The Tomato: January/February 2013

Formerly City Palate

The flavour of Edmonton’s food scene | January February 2013 | thetomato.ca

All about the egg

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 a fabulous Le Creuset French oven and other great 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 #100best • We’ll even take a letter in the post.

The 100 best things to eat and drink will be featured in Issue 100 — 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 ever ate?

March April 2013 is Issue 100 of The Tomato and we’re 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!

editor

Contents

Mary Bailey marybee@shaw.ca

publisher BGP Publishing

copy editor Amanda LeNeve Don Retson

designer Bossanova Communications Inc.

contributing writers Peter Bailey Jan Hostyn Kristine Kowalchuk Judy Schultz Karen Virag

illustration/photography Amanda LeNeve Gerry Rasmussen To Be In Pictures

Features

6

Saving the Antique Chicken

8

The Science of Eggs Emulsify, bind or leaven, eggs do it all.

12

The Awesome Egg

18

A Chicken in Every Backyard

26

The Essential Egg

30

The Seventeenth Century Egg

34

Big Food

design and prepress

O, wonderous egg, the perfect food | Karen Virag

The urban quest for fresh eggs | Mary Bailey

Nothing beats the egg

Forsooth! | Kristine Kowalchuk

Some people might call it an obsession | Jan Hostyn

Departments

Bossanova Communications Inc.

printer

The U of A Poultry Research Centre hatches plan to save heritage birds

5

Dish Gastronomic happenings around town

10

Feeding People

14

The Proust Culinary Questionnaire

16

Wine Maven

For advertising information call 780-431-1802.

20

Alberta Pantry

the tomato is published six times per year:

22

Beer Guy

28

Drink

34

In Season

36

Kitchen Sink

38

According to Judy

distribution The Globe and Mail For editorial inquires, information, letters, suggestions or ideas, contact The Tomato at 780-431-1802, fax 780-433-0492, or email marybee@shaw.ca.

January/February March/April May/June July/August September/October November/December

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

thetomato.ca

Chefs taste eggs

Adriano Zenari, Zenari’s

Mary Bailey

Fresh quail, duck and certified organic chicken eggs

Happy New Beer | Peter Bailey

The newest shape in fermentation

Food movies | Mary Bailey

What’s new and notable

Jacqueline Jacek, Cocoanista | Judy Schultz Amanda Schutz is a designer, illustrator, and artist. When she isn’t drawing, she can be found happily knitting scarves, baking a pie or hugging her puppy, Luna. amandaschutz.com

The Tomato | January February 2013 3

Coming soon!

What’s the best thing you ever ate?

March April 2013 is Issue 100 of The Tomato and we’re celebrating with the 100 best things to eat (and drink) in our area.

Tell us about your favourite thing to eat or drink on thetomato.ca, twitter or facebook.com/ thetomatofooddrink.

Now That’s Italian!

Bakery • Deli • Produce Specializing in European Products

DOWNTOWN 10878-95 Street 9-9 Everyday

SOUTHSIDE 5028-104A Street 9-9 Everyday

780-424-4869

780-989-4869

www.italiancentre.ca

Enter to win a fabulous Le Creuset French oven and other great prizes from local businesses.

gastronomic happenings around town | where to eat downtown in 11 canadian cities

it’s a brand new earls!

Finding the best spot for business dining is now as close as your phone. Eat Canada is the ultimate restaurant guide for the business traveller with recommendations for over 200 restaurants in 11 major Canadian cities compiled by Gold Medal Plates senior judges.

Find the ideal downtown resto for a power breakfast, business lunch or client dinner, or scout out where the locals go for after-work drinks and private functions. Available at the App store http://bit.ly/eatcanada or through the Eat Canada website: forcegrind.com/eatcanada.

take it to heart Join five stellar female chefs at Taking it to Heart! in support of the Edmonton Heart and Stroke Education Campaign at the Edmonton Petroleum Club (11110 108 Street, 780-4743411), Monday, February 25, from 6-9pm.

Tickets: $75/person, at eventbrite.ca. The menu features heart-healthy Alberta canola oil in mini-portions of comfort foods. Also on the menu: cool jazz, laughter yoga with Pamela Tracz, and Santa Margharita wines.

dish

Earls’ new farmhouse chic.

Six months and several million dollars later, Earls reopened with a fabulous new look and menu just in time for its 30th birthday.

Edmonton lays claim to the first Earls, now one of 60 locations in Canada, including five in Ontario and a Miami, Florida location opening in 2014. Bus Fuller and sons pioneered the upscale fine dining concept, which includes Satlik and Joey’s under the family-owned Fuller Group banner. Stan Fuller is also a major shareholder in the Cactus Club chain. Earls downtown is the flagship for Alberta; all new menu items are tested here. Don’t miss the jeera chicken created by a top Vancouver Indian chef (no, we’re not going to tell you who that is but think you can guess, especially after you taste it).

The newest incarnation — think contemporary urban/farmhouse — warm colours, wood, leather, common tables, great lighting (and purse hooks, yay!). It’s no secret that Edmonton loves its Earls. It’s enduring appeal? It’s always been fun. Now if we can only get used to not calling it the Tin Palace.

a covenant of salt

farms not malls?

Public hearings on preserving agricultural land in the northeast Edmonton area are scheduled for Tuesday, February 19. For a look at the proposed ASP (Area Structure Plan) before then, contact City of Edmonton planner Carla Semeniuk, 780-496-1582 carla.semeniuk@edmonton.ca.

Oh Jerusalem!

uncork wine finds under $25 Shelley Boettcher has done it again with the second edition of her guide to the thriftiest and best tasting wines under $25, Uncorked!

(Whitecap Books). Shelley’s choices range from casual after work sippers to as-seriousas-you-can-get wines given the price point.

All 150 wines are readily available, though she doesn’t stick with only the tried and true.

Shelley offers suggestions from less wellknown wine-producing countries such as the Republic of Georgia, as well as all the usual suspects. Uncorked! is the perfect companion for your next trip to the wine shop. Buy at Audrey’s, Edmonton’s indie book store.

The gorgeous new cookbook Jerusalem (Appetite by Random House, $40) by Londonbased chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi is all about shared roots and the power of collaboration. Both were born in Jerusalem, on the same day; on opposite sides of town.

They explore the Muslim, Jewish and Christian roots of the city through its food — 120 recipes ranging from well-known, cultural touchstones such as hummous or chopped cucumber and tomato salads; soups, fish, lamb* and glorious vegetable dishes; condiments from baharat to zhoug; and luscious sweets. Included in the book’s impeccable design are snapshots of the city’s most iconic food vendors, and an easy-to-follow index.

Jerusalem is an old-school cookbook with padded cover, high-quality stock, sumptuous photographs — a visual feast. You’ll want it in the print edition. If you didn’t get it for Christmas, pick it up now, as it belongs in every good cook’s library. The Random House imprint Appetite is helmed by Vancouver-based Robert McCullough (formerly of Whitecap Books) a good friend of Canadian cooks and culinary authors. Expect to see many more excellent cookbooks from Appetite, including Modern Flavors of Arabia by Ottawa-based Suzanne Husseini. * The recipe for the cover image, braised eggs with lamb, tahini and sumac, is on page 26.

Uncork some values.

The Tomato | January February 2013 5

Saving the Antique Chicken “These antique birds are real calm and casual chickens.”

– Dr. Frank Robinson

Upper left: Light Sussex created in Sussex, England over a century ago. Upper centre: New Hampshire: a specialized selection of the Rhode Island Red featuring rapid growth, fast feathering, early maturity and vigor, it carries the naked neck mutant gene. Upper and top right: modern White and brown heritage Leghorns. Originally from Italy, they were introduced to America in 1853. They produce white eggs. Most chickens used in conventional egg production today are modern leghorns due to their prolific egg production. Top left: Barred Plymouth Rock is one of the oldest — and one of the prettiest — North American chickens, first exhibited as an all-American breed in 1969. A dual purpose (egg and meat) breed, producing a brown egg. Photos by To Be In Pictures.

6 January February 2013 | The Tomato

The University of Alberta Poultry Research Centre (PRC) hatches a plan to save their heritage breeds.

In a biologically secure lab on the University of Alberta south campus live about 15,000 birds. They are a flock of heritage chickens; barred Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire, white leghorn, brown leghorn and light Sussex. They live in pens on the floor and pretty much do what chickens do — roost, scratch, lay eggs. Their purpose is twofold — to provide a genetic bank and to allow researchers to compare productivity to modern chickens. It’s an important collection — all are listed as endangered or at risk.

Frank Robinson came to the University of Alberta from the University of Saskatchewan in 1986. “There had been an excellent poultry research program run by Drs Robblee and Clandinin until 1980, when they retired.

They were nutritionists and productive researchers,” says Dr. Robinson, dean of students, vice provost and professor of poultry production and physiology.

“I reinvigorated the program they had started. The University of Saskatchewan Poultry Centre was facing budget cuts, so we were able to have some of their birds. There are lots of pretty chickens, but I wanted breeds that had contributed to Alberta’s poultry industry over the past 100 years. The base of our collection is those U of Saskatchewan birds. We’re tying to maintain what we have — we randomly choose roosters and hens for breeding to keep all the variability.

“I think of our antique birds as an insurance policy for the chicken industry,” says Dr. Robinson. “Consumers don’t realize the vulnerabilities in the food system. We have a very small genetic base in poultry; once that’s lost, it’s extinction. You want to save old cars? Get a quonset in Wetaskiwin and you’re all set. Old cars don’t need to be fed,” says Dr. Robinson.

Heritage breeds are the birds introduced to Canada over a hundred years ago. Modern poultry meat and egg breeds have been selectively cross-bred for certain attributes: fast growth, heavy slaughter weight or high egg production. But, we forget that old birds, what Dr. Robinson refers to as antique birds, carry traits that might be extremely useful, particularly if

for some catastrophic reason we have to start breeding chickens all over again. Other forms of genetic preservation, cryogenics for example, are simply not as effective as live preservation. Think of these PRC chickens as living history.

But it all comes at a price — with budget cuts and dwindling funding the Poultry Research Centre had to come up with a way to make their project either more meaningful to funders, or to pay for itself.

“We are keeping birds for the purpose of genetic preservation,” says Dr. Martin Zuidhof, academic lead of PRC. “We believe it’s a noble cause, but it’s not directly related to deliverables to the poultry industry. If we can help others believe it’s a noble cause, genetic conservation pays for itself.”

Agnes Kulinski, the business director of the PRC, did a research study on possible scenarios to help these birds do just that. She hatched the idea to market the eggs.

Where will we be able to purchase these wonderful eggs?

The plan is still in its early stages with roll-out scheduled for late spring.

“We’re looking at an adoption program — adopt a heritage bird, we’ll raise your chicken, you’ll receive eggs — we're working out the details," says Agnes. “We expect the fee to be in the $100-$150 range per year. We’re also working on a national strategy for preserving the birds.”

That would work out to about $3 per week. Not bad for pristine heritage eggs and an investment in a noble cause.

“Maybe we can market those eggs instead of just having inefficient old chickens,” says Dr. Robinson.

What’s his favourite chicken? “Light Sussex. They are not really very good for anything. They are a big bird and they lay small eggs. I had 25 of them when I was a kid delivering eggs to every old lady around the neighbourhood.” For more information on the heritage chicken program, email uofaheritagechicken@gmail.com Mary Bailey is editor of The Tomato.

The Tomato | January February 2013 7

The SCIENCE of Eggs as emulsifier variations Making mayonnaise from scratch rewards not only in flavour but also in what it can teach you about the magic of emulsification — combining two things that don’t normally blend (oil and water) into one. This process thickens and stabilizes the mixture so it doesn’t separate later. Once you understand how to emulsify, sauce-making becomes practically child’s play. Non-pros may find a blender, food processor or a mixer with a whisk attachment handy — less tiring, quicker and the sheer power and speed of the machine breaks the oil into smaller droplets, creating a more stable emulsion.

Be sure to have both your egg yolks and oil at room temperature before starting. Refrigerate eggbased sauces immediately and keep cold. Making mayonnaise may fall into the why-bother-whenthere’s-Hellman’s category, but it’s a good way to learn technique and sharpen skills in the kitchen. Do it once, anyway, just to say you did.

basic mayonnaise 2

egg yolks

1 T

Dijon mustard

1 T

fresh lemon juice

¾ c

canola oil

Combine egg yolks, mustard and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Process briefly to blend.

With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a thin, steady stream. If the mayo gets too stiff, add 1-2 teaspoons of cold water to thin it. Refrigerate immediately.

rémoulade (aka tartar sauce) 1 T

Dijon

¼ c

finely chopped cornichons

1 T

chopped capers

1

finely chopped anchovy fillet

3 T

chopped parsley

1 t

chopped fresh chervil

1 t chopped fresh tarragon (approximately) 2 c

mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients together. Serve with fish.

gribiche Make rémoulade but omit the anchovies and add 2 chopped hardboiled eggs.

chantilly Fold in ½ c of whipped cream into mayonnaise just before serving.

aioli: Make a basic mayonnaise, but omit the mustard and add 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons water, 2 cloves crushed garlic. Slowly incorporate ½ cup extravirgin olive oil by hand.

hollandaise sauce Master hollandaise and you’ll never be a slave to a package of pseudohollandaise again!

3

egg yolks

1 T

cold water

1 T

fresh lemon juice

1 c (2 sticks) clarified unsalted butter fine sea salt and white pepper

8 January February 2013 | The Tomato

Combine egg yolks with water in a double boiler, or in a bowl set on top of a pot filled with water (have a bowl of iced water on the side).

Remove from heat and whisk until fluffy. Return to medium heat and whisk continuously until thickened.

It will froth up and subside, but keep whisking. If the egg mixture breaks (appears lumpy or starts to separate), dip the bowl into the bowl of iced water and keep whisking to bring it back. Carefully continue over heat.

The mixture has thickened enough when you can see the bottom of the pan between strokes. Remove from heat and quickly and thoroughly whisk in the clarified butter 1 tablespoon at a time. After all the butter has been added, whisk in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Keep sauce warm. Makes about 1¼ cups.

Serves 6.

variations blender hollandaise: It won’t have the same airy creaminess but it will do in a pinch. Heat the butter to 165ºF. Blend the eggs and water in a blender, adding melted butter in a thin stream until emulsified. Pour into a bowl then whisk in the lemon juice and season.

béarnaise 1/3

c

white wine vinegar

1

minced shallot

5

crushed black peppercorns

3

tarragon sprigs.

Combine ingredients and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons of liquid. Strain, then whisk into the hollandaise instead of lemon juice.

choron sauce (tomato béarnaise) The classic way to make this sauce is with a tomato coulis, essentially

crushed ripe tomatoes. Cook about ½ cup until reduced by half, then whisk into the béarnaise. If nice, fresh tomatoes are not an option, I’ve had good results with crushed tomatoes in a jar sold at the Italian Centre. You can also use tomato paste, but it won’t taste as good.

maltaise sauce (orange hollandaise) Zest ¼ orange and blanch for 30 seconds in boiling water. Drain.

Strain the juice from the orange into a saucepan, add the blanched zest and boil until the liquid has reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Whisk into finished hollandaise instead of the lemon juice.

Eggs as leavener Whipping egg whites causes them to capture air by creating a stable mass of air bubbles (foam) which creates lightness in a dish.

Add heat and the foam becomes permanent. Add fat to the equation — like in a quiche, soufflé or curd — and you have both air bubbles and emulsification working their magic. Start with quiche, then meringue and move on to three classics from the French canon — cheese soufflé, lemon soufflé and a decadent chocolate mousse.

duchess bakeshop wild boar bacon and mushroom quiche The Duchess quiche is a mile high and absolutely airy, even though it’s loaded with toothsome bacon and mushrooms and has tons of cream like a good quiche should.

1

pre-baked pie/quiche crust

1 c crimini mushrooms, chopped 6 pieces

wild boar bacon

EGGS 400 ml cream

(approx. 1¾ c) heavy

½ c

whole milk

3 large

eggs

2 T

flour

1 t

sea salt

½ t

pepper

½ t

nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop bacon into 1-inch pieces and sauté in a pan until cooked, rendered and crispy. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until softened. Season to taste. Set aside.

Whisk together cream, eggs and milk in a bowl until well combined.

Add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg to egg mixture. Whisk until there are no lumps. Fill the pre-baked pie/quiche shell ¾ full with egg mixture. Sprinkle the cooked bacon and mushrooms over top. Bake quiche for approximately 40-50 minutes or until centre of the quiche is firm and does not wiggle.

meringue Meringue are an excellent way to use up leftover egg whites and make a delicious dessert to boot. Make them in any size — you can even pipe small decorative ones called rocher, as they look like little rock piles. Add some cocoa or espresso powder, citrus zest or even toasted coconut. They keep well in a cookie tin at room temperature.

basic meringue 6 large

egg whites

1½ c

berry sugar

1½ t

cornstarch

1 t

white wine vinegar

½ t

vanilla

1¼ c

boiling water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover a baking sheet with oiled foil, shiny side up. Put the egg whites, sugar, vinegar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a hand mixer) outfitted with a whisk attachment and beat until combined. Add the boiling water and whisk on high for about 5 minutes, until stiff glossy peaks form. Spoon onto a 9 -10 inch round on the baking sheet.

Cook in the centre of the oven for about ten minutes, then turn down to 200°F and cook for about 40 minutes more, until semi-crisp and just starting to colour. Do not overcook. Cool in the oven for one hour, or overnight. Store in an airtight container.

lemon pavlova with white chocolate and hazelnuts 1 basic meringue recipe (above)

below)

lemon curd (recipe

1 piece white chocolate (about 1 ounce), chilled ¼ c chopped

hazelnuts, rough

lemon curd 6 large egg yolks ½ c freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 1 c

sugar

1 stick (½ c) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

zest of ½ lemon, grated

Combine yolks, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan, over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of the wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add

butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until consistency is smooth. Stir in zest.

Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, placed directly on the surface of the curd to keep a skin from forming.

Cool and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Store, refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Makes about 2 cups.

To serve: Spoon lemon curd over the meringue. Shave the white chocolate over and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serve immediately.

Note: Can’t find hazelnuts and forgot to buy the white chocolate? A Ritter Sport white chocolate hazelnut bar available at most grocery stores will work in a pinch.

variation: canadian pavlova Cook sliced, skin-on Macintosh or Honey Crisp apples in butter with 2 T good rye whiskey and a spritz of fresh lemon juice until soft. Whip cream with a small glug of maple syrup. Gently layer the apple mixture over the meringue, followed by the whiskey whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Serve with chilled Domaine Pinnacle Ice Cider.

julia child’s cheese soufflé A cheese soufflé is a spectacular brunch, lunch or first course. Making soufflé is a bit like making risotto; once you master the technique it’s easy, but you have to pay attention and use best quality ingredients. The egg yolk mixture can be prepped ahead of time, leaving only the egg white step before popping the soufflé in the oven.

2 T finely grated ParmigianoReggiano 1 c

whole milk

2½ T

unsalted butter

3 T flour

unbleached all purpose

½ t

paprika

½ t

salt

pinch of ground nutmeg

How to Cook an Egg The key to cooking eggs is gentle handling and lower heat.

Boiled

We refer to eggs cooked in the shell as boiled, but eggs should never be boiled — the shells could crack, and boiling will make the whites rubbery and the yolks dry.

Use this technique for the perfect soft-boiled egg: Put cold eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Cover with cold water until there is at least an inch above the eggs. Put the lid on the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately remove pan from heat to stop boiling. Let eggs stand in water 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked as desired. Remove eggs and rinse under cold water. Cut off larger end with a sharp knife. Place in eggcups and season with salt and pepper. Serve with toast soldiers.

Poached

Use fresh eggs with thick whites.

Bring at least 4 cups of water to boil in a wide mouthed saucepan. Break the egg gently into a cup first, then slide into the water. The whites will feather a bit — coax them around the yolks with a flat whisk. When the water boils, reduce to low and simmer until set, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and use a cloth or paper towel to pat the bottom of the egg dry.

Scrambled

The goal of soft and creamy scrambled eggs, even for those who like their eggs scrambled hard, can be achieved by doing this: whisk the eggs in a bowl with water, not milk. Water creates steam, helping the eggs stay fluffy; milk creates tough scrambled eggs.

Melt a large knot of butter in the pan (or use olive oil for a different flavour) even if you are using a non-stick pan.

Never let the pan get too hot. When you pour in the eggs, let them set for a moment, then start slowly stirring with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, creating pillowy mounds of egg. Take off the heat a few moments before they are done; the eggs will finish cooking in the pan.

Please see “Egg Science” on page 24

The Tomato | January February 2013 9

feeding people

| mary bailey

Chefs Taste Eggs One large chicken egg contains 6.3g of high-quality complete protein. They are an excellent source of Vitamins A, B-12 and D, and even the most expensive egg is still a cheap source of protein.

But, how do they taste? Is there much of a difference between supermarket, specialty and farmers’ market eggs? We were about to find out.

the challenge:

It’s as easy as

1-2-3!

1.

The largest selection of Beer in Canada!

The largest selection of Rum in Edmonton!

3.

Taste and evaluate several types of chicken eggs.

We would also evaluate the best timing for a boiled quail egg, and duck eggs whites would be whipped to judge loft.

the tasters Brayden Kozak Three Boars

2.

Blair Lebsack RGE RD

The largest selection of Scotch on our block!

Doreen Prei Shane Loiselle Zinc Brad Smoliak Kitchen

11819 St. Albert Trail, Edmonton www.sherbrookeliquor.com

bonjour

Nathin Bye Lazia Group (Wildflower, East and 2012 Edmonton Gold Medal Plates champ) Amanda LeNeve food & drink

10-12-10 7:44 AMTomato The

Sherbrooke_12V.indd 1

Kirstin Kotelko Spring Creek Ranch Premium Beef

boulangerie

Charles Rothman Edmonton Petroleum Club

Artisan Bakery

the eggs

artisanale

1. Supermarket White 2. Supermarket Brown 3. Supermarket Free Run 4. Nature’s Best Nature Egg 5. Nature’s Best Omega Three 6. Sunworks Farm Organic

8612-99 Street 780.433.5924 www.treestone.ca

10 January February 2013 | The Tomato

The eggs were evaluated blind (we didn’t know which was which until we took a look at the control sheet) and comments were anonymous.

We met at Kitchen. Shane took first shift at the stove, turning out several perfectly-cooked, sunny side up eggs. Blair was next, scrambling the next batch with some butter.

Brad was in the back timing quail eggs at three, four and five minutes to see which gave the best result. We thought four but the extra minute on either side wasn’t criminal — good to know there is some room for lack of precision. The chefs chatted about the best way to sous vide an egg while we plated the fried and scrambled eggs.

The wheels fell off after we finished tasting through the chicken eggs.

Eggs are relentlessy difficult to taste over and over again — the palate tires quickly of creamy yolk and gelatinous white. We bailed on the how high can you get your duck eggs whites? Brayden’s were skyhigh after a few quick turns of the whisk. After a last sip of Prosecco, everybody headed back to work.

the results: The white and brown supermarket eggs, including the free run, did not fare well. Comments ranged from pale, bland, with a powdery yolk to smooth but almost no taste.

Perhaps it was the supermarket or the age of the eggs, but they were nobody’s favourite egg. The white were the cheapest eggs tasted, but the brown, with no discernable difference in flavour or quality, were almost $2 more.

The Sunworks Farm and the Naturegg Nature’s Best were either

number one or number two on everyone’s list with comments such as fresh, richer egg flavour, balanced flavour, good flavour, creamy, eggy.

The Omega Three eggs elicted interesting responses with flavours described as odd, awful, best to start, then odd, fishy, yuck. There were some defenders from a nutritional standpoint; but they didn’t do well in the taste test.

The specialty eggs and the farmers’ market eggs were all in the $5 price range, almost twice the price of the white supermarket eggs. Is it worth it from a taste perspective? Yes! Keep in mind even at $5 a dozen we’re still talking about 60¢ an egg, that’s practically lentil protein prices. Unless you’re buying several dozen eggs a week, the premium could probably fit into most budgets.

A few weeks after the tasting, when I could face an egg again, I poached one and had it on a piece of toast.

I paid attention to the taste. It was creamy, eggy and rich-tasting with no off-flavours. All it needed was pinch of sea salt and a crack of black pepper. It was a Four Whistle Farm egg, bought at Strathcona Farmers’ Market. It was good.

Below: judges Kirstin Kotelko, Nathin Bye and Charles Rothman taste eggs. Facing page from top left: Shane Loiselle (Zinc) fries up; Blair Lebsack (RGE RD) whisks his scrambled eggs; sunny side up offering; Shane Loiselle, Doreen Prei (Zinc) and Brayden Kozak chow down. Photos by Amanda LeNeve.

Friendly, knowlegable WSET-trained staff.

9658 - 142 Street | 780-488-7800 | crestwoodfinewines.com

10030 Jasper Avenue | 587-520-8841

The Tomato | January February 2013 11

The Awesome Egg Karen Virag

Scrambled, boiled, poached or fried With a slice of bacon by its side A child of a chicken’s brood O, wondrous egg, the perfect food.

God forbid, but if I were going to be executed, I know what I would have for my last meal — a slightly runny boiled egg, sprinkled with Maldon sea salt, served with a side of chewy toasted rye bread. You might scoff, but I agree with the Oxford Companion to Food, which calls the egg “an astonishing and unintentional gift … and a prime resource to occidental and oriental cooks alike.” And indeed, for thousands of years, this delightful little oval has been described as the perfect food — low in calories, high in nutrition, indispensable in baking, easy to digest and quite delicious.

Cosmic eggs As long ago as 7500 BCE people in Southeast Asia and India began domesticating jungle fowl for their meat and eggs — no lame jokes about which came first, please — and as a result of thousands of years of trade, migration and territorial conquest, chickens became one of the most common domesticated animals in the world, with a place in almost every cuisine. And where chickens go, eggs follow.

Perhaps surprisingly to North Americans, who associate chickens with cowardice and stupidity, chickens were, and still are, sacred animals in some societies — the ever-vigilant hen is a symbol of fertility (and the rooster, or cock, of virility. Need I say more?) and the egg too was an object of myth making.

The ancient Phoenicians and Egyptians believed that the world was hatched from an egg (also known as the cosmic egg), and in other cosmogonies, such as ancient Greek and Hebrew, the egg was a symbol

12 January February 2013 | The Tomato

of the universe: its outer shell represented the sky, the white was the water and the yolk the earth. Eggs also symbolized life — Egyptians put eggs in their temples to ensure a bountiful river flood. As for the Romans, they consumed eggs with anything from rose petals to fowl brains and crushed the shells into their plates to prevent evil spirits from hiding there.

From Jesus to Justin The early Christians adopted the egg as a symbol of the rebirth of man at Easter and dyed eggs red in memory of the blood shed by Christ at his crucifixion. The practice of elaborate egg painting likely stemmed from this practice as well as from the celebrations that marked the end of Lent (Christians were forbidden to eat eggs during Lent, the period leading up to Easter). Egg painting is still a popular, if somewhat secularized, practice in central European folk traditions, especially in Ukraine and Poland. Beyond painting, pancultural egg rituals related to friendship and fun abound. In Denmark and some parts of the U.K., for example, people roll painted eggs down hills at Easter; the winner is the one whose egg rolls the furthest. In the U.S. the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, in which children holding long-handled spoons roll hard-boiled eggs down the White House lawn, has been a popular annual event since 1878. At the 2010 White House Egg Roll, Canada’s own Justin Bieber was one of the star performers (it is not known if the Biebs actually rolled an egg or laid one).

Egg trivia Most eggs have either brown or white shells, though some breeds of chicken actually lay blue eggs (for example, the Araucana, aka the South American rumpless).

In any case, whether the chicken has a rump (tail) or not, the colour of the shell has no effect on the nutritional value of the egg. As for the colour of the yolk, that largely depends on what the chicken ate — eggs from hens that eat corn or alfalfa-based feed have orangeyellow yolks. Lemon-yellow yolks indicate a wheat-based feed.

Eggshells are porous and odours pass through them easily, so eggs should be stored in the original carton on a colder shelf of the refrigerator (egg cartons, by the way, were invented in 1911 by Joseph Coyle, of Smithers, B.C., for a hotel owner who was angry over a farmer’s eggs being delivered broken). If you see a red dot when you crack open an egg, don’t see red. These harmless spots are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel during formation of the egg — they do not indicate a fertilized egg. Simply remove the fleck with the tip of a knife and carry on.

To determine the freshness of an egg, put it in a bowl of cold water; if it floats, this indicates an air pocket formed by the daily loss of minute amounts of water through the porous shell, and it means the egg is old. Pitch it, though not at a politician (a form of assault called egging that could get you arrested).

Cholesterol schmolesterol Though humans have eaten eggs for thousands of years, it was not until the 1970s that the poor egg came in for opprobrium for its supposedly high cholesterol content. However, experts now contend that total fat consumption affects blood cholesterol more than consumption of cholesterol does.

The yolk of a large egg contains about five grams of fat, less than a third of which is saturated.

To contrast, a cup of whole milk contains five grams of saturated fat, and a tablespoon of butter seven. More modern studies have found that the vast majority of people (excepting diabetics and those with a predisposition to coronary disease) can eat eggs

every day without risk to their health. Good thing, too — eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition. The white (albumen) is almost pure protein; the yolk contains protein too, as well as fat and many essential nutrients: phosphorous; iron; zinc; vitamins A, B6, B12 and D; folic acid; thiamin; and riboflavin.

Be gentle There are many methods of egg preparation, but remember — eggs cook quickly and at a relatively low heat. The whites of eggs begin to coagulate between 55 and 60ºC; the yolks at around 65ºC. I once watched with horror as a friend cooked an omelette over high heat for about five minutes.

The resulting rubbery disk would not have been out of place at an extreme Frisbee competition. So be gentle. As a rule — don’t coddle your kids, but do coddle your eggs.

Alberta eggs According to the Egg Producers of Alberta, there are currently 157 registered egg farmers in this province; each has about 9,500 hens, and in 2011, approximately 48 million dozen eggs were produced in this province. If the industrial scale of egg production (a topic for another day) bothers you, buy your eggs from farmers’ markets. And remember, although the word egg generally refers to hens’ eggs, there are other kinds of eggs (such as duck eggs from local producer Green Eggs and Ham) that are also available at farmers’ markets.

Eggspressions References to eggs infuse our language. We walk on eggshells around sensitive people; we put money away as a nest egg; if there is egg on our face, we were caught doing something we shouldn’t have been doing. When I was a kid an insult we used to hurl at each other was “You weren’t born, you were hatched.” If I had known then what I know about eggs now, I would have considered that a compliment.

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located at the corner of 97 street and jasper avenue / online reservations www.hardwaregrill.com / 780.423.0969

Karen Virag is an Edmonton writer who tries to be a good egg (though occasionally she acts cracked).

The Tomato | January February 2013 13

the proust culinary questi Adriano Zenari 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.

have you been

Frenched?

www.themarc.ca • 780.429.2828

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.

In 1984 Adriano and Glenda Zenari opened their kitchen shop in the brand new Manulife Tower, creating in one moment a new way to shop, dine and enjoy life in our city. Zenari’s, vibrant, energetic, was the hub of everything food related: guest chefs, cookbook signings, high-end kitchen equipment and the best in Italian design. This was where you bought an espresso machine or compared French and Italian extra-virgin olive oils. This was where you checked out the latest from Alessi.

This was where a generation or two of aspiring cooks learned what crostini was. This was where Edmonton grew up, culinarily speaking.

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14 January February 2013 | The Tomato

Now, we buy cookware all over town and watch our culinary entertainment on TV. But what you can’t get anywhere else is Zernari’s Thursday night dinner when Adrianos’ gioia di vivere is at its most welcoming.

There are several courses — mussels, pastas, roast chicken, veal shanks, fish. Adriano orchestrates, always with a glass of Prosecco in hand. Guests drink wine, chat among tables, and eat wellMoriarty’s Bistro|Wine Bar prepared, reasonably-priced food.

10154 100 Street, Rice Howard Way It’s lively, and somewhat chaotic in Edmonton, Alberta Bistro|Wine Bar Moriarty’s www.moriartysbistro.com 10154 100 Street, Rice the Howard Way possible way. best Edmonton, Alberta www.moriartysbistro.com

Long live Thursday nights. Even though Adriano says he’s retiring and the kids are minding the store along with their wonderful manager Franca Brusi, Adriano is sure to be around, proffering bubbles and keeping an eye on things. Say hello.

Hometown?

Vincenza in the Veneto.

What did you do before opening the shop?

Research in medical physics.

Where would you like to live?

Of course I would love to live in my hometown near Venice.

Your favourite food and drink?

Any good Italian food and Amarone.

What do you most appreciate in your friends?

Honesty and directness, no hiding. Tell me the truth.

Your favourite qualities in a dish?

The freshness of ingredients, something that will complement.

And not too many ingredients.

A cook?

Simplicity in presenting the recipe.

A wine?

Full body and fruity, powerful in the middle, with good balance.

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

All my kids, like we do now.

Who would cook?

I’d do the cooking.

ionnaire Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I love it, it’s fantastic Current obsession/exploration?

What I live by everyday, the pleasure of food and wine in the right context — not a weak wine with a strong dish for example.

Meaningful/crazy experience at Zenari’s?

We have experiences like that almost daily.

We had a dinner party where we presented a bottle of Fini balsamico and some people started drinking it. They were drinking the vinegar like wine.

Best thing that ever happened to you?

Being around here and meeting all these people. Kids we saw growing up with their parents now come with their kids. Last week a couple came on their 60th wedding anniversary because they’ve been coming here for a long time.

Mentors?

People I admire: Marcella Hazan, Peter Jackson (Jack’s Grill), Umberto Menghi, James Barber, Jacques Pepin — love his techniques, and in physics, professor John Macdonald.

Favourite casual cheap and cheerful/afterwork food?

I like to go to Bistro Praha for pork hocks and sauerkraut as I don’t make it myself.

Philosophy?

We’re here now, enjoy it.

‘How beautiful is youth, that is always slipping away! Whoever wants to be happy, let him be so: of tomorrow there‘s no knowing.’

– Lorenzo De‘ Medici.

What’s next?

I like to sit back here at the bar and watch my kids. My daughter Elisa is doing a fantastic job, little Daniela is running the housewares very well. My kids are taking over.

I love it.

From left: Daniela, Adriano, Matteo, Elisa and Giancarlo Zenari.

The Tomato | January February 2013 15

wine maven spanish wine importer nathalie bonhomme was in Edmonton recently for a sold-out dinner at Continental Treat. ”It felt like a wedding party,” she said.

“Festive and filled with fun people. Even the parents of my daughter’s flat-mate at McGill came.”

The Quebec native has lived in Spain for several years, but her wine adventure is relatively recent. She started working with a Quebecbased agency in the last decade and now has about 40 SKU at SAQ (the Quebec liquor board) as well as a similar presence in western Canada with International Cellars.

Nathalie’s wines are from up and coming regions of Spain such as Valenica, Jumilla, UtielRequena and Toro. In 2008, Nathalie partnered with respected winemaker Rafael Cambra on a project called El Bonhomme in Valencia. “I found my partner in wine crime,” she says. He’s not the only one. Nathalie imports Pingus, the legendary Ribera del Duero made by Peter Sisseck. The newish bottling from Pingus, PSI, is at a much more accessible price.

Consider it a Ribera del Duero for the people.

eberhard tamm, dennis miller and satya das have come together in a new project called Enotri. The idea is to focus on wines in the $20 range from familyowned estates in France, Italy and Spain. The early line-up includes wines from the youthful and modern Pfalz producer Nett, Mosel producer Bender, a stellar Gigondas, Moulin de la Gardette, the surprising Molise producer Borgo di Colloredo and Camilla Rossi Chauvenet’s impeccable Massimago Valpolicella and Amarone (sadly, not $20).

16 January February 2013 | The Tomato

“pedro ximenez (px) is delicate, ideal for making montilla wines,” says Fernando Giménez, of Bodegas Alvear, the premier Montilla house.

The Spanish DO Montilla-Moriles is known for wines made in the solera system, similar to its neigbour Jerez, from the grape variety Pedro Ximenez, which ripens extremely well in the long, hot, Andulucian summer. Most of the bodega’s soil is the white albariza type: chalky, low in nutrient, porous, perfect for making elegant wines. Two styles are made in the region: fino, which develops under a protective blanket of flor yeast and eventually ages into rich and nutty amontillado; and oloroso, which ages without the flor protection, taking on the characteristic brown colours and flavours associated with oxidation. We are fortunate to have several of Alvear’s classic wines available, such as the delightfully dry amontillado — drink before dinner with a handful of almonds and you’ll be transported to sunny Spain — and the rich sweet dessert styles such as PX 1927 Solera.

The secret to these wines is long aging in the solera system, and the grape variety lends layers of complexity and depth.

The Carlos V11 Amontillado is a luminous light gold colour, bone dry, with aromas and flavours of dried figs and salty almonds. Drink with slivers of Serrano ham or smoked fish.

The PX 1927 Solera possesses harmony and richness, tasting of the sweetest dried grapes, chocolate and toffee.

The wine is superbly balanced — have with stinky cheeses or pour over the best ice cream you can muster.

cocktail impresario andrew borley is our go-to guy for anything mixologyrelated. Such as an answer to this question: what do eggs do in a drink?

“Sometimes I’ll use a touch to increase the texture of a drink; not for foam, but for richness. I find that egg whites are really nice in classic sour recipes, like a whiskey sour. I like to crack an egg when I make the drink but if it’s a big party I’ll consider a container of egg whites.

“Full eggs are for wintertime drinks; classic flips take a little bit of stout or dark bourbon and a full egg. I like to use Buffalo Trace bourbon. With more rye in the mash, it has a lot of spice.”

black forest flip Andrew Borley, The Volstead Act 1½ oz

Buffalo Trace bourbon

½ oz

kirsch

½ oz rich demerara syrup (2:1 sugar to water) 2 oz

Young's Double Chocolate stout

1

full egg

Combine all ingredients in shaker and swirl to decarbonate the stout. Dry shake (without ice) to incorporate egg, then add ice and shake.

Strain and enjoy by the fire.

event calendar sunday, january 6

thursday, january 31

Peller Family Series Sampling Wine and Beyond Windermere, wineandbeyond.ca.

Get to Know Rum Co-Op MacTaggart Ridge, coopwinespiritsbeer.com.

monday nights, january 7-february 4

thursday, february 7

WSET Level One Foundation winecollege.ca.

wednesday nights january 9-march 20 WSET Level Two Intermediate winecollege.ca.

friday, january 11 Maisel’s Original & Dunkel Weisse Beer Sampling, Wine and Beyond, Emerald Hills, wineandbeyond.ca.

saturday, january 12 Maisel’s Original & Dunkel Weisse Beer Sampling, Wine and Beyond, Windermere, wineandbeyond.ca.

sunday, january 13 Peller Family Series Sampling Wine and Beyond, Emerald Hills, wineandbeyond.ca.

monday, january 14 Intro to Wine Tasting, Aligra Wine & Spirits, aligrawineandspirits.com.

wednesday, january 16 Brown Spirits 101 with J Wheelock Wine and Beyond Emerald Hills, wineandbeyond.ca.

Guess the Expensive Wine CO-OP MacTaggart Ridge, coopwinespiritsbeer.com.

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

All-Clad • Emile Henry Kuhn Rikon • Henkels Cuisipro • Kitchen Aid

friday, february 8 For the Love of Wine kidskottage.org.

Sign up for weekly cooking classes

saturday, february 9

Gift Cards also available!

Wines of 50 Shades of Grey Co-Op MacTaggart Ridge, coopwinespiritsbeer.com.

friday, february 15-16

#550, 220 Lakeland Dr., Sherwood Park 780.464.4631 www.thepantree.ca In-store kitchen

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Winefest, celebratewinefest.com

friday, february 15 Wine and Chocolate with JACEK Chocolate Couture, Co-Op MacTaggart Ridge, coopwinespiritsbeer.com.

friday, february 22 Night at the Movies Co-Op MacTaggart Ridge, coopwinespiritsbeer.com.

monday, february 25 Taking it to Heart! Edmonton Heart and Stroke, Edmonton Petroleum Club, eventbrite.ca.

mark your calendar

thursday january 17

march 1 and 2

Brown Spirits 101 with J Wheelock Wine and Beyond, Windermere, wineandbeyond.ca.

Co-Op Grape Escape Wine Spirits and Beer Festival, coopwinespiritsbeer.com.

friday, january 25

april

Robbie Burns Night, Fine Wines by Liquor Select, 780-488-6868.

French Wine Academy (French Wine School), winecollege.ca.

The Tomato | January February 2013 17

A chicken in every backyard The urban quest for fresh eggs.

Mary Bailey

A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.

Campaign slogan of Herbert Hoover’s 1928 run for US presidency.

Ask nine people what they think of chickens in the backyard and you’ll get nine responses, ranging from crazy happiness at the thought of their own eggs, to complete and utter disgust at the thought of it.

On the yes-to-hens side of the debate is a group called the River City Chicken Collective, a loosely organized group of citizens who would like to be able to keep hens for eggs.

“It started with Ron Berezan,” says Laura Klassen Russell, a member of the collective, professional and gardener with young children. “He was working with me on a landscaping plan for our yard and I was complaining to him that I couldn’t have chickens.

18 January February 2013 | The Tomato

“This wasn’t the first time he had heard this, and he said ‘enough, let’s organize a meeting.’ We put together an informal group of volunteers and asked the city to allow us to set up a pilot project to study various sites and collect data on hen care, the challenges posed by the weather and to involve the neighbours regarding noise and odour.

They have thought it out. They have done the research.

“I see hen keeping as an extension of gardening, as hen droppings make beautiful compost,” says Laura. “Their natural inclination is to scratch, to take dust baths, to peck for worms; they like to perch at night in a dark place to lay eggs.

They are social creatures — they need to be around other chickens.

It’s also a question of how you can put your city property to good use.”

My neigbour has dogs who sound as though they are suffering from an excruciatingly slow and painful strangulation when they get excited — so much so that heads pop out of back doors to see what the ruckus is all about. Do I fire off an email to bylaw? Of course not.

They are cute dogs and their owner is a nice man. But really, this could not be worse than the soft cluck cluck of a few hens.

Dig a little deeper and you’ll often find that the vociferous antichicken point of view is really not about chickens and eggs. Rather, it’s more about a particular view of city life.

One that doesn’t allow for much hand-labour or DIYed-ness.

Perhaps the anti-chicken faction think of hen-keeping as the slippery slope — the long slide into marginality, of having to grow eggs instead of having the money to buy them. First it’s chickens in backyards, then it’s cars on blocks and toilet-bowl planters in the front yard. There go the property values. For them, it offends on an aesthetic level.

Yet, growing your own has become uber-chic. As usual the Brits lead the way — think of Tamasin DayLewis and Jamie Oliver on a softfocus gambol through the pasture, picking up pretty blue eggs from under their heritage breed hens brought back from extinction through one Christmas special.

The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle and, as usual, is in the eye of the beholder. Your backyard paradise of wild and nearly wild plants is somebody’s else mess that must be destroyed, and so on it goes.

I may have a soft-headed view of why I think chickens are good (aka they make cool sounds), but the people who actually think it’s a good idea are quite hard-headed.

“People misunderstand the ease at which chickens fit into the urban landscape,” says Laura.

“Really, what we’re asking for is a ‘few hens, pets with perks.’ Both the CFIA and the CDC regulatory agencies have guidelines for backyard chicken owners.”

Others feel the city is already burdened, and don’t want taxpayer dollars going toward enforcement of chicken/egg infractions. Fair enuf. But you could make that case for just about anything the city does spend money on, though I’m sure we’re all in agreement on water, sewer and garbage pick-up.

There will be infractions. Someone will attempt to run an illegal back-alley egg business. Someone else will stumble upon signs of gruesome chicken carnage while out for their morning run and be traumatized for life requiring long-term psychological care paid for by the city. That will be front page news just like the cat hoarder lady. (No that wasn’t me. Contrary to rumour I have a perfectly reasonable number of two, licenced, cats.) But, this is what we’ll hear about. In the meantime, there will be several chicken pens in several backyards and in a few community gardens going about their business and not causing a peep of trouble for their neighbours or community.

There are issues to be resolved.

What happens when the hen stops laying? It could be early in its up to 14 years or so lifespan, to give a more literal meaning to the phrase ‘the old hen who lives down the block.’ Where do you take them to turn them into Sunday dinner? Can you? What if they kill each other in a pecking frenzy? Again the pro-

chicken-in-backyards people have answers. Other municipalities have done this already — it’s not terra incognita. The collective has been working on the chicken file for several years.

“We’ve had a number of discussions with city administration. We also met with zoning at some point.

Then someone decided, due to redevelopment of the MDP (municipal development plan), a pilot project wasn’t possible at the moment. We’re waiting for whatever body is created out of the food/ag strategy and we’ll continue to talk with the city administration.”

Laura isn’t sure if we even need a pilot project now. They want to go ahead with helping to draft the bylaw.

“Whitehorse has urban chickens; cities like Vancouver have demonstrated that chickens fit into the urban landscape.”

Isn’t this what living in a city is all about? To welcome diversity in thought and appearance, and to have tolerance for our neighbour’s foibles and pets. We allow people to keep snakes and rodents and rabbits. Are chickens really that much of a stretch?

Let’s support River City Chickens and others in their efforts for backyard hens. Let’s see if we really can keep chickens in the backyard in our climate. Otherwise we’ll never really know, and we’ll have lost another way to connect with food we grow ourselves and our rural roots.

Would I have a backyard chicken run? Actually, no, I kill houseplants. But I hope somebody close-by does. Perhaps I can adopt one of their hens and buy fresh eggs. If it’s anything like my experience growing tomatoes, they’ll cost about $5 each. But they’ll be from the neighourhood, still warm, and that will cause me inordinate pleasure.

Join 5 of Edmonton’s prominent women chefs for heart-healthy comfort classics!

Monday February 25 6pm - 9pm Edmonton Petroleum Club 11110 108 Street Tickets $75 at www.eventbrite.ca

In support of the Edmonton

and sponsored by

Mary Bailey would name her hens Ella, Oprah and Amy if she had some.

The Tomato | January February 2013 19

alberta pantry Fresh quail, duck and organic chicken eggs Quail Eggs Bryconn Developments Arnie and Shirley Morris, Ardrossan Arnie Morris brought some fertilized quail eggs from his uncle’s farm in B.C. thinking it would be nice to have some quail around. “We had 12 birds hatch out,” says Shirley. “We never realized what good little layers they are. I said to my husband, ‘we could sell the eggs, we could use the extra money.’”

“I phoned a lot of people. No one wanted them, or even really knew what they were. We’re Christian, so my husband said ‘give some money away.’ We gave, I don’t know, $100 to charity. The strangest thing happened. I called Superstore and ended up talking with a man named Paul Halayko. He said; ‘I’ve been looking for a supplier for fresh quail eggs. I’ll send you six months of POs (purchase orders).’

They took everything we had.

Now we supply three different Superstore warehouses across the West. Superstore is about 60 per cent of our business, we also sell to T&T and Lucky 97, and we’re looking at a value-added project to develop a ready-to-eat boiled egg.”

“We never dreamed in a million years it would turn out this way,” says Shirley.

The Morris birds are coturnix (coturnix japonica) an old breed from east Asia, found in Russia and the Middle East.

“Our birds are very hardy, I think because we have never manipulated them. We incubate here, we have breeders here, we’re a closed system, there are no trucks bringing other birds in and out.

Game birds are not regulated, there is no quota system for quail eggs.

“There’s lots of research being done on how quail albumin seems to inhibit allergic reactions, they have the good cholesterol in the yolks and a natural resistance to salmonella. We are part of the Healthcheck program, and we’re looking for the kosher certification as well.

“The birds start laying at about six weeks, and lay until they are about seven months. We’re able to sell our birds into what’s called the spent bird market. Falconers buy them for their birds of prey.

“When we first got quail, we were told by a fella, ‘you can put them outside and they’ll come back to roost.‘ Well, we ended up with a lot of birds in trees, we lost about half the flock. Quail have been domesticated for a long time, but they still fly.”

Duck Eggs Greens Eggs and Ham Mary Ellen and Andreas Grueneberg, Leduc The Gruenebergs raise geese, duck, cornish hens, guinea fowl, turkey and specialty greens and vegetables on their small farm near Leduc. They are a popular vendor at farmers’ markets in both Edmonton and Calgary and active in the Slow Money movement.

Duck eggs are prized for their digestibility and delicate flavour.

Please see “Pantry” on page 25

Distinctively coloured quail eggs.

20 January February 2013 | The Tomato

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beer guy Fine Wines, Spirits, Ales and Accessories

| peter bailey

Happy New Beer

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Watch for our re-launch in March 2013.

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“The taste hit hard and, my God, it just kept going and going,” she said. Another beer virgin seduced by the provocative power of craft beer.

The beer beginner was beguiled by a tall, dark, handsome IPA at a private beer dinner in St. Albert recently. I was the beer expert du jour, matching food courses to beers of my choosing. As a special treat, I was able to finagle some growler jugs from St. Albert’s new craft brewery, Hog’s Head. I served their Baby Back Hops Red IPA and the Death

by Pumpkin Amber Ale as guests arrived.

My initial nervousness at starting with two amped-up, flavourful beers subsided as approving nods spread through the room.

It is such a delight (and such a turn-around from years ago) that people are genuinely excited to try something different.

Hog’s Head Brewing is located near the Sturgeon River, just down the road from the Enjoy Centre and Big Lake. But this is no rustic rural brewery; this brewery is all business, located in an industrial park with welding and auto body shops for neighbours. When I visited, a big overhead door opened up to reveal brew master Bruce Sample, wearing Carhart-style overalls. Crammed in behind Bruce was the brewing equipment inherited from both Amber’s and Roughneck breweries. With two complete brewhouses, one with 14 hectolitre capacity, the other 28, Hog’s Head is thinking big, with a goal of 250,000 cases of beer produced in 2013.

Brew master Bruce Sample and

22 January February 2013 | The Tomato

managing partner Brian Molloy have many years of experience in the beer and beverage business.

Bruce went to brew school years ago in Texas, and worked in the American beer biz as the hopcentric craft beer revolution unfolded. Brian was one of the originals at pioneering Tree Brewery in Kelowna, helping to launch Canada’s first modern IPA, Tree Hop Head IPA. Indeed, the Hog’s Head folks are true hop heads. Brian told me, “I will die on the sword of hops.

I don’t believe in lagers. Hog’s Head is an ale house.

I’ll shut down the brewery before I’ll make it a lager house.”

There is certainly room for another craft brewery. “Another brewery in the city will certainly generate a good bit of synergy,” says Neil Herbst, Alley Kat. The beer dinner moved on from Hog’s Head beer. I paired each course with one less and one more adventurous beer. Guests loved the Duvel, a powerful Belgian strong pale ale, served from a giant three litre bottle with dates stuffed with bocconcini cheese wrapped in IPA-marinated bacon, grilled on a barbecue on a snowy patio. Many of the guests were beer beginners, but they generally preferred the more challenging beers. Even the uber-hop bomb Green Flash IPA was chosen over the mellower Muskoka Mad Tom IPA. Change is afoot. Given a chance, people will try new things. My wish for 2013 is that more places in Edmonton give people more opportunities to take a chance. As Anaïs Nin wrote, “It is a sign of great inner insecurity to be hostile to the unfamiliar.” Happy New Beer.

New Year Six-Pack New Brewery: Hog’s Head Baby Back Hops Red IPA, St. Albert This American IPA was the beer with the taste that wouldn’t quit. At 80 IBU it is a bit of a hop bomb, hopped with citrusy Centennial and Cascade hops. The hops are upfront from first taste while the malt comes in quickly to balance. Available at the Underground Tap & Grill.

New Style: Yukon Cascadian IPA, Whitehorse

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There is a bit of a brewhaha about this new beer style as there is debate about who should be able to use the word Cascadian (which refers to the Pacific Northwest). Regardless, Yukon has done a very nice take on the style, which combines the hoppy virtues of an American IPA with the roasty, malty flavour of a dark ale. Nicely balanced and ready for quaffing.

New Menu: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, England The Pourhouse Bier Bistro pioneered the beer-focused menu on Whyte Avenue. I helped co-owner Paul Charabin give the beer list a reboot, grouping beers into taste categories. Young’s classic dessertfriendly stout is a delicious standout in the “Dark and Roasty” category. Check out the Beerlicious cookbook for a tasty Chocolate Stout Cake recipe.

New Restaurant: Granville Island Lions Winter Ale, Vancouver Frank Olson was a beer guy back in the day, working for Big Rock and a fan of Granville. But years at the helm of his upscale Red Ox Inn pushed him to the dark side, changing him into a wine guy. With his new place, Canteen, beer guy Frank is back. Granville is back too, trying some new brews like this unusual vanilla-flavoured winter warmer.

New Beer: Alley Kat St. Portersberg Baltic Porter, Edmonton Their barleywine is a real classic, so Alley Kat knows what to do with a big beer. Baltic porter is indeed a big beer, brewed strong enough to make the voyage from England to Russia in Victorian days. At 8.3% alcohol, Alley Kat’s version is strong, but also rich, malty and full-bodied with a taste of dried fruits and slight roasty finish.

New Bar: Mill St. Cobblestone Stout, Toronto Mercer Tavern has become the go-to place for bearded downtown hipsters and suit-wearing oldsters alike. Mill St.’s new Irish dry stout with its nice hint of toasted walnuts and chocolate in the finish feels like it has been around for years and years, so it fits in perfectly with Mercer’s retro feel and old brick.

Peter Bailey tweets about beer and books and other crucial matters as @Libarbarian.

The Tomato | January February 2013 23

egg science

½ c

Continued from page 9

4 large

egg yolks

5 large

egg whites

1 c (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (approx 4 ounces) Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400°F.

sugar, plus more for dishes

¼ c

(60 ml) dark-brewed coffee

8 large egg yolks plus 10 large egg whites, room temperature

4 large

eggs, separated

2 T

2 T

(30 ml) dark rum

1 T

(15 ml) water

pinch of salt

½ t

vanilla extract

all-purpose flour

¼ c plus 2 T fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) 2 T

finely grated lemon zest

1 c

whole milk

icing sugar for garnish

Butter a 6-cup (1½-quart) soufflé dish.

Add Parmesan and tilt dish to coat bottom and sides evenly. Or, prepare 6 ramekins.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter six 12-ounce ramekins, and dust with sugar. Whisk together yolks, flour, zest and 2 tablespoons sugar.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until mixture begins to foam and loses raw taste, about 3 minutes. Do not brown. Remove roux from heat; let stand 1 minute.

Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly pour milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent yolks from cooking. Return mixture to pan and whisk until thick like a pudding, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain and whisk in butter and lemon juice.

Meanwhile, warm milk in heavy, small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. Do not boil. Pour warm milk into roux whisking until smooth. Return to heat and cook, whisking constantly until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in paprika, salt and nutmeg.

Add egg yolks one at a time, whisking to blend after each addition. Scrape soufflé base into large bowl. Cool to lukewarm. Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to two hours.

Beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Gently fold 1/4 of whites into the soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions while gradually sprinkling in Gruyère cheese. Transfer batter to prepared dish or ramekins on a cookie sheet. Place in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 375°F. Bake until soufflé is puffed and golden brown on top and centre moves only slightly when dish is shaken gently, about 25 minutes (do not open oven door during first 20 minutes). Serve immediately.

lemon soufflé Serve a simple main, then finish with a spectacular dessert, not that scary to make after all. Tip: When buttering the ramekins use upward strokes to help the egg mixture rise easily.

2 T unsalted butter, plus more, room temperature, for dishes

24 January February 2013 | The Tomato

Beat whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir a third of the whites into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whites using a rubber spatula.

Fill each ramekin to the top, and smooth. Run a clean cloth around the edges to remove any batter from rims.

Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and place in the centre of the oven. Bake until soufflés rise and are golden, about 16 minutes. Do not open the door. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

david leibovitz’s chocolate mousse

2/3

c

(170 g), plus 1 T sugar

Heat a saucepan one-third full with hot water. In a bowl set on top of the saucepan, melt together the chocolate, butter and coffee and stir over the barely simmering water, until smooth.

Remove from heat.

Or do the same in a microwave, very carefully in 30-second bursts, stirring after every burst until there are still a few chunks. Let the heat of the chocolate mixture melt these.

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.

In a bowl large enough to nest securely on the saucepan of simmering water, whisk (by hand or with an electric mixer) the yolks of the eggs with the 2/3 cup of sugar, rum and water for about 3 minutes until the mixture is like runny mayonnaise.

Remove from heat and place the bowl of whipped egg yolks within the bowl of ice water and beat until cool and thick. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with salt until frothy. Continue to beat until they start to hold their shape.

Whip in the tablespoon of sugar and continue to beat until thick and shiny, but not completely stiff, then the vanilla.

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Knopf ), Julia Child.

Oh la la. Chocolate pudding, meet your most glamourous cousin. Restaurants in France often have several desserts on offer to pick and choose from, along with a cheese board and, always it seems, a humongous bowl of mousse au chocolat.

I have a dim memory of a birthday dinner in Avignon where the waiter playfully handed the entire bowl to me as a present. I didn’t want to give it back.

Fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder of the whites just until incorporated. Don’t overdo it or the mousse will drop.

6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Eggs as binder

6 ounces (170 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl or divide into serving dishes, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (until firm). Serves 6-8.

Mousse au chocolat can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

The most everyday example of kitchen science and eggs is their seemingly effortless ability to bind disparate elements. From the most humble meatloaf to crab cakes dressed up for

Sunday dinner, an egg in the mixture keeps all ingredients together and creates a richer texture. In a rich eggy pancake such as pannekoek,the egg binds the starch and fat just enough to allow for some spread and loft.Eggs helps create a moist environment.

Veal Milanese or schnitzel's flour/egg/ bead crumb coating creates a barrier, and allows the meat to stream slightly.

On the outside, the coating crisps in the fat creating another texture to increase delciousness.

salmon cakes with mustard herb sauce You can use any fish including leftover cooked fish. The key to a nice fish cake is to not mash the fish into a paste nor have a heavy hand with the mixing or the shaping.

1 lg can salmon, drained (or equivalent cooked) ¾ c panko crumbs (or fresh bread crumbs) 2

eggs, beaten

½

red pepper, diced

2

green onions, chopped fine

handful fresh parsley, chopped fine squeeze of lemon juice (¼ large, ½ small), about 1 T

more panko for coating

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly mash bones of the canned salmon if necessary and place in a bowl with the beaten egg and bread crumbs. Stir to combine. Add chopped red pepper, onion, parsley and lemon juice. Season. Cook a bit of the mixture in a pan to check for seasoning. Shape the fish mixture into four cakes/patties and coat with more panko to make a nice crispy outer layer. Bake at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to brown. Serve with mustard sauce.

Mustard Sauce Beat 1 spoonful Dijon mustard into 1 tablespoon mayo and 2 tablespoons plain yogurt. Add chopped parsley, squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste.

pantry continued from page 20

Bakers desire them for their loft and their albumin has no known allergens.

Organic Chicken Eggs

“We let our birds lay eggs until they go down to about 50 per cent lay, then we molt them, a natural process wild birds go through every year,” says Andreas.

Sunworks Organic Farm produces certified organic meats and eggs and markets them at farmers’ markets and Blush Lane Market in Edmonton and Calgary.

“We do this by lessening daylight hours and changing to a less nutritious feed. This way we can keep our birds for an average of four lay cycles.

They have quota. “Quota is a one time purchase to buy the right to produce dairy, eggs, chicken and turkey. It’s a very complicated system, and the price fluctuates as quota is on the open market,” says Ron. “Our population growth has meant that we should be growing more eggs, more turkeys and more chickens. Alberta was recently given more egg quota by the national agency. We have had challenges, we do have quota now for all our birds.”

“When they are at full lay, our lights are on for 14 hours a day so that we have a steady lay cycle. In conventional barns lights burn for 18-20 hours to push through as many eggs as possible.

“We have the capacity for 800 birds with a peak of 700/eggs per day, but we’re not there yet. Our ducks are fed a grain ration but never hormones or antibiotics, but when they first arrive on the farm they get a vitamin supplement.”

This helps the ducklings recover from the transport and adjust to the new surroundings.

Andreas’ favourite way to eat a duck egg? “I like them boiled, or in an egg salad, and I like to bake with them.”

The eggs are larger and if using in a recipe, you can cut the number of eggs needed by half.

“Ducks are always a surprise,” says Andreas. “We have been producing eggs for over a decade and find them to be inconsistent performers.

They are strict and intolerant.

Working with them is more of an art than a science.”

Larger duck eggs, brown and white chicken eggs.

Sunworks Organic Farm Ron and Sheila Hamilton, Armena

all in g ood taste

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The Hamiltons have 1,565 certified organic Sex-Sal-Link Browns, a small hybrid chicken, which Ron says is a “prolific egg layer, gentle, not high strung.

“We’re certified organic, certified humane and certified local by Local Food plus (out of Ontario ) They audit on all sorts of aspects — how do you treat your employees, what is their housing like, what about your wild areas?

“We have birds outdoors 24/7 from mid-May to mid-October. In the summer, the eggs are considered free-range and in the winter, free-fun as they are inside but not caged. Our barns have a minimum of two square feet per bird, and they have to have windows for natural light.

“They start laying at 19 weeks and lay for a year. Then they become stewing hens.

WHATEVER YOUR MEAL MAY BE, WE HAVE THE

6,000 wines, 2,500 spirits, 1,800 brews

“We sell out of eggs every week.

When Sunday comes, there are no eggs in the cooler. You can’t boil our eggs, you have to wait.”

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SHERWOOD PARK 7000 Emerald Drive

The Tomato | January February 2013 25

The Essential Egg Nothing beats the egg for economy and versatility, but also alchemy — its ability to make a meal from a few pantry items is more than welcome this time of year. With chicken stock in the freezer, flour in the cupboard or a few bits of cheese or bacon, dinner’s on the table. The bonus? Egg’s health rep has been re-established and it’s a terrific source of inexpensive protein. Try the following recipes for a weeknight dinner, an elegant brunch or Saturday morning fry-up; nothing beats an egg. the bothy scotch eggs

Put oil in a pot and place on the stove.

Bring the oil temperature up to 350ºF, suitable for frying.

Chef Raymond Etheridge, the Bothy Wine and Whiskey Bar

Portion the meat into 24, 2 oz pieces and set aside.

24

Place one portion of meat in your palm and push down until flat. In the middle use your thumb to make an indent.

eggs (for boiling)

1 sml pkg package (approx 1 lb) ground beef 1 sml pkg package (approx 1 lb) ground pork 1 sml pkg (approx 1 lb) ground bison 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1 t

Worcestershire sauce

1 t

Cajun spice

½ bunch

fresh chopped parsley

½ t

ground black pepper

½ small

white onion finely diced

flour for dredging

2/ 3

1

c

panko crumbs for coating beaten egg for egg wash

vegetable oil for frying (enough to immerse eggs) Mix all the ingredients except for the flour, egg and panko crumbs. Reserve.

Boil water in a large pot. Place eggs in the boiling water for 11 minutes. When ready, place the pot in the sink under cold running water. Slowly and gently crack the shell and peel each egg. Place on paper towel to remove any water.

Eggs need to be dry.

26 January February 2013 | The Tomato

braised eggs with lamb, tahini and sumac From Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi (Appetite by Random House, 2012)

frying pan for which you have a tight fitting lid. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 6 minutes to soften and colour a bit. Raise the heat to high, add the lamb, and brown well, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with sumac, cumin, salt and black pepper. Cook for another minute. Turn off the heat, stir in the nuts, harissa and preserved lemon and set aside.

While the onion is cooking, heat a separate small cast-iron pan over high heat. Once piping hot, add the cherry tomatoes and char for about 4-6 minutes, tossing them in the pan occasionally until slightly blackened on the outside. Set aside.

Prepare the yogurt sauce by whisking together all the ingredients with a pinch of salt. In needs to be thick and rich, but you may need to add a splash of water if it is stiff.

Add the chicken stock to the meat and bring to a boil. Make 4 small wells in the mix and break an egg into each well. Cover the pan and cook the eggs over low heat for 3 minutes.

1 T

olive oil

1 large

onion, finely chopped

Place the egg in the indent and roll the meat around the egg until covered. Set aside. Repeat until all eggs are covered with meat.

6 cloves

garlic, sliced thinly

10 oz

300 g ground lamb

2 t

sumac plus extra to finish

1 t

ground cumin

Roll each meat-covered egg in cling wrap to smooth out and firm. Repeat with every egg. Chill for 15-20 minutes.

scant ½ c toasted unsalted pistachios

Remove from the heat and dot with dollops of the yogurt sauce, sprinkle with sumac and finish with cilantro.

7 T

toasted pine nuts

Serves 4.

2 t

harissa

Slowly remove the cling wrap. Place each egg in the flour and make sure it's evenly coated, then dip in egg wash, followed by panko crumbs.

Gently place eggs into hot oil and cook for 8 minutes. Don't overcrowd.

After 8 minutes, remove eggs and place on paper towel to drain.

1 T finely chopped preserved lemon peel 11/3 c

cherry tomatoes

½ c

chicken stock

4 large

free-range eggs

¼ c

picked cilantro leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the tomatoes on top, avoiding the yolks, cover again, and cook for 5 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked but the yolks are still runny.

shakshuka (eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce) Savoury Israeli dish adapted from Saveur via Smitten Kitchen. ¼ c

olive oil

To serve: cut in half and serve with a Branston pickle and some nice grainy mustard.

yogurt sauce

3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (mediumhot, use less or more to taste)

scant ½ c Greek yogurt

Makes 24 Scotch eggs.

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1½ T

tahini paste

5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced

2 T

freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 t

ground cumin

1 T

water (as needed)

1 t

paprika

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium, heavy-bottomed

1 can (28-ounce) whole peeled tomatoes

hosting mEmorablE EvEnts sinCE 1950 sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

3 T

sml handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Edmonton PEtrolEum Club

6 eggs

2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Lend your next event the

½ c

feta cheese, crumbled

1 T

chopped flat-leaf parsley

warm pita, for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet (that can go to the table) over medium-high heat.

Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Add tomatoes and crush with a slotted spoon or potato masher, breaking them up into little chunks. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season.

Crack eggs over sauce (space evenly over the sauce). Cover skillet and cook until whites are set, and yolks are just about set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Toss feta and parsley over shakshuka and serve with pitas for dipping. Makes 6-8 servings.

eggs in soup Got eggs? Got chicken stock? Got a hunk of cheese and some sorrylooking parsley in the crisper?

You’ve got dinner.

stracciatella (roman egg-drop soup) Every culture has an egg drop soup.

There are probably as many recipes for stracciatella as there are cooks. Don’t be afraid to improvise. Use whatever greens you have in the fridge — kale, chard, even lettuce will do — or none, but the parsley is essential.

6 c homemade chicken stock (organic lowsodium stock is a good alternative) 4 eggs

freshly grated Parmigiano

small bunch spinach leaves (approx 1 c lightly packed) cut in thin strips (chiffonade)

elegance and sophistication only a private club can provide.

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3-4 T

semolina (optional)

pinch

freshly ground nutmeg

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squeeze

fresh lemon

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sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

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Combine eggs, cheese, greens, herbs, semolina and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk in about a cup of cold stock. Season.

Bring the remainder of the stock to a boil. Whisk in the egg mixture so the egg forms fine strands (straccetti).

Simmer for another few minutes, stirring constantly. Right before serving, squeeze in the lemon juice and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve with a little more grated cheese on the side.

Serves 6.

egg drop soup Fortifying, especially if the sniffles are coming on.

5 c

chicken stock

1 t

soy sauce

2 T

sherry (or rice wine vinegar)

1 piece fresh ginger about 2-inches long, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, smashed 2

eggs, lightly beaten

1-2

scallions, thinly sliced

1½ t

sesame oil (optional)

Bring stock, soy sauce, sherry, ginger and garlic to a boil in a pot. Remove ginger and garlic with a slotted spoon and discard. Whisk in eggs in a slow, steady stream. Simmer, undisturbed, until strands of egg are cooked, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add scallions, and drizzle with sesame oil.

Serves 4-6.

Please see “Esssential Egg” on page 31

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The Tomato | January February 2013 27

drink

| mary bailey

The newest shape in fermentation In wine, as in fashion, everything old is new again.

After turning their backs on concrete for fermentation, many astute winemakers are giving it a second look; this time around in egg-shaped vessels which echo a form from antiquity, the amphora, or what the Georgians call quevri.

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

Visit us year round.

City Market Downtown on 104 St. is now open indoors at City Hall.

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28 January February 2013 | The Tomato

“It’s a lot easier to get the uninoculated ferments going, “ says Michael. “The ups and downs of temperature are not as dramatic. I think that’s way more comfortable for the yeast and the wine.”

Cedar Creek Estate and Okanagan Crush Pad (OKP) are probably the best known of Canadian wineries opting for concrete eggs for fermentation.

Several wineries in Ontario use them, such as Jordan’s Pearl Morissette Estate, as well as Cliff Lede and Domaine Carneros in California, and Chilean biodynamic/ organic producer Amélie Barrot, Chateau des Fines Roches.

Emiliana.

Concrete never really went out of fashion in the old world. It is Michel Chapoutier who is credited with commissioning the first eggshaped tank from French concrete vat maker Nomblot in 2001. The relationship went south after the sale of Nomblot to a larger concern and remains fractious.

CITY HAUL

They are porous, depending on the tank, allowing the fermenting wine to breathe. They allow ambient yeast to flourish.

Why egg-shaped? Their attributes are based on the shape, and on the material. Wines fermented in them have a softer style with good aromas and fruit. They allow a more even temperature control, with less precipitous temperature shifts. The shape allows better movement and lees stirring.

“There seems to be almost a convective current that helps to keep the lees in suspension, and lees contact is always a good thing,” says Michael Bartier of Okanagan Crush Pad.

Chateau des Fines Roches, a family-owned domain in Châteauneuf-duPape, has a few small eggs they use for their top cuvees. “We like the shape,” says Amélie Barrot, with the Gallic shrug. “It’s very natural.”

Winemakers, like chefs, are not always about to give you all their secrets.

On the other hand, Steve Rosenblatt, CEO of Sonoma Cast Stone is excited about the technical parameters of the egg-shaped tanks he makes for several North American producers. It takes about 110 hours to make one standard sized, egg-shaped unit.

“It’s a four-part mold that holds 1,800 litres,” he starts to explain.

“We work from the outside in using a fibrous concrete with lots of glass fibre. Next day, we’ll attach a coil for heating and cooling the egg to the outside shell, then attach the two halves together.”

Size and the ability to control temperature are the fundamental differences between the European and American styles. The European egg is smaller, with no heat/cold controls, only the natural attributes of the stone in play. The American egg holds more juice and can be temperature-controlled.

How did OKP wind up with the first Sonoma Cast Stone Egg in western Canada? When they designed the winery, they had all stainless, renowned for temperature control, a clean ferment and flexibility.

“It was Alberto,” says Michael, referring to Alberto Antonini (Poggiotondo) their consultant on all things wine-related.

“When he saw the plan he said ‘you must have some concrete.’”

OKP now has six. What juice gets the egg treatment?

“If it comes from Switchback (home vineyard), it takes priority,” says Michael. “Beyond that, which wines are going to benefit and which wines deserve the premium? The

eggs are a much more expensive piece of equipment — it works out to about $7 per litre capital cost compared to $2 or so for a stainless tank.”

Game changer or passing fad? Only time will tell. Not everyone is a fan.

Another highly regarded Okanagan winemaker thinks they are a fad, and not worth the money.

Michael Bartier has now worked with the egg-shaped fermenters over two vintages.

“I do like them an awful lot, and I plan to buy more.”

Certified sommelier Mary Bailey teaches WSET and French Wine Academy courses for thr Art Institute of Vancouver (AIV) in Edmonton.

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Eggs at Okanagan Crush Pad. Photo by Amanda LeNeve.

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The Tomato | January February 2013 29

The Seventeenth Century Egg Kristine Kowalchuk

he first thing people

usually ask when

they hear my PhD

thesis was on seventeenth-century cookbooks is “Have you tried any of the recipes?”

No, I had not. While it might be interesting to read about hashed calf’s head and syrup of snails, I was in no hurry to actually eat these things. Furthermore, my thesis was in literature, not history, so it was the writing itself and the role the writing played in the women’s lives that interested me, not the actual recipes. And every time I said this, even I felt it was lame; abstract ideas cannot compete with the actual taste of food.

I decided to try a recipe from each of the three manuscripts I had studied: those of Mary Granville, Constance Hall and Lettice Pudsey.

I invited my mom, my sister and a couple of friends passionate about European history — but as they are mostly interested in its opulence, and as the recipes I studied were everyday rather than courtly, the dress code stipulated “no velvet.” And then I set to work finding recipes that were vegetarian (my sister and I only eat fish), celiac-friendly (also for my sister), that featured eggs (for The Tomato egg issue) and most importantly, were palatable.

Next, I considered practicality. This eliminated “plum cake,” which did call for eggs, but thirty of them, and “how to make a cake,” which called for 10 pounds of currants, and “cynamon water,” which called for a pound of borage flowers. I realized this dinner would have been easier in summertime, when many of the herbs and wild plants grew in my backyard. But I knew my authors dealt with seasonality and variable harvests in their lives too, so I moved on to Plan B. I shopped at Planet Organic; all food would have been organic in

30 January February 2013 | The Tomato

the 17th century. They didn’t have fresh marjoram so I bought dried, nor pennyroyal so I substituted mint, nor winter savory so I left it out. Mace was $9 for a tiny sachet, so I replaced that with nutmeg (from the same plant).

Horseradish root was in the same bin as burdock root; I hoped I chose the right one. Whole creek trout caught in the wild (I learned from the Ocean Odyssey people) is nearly impossible to find. Instead, I picked up a side of steelhead trout that I cut into filets.

Mary Granville’s “bread a la roine” — meaning “bread à la reine” or “the Queen’s bread” — like the other recipes, specifies no quantities and includes no technical instruction. It ends: “the oven must not bee heated too much nor too little but according to the Judgement of the Baker.” The recipe called for starter, flour, beer, eggs, milk and butter, so I added what I thought seemed reasonable amounts and hoped for the best.

The dough rose beautifully. I popped it into the oven (which, according to my judgment, should be set to 450°F) and 45 minutes later, pulled out a lovely loaf.

A few hours later, my guests, compliant in wool and linen, settled into the living room while I sliced the bread, grilled it and topped it with prunes stewed in red wine, cinnamon (a word spelled 17 ways in the three manuscripts), grated ginger and lemon peel. (I put some prunes and gluten-free crackers on the side for my sister.)

Everyone, surprised, agreed this appetizer was good.

For our main course, I followed Lettice Pudsey’s recipe for trout poached in beer, herbs and the root (which did turn out to be horseradish). Though “let your Liquor boyl up to ye height before you put in your fish” seemed ambiguous, the broth bubbled up to the top of the pot and I knew

it was time to add the trout. The filets cooked perfectly and were delicately flavourful. The sweetness of roasted parsnips on herbs and greens was balanced by the acidity of apple cider vinaigrette. Pudsey’s “frittars of eggs and herbes,” although seasoned with sugar, cloves and nutmeg, were also tasty.

For dessert, I made Constance Hall’s “To make a orring pudding,” partly because it included eight egg yolks. As I worked my way through the recipe, I realized I was basically making a custard baked in flaky pastry. I had cheated and bought ready-made pastry, using the whole box; this was too much.

But the orange pudding inside was a delightful prize.

In the end, I couldn’t believe how it all turned out. My guests, proclaiming the meal delicious, admitted they thought they’d go home hungry. The flavours were different than those we’re used to today, but they still appealed to our tastes. I’d had to substitute a number of ingredients, and I benefited from a gas stove, clocks and electricity, but I had followed the spirit of the recipes, which often relied upon improvisation and the “Judgement” of the cook. I think Mary, Constance and Lettice would have approved.

to make bread a la roine Take good Flower of good wheat, ground in a good mill make leauen with flower, and beere not bitter, and warme, yet not boiling, the leauen must bee made of the third part of all the Flower which is to bee used, then make the paste somewhat soft, and in the moistning of itt put in milke somewhat warme, egs butter, and salt, putt in butter sparingly, of the Rest you cannot put in too much, the oven must not bee heated too much nor too little but according to the Judgement of the Baker.

KK notes: I fed my starter with ¼ c Charlie Flint organic lager that I’d left open on the counter for a few hours, then I used 1 c starter, 3½ c of Park Wheat flour from Gold Forest Grains, 1 egg, 1½ t salt, and 1 t butter.

frittars of eggs and herbes Take persle peneriall and Margerum the quantity of a handfull finly choped put to them vi egges a littell grated Bread and three or fouer sponfull of Melted Butter beate them all togeather and season itt with Salt and Suger Cloues and Mace beaten then frye itt as you doe a tansy & soe serve itt.

KK notes: In the spirit of economy (which very much governed 17th-century cooking), I used the eight egg whites left over from the orange pudding below, plus 2 whole eggs. I used a pinch of salt, ½ t sugar, ¼ t cloves and ¼ t nutmeg (instead of mace). I made it into one giant omelet, which my mom expertly flipped so that it was brown on both sides, and then we cut it into wedges.

to make a orring pudding Take the paring of one large sivell orring and pound it in a morter until it is very fine and then mix it well with 8 ounces of white suger and then take the yolks of 8 eggs and beate them and 8 ounces of butter and melt it with a little water as you do for sauce and then mix your eggs and butter together and after that put it into your suger and orring and mix all together and then put it into puft past and bake it.

KK notes: I used a navel orange, and 1/8 c water. I put the mixture in the fridge to chill for an hour before putting it into the pastry (which I also folded over the top) and baking it at 350°F for an hour.

Next summer, Kristine Kowalchuk is going to try mead with crystallized violets on the side.

essential egg Continued from page 27

chinese egg dumplings (dan jiao) for chinese new year Adapted from Jennifer Yu, userealbutter.com. If you are new to egg dumplings do what I did and follow Jennifer’s excellent instruction and photos at http://userealbutter. com/2012/01/22/chinese-eggdumplings-dan-jiao-recipe/.

remove the dumpling to a plate and repeat until you run out of ingredients.

The egg dumplings are now ready to be added to hot pot soup (to cook some more — this ensures the pork filling is fully cooked). Makes 24.

creamy indian spiced egg curry

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6

eggs, hardboiled

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1 T

unscented oil

1 small

onion, finely diced

1 stalk green onion, minced (about 1½ T)

4 cloves

garlic, crushed

1" piece

ginger, grated to a pulp

2 Chinese black mushrooms, fresh or rehydrated, stem removed, minced (about 2 T)

1 T

ground coriander

½ T

ground cumin

½ t

ground turmeric

2 T

¼ t

hot cayenne pepper

1 leaf Napa cabbage, thick base removed, minced (about 2 T)

1 c

crushed tomatoes

1 c

whipping cream

¼ c

hot water, if required

½ T

ginger, minced

salt to taste

½ t

cornstarch

1 t

soy sauce

fresh chopped cilantro, to garnish

1 t

sesame oil

½ lb

ground pork

bamboo shoots, minced

6 eggs ¼ t

salt

vegetable oil

Combine the ground pork, green onion, black mushrooms, bamboo shoots, cabbage, ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce and sesame oil together in a medium bowl. Mix for even distribution. Beat the eggs and salt together. Heat a dash of vegetable oil in a small skillet or frying pan over medium heat.

Pour 1-2 tablespoons of the egg mixture in the centre of the pan.

Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the uncooked egg in a circular motion to form a circle about 3 inches in diameter. When the base of the egg sheet is cooked, but the top is still uncooked, place a heaping teaspoon of pork filling just off centre on the egg. Flatten the filling into a compact oval shape. Fold the egg sheet in half, sealing the pork filling in the egg wrapper by pressing the edges together. It should resemble a semicircle. When the egg is cooked,

rice or naan, to serve

Peel and halve the eggs.

Place the oil in a sauté pan on a medium heat, and add the finely diced onion. Fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and cook, stirring for an additional minute or two. Add the crushed tomatoes.

Cook for another 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to dry out a little.

Season with a little salt. Gently fold in the cream and bring the sauce up to a gentle simmer. If the sauce thickens too much, add a little hot water to thin it down a bit. Stir in the chopped cilantro, then adjust seasoning, adding a little more salt if required. Lower the eggs into the curry. Reheat gently, and serve hot with rice or naan.

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The Tomato | January February 2013 31

in season

| mary bailey

Food Movies G o urme t k i t ch e n ta b l e t o p f i ne l i ne ns brid a l r e G i s t ry

Hunker down with a bowl of truffled popcorn or steaming hot borscht and revel in food stories on screen.

This is what got me thinking about food movies.

i ndu l Ge your s e ns e s

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Wonder and delight at the news that Gabrielle Hamilton’s gritty and complicated memoir Blood Bones and Butter will be a movie turned to bewilderment upon learning that the chef/memoirist is to be played by an actor known for not eating blood, bones nor butter, Gynneth Paltrow.

pork side ribs


onion, diced


1 c

chopped fresh green beans


1 c

chopped cabbage

Such is Hollywood.

1 c

tomato juice


Good food stories and food people make great food movies — fictional, contemporary, historical documentaries with food as the subject, or the wonderfully delicious films where food is metaphor, we love them all.

2 t

apple cider vinegar


salt and pepper to taste

1 c

sour cream

I use an old-fashioned stovetop popcorn maker (the Whirley-Pop is similar).

It’s entirely mechanical and requires constant attention, but it’s quick and the results are worth it.

1-3 T

white truffle oil*

1 T

canola oil

1 T

unsalted butter

2 T

fine-grained sea salt

1 c

popping corn

c aT e r e D h e r e .

32 January February 2013 | The Tomato

2-3 large beets, trimmed


1 lb

1

truffled popcorn

780.455.5228 | tlagency@shaw.ca

* Don’t try to cook the popcorn in the truffle oil. Truffle oil is not really oil of the truffle. It’s an aromatized oil, not heat stable and is quite unattractive if allowed to get too hot.

The key to beautiful, ruby-hued borscht is something acidic — fresh lemon juice, vinegar (or in this recipe, tomato juice) to keep the colour vibrant. Serve with a shot of iced vodka.

peeled and diced carrots

What to eat

T he B uT ler D i D i T

Freeze in serving size containers and you’ll always have good soup to share.

2 c

It takes more than being set in a kitchen or a restaurant — like Waitress or Mystic Pizza — to be a good food movie. I’m talking movies where food or the relationship we have with food is the reason for being; movies that get the details right; movies where the food looks good enough to eat.

Beautiful Parties

spits a bit. Pour in the rest of the corn and cover with the lid. As soon as you hear the first pops start turning the crank, and continue to turn until the corn stops popping and it becomes difficult to move the handle. Take off the heat and empty into the bowl containing the truffle oil. Toss well and check for seasoning. Serve with a good food movie and a glass of Barbera.

Place the truffle oil in a large bowl (large enough to hold all the popcorn) and keep warm, but not hot. Place oil, butter and salt in the bottom of a stove-top popcorn maker. Pour in some of the corn, stir to coat, until it

soup sisters eva’s heritage borscht The Soup Sisters Cookbook, (Appetite

by Random House, 2012).

It’s hard to beat a steaming bowl of soup on movie night. We’re featuring this recipe as we love the whole idea of the Soup Sisters/Broth Brothers and what they do — find out more at soupsisters.org, but borscht is infinitely adaptable to any pantry and style of cooking. I make a massive batch of chunky all-vegetable borscht in late summer when the beets are still small and tender, needing a good scrub and trimming only, with loads of just picked carrots, new potatoes and a panful of slowly-caramelized onion for depth of flavour. Give it all a good smoosh with an immersion blender for a smooth/ chunky texture, throw in a lavish handful of dill at the end, and garnish with crumbled smoky bacon and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt if desired.

2 T finely chopped parsley or fresh dill Put the ribs in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off scum.

Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the ribs are tender, about 1 hour. While the ribs are cooking, put the beets in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the beets. Set aside until they are cool enough to handle. Peel and chop the beets, set aside.

Remove the ribs from the pot, reserving the cooking water in the pot.

Using a fork or knife, pull or cut the meat from the bones and chop into bite-sized chunks. Return the pork to the pot.

Add the carrots, onion, green beans, cabbage, tomato juice and vinegar.

Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Simmer, uncovered, until all the vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the boiled beets and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls, and swirl in a few spoonfuls of sour cream.

Serves 6-8.

A Baker’s Dozen Top Food Films (in no particular order) Vatel (2000, France/Belgium/Britain) Is it Gerard Depardieu in the title role, the fascinating culinary and social history, or the tragic story? It’s hard to say which will be your most compelling reason to watch this gorgeous movie over and over. Visually sumptuous (it was nominated for an Academy Award for best art direction), rigorously researched and the attention to detail is faultless. Aspiring event planners will want to watch this film.

Dinner Rush (2000, USA) Star chefs, gangsters, intrigue, highly believable restaurant setting, complicated relationships and gambling — Dinner Rush has it all. Former Edmonton restaurateur Lyle Beaugard suggested this gem of a movie. It’s intensity and rhythm mirrors the NYC setting — and you’ll love the macabre twist at the end. Fun trivia fact: Dinner Rush was directed by Pat Benatar’s husband.

Chocolat (2000, USA) Johnny Depp, Juliette Binoche, chocolate, France, gypsies. What’s not to like?

Pranzo di Ferragosto (Mid-August Lunch, 2008, Italy) Gianni is broke. Possessing only his cigarette dangling from his lip and a juice glass of white wine at his elbow, he makes a deal with the building manager — an exchange of favours, which will make all the condo bills go away.

He has to stay and cook mid-August lunch for his mother anyway, so what’s a few more old ladies? How much trouble could that be?

Gianni is about to find out. This lovely and appealing film is a rumination on aging, on cooking and on unlikely friendships. A must-see.

remake of Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman. I prefer Tortilla Soup — less intellectual, more believable, and funnier. The food, designed by chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, looks amazing in every shot.

El Bulli: Cooking in Progress (2011, Holland) Aspiring chefs would do well to watch this doc. It chronicles a year of El Bulli — the setting up and tearing down of the six month restaurant; the exploration of flavour and technique; the relentless quest for perfection.

It’s a window on the genius of Ferran Adria, that modern cuisine cannot be dismissed as just molecular gastronomy or foam. Rather, it is an entirely new way of looking and practicing what we call gastronomy. Fascinating and compelling. Quiet and spare in its delivery, reflecting the almost monastic dedication of all involved.

The Kings of Pastry (2009, Holland) This doc follows three chefs — Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of Chicago's French Pastry School, Regis Lazard, and Maison Pic’s Philippe Rigollot — as they vie for the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France).

Competitions have built-in drama and the Meilleur Ouvrier de France is no exception as chefs practise the most exacting of the culinary arts, pastry, at its highest levels. Described by one critic as the culinary Hurt Locker. Be warned, you will see men cry.

Rare Birds (2001, Canada) William Hurt’s character drinks up what’s left of the Burgundy from the wine cellar of his failing resto while his neighbour Phonse (Codco’s Andy Jones) cooks up a scheme to make everybody rich. Hijinks ensue. The well-chosen cast includes Molly Parker. Rare Birds is moodily atmospheric, with just the right amount of kooky Newfoundlandishness, and they get the food and drink right. Underrrated and highly watchable.

I Am Love (Io Sono L’amore, 2010, Italy) Anna Karenina meets the September Issue. Watch Tilda Swinton’s upperclass Milanese character fall in mad dangerous love with an entirely unsuitable young man as she eats a shrimp dish he has prepared. The clothes are as drool worthy as any of the food shots. The film is oldfashioned Joan Crawford-style over-the-top melodrama — as lusciously bad for you, and as tasty, as tiramisu for breakfast.

Big Night (1996, USA) Of course it’s on the list! What’s your favourite scene? Mine is the morning after where the brothers, played by Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub, make eggs.

Tortilla Soup (2001, USA) The opening credits mesmerize — a slow pan of two hands chopping tomatoes, placing peppers in ashes to blister, getting a fish ready for the grill, beautiful. The rest of the movie doesn’t disappoint, being a lyrical paean to food and family, colourful and believable. Tortilla Soup is a

Babette’s Feast (1987, Denmark) This strange and beautiful film is from a story by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen). A political refugee from Paris ends up in a spookily quiet, ultrareligious Danish town, with unbending rules against pleasure of any sort.

Her gift to the people of the town is a both a fantastical meal and the ability to enjoy it.

Bella Martha (Mostly Martha, 2001, Germany) The taming of the shrew in the kitchen, with glorious food shots and scrupulous attention to detail. And everybody gets what they want in the end. Charming.

The 2007 American remake No Reservations is also fun, worth watching (it’s about time we see women portrayed on screen running important kitchens) but this version suffers from some grating food/wine missteps.

For example, the sommelier uses the phrase California Brunello — Martha would have been appalled.

Please see “In Season” on page 35

The Tomato | January February 2013 33

BIG food Jan Hostyn

“I have this habit, this thing, this fascination.

Some people might call it an obsession. ”

My pies are so not appropriate fare for this time of year. Nope, smack dab in the midst of the post-holiday deprivation phase, when moderation and restraint seem to be all the rage, my pies brazenly flaunt their lack of selfcontrol, their innards spilling gleefully all over the bottom of my very un-pristine oven. They’re simply stuffed to bursting, kind of like us after the whole holiday fa-la-la thing.

You see, I have this habit, this thing, this fascination. Some people might call it an obsession.

It’s kind of a running joke in my house. If something is stuffed right to the very top, is almost overflowing or is actually spilling over, everyone assumes I must be the one responsible. For them, it’s a foregone conclusion, one I never get the chance to defend myself against. Not that I could defend myself — they’re always right.

My nightly hot chocolates have to be full. I pile up the batter in my muffin cups until it’s cascading all over, my soup- and chili-making escapades always turn into feedthe-world events because I simply can’t stop adding bits of this and that until my gigantic soup pot is simmering-over full. I keep popping popcorn until the kernels tumble out of my big red popcorn bowl and I order my lattes without foam so that they’re — you guessed it — full.

34 January February 2013 | The Tomato

Right to the top.

Dough-lovers would hate my pyrohy — they’re stuffed with so much potato/cheddar filling that they’ve been mistaken for little white balls. My lasagna always bubbles over and I’m convinced my turkeys groan in agony every time I cram that last little bit of stuffing in. As for my sandwiches, well, simply trying to get my mouth around one of them is an adventure in itself.

Where other people see mugs or bowls or containers or glasses, I see containers begging to be filled.

And if I can pile and cram and stuff and stack something over the top — like my pies — well, that’s even better.

Your average pie recipe calls for four cups of fruit. Ha. That makes a pie that’s only half-full. I don’t do half-full, even if it’s not mug- or drink- or cup-related. My pies are always jammed so full that putting them together is a challenge. One hand is kept busy stretching and manoeuvring and tugging the dough over all of that fruit while the other frantically pushes and shoves and tucks and struggles to control all the errant bits of fruit that are trying their utmost to escape.

Oh, and I absolutely cannot pour a half-glass of anything.

Ask my husband. He has this mug, this favourite mug, which he

drinks everything from. But this mug of his is kind of big. Too big to fill to the top, he thinks. For him, it’s a perfect-when-3/4-full mug. For me, it’s a perfect-whenfull mug, just like all mugs ever manufactured. So now it’s become somewhat of a problematic mug.

The biggest, reddest pomegranates

At first he used comments and requests and helpful hints in an attempt to teach me how to fill it.

When that failed, the snide remarks surfaced. Now he’s resigned himself to either taking control and pouring his darn drink himself or putting up with my thoughtfulness and, along with that, a precariously full drink.

He’s not above shooting me a look every once in a while, though.

isn’t always better. I can’t seem to

And it’s not just filling things up.

Certain things need to be of a certain size. Big. Large. Definitely not average. Like apples. Those little baseball-sized-thingspretending-to-be-apples that are perplexingly popular confound me.

My ideal apples often impersonate mini-cantaloupes, and that can create issues. Even though I’m one of those self-check aficionados sometimes, when I have too many items, I’m forced to do the cashier thing. I always get a look and the comment, “Are these apples? Oh my, they’re so...big. Do you actually eat the whole thing?” I’ve even been known to make special appleonly shopping trips so I can breeze through the self-check and dodge the whole annoying amazed-andbefuddled-cashier thing.

have to be oversized themselves.

always find their way into my cart,

only the heftiest potatoes make the trip home with me and only extralarge eggs ever see the inside of my fridge.

There’s no real theme. But bigger get enough of those ultra-sweet mini bell peppers, my salads always sport oodles of little cherry tomatoes and I’d much rather eat a mini peanut butter cup (or three) than one regular-sized one.

And all those glasses, mugs and containers that beg to be crammed full to the top don’t necessarily Oh, some definitely are, but I’m just as content squeezing every last drop of liquid I can into a small glass as a large one.

So yes, I guess I like big, large, overflowing, overstuffed, filled to the very top…substantial.

For me, it’s just the way things should be. The powers-that-be who dissect our thought processes might vehemently disagree, but hey, they’ve never tasted one of my overstuffed and pretty-darnamazing pies.

Jan Hostyn never has to worry about having a half-full cup rather than a half-empty one — hers is always full.

in season contined from page 33

Christmas in Connecticut (1945, USA)

Ratatouille (2007, USA)

Charming screwball comedy featuring Barbara Stanwyck as a food writer who has lied about being the perfect housewife. Busted! Now she has to create a traditional family Christmas for her boss. Silly and fun, with babyswitching, bad accents, fast-paced repartee and S.Z. Sakall as Felix the cook.

The animated feature is not only the most lovable food movie ever made, it’s painstaking in its attention to detail. The producers hired several consultants including uber-chef Thomas Keller to get the details right from the design of the kitchen to the animated movements of Remi the rat who dreams of becoming a cook.

Toast (2010, England): British food writer Nigel Slater’s memoir on screen.

Pieces of April (2003, USA): Families and holiday dinners; a recipe for disaster? Not always.

The Ramen Girl (2008, USA): Better than you’d think.

My Dinner with AndrĂŠ (1981): Snore fest or intellectual romp? You decide.

Tampopo (1985, Japan): The original spaghetti western? A cowboy trucker comes to the rescue of a noodle shop owner — kooky but required watching.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006, USA): This is not really a food movie, but they do get the food right and there are charming bits; “I brought you some flours,� Will Farrell’s character says to his love, the baker.

Like Water for Chocolate (Como agua para chocolate, Mexico, 1992): Magical realism meets star-crossed lovers. Perfect for a Valentine’s night in — serve very good Champagne with the truffled popcorn.

Food Flicks to Look For: Kitchen Stories (2004, Norway): is called completely charming and irresistible, touching and funny.

Perfectly Normal (1991, Canada): with Robbie Coltrane; involves restaurants, hockey and beer.

La Cuisine au Beurre (1963, France): Two French comic actors play chefs with radically different styles of cooking married to the same woman.

Eden (2006, Holland): A movie about food and family.

Nankyoku Ryourinin (The Chef of South Polar, 2009, Japan): Taking it far beyond Tampopo; there is a significant canon of Japansese food movies, in Japan.

A Chef in Love (1996, Georgia): This political satire about a French chef who falls in love with a Georgian woman, then ends up in jail after feeding crow to a Bolshevik was Georgia’s first Academy Award nomination.

The Trip (2010, Britian) British comics Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon take a gastronomic road trip.

Alcoholic beverages make such succinct plot devices and product placement opportunities that few movies actually get to the heart of it. Vineyards are scenic backgrounds, the choice of whiskey, wine or beer a shortcut to explaining a character (aka Bond) or a plot device (expensive wine gets stolen by a ring of good looking thieves, or whatever). The following allow wine to be the protagonist.

Sideways (2004, USA): A poignant story, with real drama coupled with laugh-out-loud-can’t-catch-your breath comedic bits. Feels authentic, and isn’t that what we hope to find in any film? You didn’t have to know wine to enjoy the movie but a lot of people started drinking more wine after they saw it. The ‘sideways effect’ created a massive uptick in sales for California Pinot Noir and a crash in Merlot sales as it became the wine everybody loved to hate — the blow from which Merlot is still recovering.

Bottle Shock (2008, USA): Takes a lighthearted view of the new world/old world wine debate with it’s highly fictionalized retelling of the Judgement of Paris wine tasting. The cast, including the ineffable Dennis Farina, Alan Rickman at his “I’m British and you’re not� best, and masses of long blonde hair, is backed by a good times ‘70s soundtrack and luscious scenes of California wine country. Grab the zin and hit the couch.

Mondovino (2005, USA): The doc about the dangers of the homogenization of taste is essential watching for wine geeks and sommeliers.

A Good Year (2006, Britain): Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Albert Finney, Abbie Cornish and Archie Panjabi romp in this gorgeous adaption of a fluffy Peter Mayle’s novel, the story of an unscrupulous London money man who inherits a broken down wine estate in southern France and finds love. Ridley Scott’s direction has a light touch and it’s a visual feast. Drink in the location footage of Gordes and the Luberon, it looks like heaven on earth. Required drinking is Côtes du Luberon, naturellement.

French Kiss (1995, USA): Similar in tone to A Good Year with some humourous Canuck references.

The Earth is Mine (1959, USA): Hollywood melodrama set during the Prohibition but prescient in its portrayal of the Napa Valley.

The Tomato | January February 2013 35

kitchen sink

| what’s new and notable

restaurant ramblings We’re sad to see the Blue Pear shuttered after 11 years (their last night was December 31) but at least the space will be put to excellent use. Chef Blair Lebsack and front of house manager Caitlin Fulton will open RGE RD (10643 123 Street) featuring Blair’s seasonally expressive cooking, what he calls untamed cuisine.

Expect 35ish seats and a warm ambiance with a rustic contemporary look. The duo are aiming for an April opening.

B.C.’s favourite pancake house is now open. DeDutch (10030 Jasper Avenue, 587-520-8841) features the thin and eggy dinner-plate-sized pancake beloved of the Dutch called pannekoek. Traditionally, pannekoeken are enjoyed at dinner, but we Canucks love them for breakfast and lunch.

The contemporary interior illustrates the new direction of the family-owned breakfast and lunch chain started by John Dys, who’s colourful story includes arriving in Canada in 1955 to work as a lumberjack. We’re glad he turned to pannekoek-making.

Chef Mike Scorgie of Nomad Food Truck and cocktail impresario Andrew Borley of the Volstead Act will open a restaurant downtown in early summer. Expect 50 seats and “those great flavours you get from wood aging or cooking slowly over wood,” says Andrew. The name? TBA. “We’ve got a short list right now.”

The just-opened Smokehouse BBQ on 124 Street will be out of commission for a few months while they rebuild the back end of the resto after a fire late last year.

The important thing? Nobody was hurt.

In the meantime visit their Leduc location (5410 Discovery Way, 780-996-2010) for deliciously smoky ribs, brisket and their amazing turkey gumbo.

Moriarty’s (10154 100 Street, 780-7572005) introduces several appealing specials to stretch those after-holiday dollars. Tuesdays are two small plates for $20; Thursdays, Off the Vine Day offers selected bottlings at half price. Lunch Tuesday-Friday 11am-4pm, dinner Tuesday through Saturday evening 4-midnight.

Ousia (10846 82 Avenue, 780-761-1910) is closed until January 16. Look forward to a series of Nose to Tail dinners and cooking

36 January February 2013 | The Tomato

classes starting in mid-winter. Check out their current menu at ousiarestaurant.com On February 11, Doreen Prei (Zinc, Hotel Macdonald) becomes chef de cuisine and head of culinary development at the Edmonton Petroleum Club (11110 108 Street, 780-474-3411). Shane Loiselle is the club's new executive sous chef, whose focus will be catering and banquet business. Exec chef Patrick Chaudet’s focus remains business and administration.

The club, founded in 1950, is undergoing a culinary renaissance under a capable board and management of Charles Rothman. Expect great things out of this kitchen.

Frank and Andrea Olson’s new venture Canteen (10522 124 Street, 780-484-6477) is open. It’s luscious. The opening winter menu has delicious sounding dishes such as butternut squash ravioli with sage and brown butter Brussels sprouts; beef shortribs on cornmeal gnudi — can’t wait to get our teeth into it. A stellar crew includes front of house staff Justin Vion, Erin Slade, Kim Sala, Karen McDonald and Meagan Alton. In the kitchen are Colin McFall, Rob Ingram, Chris Tom Ke, Jonathon Ruby, Heather Dosman, Roger Letourneau, Melissa Ndwove, and Ron Balanos.

The Blue Chair Café (9624 76 Avenue, 780-989-2861) has a delicious new menu, featuring several authentic Mexican dishes, reflecting the Sinaloa influence of their chef Rosalba, a Guadalajara native. Expect chile rellenos, mole, diablos and tasty sauces made from guajillos, chipotle, morita and ancho chiles on the tacos and enchiladas — all celiac friendly.

The Marc (9940 106 Street, 780-429-2828) pays homage to the great food and wine of the Alsace with the tribute Food That will Make Your Feet Swell. All the delish specialties of the region will be on offer February 4 to February 9 — house-made choucroute, bratwurst, spaetzle, paired with terrific Gewurz, Pinot Blancs, and, of course, lots and lots of beer. Don’t miss it!

product news The next Explore Local Foods, Local Markets workshop is January 16 near Barrhead. The workshops provide practical information on industry trends,

regulations, food safety and best practices.

Call the Barrhead County office 780-6743331 to register.

We’re quite thrilled with growlers. What’s a growler? It’s a glass, little-brown-jug-style bottle at Wine & Beyond available to fill and re-fill with one of 32 craft beers on tap.

The fresh keg beer lasts for at least a week.

We love the idea of bringing fresh beer home with the groceries.

You don’t have to give up chips forever.

You can make potato, carrot, turnip or beet chips in your microwave without fat using the Mastrad Chip Maker. The all-silicone, dishwasher safe unit comes with it own mandoline for perfect slices. At Call the Kettle Black (12523 102 Avenue, 780-448 -2861), Pack of two $31.

What are good cooks cooking in January/ February? Lynn Hillaby (Hillaby’s, The Enjoy Centre, 780-651-7373) says “time to use those beautiful cocottes and casseroles you received at Christmas to make soups, stews and pot roasts. Sounds kind of good doesn't it?” Yes, it does. The Le Creuset French Oven (lidded casserole dish) in three sizes and loads of colours is as ideal for braising a pork shoulder as it is for making chili.

Sunterra now offers same-day grocery delivery, including fresh produce, prepared meals and dairy. Call 780-4342610, or order online at sunterramarket. com before 4pm. While we’re on the stayat-home theme, Sunterra offers a fourcourse, fully-prepared Valentine’s Day meal. Visit sunterramarket.com for menus and details.

gastronomic travel Book now for Gail Hall’s Seasoned Solutions Culinary Tour of Portugal, October 3-17. Visit seasonedsolutions.ca for the itinerary and costs.

Let AMA Travel take you to the Charleston Wine & Food Festival, February 28 to March 4. Taste Charleston’s extraordinary culinary history of Southern cuisine. The package includes four nights in a boutique hotel and a Gospel brunch.

From $719. Call AMA Travel at 1-866-667-4777.

wine tastings hapenings and events Wine and Beyond free tastings at Windermere (6276 Currents Drive, 780-439-5130) and Emerald Hills (300, 7000 Emerald Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-417-2821): January 6, Windermere, Peller Family Series, Trius, Sandhill & Red Rooster, 12-5pm; January 11, Emerald Hills, Maisel’s Orginal & Dunkel Weisse Beers, 5-8pm; January 12, Windermere Maisel’s Orginal and Dunkel Weisse Beers, 5-8pm; January 12, Marques de Caceres,1-4pm; January 13, Emerald Hills, Peller Family Series, Trius, Sandhill & Red Rooster, 12-5pm; January 16, Emerald Hills, Brown Spirits 101 with J Wheelock in the Education Center, 7-9pm; January 17, Windermere, Brown Spirits 101 hosted by J Wheelock in the Education Center, 7-9pm. Check the web site for all events and tastings: wineandbeyond.ca/EventsEducation.

Don’t miss the winter Winefest at the Shaw Conference Centre February 15 and 16, $75. The allinclusive ticket price gets you all samples plus a tasting notebook and complimentary wine glass.

Visit celebratewinefest.com for tix.

The Kids Kottage Foundation, For the Love of Wine event on Friday, February 8, is always a good time, with hundreds of wines to sample, live jazz with Sandro Dominelli, silent auction and a chocolate buffet. Tickets are $100, call 780 448-1752, or visit kidskottage.org, Annual Robbie Burns Night at Fine Wines by Liquor Select (8924 149 Street, 780-488-6868) Friday, January 25, 7pm, $70 per person. Join Nick Lees, along with a piper and a haggis, and a flight of delightful whiskies for a raucous evening.

Intro to Wine Tasting at Aligra Wine & Spirits (1423 8882 170 Street West Edmonton Mall Entrance 58) Monday

January 14, $41.95/ person. Visit aligrawineandspirits.com to book.

Want something different for an office party? Book a Seasoned Solutions Corporate Cooking Class. Enjoy a customized menu paired with wines, $175 per person plus GST. Ingredients, apron, recipe kit, certificate and wine are all included. For more details, visit seasonedsolutions.ca Mark your calendars for the next COOP Grape Escape Wine, Spirits and Beer Festival, March 1 & 2.

Visit coopwinespiritsbeer.com for details.

Coop tastings lineup: Big, Big Reds, January 18, $25; Get to Know Rum, January 31, $35; Fireside Wines, February 8, $35; Friday Night Delights, February 1, $25; Guess the Expensive Wine, February 7, $25; Night at the Movies, February 22, $25; Master Whisky Class, February 23, $65; Wine and Chocolate with JACEK Chocolate Couture, February 15, $35; Wines of 50 Shades of Grey, February 9, $25. Classes and tastings are from 7-9pm, and prices are per person. To book visit coopwinespiritsbeer.com.

Want to tell your merlots from your malbecs? Or learn why some wines taste like vanilla and others like butter? Learn to taste like a pro in a Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) program, taught in 58 countries. WSET Level One, Foundation, begins January 7. The intermediate program, WSET Level Two begins January 9. To register, visit wine college.ca.

Want to know your Chablis from your Champagne? Enroll in a French Wine Academy (French Wine School) class beginning in April. For more information on WSET or FWA visit wine college. ca.

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

The Tomato | January February 2013 37

Thanks for eleven great years!

according to judy

| judy schultz

Jacqueline Jacek, Cocoanista As the Canada goose flies, it’s more than 12,000 kilometres from 406 Kaska Road, in chilly Sherwood Park, to these balmy Pacific islands of New Zealand.

Why, then, would a smart girl from Legal, after 11 years in New Zealand, choose to come back to Alberta winters?

To make chocolates, of course.

As the old year wound down, Jacqueline Jacek opened her amazing Chocolate Couture shop.

attended Victoria University in Wellington.

“It has the sea and the sub-tropical climate. They grow everything.

There’s a real café culture. I’ve heard that Wellington has more restaurants per capita than Paris, France. The cuisine is so fresh and creative.”

She’s all about fresh and creative.

An entrepreneur who started her own hat-making business at 11, Jacqueline is a definitive

Not just any chocolates, however. We’re talking about fabulous, beautiful, edibleart-chocolates.

Open Tuesday – Friday: 11.30 am – 2.00 pm Tuesday – Saturday: 5.00 pm – 10.00 pm

780-757-2426 cibobistro.com 11244 - 104 Ave (Oliver Square)

38 January February 2013 | The Tomato

But I digress. Given that Jacqueline could have stayed in a nation of chocolate lovers and enjoyed warmer winters, why pursue her passion in snowbound Alberta?

fashionista. The vibrant changes in Edmonton’s burgeoning food scene continue to inspire those creative urges.

One of her new interests is pairing chocolate with wine. She’s still experimenting.

True. Our cold, dry Alberta winters are perfect for making chocolate, while New Zealand’s heat and humidity can be devastating.

“In pairing red wine and chocolate, you’ll find winners and losers. The winners are immediately obvious.

They elevate both the wine and the chocolate. With the losers, you get a really tannic, puckery sensation. It’s cool to play around with the various combinations; to understand what works and what doesn’t.

Still, she couldn’t help being inspired by the vibrant South Pacific food culture

Although she would love to use locally produced ingredients, it’s a challenge.

“The food scene in New Zealand is amazing,” says Jacqueline, who

“Sixty per cent of my ingredients are single-origin cocoa beans, and

“Climate had something to do with it,” she explains.

“I love all things beautiful. Fashion inspires me from an artistic perspective, and chocolate is a perfect canvas. You can shape it, design it and colour it without compromising flavour.”

“It’s coloured cocoa butter. I made up a verb: pollocking.

It means brushing colour into the molds, so there’s a sheen of colour on the finished chocolate, and well-tempered chocolate is naturally shiny.

“New Zealanders are crazy for chocolate,” she muses, looking back.

So true. Chocolate is part of New Zealand’s food culture.

From the iconic chocolatedipped marshmallow fish to the chocolate-covered frozen jelly tip, chocolate-drizzled neenish tarts and the famous cookie known as an Afghan, chocolate is a major Kiwi food group.

Seeing Jacqueline’s work for the first time is a lesson in the art of the possible. Chocolate Couture moves beyond the traditional to an explosion of colour.

Colour sets her chocolates apart. Not just shades of dark and white, but a rainbow of colour.

As in all the best stories involving chocolate, there’s a romantic angle. Jacqueline, back in Canada for a cousin’s wedding, met her Canadian husband-to-be. Odds are there was chocolate involved.

A beautiful room that has an old Italian feel with modern new age touches. The food mixes authentic Italian flavors with a modern twist.

Everything local, fresh and made in house.

the chocolate is manufactured in France. I do use Alberta butter, and coffee from Transcend. Fruit? I buy it locally but I don’t know where it originates. I’d love to use more Alberta ingredients, if and when they’re available.”

“A lot of commercial chocolate is loaded with hydrogenated fats and palm kernel oils. We use fine chocolate only, so it retains all the cocoa butter and is a purer state — cocoa liqueur to cocoa butter, fifty-fifty.”

The down side of being a cocoanista?

“Margins are really slim. It’s a tough business. I’m already at the top of premium pricing, but that’s the cost of handmade product.’’

And the storefront where she displays her chocolate couture in true boutique fashion?

“I want to educate people about chocolate. It’s my legacy to my son, Oliver.”

Judy is a food and travel writer who divides her time between New Zealand and Alberta.

Catch up with her blog, writer@judyink.ca

Wednesday’s

Lasagna Makeover

Transform your everyday favourites easily with the makeover magic of Real Cream.

Enjoy lasagna like you've never tasted it before.

Make-Ahead Veggie Lasagna

You can create your own convenience food from scratch with this make-ahead version of a family favourite meal. The simple assembly means you can whip this up after dinner one night and have it ready to pop in the oven the next. While it bakes to creamy, cheesy perfection, toss a salad, set the table and get ready to relax and enjoy.

1. In a saucepan, whisk together 1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp (10 mL) dried Italian herb seasoning and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper.

Gradually whisk in 2 cups (500 mL) 10% Half-and-Half or 18% Table Cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking often. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, for 2 min or until thick. Remove from heat; whisk in 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) reduced-sodium tomato pasta sauce and 1/2 cup (125 mL) water.

2. Pour 1/2 cup (125 mL) more pasta sauce and 1/2 cup (125 mL) water into a buttered 13- by 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish; stir and spread evenly. Arrange 4 oven-ready lasagna noodles on top of sauce, breaking to fit. Spread 1/3 of the tomato Cream sauce on top of noodles.

Sprinkle 1 pkg (1 lb/500 g) frozen diced Mediterranean vegetables on top of sauce; sprinkle with 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Canadian Provolone or Mozzarella cheese.

Top with 4 more lasagna noodles, 1/2 of remaining sauce and another pkg (1 lb/500 g) frozen vegetables. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Canadian Provolone or Mozzarella cheese. Top with 4 more lasagna noodles, spread with sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Canadian Provolone or Mozzarella cheese. Cover dish with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hrs or for up to 24 hrs.

3. Bake lasagna, covered, in 375°F (190°C) oven for about 40 min or until hot, bubbling and noodles are tender. Uncover; bake for 10 min or until topping is browned. Let stand for 10 min before serving.

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 5 to 8 minutes Baking time: 50 minutes Yield: 8 servings

Visit anydaymagic.ca for fantastic tips on this recipe.

You’ll also find the Recipe Makeover Challenge, cream recipes and cooking tips.

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The Pan Tree 550 - 220 Lakeland Drive 780-464-4631

Zenari’s 10180 - 101 Street NW 780-423-5409