Category Archives: Uncategorized

I often think back to when I was a child and remember my parents telling me just how much more I would appreciate certain things when I was older.

A scenic drive, the leaves of the maple trees in the fall, just enjoying a quiet morning together as a family, somehow they were all supposed to carry so much more meaning as I aged. Here I am years later, realizing just how right they were.

I spent the first two decades of my life growing up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, nestled on the border of Vermont.

It was a region known for maple syrup, an abundance of lakes, antique shops, and farmer’s stands around every corner. Every weekend and holiday it was overtaken by city folks, escaping the hustle and bustle of big city life in Montreal.

As a youngster I couldn’t wait to escape its “quaintness” and hit the big city. Most of the things that made this part of the world so special were lost on me at that time of my life. It wasn’t until I got older that I started to realize just how right my parents were and just how many great things I took for granted.

One such memory that comes to mind often as I work in the kitchen is the duck farm I grew up near. Every morning as I took the bus to school I would pass by it. Many of the kids in my class had parents who worked there.

In all of those years it simply was the stinky, noisy, duck farm.

It wasn’t until I took a trip to Florida when I was 12 that I began to piece things together. While down there we took a cruise to the Bahamas and during the cruise we were served some incredible food, all capped off by the Captain’s dinner, served on the last night of our trip.

When I read the menu I was floored. There it was — Brome Lake duck was being served for the main course. I couldn’t believe that the very farm that I had passed by so many times was selling their duck to a cruise ship that, in my 12-year-old mind, was half way around the world. I saved the menu just to show my mom when I got home.

Suddenly I had a sense of pride for the place I had been raised, even though I had nothing to do with their success.

As I began my journey into the culinary world, I learned just how popular they were. Even when I made my way out west I realized that chefs would ask for the duck by name. Much like Alberta is known for serving up world class beef, Brome Lake was known for making duck that was second to none.

So, when I was asked months ago to take part in Gold Medal Plates this week, an invitational cooking competition held annually nationwide to help raise money for our Olympic athletes, I knew exactly what I was going to prepare.

I had been invited in the past, and although I always enjoyed doing it, I have remembered leaving feeling like I didn’t prepare the dish I wanted to, the dish that was a reflection of me. This year I won’t let that happen. I have decided to work with my home-grown Brome Lake duck and showcase it in two ways, preparing a prosciutto wrapped breast, and using the legs to prepare a duck confit, featuring it in a forest mushroom arancini. I used the duck bones to prepare a stock for the risotto, and even lacquered the skin to serve as a crunchy compliment. I am putting my heart on this plate, cooking the way I love to, and win or lose, I can say that the dish is a reflection of my cooking at its best. I can’t share the dish with you just yet, but will post a few pictures on my facebook page, facebook.com/ChefShufelt, following the event on Thursday. Rather, I will share with you how I prepare duck confit, and show you a quick fennel salad that pairs nicely with it! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Duck Confit
Feeds: 4
Prep time: 30 hours
Active prep time: 30 minutes

4 Brome Lake duck legs (*Wild Game Consultants, 780.452.6890)
1 litre rendered duck fat (*Wild Game Consultants, 780.452.6890)

cup coarse salt
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 clove garlic
4 juniper berries
1 tsp. peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

Lightly rinse, then pat dry the duck legs

Peel and press the garlic to release the oils

Using a mallet, squish the juniper berries to release all of the flavour

In a bowl combine salt, sugar, garlic, juniper berries, peppercorns, fresh thyme and bay leaf

In a pan, or plastic tub, generously rub all the salt rub into the four duck legs, don’t worry, this is a cure and is used to flavour the ducks, and to begin to break the ducks down, you won’t be eating all that salt!

Wrap the duck in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, allow it to cure for 18-24 hours

Once it has cured, lightly rinse the duck legs again, to remove any excess salt, then pat dry

Preheat the oven to 300F

In a pot, bring the duck fat to a simmer

Either place the duck legs in a deep roasting pan and pour the oil over the duck legs to completely immerse them, or carefully immerse the duck legs right into the pot, as long as the pot can go in the oven

Cover the pot or pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven

Allow to slowly braise the duck legs in the fat until they are fork tender and the meat is falling away from the bones, about 4-5 hours, you want to cook it enough for them to be tender, but for the sake of presentation, not so long that the meat falls right off the bone

Allow the legs to rest in the fat while you prepare the salad

 

Fennel, Orange & Walnut Salad
2 large or 4 small fennel bulbs
4 navel oranges
cup walnuts
1 tsp. fennel seeds
cup white balsamic vinegar
cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean away the stalks and the fennel fronds, keep the fronds for garnish

Using a slicer, or the thinnest blade of a food processor, slice the fennel as thinly as you can

Zest two of the oranges, then segment all four oranges, making sure not to get the pith, and preserve all of the juice from the oranges too

In a bowl, combine the shaved fennel, the orange segments, orange zest and juice, in a bowl

Coarsely chop the walnuts, add to the fennel

Lightly toast the fennel seeds, then add to the fennel

Finish the salad with the oil, vinegar and seasoning

Now, it’s time to crisp up the duck legs

Preheat the oven to 450F

In a pan, on medium high heat, place 2 oz. of the duck fat

Then gently place the duck legs in the pan, skin side down

Allow the skin to crisp up nicely, checking occasionally

Flip the duck over and place in the oven to warm through and get the skin crispy, 3-4 minutes

Place a generous mound of fennel salad on a plate, top it with the crispy duck leg and dig in! Enjoy this tasty memory of my hometown!

This time of year, one might expect me to be writing about how to use turkey leftovers or how to turn that glob of cranberry jelly into something tasty, but not this year.

It’s all been done before and there is something far more important to discuss this week.

It’s time we take a closer look at the massive beef recall that has been making headlines for the past few weeks. It has been over a month now since the whole incident started at the XL Foods plant in Brooks, AB. which has raised many questions about the facility, the inspection process, and the lack of transparency and prompt reaction to the outbreak.

There has been a great deal of finger pointing and passing the buck when it comes to who is responsible for this happening and in my humble opinion there are a lot of people to blame.

It has to be up to the ownership and leadership of the plant to ensure the plant is well maintained, up to date, with the focus on quality and product safety, rather than speed and volume. Then there are the inspectors who are responsible for ensuring that the laws and standards are being upheld at all times. Only now are we hearing that the CFIA has been underfunded and overworked more and more in recent years. That responsibility falls on our members of parliament, in particular our minister of agriculture, to ensure that our inspection agency has the capital and the manpower to do its job. Unfortunately, the buck doesn’t stop there. It also falls on us, the average consumer and taxpayer. We continue to push for lower taxes, all the while expecting our government to do more with less.

There was a time when a middle class family couldn’t afford to eat beef every day, and having a steak for dinner was a rare treat. Now it seems that it is expected that we can all have steak for dinner, night after night if we choose.

It’s time we start asking the tough questions, like what kind of sacrifices have to be made to allow us to buy a $5 steak? What corners have to be cut to make that happen? You see, we all share some responsibility for what we consume. no matter what our involvement, because at the end of the day the consumer still has the power to dictate what products make it to market.

Although XL Foods is responsible for about 30 per cent of the beef produced in Canada, there are many other options out there.

One of them is Cargill Meat Solutions in High River where our restaurants buy their beef.

This facility has a strong reputation for quality rather than volume. All of our AAA and prime cuts come from this facility and I have the utmost faith that they will continue to provide us with safely handled beef.

We also work with Christoph Weder of Spirit View Ranch, serving his hormone and antibiotic free Heritage Angus Beef. All of his beef is processed at Canadian Premium Meats, a small meat processing plant specializing in custom cuts and preparations specifically tailored to their customers’ needs. Their processing lines are run slow, focusing on safety, quality control and maintaining their strong reputation. They seldom process more than 150 head a day. Not only has his beef become synonymous with quality, but Christoph’s beef is served throughout the Asian market, on menus in five-star hotels in Switzerland and throughout the Middle East, as the top of the line Alberta beef.

The morale of this week’s story; Alberta beef is safe, and your faith in its safety should not be shaken. You should, however, know that quality beef comes at a price. As is often the case when terrible things like this happen, we will learn from this and I am confident that our inspection system will improve.

Much like the BSE scare many years ago, this too shall pass.

In an effort to show my faith in our beef, I have prepared a classic steak tartar for this week’s recipe. I can tell you that once I took the pictures for this recipe, all of this tartar was devoured and we are all alive and well!

Steak Tartar

Prep time: 20 minutes

Feeds: 2-4 or one really hungry chef!

8 oz. fresh beef tenderloin
1 Tbsp. shallots
1 tsp. capers
1 tsp. Dijon
2tsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. fresh shaved horseradish
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. Tabasco
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. brandy
loaf baguette
4 Tbsp. olive oil or clarified butter

It’s imperative that you use fresh beef tenderloin for this. Buy it from a reputable supplier and ensure the colour of the beef is a deep ruby red, without any discolouration, as a result of oxidation. That’s a sign that the beef has been sitting around to long.

Preheat the oven to 450F

Mince the shallots and the capers, set aside

Using a sharp knife, minced the beef into small dice

Slice the baguette thinly, brush with butter or olive oil, season and bake until crispy, 3-4 minutes

In a bowl combine the beef and the remaining ingredients, stir until evenly combined

Adjust the seasoning to your liking, you can also increase the Tabasco, or horseradish, to your liking

In the picture I set aside the yolk and placed it on top of the steak tartar for presentation purposes, this is definitely optional.

Enjoy this tasty classic, knowing that you have prepared it with the world’s best, and safest beef.

Since I started doing this column I have avoided doing any sort of a review of our local restaurants.

I know how difficult and stressful they can be on chefs and a restaurant as a whole. Having said that, this week I can’t help but share my recent dining experience at a prominent Whyte avenue business. Now I tell you this not to scathe the restaurant, in fact, I won’t even name the place.

I’m telling you this to share with you a valuable lesson when it comes to dining. That lesson is to avoid dining when the C team is playing.

What do I mean by that? Well, the truth of the matter is this is a problem that many restaurants face. I would compare the thinking to that of picking your lines for a big hockey game. If your team is down a goal with one minute left in the game, you’re going to put your best performers on the ice to give yourself the best chance of getting back in the game. Well, the same thinking far too often applies in the restaurant industry. Your most talented team of chefs and service staff is on the floor for the Friday night and Saturday night shifts, but they are probably given the softer nights away from the restaurant.

Most chefs, for example, would take a Sunday and Monday off, leaving their sous chef in command of the brigade. The same usually applies to the general manager. So, when you make your way into a restaurant on those nights you’re often being taken care of by the “back up” team, for lack of a better word. When the team is trained well, and there is strong leadership, this shouldn’t have much impact at all on the overall experience. Unfortunately that’s not always the case.

My experience two Sundays ago was a prime example of the perfect storm of C players working. My wife and I arrived at the restaurant shortly after 5 , with our young baby in tow, and were greeted by an empty hostess stand at the door. Finally a young man arrived and greeted us with what could pass for a smile.

He struggled to find our reservation and then wrap his head around the high chair situation. To be honest, I was a little uncomfortable bringing our little girl at first because the restaurant would be what I consider a fairly formal dining room, white linen and wine glass tables, etc, but I was immediately put at ease when we entered the room to see that the only other tables in the dining room were both occupied by families. The young man sat us at tiny two top with the high chair placed right in the way of everyone, rather than comfortably seating us at a larger four-top table, where the high chair wouldn’t be so intrusive.

We perused the menu while we waited for our server to arrive. When she did the fun really began. My wife asked what the soup of the day and the feature was and we got our first clue of what we were in for. The server told us she thought the soup was carrot and ginger, but the kitchen hadn’t figured out the feature yet. My wife asked our server to find out what the feature was and she did. At this point there were only three tables in the room and four servers on the floor, but it still took another 10 minutes for our server to return. When she did, she told us the feature was salmon chunks, tomato sauce and spaghetti. I couldn’t believe that it took the kitchen an extra 30 minutes to come up with that.

We ordered a tuna appetizer and a few fresh shucked oysters to start, only to have the server return yet again, 10 minutes later, to say that they were out of both dishes. So we settled on some prawn tempura, picked our entrees by this time and ordered our wine. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. With 10 customers in the room, three of which who were already eating, it would be a safe assumption that even an average kitchen could prepare our single appetizer in under 20 minutes. Boy, were we wrong! At least we had some entertainment while we were waiting. Nope, not live music, no theatrical performance. We had the sheer joy of the listening to the only table in the restaurant complain to the server, then the manager, that the meal she was fed was far and away the worst thing she had ever been served.

Finally, after nearly 40 minutes, our appetizers arrived. Our excitement quickly turned to disappointment when we took our first few bites. The spice was overwhelming, but could only be outdone by the overkill of baking soda in the batter itself. In my starved state, I powered through it, strictly for the sake of nourishment.

Hopefully dinner would be better, and quick.

Unfortunately it wasn’t, By this time there were five tables in the room, but it still wasn’t all that busy. As we waited, it was becoming abundantly clear that our patience was wearing thin. It was at this time that the manager arrived at our table to tell us how the kitchen was two cooks short and that the sous chef and his two cooks were doing the best they could. He then attempted to “win us back” by topping up our nearly full glasses of wine. Clearly his training on handling sticky situations entailed throwing the kitchen under the bus, and getting us drunk. Then the table to the right of us complained about their carrot soup, and the server replied by saying that she didn’t really like it either and they shouldn’t be selling it. Ha! That’s the spirit!

A few more minutes went by and our food arrived. I wish it hadn’t . My wife’s fish was dry and overcooked, although she enjoyed the accompaniments. My osso bucco looked more like a can of wet dog food shot out of a cannon and onto the plate, rather than the succulent braised veal shank it should be. We ate our food in utter disappointment, paid the bill, tipped generously and fled the crime scene as quickly as we could, $125 poorer.

It was clear to me that the team that was working that night didn’t share the passion and commitment to quality that this restaurant and its chef have built their reputation on. Let this be a lesson for you when it comes to choosing your Sunday night dining destinations. Be wary of the C team and look for the brands where a strong culture is alive and well, whether the chef is at the helm, or enjoying his time away.

Here is my take on preparing classic Osso Bucco. This Sunday, stay home and make it yourself. I can almost assure you it will look better than my dining experience was.

Veal Osso Bucco

4 2-inch thick cut veal shanks

*I recommend finding these at Acme Meat Market, 9531-76 Ave., they are one of the few places that will actually grab some veal shanks and cut them up to your liking. Try to ensure the bone is nice and centre, a little further up the shank.*

1/4 cup canola oil
6 Tbsp. flour
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, peeled, large dice
1 large carrot, peeled, large dice
2 celery stalks, leaves removed, large dice
4 cloves garlic
cup tomato paste
1 cup red wine
2-3 lt. veal stock (beef stck can be substituted)
1-1.5 cups demiglace (try to use a good quality fresh, rather than powder)
4-5 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 300F

Place a pan on high heat

Season the flour, then lightly dredge the veal shanks in flour and shake off excess

Drizzle oil in hot pan, then sear the shanks until golden brown on all sides, set aside

In a 6 lt. pot, saute the onions, carrots celery & garlic, until you can smell the aroma, 1-2 min

Add tomato paste and brown slightly

Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and reduce

Once reduced, place the mixture in the bottom of a roasting pan big enough to fit the shanks, then top the mxture with the shanks

Using the same pot, heat enough veal stock and demiglace to easily cover the shanks, bring to a simmer, flavour with remaining spices, then pour over the shanks to cover completely

Cover with aluminum foil and place in the place

Braise the shanks until they are fork tender, about 2-3 hours depending on thickness etc.

Once braised, remove shanks, and strain sauce, skim the fat from the surface

Place the sauce on the stove and slowly simmer to reduce by 25%, adjust the seasoning

When ready to serve, return the shanks to the sauce and heat through

Serve with risotto Milanese, creamy polenta, or even a great mashed potatoes and top with extra sauce

Enjoy this hearty and rich braised dish as the weather turns colder and don’t forget to dig into the marrow in the centre of the bone. Sooooo good!

Who’s hungry?

This past weekend saw two important milestones take place.

Unfortunately, Saturday brought with it the official arrival of fall. Although the weather shows no real signs of changing, it’s inevitable and we can’t avoid the oncoming onslaught of cold and dreary days.

Thankfully though, Saturday also brought the arrival of the new Williams-Sonoma. For the foodies out there, the opening of the first location in Edmonton has probably been circled on your calendar for months.

While our neighbours down the QE2 have been able to enjoy this Mecca of all things culinary for years now, we have been deprived for far too long. For those of you that are oblivious to this little gem of a cooking store, let me fill you in.

Founded in 1956, Williams-Sonoma Inc. is the premier specialty retailer of home furnishings and gourmet cookware in the United States. Their brands are amongst the best known and most-respected in the industry.

They have grown to more than 250 stores and do a large volume of business through e-commerce.

The secret behind their success is their dedication to customer service, and perhaps even more importantly, their strong commitment to quality.

You can rest assured that when buying a product found on their shelves, you are buying nothing but the best.

They even go to the extent of taking the time to know the local food community before arriving in town. They scout out local restaurants, bakeries, markets etc., to select only the best of the best to attach their name to.

That’s why when they reached out to me last month to take part in their grand opening weekend I was flattered. It turned out they had dined in one of our establishments and quickly saw the synergies of our two brands when it comes to quality and customer care.

Being asked to prepare a dish and perform a cooking demo on opening day for their loyal following was an exciting opportunity, but perhaps the best part was the opportunity to get a sneak peek inside the store two days before the grand opening.

My tour was guised as a site inspection to determine what equipment I would have to work with on opening day, but the reality was I was more interested in seeing all they had to offer. As I took the tour I was not disappointed.

Everything the home chef could need was at hand’s reach. Perhaps the most impressive display was the selection of chef’s knives available. There was no sign of the Wiltshire stay-sharp knives or tin can cutters that had their place in so many middle class homes in the ’80s and ’90s.

There was nothing but top-of-the-line knives used by professional chefs — Wusthofs, Globals and Shuns as far as the eye could see.

I was a little like a kid in a candy store, and it really took all of my will power to not fill a shopping cart myself.

When Saturday came, my admiration for their brand only grew. As I walked in the place, the aroma of fresh baked goods filled the room.

The place was packed with people, and yet there was no sense of any franticness that might be associated with a first day of business.

The greeting at the door was extremely warm and welcoming. From there I was quickly approached with offerings of pastry samples and more warm smiles.

The team was so helpful in the set up of my demonstration and even helped to serve the soup I prepared, all the while, ensuring everyone knew just who it was that prepared it. As my demonstration wrapped, the lined formed even deeper, and before I knew it we were at the bottom of my soup pot.

All in all, the day was a great success and the team portrayed a great deal of class. I wish them nothing but the best as they enter our marketplace, and I’m confident that they will be a smashing success.

Here’s the recipe I prepared for the special day. A great fall soup, featuring one of my favourites, butternut squash.

Butternut Squash, Corn & Potato Chowder

Makes 4 lt. or 8 bowls of soup
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

1 whole butternut squash
1 oz. butter
3 cloves garlic
4 thick cut slices, Irvings Farm bacon
2 whole corn on the cob
1 red, yellow, and orange peppers
1 red onion
4 russet potatoes
1 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
3 lt. chicken stock
4 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2 Tbsp. chipotle peppers
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by preparing the vegetables, peel, seed, and large dice the butternut squash, peel and mince the garlic, remove corn kernels from cob, seed and large dice the peppers, peel and large dice the red onion, peel and large dice the potatoes, set all vegetables aside in separate bowls

Julienne the bacon

Mince the chipotle peppers

Now it’s time to build the layers of flavour, begin by melting the butter in a medium soup pot

Add the bacon, and lightly saute until it begins to lightly brown

Add the aromatic red onions and garlic, and cook until translucent

Add the squash and potatoes and cook quickly, 2 minutes or so, remember to lightly season as you go

Now add the peppers and corn, cook another 2 minutes, stirring regularly

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, allow to reduce, then add the chicken stock

While it comes to a simmer, chop the rosemary and thyme

Add the herbs, and chipotle paste to the pot, followed by the cream

Simmer another 5-10 minutes, to allow the potatoes and vegetables soften

Adjust the seasoning and serve

Who’s hungry?

The pressure to find quality employees is increasing each and every month. Maybe it’s not to the extent that we felt it in ’07 prior to the global economic meltdown, but it’s getting there. I remember that time all too well. It seemed like every business out there was hiring.

As our company continues to grow, it becomes more difficult to fill our bench of talented young hospitality people. To make matters worse, the quality of applicants seems to diminish each year.

I don’t want to come across as an old timer squawking about how it was when I was young, but today’s workforce doesn’t seem to have the work ethic, passion, or sense of pride I was raised on.

Failing to show up for work without so much as a phone call or a doctor’s note seems to be the norm.

I can count on one hand the times I have been late for work in my life, and the few times that I was, I apologized profusely, put my head down and did everything I could to make the chef forget my blunder. I don’t see that kind of fear in people today. There really isn’t the sense that they should feel fortunate they have a job rather they feel that they are entitled to the job and all of the perks that go with it without paying their dues. It makes filling the roster with great people increasingly difficult.

Thankfully though, Edmonton has one of Canada’s finest culinary programs. NAIT’s culinary arts program ranks among the best in the nation and has no problem filling their classrooms. The quality of students they graduate is second to none.

The challenge lies in the fact that they can only graduate a limited amount of students each year. With thousands of restaurants fighting for the handful of students who graduate from the program, it’s next to impossible to fill our rosters with these talented young students. To put it into perspective, I have double the amount of cook positions within our restaurant group than NAIT is capable of graduating each year.

There is an alternative though — the apprenticeship program. This path to becoming a chef seems to be falling by the wayside, and I find that so unfortunate.

Much like carpenters, plumbers, welders, electricians, and so on, we work in an industry where hands-on experience pays far greater dividends than reading text books and taking exams. A cookbook might allow you to understand the basic techniques of how to prepare risotto or make a soup, but it can’t teach you how to rely on your senses to make it taste great.

It would seem that in recent years though, this method of learning our trade has been pushed aside, as if having a diploma stating you have completed two years of culinary arts means so much more.

However, there still are some programs that are promoting this great path. One such event takes place every year in Edmonton. Not only does the event encourage apprentices, it also shines a light on Alberta’s great fare.

Feastival of Fine Chefs, an event developed by the Alberta Food Processors Association, and in its 24th year, has become one of the greatest showcases for young apprentices this province has. It takes place today, Sept. 19th, at the Shaw Conference Centre, and the evening is quite unique. Each guest will have the chance to taste the creations of a different team for each of the four courses, all of which are prepared using ingredients grown or processed in Alberta. Each table of eight guests will end up seeing 32 different dishes. During the evening, funds are raised for the Stan Ballard Apprenticeship Fund, established in 1986 to support educational activities for Alberta apprentice chefs.

Each year the chefs are given a black box of ingredients and have 24 hours to prepare a delicious four-course meal, showcasing those ingredients. This will be our fifth year participating, and we have used it as an opportunity to reward some of our most talented and committed young cooks. Most of the time menu development is left in the hands of the chef, but for this event we allow our young cooks to take the reins.

Yesterday we picked up our hampers filled with food, and before the truck left the loading dock of the Shaw Conference Centre the culinary juices were flowing with ideas of how we could bring all of these great ingredients together.

Our featured appetizer meat was pork belly and our featured entree was top sirloin butt. With those two ingredients in the forefront, we set about using the rest of the ingredients to round out our dishes. My first thought was to do a play on bacon, eggs and toast with the pork belly. I put together a braised pork belly, with a sunny side up quail egg, on brioche toast, with sriracha-orange hollandaise, but it wasn’t up to me to make the final decision. After all this was all about the apprentices. This week’s recipe showcases how I would prepare the pork belly, but you’ll have to have a ticket to tonight’s event to see what my young cooks came up with.

Braised Pork Belly

2 lb. pork belly, rind removed
2 cups soy sauce
6 cups chicken stock
3 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Chinese five spice
2 oranges, juice
2 limes, juice
3 Tbsp. sambal oelek
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 250F

Place pork belly on a baking rack in a roasting pan just big enough to fit it

Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine

Pour the marinade over the pork belly and cover with saran wrap, followed by aluminum foil, sealing tightly. The saran won’t melt, but will prevent the belly from sticking to the foil

Braise in the oven until the belly is fork tender, anywhere from 8-12 hours

Allow to cool in the liquid

When ready to serve, cut a cube of belly off, and sear until slightly crispy and serve with sticky rice

You can even slightly reduce the braising liquid and thicken it slightly with a cornstarch slurry to drizzle over the pork and rice

Enjoy!

Well, the harvest from the garden has been in full swing since early August, and although the vegetables have been very tasty, the household is starting to grow a little tired of having a heaping plate of the same vegetables with virtually every meal.

Yes, the one downside of growing a garden is reaching that point in the season where you end up having too much of a good thing, or several good things. With all of these vegetables pouring in it was time to think about getting creative. After all, I couldn’t think about the possibility of letting any of it go to waste.

So it got me to thinking back to my childhood, immediately taking me back to my mom’s kitchen. I remember waking up to the sweet smell of strawberries simmering on the stove, as she made homemade jam with the mountains of strawberries we handpicked.

Then there were the days of walking into the kitchen and getting bowled over by the pungent aroma of vinegar, fresh dill and pickling spice, as she prepared another batch of dill pickles. The vinegar was enough to clear of the stuffiest of sinuses as it simmered away on the stove, but the end result was so worth the wait. What better way to preserve the delicious flavours from the garden in order to savour them throughout the winter?

After all, that’s why pickling came to be in the first place, some 4,000 years ago, using cucumbers native to India, and was derived out of necessity. It was a method of preserving food for out-of-season use and for long journeys, especially by sea. Although the word pickle is commonly used to describe pickled cucumbers here in North America, just about every fruit or vegetable can be pickled, and its use can be found in almost every culture around the world.

So it was time to get down to preserving my vegetables and keep them around to be enjoyed through our harsh winter months, when the idea of anything fresh from the garden is next to impossible to consider. The two vegetables that we had the biggest abundance of were carrots and string beans, not something that I typically pickle, but I figured it would be a chance to have some fun.

Here’s what I came up with. I am sure these classic pairings will work well, but, as with every good pickle, only time will tell.

Crispy Carrot, Orange and Ginger Pickles

Prep time:45 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Makes: 3X 500 ml. mason jars

1.5 lbs.fresh carrots (give or take!)

12 pc.slices of peeled ginger

1 tsp.chili flakes

1.5 cupwhite vinegar

1 cupcider vinegar

½ cupsugar

2 tbsp.kosher salt

1 ea.orange, peels only, no pith

•Start by sterilizing your mason jars, using a clean pot, submerge your clean jars and their lids in water and bring to a simmer

•Once simmered, using clean tongs, carefully remove the jars from the water and drain, set aside on clean countertop, it’s VERY IMPORTANT to start with sterilized jars in order to preserve the pickles

•Place a medium pot of water on, when boiling, blanch your carrots in the pot for 3-4 minutes, the intention is to only slightly soften the carrots

•Immediately drain the carrots and cool quickly in an ice water bath

•Place the remaining ingredients in another pot and bring to a simmer

•While the pickling marinade is coming to a simmer, place the carrots carefully into the jar, packing them quite full

•Once the marinade has come to a simmer and the sugar has dissolved, carefully pour the marinade over the carrots into the jar, distributing the ginger slices and orange peels between the jars

•Carefully screw the top of the jars on, and then place in another pot of hot water, with the top of the lids completely immersed

•Bring the water to a boil, and boil 12-15 minutes, this will force the air out of the jars and seal them tight, until they are ready for your enjoyment!

•These carrots will take about a month to be ready, but will really start to peak after about three months! I hope you can wait!

Spicy Pickled Beans

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Makes: 3X 500 ml. mason jars

1 lb.fresh green beans, stems removed

1.25 cupsred wine vinegar

½ cupsugar

¾ cupcider vinegar

2 tbsp.mustard seeds

1 tbsp.black peppercorns

2 tsp.fennel seeds

2 ea.hot peppers, I used habaneros, pick your favourite based on how spicy you want them

6 ea.garlic cloves

6 sprigsfresh dill

2 ea.bay leaves

1 tbsp.salt

•Start by sterilizing your mason jars, using a clean pot, submerge your clean jars and their lids in water and bring to a simmer

•Once simmered, using clean tongs, carefully remove the jars from the water and drain, set aside on clean countertop, it’s VERY IMPORTANT to start with sterilized jars in order to preserve the pickles

•Bring a pot of water to a boil

•Blanch the beans in the water, 3 minutes, immediately drain, and chill in an ice bath

•Place the remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer

•While the marinade is coming to a simmer, stuff 2 sprigs of dill in each jar

• Then place the beans in the jars, packing them nice and tightly

•Once the marinade is hot and the sugar is dissolved carefully pour the marinade over the beans, distributing the garlic and spices evenly throughout the jars

•Carefully screw the top of the jars on, and then place in another pot of hot water, with the top of the lids completely immersed

•Bring the water to a boil, and boil 12-15 minutes, this will force the air out of the jars and seal them tight, until they are ready for your enjoyment!

•These will take about a week to start tasting good, but will peak at about the three month mark

Next week, we take a look at how the garden experiment turned out! Was it worth the money and the effort? We’ll find out then!

Who’s hungry?

When I answered the phone some 18 years ago and said yes to a dishwashing job I never would have imagined all of the fun and exciting opportunities that it would lead to in the years since. It has allowed me the opportunity to travel the world, working in different kitchens, and experiencing the foods of different cultures. The most enjoyable part though is the diverse group of people that I get to cook for and the unique, outside the box, type events that I have been able to take part in.

One such unique experience took place this summer. I was approached by the player development team of the Edmonton Oilers and asked to help them in educating their up and coming young stars.

When first asked, I was quite surprised that they were reaching out to me for help, but when we sat down and was filled in, the picture became a lot clearer. In listening to them share their expectations with me it became easy to see that the team had figured out something very important. Rather than simply focusing on developing their draft picks on the ice, they realized the importance of helping to develop their young players into well rounded young men.

With players being drafted as young as 17 years old they are forced to grow up quickly, often away from home for their junior hockey career, and then heading to AA or AAA clubs, or, for the lucky few, straight to the NHL.

Although most people would be pretty envious of this career path, the sacrifice these young players make is often overlooked. Their time and effort is almost solely dedicated to hockey, so much so, that they often miss out on picking up some very basic life skills, like money management, doing their own laundry, or even feeding themselves. Making the NHL is extremely difficult and it takes a great deal of sacrifice, but it’s even more difficult to stay there. Given the overnight celebrity and the big contract that comes with making it, and countless nights on the road, it can very difficult for a young player to stay disciplined and live a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

In an effort to help the players adapt to becoming young adults and deal with the hectic pace and lifestyle of being a professional athlete, the Oilers organization took it upon themselves to do their part to have a positive impact on their young players. During the player development camp, players are not only tested on the ice, but they are exposed to nutritional and dietary suggestions, lessons about financial planning, sleep seminars, and many more helpful tools to prepare them for their future.

Our role was to work alongside the nutritionists to help educate the players about food and healthy eating habits. We began by teaching the players how to make their way through the grocery store, offering healthy and quick menu suggestions. Then we actually put the young stars to work, having them prepare a three course meal, using ingredients and techniques that we had demonstrated for them. It was a very fun way for the athletes to get their hands dirty and see that food could be approachable.

Following the success of these events I have been asked to prepare several simple cooking demonstrations for the young players to refer to as they head back to their junior teams.

The hope is that they take this to heart and make eating a balanced meal a part of their daily routine.

Italian Sausage & Bell Pepper Linguine
Prep time: 20 minutes Feeds: 4 degree of difficulty: 1

In honour of this week’s article I have prepared a simple pasta dish that has become an easy favourite in our home and virtually anyone can put together. It is very versatile, and if you can master these few techniques, you can begin to prepare other simple pasta dishes.

1 lb. dry pasta, we like linguini or penne, but most any will do
4 ea. Italian sausage
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 ea. red pepper, chopped
1 ea. yellow pepper, chopped
1 ea. 28 oz. can, diced tomatoes
1 ea. 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup white wine
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tsp. chili flakes
3 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
1-2 tbsp. white sugar
Fresh parmesan

• Place the raw sausages in a medium sauce pot and cover with cold water
• Place the pot on a stove and bring to a simmer
• Meanwhile, place another large pot of water on the stove for the pasta, salt well, about 1 tablespoon per litre of water, bring to a simmer
• Once the sausage water comes to a boil, allow to simmer 3-4 minutes
• Remove from heat and gently run under cool water until cool enough to touch
• Proceed to slice the sausages into coins, set aside
• Slice the peppers into thin strips, removing the seeds and stem, don’t worry too much about the size or shape, just try to keep them fairly consistent, trust me, your family will just be happy to not be eating another rubbery hamburger
• Heat a medium sauce pan to medium-high heat, add the sausage coins, and peppers
• Saute until the peppers soften up a little, 1-2 minutes, then add your minced garlic
• Add the can of tomato paste to the sausages and peppers and stir to combine
• Quickly deglaze (this just means to pour the liquid in and stir around, lightly scraping the bottom to remove any of the good caramelized bits) with the white wine, allow to cook for 1-2 minutes
• At this time, place your pasta in the pot of water and cook until firm, yet tender, or al dente, I highly recommend following the instructions on the package, as they will give you the best recommendations for their particular pasta, but typically it will range from 6-10 minutes. Stir periodically, and place your strainer in the sink to be prepared to quickly strain the pasta
• Add the tomatoes to the pasta sauce and allow to simmer 4-5 minutes
• Now it’s time to bring everything together! Finish the pasta sauce off by tossing in the spinach, chili flakes and fresh basil
• Allow the spinach to wilt by stirring it in, 1-2 minutes
• Meanwhile, strain the pasta, draining off all of the water, DO NOT RINSE WITH WATER!
• Taste the pasta sauce, if it’s quite tart, add a pinch of sugar, adjust the salt and pepper too, the more you do this, the better you will find you become at adjusting the seasoning
• Now you can either place the pasta right in the sauce, or you can place the pasta in the bowl and top it with sauce, either way won’t hurt!
• Top the pasta with some fresh parmesan, serve it with a big hunk of crusty bread and watch your family smile from ear to ear!

Once you learn this basic recipe and the skills required to prepare it, you can begin to experiment, take out the peppers and add mushrooms, change the sausage for chicken or prawns.

With food all around us, we get the luxury of eating and working with some of the tastiest ingredients around.

From lobster tails, foie gras and black truffles, I have enjoyed them all. With a virtually endless pantry of treasures you would be surprised to know there is one ingredient that I keep coming back to – bacon. Simple and cheap, there is hardly a meat out there that is more versatile and packed with flavour than a beautifully cured and smoked pork belly. Whether it’s served on its own, ground into a stuffing, saut ed into a soup, or whipped into mashed potatoes, the possibilities are endless, and the resulting flavours are fantastic.

So you can imagine how excited I was to learn about International Bacon Day. Yeah, you read that right, there is actually a whole day dedicated to this most scrumptious slab of artery clogging piggy. The Saturday before Labour Day is reserved for this special occasion.

Originating in Bedford, Massachusetts in 2000, it hasn’t really gained much traction outside the states, but as a chef, I’ll take any excuse to cook with the mouth-watering planks of pork. It was three years ago when Jerry Aulenbach, aka, the Bacon Man, shared this tidbit of information with me and suggested that we do a Bacon Day dinner. How could I say no to that?

When it came time to do it last year, we decided to turn things up a bit. As passionate as Jerry is about bacon, he is also very passionate about his community, and in particular, the Royale Lepage Shelter Foundation, an organization that helps women and children in abusive situations get out and rebuild.

Jerry and I decided to use our shared love of bacon to raise funds for this great cause and when it came time to start thinking about doing it again this year, it was a no-brainer to support the same charity, but this year our goal is to double our donation from last year.

In order to make this year’s event even more special, we decided to work alongside a great local pork producer, and when I think of local pork, it’s hard to think of anyone other than Alan & Nicola at Irvings Farm Fresh. Their product is arguably the best pork I have tasted.

I also wanted to learn more about their great product and how it makes its way from their farm to our plate. So earlier this summer, I made a special trip out to their farm to see it for myself.

Their farm is on the edge of the Hamlet of Round Hill, a scenic 45-minute drive from the city. It is comprised of 78 acres of land consisting of a mix of pasture and cultivated land.

As I arrive I am greeted by Nicola’s friendly smile. We begin with a tour of their meat processing facility and I am immediately impressed by the clean and sanitary work environment, Alan is grinding what seems like a thousand pounds of pork in preparation for sausage making. An employee is carefully measuring out the key ingredients to dry rub the stack of pork loins that will soon become cured into their famous back bacon.

Once the sausage meat is blended and the sausage casing is soaked, Nicola stuffs sausages. At first glance this task looks quite simple, so when she offers to let me jump in I can’t resist. I am quick to realize just how wrong I was. After a few tries I managed to make a few sausages that were passable, but it certainly wasn’t nearly as easy as Nicola made it look. So I stepped aside and let her work her magic. In a matter of minutes two large buspans were filled with sausages so consistent that if I hadn’t seen her make them myself I would assume they were machine made.

As they both worked away, they shared their story and philosophies with me. In listening to Alan and Nicola speak, it was clear to see their passion for what they do, and the commitment they have to only using the best ingredients. Nicola told me, “If we can’t pronounce it, it won’t make it into our products.” This is a philosophy that I also believe in and was pleased to hear their thinking.

Once the processing was done we made our way to the pasture to see the animals. On the way, Alan shared with me their philosophy for raising their animals. It could be summed up with the following;

The 5 Freedoms
1. Freedom from hunger and thirst
2. Freedom from discomfort
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease
4. Freedom to express normal behaviour
5. Freedom from fear and distress

I was pleased to see the vast pasture the animals had to run around in. They were free to feed and drink whenever they so desired, had shelter from the harsh weather when needed, had mud to roll around in and straw to lie on when they chose to. Alan and Nicola raise Berkshire pork, a heritage breed, because of the difference in quality. This exceptional pork is often referred to as Kurabota, which means Berkshire Gold, and is widely considered to be the Kobe beef of the pork world. It’s known for its richness, depth of flavour, and deep marbling. Unlike many pork producers, they choose to raise only 45 head at a time, choosing quality over quantity. It was easy to see that these animals were well taken care of and nurtured, rather than simply thought of as a commodity.

After paying their farm a visit it became clear to me that having the opportunity to use such phenomenal pork that we couldn’t just settle for using the bacon at this year’s event. So this year we will be showcasing this beautiful beast in all its glory, with something for all pork lovers.

To join us for this fabulous feast of pork head to:

http://bacondaydinner.eventbrite.com/

 

to purchase tickets. The event takes place Saturday, Sept. 1 at LUX Steakhouse and tickets are $65, with $20 from every ticket sold will go directly to the Royale Lepage Shelter Foundation. You’ll never feel so good about eating so bad!

If you can’t make it down to our event, you at least have to try Alan and Nicola’s tasty fare. Here is a list of some of the many places around town that you can track it down. I highly recommend the jalapeno bacon or the Lincolnshire or Mild Italian sausages, but I haven’t really had anything they’ve made that I don’t like!

Where to Find Their Tasty Products

Careit Urban Deli
5236-199 St., Hemingway Plaza NW, 780.486.1123 OR
9672-142 St., Crestwood Centre, 780.488.1110

Cooks Corner
9203-111 Ave., 780.479.8175

Italian Centre Shops Ltd
108780-95 St. OR
5028-104A St., 780.424.4869

Sweet Tweet
4345-50 St., 780.462.2010

Wild Earth Foods
8910-99 St., 780.439.4555
Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market
10310-83 Ave., 780.439.1844
Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., but get there early, they do sell out!

 

Here’s a tasty little teaser recipe of one of the dishes we will showcase at the upcoming event, using Irvings Farm side bacon. Enjoy!

Bacon Truffle Cream Corn

4 oz. Irvings Farm bacon, sliced, then julienned
4 fresh Taber corn, kernels only
1 Tbsp. shallots, minced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
cup stock, chicken or vegetable
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. truffle oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, saute the bacon on medium-high heat, until cooked but not crispy
Add the minced shallots and garlic and saute until translucent
Add corn and saute
Deglaze quickly with the stock, then allow to reduce
Add the heavy cream and allow to simmer until the corn is softened, 7-8 minutes
Finish the dish with the butter, thyme, truffle oil and seasoning, cook one minute and serve
You can puree this mixture with a hand mixer or food processor, but I like to keep it coarse! Enjoy this with some grilled pork chops and even a great steak!

Who’s hungry?