Dining, leisure, and being a tourist

When it came to Pilar’s own diversity of Toronto culinary experiences, she did it all – well almost: whole Sechwan duck to go; snails in black bean sauce and ginger lobster at this writer’s favorite Sechwan seafood haunt on Spadina Avenue; a selection of Greek fare on Danforth Avenue; Ethiopian; Thai; Indian; Hot Wings and jazz at a couple of bistros; healthy selections at the gentrified Beaches neighborhood; Italian at The Monkey Bar on Toronto’s famous Yonge Street; and the crowning glory, French with a Quebecois touch at Auberge du Pommier.

She also strolled along streets in Toronto’s Korean, Italian and Polish neighborhoods, and of course did her share of shopping in the malls of the city and suburbs, and in Orillia, on Lake Simcoe in cottage country.

Toronto sights included the mandatory CN Tower (still the largest freestanding structure in the world) and museums: the Gardiner Museum of Ceramics; the Royal Ontario Museum; the Bata Shoe Museum; and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

More out of the ordinary, Pilar spent an entire day at the Christie Classic Antique Show, the largest exhibition and sale in the country, with in excess of 300 dealers in a splendid, outdoor rural setting; paid a visit to the dentist for a complimentary teeth cleaning; attended OVO, one of the 15 Cirque de Soleil spectaculars; and even witnessed a Family Court motions hearing at the Superior Court of Ontario, providing an interesting comparison to Mexican judicial process.

“My two priorities for my visit to Toronto are to get to a number of restaurant and kitchen supply outlets, and to see Niagara Falls,” Pilar had resolved well in advance of her trip. Not only did she get her fill of opportunities to buy all manner of equipment, tool and utensil for her own establishments, but she was able to enter the kitchens of restaurants and cooking schools ranging from those similar to her own, to the state-of-the-art facility at Auberge du Pommier and the elaborate and spacious kitchens at the Art Gallery’s Frank Restaurant, and everything in between. And even while walking along the streets of downtown Toronto, Pilar was welcomed into the kitchens of restauranteurs who were complete strangers to her, Sean Baille’s Kultura on King Street a case in point: “I’m amazed at how open and friendly the owners and chefs are, letting me come into their kitchens to look, ask questions and even take photographs. The openness and willingness to talk and exchange ideas is something to which we, as Oaxacans in the hospitality industry, should aspire.”

The two-day visit to the Niagara Peninsula provided much more than a chance to see The Falls, ride The Maid of The Mist, shop at souvenir and fudge shops, and experience the schlocky wax museums and horror shows.

The wonderfully manicured fairy-tale town of Niagara-On-The-Lake was both awe-inspiring and relaxing, strolling its quaint, flower-adorned main avenue lined with all nature of shops and galleries; and of course visiting the Price of Wales Hotel to experience its pomp and imagine its glory years, while miring its $400-a-night suites, roll-playing as if of greater means, or even royalty.

No chef would dare miss out on touring Niagara’s wineries and sampling some of the finest wines of The New World. Hence, a day was spent along the Niagara Wine Route. Pilar was afforded the opportunity to speak with winemakers; walk their orchards and wine-making facilities while discussing the suitability of certain grapes grown in the region, organic farming, and harvesting; and of course taste. The recommendations of Mary Luz as well as Karen Lavigne of Niagara College were key to enabling Pilar to visit a broad diversity of production facilities in terms of size, level of sophistication, and more generally ambiance ranging from the most architecturally modern tasting rooms and retail outlets, to the smallest family run operations reminiscent of the quaint, family-run mezcal palenques back in Oaxaca.

Epilogue
Pilar will be back in Ontario advancing her mission, in some of the same and in other venues, if not in 2010 then within a couple of years. Invitations have already been extended, locales ranging from Ottawa, back down to Niagara. Other chefs in Oaxaca have already taken notice, some extending congratulatory notes, and in at least one case active pursuit of the Canadian market has already begun. But Pilar will likely leave the competitions to those who follow in her footsteps, with pleasure.

Oaxacans before her have been invited to Toronto, craftspeople as part of Latin American and Mexican festivals. In fact recently one of the Navarro sisters of Santo Tomás Jalieza (cotton textiles) and Carlomagno Pedro Martínez of San Bartolo Coyotepec (barro negro) spent three weeks in Toronto, invitees of the Gardiner Museum. But none has created such media stir and evoked such widespread public interest, as Chef Pilar Cabrera.

For Pilar’s part, a self-described metamorphosis has transformed the once all too modest chef. Now back in Oaxaca, the “little firecracker,” as Food Network Canada’s Erin Jackson described her, maintains humility yet with childlike exuberance, eyes clearly fixed on change after such an inspirational journey. A day after her return to Oaxaca she was off to a restaurant supply show in Mexico City to order new equipment; at her cooking school she immediately instituted new procedures to enhance the conduct of classes; and at La Olla, providing better value added service to patrons was at the top of the list, the first order of business to teach her waiters about the differences in chiles. Who would have thought!

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Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ) ©

Alvin Starkman has a Masters in Social Anthropology and an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School. A Toronto litigator until 2004, Alvin now resides in Oaxaca where he writes, leads personalized tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sights, is a documentary film consultant, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ), combining the comfort and service of a downtown Oaxaca hotel with the lodging style of a quaint country inn.

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