We asked master butcher and owner of Cumbrae’s, Stephen Alexander, to give us some instruction in butchery. Here is the first in the series.
Butchery 101 — Lamb: Chops, Shoulder, Shanks
Canada’s First Organic Vineyard Makes More Than Just Wine
At Fiesta Farms we are always impressed by individuals or companies who find innovative, creative ways to use as much of a particular product as possible. The nose to tail movement in the culinary world has proven that utilizing the entire animal –waste not, want not– is not only delicious, ethically and ecologically sound, and mind-opening, it can be lucrative as well.
There are many other examples as well outside of the boucherie: orange and lemon oils harvested from the juice industry are used for cleaning products, spelt from the brewing industry used to feed hens and even on a more modest scale, someone like Heather Thorkelson using avocado pits to make buttons.
It just goes to show you that with a little lateral thinking you can come up with a great product that minimizes waste while enhancing our lives. Continue »
When Life Hands You Avocados…
Make guacamole. And when you’re eaten your fill, make buttons. Heather Thorkelson does just that. A self-confessed maniac for the avocado, Heather has found an ingenious way to use up the mounds of pits that are left over after an avocado feast.
“I ate such a high volume of avocados that I just thought what a huge shame to be throwing all these pits into the compost. So I started the month-long process of curing, cutting, sanding and sealing each pit I had leftover. Then they got popular enough that I needed to produce more”
Give the Gift of Ontario
The coming months mean a lot of things for Canadians; barbecues, beaches, farmer’s markets and cottages. They also mean road trips. This is when we hop in the car, RV, train or bus to head out on the road to see friends and family or just to have an adventure away from home. Here in Ontario we’re bordered by Quebec, New York State and Manitoba. We can hop a lovely Porter flight from downtown Toronto to just about anywhere. For those of you hitting the road this summer may we suggest the perfect gift to bring along?
The Ontario Food Care Package!
You don’t need to know if Uncle John is an XXL or XXXL when scrabbling for Blue Jays t-shirts at the souvenir shop. Your nephew doesn’t need another felt pennant with a moose on it and your friends in the Finger Lakes aren’t dying for shot glasses emblazoned with a beaver holding a maple leaf. Give a gift that fits everyone and that shows off where you come from in a real way. Continue »
Bitter is Better
There are many products out there that have carved out a monopoly in a particular market to such an extent that you cannot reach for a brand x version, or come up with a homemade substitute. Usually these products have been around for generations, and they often have an interesting history behind them. If you are a bartender or adventurous cook, and are even slightly interested in the provenance of certain ubiquitous products, you need look no further than the bottle of bitters that you’ve grabbed a hundred times for a myriad of uses.
With its trademark oversize label, Angostura bitters is a little bottle that looks as if it is wearing its big brother’s shirt. Continue »
