December 2009 - eatdrink Magazine

Transcription

Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario
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RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
Culinary
Tourism
The New Fork
in the Road
Refreshing Changes in
London’s Pub Scene
• The Church Key Bistro-Pub
• The Morrissey House
• Chancey Smith’s
Steak & Seafood House
The Stuffed Zucchini
in Lucan
Ferguson Apiaries
near Hensall
ALSO
Learning From — Dining With —
Stratford Chefs School
Issue 20 • December/January 2010
Stratford... unplugged
Stratford is known for imaginative and innovative experiences in food
and this season is no exception. Taste and critique the menus of
celebrity chefs as Stratford Chefs School students enthusiastically
serve their creations to eager diners. Follow the rich aromas of fresh
roasted coffee, hot chocolate and pastries wafting from bohemian
cafes. Savour Winterfeast menus created by local chefs during our
Winterfest celebrations. Spice things up with community chili tasting
fun at our annual Heartburn Day.
Stratford’s long tradition of entertaining our guests is heightened this
winter with special surprises. Live at City Hall begins a series of Jazz
and Blues concerts with Dan Hill on January 2 and Harrison Kennedy
on January 16. Randy Bachman entertains at the Festival Theatre
on January 27 as part of Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada
celebration. Come and share our love of hockey, music and food
– a culture to embrace.
Visit www.welcometostratford.com/eatdrink
to plan a winter getaway to Stratford.
CONTENTS
9
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2010
ISSUE 20
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
6
Culinary Tourism
By BRYAN LAVERY
RESTAURANTS
16
12
9
The Church Key Bistro-Pub, in London
12
Chancey Smith’s Steak & Seafood House, in London
16
The Morrissey House, in London
19
The Stratford Chefs School, in Stratford
By SUE MOORE
By BRYAN LAVERY
By BRYAN LAVERY
By DAVID HICKS
SPOTLIGHT
24
24
The Stuffed Zucchini, in Lucan
26
Honey, Honey: The Ferguson Apiaries
By MELANIE NORTH
By JANE ANTONIAK
TRAVEL
32
Charleston Cooks!
By JANE ANTONIAK
NEW & NOTABLE
37
The BUZZ
COOKBOOKS
45
45
By JENNIFER GAGEL
50
BOOKS
52
50
WINE
54
BEER
58
Jeff Crump’s Earth to Table
58
Lucy Waverman’s A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen
BY JENNIFER GAGEL
Watching What We Eat
BY DARIN COOK
Eat Drink Wine Chocolate
By RICK VanSICKLE
A Year of Beer: The Best of 2009
By THE MALK MONK
THE LIGHTER SIDE
62
A Cook’s Life: Part IV
By DAVID CHAPMAN
eatdrink
™
RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL
A Food & Drink Magazine Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario
www.eatdrink.ca
A Virtual Magnet for All Things Culinary
Read an Interactive Magazine Online, Find Restaurants, Read Reviews and More!
Publisher
Chris McDonell — chris@eatdrink.ca
Managing Editor
Cecilia Buy — cbuy@eatdrink.ca
Contributing Editor
Bryan Lavery
Finances
Sande Marcus — smarcus@citywoman.ca
Advertising Sales Director
Diane Diachina — ddiachina@eatdrink.ca
Advertising Sales Representatives
Jane Antoniak — jantoniak@eatdrink.ca
Sue Laur — slaur@eatdrink.ca
Telephone & Fax
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Mailing Address
London Magazine Group
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Contributors
Bryan Lavery
Darin Cook
Sue Moore
Chris McDonell
Jane Antoniak
Rick VanSickle
David Hicks
Jennifer Gagel
D.R. Hammond
David Chapman
Editorial Advisory Board
Bryan Lavery
Cathy Rehberg
Copy Editor
Jodie Renner — www.PolishedProofreading.com
Graphic Design & Layout
Joanne Grogan
Chris McDonell
Website
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Copyright © 2009 eatdrink™, Hawkline Graphics and the writers. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or duplication of any material published in
eatdrink™ or on eatdrink.ca™ is strictly prohibited without the
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represent those of the Publisher. The Publisher welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material.
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
’Tis the Season
By Chris McDonell
I
hate to get too far ahead of myself, but
with 2010 already encroaching into my
calendar, I find myself simultaneously
wondering how on earth another year
has passed already while also planning for
the NEW year. Of course, there’s the matter
of “the holidays” to attend to first, but that’s
business that I truly enjoy. I am in the enviable position of having no dreaded “social
obligations” to attend to this year, only the
company of good friends and family to look
forward to. I hear a whisper within that
perhaps more diligent networking would
produce a more taxing schedule but, regardless, I will enjoy the next month with gusto. I
hope you will be able to do the same.
Mirth and merriment, some special food
and drink, laughter and enjoyment of the
people around us — this is the order of the
day, and that should be easy to embrace. I
find it curious that we are bombarded with
an image of Scrooge as the bitter, miserly
old codger that he was, as if we didn’t quite
buy his redemption and, as Charles Dickens
wrote it, subsequent years of generosity and
recompense for years spent wallowing in
wealth and loneliness. Let’s remember the
redeemed Scrooge, whose first act after his
night of reckoning was to buy the best turkey
the butcher had to offer, and to send it anonymously to the family he knew needed it
most. In the true spirit of A Christmas Carol,
I hope Scrooge is seen happily at work all
through the holiday season, and ever after.
We look forward to seeing many of you at the
London Wine & Food Show, January 15-17, at
the Western Fair. We’re at work also on New
Year’s Resolution Number One, to be in better communication with our readers and the
culinary community. Your thoughts, ideas
— and news — are always welcomed.
Peace,
www.eatdrink.ca 5
6
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
Culinary Tourism
Interest is growing for a London Initiative
By Bryan Lavery
R
egular readers of eatdrink magazine
may recall my recent articles about
culinary tourism and community
building. I would like to give you
an update on conversations and progress in
this area.
In speaking with Tourism London, I identified the need to define culinary tourism
and to catalogue the multiple culinary tourism experiences and opportunities
in the London region. I also determined that much of the infrastructure is already in place, that
there is a need to further identify
collaborative partners and then
develop and grow existing culinary forums and services.
In an effort to uphold the
case for London to be formally
recognized as a unique culinary
tourism region, I am continuing
to map and track the most sustainable and
economically relevant social and cultural
forces at work in our culinary sector. The next
steps are to further develop a local Culinary
Tourism Initiative Association and Board, as
well as a blog, newsletter and website.
I am encouraged by the initial steps for a
more vigorous culinary initiative in the London region. Tourism London has embraced
the first step and is partially funding a local
culinary guide. Published by the London
Magazine Group, publishers of eatdrink, the
culinary guide will take a comprehensive
and integrated approach to promoting our
local culinary community by identifying
London and area as a desirable destination
for those interested in culinary tourism, as a
primary or secondary consideration.
To this end, the early adopters in this
initiative want to create an annual, unique
publication that will highlight the diverse
culinary people and businesses in London
and area. This will function as much more
than a restaurant guide, although it will do
that well too. This resource will complement
and supplement the London Visitors’ Guide
published by Tourism London. The culinary
guide will be ported to the web, where it will
also be enhanced with video and interactivity
and integrated with the innovative new Tourism London website designed by local design
studio Velocity and Associates under the direction of Marco Di Carlo and Shane Stuart.
The culinary guide will show our city to its
best advantage. eatdrink will provide some
mentoring, if desired, for the culinary community in promoting
their businesses in this publication. It will be of benefit for foodrelated businesses to advertise in
this publication as it is so closely
linked to their industry. The primary target audience includes
people from London and region,
and those visiting the area who
have an interest in culinary experiences, whether that is the purpose
of the trip or an added attraction.
The guide will complement Tourism London’s marketing to the corporate meeting and
incentive travel audience, as well as group
and motor coach tour marketers. The publication will include original, local and innovative photography and original, more comprehensive editorial content to more effectively
promote the culinary businesses in the area.
Ontario Culinary Tourism Summit
I recently attended the Ontario Culinary
Tourism Summit in Toronto to investigate
current developments, funding opportunities, strategic partnerships and best
practices of other Ontario regions that are
leading in the field of culinary tourism. I
was joined by one other person, who represented a London-based business association and was very interested to learn how
a more broad-based culinary tourism may
benefit existing London businesses and help
to attract more culinary-related investment
in the vicinity. Together we looked at the
issue no. 20
tremendous opportunities to encourage culinary tourism in our region.
Building on the empowering success of last
year’s inaugural Culinary Tourism Summit,
the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA)
partnered with the Province of Ontario, Wines
of Ontario, Savour Ontario Dining, Toronto
Food Business Incubator, Green Belt, Local
Food Plus and other stakeholders to create this
year’s summit by bringing together over 350
delegates. The delegates consisted of growers and producers, chefs and restaurateurs,
educators and students, destination marketing
organizations, accommodators and media to
enhance and develop culinary tourism offerings across the province.
The event was hosted by Rebecca Le Heup,
Executive Director of the Ontario Culinary
Tourism Alliance. The day’s agenda included:
the importance of buying local, the value of
supporting local farmers, establishing regional culinary tourism sectors in Ontario,
food sustainability, mapping culinary destinations, and charting sustainable solutions to
advance culinary tourism in Ontario.
The summit consisted of panel discus-
www.eatdrink.ca 7
sions, presentations and networking, allowing delegates to learn from the experiences and knowledge of the practitioners of
Culinary Tourism in Ontario. The summit
also provided an opportunity to learn more
about culinary tourism best practices, and
inventory and infrastructure development.
The first panel consisted of moderator
Kevin Brauch, aka The Thirsty Traveler on
the Fine Living Network; Arlene Stein, Director of Catering and Events for U of T’s
Hart House and co-chair of Slow Food Toronto; and Chef Jason Parsons, of Niagara’s
Peller Estates.
Presentations were given by Jon Ogryzolo,
Dean of Food and Wine Sciences for the
Wine and Visitor Education Centre at Niagara College. The Wine Visitor and Education
Centre is the first on-campus facility of its
kind in North America. The centre celebrates
Ontario and Canadian wines, is the home of
the Niagara College Teaching Winery, and
is set among 40 acres of teaching vineyards
at the base of the Niagara Escarpment, a UN
World Biosphere reserve.
Suzanne Caskle of George Brown’s Culi-
8
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
nary Tourism Management Program spoke
about the college’s new interdisciplinary
program that explores the relationship between food and travel as it relates to destinations, agriculture and economic development. Caskle and her student panel talked
about how the program examines successful
culinary destinations and products as well
as examples of emerging culinary tourism
destinations in Ontario, across Canada and
around the world.
Among the highlights of the summit was
the opportunity to discuss the diverse terroir
of our province at a “Farmer–Chef Meet and
Greet.” We sampled excellent regional foods
from six culinary tourism regions across the
province, as well as a variety of Ontario’s
exceptional wines and local beers at a “Taste
of Ontario reception,” which was sponsored
by Savour Ontario and Wines of Ontario.
Stratford, Durham, Peterborough and
the Kawarthas are four of fifteen emerging
culinary tourism destinations in Ontario
who shared their challenges and successes
in advancing culinary tourism in their regions. The OCTA was also pleased to have
the continuing support of the Minister of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Leona
Dombrowsky, as a guest speaker. Minister
Dombrowsky gave an informative speech
that encouraged the growth of the agricultural and tourism industries through the
development of culinary tourism in Ontario.
With the premise that food is the foundation of our culture, culinary tourism experiences offer both locals and visitors to the city
of London and Middlesex County the opportunity to taste our multiculturalism and
unique culinary identity along their journey.
Building relationships among growers and
producers, farmer’s markets, chefs and
restaurateurs facilitates the development of
new culinary tourism experiences and ensures a sustainable local food culture.
BRYAN LAVERY is a well-known local chef, culinary
instructor and former restaurateur.He is both a Contributing Editor and “Food Writer at Large” for eatdrink, and he
shares his thoughts and opinions on a wide spectrum of
the culinary beat.
issue no. 20
www.eatdrink.ca 9
RESTAURANTS
The Church Key Bistro-Pub
Open Up To A Heavenly Experience
By Sue Moore
P
achieve here: a
ubs are a longstanding institution in
Britain, and as a result, people have
pub to be sure,
some very definite expectations of
but a top level,
what a pub should be. Depending on consistently fine
the region and sensibility — and to a lesser
dining experiextent the age demographic of the customers ence as well. At
— a pub can be a convenient place to enjoy
the heart of this
a few drinks and meet friends, a dependphilosophy is
able spot where wholesome, quality food is
a thinly veiled
consumed regularly, or in some cases, one’s
perfectionism
“local,” where family celebrations and office
and drive to get
parties routinely unfold.
it right. “I’ve been told that you can’t please
Combine all of these positive notions —
all of the people all of the time,” Vanessa
and forget any others that you might have
observes with a smile, “but you still have to
(based on Coronation Street, or worse still,
keep trying every single day.” A commitment
lamentable pub adventures from your past
to using seasonal and locally sourced ingreinvolving sawdust on the floor or a “Gents
dients — organic when possible — and a diOnly” sign outside), and you will have a
verse menu to present “the best of the best”
good picture of what The Church Key Bistro- are both part of this process. The Church Key
Pub on Richmond Row is all about.
cures all their own meat, including a stellar
The Church Key has only been open since
corned beef, and they also produce their
May, yet there is an underlying sense of heri- own smoked salmon. A duck Andouille sautage and belonging already palpable as soon
sage and the immensely popular duck breast
as you enter — perhaps because the building bacon are also house-made.
itself, previously occupied by Copperfield’s,
The interior of the building has underand for many years prior by the celebrated
gone a thoughtfully conceived and extensive
Bon Appetit, was built in the late 1800s. The
renovation. With a long bar in dark wood
Church Key’s name is a witty allusion to both flanking one side of the room and a series of
their location (heavenly neighbours include
good-sized tables and plump seating as you
both St. Paul’s Cathedral and the nearby St.
Peter’s Basilica) and to
the old fashioned pretwist-top bottle opener
of the same name.
With over four decades of food industry
experience between
them, both restaurant- and bar-related,
owners Vanessa and
Pete Willis (one of
The back corner at The
London’s most wellChurch Key, with a view of
known bartenders),
the neighbouring Cathedral
have a clear vision of
Church of Saint Paul
what they mean to
10
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
progress into the restaurant itself (part of the the menu boasts a variety of other choices for
diners both bold and shy, including Salmon
wall has been exposed to reveal the brick),
Wellington served on a tomato tarragon
the result is a warm, understated elegance
llie’sthat
Cafe
béchamel, oven-roasted Pork Tenderloin with
evokes the feeling of an Oxonian coma mild chili rub, and Rack of Lamb crusted
mon room. A steady undercurrent of tradiwith pepita (ground pumpkin seeds) and
tional blues and jazz adds another strata of
served with a cranberry champagne sauce.
sophistication. The service staff is friendly
On the day of my visit, my lunch included
and attentive without hovering. Outside, a
4 H chic patio can easily seat 45.
a celestial Cheese and Onion Tart — like
a savoury galette — and the experience
Vanessa Willis’s first choice for Chef, havwas akin to being
ne ing worked with him
introduced to the
at 2009
The Tasting Room in
pt 24,
aristocratic cousin of
London , was Michael
the “Cheese Pasty,” a
Anglestad. He brings
regular feature in pubs
a hefty twenty years
throughout Northof experience, and
ern England. I also
clearly understands
sampled the soup — a
the notion of fusing a
velvety leek and popub atmosphere with
tato — which was outelegant dining. As a
standing and included
result, although there
the addition of tender
is plenty of traditional
This dish, unpretentiously called “Stuff in Pots,”
house-smoked bacon.
pub fare on the menu,
consists of a trio of potted preserves: duck & pistachio
Sunday Brunch — a
at very reasonable
pate, Moroccan vegetable puree with hummus, and
new and imaginative
prices, you will also
shrimp and crab spread with clarified butter — all
menu is offered each
find that each and evintended to be spread lavishly on toast.
week — is excellent
ery offering has been
value at a fixed price
polished and thoughtand shows off Anglestad’s innovative and
fully remastered. “The Church Key Burger,”
evolved style: perfect for those who are ready
for example, features the addition of Stilton
cheese and tomato jam; and with the obliga- for an elevated alternative to traditional
bacon and eggs. Past examples of brunch
tory “Ploughman’s Plate,” you will find a
items include an oven-roasted potato and a
first-class assortment of English cheeses
smoked salmon rosti with poached egg, and
accompanied by pickled quail eggs and
duck breast bacon, as well as the anticipated a melon and cucumber salad served with a
sambuca vinaigrette. Pastry chef Cliff Briden
Branston pickle. Anglestad’s version of the
prepares his fresh-baked offerings for the
Ploughman, according to one industry insider, has been called the best item currently brunch in the wee small hours of Sunday
morning. Be forewarned: those seeking
on any menu in the entire city, in terms of
a bacon butty or anything stacked on an
value, quality and presentation.
English muffin need not apply.
Moving away from the Pub Fare section,
LUNCH
Monday to Saturday
11:30 AM to 3:00 PM
DINNER
Last Friday of the month
CATERING
www.williescafe.on.ca
Willie’s
731 Wellington Street
(Just South of Oxford)
London ON
--
www.eatdrink.ca 11
issue no. 20
The appearance of more than one
authentic curry dish on the menu is interesting, since outside of an Indian restaurant, curry is notoriously difficult to
procure here as a late-night snack. Good
to note is that the kitchen at the Church
Key stays open late, so such lager-induced cravings are easily satisfied.
And speaking of beer, there’s plenty
of it here; and most notably you can
sample Fuller’s London Pride, the number-one selling premium ale in the UK.
There are craft brews to choose from,
such as Upper Canada and Mill Street,
as well as more traditional, classic offerings such as Guinness.
Set-price wine-tasting dinners —
which may well evolve into beer-tasting
dinners — are currently in the planning
stages and could soon be offered once a
The Church Key is located
directly across from the Grand Theatre
All in all, the Church Key is getting it
right. Londoners are discovering — and
are wildly appreciative of — its ambience,
professional staff, quality of the food, and
real value for money. And as Pete Willis remarks, they are managing to “live
the dream” every day.
Amen!
The Church Key Bistro-Pub
476 Richmond Street, London
519-936-0960
www.thechurchkey.ca
The Church Key bar
month. The atmosphere at The Church Key
would also lend itself perfectly for book
club meetings and post-Christmas-shopping expeditions.
NEW
MENU
hours of operation
sunday & monday: 11 a.m. to midnight
tuesday to thursday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
friday & saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
SUE MOORE is a freelance writer who also works in
the London Public Library system. She lives in London
with her teenage sons and a floating population of dogs
and cats.
12
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
RESTAURANTS
Hats off to Chancey!
Chancey Smith’s Steak
and Seafood House
By Bryan Lavery
I
still love a great hamburger
or a big, juicy steak, even
though I’ve been trying
to cut down on my red
meat consumption. trü on King
Street used to make a superb
mini-hamburger with foie gras that melted
in your mouth, and you could order it at the
bar until midnight. Waldo’s on King makes
a truly outstanding burger with organic beef
from Field Gate Organics, which is served
with generous garnishes and condiments.
I swear it is the best hamburger in the city,
hands down. Chancey Smith’s Steak and
Seafood House has always been a carnivore’s dream because of its great steaks.
Chancey Smith’s also has its own delicious
½-lb beef burger, and the twist here is it
comes with a suggested beer pairing: Cameron’s Auburn Ale, Paulaner, #9 IPA or India
Pale Ale. Chancey’s also has a more upscale
½-lb. buffalo (read American bison) burger,
stuffed with short rib meat and served with
mushrooms, smoked provolone, bacon,
roasted onions and tomato relish, for $17.99.
Suggested beer pairing: Aventinus Doppel
Bock, IPA or Belgian Dubbel. For an appetizer, the grilled sirloin steak with roasted
bacon-wrapped goat cheese, greens and
mustard vinaigrette for $10.99 is a standout.
Recently, while researching London’s
culinary history, I came across
a photograph of fruit vendor
Chancey Smith posed in front
of his market operation on
Market Square at Market Lane.
The photograph taken in 1915
(which you can also see in the
dining room) is just a few feet
from the eponymous restaurant of today, owned by his
great-grandson, the local restaurant/bar entrepreneur and
raconteur Mike Smith.
Chancey Smith’s is a destination steakhouse, just one
part of the Mike Smith empire, where you
know for certain you can get a damn good
steak and a perfect martini with good quality
olives, or a decent glass of wine. Mike Smith
is tongue-in-cheek on the surface (his corporate umbrella motto: “Is this any way to run a
restaurant?”), but he is seriously committed
to the local hospitality scene and to London
in general. Smith is also the owner of Joe
Kool’s, the irreverent, popular restaurant and
bar that has been a landmark on Richmond
Row for over a quarter of a century, as well as
Fellini Koolini’s, Jim Bob Ray’s, the Runt Club,
and more recently, P Za Pie.
. Smith was one of the early members of
the MainStreet London board of directors.
He is a fan of creative cities and always brings
back interesting ideas and insights from his
travels. Smith has been a relentless proponent
of both Tourism London and the revitalization of downtown London. So much so that
two years ago, MainStreet London honoured
Smith with its Downtown Champion award,
highlighting his significant contributions to
making downtown better, through not only
CY
CMY
www.eatdrink.ca 13
K
Chancey Smith’s, but also his support and networking on behalf of the downtown. Smith’s
commitment to this city extends to the Clean
and Green event, an annual spring cleanup he
and Joe Kool’s Manager, Ron Scarfone, started
in 1995. Over the years, it evolved into a downtown initiative and has built a lot of momentum since then, catching on across London
and attracting a broad base of both public and
private support.
Milos Kral (former longtime Marienbad/Chaucer’s manager) is at the helm of
Chancey Smith’s and it shows. Vivacious
Assistant Manager Michelle Novackas is
also an asset: professional, knowledgeable
and gracious. Longtime staff members Nick
Farmer and Deb Denton add a certain je ne
sais quoi, good humour and comfortable
familiarity to the proceedings.
Chancey Smith’s still offers diners that
“big city feeling,” while maintaining all the
romanticized charm of a Chicago-style
chophouse. The attention to detail of the
modern interior marks a departure from
the ubiquitous, corporate, cookie-cutter
steakhouse décor seen elsewhere. The feeling is not standoffish or overly ingratiating.
Chancey’s bar reflects the flair and refined
style of its classic dining room, but with a
more relaxed, down-to-earth ambience. A
large mural made of ten separate panels designed by local artist Ronald Stanley Milton
adds vibrant colour and a fantastic sequence
of pleasing farmers’ market imagery over
the bar. Patrons also find themselves surrounded by dozens of framed photographs
of historic London architecture, businesses
and personalities of former local prominence that include fruit vendor Chancey
Smith. The bar area is bright and welcoming,
with a bank of spotless windows, comfortable tables and chairs, bar stools and yet
more cheerful, well-groomed staff who contribute to your sense of comfort.
The dining room is nicely appointed
with dark stained wood surfaces, elegant
cove ceilings, black checkered tablecloths
covered with butcher paper, natural sunlight in the day and the glow of a series of
contemporary arts and crafts styled light
fixtures at night. Off to the side of the dining room, the open kitchen sports a copper
hood. A spacious outdoor patio/terrace
with classic black and white striped awning
wraps around the restaurant and overlooks
London’s King Street restaurant row and
2
FARMERS MARKET
We’re not just about fresh food!
Come see our amazing
vendors on the 2nd floor!
Open Saturdays, 8am-3pm
Dundas at Ontario St.
www.londonsfarmersmarket.ca
Eat Drink 1/4 page
2.375 x 3.935”
14
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
the market square. The popular destination
bar and patio in season is a relaxing place to
lounge after work or before dinner. Its close
proximity to the John Labatt Centre makes
it a popular choice on event nights, both
before and after — as is Waldo’s on King,
its symbiotic but uniquely idiosyncratic
counterpart next door, with which Chancey’s
shares a large clientele of regulars.
One of the strongest tenets of North American etiquette is that it is inappropriate to
View of the Dining Room
tell others they are not following proper etiquette. However, etiquette considers it even
more impolite for men to wear baseball caps
(whether backward or forward), while dining
indoors. Despite the casual conviviality of
Chancey’s and its relaxed management style,
unless you are suffering from an illness that
would cause embarrassment, ill-mannered
patrons should be encouraged to remove
their baseball caps in the dining room.
Chancey’s delivers with a well-chosen wine
range and offers the most comprehensive
and impressive selection of beer in London.
As of this writing, there are 120 beers on offer
and there will soon be a total of 17 draft lines.
Kral, who started in the hospitality business
in Czechoslovakia at fifteen, has built a reputation as a “beer sommelier.” He has a history
of assembling solid beer lists showcasing
some of the finest Canadian craft beers, and
a strong repertoire of Belgians and other
difficult-to-find European beers. Working
alongside Chef Larry Cvetic and the kitchen
and floor staff, Kral pairs beers that complement each entree item by listing them on the
menu. This entails the necessity for a thorough knowledge of the complexities of different beers and how they work in harmony
with food pairings as a distinct and worthy
alternative to wine. While wine and food pairing has been a common practice for years,
many people are realizing that beer, with its
diversity of unique flavours and aromatic
characteristics, can rival wine in its ability to
harmonize with food. With the growing stylistic diversity in today’s beer scene, people are
discovering new ways that unique beer styles
enhance their culinary experience.
“A Trappist beer is brewed by or under the
control of Trappist monks. Of the world’s 171
Trappist monasteries, seven produce beer
(six in Belgium and one in Holland). Only
these seven authorized breweries are allowed to label their beers with the Authentic
Trappist Product logo that indicates compliance to the criteria set by the International
Trappist Association,” explains Kral.
The dinner menu sports some interesting
items, but Chancey’s is primarily known for
its comfort food: excellent steaks, lobster tails,
and especially its fresh oysters on the half
shell. Roasted lamb shanks braised in Belgian
Abbey Ale are a new and welcome addi-
www.eatdrink.ca 15
Another view of the Dining Room
Market celebrated 10 years in their new
premises. This, the third incarnation of the
Covent Garden Market, opened its doors on
October 21, 1999. Designed by London architect Russ Scorgie, the building’s architecture
in many ways pays tribute to the original
Covent Garden Market of 1853.
Chancey Smith’s keeps the spirit of the old
market alive and brings it forward for a modern audience while honouring its traditions
and history — and faithful Londoners love
that nod to nostalgia.
tion to the menu, and on this occasion were
served with barely al dente root vegetables
and truffle mashed potatoes. Suggested beer
pairing: Trois Pistoles, Rochefort Trappist Ale
(yummy), Leffe Brun and Belgian Abbey Ale.
Chancey Smith’s is a convenient downtown
choice for lunch, which they serve until 4 p.m.
The menu offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, appetizers and daily specials. I recently
had a commendable roasted chicken quesadilla with onions, pepper, tomato, Monterey
Jack cheese and pico de gallo.
This past October, the Covent Garden
Chancey Smith’s Steak and Seafood House
130 King Street, London
519-672-0384
www.chanceysmiths.com
hours of operation
sunday to wednesday: 11 a.m. to midnight
thursday, friday & saturday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Contributing Editor and
Food Writer at Large, and shares his expertise and opinion
on a wide spectrum of the culinary beat.
16
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
RESTAURANTS
The Morrissey House
The Mo’ — “Where Every Day is Like Sunday”
By Bryan Lavery
T
raditionally, the pub that people
frequent most often is referred to as
their local. Despite its etymology, the
fundamental nature of a local would
seem to be only partly geographical. A local is
the neighbourhood pub nearest to your home.
However, some denizens choose their local for
other reasons: proximity to their workplace,
convenience as an informal meeting place
for friends, the availability of a unique selection of beers, innovative pub food offerings,
or perhaps the traditional pub game: darts.
More often than not, the idiosyncratic nature
of a local will lend itself to organized events
several times a month, ranging from pub quiz/
trivia nights to live music, as is the case of the
Morrissey House on Dundas Street.
Proprietor Mark Serré, a 12-year veteran
of the Spoke at UWO and an 8-year veteran
of GT’s, wants to make The Morrissey House
feel like your living room. It’s a place where
you enjoy a sense of familiarity, knowing with
certainty that you will always run into a friend
— even if the friend is someone on staff. “The
Mo’,” as The Morrissey House is often referred
to, is a natural hub for the inhabitants of its
immediate area and an important meeting
place where people can gather in a relaxed
and convivial atmosphere.
The Morrissey, which
opened this
past July,
has quickly
become
a popular
neighbourhood watering hole,
serving
interesting
and innovative pub fare
to clients
of a very
wide demo-
graphic. Situated in London’s downtown hotel
district, The Morrissey House is hospitable,
intimate and friendly. This neighbourhood
pub accommodates 120 seats in six rooms.
The beer offerings are comprehensive and the
bar features 18 draught taps and 18 affordable
wines by the glass. The wines are mostly the
usual suspects, including a riesling from Niagara and a merlot from British Columbia.
This past summer, the 60-seat patio, set back
from the street, become both an industry and
neighbourhood hot spot, attracting its fair
share of foot traffic and hotel business. In the
resurrected heritage yellow brick house once
occupied by the Oxford Arms, the main floor
has undergone renovations and a significant
refurbishment. Gone is the staircase to nowhere at the entrance, and the front door has
been changed, making the entry more inviting
and accessible. The premises have been reconfigured to improve capacity and traffic flow.
The establishment offers plenty of choices in
terms of nicely upholstered, comfortable and
sturdy chairs and tables that afford plenty of
elbow room. There is colourful and thoughtprovoking original art on the walls, which are
painted with warm colours, and many of the
building’s original heritage features are still in
evidence. Two rooms have fireplaces, one for
ambience only, the other working and able
to provide solace during cold winter weather.
The bar area itself has been redesigned and it
is divided into two distinct areas. Two of the
rooms can be closed off by pocket doors, allowing privacy for private parties.
www.eatdrink.ca 17
Speaking of private parties, the fact that
Ceeps and Barney’s had their Christmas
party at The Mo’ this November speaks to
the measure of industry credibility. The
Morrissey House website emphasizes that
it is not an Irish pub, a British pub, a gastro
pub, a resto pub, a sports bar or a luncheon
spot…but a local. “We want to convey the
feeling that all are welcome, that we are
good neighbours and that we have a sense
of community. The Morrissey is a living
space and we want people to feel like they
are going over to a friend’s house for a dinner party. The atmosphere is comfortable
and warm, the music is non-intrusive, and
the service is caring. The idea is that guests
will walk in and know fellow guests as they
feel that same sense of community.”
Proprietor Mark Serré is also a savvy social media strategist who has opened up a
two-way communication between himself
and the customer. The Morrissey House
has a Facebook page, a WordPress blog application on their website, and can also be
found on Twitter. This has allowed Serré to
constantly update and inform his clients
about what The Mo’ has on offer, as well as
allowing feedback about what the pub is
doing well and what they can improve upon.
One side benefit of this type of social media
strategy is the ability to conduct a free focus
group. Once you’ve opened up the lines of
communication, joined the conversation
and engaged your customers, there’s the
opportunity to create a larger community
around your brand — something the Morrissey House seems to be successfully accomplishing and part of what Serré’s business plan has been predicated on.
Although I originally visited the Morrissey
House twice, just two weeks after it opened, it
had the feel of a well-oiled, smooth running
and long-established operation. The menu is
contemporary with everything from ’Wichcraft (read sandwich) and a variety of burgers,
to a jambalaya that was reminiscent of paella,
with shrimp, chicken, chorizo and flavoured
with piri piri. The classic pub fare of fish and
chips was in this instance fresh flaky haddock
served with the option of sweet potato fries.
Mo’sa Fe Salad, a mélange of chicken, corn,
black beans, tomatoes, mixed greens and
romaine lettuce with tortilla strips, mixed in
a spicy peanut vinaigrette, is a standout. The
sausage plate with locally produced hunter,
chorizo and village sausages, bread, a duo of
The sausage
plate is great for
sharing (or not!)
cheeses and generous pots of dipping mustards makes a great sharable appetizer. Chef
Ricardo brings a definite Portuguese influence to many of the offerings. The website
cautions that they plan on making changes
to the menu on a regular basis, and this has
been my experience.
A Sunday breakfast with out-of-town
guests was a hit on two occasions. Our
server tells us that Eggs Benedict is the
popular choice. The coffee is good. The desserts are top-notch and homemade, just not
in their home. They are purchased from La
Pâtisserie Fine Cakes and Pastries in Kitchener. Gelatos are locally produced by Coppa
di Gelato. Everyday is like Sundae, with
18
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
determined effort to promote a new establishment. Like most diners,
I’m also inclined to share
the experience with others. By feeling valued, I
instinctively want to introduce their business to
other patrons. This is the
experience of the Morrissey House.
The Mo’s superb selection of single malt scotch whisky
strawberry, coconut and chocolate gelato
scoops, whipped cream, cherries, caramel
sauce, chocolate fudge, cashews and crème
anglaise, is fast becoming their signature
dessert offering.
When I go out to eat, if I have good food
and attentive service in a comfortable and
relaxing atmosphere, the potential exists to
become a loyal customer. When I make an
authentic connection with a professional staff
member, the chef or the proprietor, I want to
be a faithful supporter of the business. When
my custom is appreciated, I always make a
The Morrissey House
359–361 Dundas Street, London
519-204-9220
themorrisseyhouse.wordpress.com
www.themorrisseyhouse.com
twitter.com/morrisseyhouse
hours of operation
monday–wednesday: 11am to midnight
thursday: 11am to 1 am; friday: 11am to 2am
sat: 9am to 2am; sun: 9am to midnight
BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Contributing Editor and
Food Writer at Large, and shares his expertise and opinion
on a wide spectrum of the culinary beat.
..
issue no. 20
www.eatdrink.ca 19
SPOTLIGHT
Stratford Chefs
School
Where You Can Train With the
Best. Or Feast With Them.
By David Hicks
A
re you sitting comfortably? Then
let’s begin the lesson: Tuna tartare with spicy lemon-ginger
vinaigrette and sesame tuiles,
The lead chef, whether a second-year student or a culinary
followed by a ragout of sweetbreads, mushstar like Riccardo Camanini, presides over every aspect of a
rooms, prosciutto and white truffle oil, then
Stratford Chef School dinner.
a third course of medallions of lamb with
anchovy-black olive sauce and artichoke
semester. (How he maintains his trim frame
fritters, and finally, orange risotto in brandy
mystifies both staff and patrons.)
snaps with passion fruit sauce for dessert.
Morris, who is also the proprietor of
If by now you’ve moved from relaxation to
Stratford’s renowned Rundles Restaurant,
subconsciously squeezing your thighs, your
teamed up, in 1983, with fellow restaurateur
inner foodie will thank you for discovering
Eleanor Kane, co-owner of The Old Prune, to
that this four-course indulgence is just one
create a chef’s academy for the theatrical offof dozens offered by the region’s worst-kept
season, with a vision to help cultivate “a disdining secret, the Stratford Chef School.
School? While a far sigh from cafeteria fare, tinctly Canadian food culture.” A lofty ideal,
but between Kane’s contagious energy and
this is actually a student “lab” served in the
Morris’ cool acumen, the School launched
rooms of Stratford’s The Old Prune Restauwith half a dozen students, and has gradurant on bone china and linen table cloths,
ated nearly 500 in its 25 years of operation.
with aperitif, paired wines and tea or coffee.
The School is a government accredited,
And at a prix fixe of $60, all in, you could afprivate, not-for-profit educational
ford to cab it back to your B&B.
institution, and the goal of the
The only catch, besides reserving
two-year course is to produce
in advance, is that, despite your
top-quality culinary professioneuphoria, you must objectively
als. Witness the school’s 100 pergrade the assignment in a brief
cent graduate placement rate.
survey, from the maitre d’s introductory reNot that there aren’t other colleges out
marks and promptness of the service, to the
there with solid programs and commendappearance, taste and aroma of the food.
able results, says the School’s Executive DiSeriously, the feedback is not just a
0
rector, Kimberley Payne. 00“But this program
gesture — it’s an important aspect of the
is a different education in significant ways.”
training that the students receive at a gasFirst, there’s the rigour. “We seriously
tronomic institution that is building an
screen for students who intend to make a cainternational reputation. In fact, you’ll see
reer out of their passion for fine dining,” says
one of the School’s Founding Directors and
Payne. “This isn’t for someone looking for a
hands-on faculty members, James Morris,
hobby or taking a year out — we’ve had endining at a nearby table and filling in an
gineers and a pharmacist switch careers for
evaluation form too. Personal attention is
such a part of the School’s ethos that Morris this. We even had a restaurant owner who
did the course so he could hire and manage
typically eats and evaluates five weeknight
the very best people for his own restaurant.”
dinners a week, plus two three-course midThe two-year program comprises two
week luncheons, throughout the four-month
20
www.eatdrink.ca
four-month semesters running November
through February (versus the normal academic three months), with related work
experience required during the intervening
eight months. Half of the student body (currently numbering 71 with a capacity of 76) is
first-year, learning and working alongside the
returning second-year students. Fourteenhour days are the norm, and there is attrition.
The other point of differentiation is that
the School is operated and staffed by a dozen
working restaurant professionals. “The curriculum is based on [Auguste] Escoffier’s
philosophy of French dining and kitchen
organization,” says Payne, “but the School is
also geared to the chef/owner model of restaurateurs who want to be passionately and
personally involved in their work.”
So the students are immersed in culinary
history, nutrition, restaurant design, purchasing, sustainable farming practices, front
of house and table service, communication
and food writing, wine pairing, cheese making, baking, pastries and desserts, cookery
and presentation from a broad range of nationalities and regions… right down to how
to bend while picking up a stray fork.
The students gain perspective on food
at every level and stage, including visiting local sources and talking to producers,
vintners, brewers and livestock farmers. The
fare served at the nightly dinners and twiceweekly luncheons emphasizes fresh local
ingredients with a preference for organic.
“Occasionally, someone will question
strawberries in January or sea bass on the
menu, but we’re a landlocked culinary
school running fall through winter. But
nothing we serve is frozen or prepackaged —
you won’t find that in a 120-seat place.”
In addition to all the theory and class time,
Renowned chefs, such as Tuscany’s Riccardo Camanini,
come from around the world to spend a week teaching
teams of a dozen students prepare and serve
luncheons for up to 25 people on Wednesdays and Fridays, and larger teams rotate to
prepare the dinners for as many as 60.
For the three-course luncheons, the
menus span classic bistro to nouvelle cuisine, tapas, southeast Asian and Indian.
Every station is manned by students, and in
addition to personally checking every plate
before it leaves the kitchen, the lead student
chef visits each table to meet the guests
and answers questions. Add a glass or two
of wine and a coffee, and Wednesday afternoon never looked and felt so good.
The nightly dinner series begins with Culinary Repertoire menus of Chefs School favourites, for example, Salmon and Tuna Tartare;
Salad of Curly Endive, Bacon and Roquefort;
Grilled Leg of Lamb with Moroccan Ratatouille
and Rosemary Aioli; Iced Chocolate and Coffee Mousse with Coffee Granita.
issue no. 20
www.eatdrink.ca 21
usually more flexibility to get into the luncheons.
The evenings then transition to a series of
“In addition to practical training for the
North American and international chef menus
students, we really hope that our guests will
borrowed from well-known gastronomers,
learn from the experience,” says Payne. “I
such as
chef Normand
Laprise, CO
from MontreRestaurant
Equipment
& Supply
al’s “Relais & Chateaux.”-designated La Toqué! encourage people to come and try something they wouldn’t normally chance orderrestaurant. On his menu: Duck Tartare with
Tarragon Pickled Golden Beets and Fingerling ing — you might discover that you like lamb
after all. If you don’t normally order fish, you
Potato Chips; Pan-Seared Scallops with Fresh
/4 H Cod and Leek Brandade and Lemongrass
can afford to try it at these prices.”
9
Interest piqued? Here’s how it works.
Infused Yellow Pepper Juice; Roasted Leg of
Diane Venison with Dates, Almonds, Potato Galette
Three-course luncheons: Stratford Chefs
Roasted
Sept 28,and
REV
SeptSalsify;
29 and Chocolate Brioche
School Luncheons happen most Wednesdays
with Creamy Manjari Chocolate, Clove Ice
and Fridays, from November through FebruCream and Port Reduction. All executed,
ary (check the calendar and menus online)
wine-matched and served by student teams.
and served at Pazzo, 70 Ontario Street. Guests
Midway through the semester, some of
the students’ favourite days and evenings are are asked to arrive at 11:45 a.m., and lunch finspent with visiting chefs. Where menus on the ishes by 1:30 p.m. Capacity is 25 people. Cost
is $27 ($35 for two special Christmas menus)
School calendar tagged with surnames like
and includes wine, tea and coffee.
“Stadtländer” and “Kennedy” will sell out in
(literally) minutes, there’s a roster of 15 guests
from fine restaurants who come to work with Four-course dinners: Monday to Friday, late
October through February, the
the students. “The School’s repuRECIPE ONLINE Culinary Repertoire Dinners ($47),
tation is now such that we have
A Stratford Chefs School
North American and International
chefs lined up to come and spend
Favourite:
Dinners Series ($60), two special
a day instructing. We just can’t
Purée Palestine Christmas dinners ($74), and the
accommodate all of them,” says
(Jerusalem Artichoke Soup) Guest Chef dinners ($100) are all
Payne. “So we not only consider
served at The Old Prune, 151 Albert
their culinary reputation but their
Click HERE on the
Street, 6:30–10:00 p.m. Beverages
Digital Edition online
teaching skills — the students rate
included. Many menus are posted,
the instructors too.”
some not until confirmed with the guest chefs.
Special attention is given to four weeklong stints by internationally known chefs
Stratford Chefs School
considered to be rising stars in the culinary
www.stratfordchef.com
world. This year, they’re flying in from Aus519-271-1414
tralia, Italy, India and Denmark to teach in
the kitchen and supervise dinners. (Last year
there were four Michelin-starred chefs in the
School’s kitchen.)
DAVID HICKS is a branding consultant in the StratUnderstandably, reservations are essential ford area with (praise God) a high basal metabolic rate.
(call 519-271-1414), earlier is better, and there’s You can reach him at dchicks@mac.com.
RESTAURANT
EQUIPMENT
& SUPPLY CO.
serving the industry since 1944
Shop like a chef!
Wholesale Prices on Complete lines
of equipment, cookware, china, glassware,
stainless serving pieces and much more!
Open to the Public Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Sat 10am-1pm
234 William St., London, 519.438.2991
resco@look.ca, www.rescolon.ca
22
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
Stratford is
more than
great theatre.
“I made a delicious discovery: Stratford has a culinary obsession.
And, for me, finding what I call a ‘food town’ is a rare and
magnificentt hing. .. You’ve got a place that feeds all the senses.”
— Marion Kane, Food Writer (www.marionkane.com)
DINNER CLUB
Join usAfor
lunch or dinner
remarkable culinary experience
www.stratfordchef.com
Details and menus online
Gift certificates available
Reservations 519.271.1414
admin@stratfordchef.com
Stratford Chefs School | Eat Drink Mag | December 2009 | 4.875” x 1.905”
issue no. 20
www.eatdrink.ca 23
24
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
SPOTLIGHT
Lucan’s The
Stuffed Zucchini
Deli - Bakery - Cafe
By Melanie North
I
rene and Tony Demas, owners of the
Wilberforce Inn in Lucan, first met 37
years ago in London. Irene had just
finished school and Tony was working
in real estate. He had just bought an old,
abandoned restaurant he planned to renew,
and offered Irene a job as hostess. The partnership sparked immediately. They not only
fell in love with each other, but with the
restaurant business. Irene learned to cook,
and Tony developed his interest in wines.
Together they opened what was one of the
first exclusively ethnic restaurants in London, a radical notion back then. It was called
The Villa and served authentic Greek food.
Twenty or so years later, they migrated
north to Lucan and in 1999 opened their
fine dining restaurant, The Wilberforce Inn.
They built a special place there. Almost 80
of their clientele are regulars. As Irene says,
“We feel we are welcoming them into our
own home. Our customers may come in as
strangers, but they leave as friends.”
Tony developed one of the finest wine cellars in Ontario, with over 900 bottles of 150
varieties. And while he manages the front of
the house, Irene still focuses on the kitchen.
She has planted her own garden for the restaurant, with tomatoes; herbs such as basil, sage,
parsley and tarragon; and edible flowers: nasturtiums, violets, pansies and calendula. Many
of the seeds she planted she bought in British
Columbia at the illustrious Sooke Harbour
House, a restaurant that inspired her by growing their own organic produce.
Irene’s latest endeavour is The Stuffed
Zucchini, just up the street from The Wilberforce, and next door to Lucan’s famous Area
Heritage and Donnelly Museum. The museum has exponentially increased Lucan’s
tourism business. In addition, Irene says,
“I always had a lot of requests for take-out
food. The Wilberforce Inn is fine dining and
Irene Demas
many people equate that with dressing up
and making reservations. The Stuffed Zucchini is more grab and go, or grab a quick
lunch. People want healthy meals and the
demand was there.”
Irene’s goal is to buy local and organic as
much as possible. All baked goods are made
on the premises. Dishes such as chicken
pot pie, quiches, lamb shanks, moussaka
and stuffed peppers, as well as soups, sandwiches and salads, are all made fresh. Irene
sources her vegetables from Devlaeminck’s
Farm just north of Lucan, and apples from
Crunican’s further south on Highway 4.
Artisanal breads from Quebec’s Premiere
Moisson are baked on the premises. You can
buy whole loaves of everything from organic
flaxseed to sourdough walnut, country-style
round and olive
fougasse (the
French version
of the Italian
focaccia bread).
Irene also sells
all natural and
naturally dried
pasta by Maria’s
Homemade
Noodles, based in
Kitchener. Some
of the selection
includes organic
spelt pasta, red
lentil or chickpea
pasta, and vegetable mix rotini.
She and Tony also
import a selection of olives, olive oils, wild
mountain spices and teas from Greece, their
homeland. Deli meats are from Metzger’s in
Hensall, duck from Everspring Farms, and
C’est Bon goat cheese from St. Mary’s.
The Stuffed Zucchini provides one-stop
shopping. You can grab a bite there or take
meals out, or you can buy deli meats and
cheeses and breads, a litre of homemade
chicken or beef stock, and even Irene’s
homemade preserves that colourfully line
the handmade Amish cupboards from Lucan
Architectural Salvage. Choose from jars of
Arkona sweet cherries in brandy or calvados,
or yellow cherries in brandy. There are lots of
prepackaged holiday gift baskets to choose
from, as well as a catering menu for small or
large parties. Christmas dinners can be ordered ahead of time to save you all the work
and leave you time to relax in front of the fire.
With its rough plaster walls and warm
atmosphere, The Stuffed Zucchini is a great
reason to take a short drive north of the city,
unwind and enjoy some of the treats at this
cozy café.
The Stuffed Zucchini
175 Main Street, Lucan
519-227-0404
hours of operation
monday–friday 10-7
saturday 10-5, sunday 11-3
Wilberforce Inn
161 Main Street, Lucan
519-227-0491
www.wilberforceinn.com
MELANIE NORTH is the Editor of CityWoman
magazine.
26
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
SPOTLIGHT
Honey, Honey
A Visit to Ferguson Apiaries, near Hensall
By Jane Antoniak
T
rue fact: bees don’t bite”, jokes beekeeper Bill Ferguson. Actually, they
sting. Truth is, they don’t even seem
to do that to Bill. Standing with
him next to an active hive, I watch a little
nervously as he calmly inspects the combs
and urges me to get a closer look. “Just don’t
swat at them,” he cautions. “We know how
they are going to react. They go after your
motions, and also they are attracted to certain smells — they don’t like perfumes or
deodorants.” I step back as I realize that I
am wearing at least one of the above.
But there’s no stepping back from enjoying
the Fergusons’ honey, on tap
at the Honey House located
on Highway 84 between
Hensall and Zurich in Huron County. Velvety smooth
streams of golden goodness
pour from the taps as they
offer samples of pumpkin
patch, basswood, buckwheat
and clover honey. I long for
a toasted English muffin and
maybe some peanut butter.
Sherri Ferguson
Similar to a wine tasting,
each honey carries its own aroma and finish.
No wonder the bees are cross when people
try to harvest their nectars!
Bill Ferguson starting keeping bees while
a high school student in Bayfield back in the
early 1960s. He
worked for the
Haberer Brothers beekeepers
in Zurich before starting his own operation
in 1967. He and wife Rosemary and their
children Sherri and Susan have grown it into
an 800-colony operation with more than 40
locations for their “supers” across Huron,
Perth, Middlesex and Lambton counties.
(Supers are the boxes in which the bees
store their honey. A deep super full of honey
can weigh close to 90 pounds.) “The crops
grown in the area and the time of year determine the type of honey
we produce,” says Ferguson.
“For instance, with ‘pumpkin patch’ honey, the bees
pollinate large fields of
pumpkins, over 100 acres.
The farmer gets the pollination and the bees get
some nectar.” The result
is a delicious, mild, lightcoloured honey. For those
of us who are used to buying commercial honey,
this is huge positive jump in flavour and
texture. Some of the Fergusons’ honey runs
sweetly and some is creamed, so choose your
weapon: honey dipper or spreader.
Renting out bees to the farmers for
pollinating pumpkins and apples is a key
part of their business. And so is the raising
and sale of bees and queens across North
America. The second generation of Fergusons
has taken to producing more than just honey.
Sherri runs the retail arm of the Honey House
now, while Susan is a beekeeper. Both have
helped develop a line of “Skin Food,” which
is made and packaged on site, and includes
an all-natural lavender honey body cream.
It seems sticky at first touch but goes on
smoothly and without any oily finish. They
also produce a delicious line of honey butters
in a variety of flavours, honey barbeque
sauces, and a honey chicken sauce, and
they are keen to share recipes with chefs.
The Fergusons also make and sell beeswax
candles and natural bee pollen. Some
customers buy the combs as a treat to chew
on — it makes a natural, digestible chewing
gum. Other people spread it on toast — it is a
naturally occurring wax, which some believe
to be a mild laxative.
Honeycombs are brought to the Honey
House for extraction with automated equipment, and the honey is stored in barrels,
allowing for sale year round. The Fergusons
produce, on average, seven varieties of
Bill Ferguson andwww.eatdrink.ca
his grandson William 27
attend to the bees, at Ferguson Apiaries.
honey, including capping honey and spring
and fall honey.
Their products are sold at the Honey
House on Thursdays to Saturdays, or you can
pick them up in the London area at Unger’s
in Hyde Park, Doris Produce at the Covent
Garden Market, and Crunican’s on Highway
4, just north of the city.
If you are interested in more information
about the sweet business of honey, you can
join serious beekeepers like the Fergusons,
as well as general hobbyists, at meetings of
the Ontario Beekeepers Association, which
has numerous chapters in our region.
As for me, I now like to say, “Pass the
honey, honey” over the breakfast table!
Ferguson Apiaries
Highway 84/Zurich-Hensall Road
519-236-4979
www.fergusonapiaries.on.ca
Ontario Beekeepers Association
www.ontariobee.com
JANE ANTONIAK is a writer and owner of Antoniak
Communications in London. She is now claiming to be a
bit sweeter, too.
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er’s Farm
issue no. 20
h
o
S
p
•
• Stay • Play
e
n
i
D
Enjoy Ontario’s West Coast
1
Gobble up the goodness,
the festive season is coming!
Order Your Fresh Turkey
or Roast for The Holidays
“On the way to the lake” Highway 83, Dashwood Road
519.237.3561
LCBO Agency & BEER STORE Retail Partner
www.haytersfarm.com
Gift & Fashion Boutique
Gourmet Fine Dining
Luxury Guest Suites
www.theredpumpinn.com
Company Name: The Red Pump Inn
Ad Size: 1/4 Page Horizontal
Date: 11/20 /08
SeasoGnre’setings
www.eatdrink.ca 29
issue no. 20
Lunch & Dinner
Wed.–Sun. until
New Year’s Eve
Bayfield,ON 5 19-565-2576
30
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issue no. 20
Explore
Ontario’s West Coast
Dine
•
Shop
•
Stay
•
Play
issue no. 20
www.eatdrink.ca 31
32
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issue no. 20
TRAVEL
Charleston Cooks!
Discovering the Taste of The South
By Jane Antoniak
T
here’s a world of difference
between traveling south and traveling to The South: a mouthwatering difference! Charleston, South
Carolina, with its unspoiled, historic setting,
warm temperatures and rich, culinary culture, is certainly worth an extended weekend escape for those who want more than
sun and sand on a holiday.
I traveled there this fall with five members
of my book club from London. While we
went expecting antebellum homes and crab
cakes, instead we discovered an interesting world of southern hospitality, mixed in
with bourbon, bacon and a cooking school,
which left us satisfied on a multitude of
levels. It was the perfect escape for a book
club whose members love to cook, travel,
explore and enjoy each other’s company in
a relaxed, yet thoroughly interesting, setting.
Charleston does indeed cook!
With direct flights from London to Detroit
and then direct on a small yet speedy Lear
jet to Charleston, we were in the Southern
city by noon Thursday, starting our extended
weekend jaunt on a high note, ready to shop,
eat and visit! With an easy cab connection to
historic Charleston from the airport, we settled in quickly at the uber-convenient, well-
Culinary Instructor Emily Kimbrough
equipped Embassy Suites hotel (337 Meeting
Street), which is located in the original Citadel Military College in Charleston. The hotel
is a grand restoration, and the building is on
the National Register of Historic Buildings.
It has many positive amenities, including an
outdoor swimming pool, fitness room and
the welcome concept of generous two-room
suites with a full hot breakfast every morning, including made-to-order omelettes and
cooked oatmeal.
Embassy Suites is located at the top end
of the historic quarter, which is perfect for
walking some extra steps needed to burn
off all those gourmet delights — especially
the pecan praline candies! The hotel is also
located adjacent to Marion Square, which
on Sundays offers an impressive market with
high-end jewelry and a variety of interesting,
locally grown items such as peanuts, decorative cotton stalks, and crepes.
Many visitors to Charleston start out with
a carriage ride. Our group took an hour-long
tour in a large horse-drawn carriage that can
carry about 20 people through the streets of
the historic old city. This is an easy way to
get your bearings before heading out on foot
for the remainder of the weekend.
Our destination for the weekend was
Charleston Cooks! — a cooking school and
shop that is part of the impressive Maverick chain of food and hospitality outlets in
South Carolina. Located in the heart of the
East Bay Street restaurant district, the cooking school is a draw for passers-by, who gaze
through the large windows of the Maverick
Kitchen Store. Classes are offered several
times a day to visitors. We had booked a
Londoners Paula Smith, Jude Teskey, Kerri Lefebvre and
Susanna Hubbard Krimmer get chopping at Charleston Cooks! private, hands-on group session in low-
country cuisine, the cornerstone of coastal
South Carolinian heritage. We were able to
pre-select our menu — which was helpful,
as members of the Book Club did not want
seafood or fish. We settled on Apple Walnut
Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette, Corn Fritters
with Tomato Chutney, Sweet Potato and
Date Hash, Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
with Bourbon Sauce, and Chocolate Chess
Pie — or the locals say, “it’s jess pai”!
One of my book club traveling mates was
Susanna Hubbard Krimmer. She has been
to Charleston before, but this trip provided
her with new experiences. “The people of
Charleston take great pride in their southern
hospitality. Food and its enjoyment with
new and old friends forms a huge part of
that hospitality and is evident in the choice
of a pineapple, used everywhere as a sign
of welcome. The cooking school provided a
wonderful opportunity to experience both
the cultural and culinary aspects of lowcountry cooking,” says Hubbard Krimmer.
Another member of the club, Janet Carr,
was also enjoying a subsequent visit to the
old South. She, too, found culinary tourism
a great experience in Charleston. “While I’ve
visited Charleston in the past, I discovered a
different city than I was previously exposed
to. […] Before, all I saw was the history, excellent cuisine and architecture, and during
this trip, in the company of great girlfriends,
I also discovered a wonderful world of shopping! The cooking school was very different
from those I’ve attended in the past — the
instructor was able to relate to every level of
experience and was wise beyond her years
in culinary information.”
Emily Kimbrough was our culinary instructor. She is the lead culinary instructor
at Charleston Cooks! and is a graduate of
Johnson and Wales University in food service management and culinary arts. She set
us up at three cook stations and we were
invited to move freely between stations to
work on different aspects of the menu. From
rolling out pastry to frying fritters to basting
with bourbon, our group enjoyed the learning aspects of the course. Book club member
Kerri Lefebvre, an accomplished cook, says
she enjoyed learning new, simple tricks in
the kitchen, such as how to properly cut
an onion or how to sauté without stirring.
“These steps have already made my own
cooking easier. It was learning how to have a
lighter touch in the kitchen that I enjoyed —
www.eatdrink.ca 33
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issue no. 20
two-person bicycle taxi — a wonderful openthe little tricks of the trade.”
air experience that allows you to zip along
After all our hands-on work was comthrough the market and down quiet back
plete, we enjoyed a generous-sized meal,
streets in the warm evening air after dinner.
with wine. All were given the recipes to take
It is an affordable break from all the walking,
home, some of which have already been
and is especially important for those in heels
tried again here in London. We also bought
who may find it more than challenging to
local ingredients, such as grits for the corn
navigate the cobblestone roads.
fritters — which certainly gave the security
Finally, if you’re looking
scanners at Charleston airport
MORE RECIPES for a lovely break in the day, try
some pause as they scanned our
ONLINE
Baked (160 East Bay Street) for a
carry-on bags!
from Charleston Cooks!
coffee, slice of cake or any numCharleston offers many excelber of other sinful delights. It’s an
lent dining establishments. On this
Click HERE on the
excellent spot for a pick-me-up
trip we enjoyed lunch at Sermet’s
Digital Edition at
www.eatdrink.ca
while you rest from touring the
Corner at 276 King Street (in the
homes or shopping for yet anheart of the shopping district) and
other must-have Southern fashion item.
at Fleet Landing (186 Concord Street), on the
For a real taste of The South, consider a
patio overlooking the busy industrial harbour.
Be sure to take a jaunt over to the nearby pine- long weekend in Charleston — where the
food and atmosphere really do cook!
apple fountain, a marvel, and a salute to the
symbol of welcome in Charleston.
We enjoyed dinner at Cypress (East Bay
Street), which also offers low-country cuisine, JANE ANTONIAK is a journalist in London and a
devoted member of her book club (with Connie Atkinson,
although with a modern flair. It is the sister
Janet Carr, Susanna Hubbard Krimmer, Kerri Lefebvre, Karen
restaurant to Blossom and Magnolias, both
popular dining spots. It is here, along East Bay Nixon, Paula Smith and Jude Teskey), which has been
meeting monthly for more than a decade.
Street, where you can easily grab a ride in a
Apple Walnut Salad With Bacon Cider Dressing
SALAD
4-6 green apples, small dice
2 stalks celery, small dice
¾ cup walnuts, toasted
½ cup raisins or other dried fruit
Fresh lemon juice
½ cup cheese, such as blue, parmesan, or goat,
crumbled or grated
1 Combine the apples, celery, walnuts, and raisins
in a large mixing bowl. Toss with some fresh
lemon juice so the apples.
2 Toss salad with just enough of the bacon cider
dressing to coat the apple mixture. Top with the
cheese.
DRESSING
bacon, 3 thick slices or 7 thin slices, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
issue no. 20
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup cider vinegar
Olive oil, as needed
1 Place the bacon in a cold medium sauté pan over
medium-high heat. Do not stir until browning
can be seen in the bottom of the pan. Stir and
then allow the bacon to finish browning.
www.eatdrink.ca 35
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup green beans cut into 1/2 inch segments
½ cup dried dates, chopped
½ cup pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. When
the pan is hot, add enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan.
2 Meanwhile, whisk all other ingredients, except
olive oil, together in a small bowl.
2 When the pan is hot, add the onions to the pan,
and sauté until onions are lightly browned.
3 When bacon is brown, slowly drizzle the bacon
fat and bacon pieces into the vinegar mixture,
whisking constantly.
3 Add the sweet potatoes to the pan. Cook until
the bottoms brown.
4 If the dressing is not thick enough, continue
whisking and slowly drizzle in olive oil, a little at
a time, until desired consistency. Season with
salt and pepper.
Sweet Potato & Date Hash
Serves 4-6
Olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ cup bourbon
4 Remove the pan from the heat. Add the bourbon and allow the pan to stop simmering before
returning it to the heat. Cook over medium heat
until the pan is dry.
5 Add chicken stock and cook until sweet potatoes until fork tender.
6 Add the green beans to the pan and cook until
al dente, about 2-3 minutes.
7 Stir in the dates, pecans, and thyme. Remove
from heat.
8 Season to taste with salt and pepper.
36
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issue no. 20
Chocolate Chess Pie
PIE CRUST
1 stick butter
1½ cups flour
Pinch of salt
Whole Milk
1 Place butter, flour and salt in a medium bowl.
Cut butter into the flour with a pastry cutter.
2 Add the milk one splash at a time and stir gently
until mixture is crumbly.
3 Scrape the contents of the mixing bowl into a
large piece of plastic wrap. Form a ball with the
dough using the plastic wrap.
4 Chill dough for 8 minutes.
5 Roll dough out into desired shape.
FILLING
½ cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate,
chopped
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2 Place butter and chocolate in top of double
boiler, and melt over low heat stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
3 Place sugar, eggs, flour, bourbon, and salt in a
large mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine.
4 Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture, and
whisk until smooth.
5 Pour filling into pie crust, and bake in preheated
oven until edges are browned, and filling is
puffed and set (but still wiggly in the center),
about 30 minutes.
Variation:
Add ½ cup chopped pecans to the filling before
pouring it into the crust.
www.eatdrink.ca 37
issue no. 20
NEW AND NOTABLE
The BUZZ
“Change” seems to be the operative word in our
area’s current culinary conversation. In every
issue, we strive to bring you all that’s new and
different (but still local and seasonal, of course!),
freshly harvested from our thriving grapevine.
If you or your business has news to share with
eatdrink readers, be sure to let us know.
Never one to rest on her well-deserved laurels,
the ever-creative Betty Heydon of Blackfriar’s
Bistro & Catering (www.blackfriarsbistro.com)
has taken over a satellite kitchen in the premises
once occupied by Chef Zaikia Haskouri, the
London Casbah (on Dundas Street, between
Clarence and Richmond). Haskouri joined
Heydon’s team of Jacqueline Shantz, Abby
Roberts and Julianna Guy last year. Though the
space was primarily needed to meet the growing
demands for Blackfriar’s catering services, there
are plans afoot to also use the space for handson cooking and team-building classes.
Dynamic duo Paul Harding and Jason
Schubert, the applauded chef/owners of The
Only On King, have three of their recipes
featured in Cooking With Canada’s Best by
Karen Dubrofsky. All proceeds from the book
sales will be donated to the Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group. Cookbooks are
available from The Only, as well as at Chapters
book stores.
Gibb Design of London has created an exciting re-design of The Only’s website, which now
features online cooking demonstrations. Visit
www.theonlyonking.ca to see Schubert entertainingly preparing Chicken Boudin, grilling a
leg of lamb at a barbeque, or foraging for exotic
mushrooms. Full-length versions of all segments will be included on an upcoming DVD.
Joe and Diane Pritchard, of the ever-popular
Billy’s Deli (on Dundas at Talbot), have revised
their hours to better suit their loyal clientele. They
are now closed Mondays, but open Sundays from
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The legendary breakfast-goddess
Brenda Bissett remains a much-loved constant
in the lives of early-morning diners.
Gozen Bistro and Grill, well established now
at Central Avenue, just west of Richmond, has
developed a following with a menu of authentic
Japanese Sushi and Korean specialties. They’ve
now opened a new location in the premises that
was recently occupied by Savvy and Scallions,
on Queens at Clarence Street. Congratulations to Jill Wilcox and staff at Jill’s
Table on King Street. The renowned culinary
emporium (offering specialty foods, kitchenwares, tablewares, cooking classes and gift baskets), has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Waldo’s on King has recently presented a
revamped new menu that features Chef Mark
Kitching’s Braised Beef Short Rib Poutine
with Foie Gras and Goat Cheese. Restaurant
manager Joe Duby says it has been a strong
performer and worth a visit to hear the word
poutine pronounced at the bar with an Ottawa
Valley accent.
The Bungalow Neighbourhood Hub’s proprietors, Scot and Rosemary Crawford, Karl
and Pam Lansdowne, continue to do a brisk
business in the premises recently occupied by
North at Waterloo and Cheapside. The menu
features a variety of thin-crust pizzas, gourmet sandwiches and burgers. Check out their
website (www.bungalowhub.ca) for further
information.
Portuguese chicken aficionados have a longstanding tradition of going to London’s Hamilton Road to satisfy their hunger for the heat of
piri piri. Rei Dos Leitoes (translation: King of
the Pigs), a popular hotspot at 706 Hamilton
“Always a three-cours
prix-fixe menu”
David’s
bistro
432 Richmond St. at Carling • London
LUNCH W
DINNER
y
www.davidsbistro.ca
FREE PARKING
After 6 pm
off Q ueens Ave.
38
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Road since 1994, recently opened a second location in the Cherryhill Village Mall on Oxford
Street. The new locale features the same menu,
with grilled chicken, steak, seafood and a variety
of specials competing with the famous pork as
diners’ favourites.
Tiago’s of London, in Covent Garden Market,
is the place to get Portuguese chicken, and
more, downtown. Gourmet sandwiches round
out the basic offering of Portuguese chicken.
In particular you might want to try the chicken
and goat cheese pressed sandwich. One of the
best offerings at this restaurant has to be the
fantastic spicy olives that Tiago makes himself.
Speaking of Covent Garden Market, Chris Doris
of Doris Family Produce has not only been
supplying hard-to-find items like quince to local
chefs, but he is developing a line of olive oils. His first foray into this field is his For the Love of
Garlic product, a garlic-infused olive oil. Smith Cheese at Covent Garden Market is now
carrying Fifth Town Artisan Cheese. Speaking
with self-titled Milk Sommelier Dave Smyth
recently at the Ontario Culinary Tourism Summit, we learned that Prince Charles sampled
the Bonnie & Floyd cheese from Fifth Town
while he was in Toronto. The Prince liked the
cheese so much he turned to Minister Jim
Flaherty to see if he could spot him $10 to buy
the cheese. It was noted that the Prince and
Camilla also sampled some of the Monforte
Dairy selections at the Royal Winter Fair.
We service all major
household appliances.
519-601-1050
mrappliance.com/london
Locally owned and operated franchise.
Gigg’s Grillhouse is opening soon in the space
formerly occupied by Honey Garden, at the
corner of Talbot and Carling Streets. The building owner, Mauro DeLaurentiis, is making his
first venture into the restaurant business with
much excitement and has made a number
of improvements to the interior. Chef Henry
Barthalt hails from Grand Bend, where he has
worked in recent years. This will be a welcome
addition to the number of drinking and dining
establishments in the area — “an upscale roadhouse” according to DeLaurentiis — and for
event goers at the John Labatt Centre.
Updating two recent cover stories, we’re happy
to report that Abruzzi has quickly established
itself as a hot spot in the local culinary scene. Manager Karen Brown and Chef Josie Pontarelli have earned enthusiastic kudos from local
diners. Rob Taylor’s much anticipated Braise
Food and Wine should be up and running by
the time you read this. Richmond Row is set to come alive with the
new production of The Wizard of Oz. Cast
Sarnia
issue no. 20
and Lambton County
Discover
Blue Water
Country
www.eatdrink.ca 39
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www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
cities would fight for, and promised to bring a
lot of people back to London to show them what
we do well. There were a number of downtown
restaurateurs on hand to hear this talk. Attendees had the opportunity to sample the food and
hospitality of the London Convention Centre.
Heading over to London East, we noted that
True Taco is now open on Dundas between the
Aeolian Hall and the East Village Coffeehouse. This is a third location for True Taco, which
also operates at Trail’s End and the Western
Fair London’s Farmers Market. Speaking of
Mexican food, Under the Volcano operates at
the Western Fair market, and one of our writers
notes that they serve excellent chicken flautas.
members have been spotted dining out at
nearby restaurant The Tasting Room, and certainly surrounding dining establishments, including Garlic’s of London, Maggie’s Jazz and
Supper Club and The Church Key, will be busy
entertaining patrons before the show.
Recently at the Downtown London annual
meeting, we heard guest speaker Robert Gibbs,
a retail planning specialist, give local businesses
tips on how they can improve their operations.
He told the audience that we have a number of
anchors and destination businesses that other
London’s Farmers Market is located in the
historic Confederation building on the Western Fairgrounds, which started as a place for
local merchants to offer their wares in 1927.
Dave Cook, owner/roaster of the Fire
Roasted Coffee Company and manager of
London’s popular farmers markets (at Western
Fair, and seasonally at Masonville Mall) embraces change and growth in notable ways. The
Farmers Market at the Fair is seeing some major
changes: the roastery itself, which has been
operating out of premises in south London, will
soon be installed upstairs at the Confederation
Building, providing an opportunity for market
visitors to watch the process. Cook will also be
creating a stylish lounge, retail and meeting area
in this architecturally intriguing space.
A treasure trove of vendors and food purveyors can be found here on Saturdays: some
of the regions’ best butchers, bakers and
candlestick makers. The recently reconfigured
second floor is also home to artists, artisans,
booksellers, and collectables and antique
dealers. (Sorry, there are some names we just
won’t drop). Third anniversary celebrations are
scheduled for Wednesday, December 23, when
the market will be open to the public.
www.eatdrink.ca 41
issue no. 20
La Chocolaterie Forrat and one of London’s
favourite chocolatiers, Marc Forrat, has
expanded to new locations in Windsor and
Hamilton. The flagship location remains at
the Covent Garden Market, where customers
can watch the truffles being made. Forrat also
retails his products at Remark Fresh Markets
at Oxford & Hyde Park Road. Check it all out
on his newly redesigned website, www.forratschocolates.com. Félicitations Marc!
Welcome to Windermere’s Café,
where our unique character, charm and
distinctive natural setting are sure to
captivate you!
The East Village Coffee House has overcome
those pesky problems with the phone connection. You can reach the Coffeehouse at this new
number: 519-266-7584. If that’s too old school,
find them on Facebook: pages are up for both
the East Village Coffee House and its sibling, The
Briscoe Café, at 325 Wharncliffe Road South.
Here’s a save-the-date for February: Food
Fusion (Feb 18-28, 2010) will be encouraging
area restaurants and diners-out to support
Heart-Links, a London-based charitable organization (www.heart-links.org) concerned
with social justice in Peru. Participating restaurants will offer a special fixed-priced menu at
lunch and dinner. Look for more information
at www.foodfusionlondon.ca, and at the London Wine & Food show.
Darryl MacDougall is the new head chef at Timbers Chop House, Wellington Road South. Many
in the industry know Darryl from his previous
position as Ontario Regional Manager for the Canadian Restaurant Association for the past five
years. He received his chef training at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto. Timbers’ customers
can anticipate some exciting new changes and
additions to the menu in the new year! Chef Jeff Crump, whose recently published book
Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm is reviewed in this issue of eatdrink,
is coming to London! Crump will be delighting
visitors with his culinary skill on the kitchen
Reservations encouraged...

@ The Research Park
The UNIVERSITY of WESTERN ONTARIO
(Windermere at Western Road) • London
demonstration stage at 5 p.m., January 15, helping to kick off the London Wine and Food Show
(January 15-17 at the Western Fair). Chef Crump
will also be signing books at the eatdrink booth.
We expect all of you to drop by and say hello.
London’s busiest restaurateur, David Chapman, has recently unveiled new menus at
both The Katana Kafe and at his eponymous
David’s Bistro. When he posted his latest
installment of “A Cook’s Life,” (see page 62),
our memoirist also reminded us that David’s
always offers a three-course, prix-fixe menu.
42
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Many of the best restaurants in Stratford stay
open in the theatre’s off-season, and for many
of the shops in town it’s “business as usual” as
well. We know that Ruth Klahsen makes great
cheese at Monforte Dairy. But Monforte (www.
monfortedairy.com) is also offering a scrumptious (and useful!) gift basket. It includes 750 g
Smoked Cheddar, 1 kg Perth County Mennonite
Summer Sausage, Monforte Crackers, 375 ml
Bauman Apiaries Honey, two handmade beeswax candles and a Monforte Dairy apron. Cost
is $80 + $20 shipping, with all applicable taxes
included. The offer is good in Canada only.
There are several new taste sensations in Stratford, perfect for gift giving or just enjoying over
the holidays. Rheo Thompson Candies (www.
rheothompsoncandies.com) is well known
for their delicious mint smoothies. Now a new
complement, double chocolate smoothies, is
available for those who love the creamy texture
without the mint flavour. This new candy has a
velvety, truffle-like centre in a chocolate shell,
in both dark and milk varieties.
Local Ontario Herbal Tea, from Canada’s
Tea Sommelier, Karen Hartwick, is a unique
blend of 100 Ontario herbs. Tea and gift
packages can be ordered online at www.stratfordtealeaves.com.
At Chocolate Barr’s (www.chocolatebarrs.
com), a new mulled spice truffle is now
available. A creamy dark chocolate centre,
flavoured with anise, orange, cloves and cinnamon, is enrobed in milk chocolate and can
be identified by a light dusting of silver luster.
These treats are available individually or custom packed to your specifications.
Fred de Martines of Perth Pork Products
(www.perthporkproducts.com) supplies many
of the province’s best chefs with his heritage
pork. This holiday season, he is offering a line
of Berkshire Pork gift boxes that can be ordered online. Give the gift of pork!
Feeling the need to get away? Here are two
thoughts with a gastronomic bent:
Retreat to Foster’s Inn for one of their special
packages, which include suite accommodation,
Perth County Home-made Brunch, and dinner
at the Stratford Chefs School. For details and
reservations contact info@fostersinn.com.
The town of Bayfield celebrates the season
in style. They have lots of events, and if you
want to stay over, The Little Inn of Bayfield
has some tempting offers. Call 1-800-565-1832
or 519-565-2611, or go to www.littleinn.com.
This year Christmas at McCully’s is on the
weekend of December 12 & 13 from 11 to 3 pm.
Enjoy horse-drawn sleigh rides (or wagon
rides, depending on the snow), a visit in the
issue no. 20
www.eatdrink.ca 43
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www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
barn with all the animal friends, and Christmas
crafts and music, along with a visit with Santa
on his sleigh (and he’s giving out treat bags).
McCully’s Hill Farm is now on Twitter — so if
you like to Tweet, check them out!
Tuckey Farms of Exeter and the Optimist
Club of Middlesex London have teamed up to
raise funds for needy kids. Tuckey Farms has
made and bottled maple syrup in 500 ml gift
bottles, which the Optimist Club members are
selling as a fundraiser for club activities. The
Club supports a free after-school program at
Northbrae Public School, which also includes
cooking activities. The syrup is being sold for
$10 a bottle and can be purchased through club
members or by contacting club president Jane
Antoniak at jantoniak@eatdrink.ca.
Neil Baxter, renowned both as a chef and as
past instructor and Master Chef at the Stratford Chefs School, is holding a series of handson workshops in the new year, at Rundles
Restaurant. For details and to register, go to
www.rundlesrestaurant.ca or contact Chef Neil
Baxter at Rundles (519-271-6442).
After you’ve put away the festive gear, get out
your sporran and sharpen your dirk: Robbie
Burns Day is coming! The Waltzing Weasel
and The Scots Corner in London, the Black
Dog Pub in Bayfield, and FINE Restaurant in
Grand Bend will all be serving Robbie Burns
suppers in late January, as, no doubt, will
many others.
FINE is also hosting a New Year’s Day
Brunch called The Breakfast Club. The special
seating will include Matt Tuckey’s French Toast
— named after a popular customer — and a variety of breakfast and lunch items such as Lobster Pot Pie, Beef Short Ribs and Eggs Benedict,
all created by Chefs Erryn Shephard and Ben
Sandwith. Following the event, FINE will close
for holidays and re-open for their Robbie Burns
Supper on January 23.
***
To all of our readers, please remember that
throughout the year, but most poignantly at
this time, there are many of our neighbours
who could use a helping hand. Don’t know
where to start? Try the Ontario Volunteer
Centre, http://volunteer.ca , or your local food
bank (in London at 519-659-4045, or http://
web.ca/~londonfb/).
issue no. 20
www.eatdrink.ca 45
COOKBOOKS
Earth to Table
Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm
Review and Recipe Selections By Jennifer Gagel
E
very meal starts from the earth,
sometimes with a veritable chasm of
unsustainable practices in between
source and destination. Jeff Crump,
Canadian slow food pioneer, has set out to
narrow the gap in Earth to Table: Seasonal
Recipes from an Organic Farm (Random
House 2009, $45).
Jeff Crump is the executive chef at the
Ancaster Old Mill, a restaurant devoted to
food sourced locally and prepared to perfection. Earth to Table reflects his philosophy,
strongly influenced by food guru Alice Waters and his time spent at her restaurant,
Chez Panisse, in Berkley, California. But he’s
flexible in his approach, too, citing certain
imports, such as vanilla, olives and fish, as
items he cannot live without. Nor does he
shy away from the admission he also occasionally partakes of burgers and fries. This
book isn’t about turning people into “slowfood hippies.” It’s about moving a little slow
food hipness into our relationship with what
we eat.
“What we set out to communicate is not
the definitive set of answers to all of the
questions surrounding our food culture, but
a year’s worth of our experiences as we did
our best to answer them for ourselves.”
Along with Bettina Schormann, the Ancaster Old Mill’s pastry chef, Crump has put
together a
book from
which to
create
your own
seasoned
experiences,
cultivating a
personal philosophy towards
food that responds to burgeoning questions
and takes advantage of food that is practically right next door, but obscured by supermarkets.
There is plenty for Londoners to choose
from locally. For charcuterie, Crump’s answer to fast food, try Angelo’s, or Alicia’s Fine
Foods on Trafalgar (formerly Sikorski’s).
Atlantic Sea Fish Market (708 Hamilton
Road) is where I go Friday afternoons for
the freshest fish in the city — and where
the staff will discuss recipes and cooking
methods. Saturday mornings are well spent
at Trail’s End, finding the authentic farmers
(not the resellers) who are ready to discuss
growing methods and bumper crops. Or visit
the vendors at one of London’s markets. My
personal favourite is Doris Family Produce
at Covent Garden Market, where Mr. Doris
once noticed me rifling through all his
46
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issue no. 20
fennel. He quickly took off to the back to find
me the perfect sized bulbs to nestle inside
the succulent red peppers I wanted to roast.
And he’s always prepared to tell me exactly
what is at its peak and where it comes from.
Crump believes, “if the world were fair, we’d
have celebrity farmers.” And maybe celebrity
vendors, too.
Crump explains that adopting the slow
food mindset doesn’t have to be expensive.
“Start with basic but local seasonal produce
and perhaps a cheaper cut of meat from
a good butcher, and you’re better off than
you would have been with something more
convenient but less nutritious.” Or less
flavourful. Superior taste is, for many,
the slow food philosophy’s most alluring enticement.
Tempting photos by Edward Pond
showcase the recipes, fields, and farmers that make up this cutting-edge ethical movement. You’ll want to run to a
farm just as much as you want to race
to the kitchen. Some of the recipes look
extensive on first glance but are actually
just exceptionally detailed, sure to deliver succulent results every time, while
still being suitable to experimentation.
Crump’s pairing suggestions make it
easy to put together a menu worthy of a
chef and provide a springboard to make
your own flavourful combinations.
The essays are just as inspiring and detailed as the recipes. The seasons are placed
in context by what is happening on the farm,
linking our joy of food to the place where
it comes from, and in context to what is
achievable at home. Winter is the perfect
time to plan an herb garden, even if only
pots or sunny windowsills are available for
now. Discussions about modern methods
of food production are difficult ones, but
Crump handles them with honesty and integrity. Earth to Table is a complete journey
through all aspects of food culture.
More than a just cookbook, this is a transformation of mindset that culminates with
luscious, healthy recipes on the table.
JENNIFER GAGEL can be found cooking in anyone’s
kitchen who will let her. She can be reached via jennagagel@gmail.com.
The following recipes are courtesy of Jeff Crump, from
Earth to Table, Random House, .
Braised Short Ribs
Chefs love working with gnarly cuts of meat. They
often make the most flavorful, succulent dishes,
perfect for a cool evening.
6 beef short ribs (about 7 lbs or 3–3.5 Kg)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup (125 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups (500 mL) chopped onions (½-inch chunks)
1 cup (250 mL) chopped carrots (½-inch chunks)
1 cup (250 mL) chopped celery (½-inch chunks)
3 cloves garlic
2 dried bay leaves
2½ (625 mL) cups local hearty red wine
1½ cups (375 mL) port
2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic vinegar
6 cups (1.5 L) beef stock
Citrus Gremolata (recipe below)
Fresh bay leaves, for garnish
1 Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 3 tbsp (40 mL) of the oil
over medium-high heat until smoking. Add short
ribs, in batches, and cook, turning occasionally,
until a deep, rich golden brown on all sides, about
15 minutes per batch, adding more oil between
batches as needed. Using tongs, transfer ribs to
a large Dutch oven as completed; set aside. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
2 Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining
oil, onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaves to
the skillet. Sauté until vegetables begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add to the Dutch oven.
3 Add wine, port and vinegar to the skillet, stirring
to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the
pan. Bring to a boil and cook, until reduced by
half, about 10 minutes. Add to the Dutch oven.
4 Add stock to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
Pour over short ribs. (The stock should just cover
the ribs; if it doesn’t, add more stock until the
ribs are covered.) Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5 Bake until meat is very tender and yields easily when
pierced with a knife, about 2 hours. Using tongs,
transfer ribs to a serving platter and keep warm.
6 Strain liquid from Dutch oven into a saucepan.
Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by three
quarters, about 25 minutes. Season to taste with
salt and pepper. Pour over ribs and garnish with
Citrus Gremolata and fresh bay leaves.
CITRUS GREMOLATA
3 tbsp (40 mL) minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian)
parsley
1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated lemon or orange zest
1 medium clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a bowl, combine parsley, lemon zest and garlic.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Make ahead:
Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.)
Seasons Greetings
Stay Connected to the Farm!
Certified Organic Chicken
Pastured Beef
Fresh Brown Eggs
42828 Shorlea Line, St. Thomas
519-631-0279
mcsmith@amtelecom.net
www.mcsmithsorganicfarm.com
phone to order and arrange pick up
48
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issue no. 20
Roasted Fingerling
Potato Salad with Watercress
and Horseradish Dressing
Horseradish and potatoes have a real love for one
another; try some horseradish on french fries.
2 lbs (1 Kg) fingerling potatoes, peeled
3 tbsp (40 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp (40 mL) dry white wine
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
2 bunches watercress (about 10 oz / 250-300 g),
trimmed
DRESSING
¼ cup (50 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (50 mL) sour cream
2 tbsp (25 mL) red wine vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) freshly grated horse-radish root
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). In a medium bowl,
toss potatoes, oil, wine, thyme and salt. Spread out
in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until
very tender, about 40 minutes.
2 Prepare the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sour cream, vinegar and horseradish.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Make ahead:
Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.)
3 Add warm potatoes to dressing and toss to coat.
Divide among 4 plates and top each with a handful
of watercress.
www.eatdrink.ca 49
Bread and Butter Pudding
Serves 6
I serve this pudding as the dessert for our Sunday
suppers all winter long. I bake it in a cast-iron frying pan and serve it steaming. The aroma of the
sizzling maple syrup wafts through the whole restaurant. It may be a simple dish, but this is a dessert
that really turns guests’ heads.
¼ cup (50 mL) dried currants
¼ cup (50 mL) dried cherries
16 cups (4 L) cubed day-old bread (preferably
real-butter croissants or brioche)
6 eggs
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
3 cups (750 mL) whipping cream (35%) cream
1 tsp (5 mL) ground nutmeg
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
¼ cup (50 mL) chopped pecans, toasted
¼ cup (50 mL) maple syrup
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place currants and
cherries in a bowl and cover with hot water. Set
aside for between 10 minutes and an hour.
2 Place bread cubes in a shallow 16-cup baking dish
and set aside.
3 In a bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Stir in
cream, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice,
orange zest and orange juice.
4 Drain dried fruit and sprinkle evenly over bread
cubes, along with pecans. Pour in egg mixture,
making sure bread is completely saturated. Cover
with foil.
5 Place baking dish in a large roasting pan, place in
oven and pour enough hot water to come halfway
up sides of dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil
and bake until golden and puffed, about 15 minutes. Pour maple syrup over top. Let stand for at
least 20 minutes before serving.
Jeff Crump is offering a
cooking demonstration at
the London Wine & Food
Show, January 15 at 5pm,
and will be autographing
copies of Earth to Table at
the eatdrink booth.
50
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issue no. 20
COOKBOOKS
A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen
Seasonal Recipes and Memorable Meals
L
ucy Waverman is an extremely
busy woman. She writes weekly for
The Globe and Mail, has written
nine cookbooks, is the editor of the
LCBO’s Food & Drink magazine, appears
regularly on radio and television, reviews
restaurants and she even twitters. As well,
she entertains often and holds family festivities dear. How does she do it?
“I invite you to stay in my kitchen through
an entire year, as I prepare feasts and simple
meals to entertain friends and celebrate
family occasions,” writes Waverman in her
latest book, A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes and Memorable Meals (Random House Canada, October 2009, $35).
Lucy seizes opportunities as they arise.
Whether it’s tree-ripened plums from an
orchard just outside the city as summer
closes or Seville oranges from Spain in January, she takes advantage of everything when
it is at its peak. “Besides,” she says, “superb
fresh ingredients require less cooking.”
Zucchini Carpaccio is a testament to this.
It is uncooked, incredibly simple to prepare,
and the quality ingredients meld perfectly.
It’s the best way to eat this summer squash
at its freshest and most abundant.
She’s also practical, changing direction
with the rhythm of the year as it passes.
October is the perfect opportunity for an
adult Hallowe’en party, as Lucy responds to
a growing trend in theme parties. December
contains the holiday treats and menus you’d
expect along with a welcome Harried Shopper
menu to provide some relief during the most
hectic season of the year. Then in January and
February her meals take a leaner turn in anticipation of extra holiday pounds that may have
resulted from some of those holiday treats she
tempted us with the season before.
This book showcases Lucy’s extensive
and in-depth knowledge throughout. For
example, she notes “Shellfish are at their peak
in September when the water temperatures
begin to cool, triggering changes in their food
sources and
creating the
characteristic
sweetness that
turns people
into shellfish
lovers.” She’s passionate about
sustainability and encourages preservation of
Canada’s excellent shellfish supply by pointing us to the Seafood Selector available at
www.edf.org/seafood.
Every recipe turns out, regardless of skill
level and without many complications.
The scallops may not come out exquisitely
browned to perfection like hers (it seems
a combination of bravery and heat is the
trick), but tips like her admonishment to
cook them only “until just opaque in centre”
made sure they turned out sweet and succulent, especially when set off with a light
glaze of the citrus and tarragon sauce.
In addition to timely menus and food
ideas, Lucy’s book provides wine tips. Her
husband, Bruce, “loves wine and has made
it his avocation. For all our meals we discuss
what we will drink.… Friends have sought
his advice for years.” His wine suggestions
add an extra dimension to the menus.
They both glory in Canada’s culinary contributions. While Bruce is extolling the virtues
of Pinot Gris from British Colombia, or the
local late autumn Rieslings of Ontario, Lucy is
remarking on the growing number of Canadian artisanal cheeses or the heirloom Brandywine tomatoes growing in organic farms.
So maybe her book won’t divulge all the
secrets to managing a schedule as intense as
hers, but it does show how to flow with the
seasons and enjoy fully what’s right in front
of you. If you were to limit yourself to only
one cookbook this year, this one would still
have you running the gastronomic gamut.
JENNIFER GAGEL can be found cooking in the
kitchen of anyone who will let her. She can be reached
via jennagagel@gmail.com.
Cover image credit: Rob Fiocca
Review by Jennifer Gagel
www.eatdrink.ca 51
Serve this with steamed rice.
3 tbsp (40 mL) vegetable oil
2 cups (500 mL) chopped onions
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped garlic
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped gingerroot
1 tbsp (15 mL) Thai red curry paste
1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk
2 cups (500 mL) chopped canned tomatoes
½ cup (125 mL) water
2 tbsp (25 mL) lime juice
½ tsp (2 mL) granulated sugar
1½ lb (750 g) skinless, boneless chicken
thighs, halved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1⁄3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh coriander
Photo courtesy of Cottage Life Magazine. Photographer: Jim Norton; Food
Stylist: Ruth Gangbar; Prop Stylist: Laura Branson Recipe courtesy of Lucy
Waverman, from A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen, Random House Canada, 2009.
Thai Chicken and Tomato Stew
This recipe is “a great favourite” of
Lucy Waverman, and her personal
recommendation for eatdrink readers.
1 Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium
heat. Add onions and sauté for 10 minutes,
or until onions are golden. Stir in garlic,
ginger and curry paste, season with salt and
cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. If spices stick,
reduce heat and add oil if necessary.
2 Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes, water, lime juice
and sugar, scraping up any bits from the bottom
of the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and
simmer for 10 minutes.
3 Season chicken with salt and pepper. Stir
chicken into tomato mixture and cook, covered,
over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or
until chicken is just cooked through. Stir in coriander just before serving. Serves 4
If you prefer to use boneless chicken breasts instead
of thighs, cut them into chunks, season and sear for 1
minute per side before adding to the sauce. Simmer
the breasts in the sauce for 4 minutes, or until just
cooked through.
Editor’s note: many thanks to Dominique Fox, of Books for
Cooks in Covent Garden Market. Dominique came through for
us when our review copy went astray.
52
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issue no. 20
BOOKS
Watching What We Eat
The Evolution of Television Cooking Shows
By Darin Cook
W
atching celebrity chefs on the
Food Network can be as addictive as eating your favourite
meal. Television has brought
the entertainment value of food from visceral to visual, even though it’s paradoxical
that an entire network serves up mouthwatering dishes that viewers will never eat.
Although it may be a tease, Kathleen Collins tells us in her book Watching What We
Eat (Continuum Books, 2009) that “people
love to watch cooking, but it does not mean
they love to cook or that they even do it at
all.” Collins takes us on a tour of how cooking shows have become top-notch entertainment, even though they started out as
instructional programs for housewives,
and she reveals how
a combination of
compelling chefs and
scrumptious food presentation keeps us tuning in day after day.
Preceding any cooking on television, radio shows in the 1920s introduced the idea
of sharing recipes. Betty Crocker (not a real
person, just the voice of an actress) offered
kitchen tips and dictated recipes over the
airwaves. This idea was expanded upon with
educational cooking shows on television.
Everyone these days knows of Bobby Flay
and Rachael Ray, but this book takes us back
to 1946 when James Beard became the first
professional chef to gain visual exposure on
a television show called I Love to Eat. Dione
issue no. 20
Lucas, a Cordon Bleu trained chef, also began airing cooking shows in 1947 with a formality that was respectable and informative,
but not so entertaining.
Cooking shows in the 1950s gained
momentum with more candid and lighthearted shows to succeed as a viable source
of entertainment. Chef Milani was
one of the first, in 1949, with the chef
joined by his whole family on the set
as they joked around amid the on-air
food preparation. Then, in 1962, came
Julia Child with The French Chef, shifting focus so that “much of the food
prepared on the show was not for
the homemaker but for people interested
in what chefs do in restaurants.” Graham
Kerr became The Galloping Gourmet in the
1970s, spreading the gospel of cooking to an
even wider audience than Julia Child, making recipes more accessible to the common
cook, rather than the trained professional;
although, like Jeff Smith as The Frugal Gourmet in the 1980s, Kerr was criticized for not
being a true chef. Collins writes, “There is
an expectation, perhaps, that if someone
is teaching us to cook, they ought to be a
www.eatdrink.ca 53
master. Obviously, however, it has little
bearing, if any, on the success or popularity
of a cooking show.” By the end of the 1980s,
cooking shows transformed food into a
spectator sport and turned people into foodies. Wolfgang Puck popularized designer
pizzas. Emeril Lagasse started turning it up a
notch. Chefs with star quality were
sought after and continue to make
the Food Network as entertaining as
it is today.
Watching What We Eat not only
gives us a laundry list of celebrity
chefs, but also an in-depth look at
television’s influence on culture and
family life. A good portion of Food Network
viewers may only watch to see culinary
geniuses with razzle-dazzle knife skills, but
television has changed our view of food, not
only entertaining us but also offering education along the way with practical kitchen
techniques, nutritional information, and
try-at-home recipes.
DARIN COOK keeps himself well read and well fed by
visiting the bookstores and restaurants of London.
54 www.eatdrink.ca
WINE
Eat Drink Wine Chocolate
A match made in heaven
By Rick VanSickle
Konzelmann Estate Winery, Niagara-On-the-Lake
W
ine and chocolate: they are
two of life’s greatest pleasures,
bringing joy to our everyday
lives. But the two of them
together? Now that would be heavenly,
would it not?
I decided to pair them up with a taste test
at one of Niagara’s finest wineries, Konzelmann Estate. Konzelmann provided the wine
and I brought along a brand of chocolate
called Brix, which is specifically and scientifically designed to match with different wines.
Herbert Konzelmann, a fourth-generation
winemaker and the first in his family to
leave Germany in search of the perfect spot
to plant grapes, founded his
lakeside winery in Niagaraon-the-Lake in 1984. It is one
of the prettiest properties in
Niagara, along the shores of
Lake Ontario, and is a spot
that reminded him of Alsace, France. Not because
of the scenery, but due
to the climate, which is
similar to that of Alsace,
with a wonderful balance
of sun, soil, air flow and
moisture conditions
ideal for the production
of clean, aromatic, delicate and fruity wines.
Konzelmann is up
for the challenge as
we gather in the loft
of his stunning, newly
renovated estate with
gorgeous views overlooking the vineyards
and shimmering Lake
Ontario. He’s like a
kid in a candy shop,
proudly pulling out
bottles of his wine for us to
try and match with the Brix
chocolate samples brought for
the experiment.
Sorting through various
bottles of many of the 49 different wines he crafts, laid out
on a table, Konzelmann starts
pouring glass after glass. We
taste through the wines,
his eyes lighting up when
he hits a winner. “Oooh,
try this. And this,” he repeats, as I try to keep up.
Konzelmann’s tastes are
obviously still married to
German-style rieslings and
Alsatian-style pinot blancs
and gewürztraminers. But
he’s also put together a fine
program of red wines and
sweet icewines.
I’m cutting up pieces of
Brix chocolate (named
after the unit of measurement for the sweetness of
grapes). First, we try the extra dark with the big Konzelmann Winemaster’s Collection Heritage
2007 red blend, which works well, and next
with the Konzelmann Cabernet Sauvignon
Icewine 2007, which is astonishingly good,
matching sweet red berries to bitter bits of
dark chocolate. Next up is the medium-dark
chocolate, which pairs well with Konzelmann
Shiraz Reserve 2007 and the Konzelmann
Winemaster’s Collection Merlot 2006.
The final pairing is with the milk chocolate Brix. Herbert suggests we try it with his
amazing Konzelmann Vidal Icewine 2007,
which hits all the right notes — honey,
peach, apricot — and proves a powerful
matchup of sweet fruit versus creamy chocolate. It is delicious. But more impressive still
is the Winemaster’s Collection Four Generations Pinot Noir 2007. A sensational taste
experience that seamlessly matches with
milk chocolate.
Konzelmann wants to go back and try the
Vidal Icewine with the extra dark chocolate
and decides that this is the best pairing of
all. I can’t stop thinking about that dark,
bold, red-fruit-laden pinot noir with the milk
chocolate. My, oh my, what a treat.
Enjoy!
56 www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
Brix Chocolate
What: Brix Chocolate,
sold in eight-ounce
bricks, meant to be fractured like a hard cheese.
Meaning of Brix comes
from the term that measures the sweetness of
grapes before harvest.
Why: Brix is the first
chocolate brand
specifically designed
to match with wine.
There are three blends
available — milk, dark
and extra dark — that
pair beautifully with
different styles of wine.
Brix is formulated using the finest chocolate from Ghana.
Where to buy: Indigo/
Chapters and many Niagara wineries, including Konzelmann Estate Winery.
Website: www.brixchocolate.com
Cost: About $40 for
three eight-ounce
bricks.
Suggested Wine
Pairings
Milk Chocolate Brix
— Designed for lighter
reds and dessert wines.
Try with Port, icewine,
or pinot noir.
Medium Brix
— Designed for lighter
cabernet sauvignons
and heavier pinot
noirs. Try with zinfandel, syrah, Rhone Valley red blends, merlot
and shiraz.
Dark Brix
— Designed to pair
with big reds such as
cabernet sauvignon,
Bordeaux blends and
syrah. Try with Barolo,
Bordeaux or California
cabernet sauvignon.
Konzelmann
Winery
Konzelmann wines
are well represented at
the LCBO. Here’s one
to try that’s affordable
and delicious:
Konzelmann Pinot
Blanc 2008 ($11) —
What a great wine with
refreshing apple fruit
in an off-dry style. The
sweetness is perfect in
mouth with balancing
acidity and citrus-apple flavours that linger
on the palate.
If you can make it
down to Niagara, here
are a couple of wineryonly bottles that are highly recommended:
Konzelmann Winemaster’s Collection
Gewürztraminer Late
Harvest 2007 ($17)
— If you like Alsatian
gewürztraminer, you
will love this wine, with
notes of rose petals,
grapefruit and subtle
lychee nuts on the
highly perfumed nose.
It’s broad and slightly
oily on the palate with
grapefruit, tropical
fruits and honey on
the palate, all leading to a long finish. As
Konzelmann said during our tasting, “This
wine makes me happy.”
Couldn’t have said it
better myself!
Konzelmann Vidal
Icewine 2007 ($65 for a
half bottle) — The 2006
version of this wine
made it to the Wine
Spectator Top 100 list,
and was the first Canadian wine to appear on
the list. Herbert says
the 2007 is even better.
It hits all the right notes — honey, peach and
apricot, all in perfect balance.
RICK VANSICKLE is an avid wine collector and
freelance wine writer. He writes a weekly column on
Niagara wines in the St. Catharines Standard. He can be
reached at rickwine@hotmail.com. You can also follow
him on Twitter @rickwine.
Tips for Matching Chocolate to Wine
1 Start by tasting the wine, allowing the flavours to fully saturate your mouth. Then try
the chocolate, letting it melt on your tongue.
Sip the wine again and savour the moment;
2 The wine you match should be sweeter than
the chocolate;
3 Chocolate coats the mouth when you eat it
so you’ll need a wine that’s big enough to
cut through the richness;
4 Try for similar flavours in the wine and the
chocolate.
— R.V.
58
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issue no. 20
BEER
The Year of Beer
By The Malt Monk
T
he year-end holiday
season is a great time for
beerophiles to sample
the seasonal winter
offerings of our local craft brewers
and to stock up on seasonal imports
we won’t see any other time of year. 2009
was a year of steady industry growth — of
brand and style expansion — for Ontario’s
craft brewers. Six new microbrewers have
opened, and there have been dozens of new
well-crafted beers made available for retail.
More cafés and restaurants are working craft
beer onto their menus and into their cuisine.
This is encouraging, as it indicates Ontario’s
craft beer culture is becoming more established, maturing in its tastes and expecting
more quality crafted beer. To celebrate the
achievements and milestones of our local
growing craft beer culture, I humbly submit
my nominations for “Year’s Best Awards” in
the local craft beer community.
Best Domestic Import
Dieu du Ciel Péché Mortel (LCBO 125401).
Demand has finally made this Quebec
microbrewed elixir available in Ontario.
One of Canada’s highest rated
beers, Péché Mortel (French
for “Mortal Sin”) is a no-compromise deep dark intense
double stout with rich roastycoffee tones. You’d never
guess the “sin” is its 9.5 abv,
which is totally hidden in
this stout’s exquisitely rich
flavour.
silky-smooth mouth
feel. Rich, intense and
warming, an excellent stout to savour, to
cellar or to light up your
beer cuisine.
Best Euro Import
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
(LCBO 125435). From the oldest working
brewery in the world (where beer has been
brewed since before the Crusades) comes the
original and authentic German wheat ale. This
dark version (“Dunkel”) adds the lush tones of
toasty malt and cocoa to the clove and allspice
notes of the hefeweiss. This is the universal
standard for the style.
Best Locally Brewed Seasonal
Offering
Creemore KellerBier (LCBO 134148). I know
I’ll catch flack from other beer geeks for this
choice, as they no longer consider Creemore
to be a microbrewer. However, I chose it
anyway because this is the first appearance
of this great under-appreciated German style
in this market. I personally prefer unfiltered
lagers, but many casual beer consumers don’t
like a cloudy beer. It took guts for Creemore to
risk marketing commercial quantities of this
style in an untried market but I’m glad they
did. It was deeply flavourful and authentically soft-palated but hoppy, well made from
top-notch imported malts and hops. I was
happily sipping away on this fantastic beer all
summer. I hope they make it again next year.
Best New IPA
Michael Duggan’s Number 9 IPA (Avail-
able at the Cool Beer brewery store or better
Best US MicroBrewed Import Brook- beer bars). Winner of the Ontario Cask IPA
lyn Black Chocolate Stout
(LCBO 95034). Long anticipated, this award-winning
highly rated US craft Stout
is available in this market.
The attributes that set this
stout apart are the intensity of the cocoa/roasty
flavour and the decadent
Challenge, this brew won out over all the best
locally crafted IPAs. Beer geeks will recognise
Michael Duggan as one of the founders of the
Mill Street Brewery and as an accomplished
and well-respected craft brewer. He has
plans for a new brewery opening soon, but
is currently working out of Cool Brewing in
Etobicoke. We can hardly wait for “Duggan’s
Brewery” to open, if this Number 9 ale is any
issue no. 20
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issue no. 20
indication of the offerings. Number 9 is a
copper-orange ale with a meringue-like
head and pungent malt and hop aromas;
bready, doughy, toffee, floral, citrus,
grassy — but the thing that makes it
stand out, and why I chose it as best
IPA, is seldom do you get an ale this
intense with such precise balance.
Best Beer Selection
Chancey Smith’s (130 King Street, London). With a great location right beside
the John Labatt Centre, Mike Smith
has a great little bistro and beer bar
here. Chancey Smith’s has an appealingly relaxed retro ambience, [see the
profile of Chancey’s in this issue], and
is replete with a bar, dining room and
large patio. But the real attraction here
for yours truly is the great beer selection. Besides domestic premium taps,
there is a constantly rotating variety
of local microbeers and exceptional
imports on tap. In the cooler, there
are 100 or more different bottled craft
beers from all over the world, with an emphasis on the classic Belgian styles and soughtafter microbeers.
Milos Kral, Chancey’s manager, talks of
wanting to expand the beer café theme by
getting more of these great beers into the cuisine and expanding the tap handle selection.
I enjoyed a fresh draft of German Oktoberfest
Marzen and the house’s delicious specialty
corned beef dinner the last time I dropped
in. The time before, I had a Trappist dubbel
ale with a slice of Espresso Crème
Brulé. This is the appeal of Chancey’s: a large, constantly rotating
variety of craft beers to pair with a
decently varied menu. This is London’s own beer bistro.
Best Innovative Marketing
Flying Monkeys Brewery
“Hoptical Illusion”(LCBO 132670).
Peter Chiodo over at Barrie’s
Robert Simpson craft brewery has done a
bang-up job in transitioning the brewery into
a more freestyle West Coast type microbrew
market. Redubbed “Flying Monkeys Craft
Brewery,” this portion of the operation will
produce more free-form beers that defy style
restrictions and may appeal to the person who
likes more eclectic West Coast microbrews.
The first offering, “Hoptical Illusion,” is a
great amber-coloured pale ale with some big,
layered malt flavour and bright sassy hop
bite — it defies the two-dimensional pale ale
style so it is trademarked as an “almost pale
ale.” The marketing is an eye-catching
neo-psychedelic theme and graphics.
Certainly a welcome break from the
conventional cautious restrained marketing of the local craft brewing industry.
Although the packaging may lead one to
believe this is some over-the-top beer, it
is actually very flavourful, approachable and great for sessions in front of a
CFL game. A second offering, branded
as “Netherworld India Pale Porter,” is in
the works and will certainly be another
must-try beer for the winter season.
Best Draft Beer Delivery
Systems Innovation
Flying Monkeys “Hopapotamonkey.”
Peter Chiodo is at it again, this time
inventing a canister device that sits
in the tap line between the draft beer
keg and the tap. It’s an in-line infuser
which runs the forced draft beer
[Hoptical Illusion] over a bed of hop cones,
infusing more hop aromatics into the beer
just before it hits the mug. Kudos, Peter!
That’s a first in this market and beer fans
salute you for it. I hope to see one of these in
more bars serving your ales.
Best Cask-Conditioned Beer Variety
The King Edward, Ilderton. Rich, at the King
Eddie pub in Ilderton, continues to run with
the hand-drawn cask-conditioned beer trend
by offering a constantly revolving
array of special one-off cask beers
along with the great cask ales from
Neustadt, Grand River, Fuller’s,
and other local brewers. It takes
passion for real beer to do what
the Eddie does in a market that
is not too familiar with authentic
pub ale or cask-conditioned beer.
Bravo King Eddie, keep the real ale
culture alive.
Best Long-Awaited News
Denison’s Wheat Beer (hefeweiss) in
cans at the LCBO (LCBO #132480). Fans
of this world-class Weissbier have been
begging Michael Hancock, the brewer of
this multiaward-winning German-style
wheat ale, to make it available for home
consumption. Previously it was only available at select beer bars on tap, Denison’s is
now available in 473 mL cans. Many thanks,
Michael! Happy beer geeks can now quaff
a spicy Denison’s at their family room Grey
Cup parties.
Best New Taste
Trafalgar Hop Nouveau 2009, wet hop harvest ale. (LCBO 157784 – 650 mL bottle). A hat
tip to Mike Arnold at Trafalgar Ales for taking the leap and producing a real “wet hop”
harvest ale, a first in this market. A small explanation: “wet hop” ales are ales made with
freshly harvested (not dried or pelletized)
green hop cones. Harvest ale is made once
a year at hop harvest time with green whole
cone hops usually picked the day the ale is
brewed. The idea is to create a super-fresh
beer where all the hop flavours are bright
and vibrant before natural oxidation removes
much of this in a dried hop.
Wet hop ales have been enjoying phenomenal popularity, and the best ones are naturally from brewers in the large hop-growing
regions of the Pacific Northwest. Our local
market has not had a wet hop harvest beer
because our hop industry was destroyed by
a blight in the 40s and is just starting to make
a resurgence — driven by local craft brewing
demand. Supplies are limited. So my respect
goes out to Trafalgar for making this wet
hop ale the right way: sourcing locally grown
hops, getting them harvested and into the
beer the same day, then getting the finished
beer to market fast enough to ensure this ale
is as fresh as possible.
The effort was definitely worth it. I rate this
the best beer ever from this brewer. If you
were thinking this is some over-the-top microbrewed hop bomb like the West Coast wet
hop ales, think again. Trafalgar Hop Nouveau
is an unfiltered pleasant pale ale. Aroma has
bright notes of succulent fruits and citrus peel
over caramel-cereal undertones with a faint
earthiness. You taste fresh gristed pale malts
meeting fresh hop cone aromatics, like exotic
fruit with a light grapefruit rind bite, over
dulcet biscuit dough... quenching, demure
character…wet, bright citrus-resinous finish.
Very fresh tasting, approachable and thirst
slaking. Perhaps next year other local brewers
may follow Trafalgar’s lead and make a wet
hop harvest ale, but it will still be Trafalgar
that broke trail on this popular new style.
THE MALT MONK is the alter ego of D.R. Hammond,
a passionate supporter of craft beer culture.
www.eatdrink.ca 61
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issue no. 20
THE LIGHTER SIDE
A Cook’s Life: Part IV
Nobody Knows the Troubles I’ve Seen
By David Chapman
T
he word restaurant comes from the
French verb restaurer — to restore. A
place to go and be restored, not only
with food and maybe wine, but also
with friendship, goodwill and good times.
Why then did the two sides of “the troubles”*
in Ireland target so many pubs, restaurants
and hotels? Without getting too deeply into
the philosophic reasons why anyone would
want to bomb another human
being, the answer, to a large part,
was the sectarian nature of Northern Ireland.
Many of the buildings
bombed were neighbourhood
places patronized by one particular religion or group. The
toll was devastating, not only
in the bombing itself, but on
the whole psyche of the population. Some of the worst attacks were
on McGurk’s Bar in 1971 (15 people killed, 17
injured), the Mulberry Bush Pub in 1974 (21
people killed, 182 injured) and the La Mon
Hotel in 1978 (12 people burned to death,
30 injured, by an incendiary device). Still,
throughout all this destruction, life went on.
The indestructible Irish spirit (and some
40-proof spirit) was not broken.
In 1969, I started work at Dunadry Inn in
Temple Patrick. It was an old mill owned
by an eccentric man called Paddy Falloon,
and was not only beautiful to behold but
set the standard for food. It was also staffed
with a lot of good-looking debutantes from
England. There were staff quarters near the
hotel, as it was quite remote, and I “heard”
there were many staff parties.
At the time, I had a motorbike and would
travel home each night after work. One late
night, the roads were quiet and I was going
at a fair speed. Suddenly, someone shone a
flashlight at me. It was one of the frequent
army checkpoints, which would appear at
random. With visions of being shot for failing to stop, I braked hard and come to a stop
just in time. It is unnerving to be questioned
with a rifle pointed at you — especially when
that person is younger than you are.
This was all part and parcel of life during
the troubles. Every place of business
usually had a security person at the door to
check purses and pat you down. When
people complain about security at
airports since 9/11, I think back to
how everyone in Ireland had to go
through worse just to get a pint
of milk.
On the lighter side, the
Dunadry chef was English
and the manager was German. Perhaps they didn’t
know the Second World War
was over, because they hated
each other. Getting into the kitchen during service was difficult, as a table was put
across the entrance to hold extra plates. Yet
each night, the manager would squeeze
through this gap to speak to the chef.
When Chef was in a foul mood one night
(it happens), he decided to take it out on
the manager. He spread a thin layer of butter along the edge of the table. When the
manager squeezed through, he got a nice
stripe of butter on the back of his suit. No
one said a word, but he never squeezed
through again.
* A long period of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, referred
to as “the Troubles,” began in the 1960s and formally ended with the
Belfast Agreement in 1998.
DAVID CHAPMAN has been a creative and respected
fixture in the London restaurant scene for over 20 years. He is
the proprietor of David’s Bistro and manages The Katana Kafe.
www.eatdrink.ca 63
issue no. 20
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Online
Bonus
Recipes

WEB2 www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
ONLINE BONUS
Winter Recipe
A Stratford Chefs School Favourite
Purée Palestine
(Jerusalem Artichoke Soup)
Makes about 6 servings
PURÉE
½ cup (125 mL) butter
½ cup (125 mL) onion, sliced
½ cup (125 mL) celery root, cut into ½-inch dice
2 lbs (1 Kg) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled & sliced
About 6 cups (1.5 L) light chicken stock
Salt
GARNISH
Parsnip chips
Chive
1 Preparing the Purée:
In a large saucepan, melt ¼ cup (50 mL) of butter
over medium-low heat; add onion and celery
root; cook until softened but not coloured. Add
Jerusalem artichokes, about half the stock, season; bring to a simmer, and cook until Jerusalem
artichokes are tender.
2 Pour soup into blender, blend until smooth; pass
through fine sieve into clean saucepan. If necessary, adjust consistency with remaining stock.
3 Serving the Purée:
Gently heat soup, check seasoning. Add remaining butter, bit by bit, to glaze and enrich soup.
Ladle into shallow warm soup bowls. Serve
immediately, garnished with parsnip chips and
chives.
Recipe courtesy of:
Auguste Escoffier, The Escoffier Cookbook: A Guide to
The Fine Art of French Cookery, (1975), Crown.
issue no. 20
www.eatdrink.ca WEB3
ONLINE BONUS
Charleston Cooks!
Corn Fritters
with Tomato Relish
Serves 6-8
CORN FRITTERS
3 ears of corn, shucked
1 egg
½ cup milk
1⁄3 cup stone ground grits
2 tablespoons baking powder
2-3 tablespoons flour
2-3 green onions, sliced
2-3 dashes hot sauce
Canola oil
TOMATO RELISH
½ cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, grated
½ cup sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
1 Cut corn kernels off the cob, and scrape the cob
to extract the corn milk.
Tips:
The batter will be thin and runny at first, but will
firm up as soon as you drop it into the hot skillet.
2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and
milk until combined.
1 Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Cook
over low heat until reduced and syrupy. Season
with salt and pepper. Let cool.
3 Add the grits, baking powder and flour.
4 Add the corn, corn milk, green onions, and a few
dashes of Tabasco.
5 Pour canola oil into a nonstick skillet just to
cover bottom of pan, and heat over medium
heat until hot. Drop batter into hot skillet by
the tablespoon. Fry on both sides until golden
brown. Remove from pan, and pat off excess oil
on paper towels. Lightly sprinkle salt over fritters, and serve with tomato relish.
Recipe courtesy of:
Danielle Wecksler, Charleston Cooks! General
Manager/Culinary Director
Maverick Southern Kitchens
(843) 722-1212
www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com
WEB4 www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 20
ONLINE BONUS
Charleston Cooks!
Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
with Bourbon Sauce
7-8 slices bacon
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
Stone Ground Mustard, about 1 cup
Olive oil
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2 Place the bacon in a cold sauté pan and cook on
medium heat until the bottom is dark brown.
Remove from the pan.
3 Rub the pork tenderloin with enough mustard
to lightly coat the entire tenderloin. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper to taste. Note: Be more
generous with the pepper than salt. The bacon
contains the majority of the salt needed to season the pork.
4 Lay the bacon slices on a cutting board cooked
side up. Place the pork tenderloin at the end of
the slices perpendicularly to the way the strips
are laying.
BOURBON SAUCE
Olive oil, about 1/8 cup
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced
1 small apple, such as granny smith, peeled,
cored, and julienned
1 cup bourbon
1 cup strong beef or chicken stock
2 teaspoons honey
1 Heat a pan over medium heat. When the pan is
hot, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the
pan. When the oil is hot, add the onion to the
pan and cook onion until it is translucent.
2 Remove the pan from the heat; add the apples
and the bourbon. Scrape up any brown bits
from the bottom of the pan, and return the pan
to the heat. Cook sauce until it is thickened and
syrupy.
3 Stir in the brown stock and honey. Season to
taste with salt and pepper.
5 Roll the tenderloin in the bacon strips.
6 Lay the wrapped tenderloin on a baking sheet
bacon ends down.
7 Roast until desired internal temperature is
reached.
8 Remove from oven and allow the meat to rest
5-7 minutes before slicing.
TIPS
Pork: Medium Rare: 145-150°F
Medium: 150-155°F
Medium Well: 160- 165°F
Well Done: 170°F and above
Recipe courtesy of:
Danielle Wecksler, Charleston Cooks! General
Manager/Culinary Director
Maverick Southern Kitchens
(843) 722-1212
www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com

December 2009 - eatdrink Magazine

Transcription

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