Contributing Writer

FOR. restaurant cus-
tomers, the words
“baked in a wood-
burning oven” ona
menu conjure up a
romantic, rustic
image, redolent of
erranean dinners
al fresco in a sun-dap-
pled Tuscan meadow.
Now, people are trying to
bring the smoky flavour of
that food home by installing
wood-burning ovens in their
own kitchens and gardens.

Gary Johnstone, of

Johnstone’s Barbecue and
Fireplace Products, has had
home versions of the oven
on offer for the last
month

His is the only company
in Canada currently selling
the ovens.

Johnstone made contact
with an L.A.-based manufac-
turer, Earthstone, when a
customer of his requested a
wood-burning oven.

North Vancouverite Bob
Golden decided to have a
wood-burning oven installed
in time for his father’s 75th
birthday.

. A self-confessed barbecue
nut, Golden says he decided
to be a “guinea pig” for the
oven after he and Johnstone
tracked down Earthstone in
L.A.

Golden, who is manager
of store development and
design for Future Shop, says
he’s “delighted” with hi
new oven,“although mz wilt
thinks it’s a little over the
top,” he cracks.

“I cold her we hadn't got
around to the tandoori oven
yer!”

The oven itself is made in

OUTDOOR or indoors, w

a bo etenapremenetgrin

ood OVENS C

brance, and is asadable in
pre assented or modular
forn.,

Golden, along with
Johnstone and a brick laver,
assembled his Oven himscit.

For those whe choose to
install the ovens chemscives,
the materials come with
assembly instructions.

Evervthing from pizza to

bread and all manner of
meats can be baked af forno
in the even.

At roughly $8,000 gach,
the ovens are not for ¢
one, says Johnstone, but for
a select amount of people,
they're fantastic for cooking.

We watched them cook-
ing at the factory in L.A.
a i it was really something.

ercial chef wants
one in his kitchen.”

Restaurants like Earl's
Tin Palace in North
Vancouver have made the
ovens 2 prominent design
feature.

Commercial operations
buy direct from the manu-
facturer.

Johnstone says that so far,
more customers in the States
have picked up wood-burn-
ing ovens, “because there's
more disposable cash there.
it’s a lot of movie stars.

“One movie star gets it.

and then his buddy wants
one...it’s ¢go as much as an
thing else.”

Among B.C. residents
who own wood-burning
ovens: Win Vander Zalm,
brother of the former pre-
mier.

Johnstone is currently in-
stalling another stove at a
house in Shaughnessy.

For more information on
Earthstone wood-burning
ovens, contact Gary at the
Johnstone’s store, 165
Pemberton Ave., North
Vancouver.

vat
photo Earthstone

ood-burning ovens can be a

unique addition to your cooking alternatives.

Wednesday. September 22. 1999 ~ North: Snore News — 29

- Garde,

NEWS phote Cindy Goodman

NOW we're cooking: Sob Golden with his newly-built wood-burning oven in the garden of his North

Vancouver home.

PHOTO Earthstone

ADD fire to your hearth
with Earthstone’s ovens.

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