 Food is so powerful, “the food you eat can be either the safest & most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” - Ann Wigmore
At What’s Good Wellness, it is definitely not the latter. At their eatery, What’s Fresh Eatery, food is a part of the healing process. It aims to create a balance within the body of its consumer through a fusion of nutrition, mind, and body with traditional Chinese medicine, food cures, Chinese Herbal medicine and acupuncture. My visit to What’s Good was nothing short of pleasant. I spent part of the afternoon chatting with Chef Charleston about food, health, and how traditional Chinese medicine switched the way he thought about and prepared food for himself and for others. He reaffirmed in my believe that when cooking we should think about nutrition and not just taste—and that it is possible to have both. Let me tell you more about how we can use food not only to feed ourselves but to use it to restore and optimize our vitality!
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 Chef Bangerter's Truffle Soup with Parmesan Shortbread Last week I had the pleasure to be invited to a wonderful dinner party at Langdon Hall. Now, if you don’t know about Langdon Hall, I will tell you that it’s truly a culinary gem in Ontario and perhaps in all of Canada. The property itself is hidden amongst the trees; you have to follow the winding path before you reach the property that resembles a Chateau—you know like the ones in the French countryside. Many things make Langdon Hall a focus of the culinary scene. First of all, their chef is Chef Jason Bangerter, the 2017 Pinnacle Award for Chef of the Year. Secondly, they source their ingredients from their own gardens and work with local farms and Ontario producers to source products like meat, eggs, and seafood. “The cuisine at Langdon Hall starts with looking out our kitchen windows. It is inspired by the seasons, wild produce growing in abundance on the property and the bounty of our kitchen gardens. Relationships have been built with local farmers, foragers and artisans who hold similar beliefs of providing wholesome natural products that have been prepared with care and respect. “ (Langdon Hall, website, Chef Jason Bangerter) Their menu and dishes change according to each season, which not only brings a sense to newness to the menu but you are always guaranteed the freshest and most real of ingredients. You'll never taste anything like the meals at Langdon Hall as their plates are inspired by history and past events, create interesting and unique combinations. Langdon Hall creates an elevated environment for their guests, from the surrounding gardens to the creativity and ingenuity of its chefs, it is truly an extraordinary dining experience. Now that you know a little more about Langdon Hall and Chef Bangerter, let me take you through the best local gastronomic experience I’ve had yet!  At the Terra Milton Winter Farmers Market I get a warm tingly feeling when I think back to the days of early morning sunrises and Saturday Farmers Markets. Strolling through the farmers market on a Saturday morning, seeing what fresh harvest the farmers have pulled for the week, is really such a treasure. A treasure that unfortunately only lasts a couple of months for us here in Canada.
Wouldn't it be so amazing to have access to all the local fruits and vegetables all year round?! Well...you actually can! They may just not be available in the same way that they would be during the spring and summer months. What am I talking about? Preserves! Not just jams and jellies but fermented and pickled vegetables! This is a great way for Ontario produce to not only live all year round but increase its nutritional value as well. During the summer season you can pick up extra vegetables (that way they are in season and a) taste better and b) are at a good price) and then pickle them yourself to last you through the winter. Another great option is to support local fermenters and producers by buying their preserves. I also rely a lot of local food co-ops and farm stores who sell local vegetables and natural products. like micro greens, milks, cheeses, and meats. After trying and talking to many different vendors, I have grown to have a few favourites and go-to's. So for you guys who are wondering what and where to shop, I've compiled a list of all the spots I shop at regularly and trust!  My tray full of goodies from every station! What happens when chefs pair up with local farmers?—I’ll tell you, culinary magic.
It should come to no surprise really as the world’s finest cuisines are created by the hand-in-hand effort of a chef and farmer. The world’s greatest restaurants are made possible not only by the creativity and passion of the chefs but the nutrient and flavour rich produce that local farmers produce. Even L’Aperge’s Alain Passard was quoted saying, “produce is the root of it all.” The taste you get from local and fresh produce is truly unique. There is so much care that goes into producing these products that it really stands out when cooked and combined with the right ingredients. This past weekend, Foodlink accomplished just that with its 14th Annual culinary showcase, Taste Local Taste Fresh 2017. It was truly an explosive event for your taste buds. Surrounded by nature and farmland, each guest had the pleasure to indulge in seventeen different culinary creations with each an adventure of its own!  Blueberry Coconut Vegan Ice Cream @thesassyytomato Away from all the hipster coffee shops, crowded outside patios, and the noise of Kitchener’s busy downtown, you will find FourAll Ice Cream’s small but charming Tasting Room.
Tucked away at the back of a parking lot at 141 Whitney Place in Kitchener, FourAll is truly a hidden gem—you would never expect that a parking lot would hold such a treasure. And a treasure unique to each individual at that!—you see FourAll has something for everyone—from vegan options to light fruity sorbets, classic flavours like Chocolate, to childhood creations like Tiger Tail; there’s something for every single member of the family. There isn't a more perfect place for any family to get some ice cream during summer.  Echo Farms @echofarms (Instagram) It’s that time of year again, where you start seeing market stalls being taken over by beautifully red, green, yellow, and even purple/red-ish and plump tomatoes!
Though field tomatoes are usually a sign of the end of July, it’s one of my favourite vegetables/fruits--tomayto/tomahto, right?. They are so versatile and can add so much flavour to the simplest of dishes to the most hearty ones. Why Local Tomatoes? Read my article here.  I heard about this little evening market while scrolling through my Instagram feed. They were talking about tomatoes and the vast variety they had for that day’s market. So naturally I had to go.
I called my best friend and she met me at Riverdale Park in Toronto to visit the Cabbagetown Farmers’ Market on Tuesday evening. The market was so quaint and peaceful. It wasn’t very big, it had perhaps around 13-15 vendors, but you didn’t even notice because of the vast variety of products they had to offer. |
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