The Burnt Tongue is a cozy restaurant with a few locations in Hamilton, Ontario.

The focus is on comfort food consisting of soups, burgers, salads, fries, and sandwiches.

Hamilton is a sui generis city, called the Hammer by locals and Steel Town by outsiders. Hamilton is the waterfall capital of the world with more than 100 waterfalls. Hamilton has a rich past, vibrant culture, and nature surrounding it. The urban feel is unique, the arts scene is pulsating and authentic with a vibrant downtown.

The City that gave us Tim Horton’s has a bustling food scene with incredible restaurants.

The founders of The Burnt Tongue wanted to create a chain of restaurants in Hamilton known for delicious soups and burgers. Everything about the restaurant is to create a casual and comfortable environment. The focus is on bringing food and hospitality together by providing healthy and delicious food.

The Burnt Tongue that we visited is located at 10 Cannon Street East.

We order at the counter. A single classic burger, a single deluxe burger, fries, and a Coke. The service is friendly and they bring the food to your table. I do sense an extra serving of warmth that is ingrained in the culture.

The burgers are delicious and outstanding. This is comfort food at its best. The ingredients are fresh and all the ingredients are locally sourced.

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The fermented juice of grapes is made into an alcoholic beverage called wine. Apples, cranberries, plums are also used to make wine. However, if it says wine on the bottle it is from wine grapes. Wine grapes are sweeter, smaller, and have more seeds than table grapes.

Have you ever heard of the saying ‘what a great vintage’? Hmmm… Vint means ‘to make wine’ and Age is the year it is made. It takes an entire season for wine grapes to ripen and hence it is produced once a year.

There are several factors and dimensions to a bottle of wine and its amazing flavor: aroma, sweetness, acidity, tannin, alcohol, and the aging process.

Candy Mah Executive Director at Cave & Cellar, Malaysia talks about wine.

Candy please tell my global audience a little about you?

I am a wine importer based in Malaysia for over 20 years.  I distribute throughout Malaysia in the HORECA, retail, and duty-free market.

Do I have to be a foodie and elitist to drink wine?

One does not have to be a foodie or elitist to enjoy wine. Anyone and everyone can drink wine anywhere.

I want to drink red with white meat, is it OK? Or, is it still white with fish and chicken and red with meats?

To be honest with you, there is so much creativity and fusion in food. People can do the wine pairing as they deem fit.

When I am at a restaurant and order a bottle, how do I know if the wine is good? Do I have to swirl the glass, smell the wine, have bread to taste it, and smell the cork? In other words how to drink wine with food?

Smell, swirl, and taste are the basics to find out if the bottle is good to keep or return at a restaurant.

Does having a cork make a difference in the wine bottle?

Not at all. The screw cap wines are just as good. 

When I go to the store to buy wine, should I always look at the score or buy something that I like?

I would always buy something I like, so I’ll suggest the same for others.

Is an expensive bottle always better than a cheaper bottle?

Price is not an indication of the quality of wines, but it depends on the type of wine. Normal drinking wines that taste better will always cost a bit more.   Grand Crus wines these days are overpriced. As a matter of fact, some Cru Bourgeois which cost less can be the same and sometimes even better.

If I want to have a few bottles of wine for the holidays for guests how do I build a collection?

One should know the preference of the guests. However, here is a guideline:

a.  Western guests you can keep some Pinot Grigio (white), or Rose (dry) for summer and preferably Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.

b.  Asian guests, you can keep Chardonnay and/or Cabernet Sauvignon.

How do you balance food, faith, finance, and family in the 21st century?

I separate the working and non-working hours.  Once working hours are over, I relax and during the weekends spend precious moments with my family.  Work is never-ending. Time is in our hands to control to do the right things for ourselves and our loved ones.

Photo Credits: Kelsey Chance Caroline Hernandez  Brett Jordan chuttersnap Matt Lamers Amy Chen 

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The goal for independent restaurants in this environment is to pivot, learn, grow and adapt and become aware of food trends. The trends will help restaurants in 2022 to keep and attract new customers.

Diners today are Instagram conscious, internet savvy, Yelp aware, and Google Reviews fans. Diners are fanatics about the quality of their food and where it is sourced from. They want locally sourced ingredients, chemical-free, color-free, and free of GMOs. Eating healthy is the benchmark. Diners are aware of the footprint on the environment that food not sourced locally causes.

I talk to Professor Aris Moussoulides from Larnaca College in Cyprus about food trends.

Aris please tell me a little about you? 

I was born and raised in Nicosia, Cyprus. After graduating from the Swiss Hotel Management School Les Roches (Diploma in Hotel Management) with Merit in 1990, I completed in 1992 a Master of Science degree in Hotel Administration at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. After working in top positions in the Swiss and Cypriot Hotel Industry for more than a decade, I joined academia in 2001 working as a tenured lecturer at the then-largest college in Cyprus as well an Associate Researcher on various projects at the Athens University of Economics and Business Management (as a team member of ReSEES). On 9/2/2016 I successfully completed a Dprof (Doctor of Professional studies degree) in Hotel and Tourism Management at Middlesex University, UK and that was a milestone in my academic career as well as my personal life.

Currently, I am employed at the “Larnaca College” where I hold the rank of Full Professor and Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management! At the same time, I am also employed as a Senior Researcher at the world-renowned “International Center for Research on the Environment and the Economy”, working as a full research team member on two EU and one UN-funded project. My current research interests and publications are found in the fields of Sustainable Development, Service Quality in Hotels, and Seasonality in Tourism.

As a professor in a hospitality school, what is your goal in teaching the students? 

My main goal is to pass to them the knowledge regarding Hotel and Tourism Management that I have gained in the three Academic Institutions that I graduated from as well as the knowledge that I have gained during the many years of experience that I had in top management positions in the Tourism Industry.

How important is food in the overall curriculum? 

Food is extremely important since it is a vital element of the Hospitality Industry.

Tell us about the new food trends in Cyprus? 

The latest trend in Cyprus is the creation of small, family-run Cypriot taverns, mostly situated in small villages, that are offering a different type of meze dishes (various small dishes of traditional food items similar to the tapas dishes in Spain) which apart from the local element in them include also the element of experimentation with new ingredients and tastes. 

What is one trend that you like and is sustainable? 

I really like the new trend of the small family-run Cypriot taverns (mentioned above) that are mostly situated in small villages because they offer a sustainable product that respects and supports the local environment, the local community, and the local economy. In order to justify my position let me just tell you that these establishments operate in small villages, normally in premises that have a strong local character (architectural wise), hire local staff from the local community, and buy mostly local ingredients.

No matter what trends come and go food needs to be tasty? 

Definitely because at the end of the day food is a product that needs to be appealing to the palate of the customer.

How has food changed in the last three decades? 

It has become more sophisticated with new trends and ideas influencing international chefs from all over the world. At the same time, it has also become healthier with the inclusion of lighter dishes that have gained popularity over the years (for example sushi meals).

How does eating healthy impact us overall? 

Eating healthy has many advantages. Firstly it fights physical health problems that are related to obesity such as diabetes and heart problems as well as helps immensely with mental health problems including depression. Then it increases productivity and generally leads to a better quality of life.

What advice you would give to students wanting to get into hospitality? 

My advice is to go for it! This is a wonderful Industry that opens many professional doors worldwide and has a lot to offer to a young graduate. Let’s not forget that Tourism (the Hospitality Industry is a sub-sector of the Tourism Industry) is the largest employer on earth. And as I always say to my students all that you need in order to be successful in the field of expertise is a solid education, common sense, discipline, and willingness for hard work.

How do you balance faith family finances and food as a professor? 

With great difficulty, due to my very busy schedule, and some correct time management which is a skill that I have acquired during my undergraduate studies in Switzerland.

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Gordon Ramsay the British chef, television personality, and restaurateur has been awarded 16 Michelin stars. Ramsay is the most influential chef in the UK. His reality television is sprinkled with his temper, sauteed with profanity, garnished with an eccentric demeanor, and finished with his sense of humor. The personality behind Hell’s Kitchen, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, The F Word, and 24 Hours to Hell and Back has a vast presence in Vegas.

Gordon Ramsay brings his magic, pizzazz, and fiery personality to Las Vegas with Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay Burger, and Gordon Ramsay Steak.

I want to try the ultimate restaurant in Ramsay’s chain The Gordon Ramsay Steak, Las Vegas located at the Paris hotel. The restaurant has a dining environment that is set in the Paris casino which is modern and high-powered. The fine dining experience of London is transported to Las Vegas’s Paris Hotel mixed with Ramsay’s signature dishes.

As you enter Gordon Ramsay’s  Steak Restaurant, located at the Paris hotel, you are guided through an architectural depiction of the Chunnel station in London, symbolic of crossing over from France to England. The Union Jack flag and the red neon sculpture portray the dim of Ramsay’s hand movements when making his trademark Beef Wellington.

The roofing of the trendy steakhouse is smothered with the Union Jack Flag.  The bar is seductive and magnetic. The lounge is enticing and captivating. The two-story dining area is beguiling but allows you to sit back and relax. The high rollers can book a private dining room or book a chef’s table and see the chefs practicing their art.

The waiters and busboys leave you alone. They give you space. They are decked. However, I like the ambiance. It is not snooty. The busboy pours you water and brings an amazing assortment of bread.

The waiter takes our drink orders. I tell him to choose a red, rose, and a virgin cocktail of his choice. I get a glass of the 2015 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Debbie gets the rose and Jean gets the virgin cocktail.

The red with the bread tastes like Manna.

For starters Debbie tries the oysters, I order the Ceasar Salad and Jean orders the vegetable soup.

Finally what the carnivores like Debbie and Jean have been waiting for. The meat trolley arrives. Every cut imaginable is available. Debbie points to the tomahawk. They want it medium with vegetables and macaroni and cheese. The steak is perfect.

I am full after the meal. The waiter insists I try the sticky toffee pudding cake. I am like OK.

The dessert was worth flying all the way to Las Vegas. It was extraordinary.

I was impressed with the ambiance. The service blew me away. The drinks were out of this world. The food was delicious. I pay for experiences. Gordon Ramsay’s Steak Restaurant in Las Vegas delivered.

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What is for lunch is the common question asked around my home. Lunch is the meal that is eaten in the middle of the day and is lighter.

It is always exciting to get your children involved in activities that you like. I always look forward to cooking lunch with my daughter, watching a movie with her, swimming before lunch, traveling, or just going for a walk. It is a time to bond, have fun but also to pass down some of the skills you have.

Food does not have to be expensive or fancy ingredients for it to be tasty. I like comfort food during lunch. It reminds me of love and spending time with my family.

I talk to Cindy about her love of food and how she is passing that down to her children. Cindy grew up in a small mining town in Northern Ontario, Canada, and now lives near Toronto, Ontario. She a single Mom of 2, and before the pandemic hit, was a high school cafeteria manager. This is where she got the inspiration for her blog. Being a “lunch lady”, she tries to create comforting wholesome foods. That has become her motto over the years- simple foods, that are good for you and delicious.

She is French-Canadian Metis, which means she grew up fishing, hunting, and enjoying several dishes from both her heritages.

Cindy, a pleasure to interview a food and recipe expert. I want to know something important about you?

Hi, my name is Cindy Lefebvre and I am the voice and creator behind Mom, the Lunch Lady. Mom, the Lunch Lady is a food blog centering around simple, wholesome recipes; ranging from healthy, to indulgent. In 2007, I started my first blog which became quite popular. Unfortunately, 11 years later, I found myself as a single working mom, so my first blog was put on hold. I missed blogging over the last 4 years, so when I was laid off during the pandemic, I took the opportunity to get back to it.

I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when I was 15 and have been in remission for almost 11 yrs. Living with IBD has been a struggle and I am still learning what foods my body will tolerate. It sometimes makes eating healthy difficult, but I am learning that when I find something that works, to stick with it.

I like your IG handle. It is comfortable and rustic food. Talk to me about your love of food?

I have always loved food and being in the kitchen, thanks to my mom. She was your typical stay-at-home mom and some of my fondest childhood memories are of watching her create homemade bread, desserts, and meals in our kitchen. The love she would put in all her creations has been passed down to me and one of my favorite things to do is feed people. It is my way of showing others that I care about them.

What are some of your favorite ingredients and least favorite in the kitchen?

Having a huge sweet tooth, I’ve always loved baking. Some of my favorite ingredients to work with are flour, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. When I am feeling creative, that is when I turn to cooking and making dishes that make everyone moan in appreciation. When cooking, I use quite a bit of garlic, onion, and thyme. I also seem to gravitate to Asian ingredients such as soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil.

We get used to eating steak with potatoes and get very set in our thinking. Give me some out-of-the-box ideas and recipes we can try?

My dad is your typical meat and potatoes eater. He isn’t very adventurous when it comes to food; for him, simple is best. It wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I became more adventurous in my tastes and my cooking. I get my inspiration from everything around me. From TV shows, which is where I got the idea to create Sloppy Waffles, to my love of combining flavors and simplifying meals, like in this Chili Corn Dog Casserole. While I still enjoy classic meals such as Tuna Noodle Casserole, I always want to add my twist to everything I make.

Talk to me about the self-care goals for 2021?

The pandemic has been very difficult for me. Being out of work for so long has given me a lot of time on my hands. However, it has also opened my eyes to the fact that I care for everyone else, and neglect taking care of myself. 2021 has brought me on a path towards self-care, weight loss, and a fitness journey that I am sure never would have happened if the world hadn’t changed the way it did. I am now more mindful about how I fuel my body and have fallen in love with exercise. I also make certain to take the time to recharge, by addressing my mental health needs and practicing gratitude.

How has marriage and motherhood changed your life? Any surprises?

Becoming a single Mom 6 yrs. ago was one of the most difficult and lowest points in my life. I felt like I had failed in my 15 yr. marriage and my children. Thanks to them, I worked hard to become self-sufficient and take care of them, as both Mom and Dad. Being a mom is my greatest accomplishment and despite all my trials and tribulations, I am a better human being for them. I hope that I am teaching them how to be strong, independent, and hard-working. Both my children have become foodies and love being in the kitchen with me, learning to create delicious meals. I am glad to be teaching them a much-needed life skill.

Walk me through the city you live in?  What is the food scene? Why should we visit it?

As much as I love cooking, I also love eating out. After cooking for every one day after day, sometimes a meal out is a delicious way to get inspired to get back into the kitchen. Living in Barrie Ontario for the last 13 yrs., we’ve found a few favorite bakeries, and restaurants that are a total must, if visiting. Most of these businesses are centered around our downtown core, which is host to the beautiful waterfront of Lake Simcoe. A walk along the lake is a wonderful way to work up an appetite and downtown Barrie is not short on restaurants and eateries.

We have a host of restaurants to cater to every taste, from Korean BBQ, Italian, Indian, and traditional North American food. We also have several pizzerias, craft breweries, and possibly the best Pho in Simcoe County. With so many people wanting to eat more sustainably, we’ve also seen the addition of Vegan bakeries and restaurants over the last few years.

If in the mood for something simpler, or delicious additions to meals at home, we have wonderful bakeries to visit. Pre pandemic, city hall would host a fantastic Farmer’s Market every Saturday. Barrie is also home to many farms, perfect for those farm-fresh eggs, free-range meats, veggies, berries, and honey.

I come to your home with my wife and daughter. My wife loves seafood, my daughter loves steak and I am a vegan. What will you cook and why?

A few years ago, my daughter asked me if she could start eating vegan. When I asked her what that meant to her, she described a Pescatarian diet. She is not a big fan of meat but will eat chicken or turkey, and the occasional pork dish. This means dinner time at our house is sometimes tricky. My significant other is a HUGE meat eater and he, along with my son, loves steak. I on the other hand do not. This means some nights I am preparing 3 different options for dinner. This is why I love summer and grilling. Last weekend the boys wanted steak, so I decided on a surf and turf menu. Grilled steaks and grilled shrimp were paired with boy scout potatoes and asparagus. I also grilled some eggplant, which was topped with tomato sauce and vegan cheese, to create the most delicious eggplant parm sandwiches. This way everyone could eat to their preferred tastes and we could still enjoy a meal together. Food is so important in our lives, not only as fuel, but it brings people together and creates memories. That is why I try to please everyone when in the kitchen. 

I love desserts…I want to know about your favorite recipe?

Growing up, my mom was always baking. My dad has a big sweet tooth, which he passed on to me. Even now, Dad is always asking my mom to bake something every week. While I love any kind of dessert imaginable, my favorite still remains a popular French-Canadian dessert- Pouding Chomeur. It translates to Poor Man’s Pudding and is made with minimal ingredients found in any household. It basically is a cake, baked in the most amazing brown sugar syrup. It reminds me of my grandparents, and of my childhood. I think it will always be the one recipe from my heritage that I will continue making for years to come.

Being a foodie has become such an important part of my life. It has formed who I am today, by guiding me in my professional career. It is my escape, my way of decompressing and relaxing. After a long day, you can find me in the kitchen baking something delicious for my family. Food will always be a pivotal force in everyday life and my hope is that thanks to Mom, the Lunch Lady, I can help people fall in love with cooking, give them the confidence to become more creative in the kitchen and help them think outside of the box. Food should not only be nutritious; it should be fun and enjoyable.

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Julia is the Pastry Chef at Eden at the Rimrock Resort in Banff Alberta Canada, 5 Diamond BCAA rating, one of three 5 diamond restaurants in Canada. She grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, and started cooking at 19 years old. She did a 4-year apprenticeship while completing her Culinary Certification at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria’s downtown core.  She has lived in 3 different provinces and worked in luxury hotels across Canada, as well as training under a Michelin star pastry chef in Ontario.  When not in the kitchen, you can find her at the CrossFit gym, or at home working on whatever project that she is momentarily obsessed with. At the moment she is taking some online courses in food journalism and Adobe Photoshop to build her skills and improve a baking blog she started last year.  To honor all the employees who have lost their jobs in the hospitality sector due to COVID, I want to highlight some of these talented people.

Julia welcome, what made you decide to become a pastry chef?

I started my career as a cook. I spent 5 years working my way up through the ranks of the restaurant – prep cook, garde mangier, entremetier, and saucier. I finished my culinary red seal and did a few competitions – Chaine de Rotisseurs and Hawksworth Young Chefs scholarship. I decided to leave the line and switch to pastry because I liked the creativity it offered. Generally, a pastry chef gets to create their own menus, whereas line cooks and sous chefs do not. It is also a totally different skill set in regards to technique and that was something I wanted to learn. 

As a pastry chef, where do you get your inspiration from when making desserts?

I get a lot of my ideas from memories – things I would make with my family as a kid, a dessert a person I know loves, or a place I have been and I try to recreate that memory with flavors. I made one dessert entirely out of corn when I was in Ontario to reflect the farmland that was near the restaurant. Another example is a chestnut mont blanc with gingerbread ice cream because we always play “the Christmas song” while making gingerbread cookies as children. I also get ideas for recipes and presentations from the previous chefs I have worked with and books like “The Elements of Dessert” and “So good magazine”. And there is always Instagram. Instagram is a stellar tool to get some ideas going. 

Name me some of your favorite ingredients you like to work with as a pastry chef?

At the moment my favorite ingredient to work with is Ruby Chocolate – It is quite unique as it is a newly discovered chocolate that is naturally pink with a light, fruity flavor profile. It is relatively new to the Canadian market and I am quite excited about this new type of chocolate to play with. 

Walk me through a day in the pastry kitchen?

The first thing I do is get bread going. I pull any dough made the previous day and let it rise for service. I feed the sourdough culture and make the starter for our sough dough and multigrain bread that needs a 24 hr fermentation period. Then I make raisin bread that will rise for at least 8 hours before continuing the fermentation in the fridge overnight. After that, the sourdough and whole wheat doughs are kneaded from the previous days’ starter for the next day’s service. 

Next, I check our take-home gifts – a hand-made Twix bar made with shortbread & salted caramel and enrobed in chocolate. I usually make 60 – 120 bars at a time depending on business levels. 

After that, I start topping up our desserts and make any components that will be needed before assembly. This includes a hazelnut cake, praline caramel and hazelnut mousse for the hazelnut entremets, lemon fluid gel and honey parfait, sweet pastry, cheesecake, mirror glaze all need to be made before assembly. I make ice cream and sorbet a day in advance as it needs to freeze solid before being put through the paco jet. 

Next is petite fours – we serve each guest 3 petite fours at the end of their meal and I like to have a rotating, seasonal menu for this that changes often. Sometimes I make hand-painted bonbons, a variety of pat de fruit, fudge in rotating flavors, toffee, and other confections. We also serve a selection of coffee service items that I rotate as well. Gingerbread and mincemeat tarts for Christmas, ruby chocolate dipped shortbread, Financier, and other treats. 

Lastly, I top up the garnishes for each dessert as these take the least amount of time. Poached fruit, fluid gels, tempered chocolate work, creams, and crumbs. 

On days that I have a bit of extra time, I sort out and test ideas for upcoming menus. 

In short, pastry takes a lot of planning. Start with the jobs that take the most time, like bread, then anything with a multi-step process. Next are items that need time to set overnight before being processed or cut, and lastly, jobs that are quick. 

Help me understand how the mentality is changing toward women in the kitchen?

Honestly, it really depends on who you’re working with and how you decide to present yourself. I believe it is both parties’ responsibility to influence change. I find with the younger generation of chefs, there is equal opportunity for men and women, hard work is rewarded and promotions are given to those putting in effort regardless of gender. But in saying that I have also worked with some older chefs that refuse to put a woman on the hotline, touch meat or move out of a commis position. There was one chef that called me “sweetheart” instead of learning my name, but even then, I still had every opportunity to advance if I worked hard. I think some of the certain behavior is used to test people, see what they are made of. The boys get yelled at, and the girls are underestimated. Kitchens are high-stress environments and if you can’t take being treated poorly sometimes it probably isn’t for you, and that goes for both men and women.  At the end of the day, the kitchen needs hands, and nobody cares what gender those hands are attached to. 

Talk to me about what women empowerment means to you?

Empowerment is allowing yourself and others to pursue what is meaningful for personal success.

To empower another person is to encourage them to try new things, make mistakes, learn something and celebrate their success. It is a process of trying, failing, refining, and trying again. 

What are your future goals?

This is a tough one, there are a lot of things I would like to do. For now, I want to continue building my skills as a pastry chef, as well as working on my food writing and photography skills through Instagram and blogging. I would love to work abroad, and maybe write a book down the road.  

How do you cope with the long hours in the kitchen?

There was one job I worked at last year, it was a brand new hotel opening with a full-service restaurant. That was probably the hardest job I have had when it came to long hours. In my first few weeks, I worked from 9 am to 11 or 12 pm for 13 days straight. When things settled down we all continued to work 12 hour days 5 days a week. I learned a lot about myself and others, and we really bonded as a team. A good team definitely makes the long days easier. Right now I am at a new restaurant and the hours are much better, still long days here and there but not every day. I think the most important thing for me when it comes to dealing with long stretches is making time for myself. I do my best to stick to a weekly schedule of going to CrossFit a few days a week before work as well as having a project or two on the side so I feel like I still have a life, and that I am working towards my personal goals as well. Over time, a person gets used to the long days in some respect. There is a flow to the season; work hard in the summer and chill in the winter. 

Can you also talk about something challenging you have been through and how you dealt with it?

I think my biggest challenge was dealing with my own lack of self-confidence and the depression that went with it. It controlled my life for quite a few years and stopped me from doing what I wanted and experiencing life in a happy way. At that time my life was just working (5 am shifts) coming home in the afternoon and sleeping, I basically did nothing with my life outside of work for like, 3 or 4 years. Its probably going to sound silly, but I started watching youtube videos with themes around living your best life, and Jordan Petersons 12 rules for life and started applying those principles to mine, one at a time. Eventually, I started setting goals and actually accomplishing them and over time it has completely changed my views. 

If you had a choice to get rid of a few ingredients in the pastry kitchen what would those be and why?

As a pastry chef, I make everything from scratch, so each ingredient serves a purpose in a recipe and to simply omit one would yield a different product. The trend these days leans to vegan and gluten-free baking, and if thoughtful swaps are made to replace eggs, butter, and flour, a product can be made, but it will never be the same as the original. Baking is a series of formulas and each ingredient is there for a reason because someone has tested it and found that this recipe was the best way to make it. 

If I had to get rid of something, it would probably be convenience products like fake flavored syrups. It is easy enough to make your own infusions. 

Any special music you listen to you while working?

I don’t usually listen to music when I am working – sometimes I’ll listen to chill step, electronic music and sometimes I listen to podcasts. 

Some Rapid Fire Questions:

Favorite food – Any type of fresh seafood – oysters, scallops, salmon, and sushi. Sushi is the best. 

Favorite drink – A latte from discovery coffee.

Favorite dessert – Cheesecake, but I think most people love cheesecake. 

Tequila in dessert – I’m not really a tequila person, If I use alcohol in desserts I usually go for rum or Grand Marnier.  

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Janak Bhawnani, Vice President of Operations at Easton Group of Hotels talks about the hotel business and what to look for when you eat in a restaurant.

Janak, whenever I ask you about the hotel business, you tell me you are in the business of hotels not in the hotel business please explain?

At hotel school, it was all about being the maître d’maison, giving service, treating guests with care. It was never driven by the bottom line, but about guest satisfaction first and money second.   In the past, hotels were owned by the brands or by families that were proud to own the assets and they passed on the know-how and reputation from one generation to another.

Today, we have schools teaching students the “business” of hotels earning them the BBA & MBA designations.  It is all driven by the institutionalization of our trade. More and more REITs and pension funds are buying up the assets and are keeping them for a shorter period of time only to extract value and then sell to the next highest bidder.  The Joie the Vivre, maitre d’maison concept is less existent as it is all driven by the bottom line.

At your hotel you run a big food and beverage department, how important is food to your business?

Food is a very important component of our business at my current hotel. We are a big box; convention hotel and the food is about 30% of our overall revenues.  With people becoming world travelers, it is important that we cater to varying palates, hence our offering has to be geared seasonally to inspire our guests to dine with us consistently and use our catering facilities regularly.

As you enter your fourth decade in hospitality how has food changed?

Food is no longer just for eating and surviving.  It is now an experience! Chefs today are getting younger and more experimental.  We have a huge number of restaurants that serve “inspired”, “fusion” or “trendy” cuisine from around the globe. With human movement around the world increasing, so has the dynamism in the culinary world.  Gen X and the millenniums are so well-traveled and well versed with food and are internet savvy that they can make or break a restaurant’s reputation.

When you design a menu and source food do you keep local purveyors in mind?

Absolutely! We think global but also use most local purveyors. This is to keep the local economy strong. It also helps with consistency & freshness.  Examples: – tomatoes from Leamington, meat from Bruce County, foods and fruits from Foodland Ontario.

Fads come and go in food, what is something that will always be consistent?

I strongly believe that good quality fresh comfort food will always be in demand. In this part of the world, steak, salad, Chinese food, pizzas, and pasta will always remain in demand.

As a GM what do you eat daily to stay healthy and have the energy to work the long hours?

I eat a small breakfast of coffee and whole-wheat toast, a cup of soup and salad or a sandwich for lunch and an early dinner freshly prepared by my wife keeps me going for a 12-14-hour day.

You have bought and sold a few restaurants, what are the advantage of a franchise rather than starting on your own?

A franchise has a higher success rate as it is a proven system. They train you about the product, marketing, how to deal with staff, other aspects of their daily activities and give ongoing support to the business for success.

Franchises bring brand awareness with their names from day one. The customer knows what they are getting which will help increase sales. By buying a franchise, you are actually buying a turnkey business that is ready and waiting for you to start. Negatives are:  Fees for buying the franchise and ongoing fees that you need to pay to a franchiser. The entrance fees are usually very high and there are fixed costs every month/year for using the brand name. Also, you have no freedom to change the product line, the decoration of the store or anything else in a franchise system. It is very restrictive and you need to follow certain rules in order to protect your franchise license.

To start one’s own, you need innovation and creativity. Do it if you are a highly creative person full of different ideas and you want to make these ideas a reality. This will allow you professional freedom and growth. When you have your own business, you can work anytime you want. Also, depending on your business, you can work anywhere you want. You don’t need to report to other people.

Be careful of a higher failure rate, unfortunately, startups have a higher failure rate compared to franchise businesses. One in four fails within their first year, half of the remaining fail within five years and approximately 30 percent of the remaining in the last ten years. Therefore, it is very risky to launch a startup.

How you find balance with your job and your family?

Over the years I have learned that both have to be in harmony to be successful. I as a rule do not talk about work with family and family at work. This helps me focus and make sure that I give 100% to each. Also, I use my outlook calendar to its fullest as I schedule my days and try not to change so that I do not miss any milestones in both.

One of my readers wants to know what to look for in a restaurant when they go out to eat?

When trying new restaurants look for harmony; in the décor, ambiance, service, food quality, presentation and of course imagination of the chef. Did it deliver what it promised!

Photo Credits: Kristian Angelo Nick Fewings Elle Hughes bantersnaps Monika Grabkowska Eugene Stephanie McCabe Alessandro Cavestro

The post What to Look for in a Restaurant When You Go Out to Eat appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Ashley was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She had lived there her whole life there until she decided to move halfway around the world to Edinburgh, Scotland back in September 2015. On what she likes she says “I enjoy traveling with my husband, Arek, and I document our journeys with photographs. On a daily basis, I spend time meditating first thing in the morning and always try my best to be grateful for the little things in order to try and live a balanced life.” I talk to Ashley about her experiences in Europe.

Ashley, welcome aboard. What is one journey away about? How did it start? What is the main purpose of it?

One Journey Away is our platform to showcase our photography and videography, provide people with our travel tips & tricks, and let people in on our life in Scotland. It actually initially started just under my name as I wanted to start blogging and have a place (other than Instagram) to display my best photos, but Arek soon got into making videos, so we rebranded into One Journey Away. We mainly just want to share with others the places we’ve been, including our own backyard.

You moved from Vancouver to Scotland. What motivated you to make the move and why Scotland?

I wanted to explore more of Europe, and with Vancouver being the westernmost city in Canada and the few holiday days I got over there (especially when compared to the UK), it made it difficult. I knew there was a 2-year “working holiday” visa that the Canadian and UK governments had put together for 18-30-year old’s, so I decided to take advantage of that. I knew that I didn’t want to move to London, and Scotland just seemed like the quainter, quieter northerly neighbor – like Canada! It also helped that I had a good friend living in Scotland at the time (also on the same visa) who raved about Edinburgh, so that reassured me that I was making the right decision.

Help me understand what you have learned from traveling? Has it changed you and in what ways?

Traveling has definitely opened my eyes to new cultures and different ways of life. It has taught me to be more open and receptive to others, whether that be in regards to others’ choices, lifestyles, or even their opinions. I wouldn’t say that traveling has drastically changed me, but it’s allowed me to learn a lot more about the world.

What has been the response to your blog? Is blogging all glamorous as it is made out to be or is it hard work?

The blog is barely 6 months old, so it’s still relatively new! At the moment, it’s mostly family and friends who are enjoying the content, and they’ve indicated that they thoroughly enjoy it. It’s definitely hard work to keep a blog afloat, especially if you work full-time as well! My commitment to the blog from the start was to be consistent, and for me, that means publishing new content once a week as that’s what’s manageable for me. It also means thinking ahead and ensuring I have a lineup of topics ready to go. While it is hard work, it’s also very enjoyable for me, and I hope that that will be what keeps the blog going in the long term!

What advice would you give someone who wants to move from one country to another?

Go for it! Honestly. Travelling is amazing and it’s a privilege to be able to travel, but moving to another country and truly experiencing life in another country is something you can’t get from traveling alone. Travelling is like the tip of the iceberg and moving somewhere is the rest of the berg. A lot of people may have fears of not being able to find a place to live or secure a job, but I’ve always believed that everything will work out exactly the way it’s supposed to and when it’s supposed to. And this has always been true for me. The universe will reward you for leaping out of your comfort zone and everything will be okay.

Name me some interesting places you have visited and what is so special about them?

Right up there at the top of the list is definitely Meteora in Greece. It’s a rock formation and has monasteries sitting atop these pillars of rocks. I don’t remember how I stumbled across it online, but when I saw it, I knew I had to go there. And when we planned our holiday to Greece a number of years ago, we made sure to make time to visit Meteora. We sat atop one of the pillars to watch the sunset and it was just stunning.

The glaciers in Iceland were also amazing to see. We did a bit of a road trip around the south of Iceland at the beginning of 2018 and to see glaciers up close and personal is astounding. It seems a lot of people who venture to Iceland keep to the Golden Circle, but if you venture out just a little bit further east, you get to witness some glaciers. It’s just so cool to see something that is so, so many years in the making, and the size of them makes you realize just how small we are!

What does women’s empowerment mean to you?

For me, women’s empowerment means that women have the right and power to make their own decisions and to be able to speak up and have their voices heard without being drowned out. In the West (perhaps with a few exceptions), we seem to be shifting towards an age where women can and do feel empowered to be equal to men and to break stereotypical gender roles.

Tell me something special about the city you live in? Why should we visit it and some good restaurants?

Edinburgh is by far the most beautiful European city I’ve ever seen. There is a charm to it that just can’t be explained. I don’t think you’ll find anybody who’s been to Edinburgh and didn’t like it. Few cities in the world – if any! – can say they have a castle on top of an extinct volcano on one end and another extinct volcano you can climb up on the other! There is so much history to Edinburgh, much of it captured in its stunning architecture, and having plenty of green spaces in the city center doesn’t hurt either!

I typically recommend the Royal Mile Tavern on the Royal Mile as a nice, casual pub to get in a traditional Scottish meal of haggis, neeps, and tatties, with a deep-fried Mars bar for dessert! It’s nothing fancy but has a great atmosphere in there. For vegetarians or vegans, Henderson’s on Thistle Street is a great place to visit. And if you’re looking for something incredibly high-end, Martin Wishart on the Shore in the neighborhood of Leith is a Michelin-starred restaurant that lives up to its name.

How do you balance food, faith, finance, and family?

Family comes first, and in order to ensure we can visit Canada at least once a year, our finances have to be in order! I like to think we’re on top of our finances, wherein aside from the usual monthly bills, we typically only spend money on food. It’s important that we nourish ourselves well with nutritious, home-cooked meals. In terms of faith, I lean towards the spiritual side of the spectrum, where I believe that there is a higher power out there that will ensure my family is safe and all aspects of our life will work out exactly as it’s meant to.

The post Ashley: One Journey Away appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

I love everything about Puneeta Varma. She is a foodie, blogger, world traveler, activist, and a game changer. Puneeta left her high powered marketing job to become a stay at home mom. That changed soon and today she blogs about food, family and brings a global vision and palate to cuisine which I love and admire about her. Puneeta talks about food like a purist with different layers of taste which I admire. When you get two foodies talking about food, umami happens.

Puneeta,  a pleasure, and honor to have a food blogger on my blog. Please tell my readers about yourself and your blog? What is your story?

I am a writer and mom of two based in Toronto. My blog MapleandMarigold.com is my love letter to India and Canada. Maple represents Canada and our life here, while marigold with its color and significance in Indian traditions represents my roots and heritage in India. I grew up in India and as a result of my dad’s career in the Indian army, we moved homes and cities frequently. That life of a nomad continued even after marriage. Shortly after my husband and I got together, we decided to move to Dubai. What started off as an adventure to explore living life outside of India saw us moving across the world from Delhi to the Middle East to Toronto then Calgary, and finally a few years ago back to Toronto. It’s been a lifetime of moving and Canada finally feels like home. We just may be here to stay.

On the way, we have had two kids, both of whom had their first plane rides when they were just a few weeks old. Today, at 13 and 8, they’ve accumulated more flying miles than many adults I know. People who knew me before the kids came along are shocked that I traded in my beloved and totally high-stress marketing career to be a stay-at-home mom. That didn’t last long when I started blogging and it opened the door to a brand new journey. Blogging helped me have flexibility and be around more for my kids. Through my writing and connecting with readers around the world, MapleandMarigold.com has opened my eyes and provided me with immense creative energy and entrepreneurial challenges.

Did blogging change you? How?

When I started writing my focus was on family, food, and wellness all with a multicultural flair. My life was about sharing ways to make life healthy, happy and delicious and that was reflected in my writing and on social media. Over the years through research and food writing I have become more invested in raising awareness of how important good food and nourishment was for us, our communities and the planet. My blogging journey has evolved the way I think and talk about food, and it has helped me understand how important it is to our very existence.

What is your opinion on good food? What is it?

Good food is about what tastes good and is good for us. But Jerry, food is about more than just flavor and nutrition, right?! It has to be.

Good food tastes good, yes, but it has to also be good for us and our community. It has to always be about more than just us.  Somewhere along the line, in this time of misinformation and overconsumption, we are making choices that are harmful to us and the planet. This became my motivation to start a new initiative, NourishbyNumbers.com. This is a social movement where people come together to demand change in the way we grow, raise, talk about and consume our food. Check out the hashtag #1000waystoNourish to follow along.

How important is homecooked food and eating meals together as a family to you?

On a scale of 1to 10, maybe a 24? I believe the heart of the family beats in the kitchen and making a homecooked meal for your family while it may be an old-fashioned concept, is so important. At the same time, I am not a fan of spending long hours in front of the stove– if there’s a shortcut I’ll find it and since I’m a blogger, I’ll even share it! Sunday evening meal prep, meal planning, grocery shopping with the meal plan in mind, those are all tips that work for my family and help us spend time together at the dinner table.

What is your favorite weeknight meal?

DIY Food. Sounds crazy I know but it’s the one way I know my kids feel some control over what they are eating, and at the same time are making choices that I am happy with. Let me explain!

DIY food is assembling your own dinner, choosing the condiments, how much, what flavor, soup or rice, etc. Think tacos or rice bowls (pho is popular with us). My kitchen is a little bit complicated and runs between food sensitivities, general pickiness and my need to have a side of green chilies with EVERYTHING, DIY works perfectly even on a crazy weeknight. Vietnamese style pho with tofu, rice noodles, bokchoy and crunchy peanuts is a good example, where I cook and cut up everything and the kids take it out to the table and pick and choose.  For tacos I make chicken and red beans, the kids chop the vegetables and lay it out.

Help me understand three ingredients you consciously avoid or eliminate even when the recipe calls for it?

I avoid wheat, dairy, and soy in my cooking as much as possible. I avoid the wheat for my own wellbeing, and I have found good-enough replacements for dairy and soy in most dishes to manage my kids’ allergies. Having said that, I do believe that the nutrition in a bowl of yogurt and the comfort I find a cup of milk at the end of a long day – those are just irreplaceable.

What three ingredients you love using in your recipes?

My cooking is real-world food. Even though I am a blogger, my food isn’t always Instagram-worthy or even pretty. In fact, if brown food was a category, I would probably ace it. I use real ingredients with herbs and spices that render big flavor. You’ll often find me chopping ginger, working with turmeric and coconut milk in my kitchen.

You do not like a particular dish at your favorite restaurant, what will you do?

I will micro-analyze it to death. My husband is quite used to seeing me chew slowly and work my way around trying to guess what exactly it is that I don’t like about the dish. If there is something actually wrong with the dish – burnt milk in the curry base, too much salt, undercooked, etc, I will mention it to the waiter. Staff at restaurants though have a hard enough job as it is and I don’t want to make it harder for them but if that cream in butter chicken is burnt, it has been left on the stove far too long and it deserves to be sent back!

What’s the one superpower wish you had?

Remove all the plastic in the world. When I was little, I used to dream about waving my hand and magically removing all the garbage on the planet. Sadly, magic doesn’t work, we have to actually work together to make it happen.

How important is food faith finance and family in your life?

My family is the most important to me and along with faith. Faith that we can all do better and be better in our lives. We have only a few years to have an impact and influence change and wouldn’t it be amazing if we just worked together for the good for all people?

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