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C8 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 26, 1999 isArts & Entertainment ------ r' OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR OF THE OAKVILLE CENTOE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Oakville Beaver Entertainm ent Editor: Carol Baldwin 845-3824 (Extension 254) Fax: 337-5567 The art of cooking In today's world where fast food is king and fat-free is vying for power, cooking is again becoming an art. Most cooking classes reflect that retrogression, but those who give the classes in Oakville have numerous reasons for helping their students blend taste with healthy eating. The Arts and Entertainment section this week will focus on some of the cooking classes around town and discuss the cuisine as well as some of the unusual topics each expert selects. Food fuels the body and soul By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR It's the love of eating that's important for Julia Hanna, owner of the Paradiso restaurant; the art of cooking follows naturally. As a young woman growing up in an Italian family, Hanna has fond memories of family get- togethers that always centered around a meal - a large meal. And no matter how busy your life was, you always joined the family around the supper table. "Food was life...Every day was filled with the smell o f food - good food.. .Nothing in a can or frozen," she recalls, adding that family pic­ nics were outdoor feasts that included such things as lasagna, veal cutlets, and roasted pota­ toes and red peppers. And that was only lunch. "Food is one of the few natural pleasures that we have in life. It is a way to fuel our bodies, but it also fuels our soul. Tell me how that's going to happen and how you can enjoy the pleasure of eating when you're driving by a drive-through window and eating in a car," she continues. "When you lose the joy of eating, you also lose the feeling of being connected...W ith the com­ promising we have done in the name of time, we have given up the art of food .. .and the pleasure." As a restaurateur for the past 18 years, Hanna says she has witnessed the slow dissolution of healthy home cooking and family dinners in favour of processed, packaged, and fast foods, all in the name of saving time. Yet, she has also seen a recent resurgence of home cooking and the desire to return to those simple pleasures. In fact, the cooking classes that she and Par- adiso's executive chef, Michael Killip, began two years ago were in response to customers who were always asking for recipes and cooking tips. Their original idea was to have a couple of cook­ ing classes to demonstrate a few techniques. But the classes have become so popular that she is currently negotiating with Liaison College to become one of its "campuses" that offer cooking courses. Hanna says one of the first things she and Kil­ lip ask their students is, "How did you learn about food?" And, she says, none of the replies have included the enticing smell of fresh food cooking in the family kitchen. "They're hungry for it. We are an educated society, and we know that this processed food that we're eating in the name of saving time is hurting us," she explains. "People want to know what to cook to be healthy, to feel good.. .If they only knew how simple it was to use basic, inex­ pensive food items to make something nutritious, they'd be blown away." For instance, she says, working parents don't have to cook a fresh meal every night. They can make various sauces in large quantities and freeze what they don't use. That way, there is always a quick, healthy meal just a microwave away. A good cook, she stresses, can be recog­ nized by what he or she can create from slim pickings in the refrigerator. She and Michael, she adds, do exactly that in one of their cooking classes. "The mark of a good chef is someone who can look into your fridge at home and see two eggs, leftover pasta, and a little bit of asparagus and make a pasta frittata," she says. "A great chef will take whatever you have in the house and cre­ ate a gourmet meal...That confidence comes from spending time and familiarizing yourself with food." Hanna suggests that people do exactly that, experimenting with different foods and spices and learning what complements what. There are no mistakes in cooking, says Hanna, just learning experiences. "Rice and pasta and pizza dough - 1 look at them all as can vases... you can add any­ thing to them. Rice can be an East Indian dish or something that accompanies cacciatore or a Chi­ nese dish. Pasta can be cold in a salad; it can be spicy - the possibilities are endless." Paradiso offers about five or six cooking classes per month on Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. This Sunday (May 30th), the class will focus on traditional Italian style barbecuing. "We have intimate groups... (See 'Health' on page C7) Photo by Peter J. Thompson Paradiso owner Julia Hanna and chef Michael Killip display some of the culinary wonders that are highlighted at Paradiso's cooking classes. In the background staff members Kaylee Walker (right) and "Nonna" (Hanna's mother) help prepare an upcoming meal. Photo by Barrie Erskine Marianne Svarke from To Set a Table has a make-shift kitchen in the back of her shop on Lakeshore Road East. Experts in a variety of fields related to kitchenware and cooking teach the cooking classes that she offers. Harbour Gallery "Celebrating O ur 10h Anniversary" BRIAN ATYEO Evolution o f an Artist Acrylic and Collage MAY 20 - JU N E 6 Mon. to Sat - 10am-6pm, Sun. 12pm-5pm 1697 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga Tel. 905-822-5495 Oakville! The artists of The Sensual Nude art show and Industrial ArtSpace would like to thank all of the exceptional people who helped make our first opening such an overwhelming success. Over 400 people celebrated this unique event in an atmosphere of song, style and sumptuous fare. The Sensual Nude is destined to become an anticipated annual event. Industrial ArtSpace is committed to establishing itself at the forefront of the Oakville art scene, bridging a grassroots philosophy with an avant garde attitude. We look forward to building more bridges. INDUSTRIAL A IR S P A C E 2334 Wyecroft Road, Unit 8 & 9, Oakville 469-8954 From Thai cooking to knife sharpening By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Marianne Svarke says she has ulte­ rior motives for offering cooking classes. The motive, o f course, is to create more sales in her retail store, To Set A Table, at 182 Lakeshore Rd. E. "The method to my madness is to enhance my store," she admits. "It's the sizzle that sells the steak." And to sell her steaks - kitchen­ ware actually - the Oakville entrepre­ neur's spring and fall classes focus on everything from Thai cooking to knife sharpening, each with a different angle that will help participants effectively use their kitchens and the utensils and appliances in them. "It all has to do with using a kitchen. Because I have a kitchen shop, I think it's a nice addition," explains Svarke, who was trained as a chef in her native Denmark and ran the business end of The Bay's restaurants across Canada after she moved here. Consequently, Svarke says, she wanted to utilize both her skills with­ out actually opening a restaurant. So, seven years ago, she took the plunge. "There was a niche in the market for a cooking shop," she explains, adding that she's delighted to have (See 'Cook' on page C6) Cineplex Odeon and The Oakville Beaver present OAKVILLE MEWS CINEMAS COMMUNITY FUN DAY Saturday M ay 2 9 ,1 9 9 9 10am - 3pm Doors open at 9 am Free family movies! Free popcorn! Face Painting and Clowns. Come and m eet your favourite TV Characters The Rugrats Movie (F) 10am Babe: Pig in the City (F) 11am Baby Geniuses (PG) 12 noon Men in Black (PG) 1 pm October Sky (PG) 2pm Enter to Win A FREE Birthday Party Package Cineplex Odeon Oakville Mews Cinemas 171 Speers Road Tel: (905) 844-4800Cineplex O deon Cinemas Sponsored by the Oakville Beaver Space Is limited and seating is on a first-come first-served basis and not guaranteed * i