Come to the table with Holt Renfrew Executive Chef Corbin Tomaszeski as he serves up his passion for seasonal ingredients, what's new for spring, where to get the best lamb burger in Canada and much, much more.
Holt Renfrew: What's your first food memory?
Corbin Tomaszeski: That's easy. My mom used to make the most amazing homemade soups. She still does. I love them all but particularly love her chicken noodle and beef barley.
HR: What's your favourite tartine on the holts menu?
CT: Wild mushroom. I never tire of it.
HR: What's new for spring at the holts café?
CT: We're really excited about the health-conscious additions we've just added to the menu. Nutritionist Leslie Beck has written a new book full of healthy recipes and she launched it at Holt Renfrew. Other than the book launch, I thought, “How can we get involved?” So I took a lot of the health-smart ingredients in her book and put my interpretation on them. The menu now includes lower-fat dishes, low-carb and vegetarian ones, more fresh juices and generally just food that is really good for you. We call it fashionable food that's good for your body.
HR: Where do you go when you want to eat out?
CT: My family and I go to Chinatown all the time. My four-year-old son Bennett loves dim sum just as much as he loves using chopsticks. Although he doesn't really use them – he more or less pierces food with them. But it works for him.
HR: You're based in Toronto but travel a lot, also overseeing the gourmet department in Quebec and the cafés in Edmonton and Montreal. What are some of your favourite food destinations across the country?
CT: In Vancouver, I always go to C - they have the freshest seafood. In Edmonton, the Hardware Grill serves the best lamb burger at lunch and makes a yummy gingerbread dessert. I love Patachou's pastries in Toronto. And for pure gastronomic decadence, you must experience the foie gras poutine at Montreal's Restaurant Au Pied du Cochon.
HR: What's a typical day like for Holt Renfrew's executive chef?
CT: There is no typical day! As well as cooking in the café, my team and I cater private events. For the last Toronto International Film Festival, we prepared 19,000 pieces of food! We also cater for events as small as an intimate dinner for two, corporate parties for 100, baby showers, birthdays - you name it. I also hold cooking demonstrations in the café and in clients' homes. Basically we're like a chameleon - we change to suit the client's needs.
HR: What's new for spring in the holts gourmet?
CT: Raw food is popular in spring and we'll be doing a lot of that. And lots of fresh, seasonal ingredients, such as asparagus and peas, will be added to our soups and sandwiches as well. Our soups always change with the seasons and are recognized as some of the city's best.
HR: What would be on your last-supper menu?
CT: Without a doubt, simple, classic lemon-roasted chicken. I could eat that dish everyday – not that I want to be planning my last supper though!
By Christy Wright
