Regardless of what anyone says, the only universal language that matters is delicious food. Sure, we all have our own tastes and preferences, but a good meal can bring people together more than the release of GTA V or a hatred for Miley Cyrus.
And although delicious food seems to only come from fine dining experiences or our grandma’s kitchens, it’s more accessible than many of us know.
Locavores. Yes, that is a real term. They have one up on foodies of the city, and continue to indulge in consistently delicious food by eating locally and experiencing fresh and tasty meals. A locavore is someone who eats local food that has been grown or produced within a designated radial area of his or her choice.
Local food is commonly defined as any product farmed within a 160-kilometer radius of your residence. But currently, in grocery stores and farmer’s markets across the province, local has become more synonymous with “organic” and can include food from within a 1,500-kilometer radius, stretching all across Ontario.
Hamilton is a hotspot for local farmers' markets and homegrown produce. Its proximity to rural areas in Ancaster, Waterdown and Vineland are easily accessed from markets across the city.
Buying specialized produce can seem like a hassle, but it is easier and cheaper than many assume. You don’t need to take a stance as strong as a locavore, but purchasing local food is a process that can be easily eased into.
The largest and most accessible farmers' market for Mac students is the Hamilton Farmers' Market located at 35 York Boulevard. Since 1837, the market has been going strong at the corner of York and James, selling produce, meat and dairy products. Not even a 15-minute journey, one bus ride and a short walk will bring you to this two-storey market.
With such a long history, it’s natural that students have and should be drawn to it.
“You can always tell when school starts,” says Cheryl Berry, of Fleetwood Farms in Harley, Ont. whose family has been taking part in the Hamilton Farmer’s Market for three generations.
“We get a lot of students,” she says. “Food from the market is so much fresher.”
Although Fortino’s and Metro offer up some wonderful genetically modified creations, there’s no denying that farm-picked goods are fresher and healthier.
And surprisingly, most of the produce available at farmers' markets is noticeably cheaper than that of large grocery stores. Farmers price their crops competitively to increase sales and sell their crop yield for the year. At the HFM, you can expect to find baskets of apples for three dollars, green beans for two dollars, and bunches of grapes for less than three dollars. I mean, really, you can’t go wrong.
Ian Walker, a fourth-year Classics student and employee of De la Terre Bakery in Vineland (a bread supplier at the HFM) explains that it’s not just about the taste or price of the food that should convince you to buy locally, but the bigger picture of sustainable local economies.
“Buying locally is important for the environment, as well as knowing where your food comes from… but it’s also important because the money you spend goes back into your economy,” he says.
Joleen Schmidt, a third-year Honours Cognitive Science of Language student, grew up on a large-scale dairy farm in Tavistock, Ont. where she saw first-hand how local food is curated and how important it is to support farm sales.
“All of our dairy is sold to a supplier in our town,” she says.
“It’s up to farmers to produce their quota for the year and sell it, otherwise an entire farm can go downhill. It’s something that we’ve seen happen to some of our neighbouring farmers,” she adds.
Farms depend on sales to keep themselves supported and up and running. By buying local and contributing to the economy of our city and its surrounding areas, you’ll be helping farmers, and helping yourself.
And as someone who spent a lifetime growing up on locally-grown food, Schmidt had something to say about the difference homegrown makes.
“There’s a huge difference! A lot of our local crops are smaller, but it tastes a lot better. Corn on the cob, my lord, don’t get me started on that! Farmers feed cities! It tastes better, and you feel healthier knowing where your food came from and what’s in it,” she says.
Local food is decidedly delicious. And shopping for products from close to home is easy and rewarding. The next time you need to go grocery shopping, consider stopping by a nearby market and picking something up from your native territory. I assure you, you will have a fresh and exciting experience.
Farmers' Market
Dos & Don’ts
DO shop around: walking into a farmers' market, especially one as large as the York Street location, can be intimidating. Take some time to walk around and compare prices and food quality. All the farmers are pretty friendly and non-confrontational, so you should be fine.
DO read the fine print: a few sellers will also be marketing outsourced produce often from the U.S. I made the rookie mistake of accidentally purchasing strawberries labeled “Product of California”- don’t follow in my footsteps. Double-check your labels before handing over your cash.
DON’T go for the biggest seller: some stands will be exceedingly larger than others, but that doesn’t mean their produce is better quality. Let me tell you, bigger is not always better.
DO ask for a sample: use your judgment with this one. Grapes, cherry tomatoes, cheese, some products are definitely conducive to sampling. But when it comes to potatoes or squash or a loaf of bread, mull over what you think is appropriate and remind yourself that this isn’t Costco.
DO bring your own reusable bag: don’t be that person who puts their fresh local produce into a bag that will sit in a landfill for decades on end.
Seasonal Foods to look for
During the months of September, October and November, you can expect to find:
- Potatoes
- Squash
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Apples
- Cranberries
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Pumpkin
- Swiss Chard
- Turnips
- And so much more…
Brianna Buziak
The Silhouette
As much as we love the fine establishments that surround the McMaster campus, there comes a time in every student’s career that calls for venturing past that comfort zone to see what else Hamilton has to offer. Any bus heading downtown will take passengers past Locke St., an area known as a hub for independently owned restaurants, coffee shops, and clothing stores, just to name a few. After some website surfing and a trip down to Locke, we decided to give these businesses some special attention.
Ole Gourmet Mexican Grill 82 Locke St. S.
Located at 82 Locke Street South, Ole Gourmet Mexican Grill is one of the first places you will see after getting off of the bus. The counter of the shop contains a large window where you can see your taco being made right in front of you. Every Tuesday, Ole Gourmet offers up pulled pork tacos at the reasonable price of $2.
The Button Pushers 119b Locke St. S.
Just before the hill is where you will find this beloved vintage hot spot. As the awning boldly declares, they provide customers with “vintage clothes, custom buttons, art and propaganda.” The Button Pushers has a variety of buttons available to buy, but if nothing quite peaks your interest, you can always request a quote for small or large orders and get custom buttons made. The schedule for new batches of clothes varies so be sure to check often to find one-of-a-kind pieces that no one else on campus will have.
Johnny’s Coffee 129 Locke St. S.
If you blink, you almost miss this quaint Locke St. café- but don’t let the outside fool you. With approximately ten tables, it provides a cozy environment, not to mention the friendly barista who greeted us with a warm welcome. Equipped with board games and a house chess set, sit down and enjoy the unique coffee shop that is Johnny’s Coffee. And while you’re enjoying one of the two featured coffees, or a vegan biscotti, follow a tip from their website and be sure to ask about the “Train Game.”
Shirin’s Fine Foods 139 Locke St. S.
Shirin’s Fine Foods hosts a variety of food to suit every taste. From tarts to cookies, coffee to chocolate, and ice cream to gluten-free brownies, Shirin’s should have something for everyone. They also surprisingly carry cabbage rolls and perogies, including dessert perogies, for those who cannot get enough of these European dumplings. They have a great selection of ice cream from birthday cake to chocolate peanut butter, but it’s only available for a few more weeks! Shirin’s is open six days a week, and closed on Mondays.
SC Consignment 162 Locke St. S.
This sleek boutique located at 162 Locke St. S. is for those who love to find designer pieces at a lower price point. They accept consignment by appointment Monday through to Friday. For those fashionistas who love designer brands, perhaps a trip to SC Consignment will mean finding a dress for one of the many upcoming formals being hosted at McMaster.
Democracy/Locke Street Coffee 202 Locke St. S.
It is not hard to miss this coffee shop on Locke, mainly because you can literally walk in from the street. A large garage-like door stands between Democracy/Locke Street Coffee and potential customers, but on the hot, sunny day that we went to Locke, the door was open so there was nothing to stop people from checking it out. The walls are painted with chalkboard paint and coloured chalk is in abundance for those who wish to express their creativity. Do not expect to be surfing the web or checking your Twitter feed in Democracy, as the chalkboard message bluntly puts it, they do not have Wi-Fi, they would rather you talk to each other. With a variety of pastry, desserts, and bagels from the Locke Street Bakery, enjoy a treat, a cup of coffee and conversation at Democracy.
Epic Books 226 Locke St. S.
Right now, Epic Books has a large tree in the front window. The large paper tree is from a recent Locke Street festival where people were asked to write their favourite children’s book on one of the corresponding leaves. But as the woman behind the counter informed us “it’s not just children’s books.” Epic Books is a warm environment where browsing is made comfortable. They have a section dedicated to local Hamilton authors for those who wish to keep it close to home. After some browsing, our personal favourite was Bun B’s Rap Colouring and Activity Book which includes a page that requires the reader to draw a freehand picture of Jay Z with a pre-printed outline of a New York Yankees hat because, after all, he made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can. Clearly that fine piece of literature is not a children’s book.
Bitten 219 Locke St. S.
After checking out the Bitten website, we knew that a visit to the cupcake and whoopee pie store was non-negotiable. Decorated in white, green and orange, it mirrors the playful look and atmosphere of the website to a T. The shop has a large window overlooking all the confectionary creations customers can choose from, including red velvet, peanut butter, or Rolo cupcakes and pies, just to name a few. If you want to have the larger selection from their extensive menu, the best time to go is around noon, just do not go on Mondays, as that is the only day of the week that they are closed.
Jennifer Bacher
The Silhouette
Amanda Watkins/ Senior LifeStyle Editor
@whatthekins
When Hamilton's favourite burrito supplier shut down, foodies and drunken students alike awaited the arrival of the restaurant that would fill its place and decide the fate of Westdale's food facade forever. Delirious Burger Company opened its doors this past August at the corner of King Street West and Marion Avenue.
Walking along King, a colourful blackboard points customers towards the restaurant's front entrance while the Delirious black and white vintage insignia sets the standard for the space's sleek and modern design.
I awkwardly stumbled into the restaurant trying to make my judgmental presence as unknown as possible, and was pleasantly greeted by the equally awkward (but in a charming and friendly way) staff. I placed my order for a Classic Burger ($5.65) and an order of fries ($3.00). I was prepared to whip out my debit card when I was greeted by a poster reading: "Cash Only". You have been warned, make sure you visit CIBC prior to placing your order, otherwise you will need to leave and come back. Which is kind of weird.
After placing my order, I was impressed to see the chef grill and prepare my burger as I waited. The interior of the restaurant consists of smooth grey countertops and brushed steel stools accompanied by scattered greeting cards from customers and friends congratulating the owners. The store has the same sterile feel that many new restaurants have in their first months, but it is evident that it is growing to have a style and personality of its own.
The burger patty was well cooked and seasoned with an organic homemade feel, but the standard hamburger bun and toppings were relatively lackluster. Overall, the burger had good taste and consistency and was filling without being massive and overwhelming.
The fries, garnished with a heavier sea salt, were a little too heavy on the sea salt. But the generous portion and cute to-go packaging made up for my sudden rise in cholesterol.
As I sat outside the restaurant, I noticed the consistent flow of customers coming in and out of the store. Just two months in and it already seems to be a Westdale favourite.
3.5/5
Tyler Welch, Assistant News Editor
Cash-strapped students can stretch their dollars a little bit further this summer, with the advent of Westdalicious. The two-month event is a chance for Westdale eateries to collaborate and to each offer a special bargain from their menus.
Seventeen restaurants in Westdale Village will be participating in Westdalicious and they have all agreed to offer their respective bargains from July 1 until August 31, inclusive.
Those who combine a sweet tooth with a reliance on coffee will certainly gravitate toward The Second Cup, where they will be able to walk away with a medium coffee and any slice of cake for five dollars. For a light lunch, a hungry pair of students can stroll down to Pita Pit, share the cost of $20, and enjoy two 6-inch petitas, two smoothies and a choice of chips or cookies.
McMaster student Ryan Beshara likes the idea of Westdalicious and is glad that The Bean Bar - his favourite Westdale restaurant - is participating. Beshara appreciates the opportunity to take a friend and enjoy their delicious cake for a fraction of the regular price (two slices of cake for $15 during the promotion). “It’s a smart way of exposing the different restaurants of Westdale” he said. “It gives us a taste of the types of food that are in our area.”
Beshara said he will probably try out Walker’s Chocolates ($10 box of mint meltaways) or Dragon Court (2.5 pounds of lobster for $25) this summer, to take advantage of the specials they are promoting.
The whole concept - the brainchild of the Westdale Village business association - takes inspiration from a similar idea in Toronto. Since 2003, Toronto has held two food festivals - Summerlicious and Winterlicious - in an effort to encourage dining out at expensive restaurants that are usually beyond the scope of many people’s budgets. Westdalicious is certainly a smaller undertaking - Toronto’s current Summerlicious includes 196 restaurants in its 2013 promotion. However, Westdale’s runs longer. Where West Hamilton locals will be treated to savoury deals and sugary bargains for two months, the Toronto-licious promotions only last for two weeks each.
Toronto’s festivals have come to include the city’s high-end dining options and have provided a genuine incentive for local restaurant spending during historically lower periods. Toronto has seen a growth in popularity during the each festival’s decade-long lifetimes.
While the true economic impact of Westdalicious remains to be seen, students will surely be figuring out how dining in Westdale Village can now fit into their budget.
Jennifer Bacher / Silhouette Staff
Planning a dinner for a group of friends takes a bit of planning. It is important to know how many friends will be coming (and if they intend to bring dates), what food you will be serving, and if you intend to offer drinks. Here are some simple ideas to help make your next dinner party an easy one!
Appetizers
The easiest appetizers are ones that can be served quickly and require minimal work to serve. Cold appetizer recipes make entertaining easy and can be put together quickly. Hummus is great, whether made at home or store bought. Served with warm pitas and vegetables, hummus is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Another appetizer, that can either be preassembled or a “build-yourself,” is crostini with cheese and meats. Try goat cheese, jam and prosciutto.
Dinner
The most stressful part of the party is creating an edible and successful dinner. Whether you chose something extravagant or simple, the key is to plan ahead. Make what you can ahead of time, this will allow you to spend less prep time in the kitchen when your guests are over. If you are looking to make something simple and easily customizable, why not try home-made wings, make-your-own nachos, hamburgers, homemade pizza (in the oven or BBQ) or lasagna.
Dessert
The best part of a dinner party is the dessert. It can easily be made ahead of time, but no more than a day, ideally that morning. Impress your guests with the new trend in the world of desserts: dips! Dessert dips are versatile, fun and easy to customize with your favorite flavours. From cookie-dough dip to cheesecake dip and everything in between, it can be served with fruit, pretzels or vanilla cookies.
Johnny-Wei Bai / Meducator
It is a well-known fact that a healthy diet can lower the risk of various types of cardiovascular disease. How far can the benefits of healthy eating go, especially for someone who already has cardiovascular disease or other age-related pathologies such as diabetes mellitus?
Every year, more than 20 million people around the world survive a heart attack or stroke. Often, these patients are prescribed medications such as blood thinners or antiplatelet agents, which significantly decrease their risk of subsequent heart attacks, stroke and heart failure. However, Mahsid Dehghan, a nutritionist at McMaster University, says that "at times, patients don’t think they need to follow a healthy diet since their medications have already lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol – that is wrong." She goes on to say that "dietary modification has benefits in addition to those seen with Aspirin, angiotensin modulators, lipid-lowering agents and beta blockers."
To find an association between diet quality and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Dehghan recently led a 56-month study in 40 countries involving nearly 32,000 people over age 55, all with history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or severe diabetes mellitus. The participants were given questionnaires to assess their dietary intake, alcohol and smoking habits, and exercise levels. This is one the few studies to explore the effect of diet on people who already have cardiovascular disease.
It was found that even after adjusting for potential confounders such as age, sex, geographical location and medications prescribed, a healthy diet consistently lowered risk for cardiovascular disease in patients with prior disease history, thereby greatly enhancing the benefits of their medication. This healthy diet would include items such as vegetables, fruits, fibres, nuts, and fish, and lower levels of saturated fats. The results of healthy eating included a reduction in risk of 38 per cent for cardiovascular death, 14 per cent for recurrent heart attack, 28 per cent for congestive heart failure and 19 per cent for stroke.
This study bears great implications in healthcare and patient education. Healthcare providers are encouraged to stress the importance of good eating as part of therapy for heart and stroke patients. By learning to not simply depend on medication, but also lifestyle choices, patients can reap the benefits of both their medication and healthy eating to avoid recurring heart disease.
Although the sample population consisted of older patients with cardiovascular disease, it certainly is very applicable to university students. Dr. Dehghan's results support the notion that it is never too late (or too early, for that matter) to start improving one's dietary habits – a new year's resolution that has been plaguing many of us for months now, I'm sure.
Co-Written by: Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma and Jemma Wolfe
For one day only, students received a McMaster-issued passport to travel the world, all within the confines of the student centre. On Sunday, March 10, Pangaea 2013 transformed the student centre into a global bazaar and performance hall where students could experience 21 different regions of the world.
Pangaea has taken place at McMaster for over 10 years and is known as the largest multicultural event on campus. MUSC rooms are used as country pavilions where cultural clubs serve food from their culture and have visual displays. Displays featured costumes, masks, historical posters, art and music.
The main feature of the pavilions, the food, was a smorgasbord of flavor. It’s not everyday that students get to accumulate over 50 countries’ traditional food on only one plate. Some particularly standout dishes were served by a variety of nations. The Egyptian stall featured koshary, a popular street-vendor dish in Egypt comprised of rice, noodles, lentils, chickpeas and fried onions, topped with tomato sauce. The West Africa pavilion served spicy Jollof rice, a traditional Senegalese dish. The Armenian room offered boreg, a feta-stuffed phyllo pastry turnover topped with sesame seeds. The Indian section included the sweet gulub jamun, syrupy milk-based dough balls. Yet it was hard to isolate particular dishes amidst the vast selection of sweet and savory items; every pavilion made a mouth-watering effort to proudly represent their country’s culinary achievements.
Some particular exhibits arranged by the cultural groups for display at their pavilion were also notable for their interactive nature and enthusiastic delivery.
On the first floor of the exhibit, Isreal stood out. Israel’s pavilion was unique in the long-term promise it offered attendees: that any wish they wrote and stuck to the poster-board imitation of the Old City of Jerusalem’s Western Wall will be brought to the real Wall. This is a sacred Jewish location where over a million written prayers and wishes are slid into the crevices every year in the hope that they will be answered. During one club member’s trip to Jerusalem this summer, the wishes will be delivered and painstakingly inserted into the auspicious wall.
Moving to the small but vibrant island south of India, Sri Lanka also didn’t disappoint. The Sri Lankan pavilion offered a fun interactive activity: trying on the traditional Kandyan saree. This version of the women’s sari is unique to Sri Lanka, and looks very different from other kinds. Participants were guided through the three segments of the traditional dress - skirt, sash and frilled upper-skirt - while aspects of Sri Lankan culture were discussed. Afterwards, a photo-op in front of their map and artifact display was encouraged.
The Japanese pavilion featured many traditional elements of Japanese culture such as an origami station and the opportunity to try on a kimino. Students were also on hand to teach attendees about Omikuji, a form of Japanese fortune-telling.
The game has a series of fortunes ranging from great fortune to very bad luck. The general fortunes are written on narrow bamboo sticks which are shaken out of a small container. They are then traded in for written pieces of paper with specific adages.
Some examples of fortunes The Silhouette encountered were, “Do not leave your house – certain misfortune”, “Something bad will happen to you soon” and “You will succeed in some of the things in your life.”
Moving away from the Asian subcontinent towards the tropics, the MACaws (or the McMaster Association of West Indian Students), occupied a pavilion where multiple nations were represented. Some countries included were Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica.
The MACaws welcomed students into their pavilion, adorned with a lei curtain and blasting soca music. Students were treated to peanut punch and ginger beer while they took in the palm trees, fishing nets and hammocks that were set up.
The event also featured a dance performance element that was repeated twice throughout the day. Cultural clubs were invited to showcase different cultural dances and submit small write-ups to explain the significance of their culture and its traditions.
Groups invited people of any background to join their dance pieces. For example, the Latin American group featured many types of dances and activities characteristic of Latin America, such as salsa and involved non-Latin American students.
Khurum Shafi, a recent McMaster alumnus and dancer in the Latin American piece and the McMaster School of Bhangra piece, explained how Pangaea created a unique cross-cultural forum for students to learn about other student’s cultures through performance.
“Usually a cultural performance is done in front of people of your own culture and background but Pangaea is one opportunity to do it in front of other cultures.”
The styles of dance presented were as varied and diverse as the nationalities they represented. From sensual Egyptian belly dancing, to ceremonial Assyrian dancing, the audience was introduced to many dance styles they may not be able to encounter on a regular basis.
Such was the spirit of Pangaea in all its forms: introducing students and community members to people, food, dress, dance and cultures they might not have previously encountered, and encouraging an ethic of inclusion, cooperation and respect along the way.
Nichole Fanara / The Silhouette
The Western world has put itself into a food bubble – an impenetrable array of thoughtless eating habits that steer away from the natural world and celebrate neat little packages. How did we become this?
Every time I watch a food commercial, it’s for little chocolates in baggies that control calories, or chip companies giving you the chance to create a flavour of your choice like chicken and rice. Do you have any idea what goes into the flavour-making process? I can’t help but wonder if there is any real chicken or rice used in the chemically induced flavour making process.
There has been a persistent news story that is developing into worse versions of itself. The scandal of horsemeat being used in the place of beef has been all over Europe and the United States, found in packaged foods from little companies to well-known corporations like Ikea and Nestle. It is affecting both poor and wealthy nations alike, in supermarkets and school lunches, and as fast as these companies are trying to get to the bottom of the issue, the ignorant community of citizens (us) remain content to continue with our days.
I wonder what the food regulations in Canada are like. Do you know? Processed foods (like those contaminated with horsemeat) have different regulations than fresh foods. When Mad Cow was distributed, it was through fresh foods. The governments in both Europe and North America cracked down on food regulations for fresh food. But this one aspect is not enough to encompass all means of food production.
The level to which we are disconnected from our food is startling. In Dominican Republic, a local family showed us Westerners how they kill their chickens (yes, by hand). They know exactly where their food comes from, where it has been, what it has eaten and the sanitation (or lack thereof) necessary to produce a hearty dinner. But what do we know up in Canada? If you don’t live on a farm, you know squat. And the sad thing is that if something were to happen like Mad Cow that could seriously cause illness, we would not know until the illness spread and it was too late. There is no way for us to tell if our food is safe, real or uncontaminated. We completely put our trust in the hands of corporations. They make the rules. They decide for us.
Perhaps the system of processed and “fresh” (which is still processed to some degree) foods is better than the alternative of growing and killing our own source of food. Perhaps the good old Western way helps you to sleep at night knowing you haven’t hurt a fly today. But in reality, if we cannot trust the hand that feeds us and we cannot bite it for fear of the law, then how are we to sleep at night knowing that the hurt fly is actually us? In a world obsessed with rules and control, can we survive all the mistakes made by the boss?
There is a lot of room for play in our society. We play with our food all the time. But how far is too far, and how much more disconnected can we get in our desire to control everything from nature’s gift of food to our own bodies and weight? Is it really so barbaric to grow your own food when the food we create in a factory is so mass produced we lose a sense of connection to the earth, to life and to our health?
