Our Nation's Capital
(written August 16)
It’s wild to think that we have been in Ontario for over two weeks. We have driven almost 4000 km in this province already. Finally we have made it to the edge.
Before visiting Ottawa, we spent a night with a dear friend, Danielle, and her partner, PJ. Danielle and I know each other from back in Hope, through our mutual friend, Cam. We made the stop in Petawawa and were welcomed with huge smiles and a big sign Danielle had made.
We went to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Annika and I wanted to cook, and we decided to make a few small dishes. Mushroom toast, made with a few different boletes and lobster mushrooms that we foraged was one. Grilled lobster with roast corn and tomato, with a sauce made from the roe was another. To be able to cook for our hosts was a great experience, and we were so glad to be able to share a meal together.
(danielle and i)
The next day, we went for a drive. PJ serves on the military base here, so he showed us around briefly, and it was a reminder to me of how there are so many “worlds” that I know nothing about. It’s a fascinating aspect of life, when you choose a profession or a path, and you realize that the intricacies of the daily life of your path are so different from others who have made their own choices. Having a sneak peek into what it’s like to serve our country through the military was an eye opening experience.
From there, we drove to Ottawa, where Annika had a chance to see our Canadian Headquarters. We walked around Byward Market, the Rideau Canal, and Parliament Hill. It brought back memories of 2006.
Fresh from finishing my apprenticeship at Vancouver Community College and Newlands Golf and Country Club, I was invited to cook against 13 other young chefs for a spot on the school team.
I remember prepping for the competition, where we were to cook a three course meal for a panel of the school instructors. Out of the 14 of us, 4 would be picked. Though I don’t remember exactly what we cooked, I do remember the feeling of being picked to be one of the four. To be part of the team meant that we would compete against three other schools in Gatineau, Quebec. The purpose of the competition was to determine which team of young chefs would represent Canada in the Culinary Olympics in Germany the following year. I had never done any competitions before, and it was a different world of cooking I was entering.
(annika and the big ottawa sign outside byward market)
The four of us competed against each other to determine which two would be cooking on competition day, while the other two were on reserve for if we needed to jump at the last minute. I was chosen as one of the reserves (I definitely wasn’t the strongest cook on the team), and the four of us spent the next few months practicing our dishes together. We would be working with lobster, guinea fowl, and strawberries for a three course meal.
The style of the dishes we made were pretty old school. A savoury soufflé of cauliflower was a component on our starter. It’s interesting to think how my style of cooking has changed over my career, but in those early years, so much of it was based on the traditional French methods I learned in school.
We flew out to Gatineau and had the pleasure of meeting many chefs who represented the competition scene of Canadian gastronomy. At the same time that we did our competition, Team Canada was deciding their Bocuse D’or candidate (Bocuse D’or is one of, if not, the most prominent cooking competition in the world, held in Lyon, France every two years), so we were able to watch that process as well. Unfortunately we didn’t win our competition, which was disappointing, but we felt grateful for the opportunity.
Through it all, we managed to spend some time seeing some sights, and I remember a meal we had in Parliament, cooked by the chef there with all Canadian ingredients.
All these memories flooded into my mind as I walked around with Annika. It was really nice to be transported back.
Now, we’ve made new memories there, even in the short time we were there, and I’m excited to have those memories come back into my mind the next time I am back in our capital. Maybe next time, it will be in winter, so I can skate down the Rideau Canal.
(parliament building)