Idlewyld - eatdrink Magazine

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der!
Remin
Valentine’s Day
MONDAY
February 
Idlewyld
Inn and the Passion
of Chef Tim D’Souza
FEATURING
A
ATURING
Stratford’s
Women in Food
Dragonfly Bistro
in London
Foodies
in Grand Bend
Issue 27 • January/February 2011
ALSO
Restaurant Equipment
& Supply Co. in London
Stratford
Stratford Unplugged
Unplugged
Unwind in Stratford, the place to escape and unplug for
Unwind in Stratford, the place to escape and unplug for
an intimate few days. Cuddle by the fire with your special
an intimate few days. Cuddle by the fire with your special
someone in romantic inns, hotels or B&Bs. Enjoy innovative
someone in romantic inns, hotels or B&Bs. Enjoy innovative
and imaginative cuisine – taste and critique the menus
and imaginative cuisine – taste and critique the menus
created by celebrity chefs at the Stratford Chefs School.
created by celebrity chefs at the Stratford Chefs School.
Share in the fun of Savour Stratford Tastings: Winter Cocktails,
Share in the fun of Savour Stratford Tastings: Winter Cocktails,
Beer and Cheese, Comfort Food and Wine Pairing and
Beer and Cheese, Comfort Food and Wine Pairing and
More with Maple. Heat things up and add music to your menu
More with Maple. Heat things up and add music to your menu
as Stratford’s heritage downtown hosts The Bebop Cowboys,
as Stratford’s heritage downtown hosts The Bebop Cowboys,
Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick, and Lunch at Allen’s. Or if
Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick, and Lunch at Allen’s. Or if
classical music is more to your taste, the INNER Chamber,
classical music is more to your taste, the INNER Chamber,
a new chamber music series at Factory 163 is just for you.
a new chamber music series at Factory 163 is just for you.
Stratford offers sweet indulgences for heart, soul and palate
Stratford offers sweet indulgences for heart, soul and palate
throughout the winter.
throughout the winter.
To unplug all our winter events visit
To unplug all our winter events visit
www.welcometostratford.com
www.welcometostratford.com
CONTENTS
THE HOLIDAY ISSUE 2010
6
11
15
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
London’s Culinary Roundup for 2011
By BRYAN LAVERY
RESTAURANTS
11
Take a Walk on the ’Wyld Side: Idlewyld Inn
15
Simple, Stylish & Sophisticated: Dragonfly Bistro
By CECILIA BUY
By BRYAN LAVERY
18
18
ISSUE 26
SPOTLIGHTS
A Grand Ambition for Grand Bend: Foodies
By JANE ANTONIAK
20 Fun, Food & Female: Stratford’s Women in Food
By JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON
24 Old-Style Service at Restaurant Equipment & Supply
By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD
30
BOOKS
30 An Edible History of Humanity
Review by DARIN COOK
COOKBOOKS
32 Using Fresh Produce Year Round: Winter Harvest
32
Review and Recipe Selections by JENNIFER GAGEL
TRAVEL
36 In Pursuit of Chocolate: Tramping in Panama
By DAVID COOK
NEW & NOTABLE
48
40 The BUZZ
BUZZ
BEER MATTERS
48 The Year in Beer: 2nd Annual Malt Monk Awards
By THE MALK MONK
51
WINE
An International Favourite: Icewine is Local!
By RICK VanSICKLE
51
THE LIGHTER SIDE
54 A Love Letter to Campus Hi-Fi
By MEG PIRIE
eatdrink
™
inc
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
Jim Sisco
Advertising Sales
Chris McDonell — chris@eatdrink.ca
Jane Antoniak — jantoniak@eatdrink.ca
Contributors
Bryan Lavery
Jane Antoniak
Darin Cook
D.R. Hammond
Meg Pirie
Cecilia Buy
Jennifer Gagel
Rick VanSickle
Sue Sutherland Wood
Jill Ellis-Worthington
Editorial Advisory Board
Bryan Lavery
Cecilia Buy
Cathy Rehberg
Copy Editor
Jodie Renner — www.JodieRennerEditing.com
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A love affair with food and song
“The most romantic
restaurant in London”
Il Tenore
196 Dundas St.
Featuring Chef Dani Gruden
and Tenor Ricardo Lopez
Caterers r Event Planners r Banquet Facilities
Parking off Queen St.
519-438-2416
reservations
Now takinngtine’s Day
for Vale
january/february 2011
www.eatdrink.ca 5
issue no. 27
NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Share Your Good News!
By Chris McDonell
I
really enjoyed Bryan Lavery’s survey of
the London culinary scene in this issue.
I found it very uplifting to get a sense of
all the wonderfully creative energy that
is manifesting itself into great ideas and fabulous food. Certainly, it’s not all good news,
but there is so much that IS good throughout
Southwestern Ontario ... If YOUR good news
is not in this issue, can you help us to change
that? Our writers always have their ear to the
ground, but that doesn’t mean that we hear
everything. If you’re a restaurateur or chef, let
us know what you’re planning so that we can
share this with our readers (aka your customers). We’re in the process of making it easier
to share that news, but get into the habit
of communicating with us more regularly.
Enquiring minds want to know!
The Malt Monk has found plenty to celebrate, and his 2nd Annual eatdrink awards
for craft beer were so abundant and worthy
that we’ve added extra pages to cover them
in our digital (online) edition of eatdrink.
Go to our website at eatdrink.ca, click on the
magazine cover, and you’ll find the bonus
beer coverage at the end of the magazine.
The digital issue is easy to navigate through,
and if you’ve missed an issue or two, you’ll
find every magazine fully archived in our
“Magazine” section.
All the best in 2011!
ry
Deliveailable!
v
Now A
Book your romantic
Valentine’s Day Dinner
with us!
Special Valentine’s Menu
on February 14th
Book your Meeting
at our
Semi-Private
Dining Room
TRY OUR
ER MENU
T
SPECIAL WIN
and have an
Exceptional Dinner!
?
6
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
january/February 2011
FOOD WRITER AT LARGE
London’s Culinary Roundup for 
By Bryan Lavery
S
ome of the many pleasures of travel
include exploring new restaurants,
perusing culinary shops, and sampling new types of cuisine along the
way. Hospitality and the culinary arts have
always been an important and integral part
of London’s tourist industry. Here in London, we can be proud of our exceptional
restaurants, talented homegrown chefs, and
excellent gourmet retailers. Today’s local
culinary culture has developed, over the
years, from a handful of serious culinarians to a vital culinary destination, whose
restaurateurs, chefs, farmers and retailers
are getting national accolades and attention. Last year, London became an officially
sanctioned culinary tourism destination
and a member of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance. Our culinary community has
never been so vibrant and dynamic. In this
column, you’ll find a culinary roundup of
some of the best restaurants of the past year
and a few tips on what is up and coming in
London’s culinary community.
A past recipient of the prestigious CGTA
Retailer of the Year award, Jill’s Table continues to be a destination for culinary enthusiasts and foodies, who have been checking out its specialty ingredients, gourmet
products, kitchenwares, tablewares, cooking
classes, and gift baskets for over ten years.
Jill Wilcox, proprietor of Jill’s Table, was
recently presented with the Unsung Hero
award at the Downtown London annual
meeting. Wilcox, like her predecessor, Ann
McColl Lindsay, is an exceptional local
resource — supportive and knowledgeable, they are both dynamic proponents for
advancing, educating, and promoting the
local culinary culture. These extraordinary
women (as well as Hilary Alderson, the
owner of the former downtown culinary
landmark, Say Cheese) are among the local
unsung culinary heroes who quietly educate new generations of cooks and cooking
enthusiasts about what hospitality, professionalism, and the culinary arts truly mean.
Although we lost some good restaurants
and culinary retailers, (such as On the Fork,
Si Senor, and Angelo’s), 2010 was an exciting time to dine out. The former Ciao restaurant at 135 Wortley Road, owned by Kendra
and Adam Green (owners of Red Roaster
Coffee), reopened as Relish Gourmet Burgers. Casa Cubana is also expected to move
out of its current premises in Wortley Village
in March.
New to the Downtown but not entirely
new to London, Tamarine by Quynh Nhi
is the sibling restaurant to the venerated
Quynh Nhi on Wharncliffe Road. It’s a bit
more sophisticated and pushes culinary
boundaries without breaking the tenets
of traditional South Vietnamese cuisine.
Expect the same attentive and friendly family-run business in a more glamorous setting.
The cuisine, which is delicate and refined,
combines the techniques of Chinese cooking with indigenous ingredients, the light
accents of French gentility, and flavours and
aromas reminiscent of India.
With Eddy and Alex Phimphrachanh’s
stylish Thaifoon next door to Tamarine
and Rob Taylor’s Braise Food and Wine
and Kevin and Denise Greaves’ Jambalaya
across the street, the west end of Dundas is
fast becoming the other downtown dining
destination. Marvin Rivas’ Che Restaurant
on Dundas Street, close to the London Public Library, has almost completed a very stylish renovation. Rivas tells us that he will be
serving Latin American/Spanish tapas in his
new 60-seat restaurant, which he expects to
open in late January.
Other new ventures downtown include
Chef Brian Magee and Nieche Konidas’s
Autumn Bistro, slated to open at the corner
of Clarence and Dundas Streets in the spring
of 2011. Another new project is the Villa
Resto Lounge, which will be opening soon
in the premises formerly occupied by Black
Fly Beverage Company at the corner of Talbot and Dundas Streets.
Ricardo Lopez’s Il Tenore is back on
track with Chef Dani Gruden, who has
revamped the menu while updating many
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issue no. 27
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8
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
of the pan Latin signature dishes that have
made the restaurant a downtown dining
favourite. A Stratford chef school alumni,
Gruden’s culinary oeuvre has included the
former Murano, Braywick Bistro, Cello and
99 King Street. Patrons who enjoy opera
are flocking to Il Tenore to hear Lopes sing
tableside. Like Il Tenore, the very popular
Tasting Room on Richmond Row has made
a huge comeback after being closed by a
flood earlier last year.
Other favourites include Pete and Vanessa Willis’s The Church Key, which is still
serving ruinously delicious and comforting
pub fare to legions of regulars. T.G’s Addis
Ababa Restaurant offers an authentic
cooks’ tour of Ethiopia with warm hospitable service. Spring Restaurant, in the premises occupied by the former Rickshaw, may
look like someone’s rec room gone awry,
but it serves perhaps the most authentic and
well-executed Chinese cuisine in the city.
They also deliver.
Garlic’s menu exemplifies a culinary philosophy that promotes the economic, environmental, and social benefits of our local food
community. Their signature progressive Canadian cuisine is some of the most superb in the
city. The cooking has a contemporary edge,
made from scratch, with inspiration from local
and signature ingredients and seasonal products. And Chef Wade Fitzgerald’s cooking repertoire just keeps getting better. Garlic’s commitment to supporting local and sustainable
food and agriculture has been instrumental in
helping to raise the bar for restaurants that are
connected to the local environment.
Besides being a great date restaurant,
David’s Bistro, run by Chef David Chapman, offers its patrons consistently first-rate
French Bistro cuisine and wine in an understated yet comfortable atmosphere.
Miljan Karac’s Kantina is the hot new
game in town, a contemporary, upscale Serbian/ Balkan hot spot serving sophisticated,
stellar cuisine. Chef Danijel Markovic is
someone to watch with a repertoire that is
diverse and exciting in its culinary offerings.
The menus are the apotheosis of casual chic.
This new arrival is stylish, streamlined and
urban. Lively, contemporary music plays in
the background.
Discover Downtown London
For more information contact:
phone: 519.663.2002
email: info@downtownlondon.ca
www.downtownlondon.ca
Rob Taylor’s Braise Food and Wine
was recently recommended by enRoute
magazine’s 2010 food issue as a destination to enjoy this year’s hottest food trends.
Braise has a particular glamour with its chic,
ultra-sophisticated decor combined with
deliciously intelligent and artful cuisine.
Executive Chef Kristian Krossen crafts a
seminal, seasonal and from-scratch, farmto-table dining experience that is among the
top tier. The goal of Taylor and Krossen is to
serve a menu of exceptional dishes that pay
respect to the region we live in. Top-notch
wine selection.
The classic, clean and contemporary The
Only on King, with its farm-to-table philosophy and a cooking repertoire of iconic
dishes, continues to evolve while attracting
savvy diners to its intimate 40-seat dining
room. Chef/owners Paul Harding and Jason
Schubert are London’s tongue-in-cheek
“bad-boy chefs,” who are committed to keep
their clients informed, entertained and wellfed. The experience can feel like an interactive one. In fact, The Only on King was voted
number six of “Canada’s Best New Restaurants in 2008” by enRoute magazine.
Abruzzi, London’s gourmet Italian hot
spot serving traditional Italian specialties
with ethical ingredients, changed ownership in the weeks leading up to the holidays. Uber-manager Karen Brown and
Chef Josie Pontarelli will be missed, and I
for one am hoping to see them pop up in a
new location very soon. Robert D’Amico,
formerly of Three Men and a Pizza and
Cafe Antico, has teamed up with Chef
Dave Lamers, formerly of Trü Restaurant.
If the transition menu is indicative of what
is to follow, patrons will continue to line up
at the door. Meanwhile back at Trü, Chef
Daniel Irvine is back behind the stove and
Jeff Terpstra makes sure the restaurant
runs smoothly.
Betty Heydon’s Blackfriars Bistro,
which has a powerful team of talented
women chefs, has recently added newcomer
Michael Moore to its culinary team. Blackfriars which is celebrating its 15th birthday
remains a deliciously artistic bistro and one
of the city’s top caterers with its health-conscious, eclectic and seasonal menus.
Nicole Arroyas’ beautifully styled
Auberge du Petit Prince showcases cuisine
inspired by bistro classics that reflect the
chef’s French training. The High Tea and the
"-8":4B
3-course
prix fixe
menu
option
432 Richmond St.
BU$BSMJOHt-POEPO
FREE PARKING
After 6 pm off Queens Ave
www.davidsbistro.ca
10
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
Croque Monsieur are among many reasons
to visit this London landmark..
The Raja serves upscale Indian cuisine in
sophisticated and elegant surroundings by
a knowledgeable, well-trained staff. The service is white linen, deferential, and friendly.
Chef/owner of Massey’s Fine Indian
Cuisine, Patison Massey and his business
partner and spouse Anisha, seem to be
always on hand while the restaurant is operating. Chef Massey shows his expertise with
the combining and roasting of exotic spices,
London’s Celebration Destination
27
RESERVE
NOW
for
VALENTIN
E’S
DAY!
Lunch Weekdays
Dinner 7 Nights a Week
1 York Street (just West of Ridout)
Continental cuisine ... with a
twist! ... and Tableside
Cooking. From an amazing
Caesar Salad to flaming
519-672-0111
coffees, Michael’s makes
Baby Grand Pianist 6 Nights a Week
your celebration an event.
Plenty of Free Parking
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subtle and complex, bestowing and building
Indian flavours to great effect.
The Idlewyld Inn, nestled in a quiet Old
South neighbourhood in a grand Victorian
Mansion built in 1878, offers gourmet dining
in a secluded courtyard setting. Executive
Chef Tim D’Souza’s passion for food translates into innovative cuisine that showcases
local, seasonal and exceptional ingredients
for Idlewyld’s discerning diners.
In the warm-weather months, a prestige
spot for alfresco dining is the beautifully
appointed and private Indonesian style
garden at the black trumpet restaurant. It
is a secluded oasis, seating 60, and is one
of the city’s best-kept secrets. At lunch, the
cuisine is an amalgam of Asian- and Italianinspired signature dishes, with influences
and ingredients from various Mediterranean
cultures.
In recent times, Felipe Gomes of Aroma
efforts have been focused on his successful
culinary corporate team-building workshops, as well as a variety of on-going charitable initiatives and the raising of Portuguese
cultural awareness.
With a dedicated commitment to our terroir as a manifestation of our local culture
and the recognition of our unique and delicious products, our already vibrant culinary
community has found itself on a renewed
trajectory of local culinary patriotism.
BRYAN LAVERY is a well-known chef, business consultant, food writer and former restaurateur, with many years in
consulting and advisory roles with various companies.
“Protecting
Your Reputation”
519-661-6886
www.sawyerpestmanagement.com
Residential and Commercial Services
issue no. 27
www.eatdrink.ca 11
RESTAURANTS
Take a Walk on the ’Wyld Side
Idlewyld Inn is not just for out-of-towners
By Cecilia Buy
A
dmit it. You’ve thought about it.
You’ve driven by that beautiful
building on Grand Avenue, wondering “What’s it like in there?” So
try it out. There’s nothing stopping you.
Innkeepers the world over battle the
perception that their establishments are
just for out-of-towners. Well, it’s not true.
The Idlewyld Inn does, of course, cater to
overnight guests (and very well, too). But its
doors are also open to local residents. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea. Cooking
classes, wine tastings, jazz nights. And the
spa services and meeting facilities.
There’s a lot going on at the Idlewyld, and
the responsibility for the flawless execution
falls to two extremely capable personalities. Christine Kropp is the indefatigable
innkeeper, and Executive Chef Tim D’Souza
is the magician in the kitchen. Between
them they maintain the Inn’s atmosphere,
traditions and well-earned reputation while
keeping firmly abreast of the times.
One part of this ongoing work involves an
area of the building that is currently being
repurposed to provide more spa-related
services, as well as meeting space. Christine
says that while their clientele expect, and
appreciate, the level of traditional service
they receive here, she wants to broaden the
possibilities of their experience. Come for
your meeting, and then indulge in some of
the spa services, and stay for a meal, perhaps
in one of the private dining rooms.
Christine is very involved in the London
community. There are certainly commercial
advantages to networking and participating
in local tourism and business groups, which
she does, but she truly enjoys the deeper
connections she makes in her associations.
One of her ventures in the community is the
Iron Cupcake Challenge, an engaging event
open to all, where amateur bakers are espeChef Tim D’Souza
12
The courtyard patio at Idlewyld Inn
China Blues, with Greg Couillard.”
cially welcome. Local non-profits share in
Chef doesn’t drop too many names, but
the money raised at the events.
he’s worked in some of the country’s other
Christine’s passion for pastry is infiltratstellar kitchens, as well. Prior to arriving in
ing the kitchen at the Idlewyld. “Chef does
all of our in-house desserts,” she says, “wed- London, he was at The Mill Café in Thornbury, on Georgian Bay. “That for me was
ding cakes and all.” D’Souza interjects:
where it really came together. I met a local
“It’s been very interesting for me because
farmer one day at a farmers’ market and
I’m not a pastry chef. But it’s gotten to the
started talking to him about supplying the
point now where [the kitchen has] a certain
restaurant.” That conversation led to “bushel
comfort level with the desserts that we do
baskets at the back door,” the same type of
…they’re approachable.” Don’t be misled
deliveries that continue today at the Idlewyld.
by that self-deprecation. D’Souza’s desserts
Chef’s busy schedule precludes going
are often from the classic repertoire, but
around the countryside. Instead, much of
made with his signature approach, incorporating the seasonal and local. Sometimes
Continued on page 14
very local: the Apple Walnut Crumble and
Ricotta Cheesecake currently
on the menu uses ricotta which
is made in-house. In season he
offers a traditional Genoise, with
meringue and local strawberries.
Tim D’Souza explains how he
came to really appreciate using
ingredients from close to home.
“I started cooking in 1990. Back
then, as young cooks and passionate, we knew what was going on.
At first you follow every new trend
that comes along, but at a certain
point you mature as a chef, and
you start to find your own character. …I was fortunate to get work
in one of the most cutting-edge
The dining room
restaurants in Toronto at the time,
issue no. 27
www.eatdrink.ca 13
Recipes courtesy Chef Tim D’Sousa of Idlewyld Inn
Dense Dark Chocolate Cakes
12 oz (360 g) semi-sweet chocolate
¾ cup (175 mL) sugar
1½ tsp (7 mL) vanilla
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
¾ cup (175 mL) sugar
5 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
¼ cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
Standard 12-muffin pan
1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Melt chocolate
and butter in double boiler.
2 Separate eggs, placing whites in mixer bowl and
reserving yolks.
3 When chocolate is melted, stir in 6 tbsps (75 mL) of
the sugar and add vanilla, then remove from heat.
4 Whisk egg yolks into chocolate mixture and then
whisk in ¼ cup (50 mL) flour.
5 Beat egg whites in mixer till frothy, then slowly
add remaining sugar and continue beating to a
stiff glossy peak.
6 Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture, onethird at a time.
7 Divide equally in muffin pan and bake for
approximately 13 minutes (a wooden skewer
should come out with only small amounts of
cake on it).
celebrating the
arrival of our 2011
coffee harvest.
Find your local retailer @
www.laschicasdelcafe.com
.laschicasdelcafe
519-652-3642
Bailey’s Ice Cream
2 cups (500 mL) half and half (10%) cream
5 large egg yolks
2⁄3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar
½ vanilla bean or 1½ teaspoons (7 mL) pure
vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 oz (50 mL) Baileys
1 In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat,
bring the cream and the vanilla bean (if using)
to the scalding point (the milk begins to foam
up). Remove from heat, take out the vanilla bean
and scrape the seeds from the bean with the back
of a knife, and mix the seeds back into the cream.
2 In a stainless steel bowl, beat the egg yolks
and sugar until light and fluffy (about two minutes). You can do this with a wire whisk or I like
to use a hand mixer. Gradually pour the scalding
cream into the whipped egg yolk mixture, making sure you keep whisking constantly so the
eggs don’t curdle. If any lumps do form, strain
the mixture first before heating.
3 Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering
water and, stirring constantly with a wooden
spoon, cook until the custard thickens enough
that it coats the back of a spoon (170°F or 77°C). The
term “coat a spoon” is a technique used mainly as
a way to test when an egg-based custard or sauce
is done. A spoon, usually wooden, is placed in the
custard and, when the spoon is raised, the film
of custard on the back of the spoon will stay in
place, even when you draw a line with your finger
through the middle of the custard.
4 Immediately remove the custard from the heat
and continue to stir the custard for a few minutes so it does not overcook. At this point, stir
in the Bailey’s and vanilla extract, if using. Cover
and let cool to room temperature and then
refrigerate the custard until it is completely cold
(several hours, preferably overnight).
5 Transfer the cold custard to the chilled container
of your ice-cream machine and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once
made, transfer the ice cream to a chilled container and store in the freezer. If the ice cream
becomes too hard, place in the refrigerator for
about 30 minutes before serving so it can soften.
Makes about 3 cups.
14
www.eatdrink.ca
Continued from page 12
what comes into the kitchen arrives
through a 100-mile service that delivers locally grown and locally processed
foods. He does offer kudos to the farmers’ market at Western Fair, though,
where he enjoys the atmosphere as well
as the products available. “There’s a real
camaraderie among the people that
work there. It’s a community in the city.”
The winter dinner menu at the Idlewyld offers much traditional comfort
food, with D’Souza’s polished refinements. In the Chicken and Dumplings,
for instance, he presents a roasted
chicken breast, with braised dark meat,
and lifts it still a little higher with shallot jam, and heirloom carrots. The Pot
Roast is really braised short rib, and
comes with caramelized root vegetables
and truffle mustard. Ontario rainbow
trout and house-prepared game are
among the other offerings.
For something a little lighter, try
One of Idlewyld Inn’s well-appointed meeting rooms
afternoon tea at the Inn. It’s a very traditional affair, with scones and Devonshire cream, but the sandwiches also receive culture.” You can stop wondering what’s
behind the doors of that building on Grand
the D’Souza treatment. Watercress? Certainly, but with local goat cheese, and served Avenue. It’s hospitality, at its best.
on toasted and pecan-crusted raisin bread.
Idlewyld Inn
The kitchen brigade enjoys the culinary
36 Grand Avenue, London
events that are held at the Idlewyld. “I love
519-433-2891 or 1-877-435-3466
doing that stuff… a whole evening centred
www.idlewyldinn.com
on the creation of one menu!” It’s a challenge, but a satisfying one, especially for
open daily for breakfast, lunch & dinner
some of the younger staff, and students, who
welcome the opportunity to expand their
CECILIA BUY enjoys broadening her culinary horizons in
experience beyond the workaday routines.
the region. She is eatdrink magazine’s Managing Editor.
Tim D’Souza relates that when growing up, “being hospitable was part of our
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RESTAURANTS
Simple, Stylish and Sophisticated
Dragonfly Bistro is a hidden gem in plain sight
By Bryan Lavery
A
s a restaurant category that harkens back to the late 19th century
in France and the early 20th century in England, “Bistro” is flexible
in its connotations, but always refers to an
establishment where one can have a meal
as well as drinks. True bistros are generally
small, and their menus are characteristically
comprised of straightforward selections,
often rustic in nature
but not pricey. The
Dragonfly Bistro is one
such place.
For me, the name
Dragonfly conjures up images of beauty
and exotica. The adult dragonfly can thrust
itself in six directions: downward, upward,
forward, backward, and side to side, so the
choice of the name Dragonfly for the restaurant intrigued me.
The story of why Dragonfly was chosen
as the restaurant’s name was told to me by
Nora Yuriaan, co-owner and spouse of the
chef. It is a deeply personal story of homage and loss and one that resonated deeply
with me, reminding me
that life can be painful
and tragic, but that the
resilience of the human
spirit can overcome
life’s worst heartbreaks.
Before I interviewed
Donald and Nora Yuriaan for this story, I had
an impromptu and delicious lunch at the restaurant, which rivalled
those offered at some of
the best lunch spots in
the city. Nora and I had
never met, and the service Nora provided was
attentive, personal and
efficient. (Nora works
lunch shifts and spends
the evenings with their three children.)
Even though the restaurant has large and
attractive windows facing the street, in some
respects it remains hidden in plain sight at
the north end of Richmond Row, housed
in the premises once occupied by the Village Café. Seated by the window, I have on
several occasions watched many inquisitive passers-by stop
to peruse the menu
posted in the window
and then resume
walking. I want to
advise them to step
inside to the intimate
24-seat dining room, which is now in its
fourth year of operation.
When you first walk into the restaurant,
you are immediately greeted, your coat is
taken, and you are properly seated. There is
a disposition of giving and taking pride and
pleasure in giving hospitality and providing
warm service.
Smaller restaurants seem to impart an
intimacy, conviviality and hospitality that
can never be duplicated in larger spaces.
Compact premises might
bear more scrutiny, but
the type of familiarity
they afford often breeds
mutual respect and
appreciation for both
the kitchen and patrons.
This has been evident on
the several visits I have
made to the Dragonfly.
There are starched white
linen tablecloths and
napkins here, as well as
impeccably set tables
with quality cutlery and
polished stemware that
add panache to the surroundings.
The kitchen is compact
but ordered. Chef Yuriaan
16
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
produces fresh, healthful and classic dishes
On Monday nights, Chef proffers an everthat can be executed with ease and simplicchanging prix fixe menu that is perfect for
ity. Chef emphasizes that the menus are
anyone looking for a rich and varied range
designed to accomof Indonesian flamodate seasonal
vours. Sour notes
ingredients and
of galingal, lemon
locally procured
grass, tamarind
foods. Despite a
and lime leaves
commitment to
offer more subtlety
sourcing locally,
and range to the
no one is going to
cooking. Not since
lecture you about
Mies Bervoest
the provenance of
stopped serving a
the ingredients on
skilled repertoire
the menu. However,
of Indonesianyou can be well
inspired dishes in
assured that Chef
a rijsttafel at the
respects his craft
former Miestro
and the provenance
restaurant several
The Dragonfly decor is simple and stylish, bright by day
of the products that
years back, have
and cozy at night.
he uses.
we had access to
The culinary
these flavour mixlegacy of West Java,
tures.
in Indonesia, might
Aware of the
seem like an audachallenges of
cious muse for this
spouses working
intimate and stylish
together, Nora
restaurant. Howtold me that she
ever, Chef Yuriaan
and Donald share
is Indonesian by
a mutual respect
birth and was previboth at home
ously employed at
and at work. The
the Grand Hotel
Yuriaans have
Preanger in Bandbeen married for
ung, the capital
fourteen years,
of West Java, after
after meeting in
graduating from Hotel Management. For
Majorca. They now reside in St. Thomas with
several years, Chef Yuriaan was employed
their children, so they both commute to and
by both Holland America and Norwegian
from work daily. The Yuriaans do not open
cruise lines.
on Sundays because this has been sancOn the menu, there is plenty of spice for
tioned as a family day.
those who seek heat. Mere heat, however, is
The Dragonfly Bistro has a commendable
not all that most of Dragonfly Bistro’s clients kitchen, a moderately priced menu, and
desire. We were enthused by the sambalservice that is amiable, professional and
like hot and spicy chili sauce that bathed
hospitable. If you are planning to visit for
the Indonesian-inspired Ayam Balado
Indonesian Food on Monday nights, be sure
(chicken breast served with a spicy red chili, to make a reservation.
tomato and spice sauce with shallots, garlic,
ginger, galangal, lemon grass, palm sugar,
Dragonfly Bistro
lime leaves and candle nuts) on the current
715 Richmond Street, London
dinner menu. Other entrees on the dinner
519-432-2191
menu include locally farmed Pheasant,
Email: dragonfly bistro@bellnet.ca
Grilled Halibut, Steak Diane and Roasted
Rack of Lamb. On three occasions, we were
BRYAN LAVERY is a well-known chef, business consulimpressed with Chefs’ velvety Cream of Jeru- tant, food writer and former restaurateur with many years in
salem Artichoke Soup.
consulting and advisory roles with various companies.
issue no. 27
www.eatdrink.ca 17
The Grand Theatre’s Dinner and a Play package offers
a fabulous dinner at one of London’s finest restaurants
followed by an evening of world class theatre.
Packages just $80* per person
MAKES A WONDERFUL GIFT!
519.672.8800
Call the Box Office today and book your tickets
to this very popular program.
*$40 THEATRE TICKET DOES NOT INCLUDE
$2 PER TICKET CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
FUND OR HST. OFFER IS VALID TUESDAY TO
THURSDAY EVENING PERFORMANCES.
THE $40 RESTAURANT GIFT CERTIFICATE
HAS NO CASH VALUE.
18
www.eatdrink.ca
SPOTLIGHT
A Grand Ambition for Grand Bend
Foodies stocks local products and hard-to-find imports
By Jane Antoniak
O
ne of the cozier aspects of wintertime living is to gather together for
a cooking party in a cottage kitchen.
If you’re lucky enough to have a
year-round retreat along the shores of Lake
Huron, or if you like to create that atmosphere back at home, consider making the
trek to Grand Bend in the winter. Your destination, besides the gorgeous frozen boulders
of ice along the beach, is Foodies: a wellstocked pantry and kitchen shop run by a
very cheery couple, Mike and Chris Burgess.
Here you’ll find nearly all you need to create
a fabulous winter meal at home or at the cottage, including local organic olive oil, pasta,
sauces, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, spices,
bread dippers, apple butters and jams, local
chocolates, fudge and brittles, as well as teas,
coffees and juices. They also stock kitchen
utensils, serving dishes and cookbooks.
Most days will find Mike and Chris putting
out samples of sauces, chutneys, fudge and
cheese. They carry a few hundred skews of
food products, many of which are regional,
including The Garlic Box products and Ferguson honey from Hensall; Montforte and
Thronloe cheeses; Acropolis Organics olive
oils from Woodstock; and Wellesley Brand
Apple Products. The Burgess’s opened the
shop on the strip nearly two years ago as a
semi-retirement project. Chris is a retired
nurse and Mike is a retired banker, both from
London. After raising their two daughters,
they relocated to St. Josephs, just north of
Grand Bend, and took up sales jobs. During
their travels in the greater area, they happened upon other food and kitchen shops
further afield and decided it was time for
Grand Bend to have one, too — if for nothing
else, to supply themselves with finer-quality
spices, sauces, coffee, tea, and more. “I
couldn’t go a day without Las Chicas coffee,”
says Mike. Foodies now carries fresh
Las Chicas beans from the roastery
in London. “This is something we’ve
always wanted to do. It’s just very
fun. We like to entertain and we like
trying different things. We have a
very simple philosophy — to find
and deliver the best local products
we can and to also carry imported
products of things we can’t get
locally,” says Mike.
They’ve added to the more
grown-up atmosphere of the new
Grand Bend — a place that is shifting away from rowdy teenagers and
catering more to families, adults and
Your Dining Destination for a
Culinary Art Experience
1870s Victorian Manor
year-round residents. Foodies has a large
local following and a growing group of others from the wider region, including Sarnia,
Clinton and Exeter. “We put a lot of effort
into being a welcoming, friendly, homey
kind of store, and people really respond to
that,” says Mike. “We have a mix of products
here that not many other stores have. Most
of what we carry is from personal experience. We like to explore and bring those
ideas back here.”
Foodies has also befriended some local
chefs and restaurants, including James
Eddington of Eddington’s of Exeter and Aux
Sables Inn, just south of Grand Bend. The
Burgess’s hope to offer culinary lessons with
some chefs in the future, and perhaps work
with the arts community during Spring Studio tours. “Its all a balancing act right now
— we’re just tiptoeing along, as our goals are
a bit different — we just want a fun, satisfying
retirement job, and it’s all very encouraging.”
Foodies
13 Main Street, Grand Bend
(Parking at rear of store)
519-238-8087
www.foodiesgrandbend.com
hours of operation
from january to easter:
thursday–sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
easter to late fall: open 7 days a week
Continental Cuisine, prepared with a local flair,
with frequent and seasonal menu changes.
Extensive, well-rounded, reasonably-priced wine list.
Elegant yet sophisticated Victorian dining room.
Serving Lunch
and Dinner
Winter Hours
Wednesday
to Saturday
Reservations
Recommended
Robbie Burns Dinner
January 28th
JANE ANTONIAK is a writer and owner of Antoniak
Communications in London. She is a regular contributor to
eatdrink, travelling the open road for good food and stories.
��.��.��
�� Ontario St. S.,
Grand Bend
20
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
SPOTLIGHT
Fun, Food and Females
Stratford’s Women in Food get down to business
By Jill Ellis-Worthington
“O
urs is an industry dominated by
men,” says Kimberly Payne, executive director of the Stratford Chefs
School. “Kitchens tend to be dominated by men; women tend to take different
roles [in the food industry] because of work/
life balance issues.”
So last summer, she and Danielle Brodhagen, who handles Culinary Programme
Development for the Stratford Tourism Alliance, decided that Stratford’s growing culinary industry would benefit from emulating
an organization that they’d learned about in
Toronto: Women in Food.
Now, with about a hundred contacts in
their database and two events under their
belts, Payne says, “It’s been just an absolute
success.”
Brodhagen agrees. “We knew that this
would be great for Stratford — great for
brainstorming and networking and really
empowering women.”
Toronto’s Women in Food group was
started by Arlene Stein a year ago. She
worked in hospitality and catering for twenty
years and decided it was time to bring
together a growing segment of Hogtown’s
culinary scene: women. “We wanted a forum
to bring people together and build networks,” she explains.
“There aren’t as many opportunities for
women in the industry — definitely not as
many higher-level management positions
and long-term positions. Food writing and
kitchens are very male-dominated because
of the family situation. We want to bring
women together to support each other,”
explains Stein.
With 200 people on the contact list and
events that see forty to eighty people in
attendance, WIF Toronto is fulfilling that
commitment.
Payne and Brodhagen attended some of
these events. After enjoying a gathering at
Hart House (University of Toronto), at which
Payne was one of thirty attendees working
alongside Sarah Elton, author of Locavore,
to prepare and eat a meal, she thought: “We
should be doing this locally because there are
so many women in Stratford and in Perth and
Huron counties that don’t have an opportunity to network. [We] don’t know each other
because we’re all just working so hard.”
Two events have been held in Stratford
thus far. The first was hosted by Bronwyn
Linley at Bijou, the restaurant she owns with
her husband Aaron. Payne describes it as an
informal gathering, showcasing Bijou’s fare
and allowing the seventy or so in attendance
to chat and network. The second event featured informative talks by Karen Hartwick
of Stratford Tea Leaves, Lori Lupton of Pelee
Island Wineries and Ruth Klahsen
of Monforte Dairy, each discussing
aspects of their segment of food
production. Tea, cheese and wine
tastings were part of this evening at
The Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop.
Stein and Payne both emphasize
that the Women in Food groups are
informal organizations without rosters, fees or dues, or regular comTara Ott (left) talks with Carrie Wreford
of Bradshaw’s (right) at one of Stratford’s
Women in Food events.
issue no. 27
www.eatdrink.ca 21
events. “It’s great for networking. I’m
new to the food group in Stratford
and you’re talking to people who
are passionate about food, who care
about local food and good food and
what goes into your body — that kind
of thing.” Payne adds that she has
also gained valuable business contacts from this experience. She now
sells high-end cheese to restaurants
through contacts made at WIF.
For females in culinary-related
fields, Women in Food — both in
Stratford and Toronto — is making a
Ruth Klahsen (left) of Monforte Dairy has the full attention of
difference in how they connect and
Lori Lupton of Pelee Island Winery
communicate. Stratford welcomes
those interested in attending events to
contact Emily Chandler at Stratford Tourism
mitments. “Anyone can call the next meetAlliance to have their names added to the
ing; there doesn’t need to be a purpose to
contact list: staculinaryemily@gmail.com.
meet. We hope that it becomes more about
celebrating than about issues. I think a very
organic approach to it will make a success
JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON is a freelance writer
of it. Women just like to come together and
talk,” explains Payne. Brodhagen adds: “This and chief communicator for Write.On Communication Services
International (www.writedoton.com).
is a network of strong women who share
ideas through these events, and we want to
keep the ball moving.”
Communications are also informal. In
Toronto, Jodi Lastman of Hypnotic (a communications design firm) posts events and
other food industry related info on http://
womeninfood.posterous.com/. The Strat“One of the Lake Erie shore’s most exceptional bed and
ford group emails those on its list. The two
breakfasts.... a tour de force of tempting choices.”
Stratford events held thus far have both been
— Janette Higgins,
The Best Places to B&B in Ontario
sold out. There’s no fee for membership, but
there is usually a small charge for consumables. “There’s a small recovery fee because
we don’t want the restaurant to be out of
pocket,” explains Payne.
Women in Food is geared to females in all
aspects of food production and consumption, from farmers to processors to restaurant owners to media to dedicated foodies.
Having attended several of the Toronto
"WINTER GETA
WAY"
events, Gail Gordon Oliver, publisher and
SPECIAL
editor of Edible Toronto Magazine, feels that
. for 
the opportunity to network is key for her. “I
-Course Dinn
er
like keeping in contact with people I know in
& Overnight
Accommodatio
the food world in Ontario and meeting new
n
people.” She adds that it’s a valuable way for
her to meet potential subjects for stories and
those who could contribute to her magazine
as writers or photographers.
205 Main Street, Port Stanley ON
In Stratford, Liz Payne, who owns and
operates The Milky Whey Fine Cheese
www.telegraphhouse.com
Shop, has both attended and hosted WIF
rue Cana iana
22
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
Stratford
is more
than great
theatre.
“I made a delicious discovery: Stratford has a culinary obsession.
And, for me, finding what I call a ‘food town’ is a rare and
magnificent thing ... You’ve got a place that feeds all the senses.”
— Marion Kane, Food Writer
www.marionkane.com
issue no. 27
w w w.b ent ley s - annex .c om
Executive Loft Suites
5 1 9 - 271 - 1 1 2 1
1 - 8 0 0 - 36 1 - 5 3 2 2
99 Ontario Street
downtown Stratford
A fabulous place
to spend the night!
www.eatdrink.ca 23
24
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
SPOTLIGHT
Old-Style Service for the
Contemporary Cook
Restaurant Equipment and Supply Co. in London
By Sue Sutherland Wood
N
o one needs a
reminder that there
are not enough
hours in the day.
Although we’ve embraced
tweeting, texting, faxing and
surfing — on top of that somewhat old-fashioned notion of
actually having a life — there
is a never-ending stream of
associated casualties that
occur with same. There is,
literally, always something
else to do and no, this is not
the beginning of a Luddite
rant. But the fact remains
that as I write this, my printer
has just breathed its last, I’ve
misplaced my iPod — didn’t
I have better headphones
Chef’s uniforms — up to  jackets — are always in stock
somewhere too? — and there
is a constant niggle in my head
about how I can find 60 minutes to stay on
family-owned store — Restaurant Equipment
the phone while the nice people at the help
& Supply — on William Street. The store itself
centre describe how to defibrillate my nethas a comfortable, olde-world vibe, although
book. Again. And of course this is just the
the stock and presentation is all about effitechnology to-do list.
ciency and up-to-the-minute functionality.
But I’ve recently rekindled something that,
To my touristy, “Open to the General Public”
like Dorothy, I’ve known all along and
eyes, the array of stock is dazzling and awaksomehow forgotten: seeking out the most
ens a childlike fascination. One wall is lined
knowledgeable people for help — and then
with the kind of kitchen utensils that you’d
bookmarking that information so they can
find if a giant had his own show on the Food
help me again — will ultimately accelerate
network. There are ladles as big as my head,
my own workload. It’s back to the smaller
a strainer you could wear at Hallowe’en (the
hardware store staff, the local butcher/marTin Man?), pizza wheels that could cut lumket, the research specialists at the library. It’s ber, and a potato masher that would rival any
a connection that happens when someone
garden hoe.
understands what you need — they actually
Restaurant Equipment & Supply — a
“get it.” Sometimes a step backwards in time simple, no-nonsense name for the store conto re-evaluate the importance of experience ceived by the original owner, William Govan,
is the best way to get help.
back in the 1940s — has now flourished in
I was struck by this philosophy again the
London for three generations and has the
first time I visited Kathy Underwood at her
distinction of being the second-oldest dealer
issue no. 27
in Canada. At that period in
time, London was a major center for the manufacture of cooking equipment such as coal
stoves, steam cookers, sinks
and kettles, all of which were
required by the military. After
the war, however, all of this
became Crown Surplus, and
Restaurant Equipment & Supply took advantage of the fact
that this surplus would have to
be resold. Originally located at
209 King Street, the company
also had a well-known neighbour selling surplus — Novack’s
— and when the latter needed
more space, the building was
sold to them to help with
their expansion. Restaurant
Equipment & Supply would
eventually settle in at their current location
at 234 William Street.
Kathy Underwood talks about her business and her family with open enthusiasm
and pride. (She fondly recalls playing and
www.eatdrink.ca 25
Stemware and glasses of every style, for  or  ...
ultimately falling asleep at the store as a child,
while her parents put in long hours there.)
Many years later, those parents are still very
much involved in the day-to-day business,
but the recipe for success is unchanged:
respect for the customer, honesty, fair prices,
Giving You More Reasons
to Shop Locally
western fair farmers’ & artisans’ market
The Heart of Old East Village
0SHBOJDBOE-PDBM1SPEVDFt#BLFSTt#VUDIFSTt$IFFTFNPOHFSTt'MPXFST
'PPE"SUJTBOTt"SUJTUTt$SBGUTQFPQMFt'MFB"OUJRVF.BSLFU
Every Saturday 8am-3pm
519-438-5942
www.londonsfarmersmarket.ca
Dundas Street East at Ontario Street
26
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
ones coming all the time. Kathy
laughs that busy can only be a good
thing. “They come to us with an idea
and we can give them the advice
they need,” Kathy explains. “Sometimes they’re just starting out and
they’re not exactly sure what they
want — so we can help that way.”
Experience and knowledge play
a big part in this skill. Kathy cited
an example of someone who was
keen to install a catering-size oven
— before she asked a few key questions about whether the floor had
been assessed for this or whether
they were prepared to strengthen it
A number of lines of dishes are kept in stock but custom ordering
accordingly.
s also available.
Uniforms are another key part of
business at Restaurant Equipment & Supand a healthy chaser of courtesy. They also
ply. Kathy points out the expectation for
offer services such as professional knifefast service in this area, since jobs are often
sharpening as you browse the store.
starting the next day for many people in
Much of the company’s business comes
the food industry. With over 300 jackets in
from the community, both in London and
stock at any given time, there is an excellent
the surrounding area. Churches, community
selection here, ranging from classic fitted
centers, halls and clubs have been repeat
customers for many years, and there are new white to lime green. There are pants too,
issue no. 27
from a funky “gangster stripe” to the
more refined hound’s-tooth check,
and everything in between. Hats are
also available — bandana, baseball,
baker or pill box — as are whimsical
aprons for small children.
As I am about to leave the store, I
notice a striking set of flatware — and
the prices are great, by the way — so I
ask about it. Kathy is informative and
tells me everything she knows about
the brand. Then, without hesitation,
she accompanies me to the display
and offers comparison points on a few
others of lesser price. I can see one
that is much superior that I actually
prefer — a style that I might not have
noticed — and opt for that brand instead.
Kathy approves. “You know, the smoother the
fork — just feel the edges on this one — the
different the food experience when you eat
something. It really makes a difference.”
And she’s right, of course. Something
I might not have discovered by ordering
online. I’m just saying.
www.eatdrink.ca 27
Professional cookware is available in almost any size.
Restaurant Equipment & Supply Co.
234 William Street, London
519-438-2991 or 1-800-265-5904
www.rescolon.ca
SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD is a freelance writer
who also works in the London Public Library system. She lives
in London with her teenage sons and a floating population of
dogs and cats.
Prime Rib Roasts and
Custom-Size cut Hickory Hams
100% pure Black Forest Ham
28
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
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Savour the tastes of Elgin County.
For information on the Savour Elgin Program,
call 1-877-GO ELGIN x137 or visit
www.savourelgin.ca
Members of Savour Elgin
Clovermead Bees & Honey
11302 Imperial Road N, Aylmer
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Empire Valley Farm Market & Greenhouses
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Farmgate Markets Deli & Fresh Meat
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Heritage Line Herbs & Silver Birch Tearoom
53443 Heritage Line, RR #1 Aylmer
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Horton Farmers’ Market
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Kettle Creek Inn
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Lavender Blue Lavender Farm
47589 Sparta Line, RR #5 Aylmer
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Mad Hatters Tea Room / Quaker Barrel
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Pinecroft Pottery & Green Frog Tearoom
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Ruby’s Cookhouse
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30
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
BOOKS
Food Through the Ages
An Edible History of Humanity
by Tom Standage
Review By Darin Cook
M
ost books about food rely on
recipes, cooking, and eating,
but others, like An Edible
History of Humanity (Walker
& Company, 2009) by Tom Standage, stray
from these basics and look at food from a
different perspective. Food is important on
a personal level to sustain us at mealtimes,
but Standage takes a wider view of food’s
pivotal role in the collective history of
humanity by asking the central question,
“Which foods have done the most to shape
the modern world?”
The foods highlighted include basic
items: corn, wheat, spices, potatoes, sugar,
and rice. These foods act as the impetus for
Standage’s commentary on critical events
that have impacted civilization, such as the
role of sugar plantations in the history of
slavery and the discovery of spices in far-off
lands, which led to global exploration and
commerce.
Hunting and foraging may have been the
first method of feeding ourselves, but the
invention of farming allowed for the establishment of societies and the opportunity
for different cultures to have crop specializations. And with farming, food production has become a primary occupation of
humanity; Standage reports that the farming
industry
employs 41
percent of
humans
and farmland covers
40 percent of the world’s surface. Looking
into the future of farming, Standage teaches
us about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault
on a remote Norwegian island, which has
the capacity of storing two billion seeds as
backup to the world’s plants. The vault preserves a diversity of seeds to propagate any
species that may become extinct through
man-made or natural catastrophes.
Farming may seem like a natural process,
but it has always come down to human
manipulation of seeds, plants, and animals
for bulk production. As larger quantities became available, food began to be
imported and exported around the world,
resulting in global sharing of local delicacies. The food group most sought after in
exploration was exotic spices, described
by Columbus as having equal value to gold
and precious stones. Spices had a great
allure, often mythologized with magical
powers, even prescribed as a preventative
measure against the Black Plague. Dutch
explorers garnered huge profits in the spice
trade, which helped boost the national
wealth and ushered in the 17th Century
“Golden Age” in Holland. But it was not
long after this that spices became more
prevalent and affordable, losing some of
their lustre as luxury items. With such a rich
history, Standage sadly writes: “Today most
people walk past the spices in the supermarket, arrayed on shelves in small glass
bottles, without a second thought. In some
ways it is a sorry end to a once-mighty trade
that reshaped the world.”
The book also refers to food fights
throughout history, like the fight for survival
during the Irish potato famine and the role
of food in military battles when leaders like
Napoleon starved enemy armies into defeat
by cutting off
food supplies.
At certain
points in history, having
access to food
translated
into wealth
and power,
and food has
even been
used as curTom Standage
rency (money
is still referred
to as “bread” or “dough,” echoing back to
food’s association with wealth). Sometimes
its correlation with power led to unfortunate
results, such as the failure of collective food
initiatives in Communist countries and the
collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, which
was largely due to the country’s inability to
feed its people.
As Standage writes, “Food’s historical
influence can be seen all around us, and not
just in the kitchen, at the dining table, or in
the supermarket. That food has been such
an important ingredient in human affairs
might seem strange, but it would be far more
surprising if it had not: after all, everything
that every person has ever done, throughout
history, has literally been fuelled by food.”
Unparalleled Elegance.
Historic Charm.
Culinary Delight.
fresh, seasonal cuisine
open for breakfast,
lunch and dinner
a la carte sunday brunch
DARIN COOK is a freelance writer who keeps himself
well-read and well-fed by visiting the bookstores and
restaurants of London.
3 6 G R A N D AV E N U E
L O N D O N , O N TA R I O
WWW.IDLEWYLDINN.COM
32
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
COOKBOOKS
Winter Harvest
How to select and prepare fresh
seasonal produce all winter long
by Lane Morgan
Review and Recipe Selections by Jennifer Gagel
D
oes the produce section seem
barren of full-flavoured and nutritious food once winter descends?
Lane Morgan has released the
20th anniversary edition of Winter Harvest:
How to select and prepare fresh seasonal produce all winter long (New Society Publishers,
2010, $24.95) to show the variety and comfort that winter cooking can provide.
Lane Morgan has been writing about the
food and history of the Pacific Northwest for
over 40 years. An avid gardener, she loved
the idea of extending her growing season.
With the help of Binda Colebrook’s classic
book, Winter Gardening, she was soon seeing
bumper crops of cold-weather produce while
homesteading in the same Plant Hardiness
Zone 5 as London, Ontario. I didn’t really
believe it until I tried it and was shocked to
be picking parsley, sage and sorrel out of my
garden right into December, with nothing
fancier than a southern exposure.
“I began to hunt up recipes for my new
crops and to invent a few of my own. The
process was very satisfying. For one thing, I
have more patience for cooking in the winter; food seems more important then. We
want to
gather
our friends at
the table and keep the gloom away,” says
Morgan.
Her food ethics are a livable combination
of local economics, nutrition, environment
and sensible spending. She discusses the
manner in which pesticides are applied and
tested (or not, in many cases) and is aware of
carbon footprints and environmental costs.
But at the heart of it all is the fact that food at
its peak tastes better. It’s like being rewarded
for responsible eating.
“Fortunately, there is no need to put
purity before pleasure at the dinner table.
When it comes to winter produce, good
sense and good taste can go together,” Morgan believes.
Now she resides in Sumas, Washington,
adjacent to the Canadian border. Her food
habits have adapted while her core values
remain. She still composts (the only time in
her life she didn’t make her own compost
was at Stanford, while in residence) and still
winter gardens in amongst her ornamental
plants. She doesn’t keep rare ingredients or

use complicated techniques. But she does
explore different cultures through food,
so the recipes are an
eclectic collection of
combinations and
ideas from an impressive tour of world
influences: Romanian,
Portuguese, Brazilian, North African,
Japanese, and even
Indian food has a
winter-clime cuisine,
with recipes from some
Lane Morgan
high-altitude regions
suggesting storage of turnips in snow banks.
Lane offers new and interesting things to
do with familiar winter staples, and introduces lesser-known selections from the
produce counters, like kohlrabi. This has a
texture similar to a radish, and tastes faintly
similar, but without any bite and with a mild
cabbage flavour. Excellent raw, the texture
also stands up well to cooking. The Baked
Kohlrabi and Fennel recipe uses the broth
from boiling the veggies to make the white
sauce — less waste, more nutrients, better
taste. Parsnip would be a good substitution
for the fennel, or you can make up completely new pairings.
The recipes are extremely flexible and
flow into each other to make “available”
into “delicious.” “Grow lots of kale and lots
of potatoes. Boil them one day, fry them the
next, add hazelnuts on Saturday and an egg
on Sunday and voila: a winter locavore is
made.”
Koftesi are a wonderful example of one
delicious step in this process. If leftover
mashed potatoes are on hand, these Turkish
pancakes can be mixed up and baked in no
time. Parchment paper ensures they won’t
stick, and I flipped mine halfway through to
get a nice golden-brown crust on both sides.
I shaped them into patties in my hands and
placed them right on the prepared baking
sheet, skipping the floured board. I added
grated cheese and served to guests with dill
and thick sour cream. They’d make a great
alternative to hash browns with the addition
of bacon bits and brushed with the drippings instead of oil.
But it’s not all about just local. Things
like pomegranates are at their peak in the
winter, and citrus is a staple in her kitchen
year-round. There is an inherent flexibility
Meet Warren
Since 1991, Warren Ham of August’s
Harvest farm has been growing
garlic. Today, his Perth County farm
is one of North America’s leading
suppliers of certified organic garlic.
Warren also specializes in rare
Saskatoon berries and organic
vegetables delivered to your door.
As a founder of the Stratford Garlic
Festival, Warren is a true champion
of local food and Ontario garlic!
We proudly connect Stratford chefs
and Perth County producers to
create great culinary experiences.
welcometostratford.com/local
34
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
in her cooking style that is more inclusive
than limiting.
Tips abound to help you on your own
explorations. Collard leaves can replace
tortillas or rice wrappers; they hold up better and are excellent heated. Use organic
lemons if the rind is to be used, as pesticide
levels are tested on the inside of the fruit.
Freeze the juiced rinds for easy grating later.
There are no photos, but beautifully
detailed drawings make it easy to recognize
the vegetables. And the book is packed with
information. There is a vegetarian, vegan
and gluten-free recipe index, a produce list
complete with selection, cooking and storage suggestions, an urban composting sec-
tion, book and blog resource lists, and even
a listing of Canadian seed suppliers.
This will quickly become a favourite
kitchen resource for anyone looking to eat
better, whether it be locally, sustainably or
ethically — and all who want food to taste
great, every season.
You can follow Lane Morgan’s recipes and ideas at her blog:
Old Northwest Foodie Thinks It Through http://nwlocalfoods.
blogspot.com/
JENNIFER GAGEL writes freelance and can be
contacted at jennagagel@gmail.com.
Recipes courtesy of Lane Morgan, from Winter Harvest: How to
select and prepare fresh seasonal produce all winter long (New
Society Publishers, 2010).
Koftesi
Baked Kohlrabi & Fennel
2 pounds (1 Kg) potatoes (about 6 medium),
cooked and mashed
2 tablespoons (25 mL) melted butter
2 tablespoons (25 mL) chopped parsley
6 scallions or 3 slender leeks, white part only,
chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) canned plum tomatoes, drained,
seeded, and chopped
1 cup (250 mL) fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup (125 mL) cottage cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper
about 1/2 cup (125 mL) sifted flour
olive oil
1 fennel bulb
2 cups (500 mL) peeled kohlrabi, sliced about
½-inch thick
2 cups (500 mL) light soup stock (beef, chicken,
or vegetable)
3 tablespoons (40 mL) butter, divided
2 tablespoons (25 mL) flour
salt and pepper
2⁄3 cup (150 mL) milk or half-and-half
¼ cup (50 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon (2 mL) paprika
1 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2 Coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Put mashed
potatoes in a medium bowl and add, in order,
butter, parsley, scallions, tomatoes, bread
crumbs, cottage cheese, and egg, stirring after
each addition. When mixture is well blended,
add salt and pepper, and work in just enough
flour to make a stiff dough.
3 Press spoonfuls of dough into patties on a
floured board, or pat into shape with your
floured hands. Put patties on baking sheet,
brush tops with olive oil, and bake until golden,
about 15 minutes.
Makes 2 dozen 3-inch patties.
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2 Strip stringy outer leaves of fennel. Slice the
bulb to match kohlrabi. Bring stock to a boil, add
vegetables, and cook until tender, about 7 to 10
minutes. Add enough stock to the milk or halfand-half to total 2 cups (500 mL).
3 Make a white sauce using 2 tablespoons (25 mL) of
the butter, the flour, and the milk/stock mixture.
4 Butter a casserole dish with remaining 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of butter and put in vegetables. Pour
sauce over them, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
and paprika, and bake for about half an hour.
Serves 4 to 6.
issue no. 27
www.eatdrink.ca 35
The Southwest Ontario Local Food Connection
(Farmer/Food Buyer Networking Event)
presents ...
... a culinary event to stimulate your tastebuds
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
5 pm to 9 pm
Western Fair Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market
$20 includes 5 complimentary tasting tickets
(Extra tickets can be purchased onsite)
For more information call 519.438.5942
36
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
TRAVEL
In Pursuit of Chocolate
Culinary Tramping in Panama
By Dave Cook
Culinary Tramping, v. Definition: To hit the highway
in a culinary sense, lodging and eating locally, in
pursuit of the sources of foods.
O
nce again, as long-time fair trade
coffee roasters, we were on our
way to Central America, but this
time we were heading to Panama
for chocolate. Our group included friend
and interpreter Luis Rivas of True Taco, Rick
Peori of Jantzi’s Cheese, Jason Thorne, and
my brother Steve. At a stopover in Fort Lauderdale, we had a few drinks (to get the trip
flowing), got on the next plane, and finally
spilled out onto the tarmac of Panama City
Airport, with a rental car slip and a guide
book. We usually rent a 4x4 on our culinary
tramps, as we get into some pretty rugged
territory, but this time, as our group was
larger, we rented a minivan. It was to be
2000 kilometers of driving, from the Pacific
Ocean to the Caribbean.
After a dinner of fish, simply prepared
but plentiful, and a good night’s rest, we
headed to the Panama Canal. This was the
start of our journey to the Bocas del Toro
archipelago on the Caribbean coast, and the
chocolate farm of Dave and Linda Cerruti. A
modern four-lane highway took us through a
countryside of beautiful scenery.
Hotel Olas our home in Bocas
A remote beach in the Bocas del Toros Islands
We reached our halfway point, Las
Lajas, in the evening, in the middle of a
monsoon. Approaching the beach-side hostel, we could barely see through the rain to
the cabins. After checking in, we were shown
to our rooms: plywood shacks with cobwebs and spiders, and stained mattresses
without sheets. We have stayed in some
pretty humble lodgings, but this was pushing the boundaries. We piled back into the
van to search for alternate accommodation.
A family camped
under a tarp kindly
offered to share
their shelter, but
we didn’t want to
impose on their
limited hospitality.
Shortly after that,
in the pitch-black
night, we hit our
first washed-out
road and bottomed
out. Working in
knee-deep mud
and sludge, we got
the van going. Back
on the main road, we stumbled across a Las
Lajas beach hotel, which was a great relief.
The resort was run by a friendly American ex-pat, who regaled us with stories of
late-night landings and parcels of cocaine
washing up on the remote beach. A dinner
of fresh seafood, and we were off to bed. We
woke next morning to rain still pounding
down and the land around us under water.
After a quick swim in the ocean and a simple breakfast of eggs and beans, we were
back on the road, heading straight into one
of the most beautiful mountain ranges I
have ever seen.
At some point in every one of these trips I
get a little scared. It was in these mountains
that I became white-knuckled. On one side
of us rose a sheer vertical jungle-covered
wall. On the other side of the narrow road
was a thousand-foot drop. All terrifyingly
beautiful. The rain was merciless, and water
was flooding all around us. Switchback
after switchback, and we had no sensation
of getting closer to our destination until, as
dusk approached, we finally saw the gleam
of the ocean in the distance. We started
to wind down the mountains towards the
town of Almirante.
Almirante sits like a wild-west town, on
the raw edge of the Amistad National Park, a
binational biosphere reserve. It is the main
port for travel in the Bocas archipelago.
Ripening Cocoa Pods
38
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
Dave Cerruti’s Green Acres Chocolate Farm
Within minutes of our arrival, the locals
were fighting, with a rough-edged hospitality, over who was going to guide us to the
water-taxi office. We parked our car in a
barbed-wire compound with dogs, then,
with a growing crowd of locals, waited for
the last water taxi of the day. As the sun was
setting on the horizon, we headed out into
the darkness of the bay.
was the sauvignon blanc or the exhaustion,
but I was delirious with joy when the largest
lobster I have ever seen landed on the plate
in front of me.
Next morning, on the way to Green Acres
Chocolate Farm, the boat glided through
crystal-clear water, dolphins jumping
around us, and the coral reefs mere feet
below. We were coming unannounced. I had
not been able to contact Dave and Linda
Cerutti, but Dave was on his deck and came
down as we pulled in. I introduced myself
as a fellow chocolate-lover and
he agreed to show us around.
He also stated that he had never
intended to give tours of his
property, but that several years
ago people would just start
showing up on his dock after
hearing of the chocolate paradise he had founded, and he
couldn’t turn them away. Dave
and Linda had left the corporate
life in San Diego over thirteen
years ago and come to work on
the abandoned farm. The nowDave Cerruti conducts Chocolate University with Rick Peori of Jantzi Cheese
Bocas Del Toro could be described as a
floating beatnik resort island. At the dock,
we loaded our gear into the back of the taxi
pickup truck and jumped into the truck bed
for the four-minute drive to our home for the
next couple of days — a three-story hotel on
stilts over the sea. The Hotel Olas is beautiful in its own dated way. The main hallway
leads to an open-air bar over the ocean. As
exhausted as we were after this crazy day, we
were also starving. I don’t know whether it
issue no. 27
www.eatdrink.ca 39
stunning property has an immense
selection of specimen plants intercropped with many varieties of cacao
trees. Dave walked us up and down
the rolling pathways. The cocoa pods
hung from the trees in amazing hues
of red, yellow, green and black.
As we walked, Dave was pulling,
picking, chopping, and describing the
dazzling array of plants. In the processing area were decaying compost
piles of cocoa pods that had been
liberated of their seeds. The seeds
themselves were in an open shed,
A chocolate farm inhabitant enjoying the organic lifestyle
on a wood table, fermenting under a
paper cover. When Dave pulled back
a sheet, the aroma released was of a sweet
cally in paradise, and naturally dried, was
vinaigrette, incredibly pungent and ripe.
one of the main reasons we had travelled
over 4,000 kilometres. Next to the
drying bed, in the workshop, the
The days harvest of pods stripped of their seeds and
beans are roasted, ground, dehuon the compost heap
sked and poured into half-pound
bars of natural, nothing-added,
chocolate bars. Very simple, very
basic, and somehow just the way it
was meant to be. We chatted about
different varietals: the Criollo, the
Trinitario and the Forastero.
We walked back to their beautiful
stone and wood two-story house.
On the patio overlooking the ocean
we bought some roasted broken
nibs, bars of chocolate, and 25
pounds of beautiful cacao beans,
which we plan to make into chocoHe picked up a seed and popped it into his
late in our chocolate roastery here in Lonmouth, and offered more around the group. don. As the boat pulled away from the dock,
The taste and mouth feel was viscous and
many of us felt that this farm, out in the bay
slippery with a meatiness when bitten into,
of Bocas, had been the closest we have come
and it had a
to our version of paradise. It had been quite
smooth mild
a journey to get there, but finding this source
cacao flavour,
of chocolate, and experiencing one couple’s
but nothing
paradise on earth, was worth the trek, and
as strong and
will be a memory to last a lifetime.
robust as the
dried seeds. To
Join me in an upcoming issue for the consee those dried
tinued story of our Panamanian tramp, and
beans, beautiful, a visit to Hacienda Esmeralda — the world’s
grown organimost exclusive coffee plantation.
Jason Thorne of
Truline Construction showing off
Fresh made Organic
Chocolate
DAVE COOK is a self-admitted culinary tramp currently
focusing on coffee and local food markets. He has a developing
addiction to single-varietal chocolate.
40
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
NEW AND NOTABLE
The BUZZ
W
e’re encouraging all our readers to get
the new year off to a great start, culinarily speaking: the London Wine &
Food Show returns to the Western Fair
Entertainment Centre this month. From Friday January 14th and through the weekend, you can enjoy tasting
seminars, cooking demonstrations, sampling opportunities
and informative exhibits. For more information, visit www.
westernfair.com/shows/winefood.html.
The Raja Fine Indian Cuisine (www.rajafinedining.ca)
added a tasting menu with wine pairings this past New
Year’s Eve. It met with such great success that a special
menu will be offered again on Valentine’s Day at the Clarence
Street location. The Raja is also offering a special winter
menu — nothing like some simmering curry to chase away
the winter chills!
The Alumni Western London Branch is hosting a Scotch
Tasting Evening at Crossings Grill & Pub, 1269 Hyde
Park Rd. (formerly Volker’s and The Horse & Hound).
January 29, 7 pm. Admission is $25 per person and includes
substantial appetizers, a drink ticket and three single malt
scotch samples with commentary. For more information, go
to www.westernconnect.ca/site/Calendar. Register online by
Monday, January 24.
The Iron Cupcake 2010 Challenge, slated for the Food and
Wine Show, will now be held at the Western Fair Farmers’
and Artisans’ Market on Saturday January 15th. A ballot
can be purchased for $5, with proceeds going to charity. The
challenge will begin at 9 am and run to approximately 1 p.m.
Londonlicious, with 28 restaurants on board this winter,
will run from January 21 to February 6. Each establishment
will offer a prix fixe 3-course meal for $25. For more details
and a complete list, go to www.londonlicious.ca.
Braise Food & Wine is excited to see everyone at their
booth or at one of their tasting seminars or cooking demos at
Italian Seduction,
Bite by Bite
LIVE
MuSIC
BBQ Plat
from outers
Sout r
Pride Shmern
oker
Enjoy a “Taste of Italy”
on Valentine’s Day
855 Wellington Road South, London
issue no. 27
www.eatdrink.ca 41
the London Wine and Food Show. You can also get a bargain
taste of Braise through Londonlicious. Due to demand for
reservations, Braise is extending their Londonlicious menu to
run from January 17 to February 10.
Villa Resto Lounge is going for a sophisticated lounge feel
in the former industrial space at 109 Dundas St. (at Talbot)
and are making extensive renovations to the interior of the
building. The Resto Lounge should be opening shortly.
Congratulations to Betty Heydon, who is celebrating 15
years in business at Blackfriars Bistro and Catering
(www.blackfriarsbistro.com).
Andrew Wolwowicz’s plans to open Springs Restaurant
on Springbank have been delayed indefinitely.
T.J. Baxter’s and Oscar Taylor’s, opened in 1991 by Perry
Jeffery, have been closed since New Year’s Eve. Rumour has
it that Jack Astor’s is looking to occupy the premises.
Milos Kral tells us that hand-drawn cask ales are finally
coming to London. Chancey Smith’s is in the final stages
of setting up a professionally restored pump (purchased in
England) needed to offer cask ales. Until now, Ilderton’s The
King Edward has been the only area establishment to offer
these “real ales” to appreciative bierophiles.
Trichilo’s Restaurant is a casual but tasteful Calabrian-inspired restaurant opening in the premises recently occupied
by Smittys Pancake House at 691 Richmond Street.
Il Tenore is getting set to open a cocktail lounge at the back
of the Dundas St. restaurant in the upcoming weeks.
Chef Brian Magee and Nieche Konidas are slated to
open Autumn Bistro at the corner of Clarence and Dundas
Streets in the Spring of 2011.
The 2011 Southwest Ontario Local Food Connection:
Farmer/Food Buyer Networking Event and the Taste
It! gala will be held at the London Farmers’ and Artisans’
Market at the Western Fair on Tuesday March 29. The
business-to-business event will run from noon to 3 pm.
Afterwards, the event will be open to the public with a roster
of “Local Foods” guest speakers, followed by a Gala Taste
of Southwest Ontario Foods Reception from 5 pm to 9
pm. After a very successful, well attended event in 2010, the
organizers are looking forward to this expanded program
with the added public component offering a tasting reception of Ontario foods (from Huron and Perth counties and
the new “RTO1”—aka “Southwest Ontario”—geographical
designation) to consumers.
Contemporary
Southern
Vietnamese
Cuisine
tamarine
by Quynh Nhi
118 Dundas Street,
London
519.601.8276
www.tamarine.ca
Massey’s
Massey’s
LONDON, ONTARIO
DA
LunIcLY
Buffeh
t
Fine Indian
Cuisine
174 King St. London
d
Closedays 519 672 2989
n
Mo
www.masseys.ca
Wedding Buffet Specialists
Alsndoles!
Soy Ca
Visit us at the
Western Fair Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market
Dundas Street at Ontario, London
Saturdays, 8:30am to 3pm
Last year’s event identified many opportunities for collaboration and cooperation in our culinary and agricultural
sector. The 2011 day of networking will showcase the area
again, help to define the area as a whole, and build awareness of our agricultural and culinary identity throughout
the entire geographical supply chain and to consumers.
Southwestern Ontario area is rich with culinary tourism
and agri-tourism resources, but will benefit from a stronger regional identify.
This event is a partnership of a number of groups, individuals and businesses interested in providing expanded
markets for local food, buying and featuring local food,
and encouraging healthy lifestyles. The target audience
for the event includes consumers, local producers and
businesses engaged in the hospitality, culinary tourism,
food retail, food-service and food distributing industries
from Perth, Huron and the southwest Ontario RTO 1 regions
which include the counties of: Oxford, Elgin, Middlesex,
Haldimand, Norfolk, Sarnia-Lambton, Chatham-Kent and
Windsor-Essex.
One of the goals of Growing Chefs! Ontario is create opportunities for local chefs to get involved in the
community and support food sustainability and education. A December fundraising concert held at APK Live
raised nearly $1000 for their Classroom Gardening
Project. Kudos to all those who helped out, including
Marc Gammal, and local bands The Woody Allens,
Marty Kolls and Tuerto Loco, who provided the fantastic entertainment.
The Armouries Grille Restaurant, at the Delta Hotel
on Dundas, is re-designing its dining room, banquet
facilities, and meeting space, under the watchful eye of
Executive Chef Chris Chitty. The restaurant will remain
open during the renovations, with limited service, and
renovations are expected to be completed by late February to early March. The culinary team at the Armouries
Grille supports Growing Chefs! Ontario, with a portion of
all proceeds raised by their “GCO Table D’hôte menu”
donated to the program.
Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival was
awarded the honour of Culinary Event of the Year 2010 by
the Ontario Culinary Tourism Association. Cathy Rehberg was on hand to receive the award in Huntsville and
remarked, “Stratford is honoured to receive this award. The
recognition belongs to Danielle Brodhagen, her dedicated
steering committee and all the hundreds of volunteers who
worked so hard to create such an outstanding food festival.”
Plans are already well underway for the 2011 festival, September 24 & 25.
Winterfest in Stratford celebrates with a “Proud to be
Canadian” theme January 21 -23. Lots of family activities
are planned for indoors and out. Enjoy a pancake breakfast
or a French Wine and Cheese Tasting. On Saturday evening,
issue no. 27
www.eatdrink.ca 43
Introducing
Saturday February 5, 2011
7:30pm Pre Show Martini Party at Hotel Metro
8:30pm Fashion Show at Braise
10:00pm After Party at Hotel Metro
Cost:
$
100
(includes Fashion Show & Hors D’Oeuvres)
Designed by Melissa Seaman
Tickets can be purchased at sponsorship locations.
STUDIO H - 151 Albert St.
Braise Food & Wine - 125 Dundas St.
Hotel Metro - 125 Dundas St.
EXCLUSIVE LIVE AUCTION presented by the
London Professional Firefighters Association
All proceeds to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
W THANK all sponsors who have contributed
We
~ become your best
GENUINE
Knox Church presents Lunch at Allen’s, a quartet of internationally renowned Canadian singer-songwriters.
The Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop at 118 Ontario Street,
Stratford invites you to join them for a winter afternoon
wine and cheese seminar on Saturday January 22, from 3pm
to 4:30 pm. Sommelier Bob Latham, owner of Winesmith
Services, will lead a wine tasting, featuring a selection
of vintage French wines not available at the LCBO. These
wonderful wines will be paired with a selection of delicious
French winter cheeses. For tickets ($40), call 519-814-9439.
Traditional Collectible Practical
100% Lead-Free and Made in USA since 1861
679-685 York Street, London
519-432-8323
www.londonglassandmirror.com
A series of Winter Tastings begins with Winter Cocktails.
Presented by star bartenders Anj Pridham (Down the
Street) and Nick Cressman (Puddicombe House), along
with Candice Wigham, this event will be held at Molly
Blooms on Saturday, February 19.
On February 26, a Beer and Cheese Tasting takes
place at The Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop. Learn to
pair wines with your favourite comfort foods on March 5.
More with Maple completes the series, when you will
learn new ways to use maple syrup in your menu planning.
Tastings take place on Saturdays and tickets are available
at www.welcometostratford.com/winter or at Stratford
Tourism Alliance, 1-800-561-7926.
Stratford’s Let Them Eat Cake! (www.letthemeatcake.ca)
has moved to 23 Albert Street, where they have expanded
their seating, including bar seating. They offer a wide variety
of desserts along with breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.
Stop by and say hello to Michael Enright and his friendly
staff — and don’t forget to order dessert first!
Turnbull and Stewart (www.turnbullstewart.com) at 459
Erie Street, Stratford offers fine comestibles including olive
oils, salad dressings, mustards, coffee selected and roasted
specifically for their store and other great products along
with appliances for the kitchen and laundry. Tastings are
planned periodically to introduce new products.
Welcome
to Our
Table
113 Dundas St @ Talbot
519-679-1970
Breakfast or Lunch
Tuesday−Saturday
7:30am−3pm
Sunday: 9am−2pm
Friday Knights: 5−7pm
www.billysdelirestaurant.ca
The Stratford Chefs School is in full swing, with the
dinner club offering celebrity chef menus Monday through
Friday at The Old Prune through until February 24. Critically acclaimed chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo (La Olla, Oaxaca, Mexico) has been invited to the Stratford Chefs School
for one week to demonstrate his unique culinary vision.
Visit www.stratfordchef.com for more information.
Stratford’s Slow Food Market continues Sundays from
10 am – 2 pm as Anything Grows opens their cellar at
235 St. Patrick Street. Vendors include Soiled Reputation
(veggies and greens), Monforte Dairy (cheese), Wild
Flower Pottery, and Lindsay’s Baker. Local organic
meat and gourmet foods are also available.
issue no. 27
Heat things up and add a little music to your food with the
dinner and concert performances at Foster’s Inn (www.
fostersinn.com), 111 Downie Street, Stratford: String
Bone and Ginger St. James on January 6, Bassia Bulat
and Rick Taylor on January 20, Craig Cardif and Rob
Szabo on February 3, Girls with Glasses February 17 and
Catherine MacLennon and Chloe Albert on March 3.
Overnight packages are available.
Spice up the winter at Heartburn Day, a community
chili cook off with lots of flavours and styles to sample
and judge. It’s a winter feast for the whole family at the
Rotary Complex in Stratford on February 5.
www.eatdrink.ca 45
Escape to Stratford on a culinary getaway including a
culinary experience, dinner and accommodation. Choose
an afternoon of chocolate making, tea and chocolate
or tea and honey pairing, healthy baking and more,
then pick your home away from home: a distinctive
downtown inn or heritage B&B. More details at www.
welcometostratford.com.
Watch for Simple Fish and Chips’ “Fishland Series”
featuring four theme weeks in January dedicated to discovering where your favourite fish and chips originated,
served with a twist. More at www.simplefishandchips.ca.
Mark your calendar for Stratford’s Regional Food
Summit on Monday, February 7 at Arden Park Hotel.
Bridging the gap between farmers, producers, chefs and
buyers, a full day is planned focusing on developing local
partnerships, local food opportunities as well as culinary
and agri-tourism. Pre-registration is required. info@
savourstratford.com
Looking ahead to spring (yes, it’s coming), plan on attending the Stratford Garden Festival. The show runs from
Thursday, March 3 to Sunday, March 6. Opening night of
the Garden Festival offers the ultimate sneak peek: live
music, delectable food and drink, and an exciting live
auction of things fun and fabulous! A fundraiser for The
Lung Association sponsored by Orr Insurance. Contact:
519-271-7500 or visit www.stratfordgardenfestival.com
How sweet it is! Maple syrup time at McCully’s Hill Farm
(www.mccullys.ca) begins the second of March and
continues through the first weekend in April. Enjoy maple
related activities, tou rs and tastings.
Bayfield’s The Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro has some
tasty events coming up. On January 29th they will be
hosting a Launch Party for Boris Beer. This French beer
with the fabulous packaging is brewed by La brasserie
Giving You More Reasons
to Shop Locally
western fair farmers’ & artisans’ market
The Heart of Old East Village
0SHBOJDBOE-PDBM1SPEVDFt#BLFSTt#VUDIFSTt$IFFTFNPOHFSTt'MPXFST
'PPE"SUJTBOTt"SUJTUTt$SBGUTQFPQMFt'MFB"OUJRVF.BSLFU
Every Saturday 8am-3pm
519-438-5942
www.londonsfarmersmarket.ca
Dundas Street East at Ontario Street
46
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
de Saverne in Alsace France, a subsidiary of the Karlsberg
Group Germany. Saturday, February 5th is an occasion to
celebrate Bob Marley’s birthday; Red Stripe beer will
be served.
The Little Inn of Bayfield is hosting a tribute to the life,
works and spirit of the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns,
on January 22nd. Actor Rob Bundy of Blyth Festival/
Gairbraid Theatre fame will be on hand as the bard himself. The dinner menu offers traditional items with a local
twist, including Cock-a-Leekie, Haggis, and Hot Smoked
Lake Huron Trout Confit. Various single malt Scotch whiskies will be paired with the courses. For reservations, call
1-800-565-1832.
FINE: a Restaurant (www.finearestaurant.com) in Grand
Bend is holding its annual Robbie Burns Supper on January 28th — complete with live bagpipe music and plenty
of cozy cottage charm along with traditional Scottish fare.
Reservations required by phoning 519-238-6224.
The Windjammer Inn in Port Stanley will be hosting
Acoustic Brunch on Sundays in February. The series offers
live music every week, with an ever-changing line-up of
talented young musicians. Call 519-782-4173 for reservations
or visit www.thewindjammerinn.com for more info.
In March, join winemaker Jamie Quai and Chef Sandy
Douglas in the Quai Du Vin Winery (www.quaiduvin.com
) barrel room for a sensational Winemakers Dinner. The
two will combine talents to their best wine and food pairings
in a six-course dinner. Reservations: 519-775-2216.
We can’t print it if you don’t send it.
Our readers want to know, so send us info about culinary events, fundraisers, and regional news.
With BUZZ in the Subject line, send to:
editor@eatdrink.ca.
!
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r
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With Garlic!
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www.thegarlicbox.com
Available at Jill's Table, Remark Fresh Market and Bradshaws in Stratford.
48
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
BEER MATTERS
The Year in Beer
Expanded Online Edition
By The Malt Monk
I
hope you’ve all enjoyed a safe and
happy holiday season and are settled
down for a long winter. Indulge yourself
with comfort foods, paired with the lush
offerings our local crafters have brewed
up for the cold weather. For beer fanciers,
winter is a time to seek out and stock in all
the fine artisanal ales we don’t see any other
time of the year. Time to restock or start up
that beer cellar.
The New Year is also a time to look back at
the highlights in the local craft beer culture.
This will be our second annual eatdrink
awards of excellence for the craft beer industry. I hope you agree with my choices, but if
you don’t, that’s okay, too. It just means you
have sampled enough selection to develop
distinctive personal tastes. Good for you –
that’s what the artisanal beer journey is all
about! Let’s get started.
Best Local Seasonal Beer
Muskoka Harvest Ale (LCBO # 173641)
This wonderful twist on traditional amber
ale with all ingredients sourced locally has
garnered high ratings. Muskoka has created
a burnished highly flavourful but balanced
amber ale with a distinctive hop finish.
Good as a table ale with a hearty meal or to
Second A
nnual
eatdrink
Malt Mon
k
Awards
cellar a few months
for winter sipping with
cheese. The draft version was wonderfully
fresh-tasting and bright.
Honourable mention to Great Lakes
Brewing Sweet Pete’s Peach Wheat (LCBO
#215426), which was a close runner-up. A
very tasty, well-crafted fruit-infused wheat
ale. One of the best offerings from this
brewer.
Best Import Seasonal
Ölvisholt Lava, Smoked Imperial Stout
(LCBO 187005)
Highly rated and sought-after in Europe, this
rich dark artisan ale is making its premier
North American appearance in Canada.
With its deep aroma of smoke, coffee, port
wine, and dried fruits and its unique flavour
– deep roasty smoked malt with a rich fruity
port-like character and a dry finish – this
ale rocks! The use of six malts (including
smoked barley and some malted wheat) and
a large dose of Fuggle hops make this a complex sturdy ale with surprising balance and
smooth character for a 9.4 abv ale. Buy a
couple to cellar and pull out later this winter
for sipping with double-cream Brie in front
of a warm fire.
Join Us for
Londonlicious!
3 courses, $25, Jan.21-Feb 6
“A casual
pub with
serious
food“
www.brennansbeerbistro.ca
347 Clarence St., London (N of York)
Pick up the Event Calendar online
519-858-9900
issue no. 27
Ontario Beer of the Year
Beau’s Beaver River IP Eh (available from
the brewery in bottles or on tap only)
This award category was a toss-up between
Beau’s and Flying Monkeys IPA, but FMB’s
Smash Bomb IPA isn’t
widely distributed yet, so the
weighted judgement went
to Beau’s. They have brewed
a very good rendition of an
English-styled IPA and succeeded where many local
brewers fall short in retaining this style’s Old World
caramel-fruity character and
wedding it to New World hop
punch. Beau’s has hit the
mark with their unique twist
of using some New Zealand
hybrid hops. This makes the
beer much brighter and zestier than the UK version. Let’s
hope Beau’s gets this in bottles for a wider
distribution this spring. It’s a perfect match
for Spicy Mexican or Indian food.
Best International Import
Schneider Hopfen Weisse (LCBO # 164046)
For those who missed this one-time collaboration between two of the world’s best brewers,
I send my sympathy. It may be brewed again,
but I doubt it. Garret Oliver of Brooklyn brewery and Hans-Peter Drexler of G. Schneider
Brewery in Germany managed to marry the
rich terroir of the Bavarian Hallertauer hop
region with the innovation and creative energy
of America’s new microbrewing culture. The
result was a rich unfiltered Imperial Hefeweiss
of incredible depth and force. A great one-time
milestone in brewing that we were privileged
to access in this local market.
www.eatdrink.ca 49
Best U.S. Seasonal Import
Southern Tier Pumking (LCBO 182287) or
Choklat Stout (LCBO 173534)
I had to declare a tie in this category because
these two luxurious beers are equally
resplendent in their respective flavour genres. One is
a super-rich and flavourful
Imperial pumpkin ale, and
the other is a lush, creamy
chocolate ale. What they
have in common is that
they both set off the overload signals in your palate.
Super-intense, naturally
flavoured beers are Southern
Tier’s claim to fame, and we
are fortunate their Ontario
agents Rolland and Russell
are establishing a foothold
for this innovative microbrewer on LCBO shelves.
Best Domestic Import
Les Trois Mousquetaires Microbrasseurs
Grande Cuvée Porter Baltique 2010
Available through private order only (at this
time) through the brewery’s Ontario agents,
HMH Negotiants (and a few beer cafés such
as Chancey Smith’s), this luxurious artisan
black lager is perfect for savouring with a
fine meal or cellaring as part of a collection
of fine artisan beers. Probably the richest,
sturdiest, most flavourful imperial lager
many will ever encounter. At 10 abv, the
750 mL corked & caged cellaring bottle is
best shared with a friend. Let’s hope HMH
gets more of Les Trois Mousquetaires artisan
beers into wider distribution through LCBO
releases.
50
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
Ontario Craft Brewer of the Year
Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co., Vankleek
Hill, Ontario
This is one category that took a lot of deciding, as there were so many good brews
and so much improvement in our local
craft brewing industry this year. We
considered not only the beers they
brewed this year, but their overall
direction and ability to please
the craft-beer consumer with
quality, innovation and
variety. The three finalists were Flying Monkeys,
Muskoka, and Beau’s.
I chose Beau’s because of the
great variety of seasonals they
developed and the quality of
those beers. Beau’s impressive
string of interprovincial craft
beer awards proves that even
picky beer judges like their work.
I found time this year to attend
Canada’s premier beer event,
Mondial de la bière, in Montreal,
and was fortunate to sample the
many Beau’s brews I had not tasted
before. I was impressed with not only the
consistent quality and big flavour, but the
variety and diversity of their brewing skills.
From a juniper-maple flavoured Witbier to
a hoppy Sticke Altbier to a Belgian stout,
oak-aged IPA, Imperial IPA, spiced
UK Brown ales and Dark Marzens,
these guys are not afraid to experiment with style and technique. Look
for them on tap at better beer bistros.
Best LCBO Promotion
The Brewery Features by the LCBO
Whoever is responsible for running (and expanding) this program
should be applauded and encouraged. This new program is exposing more people to artisan brews
and fine ales of both domestic and
international award-winning craft
brewers. The two brewers who have
had a sampling of their best brews
featured in LCBO special releases
were Dieu De Ciel crafted ales from
Quebec and the wonderful Ola
Dubh series of fine old ales by Scotland’s Harviestoun brewery.
Best New Beer Style
Flying Monkeys Brewing, Netherworld
Cascadian Dark Ale (LCBO # 191965)
While the officials argue over what to officially label this new hybrid ale style (Black
IPA, American dark IPA etc.), Peter
Chiodo at Flying Monkeys calls it Cascadian Dark Ale. Cascadian Dark Ale (or
CDA) is a cross between India Pale Ale
and Porter, with some twists. Instead
of ruby highlights in the colour, it has
amber-orange highlights. It is generously dry-hopped with Cascadian
(Pacific NW) hop varieties. The Cascadian dark style is a Canadian innovation first done by microbrewers in
BC. Get out and enjoy this uniquely
Canadian full-flavoured ale when it
hits LCBO shelves and café taps.
Best Leading Edge Local
Micro Beer
Flying Monkeys Atomic Smash
Bomb IPA (On tap and soon to be on
LCBO shelves)
Brewer Peter Chiodo pushed the
envelope of conventional brewing with
this radical IPA but it paid off. Smash Bomb,
wildly popular and highly rated even before
he had it in bottle distribution, was developed around the West Coast Centennial hop
and the new Citra hybrid hop. The wort is
made from two Munich malts, a British floor malt, and local pale malts;
and the brew is hopped at nine stages
in the brewing process, from mash-in
and kettle to dry hopping and infusion
hopping. Unreal hop presence, but
has malt balance and refined bittering. Smash Bomb Atomic IPA tests
Peter’s newest innovative idea of
“burst hopping” – the theory that
casting hops at every possible stage
of the brewing process will yield
complete totality in hop flavour
and aroma, yet offer a controlled
and still enjoyable bitterness. My
palate tells me he succeeded in his
quest. Look for it in pubs and in the
LCBO soon.
Best Off-the-Hook Beer
issue no. 27
BrewDog’s Sink the Bismarck! Quadruple
IPA (Private order through Rolland and Russel)
Wow! This brew is probably the most incredible thing you’ll ever have in your mouth!
I sampled this at the BrewDog dinner at
Chancey Smith’s and
it impacted my whole
perspective on brewing.
It’s that type of brew. All
I can say is that it’s like
an IPA liqueur without
liqueur sweetness. I’ll let
the brewer describe it in
his own words: “Sink the
Bismarck is a quadruple
IPA that contains four
times the hops and four
times the bitterness, and
is frozen four times to create a staggering 41 ABV.”
This is IPA amplified, the
most evocative style of the
craft beer resistance with
the volume cranked off the scale. Kettlehopped, dry-hopped, then freeze-hopped
for a deep fruit, resinous and spicy aroma. A
full-out attack on your taste buds ensues as
the incredibly smooth liquid delivers a crescendo of malt, sweet honey, hop oils and a
torpedo of hop bitterness, which lasts and
lasts.” Let’s hope their Ontario
agents get some more of their
innovative off-the-hook beers
on LCBO shelves this year.
Award for Best Transition to Artisan Brewing
Lakes of Muskoka for their
Double Chocolate Cranberry
Stout.
I have written before about
how Lakes of Muskoka has
enhanced its great lineup of
well-crafted midstream beer
to feature more innovative
artisan seasonal brews that
appeal to more cultured palates. Both their Harvest Ale
and Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout are solid offerings
for the serious ale drinker/
collector, and we await more divergent artisan offerings from this great
microbrewer.
www.eatdrink.ca 51
Best New Brewer
Lake of Bays Brewing.
Darren Smith and the folks at Lake of Bays
brewery live by the expression “Go pro or go
home.” Their investment in a brand-spankingnew, fully equipped microbrewery, slick new
website and upscale marketing graphics
demonstrates their commitment to succeed in the
craft beer market. The sparkling new brewery comes
equipped with brand-new
DME brewing equipment
and a small pilot brewing
system to test new recipes
and brew special one-off
beers. Darren assures me
that LOB brewery will be
“taking a walk on the wild
side” of brewing as soon as
they can turn their attentions from building brand
recognition. If their first
seasonal (Mocha Porter) is
any indication, these guys
can brew big flavour ales!
Best Local Craft Beer Emporium
Chancey Smith’s @ 130 King Street, London
Second year running for Chancey’s winning
this ED award. Other pubs, such as The Morrissey House, The Church Key, The Black
Shire and The London Ale House,
have come a long way in servicing the craft beer community,
but Chancey Smith’s remains the
area’s number-one supporter of
independent craft brewers. They
offer a rotating tap handle forest
of one-off or hard-to-get beers
and a bottle selection of fine
artisan ales a beer sommelier would die for. They host
craft-beer dinners featuring the leading-edge local
and international brewers.
Most of all, Chancey’s has
Milos – a manager so dedicated to craft beer and local
craft brewers that he’s been
known to do a 900-mile
round-trip to pick up limited-release kegs of beer on
his days off. Stop in for a pint — you
won’t be disappointed in the selection.
52
www.eatdrink.ca
The Taste of the Month
issue no. 27
Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40
(LCBO# 143610)
Ola Dubh (Gaelic for “black oil”), a collaboration between the award-winning
Harviestoun Brewery and Highland Park
Distillers, is based on Harviestoun’s awardwinning Old Engine Oil artisan ale. This
deliciously rich, dark, 8 fine old ale is
the first ale to be aged in 40-year-old malt
whisky casks from Highland Park. If you
choke on the sticker price, Harviestoun has a
12-year-old reserve Ola Dubh (LCBO 107672)
at a very reasonable price for an oak-aged
reserve fine ale. Also available are Harviestoun reserve aged in 16-, 18- and 30-year
old whisky oak barrels (LCBO# 170680,
180315 & 107698, respectively). There is an
oak-aged Harviestoun old ale for every beer
budget, but the 40-year reserve is lush old
ale sipping at it’s best. Pick a few up to cellar
– a wise addition to your expanding fine ale
collection.
Ola Dubh 40 Year Old Reserve aroma/
flavour profile: Pours a viscous deep dark
black light-defying fluid into the snifter.
Small tight tan cap laces the glass. Aroma is
pungent and becomes more complex as it
warms. I get prunes, grapes, figs, fermenting
raisins, smoky peat, licorice, burnt treacle,
some musty oak tones, saddle soap. Flavour profile: Front side is filled with dried
fruit tones, slightly vinous but by midway, a
smoky-peaty-charred roastiness mingles to
create some very complex flavours. The finish goes peaty-oaky-roasty, whiskey barrel,
saddle leather with a surprising cleanness
and sharpness, and a light salty taste as the
fusel alcohol shows at the very end. Thick
viscous body, oily mouth feel, aged rounded
character. The brewers got exactly what they
wanted with this process – a fine old ale with
its dark dried-fruit character married to the
oaky-smoky tastes of the whiskey barrel. An
artisanal, complex, rich, warming drink – the
epitome of decadence.
Odds ’n Suds
Brew News from the Local Craft Beer Community
Cheshire Valley Brewing is a new brewing company that deserves notice. They
are currently without a brewery, but have
their brews contract-brewed by Black Oak
microbrewery in Etobicoke. Cheshire Valley
Brewing has been releasing a different style
of ale every couple of months. None of the
CVB beers are filtered, in order to maximize
the ale flavour experience. To date, they have
released a mild ale in November, a robust
porter in January, a dry stout in March, and
an IPA in May, all on tap (no bottled product yet). CVB Mild Ale is currently on tap at
Chancey Smith’s.
Railway City Brewing of St. Thomas continues with their regimen of offering a rotating
selection of seasonal beers. Late fall saw
an Orchard Harvest Ale made with locally
grown apples. Winter should see the release
of RCB’s Colonel Talbot Coffee Stout, and
their Chocolate-Cherry Porter. Great to see
local brewers trying new styles.
Grand River Brewing in Galt has added
a new brew to their standard lineup. It’s a
Kolsch-styled pale ale they have branded
“1913 Traditional.” It’s a very flavourful coldconditioned pale beer with some light apple
and pear fruit tones, a sturdy biscuity malt
spine, a minty Perle hop bite, and a smooth
drinking character. I’ve tried it and found it
very thirst-quenching with fish and chips or
just on its own. They should sell lots of this
on tap.
THE MALT MONK is the alter ego of D.R. Hammond, a
passionate support of craft beer culture.
www.eatdrink.ca 53
issue no. 27
WINE
An International Favourite
Icewine is seasonal ... and local too!
By Rick VanSickle
T
he ritual of picking
grapes in the freezing
cold of winter and
trying to crush the
hard, marble-like orbs
into a luxurious and
magical drink wasn’t invented in Canada.
But it was Canadians who perfected the art
of making icewine and marketing it to the
rest of the world.
Icewine, or eiswein, originated in Germany. But only Ontario has a climate cold
enough to guarantee production every year.
While B.C. was the first Canadian province
to jump on the icewine bandwagon, it was in
Ontario that the new product truly flourished
with Donald Ziraldo, cofounder of Inniskillin, along with
winemaker Karl Kaiser, setting aside a
few rows of Vidal for late harvest grapes.
First attempts at a viable product were
unsuccessful but persistence paid off, and
in 1991, at Vinexpo in Bordeaux, the most
important wine fair in the world, Inniskillin’s 1989 Vidal Icewine shocked the wine
world by winning the fair’s highest award, Le
Grand Prix d’Honneur. It put Canada on the
world wine map and launched an industry
that remains the most lucrative wine export
in this country.
While Ziraldo and Kaiser no longer own
Inniskillin, the Niagara-on-the-Lake winery
3 course meal
A 29 DIFFERENT
AT
REST
RESTAURANTS
For Only $25
GO TO
londonlicious.ca
for menus and restaurants!!
Call today to make your reservation.
Seating is limited!
LONDON’S
TOP RESTAURANTS
REST
J AN 21 - FEB 6 , 2 01 1
54
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
remains an industry leader in the making of
the sweet, lush wine.
Today, icewine producers are working hard
to promote these sweet wines as the perfect
match for a variety of foods and occasions.
To inspire icewine lovers to look beyond
traditional usage to create memorable experiences for themselves and their guests, Inniskillin has put together a list of simple recipes,
pairings and tips, which you can find at www.
inniskillin.com/en/ice/iceFood.asp.
These were created by Inniskillin
estate chef, David Penny. “With so
many components to work with,
you can either allow icewine to
complement the pairing, or be
bold and contrast it. It works both
ways,” Penny says.
Here are some simple ideas from
Penny when matching icewine to
food.
With cheese: Icewine and cheese
makes an incredible pairing
experience at the beginning
or end of the meal. Combine the
strength, flavour and rich texture of icewine
with cheeses such as blue-veined, triplecream, goat cheese, washed rind cheeses,
aged cheeses, and salty parmesan.
With appetizers: Icewine’s bold flavour is
wonderful with a wide range of appetizers such as foie gras, fresh shucked oysters and savoury hors d’oeuvres.
With salad: Experiment with your
favourite vinaigrette by replacing some of
the vinegar with icewine (approximately
half ). The natural sweetness tones down
any sharp acidity in greens or other
ingredients.
With the main course: Icewine lends
unique flavours to glazes, sauces and
marinades. Riesling and Vidal icewines
are unforgettable when paired with rich
seafood, sushi and Thai food. Sparkling
icewine is the most versatile, and can
it pair with almost anything, due to
the freshness and dryness perception
caused by the bubbles, which lasts from
the beginning to the end of a meal, and it
also stands up to the heat in spicy foods.
With dessert: Your dessert will never
be sweeter than the icewine. For easy
pairings, remember that white icewine is
beautiful with fruit-based desserts, while red
icewine is exquisite with dark chocolate.
Recommendations
Inniskillin Riesling Icewine 2007 ($70 for
375 mL, Vintages, 4.5 stars) — An expressive
nose of sweet petrol, lemon zest, citrus rind,
blood orange and honey. A lovely
wine on the palate with dried apricot,
candied fruit, peach, and wild honey
on a fleshy frame, all leading to a
long-lasting finish. Beautiful now, but
will age for a decade or more.
Inniskillin Vidal Icewine 2007
($50 for 375 mL, Vintages, winery,
4.5–5 stars) — An exotic, thrilling
sweet wine with pear, peach, mango
and tropical fruits on the nose. It’s
thick and juicy on the palate, with
lovely integrated fruit flavours and
sweet wild flower honey notes.
Henry of Pelham Riesling, Vidal
and Cabernet Franc Icewine 2007
($100 for three 200 mL bottles,
Vintages Dec. 11 or winery) — A
great sampler pack of three classic
icewines from Henry of Pelham.
The Riesling (4 stars) is a treat with
citrus, peach, and dried apricot
notes, all nicely balanced with juicy acidity. The Vidal (4.5 stars) shows complex
mango and tropical fruits in a textured and
layered style that’s classic Vidal. The Cabernet Franc (4 stars) is all about raspberry,
cherry, and cranberry jam notes, with a
hint of herbs and spice in a super-sweet
style. Moderate acidity.
Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Grand
Reserve Gewurztraminer Icewine
2007 ($35 for 200 mL, Vintages, 4.5
stars) — This is a spectacular wine with
an incredible 246 grams per litre of
residual sugar, a super-sweet style that
doesn’t feel like it on the palate because
of a vibrant core of acidity. The nose
shows spicy, tropical fruits and floral
notes with added ginger and grapefruit.
The ginger lights up on the palate with
quince, candied fruit and grapefruit
flavours in layer after layer, all the way
through a lush, textured finish.
Enjoy!
RICK VANSICKLE is an avid wine collector and
freelance wine writer. He writes a weekly column on Niagara
wines for the St. Catharines Standard. He can be reached at
winesniagara@gmail.com. Check out his website: www.winesinniagara.com.
presented by eatdrink magazine
featuring:
Stay in touch!
56
www.eatdrink.ca
issue no. 27
THE LIGHTER SIDE
A Love Letter to Campus Hi-Fi
By Meg Perie
O
h, I think we’ve all been there.
Bleary-eyed, pounding headache,
and a queasiness that feels as
though radioactive waste resides in
your stomach. I speak not of the flu. Rather, I
speak of that condition known affectionately
as the hangover.
I’m sure that after that punchy opener,
it sounds as though I willingly
take on this state regularly. Perhaps, at one point in my life, but
alas, I now try hard to limit the
appearance of the loathsome
hangover. However, having had
lots of practice in the past, I am
now an expert at alleviating the morningafter-blues.
Forget the raw egg concoctions. Forget the
banana followed by a bath while listening
to Enya. The secret to remedying the vodka
sweats? Look no further than the holy trinity
of starch, dairy, and grease. Sure, you can
find this curative combination in the standard breakfasts we know and love — you’ve
got your two eggs, some kind of protein,
home fries, and toast. Effective? Certainly.
Dependable? Of, course! But, I ask you, why
not take that a step further?
On those rare occasions when I find
myself bombarded with the spins, haunted
by last night’s disastrous attempt at the running man, there is but one place that holds
the key to sober salvation: The Campus
Hi-Fi, a London classic since 1957. What
separates my precious Hi-Fi from your standard diner breakfast (don’t worry, they still
have all the eggs/toast/hash browns/meat
combos you could ask for) is the Ukrainian
Breakfast. This therapeutic smorgasbord
includes a healthy serving of perogies with
sour cream, two eggs, Polish sausage, and
toast. When you are hung over, this combination of dairy, protein, and grease not
only re-lines the walls of your stomach, but
served alongside Hi-Fi’s surprisingly strong
coffee, I feel like a new woman!
A huge part of this restaurant’s charm,
beyond the consistently satisfying diner fare
and competitive prices, is the staff. If you
visit the Hi-Fi on most any day, there are two
wonderful waitresses that will greet you. As
a fellow server, I can tell you without a shred
of doubt that these two women are the genuine article — true artists — in what is often
an underrated profession. While we are not
on a first name basis — yet — one waitress
is the kindly, uber-efficient
grandmotherly type, while the
other server is a bit like Carla
from Cheers: friendly, funny,
with an uncanny capacity to
call you “darling” and “hon” in
a completely sincere way.
Truth be told, I have loved the Hi-Fi since I
was a little girl. It was here that I sampled rice
pudding for the first time. It was here that I had
my first float. And it was here that the importance of a healthy breakfast after a night on
the town was impressed upon my psyche. Not
many establishments can see someone from
innocence to debauchery so seamlessly, but
the Hi-Fi ... well, the Hi-Fi is special.
If you haven’t yet visited the Campus Hi-Fi,
I ask but one question: What, pray tell, are
you waiting for? Get thee to the Hi-Fi, stat!
Even if you are not suffering from the previous night’s indulgences, it is still a wonderful
place to enjoy the best breakfast menu in
town with a cup of Joe and listen in on the
poor choices made by others while under the
influence. Is Campus Hi-Fi for the prissiest
of gourmands? Not so much. The Hi-Fi is a
place with dependable, delicious diner fare
where you will instantly feel comfortable. Get
to this gem early, though, because it is packed
Saturday and Sunday mornings.
CAMPUS HI-FI (519-434-5881) is located at 736 Richmond Street, between Oxford and Piccadilly Streets. If you’re
driving, I recommend parking on Piccadilly Street.
MEG PIRIE is a lifelong Londoner and freelance writer/
bartender/server. Check out the amusing blog she co-authors
at biglondonlittlelondon.blogspot.com. And remember, tip
generously.
“Want a taste of
this year’s hottest
food trends?”
enRoute magazine
November 2010
Try our 3-course
Londonlicious menu
for only $25/person!
Jan 17th to Feb 10th
Private
Dining
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Auberge du Petit Prince
Auberge is set in a restored 19th-century home with an intimate cozy
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We offer traditional French food with a modern flair. Come, be our guests
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Dinner starting at $18 / Lunch starting at $12
3-course group menus starting at $22 per person
Reserve your private room, for 6 to 55 guests
Rooms and facilities available for full- and
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WE CATER TO:
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Holiday Parties
Business Meetings
Special Occasions
Weddings & Anniversaries
Corporate Events
Nicole Arroyas, Executive Chef/Owner
Wedding cakes,
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cakes & French
pastries available
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Gift Certificates Availablel
For true romantics
Valentine’s Day...!
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Monnday to Saturday from 11:30 am
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am ttoo 4 pm
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519-434-7124
View our intimate rooms and full menus online at
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Idlewyld - eatdrink Magazine

Transcription

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