In a pivotal moment of the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada, the protagonist Andrea, a fashion novice played by Anne Hathaway, snickers as she watches her icy boss Miranda, played by the iconic Meryl Streep, make decisions for a fashion shoot. Miranda, reputedly modeled on the equally iconic Anna Wintour, head of Vogue magazine, rebukes Andrea for her fashion naiveté.
“You think this has nothing to do with you,” Miranda says. She identifies Andrea’s “lumpy blue sweater” as not just blue but cerulean, then recounts the fashion history of cerulean in recent years, from elite designers and runways to department stores, and finally, discount clearance stores — where she supposes Andrea bought her sweater. “That blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs,” she says.
The scene is breathtakingly cynical. But it accurately describes trickle-down decision-making in a global economy. Many things influence us, such as social class, geographic setting and cultural upbringing. But social context, which includes artists, magazines, blogs, influencers and social media, also plays a big part in how we choose to clothe ourselves. This parallels our culinary choices. In the culinary world, a leading influence over what we choose to cook — and eat — is the restaurant chef.
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Food as art was evident at 2022’s Great Kitchen Party (formerly known as Gold Medal Plates), a fundraiser which benefits students via healthy food, sports and music. In nine cities across Canada, chefs compete for a chance to advance to the national culinary championships held in February every year (full disclosure — I have served as a judge in three cities since the event’s genesis in 2004).
At Saskatoon’s Great Kitchen Party, red meat had its fashion moments. People’s Choice Award winner chef Taszia Thakur of Calories restaurant offered smoked bison tenderloin, serving it with jus and parsnip purée. Bronze medallist Anthony McCarthy of Stoked Kitchen and Bar had smoked bison short ribs served with wild rice risotto, chanterelle tempura and wild blueberries. Silver medallist Tracy Leonhardt of Leopold’s Tavern used sous vide to cook bison petite tenderloin (a.k.a. teres major) before searing it and garnishing with pickled blackberry. Gold medallist Steve Squier of Picaro prepared a roulade of duck breast cured in mushrooms and ash, wrapped around a torchon of foie gras, which was roasted, sliced and served on puffed faro. His garnishes included stuffed morel, celeriac purée and crisp duck skin tuile in the shape of a leaf.
The truth is that we, as home cooks, are not out to make art. We are out to feed our families. So how to translate a chef’s artsy offering or complex cooking methods into dinner?
One restaurant technique adopted by home cooks is sous vide. Tough shanks or short ribs are sealed in plastic bags, immersed in a simmering water bath and slowly cooked for hours. But often the best bet is to simplify, using cooking methods we already know. Roast, cold smoke or smoke a tenderloin. Braise or sous vide beef short ribs and reduce the liquid into a pan sauce.
Then turn to the side players for all that jazz. Make mushroom tempura. Cook and purée root vegetables — parsnip, celeriac, turnip, spud — with herbs and butter. Make wild rice, barley or farro risotto. Pickle sour cherries in season, in local gin or spicy brine. Preserve summer berries for cold weather compote.
Food, like clothing, follows cycles of what is fashionable. There are still only so many ways to apply heat to food. First we eat, then we debate.
Braised Short Ribs
This ideal cold weather cooking is best made a day in advance. Use dried herbs if you prefer. Serve with separately roasted vegetables and puréed parsnips or potatoes. Serves a crowd.
- 4-5 pounds beef or bison short ribs, cut into 2-inch lengths
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions, coarsely chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 carrots, coarsely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, coarsely chopped
- 1⁄2 pound mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1⁄2 cup dehydrated mushrooms, revived in simmering water (optional)
- 2 cups dry red wine or port
- 6-8 cups veal or beef stock
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 rosemary twigs
Set the oven at 300 F. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or brazier. Sear the meat until brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Discard all but two tablespoons of the fat and decrease heat to medium. Add onions and garlic, cook for 5-10 minutes or until brown, then add remaining vegetables. Sauté, then add wine. Stir to deglaze, then add the stock, herbs and ribs. Bring to a boil.
Cover with parchment, then with a snug lid. Cook in the oven for 5-6 hours, turning meat occasionally until meat is tender.
Remove from the oven. Cool ribs in the liquid for one hour. Remove meat from bones and discard the bones. Keep meat warm. Skim extra fat from the pot. Use an immersion wand to purée the vegetables and liquid. Season to taste.
