foodiePrints receives a number of common requests for information from restaurants recommendations to places to source hard-to-find ingredients (usually ethnic foods). We also get requests to recommended food bloggers (usually local ones) to invite to events.

Today, I need to extend thanks to fellow Ottawa food blogger Jodi Lariviere (@simplyfresh) of Simply Fresh (and recently Vegging for Two). It was she I asked advice from about a controversy involving a local food event called Feast of Fields. Privy to information on what was going on, I told her I did not want to write about it. She took the initiative to demonstrate how a conflict that can evoke strong emotions could be discussed.

The conflict involves local producers (farmers and fine food shops/caterers), a not-for-profit organization (the Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Organic Growers), and sponsorship from Loblaws. The Ottawa Magazine's new blog, City Bites, may have "broken" the story, quoting the owners and operators of two fine food shops, Red Apron and The Piggy Market. But, Jodi gave us, the consumer, a voice.

I recommend you read her blog post on the subject of Loblaws sponsoring Feast of Fields and participants walking away.

Here are my thoughts from a comment I added to Jodi's post:

This is one blog post I did not want to write.

Loblaws' sponsoring Feast of Fields has evoked some powerful emotions from local producers, vendors, chefs, and restaurateurs.

Many retailers and producers who staunchly support organic, local, or a combination of the two feel participating in an event sponsored by Loblaws betrays their food philosophies.

Loblaws hasn't really shown any interest in changing their supply chains to truly support local farmers, let alone local and organic ones. Ever wander down the organic aisle at a Loblaws or Superstore? The herbs aren't even from Canada.

Loblaws is very interested in amending its image as it has been struggling to remain profitable. It has even re-arranged its produce sections to resemble more farmer's market displays.

Yes Loblaws should be taken to task for having no substance behind its marketing efforts. The question is, does the confrontation need to take place at Feast of Fields…

COG has been transparent in informing people Loblaws is sponsoring. It, however, has not been clear about Loblaws supplying produce. It has not been clear about whether or not Loblaws will be using the event to gauge Ottawa's interest in local organic produce. It has not explained Loblaws' intentions.

Loyal readers know I volunteered at last year's Feast of Fields. foodiePrints promoted the event with a ticket giveaway. foodiePrints covered the event itself.

Loyal readers know how I feel about Galen Weston. Suffice it to say, I have a list of his stores' produce and products I want to throw at him.

This year, Feast of Fields has become rather political. Unfortunately, there are too many assumptions on either side of the conflict and not enough meaningful communication.

What I hope will still occur is local farmers and chefs work together to show great food can be made from great ingredients.

Does Loblaws sponsoring $5000 have to preclude this happening? Don't we already know what Galen Weston, standing in a farmer's field, really means?

On the last Wednesday of July, the Hintonburg Supper Club held its most recent dinner event at Credible Edibles (78 Hinton Avenue North). Credible Edibles is a bit of a hidden treasure in Hintonburg. Located away from the busy streets of Holland Ave. and Wellington Street W., it sits on a quiet side street, charming passerby's with its unique patio and mouth-watering foods.

Normally, Credible Edibles is only open from Tuesdays to Fridays during lunch hour and late morning to early afternoon on Saturdays. But, an exception was made and the Hintonburg Supper Club was given a warm welcome with many of its members trying the eatery for the first time.

Credible Edibles strives to serve nutritious and delicious foods while remaining environmentally conscious. As a proud member of Savour Ottawa (recently accredited), Chef/owner/founder Judi Varga-Toth buys as much as possible from local producers, including produce from Rochon Farms, eggs from Bekings' poultry farm, and poultry from Lyons Family Turkey Farm.

That evening, a table d'hote menu was created for the night's event. On the menu was a selection of three meal choices, something for the vegetarian, the vegan, and the carnivore.

The Vegetarian's Delight

• Chilled gazpacho soup with local fresh herbs
• Spanakopitas (Greek-style spinach and ricotta in flaky pastry)
• Cinnamon carrot cake with organic cream cheese icing

The Omnivore's Dilemma

• Warm fennel and green bean salad with crumbled feta cheese
• Chipotle turkey breast sandwich with roasted red pepoers & arugula
• Raspberry chocolate fudge brownie

Vive le Vegan!

• Japanese-style green bean and carrot salad with tamari almonds and black sesame seeds
• Mediterranean grilled vegetable wrap with roasted red peper & lime hummus
• Blueberry green tea or dark chocolate cupcake with matcha green tea icing

Each selection included a choice of fair-trade coffee, tea, organic spritzer or home brewed iced green tea. Also of note, all of Credible Edibles baked goods are made from scratch with whole grains, free-range eggs (unless vegan), and organic dairy (unless vegan).

After much dilemma, Don ordered the vegetarian option while I decided to try the vegan dinner.

As we waited for our food to arrive, Don and I noticed two small treats at our table: a sample of spicy house roasted soy beans and gomashio.

Left: spicy soy beans, Right: Gomashio
While I didn't try the soy beans, I was intrigued by the gomashio, a Japanese table condiment. Gomashio is currently being featured as part of the Credible Edible Optimal Foods Mini Series. What is Gomashio? Well, according to the framed information sheets on each table, "goma" is Japanese for sesame and "shio" means salt. Its nutty and slightly salty taste were rather addictive as we kept eating small amounts throughout the meal.

Our food arrived soon after, our eyes feasting on plates of delightfully colourful summer fare.

The Vegetarian's Delight

The Vegetarian's Delight - Left: Gazpacho; Right: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese icing; Behind: Spanakopita
Don thought his vegetarian meal very good. He has been interested in vegetarian and vegan fare of late, reading about raw food and alternative ways to make classic dishes. His spanakopita's phyllo pastry was very light and flaky. The spinach filling was smooth, creamy, and not at all stringy. Seeing how I was eyeing his gazpatchp, Don cheerfully shared his cold soup with me, remarking about how fresh the flavours were. He routinely orders a bowl when we visit Credible Edibles now.

Sadly, I traded desserts with Don as I am unable to consume dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate cupcake with matcha green tea icing
He, of course, happily accepted my vegan dark chocolate cupcake, which he found astounding. It was not overly dense, but had the texture of a light brownie.

When Don finished his dinner, leaving not a crumb behind, he mentioned he was surprised at how satisfying his meal was.

Vive le Vegan!

Vive le Vegan!- Left: Grilled Vegetable Warp; Right: Dark Chocolate Cupcake; Bottom: Green Bean & Carrot Salad
After a day in the hot sun, the Mediterranean grilled vegetable wrap with roasted red pepper and lime hummus was spot on. Served cold, the grilled zucchini, lettuce, and roasted red pepper paired nicely with the hummus. Also, the wheat tortilla wrap had a nice texture, a refreshing change from the typical supermarket tortilla. The best part of my dish was the green bean and carrot salad. Lightly dressed, the vegetables were incredibly fresh, in particular the green beans. Every bite had a satisfying crunch.

Despite missing out on the chocolate cupcake, the carrot cake with the rich cream cheese frosting made a nice consolation.

Overall, my first vegan meal was delicious and a pleasant way to end the evening.

Total cost: $33.90 (includes tax, but before tip)

We will definitely be coming back for more!

Particulars:
Credible Edibles
78 Hinton Ave. North
613-558-7569

More after the jump...

During a recent Capital Cupcake Camp planning meeting, the subject of local restaurants and food shops using social media came up. The discussion was short. With the partial exception of Chef Steve Mitton's active Murray Street Kitchen (@murraystreetkwc) feed, only Boston Pizza Orlean's Community Relations Coordinator, Leslie Scott (@bporleans), was nurturing a thriving following. Most treat Twitter and Facebook as passive extensions of their websites, investing too little in "humanizing" their brands. Both Chef Mitton and Scott are connecting with people, potential patrons, sharing their restaurant's food philosophies. Their efforts effectively lower the barriers with establishing new customer relationships and strengthen existing ones. Restaurant and food shops become approachable.

One of the restaurants that has me reeling at its use of social media is Bin 790 (790 Kanata Avenue), Kanata Centrum's recently opened (Jan 2010), former bistro, now "tapas and wine bar." Someone working for Bin 790 must have taken up Schmap's August promotional offer to create an account and send location-based tweets. Every week, what looks like automated "Schmap It"'s are being sent out with a blurb, a Schmap link, the words "PLEASE RT", and the words "SPREAD THE WORD." Here is this weekend's latest

@bin790bto (Aug 23, 09:13 AM)
PLEASE RT >> http://schmap.it/AGLhwK ¡come! (spanish- Eat UP!) All you can eat Tapas Menu<< SPREAD THE WORD!

Source: Schmap.it

The tweets aren't inspiring me to eat there again...

Though, they are interesting. It seems Bin 790 is switching from a fixed menu of small plates to an all-you-can-eat format September 7, 2010. Bin 790's website's current menu of tapas includes a mind boggling assortment of dishes. Many, not particularly Spanish: spinach and tomato salads, seafood chowder, naan bread, stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, salmon or yellow fin tuna maki tempura with blue cheese, hoisin chicken egg rolls, beef carpaccio with truffled greens, roast duck shepherd's pie with confit onions, sambucca prawns, seared scallops, "charcuiterie sausages", and a moules frites.

That said, Jenn and I visited Bin 790 for brunch during the month we spent living in Kanata. The brunch menu included a number of signature eggs benedicts (from traditional to smoked meat), french toast ($6.99), and omelets ($7.99-$8.99). It also doubled as a lunch menu with salads ($4.99-$7.99), sandwiches ($6.99-$7.99), and various takes on moules frites (all $10.99).

The restaurant itself shows off classic bistro decor with an emphasis on red. There are high tables with dark table-tops and wood chairs to match. The floors and accents are like-wise wood. Everything is strategically lit.

Bin 790
There is a mostly-exposed kitchen.

Plates for Service in front of the Exposed Kitchen
The dining room has a very high ceiling.

On the bar, I noticed a Kichesippi beer spigot. Unfortunately, there was no Beau's spigot alongside.

Natural Blonde

Jenn ordered a bacon, tomato, and cheddar omelet, sans cheese ($7.99). Made-to-order, she found her omelet over seasoned and dry. The sliced sausage sported nice grill marks, but seemed processed and overcooked. The fruit was sweet.

Bacon, tomato, and cheddar omelet breakfast

Me, I ordered a tomato and avocado eggs benny with pesto ($7.99) and a coffee ($2.14). Also made-to-order, my poached eggs were runny. Expecting ripe avocado slices, I was served guacamole between my slices of English muffin and poached eggs. The hollandaise was a little less than smooth. My "signature" potatoes weren't greasy for a griddled hash. However, the onions were undercooked.

Tomato and avocado eggs benedict

Runny yolks

My Coffee

Our guests, Jenn's parents, ordered "classic" breakfasts with 2 eggs, toast and "pan fries" ($6.99). The pan fries looked a lot like the "signature" potatoes I was served. Their scrambled eggs were fluffy, but also over seasoned.

Everything was served cold, as if the kitchen had had difficulty getting the orders out and everything was left to cool in the confusion.

We waited quite the while (20-30 minutes) in the mostly empty restaurant for our orders. When Chef Diego saw me taking pictures, he came to the table, apologizing for the long wait. He informed us he had to deal with an oil spill in the kitchen between preparing our food.

We discussed the temperature of the plates, but, because everyone was ravenous, we had eaten everything. The chef took the criticisms well and, thinking I was a high school student, he told me I should come in for dinner. Apparently, his much "prettier" tapas dishes are great for school projects.

Total cost: $38.69 (includes 2 coffees and taxes, but before tip)

My thoughts, Bin 790 is a difficult sell to suburbanites. Its prices are higher than the surrounding big box fast food restaurants in the same strip mall. Unlike those restaurants, Bin 790 endeavors to cook food, which is very commendable.

My first impressions, because I have not tried the tapas for dinner, are inconclusive. But they lean on the less positive.

That said, I hope Bin 790 gets the chance to improve its brunch service.

Heavily suburban neighbourhoods like Kanata tend to be bereft of locally-owned restaurants. This is especially true for higher end bistros or something that wants to call itself a "tapas and wine bar."

Particulars:
Bin 790 Tapas and Wine Lounge (across from the AMC Theatres)
655 Kanata Avenue
(613)591-3287

More after the jump...

We at foodiePrints are very lucky to be able to call Chef Andrée Riffou and Paola St-Georges of C'est Bon Cooking friends. These two entrepreneurs are actively lending their voices to a growing chorus, singing the praises of Ottawa's evolving culinary scene.

Their walking tour of the ByWard Market is groundbreaking. The first of C'est Bon Cooking's "Foods of Ottawa" tours, it lets residents and visitors alike "experience the city through our award-winning restaurants and ethnic, gourmet, and fine food shops."

They recently launched a combined tour and cooking class that begins with a shopping trip to the ByWard market to meet some of Chef Riffou's favourite merchants and purchase ingredients. Afterward, you prepare a seasonal menu and sit for a delicious meal. The fee, $125/person (HST included).

Here are sample menu items:

• Local Charcuterie and selection of Ontario and Quebec cheeses.
• Mme Rochon's tender salad greens garnished with Mme Cadotte's edible flowers.
• Gaspacho or Ratatouille.
• Scallops Crudo.
• Grilled Sirloin or fish served with savoury melon salad.
• Pavlova with seasonal berries

Earlier this week, Chef Riffou and Paola took some time out of their schedules to respond to some questions by e-mail.
1. Tell us a little about yourselves and your ties to the food industry in Ottawa? Chef Riffou, you are a Cordon Bleu trained chef?

Food is my passion. I have been on a quest to eat well all my life and am always digging to find out more about food and how to prepare it. Cordon Bleu was on my radar for a number of years and I finally accomplished my dream by studying there in 2008-2009. The Cordon Bleu Grand Diplome program also allowed me to practice in the school production kitchen, to observe cooking and pastry in a five diamond restaurant: Signature, to do apprenticeship in France and in Canada. I studied in Canada and in Paris. It was a fantastic experience.

2. What had you come up with the concept of food tours? Have you participated in food tours in other cities?

I was always asked by my friends in Ottawa to take them along to show them where to buy specialty foods. I loved taking them on my very own gastro-tour and share tidbits of local goodness. I had the chance of experiencing the New-York Food Tour 6 years ago and last summer and a Paris food tour 2 years ago and though it would be great to have it in Ottawa as well.

Paola here: On my side of things, I was catching up with what was going on via Twitter and came across a very interesting tweet from none other than @foodiePrints (do you know of him?). This tweet basically went something like: "Oh, look at what they do in New York" and provided a link. I promptly followed the link and discovered this concept of food tours. I was instantly captivated by the idea and realized that Ottawa was ready to offer this type of tour as well. When Andrée and I sat down last fall to chat and catch up we realized that both of us were hoping to bring food tours to Ottawa and decided to join forces.

3. What tours have you have setup?

Paola here: The Foods of the ByWard Market Tours were launched in May and I will offer special Beechwood Avenue and Wellington West Tours before the end of our outdoor season in October. We’ll also participate in La Vendemmia and will offer a special Preston Street Food tour on September 25th. We’re very excited about these opportunities to share Ottawa’s best food with our guests!

4. Do you concentrate on specific neighbourhoods?

Paola here: Yes, we hope to give our guests a sense of life in a particular neighbourhood so as the food scene develops and expands into different areas of the city, we bring our guests along to experience the "flavour" of that particular area. We currently have the ByWard Market, Beechwood Avenue, Wellington St. West and Preston Street tours planned for this summer and fall.

5. Are all the tours walking tours?

Paola here: All the tours are walking tours so far. We are hoping to organize a local farm tour in the fall - we haven't decided whether this tour will be by bus or in a "rendez-vous" format yet (people driving their cars and meeting at the various stops). I'm also planning a very special tour at the end of November with a theme: Christmas shopping for your favourite gourmand. (transportation will be included for this tour).

6. Have you considered incorporating wine/food tastings into tours?

Paola here: Food tasting is a big part of our tours and although we have thought of adding a wine tasting component, it remains to be implemented. We’ve done a private event with a sommelier centered on wine and food pairings and are chatting with other sommeliers as well-there is a natural synergy between our interests.

7. Your newly launched website says "one of the best ways to understand a people and its culture is to explore local food markets, experience local specialties and meet with local Chefs and food
artisans." What sets Ottawa apart from other cities?

Ottawa is well surrounded by local farmers. The proximity of food supplies is such that access is easy. The past 10 years have been particularly great: fruit, vegetable, cheese, wine, duck, pork, beef, veal, chicken ...pretty well everything you need is within reach.

Do we have a characteristic food or food style? Over the past few years, with the economic downturn, Ottawa, like many other North American cities, has focused on upscale comfort food. There has been an increase of upscale restaurants, with extremely good chefs, transforming comfort dishes into gourmet food.

8. What other services does C'est Bon Cooking provide?

C'est Bon Cooking also offers Cooking Classes and Team Building events. Cooking Classes are centered around French-inspired cuisine where participants learn popular French recipes based on essential cooking principles and techniques. The team building events are focused towards leadership development and team building in a kitchen setting. Participants get to learn about themselves and their colleagues while cooking up some fun and camaraderie at the same time.

9. What do you see in the way of Culinary Tourism in Canada's Capital?

In Ottawa and in general, there is a keen interest in food, whether it is eating better quality food, eating in better restaurants, events around food such as cooking shows, cooking competitions, food festivals, food associations: Just food, Savour Ottawa,..... many organic groups are forming as well. Ottawa has seen the number of food markets increasing throughout the city. There are many great neighborhood markets offering excellent quality food. That said, we think Ottawa is becoming a destination for people who like to plan their travel around a specific interest such as wine, food etc.

Sounds like we will be hearing about some great upcoming events from C'est Bon Cooking. Do check their website for updates!

Update: Chef Riffou was recently interviewed by Paula Roy for the Kitchissippi Times community newspaper. A full page article was published in the August 19, 2010 edition.

A Chef Follows Her Passion

Particulars:
C'est Bon Cooking
560 Churchill Avenue N.
(613)291-9155

As food bloggers, concentrating on cooking and eating in one city, we are well aware we limited potential interest in our blog posts to one locale. While we gladly contribute to the entropy that is food thought on the world wide web, we know our impact is minimal.

In foodiePrints' short lifetime, we have managed to cultivate a wonderful readership and friends and following on several social networks. But, do we have influence? We receive few comments. We get the odd mention (thank-you Chef Blackie). We are invited to the odd dinner (thank-you Chef Hay). But, we are often asked, since we are food bloggers, do we write for Mark Warbuton's (@warby) Ottawa Foodies, an online community of food enthusiasts. I've an account on Ottawa Foodies. foodiePrints is standalone.

Imagine our surprise when an e-mail from one of the well-respected judges of an upcoming culinary competition shows up in our inbox. The judge is a published food writer, one who is read on the world stage. The e-mail mentions reading and enjoying one of our blog posts.

Incredulous, I contacted several people to determine the authenticity of the e-mail. Surely, it must be a practical joke. "From one food blogger to another", would we participate in promoting what was described as the "most important culinary competition in Canada?"

It wasn't. We turned out to be one of three Ottawa blogs contacted. The other two are written by friends, Shari (@whisk_food_blog) of Whisk: A Food Blog and Rachelle of Rachelle Eats Food.

The competition, Gold Medal Plates

The competitors, teams lead by the following local chefs:
Ben Baird – The Urban Pear
Ross & Simon Fraser – Fraser Café
Caroline Ishii – Zen Kitchen
Charlotte Langley – Whalesbone Oyster House
Marc Lepine – Atelier
Steve Mitton – Murray Street Kitchen
Michael Moffatt – Beckta Dining and Wine and Play Food and Wine
Charles Part – Les Fougères
Michael Potters – Harvest
Rene Rodriguez – Navarra

The judges,
Anne Desbrisay
Pam Collacott
Margaret Dickenson
Chris Knight
Chef Judson Simpson
Chef Matthew Carmichael (last year's winner)
James Chatto

Our loyal readers already know we rarely participate in or promote events that do not support a cause. This is no exception. Gold Medal Plates was founded in 2003 and has since raised more than $4.1 million for the Canadian Olympic Foundation to support Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Ottawa will be one of 8 Canadian cities holding Gold Medal Plates competitions. Winners will head to Kelowna, British Columbia for the Canadian Culinary Championships.

In 2009, Chef Matthew Carmichael, of E18hteen (18 York Street) and Social Restaurant and Lounge (537 Sussex Drive), took Bronze at the Canadian Culinary Championships.

Clearly, our city has culinary talent. Since Gold medal Plates aims to celebrate food and wine and feature the best chefs and wines in Canada, you can expect related blog posts on Fridays, leading up to the competition (Tuesday, November 16, 2010). These posts will be collaborations with Shari and Rachelle as we work to showcase why our restaurants and chefs have what it takes to compete.

And yes, Jenn and I will be attending Gold Medal Plates this year. There, we hope to gather some photos and stories to share that reinforce the fact Ottawa is becoming quite the culinary destination.

Tickets to the event are $300 CAD. Between the food and wine that will be served and the opportunity to support Canadian athletes, it is money well spent.



Facebook Page: Gold Medal Plates Ottawa

To purchase tickets for Gold Medal Plates, contact Sue Holloway (contact information below) or click here.

Particulars:
Gold Medal Plates Ottawa
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 6:00 pm
National Arts Centre
53 Elgin Street

Sue Holloway
818 Nesbitt Place
(613)274-3107 phone
(613)274-0851 fax
hollowayjoy@rogers.com