Meals don't have to be elaborate to be tasty!

I'm a big fan of getting people back into the kitchen and cooking rather than relying on fast-food or pre-made, packaged foods. This being said, it's important to point out that cooking does not have to consist of elaborate menus to be enjoyable. Half the fun is making it yourself and enjoying the company of people you are eating with.

For example, here is a photo of a very simple lunch I had in Savannah, GA. It is a cornmeal-crusted grouper filet on foccaccia bread with a side salad and wedge fries.... very simple, but yet still very vivid in my memory as one of my tasty meals there. Yeah, sure, I ate/sampled many dishes while I was there, and some quite complex, but my point is there is something to be said about rustic simplicity in a dish.

As home Chefs, you should embrace this culinary day & age we're in where the more rustic a dish is, the more gourmet it looks (usually). Gone are the days when we make home-made pizzas in a perfect circle, for example. I remember being a kid in the 70's, and if this was done it was considered a good thing and people would compliment with "wow, that looks just like store-bought or take-out pizza"! Now however, we want out pizza crusts to be misshapen and pie edges to be formed irregularly... it shows that it is undeniable home-made... and rustic!

This sandwich could be very easily copied at home and to make it even easier, just buy pre-made foccaccia if you want. Although, grouper is not a popular availability at our local fish counters, it could be done with almost any mild fish filet... cod, snapper, halibut... you choose. Mix cornmeal with some salt and pepper and dredge your filets through this mixture on both sides and then just pan-fry, deep-fry, or bake. A small amount of mayo or tartar would definitely compliment as well. Top with lettuce and tomato or serve the greens as a side salad and you're done!

This is just one small example of how simple cooking can be... the possibilities are endless. Cooking can be an addiction if we let it. Start with simple dishes and go from there. Take a cooking class to get inspired or have a cooking class in your home.

...and for those of you who are wondering "does he actually take photos of his meals at restaurants?" ...what can I say? I love food!!

Easter dinner at Mom's tonight

Everyone who knows me and/or experienced my passion for food and people has become aware that it stems from a great love that has been passed on to me from my Mom. She and I have spent many great times together and tonight will once again be reunited in the kitchen in love for family and the special relationships that we all share together at such gatherings. Where some may feel that this subject of a blog should be reserved for Mother's Day, I feel inside of me that relationships (with your Mother, Father, Sibling, Partner, Child, Friend, etc.) should be celebrated whenever, and as much as, possible.

In this rare early photo of me and my Mom together, I am reminded of the bond that we have shared from the very beginning. Sure there were obviously times that we have disagreed, and even argued, but those times are only of the past and serve no purpose to the complete enjoyment of today`s times that we share together.

My Mom glows all of the time, but especially when all of her children and grandchildren are brought together for special occasions such as these. We will all gather at her home tonight and because busy lives interfere with everyday communication, it will be a great time to get caught up with my siblings and their children.

I, as always, am invited into the kitchen to not only carve the traditionally turkey, but to assist my Mom in bringing the final touches to everything being served. This is a perfect opportunity for us to not only rekindle our special bond, but to celebrate it once again.

She has passion in everything she does, and it shows in even the smallest things, like preparing sushi for her one granddaughter and fiance because they do not eat meat, and wants them to feel as special as everyone else tonight. Otherwise it will be a very traditional meal of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and many vegetables... however, the main course will be the conversations we all share and the embracement of each other.

Whether you are getting together with family this weekend or not, I do wish everyone health and happiness in everything you do... but especially to recognize that mealtime doesn`t have to be a chore, but a catalyst for bringing people together and building/celebrating relationships.

"Happy Easter"... and to those that don`t celebrate "Easter", then this translates to me wishing you "Happy Life... and whatever this moment brings you".

Fresh Trout for Dinner!

I received an email this morning from a friend of mine in Ontario and it reminded me of the incredible trip he took me on last summer.

He lives on Longbow Lake and him & I took his two-seater float plane north for about a one-hour flight to Lennon Lake for some trout fishing. There are no roads leading to this lake and thus can only be reached by air, or by traveling through the bush for miles and miles.

I have never experienced anything like this before. We touched down on the water and there was obviously no one else around - we had the whole lake to ourselves and it couldn't have been a more prestine day. As we climbed out of the plane and positioned ourselves on the floats with rods in hand, we discussed that we would assess the length of our stay dependent upon how long it took us to catch our limit of 2 trout each. Well, needless to say that we caught our limit (pictured above) within 28 minutes of touching down on the water!

Obviously not ready to go back just yet, we pinched the burbs on our lures and caught & released for the next couple of hours. The fishing was amazing as trout have this instinct to attack any fast moving object going past them. We would drop our heavy weighted lure into the water and let it sink all the way to the bottom, before reeling it up as fast as we could. Needless to say the trout we biting like crazy when our lures zipped past them!

After a short rest for a box lunch on the shoreline, our luck seemed to have died off and decided to fly back.

Dinner of trout that night was incredible as we served it up to family with a side dish of incredible memories that we shared with all.

Garlic always tastes better from Fresh

Firstly, I must apologize for my lack of entries. I know it's not much of an excuse, but I have been very busy lately!

I am prompted to write this, because I was at a check-out yesterday of a local warehouse store when a gentleman approached the line-up with a large jar of chopped garlic in brine.
I know we all lead very busy lives, and this inexpensive solution seems to be very attractive especially since for less than $4, there is no peeling and/or chopping, but think about it... where's the flavour??!!

If you take any cut up vegetable (or fruit for that matter) and soak in brine for a year or more (or however long it sits like that until you buy it) most of the flavour is going to be transferred to the brine. You wouldn't buy asparagus this way, so why would you buy your garlic like this... I know, I know, there's more prep involved when preparing garlic for cooking than asparagus, but my point is flavour!

If you want your food to taste it's best, use fresh whenever, and as much as, possible!
As for the gentleman that approached the line-up... it was a great opportunity to pass him my business card and strike up a conversation about food - always interchange your Chef's hat with your Marketing hat as needed, I always say!

Happy Cooking...

Italian Rice & Peas

Italian Rice & Peas or better known as "Risi e Bisi" is a dish that I want to perfect and came across an interesting recipe when doing some investigating. Risi e Bisi is basically a risotto made with peas, but the recipe I came across uses broth made from the pea pods. I love recipes that utilize every part of an ingredient!
For those of you, who have never made risotto before, it is a rice dish made with a risotto rice (Arborio is the variety most popular in supermarkets here) that is constantly stirred with gradually adding small amounts of broth. The result is a very creamy rice dish that is incredible, especially when made with a complexity of flavours absorbed into the rice.
Needless to say, I did make a version of Risi e Bisi, but it needs more work. The broth from the pods was good but was somewhat bitter on its own, and afterwards felt like the rice could have benefited by starting with a cup of white wine with a touch of sweetness like a Gewurztraminer or a Riesling. Nevertheless, I will experiment some more in the spring with a fresh batch of peas... as unfortunately fresh peas are very difficult or next to impossible to find this time of the year!

The Boys from Landsdowne Earls

While in Penticton, I was able to get together with a couple of great guys and we had a bit of a reunion. All three of us opened the Earls in Landsdowne Mall in Richmond approximately 10 years ago.

Rob Siddon (on the left with his daughter) is now General manager of Coast Wholesale Appliances in Kelowna, and James Bryan (on the right with his daughter) is the Executive Chef at the Ramada Inn & Suites in Penticton.

We reminisced all evening long, drank some great Winter Pudding (a fantastic smooth dark beer from Earls) and got reaquainted. There was a whole team of us back then, and I would like to hear from more of the original team that opened Earls Landsdowne back in 97. If you were part of this original team, or know of someone that was, please get in touch with me at dez@chefdez.com

Penticton

What a beautiful drive it was arriving in the Okanagan. As we gazed out at magnificent Lake Okanagan I said to Katherine "Why do we not live here?" The rolling hills spotted with vineyards and orchards makes for the perfect backdrop for this pristine lake... and as a chef I was getting excited about all of the fresh locally available produce and array of wines.

Then realization set in, and I began to remember that all areas are beautiful and bountiful in their own ways... and the Fraser Valley is also very abundant in local produce and wines.

My book signing at Okanagan Books went as scheduled and I met many great people in Penticton. The population of this community of approximately 38,000 over triples for the weekend of Peach Fest so the streets and events were very packed with people, but it was fun nonetheless. My son Noah enjoyed his very first Parade... and his first lollipop! Katherine and I sampled some great food and some even better wines. We arrived home yesterday with a collection of 4 great whites (even though we are mainly red wine drinkers!) and some local peaches, plums, blackberries, and of course garlic!

Unfortunately, there was not enough time to perform any peach cooking shows, but we already have our sights set on next year's Peach Fest and hopefully this time arranging a cooking stage and creating some great peach recipes!