Countryside to City Slicker

Holt Renfrew executive chef Corbin Tomaszeski has three words for worried, time-pressed holiday hosts and hostesses: preparation, preparation, and preparation.

In addition to being the lead chef for the Holts Cafe in downtown Toronto’s Holt Renfrew, Tomazseski has his production sleeves rolled up for the second-season filming of the Food Network’s Dinner Party Wars. Along with co-host Anthea Turner, he helps judge hosting successes and failures on the show.

“So many people bite off more than they can chew,” says Tomazseski. “Sometimes, less is more. Better to have a simple meal that is done to perfection.”

Cooking with unfamiliar foods and not taking the additional time to plan ahead in the kitchen are mistakes he commonly witnesses on Dinner Party Wars.

“As a chef, you always see the same patterns of successes and failures,” he says, referring to his tips as a kind of “cheat sheet” only cooks would typically know.

Other tips from this cheat sheet include searing meats ahead of time and braising vegetables. But more importantly, Tomazseski recommends making the effort to ensure food is prepared beautifully.
“You only get one shot and it starts with people looking at your food,” he says.

Depending on the style of event the host intends to have, Tomazseski adds that a nice platter and simple garnishes go over well for family, sit-down-style dinners.

For example, he suggests not slicing up large meats until everyone is ready to be served at the table.
“If you’re cooking turkey, or even Cornish hens, serve it whole,” he says. Not only will this reap presentation points for the host, but for inexperienced meat carvers it also takes away the fear of slicing meats improperly .
When incorporating new foods into the menu, Tomazseski says it’s a good idea to have three go-to dishes and then add any alterations to your holiday menu. His reason for this planning tip, he says, is tradition.

“When you think of a gathering of people, especially around the holidays, one tends to think about tradition,” says Tomazseski.

This doesn’t mean that novice or budding home cooks can’t be inventive, he adds. “A chef is like a kid in the candy store and the mad scientist,” says Tomazseski. “We get to try so much with our foods.”

Once the menu is sorted out, however, he notes that most importantly, the host needs to remember to have fun.
“People forget to enjoy themselves,” says Tomazeski. “Their hearts are in the right place; they want to entertain, but don’t forget to also see your guests. If you weren’t gathering to eat, you wouldn’t forget about them.”

With the holidays nearing, the Alberta-born, now Toronto-based chef says he becomes nostalgic for food memories that remind him of his childhood home.

“Even now, whenever the aroma of turkey fills my home, I think of the times I hopped into the car with my parents to visit my grandma as a boy,” says Tomazseski, who grew up in a large family on a farm in rural Edmonton. Celebrations, he recalls, were held en masse.

His grandmother and mother are two people he often thinks of when he reflects on his memories of food. “There’s always someone who represents great cooking in the family, and my mom and grandma would always begin from scratch,” he says.

Placing the heart at the forefront of every dish he creates is something Tomazseski picked up at an early age. He describes beginning his career before he was barely tall enough to stand over the kitchen counter. Growing up with five brothers and sisters on the farm, Tomazseski says he often helped prepare meals and bake for his family. Helping to raise and farm animals also deepened his appreciation for quality foods. As well, Tomazseski’s traditional Polish background reinforced the importance of creating meals from scratch and using the freshest, finest ingredients available. These childhood lessons are a part of the cooking philosophy he carries with him today, he says.

Having mentioned this, no matter how you plan to spend the holidays this season, Tomazseski says the main thing is to remember guests will catch onto memories that please their senses.
So whoever is pitching in as the star chef in your family, don’t forget the small stuff counts. Aroma, place settings, and lots of funny quips and jokes will take you miles when entertaining. Above all, be yourself, try hard and success will surely follow.

“Today, it’s still customary to have a lot of people over. At this time, we’re not meant to eat TV dinners by ourselves,” says Tomazseski. “It’s all about creating lasting memories.”  •

 

Alberta-born executive chef of Holt Renfrew’s The Holts Café in Toronto, Corbin Tomaszeski knows what upscale dining is all about. When he’s not in charge in the high-end retailer’s café, this former farm boy is taking charge in the high-end retailer’s café, this former farm boy is taking charge on the screen in his Food Network show, Dinner Party Wars. Tomaszeski’s television role is to help hosts and hostesses properly create, serve and cater to their guests’ culinary needs. Take note from Tomaszeski, and wow your guests at your next soiree with his hearty Lamb Shank Pie and Classic Apple Fritters with Warmed Cinnamon Rice Pudding.

To read more about the other chefs in the recipe feature, visit lifestylemagazine.ca.

 

Photos courtesy Shaw Media