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2- The Oakville Beaver, Friday April 18, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Organic chef cooks up evening of entertainment By Karen Alton SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER One of this country's high priests of food preparation was in Oakville this week, but only briefly and not to cook. Eigensinn Farm's Michael Stadtlander was at Town Hall Tuesday evening showcasing his documentary film, The Islands Project. Later that evening he was scheduled to attend a reception at Gairloch Gardens Gallery. An angler, in the best sense of the word, he may have been trolling for sponsors for yet another of his "projects" - perhaps the Canadian Chefs' Congress to be held at his farm in September. In an interview Stadtlander claimed to be "not a very good promoter." Perhaps not, but his name alone carries considerable cachet for foodies in the know. Eigensinn Farm, his unlikely fine dining room near Singhampton ­ a village south of Collingwood ­ has become something of a shrine for adventurous diners. (Dinner for two without wine is $550.) In any case, more than 150 people paid their $5 and came to the film presentation, organized jointly by the Oakville Public Library (OPL) and Oakville Galleries (Og2). Stadtlander's film, chronicles a two-month journey in the summer of 2006 to the Canadian west coast in an old school bus, refitted to run on hemp biodiesel fuel. Once there, the chef, his wife Nobuyo and son Hermann, plus a crew of young apprentices proceed to shop, and construct, and prepare fresh, exotic meals under extreme circumstances. It is a good companion piece for the current Oakville Galleries exhibition, What We Bring to the Table. As it turned out, the Town Hall presentation was an abbreviated version of the film with comments by the multi-talented chef. Nobuyo was at the back of the room selling DVDs and books. One on one, Stadtlander, a tall, lanky man seems perfectly at home in rumpled RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER ORGANIC CHEF: Michael Stadtlander treated an audience at Town Hall Tuesday night to a presentation of his film, The Islands Project. jeans, a t-shirt, and his trademark fedora. He is widely regarded as a true artist, whose main medium is food. Apparently quite comfortable with this designation, he is also mindful of his status as a leader in the food business. His life is pretty much what he wants it to be right now ­ the word `beautiful' often crops up in conversation. "What is so beautiful is the way I arrange my life," he explained. "I really only cook an average of three times a week, and then only for 12 people. That leaves quite a lot of time for me to think about what I can do on my property." "I love Eigensinn Farm," the chef allowed and smiled shyly. "It's a little bit like having your own country. I tried hard to settle earlier. It didn't happen. But this place always feels right." Born and raised on a farm in northern Germany, Stadtlander got his first taste of cooking at his mother's knee. He trained in classical French cooking and the German navy. Twentyeight years ago, he came to Canada to work with Jamie Kennedy at Scaramouche in Toronto. Two years later, he went to 21 McGill and two years after that established his own eponymous restaurant, Stadtlander's, on John Street. True to pattern, two years later he went west to the elemental Sooke Harbour House Inn on Vancouver Island, where he stayed for only two years before returning to Toronto to open Nekah, another elegant restaurant on Wellington Street. In 1990, when Nekah closed, Michael and his new wife Nobuyo decided to travel to Japan and Australia to learn more about organic farming. In 1991, they returned to Toronto and Michael became head chef at upscale Palmerston's. Finally, in the summer of 1993, the Stadtlanders bought a 100acre farm in Grey County on the edge of Singhampton, where they found their home and livelihood. Eigensinn is a true family farm, a unique restaurant, and a school for young chefs and gardeners. There are Amber Door Spa Our award winning spa is the best kept secret in Oakville! Come in and relax your mind, body and soul * Facials * Lifting Treatments * Microdermabrasion * Chemical Peels * Organic Treatments * Body Treatments * Manicures/Pedicures * Relaxation Massages * Hot Stone Massages * Reiki/Chakra Cleansing Mother's Day Gift Certificates Available "One is not born a woman, one becomes one." - Simone de Beauvoir OPEN HOUSE April 23rd 6 pm to 9 pm PLEASE RSVP Upper Middle Road Trafalgar Road Reeves Gate 3rd Line 1500 Heritage Way, Unit 6 Heritage Way N 905.469.4825 www.amberdoorspa.com QEW pigs, sheep, ducks, geese and chickens in the yard, and speckled trout in the pond. The garden is full of herbs and vegetables. Stadtlander says he has been "all about organic produce" since his youth and he happily detects a renaissance of the family farm with the increasing demand amongst the general population for locally grown organic foods. "It is really good to know where your food comes from," he pointed out, and especially great if you can walk out your kitchen door and pick it out of your own garden. "Eigensinn Farm is really a kind of ceremonial place," the farmer/chef observed, and producing a seven course meal over an evening is an intense experience. While Stadtlander is the main attraction ­ "There hasn't been one day when Eigensinn Farm was open that I wasn't there" ­ the Japanese influence of his wife is also in evidence at the front of the house, in the service, the table setting, in the warm greeting. "Cooking for me is almost like meditation," Stadtlander explained, "When I go into the kitchen I concentrate my thoughts and each time, it's beautiful, it's different. At the farm one season ends and another begins, the ingredients and the menus change." In other words there is always room for creativity and new projects, like his annual open-air cuisine events. On May 25, for example, "The Wild Leek and Maple Syrup Festival" will feature a slew of well-known chefs cooking special dishes outdoors on the farm. (Rain or shine, $160/person/BYOB. Reservations required.) This summer, the Stadtlanders also plan to open a little restaurant called Haisai (pronounced hi-sigh) in the Village of Singhampton. Haisai, in Okinawa, means "sincere greeting." "I definitely like to step out of the kitchen," he added. "I couldn't cook six days a week. I need room for my mind to explore." Eigensinn Farm is located on the 10th Concession of Grey Highlands, RR#2 Singhampton, ON., N0C 1M0. Call 519-922-3128.