Long in the works, a national honour for the food sector has finally been awarded. The Nation’s Table is the Governor General’s award for excellence in the food and culinary sector. Founded by Jean-Daniel Lafond, the award intends to celebrate the leaders and innovators who best exemplify social values, innovation, and cultural impact that we honour in our Canadian food system.
The inaugural inductees range from restauranteurs, chefs, food processors, and scientists. Of note, awardees include long-time Cuisine Canada supporter and member Rob McLaughlin, as well as past Culinary Book Award …
There’s a stereotype that all the excitement in the Canadian food sector lies in a few locales. That’s wrong – there are delights to be found across the country and good things are cooking in Manitoba — or are being served up in their raw, marvelous, unprocessed glory.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the exciting and interesting finds from Manitoba:
Cold Pressed Prairie Oils
We’ve all seen cold pressed canola oil. How about cold pressed flax, sunflower and hemp for salad dressings, dips, or finishing oils. Grown locally, and …
When Jo Marie Powers retired from the School of Hospitality and Tourism, University of Guelph, in 1998, as a volunteer activity she began the Canadian Culinary Book Awards. In the beginning this was a way of collecting cookbooks for the University’s culinary collection (now numbering more than 12,000 titles) and letting Canadians know who our super-star authors and publishers were. Soon it became such a fun activity that it became her primary retirement activity.
Last fall, Jo Marie turned the awards over to Fiona Lucas and a team of four headed …
As you enjoy your long weekend hikes through the woods, and are tempted by the marvelous wild delicacies, please remember the following:
-When foraging plants, remember the general etiquette: know your plants, and know about their life cycle. Never take more than the plant can quickly regenerate within a year. Some of my personal recommendations include not taking more than one or two fiddles per well established fern. I never taking more than 1/4 of the mushrooms I find (even if it breaks my heart), and I leave some fruits (1/10) …
There is no more fundamental component of culture than food and drink. As Brillat Savarin wrote, “The fate of nations depends upon how they eat.” A starving nation is known as a failed state.
These are dark days here in Canada. Food sections have been radically down-sized. People who merely eat have become self-proclaimed experts. Food writing is added to magazines and newspapers almost as an afterthought. The most stunningly–stupid nail in the coffin was driven in last week in Toronto. With the dismissal of James Chatto from Toronto Life it …
The chill of an early May snowfall in Edmonton has not prevented me from cooking on my gas grill. Just like 43 percent of the 1009 consumers surveyed in this year’s Weber Canadian Grillwatch Survey, I choose to grill year round. I am proud to admit that I fall into the category of hardy Canadian grillers (32%) who brave the elements when the mercury drops below zero to fire up the old “Q” and rustle up a grilled meal. The “to grill” meal chosen by most of the survey’s respondents …
Karen Baxter, Brazilian born, from German immigrants, has now settled in Fergus, Ontario, where she lives with her husband and daughter. She has started her career in Business Administration, later completing her MBA at the University of Guelph with a specialization in Hotel and Food Management. Karen works as a Project Manager with Cuisine Canada and the Culinary Book awards presented at the Royal Winter Fair every Fall.
What’s your weakness? Dessert or mains?
Did you say weakness? I would consider an undeniable desire a strength. Definitely mains. With meat, stews, …
