Social discourse and food with a Godfather

The Spread,

The Almighty Bagel!

Salmon Salad, Smoked Salmon, Kalamata Olives, Cream Cheese, Egg Salad,

Tomato, Cucumber and my favorite; White Wine Pickled Herrings.

The Gracious Host; Mrs. Ida Fox

Awesome China, Earl Grey, and Dried Fruits were perfect for the purpose of our stay.

Howard Fox is my God Father. He met my father on their first day of Art School at York University way back even before stuff like the Internet existed.

A long time ago!

I had no idea people could remember that far back!!

For the past 18 years, he has lived along with his wife and two children on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel, supporting himself as a successful and seriously talented artist.

About once a year, he will return to Canada to visit friends and family. This time I was lucky enough to get in three hours with him and his very hospitable mother Ida over tea and brunch.

My mother has a fond memory almost 30 years ago of going to dinner at the Fox's and Ida insisting she hold a beautiful, but 4 week old me (sporting a tiny Yamaka) so my mom could dig into her beef brisket.

It's top notch hospitality that creates memorable moments like that.

Thanks again Howard and Ida!

http://www.howardfox.com/

-Jerek

Terrines, Moelleux, et Poisson!

Speck, Fois Gras, and Port Poached Pear Terrine

Quince Chutney, Brioche, House Made Granola

Seared Sea Bass

Sweet Potato Puree, Brussel Sprouts

Lobster Beurre Monte

Balsamic Glazed Tuna Loin

Sauce Vierge, Spanish Olive Oil

Avocado Mousse, Watercress

Trial Plate...

Medjool Date Moelleux

Big Brother Cheese

My favorite shot posted above is the Sea Bass photo. Not at all for the quality, but for the fact that I took the shot smack dab in the middle of the ridiculously busy Valentines Day rush and everyyyyyoonnee was too focused to notice and yell at me. If you look in the background, you can see a row of chits still needing to be fired. Good times indeed.

I'll talk a little about the Moelleux. Moelleux is a french adjective meaning "soft, tender, mellow, moist, and sweet". Occasionally used to describe Molten Chocolate, we found it suitable to name this Quasi-Bavarian Date creation into the same category.

The process which Anthony "The Imagination" Galasso did to create this Medjool Date Moelleux was brilliant.

-Heat Vanilla Bean Infused Milk. Add the steeped liquid to the pitted dates, cover and rest refrigerated for 3 hours.

-Puree the mixture and sit it on the sidelines.

-Whip egg yolks, and slowly incorporate 120C Simply Syrup into them.

-Fold the Yolk mixture into the Puree.

-Dissolve Sheet Gelatin and incorporate.

-Add Whipped Cream as the final ingredient.

-Let set on any vessel you wish to serve it. Small parfait moulds seem ideal, especially serving on a cheese plate.

-Jerek

My last meal (and the scratch marks on the walls dragging me to the electric chair)

My last meal.

Since it's actually not the final meal I will eat, it also makes for a nice movie date night. ...we watched a "Dramady" (500 Days of Summer), part funny-kinda, but mostly slit the wrists depressing. Not usually my kind of flick, I am of the "Dumb & Dumber" school of movie watching. The funnier the movie, the better the taste of the food!

Coconut Chai Rice Pudding

Candied Banana

Kahlua Sauce

(Should be served warm, I tried it cold to see which I preferred. ...Warm it shall remain)

Would these be the last faces I would eat with?

I love the question "If you knew you were about to die on the electric chair (Probably F.O.H. Staff finally made you tick off that last branch of sanity), what would you eat?".

I have never been able to fully answer that question with absolute conviction. I knew it would be something homey... hearty, good flavour, wine friendly.... but I had a hard time pinpointing it down until very recently.
In my opinion, the food I produce at the cottage remains unchallenged as my personal favorite food stuff to consume. Usually simple, made with the few tools around, it's the quaint essential Canadian experience to eat fresh caught fish at 9:30am while your hands still have residual slime on them from the cleaning.

What would I eat right before dying (Assuming I am still stoic like William Wallace in "Brave Heart" at that point...)?

The Epicenter of my food happiness is;

Hot Smoked Maple/Soy Glazed Salmon

Apple/Bacon Potato Latkes

Dijon Dill Creme Fraiche

~

Atlantic Lobster, Scallion Cakes

~

Coconut Chai Rice Pudding

Candied Banana

Kahlua Sauce

~

2006 Austrian Weingut Stadt Krems "Steinterrassen" Riesling

~

FREEEEDDOMMMM!!!

-Jerek

An Epic Winterlicious, $45, 3-Course

Smoked Fanning's Salmon

100km Baby Watercress, Avocado Puree, Oranges,

Aquavit-Herb Creme Fraiche

or

Sleger Farms Organic Green Salad

C'est Bon Fresh Chevre, Beets, Apples, Pistachios,

Chamomile-Citrus Dressing

or

Local "French Onion" Soup

Spiced Wagyu Beef, Hercule de Charlevoix Cheese Crostini

The Main Course

Braised Lamb Shank

Smoyd Farm Potato Puree, Winter Vegetables,

Wild Mushroom-Syrah Jus

or
New Brunswick Salmon

Lentils Stewed with Chobai Sausage, Broccolini,

Sundried Tomato Bernaise

or

Spinach Tagliatelle

Walnuts, Northern Woods Mushrooms,

Geai Bleu Cheese, Cream Sauce

Dessert

Dark Chocolate Praline Torte

Raspberry Sauce, Apricot-Basil Compote

or

Espresso Brulee

Cinnamon and Macadamia Nut Biscotti


or

Pumpkin and Hazelnut Mousse

Maple-Ginger Ice Cream


In Toronto, a huge number of restaurants participate bi-annually in Winter/Summer-licious. It was created in the wake of the SARS crisis and has been a resounding success, so it stays with us. For two weeks during the winter and another couple weeks in the summer, we are invited to partake as a restaurant in this event. We of course always do.

It's a great way to get people excited about seasonal ingredients and a good deal to boot. This is also why it's bananas crazy busy during the 'licious period. To me, this is a good time to distinguish the good restaurants from the great ones. The good will focus their efforts on quantity. They'll tuck their heads down and pump it out. The great ones, the kind we strive to be, will focus on the quality. Bring the people in, show them what you can do (if this is what you can do with a $45 3-Course, wait til you see their a la carte sort of attitude).

Winterlicious is officially available everywhere until February 11th.

-Jerek

B.O.H., F.O.H. Communication (and the glass guard between us!)

Pre-shift meeting, 4:45pm.

Cold Plates for the meeting. Cooks are encouraged to attend to see what the official plating standard is. This goes a long way toward maintaining high standards, and keeping food cost predictable.

Fried Medjool Date, Geai Bleu, Watercress, Orange, Balsamic
(Beautiful Flavours)

Typical discourse and setting.

Fun Fois Course!

Macerated Cherries, Smoked Sunchoke Puree,

Oyster King Mushrooms

It's important in many different areas of life to fully open channels of communication. I particularly believe this is the most crucial obstacle to overcome in regard to creating and maintaining a great team at an upscale restaurant.

One way to encourage communication is through education. An important daily experience at Epic is the plate tasting for the servers during the pre-service meeting at 4:45pm.

Usually, one dish is prepared, and the servers will go through the dish with the Chef to find out the details: how it's made, what are the potential allergies associated with the dish, what wines are best suited, where do the ingredients come from, etc...

It's a great idea. It both keeps the cooks on their best form with continual reminders of the standards, and promotes knowledgeable and interested with the servers regarding the products they promote and sell.

It doesn't seem like a big deal, but it really does go a long way toward keeping consistent high standards both in the front and in the kitchen.

-Jerek