- healthy. Betty has even tracked down a
wise?) Her take on lasagna: “Roasted
Butternut Squash, Caramelized
Onion and Fennel Lasagna with Cardamom Cream, topped with Roasted
Root Vegetables and Tomato Balsamic Relish.” Yes, I would call that
both artistic and creative, but Betty
also emphasizes good health on her
menu.
Betty’s health consciousness really
got kick-started 20 years ago when
her children were diagnosed with
food allergies. She started to read the
sides of the food boxes and learned
firsthand that the ubiquitous stabilizers, msg, preservatives and
colouring are an anathema to creating a truly good product. She makes
Blackfriars’ famous Banana Rum
and Raisin Bread Pudding with quality but more health-conscious ingredients, choosing 2% milk instead of
Owner Betty Heydon
cream, with an emphasis on added
8
Above, Betty Heydon with Service Person
Aylish McLeod. Right, Chef Abby Roberts.
supplier of “healthy grain” rice, a
combination of wild, red, white rice and
grains which shows up on the menu as
“Filet of Basa with Julienned Vegetables
and Baby Bok Choy in a Mild Curry Cream
on a Healthy Grain Rice.” How do these
dishes manage to sound so luxurious
while being healthy at the same
time? at’s part of what drives the
Blackfriars cult.
Blackfriars’ location, off the
beaten path on the primarily residential Blackfriars
Street, also gives it a bit of
mystique. You have to
“find” the restaurant, but
when you do: Hey! ere’s a
big parking lot! And you can
walk to downtown. And if
you don’t want to take your
private party to the bistro,
the bistro will come to you,
in the form of Blackfriars’
catering arm.
Like the bistro, Betty’s
catering business is customer-driven. No menu is preset but is
based on discussion with her client and
what they and their guests enjoy. Blackfriars will only do one catering event per day
because Betty wants to keep a close eye on
the dining room. She has four full-time
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9
Blackfriars’ chalkboard and the
eclectic artwork are part of the
charm of the bistro. The wall
colours were chosen after owner
Betty Heydon noticed purple in
many of her customers’
wardrobes.
and one part-time chef busy at work
because the food they do requires a
lot of power behind the scenes. It’s
personal and calls for a lot of flexibility. ere’s no staff hierarchy here,
and Betty believes that the team
dynamic of the staff is the reason it all
works so smoothly.
Although Blackfriars Bistro offers consignment feature wines, Betty has a
“BYOB” license. is is one of only a few
establishments in London where you can
bring a bottle and, for a small corking fee,
drink whatever you wish, including something special you made yourself to mark a
celebration.
is cult bistro is truly a place to get
away. It’s a great little place with good and
healthy food, and a welcoming place full of
art and style. Betty’s goal is to “change a
person’s day by coming here for a meal.”
Undoubtedly, she has her priorities set
straight. As one of Betty’s customers’s put
it, “is is our new best-friend restaurant.”
I think that says it all. Melanie north is a seasoned communications professional with experience in broadcast tv, corporate video,
website development, communications strategy, writing and
editing. she can't cook, but loves to eat!
Blackfriars Bistro and Caterer
46 Blackfriars Street, London
519-667-4930
www.blackfriarsbistro.com
lunch: weekdays, 11:30-2:30
dinner: monday to saturday, 5-10
sunday brunch: 11-2
YOUR COUNTERTOP SPECIALISTS
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10
WINE
wine, Stir-Fry and Soy Sauce
By shari Darling
T
he holiday season has passed, and
it’s time to get back into shape. In an
attempt to eat more vegetables and
less flesh and fat in my diet, I’ve been
focusing on interesting stir-fries. As a
fan of Asian cuisine, I’ve been considering various stir-fry ingredients, and
how they harmonize with wine.
One of the primary ingredients in the
Asian stir-fry is soy sauce. Did you
know that there are a variety of different soy sauces, all possessing their
own unique tastes and flavours?
When marrying stir-fries to wine,
remember to match the flavour
level in the soy sauce to the heaviness of the vegetables and flesh to
the density of the noodles.
Soy sauces generally fall into two
categories: Chinese soy sauces and
Japanese soy sauces. In Chinese
cuisine, there is light and dark soy
sauce. Lighter soy sauce adds saltiness and savory flavours, but does
not interfere with the wonderful
colours of vegetables in stir-fries.
is light, salty soy sauce matches
summer vegetables, such as scallions, green peppers and tomatoes,
thin, ramen noodles, and crisp, dry white
wine, including brut sparkling wines, brut
Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot
Gris, to name a few. ese wines generally
have low alcohol, lots of citrus flavours and
are light in weight, thus harmonizing with
the light nature of the vegetables.
Dark soy sauce is aged longer and
has the addition of molasses, giving
the end produce concentrated salty
and molasses flavour. is version is
used mostly as a condiment at the
table. e concentrated flavour and
sweetness in this soy sauce calls for
heavier vegetables, such as sweet
potatoes, onions and carrots and an
off-dry rosé wine with a hint of
sweetness to match.
When hunting for off-dry rosés
at the LCBO, look at the shelf card
for the sugar code. e higher the
sugar code, the sweeter and heavier the body in the wine. A sugar
code of two or three will suffice.
Japanese soy sauce is divided
into five categories, most being
made with wheat, giving them a
slightly sweet taste. Koikuchi is
the most popular soy sauce made
from soy and wheat. Made from
fermented rice, Usukuchi is light
and salty with a hint of sweetness.
Shiro is made mostly from wheat, is light
and sweet. All three soy sauces are a great
match for stir-fries made up of ginger, gar-
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12
lic, mushrooms, onions and carrots, and
Saishikomi is a brewed soy sauce
thin rice vermicelli noodles. is style of
with strong, rich flavour and can
stir-fry harmonizes with a fruity, off-dry
hold its own in a stir-fry containing
white wine.
heavier winter vegetables such as
Riesling is often produced in an off-dry
beets and parsnips. ese heavier
style. Again, check the sugar code on the
vegetables pair well with thick,
label card. Riesling also possesses nice
udon noodles and a medium-bodacidity to offset the sweetness, thus
ied red wine with fruity character.
bringing harmony to the wine.
Merlot, shiraz and some red
Tamari, known as the original soy
blends will pair nicely, offering
sauce, is produced mainly from soy.
smooth texture, medium weight
It is dark, concentrated and rich in
and lots of forward fruity characflavour, thus requiring a stir-fry with
ter.
vegetables like red cabbage, mustard greens and onions, and buckwine SuGGeSTionS
wheat and soba noodles. Match
Descriptions courtesy of the LCBO
Tamari stir-fries to a light, fruity,
red wine, including Gamay and
CRiSP, DRy wHiTe
Pinot Noirs. While hunting
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006,
through the LCBO for a light,
New Zealand, (lcbo 304469, $34.95).
fruity red, hold the bottle of wine
e 2006 vintage is weighty, ripely
up to the florescent light. If you
scented and rounded. It's a more subcan see shards of light coming
tle, less “in your face” style than some
through the wine, chances are it is
of its competitors, with good body and
light and fruity.
texture and a complex array of flavours: ripe
citrus and lime, and minerals that open out
to a powerful finish. (Michael Cooper,
Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines, 2007)
Mindfulness Meditation
for stress reduction
Mindfulness
Meditation is a
gentle but powerful
daily practice
that calms the
emotions, clarifies
the mind and warms
the heart.
oFF-DRy RoSé
Fielding estate VQa Rosé 2006, Niagara,
(lcbo 53421, Sugar Code 1, $14.95). Blended
from four grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Merlot, of
which Pinot is the highest percentage and
Syrah the lowest. e nose screams typical
rosé: raspberries and strawberries. Your
brain immediately screams back “sweet” ...
but hold on Jack, there's more inside the
bottle than greets the nose: citrus tang, dry
mouthwatering grapefruit characteristics
and it's dry ... pleasant and dry (Michael
Pinkus, ontariowinereview.com, Oct. 10,
2007).
WINTER 2008
8 Week Evening Course,
february 21 to april 10
thursdays, 5:30 - 7:30pm
Plus one Saturday Session,
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Trainer: Dr. Kate Partridge, Psychologist
Colio wines Cabernet Rosé, Lake Erie
North Shore, (Sugar Code 2, $8.29, Available at Colio Wines, Inside Sobey’s).
To register or for more information,
contact Dr. Partridge at:
[email protected]
(519) 438-8591
www.stressrelease.ca
Colio wines VQa orchard Blush, Lake
Erie North Shore, (Sugar Code 3, $8.95,
Available at Colio Wines, Inside Sobey’s).
Pale salmon colour; inviting aromas of
strawberry fruit, melon, citrus and apple;
medium-dry, with peach and raspberry
fruit, followed by a crisp finish.
“ Wonderful food, caring service, ambiance
that lifts my spirit ... I walk in to a
warm welcome and leave with a
desire to return.”
— Kitchener Record
SeMi-DRy wHiTe
Fielding estate VQa Semi-Dry Riesling
2005, Niagara, (lcbo 36202, $15.95). Very
pale lemon in colour with youthful green
tinges, this wine displays very fruity aromas of limeade, peach and pear. It’s offdry, medium bodied with juicy lime and
pear flavours balanced by racy
acidity. e finish is long and
refreshing. A great match for
spicy shrimp stir-fry. (Vintages
panel, Feb. 2007)
LiGHT, FRuiTy ReD
Flat Rock Cellars Gravity
Pinot noir 2005, Niagara,
(lcbo 56838, $29.95). Took
top pinot at the Ontario
Wine Awards this year, and
wows at the table as well.
e nose is a balsamic-like
blast of raspberry, spice,
wood smoke with the
earthy, fresh dug beet
nuances typical of Ontario
pinot. Rich yet vibrant on
the palate with excellent
length. (David Lawrason,
Wine Access, e Lawrason
E-Report, September , 2007)
ReD wiTH FoRwaRD FRuiT
Stellenrust Simplicity 2005, Blend, South
Africa, (lcbo 37465, $19.95). An international panel of judges awarded this Cabernet/Merlot blend a Gold Medal at the
2006 Michelangelo Wine Competition.
Aromas of dark chocolate and blackberry
lead to a palate that is concentrated and
rich, with a long oaky finish and finegrained tannins. shari darling is a member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of
Canada, author of books such as Harmony on the Palate:
Matching Simple Recipes to Everyday Wine Styles and
co-author of The Wine Manual, a resource for sommelier
and wine training. she can be reached through her website:
www.sophisticatedwino.com.
art
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we Day
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h yo lentine’s lfy’s
s
i
W atVa Woo
a gre dinner at ly,
with ervations eomnail
Res phone or
by
Chris & Mary Woolf
519-349-2467
[email protected]
Corner of Hwy #7 and Perth Road #118,
just outside St. Marys
14
SPOTLIGHT
Black walnut Bakery Café
By Chris McDonell
I
t may seem a long way from the
Art Gallery of Ontario, but Michele
Lenhardt is happy to be working
and living in London’s Wortley Village. e co-owner of the new Black
walnut Bakery Café shares most
aspects of daily life, in both business
and caring for their three-year-old
son, with her husband Roy Cook.
Michele took a lifelong passion for
baking to George Brown College and
got her Pastry Arts and her Patisserie
papers, but her parents did their best
to steer her into architecture. At age
28, she finally followed her bliss. After
graduating, she worked a couple of
years for a pastry chef before landing a
dream job at the AGO. Her mentor there,
Anne Yarymowich, gave her real inspiration, honing “a keen sense for pastry” that
accentuated its “beauty and elegance.”
It was at the Art Gallery that Michele and
Roy met. Roy, a London native and a Stratford Chefs School grad who has worked at
some of Toronto’s best restaurants, now
handles the savoury side at Black Walnut;
assorted soups, chicken pot pie and a daily
quiche are standards. He also handles the
“business” side of things, leaving Michele
to tend to the handcrafted pastries.
While the recent AGO shutdown for
major renovations gave some motivation
for their move, “greenshifting” was also
part of the equation. ey walk to work and
use biodegradable takeout utensils and
containers. “David Suzuki would be proud,”
laughs Michele. e couple met Dave Cook
(no relation) of the Fire Roasted Coffee
Company at a Slow Food fundraiser. Black
Walnut now serves and sells exclusively his
Fair Trade and organic coffee.
Freshness, great taste and quality are just
as integral to Michele and Roy’s business
ethics as the environment and social justice. And the combination is working.
“ere’s already many familiar faces,” notes
Michele, and the future looks bright. Chris MCdonell is the publisher of eatdrink.
Serenata PRESENTS: C.P.e. Bach, Britten, Poulenc, hetu, rubstov, yoffe and Doppler
Saturday, January 19
8pm
Wolf Performance Hall,
London Public Library
251 Dundas street
$25 - seniors & students $20
Tickets Available at:
L’Atelier Grigorian, 620 richmond st.
Belle Air Music Co., 364 richmond st.,
White oaks Mall, Masonville Plaza,
at the door or through
www.serenatamusic.com/tickets
Eyal Ein-Habar flute
Stéphan Sylvestre piano
Dudu Carmel oboe
15
TRENDSPOTTING
Chocolate: Food of the Gods
By Melanie north
D
o you prefer “bold upfront notes of
chocolate with underlying coffee
notes that linger” or “rich dark
chocolate with delicate red wine and spice
top notes,” or even “dark milk chocolate
with a floral aroma and subtle woodsy
herbal notes throughout, with hints of
roasted nut and caramel”?
No matter, because chocolatiers
are on top of the latest trends in
chocolate and ready to serve up the
Food of the Gods any way you like it.
“Chocolate doesn’t have enough caffeine to give you a buzz,” notes Marc
Forrat, a “chocolate ambassador”
and retailer in London’s Covent Garden Market. “But it does have properties to make people happy!” Here’s
what local experts are predicting as
the newest trends in chocolate.
Steed, owner of Rheo ompson Candies
in Stratford, says, “In our market, the trend
to dark chocolate is still very popular. People are not yet looking at 80-90% cacao
content, but at the 60-70% range. e
chocolate is definitely palatable and enjoyable.” It’s not just a matter of taste alone at
the higher cocoa levels, but the texture
More Dark Chocolate
In spite of some strong preferences
for light, dark chocolate is becoming
more and more popular among consumers—partly due to taste, but also due
to claimed health benefits.
Some studies have found that 70%+
cacao content in chocolate protects against
heart disease and perhaps some cancers,
while boosting mood and energy—good
reasons to justify the indulgence. Kristene
changes as well. It’s drier and breaks up
more easily since there is less butterfat,
dairy and sugar. “Milk chocolate just dissolves in your mouth, semi-sweet with 45%
cacao content and dark at 60% still melts in
your mouth,” says Steed. “But at 72% the
chocolate lingers a little longer in your
mouth with a stronger flavour.”
16
Jacqueline Barr, co-owner of Chocolate
Barr’s Candies in Stratford, agrees on the
trend to darker chocolate preferences.
“e last couple years there has been a big
push to darker chocolate,” notes Barr. “Our
70% cacao content chocolate just flies off
the shelf.” She also links dark chocolate’s
popularity to health benefits.
Pam Elliott has customers asking for
darker chocolate too. She is the franchise
owner of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at Masonville Mall in London. eir
dark chocolate is 54% cacao and now they
have added a bar containing 72%. “No
sugar added” is another trend Elliot sees.
“We’ve gone through it like crazy,” she
says. “A lot of people eat it who have diabetes or allergies or are diet-conscious”.
Chocolate bar makers are taking advantage of the good health news by adding
antioxidants (that occur naturally in dark
chocolate) to their milk chocolate bars. Portion control is another trend being offered
consumers in bite-size 10-gram bars.
More Flavours
Although chocolate taste preferences seem
to be regional, there is an upswing in trying
different flavours added to your sweet treat.
Over the last five years, spices and herbs
started to appear as specialty flavourings.
e traditional flavours have been hot
spices such as chile and cayenne. Barr says
their Red Pepper truffles are really popular
at the moment (crushed red chilies in the
chocolate). She thinks people are interested
in trying new products like rum & eggnog
truffle. Sea salt caramel is a new taste that
was really popular last summer, and they
issue five • december 2007
will continue to make it this year. She also
plans on making cinnamon hearts truffles
for Valentine’s Day this year. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory uses chili and makes
a chile garlic peanut butter chocolate that’s
very popular.
Single origin Chocolate
For the chocolate connoisseur, there is a
move to Single Origin chocolate. is
means that only one bean has been used to
create that product. Steed, comparing this
to a single grape wine versus a varietal,
notes that “it does provide the customer
with different tastes.” ere are three different cacao beans used to produce chocolate
(Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario) and both
the type of bean and its origin, soil and climate conditions will influence the taste and
price. While traditional chocolate products
blend a combination of 5-7 types of beans,
you can now buy single estate chocolate:
one bean, one plantation.
Hershey’s offers a good example of the
trend, offering exotic choices such as Sao
Tome (70% cacao) and
Santo Domingo and
Arriba (50%) in their
“Cacao Reserve” line.
Another new trend is
the blending of a limited number of origins
to produce a “themed”
blend, for example
using cacao from three
Caribbean Islands, or a
three-continents blend
(cacao from Ghana,
Java, and Ecuador).
Chocolate!
Chocolate was invented by the ancient
Aztecs. It had sacred status in a number
of rituals and was consumed as a drink
for hundreds of years. Today, chocolate
still finds its way into a wide variety of
Mexican dishes. Desserts such as Kahlua
Mousse (pictured at right) and the
popular Chocolate Taco are only two of
the delicious and creative ways to enjoy
this timeless “food of the gods.”
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Chocolate and wine Pairings
Chocolate lovers are now using the jargon
formerly reserved for wine when they
gather for Chocolate Tastings, either at
home or at corporate events. Go one step
further and try wine pairings with chocolate for a really fine treat. Both Steed and
Barr have partnered with Pelee Island
Winery (www.peleeisland.com) representative Lori Lupton to plan different corporate events focusing on chocolate and
wine. “We have done a number of events
with Lori and paired semi and bittersweets
with wine,” says Steed. “It’s similar to pairing wine with a fruit or nut. Milk chocolate
goes with something more savoury and
fruit goes well with dark chocolate.”
Lupton has some tips on how to put the
two indulgences together. “Typically, you
would pair a sweeter wine with darker
chocolate,” she notes. “ If you are serving a
red wine, it must be full-bodied and fullflavoured with a fair bit of fruit for it to
combine properly. With a sweeter chocolate, you can go with a high acidity and
high sugar content wine. Ice wines are
good, particularly red ice wine. At one
event, we made an incredible treat by
injecting fresh strawberries with Cabernet
Franc Icewine (red) and then covered the
strawberries in white and dark chocolate
plated with a dollop of whipped cream.”
If you want to try a wine/chocolate tasting at home, Lupton recommends that you
first taste the wine on its own, then put a
small piece of chocolate into your mouth,
let it melt, let flavours shine through and
then go back to wine. In between tastings,
refresh your palate with fresh fruit such as
issue five • december 2007
strawberries, grapes and kiwi. Other sample pairings include VQA Pelee Island
Merlot Reserve (available at most LCBO
outlets) with 70% dark chocolate and VQA
Pelee Island late harvest Scheureve (in
limited supply at the Kingsville winery)
paired with a sweeter chocolate.
Hot Drinks
Finally, the next big growth area that Steed
says is definitely here is using chocolate
that is grated for you from a 60-70% bar,
melting it and adding it to boiled milk for a
truly special chocolate drink. is is definitely not your household Hot Chocolate.
It’s being called a Chocolate Drink, or a
Drinking Cocoa with names like Classic
Mayan and Spiced Aztec and different
flavours added to it.
A mug of natural cocoa has nearly twice
the antioxidants of a glass of red wine, two
to three times more than green tea, and up
to five times that of black tea, according to
the February 2007 edition of Dr. Andrew
Weil’s “Self-Healing” newsletter. ese
drinks are a specialty market and while
Rheo ompson is not selling it at the
moment, they have been testing it and will
carry it soon.
So whether you love to eat it or drink it,
cook with it, have a facial with it or give it
as a gift, chocolate remains an exotic and
irresistible treat. As Steed says, it’s fun to
try new trends, but her customers always
go back to the classics with their creamy
texture, elegant colour and that wonderful
aroma. eatdrink wants your opinion
Melanie north is a regular contributor to eatdrink.
our 2008 Readership Survey will be online shortly, and you’ll also be able to answer it at our
booth at the London Wine & Food Show (Jan.18-20). We’ll draw one lucky entry from all those
received, for a prize of 12
fabulous meals from
Dinner Revolution.
good luck, and thanks in
advance for your input.
—Chris McDonell, Publisher
19
BOOKS
The Complete Light Kitchen
review by Jennifer gagel
M
aybe you are looking to shed
some holiday pounds, or maybe
this is the year you are determined to eat more healthy and nutritious
foods. If your goal has anything to do with
light and healthy food, Rose Reisman’s e
Complete Light Kitchen (Whitecap Books,
2007, $29.95) is a cookbook you can trust.
Reisman herself did
not start out as a healthy
cook. It was after testing
high for cholesterol that
she began to adopt a different lifestyle. “With my
own health under control, I have been and will
continue to be devoted to
improving the health of
others.” is passion led
her to compile this book,
which has tried and
tested favourites from her
previous books, as well as
some new and recently
researched
additions.
You will find healthy, low-fat recipes that
won’t break the bank or eat up chunks of
your day timer. Reisman understands hectic better than most. A mother of four, she
has still managed to average almost one
cookbook a year for the past 19 years, in
addition to starting a catering company
three years ago which now serves over 275
clients. She doesn’t stop there. Reisman
has raised over a million dollars for the
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. She
manages all this while consistently eating,
every three hours, foods that she loves and
has mainly prepared herself. If she can do
it on her schedule, we can at least stop saying we don’t have time to try.
Reisman emphasizes that everyone has
to find and use what works for them. So in
a clear and concise 28-page introduction,
she covers topics such as: Keys to Successful Food Planning; Freezer Dos and
Don’ts; and Food Labels. She’s direct, too.
“If you don’t leave yourself time to prepare
and eat a healthy breakfast or pack a nutritious lunch, it won’t be long before you’re
back at a fast food outlet.”
e charts and inserts are also well laid
out and informative. But if you choose to
skip all that, the recipes do not disappoint.
Plenty of full-page
photos make low fat
look luscious. Before
long, even the most
die hard fast food
junkie will be inspired
to try something. e
recipes are flexible,
practical and appealing. Most recipes serve
six, have a prep time of
about 15 minutes, and
are pleasantly easy,
without complex or
daunting directions. If
you are cooking for
fewer people, she provides excellent storage instructions for
each type of food, and most recipes have a
“make-ahead” tip. No matter where you
choose to begin, whether with quick
breakfasts, or new foods such as jicama,
she is sure to provide something appealing
for every occasion. Even entertaining.
e Bagel Garlic Bread is a wonderful
alternative to garlic bread, and so simple
I’m disappointed I didn’t think of it. I’ll be
serving it with dips and spreads in the
future. e Jicama and Orange Salad with
Ginger Dressing is lovely for a dinner
party, and also quite simple. She demystifies tofu in her Black Bean Marinated Tofu
Cakes with Steamed Bok Choy, which is
savoury and crispy and pairs wonderfully
with the rich sweetness of the Butternut
Squash with Caramelized Onion and
Dried Cranberries. With menus like this,
everyone is not only completely satisfied,
20
but has also done their bodies a favour
rather than a disservice.
If you only get one of Reisman’s books,
get e Complete Light Kitchen, as it is the
culmination of all her other books and a
synthesis of her most current research. Not
only will you get practical, delicious
recipes, you’ll be empowered and motivated to make them.
1 cup thinly sliced red bellpepper
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 large orange, peeled, membranes
removed and cut into thin strips
Whisk together in a small bowl:
4 tsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 ½ tsp sesame oil
2 ½ tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 ½ tsp olive oil
Jennifer gagel began her love affair with food at age
1 ½ tsp water
eight, cooking for a family of food lovers and fickle eaters
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
under the tutelage of her two european grandmothers. she
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
works for the London Public Library, where she scours the
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to
cookbook selection to plan her next culinary experiment.
combine. Garnish with:
1½ tsp sesame seeds, toasted
recipes courtesy rose reisman, The Complete Light Kitchen,
¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
Whitecap Books, 2007.
Serves 6
bagel garlic bread
These are as tasty as garlic bread, but without
all the calories and fat. Use any herbs and
spices you like.
2 medium wholegrain bagels
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking
sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.
2 Slice each bagel into 5 or 6 very thin
rounds. Place on the prepared baking
sheet. Combine the olive oil and garlic in a
small bowl. Brush over the top of the bagel
rounds.
3 Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 8 minutes, or until crisp. Sprinkle with parsley.
Serves 6
Jicama and orange salad
with ginger dressing
Jicama (pronounced “heek-a-ma”) is a round
vegetable, low in calories, with a beige skin
and crisp white flesh that tastes like a cross
between an apple and a pear. Usually eaten
raw, it’s a staple in Central American cuisine .
Place in a large serving bowl:
2 cups peeled jicama sliced into strips, ½inch wide by 3 inches long
6 cups baby spinach
black bean Marinated tofu Cakes
with steamed bok Choy
This is a complete meal for the vegetarian or
anyone who wants a change from meat or
poultry. The tofu takes on the black bean
flavour and goes wonderfully with the bok
choy. I like to buy baby bok choy, but the
larger variety is fine. If you don’t have time,
you don’t have to marinate the tofu, but the
flavour is enhanced when you do.
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce or ketchup
1½ Tbsp black bean sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1 tsp crushed fresh ginger
12 oz extra-firm tofu, cut into squares 2½
inches wide x ½-inch deep (about 3 cups)
4 bunches baby bok choy
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
1 For the sauce, whisk the honey, chili sauce,
black bean sauce, oil, garlic and ginger in a
9-inch baking dish until combined. Add
the tofu and [optional] marinate for 10
minutes, or longer for a more intense
flavour. Remove the tofu and scrape the
marinade off. Reserve the marinade.
2 Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking oil
and brown the tofu on both sides, approximately 3 minutes per side. Brush some
sauce over the tofu, turn and brush again,
cooking for 1 more minute. Set aside.
3 Warm the remaining sauce in a small skillet over low heat.
4 Steam the bok choy just until bright green,
approximately 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Place the bok choy on individual
serving plates.
5 Top the bok choy with the tofu and drizzle
with the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds
and chopped cilantro.
Serves 4
butternut squash with Caramelized
onions and dried Cranberries
I enjoy this rich-tasting vegetable dish on its
own or alongside fish, chicken, or beef. This
combination—smooth, creamy squash, dried
cranberries, cinnamon and maple syrup—is
like candy!
1½ lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut in
1-inch cubes (about ½ a squash)
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 cups sweet onion, sliced
2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tsp olive oil
pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp almonds, toasted
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Cook the squash in a large pot of boiling
water just until tender, about 15 min.
2 While it cooks, heat the vegetable oil in a
large non-stick skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sugar
and cinnamon. Reduce heat to mediumlow and cook until the onions are golden,
about 8 minutes, stirring often.
3 Toss in the cranberries. Drain the squash.
Add the maple syrup, olive oil, salt and
pepper; mash thoroughly.
4 Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with
the onion mixture. Garnish with almonds
and parsley.
Serves 6. H
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22
Service included
Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter
review by Darin Cook
W
hat are the secrets to being a
great waiter? Phoebe Damrosch
learned there’s more to it than
writing “ank you” in bubble letters next
to a smiley face on the cheque at the end
of a meal. By working her
way into the restaurant of a
celebrity chef and learning
from the best in the field, she
became privy to those
secrets. Her book Service
Included: Four-Star Secrets
of an Eavesdropping Waiter
(William Morrow, 2007,
$28.95) chronicles her success moving from English
student busboy to dining
room captain.
With a fear of office work
and her English degree not
being fully utilized, Damrosch found herself in the cliché position
of starving artist working in a cafe that
“employed artists as if there were quotas to
be met.” Accepting that restaurants may be
in her future for some time, she leapt into
the frenetic world of fine-dining.
e setting is Per Se restaurant in New
York; the boss is omas Keller, renowned
chef of French Laundry fame. Damrosch’s
mission to land a job at the new prestigious
restaurant was successful and she began
learning the ropes by watching the experienced waiters, maitre d’s, chefs, and sommeliers around her. She received an
overload of training in service etiquette and
food knowledge, such as marking the table
with silverware for the appropriate number
of courses and knowing the difference
when Provencal or Tuscan olive oil was
used by a chef. Damrosch was at Per Se
from its inception and, as New York’s first
female captain, became an integral contributor to the restaurant’s success, including
the continuous appeasement of restaurant
critics to garnish the coveted four-star rat-
ing and receive favourable reviews in e
New York Times.
With her obsession with food leading to
failed experiments in a tiny apartment
kitchen with exquisite (yet perhaps
unachievable) recipes from
e French Laundry Cookbook, Damrosch realized
that her strengths lay in putting guests at ease with their
dining experience. And with
this realization comes her
best advice to waiters when
she writes, “e secret to
service is not servitude, but
anticipating desire … is
was about the art of careful
observation and the intimacy
of knowing what someone
wants before he does.”
Although the foodie aspects
of being a waiter are centre stage, there are
personal diversions. Love affairs with coworkers and family weddings make the
book feel like a novel at times. But it is the
tips and anecdotes, both humorous and
true, from the field of restaurant service
that give the book its enjoyable flavour,
such as this morsel of sarcastic advice to
diners: “If you want to change the majority
of the components of a dish, you might
consider choosing something else.” Or
equally as cheeky: “Please do not send
something back after eating most of it.”
It’s convenient that “writer” is only one
letter different than “waiter” but it’s no accident that this first-time author has melded
the two careers together for a revealing and
entertaining look at the service side of
restaurant culture. London resident darin Cook uses the knowledge gained
from his english degree from UWo to sell books, make cappuccinos and sometimes even write.
Cooking up an education...
Meet our two newest
Chefs. Scott Baechler
teaches in our
culinary management
program and Roland
Hofner in our bake
and pastry program.
Scott brings over 17
years of experience in
LQWHUQDWLRQDO ¿YH VWDU
hotel properties and is a
six-time Salon Culinaire
medalist. Roland is a
renowned international
pastry Chef, business
owner and author,
bringing over 25 years
of culinary expertise to
the college. Each adds
their own dimension
to Fanshawe College’s
School of Tourism &
Hospitality. Please join
us as we welcome these
two renowned chefs to
our world-class team.
Scott Baechler
Roland Hofner
www.fanshawec.ca
FANSHAWE COLLEGE
TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY
1001 Fanshawe College Boulevard, London, Ontario N5Y 5R6
24
CHEFS
a trü Calling
Daniel Irvine at trü restaurant and lounge
By Melanie north
he corner of King St. and Ridout St.
away, and they don’t worry about
holds one of the oldest buildings in
anything. I would love it if they could
London. It began life as a whiskey
just walk in the door, take their shoes
bar in the 1800s. e earliest incarnation
off, come in and relax for the
that I remember was Jenkins Seed in the
evening. We don’t rush anyone; you
1970s, where I used to go and choose my
can stay as long as you like.
seed in hopes of a bountiful garden. e
building has retained its large windows Mn: at describes the kind of environand its beautiful large square tin tile ceilment and ambience you want to creing, but since 2004, it has served a bounty
ate. What about the style of food?
of a different kind. trü restaurant and Di: I would describe the genre as
lounge is owned and operated by the
casual/fine dining. I don’t like the
young chef Daniel Irvine.
word “fusion” but right now it’s the
best way to describe the menu – it’s
innovative world cuisine. e influMelanie north: Dan, I know you are a
chef and also the owner of trü.
How do you mix the two roles
together, and what do your
days look like?
Daniel irvine: On a typical day, I get
up early and play with my dog
(a Chihuahua name Teah) for
30 minutes. (It humbles you). I
have a pot of coffee and I’m
here by 9 am. I spend a ton of
time on the phone and deal
with all sorts of things: repairs,
staff calling in sick etc. and by
11:30 a.m., there are about 36
things on my plate. I’m a perfectionist so I do anything and
everything to portray the
image I want the customer to
see and I’ll stop at nothing to
accomplish it.
T
Mn: What image are you trying to
achieve?
Di: I want the diner, the customer,
to say to me that the minute
they walk in the door, they forget they are in London. ey’ve
escaped. It’s an experience that
takes everyone’s daily issues
Chef Daniel Irvine
ence is Italy, France, Asia and
we flirt with a little bit of India.
Londoners are fussy eaters,
and they have a right to be.
ey know what they like and
we respect that. When I go to
New York and visit places like
the Trump Tower’s JeanGeorges with Chef JeanGeorges Vongerichten, or
Toronto to Splendido or Kultura—the chefs are putting
together dishes that are ridiculously awesome. But those
cities can be more leading edge. I
put together the original menu for
trü from more of a business perspective because I knew what would
sell and if I dare change something,
customers will question me on it. So
really, it’s the perfect menu but not
as creatively challenging for a chef.
at’s why we created and added
three feature dishes per day: a feature soup, catch of the day and feature entrée—so everyone is satisfied.
Mn: What goes into developing the features for the menu?
Di: ey come to me in my sleep! en I
bring it in to talk with Dave Lamers.
He’s our Chef and he’s superb. We’ll
evaluate the dish in terms of—is it
simple or complicated and how
complicated; how many covers
(plates) will we need that night;
what is the cost; will the servers be
able to advertise it well. All these
trü restaurant and lounge
25
From left, trü’s General Manager
Clint Adily, Chef/Owner Daniel Irvine
and Chef Dave Lamers.
things are important. If our customers ask “What’s good on the
menu?” I would never answer them
with the name of a dish. Everything
is good, but what they want to know
is on a more personal level what’s
good for them, so you have to begin
answering by asking questions. It
takes so little to make people so
happy and that’s one of the things I
love about this business. Conversely, no business takes heat from
its customers like the restaurant
business, so you really need good
communication skills. We have
about 70% return customers and a lot
of corporate customers. We get to
know what they like. As an example, I
can get a call from a regular—they
say to me “Dan, a table of 4 for noon.”
at’s all they need to say. When they
get here, they will be shown to their
favourite table, a bottle of their
favourite mineral water will be on the
table and so on. It’s in the details and
I am a perfectionist in that sense.
Mn: We’ve covered off the environment and the food, what about
the service? What do you expect
from your staff?
Di: I have the most incredible staff.
As I mentioned, Dave Lamers
runs the ship in the back. Clint
Adily is the General Manager
and also does the alcohol
ordering. I can honestly say
there is zero conflict between
the front and the back of the
26
With a variety of interesting and
inviting spaces, including a private
dining room, trü restaurant and
lounge offers Londoners more than a
fine dining establishment.
house here. e staff
has been here since Day
One and I can lean on
them for anything.
Mn: What are your personal
strengths as a business
owner?
Di: I’m really self-taught on the business end of things. Being an owner I
get pulled out of the kitchen to take
care of the business. at includes
what I call the foundation of the
restaurant, the cash flow, what’s
coming in and going out. I’m meticulous about that. I check the numbers every five hours to see if we’re
on target, I’m the one who does the
worrying. I employ 30 people here
and they all depend on my leadership. Not only do I run the business,
but I also deal with the legalities of
operating a business in downtown
London and that has had its ups and
downs. Like every business downtown, parking is an issue. But make
no mistake, I thrive on the business
aspect; I like a challenge. At the end
of the day, when the bills get paid
and the customer says, “ I have traveled the world, and bar none, this
meal was the best.” at’s greater
than any paycheque.
Mn: You were a chef for many years, starting at Tapas, and then Executive
Chef at La Casa and the Black Trumpet simultaneously. Don’t you miss
Di:
being in the kitchen?
Well I still work in the kitchen whenever Dave needs me to pitch in, and
my favourite days are when I get
into my all-whites, tell everyone not
to bother me, and spend the day
cooking. It’s therapeutic but most of
all it’s fun. I think there are two
types of character needed in this
business: the front of house and the
back. I don’t like one more than the
other but I miss the other.
Mn: How did you get your start in the
kitchen?
Di: Well, my grandfather was a chef and
owned a family restaurant called
Cyr’s in Sault Ste. Marie. I remember
as a little boy I would go into the
kitchen with my grandpa and stand
up on top of a crate and help make
Easter Bunny bread. His menu was
simple, honest, homemade food.
He’s the one who taught me the
essence of pepper. It’s the most
important ingredient in a hot turkey
sandwich and I still eat them today
and remember that. I also have four
siblings, and my Mom worked, so I
made the dinners. I didn’t mind at
all; it was fun. Eventually, they
would say, “So, Dan, are you cooking?” (As in, that’s a good thing.) My
Mom is also a phenomenal cook
and I always knew what good food
should taste like. So I took the next
step when I left home and worked in
restaurants.
Mn: It sounds to me like you always knew
you wanted to be a chef.
Di: Not really. When I was younger, up
until my teens, I played a lot of
hockey. at was my first love. By
the time I was 17, I learned that
being a hockey player was not going
to happen for me. It was always in
the back of my mind to cook, and by
the time I was 22 I knew for sure.
is isn’t work for me. I lift my head
off the pillow in the morning and
can’t wait to go in to the restaurant.
Mn: How did you come up with the name
“trü”?
Di: Trü is a Scandinavian word and it
means “to be loyal, honest to the
customer.” I love its meaning. It’s
also short and snappy and easy to
remember. I gave it to the designer
and he cut out the letters and then
started playing with them. If you
notice, they look a bit ripped, or
eaten around the edges and the “t”
looks like the boot of Italy. Since I
have Italian origins it was a perfect
design. I took the name one step
further and added, “lounge.” ere
are a lot of places in London to eat,
but for the 35–55-year-old age group,
few places to eat and/or go for a
drink.
Mn: trü restaurant and lounge really
comprises several different types of
spaces, doesn’t it?
Di: We have the dining area, and then
the upper lounge. People love that
space. ey can come in for martinis
before a show. en downstairs we
have a private dining room. at’s
what I see for the future. Private parties are where it’s at and I hope to
take part of the main floor space and
27
divide it off to make another private
party area. It will still chameleon to
a dining area whenever necessary.
Mn: Dan, for someone as young [33 years
old] as you, it sounds like you are
very well established.
Di: I thank my staff for that. ey are my
strength and my motivation. And
they make trü look great. I’m really
lucky. Melanie north is a seasoned communications professional with experience in broadcast tv, corporate video,
website development, communications strategy, writing and
editing. she can't cook, but loves to eat!
trü restaurant and lounge
45 King Street, London
519-672-4333
www.trurestaurant.ca
lunch: Monday–Friday, 11:30am–2pm
dinner: Monday–Saturday, Open at 4:30
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32
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
Virtues of Professional Service
By Bryan Lavery
E
volution is second nature in the
restaurant business. Establishments
are always evolving, always incorporating customer feedback, current trends
and changes to product availability. So too
is food journalism always changing. Six
months ago, I started this column as a
cook’s tour, if you will, of the local food
scene. My goal remains to encourage you
to dine out, to promote and advance the
local culinary culture and provide some
insights into the restaurant industry. But
an interesting shift has taken place, thanks
to the many conversations and email
exchanges I’ve had with interested readers
who also want to promote and debate the
changes happening in the world of food. I
will continue to provide local content, but
in the context of topics of interest which
are surfacing through ongoing exchanges
with people in the food community.
is month, I’m sharing some insights
regarding standards of service. eatdrink
writer and former restaurant professional
Cecilia Buy and I have often discussed the
need for service education and elevating
the status of the professional server to the
place of honour it deserves in our industry. e standards that characterize excellence in dining, including cooking, service
and atmosphere, continues to change into
something that is very different from the
more traditional expectations and values
that I was taught early in my career.
e best restaurants can always define
their classic customer experience – a predictable, consistent model of service from
the time the customer first engages with
restaurant staff (often making a reservation by telephone) until the time they
leave the restaurant following their meal
and climb into a taxi. e example I’ll use
of a consummate restaurant professional
is Joe Duby at waldo’s Bistro and wine
Bar. Joe can tell you exactly how the phone
is to be answered, how all staff should deal
with requests both on the phone and in
person, how customers are to be greeted,
seated, served, and so on. But Joe knows
how to read customers and when to vary
the rules. It’s a dependable service model
that customers have come to appreciate
and expect over the many years that
Waldo’s has been in operation. is standardized customer experience, of course,
is due to the commitment of owner Mark
Kitching, who has developed the Waldo’s
experience over the years and clearly communicates to all staff his expectations for
how his customers will be treated.
To my mind, good service has always
been about creating an aura of comfort
and wellbeing and finding the right note of
attentiveness not intrusiveness. It is about
“A place to dine...”
Wilberforce Inn
161 Main Street, Lucan
Only 20 minutes North of London, straight out Richmond Street
519-227-0491
www.wilberforceinn.com
Lunch and Dinner
Tuesday to Saturday, from 11:30am
Proprietors Tony & Irene Demas
33
finding out what the customer needs and
providing it for them. e implication that
there is an established set of standards to
judge restaurant service seems outdated
and as relevant as the old jacket-required
policy or the superficially congenial
tuxedo-clad Maitre d’ who attempts to
make us feel that we should be grateful for
the opportunity to dine in his restaurant.
Confirming this outdated stereotype is the
service professional that exudes undisguised snobbish judgments and affectations. We will refer to this very real (but
composite) character as Gaston. Gaston
has acquired the affectations of deportment and social confidence that attract a
particular type of clientele and wannabes.
Gaston will launch into a diatribe of recommendations, aggressively up-sell you,
congratulate you on your impressive dinner selections but quickly discards his gracious veneer if you dare to make just one
false move that belies the level of sophistication he expects from his customers. Just
try to pronounce an unfamiliar culinary
term and get it incorrect. Not everyone
knows what gnocchi (N’YOH-kee) is or
how to pronounce it correctly, and this
more often than not includes Gaston’s wait
staff who are at best minions, handicapped by a lack of training and Gaston’s
self-importance.
We might not know how to pronounce
gnocchi correctly, but we will all know
when Gaston is being rude or condescending to us. “Could you stop talking,
please, so that I can announce the specials.” says Gaston, who feels that it is his
prerogative to interrupt and dominate his
paying customers. Gaston doesn’t waste
his charm on just anybody. “Perhaps you
don’t understand the cuisine,” sniffs Gaston. “is is how it is prepared in Europe.
Have you ever been to Europe? I didn’t
think so.” declares Gaston, who never
waits for an answer and rarely asks if his
customers have any questions. Gaston
doesn’t like to get stuck at the table being
interrogated or making small talk.
Which makes me wonder, at what point
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34
do you stop accepting inferior or rude
service and complain to management? Is
there something holding you back from
giving the chef or the wait staff an opportunity to rectify or reconsider an unsatisfactory situation? Are you really afraid they
will spit on your under-cooked beef tenderloin if you complain? Is it worth distressing Gaston by pointing out that the
anemic lettuce has an unidentifiable
insect that appears to be having more fun
“attention to detail and exquisite
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than you are? Or what do you do in the
inevitable event that you encounter a
server with an uncontrollable itch to clear
plates while other people at your table are
still halfway through their main course? In
all cases you are well within your right to
say something calmly and politely to
address the problem, with the expectation
that the situation will be rectified. “e
customer is always right” may be a somewhat outdated axiom in these days and
times, but mutual respect between patrons
and restaurant staff is a necessity for satisfactory conclusion of the dining experience.
I was dining with a friend last month.
e service was so slow and lackluster that
I felt the need to bring it to the attention of
the manager. Being a veteran of the restaurant business, I consider myself a very tolerant patron. Tables that arrived twenty
minutes after us were served quickly and
eating long before we received our meals.
e main reason we decided to eat there
was because it is a casual restaurant but
known for its fast and friendly service.
When it came time to pay the bill, the
server was still nowhere in sight. On my
way out, I requested to speak with the
manager, and did so. I was told with dismissive courtesy that the server’s father
was dying and that our server was upset
but needed to work to keep her mind off
the situation. I put my head down in disgust and pushed off into the cold night.
e inappropriateness of the manager’s
response and insensitivity to both the
employee and to the customer had left me
speechless.
“An oasis for
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LUNCH
Wed to Fri
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432 Richmond Street at Carling • London
519 667 0535
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In reality, the manager only provided an
excuse for the restaurant’s failure to
address the real problem, which was the
individual’s inability to perform their
duties. Another staff member should have
been assigned to help this person, to
accommodate both her needs and the
needs of the customers in her section.
I recently received an email from a
reader of the magazine. is person was
reporting on an outrageous experience
they had at a local eatery. e writer
alleged that when they requested a fresh
pot of coffee after the end of the meal, the
surly server (who appeared to be
impaired) refused to brew a fresh pot for
them. “What do you think this is, Tim Horton’s?” he exclaimed, much to the consternation of the customer. e customer was
so angered by this outburst that he suggested a very specific course of action to us
to help punish the offender. However, I am
not the food police and certainly the free
market will bring about any course correction that is necessary in this establishment.
Even among the ranks of the food intelligentsia, there’s a vast range of opinion on
the rules, techniques and philosophies
that define good service. In the past,
French food was the cuisine most synonymous with luxury and silver service was
considered the epitome of refined taste. It
is always pleasant to be waited on hand
and foot by gracious and knowledgeable
wait staff who can flambé tableside or prepare a Caesar salad a la minute but there
are reasons that this overly theatrical dog
and pony show has fallen out of favour.
It is important to recognize that different
styles of restaurants exist for various reasons just as people dine out for diverse
reasons. Chefs and restaurateurs have very
different benchmarks and ways of
approaching what they do. Not all restaurants exist to turn the highest profit possible or live by the motto that the customer
is always right. Often the individual
rewards of hospitality, improving, educating and redefining quality are the driving
forces behind the new breed of chefrestaurateur. Today, with innovative
restaurants making conspicuous bids for
“The hip, cosmopolitan bistro
in the heart of Downtown”
TheBraywick
Bistro
WELCOME
Chef Paul
Rousom
244 Dundas St., London
519-645-6524
www.braywickbistro.ca
e only on King
172 King Street • London
519.936.2064
www.theonlyonking.ca
“Dine Out” at The Only On King
January 21st–February 2nd
3 Courses for $35
Reservations Recommended
attention, modern cuisine appears in contexts that don’t conform to former rules,
tempos or demarcations of conventional
dining. Consider the single seasonal ingredient the lowly beet as a fine example that
is spun into a reunion of superbly diverse
directions on the same plate. Chefs, who
challenge the customary apartheid of
savory and sweet, seem less eccentric with
their stimulating flavour combinations
that defy the logic of mainstream thinking
and traditional avenues of thought. It
would seem that just about everyone
wants more elbowroom at the table
including the server. Yet it was not that
long ago that resting one’s hands on the
table or one’s elbows was considered rude
and inappropriate. Today resting one’s
hands on the table would be far more
preferable to having a cell phone glued to
one’s ear and an exaggerated voice reverberate throughout the dining room.
I was having lunch at Billy’s Deli, one of
my favourite casual restaurants, with one
of my regular dining companions (who is
ceaselessly tolerant and upbeat). is particular day, Brenda Bissett, who often gets
stuck with us in her section, wasn’t on the
floor. Our server that day, Susie Beauchamp, is also one of my favourites,
mostly because of her sunny disposition,
sincere charm, brimming efficiency and
an agreeable and often wickedly funny
sense of humor. My companion and I were
discussing the virtues of professional service when out of the blue Susie asked me
my opinion on the rules of correct table
service. At first I was flattered. en I was
stumped and could not remember the last
time I had even thought about the canon
of serving etiquette that I had once committed to memory and at one time could
have instantly articulated verbatim. Over
the years, I have attained a high level of
satisfaction in my culinary knowledge that
often appears to border on conceit. Needless to say, I was self-conscious to have to
admit my memory loss. I would like to say
that later in the day the light went on and
the correct answer came to me, but it did
not, and I continued to think about the
question.
Several weeks later, conversing with
friends at the same restaurant, over Billy’s
eggs benny, the debate resurfaced. ings
got ugly and good manners were thrown
by the wayside in our quest for definitive
answers. Weeks later, over delicious plates
of Croque Normandy at a Saturday lunch
at the auberge du Petit Prince, a similar
conversation developed with Maitre d’
Sherine omas Holder and my dining
companions Robbin azzopardi and
Kathy McLaughlin. We were once again at
an impasse, unable to agree on the definitive model for table service. We debated
the characteristics of French service and
compared the differences with so-called
American service, which frankly I thought
Robbin (a restaurant professional) just
made up to impress us, but we failed to be
persuaded that this actually exists.
is debate raged on for three weeks,
surfacing at e Tasting Room with Julie
Garner behind the bar and the ubiquitous
Greg Simpson (who has now returned to
Waldo’s on King). e topic came up again
most recently over Sunday brunch at
Chancey Smith’s. Robbin assured us that
there is indeed such a thing as American
service and that his mentors at the Fanshawe College Food and Beverage Program, Pascal Chambon, Dale Dolson and
Rob McGregor, had thoroughly grounded
him in these industry basics. Later, working at the Hunt Club with executive chef
and food and beverage manager Steve
James, Robbin benefited from the tutelage
of the Maitre d’ at e old Prune, who
ensured the staff were able to deliver correct table service to club members. at
commitment to staff training is as
admirable as it is rare.
By the way, the answer to the question
is, of course, that within the practices of
“silver and guerdon service” that I learned
in the formal dining room of the CP Hotel
in Vancouver, dishes are correctly served
from the left and cleared from the right.
Beverages should be cleared and served
from the right, and that includes soup. e
angle of the arm should always be low to
the table so that dirty dishes never pass
through the diner’s field of vision.
Although it was once second-nature to
me, after being behind a stove for so long,
/81&+
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38
it seems the rules have shifted to reflect a
more casual approach to dining. For many
years now, except in the finest restaurants,
the disciplines of good service are apparently considered passé and very few
servers seem interested in learning about
table and plate service, flatware and its
correct uses, or proper wine and dessert
service.
Servers today seem to be primarily
interested in either a routine expediency
or helping customers spend as much
money as possible. ey do not care that a
coffee or tea cup should always be placed
with their handles at four o’clock. It’s just
common sense. Servers should make it
easy for the customer to pick up their hot
beverage without having to turn the cup
around in the saucer, and risk splashing
the coffee out of the cup, so they can grip
the handle to drink the beverage.
Glasses should be placed an inch above
the point of the dinner knife and stacked
in a diagonal to the right, with wine (by
course) and followed by the water glass.
e dinner knife, like all the silverware,
should be cleaned and polished before
service begins. e blade of the knife
always faces toward the plate. When you
order wine and the server places the cork
in front of you on the table, do not touch it.
It is an affectation to present the cork to
the customer. You can not learn anything
by smelling or pressing the cork between
your fingers, apart from identifying mildew on the cork.
at brings me to the scarcity of professional servers in this city. When I refer to
professional servers, I’m not talking about
the people who use the job as a stop-gap
employment solution until their career of
choice takes off. I’m referring to those
individuals who specifically choose a
career in the hospitality industry, seek out
education and mentors to polish their
abilities, and proudly excel at their craft.
e server only has the authority to provide the level of hospitality that the owner
permits them to provide. is applies to
situations where substitutions are re-
“ We are indeed
much more than
what we eat, but
what we eat can
nevertheless help
us to be much
more than what
we are.
trü restaurant
”
Free Parking Every Day
45 King St.
London, Ontario
519-672-4333
www.trurestaurant.ca
quested, where special celebrations might
warrant a complimentary dessert or beverage, and other spontaneous events
where the server on the floor can truly
make or break the dining experience for
the customer on any given night. e truly
great restaurants are the ones where the
servers are empowered to make these
decisions, and they have the authority to
provide the unexpected hospitality, knowing exactly how far they are permitted to
extend the compliments of the house
because it has been clearly communicated
to them in advance.
And then there is the presentation of the
bill. e majority of guest checks in restaurants are paid by credit or debit cards. But
occasionally we pay with hard cold cash,
placing the bills between the covers of a
reproduction leather booklet. en the
server picks up the book, turns away and
then asks, “Do you need change?” at
question, masquerading as polite concern
and a way to save you, the customer, time,
is really a subtle form of intimidation. Why
39
squander your and my time trying to figure
out the correct gratuity, is the implication:
I’ll just keep the rest of the money. bryan lavery is a writer, well-known local chef, former
restaurateur and culinary instructor. as eatdrink’s “food
Writer at Large,” Bryan will share his thoughts and opinions
about a wide spectrum of the culinary beat. information for
the “BUZZ” column should now be directed to the editor
(editor: eatdrinkmag.net).
a lway s mo re o nl ine
Got a favourite restaurant?
Want to recommend it to others and tell them why
they should try it? Be our guest; we’re glad to give
you the opportunity online. We’ve got reasonable
and common sense guidelines but the process is
simple: Click on “Restaurants,” enter the name
of the establishment you want to review, and write
your review. Registration is mandatory, but your
review can be anonymous. —Ed.
“the ultimate experience in fine dining”
LUNCH tues to fri 11am–2pm
DINNER tues to sat 5:30pm–10pm
SUNDAY BRUNCH 11am–2pm
Closed Monday
1269 Hyde Park Road, London
519 472 6801
www.volkers.ca
Chef Volker Jendhoff
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Lunch 11 to 3 (7 days a week)
Dinner 5 to 10 (Wed to sun)
Breakfast 9 to 12 (sat & sun)
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Diamond Flight Centre
40
EATDRINKBUZZ
Business Buzz
Compiled by Chris McDonell
e sure to visit the eatdrink booth at
the 3rd annual London wine and
Food Show, January 18-20 at western Fairgrounds. We’re looking forward
to meeting our readers and we’ll have
some great prize draws too. Register for a
free digital subscription (info on page 5)
and you could win a fabulous winter
weekend Getaway in Stratford. We’ll also
have a short readership survey. One participant will win a delicious package of
meals from Dinner Revolution. e rest of
the show will be great too. is is a great
opportunity to sample fine cuisine, specialty wines and beers and watch appearances by high profile guest chefs.
B
e closing of e Stratford Festival in
November heralds plenty of changes in the
Stratford restaurant scene. e return of
e Keystone alley Café’s Bistro dinner
menu is one. is addition to the regular a
la carte dinner menu features a choice of
appetizer, main course and dessert for
$25.95. e Bistro menu changes weekly,
all winter long.
Stratford restaurateurs Daniela TedescoStranges and Vittorio Sergio Stranges
have moved their Sapori Ristorante into
new and bigger digs. ey’re now at 116
Downie Street, formerly home to Carter’s
on Downie, across from the Avon eatre.
e eagerly anticipated “Chef School”
program debuted on the Food Network on
January 1. e show follows Stratford
Chefs School students. Red apple entertainment of Toronto is already producing
a second year of episodes based on the
adventures of a group of Year II students.
e Stratford Chefs School offers dinners
to dinner club members as well as the
public Monday through Friday. Celebrity
Guest Chefs and International Great Chefs
are studied and menus reflecting their
style are created for the diners. In addition,
there will be Celebrity Chefs in Residence
in January. For one week each, yvan
Lebrun, from Initiale, Quebec City; Paolo
Lopriore, from Il Canto, Italy; and Matteo
Baronetoo, of Ristorante Cracco-Peck,
Milan will work with the students. Reservations are accepted by phone at 519-2711414 or email. Visit www.stratfordchef.on.ca
for more information.
e Stratford alzheimer Society’s
fundraiser “Soup’s on” takes place at the
Stratford Rotary Complex on January 19.
e event brings thousands of people
together to taste the soup creations of
amateur chefs from community service
Love is in the Air!
Valentines Day, February 14
Dinner and Dancing at the Berkshire Club
$60 per person includes wine during dinner
To reserve call Tara McMurdo
T: 519-471-4590 x 302; E: [email protected]
Menu link: www.elegantcatering.ca/news.html
groups and professionals from area restaurants. Celebrity judges present a variety of
awards along with a people’s choice award
for best soup.
Hand Crafted Pastries
Fair Trade
Organic Coffee
Foster’s inn invites you to the Fifth
annual world Taste Dinner Series. January 19 features a menu reflecting the taste
of France. February 9, celebrate the
flavours of New Orleans Mardi Gras. Dinners continue through April. Check
www.fostersinn.com for themes and dates.
On February 9, the legendary Stork Club
will once again find itself magically transported to Hilton London for an evening of
enchantment at the third-annual Gold
Ball. With the help of the community,
donors and corporate sponsors, this London Health Sciences Foundation blacktie fundraiser benefits thousands of
patients throughout the region who rely on
the London Regional Cancer Program at
London Health Sciences Centre.
134 Wortley Road
Wortley Village
519.850.2253
e only on King will shelve their menu
January 21 to February 2 and offer a threecourse meal, with three choices for each
course. Price will be $35/per person.
Supperworks London has opened at 140
Ann St., at Talbot. Similar in concept to
Dinner Revolution, which opened last
year, customers move through food stations, complete with raw, prepped ingredients and recipes, and assemble a number
of meals ready for the freezer.
Downtown London continues to grow and
change at a rapid rate. e Mansion at
King and Ridout is a beehive of construction activity and the former Club Phoenix
location at Richmond and Queens is now
gutted for a new Moxie’s. e Last Drop
has been reincarnated as e Black Shire
Pub at 511 Talbot. e former Taps on Talbot is now home to FitzRay’s and the London Tap House at 545.5 Richmond Street
opened recently.
Don’t forget to be part of creating the buzz.
Email interesting local culinary news to:
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42
BEER
Lambics: a walk on the wild Side
By the Malt Monk
A
fter a festive holiday season that I malted barley to unmalted wheat. After
hope you have filled with good sparging (hot water diffusion), the wort is
memories of great food and drink, a milky-looking sweet liquid. is percentthe new year is here. It’s time we settled age of unmalted wheat requires that that
into the more serious end of beer and the wort be boiled three times longer than
brewing. Some of this column may seem usual to break down the sugars to a ferlike a primer in microbiology but bear with mentable state. During this extended boil,
me. Understanding the brewing process of huge quantities of aged hops are added.
this rare beer will help you appreciate what it took to make it and help
you relish its rare flavour qualities.
You may recall we discussed “wheat
beers’’ in the summer edition of eatdrink. You are, hopefully, familiar
with the dry, fruity champagne-like
character of wheat beer by now. Now
it’s time to dive into the ultimate
wheat beer: Belgian Lambic.
Classed as a “wild” ale (made with
wild yeast strains as opposed to cultured yeast) and arguably the most
wine-like of all beers, authentic
Lambic is only brewed in the small Old oaken or chestnut barrels, previously used for fortified
Pajottenland region of Belgium wines, add complexity to the Lambic, which may ferment
south-west of Brussels. is is the here from several months to many years.
only place in the world where the
wild airborne yeasts used to facilitate e hops are aged three years to reduce
Lambic’s spontaneous fermentation can the aroma and bitterness imparted to the
be found.
beer, yet their preservative qualities
e Lambic style can trace its roots back remain.
over 400 years, and has remained fundaAfter the boil, lambic wort is transferred
mentally unchanged from its inception. into large, shallow, open vessels to cool in
e first written recipe is dated 1516. In the fresh air and be inoculated by wild
fact, the ancient Mesopotamians made a yeast. e fermenting rooms are very old
beer that could be thought of as the pro- and have been used for making Lambic for
genitor of Lambic. It was brewed by the generations. e brewers keep up sanitaSumerians, about 5500 BC. Sikaru, the tion in the rest of the brewery, but never
premium beer of its day, was brewed from scrub the walls, ceilings and rafters of these
60% malt, 40% raw wheat, used sponta- special spontaneous fermentation rooms
neous fermentation and was flavoured for fear of losing the natural yeasts that
with aniseed and cinnamon.
inhabit them. e new wild yeast enters on
the fresh air flowing through louvres in the
brewery’s walls, which are opened during
e “Sour ale” Brewing Process
While wheat beers are not uncommon, the the fermentation stage, dispersing the old
wheat used in Lambic is unmalted. e “conditioned” yeasts living in the brewery.
Some of the wild yeasts produce a rapid
mash is usually a 70/30 to 60/40 mix of
energetic primary fermentation lasting
about six days. A second stage of primary
fermentation, in which several “wild”
yeast types work on the lambic for a while,
each leaving a bit more alcohol and acetic
tastes and then drop out, yields to the next
active strain. On this goes for another
10-15 days. In the final stages, some
food quality aceto bacteria work on the
wort’s remaining sugars, leaving a signature lactic taste.
But we aren’t done yet. Secondary
fermentation, over a period of several
months or years, takes place in
wooden casks previously used for
fortified wines. is “casking” adds
another layer of complexity to the
finished brew.
ese so-called “sour ales” are
top-fermented by the wild yeast
strains Brettanomyces bruxellensis
and Brettanomyces lambicus, and
several aceto bacter strains like
Lacto bacillus (which was cultured to make cheese) whereas
most ales use the cultivated yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Altogether, some 86 different microorganisms inoculate this beer in
its “wild” fermentation, followed
by longer term maturation in old
oak wine barrels. e acid tartness and the
long maturation in oak is what gives these
lambic beers their unique wine-like character and flavour.
Young Lambic is referred to as “vos” in
the local lexicon. Roughly translated, this
means “foxy,” a reference to its young
aroma. It can be consumed at 3-6 months,
but true Lambic is cask-matured for two
years. e Lambic will be virtually un-carbonated and quite tart. Most Lambic is
shipped to Belgian blenders, who create
“Gueuze” from the blending of several
Lambics. Unblended Lambic is not common in this country.
e Sour ale Genre
Let me first state this is NOT the type of
beer that you can order up at the local
sports bar. Neither is it the type of beer
for quenching a big thirst. But if you
like to savour unique vinous ales and
pair them with rich foods, this is the
epitome of “bierophile” discernment. is rare, exclusive and
unique wood cask-conditioned
and blended ale is hard to find,
but the search is well justified by
the complex character of this old
world artisan ale. It is usually bottled in champagne-style bottles
with a wired-down cork. Many
beer connoisseurs rate lambic as
the world’s best beer.
Straight Lambic
Lambics are a complex family of
beers. Straight lambic appears pale
yellow to deep golden in colour.
Aging darkens the beer. Clarity can be hazy
to clear. Younger versions are often cloudy,
while older ones are generally clear. An
emphatic sour/acidic/tart aroma is predominant in young Lambics, but will be
more subdued with age as it blends with
aromas described as barnyard, earthy,
goaty, hay, horsey, and horse blanket. A
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44
mild oak aroma is a bonus. Older versions
are commonly fruity with aromas of apples
or even honey.
Tastes: Young lambic is extremely “tart”
but as it ages the malt balances the tartness and the complex array of earthy,
wet horse blanket tones develop with
better examples giving a tart honeyrhubarb fruity finish. e best examples of this are: Cantillon Bruocsella
1900 Grand Cru; Cantillon iris; Boon
oude Lambik; Timmermans Jonge
Lambic.
Most of these wonderful unblended
lambics are not available all the time
in Canada but they are in US and
Quebec speciality stores. We have
had Cantillon at the LCBO. If you
want a pure lambic, you will have
to keep your eyes open at the
LCBO or travel to buy it.
Gueuze
As stated earlier, much of Lambic
production is given to the blending of select old and young Lambics to create a finished product
called “Gueuze.” is is an artform.
Gueuze appears golden in colour
and is usually clear with a thick,
sticky, mousse-like white head that seems
to last forever. It is also very champagnelike with its effervescence. A moderately
sour aroma blends with the signature lambic aromas: earthy, goaty, hay, horsey, and
horse blanket. Commonly fruity with aromas of tart fruits like rhubarb. e flavour
is a moderate classic lambic tartness in
balance with the malt, wheat and earthy
characteristics. A sweetness may be present but higher levels are done artificially.
Balance is the key and denotes a better
Gueuze. Some recommended examples
are: Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze; Boon
oude Geuze; oud Beersel oude
Geuze; Mort Subite Gueuze Lambic
(lcbo 602888); St. Louis Gueze Lambic (lcbo 468660).
Fruit Lambics
Have I got your attention now? At second stage fermentation, many Lambic
makers put raw fruit (most commonly, sour cherries, raspberries
and peaches) into the barrels with
the maturing lambic.
Kriek: Orangey to deep red in
colour, this fruity-sweet-tart drink
combines the character of geuze
with fresh cherries, made by
adding fresh black cherries to barrels of six-month Lambic. e
addition of the raw fruit provokes a
new fermentation in the oak barrels. After 8 to 12 months, the KriekLambic is ready to be bottled.
Framboise: Ruby red lambic with
huge raspberry aromas and taste.
Sweet and sour in character.
Peche: Lambic aged with peaches. Very
popular café and patio drink in Europe.
Cassis: Lambic made with black currents.
Very aromatic and rich. One of my personal favourites.
Recommended tastings include: Cantil-
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lon Lou Pepe Kriek; Hanssens oude
Kriek; Mort Subite Framboise (lcbo
602888); Lindemans Kriek Cuvée René;
oud Beersel Framboise; Boon Kriek;
Belle-Vue Kriek (no longer available
locally in bottle form, it is occasionally on
tap at higher-end beer
bistros); Mort Subite
Cassis; Lindemans Cassis Lambic; St. Louis
Cassis.
Flanders Sour ale
45
love with these beers.
Malt Monk’s Taste of the Month
John By imperial Stout, Heritage Brewing, Carlton Place, ON (lcbo 72934), is the
quintessential Russian imperial stout
meeting
Canadian
brewing craft prowess.
Named after Ottawa’s
founder, John By, this
imperial stout is a welcome
entry
into
Ontario’s crafted micro
beer scene. ick and
with
bitter
sweet
chocolate-coffee tones,
this big chewy black ale
delivers imperial stout
taste without the staggering effects of a high
alcohol imperial stout.
At 6.7% abv and sporting a really thick
malt body, you can have a few of these
without getting “Impy” stout legs. is ale
hit the Toronto beer scene like a malt
bomb. Every one’s raving about it. It gets
good reviews and high ratings and the
existing release will soon be sold out, so
stock up when you see it. Let’s hope Heritage makes this a year-round offering. is beer is much like a
lambic in its tart-fruity
sourness, except the
brewing process uses
brewing yeasts and a
cultured bacteria called
lactobacillus (used in
cheese) that gives it the
tart vinous taste without all the aging and
troublesome handling of wild yeast Lambic
fermentation.
We are lucky in Ontario that one of the
better Flanders sour ale producers exports
here. Just like the lambic makers, Flanders
sour ale makers offer unblended or sour
ale blended with fruit.
Recommended examples include:
Rodenbach Grand Cru (once available at
the lcbo); Liefmans Goudenband (lcbo
236406); Liefmans Frambozenbier; Lief- “the Malt Monk” is the alter ego of d.r. haMMond, an
mans Kriekbier (lcbo 236380); Liefmans industrial consultant by day and a passionate supporter of
Fruitesse Pecheresse.
craft beer culture in his spare time. a home brewer of many
years and an active reviewer and consumer of craft beers
Search them out, beer lovers! While not for as long as he cares to remember, D.r. can be found anythat common here, you can find them and where there is a celebration of the traditional craft brewing
if you like tart fruity wines, you will fall in art and good food.
They say home is where the heart is.
NOW
OPEN
911 Commissioners Road East (at Adelaide)
519-936-0585
Carlitos welcomes you to our
home, that we might share our
heart with you. Our desire is to
serve you with excellence in all
areas of your dining pleasures.
On behalf of the entire family at
Carlitos, we invite you to dine,
relax and leave the rest to us.
46
SEASONAL RECIPES
a Substantial Sunday Dinner
By Christine scheer
I
like our Sunday meal.
Even though the world
has changed dramatically since I was a child, we
somehow always manage
to sit down on a Sunday
evening and have a good
family meal. I like to make a
bit more of an effort on
Sunday—no hurried supermarket pasta and sauce on
this day, but a substantial
meal, one that makes
everybody feel special
because I’ve put some
thought and time into it.
As with all delicious food,
the quality of the initial
ingredients is as important as the skill
going into making it. Make your own beef
stock. You will be amazed at the difference
in the final dish. Make the pastry yourself
as well. is pastry recipe is tender and
flaky, not to mention flavourful. Just
remember to use a light hand when mixing and rolling.
is might seem like a lot of work at first,
but it makes two generous pies, so you can
wrap one up and freeze it for later use.
You’ll be off the hook for dinner another
night!
steak and Mushroom pie
3 slices bacon
3 lbs (1.5 kg) beef sirloin, cut into bite size
cubes
1 cup (250 mL) pearl onions, peeled
4 cups (1 L) small white mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, finely diced
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil
½ cup (125 mL) red wine
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
½ cup (125 mL) all purpose flour
2 cup (500 mL) beef stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Italian parsley, finely
chopped
Cheddar pie dough (recipe follows)
1 In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon until
it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the
pan and drain on paper towels.
2 In the bacon fat that is remaining in the
pan, sauté the meat, in batches, until it is
browned on all sides. Set the meat aside.
3 In the same pan over medium high heat,
brown the onions, stirring frequently, for
five minutes. You might need to add a bit
of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden. Stir in the
garlic and carrots, and cook for another
five minutes. Stir in the thyme, basil, and
the red wine. Let the wine reduce by half,
and then add the mustard; stir to combine.
4 Add the flour, cook and stir for about three
minutes, until everything is well combined. Gradually stir in the beef stock. Let
the mixture come to a boil, stirring until it
is smooth. Stir in the beef cubes, and let
simmer for 5-10 minutes.
47
5 Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces,
and stir into the mixture. Season to taste
with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley. Set aside to cool slightly while you
make the pastry.
Assembling the pies:
1 Heat oven to 400° F (200° C).
2 Beat the egg, set aside.
3 Divide pastry into four pieces. Roll out the
pastry into large circles, and place two of
the pieces into two large pie plates. Do not
Makes enough filling for two large pies.
trim the edges yet.
4 Fill the pastry shell with the steak and
mushroom filling. Brush the edges of the
Cheddar pie dough
pie with the beaten egg, and then place
5 cups (1.25L) all purpose flour
the remaining rolled out pastry on top,
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
pinching the edges together. Repeat with
1 tsp (5 mL) dry mustard
other pie. Trim edges and crimp. Brush the
1 lb (454 g) vegetable shortening
top of the pies with the remaining beaten
1 cup (250 mL) old cheddar cheese, shredded
egg. With a sharp knife slash the surface
1 egg
once or twice to create a vent for steam.
Cold water (approximately ¾ cup)
5 At this point, you can wrap your pies in
1 egg for brushing on the pastry
plastic wrap and freeze for a later date, or
you can bake them right away. If you are
1 In a large bowl, stir the flour with the salt
having them for supper tonight, continue
and the dry mustard. With a pastry
on.
blender, cut in the shortening until the
6 Place pie in hot oven, and let bake for 15
mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in the
minutes. After 15 minutes, turn heat down
cheese.
to 350° F (180° C) and let bake another 35
2 Crack the egg into a 1-cup (250 mL) liquid
to 40 minutes, until pastry is a deep
measuring cup. Add enough cold water to
golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
measure 1 cup (250 mL). Mix egg and
water vigorously with a fork. Add to flour
Makes two pies. mixture and stir lightly until mixture
comes together.
3 Dump pastry out onto lightly floured surChristine sCheer is a chef who lives on an organic farm
face, and gently knead 5 or 6 times to
with her husband and two daughters. she has cooked for
make a soft, workable pastry. At this point London area restaurants, owned a catering business, written
you can wrap the pastry in plastic wrap
a Covent Garden Market cookbook, taught many cooking
and refrigerate, or continue on to the next classes and currently runs the Oakridge Superstore cooking
step.
school. her passions include using seasonal, local ingredients to create delicious fare, and teaching children how to
Makes enough pastry for two double crust pies. cook. reach Christine at: [email protected]
You won’t get meals this delicious and
nutritious from a store freezer!
Prepare 12 different family-sized entrees made with fresh, wholesome ingredients in only 2 hours.
No grocery shopping, no prep work, no
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T WWWDINNERREVOLUTIONCOM
48
TRAVEL
Time in the Kingdom of Fife
By Christine and volker Jendhoff
erminal One, Toronto’s Pearson Airport’s newest addition, with its
trendy bars, eateries and designer
shops, was our home for six hours on the
first day of our trip. However, after lengthy
delays, we were finally on our way to Scotland—Land of Whisky, Black Pudding and
Haggis.
e first leg of our trip took us to London’s Heathrow, where we perched on bar
stools in a little sushi bar, sipped Sapporo
beer and munched on sushi delicacies that
continually passed in front of us on a conveyor belt. e seven sushi chefs in the
kitchen provided some wonderful little
dishes right in front of our eyes. Definitely
one of the better ways to pass some time
between flights. We wound our way
through the shopping areas, slipped
quickly into Harrods and Gucci, then
boarded our plane for the last leg, our flight
to Edinburgh. Finally, after what seemed
like days of travelling, we landed safe and
sound in God’s Country: Edinburgh.
It wasn’t long before we picked up our
rental car and were on our way. On the
wrong side of the road. Sheepishly, we
drove extremely slowly until we started to
feel a little more at ease. We passed
through beautiful countryside, across the
T
Forth Road Bridge, the bridge that links
Fife to East Lothian, crossing the River
Forth. To the left, we saw Rosyth Naval
Dockyard, where larger ships come in for
repair and where the ferry from Holland
picks up passengers bound for the continent. To our right, looming beside us, was
the Forth Rail Bridge, quite a feat for any
engineer. It is continually busy taking
commuters by train back and forth to
Edinburgh.
Below the bridge was a cruise ship,
docked for a day to allow its passengers to
visit Edinburgh and enjoy the Fringe Festival, the Military Tattoo and everything
Scottish that they can cram in to the few
hours they have on land. We continued on
the M90, driving through patchwork quilt
countryside, with yellow gorse growing by
the roadside and the odd pheasant coming
a little too close to the road.
We passed through Cupar, the county
town of Fife where the government offices
are, then directly to the beautiful university city of St. Andrews, where Prince
William (heir to the British rone) earned
his degree and shopped in the local Tesco.
St. Andrews is steeped in history, with
monuments and ruins on every corner, all
within easy walking distance of the famous
Anstruther Harbour
Old Course, the home of golf. St.
Andrews was our base, so we had
plenty of opportunity to sample
creamy lattes in the open fronted
bistros or enjoy a glass of wine in the
trendy restaurants along Market
Street, where we could people watch
until we got tired.
One of our day trips took us to the
East Neuk of Fife. Every view looks
like a picture postcard. e fun thing
to do is to drive to Anstruther, buy a
Fish Supper (local fish fried in beer
batter and French fries served in
newspaper) then drive to the next
town, half a mile down the road and
open up the paper and enjoy the
meal sitting by the harbour in Cellardyke. e view is spectacular,
looking out to the May Island then
on to North Berwick. Of course, the
fish is great as well.
After our fish and chips we drove
on to Elie and stopped in a little bar
called the Ship Inn to sample some
49
Monument to Sir Walter Scott,
Edinburgh
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Rose Street, Edinburgh, is full of bars and trendy bistros.
of the local brew. We sat on the outdoor
patio, across the street from the Inn and
directly on the wide expanse of white
sandy beach. ere were boaters, children
playing in the sand and people walking the
beach with their dogs. Even on the Inn
patio, there were at least three dogs. Canadian health inspectors would have a heyday. We had our beer and sat back and
soaked up the sun.
We made our way back to the main road,
negotiating the very narrow roads where
there don’t seem to be any rules about
how or where to park. If there are, no one
pays any attention to them. It certainly
makes for a hair-raising drive.
Back in St. Andrews, we decided to have
dinner at the Russell Hotel, a very comfortable, friendly hotel overlooking e
Scores, the shore right beside the Old
Course. e dining room is split into two
areas, one a more casual bar setting where
they serve snacks and drinks with a roar-
NOW !
OPEN
ing fireplace going (in winter) and a more
formal dining room to the back of the
house that offers a more ambient feel.
We sampled as many local foods as we
could, from Haggis appetizers, local Pittenweem prawns, crab fritters and lamb chops
to perfectly cooked local venison, finishing
up with sticky toffee pudding. e Scots
like their desserts very much, so much so
they even give a couple of squares of tablet
(like fudge) with coffee after dinner.
Lower Largo, a little further west along
the coast and right on the water, was our
next stop. Largo is the birthplace of
Alexander Selkirk (Robinson Crusoe), so
naturally we stopped at the Crusoe Hotel.
e fare there also relies heavily on local
ingredients: mussels, fish, prawns, steak
and stout pie, game casserole and the like.
All very tasty and delicious.
We bought some dressed crab at a fish
factory in St. Monans. As soon as we
stepped inside, the smell of the ocean
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hung in the air. It was a hive of activ- Anstruther, Scottish Fisheries Museum
ity with around 20 employees
dressed in rubber outfits, with
almost floor length aprons, moving
tons of fresh fish through the filleting
machines, then boxing the fillets on
ice to be sent out to some of Scotland’s top restaurants for their menu
that night.
Our trip would not have been complete without a day in Edinburgh. In
order to avoid parking woes, we
boarded the train at Leuchars and
enjoyed the ride along the coast of
Fife, crossed the Forth Bridge and
soon entered Edinburgh. e train
enters the station from Haymarket. If you Princess Street , we joined the many people
look up, you see the castle rock then Edin- watching presentations at the art gallery and
burgh castle on top; it’s very impressive. taking pictures in Princess Street Gardens
We came out on Princess Street, where Sir round by the floral clock before eventually
Walter Scott presides over Princess Street hopping our train back to St. Andrews.
We rounded off our trip with a visit to
Gardens and the Castle, while millions of
people enjoy the grandeur and elegance of the Scotch Whisky shop in Edinburgh AirScotland’s capital city. Edinburgh, teeming port. It is loaded with many whiskies only
with tourists from all corners of the globe, available in Scotland, from affordable
is especially busy in August when the options to extremely expensive collectors’
Fringe is on. ere are performers in the items. e staff were happy to have you
streets everywhere and the Royal Mile (the enjoy a sample but I’m afraid at seven in
road from the Castle to Holyrood Palace) is the morning, whisky was not my first
closed to traffic, making it easy to wander choice of beverage. Soon we were back in
Canada, with memories of a fabulous trip,
in and out of the theatrical presentations.
For two weeks, the military tattoo takes lots of photographs and a wonderful bottle
place on the castle ramparts each night after of Single Malt Scotch. dark. Performers from all over the world
make this a highly sought ticket. But we Christine and (Chef) volker Jendhoff own and
strolled over to Rose Street, which runs par- operate Volker’s in Hyde Park (www.volkers.ca) in London.
allel to Princess Street and is full of bars and Well known and respected Chef volker is a member of the
trendy bistros, where we had a relaxing distinguished Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and
lunch and a Tennants lager. Later, back on has been an executive Chef for more than three decades.
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52
MIXOLOGY
Searching for our Best Bartenders
By Darcy o’neil
ood bartenders rarely get the attention they deserve. Most bartenders
work in relative obscurity, partially
because many restaurants rely on beer and
wine as their primary accompaniment to
food. e other reason is that bartenders
almost never get the opportunity to create
a cocktail menu the same way chef’s do, by
trial and error. Because of these, most
cocktail menus are made from tried and
true recipes, like martini’s and fruity concoctions, which are downright boring.
Where’s the inspiration and creativity
from the resident bartender? Who are the
local bartenders that are going above and
beyond the call of duty and creating
unique drinks, or digging up long forgotten classics? Who are the people that think
G
bartending is more than just pouring beer
and mixing rum and Cokes?
London, Stratford and the surrounding
area has been home to many creative
restaurants, with some top notch chefs. So,
there should be some great bartenders out
there as well. If you are a local bartender,
with some creative skills that you want to
show off and be featured in this column
please feel free to contact me (offi[email protected], with “Bartender” in the
Subject line).
Here are the rules. First, you need to be
good at making flavourful drinks, not just
making them fast. Second, performance
art, i.e. flair, doesn’t count. ird, you will
need to give up your secrets and have
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53
the challenge, 15 minutes
of fame could be yours.
When it comes to cocktails, I’m looking for personal creativity, possibly a
recreation of an obscure
vintage cocktail or just a
well thought out twist on a
classic. I’m not looking for
the best Vodka Martini,
nor am I looking for “candytails” that have so much
sugar in them that it
makes my pancreas hurt.
An example of an original creation is a drink I
created called the Burnt
Island, inspired by the flavours of a whisky
barrel. All the flavours are balanced and
the cocktail isn’t very sweet.
If the idea of making a great cocktail
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darCy o'neil is a London bartender with a formal education in chemistry. he became a bartender partially by chance
and partially to fulfill his culinary desires. Believing food and
drink are too important to allow shortcuts in quality, he
quickly became an advocate for great cocktails. in addition
to this column, Darcy spends his time writing about his
mixology and bartending experiences on his website The
Art of Drink (http://www.theartofdrink.com).
“A delightfully charming story for
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54
THE LIGHTER SIDE
The Potato Thing
By Kitso Mashile
I
was about 15 years old at the time. I
loved cooking in my spare time, but
during a school vacation I learned that
you can have too much of a good thing. My
mom had bought a huge sack of potatoes
and my mission was to cook potatoes in as
many different ways as I could, just to get
rid of them. I boiled, mashed, roasted and
fried them. en I made soups, casseroles
and stews, using plenty of potatoes. Yet
there was still a ton remaining.
I got a really smart idea: In my food and
nutrition class at school we had made
some delicious appetizers using grated
potatoes and onions, seasoned with salt,
pepper and cayenne. An egg and a bit of
flour were added to make a binding agent
and these were then formed into balls and
deep fried. ey were crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. So I decided
to make them, but on a larger scale.
e timing was great, I thought, because
we had family visiting from out of the
country. I thought that I would impress
them. at was Mistake #1.
I got the ingredients together and
started grating the remaining potatoes. It
took forever. en I chopped up the
onions. at also took ages and I shed
many tears. (e onions did it but maybe it
was just my subconscious letting me know
I was in big trouble.) When that was done,
my potatoes were a yucky green colour. I
did not know then to have soaked them in
lemon water. I was, after all, only an enthusiastic teenager.
I should have worried then, but I
thought, “It’s going in the oven, it will cook
and get nice and golden brown. And in any
case, it will taste good and who will care
what it looks like at that point, right?” Mistake #2.
After adding the rest of the ingredients, I
decided the colour was really off, so I
added some tumeric. I thought its golden
yellow colour would help the potato
develop the lovely hue that I was looking
for. Mistake #3.
Anyway, it was getting close to
lunchtime and my guests would be home
soon, so into the oven it went. I waited
anxiously for my creation to bake properly
and conceal the green colour. at did not
happen.
When it was time to eat and everyone
was home I took “e ing” out of the
oven. It was incredibly dense, heavier than
it felt going into the oven. It had not developed a golden brown colour. Rather, it
looked like it had yellow mould growing
over green mould.
I had to use a really sharp knife to cut it
into slices to serve. It was a disaster but I
served it up anyway and went to hide in
the kitchen. It was absolutely quiet in the
dining room. For what felt like a long time,
I worried that I might have poisoned my
family. en, one by one, they came to the
kitchen to quietly dispose of “e ing.” I
really couldn’t blame them, as it was horrible. Most took a couple of slices of bread
before returning to the dining room to
continue their meal.
Kudos to my mom, as she really, really
tried to finish it, and she spoke kindly. She
told me I should not feel bad, and just try
to do better next time. e rest of the family … said nothing.
kitso Mashile is a London pharmacist and the mother of
two boys. she has a passion for food, and hopes to come
back in her next life as a chef.
Have a funny story to tell, with a gastronomic bent? Send your story (400-600 words) to:
[email protected]. Winning entries will get a
$50 gift certificate from a great restaurant!
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