Ford follies

One thing about this blog, is that I have been pointedly and purposely non-political in my opinions (Ed. That's not necessarily true Stephen, you did make a few 'comments' about the Canadian Federal elections a few years back). Ok, ok admittedly I did have a few 'opinions' on the blog a while ago, but my political neutrality ended today.

I've been watching and reading about the latest debacles of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford for most of the day today. That does not make me happy in general, mostly because the less I know about him and his stupidity, the better. Trying to understand how this man somehow managed to make it to the Mayors chair, is a baffling and frustrating experience. I have really tried to just count the years and say to myself, not much longer until an election, not much longer now.

This man, whether we like it or not, has made his name heard around the world for all the wrong reasons. AGAIN!! He's infamous for his alleged drug problems and hooray, once again Torontonians get to watch yet another tragic and stupid episode involving a man who people actually voted for, happily I may add, and local newspapers supported too, with mortified grimaces on our face.

I'd like to say that all citizens of the city are feeling grossed out by what's happening, but he astonishingly still has a contingent of supporters who love him no matter what he does. So I'll rephrase by saying 'most' citizens of the city are cringing in shame as he once again sullies Toronto's name on a world stage.

You would think we 'd be used to it by now. You know that adage: you get what you pay for? Or an even better one: be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it? Well congrats voters of Toronto, we earned this all by ourselves. Regardless of who voted for him and why, the mayor's latest idiotic mistakes doesn't stop the knife from hurting, and that pain extends right across this great city.

It's time to go Mayor Ford.

It's time - please just resign.

Luma on my mind

The tasting menu at Luma

I woke up this morning reliving last nights book launch and dinner for The Flavour Principle at Luma restaurant. As I drank my morning coffee, I smiled remembering my encounters with Lucy Waverman and Beppi Crosariol. I laughed, reliving some of the conversations I had with my dinner companion and with others who were at the dinner table - it was a communal dining style at the restaurant. I remembered how beautiful the restaurant looked. The setting for the launch was warm and intimate. It sounds good and it was, but something was bothering me. What was it? Then it hit me: the service.

I've been in the food industry for about 20 years now. I've done my time working the front and back of the house. By no means am I calling myself an expert, but I do have a thorough understanding of who is in charge when it comes to food service. The guest, the customer or whatever you wish to call them. They rule the service kingdom. This rule rarely strays regardless of whether you work in catering, a restaurant or a fast food burger barn. Servers are well aware that providing food and drinks to paying customers can be a difficult job, but like most jobs if it's not worth doing, don't do it.

Last night's event and service was similar to what you would receive when you go to a catered event. Guests were treated to a three course dinner, skillfully prepared by Luma Chef de cuisine Michael Wilson. All of the food was based on recipes hand-chosen by Ms. Waverman and Mr. Crosariol from the new cookbook.

The first course was a tuna ceviche and watermelon salad paired with Piper (pronounced peeper) Heidsieck Brut champagne. Both were simple but delicious and Beppi's right, champagne really does go with everything! The second course consisted of a Morrocan style chicken breast and thigh served with preserved lemon and couscous, and roasted eggplant jam with orange and radish slices. It was so incredibly flavourful (with a bit more salt), and I will definitely cook it at home. It was paired with an amazing Cos Cerasuolo di Vittoria red, which Beppi mentioned is VERY difficult to find at the LCBO. Luma, however, was blessed with a case of it, and we were the very lucky recipients. Now prior to this point in the evening there were already a few little, but ignorable, incidents happening with some of the male servers, but the wine service was where it really started to become an 'issue' for me.

Now maybe it was because of that exclusiveness regarding the Cerasuolo that could explain why one of the servers seemed so reluctant to refill our wine glasses when he was asked to. Or maybe he was just a pompous ass. Either way I watched his face when a guest asked for more wine, and he wasn't thrilled to give it to him. As more people asked, he ran out of the wine and when I asked for more, he first gave me a dismissive 'just one minute' hand movement, then completely disappeared. I bit my tongue hard on that one. We wondered if he would even return. He didn't. Seven minutes later (yes, I counted - told you I was a stickler for service) one of the female servers happily replenished mine and a few other glasses. Still, where did he go? Was it no longer his job to finish what he started?

Finally, we had dessert consisting of a dense cardamom cake with lemon ice cream and candied plums, paired with a fantastically light, somewhat fizzy but refreshing Massolino Moscato d'Asti. An after dinner drink of Delamaine Cognac was served, and it rounded out the meal quite nicely. Feeling warm from the cognac, I was in a distinctly good mood. Yet I knew something was just 'off'.

I've stated on this blog that reviews really aren't my thing. That doesn't mean I won't post a review if I see something that makes me happy, or mad. I am admittedly a real stickler to watching service performed in restaurants. I'm attuned to it much more than I am to reviewing the food (but I'll still do it). It is absolutely thrilling to see it done professionally, and I love watching a guests reaction to outstanding service. Everyone is relaxed, smiling and trust me, the gratuity wallets tend to open a little more when you make the guest feel that they are the centre of attention.

On the flipside, I absolutely detest attitude in waiters and waitresses, and usually won't stand for that behaviour when I'm in a restaurant. I honestly find it offensive, not to mention a potential waste of money if you are trying to enjoy an experience that you are paying for, only to be pulled into the sullen world of an unhappy server. No one is asking that as a server you become happy sunshine and lollypops, but there is a huge difference between taking your job seriously, and just being disdainful, dismissive or downright rude. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth and your head that inevitably stains what could have been a pleasurable experience. Believe it or not, a servers attitude matters every bit as much as the food, and it really does have a serious effect on whether a patron will return. More importantly, that encounter has an impact on what a customer or guest will say to others about the restaurant. Word of mouth is still very powerful, particularly in this social media world.

Maybe the service discrepancies could be blamed on the switch to catering, which in turn may have caused confusion in the back of the house. I say that because you NEVER start a new table without checking to see if every guest has was been served at the previous table. Never! This was a frequent mistake perpetuated by the male servers. These glaring service glitches were even more surprising because Luma is an Oliver & Bonacini (O&B) restaurant, and O&B are renowned in culinary circles for it's incredible service! Guys, you need to watch your fellow women servers, they were right on top of the mistakes you made.

This post really sounds like a boys against the girls situation, and I apologize for that. Last night, however, truly became a case of which sex did it better, and the women won. I cannot say enough about how professionally on point the women were and because of them, I'd consider returning to Luma for a true restaurant experience.

Eating with the stars: an evening with Lucy Waverman and Beppi Crosariol

Ok yes, admittedly that is a very bad post heading, with just a wink and serious copywrite theft to dancing with the stars. I'm sorry for that, but I couldn't think of anything else for the heading. It's true though, that I really did eat and drink tonight with two of Canada's most famous culinary and wine experts, Lucy Waverman and Beppi Crosariol. The twosome, who also write columns for the Globe and Mail, have just released a cookbook entitled The Flavour Principle. A few fans, including myself and good friend Tracy T., were willing to pay for their company and expertise tonight at Luma restaurant in Toronto.

Now admittedly, I came to hear and see Lucy Waverman. I was not disappointed. She is incredibly knowledgable about food -as she should be being one of Canada's top culinary voices. I loved hearing her talk about some of the inspiring places for flavours (Senegal!), the countries influencing current culinary trends (Brazil, Argentina, Chile!) and her politely criticizing one of the recipes from the cookbook that the guests had a chance to sample tonight. She made a point to say that perhaps the cardamon cake shouldn't have been made en-masse. My thought at the time? Yikes to the pastry chef at Luma! Now to be fair to Ms. Waverman, she didn't direct the comment to the pastry chef or whoever was responsible for making the cake, but the point was made. I loved every minute of it, and it was truly an honour to finally meet the woman behind the words and recipes.

Now I would like someone to explain to me how it is, that I ended up listening to a wine expert accurately quote 'lil wayne to describe Moscato? Yes folks, that was Beppi Crosariol, and as a result of his 'rap', I'm a fan of Beppi's for life! God, I wished I had videotaped it. I mean c'mon, this event was filled with a mostly white, mostly older crowd and we have one of the country's top wine experts quoting a rap song while talking about wine? Awesome and brilliant!!!

I could sit and listen to both of them talk for hours about food and liquor, completely absorbed. Who wouldn't be (he asks rhetorically) when the topic is all about flavours, and the best way to pair those flavours with wines, spirits and/or beer. It was everything I hoped for, and for 175 bucks a pop, thank God it was worth the price! Mind you, we did get some decent swag out of it, and all kitchen related too, hooray!!! I'm serious when I say "hooray" people. I love getting new kitchen toys, and I had banned myself for a year from getting anything new. So I nearly passed out when the gifts included a new grater, an ultra-modern lemon reamer, and of course the cookbook.

Now I've reminded myself and readers of this blog, that I do not represent any of the brands or people I mention on here. With that said, I can praise The Flavour Principle cookbook, because it truly represent a cross section of recipes that just about anyone can attempt to make. Ms. Waverman and Mr. Crosariol marry a cross section of flavours in the book, that maybe ten years ago would have been considered exotic, but are so commonplace today. It just shows just how much things have changed - for the better, regarding the Canadian palate. This is so exciting for chefs, home cooks, and people who just love food. The recipes are simple and the reason is clear: some of the very best dishes found the world over began as very simple recipes. The Flavour Principle is a good reminder that cooking and drinking never has to be complicated to be good.

The Best Of Archer

As much as I love talking and writing about food, I also really love to have a good laugh. So I wanted to share something that makes me (and maybe you?) laugh, and it's all about Archer.

Now this series ranks right up there (in my humble opinion) with some of the greatest animation programs in TV history. Seriously, no exaggeration! There is honestly nothing quite like it (currently) on television.

The very first time I watched the show was in Bali. My sisters boyfriend (at the time) and I were absolutely howling with laughter the entire time, and couldn't stop laughing afterwards. I made sure to make a note of it so I could watch older episodes when I finally made it home from my travels. I've been hooked ever since and now I eagerly await season five (which doesn't happen until January 2015 - damn!).

In the meantime, why not enjoy a "best of" compilation, just to get a taste - on the house. If you don't like it, sorry I wasted your time.

If you do, I need not say more. :)

Watch:

A Wilson Thanksgiving - the more things change...

Mmmmmmm, turkey.

The list below is a rough idea of what a typical Thanksgiving menu would look like in the Wilson household - circa mid 1970s to mid eighties:
1. Turkey: 20 - 30 lbs (we had a lot of family over for dinner).
2. Gravy made from the turkey drippings and stock and flour..thick and delicious!
3. Cranberry sauce: homemade - thanks Betty Crocker recipes!
4. Rice & peas: this is a Trinidadian family here, there was no way a holiday would be celebrated without rice and peas!
5. Macaroni and cheese: no, not Kraft Dinner - c'mon!!
6. Sweet potato: my Mum made this dish with a heavy brown sugar/butter sauce which was so good and so very bad...I swear I'm surprised my family still have their own teeth now.
7. Scalloped Potato - for those who didn't like sweet potato (me, at that time). Flour, milk, butter, onions, sliced potato, s&p, I mean the recipe writes itself right?
8. Stuffing - made, with white or brown bread, celery, stock, chicken seasoning, onion, and cooked in the bird. Yes people, this was the 70s where they weren't concerned (terrified) about whether there may be potential stomach flu inducing bacteria if you cooked the stuffing inside the turkey.
9. Callaloo - a gross (my view) pureed okra and coconut milk concoction that all my cousins and I hated, but had to be included on the dining room table for the adults. it looked like this:

Looks slimy and it was slimy and boy did the kids balk at eating it, but my parents, aunts and uncles couldn't get enough of it. To this day I can't seem to overcome my distaste for it, but one day I will..one day...
10. Plantain - fried of course, sooooooo good.
11. Home made bread - white of course. What, did you think there were gluten free alternatives in 1975? HA! My Mother would bake it the night before the main meal - and I'm sure most of us know or remember how hard it is for a kid (or adult) to not want to devour a whole loaf of baked bread the minute it's fresh out of the oven!
12. Green beans and carrots: you know, to fulfill the vegetable requirements.
13. For drinks, it was a ginger ale, orange and pineapple juice punch with maraschino cherries for the kids. Alcohol - wine, spirits (mostly rum or Canadian Club whiskey), beer, you know the deal for the adults in the 70s. My Dad had a fully stocked, wicked bar in the basement. Dark wood and glass shelves, dark wood cupboards, a green!! leather bar and stools. Again, it was the 70s. I loved helping him set the bar up for parties. I had my first taste of beer at that bar with him at 9, maybe 10 years old??I think it might have been Molson Golden. Hmmm, but I digress).
14. Dessert was either my Mum's killer apple pie, or my aunts pumpkin pie - which I am sorry for not liking at the time. Oh, and my mothers sweet bread (which is actually bread with dough, raisons and cinnamon, not the other sweetbreads).
My stomach groans with both pleasure and pain, remembering the way we ate. Actually, I should say pigged out, and it was a pig-fest, make no mistake about it - but it was so, sooo good.

It's 2013 now, and as the times have changed, so has the Thanksgiving menu. Our overeating days of our lives are over. And now? Healthy (somewhat) reigns supreme. My mother has completely embraced a gluten-free lifestyle (which was partly my fault for introducing her to it). Her partner doesn't eat a lot, which is why he's in great shape. My sister is also very mindful of her weight and carefully watches what she eats. So this year the pared back Thanksgiving meal, or as I recently began to call it, "Thaksgiving lite", will still include the turkey - albeit much, much smaller. Roasted potato rather than scalloped (less flour and butter - hooray he unenthusiastically cheers). Various braised root veg (parsnips, turnips, carrots), brussels sprouts and a light apple crisp for dessert. See? Healthier.

As I re-read the new Thanksgiving menu, I'd like to think it's every bit as good as the traditional Wilson Thanksgiving meals of yore, but it's not and that's ok. I sometimes miss the days of not knowing anything about what we ate, when we just ate together as a family, forgot our worries, and enjoyed the fatness that was the holidays. I will, however, begrudgingly admit that food awareness/vigilance has made it so that we're still around today to enjoy the (sparser) meal, no matter what form it comes in, and truly be thankful to celebrate together as a family.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!