January/February 2014

Formerly City Palate

Take a bite of your city | January February 2014 | thetomato.ca

Our daily bread

to

in

Tell us about your favourite thing to eat or drink We’ll add it to our list of the 100 best things to eat in Edmonton and enter your name to win fabulous prizes from local businesses.

Fabulous prizes to be won!

Enter to win by January 25. Here’s how: • Visit our web site the tomato.ca and click on “100 best things to eat” • Enter on facebook, like us for an extra entry! facebook.com/thetomatofooddrink • Tweet @tomatofooddrink #TomatoTop100 • We’ll even take a letter in the post.

The 100 best things to eat and drink will be featured in the March April issue of The Tomato food and drink. *Our area includes Edmonton and area, Sherwood Park, St. Albert and surrounding communities — we’ll drive for food!

Tomato guy illustration created exclusively for The Tomato by Darcy Muenchrath, www.darcymuenchrath.com.

What’s the best thing you ate this year?

The Tomato Top 100 was so much fun last year we're doing it again — celebrating with the 100 best things to eat (and drink) in our area.*

The best thing you ever ate could be: • a restaurant dish • a farmers’ market specialty • a product from your favourite local farmer • a snack food • a condiment Whatever makes your mouth hum!

Contents editor Mary Bailey marybee@telus.net

publisher

Features

BGP Publishing

copy editor Amanda LeNeve Don Retson

designer Bossanova Communications Inc.

contributing writers Peter Bailey Jan Hostyn Cindy Lazarenko Chris Maybroda Liana Robberecht Judy Schultz

illustration/photography Mary Bailey Gerry Rasmussen Gerry Semler To Be in Pictures

6

Our Daily Bread Slow rise magic | Mary Bailey

10

The Love Connection

12

Rice

22

Saké To Me

Food for the senses | Liana Robberecht

Glorious, practical rice | Mary Bailey

All about premium saké | Chris Maybroda

Departments

5

Dish Gastronomic happenings around town

14

Beer Guy

16

The Lunch Lady

printer

18

In Season

distribution

20

Wine Maven

24

The Proust Culinary Questionnaire

26

Feeding People

30

Kitchen Sink

34

According to Judy

design and prepress Bossanova Communications Inc.

Greenline Distribution For editorial inquires, information, letters, suggestions or ideas, contact The Tomato at 780-431-1802, fax 780-428-1030, or email marybee@telus.net For advertising information call 780-431-1802.

the tomato is published six times per year: January/February March/April May/June July/August September/October November/December

Reinheitsgebot Rules | Peter Bailey

How to roast a chicken and why | Cindy Lazarenko

Soup: the perfect comfort food

Mary Bailey

Chef Paul Shufelt, Edmonton Gold Medal Plates winner

Cinnamon buns by the roasterful | Jan Hostyn

What’s new and notable

Still cooking | Judy Schultz

Cover photo Gerry Semler, Bon Ton Bakery.

by BGP Publishing 9833 84 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 2G1 780-431-1802 Subscriptions are available for $25 per year.

thetomato.ca The Tomato | January February 2014 3

weddingTomatoDec1.pdf

1

12/6/13

2:51 PM

Coming soon!

Cibo’s New York State of Mind Tomato Top 100 Results South African Wine Odyssey The Lacombe Pig Story

gastronomic happenings around town |

dish

smooth move The newest thing in olive oil is infused oils and we found some delicious ones at the new Oliv Tasting Room in Crestwood Shopping Centre, open Monday-Saturday, 10am - 7 pm and Sunday, noon- 5pm. Handy that, pick up lunch at Care it Deli, the wine at Crestwood Wines, oils and balsamic vinegars at Oliv and everything you need to s et a beautiful table at Bella Casa. OLiV, 9656 - 142 Street, 780-7561600, olivtastingroom.com.

fire + meat = delish A few quick visits to Woodwork in the McLeod building has us loving any cocktail made by barman Brendan Brewster (we’re still trying to get up the nerve to ask if that is his real name or his cocktail name) the charcuterie, and anything coming off the substantial custom wood-fired grill. It may be the only one like it in northern Alberta. The new Charbar in Calgary has one as well. Woodwork, 10132-100 Street, 780-757-4100, woodworkyeg.com.

enter the tomato top 100

Photo To Be In Pictures

Check out the Glass Monkey, which opened just before Christmas in the Jack’s Grill space. Solid kitchen crew; the Blue Pear’s Darcy Radies, Bryan Meitzner (pictured, Red Ox, The Marc), Chris MacLean (The Marc), with Ed Donszelmann (Culina) managing and Janine van Essen in administration.

Expect a seasonal mix and match menu; we loved the tuna, the charred Caesar and the bratwurst with mash. “It’s how people want to eat now, “ says owner Rob Filipchuk. The Glass Monkey, 5842-111 Street, 780-7602228 theglassmonkey.ca

From top: Oliv Tasting Room; Woodwork ’s oven; Glass Monkey; Le Creuset casserole dish.

Mary Bailey photo

hungry monkeys

January 25 is the deadline for the 2014 Tomato Top 100. What’s the best thing you ate or drank in Edmonton? Tell us about your favourite; we’ll add it to our list of the 100 best things to eat in Edmonton and enter your name to win fabulous prizes from local businesses. The best thing you ate or drank could be: a restaurant dish, a farmers’ market specialty, a product from your favourite local farmer, a snack food, a condiment, or a cool cocktail from in and around the Capital region. There are several ways to enter: Enter on facebook.com/thetomatofooddrink, like us for an extra entry! Tweet @tomatofooddrink and use the hashtag #Tomatotop100. Email us at tomatotop100@telus.net, or visit our web site the tomato.ca and click on 100 best things to eat. We’ll even take a letter in the post. The 100 best things to eat and drink will be featured in the March April issue of The Tomato. Enter to win by January 25.

follow your heart It’s easy to feel the love with a new piece of Le Creuset especially in candy apple red or sweet heart pink. You will love it for more than its looks. The heart-shaped casserole is dishwasher safe, efficient enameled cast iron with heavy-duty tight-fitting lid (the knob is ovenproof to 450 degrees F). Find at the Pantree, and other fine cookware shops.

The Tomato | January February 2014 5

A few years ago I bought a bag of flour called Saskatchewan at the COOP store in the Collio, way up in the northeast corner of Italy.

(I tried to get the cashier to say Saskatchewan, curious how that word would sound when spoken with an Italian accent. It was a no go. All she would venture was farina while looking at me quite crossly.) On the back of the bag was a sentence saying the wheat was exceptional and from the plains of America.

A few years earlier I had spent a couple of afternoons at Salone del Gusto handing out samples of Red Fife wheat bread, Canada’s contribution to Slow Food’s Presidia Foundation for Biodiversity. The bread was selling briskly— a half loaf for 5 euro and full for 10. Visitors, mostly food lovers from the city of Turin where the event is held, lingered to say how good it was. They loved the texture and they trusted Canadian wheat; this was like the bread they ate when they were kids. (Red Fife was the first commercial wheat in Canada. Antique varieties of hard spring wheat such as Marquis and Park, what we now call heritage grains, are becoming commercially

6 January February 2014 | The Tomato

viable again thanks to growers like Gold Forests Grains‘ John Schneider and Marc Loiselle in Saskatchewan.)

I saw the Expo 67 movie on TV recently — a panorama of wheat fields, lighthouses, mountains and cities. It was quaint and sweet in a 1967 Centennial sort of way — displaying a Canada defined by landscape, especially by waving swaths of golden grains.

Wheat and Canada, gluten and gut pain. It seems almost un-Canadian to demonize wheat. Yet, how did the product of those glowing fields, once heralded as the feed basket of the world, become the latest food demon?

Wheat belly, wheat brain. There is an entire Internet full of voices saying they lost 10 kilo, don’t have acne, have better sex, sleep through the night etc etc, all from giving up wheat. Gluten-free products have gone from fringe to big business. I am not talking about those with wheat and gluten sensitivities where eating can cause real pain. I am certainly not talking about those with celiac disease, for whom gluten is poison, a terrible condition with serious

side effects. If the one good thing about wheat-aversion is that there are more and better glutenfree products to choose from and celiacs don’t have to feel as though they have two heads when ordering in a restaurant, it’s all for the good.

I am talking about good old runof-the-mill food-bashing where something once considered healthy is perhaps getting put through the ringer for no good reason. It was eggs, now wheat?

What if the source of the problem for those with sensitivities wasn’t gluten at all but rather the methods and the type of flours used? There is anecdotal and scientific evidence emerging that suggests it’s not the gluten, folks, but fast methods and modern highprotein wheat strains that may be the culprit. What if heritage grains and long slow fermentations are the key to being able to eat your bread and feel good, too?

Bakers think that may be so. ”Perhaps it’s the process of making bread quickly and using additives which causes some people problems,” says Gabor Dobos, the Bon Ton Bakery’s head baker. He

thinks that the slow fermentation creates less pressure on digestion.

“You can see it, feel it, taste the subtleties in the dough, the longer shelf life. Naturally leavened breads can last up to a week.”

We’re chatting over some carrot pumpkin seed breads that have just come out of the oven. The bread, made with John Schneider’s Park wheat, takes several days to make. Bon Ton makes 17 doughs in all, some with the starter that dates back to 1956 when Eugene Edelmann opened the westend bakery; some a mix of both commercial yeast and their various whole wheat and rye starters, and some with commercial yeast.

I write this while enjoying a slice of Bon Ton Bakery’s heritage wheat sunflower seed loaf. It’s about four days old, and takes some muscle to serrate through the hardening crust. The interior is moist and flavourful, fresh-tasting, wheaty, a little sour. It’s contemplative, you cannot scarf down a piece of this bread in 10 seconds flat — it’s as far from Wonderbread as is Sinead O’Connor from Miley Cyrus. I thought I preferred pain au levain* (breads made with a natural

Gerry Stemler photo

Our daily bread Mary Bailey

starter and a slow fermentation process) without the accoutrement of nuts or seeds or herbs, but I’m charmed by the thyme aromas and chewy pop of the seeds. Yesterday I had a slice topped with Sylvan Star’s Grizzly Gouda, placed under the broiler for a minute or two to make an open-faced grilled cheese.

It would also make really good croutons for a sagey squash soup.

That’s the thing about pain au levain. They last a long time, and when they do become too hard to eat, you make croutons. You want to use up every last bit. The flavour seems to improve for the first two days; perhaps like good wine they need some air. They have holes and are irregular in size and they don’t even always taste the same every time. Which is why so few bakeries specialize in them.

A few years ago Bon Ton’s owner Hilton Dinner started thinking differently about bread. “We want to slow down in an accelerating world. Our goal is to have more long fermentations and reduce the commercial yeast in our breads.

We’re reducing the number of ingredients to flour, water, salt, natural starter or yeast, that’s it.

We buy several organic flours from Gold Forest Grains, but, we have to take into account our customers’ preferences. If you have been buying a bread for several years we can’t change it overnight.”

“More people are looking for alternatives; they are asking more questions about the breads.

“All our breads have less sodium and any breads made with oil are made with non-gmo cold-pressed canola oil. The sourdoughs have a reduced glycemic index because of the natural enzymes. A growing percentage of people are conscious of what they are eating, whether it be gluten or organic or non-gmo or just wanting to know where their food comes from.”

“If you make bread in a few hours it has no taste, there’s no time for the flavours to develop,” says Gabor Dobos, Bon Ton’s Europeantrained head baker. “That’s why commercial bread here has so much sugar and salt. The law in Germany is no more than 1.7 per cent sugar, here the norm is 3-5 per cent sugar.”

Bon Ton is a full-service bakery offering cakes, cookies, and pastry along with bread.

“We survive because people buy their daily bread — 60 per cent of our business is bread, 40 per cent pastry. Pastry is profitable but people only have one birthday a year. We used 21,000 pounds of butter last year. We use only butter, when the bakery opened, shortening was the thing.”

We watch Nam Jiang and two helpers make cheese Danish by hand. There are plenty of big

machines; ovens, Hobarts mixers and rollers, but most of the work is done by hand on long wooden tables.

“We’ll make 800 loaves tonight,” says Gabor, “all by hand, 25 dozen Danish, 15 dozen croissant. Our croissant has a bit of levain in it. It’s Eugene’s recipe, he was Hungarian, too.”

Boulangerie Bonjour’s Yvan Chartrand, a baker with over two decades experience in Japan, bought the Treestone Bakery from Nancy Rubiliak five years ago.

(Nancy was the first of the new wave of non-European trained bakers in town making pain au levain.)

“People say to me all the time, ‘I can eat your bread but not regular bread.’ My experience tells me it’s because the levain process changes the gluten. The grains we use make a difference, too. We mill all our grains, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat and Marquis wheat for all our breads, except for the baguette; that flour we buy from a mill in southern Alberta. Baking is an art and a science,” says Yvan.

“Technique, experience, the grains are all important. The starter is the heart of the bakery — it’s a living thing. Breads made from it are not going to be the same every time, it depends on the temperature, the weather, the grains. It’s always different, every time we have a new shipment of grain, we adjust a bit.

Continued on next page

Boulangerie Bonjour photo

Mary Bailey photo

“Someone called today and said the holes in the bagels were too big,” he says. “Bread is not an exact science. A commercial factory can

make a million loaves all exactly the same. That’s not what we do.

Above left: from left Gabor Dobos, Nam Jiang and Hilton Dinner in the production area of Bon Ton Bakery. Above right: Kenny Chartrand shapes baguettes at Boulangerie Bonjour.

The Tomato | January February 2014 7

This summer our starter was not happy — it was too hot. Even after 20 years, sometimes I scratch my head,” says Yvan.

“Baguette is not an old-time bread, and I prefer a neutral, not sour baguette. We want a crusty loaf, with that fresh bread smell. The baguette has a long fermentation, takes two days — the dough rises slowly overnight in the cool temperature; then we cut it and let it rise again. When you hand form a baguette you deflate several times. Our process is very gentle although the baguette does come out a little flatter.”

Bonjour Boulangerie is a family business with Yvan’s wife Ritsuko greeting the customers and Kenneth learning how to make bread from his father. Yvan’s favourite loaf right now is the whole grain made from Marquis, the direct descendant of Red Fife, grown near Strathmore. “With the same dough we also do a seven grain which we call complet. The rye is from Vegreville. This rye is so beautiful, a nice and even greenish colour.”

Why does using a starter and old strains of wheat appear to make a difference in tolerance of gluten?

“Gluten is moving from the area of complete mystery to something we can document and explain,” says Dr. Michael Gänzle, professor and Canada Research Chair, University of Alberta’s Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science (ALES) department.

Modern wheat has more protein which you would think is a good thing — unless you are sensitive to wheat proteins, which Dr. Gänzle’s research suggests may be an

8 January February 2014 | The Tomato

issue for about 10 per cent of the population.

with black olives, available on Saturdays only.

“One suspect in some of the gluten intolerance is that it is actually a wheat protein intolerance. This is not firmly established, but it may be that slow fermentations change the proteins. My area of research includes trying to come up with gluten free-breads that act and taste like bread with gluten, with good mouth feel, the texture and the volume, by using lactic acid to improve bread quality. Breads leavened with lactic acid have more time to create more diverse microorganisms, and more flavour.”

“We don’t have big walk-in fridges where we can proof overnight.

I would need a very different setup; we are maxed out with the three sourdoughs. We grind all of our wheat from Maple Creek Sasakatchewan on a stone mill giving us the coarse grind distinct to Prairie Mill.”

Owen Petersen, the affable coowner/baker of the Prairie Mill Bakery, finds making bread incredibly satisfying. “Maybe I have a short attention span — you start at the beginning of the day and at the end you have fresh bread. You have dough and then you eat.”

Most of Prairie Mills breads are made with bakers or brewers yeast, which take about four hours.

“We make about a dozen breads such as honey whole wheat, our nine-grain whole wheat for sandwiches and cinnamon raisin bread, and sell about half of our production to grocery stores.”

Why does Prairie Mill use honey in their breads?

“Alberta makes lots of honey, honey breads last longer, it has no other preservatives, adds flavour, gives the yeast lots of food.

“The best thing about baking is the combination of working with your hands and being in a social environment. We get into some great conversations. Customers in bakeries are happy people.”

For Linda Kearney of Dauphine Bakery, it’s all about the wheat and the starter. Linda and her partner Paul Bumanis started to make bread three years ago when they decided to expand their farmers market dessert business and start a full time bakery and café.

They make a few breads with their starter named Julie. Each takes three days. (Yes, Julie gets fed every day. Owen had to take her home once when the bakery in Calgary shut down for repairs.)

“I wanted to make bread for the café, as good bread is a necessity, and bread is a daily thing for most people. We produce incredibly good grain here in Alberta and we wanted to provide bread made with local ingredients. With desserts it’s harder to do, chocolate and lemon aren’t from here.

“We make a basic dough called the Yukon sourdough which is also the base dough for the multigrain loaf (a four grain mixture) and the Mediterranean sourdough, savoury,

“We buy most of our flours from John Schneider, organic spelt, ryes, buckwheat, whole wheat, soft white. Our bread gets better every year, we get more experienced,

but it is subject to the seasons.

We don’t have a commercial proofer, we proof in the air, a problem when we cannot get the bakery warm enough, like in early December.

“All our doughs are pain au levain, though the brioche and the challah have a small amount of yeast.

The way we make bread reflects Edmonton and making bread this way helps maintain a food culture.

People should eat more good bread — you get what you pay for.

“I feel good about our bread. If you want to buy local, bread is the place to start.” * Pain au Levain: Bread can be leavened in two ways, one using cultivated yeast (Saccharomyces) often called brewers or bakers yeast; or a biological form of leavening using Lactobacillus culture in a partnership with yeasts, which is known as the starter. Breads leavened with a starter are known as pain au levain or sourdough. The lactic acid produced by lactobacilli create a slightly sour taste, along with more complex aromas, flavours and textures. Because of their pH level and the presence of antibacterial agents, starter cultures are stable, not affected by spoilage yeasts and bacteria, allowing sourdough products to keep fresh longer. Each starter has its own microbiology, which creates unique characteristics, one of the reasons bakers tend to keep a starter going for years.

Mary Bailey is the editor of The Tomato.

Below: Heritage wheat breads at the Bon Ton Bakery. Gerry Stemler photos.

Our daily bread

Boulangerie

... a couple of days later.

Good bread tastes great even if it’s not right out of the oven, and every food culture cuisine has thrifty and tasty ways to finish off a stale loaf.

Make fried bread crumbs to add umami to simple dishes, dumplings, rustic Italian soups, or a decadent bread pudding.

bread crumbs Toasted or fried breadcrumbs add flavour and texture to a dish. As a crunchy gratin topping on mac and cheese or fried in butter or olive oil and used to top cooked vegetables such as cauliflower, or over pasta; they make everything taste better.

how to make your own from good bread: Spread on a baking tray and dry in a 300ºF oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until light golden brown and fragrant. The dried crumbs will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container, or up to three months wellwrapped in the freezer. I like to pack in small ziplocs in order to pull out exactly what I need.

orecchiette pangrattato This Pulignese dish is perfect for a busy Friday night — its salty savouriness the perfect foil for a full-bodied dry white wine such as Dal Cero Soave Superiore or Marotti Campi Verdicchio. Variation: Add crushed sardines and braised rapini or kale for added richness and flavour.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain but leave some water clinging to the pasta.

While pasta is cooking make the sauce: add oil to a pan and cook breadcrumbs until crispy and golden.

Transfer to a small bowl leaving most of the oil in the pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant about 2 minutes.

Stir in the parsley and raisins (and sardines and greens) if using. Add pasta with a bit of the cooking water to the pan. Toss, adjust seasoning, and serve immediately.

Serves 2-4

classic german bread dumplings (semmelknoedel) 3 c

toasted breadcrumbs

1 c

milk (approx)

2

beaten eggs

2 t

butter

¼ c

onion, minced

2 t fresh chopped parsley (optional) 1 t

ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix ¾ milk with the bread crumbs then add more if necessary. Add the rest of the ingredients and make a smooth dough. Roll into golf ball-sized pieces, do not overwork. Drop into hot soup or broth and simmer until they float to the top. Serves 2-4.

½ pkg orecchiette (or spaghetti, if don’t have)

ribollita

3 lg cloves garlic, chopped

“This classic Tuscan soup is best served warm as it allows you to fully taste all of the ingredients. You can also add pancetta for a nice pork fat essence but I prefer the pure flavour of vegetables.

I like to fry the ribolitta the following day in a hot cast iron pan with lots of olive oil!” – Daniel Costa, corso 32, Bra Bricco.

¹/³ c ½ c

extra virgin olive oil fresh breadcrumbs

¼ c rough chopped chopped Italian parsley

lemon juice

raisins (optional)

sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper

1½ c dried cannellini beans or white kidney beans, soaked in water over night

Bonjour Pain d’ici

Proud to make our breads from Alberta-grown grains.

1 lg bunch Tuscan black kale, washed, stem removed and roughly chopped 1 lg

carrot, medium dice

2 stalks

celery, medium dice

1 med

red onion, medium dice

1 med

fennel bulb, medium dice

8 cloves

garlic, thinly sliced

1

Parmigiano rind

2 handsful day old bread ripped into small pieces 3 T

tomato paste

¼ c extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling on top 9 leaves

fresh sage

Place the pre-soaked beans in a medium-sized pot with enough water to completely cover them. Add 4 cloves of garlic and 3 fresh sage leaves, cook for about 1 hour or until tender. Add more water if necessary, stir occasionally.

In a medium-sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, fennel and sage, season with salt and pepper.

Cook until lightly golden (about 15 minutes), stir frequently. Add the garlic and continue to cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stir frequently.

Add the cooked beans, kale, and parmigiano rind. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Allow to cook for 45 minutes, add more water if needed. Add the bread to the soup and allow to cook for 5 minutes, add more water to keep it a thick stew consistency, stir frequently. Allow the soup to rest for 10 minutes, season to taste. Serve with a generous amount of high quality extra virgin olive oil.

Boulangerie Bonjour 8612-99 Street 780.433.5924 | www.bonjourbakery.com

you know you want more...

Beautiful Parties c aT e r e D h e r e .

Serves 4 – 6

T he B u Tler D iD i T c aT e r i n g a n D c o n c i e rg e

Please see “Daily Bread” on page 28

780.455.5228 email@thebutlerdiditedmonton.com www.thebutlerdiditedmonton.com

The Tomato | January February 2014 9

The Love Connection

Food

for

Liana Robberecht

Food plays a starring role in the most important, formative ceremonies of our lives. Thanksgiving, Communion, Ramadan, the Seven Feasts of Israel, weddings, you name it — we use food as a means to celebrate and mourn, welcome and bid farewell from birth to death.

The food we eat has the ability to improve our health, change our emotions and has even been known to heat things up in the bedroom. In a single bite of a well-prepared meal, one can set the tone of the evening on a first date and may even be responsible for true love.

Perhaps chefs understand this connection between food and emotional responses more than anyone. Chefs undertake years of studying flavours and practising culinary skills to hone their craft and prepare them for a lifetime of creating magic inside and out of the kitchen.

During a conversation last spring with a few chef colleagues about the responsibility that comes with wielding this powerful emotional whisk, Derek Dammann, chef/owner of Montreal’s acclaimed Maison Publique regaled us with some interesting facts about the origins of the honeymoon. Do you know why they call it a honeymoon?

You may have heard that the honeymoon originated as an ancient Babylonian practice involving newlyweds drinking mead, a honey-based fermented alcoholic drink, for a lunar month after a marriage. This ritual became known as a honeymoon.

But why mead? Just to keep the couple drunk and happy?

A pagan superstition intended to wish them a sweet life?

Being curious and fascinated, I did a little research. I learned that there is an actual scientific basis to this story. As it happens, honey contains the mineral boron, which is linked to elevating testosterone levels. Honey is also rich in B vitamins and nitric oxide, which is key in opening up blood vessels that help to maintain erections. Makes sense. Makes babies.

Armed with this interesting information, I mined my brain for other examples of romantic representations of food. I was curious. If science

10 January February 2014 | The Tomato

S

had a measured scientific link between food and emotions for this ancient tradition, maybe there was more to uncover.

One of my favourite moments of Disney history is the scene from Lady & the Tramp. You know the one already — moonlit night, romantic music and two cartoon dogs sharing a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

Don’t even try to tell me you haven’t attempted to recreate this with your partner at some point. And if you haven’t, put some water on to boil. But why would a simple plate of spaghetti spur on libidos in Italy for centuries?

Little did we know that in the 16th century tomatoes were actually known as the apples of love. Would you like some science to back up that nickname?

Tomatoes are high in the minerals that are proven to increase men’s sperm count. Not to mention the fact that tomatoes are implicated in relaxing the nervous systems of both sexes.

It seems a plate of pasta with tomato sauce can go a long way.

Tomatoes and honey, what else? The prized truffle was thought to be a natural aphrodisiac by ancient Greeks and Romans. The aroma of truffles immediately provokes feelings of luxury and indulgence. It is widely believed (though yet to be confirmed by modern science) that the scent of the truffle replicates male pheromones. And while the truffle may not look very sexy or elicit sweet childhood memories or thoughts of romantic, age-old traditions, you can’t argue with results. Napoleon used to eat truffles to increase his potency, and potent he was with two wives, six alleged mistresses and five children, both legitimate and illegitimate.

the

Senses The chemicals found in our food are often reacting with the chemicals in our bodies without our knowledge.

We all make connections with what we eat and often act on those connections unwittingly. Even when science isn’t playing a role, we want to ascribe certain feelings to what we’re consuming. Remember that scene in 1989’s When Harry Met Sally?

“I’ll have what she’s having!”

We chefs are always trying to create an “I’ll have what she’s having” experience for our customers. By understanding how our bodies react with certain foods, coupled with a cozy atmosphere and the right pair of lovebirds, we can truly attain that connection.

honey cheese buttermilk biscuits Chef Robberecht uses Chinook Honey, a producer located near Okotoks. Look for local honey at Save-On-Foods, The Italian Centre and Farmers’ Markets.

biscuits 1¾ c

bread flour

2½ t

baking powder

1 t

coarse salt

¾ c

Sylvan Star Gouda, grated

6 T

(¾ stick) chilled, unsalted

butter, cut into small pieces ¾ c

buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter evenly, then cheese. Add milk.

Organic Heritage Multigrain

Knead lightly; do not over mix.

8720–149 Street, Edmonton

Roll dough out to ¾ inch thick and cut into rounds. Place on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for approx 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

bonton.ca

honey butter ¹/8 c Alberta honey ¹/8 c butter Melt butter and honey together.

Keep warm.

Take biscuits out of the oven and brush tops immediately while still hot with the honey butter.

Makes 12 depending on size and shape of the cutter.

Sherbrooke was Doing Beer Before Beer was Cool

Liana Robberecht is the executive chef at the Calgary Petroleum Club.

11819 St Albert Trail 780.455.4556 www.sherbrookeliquor.com

The Tomato | January February 2014 11

• mary bailey • The bottom shelf of my pantry is laden with rice — burlap bags of La Bomba from a trip to Valencia, Aquarella in a tin from a trip to Italy, an enormous bag of Persian rice from a trip to the Persian store on 34 Avenue.

Enough already. For somebody who rarely cooks rice I have quite the collection. Is it the seemingly infinite variety of types and colours?

Or is it because rice figures so prominently in the culinary world? According to Wikipedia, 25 per cent of the world’s calories are supplied by rice. Every cuisine has an iconic rice dish. Think Spanish paella, the bayou’s jambalaya, Indonesia’s nasi goreng, Canadian Chinese’s beef and broccoli. (My mother would order spring rolls for a party from the Moon Palace, the Chinese café next door to Loblaws. We would have beef and broccoli for lunch while we waited — bright, almost neon green, crispy broccoli with salty flavourful bits of beef over pristine white rice.)

Yet even within its hundreds of varieties, colours, aromas and origins, rice can be summed up by the size of the grain — short, medium and long, each ideal for a different way of cooking.

Long grain rice, about four times longer than wide, produces a light and fluffy cooked rice. Fragrant jasmine and basmati are long grain rice, as is what Alford and Duguid call in their book The Seduction of Rice; “Chinese grocery store rice, ordinary, everyday, non-aromatic reliable rice, plain long grain rice usually grown in the US. Sometimes it’s slightly transparent not white white like sticky or glutinous rice.”

round) such as arborio, vialone nano, and carnaroli are best for risotto for the same reason.

1 small

onion, small dice

2 stalks

celery, small dice

Glutinous, or sticky, rice are bred for extra stickability.

Unhulled glutinous rice ranges from brown to purple black, such as Bhutanese red rice or Indonesian black rice. And no, there is no gluten in glutinous rice.

2 cloves

garlic, minced

2 t

fresh thyme leaves

Wholegrain brown rice sold in Canada is generally from California. It’s long grain, complete rice with all its parts — bran layer, germ and the endosperm.

how to cook rice Ceclia Chiang’s method from The Seventh Daughter, my Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Fransisco, Ten Speed Press.

2 c

rice

2½ c

water

Swish rice around in water until the water runs clear.

Place in a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the water, bring to a boil, stirring briefly to make sure the rice isn’t sticking. When it boils, rapidly cover and turn to low. Let cook without lifting lid for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and lift lid to release steam, then replace lid immediately. Let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes to allow the starches to firm up. Turn rice over gently using a wet rice spoon or wooden paddle.

Or follow the directions with your rice cooker.

porcini risotto

Short and medium grain rice on the other hand, are sticky due to their concentration of more of one starch amylopectin, over another, amylose, in the grain.

Daniel Costa, Corso 32, Bra Bricco.

2 c

arborio or carnaroli rice

Certain strains of short-grain rice such as the best rice types for paella, La Bomba and Sollana, can absorb tremendous amounts of liquid while cooking. Italiangrown short-grain varieties (the grains look almost

5 c

dark chicken broth

1 handful dried porcini, broken into pieces with your hands and rinsed with cold water to avoid grit

1½ c freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano ½

lemon, juiced

300g fresh porcini or cremini mushrooms 8 T

unsalted butter

2 c

dry white wine

2 T

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

Bring the broth to a boil, and have it continue to simmer throughout the cooking process.

In a heavy-bottomed pot heat 2 T of butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, celery and thyme, season with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the rice and dried porcini, stir with a wooden spoon, cook for about 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add the white wine, turn the heat down slightly, cook until the wine has evaporated. Add a large ladle of broth. Continue cooking. Once the broth evaporates add another ladle or 2 of broth. Repeat the previous step until the rice is cooked, stirring frequently. Meanwhile cut the cleaned mushrooms into desired sized pieces. Heat 3 tablespoons butter over high heat in a large nonstick pan. Evenly place the mushrooms in the pan, without stirring allow the mushrooms to cook until dark golden. Toss once or twice and remove from the heat. Once the risotto has completed cooking, about 20-25 minutes total (the rice should have a slight give, but no crunch) remove from the heat. Stir in the mushrooms, remaining butter, Parmigiano and lemon juice. You may need to add a little more broth at this point, the consistency should be like runny porridge. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with more freshly grated Parmigiano.

Serves 4 – 6.

12 January February 2014 | The Tomato

mother maggie’s congee

vietnamese-style fried rice

“My mother's congee is my earliest food memory. I have been eating it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner since I could eat solid food. It's also pretty much the only thing I want to eat when I'm sick.

There are innumerable combinations of ingredients you can put in congee, but I always come back to this recipe. It is a humble dish, but for me, it brings me comfort, satisfaction, and happiness.

And it’s delicious. On occasion, I will forego the pork floss, and eat the congee with cut up Chinese long donut, which is called “Deep Fried Bad Guy" in my household! – Adrienne Pan, CBC News Edmonton TV Host

What to do with leftover rice? If you use a rice cooker, you will always have leftover rice, ideal for Korean Bebimpap with its crave-making sweet/savoury bulgogi beef and sesame-scented vegetables, or quick fried rice meals such as this one by Calgary’s Julie Van Rosendaal. “This is a bit of a spinoff of a recipe I found on Epicurious,” – Julie Van Rosendaal, dinnerwithjulie.com

2 c

jasmine Rice

2 T

sugar

2 T

fish sauce

2 T

rice vinegar

canola oil, for cooking

5 c

cold long-grain rice

water

2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork

2 oz fresh ginger, cut into big chunks

big pinch dried red chili flakes

4 oz salted lean pork, julienned 1 T

oil

1 small bunch of green onions, chopped

1 T

salt

1-2 large carrots, coarsely grated

4 preserved duck eggs (chop into 6 pieces per half egg, if the pieces are too small they will dissolve into the congee.)

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 can

preserved cucumber

pork floss*

green onion

Stir together the sugar, fish sauce and vinegar in a small bowl. Reserve. In a large, heavy skillet, heat a slick of oil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes, until heated through. Push over to one side and pour in the eggs; stir-fry until the eggs are scrambled, allowing them to cook without mixing them into the rice completely (so that you end up with detectable bits of egg); add the chili flakes, then the green onions, carrots and garlic; cook for a few more minutes.

Serves 8. * Pork floss (also called rousong, bak ho): Thread-like highly seasoned dried pork available by the package in most Asian grocery stores.

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bean sprouts (optional)

fresh cilantro and chopped salted peanuts, for garnish

Pour over the fish sauce mixture, then add the bean sprouts and cook for a minute, tossing with tongs, just until heated through. Serve immediately, in shallow bowls topped with cilantro and peanuts.

Serves 4.

Please see “Rice” on page 28

“Losers buy.”

Panning for gold, ca. 1914. City of Edmonton Archives EB-23-59

Rinse rice. Put rice into a mixing bowl.

Add salt and oil. Fill bowl with enough hot tap water to cover the rice. Let soak for 20 minutes. In large stock or soup pot, bring 5 litres of water to a boil. Add the rice mixture and ginger to pot. Bring back to boil, then reduce heat to medium to maintain a low boil for approximately 45 minutes. Partially cover with lid. Stir occasionally. When the congee reaches an oatmeal-like consistency it is ready. (If you like a thinner congee, add more water and cook for a few minutes.) Add the pork and duck eggs to the congee. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Portion out servings, then add the green onion, preserved cucumber, pork floss, and salt to taste.

2 c

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14 January February 2014 | The Tomato

beer guy

| peter bailey

Reinheitsgebot Rules Three chords and the truth.

That’s all you need for a good country song. And for a good beer? All you need is water, barley and hops.

At least that is what the Reinheitsgebot says. That’s the Bavarian Beer Purity law, decreed in 1516 by Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV. Yeast was added to the list in the 17th century, once brewers figured out what it was doing to their beer. Still in force five centuries later, the Reinheitsgebot is considered the world’s oldest food safety and consumer protection legislation.

Interestingly, the real reason for the beer law may have been economic. Duke Wilhelm wanted to prevent the price of wheat and rye from rising for bakers.

Restricting brewers to barley kept bread affordable. Later, in 1987, the European Court ruled that the Reinheitsgebot was an unfair restriction on trade in beer brewed elsewhere in Europe.

The German founders of great American beer empires had no qualms at leaving the Reinheitsgebot behind them when they came to the New World.

Today Anheuser-Busch notes unapologetically, “we brew our lager using fresh, verdant rice – milled, polished, graded and immediately brewed for a light and crisp taste.” Indeed, AnheuserBusch is the largest single buyer of rice in the United States. Over in Asia the lack of barley led to the invention of saké, or rice wine.

Saké is not actually a wine, rather a form of beer brewed from rice. In Japan today we have seen the rapid rise of the Third Category beers, brewed entirely without barley malt.

Early North American craft brewers turned away from the big brewers and their use of rice, corn and other adjuncts.

Some, like pioneer Ontario microbrewery Upper Canada, harkened back to the rigid purity of the Reinheitsgebot. Happily, today the craft beer world has room for both the only-barley-isbeer crowd and the rebels brewing with whatever crosses their path.

I had an absolutely spectacular Portland beer recently, Hopworks 7 Grain Survival Stout, brewed with barley, wheat, oats, amaranth, quinoa, spelt and kamut. And Stumptown coffee too!

Craft brewers’ hunger to try new things has met up nicely with people looking for alternatives.

In particular, gluten-free beer has grown exponentially in the last two years. Julianna Mimande, manager of the Glasshouse Bistro in St. Albert, told me that “people seem to just be grateful to have an option” when they see GF beer on the menu.

There’s a sizeable market — celiacs unable to process gluten, those with a sensitivity to gluten and even those on fad diets. As Jimmy Fallon joked cruelly, “A new study found that about 1 per cent of the U.S. population is allergic to gluten, while the other 99 per cent are sick of having to hear about it.”

Regardless, there is a growing demand for gluten-free beer. Alley Kat’s Neil Herbst told me they have “considered it but haven't found a way to make what we consider a tasty gluten-free beer.” Indeed, some of the gluten-free beers I have tried are Frankenbeers, destined for the drain. But innovative brewers like Montreal’s Glutenberg are getting closer. Perhaps someday tasty gluten-free beer will not be an oxymoron.

Gluten-Free Six Pack Growing from just a few choices a couple of years ago, gluten-free beers now take up a full bay of shelves at Sherbrooke Liquor. Better beer stores like Keg n Cork or Wine and Beyond also carry a good selection.

Green’s Discovery Ale, Belgium As a celiac, Englishman Derek Green was used to a gluten-free diet, but he really, really wanted a beer. He worked with a Belgian brewing professor to develop this gluten-free amber ale, first released in 2004. Perhaps the best gluten-free beer in the world, Discovery is brewed with millet, buckwheat, rice and sorghum.

Glutenberg American Pale Ale, Montreal While Glutenberg is an odd name for a brewery that brews 100% gluten-free beer, there’s no mistaking the commitment of these young Quebecers to making first-class beer.

Brewed with millet, buckwheat, corn and quinoa plus candy syrup and Demerara sugar, this hoppy, bitter and sweet ale is a charmer.

Estrella Damm Daura, Barcelona Daura is the gluten-free version of Estrella Damm, a classic European lager brewed since 1876. Unlike true gluten-free beers that don’t use barley or wheat, Daura is brewed with barley malt but undergoes a process which removes the gluten proteins. Daura tastes more like “regular” beer, perfect with tapas on the patio.

Mongozo Pilsener, Belgium Like Estrella Daura, Mongozo Pilsener is not technically a gluten-free beer as it is made from malted barley, then processed to have almost all the gluten removed (less than 10 PPM – parts per million). The presence of barley means Mongozo smells and tastes like a crisp, malty German lager.

Wold Top Against the Grain, Yorkshire, UK Britain’s “first and favourite” gluten-free beer, Wold Top Against the Grain declares itself the most beer-like of all gluten-free beers.

Brewed in rural Yorkshire, Wold Top is made with maize and barley, so is technically a low-gluten beer (less than 20 PPM). A fine, mellow English bitter.

Drummond Gluten Free, Red Deer Beer brewed without barley, right in the heart of Alberta’s barley belt? Yes. Props to Alberta’s Drummond for taking a chance on a niche market segment, releasing a sorghum-based beer this year.

While sorghum tends to impart an unusual taste, here Drummond has done a great job of brewing a beer that tastes like a beer.

Peter Bailey thanks his gluten intolerant friends for the opportunity but is happy to switch back to barley. He tweets as @Libarbarian.

The Tomato | January February 2014 15

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Shop where the chefs shop.

the lunch lady Cindy Lazarenko has done pretty much everything there is to do in a kitchen — created a personal chef/catering business called Mise en Place, was a partner in Bacon, the owner of Highlands Kitchen, and worked with her brother Brad at his Culina restaurants. Now Cindy puts the daily grind of the restaurant business on the back shelf to devote time to her family, the On Our Table Design Studio with her husband Geoff Lilge, and cook lunch for 75 students at Highlands Junior High School. The program is funded by Enbridge through Metis Child and Family Services and relies on donated food to succeed.

On any given day Cindy doesn’t know if she has a bag of organic potatoes or hot dogs to work with.

It’s up to her to come up with a nutritious lunch that is more inviting than the potato chips and pop on offer at the corner store.

In her new column for The Tomato, Cindy will tell stories of cooking for her family and for the kids at school; stories informed by a personal philosophy of eating where you live and seasoned by joy.

| cindy lazarenko

complaints and the most requests for seconds.

I developed an extreme need to feed people early on, and have been cooking since my first Home Economics class where we learned the basics, and made biscuits, stir fries and apple pie. I used to leave foil-wrapped food packets on the floor just outside the door of the Home EC room for a hungry friend who would stop by and pick up at the end of his class. In my early teens, I remember wowing our family and guests, entering the dining room with a flaming Baked Alaska I had made to celebrate my Grandma’s birthday. My mom still tells stories of how they would come home from work to a dinner made by their 13-year-old daughter (even if it was always a stir fry).

I’ve roasted a lot of chickens in my life and I don’t think I’ve ever really done it the same way twice.

Google “how to roast a chicken” and you will get so many variations of temperature settings, seasonings, sizes and accompaniments, that, after reading, even I would feel like settling for a store-bought, precooked rotisserie chicken.

Don’t.

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I asked my daughters what they thought might be their favourite dinner. One said ribs and the other said fish loaf. Yes, I made fish loaf for dinner once with a few pieces of leftover fish and a can of salmon. I think I found the recipe in one of those coil-bound Ukrainian church cookbooks — you know the ones that have a few authentic Ukrainian recipes and a LOT of recipes for desserts? It was actually very good but I never thought to make it again. I think it needs a new name.

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16 January February 2014 | The Tomato

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I was hoping they would come to the conclusion that a roast chicken dinner belongs way up there on the list of their favourite dinners. So I’ll help them out a little because a roast chicken dinner is without a doubt the dinner that receives zero

That’s the great thing about a roast chicken dinner, the endless possibilities of how to prepare.

Get creative or keep it simple. You can add root vegetables and thick slices of onions for a one-pot meal or prepare a few side dishes while it is roasting, like a pot of buttery mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans. You can even serve it cold with a salad for a summertime meal.

If you have leftovers, well then, there’s chicken salad sandwiches for lunch the next day or you could roast the carcass until it’s dark brown and make a wonderful chicken soup. You can even freeze it for another day or change up the flavour profile altogether with the addition of a few things such as a can of coconut milk, ginger, some fish sauce and a squeeze of lime for a Thai-ish dish.

For me, this is a Sunday meal. A Sunday lunch even. Better yet, served on a cold, snowy day which

shouldn’t prove to be hard to come by in this province. I have memories of visiting my baba on Sunday afternoons and we always ate a big spread in her tiny kitchen in the middle of the afternoon, with Happy Pop for the kids and a bottle of vodka on the table for the adults.

I like the idea of eating early on Sundays, leaving the evening free for relaxing or preparing for the week ahead.

However, in my world, there are times when things happen a bit more on the fly. Recently at the school kitchen I pulled a very large bag of what I thought were chicken pieces out of the freezer to put into the refrigerator to thaw.

I have only 2½ hours to prepare lunch for approximately 75 kids, so when I opened the bag the next morning to discover they were in fact whole chickens I wasn’t exactly confident I could prep and roast that many chickens in that amount of time. I quickly rinsed, patted dry, seasoned with salt and pepper and, as luck would have it, reached for bottles of Blue Kettle garlic vinaigrette which someone had very generously donated (getting a donation of a well-loved local product is like Christmas morning for me). I literally just poured the dressing over the chickens and threw them into a 400ºF oven, eventually lowering the temperature for the last hour of cooking. I had volunteer help that day so we were also able to pull together steamed potatoes and roast cauliflower. The chicken was incredibly juicy and full of flavour, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed their lunch. It proves the point that not only are there several ways to prepare a perfectly roasted chicken, it is possible to do so with very little effort.

Last week I went to the City Market to buy a chicken. I buy the free range, hormone-free, antibioticfree kind of chicken. It was small, perfect for a family of four, and made it possible to make a satisfying weekday chicken dinner in just over an hour (including cooking time).

After popping it in the oven, I pull

out my new best friend, the rice cooker. I recently purchased a Krups, and while I’m sure you can buy more expensive rice cookers, I like the multi-function settings on this one. There are four: rice, oatmeal, steam and slow cook.

It’s stainless steel with a 10cup capacity which may seem excessive (but go ahead and make lots because you can make chicken fried rice with any leftovers the next day!). It even comes with a measuring cup and spoon as well as an attached steamer basket, which makes for healthy side dishes and easy clean up.

Place chicken on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan, breast side up. The roasting rack prevents the chicken from cooking in its own juices and ensures the chicken remains crispy on all sides. Insert a meat thermometer if you like, keeping it away from the bones.

I get some brown rice on the go, then peel and thinly slice some sweet Nantes carrots and mix these with sliced flat beans. Add all to the steamer basket for 10 minutes at the end. Just before serving, I make a simple gravy but you can also just serve with the drippings if you like.

Transfer onto a cutting board. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Discard lemons, oranges, rosemary and garlic.

I taught my 10 year old to roast a chicken. I’m not sure she could handle the task on her own yet but I’m pretty sure she’ll have it down by the time she’s ready to move out.

cindy’s citrus roast chicken 1 3-4 lb roasting chicken (room temperature) 2 T butter, melted

salt and pepper to taste

1

lemon, quartered

1

small orange, quartered

2

sprigs fresh rosemary

2

garlic cloves, sliced in half

for the gravy: ½ c white wine 1 c chicken stock 2 T cream Preheat the oven to 400ºF Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Brush with melted butter, then season with salt and pepper on the outside as well as inside the cavity. Stuff the cavity with lemon, orange, garlic and rosemary.

Carrots • Erdmanns’ Carrots (City Farmers’ Market) Blue Kettle Products • The Italian Centre • Save On Foods

Roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Decrease oven temperature to 350ºF. Flip the chicken over (breast side down) and continue roasting for approximately 1 hour depending on size of your chicken. Rule of thumb is 15 minutes for every pound with an internal temperature of 165ºF.

While the chicken is resting, prepare a simple gravy.

Heat the pan drippings over medium high heat, scraping up any browned bits until it has reduced down a bit, about 10 minutes.

Add ½ cup white wine; cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or so.

Gradually stir in 1 cup of chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until it reaches desired consistency.

Finally, add the cream, stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Many people consider meal planning and cooking a chore, something added to their list of things to do in a day that they must endure. I consider it a complete joy. I wanted to name my column The Joy of Cooking, but apparently it’s been taken.

Where to Buy Organic free-range chicken • Serben Free Range (City Farmers’ Market) • Sunworks Farm (Blush Lane, Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market) • First Nature (Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market) Flat beans • Gull Valley Greenhouse (Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, City Farmers’ Market)

The Tomato | January February 2014 17

in season

| mary bailey

Soup: the perfect comfort food It's the dead of winter — comfort food time. We think we need all those rich foods and extra calories because it's cold outside.

If our only forays into the minus temps are to and from the car, however, perhaps something lighter is in order, like a bowl of hot soup.

Not that soup can’t be substantial; it can, especially when made with seasonal ingredients such as squash or winter greens.

pho-ish beef and ginger soup

BBQ

This makes a lean, fresh tasting soup.

If your stock is quite concentrated, cut with water.

1 flank steak about 4x4 inches in size.

1 knob fresh ginger, sliced thin 2 c rich brown stock or chicken stock

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18 January February 2014 | The Tomato

2 c

water (if needed)

1-2

green onion, sliced thin

Vietnamese coriander or Thai basil

black pepper

squeeze lime juice

Slice steak very thinly and divide among 2 bowls along with the ginger.

Pour in just boiling stock and water and stir to make sure the meat is cooking slightly. Garnish with a handful of Vietnamese coriander, black pepper and thinly sliced green onion and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

quick salmon chowder You’ll feel quite thrifty and resourceful making a meal out of a can of fish and some lonely vegetables in the crisper.

And think of all those good fish oils!

Yogurt contributes to the idea of creamy without adding more fat.

1T

canola oil

1

carrot, scrubbed and sliced

1 rib

rib, cleaned and sliced

1¼ small onion minced, or one green onion minced 3 c

stock

1 c

water

1 can

high-quality salmon

2-4 sm

potatoes

handful

parsley, chopped

2 T (heaping) plain yogurt (or to taste) sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper squeeze lemon juice if have Heat oil in saucepan and add carrot, celery and onion. Cook over medium-low heat. When the onion is translucent add stock, water, and the potato. Cook for about 15 minutes until the potato yields to a fork. Mash salmon and dump bones, oil and all into the soup. Heat for about 5 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add parsley, stir in yogurt and take off the heat, season and add lemon juice if using to taste.

Serves 2-4.

kale and potato soup with crispy bacon A stick-to-the-ribs soup ideal for after skating or boarding, with a creamy texture due to the pureed potatoes.

2 T

canola or olive oil

2 cloves

garlic, minced

1 med

yellow onion, chopped

2

carrots, chopped

½ pkg

smoked bacon, chopped

4 c

chicken broth or water

2 c

water

1 bag sm potatoes (or about 3-5 large russets) 1 bunch kale, leaves washed and shredded, stems chopped finely sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper Cook garlic, onion and carrot in oil over medium low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and onion is translucent. Add stock and potatoes and cook until potatoes are almost tender. While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon in a skillet over moderate heat until just crisp.

Drain well and reserve. Add kale to the potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. You can leave chunky or purée using an immersion blender. Check for seasoning. Serve hot with the bacon crumbled over.

Serves 4-6.

chez panisse butternut squash soup Our version of a simple, extremely satisfying soup first tasted at Alice Water's Chez Panisse.

4 c rich chicken or vegetable stock 1

butternut squash

1 bunch

fresh sage

stale rustic bread cut or torn into large chunks

sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper best quality extra-virgin olive oil for croutons and drizzle

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Preheat oven to 400.

Cut the squash in half, place about half the sage on the cut side and roast, cut side down, about an hour or until soft.

Remove to a cutting board until cool enough to handle. Scoop out, then rough chop the flesh, leaving behind the seeds, skin and the blackened sage. About 15 minutes before the squash is done, toss the bread chunks with a good splash of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a cookie sheet and toast until golden brown and crunchy on the outside.

Reserve.

Heat stock to just under boiling in a saucepan on the stove. Place the squash and any pan juices in the hot stock and simmer for about 15 minutes to marry flavours.

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To Serve: Place ¼ of the croutons in each plate or bowl. Ladle hot soup over. Garnish with a few leaves of the fresh sage and drizzle with oil.

Serves 4-6.

chicken & leek soup This is a variation of the classic Scottish cocka-leekie soup.

4 leeks 1t butter 6 chicken thighs, skinned, with visible fat removed 8 c

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chicken stock or water

1 medium yellow onion, minced 1

bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme 10 peppercorns 4 med carrots, peeled and sliced sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper Clean leeks well under running water (they have a tendency to hide sand and dirt) and take off any tough or Please see “Soup” on page 28

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The Tomato | January February 2014 19

wine maven

Curtis Bawden, Pacific Wines and Spirits with Hugo Stabio, Luigi Bosca at Rocky Mountain Wine Experience. Mary Bailey photo.

hugo stabio, the saavy export director for Argentina’s Luigi Bosca, visited during the Rocky Mountain Wine Festival. Luigi Bosca’s Malbecs are number one in Alberta, and we discovered that so many of their vineyards have been established for decades, yielding unique wines. For example, the 90 year-old Luján de Cuyo vineyard produces a field blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that is stunningly delicious. If you were thinking Argentina was only about Malbec, there are many more wines to discover.

want to know your chablis from your champagne?

Curtis Comeau Photography

Enrol in the French Wine Scholar program. Enjoy the camaraderie and the savings (in wine costs) of a group class. The course is designed for those seeking in-depth understanding of France’s amazing oenological diversity.

We’ll taste our way through France, region by region.

Classes are offered by the Art Institute of Vancouver and held at the Edmonton Petroleum club, with lots of parking! New format: weekly Tuesday night classes rather than full weekends, from January 13-March 24. Visit winecollege.ca to register.

20 January February 2014 | The Tomato

The truffle chef Carlo Zarri and Sonny Sung, exec chef for Sorrentino's restaurants, sample Tignanello behind the scenes at the Sorrentinos Truffle Dinner. Mary Bailey photo.

carlo zarri, the truffle chef, visited Edmonton with a sackful of Piedmont’s tartufo bianca for the annual Sorrentino’s Truffle Dinner at Bistecca.

Certainly guests enjoyed listening to his stories about meeting Sophia Loren, but the best part? Anticipating the flavours of the shower of shaved truffle landing on their risotto.

the glenfarclas 15-year-old is The Whisky Exchange’s (TWE) Whisky of the Year. Nick Tether, marketing manager for TWE said: “Our whisky of the year is about celebrating a whisky that can be enjoyed by one and all.” Glenfarclas 15 Year Old, with aromas of raisins, honey and ginger, and a silkytextured finish is bottled at 46 per cent abv. Glenfarclas 15 Year Old topped a selection of fine whiskys including Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old, Glenmorangie 10 Year Old, and Lagavulin 16 Year Old. Happy Robbie Burns day to ya!

event calendar wednesday, january 8

monday, february 3

Tasting: So you hate wine, eh?

Aligra Wine & Spirits, $15 aligrawineandspirits.com

Taking it to Heart Fundraiser for Heart & Stroke, Edmonton Petroleum Club, $100 incl. tax & tip reception@edpetroleumclub.com

wednesday, january 15

wednesday, february 5 Swine and Dine Dinner with chefs Doreen Prei & Eric Hansen, Edmonton Wine 101 Fundamentals, Aligra Wine & Spirits, $41.95 Petroleum Club, $75, incl. tax & tip aligrawineandspirits.com reception@edpetroleumclub.com wednesday, january 15

friday, february 7

The Days of Wine and Proses with Laurie Greenwood, Unwined Fine Wine, Spirits and Ales, $25 unwined.biz

Hops & Whiskey Fundraiser for Kids Up Front, Royal Glenora Club $50, rgc.inviteright.com/hopswhisky

saturday, january 18

Canadian Culinary Championships Kelowna, Goldmedalplates.com Tickets: ccc@goldmedalplates.com

Rge Rd & Natures Green Acres Farm Dinner, $200/pp blairlebsack@shaw.ca

tuesday, january 21 Les Chevaliers des Vins de France/ Alliance Française Dinner Edmonton Petroleum Club, Tickets: kathryn.merrett@telus.net Francesca Dal Cero. Photo courtesy Vini Dal Cero.

franscesca dal cero is a third generation Italian wine grower. “I work with my father, my brother and my cousin. I live at the estate in Soave where we make white wine with 100 per cent Gargenaga grapes.” (Lesser Soave has some Trebbiano blended in)

wednesday, january 22 A Salute to Robbie Burns Aligra Wine & Spirits, $65 aligrawineandspirits.com

wednesday, january 22

The single vineyard Soave Superiore called Runcata is a gem — rich and full-bodied bone dry with beautiful mineral and floral notes. We also love the Dal Cero Pinot Grigio Ramato, lively and crisp, a bit rosy in colour due to skin contact – who says you can’t drink pink in the winter?

Robbie Burns Night with George S. Grant, Glenfarclas Distillery Edmonton Petroleum Club $65 incl. tax & tip reception@edpetroleumclub.com

edmonton now has a signature

thursday, january 23

winter drink! Two of them actually, with and without alcohol.

First place in the non-alcoholic category was the Rosemary Ginger Beer created by Jasper Place High School. The Culinary Arts students should get a special prize for heart. They made their own ginger beer with ginger root they grew at the school, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and champagne yeast. Not so easy to replicate at home, perhaps, but we did see the students deep in conversation with the Yukon Spirits people. Could a retail JPHS ginger beer be in their future? Let’s hope so!

The Tomato Test Kitchen Hands-on Cooking Class, Kitchen by Brad $125, eventbrite.ca

friday, january 24 Annual Tribute to Robbie Burns with Nick Lees, Fine Wines by Liquor Select Tickets 780-481-6868

The alcoholic drink first prize was the Birkie Break by Transcend Coffee and CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM. It was inspired by the Birkebeiner ski racer and creator Josh Hockin never being able to drink his dad’s coffee. It’s a sublime 23-year-old rum and coffee concoction with warming hints of ginger, green cardamom, cinnamon and allspice.

friday, january 24

It’s all part of the City of Edmonton’s Winter City Strategy to get us outside, embrace our winter cityness, and enjoy (well, at least be less grumpy about) the winter.

Celebrate Robbie Burns with Andrew Walls, Unwined Fine Wine, Spirits and Ales, $35, unwined.biz

Robbie Burns Night with Andrew Walls, Kitchen by Brad, $150 info@kitchenbybrad.ca

sunday, january 26

fri. sat., february 7, 8

friday, february 14 For the Love of Wine fundraiser for Kid’s Kottage, $100/person kidskottage.org.

friday, february 14 Valentine’s Day Dinner, Edmonton Petroleum Club, $75 or $100 with wine pairing incl. tax & tip reception@edpetroleumclub.com

fri. sat., february 14, 15 Winefest Edmonton Shaw Conference Centre, Hall D celebratewinefest.com

wednesday february 19 The Days of Wine and Proses with Laurie Greenwood Unwined Fine Wine, Spirits and Ales $25, unwined.biz

thursday, february 20 An Evening for the Crisis Support Network of Edmonton Aligra Wine & Spirits, Tickets: cmokken@crisissupportcentre.com

tuesday, february 25 Glen Carlou Winemakers’ Dinner Edmonton Petroleum Club $125 incl. tax & tip reception@edpetroleumclub.com

mark your calendar saturday, april 26 Mad Hatter’s Gala

The Tomato | January February 2014 21

Saké Rice, water, yeast, and Koji. These are the four ingredients that make up the unique, magical, and sometimes mysterious beverage called saké.

Honeydew melon, anise, passion fruit, mushroom, magnolia flowers.

These are some of the unique aromas and flavours that you will find in premium saké.

It is both incredibly complex and beautiful in its simplicity.

Let’s make something very clear; this article is focused on premium saké, and the quality and complexity that can be found there.

I promise, it’s not that you don’t like saké, it’s that you don’t like bad saké.

Premium saké (pronounced sakeh — like Canada, eh) is made from four ingredients only; rice, water, yeast, and a special starter mold called Koji, which breaks down starch molecules into sugar, so that the yeast can do its fermentation magic. That kind of purity comes with some wonderful side benefits.

Premium saké is sulphite-free,

22 January February 2014 | The Tomato

gluten-free, and in Japan they say that you know you were drinking good saké the night before because you don’t feel it the next day.

Saké is brewed in a Kura, a saké brewery, by a Toji, a master brewer with decades of experience. It is not a simple fermentation like wine, and is not distilled in any way. It is a process of multiple parallel fermentations where the starch–to-sugar, and sugar-toalcohol take place at the same time.

This process imparts saké with the highest alcohol content (16-20 per cent) of any non-distilled beverage.

Generic table saké, or Futsu-shu, can have copious amounts of distilled alcohol added as an inexpensive way to increase volume. Premium ginjo saké may only use tiny amounts of added alcohol to enhance fragrance and flavour. Also, there are no minimum rice milling requirements for Futsu-shu so there is less opportunity to let the rice express itself as it would in a true premium crafted saké.

This is what I really love about saké; it offers a range of flavours that wine just doesn’t have. It is

To Me Chris Maybroda

quite often the perfect partner for what’s for dinner; soups, salads, spice, steak, swordfish, smoked salmon and a whole lot of other ‘s’ words that are not sushi. (For the record it works with non ‘s’ dishes as well).

At New York’s Le Bernardin restaurant, for example, you will always find a selection of saké because wines only cover a certain range of flavours, and both the chef and wine director realized they were limiting their guests‘ pairing experience by not offering it. Some keen Edmonton restaurants have taken note as well, so look for it.

Hot vs. chilled. When you heat generic table saké, you cover up many of the negative flavours. With premium saké, you generally want to drink it chilled to allow those wonderful complex aromas to really shine. And while you are at it, drink it from a wine glass. Wine glasses are designed to enhance flavours; let them do the same thing for your saké.

All rice is not created equal, and this is especially true for premium saké rice. Saké rice is not like table rice. It is larger, softer, with a

higher starch content and lower fat and protein content. That starch is visibly concentrated in the centre of the grain, the start of premium saké’s complexity. The outside of premium saké rice is milled away, and saké is graded and classified by what’s left. Think of the rice like a bullseye: the more of the outside layer you take away and the closer you get to the starch centre, the more delicate and complex flavours truly start to come through.

Terms to start you on your saké journey Ginjo If you remember one word, this should be it! This is the starting point for Premium saké. This word on a bottle means that the brewer has milled away the outside of the rice grain until 60 per cent of the rice remains, allowing the more delicate and interesting notes to be expressed.

Junmai This term is used when there is no additional alcohol added to the saké. A Toji may add a bit of brewers alcohol to enhance certain

aspects of the saké. If you see the word Junmai you know this has not been done. These types of saké have a more pure rice flavour. A Junmai Ginjo is a saké that has 60 per cent or less of the rice grain remaining and has not had any additional alcohol added.

Dai Ginjo The pinnacle of the brewmasters art, the rice is milled down to 50 per cent or less. They are amazingly complex, elegant, and intensely aromatic. A Junmai Dai Ginjo is a saké that has 50 per cent or less of the rice grain remaining and has not had any additional alcohol added.

Nigori Roughly filtered cloudy saké. Less filtering creates a creamy texture and tropical notes that are ideal with spicy foods.

Premium saké Umi Blu Ginjo (60 per cent) Yoshi No Gawa Brewery, Niigata, Japan This ginjo is a new release from

the Yoshi No Gawa brewery, established in 1548. Smells like tropical fruit punch Jello. Mango, pineapple, and passion fruit pop out of the glass. The taste reflects the nose along with good acidity and a pure, clean finish. A pretty luminescent blue bottle, too. Put a couple of these stunning blue bottles on your table and serve teriyaki grilled salmon or honeyglazed ham.

Toko Junmai Ginjo (55 per cent) Toko Brewery, Yamagata, Japan This brewery is actually located inside the saké museum in Yamagata, Japan and is over 400 years old. Smells like freshly steamed rice, which is very typical of a junmai saké, cotton candy and vanilla. You really taste the sweetness of the rice. The flavours last making this saké a good choice with strongly seasoned dishes. This brewery also has a ginjo in the market which makes for a cool experiment if you want to try a ginjo and junmai ginjo with all things being equal except

the ginjo has some alcohol added to accent different flavours.

Dassai 50 Junmai Dai Ginjo (50 per cent) Asahi Shuzo Brewery, Yamaguchi, Japan Asahi Shuzo brewery is the rock star of the saké world in Japan.

This brewery only produces top end Junmai Dai Ginjo. It smells like extraordinarily concentrated, rich and ripe melons, apples, pears and apricots. Chill this saké, bring out the good wine glasses and drink it with oysters, or brie, or even with hearty dishes such as chicken parmesan or beef wellington.

G Junmai Ginjo Genshu (60 per cent) Saké One Brewery, Oregon This brewery may be located in Oregon but it does everything in the traditional Japanese way. If you really need to drink your saké warm, (I don’t blame you, this is Edmonton in the winter) this is the saké for you, as it is big and bold

enough to not lose its character.

It’s a genshu, which means the saké remains at undiluted alcohol strength of 18 per cent. It is bold, robust, dry — great with ribs, lamb, rich cheeses.

Momokawa Pearl Junmai Ginjo Genshu Nigori (60 per cent) Saké One Brewery, Oregon Nigori Saké is a creamy, roughly filtered traditional saké. It tastes like a beach cocktail—melons, banana and coconut with a slightly sweet finish, ideal with Thai curries as it is the perfect drink to cut the heat. Keep a second bottle for dessert because it would be in good company with chocolate and strawberries, too.

Saké missionary Chris Maybroda of Blue Note Wine & Spirits is one of a dozen certified saké specialists across the country, and the sole specialist based in Edmonton.

He is always happy to answer your saké questions at chris@bluenotewines.com.

TestKitchen Have you ever made a recipe that didn’t turn out? Tried one that doesn’t work? Has missing ingredients? Is missing a method?

That happens to us all the time! Which is why we develop our own recipes for each issue, and test the recipes sent to us by chefs and contributors. Now you can join in the fun.

The Tomato TestKitchen Learn the best techniques plus culinary tips and tricks with The Tomato editor Mary Bailey, and research chef Brad Smoliak.

Participate in hands-on prep and cooking, enjoy wine tasting, and lots of prizes and give-aways.

Thursday, January 23 | 7pm $125 person | eventbrite.ca to book Questions? hello@thetomato.ca Sponsored by

The Tomato | January February 2014 23

the proust culinary questionnaire Chef Paul Shufelt, Century Hospitality Group In the late nineteenth century, French novelist Marcel Proust participated in an exercise which could be thought of as the Facebook of its era — he answered a questionnaire about himself in a friend’s Confession Album.

Proust’s answers have been published, in one form or another, for more than a century. Many have used the questionnaire for their own devices, the most notable being Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire featuring celebrities. The Tomato now gives it a culinary twist.

Paul Shufelt has always been crazy about food. Growing up near Montreal and cooking in his mother’s kitchen led him to NAIT’s culinary program, followed by an apprenticeship with Thomas Neukom at Banff’s Buffalo Mountain Lodge. In 2001 he moved to Switzerland for international experience, working with chef Urs Thommen at Gasthof Baren Utzenstorf, near Bern. He is now a business partner and the executive chef of the Century Hospitality Group.

Paul Shufelt is Edmonton’s Gold Medal Plates gold medalist. He competes for the national title at the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna February 7/8.

Hometown?

West Brome, Quebec.

Years in resto biz?

19.

Where would you like to live?

I do love the Okanagan.

Your favourite food and drink?

A simple, rustic bowl of hand-made pasta.

Hendricks and soda.

What would you be doing if you weren’t in the restaurant business?

Probably something to do with finance and the stock market, but I’d still be cooking.

What do you most appreciate in your friends?

People that are genuine.

Your favourite qualities in a dish?

Simplicity, letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

24 January February 2014 | The Tomato

Your favourite qualities in a cook?

People with drive, who pursue perfection, who understand it’s a direction, not a destination.

In a wine?

Easy drinking.

Who would be at your dream dinner table (dead or alive)?

Thomas Keller. I would love to pick his brain on food and the restaurant business. My grandparents. My grandmothers were a strong influence in my becoming a chef, and the type of person I am. They are missed.

Who would cook?

The grandmas. The smell of onions cooking instantly brings me back to my grandmother’s house— it was always the start of something good.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

That’s not good enough. Make it again.

Current culinary obsession/ exploration?

The trend is dumping 15-20 things on the

plate. I’m keeping it simple, stick with the basics, complement not crowd.

Meaningful/crazy experience?

Last spring I cooked with John Michael MacNeil at Teatro in Calgary. We had worked together in Banff. It’s amazing to see his evolution — his kitchen feels like a science lab. I felt like a kid on his first day of school, learning all these tricks. I was in awe, and I brought some of the techniques back to our kitchens, such as using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream and an ISI gun for hollandaise.

Best thing that ever happened to you?

My 18-month-old daughter. There’s not much she won’t eat right now.

She loves green peas, berries, yogurt. She likes spice! We have to keep the chips and salsa out of reach.

Mentors?

Thomas Neukom, Buffalo Mountain Lodge, and my business partner Chris Lachance. Thomas taught me a lot about cooking and gave me the nudge to go to Switzerland; Chris taught me a ton about business, what it takes to succeed.

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Favourite casual cheap and cheerful/afterwork food?

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Philosophy?

Leave everything on the plate.

Give it your all.

cheese • wine+beer • espresso What’s next?

Hart’s Table & Bar is a neigbourhood eatery in Terwillegar Shoppes opening later in January.

It’s about burgers, meatloaf, French onion soup — comfort food.

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The Tomato | January February 2014 25

feeding people

| jan hostyn

Cinnamon buns by the roaster full My kitchen cupboards are full of treasures: a plastic Little Mermaid cup with little fish that actually bob up and down, a bright pink Minnie Mouse placemat, a tiny silver spoon sporting a chubby elephant on its handle — some of the absolute essentials without which my daughters simply couldn’t make it through an entire meal.

as that unassuming roaster would be stuffed full of quite possibly the most glorious cinnamon buns ever, a mountain of buttery, sugary, sticky goodness.

I was a much simpler kid. As long as I got fed, I think I would have been content using my fingers to scoop food off the kitchen floor.

And, if you had ever met one of my mom’s cinnamon buns, you would appreciate the logic behind her choice.

There was a particular roaster I was partial to. A run-of-the-mill, slightly chipped enamel roaster, actually. Sure, its pallid yellow exterior and jaunty red handles did make it slightly avant-garde for its time, but it definitely wouldn’t have won any awards in a roaster beauty contest.

It started with what went into those giant cinnamon buns.

Yet, a glimpse of that old roaster was enough to get my stomach rumbling and my lips smacking,

26 January February 2014 | The Tomato

When my mom baked, she really baked. The concept of a mere dozen was completely out of her grasp. This meant she was forever searching for homes large enough to store the spoils of her baking marathons. Her home of choice for leftover cinnamon buns was always this particular roaster.

Gazing around our kitchen as my mom hauled things out of cupboards, you might think you’d stumbled into the bulk section of your local grocery store. Out came a 20-pound bag of potatoes (the secret ingredient), a carton of eggs, tubs of homemade butter, a jug of milk, a canister of sugar, a Tupperware full of raisins and a whopping bag of flour.

Oh yes, and yeast: good old traditional, slow-rising, timeconsuming yeast. I’m not sure if quick-rise was even an option back then, not that it would’ve mattered.

There’s no way my mother would have welcomed it into our kitchen.

Since massive amounts of ingredients do not lend themselves well to the tiny little mixing bowls that come with stand mixers, everything was done by hand — stirring, mixing, kneading; rising, rolling, spreading, cutting, and more rising.

By the end of the day, we had heaps of yeasty, cinnamon-scented swirls of rapture covering pretty much every surface that could be temporarily transformed into a cinnamon bun holding area.

These weren’t just any cinnamon buns, mind you — creatures might be a more accurate description. If you had put one of them next to my child-sized head, it would definitely be advantage cinnamon bun.

They were utterly delicious, and we always demolished far more than we should have in a single day. That barely put a dent in their numbers.

Although my mom used her freezer for a great many things, cinnamon buns were not part of that group. But they needed to go somewhere. Since these cinnamonbun creatures were so big and there were so many of them (and our Tupperware didn’t come in size gargantuan), my mom got creative — hence, the roaster.

It didn’t matter that it wasn’t airtight and didn’t exactly do a stellar job of keeping the buns fresh. Fried the next day, they were almost better than fresh.

That roaster now inhabits a shelf in my home, but its cinnamon-bun-holding days are long past. I believe in freezers and restraint. Now it holds the caramel popcorn I present my dad with every year on his birthday. After its lofty history, I could never relegate it to the mundane world of simply roasting.

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The Tomato | January February 2014 27

daily bread Continued from page 9

panettone bread pudding There is usually a lot of panettone (Italian holiday bread) around after the hols— all the better to make a delicious warm bread pudding. I like the panettone with dried fruit and bits of orange peel for this pudding, or any of the breads with chocolate.

1 c

heavy cream

2 eggs 2 c

milk

½ t

lemon or orange zest

¼ t

ground ginger

1 t

vanilla extract

2 T

sugar

icing sugar, optional

whipped cream, optional

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter a 9x13 baking dish.

Cut the panettone into wedges, leaving the crusts on and arrange in the dish. In a bowl, whisk together

soup Continued from page 19

wilted outer green layers. Rough chop the white and light green of one of the leeks and place with the butter in a large saucepan. Cook in the butter for about 10 minutes until soft. Add chicken, stock, onion, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns; bring to boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. In the meantime slice the light green and white parts of the remaining leeks. Remove chicken.

When cool enough to handle, debone and chop into bite-sized pieces (or shred) and reserve. Strain liquid, discard vegetables and seasonings.

Return strained liquid back to the pot along with leeks and carrots. Cook for about 15 minutes until carrots are tender. Add chicken back to the pot.

Check seasoning and serve.

Serves 4-6.

the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla extract, zest, ginger and sugar and pour evenly over the panettone chunks. Let it sit for about a half hour to let the bread soak up the liquid. Put the baking dish in a roasting pan, and pour hot water around it to a depth of about an inch. Bake for 35 minutes until set and golden brown on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with whipped cream if using.

Serves 6-10.

pappa al pomodoro “Every region in Italy has a version of a soup thickened with bread, this Tuscan version is definitely my favourite. As a alternative to basil you can fry 6 fresh sage leaves with the garlic and proceed with the recipe. Finding the highest quality of olive oil for this makes all of the difference. Just like the ribolitta I love to fry this in a hot cast iron pan the following day.” – Daniel Costa, corso 32, Bra Bricco.

1 can (796ml) of San Marzano Tomatoes, crushed with hands 4 cloves

garlic, thinly sliced

rice

1 handful

fresh basil, roughly torn

1

Parmigiano rind

1 T

kosher salt

cardamom pudding with rosewater syrup

2-3 handsful day old bread ripped into small pieces Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Add the garlic, stir, cook for about 30 seconds or until garlic is just about golden. Immediately add the crushed tomatoes and 1 796ml tin of hot water.

Add the salt, half of the basil and the parmigiano rind. Allow the tomatoes to simmer over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes, add more water if necessary. The consistency should be like a thin tomato sauce.

Turn the heat down slightly, remove the parmigiano rind, add the bread and remaining basil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, add more hot water if necessary. The consistency should be like thick porridge. Season to taste with salt and olive oil. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve with more extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 4.

Continued from page 13

Rice pudding, the ultimate comfort food. This one is dressed up with cardamom and rose water.

rice pudding: 4 c

milk

¹/³ c 2 T

basmati rice sugar

4 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed 10 unsalted pistachios plus extra for garnish, optional Pour the milk into a heavy-based pan and heat gently.

Add rice, sugar and cardamom pods to the milk.

Slowly bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer rapidly, stirring from time to time to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until the milk is reduced by about half; this may take as long as 1¼ hours.

While the milk is simmering, roughly chop the pistachios.

1 T

canola oil

1 t

ground ginger

Heat oil in a large soup pot and sauté the ginger, garlic, celery, onion, carrot and red pepper over medium heat until translucent and soft. Stir in garam masala. Add sweet potato, bring to a boil, then simmer, covered for about 20-30 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft. Take off the heat, stir in coconut milk and lime juice.

Puree with an immersion blender, check seasoning and sprinkle on cinnamon to taste.

3 cloves

garlic, minced

Serves 4-6.

2 stalks

celery, chopped

1 med

yellow onion, chopped

2 T

garam masala (optional)

rosewater syrup

3 large

carrots, diced

¾ c

cold water

½

red pepper, diced

2 c

sugar

1-2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed

2 T

rose water

1 T

fresh lemon juice

4 c

chicken or vegetable stock

1 c

water

Combine water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil, then simmer until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and rose water. Cool. Keep covered in the refrigerator and use within two weeks.

indian-spiced sweet potato soup Rich and slightly sweet with warming Indian flavours. Don’t run out and buy a packet of garam masala if it’s not in your spice drawer, but if you have some, it adds a pleasing complexity to the soup.

1 15-ounce can coconut milk

squeeze fresh lime juice

sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper cinnamon 28 January February 2014 | The Tomato

¼ c high quality, extra virgin olive oil

When the milk has reduced by half or more, remove and discard the cardamom pods. Transfer the rice pudding to 4 individual bowls. Add the chopped pistachios, stir well, and leave to cool. Cover the bowl (or transfer to 4 individual bowls) and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Cool for at least four hours or overnight.

To serve: sprinkle with chopped pistachios if using, and drizzle with rosewater syrup.

Makes about ¾ c.

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jamaican rice & peas (black beans & rice)

beans are tender, about 1 to 1½ hours.

When beans are tender, stir in coconut milk, green onions, Scotch bonnet, and thyme, and increase the heat to a boil. Stir in the rice, add some salt and pepper, cover the pot, lower the heat, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.

Transfer to a large serving bowl, check seasoning, and garnish with more sliced green onions.

6 c

water

2 cloves

garlic

1¾ c

coconut milk

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Cheap and cheerful, and delicious. The Jamaican version of black beans and rice can pack some heat. Too much heat? Use jalepeno peppers instead of scotch bonnets for warmth rather then fire.

1

Serves 6-8.

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780.760.2228

1T canola olive or bacon drippings 3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped 3 sprigs

fresh thyme

1½ c

long grain rice

salt and fresh-cracked pepper Place beans and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water.

Bring to simmer and cook until the

The Tomato | January February 2014 29

kitchen sink

| what’s new and notable

restaurant buzz We look forward to Daniel Costa’s new casual place on Jasper beside Corso 32 called Bar Bricco, taking its inspiration from the spuntino bars of Italy — small places to have a seat at the bar and “a plate of proscuitto, chicetti, little creative things, really good quality, yet a straightforward menu,” says Daniel.

“We’re focusing on sparkling, including Champagne and cava, as part of an extensive good-value Italian list. We used the same architect again, Joe Johnson, Connect Architect. And, it’ll be dark, really dark.” Seats under 30, enjoy after work or late night, opening late January.

Madison’s Grill in the Union Bank Inn (10053 Jasper Avenue, 780-423-3600, unionbankinn.com) latest Love of Local Dinner in the lovely Vintage Room, features local producers Irvings, Doef’s, Sylvan Star Cheese and Mo-Na Foods in a savoury five-course menu by exec chef Charla Padilla, $85 plus tax and gratuity, Wednesday, January 29, 6:30pm reception.

On Tuesday January 28, La Ronde in the Chateau Lacombe (10111 Bellamy Hill, 780-428-6611, chateaulacombe.com) opens for lunch. Enjoy spectacular views, soak up their new look, and experience the contemporary menu from Tuesday– Friday,11am-2pm.

Viju Vasudevan is the new food and beverage director at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Viju comes to Edmonton backed by a choice resume, including stints at the prestigious Taj Group, the Sheraton in Doha, Fairmonts Dubai, Southampton, the Chateau Lake Louise and now Edmonton. Viju was the 2012 Leader of the Year at Chateau Lake Louise.

Try something different for Valentines; celebrate love and romance at Cavern (#2, 10169 104 Street, 780-455-1336, thecavern.ca). Enjoy special menus Friday and Saturday, February 14, 15. Call to book: 780-455-1336.

Blue Chair Café (9624 76 Avenue, 780-989-2861 bluechair.ca) reminded us that they serve an amazing brunch; bennies made with their own chipotle hollandaise, their famous banana bread french toast, as well as live jazz. For Valentines Day 2014, they are offering a table d’hote menu, accompanied by music for lovers courtesy

30 January February 2014 | The Tomato

the house band featuring Chloe Albert, Freddi MacDougall, Jamie Philp, Farley Scott and Harold Wollin. The first set starting at 5:30 for those wanting an early night.

We’re thrilled that the Glass Monkey (5842 - 111 Street) in the former Jack’s Grill space in the Lendrum Shopping Centre, is now open. Love the curvy long bar, the concise wine list, fish tacos, charcuterie board and the roasted broccoli among other dishes on the mix and match menu. Open from 3:30pm. Check it out!

Check out Woodwork (10132-100 Street, 780-757-4100, woodworkyeg.com) in the historic McLeod Building. Cocktail impresario Andrew Borley, and chef Mike Scorgie, (Nomad Food Truck) have built a stellar kitchen team including charcuterie maven Emmanuel Theriault (Montreal’s Joe Beef/Liverpool House, Pied De Cochon and Le Chien Fumant); Cedric Boeglin (Red Ox); Erica Vliegenthart (Duchess Bake Shop, Mugaritz, Spain); Filliep Lament (Au Pied De Cochon, Three Boars); Kelsey Johnson (Highlands Kitchen, Duchess Bake Shop), and well-known bar man Brendan Brewster. We love the high-celinged room focused on bar and wood grill, the charred cauliflower and the toothsome brassica salad with kale, cheese and a poached egg.

Credo Coffee (10134 104 Street, 780761-3744 credocoffee.ca) opens a second location this spring in the new Limelight Building on 124 Street.

Alex Sneazwell (formerly Manor Café) has joined Shane Chartrand’s kitchen at Von’s Steak House & Oyster Bar (10309 81 Avenue, 780-439-0041). Now, that’s an energetic and talented combo — expect more good things from this kitchen.

It’s a fun lineup for the inaugural Chopped Canada on the Food Network beginning January 2. Kudos to the Edmonton chef who made the cut, Mariel Montero Sena, kitchen manager at Expressionz Café, 9938 70 Avenue, 780-437-3667 expressionzcafe.com. Don’t miss their next TACO Day celebrating authentic Mexican cuisine and community on January 25.

We’ll be cheering for Mariel and the talented Shelley Robinson. Shelley was in Calgary several years ago at the helm of the short-lived but oh-so-wonderful Blonde with Jennifer Ogle.

Craft Beer Market (10013-101A Avenue, 780-424-2337, craftbeermarket.ca) opened late last year in the old Hy’s in Rice Howard Way. It’s all about the beer, with over 100 on tap, but with former Moriatry’s chef Corey Welsch behind the stoves look forward to hearty gastro-pub fare.

Stay tuned for the opening of Meat, the new barbecue beer and bourbon joint by the Next Act featuring Texas-style (dry rub) meats and sides in late spring. The resto at 8216 104 Street has installed ‘a pretty massive smoker’ in the words of partner Saylish Haas. More on their opening travails and their innovative way of harnessing public opinion in the March/April issue.

Hard to believe that culina (9626 96A Street, 780-466-1181, culinafamily.com) will be 10 years old this spring. Has it really been 10 years since their opening woke up our (at the time) sleepy culinary scene?

Expect a dinner menu revamp; owner/ exec chef Brad Lazarenko says he’s going back to his classic French/Italian roots, but, not too worry, the popular chocolate blue cheese steak will remain. Nathan Rothgeb is back as the new catering director as culina becomes the exclusive caterer for Revel Event & Design, Jenni Brooks and Brianne Thomas, best friends who have partnered in this new venture.

Jenni does the design aesthetics and Brianne specializes on the tech side—event websites, social media pages, a wedding couple can even have their own wedding app designed. Not sure why you would want that, but it sounds really cool just the same.

product news Have you ever made a recipe that didn’t turn out? Find a recipe that doesn’t work?

Has missing ingredients? Or, is missing a method? That happens to us all the time!

Which is why we develop the best recipes we can for each issue, and test the recipes sent to us by chefs and contributors.

Now you can, too. Participate in our new workshop, The Tomato Test Kitchen, Thursday, January 23. Learn the best techniques, plus tips and tricks from the Tomato editor Mary Bailey and research chef Brad Smoliak. The evening will be a hands-on prep and cooking class with wine, prizes and giveaways, $125/pp.

Book at eventbrite.ca.

The Bon Ton Bakery (8720 149 Street, 780-489-7717, bonton. ca) makes a delicious French traditional cake to celebrate the Epiphany called Galette des Rois, airy puff pastry filled with almond cream or apple that comes with a charming tradition; whoever receives the gift hidden within wears the crown. Sweet! The cake comes in two sizes ($12.95, $16.95) and is available from January 10-February 8. For Valentine's Day choose the Strawberry Heart Tart, a shortcrust cookie base, topped with pastry cream and fresh strawberries (and a few fresh raspberries). Bon Ton features their heritage wholewheat ($4.25) and multigrain ($4.95) breads made from organic grains from Morinville’s Gold Forest Grains everyday. The Bon Ton reopens January 7.

Comté is January's cheese of the month at Cavern (#2, 10169 104 Street, 780-455-1336, thecavern. ca). Discover why they can never get enough of this cheese, made from unpasteurized cow’s milk in the eastern mountains of France (Franche-Comté), and pair it with a 10 per cent discount during January.

Hillaby’s Tools for Cooks (Enjoy Centre, 780-651-7373 toolsforcooks.ca) will be opening a second location in the Shoppes of Terwilliger, 14251-23 Avenue, next door to the Prairie Mill Bread Company in the new year.

Interested in learning more about Alberta meat and dairy processing?

The two-day Adding Value to Livestock Tour, February 3-4, visits several on-farm processing operations. Registrations must be received by January 22, email delores.serafin@gov.ab.ca.

Got the January blues? Get some Newget, scientifically proven to banish the January blues — well, no, but we’ll keep telling ourselves that because it is so delicious.

Add Newget to a cheese platter, or simply have on its own. Share the love — order Newget at Newget.ca.

robbie burns nights Aligra Wine & Spirits is hosting A Salute to Robbie Burns on Wednesday, January 22. Experience several different whiskies to discuss and compare in a relaxed atmosphere, along with some light foods. Visit aligrawineandspirits. com for tickets, $65, and details.

Enjoy Robbie Burns Night Wednesday, January 22, with special guest George S. Grant of Scotland’s Glenfarclas Distillery at the Edmonton Petroleum Club (11110 108 Street, 780-474-3411, edpetroleumclub.com). Sample the 12-, 15-, 17-, 21-, 25-, 30-year-old Glenfarclas, The Whisky Exchange’s whisky of the year. Tickets $65, includes tax and tip, reception@ edpetroleumclub.com.

Kitchen by Brad (10130 105 Street, 780-757-7704) and 7 degrees wine beer spirits (formerly Ashton’s Liquor) are hosting a Robbie Burns Night on Friday, January 24, with special guest Andrew Campbell Walls. Enjoy six whiskies paired with Scotch friendly dishes, including haggis.

Reception, 6:30pm followed by dinner at 7pm. Tickets, $150 plus gst, info@kitchenbybrad, space is limited.

The high-end kitchen store with the in-store kitchen

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Featuring Stainless Steel, D5 and Copper core collections Sign up for weekly cooking classes Gift Cards also available! #550, 220 Lakeland Dr., Sherwood Park 780.464.4631 www.thepantree.ca /ThePanTree

@PanTreeKitchen

hardware grill est. 1996

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Don’t miss Fine Wines by Liquor Select’s (8924 149 Street, 780-4816868 liquorselect.com) Annual Tribute to Robbie Burns with Nick Lees. There will be a haggis, a piper, stories, songs, and some fabulous examples of single malt whisky. Always memorable, always a sell-out, don't wait to get your tickets; Friday, January 24, 7pm, $70pp, 780-481-6868.

Celebrate Robbie Burns with Unwined Fine Wine, Spirits and Ales (512 St Albert Trail #2, St. Albert, 780, 458-4777). Enjoy unique whisky along with the Master of Malts, Andrew Walls addressing the Haggis on Sunday January 26, with a special start time of 5pm.

Tickets $35, unwined.biz.

Please see ”Kitchen Sink’ next page

hardware grill hardware grill est. 1996

est. 1996

seasonal prairie cuisine • the evolution of tradition www.hardwaregrill.com / 780.423.0969 / 9698 Jasper Ave also visit our newest downtown restaurant: tavern 1903 at alberta hotel

The Tomato | January February 2014 31

kitchen sink Continued from page 31

wine tastings happenings and events Upcoming tastings at Aligra Wine & Spirits: Wednesday, January 8, So, you hate wine, eh? $15; February 5, Wine 101: The Fundamentals, $41.95. Tickets, details at aligrawineandspirits. com. February 20, An Evening to Support, fundraiser for Crisis Support Network of Edmonton.

Tickets: cmokken@crisissupportcentre.com.

Enjoy Taking it to Heart, a food and fashion benefit for Alberta Heart and Stroke sponsored by Alberta Canola, with a special focus on preventing heart disease in young women with delicious and heart-healthy dishes created by a roster of stellar female chefs; Jasmin Laderoute (MKT); Joelle Sparvier (Public House); Sarah Masters-Phillips (Belgravia Hub); Tracy Zizek (Café de Ville), the Edmonton Petroleum Club’s Doreen Prei, with special guest Liana Robberecht, exec chef of the Calgary Petroleum Club, and cookbook author Mairlyn Smith.

Monday, February 3, Edmonton Petroleum Club, tickets $100, includes tax and tip, reception@ edpetroleumclub.com.

Mark your calendars for Macewan University’s Mad Hatters Gala, Saturday, April 26. Immerse yourself in the glittering world of Monte Carlo, with great food and drink inspired by the sunny Mediterranean during the opening reception, opulent dinner, street market-style silent auction and after party, Shaw Conference Centre, Hall D, $500/person, or tables of 10, $5000. Funds raised go to Macewan University Student Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries. Hurry, this event sells out every year: macewan. ca/madhatters. Inquiries can be directed to communityrelations@ macewan.ca or 780-497-5111.

Don’t miss For the Love of Wine fundraiser for Kid’s Kottage,

32 January February 2014 | The Tomato

hundreds of wines to taste, silent auction, live jazz, food pairings and a sumptuous chocolate buffet at the Delta Edmonton South, Friday, February 14, Tickets $100/pp, 780 448-1752 or kidskottage.org.

Embrace winter with a Rge Rd and Natures Green Acres Farm Dinner. Experience a Dr Zhivago moment in a Percheron-pulled sleigh, cosy in furs and sheepskins, warm drinks in hand. We love Blair Lebsack’s interpretation of Alberta food — this winter farm dinner promises to be magical. Saturday, January 18, $200/pp, tickets blairlebsack@shaw.ca or 780-447-4577.

Love pork? Don’t miss what organizers have dubbed a porkinfused culinary adventure from appetizer to dessert at the Swine and Dine Dinner. Chefs Doreen Prei and Eric Hansen create a six-course menu featuring Alberta Pork on Wednesday, January 15 at the Edmonton Petroleum Club.

Tickets are $75, plus tax and tip, reception@edpetroleumclub.com.

Experience Winefest 2014 the relaxed, all-inclusive, all-wine event at the Shaw Conference Centre, February 14-15. Visit celebratewinefest.com for more information.

More wine and food events at the Edmonton Petroleum Club: Valentine’s Day Dinner on Friday, February 14, $75 (or $100 with wine pairing) includes tax and tip; February 25, winemakers dinner with South Africa’s Glen Carlou, $125, including tax and tip. For more information and reservations for all Petroleum Club events reception@edpetroleumclub.com.

Ooms. Pyramid Lake Resort, Saturday, February 8, 7pm - 9pm, $60, includes tax and tip. For more information, tickets for the tasting and to book reservations at the special 99/30 Whisky in Winter rate, call 780-852-4900.

Enjoy a taste of the south of France at Les Chevaliers des Vins de France/ Alliance Française dinner Tuesday, January 21. The Edmonton Petroleum Club’s head of culinary development Doreen Prei creates a menu inspired by the robust wines of the region. Special guest author Todd Babiak. Guests welcome.

For more information, or to book, contact kathryn.merrett@telus.net.

Keep in mind Sunday Dinners at kitchen by brad, with a dinner in late February featuring German winemaker Andreas Bender. Dates and details at kitchenbybrad.ca.

The 2014 Okanagan Food & Wine Writers’ Workshop runs May 9-11 in Kelowna, at the Ocean Cove Resort. For instructors, prices, and workshop details, visit okanaganfoodandwinewriters workshop.com.

Seasoned Solutions Culinary Tours visit Kitscoty in July, Medicine Hat in August and Piedmont and Burgundy in October ($5,495 US/pp) with an optional extension to attend the Salone del Gusto in Turin. Visit seasonedsolutions.ca for all the details.

Upcoming tastings at Unwined Fine Wine, Spirits and Ales: Wednesday, January 15 and Wednesday February 19, The Days of Wine and Proses with Laurie Greenwood, $25, unwined.biz.

Sample an impressive selection of craft beer and whiskey Friday, February 7 at the Hops & Whiskey Fundraiser for Kids Up Front, at the Royal Glenora Club. Funds rasied go to Kids Up Front, a charitable organization that supplies tickets to arts, sports and entertainment events to local children, youth and families with financial and social barriers.

Tickets $50 and $60, rgc.inviteright.com/hopswhisky.

Join Chris Maybin from Compass Box at the beautiful Pyramid Lake Resort for the Whisky in Winter master class, featuring a comprehensive line up from a stellar boutique producer, paired with small bites from chef Michael

The Canadian Culinary Championships 2014 take place in Kelowna, February 7, 8. Cheer on Edmonton’s Gold Medal Plates champion chef Paul Shufelt as he vies for the national title. For ticket and package information visit

Goldmedalplates.com or ccc@goldmedalplates.com.

What’s the best thing you ate in 2013? Let us know: on twitter: @tomatofooddrink, use hashtag #Tomatotop100; on facebook: Facebook/tomatofooddrink; by email: tomatotop100@telus.net or send us a letter! Nominations close January 25. The 100 best things to eat in Edmonton will be featured in the March/April issue of The Tomato. To see last year’s Top 100 visit thetomato.ca, and select the march-april-2013 issue Researchers at the Physical Activity and Nutrition for Diabetes in Alberta (PANDA) at the UofA have co-authored a cookbook based on foods we eat every day. The research project, led

by Dr. Cathy Chan, was to develop and evaluate practical strategies to improve glucose control through healthy and physical activity.

“The Pure Prairie Eating Plan started as a student project in 2009,” says Dr. Rhonda Bell. “We found that over the long term it’s hard for people to translate recommendations such as ‘eat less saturated fat’ into their actual meals. This is an eating plan with a local focus for people who want to eat more healthfully. We focused on Alberta, to show people that the food they normally eat can fit into a regular pattern.”

The recipes highlight good food grown here — pulses, barley, grains and potatoes; lean meats and dairy; canola oil, vegetables, apples and berries. For more information, and where to buy, visit pureprairie.ca.

Send new and/or interesting food and drink related news for The Kitchen Sink to thetomato.ca.

Please join us at one of Edmonton’s premier social and fundraising events.

SHAW CONFERENCE CENTRE

SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014 Featuring Monaco inspired French Mediterranean cuisine.

TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS GO TO:

MacEwan.ca/Madhatters Tickets $500 each • $5,000 per table of 10 A portion of your ticket purchase is eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

Inquiries can be directed to: communityrelations@macewan.ca

or phone: 780.497.5111 #macewanumadhat facebook.com/macewanuniversity

Don your most creative hats & fascinators for a Monte Carlo themed evening of fun & food.

All proceeds raised help support MacEwan University students as they pursue their academic and career aspirations.

MONTE CARLO

Hope to see you there!

Experience our unique blends of specialty Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars from around the world. From Cherry and Chocolate for her, to Bacon and Smoked for him, the Olive Tasting Room has the perfect gift to add some flavour to your Valentine’s Day. Stop by for a Free Tasting.

9656 142 Street Edmonton

olivcrestwood@shaw.ca

780-756-1600

It’s a gift – from the heart for the heart!

And an evening to remember — in support of Heart & Stroke’s The Heart Truth • Six women chefs! Six heart-healthy gourmet dishes!

• Three local fashion designers! Six red dresses!

• MC Mairlyn Smith, of Cityline and Second City Comedy graduate • Combined with complimentary wine, entertainment and gifts

2014

The Heart Truth aims to encourage women to become engaged in their heart health by teaching them how to reduce their risk factors through diet, physical actvitity and other strategies.

Monday, February 3 • $75 • 5:30 pm Edmonton Petroleum Club, 11110 108 Street TIckets at www.eventbrite.ca

Matahari

A PA N - A S I A N D I N I N G E X P E R I E N C E

Dining, Takeout, Catering & Special Events 10108B – 124 Street • 452-8262

Ample free parking at rear with rear entrance available.

Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday, hours vary.

A VA L E N T I N E S E V E N T F O R T H E K I D S K OT TAG E F O U N DAT I O N

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DRO SANINELLI DOM NO

TICKETS

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$100

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Enjoy hundreds of wines, silent auction, live jazz, elegant food pairings and a chocolate buffet.

Friday, February 14, 2014 at 7pm – 10pm at the Delta Edmonton South Hotel and Conference Centre

For tickets www.kidskottage.org or call 780-448-1752

according to judy Still Cooking It wasn’t just the complete lack of snow and icicles that made me homesick at Christmas. It was our Santa Claus Parade.

Father Christmas showed up in sunglasses and sandals, and his yappy team of antler-wearing mutts from the local doggie daycare didn’t quite cut it as reindeer. Plus, no cook should have to roast a turkey, a ham and a leg of lamb when it’s plus 30 Celcius.

But. Came the New Year, things are looking up. We’re basking in summer with the Tasman surf pounding the shore and a sea wind yelping through the dunes. The magnolias are the size of café au lait mugs, and they smell of vanilla and honey. (I may have mentioned this before, but I love to gloat.)

This place, in a word? Fresh! The lemon tree is loaded with glossy fruit, and the figs and olives are enjoying a bumper season. We can almost hear the asparagus grow.

Even now, a pot of the infamous drunken woman lettuce sits blushing on our balcony. The floppy leaves are a terrific companion to the avocados from down the road, our own avos having fallen off the tree en masse. (Nobody knows why.)

Our big bonus is the wealth of fresh fish, on the hook or in the market, and my favourite takeaway supper is still the firm white gurnard fried in crispy beer batter from Fitzy’s in the village. Waiting in line for fish, we catch up on local news: which lucky bloke caught the biggest snapper in the Sunday derby; what really happened on

780.458.4777 • info@unwined.biz www.unwined.biz • 2, 512 St. Albert Trail

34 January February 2014 | The Tomato

| judy schultz

Saturday night outside the pub before the cops arrived; and recent shark sightings in the harbour, including a couple of Great Whites.

Being here is one long cooking lesson, so I watch and learn. We wrap a whole snapper in banana leaves and throw it on the barbie.

It’s absolutely succulent. The Maori cook from down the hill. The one who makes terrific mussel fritters for the Sunday market makes a delicious no-recipe ceviche: thinlysliced scallops in lime juice with hot peppers, a wild herb called kawakawa, and just a touch of coconut milk. Yum. And, down at Simunovitch’s, I’ve eaten the most delicious monkfish poached in olive oil. They have 40,000 olive trees, so they know their oil.

I’m finally finishing A Year in Two Kitchens, filling in the dishes I didn’t get around to last year: wild guava ice cream; lots of dishes with rosemary, currently two metres tall in the garden; and passionfruit jam, because the vines are groaning, and what else can you do with a vat of ripe passionfruit?

I’m foraging, too. Wild fennel is a weed here, and before some diligent farmer sprays it, I’ve picked a bunch for flavouring vodka and oven-roasting salmon.

Speaking of vodka, a woman who grows macadamia nuts gave me a recipe for candied fig, vodka and macadamia tart.

All in all, it’ll be a toothsome summer. Home in April.

Judy, a constant cook, divides her time between Edmonton and the Awhitu Peninsula, New Zealand.

CONGRATULATIONS

ROSEMARY GINGER BEER JASPER PLACE HIGH SCHOOL

THE BIRKIE BREAK

TRANSCEND COFFEE & CBC RADIO EDMONTON AM

Find the recipes at facebook.com/WinterCityEdmonton

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