I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Chef Jesse Friesen of 295 York is one of the rising stars on the Winnipeg culinary scene. He is oozing with talent but most importantly is humble, down-to-earth and the nicest guy you would ever want to meet. I have seen him in some very stressful food service situations and he is as cool as a cucumber.

I am personally up to my eye-balls in alligators right now but my friend Susie Parker owner of Sparker Strategy Group invited me to a Manitoba Chicken event and having had the pleasure of attending these in the past, I was absolutely going to find a way to attend. Upon entering The Food Studio I was warmly greeted by Manitoba Chicken Ambassadors Karen Armstrong and Wayne Hiltz. After Wayne and I chatted about the effect of the TPP on the Manitoba poultry industry whilst sipping on a lovely Popular Grove (the Penticton winery who provided all the wine pairings) unoaked Chardonnay, it was time for the parade of exquisite creations from Chef Jesse.

First up was this delectable boneless fried chicken thigh. Without exception the persons seated around our table automatically started remembering their Mom’s or Grandma’s fried chicken. It was that good. I was more than content with the buttermilk soak and southern crust but when I heard Chef Jesse mention that he had concocted the gravy from bacon and liver, well how could I possibly resist?

By way of switching gears, a smoked chicken and crab Chipotle Soup with an aged Syrah came along next.

Chef Jesse has picked up many food nuances from time spent in the Caribbean and his jerk wing salad was perfection in my mind. Feta, coconut and a honey-lime vinaigrette offset the jerk rub and made the dish sing with sparkling flavours. We sipped upon the tropical essences found in an unoaked Pinot Gris with this course.

For the fourth course, piquillo stuffing had been rolled up with a tender chicken breast and was nested in roasted squash rice with creamy dabs of pungent goat cheese.

The most ingenious dish was a dessert featuring…..chicken. Being a lover of the sweet and salty combination, the saffron cheesecake and candied chicken skin had me giggling with the notion that Chef Jesse had indeed pulled it off!

Just this weekend I had assisted Sister #3 as she catered a multi-course dinner and she spoke of the adrenaline rush that she gets when the final dish is presented for tasting. I can only imagine how a risk-taking chef like Jesse feels when he views the empty dessert dishes coming back to the kitchen.

I was so glad that I had cleared my evening to spend it in the delicious company of these good folks. I smiled and mumbled to myself as I strolled to the car “Winner, winner chicken dinner!”

Kath’s quote: “And believe me, a good piece of chicken can make anybody believe in the existence of God.” ― Sherman Alexie

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

Recently, I had the opportunity to assemble a number of my social media friends on the patio of the Southside Keg here in Winnipeg. The occasion was the opportunity to get a detailed look at the Lobster Summer menu features.

We sipped upon a lovely and refreshing cocktail that had been specially concocted for our evening as we awaited the last of the group.

First up was the Szechwan Lobster which also contained crispy shrimp and asparagus spears. The latter tasted even better than asparagus tempura which I happen to love. The sweetness of the accompanying sauce offset the spiciness. The crisp white wine that had made its way around the table, didn’t hurt either.

These crispy lobster tacos were a hit too.

Already a fan of The Keg’s Shrimp Gratinee, this special version with these huge chunks of lobster was utterly decadent. The sweet lobster was baked in butter, garlic and herbs and would have been scrumptious enough without the inclusion of a goey cheese blend. This dish in particular was so good that we all broke off pieces of bread to dunk into the escargot dish divets to soak up every last drop.

The colourful Surf + Turf arrived next. The mini filets were perfectly cooked to medium rare.

Haven eaten lobster rolls on Cape Cod, I was not prepared to be so impressed by The Keg’s version. The sparkling taste of the chilled seafood could shine as the mayo was added with a light touch and the grilled brioche added that crispy buttery taste that I crave.

As if all these amazing tastes had not been enough, it was time for dinner. As we donned our lobster bibs we posed for this group shot. I thought that we all looked like patients ready to see our dentists!

This was what a one pound lobster tail looked like. Can you imagine how huge the whole crustacean must have been? The meat was dense with sweetness and flavour and I thought I might have died and gone to shellfish heaven.

For another perspective, this is how big the shell of that baby was.

The star of the show was still to come- a two pound whole live lobster. These were flown in the morning of our meet up from Nova Scotia. One of the guests who hails from Newfoundland demonstrated how to take apart the gorgeous creature with her bare hands.

Look at all that beautiful lobster meat and that was from a single claw.

The remains of our eating adventure may have best demonstrated what a lovely time was had by all.

Of course no meal is perfect unless it is shared with good friends. It is hard for me to imagine that I had never met anything of these good folks (with one exception) before I ventured into the blogisphere. Missing was our friend Shel Zolkewicz.

Katie Nicholson of CBC fame, also writes for Pepper + Vine. In the foreground is Robin Summerfield who has a fabulous cookbook on Winnipeg Chefs that will be coming out this fall. You may also know her from her years with Peg City Grub.

Natalie Bell also uses the Peg City Moniker. She is Peg City Lovely.

Photographer Ian McAusland is the only person in this group that I had crossed paths with in my previous career.

This is sparkplug Susie Parker of Sparker Strategy Group.

Rebecca Hadfield writes Relish when she isn’t making gourmet granola bars or teaching a spin class.

Ron Cantiveros co-publishes the Filipino Journal. He has written 74,000 tweets from his account.

Kath’s quote: Perfectly prepared lobster are “not unlike hot curds, juicy and tender, and sweet as scorched honey from ocean depths.”-Kenneth Robert

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

 

Our foodie family had watched the transformation of a downtown lower level space with interest when we had heard that a brand new concept was arriving in Winnipeg dubbed Kitchen Sync. We were interested for a variety of reasons including Sister #3’s as she is always on the lookout for space to conduct her Zest Cooking Solutions events.

I was blown away when I stepped inside the restored space!

The plastered walls had been chiselled back to the natural foundation and original beams were treated to shine anew.

The commercial kitchen space is a dream come true. The space can be booked for events large and small. I hope that Sheila, my new Facebook friend, won’t mind my sharing all those details through this link http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/everything-and-the-kitchen-sync-302290661.html so I can get on to describe our amazing culinary evening.

Since Winnipeg put restaurant pop ups on the international map with Raw Almond, I for one am happy to see the pop up craze expanded with a Chef’s Table concept. Chef Rob, known to most Winnipeggers, was the guest chef. Private Chef and world traveller, Chef Rob had recently spent a month of cooking and noshing in South America. He had a bevy of dishes and stories to share with us that evening. Included was the tale of dining at Astrid Y Gaston on a 17 course wine pairing dinner, which Rob simply stated was “the best dinner of my life!”

The extended group of friends of Rob, Sheila and her boyfriend John (whom I know from another career) and an entire book club were assembled around the chef’s table. Of the many things I learned that evening was this: book clubs are just as much about the wine and food as they are about reading! Who knew? I gotta join one.

We started the evening with a welcome cocktail, reminiscent of the ones that I enjoyed when I used to travel to Cuba, many years ago. Called a “caipirinka” it was sweet and tart at the same time, made from a fine Brazilian rum.

Ceviche, a dish I love from time spent in the Yucatan is said to have been “invented” by the Peruvians. In this case, snapper was skilfully marinated in leche de tigre, (Sister #3 shared her Spanish speaking skills and whispered  “tiger’s milk” to me), lime juice, rocoto pepper, cilantro and chopped red onion. To scoop up the fare we shared yucca chips (called cassava in Brasil) and a delightful flat fritter made by frying a green plantain, smashing it and frying it again.

Glasses of Argentinean Torentes Riesling, a Leyda Reserva Carminere and  a refreshing water of watermelon and mint were continually topped up by Sheila and John, who were amazing hosts.

Collard greens adorned crispy pork belly perched atop Feijoda-a black bean stew. Not typically fond of beans, I LOVED this dish!

Chef Rob explained that Peruvian food melds the cuisines of the Chinese, Japanese and the Inca and suggested that we focus on trying to detect these influences in the next course:

Loma Saltado, a beef stir fry served over hand cut French fries! Heaven, I’m in heaven……

Not “needing” dessert but happy to indulge, we watched Rob assemble caramelized bananas served with a coconut dolce de leche, a flourless chocolate/chili cake with shards of white chocolate. Every taste was so good; I even ate the pansy garnish!

Chef Rob made a statement over the course of the evening, that I found particularly profound and I think can be used to describe many aspects of life: “the best food comes from poverty”. Thinking back to my Polish Grandma’s suppers of prune dumplings with melted butter and cinnamon sugar, I am confident that Chef Rob is correct. Think too of tough times that you have walked through and the sweet blessings that came as a result…

The evening was an absolute treat and I understand that they are planning another pop up very soon-June 25^th to be exact, check out details here: https://www.facebook.com/kitchen.sync.Winnipeg.

Sister #3 and I predict that Sheila’s concept will do very well and that Chef Rob is going places. Actually, he has already gone places…

Kath’s quote: “Any healthy man can go without food for two days — but not without poetry.” –Charles Baudelaire, French poet (1821-1867)

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

As indicated at the end of my previous Canola Connect Camp post, the next stop for campers was the gorgeous Jane’s Restaurant at the Paterson GlobalFood Institute at the downtown campus of Red River College. The teaching restaurant is located in a former bank building with its statuesque pillars and vaulted ceilings.

We didn’t have much chance to work up an appetite, but there were amazingly delicious appetizers waiting for us including these gorgeous vegetable packets.

My foodie friend Getty (a Home Economist) and I donned our chef hats and were ready to receive instruction. Getty is the originator of Manitoba Fruit Share and appears regularly on CTV Morning Live.

We were given the opportunity to assemble an appetizing salad of mixed greens with a berry vinaigrette. My result is pictured below.

Chef Kelsey Fitzgerald finished her classes for graduation that very day but stuck around to teach us how to construct the “soft cooked egg” in the toast cup. She demonstrated the molecular gastronomy techniques using curried pumpkin for the yolk and cauliflower puree for the white. So cool! You may recognize my culinary teammate Pay Chen formerly of breakfast TV in Winnipeg. She now resides and continues to pursue her passion for food in Toronto.

Another esteemed chef- Chef Jeremy Langemann, the former Executive Chef at the Velvet Glove and the Fairmount Winnipeg Hotel is on staff at RRC. He is seen above chatting with Virgin radio’s Chrissy Troy while cutting the fresh pasta that we would hand roll into tortellini and then stuff with wild mushrooms. Chrissy is proud to declare that she is a Manitoba farm girl who is passionate about the prominent place agriculture plays in our provinces’ economy and on the world stage.

My tortellini packets were a disaster and Chef Jeremy patiently discarded them and then rolled out new sheets of dough for me to try again. In the end, the results were nutritious and delicious, especially when pulled braised short rib adorned the pasta packages.

Simply grilled vegetables accompanied the main and I indulged in my veggie crush-eggplant!

My friend and Chocolatier Constance Popp knows a thing or two about delectable treats and expertly held the tongs at one of the many donut bar stations.

Chef Mary Jane Feeke of Benjamin’s Gourmet Foods in Selkirk is RRC’s Chef Instructor for pastries. She instructed foodie friends including hunting and fishing aficionado Shel Zolkewicz and me on the fine art of donut making. Shel also makes regular TV appearances and her food photography is nothing short of exquisite!

One donut favourite were the S’mores- gingered donuts with madirafolo ganache and roasted vanilla bean marshmallow. Say that three times fast!

These two donut fusions were also lovingly created and served:

• A rooibos and citrus infused donut with lemon and orange glaze, and candied citrus peels
• A cinnamon donut filled with whipped cinnamon cream, and apple compote, drizzled with cinnamon glaze

My favourite was this sweet and salty invention-a nutmeg donut filled with apricot ganache, glazed with caramel fondant and garnished with crumbled crispy maple bacon. Heaven, I’m in heaven….

As we headed out of Jane’s and back through the Winnipeg streets en route to our hotel, I looked around at the exquisite room one last time. I noticed this time that the carved ceiling was of fruits and vegetables. Perhaps the former bank was always destined to become a restaurant!

The next day the Canola Connect Campers were off on yet another adventure. Stay tuned.

Kath’s quote: “Cooking is in an honest profession where you cannot hide and let others do the work for you. You have to show up, work hard and prove you can do it faster and better. And find a mentor who will recognize your talent and push you in the right direction.”-Marcus Samuelsson

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

 

On the afternoon of day one of camp, we were off to CIGI (Canadian International Grains Institute) with a perfect view of the Canadian Human Rights Museum.

The host for our afternoon has traveled around the world with CIGI. Here’s what CIGI does:

CIGI’s technology facilities provide access to a large variety of processing equipment in one location. Combined with the knowledge and expertise of our staff, we have the capacity to meet the specific needs of customers seeking to investigate and optimize the use of Canadian field crops in their products.

We toured their milling and bio-product facilities in addition to pasta processing and noodles and Asian products. I learned something new that day-a noodle is cut and a pasta is extruded. I had never thought about the distinction before.

Of particular interest was the baking facility where CIGI’s pilot bakery can simulate practices used in large and small commercial bakeries throughout the world.

Pasta, noodles and bread are my absolute favourite foods (with the addition of my beloved potatoes of course).

At home in the same building is the CMBTC (Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre) which is a unique, one of a kind, non-profit organization created to add value to the Canadian malting barley industry. In addition to malting facilities, we visited both of the brewing facilities which are capable of brewing 11-300 litres of finished beer. The Friday afternoon was a warm one and our tour was drawing to a close, so beer sampling seemed like a very, very good idea!

The last stop for that day was an extended time at Jane’s restaurant at the Red River College Patterson Global Foods Institute; the details of which will have to wait for another day and another post.

Kath’s quote: “Most people hate the taste of beer – to begin with. It is, however, a prejudice that many people have been able to overcome.” -Winston Churchill

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.