Eatdrink #59 May/June 2016

eatdrinkFREE
Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario Since 2007
№ 57 59 • January/February May/June 2016 2016
www.eatdrink.ca
June 17–19
FEATURING
Bertoldi’s Trattoria
Family-Owned, Locally-Sourced
The Berlin
On the Road to Kitchener
Strathroy Brewing Co.
Toasting Canadian History
Down the
Rabbit Hole
at
The Red
Rabbit
in Stratford
ALSO: Harris Flower Farm & Pastured Pork | Adventures in Wine Selection | Edible Flowers

2 www.eatdrink.ca
The art of
STRATFORD
in Spring
№ 59 | May/June 2016
SpringWorks
Our spring cultural and culinary feast presents SpringWorks with
more than 100 performances over 11 days and a Puppet Festival
weekend. Come foraging for morels and wild ginger. Taste
Stratford’s tribute to all things pork during Hog Wild Week, and
get sampling on self-guided Savour Stratford Chocolate or
Bacon & Ale Trails and on Flavours of Stratford culinary walks.
MAY
JUNE
3 Stratford Festival Performances...
8 Mother’s Day Foraging, Puck s Plenty
12-22 SpringWorks indie theatre & arts festival
21-22 Puppet Festival Family Weekend
4-5 Stratford Heritage Weekend
5-14 World’s Festival of Children’s Theatre
9 Flavours of Stratford Culinary Tours begin
20-26 Hog Wild Week, various restaurants
24-26 Stratford Blues & Ribfest
Plan your Spring getaway
visitstratford.ca
SIGN UP ON-LINE TO STAY IN TOUCH!
@StratfordON
@SavourStratford
StratfordON
SavourStratford

UPCOMING ENTERTAINMENT AT THE IDLEWYLD
Our courtyard is now open on a daily basis!
BBQ Buffet in the Courtyard
Starting May 18th Every Wednesday & Friday
Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy a fantastic BBQ buffet Lunch & dinner in the courtyard.
Our Famous Saturday Afternoon Tea
June 18th | July 16th | August 20th, 2016 | 2:00pm - 4:00pm
$40
per person
Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea, featuring an assortment
of loose leaf teas, homemade scones, Devon cream and
preserves, cucumber sandwiches, savory mini quiches, and
mouth watering treats and sweets!
Join our
Celebration
Club
Sign up on our website for
Birthdays and anniversaries and
you will receive an invite to celebrate
your special occasion with us.
36 Grand Ave London, Ontario N6C 1K8 | ph 519.432.5554
www.idlewyldinn.com | IdlewyldInnAndSpa

eatdrink
inc.
The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine
eatdrinkmag
@eatdrinkmag
Think Global.
Read Local.
Publisher
Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca
Managing Editor Cecilia Buy – cbuy@eatdrink.ca
Food Editor
Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca
Copy Editor
Kym Wolfe
Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca
Advertising Sales Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca
Stacey McDonald – stacey@eatdrink.ca
Finances
Ann Cormier – finance@eatdrink.ca
Graphics
Chris McDonell, Cecilia Buy
Writers
Jane Antoniak, Darin Cook, Gary Killops,
Nicole Laidler, Bryan Lavery, Wayne Newton,
Tracy Turlin, Allan Watts, Rick Weingarden
Photographers Steve Grimes, Nick Lavery, Terry Manzo
Telephone & Fax 519-434-8349
Mailing Address 525 Huron Street, London ON N5Y 4J6
Website
City Media
Printing
Sportswood Printing
© 2016 eatdrink inc. and the writers. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or duplication of any material published in eatdrink
or on eatdrink.ca is strictly prohibited without the written permission
of the Publisher. eatdrink has a circulation of 20,000 issues
published six times annually. The views or opinions expressed in the
information, content and/or advertisements published in eatdrink
or online are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
represent those of the Publisher. The Publisher welcomes submissions
but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material.
eatdrink.ca
Read every issue online,
no matter which device you prefer.
Every Page • Current Issue • Back Issues
Plus!
New Stories Only Online
Plus!
OUR COVER
Chef Sean Collins, Jessie Votary
and Kris Schlotzhauer of The Red
Rabbit, an innovative workerowned
Stratford restaurant.
Story on page 14.
Photo by Nick Lavery
(www.t5digital.com)
“Pure
Chinese”
Cuisine
—eatdrink
Five Fortune
Culture
RESTAURANT
Friday to Sunday 11am to 8pm
366 Richmond Street at King
www.fivefortuneculture.com
226 667 9873

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 5
notes from the publisher
Keeping It Fresh
By CHRIS McDONELL
The buds I am admiring out my
window will likely be in full bloom
by the time someone reads this,
so quickly are things moving
along this spring. The local restaurant
scene isn’t changing quite that rapidly, but
there has been a tremendous flurry of activity
in recent months. Check the Buzz column for
details, and follow #eatdrinkmag on Twitter
and Facebook for updates.
As exciting as it is when creative people
get together to start a new venture, we get
a similar charge of adrenaline here when a
refresh or recharge is deemed in order. I’m
not referring to the tweaking that continually
goes on behind the scenes, keeping guests
happy and turning out successful plates while
addressing issues on the fly. I’m referring to
major changes, bold moves. We look on with
interest and in admiration.
New activity makes it doubly hard for
established restaurants to get their share of
attention, when they have the right systems
and the right people in place, delivering real
value to discerning customers. Consistency
is both desirable and elusive; those who
regularly achieve it deserve our support and
attention. So we’ll keep mixing it up, telling
all kinds of stories. I hope you enjoy the read,
and we inspire you to eat, and drink, well.
We are currently assembling London’s Local
Flavour: Volume 5, the latest and most
comprehensive
source of
information
on outstanding
restaurants,
culinary retailers
and our farmers’
markets. London’s
variety and sophis tication
of culinary offerings reflects both our
ethnic diversity and increased demand for
innovation by diners. Witness the increased
choices such as vegan, vegetarian, glutenfree
and organic. Local chefs and farmers
are not just advocating “eating and
drinking local and seasonal,” they are dedicated
to advancing our culinary narrative.
Providing a rich overview of the city’s
breadth of exciting dining and shopping
opportunities is a worthy goal. Successfully
getting it in the hands of prospective
customers makes it an essential publication
to be in. Delivery to Ontario Travel
Centres, London’s Tourism Information
Centres, the London Convention Centre,
the Downtown London office, and major
entry points to the city such as the London
International Airport, as well as to dozens of
local businesses, libraries and the farmers’
markets is key. It’s also available online. Look
for your copy shortly.

contents ISSUE № 59
MAY/JUNE 2016
8
14
17
22
26
57
62
RESTAURANTS
8 Family-Owned, Locally-Run: Bertoldi’s Trattoria
By JANE ANTONIAK
14 Down the Rabbit Hole at The Red Rabbit, in Stratford
By BRYAN LAVERY
FARMERS & ARTISANS
17 Harris Flower Farm and Pastured Pork, near St. Thomas
By NICOLE LAIDLER
CULINARY EDUCATION
22 YOU Made it Café: Transforming the Lives of Youth
By BRYAN LAVERY
ROAD TRIPS
26 The Berlin: Innovative contemporary dining in Kitchener
By BRYAN LAVERY
NEW & NOTABLE
34 The BUZZ
IN THE GARDEN
42 Pretty Enough to Eat! Edible Flowers
By ALLAN WATTS and RICK WEINGARDEN
THE CLASSICAL BEAT
44 Grand Finales
By NICOLE LAIDLER
VARIOUS MUSICAL NOTES
48 Grand Finales
WINE
50 Adventures in Wine Selection
By GARY KILLOPS
BEER MATTERS
52 Strathroy Brewing Company
By WAYNE NEWTON
54
COOKBOOKS
55 Happy Hens and Fresh Eggs by Signe Langford
Review & Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN
BOOKS
60 The Telling Room by Michael Paterniti
Review by DARIN COOK
THE LIGHTER SIDE
62 Let Them Eat Cake!
By J.J. FRANCISSEN
THE BUZZ
44
60

ST.MARYS
STONETOWN
Choose the scenic rural route and discover the unexpected ...
a Heritage Conservation District town with specialty shops,
historical treasures and homegrown hospitality.
Just 15 minutes southwest of Stratford.
Let us help you plan your visit.
Visit our Information Centre at the historic Town Hall,
175 Queen Street (lower level Church St. entrance).
t. 519.284.3500 | toll free 1.800.769.7668
e. tourism@town.stmarys.on.ca
TownofStMarys.com
Images courtesy of Kelly Lyn Baird

8 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
restaurants
Family-Owned, Locally-Run
Bertoldi’s Trattoria in London
By JANE ANTONIAK
You can’t write about the food
business in London without
Bob DiFruscia’s name coming
up. He brought Londoners so
many culinary concepts: the roadhouse
experience back in 1980, with McGinnis Bar
and Restaurant; a favourite sports bar —
Oar House; a downtown nightclub — The
Barking Frog, and, most recently, he and his
brother Dino led the revolution of building
growth in Lambeth/Byron with Dolcetto.
Despite all that success, where DiFruscia
is most at home is Bertoldi’s Trattoria,
named after his mother’s family, as a salute
to his Italian heritage. Bertoldi’s is laying
out its food philosophy by identifying as
a trattoria — which literally means family
restaurant. The menu has a strong focus on
family-friendly items that are reasonably
priced. With an open kitchen and casual
wood finishings, Bertoldi’s is a place to relax
with comfort food.
Despite his self-acknowledgment of
“pushing 70,” DiFruscia still jumps up from
the chair during an interview to greet and
seat customers, and he displays the vigour
more of a restaurateur in his prime than
nearing retirement. “I’m thankful for every
day,” he says sincerely, while enjoying the
ambiance of a quiet afternoon break at
Bertoldi’s. “I get to see my grandchildren,
kids and I see my customers and I don’t have
to work as hard as I used to.”
He credits the contributions of his family,
who collectively run Big Night Bars &
Restaurants. Brother Dino operates Dolcetto
and the remaining McGinnis at Oxford and
Wonderland (it used to be a large chain
across Ontario and the Maritimes) and his
daughter Jessica is the general manager of
Bertoldi’s. The Barking Frog was recently
sold. But it’s Bertoldi’s where DiFruscia
seems most at home and where he has
centered his contributions to the company
since opening in 2002.
He loves knowing the suppliers
personally, including the farmer near
Tillsonburg who sells the DiFruscias his
entire annual crop. “Peppers and tomatoes
are huge for us as we focus on simple, fresh
ingredients,” explains DiFruscia. Bertoldi’s
relies on a variety of local suppliers,
including Metzger Meats of Hensall.
Long-time Chef John Fisher retired from
the Bertoldi’s kitchen to work as an instructor
at the London Training Centre, but he still
oversees the menu with DiFruscia, as a
consultant. These days that menu has a large
focus on pizza, which has grown to be a
quarter of the restaurant’s sales. The wood/
gas pizza oven from Italy is front and centre
in the trattoria and can cook a pizza in five
minutes at 700°F. “Summer is a big pizza time
Bertoldi’s GM Jessica DiFruscia, and her visionary
father, uber-restaurateur Bob DiFruscia

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 9
for us. Lunch seems to go from 11am to 5pm in
summer and a lot of people come in to share
a pizza and a salad. We also do a lot of pizza
takeout,” he says.
Pizza is crafted using the time-honoured
traditions of the pizzerias of Naples. Made from
scratch using fresh ingredients, the Margherita
pizza is made with San Marzano tomatoes and
fiore di latte mozzarella baked in the stone
bottom oven. The dough is made with naturally
leavened Italian Caputo doppio zero flour, the
secret to a truly authentic thin crust pizza. Other
pizzas include grilled eggplant, mushroom and
artichoke, fennel sausage and spicy Calabrese.
Natural
materials
enhance the
comforting
Bertoldi’s
ambiance. A
rooftop patio
(top right) is in
high demand
in season. The
Masottina Room
(right) offers
private dining
for groups and
functions.

10 www.eatdrink.ca
Bertoldi’s kitchen turns out a large number of
pizzas with the wood/gas oven at centre stage,
but also prepares a wide range of classic dishes,
with numerous gluten-free options.
The restaurant is also known for Italian
standards such as prosciutto wrapped around
fresh mozzarella, daily risotto specials,
chicken and veal parmigiana and osso buco.
House specialties include slow roasted
house-made polpette (chicken meatballs)
served on polenta with peperonata, and
house-made ricotta gnocchi — served with a
choice of tomato or classic Bolognese sauce,
fresh spinach and freshly grated ricotta
salata. The rotolini is a delicious stuffed spiral
pasta filled with ricotta cheese, prosciutto,
sun-dried tomatoes, Caraffa olives and
parmigiana served in a pool of house-made
tomato sauce. While the pasta is not made in
house, the sauce and nearly everything else
is, including breads and desserts.
To accompany the meal, diners can choose
from an extensive by-the-glass wine list,
thanks to the use of a Le Verre de Vin system
that removes air from open bottles, allowing
the restaurant to keep open bottles fresh
for several days. Currently Bertoldi’s offers
№ 59 | May/June 2016
35 wines by the glass. As
well, winemaker dinners
are monthly occurrences,
and feature sampling and
pairings to a set menu. On
special occasions some
winemakers from Italy are
in house. DiFruscia family
members have also toured
their favourite wineries
in Italy. This was special
for DiFruscia as he was
born in Hamilton and his
parents were both from
Montreal. Reconnecting with Italy helped
him better understand his ancestors. “The
Italian restaurant was something that I always
wanted to do,” he says.
He comes to the trade by an interesting
route. His grandfather was a knife sharpener
in Montreal and a cousin is still operating
Bertoldi’s Grinding today. DiFruscia’s father
was catering manager at the Royal Connaught
Hotel in Hamilton, where Bob DiFruscia also
worked before heading to the University of
Guelph and earning a political science degree.
DiFruscia then went on to work for food companies
including The Old Spaghetti Factory
chain in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
After learning the ropes, he decided to go out
on his own in 1980 when London landlord
Percy Zaifman offered him space in his new
plaza on Wilkins Street, in the south end of
the city. That
was the birth
of McGinnis
Landing, and
5
1 – Mushroom & Artichoke Pizza
(front) and a Traditional
Margherita Pizza
2 – Tiramisu
3 – Arctic Char topped with fried
capers served with linguine
noodles
4 – Risotto del Giorno
5 – Pasta Giovanni
1
4 3 2

№ 59 | May/June 2016
Trust...
Taste...
Quality...
Tagliere di salumi e formaggi — an assortment of
traditional cured meats including prosciutto, sopressata
and cacciatore, imported and local artisan cheese, pickled
tomatoes, olives, honey and house-made preserves
of a fantastic hospitality career that has yet
to stop. “Everything is about timing,” says
DiFruscia. “We were the first of the roadhouses
in London and the food component
was very special. As we grew, I always asked
‘What’s next?’ … I always wanted to grow.”
Over the years, DiFruscia has seen his
customers become more knowledgeable
about food and wine, which he credits to the
boom in food shows on TV. “People don’t
mind trying different things now, but they
still want basic, fresh, simple ingredients.”
Chicken parmigiana remains the number
one seller on the menu.
Bertoldi’s has seating for 180 including a
lively bar area. It is also home to a second
story outdoor patio that was famous for being
smoke-free when it opened many years prior
to current smoking regulations. There are
more than 50 staff, many with five to ten years’
experience, including one server who has
been with Bertoldi’s since 2003, the year after it
opened. The casual atmosphere is appealing to
a wide variety of customers including families,
those on a business luncheon and students.
Booths face out to Pall Mall Street and there is
a private room in the back.
Bertoldi’s Trattoria
650 Richmond St, London
519-438-4343
www.bertoldis.ca
sunday: 4pm–11pm
monday–thursday: 11am–10pm
friday: 11am–midnight
saturday: 4pm–midnight
sunday: 4pm–10pm
JANE ANTONIAK is a regular contributor to eatdrink
magazine. She is also Manager, Communications and Media Relations
at King’s University College, just up the road from Bertoldi’s.
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Stratford
is more than
great
theatre
visitstratford.ca
@StratfordON
StratfordON
A Locally Sourced Restaurant. Run by workers. Owned by workers.
Shared by the Community.
{ }
NOW OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
May to October
Call 519.305.6464
for menu details
@redrabbitresto
64 Wellington St, Stratford
www.redrabbitresto.com
519.305.6464

RESTAURANT & BAR
NOW OPEN
Diverse, seasonally inspired menu
using locally sourced ingredients.
Refined wine list, Ontario beers
& hand-crafted cocktails.
themillstoneON
519.273.5886
30 Ontario Street
Stratford, ON
themillstone.ca
Our Gelato is ready!
And our new Ice Cream Bars!
hint: get them before they are gone!
Mon to Sat 9am to 6pm, Sun 10am to 5pm

14 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
restaurants
Down the Rabbit Hole
at The Red Rabbit in Stratford
By BRYAN LAVERY | Photography by NICK LAVERY
sourced restaurant, run
by workers, owned by workers,
shared by the community,” pretty
“Alocally
much sums up The Red Rabbit’s
ethos. Chef Sean Collins is a Stratford Chefs
School graduate, instructor and previously
head chef at Mercer Hall before its sale last
year. Collins terms his cooking as “Flavour
First, Ingredient Driven.” He also says, “We
cook food we like to eat.”
One of Stratford’s most anticipated
openings last summer was The Red Rabbit,
which launched in mid-July. Stratford-born
Jessie Votary and Collins left Mercer Hall
to build the community-shared restaurant
on Wellington Street with partners/workers
Jonathan Naiman (Sous Chef/Owner),
Chef Sean Collins, Jessie Votary, and Kris Schlotzhauer
Adam Robinson (front of house), Tyson
Everitt (Doctor and resident soda jerk and
fermenting specialist), Steve Walters (front
of house) and Gen Zinger (front of house).
Votary, who has been fittingly labelled
the restaurant’s fearless leader and the
mastermind behind the business, recently
said, “The notion for the restaurant was born
out of necessity and inevitability. We all sat
down and agreed
that we didn`t
really want to do
this for someone
else anymore. If
we were going to
work 80 hours a
week and throw
our whole heart
and soul into
something, we
should do it for
ourselves. It didn’t make sense to have a
money man at the top taking all the profits.
Nor were we interested in trying to squeeze
an additional dime out of every plate that
comes out of the kitchen.”
With 100 shares at $1,000
each, The Red Rabbit’s
ownership group raised a
percentage of the capital
they needed to finance their
project. They then turned
to an innovative financing
model akin to community
supported agriculture
(CSA), but in this case
adapted for the restaurant
business. They modelled
it primarily after colleague
Anne Campion`s business
model at Revel Caffé which
itself is a spin on a CSA
model that Ruth Klassen at
Monforte Dairy pioneered in
the Stratford area. Campion and Votary both
believe in the importance of supporting new
models of community-centred businesses
that strengthen and help build communities.
Interested subscribers were invited to
purchase restaurant futures in the business.
This raised an additional $57,000 in funds,
which helped them get the doors open
by paying for opening wages and putting
Photo courtesy of The Red Rabbit

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 15
inventory in the bar and the kitchen. The
futures will be reimbursed in prepaid meals
over a period of time. Votary says, “We
were looking for investors, but we were also
looking to build community around our
vision.” The bank put up the rest of the capital
through a business loan. At the time, Collins
called it “a somewhat radical concept.”
Votary and Collins and the passionate and
focused team poured their blood, sweat and
tears to get the venture open. Located in a 1
former bridal shop on Wellington Street (off
Market Place) Votary refers to the premises
as initially being a blank white box. The
Red Rabbit seats 45 comfortably with an
additional 10 seats at the bar.
Collins leads the talented kitchen team,
along with sous chef Jon Naiman. Other
members include partner Everitt and newer
members Lee Avigdor and Greg Hims,
formerly of Susan Dunfield’s Down the Street.
The instantly successful, down-to-earth,
farm-oriented restaurant is built on years
2
of deep symbiotic relationships that are
at the heart of The Red Rabbit experience.
There is a dedicated focus on Perth County
ingredients from area farmers like Church
Hill Farm, Perth County Pork Products,
McIntosh Farms, and Soiled Reputation.
The team has crafted an evolving menu of
Southern-style comfort foods. Divided into
omnivore, carnivore and herbivore sections,
the dinner menu offers Colonel Collins’
fried chicken, duck poutine, Perth County
“hammed” pork shoulder, rabbit and leek
3
pie, BBQ celery root, creamy fried polenta
and duck egg with chermoula. The menus
have also included addictive house-made
salumi (beef heart pastrami) and delicious
rillettes of rabbit. During the day we like the
breakfast with fried eggs, local pork, beans
and focaccia.
We have driven to Stratford several times
for a delicious repast of Colonel Collins
fried chicken and waffles. Its secret recipe of
thirteen herbs and spices, maple syrup and 4
carrot hot sauce, served with house-cut fries
has made it a Stratford culinary staple.
The heat quotient on the spicy hot chicken sandwich
with sweet pickle, tzatziki, house-made bun and
hand-cut fries is just what the doctor ordered. A newer
addition to the lunch menu are four perfectly prepared
falafel on a bed of lettuce, (for wrapping), which is
served with perfectly seasoned tabbouleh and tiny
pots of harissa, tahini, garlic aioli and the traditional
pickled turnip. Sensational.
1 – Falafel with tabbouleh and harissa,
tahini, garlic aioli and pickled turnip
2 – Fried polenta with root vegetables,
duck egg and chermoula
3 – Spicy hot chicken sandwich with
sweet pickle, tzatziki, house-made
bun and hand-cut fries
4 – Deconstructed carrot cheesecake in a
Mason jar

16 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
The local and artisinal ethos extends to the bar, which carries
products from Black Swan Brewery, Junction 56 Distillery, and
Chateau des Charmes, among regional producers.
An important difference between The Red
Rabbit and other restaurants is the amount of
creative input that the staff members bring to
the table. Close-knit relationships are central
to the core of the restaurant. The service is
welcoming, heartfelt and friendly. Most of the
front-of-the-house service professionals were
previously restaurant managers or owners.
Long-time Stratford restaurant professional
extraordinaire Cassandre Frost is the new
restaurant and bar manager.
This past winter the team surpassed all of
their expectations as well as crushing every
target they had set for the restaurant. The team
consistently seated more than 100 covers every
5
Friday and Saturday night throughout
the winter. The success of the “small
plates” tradition called Nosh Mondays
was unparalleled with a waiting list
each week.
This summer they are planning
to knock things out of the park. The
team will be reintroducing the prix
fixe menu, an arrangement that is
meant to expedite the challenges
of pre-theatre dining where
theatre-goers arrive and depart
simultaneously. After 7:30 the focus
will be on a local á la carte menu.
Chef Kris Schlotzhauer recently
joined the team. Votary says, “He
is putting his chef whites away and
joining the front of house crew,
transitioning into the general manager role
as he learns the ropes.” Schlotzhauer was
born and raised in Stratford, and has spent
the last four years in Toronto where burnish
his name and reputation at the much lauded
Enoteca Sociale. Attracting plenty of media
attention, he has been working to balance
work and life roles for his staff. As a vocal
champion for fair working hours and pay,
his philosophy is closely aligned with The
Red Rabbit’s, making him a natural fit.
There is plenty of growth potential for
both staff and partners to transition into a
new venture in the future. In the meantime,
are you in search of a watering spot that
serves great craft and house-infused
cocktails and flavourful food? Going
“down the rabbit hole” is the almost
perfect metaphor for embarking on a
down-to-earth culinary adventure at
The Red Rabbit.
3
6 7
4
2
1
The Red Rabbit
64 Wellington Street
519-305-6464
www.redrabbitresto.com
monday–wednesday: noon–7pm
thursday: noon–9am
friday & saturday: noon–midnight
sunday: 11am–7pm
Jessie Votary (1) and chef Sean Collins (2) built The Red Rabbit
with partners/workers Gen Zinger (3, front of house), Tyson
Everitt (4, soda jerk & fermenting specialist), Jonathan Naiman
(5, sous chef), Adam Robinson (6, incognito, front of house) and
Steve Walters (7, front of house). Photo courtesy of The Red Rabbit
BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Editor and
Writer at Large.
NICK LAVERY is owner of Take5 Digital, a Londonbased
video production company. Reach him at nick@
t5digital.com.

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 17
farmers & artisans
A Flowering Family Farm
Harris Flower Farm and Pastured Pork, near St. Thomas
By NICOLE LAIDLER
Just north of St. Thomas, at Harris Flower
Farm and Pastured Pork, Janis and Mark
Harris are growing their family business
one bloom at a time. Fields of colourful
flowers are the crop of choice, while a
number of heritage pigs enjoy the good life in
a converted dairy barn.
And every weekend from Mother’s Day
until Thanksgiving, Janis or Mark and their
three children — Cameron (5), Nathan
(3) and Megan (1) — can be found selling
their fresh-cut mixed bouquets and locallyproduced
pork sausages and bacon at the
Horton Farmers’ Market in St. Thomas. From
July to September they are also selling at
Covent Garden Market in London.
It’s not the life that Janis imagined for
herself when she left her parents’ farm,
McSmith’s Organic Farm, to pursue a career
in optometry. But the itch to “grow things”
never left, so in 2009 she took her mom’s
advice and planted a crop of 3,000 gladiolas
to sell at the Horton Farmers’ Market.
While she hasn’t quite quit her day job,
she has never looked back.
The Harris Family: Mark holds daughter Megan and Janis
has arms around sons Cameron and Nathan
In 2011, Janis and Mark purchased her
grandparent’s farm, where they now grow
approximately four acres of flowers ranging
from spring blooms like daffodils, tulips
and peonies, to such summer favourites as
snapdragons, zinnias, sunflowers, and of
course, gladiolas.
Hoop-house greenhouses and some
careful planning help the Harrises get the
most out of the flower-growing season,
with Janis picking this year’s first tulips on a
snowy day in March.
“My dad was involved with the horticulture
society in St. Thomas, so I’ve always
had flowers in my life and I’ve always loved
them,” says Janis.
Growing up on one of the area’s first
organic farms taught Janis the value of hard
work and what it takes to bring a crop to
market. “Farming was always a family thing,
and I enjoy that my own kids are now able
to help out with the picking and selling,” she
says. “I joke that Cameron has been at the
market every Saturday except the Saturday
he was born.”
Nathan and Cameron Harris help to grow the business

18 www.eatdrink.ca
Customers are surprised by the variety of
flowers she is able to offer and appreciate
knowing that the blooms are grown locally
rather than being shipped in from places like
the Netherlands or Colombia. “People like
that our bouquets are always different and that
they can last for up to two weeks,” she notes.
Harris Flower Farm also prepares
bouquets for weddings and other special
events. “It’s a growing part of our business,”
says Janis, who hired part-time help to
get her through last year’s busy wedding
season. Janis works closely with brides to
explain the possibilities and limitations of
using locally-grown
flowers instead of
something selected
from a catalogue
and flown in for the
occasion. “I don’t
grow orchids,” she
says with a laugh.
“We discuss colour
and feel, because
I might not know
exactly what will be
in the bouquet when
we meet. When the
time comes, I see
what is in season.”
A flower subscription
service is also
popular, with mixed bouquets delivered biweekly
or monthly to businesses and individuals
throughout London and St. Thomas.
In addition to the fresh cut flowers, the
Harrises raise and sell pastured pork.
“We began with a few pigs just for our own
№ 59 | May/June 2016
A Tamworth sow lives winters in the
farm’s converted dairy barn. When the
weather is warm enough, the heritage
breed pigs enjoy life in the great outdoors.
pork, but people began asking
if they could get our sausages so
we bought a sow and just kept
going,” says Janis of the unusual
combination.
The pigs — three Tamworth
sows, a Berkshire boar, and any
piglets — are free to root in the
dirt and roll in the mud during the summer
months. They spend cold winters in the
farm’s converted dairy barn.
The heritage breeds are ideal for
pasturing, Janis explains. “The Tamworth
have a very long snout so they can root in
the dirt, while the Berkshire are
known for the quality of their
meat,” she says. To supplement
what they find in the yard, the
animals are fed a custom non-
GMO vegetable and grain mash,
and scraps from Janis’s parent’s
organic vegetable farm.
The pigs are processed at a
small abattoir in Aylmer. Bacon
and sausages — made from
“good meat instead of leftovers”
and free from added fillers — are
particularly popular and are
Locally grown (and long-lasting) flowers
are a popular choice at markets, and for
special events

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 19
available at the Covent and Horton Farmers’
Markets and at McSmith’s Organic Farm.
Other cuts are available by contacting Harris
Flower Farm directly. “Last year we sold 30
pigs worth of meat,” says Janis. The family
could sell more, she adds, but want to keep
their pastured pork production small.
As for the flower business, Janis is delighted
to see it bloom into a full-scale eco-conscious
operation. Her sister recently returned to the
area from Toronto and is looking forward to
putting her training as a florist to good use.
This year’s flower crop will include
6,000 tulips, 2,000 lisianthus and 20,000
sunflowers. “It keeps us busy but we love
what we are doing,” says Janis. “We’re having
fun with it.”
Harris Flower Farm and Pastured Pork
42488 Ron McNeil Line
RR6 St.Thomas
harrisflowerfarmpasturedpork.weebly.com
Harris Flower Farm and Pastured Pork is a member of the
Associ a tion of Specialty Cut Flower Growers and is a My Pick
Verified Local Farmer at the Covent Garden Market.
Janis Harris in the “hoop house”
early in the spring season
NICOLE LAIDLER is a London freelance writer and
copywriter who has covered the local business and culture
beat for more than a decade. Visit her at www.spilledink.ca .
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№ 59 | May/June 2016
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From fine dining
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№ 59 | May/June 2016
culinary education
YOU Made It Café
Transforming the Lives of Youth
By BRYAN LAVERY
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU)
assists vulnerable and at-risk youth
in London and Middlesex County,
by delivering transformational
programs where participants can find their
voice and articulate their needs. Knowing that
many young people need guidance, mentoring
and support, YOU believes that investing in
youth and strengthening communities go
hand-in-hand.
YOU was founded in 1982 by a coalition of
community groups, including United Way,
Fanshawe College and the London Board
of Education. Through Transition, Career,
and Enterprise Services the organization
provides youth with the training, skill
development, mentoring and referrals they
need to help develop their potential.
In 1879 the three-story building that
houses YOU at 332 Richmond Street
opened as the American House. In 1933
it was renamed The Grigg House after
innkeeper Samuel Grigg. Since then the
landmark building has undergone several
transformations. In 2007 YOU purchased the
building, and in 2009, after a public naming
contest, it was renamed The Cornerstone.
In November 2011 YOU celebrated the
grand opening of The Cornerstone in
downtown London. The Cornerstone is made
possible through funding by the Government
of Canada, the Government of Ontario,
A rooftop garden produces
herbs, flowers & vegetables
for the YOU Made It Café
the City of London and other donors and
community partners. The upper floors of the
building contain 30 units of transition and
affordable housing for young people. Interior
renovations to the main floor include the
Youth Action Centre, an apprentice training
centre, an alternative education classroom,
an entertainment/recreation area, offices and
the YOU Made It Café.
A rooftop garden produces herbs, flowers
and vegetables, all planted and harvested
by youth for the YOU Made It Café. This
self-sustaining urban oasis serves as an
interactive outdoor classroom. Seating areas
in the garden as well as a rooftop boardroom
provide tenants and guests with a unique
vista in the heart of downtown London.
As the composite of several commercial
businesses, the YOU Made It program was
launched to offer applied skills training in
all facets of a small business to youth facing
employment barriers. In 1996, YOU introduced
its first social enterprise, Reuse It Recycling,
which provides recycling services to businesses
and includes the manufacturing of goods
from recycled items. In the absence of a
recycling program downtown, it is a blessing
to conscientious downtown restaurants and
offices. YOU has also operated a woodworking
shop for nearly twenty years, where participants
are trained in the principles of woodworking
from basic to advanced techniques.
Market Quality Preserves (MQP) was
also developed as a social enterprise
initiative and is only one of multiple
facets of culinary education offered by
YOU. Under supervision, local youth
at The New Wave Centre in Strathroy
prepare jams, jellies, salsas and spreads,
from start to finish, which are sold in
a retail space and are also available at
Sunripe and Farm Boy outlets, as well
as other established retailers.
In the bistro-style YOU Made It Café,
affordably-priced and nutritious scratch

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 23
and serve meals
are prepared.
The Café serves
up breakfast
and lunch
from Monday
to Friday. The
Café also offers
professional
catering services
as part of its dayto-day
operations,
Learning ... featuring a variety
Creating opportunities ... of affordable
Building a future. menu options.
With a retail store
and wireless internet, the café is the public face of the
commercial-style kitchen and training operation.
Food and beverage operations are directed by
executive chef Ricardo Cavaco and sous chef Ron
Beeswax. In addition, there are three full-time
staff, three part-time staff and four to twelve youth
engaged in the program at any given time. There
is also a new youth mentor, who started in the
program as a youth trainee.
Facilitated by Cavaco, the YOU Made It Café kitchen
team prepares 140 to 500 meals a day on contract for
Meals on Wheels London. Thursdays are full production
days for Friday to Sunday meals. Meal on Wheels
provides service to adults with disabilities and seniors
(65+) in need of nutritional support. That’s the backbone
of the Café’s kitchen operation and the revenue
from that enterprise allows for a modest profit. To
date, the YOU Made It Café remains the most successful
business enterprise in the organization’s history.
However, executive director Steve Cordes has said the
YOU Made It Café can always use more business to
bring in additional revenue and give the staff training.
The catering arm of the operation will soon be
preparing for BBQ season, with regular BBQs on the
rooftop of the Cornerstone as well as periodic BBQs
in the community. Cordes says, “I believe we will be
doing bi-weekly BBQs at the London Roundhouse
again starting in the spring.”
Until recently, YOU had been hosting evening
dining events with Cavaco and Beeswax, organized
around various themes including a craft beer night,
New Orleans Cajun seafood dinner and a dinner complete
with wine pairings and featuring a sommelier.
More recently, as part of a newly instituted Cornerstone
Cuisine dinner series, the youth at YOU were
asked to collaborate with a guest chef or restaurant to
prepare a three-course meal one night each month.
YOU has introduced the guest chef model
as a means of introducing youth trainees to the
philosophies of other chefs and restaurants.
Participating chefs are requested to
design a culturally-inspired menu of
their choosing. The main goal of the
Cornerstone Cuisine dinner series is to
engage the young trainees by allowing
them to gain the skills and confidence
they need to hit the ground running
in future jobs. It provides youth with a
critical training opportunity to learn,
gain experience and strengthen their
abilities. This collaboration also allows
guest chefs the opportunity to meet
and work with youth who will soon be
seeking employment.
Guests this year include Jill Wilcox
and chef Josie Pontarelli from Jill’s
Table, Dave Strano from Burrito Boyz,
chef Stephanie Brewster, Andrew
Fleet from Growing Chefs, and cheese
expert Martin Withenshaw.
YOU’s social enterprise success is an
inspirational entrepreneurial model for
community economic development,
which has been achieved by combining
both economic and social beliefs
with leadership, innovation and civic
collaboration.
YOU Made It Café
332 Richmond Street • 226-777-0116
www.you.ca/cafe
open monday–friday, 7:30am–2:30pm
BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Editor and Writer
at Large.
The YOU Made It Café is directed by
executive chef Ricardo Cavaco (left)

Welcome
to
Strathroy!
Just down the road ...
35 km to London
Quilts &Body
for Soul
Local Food, Wine, Cider & Craft Beer
Presented by:
Friday, May 27: 3 p.m.–11 p.m.
Saturday, May 28: Noon–11 p.m.
Portuguese Canadian Club — 375 York St, Strathroy
Sample local food, wine, cider & beer
Live auction of over 30 handmade quilts
on Saturday at 6 p.m.
19+ event (I.D. checked at door)
Tickets: $10 in advance or $15 at the door
Buy tickets online: quilts.smghfoundation.com or 519-246-5906

№ 59 | May/June 2016
A Strathroy Tradition
• Fabulous Sunday Brunch
• Family Dinners
• Fully Licensed by LLBO
• Banquet & Wedding Packages Available
• Take-Out & Delivery Available (ask for details)
• Family Owned & Operated
Pauline & Jo Slegers
Our Greens are:
LIVING
CERTIFIED ORGANIC
INNOVATIVE
LOCAL
Private Meeting & Banquet Rooms
for groups up to 100
28537 Centre Road, Strathroy
just off Hwy 402 @ Hwy 81 & Second St.
519-245-5400
www.amys-restaurant.com
The heart of
Downtown
Strathroy
PATIO
NOW
OPEN!
Simply
the best
way to
eat!
Available at Fine Restaurants,
Farm Gate Retail & Retailers such as:
Remark Fresh Markets
Angelo’s Italian Bakery & Market
Havaris Produce at Covent Garden
On The Move Organics at Western Fair
Farm Boy
Lyn-Dys Health Food Store
The London Food Co-op
Cranberri Country Market
BJ’s Country Market
Joyce Produce at Trail’s End
Quilts for &Body Soul
Local Food, Wine, Cider & Craft Beer
Come see us at
Historic Post Office & Customs Building
71 Frank St, Strathroy • 519-205-1500
www.clocktower-inn.com
7496 Calvert Dr., Strathroy ON
519-245-1339
www.slegersgreens.com

26 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
road trips
The Berlin
Adventurous contemporary dining in Kitchener
SPONSORED BY
By BRYAN LAVERY
A
recent road trip,
consisting of a
meandering but scenic
drive through Oxford
County, Punkeydoodles Corners,
Kitchener-Waterloo and the towns
and hamlets in and around the
Grand River, would eventually
bring us to Paris, Ontario, for a twoday
reunion with long-time friends
from London, Toronto and Parkhill.
We were looking for a new and
top-notch culinary experience,
and had been anticipating chef
Jonathan Gushue`s return to the
culinary scene. Our host/organizer
made reservations at The Berlin
in Kitchener, well in advance. The
Berlin was already making a name for itself
as a culinary destination. It was a given that
we would be dining there. Jonathan Gushue
is the Newfoundland-born chef who was
instrumental in Cambridge`s Langdon Hall
receiving a coveted Five Diamond Award, and
also being named the 77th best restaurant
in the world on the S. Pellegrino list several
years ago.
The Berlin, which opened late last
December, is named in homage to Kitchener-
Sous chef Kempton Munshawat (left) and executive
chef Jonathan Gushue present compact ingredient-driven
menus that change twice daily
Waterloo’s German heritage (although the
original settlers were not directly German
but Mennonites from Pennsylvania). It
is a partnership between Gushue and
restaurateur Ryan Lloyd-Craig.
The restaurant is positioned to benefit
from Kitchener-Waterloo`s thriving tech
community, new condo developments and
the revitalized downtown`s pedestrianfriendly
urban vibe. Beginning in 2004, the
City of Kitchener launched several initiatives
to galvanize the downtown core. New
lighting was added to the streets,
sidewalks were enlarged, and curbs
were lowered. The landmark Walper
Hotel, two doors down from The Berlin,
is currently undergoing a multi-million
dollar rejuvenation and is being heralded
as a unique, resolutely modern boutique
experience combining the finest in
contemporary building technology with
the best of the hotel’s historic features.
At The Berlin, we were greeted
by a friendly server and seated at a
large round table near the back of the
restaurant and at the foot of the stairs
Photo by Jennifer Roberts

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28 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
Overhead shot of the dining room and round table
leading to the elevated kitchen. I
had an unobstructed view of the
open-kitchen with its counterside
seating, the wood-fired grill
and a living herb wall.
We ordered a round of Kir de
Crème with Nicholas Pearce Brut,
Cassis and Earl Grey punch. The
drinks were served in elegant
long-stemmed champagne
coupes and garnished with
candied basil leaves.
Well-spaced tables are
unencumbered except for a
vase of fresh flowers. Comfy
banquettes run along the wall.
The interior appears to have been
stripped down to emphasize the frame and
raw personality of the building. The space is
sizeable, with exposed bricks and concrete
with reclaimed maple slats and soaring
20-foot ceilings giving it a modern rural
sensibility.
Gushue and Lloyd-Craig spent eight months
refurbishing and reclaiming the Renaissance-
Revival architectural character of the building
to create a 110-seat street-level dining room
with a central bar. An elevated open kitchen is
the focal point of the room. A staircase in the
middle of the restaurant leads to two secondfloor
rooms for private dining and receptions.
Such work is not for shallow pockets.
The service is casual and unobtrusive
and not in the least fussy or over-polished;
the vibe is laid back and hipster-centric
bordering on perfunctory. There is a mix of
well-dressed and casually attired patrons.
This is not fine dining in its truest form.
This is modern dining. Newer restaurant
models are dispensing with everything
that is unessential and entrenched about
patrons’ dining perceptions. The guiding
ideals are millennially-aligned — minimalist,
Photo by Jennifer Roberts
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The décor
demonstrates
a modern rural
sensibility with
exposed brick,
concrete and a
soaring 20-foot
ceiling.
accessible,
self-assured
and propelled
forward with
culinary skill,
craftsmanship
and
authenticity.
Millennials
and the
millenniallyaligned
are
an adventurous
group,
characterized as trendsetters, thrill seekers,
experientialists and restaurant explorers.
The Berlin’s concept is self-evident.
Less selection, heightened quality, kitchen
proficiency, faster service, and hotter food. Not
to mention accessible prices, lower over-head
and a larger profit centre.
This evening we have high expectations
and are looking to be wowed. We are aware
that The Berlin will be a real departure
from Gushue’s oeuvre at Langdon Hall.
The food is both simple and adventurous
in its inspirations and contemporary in
its sensibility and implementation. The
ingredient-driven menus are compact and
change twice daily. There are five appetizers
and five entrées on offer. Our questions are
answered in detail and intelligently by our
server. A few of my fellow diners find the
menu a tad too restrictive for their tastes.
The menu is built around the day’s
harvests and driven by whatever the region`s
many farmers and purveyors have on offer
Outdoor Farmers’ Market
Thursdays 8am–2pm & Saturdays 8am–1pm
Our outdoor farmers’ market opens for the
season on Saturday May 7. New this year:
Outdoor Cooking Classes taught by some of
London’s finest local chefs! Every Saturday
11am–noon, outside on Rotary Square.
Live Music every Saturday, 10–noon.
Family Storytime June 25–Sept 3, 10–10:30am.
Our wonderful Thursday market, opening on
May 12, features lots of new vendors this year.
Thursday Sampling
Thursdays 11:45am–1:15pm
Join the expert cooks from Jill’s Table outside
at the Farmers’ Market. Sample a wide variety of
delicious dishes which features ingredients from
our Market. Pick up the featured recipe along
with your sample! Check our website weekly to
see what we are sampling that day. You’ll also
discover our extensive list of different recipes!

30 www.eatdrink.ca
At the heart of the open kitchen
(above) is the five-foot woodburning
grill by Grillworks Inc.
on any given day. Gushue has termed The
Berlin’s cuisine as “modern European, with
a nod to the classics.”
Kempton Munshaw, formerly of Toronto`s
Chase, and listed by Zagat as one of the
“9 secret weapons behind Toronto`s
top restaurants” last year, is The Berlin’s
sous chef. The sommelier is Wes Klassen,
formerly of Langdon Hall.
There is simplicity to the cooking of the
nine-member culinary brigade. At the heart
of the kitchen is the cult-favourite five-foot
wood-burning grill by Grillworks Inc., which
is taking the restaurant industry by storm.
At its most rudimentary, a Grillworks grill is
a self-supporting stainless steel wood-fired
grill with a surface made of V-shaped slates
that are slanted downward to guide run-off
fat and juices into a basting pan rather than
onto the coals. A crank wheel regulates the
№ 59 | May/June 2016
height of the grill surface over the coals, while
a fire cage holds most of the heat behind the
surface. Speaking about the wood-burning
grill, Dan Barber, owner and executive chef
of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, says, “We’re
constantly challenged to use it to its full
advantage, which makes it less like a tool than
a source of inspiration.” It’s up to the griller
to decide when and how to rake the hot coals
underneath the meat.
The grass-fed Pasture Burger
has the taste of both fat and
fire and is served on a shiny
milk bun with sharp vintage
Cheddar cheese, caramelized
onions, aioli and excellent
hand-cut fries. Picture an endive
and caramelized onion salad
with a soft boiled duck egg and
grilled smoky pork belly that
has great crackle and flavour.
More revealing yet is a thin slab
of smoked pickerel terrine with baby greens
tossed in red onion vinaigrette. Grilled
and tender skin-on rainbow trout with
mushrooms and leek stew is both delicate
and hearty. Grilled marinated duck fillets,
white cabbage and apple slaw, goat cheese
and watercress are a
contrast in texture and
flavours.
1 – Kir de Crème with Nicholas
Pearce Brut, Cassis and Earl
Grey punch
2 – Rainbow trout with
mushroom and leek stew;
3 – Rainbow Trout on a celery
and apple salad
4 – Smoked pickerel terrine
with baby greens tossed in
red onion vinaigrette 1
2
3
4

№ 59 | May/June 2016
They churn their own butter, bake the
restaurant’s breads as well as curing their
own meat. There is a meat locker in the
basement where Gushue butchers whole
animals. Dessert offerings include burnt
lemon curd with goat yogurt ice cream and
salted chocolate crumble, caramelized barley
and vanilla pudding with poached kumquat,
blood orange and lemon tea custard, and
granny smith apple sorbet with ginger beer.
Gushue, Munshaw and Lloyd-Craig share
an ethical and sustainable culinary philosophy,
attentively caring about the provenance
of their food and how it is grown or raised.
Gushue shapes a formative, season-based and
from scratch, farm-to-table dining experience
that is both accessible and fresh.
The Berlin
45 King Street West, Kitchener
519-208-8555
www.theberlinkw.ca
lunch: tuesday–friday 11:30 am–2 pm
dinner: tuesday–saturday 5 pm–10 pm
BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Editor & Writer at Large.
Serving up authentic & tasty
Creole & Cajun Cuisine
London’s New Orleans Vibe
Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Desserts
Live Music • Cooking Classes
Corporate Events • Team Building
OPEN
DAILY
519.667.2000
www.bourbonstreetlondon.ca
587 Oxford Street, London

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34 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
The BUZZ ... new and notable
B
lack George, like its predecessor Kantina
Café, has been one of those independent
businesses that thrive on creativity, dedication
and commitment enhanced by well-honed and
sophisticated culinary points of view. Owner Miljan Karac
has announced that the establishment will close on May 14.
“The decision to do so was not an easy as a lot of love and
effort has been put into making this place a great restaurant.
As one door closes, another one opens and sometime soon, an
eclectic establishment will open in this space,” said Karac.
Owners Pete and Vanessa Willis of The Church Key
follow the British custom of the gastro pub by specializing
in traditional food done with gourmet flair and offer an
impressive selection of craft beers and great wines. Pete,
a hospitality industry stalwart who many Londoners will
remember for his long stints at the Oxbox, The Nac,
Kiplings and Honest Lawyer, is celebrating 40 years as a
bartender and his 60th birthday on May 8. Congratulations
Pete! www.thechurchkey.ca
Wich is Wich will be expanding their hours to include dinner
options, Wednesday through Saturday. Chef Josh Sawyer
will be launching a new menu in May. Proven favourites will
remain, but watch for a few surprises. The Wich is Wich pop
up shop at Budweiser Gardens is a huge success and will
continue through 2016-17 season. www.wichiswich.ca
Tastings is a London Health Sciences Cancer Care
fundraiser, sponsored by CIBC, and held at the London
Hunt Club. A stellar volunteer kitchen always presents an
outstanding menu, and this year is no exception. Duties
will be shared on May 5 by chefs from Black Trumpet,
The Springs, David’s Bistro, The River Room and a
number of other London establishments. Chefs Erryn
Shephard and Ben Sandwith are coming in from F.I.N.E.
A Restaurant in Grand Bend, and Chef Eric Boyer from
SixThirtyNine in Woodstock are among the other culinary
luminaries. www.tastings.lhsf.ca.
Felipe Gomes’s Aroma Restaurant combines Old World
ambiance with high technology. Felipe’s experiential
offerings include amenities and facilities for cooking classes,
corporate team-building exercises, and a private conference
room for up to 30. An on-site bakery provides croissants,
cakes & French pastries and Portuguese-style custard tarts,
homage to Gomes’ heritage. Aroma Restaurant is celebrating
their 10th Anniversary. www.fginternationalcorp.com
Windermere Manor’s refurbished Restaurant Ninety
One relaunched in late April. Restaurant chef Angela
Murphy and banquet chef Josh Blackwell and their
culinary team will build on a sustainable culinary philosophy
and farm-to-table sensibility that showcase a selection of
old favourites, signature ingredients, and innovative taste
experiences that change to take advantage of the seasons
using elements from their kitchen gardens and ingredients
from local purveyors. Open daily for breakfast, lunch,
dinner & Sunday brunch. There is plenty of free parking.
Reservations are recommended and private dining rooms
can be arranged upon request. 519-858-1391 x20430
Yoda Olinyk and Mike Fish’s Glassroots will be taking the
concept of “local” to a new level, sourcing everything from
as close to home as possible, including the food, everything
behind the bar, décor, art, music, fixtures and, of course, the
staff. With a newly renovated and intimate dining room,
Glassroots will be a hub for healthy food culture, and a
haven for wine lovers. It will mix local, homemade food,
with a warm and friendly bar and an unparalleled dining
experience. There will be healthy food like you’ve never
seen before, and the city’s only all-Canadian wine list. Mike
Fish is a sommelier, Canadian wine scholar and cocktail
guru. The cocktails will be fresh, seasonal and a spin on the
classics. Yoda Olinyk is a Red Seal Chef, certified in Plant
Based Nutrition and the brains behind Yoda’s Kitchen, of St.
Thomas. Yoda brings her reputation as “the healthy chef”
and will create innovative, sometimes whimsical, tasty

№ 59 | May/June 2016
creations. The restaurant is expected to open mid-May for
full service dinners Wednesday to Sunday. Glassroots will
feature a Sunday brunch and a healthy, vegan, take-away
lunch throughout the week. The restaurant will also be
available for wine workshops, tasting events, fundraisers
and more. www.glassrootslondon.com
At The River Room Café, Chef Jeff Fortner and Jess
Jazey-Spoelstra are launching a new spring/summer
menu that will incorporate some new cool ideas. The
stunning views and the tailored elegance of The River Room
Café and Private Catering make it a downtown culinary
hotspot for lunch or Sunday brunch. Downstairs at the
Rhino Lounge Bakery and Coffee Shoppe, situated at
the front of Museum London, is now serving made-to-order
sandwiches on pastry chef Michele Lenhardt’s daily bread
(flavours change). This summer the café will also feature
homemade ice cream with hand-made churro bowls and
doughnut cones. Don’t forget about Lenhardt’s delicious
cronuts on Thursdays. www.theriverroom.ca
Jazey-Spoelstra’s new North Moore Catering venue on
Wharncliffe Road is open for events for up to 35 guests, until the
city approves the zoning change to 135. www.northmoore.ca
Hazal Mahmood has opened Kitchen Istanbul, and
is serving up Turkish specialities in the premises at 346
Richmond Street (more recently occupied by the former
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Curry Garden). This handsome but simple counter-service
eatery offers eat-in and takeaway Turkish fare. Mahmood
prepares a rotating menu featuring classics like kuru
fasulye, dolma, kebabs, kisir, imam, pide (pizza) and sigara.
This is where you will find authentic Turkish coffee. www.
kitchenIstanbul.ca
Stratford Chefs School alumnus chef Dani Murphy has
recently joined the culinary team at Blu Duby.
After 14 years on Richmond Row, The Station Keg is
relocating to Masonville Place later this year. The steakhouse
chain that has had a presence in downtown London since 1973
will be moving out of the historic rail station site later this year
to become a tenant in the newly renovated space left behind
when the Sears Canada store closed two years ago.
Toboggan Brewing Company is the idea of London
restaurateur Mike Smith, owner of the venerable Joe Kool’s
and Fellini Koolini’s. Last year Smith installed a state of
the art brewery in the basement and enlisted the help of
experienced brewing masters to launch a line of craft beers
to serve his own establishments and the local market. The
519 Kitchen runs across the back of the room, capped by
the curled end of large woodwork evoking a toboggan on
the ceiling. The open kitchen allows visitors to see the staff in
action, the large wood-burning oven, and a large BBQ smoker.
Chef Mike Smith (same name, different person) cooks up
Neapolitan-style pizzas and pub fare like street-style tacos,
charcuterie and mussels and frites. A store at the entrance
offers Toboggan’s products. www.tobogganbrewing.com
Covent Garden Market’s outdoor farmers’ market opens
for the season on Saturday May 7. A number of new vendors
are joining the popular stalwarts who are returning. www.
coventmarket.com/events/outdoor-farmers-market
JJ’s Breakfast, Burgers and Beyond is opening in the
space previously occupied by Amici restaurant at Dundas
and Waterloo.
Plant Matter Kitchen (PMK) opened at 162 Wortley Road
in early April. PMK has a whole food, plant-based focus,
creating vegan fusion meals by blending global flavours with
a local conscience. It serves great organic plant based meals,
smoothies and Patrick’s Beans coffee from 7am to 4 p.m.
and Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.plantmatterkitchen.com
Justin and Gregg Wolfe of The Early Bird diner and Rock
au Taco are putting the finishing touches on their project
in Wortley Village and are expected to open shortly. The
Wolfe of Wortley will be a comfortable 20-seat restaurant
with a 14-seat patio. Wolfe on Wortley will be open evenings
only, the menu will feature oysters, charcuterie, house made
pastas and other farm fresh offerings made from scratch.
Community-focused, local, organic, sustainable and
accountable are the words used to describe The Root
Cellar’s philosophy. With an emphasis on “from scratch”
seasonal menus, the culinary team procures ingredients

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 37
from local organic farmers for this culinary collective
and the London Brewing Co-Operative, London’s first
co-operatively owned nanobrewery. We love the locallysourced
sausages and locally-sourced sausages and water
buffalo burgers. www.rootcellarorganic.ca
True Taco continues to wow diehard taco lovers by
providing authentic Mexican and El Salvadorian cuisine.
Tacos and pupusas are house specialties. Burritos, taquitos,
quesadillas, enchiladas and tamales are also on offer. The
standout is the chicken Milanesa. Also, visit the True Taco
stall Saturdays at the Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market at
Western Fair. www.truetaco.com
The Village Meat Shop is pleased to announce that they
have partnered with a new farm: Little Sisters Chicken in
Parkhill, to bring local, pastured, non-GMO fed, antibioticfree
chicken to London at the Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market at
Western Fair. The network of local farms continues to grow
for the Village Meat Shop as they work to fulfill their mission
of finding great local, natural meats for London families.
www.thevillagemeatshop.ca
The London Beer and BBQ Show presented by Clubhouse
LaGrille is back (June 17-19), showcasing breweries from across
southwestern Ontario and offering outstanding BBQ prepared
by a variety of grill masters from local and area restaurants.
Sample over 100 beverages: spirits, coolers, wine beverages
and beers from Ontario’s established culture of craft beers.
Savour sumptuous barbecue by local grillers everything from
pork ribs and pulled pork to brisket and chicken. Participate
in a variety of sports, cooking demos and activities running
throughout the weekend. New this year, the Beer and BBQ Show
has moved across the road to a bigger and better location, the
Metroland Media Agriplex. Half indoor and half outdoor, the
show will also feature a special tailgate toss tournament, a new
demonstration stage, and a new Wine Garden for those looking
for a break from the brews, and a new demonstration stage.
www.londonbeerandbbqshow.com
Anderson Craft Ales is a new family-owned operation
headed by Gavin Anderson, who started brewing his own
craft beer a decade ago. Anderson became a brew master at
Les Brasseurs de Petite Sault craft brewery in Edmundston,
N.B. The brewery in Old East Village will focus on top-quality,
hop-based ales, and will have a retail outlet offering cans, kegs
and growlers and a tap room that will sell beer by the glass.
Anderson is refurbishing a former industrial building at 1030
Elias St. and should begin producing beer this summer. The
building also will be set up for tours and community events.
The 765 Old East Bar & Grill, formerly Town and Country
Tavern, has reopened under the management of the folks
who operate the Grinning Gator on Richmond Street. The
club has modernized décor, new signage and an enhanced
food menu. www.765barandgrill.com
OPENING SOON
BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
BAKERY RETAIL JUICE BAR
222 Wellington Street, London
519-204-4094
www.revivekitchen.ca

38 www.eatdrink.ca
Culinary innovator and food entrepreneur Dave Cook
continues to renovate the former Merv’s Variety at 874
Dundas Street. The revamped premises will be home to a
restaurant, patio, craft beer pub and Fire Roasted Coffee
offering. Cook is also establishing a food incubator in the
14,000-square-foot Somerville Building at 630 Dundas St. He
is developing a shared space where culinary entrepreneurs
can set up and grow, in much the same way vendors can
get their start at his Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market at Western
Fair. In the first stage of this project Cook is creating space
for small businesses incubation and food start-ups, a Fire
Roasted Coffee café and roastery, and a grocery store.
www.davidsbistro.ca
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a 3-course
prix fixe menu
option
432 Richmond St.
at Carling • London
№ 59 | May/June 2016
The grocery store is a joint initiative with ATN Access. This
project was prompted by the need for a new roastery for
Fire Roasted Coffee, which has outgrown its home at the
Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market at Western Fair. The Somerville
Building will have a large patio facing Dundas Street with
food and drink offerings available.
Masonville Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market has evolved into
a best-in-class trove of over 40 local farmers, artisans and
food producers offering high-quality seasonal ingredients and
products. It is organized by the Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market
at Western Fair. Fridays 8 am–2 pm, May 20–Thanksgiving.
Weather permitting. www.farmersandartisansmarkets.com
Executive Chef and Hospitality Management Consultant
Alfred Estephan, who previously worked at Sunningdale
Golf and Country Club, Idlewyld Inn and Paramount Foods,
is opening a new bistro/bar/café/ in the space occupied by
Organic Works Cafe, on Wellington Road just south of York
Street. Ashton Gillespie will be joining him in the kitchen.
Revive Kitchen is expected to open in late May or early June
and will include a dining room, café, fresh juice/smoothie
bar and a retail area that will continue to sell Organic Works
products. Estephan tells us that he is planning to have
Revive Kitchen open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven
days a week. www.revivekitchen.ca
Organic Works Bakery operated by Peter Cuddy continues
to work out of the building in the underground kitchen.
Putting the bakery underground was more good fortune than
scientific research. The bakery is practically hermetically sealed
and when combined with seven tons of air forced through
the room it makes an excellent environment for leavening
breads. Cuddy continues to build the reputation of Organic
Works Bakery with everyday favourites like Nanaimo bars
and sugar-free scones, seasonal treats like tarts and fruit pies,
made-to-order cakes and cookies and more. Your taste buds
and tummies will be thrilled with the gluten-free, nut-free,
vegan bakery treats. www.organicworksbakery.com
Wally’s Coffee is becoming a local hub in the SoHo
neighbourhood, located at The Victoria Professional Centre
at 111 Waterloo Street. The Rains family took over the former
Exceptional Food. Outstanding Service.
NORTH MOORE CATERING LTD THE RIVER ROOM CAFE & PRIVATE DINING
THE RHINO LOUNGE BAKERY | COFFEE SHOPPE
northmoore@rogers.com | www.northmoore.ca | www.theriverroom.ca
519.850.2287 River Room | 519.850.5111 NMC /Rhino Lounge

№ 59 | May/June 2016
Pause Café last spring and remodelled the premises. The menu
includes panini, sandwiches, soups and salads and is open from
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday for breakfast and lunch.
Stratford
Perth County Slow Food Market takes it outdoors
starting Sunday, May 1st. Listen to the music while you shop
for fresh made bread, quiche, tarts and sweet treats, locally
grown meats, veggies and cheese in Stratford’s Market
Square from 10 am–2 pm Sundays until Thanksgiving.
Parking is free on Sunday.
Come to the wild side on Savour Stratford Foraging Treks
as seasoned forager, Peter Blush of Puck’s Plenty, leads you
on a trek along beautiful forest trails in search of wild edibles.
Take away Peter’s favourite recipes to showcase your fresh
picks. Information and tickets at www.visitstratford.ca/
member/Pucks-Plenty. Puck’s Plenty offers foraging tours
throughout the year as well as selected dates for foraging and
feasting. These popular tours sell out quickly.
The recently relaunched Mercer Hall has changed its name to
Mercer Kitchen, Beer Hall, Hotel. With fifteen draft lines,
Stratford’s only cask engine, and over 100 bottles including
international award-winners, and hard to find one-offs, Mercer
bills itself as a one-stop location to explore the world of craft
beer. From heritage pork to line-caught West coast seafood
they support farmers, fishermen and artisans in Perth County
and across Canada. Chef Ryan O’Donnell’s energetic menu
is perfect for the lively, casual atmosphere. Comfortable,
cosmopolitan guest rooms are upstairs. www.mercerhall.ca
Keystone Alley Cafe is re-opening in May under new
ownership. There will be a fresh new staff including the
dynamic duo of executive chef Cortney Zettler and sous
chef Tina Logassi. The pair have designed a new menu full
of fresh seasonal and local foods and are looking forward
to showcasing their creations. Be sure to check out the
Blackboard menu for the chef’s specials or take a seat in the
restaurant’s unique outdoor alley to enjoy the smells coming
off of their BBQ!
Hog Wild Week in Stratford! Come celebrate pork in
Stratford June 20-26. From the Bacon & Ale Trail, tasting
delicious pork and beer inspired treats, to visiting selected
restaurants and pubs that are creating special menus,
pork events and tastings devoted to pork ... and bacon,
too! Stratford is also home to the Ontario Pork Congress,
June 22–23. In fact, the whole town is going hog-wild —
offering innovative menus and inspired dishes featuring
local pork. www.visitstratford.ca/pork
Stratford Blues and Rib Fest, June 24–26. Free live music at
Veterans Drive Band Shell under a canopy of trees in the park,
award-winning professional rib trucks and other food vendors,
licensed beverages, professional roller derby bouts low and full
contact games, Blues Cruises on the Avon River, Whole Hog BBQ
Demo, Weekend Warrior Amateur Open BBQ Competition, horse
drawn downtown carriage rides, talented artisans and unique
142 fullarton at richmond
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№ 59 | May/June 2016
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Lunch Monday–Saturday
craft merchants, musician’s workshop tent, motorcycle display,
vintage tractor display, classic car meet and park and many
other activities. This outdoor family-friendly gathering is in
support of The Huron-Perth Centre for Children and Youth, The
Stratford Kinsmen Club, and area Girl Guides/Boy Scouts.
www.stratfordbluesandribfest.ca
World Festival of Children’s Theatre June 5-14 is in its
14th year and is being held in Stratford, the first time in North
America! Performances by children, for children from 19 nations.
Each performance is no more than one hour. Folk tales, original
work, classic stories — a wide variety of performances under
the theme “My World, Our Planet” www.wfct.ca
Junction 56 won a bronze medal for vodka at the American
Distillery Institute in San Diego in April. Public tours are
offered every Saturday at 1:00 pm.
Stratford Chefs School moves to new offices at 192 Ontario St,
Stratford. Info at www.stratfordchef.com or 519-271-1414.
Mercer Hall has changed its name to Mercer Kitchen,
Beer Hall, Hotel. Chef Ryan O’Donnell’s energetic menu
is perfect for the lively, casual atmosphere. Comfortable,
cosmopolitan guest rooms are upstairs. www.mercerhall.ca
The relaxed osteria-style restaurant Monforte on
Wellington — known for its small plates, each inspired
by a Monforte cheese — is a place where live music and
community happens. The osteria welcomes chefs Tyler
Cormier and Jimbo Jones, new Stratford Chefs School grads,
to the kitchen. The Monforte Home Farm Store is located
at the first concession after Shakespeare on the southwest
corner. The store is open from May 1 to October 30. In addition
to Monforte cheeses, the Store sells Bauman Apiaries crackers
(produced with David E.M. Martin flours) apple butter,
summer sausage, preserves, handmade items and more. 2409
Line 34, Perth East, ON www.monfortedairy.com
Stratford’s newest home for quality live music, dining and
events continues to play host to many touring and Canadian
artists throughout the spring/summer season. Chef Byron
Hallett has assembled a kitchen team excited about creating
and serving food that expresses the depth of Perth County’s
food culture with Stratford’s sense of drama — favourites
re-imagined, traditions reinvented, memories reinterpreted
— at Revival House. Upstairs, The Chapel features an
80-seat gastro pub and a VIP lounge called Confessions.
In season, Revival House features a patio that backs onto
Brunswick Street. 70 Brunswick Street www.revival.house
Stringbone presents a “LIVE at Revival House” dinner/concert
series, offering dinner/concerts, complete overnight packages
and limited concert-only tickets. stringbonepresents.com
The Mill Stone Restaurant is the new kid on the block
in Stratford with a diverse, seasonally-inspired menu using
locally sourced ingredients. Chef Chris Powell was born in
Qatar in the Middle East, raised in Wales, and received his
culinary training in England. With nearly two decades in

№ 59 | May/June 2016
the industry in the U.K., Spain and Canada, his repertoire
includes pastry work and Modern European cuisine. There
is a refined wine list and hand crafted cocktails. 30 Ontario
Street. www.themillstone.ca
Regional Notes
The King Edward in Ilderton celebrated an anniversary on
April 28. “We installed our first cask hand-pump ten years
ago,” reports owner Rich Hunter, “returning real-ale to
the London area after a lengthy dearth. In 2011 we replaced
that pump with one of the most advanced systems of its
kind, designed to maintain the pour temperature, which is
a common issue with hand-pumped ale. After 10 years, we
have created such a solid real-ale fan base, many of them
don’t ask ‘who’s ale’ or ‘what style’ we are pouring on that
day; they just ask for cask!” www.thekingedward.com
Steed & Company Lavender recently won a Food
Innovation award, sponsored by Foodland Ontario, for
their lavender preserves. The judges praised the outstanding
flavour of the Sparta farm’s product, but noted that the
packaging had caught their eye before they had sampled
a bite. Congratulations to owner Suzanne Steed! www.
steedandcompany.com
Half Hours on Earth is the new craft brewery in Seaforth.
Co-owners Kristen Harburn and Kyle Teichert are Huron
County natives — she grew up in the Bayfield area, he in
Seaforth. Half Hours on Earth sells its products on-line and
at the Seaforth brewery, located in what was once a saladdressing
facility at 151 Main St. S., next to Everspring Farms.
Upper Thames Brewing Company will begin operations
June 1 in Woodstock. Partners Moe Morris, Chad Paton,
Frank Raso, Josh Bowes and Carl Bloomfield are all local
beer enthusiasts and entrepreneurs, and anticipate a high
demand for the high quality, locally sourced product. www.
upperthamesbrewing.ca
Something new and exciting is coming to Port Stanley:
Lauren Van Dixhoorn is opening her restaurant Solo on
Main in May at the former Mickeys Boathouse.
The Oxford County Cheese Trail launches on May 13th. The
trail is divided into hubs to help you identify what highlights
are nearby. If you plan on seeing everything on the trail, the
suggested route starts at Mountainoak Cheese and continues
to Bright Cheese & Butter, Woodstock, and Gunn’s Hill Artisan
Cheese, Norwich. By following this route, your next stop is
always just 20 minutes away or less. www.tourismoxford.ca/
cheese-trail
Do you have culinary news or upcoming events that
you’d like us to share? Every issue, Eatdrink reaches
more than 50,000 readers across Southwestern
Ontario in print, and thousands more online.
Get in touch with us at editor@eatdrink.ca and/or
connect directly with our Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery
at bryan@eatdrink.ca
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42 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
in the garden
Pretty Enough to Eat
Put some edible flowers on the plate
By ALLAN WATTS and RICK WEINGARDEN | Photography by TERRY MANZO
When you think of edible flowers you
may perhaps think of nasturtiums
— lovely colours and a delicious
peppery flavour. Or borage, with its
beautiful hues of blue, and a cucumber flavour
note. Or dill, popular for pickling, and a great
dried flower.
Some of you may have eaten candied flower
petals, or stuffed some squash flowers for a special
dinner, but now the world of edible flowers is really
“blossoming.” With our interest in eating better
and locally, flowers offer an exciting and beautiful
new world of possibilities. Nothing is fresher than
what you grow or harvest yourself, and whether you
forage or grow your own, fresh, flavourful flowers
present an opportunity for new food and food ideas.
The consumption of edible flowers has been
around since medieval times at least. Calendula
was commonly referred to as “pot marigold” by
the medieval monks who grew it in their kitchen
herb gardens for soups.
The range is surprising. Some blossoms are
spicy, some herbaceous, while others are floral
and fragrant. Consider the flavour profile you
are looking for and then select your flowers, or
use the flowers’ flavour, colour and texture for
inspiration. While you can enjoy a huge variety,
not all flowers are edible. For a detailed reference
visit www.epicurean.com/articles/edibleflowers.html.
There is also a history of edible
flowers that includes many medicinal references.
Another benefit of growing edible flowers is that
they are great plants with nectar rich flowers that
attract pollinators to your garden. In this regard, it
is good to know that herbs for culinary use (fresh
or dried) are best harvested before flowering. But
remember when you are pinching off herb flowers
for more leaf production that they too are edible and
taste delicious. Shape your harvest to leave part of
the plant to flower and create a beautiful and bountiful
food source for yourself and for the pollinators.
Depending on your space, time and
garden conditions, the options include
perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetables,
fruits, vines and native species. Whatever
you are growing or choose to grow, do
not use chemical pesticides. The cleaning
of any edible flowers is done by giving
Edible flowers in these Stratford Chefs School student-prepared
dishes provide additional texture, taste, aroma and colour

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 43
them a delicate bath, and
you want them as clean as
possible to begin with. For
the freshest, organically
grown flowers, it is always
better to grow your own,
or purchase them from
reputable market farmers.
Do not eat any flowers
that come from a florist
as chemicals were likely
used in their production.
Some perennials
that are easy, reliable
garden plants and have
delicious flowers include
Allium — from the onion family and with
a similar flavour; Bee Balm, or Monarda,
which offers shocking reds and pinks and
a minty flavour; and red and white clovers
— tasty, with sweet flowerettes, and they’re
great on desserts.
There is a great selection of annuals that
are edible, including borage — striking blue
star flower, with a mild cucumber flavour
calendula — beautiful petals in bright orange
hues; nasturtiums — choose your colour,
from deep reds to peach and multi-pastels,
and their spicy flavour and tasty leaves are
fantastic added to salads. Johnny jump-ups
(aka violas) are a cheery pretty flower in
shades of purple, mauve, yellow and blue.
Vegetable flowers also offer options.
Squash, zucchini or pumpkin flowers are
usually served stuffed and fried. It’s best
to choose the male flowers for stuffing and
leave the female flowers to produce your
crop. The male flower can be identified by
the smaller base at the stem attachment,
and they are hairier! Pea plant flowers are
very attractive and add a fresh, sweet, pea
flavour to your culinary
creations. You may
sacrifice a few peas from
your crop, but it’s worth
it.
Herb flowers offer
flavours similar to their
leaves, and can be used
to the same effect. Any
herb will flower if left to
grow, so the process is
easy. A favourite is the
beautiful mini yellow
wild (rustic) arugula
flower, as it has the same
nutty/peppery taste as
the leaves, and in the fall is covered with
pollinating honey bees.
Vines also offer some edible possibilities,
including the flowers from the hop vine. The
fragrance is very aromatic and can be used
for things other than just beer. Stratford chef
Ryan O’Donnell has experimented using
them in his pickling recipes, with great
results. (Ryan is the executive chef at Mercer
Hall, Stratford)
Edible flowers present you with a new
supply of flavours and textures, and do so
beautifully. They say that you eat with your
eyes first, and edible flowers are definitely
one way to make your foods more nutritious
and tempting.
RICK WEINGARDEN and ALLAN WATTS own
Anything Grows SEED Co. (www.anythinggrows.com). They can be
found at the Western Fair Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market on Saturdays.
TERRY MANZO is a Stratford-based freelance
photographer (www.terrymanzo.com). All photos for this story
are courtesy of Terry Manzo and Stratford Chefs School.
focused on using only the freshest, local, and seasonal ingredients
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44 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
the classical beat
Grand Finales
By NICOLE LAIDLER
The classical music season is
winding down for another year
and many organizations are
pulling out all the stops to make it
a finale to remember.
Stratford Symphony Orchestra wraps ups
its 11th season with a star-studded tribute to
Canadian theatre music, on May 14.
Special guest artists Barbara Dunn-Prosser,
David Keeley, Claire Lautier and Monique
Lund will perform a repertoire from former
Stratford Festival music director Rick Fox’s
Cyrano, Norman Campbell’s musical Anne of
Green Gables, and the Charlottetown Festival
musical Evangeline. Howard Cable’s Stratford
Suite and the traditional Stratford Festival
Fanfares are also on the
program.
“With musicals,
songs are often scored
for small amplified
groups,” comments
SSO conductor William
Rowson. “For this
concert we have asked
the original creators
to arrange their songs
for the orchestra, so our audiences will get
to hear fabulous symphonic versions of the
songs they know. It’s going to be terrific fun.”
Rowson says he has enjoyed his first
season as principal conductor of the SSO
and is looking forward to next year. “I am
very excited about what is possible,” he says.
“And apart from the music, I have
really enjoyed over-indulging in all
the good coffee shops in town.”
London’s Serenata Music ends its
season on a sultry note with the
Lara Solnicki Trio, on May 15. Led
by acclaimed Canadian jazz vocalist
Lara Solnicki, the afternoon concert
will feature selections from the Great
American Songbook. “Lara has a warm
and dusty voice, so the music will be seductive
and mellow,” says Serenata’s Renee Silberman.
This is not
the first time
Silberman has
invited jazz
performers
to be part of
Serenata’s
chamber
music season.
“We try to
present
performers
who don’t
Jazz vocalist Lara Solnicki
normally come
to London,” she says. “There’s a wide
audience for many kinds of great music, and
jazz is one of them.”
Jazz concerts allow Serenata Music
to reach out to non-traditional concertgoers,
she adds. “They also attract
classical music lovers who are willing to
try something different. The thing about
jazz is you never know exactly what to
expect, and that’s why we love it.”
Photo by Helen Tansey
The Karen Schuessler Singers are
also reaching out to non-traditional
concert-goers with two performances of
ABBA: Dancing Queen, May28 and 29.
Featuring Kristin Darsaut’s newly-formed
ABBA quartet and a seven-piece band lead
by Steve Holowitz, the concert will feature
choral arrangements of the group’s most
popular ballads and dance-floor hits.
“It’s great music,”
says director, Karen
Schuessler. “ABBA wrote
consistently great songs
with a unique sound
and style. The hooks are
incredibly memorable.”
Tickets to the Saturday
night performance began
selling last summer, and
KSS decided to add a
Sunday matinee. “We are hoping to fill the gap
left by the Orchestra London Pops concerts, as

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 45
well as to give folks who may not want to drive
at night and parents with young families a
great concert opportunity,” she says.
London’s Amabile Choirs are wrapping up
their year with a concert-packed weekend.
On May 28, the Junior Amabile Singers
and Amabile Da Capo Choir present Salut
Printemps, a musical tribute to spring, with
special guests from El Sistema.
A little later in the evening, the Amabile
Boys & Men’s Choirs present a Celtic
Celebration with special guests Leahy.
The folk musicians from Lakefield, Ontario
are a huge draw all over Canada,
says Amabile Boys & Men’s Choirs
co-conductor, Carol Beynon. “They
are bringing 16 step dancers so this
will be a big extravaganza. We are so
pleased to be able to work with them.”
The Amabile Youth Singers and
Prima: Amabile Women’s Choir
treat audiences to a preview of their
upcoming European tour, May 29.
Photo by Ann Baggley
“They are off to Prague and Vienna
in July and are pulling together
repertoire that they will be singing,”
explains Beynon.
Amabile is also inviting the
community to support the organization’s
latest CD project, which will be partially
funded through an online crowdfunding
campaign. “Amabile is always looking for
new and unique ways of doing things,”
explains funds development officer, Chris
Harding. “Supporters may choose to pledge
any amount, or may accept one of five
different perks offered for different dollar
amounts,” he says. All donations are eligible
for a tax receipt.
The CD, to be titled Sing Your Song,
will feature original works by Amabile’s
composer-in-residence Matthew Emery. The
recording process has already begun, with the
CD set to be released in January 2017 by the
Canadian Music Centre’s Centredisc label.
Stratford’s INNERchamber series brings
it’s sixth season to a close on June 5, with
a concert that pays musical homage to the
trickster.
The program features the world premier of
Marek Norman’s A Day Like No Other. “It’s a
musical fable that involves three characters
— an angel, a demon, and a trickster,”
explains INNERchamber artistic director
and violinist, Andrew Chung.
Described as a “flight of fancy for seven
musicians and an
actor,” the work will be
narrated by Stratford
Festival actor Geraint
Wyn Davies. “There
are so many talented
people in Stratford that
we like to invite actors,
dancers and singers
to join us on various
programs,” comments
Chung.
INNERchamber
INNERchamber artistic director
performances
and violinist Andrew Chung
are held at the
multidisciplinary art space, Factory163.
“When we started the series we decided to
move the music out of a church space,” says
Chung. “This is chamber music with a twist.”
Advanced ticket holders are offered a
light pre-concert meal prepared by a local
restaurant. “Our concerts are very relaxed
and social,” Chung notes. “We try to do things
a bit differently and have been able to attract
a pretty loyal and diverse audience.”
NICOLE LAIDLER has been writing about the London
classical music scene for over a decade. Find out what else she’s
been up to at www.spilledink.ca
Leahy will be the special guests at a Celtic Celebration, presented May 28 by London’s Amabile Choir

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48 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
various musical notes
Festivals Offer a Live Music Fix
By CHRIS McDONELL
It can become more challenging to
get out to see the latest bands at
certain stages of life. Young children,
a demanding job, a tight budget —
it’s all too easy to have reasons to miss the
incomparable thrill of hearing live music.
And when nights out are fewer and farther
apart, do I want to commit to hearing an
unfamiliar band? This is why festivals have
such an important role to play in giving
fans their fix. They provide a curated lineup,
sometimes with some familiar names, but
they usually present a number of lesserknown
acts. While the allure of international
performers is attractive, it is often emerging
homegrown talent that provides some of the
best surprises. Experience has proven that
its always worthwhile to plunge in and trust
that the mix will be rewarding, and all of the
following festivals will prove that live music
is the way it is best heard.
Stratford Blues & Ribfest kicks off the
summer in earnest June 24–26. While
the food is never far away, Stratford being
Stratford, there’s free live music at the
Veterans Drive Band Shell under a canopy of
trees in the park. www.stratfordbluesandribfest.ca
The Trackside Music Festival
offers country music fans a
strong lineup July 1 and 2.
Headliners include Florida
Georgia Line, Chris Young and
Randy Houser, Cole Swindell,
Brett Kissel, Jess Moskaluk and
Chris Lane. A “Homegrown
Spotlight” includes a second
stage showcasing up-andcoming
Ontario country
music acts. The Western Fair
Racetrack infield has undergone extensive
renovations to accommodate events such as
this. www.westernfairdistrict.com/tracksidefestival
London’s Sunfest has earned deserved
accolades for bringing some of the best of the
world’s music to London. Sunfest presents
Canadian Emilie Claire Barlow at the Aeolian
Hall on May 27, part of their ongoing yearround
concert
series,
and the Juno
Award-winning
“jazz
jewel” will
present her
creative
arrangements
of
Emilie Claire Barlow
both classics and new music. These Sunfest
concerts have been an important contribution
to London’s live music scene. But the big
event runs from July 7–10 in Victoria Park.
Now with five performance stages, it’s
literally impossible to take in the complete
TD Sunfest, but multiple appearances by
most acts helps. Admission is free, but
vote with your wallet and donate if you
appreciate this sort of event. One of the
headliners this year is Afrikalia — African
Heart Beats, a recipient of recent additional
funding from the Ontario government sent
to London to promote festivals. The lineup,
from every corner of the globe, marks the
return of some now-familiar faces, but some
surprises are sure to emerge.
www.sunfest.on.ca
Home County Music & Art
Festival has the distinction
of being London’s longestrunning
festival, celebrating
43 years and counting.
Running July 15–17, this year’s
edition marks the return
of alt-country rockers The
Sadies, who will headline the
Friday evening lineup. Retrorock
trio The Northern Pikes top the Saturday
evening schedule. Cape Breton Celtic
sensation Còig will make their Home County
debut by closing the festival on Sunday night.
“We are excited to bring a lot of fresh, new
faces to perform at Home County 2016,” says

№ 59 | May/June 2016
Home County Music & Art Festival
Artistic Director Darin Addison. “We are
also welcoming back and number of festival
favourites this year. As always, local music is
well represented at Home County.”
Named one of the top 100 Festivals in
Ontario for the past six years, Home County
has evolved from its years as a purely folk
festival and has grown into a six-stage affair
with something for everyone. A juried craft
show adds another dimension to the event,
but the music rules. www.homecounty.ca
CHRIS McDONELL is the publisher of eatdrink. Want to
write about our region’s popular music scene? Contact him at
chris@eatdrink.ca with a brief description of your qualifications
and a writing sample.
TD SUNFEST ‘16
July 7 to 10 - Victoria Park, London, Ontario
FREE ADMISSION
New This Year!
AFRIKALIA
African Heart Beats
Elida Almeida (Cape Verde) * BKO Quintet (Mali) * Budiño ( Galicia/Spain)
Cardboard Fox (England) * Congreso (Chile) * Fanfare Ciocarlia (Romania)
Gren Seme (Reunion Island) * Helsinki Cotonou Ensemble (Finland/Benin)
Himmerland (Denmark) * Jewish Monkeys (Israel) * Krar Collective (Ethiopia/UK)
Neema Children's Choir & Dance Ensemble (Uganda) * Picadillo (Cuba/Spain)
Septeto Santiaguero (Cuba) * Nano Stern (Chile) * Daby Toure (Mauritania)
Visit the TD Sunfest website for more information
sunfest.on.ca

50 www.eatdrink.ca
wine
Adventures in Wine Selection
... for the open-minded oenophile!
By GARY KILLOPS
On a recent shopping trip at the
LCBO I did something I thought
I would never do. I purchased a
bottle of wine because I liked the
label. It stood out on the shelf; I wanted it.
The bottle was smoky and the label had
an old “newspaper-like” photo of a wanted
man and “19 Crimes” printed in an old press
typeface. At that moment, this was not about
the wine or how it might taste. I didn’t care,
because this purchase was all about the
label. The wine was a shiraz from Australia,
and actually tasted very good.
This compulsive purchase got me
wondering if others have bought wine this
way. Apparently more do than I thought.
Gallo Wine’s 2014 consumer wine trends
survey reported that nearly two out of three
wine drinkers have selected a wine because
of the label. The 2015 report digs deeper,
stating that Millennials (those between 20
and 30 years old) are four times more likely
than Baby Boomers to select a bottle of wine
based on the label.
I wondered what the results would be if I
shopped this way. I purchased the following
five bottles of wine because they stood out
on the LCBO shelves. The question
was, after tasting the wines, would I
buy any of them again?
Long Weekend Wine Company
Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio (LCBO
#427310, $12.95) — Who doesn’t
look forward to a long weekend?
The yellow retro camping van
on the label stood out among
the many other VQA Ontario
white wines on the shelf. “Long
Weekend Wine Co.” splashed
across the van make it clear that
this wine is for weekend relaxing.
The wine, a blend of
chardonnay and pinot grigio
from Niagara’s Fielding
Estates, is a dry, crisp
summertime sipper.
Green apple, pear and
peach notes. Affordable
enough to share with friends. Buy again? Yes!
Union Red VQA (LCBO #197152, $13.95) —
This label looks more like a bag, wrapping
the bottle. The red and white stripes
remind me of a barbershop pole.
The eye-catching colours and
design stand out on the shelf. It
demands attention!
Union Wines is a partnership
between winemaker Dr. Allan
Jackson (founder of Vincor
Canada and the Jackson Triggs
brand) and sommelier Andrew
von Telchan.
A blend of 100% Ontario
merlot, cabernet sauvignon,
gamay and pinot noir. Dry,
medium body, with black cherry
and plums notes and a touch of
spice. Buy again? Yes!
Seriously Cool Chardonnay (LCBO #457481,
$15.95) — The contemporary
abstract art label is quite
noticeable on the VQA Ontario
shelf. Bright pastel colours and
whimsical patterns make this
an attention-getter. There are
several different label designs.
A blend of 65% chardonnay
musque, 26% chardonnay and
9% riesling from Niagara’s
Southbrook Farms. Green
apple, white flowers, a hint of
oak and crisp acidity, this is
seriously a cool chardonnay!
Buy again? Yes!

№ 59 | May/June 2016
Reserve Now
HOLIDAY PARTIES
Young Brute Red Blend (LCBO #434654,
$18.95) — The big red print on the
label should be a clue to what the
wine will be like. It’s in your face,
you can’t miss it. While walking
down the aisle full of Australian red
wines many caught my attention,
but Young Brute’s simple design
really stands out. The use of
white space allows for focus on
the label’s big print.
Australian red wines are
known to be big, fruit forward
and ripe.
A blend of shiraz and
cabernet sauvignon grapes
loaded with intense, bold and
juicy black fruit notes. A classic
Australian powerhouse shiraz.
Buy again? Yes!
O’Leary Unoaked Chardonnay (LCBO
#307751, $13.75) — O’Leary wines have
redesigned labels and are worth taking a
look at. The new label looks like a
stock certificate, fitting for Kevin
O’Leary. “Mr. Wonderful”, in
addition to being a Dragon’s Den
and Shark Tank celebrity investor,
is a collector of fine wines.
The label doesn’t necessarily
stand out on shelf but the
branding is fantastic and fitting
with the O’Leary brand.
This chardonnay, made at
Vineland Estates in Niagara, is
a crowd pleaser. Green apple
and zesty lemon flavours that
linger on the palate. Buy again?
For sure!
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Most of the wines I selected
were under $15 and all were
under $20. This is a competitive wine
category. Eye-catching labels help these
bottles stand out. It’s good marketing but
ultimately it’s about the wine inside the
bottle. Be adventurous — make your next
wine purchase based on the label appeal.
You might discover a new favourite!
GARY KILLOPS is a certified wine geek who loves to talk,
taste and write about wine. He shares his wine tasting notes on
EssexWineReview.com
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52 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
BEER MATTERS
beer matters
Toasting Canadian History
Strathroy Brewing Company crafts a bright future
By WAYNE NEWTON
If there’s an Ontario craft brewer
with history on its side, it’s
Strathroy Brewing Company.
The two-year-old brewery,
located in an abandoned flour mill
on the edge of Strathroy’s historic
downtown, has created a series of wellreceived
beers with names that honour
the War of 1812 and the Canadian fight
against American cultural domination.
That includes our choice in beer.
“I stumbled upon history by
accident, at the Strathroy Town Hall,
reading magazines about the War of
1812,” said owner Alex Martin, who
studied chemical and biochemical
engineering at Western University.
“It was important to recognize the
historical impact that the region had during
the War of 1812. Sadly, there are far too
few people telling that story.”
The flour mill closed in 2003 and a
trading office lingered for five more
years before the
entire complex
and its tall
concrete silos
became vacant.
“The old mill
made sense from
an engineering
standpoint and
the town was very
supportive,” Martin
said. “On the one
hand, we could
build a very large
packaging brewery
and also be located
in the middle of
a supportive
downtown centre.
It made a
lot of sense.”
Alex Martin, owner of Strathroy Brewing Company, in
the King Edward Restaurant and Pub in Ilderton
The first beer brewed was 1812
Independence Pale Ale, “dedicated
to the strong Canadian spirit
embodied by the peacemakers
who protected our lands from
invasion during the War of 1812
and preserved our independence
from our American neighbours.”
It’s available at the brewery and
select area restaurants.
“1812 IPA is a delicious
beer, but we learned early
on that everybody has
different tastes and different
favourites,” Martin said.
“Locally, we’ve seen the
Clock Tower Bistro do great
things with an 1812 beerbrined
chicken, but it pairs so
well with hamburgers, steak,
spicy, sweet and savoury. I’ve
yet to find something that
doesn’t pair well with 1812.”

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 53
While the bittersweet and versatile
British-style ale came first, it is now taking
a back seat to the only two Strathroy beers
available through The Beer Store, 1815
Freedom Framboise and 1815 Lockstock Ale.
Framboise is a gluten-free ale brewed
with a blend of raspberries, blueberries
and blackberries, with 5.5 per cent alcohol.
Lockstock is a light, 4 per cent alcohol,
Australian-style sparkling ale with aromas of
citrus and passion fruit. It too is gluten-free.
“Framboise and Lockstock are great beers
that should find a fantastic following over a
larger geographic area,” Martin said. “It was
difficult since the others in the collection
are so flavourful and have their own diehard
crowd, but ultimately these beers were
selected for their ability to go the distance
both near and far.”
The 1815 in the beer names recognizes the
end of the War of 1812 and attempts by the
Americans to take over Canada.
Taking a page from when he worked
in France and toured some of the best
vineyards in the world, Martin decided to
use a process called bottle conditioning.
“Bottle conditioning gives the beer
great flavour,” he said. “Not only does
carbonation develop in the bottle, much
like Champagne, but the flavours mature
too. You not only get a tasty beer but also
one with great aging potential.”
It’s a method that mimics the taste of
pouring fresh from a cask, but with the
convenience of a bottled beer.
Bottle conditioning is used with all Strathroy’s
beers, which also include 1815 Hop
Happy Haymaker Double IPA, 1815 Smokin’
Cannon Stout, 1815 Peace Wheat and 1815
Longwood Lager. All brands are usually
available at the brewery store, brewed in
batches of 1,500 or 3,000 litres.
“All of them hold a special place in my
heart and I’d say that (what I would serve
to a discerning craft beer drinker) depends
on the occasion,” Martin said. “On one end
of the spectrum we have light beers that
are mildly hopped and those are usually
enjoyed on a hot summer day, whereas the
dark beers and hoppiest of the bunch are
best enjoyed in the evenings and when you
wish for a warming quality. For the hop
lover, we have our Hop-Happy Haymaker
IT's FRESH. IT's LOCAL
Available at our Brewery Store and
select brands in LCBO & Beer Stores
Featuring: Dead Elephant Ale, Iron Spike
Blonde, Copper & Amber Ales, Honey Elixir, Black
Coal Stout, Witty Traveller, Specialty Seasonals
TOURS • TASTINGS • TAP ROOM • RETAIL STORE
130 Edward St., St. Thomas • 519-631-1881
www.railwaycitybrewing.com
Railwaycity Railwaycity Open 7 days a week
Check our website for hours

54 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
Double Independence Pale Ale.”
Strathroy’s beers have been featured
on cask at some of the most beer-savvy
establishments in the London region,
including Milos’ Craft Beer Emporium, and
the King Edward in Ilderton.
“We’ve also had some of our bottles
featured at McCabe’s, Whiskey House,
Budapest, Poacher’s Arms, Winks and
Beertown,” Martin said. “Most people drive
to the brewery in Strathroy so that they can
sample the entire collection.”
SUNDAY BRUNCH
11am−2pm
PATIO
Now
Open!
Alex Martin converted a former flour mill on the edge of
downtown Strathroy into a perfect home for his brewery
It’s a collection that promises to grow in
both popularity and selection.
“We do our best to keep all beers in our
collection in stock, though our wheat beer
was a seasonal,” he said. “By popular demand
we’re bringing our Peace Wheat back and
brewing it with local Cascade hops. We’re also
looking to add to the collection as we see fit.
With so many delicious choices it’s hard to find
new styles.”
Strathroy Brewing Company
62 Albert St., Strathroy
226-238-1815
www.strathroybrewingcompany.ca
Sun–Tues 11am–11pm, Wed/Thurs 11am–midnight, Fri/Sat 11am–1am
WAYNE NEWTON is a freelance journalist in London who
enjoys writing about beer and travel.
Selected in
TOP 10
Beer Bars
in Canada

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 55
cookbooks
Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs;
Keeping Chickens in the Kitchen Garden, with 100 Recipes
By Signe Langford
Review and Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN
Signe Langford is a Toronto-based
cook, food writer, photographer and
gardener with a passion for chickens.
Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs; Keeping
Chickens in the Kitchen Garden, with 100
Recipes is her first book, but I’m sure it won’t
be her last.
Even if you have no particular interest in
chickens as house guests, Langford draws
the reader in with her quirky sense of
humour when she describes their charms.
She refers to them as “gateway livestock”
and is honest about the downside as well
as the joys of keeping hens. Be warned,
there are also vivid descriptions of some of
the health issues birds can face as well as a
very graphic depiction of the life of a factory
farmed chicken. This is not for the faint of
heart or the queasy stomached.
Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs is a beginner’s
guide to keeping chickens and reaping
the benefits of having fresh, organic, freerange
eggs available for any meal. Langford
shows us what garden plants
are good for hens and then
gives us advice on how to
keep them from destroying
every last one of those
plants. Photographer Donna
Griffith contributes beautiful
photographs that compliment
the author’s own pictures
of her hens and her garden
home. The book is peppered
with anecdotes, advice and
adorable illustrations by
Sophia Saunders.
There are some recipe
contributions from esteemed
Canadian chefs such as
Christine Cushing and
Roger Mooking but most of
them are
Langford’s
own. They
may be as
simple as
a perfect
poached
egg that
lets the quality of the
ingredients shine through. Some
are the author’s upgrades to family recipes
but others are just surprising. There are
some truly weird things you can make with
eggs. I had never heard of curing egg yolks in
salt. I’m not sure I’ll ever make these but the
recipe is just too odd not to share.
A slightly more modern dish, Breakfast
Stromboli is a brilliant idea. It’s breakfast
wrapped in pizza dough and I dare you to
read the recipe without thinking of a dozen
different combinations of ingredients you
want to try next. The author does warn us to
let the sandwich rest a few minutes before
biting into it as the filling
will be approximately the
temperature of molten
lava. That really can’t be
emphasized enough. It’s
worth the wait.
Happy Hens and
Fresh Eggs isn’t exactly a
cookbook; it’s part manual
for small scale chicken
keeping, part memoir and
part motivational story for
urban homesteaders. It also
happens to have a lot of great
egg recipes that give you the
perfect excuse for keeping
Author Signe Langford with
Miss Vicky. Photo by Donna Griffith

56 www.eatdrink.ca
tiny dinosaurs in your backyard. Whichever
side of the backyard chicken debate you fall
on, this book will give you a lot of interesting
information about these birds. It may inspire
you to gather your own flock or maybe just to
№ 59 | May/June 2016
source out some local free-range options for
your pantry. Either way, it’s an enjoyable read
that will give you a new appreciation for the
humble hen.
TRACY TURLIN is a freelance writer and dog groomer in London.
Reach her at tracyturlin@gmail.com
Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs; Keeping Chickens in the Kitchen Garden, with 100 Recipes;
Signe Langford, © 2015 is published by Douglas & McIntyre. All rights reserved.
Recipes and photographs are courtesy of Douglas & McIntyre.
Ancient Salt-cured Yolks
Sounds weird, I know, but I think there’s a certain romance to some
of these old-time recipes that were born purely of necessity. If
refrigeration had always been available, we might not have cured
and smoked foods, and what a shame that would be.
Preserving yolks in a deep bed of salt renders them very firm
(reminiscent of a hard cheese such as parmesan), preserves their
bright orange colour and transforms them into a rich condiment for
grating over pastas, salads or potato dishes. This adds richness and
much interest when brought out to the table with a Microplane grater
on the side.
Kosher or coarse sea salt
Granulated sugar (optional)
As many free-run egg yolks as you want to preserve
1 Take a non-reactive container—a glass casserole dish is good
for this—and cover the bottom of the dish with a deep layer
(about 3 inches/7.5 cm) of your preferred salt mixture. You can
use only salt, or a 60:40 sugar to salt blend. Get a little creative
and use a bit of truffle salt, chili- or herb-infused salt, or even
a smoked salt. Or how about vanilla sugar? Use the back of
a teaspoon to make little depressions for the yolks to sit in.
Separate as many eggs as you want to cure, placing each yolk in
its own dish, then very gingerly tip the yolks out of their dishes
and into the indents in the salt.
2 Cover with another deep layer of your salt mixture and place
them in the fridge, uncovered, for about 7 days.
3 For each yolk, prepare a double-layered 6-inch (15-cm) square
of cheesecloth and a 12-inch (30-cm) length of kitchen twine.
You’ll also need to figure out a method for suspending the yolks
in the fridge—I use a wire egg basket, natch!
4 After 7 days, you’ll need to dig the yolks out, and here you’ll
want to be as careful as an archeologist digging up dino bones;
the yolks are still fragile. Gently brush off the excess salt using a
pastry brush, then set each yolk into the centre of a cheesecloth
square. Pull the corners of the cheesecloth up around each yolk
like a little coin purse, and cinch shut with a length of kitchen
twine. Suspend the bundles in the fridge and there they will
stay for about 3 more weeks, until they are almost rock-hard.
Wrapped in cheesecloth and suspended for air circulation, the
preserved yolks will keep for several months in the fridge.

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 57
Breakfast Stromboli
I’m not a fussbudget about pizza dough; if you want
to make it from scratch, be my guest. If not, do what I
often do: grab a ball of ready-made from the bakery.
It’s the stuff inside that makes or breaks this dish, and
breakfast shouldn’t be too hard on a sleepyhead.
Likewise, unless you insist on making your own pesto,
use your favourite store-bought brand.
7 free-run eggs, divided
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup (250 ml) coarsely chopped slab
bacon or ham flour for dusting
dough for 1 pizza, at room temperature
¼ cup (60 ml) basil pesto, or to taste
4 oz (110 g) brie, sliced or coarsely chopped, or
to taste
1 cup (250 ml) coarsely chopped and drained
tomato (about 1 large)
1 tsp (5 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking
sheet with parchment
paper; set aside.
2 Break 6 of the eggs into a
medium bowl, season with
salt and pepper, and whisk
until fully blended; set
aside.
3 In a skillet over mediumhigh
heat, fry bacon until
crisp. Drain off some of the
fat if there’s a lot, turn heat
down to low and return
skillet to heat. Add the
eggs from the bowl, mix
with the bacon and cook
for about 3 minutes, or until
set but not dry; remove
from heat and set aside.
4 Lightly dust the counter
and rolling pin with flour
and roll out pizza dough
into a rectangle of about
10 × 14 inches (25 × 36 cm).
5 Spread the pesto over one
half of the pizza, right up
to about 2 inches (5 cm)
from the edges.
6 Evenly distribute the slices
of brie on top of the pesto,
then evenly distribute the
eggs and bacon on top
of the brie. Sprinkle the
chopped tomato evenly
over the eggs.
7 In a small bowl or cup, use a fork to beat the
remaining egg with the olive oil. Using a pastry
brush, brush the edges of the empty side of the
pizza dough and fold over the filling; press down
and pinch to make a nice, tight seal. At this
point, you can either leave the dough in a halfmoon
shape and transfer directly to the baking
sheet, or roll into a log and place on the baking
sheet with the seam side down.
8 Brush the rest of the egg-and-oil wash over the
top and sides of the stromboli. Use a sharptipped
knife to slash a few steam vents. Bake for
about 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly
with deliciousness oozing from the vents, which
is how I think the dish got its name. It must
have reminded the cook who invented it of the
famous Stromboli volcano!
9 If you can stand it, allow the stromboli to rest
for a few minutes before cutting into slices for
serving; the interior is lava-hot!

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60 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
books
This Cheese Stands Alone
The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge,
and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese
by Michael Paterniti
Review by DARIN COOK
I
was fairly certain I would have no
trouble being engrossed by a book
revolving around a piece of cheese,
which is how I came to be reading
The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal,
Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of
Cheese (Dial Press, 2013, $29.95). Similar
feelings compelled Michael Paterniti
to write about the intriguing Paramo
de Guzman cheese he first heard about
one day in 1991 at Zingerman’s deli in
Michigan. Since he never actually tasted
it that day, just the idea of this decadent
cheese spurred him on to search out the
enigmatic story of its origins in the village
of Guzman in the Castile region of Spain.
The location of Guzman is central to the
production (and even the taste) of the cheese
and Paterniti travels there many times, a few
with his whole family in tow, to absorb as
much as he can about the family responsible
for making Paramo de Guzman cheese. It is
an expensive cheese, priced at $22 per pound
at Zingerman’s in 1991— the main reason that
he, being on a restricted budget, never tried
it back then. The cheese is made from the
fresh milk of Churra sheep that graze in the
Spanish countryside, and then packaged in a
tin with olive oil.
Paterniti writes:
“It was one of the
first sheep’s milk
cheeses on the
market, and one of
the first artisanal
Spanish cheeses
to find a larger audience.”
After immersing himself in the
Castilian culture, he learns about dozens of
underground caves, called bodegas, with
naturally cool temperatures, used as a source
of refrigerated storage for both cheese and
wine. The telling rooms (of the book’s title)
are segments of the cave networks where
Spanish farmers gather to share stories
and taste wine, cheese, chorizo and other
homemade commodities. Away from the
hubbub of American life, Paterniti’s eyes are
opened to a homemade and handmade food
philosophy that enthralls him. He is drawn
into an Old World way of life that intermingles
the inseparable pairing of food and stories. It is
in the telling room of cheesemaker Ambrosio
Molinos that Paterniti learns about the web
of stories that surround the rise and fall of
Paramo de Guzman cheese.
When he finds Ambrosio, the cheese
production has entered a new era — from
being lovingly made by hand in the natural
caves, to a factory rumoured to be using
inferior milk products. Ambrosio’s artisanal,
family company had been overrun by
businessmen, a dirty takeover laced with
betrayal, revenge, legal battles, financial
troubles, and broken friendships. The
Author Michael Paterniti (right) with cheesemaker
Ambrosio Molinos, in the telling room.

№ 59 | May/June 2016 www.eatdrink.ca 61
author’s search leaves him wondering if the
unpalatable stories behind the cheese have
diminished its reputation; he has yet to taste
it himself, even years after being allured by
itself that the author is allowed to retire to write
much of his book that becomes a flowing, fairy
tale-like epic sweeping through Spain’s history
by way of a family cheese made in the ancient
way, with the ultimate goal of what the cheese
means to him once he is finally given the
opportunity to taste it.
DARIN COOK is a freelance writer who lives and plays in
Chatham, and keeps himself well-read and well-fed by visiting
the bookstores and restaurants of London.
it in Michigan and after befriending and
visiting the creator several times.
According to Ambrosio, even more than
the special milk in his cheese, the main
ingredient is love. Ambrosio’s thoughts are
captured through Paterniti’s relaying of
his words: “I’m a middleman in a natural
process. I’m just the person who receives
in his hands what nature gives. The cheese
makes itself. I just put in that little piece
of myself.” This is a central theme to the
artisanal food philosophy of the region. It is
not only cheese that Ambrosio takes pride
in; one day at a grocery store with Paterniti,
he says, “What would anyone spend ten
euros on a bottle of wine for when the stuff
you make at home has feeling?”
In the same way that Ambrosio experimented
with ingredients and feelings to bring
his cheese to life, Paterniti moulds his own
craft of storytelling to find out how all the
elements of the tale he is uncovering will be
told. It is the cheese that propels Paterniti’s
book, but it turns into much more for his
own family, for the subjects of the story, and
for his readers. After years of legwork and
creative stewing, Paterniti’s story comes to
fruition. It is within Ambrosio’s telling room
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62 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 59 | May/June 2016
the lighter side
Let Them Eat Cake!
By J. J. FRANCISSEN
My spouse has a fear of kitchens.
God help him if I pass into the
great unknown before him,
because it will be back to toasted
bagels and canned pineapples, which were
his bachelor day staples — every day.
I will admit I’m not the world’s best baker.
That’s why I’m not asked to make dessert
at family functions. My kids always begged
for a store-bought cake for their birthdays.
My pie crusts were hard as rocks, you could
literally break teeth on them. Add to that my
need for gluten-free baking. Me plus glutenfree
always equals a dry disaster.
Just recently it was my
birthday, and because my
sweetie is kitchenaphobic,
there was no homemade
cake forthcoming. Nor
did I see a store-bought
gluten-free cake of any
kind in the fridge.
So I decided to bite the
bullet and try my hand at
baking a gluten-free cake
from a mix I had stashed
away. Now, I’m also
known as short-cut baker.
If it takes more than five
ingredients, or too much
time, I won’t attempt
it. The instructions on the box were pretty
simple. How could I go wrong?
Thirty minutes later, I had one huge, flat
cake. It didn’t rise much. I became inventive
and cut the cake into two cakes. I lathered
icing on the bottom half, placed the top half,
and lovingly iced it. Voila! I had THE ugliest
cake EVER.
Disappointed and near tears, I emailed my
BFF (misery loves company) whose spouse
suffers from the same affliction as mine
— mageirocophobia. There’s a mouthful!
Mageirocophobia is the fear of cooking.
While I was lamenting my culinary
catastrophe, hubby went out to the store and
bought a cake. Neither this cake nor mine
was any good, but on a scale of one to ten,
the ready-made was a six, and my flat fiasco
— a three.
As the week wore on, we choked down
piece after piece of the drought-ridden
debacle. I served my moist-less mess to
my friend. I warned her. She politely never
finished it. I prayed that my Dutch mother,
an excellent baker, would not drop in
unannounced and ask for a piece of the dry
dud sitting on the counter.
Not one to waste, and with those danged
Dutch-frugal genes at the forefront, I got the
bright idea of pouring a mini-bar bottle of
toasted caramel whiskey
over it, in the hope of
making it moister. An
improvement in some
ways. My teetotaler
spouse giddily remarked
that he could really taste
the alcohol.
Then I received a
belated, joke birthday
gift. A can of —
apparently — THE best
canned whipped cream
EVER. And made from
real cream! My friend
warned me to take
a lactose-intolerant
enzyme pill before partaking of this gift.
And, of course, winked, nudged and hinted
at more carnal uses.
Instead I slathered the whipped cream on
the last of the remaining birthday botch-ups. It
looked like a pile of whipped cream on a plate.
As I served the last stale slab to my
mageirocophobic husband, I threw my free
hand in the air and exclaimed triumphantly,
“Let them eat cake!”
JUDY FRANCISSEN resides in London, Ontario. She
spends her time writing nature, travel, historical and human
interest articles plus working toward getting her novels
published.

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