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RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL Summertime And the livin’ is easy ... eatdrinkmag.net ALWAYS MORE ONLINE Restaurant Search • Reviews • Maps • Links Premiere Issue • August 2007 <RX < RX ZRQ¶W ZRQ¶W JHW JJHHW PHDOVWKLV PHDOV WKLV GGHOLFLRXV HOLFLRXV DDQG QG QQXWULWLRXV XWULWLRXV IIURP URP D VVWRUH WRUH IIUHH]HU UHH]HU 7EVE 7 EEVE GOT A BETTER W WAY AY TO O SER SERVE VE HOMECOO HOMECOOKED KED E MEALS TO YYOUR OUR FAMI LY AND FR FFRIENDS RIENDS IENDS !T $INNER FAMILY 2EVOLUTION YOU YOU PREPARE DIFFERENT DIFFFERENT FE 2EVOLUTION FAMILYSIZED ENTR£ES MADE WITH FRESH FAMILYSIZED WHOLESOME WHOLESOM ME INGREDIENTS IN ONLY TWO HOURS HOURS 4HERES 4HERES E NO GGROCERY ROCERY SHOPPING NO PPREP REEP E W WORK ORK C STREESS NO CLEAN UP AND NO STRESS )TS EASY )TS EASY 'O TO WW WWWDINNERREVOLUTIONCOM WDINNERREVOLUTIONCCOM TO SELECT MONTHLY SEL LECT YYOUR OUR MEALS FROM OUR MONTH LY M MENU AND SESSION7E SHOPPING AN ND BOOK A SESSION 7E DO ALL THE SHO OPPING CHOPPING UP CH HOPPING PREP AND CLEAN UUP P !LL YYOU OU HAVE HAV ASSEMBLE RECYCLABLE TO O DO IS ASSEM BLE YYOUR OUR MEALS IN RECYC CLABLE STACKABLE CONTAINERS STA ACKABLE CONTAINE R S THAT MA MAKE KE FREEZIN FREEZING NG AND AFTER BREEZE AFTE ER DINNER CLEAN UP A BREE ZE 'RAB N 'O $INNER 2EVOLUTION PERFECT FAMILIES $INN NER 2E VOLUTION IS PER RFFEECT FFOR O OR BBUSY USY FA AMILIES ENTERTAINING COTTAGE AND EENTE R TAINING n AT HOME OR THE COTTAG GE 2EVOLUTION CERTIlCATES $INNERR 2E VOLUTION GIFT CE R TIlCATES ARE ALSO OA GREAT IDEAA FFOR O OR BBRIDES RIDES AND NEW MOMS 3ERVICE OFFERS MORE CONVENIENCE 'RAB N 'O 3E RVICE OF FFFERS EEVEN VEN MO RE CO NVENIEENCE 7EE DO THE MEAL ASSEMBLY SIZED 7 M ASSEMB LY FFOR OR YYOU OU 3MALLER SIZE ED PORTIONS CHEF CAN BE O ORDERED PO RTIONS PPREPARED REPPARED BBYY OUR ONSITE CHEF RDERED ADVANCE .%7 ! VARIETY OF FFRESH IN ADVANCE RESH SALADS IN SIZES TO O SERVE SER VE OR AARE RE NOW AAVAILABLE VAILABL V E :HH ZHOFRPH JURXS SDUWLHV DQG FRUSRUDWH HYH : HYHQWV HQWV 0ICK K 9OUR !FTERNOON %VENING %VENING OR 3ATURDAY 3ESSION AAND 2EGISTER BY 0HONE 0HO ONE OR /NLINE )TS )T S 4HAT %ASY % %ASY (YDE 0A 0ARK R K 2D 2D D s ON THE W WEST EST SIDE BET BETWEEN WEEN &ANSH &ANSHAWE HAWE 0A 0ARK R K 2D 2D AND 'AINSBOROUGH 2D T WWWDINNERREVOLUTIONCOM WW WDINNERREVOLUTIONNCOM what’s cooking in your community cooking school • information sessions • community room Think you know us? We may surprise you. We’ve got some of London’s most talented chefs teaching some of the most interesting classes offered anywhere. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas for your family or knock-out recipes for entertaining friends, we’re offering dozens of choices this fall. Cooking classes include tasting portions and don’t require you to bring special tools. A rich variety of classes are designed for both novice and experienced cooks. There’s plenty for kids too. Book early as classes are filled on a first come, first served basis. Private classes for groups of 12 or more can also be arranged. Register by phone 9am-5pm Mon-Sat at (Loblaws) 1-800-296-2332 Ext. 3 or (Superstore) 1-866-596-7277 Ext. 3 o! ids Classes To K Little Hands • Kitchen Kids • Teen Classes www.loblaws.ca FANSHAWE WONDERLAND 1740 Richmond St N 3040 Wonderland Rd S For further information check the websites or call the co-ordinator for your location: FANSHAWE Rebecca McIntosh at 519-673-5326 WONDERLAND Maya Clarke at 519-668-7440 OXFORD Mies Bervoets at 519-424-2070 OAKRIDGE Christine Scheer at 519-641-0932 STRATHROY Barbara Toomer at 519-245-4198 upstairs at superstore www.superstore.ca OXFORD 825 Oxford Street East OAKRIDGE 1201 Oxford Street STRATHROY 626 Victoria Street eatdrink ™ RESTAURANTS • RECIPES • WINE • TRAVEL eatdrinkmag.net A Food & Drink Magazine Serving London, Stratford & Area ™ » Register for the free online edition — more photos, stories and links to all things culinary. » Find local restaurants, read reviews and much more. Publisher & Advertising Manager Chris McDonell [email protected] Telephone & Fax 519 434 8349 Copy Editor Melanie North Mailing Address 525 Huron Street, London on n5y 4j6 Graphic Design Hawkline Graphics [email protected] News & Feedback [email protected] Website Milan Kovar/KOVNET Contributors Bryan Lavery Frances Latham Christine Scheer Shari Darling Melanie North D.R. Hammond Jennifer Gagel David Chapman Pam Landsdowne Printing Impressions Printing St. Thomas on Copyright © 2007 eatdrink™, Hawkline Graphics and the writers. All rights reserved. Reproduction or duplication of any material published in eatdrink™ or on eatdrinkmag.net™ is strictly prohibited without the written permission of the Publisher. eatdrink™ has a circulation of 10,000 issues published monthly. The views or opinions expressed in the information, content and/or advertisements published in eatdrink™ are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily respresent those of the Publisher. The Publisher welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material. august 2007 • premiere issue always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 5 CONTENTS ! Welcome NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER 6 Welcome and Bon Appetit By Chris McDonell RESTAURANT PROFILE 7 Keystone’s Key to Success Keystone Alley Café remains one of Stratford’s top restaurants year after year. By Frances Latham WINE 10 Cat Pee and Gasoline Sometimes an otherwise suspect aroma can be a good thing. By Shari Darling CHEFS 16 Two Fresh Faces with One Goal Chefs Jason Schubert and Paul Harding are spreading their wings in London. By Melanie North RECIPES 20 It’s Tomato Time Grilled Garden Pizza takes full advantage of the season’s rich harvest. By Christine Scheer EATDRINK BUZZ 24 New & Notable We’ve got our finger on the pulse of London, Stratford and area, and there’s a lot going on. By Bryan Lavery BEER 32 Explore Wheat Beer This Summer An old style even by German standards, wheat beer is enjoying a renaissance. By D.R. Hammond TRAVEL 36 The Heart of Italy A trip into the rarely explored Abruzzo region of Italy is a gastronomic adventure. By Bryan Lavery MIXOLOGY 40 The Pomegranate Martini Who says the martini is passé? Not by a long shot, and it may even be good for you. From The Tasting Room BOOKS 42 Healthy Food in a Hurry A review of Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health ... And Don’t Forget the Chocolate. By Jennifer Gagel Yes Chef. THE LIGHTER SIDE 46 Yes Chef What to say, and what not to say, to the chef of a great restaurant. By David Chapman 6 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER Welcome and Bon Appetit! By Chris McDonell t is with genuine enthusiasm that I welcome you to the premiere edition of eatdrink. Our mission is to serve our readers by providing news, ideas and inspiration—always related to food and drink. While it is self-evident to say that everyone eats and drinks, this is not necessarily a magazine for everyone. We are writing for those who are looking beyond “fast food” and a low price at the cost of quality. We are writing for those who appreciate creativity, presentation and culinary talent. We are writing for those who respect extravagant food artistry as well as simple and healthy food well made. We are certainly not writing for snobs, but this is a magazine for an elite group. What is exciting to us—and you’ll notice that we have advertisers who agree with this idea—is this elite group is growing by leaps and bounds every day. I was pleasantly surprised by this summer’s best-reviewed movie Ratatouille. Created by Disney/Pixar, with undoubtedly copious market research to support spending millions of investors’ dollars, this is a slick cartoon about embracing a passion for good food. Better restaurateurs rejoice: Walt Disney is educating young people about what you do. (The story is cute too.) And they know—that’s what the market research is for—that people are going to like this message. Disney makes movies that appeal to the masses and that, dear reader, is now us. We will cover more than restaurants, but there are amazing places to dine in our neck of the woods and we are committed to keeping you abreast of the latest and greatest. We also will provide enticing recipes for home entertaining and expert suggestions for wine, beer and cocktail enthusiasts. I am extremely pleased with the writers that we have attracted. They I know their subjects and can tell a story well. I believe you’ll grow to trust them as I do. We’ll stay on our toes, though, so if you’ve got a good story idea or you think we’ve missed the mark, let us know. What we don’t have yet is reader participation, but we are confident that that will come. To this end, we have a companion website for the magazine. The goal is for this site to serve as a virtual magnet for all kinds of food and drink information, hence the eatdrinkmag.net name. A strong magnet attracts all kinds of objects and, likewise, we will attract viewers to eatdrinkmag.net for many different reasons. First, we’ll post the magazine for you to read online (indeed, some of you are a step ahead of me and reading this in the digital version). We will make the new edition available online even before the magazine hits the street. After a simple log-in, you will find everything you see in the print edition as well as extra content that is only available online. Just click the links for more recipes, more recommendations and more stories. You’ll also find an excellent restaurant search engine and you can read—and write—customer’s restaurant reviews. Check out our MARKETPLACE for all the other businesses that deal with food and drink, from Caterers and Kitchen Designers to Chocalateries and dozens more. Got a passion for discussing food and wine or sharing recipes? We’ve got FORUMS. But enough about the website! I invite you first to explore the rest of the magazine. There’s plenty of “food for thought” and we can’t wait to hear what you think. I wish you bon appetit. Please enjoy. august 2007 • premiere issue always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 7 RESTAURANTS Keystone’s Key to Success By Frances Latham gainst the background of a constantly ringing phone, something restaurateurs consider music since it heralds reservation requests, I recently had the real pleasure of speaking with Sheldon Russell and his wife Patricia Hawkins-Russell. Sheldon is chef/owner of the Keystone Alley Café, a lovely 65-seat restaurant in Stratford. Now entering its 25th year in business, the restaurant has gently evolved to become a well run establishment where the quality of the food and service are assured. Housed in a building where the iconic Nut Club, a long time Stratford favourite coffee shop was established, the restaurant is comfortably and elegantly decorated with touches of whimsy to reflect its personality. An open kitchen at the back—a true open kitchen, noise, action and dishwashers—allows Russell to interact with customers and to understand what is going on in the dining room. 30 seats in a flower bedecked patio behind forged iron gates and two rooms upstairs The unassuming street frontage (above) is a few short steps (known as The Key’d Inn) complete across the street from the stage entrance to the Stratford the building. Festival’s Avon Theatre. (Below) Proprietors Patricia HawkinsRussell is a private person and Russell and Sheldon Russell. readily admits that he has a reputation for being “a little bit difficult.” His standards are high and he expects them to be met the old fashioned way, with hard work and discipline. His employees are like family, with “tough love and nursing through the hard times” and the belief that the dishwashers are as important to the smooth operation of the kitchen as anyone else. Classically trained in England, first at cooking school, then as an apprentice in London, Russell came to Stratford, Ontario in 1975 to work at a newly opened restaurant. In 1983, he A 8 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 had the opportunity to purchase the Nut Club with a business partner. While that partnership soon dissolved, he persevered, partnering again with another restaurateur in 1988. Since 1998, he has been on his own with his wife Patty, who helps in many areas, especially in the kitchen. Russell firmly believes that a successful restaurant must be run by a “hands-on” owner. Attention to detail and the bottom line are critical to survival in a highly competitive environment; Stratford has more than 100 restaurants. He has worked hard to gain loyalty from local residents and it shows. Unlike many of the top restaurants in Stratford, Keystone Alley Café stays open throughout the year. Summer months are busy; the tourist trade remains stable here. Finally, what is it that attracts me to write about this chef/owner and his restaurant? The moment I walk in, I relax. I know I will be welcomed and looked after intelligently. No fuss, no intimidation, no being ignored by the cool crowd. I look at the menu, I recognize the ingredients and am intrigued by many of the combinations. For example, the Lamb en Croute with Madeira Jus, sounds traditional French, until I see it is served with sweet pea and mint pancakes, and exotic mushrooms. A modern lift to the dish is inviting and no longer boring to read about. Russell reads prodigiously and draws inspirations from everywhere. He thinks carefully about his ingredients and textures and pairs them to highlight their purity. Restrained in mixing backgrounds The alley of the restaurant’s name offers a fresh and inviting patio space that fills up quickly during the warmer months of the year. august 2007 • premiere issue always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 9 of various ethnicities, Russell prefers to in all, this is a well run established restaukeep simple clear flavours that delight. rant where I achieve Russell’s objective: I The portions respect my health and my leave feeling like I got better than I wallet; the service respects my time. expected. I am comfortable sitting alone; I have been here with people I know well and FRANCES LATHAM is a former banker with a passion for with people I don’t know well. I would food. A graduate of the Stratford Chefs School, where she bring my elderly mother and aunt here now uses her flair for numbers as a teacher of food costing, quite happily yet there is plenty here to Frances is co-owner of Smith & Latham Café & Catering appeal to the young and adventurous. All in St. Marys, Ontario. Keystone Alley Café 34 Brunswick Street, Stratford, ON 519.271.5645 www.keystonealley.com Lunch: Appetizers $4.95 to $7.95 Mains $7.95 to $10.95 Dinner: Appetizers $6.95 to $10.75 Mains $21 to $31.50 Wine $29-$80 The restaurant serves more casual café-style fare for lunch and then offers true fine dining in the evening. The restaurant is comfortably and elegantly decorated (right, and below) with touches of whimsy that reflect its charming personality. 10 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 WINE Cat Pee and Gasoline By Shari Darling ne of the many joys of wine is in gnon blanc is often blended with the being able to articulate into words grapes of semillon and muscadelle to what you smell in the aromas of eliminate the smell of pyrazine altogether. the wine. So, if you find the cat pee nose offensive, Fruit wines are supposed to smell like then drink California sauvignon blanc. If the fruit from which they are made. But you enjoy Marlborough sauvignon blanc, wine made from grapes is not supposed to but dislike the term, then simply describe smell like grapes. A grape-like aroma is a the wine in another way. If you say the bad thing. Wines are supposed to develop wine’s aroma smells of pyrazine, your guests a wide array of aromas and bouquets will no doubt roll their eyes and that range from fruits and flowers to think you snobby. You could say earth and spice. that the sauvignon blanc has an Cat pee is an aroma and certainly aroma reminiscent of the southern end of a northbound cat. one of the most confusing terms used Another delightful aroma is gasoto describe wine. The aroma of cat pee in a sauvignon blanc grown in the line. The great rieslings of GerMarlborough region of New Zealand is many have a nose swirling with a good thing. If it smells like cat pee gasoline or diesel. Other yummy and gooseberries, you are no doubt terms are manure, mineral-like, sipping a wine that exemplifies its barnyard, tobacco, cigar, cedar, true varietal character when bacon, mushroom and grown in this beautiful country. sweat. Yes, sweat! Our lovely In fact, so desirable is cat pee sauvignon blanc can also and gooseberry as aromas in possess the aromas of arm sauvignon blanc, that New pits. A good thing. Zealand’s Cooper’s Creek winery While cat pee and sweat makes a quaffer called Cat’s Pee are good, ‘wet dog’ is not. on a Gooseberry Bush, (lcbo Canada originally earned is 606384, $14.00). unworthy reputation for Where does the aroma of cat producing inferior wine from our indigenous Vitis pee derive from? Pyrazines are Labrusca grapes. The conthe cat pee culprit. Pyrazines cord grape variety is one of are compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. They are them. The concord makes found in ripened sauvignon for delicious juice and jelly, blanc grapes grown in Marlborbut gives wine the smell of ough. The aroma of pyrazine in a wet dog. Wet dog is a bad thing. a New Zealand sauvignon blanc Bad aromas are almost is wonderful, while the identical tolerable, when compared smell in an Ontario version is to wine faults. Some arohorrible. In an Ontario wine, mas are downright nasty, a this smell is caused by a ladybug infestation in the vineyard. The cat pee aroma of the Monkey Bay A very bad thing. California Sauvignon Blanc (lcbo 620062, sauvignon blanc has low pyra$13.70) is a good thing. zine levels. In Bordeaux, sauvi- O august 2007 • premiere issue result of poor winemaking practices. If a winemaker uses an excessive amount of sulfur dioxide, the resulting wine can have aromas of mothballs and burnt rubber. If a wine possesses too much ethyl acetate, it will smell like nail polish remover. Vinegar is a lovely smell in food, but not in wine. The aroma of vinegar in wine means it has turned to acetic acid and is therefore over the hill. An unfortunate thing. Maybe a New Zealand sauvignon blanc is for cat lovers only. Recommended Bottles Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc (lcbo 620062, $13.70), from New Zealand is a crisp, dry white wine ideal for sipping by the lakeside or poolside and pairing with hors d’oeuvres featuring dips using goat cheese, cream cheese or sour cream. An always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 11 artichoke and parmesan dip with raw vegetables would be a perfect match. The wine has classic and forward aromas of cat pee and gooseberry. The palate is quite juicy, with tangerine flavours and balanced sourness and bitterness. J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay (lcbo 258699, $20.10), is a fabulous, big, fat white wine. Lots of ripe pear, vanilla and honey come through on the nose and palate. The wine is full-bodied and creamy and ideal for salmon, tuna and chicken on the barbecue. I would pair this wine with hors d’oeuvres highlighting bacon or heavy cheese. It’s also weighty enough to sip with your entrée. Calliga Agiorgitiko (lcbo 619262, $12.95) is a tasty wine for barbecue dining. I’m not usually a fan of Greek red wines, but this is certainly one with lots of ripe blackberry Elegance & Simplicity • Cabinetry • Vanities • Countertops • Millwork It’s a feeling. When craftsmanship of cabinetry meets the detailing of hardware, it creates a symmetry of elegance and simplicity that just feels right. From Roy omson Hall and the John Labatt Centre to many fine homes in London, integrity of design has been the hallmark of our work for over 45 years. Call or visit our showroom for a consultation. CONTINENTAL CABINET COMPANY INC. 519.455.3830 547 Clarke Road (Between Oxford & Dundas) Showroom Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-Noon www.continentalcabinet.com 12 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net fruit and earthiness on the nose. The palate is medium bodied and smooth with solid bitterness (tannin), forward cherry fruit and notes of vanilla. Simple and easy drinking. Pair this wine with barbecued Greek lamb souvlaki served with a Greek salad. I’m in love with Torres 2004 Coronas Tempranillo (lcbo 29728, $12.80). What a wine for the LCBO’s general list! This is a delicious Spanish red worth stocking up on for special evenings at the cottage. I also happen to be a fan of the tempranillo grape. This baby swirls with aromas of coffee, leather, dark chocolate and truffles. The palate is meaty with rich, dark berry fruit, a velvety texture and soft bitterness. This is a great partner for steak, ribs or thick burgers. In fact, I would sip this wine throughout the evening and even pair it with a chunk of dark chocolate and toasted walnuts after dinner. Da Luca Primitivo Merlot Tarantino IGT (lcbo 588970, $10.15), is no doubt the wine buy of the summer. It is definitely one you should consider stocking up on for everyday wine consumption at the cottage. What a treat! This is an Italian red, at 14% alcohol, and has premiere issue • august 2007 aromas reminiscent of coffee, chocolate and raisins. On the mouth you’ll find flavours of chocolate and spice with full body and silky texture. I get excited when I find wines with this much goodness at this reasonable price. Sip this quaffer by the lakeside or poolside, before dinner, during dinner and afterwards. I certainly will! Other wines to try this summer include Napa Valley Vineyard Merlot (lcbo 29983, $17.95), and Napa Valley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (lcbo 29975, $17.95). Both are worth their weight in grapes. SHARI DARLING is a member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada, author of numerous books such as Harmony on the Palate : Matching Simple Recipes to Everyday Wine Styles and co-author of The Wine Manual, a manual for sommelier and wine training in colleges and universities. She can be reached through her website: www.sophisticatedwino.com. Katafnéa Ka Do you have a favourite summer wine? Are you looking for more recommendations? Check out the eatdrink FORuM online for discussion on wine and numerous other topics of interest. “A little out of the way, A lot out of the ordinary!” 519-455-9005 Lunch 11 to 3 (7 days a week) Dinner 5 to 10 (Wed to Sun) Breakfast 9 to 12 (Sat & Sun) 2530 Blair Rd, London Diamond Flight Centre When entertaining friends and family at the table, use our imported table linens and nature-inspired bee and dragonfly glassware, pitchers, trays and bowls. Let us help you create the right atmosphere and lifestyle at your home in the city or cottage by the lake. www.blackdogdecor.com (Free Shipping in London) .COKPCVGF %CPCFKCP 9KPG 9JGGN &GUKIPGF D[ 5JCTK &CTNKPI VCZGU KPENWFGF #XCKNCDNG CV YYYUQRJKUVKECVGFYKPQEQO '5JQR QT ECNN STRATFORD IS MORE THAN GREAT THEATRE “Stratford has a culinary obsession ... I savour every delectable moment.” — Marion Kane, Toronto Star Food Columnist The Schnitzel House Fresh Homemade (Pounded Daily) Variety of Schnitzels Rouladen • Vegetarian • Seafood (Next door to the Avon Theatre) 519-275-3266 Photo: Dave Rees 107 Downie Street • Stratford SHELDON RUSSELL CHEF/PROPRIETOR “Modern, ever-evolving, flavour-packed cuisine. You will enjoy it.” Covered outdoor patio 34 Brunswick behind the Avon Theatre Reservations 519 271 5645 www.keystonealley.com Appetizing suites Upstairs at the Cafe Reservations 519 271 5645 16 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 CHEFS Two Fresh Faces with One Goal By Melanie North ince the late 19th century, when it was Melanie North: Where do you fit into the adopted by Frèdèric, chef of the celelocal restaurant scene? brated Tour D’Argent restaurant in Jason Schubert: We felt the need for someParis, the Duck Press has been a symbol of thing different in London. In many haute cuisine. It is a showpiece that is used ways you could call London a “Fast to extract the rich juices within a roast duck in order to make a tableside sauce. At The Only on King, a 1970 Christofle Silver Duck Press sits housed in a glass showcase, a symbol, as well as a practical chef’s tool. It references the duck in the restaurant’s logo (a former pet named Bruce) and represents a standard of excellence and attention to detail. The goal here is to extract the essence of local foods and flavours and present them in exciting combinations. Among the choices on tonight’s menu: Cold Octopus with citrus and parsley, Rabbit and Mustard Stew with noodles, the Chef’s Choice four-course tasting menu (a mainstay), and among the desserts, Chocolate mousse with sour cherries and pistachio praline. Recently, I got the chance to represent eatdrink™ and meet up with the owners and chefs of The Only on King—Jason Schubert and Paul Harding—two of the newest players in downtown London’s restaurant scene. In addition to sharing the same philosophy on food and cooking, they also share a friendship that began at Medway High School just north of London. After gutting the building that last housed The Green Tomato (on King Street just east of Richmond Street), Schubert and Harding put in a kitchen that can handle their creative energy and made a warm and inviting space. While their restaurant is not huge, their enthusiasm for High school friends Jason Schubert (left) and Paul homegrown food knows no bounds. Harding have joined forces at The Only on King. S august 2007 • premiere issue Food Nation” and we thought the timing was right for a restaurant that served local and organic ingredients. We are trying to be as much “slow food movement” as possible. Our menu changes every day according to what is in season. We offer a healthy choice, no sauces, and properly cooked food. MN: Did the politics of food have anything to do with your choices? JS: No, there are no politcal statements being made by us. We make our own rules and we’re cooking for ourselves. We know what should be done: let the food do the talking, and then we add salt. MN: Your roots grow deep here. Both of you attended Medway High School and many of your friends became farmers. How does that affect your philosophy on food and cooking? JS: There’s only a very small percentage of family farms left in Canada and we support our buddies. Paul Harding: One of our best friends is Mike Matthews who owns Arva Flour Mills and we get all of our flour, beans, lentils, and grains from him. JS: Then we go to Stan Campbell’s for our lamb at Blue Moon Farms, in fact we were just there, and personally picked out our own lamb for the restaurant. Antony John provides us with Soiled Reputation gourmet greens, and we get Berkshire organic pork from Field Gate Organics in Covent Garden Market. PH: It’s fun to go out every day and have a personal interaction with the people who provide the food. JS: You won’t see any big rig pulling up out front of our restaurant filled with everything we need. That’s not our style. always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 17 MN: What is the early response? JS: We run a lot of the plates ourselves, so we get to see the reaction and hear conversations. There’s lots of compliments, and sharing of food. It’s great. PH: There is a lot of satisfaction on people’s faces, knowing where the food grows. MN: How and where did you get your culinary education? A new bar and a state-of-the-art espresso machine are important elements of the newly renovated space. PH: We learned through the school of hard knocks, by working under other chefs. I trained under chefs in England and Toronto. But we don’t even call ourselves chefs. We think of ourselves as cooks. JS: I began cooking with my Mom. I first got excited by cooking during a high school co-op experience in London, Ontario at the Grosvenor Club. I worked in England at Mirabelle owned by chef Marco Pierre White. He’s like a “god” and the youngest to ever win three Michelin stars. In Vancouver, I trained under a chef who was cooking “slow food” and I liked that it was honest and straightforward. Last summer, I worked for Joie Wines and Farm Cooking School, in Naramata in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. We sell their book Menus from an Orchard Table here at the restaurant. MN: What are your favourite meals? 18 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 MN: What is the best restaurant you ever ate in? JS: L’Etoile in Vancouver, 30 seats, chef Andrey Durbach. Beautiful French food, attention to detail, wine, port. PH: Amuse-Bouche in Toronto, tasting menus, intimate, they send out whatever they cook and with warm bread at the perfect temperature and warm butter. The historic building and the vintage photographs on display serve as an effective counterpoint to a more modern and restrained interior. JS: Fresh pasta with tomato and basil. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world and it’s more difficult to achieve than you think. PH: I’m a big fan of pork—both cooking and eating. It’s so versatile. MN: If you had to use only three ingredients, what would they be? JS: Salt, pepper and pork belly—the best thing in the world to keep things moist. PH: Salt, pepper and a tomato. JS: Good choice. MN: What is always in your fridge at home? JS: Two Heineken, Campari and a schawarma. PH: Nothing. MN: Is attention to detail one of the goals for your restaurant? JS: Absolutely. For example, our house drinks are shaken over homemade sorbet instead of ice, and Bloody Caesars are mixed with homemade tomato consommé. We have invested in an espresso machine that makes the best coffee in London! This place is for friends and family; my parents eat here every night. PH: And future friends and family. MN: In your view, what are the elements of an ideal meal? JS: Begin with an apèritif: Negroni (campari with gin); Then something cold and refreshing: salad or tureen; A small pasta course; A fish or some type of seafood course; Meat or poultry, but I would prefer a red meat; A selection of three cheeses, with august 2007 • premiere issue the appropriate red wine; Dessert with port; The perfect espresso followed by cognac. MN: If you hadn’t become cooks, what would you be? JS: A stonemason or an astronaut. PH: A firefighter. Because you get to cook at work. MN: How would you describe this stage in your careers? PH: We love to cook in a place we created. JS: It’s our life, this is our art, it’s what we do. The dining room at The Only on King seats 41 at comfortable tables. The walls are decorated with historical London photographs as well as newer works by local photographers Ron Benner and Jason’s father Paul Schubert. The Only on King 172 King Street, London 519-936-2064 www.theonlyonking.ca MELANIE NORTH is a seasoned communications professional with experience in broadcast TV, corporate video, website development, communications strategy, writing and editing. She can't cook, but loves to eat! Field Gate Organics is an organic farming community made up of 30 family farms working together to market and distribute certified organic foods for better health and a cleaner environment, at competitive prices. Enjoy the lifestyle you deserve. Look for the Field Gate Organics label. always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 19 Recipe courtesy of Jason Schubert of The Only on King Vitello Tonnato: Cold Roasted Veal and Tuna Mayo Veal 1 lb. veal top round, cut from the leg 1 Stud the veal with cut cloves of garlic, and brush on olive oil, add salt and pepper. 2 Roast the veal for 10 minutes at 425˚F then turn the oven down to 300˚ and continue roasting until the internal temperature of the veal reaches 125˚. 3 Take the veal out of the oven and let sit until cool. It will continue cooking. Refrigerate when cool. This is best served cold, the next day. 4 Slice the veal super thin and arrange on a plate. Tuna Mayo 1 egg 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice 1 tsp (5 mL) tomato paste 2 Tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar ½ large can or 1 small can of Italian tuna in olive oil pinch of salt and pepper 1 Place all the ingredients into a food processor and emulsify with a light canola oil until it is the desired thickness. To serve: Top the veal slices with the tuna mayo and add capers and arugula. Serves 2-4 Field Gate Organics Covent Garden Market, 130 King St., London Mon to Sat: 8am-6pm • Sun: 11am-4pm 519-679-9998 www.fieldgateorganics.ca 20 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 SEASONAL RECIPES It’s Tomato Time By Christine Scheer ugust is the month for tomatoes on our farm. I love the variety of shape, colour and flavour that are available to brighten up just about any dish. As the tomatoes ripen on the vine, the basil is growing as big as a bush, and the garlic is ready to be dug out and release its fresh juicy flavour. These three garden greats—tomatoes, basil, and garlic—combine beautifully to make many a dish sing. We get so used to our produce being well-traveled and out of season, that when they are in-season, the flavour comes almost as a shock. Who knew that garlic can actually be juicy? We’ve almost forgotten that tomatoes can be so sweet that you can just bite into them and enjoy them “as is.” Basil, with its vivid green leaves straight from the garden, has that fresh hint of licorice that accents tomatoes perfectly. There are some days that it is just too hot to turn on the oven or stove, and that is when I use my barbecue to make the entire meal. We all enjoy a good pizza, and grilling a pizza gives it that extra zing that I’m looking for when entertaining. The pizza dough can be made in a stand mixer with a dough hook, or by hand. You can probably work in the full amount of flour when you use a mixer, a bit less when you do it by hand. While the dough is rising, the garlic can roast, the tomatoes can be grilled and the remainder of the preparation can be done. I used C’est Bon Fresh Chevre to top my pizzas because its creaminess is unsurpassed, and the fact that it comes from just around the corner in St. Mary’s is a bonus (www.cestboncheese.com). You are certainly welcome to use your own favourite brand of goat cheese. A Grilled Garden Pizza Makes two 12-inch pizzas Dough 1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar 1 cup (250 mL) very warm water 1 Tbsp (15 mL) active dry yeast (NOT instant) 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 3 cups (750 mL) all purpose flour 1 tsp (5 mL) salt Topping 1 bulb garlic 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil 3-4 red tomatoes 3-4 yellow tomatoes 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1 container (190g) C’est Bon Cheese Fresh chevre 1 bunch of basil, washed and sliced into a chiffonade* 1-2 cups (500 mL) baby arugula Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste august 2007 • premiere issue 1 2 3 4 5 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net First, make the dough. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle in the yeast; let stand 10 minutes or until foamy. Stir in oil. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour with the salt. Stir about one half of the flour mixture into the yeast mixture. Mix in the remaining flour gradually, until the dough can be gathered into a sticky ball. Pour some of the remaining flour onto your counter, and knead for about 5 minutes, working more flour into the dough as you go, until the dough is smooth and elastic. You might not use all the flour. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 45–60 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Heat barbecue to medium high. Meanwhile, cut the top quarter off of the bulb of garlic. Place it on a doubled over sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle one teaspoon of olive oil over the top of the garlic. Wrap the bulb firmly in the foil, folding in the edges so no olive oil drizzles out, and place off to the side in the hot barbecue. Close the lid. It will take approximately 45 minutes for it to roast and be nice and soft. Wash the tomatoes and cut out the stem section. Halve the tomatoes horizontally. If the grills on your barbecue are fairly far apart, you might want to use a ‘grill buddy’ or even just a piece of foil for the 9 21 next step. Brush oil onto your grill (or foil or grill buddy). Place tomatoes cut side down on the hot surface. Close lid, and let them cook and brown for about 10 minutes. Then, using tongs turn tomatoes over so they are skin side down. Cook, letting the skin get nice and brown, for another 10-15 minutes. The tomatoes will be very soft, and the outside should be slightly charred. Remove from heat into a non-metallic bowl. Set aside until cool enough to handle, and then chop them coarsely. 6 Slice your basil into a chiffonade, and/or wash your baby arugula and spin it dry. 7 When the garlic is thoroughly roasted, it will be soft enough to squish out of its skin into a small bowl. Mash the garlic with the two tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside. 8 By now the dough should be doubled in bulk. Punch it down and divide into two pieces. Using a small amount of olive oil, roll out the dough into two circles, approximately 12-14 inches in diameter. Remember, they have to fit on your barbecue grill. Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Brush your barbecue grill with vegetable oil. Turn the heat down to medium low. Place the prepared pizza crusts onto the grill, turn down the heat to low and close the lid. After about 10 minutes, take a peek. The bottom of the crust should be getting golden brown. Turn the crust if necessary to brown a bit more evenly. Flip the crust over. Close the lid and let the pizza cook for 5 minutes. Then, lift the lid, spread the mashed, roasted garlic and olive oil over the cooked side of the crust. Top with the chopped grilled tomatoes; sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and then dollop the goat cheese here and there over the pizzas, making sure not to skimp. Close the barbecue lid and 22 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 When shopping for tomatoes, buy the ripest ones available if you are going to use them immediately. Choose those that give slightly to pressure, and are free of blemishes. Keep in mind a little imperfection is not the end of the world. If you aren’t going to use the tomatoes for a few days, make sure they are not overly ripe. Store your tomatoes at room temperature, *Chiffonade: A French culinary term that because storing them in the fridge kills denotes herbs or greens cut into fine, their flavour and makes the flesh pulpy. thin strips. The flavour of a vine-ripened field tomato cannot be beat, and is a welcome More about Tomatoes Tomatoes love the heat, but because they addition to any meal. If you can find take quite a long time to ripen, we start “Brandywine” tomatoes at your local them in the greenhouse, and then plant farmers market to make the salsa, you’ll be them out in the field when all danger of in for a real treat. frost has passed. They like warm moist soil More about Basil and full sun. As you know, to get the full flavour of Start your basil from seed in a sunny winvine-ripened tomatoes, you need to grow dow, and then transfer to the garden when your own or shop at a local farmers mar- all danger of frost has passed. You will ket. Although grocery stores do offer have a steady supply throughout the sumtomatoes, the selection is generally lim- mer months if you cut it regularly, and in ited to tomatoes that offer shelf life over the late summer you will have an abundant supply. flavour. let the pizzas cook another 10 minutes or so. Take a look—is the crust brown on the bottom and the cheese melted and irresistible looking on top? If it is, remove the pizzas from the grill onto serving platters, top with basil or arugula and serve immediately. Fresh Tomato Salsa 2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh basil, minced 1 Tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1 Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature. Makes approximately 2 cups. august 2007 • premiere issue When buying basil, look for evenly coloured leaves with no sign of wilt. The most often asked question about basil is, “How do I store it?” Because basil is sensitive to cold temperatures, do not store it in the refrigerator, as it will turn black. It also goes black if it sits in water for more than five minutes, and it will wilt in the heat. What to do? The first and best option is to use it as promptly as possible. If you absolutely have to store it for a couple of days, I recommend washing it, spinning it completely dry, patting with paper towels if necessary, and then sealing it in a plastic bag and storing at room temperature. The fresh, rich taste of pesto is so incredibly versatile with meat or vegetables. It tastes good hot or cold, and best of all, it reminds me of summer. Pesto will zip up many a winter pasta, risotto, chicken, beef, or vegetable dish. It makes a good sauce for pizza as well. After you make your pesto, pack it into jars or plastic containers. Keep it refrigerated for up to two weeks; for longer storage keep it in the freezer for up to eight always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 23 months. It is normal for your pesto to get darker once the air touches it. To minimize the darkening, I like to drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top of the pesto once I have taken out a scoop. I have left the pine nuts out of this pesto, but you can certainly add half of a cup of pine nuts, or almonds or walnuts to the recipe if you would like. CHRISTINE SCHEER is a chef who lives on an organic farm with her husband and two daughters. She has cooked for London and area restaurants, owned a catering business, written a cookbook for the Covent Garden Market and taught cooking classes for many years. She currently runs the cooking school at the Oakridge Superstore. Her passions include using seasonal, local ingredients to create delicious fare, and teaching children how to cook. You can reach Christine at: [email protected] Christine Scheer reflects on garlic and, of course, has another great recipe to share. Just a click away!restaurant se a lways m ore online Basil Pesto 4 cups (1 L) packed basil leaves a lways m ore online 6 cloves garlic 1½ cups (375 mL) olive oil 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt (optional) 2 cup (500 mL) Parmesan cheese 1 In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil leaves with the garlic and process until smooth. Add the salt and continue to process. 2 With the motor running, pour in the olive oil, and then finally add the cheese. Scoop into clean jars. Refrigerate up to two weeks, or freeze. restaurant se 24 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 EATDRINKBUZZ New and Noteworthy By Bryan Lavery Buzz [buhz], noun: 1. A feeling of calm, usually happy intoxication. 2. a particularly strong kind of word of mouth. elcome to eatdrinkBUZZ. The purpose of this column is to offer an insider’s (hopefully useful) insight, and to contribute to enthusiasm and discussion about culinary culture in the London and Stratford area. Part of my mandate will be to introduce you to local chefs, restaurants, restaurant personalities and rising culinary stars. And, just as important, to encourage dining out. Insights and opinions expressed in this column are meant to be helpful and educational; they are my own. As a long time veteran of the London and Stratford dining scene (restaurateur, chef, food writer and culinary instructor), I am lending my voice to the current culinary discourse. I hope to pass on to readers a new and more practical perspective. W There certainly is a lot of buzz in the London restaurant world this summer: the opening of The Only on King, after extensive renovations that signal much more than just a long term commitment; the resurrected Auberge du Petit Prince with its gracious marquee, covered patio and beautifully appointed rooms; the pioneer- ing seasonal menus at On the Fork at Museum London by Chef Kent Van Dyk; and former Home Restaurant Chef/ Owner Alessandro Malnati taking over the kitchen at the one-year-old Mint RestoBar run by Frank Guorcio (who many of you will remember from his days as maitre d’ extraordinaire at La Casa). Incidentally, Mint recently was one of the locations used in the filming of M.V.P., a new CBC production about the profoundly public life of a hockey player’s career. Speaking of anniversaries, this spring Doyenne Marika Hayek, who has been adding a little spice to Londoners’ dining out, celebrated 50 years in business at the Budapest on Dundas Street. To celebrate the golden anniversary, the communityminded Hayek had a three-day fundraiser for the London Regional Cancer Centre. Now there is someone with stick-to-itiveness and a heart of gold. Restaurateur Felipe Gomes also recently celebrated Aroma’s first anniversary. Aroma is Gomes’ homage to Mediterranean food and is located downstairs on Piccadilly Street (at Richmond) in the premises where Chef Mark Kitching operated Waldo’s. Kitching relocated to Covent “An oasis for food lovers ...” LUNCH Wed to Fri 11:30-2:30 DINNER from 5pm daily 432 Richmond Street at Carling • London 519 667 0535 www.davidsbistro.ca FREE PARKING AFTER 6 PM OFF QuEENS AVENuE august 2007 • premiere issue always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 25 Garden Market several years ago and investigations, as any former restaurateur opened Waldo’s on King Bistro and Wine can attest to. Bar. Waldo’s continues to be a popular favourite and in my humble opinion As of this writing, the new owners of the serves the best calamari in the city. Bar- former Murano premises are undergoing tender Greg Simpson and restaurant a total transformation to house their new manager Joe Dube add a little bit of je ne establishment. Si Senor will feature authentic Mexican food, something that sais quoi to the mix. this city is lacking. This writer can attest it Chef Malnalti left Black Trumpet earlier will be a very hot spot due to the creative this summer after a brief tenure and genius and culinary wizardry of partners replaced previous Mint Chef Adam Susan Anderson and Frankie Orozco Vaughn, who has joined the culinary team Patino, aided by a variety of interesting of Jason Schubert and Paul Harding at members of the Capsicum family. Given the extensive restaurant experience of The Only on King. Frankie’s family in Puerto Vallarta, diners But the most scandalous London news is can expect both authentic food and warm that Chef/Owner Bryan Lavery of Murano Latin hospitality. and founding member of Slow Food London, Ontario had the nerve to sell the The opening of The Only on King was a restaurant after 10 years on Waterloo Street much anticipated event that I had the without alerting the media. I have to gratification of attending. Being a propoadmit that I have no stick-to-itiveness. nent of the Slow Food Movement, I was Reactions to the closing invited a range of pleased to find that the four-course Chef’s reactions from idle curiosity to CSI-style Tasting Menu ingredients embodied the “ We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are. trü restaurant ” Free Parking Every Day 45 King St. London, Ontario 519-672-4333 www.trurestaurant.ca 26 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net best of locally sourced and seasonal products, with unadorned, unsauced, perfected dishes singing their own praises. Chefs Schubert and Harding have unparalleled passion and are at the top of their game with an innovative and clever menu created daily from the best ingredients available to them. No doubt The Only on King is destined for great success. Schubert is featured in the recently published Menus for an Orchard Table by Chef Heidi Noble. Heidi Noble is a professionally trained chef and sommelier, food educator and winemaker. A proponent of seasonal, local food, she and her husband Michael Dinn own the renowned Joie Wines and Farm Cooking School in Naramata, British Columbia. premiere issue • august 2007 Thames. It is without a doubt one of the best spots in downtown London. Kent Van Dyk’s menu is a complete departure from the previous chef. The menu is eclectic and combines classic and contemporary fare executed with skill and flourish. The result is a distinctive experience that exemplifies the best of classic and contemporary culinary arts. Van Dyk’s menus are causing some controversy with the old guard at Museum London, who I hear prefer not to be challenged by inspired, creative interpretations of local, seasonal ingredients. Assisting Chef Van Dyk in the kitchen are Stefanie Bishop and Brad Perkins. trü restaurant and lounge, opened on King Street’s “Restaurant Row” in November 2004, boasts a kitchen positioned at But there is more room at the top and the the top of London’s dining scene. Execuculinary revolution downtown doesn’t stop tive Chef Daniel Irvine's passion for qualthere. On the Fork Restaurant & Lounge is ity and freshness and his hands-on an intimate, stylish restaurant inside approach is the foundation of trü’s thinkMuseum London, which boasts a spectac- ing. Dealing exclusively with independent ular riverside view at the fork of the wine agents and importers, trü’s wine list A t the top of the most recommended restaurants in London, Michael’s on the Thames (established 1983) has remained a popular success for its cuisine, unmatch ed superb service and fine dining at an affordable price. London’s renowned Maitre d’Extraordinaire Jack DiCarlo and the staff make your dining experience a memorable one. Whether for business or private functions, the menu will please every palate. A welcoming atmosphere is enhanced with music from the grand piano six nights a week. Take the time to enjoy superb cuisine, tableside cooking, fine wine and the company of friends. Monday to Friday 11am-11pm Saturday and Sunday 5pm-11pm Gift Certificates Available Free Parking Dine with us before events at the John Labatt Centre Reservations are suggested. Call 519-672-0111 • www.michaelsonthethames.com offers a carefully chosen selection, with a focus on smaller vineyards. Offering wines made with heart and soul compliments the integrity of trü’s culinary philosophy. The signature Beef Tenderloin Foie Gras Burger is a revelation. David Chapman of David’s Bistro is still drawing admirers far and wide. On a recent out-of-town trip, I heard superlative reports about the restaurant from a well respected gastronome. David’s signature “trust me” dinners continue to receive much deserved praise. Chapman is also a partner in one of London’s best dining secrets, the Katana Kafe at the airport with Christian Dries, chairperson and chief executive of Diamond Aircraft and owner of the Pelee Island Winery. Chef Dani Gruden, who brought the kitchen at The Braywick Bistro into the spotlight and showed his tremendous talents briefly at Murano, has now undertaken the job of Chef at The Red Goat at 99 King Street. Gruden worked in this same location years ago when it was the then ground-breaking 99 King under Tania Auger’s tenure. Auger is still wowing crowds in downtown Sarnia with Lola’s Lounge on Christina Street. Other notables in Sarnia are: On the Front located at 201 Front St. N., at the top of a fourteenstory office tower overlooking the St. Clair river and Maison St-Aubin located at 1202 Lakeshore Road in a strip mall. Chef Nicole Arroyas is continuing to pack the recently licensed outdoor patio at the newly refurbished Auberge du Petit Prince at 458 King Street (acclaimed London Chef Chris Squire ran a restaurant of the same name for two decades before closing in 1996). Arroyas concentrates her efforts on authentic country French cuisine. She also serves an authentic afternoon tea daily from 12 pm until 4:30 pm. As far as tea goes, afternoon tea at the Auberge is the only game in town. Believe me, the elegant presentation is not just for teetotallers and the glamorous ladies who lunch and serve up our local charities. Also mastering the art of French cooking 28 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net is another new kid on the block, Café de Paris, located at 724 Richmond Street, with its outdoor patio at the corner of Piccadilly Streets—but more about the resurgence of French food in a future column. The Village Café was recently sold for the second time (we miss Mary Havaris) in the last few years and in its place Dragonfly Bistro is opening. Under the watchful eye of Nora Yuriaan, renovations are well underway at the 715 Richmond Street location. Offering “Gordon Ramsay-style” recipes and a straightforward menu, this little bistro will be open for lunch, tea and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. As well, a “Traditional Sunday Lunch” will be offered from 11am-3pm. Ozone Organics is opening its doors this month at the corner of Hyde Park Road and Fanshawe Park Road West. A new concept in a sleek and sophisticated space, Ozone bears little similarity to the original organic restaurants that catered to the hippie culture and is designed to appeal to those with a taste and desire for traditional “to go” food who also have an appreciation of organic fare. But the food is only the beginning of this planetfriendly philosophy—even the disposable cutlery is biodegradable. On the leading edge of environmental consciousness and social responsibility, respected restaurateur and caterer Ian Kennard of Willie’s Cafe at 731 Wellington Street deserves continued praise for more than delicious food and warm hospitality. Yes, your ad could be here. Let’s talk. premiere issue • august 2007 If you are fortunate, the talented kitchen may be serving the delicious mango and jalapeno soup with a hint of coconut milk. The kitchen at Willie’s never takes a wrong step and Kennard continues to make every effort to reduce his own ecological footprint. In his quest for environmental sustainability, he has sourced stylish and biodegradable cutlery and takeout containers, paid for recycling, streamed the organic kitchen waste to a composting site and even ensured the restaurant’s cleaning products are considerate to the environment. This is quite a stretch for even the most progressive restaurateur; kudos to Kennard for continuing his quest for environmentally sound alternatives. Chocolate ambassador Marc Forrat, from La Chocolaterie Forrat Inc. can be found be back in London’s Covent Garden Market after his much-watched trip to CBC television’s The Dragon’s Den. Viewers saw Forrat get a deal done with the show’s aggressive investors but a contract that made sense to one of London’s more gregarious chocolatiers never materialized. The silver lining? A new shop selling Forrat’s products is apparently opening in Yellowknife and enquiries continue to come from across the country. According to the Inside the Dragon’s Den website, six more potential distributors are in the works. Forrat has also signed a starter deal with a chain of gourmet coffee shops as a trial test market and has caught the attention of the largest European manufacturer of gourmet high-end chocolate in Europe. eatdrink Chris McDonell [email protected] 519-434-8349 august 2007 • premiere issue Judite Holder is moving Bernard Callebaut Chocolaterie from its longstanding Richmond Street location a few blocks north to 745 Waterloo Street. The Chocolaterie, in a newly renovated building, will be a perfect neighbour to Holder’s equally fragrant Gammage Flowers on the southwest corner of Waterloo and Oxford. This Calgary-based empire is always adding new or seasonal flavours to its core collection of 48 truffles and filled chocolates. Speaking of chocolate, there are more gourmet chocolate shops, per capita, in Stratford than anywhere else in Ontario. Connoisseurs of chocolate have a new vocabulary and want to know the cocoa content, where it originates from, whether it is fair trade and the idea of terrior to chocolate, a French term to denote the special geographical characteristics usually reserved for describing wine and coffee. always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 29 local gourmets, foodies and Stratford Festival goers. Chris and Mary Woolf, veterans of the Stratford dining scene, continue to wow customers every day of the week except for Mondays. The Westover Inn in St. Mary’s at 300 Thomas Street is also always worth the drive. Stratford dining is among the local gourmet’s top dining objectives and Rundles, The Old Prune and The Church restaurants remain landmarks and stellar arguments for Stratford being touted as one of Canada’s top gastronomic destinations. Eleanor Kane, co-proprietor of The Old Prune has recently stated, “Stratford has become something of a culinary capital in Canada with its wonderful array of restaurants. From haute cuisine to haute sandwiches, the dining experience enriches the cultural offerings of this unique community.’’ Black Fly Beverage Company is Ontario’s first Micro-Distillery, founded by husband and wife Rob Kelly and Cathy SiskindKelly in May 2005. The downtown London-based company reports it is building market share with a growing line of vodka coolers and freezies. New flavours and some infiltration into BC and Alberta stores are driving sales. For haute sandwiches, the York Street Kitchen is the spot. The 30-seat eatery has been serving patrons since 1996. The kitchen also serves forth delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes and is open year round. Susie Palach and business partner Tracy Day bring wide-ranging experience and a firm knowledge of south-western cooking to the Kitchen’s creative, seasonal menus. A take-out winMinutes outside the town of St. Mary’s, the dow is just to the side of the restaurant thirteen-year-old Woolfy’s at Wildwood is and features the same delectable signasituated at the corner of Highway 7 and ture sandwiches and yummy side salads. Perth Road 118, just fifteen minutes southwest of Stratford. Woolfy’s continues to be The Old Prune in Stratford continues to a much-loved culinary destination for be a culinary tour de force with Chef de “Exquisite Artistic Elegant Catering” A personalized approach to Weddings, Dinner Parties, Corporate Events, etc. 30 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net Cuisine Bryan Steele at the helm since 1989. Situated in a restored Edwardian house on a quiet street, it has four beautifully appointed rooms and a stunning outdoor garden. Eleanor Kane (dare I call her Canada’s Alice Waters?) was the culinary motivation during the initial years of the Old Prune. The renowned Stratford Chefs School was started in 1983 by Kane and James Morris, owner of Rundles restaurant. Operated as a private, non-profit educational organization, the school remains the only culinary institute in Canada operated by working restaurant professionals and is the only one of them outside the community college system that is sanctioned to train and educate chefs. In 2001, Kane was honored with the Ontario Hostelry Institute Gold Award for her exceptional contribution to Hospitality education. premiere issue • august 2007 flavour and global sophistication. It is more than apparent that Lamarche puts considerable thought into his menus. They are true reflections of his culinary expertise and revolve with the seasons, using different products and ingredients every five to six weeks. As one component of this environmentally sound approach, Chef Lamarche introduces the techniques of Molecular Gastronomy on his tasting menus: a food philosophy which combines “the know how” of cooks with “the know why” of scientists. Other notables of distinction in Stratford include: Bijou with its chalkboard menu, located at 105 Erie Street. It is tucked discreetly between two buildings and the end of a parking lot. Susan Dunfield’s funky fourteen-year-old Down the Street, with its open kitchen and busy bar, remains a favourite of the local hoi polloi and theatre At The Church Restaurant, Chef Amédé people alike. Pazzo at 70 Ontario Street Lamarche prepares innovative French- continues to delight. inspired cuisine that celebrates local Jambalaya isJump-upWorld Cuisine — From MILD to WILD Vegan Selections available 646 Richmond Street, London Fresh Cuisine 519-858-2000 www.jambalayarestaurant.com LUNCH: Monday to Saturday 11:30 AM TO 3:00 PM DINNER: Last Friday of the month. 6 PM to 11 PM. Reservations required. For menus, visit: www.williescafe.on.ca Willie’s CAfé 731 Wellington Street (Just South of Oxford) London ON 519-433-9027 Advertisement The crème de la crème, Rundles at 9 Cobourg Street, is open six nights a week. Food is painstakingly prepared according to the techniques and standards of French haute cuisine, which is characterized by elaborate preparations and presentations, and then given a more contemporary interpretation in the hands of critically acclaimed Chef Neil Baxter. Rundles offers a table d’hôte menu of approximately six appetizers, six entrees and six desserts. In addition, Rundles usually offers two or three three-course gastronomical menus featuring specialty ingredients. Reservations are needed well in advance. A bit of sad news in the Stratford restaurant scene came recently with the closing of Chef Max Holbrook’s Globe Restaurant. Chef/Owner Kim Morrow has moved the three-year-old restaurant Asie from New Hamburg to Stratford. Asie is pronounced ah-SEE, meaning Asia en François. Morrow is known for fusing Far Eastern flavours and techniques onto a classical French base. The restaurant is now located at 38 Erie Street. Watch for my next column in which you will hear the buzz on a new group of chefs and restaurants and an update on any late breaking developments about the group you read about today. Be part of creating the buzz; e-mail me with any interesting culinary news at: [email protected] See you next month. Sangria in the Summer Sangria is quick and easy to make and is a perfect drink to mix up for a summer party. It’s also adaptable, so take advantage of what is in season or what you have on hand. Add your favourite fresh fruits: apples, plums, grapes, oranges, cherries, pineapple, peaches, bananas, lemons, limes, mangoes — any and all work well. Use a decent red wine (we use Amarone from Italy) as it does make a difference. It’s a good idea to chill the wine and juices ahead of time. Here’s a great recipe that we use at our restaurant. It’s easy to make but oh so good. (For a large crowd, you may even want to double this.) Mix together in a large pitcher or punch bowl: 1½ cups (375 mL) lemonade 1½ cups (375 mL) orange juice 3 cups (750 mL) good heavy country wine a jigger of cherry juice Add fruit slices and wedges and pour over ice. Enjoy! BRYAN LAVERY is a writer, a founding member of Slow Food London and a veteran of the London restaurant scene. As chef/owner of the 10-year-old Murano restaurant, he recently decided to take a break and sold the building. Yet he remains busy with a variety of food-related activities, including penning this column. Recipe courtesy of Dagmar Wendt of London’s UNDER thE VOLCANO restaurant, where this favourite is available by the glass, half litre or litre. 32 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 BEER Explore Wheat Beer This Summer By D.R. Hammond t’s the first day of summer as I pen this first column for the first eatdrink magazine. I’m sitting on the back patio and Nat King Cole croons from my small table radio, “Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer … Those days of soda and pretzels and beer.” Whoa, stop right there! Summers in Canada are too short and precious to spend with stale pretzels and ordinary beer. As a priest of the yeast, I humbly declare: Forbid the thought! My summer would not be complete without delicious cuisine and great beer. Traditionally brewed for summer quaffing, wheat beer is an important part of my sacrament of celebration, specifically German Hefeweizens and Belgian Witbiers. These styles are well suited to slake a tall summer thirst—refreshing, flavorful, delicate, light in body, tart-spicy-fruity. In character, they have a dry finish and a Champagne-like natural carbonation. Although brewers have created beer from all manner of grains for millennia, we trace the origins of wheat beer, as we know it, back to Bavaria Germany some 500 years ago. It is a very old fashioned style even by German standards. Today’s wheat beers retain the same traditional cloudy, quirky, spritzy and topfermented traits. In the German language, weisse means white, weizen means wheat and hefe means yeast, so we can see that various local names translate to “white beer,” “yeast-white,” “yeast-wheat” and “wheat beer.” These are not truly beers but “ales” brewed with a unique top fermenting yeast that produces the signature fruity- I bubblegum esters and spice (clove) phenols as it works on the sugars in malted wheat and barley. Served unfiltered and clouded with suspended wheat proteins and yeast, wheat beer gives a massive frothy white head (or cap) which stacks out of the glass and lasts, lacing the sides of the glass as you drain it. Weissebier should be served in a proper weizen glass which holds a 500 ml draught and resembles a tall pilsner glass with a big bell opening to contain the massive cap. Belgian Witbier, also called “biere blanche” or “Belgian white,” is also an ale brewed with top fermenting yeast. This Belgian version of wheat beer traditionally uses only 40% malted wheat, 54% pale barley malt and 6% unmalted wheat and oats to give it a milky-straw color. Suspended proteins give this beer a wonderful dry character which compliments the tart flavors introduced by the addition of Curacao orange peels and coriander and other spices. This ale also produces a massive fluffy white cap when poured in the traditional witbier tumbler. Recommendations Availability Key: LCBO = Liquor Control Board of Ontario; TBS = The Beer Store; TAP = On tap at better establishments. Although no large Canadian national brewer is making authentic unfiltered wheat beer, craft brewers and imports give us many good choices. I recommend Schneider Weisse (lcbo 366070), the original and enduring weisse of the wheat beer revival from the 1960s. This is a classic old style wheat beer, with a deep amber color, 33 august 2007 • premiere issue always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net naturally cloudy with wheat protein and yeast, a giant fluffy cap, fruity aroma esters and toasty malts. It’s substantial in body but goes to a dry, clean, crisp character in the finish. LCBO Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse (lcbo 899187) is a premium German hefeweizen imported from one of Munich’s oldest breweries. It is a tad darker than the other southern Bavarian weissebiers but the proprietary yeast they use gives this beer big banana and cloves aromas. The amber malts give this a more bready-sweet body with a lightly drying finish and it produces the massive fluffy meringue head that is the signature of a good German wheat beer. LCBO / TBS / TAP Paulaner Hefe Weissbier (lcbo 577296) is a solid commercial German Hefeweizen from one of Munich’s oldest brewers. Hazy yellow with a nice big frothy cap, it has all the elements of the style (spicy, fruity) but is less assertive than Hacker-Pschorr. A wonderful creamy malt body dries up in the finish and leaves a banana-bread aftertaste. LCBO / TBS / TAP A large and well established Bavarian wheat beer brewery offers Erdinger Weissbier (lcbo 402230) and Erdinger Dunkel Weissbier, dark and golden hefeweisses respectively. These beers are quenching but very subtle in their delivery of the fruit and spice phenols we drink hefeweizens for. This makes both a good entry level wheat beer to introduce the style to those not familiar with it. Both are seasonally on hand at the LCBO but only kegs are available from The Beer Store. LCBO / TBS / TAP Hoegaarden Witbier (lcbo iÌÊ"ÕÌÊvÊ/Üt support a student chef Shape the future of Canada’s culinary scene by contributing to the Stratford Chefs School Scholarship Fund. Your generosity gives you a tax receipt for the full amount of the donation, and will benefit a student with demonstrated financial need. Donations can be made online by visiting the “Members & Donors” section at www.stratfordchef.on.ca Stratford Chefs School Telephone 519 271 1414 68 Nile Street, Stratford, ON Canada N5A 4C5 5HDO%ULWLVKSXEIRRGH[FHOOHQWVSHFLDOVDQG QRSDUNLQJIHHV7U\WKHDUHD·VRQO\FDVN FRQGLWLRQHGUHDODOHJUHDWZLQHOLVW JXHVWGUDIWVSOXVUHJXODUEHHUVRQGUDIW $OOVHWLQD\HDUROGEXLOGLQJZLWK OLFHQVHGSDWLR,W·VZRUWKWKHVKRUWGULYH 4(%+).' %$7!2$ ,OGHUWRQ5RDG,OGHUWRQ21 -XVWPLQXWHV1RUWKRI/RQGRQ 2SHQDP'DLO\ ´5HDO)RRG5HDO$OH5HDO)ULHQGO\µ ZZZWKHNLQJHGZDUGFRP 34 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 554089) is the original Belgian witbier resurrected by Pierre Celis in his small craft brewery in Hoegaarden, Belgium. His brewery was bought by Inbev (who own Labatt), so we see this great witbier imported here. This is the standard by which all wits are judged. A hazy straw color, orange-coriander tones, spritzy and dry in the finish. If you get it on tap, be sure they serve it in the traditional witbier tumbler. LCBO / TBS / TAP Edelweiss Weissbier Hefetruebe (lcbo 912535) is a seasonal summer import at the LCBO. This is from an old established Salzburg brewer who makes a hefeweizen in the Austrian style. Lighter in color, this is a cloudy straw hue with a rich creamy cap. The aroma and taste are rich with bananapineapple-bubblegum esters and the clove phenols we want in a hefeweizen, with a silky smooth mouth feel and a light sweetness from the malts. When fresh, this is one of the better Hefeweizens available at the LCBO. LCBO On the domestic side, I can also recommend Unibroue Blanche de Chamblay (lcbo 927392). Sleeman bought this small Quebec craft brewer of Belgian ales and made this excellent Canadian version of a Belgian wit available to us in Ontario. It’s cloudy pale amber, spicy and fruity with wheat and malt complexities, refreshing and full flavored with a very dry crisp finish. This is a “living” beer (bottle conditioned) with sparkling champagne-like effervescence. LCBO / TBS True North Wunder Weiss (lcbo 67654) YOUR COUNTERTOP SPECIALISTS Countertops By MB Fast Turnaround Time Delivery • Installation 519-659-3838 1490 Hamilton Road, Unit 2 Southwestern Ontario’s Largest Selection Over 100 Quartz & Granite Colours & Patterns! Forest City Custom Counter Tops 519-691-0303 Visit Our Showroom 100 Belmont Drive, Unit 8, London (At Wharncliffe Road S, across from Ray Cullen) Mon-Fri 9-5 • Sat 10-2 www.forestcitycustomcountertops.com august 2007 • premiere issue is one of the triumphs of the craft brewing facility Magnotta has been running in Vaughn, Ontario for some time now. This weissbier is a decent interpretation of the Berliner weissbier style, with a clouded gold color and a decently long lasting cap. Some fruit esters and spice phenols are detected in the aroma and taste. Overall, it is a soothing dry ale. TBS Nickel Brook Brewing Organic White comes from a new Burlington microbrewer that has been turning out a string of excellent seasonal beers. This summer, they’re offering a hybrid wheat beer by merging the hefeweisse and Belgian wit styles. Brewer Ken will start with a 50/50 mix of certified organic malted wheat and barley, and organic German hops. Authentic Hefeweizen yeast produces the fruity bubblegum esters but not the clove phenols, but Ken will spice the beer with a dose of coriander and Curacao orange peel. This elixir should be out of the fermenters and on tap at better establishments the first week in August. TAP PC Blanche Wheat Beer is a milder version of a Belgian witbier brewed by Brick craft brewing of Waterloo. It has some of the character of Belgian wits, some light spiciness and citrus but a mild malty palate for those more accustomed to domestic lagers. TBS Denison’s Weissbier comes from a Cambridge microbrewer favored by beer geeks and this hefeweizen has won many awards on this side of the Atlantic. The problem is it is only available in kegs and in such demand that when a keg shows at your local watering hole, it is drained by Dining Room always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 35 thirsty beer geeks in a matter of hours. Word gets out when this is on tap. Keep asking your local publican when he will get the next keg in and make sure you are there to sample. TAP Food Pairings Personally, I have found the dry fruity quenching qualities of wheat beers compliment hot spicy foods like Tex-Mex. However, the fruitier, sweeter Hefeweisse beers like Paulaner or Edelweiss compliment a variety of summer salads and deserts. The more substantial amber wheats like the Schneider and HackerPschorr are perfect with cold cuts and cheeses. My personal favorite is matching a tall chilled glass of weissebier with a juicy Angus burger fresh off the grill. As for the Belgian whites like Hoegaarden and Blanche de Chambly, these white beers were just made to drink with shellfish. Last summer in Halifax, one of the great pleasures we enjoyed with our hosts was washing down buckets of steamed mussels with Hoegaarden and other fresh, locally crafted wheat ales. As a rule, Belgianstyled witbiers do pretty well paired with any seafood. D.R. HAMMOND, aka “The Malt Monk,” is an engineer by trade and a long-time beer enthusiast with a passion for dark German lagers. For more information from The Malt Monk about the history and making of wheat beer, click this link online. a lways m ore online Lounge restaurant se 36 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 TRAVEL The Heart of Italy By Bryan Lavery was returning to Abruzzo, a sparsely river. And it was in Emilia-Romagna that I populated mountainous region of Italy was first introduced to the Slow Food that is known for its vast landscapes, movement. historic hilltop towns and culinary reputaAfter my gastronomic tour of Emiliation. Abruzzo remains often overlooked by Romagna, I took a fast train from Rimmini travelers. Until highways were tunnelled to Pescara along the undulating Adriatic through the mountains, Abruzzo was con- coast. From Pescara, the train wound sidered virtually inaccessible. The Abruz- through spectacularly steep mountaintop zese Apennines curtained most of this scenery before descending dramatically region from mainstream Italy, creating a series of unique regional cuisines that reflect the unspoiled “Each morning, I brewed and finished a pot of strong espresso while eating a variety of handmade traditional and isolated pastoral environment. Like the rest of Italy, Abruzzo is pastries.” made of many districts, each with distinctive traditional specialities. The food may be quite different in villages mere miles down the road from each other. Highways now link Abruzzo’s main cities to Rome and Pescara and the regions of Marche and Umbria. Far from the madding crowds of Rome, Florence and Venice, Abruzzo offers the perfect escape and the pleasures at hand are eminently culinary. On a previous trip to Italy, I had trav- into the Peligna Valley, where the famed elled to Abruzzo in mid-May while return- city of Sulmona boasts an interesting ing from an intensive two-week cooking blend of Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic excursion in Emilia-Romagna. Emilia- architecture. When I was organizing this trip, I was Romagna is arguably the culinary capital of Italy, where I dined in a series of exqui- pleasantly surprised when I realized that site restaurants and drank local wine on Sulmona neighbours the town of Pratolasunburnt piazzas, with each experience Peligna, where we planned to stay. somehow eclipsing the last. It was there Our accommodation was spacious, with that I tasted the sweet elixir balsamico in rooms situated on the top two floors of a Modena and watched the exquisite Parmi- magnificent four-storey casa that dated giano-Reggiano cheese wheels being back to the 1860s. On the top floor was a crafted in the very early morning. High- dining room with louvered French doors lights included eating cheese made from opening onto Juliette balconies. These the lining of a goat’s stomach in a 300- tiny balustrades of open metalwork overyear-old trattoria, dining at a chic restau- look the narrow street below. The internal rant built at the top of an ancient cistern staircase above this floor leads to a flat and watching culotello, the king of pork rooftop terrace with a stunning view of the meat, being stored and cured in the attics Appenine Mountains and the patchwork of former fishers’ homes beside the Po of medieval rooftops, church steeples and I august 2007 • premiere issue always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 37 bell towers that remain unblemished by modern architecture. Seen from the terrace as morning dawns, the sun appears above the horizon between La Maiella and the elliptical dome of Mont Morrone. Looking across the valley, I could make out the twinkling lights and medieval village of Roccacasale rising from the cliffs of the mountainside. As it became lighter, the mist rolled down the mountain and as the sun changed its position I was able to make out the ruins of city walls and a 12th-century castle Every Friday, eager shoppers scan the offerings at the Pratolawending its way up the mountain. In Peligna Market (above). The portable stalls (below) offer an the distance, the tallest and most abundance of locally grown fresh produce. majestic mountains in the Appenine range, the solitary Gran Sasso and the peaks of the Maiella mountain range were clearly visible. I watched the morning light slowly saturate the valley and its sentinel peaks. I was drawn to the terrace by the peaceful calm and breath-taking view that encouraged me to be an uncharacteristically early riser. Each morning, I brewed and finished a pot of strong espresso while eating a variety of handmade traditional pastries procured from the local bakery at the foot of the street. Enraptured, I sat for hours watching the conspicuous dragged into the street to form a closed flight of blue-backed swallows swooping circle. There they peeled fresh vegetables and recounted the daily goings-on, with in and around the rippled clay roofs. Leaning over the fenced-in grey slate- the conversation almost a dress rehearsal tiled rooftop, I called down to the neigh- for the nightly debates that bounced off bour women who sat in a variety of the houses very late into the evenings. mismatched kitchen chairs that they Fridays are market days in Pratola- 38 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net Peligna. I awoke early to the rumble of the sellers’ trucks arriving early on the quiet, narrow hill streets. They drive quickly along the worn, arched cobblestones, past our balconies, to set up their culinary specialities of smoked, air-cured and salted charcuterie, fresh fish, local cheese, wild funghi, olives and abundant fruits and vegetables in portable stalls on the neighbouring streets. At the midnight market in Sulmona, I purchased the pungent white truffles for which Abruzzo is well known. Their earthy aroma and intoxicating flavours infused many of our meals, elevating them to gastronomic splendour. One of my favourite memories is of watching coat-shorn truffle-hunting dogs ply their trade before I retreated to a mountainside terraced garden full of spiralled fruit trees so I could sample the first crop of fresh green almonds. From where I premiere issue • august 2007 stood, the rich culinary life in Italy could not have been clearer. BRYAN LAVERY is a writer, a founding member of Slow Food London and a veteran of the London restaurant scene. As chef/owner of the 10-year-old Murano restaurant, he recently decided to take a break and sold the building. Bryan is now the compiler of the eatdrink buzz column (see page 24). For an outstanding recipe Bryan Lavery gathered on his trip, read eatdrink online and click this link. Have a gastronomic travel story to tell about a recent trip? Whether it’s a daytripping discovery of a local gem or a transcontinental adventure, your story needs to focus on food and drink. Professionals and amateurs, we want to see you in print. Send your story (400-1000 words) to: [email protected]. Winning entries will receive a $50 gift certificate from a great restaurant! Lunch: Friday 12-2 or by apt. for groups of 10 or more. Dinner: Mon-Sat 5:30-12pm Reservations recommended. Private parties accepted. 519.936.2064 172 King St. just E of Richmond www.theonlyonking.ca www.festaitaliana.ca August 10-12, 2007 Covent Garden Market Square Festa Italiana is a gathering of authentic tastes, sights and sounds straight from Italy ... an annual event guaranteed to delight your whole family! Set in the heart of the Forest City, Festa Italiana celebrates our Italian cultural roots through the arts, family fun and, of course, the world’s most delicious food! London,Ontario www.slowfoodlondonontario.ca Slow Food London is pleased to participate in Festa Italiana! Slow Food originated in Bra, Italy in 1989 and now has 80,000 members around the world. Festa Italiana benefits the Italian Seniors’ Project which is dedicated to providing Italian seniors with culturally sensitive care through social activities, language, food and ambiance in long-term care settings, retirement home and programs. 40 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 MIXOLOGY The Pomegranate Martini From The Tasting Room hat’s hot these days? Some say that, despite its recent renaissance, the martini is once again passé but to the over-thirty crowd at London’s The Tasting Room restaurant, it’s anything but. The venerable martini remains one of this establishment’s most popular drinks, and as has been the current fashion, it’s available in a variety of flavours. According to co-owner Pam W Recipe courtesy of The Tasting Room Pomegranate Martini 1½ oz (45 mL) Vodka or Lemon Vodka 1 oz (30 mL) Cointreau 1-2 oz (30-60 mL) Pomegranate juice Served on the rocks or strained over ice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds. For a lighter cocktail, adjust quantity of pomegranate juice to taste. Landsdowne, one of their best sellers is the Pomegranate Martini. First made popular by the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray, this martini has wide appeal. Not for ladies only, it’s especially refreshing in the summer and can be “watered down” to please any palate. By simply adding extra pomegranate juice, you can go from a more classic martini potency to a lighter (by volume) cocktail. Long popular in the Middle East, pomegranates and pomegranate juice are now available at most grocery chains. If you hate digging out pomegranate seeds, they are sold seperately in small containers at most fresh markets. This tasty fruit also offers some surprising health benefits. Pomegranate juice is a source of vitamins A, C and E, potassium and niacin. The pomegranate is also extremely high in antioxidants, with some studies showing the juice can contain up to three times the antioxidants found in red wine. Clinical research shows that drinking pomegranate juice may keep prostate cancer from recurring after treatment, prevent clogging of the arteries and reduce the onset of heart disease. That means: drink up! Two martinis a day may keep the doctor at bay. THE TASTING ROOM offers a bar and a restaurant and is located at 483 Richmond Street, London, two doors from The Grand Theatre (www.thetastingroom.ca). Thinking of remodelling your kitchen? Why not remodel your mortgage? Have you dreamed about renovating your kitchen or bath, or constructing a major addition? At some point, the question "What about the money?" enters your thoughts, and you pause. Borrowing for these projects can be expensive – higher interest rates and extra monthly payments deter many plans. At The Mortgage Store, we have helped thousands realize their dream of improving their home for more than 15 years. We tailor make our solutions to each of our customers, taking the time required to explore the various options available in financing. And assessing your individual circumstances, we look at how your project can be completed in the most affordable way. Tim and Julie recently came to us with a problem. They wanted to put in a new kitchen that they estimated would cost about $35,000. Their bank told them they couldn't afford another loan. Their home is worth $280,000 and they were paying about $1500 per month on their first mortgage of $250,000. We found a way to refinance their mortgage, and guess what? Their payments are staying virtually the same. With their brand new kitchen decked out with gorgeous new cabinets, hardwood flooring, a built-in oven and granite counter tops, Tim and Julie put the finishing touches on a home they love. Tim and Julie now are recommending us to their friends and neighbours. Call us today for a consultation on how we can find the best financial solution for you. Make your dream a reality. The MORTGAGE Store Appointments Available 8:00 am - 10:00 pm 301 Wellington Road South, London (West side, 2 blocks N of Baseline) 978 Bently Street Mount Forest 2055 Dundas St E, Unit 102 Mississauga 519-642-0428 519-323-4332 905-282-9009 www.themortgagestore.ca 42 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 BOOKS Healthy Food in a Hurry Review by Jennifer Gagel ooking to embark on healthy eating, or to flesh out your collection of fresh food ideas? Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health ... and Don’t Forget the Chocolate (Whitecap Books Ltd. $29.95) will be a welcome addition to your shelf. It has many updated basics, such as Terrific Salmon Teriyaki and Marvellous Minestrone. The recipes come with witty tips and explanations in the sidebar, such as the optional balsamic vinegar in the Minestrone, explaining “how that little zip adds something wonderful to the soup.” I completely agree, and promptly scratched out the “optional” in my copy. There are also fresh ideas for those slightly more adventurous, such as the fusion of flavours found in the Chicken with Lime, Garlic, and Cashews. The sweetness of the cashews contrasted nicely with the salty, savoury soy sauce and garlic. The chili garlic sauce gives body, and lime adds a tangy element. Other recipes, such as the Spicy Salmon Cakes or Japanese-Style Edamame and Corn Salad will appeal to those of us looking for some new healthy ideas. The average everyday lifestyle is hectic, and healthy eating is harder to adopt if it encroaches too deeply into our precious time. The recipes here reflect this, and are high on convenience factor, low on time or complicated prep work. The pantry suggestions will ensure that you can pull together something nutritious in under 20 minutes. I am also quite happy with their recommendation to stock Ribena, a concentrated blackberry syrup, and find it quite versatile. For Londoners, I found a L more economical version at Sikorski Sausage on Trafalgar Street. There is something here for everyone, including children, thanks to the kidfriendly tips. The recipes are fast and, in the main, free from chemicals, though I’ll still risk butter over margarine any day, even if it is non-hydrogenated. The first third of the book is devoted to current information on nutrition, with a section for each super food, explaining its benefits and current research. Included in the berries section was some information on pomegranate juice. “From heart disease, to cancer, to brain health, pomegranate juice is a truly exciting food.” This book does not subscribe to fad diets, but provides solid nutritional information. For those so inclined, they supply menu plans and checklists to ensure you get your recommended servings. The lack of pictures is a disappointment, but overall it is well laid out, complete with both nutritional and recipe indexes. The humourous interjections ensure it’s a pleasant read. For those needing some encouragement to make healthy choices, this would make an excellent gift. JENNIFER GAGEL began her love affair with food at age eight, cooking for a family of food lovers and fickle eaters under the tutelage of her two European grandmothers. She works for the London Public Library, where she scours the cookbook selection to plan her next culinary experiment. See the following page for sample recipes from this book. You will find more recipes by clicking this link online at eatdrinkmag.net . august 2007 • premiere issue always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net 43 Recipes courtesy of Liz Pearson & Mairlyn Smith, Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health, Whitecap Books, 2007. Chicken with Lime, Garlic & Cashews 1 7-oz (200 g) skinless, boneless chicken breast Marinade 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp (30 mL) low-sodium soy sauce 2 Tbsp (30 mL) garlic chili sauce 2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil 2 tsp (10 mL) fresh lime juice Stir-Fry 2 large red peppers, thinly sliced 1 cup (250 mL) snap or snow peas 6 green onions, chopped into 4-inch (10-cm) pieces ¼ cup (60 mL) unsalted cashews, chopped coarsely 1 Slice chicken into ¼-inch (5-mm) slices. If this is hard to do, place chicken in the freezer for 20 minutes for easier slicing. 2 In a resealable plastic bag, mix together the garlic, soy sauce, chili sauce, 1 tsp (5 mL) of the canola oil, and lime juice. Add the sliced chicken. Marinate in the fridge from 20 minutes to 12 hours. 3 When the chicken is marinated, heat a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil and the red peppers. Sauté for 1 minute. Remove peppers from the pan and set aside . 4 Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the frying pan. Discard marinade. Stir-fry the chicken for 4 minutes. Return the red peppers to the pan and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the green onion and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cashews and stir-fry for 1 minute. Serve. Serves 4. (Continued on Page 44) 519-667-4930 A taste of what’s on the menu in September ... eatdrink This month, Jennifer Gagel has been cooking up a “Silver Palate” storm. Read all about it in 44 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 Marvellous Minestrone 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp (20 mL) extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 large carrots, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced one 28-oz (796 mL) can diced tomatoes one 19-oz (540 mL) can kidney beans 2 cups (500 mL) lower-sodium chicken broth 1½ cups (375 mL) water 4 cups (1 L) chopped kale leaves, stems removed, or spinach ¼ cup (60 mL) whole wheat rotini ½ tsp (2 mL) red pepper flakes ¼ tsp (1 mL) pepper 2 Tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh basil 2 Tbsp (30 mL) balsamic vinegar (optional) 1 2 Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and the onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often, or until the onion is a golden colour. 3 Add the tomatoes, beans (drained and rinsed), chicken broth, and water. 4 Bring to a boil. Add the kale, rotini, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Bring back to a boil and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. 5 Add the basil and vinegar, if using. Stir and serve. If desired, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Makes 10 cups (2.5 L) or six 1½-cup (375-mL) servings. Read eatdrink online for two more great restaurant search recipes from this month’s featured cookbook. It’s just a click away! a lways m ore online Add the carrots and the garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often. Coming Soon... Save up to 15% at businesses in London & St. Thomas Retailers... call 519-520-7411 to find out more about joining! The more you shop, the more you save! august 2007 • premiere issue always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net Walk rough the Grades Come look inside! Waldorf classrooms are alive with the spirit of learning, using the head, heart and hands. Beautiful artwork and natural materials decorate each classroom and give testament to the integration of the arts into our curriculum. Our aim is to educate the whole child, not just academically but also through movement, through the arts, through social encounter, and through the spirit of inquiry. Book your appointment today to come and experience this education for yourself. 7 Beaufort Street, London ON N6G 1A5 519-858-8862 www.londonwaldorf.ca The Best Product You’ll Never See Acrylic: Clear to Your Needs Acrylic display products give your retail areas a professional and organized look. Acrylic display risers can add interest to retail product displays. We custom fabricate our products to Acrylic vertical and slant suit your specific need. The only limit frames are perfect to hold is imagination! promotional flyers and messages and can be easily changed for each season or sale. Keeping menus and other literature in neat and easily accessible areas is a snap with acrylic holders. Clean up the clutter in service areas by utilizing acrylic counter stands and wall racks. We Make What We Sell All our acrylic products are high quality for durability and long term usage. Invest in display items to help make your retail products fly off the shelves. Got an idea? We can do it! Call for a free estimate. Jersey Case $160.00 Wall mountable and self-standing. This is just one example of what we can do for you in acrylic. Granton Plastics 1673 Richmond St., Suite 301 London ON N6G 2N3 Tel: 519 520 1270 Fax: 519 850 0521 www.grantonplastics.com [email protected] 45 46 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net premiere issue • august 2007 THE LIGHTER SIDE Yes Chef By David Chapman n the 1980s, there was a wonderful British television show called Chef, starring comedian Lenny Henry in the title role. Although it was a comedy, this behind-the-scenes look at a high quality restaurant kitchen was as realistic a portrayal as I’ve ever seen. There was irony, humour, silliness and fun mixed with passion, hard work, terror and stress, just like in a real kitchen. One of the catchphrases in the show was “Yes Chef.” This is one of the first things one learns in the kitchen, soon after “the chef is always right.” One never calls the chef by his or her name; one always says, “Yes Chef.” “Yes Chef, I will work late tonight because it is busy,” and “Yes Chef, I will work my day off,” and “Yes Chef, I overcooked that steak.” (And will forever have to live with the disgrace ...) One might glean from these responses that the kitchen is a dictatorship. One would be correct. In a great kitchen (one where cooks are willing almost to work for free, in order to learn from a master), there is a need for discipline. It is a discipline of quality. When a customer eats at this restaurant, they want to—they need to—taste perfection. To attain that perfection, there must be an almost religious devotion to quality. That food must taste the same, day in, day out, and it all starts with total respect for “Chef.” Years ago, I was working as a sous chef in a Toronto hotel, and every night Chef would go through the kitchen and say good night to his brigade. As he went down the line, it was always the same: “Good night David.” “Good night Chef.” The formal exchange was repeated with every employee. Except one night, Richard, an apprentice with a misguided idea of when to work and when to play, said, “Good night Fred.” I The silence in the kitchen was audible. All eyes were on Chef, the entire room ready to witness whatever horror would befall Richard. Chef calmly walked over to the steamtable, took a fingerful of mashed potatoes, and deposited it in Richard’s ear. He didn’t say another word. When Chef left, we exploded in relief and laughter. A sense of humour is an inherent trait in every great chef I have ever worked with. Just don’t call him Fred. DAVID CHAPMAN has been a respected and creative fixture in the London restaurant scene for over 20 years. He is the proprietor of David’s Bistro and manages The Katana Kafe. Have a funny story to tell about your time in the kitchen? Or have you watched (or were you responsible for) a comedy of errors that you’re willing to share? Whether you’re a professional chef or an amateur who rarely cooks, we want to see you in print. Send your story (400-600 words) to: [email protected]. Winning entries will receive a $50 gift certificate from a great restaurant! eatdrinkmag.net ALWAYS MORE ONLINE eatdrink Register for your free subscription Online Edition More photos, stories and links to all things culinary. GAMMAGE GAMMAGE fLOWERS fLOWERS ChOCOLAtES ChOCOLAtES by by BERNARD BERNARD CALLEBAUt CALLEBAUt Words of encouragement, a cup of tea, a hug. Just some of the things we give our friends when they need a little lift. But if you can’t be at their side, Gammage Flowers can be. Imagine the smile as they receive a hand-tied bouquet of exotic blooms and a box of delightful Belgian chocolates. The colours, the aroma and your caring heart will embrace them at the door. Gammage Flowers and Chocolates by Bernard Callebaut. Put Them Together OXFORD at WATERLOO • LONDON 519-438-4114 Updated Look Fresh New Lunch & Dinner Menus And More ... All in ONE 1 Grosvenor Street London ON N6A 1Y2 519-434-5149 Enter off St. George Street, next to Gibbons Park Plenty of Free Parking www.onerestaurant.ca [email protected] Perfect for Weddings, Inside & Out WEB1 august 2007 • premiere issue SEASONAL RECIPES More About Garlic By Christine Scheer arlic has been grown for more than 5,000 years, and has a long history of health benefits, safety benefits (it was thought to repel vampires), and spiritual (the Egyptians offered it to their Gods). It is one of the easiest vegetables to plant and grow, and makes a great companion crop as it tends to repel many garden bugs. If you would like to grow your own garlic, plant it in October because it requires a cold period to form cloves, and then in the spring it will take off. G Roasted Garlic and Brie Soup 3 large heads of garlic (unpeeled, tops cut) 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1 Tbsp (15 mL) dried thyme 1 Tbsp (15 mL) dried basil ¼ cup (60 mL) butter 1 medium onion, finely diced 2 celery stalks, finely diced 1 carrot, peeled, finely diced ¼ cup (60 mL) flour 6 cups (1.5L) chicken stock 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh oregano, chopped 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh thyme, chopped 7 oz Brie cheese, rind removed, cut into small pieces Salt, freshly ground pepper There are three types of garlic: Hardneck: This tends to bolt during the growing season, forming scapes that need to be cut off. Softneck: doesn’t bolt and produces more 1 but smaller cloves. It is often used in garlic braids. Elephant garlic: a member of the leek family. It has very large bulbs and cloves with a mild flavour. It requires a longer 2 growing season. Celebrate garlic at a local garlic festival! Perth County has theirs on Saturday and Sunday, August 11 and 12th. For more information: www.perthgarlicfestival.com Stratford has their annual garlic festival on Saturday, September 15th. For more information: www.stratfordgarlicfestival.com Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Place garlic in foil, drizzle with the olive oil and the dried herbs. Close foil and roast garlic for 45 minutes. Heat butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until transparent. Add celery and carrot, sautéing until tender. 3 Add flour to make roux. Gradually stir in chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes or so. 4 Remove garlic from oven, and squish out the cloves into a small bowl. Mash the garlic a bit, and add it to the soup along with the fresh herbs. Simmer ½ hour. 5 Gradually add the Brie, and stir until melted. Season and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings. WEB2 premiere issue • august 2007 BEER More AboutWheat Beer By D.R. Hammond oday’s Weizen Brau retains the same cloudy, quirky, spritzy and top-fermented traits as its ancestors had. Ripe with very unique, identifiable flavors and aromas not usually associated with German lager beer, wheat beers are riding a new wave of popularity and now enjoy a significant market share in Germany and around the globe. out in the 1950s until a brewer named Pierre Celis resurrected the style in the mid 1960s at his small craft brewery in Hoegaarden Belgium. Again, as in the case of German wheat beers, were it not for the passion of a single brewer, this ancient and noble spiced white beer of Belgium would be dead to us. The History German weissebier, or German wheat beer, has many names like weizen, weisse bier, hefeweizen, hefe weisse and weizen bier. With weisse meaning white, weizen meaning wheat and hefe meaning yeast in German, we can see that the various local names translate to “white beer,” “yeastwhite,” “yeast-wheat” and “wheat beer.” There are subtle differences in process, color and ingredients between all these local names for German wheat beer but by and large all adhere to some conventional similarities. All are not beer but “ales,” brewed with a unique top fermenting yeast that produces the signature fruity-bubblegum esters and spice (clove) phenols as it works on the sugars in the malted wheat and barley. All use approximately 50% malted wheat, the balance a mixture of pale and amber malted barley. All are served unfiltered and look clouded with suspended wheat proteins and yeast. All have subdued noble hopping. Because of the amount of suspended proteins in the beer, all will give a massive frothy white head (or cap) that stacks out of the glass and lasts, lacing the sides of the glass as you drain it. Weissebier should be served in a proper weizen glass which holds a 500 mL draught and resembles a tall pilsner glass, with a big bell opening to contain the massive cap on this beer. Belgian Witbier is also called biere blanche or “Belgian white”. This is also an ale brewed with top fermenting yeast. This T Wheat beer was brewed for the first time at the end of the 1400s by breweries owned by the royal Bavarian families. By 1516, Bavaria passed a purity law, which forbade commoners to brew beer from any grain other than barley. This made the Bavarian royal brewers the sole makers of wheat beer and the Bavarian princes the sole consumers of wheat beer. It was thought of as a royal delicacy in the early years of German brewing, where all beer was dark and rather heavy bodied. As the royal breweries expanded, the public demand for their royal wheat beers became impossible to suppress and, eventually, other brewers were given royal authority to brew wheat beer. By mid 19th century, wheat beer popularity waned as new brewing and malting techniques produced the wonderful new pale and amber lager beers from Vienna and Munich. Wheat beer would be a forgotten extinct style today if not for the efforts of a single brewer named George Schneider. Schneider steadfastly kept this traditional style alive through some lean times and was responsible in the resurgence of wheat beer popularity that it enjoys today. Schneider is today one of Germany’s premium wheat beer brewers and we are lucky to have this wonderful brew available to us in the Ontario market. The history of Belgian witbier is similar. A 400-year-old unfiltered Belgian wheat ale style, indigenous to East Brabant, died The Style august 2007 • premiere issue Belgian version of wheat beers traditionally uses only 40% malted wheat to 54% pale barley malt. The addition of 6% unmalted wheat and oats gives it a milkystraw color with the suspended protein. That suspended protein also gives this beer a wonderfully dry character that compliments the tart flavors introduced by the addition of Curacao orange peels, coriander and other spices. Characteristically, these ingredients give the beer a pleasant sweetness (often with a honey and/or vanilla character) and a zesty, orange-citrusy fruitiness. Refreshingly crisp, it has a dry, often tart, finish. Herbalspicy flavors are common but not overpowering. All the suspended protiens also produce an ale that producs a fluffy white massive cap when poured in the traditional witbier tumbler. A refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate-strength wheatbased ale. It is important to realize that although witbier and hefeweizen both have fruityspicey characters. these aromas and flavors are achieved through yeast action in the German wheat beers. In the Belgian wheat beer, these tastes are the result of adding spices and citrus peel to the brew. WEB3 WEB4 premiere issue • august 2007 TRAVEL More From The Heart of Italy By Bryan Lavery picked up this recipe on my travels in the Abruzzo region. While it’s fairly involved, the results are worth it. Of course, you may need to substitute another meat for the Wild Boar, but this is the traditional ingredient. 4 I Wild Boar Ragu with Strozzapreti 6 Tbsp (90 mL) extra virgin olive oil ¼ pound (115g) pancetta, cut into small dice 2 pounds (900g) wild boar roast cut into ½inch cubes (or ground) 1 cup (250 mL)finely chopped onions ½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped celery ½ cup (125 mL)finely chopped carrots 1 pound (450g) wild mushrooms, chopped 2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh chopped garlic 1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine 1 28-oz (800g) can D.O.P San Marzano tomatoes, diced, and their juices 2 Tbsp (30 mL) concentrated tomato paste 1 cup (250 mL) strong vegetable stock 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt ½ tsp (3 mL) freshly cracked juniper berries 1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh sage leaves 1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves ½ cup (125 mL) heavy cream (optional) 1 pound (450g) fresh strozzapreti freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano 1 In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and sauté, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp. 2 Season the chopped or ground wild boar and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until browned on all sides. Add the battuto (onions, celery, carrots,) and mushrooms. Sauté until soft and starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with dry white wine and reduce until not quite evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring intermittently, until the meat is tender and the ragu thickens and is aromatic, approximately 1½ hours. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream (if desired). Adjust the seasoning to taste. Q.B. 5 Bring a large pot of abundant salted water to a rolling boil. Add the strozzapreti and cook until al dente (when pasta floats to the surface). Drain in a colander and place in a large serving bowl. 6 Pour the ragu over top of the pasta and mix so the ragu clings to the pasta. Bryan Lavery's Fresh Pasta for Strozzapreti Fresh pasta is made with 1 lb 2 oz. of flour and 5 whole eggs. In many regions of Italy, only 4 eggs and a little water are used; in others, 2 eggs and more water. In some regions, only the egg yolks and a little oil are employed. Regardless of these regional variations, the dough must be well kneaded—that is, until little bubbles are visible in the dough—before being stretched with the rolling pin. 1 lb. 2 oz. (500g) flour 5 whole eggs semolina for sprinkling on strozzapreti (optional) 1 3 Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable stock, sea salt, juniper berries, fresh sage and thyme and bring to a rolling boil. Pour the flour on a pastry board in a cone-shaped mound. Break the eggs into the center of the cone and blend august 2007 • premiere issue the yolks with the whites, using a fork or fingers, then begin gradually mixing the egg with the flour. 2 When the dough has a thick texture, so that it is no longer possible to use a fork, the egg will no longer be liquid and about half of the flour will be incorporated. Continue to work with your hands, pushing the dough up from all sides, taking in as much flour as possible. Keep kneading the dough for about 15 minutes. 3 The dough must be thick and rather stiff, or it will be difficult to roll out. Wrap the dough with a dry cloth and keep it under a weight for half an hour. This allows the dough (particularly the gluten in the dough) to relax. It will be less elastic and much easier to roll out after a short rest. 4 When the dough is ready, cut into thirds or quarters. Work with one piece at a time but remember to keep the remaining pieces covered. Roll pasta dough out on lightly floured surface, beginning from the center, to a thickness of 1/8 inch (0.3 cm ). You have to use a long pasta rolling pin for this. Sprinkle flour on the surface of the dough before rolling out. 5 Roll up the rolled dough and cut diagonally into noodles (tagliatelle) of ¼-inch (0.5 cm) width. Unroll the noodles and spread on the work surface. Take an end of every noodle and rub between the palms of your hands. Cut the noodles into 2-inch (5 cm ) pieces and put individual noodles on a clean towel. Sprinkle noodles with a little flour or semolina. 6 It is important to prevent the noodles from sticking together while drying. It is best to use a large surface for the drying process. Let dry for 2-3 hours before cooking. You can make pasta the day before and freeze. WEB5 WEB6 premiere issue • august 2007 BOOKS More From Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health Recipes Selected by Jennifer Gagel his book contains a wealth of great Spicy Salmon Cakes recipes. Here are two more that are typical of the book: easy to prepare 1½ cups (375 mL) Spoon Size Shredded Wheat + Bran and delicious. T Recipes courtesy of Liz Pearson & Mairlyn Smith Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health Whitecap Books, 2007 Japanese-Style Edamame and Corn Salad Combine the following with one of the dressings below: 2 cups (500 mL) frozen, shelled edamame beans 1 cup (250 mL) fresh cooked or frozen corn, thawed 1 red pepper, diced 4 green onions, thinly sliced Japanese Dressing 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice 1 Tbsp (15 mL) low-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp (15 mL) rice vinegar 2 tsp (10 mL) miso paste 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh ginger Citrus Dressing 1 Tbsp (15 mL) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil 1 Tbsp (15 mL) rice vinegar 1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard Two 7.5-oz (213g) cans sockeye salmon, well drained 2 Tbsp (30 mL) low-fat mayonnaise 2 Tbsp (30 mL) low-fat plain probiotic yogurt 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard ½ tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp (10 mL) garlic chili sauce ½ medium onion, minced ½ red pepper, minced ¼ cup (50 mL) finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice 1 Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) 2 In a food processor, pulse the cereal until fine. Measure out ½ cup (125mL) and set aside to use for the coating. 3 Put the salmon (bones and all) into the food processor and pulse several times. 4 Add the mayonnaise, yogurt, Worcestershire, garlic chili sauce, onion, and red pepper. Pulse until well combined. 5 Add the cilantro and lime juice and pulse until combined. 6 Using a ¼ cup (60mL) ice cream scoop with a release button, scoop out 8 salmon scoops and place into the reserved crumbs. 7 Press the salmon gently into the crumbs and make sure both sides are well coated. Flatten to ¾ inch (2 cm) thickness. 8. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve. Makes eight 3-inch (8-cm) cakes or four 2-cake servings.
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