Stratford Always On Blog

York Street Kitchen

Meet Jill Thorpe, Kitchen Manager at York Street Kitchen. Jill grew up in Oxford, Nova Scotia where she was inspired to pursue her culinary career by her Mother and Grandmother. The dish she is most proud of creating is a chocolate peanut butter pie! When it comes to which celebrity dinner guests she would like to dine with, this is what Jill had to say,  “my only criteria for a dinner guest is that they enjoy food and stimulating conversation.“              

Age: 44

1. Where did you grow up?
   1. Oxford, Nova Scotia
2. What or whom inspired you to pursue a culinary career?
   1. My great grandmother and mother
3. How has the culinary landscape of Stratford and area influenced your cooking?
   1. The wonderful farmers who supply our restaurants create a truly special place. It allows us as cooks and chefs to have close personal relationships with our food and the people who grow it. This is an incredibly rewarding feeling.
4. What dish are you most proud of creating?
   1. Chocolate peanut butter pie!  It’s creamy peanut butter texture, decadent dark chocolate and sinful salted peanut topping make it absolutely irresistible.
5. What celebrity would you like to dine with and why?
   1. My only criteria for dinner guests are that they enjoy good food and stimulating conversation. Given those parameters, maybe Julia Child would be fun to have over for dinner.

TOPICS: #NEXTGEN, NEXTGENCHEFS, CULINARY, STRATFORDCULINARYGUDIE, STRATFORD, FOOD, STRATFORDCHEFSSCHOOL

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The Planet Diner

Meet Suzi Christensen, Chef and Co-Owner of The Planet Diner. Suzi grew up in St. Agatha and Waterloo, Ontario, where she was inspired to peruse her culinary career through the freedom of flavours. The culinary landscape of Stratford has influenced Suzi’s cooking because of everyone’s passion for taste and comfortable presentation. She is most proud of creating the fan favourite, “Chick’Un Burger,” a crispy corn breaded soy chick’un breast, original or tossed in house buffalo butter, with creamy planet sauce served on a warm pretzel hoagie, topped with lettuce and tomato. Vegan or not, this dish is a game changer! When it comes to which celebrity Suzi would like to dine with, here is what she had to say, “I would like to dine with Banksy, my favourite artist. He’s my inspiration of expression in art.”

Age: 34

1. Where did you grow up?

1. St. Agatha and Waterloo, Ontario.

2. What or whom inspired you to pursue a culinary career?

2. The freedom of flavours.

3. How has the culinary landscape of Stratford and area influenced your cooking?

3. Everyone’s passion for taste and presentation of comfort.

4. What dish are you most proud of creating?

4. The Chick’Un Burger (A crispy corn breaded soy chick’un breast, original or tossed in house buffalo butter, with creamy planet sauce served on a warm pretzel hoagie, topped with lettuce and tomato.)

5. What celebrity would you like to dine with and why?

5. Banksy, as he is my favourite artist. He is my inspiration of expression in art.

TOPICS: #NEXTGEN, NEXTGENCHEFS, CULINARY, STRATFORDCULINARYGUDIE, STRATFORD, FOOD, STRATFORDCHEFSSCHOOL

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