The Cookery School at The Waring House
A culinary hot spot in Prince Edward County for backyard barbecue enthusiasts
The home smoking course is held at the Waring House, a country inn and cooking school (left); The Cookery School at the Waring House (Illustration: Peter Arkle; Photographs: Chris Moose)
Toronto’s simultaneous explosion of charcuterie, southern food and all things smoked has restaurant-goers gobbling up dry-rubbed ribs, summer sausages and pulled pork. But the fine art of smoking food at home has yet to become a backyard phenomenon. To learn the basics, the truly (and newly) culinary hardcore will sign up for chef Kelly Attwells’s home smoking course, held this summer at the Waring House, an inn and cooking school just outside of Picton. The $75 class covers brining, hot and cold smoking, and—for cooks unlikely to fork over a fortune for a coveted Big Green Egg—how to repurpose an ordinary wok into a home smoker. (In short: line with wood chips, insert a grill rack, cover and stick it on the barbecue.)
Attwells spent 13 years as a chef in Fernie, B.C., perfecting the local delicacies of cedar-smoked salmon and Alberta rib-eye. He works through a full menu, including seafood apps, duck breast, beef carpaccio and a cheese plate, teaching his students how to match food and smoke flavours: buttery east coast scallops with tangy cedar, local duck breasts sweetened with cherrywood. The classes are small (no more than 14 people) and run three hours, giving Attwells ample time to impart the finer points of food prep and plating. The course culminates with a feast of self-smoked delights, leaving the afternoon free for waddling through the shops on Picton’s main drag, or belt-expanding trips to such foodie destinations as County Cider Company, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese and Vicki’s Veggies—all part of an epicurean itinerary fit for a Michelin judge.
The Waring House offers convenient on-site accommodations, but the nearby Claramount Inn and Spa, a 1906 mansion with decadent spa services, is worth the splurge. The Relax and Renew package (from $278) includes a steam bath, facial, body scrub and hot stone massage. Book the Tree Top suite; it has its own private staircase, a soaker tub, a sitting area, a king-size bed and a balcony overlooking Picton Harbour.
COOKING SCHOOL: The Waring House, County Rd. 1, 1-800-621-4956, waringhouse.com. $75 per person.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Claramount Inn and Spa, 97 Bridge St., 1-800-679-7756, claramountinn.com. $225 per night.
NOTL just got better….noticed yesterday a BALZAC’S opening JULY-ISH..on Mary St. across from the Prince of Wales.
April 21, 2010 at 6:29 pm | by DavenportNiagara-on-the-Lake is one of my favourite places in the world. I’ve not done to bike tour but I have done the wine and herbs tour put on by a number of wineries every May. What a great town. Great wine, inexpensive B&Bs, good food everywhere and let’s not forget the Shaw festival. A summer weekend doesn’t get much better than this.
April 28, 2010 at 10:01 am | by MaxTotally agree.My wife and I have enjoyed NOTL for 36 years.It has beauty,history,culture and more then anything just a great place to get away and relax.
April 29, 2010 at 8:31 am | by Dave DeanJust got back from a 1 night stay in NOTL. As well as the wine tours and Shaw, there are several Spa’s that you can take advantage of. We are making a point of going once or twice a year. Makes for a relaxing break fron the hectic pace of life. And at this time of year, it is less crowded.
April 29, 2010 at 9:00 am | by Michael LeeThere is a BALZAC’s opening but the address is 223 King Street, Niagara on the Lake, across from the Prince of Wales!
May 18, 2010 at 7:06 pm | by NOTLThanks so much for informing us about Willo’ Wind! We spent 3 memorable days at the farm and had a great time. Our 2 boys had a blast feeding chickens and milking goats.
August 13, 2010 at 12:30 pm | by ErrolWe’ve already spread the word about this lovely place and will definitely visit again.