SIT NEXT TO THE CHEF $125 for five courses at Mark Picone's Culinary Studio Too often we diners abdicate responsibility for our meal, pulling up our chairs and waiting expectantly to be served. We forget that we, too, have a role to play. As André Simon noted, "All good cooks, like all great artists, must have an audience worth cooking for."
Chefs know this instinctively: It's why high-end restaurants put tables in the kitchen, where savvy diners pay through the nose for a glimpse
of the action. It's also why big-name chefs like Michael Stadtlander suddenly appear at obscure Toronto bistros, cooking for friends and diehard aficionados in the same way that the Rolling Stones have performed for a few hundred fans at Toronto's tiny Horseshoe Tavern.
At Mark Picone's Culinary Studio in Niagara, the kitchen is the dining room. "I'm not looking to make it a high-volume spot," says the former chef of Vineland Estates. Picone, who now teaches full-time at the Niagara Culinary Institute, does about five sittings in his studio each week, and reservations are hard to get (at the time of publication, the earliest available sitting is in February, 2008). "I want the meals to be special-not just another evening at the trough," he says. Part culinary education, part intimate dinner party, his five-course menus are generally tailored for six to 12 guests. "That way they're getting my undivided attention."
The studio, furnished with ornately carved white oak cabinets that once belonged to a refectory in Alsace, hints at the chef's European roots. Though Picone spent his formative years in his family's Italian grocery store in Dundas, Ontario, his cooking style melds his mother's love of canning with the more sophisticated preparations he picked up at the stoves of France and Italy. (I still recall a parmigiano-reggiano gelato he made five years ago.) In warmer months, Picone might lead guests outside to pick herbs for dinner. And when local farmer Hank Saito drops by with a basket of delicate Asian pears or raspberries, he sometimes finds himself sharing a glass of riesling with visitors. "We're all in this together," says the chef. "Good food is meant to be shared."
EXTEND AN OLIVE BRANCH Transparency is everything in the food chain. And while olive oil might seem above reproach-the best is called "extra virgin," after all-too often labels make false claims. Which is why Nudo's adopt-a-tree venture is so enticing. Tended by British expats Jason Gibb and Cathy Rogers, the Nudo Estate in central Italy hosts 1,146 olive trees in several varieties, from peppery leccino to the buttery, much sought-after piantone. (The BBC has called Nudo's oil "Italy's finest cold-pressed.") For $130 plus shipping, Canadian gourmets can "adopt" their own tree for the year, reaping the rewards of a single varietal: extra virgin olive oils, crushed lemon oil and handmade soaps with rosemary, mint and lavender-as well as an open invitation to visit any time they want. Nudo Estate
READ THE NEW CLASSICS Few of us learn the basics from our mothers any more. For those of us who missed out on the family cooking secrets, there's Alice Waters, "the mother of American cooking," as The New York Times dubbed her. Her latest book, The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution ($44, Clarkson Potter), is equal parts manifesto (she often implores readers to shop at farmers' markets) and Kitchen 101. The first 200 pages cover fundamentals, from how to stock a pantry to the principles of simmering (no joke). The second half contains basic recipes, from appetizers to desserts, making it perfect for university students and novice chefs alike. The Elements of Cooking ($28, Scribner), on the other hand, is less cookbook than glossary. The author, Michael Ruhlman, who also wrote The French Laundry Cookbook, demystifies professional terms and principles for the home cook. (The book includes eight essays on making the perfect stock and the importance of salting.) Consider it the Strunk and White of the culinary world.
The crust: 1 ½ cups pastry flour ½ teaspoon salt 2/3 cups unsalted butter 3 tablespoons cold water Egg wash (beat one egg with a teaspoon of water)
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a bowl, blend the flour, salt and softened butter until combined. Add the cold water and form the mixture into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough and cut into circles to line six four-inch tart shells. Prick the bottom of the shells with a fork and place dried beans or rice in the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes.
The filling: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 tablespoons flour 1/3 cup sugarar 1 ½ cups white wine ½ teaspoon cinnamon 4 tablespoons heavy cream a pinch of sea salt
In a medium saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter then add the flour and whisk for two minutes. Add the sugar and wine and whisk until thickened. Off the heat, add cinnamon, cream and salt. Pour the filling into the pre-baked shell (remove the beans or rice) and bake for 12 minutes or until set. Allow to cool.
The finish: Carefully arrange fresh or frozen berries over top of the custard. Dust with icing sugar and serve with a spoonful of fresh cream.