City Style and Living - Summer 2008 - (Page 22) HOT & COLD Beat the heat of summer with light, esh avours in dishes served hot or cold By SHivANA MAHArAJ and KAiLASH MAHArAJ Photography by eriC STeNBerG THE HEAT OF SUMMER PRESENTS two choices – hot or cold. Either you eat and drink something cold to quell the heat or use the logic of the tropics, do not fight the heat embrace it. For executive chef Chris Walker of The Belvedere in downtown Calgary, the choice is simple – why not have both? “Both hot and cold dishes work well during the summer. When you get up in the morning and you see the shoots coming out of the garden, or the flowers blooming- those are things that you want to see on a plate,” says Walker. The flavours of summer for the chef are influenced by the garden and bringing these natural flavours into the menu. A Hotchkiss heirloom salad shies away from an obvious tomato and cheese pairing by using almonds instead, adding creamy richness without any dairy. Served cold, the salad is a refreshing starter. The main course, sea bass, lightly seared with artichoke carpaccio, and sea asparagus. For dessert, a chocolate tasting of ice cream, mousse and truffles is accentuated with fresh vibrant fruit. The North American and French influenced Belvedere takes pride in working with local farmers to bring organic, free range produce and meat to the restaurant. Walker describes working with local producers, “like when you were a child, walking into your parent’s garden.” Cooking part time from the age of fourteen, Walker soon realized that cooking was a passion. After completing the culinary program at George Brown college in Ontario, Walker moved to the U.S. for an internship at the Hyatt regency. The chef then worked at various golf courses, and Oliver Bonacini restaurant Auberge du Pommier, under executive chef Jason Bangerter, for three and a half years, he realized the appeal of working at smaller restaurants. When the opportunity came to Chris Walker to take over as executive chef at The Belvedere, he gladly welcomed the position. “In a small restaurant I can pay a lot more attention to detail and the food, so I can be involved in all aspects of the kitchen,” concludes Walker. CSL
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