It was almost a decade ago when I went to Greece courtesy of the International Olive Oil Council. There was a large group of journalists from around the world but very few from Canada. Every day for the 10-days they held us captive so we could experience the healthy benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. It worked – I felt amazingly great!
But when you spend 10-days in captivity you get to know your fellow culinary colleagues pretty well and that’s when I met Ricardo Larrivee of Ricardo & Friends (Food Network TV).
During our 10-day stay we attended olive lectures, olive oil cooking demos and olive tastings in the ancient part of Athens called the Plaka. We were bused out of the city into the countryside to tour olive groves, cheese factories and little villages. We were divided into small groups to spend a day in the mountains with a family learning to cook the traditional ways – with copious amounts of olive oil. These people with beautiful skin use olive oil as liberally as I drink water.
We were in a tiny little village so remote that they rarely see visitors. In the corner was a group of curious neighbours who came to see the strange visitors who were here to learn to cook.
It was at the end of dinner when we had all eaten an incredible meal and drank their home made wine (and they could drink us weak Canadians under the table any day!) when the trouble began. One of the neighbours wanting to show us another custom; stood up and began to sing, dance and smash plates on the floor.
The host immediately jumped up from her chair and screamed at the plate smasher – it was all Greek to us. As it turned out, she had used her good china for her special guests. She disappeared only to return with a large stack of plain white dishes – the plate smashing began again.
Since Ricardo was the only male in this little group, he was chosen to participate in another ritual – the gun shooting celebration. Outside he was handed a large rifle. It was his first time with a gun in his hands and as you may know, Ricardo is not a large man, so when the rifle kicked back it spun him around and we all hit the floor.
It was last year when Ricardo and I bumped into each other again and this time we kept in touch. So when he decided to visit Niagara-on-the-Lake this year, he called and that’s when I asked him to host a harvest celebration to raise funds for the Niagara Culinary Trail.
On Saturday, August 21 Ricardo and I along with many new friends will dine at one long harvest table in the Kurtz peach orchard on the Niagara Parkway. After Ricardo’s cooking demo, we’ll feast on a 5-course dinner that features peaches and then – a big surprise (I can’t tell anyone!). Get your tickets now ($125/person) by calling Kurtz Orchards at 905.468.2937 and be one of Ricardo’s friends for the evening while supporting Niagara’s local food movement.
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