Rebecca LeHeup2013-06-19T03:28:52-04:00Rebecca LeHeuphttp://www.huffingtonpost.ca/author/index.php?author=rebecca-leheupCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Rebecca LeHeupGood old fashioned elbow grease.Ontario's Craft Beer Culture is a Collaboration Nationtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.33663522013-05-31T12:37:32-04:002013-05-31T17:49:37-04:00Rebecca LeHeuphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-leheup/Railway City Brewing Co., the Summer Weiss from Muskoka Brewery and my favourite: Beau's All Natural Brewing Co. Lug Tread Lagered Ale. So, when recently asked if I wanted to participate in a Collaboration Nation brewing project I jumped on the opportunity! What's Collaboration Nation you might ask? It's a key element of the programming for the annual Session Toronto -- an event that showcases the one-off brews of the collaborative efforts between 20 of Ontario's craft breweries and "celebrities" of sorts.
My co-collaborator was Black Oak Brewing Company located in Etobicoke, ON. In my brief correspondence with Sonja North, the Brewery Coordinator, I was taken through the concept of the developing a recipe for a single cask brew. I was asked what type of flavour profiles I liked in my beer. Did I prefer something "hoppy" or subtler? In thinking about what I would bring the brew and as "Ms. Ontario Culinary" I needed a key Ontario ingredient that would likely pair best with a wheat beer. I set off on my research to prepare.
On the day of our brew, my spouse Andrew Mackenzie, and I headed up to Mississauga to grab our secret ingredient -- peaches! Peaches in May you might ask? Lucky for us in Ontario, we have passionate local food suppliers such as 100 Kilometer Foods, who have a source for many of the great tastes this province produces -- they carry frozen Niagara peaches.
With our 16-pound bucket of peaches we headed to Black Oak Brewery for an early morning start, not entirely sure what the experience would hold. Already in full production mode, President Ken Woods took us through the brewery to introduce us to his team, all of who were super excited that the peaches had arrived. We met Jon Hodd, a self taught home brewer who works under the mentorship of head brewer Simon DaCosta (in fact the two have partnered to develop their own brand "Radical Road" and are releasing their Wayward Son Ale which is aged in Pinot Noir barrels in June at the LCBO). There was Aaron Spinney (a graduate of Niagara College's Craft Beer program) who is the head brewer for one of Black Oak's contract brewing partners-Sawdust City and Amber Dawkins (their summer intern who's currently taking the Niagara College program).
We were immediately put to work, oddly enough, grilling our frozen peaches. Jon and the crew informed us we would be making a German Hefeweizen style beer (noted for its low hop bitterness -- a quality I prefer in my beers of choice) and that they wanted the peaches to be caramelized to activate the natural sugars in the fruit and add flavour character to the brew. Once our peaches were perfect we help Jon pull together the batch. Heating the water to 67 degrees, stirring in the milled grains (40 per cent wheat, 50 per cent two-row, and 10 per cent caramunich) and then squeezing in the grilled peaches. The vat was sealed to spend 45 minutes mashing, then boiling before it would be transferred to a cask to continue on the life cycle of becoming our beer.
So, how'd it taste? We don't know! The really exciting part that we get to find out on June 22nd during Session Toronto at Artscape Wychwood Barns where the 20 collaborators tap their casks for the droves of craft beer loving fans! If you're a beerliever and want to come try my first kick at the brewing can, come and ask for a pint of our "Son of a Peach"!]]>Battle for the Breasttag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21508062012-11-19T19:03:00-05:002013-01-19T05:12:01-05:00Rebecca LeHeuphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-leheup/Thomas Keller, Jamie Oliver or the most recent ingénue from Scandinavia's Faviken, Magnus Nilsson. If you sit on the edge of your seat as Canada's finest chefs enter television's kitchen stadium to measure themselves against the original "celebrity chefs" of our modern culture. Then you, my friend, are a foodie.
Don't despair, you are more the rule than the exception these days and will likely find the December 1st Mount Sinai Hospital Chef's Challenge very much to your taste. This year's version of their annual breast cancer fundraiser includes a coterie of Food Network stars and is hosted by Guy Fieri, beloved for his Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Joining him are Canadian icons Lynn Crawford (host of Pitchin' In), Mark McEwan (host of Top Chef: Canada), David Rocco (host of Dolce Vita), Michael Smith (host of numerous Food Network shows and globe-trotting PEI ambassador), and last -- but for anyone who watched him take down Iron Chef Bobby Flay with a lobster poutine -- not least is Chuck Hughes (host of Chucks' Day Off).
In an interesting twist that makes attendance participatory -- there are no ticket sales. To join the chefs in the evening's cook-off, people need to register themselves and raise money (a minimum of $2,500) to get a ticket to the event. As a special bonus, a lucky 50 will not just watch the spectacle and enjoy the resulting meal, but actually be a part of one chef's kitchen team.
Regardless of whether you get to carry Chuck's knife, beat Lynn's eggs or whisper encouragements into Guy's bleach blonde nestled ear, everyone that attends will experience a unique Canadian food that will fuel their cocktail talk for years to come.
Bon appétit for a great cause, actually, for a pair of them.]]>Chipotle Walks the Talk of Sustainable Foodtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16410962012-07-04T07:11:41-04:002013-05-13T07:20:41-04:00Rebecca LeHeuphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-leheup/video in my YouTube searches that was about the evolution of farming, it was set to the music The Scientist written by Coldplay, sung by Willie Nelson. The message, and the music left me in tears. We have made everything simple complicated. We have taken the pure and poisoned it with our desire for more. More of everything.
The video resonated so strongly with me I shared it with my staff and my social media circles. Over the past year I've incorporated it into more than one of my presentations about local food. Interestingly, it was the message that stuck -- not the brand behind the message. It would be a full year later before I would make a connection to the brand and the business behind it -- Chipotle Mexican Grill.
My career in culinary tourism development is founded in the authentic connection between growers, producers and chefs. Showcasing businesses that are giving the consumer a true "taste of place" by serving the freshest, seasonal food. Sadly, I often come across businesses and brands attempting to capitalize on consumer's interest in supporting local and sustainable food. Doing the minimum to allow them to incorporate the message into their marketing. So while Chipotle's video had a powerful impact on me I wasn't ready to drink their "commitment to local and sustainable" Kool-Aid. How could a restaurant chain with 1,250 worldwide outlets procure socially responsible food?
Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of finding out just how Chipotle walks the talk. My experience began at the midtown Toronto Chipotle location at Yonge and Eglinton (one of four Canadian locations). I arrived at the restaurant first thing in the morning to meet with an excited group that was going to be part of a day's excursion to Beretta Family Farms -- the King City farm that supplies all of the Ontario locations with the steak and chicken for their burritos and tacos.
I thought I was joining a bunch of media for the day. Wrong -- I was one of two guests joining a group of 14 Chipotle staff and, man, were they ever excited! The locations restaurateur, April, a young woman from the Midwest who has made her way up in the company over the past seven years shared a bit of the Chipotle story with me as we waited for the bus to arrive.
The company has what appears to be an amazing culture. The staff working there all get to move through the various "stations" learning how to prepare fresh food (they make their salsa and guacamole fresh daily) and promote the Mexican fare with pride. These are not "Mc-jobs" April said with a smile -- all of the Ontario locations are run by people who started as "crew". As soon as we stepped on the bus to take us to King City I had a sense that the company's vision is one that is shared by all. The Scientist was playing on the sound system.
Arriving at Beretta Farms was magical. The bus couldn't make it down the laneway and as the group embarked to walk down the drive, Mike Beretta came along with his two draft horses and the family Jack Russell, Jackie! We hopped on the hay wagon and made our way, passing gorgeous pastureland spotted with beautiful red Angus cattle.
Mike Beretta of Beretta Farms
Mike, his wife Cynthia and their three children have farmed 850 acres (some they own and some they rent) in King City for the past 12 years. An accidental farmer, Mike was a professional soccer player who always wanted to own a farm and ended up utilizing some of Cynthia's family farm in southwestern Ontario to start farming sheep. They have come a long way since those days now raising 95 sheep, 80 hens, eight heritage pigs, 400 head of cattle, 52 turkeys, a single Jersey cow (Victoria provides milk for the family), and approximately 2.5 acres of market garden.
The rest of the family was waiting for us at the barn. The farm is set on one of the most beautiful properties I have come across in Ontario. Rolling hills, trees everywhere and a pretty pond. As Cynthia greeted us and started sharing the family's story with the group, Mike led us to the barn where he released the sheep out to pasture, he'd been waiting for us to arrive before he let them out for the day. Happy is the best word to describe the energy emitted by the sheep, who took off running to the fields. It's also the best word to describe the look on all of our faces. This is life.
Cynthia Beretta showing off the farm's new beef jerky
After several hours of touring the farm, feeding the pigs (they get all of the scraps from the family's catering business), riding the horse and collecting farm kittens to cuddle with, we settled in for lunch. The Beretta's fired up the grill and threw on some flank steaks with their special seasoning. The steak was delicious -- it literally melted in my mouth! The team from the midtown Toronto Chipotle restaurant had sent up chicken tacos for us to enjoy. This skeptic was sold -- the fresh salsa and guacamole were fabulous and the chicken was moist and full of flavour. Chipotle purchases the chicken legs and thighs from Beretta Farms. Remarkably, none of their restaurants have freezers! They also purchase all of their cilantro and oregano from Country Herbs in southwestern Ontario.
As we made our way back to the city I reflected on the day and thought about the video. We had gone back to the start. The Chipotle staff was genuinely inspired, all of them stronger brand ambassadors and in fact, members of society. Sharing that experience with them was one I will never forget. It's one that every restaurant staff should have -- regardless of the staff member's position. They saw first hand what it takes to raise happy and healthy animals and the respect all living creatures deserve regardless of their purpose in life.
The Chipotle staff serving up lunch
Follow the adventures of Chipotle Mexican Grill on Twitter @Chipotletweets and Beretta Farms @Berettafarms]]>Cheese Lovers of Ontario, Unite!tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.15975352012-06-18T16:23:36-04:002012-08-18T05:12:12-04:00Rebecca LeHeuphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-leheup/
It's exciting times for a cheese lover in Ontario where there is a renaissance in artisan cheese production. The second annual Great Canadian Cheese Festival took place in Picton, Ontario from June 1-3. It was an incredible showcase of the talented cheese makers and chefs from across Canada! I was delighted to try cheese from Primeridge Pure in Markdale, sample some old favourites from Monforte Dairy in Stratford (I'm a proud member of their CSA) and snack on some Swiss style cheese from Shep Ysselstein of Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese in Oxford County.
Shep, a cheese maker from Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese.
Several weeks ago I made my way to the Dairy Capital of Canada (that's Woodstock in Oxford County, in case you didn't know) where I spent a day in the life of a cheese maker with Shep. Shep's story from diary farmer to cheese maker is one of the many great stories of the artisan cheese renaissance in the province. The 29-year-old cheese maker honed his skills by travelling to British Columbia, across the United States and Switzerland to learn how to produce fine cheese. His cheese is made from the milk produced on his parents' farm, a stone's throw away from the cheese dairy.
Cheese maker for a day - Rebecca LeHeup (photo credit to Cathy Bingham)
Included in Shep's business model at the small dairy is a program to give passionate cheese lovers like myself the opportunity to learn about cheese making. The one-day course (priced at a very reasonable $150) is interactive, fun and delicious -- it includes lunch and plenty of cheese to take home!
If you love cheese the way I love cheese be sure to download a copy of the Ontario Culinary Adventure Guide that features The Great Cheese & Ale Trail on pages 20 & 21 (because beer and wine together rock!).]]>In Search of the Best Butter Tarttag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.15971542012-06-16T00:00:52-04:002012-08-15T05:12:05-04:00Rebecca LeHeuphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-leheup/
Gastronome, food writer, and friend Ivy Knight chimed in on the butter tart talk and we decided to embark on search for the best butter tart in Toronto with the ultimate goal of hosting a Butter Tart Smackdown at The Drake Hotel for one of Ivy's infamous 86'd nights (which will take place July 30).
The butter tart is one of Canada's quintessential culinary delights -- the earliest recipe found in the Women's Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook printed in 1900 in Barrie, Ontario. The English Canadian version of the butter tart consists of butter, eggs and sugar in a pastry shell and is known as a sugar pie or tarte au sucre to French Canadians. While traditional versions have raisins it's not unheard of to find walnuts or pecans in your tarts too.
I put together a list of places that my fellow Twitter friends had recommended and Ivy and I embarked for one sweet afternoon. Here is a list of the six bakeries we managed to visit, this adventure is one that is likely to take a lifetime but we're off to a good start.
First stop was Mabel's Bakery located in west end of the city at 323 Roncesvalles Avenue. They offer up light and fluffy toffee tarts for $2 a pop. The pastry is perfection.
http://www.mabelsbakery.ca/
Twitter @mabelsbakery
Our second sweet spot was OMG Baked Goodness at 1561 Dundas Street West. They make an Ontario Maple Syrup Butter Tart for $3.75. Their puff pastry to filling ratio is just right -- I loved the touch of maple syrup.
http://www.omgbakedgoodness.com/
Twitter @omgbakedgood
The third petit pie was at Wanda's Pie in the Sky is in the heart of Kensington Market at 287 Augusta Avenue. They offer up two butter tart options at $2.45 a tart - walnut and raisin or pecan. The pastry appeared to be commercially made but the filling was deliciously sticky. http://www.wandaspieinthesky.com/
Twitter @wandapiesky
Our fourth delight was found at Harbord Bakery, located at 115 Harbord Street, which is a hop, skip and a jump from the downtown University of Toronto Campus. If I was a student I'd be there all the time as their $1.75 butter tart was the best bang for my butter tart buck! Homemade pastry with a gooey filling - yum!
http://www.harbordbakery.ca/
Twitter @harbordbakery
The fifth stop was made at The Flaky Tart on 711 Mt. Pleasant Road. They make butter tarts like my Nanny used to with a thick piecrust and gooey buttery sweet filling for $2.75.
http://www.flakytart.com/
Twitter @theflakytartinc
Our final stop was Bonjour Brioche on 812 Queen Street East in the heart of the culinary neighborhood of Leslieville. They are known for their brilliant baguettes but they also make gorgeous tarts for $4 including two butter tarts -- with pecans or raisins.
The tarts at Bonjour Brioche.
Next up on my butter tart adventure is a trip to Wellington County and their Butter Tart Trail http://www.simplyexplore.ca/buttertart.htm - be sure to follow me @OntarioCulinary #buttertart and if you happen to come across what you think is the best butter tart in Ontario - please let me know!]]>Room For Everyone At Luminato's Tabletag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.15817672012-06-14T17:32:50-04:002012-08-14T05:12:09-04:00Rebecca LeHeuphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-leheup/Luminato Festival has a new culinary twist -- the Toronto Carretilla Initiative -- an experiential installation by artist Rainer Prohaska. I had the great pleasure of participating in the trial run of #TCIFood (for those on Twitter you can use and follow this hashtag).
Hand washing station by Rainer Prohaska
The installation, made of shopping carts, boards, clamps, sheet metal and other building supplies, brings together function and form. Our "test run" of the mobile kitchen (which is up to code with Toronto Public Health) had a group of volunteers and media working collaboratively to make a dish that veered into two delicious tastes -- poppy seed gnocchi served both as savoury (with beets) and sweet (with icing sugar).
I had a blast grinding poppy seeds and sautéing the gnocchi, so much so that I booked a slot to participate in one of the nine iterations of the kitchen that is taking place from June 9 to June 17. Participation is free! I am highly recommending this to any foodie, budding cook, or art lover!
Poppy Seed Gnocchi instructions
The first TCI performance takes place on opening weekend, Saturday June 9 and Sunday June 10, at The Distillery Historic District where the kitchens will be assembled to create communal meals (lunch, snacks, dinner) alongside the array of food stations that comprise the festival's perennially popular President's Choice® 1000 Tastes of Toronto™. In total there are 16 group performances, the last of the series on June 17 at David Pecaut Square.
