Local Flavour

Saturday, November 6, 2021 3 LOCAL FLAVOUR A MANITOBA FOODIE'S GUIDE TO DELICIOUS DISHES "We want to encourage the development of local food systems." – Mike Mikulak, executive director of Food and Beverage Manitoba Photo by Darcy Finley FOOD FOR THOUGHT PANDEMIC PROMPTS FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANITOBA TO RE-IMAGINE HOW TO DO BUSINESS BY TODD LEWYS uick, name the largest — and arguably the most important — manufacturing sector in all of Canada. A year-and-a-half ago, a high percentage of Canadians might not have known the answer. Today — after enduring the COVID-19 pandemic for 18 months and counting — many would say the food manufacturing industry, and their answer would be correct. There's a reason why so many Canucks are aware of the industry's vital importance, says Ron Nebre, marketing and communications manager for Food and Beverage Manitoba. "Consumers are thinking for where food is coming from now," he says. "Before the pandemic hit, they maybe took the food industry for granted. They don't take it for granted anymore with all that's happened over the past year-and-a-half." And just as the pandemic has prompted people to think about what they may have taken for granted before the coronavirus hit, it's also prompted organizations like Food and Beverage Manitoba to re-assess the way their industry did business in a pre-pandemic world. That re-assessment prompted a rather stark realization that the old ways of doing things don't necessarily cut it in today's new reality. "It's showed us that old approaches don't work very well anymore," says Mike Mikulak, executive director of Food and Beverage Manitoba. "COVID has forced us to take a hard look at how we operated and to re-imagine better ways to do things." One of the biggest issues that the pandemic brought to light was the need to make the industry more sustainable at a national level. "COVID has really spurred us to look at sustainability as a food security and sovereignty issue," says Mikulak, who assumed the reins of executive director at Food and Beverage Manitoba in April 2021. "Somehow, we managed to mitigate food shortages and keep shelves full during the pandemic, but it wasn't easy." Between keeping the supply chain going and encouraging people to buy locally, a food shortage was averted. That said, local production needs to be bolstered significantly to keep food on the table when and if another life-altering event occurs in the future. "We want to encourage the development of local food systems," he explains. "That will not only make us less dependent on importing food, but money spent here will ripple, generating more jobs, local activity and global opportunities." To that end, Food and Beverage Manitoba is committed to helping local food and beverage producers establish themselves through targeted training, adds Nebre. "One of the new directions we're going in is in providing environmental impact training," he says. "The industry uses about 80 per cent of the water used by industry in the province, so we have a wastewater initiative in place designed to show our members how to save water." That environmental impact training also applies to plastics, says Mikulak. "We're also going to be providing training about plastics, such as which plastics are banned. Food comes in so much plastic, so we want to find alternatives. At the same time, plastic reduces shelf life by reducing waste, so we want to provide the education our members need to navigate a tough issue." At the same time, Mikulak — who possesses vast experience in the food industry from having worked in areas such as farming, economics, non-profit and municipal government — is committed to fostering partnerships to unify the industry in its quest to future-proof it. "Mike has a real knack for creating partnerships," says Nebre. "We're gaining headway, working with partners such as the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, the province's Sector Council Program and the Bioscience Association of Manitoba." Mikulak says the rationale behind creating and fostering partnerships is simple. "We have to co-ordinate with a number of different players to create feasible solutions. We also partner with different groups because our issues are the same or similar. And by partnering with organizations like the United Way and Social Purpose Institute, we also teach how to lead with good values." Moving forward, the overall goal is to be less reactive and more proactive, he adds. "While we're dealing with a different world — COVID has been a once-in- a-lifetime slap in the face — we don't need to be afraid. As an industry, we just need to be proactive and work together to create a more sustainable, resilient food system." How will that goal be accomplished? "By looking at how we do things, and by questioning assumptions — we need to constantly ask ourselves, 'is this the best way to do things?'" says Mikulak. "We have to identify solutions that will help us get better at what we do. And we can't do things the way we've always done them if we want to create a more sustainable, resilient food system that will be better equipped to meet future challenges." CHICKEN CAPRESE manitobachicken.ca FOR RECIPES • TIPS • HOW TO'S: INGREDIENTS 1½ lbs (675 g) about 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil 1 tsp (5 ml) salt 1 tsp (5 ml) pepper 2 tsp (10 ml) Italian seasoning 1 medium white onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups (1 L) or 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 1½ Tbsp (22.5 ml) balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh basil, julienned PREPARATION Heat oil in a large heavy pan on medium high heat. Add cubed chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until chicken starts to brown (about 5-6 minutes). Add onion and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes. Cook chicken and tomatoes over medium heat for approximately 7- 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes start to soften and mixture slightly thickens. Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar. Spoon chicken and tomatoes over pasta or zoodles (zucchini noodles), and top with fresh basil. A FLAVOURFUL QUICK CHICKEN ENTREE FEATURING GRAPE TOMATOES AND FRESH BASIL PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes COOK TIME: 20 minutes CUT: boneless chicken breast LOCAL FARMS, LOCAL EGGS Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, eggnog, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, rum or brandy extract, orange zest and vanilla extract. Pour melted butter into an oven proof 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. Dip both sides of each slice of bread in the egg mixture and place them side by side in the buttered dish. Pour any remaining mixture over the slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight ( This dish can be placed in the freezer and defrosted in the fridge the evening prior to baking). Bake in a 350°F (180°C) covered with tin foil for 20 -25 minutes on the middle oven rack. Uncover for the last 10 minutes to brown the top. Cool slightly once removed from the oven and dust with icing sugar. Serve with Canadian maple syrup. Serves: 8 *milk can be used in substitution The eggs available in Manitoba grocery stores and restaurants are produced by local egg farmers like the Dyck family from Springstein, MB. Overnight Eggnog French Toast Bake Ingredients: ¼ butter (50 mL), melted 7 large eggs 2 cups (500 mL) eggnog* 1/3 cup (80 mL) brown sugar ½ tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt 1 tsp (5 mL) orange zest 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract 1 Tbsp (15 mL) rum or brandy extract (optional) 1 loaf thick cut sliced Brioche bread (can be substituted for French bread) REVISED- WPG Free Press - 5.75 X 10.75" - 2021.indd 1 2021-10-22 9:28 AM Q

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