You’ve seen the commercial — a dejected young woman arrives home to her apartment building and is surrounded by neighbours so obsessed with their phones, no one gives her a second glance, despite her attempts to make eye contact.
But then she gets an idea and, with the help of her roommate, sets up a dinner table in the hallway and they’re soon joined by almost everyone living on their floor for a family-style dinner of varying ethnicities. The commercial ends with a cute little girl in pigtails knocking on the door of an elderly man, we’re guessing is the recluse of the floor, and he also joins the party holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a large salami in the other. The tag line “Nothing brings us together like eating together,” finishes the touching vignette.
The popular commercial, which was shared heavily on social media using the hashtag #EatTogether, was the brainchild of the creative minds at President’s Choice, who used it to launch the lead up to the first annual Eat Together Day, which takes place across Canada June 29. President’s Choice also organized events and challenges across the country to celebrate the social power food has in bringing people together. On June 29, in celebration of Eat Together Day, Loblaws, Loblaws CityMarket, Your Independent Grocer, Zehrs, Provigo, Dominion and Atlantic Superstore will host public barbecues in hundreds of locations across the Canada.
Vancouver chef Trevor Bird, executive chef at Fable Kitchen on West Fourth Ave., also took up the challenge and created some recipes just in time for not only Eat Together Day, but also Canada Day.
Vietnamese Shrimp Burgers with Quick Pickles
Quick-pickling is an easy, inexpensive way to add a wow factor to everything from burgers to salads to sandwiches. Don’t limit yourself to just radishes and carrots — cucumbers, summer squash, red onions and jalapeños are all great candidates for pickling. For a lighter meal, skip the naan rounds and serve the burgers directly on lettuce leaves. Garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro, if you like.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Pickling time: 1 hour
Cook time: 8 minutes
Serves four
½ cup PC seasoned rice vinegar
¼ cup granulated sugar
7 radishes thinly sliced
1 carrot thinly sliced
3 green onions thinly sliced
1 garlic clove minced
2 tbsp each of chopped fresh cilantro and mint
2 tsp PC Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce
1 tsp each of grated lime zest and fresh lime juice
1 pack frozen PC Pacific White Shrimp Burgers
4 naan rounds
¼ cup PC Sriracha mayo
8 small leaves of Boston lettuce
1. Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil in small saucepan. Place radishes and carrot in small heat-proof bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over top. Let stand one hour.
2. Meanwhile, preheat barbecue to medium heat. Stir together green onions, garlic, cilantro, mint, soy sauce, lime zest and lime juice in separate small bowl. Set aside.
3. Place frozen burgers on greased grill. Close lid and cook, turning once, until instant-read thermometer reads 165°F (74 C) when inserted sideways into burgers, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place naan rounds on greased grill. Close lid and cook, turning once, until grill-marked, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Top each naan round with mayo, lettuce, burgers and green onion mixture. Remove radish mixture from pickling liquid with slotted spoon and arrange over burgers.
Chef’s Tip: Make the quick-pickled veggies ahead and let the liquid cool to room temperature once you’ve poured it over the radish mixture, then cover and refrigerate in an airtight container or jar. Store the pickling liquid in your fridge for up to two weeks.
Maple Pecan S’mores Dip
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Serves: 20
No campfire? No problem. This oven-baked dessert dip packs all of the gooey chocolaty-marshmallow goodness of the classic fire-pit treat — no flames needed. Keep it traditional and dive in with graham crackers or achieve sweet-and-salty nirvana and enjoy with potato chips.
1 cup pecan pieces
1 tbsp PC salted Country Churned Butter
1 pack PC Decadent Milk Chocolate Chips
Half pack PC maple flavour marshmallows (about 14)
Graham crackers, pretzels or potato chips for dipping
1. Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Stir together pecans and melted butter in nine-inch (23 cm) cast-iron skillet or pie plate. Bake, stirring once, until fragrant — about 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle chocolate chips over pecan mixture. Bake until chocolate is softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Arrange marshmallows in single layer over the top. Bake until marshmallows are puffed and golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
Chef’s Tip: You can easily make this dessert over the campfire — just use a heavy cast-iron skillet (not a pie plate). Set the skillet over the grates of your fire pit and melt the butter. Add pecans and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Add chocolate chips, top with marshmallows and cover loosely with greased foil. Cook until the marshmallows are puffed and golden and chocolate is melted.
@sthomas10
