City Palate July August 2014

city palate T H E

F LA V O U R

O F

CAL G A R Y ’ S

F O O D

S CE N E

summer in the city palate

citypalate.ca

JULY AUGUST 2014

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

contents City Palate July August 2014

features

28 n Casual Summer Eats in Your

Summer in the City

Shelley Boettcher

GOUR[ME]T E VERY MONTH a n inspired va ri atio n o n you r favo urite

32 n Calgary’s Green Growth Spurt

A snapshot of our food sustainability

Karen Anderson

house-m ade sesa me bun but ter let tuce yellow beefste ak tom ato m aple smoked cheddar cheee se house-m ade blueberry mustard

38 n Here I Come On the Run, With a Burger On a Bun‌

alberta bison pat t y

A quest for the holy grail of hamburger in Calgary Karen Ralph

pickled red onion roa sted g arlic m ayo

40 n Calgary Dishes Toronto

Our chefs cooked for TO media as part of an initiative to promote culinary tourism in Calgary and Alberta John Gilchrist

42 n Eating San Diego

A long weekend escape to great food and drink

Kathy Richardier

44 n A Summer of Sunday Suppers

Three simple, summery, interesting menus

to enjoy with friends

Gail Norton and Matthew Altizer

follow @nota blec alg a ry a nd s ay awe

48 n Destination Noshing

A travel guide to festivals devoted to eating and drinking

B.J. Oudman

Cover artist: Pablo Quiroz is an artist trained in both traditional and digital mediums.

He is versatile in his craft, from children's books to graphic design. Find his work at pquiroz-illustrations.com.

4611 BOWNESS ROAD NW 403.288.4372

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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city palate

NEW LOOK NEW MENU NEW ATTITUDE

Best Steak 2013

editor Kathy Richardier (kathy@citypalate.ca) publisher Gail Norton (gail@citypalate.ca)

Birks Silver Spoon 2013

magazine design Carol Slezak, Yellow Brick Studios (carol@citypalate.ca) contributing editor Kate Zimmerman

EXPERIENCE THE NEW RUSH

CELEBRATING OVER 10 YEARS AS CALGARY’S BEST STEAKHOUSE WWW.VINTAGECHOPHOUSE.COM

contributing writers Matthew Altizer Karen Anderson Shelley Boettcher John Gilchrist Chris Halpin Ellen Kelly Geoff Last B.J. Oudman Marcus Purtzki Karen Ralph Allan Shewchuk Julie Van Rosendaal contributing photographers Regan Johnson Kathy Richardier for advertising enquiries, please contact advertising@citypalate.ca

bold, brash... evolved.

account executives

403.271.7874 www.rushoceanprime.com /RushOceanPrime @RushOceanPrime

320 11 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB 403-262-7262 /vintagechophouse @vintagechop

Ellen Kelly (ellen@citypalate.ca) Liz Tompkins (liz@citypalate.ca) Janet Henderson (janet@citypalate.ca)

CELEBRATING SOUTHERN COOKING, SMOKEHOUSE BBQ, & SEAFOOD FOR OVER 15 YEARS

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 Subscriptions are available for $35 per year within Canada and $45 per year outside Canada.

Editorial Enquiries: Please email kathy@citypalate.ca

403.264.6419

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

B www.bookersbbq.com

/bookersbbq

@bookersbbq

For questions or comments please contact us via our website:

citypalate.ca

contents

CONTEST CLOSES SEPT 1, 2014 City Palate July August 2014

departments

11 n word of mouth

Notable culinary happenings around town

13 n eat this

What to eat in July and August Ellen Kelly

a d e Ne ? t s o o B These nutrient dense super foods are perfect for a boost anytime.Â

14 n drink this

Making hooch for Christmas

Gail Norton

16 n get this

- high in antioxidants - helps with stress - great taste, mixes easily - gluten free

Must-have kitchen stuff Karen Anderson

18 n one ingredient

E nte win a r to N Moun orco tain bike

Pesto Julie Van Rosendaal

22 n feeding people

7 salads for Supper A collection

Value

26 n the sunday project

0

Making ice cream with Marcus Purtzki

50 n stockpot

of $60

Stirrings around Calgary

Enter to win at any Calgary Amaranth store.

No purchase necessary. Visit store for details.

One bike will be given away per store.

54 n 8 quick ways with...

Potatoes Chris Halpin

56 n last meal

Keep it simple and seasonal Geoff Last

58 n back burner... shewchuk on simmer

Pick a winner Allan Shewchuk

read us online @ citypalate.ca follow us on facebook to win delicious prizes!

North 7 Arbour Lake Drive NW 403.547.6333

Central 1407 4 Street SW 403.457.3663

South 378, 5222 - 130 Avenue SE 403.253.2711

amaranthfoods.ca Helping Calgarians Stay Healthy Since 1995

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

9

9 restaurants... 5 courses... 280 people...

1 really, really long table.

Catch & the Oyster Bar, Trib Steakhouse, The Belvedere, Teatro, Divino, Blink, Charcut, Home Tasting Room, and the Bank & Baron will each prepare a dish for this remarkable dinner, with wine pairings by The Cellar.

A long stretch of downtown Stephen Avenue will be our venue.

Gather your friends, and make some new ones at this unique event that celebrates the culinary side of Calgary.

Tickets: $200pp available now at reallylongtabledinner.eventbrite.ca For hotel packages including your seat at the table, go to VisitCalgary.com

join us!

Monday, September 8th, 5-9 pm

city palate’s 2nd annual

Really, Really Long Table Dinner

open Mon – Tue: 7 am – 4 pm Wed – Sun: 7 am – 9 pm

Bring your family and friends to our new Ramsay location, where we serve farm-fresh, home-made classics with a modern twist.

1101- 8th ST. S.E. Calgary | www.RedsDiner.com

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

word of mouth Notable culinary happenings around town

We at City Palate say a big THANK YOU to our readers and advertisers for supporting us for 20 years and for helping us celebrate our 20th birthday in grand style by attending our 20 for 20 events over the last year.

We all had fun!

Stick around and see what’s up in the next 20 years!

we’ve got bees buzzing City Palate is proud to be partnered with the Bees4Communities Program (backyardbees.ca). Our hives, along with many others, will be part of a program that supports honeybee health and engages our community. We will receive a monthly “report card” on our hives’ health as well as honey to share with friends and clients. In return, the colonies are used to raise awareness of honeybees and urban beekeeping through ABC’s Home2Hive Bicycle Tours and Apprenticeship Program.

Consider bees in your neighbourhood!

Buzz, Buzz.

Bee Facts: • Bees pollinate 80% of the world’s plants • One hive can collect up to 5 lbs. of nectar a day • 4 lbs. of nectar equals 1 lb. of honey • Honey is the only food that doesn’t spoil • Honey has many health benefits including easing sore throats and soothing wounds and sunburns • Africanized Honey Bees (Killer Bees) have never been reported in Canada

vitality award for the really, really long table dinner Whoo-hoooo, Downtown Calgary awarded City Palate a Vitality Award for our Really Really Long Table Dinner last September! The award’s illustration of the dinner – held on Stephen Avenue and attended by 240+ people – was done by Stephanie Fowler of Design

by Streetlight. Thank you Stephanie and Downtown Calgary, this is really an honour. Downtown Calgary awards businesses and organizations annually for enhancing the vitality of the downtown as a great place to work, live and play.  We’re doing another dinner on September 8 – see ad opposite.

perfect for the summer grill ’Tis the season to be grilling, so check out the Calgary Co-op’s new Perfect Meat Program: Perfect Pork – fresh pork from open-pen raised piggies, fed on vegetable grain, aged 14 days, supplied by Sunhaven Farms in Wainwright. Perfect Beef is 100% Alberta angus, range fed, AA grade or better, aged 14 days, Halal approved, supplied

by Heritage Angus Beef in Northern Alberta. Perfect Goat – delish all curried up – is Alberta fresh spring goat, freerange grass and grain fed, supplied by Noble Meadows Farms in Nobleford.

smooth, comfortable velvet Velvet Café has opened on 4th St. NW where Relax Café used to be, at 25th Ave. We were sad to see our friends at Relax go, but Velvet’s new owners, Cassy Jurome and chef Adam Cook, have things well in hand with lots of good food and coffee. Yes! Velvet is a busy place – a good thing – because the food is very good.

be gladd to support madd MADD non-alcoholic wines in Shoppers Drug Mart and Sobeys. The web site – maddvirgindrinks.com – says the MADD Rouge is light and fruity, like a beaujolais nouveau, and the MADD Blanc is crisp and clean with a touch of citrus, like a pinot grigio. There’s also a sparkler, Virgin Brut. If non-alcoholic wine is your thing, these do the trick.

And... 10% of the sales go to MADD – Mother’s Against Drunk Driving.

calgary is the largest supporter of mealshare With 20 participating restaurants and other food purveyors: UNA, MARKET, The Libertine, Cottonwood Golf Course, Siraia at Sirocco Golf Course, Naina’s Kitchen, Oak Tree Tavern, Fraiche Catering, River Café, Brava Bistro, Blue Star Diner, Dairy Lane, Open Range, Big Fish, The Fine Diner, Bolero, Open Sesame, Tango Bistro, Smuggler’s Inn, Fiasco Gelato. Here’s how it works – you should support it. When a diner orders a dish denoted as a Mealshare item at a partner restaurant, a meal is provided to those at the Calgary Drop-In Centre and the international Save the Children organization. Go to mealshare.ca for all the details.

creating a big stir Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers are calling all chefs to save the date – November 18, 6 - 9:30 p.m. at the Calgary Farmers’ Market for The Big Stir!

Join them at the chopping table during Family Violence Awareness Month to take part in helping set the Guinness Book of World Records for the most soup made in one night anywhere on the planet! Details at soupsisters.org.

4th annual poutine crawl winner For the 2nd year in a row, downtownfood took the winning poutine spot with chef Darren’s savoury entry that featured house-made cheese curds, duck confit gravy, smoked mushrooms and house-cured bacon. The “crawlers” also liked that he made a great effort to welcome and attend to them, including making a sorbet to cleanse the palate and house-made macarons to finish.

The other participating restaurants: Wurst – that nipped at downtownfood’s heels for best poutine – Anju, Naina’s Kitchen, Libertine and Oak Tree Tavern. A grand total of 2,000 poutines were made and eaten during Poutine Week and Poutine Crawl, which made a total of 2,000 meals that were given to people in need via Mealshare.

read these With summer’s cool evenings, we love food with lots of flavour and warmth. Taste of Tanzania: Modern Swahili Recipes for the West, by Miriam R. Kinunda (Miroki Publishing, hard cover, $34.95 U.S.).

Oh, my goodness, these are luscious recipes – Eggplant in Coconut Sauce, Fish in Peanut Sauce, Cardamom Bread and lots of recipes for pickles, chutneys and sauces. Nothing long or complicated... just full of flavour. Get it at tasteoftanzania.com and amazon.ca.

Vegan Beans from Around the World, by Kelsey Kinser (Ulysses Press, soft cover, $18.95) brings bean lovers a world of tasty recipes, including Curried Dal with Cauliflower, Black Bean Burgers, Crispy Roasted Edamame, Malaysian Vegetable Salad and Jamaican Peanut Porridge. Good vegan recipes for everyone.

Who doesn’t like a book with the title Back to Butter? It’s a traditional foods cookbook of nourishing recipes inspired by our ancestors, by Molly Chester and Sandy Schrecengost (Fairwinds Press, $27.99, soft cover). Our ancestors used butter, organic, farm-fresh produce, grass-fed meats and wild seafood – much of what we’re moving back to anyway. Let this book be your guide.

With your good food, you may want some beer that you can make at home.

Get yourself The Home Brewer’s Guide to Vintage Beer, by Ron Pattinson (Quarry Books, $27.99, hard cover, spiral binding). These are rediscovered recipes for classic brews dating from 1800 to 1965.

Lots of good info on beer ingredients, brewing techniques and the history of the beers.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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I found a taste of Paris at Ratatouille Bistro TACOS SANDWICHES BAKERY BUTCHERY FRESH PRODUCE COFFEE RETAIL-WHOLESALE

Classic French fare with a touch of Morocco at Elbow Drive and 49th Avenue SW in Britannia Plaza.

You’ll love our patio — now open!

829 49 AvE SW • 403.719.1942 • CloSED SunDAyS

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

www.unimarket.ca

eat this

Ellen Kelly

What to eat in July and August

Summer must-dos: Put any and all of our wonderful farmers’ markets at the top of your grocery list. Herd the kids into the car, toss in a picnic lunch and head to one (or more) of Alberta’s welcoming u-pick and farmgate operations (go to Come To Our Farms at albertafarmfresh.com). You’ll be amazed at the huge variety of local produce and goods our province has on offer. Corn may be an obvious choice, but we know better than to miss it. Nor should we forget how lucky we are to be the first recipients of B.C.’s bounty. What would we do without the peaches and plums we so look forward to?

Whether you can them, make jams and chutneys, assemble pies for the freezer or simply eat your way through, finding that perfect case (or two) of peaches is a summer delight. A favourite summer dessert is peach trifle, easy to make ahead and great for a crowd – 6 to 8 anyway… maybe make two. Start with 3-4 c. of sliced peaches, gently stirred together with 2-3 T. sugar, 1 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 T. Cointreau and a mere splash of brandy. Either make or buy a plain or lemon pound cake.

Trim the edges and cut into narrow slices, about 3/4” thick. Line the bottom of a pretty glass 8-cup dish with the cake and spoon on the peaches with the liquid. Cover with cling film and let sit for an hour at room temperature. Prepare at least 2 c. of custard (scratch or Bird’s, it’s all OK) and gently spoon over the peaches. Pipe or spoon 1 c. heavy cream, whipped, over the custard. Chill thoroughly before serving. It’s summer in a bowl.

There is always one plum variety or another available throughout the summer, from May to September. Tart tannic skin combined with honey-sweet flesh makes eating plums out of hand a unique treat. Made into jams and tarts or cooked with pork and duck, plums are a truly versatile fruit. Make a salsa to serve with grilled duck breasts for a special summer meal. An hour before serving, combine 1-1/2 c. diced ripe tart plums (firm, red Santa Rosa plums are ideal), 2 T. fresh lime juice, 1 t. lime zest, 1/4 c. chopped scallions, 3-4 T. chopped cilantro, 2 T. minced fresh ginger, 1 T. grapeseed oil and a dash of Tabasco (optional).

Our fresh, local, sweet Alberta corn is practically a summer ritual in these parts. When you get tired of eating it on the cob, there are chowders and relishes, salads, salsas and savoury puddings, even cookies and breads to tempt you further. Or, you could make fritters! Melt enough shortening (or lard) in a heavy pan to a depth of at least 3 inches.

Mix 1 c. flour, 1 t. baking soda, 1-1/2 t. fine sea salt and a pinch (or more) cayenne together in a large bowl with a whisk (or sift it all, if you’re so inclined). In a small bowl, mix 2 eggs very well with 1/4 c. milk. Stir into the dry ingredients and then add 1 T. melted butter and 2 c. fresh corn kernels.

Don’t over mix. Make sure the oil is at 365°F. and carefully drop tablespoons of batter into the hot oil.

Cook until golden, turning once, about 3-5 minutes.

Drain on paper towels and salt lightly while still hot.

Serve drizzled with liquid honey. Heaven!

Illustrations by Pierre Lamielle

BUY: Its unmistakable aroma is the best way to determine a ripe peach. Avoid fruit with obvious bruising, broken skin or any that is soft all over. Red skin is varietal and not an indication of ripeness. Store unripe peaches at room temperature until slightly yielding.

Eat right away or keep a day or two in the fridge.

TIPS: Peak season peaches are mostly freestones (fruit with flesh that separates easily from the stone).

Some, called clings, need to be peeled first and cut into wedges, along the “suture line” from stem to blossom end, then gently pried away from the pit.

DID YOU KNOW? Peach leaves, especially the early tender leaves, have their own delicate almond, floral flavour when used to infuse milk or cream for custards and ice creams. Steep a few leaves in hot milk for 5 minutes, then remove.

BUY: Avoid very soft, bruised or wrinkled fruit or any with cuts or punctures. Slightly under-ripe plums will ripen on your counter at room temperature and ripe fruit can be refrigerated for a day or two before using.

TIPS: Plums are stone fruit like peaches, apricots and nectarines, and are either cling or freestone. They can be prepared the same way as the other stone fruits.

DID YOU KNOW? Pluots and plumcots are becoming more common and there is a difference. The plumcot, a name coined by Luther Burbank in the early 1900s, is half apricot and half plum. The pluot, developed by Floyd Zaiger in the late 20th century, is three quarters plum and one quarter apricot, always with a smooth skin. Many people prefer the pluot for its complex plum flavour and soft apricot texture.

BUY: Look for fresh, pliable, tight husks, plump kernels and a heavy ear. Don’t pull the husk down to look at the kernels, it’s actually kind of rude and will hasten the demise of that ear. Instead, gently feel if the kernels are filled out through the husk.

TIPS: An old wives’ tale tells us to put the water on before we harvest the corn for dinner. There’s wisdom in that – traditional, open-pollinated sweet corn begins to convert its sugar into starch the minute it’s picked.

Although many of the new hybrids stay sweet for days, even weeks, after harvesting, many aficionados maintain they lack true corn flavour.

DID YOU NOW? Today, only a small portion of the billions of bushels of corn now grown every year is actually destined for consumption as food or drink. It feeds livestock, fuels vehicles, becomes high fructose corn syrup and even plastic bags. Corn is one of the world’s largest crops, possibly second only to soybeans. It’s considered a monoculture and has, in fact, become ubiquitous.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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Join us for a street food party!

The Food Truck Flock is back... at The Cookbook Co. Cooks and Metrovino Saturday, July 19th, noon-3 pm

YYC food trucks are setting up shop in the parking lot behind Metrovino and Calgary is invited! The roster includes Waffles and Chix, Sticky Ricky’s, Cheezy Bizness, Los Chilitos, The Noodle Bus, Jelly Modern Doughnuts, as well as a selection of delicious, local ice creams.

There is no cover charge for this event – just show up and purchase what you would like directly from the trucks.

Grown-ups can join us inside at Beer & Rosé Garden for a glass of wine or a local craft beer by Village Brewery to pair with your street eats.

foodies that flock together, rock together!

Location: The parking lot behind Metrovino, 722 - 11th Ave. SW Drink tickets for the Beer & Rosé Garden available on-site, the day of the event.

We are all things culinary...

drink this

Gail Norton

Making hooch for Christmas

Preserving is the perfect way to remind ourselves of the bounty of summer in the doldrums of winter. Jams, jellies and chutneys are obvious choices, but my mother had another way – making hooch. I’ve begun to take up the family tradition.

As kids, we would watch mom harvest crabapples from our trees that were barely edible because of their tartness. She’d cut them in quarters, place them in a large jar, and add sugar and vodka or other neutral-tasting spirits. Then a slow dance began – laying the jars on their sides, standing them up, turning them every week or so, and adding a bit more sugar, until the liquid turned a gorgeous pink colour.

Then came the uncorking, four months later. Hooch season was ushered in as ice cubes clinked in the tart, sweet booze, a tasty memorial to summer past and Christmas to come. I apologize for evoking December during our short summer season, but you have to plan ahead if you want to enjoy winter-time hooch .

There are very few fruits that you can’t use for this purpose, but my favourites are fruits that tend to tartness – raspberries, black currants, sour cherries, rhubarb, and crabapples are grand, but apricots, bing cherries, and peaches also work well. Once you make hooch one summer, you’ll want to do it again and again. It’s a yearly tradition – and making preserves is never this easy.

THE COOKBOOK CO. COOKS

722-11th Avenue SW Phone 403-265-6066, ext.1 vi ew o u r fa l l co o k i ng cl a s s s ched ule at

cookbookcooks.com

Here are a few tips: “Fun course, great views and fabulous wine at the finish line. I loved the atmosphere of the post-race Wine & Music Festival in Waterfront Park!”

-Dave | Calgary, AB

• start with whole fruit (I tried using crabapple juice and two months later it had turned into a weird crabapple-vodka jelly-like substance that had a most unpleasant texture) • use un-bruised, good-quality fruit • don’t squish the fruit into the alcohol • remove the “hairy” flower end from the crabapples • leave stems and seeds • clean the fruit but thoroughly dry it before adding to the jar • for every 1 cup of fruit, add 1/4 cup sugar, then adjust to your taste as the mixture macerates by adding a tablespoon at a time • use berry sugar – it’s finer-grained and dissolves more easily in alcohol • use a sterilized jar that has a good seal; Weck jars are pretty and contemporary looking, with a simple design and a wide neck for easy access • use good quality alcohol, something that you’d normally drink • if you’re adding spices, keep in mind that the hooch is extracting the flavour for months, so be careful. For example, half a cinnamon stick is lots. Half a vanilla bean is lots. One star anise pod goes a long way…

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

Basic Fruit Hooch

Vin d’Orange

As much as I’d like to write a recipe for my hooch, it’s really a “huck it in a jar’” kind of thing and that’s the beauty of it. I usually go to the market, or pick fruit from my yard (sour cherries grow in abundance in Calgary) or from the back alleys around my house – think of all those raspberry bushes and rhubarb patches that go unused every year. Then I dig out as many giant, wide-necked jars as I estimate are required. For every 1 cup of fruit, add 1/4 cup berry sugar. You’ll need to adjust for the tartness of the fruit. I find that if you add the sugar in increments of a couple of tablespoons over the period of the maceration, the flavour of the hooch is more complex and interesting.

This recipe is from Paula Wolfert.

What you’ll need: Large jars with lids, thoroughly cleaned and sterilized.

3 organic oranges, coarsely chopped 1 bottle dry white wine (pinot gris or dry riesling are suggested) 1 c. berry sugar 1/2 c. brandy, cognac or armagnac

Put the orange pieces in a sterilized jar and pour in the wine. Cover and set in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks.

Strain the juice into a saucepan and add the sugar. Heat gently, stirring to help the sugar dissolve.

Cool, then add the brandy. Pour into a sterilized bottle and seal. Let it sit at room temperature for at least a week and up to a year. Serve well chilled and with a twist of orange zest.

1 c. + 6 T. (roughly) berry sugar

2 c. white wine (pinot gris or dry riesling are suggested) 1 c. berry sugar 4 c. vodka

Sterilize the jars and lids by washing them well and rinsing them with boiling water. Add the cleaned fruit to fill the jar by half. Then add the sugar, but don’t stir. Pour the vodka and armagnac, if using, over the fruit to completely cover it. Seal the lids tightly. Gently roll each jar around to distribute everything evenly.

Put the peaches into boiling water for two minutes, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and, when they’re cool enough to handle, slip their skins off. Cut into quarters, and put the fruit into a sterilized, wide-necked 2-quart jar along with the extra pits, vanilla bean and the wine. Screw the lid on and let sit for a week on the countertop in a dark place.

Other additions you might desire: a pod of star anise, one inch of vanilla pod sliced down the middle, a pinch or two of whole black peppercorns, half a cinnamon stick, a couple of cloves, juniper berries, a couple of blades of mace – the lacy “net” on the outside of nutmeg. Silk Road Spice Merchant is a good place to find spices, including blades of mace.

Store hours: Monday to Saturday 10am - 8pm Sunday 12pm to 6pm Closed Statutory Holidays

1/2 vanilla bean

1/4 c. armagnac (optional)

After four or five months, I remove the fruit from the liquid by straining it through a very fine mesh strainer, reserving the fruit for cocktails or for serving over ice cream. I pour the hooch into a pretty bottle and store it in the fridge to serve to only my “bestest” friends. I serve it over ice – it’s best that way.

Bin 905.

This is a recipe from the wonderful book Salt Sugar Smoke by Diana Henry. You have to love a recipe that figures out a use for peach pits! They lend an almond-like, earthy flavour to the drink.

6 peaches, plus 6 pits from 6 other peaches (12 pits in total)

Place the jars at room temperature on the countertop in a dark spot – leave them alone for two weeks, then twirl the bottles around to distribute the sugar. Leave them alone for another two weeks, then have a wee taste. The taste should be slightly of the fruit but predominantly alcohol-y. You may need to add a bit more sugar; I usually do this, 2 T. at a time, over the next three weeks. Seal the lids on again and leave the bottles for another two weeks. Repeat until the flavour is fruity and sweetened to your taste.

BIN905.COM

Vin des Peches

4 c. (roughly) tart crabapples (cleaned and quartered), black currants, raspberries or sliced rhubarb Bottle of vodka (I use the Prairie brand for its purity and lack of flavour)

Re N op ow en ed Come see the newly renovated

BIN 905

Distinctive Wines and Spirits

2311-4th Street SW 403.261.1600 / order online at bin905.com

Strain the juice into another 1-1/2 quart jar (reserve the peaches to eat, topped with cream), add the sugar and stir well. Pour in enough vodka to fill to the top. Seal and let sit for at least three weeks at room temperature, and up to a year, gently shaking and stirring every week. Serve chilled.

Avec Bistro’s Barkeep Travis Whitney’s Hooch Cocktail:

TGIS: Thank God it’s Summer Put a martini cocktail glass in your freezer or fridge to pre-cool it.

2 oz. Botanist gin 1 oz. black currant hooch, made according to Gail’s hooch-making recipe (Travis says it’s the best black currant liqueur he’s ever tried) 1 t. lemon juice lemon peel, pith removed (garnish)

“Burn” the cocktail glass with St. George’s absinthe by rolling the interior of the glass with a small amount or by spraying with an atomizer.

Pour out the absinthe.

Stir the ingredients together in a chilled shaker glass to avoid watering them by stirring them with ice.

Strain into the “burnt” cocktail glass and garnish with the lemon peel that you’ve first used the outside of to rim the edge of the glass.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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get this walter - your new best friend Hail Caesar! when that Caesar is made with Walter – All Natural Caesar Mix. Necessity is the mother of invention, and Aaron Harowitz and Zack Silverman felt it necessary to invent Walter to get rid of the MSG and high-fructose corn syrup found in other Caesar mix offerings and bring Canadian content back with a naturally crafted mix made in small batches. Walter oozes tomato juice, PEI clam juice and zippy spice notes cut with lemon undertones. Calgarian Walter Chell invented this Canadian cocktail standard 45 years ago and this mix is a worthy tribute to his Bloody Caesar. If summer lends you a little culinary playtime, you might like to try this very cheeky Walter in a Mussel Shirt Soup. Clean 3 lbs. mussels. Heat 4 T. olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add a chopped fennel bulb, chopped onion and 2 garlic cloves, minced. Cook until soft. Add 1 c. Pernod and 1 bottle of Walter, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes and add the mussels. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes, until the mussels open. Discard any that don’t open. Serve in bowls topped with fresh parsley, lemon wedges and big chunks of garlicky croutons.

Walter – All Natural Caesar Mix, $7.99/725 ml, Calgary Co-op Hint: Calgary Co-op is welcoming Walter to Calgary with a special price of $5.49 until July 17. Stock up for Food Day Canada on August 2, a day to celebrate our nation’s food. A Walter Caesar seems the perfect drink to toast the day with.

coolest cooler in the west Extend the entertaining area in your home by turning your backyard into another living space. This Wooden Backyard Cooler will add a casual western style whether you’re lucky enough to have the Rocky Mountains as your backdrop or you just like to gather around the fire pit. The cooler comes with an aluminum liner and screw-cap drain, a bottle opener and handles on each side for easy relocation.

Outlaws like Cool Hand Luke would’ve been chilled by it, so think what it’ll do for today’s in-laws – just keep it loaded and ready.

Wooden Backyard Cooler, $219.99 & up, Barbecues Galore

scoop of imagination with a side of creativity The Original Scoop by Zeroll is the scooper chosen by Village Ice Cream owner Billy Friley for his 14 staff who take turns scooping ice cream from noon to 11 p.m., seven days a week. The scoop is filled with fluid that conducts the heat from your hand and cuts easily through the hard ice cream it’s plunged into. Each month brings new and imaginative flavours, so look forward to summer classics that include Toasted Marshmallow, Root Beer and Lemon-Strawberry-Basil.

Enjoy your ice cream on the “parklet” benches at the downtown location or bring a pint home with your new scooper.

Zeroll – The Original Scoop, $25, Village Ice Cream

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

Karen Anderson

Must-have kitchen stuff

dishing up truly western patterns Pendleton Mills is famous for the woolen blankets it’s been weaving for more than 150 years in its family-run business in Oregon. The iconic patterns were designed for trade with the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni nations. Both the blankets and this Ranch House dinnerware collection will fit perfectly in any Alberta home, especially when a certain 10-day festival of all things cowboy hits town. Stampede barbecue tables set with these dishes will be the most stylish in town. Home Quarter Mercantile owner Joan Longeway curates authentic western home accents, clothing and furniture. Mosey around the shop, pick out your dishes and a Stampede outfit, then treat yourself to a piece of pie in the adjoining Pie Shoppe.

Pendleton Ranch House dinnerware, $369.95 for a 4-place-setting set, Home Quarter Mercantile and Pie Shoppe in Cochrane

linens that last Summer inspires us to brighten our tables, especially when dining in the great outdoors. But summer foods are often messy foods, so to avoid a trash bin filled with paper tablecloths and napkins, get these laminated linens and napkins from Le Jacquard Français. Wipe spills with a damp sponge and wash only occasionally. A brief press on the backside of the cloth restores the special coating and it’s back to the table to gamble on who will be the first to spill something once again. This time the house is on your side. Check out Inspirati’s collection of designs and colours from fresh watermelon to ripe summer eggplant. Fear stains no more.

Le Jacquard Français laminated linens, $195 & up, Inspirati – fine linens for everyday

ketchup 2.0 All ketchups will need a reboot when compared to this Country Ketchup by Stonewall Kitchen. You’ll never look down on people’s culinary tastes if they want to add this ketchup to everything. Add it to your Stampede baked beans, use it as a meatloaf topper, use it as the glue in Sloppy Joes or reignite a shrimp cocktail recipe. Stonewall Kitchen started as a preserve and condiment company inspired by what it grows in its gardens in York, Maine. Quality and down-home taste is its standard. And this has a little chile kick to it. Yes! Stonewall Kitchen Country Ketchup, $9.95/454 g, Savour Fine Foods and Kitchenware

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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one ingredient

Julie Van Rosendaal

Pesto

Bison. The other red meat.

When I was growing up in the ‘80s, learning my way around the kitchen, new “exotic” ingredients were making their way onto grocery store shelves – Calgarians were learning what an authentic Montreal-style bagel was, salsa was becoming as popular as Pac Man, and bottled pesto made us feel like we could toss together “real” Italian pastas at home.

The thick blend of basil, parmesan, garlic and pine nuts loosened up with good-quality olive oil originated in Genoa, Italy, as a means of utilizing and preserving large quantities of fresh basil – and truly, there are few tastier adornments for pizza and pasta. (Pesto is often confused with pistou, a Provençal sauce of basil, garlic and olive oil only with no cheese or nuts.) The term has since come to apply to any number of ingredients pounded together into a thick sauce. Typically, it’s green things, like basil, arugula, fresh herbs or even spinach and kale, but often sun-dried tomatoes, olives, avocado and marinated mushrooms are chopped, whizzed or pounded into an intensely flavourful concoction that’s easily spread, tossed or dipped. Rarely served straight-up, pesto is most often tossed with pasta or used in place of tomato sauce on pizza; it also bumps up a good sandwich, makes a simple roasted salmon filet delicious (simply spread with pesto before sliding it into the oven) and can be thinned with more olive oil, plain yogurt or even water for a quick sauce to dribble over grilled or roasted beef, pork, chicken or fish. Shake a spoonful into vinaigrettes, use it to marinate cubes of feta, or brush it over steamed or grilled corn on the cob. A jar of pesto in the fridge is infinitely useful.

When making your own, measurements are approximate. Adjust the quantities of each ingredient to suit your taste, then add the best olive oil you can find to turn it into a sauce. Pine nuts are traditional in pesto – lightly toasted to keep them creamy – but because they’ve become so pricey lately, it’s perfectly fine to substitute almonds or walnuts. Keep in mind that garlic will intensify as the pesto sits. If yours is potent right from the start, dial it back a bit if you don’t want it to overwhelm the other ingredients.

At Calgary Co-op, we carry range fed, grain

Homemade pesto typically keeps well in the fridge for a couple weeks, but also freezes well. To keep it from discolouring, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top, or lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Many people store theirs in ice cube trays, making it easy to pop out just a dollop. If you don’t have a spare tray (or use an ice machine in your freezer) freeze spoonfuls on a parchment-lined sheet, then transfer the frozen blobs to a freezer bag for longer storage. Or lay a long piece of plastic wrap on the countertop, fold it over lengthwise and drop spoonfuls of pesto every few inches down the middle. Fold the plastic over and roll it into a tube, then twist between the mounds of pesto to separate them, making a kind of chain you can freeze and snip off every time you need to add a hit of summer to your food.

finished Co-op Perfect Bison. Raised locally, without added hormones or antibiotics, this and less fat than beef – all while maintaining a rich, delicious flavour that’s perfect for grilling.

Available exclusively at Calgary Co-op.

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

recipe photos by Julie Van Rosendaal

leaner, healthier choice contains fewer calories

Baby Kale & Basil Pesto 3 c. baby kale 1 c. fresh basil 1/2 c. sliced almonds, lightly toasted 1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed juice of half a lemon 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil freshly ground black pepper

Tear the kale into pieces, discarding any tough stems. Place in the bowl of a food processor along with the basil, almonds, parmesan, garlic and lemon juice and pulse until well mulched.

With the motor running, pour in the olive oil, blending and scraping down the side of the bowl, until well blended and roughly smooth.

Season with pepper.

Serve immediately or refrigerate in a jar for up to a week. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Garlic Scape & Walnut Pesto Those smooth, thin, snakelike stalks that pop out of the ground first in the spring make for wonderfully garlicky pesto. Chop the scapes into 1-inch pieces, discarding the flower bud at the end, before tossing them into the blender.

Basil, Almond & Grizzly Gouda Pesto Out at the cabin with an enormous bag of basil and no parmesan, I made a batch of pesto using a chunk of extra-aged gouda from Sylvan Star instead. It was fabulous.

1/2-1 c. sliced almonds, toasted 2 garlic cloves, peeled good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the basil, gouda, almonds and garlic cloves in the bowl of a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended, adding olive oil to help it along until it has the consistency you like. Store in a jar in the fridge or freeze. Makes about 2 cups.

Sun-dried Tomato & Olive Pesto While basil and pesto most often go handin-hand, many recipes stray from the classic formula. This dense, sun-dried tomato pesto is delicious spread on sandwiches or pizzas or served in a little ramekin on a cheese or charcuterie board.

AVAILABLE LOCALLY THROUGHOUT ALBERTA BREWERY LOCATED AT 310 OLD CANMORE RD. THEGRIZZLYPAW.COM

3/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil 1/2 c. chopped, pitted black olives 1/2 c. packed fresh basil leaves 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put everything but the oil into a food processor and pulse until roughly or smoothly puréed, pouring the oil in through the feed tube to help it along. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

OUR SUMMER COUPLE!

3 c. grated Grizzly gouda

1/2 c. (packed) fresh basil

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil or cold-pressed canola oil

©

4 c. (packed) fresh basil leaves

3-4 fresh garlic scapes, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 c. walnuts, toasted

BREWED FRESH IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES.

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, reserving some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Add the oil in a thin stream until the mixture is the texture you want it to be. Taste and add salt and pepper if it needs it. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Pesto Orzo Salad Pesto makes a bright, summery dressing for pasta salads – a delicious alternative to the usual vinaigrette. Orzo is small, rice-shaped pasta.

1-1/2 c. dry orzo or other small pasta 2 c. (packed) baby spinach and/or basil 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 4 oz. soft goat cheese or feta, crumbled 2-4 T. basil pesto extra-virgin olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot of salted water, cook the orzo for 10 minutes or according to package directions, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain well in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop it from cooking. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Add the spinach or basil, tomatoes and goat cheese (alternatively, save the goat cheese to add at the end if you don’t want to incorporate it into the salad, which creates a creamier sauce), then add the pesto, a good glug of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat the salad, then serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serves 6. continued on page 20 CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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fresh & modern

one ingredient Pesto continued from page 19

Porchetta-style Roast Pork with Arugula Pesto Pork shoulder is a cheap and flavourful yet under-used cut of meat. A long, slow roasting time breaks down tough connective tissues, making the roast meltingly tender. It’s delicious dribbled with bright, peppery arugula pesto, which provides an acidic foil to the rich meat.

Willow Park Village 10816 Macleod Trail South | 403.278.1220

Compleat Cook Cooking Classes

Pork: 1 4-5 lb. pork shoulder 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed

3400 – 114 Avenue SE | 403.253.4831

1 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary

www.compleatcook.ca

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 c. (packed) baby arugula 1/2 c. (packed) basil leaves 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan 2 garlic cloves, peeled zest and juice of half a lemon 1/2 - 1 c. good-quality olive oil salt

On a cutting board, pat the pork dry with a paper towel, then drizzle with oil and rub all over to coat. Rub with garlic, then sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper and rub them all over too.

Preheat the oven to 450°F, or preheat your grill to high. Put the pork in a roasting pan and slide it into the oven, or grill it all over directly on the grill grate, turning with tongs, until nicely golden on all sides. If you’re doing it in the oven, roast for 20-30 minutes, then turn the heat down to 300°F. If you browned it on the grill, turn the oven on to 300°F, transfer the pork to a roasting pan or baking dish and put it in the oven.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

To make the pesto, combine everything but the olive oil and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until well blended and chopped. With the motor running, add the olive oil through the feed tube until it has a saucy consistency. Add a pinch of salt if it needs it, and dribble the pesto over the porchetta. Serves 8.

canola or olive oil

Arugula Pesto:

20

Cover and roast for 3 -1/2 to 4 hours, until very tender. If you think of it, take the lid off when you have about an hour left to go. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest 15 minutes.

Roasted Halibut with Prosciutto and Pesto A quick smear of pesto and a thin slice of prosciutto elevate a simple halibut filet to new heights. These filets can be assembled ahead of time and slid into the oven when everyone’s ready to eat.

4 halibut filets 3 T. basil pesto 4 thin slices prosciutto olive oil, for cooking salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pat the halibut dry with paper towel. Spread each filet with basil pesto, then wrap in a slice of prosciutto. Brush each with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Set a large ovenproof skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and cook the wrapped filets seam-side down in the skillet for 2-3 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Slide the skillet into the oven for about 10 minutes, until the fish is firm and the edge flakes with a fork, but the meat is still moist in the middle. Serves 4.

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feeding people

A collection

7 Salads for Supper

Specialty Foods Olive Oils Balsamics Catering

Olives Deli Meats &Cheeses Gift Baskets

Hot &Cold Lunches

Cappuccino Dessert Bar

In the summer – should we have one – we often want to eat lighter meals, and a big salad for supper just hits the spot.

‘Tis the season for a bounty of delicious, fresh local produce at our farmers’ markets, fresh fruits from B.C., and bits of grilled – or other – protein, so salad for supper is easy to pull together. You could even think of it as summer’s “soup.” Here are seven salads that we love to eat in summer, usually with toothsome, crusty bread.

1. From City Palateer, Janet Henderson

2. From City Palateer, Liz Tompkins

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint

Kale Salad with Grilled Shrimp or Chicken

In the summer, my kids and I are often at our neighbourhood lake and the day is spent snacking. When dinnertime comes and it’s hot weather, we want a light dinner and crave fresh flavours. My favourite summer salad, which my kids cannot get enough of, is watermelon feta salad with mint. I grow mint in my garden. Once the mint takes hold, it grows like a weed, so I look for recipes to use it in. This one is from a web site called The Shiksa in the Kitchen, theshiksa.com, (June 2011). I also look for recipes my boys can help with. This recipe gets them helping from the beginning, picking mint.

I like a brightly coloured salad with lots of ingredients that are really good for me, and I buy organic whenever I can. Any kind of protein would work, but my favourite is shrimp or chicken. This salad holds well into the next day, so if you make too much you can have it for lunch.

1 7-8 lb. seedless watermelon, chilled 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil 3 limes, juiced 1-1/2 t. salt 3/4 t. black pepper 1 c. fresh mint leaves, chopped 1-1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (goat or sheep milk feta is best)

This salad is best made just prior to serving, so prepare it not more than one hour before eating.

Cut the rind from the watermelon, then chop the melon into 1-inch chunks. Place the chunks in a colander to drain as you chop.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper to create a dressing.

Visit Lina’s for the real ItalIan experience.

2202 Centre St NE 403.277.9166 www.linasmarket.com

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

1 bunch kale 1/2 head radicchio, chopped or slivered 4 Brussels sprouts, slivered 1 head Belgian endive, sliced crosswise 1 avocado, cubed handful dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots handful slivered toasted almonds for garnish 2 - 3 T. chopped cilantro (optional) grilled shrimp or chicken sliced into manageable pieces to top off the salad – leftovers work great!

Combine the kale, radicchio and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Drizzle some of your favourite vinaigrette over the mixture, and with a clean hand, massage the vinaigrette gently into the kale mixture. This process softens the kale and spreads around the vinaigrette very evenly.

Add the endive, avocado and cranberries or apricot and toss well. Drizzle in a bit more vinaigrette if you like. Plate the salad and top with slivered almonds and the chicken or shrimp.

Serves 4 for supper.

Place the watermelon in a large salad bowl and add the mint leaves. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat. Add the crumbled feta to the salad bowl and stir gently to integrate the cheese into the salad. Serve immediately.

Serves 2 adults and 2 kids for supper.

Vinaigrette

(The salt and the citrus in the dressing will activate the juices in the watermelon, so a lot of liquid will collect in the bottom of the salad bowl. This is normal, and does not affect the flavour. To avoid having liquid transfer to your plate, serve the salad with a slotted spoon.)

1 t. salt

1 c. good-quality olive oil 1/2 c. sherry vinegar 1 t. Dijon mustard 2-3 T. dark maple syrup pinch of fresh or dried thyme (optional)

Whisk all ingredients together well; the extra vinaigrette stores well in the fridge to dress future salads.

Treat yourself to a BBQ with the most delectable sausages

O C S S

4. From City Palateer, Kathy Richardier

“Kitchen Sink” Salad with Poached Eggs

All our products are FREE of: Binders / Fillers / Gluten / Sugar / Colouring And have NO added: MSG / Nitrites / Hormones / Antibiotics

I don’t think anyone eats more salad as supper than I do. Invariably my salads are composed of whatever happens to be hanging around the fridge, but they always contain lots of varieties of greens, with additions of fruit, protein and, likely, starch. This is my “recipe” tossed together in a large bowl:

Our sausages are available at the following locations: Amaranth Whole Foods – Arbour Lake, Calgary Blush Lane Organic Markets – Calgary & Edmonton Community Natural Foods – Calgary The Cookbook Co. Cooks – Calgary Market 17 – Calgary Mrs. Green’s Natural Market – Calgary Old Country Sausage Shop – Raymond, AB Planet Organic – Calgary & Edmonton Springbank Cheese Company – Marda Loop, Calgary

Greens: kale torn up small – I love the “tough” crispness of kale, but only in small pieces – other leafy lettuces, peppery arugula, radicchio, Belgian endive, pea shoot tops and Co-op stores now sell locally grown micro-greens.

3. From City Palateer, Gail Norton

Marinated Slivered Vegetable Salad Marinating garlic in olive oil mellows it, then adding a variety of slivered vegetables gradually lets them soften in stages and they contribute their flavours to the whole. Variations are endless – grate a zucchini, sliver a red pepper and raw Jerusalem artichokes, whatever the bounty of the season brings to your crisper. Sliver some poached squid or other favourite cooked protein, like shrimp, chicken, duck or beef.

Stir together in a large bowl and let sit at least 30 minutes: 1 large garlic clove, minced

Vegetables: leftover veg, like asparagus, potatoes, roasted cauliflower, are always good in a supper salad. Raw sugar snap peas, canned corn. I get mini-San Marzano tomatoes from Lina’s Italian Market, halve and roast them, and toss them into the mix. Sweet red, orange, yellow peppers chopped into small pieces. You get the drift... leftover veg and whatever other veg you love. Don’t forget the avocado – it tastes good and is good for you.

Nuts and dried fruit: I always have a collection of toasted walnuts, almonds and pecans on hand and toss them into the mix along with dried cranberries.

Starch: I usually have croutons on hand, so I toss a handful into the salad for crunch. Often you can find them at your fave bakery, made from the unsold bread. It’s easy to make your own by cutting old bread into cubes, tossing them in a bit of olive oil and some dried herbs, then toasting them in the oven.

1/4 finely slivered preserved lemon rind, found at Mediterranean groceries

Fresh fruit: I like to cut up apples and add them to the mix.

1/4 c. bold, flavourful olive oil

Protein: if I have flavourful fromage bleu on hand, that goes on top after the salad is tossed, along with one or two poached eggs, sometimes fried, if I don’t feel like fussing with the poaching. If I have grilled or otherwise cooked chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, duck or lobster on hand, I use it instead of eggs by slicing it and laying it artistically across the top.

pinch of salt

• Add to the bowl 1 basket of ripe cherry tomatoes, halved. Stir to coat with the oil mixture and let marinate while you slice onion.

• Add to the bowl 1/2 red onion very thinly sliced. Stir to coat and let marinate while you slice the fennel bulb.

• Add to the bowl the juice of 1 lemon and stir well.

• Add to the bowl 1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced. Stir to coat and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.

• Add to the bowl slivers of your chosen protein, if using, and let marinate 10 to 15 minutes.

On a large serving platter, lay out 4 cups of your favourite greens, torn into bite- size pieces, and pile the marinated vegetables and protein, if using, on top of the greens. Drizzle the juices around the lettuce leaves. Serves 4 for supper.

www.oldcountrysausages.com

FOR DELIVERY DATES OF ON-LINE ORDERS PLEASE CALL 1 403 752 3006 OR VISIT WWW.OLDCOUNTRYSAUSAGES.COM. PICK UP IS AT THE WILD ROSE BREWERY PARKING LOT.

new SummeR HouRS Brunch: Sat – Sun 10 am – 2 pm Lunch: Tues – Fri 11 am - 2 pm Dinner: Tues - Sun 5 pm -10 pm

Re-opening SummeR 2014

Sun - Wed 9 am - 6 pm Thurs - Sat 9 am – 8 pm

Vinaigrette: often, I just sprinkle on some salt and fresh ground pepper, then walnut oil or perhaps blood orange-infused olive oil and white or red balsamic vinegar or a fruit-based vinegar and toss. Sometimes I make a vinaigrette with a grainy mustard base, lemon juice or vinegar, a splash of maple syrup, salt and pepper and a luscious, fruity olive oil. Sometimes I whisk jam into the dressing in place of the maple syrup for that hit of sweetness.

Pretty colour: in the season of the pomegranate, there’s nothing as pretty as pomegranate seeds flung overtop of your salad.

Such a good feed! I think I’ll make one right now. Never does everything listed go into one salad, but lots of it does. And sometimes, if there’s too much salad, I have marinated salad for lunch the next day with fresh ingredients tossed in.

Fish Creek Provincial Park 15979 Bow Bottom Trail SE | 403.476.1310 www.bvrrestaurant.com

RancheYYC

continued on page 24 CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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feeding people 7 Salads for Supper continued from page 23

6. From SAIT chef Ian Cowley in SAIT’s beautiful Seasons cookbook

Asparagus, Broccolini and Duck Salad Chef Cowley’s recipe says it serves 4 saladplate-size salads, so we figure it’ll serve 2 as a supper salad. Barbecued duck is easily found in Chinatown.

1/2 c. dry sherry 1/4 c. lime juice 1/4 c. orange juice

5. From City Palateer, Ellen Kelly

Cajun Chicken Liver Salad

1 T. soy sauce

1 lb. fresh chicken livers

1 head broccolini

1 c. panko bread crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)

1 Chinese barbecued duck, meat removed from carcass and chunked (or shredded)

1 T. Cajun spice (recipe below)

duck skin, grilled until crispy, then cut into strips

2 eggs

1 T. black sesame seeds

1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. toasted walnut pieces

1 c. flour

To make the dressing, combine the sherry, lime juice, orange juice and spice powder and boil over medium heat until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil, walnut oil, soy sauce, sugar and ginger. Whisk to combine.

mixed salad greens honey caper vinaigrette (recipe below) salad garnish – carrots, celery, red pepper, fennel, tomato, red cabbage, red onion, etc.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Trim the livers and cut the larger ones in half. Mix the panko with the Cajun spice, whisk eggs with the milk. Dredge the livers in the flour, then in the egg, then in the panko and spice. Heat the oil and butter over medium-high and fry the livers in batches, about 3 to 5 minutes per batch. The livers should be rare inside. Finish them in the oven until just pink inside, about 7 to 10 minutes.

For each person, serve 4 or 5 hot livers over the salad greens tossed with the vinaigrette and garnish with fresh vegetables. Leftover livers are great in a sandwich. Serves 4 for supper.

1 bunch green and/or white asparagus

Trim the asparagus and broccolini into smaller, bite-size pieces. Blanch in plenty of boiling, salted water until tender, drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well, pat dry with a tea towel, and combine with the duck in a large mixing bowl. Add only enough dressing to coat the ingredients when tossed, but doesn’t collect at the bottom of the bowl.

Serve sprinkled with duck skin, sesame seeds and walnuts. Serves 2 for supper.

7. Adapted from a recipe in Chile Pepper magazine, March 2014

2 bay leaves

1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 t. each black pepper, rosemary, oregano, chiles

4 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 t. each white pepper, garlic powder, celery salt, ground allspice

fresh ground black pepper

2 T. sea salt, divided 8 oz. Swiss cheese, cubed 1 c. toasted walnuts 2 c. baby spinach or other favourite greens

Honey Caper Vinaigrette:

grilled shrimp or chicken to garnish (optional)

2 large garlic cloves

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the cauliflower with 2 T. olive oil, 1 t. salt and a big grind of pepper, then spread it out on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Remove and allow to rest 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 T. olive oil, 1 t. salt and a big grind of pepper.

1 t. capers 1/2 t. salt 1 t. each Dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

2 T. minced ginger

2 t. each salt, cayenne, paprika

Combine in a food processor and grind to a powdery consistency, then store in a jar or resealable plastic bag. Makes about 1/4 c.

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1 t. sugar

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Walnuts and Swiss Cheese

Cajun Spice:

6920 Macleod Trail South • 403.252.4365 • www.tangobistro.com •

1 t. each sesame oil and walnut oil

I’ve made more converts to chicken livers with this recipe than I can count. Use more or less Cajun spice, depending on how spicy you like things. The panko bread crumbs give the livers a wonderful texture.

1 T. each olive oil and butter

Savour both the food and the company – this is what life is all about!

1 t. Chinese 6-spice powder

olive oil to taste, about 1/2 c.

In a bowl, crush the garlic and capers with the salt. Whisk in the mustard, honey, lemon juice, pepper and vinegar. Whisk the oil in gradually until emulsified. This keeps well in the fridge for many salads! Makes 3/4 c.

In a large salad bowl, toss the warm cauliflower, cheese and walnuts with the oil mixture until well coated. Place the spinach or other greens on two or three dinner plates and top with the cauliflower mixture. If you wish, garnish with grilled shrimp or chicken. Serves 2 or 3 for supper.

And one more, just because....

Roasted Shrimp Salad This is an adaption of a salsa recipe in a new book called Back to Butter, A Traditional Foods Cookbook, Nourishing Recipes Inspired by our Ancestors, by Molly Chester and Sandy Schrecengost. This salsa recipe looked so good, we thought it would make a great dinner salad.

For the shrimp: 1/2 lb. 16/20 count shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed 1 T. coconut oil (or other cooking oil) 1/4 t. ground coriander 1/2 t. sea salt 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Make the shrimp by smearing a small baking pan with the oil, then add the shrimp to the pan and sprinkle it with the coriander, salt and pepper. Toss well and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, re-toss the shrimp then transfer it to a plate to cool.

For the salad: 1 c. halved grape tomatoes 1/4 c. each small-diced yellow pepper, peeled, seeded and small-diced cucumber and minced red onion 1 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 T. each fresh lime juice and extra-virgin olive oil 2 t. raw or regular honey 1 t. minced garlic that’s mashed to a paste with some salt 1/4 t. ground coriander 1 t. sea salt 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper 1 c. medium diced avocado mixed greens of your choice

Combine the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, red onion and parsley in a salad bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, coriander and salt and pepper.

Pour over the vegetables and toss gently to combine. Add the shrimp to the salad along with the avocado. Toss gently to combine.

Spread the greens out on a platter, top with the salad and serve immediately.

Serves 2 for supper.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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the sunday project

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Whether it’s a special occasion or just getting together with family and friends, why not make it easy?

Great cuts of meat for the grill, marinades, appetizers and fresh bread are just a few of the delicious items available at Willow Park Village!

And don’t forget about our award winning restaurants!

www.wpv.ca

Making ice cream

You may know who Marcus Purtzki is – he works at FARM restaurant and made a significant culinary contribution to our lucky city with his Made by Marcus brand of ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and macarons. We eat so much of his good ice cream, we thought he could teach us how to make our own in anticipation of our short but intense summer.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream 2 c. whole milk (I use Vital Greens 3.5% milk) 1 T. tapioca starch 1 c. whipping cream (I use Vital Greens 35% cream) 3/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar 3 T. water 1/4 c. butter, cut into chunks 5 egg yolks 1 t. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 1 t. salt

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Make a slurry by whisking a small amount of milk and the tapioca starch in a small bowl.

Whisk together the remaining milk, cream and the slurry in a medium-sized bowl.

Heat the 3/4 c. sugar and water in a mediumsized pot on high heat. Once the sugar caramelizes and develops a dark amber colour – 370°F. on a candy thermometer – remove it from the heat and add the butter followed by the milk mixture and stir to incorporate. Return to medium-high heat while constantly whisking.

Bring up to a simmer, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, put the 2 T. sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and 1 t. salt in a medium bowl and mix well.

Temper the egg mixture with the milk mixture by slowing adding the milk to the egg mixture while constantly stirring.

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Add the mixture back to the pot and slowly heat up to 180°F. on a candy thermometer. Cook the ice cream base until thickened. Pour it into a bowl to cool, then chill it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Ideally, let it “age” in the fridge overnight. When ready to make your ice cream, pour the base into the ice cream maker and make it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Makes about 4 cups.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 2 c. whole milk 1 T. tapioca starch 1-1/2 c. whipping cream 3/4 c. sugar 5 egg yolks 1 t. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste pinch of salt

Make a slurry by whisking a small amount of milk with the tapioca starch in a small bowl.

Add the remaining milk, cream and the slurry to a medium sized pot and heat on medium-high heat while constantly whisking. Bring up to a simmer, then allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, put the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl and mix well.

Temper the egg mixture with the milk mixture by slowing adding the milk to the egg mixture while constantly stirring. Add the mixture back to the pot and slowly heat up to 180°F. on a candy thermometer and cook until thickened.

Pour the base into a bowl and chill it for at least 4 hours. Ideally, let it “age” in the fridge overnight. When ready to make your ice cream, pour the base into the ice cream maker and make it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes about 4 cups.

Variations: steep additional flavours – such as Earl Grey tea, cardamom or herbs – in the milk before adding it to the other ingredients.

Notes from Marcus: Some good ice cream makers: Cuisinart ICE-30BC (freezer bowl style) – available at appliance stores Cuisinart ICE- 100 (compressor style) – available at specialty food stores Lello 4080 Musso Ice Cream Machine (restaurant quality) – available online, such as Amazon And for utter simplicity, the Donvier will do the job – available in kitchen supply stores

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

1. Salted caramel ice cream ingredients.

2. Breaking eggs.

3. Separating the eggs.

4. Whisking together tapioca starch with cream and milk.

5. Sugar and water start to caramelize.

6. Add butter to caramelized sugar.

7. Cream whisked well with caramelized sugar/butter.

8. Salt into egg yolks.

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9. Temper yolks with hot mixture.

10. Ice cream base into ice cream maker.

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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Casual Summer Eats in Your Summer in the City story and photos by Shelley Boettcher

The perfect summer urban food tootle should be cool and casual, loaded with flavour, yet not too expensive so you can go to lots of places. With that in mind, here are a dozen seasonal food favourites that aim to keep your temperature down and your belly full.

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Pop’s Dairy Bar, Hot Dogs

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Sidewalk Citizen Bakery Deli Salad

1024 Bellevue Avenue SE Open spring, summer and fall, Kevin Thompson, who says his secret to success is Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, operates Pop’s Dairy Bar in Inglewood. He splits the dogs, grills them, and then pops them into locally crafted baguette-style buns. Add cheddar or salsa, or make your inner 10-year-old happy with swooshes of ketchup and mustard.

About $5.95, depending on the size and toppings.

338 - 10th street NW You can buy great bread at Sidewalk Citizen in Kensington. But you can also buy a beautiful salad made with organic veggies, fruits, herbs and grains. Combinations vary, but you can expect things like roasted beets and quinoa. Starting at about $2.75 per 100 grams.

Los Chilitos Taco and Tequila House, Tacos and Beer

789 Northmount Drive NW Summer and drive-ins go together like hamburgers and ketchup. Located in northwest Calgary, CB Drive Inn has been a favourite of local high school kids for generations. With two big beef patties, the Master Burger is always a favourite. Doll it up with cheese and bacon, and then sit on the cement tables to nosh in the sun. Starts at about $3.85.

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1309 - 17th Avenue SW Calgarians crave summer. Mexicans own summer. You can too, with some patio time at Los Chilitos on 17th Ave. SW. Order Mexican beer – Dos Equis Lager, Sol, Pacifico, Negra Modelo or Corona – plus a plate or two of tacos – chorizo is especially popular. Go early to get a table out front, then just sit and watch the world go by. About $14 for a platter of four tacos, $6 for a beer.

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Sugar Creek Kettle Corn, Cowboy Popcorn

cowboypopcorn.com I can’t make it through a farmers’ market or festival without buying “Cowboy” popcorn from Sugar Creek Kettle Corn. A bit salty, a bit sweet, it’s totally addictive. This year, the Sugar Creek family offers new flavours, including chocolate and caramel. Look for them at the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Crossroads Farmers’ Market and myriad other markets.

A small bag starts at about $4.

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Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters, Coffee Growlers

Various locations, philandsebastian.com In a nod to the local craft brewery scene, the team behind Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters puts cold brewed coffee in growlers – cute, fat-bellied brown glass jugs. Each jug holds eight cups of pure, unsweetened, cold coffee, guaranteed to keep you wide awake at the office after a late night on the patio. About $22.

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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CB Drive Inn, Master Burger

Village Ice Cream, Tati’s Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream

431 - 10th Avenue SE Salted caramel is Village Ice Cream’s most popular flavour year-round. But in the summer, people swarm the shop to get their hands on Tati’s Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream. Owner Billy Friley named this hot-weather favourite after his wife, Tatiana. The team makes it by roasting mini marshmallows in big pans. Then, when the marshmallows are nice and toasty and the gooey insides are still warm, they’re dumped into the warm cream. “They instantly dissolve, giving the ice cream lots of toasted marshmallow flavour,” says Friley. Best of all, you don’t need to fuss with a campfire to make it. About $9 per pint.

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Tazza Deli and Grill, Chicken Shish Tawouk Salad

1105 - 1st Avenue NE Maybe don’t eat this salad before a hot date or a business meeting. Its garlicky goodness might not be the good luck charm you need for romantic or financial success. But when it comes to culinary success, this popular Lebanese salad hits all the high notes with fresh vegetables, flavourful chicken and a price that’ll leave change rattling in your pocket.

Show up early if you go for lunch – we aren’t the only ones who love this place. $11.99.

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www.bundtz.com

403.455.2244

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AUTHENTIC Italian sausage is BBQ heaven!

Find it in the heart of INGLEWOOD

Quality meats, natural spices and Old-World recipes. That’s authentic Italian.

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wholesale & Retail • 1308 9th ave. se • 403.264.6452

Peasant Cheese Picnic

1249 Kensington Road NW Head to Peasant Cheese in Kensington for gourmet picnic treats – a baguette, olives, charcuterie, marcona almonds and, of course, cheese. The Dauphin’s bloomy rind will make brie fans melt. Or try comte, florette or picobello. Then find a picnic table and dig in. French accent not required. Prices vary.

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Ta b e r c o r n

At a parking lot, or a farmers’ market, near you!

August means pickup trucks in parking lots, loaded with bags of fresh Taber corn from the town of the same name in southern Alberta. Ask for the certificate of authenticity, to ensure the corn is actually grown in Alberta, and not trucked in from the US. Yes, you can taste the difference. Prices depend on availability.

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Fiasco Gelato, Watermelon-Mint Sorbetto

fiascogelato.ca James Boettcher, the guy behind Fiasco Gelato, is no relation to me, but my family would claim him as a long-lost cousin if they could. Fiasco’s two food trucks – Fiasco and Bambino – will be very active during the summer, so lots of opportunities to try the watermelon-mint sorbetto, a cool way to beat summer’s heat. To take home, look for it at Calgary Co-op, $7.99 for a 19-oz. jar.

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Those Little Donuts

Calgary Stampede If you’re a health nut, you may not be so crazy about these. But if you’re a kid, or a kid at heart, you probably love Those Little Donuts. Covered in sugar and cinnamon, they’ve been part of Calgary’s culinary culture for 46 years. Ken Maier and his son Nathan have owned the company for the past five years – they only sell their treats at the major summer fairs across western Canada, including the Calgary Stampede. Skip the Stampede’s scorpion pizza this year, and nosh on these instead. About $4 for a dozen, three dozen for $10. The doughnuts, that is, not the scorpions. ✤ Shelley Boettcher is a food and wine writer and co-author of Uncorked: The Definitive Guide to Alberta’s Best Wines Under $25.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

29

Calgary’s Green

Growth Spurt

A snapshot of our food sustainability YYC Growers and Distributors, photo by Karen Anderson

by Karen Anderson

Families have yardsticks to capture the leaps and bounds of children’s growth spurts. Pencil marks turn into railroad tracks on a wall or kitchen doorjamb.

The green side of Calgary’s food scene is growing in the same way, but its core elements of local food production, processing, distribution, access, consumption and food waste recovery are tricky things to measure. Calgary Eats! (formerly The Calgary Food Committee) spent two years talking to 360 organizations and 1,400 people to gather the baseline data necessary to track progress towards a vision plan called imagineCALGARY. That plan set goals for how our city needs to change so that future generations will enjoy living here.

Milestones on its growth chart towards food sustainability are reported annually at the Calgary Eats! open house. Here’s a snapshot of how some members of our food community are making their marks on Calgary’s sustainability growth spurt.

Bee eduction, photo by Karen Anderson

Up on the roof

Rooftop garden at Catch, photo courtesy The Hyatt Regency

An aerial view of Calgary this summer will show several green dots emerging like lotus leaves from an otherwise tarmac-topped cityscape of towers. There’s a variety of reasons to create green space on a rooftop.

sheltered corner for two beehives. He realizes the volume of food produced here will never meet his restaurants’ needs, but treasures the opportunity he and his staff have to grow some of their own ingredients.

Verge Permaculture, for example, worked with The Mustard Seed to install a rooftop garden to feed souls along with bellies. The Mustard Seed’s clients, who struggle with homelessness issues, report finding that time on the roof tending the vegetables is a haven from the streets below, and many of them appreciate a chance to contribute to the meals they’re fed at the shelter.

Catch isn’t the only business buzzing with the energy of creating a greener food system. Gael Blackhall of the Calgary Horticultural Society reports that both the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association and West Canadian Graphics have rooftop gardens that will be completed this year, and the buzz doesn’t stop there.

Over at downtownfood, a popular restaurant with modern-bistro food, a collaborative rooftop ecosystem has become an experimental urban agriculture project for chef Darren MacLean and his restaurant’s partners, Greengate Garden Centres and Leaf Ninjas. Last year they produced 40 kinds of vegetables and herbs as well as honey from two beehives that were sponsored by Apiaries and Bees for Communities.

This year there are plans to add a greenhouse.

On a recent visit to Catch Restaurant and The Oyster Bar, I was led by executive chef Kyle Groves through multiple levels of kitchens, onto a service elevator and up one last flight of stairs to the roof of the Hyatt Regency. His tales of last year’s hailstorms, heat and drought had him sounding like a truly devoted green thumb.

Catch’s 500 sq. ft. garden of raised beds see Groves adding more hours to his already long days, but his step has a spring in it as he dances from raised beds to pots to a

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Sky hive-ways Ox and Angela, UNA Pizza + Wine, City Palate, Calgary Food Tours, The Fairmont Palliser, Hyatt Regency Hotel with Catch and The Oyster Bar, Sunnyside Market, PEL Recycling, and Intrinsi Osteopath are all businesses sponsoring the Bees for Communities (B4C) program of Apiaries and Bees for Communities (ABC).

Eliese Watson of ABC uses the 18 hives sponsored by these nine companies to mentor more than 20 apprentice beekeepers. She’s brought 400 hives to Calgary for hobbyist backyard beekeepers to enjoy and keeps track of the health of them all. Bees do well in cities like Calgary where pesticide use has decreased and there is rich biodiversity in plant life. Honeybee pollination is responsible for one-third of all food products, so their love of the flowers on our vegetables and fruit trees is a major boon to the health of our city’s gardens. The city, in turn, is working on adding more trees for the bees. continued on page 34

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Calgary’s Green

Growth Spurt

continued from page 32

River Cafe owner Sal Howell tours guests around the restaurant’s many garden planters, photo by Karen Anderson

Chef Andrew Hewson shows guests through the garden and “bubble” greenhouse at SAIT’s Jackson’s Garden, photo by Karen Anderson

Meanwhile, Adrian Buckley of Big Sky Permaculture observed that a huge amount of food was going to waste each year when fruit fell to the ground from trees already in existence throughout the city. He organized The Calgary Urban Harvest Project as a volunteer initiative that harvests thousands of kilograms of fruit annually and splits it between the fruit tree owners, the volunteer pickers and the Calgary Food Bank.

Another socially conscious initiative that supports the Calgary Food Bank is Grow Calgary. This 11-acre site is Canada’s largest urban farm complete with a seed farm, seed bank and apiary. It goes a long way to address issues of food security and access and is run by 500 volunteers who grow 14 kinds of vegetables to round out the non-perishable items in the Calgary Food Bank’s food hampers.

Going with the flow

downtown food's rooftop garden, photo courtesy Darren Maclean

Calgarians may not be able to grow every kind of fruit tree, and the city is known for its short growing season, but Scott Weir, founder of Growing Gardeners, is challenging the when, what and how of growing. Weir is a forerunner in aquaponics – a combination of food hydroponics and fish aquaculture engineered to create yearround self-contained growing units. Weir has grown for Fine Diner restaurant in the past and is currently working on a commercial-scale installation called Earthly Power Aquaponics Ltd. Aquaponics technology can easily be experienced at MARKET Restaurant, whose supply of micro greens is produced using this system.

Going to ground

Charcut's garden and bounty, photos courtesy John Jackson

Tree tops worth climbing – Edible City Orchards and Harvests Nicole Schaefer of the city’s Office of Sustainability reports that there are four pilot program orchards in a public private partnership spearheaded by the REAP business association. Stephanie Jackman of REAP says, “Our community orchards program is expanding from 50 trees planted last year to 150 this year.

Donors include Naaco Food Truck, Leela Eco Spa, Conscious Brands and Greengate Garden Centre, and orchards are created in food insecure areas of Calgary.”

Calgary Eats! says that food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe, healthy and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Several Calgary neighbourhoods do not meet these requirements so those are the areas that the orchards are targeting.

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Weir and MARKET aren’t the only ones to apply the latest technological advances to growing food in our harsh climate. SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism’s culinary school has had a garden – Jackson’s Garden – since 2009, and together with Applied Research and Innovation Services, has developed a greenhouse that uses soap bubble insulation, biodiesel fuel from cooking oil waste and solar panels to grow food off-grid year-round. SAIT’s commitment to growing food meant hiring a professional gardener to tend Jackson’s Garden each summer and this summer that gardener will be Adam Weaver, a former Leaf Ninja with extensive WWOOFer – World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms – experience. CHARCUT will share the expense of Weaver, having him also tend its huge off-site garden that provides fresh for summer and “put by” for winter.

River Café and Boxwood have found an ingenious way to grow on their restaurants’ grounds. They have a sequential system for substituting the fully harvested plantfilled container gardens that surround the sister restaurants with lush replacements that are grown off-site. Community Natural Foods grows foods at each location and invites patrons to harvest whatever’s in season. Rouge Restaurant has extensive gardens and extends its season with the help of two on-site greenhouses. continued on page 36

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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Calgary’s Green CKUA SummerFest

Connecting Alberta Through

Music & The ARTS

Growth Spurt

continued from page 34

City folks without gardens or even backyards need not be green with envy over the plots of others. In 2009, there were only four public community gardens. Now there are 74 public (with 36 on city land) and 67 private (having a defined user group) sites, with 25 more being developed this season. The Calgary Horticultural Society has a community garden network and coordinates both how to “find a garden” and how to “start a garden” at the calhort.org site.

Even non-food businesses are hiring designers to remodel their land use and dedicate it to food production. A fun example is an installation done by Leaf Ninjas for New Urban Developments in Ramsay, which developed a new green space and food forest out of a bland parking lot. Leaf Ninjas’ Luke Kimmel says that other businesses were so impressed with this meaningful transformation that Leaf Ninjas’ staff is now being asked to consult on several other conversions, and he believes the trend will grow.

Good gardeners know that nothing will grow well in lousy soil. Mike Dorion of Living Soil Solutions treats yards and gardens with fish waste liquids, worm castings and compost applications. Compost diverts waste from our landfills and takes organic matter full circle to replenish the earth.

CAPTURE YOUR FESTIVAL MOMENT TO WIN! Send us your favourite summer festival moment and you could win a Sony camera package courtesy of McBain Camera.

Each submission will be used to create a digital collage.

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Coming around again There are 22 food businesses certified by Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Food Service (LEAF) in Calgary. Composting and recycling are a huge part of these businesses’ success in minimizing their environmental impact. The city just applied for a $133 million dollar P3Canada grant (public and private partnership grants to fund public infrastructure improvements) from the federal government. If Mayor Nenshi and council are successful, they will use those funds to build an organic composting facility that will see 80 per cent of the city’s waste diverted from landfills.

A reduction in wasted food is another way to increase the sustainability of our city.

But why is so much food being wasted? Maybe lack of cooking skills accounts for so much food ending up as garbage.

Consumption: the preservation of the species Cooking classes and heritage food skills workshops are on the rise in Calgary and that makes sense. After all, what’s the point in growing all this food if nobody knows what to do with it? Ultimately, food is vital to life and it’s the preparation and sharing of food that has nourished our past, but what of our future?

Discover your inner chef this fall...

William McDonough, author of The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability – Designing for Abundance, says “food has a future – and we have a future – when we design our cities from the soil up.” He believes that we can design cities with a positive regenerative relationship between natural systems and human communities.

Tracing connections between food and our city’s clean-air rooftops, down through its green treetops to its flowing waterways and fertile soil is one way to understand our city’s food sustainability. Being thoughtful about the food we put on our plates and where that food comes from will help decide our future. Calgary’s story could be one of abundance.

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

Rob and Michelle Avis of Verge Permaculture, Gavin Young Photography

Date:

June 5, 2014

AD:

Carter

Client:

Opimian

AM:

Sinclair

Docket:

4000

Version:

v04

Application:

Print, 4.625"w x 11.75"h, 4C

Media:

City Palate

PLEASE NOTE This file has been optimized for its intended application only. For uses other than intended please contact Seed for alternate formats.

Green Collar Workers Green collar careers are sprouting up thanks to the fertile minds of some bright green entrepreneurs. There are green services for hire in Calgary – these are some examples of green career paths.

SPIN farming with YYC Growers and Distributors In 2012 there were four SPIN farmers in Calgary. This year there are 12. SPIN farmers grow food using Small Plot INtensive methods on borrowed pieces of land in urban settings. YYC Growers and Distributors is a new not-for-profit alliance, recent recipients of a Take Action Grant from The Arusha Centre to build a centralized refrigeration and processing hub (at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association) to prepare the food they grow for distribution.

CMYK Burgundy 0-100-10-59 CMYK Gold 0-20-95-46

The products of the 12 members vary and together they offer a community-shared agriculture (CSA). The produce of each member is profiled at yycgrowers.com and includes the following businesses: • Dirt Boys – Dennis Scanland • Eden Project – Adam Huygen • Grand Trunk Veggies – Kye Kocher • Greenberry Microgreens – Daniel MacAllister • Growing Gardeners – Scott Weir • Happiness By The Acre – Marcus and Sarah Reidner • Hillhurst Microfarms – Jen Miller • Leaf and Lyre – Rod Olson • Leaf Ninjas – Luke Kimmel, Dave Carleton, Kai Boettcher and Andrew Renaux • Radiant Roots – Heather Stark • Salad Spinners – Meghan Simmons and Graham Waugh • Seed and Soil – Michael Soucy, Monique Switzer and Vanessa Hanel

Not all the YYC growers could take time out from planting for our early spring photo session but those present are as follows: Front row: Adam Huygen, Rod Olson, Kai Boettcher, Meghan Simmons, Andrew Renaux Back row: Dennis Scanland, Luke Kimmel, Marcus Reidner, Michael Soucy, Kye Kocher, Graham Waugh, Daniel MacAllister, Jen Miller, Dave Carleton. Photo by Karen Anderson.

The Perfect Pairing…

Opimian and You! Opimian sparks conversation, creates friendship and connects people through their love of wine. As Canada’s premier wine club since 1973, we rely on the dedication and knowledge of one of the world’s leading wine experts, Jane Masters MW, who selects hand-crafted wines with our members in mind.

Enjoy a taste of California’s Castoro Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown, Paso Robles*. Cassis and brambly fruit aromas lead to a structured wine with great elegance and balance. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, with 14% Petit Verdot, was aged for 20 months in American and French oak barrels giving it lots of cedar flavours and fine tannins, although the oak is not dominant. Very pleasant to drink now, it will complement a variety of meat dishes and will continue to develop more complexity over the coming years.

Verge Permaculture Permaculture uses design principles that mimic nature’s patterns as applied to shelter, energy, waste, water and food production. Rob and Michelle Avis of Verge Permaculture have provided permaculture education to more than 1,000 people and design certificates to 300 since starting their company in 2008. They estimate that about 15 percent of their graduates have created green collar careers and Verge’s project manager, Alex Judd, says there’s a lot going on just below the surface and “the impact of our graduates and the things they’re planning will be exponential in the next few years.” vergepermaculture.ca

Discover The Total Wine Experience and savour the perfect pairing.

1.800.361.9421 • opim.ca

Apiaries and Bees for Communities (ABC) ABC founder Eliese Watson started with funds from a David Suzuki Foundation grant and now has a thriving hive of a business. She’s carved out a career for herself as an expert apiarist and beekeeping educator. ABC employs another beekeeper to help manage hives as well as a community outreach coordinator and a school education specialist. backyardbees.ca

Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot Aroma: Cassis & Brambly Fruits Taste: Structured Cedar Serve: 18°C Evolution: 2014-2018 Maturity 6 Drinkability 8 Ideal with: Beef Sausage A complete recipe is available for members in issue #319 of the Opimian News (Page 4)

Living Soil Solutions Mike Dorion is known as the “compost kid,” using his extensive knowledge of soil microbiology, composting and the use of fish and worm castings to help gardeners bring soil back to health in a completely natural and organic way. livingsoil.ca

Not a member? Join today to get a copy!

*Handpicked by Jane Masters MW and available exclusively to Opimian members.

PEL recycling Providing commercial recycling and composting has enabled this company to recycle, last year, the equivalent of 14 cars off the road for a year, the energy to power 198 computers for a year and preserve more than 3,300 trees and 667 barrels of oil. Their goal is to get companies to zero waste. calgaryrecycles.com. ✤ Karen Anderson owns Calgary Food Tours Inc. and admits that food is on her mind a lot. Please drop her a line at karen@calgaryfoodtours.com if she missed your food sustainability efforts in her research for this article.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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Here I Come On the Run, With a Burger On a Bun… story and photos by Karen Ralph

Nothing smells more like summer than the charcoal-y, smoky scent of grilling wafting from patios and back yards, and nothing tastes better than a home-made burger. But sometimes it’s nice to go out and let someone else do the cooking.

Calgary is located in the heart of cattle country, home to some of the best organic, free-range, humanely raised, hormone-free beef available. This ensures that burgers are featured on almost every restaurant menu, a burger to fit every taste and budget. With that in mind, boyfriend Ribsy and I went on a quest for the holy grail of hamburger. It would have a good patty-to-bun ratio with a patty that was hand formed, tender and juicy and not buried under sauces and add-ons that would overpower its beef burger-y-ness. We also looked for price points that reflected the quality of the product. Here’s what we found from the city’s burger bounty.

Clive Burger 736 - 17 Ave SW, 403-229-9224 Standing in line at Clive Burger, waiting to order at the counter, we were surrounded by burger-eating teenagers from Western Canada High School and older people like ourselves.

Keeping it simple, I asked for the $6 “Clive Style,” which came with pickles, tomato, lettuce, cheddar and Clive sauce. Ribsy ordered the $7 hamburger with cheese plus an order of fries and a couple of beers. The room is comfortable, with magazines to read and great music playing at a level that allows conversation. Our burgers looked home made and the patties weren’t overwhelmed by sauce and garnishes. The Clive sauce added the perfect amount of spicy zest to the juicy burger. There was a little too much bun for my liking, but it had a home-made feel and Ribsy loved it. The fries were fresh, hot and weren’t pre-salted, a nice change from what’s often an overly salted item. Clive Burger was exceptional value for price and we liked the fact that we could have a beer with our burgers. The attraction for teenagers was obvious – sharing good burgers and good times in a mature setting (they serve beer!). Even if McDonald’s were next door, Clive Burger’s superior food, reasonable pricing, and cool ambiance would win.

Palomino Smokehouse

1600 World Bier Haus Glenmore Landing, 403-457-4287 1600 Bier Haus is right next to McDonald’s, and although only a short cement wall separates the golden arches from the Bier Haus patio, their burgers are worlds apart.

We ordered a World Burger and an Imperial BBQ Burger. The $16 Imperial was thick and juicy, topped with Asian slaw, with crispy wonton wrapper slices on the bottom. The bun was fresh and toasted. The spicy slaw, crunchy wonton, mayo and beef made a satisfying, filling combination. Ribsy’s $15 World was loaded with bacon, while battered, deep-fried onions paved the bottom of the bun adding crunch. The patty was thick and hand-formed, topped with melted brie, tomato slices, crisp green lettuce and red onion on a fresh, toasted bun. The patty had a zing of freshly ground black pepper and the meat to bun to toppings ratio was perfect. We chose a spinach salad and Caesar salad as sides, and neither was overwhelmed with dressing. The Bier Haus burgers are an excellent reason to visit Glenmore Landing.

109 - 7 Ave SW, 403-532-1911 Who doesn’t like the delicious smell of smoky meat? The Palomino Smokehouse offers it in spades, with a giant three-cow capacity smoker. We stopped in on a Sunday at the end of brunch for a couple of burgers. I had a craving for a juicy, smoky burger and the down-home comfort of a saloon seemed like the perfect place to satisfy it. A Bloody Mary was the first order of business, followed by the breakfast burger and the Palomino burger. The breakfast burger came with smoked, fried bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, a soft fried egg and hash browns. The Palomino burger came with cheese and bacon. Ribsy wanted to keep it simple, the better to enjoy the rich, smoky, meaty patty. The server brought a tray of five barbecue sauces, and the burgers appeared shortly after. The breakfast burger’s patty was thick and cooked through but still tender and juicy. The bacon was particularly outstanding, almost crunchy, almost like candy, chewy, and delicious. The egg added richness to the onion-y burger that beat any breakfast-y burger that I’ve ever made. The buns were the perfect size for the burgers, and while there was a comical amount of lettuce, it didn’t detract from the overall excellence and high quality of the Palomino burgers, which were reasonably priced at $14.

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

Naina’s Kitchen 8, 2808 Ogden Rd SE, 403-263-6355 Naina’s Kitchen is located about 600 feet from the Crossroads Market and on the snowy afternoon when we went, it was full of people. A sign reminded us that this wasn’t fast food, it was home-made food. Naina’s Kitchen felt like a small town coffee shop with really good food.

It smelled heavenly and the chalkboard menu had one entire section dedicated to burgers. We stood in line and ordered the $8.75 cheeseburger that came with a choice of sides. We chose a green salad and waited. There are no seats inside so we asked for it to go. Within 10 minutes we were walking to the car with a brown paper bag full of delicious smells. We unwrapped the burger – it wasn’t overly large and was covered with melting cheddar cheese.

I took a bite and realized that the bun smelled and tasted like it was freshly baked – warm and toasty. The burger was cooked through but was still juicy and perfectly seasoned.

The mayo, mustard and pickles were just enough so the flavour of the beef was the star.

If Avec’s Le Burger caused Ribsy’s Zen burger moment, Naina’s deceptively simple burger caused mine. It was the perfect place to stop.

Burger 320

Blue Star Diner

814 - 1 Ave NE, 403-515-0065

809 - 1 Ave NE, 403-261-9998 The quest for burgers eventually led us to Bridgeland’s Blue Star Diner, sister to the Dairy Lane Diner, for its savoury Dairy Lane Burger. Well known for excellent brunches, Blue Star was lined up out the door on a mid-week evening. The door person made everyone comfortable by bringing drinks to those who wanted them and keeping us updated on our wait time, about 20 minutes. The Dairy Lane is a burger with a pedigree, made with 28-day-aged Angus beef, Gull Valley tomatoes, butter leaf lettuce and a special burger mayo. Thick, juicy, meaty and slightly sweet, the Angus was the star of the plate, the onion Kaiser, tomato, lettuce and mayo enhancing its flavour and elevating it to a new burger realm. The burger was high and mighty but the bun did a good job of holding it together. Ribsy said it was the perfect ratio of meat to bun, garnishes and mayo. Made with locally and ethically raised, hormone-free meat, this is a burger I can’t wait to try again.

The Dairy Lane Burger with cheddar cheese and a salad, $16.

Boogies Burgers 908 Edmonton Tr NE, 403-230-7070 Located on Edmonton Trail and decorated with vintage posters and luchador (Mexican wrestler) masks, Boogies Burgers is a Calgary institution. Ribsy, our friend Whitey and I headed up the hill to try its inexpensive burgers. We ordered the Boogie burger, a patty with the classic garnish of lettuce, tomato and onion; the ‘shroom, 1/3 lb. of beef covered in grilled mushrooms and Swiss cheese; and Fay’s burger, a patty topped with cheese, bacon, fried onions and mushrooms, mushroom sauce, lettuce and tomato. To complete our burger fest, we added fries, both plain and spicy, and onion rings. We sat at the picnic table and unwrapped our hot burgers.

The patties were thin, but the whole, with the sesame bun, was about six inches across.

The Fay burger and the ‘shroom burger were juicy and the toppings didn’t overwhelm the flavour of the patty. The $4.99 Boogie burger was mustardcovered nostalgia but Ribsy, no fan of yellow mustard, didn’t care for it. He liked the mushroom- and cheesetopped Fay. The fries were crispy and the onion rings were onion-y and not overly battered. We all agreed that at a mere $32.55 for all of us, Boogies was well worth the trip up the hill.

Avec Bistro 105, 550 - 11 Ave SW, 587-352-0964 Ribsy was almost at the last bite of Avec’s Le Burger with bacon and mushrooms before he realized that he had stopped thinking about his burger checklist and was simply in the moment. He had achieved burger Zen. Le Burger’s slightly sweet, super fresh bun held together sliced wild mushrooms under a crispy, diced and fried bacon cap melded to the substantial, moist patty with aged cheddar cheese. Tomato, lettuce, onion and green peppercorn aioli created a bed for the burger and added a crunch of freshness that counterbalanced the rich mushroom and bacon cap. Served with a salad of delicate greens and a side of spicy aioli in which to dip the crisp, thin, hand-cut fries, this food offered umami galore! For $23.22 it was a treat that left a lasting impression.

Named 320 after the square footage of its tiny location, this is a cute little spot to visit for a burger or gelato, but plan on a picnic or takeout as there is essentially nowhere to sit. 320 is branded into the buns, giving them a unique look. We ordered the 320 cheeseburger, the Wickens burger and a side of fries. The Wickens burger came with cheddar cheese, rhubarb onion chutney and arugula. The chutney added a sweetness and moisture to the beef patty, saving it from a bun that was a little too dry. The arugula didn’t add any crunch and its peppery flavour didn’t stand a chance against the delicious rhubarb chutney.

The 320 cheeseburger was juicy, but the bun was disappointing and there were odd, hard chunks in the patty. The fries were fresh and not overly salted. Our meal totalled $21.

Buchanan’s 738 - 3 Ave SW, 403-261-4646 Buchanan’s was Calgary’s first chophouse to grind its own chuck, allowing patrons to order a burger cooked to their specifications.

The restaurant has changed little over its 25 years, which inspired confidence in its burger expertise. I chose the jalapeño cheeseburger with a side of wasabi caesar salad and Ribsy ordered the bacon cheeseburger. Both burgers came with red onion, tomato, lettuce and a dill pickle slice, with fries, a side of secret burger sauce and coleslaw. Ribsy ordered his burger medium and I left mine up to the chef. When they arrived, we were a little overwhelmed by the dense, thick patties atop soft white buns. My burger, topped with jalapeño havarti, was cooked to the medium side of rare, and both were bursting with succulent, umami flavour that was given a zing by the addition of the secret sauce. The coleslaw was MIA, but thanks to the heft and punch of the burgers we had more than enough food. The cool thing about Buchanan’s is that it’s the original chophouse and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. Burgers are $19.50 each.

Rocky’s Burger Bus 1120 - 46 Ave SE, 403-243-0405 Standing outside at the Crossroads Farmers’ Market and ordering a burger in a snowstorm isn’t ideal, but the smell of frying onions and meat drew us in and it’s fun to order food from an old city bus. We asked for the $6.25 cheeseburger with a $4.75 side of onion rings. It didn’t take long, and we ran into the market and found ourselves a table. Opening up the burger, it looked good – a large patty on a fresh-looking bun. But the first bite revealed it to be a large, overcooked, tough puck sitting on processed cheese slices and topped with nearly raw, hot, pungent diced onions suspended in mayonnaise. The giant bun was too big for the burger, and it would take more than two tomato slices to add enough moisture to make the patty palatable. This burger wasn’t to our liking, but the lineup at the bus seemed to prove that others love Rocky’s, and that’s the beauty of a city with a burger on every menu – there’s a burger for everyone.

There are many worthy places that we didn’t get to try –

among them Model Milk, Teatro, NOtaBLE, downtownfood, CHARCUT for its shareburger and Big Fish for its lamb and lobster burger. And we regret not sharing Vagabond’s $100 burger, but as soon as the Flames are playing again, this burger will reappear on the menu.

We learned that patty flavour is more important than size, but that size is crucial when it comes to the bun. Too big and the burger is lost, too small and it all falls apart. Salt is no substitute for flavour and too many sauces can hide a substandard patty or detract from a stellar one. Don’t abuse the condiments!

The truth is in the tasting and Calgary was up to the challenge. Ribsy loved his Bier Haus burger and both Blue Star’s and Naina’s burgers stood out for me, but your great burger might be somewhere else – go eat burgers and find it! ✤ Karen Ralph works at MetroVino and is occasionally known as Red Wine Tongue.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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L-R: Duncan Ly, Justin Leboe, J.W. Foster, Karine Moulin, Jan Hansen, Blair Lebsack, Jessica Pelland, Kaitlin Fulton, Connie DeSousa, John Jackson, Pierre Lamielle

Calgary Dishes Toronto Our chefs cooked for TO media as part of an initiative to promote culinary tourism in Calgary and Alberta.

by John Gilchrist

J.W. Foster plating his terrine.

them were fellow chefs like Dale McKay and Albert Adria, participants of the Terroir conference held in Toronto just a few days earlier. ACTA bills this kind of chef collaborative dinner as an Alberta Ate event, featuring what they call a “band of renegade chefs who... brought the best from their backyards to your table.” And at Richmond Station, they brought it hard.

Blair Lebsack and Kaitlin Fulton, chefs at Edmonton’s RGE RD, served Dirt Willy pheasant with a side of chuckles.

Everyone loves the name, and the birds from the game bird hatchery and farm run by Rick “Dirt” Willy are pretty decent too. Pierre Lamielle of Food on Your Shirt, his design company, mixed it up by roasting a Beet Wellington.

(No that’s not a typo.) CHARCUT chefs Connie DeSousa, John Jackson and Jessica Pelland, known for their meaty concoctions – and DeSousa’s ability to skin a pig’s head in about forty-five seconds – threw a curveball at the crowd by dishing up a salad.

Such was the evening of May 14th at Toronto’s Richmond Station when eleven Alberta chefs took over the kitchen to create a dinner for a house full of media.

The evening was part of a Tourism Calgary and Alberta Culinary Tourism Alliance (ACTA) initiative to promote culinary tourism in Calgary and throughout Alberta.

Planned in conjunction with other tourism events in the Toronto area (did you see the giant cowboy hat floating in the Toronto harbour?), the dinner brought a taste of Cowtown to downtown Hogtown.

Filling the room were Toronto-area food and travel writers, all piqued by stories of Calgary’s burgeoning cuisine scene and intrigued by what might be on offer. Joining

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

The CHARCUT (and Charbar) chefs led with an unexpectedly light salad of smoked pickerel cheeks, Poplar Bluff potatoes, fresh peas and quail eggs in a Brassica mustard vinaigrette.

Light and fresh, it was a perfect opener for the dinner.

Next up was J.W. Foster, the newly appointed executive chef at the Fairmont Banff Springs. (The always-affable Martin Luthi retired a few months ago after 40 years at the Springs.) Foster topped a puck-shaped slice of Broek Pork Acres pork and onion terrine with pickled chanterelles and mache salad in a Dijon vinaigrette. Lovely.

Then Duncan Ly, executive chef for Hotel Arts and Kensington Riverside Inn, poured a hot and sour consommé over citrus-cured rainbow trout in an Asian-inspired pot au feu that had diners scraping their bowls. And Model Milk’s Justin Leboe went wild with a Wild Rose elk tartare mixed with oysters, his signature sour cheese and ramps.

The elk was as red as the meat got that night. In an eightcourse meal by Alberta chefs, not one of them served beef.

That had a few attendees raising the proverbial question: “Where’s the beef?” But none lamented its absence when served a meal of such quality.

Lamielle’s Beet Wellington was next, served, as he said, “bloody rare.” The crowd appreciated Lamielle’s cheekiness as much as his dish, baked in pastry provided by Sidewalk Citizen. But while the meatier courses offered vegetarian options, there was no meat option offered for Lamielle’s beets. He suggested pork belly in jest, but none materialized.

So it was on to Lebsack and Fulton who rolled out an all-Alberta dish of the above-mentioned pheasant sided with a Sylvan Star gruyère and roasted onion crêpe, parsnips and Alberta-grown Evans cherries.

Following quickly on the heels of the pheasant was Jan Hansen’s sous vide lamb loin plated with roasted carrot

purée and pickled beets from Hansen’s garden at Heritage Park. Both meat courses met with huge response, the meats cooked to a turn and served with creative sides.

Batting cleanup, as she usually does, was pastry chef Karine Moulin of the Hotel Arts group. She served a chocolate and saskatoon cake sided with a wild blueberry chantilly cream, a lovely finish to the evening. But Moulin wasn’t finished. She gave each stuffed diner a box of her handmade chocolates (filled with pop rocks!) on the way out, a fine remembrance of the evening.

Throughout the evening, the courses were paired with either Big Rock beers, cocktails featuring Alberta Spirits and designed by Calgary mixologists Christina Mah and Dominique Ashauer, or coffee by Phil & Sebastian. The pairings were excellent – there were no complaints about a lack of wine.

One of the small miracles of the evening is that the whole event ran in under three-and-a-half hours. Carl Heinrich, the chef/owner of Richmond Station, expedited the service, keeping things ticking in his kitchen. His service staff did yeoman work, serving and clearing expertly and expediently.

Also, to help with flow, and to convey more reasons to visit Calgary and Alberta, Arlene Dickinson – she of Dragon’s Den and Venture Communications fame – and I shared emcee duties. Arlene told stories of her life in Calgary and all that it means to her. I interviewed the chefs and helped answer any questions the diners had. The Stampede Royalty – the Queen, her two princesses and the Indian Princess – dropped in decked out in their bright red Stampede finery, adding extra flare to the evening.

At the end of the dinner, the Toronto media strolled out into the night, filled with Calgary cuisine and hospitality. I overheard one say, “Calgary. I could go there. They know how to throw a party.” ✤ John Gilchrist reviews restaurants for CBC and writes a food column for the Calgary Herald.

Photos by Tara Noelle, @taranoelle, taranoelle.ca.

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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Eating San Diego story and photos

by Kathy Richardier

In the depths of a Calgary winter, a long weekend escape to someplace warm, sunny, sandy and oceany, and with lashings of good food and drink, is just the ticket to rejuvenation.

San Diego fills the bill because it’s a quick three-hour jaunt on Westjet if you pick a direct flight and bypass Los Angeles. That’s what my friend Doug and I did in the dead of January – took five days that were filled with all of the above and more. San Diego is a great little city that offers much.

We settled ourselves into the Catamaran Resort Hotel in the Mission Beach area on the bay. Our room was on the ground floor and opened onto a lawn that led to the beach and bay. Perfect!

A short walk across the main drag was the ocean side of Mission Beach with a “board”walk – no boards on these boardwalks – and a beach that we walked to Belmont Park, to the left, and Pacific Beach to the right. More than perfect.

And bonus! We discovered that the Catamaran had a great bar that served really good food and drink. Hungry on arrival, we settled onto the spacious patio and shared a burger to write home about. It was pinkly luscious and flavourful, made from Niman Ranch angus beef, known for its excellence.

A walk on our bay beach revealed lots of activity, including a man with a George Hamilton tan lying on his back doing some yoga-type thing that displayed a well-endowed, thong-covered crotch for all the world to see.

“Welcome to San Diego!”

Much later, the bar served us fish and shrimp tacos to go with our martinis, followed by a rich polenta cake, side of vanilla custard. Off to a good food start.

The next morning, which was warm and sunny, we wandered across the street to the ocean beach and boardwalk to see what Woody’s Breakfast and Burgers offered for breakfast.

Woody’s declares that “coffee smells like freshly ground heaven,” so we had heaven and hearty egg, bacon, cheese and hashbrowns breakfasts while riveted by the steady flow of walkers, joggers and roller bladers on the boardwalk. Perfect people watching.

A fair hike but a short drive to our left we found Belmont Park, an amusement park with a roller coaster and a wave house where the local surfer dudes and dudettes demonstrated their talents on manufactured waves while we drank margaritas and beer at the outdoor bar. Later, we made a long amble along the boardwalk to the end of the beach and back again on the sand. We thought it most agreeable that people were swimming in the Pacific Ocean in January – just not us.

Later in the day, a tootle north to La Jolla revealed a whole new ocean landscape of rocks and cliffs, which greatly pleased geologist Doug. After investigating the rocky beaches, we headed back “home”on La Jolla Blvd., spied a hole-in-the-wall eatery with an intriguing name – The Promiscuous Fork, A Fun Foodie Joint – and decided to investigate. Perched at the bar,

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

The next day, needing to pay a visit to the SS Midway aircraft carrier, we stoked our fires first at The Fish Market. The Midway was parked just next door. We indulged in some of our best San Diego food: panko-crusted, moist cod and chips and a dinner-size salad of lobster – cooked to a perfect succulence – and avocado, with some of the toothsomeest bread you could wish for.

After a tootle around the Midway that made us feel we’d like to be part of the action of an operating aircraft carrier, we went off to the Gaslamp Quarter and Café Chloe for a taste of French pastries and rosé wine from the Languedoc. Rosé was not easy to find in San Diego. Mostly we found chardonnay.

Across the street from Chloe sat the Neighborhood café, which declared “no hostess, no Budweiser, no Red Bull, no Grey Goose, no ketchup: we are not cool, we are not pretentious a**holes, we just care.” Huh! There was also no one there.

Slow Food CAlgARy pReSenTS

we drank California wine and ate food cooked to such perfection – pink, juicy beef sliders and lamb lollipops – we thought we’d died and gone to heaven.

Fork specializes in all kinds of savoury decadence, like the BBBLT – bacon, bacon, bacon, lettuce, tomato and baconaise – and Bacon Wrapped BBQ Shrimp Po’ Boy. Don’t miss the Fork when you’re in this part of the world.

The 13th AnnuAl

Feast of Fields SundAy, SepTeMbeR 14th 1 - 4 pm In The gARden AT Rouge ReSTAuRAnT 1240 - 8th Ave Se, CAlgARy

Join us

for a delicious afternoon of grazing, sipping and conviviality in the beautiful, historic garden at Rouge restaurant. Come meet the local people who grow your food and the dynamic, creative chefs who prepare delectable delights with our wonderful Alberta harvest.

Music with Tim Tamashiro.

Later, back at the ranch, another trip to the bar yielded crisp, thin-crust grilled veg pizzas – Catamaran does great food, have I said? – and a rowdy bunch of people on a convention weekend. We didn’t mind, though some did. That’s what bars are sort-of for.

Contemporary French

Fine dining in downtown Calgary

You can hardly go to San Diego and not go to SeaWorld. That’s what we did the next sunny, hot day and discovered that, even though maybe a third of the exhibits/activities are closed in the winter, you still have to pay the full, expensive price for a ticket. We thought that was a little lame. Nevertheless, we enjoyed meandering, eating grilled dogs, then sitting down for a smoke house sampler platter at SeaWorld’s Calypso Bay Smoke House restaurant, where somebody knows how to use a smoker.

Later, a last ramble on the boardwalk in the Pacific Beach direction took us to Joe’s Crab Shack for beer, a monster margarita and crab cakes as they should be – all crab. Joe’s is a fun, lively place where we scooped a T-shirt for me that says “Butter my butt and call me a biscuit.”

On our last day, we did the Mexican side of San Diego, starting with shrimp tacos, enchiladas and chiles rellenos at the La Playa Taco Shop next door to the Catamaran. Then a visit to Old Town and the not-to-be-missed, very fun Old Town Market and its Fiesta de los Reyes area with live music from Los Rios and street tacos.

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Thank you, San Diego, for a perfect rejuvenating long weekend. We’ll be back. ✤ CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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A Summer of Sunday Suppers

by Gail Norton and Matthew Altizer, photos by Regan Johnson

Sunday is the day that seems marked for gathering friends and family together, so Matthew and I decided to embrace the day – actually a whole summer of Sundays – by doing just that. It was a bit of a challenge to say to each other, “How about we cook dinner together every Sunday for the whole summer?”

It’s always best when two cooks get together that they each be as adventurous as the other. Farmers’ markets are always a great way to start the planning for the afternoon of cooking – strolling through the aisles saying, “How about this?” and “What about that?” with each other and the merchants. We always tried to keep it simple and summery, and, of course, a little interesting! Here are three of our menus.

Invite some friends over and cook!

All recipes serve 4 to 6.

Shaved Watermelon Radish Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette Watermelon radishes are available at markets all summer long; they’re subtle and sweet with a pale green exterior and a vibrant pink core. Slice them really thin, using a mandoline.

A huge variety of radishes is available – you can alter the recipe by buying different kinds of radishes, big and small. Pomegranate molasses is available at Middle Eastern and specialty food stores.

2 T. pomegranate molasses

Grilled Asparagus with Hazelnut Aioli When making the aioli, take care to add the oil to the egg yolk gradually – if you do it too quickly, it can curdle. Curdling can be repaired by slowly whisking the mixture in a clean bowl with another egg yolk.

1/2 garlic clove, finely minced sea salt to taste 1 egg yolk 1 lemon 1/2 t. mustard powder

juice of one lemon

1/4 c. each hazelnut oil and grapeseed oil, plus extra for the asparagus

honey to taste

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed

1 t. Dijon mustard

1/4 c. roasted hazelnuts, chopped

sea salt and chile flakes to taste

1/4 c. finely chopped chives

1/4 c. olive oil

Place the garlic in a small bowl and add a pinch of salt. Whisk in the egg yolk, juice of 1/2 of the lemon and the mustard powder. Start by adding the hazelnut oil, then continue with the grapeseed oil, gradually whisking it into the egg yolk mixture, drop by drop at first, making sure that each addition is fully incorporated before you add the next. If you start to see oil building up around the edge of the bowl, stop adding more oil until it has all been incorporated.

4 c. mixed greens 1/2 c. baby mint leaves, removed from the stem 4 small watermelon radishes, very thinly sliced 1 c. crumbled feta cheese, in bite-sized pieces

Put the pomegranate molasses in a jar along with the lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt and chile flakes. Screw the lid on and shake the dressing to dissolve the salt. Taste the dressing for seasoning, then add the olive oil and shake to combine.

Combine the mixed greens with the mint leaves and radish slices in a large bowl. Shake the dressing one more time and pour about half over the greens – you may not need all of the vinaigrette. Toss the greens and taste them to determine if you have enough dressing. Season the dressed salad with some extra salt and chile flakes if you like, then divide it among four salad plates. Sprinkle the salads with the feta cheese and serve immediately.

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As the mixture starts to thicken, you can pour in the oil a little bit faster. You’ve added enough oil when the aioli is thick like mayonnaise. You may not need to add the full 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil to achieve this consistency. Taste it for seasoning and whisk in the remaining lemon juice, if necessary. Pour the aioli into a small serving bowl.

Lightly coat the asparagus with hazelnut oil and grill it over high heat for 3-5 minutes, or until it is slightly charred and crisp-tender. Gently toss the asparagus with the chopped hazelnuts and chives and transfer it to a serving platter with the aioli on the side.

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

Bucatini with Brown Butter and Breadcrumbs

Roast Leg of Lamb with Anchovies and Garlic

The anchovies melt into the buttery sauce, losing their fishiness and lending a delicious umami.

This may seem like an unlikely combo, anchovies and lamb, but it’s delicious. The anchovies dissolve into a salty goodness and enhance the flavour of the lamb and rosemary.

1 lb. bucatini sea salt to taste 1 c. butter 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped 1 c. panko breadcrumbs

4-5 lb. leg of lamb, bone-in 1 can anchovies a small bunch of rosemary

chile flakes to taste

4 large garlic cloves, each peeled and sliced lengthways into 3 pieces

1 lemon, zested, then juiced

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. finely chopped Italian parsley

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season it generously with salt and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

1-1/2 c. dry white wine

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a small sauté pan and cook it until it just starts to turn brown, then add the anchovies. Cook the anchovies for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they dissolve into the butter. Pour about 1/4 c. of the butter mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Add the breadcrumbs to the pan and cook them over medium heat until they start to brown, stirring constantly. Add the chile flakes and lemon zest to the breadcrumb and anchovy mixture. If the breadcrumbs are starting to get too brown – on their way to burnt – pour them into a bowl.

When the pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta. Tip the pasta into the large mixing bowl with the brown butter and mix to combine, adding extra pasta water if it looks too dry. Transfer the pasta to a serving platter and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, followed by the parsley. Serve immediately.

juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 425°F. Using a small paring knife, make 12 small incisions about 2 inches deep in the fleshy part of the leg. Insert a clove of garlic, half an anchovy and a small sprig of rosemary into each incision, pushing them in with your finger.

Let the lamb sit at room temp for at least an hour.

Cream the butter with the remaining anchovies and smear it all over the lamb. Season the meat lightly with salt and generously with pepper.

Place the lamb in a roasting pan along with the white wine and any remaining rosemary. Roast the lamb for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F and roast the lamb for another hour, basting periodically, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160°F for medium.

Take the meat out of the oven and let it rest in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Taste the juices in the pan and season them with salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary. If the sauce is too thin, reduce it over medium heat until it reduces and thickens slightly.

1

Cherry Clafoutis This recipe comes from Chez Panisse Fruit, by Alice Waters. It’s the best recipe we’ve found, and we’ve tried many! Traditionally made with cherries, clafoutis may be made with other fruits, like berries, apricots, apples or pears.

When using berries, don’t pre-cook them, but put them in a bowl with the sugar and lemon zest, 2 T. flour and arrange them in a baking dish. Serve clafoutis with a dollop of whipped cream to capture the essence of summer.

2 T. unsalted butter

brazilian barbecue

menu

Shav ed with Waterm Pome elon grana Radis Buca te Vin h Sala tini w aigre d ith Br tte a n o d Grille w d Asp Breadcru n Butter mbs aragu s with Haze Mock lnut A Porc ioli hetta Cherr y Cla foutis

Feeling Experience the bold flavours and original taste of Churrasco, an authentic barbecue style made famous

by Gauchos - the cowboys of South America.

1 lb. cherries, pitted 1/3 c. plus 3 T. sugar 1/8 t. cinnamon 1/4 t. lemon zest 2 eggs, separated 3 T. flour

C A LG A RY

1 t. vanilla

100 5920 Macleod Trail SW phone:403.454.9119

1/3 c. whipping cream 1 pinch of salt powdered sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Melt the butter in a sauté pan, over medium heat. Add the cherries, 1/3 c. sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will start to thicken, and the fruit tenderize. Put the fruit and juices in the bottom of a buttered 9-inch baking dish.

Beat the yolks with the 3 T. sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the flour, vanilla and cream. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt, until they form soft peaks. Fold the whites into the batter just until blended, and then pour it over fruit. Bake about 20 minutes.

The clafoutis will be puffy and golden. Let it cool slightly, dust with powdered sugar, and serve with whipped cream.

C A N MOR E

629 Main Street phone:403.678.9886

Taste The Authentic Experience. w w w. b r a z i l i a n b b q . c a

continued on page 46 CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

45

A Summer of Sunday Suppers

menu 3

continued from page 45

u men

radish with Horse n Zest o reens and Summer G ella Seeds and Lem te Cream, Nig omegrana lant with P ilk Dressing p g g E d lle Gri and Butterm agon Molasses e and Tarr with Orang ts e e B d e itrus, Roast ken with C Grilled Chicry and Thyme a m Rose megranate s ies with Po Strawberr Gin and Chile Flake Molasses,

2

with ugh umac urdo s and S o S d e hios Grille Tomato th Pistac i m o w lo us a Heir usco ugul n Co and Ar e tta e r G rche k Po Cake Moc e Down d Upsi Plum

Grilled Sourdough with Heirloom Tomatoes and Sumac Use a big, fruity olive oil, perfect for drizzling over grilled bread. Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice with a pleasant astringent, fruity taste. Find it at Middle Eastern stores and The Silk Road Spice Merchant.

8 1/2-inch-thick slices of sourdough bread 2 garlic cloves

Place the couscous in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Cover and leave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fry the onion in olive oil over medium heat until golden and soft. Add the salt and cumin and mix well. To make the herb paste, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth.

To assemble, mix the herb paste into the couscous, then add the cooked onion and the finishing ingredients and gently combine. Serve at room temperature.

Maldon salt 1 T. sumac

Preheat a grill or broiler to medium-high heat. Grill the bread on both sides until it’s crispy and slightly charred. Rub the bread all over with garlic and put it on a serving platter. Top each toast with sliced tomatoes, a generous drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling each of Maldon salt and sumac.

Mock Porchetta Some pork producers, like Spragg’s, have started offering a porchetta cut where the pork loin is left with the skin intact. If you can’t get this cut, use a boneless pork loin.

1 5-lb. pork loin with skin on 1 T. capers, coarsely chopped 6 large sage leaves, chopped 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped zest of 1 orange

Green Couscous with Pistachios and Arugula

1 t. chile flakes

1 c. couscous

2 t. freshly ground pepper

1 c. boiling water or vegetable stock

sea salt (1/2 t. per pound of meat)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

If you’re using the porchetta cut, it will come rolled up and tied. Untie the pork and cut in-between the meat and the attached skin so that you can run the herb paste into the meat and under the skin. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and rub the herb paste into the meat. Tie up the pork, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it marinate overnight and up to two days in the fridge.

2 T. olive oil 2 t. sea salt 2 t. ground cumin

Herb Paste: 1/3 c. chopped parsley 1 c. chopped cilantro 2 T. each tarragon, dill and mint leaves 1/2 c. olive oil

To Finish: 1/2 c. pistachios, lightly toasted and chopped 3 green onions, thinly sliced 1 fresh green chile, finely sliced 1 c. arugula

46

Serve with lots of whipped cream, crème fraîche or crème anglaise, or all three.

1 c. brown sugar 1 T. honey 1 c. butter, softened and divided in half 6 plums, halved, pitted, each half cut into 6 wedges 1-1/2 c. flour 2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. each cinnamon and salt

3-4 ripe heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced extra-virgin olive oil

Plum Upside Down Cake

1 T. fennel pollen

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring the pork out of the fridge an hour before you’re ready to roast it. Bringing the meat to room temperature ensures that it cooks evenly.

Place the pork on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast it for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, basting it periodically until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Let the pork rest for 30 minutes before carving. There will be leftovers for sandwiches – yum!

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

1 c. sugar 2 large eggs 1 t. vanilla 1/2 t. almond extract 1/2 c. milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare your pan by lightly buttering it, then sprinkle with flour and tap it around the pan to cover all the surfaces.

Discard any extra flour.

Stir the brown sugar, honey and half the butter together in a heavy skillet on medium-low heat until the butter melts and a thick sauce is formed. Transfer the butter mixture to a 9-inch springform cake pan and arrange the plums in concentric circles atop the sauce.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the remaining butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then add the sugar and beat for 2-3 more minutes. Add the eggs, along with the vanilla and almond extract, and beat until well combined. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, mixing until just blended. Spoon the batter evenly over the plums and bake until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean – about an hour. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes.

Using a paring knife, cut around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, place a serving platter upside down on top of the cake and carefully invert the platter onto the counter. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes before gently removing the pan. Serve warm.

Summer Greens with Horseradish Cream, Nigella Seeds and Lemon Zest You can use yogurt instead of crème fraîche for a low-fat option that is just as rich and full of flavour. Nigella seeds taste a bit like onions.

Find them in Middle Eastern markets and at The Silk Road Spice Merchant.

1 garlic clove sea salt to taste 1 c. crème fraîche 1 T. prepared horseradish 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 T. finely chopped dill 4 c. mixed greens 1/2 c. mint leaves, roughly chopped 1 carrot chile flakes to taste nigella seeds to taste

Chop the garlic clove finely, then sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and use the side of the knife to mash the garlic into a smooth paste. Put the garlic paste in a small bowl and add the crème fraîche, horseradish, lemon juice and zest, and dill. Stir the dressing together and season to taste.

Mix the greens and mint in a large bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot in thin ribbons into the salad. Toss the salad with the dressing, taste for seasoning and put it in large serving bowl. Sprinkle the salad with chile flakes and nigella seeds and serve immediately.

CREATIVITY EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENT SIDES OF CHEF DUNCAN LY, GOLD MEDALIST, AWARD WINNING CHEF

Grilled Eggplant with Pomegranate Molasses and Buttermilk Dressing

Grilled Chicken with Citrus, Rosemary and Thyme

Zaatar is a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and other spices. It can be found, along with pomegranate molasses, at Middle Eastern and specialty food stores and at The Silk Road Spice Merchant. It lends a lovely nutty flavour.

Butterflying – also called spatchcocking – the chicken helps the meat cook faster and more evenly, and ensures a delicious crispy skin.

2 large eggplants

1 medium onion, peeled and halved

sea salt

2 large garlic cloves, peeled

1/3 c. olive oil

6 sprigs rosemary

2 t. zaatar

6 sprigs thyme

1/4 c. pomegranate molasses

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

handful of baby mint leaves

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Sauce:

sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 small garlic clove pinch of sea salt 1/2 c. buttermilk 1/2 c. Greek yogurt salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips leaving the green stalk attached. Sprinkle the eggplant strips generously with salt and set them in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

To make the sauce, using the side of your knife, crush the garlic clove into a paste with the salt. Put the garlic paste into a bowl and stir in the buttermilk and yogurt. Season to taste and set aside.

Brush the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil and grill them for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they’re tender and starting to char. Remove the eggplant to a serving platter and drizzle with the sauce, followed by the zaatar, pomegranate molasses and mint leaves, and serve.

Roasted Beets with Orange and Thyme 4 large beets

1 2-4 lb. chicken

Preheat grill over medium high. To butterfly the chicken, cut along each side of the backbone with kitchen shears.

Remove the backbone and reserve it for stock. Turn the bird over so it’s breastside up and flatten it with your palm. In a food processor, purée the onion with the garlic, rosemary and thyme leaves, olive oil and lemon zest. Rub the purée all over the chicken and season it with salt and pepper, then let it sit in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours. Let the bird stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

Cook the chicken breast-side down for 10 to15 minutes, or until nicely charred and brown, then flip the bird and cook for 30 more minutes. Flip again and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before carving. Drizzle with lemon juice before serving.

3 T. honey sea salt and chile flakes to taste

2 c. strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil the beets and roast them in the oven until almost tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the skin and cut the beets into wedges; put them back on the roasting pan and toss with the remaining ingredients. Roast the beets for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and is syrupy. Sprinkle with extra salt and chile flakes to taste, and serve.

2 T. pomegranate molasses

1/2 c. orange juice 2 t. fresh thyme

A Rare Winery Experience in Summerland Home to Haywire and Bartier Scholefield wines, our visitor center is set in the heart of the winery offering a rare glance into the art of winemaking.

Come and discover why our wines are being celebrated as the new Okanagan.

Open June 12 to September 14 from 10:30am to 5:30pm daily.

250.494.4445 Ext 1 • 16576 Fosbery Rd, Summerland, BC

www.okanagancrushpad.com

Strawberries with Pomegranate Molasses, Gin and Chile Flakes Pomegranate molasses, which has a unique sweet-sour flavour, is available at specialty stores and Middle Eastern markets. Try using these berries in strawberry shortcakes or to fill éclairs.

olive oil

HOTEL ARTS | KENSINGTON RIVERSIDE INN

1 T. gin a pinch of chile flakes

Remove the stems from the strawberries, cut them in half and toss them with the remaining ingredients. Let them rest for 5 minutes and serve. ✤ CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

47

Destination Noshing

by B.J. Oudman

A week spent in Portland over Thanksgiving last year was highlighted by the completion of my partner’s first marathon. Hearing the news, a friend who is an avid marathoner eagerly exclaimed that they could now attend destination races together! Most days I need to be coerced to run, so spending hard-earned money on a plane ticket and accommodation, let alone actually running (which, by the way, is FREE), is unimaginable to me.

But, forking out cash for travel to festivals devoted to eating and drinking, that I get: destination noshing!

I’ve been fortunate to attend a few festivals and would be hard-pressed to pick my favourite, but Gastronomika in San Sebastian, Spain, was an experience of a lifetime. Graced with the title of The World’s Tapas Capital, San Sebastian is a beautiful coastal city in the Basque region of northeast Spain.

Gastronomika is held annually for four days in November and gathers well-known chefs from all over the world. In one day my partner and I mingled with Wylie Dufresne, WD-50 in New York, a leader in molecular gastronomy, Ferran Adrià, owner of the now-closed El Bulli in Spain, master of deconstructivist food, and Gaston Acurio, owner of Astrid & Gaston and ambassador of Peruvian cuisine. With a full-access pass hung from a lanyard around our necks, for three days we had unlimited opportunity to eat, drink and learn from the masters. Seminars ranged from molecular gastronomy demonstrations to eating seven different preparations of bluefin tuna accompanied by wine.

Food samples were available everywhere, from golden spheres filled with creamy cheese that exploded in our mouths to cubes of fresh melon sprouting micro-herbs. Too much jamon Iberico? Never, especially when washed down with vertical tastings of local Rioja. Our days began at 11 a.m. and by 8 p.m. we waddled back to our apartment on the beach, satiated and wowed by the offerings of the day, unable to even consider attending one of the nightly multi-course dinners offered all over the city. At Gastronomika, understanding some Spanish would be a big help.

Closer to home, Feast Portland is held annually for four days in September. Presented by Bon Appétit, it features big names from across the American food scene. A festival pass will get you access to all the major events, but individual tickets are sold for activities ranging from sit-down dinners to educational seminars. The big draw for most attendees is Oregon Bounty, a two-day sampling orgy that includes food from cheese to sweets and local craft beer that’s held in Pioneer Square. There are wine tastings and cooking demonstrations with celebrities like Jenn Louis and Naomi Pomeroy (previous Top Chef contenders), Chris Cosentino, a Top Chef Masters winner and regular judge on the show Chopped, and Duff Goldman, star of Ace of Cakes on the Food Network and owner of Charm City Cakes. Six hours of snacking on unlimited food and beverages for $60 makes it easy to get your money’s worth.

I also took in the Sandwich Invitational, where 13 chefs competed for the best sandwich – yes, I had at least a bite of all of them – but my pick was Top Chef Texas winner Paul Qui’s rabbit seven ways – it included confit, pâté, fermented sausage and forcemeat all stuffed into a crusty roll and served with rabbit consommé for dipping. High Comfort was an expensive ticket but worth every penny. The theme of elevated comfort food included treats from foie gras hot dogs to a surprise favourite of fermented grain porridge with mushrooms, cheese and duck cracklings from Flour & Water restaurant in San Francisco. The entire city embraces the festival, with special events in every neighbourhood, many of them free. Take a plane, drive, just go – experience not only Feast, but all that Portland and region has to offer. Your stomach will thank you.

It’s a toss-up what I love more – food or wine – so when the opportunity to attend Vinexpo in Bordeaux, France, came knocking a few years ago, I jumped at it. Geared to wine and spirit professionals, you may have to consider a career change or at least find a temporary job in the industry to attend this event where 2400 exhibitors from 45 countries and over 45,000 attendees converge on the Bordeaux Convention Centre every other year in June – the next one is in 2015. Our industry group of 10 broke into a daily routine quickly, sipping cognac with our coffee to wake our palates before diving into the daily wine-tasting ritual.

The habit to spit (quelle dommage) was imperative as we tasted our way through 500 wines over two days! Not an event for the faint of heart, but we met the challenge head on and with our livers in overdrive.

Go if you can to sample wine, be blown away by sheer numbers and rub elbows with wine paparazzi.

Opportunities like these can be found all over the world throughout the year. Deciding which to attend is the challenge. When you know where you’re going and when, search the internet for food festivals or events at your destination. If you’re keen to plan your trip around a specific event, search terms like “best” or “biggest” food festivals or gourmet events. If it is an event and/or a location that appeals to you, start planning. Both Bon Appétit and Food & Wine magazines host a series of annual events, so check their sites for ideas.

My advice is to look for multi-day festivals offering a choice of functions, from tastings and seminars during the day to dinners in the evening, allowing maximum efficiency in eating and drinking. Also choose allinclusive tickets where entry includes your food and beverages. Some festivals offer tickets for a low price but require you to purchase sampling tickets – the upfront all-inclusive price may appear steep, but tokens for samples can add up, and you are there to eat, so no holding back, right? ✤

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

A few recommendations include:

A N N O U N C I N G

CALGARY COOKS

Close to home: Eat! Vancouver near the end of May or Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in Toronto in November.

Recipes from the City’s Top Chefs

39 Calgary chefs serve up their outstanding cuisine in a beautiful hardcover edition cookbook!

Stateside: Chicago Gourmet in September, Taste Washington in Seattle in March, South Beach Food & Wine in Miami in February.

Further afield: World Gourmet Summit or Savour, both in March in Singapore; Dubai Food Festival in February/March; Taste of London in June.

Wherever you go, it will be a foodie fantasy and there will be no regrets.

OK, maybe your scale will give you some attitude, but if you travel with one who prefers a destination marathon, look for a local 10K race – as long as it doesn’t interfere with brunch.

The food festivals are all easy to search by name, but here are some web addresses:

Featuring recipes from

Gastronomika: sansebastiangastronomika.com/en/ Feast: feastportland.com Eat! Vancouver: eat-vancouver.com Savour: savour.sg BJ Oudman uses writing as a foil for her food and beverage obsession. A physiotherapy degree supports her noble efforts.

Don't forget this food group...

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.

Blue is in season.

Help comes to us

They’re finally here. Plump, sweet and full of

in many forms –

antioxidants, our blueberries are grown in

volunteer hours, food, cash or in-kind donations –

B.C. under the best berry conditions, and are

and all are appreciated.

delivered daily to Calgary Co-op. Available

403-253-2059 info@calgaryfoodbank.com www.calgaryfoodbank.com

until September, they make the perfect summer snack.

Available at your local Calgary Co-op.

Añejo Anju Restaurant and Lounge Avec Bistro The Beltliner Blink Restaurant & Bar Bonterra Trattoria Brûlée Patisserie Candela Lounge Cassis Bistro Catch & The Oyster Bar CHARCUT Roast House Chef’s Table The Cookbook Co. Cooks The Coup Craft Beer Market Cucina Cuisine et Château downtownfood FARM Il Sogno Jelly Modern Doughnuts Knifewear The Living Room MARKeT Meez Fast Home Cuisine Mercato Model Milk Muse Restaurant & Lounge Native Tongues Taqueria Nicole Gourmet Catering Ox and Angela Red Tree Catering River Café Sidewalk Citizen Bakery Sugo Caffè Italia Teatro Ristorante UNA Pizza + Wine Vendome Café Yellow Door Bistro at Hotel Arts Available October 2014 from Figure 1 Publishing.

Call The Cookbook Co. Cooks to preorder your copy now - $34.95.

Mark your calendars

for the cookbook launch party of the year!

October 22nd

Call now to reserve your ticket to this very special event!

Only $40 to attend and includes a copy of the book!

THE COOKBOOK CO. COOKS

722-11th Avenue SW Phone 403-265-6066, ext.1 cookbookcooks.com CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

49

stockpot Stirrings around Calgary

visit our farms this summer n For a definitive listing of all the possible ways to visit local farms and take urban agriculture tours, visit City Palate’s web site citypalate.ca where you’ll find a listing of farmers’ markets and summer farm tours.

restaurant ramblings n Kudos to River Café for taking two awards of excellence at the National Terroir Symposium in Toronto in May. Owner, Sal Howell, took Best Restaurateur and exec chef Andrew Winfield took Outstanding Chef!

Well done... though we’re not at all surprised! The annual symposium brings together influential chefs, food writers, wine and food experts and culinary activists from Canada and around the world. On top of that, River server Courtney Robinson took the White Hat for best server at the White Hat Awards presented by Tourism Calgary, and River is included in the Vacay.ca list of Canada’s Top 50 restaurants again. n Oh my goodness, we’ve been having an explosion of new restaurants recently! And what fun it is – exactly what we love, the trend for great casual restaurants with super good food at really decent prices continues unabated. Yay! Let’s see if we can get them all: Bocce on 4th St. SW, more great Italian from the Wurst and Mercado people; Black Pig Bistro in Bridgeland where it’s all about succulent pig all the time; Goro + Gunn in Scotia Centre, where West used to be, opposite SAIT’s Culinary Campus, a Japanese noodle bar where you can slurp delicious ramen and sip your sake or a creative cocktail; The Bank & Baron P.U.B., a British-style pub, the latest resident in the historic Bank of Nova Scotia building on Stephen Ave.; Gohan Sushi Lounge on Stephen Ave. SW where Tyn Lounge, Yellow Nectarine used to be; Swine & Sow Wine & Ale House, a farmhouse tavern on 6th Ave. SW where Parkerhouse used to be; Native Tongues Taqueria, from the creators of Taco or No Taco, coming soon to YYC; Scopa, next to Lina’s Italian Market, another winner from the Creative Restaurants group, parents to Bonterra and Posto; Symons Roadhouse, at Symons Valley Farmers’ Market, for traditional roadhouse fare; Bensonhurst Pizza, on 17th Ave., adding different styles of pizza to our thriving pizza scene; Burger 320 in Bridgeland, an unassuming little place with good, branded burgers. Coming down the pipes includes Rodney’s Oyster

50

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

House, at the old Mansion nightclub, opening in the fall, along with a fave chef, Kenny Kaechele’s WORKSHOP Kitchen + Culture opening in the old Ubu location downtown in the historic Grand Theatre. n A good lunch downtown for a good price is not hard to find these days. For one, Belvedere, serves up a threecourse business lunch for $25. Meet up with your workmates for some good, contemporary French food. Can’t miss! n Vin Room West serves lunch on Sundays, three courses that change weekly, $25. Take the family, everyone needs an outsie! Check out Vin Room West`s monthly lunch-and-learn series.

For more information, visit vinroom.com

n Get your Cowboy’s Breakfast at Bar C in celebration of the Stampede.

You’ll find this signature cocktail July 3 to 13. It’s smooth and silky, warm and boozy with hints of maple, bacon, cinnamon, smoke and bourbon, shot of tequila too, OMG!, inspired by the essentials of any good Stampede breakfast. Garnished with candied bacon, you’ll want a couple to get your day started right. Hmmm, we could have one right now! n Take yourself to Teatro for the three-course Express Lunch for $25.

Changes weekly and is a heck of a deal. Aperitivo Italiano at Teatro, Monday through Friday, 3 to 5 p.m., with $5 peronis and highballs and $7 feature wines by the glass. And, Sunday, take your own bottle of wine for dinner – no corkage. Cucina makes its own charcuterie and offers 25% off all wine and beer, Monday to Friday, 3 to 5 p.m. Carne – Teatro’s non-mobile food “truck” – is now open and has a new menu. Summertime, and the eating outside is easy. n Smuggler’s Group of Restaurants has helped provide 10,000 meals through the Mealshare Program.

At Tango, Monday through Thursday 3-6 p.m. is Tapa Time. Monday, Buck a Shuck for oyster fans; Tuesday, Toonie Tapa & $5 pints of what’s on tap; Wednesday, $5 flatbreads and $5 glasses of feature wine. July 2 is the 3rd annual Community Cook Off hosted in the front lot, 11:30 a.m. 2 p.m. Taste your way through different restaurant creations, live entertain-

ment, family fun. August 21 is the big Pig Roast for awesome barbecue.

Check smugglers.ca for all the details. n River Café fills picnic baskets with a baguette sandwich, artisan cheese, candied wild Keta salmon, local greens and decadent sweets – available until September 30. Visit river-cafe.com for full menus. August 2 is Food Day Canada. Enjoy River’s menu of prairie ingredients; September 3, join chefsforoceans.com and ride with chef Ned Bell on this part of his journey by bicycle across Canada to raise awareness of sustainable seafood. Also in September, Four Seasons’ chef José Salas from Punta Mita, Mexico, returns for a culinary collaboration with chef Andrew Winfield. n Chef Jessica Pelland, CHARCUT, is the city’s first Chopped Canada competitor left standing and Alberta’s first Chopped Champ. Pelland will be the executive chef of charbar, opening Spring 2015 in the East Village historic Simmons Building. n PaSu Farm serves up a South African barbecue Saturdays through September. The buffet-style menu includes appetizers, lamb ribs, seafood, steak, chicken, grilled boerewors sausage, spicy South African chili, corn on the cob, artisan bread, fresh garden salads, and for dessert, koeksisters with fruit salad and ice cream. At $45, worth every penny, reservations essential, 403-337-2800. pasu.com n Vintage Chophouse has a new Sunday dinner feature until July 13 – chicken and ribs with starter, sides and dessert for $39. Enjoy local jazz, blues, and rock bands in the Tavern every Friday and Saturday starting at 10 p.m., details at vintagechophouse. com/features. n Rush Ocean Prime invites you to hear the electro-jazz styles of Soundsidy, featuring Johanna Sillanpaa and Kyemara, in the lounge every Tuesday to Friday, 5-8 p.m. And be entered to win dinner for two plus tickets to great concerts, including Michael Buble, Keith Urban, Bruno Mars, Jerry Seinfeld. n At Redwater Grill, it’s $20 Wine Tuesday at all locations on select bottles of premium wines. 3 - 6 p.m. weekdays is Happy Hour at Redwater Bow Valley with daily drink features and $1 off drink specials.. Sunday Brunch at Redwater Aspen from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. n At Bookers BBQ + Crab Shack, Sunday and Monday are All-You-CanEat crab or ribs. Wing Wednesday, smoked wings for $4.99 lb. Local blues and rock bands Saturdays and Sundays at 10 p.m. n Chef Jared Alvey, who was in Calgary at Petite restaurant, has landed in Canmore at Tavern 1883, a new, family-friendly restaurant and bar serving

“proper” food and drinks, like burgers made from house-ground meat, duck tacos and portobello mushroom Wellington, plus beer, wine and cocktails.

Go see what Alvey is up to these days, at 709 - 9th St., tavern1883.com n Popular Marda Loop diner-by-day, The Loop Eating & Drinking, is giving upand-coming culinary talent the opportunity to host pop-up restaurant events at night. Visit theloopcalgary.ca for details or email the looppopup@gmail.com

wine and beer wanderings n Kudos to Field Stone Fruit Wines for taking a trio of gold medals at two prestigious wine championships – The All Canadian Wine Championships in Ontario and the NorthWest Wine Summit in Oregon. Plus, three additional recognitions for best of region (i.e.

Alberta), winery of distinction and best non-grape (fruit) wine. Good show! n Sexy Inception wine from South Africa’s Western Cape, Cape Heritage, is a seductive blend of shiraz, mourvèdre and petit verdot, giving a sensual hint of chocolate and seductive sprinkling of spice to intrigue the taste buds.

Not to mention the very tasty, sexy label. Inception is widely available in Calgary and well priced at between $11 and $15. Get yourself some. n This Isn’t the same old song. Big Rock’s new Brewmaster’s Edition beer – Rhine Stone Cowboy Kölsch Style Ale – is an ale that wants to be a lager.

Get it now, it’s around until the end of August! Details at bigrockbeer.com n Savanna Dry Premium Cider from South Africa has arrived. It’s dry, crisp and fresh, the perfect quaff for summer. Look for it at your fave cider outlet, including Co-op Wines, Spirits, Beer and Willow Park Wines & Spirits.

cooking classes n Cuisine et Château Interactive Culinary Centre offers hands-on cooking classes, including a two-day course, Cook Like a Chef, kids’ cooking camps, grilling classes, knife skills, cheese-making workshops, Moroccan Flair, Simply Italian, Tapas, Vegetarian Kingdom, Made in France, herbs and spices of the world, stocks and sauces.

A special demonstration event, September 6, From Field to Fork. Details and registration at cuisineandchateau.com. n Macrobiotic Cooking Class, with natural health practitioner/macrobiotic practitioner Amie Nasayao-Jiwa, the last Sunday of every month at Epicurious Kids Cookery kitchen, unit 20, 710 Crowfoot Cr. NW, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Details and registration at healthab@ telus.net n At SAIT’s downtown Culinary Campus in September: Knife Skills, Sept 3; Intro to Cooking Sept, 9 - Oct 7; Soups Sept 10; Artisan Bread, Sept 13, Sept 27; Sauces, Sept 17; Cookbook “Seasons” Series, Sept 19; Roasting Sept 24.Details at culinarycampus.ca

{milk} SHAKEN, Not StirrEd

n Poppy Innovations’ Edible Education is canning and preserving with Alberta Health Services through September with modern recipes. The Parent-Child cooking programs start in September, register at poppyinnovations.ca n At The Compleat Cook – Kitchen, led by Calgary chefs, enjoy learning about Greek, French, Thai, Italian, Spanish, Indian and a multitude of delicious themes. compleatcook.ca, 403-253-4831. n Chef Darren Cooking at Home: Grilling Classes, July 3, 5, 18, 22, 24, 29, 31, August 7, 14. The cooking is

1613 9th Street SW (juSt off 17th Avenue)

continued on page 52

n New releases from Innis & Gunn: Canadian Cherrywood Finish and Toasted Oak IPA, a classic British-style IPA that recently took silver at the World Beer Championships. n Melville’s Ginger Beer is a crisp craft lager combined with natural stem ginger for a spicy taste and clean finish.

Find it around town, including Co-op Wines, Spirits, Beer, Crowfoot Liquor, Willow Park and Wine and Beyond. n Escape the city to Chinook Arch Meadery, Alberta’s first honey winery.

Free mead tastings and meadery tours through info@chinookhoney.com .

Located south of Calgary, just west of Okotoks on Hwy. 7 and 16th St. W. chinookarchmead.com n Look for these excellent releases from Tinhorn Creek Vineyards: 2013 Chardonnay, 2Bench White, 2Bench Rosé, and Gewürztraminer, 2011 Pinot Noir and 2010 Oldfield Series Pinot Noir.

Spicing up your summer!

1331 - 9th Ave SE, Calgary, AB Tel: 403.532.8222 savourfinefoods.com

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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Stockpot continued from page 51 hands-on and participation is required.

Details and registration at cafedivine@ hotmail.com The Light Cellar: Superfood and Superherb Teaching Kitchen: Wildcrafting Expedition, Medicinal and Edible Plant Walk; Herbal Pharmacy; The Inspired Herbalist with Yarrow Willard; Activate the Upgrade with David Wolfe, July 25, 26. Register at 403-453-1343 or thelightcellar.ca, 6326 Bowness Road NW.

general stirrings n 22nd Annual BBQ on the Bow. Don’t miss it, August 29 - 31, barbecue competition on Sunday, August 31.

This is Canada’s oldest barbecue competition, hosting Canadian and American teams competing for the best in chicken, ribs, pork butt and brisket cooked Kansas City style, low and slow over charcoal and wood to a deliciousness unparalleled by any other food on earth. Lots of activities for kids, lots of entertainment and real barbecue to eat. It’s fun, take the whole family. Visit bbqonthebow.com n Kudos to these Tourism Calgary White Hat Award winners: Hotel Arts for winning the White Hat of the Year 2013: Accommodation, and Rouge for winning White Hat of the Year 2013: Restaurant.

n Slow Food Canada recognized the contribution of six Canadian ambassadors of good, clean and fair food at its annual meeting. The Canadian Food Hero recognition is given each year to individuals who actively contribute to a healthy food system and preserve the rich culinary history of their region. We scooped heroes Tony and Penny Marshall of Highwood Crossing Farm and Foods Ltd., great organic food. Yay! n De Winton Community Garden showcases the best of seasonal, homegrown produce with Chef in the Garden late this summer. You are invited to attend and support our gardeners’ choice of a local charity. Details at poppyinnovations.ca n Taste of Calgary, August 14 - 17 @ Eau Claire’s festival plaza. A great line-up of restaurants, music and other interesting displays and activities on tasteofcalgary.com. The festival supports Boys and Girls Club of Calgary, Calgary Chinese Community Services Association and the Saracens Rugby Club.

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n Calgary Food Tours: Wednesdays, Inglewood’s Edible Enticements; Thursdays, Craving Kensington; Fridays, Palette to Palate food and wine appreciation in the Designer District; Saturday mornings, Chef Judy Wood leads tasting tours of the Calgary Farmers’ Market; Saturday afternoon, Meet, Eat and Repeat on 17th Ave. SW. $30-$90 for 2-3.5 hour tours. Details at calgaryfoodtours.com n Island Lake Lodge is running an Instagram Photo Contest and wants you to send your best outdoor photos to #takethepeak – you could win a 2-night Mountain Romance Package.

The contest runs until July 11, winner announced July 14, photos judged by professional photographers. Follow it @islandlakelodge n Sweets from the Earth vegan desserts, gluten-free baked products and cookie batters are available throughout the city, including Calgary Co-op stores, Amaranth Whole Foods, Community Natural, Lakeview Bakery, Planet Organic, Mrs. Greens, Sunnyside Market and The Main Dish. n A new butcher shop in Black Diamond, Kloiber’s Meats, features grass-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef raised by the Kloiber family. The shop also sells Spragg pasture-raised pork plus locally raised chicken, elk and bison. A source of raw dog food.

403-921-2811, kloibersmeats.com n This summer, food “celebs” from across Canada compete to make the best burger in a Real Canadian Superstore challenge. Calgary’s Dan Clapson stepped up to the grill with his Spice of the Prairies burger – President’s Choice bison patties topped with provolone cheese, spicy blueberry aioli, and other tasty ingredients. Superstores have everything you need to whip up your own Spice of the Prairies burger. For Dan’s recipe and more information check out pc.ca n Don’t miss the Inglewood Night Markets on the 2nd Friday of each month – June 13, July 11, August 8 and September 12, 6 p.m. ‘til midnight.

New this year, dancing in the street.

DJD stars in June, square dance in July, Latin in August, and Just Dance on a huge screen as part of Beakerhead in September. n Local cookbook, Decades of Decadence, by Calgarian Rebecca Klemke, was named among the Best in the World in the Historical Recipes category at the Gourmand World Cookbook and Wine Book Awards in Beijing, China. “Local” cookbook – the Okanagan is pretty much our backyard – The Butcher, The Baker, The Wine & Cheese Maker – an Okanagan Cookbook, by Jennifer Schell, made up of contributions from the region’s best chefs, wine makers and food producers, won a number of awards, including Best Cookbook, Paris Book Festival and Best Cookbook, San Francisco Book Festival.

n Cuisine et Château culinary tours in France to the Périgord region: June 1 - 7 and June 8 - 15, 2015. The all-inclusive tour includes accommodation in a 17th century estate and gastronomic adventures. Attend an information session August 24 or September 28 at the Cuisine et Château Interactive Culinary Centre. Register online at cuisineandchateau.com n Bergen Farmers’ Market Saturdays to September 13, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Thanksgiving Market, Saturday, October 11, Christmas Market, Saturday, November 15. Locally grown meats and vegetables as well as cheeses, home baking, books by a local author and more. n Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks are made from sprouted whole grains and seeds, so they’re good snackin’ food and dippin’ food, and better for you than what you’re used to eating. Get them at Sobey’s, Safeway, London Drugs. n Bundtz is a local boutique bake shop that specializes in the classic Bundt cake, with a twist. Why have a Bundtz over a cupcake? It’s all about the cake and nothing Bundtz the cake. An assortment of flavours and sizes along with a daily gluten-free choice. Free delivery on orders of four dozen or more. In the Royal Oak Park Shopping Centre, 8650 - 112 Ave. NW, 403-4552244, bundtz.com n Going Nuts has got you covered with summer nut flavours, including Sour Patch and Green Apple Almonds.

Find the signature flavoured nuts, granola, and nut butters at many markets across Alberta, including in Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge. Check goingnuts.ca to find a market near you. n Do you have a local food or bodycare product you want to bring to the marketplace? Amaranth stores offer the chance to win prime space on their shelves if your product is voted in. Check “community events” at amaranthfoods.ca for details. Also note the September 7 Canning Workshop – dill pickles, hot peppers and relish made with local and organic Amaranth offerings. n COBS Bread specializes in handcrafted breads freshly baked and sold each day in each bakery using scratch baking techniques. Products include traditional breads, specialty loaves and artisan breads, plus sweet and savoury treats. n Cococo Chocolatiers, owners of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut, serve Fiasco Gelato at Aspen Landing, Bankers Hall, Chinook Centre and Dalhousie Station. Flavours include Salted Caramel, Rosemary and Chocolate Habanero Sea Salt. Look out for Toonie Gelato Fridays at participating Cococo locations. Giddyup this Stampede to any of Cococo’s locations for fun, western-themed chocolate, like

horses, horse shoes, and cowboy hats, also available in white. n At Meez Cuisine & Catering, Chef Judy Wood uses only local, seasonal and hand-made ingredients, along with beautiful presentation, to create a flavourful and unique touch for your special event. Email catering@meezcuisine.com. Nothing brings a team together like wine, food and fun. Chef Judy provides a team-building event that educates, challenges and rewards your team. Email events@meezcuisine.com. n Opera in the Village, features evening performances of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide and family matinees of Hansel & Gretel in an open-air tent. Outdoor recitals, singing contests, movie nights, the Big Rock Big Top Beer Garden, Picnic in the Village, roving circus performers, food trucks, and more. The summer opera camp for young people will present free public performances of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado. RiverWalk Plaza in East Village. Candide, August 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23 at 8 p.m., Hansel & Gretel: August 16, 17, 23 at 3 p.m.Tickets and details at 403262-7286 or calgaryopera.com/bigtop n At Heritage Park, the Big Rock Brewing Course runs July 17, 31, August 14, 28, September 11, 25, October 9, 23, November 13, 20.

Learn about, and participate in, the brewing process from start to finish.

Eight weeks later, you pick up a bottle of your very own beer. Details at heritagepark.ca, and go to events under “plan your visit.” Sunday Afternoon Tea, until August 31; Captain’s Cruises, July 17 - August 28; Western Wildberry Weekend, August 9 and 10, when you can see how traditional berries are used to create tasty dishes. n Come one come all! Thursday, July 3, is the First Flip Stampede Breakfast, 7:30-10:30 a.m., Stephen Avenue Walk between 1st St. SE and Centre St. a free event for everyone hosted

by Calgary Economic Development, Downtown Calgary, Tourism Calgary, Calgary Parking Authority and Calgary Telus Convention Centre. Music by Jacquie Drew and The Crew. n Pascal’s Patisserie, now three years old, has been making a take-and-bake pain de campagne petite baguette, a great picnic sandwich bread or ideal with fine cheese and charcuterie on the patio. For an authentic French brioche burger bun you bake fresh, Pascal’s has you covered. For that summer fruit or veg bounty, Pascal’s puff pastry, made with Highwood Crossing organic flour and unsalted butter, will wrap it beautifully and transform how you recycle leftovers. Google puff pastry recipes or dash off an asparagus tart like the Calgary Farmers’ Market does – go to the “market blog” at calgaryfarmersmarket.ca

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Potatoes are a year-round staple for much of the world.

They’re versatile and comforting. They store well, and in some cases, the older and more wrinkly they become, the better they are for things such as french fries. For me, the most delicious time of year to eat potatoes is in the summer, when they’re fresh and local.

There are so many varieties of potatoes available to us in our markets and stores that the mind boggles. These are some rules of thumb to navigate the potato landscape. Choose a “dry” or mealy potato, such as a russet or King Edward, for mashing, baking or making gnocchi. Their light, fluffy texture readily absorbs ingredients.

Conversely, choose a waxy-fleshed potato, like Yukon Gold, Yellow Finn, red skin or fingerling, for home fries, potato salad, roasting, or steaming, as they have a lovely firm texture and will not fall apart. Here are some ideas to help make your summer more sumptuous and simple.

1. Boiling and Storing Potatoes When you boil potatoes in their skins they will stay fresh for 7 to 10 days in the fridge, ready to go for any preparation. Put potatoes and cold water to cover them in a large pot. Salt the water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Cook the potatoes until a fork goes in about halfway before turning the heat off. Leave the potatoes in the water until it comes to room temperature. Allowing them to finish cooking slowly in the residual heat of the water imparts a finer texture to the flesh. Drain, dry, place in Ziplock bags and refrigerate for future use.

2. Potatoes and Onions Fried in Bacon Fat with Fennel Pollen Fennel pollen is a favourite of mine. Find it in whole-food and specialty food stores.

In a large pan over medium-high heat add 2 T. bacon fat and 4 diced pre-cooked potatoes. Make sure not to over-crowd the pan, stir from time to time, allowing the potatoes to become crispy, about 5 minutes. When the potatoes have started to brown, add 1 diced onion, along with salt and pepper to taste and sauté until the onions are soft, another 5 minutes. Add 1/2 t. ground coriander and 1/2 t. fennel pollen, adjust the salt and pepper and fry a minute or so longer before serving.

Serves 4.

3. Garlic, Fresh Thyme, Cream Whipped Potatoes

casually elegant. uniquely vintage. distinctly canadian.

Enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks on one of the best patios in town!

Reservations are available to ensure your spot.

Dining on a Wednesday?

Listen to free, live music while you enjoy your meal.

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1900 Heritage Dr SW Calgary • Reservations 403.268.8607 • HeritagePark.ca

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

In a pot over medium heat, add 1/2 c. whipping cream, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, a sprig of fresh thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Allow this to simmer for 3 minutes or so before removing the thyme sprig. Peel 4 pre-cooked potatoes and grate them. When the cream is ready, add the potatoes and whip the cream and potatoes until smooth and fluffy. Adjust the seasoning. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir one last time before serving. Serves 4.

4. Curried Potato Salad In a large bowl, put 4 pre-cooked potatoes, peeled and diced, 1 apple cored and diced, 6 radishes, thinly sliced, 2 T. minced red onion, 2 T. mayonnaise, 2 T. yogurt, 1 T. apple cider vinegar, 1 T. curry powder, 1/2 t. sugar, salt to taste.

Mix well and garnish with chopped cilantro. Try serving this with barbecued lamb, sausages or chicken. Serves 4.

5. Kale and Potato Hash With 1 bunch of kale, remove the stems and roughly chop, place in a large bowl, pour a kettle of boiling water over and let stand for about a minute before draining and blotting dry. Set aside for later. Slice the white part of 2 leeks, then rinse and dry the slices. Peel 4 pre-cooked potatoes and grate them. In a pan over mediumhigh heat, melt 3 T. butter, then add 1/2 t. nutmeg, 1 T. grainy mustard, salt and pepper to taste, add the leeks and sauté until wilted. Add the kale and sauté a minute more, then add the potatoes and stir until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Fry this until the potatoes are brown and crusty, then serve. This is a delight with roast pork. Serves 4.

Chris Halpin

Potatoes

6. Steamed New Potato with Gremolata To make the gremolata, finely mince all together a handful of fresh Italian parsley, 2 crushed garlic cloves and the zest of 1 lemon. Steam 1 lb. of any type of new potatoes, drain and place in a bowl. Roughly halve or quarter the potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper and mix until well coated. Generously sprinkle with the gremolata. This is excellent with fish. Serves 4.

recipe photos by Chris Halpin

7. Oven Baked Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon and Chive Mascarpone Peel and grate 4 waxyfleshed potatoes, and place the grated potato in a bowl, then cover it with cold water. With your hands, move the potato around until the water becomes cloudy, drain and repeat until the water is clear, about three times.

This will prevent the latkes from discolouring. Drain the potato, squeeze out the excess water, place in a dry bowl and add 1 t. salt, 4 T. all purpose flour or rice flour. Mix until the mixture starts to clump together. On a parchment lined baking sheet, arrange little mounds of shredded potato, about 2-inches around and 1-inch high. Gently pat the mounds to slightly flatten, brush with canola oil and bake in a pre-heated 375ºF. oven until golden and crispy, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. In a bowl, mix together 1/4 c. mascarpone, 1 T. minced chives, 1 t. salt, 1/2 t. sugar and 1/2 t. white pepper. Smear each latke with the cheese mixture, arrange on a tray and ribbon the smoked salmon on top. Garnish with dill.

Makes 24 latkes.

8. Roasted Rainbow Creamer Potatoes with Summer Herbs Cut in half 1 lb. uncooked small new potatoes and toss them in olive oil. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, skin-side down, and place in a pre-heated 375ºF. oven.

Meanwhile, de-stem 1 sprig each of rosemary, sage and oregano, put the herbs on top of each other on a chopping board and mince to a medium texture. When the potatoes start looking brown, after about 30 minutes, remove from the oven. Squeeze 1 lemon over them along with the herbs and salt and pepper to taste and toss to evenly coat. Again, turn all the potatoes skin-side down and return to the oven to finish roasting, about 5 minutes more.

Serves 4.

Chris Halpin has been teaching Calgarians to make fast, fun urban food since 1997 and is the owner of Manna Catering Services, mannaonline.com for more about “the apple of the earth”.

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last meal I’ve always loved Vietnamese bun, a combination of rice noodles, vegetables and grilled meats in a spicy sauce. I have created a home version for the summer months that sees the noodles served as a cold salad alongside the grilled meat, in this case chicken (you can substitute pork). The noodle dish is an ideal summer companion to grilled meats and fish; it also works as a simple picnic salad. The glaze for the chicken was inspired by the wings at Pok Pok, the famous Portland (and now New York) Vietnamese restaurant. The garlic component in my version comes from the Sriracha, which packs a considerable amount of heat (and garlic). For afters, I’ve included a simple blueberry cake that is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party but simple enough for a weeknight or brunch dessert.

SatiSFy your

SummEr CravingS! JuSt minutES From Chinook CEntrE!

recipe photos by Geoff Last

Wine recommendation: The Pairing white 2011, $27

7207 Fairmount Drive SE Calgary Open for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 403-252-2083 | www.cravingsmarketrestaurant.com cravingsyyc cravingsmarketrestaurant 56

CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

The Pairing is owned and operated by the Jonata winery which is, in turn, owned and operated by cult superstar Screaming Eagle in the Napa Valley. The wine – which is grown and produced in Buellton on California’s south central coast – is a blend of 64 percent sauvignon blanc, 28 percent sémillon and 8 percent viognier. The wine sees a touch of new oak with notes of lime zest, tropical fruit and bright acidity.

As the name would suggest, it’s a versatile food wine and a great match to the chicken and noodles.

Geoff Last

Keep it simple and seasonal

Vietnamese-Style Chicken

Rice Noodle Salad

Marinade:

6 oz. rice vermicelli noodles

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1/4 c. hot sauce, mild heat, such as Frank’s

1 T. sugar

1 T. fish sauce

1 T. Asian fish sauce

1 T. grated fresh ginger

1/4 t. salt

juice of 2 limes

1 chicken, cut up (alternatively you can use any combination of breasts, thighs and legs, skin-on, to serve 4) Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and add the chicken pieces, turning vigorously to coat. Marinate for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 8, turning the chicken from time to time.

Grilling Glaze: 1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. finely chopped shallots (about 2) 2 T. fresh lime juice 2 T. Asian fish sauce 2 T. Sriracha hot chile sauce 1/2 t. salt

Preheat the grill. Cook the sugar in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, just until the sugar is melted and takes on some colour as it becomes a bit caramelized. Be careful – if you have the heat too high you’ll end up with hard candy. Add the shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, Sriracha and salt – the caramel will harden to some degree – and cook, stirring constantly, until the caramel is dissolved and the shallots are softened, about 3 minutes.

Set aside until ready to use and reheat if the caramel hardens.

Grill the chicken. I use the top grill because the intense heat of the main lower grill will burn the sugar in the grilling glaze. If that doesn’t work, keep the heat low under the chicken when you start basting.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and grill them, turning, for about 10 minutes, until they’re close to being done. Baste the chicken pieces with the glaze and cook for a few minutes, then turn them and glaze the opposite side. Keep doing this until you have used up most of the glaze and the pieces are dark gold and cooked all the way through.

The whole process should take roughly 20 minutes. Serve with the rice noodle salad.

Serves 4.

1 carrot, coarsely shredded 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned 2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise 1/2 c. each loosely packed mixed fresh mint and loosely packed fresh basil 1/4 c. chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Soak the noodles in hot water 10 minutes, drain them in a sieve, then cook in a 4-quart pot of boiling water, uncovered, until tender, about 1 minute. Drain again and run the noodles under cold water until cold. Drain well and pat dry.

Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, and salt in a large bowl until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the noodles, carrot, cucumber, scallions, herbs, and peanuts, tossing to combine. Set aside. Serves 4.

Blueberry Pudding Cake 1/3 c. plus 1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. water

e lat o c cho boy cow s hat

1 T. lemon juice 1 t. cornstarch 2 c. fresh blueberries 1 c. all-purpose flour 1-3/4 t. baking powder 1 t. salt 1/4 t. ground cinnamon 1 large egg 1/2 c. buttermilk 1 stick (1/2 c.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 1 t. vanilla

Put the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch baking dish.

Stir together the 1/3 c. sugar with the water, lemon juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in the blueberries. Bring to a simmer, then cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat.

ern t s we emed th late co cho

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 c. sugar in a medium bowl.

Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, then add the flour mixture, whisking until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the baking pan, spreading evenly, then pour the blueberry mixture evenly over the batter (the berries will sink). Bake until a knife inserted into the center of the cake portion comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack 5 minutes. Serves 6.

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

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back burner

Allan Shewchuk

S h e w c huk on s i mm e r

Pick a winner

In his song Sail Away, Neil Young wrote: “See the losers in the best bars, meet the winners in the dives.” I always thought ol’ Neil was dead-on in relation to drinking establishments, but I’ve come around to thinking that this sentiment is especially true nowadays when it comes to new restaurants. Seems to me that the more money that’s pumped into a fresh palace of gastronomic pleasure, the less likely it is that you will find customers there that you would want to spend time with. Or, as my brother says about such folks: “You wouldn’t want to go camping with them,” which is a pretty good litmus test for judging who you might want to hang out with.

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It’s not that some patrons of the newest, hottest, most expensive places are bad people, it’s just that many seem to be there because they think they have to be there, as opposed to being somewhere they want to be. You know the type – the first thing they ask you in a conversation is “Have you been to (insert hip new place name here) yet?” Of course, they count on you saying “No,” as that was the point of asking in the first place – they get to feel smug because they’ve been there, and you haven’t. In fact, just saying that they’ve been to the hot new place is about as deep as they get about it, since usually if you ask them a simple question about the place, such as “How was the food?” or “What was the vibe like?” you get a blank stare because they weren’t there to actually experience the ambiance or savour what the chef created, but rather, for the sake of being there.

It’s really a sort-of “Been there, got the T-shirt” mentality, akin to Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Vacation spending three seconds looking at the Grand Canyon.

This attitude is disastrous for restaurants because these braggarts don’t spread the true news about what’s best about an eatery, nor do they go back. They simply move on, looking for the next new place, so they can say they have been someplace that is all the rage. Neil Young might say, “Meet the losers.”

On the other hand, I love people who tell me about a new dining gem because they want me to go and have a great experience. I have one friend who’s a restaurant critic for a local publication and his joy is to find obscure, small and often ethnic places that nobody knows about. I love bumping into him because, inevitably, these venues are dives or holes-in-the-wall that would turn me off from going in, and so, without his recommendation, I never would. His excitement is actually contagious, mostly because he is a “close talker” (or, as some would say, a “space invader”) and, most times, he stands so close to me that I can tell from the way his clothes smell whether the resto he’s just tried is any good. But I can take having my personal space encroached upon in exchange for the pearls of information he gives me about places to eat that are off the beaten path.

S TOP I N F OR A B ITE.

There is a real pattern to the “dives” he suggests. First, the decor can be abysmal, sometimes bordering on frightening. This is usually a good sign that the owners are only paying attention to the food, and not the mood. For example, I love those Asian joints where all they have hanging on the wall is one of those Chinese New Year’s calendars with babies with oversized heads, dressed in wild outfits. On closer inspection, the calendar is always from the 1990s and is of no use except for “sprucing up” the restaurant. You can bet that no interior designer was consulted.

But the food is always excellent and it’s normally so inexpensive you wonder how anyone is making a living. The fact is, the owners are making a life, based on doing something extremely well and pleasing other people, who then gratefully return.

There’s another constant to these places – the people who own them are happy, and they’re super generous, from the Lebanese guy who always slips baklava into your order for free, to the East Indian woman who insists you try something as her treat, to the Vietnamese kids who blush when you offer a tip. I think Neil Young would say, “Meet the winners.”

A NEW DINING EXPERIENCE AT THE

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CITY PALATE.ca JULY AUGUST 2014

Allan Shewchuk is currently living in Florence, Italy, where he spends his time equally between his Tuscan kitchen and the local wine store. The Italian economy may just rebound.

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