#morevanilla

I'm dreaming up some more, and will share them as I go. The food gifts will come later, starting with some rose and violet marshmallows....

I truly wish they were throwing food. It would be more dignified. My post, a month or so ago, regarding the infighting between certain food critics, I assumed would be my last in that vein. I am not fond of repetition. Once addressed, should suffice. But they won't stop. It has now reached embarrassing and ironic proportions that bear dissecting, or, at the very least, discussing. I guess some people just like to stir the pot. Either because they have a propensity to do so or because they are convinced that this is the shortest and easiest route to a large following. There seem to be a few (or a very specific) critics who are showing their tell. I would gladly play a hand of cards against these people because they lack a literary poker face. I have struggled with my inner peacemaker who wants to ignore this fire that is being doused with accelerant, but I have such problems with turning a blind eye to manipulation and negative influences. So, here I am, for what it is worth, diving into the deep pool of shark infested waters. One restaurant, one well known chef, receives a rave review from a well established critic. Neither the chef or the critic happen to have been born in that city. Suddenly, both critic and chef are somehow at fault, or, at least, not worthy of the accolades or credibility. Right away, I am confused. As I have said before, critics are merely (hopefully) seasoned professionals in some aspect of the subject they write about, they write an opinion. They gather followings based on their reputation for being learned or having first commented on what usually becomes the shared experience. They are not always right, I am sure that some are unethical and some may be too soft. The list of possible faults could go on, they are, after all, human beings. However, one holds with the assumption that major publications or groups of discerning citizens choose to listen to certain restaurant critics because they value their opinion and have found them holding with their own. Now, newspapers and magazines, even books, have taken a hit. Cyberspace has dinged the chariot of the printed word and there isn't a body shop around that seems capable of restoring it to its former glory. So, therefore, in turn, have the critics who wrote for these publications. If papers and magazines aren't selling, if bloggers and sites like Yelp have become a second gospel for diners in lieu of anyone who isn't a 'well known critic', perhaps a few of these critics are lashing out at each other in a desperate attempt to gain more audience. When a critic who has made no attempt to conceal their disdain for another city becomes that same city's hero for attacking an 'outsider', something is amiss. Apparently the short attention span that is the internet and social media, manage to help some people, in that their audience has no long term memory. The latest criticism stems from the fact that a foreigner received the accreditation of 'best' in a city to which he is neither sprung from, nor resides in. The 'observation' is that this does harm to the wealth of talent that reside here and hints at their insignificance. The idea that a chef/restaurant owner who is not a local garnering such praise and status, does damage to our landscape, does not ring true for me - on principal. I do not believe that we rise to lofty heights by weakening the great stature of others. To denigrate another is, to my mind, to do more permanent damage to yourself. It may be hokey and trite to some, but you truly do reap what you sow. I happen to believe in the quilt of our culinary fabric. I always have. Hasn't stopped me from eating around the globe. When I lived or traveled elsewhere, I ate elsewhere. I appreciated it and learned a great deal too. I just happen to love where I come from and even though I believe that we Canadians are harder on ourselves than anyone else ever could be, I think we are a force to be reckoned with, on many levels. We may be young, but we have more talent in our kitchens and more determination as an industry than most. If the new guard is any indication, we have also learned a self confidence lately that will add to our game, this is imperative. We have a lot to be proud of, and a lot to show off. Do we really want to whine that the spotlight was turned on us because of some other player? Why not just take the opportunity to shine? Show them what you've got, instead of complaining. La Belle Provence of Québec is a neighbour that we could learn a lot from. A distinct society that has held on to more than just their language or culture. Settled by the French, yet distinct from the motherland. Québec could stand it's ground opposite nations twice their size. Why? Because they hold each other up. Canada may be divided on some issues, but we cannot dismiss or argue the strength inherent in a province that believes in itself. That belief has and will continue to weather many a storm. A restaurant rich community, Québec may lead the way on many fronts. I just wonder why it needs to become a partisan conversation. Michael Stadtlander, Jamie Kennedy, Susur Lee, Michael Bonacini, Marc Thuet... the list is endless - Toronto has an impressive family tree when it comes to cooking. I site these names as they are the ones bandied around as being our heritage and having been forgotten. Even though only one of these chefs was born here, they most certainly are our heritage in the restaurant industry. Does it matter that even the ones not 'of this soil' have been our staunchest proponents of Canadiana? These masters of food managed to unearth for us some of our greatest natural resources, train some of our greatest talent. If they have not been rewarded with the greatest of recognition and praise, then that is nobody's fault but our own. It is too late to go back. It is not, however, time to hem and haw about why our little neck of the woods is being noticed. We would not be here without the work of those that came before, the pioneers of our little town of eating establishments. They would all, no doubt, appreciate the recognition, but I scarcely believe that any of them would allow it to come at the price of one of their fellow chefs being stripped of any - no matter where he brought his knife roll in from. Anyone who has worked in the industry, or even those who haven't (but have read 'Kitchen Confidential') realize that this social media, sharing amongst chefs, is new. Instead of coveting (or physically hiding) concepts, menus ideas or ingredient choices, as they used to, chefs now send (in real time) photos of menus and dishes out over the web. One of their biggest audiences? Other chefs. Culinary masters and students have taken the leap forward that the music industry and the publishing industry never managed to have the legs for. Maybe because they are more creative, possibly because they learn to always be one step ahead or even if it is because some chose to believe they live on the fringe of society, they are not bound by the same rules. Grabbing social media by the horns, cooks have taken to their wireless devices and managed to congregate and burn so brightly, that they are attracting every moth, worldwide. Showcasing their talent, unearthing and reinventing classics, mining their territories for all their treasures - they are growing. I hear tell that Martin Juneau is launching an initiative that will further the cause. Gathering Canadian chefs, from all provinces, to cook in Quebec for 'Canadian Mondays'. Another chef, reaching across the aisle, making the restaurant world a better place. Growing and learning, at lightning speeds. Like that computer in War Games. So, cooks are banding together - as they do. Instead of a single kitchen though, it has become one, big, glowing furnace that never shuts down. On the other hand, some food critics are turning on one another. Ironic. Food bloggers get chided by, well, everyone. Some chefs don't see them as their 'BandAids' (Almost Famous!) and instead choose to lump them all together. Are all cooks the same? Do they hire everyone that walks into their kitchen? Groupies can't all like the same band and if someone's opinion holds no water, then it won't be long before it is evident. Those words, like the food chefs put up at the pass, speak for themselves. Some journalists see these 'freelance' food writers as, well, a threat, perhaps. Suddenly the multitudes have access to a platform and let's face it, everyone has an opinion. There is good and there is bad, in everything. Perhaps though, with the current trend towards Googling a restaurant instead of walking to the corner to pick up a paper and choose your food by what was reviewed, the old guard is feeling the pinch. Couple that with the feast of sites and internet mags devoted to food, designed by open minded and invigorated eaters, well, it is a brave new world. Perhaps learning to play nice in the new playground is the way to go. This new domain is not without pitfalls however. I have only been 'sharing with the web' for a couple of months but it only took half that time for me to receive an email from a major 'restaurant review' site offering to pay me for my "good reviews". I gave them the benefit of the doubt and answered that I would be more than happy to write well for them (even though I thought their site was built on purely 'citizen reviews') but that a good review, in my opinion, was an honest one and the only one of any benefit. I wrote, that if they were asking me to write positive reviews for restaurants for cash, that they were barking up the wrong tree. Never heard back.... Many notorious food critics have taught countless diners and travellers so much. A well forked bunch have also taught a chef or owner a thing or two, about a thing or two. Perhaps the rest will take a leaf out of these professionals play books, put down their swords and pick up their pens to continue in that positive tradition of touting the best, encouraging the brave and schooling the less skilled. The wave is rolling back upon itself and it is now the kitchen forging the way forward. The message seems to be one of a positive, inclusive nature. For there is no reward in winning by cutting someone else off at the knees. I happen to love the written word and am sometimes happiest flipping through the pages of an inky newsprint. Sometimes, it is even The New York Times and I don't think that makes me a traitor to my homeland. You can learn a lot when you step outside and sometimes even more when you invite someone else to your table.

There is a group of tireless workers out there who would never dream of going on strike, even if they had the option. This may be a generalization, however, it is an accurate one. Cooks cook, not only because they love it, but generally because they must. Passion trumps many things and for a cook, that list generally includes; decent pay for long arduous hours, benefits of any kind, an option for a social life and possibly sustainable health. Don't misunderstand however, this is usually the last group of people you would ever hear complain - they seem to be intensely driven, for a society that are so often overlooked. If they did complain, the only people that hear them are other cooks - they work that much. Yes, the celebrity chef is enjoying quite the onslaught of camera lenses and bags of cash lately, but they are infinitesimal compared to the majority of kitchen staff that fuel the daily fires. The reality of a cook's life is not the glamor shot that is played on a loop on most food channels. It is not driving around in expensive rental cars, touring the ends of the world and eating out around the globe. Most chefs and cooks are lucky if they ever make it to the market. Their homes consist of walk-in fridges, passes, hot lines, cold stations, dish pits, mops and a whole host of weeds..... and they return to it after only a few hours sleep, every day, for more. Most artistic communities can tell the same tale. If you get into the business with a dream of becoming a celebrity, you probably will not be around for many pay cheques, let alone the limelight. For the most part, it is a pretty thankless job. Yes, there are some very lucky men and women out there who work in kitchens that belong to people who value them and who compensate them well for the hard work they do. These cooks are lucky, and they know it because they have all worked elsewhere. There is scarcely a cook who hasn't been yelled at (and I don't mean mildly) for no reason, worked for less than minimum wage (when you tally the hours), gone without dental work because they couldn't afford it (or a trip to emergency when they needed stitches because it was the middle of service), missed a year of holidays with their family, or gone days without eating a decent meal because they work when everyone else is eating and cook staff meals they don't have time to share in. For those lucky enough to work for restaurants run by chefs, things are different. Unless that chef has forgotten his days on Garde, their brigade is taken good care of. I often wonder where they pluck their drive from, what fuels their desire to create, plate and reinvent. The answer is often, "It is what I do. I couldn't do anything else". They dream about food, they talk about food and they do what we were told throughout childhood not to do - they play with food. In general, this crew respect and care for food like doctors do for patients. For the most part (because I can scarcely speak for them all), they are meticulously clean - hand, surfaces and food storage spots are scrubbed religiously. Again, this is the majority. Even though there may be rotten apples in this bunch, they don't go far or long because prison rules apply - you will not be treated well if you don't take this seriously. This faction of the public, this posse of apron wearing, pirates of the line, they are working harder and longer for less because they are driven by desire. Pay cheque to pay cheque is their existence due to devotion to a craft. If all office dwellers gave half of what this bunch did, the landscape would be markedly different. There is a small place near me that has a few hardworking cooks slaving away to a packed house every night. The owner was kind enough to leave a plate on the pass of the kitchen window that looks onto the dining room. I have never been there without leaving a tip in the billfold and then adding extra to that plate for the kitchen. It always struck me as odd that kitchen staff didn't receive a cut. Some places do tip out to the kitchen I am told, however, more often I hear that most don't. If luck is on their side, this wave of adoration for a few of their team will translate to increased respect and support for them all. The age of chef magnate is a good thing, it just isn't a reality for the lion's share. Perhaps the new regard for this profession will mean changes to wages and insurance packages for a group that could really use it. Let's face it, if these people are able to care for themselves and have happy families, imagine how many good cooks they will raise. So never be stingy with your compliments to the kitchen. Whether those words of appreciation make their way to them or not and regardless of whether anything changes for them, these people will still be working to get your food out, with heart.

Not even a week old - even if there were kinks to be ironed out - here, they would just add charm. Already a favourite spot, Rose and Sons is everyone-friendly, as humble as it is cool and packed with flavour. Only a few words are necessary. Get in here.

Every year at this time, Toronto is graced by the arrival of royalty. The smell of manure and other animal scents waft up from Exhibition Place and the city knows... it must be November. The Royal Winter Fair has been an institution here since 1922. It would have started in 1921, but the heating system for the Coliseum wasn't installed in time. Save for the two years that Canada was involved in World War Two, we haven't missed a year in over 90. Tens of thousands of entries arrive each year from across our nation and some from the United States to compete in all manner of agricultural challenges and exchange ideas and advancements. Horse shows, rodeos, milking competitions, butter sculpting, show goats, best corn, best hay, tallest gourd, those incredible kids in 4H.... the list goes on. The greatest beneficiaries of this tradition though, have got to be the city dwellers who are afforded the opportunity each year to marvel at the wonder of those who tend the land and the livestock. The farmers and their families that keep old and invaluable traditions alive, passing down skills that are fundamental to our survival, from one generation to the next, so that they are not forever lost. Every year, when entering the arena of the Royal, you are reminded of the importance of the message it brings. There is life beyond the city, a whole world of craft and dependance on our ecosystem - a group of people that we depend on. Every year, this is our chance to show them some appreciation. Having only spent a couple of years on the farm, I only have a cursory understanding of the commitment and breadth of knowledge it takes to exist and thrive, on the land. Other than a backyard garden in the city, I purchased that land without any real clue as to how I was going to learn what I needed to. What I managed to figure out early on, with the help of some very generous farmers and neighbors, was that farming requires constant learning, as change, is the one constant. I moved in June, late June, it should have been too late for most of the crops I wanted to plant. What I didn't know until later that year was that my ignorance, the fact that I planted regardless, went unnoticed by Mother Nature. My first year was a success because the heavy rain in the spring had done damage to most crops planted at the 'right' time. I had gotten lucky. Many lessons were painful, most involving my animals. Nursing frail newborns every 2 hours through the night in the bitter cold of the barn was easier than when they didn't make it. I didn't appreciate hearing the familiar credo, "If you have livestock, you're going to have deadstock." I never got used to that. But the veterinarians that work with farmers are heroes. I owe a lot to those animal doctors who taught me so much, were so patient with the city girl and so kind when I sobbed like one. When I rescued a mare and her foal at the meat auction, my kind vet told me that I was a fool. I was warned that she had been so neglected that it was too late, that she wouldn't make it through the night and her foal was too wild for me to break on my own. Yet, he came out many times over the next three weeks and tended to her regardless, as she ailed and he waited patiently one day as I lay her head in my lap and spoke to her as he administered the final shot to end her pain. These vets come to you, and they don't charge nearly what they are worth. It is a drop in the bucket compared to the city. Thanks to that kindness and care, that foal is now a beautiful Paint, talented and happy. There were the kind neighbors who schooled me in how to protect my livestock (not to mention my daughter and myself) from predators of various kinds, coyotes being the biggest concern. Dealing with well water is something you want to master; fertilizing naturally is a time consuming endeavor well worth all the effort; hay doesn't bail itself; watering takes hours from your day and it seems as though the majority of the day is spent feeding the animals, while the rest of it consists of cleaning up after them. I have never felt so vital, purposeful or healthy. My daughter's education came first though, so here we are, city mice again. I am thankful for her exposure to that life and thrilled that she misses it. Her farm education was invaluable, however. I would be thrilled for her if she ends up going back to the land one day. I myself hope to settle on a little farm again. Filling a table with food that is entirely of your own efforts, from your own farm - there is really nothing like it. I have a hard time enjoying eggs in the same way anymore, it just isn't the same as eating ones from the hens you care for yourself. No doubt about it though. For all the romanticizing, it is hard, hard work. We owe a great deal to those who find that amount of labour and uncertainty, rewarding and worthwhile. The Royal Winter Fair allows us to shed a little light, each year, on just a few - on some that can afford to take the time to share their achievements with us. There are countless more like them, those that they represent, that we don't see. If we are lucky though, all of the children that file through each year, raised in the city, take this farm experience with them as they grow. For fostering an appreciation in all of us, for the efforts of agriculture, The Royal deserves a 1st Place ribbon.

Yesterday I learned that the son of a family friend, a young man, had died as a result of a brain tumor. His father, describing it as, the worst day of his life. As it often does, tragedy can shed powerful illumination and reset our judgement as to where we perceive we are on the scale of injustice. My thoughts led to those on the east coast, friends who were still reeling and recovering from a terrifying hurricane and the aftermath. All I kept thinking was, how this man would probably gladly exchange all of that inconvenience, clean up and destruction if it meant seeing his son again. There are many that lost loved ones as a result of that storm who would echo the same sentiment and have to struggle with loss as well as living through disaster. Their plight is one that I cannot begin to conceive of and their strength is of incredible magnitude. None of this is to say that all suffering is not of sincere validity - everyone has their troubles and they are all very real. My only thought, as I survey the landscape that I am privy to see today, is that sometimes, the more perspective one has the more we are able to be grateful for what remains. The true story coming out of NY (and I am sure in all of the places hit by Sandy) is not the destruction left behind by nature but rather the unfathomable strength of character, resilience, kindness and charity of its citizens. Not only are New Yorkers, once again, proving to be a force to be reckoned with but they are inspiring great generosity in those who are visiting their city and even citizens of other lands. The restaurant community is propping each other up, the strong are supporting both the smaller businesses and finding ways to help the citizens affected by the storm. In turn, people who are able, are visiting restaurants in droves to help get them back on their feet and foster the spirit of renewal and spotlight the positive. First response teams are working around the clock, going, as always, above and beyond to care for a city that refuses to forget how much they mean to it. Private citizens and groups like Citymeals-on-Wheels and others are delivering tens of thousands of meals and supplies to those in need - many of those who are unable to help themselves. What I have heard, from friends and industry folk, in a city I was proud to have called home for a time, is that... when the going gets tough, you wand to be standing with New Yorkers. Other places in the world have faced tragedy, yes. Many have not had the support and integrity of their leaders in the same way. Some places have suffered and not had the resources or infrastructure to help them resurface as quickly. This may all be true, but that takes nothing away from those in New York who are proving why it is often referred to as the greatest city in the world. New York would be just space without New Yorkers and it is nothing short of inspirational to watch them join together to get things done. Their swell of support for one another is a wave proving to be stronger than any that breached their barriers. I would say that they should be proud, but I know they are. Thanks New York, for putting so much into perspective. Once again, you have reminded us that united, you stand and deliver. If you can and would like to help, here are a couple of links that I hope may help: Citymeals-on-Wheels Mayor's Fund Red Cross

We Are Legion - The Story of The Hacktivists is a thorough documentary that untangles for many of us laymen, the vast web of Anonymous and the realm of hacktivists. If you want to begin to understand the minds currently behind many Guy Fawkes masks, this documentary paints a detailed picture. We Are Legion takes you from the inception of the group that sprang from connections made on a site called 4chan (created by a 15 year old boy named Christopher Poole) all the way to their present numbers and strength. If you were ever under the misconception that this was just a group of foolish young boys playing with computers in their parents' basements, time to pay closer attention. It is irrelevant whether you agree with or despise what this group of internet activists stands for. We Are Legion even delves into the problems and dissent within the group itself. It tackles the separate moral paths chosen by members and subsequent defining doctrines made by the group and those who splintered from it. Complex issues and debate regarding free speech and conduct are shown to have been deliberated, apparently, out in the 'cyber' open. Fascinating details are given and a true timeline of historical events are laid out leaving no question that this movement is not only significant but a surge gaining true momentum. Governments, corporations, individuals, have all learned the hard way that this is no idle game. Change has already been affected through the group who chooses to remain 'nameless', save for the few who have been targeted and harshly prosecuted (the film was not able to show the outcomes of the cases that were highlighted). The movie reveals the involvement of Anonymous and its supporters in; the Occupy movement, the takedown of PayPal and Mastercard, support of the Arab Spring... their force is undeniable and the list goes on. Investigative, moving and on some levels terrifying, this movie is well worth paying attention to for one fundamental reason. Information. This film does for viewers what Anonymous does for the public who wishes to pay attention - disseminate knowledge and information - what you choose to do with it is up to you. And Anonymous, what they are and will become, is up to them. The choices they have made and the course they chart will be directly linked to the size of the crowd that chooses to stand with them. Perhaps a 'superhero' is not such an impossibility, especially if civil disobedience and a plot to give a voice to the masses is their power. In the words of great thinkers, Voltaire and Stan Lee among them, "With great power there must also come..great responsibility".