Joyce connects the local community, sharing important aspects of her culture, through her popular cooking classes. 

The Joyce of Cooking is a series of Asian cooking classes hosted by Joyce Leung, a food writer for the Hamilton Spectator. In this series, she explores various cuisines, including Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Indian and more. 

Leung was born in Hong Kong and moved to Canada when she was six years old. She graduated from the University of Guelph’s hospitality and tourism management program after which she went on to work as a manager at and Terminal 3 restaurants at Pearson Airport. 

“I always loved food. It was always a big part of my life,” said Leung. 

It was only after she started a marketing job though that she began a blog to teach people how to cook. Right before the COVID-19 pandemic began, she started working with the Casual Gourmet to host Asian food cooking demos. But a week in, she transitioned to online classes every weekend.  

This year, she has returned to in-person cooking classes at the Casual Gourmet. For classes involving a stove, she does them at the Chef Supply Store on James Street North and the Modern Design Studio on Locke Street. She also hosts classes at breweries in Kitchener and Guelph. 

Her cooking classes accommodate people from all levels and she does her best to ensure everyone is comfortable. She explains her steps in different ways since she recognizes everyone learns differently. 

“Some people like to watch me do it once and then they try. Some people like to listen, some people like to do it along with me to fully understand. So I try to be really patient and explain my directions multiple times,” explained Leung. 

Her cooking classes stand out due to her hands-on approach and the inclusivity of her lessons for all ages and cooking skills. Her sushi classes are the most popular along with dumplings, Chinese and Thai dishes. 

Leung’s goal is to help build confidence in her students while doing her part in reducing food insecurity since it is more economical to make your own food. She also teaches variations of recipes to accommodate everyone. 

“I really want [people] to build confidence in the kitchen . . . I think if you build a lot of confidence in the kitchen, you're more inclined to try a harder recipe or potentially a different cuisine altogether. My ultimate goal for cooking classes is to reduce food insecurity,” said Leung. 

“I really want [people] to build confidence in the kitchen . . . I think if you build a lot of confidence in the kitchen, you're more inclined to try a harder recipe or potentially a different cuisine altogether. My ultimate goal for cooking classes is to reduce food insecurity,”

Joyce Leung, Joyce of Cooking Host

In the future, she hopes to continue running her Asian cooking classes and volunteer at various organizations in Hamilton to teach cooking skills to more people.  

Community Fridges HamOnt makes food more accessible within the Hamilton community.

Community fridges are free, accessible fridges holding food for the community to take and replenish. Community Fridges HamOnt does this within Hamilton, at three different locations.  

Jacqueline Cantar, one of the founders and program coordinators, and the team began their work in the midst of the pandemic, near the end of 2020, when food insecurity was a highly debated issue. The Community Fridges HamOnt team is entirely volunteer-based, contributing whatever resources they have to keep the fridges functional. 

“Community Fridges HamOnt is a mutual aid group in Hamilton. We are not a charity organization; we are entirely volunteer, community run. That means we are just neighbors looking out for each other and trying to contribute whatever it is we have available,” said Cantar. 

Their goal for the fridge is to make food accessible within the community. They keep the fridges open 24/7 to ensure that people can come and stop by when it is convenient for them. Additionally, a lack of restrictions encourages people to give and take where they can.  

“It’s just about assessing about what you have that you can share, and also taking what you need when you need something,” said Cantar. 

“It’s just about assessing about what you have that you can share, and also taking what you need when you need something."

Jacqueline Cantar, co-founder of community fridges hamont

The initial community fridge in Hamilton was inspired by Community Fridges Toronto which began in summer 2020. The Community Fridges HamOnt team started with a simple group chat, comprised of strangers who wanted to make a change. Together, with lots of planning, they opened their first community fridge in Hamilton.  

Social media was also vital in making their vision a reality.  

“We started as a group chat of people who didn’t necessarily know each other but wanted to organize and at least launch the first community fridge which then pretty quickly turned into three locations—just by utilizing group chats and social media,” said Cantar. 

To maintain the fridges, several factors are involved. Namely, the fridges all follow and keep up-to-date with the public health guidelines. Their volunteers also visit locations one to three times a day to ensure the fridges are filled with food that is safe to eat and can be stored for longer periods of time. 

“We as an organization work together to create donation guidelines that’s in reference to public health guidelines as well. All of our community fridges are public health certified. We have a huge volunteer team that’s really committed to keeping things clean and safe,” said Cantar. 

Fridges like these are very important for the ever-present issue that is food insecurity. In 2021 the Hamilton Food Share found a regular visit to a foodbank usually means getting food that could support them three to five days, however, 61% of people go to a food bank only once a month usually not getting enough for the periods in between.  

Cantar speaks to how the community fridges are not the solution to food insecurity, just a step in the right direction. Although the community fridge can help someone at a particular moment, there are other ways to support people experiencing food insecurity so they don’t have to rely on community fridges. Issues like minimum wage and affordable housing also have an effect on someone's ability to get food. 

“Community fridges are a really good example of the ways of people can come together and take care of each other. But we do need our government to make changes that can actually provide concrete solutions to the problems that are continuing to get worse for people that are in need,” said Cantar. 

“Community fridges are a really good example of the ways of people can come together and take care of each other. But we do need our government to make changes that can actually provide concrete solutions to the problems that are continuing to get worse for people that are in need."

Jacqueline Cantar, co-founder of community fridges hamont

Community Fridges HamOnt provides Hamiltonians with a safe way to collect and donate food and support the local community. It sets a path for sustainable food sharing and contributes to the fight for tackling food insecurity. Nonetheless, it is still important to remember this is not a solution and bigger changes at the policy and government levels need to be made.  

C/O Maarten van den Heuvel

The importance of food and the culinary arts for reclaiming culture

By: Ahlam Yassien, contributor

Whether it be during times of holidays and happiness or in times of grief and sorrow, food has long since been instrumental in bringing people together for centuries. Culture is at the core of cooking. As such, cooking also has the potential to unify different cultures through differences and similarities in their food. Engaging in the culinary arts as a person of colour can play an integral role in reclaiming culture and reconciling different aspects of one’s identity. 

For first generation immigrants, cooking can also serve as a connection to one's homeland, foster a sense of belonging and offer comfort in times when a community may not be established or be missing. 

When Hana and Bobby Saputra, founders of Indonesian’s Flavour, a catering business in Hamilton, moved to Canada in 2014, finding authentic Indonesian food was a challenge. This inspired them to start their business.

“We first started our business in 2019. As new immigrants in Canada, we all always feel homesick and our backhome-foods is one of the things that can heal our feelings . . . Bobby, the owner and chef of Indonesian's Flavour, tends to do his own experiments and cook Indonesian cuisine at home. People always love and praise the food [and the] authenticity of the taste. It happened for a couple years until, one day, we decided to make it as a business,” said Hana in an email statement.

However, at times it can be difficult to find certain ingredients and in this case cooking becomes useful in not only helping ease homesickness, but also in bringing together similar cultures, as you might experiment with more common ingredients here to recreate beloved dishes. 

Indonesian’s Flavour is taking their culture from home and into the community of Hamilton. As a result, it has not only been able to bridge these cultural gaps, but also further strengthen the relationships between marginalised communities through food.

“Maintaining the culture is important to keep the taste authentic . . . Understanding the culture for each area demographically is very important. Through our foods, we would love to introduce our country Indonesia and our culture to the Canadian market so people can experience the diversity of Indonesia through our foods,” explained Hana in an email statement. 

Furthermore, in the case of second generation immigrants, particularly in a westernized society, cooking and food offer an opportunity to reclaim a connection to culture and identity. Growing up, second generation immigrants may have been subject to insensitive or tactless comments, or even bullying, because of what they bring for lunch, resulting in embarrassment and shame. 

“I often loved bringing Pakistani food to school for lunch, as I believed it was a beautiful representation of my culture. However, I quickly realized at a young age how my culture’s food was considered “gross,” “weird” and “unappetizing” among my classmates,” explained Ayesha Arshad, a second-year electrical engineering student and a second generation immigrant.

In the face of these experiences, cooking and maintaining a sense of connection to culture through food can be seen as a form of advocacy and direct resistance to westernization. It can also be a way of reconciling one’s culture with their Canadian identity.

“As I attended more cultural events, I realized how food played a pivotal role in maintaining a sense of my culture while living in western society. Food is a beautiful way of expressing one’s culture and makes me feel connected to my family and Pakistani roots all while being a Canadian citizen,” said Arshad.

As a student studying away from home, food can be a way to connect with family and friends in times of loneliness. By cooking beloved dishes from home or trying a new recipe with friends, there are opportunities to reclaim and explore cultures and to create new memories and connections.

C/O Visual Stories on Unsplash

A&C editor shares a recipe for red pepper, cherry tomato and mushroom gnocchi

When I moved back to Hamilton earlier this year, I was really looking forward to cooking for myself again. This gnocchi recipe is one of my favourite things to make, because it’s full of vegetables, comes together quickly and also often makes more than enough leftovers for a busy week. It’s also the perfect recipe for students who have come back from reading week and are now busy with assignment deadlines and midterms to study for. 

Like store-bought gnocchi, the recipe is also versatile and it’s easy to make adjustments depending on what other ingredients you have on hand or how much time you have. For example, if I’m in a rush or when they’re not in season, I substitute some tomato sauce for cherry tomatoes, adding it after the red pepper and gnocchi. Or if you want to add some leafy greens, you can omit the cherry tomatoes and add some chopped baby spinach after the mushrooms.

As it is, provided you can find vegan gnocchi, the recipe is also vegan, though if you like you’re welcome to add cheese or some chicken to it as well to suit your tastes. My sister loves this recipe and she’ll often add heaps of Parmesan to her servings, though, to be fair, she does that with just about every food she can. Feel free to make as many substitutions as you wish and to make the recipe aligned with your tastes. 

The Chef: Arts & Culture Editor, Nisha Gill

Ingredients

• One large red onion
• One package mushrooms
• One red pepper
• One package cherry tomatoes (or a jar of pasta sauce, if you’re in a rush)
• Two to three Tbsp of olive oil
• Three to four cloves of garlic (or three to four tsp of store-bought garlic paste, if you’re in a rush)
• Pinch each of salt and pepper
• One package (500g) store-bought gnocchi

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: 3 - 4 servings

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Chop a large red onion, mushrooms and a red pepper. Set aside, each in a separate bowl.
3. Put cherry tomatoes in a baking dish or on a pan, drizzle with one to two Tbsp olive oil, sprinkle three to four cloves of garlic and salt and pepper. Mix and spread evenly across the pan.
4. Roast cherry tomatoes in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, checking periodically because they might sizzle a bit.
5. Meanwhile, cook store-bought gnocchi according to package directions.
6. Then, heat one Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot add red onion and cook for about four to five minutes. Add mushrooms, cooking for another two to three or until they've browned a bit. Add red pepper, tomatoes and gnocchi and cook for another four to six minutes. 
7. Serve warm and enjoy!

It’s important to take breaks from studying and engage in activities you enjoy and find fulfilling. For seasoned chefs as well as those looking to improve their culinary skills, this quick recipe is the perfect way to get busy in the kitchen in between studying and enjoy a great meal! 

Please comment down below with your twists on the recipe or let us know what recipes you would like us to see featured next in our next issue of In the Kitchen with Arts & Culture.

C/O Joshua Zuckerman

Feeding yourself on a student budget is difficult. It can be especially hard to find affordable meals that produce lots of portions. This Bolognese sauce recipe was made with student budgets in mind.

Our chefs this week have worked hard to create a recipe that removes dinner time stress from people's plates (pardon the pun), without sacrificing quality. Not only can it be made for under $20, but it can produce up to eight portions.

The Chefs: Matt Dunbar and Michael Abbott

Matt Dunbar and Michael Abbott spent the last 10 years building up their successful catering business, No Small Feast. But despite catering events for organizations such as Spotify, Microsoft and BMW as well as foreign dignitaries, they weren’t pandemic-proof.

The dynamic duo pivoted their business to survive during the pandemic. They launched Provisions, a frozen upscale comfort food line for home delivery to the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area.

The Recipe: Bolognese Sauce

Description:

This is the black-tie version of a classic Bolognese sauce. Even though you can make this recipe for under $20, it will taste like you need to add a few more zeros to the price tag. Makes easily enough for four portions, and another four that live in the freezer for another day. Add any pasta you would like or have in your kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 100 g button mushroom
• 2 lb ground beef  (lean)
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1300 ml passata or pureed tomatoes (canned)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 very small pinch cinnamon
• 1 bunch of basil

Directions:

1. Brown meat in a pan medium heat until you hear it start to sizzle and it sticks to the bottom
2. Remove meat from pan, add all vegetables and cook until onions are translucent, approx. 7-10 minutes, then add tomato paste, cook for another 2-4 minutes.
3. Add wine and reduce until almost fully reduced, approximately 7-10 minutes.
4. Add meat back into the pot, add milk and reduce by half, approximately 5 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt
6. Simmer 90 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking on the bottom.
7. Finish sauce with chopped basil.  
8. If you really want to impress, drizzle some white truffle oil over the finished sauce when serving.

Photos by Lauren O'Donnell 

The bread episode of The Great British Bake Off is notoriously difficult. Every season, contestants struggle to capture that perfectly crunchy crust with a light and fluffy interior. For something with so few ingredients, bread can be extremely finicky. Just one wrong move and you’ll be left wishing you’d never started. As one example, if it’s undercooked it can wind up doughy and inedible. But fear not! With this short recipe and a dash of patience, you’ll soon have your very own freshly baked bread to enjoy. 

This recipe is adapted from Edna Staebler’s “Neil’s Harbour White Bread” from her book Food That Really Schmecks. 

The Ingredients

1 cup lukewarm water

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 tablespoons yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

1⁄2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1⁄2 cup canola oil, or substitute vegetable oil

8 cups all-purpose flour

Part One — Making the dough

1. Pop on a podcast, audiobook or a fun playlist.
2. Pour one cup of lukewarm water into a large bowl (big enough to hold 10 cups of water). Dissolve one teaspoon of sugar, and sprinkle two tablespoons of yeast over top.
3. After about ten minutes, the yeast should be frothy and will have risen to the top of the water. Stir until blended completely.
4. Into the yeast mixture, stir two cups of lukewarm water, half a cup of white sugar, one generous tablespoon of salt and half a cup of canola oil.
5. Beat in the flour one cup at a time. Eight cups is usually enough. After all eight cups have been added, the dough should be able to stay together and be easy to handle, while still remaining a little moist.
6. Place the dough on a liberally floured countertop, sprinkling with more flour as needed. The flour helps to prevent your hands from getting too sticky as you handle the dough. Take out all of your frustrations and aggression on the dough, kneading it until the dough is smooth and elastic. This usually takes about eight minutes, depending on how aggressive your inner demons are.

Part Two — Proving yourself

Once you’ve finished kneading the dough, it needs a chance to rest and rise—also known as proving. To do this, place the dough in a large bowl that’s been lined in oil. Flip the dough to cover both sides in oil. Loosely cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it to prove in a warm spot for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size. Leaving it by a sunny window is generally your best bet. Here is a trick to know when you’re ready to move to the next step: when you stick your finger in the dough, your imprint should remain. 

Punch the dough down until it has deflated a bit, and divide into 4 equal-sized loaves. Place the loaves onto parchment-lined sheet pans and let rise for another hour in the same sunny spot, covered in a damp tea towel. Make sure to leave room between the loaves.

While you’re waiting for the dough to rise, go enjoy spring days that will hopefully be here soon. You could go for a hike, grab coffee with a friend or maybe catch up on the Netflix show you’ve been binging. Better yet, invite someone over for a date and impress them with your incredible baking skills. You could even make the dough before class and then finish it when you get home.

While you’re waiting for the dough to rise, go enjoy spring days that will hopefully be here soon. You could go for a hike, grab coffee with a friend or maybe catch up on the Netflix show you’ve been binging. Better yet, invite someone over for a date and impress them with your incredible baking skills. You could even make the dough before class and then finish it when you get home.

Part Three — Let’s get this bread

Take the same four loves on the parchment-lined pans and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes, until both the top and bottom of the loaves are golden, and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. After you’ve removed your loaves from the oven, let them cool on a rack. This is the hardest part, but trust me, if you try to eat it right away you’re going to burn your tongue.

Voilà! You now have four delicious loaves of bread, perfect for any kind of sandwich you can think of. If you try this recipe, make sure to tag the Silhouette, we would love to see your baking adventures!

Voilà! You now have four delicious loaves of bread, perfect for any kind of sandwich you can think of. If you try this recipe, make sure to tag the Silhouette, we would love to see your baking adventures!

 

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Photos by Andrew Mrozowski / Arts & Culture Editor

Hamilton’s apple season kicked off this past weekend with Apple Fest Weekend, as part of Food Literacy Month. Orchards are officially open, and there’s no better time to go out and pick some apples. I have a habit of picking way more apples than any one human can possibly eat. To make use of all them, I pull out a classic apple crisp recipe to bake and share with friends. Although honeycrisp apples were used for this recipe, you can use any baking apple. 

There’s no better way to enjoy fall than with some freshly baked apple crisp and a nice cup of tea while bundled up in a scarf. This recipe pairs best with orange pekoe or chai drinks. 

This recipe is a modified version of Apple Crisp II by Diane Kester.

 

The Ingredients

For the apples:

10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup water

 

For the topping:

2 cups quick-cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, melted

 

Caramel drizzle (optional):

1 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar

The Preparation

When you’re peeling the apples, it helps to peel them over a sheet of newspaper (just as long as it’s not a copy of the Silhouette). When you’re tidying up,wrap them up in the newspaper and put them directly into the compost bin. This saves a lot of time cleaning up the counter. The prep takes about 30 minutes, but by far the most difficult part is waiting for the apple crisp to finish baking.

Note: If you find it’s too sweet, you can cut the white sugar down to half a cup. 

The Baking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit (175 degrees celsius). 
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon and nutmeg together. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples. Pour water evenly over all incorporated ingredients
3. Combine the oats, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Put in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes.
5. Do your best not to burn your tongue when you immediately start eating it. 

The Finishing Touch

1. In a saucepan, combine butter and light brown sugar. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Pour immediately over the apple crisp. Enjoy!

If you aren’t in the mood for orange pekoe or chai tea, this crisp is also great with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Share it with friends, or eat the whole thing yourself. I won’t judge you. Make sure to tag The Silhouette if you make this recipe at home!

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Photos C/O @forkinprogress

Rachel Katz often shares her cooking and baking with other people. After a time, people began to tell her that she should start a food blog. While Katz decided a blog would be too much to handle whilst being a full-time graduate student, she figured Instagram would be a manageable platform. So last summer while she was working one job and had relatively free evenings, she started her food Instagram, Fork in Progress.

On the account, Katz shares photos of the recipes that she’s tried. Unlike many other food accounts, her unfiltered photos project accessibility and make anyone scrolling feel like they could get in their kitchen and make the same meal.

The recipes that Katz tries are not necessarily easy, but she believes basic kitchen confidence can be applied to make more complicated recipes. She looks for recipes with very specific instructions that she can follow along with. She also looks for versatile recipes that she can add her own flavours to. In her captions, she highlights her innovations and provides tips.

One benefit to Instagram for her is the interactivity. It is easy for her followers to ask her questions and provide feedback. The platform also makes it possible for her to share step-by-step videos that break down the recipes into easier steps. This is to prove to people that anyone can learn how to cook delicious dishes.

“I was frustrated with a lot of students… saying ‘oh I have no time to cook’ or ‘I don't like cooking’… [But] food is so important, food is delicious and there's a kind of pride that you get from making your own food that you don't really get from anything else,” Katz said.

Katz understands how difficult balancing food with student life can be. The McMaster grad lived in residence in her first year where the meal plan limited the choice she had over what she ate. In her second year, she shared a six-person student house with a tiny kitchen. In both years, she didn’t feel like she had a fully functional space where she can cook her own meals.

For Katz, this resulted in patterns of disordered eating. In her second year, she committed to recognize these patterns in herself so she can create healthier eating habits. Preparing her own meals has been one tool in repairing Katz’s relationship with food.

In her third year, Katz moved into a two-person apartment with a nice kitchen. In her new kitchen, Katz explored cooking more. Working at the Silhouette also encouraged her as she began to regularly bake for the office. This practice allowed her to receive feedback on her food and grow as a baker.

 

“I don't use words like clean… or like detox, cleanse… [T]here are all of these other food bloggers out there who use those lines and a lot of recipe bloggers who have these crazy extravagant recipes. But there wasn't really anyone to fulfill the student niche for people who wanted to cook actual meals but didn't really know where to start,” Katz explained.

While developing a healthy relationship with food is important to Katz, food is also a tool that she uses in her relationships with others. Cooking is an activity that she likes to do with family and friends. Her food-related memories stretch all the way back to her childhood.

Katz grew up eating a lot of homemade meals. She is inspired by her mother, who is an accomplished home chef and baker. Not only does she adore the chocolate chip cookies that she grew up eating, but she also admires her mother’s diligence. Her mother can spend months trying to perfect a recipe.

 

Now an adult, Katz is making her own food memories, many of which include food she’s made for others. For her, cooking for people is a way of shaping their experiences for the better. By making a caramel corn cake for her partner’s birthday, she was able to make the day more memorable. When she makes her mother’s birthday cake this year, she will make that day more special.

However, as the name of her account indicates, Katz is still growing her skills in the kitchen. She wants her followers to continue learning, experimenting and trying new things.

“[H]aving a name that has associations of things that are not quite perfect, that I'm still learning but it doesn't mean that I don't know anything, I think… that embodies the mentality that I'm hoping I can encourage people to take with food and feeding themselves,” said Katz.

For this reason, Katz is not focused on monetizing Fork in Progress, as she and her followers operate within a student budget, she does not want to promote products that are inaccessible. While she would consider a column in a publication, she believes the account can only remain authentic by staying fairly small.

As long as she’s a student, Katz wants to continue spreading positive messages about food and cooking. She wants Fork in Progress to show students that they can make their own cakes and eat them too.

 

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Many of us don’t need to be reminded that there’s only a few days left before exam season starts, but we might need a reminder to make time for a nice home cooked meal. It’s easy to turn to buying lunch or dinner when you’re tight on time during these next few weeks, but there are ways to make cooking an enjoyable experience while relieving some stress too.

The Sil staff have compiled their favourite recipes that are easy to make, especially when you’re short on time. We encourage you to try them out, change up the ingredients and most importantly, take the time to take care of yourself this season.

 

Hands-off tomato sauce

Shared by Sasha Dhesi (Managing Editor)

Pasta is a staple batch recipe since it’s fairly easy, delicious and lasts the whole work week. While most people don’t have time to make homemade pasta, students don’t have to rely on jarred sauces and compromise their time. 

Making a sauce at home can seem challenging, but simple recipes like this one are great for students low on time and on a budget.

I adapted this recipe from Bon Appetit’s Bucatini with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce. I replaced a few of the more expensive ingredients with more accessible, easier kept items that make more sense for students to keep around in the house. The recipe should make about four servings and take about 40 minutes, but only 20 of those minutes are active! This is a great recipe to make while studying at home — just pop the sauce into the oven and you’ll have a great sauce in no time!

 

Ingredients

• • 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp chili paste
  • 8-10 cloves of garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • 10 ounces pasta of your choice (I recommend long noodles!)
  • Grated parmesan (for serving)

 

Steps

1. 1. Crush the garlic cloves, removing their skin. Cut the butter into small cubes. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
   2. Pour the can of tomatoes into a rectangular baking dish. With your hands, gently crush the tomatoes. Add garlic and butter cubes to baking dish alongside tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. roast for 20 minutes.
   3. Take the baking dish out of the oven and add the fish sauce and chili paste to the dish. If you don’t like heat, don’t add the chili paste! If you like it spicy, feel free to add more. Return dish to oven for another 20 minutes.
   4. While the sauce roasts for another 20 minutes, begin cooking the pasta. Boil four to five quarts of water, adding salt when the water starts to release steam. Once the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the pasta’s instructions. Reserve one cup of pasta water, and drain the pasta.
   5. Once the sauce is done roasting, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Using a fork or masher, crush the garlic and tomatoes into a jam-like texture. Add the pasta and sauce into one pot. Toss the pasta and sauce with tongs, slowly adding about ¼ cup of pasta water to thin the sauce.
   6. Serve while warm, garnished with parmesan.

 

Warm carrot and potato soup

Shared by Hannah Walters-Vida (Features Reporter)

In an effort to describe how good this soup is, the most a room full of Sil writers could come up with is “warm, warm soup, it hugs you from the inside”. Pretty much everyone in the office will agree that this is a great recipe for soup. I typically double the recipe and freeze the soup in mason jars for when I need a quick, filling meal.

This recipe is originally by Jennifer Segal and I made a few modifications to make it vegan friendly. This recipe yields 8 servings and takes about 45 minutes to make, but most of the time is spent letting the soup simmer. This soup can stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months, so it’s worth the investment in time. Just make sure to pop it into the fridge the day before wanting to reheat it!

 

Ingredients

• • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 small), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 apple (Segal recommends Honeycrisp or Fuji), peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Freshly ground black pepper

 

Steps

1. 1. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a large pot.
   2. Add chopped onions and stir for about ten minutes or until soft. Avoid letting the onions turn brown.
   3. Add the curry powder and cook for an additional minute.
   4. Add chopped carrots, sweet potatoes, vegetable broth and salt. Allow the vegetables to come to a boil.
   5. Cover the pot and allow the vegetables to simmer on low heat for about 25-30 minutes.
   6. Stir in the chopped apples and honey. If you have a stick blender, you can directly puree the soup in the pot until the consistency is smooth and creamy. If you have a blender, let the soup cool slightly and then puree it in batches. Segal recommends leaving the hole in the lid open and covering it with a kitchen towel while blending to allow the steam to escape.
   7. Season your soup to taste with salt, pepper, curry powder or honey if desired.

 

Black bean and chickpea salad

Shared by Razan Samara (Arts & Culture Editor)

This is my go-to recipe for dinner with friends and potlucks. It also makes for a perfect side dish alongside lunch or dinner, I personally think it pairs really well with chicken tawook tacos and panko-breaded fish. This recipe yields about 3-4 servings and was inspired by Cookie and Kate.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve found myself become quite reliant on this recipe. It requires minimal effort, which means I can throw a whole batch together pretty quickly the night before my early morning commutes. This recipe has filling ingredients, can easily travel and can be modified to meet your taste preferences. I encourage you to keep things new and interesting with every rendition of the dish!

 

Ingredients

• • 1 can of black beans (540 mL)
  • 1 can of whole kernel corn (341 mL)
  • ½ can of chickpeas (half of a 450 mL can)
  • 1 orange, yellow, or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters
  • ½ cup red onion, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon lime or lemon zest
  • 1 whole lemon, juiced
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and black pepper

 

Steps

1. 1. In a large bowl (like really large), combine all of your beans, corn, chickpeas and vegetables. Add in the lime or lemon juice, zest, olive oil and season with ground cumin, salt and black pepper to your taste! I tend to go heavy on the cumin.
   2. Mix all your ingredients.
   3. You can serve right away or cover the bowl and let it chill in the fridge for a couple hours to really enhance the flavours. This recipe can also last in the fridge for about 2-3 days, just make sure to replenish the flavours by adding in lemon or lime juice and giving it a quick stir before serving! I also like to add fresh tomatoes.
   4. Garnish with slices of lime, extra cilantro, avocados or even some tortilla chips!

 

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Photos by Catherine Goce

In 2013, Culantro Peruvian Cookery opened up on King William Street, hoping to help Hamiltonians discover Peruvian cuisine. Three years later, the restaurant moved locations to Main Street East, but the new venue has not changed its goal to cook up authentic Peruvian food for the residents of the city it loves.

The restaurant’s chef and owner is Juan Castillo, who has a long history of working in restaurants. When his family moved from Lima, Peru to San Francisco, California when he was a teenager, Castillo began working in restaurants as a dishwasher. In time, he realized that the kitchen was where he wanted to be.

Castillo’s love of cooking, however, didn’t start in San Franciscan restaurants but in his mother’s kitchen. The recipes that he uses belonged to his grandmother and mother. He was raised by and among chefs, with his family currently operating the Limon Rotisserie restaurants in San Francisco and Fresno.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="205" gal_title="Culantro Cookery 1"]

“Cooking was an inspiration… growing up. My mom used to cook all the time… Sunday was the day that everybody in the family would come over, uncles [and] aunts. My mom was one of the best cooks in the family so everybody asked her to make things for Christmas or birthdays... Growing up we always [had] people cooking in the house,” Castillo explained.

Castillo left California for love over 10 years ago and settled in the north end of Hamilton with his wife and daughter. The city has always felt like home to him as it reminds him of San Francisco and has hot summers like Peru.

Culantro is the only Peruvian restaurant in Hamilton. Castillo recognizes that the cuisine of his home country is largely undiscovered but, in his research before opening the restaurant, found that many Hamiltonians have experience with Peruvian or Latin American food.

Castillo wants all patrons to feel comfortable in the family-friendly restaurant, regardless of whether or not they have tried Peruvian food in the past. Not only is the atmosphere welcoming to families and students alike, but the affordable menu is too. Most appetizers are under $10 and most main courses are under $20.

In the last year Culantro has added new items to the small menu including the slow-roasted lamb shank and the Peruvian platter. Castillo also enjoys exploring new ideas in the kitchen.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="206" gal_title="Culantro Cookery 2"]

“[I like] the inspiration that you get from people. A lot of people come over here asking you for certain things that you don't have or… they give you feedback. I think that's what I like, the challenge of having something new when I come over to work, having a kitchen that I can make whatever I want. That day if I want to change it, I'll change it… [T]he liberty that I have with that is amazing,” Castillo explained.

Culantro aims to use the freshest and most authentic ingredients. Key Peruvian ingredients are sourced directly from Peru such as the Peruvian aji peppers, Peruvian soft drinks and the purple corn for Chicha Morada, a Peruvian corn drink. For other main ingredients, Culantro tries its best to source locally from places such as the Hamilton Farmers’ Market.

It is not just local farmers that Culantro supports but local charitable organizations as well. They have supported churches and fundraising events, such as the Annual Salsa for Heart in 2016. The city has inspired Castillo to give back.

The cookery is also a place where members of the community can gather. The restaurant regularly hosts open mic nights and live music performances. There have also been special celebrations for occasions such as Peruvian Independence Day.

Culantro is currently operating with a small staff consisting of Castillo, manager Susan Abbey and waitress Julianna Lachance. But don’t let the small venue, menu or staff fool you — this restaurant is serving up big flavours, big passion and big heart to the community.

 

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