LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2015

5 qUESTIONS WITH…

BY CYNTHIA DAVID  •  PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES TSE

JASON BANGERTER, EXECUTIVE CHEF, LANGDON HALL, CAMBRIDGE, ONT.

T oronto, Ont.-born Jason Bangerter travelled to Paris, France, this spring to accept the prestigious Relais & Châteaux Rising Chef award. His innovative cuisine combines his love of local with his experience cooking in London, Paris, Berlin and the Swiss Alps.

Who cooks the holiday meal at home? My mother and mother-in-law are such good cooks, the only night I’m allowed to cook for the family—usually 14 to 20 people—is December 24. What’s on the menu? I start with a selection of cheeses, dried and cured meats, chicken liver parfait, pickled vegetables, fresh- baked sourdough bread and East Coast oysters. Hot appetiz- ers, served at the table, include truffle soup with Parmesan shortbread and roasted Brus- sels sprouts Caesar salad with smoked bacon lardons. Then the gents move outdoors to smoke cigars, drink Scotch and barbecue some Tomahawk steaks or venison loin, accom­ panied by caramelized root vegetables. Cheesy baked pasta with bacon and Riopelle cheese is another family favourite,

and dessert is a classic individual soufflé. What’s it like working on New Year’s Eve while the rest of the world is out celebrating? I love a good party, but my favourite place to be on New Year’s Eve is in the kitchen. It’s a symphony of chaos and passion, plating the last bites of the year and leaving guests with one more culinary memory. It’s a special night and—don’t worry—we celebrate, too! What’s your guilty food pleasure? Ice cream and really good mortadella. Not together.

I love a good party, but my favourite place to be on New Year’s Eve is in the kitchen.

What’s in your home fridge that we might find surprising? For a wild game family

dinner earlier this year I had a beaver and a giant moose heart in my fridge.

256  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2015