City Palate July August 2012

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CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

GROUP

The Teatro restaurant group is now hiring for all positions in all locations cucina - eighth avenue place - opening soon vendome - 940 2 ave. NW | teatro - 200 8 ave. SE carne - olympic plaza - opening soon please email resumes to info@teatro.ca

Rembrandt used oils. We chose passion, vision and ambition as our mediums.

When building a stately home, you must first choose a lot worthy of your new masterpiece. The last remaining lots in Crestmont offer the perfect canvas for your work of art. Mountain, river valley and natural reserve views are everywhere. So come and visit our greatest showhome parade to date. Featuring two new luxurious estate homes from two of Calgary’s most respected estate home builders, Augusta Fine Homes (403-233-9265) and JayMack Custom Homes (403-828-9596) at 53 and 57 Crestridge View SW respectively.

One might say that they’re artists in their own right.

Prices start from the $900’s for lot and home.

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Crestmont • evanston • silverado • the hill • ravenswood Coming soon – redstone • Painted sky • double Creek

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12-02-07 11:23 AM

The new face of fourth street

Opening Summer 2012: Now Hiring info@anejo.ca #2, 2116 – 4th Street SW www.anejo.ca | @anejoyyc

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Lunch

Brunch

CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

Dinner

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contents City Palate July August 2012

features

22 n Fun foodie things to do

at least once this summer

Summer is so great and we have so little of it, we love to get out. and about Here are our offerings for what you might do if you have a mind to.

Sp ons o

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in Amateu r Athletics s

6 00 2 ce

24 n SPIN City

How Calgary is becoming more sustainable, one urban SPIN farm at a time.

Karen Anderson

26 n Grilling over Fire and Smoke

I have seen the future, and it will be carbonized: a charcoal primer.

Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk

28 n Cooler Truths

Karen Ralph

30 n Say Cheese!

Meet your local cheese makers.

Part 2 – The Established and Evolving Breed Karen Anderson

Sam Effah

34 n Belly up to Bellingham

Road-tripping to the west coast this summer?

Don’t miss this charming burg.

Kate Zimmerman

36 n Hog Wild in Canmore

An ambitious plan to roast a pig in the mountains acknowledges the risk of furry guests.

Jody Robbins

38 n The Romaines of the Day: BIG Summer Salads Cover artist: Katy Lemay developed a passion for illustration while completing her Bachelor of Graphic Design at the University of Quebec in Montreal.

You can find more of her unique style at agoodson.com/katy-lemay.

National 100m Champion

diNE iN, tAkE-AwAy & CAtEriNG Breakfast Brunch Lunch Dinner

GourmEt Food to Go Bridgeland 903 General Ave NE 403 - 265 - 3474

Calgary Farmers’ Market 510 77th Ave SE 403 - 265 - 3474

www.tmdish.com CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

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city palate editor Kathy Richardier (kathy@citypalate.ca) publisher Gail Norton (gail@citypalate.ca) magazine design Carol Slezak, Yellow Brick Studios (carol@citypalate.ca) contributing editor Kate Zimmerman contributing writers Karen Anderson Ellen Kelly Geoff Last Karen Ralph Jody Robbins Allan Shewchuk Ron Shewchuk Julie Van Rosendaal Kate Zimmerman contributing photographer Carol Slezak for advertising enquiries, please contact advertising@citypalate.ca account executives Liz Tompkins (liz@citypalate.ca) Janet Henderson (janet@citypalate.ca) Ellen Kelly (ellen@citypalate.ca) prepress/printing CentralWeb distribution Gallant Distribution Systems Inc. The Globe and Mail website management Jane Pratico (jane@citypalate.ca) City Palate is published 6 times per year: January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October and November-December by City Palate Inc., 722 - 11 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2R 0E4 Fax 403-262-3322 Subscriptions are available for $35 per year within Canada and $45 per year outside Canada.

Editorial Enquiries: Please email kathy@citypalate.ca For questions or comments please contact us via our website:

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CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

contents City Palate July August 2012

departments

11 n word of mouth

Notable culinary happenings around town

13 n eat this

What to eat in July and August Ellen Kelly

14 n drink this

The great gewürztraminer: the illegitimate offspring of the pinot clan makes good Geoff Last

16 n get this

Must-have kitchen stuff Karen Anderson

18 n one ingredient

New potatoes Julie Van Rosendaal

20 n feeding people

Fish/shellfish cakes and their accompaniments

Gail Norton and friends

46 n stockpot

Stirrings around Calgary

52 n 4 quick ways with...

Quesadillas

54 n back burner... shewchuk on simmer

The new Slow Food Allan Shewchuk

check out our new web site @ citypalate.ca join us on facebook

like us to win monthly prizes!

thursday – sunday b 9am – 5pm 510 77th ave se b Calgaryfarmersmarket.Ca

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

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Jump! in your car and come for a visit...

See the concrete “eggs” and enjoy a free tasting of limited production wines in our O Tasting Lounge.

Or, sip our wines alongside your picnic and relax on the Crush Pad Patio overlooking the vineyard and lake. for directions and map visit

okanagancrushpad.com Open June 15 – October 15 Thursday to Sunday, 11:30am – 5:30pm

in Summerland

FINE FOOD, BEER & SPIRITS » 17th at 5th » NTNL.ca

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08/06/12 12:27 PM

word of mouth Notable culinary happenings around town

we are soooooo leafy green LEAF – Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice – has recognized 16 food-service companies in Canada who meet or exceed the mininum requirements in 10 key areas of sustainability – the first annual Canada’s Greenest Restaurants list. Alberta rates right up at the top with eight! Ontario has six, BC has two. These are our LEAFy people – good on ya! River Café, Boxwood, Caffe Beano, SAIT Hospitality and Tourism, The Naaco Food Truck, Purple Pastry Chef, Cheezy Bizness, Q Haute Cuisine, The Main Dish and The Coup. All of them in Calgary... we are good!

tea in the sahara... with you

edgy, tasty tastes from Taste Horse salami, pig’s ear curls with fried quail eggs, pig wings with pineapple chutney – that snazzy, snug restaurant Taste likes to go way far out on limbs to bring you its signature adventurous food. A preview party revealed many new taste treats, such as the aforementioned, plus rabbit tostada, bison bone marrow with gremolata and chicken in waffles. Yum, yum. Go taste Taste’s tastes.

Photos by Christina Forsyth.

That’s what Sting sang, but you can have it closer to home, in Cochrane at Tea... and Other Things, a charming place next door to Cochrane Coffee Traders. You can sip your favourite tea while tasting homemade baked goods, like apple pie. And you’d be hard-pressed to find such a gorgeous, eclectic, funky collection of tea pots, including Mr. Elephant, Ms. Giraffe and Mr. Rhinoceros. And tea cup night lights your ma would love.

In one corner are a piano and guitar – local musicians play for pie. This place is fun! Find it at 110 - 2nd Ave. West, and you will find “Peace, Love and Eternal Grooviness.”

coconut gouda – who knew? get creamed at the creamery “Chef” Virginia will whip up a recipe especially suited to your skin if you go see her at Eau Claire Market. You’ll find her at the Creamery, just up the hall from Good Earth, surrounded by her potions – like avocado oil, mango butter, shea nut butter, aloe vera, coconut cream and vitamin E – and scents that will make you go ahhhhhhh..... We live in a dry climate, our skin needs all the help it can get.

Feed your skin, make it happy with all that is delicious and nutritious.

This gouda is absolutely luscious, with a faint, pleasantly surprising hint of coconut, but every bit cheesy as we like our cheese. Kokos Coconut Cheese, made in Holland and available at Calgary Co-op stores, is made with cow’s milk and a splash of coconut cream for extra flavour and creaminess. We think the mild, nutty flavour lends itself to a grilled cheese made with black currant jelly or marmalade and crispy bacon. Ohhhhh, pretty sexy. More sex for dessert: pair the cheese with dark chocolate with almonds in it and red wine or port.

our little foodies...

Students at McKenzie Lake School – kindergarten to grade 4 – learn about healthy eating and growing good food in Earth Box Garden Kits in partnership with Hotel Arts. Exec chef Duncan Ly cooked yummy food with the vegetables and herbs that the students cultivated in their classroom gardens. It’s never too early to learn about how your wellbeing is connected to the food you eat.

“like us” on facebook winners Congratulations to Arlene Marko, our April Facebook prize winner. She wins a skin consultation and customized skin care products from the “chefs” at The Creamery, Eau Claire Market.

Jessie Cayabo won two tickets to Zoogala as our May Facebook winner.

“Like us” on Facebook and you could win a monthy prize.

read this When at Vancouver’s Granville Island Market, pick up a copy of The New Granville Island Market Cookbook (Arsenal Pulp Press, $24.95, soft cover), a tasty collection of recipes from the market vendors.

From the Grill, Our 100 Favourites, is brought to you by the staff at the ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen ($10, spiral bound). It’s filled with great ideas and recipes for grilling all kinds of food this summer, plus the sauces and rubs that add flavour, and the condiments that add more flavour and interest, such as mango salsa and preserved lemon mayonnaise, and lots of great side dishes like baked beans with chutney and Caribbean yams. Yum! Good collection. Get your book at the order desk toll-free: 1-800-840-3393 or visitatcoblueflamekitchen.com.

1040-8TH STREET SW PHONE: 403.265.0244 www.bumpyscafe.com HOURS: M-F 6:30-5 • S&S 7:30-4 CLOSED HOLIDAYS

Award winning espresso, cappuccinos, and lattes.

We always pull you the best espresso shot – minimum double shots in our drinks.

Muffins - Fresh baked, from scratch, all morning.

Soul warming oatmeal – over 25 toppings to choose from.

Fresh grilled Panini’s, homemade Mac & Cheese.

Gooey Grilled Cheese, just like home.

Made from scratch goodies – like Grandma’s Where service & cleanliness come first.

Great shaded patio.

Make yourself at home at Bumpy’s.

EAT-IN TAKE-AWAY CATERING

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

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PREGO’S cucina italiana lunch • dinner • before theatre • after theatre

John Newell Windset Farms Delta, BC

Taste the tradition Eau Claire Market On the 2nd level

403-233-7885

Tony & Karen Legault

Vancouver’s Premier Culinary Centre

Paradise Hill Farm Nanton, AB

at the entrance to Granville Island

Professional Culinary Arts • Professional Baking & Pastry Arts • 1-Year Dual Diploma Program • WSET wine programs

Your local fresh market picachef.com 1-800-416-4040

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CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

eat this

Ellen Kelly

What to eat in July and August

It always seems that we go from famine to feast in southern Alberta.

One minute there isn’t anything to inspire our culinary efforts, then suddenly we’re deluged with an embarrassment of riches. One day we’re watching snow fall and the next we’re planting pansies.

That’s a prairie summer, I guess.

Take tomatoes for instance. There was a time not so long ago, and for several months of the year, we were at the mercy of drab imported tomatoes. Now we find beautiful locally grown tomatoes available almost all year round. Summer tomato will always rule, however. Tart-sweet juiciness, kissed by the sun; there is nothing like it.

And the tomato’s best friend, in your garden and kitchen, has always been basil. It’s hard to think of tomatoes without thinking of basil; they are the consummate companions. They happily grow up together and stay together all through the meal. Whether in gazpacho, ratatouille, bruschetta, pasta sauce, creamy soup or panzanella salad, tomato and basil are meant for each other.

A winning tomato/basil collaboration is a summer vegetable risotto. Start by cooking (either on the grill or in boiling water) 3 cobs of fresh corn. Remove the kernels and set aside. Have at hand 1 c. fresh-shelled peas, lightly steamed. In a bowl, combine 1 c. quartered cherry or plum tomatoes, 1 T. olive oil, salt, pepper and a generous bunch of fresh basil, roughly torn. Have ready and hot on the stove, 4 to 5 c. of good chicken stock. Sauté 2 to 3 large shallots in olive oil and butter until soft and golden. Add 1 c. arborio rice and stir well to coat.

Deglaze with about 1/3 c. dry white wine and stir until the wine is evaporated.

Add 1/2c. of hot stock and stir as the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add stock in half-cup portions, stirring often in between, until the stock is almost gone. This should take about 18 to 20 minutes and the rice should be creamy, but still a little firm to the tooth. Stir in the peas and corn kernels, 1/3 c. grated ParmigianoReggiano and 1 T. butter, and then fold in the tomato mixture. Check the seasoning for salt and freshly ground black pepper. The risotto should be loose on the plate, but not soupy. Serve 4 immediately and generously with extra cheese and fresh basil sprigs.

For a classic basil pesto, start with 2 cloves of garlic and 3 T. of lightly toasted pine nuts (or walnuts, if you prefer) in a food processor.

Add a sprinkling of kosher salt and 1 generous bunch of fresh basil leaves. Drizzle in about 1/2 c. of good olive oil with the processor running. Stir in by hand 1/2 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. If you have a bumper crop or just want this delicacy over the winter, double, triple or even quadruple the quantities and freeze in small Ziploc bags.

BUY: Ideally, buy fresh basil at a farmers’ market. Avoid leaves that are wilted or brown on the edges. The leaves are fragile and shouldn’t be wet or they’ll decay quickly.

TIPS: Treat basil (and all fresh herbs) as you would cut flowers. Trim the stems when you get home and put the basil in a jar of cold water.

Cover the top loosely with a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator.

DID YOU KNOW? There are many varieties of basil, all members of the mint family: dark opal, with deep purple leaves and an almost minty flavour; Thai basil, floral and clove-like, excellent in Thai and Vietnamese dishes; lemon basil, light and cheerful in fruit salads and cocktails; and Genovese or sweet basil for anything and everything else. Basil is the fragrance of summer.

Illustrations by Pierre Lamielle BUY: choose tomatoes that are ripe, firm and heavy in the hand. You should be able to smell that unmistakable tomato aroma. Look for fruit with the stems intact, as they’ll last longer.

TIPS: Never keep tomatoes in the refrigerator.

The cold halts ripening, but also triggers enzymes that lead rapidly to decay and loss of flavour.

DID YOU KNOW? A true South American native, they were thought to be poisonous when first brought to Spain from Central America and Mexico. Since they’re part of the nightshade family, people were suspicious of tomatoes. Even though the French insisted they were aphrodisiacs, calling them pommes d’amour, it wasn’t until the 1900s that the tomato gained any popularity in North America.

Black Currants are worth looking for. With a pleasant, musky flavour, they work well with meats and cheese.

Local berries, grown in southern Alberta, can be found at Hutterite stalls at the markets. Make black currant jelly by first making juice. Wash 3 lbs. of de-stemmed currants and cook them with 1-1/2 to 2 c. sugar until their juices are released. Crush them with a potato masher and cook another 15 minutes. Pour the mash into a jelly bag and let it drip overnight into a bowl.

For every cup of juice – you should have about 3 c. – add 3/4 c. sugar and boil hard over high heat. Skim foam and boil until a set is reached, which shouldn’t take long since black currants are high in pectin. Once set, pour into four sterilized 8 oz. jars and process as you would any jam or jelly.

Source for black currants, Kayben Farms, Okotoks, 403-938-2857, kayben.com.

BUY: At farmers’ markets, look for firm berries on pliant stems with no hint of mold.

TIPS: Very fresh currants can be refrigerated for a couple of days.

DID YOU KNOW? Black currants are high in vitamins C and K. They are used to make crème de cassis, the liqueur that, when mixed with champagne, creates the delicious drink, Kir Royale.

I don’t think anyone enjoys summer more than we do.

So get out there and enjoy! Don’t forget about our wonderful farmgate operations all over the province: Call 1-800-661-2642 (or online chomparoundalberta.com) for your copy of COME TO OUR FARMS.

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

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drink this

Geoff Last

The great gewürztraminer: the illegitimate offspring of the pinot clan makes good

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Since the wine world became inundated with countless examples of insipid chardonnay, you would think that the masses would be clamouring for a taste of the exotic; perhaps something that takes a detour from the over-oaked and under-acidified. Alas, life is full of ruts – the wine trail has its fair share – but sooner or later one must stray off the path into new terrain. There are numerous options for the ABC (anything but chardonnay) crowd, of course, including grapes like riesling, viognier, grüner veltliner, falanghina and chenin blanc. But one of the most expressive grapes is gewürztraminer, or gewürz, as it is often referred to by local wine toughs.

Modern DNA profiling extends well beyond the realm of TV crime shows, and in the world of wine it has allowed researchers to determine the origins of most varietals. Use of the technology recently fingered the pinot family for spreading its unstable genetic seed far and wide. Have you ever wondered where chardonnay came from? Probably not, but it’s the spawn of pinot noir that had its viniferous way with an obscure French varietal called gouais blanc. The traminer family – from which gewürztraminer takes its name – is also related to the pinot clan and carries the same unstable DNA. What we know as gewürztraminer is, in itself, a mutation known in France as traminer musqué; the gewürz part of the name is a German addition that literally means “spiced.”

It’s a lurid tale, all right, but the end result is a white grape that delivers unmistakable character and power.

Throw it into a blind tasting and even the lamest of sommeliers will nail it as gewürz – a wallflower it is not.

The spice component is perhaps gewürztraminer’s most dominant trait, along with vibrant notes of lychee fruit and roses. It sounds like an odd combination – and it can be in some examples – but the flavour profile allows it to work with foods that are notoriously difficult to pair with wine. Thai food, spicy curries, smoked salmon, and pungent soft-ripened cheese are some of the more traditional pairings, at least with the dry and slightly off-dry examples of the wine.

The grape can also do remarkable things when it is left on the vine past the usual harvest time – most notably in France’s Alsace region, where the late-harvest style is known as Vendange Tardive – allowing the natural sugars to intensify.

The sweet examples – which can be very expensive and collectable – work well with foods like foie gras, pork belly and fruit tarts, like apricot and tarte tatin.

Many gewürztraminer connoisseurs – and they do exist – will search out the small amounts of a very special wine known as Sélection de Grains Nobles. Like Vendange Tardive, these are a specialty of Alsace, a place where gewürztraminer is king (or queen, depending on who you talk to). These are made from lateharvest grapes that are affected by botrytis, or noble rot, as it is more commonly known. The fungus causes the grape clusters to shrivel and “raisin,” pushing the natural sugars beyond the already-sweet late-harvest level. This is the same fungus that is responsible for the great sweet wines of Sauternes (in Bordeaux), that are so rich and unctuous that they are essentially dessert in a glass.

France’s Alsace region is home to the benchmark examples of the grape, and while it may be considered a native varietal – at least in modern times – its origins can be traced to northern Italy and Germany’s Pfalz region. Alsace, itself, suffers from a bit of an identity crisis; the region – while firmly in French hands – has been part of Germany numerous times over the centuries and it still has a Germanic feel. Think of it as a German region but with better food and fashion. If first-time visitors find the French/German culture confusing, they may find that they feel the same way about the region’s wines. While they rank among some of the most sublime on the planet, consumers are never sure if the wine is going to be fully dry, off-dry or sweet. Many wine makers in the region believe the wine should be reflective of the vintage. If the year was hot and dry and the grapes were high in natural sugar, it is not uncommon to find a bit of residual sweetness in the wine.

If, on the other hand, it was a cooler year, the wine may finish completely dry.

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht – generally acknowledged as the finest producer in the region – has begun to use a five-point scale on its wine labels, with a one being fully dry. This is smart, but very few of its peers seem willing to embrace the system – Europeans do not easily part with tradition.

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CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

Because gewürztraminer is a low-acid varietal, it is best-suited to cooler climates – less ripeness typically translates to higher acidity in grapes. If you were to plant it in Napa Valley, for example, you would have to acidify the hell out of it to achieve some sort of balance in the wine. As such, it thrives in places like Alsace, Germany, the Pacific Northwest, Canada and other cool-climate pockets, but plantings remain relatively low outside of Alsace, where the grape is number two, just behind riesling.

I’ve had some credible examples from all of those regions, but if you need to be convinced of the grape’s charms, I suggest you start with Alsace. A poorly made gewürz can end up tasting like a mix of chip-oil and granny’s perfume cabinet. If you opt for Alsace, you should be aware of a few things outside the sweetness issue. The region is similar to Burgundy in that many producers share vineyards.

There is a grand cru appellation that applies to single-vineyard sites, but it is optional. Producers will always indicate the vineyard on the label (assuming it is a single vineyard wine), but they may not indicate that the vineyard has grand cru status. This can be quite confusing and it can deter consumers, which is a shame.

A safe bet is to shop by the reputation of the producer. The top tier includes producers such as Zind-Humbrecht, Trimbach, Weinbach, Deiss (although most of Deiss’ wines are blends that include gewürztraminer) and Hugel. If you’re looking for bang-for-the-buck, you’d be hard pressed to do better than Zinck. Everything Zinck makes offers great value. Finally, I would suggest that you not be dissuaded by the possibility of some sweetness in the wine; in most cases it is very slight and it helps the wine work with spicy foods. Gewürztraminer will never be a mainstream wine, but that’s okay. The world harbours a wealth of undiscovered treasures for the adventurous to find – gewürztraminer just might be one of them.

Cheers!

I think that Zind-Humbrecht produces the ultimate expression of gewürz, but it’s hard to find and can be quite expensive.

It’s also very intense – Olivier Zind-Humbrecht doesn’t screw around. His wines rank among the most intense white wines on the planet. If you want something a little more subtle, try one of these – they’re all very well made.

Trimbac;h 2009 Gewürztraminer Alsace, France $30 Trimbach is a first-rate Alsace producer whose wines offer great value relative to their high quality. It is is a producer that doesn’t subscribe to the grand cru system despite producing several wines from grand cru sites. This is a fully dry gewürz, offering classic notes of lychee, rose petals and white orchard fruits. It’s nicely balanced, with a good level of acidity, the perfect foil to a wide array of Asian fare.

For a sweet interpretation try the 2002 Vendanges Tardives ($39 per 375ml bottle), a world-class sweet wine that is also remarkably well priced.

Pfeffingen 2009 Gewürztraminer Spatlese Pfalz, Germany $28 Germany’s Pfalz region – rated as the driest and sunniest part of Germany – has seen a dramatic increase in quality over the last couple of decades, thanks in part to producers like Pfeffingen (making wine since 1662) who continue to raise the bar. This one is off-dry, carrying just a whiff of sweetness, an ideal match with spicy curries.

Cedar Creek 2011 Gewürztraminer B.C., Canada $22 Cedar Creek produces a wide range of wines from the Okanagan Valley that are consistently good to excellent. The gewürz is among the best produced in the valley, a subtle interpretation that includes notes of orange blossom, white peaches and honeysuckle. Pair it with a Thai green curry with spot prawns, a match made in heaven.

Geoff Last is the Manager of Bin 905 Distinctive Wines and Spirits

BEING TRUE to the

RED, WHITE and

YOU (403) 229 -1302 932 - 17th Ave. S.W. wine @ wineink.ca www.wineink.ca CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

15

get this

wet your whistle with a dry soda A hot day’s thirst can be swiftly satisfied with The DRY Soda Co. offerings: seven sodas based on fruit, flower and herbal flavours including wild lime, lavender, blood orange, rhubarb, juniper berry, vanilla bean and cucumber. The Seattle-based company uses natural ingredients and only 11-19 g. of cane sugar (most sodas have about 42 g. of high fructose corn syrup) resulting in a less sweet soda that allows the flavour to shine. Kol3 Vietnamese restaurant in Kensington offers pairing suggestions of DRY sodas with its light, elegant food. Switch your summer gin and tonic habit to gin and juniper berry on ice. Grill some Mexican queso duro cheese and welcome your guests with a Cucumberita by mixing 2 oz. Tequila, 1 oz. Triple Sec, 1 oz. lime juice and 3 oz. cucumber DRY soda. You’ll find lots more ideas at drysoda.com.

DRY Sodas, $1.99/355ml, Blush Lane Organic Market, Market 17 in Casel Marché

cravings and ravings Crave Cookies and Cupcakes launched a little bite baking menu this spring. Sisters/owners Carolyne McIntyre Jackson and Jodi Willoughby have stuck to their successful formula of using butter, whipping cream, the best flours they can buy, and eggs for every recipe. From mini cookies and cupcakes to old-fashioned squares, bars and tea party slices, and from sleek and sexy chocolate caramel sea salt tarts to individualsized pies, you’ll find everything you need to satisfy your sweet cravings this summer.

For stunning new cakes try this Summer Party layer cake, which is a vanilla cake with white vanilla buttercream icing and fondant circles in fun floral shades. It looks like something Dr. Seuss would have liked. He could have written “Oh, the things you will eat.”

6” layer cake, $60; Little Bites start at $1.50/item, Crave Cookies and Cupcakes

recreating couscous Couscous is a North African and Mediterranean staple made of semolina wheat dried in tiny pellets. Israeli couscous is also wheat based, but is toasted pasta formed into small pearls. Matthew Altizer of The Cookbook Co. Cooks shared this recipe, which is sure to be a new summer side dish classic with grilled fish or a big fat steak.

Roast 30 to 40 grape tomatoes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 350°F for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1 T. butter with 1-1/2 c. Israeli couscous, toasting the couscous in the pan for about 2 minutes.

Add 3 c. chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes.

Remove from the heat, let sit for five minutes, toss with a fork while adding 1 c. mascarpone cheese, 1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese, the roasted tomatoes and 1 c. torn basil leaves. Yum! Have fun recreating your version of couscous.

Change the additions with diced apricots, currants, cinnamon, cumin and mint.

Cortas Israeli Couscous, $7.99/1000g, Hage’s Mid East Foods

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Karen Anderson

Must-have kitchen stuff

get the scoop Manuel Latruwe, baker extraordinaire, loves making ice creams, sorbets and waffle cones too. His rich, creamy ice creams celebrate the very best ingredients possible and include classic flavours like vanilla, chocolate, praline, banana and strawberry along with lesser known flavours like torrone (nougat) and this writer’s favourite, pistachio. The sorbets are dairy-free and include raspberry, strawberry, passion fruit and lemon. You can pick up the pretty yellow 500 ml. and 1 L. tubs for take-home convenience. In summer the staff scoop it into yummy house-made waffle cones for instant gratification.

Handmade with love in a wood-fired still by your kissing cousins on Vancouver Island

Victoria Gin is Canada’s First Premium Gin

Ice cream and sorbet, $6.50 –$ 9.75/ 500-1000 mls, Manuel Latruwe Belgian Patisserie and Bakeshop

VICTORIA SPIRITS quietly classic quimper Quimper (pronounced kem-pair) is both a town in Brittany, France, and for 300 years, a style of hand-painted French pottery known as faïencerie. The use of a unique tin-glazing method distinguishes faïence pottery. Quimper uses yellows, reds and blues to depict charming scenes of Brittany’s village life. For Brittany born and raised Dominique Moussu, owner of L’Epicerie, selling the charming array of collectible but practical pieces in his gourmet’s delight-filled shop is a quiet but classic reminder of home. Like all children in Brittany, Moussu grew up with his name inscribed on a hand-painted bowl. All Quimper comes with a certificate of authenticity.

find our family business, retailers & pourings at: www.victoriaspirits.com

Quimper pottery, $32-$170, L’Epicerie

roe, roe, roe your… carp?

Carp roe might not sound appetizing, but put in the capable hands of chef Dwayne Ennest of Cuisine Concept’s Open Range, Big Fish and Vue Café, it becomes the basis for the über-Greek delicacy taramasalata. It’s an easy summer appetizer, along with a little store-bought hummus and tzatziki and a few pita chips or fresh vegetables. Grill some lamb kabobs, throw a Greek salad together and pick up some baklava for a winning combination of home-made and out-sourced goodies that will make summer entertaining a breeze. Here’s Ennest’s tantalizing taramasalata. Peel 3 shallots and 4 garlic cloves and purée in a food processor with the zest and juice of 3 lemons. Remove the crust from a loaf of sourdough bread and cube it. Add the cubes to the purée with 1/2 c. caper juice and 250 g. jar of Krinos carp roe. Pulse until well mixed and then, with the machine running, slowly add 2 c. olive oil. Finish with 1 t. freshly ground black pepper.

Krinos Carp Roe Caviar, $7.99 /250 g, Lina’s Italian Market

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

17

one ingredient

Julie Van Rosendaal

New potatoes

In the culinary world, where dishes, ingredients and techniques often have showy monikers, that make them sound fancier or more complex than they actually are, new potatoes are refreshingly real. Humble and unassuming, they present themselves as exactly what they are – brand-spanking-new potatoes.

As their name suggests, new (or baby) potatoes are regular potatoes, only smaller – harvested early, when they’re not yet fully developed.

They have thin, smooth skins and are as cute as buttons. Smooth as a new potato, the phrase should be, rather than smooth as a baby’s bottom.

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The veal tenderloins of the vegetable world (without the price tag or politics), new potatoes require no mental energy to figure out, or to prepare. New potatoes are sweet, since their natural sugars have not yet turned to starch. Their perfect skin, still thin and fragile, requires no peeling. In fact, potato farmer John Mills of Eagle Creek Farms CSA in Bowden suggests that the newest potatoes should be stored in the fridge, as their wispy exteriors aren’t enough to protect them from the elements (or the potato bin) quite yet.

In terms of variety, there are as many types of new potato as there are old. In our markets, they’ll show up in a trio of colours – pale yellow, red and purple are the most common, in shapes varying from round to long and sizes ranging from marble to kiwi. Some hold that smaller is better. The firm, waxy texture of a new potato helps it hold its shape after cooking, making new potatoes perfectly-suited to potato salads and roasting – on their own, with other vegetables or alongside meat. As with older potatoes, the best way to cook new potatoes – for salads, smashing or to shorten roasting time – is to cover them with cool water and bring them to a boil.

Then, simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes to cook them, though smaller potatoes will cook through more quickly.

If your new potatoes are hidden away for so long that they start to grow eyes, don’t compost them.

Instead, plant them – a new crop of baby potatoes doesn’t take long to grow, and it will grow well even in our Alberta climate. There are few things as satisfying as pulling a handful of wee potatoes from the dirt, brushing them off, and cooking them up for dinner.

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Pasta with Potatoes and Garlicky Salsa Verde  This bright potato salad is lighter and freshertasting than the classic laden-with-mayo kind. Add grilled chicken or shrimp for a light lunch salad.

1/2 lb. baby potatoes, halved 1 lb. chunky pasta, such as rotini, penne or orecchiette 1/2 lb. asparagus or green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Salsa Verde: 1 small bunch fresh Italian parsley, leaves only, chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped zest and juice of half a lemon 1 T. red wine vinegar pinch salt 1/2 c. good-quality olive oil freshly grated parmesan, for serving

Put the potatoes into a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover them by an inch or two, bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until they’re tender when poked with a fork. Drain, reserving 1/2 c. of the cooking water.

Bring another pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the asparagus or green beans to the pot during the last few minutes of cooking time, so they turn bright green and tender-crisp. Drain the pasta and asparagus or beans together in a colander and transfer them to a bowl with the potatoes.

Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse everything except the olive oil until well blended. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add a splash of potato water to thin the salsa a bit for tossing with the pasta, if necessary.

Toss the pasta mixture with the salsa verde.

Sprinkle it with parmesan and serve immediately, with extra parmesan for passing at the table. Serves 6.

 Forked Lemon Potatoes If you haven’t tried forked potatoes yet, you must. Cooked new potatoes are flattened with a fork, then cooked in a hot pan until they’re golden and crisp. The quick lemony vinaigrette elevates them to a whole new level that’s perfect for summer supping. Adapted from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe.

1-1/2 to 2 lb. new or fingerling potatoes olive or canola oil, for cooking 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

Dressing: 3 T. olive oil zest and juice of a lemon 2 t. chopped fresh thyme salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes into a medium-large saucepan and add enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer the potatoes until they’re tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain them well, then spread them on a baking sheet. Gently press down on each potato with the back of a fork to flatten it.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat a generous drizzle (a few tablespoons) of oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the potatoes in batches, without crowding the pan, and cook them, without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the potatoes and cook them for another 4 to 5 minutes, until they’re golden on the other side.

In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the oil, lemon zest and juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Spoon the dressing These over the potatoes and serve. recipes Serves 6. are on our

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Garlicky Roasted Potato Salad with Wilted Kale and Tahini Dressing  New potatoes are perfectly suited to salad, especially when roasted with bacon and parmesan and tossed in a creamy tahini dressing.

If you like, par-boil the potatoes until they’re about halfway cooked to give them a head start.

Adapted from Gourmet, December 2008.

4-6 slices bacon (optional) 2 lb. new potatoes, any kind canola or olive oil 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/3 c. freshly grated parmesan 1/4 c. tahini

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chocolate with a kick Giddy-up!

1/4 c. water 2-3 T. lemon juice 1 whole garlic clove 1/4 t. salt 1/2 bunch kale, stems and centre ribs discarded and leaves thinly sliced salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F. If you’re using bacon, lay the strips on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving all or some of the drippings in the pan. continued on page 50

11 Calgary loCations inCluding nEW storEs at aspEn landing • Chinook CEntrE • dalhousiE station www.bernardcallebaut.com www.CococoChocolatiers.com

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

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feeding people

Gail Norton and friends

Fish/shellfish cakes and their accompaniments

This past year I became enamoured with the “crab cake family” – a most agreeable family of crunchy morsels made from fish or shellfish. They make for simple entertaining offerings, they are dead easy to put together, they can be made ahead and frozen, and they are always the hit of the party. I get my crab meat at Blu’s Seafood.

These morsels are also versatile – in their mini form they can be passed as hors d’oeuvres, or make them larger and serve them with a simple salad for an elegant main course. Japanese-style breadcrumbs – panko – are grated instead of crumbed, so they make a light, crispy cake.

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Gail Norton’s Lobster Cakes This recipe is equally delicious using a combination of smoked trout and trout, salmon, halibut or crab meat.

400 g package frozen lobster, defrosted, well drained and chopped roughly 1 egg yolk + 1 whole egg

Janice Beaton’s Crab Cakes with Spicy Mayo Crab Cakes: 1 lb. fresh crab meat, preferably Dungeness or Snow 2 T. minced shallot 1 T. lemon zest

1 T. minced chives 3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stems generous pinch of salt and pepper 1 generous T. of grainy mustard

2 t. minced flat-leaf parsley salt and pepper to taste 1 small egg, lightly beaten 2 T. mayo

2 T. mayonnaise

fine bread crumbs or panko

1/2 c. + 1 c. panko

oil for cooking

oil for cooking

Gently mix together the lobster, eggs, chives, thyme leaves, salt, pepper, mustard and mayonnaise. Begin adding the 1/2 c. panko, a generous tablespoon at a time, until the mixture, when squeezed, binds together.

Put the 1 c. of panko on a plate. Form the lobster mixture into the desired-sized patties and coat them well with the panko. Move the patties to a cookie sheet and refrigerate them until you‘re ready to cook. Fry the patties in hot oil in a large sauté pan on both sides until golden. Serve with the following sauce. Makes 12 medium-sized lobster cakes.

Sauce: Mix together the following ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use:

Gently mix the crab meat with the shallot, lemon zest, parsley, and salt and pepper. Stir in the egg and mayo, until well combined. Begin to add the bread crumbs or panko, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until there is enough to bind the mixture together. Form the mixture into small discs, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Place additional breadcrumbs or panko in a bowl and press the small cakes on both sides into the bread crumbs or panko. This will help to hold the crab cakes together while they are cooking. Heat a bit of oil in a mediumsized skillet over medium heat and sauté the cakes until they are golden on each side, about five to seven minutes in total. Serve with spicy aioli. Makes 12.

Spicy Aioli:

1/2 preserved lemon rind, finely minced (preserved lemons are found in Middle Eastern groceries and specialty food stores)

The accompanying aioli can be as simple as adding lemon zest, lemon juice, and some minced garlic to a good quality commercial mayo, but the chipotle in this adds a bit of kick.

Mix together the following ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use:

1 T. minced parsley

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2 garlic clove, minced finely

zest of one lemon

pinch of salt

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 c. mayonnaise 3 T. crème fraîche or buttermilk

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced These recipes are on our website

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CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

2 T. minced cilantro 1 garlic clove, minced finely pinch of salt

Ellen Kelly’s Fish Cakes 2 c. mashed baked potato, cooled 1 lb. baked cod, cooled and flaked (or try salmon, halibut or tuna) 1 egg, beaten 2 T. melted butter 1 T. flour 3/4 c. panko 1 T. Dijon mustard 2 T. tartar sauce (or mayonnaise)

Place the 1/2 c. flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Using a spoon, quickly divide the crab mixture into 12 equal portions and form them into oval croquettes.

(At this stage, the croquettes can be frozen up to two weeks in advance.) One at a time, coat the croquettes with flour, then the egg wash, followed by the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan and fry the croquettes three at a time, until they are golden and crispy.

Serve with lemon wedges on the side. Makes 12 croquettes.

1/4 c. thinly sliced scallions 2 T. chopped fresh parsley (thyme, chervil, chives and sweet marjoram are good too)

Eric Giesbrecht’s Crab Cakes

dash Tabasco sauce

By way of Catch restaurant, where they originated. Eric Giesbrecht is Meta4 Foods and an alumnus of Catch. This is the “Ritchie Rich” of crab cakes – no potatoes here.

generous dash Worcestershire sauce

1 lb. Dungeness crab meat

salt and pepper to taste

2 lb. blue crab meat

1/2 t. finely minced garlic 1 t. lemon zest

Combine all ingredients with a light hand. Try to keep some pieces of fish intact. Form into 3-inch patties and dust lightly with a little flour. Put on a plate or tray and let the patties set up in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Heat a generous amount of oil in a heavy sauté pan and fry the fish cakes until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes a side. Remember that all the ingredients are cooked and the patties just need to be crispy and hot through. Serve with wedges of lemon and tartar sauce. (These freeze well.)

Makes 8 to 10 cakes.

indulge your appetite, delight your senses!

olive oil 2 red bell peppers, diced small 1/2 head of fennel, diced small 1 small leek, white only, diced small 1 small white or yellow onion, diced small 1 T. red curry paste 1/4 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped 1/4 bunch parsley, roughly chopped

lunch dinner

zest of 2 oranges and 3 lemons 1-1/2 lbs. scallop mousse (recipe below) panko

Matthew Altizer’s Creamy Crab Croquettes 2 T. butter 1/2 small onion, finely diced 2 T. plus 1 t. flour 1-1/2 c. milk 2 t. Dijon mustard 1/4 t. lemon zest salt and chile flakes to taste 2 T. finely chopped parsley 200 g. fresh lump crabmeat 1/2 c. flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 c. fine breadcrumbs 2 T. grapeseed oil for frying 2 lemons cut into wedges

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, cook gently for 10-12 minutes, or until it is soft and translucent.

Add the flour, and cook for 1-2 minutes before slowly adding the milk, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the mustard, lemon zest, salt, chile flakes and parsley. Check for seasoning. Squeeze any extra moisture out of the crabmeat, and check thoroughly for bits of shell. Mix the crab with the sauce, and spread it onto a large plate in a thin layer, cover with plastic and cool thoroughly.

clarified butter or coconut oil for cooking

Mon - Sat Ph. 403-995-5509 Kayben Farms

Okotoks, AB

Pick through the crab meat, remove any stray shells, and reserve. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the peppers, fennel, leek and onion, until softened and fragrant. Add the red curry paste and cook it, stirring, about 5 minutes. Cool the vegetables to room temp and mix with the crab meat, herbs, zest and scallop mousse. Shape the cakes into whatever size you want, making them no thicker than 1 inch to ensure even cooking. Chill in the fridge about 30 minutes to firm them up.

Bread the cakes with the panko, using only the moisture present in the crab cakes to help the panko adhere. Fry the cakes in clarified butter or coconut oil for best results. Serve with your favourite mango chutney. These crab cakes freeze well, but don’t bread them with the panko until they’re defrosted for cooking.

Makes about 18 hockey puck-size crab cakes.

For the scallop mousse: approx. 1 lb. of scallops approx. 1 c. of cold heavy cream

Simply clean the scallops and place them in a food processor. Add the cream in a slow stream while the blade turns. Stop once you achieve a smooth paste. Season with salt and reserve.

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104 Meridian Road NE

/wontonking • www.wontonking.com

continued on page 43

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

21

Fun f die things to do at least once this summer Summer is so great and we have so little of it, we love to get out and about. Here are our offerings for what you might do if you have a mind to...

After cycling or walking through Fish Creek Park, you’ll want to refuel at Annie’s Bakery Café just west of The Ranche restaurant, the old ranch house. This charming small house once served as the quarters for the ranch foremen and their families. The menu is simple and hearty, with a grand selection of sandwiches, soups and desserts. Annie’s is well known for its ice cream, a favourite for kids and dogs!

Sunny Saturday mornings make us happy. Macarons make us happy. So a great summer combination is to gather up a friend and head to Yann Haute Patisserie, (329 - 23rd Ave SW), and ask for an assortment of the jollycoloured confections. Then walk east three blocks to the river and sit and watch the birds, the river passing by, and share the macarons, deciding which of the flavours you like best. The squirrels will be happy to help in the decision.

On a warm summer night, when you’re feeling like a bite, head to one of Calgary’s food icons, Peter’s Drive-In on 16th Ave. NW. The onion rings and milkshakes are the perfect accompaniments to a summer night. And the “scene” is great – baseball teams stopping for an after-game nosh, and all sorts of people that end up at Peter’s. Get your goodies, park yourself on Crescent Road overlooking the city, crack open the hot bag of onion rings and enjoy them and the night’s activities.

Besides Peter’s Drive-In, another iconic food place – Chicken on the Way, corner of Kensington Rd. and 14th St. NW – opened on August 29, 1958, with the same family ownership for 54 years. If you’ve never had Chicken on the Way and the leaden corn fritters, this summer would be the time. The chicken is pretty darn good, in fact. The corn fritters are part of the package.

It’s always a pleasure to drive to the Saskatoon Farm in DeWinton for a browse through the greenhouses and lunch on the patio, followed by a relaxing sit on the bench overlooking the Sheep River escarpment. A little slice of Alberta heaven.

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CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

If you go to the Food Truck Festival in August, the best way to manage the long line-ups is to scoop a friend or two, divide and conquer the lineups by ordering at separate trucks, then meet up at a pre-arranged spot with all the loot. Much happiermaking than everyone standing in the same lines forever and ever for the same food! (City of Calgary website photo)

A pleasant bike ride will take you to Thi Thi Vietnamese Submarine across from the Harry Hays Building. Grab one of the legendary Vietnamese sate beef or sate chicken subs to go and head to Prince’s Island Park to munch.

The geese will love to help you finish off those excess bits of crust. Next-door, River Café offers a tasty selection of wines by the glass that you can enjoy on one of the best patios in the city.

Another sunny, happy Saturday morning excursion. Go to your favourite Italian market and get one of the fully packed, fresher-than-fresh sandwiches. In fact, get enough for the whole family, because you’ll all want to do this. Make sure the sandwiches are well wrapped. Get in your car and make the short drive to Ptarmigan Cirque, then hike – it’s a really easy hike – up to the waterfalls and eat your sandwich sitting on the rocks or grass in the sunshine. There may be lots of other people looking happy in the P sunshine,      toP share    have ’ youI don’t     but your sandwich... unless you want to. Maybe share some crusts with the birds.

Keep a picnic basket by the door in the garage in the summer and don’t walk past it too many times before yielding to its call for an al-fresco dining excursion. Go to a bench at North Glenmore Park or Confederation Park, or maybe as far as Elbow Falls. A bit of fruit, a few cheeses and some of A Ladybug Cafe’s organic bread and chicken liver pâté are all that’s needed. Well, maybe a half bottle of wine if the sunset looks promising.

Many times throughout the summer, you can make that lovely drive to Okotoks on a Friday or Saturday, enjoy an always-tasty lunch at Divine restaurant, 42 McRae St., then head over to Vale’s Greenhouse in Black Diamond and spend a refreshing afternoon with the plants. You’ll always discover some hard-to-find flower or herb that you can squeeze into your garden, or a must-have gift from the charming little shop.

One of the great things about stopping by the recently opened La Boulangerie on 4th St. SW, just beside Wurst, is that, after you’ve indulged in a good coffee, a yummy sandwich and a luscious pastry, the Elbow River path beckons from just a block away, and a beautiful walk will assuage your guilt.

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A combination of outdoor activity and good food and drink is a natural. In Kananaskis Country you’ll find several great combinations. Ribbon Creek is a wonderful spot for outdoor fun, whether hiking or mountain biking. After your sweat session, the Delta Hotel in Kananaskis Village offers options for resuscitation, including a comfortable lounge for a pick-me-up snack with a beer, glass of wine or, for the kids, a hot chocolate.

KINGSLAND FARMERS' MARKET

Find our soups at Sunnyside Market & Market 17

403.240.4185 primalgrounds.com

If Canmore is your destination for the day, try the sushi at Marra’s Way Sushi.

You can grab and go very quickly if those hunger pangs are getting the best of you, or you can walk to Policeman’s Creek, just a short distance away, and find yourself a bench in the sun. Sushi never tastes so good as in the mountains.

Pay a visit on Sunday to Red Tree Kitchen, in Marda Loop, for the Sunday-only take-out special, fish and chips. Five bucks will get you a mininewspaper cone of crisp, hot, delicious fish and chips, handy to put in your stroller or car coffee-cup holder. Wander over to Sandy Beach and watch people on inner tubes and rafts float by.

Last and most obvious: have at least one corn dog slathered with mustard and one bag of mini-donuts at the Stampede. Better yet, have several of both – they have to keep you going for a whole year. ✤

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

23

SPIN city How Calgary is becoming more sustainable, one urban SPIN farm at a time

by Karen Anderson

Twenty years ago, Wally Satzewich and Gail Vandersteen were urbanites living in Saskatoon but dreaming of a country acreage devoted to growing vegetables to sell at the city’s farmers’ market. They bought their piece of rural dreamland, planted 10 acres of crops, but after six years of dealing with the open prairie’s deer, bugs and wind, along with the challenge of meticulous record keeping, they realized that the protected, well-cared for, less pest-troubled, inner-city plots they also tended were the source of most of their income.

The couple sold their rural farm and started to mentor others about successful small-plot crops and intensive growing methods for urban gardens. Enter Roxanne Christensen, a writer who proved SPIN methods would work when she turned an inner-city Philadelphia plot into an economically viable urban half-acre farm in just two years. Christensen partnered with Satzewich to develop “How-To” manuals that can be found online at spinfarming.com.

One of the most important aspects of their work is the mentoring opportunities their SPIN farming system offers. Christensen asserts that recent generations have opted out of the farming profession, so there’s a lack of mentors. The type of farming being practiced has not kept up with the times, so that much of the knowledge base that is available is out of touch with current economic and cultural realities. The spinfarming.com web site currently has 684 SPIN farmers enrolled in its free online support group. Rod Olson and Chad Kile, the owners of Leaf & Lyre Urban Farm, were Calgary’s first SPIN farmers. Olson, who was raised on a farm near Camrose, stumbled on the SPIN farming website when he was pondering how to incorporate his love of the land with his urban life. The SPIN concept gave him an “aha!” moment. With brother-in-law Kile, he attended a Local 101 workshop in March 2010 where Tony Marshall, owner of Highwood Crossing Organic Farms, talked about how Cubans have utilized SPIN farming to feed themselves since the collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in the island nation losing access to cheap fossil fuels. Marshall also highlighted Satzewich’s work, so that workshop attendees would learn how SPIN practices could be applied in Calgary’s northern prairie climate. (Local 101 workshops help educate the public about local food producers and current food issues.)

Olson and Kile were convinced that SPIN would be both the way back to a lifestyle they loved and the way forward to a progressive form of agriculture that would be sustainable and adaptable to Calgary. Kile agreed to be the brawn of the operation, while Olson would do all the marketing and business development. Kile is an introverted academic who, when not working on his PhD in religious studies, actually likes nothing better than digging in the dirt. The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus’s principal tenor, and a part-time youth leader, Olson excels in community connections and networking. The next challenge for them was finding land.

As luck would have it, they had also met Julie Van Rosendaal, the resident food and nutrition expert at CBC Radio’s Eyeopener, at the Local 101 workshop. She interviewed them on the program and offers of garden plots began to flow in. Leaf & Lyre roto-tilled its first plot in April 2010.

Rod Olson and Chad Kile, of Leaf & Lyre Urban Farm, in a typical SPIN plot

In Food and the City: Urban Agriculture and the New Food Revolution, author Jennifer Cockrall-King highlights the perils of our industrial food system: food shortages, food scares related to contamination, and the genetically modified organisms controversy. She also outlines data suggesting the world has reached the peak of resources important to food production: oil, water and farming knowledge. Scarcity will add to the cost of food. While closing the door on any doubts about industrial farming’s viability, Cockrall-King opens a window of hope by reporting on innovative ways to meet the challenge of feeding the world’s 7 billion hungry mouths. SPIN farming is one of them.

People typically think of “spin” as a public relations tactic used to sway opinion, often in highly manipulative ways. SPIN is also an acronym for Small Plot INtensive farming, a method of urban agriculture developed in Saskatoon.

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CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

SPIN plot lenders tend to fall into three categories: elderly widows who are happy to have their backyards cared for, young couples who want their children to be exposed to backyard gardening but don’t have the time or the know-how to teach them themselves, and young people who have land and want to be part of the movement and have more ties to their community. Olson and Kile have reached their goal of 25 plots – the half-acre needed to fulfill their business plan. The SPIN farming web site says the pair could earn up to $72,000 per year on this size of plot. Olson says that for them to achieve that kind of living, they will have to secure supply contracts from 12 restaurants in addition to their farmers’ market sales.

They currently have eight, so they’re getting close.

Leaf & Lyre’s specialty is greens, as they’re the plants best suited to Calgary’s climate and they provide the best return on investment. The partners sell directly to restaurants and also have a weekly booth at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers’ Market. Customers can buy their spinach, mizuna, tatsoi, kale, onions, arugula, mesclun mix, red oak leaf lettuce, chard, unique carrot varietals and potatoes.

A mere two years ago, the owners of Leaf & Lyre were the only SPIN farmers in Calgary, but 2012 will see at least three others join this urban agriculture movement (see next page). On June 6, the city presented its final proposed Calgary Food System Assessment and Action Plan to help the City of Calgary formulate a course of action to ensure food sustainability and security in the decades to come (yycfood.com). Part of that plan could include identifying land that would facilitate SPIN farming.

In the meantime, Olson and Kile hope to band with the new SPINners to develop and share much-needed resources for coordinating the cleaning, storage and distribution of crops that could help keep our city in fresh food for the future. Calgary could become known as a great SPIN city.

The new SPINners... Urban Sunflower Apiary and Market Garden Contact: Jerremie or Rita Clyde,

403-483-7816 Email: urbansunflowerca@gmail.com urbansunflower.ca Produce: pesticide- and chemical-

free bee products, vegetables and 10 kinds of potatoes for 2012, grown in plots in the northwest and at Paradise Hill Farms in Nanton.

Available at: Hillhurst Sunnyside

Farmers’ Market each Wednesday, May 30 - October 3, sharing a booth with Leaf & Lyre Urban Farm.

 Leaf Ninjas

photo by Luke Kimmel

Contact: Kai Boettcher, Luke Kimmel,

Dave Carlton, (L to R above), Tim Kessler and Andrew Renaux 403-830-7229 Email luke@leafninjas.ca leafninjas.ca Produce: leafy greens, micro-greens,

carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, and onions, and a variety of herbs grown in plots throughout Inglewood and Ramsay. (Leaf Ninjas are also in the business of permaculture design and installation.)

Available at: The Area in Inglewood,

1119 - 10 Ave SE and The Market Collective (various locations).

Don't forget this food group...

Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank The Calgary Food Bank is able to feed thousands of people each year because of the generosity and assistance it receives from Calgarians.

Help comes to us in many forms – volunteer hours, food, cash or in-kind donations – and all are appreciated.

403-253-2059

info@calgaryfoodbank.com www.calgaryfoodbank.com

 Urban City Farms and CSA Contact: Will Carnegie and Chris Kostashuk 403-973-6035

Email: urban.city.farms@gmail.com, urbancityfarms.com Produce: many leafy greens and lettuces, beets, peas, beans, carrots, cucumbers,

squash, corn, leeks, watermelon, Brussels sprouts and onions grown in both the southwest quadrant of the city and on a one-acre lot in Chestermere.

Available by CSA subscription, and check the website for market locations throughout the summer.

Leaf & Lyre Urban Farm Contact: Rod Olson and Chad Kile

403-703-3217 Email: leafandlyre@gmail.com, leafandlyre.com ✤

Join us on our 1st City Palate Urban Tootle in August!

See our ad on page 39 Karen Anderson is the owner of Calgary Food Tours, and coordinates all City Palate’s Foodie Tootles.

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

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grilling over Fire and Smoke

I have seen the future, and it will be carbonized: a charcoal primer

by Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk

Barbecue evangelist Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk says it’s time for us to start weaning ourselves from the convenience of gas grilling and rekindle our relationship with charcoal.

All it takes is one whiff of smoke from charcoal briquettes, mixed with a hint of lighter fluid. That distinctive aroma activates an area at the base of our skulls that I like to call the Kingsford Olfactory Cortex. The smell of charcoal instantly transports us back to the campfires and cottage weekends of our youth: Dad’s in an apron, burgers are sizzling, hot dogs are plumping up, corn cobs are roasting, and Mom comes out the screen door with a pitcher full of cherry Kool-Aid, ice jingling and sparkling in the summer sun.

I think I want to cry.

Those memories never leave us, but we’re making a few new ones now for our own kids. Sadly, Canadians don’t grill much over charcoal any more. According to Weber’s Grillwatch survey, only about one in 10 Canuck backyard cooks owns a charcoal grill compared to almost half of our counterparts south of the border.

I know, it’s a lot colder up here, and running outside to push a button on a gas grill is a damn sight easier than going to the trouble and mess of ripping open a bag of charcoal, dumping it into the grill and getting it going, not to mention having to clean up the ashes left behind.

But that convenience comes at a cost. Charcoal imparts such great flavour that there’s almost no comparison between a steak seared on a gas grill and one that’s kissed by smoke. I would argue that pretty much anything tastes better when cooked on a charcoal grill, from lowly skinless chicken breasts to roast duck.

Even sweets are lifted to a new level when they’re cooked over charcoal. I’ll never forget an evening at the beach a few years back when, after grilling some brats in my Smoky Joe portable grill, I used the leftover coals to reheat a pear crisp. The vapours from the fire turned a great dessert into a mind-blowing revelation.

A little history...

Charcoal has, of course, been around for a long time. Back in the olden days, tradesmen called colliers would stack wood in a giant cone-shaped pile and then cover it with soil or clay, with a hole in the bottom for air and one at the top to serve as a flue. They’d light a smouldering fire and, several days of careful tending later, the wood would be transformed into brittle, clean-burning dark grey charcoal to be used for cooking and heating.

The process of making charcoal, called carbonization, is simple: you heat wood slowly, with little or no oxygen to feed the fire, and instead of burning, the wood shrinks as its organic matter vaporizes. What’s left are porous chunks of charcoal, consisting mostly of carbon, that burn cleaner and hotter than wood.

Charcoal briquettes have also been around for a long time, but the Kingsford briquettes that we know and love were developed in the early 1920s by Henry Ford and one of his relatives, a fellow named E.G. Kingsford. Ford’s early autos had wooden parts and his factories produced lots of wood scrap. A factory was built to turn the scrap into charcoal briquettes. For years, American backyard cooks got their Kingsford charcoal at their local Ford dealership, and today Kingsford converts about a million tons of wood scraps a year into briquettes and owns about 80 percent of the market.

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Briquettes vs. lump charcoal: which is best?

Over the last couple of decades, the dominance of briquettes has been challenged by makers of lump charcoal, which is preferred by some cooks because it burns longer and hotter. It’s also purer. Lump charcoal is basically an organic product – pure carbonized hardwood – whereas Kingsford and other briquettes are made from charred softwoods that are mixed with mined coal, limestone, starch, sodium nitrate and borax (or sodium borate).

For some reason, health nuts don’t like the idea of food cooked over this chemical package, arguing that it contains carcinogens. But man, what tasty carcinogens they are! Those additives are what make Kingsford start easily, burn evenly, and provide its distinctive aroma and flavour. The bottom line: meat cooked with Kingsford tastes great.

My barbecue team, Rockin’ Ronnie’s Butt Shredders, has been competing for almost 20 years, and we’ve always used good old Kingsford briquettes, with a few chunks of hardwood like hickory, mesquite and cherry wood added for extra flavour. My view is that if you want to win the hearts, minds and taste buds of the barbecue judges, you’ve got to hit that Kingsford nerve hard, and we’ve got plenty of cheap plastic trophies to show that our strategy works. As for the carcinogens, last time I looked, life causes death. I like to think that most of us can handle a little borax in our lives without getting into a big panic.

In fact, panic is known to cause more deaths than borax.

Despite my love of briquettes, I swing both ways when it comes to charcoal.

While I’m loyal to Kingsford for cooking Southern-style barbecue, I often use pure hardwood lump charcoal when I’m grilling. It generates excellent heat for searing and charring, and if you want to add extra flavour, all you need to do is toss some wood chips or chunks on top of the hot coals just before you’re ready to grill. Close the lid of your grill and you’ve got a perfect hot, smoky chamber that will make whatever you’re grilling sing. Another advantage of lump charcoal is that it produces much less ash, which makes it great for kamado-style cookers, which quickly clog up and lose their air flow when you try to cook on them using briquettes.

How to start your coals...

Barbecue purists don’t approve of chemical fire starters like the smelly white cubes or the kerosene-like liquid starter you get at the supermarket. Aficionados like to start their coals using a charcoal chimney, which isn’t much more than a metal cylinder with a handle on it. You put your charcoal in it, and there’s a little chamber at the bottom where you place a couple of balled-up pieces of newspaper. Light the newspaper, wait for about 15 minutes, and you’ve got a chimney full of hot coals – just enough to grill a few pork chops.

You can also use it as a seed fire for a bigger quantity of charcoal that you can use for longer cooking projects and bigger cuts of meat.

My preferred method is to light up a tiger torch – a propane torch usually used by roofers to melt tar – and point its roaring flame at the coals you’ve loaded in your grill or smoker for a minute or two. That’s kind-of hard core, however – I do it not only for convenience but also to intimidate my opponents at barbecue competitions.

Cooking over charcoal just got much easier – with this Looftlighter from Sweden, that ignites charcoal and wood in less than a minute without matches or lighter fluid. It’s clean, quick and safe for lighting grills, smokers and fire pits. It might resemble and sound like a hair dryer on steroids, but it will make you a happy charcoal griller this summer. Just plug it in to a nearby wall socket with an extension cord, if necessary. How easy is that!

Check it out at: Barbecues Galore locations – 3505 Edmonton Tr. NE & 5875 9th St. SE & at Fuell Outdoor, 740 Meridian Rd. NE

What kind of charcoal cooker to buy...

The urn-shaped kamado is one of the hottest pieces of cooking equipment out there right now. The classic Big Green Egg has long been the Cadillac of charcoal cookers, but in recent years many knock-offs have come onto the market, including the Primo, the Big Steel Keg and the Kamado Joe. Even the cheapest models will set you back $600, and the high-end brands can cost a lot more than that. This ceramic cooker is based on an ancient Asian design, and it’s extremely versatile, allowing you to smoke a pork shoulder at 200°F or sear a steak at 700°F or even higher.

If you don’t want to shell out for an Egg, there are lots of extremely cheap charcoal grills on the market that are great to take to the beach or on a camping trip, but they don’t last long and they don’t work all that well. You can’t go wrong with a good old Weber kettle-style covered charcoal grill, which is a solid, versatile cooker that will set you back a couple of hundred bucks.

For picnics, camping and boating, nothing beats the Cobb, a portable charcoal grill that’s among the most versatile and convenient cooking tools I’ve ever used.

Every outdoor cook should have a Cobb in his or her arsenal.

If you want to graduate to the world of Southern-style barbecue, the perfect entry-level device is Weber’s Smokey Mountain Cooker, nicknamed the Bullet.

It’s a specialized smoker that will introduce you to a big new world of flavour, but it’s not for the dabbler.

continued on page 44

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Cooler Truths

by Karen Ralph

After every party, a random collection of unopened – or partially drunk – beers and coolers mysteriously manifests itself during the night. This collection can be found abandoned under lawn chairs, hidden on top of the fridge or lolling, partially submerged, in containers full of melting ice and fly-studded water. These are the party rejects – no matter how drunk people were or how low the alcohol ran, no one would drink them. At my place, these lonely bottles – the unopened ones – eventually end up lurking in the crisper until I bring them out at the next party to see if they can be pawned off on anyone who might have had too much to drink.

In the interest of science and City Palate readers, with no thought for my own well-being, I decided to open and taste each of these orphaned beers and coolers and record my analysis of the contents. This guide is for the times you stand in front of beer and wine store coolers wondering what to bring to a party or camping trip.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you “The Undrinkables”...

Beer might be a nice change: First: The Classic Vodka Margarita by Mike’s Hard Lemonade “Traditional Lime, Real Agave, Real Taste,” 7%, $15.50/4-pack

Big Rock Honey Brown Lager

Using the words “Traditional,” “Classic,” “Agave” and “Margarita” on the label still doesn’t put tequila in the bottle. Oh, they’re tricky, those Mike’s Hard Lemonade people. Agave, the plant that fuels tequila, is also a sweetener. “Real Agave” on the label refers only to the sweetener, not to the addition of delicious, nourishing tequila. The twist-off cap makes it easy to open, but the glass bottle would add possible breakage to campfire quaffing. Sickeningly sweet, this tastes like tangy, syrupy, sourball lime candy drizzled with Sunlight Dishwashing Liquid, but with no discernible vodka. If you’re looking for a life-affirming margarita for your party, keep looking. The addition of ice, soda water and lime make Mike’s drinkable, but also renders moot the whole idea of a pre-mixed, ready-to-party, insta-drink. This is a diabetic coma in a bottle.

Big Rock brews its beer here in Calgary, and it likes to make new flavours available to its many fans. This has occasionally resulted in less then delicious results, but the Honey Brown is hoppier and not as sweet as I had expected. Smooth and easy to drink, this is a date you could take to a party without embarassing yourself. It’s also pretty good in the dregs of the Motts Clamato Caesar, so it’s a win-win. I wouldn’t buy it, but if Honey Brown were offered to me, I wouldn’t say no.

Next: Bacardi Breezer Passion Pink Lemonade Rum Beverage 5%, $10.50/4-pack This gem has been rolling around the crisper for more than a year. I’ve offered it to my last, most tenacious guests at 3 a.m., when the booze ran out and they really wanted another drink. They refused!

With its plastic bottle, plastic screw cap, and no sell-by date, Bacardi Breezer is good for outside festivities. The pale pink colour looks dainty, but don’t be fooled.

It’s pure syrup mixed with rum. Tasting like frozen pink lemonade concentrate mixed with Sunlight Dishwashing Liquid – a flavour that was also in Mike’s Vodka Margarita – this is as convincing as a 40-year-old Lolita. Creepy. I can’t actually taste any alcohol, but maybe that’s just me. If you were to add ice, more rum, and maybe some soda water, this pink concoction could work. Or, you could buy rum and mix and ice and make your own. This Breezer is what 14-year-olds drink to get wasted. It’s a sticky bad time waiting to happen. Run away!

Moving right along: Mott’s Clamato Caesar 5.5%, $13.50/ 4-pack The artificial, carcinogenic-looking orange colour is scary, not to mention the fact that one of these babies has been fermenting next to our fence for two years and is the same strange colour as this “fresh” one. It comes in a glass bottle with a twist-off cap. Opening it, a bouquet of spicy, vinegary old clam assails my nostrils.

It tastes tangy and mildly spicy. I decide to “decant” it into a rocks glass, add Tabasco, Lee and Perrins, a squeeze of lime and some ice, and voila! It’s pretty darn good, but it might as well be a Caesar I made from scratch. Not very convenient, and what’s the point of buying pre-mixed drinks if they can’t be drunk as is? Beer could be added for a new twist on a Red-eye, or, in a pinch, this pseudo-Caesar could be used as a meat marinade. As long as I can tweak it with ice, spice and lime, I might drink it again. It wasn’t as horrible as I thought it would be, but it was pretty bad.

5%, $13.75/6-pack

Corona 4%, $15.50/6-pack It seems odd that so many Coronas have been left behind unopened or half drunk at my house. At my tasting, this doesn’t bode well for the brand. The bottles are shrinkwrapped in thick plastic that depicts a desert sunset. This probably helps protect the contents from UV rays but it also means that you can’t get a look at what you’re drinking when you’re swilling it from the bottle. I pour it into a glass and am semi-reassured by its fresh, bright yellow colour. It smells the way it looks, but I don’t mean fresh. Musty asparagus and skunk waft out of the glass. Maybe you wouldn’t notice the stench while drinking it from the bottle – or maybe you would. That could explain all the abandoned, partially drunk Coronas filling up with drowning flies. In the name of research, I take a sip and immediately spit it on the ground, grabbing the Honey Brown to rinse my mouth.

It tastes the way I imagine a sewage sandwich might taste. The date optimistically says it’s good for three more months. A lime slice might have helped, but this is truly Montezuma’s revenge for $3 a bottle.

Finally, the one I’ve been dreading:

Jack Daniel’s Old Number 7 – Cola Beverage 6%, $12/4-packk The ‘7’ is so stylized on the label that I thought it said Old Number 2, which would be more accurate. I can’t drink bourbon. It makes me cry and take my clothes off. When I told a friend this, after refusing his offer of a shot of Jack, he said, “How long do you cry for?”

However, since this tasting is about science, I pull the pull-tab. The distinct sweet smell of bourbon and coke punch me in the nose. Packaged in a “sexy” black can with silver writing, the booze can be smelled from a distance. This isn’t a discreet drink. It tastes like semi-flat coke syrup with a good shot of bourbon. Being a classy type, I pour it over ice in a short glass. This would help you get your redneck on, if help was wanted. Drink enough canned, boozy, sugary, pre-made highballs and you’ll be taking off your clothes in no time. That’s not an endorsement, but, as you see from the assessments above, you could do worse. If you’re ever offered Jack Daniels and “cola” in a can or a Bacardi Breezer in a plastic bottle, go for Old Number 7. At least you might end up on top.

My scientific conclusion: Mike’s Hard Margarita, Bacardi Breezer and Jack ‘n’ Cola are sickeningly sweet and likely to rot the teeth right out of your head. Mike’s Margarita and Bacardi Breezer taste the way Sunlight dish soap smells. The Corona is the worst of the bunch. With the exception of the Honey Brown Lager, all these drinks are tributes to the seductive powers of artificial colour and flavour. Mike’s Hard “Traditional Vodka Margarita” took the lie one step further with a faux margarita premise. I suggest that you proceed down the cooler path with caution. Like the trollops that they are, they’ll take your money and leave you broke, hungover and sticky. Salut! ✤

Karen Ralph is Red Wine Tongue @ rubyredvino.com/category/red-wine-tongue.

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FOOD WORTH SHARING. FOOD WORTH SHARING.

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M e e t

y o u r

l o c a l

c h e e s e

m a k e r s

Part 2 – The Established and Evolving Breed

By Karen Anderson

In the May June issue of City Palate, we introduced you to Alberta’s new breed of cheese makers. In this issue, meet six established cheese makers and learn something about what a maturing enterprise requires. Also, meet another of the new breed.

Sylvan Star Cheese Red Deer

Fairwinds Farm Fort Macleod

(established 1999)

(established 2003)

403-340-1560, sylvanstarcheesefarm.ca

403-553-0127, fairwindsfarm.ca

Cheese maker: Jan Schalkwijk

Cheese makers: Anita and Ben Oudshoorn

Types made: Gouda, Edam, Gruyère and Sheep’s Manchego

Types made: Mild Or Aged Gouda, Feta and Caerphilly (a pale crumbly

Available at: the farmgate store, Calgary Farmers’ Market, Kingsland Farmers’ Market, Community Natural Foods, Planet Organic, Amaranth Whole Foods, Sunterra Markets, Blush Lane Organic Market, Janice Beaton Fine Cheese, Mountain Mercato and Say Cheese Fromagerie

cheese originally from Wales), plus natural and flavoured Chèvre: Garden Chive, Herbes de Provence, Peppercorn and Red Pepper, Onion and Garlic

Jan and his wife Janny came to Canada in 1995 from their native Netherlands.

Their son Jerome had established himself as a Holstein dairy farmer on a picture postcard of pastoral loveliness near Sylvan Lake, and at first the Schalkwijks were content to help their son on his farm. But the craving for good cheese became unbearable and Jan decided to put his 30 years of cheese making experience in Holland and England to work in Alberta. The family knows a bit about cheese making as Schalkwijk’s mother once won Holland’s medal for best gouda and had the award presented by Queen Wilhelmina. Since 2006 Sylvan Star has been racking up hardware of their own and have won Grandprix medals in almost every category they’ve entered. In 2010, Schalkwijk designed and built a state-of-the-art cheese factory next to his son’s dairy farm, and has thousands of wheels of cheese aging. The factory was a big investment but unlike other food products, Sylvan Star cheeses become more valuable as they shrink and age and he needed a proper facility to realize his full potential as a master cheese maker. Schalkwijk knows what it takes to be a great cheese maker: time, patience and the delayed gratification of delivering an artisan product worthy of its price and praise.

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Available at: Community Natural Foods, Planet Organic, Sunnyside Market, Amaranth Whole Foods, Sunterra Markets, Blushlane Organic Market, the Calgary Farmers’ Market, Springbank Cheese, The Cookbook Co. Cooks, Tres Marias, Market 17, Mountain Mercato, Say Cheese Fromagerie and Spud.ca Though the Oudshoorn’s started keeping goats in the 1990s, it took until 2003 to begin producing cheeses for the public. The family moved to Fort Macleod from Nobleford to acquire enough land and irrigation water so they could produce their own organic feed and increase their herd to the number of goats they would need to be self-sustaining. Anita Oudshoorn had always made cheese for her family, but she travelled to Agassiz, BC, to study with Debra Amrein-Boyes, one of a handful of North Americans who have been inducted into the prestigious French Cheese Guild, the “Guilde des Fromagers Confrerie de Saint-Uguzon,” which recognizes those who continue the tradition of cheese making around the world. Oudshoorn started with chèvre and feta but added aged cheese to use up the surplus milk that summer lactation of mother goats with their kids brings to the farm. The Oudshoorn’s are in charge of their high standards of production from start to finish, and their brand has gained a reputation for excellence. continued on page 32

free parking nearby

two-tier patio now open

t s r i h t r u o y Quenc h for summer

Honey!

Macaroni and cheese... It’s delicious!

Macaroni and cheese again? I don’t want macaroni and cheese.

Time to try that Latino food market!

Refresh With a Handcrafted, Cold Drink.

www.goodearthcafes.com

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

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continued from page 30

Vital Green Farms Picture Butte (dairy established 2004, cheese making established 2009) 403-824-3072, vitalgreenfarms@gmail.com Cheese maker: Joe Mans Types made: Organic Cow’s Milk Gouda and Sheep’s Milk Gouda Available at: Vital Greens Farm’s farmgate store, Blush Lane Organic Market, Community Natural Foods, Sunnyside Market and Mountain Mercato Joe Mans owns and operates one of Alberta’s few organic cow dairies with his wife and 11 children in Picture Butte. Mans has 60 milking cows and expanded the milking operation to build an on-farm milk processing facility in 2009. His cows never receive soy or corn, the milk is pasteurized but not homogenized.

He says that after three years of trial and some mentoring from Gord’s Gouda of Salmon Arm, he is really happy with his recipe and loves making cheese from his organic milk. Mans also makes sheep’s gouda with milk from a neighbouring farm.

Calgarians and Calgary chefs have come to look for the quality of Vital Green milk, cream, yogurt and butter, and now have cheese to enjoy as well.

Crystal Springs Cheese a division of Beyers Dairies, Coalhurst (established 2005) 403-308-1455, crystalspringscheese.site88.net Owner: Evert Beyer Cheese maker: Oldest son – Jacco Beyer Milking Operations Manager: Second son – Theo Beyer Types made: Feta, Gouda and Chèvre

WALKER’S OWN PRODUCE

Available at: Millarville Farmers’ Market in the summer In 1994 the Beyer family emmigrated from The Netherlands, and by 1999 had established a dairy in Southern Alberta. In 2005 they launched Crystal Springs Cheese factory in Coalhurst, near Lethbridge, where they produce artisan cheeses with private labels as well as the Crystal Springs and Beyers Dairies brands for large grocery chains across the country from British Columbia to Nova Scotia.

Despite this success, Crystal Springs is still considered a small family-run business – six of the children form the backbone of the operation. Beyer is proud of the family’s achievements, but he also likes to see his children pursue their own passions. Cheese maker Jacco wanted to become part of the Farmers’ Market community last year so he took the artisan side of the Crystal Springs brand to Millarville. Curiosity about who was making the delicious, creamy gouda was one of my inspirations to write this article.

Mother Dairy Bay 1117, 5150, 47 St. NE CALGARY 403-590-6774, motherdairy.ca General Manager: Tirtha Raj Bagjai TYPES MADE: Fresh, Fried, Masala and “Popper” Paneer, Ghee,

Yogurt Lassi Products Available at: Apna Punjab Fruiticana, OK Foods, Fairmount Spiceland and other Indian groceries The first dish of Indian food I fell in love with was saag paneer, a cheese and spinach purée with tantalizing hints of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Paneer is common in India where the cow is sacred and dairy protein makes up an important part of the diet of the country’s vegetarian population. Basically, it’s an “unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid” according to the Calgary cheese maker’s Mother Dairy’s website. Paneer made at Mother Dairy is free from stabilizers and starches. For those of us who love cooking Indian food, it’s a boon to be able to get this cheese fresh, whereas it was previously only available frozen.

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Smoky Valley Goat Cheese Smoky Lake (established 2009) smokyvalleygoatcheese.com Cheese makers: Leslie Sand and Alex Soreghy Types made: Artisanal Goat Cheeses – Semi-Soft and Ripened –

Chèvre, Valencay, St. Maure, Annette, Farmer’s and Tomme Available at: Greens, Eggs and Ham stall at Kingsland Farmers’ Market, Blush Lane Organic Market and Mountain Mercato Leslie Sand and Alex Soreghy recently purchased Smoky Valley Goat Cheese from original owner Holly Gale and learned to make these beautiful little artisanal French goat cheeses from her. They get the goat milk from a nearby farm and process it in their own on-farm facility. You can join their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to secure your share of these beautiful creations. In order to make a sustainable living they are looking at adding a pumpkin seed oil processing facility to the farm. Formerly workers on native reserves in Canada’s North, this couple is enjoying making a living from a close connection with the land in what they consider “down south” just north of Edmonton.

This just in – another emerging cheese maker...

Sweetmeadow Farmstead Cheese Bergen (established 2011) 403-638-1283, kettlecrossingfarm@gmail.com Cheese maker: Sandy Easterbrook Types made: Jersey cow’s milk, sheep’s milk and a combination of both Available at: The Bergen Market, Saturdays, June through September Sandy Easterbrook, it turns out, is sister-in-law to Metrovino’s Richard Harvey. I set off to meet Sandy, a former art restoration expert, and her retired brain surgeon husband, Bob Griebel, at their lovely ranch curled up alongside Kettle Crossing Creek, in Bergen, on highway 22 north of Calgary. This is high country, and although the couple originally thought they would be vegetable growers, they’ve resorted to a hay bale hothouse for a garden and turned their attention to cheese making for a full-on acquisition of new skills for their retirement years. They have four Jersey cows and several East Friesen sheep with more on the way as spring brings new calves and lambs. Bob built Sandy a cheese cave and the two worked through the laborious process of becoming licensed so they can sell to the public and contribute to their community by becoming members of the Bergen Farmers’ Market. Sandy says she’s as big a producer as she may ever become, but she doesn’t rule out teaching her skills – acquired while the family did a sabbatical year outside Perth, Australia – to the younger generation should she be asked. Those who take part in the City Palate Foodie Tootle this summer (see the ad on page 39) are in for a treat, as we meet her handsome cows and sheep and taste her fresh cheeses. Everyone else can check them out by driving to Bergen on a Saturday morning.

Want to be a Cheese Maker?

Not all of us are going to become artisan cheese makers, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get in on the fun. Ella Kinloch was a high school teacher who dreamed of making cheese. She did an extensive internship in New Jersey and Vermont and realized that, while she might not have the assets to set up her own artisanal cheese-making facility, she could use her skills to teach others about cheese making.

Her company makecheese.ca hosts cheese-making classes for four to ten people in your home. Visit the web site to find out all the details about hosting a “learning to make cheese” night and buying “make your own cheese” kits. ✤

Karen Anderson is the owner of Calgary Food Tours.

She takes city people to meet farm people on City Palate’s Foodie Tootles.

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Few bothered to venture past the bland strip malls and investigate Bellingham itself (pop. 80,000), or the surrounding county of Whatcom, and that’s likely still the case. Pity, that, for Whatcom County (which encompasses the area from Blaine to Bellingham and points east) is well worth exploration, especially for food nuts, the next time you’re Wet Coast road tripping. This area has lovely historic neighbourhoods, nifty shopping, superb museums, and friendly locals known as “Bellinghamsters.”

The verdant county’s food scene glorifies local, sustainable eating.

Watch out for the Whatcom Food & Farm Finder, a free local publication that points you in the right direction for “Farms, Fishers, Eateries, Markets and more!” Every year on April 1, Bellingham’s mayor tosses a cabbage to launch the market that runs until Christmas. The district of Fairhaven, on the city’s south side, holds a farmers’ market on its Village Green every Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m.; downtown Bellingham plays host on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Depot Market Square. All summer long, there’s a series called Eat Local, where every Thursday one city restaurant uses only local ingredients.

Bellingham was incorporated in 1903, uniting the towns of Bellingham, Whatcom, Sehome and Fairhaven. The six-square-block district of Fairhaven was a boomtown in the 1890s and was briefly considered as a railway terminus before Seattle won out. Fairhaven Historic District remains a treasure trove of Victorian brick architecture, contributing to Bellingham’s classic small-town look.

Belly up to Bellingham

It’s a boutique shopper’s delight, with numerous independent clothing stores, antique vendors and art galleries. Village Books (1200, 1206 - 11th St.) is rambling, wooden-floored and multi-storied, loaded with new books and old, its lefty leanings evident from sly, Republican-mocking novelties. It also houses the great, independently run Book Fare Café, whose Northwest Salad features salmon, roasted beets, apples, hazelnuts, blue cheese, and mixed greens in a roasted garlic vinaigrette.

Thankfully, Bellingham – designated “Trail Town USA” by the American

Road-tripping to the west coast this summer? Don’t miss this charming burg.

by Kate Zimmerman

Once upon a time, Bellingham, Washington, was more of a shopaholic’s pit stop than a real destination for Canadian travelers. A mere 70 km. south of Vancouver, it offered highway-side factory outlet stores that gave Canucks their quick fix of discount “merch.” A few hours later, they snuck back over the border with an undeclared Coach wallet replacing the old and a few bottles of cheap American booze squirreled away under the rumpled newspapers.

photo by Caroline Kinsman

Hiking Society and the National Park Service – is renowned for its copious green space, so places to walk, jog or bike off anything you consume are ubiquitous. Be sure to explore Boulevard Park and its South Bay Trail (a.k.a. the “trail to trestle walk”), which stretches four miles between Fairhaven and downtown Bellingham, largely along Bellingham Bay. While you’re at it, pick up a latte in the park from Woods Coffee, whose 10 locations, county-wide, use 100 percent recyclable and compostable cups, lids and straws, and whose coffee gets kudos from critics.

photo by Sommer Cronck

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Bellingham also boasts that bit of American splendour known as Trader Joe’s (2410 James St.), the relatively inexpensive supermarket packed with Trader Joe’s label goodies, a cult hit with chowhounds. You can spend a cheerful half hour trolling its aisles for well-priced wine, hotel room snacks, like peanut-butter stuffed pretzels, and gold, like Corn & Chili Tomato-less Salsa. continued on page 42

Cappuccino KING

TM

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Across the street from Holt Renfrew just off Stephen Ave. 751 4th street SW.

Tel. 403.265.9559 www.doublezeropizza.ca

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CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

35

Hog Wild in Canmore An ambitious plan to roast a pig in the mountains acknowledges the risk of furry guests.

Finally, it’s the cook who gets flakey. Phil gets the dates mixed up. Fortunately, we clear the error up in time. Phil does shift work and he arranges to get off at 6 a.m. on the day of the roast. Since we want to eat in the late afternoon, Phil agrees to arrive at the parking lot before 8 a.m., after picking up the pig from Valbella Gourmet Foods in Canmore.

What Phil forgets is that Valbella doesn’t open until 10 a.m. I phone Phil the day before, he calls Valbella, and the good folks there agree he can still get the pig at 7 a.m., giving him just enough time to take it home, stuff it and show up at the parking lot at the appointed hour. Crisis averted – for now.

P-Day dawns bright and beautiful. By 8 a.m. the house is clean, the family looks presentable and there’s nothing to do but wait. And wait.

Armed with bear spray, I go over with the kids various options if a bear, or even a cougar, joins us for dinner. If it’s a bear, back away slowly, I tell them. If it’s a cougar, introduce her to Phil, who is young, single and easy prey. At least, he will be if he ever shows up.

Phil eventually strolls in midmorning, just as we’re thinking whole tenderloins from Costco would’ve been a pretty good option after all. We’ll run late, but Calgary parents will still be able to eat and get their kids home by early evening.

Despite his tardiness, Phil is a pretty affable guy. He brings along his dad and the two of them waste no time cracking beers and setting up the rotisserie in the parking lot.

Once the pig is on the spit, it’s back to wait mode and Mr. Piggy roasts while the two men baste the beast with “mop sauce” – so named because Phil applies his secret concoction of cider vinegar and miscellaneous herbs with a dish mop.

The afternoon is spent with little piggies at play and adults critiquing the potluck bounty – our fifty-odd guests bring loads of salads, a few desserts and even a Party Pig – a mini-keg of draft beer from Wild Rose Brewery. Among the food offerings are black bean soup with cheddar and sour cream to dollop on top, home-made salsas, quinoa dishes, a mangy-looking bean-pasta salad and – the big hit, referred to as a cute, retro dish by our Calgary guests – a taco salad contributed by a sister from Regina.

story and photo by Jody Robbins

Uninvited dinner guests are always a problem. But when they arrive early and are grizzly (literally), they’re particularly troublesome. They’re also more likely to crash your party when you roast an entire pig in what is, technically, their backyard, not yours.

Take one gorgeous Canmore summer day, add a few rogue bears, one tardy cook and sprinkle with uptight weekenders, and you could have a recipe for disaster.

When I was growing up, my family hosted an annual pig roast at 8 Acres, a plot of family land along the Highwood River between High River and Calgary. It wasn’t a grand affair, just a typical southern Alberta hoedown, complete with free-standing tubs of Pilsner stubbies, old, mildewed tents for shelter from the elements, and a steel barrel pig-roasting chamber, MacGyvered by handymen who were, truth be told, only occasionally handy.

Fast forward 25 years. With the purchase of a recreation property of my own, I found myself hankering for the kitschy affairs of yesteryear. With several 40th birthdays on the horizon and a desire to make good on our promise of a belated housewarming party, hubby and I wanted to host a grand event at our little slice of heaven at the base of Three Sisters mountain.

Sure, whole beef tenderloins slung on the barbecue are impressive, but I wanted to go with a whole hog, apple-in-mouth, slowly roasting on a spit against the backdrop of the Rockies type of affair. Plus, I had always fancied prancing about with a pig’s head hoisted on a stick à la Lord of the Flies.

Sounds great, right? But finding a pig, a spit and someone who knows what to do with both is no easy task. Enter Phil, a friend of a friend, who happens to roast the odd hog for various fêtes. Phil’s up for the challenge, and we decide to keep it casual, making the party pot-luck. E-vites are sent and, after a trip to Costco, it’s all systems go, a week before P-Day. Then we hit our first snag: bears. A couple of days before the event, a neighbour spots a grizzly strolling through the field behind our house. And, for good measure, another is spotted down the street. Thoughts of roasting a mouth-watering animal in our backyard quickly gets shelved. We find some peace of mind in a corner of the communal parking lot, figuring that if there are uninvited guests, they’re better there than at our back door.

Next up, the invited guests become a problem. Few commit, several drop out and only one family confirms a side dish. Still, we don’t sweat it, figuring these things work out in the end. And with visions of leftovers dancing in our heads, we greedily upgrade from a 60-pound pig to an 80-pounder for only $40 more.

36

CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

Finally, after about seven hours on the spit, the pig is done. This announcement is greeted with great fanfare. Phil and his dad finish the ribs and ears on the barbecue to crisp them before carving the beast (sadly, the inside of the snout is too burnt to eat). Mr. Piggy’s juices slop off the table, providing an indelible scent that’s sure to please any uninvited guests.

A line of famished friends quickly forms, snaking its way through the parking lot.

The falling-off-the-bone meat is tender and juicy, the skin crispy and tasting as rich as cracklings should. Phil’s stuffing of French bread, cranberries, almonds and the lovage that grows wild around Canmore is the perfect savoury accompaniment.

What was a huge hog just hours earlier is nearly gone within an hour of being carved. There’s just enough left over for a few sandwiches.

Once the pig provisions are packed away, Phil, unimpressed with the city “cougars” he’s been tempted with, leaves with his dad. The rest of the crowd thins slowly, relishing the last few golden drops of sun before it slides behind the Three Sisters. We light a bonfire for the remaining diehards, who tell tall tales but, thankfully, avoid singing the dreaded Kumbaya.

Mulling over our pig roast, I realize it’s yet another of those journey, not destination, things. It’s not so much about the savoury pork or marching around with Mr. Pig’s head on a stick (most everyone missed the Lord of the Flies reference and thought I was being creepy) but about bringing friends and family together. For me, it’s about recreating idyllic childhood memories. And, while you can’t ever go back, you sure can have fun trying.

For your pig roast: Valbella Gourmet Foods (valbellagourmetfoods.ca) can secure a suckling pig ($4/pound) and rent its propane spit ($80) to Bow Valley residents with two weeks’ notice.

Bon Ton Meat Market (bontonmeatmarket.com) can provide both the pig ($4.99/pound) and a roaster ($75) with one week’s notice. Pick up only.

Good Time Party Rentals Ltd. (goodtimepartyrentals.com) has two hood spit rotisseries to rent ($175), with delivery and pick up available ($40/each). You supply the charcoal.

BBQ Rental Centre (bbqrent.com) offers free delivery within Calgary, for a large, hand-turned roasting chamber ($160 plus GST) with a choice of briquettes or propane. ✤ Besides being one of those dreaded Canmore weekenders, Jody Robbins is a freelance writer for the Calgary Herald, Avenue and Today’s Parent. Follow her on Twitter @Jody_Robbins.

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CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

37

BIG

The Romaines of the Day:

Summer Salads

Cobb Salad

Colossal Squid Salad

Vietnamese Lamb Salad

Adapted from a recipe in Pierre Lamielle’s cheeky, clever book Kitchen Scraps.

From Matthew Altizer, catering chef at The Cookbook Co. Cooks.

Vinaigrette:

The general rule when using fresh chiles is that the smaller the pepper, the hotter it will be. Most of the heat of the chile is kept in the seeds and the white membrane, so remove it if you don’t want the salad to be too spicy.

1 T. soy sauce

This is truly American food. As the story goes, it’s named after Mr. Cobb, owner of Hollywood’s Brown Derby restaurant. It was late and Cobb was hungry, so he put a salad together from leftovers in the kitchen, along with freshly cooked bacon. This is a composed salad – the ingredients are arranged on a platter rather than tossed together, and each person serves herself from her fave ingredients. If you prefer, you can arrange the ingredients into 4 to 6 individual salads. But don’t toss.

1 T. rice vinegar

Salad:

1 T. lime juice

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

Cold Soba Noodles with Miso Dressing From Julie Van Rosendaal’s excellent cookbook, Spilling the Beans. Soba noodles are very easy to find in Asian grocery stores in the Japanese foods section. They’re made from buckwheat and have good texture and flavour. Good for you too... not that there’s anything wrong with that!

Dressing: 1 T. shiro miso (or any miso)

2 oranges 1 T. white wine vinegar 1/2 c. olive oil 1 shallot 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1 fresh, hot chile (optional) salt and freshly ground pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped or quartered

1/2 t. grated or minced fresh ginger

3 c. diced cooked turkey or chicken

First, make the dressing so the flavours can get bigger. Zest half an orange into a bowl, then juice the two oranges into the bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and olive oil. Mince the shallot, crush the garlic and split the chile in half. Toss them into the bowl, season with salt and pepper and pour the vinaigrette into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and set aside.

1/2 t. sugar

2 avocados, peeled and diced 2 tomatoes, chopped

Salad:

1 - 2 t. water, if needed

Salad:

8 slices of bacon, fried until crisp, drained and crumbled

1 T. sesame oil 2 T. canola oil 1/4 - 1/2 t. chile sauce or paste

6 oz. soba noodles 1 c. mixed sprouted beans (half an 8 oz. container), found at whole foods stores

1 or 2 bunches watercress, or other leafy green, such as arugula or mache, leaves only

4 - 6 oz. roquefort, or other bleu cheese, crumbled

8 fingerling or 6 small new potatoes 1 lb. baby squid (about 12), cleaned, legs and mantles separated (if frozen, thaw) olive oil salt and pepper

1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal (garnish)

1 medium carrot, shaved into strips with a vegetable peeler

Dressing:

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves only

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. toasted whole almonds, crushed

2 green onions, sliced thin on the diagonal 1/2 cucumber, seeds removed and julienned

a couple of good shakes of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 t. Dijon mustard

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients and taste to see if a little water is necessary to thin it. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed.

1 garlic clove, finely minced

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions – be sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water, then drain thoroughly and blot with a paper towel or clean tea towel to absorb most of the moisture. Tip the noodles into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, except the cilantro. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge until ready to eat. Before serving, toss well with the dressing and serve topped generously with the cilantro.

Serves 2 to 3 as a main, 4 to 6 as a side.

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CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

drizzle of maple syrup (just to Canadianize the recipe) salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Toss together the lettuce and leafy greens and arrange on a large serving platter. Arrange the eggs, turkey or chicken, avocado, tomatoes, bacon and bleu cheese in neat rows on top of the lettuce, covering the lettuce completely. In a bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad.

Sprinkle with the sliced green onion and serve immediately with good, crusty bread.

Serves 4 as a main.

1 bunch fresh mint, leaves only

Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and put them in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until tender. Drain and allow to air dry and cool to room temp. Fire up the grill to hot and warm it for at least 10 minutes while lubing the squid with the olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Skewer the squid to make cooking easier.

Grill the squid about 3 minutes per side. Don’t overcook! When nicely marked by the grill, allow the squid to cool on a plate so you can handle it. With a sharp knife, cut the mantles into rings and the tentacle clusters in half. Toss the potatoes, squid, mint and parsley into a bowl, shake the vinaigrette and dress the salad with half the vinaigrette (you can discard the chile and garlic). Toss the salad gently but thoroughly. Taste and add more vinaigrette if needed, and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a nice serving platter and top with the almonds.

Serves 4 to 6 people or 1 colossal person.

1 lamb loin, (approx. 1/2 lb.) salt and pepper to taste 2 T. grapeseed oil 1/2 garlic clove, minced 2 T. fish sauce 1 T. palm sugar (or brown sugar) 2 T. rice vinegar 1 t. light soy sauce 2 large handfuls of arugula 2 T. each, roughly chopped mint, dill and basil 1 small Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced on an angle 1 small red chile, finely sliced 1/4 c. fried shallots

Season the lamb well with salt and pepper.

Preheat a small saucepan over mediumhigh heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and sear the lamb well on all sides, turning often. The lamb will take about 10 to 12 minutes to be medium rare. Remove the lamb from the pan onto a plate and let it rest while you prepare the dressing. While the pan is still warm, add the garlic, fish sauce, palm sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce.

Scrape any bits of lamb off the bottom of the pan and into the dressing. Place the arugula, herbs and cucumber onto a large serving platter. Pour any juices that have come out of the lamb into the dressing, taste for seasoning and slice the lamb into bite sized chunks and scatter them over the salad.

Finish with a sprinkling of red chile and fried shallots. Serves 2 as a main.

continued on page 40

Join us for City Palate’s 1st

urban garden tootle city palat e to otle

Part of the 14th Annual City Palate Foodie Tootle Series, City Palate is sponsoring the inaugural Urban Garden Tootle

Sunday, August 19 from 12:30-7:00 p.m.

Join Tilly Sanchez of Calgary Food Tours for a whirlwind adventure through Calgary’s Urban Agriculture scene. We’ll fly over to see Rita & Jerremie Clyde of Urban Sunflower Apiary and taste the sweet benefits of hosting beehives in your backyard.

Next, we’ll take a SPIN over to see Rod Olson & Chad Kile of Leaf & Lyre Urban Farm to get the lowdown on Small Plot INntensive Farming. Then we’ll tootle over to the Glenbrook Greenthumbs Community Garden and sip lemonade in the pergola, following a brief garden tour. At our last stop, we’ll get the dirt from Rob & Michelle Avis of Verge Permaculture and find out how they engineered their home and garden into a bountiful food forest that is energy-efficient and designed for sustainable living.

We’ll harvest crops at each of these urban farms and gardens and return to The Cookbook Co. Cooks to feast on our inner city bounty.

Book your seats at: The Cookbook Co. Cooks, 403-265-6066 Ticket price: $100 per person. Pre-registration is mandatory.

Departing from: The Cookbook Co. Cooks, 722 - 11 Ave. SW, at 12:30 pm SHARP! No exceptions. The bus will be available for boarding at noon. This is a rain or shine event.

Transportation: Sahalla Coach Lines (air conditioned, executive bus) Shop local: Bring cash and a shopping bag (a few of our stops will have products for sale).

For more details, visit cityplate.ca!

Looking for something New and Vibrant for your Veggies?

Vibrant is a versatile unrefined whole oil that nutritiously enhances the taste of vegetables. Produced from pure, fresh Alberta-grown Canola seed, without harsh processing or additives, Vibrant Oil retains its natural yellow colour, flavour and healthy compounds. With half the saturated fat and 10 times the Omega 3s of Olive Oil, Vibrant is Canada’s healthier alternative!

Sold at Sunterra Markets and Calgary Co-op stores!

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CANADIAN SUNSHINE IN A BOTTLE! Salad Dressing • Bread Dip • Marinade • Light Frying Oil

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

39

The Romaines of the Day: BIG Summer Salads

Vinaigrette:

continued from page 38

2 T. olive oil

Potato and Roasted Corn Salad In Downtown Calgary

R E S TA U R A N T & L O U N G E

From Chef Michael Allemeier, SAIT culinary instructor.

This salad is perfect during July and August when both baby potatoes and sweet corn are at their best. It also feeds lots of people, when the back yard is filled with hungry friends. The lovage is a great summer taste, but if you can’t find it, substitute celery leaves.

2 lbs. baby nugget potatoes 4 c. fresh-shucked corn kernels 2 T. canola oil 1/2 c. mayonnaise 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil 1/3 c.sour cream 1/4 c. Brassica dill mustard 1/4 c. sliced fresh chives 1 T. minced fresh lovage 1 T. minced fresh tarragon 1 T. tarragon vinegar salt and pepper to taste

French Inspired & Locally Grown.

For Those with Higher Standards

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the potatoes into quarters, rinse, and cook in salted water until tender. Drain well and reserve. Toss the corn with the canola oil and spread it on a sheet pan.

Roast the corn for 8 to 10 minutes, until it just starts to brown. Put the potatoes and corn in a large bowl and add all the other ingredients.

Mix well. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the salad for a while to allow the flavours to marry. Pull it from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. Serve on a bed of crisp greens as a main course, or serve with your favourite grilled chicken, ribs or ‘burgers. Perfect for your summer entertaining, the salad serves 8 to 10 as a main, 15 or so with other sides and your favourite grilled food.

Warm Asparagus, Chicken and Toasted Bread Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette Jenni Neidhart, catering director at The Cookbook Co. Cooks.

Salad: 2 c. chicken stock

Lunch: Monday – Friday 11:30am – 2:00pm Dinner: Monday – Saturday 4:30pm – close Closed Sundays

1 garlic clove, smashed 1/2 t. black peppercorns 1/2 t. salt 2 boneless chicken breasts 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread, torn into bite-sized pieces extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper

403 265 9595 • 107 Eighth Avenue SW www.thebelvedere.ca

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed 1 c. fresh peas 1 c. toasted walnuts 3 Belgian endive spears, washed and roughly chopped

40

CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

1 t. Dijon mustard 1 T. sherry vinegar 1 T. walnut oil salt and pepper

Place the stock, garlic, peppercorns and salt into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Allow the chicken to sit in the broth about 8 minutes, until just cooked through.

Meanwhile, to make the walnut vinaigrette, place all the ingredients into a small bowl, whisk to combine well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 1/3 c.

Place the bread on an oven tray, drizzle with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake at 375°F. for 15 minutes until crisp and golden.

Drain the chicken, tear it into large pieces, then place it into a bowl and toss it with 2 T. of the dressing. Cook the asparagus and peas, separately, in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and add to the chicken along with the toasted bread, the walnuts and the endive. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, toss gently to combine, and serve immediately with a tasty, toothsome bread. Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side. ✤

Cucumber and Shrimp Salad From Eat Greens, by Barbara Scott-Goodman and Liz Trovato. This crunchy salad is just the thing on a hot summer’s day or night as a starter or main. Use Greek yogurt for extra creaminess. l lb. large shrimp, cooked, peeled and chilled in the fridge 2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice kosher salt 2 celery ribs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1/4 c. mayonnaise 1/4 c. plain Greek-style yogurt 1 T. white vinegar 3 T. chopped fresh dill, divided freshly ground black pepper watercress or salad greens

Put the cucumber in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Pat dry-ish with paper towels or a tea towel and transfer to a large bowl with the celery and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt and vinegar. Fold into the cucumber mixture and gently toss. Add the shrimp, 2 T. of dill, and the pepper to taste and toss again.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

To serve, arrange the watercress or greens on a platter or individual salad plates. Spoon the cucumbers and shrimp over the watercress or greens and garnish with the remaining tablespoon of dill. (A sprinkle of toasted almonds would be tasty.) Serves 4 as a main, with a loaf of toothsome bread, 6 as an appetizer. ✤

A Great Wine Store Come check out our wall of great under-$25 wines Visit our website for our upcoming tasting schedule

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Pick up a copy of our new Meat Guide – choosing, prepping and cooking tips straight from our horse’s butchers’ mouths – and ensure your next cookout will be a cut above.

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Cilantro has a new neighbour

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CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

41

cookbookcooks.com

Look who’s cooking in September!

The Cookbook Co. Cooks is very excited to host award-winning author, food journalist and stylist, Jennifer McLagan this fall!

Author of three best-selling cookbooks, Fat, Bones and Odd Bits, Jennifer will be teaching two cooking classes. Book NOW, for this exciting culinary event.

Odd Bits

How to Cook the Rest of the Animal September 19th, 6:30 - 9 pm $135 (Class price includes a copy of one of her three books)

fat: a PriMer

An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient September 20th, 6:30 - 9 pm $135 (Class price includes a copy of one of her three books)

Our complete September–November cooking class schedule is on our website!

for all things culinary THE COOKBOOK CO. COOKS 722-11th AVENUE SW PHONE 403-265-6066

for all things culinary...

THE COOKBOOK CO. COOKS

722-11th Avenue SW Phone 403-265-6066 Fax 403-262-3322 We are also at the Calgary Farmers’ Market at Blackfoot and Heritage

cookbookcooks.com 42

CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

Belly up to Bellingham

continued from page 34

When you’re once again a tad peckish, Anthony’s (25 Bellwether Way) at Squalicum Harbor has one of those jaw-dropping vistas that people who rarely see the ocean appreciate most. Its high, sloped roof and floor-to-ceiling windows allow for a spectacular marina view. Fish and seafood are the order of the day here, and the salad with Dungeness crab and pink grapefruit is outstanding.

When in Bellingham, you’d be remiss not to patronize Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro (1107 Railroad Ave.), whose 17-barrel brewery’s products can only be found in Washington and Northern Idaho. Located in a restored warehouse built in 1922, across from the Saturday farmers’ market, BB’s kitchen favours area farmers and producers, with items like Hempler’s bacon, Guilemette honey, Cloud Mountain Farm apples, and Twin Sisters mushrooms appearing on its menu. This being the naughty United States, your kids are welcome here despite all the demon alcohol.

Walk off your brewskis before heading to the Whatcom Museum (250 Flora St.), whose campus consists of three distinct buildings in Bellingham’s downtown, two of them open to casual visitors. The campus’s Old City Hall (121 Prospect St.) dates back to 1892 and focuses on local history. Nearby, the museum’s Lightcatcher Building is quintessentially West Coast. This stunning modern structure boasts a translucent wall 11 m. high and 55 m. long that’s intended to capture and hold that elusive Pacific Northwest commodity, sunlight. The stylish museum focuses on the region’s rich bounty of arts and crafts.

In terms of places to stay, there are B&Bs a-plenty here. But if you’re up for a bit of a splurge, the Hotel Bellwether is beautifully located on the waterfront of Bellingham Bay, with views of the Cascade mountain range, Mount Baker and the San Juan islands. Old-fashioned European furnishings give the 65 guestrooms a luxurious vibe. The hotel has its own private dock, and you can gaze at whale-watching and sea kayaking expeditions as they push off, or even embark on one yourself.

Absorb the waterfront action from the windows wrapping around the hotel’s Harborside Bistro, whose elegant dishes are overseen by executive chef Julius Kaiser. Hail, Kaiser, the sort of dedicated leader who likes to spend his precious free time hunting for wild mushrooms with his equally keen underlings. The restaurant gets its charcuterie supplies from Salumi, the Seattle shop run by the dad of famous chef Mario Batali, but Kaiser isn’t one to exclude products from outta state. Though it’s ever-changing, the restaurant’s charcuterie and fromage plate, for instance, might contain house-cured lox, a traditional Spanish chorizo called Salametto Piccante, a whiskey cheddar, a Dutch sheep’s milk gouda, and the French double-cream bleu, Saint Agur. Top that starter off with pan-seared halibut and red quinoa and chard tabbouleh, and you can toddle contentedly upstairs to bed.

When morning comes, ask yourself when was the last time you encountered live music at breakfast. The casual ambience at Old Town Café (316 W. Holly St) – staff tattoos seem to be strictly enforced – is lent quirky charm by the musical stylings of locals who come in and play in exchange for a meal. The Number Nine, the most popular item on the menu, is two poached eggs on a biscuit, topped with cheese sauce and tomatoes, served with home fries and black beans. This is more food as ballast than as artwork, but sheesh, what do you want for $6.75, .30 extra for each organic egg?

Your final stop before you blow town might as well be Mallard Ice Cream (1323 Railroad Ave.). Its amicable relations with area farmers result in quality ingredients and some pretty wacky flavours amongst its 500 seasonally rotated varieties – like lavender, vanilla malt, and honey assam tea. In one ice cream called The Notorious F.I.G. (get it, hiphop fans?), the grainy quality of figs comes through intensely – yet another of the countless culinary belles of Bellingham. ✤ Kate Zimmerman likes to hop over the border from Vancouver and stroll around Bellingham whenever she can.

feeding people continued from page 21 Chris Halpin’s Kataifi Crab Cakes with Cajun Mayo

CANADA’S PREMIER SPICE SHOP IS RIGHT HERE IN INGLEWOOD

Kataifi (kuh-tuh-EE-fee), although a bit of a tongue twister, is simply shredded phyllo and can be found in any Middle Eastern or Greek food store. I like to use this instead of the traditional bread crumb coating. It’s much faster, with less mess. You bake them all at the same time, instead of having to fry them off in batches. Best of all, they have a wow factor to them, as they look like sculpted golden nests.

incredible selection • expert knowledge

1403 A 9 TH venue  403 261 1955 WWW.SILKROADSPICES.CA

A few years ago I was playing with my crab cake recipe and discovered that using instant mashed potatoes (yes, really!) allowed me to use the crab juices as well as the crabmeat, which intensifies the overall flavour. Try them with the Cajun Mayo and I am sure you’ll agree that these are crab cakes to remember.

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1 ear of corn on the cob

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1 small cooking onion, finely diced 1/2 small red pepper, finely diced 2 200 g. cans crab meat, with liquid from can 1/2 t. dried sage

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salt to taste 1 c. instant mashed potatoes

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1/2 c. melted clarified butter

donating 50% of all sharpening proceeds for 2012 to the SERVANTS ANONYMOUS SOCIETY OF CALGARY

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the husk from the corn, and with a sharp knife, cut the bottom of the cob off flat. Pour the oil into your hand and evenly coat the corn, place over a hot grill and roast the corn evenly until it’s tender, about 10 minutes. After the corn is cool enough to handle, place upright on a chopping board, and, with a sharp knife, cut away the kernels.

In a pan over medium heat, add the butter, along with the garlic, diced onion and red pepper, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Put the corn, sautéed vegetables, crab meat with liquid, sage, white pepper, parsley, egg, and salt into a large bowl and mix well. Sprinkle the potato flakes over top and mix well.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out some crab mixture, place it in your hands and form it into a patty. Take several strands of the kataifi, about 12 inches long, and wrap the crab patty. Repeat this with the rest of the crab filling and the kataifi. Arrange the crab cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and, with a brush, dab each of them with the butter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven when the pastry is golden-brown, serve with the Cajun mayo. Makes 24 cakes.

Cajun Mayo: Mix the following ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use: 1/2 c. mayonnaise 2 T. whipping cream

1317 9th Ave SE Calgary 403.287.9781

1 t. lemon juice

www.calgarylashes.ca

1 t. Dijon mustard

1317Let 9thusAve takeSE care of all your beauty needs with our knowledge and Calgary expertise.

We use natural and organic 403.287.9781

1 T. finely chopped green onion 2 T. capers, chopped

products, while making sure you’re taken care of efficiently and safely!

www.calgarylashes.ca

1 T. Mexican chile powder hot sauce to taste

1317 9TH Ave SE Calgary 403 287 9781 www.calgarylashes.ca Gift Certificate

To:

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

From : Amount: $100.00 Not Redeemable For Cash

43

Grilling Over Fire and Smoke

continued from page 27

Let’s start a fire together As a self-proclaimed barbecue evangelist, I encourage you to welcome charcoal into your life. It will free your taste buds from the humdrum world of propane and bring back a bit of old-fashioned ritual to your grilling. Here are a few of my favourite recipes for dishes that taste best when cooked over coals, from my cookbook, Barbecue Secrets DELUXE!

Spice-Crusted Pork Blade Steaks

Seared Calamari with Fresh Tomato Basil Salsa

I love pork blade steaks because they’re inexpensive, extremely tasty, and very hard to ruin.

The cumin seeds add an earthy tang and an interesting texture to these rich, chewy steaks.

Serve them with your favorite summer sides (I like grilled asparagus and cherry tomatoes).

The secret to great grilled calamari is to use the freshest and smallest you can find, and to cook it over high heat for no more than a minute per side. Any longer and it turns rubbery. In this recipe, the tomato salsa provides a cool, tangy, herbal complement to the hot, garlicky calamari.

For the rub:

1 lb. cleaned calamari, equal parts bodies and tentacles

2 T. powdered ancho chiles (if you can’t find ground anchos, any chile powder will do)

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1 T. granulated onion

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

2 c. small, ripe cherry or grape tomatoes

1 t. ground chipotles (substitute cayenne pepper if you can’t find ground chipotles)

1 T. fresh basil

1 t. dried parsley

For the steaks: 1 T. cumin seeds 6 pork blade steaks (8 to 10 oz. each) kosher salt 2 T. Dijon mustard extra virgin olive oil

Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl and set the rub aside.

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry sauté pan over medium heat until they’re fragrant and just starting to turn light brown. Remove the cumin from the pan and set it aside.

Everybody needs love in their lives, so we’ve made it our main ingredient.

Take our Confit Chicken Ravioli for example. These hand-made “little pillows of love” are filled with confit chicken, roast crimini mushrooms, Boursin cheese and finished with butter sauce, asiago, parmesan–and yes–a whole lot of love.

Drop by, and experience it in all that we do.

4611 Bowness Road NW | 403.288.4372 | notabletherestaurant.ca

44

CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. granulated garlic

1 t. dried oregano

Where gourmet meets love.

1 T. kosher salt

Generously season the blade steaks with salt.

Using the back of a spoon or a basting brush, coat the steaks with a thin layer of mustard.

Sprinkle the cumin seeds on both sides of the steaks and pat them in so they stick to the mustard. Sprinkle a generous coating of rub on the steaks and drizzle them with a little olive oil. (You’ll have rub left over, which is great for grilling just about anything.)

Prepare your grill for high direct heat. Place the steaks on the cooking grate and close the grill.

I like to throw a chunk of hickory or mesquite among the coals a minute or two before I start cooking to add an extra dimension of flavour.

Cook the steaks for 8–10 minutes, turning them once or twice, or until they’re springy to the touch. Remove the steaks from the grill, tent them with foil, and let them rest for 5 minutes.

Drizzle them with a little olive oil and serve.

Serves 6.

1 T. rice vinegar or white wine vinegar salt and freshly ground pepper

Coat the squid in the salt, then rinse it thoroughly with cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Slit the bodies lengthwise and score the inside surfaces with diagonal cuts. Cut each squid into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a bowl with 1/4 c. of the olive oil, the red pepper flakes, and the garlic. Toss them to coat them and marinate them in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Preheat your charcoal grill on high, and in this case, keep the lid off for maximum combustion.

Try to time it so you put the squid on the grill when the coals are at their hottest, which is right after they’re all ignited. You can tell coals are ready when they’ve got a light coating of white ash. While the grill is heating, coarsely chop the tomatoes (halves or quarters are fine), slice the basil leaves into fine shreds, and toss them together in a bowl with the vinegar and the remainder of the olive oil. Distribute the salsa among four plates.

When the grill is hot, gently place the calamari on the cooking grate, taking care not to let the pieces slip through the cracks (you may even want to use a grill-topper with small holes designed for this kind of task). Don’t walk away!

Stand at the open grill and tend the squid with a set of tongs, turning the pieces often so they cook quickly and evenly, no more than a minute per side. Remove the squid from the grill and transfer it to the plates.

Sprinkle each serving with just a pinch of salt and a light grinding of pepper. Drizzle the calamari with a little more olive oil and serve it immediately with a crisp, fruity white wine.

Serves 4. ✤

Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk is the author of the bestselling cookbook, Barbecue Secrets DELUXE! He leads corporate team building workshops with a barbecue theme, and is the Ronnie behind Ronnie & Denzel's Natural Champions BBQ sauces. Find out more at ronshewchuk.com.

Exquisite custom-made cutting boards, butcher blocks, counter tops and serving boards.

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Durango Kitchenwares • 1336 9th Avenue S.E • 403.457.5910

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

45

stockpot Stirrings around Calgary

don’t miss it... n The 20th Anniversary BBQ on the Bow Festival, September 2, Eau Claire Festival Market. Canada’s oldest barbecue competition hosts more than 25 Canadian and US teams competing for the best in slow-smoked chicken, pork ribs, pork butt and beef brisket. In addition, there’s lots of entertainment, lots of stuff for kids and real barbecue to eat from Holy Smoke, Big T’s, Alberta Beef Tasting trailer and Jelly Modern Doughnuts. Celebrity chefs grill their fave recipes using local producers’ meats, and the barbecue teams compete in the Big Rock Beer BBQ Sauce Competition and the Barbecue’s Galore Chef’s Challenge. It’s fun, don’t miss it. All the details at bbqonthebow.com.

restaurant ramblings n You love the Living Room restaurant, you’ll love Living Room’s new venture, the new face of 4th St. – see the ad on page 5 to know what this new face looks like – Añejo, opening this summer at 2116 - 4th St. SW. anejo.ca. n Get a load of the city’s first immobile food truck – Carne – brought to you by the Teatro Restaurant Group, found at Olympic Plaza serving European-style rotisserie meats and other delicious preparations of “street meat” for the masses. The Teatro folks will open Cucina later in the summer at the new Eighth Avenue Place downtown, 525 - 8th Ave. SW (eatcucina.com). Cucina will be a “grab and go” market café plus an Italian bistro. n Avec Bistro is open at 550 - 11th Ave. SW, serving up contemporary French bistro fare, such as croque madame, steak frites and moules frites, bouillabaisse and duck confit. (587-352-0964) avecbistro.com.

Neighbours popping by for a glass of wine?

n Olives restaurant has reopened at 1111 Olympic Way SE with executive chef Kevin Cooper, ex-Chicago Chophouse, Muse and Teatro, among others. Chef offers “farm to plate” Mediterranean tapas with his modern, casual fare. n Burgers are big, and one of the latest is from Clive Burger, 736 - 17th Ave. SW, where you get burgers in single, double and triple layers, with lots of add-ons, including a tasty, gently spicy Clive sauce. There’s a Clive smokie too, flavourful and BIG. Have a beer too, and stay for the Clive Jam from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Black Betty Burger & Wine Bar is open in the Lougheed Building, downtown, where Sociale used to be, and Smashburger opened in the northeast.

Smashburger butters the grill the burgers are cooked on – it adds to the flavour – and the “smashed” burgers are cooked quickly so they’re not turned into hockey pucks.

You can’t choose your neighbours, but we’ll help you choose great wines to drink with them.

J.Webb Wine Merchant Glenmore Landing: 90th Ave. and 14th St. SW Casel Marché: 24th St. and 17th Ave. SW (45 minute free underground parking)

w w w. j w e b b . n e t

46

CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

Uncorking delicious since 1985.

n The Fine Diner has moved into the old Capo space in Inglewood. The space has been transformed into an upscale but comfy and fun diner, and the menu offers lots of new takes on classic diner fare. Duck eggs benedict is one. Phil & Sebastian coffee, Sidewalk Citizen Bakery bread and Pascal’s Patisserie pastries are served. Gluten-free foods too.

n We are definitey not happy about this – JAROblue has been sold. Co-owner Jared Seifrit explained that he and his partner Robin Lokhorst just needed to get away from the biz. Fair enough. In the place of JARO, look for a Thai restaurant, Khao San Thai Kitchen. n Good Earth Cafés is testing beer, wine and tapas plates on the menu at select Good Earth locations. Beers are from Wild Rose Brewery. Sharing plates include a selection of cheese as well as a Mediterranean plate with Tuscan tuna, hummus and toasted ciabatta. n Smuggler’s Group Cook Off takes place July 4 at Tango Bistro, Open Sesame, Bolero and Smuggler’s, 6920 Macleod Tr. S. Six restaurant chefs compete paired with a celebrity “sous-chef” to prepare food for judging. The public will sample too, don’t miss it! n The Main Dish hosted its 6th Annual Celebrity Burger Cook-off at the end of May. Everybody ate more than 900 burgers and raised lots of dough for Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta. The winner was exec chef Ryan Bourquin’s brilliant candy apple burger of candied apple slices, double smoked bacon, smoked gouda, fresh spinach leaves and rosemary mayo. Another fave of the day was young chef Ryan’s poutine burger with cheese curds, bacon, gravy and all. n Gruman’s Catering and Delicatessen is open on Sundays, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., and during Stampede, until 7 p.m. Find a “Big Daddy” kosher hot dog – about 12 inches long. Two people can share it by starting at both ends and munching to the middle. 230 - 11th Ave. SE. n Go get black currants at Kayben Farms in Okotoks to make the jam in “Eat This,” page 13, and have lunch at JoJo’s Café, where much of the food is grown in Kayben’s garden and sourced from other local producers. Vegetarian and gluten-free options. Tapas night, June 20; Decadent Desserts, July 25; Woodstone oven pizza party, August 22. Visit kayben.com. n At Divine restaurant in Okotoks, after 16 successful years, the restaurant is for sale and chef/owner, Darren Nixon, will move on to other pursuits. Nixon hopes to attract a young, energetic chef who understands the ways of local, sustainable food. Now open Sundays, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. n In August, Il Sogno celebrates 12 years of great food and wine. To squelch rumours that when owner Patricia Koyich took a teaching position at SAIT she sold the restaurant – Patricia did NOT sell Il Sogno.

It’s still her baby... she loves her baby! n Every Wednesday at Petite restaurant, 344 - 17th Ave. SW, is Wine Lover’s Wednesday, wines at low prices. Every Sunday is Calgary Foodies’ Set Menu Sundays, a three-course meal for $39.

There’s a different menu every week. (403452-5350) n The long-anticipated Cibo, a sibling to Bonterra Trattoria, is open at 1012 - 17 Ave. SW (403-984-4755) serving flavourdriven casual Italian fare created by well-

respected chef Glen Manzer. The menu is designed to be shared, and you’ll find pizza, pasta and mains, such as rotisserie roasted meats, all well priced. Cibo is open all day, every day and late on the weekends. With Manzer in charge of the kitchen, you know the food is going to be good. n Lorenzo’s Pizzeria has newly opened at 515 - 17 Ave. SW, offering custommade pizza using local ingredients, like Spolumbo sausage. Gluten-free crusts are also available. New lunch special each day, 403-453-4159. n Two great places, Piq Niq and Beatniq, have morphed, under new ownership, into Wine-Ohs, a wine bar, bistro and live music venue, 811 - 1 St. SW. Look for a new summer menu from chef Andrew Trinier, a new wine list and a revamped, renovated music venue downstairs for jazz, roots, blues and folk. wine-ohs.com. n Newport Grill on Lake Bonavista invites you to enjoy a mid-week break at Wine Down Wednesdays, featuring a five-course meal with five wines, always unique. A bountiful brunch on the weekend and family-style dining Sunday night. Visit newportgrill.com.

wine wanderings n Tinhorn Creek Winery’s Miradoro restaurant won a gold medal for Best Winery/Vineyard Dining at the annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.

Exec chef Jeff Van Geest was cited as putting the restaurant at the top of its class with his sourcing of local and seasonal ingredients. Visit miradoro.ca for details.

Tinhorn has also become one of the first “Salmon Safe” certified vineyards – agricultural practices that protect water quality, fish and wildlife habitat and overall watershed health – in B.C. and Miradoro has joined the Ocean Wise program. n Summer Events at Crowfoot Wine & Spirits: July 3, Canadian Wines with Canadian Cheeses from Springbank Cheese Co.; July 19, Ultimate Summer Cocktails; July 28, Afternoon Wine & Cheese with Springbank Cheese Co.; August 11, End of Summer Wine-Fest with Live Jazz. Visit crowfootliquor.com/events for details. n Chinook Arch Meadery releases a commemorative Stampede mead, July 5.

Stampede Reserve 1912-2012 will be only 925 bottles – medium sweet, with soft berry aromas and a well-balanced floral finish. At the Meadery and select liquor stores. chinookarchmead.com.

Barkeepsgiveback is a non-profit organization that gives back to the community by donating money to charities.

Every week, 100% of participating bartender tips go to barkeepsgiveback. To find participating barkeeps and venues, go to barkeepsgiveback.com.

cooking classes n Join The Compleat Cook for specialized, small-group cooking classes. The fall 2012 schedule is available at compleatcook.ca.

Class highlights include 100-mile dinner, Friday Night Date Night (The French Connection) and Sushi Rolls. n At Sunterra Market, Keynote: Outdoor Kitchen: Steaks, Chops and Kebabs class at the Sunterra COMMUNITYtable (200 - 12th Ave S.E.), July 4 and August 23 at 5:30 p.m.

Includes cocktails, recipes, tastings and a

buffet-style meal for $49.99. For a complete cooking class calendar, visit sunterramarket.com. n At Meez, Fast Home Cuisine, hands-on cooking classes in everything from French Cuisine to Rustic Italian cooking to Date Night. Exec chef Judy Wood dishes up great flavour with heat-and-eat meals made from scratch. Visit meezcuisine.com for more information on cooking classes and takehome meals. n At the Millarville Farmers’ Market, food/cooking classes. Learn about ingredients, shop the market: samosas, jams, jellies, mustards, cheese making and more. Visit millarvilleracetrack.com/marketinformation or call 403-931-3411 to register.

Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., until October 6. n Cuisine et Château will open an interactive culinary centre in the fall with hands-on classes, demonstrations, tasting events and special guests. Beginning late August, book classes online at cuisineandchateau.com. n At Salsita: July 20, 3 Mexican marinades, Mexican cactus (nopales) salad; August 23, Mexican entertaining, jicama salad, roasted poblano dip and crispy taquitos; September 21, Everyday Mexican, enchiladas, salsa verde, Mexican rice. Cooking classes for kids. Visit salsita.ca for details. n Kids’ Summer Cooking Camps at ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen Calgary Learning Centre. Hands-on classes on basic food preparation, kitchen safety, cooking techniques, 909 - 11th Ave. SW. For more information, phone 403-245-7630. n At The Cookbook Co. Cooks: Kids’ Cooking Camp, ages 8 - 11, July 23 - 27; ages 12 - 15, July 30 - August 3; September classes include A Night Out, Couples Cooking Classes; Bread Making, a hands-on class; Soups, Beautiful Soups; Girls’ Night Out, Cocktails & Hors d’Oeuvres. See the full, detailed calendar at cookbookcooks.com.

general stirrings n If you want to help your family shift to healthier eating habits, check out bundlesofenergy.com/shop or call 403-875-5570 about the “whole foods lifestyle system” program for active and athletic families.

n Old West Ranch buffalo mozzarella is available at Say Cheese Fromagerie in the Crossroads Market. Phone 403-819-6706 to find out availability. n Don’t miss Taste of Calgary, August 16 to 19 at the Eau Claire Festival Market, supporting Boys and Girls Club of Calgary, Raise a Reader, the Calgary Chinese Community Services Assoc. and the Saracens Rugby Club. Good food, local musicians and other activities. For all the juicy details, visit tasteofcalgary.com. n Gourmet Kayaking Weekends with Edible Canada and Sealegs Kakyaking, a gastronomic getaway paddling through the Gulf Islands, where fine wines and gourmet food are featured. Dates and all the tasty details at ediblecanada.com/tours. n You might think that chocolate covered red licorice sounds awful – we’ve tried it and it’s really yummy – made by Chocolicious. You’ll find you can’t eat just one.

As the web site choco-licious.com says, “warning highly addictive.” Find it at the Crossroads Market. n The 4th Annual Indiafest takes place Sunday, August 26, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Shaw Millennium Park. Henna hand painting, Bollywood dance instruction, sari-wrapping demonstrations, singing and dancing performances and lots of food – even a samosa-eating contest. Visit indiafestab.com. n Emile Henry grilling stones can add interest to your outdoor cooking – the kebab stone comes with eight skewers, the pizza stone turns your grill into a pizza oven, the baking stone can grill fish, even pizza. At The Happy Cooker, CRMR at Home, The Cookbook Co., Savour Fine Foods, Britannia Ornamental Hardware, Edelweiss Imports, Zest Kitchenware. n Blue Diamond gluten-free crispy NutThins nut/rice crackers are available in four flavours. They’re rice crackers made with almonds and pecans. Crush them for a good bread crumb substitute for meat loaf and meat balls, for coating chicken and fish. Top them with cheese and scoop them through dips and salsas. Find Nut-Thins at your fave supermarket.

continued on page 48

Award winning.

Patio perfect.

Available at

Kingsland Farmers Market Calgary Farmers Market Seasonal Farmers Markets Winery-direct On-line at: www.fieldstonefruitwines.com

Alberta’s First Cottage Winery Highway 817 Strathmore, AB

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

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stockpot continued from page 47 n Look for the new Stampede Centennial chocolate bar from Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut – Habanero Sea Salt Milk Chocolate – at all locations and at the Calgary Stampede Store. Delicious! With just a bit of a kick. Also, look for gelato at the Aspen Landing and Chinook Centre locations and soft serve ice cream at many locations. Visit bernardcallebaut.com for locations. n Look for Redcliff’s RedHat Co-operative produce in grocery stores, including peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and living lettuce, from southern Alberta.

RedHat focuses on sustainability and innovation. Visit rootedinfreshness.com.

NEW LABEL SAME GREAT PORT

n Calgary Co-op has gone eco-fishing and has reeled in ocean-friendly seafood options to help make shopping for environmentally responsible fresh and frozen seafood easier. Co-op has joined with SeaChoice in the Reel in the Solution sustainable seafood program, to encourage people to consider these options: Arctic char, sablefish, steelhead trout, rainbow trout, Dungeness crab and mussels. They are easily identified by labels. Green means “best choice,” yellow means “some concerns,” red signifies “avoid.” n People Food now makes oneder d’oh – gluten-free bread you bake at home – perogies, know-meat burger and pizza crusts (both GFCF vegan), available at Amaranth Whole Foods, Market 17 at Casel Marché and Bite Groceteria. Find the pizza crusts at Dairy Lane, Blue Star Diner, Sugo, Without Papers, Beer Revolution and Dough Bros.

n The Alberta Farm Fresh Coupon Book is a way schools can raise funds using healthy foods and activities. Books available in September, with coupons for local farm products, including fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, grains and legumes, as well as on-farm activities. Producers and schools interested in participating, contact annette.anderwald@gov.ab.ca by July 1. n The Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers’ Market runs Wednesdays, 3 - 7 p.m., supporting local, sustainable producers.

Vendors include Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farms, Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, Birds & Bees Organic Winery and Meadery, Thompson Small Farms, and many more. Look for local buskers, monthly special markets, monthly beer gardens.

In October, there’s the Harvest Fair. farmersmarkethillhurstsunnyside.org. n Cuisine et Château is booking its spring 2013 French Culinary Journeys in the heart of the Périgord region in France: cooking classes, visits to local producers and wineries, cycling, accommodation in a 17th century château. For details, go to cuisineandchateau.com or phone 403-764-2665. n The Two Foot Gardener is a locally made two-part reservoir planter. The top is a 14-inch-deep soil compartment, the base a 68-liter water reservoir which requires only occasional filling. When stacked together, it measures 2’x2’x2’, just the right size for people of all ages and mobility. Plants take up moisture, nutrients and oxygen as needed and thrive in this balanced growing system. For details, email twofootgardener@shaw.ca.

n Get your made-in-Calgary small-batch ice cream at the Village Ice Cream shop, 431 10th Ave. SE, in Victorial Park. You will find rich, creamy all-natural ice cream made from organic and locally sourced ingredients. n New Products are now available at Amaranth Whole Foods Market northwest: fulvic/humic acid drink called “Blackwater,” high in antioxidants and contains more than 77 minerals, low-sodium Braggs Aminos, Sea Snax To Go Seaweed Snacks, and Cocos Pure Coconut Water.

Some of these can be found at Amaranth Health & Wellness. Call ahead for product availability. n Barbecue season at Sunterra Market is all-in-one burger and smokie packs. With buns, vegetables, condiments, and your choice of beef, pork, bison or lamb patties, or Valbella smokies or sausages, your cookouts are easy. Available at all markets. Visit sunterramarket.com for more info. n Blyssmix granola is a local product made by Blyssworks that’s packed with oats, whole nuts, dried fruits, seeds, natural sweeteners and other tasty ingredients that will help get your day started right when paired with yogurt and fruit for breakfast.

Crossroads Market, Sunterra and Amaranth, or at the Millarville, Bearspaw and Calgary West Country farmers’ markets. n Don’t miss: Marda Gras Street Festival, August 12, for the first-ever bike parade, jazz bands, dance performances and more.

Jambalaya cook-off and food truck frenzy.

Kensington Sun & Salsa Festival, July 22. Spicy salsa, sizzling dancers and street performers, plus Food Truck Frenzy. Sample salsa for charity. Inglewood’s Sunfest,

Join Nicco and his international staff for exceptional service as they globetrot you through the wine world at Eau Claire Wine Market Specialty spirits and beer also offered

tel 403-262-9463 eauclairewine@shaw.ca

Just inside the Eau Claire Mall southwest entrance across from the Sheraton

48

CITYPALATE.ca July august 2012

August 4, with street performers, Food Truck Frenzy and the Inglewood Community Association pie eating contest. n Springbank Cheese offers cheesy ideas for the barbecue season: grill halloumi and top it with a squeeze of fresh lemon; layer Guinness cheddar on a savoury lamb burger; add cayenne and green peppercorn gouda by Sylvan Star to beef or chicken burgers. Sign up for e-cheese for the latest in cheese news at Capitol Hill, Crowfoot Corner, Marda Loop or Willow Park Village locations.

Dry aged C

n Culinary & Wine Tour of AlsaceGermany-Austria, October 7-20. Includes hands-on cooking classes with celebrity chefs, tastings of acclaimed rieslings and unique grüner veltliners at centuries-old estates, Viennese pastries, concerts and operas. Visit gourmet-experience.com or call 403-230-5375 or e-mail blattman@telusplanet.net.

U

C ROM ANADIA F T

N

n The 16th Annual Expo Latino, August 24 - 26. A celebration of exotic foods, local talent and world-class performances from Latin America. A well-known Cuban band, Charanga Habanera, will perform on the Friday night kick-off event Salsa Fever.

Prince’s Island Park, tickets and details at expolatino.ca. n Seasoned Solutions Culinary Tour of Charleston, South Carolina with Gail Hall, food maven and culinary tour expert, October 11 to 15. Itinerary and registration details at seasonedsolutions.ca or phone 780437-0761 or gail@seasonedsolutions.ca. n Screamin Brothers dairy-free frozen treats is a Lethbridge company offering dairy-free and gluten-free novelty bars, single-serving cups and take-home containers. Community Natural Foods.

Five percent of net profits support children locally and internationally. Visit screaminbrothers.ca. n Second to None Meats will open another location in Willow Park Village in late August. The venture includes an expansion of the production facility so the new store can carry house-made salamis, sandwich meats and other deli products.

Details at secondtononemeats.com.

Bold, rich flavour and tenderness.

Find out the juicy details at select meat counters.

A Co-op exclusive.

n Chinook Honey Company offers apiary and meadery tours, July and August, Thursday - Sunday for groups of two or more. Details at chinookhoney.com or call 403-995-0830. n Grow herbs and baby greens in your kitchen all year with Kitchen Pick, potted herbs grown in B.C., available at Save-onFoods and Co-op stores. Potted herbs stay fresher longer because they’re alive and growing, rather than being cut.

CLASSIFIED AD Restaurant for Sale Charming, well-established 44-seat (plus patio) restaurant in Olde Towne Okotoks, with a solid reputation for serving quality, locally sourced, fresh and seasonal food.

All serious enquiries please email a.penny@shaw.ca

McLeod Trail Midtown Richmond Road

West Springs High River Quarry Park

CITYPALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2012

49

one ingredient New potatoes

WHOLESOME WHOLESOME NATURAL NATURAL HEALTHY HEALTHY

Slow Food CAlgARy PReSenTS

comtinued from page 19

The 12th AnnuAl

Feast of Fields SundAy, SePTeMbeR 16th 1 - 4 pm In The gARden AT Rouge ReSTAuRAnT 1240 - 8th Ave Se, CAlgARy

703 - 23 Avenue SE 703 - 23 Avenue SE www.doubleELLEbakery.ca www.doubleELLEbakery.ca

Celebrating our 110th year with a NEW LOOK

Join us for a delicious afternoon of grazing, sipping and conviviality in the beautiful, historic garden at Rouge restaurant. Come and meet the people who grow your food and the chefs who create dynamic dishes with our wonderful Alberta harvest. Music by The Polyjesters.

30% lighter glass is our environmental commitment.

Spread the potatoes out in the drippings and shake the pan around to coat them, adding a drizzle of oil if you think the potatoes need it.

(If you didn’t use bacon, just drizzle the potatoes liberally with oil and toss them to coat.) Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, bump the oven temp to 450°F and roast the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring them once or twice.

Stir in the sliced garlic and cook the potatoes for 10 minutes more, until they’re tender (poke the biggest one with a knife). Sprinkle them with the cheese and continue roasting them until the cheese is melted and golden in spots, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, purée the tahini, water, lemon juice, whole garlic clove and salt in a blender until smooth. Add a bit of water if the sauce is too thick. In a large bowl, toss the kale with the hot potatoes plus the garlic slices and oil remaining in the pan, then toss the potato and kale mixture with the tahini sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic, Rosemary and New Potatoes Baby potatoes act like delicious little sponges, soaking up all those deliciously sticky lamb juices in the bottom of the pan.

1 leg of lamb, with or without the bone 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary 1 T. olive oil salt and freshly ground pepper 1-2 lb. new potatoes, scrubbed

TICkeTS AvAIlAble onlIne @ SlowFoodCAlgARy.CA oR AT: The Cookbook Co. CookS 722 - 11th Ave. Sw, ph 403.265.6066 Members: Adults $65; youth 8 -18 $25; Family of 4 - $170; not yet members: Adults $85; youth 8 -18 $45; Family of 4 - $240 kids under 8 eat free!

www.luigibosca.com 50

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1 lemon, quartered

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pat the lamb leg dry with paper towels. In a small dish, stir together the garlic, rosemary and oil and rub the paste all over the lamb. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper.

Put the lamb in a roasting pan that will accommodate it, and roast for 20 minutes. Cover the lamb with foil, reduce the heat to 325°F and cook for 2 hours. Pull the pan out, uncover the lamb, add the potatoes to the bottom of the pan, shake them around to coat them with pan drippings, and return the lamb and potatoes to the oven for another 30 minutes.

Remove the lamb from the pan and set it on a chopping board to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, return the potatoes to the oven, turn the heat up to 450°F, and let them get nice and golden and crispy. Serves 8.

Spanish Tortilla with Chorizo In Spain, a tortilla refers to a baked egg dish similar to an Italian frittata, traditionally made with potatoes. A Spanish tortilla is a perfect summer lunch or dinner dish – delicious served warm, cold, or at room temperature. You can also chill the tortilla and cut it into bite-sized squares to serve at a party. As with a frittata, feel free to add other cooked vegetables, fresh or dry herbs, or leftovers to your tortilla. olive oil 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 fresh or cured chorizo sausage, squeezed out of its casing if it’s fresh, or chopped if it’s cured 1 lb. new or fingerling potatoes, halved or quartered (if large) 6 large eggs 1/4 c. half and half 1/2 t. salt 1/2 - 1 c. grated white cheddar

In a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet (cast iron is ideal), heat a generous drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and cook the onion slices for 4 to 5 minutes, until they start to turn golden.

Add the sausage. If using fresh sausage, cook it until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the potatoes, and cook, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes. Cover the pan and cook the potatoes, stirring them occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until they’re tender.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375˚F and whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt and cheddar. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes (they will poke through) and continue to cook the tortilla on the stovetop, running a spatula around the edge to allow the egg to run underneath as it sets. When the edge is set but the middle is still uncooked, slide the pan into the oven and cook the tortilla for 10 to 15 minutes, until set. Serve in wedges – warm, at room temperature or cold. Serves 6 to 8.

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4 quick ways with Quesadillas

It’s hot and you’re hungry, and you don’t want to mess around too much. You always have a supply of flour tortillas at hand because you slick them with a little mayonnaise, then wrap them around leftovers and call it lunch. With very little more effort, you can fashion these handy “sandwich” makers into These quesadillas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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are on our Get the medium-size tortillas, not the huge burrito wraps, unless you’re website immensely hungry and have a gigantic frying pan. Putting together a quesadilla or two for a meal is not rocket surgery, as we know, but here are some suggestions about what makes tasty inclusions, besides the cheese.

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In case you were wondering, the word quesadilla is derived from the Spanish word queso (cheese) and the dish originated in Mexico. Check Salsita, a great Mexican grocery on Northmount Dr. and 14th St. NW, for the “proper” quesadilla cheese, Oaxaca cheese, a string-style melting cheese. Tres Marias, in Marda Loop, makes corn and flour tortillas as well as organic spelt flour tortillas.

1. Breakfast Quesadilla This would even do for any other time of the day. Grate some good melting cheese, like Oaxaca cheese, or even cheddar or jack would do. Lay out your flour tortilla and sprinkle the cheese over. On top of the cheese, spread a good layer of hot pepper jelly or marmalade or a favourite jam, then fold the tortilla in half.

Heat a non-stick frypan and melt a small bit of butter. Fry the quesadilla on one side until golden, then flip it and fry the other side until golden and the cheese has melted a bit. Cut it into wedges and enjoy with your java. Serves you.

2. Smoked Salmon Quesadillas From The Best of the Best Best of Bridge cookbook. Char 1 Anaheim and 1 red bell pepper by quartering them, removing stem and seeds, and setting them under the broiler, cut-sides down, until the skin blackens. Put them into a paper bag to steam, remove the skins, and slice into strips. Mix together 1/4 c. chèvre and 1/4 c. cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Spread the mixture over 3 flour tortillas, top with pepper strips, layer slices of 1 avocado on top of the peppers and sprinkle with 1/4 c. minced shallots. Cut 2 oz. smoked salmon into strips and lay them on the tortillas. Fold the tortillas over, pressing lightly to seal.

Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat and fry the tortillas until golden and the cheese has melted a bit. Flip and fry the other side until golden. Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately. Serves 2 or 3.

3. Refried Beans and Cheese Quesadillas From the Heart and Stroke Foundation. To make refried beans, peel and dice 1 sweet potato and boil it until tender. Drain and set aside. In a frypan, heat 1 t. olive oil and cook 1/2 c. diced onion until soft. Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1 can (19 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 t. ground cumin, 1/2 t. each dried oregano and chile powder, 1/4 t. black pepper and the sweet potato.

Cook until hot. Purée in a food processor or mash well. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay 4 whole-grain tortillas on the baking sheet and top with 1/2 c. of beans, 1/2 c. shredded lower-fat (light) cheese and 1/2 c. seeded, finely diced tomatoes. Top with a second tortilla and press lightly. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into four and serve with 1/2 c. fat-free sour cream. Serves 4.

4. Dessert Quesadillas Adapted from a Chatelaine recipe. Top 4 flour tortillas with about 1 c. diced brie cheese, 1 mango, peeled and sliced, and 3 T. minced pickled jalapeño, patted dry.

Fold the tortillas in half. Heat a non-stick frypan and melt a small bit of butter. Fry the quesadillas on one side until golden, then flip and fry the other side until golden and the cheese has melted a bit. Keep the quesadillas warm in a 350°F. oven until they are all cooked. Cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with a dip made with crème fraîche or sour cream, lime zest and lime juice to taste. Serves 4.

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When I went to live in403.457.4934 Tuscany long, long ago, I was a lucky 403.457.4934 young man. Not only403.457.4934 did I have a stone house in a little 403.457.4934 medieval village to call home, but because my arrival coincided 403.457.4934 with the rise of the Slow Food movement, I got to jump into 403.457.4934 the fledgling group with both feet (and an eager stomach).

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403.457.4934 Slow Food was actually started in Italy in the 1980s as a protest against the opening of a McDonald’s near the Spanish Steps in Rome. It evolved into an 403.457.4934 organization that embraced local culinary traditions and promoted food that was unique to various eco-regions.

I got swept up by my local Slow Food chapter and 403.457.4934 blissfully ate artisanal cheeses, heirloom vegetables, organic beef and washed it all down with wine from small, family-run wineries. What I loved most about the revolution was that, as an antidote to big corporate fast food, the Slow Foodies preached taking meals at a snail’s pace, enjoying the dishes and company around the table and making the experience of dining an oasis in a fast-paced world. I luxuriated in the long, unhurried and sensual enjoyment of food.

Unfortunately, there’s a new “slow food” movement in North America that has nothing to do with the sensual enjoyment of a meal but seeks to ruin it altogether.

You see, an infuriating trend has developed whereby people who are in the process of buying food slow up the rest of us while they selfishly distract themselves from the task at hand and create huge bottlenecks that lead to the consumer equivalent of road rage.

The worst new food slower-downers are people who insist on texting while ordering food. I was in a lineup at a pita place where the server had to ask customers a series of questions in order to assemble a personalized pita. The young girl ahead of me chose her pita bread (whole wheat) but then immediately started to text someone. The server asked whether lettuce, tomatoes or pickles were desired, which resulted in a long pause as the customer finished her text. This continued the whole way down the line of a hundred filling and condiment choices for more than 10 minutes as texts were exchanged while food choices needed to be made. I was white-hot with rage as the lineup swelled to 30 people behind the texter and I started wishing that she would get a handful of hot peppers due to her inattention. I just about had a stroke when I got a glimpse of the texting itself, which went: “Where R U?” “Ordering a pita, LOL.” You gotta be kidding! This deep conversation was important enough to slow up an entire lunch rush? There should be a bounty on these text addicts.

My food joy also vanishes when I get behind people who have decided to go cashless through life. I was in line waiting to buy my morning muffin when the guy in front of me ordered a small coffee. The java was poured lickety-split and the barista asked for the $1.95 it cost. A long pause ensued wherein this dude looked confused by the fact that he had to actually pay for his order. He looked like an old cow at a new gate. He fumbled for his wallet and opened it to reveal a smorgasbord of plastic cards. Once again he stared, seemingly frozen as to which credit or debit card he should use. The tab was $1.95! Buddy, is your credit situation that bad that you might get denied on one of these cards? What’s wrong with a two dollar coin? Or two loonies? Eight quarters? Or how about this – a five dollar bill, and guess what? You get money back! But no. He chooses a debit card and then has to get handed the machine. He then struggles with his PIN – no wonder, with all the cards this jerk has. Wouldn’t it be easier to just pay with good old-fashioned money? This was yet another lengthy delay I had to endure. I couldn’t even enjoy my muffin after all that. My fast food experience had been turned into a slow food nightmare.

Let me be clear – I’m against fast food generally. But when I want something quick, I don’t want to spend an hour behind you while you text your BFF. If you are one of these texters, I wish you a nasty surprise in your pita.

And if I see the look on your face when you take that first bite after not paying attention, I won’t just LOL, I will LMAO….

Allan Shewchuk is a lawyer by day, and an Italian ”chef,” wine taster and food writer by night. Sometimes he tastes wine before nightfall.

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