Feast Of Fields

Feast of Fields is an annual event that provides Ontario chefs and farmers the opportunity to come together to create a sustainable organic gourmet experience.

This year marks the 20th Anniversary celebration of Feast of Fields. The team at Organic Advocates are planning to make the event the best ever.

Where 

Kortright Centre Organic Farm
9550 Pine Valley Drive
Woodbridge, Ontario
http://www.kortright.org/

Contact: feastoffields@gmail.com

When
Sunday, September 13, 2009
1:00 - 5:00 p.m

Organic Advocates/Feast of Fields was established in 1989 by chefs Jamie Kennedy and Michael Stadtlander and other like-minded professionals. Organic Advocates is a non-profit organization of organic producers, environmentally concerned chefs and other food professionals, and enlightened consumers.

Feast of Fields mandate is to promote awareness of the environmental and human benefits of organic agriculture. To increase both co-operation and market relationships between organic producers, interested food professionals and consumers. The group endeavours to establish links with other environmental organizations with the intention to furthering public awareness of the importance of organic agriculture and to support organic projects and events.

All images and information courtesy of Feast of Fields

Tea Poached Pears & Caramel Sauce

I love cooking with tea and this dessert recipe is perfect for the season's harvest pears. In this particular recipe incarnation of poached pears, I have used a spicy Chai tea with the flavours and bouquet of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mint, and nutmeg. Do experiment though. If you want a more subtle "true" tea flavour try black tea, the distinctive muscatel characteristics of Illam Nepal is lovely with pears. Experiment with green tea using Jasmine or with my favourite Oolong tea, Quangzhou Milk Oolong.

Cooking with tea is one of the easiest ways to impart a unique flavour to your cooking. Dried leaves can add crunch and flavour to rubs for fish, meat or poultry & brewed tea can be used as a braising liquid or a marinade. Cakes, cookies, fruit and dessert sauces will become exotic with a certain "je ne c'est quoi"!


Tea Poached Pears with Caramel Sauce
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients for the Pears

4 cups water6 tsp Chai tea
½ cup granulated sugar1 lemon, zest and juice
4 firm but ripe Bosc pears
1 cup creme fraiche or whipped cream for garnish

Method

1. In medium saucepan, bring water to 185 degrees F or just under boiling. Add tea; cover and brew 5 minutes. Remove tea. Stir in sugar, zest and half of the lemon juice.
2. Meanwhile, keeping pear whole, peel fruit leaving stem intact and cut slice from bottom of the pear to make level
3. Using a melon baller, remove core from underside of pears.
4. Add pears to tea mixture in saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally for ½ hour or until pears are tender.

Ingredients for the Caramel Sauce

½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Method

1. To prepare caramel sauce, place sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat, stirring just until sugar dissolves.
2. Continue to cook, swirling pan occasionally until mixture turns a golden caramel colour, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and carefully stir in 3 tbsp (45 ml) of pear poaching liquid, and butter.

To Serve

1. Spoon some of the caramel sauce onto the centre of a dessert plate and tilting the pate in a circular motion to evenly distribute the sauce on the plate.
2. Place each pear upright in the centre and knap (spoon over) just enough of the caramel sauce to lightly glaze the pear.
3. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche or whipped cream.

Eggplant Parmesan Naples Style Parmigiana di Melanzane

This is the perfect time of year to make Eggplant Parmesan or Parmigiana di Melanzane. August is harvest month for the lovely deep purple eggplant in Ontario and most of North America. The eggplants you will find now can be smaller which makes them perfect for the individual sized portions of this recipe.

Many regions of Italy lay claim to the origin of this delicious dish but my favourite version comes from Naples and is one of the best examples of this most interesting of Italian regional cuisines. You can’t go wrong however you choose to prepare it and Italians say that even if eggplant parmesan is prepared badly it still tastes great!

If you can, use a locally produced fresh mozzarella but when you want to go all out try using Italian Mozzarella di Bufala from Italy’s Campania region. Natural Pastures in British Columbia is the only producer that I know of (there may be others) that produces mozzarella di bufala in Canada. And if you choose not to use smoked mozzarella you can eliminate it altogether. Another great choice would be Quebec’s famous Oka cheese. Oka is a semi-soft cheese with a distinctive flavour that could be described as smoky.

Parmigiana di Melanzane
Eggplant Parmesan
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
· 6 Vine ripened tomatoes
· 28 fl.oz (796 ml) Italian plum tomatoes, canned
· 4 cloves Garlic, minced
· 2 cups (500 ml) Extra virgin olive oil
· 4 lbs (2 kg) eggplant, peeled and sliced into rounds
· 1 bunch Basil, whole leaves
· 12 oz (340 grams) Mozzarella, thinly sliced
· 7 oz (200 grams) Smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced
· 1½ cups (185 grams) Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, plus more for serving
· Sea salt to taste

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 325°
2. In a medium saucepan combine the canned tomatoes, a branch of basil, the chopped garlic, salt and 4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes – longer if you have the time.
3. When done crush the mixture with a potato masher.
4. Peel the eggplants and slice into ½ inch thick slices.
5. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet until it is very hot, just until it starts to smoke.
6. Place the eggplant slices in the skillet (always remember to drop them in away from you) four or five at a time, until golden brown on one side, then turn to do the other side.
7. Drain the slices on paper towel and sprinkle as you go with sea salt.
8. Slice the mozzarella, smoked mozzarella and fresh tomatoes into ¼ inch slices.
9. Wash the basil leaves, pat dry and remove the stems.

Assembly
1. In a 9x13 inch baking dish or pan place a layer of the crushed tomato mixture on the bottom of the baking dish
2. Add a layer of the eggplant.
3. Then a layer of the sliced fresh tomato and one or two basil leaves.
4. Next a layer of the mozzarella and smoked mozzarella and 3-4 tablespoons of the Parmigiano Reggiano/Grana Padano.
5. Start again with another layer of eggplant and repeat with the other ingredients.
6. Make at least three layers of eggplant and 2 layers of the cheese and tomato.
7. Bake uncovered for approximately 30 minutes and allow to cool slightly before serving.
8. Garnish with some of the remaining whole basil leaves and sprinkle with more grated Parmigiano Reggiano/Grana Padano for serving.

Adapted & inspired by Benedetta Vitali

Susan’s Summer Salad

Recently my dear friend Susan invited me over for dinner and served one of the best salads I've ever tasted. Yes, when I like something I love it!

I have adjusted the ingredients somewhat (but not much). This salad accommodates soft leafy greens but could work well with just about any lettuce you choose. Susan usually makes her lovely vinaigrette with honey Dijon mustard. But because I am a honey addict the recipe here uses a blueberry honey and regular Dijon mustard. Either way the outcome is delicious. The vinegar should not be too mouth puckering so I chose a really lovely apple cider vinegar produced at the Abbaye Saint Benoit in the Eastern Townships in the province of Quebec.

Have fun with this great salad, use fruit that is in season for a subtly changing flavour througout the summer.

Susan’s Summer Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients for vinaigrette: 

· ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
· ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
· 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
· 1 large tablespoon honey

Method:

1. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard and honey.
2. While whisking, drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream, slowly into the vinegar,mustard and honey. The result will be a creamy emulsified vinaigrette.

Ingredients for the salad:

· 75 g or 3oz wild or baby arugula
· 1 head red leaf, butter, or Boston lettuce
· 10-15 cherries* cut in halves
· 10-15 strawberries* cut in halves or quartered
· 1-2 peaches** chopped in ¼ or ½ inch cubes
· ½ cup blueberries
· ½ cup melon** honeydew, canary or cantaloupe chopped into ½ inch cubes
· 1 avocado chopped in ½ inch pieces
· 4-8 leaves green or purple basil
· ½ cup feta cheese cubed
· sea salt
· freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Wash greens, drain well and tear into little more than bite-size pieces
2. Chop peaches. If you prefer to leave the skin on the peaches you can especially if they are first of the season. You could also substitute firm in season apricots* for the peaches.
3. If strawberries are in season (May–early July) use them but later, use cherries. Strawberries should be halved or quartered. For the cherries, if you don’t have a cherry pitter, slice off 4 pieces by cutting close to the pit. You miss a little but it is a fast and easy way to cut cherries.
4. For the avocado, slice in half and remove pit. With a small knife, slice each avocado half with the skin on, into ¼ inch slices. Then slice length-wise. Remove the skin.
5. Cube the melon if using **
6. Cube or crumble the feta cheese.
7. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces.
8. Assemble the salad.
9. Add sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
10. Drizzle with Honey Mustard vinaigrette
11. Toss well but lightly and serve

* Using in-season local fruit and vegetables is a great way to keep this salad fresh all summer long. The quantity of berries you use will depend on how small or large the berries are and your taste.
** I prefer to use either peaches or melon but not together as the tastes are similarly sweet but don’t compliment one another.

Aphrodite A Memoir of the Senses

Lately I have been preoccupied with the recession and the dismal state of the food production system among other, shall we say, somewhat less than inspiring issues. The dreamer and romantic put aside. But upon opening Aphrodite A Memoir Of The Senses by journalist and author Isabel Allende, I was immediately seduced (aahh to be seduced!) - the lover recalled. This book promises to be a romp through the ages combined with the seduction of food. Hard to believe I have not made it past the first three pages isn't it? So taken with the dedication, quote and introduction the desire to share the book's seductive preamble has lead me back to my computer. Get ready...

Dedication:

I dedicate these erotic
meanderings to playful lovers
and, why not?
also to frightened men and
melancholy women

Quote from Srngarkarika, Kumaradadatta, twelfth century

Her breath is like honey spiced with cloves,
her mouth delicious as a ripened mango
To press kisses on her skin is to taste the lotus,
The deep cave of her navel hides a store of spices
What pleasure lies beyond,the tongue knows,
But cannot speak of it.
Introduction and Rondo Capricciosso

The fiftieth year of our life is like
the last hour of dusk,
when the sun has set and one turns
naturally toward reflection
In my case, however, dusk incites me to sin,
and perhaps for that reason,
in my fiftieth year I find myself reflecting
on my relationship
with food and eroticism; the weaknesses
of the flesh that most tempt
me are not, alas,
those I have practiced most!

I can hardly wait to dig into this sensuous tale of Allende's personal memories, folklore, legends and as the dust jacket states: memorable moments from literature - erotic and otherwise...a feast of fascinating facts about the aphrodisiac powers of food and drink.
Aphrodite was published in 1998 - while I was occupied with my own adventures in Italy which explains why I missed this gem at the time. If you can't wait for my review you're forgiven for running to the library or bookstore to pick up a copy for yourself.
A toast to the joy of life. Bon appetit!

Pizza Pizza Salt Lick Relief - Is It Enough?

Following up on my recent post Canadians Consume Piles of Salt, Canada's fast food chain, Pizza Pizza announced August 4th it has introduced a whole wheat multi grain crust with 25% less sodium than its original “classic” crust. Customers can also request a thinner crust which will further reduce sodium intake. Pizza Pizza has achieved the lower salt content by reformulating the ingredients.

The Pizza Pizza Nutritional Information shows that a single walk-in slice of pepperoni pizza (277 gram serving) contains 1710 mgs of sodium. However it's not clear if this is the updated information with the reduced sodium content. A Globe and Mail article dated August 5th states that "A walk-in slice of classic pepperoni pizza (286-gram serving) contains 1,630 milligrams of sodium."

The introduction by Pizza Pizza of the new lower sodium crust is good news. Does it go far enough? Probably not. But it is important to recognize that a company like Pizza Pizza is giving consumers some lower sodium choices. Hopefully they will continue the reformulation process with other items on the Pizza Pizza menu. The company also added a gluten-free crust to the menu in June 2008.

Health Canada recommends a daily intake of 2100 mgs of sodium or approximately one tablespoon of salt. The Canadian Stroke Network, the Canadian Obesity Network and the Advanced Foods and Materials Network awarded the second annual national Salt Lick Award in February 2009 to the country’s pizza producers for loading the popular fast food with blood pressure raising sodium.

Photograph courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Tea is a Divine Herb

Photograph courtesy of Jeff Fuchs

After water, tea is the most consumed drink in the world. Tea is romance, history, a divine herb, and a business. Tea embodies the spirituality of life. And the fiscal prosperity life requires.
                                                                            

There is so much more to tea than just your daily cuppa. Find out what this delightful beverage has come to mean to us over the centuries in the The Meaning of Tea. The fabulous life of tea is portrayed beautifully, giving us insight into how we humans relate to the divine herb. If you are in the Toronto area The Tea Emporium is currently in the midst of arranging a screening of this inspiring portrayal of a beverage many take for granted.

All the photos here are by friend, author of The Ancient Tea Horse Road and photographer, Jeff Fuchs. Fuchs currently lives in Shangrila where (among other adventures) he is documenting the lives of nomads living within the tea regions of China's southern Yunnan province. These are just a taste!

Conscious Food Fest in Toronto

Toronto Tasting Notes earlier today blogged about the Conscious Food Festival and posted on Twitter where I found it. I think this could be a seminal event for Canadians supporting local sustainable food producers across the country. The Conscious Food Festival's inaugural event will take place at Toronto's historic Fort York site. Although participant details for the event are still in the works I believe this is an event to keep an eye on. With the likes of Chef Jeff Crump of Ancaster Old Mill, Banff's Ryan Rivard owner of The Bison Restaurant and the folks from Everdale Environmental and Power Juncture involved Conscious Food Festival is sure to be a success!

If you're interested in becoming a vendor or you just want to attend go to http://www.consciousfoodfestival.ca/ for more information.

When:
Saturday September 26th 11:00am - 8:00pm
Sunday September 27th 11:00am - 8:00pm

Where:
Historic Fort York
100 Garrison Road (near the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds)
Toronto, ON

The Founders:

Scott Rondeau and Emma Brown of the Power Juncture Corporation founded the Conscious Food Festival. They are also the founders of the Toronto Wine and Spirit Festival (June 19 & 20, 2009 – Distillery District). Scott Rondeau is also the co-founder of Toronto’s Festival of Beer.

The nine person organizing committee includes:

- Jeff Crump, Executive Chef The Ancaster Old Mill, Ancaster ON
- Ryan Rivard, Owner The Bison Restaurant & Lounge, Banff AB
- Brendan Johnson, Executive Director Everdale Environmental Learning Centre, Hillsburg ON
- Scott Rondeau, Co-founder of the Conscious Food Festival & President of The Power Juncture Corporation
- Emma Brown, Co-founder of the Conscious Food Festival

Conscious Food Festival Manifesto

The evolution of civilization is under way. Canadians are opening to change. Most of us now know that the consequences of our lifestyles are impactful and are accelerating. The time has come to take the dialogue about sustainability to the next level. We can do this in many ways, but it’s the small things that add up…small changes really can make a difference.

The Conscious Food Festival will focus on everyday behaviour and habits with the understanding that lifestyles must evolve. To this end, the Conscious Food Festival is about helping achieve truly sustainable communities by educating people in an area that everyone is involved in every single day… Food.

The following are considerations when deliberating vendors, sponsors and partners for the Festival.

Our Mission: To inspire consumers to have a clear, guiding philosophy through which they can mediate between their sometimes competing identities as an environmentally conscious person and a consumer.
Our Initiative: Helping people evolve healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.
Our Manifesto: These are Guidelines and although our goal is to adhere to as many as possible it is understood that companies (like our event and manifesto)… will evolve.

The manifesto Committee will vote based on these guidelines building a 5 and 10 year plan.

• Company considers a strong connection between plate and plane
• Company makes an effort to limit/reduce/eliminate foot print
• Company is Local‐ if company is not local they will be considered if they purchase Carbon Off‐Setting Credits from our list of Carbon Off‐Setting Associations/Companies
• Company considers Natural – that products are produced in a clean way thatdoes not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health
• Company considers Healthy – conducive to good health
• Company considers Delicious – that the food we eat tastes good/is pleasing to
• the senses
• Company is Socially Responsible
• Company is Socially Accountable
• Company makes sustainable lifestyles more convenient and attractive in their work place; does the company utilize the three R’s (Reduce Recycle, Reuse) in their operations/philosophy through to production
• Company has “Green” initiatives
• Does the company use materials that are non‐toxic
• Does the Company have products that have been ethically produced
• Company practices what they preach, starting with their own day to day lives.

Canadians Consume Piles of Salt

Last week media across the country told Canadians that we consume more sodium in the food we eat than any other country in the world. This information comes from a recently released study undertaken by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) .

If you are Canadian and eat out a lot, particularly fast food, you are putting yourself at a higher risk for heart disease than any other country surveyed in the study. International restaurant chains selling burgers, submarine sandwiches and onion rings in Canada contain significantly higher levels of sodium than the same products sold in other countries. Sodium, sugar and fat are used to make poor quality bland ingredients palatable.

In Canada a single serving of onion rings from Burger King contains 620 mg of sodium compared to the 200 mg of sodium found in the same product produced by the chain in Britain. It is estimated that a hamburger from a fast-food restaurant contains about 1,000-mg. Grilled chicken sandwich: 1,250 mg. A single egg roll: 400 mg. One large slice of pizza can come in at more than 1,000 mg of sodium

Many fast food companies say that sodium levels differ from country to country based on preference. Are Canadians asking for more salt? How are these salty taste levels tested? Focus groups? Surverys, research and analysis? Any results they can share with us?

Three of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence, The Canadian Stroke Network, the Canadian Obesity Network and the Advanced Foods and Materials Network awarded the second annual national Salt Lick Award this past February to the country’s pizza producers for loading the popular fast-food with blood-pressure raising sodium. The 2009 Salt Lick Award coincided with World Salt Awareness Week an effort by some 20 countries around the world to highlight the excessive amounts of sodium in fast food and restaurant fare.

An adequate daily intake of sodium for most adult Canadians is 1,500 mg or less. 1 level teaspoon of salt contains just over 6 grams of salt. 6 grams of salt contains about 2,300 mg of sodium.

According to the WASH survey many products found on supermarket shelves contain high levels of sodium. Interestingly these amounts differ from country to country. It appears that sodium levels are highest in Canada and lowest in Britain. Britain initiated an aggressive campaign a few years ago to reduce salt consumption. High levels of salt consumption are linked to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease and are believed to be the leading cause of these diseases.

Processed foods are the main source of sodium Canadians consume and make up the 70% + average daily sodium intake. Only about 15% of our sodium intake comes from salt added during cooking or at the table.

Some food manufacturers claim that it would be extremely costly to reduce sodium in their products because to do so requires a complex product reformulation process. This begs the question: are we not worth the time, effort and money? If what is in their products ultimately kills people are they not to be held responsible? Campbell Soup has reduced sodium in their soup products and launched an aggressive marketing plan. Have we heard them complaining of reduced revenue? Not a peep.

Kellog Canada cereals were identified in the WASH survey as having major variances in sodium levels compared to data from other countries. A 100 gram portion of original Special K contains 931 mg of sodium in Canada, compared to 450 mg in France, Norway, Britain and various other countries.

Dietary sodium contributes to 17,000 cases a year of stroke and heart disease in Canada, says study produced by researchers at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary and Simon Fraser University, co-authored by Dr. Norm Campbell of the Canadian Stroke Network.

“High levels of sodium in fast and prepared foods often go hand-in-hand with higher calories and fat content, adding significant health risks to the equation,” explains Dr. Arya M. Sharma, Scientific Director of the Canadian Obesity Network in a recent press release. “Overweight and obese people have heightened sensitivity to the effects of sodium, and will experience higher increases in blood pressure in response to sodium intake than normal-weight individuals. It is therefore extremely important for people above a healthy weight to limit salt intake in the diet.”

Food label facts compiled by Sodium 101.ca.
- Sodium free: less than 5 mg of sodium per serving.
- Low sodium: 140 mg or less per serving.
- Reduced sodium: 25% less sodium than the original product
- Lower in sodium): 25% less sodium content than comparable products (may still be high).
- No added sodium: No salt or sodium was added during processing (may still contain sodium).
- Lightly salted: Contains at least 50% less added sodium than is typically added to comparable products (may still be high).

A high-sodium diet increases blood pressure and high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease, kidney disease and dementia. High sodium consumption has also been linked to osteoporosis, asthma, stomach cancer and obesity.

Health Canada's Working Group on Dietary Sodium Reduction met in Ottawa in February 2009 to begin development of a strategy to lower sodium content in the diets of Canadians. The strategy will include education and voluntary reductions of sodium levels in processed foods and research.

Jazz'n Toronto Beaches

Summer in Toronto is fun and entertaining. This is a city of summer festivals. Whatever your tastes may be there is guaranteed to be a festival for you. Foodies hit Summerlicious for prix fixe menus at "A" list restaurants, Taste of the Danforth for the Greek experience and the CHIN Italian picnic among many. We have the biggest, baddest and boldest Pride Week celebration that entertains you with one of the grooviest parades you’ll ever hope to see. Then comes Caribana Festival, the largest West Indian carnival celebration outside of the islands and the largest in North America. Luminato entertains with numerous amazing cultural events like Cirque de Soleil and downtown Toronto boasts a major jazz festival that attracts musicians like Dave Brubeck. The Toronto Islands host several events each summer such as the traditional Chinese sport, the Dragon Boat Races and Wakestock where Canada's biggest action sports and music festival hijinks are outdone only by the good looking young things keeping the beat. Racing through the city's streets the deafening roar of the Indy race arrives before being seen - the speed, the excitement, the very fast expensive cars and people!

Toronto is the kind of place that you never have to leave to experience the world. The world has come to us. It’s a city of such cultural diversity that on any given day or night something is happening that you’ve probably never seen nor done before. And it all breaks loose come summertime! Can’t get out of the city? Spend the entire season going from one event or festival to another and never be bored. At times you may even feel that you have actually traveled to another place.

My particular favourite summer event is The Beaches International Jazz Festival. The downtown jazz fest is bigger but this one is in my neighbourhood. The Beaches is 15 minutes from the centre of Toronto but worlds away. During the early years of the 20th century this is where Torontonians came to picnic, or rent a sail or row boat and spend the day at the beach with the family. And they still do. In its hey day as a summer get away a lucky few came to spend time in their summer home to escape the bustle of city life. The neighbourhood retains its summer town atmosphere and remains a destination for many Torontonians wanting to enjoy a day at the beach or to enjoy a stroll along the boardwalk on a summers’ evening.

During the four days of the Beaches Jazz Festival all I need do is walk out my door to have music and laughter envelope me. Up and down the tree lined avenues the music wafts its way through the hood down to the shores of Lake Ontario. A warm sunny day is the only other thing to wish for. It’s a street fest that engages the neighbourhood and has attracted millions of fans over its 21 year history.

Queen Street East closes Thursday night through Sunday evening for blocks. Whatever your taste in jazz you’re certain to find it here along with R&B, world, rock, and blues. I think I may even have heard a little country one year. It wasn’t always as musically eclectic but now has a little something for every musical taste as more and more people come to enjoy the festival.

Thursday night tends to be locals night. The crowds have not yet descended giving neighbours and friends the opportunity for a leisurely stroll. Going on for blocks taking in the music, the food and the people. Festivals of any kind are great for people watching and the Beaches Jazz is no exception.

This festival is not just for music lovers. The festival is a family affair from babies to grandparents; everyone comes out to take in the scene. Bring the stroller, blankets, deck chairs and voila it’s a gathering of the ages. Without doubt the festival brings out lovers. This past weekend I noticed more couples walking arm in arm, hand in hand, stopping to snuggle and kiss while some of course just could not keep their hands off one another. It’s a hot scene!

I love my neighbourhood. The jazz festival adds a layer of joy. The people are great, the street food gets better every year, the atmosphere is friendly and the music is wonderful. Who knows perhaps sometime we all will fall in love to the sound of jazz on a hot summer night.

Preserving Joy

Last week I went on a berry hunting spree. Truth be told, it did not take much hunting to find the berry treasure because this is their season. Almost any variety you can imagine is available at this time of year in Canada and the US.

Ontario and Toronto grocery stores have a good selection and most stock local in season berries and fruit from Ontario and Canadian growers. You might be surprised to see that many import from the US even at this time of the year. Make sure you read the signs carefully and search for the local produce. You won’t be disappointed with the quality.

A better and even more fun way to shop for berries and other in season, local Ontario fruit is at a farmers market. The Brickworks farmers market and St.Lawrence Market are good bets in the Toronto area. And don’t ignore your local neighbourhood markets as many source locally and if you’re lucky they’re not only local but often organic too.

If you live in Ontario Pick Your Own Crop Harvest Calendar lists the fruits and vegetables available in season throughout the year. A great resource for what’s in season even if you don’t want to pick your own. This site also advises you when to pick, includes recipes, freezing, equipment and much more!

 I also found Ontario sour cherries in my neighbourhood markets last week. An unexpected treat! Though it’s a little late in the season you may still be able to find some this week. The great thing about cherries is that they can be preserved in alcohol. Use brandy for sweet cherries and sour cherries can be macerated in sugar for a little added sweetness prior to preserving in vodka. Some people will drain sour cherries but I prefer to use the juice as well. Later for a real treat, drain some of the cherries for dipping in chocolate!

Another bonus that many city dwellers don’t know about is that sour cherry trees (among other fruit bearing trees) often grow in their own neighbourhoods. Not Far From the Tree became aware of this local bounty and organizes groups of volunteers each season to harvest these fruit trees. One third of the harvest goes to the owner of the tree, another third to volunteers and the remaining third is donated to a food bank.

With a new awareness of the local food movement, safety concerns and the recession is inspiring a renaissance in canning and preserving. While your mother and grandmother probably learned canning and preserving techniques from their mothers and grandmothers, many of us are now doing it for the first time. If this is your first attempt at this “old is new again” trend a safe bet to start with are high-acid foods. The canning process for these is simpler and requires only a basic boiling water canner and mason jars. There are a wide range of other handy tools available to make canning easier: spoons, wide mouthed funnels, air release sticks etc. These tools are available individually or in kits. Try pickling too and preserve those lovely little cukes for crispy crunchy dills or one of my childhood favourites: beets. Low-acid produce like green beans or broccoli require a pressure canner. Pressure canning is not rocket science but is a slightly more complicated piece of equipment requiring extra steps and precautions. Improper canning techniques of low acid content produce can lead to serious problems.

You should be aware that preserving is not something you can dash off in 30 minutes. Methods are guided by tried and tested techniques backed up by food science. Food safety is extremely important when canning and preserving and altering processing times can be a risky business. There are many great preserving guides and books available online and at your local library or book store. Clostridium botulinum can grow in such foods, creating toxins that can cause paralysis and death. The growth of these spores is prevented when filled jars of low acid foods are heat processed at a temperature of 116°C (240°F) for the prescribed time. It’s not difficult, get a good preserving guide and follow the instructions.

Slow down, you'll feel the tradition and don’t be surprised at the sense of accomplishment when all is done. Give canning and preserving a try and you’ll discover one of life’s great little pleasures (apart from eating your preserves) is hearing all those lids pop. That’s the sound of success. You’ll find yourself gazing contentedly, now and months from now, at all those lovely jars of jam, compote and fruit nestled gem like on your pantry shelves. Take them out and show them off as part of your kitchen decor. Friends will look at you with awe!If you can’t be bothered or don’t have the time to can, freezing works quite well for many fruits. Whatever method you choose don’t miss out on summer’s bounty...your winter self will rejoice! This is a list of the berries I found widely available this past week and weekend:
· red raspberries golden raspberries
· gooseberries
· wild blackberries as well as cultivated ones
· white, black & red currents
· 2 types of sweet cherries
· sour cherries
· blueberries

Resources:

• Homecanning.ca is a great Canadian website resource with illustrated step-by-step guides.
• USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning can be downloaded for free at the National Center for Home Food Preservation 
• Penn State Home Preservation website is also a valuable resource.·
• The Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving is available on the Fresh Preserving and the Pick Your Own - The Ball Blue Book

The Dog Days of Summer

Photo of a Korean protester

A traditional Korean remedy for the dog days of summer is a doggie dish. Literally. Eating dog meat was banned in Korea in 1991 but continues in both the North and South. North Korea has apparently been hosting dog meat food contests to help develop the traditional cuisine, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Dog meat is called dangogi, meaning sweet meat. KCNA claims that their (Korean) ancestors believed that during the dog days of summer dangogi helped to prevent malnutrition, aid digestion and bolster stamina.

A response to an article entitled Wok the Dog on the Animal Freedom website claims that less than 10% of Koreans eat dog meat. Food dogs are raised and produced on farms just as other animals for food production. Pets are not used for dangogi.

The custom of eating dogs and cats is very common in many countries of the far east. Although at first the piece from KCNA seemed rather comical. It is not. And many Koreans don't think it is either as evidenced by a massive protest in Seoul July 14, 2009.

But if we condemn the eating of dogs why should we not condemn the consumption of all other animals as well. What makes a dog or cat different from pigs, cows, or chickens? Are dogs and cats more "human" like? I don't think so.

All of us need to face the reality of where our food comes from. At the very least if we continue to eat animals let's raise them with respect. Feed them food that is healthy. Don't allow our food animals to suffer needlessly. Allow these animals to have contented lives until the end.

Maybe we should all become vegetarians. Maybe that would be the beginning of the path to enlightenment for all of us.

Book Review: a platter of figs and other recipes

Cookbooks inspire me. The inspiration they provide me with is not just to cook but almost more importantly inspiration for life. A good cookbook has the ability to take the reader on a voyage that affects you intellectually, spiritually and philosophically. a platter of figs and other recipes is one of these and is one of my favourites. Chef and author David Tanis artfully illustrates seasonal, simple and skillful cooking. The book is about the pure pleasure of eating, supporting local producers and maintaining a sustainable kitchen.

Tanis has an enviable lifestyle. Six months of the year he is head chef of Alice Water’s iconic Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California. The remaining six months are spent in Paris preparing meals in a tiny galley kitchen in his 17th century apartment. Here Tanis plays host to a private dining club whimsically known as Aux Chiens Lunatiques for a dozen or so guests. His kitchen is ill equipped but proof that if you pay attention to detail, do it slowly and respect the inherent goodness of ingredients you can cook anywhere, anytime with whatever equipment happens to be at hand.

a platter of figs is divided into four seasons comprised of 24 menus - six for each season and illustrated with photographs that remind me of home. And that’s exactly where Tanis wants you to be. No fussy food here. Imagine the luxury of lingering over a fabulous meal with no waiters moving you along to accommodate a second seating. Where you start with the clean crispness of raw fennel and olive oil; followed by a steaming plate of spaghetti alio e olio with a just ripe pear and Parmigiano Reggiano for dessert. A simply perfect autumn meal.

Tanis will transport you to the exact moment and location of inspiration. Each of his menus are prefaced with a story about the ingredients, who he ate with or why he was there or how he found it. Menu fourteen: in Catalonia. First time eating anchovy sandwiches alone in a bar in Barcelona after sitting in the rafters for a performance of the Maurice Bejart Ballet. In Menu twenty two Feeling Italian part III tells us how his stylish great Aunt Sally, a sophisticate from Cleveland who “gloried in an elegance many women in our town of Dayton lacked” was renowned for her spaghetti soirees. Aunt Sally would invite hoards of guests who had to wait while she cooked one pound of pasta at a time in one pot. Tanis promised her he would never cook more than one pound of pasta at a time and he proclaims that he never did. "Though Aunt Sally gave me a cooking lesson I never forgot, I cannot remember her cooking for me" concludes Tanis!

a platter of figs is charming and disarming in its simplicity but don’t be fooled. This is the work of an artist. Don’t be temped to elaborate but do emulate. Take your time. Learn about the food you cook and eat. Cook with simply charming inspiration. You and those your cook for will be deliciously delighted.

Endless Feasts Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet

Endless Feasts – Sixty Years of Food Writing From Gourmet is an anthology of food writing, edited and introduced by Ruth Reichl, the maven of American food writing and editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine. This is some of the best food writing from the last 60 years of Gourmet. The anthology is not only about food but how food is woven into “eating, what to eat and people who eat it” as M.F.K. Fisher describes her work.

Gourmet magazines founder Earle MacAusland and the editors at the magazine at the time of its inception were responsible for this largesse of vision. In Reichl’s own words: “By allowing its writers to follow their own appetites, by refusing to force them into a format, Gourmet became a true mirror of American taste.”

Here is M.F.K Fisher writing wryly in her piece entitled Three Swiss Inns about time spent in 1939 Switzerland. Writing razor sharp in its portrayal of the landscapes, the establishments, the food and characters described. So redolent of the time that you could almost claim them as memories.

Ruth Harkness delights us with glimpses of a winter spent in a crumbling Tibetan Lamasery during World War II devouring $10,000 worth of rare pheasants.

Also included in the anthology are not only some of the world's best food writers but also many of the best fiction writers Mexican Mornings and The Garlic War by E. Annie Proulx, Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, Dining Alone by Mary Cantwell, and I, Bon Vivant, Who, Me? by George Plimpton, Claudia Roden’s The Arabian Picnic and of course Elizabeth David’s Edouard de Pomaine.

They write about their gourmet travels, probing into the often strange and enticing world of food from Northern India to Shanghai, from the south west US to Umbria, from dandelion wine to cocktail parties, to the Viennese delicacies of Demel’s patisserie. Some of the most compelling pieces describe eminent personalities of the food world: Elizabeth David, M.F.K Fisher, James Beard and Escoffier.

Endless Feasts brings the armchair gourmet traveler to landscapes and food so evocotive of their time that you can not escape the history. Nor do you want to.

Summer just isn’t summer without Strawberry Ice cream!

I look forward to June and July every year because it is strawberry season in Ontario. I haunt the markets waiting for strawberries to arrive. I buy as many strawberries as I can eat and then as many as I can freeze for the luxury of having strawberry ice cream all summer long.

This is a great recipe and although you don’t have to use organic cream, milk and sugar it is well worth the price because the taste and texture is amazingly delicious. What those dairy cows eat makes a very big difference in the taste of their milk. If you’ve never tried organic milk products this is the recipe to get you started. You’ll never look back. If you can find a dairy that is not organic but practices sustainable farming, go for it. Just because they don’t have the paper to say they are organic should not stop you. Often these farms have been in the same family for generations and have practiced ethical production.

I know you’re looking at the ingredients and you see condensed milk. Organic condensed milk is available but hard to find so if you find it use it. I don’t adhere to a strictly organic diet, frankly I couldn’t afford it but I do my best. Using condensed milk in this case allows you to skip the step of making a custard which is the traditional method for making ice cream and gelato.

Follow the instructions for your ice cream machine. The best home machines are those with a container insert that rises on all sides but there are others that only cover the bottom that will do just fine if you keep the container in the freezer all the time. The amount of time to make the ice cream varies from 30 to 45 minutes depending on the machine. The ice cream will still be quite soft when it is removed from the machine and placed in the containers. What the ice cream maker does is aerate the mixture. That is how the lightness and volume is achieved.

If you don’t have an ice cream machine you can do it by hand. I have done it but be prepared to spend at least 12 hours going into the freezer to aerate the mixture by hand! The end product will be more dense but still delicious.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream
Yield: approximately 2 x 750ml

Ingredients
1 can (300 mls) sweetened condensed milk
3 organic eggs
¼ cup white sugar or organic finely milled sugar
¼ cup dark organic brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup organic whole milk (un-homogenized if you can find it)
2 cups organic 35% cream (whipping cream)
pinch of sea salt
1lb fresh strawberries

Method
1. In a large mixing bowl whisk two eggs, add 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and whisk together until thoroughly mixed.
2. Add both sugars and again mix thoroughly.
3. Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor on low until you have a rough puree. Don’t leave large pieces if strawberries as these will be too hard when frozen and difficult to bite on.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
5. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for about four hours. This step achieves two outcomes: the first is the flavours will meld and the mixture will be cold enough to start the aerating process faster when place in the ice cream machine.
6. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and process about 30-45 minutes or until it has almost doubled in volume.
7. When done put the ice cream in 2 (750 ml) containers and place in the freezer until frozen.

Blown Away and Scared or how Food, INC made me a food warrior

Image courtesy of
Magnolia Films

If you eat you need to see Food, Inc. Everyone living on this planet eats to survive. Food and food production is political, what you eat, how much you eat depends on social economies and where you fit into the structure. In case you haven’t noticed there is a revolution going on and it will not pass you by. Every time you make a purchase at the local grocery store, supermarket, market or farmers market you are making a statement with your choice. Food Inc is scary.

This movie took filmmaker Robert Kenner's more than six years to make. Six years of his life to show us what's wrong with our current food production and distribution systems. The question he’s asking us is how much do we know about the food we buy at local supermarkets and serve to our families? Let me give you some examples.

Tyson Foods scared poultry (chicken) farmers by refusing Kenner's crew access to film their chickens. These same poor chicken farmers are being taken advantage of by big food producers like Tyson by forcing them into debt. The farmers must purchase everything needed to build and supply the farms to these companies stringent regulations, most often the farmers must take out bank loans to do so. The problem is that they never make enough money to allow them to separate themselves from these companies and are shackled to them for years. They are forced to raise thousands of over-fed chickens in these factory farms. Called “fast growth birds” they are fed growth promoting antibiotics that produce birds whose bodies struggle to function and are on the brink of structural collapse. Ninety percent of chickens raised for meat have leg problems, bone disease, chronic pain and structural deformities. Why does this happen? Because of high demand for white breast meat of uniform size that facilitates ease of production and consumer expectations.

Pig producers whose processing plants are reminiscent of Nazi concentration camps. During the fourth month of pregnancy sixty to seventy percent of female pigs in the US are kept in gestation crates. Metal stalls so small and narrow that the animals can’t turn or move more than a step forward or backward. Pig growers are even trying to isolate the stress gene so it can be removed from their DNA. Imagine, these animals could look forward to being abused but hey they won’t be stressed out!

Thousands of cattle, natural herbivores, raised in factory feedlots are being fed e-coli producing corn & soybean feed during the last few months of their lives. The process is called finishing. It makes their meat more tender. Manure from cattle raised in this way if used to fertilize crops without composting first vegetables can also become contaminated with e-coli. The 2006 spinach contamination in the US is a dramatic example of this type of crop contamination. All the while cattle on factory feedlots live out their short dismal lives standing in not only their own waste but that of thousands of other cattle.

Parents who can’t afford to feed themselves or their children anything other than cheap fast food because it is less expensive that fruit and vegetables. The kind of food that is rapidly producing a world of diabetics. In the US and Canada one in every three people born in 2000 will develop diabetes due to the food they eat.

Food Inc is about the illegal immigrants employed by large food processing companies who are deported on a schedule because the companies have made a deal with the government to deport workers instead of prosecuting the companies that hire them.

This is a world where the high demand of huge corporations has changed how our food is produced. McDonalds is the largest buyer of potatoes in the world. It’s not just about how the food you eat at McDonalds is made also impacts people. McDonalds changed how fast food restaurants operate by segmenting and automating tasks. Each employee is responsible for one single component of the composition of your burger thereby allowing them to pay workers less money and have an easily replaceable workforce.

Then there is Monsanto, the monarch of genetically engineered or genetically modified food. Monsanto soy bean seed is now almost the only soy bean seed grown in the US. Monsanto will sue farmers not growing its seeds if the wind blows seeds from another farm that is onto the one that is not. They sue even if they know they can’t win because in the end the poor farmer is made bankrupt. US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and many other high level members of the FDA are former lobbyists for top agricultural multinationals like Monsanto

However, the film is not all about despair. Kenner shows us how Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms shows us another way to do it. Salatin demonstrates what and how sustainable farming and husbandry is all about. In his book Everything I want to do is illegal Salatin tells us “it (Polyface Farms) would not exist if the USDA and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services had their way”. But he also goes on to give advice in You Can Farm the benefit of his knowledge 50 years of farming experience on what will affect the success of a farming venture. You’ll want to eat his food!

We must consider the consequences of our food choices. Those of us who are aware of how close we are to the precipice of unsustainable food production need to be more proactive in our advocacy. We can’t keep preaching to the choir. We need to talk about and work with each other to implement better quality food for everyone. Perhaps we should take a cue from UK chef Jamie Oliver and his school lunch and pass it on programs. Teach one person to eat and cook good food so that they will then pass it on to another.

Long before Jamie Oliver initiated his school program in the UK, Pretty River Academy in Collingwood Ontario launched a program called Special Lunch under the direction of Chef Eric Madden. Madden created and implemented, with the help of his then restaurant staff, a healthy, locally sourced three course lunches for the entire school. The school brought Chef Madden on full time in 2008 where he continues to create innovations in food learning. All students at Pretty River Academy, from kindergarten through grade twelve are not only eating healthy, nutritious tasty meals at lunch every day, they’re taking an active role in the preparation. By helping in the kitchen preparation these kids are also learning about math, geography, biology, ecology and sustainability.

It’s all about the choices each and every one of us make about what we buy and eat every day. Think about it. A society that treats plants and animals with cruelty and disrespect may soon come to view its citizens in the same way.

The best Spaghetti al Pomodoro

This is my all-time favourite pasta recipe. I've added some variations to the original recipe that I learned to make at the first restaurant I worked in, Toronto's Ristorante La Fenice, but it's essentially the same. This recipe is particular to the region and the the town of Spigno Satunia which is located about 70 miles south of Rome, where the owner of La Fenice, Luigi Orgera, came from. The Orgera family maintains a working farm there, growing olives for the olive oil used exclusively at La Fenice. Their olive oil is a treat, and although it not available for purchase, don't let that stop you from finding and using other wonderful, readily available extra virgin olive oils.

During my time working in restaurants in Italy, I always had to prove myself on two counts. The first was that a woman could work as a chef in a restaurant and secondly (and of greater importance) was that as a non-Italian, I understood and could cook Italian food just as well as Italians. Everyone in the kitchen was required to prepare staff meals by turn, so when my turn came the first dish I would make is this spaghetti al pomodori. It always won me respect. Give it a try, it's easy and you will love it too!

Spaghetti al Pomodoro
Spaghetti with Tomatoes

Ingredients

1-12 oz can Italian plum tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic crushed + 10 more sliced very thinly
1 bunch fresh basil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil & little more for garnish
1 tsp sea salt for the tomatoes + a generous amount for the pasta water
25 grams dried spaghetti per person (I prefer Barilla or DeCecco)
to taste, Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano

Method

1.   Place tomatoes in a small pot with the 2-3 garlic cloves, ¾ of the olive oil, 3-4 sprigs of basil (don’t chop the basil, include the stems also) and sea salt. If you prefer, chop the garlic or use a rasp.
2.   Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and continue to simmer until tomatoes are soft and the liquid has reduced slightly. Approximately 1 hour.
3.   Remove the sprigs of basil and process with a hand blender. Alternatively you can pass the tomatoes through a food mill to remove any seeds or just crush with them for a more rustic sauce.
4.   Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
5.   Slice garlic cloves thinly and chop the basil into a chiffonade
6.   Heat a sauté pan on medium high heat; add the remaining extra virgin olive oil and the sliced garlic. Sauté garlic until golden, remove and toss with a little sea salt. Reserve for plating or use as a condiment.
7.   Add the desired amount of basic tomato sauce to the sauté pan with the garlic oil.
8.   Place the pasta in the boiling water.
9.   Add small amounts of the pasta cooking liquid to the sauce until you have the desired consistency. The sauce should not be too thick
10.  When pasta is still very al dente, transfer it to the sauté pan with the tomato sauce, add the fresh basil chiffonade and cook until done. About 2-3 minutes. This step allows the pasta to absorb some of the sauce.
11.  To plate, use a large double pronged fork that will enable you to twirl the pasta around it. Then slide the pasta off the fork into a warmed pasta dish. Spoon some of the remaining sauce on top of the pasta and top with grated parmigiano and toasted garlic.
12.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

TIP: When the Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano are down to the rinds, keep them and add to the first step in making the sauce next time. Remember to remove!

Quite Simply Food is Life

This past May I was a guest at the Slow Food Banchetto hosted by University of Toronto’s Hart House where the founder of Slow Food, Carlo Petrini, spoke. In his address to the gathering he said something that has resonated with me ever since, that the very first instinct of a newborn is to suckle. We emerge with food on our minds.

Food has always been a big part of my life although I did not pursue learning to cook until I was well into my 30s. My mother is a great cook but never pushed me to learn. I didn’t realize until much later that I had learned a lot from her simply through observation. All she asked of me was to help in the simple tasks of preparation and because she was always cooking I was in the kitchen a lot. Even more importantly the result was that the entire family sat down to table every morning and evening.

Mom had a good repertoire of simple, nutritious recipes that would later expand to encompass more sophisticated fare for entertaining and special occasions. I loved my mother’s cooking. Growing up my brothers and I would have cream of wheat for breakfast in the winter and fresh fruit with cream in the summer. Sunday breakfast was always bacon and eggs. On rare occasions we’d find Dad at the stove Sunday morning sautéing mushrooms to accompany his favourite breakfast.

Weeknight dinners could be spaghetti with meatballs, macaroni and cheese or pork chops cooked to perfection with scalloped potatoes, perhaps Nana Keegan’s beef stew. We always had deserts because Dad had a sweet tooth. There could be rich, moist hot milk cake, brownies, banana bread or layer cakes (chocolate with chocolate icing of course). After school we were often greeted with the delicious aroma of homemade applesauce that my Mom also used to make her awesome applesauce cake. I can almost taste it when I think about it now!

We all looked forward to Sunday dinner because that meant roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Occasionally my mother would make pork roast with the chine bone roasting along side as a treat for us kids. She would be in the kitchen all day baking not only apple pie but apple turnovers and sometimes apple dumplings. Often there would be the addition of a lemon meringue pie and because that was my brother Randy’s favourite my mother would fill a little china bowl with lemon curd just for him.

Then there was Christmas. Tradition reigned with Quebecois Tortiere at midnight on Christmas Eve. Roast turkey with homemade cranberry sauce and roasted potatoes on Christmas Day. Sweet things like tender shortbread and my father’s favourite sweet mince tarts would be made in advance and hidden until the big event. These hidden gems would find their way onto the desert tray together with flaky crusted little apple and lemon tarts. The pièce de résistance would be Nana’s plum pudding served with Mom’s sweet vanilla white sauce.

The inviting aroma of my mother’s cooking always filled the house, our bellies and our hearts with its goodness and her love. I thought everyone ate like we did. Of course this was not the case and would discover when invited to eat at some friend or others house, that all too often out-of-the-box prepared food was the norm. One memorable occasion left me dumbfounded to find out that mashed potatoes could come from a pile of what appeared to me to be dried bits of paper. I have yet to understand why it’s easier to buy prepared food. What can be easier than boiling potatoes and mashing them with fresh butter and milk?

Apple pie cooling on the counter and roast beef in the oven will always conjure for me fond memories of family. Sunday dinners full of raucous laughter and conversation. Just the wisp of a thought or the armoa of a particular food or dish can take me to the exact moment of experience, remembered conversations and emotions and the faces of those that I shared it with. Escargots and Chateaubriand forever place me on New Year’s Day with my family at Montreal’s Helene de Champlain restaurant. Food is a formidable key to memory.

As I got older food became associated with dinner parties, friends and wine. When not enjoying the culinary skills of the more talented among us we would dine out in some of Montreal’s wonderful restaurants. Soupe a l’oignon at Les Petits Halles or Les Halles for the ultimate traditional French dining, Le Paris for steak aux poivres, local Quebec cuisine at Chez la Mere Michel, oysters, salmon and Chablis in Vieux Montreal. I’ll never forget breakfast blintzes at Beauty’s or Dunn’s famous mile high strawberry cheesecake - usually consumed after clubbing until 3:00 in the morning.

Saturday afternoons were reserved for strolling St. Laurent with friends. Stopping to devour still hot from the oven bagels at Montreal's famous St. Viateur Bagels. Later we would move on to Schwartzes for smoked meat or Welensky’s for their famous deli treats. Our meandering day leading us eventually to a sidewalk café. Settling in to enjoy an espresso or an icy cold pitcher of sangria. All the while laughing, talking, flirting and indulging in Montreal’s favourite pastime of people watching.

I did finally learn to cook when I relocated to Toronto in the early 80s. Money was scarce and I was forced to dust off the cookbooks my mother had given me if I wanted to eat well. My first attempt at “gourmet” cooking was a recipe for chicken that listed wine, shallots, cream, and tarragon among others. What a shock! It was a success and that was it. I was hooked on cooking.

Cooking became a hobby that would evolve into a passion. The process of preparing food became my preferred method of relaxing after work and accompanied by the satisfaction of eating what I'd made. The pleasure of food shopping became an addiction. My love of Saturday morning spent roaming Kensington and St. Lawrence Markets remains one of my favourite pastimes. This pleasure now includes the multitude of farmers markets that have popped up all around Toronto. It simply makes me happy. I could go on forever about the cheerful hustle and bustle of activity, the colourful displays of vegetables, spices, seafood and baked goods. The comfort of familiar favourites and the thrill of new delights found and yet to be found bring me back week after week.

At 42 I decided to become a chef and enrolled at Toronto’s George Brown College Chef School. This decision would take me into a completely different life. Italian cuisine is the gold standard for me and in my second year I was accepted into the Italian Culinary Program. The most exciting aspect for me was that we would travel to Italy to work a restaurant stage and study in Piemonte at the (ICIF) Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. I became one of the oldest apprentices in a country where by the age of 15 you must decide what career to follow!

Although I have a taste for many diverse cuisines Italian cooking remains my standard. It is a cuisine of elegant simplicity, true clean flavours and attention to detail in preparation and presentation. Italy taught me the importance of terroir in the production of food. How the very air and its currents have a profound effect on taste and texture. Italian cuisine illustrates and celebrates the importance of tradition in combination with a respect for the land and in supporting regional producers. The reverence that Italians have for food is evidenced by a plethora of sagre the ubiquitous food, wine and culture festivals found nation wide. It is a place that more often than not defines itself by the food it produces and the resulting cuisine. The importance of tradition runs deep.

Eating was always important to me but cooking became a passion. Like most chefs I cook for people because of the pleasure it enables me to give and the reciprocity of that pleasure. Food is history, follow its path and you follow human kind’s trajectory through time. Food is culture. Food is respect for the people who labour to produce it. Food is sustainable husbandry. Food is love, family, friends, joy and pain. Food is life.