Melting Pot: A nomadic culinary experience at Half Moon
HEROES WEEKEND saw luxury resort Half Moon stirring the melting pot, taking guests on a nomadic journey to Somalia and across the Atlantic to Italy, where guest chef Bashir Munye was born and then raised.
Munye, the first in a long line of notable chefs who will be visiting the resort to tantalise the palates of guests, has resided in Toronto for the past 22 years and is inspired by global cuisine while creating the future of local and sustainable food ideas.
“I come from a culture where we are nomadic, so we don’t really do agricultural land. We are a pastoral community, so it means that we take our cattle on long journeys and through this journey, we find new plants and vegetation. We pick the seeds and we share them with our friends and family,” explained the culinary professor at George Brown College. “Nomadism really allows me to showcase local seasonal farmto-table, and the element of sustainability is something that is important to me.”
His stop in Jamaica inspired a grand experience of food that embraced many geographical locations and cultural boundaries.
First up at the welcoming reception, to give Half Moon guests an idea of what to expect for the weekend was a beet tartare also known as Kitfo. No, I didn’t stutter. Not beef ... but beet. Using the highly nutritious red root vegetable, Munye combined berbere, orange, fennel pollen, and funky butter on an injera crisp to create a cold canape. Interesting. What’s more? Mixologist Wynton Hudson was on hand to create cocktails and sober-curious drinks that explored the vibrancy of the garden to glass. His Roselle 75 was quite a hit.
With a weekend packed with activity, the opportunity then arose to have a lesson at the resort’s Sugar Mill restaurant in preparing nomadic comfort food, which was a nod to Somalia and the heritage of nomadism in Chef Munye’s community. With an apron and hair net secured I partnered with Round Hill chef Natalie Wallen who quickly put me to work as Munye instructed guests on how to cook every item on the menu, which included buttermilk cornbread, steamed greens, candied yams, and pan-seared creole duck.
‘I come from a culture where we are nomadic, so we don’t really do agricultural land. We are a pastoral community, so it means that we take our cattle on long journeys and through this journey, we find new plants and vegetation. We pick the seeds and we share them with our friends and family.’
While we waited for our cornbread to bake we were introduced to a banana flower salad. Think the part of the banana that looks like a pod that we typically throw away. Yes, that part. Munye cut it in spirals, boiled it a bit then made a vinegar dressing and added roasted nuts to make a yummy salad. Hello sustainabilty!
My lesson was superb. The kitchen was hot, but I’m now versed in the culinary art of reversed duck breast searing and all Munye’s students were very proud of what we prepared as we sat down to eat.
Later came the grand finale, the Farm to Dinner at Delmare. Epitomising the spirit of family-style dining each dish was inspired by and prepared with ingredients cultivated from sustainable agricultural practices and enhanced with Jamaican and Somalian spices. The courses were ever so carefully paired with wine selected by Half Moon sommelier Sherrie Lee-mccallum.
The excursion began with shareable appetisers that included the Frittura Mista (fish), Grilled Djaaja (chicken), and Okra Flower paired with the KWV Chenin Blanc from South Africa.
Next up was the Carta Di Musica which translates to “sheet that you write music”, said Munye. The ricotta, honey made at Half Moon, and warm dukkah (bread) combination was a chorus to the taste buds that coupled well with the Italian Mionetto, prosecco.
The Chermoula local snapper then arrived with a family-style Moroccan orange salad partnered with a Santa Christina Cipresseto Rosato vino also from Italy.
Crustaceans then took centre stage for the next course as lobster in a saffron broth served in a Tagine was brought out with sides of cassava couscous, and coconut pondu, paired with a Banfi La Pettegola, Vermentino wine.
To cleanse our palates, a delightful Granita, a local citrus sorbet was brought to the table. Then we tucked into the next course, the Abbacchio Al Forno ( jerked lamb) which chef Munye gleefully explained, “It’s a tribute to the maroons.”
Completing our excursion with something sweet was a Cassata, a traditional ricotta-filled cake from Sicily, Italy, that in keeping with sustainable practices was made with local soursop and completed with pistachio.
“Food has always been a language for me to share love and connect to people, ensuring that when people leave the space they feel something,” said Munye.
Giorgio Rusconi, food and beverage manager at Half Moon, explained the rationale for inviting guest chefs to the resort. “We want to elevate the already amazing experience of dining at Half Moon with these guest chefs for our guests. Chef Munye was able to introduce a different way of cooking to our staff and inspired them in many ways, providing added value to the whole experience.”