Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

A surge of warmth cuts the cool air the moment the door opens. It is the heat from an oven that has been on all day, pots rotating through six burners and people busily working around a large, crowded kitchen.

Students from George Brown College have taken over every inch of the main floor of Mad Maple Country Inn working on various parts of the lunch menu and tension rises as the deadline approaches. About 70 graduate culinary students have been invited to the country by Mad Maple owners Miriam Streiman and her husband Neil Epstein for the college’s 4th annual Italian Program, under the tutelage of Dario Tomaselli, chef of 36 years who runs the Italian program.

There are cook stations outside as well; a barbecue and a fire pit. It is the last day of winter and it is still cold but these students are energized by their new surroundings

They are tasked with making a menu out of ingredients sourced by local producers and work in teams, rotating through stations to execute the meal. More than that, they let the ingredients inspire the menu and they need to think on their feet, work with what they have and think outside the box, says Streiman. Last year, the students made ice cream in the snow, this year they are attempting to cook the fish on the open fire and when it doesn’t work out, they change it up. They adapt. The better they perform and work as a team, but still make it their own experience, the better their grade. They are being marked on their performance throughout the entire day.

Streiman is a graduate of this program and is now part of a movement that promotes the region through its food, along with other chefs like Andrea Greyerbiehl from Azzurra in Collingwood. Chefs from several Toronto hotspots, are also on hand to help support the students.

“There are all of these pockets of connections and relationships happening that really showcase our area as a region producing really high quality beautiful food for chefs in the city to use as well as for the students who are the next generation of chefs,” says Streiman.

They also learn about foraging local ingredients and although cedar is being used to season the wild whitefish from Akiwenzie Fish at Cape Croker, there is not much to forage as of yet. Nevertheless, the students take turns trekking off into the woods.

After the planning and the preparation, everyone involved shares the meal. The students, chefs and producers all delight in good food with new friends.

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