Dessert By Candy

Connecting With The Land At Eigensinn Farm

I was going to write a proper review of my visit to Eigensinn Farm but as soon as I started writing, an objective review just didn't seem right. From the two hour drive to Singhampton to casually chatting with chef Michael Stadtlander and his wife Nobuyo in his electically designed kitchen at the end of the evening, this whole experience felt more like a pilgrimage to reconnect with the land than just a dinner.

The Stadtlanders' philosophy of living harmoniously with nature is reflected in everything from their farm's decor (the dining room is illuminated with only one lamp, countless flickering candles, and a crackling wood fireplace) to sourcing ingredients produced at their farm or locally. Nobuyo even told us that they're considering switching to wind-power electricity as a renewable source of energy at the farm. This environmental awareness is more often associated with the granola-munching set. To realize that under skillful preparation, great cooking and delicious food still reign supreme, this is a truly enlightening experience for me.

Amuse Gueule (6 distinct one-bite tasters served on a horseshoe shaped plate)

• raw oyster from British Columbia: this was so sweet and briny that I abandoned my prejudice against raw oysters and truly enjoyed the taste of the ocean.
• pickerel dumpling served in a sauce of reduced fish stock, wine, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar: our whole table unanimously agreed that the sauce was a thing of beauty. It was simple yet so flavourful.
• crab salad with julienned daikon, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and shallots garnished with Okinawan sea grapes (umibudou): I thought the crab salad paled in comparison to the sea grapes that Nobuyo brought back from her recent trip home to Okinawa. It tasted very similar to tobiko both in taste and texture but the flavour is cleaner.
• head cheese with pickled string beans and beets: A little tart flavour that was a notch above the crab salad. It offered an appropriate transition to move from the briny ocean flavour to the earthy smokiness of the ham.
• house-smoked ham on sourdough crostini
• a shooter of PEI mussel soup: sweet yet it didn't quite measure up to the sauce in the pickerel dumpling.

Jerusalem Artichoke and Lobster Soup with Hot Smoked Black Cod Garnished With Tomalley

• This was my favourite course of the evening. The soup was a dark brown puree of jerusalem artichoke with very concentrated lobster flavour. The pieces of lobster were the most tender ones I've ever tasted. It was so perfectly cooked that just a tad less cooking would qualify it as sashimi. The black cod imparted an aggressive smokiness that cut through the richness of the soup very well.

Foie Gras Terrine Wrapped With Bacon Fat And Soaked In Muscato. Served With Roasted Baby Potato, Butter Sauteed Leeks, Mixed Greens, and Balsamic Reduction

• This was an utmost luxurious foie gras terrine. Intead of finely chopped foie gras, the cross section of this terrine showed large pieces of foie gras tightly stacked on top of one another. Typically this rich ingredient is paired with a sweet element in the form of a fruit compote. However, soaking the terrine in a sweet wine overnight provided an intrinsic sweetness that permeated every bite. The baby roasted potato slices were a delicious crispy accompaniment.

Seared Yellow Perch and Whitefish Served With Wild Baby Leeks Shoots, Potato Puree with Maple Syrup, and Leek Pesto

• I much preferred the texture of the whitefish and found the yellow perch rather mealy. However, the potato puree was absolutely delicious with a strong garlic flavour yet it did not overshadow the sweetness of the leeks.

Summer Fruit Sorbet Of Blackcurrent, Peach, Strawberry, Raspberrry, and Apple

• This sorbet was served in the hollow part of the bottom of a champagne bottle. The plate was scattered with fresh pine needles with a nice refreshing scent. The sorbet had a wonderfully smooth texture. One bite and I was instantly reminded of pain d'epice. The flavour was round with a wintery warmth. Not everyone at our table liked the sorbet, however. We came to the conclusion that blackcurrent was the kind of flavour that you either love or hate.

Roasted Suckling Red Warthog Pig Served With Chives Pasta, Turnips, Beets, and Bok Choy

• Everything about this dish was delicious except for the very tough skin on the pork. The pig was raised right there at the farm and the meat had an unbelievably fresh taste that was highlighted by the sweetness of the beets and turnips. My favourite component of this course was the chives pasta. It was a paper-thin strip that tasted at once delicate and robust. It reminded me of a nicely-done wonton wrapper.

Raw Milk Cheeses From Quebec

• goat cheese was very runny and creaming. It did not taste very strong as far as goat cheese goes but the flavour was still quite pungent. My favourite of the three cheeses in this course.
• Benedictine blue cheese: This crumbly blue cheese went well with the pear slices and I liked the saltiness.
• Le Fou du Roy from Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde in Saint Sophie in the Laurentians. It's a 100% raw cow's milk cheese, semi-firm with a washed rind. This was the favourite with most of the people at our table due to its mild flavour. It was nice but I still prefer Migneron de Charlevoix in that same category.
• The cheese course was served on a round of tree trunk cross-section with fresh pears, warm housemade fruit & nut bread, and dried figs.

Trio Of Creamy Dessert

• Lemon Grand Mariner Foam with Orange Segments: a very tart foam with slivers of lemon zest. Although I'm a big fan of lemon tart (the more lemony the better!), I found this a little too much.
• Honey Lemon Ice-Cream with Raspberry Coulis and Poire William: an ice-cream with very silky smooth texture. It was nicely done but the flavour is not too pronounced.
• Maple Hazelnut Craquant with Single-Malt Whisky Praline Mousse and Red Wine Poached Plum: I wanted to like this but I just couldn't. The alcohol combined with the slight bitterness of the caramelization resulted in a not too pleasant taste. The poached plum was good though.
• We paired our dessert with a 1999 Chateau Guiraud Sauterne.
• I was not too fond of the dessert course because all three components were of the creamy variety hence lacking textural contrast.

Petit Four

• Candied Orange Peel: very soft and fresh tasting. I liked this a lot.
• Dark Chocolate Truffle flavoured with Grand Marnier: at only the size of my pinkie fingernail, this precocious truffle was cute. However, it didn't impart a lot of flavour impact.
• White Chocolate Truffle: neither RS nor I could identify the liqueur used in this truffle.
• Almond Financier topped with Caramelized Almond Slivers: nice and chewy with great caramel flavour. It was just a tad too sweet but went well with my cup of coffee.

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Feast At Lele

I went to two luaus during my trip to Hawaii in 2002. One of them was part of the Polynesian Cultural Centre tour and the other one was the unforgetable beach-side meal at Feast At Lele in Maui. Our original plan was to attend Old Lahaina Luau but we were able to make a reservation for Feast At Lele at the last minute.

We arrived at the site and were each greeted with a beautiful orchid lei and a Mai Tai. Instead of communal tables found in most luaus, we were seated at small tables covered with white linen. The luau is located on a beach with the sunset and ocean as the backdrop. This is a small intimate affair where each table has a clear view of the stage. While we were waiting for the night to begin, we had our pictures taken by professional photographers and munched on grilled bananas, taro, among other amuse-bouche. When the music began, our attentions were directed to a catamaran slowly sailing towards the beach and a group of dancers descended on the waterside stage. The show itself was a mixture of different Polynesian cultures that coincides with the menu. I highly recommend you to check out their menu because the dishes are familiar luau offereings yet they are given a haute-makeover. My favourite dishes were the Imu Roasted Kalua Pig, Steamed Chicken and Taro Leafs in Coconut Milk, and whole fish grilled in banana leafs (unfortunately, this dish is no longer available in the current menu). It is a perfect way to sample wonderful interpretations of traditional Polynesian cuisine. Kudos to Chef James MacDonald. Instead of the typical buffet style of other luaus, Feast At Lele serves you at your table which just made the whole experience so much more enjoyable.

Needless to say, this luau was the perfect way to end our wonderful vacation in Hawaii. If I'm ever in Maui again, I would definitely go back for another dinner.

I Was There For The Atmosphere

As much as I hate to admit, atmosphere and a beautiful surrounding play a large part in making a truly memorable meal. Having just came back from a garden party hosted by La Chaine Des Rotisseurs, I would like to recount my experience along with another meal in an equally picturesque setting.

One of my most memorable meal was an alfresco lunch at the Orangerie of the Chateau de Chenonceau in Loire Valley, France. It was the first full day that A and I spent in France after a hectic week in UK. What's better than a leisurely driving trip in the garden of France visiting castles on a beautiful sunny spring day? After exploring our ways about the castle, we strolled to the Orangerie without realizing that it is a restaurant until we saw the menus posted in front of the gates. The prix-fixe menu was reasonably priced and it was lunch time, so we decided to stop for lunch. When asked whether we want a table indoor or outdoor, we chose to sit indoor until we walked by the lovely outdoor terrace. On one side, the wall of the Orangerie was entirely covered by trellis of lilac in all shades of purple. Under the shades of the building, the terrace was dotted with tables in white demask tablecloths and comfortable chairs. At a closer look, I could see tablesettings that were gleaming with wine glasses and silverware embossed with the crest of the chateau. We changed our minds quickly and were seated at one of the tables on the terrace. I honestly don't remember much details on the dishes that we had (rillet, pate, fried goat cheese, apple tart) but when I close my eyes, I can almost feel the breeze, the chirping of the birds, and the fragrance of the lilac as if I'm sitting at the restaurant right now. That one and a half hour lunch was simply magical.

I didn't know what to expect when I was invited to dinner at the Toronto Hunt. All I knew was that the Toronto chapter of La Chaine Des Rotisseurs (an exclusive group of gourmets) hosts monthly formal dinners for their members to get together. I didn't even know that Toronto Hunt is a private golf club located at the scenic Scarborough Bluffs. As our car drove through the winding birch-lined path leading to the clubhouse, I was a little apprehensive. Dinner inside a fancy clubhouse is nothing special unless the food is spectacular. However, as soon as the maitre d' showed us to the garden, I knew that it would be a special evening. I found myself in the middle of lush lawn. Behind me was the warm glowing light of the clubhouse. To my right, I could see more birch trees leading to the greens with an elegant trellis marking the border of the garden. To my front and left, I was greeted with a spectacular view of Lake Ontario where the lawn ends and sloped into a cliff. While we enjoyed glasses of sparkling wine with hors d'oeuvre, I saw the table that was set for dinner and I couldn't help but smile in joy. Under three dark green canopies was a long table covered in white tablecloth. The table was filled to the bream with flower arrangements, candle lights, silverware, wine glasses, and of course, the menu of the evening. When the maitre d' rung the dinner bell, guests filled the table and all of us eagerly read the menu. Although I expected to be completely occupied by the food and wine, I found myself enjoying the sunset as courses of the meal progressed. I noticed the sailing boats floating across the lake and the sparkly lights further down the shoreline. It was such a picturesque setting for an alfresco meal on this June evening.

What Makes A Meal Memorable?

Having dined at some really fine restaurants over the past year from Japan to France to Canada, I begin to wonder what makes a meal memorable. Thinking back on some of my most memorable meals, I realize that although delicious food is important, it is not the deciding factor at all. I'm going to start chronicling some of my most memorable meals. Perhaps I'll begin to see a pattern that may answer my question.

Are you in any one of them? Did you share this experience with me?