Above, chef/owner Marc Lepin wins Gold Medal Plates competition Nov. 14 in Ottawa, his third year in the contest. He’s now off to Kelowna in February for the national grand finale.

DEC 06 11 – 5:30 AM — Plans are still in early stages, but a handful of chefs in Ottawa have hatched an idea to support Marc Lepine in his bid to be named Canada’s top chef at the Gold Medal Plates finale in February by staffing his kitchen at Atelier restaurant for the three days he is away at the national competition.

Opened in November 2008, Marc’s small but critically acclaimed restaurant has only 22 seats, each night offering a 12-course tasting menu at $95.

Owner/chef Marc, who has received his share of national attention for clever takes on deconstructed and molecular cuisine, was this year’s winner at Ottawa’s seventh Gold Medal Plates challenge against nine other competitors Nov. 14 at the National Arts Centre. His win qualifies Marc and two assistants to go up against regional winners from across Canada in Kelowna, B.C., on Feb. 9 to 11.

Right, Marc’s winning entry in November, called Qualicum Beach Scallop with Potato and Truffle.

The annual culinary competition raises money for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic atheletes.

But while Gold Medal Plates covers some costs associated with the competition, it doesn’t cover everything. And closing Atelier for three prime dinner nights in February presents its own financial sacrifice.

The idea from Restaurant E18hteen executive chef Matt Carmichael, himself a regional gold medal winner in 2009, is to enlist a small group of chefs to each prepare a menu course on the three nights Marc and his helpers are away on competition. “We’re thinking one course per chef showcasing our individual styles,” Matt says. “We just want to create a community feel-good thing among chefs.”

It came about as chefs gathered at the Wellington Gastropub last week to celebrate the birthday of Rene Rodriguez, chef/owner of Navarra restaurant in the ByWard Market. Other chefs included Cesare Santaguida of Vittoria Trattoria and Clifford Lyness at Brookstreet hotel.

“At this point we just threw it around the table,” Cesare says.

“We would try to do a course per chef for the three nights Marc is gone to help him out. He’s a small restaurant and can’t afford to run his restaurant and do Gold Medal Plates at the same time. … Even closing the restaurant for three days means three days of no business.”

The costs for a small restaurant that has to close can quickly add up, says chef Charles Part of Les Fougères in Chelsea, Que., who was a national Gold Plates finalist in spring 2009. Fortunately, his place is large enough, and he had enough staff, that Les Fougères continued service while he was away.

“To close a small restaurant for three days and incur added expenses to compete could cost in the order of $10,000,” Charles says.

Marc says he was pleasantly surprised by the gesture, and would volunteer to take the lead next year to support whoever wins the regional competition in 2012. “My first feeling was that I don’t want to seem like some kind of charity case,” Marc says.

“But then I thought, it’s really cool and I’d like to see it become a yearly city-wide collaborative event to support the winner, and as this year’s Gold Medal Plates winner I’d like to take the lead for next year and do the same in the kitchen of whoever wins. It’s more a show of support and doing a collaborative dinner, which are always fun to do.

“In our case, we’ll be leaving for Kelowna on Thursday morning, so there would be no service here Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I haven’t worked out the costs, but I’m sure it’s expensive for anyone who goes. Gold Plates provides some food and travel expenses but not the whole thing and we’re a tiny restaurant. So I am extremely grateful and was quite surprised they would be willing to do something like that.”

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Pasticceria to reopen in January after fire bombing

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Pastry chef and owner Joe Calabro (above) says he won’t be able to reopen his Preston Street business, Pasticceria Gelateria Italiano, in time for Christmas despite working feverishly to clean up the mess and renovate following a fire bombing in July.

Still no clue who tossed the gasoline cocktail through the front door in the early morning hours of July 28, when the blaze was spotted by a passing cabbie. Damage was pretty much contained to the front pastry shop/restaurant/gelateria part of the building. Earlier, Joe said he hoped to be up and running before Christmas, but of course things often take longer than anticipated.

He is taking phone orders for customer pickup, however, at 613-233-2104.

“It doesn’t look like Christmas,” Joe says. “We were hoping, but after waiting this long we don’t want to rush it, so we’re looking at January now.

“We’re still taking orders for Christmas, but it’s for pickup only. I’m hoping next week or so I’ll get the rest of the machines and millwork, but I’m looking at mid-January or perhaps a bit before that. My dates keep changing, but the whole place is now painted.”

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Special National Gallery menu goes molecular

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National Gallery of Canada chef John Leung is stepping well outside the box with his first Christmas theme dinner menu to be held in the great hall on Dec. 15. Seating is limited to 24 for a seven-course menu, served from 5 to 8 p.m.

“I’m looking to do a fun Christmas dinner with my sous chef, Ian Carswell, that will feature deconstructed molecular cuisine you’ve not seen before at the National Gallery,” John says.

“And for the first time we’ll be open at night for supper on the Thursday. If it works, we might have a different theme night every six to eight weeks. And the spectacular view (photo, left) is free.”

The menu opens with eggnog, then moves on to a playful appetizer called “Fireplace Smoke” with chilled and smoked mushroom consommé, smoked cod mousse, celery cubes, cep purée, almond purée, sliced almonds, chanterelle mushrooms and truffle ‘soil.’ First main dish is called Christmas Goose, with interesting spins on goose, confit, cranberry, and various vegetables.

The first main is followed by a clementine and beet ‘sugar plum’ with clementine granite. The second main is venison with juniper glaze, blueberry, Jerusalem artichoke purée, salsify, celeriac balls and fried potato batons …

You get the drift. Varied, and eclectic.

Total price including taxes, tip and wines to match is $120. Call 613-943-0247.

DEC 16 11 – 9 AM — An acclaimed chef who twice brought home coveted five-diamond dining status to his employers is taking the helm of the food operation at the downtown Sheraton Ottawa hotel. Frédéric Filliodeau, 42, begins his new job as executive chef Monday at the 236-room hotel, overseeing the Carleton Dining Room and Lounge as well as banquets. Hotel staff were told of the appointment yesterday.

A classically trained French chef, Frédéric replaces Russell Weir, executive chef at the hotel for 11 years. In October, Russell took on the job overseeing food operations at Algonquin College after chef Mark Steele left in September to be executive chef at the downtown Ottawa Marriott.

Under his tenure, Frédéric won AAA-CAA five-diamond status in 2000 at Nuances restaurant at the Casino de Montreal, and again in 2005 for Signatures restaurant at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute here in Ottawa. He was executive chef at Signatures for six years ending 2006.

Most recently, Frédéric had been working on contract in France to open a 230-seat bistro moderne at the Atlantic seaside resort La Baule-Escoublac, returning to Ottawa in October to rejoin his wife, Corneillia, and their two young daughters. They recently purchased a home in Aylmer, Que.

“It’s nice to be back in Ottawa,” Frédéric says. “I think they have  new vision at the Sheraton to develop the culinary aspect, and general manager Rob Roy wants to make the Sheraton a dining destination.”

Frédéric landed the job after the hotel general manager dropped by C.A. Paradis cookware/restaurant supplies on Bank Street to purchase a going-away gift for Russell. There, he mentioned to Nicole Paradis he was looking for a chef.

“He literally said, ‘Nicole, find me a chef’ and I said OK,” says Nicole, a long-time friend of Frédéric and John Leung, executive chef at the National Art Gallery, among others. For years they have socialized, including occasional winter afternoons ice fishing together at Petrie Island.

“I told Frédéric about the job and he got it,” Nicole says.

Above, chefs John Leung and Frédéric Filliodeau with Nicole Paradis at last night’s special ‘molecular gastronomy’ Christmas dinner at the National Art Gallery. Dinner details to be posted soon in Omnivore’s Ottawa.

“When I came back I heard about the opportunity from Nicole,” Frédéric says. “I came back for the ice box party off Petrie Island with Johnny, Nicole and Foody P,” he says, somewhat cryptically.

Frédéric says he plans to change the menu at Carleton Dining Room, but not overnight. “We’re going to change he menu in the next few months,” he says. “We’re going to bring my style of modern classic French and Canadian cuisine.

“I think you’ll see things like halibut with pistachio oil and chardonnay. You’re going to see the famous butternut squash soup we did at Signatures, and home-made desserts.

“We’re going to try to work with a maximum amount of fresh Canadian produce. It will be a bistro moderne. The goal is not to get five diamonds, but to satisfy both hotel and walk-in customers.”

Congratulations.

DEC 19 11 - 12:15 PM — I’m frequently asked as Food editor whether it falls upon me to write restaurant reviews for the Citizen. To which I always answer, no, I’m the last person to review restaurants if only because I am too recognized, I frequently get very good treatment, maybe even special treatment, and our resident critic since 1993, Anne DesBrisay, is abundantly qualified as she visits establishments incognito to get the same food and service as anyone from the dining public.

And that is the point.

In fact, Anne visits each restaurant at least two times — and more if she detects serious flaws — on the understanding anyone can have a good or bad night. If a chef doesn’t show up for a shift, then anything can happen and a restaurant shouldn’t necessarily be judged on a single poor performance. But two times, or three? That provides a far more telling and balanced assessment.

Above, deconstructed “egg nog” presented in a spoon as a soft-poached egg.

I once chatted with Ruth Reichl in her former life as dining critic for The New York Times, to ask how she approaches a restaurant before writing in what is likely the most influential newspaper in the world’s most influential city. Of course, she, like Anne, made it a point to visit multiple times, and even then the newspaper tended not to write about really, really awful restaurants because, after all, New York City is replete with excellent eateries — so why waste ink on those that clearly don’t measure up?

And so I thought of Ruth and Anne on Thursday as Nancy and I were invited to sample a new, more intimate dinner concept being tried at the National Gallery of Canada, where chef John Leung, with excellent pedigree and credentials, wants to show folks what he and chef Ian Carswell are capable of doing (photo, above).

“Ian created the menu,” John explains, referring to his sous chef who has worked with molecular cuisine at the two-Michelin star Chez Dominique in Helsinki,  currently ranked 23rd among the world’s Top 50 restaurants by San Pellegrino.

So, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of talent here. Look at the photos of their dishes, for goodness sake! Among the best in this city, period.

Unfortunately, while dinner began early at 5 p.m. everyone had to be out at 8 p.m. when the musuem closed. That made for a rather hurried series of courses that, by the time it was over, did run a bit into overtime as anxious security guards stood watch.

Above, second-course appetizer “Fireplace Smoke” with chilled smoked mushroom consommé (not shown), smoked cod mousse, celery cubes, cep purée, sliced almonds, chanterelle mushrooms and truffle “soil.”

Theirs was a completely deconstructed and clever seven-course “molecular” version of Christmas dinner, as only one with agar-agar, sodium alginate, carrogeenan and the like can create, beginning with an “egg nog” completely pulled apart and reassembled on a spoon to deliver the appearance of soft-cooked egg but with all the cheery flavours you’d expect in the traditional Yuletide beverage.

First main dish, Squab “Christmas Goose:” Utterly tender and succulent squab breast cooked sous vide at 61.3 C for two hours with squab confit terrine, gravy, cranberry purée, kiohlrabi “turnip” cylinder, cauliflower purée, brussels sprouts leaves and potato mash cube.

“I wanted to do a fun Christmas dinner with deconstructed molecular cuisine you have not seen before at the National Gallery,” John explains.

“And for the first time, we’re open at night for supper on that Thursday. If it works, we may try a different theme night every six to eight weeks.”

It was delightful. Playful. Appreciated, thank you.

Still, we couldn’t overlook the elephant in the room after Anne pretty much trashed the museum’s Café L’Entrée in her review published Nov. 3. There, she says, the café in this splendid space with a breath-taking view of Parliament Hill pretty much reflected the kind of lacklustre food/service that afflicts other national museums in the nation’s capital, in this case provided by KW (Kurt Waldele) Catering part-owned by Alan Albutt.

Alan says the point of our dinner last week was to move beyond the disappointing review. Among other ideas, gallery chefs plan a theme Valentine’s Day molecular menu — again, with limited seating of about 24 people –  but with hours extended to 10 p.m.

Alan made it clear issues raised by Anne in her review were in the process of being fixed, or will be addressed soon. “Since the review we’ve changed some things, with a different style of cooking,” he says. Yet the buckets to catch drips from the ceiling remain … That problem will take much more effort to remedy.

Beyond that, kitchen staff are extremely limited in what they can do in the tiny space adjacent to the Great Hall where tables and chairs are set up for the café. For starters, they can’t do any serious cooking because there is no power ventilation to the outside — it is an art gallery, after all, stuffed with valuable treasures that don’t respond well to cooking grease and soot.

Even on the evening I attended, nervous guards popped by just minutes after John fired up a single propane torch to sear a few components (and set off the smoke alarm in the process).

Granité: Clementine and Beet “Sugar Plum:” Clementine granité, beet purée, beet chip, clementine seqments, clementine sorbet, beet “sugar plum.”

Still, Alan and John say microwave ovens there will soon be history. Already new thermo circulators have been brought in to cook sous vide without flames, fumes and other side effects that make security personnel antsy. (The sous vide stuff was apparently ordered before the review appeared, as were new plates.)

Where Anne commented on the stark aluminum tables and hard, bare aluminum chairs to match, Alan says henceforth the tables will be covered with tablecloths and plate glass on top. “And the gallery is looking to purchase cushions for the chairs.”

Second main: Venison “Reindeer:” Juniper glaze, sous vide venison at 61.3 C at three hours, blueberry/juniper “soil,” Jerusalem artichoke purée, salsify, celeriac balls, pearl onion, black/blueberry “fluid gel,” potato batons.

KW Catering has asked about installing a proper heat source to cook with, “but first we need a ventilation system to handle it.” In its absence, chefs opted for the molecular menu featuring components and courses that can largely be prepared and refrigerated  in advance, then assembled à la minute without a lot of  combustion.

“And we have new or reassigned staff in place, and new dishes. So we’re serious about addressing the issues that Anne raised, very much so,” Alan says.

Assembling the “Candy Cane” dessert.

Still, the point is fairly taken that if facilities simply don’t exist to properly execute food for which customers are asked to pay handsome prices, then perhaps a rethink is in order. Which appears to be what the chefs are working on, with more than casual success judging by the wonderful Christmas presentation we enjoyed (and assurances that the Valentine’smenu will be even more spectacular).

And that can only contribute to the overall experience visitors have a right to expect when they walk through the front doors of some of our most magnificent national institutions. Ottawa deserves nothing less.

Pre-dessert Candy Cane: Striped peppermint marshmallow with strawberry mascarpone, strawberries, candy can ice cream, peppermint snow, strawberry/mint chantilly, strawberry/mint fluid gel, mint sprout.

Dessert milk and cookies: White chocolate mousse with dark chocolate cookie “square,” milk sorbet, dark chocolate dust and ganache, white and dark chocolate fluid gel, dark chocolate chip.

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MAR 07 12 - 9:50 AM — I’m often impressed by how chefs can cleverly craft a meal for a major event that balances creativity and wow! appeal with hard, cold reality. On one hand, they recognize not everyone is an adventurous eater, yet at the same time most chefs want to show off their best work. Couple those dynamics with political realities that frequently come into play, plus the logistics of serving literally hundreds at a sitting, and the challenges are considerable.

So, my hat is off to anyone who can deftly devise and cater a menu for an annual gala of, say, 300 people, and keep them all happy. Now, make it an annual fundraiser for the Ottawa Humane Society, and you’ve got other considerations that come to the fore.

Even at $300 a plate, an audience of 300 at the 8th annual FurBall gala, this year on March 24 at the National Gallery of Canada, is not going to accept foie gras or other dishes that may seem controversial. Serving bunny rabbit as a main course would be out of the question, too. I’m betting offal would not go over well, either.

On the other hand, guests expect an elegant and satisfying meal. As many as 10 per cent can usually be expected to request a vegetarian option, which is the case at practically any large gathering these days. But the vast majority will be looking for meat — which tends to alarm animal rights extremists, who don’t accept that the humane society is an animal welfare organization and not an animal rights activist group. (They’ve picketed in the past, and this year demanded — again — a vegan meal.)

This year, chef John Leung (photo, above) at K.W. Catering and Events, which runs the food operation at the National Gallery, has struck an impressive balance with colourful dishes that offer textural and flavour contrasts. The colour part is important, as the FurBall has adopted a Bollywood theme for 2012 (last year, the theme was Hollywood. Every year, however, it’s always about the animals).

And while the plates are certainly attractive, many carry textural and flavour adaptations from India.

This is the sixth year FurBall has been held at the gallery (previously, it has been at Brookstreet, and at the Fairmont Château Laurier).

First course for the FurBall gala: Fennel seed poached prawns, tomato and fennel slaw, prawn cracker and paprika dust with roasted yellow pepper emulsion. The prawns are huge, size 6/7 to the pound; the peeled tomato enriched by compression in plastic vac-pack with tomato juice. The fennel is enlivened with citrus-note vinaigrette. And for crunch, the prawn cracker is made with a tapioca base, dry shrimp, then baked until crisp.

“The theme allows me to introduce East Indian spices with the colours of Bollywood,” John says.

“My challenge was, I didn’t want to do something that was done before. Normally it’s beef or chicken, and last year we had both. People tend to choose either because they’re safe and have broad appeal. And we’ve always have a vegetarian option.

“But this year I decided to go with duck breast as the main. It’s a red meat and it’s poultry (from Mariposa Farm in Plantagenet) and it’s the first time duck has been served at the FurBall. I think duck is a natural fit to take on a lot of spices, balanced with some sweetness.”

Honey-glazed Magret duck breast with curry lentil and duck confit tartlet, cauliflower purée.

I was invited to sample the final menu on Tuesday with Stephanie Kersey, director of social media at Knock on Wood Communications and Events, after it was tasted and approved the previous day by organizers. Impressive, creatively simple with nuanced flavours and textures — and beautiful to behold. Judge for yourself.

Last year the FurBall raised an impressive $170,000 for activities at the humane society. Among live auction items this year:

♥ New York Fashion Week Spring Collection: Two passes, round trip airfare and three nights at the Marriott Marquis, New York City, to attend fashion week in September;

♥ Viva Las Vegas! “Vegas style” at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the Flamingo Dec. 30 to Jan. 6, 2013, including airfare and accommodations for two;

♥ Party in Exuma, Bahamas: A week in Exuma for two at the Grand Isle Resort. Includes taxes, airfare from Ottawa and accommodation for two;

♥ Perfectly Charming: Designer hand-made cat pendant in black with 18kt gold chain;

♥ Painting by Philip Craig.

In addition to silent auction items, the raffle prize for the evening is a 14kt white gold 18-inch women’s necklace with one pear-shaped tanzanite surrounded by assorted round modern-cut diamonds .75 kts total weight, value $3,500, donated by Rings Etc.

Limited number of tickets for the evening still available at the Ottawa Humane Society website.

Dessert: Saffron white chocolate mousse, apricot sorbet, and chocolate mikado (the thin stick leaning against the mousse).

OCT 04 12 – 12:01 AM — Respected Ottawa chef Johnny Leung, 43, is leaving the National Gallery of Canada on Friday after 15 years in kitchens at major hotels in London, Toronto, Boston, two fine dining restaurants in Ottawa, and a diplomatic mission, to return to hands-on cooking in his own maritime-theme restaurant where he can deal directly with customers.

Leung was recently promoted to general manager of K W Catering, which handles food at the gallery. (Executive K W Catering chef is now Ian Carswell, who replaced Leung as executive chef in August. K W Catering is named after its original owner/founder, the late chef Kurt Waldele, a close friend of Leung.)

Leung is a graduate of the culinary program at Algonquin College, class of 1997.

“What brought me here was the joy of cooking,” Leung says, “but as executive chef you discover you’re not cooking any more … It’s menu planning, scheduling, meetings and budgeting.

“You’re overseeing the day-to-day operation of the cooking minus the hands-on cooking part. And that’s what I miss most.

“When I go home I cook every night; I stop at the grocery stores on my way home and cook for my family weekdays and weekends if I’m not working.

“So the main reason I’m leaving is that I miss cooking. I want to be back in a restaurant, working weekends and being with my guests and getting the front-line feedback that gives me pleasure.”

In Ottawa, Leung was executive chef at Restaurant E18hteen (2003-05), executive chef at the Earnscliffe residence of the British High Commission (2005-11), executive chef/partner at the former Par-fyum Bistro Moderne in Gatineau (2005-06), and executive chef with K W Catering at the gallery (2011-12) before he was appointed earlier this year to general manager.

Leung says he’s searching for restaurant space of 60 to 70 seats in the Parkdale-Hintonburg area, which he hopes to open sometime next year. “I want to bring maritime cooking to Ottawa,” he says.

“What I mean is, a seafood-driven restaurant but obviously with funky stuff like sweetbreads, frogs legs, like a chowder house/gastropub. We have great gastropubs and charcuterie houses in Ottawa but we don’t have a great chowder house.

“So I want a neighbourhood place where people can come on a regular basis for a big bowl of chowder, and even a signature fish and chips that, believe me, will not be your regular Friday night fish and chips.”

Leung also likes the idea of serving a to-die-for fish sandwich, homemade sausages, and his beloved foie gras.

“I want to be different. There are fantastic restaurants owned by chefs in this city, so I want to contribute to that by offering something different. People haven’t tasted my food in a while, so I want to be back in the kitchen, cooking on the line and seeing my clients — that’s what I want to be doing.”

As for the location, Leung says he’s looking for “a neighbourhood place ideally located on Wellington, between Parkdale and Hintonburg.”

“But I’m open to suggestions, and I’m not in a rush to jump into a location just for the sake of jumping.”

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Twitter: @roneade

Above, dish created by second-year Algonquin culinary arts student Chad Hogerland.

FEB 21 13 – 11:40 AM — I’m not much inclined to write about myself. (Come to think of it, best strike out that part, as truth is I delight in writing about culinary exploits — especially when there is a personal note to embellish an amusing story).

Let me start over.

I’ve always believed the true mark of charity is anonymity, where good deeds or contributions are made with no expectation of reward or recognition. Failing that, then altruism will have to suffice where the unselfish intent lies in heart-felt concern for other people.

(Photo above right: Ron Eade watches Algonquin culinary student Jennesa Compton, who is taking instruction from chef Bob Gelinas. Photo: Anne Waters.)

And so I’ll claim the latter as I confess to being  more than a bit surprised that chefs/instructors at Algonquin College are organizing a bursary in my honour to lend financial and moral support to our promising young chefs of tomorrow.

I am flattered, but want everyone to understand I had no hand whatever in its conception.

The idea of a Ron Eade Culinary Bursary (I find the words difficult to even type without blushing — really) is the handiwork of chef/instructors Scott Warrick and Mario Ramsay, who I have worked with over many years as former Food editor of the Citizen. I’ve always believed it important to encourage protogés in the culinary arts, to chronicle their progress and reward their commitment and good work, even in a news article or blog post.

Apparently, others noticed and want to thank me for the effort. To them, I accept with humility.

People who know me will understand my reluctance to obsess about kudos, so today I invite Anne Waters (photo, left), who pens the Food blog If Music be the Food of Love, Play On, to carry the ball for me. I appreciate her time, effort and writing skills.

Says Anne, “When I heard about the bursary from Scott I quickly offered to write about the event if it would help to get the word out and as a show of support.”

Well, you certainly did that Anne. Thank you.

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Annual tribute to late chef, Kurt Waldele,
moves to National Arts Centre

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Almost two dozen top Ottawa chefs
serve their best to help humane society

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AUG 07 13 – 12:01 AM — About this time each summer, during my laziest days ensconced in the shade of my neighbour’s majestic maple, the thought invariably occurs at least once that perhaps, just maybe, Ottawa has two or three too many festivals.

These kind of wacky notions usually indicate a more pressing unspoken concern, and once my friend Jim and I move on to lunch of tomato, bacon and lettuce between toasted slices of potato scallion bread, or brioche, such silly thoughts tend to vanish until next time, when frozen pizza may be the prescription. Let that serve as a warning to all about the deleterious effect creeping hunger can have on one’s mental acuity.

The good news is, I can readily think of one gastronomic event –undoubtedly among the very best this summer — in just a few days when everyone will doubtless be smiling, well-fed and thinking clearly, while helping a most worthy cause as a bonus.

And that is the 13th Annual Summer Garden Harvest Party, to raise money for the Ottawa Humane Society The event this year moves to the rooftop of the downtown National Arts Centre on Elgin Street from its previous venue at humane society headquarters on West Hunt Club Road. There, some 300 guests on Aug. 25 from 2 to 5 p.m. will nibble on food prepared by more than 20 of the top chefs in the nation’s capital, not to mention enjoying beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. It is a most delicious event, and a bargain at $125 a ticket, especially considering a $75 tax receipt is given by the charity. (Link below)

To date more than $400,000 has been raised; last year the party, including ticket sales and auction items, earned the society $40,000 — which organizers hope to double this time, to celebrate the society’s 125th anniversary helping more than 11,000 animals in distress each year.

“The Summer Harvest Garden Party is my favourite event,” says society executive director, Bruce Roney.

“The chefs always go all-out to make it memorable and delicious. It’s foodie heaven!”

“Funds raised by the Garden Party have been and continue to be a tremendous part of helping Ottawa’s animals.  Summer is a very busy time for the OHS, when  more animals need rescuing and our care than any other time of the year. This great event helps to ensure that we can be here when the animals need us.”

The garden party is a long-standing tradition originally hosted by the late Kurt Waldele, former executive chef at the National Arts Centre, with his wife Dr. Sizanne Beauchemin. Kurt died from cancer in 2009.

Three years ago Kurt’s friends resurrected the annual fundraiser in his memory.

Participating chefs/restaurateurs (some with vegetarian/vegan options) confirmed so far include John Morris of the NAC; Michael Blackie, NEXT; Dennis Luc, Mekong; Natasha Kyssa, Simply Raw; Simon Bell, Oz Kafé; John Leung, Modern Steak Sushi; Marc Lepine, Atelier; Gabriel Pollock, Grounded Kitchen; Kenton Leier, Westin Ottawa; Cory Haskins, Rideau Club; Tim Wasylko, 24 Sussex Dr; George Monsour, Back Lane Café; Joe Calabro, Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana; Heinrich Stubbe, Stubbe Chocolates; Nippi Chhatwhal, Ishina Indian Cuisine; Joshua Bishop, The Whalesbone; Frédéric Filliodeau, Sheraton Ottawa; Carl Baptisa, Real Sports Bar & Grill; Kyle Mortimer-Proulx, Zen Kitchen; Louis Charest, Rideau Hall, Big Easy’s Seafood and Steak House.

Big Rig Brewery is sponsoring the beer. Wines are from Coyotes Run Estate Winery provided by Roger Linton of Vintner Selection; and Crush Pinot Grigio from Nicholas Malboeuf.

Among items to be auctioned this year by Ryan Watson, of Raising the Bid auctioneers, photo above:

♦ Twelve $100 gift certificates from some of the city’s best restaurants;

♦ Dinner for 12 by chef Michael Blackie and chef friends at his new restaurant, NEXT;

♦ Six-course meal with wines prepared in your home by some of the city’s best chefs, to be announced.

“We are so grateful for all that Kurt Waldele, supported by his wife, Dr. Suzanne Beauchemin, did for Ottawa’s animals through the Garden Party,” Roney says.

“It started when the OHS had almost literally nothing and it has grown with the society to be the very special occasion that it is now. Many of the participating chefs worked with Kurt or volunteered alongside him at  past garden parties. It is such an honour to continue to share in this legacy to this great man.”

“There was so much about Kurt I didn’t know until he passed away.  I knew him as a tremendously kind supporter of the OHS.  It was only at his funeral that I learned how much he had brought to Ottawa’s culinary community.  The chef “guard of honour” at his funeral was among the most amazing and moving tributes I have ever seen.”

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Twitter: @roneade

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For tickets, click below:

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Attendance tops 250 as record $48,000 raised to help animals at society

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SEP 01 13 – 11:30 AM — Last Sunday’s annual Summer Harvest Garden Party to raise money for the Ottawa Humane Society in memory of the late chef, Kurt Waldele, saw a 25-per-cent increase in attendance, as well as record money raised at the 13th edition — this time held on the rooftop of the iconic National Arts Centre where Waldele served as its executive chef 31 years before he passed away in 2009.

As estimated 250 supporters at $125 each ($75 tax receipt was given) were treated to varied and high-end gourmet food and drink. And, oh, what a tasty afternoon it was.

“The chefs absolutely outdid themselves this year,” says Bruce Roney, society executive director. “If was by far the best garden party yet.

“Of course, the real winners in this are not just the guests but the animals what will be helped by the proceeds.”

The humane society, which each year assists an estimated 11,000 animals in distress, was the charity beloved by the late chef Waldele, who hosted fundraising garden parties with his wife, Dr. Suzanne Beauchemin, at their home in Cumberland beginning in 1997. Over the years those parties have raised more than $450,000 — a tradition that was continued by Waldele’s friends following the chef’s death. In 2011 and 2012 the late-summer parties were held at the society’s new headquarters on Hunt Club Road, but this year moved to more expansive and impressive space with a view of the Rideau Canal at the NAC.

Above centre, executive chef Tim Wasylko of the prime minister’s residence prepares albacore tuna lettuce wrap with watermelon salsa and avocado dressing.

Top, Tim Wasylko’s albacore tuna lettuce wrap with watermelon salsa and avocado dressing. Bottom, from chef John Morris at the NAC, brown butter-seared wild BC halibut, Acorn Creek Farms rainbow swiss chard, melted leek and crushed pink peppercorn.

At the same event, NAC executive chef John Morris also unveiled a plaque in Waldele’s memory that will hang at Le Café restaurant, which the late chef oversaw for more than three decades.

Left, Dr. Suzanne Beauchemin started the humane society fundraising parties with husband Kurt Waldele in 1997 at their home in Cumberland, Ont. Right, NAC executive chef John Morris unveils plaque that honours Kurt Waldele to hang at the NAC’s Le Café restaurant.

In all, I counted $17,000 raised for six items auctioned by Ryan Watson (photo, right) of Raising the Bid, which specializes in charity and benefits fundraising. Most expensive was $4,500 paid for what was billed as a “Head of State Dinner” for 20 people hosted by former Canadian ambassador Larry Dickenson and his wife, Margaret Dickenson, an award-winning cookbook author, served by some of the capital’s official chefs that folks don’t ordinary get to meet. Executive chefs include Tim Wasylko of the prime minister’s residence; Louis Charest of the governor general’s residence; Neil Dewan of the British High Commission residence; and Matt Cook of the Australian High Commission residence.

Many among the 25 chefs (plus volunteer helpers) Sunday have been with the annual garden party for years, dating well back to its Cumberland days. Among them is Cory Haskins, executive chef now 14 years at the Rideau Club, who served as line cook under Waldele in 1992-93.

Top, Rideau Club staff plate Cory Haskins’ riff on a popular dish he used to help Waldele serve in the early 1990s. This version is pan-seared prawns and ancient grain cake, shaved fennel, sweet pepper puree and Pernod emulsion.

“Kurt and I always used to do shrimp Pernod together at various NAC events — I was his helper at the time — and it was very popular at the annual Wine & Food Show,” Haskins says.

“We used to serve it with steamed white and wild rice, so what we doing here today is a risotto cake with red rice and quinoa topped with deep-fried wild rice. Then we’ve got sautéed shrimp and added piquillo pepper coulis and a little tri-coloured carrot salad with baby fennel.”

Check out the fine food served, below, and be aware of my dilemma — I simply cannot show them all.

Top left: From chef Louis Charest of the governor general’s residence, also partner in The Big Easy Seafood & Steakhouse, yellow perch fillet on injera flatbread, piri piri seared perch fillet morsels, wild leek mustard rémoulade, edamame sambal, tomato basil olive oil, serrano cilantro pesto, coconut aioli, Ontario Woodland’s masala. Top right, chef Louis Charest plating his dish. Bottom right, from K W Catering and Events at the National Gallery, doughnut dipped in coffee ganache with Irish cream sphere, coffee milk foam, mikado stir stick and coffee sugar snow. Bottom left, K W executive chef Ian Carswell plates with cook Tessa Turcotte.

From Natasha Kyssa at SimplyRaw Express, spicy Thai salad with cabbage, cashews, lime, sesame, hot pepper.

Unique to Ottawa from Heinrich Stubbe of Stubbe Chocolates: raw single-origin Colombian cacao beans, caramelized and coated in chocolate, then rolled in 100-per-cent cocoa. Highly recommended, chocoholics can try them at the store on Dalhousie Street at $6 for 50 grams, or $12 for 100 grams.

Top, from chef Kyle Mortimer-Proulx at ZenKitchen, salad of beets, pickled heirloom carrots, olive oil and cruched cucumber, cashew cheese, kale, blueberry mostarda and Harvey & Vern’s ginger beer. Bottom from chef Michael Blackie at NEXT in Stittsville, crispy aromatic green papaya salad, fried vermicelli, miso ginger vinaigrette, peanut.

Spicy salmon tartare maki roll from chef John Leung at Steak Modern Steak & Sushi. Bottom, sushi servers L-R Isabelle Boutet and Seline Leclair.

From top: From chef Nippi Chhatwhal of Ishina Indian Cuisine, chicken on naan with pickled daikon chutney, cilantro, homemade paneer. Centre, by chef Simon Bell of Oz Kafé, smoked wild haddock, buttermilk biscuit, crème fraîche, sumac, sorrel, marinated heirloom beets and poppy seeds. Bottom from chef Danny Mongeon of Hooch Bourbon House, duck carpaccio, sponge toffee, house queso, pickled peach, edamame purée, beet vinaigrette.

Top, by chef Connor McQuay at Back Lane Café, smoked duck pastrami, fennel-onion pickles and date compote on curried shortbread. Bottom, from chef Kenton Leier at the Weston Ottawa, melt-in-your-mouth roast Black Angus tenderloin with caramelized shallot and tomato jam . crumbled Quebec blue cheese.

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Twitter: @roneadeée

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John Leung, executive chef from Ottawa’s Steak Modern: Steak & Sushi, took first place at the inaugural Iron Pan Competition held Saturday as part of Upper Canada Village’s Food Lovers’ Field Days weekend.

I had an up-close view of Leung’s winning effort as I was one of three judges assessing the plates offered by him and three rivals — chef Ahmad Mansori from Cornwall’s Table 21 and Truffles Burger Bar, Derek MacGregor, executive chef of Le Chien Noir Bistro in Kingston, and Jhonatan Gonzalez, executive chef at Winchelsea Events in Winchester.

Saturday afternoon’s event was a brisk culinary sprint that confronted the four chefs with a selection of local bounty, allotted them 15 minutes to brainstorm and then raid a pantry, and finally 30 minutes to cook dishes that used two of three designated ingredients. Oh — the contest was called an Iron Pan Competition because the chefs had only a cast-iron pot and skillet, provided by Hendrix Restaurant Equipment & Supplies, to work with.

After the mystery ingredients — local perch fillets, several cuts of pork from Langview Farms, and eggs — were unveiled, the chefs went at it. I and my fellow judges Luc McCabe, executive chef from the NAV Centre in Cornwall and Hélène Peloquin, my fellow Ottawan who blogs at lacuisinehelene.com, began scrutinizing them hard, from the get-go.

We couldn’t just sit back and simply wait to be served. We had been tasked with scoring the chefs not only on their finished dishes but on other kitchen practices too, including their workflow to the quality of their mise-en-place and their attention to sanitation and food handling. Perhaps not surprisingly, there was a strong correlation between the quality of the food and the chef’s respective composure and coolness during the cooking process.

When the burners were turned off, here’s what we were served.

From Gonzalez came:

Chef Gonzalez’s entry at the Iron Pan Competition

We had high hopes for Gonzalez’s dish as we watched him toil away. As the cook-off clock ticked down, a potentially luscious pork chop was picking up flavour in a robust spice rub, and near its bowl were some garnishes that we expected would pack the punch of the chef’s homeland, Mexico. But Gonzalez tripped up by misunderstanding the rules. He only realized late in the 30-minute cooking session — in fact, I and the other judges set him straight — that he had to serve either eggs or perch as well as some pork to meet the two-of-three rule of the game. The fish was a last-minute addition on his plate, and some of it was under-cooked. Meanwhile, the pork that did hit our plate was overdone. To quote Gordon Ramsay on Masterchef: “Damn.”

This was Mansori’s dish:

Chef Ahmad Mansori’s pork chop with mashed potatoes

This was not bad, but our assessment — surprisingly and happily, we judges turned out to be very much aligned in our thinking — was that it lacked in wow when it came to flavour and presentation. It was a homey, direct, comforting dish, with a sweet, honeyed sauce.

From MacGregor, we received:

Chef MacGregor’s warm potato salad with perch

The Kingston chef’s tightly composed dish nailed it with a pleasing balance of flavours and components. The salad was interesting bite after bite, with some nice acidity among its attributes. As for the mystery ingredients, the perch was perfectly seasoned and cooked while the pork appeared as lardons that imparted their earthy goodness.

Leung made us:

Chef Leung’s cumin-spiced pork chop with grilled corn salsa and poached egg

On this plate, the perfectly cooked pork chop — juicy inside, big-time Maillard reaction outside — was the star, and the poached egg on top was its subordinate. In particular, the pork’s immediate and finely attenuated hit of salt and cumin was a judge-pleaser. There was a lot of colour and contrast going on with Leung’s dish too, given the nicely sauteed vegetables obscured in the above photo and especially the burst of flavours from the grilled corn salsa.

Between MacGregor’s and Leung’s efforts it was very, very close. On our 60-point tally sheets, each of us judges had just a point or two separating the two competitors. But we all agreed that it was Leung’s dish that prevailed, if only by a whisker. While the two dishes both struck us as well-thought-out and executed, but we were swayed by a number of thoughts. Leung’s dish struck us as a sumptuous dinner, while portion-wise, we thought MacGregor’s was more of a lunch item. Leung’s dish had more colour going for it. Overall, and notwithstanding the deep, clean flavours of MacGregor’s dish, we thought Leung’s dish was a bit more ambitious and varied.

Emcee Wes Wilkinson, Ahmad Mansori, Derek MacGregor, Luc McCabe, John Leung, Jhonatan Gonzales at the Upper Canada Village Iron Pan Competition

Lowertown Brewery

73 York St., 613-722-1454, lowertownbrewery.ca

Open: Daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Prices: sandwiches $9.95, rotisserie chickens $11.95 to $22.95, butcher platters $15.95 to $49.95

Access: fully accessible

Young chefs move from kitchen to kitchen. It’s the way of the business. Still, one of the most striking shifts that I’ve seen has to be Kyle Mortimer-Proulx’s recent relocation.

The last time I met him was in mid-May, when he was the chef at the upscale vegan spot ZenKitchen. Then, days before ZenKitchen suddenly closed due to financial woes and Mortimer-Proulx found himself jobless, the young chef was visibly proud of a seasonal treat of morels, fiddleheads and asparagus, smiling about a delicious faux vegan sundae.

Now, the 29-year-old is chef at a ByWard Market eatery that you could call the anti-ZenKitchen. It’s large versus small, casual versus fancy, populist versus niche, and meat-heavy versus meat-free. Last week at Lowertown Brewery, Mortimer-Proulx hosted a “Pork Belly Throwdown,”  the first in a series of monthly cook-offs, for himself and five other chefs.

Opened in mid-June, about two weeks before Mortimer-Proulx started there, Lowertown Brewery is a massive place of wood tables, unfinished concrete walls and overhead ductwork. It celebrates craft beer, nightly live music, sports on the TV screens and affordable carnivorism. It’s one of more than a dozen ByWard Market restaurants or bars owned by Ottawa Venues (also known as York Entertainment), and chef John Leung is the culinary director for all the company’s properties.

Still, the brewery touts Mortimer-Proulx’s culinary achievements, flanking its entrance with two plaques that announce his participation in November in Ottawa’s Gold Medal Plates competition — although Mortimer-Proulx was invited when he worked at ZenKitchen.

Plaques aside, the food at Lowertown Brewery is meant to comfort, not to win elite cooking contests. Its limited menu — developed by Leung, but tweaked by Mortimer-Proulx — is built around roast chicken and humble, prepared rather than cooked-to-order meats (beef brisket, corned beef, sausage and porchetta) available in sandwiches or not, perhaps preceded by a beer-friendly snack and accompanied by massive fries or a salad.

Butcher’s Platter (clockwise from top: corned beef, beef brisket, sausage and porchetta) at Lowertown Brewery.

Factor in a sweet, direct, glass-jarred dessert (cheesecake or a Nanaimo bar, for example) and four courses at the brewery might come to around $30 (beer excluded), or about half of the rough equivalent at ZenKitchen.

Cheesecake at Lowertown Brewery.

During my three visits, I’ve had some fine, noteworthy, slow-cooked meat. Corn beef and smoked brisket, in sandwiches and as part of the butcher’s platter, were sumptuous and full of flavour.

A smoked pork belly sandwich ($9.95) was a nice indulgence, even if perkier, more imaginative accompaniments than mayo, tomato and lettuce might have scored higher.

Pork Belly Sandwich plus Potato and Bacon Salad at Lowertown Brewery

These items strike me as Lowertown Brewery’s winners, along with the guilty pleasure of maple peanut candied bacon ($5.95 for four crisp, well-pressed strips) and flavourful, if messy, smoked chicken wings ($10.95).

A short-rib sandwich available as a special also delivered, and later I wondered if Mortimer-Proulx gets to step out of the box a bit more with his specials.

I’m running a limited special @LowertownOttawa today! Come try my smoked potted mackerel with green bean/pickled onion/tomato toss, crostini

— Kyle Proulx (@chef_kmp17) August 9, 2014

But in addition to the hits, there were letdowns and inconsistencies too.

Rotisserie chicken, while moist and tender, was disappointingly bland on two occasions, as part of that sharing platter and later within a sandwich. On both visits, the sauce that came with the chicken was of little help flavour-wise.

Roast chicken at Lowertown Brewery.

Porchetta was a winner in a sandwich, slathered in a fine, acerbic lemon mint sauce.

Porchetta Sandwich and Beef and Barley Soup at Lowertown Brewery

But on a previous visit, the slice of porchetta on the butcher’s platter was dry and tough.

Of the brewery’s side dishes ($3.95 for small portions, $6.95 for large, which is arguably closer to a medium), three salads registered as good but not great, with a tartly dressed kale salad best offsetting our meat fiesta, compared to a very bacony potato-and-bacon salad and an apple quinoa salad.

Kale Salad at Lowertown Brewery.

Soups (beef-and-barley, chicken) were meaty but nothing special, with broths that, while made-from-scratch, could have been more heartily flavoured.

During one visit, Vito Pilieci, the Citizen’s beer columnist tagged along and tried a flight of five brews. Some were made by Clocktower Brew Pub, which is in a partnership with Lowertown Brewery. The newspaper’s suds buff described them as accessible and straightforward, although one was off.

Service has been friendly and confident, but not always astute. One server overestimated the ability of a butcher’s platter and side dishes to fill the bellies at our table. Another server delivered chicken soup rather than beef and blamed the kitchen for not informing him of the switch that day.

Interviewed after I’d eaten there, Mortimer-Proulx told me a menu revamp is coming soon. Mortimer-Proulx said he hoped to add more of his “personal flavours” without changing the restaurant’s direction.

He added that he hopes to get the OK from Lowertown’s owners to begin serving a “secret menu” at a small chef’s bar to more discriminating customers. I have my fingers crossed, as what I heard sounded like the passion of a Gold Medal Plates invitee otherwise tasked with executing a more mainstream, high-volume mandate.

phum@ottawacitizen.com
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