Beef brisket may not be a cut of beef readily available at the grocery store. I went to my local butcher shop to pick one up. Beef brisket is made up of two muscles. The fatty muscle, the pectoralis superficialis, (a.k.a the point) and the leaner muscle, the pectoralis profundus (a.k.a the flat). I decided on a 4 lb cut from the point of the beef brisket mainly because I wanted the flavour that the fattier cut would deliver and I was only feeding 3 people so a whole brisket would have been a little much for my dinner party. A good measure of thumb is to purchase a 1/2 lb of beef per person but consider a shrinkage factor when smoking beef brisket and aim for 1 lb per person precooked weight. 

I decided to try a try a Texas style smoked brisket. This style of cook truly showcases the flavour of the beef relying only on salt and pepper to season the roast. Don't get me wrong, you could get really creative with a complex rub that might include 10 or 15 different spices but sometime keeping it simple will deliver the best results.
​To prepare the rub combine equal parts of kosher salt and black pepper in a container with a lid. I mixed a 1/4 cup of each together and had left over for a future smoke. Sprinkle a generous amount of the rub on all sides of the brisket but do not go overboard. You will also want to shake the rub occasionally as you sprinkle it on the brisket as the heavier salt tends to settle to the bottom of the container. 

I returned my rubbed brisket to the fridge while I prepped my smoker. For the wood I decided to go with Oak wood which is the traditional wood they would choose in Texas. My smoker has a built-in water pan which I filled with 1 inch of warm water. The water pan will help the cooking chamber maintain an even heat, keep the meat moist and help the smoke adhere to the meat. If your smoker does not have a water pan just add an inch or so or warm water to an aluminum disposable pan and place it under the grilling rack where you intend on placing the brisket. I preheated my smoker to 225 F and added my wood chips.

There seems to be a debate within the BBQ community around fat side up or down when it comes to placing your brisket on the cooking rack. I have a vertical smoker and decided to place my brisket fat side down as the heat source is directly below the rack. The reverse is recommended if you have an offset smoker where the heat source is off to the side. Place your brisket fat side up if this is the type of smoke you have. 
Now the waiting game begins. Some online research may suggest that a brisket will take 1.5 hours per pound at 225 F. This suggests my 4 lb brisket should take about 6 hours to be done. The key to smoking meat is low and slow. Temperature is king and time is only a good judge for when to insert the thermometer into the meat. Your brisket should be finished once it reaches an internal temperature of 200 F - 204 F. As your meat progresses a good idea is to spritz it with liquid to keep it moist and to help the smoke stick to it. I used a spray bottle with beer (but water or apple cider or juice is a suitable substitute) and sprayed every 30 minutes or so after the 2-hour mark. 

About 5 hours in to my supposed 6 hour smoke my brisket was hovering around 165 F. I had hit a phenomenon know as the brisket stall. This can occur when cooking meat low and slow with such methods as smoking. This is caused by an evaporative cooling effect from the moisture within the brisket (and the fat) escaping which in turn cools the surface of the brisket until the moisture escapes. This can take hours to overcome but eventually will pass. A quick cure to overcome the dreaded stall is called the "Texas Crutch". Simply put remove the brisket from the smoker once it reaches 165 F and tightly wrap in in aluminum foil and return it to the smoker. At this point the brisket is done absorbing the flavours from the smoking wood chips so it is not really important to maintain a good smoke level but rather to maintain a steady temperature. Check your brisket periodically until it reached the optimal internal temperature of 204 F (for me this happened 4 hours later, 9 hours into my 6 hour smoke.....). Once it is within 3 or 4 degrees of the 204 F target remove the brisket from the smoker and let it rest for 45 minutes to an hour. Letting the brisket rest will help the juices of the brisket solidify somewhat, keeping the brisket moist and locking in the flavour from the hours you just dedicated to preparing this cut of beef on the smoker.

Once rested slice the brisket against the grain (this is a little more tricky with the brisket point as the two muscles converge in opposite directions, since my roast was smaller I didn't bother separating the two muscles and slicing each in opposite direction).

If things go well, you should have a beautiful smoke ring on the outer edge of your brisket. This is one of those things' judges look for in those brisket competitions mentioned at the beginning of this article and is considered a defining factor to whether the brisket is cooked well. Once again one of those things that meat dreams are made of.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed #MyCanadianBeef take on smoked beef brisket. Let me know how yours turned out in the comments bellow.

The first step to the perfect reverse seared smoked steak is to pick a thick steak. I decided to go with a 1.5-inch bone in rib eye steak (truth be told it was more of a prime rib roast than a steak). Thickness matters for this cooking method. A thin steak will turn out dry if you do not pull it off the smoker at the exact right moment. I have learned it is better to carve a thick steak and share it with your guest rather than try to serve everyone an individual steak. It also makes for a nice presentation when served on a platter or a cutting board family style.
The method is very simple. A few hours before getting the smoker prepped lightly sprinkle your steak with some kosher salt and place the steak in the fridge.

Pre heat your smoke to 225-250 F. If your smoker has a water pan add an inch of hot water to it just as your pre heat the smoker. If it does not have a water pan use a disposable tin foil pan with an inch of hot water in it, placing in directly under the area where you will place your steak. The water will help regulate the temperature creating an even cooking environment in your smoker as well as helping the smoke stick to your meat. When the smoker almost reaches the temperature add your wood chips. I decided to use whiskey barrel wood chips (Oak) with a little mesquite chip mix. Just before placing the steak in the smoker lightly rub some olive oil on it and season with black pepper. I placed my steak almost right from the fridge onto the smoke. There is no need to bring your steak up to room temperature for two reasons. The smoke tends to stick better to the cool steak and you can keep food safety a priority by not letting your steak sit in the danger zone growing potentially harmful bacteria while you wait for it to acclimatize to room temp.

Place your steak on the middle rack of your smoker and maintain the smoke and 225-250 F temperature for about 90-minutes to 2 hours. I was going for a medium rare to medium cook. I pulled the steak once it hit 140F checking with a meat thermometer every so often after the 90 minute mark. Try to place the meat thermometer in the middle of the steak (keeping it away from the bone) to get the most accurate reading. A digital probe style thermometer can be a useful tool when smoking because every time you open the door or lid of your smoker you will let the heat out and it will take time for the temperature to return to where it was. As the saying goes "if you're looking then you're not cooking".

Around the 90-minute mark I preheated my propane grill to a high heat (approximately 500 F). Once the steak hit my desired temperature, I transferred the steak to the grill and seared each side for about 4 minutes per side. I decided to top my steak with a compound butter. (Find the recipe here: www.jayeatz.com/blog/so-you-want-to-up-your-steak-game-try-making-compound-butter)

I sliced the compound butter into medallions and topped my steak with it the last minute before I took it off the grill allowing it to slightly melt.

Then I let the steak rest for 15 minutes, allowing the compound butter to further melt, and the juices of the steak to redistribute back into the steak before slicing. 

I decided to pair the steak with fried mushrooms and a kale salad recipe I discovered on the ROUNDUP app from Canadian Beef canadabeef.ca/recipes/beer-soaked-beef-rotisserie-roast-with-skillet-corn-kale-salad/.

Wow your friends with a reverse sear smoked prime rib steak at your next backyard cookout. 

Since I was making steak, I decided to infuse flavours that would complement steak into my compound butter such as rosemary, garlic and shallots. Here is what you will need:
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of salted butter (1 stick) room temperature 
• ​2 TBSP minced garlic 
• 2 TBSP finely chopped rosemary
• 2 TBSP diced shallot
• 1 TBSP white wine vinegar

Directions:
Place room temperature butter in a small mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients thoroughly into the butter.

Place about 2 feet of plastic wrap on clean countertop. Spoon the butter mixture into the middle of the plastic wrap. Form the butter into a log shape using the plastic wrap to assist with the formation, twisting the ends tightly to seal.

Place the compound butter into the fridge (overnight) or the freezer if you are in a hurry to firm up. Remove from plastic wrap, slice into medallions, and place it on top of your steak (or other meat) the last few minutes on the grill (or while still very hot). 

Let your steak rest 10-15 minutes, slice and enjoy a steakhouse finish on a steak cooked right in your own backyard. Leftover compound butter can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

     The Church Key Pub is located on 476 Richmond St. across from the Grand Theatre and only a few blocks away from Bud Gardens making it the ideal spot to  dine before an event. It is a welcoming and warm space and gets busy when events are happening downtown but lucky enough we were able to get a table for two.

     We were seated and we began to decide what we should order. I gave the beer menu a once over and could not believe how reasonably priced the Church Key's beers are. A 10 oz draft started at $3.75 (and have only gone up to $4.10 after the minimum wage increase), keep this in mind when considering a place downtown to go to for drinks. We ordered drinks and appetizers, Ma Dukes went with the soup and I opted for the mussels steamed with leeks and lager beer. A massive loaf of bread with house blended butter also made its way to our table.

     The mussels were excellent, steamed to perfection in beer just like the ones I make at home. They also offer a baked version in a white wine cream sauce that I will have to return and try. Ma Dukes liked her soup and the loaf of bread and butter was so good we asked for another loaf.
     Now for the main course I decided on the Church Key burger with a Caesar side salad and Ma Dukes went with the fish and chips.

     Ma Dukes is British and a bit of a fish and chips aficionado and she gave her order the two thumbs up. I have been know to eat a few burgers myself and really enjoyed the Church Key burger. The patty was made in house and was topped with caramelized onions and Stilton cheese which added some bite to the burger. The Caesar salad was a great choice after eating all the bread from the appetizer round as well as the bun from the burger.
     The service was excellent just like the food. Surprisingly the prices are also very reasonable too. Some of the neighbouring dinning establishments in the area are known for their expensive prices and through my assumptions I placed the Church Key into the same category. Totally not the case, the fish & chips are only $17.50 and the burger was only $18.50. A visit to a chain restaurant these days will run you a similar bill (more if you are ordering beer).
     Jay Eatz definitely recommends the Church Key Bistro Pub downtown London. Elevated pub fare at reasonable prices, cheap beer and a great chance to support a local downtown business by shopping local.

     Years of watching Hell's Kitchen had finally influenced me to give Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington a try. After a little researching online I came across this recipe from an apparent insider who worked on the set of Hell's Kitchen and reviled how this infamous dish is made (www.popsugar.com/food/Gordon-Ramsay-Beef-Wellington-Recipe-486092). What better time to give this recipe a go than on Valentines Day right? Why not pair it with Lobster Risotto and Beef Carpaccio? What a great Valentines Day kitchen challenge sure to leave your significant other impressed. Here is what you will need to make the Beef Wellington portion of this meal happen.

Ingredients:
Mushroom Duxelles:

• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, finely chipped
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Crepe:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp minced chives
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• butter, for fry pan

Beef Wellington:

• 2 lbs beef tenderloin
• Dijoin mustard
• 1 box of frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/2 lb prosciutto ham 
• 1 egg
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:
Chop the mushrooms and add them to a food processor (or blender if you don't have a food processor like me) and blend until it is of a paste like consistency.

In a skillet heat olive oil on a medium setting. Spread the mushroom paste over the frying pan and season with salt and pepper. Heat until the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms and has a spreadable consistency like the third photo below.

Let the mushroom duxelles cool. Now is the perfect time to sear the beef tenderloin. Heat olive oil to a medium high in a large skillet. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear all sides of the beef tenderloin in the skillet. Make sure to only sear the outer edges of the beef leaving the inside raw. Remove the beef and set aside to cool.

While the beef and mushroom duxelles are cooling prepare the crepe. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, eggs, sugar, salt, chives and mix well. Whisk in the milk, water and 1 tbsp of melted butter until you end up with a pancake like batter.  Melt butter in a large frying pan on a medium setting, add half of the crepe mixture to the pan. Cook for about a minute and then flip the crepe, it should have a light golden brown colour to it, cook the other side for about 1 more minute. Add more butter to the frying pan if needed and make a second crepe with the rest of the batter.

Coat the cooled seared beef tenderloin with the dijon mustard. Slice the tenderloin into two equal pieces.

To roll the Beef Wellington lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean flat surface. Place the crepe on the plastic wrap. Spread the mushroom duxelles evenly on the crepe. Place the prosciutto on top of the mushroom duxelles and place one half of the mustard coated beef tenderloin in the center of the crepe (see photos below).

Wrap the crepe around the beef tenderloin and trim of any excess from the sides. Use the plastic wrap to tightly roll the beef tenderloin. On another clean surface place a sheet of plastic wrap and roll out the puff pastry until it is about 1/4" thick and divide in two. Remember to unwrap the crepe rolled beef tenderloin from the plastic wrap and place it in the middle of the puff pastry. Roll the puff pastry around the beef tenderloin crepe covering all sides. Remove any excess pastry from the ends and tightly wrap the pastry covered tenderloin with the plastic wrap. Repeat this process for the second crepe wrapped tenderloin and place both pieces in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the Beef Wellingtons from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and place seem side down on the baking sheet. Score the pasty with a butter knife in a criss cross pattern and brush the pastry with an egg wash. 

Lightly season with salt and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (or slightly longer if you like your beef a little more well done). Remove from oven and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Slice the Beef Wellingtons into medallions, plate and serve.

     If you want a Valentines Day kitchen challenge or if you are just looking for a delicious elevated meal, give this Beef Wellington recipe a try.  It will surely leave your dinner guest or guest amazed.

     The Mermaid Hotel located in Hillsborough, the largest town in Carriacou.  Everything you could possible need is located within a 5 minute walk.  Grocery store, pharmacy, bars and restaurants, even better yet the Mermaid Hotel is also home to the Callaloo Restaurant & Bar.  Another bonus is if you are arriving by ferry you can walk to the hotel (no taxi needed).

     An even better way to arrive is by speed boat like we did, dropped right off beach front.  The only downfall is suitcase wheels struggle in the sand.

     We were greeted and promptly checked in.  We decided to go with the standard room, queen bed which included breakfast for $107 USD.  The room was very spacious, equipped with AC and a TV, a mini fridge, a comfy bed and an amazing glass shower with rain head and jets.  Although we were not in an ocean view room the sounds of the sea drifted us off to sleep.

     The Mermaid Hotel also has a breathtaking beach just steps from the rooms.  As they say location, location, location.

     The Mermaid Hotel is also perfectly situated to capture a Carriacou sunset. 

     Here are a few more views from the Mermaid hotel.

     When we checked out of our room we had a few hours until the ferry departed for Grenada so we went to Paradise Beach.  We were able to keep our luggage in the manager's office while we were at the beach and picked it up before heading to the ferry.  Our stay at the Mermaid in was excellent.  Thinking back on this trip 36 hours is still not enough time to experience Carriacou.  Next time we visit Grenada we will allocate more time in the trip to spend on Carriacou and will definitely be staying at the Mermaid Hotel. 

      As promised here is the recipes for the four casseroles that we (and when I say we I mean YOU) made. 

Macaroni Pie

     Here are some more pictures from the evening.  Thank you Maja for staying up and doing some midnight baking and for transforming the food lab into a festive wonderland.

     Please leave a comment and let everyone know what your favourite casserole of the evening was?

     I made a batch of fresh Calabrese pasta sauce (here is the recipe: www.jayeatz.com/blog/so-this-mangiacake-decided-to-make-pasta-sauce-and-meatballs) last week and to my surprise it had quit the yield.  I got tired of pasta fairly quickly and had to come up with some ways to use it up and chicken parmesan seemed like a great option because it is easy and delicious.   

Instructions:
Pre heat oven to 400f.  Flatten chicken breast with a kitchen mallet or a heavy frying pan.  Try to achieve an even flatness (I bought bone in chicken breast and deboned them myself, I ended up with the 2 fillets that I breaded and threw in the frying pan as well).

Beat egg in a bowl.  In a separate bowl pour in enough Panko bread crumbs to cover the chicken.  Mix in 4 Tbsp of parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs.  Dip the chicken breast into the beaten egg ensuring all sides of the chicken have a good coating of the egg.  Now dip the chicken into the bread crumb mixture also ensuring an even coating of the breading.  In a large frying pan heat about 1/8 of an inch of oil on a medium setting.  Once the oil is hot add the chicken breast to the frying pan.

Fry the chicken for about 5 minutes per side or until the side in the oil reaches a golden light brown colour.  You will be able to see the chicken start to change colour from the top side and be able to judge when it is time to flip.

Fry the other side for about 5 minutes.  Place enough pasta sauce to cover the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish or a 9x12 glass dish.  Place the fried chicken breast in the dish.  Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top of the chicken breast.  Add 2 slices of mozzarella cheese to the top of each chicken breast (if using shredded mozzarella make sure the top surface of the chicken has a good covering of cheese).  Pour some pasta sauce over the top of the chicken and to the sides (about enough sauce to almost come up to the top of the chicken breast).  Sprinkle some more parmesan cheese on top of the chicken and sauce.  Place the chicken into the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes.

     Chicken parm is often paired with pasta like spaghetti.  Having my full of noodles I decided to accompany my chicken parm with some green beans and shaved zucchini lightly fried and simmered in pasta sauce.  I made this during the last 15 minutes the chicken parm was in the oven.  Another great serving alternative would be to place the chicken parm on a large Italian bun and make a homemade hot Italian sandwich.

     Next time you are making pasta for supper (or have gone overboard on a batch of homemade Calabrese sauce) plan on having chicken parm the second night.  In less than an hour from start to plate you will have a delicious meal that will be different enough to make you forget that you had the sauce the evening before. 

    I would have liked to title this post "So I found the best Roti in Barbados......." but that would be an impossible task to accomplish during a 7 day stay on the Island.  So many restaurants offer this Caribbean delicacy in Barbados, you would almost need to live there for a year and eat Roti daily to really be able to make such a statement. 
     If you are wondering what Roti is well here goes.  Roti actually refers to a type of flat bread originating from India.  This bread is unleavened meaning gas is not added to the dough to make it lighter which results in the Roti bread's dense consistency similar to pita bread.  Traditionally Roti is torn apart and dipped into a curry to sop up the juices and scoop up the meat.  In Trinidad during the 1940's the Roti wrap was born (which I will be talking about).  The curry that the Roti bread would be dipped in was used as a filling inside a Roti wrap which transformed the Roti into a hand held street food which popularity soon spread throughout the Caribbean.  The Roti wrap is simply called Roti.  I will give you my opinion on three different establishments where I got to experience the Bajan take on Roti.

     The award for the fastest Roti goes to Chefette Restaurants.  Chefette is to Barbados as McDonalds is to America.  Chefette has 15 locations across Barbados and is the one chain in that gives KFC a run for the money.  They sell pizza, chicken, burgers and ice cream but they were founded on Roti. 

     I decided to go with the chicken and potato Roti, it cost $8.70 BBD or $4.35 USD.  I placed my order and paid and bang, Roti done.  I don't think the whole process took more than 1 minute. 

     The Chefette Roti was decent and of good value for the price.  I will say you can taste some of the efficiencies in the final product but if you are looking for Roti in a hurry they win hands down and you can enjoy Chefette Island wide. 

     My second round of Roti hunting lead me to Chutney's Roti & Curry Cuisine.  Chutney's is like an upscale version of Chefette.  They have 4 locations in Barbados.  You place your order and they hand you a buzzer (pictured at the beginning of this post) and when its ready the device lets you know to pick it up.  I went with the goat and potato Roti with a side of coleslaw. 

     The Roti cost $16.45 BBD or $8.22 USD and came to around $11 USD with the coleslaw.  You could taste the difference between Chefette's take on the Roti and Chutney's versions.  The Roti bread had a different texture (I think the Chefette Roti spends some time in a warmer or microwave), the curry was more pronounced and the potatoes were a little less starchy.  The goat was very tender and was boneless which made devouring this Roti a simple task.  I am a fan of creamy coleslaw over the vinegar type, Chutney's coleslaw was very creamy and fresh.  All and all a good meal for a very reasonable price.

     I was super lucky to stumble upon Kumarie's Roti Shop.  We took the bus into Bridgetown and were walking from the bus terminal towards downtown and happened to stop into the Bridge Street Mall (on the corner of St Michael Row & Marhill St.) to take a look around.  A yummy smell filled the corridors of the mall and our noses lead us to the small food court.  Kamarie's shared a small store with a Chinese restaurant.  The young lady working the front counter was very friendly and polite, by far the best staff member we encountered during our Roti hunt.  The place was busy with locals which is always a promising sign that you are about to be in for a treat.

     I decided to go with the goat Roti for $13 BBD or $6.50 USD.  I watched them make the Roti in front of me.  This was by far the best Roti I had in Barbados.  The meat was so tender and flavourful.  The only thing you had to be careful of was the bones mixed in with the Roti filling.  I didn't mind as they were probably the contributing factor to all the flavour. 

     Have you ever been to Barbados and had a great Roti?  Please let everyone know where in the comments below.  Happy Roti hunting.

     I don't usually write blog posts about chain restaurants, usually I will save Zomato for my thoughts on a visit to lets say Kelsey's or Montana's.  When I visited Chuck's Roadhouse I discovered they were doing something totally different than the other guys, selling good food at good prices.  I almost want to use the word 'cheap' but the taste of what they serve is far from cheap.  Chuck's really has something good going on and I like it.

     You can get a burger and fries for $5 or you could upgrade to a triple decker for only $11.89.  The steaks have incredible prices too.  A 7 oz top sirloin will run you $10 or if you are feeling hungry they have a 16 oz AAA bone-in Rib-eye steak for $19.99.  The ribs are also priced incredibly well with a full rack of baby back ribs at $16.99.  You can check out Chuck's full menu here: chucksroadhouse.com/menu/.  They do have a goofy tax they call "The Honest to Goodness Fee".  It will add an extra 3% to your bill but if that's the price of reasonably priced food so be it. 

     During my visit I ordered the 9 oz boneless Rib-eye steak, rare, with a side of fries.  It was a decent sized portion and was cooked just the way I ordered it.  Excellent for a steak with a $12.99 price tag.  We also happened to visit on a Tuesday so you will see a gigantic beer in this photo, 32 oz domestic stein for $5, #YES.

     The G.F. ordered the bacon cheese burger with fries.  It was topped with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion, also a good portion for $8.89.  She said it was a solid burger.

     I had a little room left for dessert so I decided to give Chuck's one and only dessert item a try.  The "Funnel of Love" is what they call it, funnel fries topped with icing sugar, strawberries, whipped cream, ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.  I can see why they only have one dessert because you would be hard pressed to choose something different.

     I would definitely recommend trying out Chuck's Roadhouse next time you're going out to eat.  Good service, good food and great prices that truly are hard to beat.  

     Last June I had the pleasure of attending Farm & Food Care Canada's Breakfast on the Farm event in my hometown of Woodstock Ontario.  The event took place at Veldale Farms, a dairy farm, which was quit fitting for the host city which also happens to be the Dairy Capital of Canada.  The first 2000 people that RSVP'd to the event received a free breakfast, and 2000 people went.

     They put on one heck of a good breakfast too.  Pancakes, pork sausage, scrambled eggs, fried mushrooms, fresh strawberries, coffee, milk and apple cider.  

     Everything was delicious.  I can't even begin to imagine making pancakes for 2000 people.  Hats off to all the volunteers that cooked and served all the food. 

     After breakfast you could tour Veldale Farm's dairy operation.  This was the highlight of the day for me.  The volunteer tour guides around the farm all had a background in agriculture and were willing to answer your questions as you toured the farm.  It was amazing to see so many people passionate about agriculture.  Events like this are such an amazing tool to help people know where their food comes from.  You might watch a documentary about food which may influence your perception about farming and agriculture but to touch, see and feel what a real farm is like truly paints the real picture about agriculture.  It was amazing (and hilarious) to hear from some of the tour guides some of the questions they were asked about farming.  It really illustrates the disconnect some of the city folk from had with agriculture and knowing where their food comes from.  It is almost ironic that there is such disconnect between the city and the country given the close proximity of the two.  You can see Woodstock from Veldale Farms and you can see the farm from the 401 and Woodstock, so close to each other yet so far away.   

     This year's Breakfast on the Farm will be held at Donkers Family Farm near Shedden Ontario on June 24th, 2017 from 9 am to 1 pm.  Ed Donkers runs a goat farm and milks 900 goats for the production of specialty cheese.  This event provides a unique opportunity for farmers and non-farming Ontarians to have a conversation about food and farming, plus the FREE breakfast will be sure to impress.  To register for your free tickets please visit the following link: www.farmfoodcareon.org/breakfast-on-the-farm/

     Roy's Coffee Shop is located on 273 Caradoc S. St. in Strathroy.  I have driven by this place many times on my way to pick up things from Staples or Canadian Tire for work.  It's conveniently located on one of the main arteries in town close to the major business area.  On one of these trips by Roy's the outside sign read "Free Birthday Breakfast".  I took a mental note of this and vowed to return on my birthday to collect my gift.

     The big day had come and I headed to work early that day to start the day off right with the most important meal of the day.  Roy's has that old school diner vibe.  It's very busy in the morning filled with older men catching up on the daily news and meeting up with others to share the town gossip.  Walking in you get the impression that this place is a social institution of the town but yet you still feel welcome as an outsider.

     I sat at the bar as I was enjoying my birthday breakfast solo.  The waitress came to take my order and I said it was my birthday.  She let me know that you get the two eggs breakfast with your choice of bacon ham or sausage, home fries and toast.  I ordered mine with scrambled eggs and bacon.  I got a coffee to start while I waited for my food.  Roy's makes and excellent cup of Joe.

     I didn't even require my first refill on the coffee and the food was out.  It was a generous sized meal and smelled delicious.

     The bacon was nice and crispy and the home fries were amazing.  I like them when they are cooked on a skillet or a fry pan, not a big fan of deep fried home fries.  I had refill on the coffee and then went to settle the tab.  I was expecting to pay for the coffee and to my surprise that was free too. 

Happy Birthday to me, thanks Roy's.

     Have you ever Googled a recipe for traditional scalloped potatoes?  All this talk of making a roux, gradually adding milk to flour and butter, whisking constantly for 8 minutes?  Jay Eatz says forget about it, scalloped potatoes don't have to be that hard.  Don't get me wrong, the traditional way is far from the wrong way but there is a faster and easier way.  This recipe should yield 4 to 6 servings and fill a 2 quart casserole dish.

Instructions:
Peel and slice the onion into fine slices.  Peel and wash the potatoes.  Slice the potatoes into thin slices, about 1/8 of an inch.  Try to slice potatoes evenly to ensure even cooking time.

Place sliced potatoes in 2 quart casserole dish until you can not see the bottom of the dish.  Then add a layer of onions and season with salt and pepper.  Repeat this step until the dish is almost full.  Be sure to leave about a 1/2 inch of space between the potatoes and the lip of the casserole dish, this will prevent the mixture from boiling over causing a mess in the oven.

Mix the cream of mushroom soup with the cream in a bowl and pour into the casserole dish.

Bake covered in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for about an hour.  Uncover and continue to bake for another half hour or until the potatoes are tender.  Pierce the potatoes with a fork to determine if the potatoes are done, if not continue to bake until tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, serve and enjoy.

     I paired these scalloped potatoes with a Schneiders Olde Fashioned ham.  Nothing goes better with scalloped potatoes than ham.  If you like a cheesy scalloped potato just add shredded cheese to the top of the scalloped potatoes the last 10 minutes of cooking time.  I hope you enjoy these Easy Scalloped Potatoes.

     You have probably been to a wine tasting but have you ever been to a beef tasting?  Well Jay Eatz had the pleasure of attending Canadian Beef's Taste & Terroir event earlier this fall at the Canadian Food & Wine Institute at Niagara College.  The campus and facilities were the ideal setting for this day's events which would showcase some delicious Canadian Beef paired with some wines from the Niagara Region.  The only thing that trumped the setting was our hosts, two phenomenal chef's, Chef Marty Carpenter, Director of the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence and Chef Michael Olson, Chef Professor at the Canadian Food & Wine Institute Niagara College, and one amazing Home Economist, Joyce Parslow, Canadian Beef's Director of Consumer Relations.

     This purpose of this event was to illustrate the parallels of wine and beef in relation to the concept of "terroir".  What is "terroir" you ask?  Terroir is a French word which means land in its simplest translation.  It is a term closely tied to viticulture (particularly old world wines) referring to the earth and soil in which grapes are grown.  I was fortunate enough to take a course on the history of wine at university (best class ever) which really made it easy to see how the concept of "terroir" relates to Canadian Beef.  Our text book for this class was called The Essentials of Wine with Food Pairing Techniques by John P. Lagones.  Lagones said "grapes grown further from the equator are the most fragrant and are incredibly food friendly because of their acidity and freshness".  The same holds true for Canadian Beef.  Canada's geographical location has blessed us with grain growing capabilities. This is prime feed for cattle.  Our cold winters make for hardy beef breed stock resulting in Canadian Beef genetics being exported to 100 countries worldwide.  Just as the VQA regulatory and appellation system guarantees the high quality and authenticity of Canadian wines so does the Canadian Beef brand which stands for beef that's raised in Canada.  The beef grading system is a quality guide for Canadian Beef with Prime being the highest quality beef followed by AAA, AA and A grades.  As is the wine grower and the wine maker to wine is the farmer and the butcher to Canadian Beef.

     To truly understand the parallels between beef and wine in relationship to "terroir" a tasting of both would be necessary.

     Before we dived into these five different cuts of Canadian Beef, Joyce walked us through a quick sensory activity to prepare our tasting abilities.  We were given bread and gummy bears to calibrate our tenderness scale and a piece of banana, cucumber and orange to calibrate our perception of juiciness.

     After our sensory preparation we were set loose to sample the five different cuts of beef paired with a different red wine.  We sampled Canadian Beef tenderloin with Fielding Estate Winery 2013 Cabernet Franc, Canadian Beef sirloin with Creekside Estate Winery 2013 Iconoclast Syrah, Canadian Beef strip loin with Rockway Vineyards 2012 Small Lot Wild Ferment Red, Canadian Beef rib eye with Redstone Winery 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon and Canadian Beef short rib with Foreign Affair Winery 2013 Dream.  We recorded our visual impressions of the Canadian Beef, judged each cuts tenderness, juiciness, flavour and aroma.  One underlying principal was observed just as in wine tasting: Who decides what makes the best beef cut or glass of wine? It all depends on you and what you prefer, don't be afraid to like what you like.  My favourites were the rib eye and the short rib as both rated very high for me on the flavour scale.

Some pro wine pairing tips were shared as well. 

• Pair leaner beef with lighter bodied wines
  
• Pair fattier & more flavourful cuts with more full bodied and flavourful wine
• Pair fattier cuts of beef with a well-aged wine 
• Pair rare lean beef with a young aggressive wine

I captured a video of some of Chef Olson's thought on this:

     I must add a disclaimer to this post, on top of the delicious Canadian Beef and wine I was compensated to attend this event with the best lunch I have ever had.

     I will let you in on a little secret, you can find the recipe for the beef dish we had at lunch on the Roundup App in the recipe section titled Southwestern Beef Steak with Succotash Saute.  You can also download a copy of the Beef and Wine Tasting guideline we used by clicking on the guide below.