ZenKitchen Newsletter - January 24, 2009
ZenKitchen Dinners:
Sunday, February 22, 2009 - Upscale comfort food, DiVino Wine Studio
To reserve, visit www.zenkitchen.ca and fill out the feedback form or email dinners@zenkitchen.ca
ZenKitchen Classes:
LCBO Cooking Demonstrations (includes dinner and alcohol samples) www.lcbo.com/learn
Chef Caroline Ishii is the LCBO's Featured Chef for the Winter 2009 Eastern Ontario LCBO Educational Program (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/chef_profile_class_east_winter_2009.shtml)
February 24 - For Mushroom Lovers (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses_rideau.shtml)
March 25 - Small Bites, Bold Flavours (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses_nepean.shtml)
To reserve: visit the Customer Service Desk in the stores or call the stores
Urban Element Cooking Classes (includes dinner and wine) www.theurbanelement.ca
February 11 - For the Love of Whole Foods
April 15 - New Japanese Cuisine
To reserve: bookings@theurbanelement.ca or call 613-722-0885
Media Coverage:
"The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave" on the W Network
South China Morning Post article, which includes mention of the writer's visit to a ZenKitchen dinner http://zenkitchen.ca/pdfs/2009/scmp2009.pdf
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear friend of ZenKitchen,
Despite the -1000 degree C weather outside (a slight exaggeration perhaps but in my view who cares when it drops below -20?), things are really heating up at ZenKitchen!! Most of our time these days is spent working on the ZenKitchen Restaurant project. We've finally finished the business plan financials with the help of our advisors, continue to look into the 1001 details about opening a restaurant or put it on our gigantic "to do" list, and most important we continue to search for the right space downtown. We appreciate all the suggestions and leads that you have brought us to date about potential places in the city, and please don't stop as we know the right place is out there waiting for us somewhere out there and we'll find it with everyone looking out for us. I say, let's call for one big search party!! Since making the decision to open a restaurant, there has been incredible support and encouragement from so many people, and "things" have happened that we could have never have imagined would happen, which brings me to....
"The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave". Yep, that is what our new TV series on the W national network will be called! We are excited about working with Mountain Road Productions in Ottawa who are producing a 13-part TV series for the W Network on the opening of our restaurant, our lives leading up to this and surrounding this, and the community that has been so supportive and encouraging to us to continue the monthly dinners and now open the restaurant. How cool is that?! Who says nothing exciting happens in Ottawa?! It seems these days that most of the national productions of this nature are always being filmed in cities like Toronto or Vancouver, so I am thrilled that they have chosen Ottawa as the venue for this series and that they will highlight the first restaurant of its kind in the city, and perhaps in the country. Finally the country and the world will find out the truth behind Ottawa... that under our fluffy parkas, polar tech neck warmers and warm long underwear, we are a city of hearty and heartwarming people that love food and culture, and are genuinely supportive of the things that we believe in. And, I am delighted that my philosophy about eating more consciously and sustainably will be exposed to a larger audience. That's been my vision from the start, to bring food, health and healing together in ways that can people can "taste" and relate to and to bring more community and mindfulnesss into our lives, which are way too driven by the demands of work and emails these days, me included. So, stay tuned, and we'll keep you aprised of all the details. Well, for all the details, the good, the bad and the ugly and much more, of course you'll have to watch the show, and you might even be in an episode, which brings me to...
The next ZenKitchen monthly gourmet vegan dinner is on Sunday, February 22, again at the lovely DiVino Wine Studio on Preston Street, and the theme will be upscale comfort food to nourish and warm the heart and soul, with an optional wine pairing menu. Mountain Road Productions will be there to film the dinner, the diners, and all the action from beginning to end. No, this is not "Hell's Kitchen" so you won't be experiencing continuous swearing and violent outbreaks in the kitchen, however DiVino has an open kitchen so you'll be able to see us live in action. If you'd like to reserve a spot at this dinner that is sure to be nourishing and exciting, please email dinners@zenkitchen.ca. In order to focus on the restaurant planning, we have decided to hold our gourmet dinners every other month until we open the restaurant, so the next one after February will be in April.
I will continue to teach classes at the Urban Element and the LCBO, and I am always excited by the people that come to my classes, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. When I first started teaching classes about two years ago, many places told me that they wouldn't sell, that they had tried to sell vegetarian classes and no one came, so I am delighted that my classes have been well received and popular with those that want to learn more about gourmet healthy cooking, how to eat more natural, whole foods, how to put more plant-based meals in their diets or make their plant-based meals more balanced and exciting, or those that just want to come for a fun evening out. The next classes coming up are:
*************
LCBO Classes, 6-8 pm, to register call the Customer Service Desk at the store or register in person at the store:
February 24 - For Mushroom Lovers (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses_rideau.shtml) LCBO Rideau Street, 275 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario, (613) 789-5226. Join Chef Caroline Ishii of ZenKitchen for a vegan menu focusing on exotic mushrooms. Sample Creamy mushroom soup with ancho drizzle; Wilted spinach salad with seared bourbon-glazed mushrooms, smoked tofu, and orange-maple vinaigrette; and Tuscan whole-wheat phyllo purses stuffed with truffled mushrooms and white bean purée. End the evening with Caroline’s signature Chocolate truffles. One lucky guest will receive a $50 gift certificate to attend a ZenKitchen event. Demonstration with food and alcohol samples.
March 25 - Small Bites, Bold Flavours (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses_nepean.shtml) LCBO Nepean Crossroads, 543 West Hunt Club Road, Nepean, Ontario, (613) 224-4333. ZenKitchen's Caroline Ishii demonstrates how you can create whole food vegan hors d’oeuvres for your next cocktail party: Spicy Thai raw wraps; Whole-wheat phyllo tartlets filled with pesto-cheese and slow-baked tomatoes; Tempeh meatballs with a cranberry teriyaki glaze; and Fresh fruit skewers with a warm Mexican chocolate dipping sauce. One lucky guest will receive a $50 gift certificate to attend a ZenKitchen event. Demonstration with food and alcohol samples.
Urban Element: 6-9 pm, hands-on cooking class with dinner and wine, to register email bookings@theurbanelement.ca or call (613) 722-0885:
February 11 - For the Love of Whole Foods. Join Chef Caroline Ishii of ZenKitchen and pamper yourself with a class and meal that will nourish your heart and soul. The evening begins with a champagne cocktail and moves to a food lovers feast to stimulate all the senses, ending with a chocolate lovers dessert. This is a whole foods vegan course: Caviar on crostini; Jewelled salad with spicy greens, figs, candied almonds and orange vinaigrette; Handmade wild mushroom ravioli with cream sauce over truffled white bean puree, and Exotic fruit with a warm chocolate-espresso fondue
April 15 - New Japanese Cuisine. Often, when we think of Japanese food we think only of food such as sushi or kobe beef. But Japan has had more than 1,000 years of vegetarian cooking in its Buddhist temples celebrating the harvest of the different seasons. ZenKitchen's Chef Caroline Ishii combines the essence of Japanese traditional cooking - simplicity and purity - with a whole foods, vegan approach and new twists to come with dishes that are vibrant and sumptuous: Spicy miso dip with seven spice chips; Cucumber and wakame salad; Orange-teriyaki portobello mushroom steaks with sesame rice balls and quick pickles, and Fuji-apple maple tartlets
*****************
Well, I told you that things are heating up with ZenKitchen, and I wasn't kidding, was I???!! I know I'll have more stories and adventures to share along our path, thankfully I always do. So, stay in touch, and we always welcome your thoughts, suggestions and just hearing from you once in awhile. Keep warm and we'd love to see you escape to the warmth of a future dinner or class. And, oh yes, I almost forgot to wish you a very Happy New Year filled with many warm and delicious moments, including ZenKitchen ones, Caroline
Caroline Ishii
Chef and Owner
ZenKitchen
www.zenkitchen.ca
Sunday, February 22, 2009 - Upscale comfort food, DiVino Wine Studio
To reserve, visit www.zenkitchen.ca and fill out the feedback form or email dinners@zenkitchen.ca
ZenKitchen Classes:
LCBO Cooking Demonstrations (includes dinner and alcohol samples) www.lcbo.com/learn
Chef Caroline Ishii is the LCBO's Featured Chef for the Winter 2009 Eastern Ontario LCBO Educational Program (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/chef_profile_class_east_winter_2009.shtml)
February 24 - For Mushroom Lovers (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses_rideau.shtml)
March 25 - Small Bites, Bold Flavours (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses_nepean.shtml)
To reserve: visit the Customer Service Desk in the stores or call the stores
Urban Element Cooking Classes (includes dinner and wine) www.theurbanelement.ca
February 11 - For the Love of Whole Foods
April 15 - New Japanese Cuisine
To reserve: bookings@theurbanelement.ca or call 613-722-0885
Media Coverage:
"The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave" on the W Network
South China Morning Post article, which includes mention of the writer's visit to a ZenKitchen dinner http://zenkitchen.ca/pdfs/2009/scmp2009.pdf
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear friend of ZenKitchen,
Despite the -1000 degree C weather outside (a slight exaggeration perhaps but in my view who cares when it drops below -20?), things are really heating up at ZenKitchen!! Most of our time these days is spent working on the ZenKitchen Restaurant project. We've finally finished the business plan financials with the help of our advisors, continue to look into the 1001 details about opening a restaurant or put it on our gigantic "to do" list, and most important we continue to search for the right space downtown. We appreciate all the suggestions and leads that you have brought us to date about potential places in the city, and please don't stop as we know the right place is out there waiting for us somewhere out there and we'll find it with everyone looking out for us. I say, let's call for one big search party!! Since making the decision to open a restaurant, there has been incredible support and encouragement from so many people, and "things" have happened that we could have never have imagined would happen, which brings me to....
"The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave". Yep, that is what our new TV series on the W national network will be called! We are excited about working with Mountain Road Productions in Ottawa who are producing a 13-part TV series for the W Network on the opening of our restaurant, our lives leading up to this and surrounding this, and the community that has been so supportive and encouraging to us to continue the monthly dinners and now open the restaurant. How cool is that?! Who says nothing exciting happens in Ottawa?! It seems these days that most of the national productions of this nature are always being filmed in cities like Toronto or Vancouver, so I am thrilled that they have chosen Ottawa as the venue for this series and that they will highlight the first restaurant of its kind in the city, and perhaps in the country. Finally the country and the world will find out the truth behind Ottawa... that under our fluffy parkas, polar tech neck warmers and warm long underwear, we are a city of hearty and heartwarming people that love food and culture, and are genuinely supportive of the things that we believe in. And, I am delighted that my philosophy about eating more consciously and sustainably will be exposed to a larger audience. That's been my vision from the start, to bring food, health and healing together in ways that can people can "taste" and relate to and to bring more community and mindfulnesss into our lives, which are way too driven by the demands of work and emails these days, me included. So, stay tuned, and we'll keep you aprised of all the details. Well, for all the details, the good, the bad and the ugly and much more, of course you'll have to watch the show, and you might even be in an episode, which brings me to...
The next ZenKitchen monthly gourmet vegan dinner is on Sunday, February 22, again at the lovely DiVino Wine Studio on Preston Street, and the theme will be upscale comfort food to nourish and warm the heart and soul, with an optional wine pairing menu. Mountain Road Productions will be there to film the dinner, the diners, and all the action from beginning to end. No, this is not "Hell's Kitchen" so you won't be experiencing continuous swearing and violent outbreaks in the kitchen, however DiVino has an open kitchen so you'll be able to see us live in action. If you'd like to reserve a spot at this dinner that is sure to be nourishing and exciting, please email dinners@zenkitchen.ca. In order to focus on the restaurant planning, we have decided to hold our gourmet dinners every other month until we open the restaurant, so the next one after February will be in April.
I will continue to teach classes at the Urban Element and the LCBO, and I am always excited by the people that come to my classes, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. When I first started teaching classes about two years ago, many places told me that they wouldn't sell, that they had tried to sell vegetarian classes and no one came, so I am delighted that my classes have been well received and popular with those that want to learn more about gourmet healthy cooking, how to eat more natural, whole foods, how to put more plant-based meals in their diets or make their plant-based meals more balanced and exciting, or those that just want to come for a fun evening out. The next classes coming up are:
*************
LCBO Classes, 6-8 pm, to register call the Customer Service Desk at the store or register in person at the store:
February 24 - For Mushroom Lovers (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses_rideau.shtml) LCBO Rideau Street, 275 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario, (613) 789-5226. Join Chef Caroline Ishii of ZenKitchen for a vegan menu focusing on exotic mushrooms. Sample Creamy mushroom soup with ancho drizzle; Wilted spinach salad with seared bourbon-glazed mushrooms, smoked tofu, and orange-maple vinaigrette; and Tuscan whole-wheat phyllo purses stuffed with truffled mushrooms and white bean purée. End the evening with Caroline’s signature Chocolate truffles. One lucky guest will receive a $50 gift certificate to attend a ZenKitchen event. Demonstration with food and alcohol samples.
March 25 - Small Bites, Bold Flavours (http://www.lcbo.com/learn/cookingclasses_nepean.shtml) LCBO Nepean Crossroads, 543 West Hunt Club Road, Nepean, Ontario, (613) 224-4333. ZenKitchen's Caroline Ishii demonstrates how you can create whole food vegan hors d’oeuvres for your next cocktail party: Spicy Thai raw wraps; Whole-wheat phyllo tartlets filled with pesto-cheese and slow-baked tomatoes; Tempeh meatballs with a cranberry teriyaki glaze; and Fresh fruit skewers with a warm Mexican chocolate dipping sauce. One lucky guest will receive a $50 gift certificate to attend a ZenKitchen event. Demonstration with food and alcohol samples.
Urban Element: 6-9 pm, hands-on cooking class with dinner and wine, to register email bookings@theurbanelement.ca or call (613) 722-0885:
February 11 - For the Love of Whole Foods. Join Chef Caroline Ishii of ZenKitchen and pamper yourself with a class and meal that will nourish your heart and soul. The evening begins with a champagne cocktail and moves to a food lovers feast to stimulate all the senses, ending with a chocolate lovers dessert. This is a whole foods vegan course: Caviar on crostini; Jewelled salad with spicy greens, figs, candied almonds and orange vinaigrette; Handmade wild mushroom ravioli with cream sauce over truffled white bean puree, and Exotic fruit with a warm chocolate-espresso fondue
April 15 - New Japanese Cuisine. Often, when we think of Japanese food we think only of food such as sushi or kobe beef. But Japan has had more than 1,000 years of vegetarian cooking in its Buddhist temples celebrating the harvest of the different seasons. ZenKitchen's Chef Caroline Ishii combines the essence of Japanese traditional cooking - simplicity and purity - with a whole foods, vegan approach and new twists to come with dishes that are vibrant and sumptuous: Spicy miso dip with seven spice chips; Cucumber and wakame salad; Orange-teriyaki portobello mushroom steaks with sesame rice balls and quick pickles, and Fuji-apple maple tartlets
*****************
Well, I told you that things are heating up with ZenKitchen, and I wasn't kidding, was I???!! I know I'll have more stories and adventures to share along our path, thankfully I always do. So, stay in touch, and we always welcome your thoughts, suggestions and just hearing from you once in awhile. Keep warm and we'd love to see you escape to the warmth of a future dinner or class. And, oh yes, I almost forgot to wish you a very Happy New Year filled with many warm and delicious moments, including ZenKitchen ones, Caroline
Caroline Ishii
Chef and Owner
ZenKitchen
www.zenkitchen.ca
posted by Caroline at 8:04 PM
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