Some gourmets say that in the Toledo area they are hard pressed to find the latest in cutting edge cuisine and wonderful avant-garde dishes by chefs who are wildly inventive.
Maybe, but our local food community is more in step with national food trends than it is given credit for.
After attending a conference for food journalists in California, I was pleasantly surprised to find much of the San Francisco food buzz can be found pretty close to home here.
Granted, there are food trends that are moving across the country but haven't made it here yet. We don't have upscale Vietnamese cuisine such as that at the Slanted Door in San Francisco's Ferry Building on the Embarcadero, or Lobster Corn Dogs like those from Michael Mina restaurant (could that dish be inspired by the Midwest fair-goers' treat?). Nor have we tackled the politics of food, including which crops should be subsidized, or the globalization of the food supply.
Toledoans use locally grown produce, and may be familiar with the idea of sustainability, farmers' markets, and the importance of knowing what's on the school lunch plate and in the school vending machines. We enjoy a great array of ethnic-inspired foods, restaurants, and food festivals.
In the midst of these trends, the chefs of the Maumee Valley Chefs Association and the Northwest Ohio Restaurant Association encourage high culinary standards and accreditation with food safety, and lend their efforts to the many fund-raising activities of local charities. They pull out the culinary stops with the gourmet foods at the Taste of the Nation each spring.
Meanwhile, the Northwest Ohio Dietetic Association and nutrition programs at the area's universities inform both the public and medical professionals about the latest in nutrition information and research. Add to this the food entrepreneurs whose products are sold nationwide. We even have the Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen in Haskins, Ohio, which assists entrepreneurs who want to start a small-scale food manufacturing operation.
Although Ohio does not have a year-round growing season like California, farmers grow fresh fruits and vegetables from spring to fall. Locally grown produce is as close as farmers' markets, roadside stands, and gardens. Among the communities that had weekly farmers markets this year were Toledo, Perrysburg, Waterville, and Monroe. Some supermarkets and specialty stores sell locally grown produce; most have organic sections with much of the fresh organic produce shipped from California.
There is some locally grown organic produce sold at markets and stands. However, not all organic growers locally are certified organic. Many haven't gone through the certification process but do follow many of the practices.
There has been great interest statewide in the use of locally grown foods in Ohio retail outlets and restaurants. Many times chefs are interested in local foods, but they don't know how to reach growers who can supply them in the quantity they need, according to Shoshanah Inwood, a rural-sociology doctoral student at Ohio State University. She interviewed restaurateurs, chefs, and other food professionals statewide in 2003.
There also is growing interest in sustainable agriculture and cuisine, which is achieved by working with local farmers, producers, and fishermen. It involves finding the best artisanal products and respecting local economies, traditions, and habitat. Some chefs, restaurants, and consumers make this their goal.
Exploring this idea is the Lake Erie West Foodshed Congress which will be held at 9 a.m. Nov. 12 at the McMaster Center in the Main Branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.
While I was listening to Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., talk to food journalists about a garden and kitchen classroom at Berkeley that involves children in gardening and cooking, I thought of the Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio and it's Culinary Vegetable Institute for trained chefs and Veggie U for children.
For the last 18 months, volunteer educators, nutritionists, and a local physician have been perfecting a curriculum at Veggie U aimed at encouraging fourth-graders to learn more about the importance of healthy eating. The curriculum includes segments on healthy soil, planting vegetables with grow lights, and taste-testing from a range of unusual veggies.
Fifteen fourth-grade classrooms in northern Ohio are participating in the program, and more are invited to get involved. The program costs $375 for each kit a classroom receives.
In addition, nutritionists and health department workers in Northwest Ohio have been trying to improve nutrition for children via school lunches and healthy vending machine options to address obesity.
Like San Francisco, the Toledo area is enriched by the many cultures of its residents. These global traditions can be found at food festivals, celebrations, and area restaurants.
Among Toledo's annual festivals are Hungarian, German, Mexican, Polish, Indian (the Hindu Festival), Lebanese-Syrian events, and international food events that feature several cuisines at one time, such as the foods of Afghanistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Egypt.
In addition, area cooking schools teach classes about global cuisines. In September, Kitchen Tools & Skills in Perrysburg had classes on Moroccan Cuisine and Mexican Cooking. Essential Gourmet featured Italian foods and Japanese cooking. Gourmet Curiosities featured French countryside cooking last Monday and will have Authentic Lebanese and Royal Thai Appetizers in coming weeks.
It's not surprising that ingredients for all of these cuisines can be found throughout various area supermarkets and specialty stores.
The variety of ingredients available to the home cook was discussed at the 46th National Chicken Cooking Contest held in May in Charlotte, N.C., where I was among the 15 judges. My colleagues were surprised at the variety of items that Toledoans have at their fingertips, including panko bread crumbs, plantains, Mexican cheeses, frozen soybeans, five-spice powder, garam masala, sazon spice (Puerto Rican), and wasabi products.
How well area restaurants reflect this ethnic diversity depends upon how eager diners are to try locally owned restaurants. Some of the newer chain restaurants specializing in ethnic cuisines are featuring regional menu selections showing the diversity within countries.
In addition to all these food resources, area chefs are trying new foods and new concepts. Community events such as Taste of the Nation are a favorite arena showcasing just what chefs can do when not constrained by a pre-set menu. While the annual Share our Strength-sponsored event is held each spring with three or four national chefs, local chefs deserve equal praise for their creative tastings.
Among Real Seafood's Chef Mike Rosendaul's signature items is Seared Alaskan Halibut with Peruvian Potato and Asian Citrus Salad, which he has served for special occasions at the restaurant and at Taste of the Nation in 2004. The gourmet fare at the recent Taste of the Nation included rice paper flowers filled with jasmine rice, and pineapple chicken with plum sauce made by Navy Bistro's executive chef and spicy Thai shrimp on a wonton chip from Poco Piatti.
Using a French theme at the recent Toledo Area Metroparks gala, "Le Bal Masque, Manor House Masquerade," Chef Rick Whitehead of Gladiuex Catering prepared herb-stuffed chicken roulade. This year's Sapphire Ball held at the Pinnacle was inspired by the Toledo Opera's production of The Marriage of Figaro with an Italian menu; chef David Du Fresne and his staff served osso buco and stuffed cornish hen, and for a vegetarian option, a savory vegetable strudel.
Whether chefs work for catering firms, hospitals, schools, or restaurants, they create new recipes, compete in culinary competitions, teach cooking classes, and can pair wine with food.
Given the right time and place, local diners may have tasted some of these culinary creations. If you haven't, start trying new places, attend some of the local events, and take one of these classes.
Toledo's world of food is larger than you think.
In turn, chefs, restaurateurs, and waitstaff need to give the customer the best food, service, atmosphere, and cleanliness that they can produce. Don't underestimate Toledo's diners: they are well-traveled and watch the Food Network, read cookbooks, and have a deserving palate.
The culinary experience in a restaurant's dining room should only make them want to return.
Contact Kathie Smith at: food@theblade.com or 419-724-6155.
First Published October 23, 2005, 4:20 p.m.
