Butter is Better

Learn to cook--try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!

Julia Child

Watching Chef Ken LeFebour of "Chef & Wife Gourmet to Go" catering company whip up a dinner of the unfamiliar made for a very enjoyable evening tonight at our local newspaper's office. His motto is "Butter is better" and Chef Ken's style is seasonal food, using local farmers and growers as a source of fresh ingredients. He let his 17 guests, who watched his every move, in on his sources, so you can bet that I'll be making a trip to the Ancaster Farmers Market to procure some squash, arugula and mouse melons -- that's not a typo: mouse melons look like miniature watermelons and are about the size of cherry tomatoes.

For tonight's event he presented: 1. Baked Squash, Ontario Brie, Pear & Sage Salad, 2. Sumac Seared Venison Tenderloin with Sour Cherry and Whiskey Jus served with 3. Potato and Thyme Galette and a 4. vegetable medley and followed by 5. Green Tea & Cardamom Poached Watermelon with Lemon Grass infused Sabayon. Sommelier Robert MacGregor paired two wines nicely with the food and, with a creative touch, paired the dessert with an elderflower cider from Sweden. Perfect!

Mom and I had so much fun this evening that I came home and registered for the last remaining seat in next week's class. Stay tuned! ;-)