I often stop at the tofu, read the labels, check prices, compare the varieties and then cautiously put them back down, back away and leave.  As a rural gal growing up, tofu was an item that never made it on the menu at my house.  We ate meat not that “other” stuff.

Times have changed and folks urban and rural alike are looking to include variety in their diets.  Throughout my career I’ve had the opportunity to dine at many restaurants, network with Chefs and foodies, travel around North America and generally have exposure to food of all kids.  Since I love to be in my kitchen and make meals for my family I’ve incorporated  many new to me ingredients in my repertoire.  Unfortunately tofu still hadn’t hit the cart.

More recently I’ve been taking the time to really think about the food items I bring into my home for my family.  Lately, when making food choices, I’ve been asking myself “is this the best choice? Is there a better option? How can we add even more variety?”

I take pride in feeding my young family a variety of healthy foods.  We’ve done this from day one.  When it comes to protein, we eat many local meats like chicken, turkey, pork and beef.  I always check my labels or ask for Manitoba meat products.  I mean how could I not, my sister’s family has cattle and it would be an insult to not support her industry. 

We incorporate fish, some local options like white fish and pickerel but we also need salmon so I look for Canadian.  We have at least one meatless meal a week and that is usually an egg or bean based dish topped with a dash of cheese.  Oh and we eat a lot of mushrooms!  My family loves mushrooms.  We have multiple meatless meals a week if you include lunch. 

I’ve started using a larger variety of whole grains like quinoa, barley and brown rice.  Whole grains will also add protein to your diet.  My children call all of these side dishes “rice”.  They don’t seem to know the difference or I guess it doesn’t really matter to them.

Our variety is really not that bad but I still have that tofu section I pass by every week.  This week I’m going to make a purchase!  I’ll keep you posted on my Tofu Terrified adventures and hope to be sharing about Terrific Tofu soon!

If you’re already shouting Terrific Tofu, below is a tofu stir fry recipe from Mairlyn Smith that I have yet to try but I hear its delicious!

Eat Well…Jenn

• 2 Tbsp canola oil, divided (30 mL)
• 1 350 g pkg extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes (1 )
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 )
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (15 mL)
• 1/2 cup lower sodium chicken or vegetable broth (125 mL)
• 2 Tbsp Thai style chili sauce (20 mL)
• 1 Tbsp lower sodium soy sauce (15 mL)
• 2 tsp cornstarch (10 mL)
• 1 large bunch broccoli, florets only (1 )
• 1 227 g pkg brown or white mushrooms, cut in half (1 )
• 4 medium carrots, scrubbed well, cut into 1/2 inch slices (4 )
• 6 green onions, sliced into 1 inch pieces. (6 )

Prior to enjoying a delicious breakfast, students are taught just exactly where the foods they are about to indulge in comes from through a lively presentation on agriculture put on by MIMB coordinator Jessica Brady.

Learning about the journey their foods goes through from farm to plate makes their morning meal all that much more enjoyable. The menu consists of all Manitoba produced ingredients: eggs, pork sausages, pancakes topped with canola margarine and honey. On this day the breakfast included strawberries from a local strawberry picking farm, a lucky treat in the middle of the winter.

It was hard not to smile at the innocence of the children when they answered questions about agriculture Jessica asked them. Unlike children in rural  communities, urban kids’ students’ first hand knowledge about agriculture can be more limited. But it was a reminder of why programs such as this one are so important; we have a responsibility to teach all Manitobans the importance of agriculture and where the foods we consume on a daily basis comes from.

Agriculture in the Classroom is doing a marvelous job through various programs to nourish more minds with new curriculum-linked resources.

To learn more about the Made in Manitoba Breakfast and other programs run by Agriculture in the Classroom, visit their website at http://www.aitc.mb.ca/.

Be Well…Wendy

(Thanks to Ag in the Classroom for the photos.)

Bean dips are a great way to add some healthy protein and fibre to the party table.  Serve them with fresh veggies, home made pita chips or choose a whole grain cracker (just be cautious of the salt). 

So wether you’re cheering for the Patriots or the Giants or holding out for Madonna’s half time extravaganza make your own health a part of the game.  Besides, if you want arms like Madonna’s you better be filling your plate with the right choices!

Kick-Off with your health at 6:30 EST / 5:30 CST this Sunday, Feb 5, 2012.  Go Brady…I mean Manning…

Be Well…Jenn

Cumin & Cilantro Bean Dip – (printer friendly version)
Chipotle Garbanzo Bean Dip – (printer friendly version)
Sun-dried Tomato Bean Dip – (printer friendly version)

• 1 can (19 oz/540 ml) white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (1 )
• 2 Tbsp canola oil (30 mL)
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (30 mL)
• 1 tsp cumin (5 mL)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 )
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (1 mL)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (15 mL)
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped onion (45 mL)
• 1 tsp lime zest (5 mL)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (1 mL)

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients. Blend or pulse to desired consistency. Transfer mixture to a container. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to allow flavours to develop.

Win a copy of Anita's book by sharing what local cuisine means to you in the reply secion of this post!

We live in such a vast country with diversity of land, people and food.  In Manitoba, agriculture supplies 1-9 jobs in the province, we are part of the bread basket of the world, Manitoba canola farmers grow annually 2.6 million acres and each year that goes up. 

We have more ethnic restaurants then one can imagine.  If you want to try it, you can in Winnipeg and Manitoba.  Our soil, water, and land create some of the best tomatoes, strawberries, apples, potatoes and that list goes on.

We have people from all over the world that brings their expertise, their ingredients and their techniques.  This inspires grocery stores to carry new ingredients and farmers to grow new products. 

But what defines us as so many countries is our food.  What we grow, cook and eat has created a nation of uniqueness.  I don’t think Canada cuisine would have not been called to the attention of us if it wasn’t for Anita Stewart, foodie, cookbook author, Ambassador.    

Its been her work defining Canadian Cuisine and she has done an amazing job at it.  So well in fact that this past December she was appointed by the Governor General of Canada, the Right Honourable David Johnston the Order of Canada.  You can also view a great article from the Globe and Mail here.

I had the pleasure of meeting Anita and working with her.  Her passion is infectious, her knowledge is vast and her experience in creating menu, meals and bring people together to unite in one common thread is unique.  Anita has passion about farmers, farming and food.  She sees the connection between the soil and the table.  She creates positive change in an environment that can be hostile.   

In Anita’s book Flavours of Canada, she summarizes everything that I believe in food and how Canada continues to grow. She says “Canadian cuisine is about celebrating our magnificent differences, our roots, our ethnicity. It’s about creating the best from our local ingredients, then selling it to the world.” 

Anita has done this in her many books and her work creating awareness of our local farmers and our great Canadian cuisine.  Congrats Anita!  Keep up the good work. 

Another one of Anita’s accomplishments is Food Day Canada.  Watch for Food Day Canada – coming this August. 

Food Day Canada / Journée des terroirs is a mid summer celebration of Canada’s northern bounty and the talent that serves it forth.  With chefs and restaurants participating from all across the nation, it is the largest ‘locavore’ event in Canada.

Her celebration across Canada where everyone can join in to celebrate what’s local and Canadian to you.  Even though, its months away, I can’t start but get excited about spring and the planning season for our farmers. 

Share with me what you think of as Manitoba cuisine and you can be enter to win one of Anita’s Flavour of Canada cookbooks. 

Manitoba cuisine for me is pork, local apples, maple syrup, canola oil, asparagus, Chinese green vegetables and garlic! We grow the very best here.  OH, I can’t forget to mention tomatoes and raspberries. 

My favourite recipe that includes all things Manitobian is Apple Chutney for the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Of course it can be made with local apples, the best bread from my local bakery or from Chef MJ Feeke at her store Benjamin’s Gourmet Foods, Bothwell cheese and greens from the garden. 

Eat Well…Ellen

Apple Chutney and Grilled Cheese Sandwich (printer friendly version)

• 2 Tbsp canola oil (30 mL)
• 1 small onion, diced (1 )
• 2 Each Granny Smith, Gala apples, peeled, cored, 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) pieces (2 )
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar (175 mL)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (175 mL)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (1 mL)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (15 mL)
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped (15 mL)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins (125 mL)
• 8 slices artesian raisin country bread (8 )
• 4 slices medium cheedar cheese (4 )
• 1 cup arugula leaves (250 mL)

Directions:
Chutney: In a medium saucepan, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 3-4 minutes until onion has softened. Add apples and continue to cook 1-2 minutes. Add vinegar, sugar, pepper flakes, ginger, lemon juice and raisins. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, about 1 hour. Refrigerate chutney for future use.

Assembly: Take 2 slices of the bread. Brush one side of each slice with canola oil. Place one slice with oil side down and lay cheese slice, handful of arugula leaves and 2 -3 Tbsp (30-45 mL) of chutney. Top with remaining bread slice, oil side up. Grill on Panini press. Cook until golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut and serve.

For those of you that are hooked, you will be happy to know that we have added a “PinIt” button to our blog posts.  For those of you not on Pinterst yet (notice I said ”yet”) a PinIt button allows you to add a post to your Pinterst wall with just one click.  It functions the same as the other share features located at the bottom of this post.   

Tell us what you are loving right now and your name will be entered to win a copy of Anita’s Stewart’s cookbook!  Leave you comment in the reply box below.  We’d love to hear from you!!

What Ellen’s Lovin’

• Brewt Pot - The great Brewt tea pots for warm or cold tea and coffee beverages. 
• Anita Stewart - and her love of Canadian cuisine.  Anita was awarded the Order of Canada in late 2011.  Be sure to get your name in to win a copy of one of her books by leaving a reply to this post!
• Pinterest.com - thanks to my great friend Patty for sharing your new love with me!

What Jenn’s Lovin’

• Being Erica – I don’t watch much TV but over the holidays I fell in love with CBC’s time travelling diva, Erica Strange.  You can watch Seasons 1-3 on Netflix or Season 3 and 4 (the final season, boohoo) on www.cbc.ca
• Loose Tea – exactly what you need to go with Ellen’s Brewt!  My favourite place to get tea in Winnipeg is from Cornelia Bean on Academy.  I never leave empty handed.  Right now I’m stocked up with Cranberry Dream Sencha (green tea), Manitoba Rooibos, Chocolate Mint Rooibos and Gen Mai Cha (green tea).
• My Loving Loops headband – Made by a local crafter, Lelia’s Loving Loops, this headband keeps me warm and stylish during these cold winter months

What Wendy’s Lovin’

• Pinterest! – the hottest new social media network that lets you organize your favourite things in a virtual pinboard! www.pinterest.com
• Edamame beans – an easy, healthy snack anytime, anywhere!
• Prairie Yogi Magazine – picked up the debut issue and I love it! www.prairieyogi.com

Pesila Aropio is applauded by fellow competitors Bev Watt-Mallette, Leah Dueck and Rylan Lewis after being announced as the winner in the Manitoba Canola Growers Black Box Competition at Assiniboine Community College’s North Hill campus on Monday. Four first-year students were selected to compete head to head to create a unique salad and entrée within a limited time span using three key ingredients: pork, bacon and chicken. They also had to incorporate canola oil into their recipes. Photo and quote from www.brandonsun.com Tim Smith/Brandon Sun

On January 16, three MCGA staff members, Ellen, Roberta and Wendy accompanied by Agriculture in the Classroom Executive Director, Johanne were at Community College in Brandon to judge the Manitoba Canola Growers Black Box Competition.  They had no idea walking in how blown away they would be by what the competing chefs had in store for them.

The competition is black box style cooking competition that challenges students to come up with a salad and an entree using the surprise ingredients put before them. They were to of course, incorporate canola oil into their creations. Four first-students were selected to compete. Bragging rights are only half of the prize, the first-year chefs were also competing for a $1000 scholarship from the Manitoba Canola Growers.

The three ingredients revealed from the black box were: pork, chicken, and bacon. The judges observed the chefs at work and chatted with them to get to know the inspirations behind their dishes. Dishes were judged on taste and presentation, and the caliber of dishes served made choosing just one winner a tough decision for the judges.

Here is a summary of each chef and dish, and the winner.

The bold flavours of Rylan Lewis

Rylan tried a few different careers out before settling in the culinary arts. He feels he is now in the right place and his flavours can be described in one word: bold. Not afraid to experiment, he shared with the judges one of the craziest creations he’s come up with was a coconut marshmallow soup he came up with when practicing for exams.

His salad for the competition was a Strawberry Chicken Spinach Salad, with a maple syrup dressing, garnished with a parmesan crisp.The entree was a coffee and cocoa rubbed pork tenderloin with a blueberry white wine sauce, rice pilaf with bacon, steamed asparagus, and roasted parmesan tomatoes stuffed with pesto.

Comfort Foods by Leah Dueck

As the judges observed her, every ingredient Leah used and every move she made in the kitchen was well calculated. There was no doubt she was in her element. The love of food is in her genes, her mother went to Red River College and now owns her own bakery in Saskatchewan. Leah’s passion was evident in the dishes she presented, adding modern twists to classic comfort foods.

Leah’s mixed green salad contained pomegranate seeds, mandarin oranges, and truffle shavings. Her main dish was pork tenderloin with bourbon sauce, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and a tasty corn bread.

Old School Flavour from Bev Watt-Mallette

As the more experienced one in the group, 56 year-old Bev showcased her “old school” flavour in her dishes. Raised on a dairy farm in Carberry, Bev knows the importance of knowing where the foods you cook with come from.  As a grandmother, she has cooked just about anything, but her favourite dish to make for her grandchildren is waffles. She even makes them extra to take home the next day. Bev has set a personal goal for herself to score 85% or higher on her grades, and she has been successful to date.

Bev served up a pear salad with her main dish of pork tenderloin, rice pilaf, potato and yams roasted then sautéed in canola oil, topped with bacon bits.

Winner: It’s all in the Details for Pesila Aropio

For Pesila, the winner of the competition it’s all in the details, and she’s got lots of inspiration. Although quiet by nature, her dishes screamed of flavor and creativity. Born in Fiji, Pesila now calls Neepawa home, where her family farms. She started a career in nursing before deciding on culinary arts where she has found her essence. Her passion for food is unmistakable. She credits her inspiration to her mother and grandmother.

Pesila wowed the judges with her salad that contained grilled chicken and peaches, and garnished with handmade potato chips pressed together with a sprig of dill in between. Her main dish was a pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce, yam, turnip, and potato puree and grilled peppers & asparagus topped with crusted herbs. (Winning dishes shown below.)

All four competitors have their strengths, which made the final decision a hard one. We wish them all well as they continue to pursue their careers in the culinary arts!

Herbed Cheddar Chive Popover

Everything happens at the table, well almost everything.  These days it’s a place for homework, working on my lap top, reading Saturday’s paper, most meals and Mike even proposed to me all those years ago. 

I inherited my grandma’s table.  It’s perfect.  It is slightly worn and has 2 leafs that tuck under the table.  It can be big or small.  It can seat 15 people around it.  It can be tight for family dinners but everyone is at the table eating, talking and sharing.  It’s always been in my life from my grandma’s Sunday’s dinners to now for me and my family.  At my Amma’s, our traditionally Sunday dinner was roast beef, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, coleslaw and Yorkshire pudding and gravy.  And for dessert, it was always had a very small piece of chocolate cake.  It was the same meal when we gathered with my aunts, uncles and cousins for Sunday dinners. And of course the conversation around the table was lively from Blue bombers to politics to family updates.  Maybe it’s the inheritance of the table but I now host Sunday dinners.  Not every Sunday but most of them.  I guess it’s the routine of what I grew up with, gathering around the table, sharing conversation and a meal.  I sometimes make my Amma’s traditional dinner with the exception of Yorkshire pudding, I make popovers.  I have included the basic popover recipe below or you can print it from here.  Two great variations are the Herbed Cheddar Chive Popover and the Sweet Popover.   

Sweet Popovers

When I host Sunday suppers, I may be testing out new recipes on my family, having my daughter’s favourite of spaghetti and red sauce or just a simple homemade pizza and sometimes I do go back to tradition but it has a slight twist to the recipes.  The roast beef has a spice rub on it, the mashed potatoes are mixed with roasted garlic, the mixed vegetables sometimes stay or it maybe sautéed bok choy mixed vegetables the coleslaw is a classic so it remains and of course I make popovers.  

Now its time to set the table!

Eat Well…Ellen

Plain Popovers (printer friendly version)

• 1 cup all purpose flour (250 mL)
• 1/4 tsp salt (1 mL)
• 3 eggs, room temperature (3 )
• 1 cup milk, room temperature, or heated slightly until warm to the touch (250 mL)
• 2 tsp canola oil (10 mL)

Directions:

Keep Well…Kristy

Easy pastry made right at home!

Pastry is just one of those baked goods that I rarely ever make.  I grew up with two Grandmas and both made excellent pastry.  One Grandma would send pies in from the farm anytime we needed one for a holiday gathering or for the school bake sale.  My other Grandma would send over frozen dough balls.  I think that was her way of telling my mom she really should just do this herself and that it’s really not that hard.  I bet you can guess which one was her mom  

I don’t think my mom caught the hidden message because to this day she’s never made a pie from scratch that I’m aware of.  Don’t get me wrong my family eats pies and there are often pies in our freezers but they arrive via very talented bakers from local Hutterite colonies and they are delish!

I’m good at eating pastry just not making it.  I must confess that in the past I have purchased frozen tart shells (yuk and double yuk when you read the ingredients), I’ve tried pastry mixes (successful but not the same as homemade) and a few times I have made a batch of traditional pastry using shortening or lard.  None of these past attempts have convinced me that pastry is my thing. 

In the past few months I keep coming across our Cool Can0la Pastry recipe and I’ve heard it talked about more than once.  I’m not one to believe in coincidences, I believe that things keep crossing our paths for a reason and that we are to take notice.  So, I’ve finally taken notice.  I made the pastry!

Wow!  I made pastry.  Even my husband was stunned and he’s become accustom to a counter full of my healthy baking creations.  Maybe it was because I took that pastry and turned it into a meat pie.  Apparently one of those nostalgic dinners his mother used to make.  How was I to know!?!

What makes this recipe cool and I mean cool in the literal sense is that you need to chill your canola oil.  Actually it is best if you freeze the canola oil overnight.  It becomes solid and allows you to get little pockets of fat surrounded by flour to make it light and flaky.  Yes, I just said you can get flaky pastry made from canola oil!

I’m making this one of my new go-to recipes and I have shifted from “I don’t make pastry” to “I make pastry but only with canola oil!”. 

Eat Well…Jenn

You can skip right to the bottom of this post for the Cool Canola Pastry recipe or you can follow the link to a printer friendly version.  To make this even easier we have some step by step photos to help you along.  Happy pastry making!

Here we go:

First you need to freeze 2/3 cup of canola oil overnight.  It will look like this:

Get out your food processor or some sort of kitchen gadget that will slightly grind up your sliced almonds.  The almonds help your pastry to brown.  Without them in the dough you will not get that golden pastry look that we are all used to getting from other types of fat.  Here’s what my almonds looked like:

Now the recipe tells you to keep adding all of the ingredients into your food processor to make the dough.  I started to do that and then quickly realized that I have a small food processor.  I don’t use mine very often so I have yet to invest in a larger one.  Do not despair…I pulled out some good old fashioned elbow grease, a medium sized bowl and my pastry blender.  It worked great and I got a arm workout at the same time!  Here is my mostly mixed dough with all of the dry ingredients and some of the wet added:

Once I had everything just nicely mixed together I dumped my pastry on a floured counter, broke it into two, kneaded one half of my pastry a couple of times to form a ball and started to roll.  Did it ever roll out nice!  Check it out:

This is where you can decide if you are going to follow our recipe to cut out shapes, make tarts, a pie or the latest pastry creation you are creating.  I needed something for dinner so I made a meat pie.  I wrapped the rolled pastry around my rolling pin (Thanks Grandma for leaving me this fantastic pin that knows what to do!) and placed it over a pie plate.  I just love that mid-afternoon winter sunshine casting shadows in my  kitchen:

Then I filled it with my meat filling (and some corn…you can never eat too many veggies!):

I rolled out that other ball of dough and covered over the pie.  Pressed the edges closed and added some vents.

I covered the edges of my pie with tin foil so that they didn’t get too brown.  I left these on for the first 20 minutes of baking and then took them off for the last 20-25 minutes.

Then voila!  My own version of tourtiere or for you English folks – meat pie.  This was an easy, successful and tasty meal to prepare.  We paired it up with giant salads loaded with veggies and a basic red wine vinegar/canola oil dressing.  I will be making this one again!

Cool Canola Pastry (printer friendly version here)
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup silvered almonds (skins on) (125 mL)
• 2 1/4 – 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour (550-625 mL)
• 1/2 tsp salt (2 mL)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (2 mL)
• 2/3 cup canola oil, chilled in freezer for 2 hours * see note below (150 mL)
• 1/4 cup ice water (60 mL)
• 1/4 cup 1% milk (60 mL)
• 1 egg, beaten slightly (1 )
• 1 Tbsp vinegar (15 mL)

Directions:
1.In a food processor, add almonds and pulse once or twice for a coarsely ground consistency. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Pulse once or twice to combine ingredients. Add cold/frozen canola oil. Pulse again once or twice.
2.Combine water, egg and vinegar in a small bowl. With food processor running, pour liquid ingredients through the chute. Turn off machine as soon as ingredients are mixed, about 10 seconds. Turn dough out onto floured board. Divide dough in half. Roll out dough on floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out “pastry wafers”. Repeat with second piece of dough. Place pastry wafers on parchment lined baking sheets and sprinkle each pastry wafer with about ¼ tsp (1 mL) of sugar. Bake at 400°F (200 C) for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

*Note: Canola oil can be frozen in measured amounts and used immediately in this pastry. Works best if frozen overnight.

Watch Ellen make this dough from a past season of Great Tastes of Manitoba:

Award winning Chef MJ Feeke

The following entry was provided to us by Winnipeg’s Shel Zolkewich.  Thanks Shel for sharing this story with us.

Chef Mary-Jane Feeke is about to add one more title to her venerable list that already includes pastry chef for Manitoba’s culinary Olympic team, teacher and owner of Benjamin’s Gourmet Foods in Selkirk. She’s now the recipient of the 2012 Canola Award of Excellence, presented by Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA).

“I always have used canola oil,” said Feeke. “It was a choice I had made even before I met anyone from the Manitoba Canola Growers.”

Since 2008, the MCGA has been acknowledging the accomplishments of individuals and organizations that contribute to the sustained growth and prosperity of Manitoba’s canola industry.

Bruce Dalgarno, treasurer of the board of directors of the MCGA said Feeke’s commitment to canola oil made her a natural choice for this year’s award.

“Chef MJ is a supporter of local healthy foods and ingredients like canola oil. As a canola grower, I am proud to have chefs like MJ use our ingredients. I know Chef MJ takes pride in creating her amazing dishes,” he said.

Feeke said her decision to use canola oil is so much of her cooking and baking isn’t based on just one thing.

“I use canola oil because it has a high smoke point, doesn’t impart any flavour— which is particularly great for baking—and it has many health benefits,” she said. “I also always use canola margarine.”

Feeke said canola oil seems to be gaining more and more traction all the time when it comes to how it’s used in the industry.

“Canola is perceived as a healthy choice. Many chefs still feel that butter or olive oil are needed for their taste, but you will see the trend now of combining the two to cut down on fat,” she said. That means instead of using a ¼ cup of butter in a recipe, chefs will now use one tablespoon of butter and three tablespoons of canola oil.

Making healthier choices is all part of an ever-increasing interest in food. Feeke said we can thank the media for that.

“I think this is great for our industry. Making the profession of chef more notable than it had been in North America is a good thing,” she said.

Dalgarno said the award was established to give a nod to the key contributors in the canola field.

“MJ has become an ambassador for canola. She believes in the product and uses it in all her culinary applications. She is indeed a leader in her field,” he said.

The first recipient of the award was Dr. Baldur Stefansson of the University of Manitoba who is widely regarded as the father of canola. Other recipients have included researchers and individuals that were instrumental in setting up the canola growers organization.

“Now we are honoring the culinary part of the canola industry with an award to Chef MJ Feeke,” he said.

Late last year, Feeke expanded Benjamin’s Gourmet Foods by opening the doors to The Cellar. The space—next door to the original operation—includes a banquet space, classroom workshop area and a wine cellar with a chef’s table that seats 20 people.

Also on her agenda is the final stretch in preparations for the World Culinary Olympics in late 2012 in Erfurt, Germany. The event is held every four years. In 2008, Feeke was a support member for Team Canada. The team won four gold medals and placed fifth in a field of 32 countries.

Be Well…Shel Zolkewich