YOUR NEXT MISSION: SUMMER FLAVOURS REVISITED

This week’s mission is presented by Gastroposter Zane Caplansky, who suggested we examine our emotional ties to food. With that in mind, our mission this week is to revisit a food experience that will refresh sunny memories of summers past. What food

takes you back to that special summer? Is there a special meal you could recreate? HERE’S WHAT CAPLANSKY, OWNER OF COLLEGE STREET DELI

CAPLANSKY’S, RECALLS EATING IN HIS CHILDHOOD SUMMERS: “My summer food memories are family cottage memories. The two that spring to mind are grilled and chilled. Fresh caught Fairy Lake bass, Ontario lamb chops, my Dad’s ‘world famous’ tandoori chicken or thick cut sirloin steaks. We always used to grill eggplant, zucchini, onion and corn for salads and sides, too. Just thinking of the charred corn flavour with salted butter makes me drool.

“The chilling happened every day at breakfast. My Nana, the original Thunderin’ Thelma Goodman, used to open her window curtains around 7 a.m. when she was open for business in her next-door cottage. Hers was not winterized, so breakfast at Nana’s was a summer-only treat. She’d cook for all of us and our friends and made it seem like nothing ever made her happier — a true labour of love. Nana would make us bagels, scrambled eggs on an old wood burning stove, herring, creamed cottage cheese, fresh tomatoes and red onions, lox and porridge.”