According to numerologists, psychics, and students of all matters "lucky," Saturday, July 7, 2007 (7/7/7) was a perfect day for a wedding. Apparently it had something to do with energy, vibrations and patterns of something we can't see with our eyes. Personally, I don't follow numerological or psychic trends. But on the issue of July 7th weddings, I could not agree more. It was a glorious day for weddings in Toronto and I know because I catered one at a beautiful site located on an island in Lake Ontario. I guess it is possible that the date of the affair had something to do with its outcome, but I suspect that something else was at play for Penny and Marv , the couple who exchanged nuptials.

I first met Penny and Marv in April. They sought me out because they wanted to hire a caterer who sources ingredients from local farmer's markets. Believe it or not, they searched high and low to no avail until they were referred to me by my old employer, The Healthy Butcher. When we met for the first time it was "local love" at first sight. Penny and Marv had very specific ideas regarding the food that would be served at their wedding. They wanted local, seasonal and preferably organic ingredients. We talked and established some basic parameters. Penny and Marv wanted organic butter and milk, fair trade coffee and their own edible flowers to be served. They had actually begun growing them in March for their July 7th wedding. They wanted the food to be prepared simply, allowing the natural flavors of pristine ingredients to shine through. I had a few stipulations too. Cooking with local ingredients requires a significant amount of flexibility. We could develop a menu as a guideline, but since the ingredients would be sourced the week of the wedding from growers who do not guarantee availability (and who would want them to?) flexibility was of the utmost importance.

From my perspective, as a chef who prides himself on the provenance of his ingredients, Penny and Marv were ideal clients. They understood the importance of allowing the seasons to dictate a menu's makeup. Local cherries, which had become available the week of the wedding were stuffed with duck confit and pistachios and served as an hors d'oeuvre. English peas, sugar snaps and snow peas picked the day before were paired with a classic accompaniment of baby carrots and bacon vinaigrette. One local baker, Alli, made perfect little potato buns to house the pulled pork and pea sprouts. Another bakery, St. John's, produced a beautiful variety of breads for the tables. Merchants of Green roasted fair trade Peruvian coffee beans the same day as the wedding resulting in fresh, almost nutty flavored coffee. All of these producers and many others contributed to Marv and Penny's wedding in a significant way. They made a very real appearance at the wedding even though they were not actually present. July 7th did, in fact, turn out to be a perfect day for a wedding. Perhaps the "triple sevens" played a part, but it is more than likely that Penny and Marv were blessed with a beautiful day, surrounded by great friends and family members, and local ingredients that were grown and produced with them in mind.

Names have been changed to preserve anonymity.

About Ezra Title

Ezra Title has dedicated his professional career to the highest levels of restaurant cooking by working for some of the most highly accomplished chefs. From Massimo Capra in Toronto to Daniel Boulud and Dan Barber in New York to Traci Des Jardins in San Francisco, Ezra has learned classical French technique and developed an affinity for local ingredients that results in distinctive, inspired cuisine of uncompromising quality.  Ezra Title is the chef/owner of chezvous, an at-home restaurant concept that brings vibrant cuisine and personalized service into the comfort of one's home. All of the chezvous menus are customized according to customer's tastes and ingredients are sourced directly from local growers and producers around Toronto. Ezra's love of classical French technique and affinity for local ingredients results in distinctive, inspired cuisine of uncompromising quality.   For more information on turning your dining room into a five-star restaurant, contact chezvous at: http://www.chezvousdining.ca or email Ezra directly at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it