The Good

Founding member, Anita Stewart, has been awarded the Order of Canada “for her contributions as a journalist, author and culinary activist and for her promotion of the food industry in Canada.” Over the years, two of Stewart’s cookbooks — The Flavours of Canada and Anita Stewart’s Canada — won Gold at the Canadian Culinary Book Awards.

Rose Murray’s A Taste of Canada has been chosen as Brant County’s “One Book One Brant” title. Every year the County of Brant Public Library selects one book to help promote a love of reading in adults, share local stories and culture, and create a community-wide reading experience. A Taste of Canada received an honourable mention at the 2009 Canadian Culinary Book Awards.

The Badly Needed

After three years, Cuisine Canada Scene is going offline. But don’t despair, this makes room for …

The Tasty

Taste Canada—The Food Writing Awards now has its own website. All news about the 2012 awards will be posted there. Drop by and subscribe via RSS or email. Be the first to hear about calls for entry, shortlisted nominations, and who wins Gold.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the members who contributed to Cuisine Canada Scene, all the readers who followed us, and to Cuisine Canada for bringing together such a diverse and dedicated group of people.

This isn’t good-bye. It’s just a new beginning…

2012 marks the fifteenth year for the Canadian Culinary Book Awards. In keeping with the shifting culinary landscape, the Awards Committee and the University of Guelph are proud to introduce a new name, a new logo, and revised award categories.

Taste Canada―The Food Writing Awards is an evolution of the former Canadian Culinary Book Awards.

The awards will continue to annually recognize excellence and creativity in food and beverage writing and publishing. The new branding will further celebrate Canadian culinary food culture, Canadian authors and publishers, while acknowledging and respecting the authority and history of the original Awards.

Taste Canada ― The Food Writing Awards is still managed by the same core staff, under the leadership of the new National Chair, Karen Gelbart, a Toronto media consultant with a long and distinguished career in broadcasting and journalism. Before taking on the role of Chair of Taste Canada, Karen held a senior executive position with Shaw Media, formerly Canwest Broadcasting, overseeing content for the company’s lifestyle specialty channels. In this role, Karen helped bring the Food Network to Canada in 2000 and then administered its explosive growth until 2010.

She says, “I was delighted to join the Awards Committee in re-imagining the awards for 2012.  We all share a common desire to encourage the development, use, and recognition of fine Canadian food and beverage books by instituting these timely changes. I look forward to a year of increased profile for food writing in Canada, and to further exciting developments.”

Remaining as a partner, the University of Guelph has for more than 140 years contributed to Canadian cuisine with programs in agriculture, food science, hospitality and tourism management, and other related fields. One copy of all nominated books will be donated to the University’s Canadian Culinary Book Collection.

Taste Canada―The Food Writing Awards invites all Canadian publishers to submit nominations to the 2012 Awards, formerly known as the Canadian Culinary Book Awards.  Deadline for submissions is February 1, 2012.

Designed to recognize excellence and creativity in food and beverage-writing and publishing, the awards also promote our Canadian culinary food culture while celebrating Canadian authors and publishers. The awards are presented annually to honour books published during the previous calendar year.  Revised awards categories, criteria, submission procedures, and entry forms are available online.

Karen Gelbart is available for comment and interview. To arrange an interview contact Debby de Groot, MDG & Associates | 416.363.1448 | debby@mdgassociates.com

The Fairy Tale Cookbook by Carol Macgregor, published in 1983, may prove to have been ahead of its time.

When tracking food trends, you need to keep an eye on culture as a whole since influences from current events and entertainment often creep into the world of food in obvious and also unexpected ways. Consider books like the Soprano’s Family Cookbook or the myriad products that emerged during the hey days of the space age such as Tang, Rockets candy, and freeze dried Astronaut ice cream bars.

Most recently we’ve been inundated with movies, books and TV shows about vampires and despite the hard to imagine connection that subculture could have to everyday eating habits, products such as gruesomely gory Blood Energy Drink and foodservice novelties such as the Vampire Kiss Martini do exist.

So, what should we expect next?  If this year’s TV premier line up is any indication, it looks like Fairy Tale inspired shows will be the next new thing. Once Upon a Time and Grimm  are the most high profile shows with a connection to the Fairy Tale genre and if they do well, we could be seeing a whole new influence on product development. The good news is that fairy tales are filled with food that people actually want to eat which means that if these shows catch on we could see some interesting new products such as:

• Three Bears Porridge:  a triptych of three mini porridges in delicious bear approved flavours (berries, honey, etc…) that will add variety to breakfast.
• Miss Muffet Curds & Whey: a new cottage cheese based concoction for kids who like to eat outdoors (perfect for summer camps!).
• Gingerbread house kits: instead of being sequestered to the Christmas season, gingerbread houses will replace cupcakes as our favourite party time sweet treat.

What other fairy tale foods can you envision on the grocery store shelves two years from now? I’m sure a peek inside Little Red Riding Hood’s basket of goodies could yield some great ideas for the bakery department.

With Canada Day fast approaching, we’re taking a break to enjoy some berries and the warm weather. We’ll be back in August when we announce the Canadian Culinary Book Awards short list, provide details of  the student cooking competition and share reviews of the short listed titles.

Have a safe and happy July.
The Cuisine Canada Scene Team

Photo © Manchester Monkey. Published under a Creative Commons License.

Tom Janes, Director of Sustainability, discussing sustainable fish with attendees of the Green Living Show (Toronto May 2011)

A Sustainable Fish on Every Table

By Dana McCauley

Since last spring when I started to work for a food manufacturer, I’ve received quite a bit of criticism from people who accuse me of selling out and abandoning the true and noble culinary path. Although I won’t say it doesn’t bother me, I can say that in the main I’m pretty proud of my decision. After all when I was a food writer, I was often preaching to the converted minority who already understood food sustainability, the importance of good nutrition and the joy of home cooking. Now that I work as an innovator for the manufacturer of Canada’s #1 selling frozen chicken product (Janes Pub Style chicken) I have greater opportunity to change the way Canadians eat than ever before. Instead of having thousands of readers, I have an audience of many millions of people who buy Janes products.

One of the factors that encouraged me join Janes over another food company was the commitment we share to the environment. In the early 1990s, long before other companies started exploring ways to add  ‘green’ elements to their brands, Janes launched recycled retail packaging. Today – just in time for World Ocean’s Day on June 8^th – Janes’ pioneering efforts continue as we commit to source only certified sustainable fish.

This move makes Janes not just the first Canadian company but the first North American company to have the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for all of their fish products. While this may not sound like such a big deal to city dwellers who dine regularly at great restaurants where the chefs source sustainable seafood, it’s very meaningful for many Canadians who haven’t had access to sustainable seafood products before. Now, no matter how remotely Canadians live, they can serve their families certified sustainable seafood without having to go to fancy restaurant or a specialty store to get it.

This is a big step. According to the Direct Link Menu Database that tracks the menu details of Canada’s most influential restaurants, fish accounts for 30% of the sustainable items noted on high-end Canadian menus. While these restaurants are off to a great start, their efforts just aren’t enough to make the impact necessary to turn around the situation in our oceans. Sources such as Ocean Wise note that “90% of all large, predatory fish are already gone from the world’s oceans” which means that the situation is dire. As a result, we hope that making sustainable seafood the norm on home dinner plates and fish and chip platters ordered at the pub, that we’re complimenting the efforts of gourmet chefs and taking steps toward making sustainable seafood an everyday part of Canadian life.

So, while I might not get to toss around truffles at work any longer and I may spend the odd afternoon evaluating the sensory profiles of various chicken nugget formulations instead of discussing the terroir of pinot noir from Oregon versus Burgundy, I feel pretty good about being part of change on larger scale. A year after leaving my food writing career for the corporate food world, instead of just telling people to choose sustainable seafood, I’m actually part of the team giving them an affordable way to buy it and share it with their families whenever they like. And you know what? That’s a pretty satisfying!

Happy World Oceans Day!

Dana McCauley is the Culinary Director at Janes Family Foods where she leads new product innovation.

Think Culture Days is just for the singers, dancers and artists? Think again. All across the country, innovative food professionals will be sharing their skills, culinary passion and food heritage during Culture Days.

What is Culture Days?

Culture Days is a coast to coast to coast celebration of arts and culture which takes place every year in September. In 2011, Culture Days will take place on September 30, October 1 & 2. Culture Days will be prominently featured throughout Canada via a major national public relations and communications campaign.

Beyond public appreciation, Culture Days acts as the lynchpin in a vast, pan-Canadian network and movement to transform the way Canadians view and engage in the arts cultural life of their communities.

Not sure how you can fit in? Here are just a few of the food-related activities scheduled.

• Chef Demonstration
• Italian Pasta and Cookies
• Mussel Boil with Traditional Newfoundland Music
• Feeding An Army: 150 evolution of food rations (with samples)
• Cob Culture and Cooking

If you love food and want to share our culinary heritage, Culture Days could provide the exposure you need. Participation is free and the only requirement is your event take place at some time during the Culture Days time frame and be open to the public without charge.

Want to get involved? Click here for details. They have checklists, online help and an FAQ section to answer all your questions.

While the Culture Days media machine will promote your event widely via the web and print, we encourage any Cuisine Canada member hosting an activity to post a link in the comment section. We’d love to know what you’ve got planned.

Grilling Canadians

Written by Barbara Barnes

May is National Barbecue Month, a month I have celebrated for decades. Being a media type, I anxiously await the results of the annual Weber Canadian Grill Watch Survey and sharing the stats. The results of the 22nd annual Canadian survey are hot off the grill. This year, of the more than 1000 people surveyed, two out of five Canadians grill year round — even when the temperature drops below 0°C.

Cooking With Gas

Although it was a tough winter for Alberta grillers, I am one of these dedicated backyard chefs. Lifestyle changes have put the brakes on my annual Barbecue Month festivities this year. I am a dedicated gas griller. Of the Canadians surveyed this year, 93% own a gas grill. Like 16% of Canadian grillers, my gas grill is “wired” for natural gas. At double the national average, 32% of dedicated grillers in Alberta are connected to natural gas.

After 33 years at the  same address, my husband, the “Admiral”, and I have moved to a new location. While I love my indoor kitchen (it will be even more perfect when the appliance company delivers my fridge and microwave) there are no sidewalks, no grading and no deck. This means there is no place for my outdoor kitchen, aka my wired for natural gas grill.

Where’s the Beef?

My husband has experienced grill withdrawal symptoms. You know how when you can’t have something you want it even more? Well, despite vegetarian tendencies, every second day he requests a steak. He wants it blue rare and he wants it grilled. Not wanting to be cruel, but my new yard backs onto a golf course and I yearn to tease the golfers with the aroma of burgers made from Canadian beef. While 52% of Canadian grillers pick steak as their second choice, burgers are number one with 90% of our grilling nation — with those formed from beef the first choice, turkey following in second place and vegetarian varieties ranking third. As for me, I miss grilling chicken pieces, second to burgers (82%) in popularity. When my grandsons come for lunch, I wish I could offer their favourite, hot dogs, number three in the hit parade (81%).

Vegetable Options

In the vegetable category, 62% of respondents grilled potatoes. Onions ranked number two at 56%. You can bet that the golfers on the neighbouring course will go wild when I can finally grill skewers of sweet onions in my special marinade consisting of equal parts of, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, canola oil and a dash of freshly ground pepper.

Clean Start? Not so much.

For all of the frequent grillers out there, have you checked your grill lately? Prior to moving I gave my gas grill a good going over. According to the Weber survey, although Canadians are avid grillers, with 84% grilling once a week or more during barbecue season, only one-third clean their grills once or twice a year.

Recipe Inspirations

When it comes to the internet, women are the most likely to surf the net for new grilling ideas and recipes (52% vs. 46% for men). As for me, as each new grilling season rolls around I add a few new grilling cookbooks to my repertoire. This year, The New Vegetarian Grill by Andrea Chesman and Weber’s Time to Grill by Jamie Purviance are on my roster. Vegetarian grilling is increasing in popularity and Chesman has innovative and practical recipes in her book.  Her recipe for grilled tortellini is one of my favourites. As for Time to Grill what can I say? Books by Jamie Purviance are well known for their step by step “how to” style and easy to follow recipes.

How I am going to sample new recipes from these books? Well, western Canadians like portable grills: Alberta (21%) and BC (19%). Perhaps on Canada Day or a birthday dinner, which by the way tied in this year’s survey as the most popular grilling occasion (67%), this Alberta gal will  grill a celebratory dinner on a portable grill attached to the stern of a sailing sloop named Dancing Bear on Canada’s west coast!

Photo © mccun934. Published under a Creative Commons License.

Barb Barnes is an Edmonton home economist. Currently, she presents food segments for Sobeys on the CTV Edmonton Noon News.