Stephanie Dickison's Blog, page 46
May 5, 2020
At The Pass with Greg Laird
Currently
Co-owner/Executive Chef, Butcher, Baker, Magic Maker - The Tempered Room
Formerly
Many greasy barbecues, pubs and snack joints. Then: Mercatto, Sorrel, and Canoe, before finally making it to The Tempered Room.
Favourite dish to make right now
My favourite thing to make, always; the croissant is the perfect baked product. Both a staple and an indulgence during these critical times... an essential luxury. A process of lamination that can be widely interpreted becomes a matter of pride for those with the passion to make it the best. A few pantry ingredients combined transform, but only when layered and bloomed perfectly.
Last cookbook purchase
Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack by Martin Picard. This book for me, is the pinnacle of refined, but rustic French Canadian food.
Have you read it/tried any recipes
The squirrel sushi. It didn't go well. Parkdale critters aren’t very compliant. Jokes and cookbooks aside, it’s the age of the internet. Chefs the world over post ever-evolving techniques and recipes daring you to try your hand. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll be left behind in a stuffy room filled only with old, white French men.
One dish or ingredient you’d like to see gone from menus
Fondant. I love themed pastry, cakes and displays, but unless you’re six, there’s no reason to use edible playdough. There are so many ways to recreate a beautiful vision that are also delicious. Get creative!
And one dish or ingredient that you’re excited about right now and would like to see on more menus
Pâté en croûte! Pâtés and terrines in general. Traditionally made with meat, in this day and age we can mold it around all our dietary restrictions, and there’s so much untapped potential surrounding these beautiful offerings.
Your biggest influences
My partner Humera Ali. We’re both very competitive, so I’m always striving to keep up with her. Love you, my little croissant.
If you could eat at any restaurant in the world
Well, that would be difficult as there isn’t much going on in the restaurant industry due to COVID-19. I would have loved to eat at Narisawa in Tokyo. Hopefully I’ll get the chance in the future.
Last thing you ate
Today we were lucky enough to feast on my mother-in-law’s Machli Aaloo Ka Salan for lunch, which is an intricate yet fresh fish curry served with perfectly made basmati and lal mooli. This came on the heel of my mom’s Jiggs’ Dinner - a soul- nourishing Newfie dish of salted beef and pease puddin’.
Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge
Squash, roasted red peppers, and smoked goat cheese. The base ingredients of our famous Squash Sandwich also happen to be my hilariously greedy baby Amara’s favourite food puree.
Guilty pleasure
Kraft Dinner and hot dogs, Pillsbury Pizza Pops, and Kellogg's Froot Loops. I can’t wait for Amara to grow up a bit, so I can use her as an excuse to buy myself kid foods.
Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants
Dandylion by Jay Carter, DaiLo by Nick Liu, and Shangrila Tibetan & Asian Cuisine by Namgyal and Tsering Dolker
Top 3 favourite Toronto bars
You would always find me at PrettyUgly after an intense catering event. I also loved Swan Dive and Grey Tiger. Now that we can’t go to bars, I’ve stocked up my own bar with delicious spirits, and house made bitters and syrups to try to recreate some of my favourites.
Go-to drink
Naked and Famous from Death and Co.
One habit you have in the kitchen that you should lose, but can’t seem to shake
Startling my head baker, Aya Oki in the walk-in fridge while she’s deep in thought. Just a high-pitched squeal should do it. She’s an extremely calm, collected chef, so the effect has been too funny to pass up any opportunity.
One habit you have in the kitchen that will inspire young chefs
My insatiable appetite for crushing lists. The bigger, the better. It’s about multitasking, keeping your head on a swivel, working smart but more than anything, having a positive attitude towards a challenge. I love seeing a long page of black lines at the end of the day, and I think my team sees that and tries to emulate it.
Hidden talent
Lyric retention. I can listen and memorize the lyrics of any song after hearing it a few times, and like a dog remembers a scent, I will remember those lyrics for years to come. I think my ability to spit old school rap bars is extra cool (not extra cringy, anybody who knows me, okay!) because I’m a nerdy white guy.
Best career advice you ever received
“Zero-up.” - Jacques Séguin, founder of Mineola Consulting and former president of Garland Canada. If you’re not happy with your business, product, or really any aspect of your output, and you’ve tried tweaking and tinkering and nothing’s working… Don’t be afraid to tear it down and build it back up the way YOU want it.
Worst career advice you ever received
Honestly - it was to just “Follow your heart.” Not that you shouldn’t live with passion, but big actions must be backed by thorough research, contingency planning, and unwavering commitment. Your heart will show you the way, but your brain should tell you how to navigate the route.
Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business
Follow your heart.
At The Pass is a monthly series showcasing Toronto/GTA’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight.
Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration.
May 3, 2020
April 30, 2020
At The Pass with Olga Spivak
Currently
Co-Founder & Pastry Chef, Le Beau
Formerly
Trained at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Pâtisserie by Alain Ducasse, and graduated from masterclasses of world-renowned pastry chefs like Melissa Coppel, Jordi Bordas, François Brunet, Daniel Alvarez, Alexandre Bourdeaux. I worked at one of the best pastry shops in Paris, owned by Meilleur Ouvrier de France. I am very new in the industry. I discovered my passion for pastry only four years ago.
Favourite item to make right now
Croissants!!! Hands down! :) And I must add, this is the most rewarding process too!
Last cookbook purchase
Have you read it/tried any recipes
Yes! Radix in Latin, means root, base, foundation. This book is not about fashion. It is about tradition, simplicity and essential things in pastry - everything that lately we tend to forget, unfortunately.
Name one dish or ingredient you’d like to see gone from menus
Artificial flavourings.
And one dish or ingredient that you’re excited about right now and would like to see on more menus
Vanilla beans! You can take away all the spices from my cupboard, but just leave these guys with me. :)
Your biggest influences
Pierre Hermé - the king of modern patisserie! It is enough to look at his work just once to understand that it’s not just a pastry - it’s art!
If you could eat at any restaurant in the world
Mirazur, France.
Last thing you ate
My newly developed apple danish :))) Yes! As a pastry chef, I get to eat A LOT of sweets, LOL.
Three must-have ingredients in your fridge
Butter, cream, and eggs.
Guilty pleasure
Caramelized white chocolate. It has notes of cookies and caramel, with a touch of salt.
Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants
Antler Kitchen & Bar, Alo, and Edulis.
Top 3 favourite Toronto bars
I am boring and don’t go to bars.
Go-to drink
Gewürztraminer: White wine with prominent notes of lychee.
One habit you have in the kitchen that you should lose, but can’t seem to shake
Leaving lights on in the storage! LOL. But, hey, I am working on it. :)
One habit you have in the kitchen that will inspire young chefs
Attention to details - Trust me, this one will help you big time and maybe save you one day!
Hidden talent
Writing.
Best career advice you ever received
“Learn from your mistakes.” - my Chef during my internship in Paris. And I sure did make a lot of them back then! Whether it was an over-filled piping bag that covered me in sponge batter, or rushing into the kitchen and accidentally breaking Chef’s sugar sculpture! The idea here is that it is okay to make mistakes. We all do! But we must learn and improve after.
Worst career advice you ever received
“You have to work for someone first, and then… maybe... open on your own.” Obviously, I didn’t listen and now I have my Le Beau! :)
Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business
The quote that I put on the wall in my kitchen and look at every single day: “It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be.” - Paul Arden. It helps me a lot! Work hard, improve every second, move forward and remember: nothing BIG in this life comes easy!
———
At The Pass is a monthly series showcasing Toronto/GTA’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight.
Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration.
April 28, 2020
Canadian Hospitality Worker Relief Fund: Grants for workers affected by COVID-19
A new fund is offering financial relief to restaurant and hospitality staff financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Canadian Hospitality Worker Relief Fund (CHWRF) is providing 2,000 grants to successful applicants across the country - “cooks, servers, dishwashers, bartenders, delivery people and others” - to help with daily expenses and bills, including groceries and rent/mortgage payments.
The one-time $500 grants will be awarded to individuals over the age of 18 working in the industry “who meet the eligibility criteria, as reviewed and verified by the fund administrators at the Design Exchange, until all funds have been distributed,” as outlined on their website.
Founding Partners such as Uber Eats and Welbilt Canada pledged over $1 million to launch the fund, with the Design Exchange, a registered Canadian charity and event venue in Toronto, handling operations.
Applications will be accepted starting Wednesday May 6.
April 27, 2020
April 24, 2020
April 22, 2020
COVID-19: Thank You Toronto BIAs
Once a week, Toronto Restaurants will be celebrating local folks dedicating their time and energy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This week: A shout-out to all Toronto BIAs.
The employees and volunteers at the +80 organizations representing more than 40,000 business and property owners, have been working overtime to keep us up-to-date on what’s happening throughout communities across the city.
Informing the public on what restaurants, bars, cafes, bakeries, breweries, and food shops are open and closed, in addition to ongoing news, events and promotions in their respective neighbourhoods, our BIAs are covering what traditional and digital media simply cannot.
Thank you to everyone at our local Business Improvement Areas for all your hard work and perseverance during this unprecedented time. We couldn’t get through this without you.
April 19, 2020
April 16, 2020
COVID-19: How to help others during the COVID-19 crisis
Navigating all the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is overwhelming. There are so many people in urgent need of help. Good news: Toronto individuals, businesses and organizations are coming together to support one another during this challenging time.
From feeding frontline healthcare workers to getting food to our most vulnerable, there are numerous ways you can help:
Mission: The non-profit financial resource for bartenders, servers and FOH support staff working in the hospitality industry in Canada. We provide funding for those who have fallen under serious financial hardship and our mission is to work in earnest to ensure that those in need can make ends meet.
Our mandate is offer support to the hospitality industry, by the hospitality industry: our grants are awarded anonymously by local hospitality professionals from each market.
Way to help:
Ways to help:
Mission: The Canadian not-for-profit aims make a difference in the lives of fellow Canadians who are in need of assistance with securing nutritious food and regular balanced meals, and reduce food waste.
Ways to help:
Mission: To provide meals to Toronto healthcare workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
By purchasing a meal, you will help fuel the extraordinary efforts of our city’s healthcare workers and support our local restaurants and their employees with a single donation.
Way to help:
Mission: To support West Queen West local shops. With each purchase of a Locals Goodie Bag, a donation will be made to Daily Bread Food Bank to support our locals who need it most.
Way to help:
Mission: Creating and cooking healthy meals for those in need. For every $5 donated to Community Food Centres Canada, Victor Dries’ Chef Chris Brown and his team will make one healthy, heartwarming meal.
Way to help:
MARINARA BOYS: A FUNDRAISER TO FEED THE FRONT LINE
Mission: To raise money to to feed front line workers. The Marinara Boys – staff from Baldassarre, Bar Ape, Sugo, The Sovereign Café – are are donating their time and kitchens. Your donations go towards all food purchases (from local suppliers and restaurateurs). We are determined to keep it up with these meal deliveries and cannot do it without you.
Way to help:
MEALS FOR FRONTLINE ICU NURSES AND DOCTORS
Mission: To raise money to feed frontline hospital staff in Toronto and GTA during this stressful and dangerous COVID-19 crisis.
The initiative is by chef Michael Hunter, owner of Antler Kitchen Bar.
Way to help:
Mission: We want to brighten the days of hospital staff on the front lines while also giving back to the small businesses that are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meals TO Heal raises donations through the local Toronto community. All donations are used to purchase meals from local restaurants and coffee shops. Meals are delivered to hospitals to help fuel staff on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.
Way to help:
Mission: Create food boxes that will be distributed to seniors and other vulnerable people.
Ways to help:
Donate non-perishable food donations - contact andrew@dreammind.com
Mission: Canada’s largest food charity recovers fresh, unsold food to protect the environment and provide immediate hunger relief.
Ways to help:
Mission: We help small food businesses that are struggling in this time of crisis. We match them with people who want to fund meals for frontline healthcare workers. We don’t take a cent.
Ways to help:
If you are a small food business, please complete the contact form to be added to our list of food providers. You will be matched over email to supporters in your area.
If you are an individual or business able to buy meals for frontline healthcare workers, please complete the contact form to be matched with food providers.
TORONTO RESTAURANT WORKERS RELIEF FUND
Mission: To raise money for laid-off restaurant/bar workers living in Toronto. Recipients will receive weekly grocery assistance for 12 weeks.
Ways to help:
*** Note: This article will be updated throughout the COVID-19 crisis. If you have a food-related business, foundation or initiative raising money or donating food - or know of one that should be included - please send the name and website to Toronto Restaurants .
