I recently had the honour of being invited to a butchery demo in the basement of Cowbell (a very unique restaurant in Toronto).  Our friend Margaret Mulligan (the fabulous photographer) was shooting the session and, along with Head Chef, Mark Cutrara, I was offered to come along.  I always love the chance to explore something I haven’t seen or tried before – we only write about the experiences that we liked or loved.  This was one to love.  Today’s article is art 1 of 3 and is a serious comparison of a butcher, a chef and a vegetarian.  All of the photos are hers.   To see the entire series of posts, click here.

There are several photos below which include an active butchery session.  Graphic as they may be for some, we have been careful to choose what we believe is a balance between sharing an important story of sustainable eating and the sensibilities of many.  The most graphic photos are not part of what follows.

Ryan Donovan worked at the Healthy Butcher for years before joining Mark Cutrara at Cowbell.  His is passionate about butchery and mastering a craft that is disappearing.  There is a theme of sustaining at cowbell (butchery, preserving, charcuterie, baking) which is also contrasted by a the welcoming of newer techniques (Sous Vide plays a significant role in the kitchen as an example).

Ryan and Chef Mark Cutrara lead a group of 10 people through the butchery of a 100+ pound lamb.  It’s early evening when a group of 10 people enter the basement prep kitchen and are greeted by the graphic reality of the task at hand.  For some it’s the first time to see an animal in this state (it has arrived skinned and cleaned from the abattoir) and even after seeing hundreds of deer and moose in a similar state it is a raw site.  The next 3-hours is an incredible sharing of information, explanation of philosophy and technique and education on sustainability.

“There are less and less butchers today – even in butcher shops.”  Many restaurants order pre-butchered meat or roasts of which they cut into portions that they wish to serve.  More and more butchers are ordering from the same suppliers and the art becomes further threatened.  Between farming and butchering we are dreadfully risking losing the ability to actually feed ourselves independently.

The session starts when Ryan produces a scale.  He places it on the table and rests a bowl on top of it.  Since Cowbell buys the animal based on weight, the bones cost as much per pound as any “fine” cut of meat.  There is absolute clarity that the use of the entire animal is not simply a financial decision – use of the entire animal is a vision that is tied to animal husbandry, their vision of sustainability and the beliefs they share with the farmer (Dingo Farms in Bradford in this case).  The total waste of this animal was 1.31 pounds – less than 1%.

The education process continues as I hear the words “retail cuts” for the first time.  The gentlemen mention that one of the advantages of self-butchery is not having to produce these things.  I realize that they are referring to dissecting the animal differently than what I see on styrofoam and am pulled deeply into the conversation.  The explanation of retail cuts is simply what you find in the grocery store.  Rib-eye, sirloin and the like.

The team explains that individual muscles are always separated by layers of fat (much of the butchery can be done by hand without a knife).  As each muscle performs a different function and is a different texture from the others, each requires different cooking methods to extract the most from the cuts.  Many retail pieces include multiple muscle groups (look for layers of fat).

I remember studying first aid and being explained that many of our muscles work in groups of 2 and the muscles alternate flexing/relaxing in order to allow us to move.  As you flex your bicep, your triceps becomes relaxed.  The more a muscle is worked, the more flavor it can develop and the tougher it can become.

The use of the animal is fascinating.  They render fat, make sausage, prepare stock and brine larger cuts.  The animal will last several weeks to feed the restaurant and they will only bring another lamb in once this one is complete.

The workshop end over a beer and tastes of their charcuterie and preserves.  The chef and butcher share stories, field questions and share their passion with the group.  Details are offered on their site and are worth every penny.

Over the weekend we will be adding a more detailed gallery of the workshop – the photos are more graphic than shown here and we will share a link on the main page for those who wish to explore more.

I recently had the honour of being invited to a butchery demo in the basement of Cowbell (a very unique restaurant in Toronto).  Our friend Margaret Mulligan (the fabulous photographer) was shooting the session and, along with Head Chef, Mark Cutrara, I was offered to come along.  I always love the chance to explore something I haven’t seen or tried before – we only write about the experiences that we liked or loved.  This was one to love.  Today’s article is art 1 of 3 and is a serious comparison of a butcher, a chef and a vegetarian.  All of the photos are hers.   To see the entire series of posts, click here.

The concept of Cowbell seems easy enough to understand on it`s surface: it`s a sustainable restaurant that works closely with select Farmer`s concerned with animal husbandry and provide top quality (and top dollar) product to the restaurant for them to butcher in-house and then cook nose-to-tail with a sustainable focus.

Chef Mark Cutrara starts to explain some of his dilemma when he explains that an 800 pound carcass could have less than 20 steaks.  There are plenty of other great cuts beyond steak but it`s clear that he could sell out of steak the night he butchers a cow and still have meat for weeks (or longer) and no steak offering on the menu.  This was a struggle when they first opened – customers would enter with anticipation of ordering a steak and be disappointed or confused about the offerings on the menu.

Speaking of said menu, it is written in chalk.  Some cuts yield three or four dishes per animal.  As the dish sells out, it is replaced and may not return (if at all) for several weeks until the current animal is consumed and replaced by the next animal.

A revelation hit the restaurant around the price they paid for their featured product.  When they bought an entire cow for $3.50 a pound, filet was worth the same amount as silverskin, bones, fat and tongue (more on their approach to butchery and Ryan Donovan tomorrow).  Everything was just as valuable as everything else – ethically and financially.  A different method of approaching large proteins was needed in the kitchen and staff would have to be trained extensively to describe and educate the patrons of the restaurant.

A single dinner will likely include several different preparations from the same animal.  You may get a piece of steak paired with charcuterie, a sausage or other cut from the same animal to ensure the restaurant cycles through the whole animal in the course of it`s use.  They make their own charcuterie in-house, render fats and cook with as much as 99% of the animal.

I love the story of their hamburger as an example of their vision.  The beef is ground in-house.  It is matched with greens from a farm that used compost created by the cows to fertilize it`s vegetables.  Buttermilk (from in-house churned butter) is part of the bun which is baked in the basement.  Mark explains it`s a series of tightly entwined closed concentric circles that make up the dish.

The restaurant recently eliminated olive oil from the menu, replacing it with their own rendered fats, canola and soya oil – items that can be sourced locally and are part of our own terroir.

There is a lot of things happening here that add to the localization and sustainability of the menu.  Connections with farmers allow them to provide input into diet and exercise based on what they are receiving from the farmer.  Preserving a local bounty (curing charcutire and pickling included) allows the flavors of the spring to come through year around.  Locally sourcing produce (including in the winter) and working directly with farmers allows the restaurant to consistently provide stunning flavor without compromise.  In-house baking, sous vide and using a variety of animals (fish, venison, pork, lamb and potentially bison and others) allow great diversity.

Cowbell allows us to truly taste what it is to eat with a sense of HERE; it also helps us learn what that means.

I shared a lot of great conversation around food and what is happening in our city this week.  It`s a fascinating time in food and there`s a lot of great support for local and (or) sustainable foods across our city.

The Royal York Hotel made news over the last few years with their apiary.  They have an entire colony of bees on their roof which are tended for honey.  There are more than 40,000 of natures farmers working the roof to provide a sweet taste for guests in the hotel (which also features a high tea).

Vertical Restaurant announced (last summer) that they would begin to grow many of their own ingredients in Stouffville.  Chef Tawfik Shehata tends his garden and fuses many of the ingredients into the daily menu.

Chef Martin Kouprie of Pangea is an active scuba diver who is an active supporter of sustainable food.  Their website features a list of local partnerships (check these out here).  The list includes many food heroes in our province (foragers, cheese makers, farmers)  and their products frequently appear on the menu.  Chef had also supported local wine by implementing a no-corkage policy on Ontario Wine (I believe this is still in place as a permanent policy).

Mark Cutrara (Cowbell) features farmers and artists on his website and specializes in nose-to-tail preparation of local harvest.  Much (of not all) of their food is butchered in-house and offers courses in the art of butchery and their approach to food.

It`s an exciting time to be involved in food across this city – any favourite gems out there?

There`s a lot of great stuff happening around our city – these are 3 powerful examples of how exciting is becoming with it`s approaches and connections to local food and it`s producers.

We’ve been really fortunate this year to have met a lot of new, interesting friends. Through WellPreserved and through the path of life in general. I’ve long made a joke that one of my hobbies is ‘collecting people’. Meeting different people brings all kinds of new perspectives, experiences and flavors into our lives. Our idea of great evening is being able to bring friends together at the table for a fantastic meal. Last Saturday was one of those great evenings, but instead of Joel in the kitchen, Massimo Bruno was our host in his Kitchen Studio.

Massimo learned to cook from his grandmother, mother and aunts in their own kitchens in his native Italy. He came to Canada in 2001 and worked at his aunt’s restaurant 7 numbers. Now Massimo is sharing what he has learned with his catering, personal chefing and at his amazing Italian regional Supperclubs.

Joel and I were introduced to Massimo, his wife Marnee (and their lovely new baby) by our mutual friend Andrea last year…of course over a meal.  Andrea’s kitchen table set the stage for our dinner party in which Joel did pre-dinner preserve pairings and Massimo served homemade foccacia and some of his wonderful Italian home cooking. By the end of the meal it was like we had all been friends for decades – the power of amazing food, great conversation and a big table.

Massimo had just started hosting his Regional Italian Supperclubs and with Andrea and Marnee’s help was getting the word out about the great event. Joel and I attended ‘Tuscany’ which he hosted at the Manor and were completely blown away by the meal, and the concept of sitting at a big communal table with strangers passing platters of food back and forth listening to Massimo talk about the region, it’s food and culture. It was such a great time, you couldn’t help but tell everyone you knew about it.

Since then I’ve attended: Piemonte, Venice and Sicily as well (poor Joel was away on business for a couple of those and would always be jealous of the details when he returned home). Massimo decided to get a space of his own to host the Supperclubs and use as prep-kitchen for events and catering…happily finding a great spot conveniently close to WellPreserved ‘headquarters’. The debut of the Kitchen Studio was in October with “Thanksgiving in Piemonte”.

Since then, word has spread and the Supperclubs fill up fast. Last Saturday was no exception, a full house…our group of at least 12 occupied a lot of seats but the two communal tables and the friendly relaxed atmosphere made it feel like one group of 26. Reservations are made via Massimo’s meetup group (you pre-pay, so on the evening of you don’t even have to worry about cash except for your cab ride home) It’s bring your own wine and suggestions are sent out the week before (we’ve discovered a lot of great Italian wines through the experience, a lot of them very budget friendly).

We arrived with our group promptly at 7pm, the studio already smelled fantastic. Andrea added our bottles to the table (the wine is shared throughout the evening), and we claimed our seat at one of the two large tables.

The studio is one room, Massimo’s kitchen is behind a big island, open to his guests. He waves and greets everyone that comes in, popping in and out of the kitchen to shake hands and introduce himself or hug returning guests, all while preparing the meal to come.

After socializing, meeting the other guests and enjoying a glass of wine, we take our seats. Stomachs are rumbling, some had previewed the menu on the meetup site and hadn’t eaten all day in preparation. I had spent some of the week before designing the menu for the event, so among my design duties I was reading about “arancini’ and ‘melanzane ripiene” not to mention “sedani with trapani style pesto” and “cannoli siciliani” and looking forward to dinner.

At the beginning of the meal Massimo spends time to tell us about the region, the influences and the culture of the food…all of this with animation and passion, punctuated by questions from guests and good natured heckling. About 3.5-4 hours later, stomachs are full (some are trying to enjoy a second cannoli despite this, they were just so good), bottles are mostly empty and mouths are tired from eating and talking. The measure of a good meal is also in the ‘afterglow’ of the experience, everyone that attended has been talking about it all week, the food was stellar and the company was perfect…a truly wonderful way to spend a chilly winter evening.

I always forget to take pictures of the food before it’s too late!

I’d encourage anyone with a love of food, or Italy, or people (better yet, all 3) to get yourself a seat at one of Massimo’s supperclubs. You don’t even have to worry about bringing a date…you will definitely meet some friends across the table.

~ sign up here for the meetup group to be reminded of upcoming Supperclubs. The next one is Calabria on February 12th and 19th.

~ you can also book Massimo to cater an event or to cook for you and your friends in your own kitchen. here’s the contact info.

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Eleven Design (WellPreserved’s ‘big sister’) is working with Massimo on design and visual identity over the coming months. We love to mash food, design and great people together at every opportunity so this is going to be fun. Expect some more features on Massimo and what we know will be a tasty design relationship.

Although many are talking about Lynn Crawford coming to the east end, there doesn’t seem to be a lot written about it yet.  Being that her new restaurant will be closer than the distance we walk for four trips of laundry, we are a tad excited.

The many reasons you may recognize her name:

• Former Executive Chef, Four Seasons, New York
• Former Executive Chef, Four Seasons, Toronto
• The only female executive chef in the four seasons (at the time) – in all of their 70 restaurants worldwide
• Food Network Canada – Restaurant Makeover
• Food Network – Iron Chef America (Battle Peanut with Bobby Flay.  She lost by 2 but beat him in the plating category)
• She has been an executive chef since 1994.

She, along with Cherie Stinson (of Restaurant Makeover and renowned design firm Yabu Pushelberg) and Cherie’s husband Joey Skeir will manage the front of house.

Regular commenter of WellPreserved (and dear friend) Kerry heard an interview with Chef Crawford yesterday where she announced the name for the first time – Ruby Watchco (Watcjko?).  It is expected to open by March.

It’s an exciting prospect for the neighborhood.  It sounds like there will be a focus on local and seasonal – we are waiting with much excitement for more news and will share when we do.

I hear so many people rave about peameal on a bun at the St. Lawrence Market.  There is a certain Canadian charm the the sandwich and the market does do a great job of this classic.

My obsession is, however, different:

Veal and Egglplant on a bun from Mustacio’s in the basement of the market.  A $7 feast complemented with a crunchy crusted bun and a soft interior.  I ask for cheese, onions and hot peppers – adding a bit of sriracha hot sauce at home.

It may be time for a nap!  Soon thereafter we will be trying our first batch of dehydrating using our new dehydrator from Santa.  We’ve come home with 4 types of Ontario apples to give it a try (2 sour, 2 sweet).

I had the distinct pleasure on Monday evening to attend a live interview with Thomas Keller.  If the name is a new one to you, Chef Keller is considered one of the top chefs in the world today.  Two of his restaurant (Per Se  in New York City and French Laundry in Yountville, California) are perennially listed on the world’s Top 10 restaurants and he is the only American born chef to have two restaurants with 3 Michelin stars.

Chef Keller was focused, sweet, engaging, funny, uncompromising and delightful.  I found the interview to be inspiring with stories from his life.

I took detailed notes of the interview and the following are my highlights.  Quotations represent quotes to the best of my ability, the rest are stories or observations I had during his 90-minute interview:

• “Good Food = Good Product (ingredients) + technique”
• He went out of his way to thank people and singled out the young Chefs from a local college who volunteered at the event.
• A pivotal moment in his life came when his brother (also a chef) taught him how to make hollandaise sauce from scratch.  From there, repetition was a critical.
• “You only start to learn how to do something the second time you actually do it”
• His first cook book was a gift from his Mom and she bought it because of the looks – A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price (yes, the same one from Michael Jackson’s Thriller)
• His second cookbook was My Gastronomy by Nico Ladenis.  This was another big moment in his life and a turning point as it had a great narrative which helped with technique.  Keller adored the narrative so much that he tried to pitch his first cookbook as a book without recipes.
• Cookbooks have regressed with the picture, recipe, picture, recipe format.  We are not building technique and you need to develop technique to make a recipe your own.
• `Determination (desire) is the key to success.  Passion can ebb and flow; determination endures.`
• `It`s always about teams.`
• When he couldn`t get bread up to his standards for French Laundry he opened a Bakery down the street (Bouchon Bakery) because `that is just what you do`
• Local, fresh and seasonal ingredients excite him and he loves the concept of seasons.  He shared a story about visiting a fancy grocery store in Toronto this week and asking a woman why she would buy peaches since what was being offered was essentially a memory of a peach.  He steered her to apples and pears and was pleased that she did.  Moments later she went for cherries and he gave up.
• When pressed on local and seasonal and informed by the interviewer (Alison Fryer of the Cookbook Store) he was adamant.  When she commented `Sometimes I want blueberry muffins in November` he replied `Well therein lies a problem.`
• He was open that the approach to cooking the best food in the world and insisting on local and fresh as possible is somewhat elitist.  He said this in a humble, self-aware way and not as a mean to gloat.  I found this comment refreshing.
• `At the end of the day, what it`s all about if it`s not about the memories…`
• Resource products which are better and better and ask your grocer for items which are better and better.
• When asked if he eats toast he responded that he did when he was sick.
• `Repetition is the liberation of creativity`
• `Too many young Chefs want to move on to the next thing before mastering the current thing they are working on.  The thing about the next thing is that there will always be a next thing.`
• A black iron skillet is the essential pan for the kitchen – if you only had one pot this would be his pick for you.
• There are 2 teams working simultaneous in his kitchens so he can have 10 seatings a week and still have all staff members (including him) work 5 days a week.  When he learned his craft a 6-day week was the norm and he wanted to change that.  The days are still very long.
• He`s had 2 knee surgeries that he attributes to being a chef.  It`s tough physical work and it`s vital you plan for your exit early.
• He believes you must leave the industry in better shape than when you entered it.

There were 450 people in attendance and many, many chefs (the event was held on a Monday to accommodate the industry.  It was part of the launch of Ad Hoc at Home and was a great evening.

I am constantly blown away by my family – and 10 days in Nova Scotia adds to how much they all impress me.  Since this is a food-space, I won’t gush on and on about the whole clan – instead keeping my focus to our food events that aren’t too private to share.

Cousin Shauna of City Girl Cakes in Halifax, Nova Scotia was previously featured on Well Preserved here and here (the first article included instructions on finding photos of her hilarious “adult cakes”, the second included a hamburger and Bon Jovi Cake as well as another cousins awesome wedding cake).

We were in Cape Breton for a full week – the main attraction was the wedding of cousin Tanya to new-cousin Dale.  It’s great to have another cousin and the wedding was stunning – a wonderful outdoor wedding followed by a drag-down Acadian Party that ended (for us) around 4.30 in the morning.  Family had flown in from the west coast of Canada, Ontario and China – it was an amazing experience and many food posts will appear in the coming days featuring some of our experiences.

For the sake of today, let’s start with the end – dessert!

Shauna made this stunning cake for Dale and Tanya:

It had to be 3 feet tall and was 100% cake (as opposed to having styrofoam layers on lower parts).  It’s a wild work of engineering with wood dowels supporting layers of cake and fondant.

Shauna’s patience and attention to detail floor me – I can’t imagine the mess of things I’d make if I tried the same thing.

Shauna also makes amazing Grrom’s cakes (I didn’t know there was such a thing before she got into it).  Dale has big toys (like the dozer in the photo) and their dogs are a huge part of their life (the dogs were in the bridal party):

Her devotion doesn’t stop at baking.  The wedding was almost 3 hours away from where the cakes were made.  She drove them (the tall cake in pieces) across the provine in a minivan by herself – with the air conditioning set to maximum.  She laughs when talking about how she shivered driving down the highway in the middle of summer so her precious cargo would make it in tact.

You can also find City Girl Cakes on Facebook here (her facebook group has more than 700 followers).

More from the east soon – we are both glad to be home and wishing we were back there already.

The sign read, “Fresh Roasted Coffee.  And Butter.”  I wasn’t sure what our landlord (Rob of F’Coffee fame) was up to but the shop had clearly opened.  That was over 2 years ago.

When F’Coffee opened, Norma was the baker.  Although she is independent now, she remains a friend of the shop and many of her trademarks remain (some close to the original, some have been modified).

Norma is a phenomenal baker who has a passion for things local and sustainable.  Her pies and tarts are often filled with fruits from the markets in which they are sold.  Her baking is a 6-day-a-week obsession in the summer; 3 days of markets and 3 days of baking.

Norma offers amazing tarts, granola, cookies and full-on pies.  She is a wandering baker – her familiar cooler and table appearing at markets across the city.  You can find her (and her goodies) at the Brickworks on Saturdays, the Riverdale market on Tuesday afternoons and the AppleTree market (at Eglington) on Thursday afternoons.  She is super friendly and creates truly exceptional sweets with the highest emphasis on care and quality ingredients.  She typically has a very empty table by the end of any market she attends – arrive early if you’re picky!

I don’t know if I’d place a whole lot of stock in a book review by an amateur cook who was moderately dyslexic and barely reads books.  Or recipes.  Then again, I’m a believer in passion over raw talent so I’ll take the risk that you might want to know what I struggle to read.  If that’s not good enough, you may trust Anthony Bourdain who calls the subject of this particular book “a cult classic from [his] favourite chef and favourite restaurant in the world.” 

Fergus Henderson is largely credited with the popularity of fine dining featuring “daring” pieces of meat that were formally tossed aside, ground into hotdogs or fed to the less privileged.  My Grandparents would laugh at the notion that he’s started anything at all and insist that he simply continued family traditions that consumed the whole animal with no waste in cultures from all around the world.

I received the book (Nose to Tail Eating, A kind of British Cooking) for my birthday from our wonderful friend Nat.  Her timing was simply impeccable – she walked in with the book just as I was breaking down two ham hocks (article here) and we all had a good laugh.

The book features recipes which are rich in history and cultures from around the world.  Pea and Pig’s Ear Soup, Warm Pig’s Head, Ox Tongue and Bread, Pickled herring, Bone Marrow and Crispy Pig’s Tails find themselves paired with traditional recipes, vegetarian dishes and even some preserving recipes.  A sample beef tongue recipe (not from the book or from Henderson) can be found at Epicurious here.

Before discussing the book, let’s quickly introduce it’s author.  Mr. Henderson is English and was born in 1963.  He is a trained architect whose restaurants sparked pilgrimages for chefs around the world before many of the mainstream found him.  The book, now widely published, was only available for purchase in the restaurant and was a closely guarded tome by many chefs aspiring to his innovation and vision.

Mr. Henderson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1998 and, similar to Grant Achatz (Alinea), he simply refused to give in.  Experimental surgery (essentially implanting a pacemaker-type device in the brain) brought back great mobility to our hero and he has inspired hope (and many charitable donations) towards the cause of Parkinson’s.

His philosophy of consuming the entire animal provides a vision that guides him through his cooking process (and I dare to say has shaped the dining scenes of many of the world’s fine restaurants today).

The book is fascinating.

There are few pictures – those which are displayed will challenge you to consider the ingredient without sticking it in your face (unless, of course, you are a vegetarian which would likely make this a difficult read).

Recipes are plentiful – the dialogue even more so.  Ingredients are carefully measured however the directions read like a casual dialogue encouraging you to have a go at it.  The instructions feel much more like a coach offering you casual guidance through what most would consider very foreign ground.  Passion for cooking is apparent in the pages – as is practical advice.  There is insight into common cooking through the book.  The casual read passes on tips, insight and his vision through the text.  It reads as one-part novel, one-part map of a foreign land and one-part cook book.

There are also recipes that are accessible for the less adventurous ( salads, cured ham, crab and mayo and salt cod are all examples).

I’ve taken the book on a business trip as well as on a few solo dinner dates.  It’s had an odd side-effect: just having the book has drawn out 4 or 5 really quality conversations with strangers.  It would seem that it is a magnet to find any chef (actual or aspiring) in the room and it’s really been a graceful icebreaker with many who stop and ask about this bizarre book is (if they did not previously know).

It’s really a delightful read and one I highly recommend checking out the next time you pass the cookbook section – or a guy with glasses reading it at the bar.