Niagara: Treadwell's Farm-to-Table Cuisine

Disclaimer: I apologize for the photography. During the meal, the shots looked great. Must have been the wine goggles. Now, I can see that as our evening progressed, the photo quality significantly declined.

Dining al fresco by the water was an absolutely perfect way to celebrate our five year anniversary. Even better, Treadwell's Farm-to-Table Cuisine is my favourite restaurant in Canada. I supposed if Rob Feenie was still at Lumiere, it would be a close second but I definitely enjoy Treadwell's more than I ever liked Susur's in Toronto or any other number of restaurants in Ontario's capital! The service is impeccable but friendly. James Treadwell, the sommelier/owner, is young, knowledgeable and one of the Ontario Hostelry Institute's top 30 under 30. The food is fresh, mostly local and carefully prepared without being pretentious! Not unlike so many other evenings, we began with a glass of 13th Street Cuvee 13 Brut. This one was complimentary -- thanks James!

Amuse Bouche: "Strawberry Kool-Aid" - pureed strawberries strained through cheesecloth and topped with fennel pollen

Bread: Fred's Bread with local canola oil and blueberry vinegar (must remember to find and buy this vinegar for home!)

My Menu

Appetizer: Cured Lake Huron Trout with a Rosti Potato, Hard-boiled Quail Eggs and Sauce Gribiche
Glass: 2008 Riesling "Featherstone Vineyard" Twenty Twenty-Seven Cellars

I kid you not, this is now my #1 favourite appetizer of all time. For the past two years, Craftbar's White Anchovy Bruschetta, Soft-Cooked Egg, Braised Leek was at the top of my list but it's been bumped. Treadwell's dish was the perfect blend of textures (soft, crunchy, chewy) and fresh flavours like capers, mustard and gherkins. I'm in love.

Main: Seared Lake Erie Pickerel with Mushroom Duxelles, Smoked Bacon, Chanterelles and Tarragon Foam
Glass: 2007 Pinot Noir "Red Paw Vineyard" Coyotes Run
Dessert: Selection of cheeses with raisin nut bread, homemade quince preserve and homemade truffle honey/honeycomb. Truffle honey is not on the menu, but our story about the cheese guy at Langdon Hall caused Treadwell's to rise the occassion! My favourite cheese was the Tiger Blue from Poplar Grove in British Columbia.

Hubby's Menu

Appetizer: Goat Cheese Ravioli with Local Asparagus, Fried Free Range Egg, Asparagus Veloute
Glass: 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Nyarai Cellars
Main: 60-day aged Cumbrae Farms Beef Rib-eye with Asparagus, Pomme Frites, Green Peppercorn Sauce
Glass: 2007 Cabernet Franc, Lailey Vineyard
This steak was remarkable. It tasted like a cow (go figure!); unlike some of the meat you find at some large supermarkets. Cumbrae's cattle graze on fresh grass and alfalfa hay and are finished on grains for flavour and marbling. Also, they are patiently aged to allow for tender, flavourful beef.

Dessert: Homemade ice creams...no surprise here! (4 flavours: strawberry-lavender, strawberry-balsamic vinegar gelato, sour cream, honey)
An enormous thank you to Sharon & David and Elaine & Howard + all the girls for treating us to a wonderful anniversary dinner! We had an amazing time and loved every moment. xoxo

fish cakes for the family (guest blog by sharon)

For the past few years, the Menu Maniac gave me a subscription to Bon Appetit for my birthday. It is an excellent source of inspiration. One of the tastiest and easiest main courses I discovered from the magazine is the Mahi Mahi Fish Cakes.

This is a simple, healthy dish. The only problem is that I can't always find mahi mahi at the store. A few times I was lucky enough to find the President’s Choice blue menu wild mahi mahi.
This week, I couldn’t find mahi mahi anywhere, so I used President’s Choice blue menu wild halibut instead.

Instead of the breadcrumbs, I substitute panko (Japanese) bread crumbs which I purchase at Hoa Viet (pronounced "Wa Bet") at 485 Wyandotte St. W., (519) 255.7232. Not only does Hoa Viet have a convenient parking lot, but it also carries many obscure Asian ingredients at great prices.

We had Stir Fried Sesame Asparagus as a side dish. I typically buy the no-name sesame seeds at the Superstore. I highly recommend this easy recipe, especially because local asparagus is the best!

Speaking of local, check out the Essex County Federation of Agriculture’s Buy Local map . Refer to it to find out where to buy the freshest ingredients grown close to home. It also shows where to go to pick your own, a great activity.

Speaking of pick your own, we are very excited about our strawberry crop in the backyard. If the strawberry crop survives the squirrels and my children, I promise to document the harvest on this blog soon.

(me on the left and the menu maniac)

MY BIO: Like any self-respecting Strosberg, I enjoy a good meal. Together with my husband David, I endure the daily struggle of figuring out what our young daughters will eat for dinner. I am a lawyer and an avid runner. And of course, I am the Menu Maniac’s sister-in-law and now, an occasional guest blogger.

Seder #2

The second night of Passover was spent at Sharon and David's. Sharon isn't afraid to try new recipes and often surprises us with interesting twists on traditional fare. For the second year in a row, she replaced the Gefilte fish course with fishcakes. This makes me very happy!

• Chicken soup with Betty's fresh egg noodles


• Salmon & Whitefish Cakes with homemade tartar sauce


• Bonnie Stern's Brisket in BBQ sauce


• Betty's Kugal


• Carrots with Oranges and Pinenuts


• Chocolate and Caramel Covered Matzoh for dessert


• Plenty of non-Kosher wine!

Post-meal the family enjoyed a Grateful Dead dance party which included a head-banging 4 year old and a private hustle lesson from Bubby.

BONNIE STERN'S PASSOVER BRISKET IN BARBECUE SAUCE

(Recipe was published in the Saturday, April 4, 2009 National Post -- Sharon said that she followed it without substitutions or changes)

My friend and colleague Mitchell Davis likes to carve the brisket after two hours of cooking. Then he reassembles the slices in the pan and continues cooking until tender -- usually about two hours longer.

There are three reasons his technique works: It's easier to carve when undercooked, it cooks faster in thinner pieces, and more surface area is exposed to the flavourful juices. Whatever method you use, it's important to cook the brisket until it is fork tender, no matter how long it takes! Brisket is a great make-ahead dish: Reheat, covered tightly, at 350F (180C), about 40 to 45 minutes. It's also tender and delicious done in a slow cooker. - 7 lb (3.5kg) brisket (approximate weight) - 1 tbsp (15mL) paprika - 1 tbsp (15mL) kosher salt - ½ tsp (2mL) fresh ground black pepper - 3 large onions, sliced - 6 cloves garlic, sliced - 1½ cups (375mL) ketchup, barbecue sauce or tomato puree - 3 tbsp (45mL) brown sugar or honey - 3 tbsp (45mL) vinegar or lemon juice - 1½ cups (375mL) water

1. Rub top side of brisket (fatty side) with paprika, salt and pepper.
2. Place onions and garlic in the bottom of a roasting pan large enough to hold the brisket in a single layer.
3. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and water. Pour over brisket. Cover tightly with lid or with aluminum foil.
4. Place in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 2 hours. Remove from oven. Remove meat to a carving board and slice across the grain, into ½" (1cm) thick slices. Discard fat from surface of the juices. Return meat to pan, spooning juices over top. Cover tightly and cook 1½ to 2 hours longer or until meat is very tender. Makes 10 to 12 servings