Emma Alter
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My husband and I first tasted Chef Mark Cutrara's food at the Brewers' Plate earlier this year. That was a dinner designed to showcase Ontario foods and beers and it was held close to the end of a very long, cold, snowy winter. The organizers who represent food producers in this province wanted to prove that even in February you could still eat local food from Ontario.
We'd never managed to get a table at Cutrara's hot restaurant Cowbell, but last night we finally did. As the name of the restaurant suggests, Cowbell specializes in meat. But unlike most restaurants of that type, no whacking great 16 ounce steak is slapped down in front of you. Instead, what you get is a beautifully designed plate that reflects the food philosophy of the Chef, and incidentally, that of this Planet Green writer. He focuses on the quality of the meat he is serving you, rather than sheer quantity and he finishes the plate with local, seasonal vegetables. Chef Cutrara gets his meat exclusively from local organic farmers and he butchers, smokes and cures all the meat himself.
I'm always talking about eating less meat, and that means not only smaller portions, but fewer meals including meat. We should be treating meat as something special, rather than as a staple of our daily dinner. Yes, organic meat grown by local farmers is usually more expensive than factory meats that you buy in the grocery store. But there is a reason for that. If it is certified organic you know that it is raised naturally raised without the use of growth hormones and antibiotics and to me that makes all the difference. If you choose to make meat part of your diet once or twice a week rather than seven times a week or you integrated a smaller amount of meat into a stir-fry or pasta dish, then using organic meat is an entirely affordable proposition. On top of that the organic meat I have cooked myself is consistently better tasting than anything I've ever had from the grocery.
It was great to have a dinner that was so delicious and made with such a clear idea of what the Chef believes. The photo is of sous vide elk with beets and celeriac that I ate and it was entirely delightful.
Difficulty Level: Easy
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