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(AKH Note: Please make sure to mark your calendars in September for a new show on the Food Network and Global called "Chef School". It highlights the progress of last year's student class at the Stratford Chef School and includes an acquaintance of mine in the cast. Along with Darcy O'Neil, London is becoming home to celebrity food and beverage stars.... And me too!)
Eat, drink and be merry is more than a theatrical line for Stratford's fine cuisine emporiums.
By Kathy Rumleski
STRATFORD -- This city is a festival for the senses.
Long renowned for its theatre, this Perth County community also attracts international attention for its cuisine.
Hoping to promote it even more, the Stratford Tourism Alliance has recently launched its Sensuous Stratford website.
The site highlights all that Stratford has to offer in the way of palate pleasures.
"People know Stratford for the Stratford Festival . . . But in addition to that, there's a whole sensuality about a visit to Stratford that includes the food scene," says alliance marketing coordinator Cathy Rehberg.
Restauranteur Eleanor Kane says Stratford "is becoming somewhat of a culinary capital in Canada."
Its chocolate is world-renowned, with orders coming from across North America, Europe and Australia. There are more gourmet chocolate shops, per capita, in Stratford than anywhere else in Ontario.
Great tea, great coffee, to-die-for desserts, these also are highlights of a trip to Stratford.
There are more than 100 restaurants in town and at this time of year, they're pretty much all hopping.
Last Monday was opening night of the Stratford Festival's 55th season, a time when some dining establishments prime for the theatre season.
The Old Prune on Albert St., Kane's restaurant, is one of them. Celebrating its 30th year, it works in tandem with the festival to make its patrons' trips to Stratford memorable.
"We consider our job as setting the stage . . . (for) people that want to combine a lovely meal with a great experience on the stages," Kane says.
That cuisine is prepared by seven chefs, some of whom have gone through the Stratford Chefs School, founded by Kane 25 years ago.
It is the only chef school in Canada operated by working restaurant professionals.
Guest instructors who have enhanced the experience for students include international chefs Riccardo Camanini, Paul Bertolli and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
The Old Prune's chef de cuisine, Bryan Steele, spent time with Vongerichten at JoJo in New York.
Some of Kane's guests have told her they're not sure what is the biggest draw -- the restaurants or the theatre.
The Old Prune dining area includes a courtyard where patrons can eat their dessert -- Tasting of Rhubarb is particularly noted -- or mingle near the bubbling pond. The centrepiece is a century-old Manitoba maple tree that is magnificently stately.
The architecturally exquisite Church Restaurant, which was a church until 1975, remains the place to go if you have time for only one dining experience in Stratford.
Its reputation has drawn such stars as Christopher Plummer, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward and Bill Hutt.
Plummer prefers a seat in the upstairs Belfry, which has a stunning view of the main section of the restaurant with its stained glass windows, hues of brown, orange and yellow and old-time organ pipes.
Plummer is known to sit at a table with his back against the wall so nobody can approach him from behind.
Owner Mark Craft started his career at the restaurant as bus boy and purchased it in 1988.
He says he hires the best people to work at The Church.
That includes executive chef Amede Lamarche, one reason the crowds worship the food at The Church, which has been reviewed in newspapers around the globe.
Lamarche puts a lot of effort into his menus, which change every five to six weeks.
"You can't really fall out of favour (or flavour) when you're always changing."
Karen Hartwick believes that your senses awaken when you visit her Tea Leaves Tea Tasting Bar, set in an 1888 home, which also includes a B&B.
With more than 100 high-end teas to choose from, Tea Leaves is a spot to taste and learn and Hartwick is only too happy to share her knowledge as Canada's top tea sommelier.
Trained by some of China's tea masters, Hartwick says tea is as complex as wine.
Hartwick, who grew up in London, offers tasting before purchasing. Some of her teas include Jasmine Dragon Tears, High Mountain Dark Roast and Golden Monkey, which was around 5,000 years ago.
"The tea tasting includes smelling different teas and studying the scent and leaves," she says.
This year in honour of Richard Monette's final season as the festival's artistic director, Hartwick is offering Monette Supreme, a high-quality Earl Gray.
Hartwick is versed in tea's health benefits.
All teas have antioxidants. While green teas have cancer-fighting properties, Hartwick says blacks are beneficial because they fight infections.
Hartwick says her interest in tea started when she was young and would hold "tea parties" with her grandmother after going to the downtown London market and getting scones from a bakery.
"We had such good, nurturing talks, just Grandma and myself. With tea, we can create a ritual for ourselves. That's another thing in our North American society that we're lacking."
Great experiences from her childhood also prompted Kristine Steed to purchase Rheo Thompson Candies five years ago.
In its 38th year, it's the oldest candy company in the city, and known particularly for its fabulous mint smoothies chocolate.
"What I remember (as a child) is the aroma and the mint smoothie. We used to walk to school and go and pick up a smoothie bar and inhale it," Steed recalls.
Mint is still the predominant scent as you walk into the 144 square-metre store.
Rheo Thompson products -- more than 100, including a new bark made with ground Kenyan coffee beans and Heart Smart Bark with cranberries and almonds -- are hand-made on site by 18 staff, 25 in the peak season.
At this time of year, eating outdoors should be encouraged. So grab some chocolate and a double-fisted sandwich from York Street Kitchen -- which will provide you with a perfect picnic lunch and has a takeout window -- find a spot along the Avon river or near the gardens and relax.
Don't forget to smell the flowers in the gardens -- some 80,000 annuals. Stratford was a 2006 Communities in Bloom winner.
"We live in paradise," Susie Palach, owner of the York Street Kitchen, says of Stratford. "We do have it all."
STRATFORD INFO
- www.welcometostratford.com
- www.sensuousstratford.com
- www.city.stratford.on.ca
- 1-800-561-7926
ON THE MENU
- The Othello, local goat cheese, roasted sweet red peppers, black olives, lettuce and pesto on sourdough at York Street Kitchen, $6.25
- Grilled squab with a black bean tamale on roasted poblano sauce, includes choice of appetizer, dessert, coffee and petits fours at The Old Prune, $70.50
- Taste of rhubarb: sparkling rhubarb bellini, creamy rhubarb gelato, warm rhubarb crostato at The Old Prune, $12
- Scallop, orange, saffron, licorice off post-modern menu at The Church, $110
- Milk and dark mint smoothies at Rheo Thompson Candies, $14.75
- Flowering tea in wine glass at Tea Leaves Tea Tasting Bar, $9.50

Wasabi (wah-sah-bee), often incorrectly called Japanese horseradish, is among the most misunderstood yet integral aspect of the sushi experience. What looks like a lump of green putty is really a very complex, spicy yet sweet compliment to your sushi meal. This sushi (and noodle) accompaniment provides a bounty of flavor, spiciness, and a dash of color to your meal while enhancing the subtle flavor of the fish.
So what is wasabi? Wasabi is a plant grown primarily in Japan with nascent horticulture now in the Pacific northwest of the US. The root (technically a rhizome) is ground and used in foods to add spiciness and flavor. It is a difficult plant to grow, requiring a rocky stream or riverbed and the proper mix of nutrients, and is therefore a somewhat rare commodity. Wasabi, traditionally reserved for sushi and noodles, is now being incorporated into a plethora of foods however 'wasabi' flavored items are not always actually wasabi flavored.
When dining and served wasabi with your sushi, the wasabi you are served is not always what it seems. Due to a high demand and limited supply, what is often served with your sushi is a mix of American horseradish, mustard and coloring, which the Japanese call seiyô no wasabi (“western wasabi”). This is because real wasabi can be hard to find or very expensive outside Japan (up to $100/lb). If you would like to be sure what you have, you can ask your wait staff if what you are served is 'real wasabi' and if not, if it is available. If you are served putty, more than likely it is not real. Real wasabi is grated (traditionally on a sharkskin grater called an oroshi) and looks as such. Fake wasabi is not and does not. Just ask your wait staff for 'fresh wasabi' and if they have the real thing, they will usually return with a dish with a grated pile of the real thing, which is a very different experience from fake wasabi.
Real wasabi has a fruity and vegetal fragrance, with a spiciness that does not linger and serves to enhance the flavor of the fish. It has a bouquet and sweetness that stimulates the palate with balanced heat. It does not hit with the intensity that fake wasabi does, and the spiciness quickly dissipates into the sweet vegetal flavor that is a perfect companion to sushi. The hotness of wasabi is experienced more in the sinus than the tongue and is often an acquired taste.
Wasabi has shown in studies to be anti-microbial and possibly anti-carcinogenic, the former may be why it has long been eaten with raw fish, which in the past was not handled with the care it is today. It is also suggested that it may have anti-inflammatory and blood thinning properties, both useful to the medical community. It is even used in toothpaste in Japan for its anti-bacterial properties!
As you can plainly see, wasabi is a unique plant and more intriguing food. While a mystery to many, this sushi side item is actually very important to many sushi connoisseurs. If you have the opportunity to try the real thing you should be pleasantly surprised. This rare commodity is a spicy treat that is finally being given the praise it deserves as it spreads throughout the food community.
SOURCE: http://sushifaq.com

From the land that gave the world such tiny treats as bonsai, midget submarines and shiploads of quaint consumer goods comes, according to Shukan Bunshun (10/19), the latest example of Japanese miniaturization -- single grain sushi!
The delicate little morsel is authentic sushi, but instead of a slather of raw fish slapped on top of a handful of rice, there's only a single, tiny grain of the Japanese staple used.
That leaves only enough room for the fish to no bigger than about 1 centimeter-by-2 centimeters at most.
Single grain sushi is not the latest diet fad to hit the country, it's just the latest item on the menu at Omoroi Sushiya Kajiki, a sushi restaurant with a sense of humor in Fukuoka.
Omoroi Sushiya Kajiki's main chef comes up with a variety of outlandish raw fish dishes daily depending on his mood at the time, according to Shukan Bunshun, which adds that it was this process that gave birth to the idea of single grain sushi.
Single grain sushi is sold in plates of 10 or 12 (arranged in a circle with a couple of strips of leek in the middle to form the hands of a clock) and features all the typical sushi, including makimono, tako, tamago, ikura, kohata, anago, ebi, ika, Otoro and kanpachi.
Omoroi Shushiya Kajiki will make the single grain sushi up for any customer who makes an advance booking, providing they don't want to eat it at one of the busier times of the day.
Considering the minute size of the sushi, it almost seems too much effort to create the tiny taste treat, but chef Atsushi Kajiki wouldn't have it any other way.
"I do it because the girls love it," the crafty itamae tells Shukan Bunshun. "I tell 'em I'm gonna give 'em a full serving of sushi and then bring out a plate of the single grain stuff. They laugh and then go on about how cute it looks. Some of 'em take photos of it with their mobile phones. More than anything, though, I do it because I like nothing more than seeing a woman's smiling face."
SOURCE: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp

By Kylene Kiang

Washington — At the local supermarket, the organic fruit and vegetable display is a frequent stop for health-conscious consumers. But turn to the next aisle and shoppers are likely to find a different array of "natural" and "organic" foods.
All-natural potato chips. Organic breakfast burritos. On the frozen-food aisle, a shopper can unearth multiple varieties of organic three-cheese lasagna.
Some organic farmers and activists say that in the United States the organic label, once the symbol of foods produced by environmentally friendly means, has with time been cheapened into a gimmicky marketing tool.
And as mainstream supermarket chains increase their clutch on the lucrative organic industry, the same critics contend that big business is developing a stranglehold on efforts to tighten national organic standards and regulations. Big businesses entering the growing market counter that simply by doing so, they are benefiting both the environment and consumers.
By Department of Agriculture standards, the "USDA organic" seal means that at least 95 percent of the ingredients in the product are farmed without using chemicals, hormones, pesticides or any method regarded as harmful to the environment.
Organic or sustainable farming techniques can include using ducks and insects for pest and weed control, water conservation and natural methods of soil replenishment. In the past, supporting organic farming also meant favoring locally grown food over mass-produced varieties that are often grown using greater quantities of fossil fuels for production and transport.
On store shelves, the line between organic and mass-produced has blurred. Tostitos now offers organic tortilla chip selections. Frito-Lay also has introduced a brand of "natural" Doritos.
"It is sort of a marketing gimmick," said registered dietitian Cindy Moore, director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic. She added that not all organic foods are equal. "If you have a product with limited nutrients, making them with organic products isn't going to make it better."
USDA spokeswoman Joan Shaffer said the organic label is a "marketing program" that only specifies how the food was processed and has no indication of food safety or nutrition.
Currently, the USDA works with 95 independent organic certification agencies worldwide — 55 domestic and 40 foreign.
Spawned in 1970s
The organic movement gained attention in the 1970s when the government banned the pesticide DDT. Spawned in response to the often-toxic practices of mass agriculture, the movement was seen as an eccentricity of the Earth-loving hippie set. Organic foods were not simply about good eating, but doing good for the environment and promoting a healthier, more sustainable place in which to live.
Consumers now, however, tend to equate "organic" with "healthy." But that comparison is often not accurate, said Brad Stufflebeam, an organic farmer based in Brenham, Texas, who noted the explosion of processed foods on supermarket shelves with "organic" labels.
"Just because it's organic cereal with organic sugar doesn't make it healthy," Stufflebeam said.
On food packaging, "natural" has no relation to organic and only implies that the product contains no artificial ingredients or artificial food coloring, Moore said. " 'Natural' has nothing to do with how the food was grown, handled or processed."
No additives
Studies have shown some health benefits of eating organic foods, especially in developing children whose bodies are less able to deal with pesticide residue often found on conventional fruits and vegetables. Moreover, the Food and Drug Administration permits the use of more than 300 synthetic food additives in conventional foods. USDA-certified organic foods contain none of these additives.
Aside from possible pesticide residue, "if you compare organically grown foods to conventionally grown foods, there is no significant difference in the nutrient profile between the two," Moore said. For example, both organic and conventional strawberries have relatively the same amount of carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.
Moore said it is helpful for consumers to evaluate why they might be choosing organic food, whether it is for health reasons — to decrease possible risk of cancer by avoiding foods with pesticides — or for environmental reasons — to protect the water supply, encourage biodiversity or prevent soil erosion on farmlands.
There might also be social-consciousness reasons someone would support small farms or show concern about the impact on farm workers' health and rights, she added.
Some critics believe today's burgeoning organic market has turned into the industry it once fought. Seeds of Change, an organic company that sells rice, grains and complementary sauces, has been owned by M&M Mars since 1997. Food bar and smoothie maker Odwalla began with "three friends, a few boxes of oranges and a simple vision," according to the company's Web site, which makes no mention that it was purchased by Coca-Cola Co. in 2001.
Since 1997, the organic foods business has grown by an average 18.4 percent annually, amassing $13.8 billion in consumer sales last year. About 23 percent of consumers say they regularly buy organic goods, according to the Organic Trade Association.
Organic foods now make up about 2.5 percent of total food sales in the country.
National chains like Wal-Mart and Safeway are getting in on the action.
Earlier this year, Wal-Mart said it intends to double its number of organic products. And that list is diverse: pastas, olive oil, tea, peanut butter, fresh herbs, packaged salads, sour cream, seafood and a line of baby clothing made with organic cotton.
"Although we have sold organic food products for some time, our customers have not always thought of Wal-Mart as a place to find them," said company spokeswoman Karen Burk. "We want them to know that we have these products, and that we have them at prices that are better than those offered by the competition."
And, to the discontent of some organic farmers, Safeway stores like Texas-based Randall's supermarkets are touting their own label, O Organics, eliminating the middleman and providing organic foods at a lower price.
Organic farmer Stufflebeam concedes that the increased corporate presence in the market has probably taken business away from some independent organic farms, but, at the same time, mainstream chains are increasing public awareness of organic foods in general. Business has never been better, he says, adding that customers who want a share of the roughly 100 different varieties of heirloom vegetables and herbs Stufflebeam grows will have to put their name on a one-year waiting list.
Complaints filed
Some organic advocates, however, cite concerns over loosening regulations, pointing to alleged violations of the USDA organic standard by Horizon Organic and Aurora Organic Dairy, two hugely popular brands sold nationwide by vendors including Whole Foods Market.
Recently, a Wisconsin organic advocacy group, the Cornucopia Institute, filed a complaint with the USDA about Horizon Organic. The USDA is reviewing the charges to decide whether an investigation is necessary.
Cornucopia charges that Horizon, the nation's largest organic milk producer, is ignoring Agriculture Department rules requiring that organic dairy cows have "access to pasture."
Horizon, owned by milk bottling giant Dean Foods, said in a statement that the allegations are without merit and that the company works closely with its certifiers to ensure that each dairy is fully certified organic and meets the USDA's national organic standards.
The Minnesota-based Organic Consumers Association, an advocacy group, claims that about 40 percent of organic milk comes from establishments that obtain calves from conventional establishments, where they have little or no access to pasture.
Locally grown movement
To counteract the bigger, better, cheaper trend in organic foods, Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association said a movement for supporting locally grown produce is "small, but growing."
Buying locally grown produce has become the latest mark of the consumer who wants to conserve fuel and reduce pollution created by shipping food internationally.
The locally grown produce movement is about preserving farms as a community resource.
Stufflebeam, the 35-year-old organic farmer who runs a 6-acre central Texas plot called Home Sweet Farm, believes that consumers want to develop good relationships with the people who grow their food. He calls it "the ultimate form of accountability."
SOURCE: http://www.ajc.com

An Original Compiled by: Alex K. Holik, www.boozenews.ca

Private Label Heinz Bottles
The trend towards customer-driven choice has finally reached a breaking point. For those of us who are completely ego-centric, Heinz is now offering a custom, private labeling program available at www.myheinz.com. The on-line engine allows users to select from a variety of Heinz products and imprint up to three lines of text on their stock label template. No minimums are required but at $6.00 a bottle (14 oz. glass bottle or 20 oz. plastic), this certainly will not become part of regular grocery shopping.

Gordon Ramsay to Become a Publican
“Hell’s Kitchen’s” Chef Gordon Ramsay has announced plans to open a line of pubs across Britain despite an average of 26 existing pubs closing a month (according to stats from the “Campaign for Real Ale” group, an organization trying to reverse this trend). In typical fashion, Ramsay’s chain making a “dramatic” entry into the licensed trade, would concentrate on food service and menu development rather than simply beer and spirits. The reason for the sudden change in culinary direction stems from a lack of opportunity to open a 10th gourmet restaurant in the London area. Although plans are in the works for the Ramsay group to open gourmet restaurants in New York and Florida in October and Los Angeles early next year, plus additional venues in Amsterdam, Prague and Ireland, he had to close his Glasgow restaurant “Amaryllis” in 2004.
With an average price of £70 for a mid-week meal at his collection of seven Michelin star restaurants, the pubs would cater to a completely different segment of the market. Chris Hutcheson, Ramsay’s father-in-law and chief executive of Gordon Ramsay Holdings, explains the focus: "What we are looking at now is a move into pubs that serve food. I don't mean gastro-pubs - I mean good food."
Gordon Ramsay, whose holding company has doubled its annual profits to almost £8m from a combination of broadcasting, writing and food service, tops Britain’s list of richest celebrity chefs with £67m. He is followed by Jamie Oliver who reaped £58m.
One explanation for an increase in operations globally, according to food writer Joanna Blythman: "Being a chef is a very hard job. When you get to 40, you don't want to be in the kitchen doing back-to-back shifts... so you become a businessman."

Maple Syrup the Latest Detox Diet Fad in Britain
In what could become a huge boom for Canada’s famous maple syrup trade, a number of celebrities are advocating a new diet plan allows practitioners to lose over 20 pounds in 10 days.
Although the British Dietetic Association advocates that the syrup is unlikely to provide the range of essential nutrients or protein required by the body, fashion magazines such as Elle have reported on Madal Bal Natural Tree Syrup’s popularity across Europe. Beyonce Knowles gave the maple syrup diet star billing when she said: "I lived on water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup for 14 days", referring to her regime to lose 22 pounds for her new film Dreamgirls. The regimen was originally developed in the 1950s by naturopath Stanley Burroughs for a patient with a stomach ulcer. It has become highly popular as a "detox" diet, especially among yoga devotees and health food shops have reported a huge increase in sales over the summer. The syrup, which costs £39.99 a litre, is made from a blend of maple and palm tree syrups and is mixed with fresh lemon juice, spring water and a pinch of cayenne pepper. The syrup is supposed to be taken as a meal replacement. Pure Natural Products in Lincolnshire, the sole UK distributor of the product, has reported selling "tremendous amounts" but cautioned that the syrup was not a diet: "It is a detox with weight loss as a side effect."

Gourmet Food Vending Hits NYC
In a 1950’s retro-futristic style, a gourmet automat named “BAMN!” is set to open in New York this summer. The take-out space which features metal vending units with heated, windowed shelves is automated and available to customers 24-hours a day. The menu features a variety of foods such as teriaki chicken, pizza dumplings, marinated roast pork sandwiches and macaroni and cheese and was inspired by versions in Amsterdam where mechanically vended meals are extremely popular. The prices for each meal are modest (from $1.50 to $2.50) and portions large enough that two would be filling. Fortunately not all services are provided automatically. For good measure, on-premise chefs constantly restock and monitor food selections and certain items such as Belgian fries are served up manually.

Upscale Macaroni & Cheese Restaurant
New York City offers another first in niche restaurants. An establishment named “S’MAC” has opened which features a menu of only Macaroni and Cheese dishes. The meals are all cooked and served in individual skillets and available in three sizes depending on your appetite (nosh, major munch, and mongo). Customer meals are custom built with cheese, meat, vegetable and herb ingredients but ten house specialties are available which offer more gourmet combinations like Brie with figs and rosemary and Goat Cheese with spinach and olives. Most of us survived on macaroni and cheese as children and through school days, so perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to reward our mac and cheese loyalty with a more sophisticated version. It should be interesting to see how successful this unique concept will become.

Banner-wielding animal rights protesters swarmed into a restaurant on Lianhua Road in Buji Subdistrict serving cat meat and forced it to shut down, Xinhua reported yesterday.
The 100 or so demonstrators, including women and children, held up banners reading "cats and dogs are friends of human beings" as they entered the Fangji Cat Meatball restaurant and demanded the owner free any live cats on the premises, Xinhua said.
There were none in the building as the owner had already moved them out, the report said. But some burst into tears upon finding a skinned cat in a fridge.
"I cannot go on with my business and I will not sell cat meat any more," the restaurant owner was quoted as saying, although he defended his trade by saying eating cat was a tradition in Guangdong Province.
The organizer of the protest, identified only as Isobel, the founder of a cat protection Web site, said the restaurant had been chosen because it killed cats in the street and it was "very bad for the students from nearby schools."
Gao Haiyun, Miss Shenzhen for the year 2005, also took part, calling on people to "stop eating cats and dogs and become civilized," Xinhua said.
In many parts of China, especially the southern regions, people have the tradition of eating cat meat. Previous reports said that in Guangzhou alone the residents eat 10,000 cats every day during the winter.
Source: http://www.china.org.cn