Do It Slow

I attended the Slow Food dinner at Hart House on Friday. 25 Chefs and the first appearance of Carlo Petrini in Toronto. It was truly a slow event, several courses over several hours, interspersed with speeches from Jamie Kennedy, Carlo and Antony John (Soiled Reputation) among others. The food and wines were great, though it was disappointing to see pistachios and cashews in the charcuterie. I realize that we've got a shortage of Ontario nuts right now (last fall's hurricane weather knocked a lot of underripe nuts off the trees), but we've really got to stay the course with our regional identity. And coffee? I would have been more excited with birch tea, spruce tip tea or chickory coffee.
Speaking of nuts, did you know Ontario grows a wide variety - hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, black walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, hickory, gingko, pinenuts and heartnuts? Unbelievable, and a shame we don't have better access to them.