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As mentioned in an earlier post - I’m once again blogging for the Celebrity Chefs of Canada event! This year I am covering the dynamic duo of Chef Jonathan Korecki from SideDoor Restaurant and Chef Jeremy Charles of Raymond’s in St. John’s.
I visited SideDoor Restaurant earlier this year and loved it! But this was my first chance to get to speak one on one with Chef Korecki. What a great guy. Not only didn’t he fake a stomach ache to get away from me and my odd line of questions, he even gave me a quick tour of his kitchen! Korecki is not only an Ottawa Celebrity chef but he is a Top Chef Canada contestant in season two which will be airing starting this March. Check out his audition video here:
Chef Korecki is so mild mannered and polite, my first question was to ask him how long until he gives that up and starts acting like a real celebrity chef? How cold must his latte be before he will throw it at his assistant. Speaking of which, when will he be getting an assistant?
(Korecki) No no! That’s the number one thing you want to stay away from. I don’t let it get to my head, because then you are ‘that asshole’. The best part of being part of all this is that I get to work with other Chefs that I might not have had the chance to work with otherwise. I can head out to where they are and cook, and I can bring them in here to see what we are all about.
Ok. That’s all well and good. I can tell that it’s really about the cooking for you. But you also have a side business – head bands. It’s one of your trademarks and you actually have a line of them for chef’s and other professionals who sweat a lot. I don’t know about you, but they kind of remind me of ninjas. Are you in fact a ninja? And would you show me some of your ninja moves?
Ha! Um … it would be more like Beverly Hills Ninja than an actual ninja.
Back to food. SideDoor will be one year old this Valentines Day weekend – how has the first year been?
It`s been a fast learning curve! But it`s so cool seeing something grow from an idea into reality. It`s been a really cool ride. We are so much farther along now then we were at this point last year. The kinks have more or less been ironed out, like the doughnuts for example. They are done to order all night. So getting the recipe right so that they come out the same at any point was challenging, but we got it down now. And more of the staff know how to complete the dishes so I have more time for fun and menu development.
Speaking of menus, you have been working with Chef Charles for Celebrity Chefs of Canada. What can you tell me about your dish?
**As if his ears are burning, it is at this moment when Chef Charles calls Korecki to talk about a last minute idea for this dish… and to tell him about how he fell down the stairs the night before**
Jeremy and I have been chatting back and forth for a couple of weeks now, but it was only yesterday that we actually hammered out the real idea for the dish. It`s going to be rabbit. Jeremy has a contact in St. John`s who can get him some really amazing local rabbits. There will be a terrine, pate with homemade pickles (which we have already started working on) and ravioli… it is going to be quite the dish.
That sounds amazing. How do you enjoy working with Chef Charles?
Jer is great. He is just so super cool. He is relaxed but focused, which I like. And as an added bonus I used to work with his Sous Chef back in the day when I was in Toronto working with Susur.
Are you looking forward to seeing Susur again?
Of course. I`m really looking forward to connecting with Susur. That guy is funny as hell.
So last year some (by which I mean most… by which I mean all) the chefs went out for a little meet and greet the night before the event. Let us just say that the 8am demos were a little groggy. Do you have any plans for that this year?
Not so much. We will save the party for after the event. Plus it doesn`t get started until noon this year, which is a big help. 8am for any chef who is still working the line is difficult.
Thanks so much to Chef Jonathan for his time. I know he is going to make a rocking dish for Celeb Chefs and is going to kick ass and take names on Top Chef!
To order your tickets for Celebrity Chefs of Canada – click the banner below. Come on out and meet chef Jonny – he’s wicked cool.
I just finished washing my sweaty palms after a phone interview with Lynn Crawford. I’ve got to tell you folks, she is just as nice on the phone as she appears to be on TV. Not only did she laugh nervously at my attempts at humour, but she answered what is sure to be some of the odder questions she will be asked today.
Why yes, I do imagine Chef Crawford called me on a teal blue rotary phone with too many numbers on it. Thankyouverymuch.
Our conversation went something like this:
(Simply Fresh) Hello. *secretly screaming inside because I know who is on the other end of the phone but I’m trying to play it cool*
(Chef Lynn Crawford) Hi Jodi – It’s Lynn Crawford.
Holy crap on a cracker! Lynn Crawford… on my phone!
What? Oh – ha! Yes. How are you?
(Pleasantries are discussed while I try to calm down and get to the questions… this takes about 4 minutes. I was pretty wound up.)
So you are coming to Ottawa for Winterlude – amazing! Do you have any plans to explore the city or perhaps come back to visit when our farmers markets are in full swing?
I would love to! But honestly with the show (Pitching In) and appearances and the restaurant, I haven’t had a day off in … well… 3 years! I love exploring and a good road trip – it would be fun to see the foodie side of Ottawa. And you have so many dedicated foodies. You know? True lovers of food in that city. It’s amazing.
So yeah, between Pitching In, old episodes of Restaurant Makeover, commercials for stuff like Inniskillin wine and guest spots on stuff like Iron Chef, I have calculated that your face is on Food Network every 10 minutes. Have you ever considered asking them to change the name of the channel to ‘Lynn Crawford’s Food Network’?
Really?? Every 10 minutes! Wow.
But seriously, how do you have any kind of work life balance?
What’s that? Kidding – I do what I love! It’s a passion and I work with amazing people who I love so it’s not work and life. It’s just life!
Do you have any trouble watching yourself on T.V.?
I don’t have time to watch myself on T.V.! But I have watched several episodes and I don’t have a problem. I’m so proud of the show and everyone who works on it. It’s amazing the people you meet along the way and I’m just happy that people are enjoying watching it too.
Are you nervous at all getting ready for your big dinner to kick off Winterlude?
Oh no! I’m excited! I’m working with George Laurier and his amazing team. We are going to have an amazing meal and have fun together. Then there is a fireworks display – how is that? Fun right?!
They go all out for those fireworks – it’s a great time.
Then I realized I was pretty much out of questions, wished her luck in her travels to Ottawa and put my head in between my knees to put a stop to that light headed feeling I’ve been having since I picked up the phone. Too much excitement for one day.
**
Thank you so much to Chef Crawford. Tickets to her Winterlude kick off dinner are available here until Monday. If you are going – I want to hear all about it!
Two posts in one day?? Go team! Well… they kind of go together so I figured I would post them on the same day. Wini Moranville is the author of The Bonne Femme Cookbook – the next book in my cook along book club project! She has graciously given me a bit of her time to answer some questions. Thanks so much Wini!
Simply Fresh – In the ‘About Wini’ section of your book’s website, you mention that you have been spending the summers in France since the early 90s. In all that time, while learning the French Food culture, what would you say was the biggest surprise, or difference, in the way the French approach food compared to us those of us in North America?
Winni Moranville - For me, what is surprising is how little the French fuss when entertaining. Most cooks that I know on this side of the Atlantic really knock themselves out when gathering friends in their homes. But I just loved the easygoing way that French women cook for friends. They’ll bring a few of their favourite dishes to the table, yes, but round out the offerings with the best artisanal foods their towns offer: great charcuterie and olives, fabulous cheeses and breads, and gorgeous pastry-shop treats. Often in my book, I offer ways to round out the menu with such items so you truly do not have to go crazy in the kitchen when having guests.
What has been your favourite French dish to eat out? And which is your favourite to make at home?
I love Sole Meuniere (sauted sole finished with a browned butter) and other bonne femme classics, like choucroute garnie, coq au vin, beef bourguignon, and any number of French daubes (stews). In summer, I’m a huge fan of composed salads—I just love the way the way chefs at seaside resorts combine really good fresh ingredients for main-dish salads.
Many of these dishes are also home favourites, but at home, I cook a lot of dishes in the “Sauté, Deglaze, and Serve” mode. I devote an entire chapter to the book; each recipe calls on sautéing the nights meat in a pan, deglazing that pan with wine and broth while stirring up those yummy pan juices; each recipe comes with its own touch, apples and apple brandy for Chicken Calvados, olive and garlic with lamb chops, capers and mustard for pork chops, etc. It’s 30-minute cooking at its true-to France best.
Thanks so much Wini!
What made you decide to write a cookbook?
As a food writer and editor, I was often surprised at how many home cooks think that French cooking is expensive, indulgent (lots of butter and cream), and difficult. Yet everyday French home cooking isn’t necessarily any of these things. French women work outside the home as much as we do—but at the end of their days, they want to eat splendidly, night after night. I decided to write a book about how they do it.
My readers and I are planning to cook a few recipes from The Bonne Femme as part of our Cook Along Book Club – do you have any recommendations for recipes from the book that we simply have to make?
That’s a hard question! I suggest making whatever sounds really good to you. As for my personal favourites: For sit-down start salads, I love the Roasted Beet Salad with Blue Cheese, the Melty Goat Cheese Salad with Honey and Pine Nuts, and the Belgian Endive Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts.
For a quick weeknight meal, try the Pork Medallions with Apricot-Sage Sauce (use pork chops if you prefer), the Chicken Francese, or the Coconut Shrimp. Serve these with Any-Night Baked Rice. Also try the Choucroute Garni Mardi Soir—even if you think you don’t like sauerkraut, you should give this a try—once you’ve had sauerkraut the French way, you may change your mind.
For friends, try my Blanquette de Pork or the Boeuf Bourgignon. Both are great with the Any-Night Baked Rice.
For dessert, everyone should try Floating Islands at least once in their lives—and remember, you don’t have to make the caramel and chocolate sauces yourself. Buy high-quality purchased sauces (make sure the caramel sauce has butter or cream as an ingredient). I would also suggest the Crêpes Belle Helene, and the Chocolate-Cherry Pound Cake Bonne Femme.
If you could let the masses know anything about French cooking and cuisine, what would that be?
That the joys of the French table are open to everyone, no matter where you live or what your means. The French prove again and again that you can live modestly, yet dine splendidly, night after night.
I go through food phases. Right now I am in a Mexican phase. Hand me a taco and I am a happy girl. So imagine my delight when I met Kawal, owner and driving force behind Kawalsa, at the Ottawa LAFF. Kawalsa is an all natural salsa made from mostly local ingredients (Ottawa still has a hard time growing limes), that has the well earned tag line – scoop. savour. smile. Kawal was nice enough to answer some of my questions.
Simply Fresh: You are relatively new to the Ottawa food scene – how did you get your start in salsa?
Kawal from Kawalsa: I have always enjoyed cooking and canning salsa. Year after year, after copious amounts were eaten by my friends, and very little left for myself, a suggestion was made that I should be selling my product. With no prior knowledge in the food industry, I cautiously attended a weekend market in Nova Scotia, over my summer vacation and was absolutely blown away with the results. I was surprised to see that everyone was interested in the salsa, to the point, that people were coming back with their mother and husband to buy more. Needless to say, I came home with empty cases and ideas brewing inside my head. After doing my homework, I hired a graphic designer( my homemade labels were just not going to cut it here in Ottawa.), and a web designer to begin this salsa journey. And I must say that without the help from Andrew Craig ( www.majorcraigs.ca) and James Watt (www.manotickvillagebutcher.com) I would have not been able to get this exciting venture of the ground.
Why salsa? Was it a family recipe?
Well, to be totally honest, I HATE runny salsa, so one day I decided that it should be easy enough to make. Fast forward 20 years, and here I am!
The Lone Star’s salsa would be great if it was thicker!!
No, no family recipe. Being East Indian, the only salsa I ever had was chutney….lol
What is your favourite way to use your salsa?
My favorite way to use salsa/chutney; tough question because there are so many different variations that it can be used. I apply my Rhubarb Lime Ginger chutney to the outside of the chicken when I baste it. The sugar caramelizes and it gives an amazing sweet tart crunchy taste to the chicken. Using the same chutney, I can also throw a tablespoon on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream. As for the salsa, I would have to say that the fruit salsa and smoked salsa are two of my favorite. The fruit has its own unique sweet flavour, which can be used on almost any meat and/or on veggies. The smoked salsa is absolutely great on pizza!!!! The smoke taste brings the different flavours of the pizza to a whole new level, changing a regular tasting pizza into something more.
Your salsas are made from mostly local ingredients sourced from the Parkdale market, what benefits do you find in purchasing your ingredients from local farmers?
I would like to believe that I am helping out the little person and local farmer and not some company which produces mass quantity of crap loaded with pesticides. And the fact that you can taste the freshness right away and knowing that it did not take 5 days to get from the ground, to a semi-trailer to a store counter to finally my plate.
Where can people find your salsas?
Being brand new to the food scene, my product is currently available at the Manotick Village Butcher and in the New Year, it will be available at the Life of Pie.(www.lifeofpie.ca) as in a few other speciality stores. My website(www.kawalsa.com) is should be up soon, with more locations. But if someone in the Ottawa region is looking for a jar or two, I can arrange to have it delivered to them.
Thanks Kawal!
I’ve had the pleasure of trying a variety of Kawalsa products including the Fruit Salsa, Smoked Salsa and Rhubarb Lime Ginger Chutney – fantastic. Just fantastic. They are so flavourful and bright. I love the chunks of vegetables and I love how healthy they are. Like I said, I am in a bit of a Mexican food phase right now so I have been craving a lot of salsa. Read: eating a lot of nachos. I was shocked to compare my old Tostitos salsa to Kawalsa. Per serving, Tostitos had over 720mg of sodium compared to 70mg in Kawalsa… but that is not the most shocking thing. Serving size for Tostitos salsa: 2 TBSP (15ml). Ok… serving size for Kawalsa.
Hold onto your socks because they are about to get knocked off…
The entire 40g (200ml) jar.
Couldn’t hold onto those puppies could you? I will give you a second to go get your socks.
Healthy, local and such amazing flavour, this salsa is like a party in your mouth and only the cool kids are invited… and it is an open bar. And you are rocking your skinny jeans. AND there was a $20 in the pocket from the last time you wore them.
Keep an eye out for Kawalsa, visit Life of Pie or feel free to contact Kawal directly to get your hot little hands on some. You will thank me.
Thanks so much to Brad Campeau for taking the time to answer a couple of questions for me. For anyone who hasn’t experienced a BGoods Cookie – you are missing out. These cookies are delivered to locations around the city daily including my usual pick up spot, Herb and Spice on Bank Street. Check out his web site for more information.
1. B.Goods is a bakery in a truck! You actually drive your bakery around town for events, markets and festivals. Not to mention delivering fresh cookies to a number of stores in the Ottawa area on a daily basis that are baked in the mobile kitchen. Tell me, why make cookies out of a truck? It must be challenging!
Yes, baking in a truck is and always has been a challenge. Winters are much cooler and summers can be unbearably hot. The use of the truck as my production facility all year round is something that helps me to be able balance a business year that is financially unbalanced, with a large portion of my income in a year coming from the festival season. Jazz, Blues, Folk, and Pride festivals are the main contributors, with Bluesfest being the newest addition. This mobile facility is also mine… I own it. That in it self has benefits. The equipment is safe from reclamation if the business is at any point not lucrative enough to pay rent (my initial worry of not making enough sales has proven unfounded).
2. I love your cookie flavors! Which are your top sellers and where do you come up with ideas for the flavor combinations?
Top sellers are:
Spelt Molasses Ginger (by far)
Orange Hazelnut
Whole-wheat Chili-Chocolate
As to how I come up with the flavors, I have been baking since I was 19 and have made a lot of cookies. Over the years I have developed an instinct about how certain styles of cookies are put together and within that “framework” I play around with flavor combination’s to create palatable and interesting cookies!
All cookie flavors are listed on our Blog/Site www.bgoods.ca
3. Why cookies? Of all the things to bake in a truck, why did you decide to make cookies?
There are a few reasons. Primarily I started with cookies because I was unable to find a delicious cookie in Ottawa that tasted fresh baked. You know what I mean, chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges, baked on the day the that you’re eating it. Secondarily I realized that the fluctuations in temperature that always happen in the Bakery (read: truck) limited the types of items that could be produced effectively. Bread, as an example, is out of the question as it would rise too quickly in the heat and not enough in the cold!
4. What is your favorite cookie? It doesn’t have to be one of yours, but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t!
When I was growing up my favorite type of cookie was the Sugar Wafer. 4 Layers of lightly sweetened wafer and overly sweet flavored icings in Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Neapolitan. Since I have been making my own cookies, I am extremely fond of the Orange Hazelnut. It and it alone has caused me to develop a serious hazelnut addiction.
Thanks again Brad for taking the time. For everyone in Ottawa make sure you get yourself a BGoods Cookie this festival season! Or why wait? There are plenty of locations with fresh cookies waiting for you now – a great way to perk up a rainy Friday!
I love the name of this Ottawa based hot sauce company: Meow! That’s Hot. More than that I love their sauces. I recently sat down with Jonathan Viau at Il Primo Restorante (one of the many locals you can pick up the hot sauce) for a chance to talk about the sauces and try them too! I’m by no means an expert on spicy food – in fact I think my tolerance level is ‘wuss’ – but I’m working on it…
Meow! That’s hot – the inside joke that turned into a line cat themed named hot sauces – is a three person operation based out of Ottawa. They use local products as much as possible to make some great sauces with big flavour not just crazy heat – though there is that too!
First up is Fire Kitty – a flavourful burst with a stronger up front heat that lingers with a slightly smokey taste. Made with green apples, jalapeno, garlic and red chili’s. This is a great all purpose hot sauce – while I find it hot, again I’m a spicy food wuss, it’s really no more than a tabasco sauce.
The next offering is Siamese Sizzler – a bright citrus hot sauce with a back end heat. It’s made with ginger, citrus and Thai Chilis and uses the vinegar as a great palate cleanser. Jonathan recommends using this as a marinade with white fish or pork and I have a feeling it would make a killer dipping sauce.
Then comes Persian Pyro - a bright hot sauce with a continuous heat. Definitely the hottest of the kitties – this one uses peaches, shallots, graham masala, Jalapeno and Thai chilis. I’m told it really adds a kick to your morning bagel and cream cheese!
There are two other Meow! That’s Hot sauces that are available only seasonally including the ‘Manx Mangler’, made with strawberries, mint and Jamaican chili as well as a tame BBQ sauce called ‘Scaredy Cat’ – more my speed I think!
If you like your heat, or like me are working your way up the heat ladder, you can order your very own Meow! That’s Hot sauce from their website, or facebook page. You can also get them from various restaurants and stores in the Ottawa area including Il Primo, Pub Italia and Jak’s Kitchen.
*Updated* Interview with Chef Rogalski below*
It’s coming so quickly! The Canadian Celebrity Chefs Event hosted at the NAC is THIS COMING MONDAY! I hope you have tickets – it’s going to be a blast. As you know I’ve been blogging about the dynamic duo of Chef Robin Bowen and Chef Paul Rogalski and their amazing dish of North Country bison hash with a Quebec goat cheese and cauliflower ravioli. Served with a preserved lemon and rendered bacon hollandaise and ancho chili plum gastrique.
So today I thought I would spend a little time talking about Chef Rogalski. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Chef Rogalski, but I do plan to fix that as soon as possible on the 24th. I have however seen Chef Rogalski on Iron Chef where he competed as part Michael Smith’s ‘A Team’ in Battle avocado with Bobby Flay.
Chef Rogalski of Rouge Restaurant in Calgary prides himself on cooking with the best ingredients. Watch here as he talks food in this very entertaining You Tube clip.
Come on out and taste his food for yourself – tickets and more information can be found at the NAC’s website.
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Thanks to Chef Rogalski for taking the time so close to the event to answer a few of my questions!
Simply Fresh: How did you get involved with the Celebrity Chef event?
Chef Paul Rogalski: My good friend Lynn Crawford recommended me to Michael Blackie for the event. She thinks I talk a lot which is why I’d do well entertaining a large group of people. Actually…I really don’t know if that’s why but I can hope.
How do you describe your food/cooking style?
Wow, I ask myself that same question all of the time and not sure if I have answered that yet LOL. I’m really well rehearsed at is cooking impromptu multi-course dinners but I’m not sure you can call that a style. I love the element of surprise and love to create. I also believe to make great food you need great ingredients and sound cooking techniques. Cooking them with respect is fundamental and celebrating their existence essential. I’m not sure if I answered your question…let me know how far off track I was…;>) Oh I almost forgot, I also like to put a ton of emphasis on presentation.
What do you think of being paired with Chef Bowen?
For starters I’m excited to cook with Robin but add in the fact that we are both from Calgary, there is a good opportunity for some great conversation too. How can one beat that?
What process did you and Chef Bowen go through to come up with your dish?
I sent Robin a few ideas and asked him to pick the one he liked best, then he added a couple of ideas of his own and ran them past me…the one thing for certain with our dish is there is no shortage of flavor! Expect something “in your face”!
I for one can’t wait until Monday! I think that’s one of the first times I’ve ever said that…
Over the Christmas break I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chef Robin Bowen from Empire Grill to talk a little bit about his participation in the upcoming Canadian Celebrity Chefs Event taking place on January 24, 2011 at the NAC. For more info feel free to take a look at my previous post. During our talk I learned a lot of pretty interesting things about Chef Bowen. Here are just a few of them!
- Chef Bowen describes his cooking style as ‘Contemporary Canadian Cusine’. Because of the size of Empire Grill and the amount of business they do, sourcing locally is not always possible or practical, but Chef uses as many all Canadian products as available. However there are some local vendors used by Chef Bowen including Serious Cheese, Mariposa Farm among others.
- Chef Bowen, previously from Alberta and team mate Chef Paul Rogalski from Rouge Restaurant in Calgary are very excited to finally be cooking together. The pair have mutual friends in the Calgary restaurant scene and so far seem to be working quite well together. The pair was the first team to turn in their menu – more on that in a post to come! But I will let you know it features Bison that will be shipped to Ottawa from Chef Rogalski’s Alberta supplier North Country Buffalo.
- Like many chefs and foodies in the city, Chef Bowen is pro Foie Gras. While it is not on his menu, and he doesn’t love using the ingredient himself, he has no problems with others using it and doesn’t mind eating it!
- Over the years Chef Bowen’s reasons for being a Chef have evolved. First because it was what he was good at, then because he had dedicated so much of his life to food there was no turning back. Now Chef finds pleasure in watching people’s reaction to his food – from seeing the ‘wow’ on their faces when they are served a really great meal. He’s also motivated to continue cooking to inspire the next generation of aspiring chefs to be, in fact chefs and not just cooks. A difference he makes between someone with passion, talent and training to produce amazing food and someone who is cooking just for a pay cheque.
- Though he’s gotten over those people who expect to be in and out of a fine dining restaurant with a 4 star meal in under 45 minutes, those who want their meal well done and those who ask for ketchup on the side, there is one thing Chef Bowen refuses to do and that is to sacrifice his dish and plating in order to cook something faster. So next time you are in a hurry, best to stop for a quick sandwich rather than into Empire Grill and ask Chef to butterfly your meal so it will cook in less time.
Now that you are a little better acquainted with one of the participants of the Canadian Celebrity Chefs Event – don’t you feel like joining Chef Bowen, myself and many other foodies for a night of food, wine and fun at the NAC?? Of course you do! You can get your tickets here.
We here in Ottawa are lucky ducks, so many artisan food vendors call this city home and we get to reap the benefits. One of these amazing artisans is Michael Sunderland – founder, proprietor and confectioner of Michaelsdolce - unique and amazing jams loved by many a foodie including those at C’est Bon Cooking , Foodie Prints and little old me! I recently sat down for a quick one on one with Michael and got to sample 8 of his mind blowing jams.
This January will mark the one year anniversary of Michaelsdolce, I asked Michael why he started making Jam in the first place. He responded that conventional jam is too sweet and too thick. The regular flavours available at the grocery store are so overloaded by sugar that you can hardly taste the fruit, combinations of which are a bit boring. So Michael set out to develop completely different flavours of jam that would lend themselves better to food pairings while showcasing the actual fruit. And boy did he succeed!
Michaelsdolce jams use local fruits and ingredients whenever possible, I asked Michael how he felt this improved his product. He told me that the connection he has with the farmers, lowering that gap between field to fork and seeing the love and energy they put into their food is transferred into that food. Being made with love right from seed improves the flavour of the end product. Some of the local products Michael uses include Upper Canada Cranberries and Peaches/Cherries from Beansville which he sources at the Lansdowne Market.
The next logical question was where does Michael get his fruit during the winter, the answer surprised me. Michael told me that a lot of fruit farmers freeze their excess fruit and berries thus giving him a local supplier even in the winter. When necessary Michael himself freezes fruit and berries for the winter months. Failing that he will import as long as the flavour and quality of product is there. If not, there are some flavours of jam that are unavailable year round.
For those of you looking to try some of Michaelsdolce jams – you are in luck. Starting in December there will be a variety pack available from local suppliers including: Market Organics, Life of Pie, Ottawa Bagel Shop and Brown Loaf Bakery. For a complete list of locations selling this amazing product please visit www.michaelsdolce.com . Or why not visit Michael and 20 other artisan vendors this weekend at the Ottawa Locavore Artisan Food Fair? There is free admission and it promises to be an amazing time. For more information click here.
But back to the jam… what did I think??
If I had one word for each of the amazing Michaelsdolce’s jams I sampled, they would be as follows:
Spiced Cherry – Favourite
Raspberry and Orange – Fresh
Strawberry and Balsamic – Heavenly
Peach and Cardamom – Inspired
Blueberry and Lavender – Astonishing
Kiwi and Lime – Unexpected
Cranberry and Apricot - Real
Papaya and Pink Grapefruit – Smile
I suppose I could elaborate a little more. The spiced cherry was my favourite. Complex and unbelievably tasty I could see eating this on scones, with cheese or by the spoonful. The Raspberry Orange was a bright and fresh tasting jam that I found worked really well with Brussel sprouts. I know that sounds crazy. But the light citrus and sweet raspberries really added a punch to a normally bland little veg.
The Strawberry Balsamic is quite liquid – on purpose – and works best if added to something porous such as a homemade English muffin. It’s sweet but not in a typical too much sugar added way. Instead the sweetness of the balsamic highlights the berries and brings them to a new level.
Honestly I could say something like this for each flavor – but I want to hear from you. For those of you lucky enough to try some of Michaelsdolce’s artisan jam what is your favourite flavour and what make it so? For those who have yet to try it – head out and get yourself some. It’s truly a special product made right here in Ottawa that you have to experience!
This fall exciting changes are coming to the Lord Elgin Hotel, namely a new restaurant called Grill 41 (in recognition of 1941, the year the hotel was built). It features a coat-to-coast Canadian menu that was created in partnership with Chef Michael Smith and Chef Aurelio Petraglia.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Chef Petraglia and here is how it went:
(Simply Fresh) You are such an accomplished Chef, having gained experience working all over the world: New York, France, Montreal, Dubai – why are you excited to be working in Ottawa at this stage in your career?
(Chef Petraglia) My mother once told me to treat life as one way traffic; “always move forward”. Ottawa represents a new challenge with much to offer for my career path.
Looking back, what made you want to become a Chef? What ignited your passion for food and cooking?
The truth is I never thought I would become a Chef, but once I submitted myself to this profession I didn’t want to leave it.
The only thing that I can sincerely say influenced me a little bit was probably growing up in a family where people would discuss the next meal as they were eating dinner.
The Lord Elgin hotel is a landmark in Ottawa with a tradition and reputation of elegance and excellence – how do you feel this history will impact or influence Grill 41?
It’s a great honour to be a part of a property with this type of history, I just love looking at the hotel from across the street, and it’s beautiful.
This menu is collaboration between yourself and Chef Michael Smith, how did you find the experience of working together? What strengths did you bring vs. Chef Smith?
Chef Michael Smith brought a wealth of experience to the table; I am very fortunate to be involved with a Chef of his stature. Chef Michael has a passion for all fresh and local, I also feel the same and do my very best to live by this way of cooking.
Grill 41 will showcase a coast-to-coast menu highlighting all the best ingredients that Canada has to offer – what dishes are you most excited about?
Eric Benazet, our restaurant manager helped us develop the tart flambé, it’s a brilliant dish. Alsatian style pizza with pure goodness, this definitely has to be my favourite dish. I especially like it with the caramelized onions and double smoked bacon.
Thank you Chef Aurelio for your time and great answers! I’m really looking forward to the opening of Grill 41 – the coast to coast menu will highlight the best Canada has to offer while giving back. The table d’hôte menu option will see a portion of proceeds going to the Ottawa Food Bank.
