Travel: Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario

December 15, 2021 | 2 Commentaries

My beau says that I love Langdon Hall more than the owners of Langdon Hall love it. This may be true. I do love it. It’s luxe and beautiful. The employees are kind. The service is superb. The spa is lovely. The food…oh, the food…it’s amazing. I feel instantly relaxed as soon as I arrive. I appreciate that it’s only a 20 minute drive from our home, and yet, it feels so far away. I appreciate that I feel like I’ve been away for days even though it’s only been one overnight. I am lucky to be a repeat visitor for a daytime meal, a spa treatment, or an overnight stay. It’s a special treat to go to Langdon Hall (it’s not cheap), and I’m always grateful when I can go.

My beau and I recently celebrated our anniversary there, and we were treated so very well.

We arrived around 3pm on day 1, and after a quick check-in, we made our way to the spa for massages and some relaxation time (the sauna, steam room, and whirlpool are currently open to guests who have spa appointments). From there, we got ready for dinner and spent nearly three hours dining on the most artful and delicious food and special drinks. Beyond the food, the service was top notch. Of course, the in-room fireplace made our evening that much more cozy and festive.

On day 2, we continued to be spoiled at breakfast with the best croissants among other things like smoked salmon and a masterpiece acai berry bomb (seeds and smoothies have never tasted this good!). Oh, so good! Not wanting to leave after our check-out time, we took our books to Wilks’ Bar, and we read for a couple of hours by the fireplace. It was so relaxing!

*wearing heels for the first time in…2 years?!*

The Friday Five: Things on My Mind

December 10, 2021 | Leave a Reply

Recently watched: Look at the interesting discovery in this same sky postcards video. Watching cheesy holiday movies has begun in my house with Father Christmas is Back, Love Hard, A California Christmas, and The Holiday. All the cheesy holiday movies are made even better with a “Hallmark holiday movie watching box” that my beau gave me, which included a mug, candle, and Bingo cards so we can all have fun while we watch! So cheesy and great! We went to see House of Gucci last weekend (I didn’t love it as much as everyone else did).
Recently read: I’m still making my way through the stack of books from last month. I have been reading a lot about our home’s history via the Waterloo Public Library’s digital archives (amazing records!).
Recently listened to: Jack Johnson’s Greatest Hits (on repeat) and all the Christmas carols (on repeat)
Recently visited: Langdon Hall in Cambridge (for a special overnight celebration) and Benjamin Tree Farm in St. Jacobs to buy our Christmas tree
Recently baked: classic sugar cookies (ready to be decorated this weekend)

Sponsor Love 2018

December 28, 2018 | 1 Commentary

At the end of each year, I revisit some of the brand collaborations I have had over the last 12 months. 2018 was another positive year for White Cabana, and I’m thrilled that I get to work with so many great people and brands. I am glad that brands continue to recognize the value and impact of blog writers, and I thank the following brands for their eagerness to collaborate. I look forward to fostering these relationships and to building new ones in 2019. Thanks, too, dear readers, for supporting the brands that support White Cabana!

Barocco – post

Blanco – post, post

Direct Door Hardware – post, post

Grey County Tourism – post

Home Depot Canada – post

Langdon Hall – post

Loews Vanderbilt Nashville – post

Metrie – post

Pamuk & Co. – post

Reitmans – post

Ritz Carlton Sarasota – post

Ryman Auditorium – post

Warmup – post

Sponsors listed in alphabetical order. All photos are my own. See Sponsor Love 2017, Sponsor Love 2016, Sponsor Love 2015, and Sponsor Love 2014.

Food: Langdon Hall’s Tasting Menu

July 30, 2018 | Leave a Reply

Have you ever had a dining experience that renders you speechless? And if you’re like me – someone who loves words, writing, and language – such an experience becomes that much more remarkable.

Last week, as an early celebratory treat at Langdon Hall, I was fortunate to enjoy Chef Jason Bangerter‘s tasting menu. It was heavenly. Ten beautiful, dramatic, and delicious courses served over the period of several hours made for an incredibly memorable evening.

Let me take you through a bit of the experience today, since I love a good walk down memory lane. (And I love Langdon Hall, as you must know by now, too!)

The tasting menu started off with a terrine (kind of like a paté) served on a pig’s skull. Yes, a pig skull. I realize this could be disturbing to some people, but it wasn’t for me. It was wild.

Next up was a crispy sunflower root. Inside was a purée of seeds, summer truffle, and thyme.

Then came the caviar. This was paired with a deviled egg, brioche, and crème fraiche.

The presentation of the sea scallop was beautiful. The scallop was in its own shell, surrounded by a backing of “trees.” Then water was poured into the bowl, producing a beautiful smokey mist. Gorgeous. (Note: Simply B‘s photo captures this dish beautifully.)

The asparagus with a lemon verbena sauce came next. Veggies have never looked so pretty in my own home!

Next came the fried pork belly with rhubarb and rhubarb sauce. I loved the combination of sweet and tart of this dish. Along with the sunflower root and scallop, this was one of my favourites of the menu.The lovely hen mousse came next. The creamy mousse was paired with morels.

Veal with peas and truffles was the final main course on the tasting menu.

As a palate cleanser, we were served orange and rum ice cream (aka The Creamsicle), which was topped with marigold.

For dessert (my fave!), we had Langdon Hall’s signature milk chocolate with caramelized butter croissant, Ontario black walnuts, and wild blueberries. Divine.

And because one dessert is never enough, the meal ended with a mignardise (a final sweet treat).

Amazing, right? Oh, the flavours and the presentation of each dish was amazing. Truly memorable.

I know the attention is on the food in the post, but there’s much more to it at Langdon Hall. As you’ve read here before, the service is top notch, and the decor is beautiful. I absolutely enjoy speaking with the Langdon Hall staff. Everyone I have met over the years is genuinely interested in what they do and the contributions they make to guests’ experiences.

Even on a very busy evening, Chef Jason Bangerter comes out of the kitchen to greet his guests and to ensure everyone is enjoying his creations. It was also a pleasure to meet Sous Chef Steffen. I know I’m not the only one who appreciates Chef’s creativity and his love of local flavours.

Many thanks to the following Langdon Hall crew for making our evening special: Chef Jason Bangerter, Sous Chef Stefan, Greg, Evan, and J.J. Thanks to Anna, too, who always makes me feel like a part of the LH family.

Event: Terroir Symposium, Toronto

June 5, 2017 | Leave a Reply

Food makes any event pretty darn great, doesn’t it? Well, what about an event that showcases the best-of-the-best in culinary gems? Count me in! Today, I’m sharing news from the Terroir Symposium. Founded by Arlene Stein, the symposium brings together chefs, pastry chefs, food enthusiasts, publishers, bloggers, and more to showcase and share the achievements of Canada’s culinary industry. This year, Terroir was held at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). In short – the event was memorable!

I arrived around lunch, and easily made my way around the food booths. Lunch was presented by Ocean Wise, and each chef prepared a dish to highlight Canada’s sustainable seafood offerings. I was in fish food heaven!

Hor mok, steamed white fish from Georgian Bay, and rice in a banana leaf, from Chef Noureen Feerasta of Rickshaw Bar

crispy fried pickerel wings and cheeks with thai larb, from Chef Kristin Donovan of Hooked

Acadian Shortnose Sturgeon Toasts, from Chef Katie Venables Lloyd of lbs

albacore tuna donburi, from Chef Michael Hunter of Antler

Water and wine flowed.

S. Pellegrino – an event sponsor (and one of my faves!)

I met up with my friends from Langdon Hall for some bonding over food.

me, Anna, Chef Jason Bangerter, and Franco Stalteri (of Charlies Burgers)

Mingling and desserts pair very nicely together, so that’s where we headed post-fish! The desserts were so beautifully presented in the centre court of the AGO. Were they delicious? Of course they were! I had multiples just to be sure! (I had to do the research to report back to you, right?) The flavours were rich, and everything was of the highest quality. The pastry chefs and their teams sure did spoil all the attendees!

eclairs from Atul Palghadmal of Nugateau

white perfection (white chocolate, vanilla cream, maple mousse, biscuit) from Lior Aronovich of Amadeus Patisserie

from Chris Kwok of Cluny Bistro

With a full belly, we happily attended sessions to learn about Canada’s culinary industry from the experts. We started with a session on cookbook publishing. It seemed right up my alley considering my background in writing. The panel consisted of Michelle Meade (senior editor, Figure 1 Publishing), Lisa Jager (art director, Penguin Random House), and Trish Bunnett (publicity manager, Penguin Random House). It was moderated by Alison Maclean. These four women spoke about the cookbook publishing industry for chefs, bloggers, and enthusiasts. I was pleased that bloggers were included in several presentations throughout the day. The women spoke of the publishing process – for pitch to proposal to editors meetings to writing to food styling – there are so many parts that go into book making, and I soaked it all up!

We then turned from cookbook publishing to Quebec’s culinary traditions in a session titled “French Flavour.” Since my trip to Montebello, Quebec has been on my mind quite a bit, so when I saw this session in the program, I was curious. We heard from Alex Cruz and Cyril Gonzales (co-owners: Société-Original and L’École Buissonnière), Anne Desjardins, Geneviève Vézina-Montplaisir (Caribou magazine), and Simon Thibault.

The third session we went to before the break was titled “The Science of Flavour.” In this session, moderated by Brian Gilvesy (YU Ranch), Joshua Evans (PhD student), Mark Schatzker (author and hst on Flavour TV), and John Szabo (master sommelier) addressed questions and concerns about flavour. Why do people taste things differently, what are we doing when we grow our food to enhance or change flavour, etc. “Tomatoes” was a hot topic…flavourful or flavourless? It depends on the time of year and where they’re grown, of course!

At this point in the day, attendees were invited to a reception. While I could not eat more caviar (I know, I know, but I couldn’t!), I did manage to sip on a delicious bourbon cocktail! And just like the food and desserts that were served earlier in the day, the cocktails were made with much attention to detail. Loved it!

The late-afternoon sessions first consisted of a panel moderated by Matty Matheson, Viceland TV host and chef, Parts & Labour. We saw clips from Kevin Kossowan’s dramatic film about food and agriculture, learned about pulses (which are dried goods like chickpeas and lentils) from Courtney Hirota from Pulse Canada, and Michael Ableman, author and organic farmer. It was a session that urged us to think about where our food is grown, where we buy it, and how we can maximize our local efforts.

Following this, we heard about the San Pellegrino Young Chef competition. Jacob Richeler of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants moderated the session with Alison Ramage (Design to Dine) and Normand LaPrise (Toqué). Could you imagine judging a food competition? That would be amazing! They should get the public (aka people like me) right on in there alongside the top chefs! Right?

To end Terroir Symposium, we attended an “Iconically Canadian” panel with Lynn Crawford, Dufflet Rosenberg, Susur Lee, and Matty Matheson. The four chefs have different personalities and culinary backgrounds, so it was interesting to hear about their perspectives on the Canadian culinary industry. While the session focused on Toronto, I know that there are many gems across Canada that add to our culinary excellence!

So would I attend the Terroir Symposium again? You bet I would! Food, mingling, art, and learning…these are some of my favourite things, and Terroir served them all!

All photos by Jordana.

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