GOLDEN PLATES Chefs craft weed-infused experiences

Piper Courtenay

When it comes to weed, munchies have always been a part of the consumption experience. If a few drags of a joint or a bong rip is considered the first course, a bag of chips is the entree, followed by an entire pint of ice cream for dessert—or some such variation on treats.

For chefs, however, the appetitestimulating substance is a doorway into a new culinary art. And Canada is finally in the game.

“It’s been an absolute whirlwind. I could have never predicted the response,” chef Travis Petersen tells the Georgia Straight, reflecting on a weed-infused-dining series he started on 4/20 last year.

A homegrown B.C. boy, the former Master Chef contestant became recognized as Canada’s leading weed chef in less than 12 months thanks to the globally trending plant. Travelling from province to province, Petersen hosts private cannabis dinners under the name the Nomad Cook.

“Canadians are craving this. It doesn’t matter where I take the infused-dining series, they fill up,” Petersen says.

With edibles expected to be the most popular consumption method for Canadian consumers when legalized later this year, Vancouver’s budding cannabis chefs believe the evolution of infused dining is the country’s opportunity to define a new foodie draw.

Much like what celebrity weed chefs Christopher Sayegh and Andrea Drummer have done for Los Angeles, or what Amsterdam’s infamous cannabis cafés have done for Europe, Petersen says the Great White North has the eyes and taste buds of the world waiting in anticipation.

“Internationally, we have never really been seen as a competitive culinary destination. We have amazing diversity of food in this country because we are so multicultural, but this is really our chance to stake our flag on the culinary map,” he says.

“Canada has always been a cannabis country, legal or not. B.C. has had the best bud in the world for decades. Let’s lead with that.”

Red Seal chef Adam Barski says that although infused cuisine is a crowd pleaser, the excitement is based on providing cannabis-curious consumers with a smoke-free way to experiment with a newly legal substance.

He discovered his aptitude for baked baking through medical necessity and says his focus is on providing alternatives to boozy pub nights and smoke-heavy vape lounges.

Just over eight years ago, Barski’s best friend was hospitalized for several months. Upon release, he wanted to explore cannabis as an alternative to prescription medication, but he couldn’t smoke as his condition left him with severe lung damage.

“When my friend got sick, I vowed to find a better way of consuming: making it more medicinal, healthier, figuring out the math of exact dosing,” he tells the Straight by phone.

Combining 12 years of culinary experience with his passion for pot, he set up a booth at Vancouver’s annual 4/20 cannabis protest and celebration to sell medical-grade infused edibles. He, much like Petersen, was astounded at the response.

“The excitement came because this was a completely different level than what people normally were used to seeing,” he says. Alongside edible classics like kush cookies and hash brownies, he offered attendees decadent desserts like infused strawberry mouse encased in a chocolatedipped, hazelnut-encrusted cake topped with gold leaf.

“It was the first time a lot of people had seen the combination of a professional chef’s cooking skills with cannabis.”

The following day, Barski launched Budder Bakery, a line of gourmet goods made with all the traditional ingredients of baked goods—sugar, butter, flour—and one nontraditional addition: weed.

He and cannabis entrepreneurs Tamu and Zia Stolbie launched the High-end Dinner Series last year. The series hosts educational experiences centred on fine dining in the few places that will permit consumption. From joint-rolling demonstrations to film screenings, Barski ensures each event has a smorgasbord of sesh-friendly snacks.

“As much as it is a fun experience, it’s also about breaking down the stigma and making sure people are learning about the plant,” Barski says. “It’s [edibles] not legal yet, so in the grey space it’s our job to show the rest of the world how to do this responsibly.”

Petersen—who has spent the past year travelling to places like New York, Las Vegas, and Asia—says Canadian weed catches interest unlike anything he has ever experienced.

“We have a chance to highlight our country’s signature flavours using the avenue of cannabis,” he says, a statement embodied by his West Coast amuse-bouche aptly called smoked salmon: smoke from organic, locally grown pot piped into a frozen Champagne flute topped with candied Haida Gwaii salmon. g

(This story is sponsored by Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana.)

Of all the food in the world, pizza will always be one of our favourites. It’s the only meal that we consistently reach for regardless of the occasion, the weather, or our mood. It’s hard to think of a time when pizza hasn’t been there for us. That kind of reliability deserves respect. And if there’s anyone who knows how to truly appreciate good food, it’s the Italians.

The owners of Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana (1190 Victoria Drive) are first-generation Canadians with deep family roots in Naples. And just like the city of their ancestors, they take their pizza very seriously. While we might quietly consider ourselves to be experts, the Neapolitans have taken their passion for pizza to a whole new level.

In fact, the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) was created with the sole purpose of restoring and preserving the tradition of authentic Neapolitan pizza. After all, it took more than 100 years to master the craft. To be considered a true Neapolitan pizza, the AVPN worked with the Italian government and the European Union, no less, to come up with a very specific set of criteria.

And like any Italian cuisine, it all starts with some key but simple ingredients: double-zero flour, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, and extra-virgin olive oil. The dough must then be handkneaded and never rolled with a rolling pin or other device. It must be baked in a wood-fired, domed oven at 485°C for no longer than 60 to 90 seconds. Each one should measure 30 centimetres in diameter and should be three millimetres thick at the centre, giving rise to a cornicione (crust) that is one to two centimetres in height.

There’s a lot of science that goes into creating the perfect pizza Napoletana, but the results are pure romance. The finished product is characterized by a raised crust of golden color with hints of char. The white of the mozzarella should appear in evenly spread patches, with the green of the basil leaves slightly darkened from the cooking process. The pizza should be soft, elastic, and easily foldable into a libretto or “booklet”. And our favourite rule? It should be consumed immediately, straight out of the oven, at the pizzeria. As any pizza connoisseur knows, there is the full spectrum of quality. But once you’ve tasted the really good stuff, there’s no going back.

Via Tevere has been delighting Vancouverites with its little slice of Italy since 2012 and is the winner of the Georgia Straight’s Golden Plates 2019 award for best pizzeria. Pizzas arrive at the table uncut, to preserve the soft thin centre and toppings. It’s down to personal preference whether you choose to eat yours with a fork and knife or to rip and fold your pizza with your hands. Neapolitans do both.

In Italy, food is so much more than just sustenance—it’s part of the lifestyle. And there’s a reason that pizza gets its own dedicated course. The owners of Via Tevere hope to share the tradition of their heritage and their experience of family holidays spent in southern Italy by serving delicious, perfect, la vera pizza Napoletana.

That’s amore.g