Insider’s Tips - Dec.12
For a holiday present for a foodie who wants to understand some of the essential questions involved in world food production, we recommend a new book How to Feed the World – A Factful Guide by Vaclav Smil, an 80-year-old polymath Professor at the University of Manitoba who specializes in energy economics. Bill Gates said of him, “There is no author whose books I look forward to more.”
This book is a romp through our global food system - how it feeds 8 billion daily, the energy required to do it, the production of 30% more food than we need despite one person in 11 worldwide being undernourished, the limits of what we can grow, environmental impact of food production, whether vegetarian diets have merit and what the food future holds for us.
Smil is consummately quantitative and non-political. And he offers many interesting answers and approaches to the major issues he raises.
Turning to our food scene here, Chef Lorenzo Loseto reported this week from the Ontario Food Terminal that Ontario fall vegetables are starting to disappear, although there is still lots of squash about. Ontario root vegetables are in season and in good condition. Some Ontario hot house vegetables are passable, but he did find some really delicious cherry tomatoes. He thinks the cold weather last week depressed the hot house crop.
From the US side of the Terminal, Chef bought superb artichokes (which remain as his favourite vegetable), fennel and rapini. He liked the US zucchini, which showed up this week along with lots of citrus. He was pleased to see the California dandelion, kohlrabi and herbs, which he bought.
Supplies of east coast tuna and lobsters continued to be particularly attractive, along with Nunavut turbot. Chef bought Fogo Island Crab, which were satisfyingly big.
A new load of bison cheeks is arriving in the kitchen. These will be on the New Year’s Eve menu, accompanied by barley risotto. His new Canadian Prime Ribeye course with crispy potatoes and squash relish has been very popular. Ditto for his wagyu with corzetti. He is offering a duck dish that he sous vides, then roasts and shaves, accompanied by black olive caramel and artichokes.
The New Year Eve’s menu, click here to view, was designed by Chef based on some of the most wonderful dishes he created this year - dishes which he felt were his most creative. We will be matching them carefully with appropriate complementary wines.
Leading up to the New Year, GEORGE will be open on December 29th and 30th. For GEORGE’s exclusive five-course NYE dinner, canapés and mignardise have been added to the menu.
We are having a good season for events this year. There is still space available after Christmas, throughout January and until Feb 15 when HST (spirits excepted) will not be charged.