A FINE BROMANCE
Two Canadian chefs get cookin’ on their cross-country road trip
It takes a special kind of friendship to endure a cross-country road trip — one built on respect, tolerance, shared interests. And, possibly, a love of food so good it can make you cry. Chuck Hughes and Danny Smiles are those kind of buds.
The two have teamed up for Chuck & Danny’s Road Trip, a foodie adventure series debuting March 3 on Food Network. In it Hughes, who fronted Chuck’s Day Off, and Smiles, from Top Chef Canada’s third season, load up their RV and trek across Canada from Prince Edward Island National Park to Vancouver Island.
In each of the six episodes, the two source regional ingredients and cook campground feasts for local chefs, farmers and artisans. Hughes and Smiles spoke about the new series.
Q How did you come up with the idea for the show?
Hughes Danny and I have travelled a lot together — through Italy and Mexico — and it was always a dream of ours to do a road trip across Canada and to go camping. We wanted to get out and try a simpler lifestyle, and we both love to cook outdoors. Food Network and the production company wanted to do a show that travelled across Canada to celebrate the country’s 150th, so it was a win-win situation.
Q What are some of the dishes featured in the show?
Smiles There is a rustic moose pie, traditional Acadian clam chowder, seaweed-brined fried chicken, fire-roasted beets with a ranch sauce — and that is only a few of them.
Hughes In the East Coast, we had a lobster bake right on the beach. Golden nugget squash and pork belly tacos in Ontario. Geoduck clams with a sea urchin vinaigrette out west. I could go on all day!
Q Were there any surprises food-wise?
Hughes Eating oysters in P.E.I. was terrific. I have eaten over a million oysters in my life, but when I had a chance to take them out of the sea and eat them while floating over the oyster bed, that was special.
Q Any tips for campsite cooking?
Hughes First, bring your staple ingredients such as your favourite hot sauce, oil and salt, but not your whole pantry. Go out and discover the local places and buy food from there. Also, we call it open-flame cooking, but what you really want to make is great coals. So you need to start the fire early and let it get down to coals, and then you have this great source of heat to grill and fry. Third, you need ideally a really good, well-seasoned cast iron pan, a really good sharp knife and an open mind. And last, catch your own fish and cook it. We are so blessed to be able to do that in our country.
Q How did you find those long stretches of driving? What was your in-car soundtrack?
Smiles We listened to a lot of Canadian music, from The Tragically Hip to Black Mountain and Alexisonfire. We threw in the occasional Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age song, which was also perfect for driving. Chuck is definitely the singer-performer in the car; I am more air instruments.
Q Would your friendship survive another road trip together?
Smiles Absolutely. We can’t wait to get back on the road.