Hey there!
Just a quick note to let you know where I’m at and where I’m coming from in terms of the origins of this blog.
I am a hospitality professional with a particular affinity for duck.
It was in 2008 & I was a meager 20 years of age when I consumed my first duck based dish. I was working as a server in one of Ottawa’s best restaurants; groundbreaking in terms of what was happening locally.
This was a restaurant that had taken on the ‘slow food movement’ as well as ‘head to tail cuisine’ and offered Canadians a local culinary experience utilizing our farmer’s best products, including DUCK. The culinary team was intent on offering Canadians their own cuisine, but what is/was Canadian cuisine? Well, our executive Chef had spent years thinking about this question & eventually honed in on a few important components in order to express ‘Canadian-ness’ on our plates.
1. Multiculturalism - meaning that there is no one single culture that makes up Canadian cuisine, but rather it takes its inspiration from the fact that we are a mosaic, & so is our food. Therefore, Canadian cuisine should incorporate influences from German cooking, Quebecois (French), Italian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Caribbean & then some.
2. Feature Products or THE LAND - Canadian cuisine should at the heart put a spotlight on our amazing farmers & their products; apples, tomato, root vegetables, pork, duck, beef, grains & wheat. I quickly learnt that our land is precious and our farmers produce some of the best products in the world.
3. Staple Dishes (with a twist) - so if you ask most people, “what is a Canadian dish?” you may get a few responses & they may vary.. but we as Canadians do have some staple dishes. My chef was intent on taking a staple dish and putting a twist on to make it even more “Canadian”. For instance, & here is where the duck loving begins..
Spatzle Poutine // Duck Confit + Beast Gravy + Quebec Cheese Curds
Now you understand where my history with duck begins & perhaps the direction I am going in. It all started with this duck poutine, and it was a simple introduction to one of the better relationships I’ve developed in this lifetime.A relationship with food, it’s history, controversy, popularity, progression and more. This is a blog totally dedicated to my food path with a special focus on the duck & it’s place right now: on your plate, in your farms, or in the news...
Stay tuned & best of duck!
