You know how hotel food is… how do you say… bland? Boring? Well, there are a handful of hotels and resorts combating that stereotype by bringing on brilliant new chefs with unconventional ideas – like a cheese platter with local cheddar, cured in locally sourced honey overnight, and torched on a cedar plank. It’s the best party-food platter idea I’ve ever come across, and I discovered it at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Canada.
Ottawans are extremely proud of the 1100 farms within city limits, and the chefs of Ottawa take advantage of the influx of produce picked, uprooted and plucked daily. Chef Louis Simard placed one-inch cubes of local Balderson cheddar (aged 3 years) into a container of “Heavenly Honey” for a night before I – and 7 travel fellow travel bloggers – arrived.
Placing the marinated cheese on a cedar plank, followed by blow-torching them like a creme brulee, gives the sweet and savory flavor profile a smoky dimension that is incredible. Once all pieces are lightly blackened (don’t be shy with the blow torch!), the end result is almost crispy on the outside with the caramelized sugars, and creamy on the inside with the melted cheese. And what a cool presentation! I am definitely whipping this out at my next dinner party.
Oh, and did I mention that the Fairmont Chateau Laurier looks like a castle? Yeah. Great food, in a castle. What more could a hungry traveler want?
Eat Well, Travel Often.
What food blew your mind this week? Share in the comments, and don’t forget to join WanderFood Wednesday for some link love!
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