Culinary Arts Fundraiser

Wow. I was impressed.

Last night, a combined effort of KW Oktoberfest folks and the Conestoga College culinary arts and hospitality program put on quite an event–a multimedia event–showcasing a lot of talent. And most of it was local.

In an Iron Chef-style evening, about eight or so local restaurants teamed up with Conestoga College culinary students to prepare a peripatetic tasting menu of snacks. It was a sort of mingle and meet while you eat for over 300 Conestoga supporters. The product at the centre of all the attention? Ontario Pork.

There were indeed some delicious creations from Borealis Grille, HogTails BBQ, The Bauer Kitchen, Gusto Catering, Bingemans, Rushes, Sole and Blackshop! There were pork fritters, sliced tenderloin, banh mi sandwiches, pulled pork and more. Conestoga’s bloom. restaurant also provided some treats as well,including some desserts.

What an event like this shows me is the growth of our food culture in Waterloo Region: it continues to build in a positive and tasty way. There are, it seems to me, a few important pillars at play–pillars that need to be prominent and solid in a growing food culture.

I believe we’re getting there. We have great local producers here in Waterloo Region and organizations like Foodlink leading the way. We have great producers, like Ontario Pork, willing to support the culture in all its aspects.

Pork cheek.

And that culture is more than good restaurants–we’ve got those. But we need–and are getting–more good restaurants. We need restaurants that cover a wider range of cooking and food styles. We need restaurants and chefs who are willing to push the boundaries a bit; willing to take a few steps past usual expectations and challenge diners.

We also need diners who are willing to explore new cuisines, new restaurants and who embrace what chefs are wanting to do. We need them to support our restaurants–the big ones and the little ones–and say, “Hey, we love that you are taking us in new directions. We’re going to eat that dish!”

And those diners need to be willing to pay for what restaurants are trying to do. Sure, there are limits financially; however, more diners need to get past the 2-for-1 specials and always looking for a big chow-down for little money. Good food–real food cooked by a real kitchen–costs some money and labour and time. Diners need to change their orientation to that. We are getting there and it’s getting better. Let’s keep it moving though.

Pork butt smoking.

Finally, and bringing me round to Conestoga College, we need such an institution because it is critical that we develop and nurture culinary excellence locally, here in this Region. Don’t get me wrong: lots and lots of great chefs have never stepped into a culinary school. Local training, though, is key because it helps culinary students see the value of the food culture in their community and Region. That was what was so great about last night: Conestoga students got to work with Lori Maidlow of Rushes and the Waterloo Inn; they got to work with Brian McCourt of The Bauer Kitchen; they got to work with Chris Corrigan of HogTails.

Keep all of these components working in tandem–and moving ahead to always find new challenges–and our food culture will continue to grow. The evidence will be in successful events like the cook-off last night.

By the way, Lori Maidlow’s crew won both the judges’ top prize and the People’s Choice award. Right there is a good indication of the way the pillars work in a coordinated way to serve up great tasting food.