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Where food opens the door to conversations about craft, culture & tradition.
The Wild Kitchen Ep 10 Jeremy Charles
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Tiff: [00:00:00] Glad you're here. You've done some remarkable things. You've won Best New Restaurant in Canada twice over, wrote Wildness, a stunningly beautiful book highlighting the food, the people, and the culture of Newfoundland. Anthony Bourdain came up to hunt with you and record an episode of Parts Unknown. But it's everything else you do, the hunting, the fishing, the sh- sharing the things that you love with your family and friends, the way you talk about your grandparents, and that deep pull of a place that it has on you and your heart, that really resonates with y- me.
Um, I know when I read your book and you talked about your grandparents and being in their kitchen and, and eating the food, that like... I, I, I grew up on the West Coast in Vancouver, but my mom's from Nova Scotia, so I spent my summers back there, and it like, it, it really resonated. It felt like a very similar experience growing up, you know, spending that time with those people.
[00:01:00] It's super formative and, and I- Mm-hmm ... I see that as a reason why I eventually became a chef myself is, is that connection to food and seeing the importance of it. You know, do you, do you s- think that you would've become a, would have become a chef if it, if it wasn't for that, that experience with your grandparents?
Jeremy: I mean, God only knows, you know? But, uh, for me, you know, growing up, spending summers out there with, uh, my nan and pop, as I call them, uh, I mean, you know, those, those early years of childhood and really shape you, you know, I think as a person and spending time out in, in the gardens and going down to the, uh, down to the wharf and picking up codfish and coming back and filleting them out with my grandfather, you know, in a really rustic, rugged way and, and, uh, you know, uh, picking berries with my grandmother and, again, being in the kitchen and cooking.
All those things just, uh, you know, I think really, really stuck with me, obviously, and, uh, they, they still [00:02:00] do today and, and, you know, with my cooking and just the way I operate my life, I think they, uh, yeah, childhood memories and, and again, those kind of, uh, you know, instincts of, of, of living off the land and just kind of, you know, knowing what's in your backyard and, and know what to do with it, you know?
Being sustainable, I guess you'd say, you know? And they were living pretty much organically before, before the word organic was even, you know, a thing, I guess, you know? Uh, my grand- my grandmother lived to, into her 90s and, you know, it was only later off, later on in her life that she had fast food and whatnot.
It was pretty much, it was fish and berries and moose and, you know, all those wild organic proteins that- Yeah ... you know, we just took for granted and, um, you know, now it's, uh, it's obviously prized and sought after and, and, uh, costs you a fortune really, you know? So
Tiff: D- are people in Newfoundland still to a large degree living like that?
I mean, outside of the urban centers, or do you find in these [00:03:00] outposts people are still doing that?
Jeremy: Yeah. I'm, uh, actually here in Norris Point right now, which is on the west coast of the island, um, about seven hours outside of St. John's in, uh, Gros Morne National Park. And, uh, but yeah, just, you know, you get outside of St.
John's and people are, are definitely still, uh, you know, growing their gardens and, and root cellars and, um, you know, uh, out getting their fish. But we had the moratorium, and thankfully we're able to go out now again and, and still g- have a food fishery for, uh, for people who live here, and people salt their fish and, you know, shoot a moose in the fall and trap rabbits and, you know.
Tho- those are the people that are surround, you know, I surround myself with in my life, you know. We're, we're always out hunting, fishing, gathering, and, uh, you know, you live in Newfoundland, it's, it's a pretty harsh climate. It's, uh, an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, you know, and it gets pretty, pretty hard, hard, tough sledding, as we say, in the winters.
And, and, and, uh, so you really gotta prepare yourself for those seasons. And, [00:04:00] um, but we really do enjoy, you know, obviously the hunting season, but also summer's coming here now and we got, uh, salmon fishing and the cod fishery, and we're into the lobster and snow crab right now. And, um, yeah, we're surrounded by, you know, beautiful wild ingredients and, uh, it's great to be able to, you know, obviously showcase those as a chef, but, uh, also, you know, uh, to enjoy them and, and, uh, know how to, um, you know, curate them and, and make sure they, they last you throughout the seasons
Tiff: And then you, you mentioned lobster.
Are you-- Uh, I saw somewhere y- um, you're doing a lobster truck. Is that right? Yeah. Is that why you're up in North Point?
Jeremy: Yeah, that's right. I'm, uh... I started a project last year. It's, uh, called King, JC King Lobster. It's, um... Yeah, it's basically a small little food truck here in North Point, and I'm, uh, serving lobster rolls with, uh, choices of salads and what have you, uh, to tourists and locals here.
So it's been, uh... You know, working with my son and [00:05:00] my daughter and a few other people. It's, uh, it's been, yeah, pretty amazing to be on the ocean, and the lobster, you know, are just coming right here from your back- backyard, basically. And, uh, for, for, especially for people who come from away, you know, they're, they really want a true taste of the terroir and the landscape, and it's nice to be able to give them that 'cause it's not the easiest thing, believe it or not, to, to find lobster and, and all that kind of good stuff on menus throughout the, the communities on, on the coast here.
Tiff: Yeah, you, I think you get spoiled too. Like, I, I remember going back in the summers, and we always had lobsters, and I just assumed that, like, like, you always get lobsters. And then you- ... go, come, come back out west, you're like, "No, that's, that's a Chilean lobster tail that's been frozen." "That is not, that is not a lobster, and I'm not eating that."
And then- ... you're like, "No," like, really, the best lobster's only at a certain time of year, and it's, it's seasonal like everything else. But I think people get so spoiled and, you know, getting food, you know, strawberries in, in February from Argentina or whatever it is, right? Like-
Jeremy: Yeah ... [00:06:00] to
Tiff: have, have a amazing ingredient at the peak time, it's like it's It's, it's a totally different experience
Jeremy: Yeah, you're only as good as your products, you know?
And I always say that, you know, when you're cooking, um, but when you have beautiful ingredients, it just makes life as a chef that much easier, you know, and that much more enjoyable to cook. You know, there's nothing to hide. You're just kinda putting food on a plate and, and making sure it's, uh, you know, it's cooked properly and, and presented properly, and just, you know, simplicity and, and everything else kinda speaks for itself, I think.
You know, when you cook in season, it's, uh, yeah, it's just, you know, that's just the way, that's just the way we do it, you know?
Tiff: Yeah. Well, and yeah, I- n- Newfoundland ingredients are a little different, too, than what, what we experience in the rest of Canada, and-
Jeremy: Yeah ...
Tiff: um, as well in, in restaurants. You guys get to serve wild, like, wild meat.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Tiff: Like, we, we don't anywhere else. Y- you've got a pretty special situation there.
Jeremy: Yeah, it is a very unique situation. [00:07:00] Um, you know, it's, uh, all my, my friends who've come cook with me over the years, everyone's super- Mm ... jealous when they come. They're like, "Oh God." Like, I'd be fine for this, or I'd be put in jail or whatever, you know?
And, uh, here we are in Newfoundland. I can serve you, uh, a moose I shot or, you know, a partridge or, or what have you. Uh, you know, some snowshoe hares and, you know, the list goes on. But it's, um-
Tiff: Mm-hmm ...
Jeremy: you know, when we had Raymond's going, it was, uh, again, going back to terroir. W- people were coming from all around the world, really, to come and experience, you know, a true taste of Newfoundland.
And, and that's not only codfish. That's, you know, moose and And, and partridge and all those, you know, wonderful wild ingredients that we have that we're fortunate to be able to, to serve to everybody, and, um, yeah, I never take that for granted, you know? And it's something that, uh, we're very fortunate to do, and I think the older, the longer I cook, you know, the more I realize, you know, and you're traveling, you're like, "My God," you know?
Yeah, [00:08:00] th- everything was great, but it's nice to be able to have the story behind the food, you know, who harvested or, you know, who shot the animal, whereabouts, and it's just, uh- Yeah ... people love getting the full, all the details. Again, being able to go up to the table and talk about that is, uh, you know, it's, it's, it's lovely and, and kinda creates that full experience.
It's, uh, I guess very romantic in certain ways.
Tiff: I, I think it's so rare, too. People aren't used to it, you know? Uh, it's, it's funny, seeing my family in... Most of them are based in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but, um, they, when they get to an age where they need to go and work, so many of them leave. They- Mm
go out west, they go to Alberta. They're, they work in the oil fields. They will, you know, wherever they go. But one of the things I've noticed that they do is they always come back. They, like, they d- they just, if, even if it's seasonal, but they will always come back or when they decide to change jobs, like, they never, they never seem to fully leave, except for my mom.
She left- ... and didn't go back. But [00:09:00] she'd go back and visit every summer, but, like, my family just, they, they go, and they come back. What do you, like, it's not, that, I don't think that's normal. That's, that's a pretty particular situation that I've seen in Atlantic Canada.
Jeremy: Yeah, definitely. I mean, for sure here in Newfoundland, a lot of people are working out west, and obviously, uh, with everything going on with the economies and stuff like that, but people...
You know, for myself, I left when I was 19. I moved to Montreal. I was, uh- So I was in culinary school for five years cooking, and, uh, then I ended up in Los Angeles for a bit and Chicago for five years. And, uh, yeah, I was like, "You know what? I'm ready to come home," you know? And, uh, I was- we were living our best lives, you know, myself and my wife, or girlfriend at the time, and then you just really wanna come back to, uh, I think the ocean really, and, uh, you know, to be able to walk out your door and be on a salmon river in 20 minutes or take a walk in the woods and pick chanterelles.
It's, um, again, it's just a wonderful thing, and I [00:10:00] just wanted to come back and, you know, celebrate those products around us and, and, you know, make, just put them on menus and, and show people, you know, what we really have around us when we actually educate ourselves and, and have an understanding of all the wild edibles and what have you, you know?
So it was, uh, yeah, it was really exciting, and obviously I'm super proud Newfoundland Labradorian, so I was really excited to, to showcase, showcase that to, I guess, the rest of Canada and to everybody else that, you know, there's more than just cod here. There's so much more. You know, it's, uh, truly imaginable, but- Flipper pie.
Well, yeah, you know, I mean, you get the stereotypical stuff. But, uh, it's, uh, yeah, there's, when you really get into, uh, what's here on the island and what we're, what we have, it's, uh, we're really, really fortunate, you know? So, uh, it was, uh, make, makes cooking, again, exciting, you know, and, uh, real. And, uh, yeah, to be able to walk out and, again, shoot a [00:11:00] partridge and come back and pluck it and put it on the menu and serve somebody is like, you know, as a chef, I don't think it gets much better than that really, you know?
Tiff: No, I, no, it doesn't. And I mean, I think, uh, most chefs like, uh, one of the, uh, s- some of the best mussels I've ever had were in Vegas, and that, to this day, still really bothers me- ... that like, that- Sure. That like, they, it was, it was perfectly executed mussels. I'm sure they were flown in from wherever that day and- Yeah,
Jeremy: probably PEI.
Yeah.
Tiff: Yeah. Oh, and I, no doubt. Um- Yeah ... I mean, Thomas Keller can cook some damn good mussels. However, uh- Uh ... th- they were technically perfect, they were delicious, but, um, eating mussels in PEI on the beach will always be infinitely superior, right? Like, there's-
Jeremy: Without
Tiff: a doubt ... that, that, I mean, the importance of being in a place and like, like you talked about wanting to be close to salmon rivers and all the rest.
Like, I hear you. I, I... It's [00:12:00] funny, I get like... I'm not agoraphobic. I'm not like... I- it's the strangest thing, but if I go past the Rocky Mountains or I can't smell the ocean, I, I feel lost, and it's, I know that there's something wrong. Like, there's- It's so strange how you can get so connected to a, to a place.
Um, I mean, not even to, to talk about the, the family connections and the friends and all that kind of stuff, but just the, the physical space that you grew up in and are used to. It's, it's... I find that very interesting.
Jeremy: Yeah. It's, uh, you know, again, childhood memories, it's just those, you know, that smell of the salt air and, and, uh- Yeah
it's, uh, you can, uh, what is it? You can take the boy out of the bay, but you can't take the bay out of the boy. Is
Tiff: it? Yeah, I think so. I think that's true. Now, if, if there is, you know, a, a... How do I put it? Like, a, an ingredient in Newfoundland that you'd love for everyone to be able to try, what... That would be accessible for [00:13:00] everyone that, that they just can't get, what do you think it is?
Jeremy: They can't get, I mean, obviously codfish is, is amazing here when it's- Mm ... on point. Um- Moose in season is, you know, it's, it's beautiful too, and then we have moose all across Canada, but getting your hands on some is, is not easy. But, and our snow crab fishery is, is pretty magical too. And, and, uh- Yeah ... sorry, I'm going over the map, but I mean, uh-
Tiff: No, no, they- Um
there's multiple things I'm sure.
Jeremy: Yeah, I'm like, you know, what do I, what do I say here? It's, um, yeah, it's, uh, snow crab right now is, is unreal, but in the fall, a nice piece of moose, and again, codfish when it's on point, it's, it's, you know, to me it's, it's, it's stand up to any fish in the world, hands down, you know?
So it's, uh, to be able to go out and hand line a cod and come in and, you know, we stew up the whole fish. Nothing goes to waste, of course. And, and, um, it's been such a big part of our, our history for generations. You know, we are cod basically. But, um, [00:14:00] there's so many other things to do with it than just fish and chips.
So it's, uh, yeah, for me, I love working with codfish and working with the livers and the cod roe and the tongues and the cheeks and, you know, the list goes on and on. And, uh, yeah, it's, uh, we could spend days talking about codfish, and, uh, yeah, it's, it's a, it's a big part- Yeah ... of, of us for sure.
Tiff: Yeah. It's, I find it, it, I find it interesting.
It's a whole, it's a whole subset of the culture. I, I, I was listening to, uh, Laurie McCarthy talk to Hank Shaw on a podcast and, um, she was talking about fish and how in Newfoundland fish, you go to order fish is, is cod. And, uh, so- Yeah.
Jeremy: Fish is cod. Yeah.
Tiff: Yeah. It's
Jeremy: not salmon. So,
Tiff: yeah.
Jeremy: It's not founder. Fish is cod.
Yeah. Cod is fish. Yeah. Exactly.
Tiff: Yeah. So your, your perfect cod dish?
Jeremy: Perfect cod dish. I mean, you know Yeah ... um, I always say my death row meal, I mean, it's, uh, my grandmother's fish and brews. It's, you know, it's, uh, rendered out [00:15:00] pork fat, which is in everyone's pantry- Yeah ... um, with onions and hardtack, which is a hard bread, a caked hard bread that, you know, people could bring to sea and that would, you know, last for, for years, basically, until rehydrated.
Yeah. And then you'd have, I like my fish and brews with, with fresh fish, but you can use salt fish, you know, and soak. But, uh, yeah, it's just a, a fish and brews. Very simple dish, but, uh, like anything, simple food that some people make it, uh, you know, it's, uh, it's, uh, sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad.
But my grandmother's fish and brews is, uh, you know, I, I'd walk in their house and it was always either on the pot, you know, on the stove or in the fridge or, you know, it's, uh, one of those things that it's, uh, it's, you know, again, childhood memories. It's so soothing and so tasty and, and, uh, you know, fish, potatoes, onions, salt pork.
I mean, you could feed an army, you know, with very little, so I think that's another reason why it was such a, [00:16:00] a go-to dish for a lot of people, you know, feeding lots of people. And, um, yeah, Newfoundland obviously was never known for its culinary brilliance, but, uh, it was about, you know, feeding large groups of people on very little.
Root vegetables, salt pork-
Tiff: Right ...
Jeremy: and fish, basically. And, uh, it's amazing what you actually can do with all those things when you get at it and you start thinking in a, a- as a chef and, you know, different techniques that obviously my grandmother, you know, never had up her sleeves. It was all very simplicity.
But, uh, um, yeah, so I always love taking a lot of those traditional dishes and, uh, putting a twist on them, you know, and kind of, uh, turn them into something, I hate to use the word gourmet, but just a little bit more, you know.
Tiff: Elevated a bit.
Jeremy: Yeah, elevated. There
Tiff: you go. More than a little bit, but elevated.
You know, it's funny 'cause, uh, you see these, these cultures that have- Mm ... you know, argu- arguably challenging natural surroundings. Like, I don't think anyone would say that a [00:17:00] winter in Newfoundland's an easy thing to navigate, and there's been... I, I think the culture, uh, produces food that, that it needs to produce, right?
Like, you're too busy trying to survive and get food to do carrot curls on your plate or, you know- ... like, it's, they, they were trying to make healthy food and, and make it delicious. But, um, I think Newfoundland cuisine, outside of what, what you, you were producing, is it, it's not
It's not less than anything else. It, it was just, you know- Yes ... it's beautiful food and- Substance Yeah
Jeremy: Well, I mean, you know, yeah. And, uh, a lot of boiled dinners, you know, a lot of root vegetables- ... you know? Um, you know, s- split peas, a lot of things that could be- Yeah ... cellared or just kept in the pantry for, for long periods of time, 'cause obviously refrigeration was very challenging too.
And, and, uh, yeah, so these people who, uh, you know, first, uh, started to live here, they really had- Mm ... a lot of challenges to adapt and, and found ways to, to feed people.[00:18:00]
And, um,
yeah, so a lot of European descent. But, you know, the, the whole cheese-making culture never really made it here and, and, um, uh, so it's kinda interesting. But, um So yeah, again, root veg and obviously a lot of codfish, but there's so much more in the ocean as we know. So it's, uh, we have sea urchins, we have razor clams, you know.
Um, I mean, obviously lobster and crab and, and, uh, the list goes on and on. But, uh, again, my grandmother didn't eat sea urchin, let's put it that way, you know?
Tiff: Are, are many, are many people in Newfoundland, um, searching out those, those other, uh, species of fish? Or are you guys ... Is it still pretty, pretty much cod focused on-
Jeremy: Well, yeah, no, it's definitely a cod fishery now.
But yeah, there's a lot of different, uh, you know, lumpfish, there's flounder, halibut, and, uh, red fish. So yeah, once the cod morator- moratorium was in place, [00:19:00] um, they ended up basically really focusing a lot on shrimp and crab, I should say. And, uh, but yeah, there's a lot of other interesting, you know, mackerel, which is amazing here in this bay where I'm on right now, which will be starting up pretty soon, which I think is probably one of my favorite fish in the world.
A piece of grilled mackerel and-
Tiff: Oh, yeah ...
Jeremy: life is good, you know, on the Salmon River. Yep. Little shore lunch. It's, uh ... Wow, I'm getting hungry thinking about it,
Tiff: to be honest with you. So, so, so talking about salmon, um, I, I heard that you enjoy fly-fishing. It's, uh- So I was
Jeremy: like
Tiff: Yeah ... it's a passion of yours.
Yeah. So that, that, that starts up soon, doesn't it? It's hasn't quite started yet?
Jeremy: Yeah, June 1st, uh, the season opens up, and, uh, usually starts mostly over here on the west coast, uh, in the rivers there, um- Mm ... towards, uh, Port aux Basques and up that coast and, um, for the first few weeks, and then, um, you start seeing salmon enter rivers more just, uh, further south here and, um, and then eventually into the [00:20:00] Avalon Peninsula.
But, uh, yeah, I'd rather fish than eat, you know? I, I just grew up fly fishing- Yep ... with my dad, tying flies. And now my son is 14, and Hank is, uh ... You know, I love fishing, but Hank, like, really loves fishing. So, uh, we've been spending a lot of time on the river and, and, uh, we're looking forward to this summer and, uh, getting out there.
And, and, uh, you know, there's nothing better than spending a day on the river with him. And you're in the wild. You, you know, you're seeing all kinds of different animals. You're tying flies all winter from a moose you shot that previous season. To catch a wild Atlantic salmon is, uh, you know, it's kind of a full circle type of thing.
And, um, we usually keep or retain one fish a year. Everything else is hook and release, and we'll usually cook that on the side of the river or, you know, just as a, as a family meal 'cause it's such a special thing, you know? And, um, yeah, it's a big part of who I am and a big part of, uh, who we are as a family as well.
My, my wife loves salmon fishing. [00:21:00] My daughter's not sold on it yet, but, uh- It, that's okay. Um, so yeah, and it's, it's, you know, uh, childhood memories for me are spent with my dad walking the barrens trout fishing and salmon fishing on rivers of the Avalon Peninsula, and, uh, I wouldn't trade that for the world, you know?
It was a, it was amazing way to appreciate, you know, the landscape and respect the land and, and, uh, have a true understanding of, of, uh, how special, you know, Newfoundland really is, and Labrador.
Tiff: Being, uh, and being in that space and, like, spending that much time around the animal and being involved in this whole process, and I think unless you're standing in a river watching the water go by, like, it just forces you to be in the moment, and if you're open to it, y- it makes you appreciate a, a place so much more than just sort of actively or passively walking through or-
Jeremy: Yeah, I mean, we always say time stands still.
You don't age when you're fishing, you know? Yeah. So, uh, keep, s- fish as much as you [00:22:00] can. Uh, we always say, you know, "I regret, I never regret going fishing. I regret not going fishing."
Tiff: Yep. But- 100%.
Jeremy: So, uh, I'm 48 now, and, and I'm like, "You know what? I, I never say no to fishing." It's gotta really be a real snag for me not to go, and, uh, but, and, uh, yeah, some of the best memories and some of my, some of my closest friends c- uh, you know, come from fly fishing and spending time in the river and just, uh, yeah, they're, they're precious days, and just so many wonderful conversations and just time well spent, really.
Tiff: Yeah. So when you, when you initially left when you were 19, did you leave to work i- 'cause you worked in a fly fishing shop, is that right? Or did you leave for cooking school?
Jeremy: Yeah, I was, uh, worked in a bakery, uh, here in Newfoundland briefly, and then, um, when I moved to Montreal, yeah, I w- started working at a fly tying shop to, to pay my rent, uh, La Boutique Classique Angler for Peter Ferrargo down in Old Montreal, and I was tying a lot of flies, let me tell you.
But, uh, [00:23:00] I had to, had to start wearing glasses. But, uh- Oh, man ... uh, yeah, and then I just, you know, I always loved obviously cooking and, and, uh, eventually went to St. Pius Culinary Institute in Montreal- Mm-hmm ... um, on Papineau and Sauvé there, and, uh, yeah, spent a few years there and, uh, working with, uh, Otto Daniels, and he, uh, I had a stage after my, uh, like a work term with, uh, at the end of my- Mm-hmm
culinary schooling, and, uh, with Claude Pelletier, and then started working with Claude, which, who's a- A true icon in the Quebec culinary world, and just kinda went down, uh, that path with, with him and, and, uh, just met so many other wonderful cooks and friends and just kept cooking and just kept moving and seeing different parts of the, the country and, and r- the world really.
And eventually, except made my way back home and, and, uh, it's been an amazing, amazing journey. Truly, truly fortunate to, to do what I love to do, you know, and, and be passionate [00:24:00] about it. It's, uh, it's definitely not a nine to five. It's, uh-
Tiff: No.
Jeremy: Yeah. You
Tiff: don't wanna calculate your, uh, your compensation based on hours put in at any point.
Jeremy: Oh, no, no. Definitely not. No. I'd be, you know, I don't even know where to begin there. But, uh, you know, it's a lot of passion projects, but, uh, you know, that's... And people who get it, get it, you know? And, and, um, when you're, you know, when you're into something like that and you're, you're, um, you're in, you know, you're just totally 100% in, you know?
And there's- Mm ... there's no other way of thinking about it. There's no shortcuts. It's like, you know, especially when you're cooking for people, you know? And they're traveling all around the world to come and see and eat your food. You wanna make sure you're putting your best foot forward and making sure they have a wonderful experience.
And, and, uh, well, even if you're cooking for your family too, it's nice when everyone sits down and you have a beautiful meal together, and you put the effort into it and it's, uh, you know, it's just come [00:25:00] second nature really.
Tiff: Now, y- you're, you've been described as an ambassador for Newfoundland- Mm ... many, many, many times by many different people.
Is that, is that something that, like, does that weigh on you? Do you feel, is it kind of exhausting or?
Jeremy: No, I, I, I really embrace it, you know? Yeah. 'Cause, uh, I'm, like I said, I'm, I'm very, very passionate Newfoundland and Labradorian, and, uh, you know, Newfoundland's, uh, it's a magical place. And, uh- Mm ... again, I think for many years it was kind of like, uh, you know, an afterthought in Canada.
People were like, you know, very stereotypical about it. And when I came back to start to cook and, you know, I did some time at Michael Stadtlander at his farm, and, you know, he really kind of gave me the inspiration and the, not, well, the inspiration, but also the confidence to really, um, showcase Newfoundland food and be, feel confident about it and feel proud of that, you know?
And, uh, when I came back, I really wanted to, [00:26:00] again, put my best foot forward and, and show the rest of Canada how special we, well, you know, how special Newfoundland is and Labrador is. It's, uh-
Tiff: Mm ...
Jeremy: you know, we're the ones, you know, with some of the best products in the country, hands down. And, uh- Yeah ... it's, uh, you know, so I was really excited and, uh, proud to be able to show that to everybody in, you know, in my way of cooking and, and, uh, and to, you know, and still to this day, I, I travel the world bringing boxes of ingredients, you know?
Tiff: Yeah.
Jeremy: Snow crab, sea urchins, you name it, you know, cod, moose, rabbits, everything. It's, it's so amazing to be able to do that and to cook with people and, and to show people, again, all the wonderful ingredients. People are always just like, you know, taken aback by the beauty and the, the scallops and, my God, it's, it's a, a true bounty.
We have a, a amazing pantry of ingredients here, and, uh, yeah, truly sought after. And again, as you [00:27:00] know, being a chef, you're only as good as your ingredients. And when, like I said before, when you have beautiful stuff- Mm ... it's, uh, you know, it makes cooking that much more enjoyable and more exciting, vibrant, you know?
And, uh, but those things take a lot of work. I, I, I I curated stuff for years, you know, and, and relationships with people and divers and fishermen, 'cause a lot of stuff here, you know, doesn't find it, find its way on, on restaurants', you know, menus. It's, it's- Yeah ... packed up, frozen, shipped around the world, you know, obviously for, for a higher dollar.
And, uh, so yeah, it, it's taken a lot of work, but, you know, it, it's been amazing to go around the province and, and meet these people and, and become friends, and they have the confidence in, in myself and the restaurant to be able to supply me with these ingredients, knowing, you know, we'll, we can pay for them and, and, uh, and that they're gonna be used to their, you know, utmost.
And a lot of the, the people I deal with and growers, [00:28:00] and like I said, fishermen, they get a real kick out of, you know, seeing what we do with the ingredients and, you know, obviously the cookbook and stuff. Oh, yeah. And they're like, "My good God," you know? They're like
Tiff: So- Well, it's got to, it's got to be better for, for them and, and for the locals too.
Like, if they're, if they... If you've helped to create a system where they can probably much more easily sell, sell what they're producing, and- Oh, yeah ... uh, give- making it available to locals. I mean, y- if you live in a place where fish is caught, and, and there's other people producing, like, bringing in scallops and all these other fish and things like that, and it just, like, it creates a whole new system within Newfoundland.
It makes food and the culture so much richer for everyone else here. It's amazing.
Jeremy: Yeah. I, again, I think when we, we got Raymond's off the ground and we were really rolling, you know, we had a lot of, uh, great suppliers, and I think that's still continued on today with other restaurants and, you know, people are, um, there's other farmers.
You know, the whole community has grown and- Mm-hmm ... a [00:29:00] good friend of mine, Sean Dawson, I mean, Lori knows Sean very well as well. They're out, you know, out picking wild edibles and mushrooms and, you know, all those wonderful things that, uh, you know, were, were not really happening, you know? And, uh- Yeah ... there wasn't anybody buying that, you know, at the restaurants.
It was just, uh, you get that list from, uh, those big companies, and they deliver to your back door- Yeah ... and, uh, that's the menu, you know? So, um- Yeah ... I think we kinda, you know, flipped the script on that, so to speak, and just kind of, you know, opened the door to so many other things that are out there and which was super exciting.
And, and, uh, and it still is today. I mean, that's the way we love to cook, you know, from the land, and, and, you know, we're not cooking pineapples here, as I always say. We're, you know, Even though we do love pineapple weed and stuff like that, but-
Tiff: Yeah, exactly ...
Jeremy: makes a great ice cream. But-
Tiff: Slightly different
Jeremy: yeah. But, uh, it's, it's, uh, yeah, it was Sorry, I'm kind of rambling on here, but, uh- No ... yeah, to go back to your question, I, I love being a [00:30:00] Newfoundland ambassador and, and I'm proud of that. And, uh- Yeah ... you know, I feel, you know, I'm very fortunate to, to come from here 'cause, uh, again, I've been in all the big cities across the country, and I, I can't imagine not living here anymore, you know?
And,
Tiff: and, uh-
Jeremy: Yeah ... this, this is home for me. And, uh, yeah, very lucky.
Tiff: It's funny, uh, talk- talking about, um, the food systems. I was chatting with Elias Cairo, and actually he-- I, I-- You were on my radar to, uh, ask to come on the podcast. And I was down, down in Portland talking to him at his- Yeah ... facility. Amazing.
And he's like, "You need to get Jeremy on the podcast." Like, you- He's like, he, he raved about you, and it's, yeah, he, he loved you, but-- or he loves you. But, um- Yeah ... how, how he has done sort of a similar thing with creating the, the systems to supply his facility with good quality pork is, is similar. Like, it just, like, it's, I, I find it [00:31:00] so cool when chefs are able to, to do that, is to just sort of, like, resources you know are there or can be there.
But it's so easy for chefs to Be focused on, okay, this is how things are done. I'm gonna call up the company, they're gonna bring the white boxes, they're gonna dump it at, like you said, dump it at your back door, and- Yeah ... and it's the same generic crap in every restaurant where it's like-
Jeremy: Uh, it's,
Tiff: it's-
those vegetables are cut that way, right?
Jeremy: It's hard- Yeah ... to watch. And listen, uh- Mm ... being a chef is not easy, or a line cook or- Mm ... what have you. But it definitely takes that extra effort, you know, to get out there and again, make these relationships, go and get the fish wherever it may be across the island, you know?
Tiff: Mm.
Jeremy: God love my dad, he'd be driving all around the island. I'm like, "Dad, you gotta go down and get Jerry's fish." Three-hour drive down the road, you know? And make it way back. But, uh, yeah, it's, it's making that effort and, um, you know, having everybody buy in and, um, 'cause again, nothing comes easy. [00:32:00] But, uh, in the end, what you get on the plate is far superior and that much more, um, enjoyable and, you know, it just brings so much more satisfaction and, and, and, and joy, I think, as a cook and chef to, to, again, to make the effort and see that on the plate and, and to, to showcase all those things is, uh, yeah, to me it's, it's what, what cooking's all about, you know?
It's not- Yeah ... you're only as good as your last meal, so you might as well make it damn good, you know?
Tiff: I'm curious, uh, Newfoundland winters, obviously very different experience than what I'm gonna be dealing with in, in Vancouver.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Tiff: Um, now, do you feel that, that the winters in Newfoundland are, uh, like the people that live there that truly love Newfoundland, it's not something that you're enduring?
Like, do, do you, are you at the point where you enjoy the winters in Newfoundland?
Jeremy: Yeah. Um- Yeah ... I mean, you know, winter's coming. We always say that, right? So it's, uh- Yeah ... you [00:33:00] got, it's, uh, my wife's father wrote a song about that. It was pretty cool. But, uh, it's, uh, yeah, I mean, people know it's coming. People embrace it.
You know, a lot of sledding and people are in their, they got their wood chopped and they're ready for the winters and, you know, a lot of time spent in sheds, you know, and bottling, pickling. And, um, you know, those are the months that y- you know, it's downtime as well and, and, um, people are out, you know, snaring rabbits, ice fishing, what have you.
And you, you know, I, I, I really think to enjoy your winter, you really need to embrace it, you know? And to get out and enjoy it and, and, uh, there's a lot of great food that comes from that. Again, your, your salt fish and your bottled, a lot of bottled mousse and, and bottled berries and, you know, a lot of things coming from root cellars and stuff, pickled mushrooms and beets and, you know, a lot, you know, I, I talk about boiled dinners, you know.
We have, uh- Peas pudding, which is, you know, soaked yellow peas into a bag, which is cooked in a, a, a, [00:34:00] a broth or a liquor, a pot liquor from, uh, you know, salt pork and vegetables, and you puree that. It's like, you know, for me, that again, it's one of those things that you just, you know, childhood memories, peas pudding with, uh, vegetables and roasted, roasted piece of meat and gravy.
That was your, you know, Sunday dinner at your grandmother's every Sunday, and it's, uh, you know, it's again, it's amazing. I always say, um, isola- inspiration from isolation, you know? It's, it's amazing when you're-
Tiff: Yeah ...
Jeremy: when you're, you're in a tough spot, and, um, you just make the best of it, and it's amazing what you really can kinda come up with and create when you're really, you don't have many options, so to speak.
But you, you definitely get the best of what you do have, and it creates you to, pushes you to think and, and, and to really push yourself and, and, and especially as a, a restaurant, you know, those months are really hard, you know? And, uh-
Tiff: I can only imagine. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, no.
Jeremy: Yeah. [00:35:00] Yeah,
Tiff: so i- is, uh, just out of curiosity, is this peas pudding, is that like Jiggs dinner?
Is it- Yeah ... is this the same thing? Yeah.
Jeremy: Yeah, Jiggs dinner. I mean, peas pudding is- Okay ... you know, you soak your peas overnight or for whatever, as long as you can there, and, and then- Mm-hmm ... you put 'em in these cloth bags, and you cook it in the, in the, the, the pot liquor with the vegetables. And, and, um, yeah, you just, you push it out, and you just feed it- Yeah
butter and salt and pepper, and it's, you know- Yeah. I put it in raviolis and pastas and, you know, with a bit of pot liquor, and it's like, you know, it's unbelievable. Oh,
Tiff: that would be amazing. That would be... I mean, I li- my mom used to make it for us as kids, and, and I re- I remem- obviously she wouldn't do it, you did, but, um, that would be amazing.
I always loved it, but-
Jeremy: Yeah, it's-
Tiff: Yeah, as a filling for ravioli, that's-
Jeremy: Yeah, it's lights out. You should try it.
Tiff: Oh, yeah. It's,
Jeremy: yeah, it's, it's, uh, yeah, like I said, serve that with a bit of pot liquor and some vegetables- Yeah ... and, uh, it's, uh, the Newfoundland Jiggs dinner ravioli is [00:36:00] alive and well, you know?
It's, uh, it was a staple- That's fantastic ... on the menu at Raymond's. I think it's in the book. I'm not sure.
Tiff: Is it? I, I, I, I must have missed it 'cause I- Or maybe I- Yeah ...
Jeremy: I can't remember. Sorry. Yeah. I'm sure it's there. No,
Tiff: no, no. No, no. There's... And, and to talk about your book, I, I'm curious 'cause, like, this does not strike me as a type of book that's written for, like, a 65-year-old Newfoundland woman that's like-
coming home on a Friday night after work that's gonna cook for her kids. Did, who, who did you write this book for? Is this for people to, like, see the best of what Newfoundland can be? Or what was your, what was your intention with this book?
Jeremy: Yeah, I mean, it took me about two years to... It was a two-year project, and, uh, I'll go through it with you.
But, um- I'd been approached by another company and I got at it and I was like, "My God, this is not, this is not adding up. I don't wanna do something that I'm not proud of and-
Tiff: Yeah ...
Jeremy: I feel good about." So I gave back the, uh, whatever the amount of money they put up for it. Yeah. And I was like, I was like, [00:37:00] "You know what, guys?
Thanks, but no thanks." And then, um, of course, six months later or a year later, Phaidon reached out. I'm like, "Oh, my God. Okay. Yeah, these guys do beautiful, amazing projects and books." And I was like, "Okay, Jeremy, you owe it to yourself to make this happen." And for me, I really wanted to document all the, you know, all the beautiful ingredients that we have, obviously, around us, you know?
And to, I guess, in a moment in time, showcase the dishes, a lot of dishes that we're, we're doing at Raymond's, you know? And, uh Yeah, so it was, uh, a definitely a passion project and, and, uh, it was something that, you know, I was e- eventually super proud of. Once I, I finished the book, I was like, "My good God." I mean, it's a slog, you know?
I think you talked to anybody who writes a cookbook, I mean, you know, you're, you're lying if you say it's not. I know technology's changed now and there's other ways of getting things done, but, uh, it was tough. And we, we... My buddy John Cullen, [00:38:00] who, uh, is a photographer, you know, we shot the book once and I step back and I look at it and I'm like, "John," man, I said, "This is not it.
This is, this is not what I'm looking for," or not, you know, "It just doesn't feel right." And he's like, "Man, I'm coming back." So he came back and lived at my mother-in-law's house, uh, for like a few months, and we shot the whole book at Raymond's in the mornings in the private dining room. So we'd, we'd set up in the morning and, uh, our goal every day was to get, you know, two or three dishes.
Sometimes we got one, sometimes we didn't get one, sometimes we got four, you know? And of course, we're cooking in season and, uh, so it, it was, uh, a lot of work, but again, in the end, I'm, I'm super glad that we, we, we put the work in 'cause I mean, you know, I'm, uh, you know... Would, would I change a few things about the book?
I think everybody would, you know, in the end, and there's a few other things I would've done differently, but in the end, I'm, yeah, super proud of it. I'm just, you know, it's something that [00:39:00] I'm, uh, able to share at my, my kids who were pretty young during that time and, and, uh, yeah, it's kind of, uh, yeah, it's a coffee table book, sure, but it's also for people who understand food and intricacies of food and, you know, it's kind of a fun thing to look at and, you know, hopefully it inspires people.
And I think it has hopefully inspired young cooks of Newfoundland to think outside the box and kinda show the possibilities of what you can do. And I guess not only in Newfoundland, but you know, where- if you're cooking from anywhere, get out there and discover your backyard and educate yourself of what it's around you, all the wild edibles and, you know, know, understand how to get them on a plate and celebrate your, yeah, your terroir really.
That's what it's
Tiff: all about. Yeah, I mean, it, it reads, it reads like a book that can be appreciated by Someone living in a big city that just wants to be treated as a coffee table book, but I think more than that, it does read like, uh, a [00:40:00] cookbook for, for foodie people that will have food stains all on, on the pages-
and pages stuck together, and I, like, yeah, it's, it's a stunning book. It's, it's so much more... It's, I don't know. It's just, it's beautiful, and it's hard to s- find that in, in... There's not a lot of cookbooks that, uh, are like that, where it, it can, it can straddle both, both sides of that, um,
Jeremy: but it's- Yeah. Um, you know, I, I never wanted to be pretentious, but, you know, it just, the food came out as it was and, you know.
Yeah. Um, yeah, I thought we put our best foot forward at that moment in time and captured what we were doing and, and again, documented as much as we could of all the wild things around us, you know? And, um, yeah, uh, again, it's, it was a, a moment in time. I'm, I'm glad we did it, and, uh-
Tiff: Yeah ...
Jeremy: uh, it was, it was definitely a, a group effort on a number of people, and, uh, 'cause God knows, it's, uh, it was, it was a big project, so [00:41:00] very- I can imagine
very grateful to everybody involved, for sure. Do
Tiff: you, do you have plans for, for books in the future or?
Jeremy: Yeah. Well, I mean- Yeah ... I said never again. I mean, you know, you never should never say never. But, uh, yeah, I'm working on some ideas for, uh, like a moose c- moose camp cookbook, something, um, you know, you get at the gas station, just basically a softcover book that
would, you know- Yeah ... I could do a bunch of, I don't know, recipes. I'm just kinda spitballing here, but, uh- Yeah ... I got some thoughts, and God knows we'll see what happens, but we... To me, it's just finding the time these days to sit down and write a book 'cause it's like, you know, I got two dogs, two kids, you know, doing it all.
It's, uh, you know, is the juice worth the squeeze? I don't know. We'll see.
Tiff: Yeah, partner with, like, the, uh, you know, like, the Methodist, you know, ladies cookbook of, uh- ... West Newfoundland or something like that.
Jeremy: Exactly. I don't know.
Tiff: Yeah.
Jeremy: See
Tiff: what
Jeremy: happens.
Tiff: That's awesome. Now, uh, [00:42:00] moose hunting, I'm pr- I'm, I've never moose hunted in, in Newfoundland.
Um- Yeah ... m- I regularly do in BC. I love it. It's... I don't, I don't, I always change my mind what type of hunting's my favorite hunting, but, like, there's something about moose hunting that I just absolutely love Um, what's it, what's it like Newfoundland? Do you guys have like, uh, access to it every year? Can you, can you harvest a moose every season or-
Jeremy: Yeah, the way it works- Mm-hmm
um, you're guaranteed a moose every four years like individually, depending on where you, um, you apply. There's different z- regions obviously across the province, and, um, so a lot of people just go into, um, the draw with four other people, so somebody's obviously guaranteed, you know? 'Cause, uh, so but, uh, I usually apply myself and a number of friends, we apply for the west coast over in 2E, which is in Gros Morne, which is off the beaten path, and it's hard to get to, and so you're almost guaranteed, uh, nothing's guaranteed, but you're, you know-
Tiff: Yeah
Jeremy: we've been [00:43:00] fortunate to get an animal almost every season. And, um, so we, uh, we pack up a bunch of stuff, and we, uh, we get dropped in by a helicopter, and we set up camp for, you know, three, four days. And I usually invite, you know, two or three chef friends of mine, and, uh-
Tiff: Nice ...
Jeremy: you know, some close friends, and, and we, uh, we cook and we hunt, and, uh, it's unbelievable really, I'll be honest.
It's, uh, it's such a magical time this season, and, uh, in Gros Morne National Park, it's, you know, it's the only park in Canada that I'm aware of that you're able to harvest a moose 'cause of the, the populations here are so dense. They, uh, you know, they're destroying the forest and are, are actually starving in certain areas 'cause they're eating up all the vegetation, and of course the, uh-
Tiff: Mm-hmm
Jeremy: the car accidents and stuff like that. They try to minimalize that. But, um, so yeah, a lot of the hunting for me takes place on the west coast, but it is across the whole island, on the Avalon and what have you. And, uh, usually starts in the first week of September, it's bow [00:44:00] hunting season. Oh, okay. So it's, it's, uh, first two weeks, excuse me.
And then s- yeah, the second, uh, I think September 14th, 15th, uh, the season opens, then it will go until certain areas up until around January, but mostly it ends in December in most areas, and certain ones are open a bit longer in the, in the winter season. And, um, yeah, it's, you know, the moose were introduced here in 19- 1903 or something, and, um-
Tiff: I read that recently.
I didn't know that. Everyone- Yeah ... you just kind of figure they're like this, you know, this image of, of Newfoundland. I, I just- Yeah ... heard that they were introduced to help, help the caribou population.
Jeremy: Yeah, it was the caribous indigenous here. Yeah. But, uh, yeah, so the moose were introduced and they introduced four, and they didn't take, and then they did it again a year later or two, and, uh, my God, yeah, they took for sure.
And, uh, the-
Tiff: And they're, they're still, they're still doing well.
Jeremy: Yeah, for sure. I mean- Yeah ... they've increased the, um, the, the, uh, licensing, licenses [00:45:00] throughout- Mm ... the province and, um, yeah, so the moose population's alive and well. But like anything, you gotta keep an eye on it and make sure it's, uh, controlled properly-
Tiff: Yeah
Jeremy: 'cause of, uh, again, moose accidents and- Uh, poaching and all kind of crazy stuff and, uh, but, uh, yeah, it's, it's amazing to be able to go out and again, uh, with your friends, and I brought Hank last year and-
Tiff: Oh,
Jeremy: nice ... you know, to watch him call in an animal, you know, and have it swim across a pond and come up and- Oh, my God
it's like something out of a movie. There's
Tiff: nothing better than that.
Jeremy: Yeah. It was- Yeah ... it was magical, you know? Yeah. And, uh, yeah, and to be able to have that protein throughout the season to, uh, to sh- to obviously to consume for you and your- Yeah ... your family, but also to share with, with other friends and to have, uh, for people coming from away to, to experience that is, uh, you know, it's, it's, it's a wonderful thing, and it's again, wild organic protein.
I mean, it doesn't get much better than that really. No.
Tiff: No, it's, so you- ... [00:46:00] you're able to take a helicopter into the site?
Jeremy: Yeah. We g- we go in and get dropped off, and, uh, we set up camp, and, uh, we got, uh, you said usually three or four days in there and just-
Tiff: Yeah ...
Jeremy: we have some canvas tents and, you know, we got our, uh, our setups and it's usually, you know W- weather depending, but, uh, you know, but we've had snow, we've had amazing days, we've had rain, and, uh, but we've always been, you know, successful pretty much with our animals and, and, uh, yeah, it's, uh, it's, it makes for an amazing hunt.
And for me, that was the inspiration for the next cookbook, to document, you know, what we're cooking in there and just, you know, so many simple, wonderful recipes. But the moose is an amazing animal, you know, and, uh, you can do so much with it, so we have a lot of fun with that, for sure.
Tiff: Okay. Yeah, BC, we, uh, you can't take a helicopter on a hunting trip.
You, it-
Jeremy: Um, yeah, we don't use it throughout the trip. I mean, it's just you get dropped in and-
Tiff: Yeah, no, we can't even do that.
Jeremy: Okay. Right on.
Tiff: You, if, yeah, if you're hunting, you, uh, you can't use a [00:47:00] helicopter because I guess with the mountains and stuff, people were using them to-
Jeremy: Okay ...
Tiff: scope out- Sure ... the goats and sheep and stuff are.
But yeah- Yeah ... no, that's, that's cool. That's interesting. Yeah. And, uh, so your, your proposed, you know, this cookbook you're thinking of is less a how to cook moose, it's more of like a moose camp book.
Jeremy: Yeah, no, it's moose camp, but yeah, there would be- Cool ... you know, a high percentage of moose recipes- Yeah.
you know? 'Cause everything, you know, bottle moose, moose meatballs- Yeah ... you know, moose tartare, heart tartare. I mean, you know, the list goes on and on.
Tiff: Yeah.
Jeremy: And, uh, so I think it'd be nice to do something that's achievable for everybody. You know, obviously the first book is a little bit more, um, you know, a lot of people do the seafood soup, you know?
Yeah. And, uh, I get a lot of people- Yeah ... like, "Yeah, I've done the seafood soup, but everything else is a bit interesting." I'm like, "Yeah, fair enough," but, uh, I just like-
Tiff: Not a lot of people cooking cod sounds?
Jeremy: Yeah, I mean, you know, yeah, it's, it's not as crazy as you think, but, uh, they're delicious. But yeah, something a little bit more appor- [00:48:00] approachable and just to be able to, for me, tell the story of a moose hunt and the importance and the history and, uh, on my, you know, from my perspective and, and, uh, my experiences, and, um, yeah.
So, uh, yeah, I'm looking for a publisher and, and trying to find somebody who would take that on, so I guess we'll see- Yeah ... what happens.
Tiff: Oh, that's cool. Yeah. It sounds, sounds amazing.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Tiff: Do you guys, do you guys still have caribou in, in Newfoundland, or is there, are there some of them?
Jeremy: Yeah, there are caribou.
Yeah. Okay. Very limited hunt. I mean, there's people coming from all around the world to, they, they, they put out a handful of tags. I think there are somewhere like 20, $25,000 for a caribou. Like, uh, it's something crazy.
Tiff: That's, that's nuts. So- That's nuts.
Jeremy: Yeah. So, uh, but you get people coming for it and, uh- Mm
'cause it's part of the, uh- I can't remember now. Um, you know, it's, you gotta get this woodland caribou, you know, it's, it's a big one, so
Tiff: Ah, they're like ticking the boxes
Jeremy: for all the good species. Yeah Yeah. Yeah. And then we're only one of the only places around you can do that, [00:49:00] so, uh-
Tiff: Yeah ...
Jeremy: so it's a big, big price tag, and obviously for a lot of guides and outfitters it's, uh, you know, it's, it's something they, they obviously are, they look forward to.
But, um, yeah, so the populations here obviously are been declined for a long time due to, you know, the, the disease brainworms and, and, um I mean, like everything, overhunting and, and, uh, what have you. So, but there's been a lot of great feedback of, of animals of coming back. I saw two yesterday actually.
Tiff: Oh.
Jeremy: And, um, just driving up the road, they're just on the side of the road, you know, feeding away. And, uh, but yeah, they're such a beautiful, just gorgeous animal, you know? Especially, uh, you know, you see those stags come along with those big racks and they're, you know, um, you know, the Newfoundland caribou was, you know, was used by the Newfoundland regiment and, and, uh, it just stands for so much, you know?
And, and it's, uh, yeah, it's a, it's, it's a gorgeous, gorgeous protein as well. [00:50:00] But, um, yeah, so I've actually never hunted caribou 'cause I haven't been able to, and I don't think I would want to at the moment. So it's, uh, one of those things that, uh, yeah, it's just beautiful to see. And, and, uh, again, it's kinda like the wild Atlantic salmon.
I mean, numbers are in decline. Rivers are, you know, the planet's warming up and, uh, the whole farmed salmon, which is, you know, really causing a lot of, uh, negative impact for wild fish is, uh, you know, alive and well in Newfoundland and Labrador, which is, uh-
Tiff: Is it?
Jeremy: Yeah. It's really unfortunate. Ah. On the southwest coast, you know, these, uh, open pen farmed salmon are, you know, obviously the disease and sea lice and the deaths are, it's crazy.
And, uh, it's affecting a lot of wild fish, wild rivers here in our, in our water systems and, uh, wild rivers, you know, we're so fortunate to have, you know, I think we have m- more salmon rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador than all North America combined, you know? So-
Tiff: Oh my God.
Jeremy: Yeah. It's crazy.
Tiff: I've gotta get [00:51:00] to Newfoundland.
Jeremy: Yeah. No, it's, it's, it's unreal. And, uh- Wow ... and, uh, our government seems to believe at the moment that it's, uh, it's okay to, uh, allow these companies to come in and produce these, uh, you know, basically rent out our oceans to these companies to fill our oceans full of crap and, and disease, fish. And, uh, they see nothing wrong with it.
It's, uh, creating jobs, but yet not affecting our wild rivers and fish. I'm like, is, again, I use the, the term is the juice worth the squeeze? Uh, it is definitely not, and in 10 years' time, they're gonna be like, "Oh, well, you know, it wasn't our fault," or some crap like that. So it just gets me pretty fired up- Yeah
'cause it's, uh, it's a real issue and it's something that I've been, you know, drawing attention to and educating people on, uh, about making other choices. You know, do you wanna eat farmed salmon or do you want to eat wild cod or do you want to eat- Yeah ... make, make wise choices. And to be honest with you, farmed salmon is really not that good for [00:52:00] you w- and when you understand what's going on.
So, uh, Off The Table's been an organization I've been working with and obviously with, uh, Hooké and, and, um- The ASF, Atlantic Salmon Federation, and, and, um, yeah, you know, keep fish, fish wild, keep, keep rivers wild and, and, uh, you know, let's be responsible 'cause, uh, you know, I just think about my son Hank and his friends and the future of fishing and fly fishing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
It's like we're really putting it, uh, at jeopardy right now, and for what? For f- you know, farmed salmon. It's, it's, uh... it all comes down to money and, and greed and power and all that kind of foolishness. And, uh, you know, we look at land-based aquaculture going forward. I'm, I'm working a lot with wolfish right now from Amara Seafoods, which the brood stock originates from St.
John's, and it's being produced in PEI, Scotland, and, uh, in, uh, in Norway. And, uh, it's amazing what you can do on, with land-based aquaculture when you actually [00:53:00] make the effort and put in the investment and, you know, protect the future of wild fish and also, you know, disease-free, zero carbon footprint. And, uh, so it's something we really need to start talking about and- Yeah
letting people know that farmed salmon is not a good thing, you know, and, uh, to make other choices and yeah.
Tiff: It sounds, it sounds like you guys have similar issues to what we're facing out here on the West Coast. I mean, it's... uh, there's almost, I almost think sometimes that the government is intentionally mismanaging it so there won't be a problem, right?
Like- Like, "Oh, there's no more, uh, keribu gone. I guess we don't have to worry about trying to bring their numbers back." Like-
Jeremy: Yeah,
Tiff: it's, uh- It's just, it- ... mind-boggling ... it flows. Yeah. It, it, it lacks- Hm ... it lacks logic.
Jeremy: Again- It doesn't make sense to me ... comes back to making the effort. To me, it's just a lazy cash grab for the government, you know?
It's an easy- Yeah ... you know, and, uh, it, it's, it's unacceptable, and I, I refuse to give in. I, I always speak up and voice my opinion. I, I [00:54:00] just went to Davos at the World Economic Forum this past year and had a nice platform to get up there and talk about that and just draw awareness to, uh, what we're doing and how we can make change and, and, uh, yeah, it's, uh, change has gotta happen, you know?
And, you know, listen, there's gotta be some happy medium, you know, meet in the middle ground somehow, some way, at least make the effort, you know? But, uh, right, right now at this point they're, they're doing everything they can to just, you know, turn a blind eye, tear up the contract, and move forward. The end, you know?
It's like, okay, wonderful But we're c- but we're creating jobs.
Tiff: Well, and that's, that's it too. I, I thought a few years back when, uh, Trudeau was still, uh, in power, that he ended fish farms. M- it might have been on the West Coast only, but he set, like, a timeline. They have to be out by this time, and then there was, like, this whole slew of ads everywhere about how, "Oh, what about the jobs?
This job here." I'm like, really? That's- Yeah ... like, I feel like there's just so
Jeremy: much- When people [00:55:00] understand the amount of jobs that are actually being created by these farms, and- Yeah ... uh, the amount of money that's actually left within the economy here in Newfoundland or wherever the, the location of the farm, it's, you know, something worth talking about, you know?
Yeah. And in, in the end, these, again, these conglomerate companies, organizations come in, dump leaf trash, like, like mind-boggling amounts of, of, of pollution and waste. And, uh, when you watch the videos, you're, like, gobsmacked, and you're like, not only is the government allowing this, they're actually funding it.
They're helping, you know? Which is even more mind-boggling. So it's, um- Yeah ... yeah, it's a huge issue, and, uh, it's never gonna go away. But we need to, you know, fight for wild fish and, and do whatever we can 'cause, you know, look at places like Scotland and in Quebec and New Brunswick. They're trying to get the wild fish back 'cause it, you know, they've been, you know, [00:56:00] mismanaged.
And, you know, obviously they're dealing with the bass population, striped bass, and you know, warming climates and predators and illegal fishing. I mean, there's so many things going against the, the wild salmon, and now we're gonna throw in, uh, you know, these, uh, escaped fish with, you know, sea lice and disease that are gonna, you know, cohabitate with other fish.
And just, yeah, it's just, it's mind-boggling. Anyhow, I w- a- again, we can talk about this on another program, I think. It's like I could talk about it for a long time.
Tiff: I think you are, you are likely seeing a lot of the same stuff that we're seeing out here too. It's just-
Jeremy: Yeah, the science is there. You know, the education's there.
Yeah. And, uh, there's, we know what we need to do, so let's just do it, you know? Yeah. And, uh, um, yeah, just start taking care of our wild fish. You know, the end.
Tiff: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I know. It doesn't, it doesn't need to be so complicated.
Jeremy: No, it doesn't.
Tiff: No. Is there something about Newfoundland you wish more people misunderstood?
You talked before about, uh, [00:57:00] stereotypes of Newfoundland. I know out west it's, you know, the screech and, like, all, all these things that are like, I don't know, like- Yeah, I mean, you know, I grew
Jeremy: up, you know, with the, the Newfoundland jokes and all this kind of crap, you know? It's just like, uh, it's 2027, you know?
Uh- And you know, like, like anything, there's people that, that leave and, you know, don't, don't, uh, always set the proper image for what people, I guess, think Newfoundland is. But I mean, Newfoundland is a beautiful, wild, amazing province of Canada that, you know, has so many amazing musicians and artists and creatives and, and just, uh, it's, it's, it's an unbelievable place, you know?
It's not just about the rum and screech and salt cod, you know? It's so much more than that, you know? It's polar bears, it's icebergs, it's, uh, it's, uh, you know, humpback whales. It's, uh, it's p- pure rugged beauty with probably the friendliest people in Canada- Yeah ... [00:58:00] hands down,
Tiff: you know? That's, that's been my experience.
Uh- People from Newfoundland are just salt of the earth, like amazing people.
Jeremy: Yeah, truly. And, uh, you know, it's, uh... Yeah, so it's, you know, I'm, I'm out here, like I said, on the West Coast, and it's amazing the, um, the influx of, uh, tourism that, you know, people are fi- finally starting to realize. You know, I still think it's a, a hidden gem, so to speak, for, you know, compared to some of the tourism, you know, that goes through PEI and whatever for Anne of Green Gables, et cetera, which is an amazing place too, don't get me wrong.
Yeah. And gorgeous beaches and all that. But, uh, when people make the effort and they keep, keep pushing and they get all the way out here, it's, uh, it's, it's unbelievable, and we have so much to offer. And, um, yeah, I just, uh, just wish people, um, yeah, make the trip, make the effort. You live once, you know? Make the memories.
Again, you know, in the end all we got is memories, so, uh-
Tiff: Yeah ...
Jeremy: you know. Um, a lot of people, you know, go to Florida. They, [00:59:00] uh, never been to Labrador. I'm like, uh, I'm talking about people from Newfoundland, you know? Yeah,
Tiff: yeah.
Jeremy: But, uh, and granted, you know, getting to Labrador is not cheap either, which is very...
That's a whole other conversation, you know, to travel within your own province and make it affordable to... You know, it's cheaper to go to Florida, which is, again, mind-boggling. But- Well- ... uh, you know, I mean-
Tiff: That's what, that's what blows my mind is, um, it is cheaper for me to fly to London-
Jeremy: Yeah ...
Tiff: than it is to fly to, to Halifax to visit my family.
Yeah, so. And, you know, like, I'd go back, I'd go back there every summer, and I remember one year my family was like, "Hey, we're gonna go to Newfoundland and go visit." And I was like, "No, I don't, I don't wanna leave." Uh, I, I love my grandparents' house. I was so... Like, I just loved it there, and run around on the farm, picking berries, and salamanders, and going fishing, and all the things, digging clams, all that stuff.
And-
Jeremy: Mm ...
Tiff: I didn't wanna go, and I was probably 12 or 13 at the time, and I, like, to this day, I'm like, "Why didn't I go?" I, like- ... I've never, I've never been, and I [01:00:00] really, I'm kicking myself. I really regret it. Yeah. We were supposed to, we were supposed to go this year. A friend of ours from, um, ATI, they make world's best scopes in, in Nova Scotia.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Tiff: And they were, they were talking about going d- diving for scallops, and they're like, "You gotta come out. We'll go diving for scallops. Go get your scuba license." So I went out, I got my scuba license- Good for you ... went and did it, and, uh, that was the plan. And by the time I was able to get in to do it, it was too late.
So, um- Yeah ... but that was the plan, is to come out, go diving for scallops, come up to Newfoundland, finally go do it, make the trip-
Jeremy: Yeah ...
Tiff: experience it,
Jeremy: but- It's, uh, yeah, I've never had anybody regret, you know? I just had Paul Kahan here from Chicago, a big chef. Yeah. Good friend of mine. This is his third time here.
We just cooked, uh, all week, and just did some cruising around. He's just like, you know, he just loves it, you know? That goes for so many other people that come and cook with me, and, you know, it's, uh, yeah, they're always taken back by the beauty and just simplicity. And [01:01:00] even when Bourdain was here, you know, he just loved the, the simplicity of it and just the ambiguity and, you know, just so vast and untouched, and it still feels very wild, you know?
And, uh- Yeah ... it's, uh, yeah, it's a true, a true gem of Canada for sure, you know? And, uh, again, I don't think it always got the respect it deserves, but I mean, uh, I think, uh, you know, it's, uh, yeah, it's truly magic, and, uh, hopefully people come and see us.
Tiff: Well, I, I promise I will. I will eventually. It's, it's on my...
My husband was asking what my bucket list was, and I'm like, "I don't have a bucket list." And then I started thinking about it. Mm-hmm. I'm like, no, I like... I don't know. I, it's, it's on my list, diving for scallops in Nova Scotia, and then pop up to, uh, to Newfoundland to, to check it out. Yeah. Pick, pick some berries and-
Jeremy: Come up to North Point-
try to catch an Atlantic salmon ... and I'll make you a, a, a lobster roll and bring you salmon fishing. Amazing. And, uh, we'll thr- put some iceberg ice in your drink and, you [01:02:00] know.
Tiff: That sounds awesome.
Jeremy: And breathe the salt air.
Tiff: Oh my God. That sounds- Get a seaweed
Jeremy: bath.
Tiff: Yeah. That sounds amazing.
Jeremy: Yeah.
Tiff: Well-
Jeremy: It's, uh-
Tiff: Jeremy, thank you so much. I, I really enjoyed speaking with you and, uh, you know- Yeah ... meeting you and, um-
Jeremy: Thank you, Tiffany.
Tiff: Yeah. I really appreciate it.
Jeremy: It's, uh, yeah, a real pleasure. Again, I, I love, uh, love talking about, about Newfoundland and Labrador and, and, uh, all the wonderful things, so thanks for the opportunity and, and, uh, hopefully we'll be able to, again, host you here, and hopefully we can have another chat sometime soon.