City Palate January February 2015

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great “cheap” eats CITYPALATE.CA

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

PIZZA

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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PASTA

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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COZY UP TO THE MARKET ALL YEAR ROUND

Known for our succulent smoked brisket, our juicy pulled pork and our fall-off-the-bone pork and JUMBO beef ribs.

Southern comfort food at its best!

bigtsbbq.com

PREMIUM EXTRA VIRGIN & NATURALLY FLAVOURED OLIVE OILS + VINEGARS

CalgaryFarmersMarket.ca

THURSDAY – SUNDAY • 9AM – 5PM • OFF HERITAGE & BLACKFOOT

MORE AT

soffritto.ca Thanks to irrigation Gourmet Hot Dogs Lil’ Russ’ Jacket Potatoes Frozen Treats Gelato Milkshakes and other Goodies!.._

The natural choice.

FREE RANGE PORK Pasture raised & naturally fed.

• family owned and operated • focused on quality and taste

Learn more about irrigation at the Calgary Farmers’ Market or visit: thankstoirrigation.ca

Visit us in Rosemary, Alberta www.spraggsmeatshop.com

contents

CITY PALATE JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

features

26 n Great “Cheap” Eats

great “cheap” eats Two can eat well for $50 or less

Two can eat well for $50 or less

30 n The Best Thing I Ate/Cooked in 2014

A tasty collection from our talented chefs and foodie friends.

32 n What Wine Makers do in the Winter

Like a farmer, a wine maker feels the arc of the seasons keenly and is perpetually dialed in to the weather Tonya Lailey

34 n Stomach Restoratives

A Kitchen Full of Cures Linda Kupecek

contemporary interactive cuisine

403.228.9830

· 514 - 17 ave sw, Calgary, AB · livingroomrestaurant.ca · @livingroomyyc

38 n Braising the Day Away

Fill your house with the aroma of a wonderful, succulent dinner Gail Norton

40 n It’s Back. Bacon.

Jennifer Cockrall-King

42 n Winnipeg’s RAW: Almond

Defying Mother Nature to keep good food and drink flowing on a frozen river Dan Clapson

48 n City Palate’s Culinary Crossword

Play to win!

THE FACE OF 4TH STREET SELECTION OF 200+ TEQUILAS OPEN AT 11AM... UNTIL LATE

HALFY HOUR 3PM – 5PM DAILY

1/2 PRICE ON ALL TEQUILAS & TACOS $5 MARGARITAS & BEERS

587.353.2656 | #2, 2116 – 4th Street SW Calgary, AB | anejo.ca

Cover artist: Lisa Brawn is a Calgary-based artist specializing in woodcut. To see more of her great work, visit lisabrawn.com.

info@anejo.ca |

anejoyyc

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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city palate 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

THREE LOCATIONS IN CALGARY Aspen Estates

114, 326 Aspen Glen Landing SW Ph: 403.686.6731

Stadium North

1935 Uxbridge Drive NW Ph: 403.220.0222

Macleod Trail

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WWW.VINTAGECHOPHOUSE.COM

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9223 Macleod Trail South Ph: 403.253.4266

CELEBRATING OVER 10 YEARS AS CALGARY’S BEST STEAKHOUSE

d f oo d

www.redwatergrille.com facebook.com/redwateryyc twitter.com/redwateryyc

contributing writers Karen Anderson Shelley Boettcher Dan Clapson Jennifer Cockrall-King Chris Halpin Ellen Kelly Linda Kupecek Tonya Lailey Geoff Last Erin Lawrence Allan Shewchuk Julie Van Rosendaal Kate Zimmerman contributing photographers Kathy Richardier for advertising enquiries, please contact advertising@citypalate.ca

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

account executives Ellen Kelly (ellen@citypalate.ca) Liz Tompkins (liz@citypalate.ca) Janet Henderson (janet@citypalate.ca) prepress/printing CentralWeb distribution Gallant Distribution Systems Inc. The Globe and Mail website management Jane Pratico (jane@citypalate.ca)

City Palate is published 6 times per year: January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October and November-December by City Palate Inc., 722 - 11 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2R 0E4

HAVE YOU FELT THE RUSH?

Subscriptions are available for $48 per year within Canada and $68 per year outside Canada.

Bold, Brash... Evolved.

207 9 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB

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403.271.7874

www.rushoceanprime.com

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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

/rushoceanprime

@ rushoceanprime

citypalate.ca

contents

CITY PALATE JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

departments

9 n word of mouth

Notable culinary happenings around town

11 n eat this

What to eat in January and February Ellen Kelly

lunch mon–fri 11:30–2 dinner sun–thurs 5:30–12 fri–sat 5:30–1

12 n drink this

Wines to warm your winter Shelley Boettcher

14 n get this

Must-have kitchen stuff Karen Anderson

16 n one ingredient

Pork belly Julie Van Rosendaal

hapaizakaya.com

hapa calgary

@hapacalgary

@hapacalgary

20 n feeding people

A tale of two risottos Allan Shewchuk

23 n what’s cooking online? NEW!

Blogs and websites worth a click Kate Zimmerman

24 n the sunday project

Making marshmallows with Erin Lawrence

44 n stockpot

Stirrings around Calgary

50 n 6 quick ways with...

Mangos Chris Halpin

52 n last meal

Keep it simple and seasonal Geoff Last

54 n back burner... shewchuk on simmer

Battle of the bay window Allan Shewchuk

read us online at citypalate.ca city palate

@citypalate CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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YEAR-END INVENTORY SALE!

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WINE MARKET FRIDAY JANUARY 23, SATURDAY JANUARY 24 & SUNDAY JANUARY 25 • All in-store wine discounted 15% • All in-store single malt scotch* discounted 10% • • All in-store beer discounted 5% • Other in-store special discounts • In-store or online only, no phone orders, special orders or layaway. No other promotional discounts apply. *Scotch Malt Whisky Society products not available for discount.

1257 Kensington Road NW, Calgary • www.kensingtonwinemarket.com

Photos by Marc Lavallee

YEAR-END INVENTORY SALE!

SATURDAY, APRIL 11 2015

CALGARY'S FAMOUS FOOD FRENZY! PRESENTING SPONSOR

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

SOUTHERN JUBILEE AUDITORIUM 1415 14

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AV E NW

6:30 PM

TICKETS $80 403-294-7402 ATPlive.com

SS T T E E K K C C sstt -I I TT 3311 D D RR aarryy I I BB nnuu Y Y JJaa L L l l i i RR ntt EEAA -- UUn

word of mouth we have two more winners!

city palate culinary travel grant: Calling all back-of-the-house restaurant cooks! You are a professional cook... have you ever wondered what pizza tastes like in Rome or Naples?

Or what a blowfish tastes like in Tokyo?

Or what it would be like to do a stage in a prominent restaurant in another country? City Palate can help you further your culinary education with a scholarship to help pay for your travel and expenses. For all the details on how to pitch us on where you’d like to go and what you’d like to learn... go to citypalate.ca to see how to apply.

Hotel Arts exec chef Duncan Ly took the title of best chowder at Calgary’s Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown with his roasted squash and shellfish chowder with hints of lemongrass and ginger, coconut milk, B.C. spot prawns and mussels. People’s choice winner was chef Micheal Smith of Thompson’s Restaurant in the Hyatt with his smokin’ fennel chowder with sea urchin. This 2nd annual event took place at the Hyatt Regency.

the best of the best Emerald Lake Lodge has been recognized as #5 in Best Resorts in Canada in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards. The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry and are commonly known as “the best of the best of travel.”

food for your winter stay-in nights According to just.eat.ca – Canada’s largest and fastest growing online food ordering service – pizza is the most commonly ordered type of food in Calgary, with Japanese a close second.

These are the top 10 fave takeout joints in Calgary, compiled by Just Eat Canada.

gold medal plates winners 2014 Calgary contributed its talented chefs to the Gold Medal Plates competition in support of Olympic athletes and this is how it shook out: Dave Bohati, MARKET, took gold with an abstract presentation of yellowfin tuna carpaccio with foie gras and dots of intense colour and flavour, including golden beet and preserved lemon, red beet and preserved plum. Darren Maclean, downtownfood, took silver with iterations of rabbit in a dim sum idiom.

Alison Bieber, Black Pig Bistro, took bronze with a rich foie gras and chicken liver parfait on brioche with caramelized apple. Yay! Bohati will be off to the national competition in Kelowna in February. (photo by chef/judge Michael Allemeier)

1. Aladdin Donair and Pizza 2. Manies Pizzeria and Greek Cuisine 3. Kinjo Sushi (on Dalhousie Dr.) 4. Li-Ao Sushi 5. Peking Dragon Restaurant 6. Tamarind East Indian Restaurant 7. Tango Tropical Grill 8. Lotus Vietnamese Noodle House 9. Hot Wok Café 10. Royal India

The Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop Food Bloggers of Canada and Tourism Kelowna have teamed up for Blog Your Way to Kelowna, a contest open to all bloggers with a story to tell of an amazing product, chef or culinary experience in Canada. The blogger with the winning submission wins travel, accommodation and workshop registration fees for the 2015 Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop, Sept 11-13, in Kelowna. Competition closes Jan 31. See foodwinewriters.com for contest details.

NOTABLE CULINARY HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN

valentine’s day is coming down the highway Though for lovers, Valentine’s Day should be every day, here are some celebratory things to do: 1. You can never, ever, ever go wrong with chocolates from Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut. Secure the undying love of your love with a selection of luscious centres... mmmmmm.

2. The Erotic Valentine’s Day Dinner at PaSu Farm. It’s fun and sexy, not everyone’s cup of tea, but lots of people love this dinner.

Check pasu.com to get all the tasty, sexy details.

3. Everybody loves a good doughnut, and your valentine is no exception. Get yours from Jelly Modern Doughnuts – so cute – valentineshaped doughnuts made from stuff your Valentine loves, like bacon. He/ she might even share with you – so get lots!

4. Woo your valentine with this sexy cocktail – it’s really tasty. Muddle 1/2 lemon with a handful of mint leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add 2 oz. Drambuie 15 and 2 shakes of orange bitters. Add ice and shake, shake, shake. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass, leave the wee bits of mint, garnish with a lemon twist... mmmmm, good.

same look, different taste Somebody had to do it, so Manuel Latruwe took responsibility for making savoury macarons. Yay, we love savoury. We had six familiar flavours – maple bacon, foie gras, Boursin salmon, pumpkin, roquefort walnut and olive tapanade. Here’s the deal – eat a box of these and call it dinner, then follow up with chocolate, raspberry, lemon and vanilla and call it dessert.

Flavours change from time to time, but you’ll love them all.

read these

Our very own Gwendolyn Richards of Calgary Herald fame has hit the perfect food nail on the head with Pucker: A Cookbook for Citrus Lovers (Whitecap, $29.95, soft cover) – who is not a citrus lover? We believe there isn’t a food on earth that can’t be improved with a squeeze of citrus.

If you’re someone who would gladly pass over chocolate or caramel for a lemon meringue or key lime pie – this book is for you. It highlights the flavour of lemons, limes and grapefruits in recipes from drinks, salads, sides, breakfasts, mains and desserts. And with a title like Pucker – this book makes a perfect Valentine’s Day gift!

You can make your own doughnuts with the help of Homemade Doughnuts, Techniques and Recipes for Making Sublime Doughnuts in your Home Kitchen,

by Kamal Grant (Quarry Books, $27.99, soft cover). Doughnuts, glazes, icings, fillings, everything you need, including sides, like a recipe for candied bacon.

On a healthier note, Michel Guérard, a French cooking legend and a driving force behind nouvelle cuisine, offers Eat Well and Stay Slim, The Essential Cuisine Minceur (Francis Lincoln Limited, $43.99, hard cover).

Lots of really tasty, interesting recipes, such as Spicy Salmon with Coffee Sauce and Warm Salad of OrangeScented Scallops and Lamb’s Lettuce.

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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city palate nov-feb 2014 TCC_Layout 1 2014-10-03 3:52 PM Page 1

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

AMPA acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) of the Department of Canadian Heritage, as well as the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Media Fund (AMF)

Visit albertamagazines.com/conference

eat this

Ellen Kelly

WHAT TO EAT IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

In this neck of the woods, fresh local produce gets pretty scarce on the ground in January and February. Putting up a few more jars of sunshine for later in the year is always a good idea. Seville oranges don’t show up in our stores until late January, early February anyway, so a classic English marmalade is on your horizon. Pineapples and other tropical fruits are easy to find too and help us get through the February blues. While honey isn’t a seasonsensitive product, the winter months are perfect for this versatile bee food.

According to Wikipedia, HONEY is a sweet food made by bees using the nectar from flowers. I think we can probably go with them on this one. Even though honey is essentially a sugar, it has beneficial properties that refined sugar only dreams of. Our friends at Chinook Honey Co. (one of several wonderful sources of local honey in Alberta) offer this magic elixir for sore throats.

Wash and slice 2 large lemons and peel and slice a 3-4 oz. piece of fresh ginger. Layer the lemon and ginger in a large (12 to 16-oz.) jar. Thoroughly mix 1 t. ground cinnamon into 1 c. of liquid honey. Slowly pour the honey mixture over the lemons and ginger, making sure all the spaces are filled and the fruit is covered. Refrigerate for a day before using. Stir a generous tablespoon of the jellied mixture into a mug of hot water for relief from all that winter throws at us.

There are several SEVILLE ORANGE marmalade-making methods; some involve cooking the whole fruit, some require two or three days, while others let you grind the fruit instead of the somewhat laborious slicing. Here is a pretty standard recipe gleaned from Canadian Living, always a reliable resource. Wash 2 lbs. Seville oranges and 1 large lemon. Cut the oranges and lemon in half length-wise. Ream out the juice, remove the pith and seeds, and then place the pulp and seeds in a square of cheesecloth. Tie securely. Add the juice and the bag to a large heavybottomed preserving pan. Halve the citrus peels again, stack 2 or 3. Using a very sharp knife, cut the rind cross-wise into very thin strips. Add the rind to the pan. Add 8 c. water and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer gently, stirring often, until the peel breaks apart easily when pressed between thumb and forefinger, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

While stirring, press the bag a few times to release the pectin. Remove the bag, let it cool and squeeze it once more into the pan. You should have 7 c. of fruit and juice at this point. Either boil to reduce if you have too much or add water if you have too little.

In a clean pan, bring 7 c. of sugar and the 7 c. of fruit to a rolling boil. Boil hard, stirring constantly, until gel stage is reached. Remove from heat and let sit for about 10 minutes so the fruit will not all float to the top of the jars. I often add a splash (1-2 T.) of scotch while the marmalade is cooling, but be your own judge. Jar as you would any jam.

Yield: about 7 or 8 8-oz. jars.

The PINEAPPLE, like the pomegranate, can present a bit of a challenge to prepare, but that sunny tropical flavour is hard to resist when anything local is still a few months away. While playing fast and loose with the definition of a gastrique (simply a sweet/ tart mixture made from any sugar and vinegar, usually in equal proportions, and served with rich meats), I came up with an interesting accompaniment to rustic pork pâtés and other charcuterie. It’s rather nice with cheese as well. Peel and core a large pineapple and chop it finely, reserving any juice. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, combine the fruit with a large tied bunch of bruised mint, the juice and zest of 3 limes, 1-1/2 c. honey and 1-1/2 c. white balsamic vinegar. Bring up to a boil and remove from the heat to sit for 30 minutes to allow the mint to infuse. Remove the mint and bring the fruit mixture up to a boil. This time, boil hard until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Preserve in jars as you would a jam. Yield: 3 8-oz. jars, depending on the size of the pineapple.

Illustrations by Pierre Lamielle

BUY: We are blessed in Alberta to have a thriving and high-quality honey industry. Just look for Alberta Honey on the label.

TIPS: Honey is a natural anti-bacterial. Use a little honey on a burn instead of the old wives’ remedy of butter.

DID YOU KNOW? Honeybees all over the world are being threatened. Because they pollinate so much of what we eat, their loss would severely diminish our diets. Think about it. Maybe you have room for a hive in your community? Check out Apiaries and Bees for Communities, backyardbees.ca.

BUY: Seville oranges are sour, have very little flesh and lots of seeds. Don’t eat them.

Buy fruit that is unblemished and heavy in the hand. Don’t be deterred by the knobby skin.

TIPS: Buy extra fruit and peel off the rind with a good potato peeler. Dry the zest and use a piece or two to flavour osso bucco and Moroccan-style dishes.

DID YOU KNOW? The first marmalade was probably made from quinces, which do, in fact, make a lovely jam.

BUY: Look for heavy, unblemished fruit with fresh green foliage. The best way to buy a pineapple is by smelling it (no sour or musty notes), and not by easily pulling out the leaves.

TIPS: Pineapple, unlike most other fruits, will not break down much when cooked. Chop the fruit quite finely unless you want big chunks of pineapple in your dish.

DID YOU KNOW? Pineapples are picked ripe. They will soften after a day or two on the counter, but will not get any sweeter.

Ellen Kelly is a regular contributor to City Palate.

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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drink this

Shelley Boettcher

WINES TO WARM YOUR WINTER

Post-Christmas and holiday bills await. RRSP deadlines loom.

January and February can be tough for wine lovers looking for an excuse to shop. And the weather’s generally lousy, too. But I can justify anything, especially at this time of year. Since we have comfort foods, we need comfort wines, too – wines that make us feel good but don’t cost a ton.

I’ve spent decades researching the subject. When I was a student, I judged my financial happiness based on wine. If my roommate and I had a cheap bottle for the weekend, we felt rich – even if the rest of our cupboard contained little more than crackers and instant ramen.

Wine prices, like everything else, have gone up since those days. But there are still bargains to be had. These are some of my favourite winter-warming wines that cost $25 or less (prices are approximate).

Pictured from left to right: 2012 Les Jamelles Syrah Pays d’Oc, France $14 Made in southern France by a female wine maker named Catherine Delaunay, this wine is a perennial favourite at our house. A medium-bodied red, it has aromas of spice, earth, dark fruit and a faint herbal note, too. Pair with Spolumbo’s mild Italian sausages, and maybe its chorizo, too.

2009 Bulliat Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes Burgundy, France $25 If you know a bit about wine, you’ll likely expect this to be a pinot noir. Surprise – it’s actually a gamay, from part of the Beaujolais Cru, where gamay can be labeled as a Bourgogne. This beauty has incredibly silky tannins and tastes much more expensive than it actually is. It’s beautiful with lamb, duck or roast chicken.

Artist: A Tribe Called Red Photographer: : Budder Falling Tree

2012 Therapy Vineyards Freudian Sip Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $17 Sometimes I need a little Therapy. Sometimes I need a lot. This mouth-watering, aromatic white is a blend of riesling, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc and kerner, which gives it pretty flavours of peach, honeydew melon and lemon peel. Drink it chilled by itself, or pair it with everything from Chinese takeout to roast chicken.

ORIGINALRADIO. Join us on the margins and discover something different.

93.7 FM | ckua.com

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

Parés Balta Cava Brut Penedes, Spain $18 Made the same way as champagne, but with different grapes, cava is Spain’s famous sparkling wine. The team behind this family-owned winery has been making wines since the 1700s, and they’ve been officially organic since 2004. These bubbles are crisp with citrus and red apple notes. Serve chilled as an apéritif and pair with sushi.

2012 Michele Chiarlo Gavi, Le Marne Piedmont, Italy $20 I’m a sucker for a lovely label, but this wine is more than just a pretty face. Made by one of Italy’s star wine makers, it’s an elegant, medium-bodied white made from 100 percent cortese grapes grown in Gavi, in northwestern Italy. It has delicate floral and fruity notes that are almost hypnotic on the nose. Serve chilled, with scallops or lobster.

2013 Finca Los Primos Malbec San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina $14 A perennial crowd-pleaser year after year, Finca Los Primos is made by the Bianchi family, one of Argentina’s best-known and largest wine-producing families. The winery is huge, but the quality is still there, especially considering the price of this chewy, spicy red. Pair with big, meaty things, maybe steak or bison burgers.

2013 Chaos Rosé Napa Valley, California, USA $19 Chaos as a comfort wine? In my house, absolutely. This 100 percent syrah rosé is made from grapes that were hand-picked and crushed with an old hand-operated basket press. With soft berry notes and a hint of pomegranate and violets, it tastes like a memory of something beautiful – like time sitting in the Mediterranean sun with someone you love. It’s a partnership between two Calgary wine importers, Tim and Owen Mitchell, and Paul Hein, a fifth-generation Napa wine maker.

2012 Vignobles Foncalieu La Bastide Pays d’Oc, France $11.50 The word “bastide” refers to France’s ancient fortified, or walled, towns. Here, however, the name lends itself to an earthy, rustic red that’s mostly syrah (50 percent); the rest is carignan, grenache, alicante bouchet and merlot. Make sure it isn’t too warm; chill it to about 16 to 18 C, and try it with burgers or lasagna.

From a cooperative in France’s Languedoc region, it’s made for casual week-night dinners, big parties and tight budgets. You can’t get much cheaper!

Most of these are generally available in Calgary, but to find out where to find these wines, go to this snazzy web site: liquorconnect.com. It has all the answers!

Wontons, made not as much with the hands, as with the heart. with hand-wrapped wontons packed for At Kings, we believe homemade kes ma p sou ier ier soup. And tast e tru fresh ingredients make for a tast be to d hel ve we’ ing eth lly, and som ss. ine happier customers. Simple rea bus over 35 years we’ve been in for the three generations and early 2015).

Edmonton Trail location (open Taste for yourself and visit our new

Shelley Boettcher is a Calgary freelance writer and co-author, with Darren Oleksyn, of the third edition of Uncorked: The Definitive Guide to Alberta’s Best Wines Under $25.

Kings on Barlow

104 Meridian Road NE

} kingsrestaurant.net |

Kings on the Hill

808 Edmonton Trail NE

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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get this turn over a new leaf… …and cover it with a great salad dressing. If the New Year inspires a reset of your eating habits, this handy salad dressing shaker from Oil & Vinegar might ease the transition. The bottle comes with five dressing recipes – Walnut, Caesar, Oil and Vinegar, Sherry or French – printed on its sides to keep you from getting bored with your new eat-green-to-get-lean routine.

The types of oil and vinegar that work best for each recipe are listed right on the bottle along with additional ingredients and measurement lines. In just a few shakes you’ll go from trimming your holiday plate with goodies to trimming your waist in very good taste.

Dressing Shaker, $14.25, Oil & Vinegar

rasping the situation Did Santa bring you a copy of local cookbook author Gwendolyn Richards’ new Pucker: A Cookbook for Citrus Lovers for Christmas? Well then, you’ll need this handy stainless steel rasp and zest holder from Lee Valley Tools. You can use the rasp alone to add citrus zing directly by rasping over food if a recipe calls for small amounts. If larger quantities of zippy zest are needed, the handy holder is there to collect them. If you get the rasp but haven’t got your copy of the book yet, try this favourite salad – called Lemon Lightness – to hold you over.

Make lemon vinaigrette by whisking 1/2 t. Dijon mustard, 2 T. lemon juice, 1 t. honey, 4 T. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss the dressing with 1 bunch mixed greens, chopped into fine ribbons, 3/4 c. crumbled feta, 1 diced shallot and the zest of 1 lemon. This citrus season is sure to deliver major pucker power.

Stainless steel rasp and holder, $23, Lee Valley Tools

gone Greek Long cold nights call for a little romance to keep your spirit – or as the Greek’s say, your kefi – alive. The delightful romantic comedy My Life in Ruins, starring Winnipeg-born Nia Vardalos, is a favourite food lover’s movie. It’s a Greek feast for winter-weary eyes with its blue skies and turquoise waters, and a picnic for the palate as people eat Greek delicacies the whole way through the movie. Join them. Rent the movie and arrange a Greek feast by paying a visit to Two Greek Gals. Start with their crisp pita chips, add the tang of tzatziki and the salty brine of taramasalata, and then layer on the flavours of their creamy vegetarian moussaka.

Watch the movie, eat the food, triumph over winter and get your kefi back.

Vegetarian moussaka, $9.95-$16.95, Two Greek Gals at the Calgary Farmers’ Market

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

Karen Anderson

MUST-HAVE KITCHEN STUFF

good for your sweetheart’s heart Grainworks Organic Tillers & Millers from Vulcan produces and sources more than 100 certified organic grain products grown in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.

It supplies the bulk bins at many organic grocers and now has its own line of pantry packs available through an online store. This Valentine’s Day buy the rolled oats and treat your sweetheart’s heart to oatmeal crème brûlée. Beat 2 eggs with 1-1/2 c. milk, 1 t. vanilla, 1/3 c. sugar, and 1/4 t. salt. Stir in 1 c. rolled oats, pour into 2 ramekins and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle each with a mixture of brown sugar and maple syrup. Broil for one minute and serve with some fresh fruit. Oats have omega-3 fatty acids, folate and potassium, are rich in fibre and can lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol by about five percent – an “oat-standing” start to the year’s most romantic day.

Grainworks Rolled Oats pantry packs, prices vary depending on quantity ordered, grainworks.com

get your guard on Remember sitting at the side of the ice rink after a long day of gliding around chasing friends and playing crack the whip? Your fingers were numb and toes blue as you stretched your skate guards over the gleaming steel of your blades. You’d never risk dulling your skating blades by walking around unprotected. Do your knives the same favour and treat them to a beautifully crafted wooden knife sheath to protect them and keep them sharp longer. Local chef Jordan Henkel makes these beauties in a variety of sizes and shapes and even designs custom sheaths. A sharp knife just might take you back to the joy of how if felt to be the first one on the fresh ice with newly sharpened skates... so get your guard on.

Jordan Henkel wooden knife sheaths, $70 - $100, Knifewear

for the junk in your trunk This large car trunk organizer – it’s 18” x 18” x 10-1/2” when open – from Lee Valley Tools is perfect for organizing all the junk that ends up in your trunk. It’s perfect for that weekly trip to the farmers’ market or a super stock-up at the grocery store. You’ll avoid that tell-tale thunk of a grocery bag gone sideways and the subsequent rolling of goods from side to side as your purchases rock and roll into disarray on the drive home. Eggs are much better scrambled in the pan than in the back of your car.

Large trunk organizer, $23.50, Lee Valley Tools

Karen Anderson is the owner of Calgary Food Tours

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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Lundberg knows a thing or two about rice.

It’s been a part of their lives since 1937.

one ingredient 1995

2015

Julie Van Rosendaal

PORK BELLY

Pork belly has become the “It” ingredient on restaurant menus these days, leading the pack of cuts preferred by cleaver-wielding chefs of the nose-to-tail persuasion.

Like a chicken thigh or beef rib, pork belly is exactly what it sounds like – a fatty, boneless piece of meat from the belly of a pig. It comes by the slab, about an inch thick, usually with its skin on. Most people recognize pork belly in its cured, sliced form – as bacon. If you wanted to give home-made bacon a go, you’d start with a piece of pork belly. Like bacon, uncured pork belly is mostly fat, with bits of meat interspersed in layers like a cross-section of earth.

In most countries around the world, home cooks “get” the potential of underused cuts like pork belly. It’s more mainstream than it is here, although in Canada, it’s catching on and isn’t as intimidating/unappetizing to the home cook as some offal and other obscure bits. The trick to cooking pork belly is allowing the meat to break down over low, slow heat, rendering the fat and getting it hot enough to sufficiently crisp up the skin. (If not, the rubbery top layer can be peeled off and you can focus on the tender, flavourful meat underneath.)

Healthy food choices for smart eaters available at

Often, a belly gets its start with a blast of high heat in the oven or skin-down in a hot pan, and is then given a long time to cook in a low oven. In the end, it’s all crackling; the ratio of meat to crispy bits is unlike any other cut of pork. Whether you’re doing a traditional Sunday roast or making a batch of chicharrónes to snack on -- a great way to win friends and influence people -- it’s all about the crispy bits.

Crisp Roast Pork Belly

3 locations in Calgary

•

amaranthfoods.ca

If you’re into crispy crackling, this classic British roast lunch is for you. If you like, maximize the rendered fat and the heat of the oven by tossing some potatoes into the pan around the meat halfway through the cooking time.

2 lbs. pork belly, skin on

TASTE THE WORLD

2 garlic cloves, crushed canola or olive oil a few sprigs fresh thyme salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 onion, halved and sliced 1-2 small heads garlic, halved crosswise 1/2 lb. new potatoes, halved if needed (optional)

Pat the pork belly dry and score the skin with a sharp knife in both directions, without cutting all the way through to the meat. In a small bowl, mix the crushed garlic with a drizzle of oil and rub all over the surface of the meat. Pull the leaves off a couple of sprigs of thyme and sprinkle overtop; drizzle with a little more oil, season with salt and pepper and let the meat stand for about 30 minutes.

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Richmond Hill Wines @rhillwines

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F and place the onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the pork belly on top, skin-side up, and place a couple more sprigs of thyme and the halved garlic around it; drizzle the exposed garlic with a little oil and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 300°F and continue to roast for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat is tender and the skin is crisp. If you like, toss a few new potatoes into the pan around the meat, shaking it up to coat them with the rendered fat, about halfway through the cooking time.

When the belly is finished, let it rest on a cutting board before slicing. Serves 6.

Steamed Pork Belly Buns The restaurant Momofuku is known for its steamed pork belly buns. Surprisingly, your own version isn’t that difficult to accomplish with a quick, simple dough made with flour and coconut milk.

Place the buns, in their papers, in a steamer basket over simmering water. Cover and steam for 12-15 minutes, until cooked through.

Immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds, while the buns are still tacky. Serve warm, with extra hoisin sauce and wedges of lime.

Makes about 1-1/2 dozen buns.

Pork: 2 lbs. skinless pork belly 1/4 c. brown sugar 2 T. salt

Dough: 4 c. all-purpose flour 1 T. baking powder 1/2 t. salt 1 14-oz. can coconut milk hoisin sauce fresh cilantro, chopped paper muffin cups and non-stick spray sesame seeds, toasted wedges of lime

Place the pork belly in a small roasting pan.

Combine the brown sugar and salt and rub all over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F, pour off any accumulated juices from the pan, and roast the belly one hour, basting once or twice, until golden. Turn the heat down to 300°F and cook for another hour and a half, until the pork is nice and tender. Remove and let the meat cool in its juices, then thinly slice, shred or chop it once it’s cool enough to handle.

Braised Pork Belly with Apples and Cider Apples and cider make a popular pairing with braised pork – the long, low cooking time gives the meat a chance to become tender, and the apples wind up soft and slurpy. Serve with mashed or roasted potatoes, to catch the drips.

1 pork belly (about 1-1/2 lbs) salt and freshly ground pepper cooking oil 2 onions, halved and cut into thin wedges 2 apples, cored and cut into eighths 2-3 c. apple cider (hard or soft) small handful fresh sage or a few sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme

Pat the skin side of the pork belly dry and score it by running a sharp knife across it at 1-inch intervals, then do the same in the opposite direction. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Set a heavy roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil.

When the pan is hot, put the pork in skin-side down and cook until deep golden and crisp.

Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Meanwhile, to make the dough, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, add the coconut milk and stir until you have a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll into a long log, then cut it into 14 to 18 pieces.

Roll each piece into a thin circle.

Put the onions and apples in the bottom of the pan and pour over enough cider to cover them.

Place the pork on top, skin-side up; add a bit more cider if necessary so it comes about halfway up the pork. Scatter the fresh herbs around the belly and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Top each piece of dough with some pork, a drizzle of hoisin sauce and a pinch of cilantro. Fold the dough over and pinch it together to seal. Place seam-side down into paper muffin cups that have been sprayed with non-stick spray.

Roast for 2-1/2 hours. Turn the heat up to 450°F and cook for another 20-30 minutes, until crisp on top. Slice and serve the meat with the soft apples and onions and drizzle with the pan juices. Serves 4-6.

continued on page 18 CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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one ingredient PORK BELLY continued from page 17

Home-made Chicharrónes I read on the blog Serious Eats about a Colombian method of making chicharrónes – those crispy, crunchy bits of fried pork cracklings – that was a lot like rendering your own lard. You cut pork belly into chunks, put them into a wok and cover the pieces with water, then bring to a simmer and cook until the fat renders and the water evaporates. (This process takes a couple of hours, but only a few minutes of actual prep time.) You’re left with a bunch of smaller pork bits immersed in their own fat, at which point you can crank up the heat and deep fry them until they’re crisp and golden.

Another tip from Serious Eats: rubbing the skin with baking soda and letting it sit for an hour (or up to a day) produces a more alkaline environment, which encourages the Maillard reaction – the chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that helps foods brown under (or over) heat. It also accelerates the breakdown of proteins in the meat, tenderizing it. In fact, leaving the belly exposed to air – even putting it on a baking rack – as it sits with the soda helps the meat dehydrate a bit too. Getting rid of excess moisture is a good thing when your goal is crisp and crackly.

The crunchy, meaty bits (some chicharrónes are made with the skin only, with the meat and fat removed) can be tossed warm with salt and pepper or any number of spices – chile and sugar are common. Don’t forget a wedge of lime at the table.

1 pork belly (1 to 1-1/2 lbs.)

2 t. baking soda salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pat the pork belly dry with paper towel and rub the skin with baking soda. Let sit, uncovered, for a couple of hours, or refrigerate, uncovered, for up to a day.

Rinse the pork belly well and pat it dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces that are less than half an inch thick. Put the pieces into a wok or deep, narrow pot (if the surface area is too wide your rendered fat might not be deep enough). Cover the pork with water and set over medium-high heat.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 hours, until the fat renders and the moisture cooks off.

Once the bits of pork are submerged, turn up the heat and cook until deep golden and crisp. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and toss with salt and pepper.

Serve warm. Serves about 4.

Julie Van Rosendaal is a cookbook author and blogs at dinnerwithjulie.com.

Slow Food Calgary presents...

ROOTS

&SHOOTS

Monday, April 13th at River Café in Prince’s Island Park

Slow Food Calgary’s celebration of spring will once again hosted by River Café owner Sal Howell and executive chef Andrew Winfield, along with guest chefs.

Ticket details will be announced soon!

Check slowfoodcalgary.ca and river-cafe.com

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

YOU’RE GETTING WARMER

ROTISSERIE l COMFORT FOOD l GOURMET CASUAL 403.288.4372 l 4611 BOWNESS ROAD NW l NOTABLETHERESTAURANT.CA

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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feeding people Cheer on Avec’s Dilan Draper on

“Chopped Canada” February 7th on Food Network

CONTEMPORARY FRENCH BISTRO 105, 550-11th Ave. SW

PH 587.352.0964 AVECBISTRO.COM

Allan Shewchuk

A TALE OF TWO RISOTTOS

There are two Italys: the richer, businesslike north and the poorer, soulful south. Italians from these two solitudes are not really on speaking terms. And for sure they are not on “eating terms” either – you wouldn’t recognize dishes from one end if you travelled to the other. But one food blurs the lines of these deep regional divides – risotto.

Although it’s thought of as northern, this slow-cooked dish has roots in all parts of Italy. Rice definitively arrived in Sicily, probably by way of the Moors, in the 8th or 9th century A.D. By the 10th century, southerners had perfected irrigation and rice became a staple (although it was cooked in a pilaf style). In the 15th century, rice production moved north to the Po Valley, where it has thrived, making northern Italy the rice capital of Europe. So rice does have a north-south pedigree in Italy, which I assure you is unlike any other food.

The rice we use for risotto, usually arborio, vialone nano or carnaroli, has stubby, highly glutinous grains. These varieties are the key to making risotto as they have more amylopectins than other kinds of rice. These amylopectins are released during stirring, which allows the rice to cook longer while holding its texture. The next crucial factor is cooking risotto in a heavy pot that transfers heat evenly so that each grain sheds its creamy goodness.

AVEC BISTRO @AVECBISTRO

Traditional Italian Grocer

The third absolute must is to follow the four steps of preparation. First, make the soffrito, which is a base of sautéed vegetables, usually onions. Next step is rossolare, which is the adding of rice to the soffrito without liquid to let the rice get kick-started to cook. The next step is coucere, which is the gradual adding of liquid, usually white wine and then hot stock, while constantly stirring. The final step is mantecare, which is the “pounding” of the pot with butter, oil or cheese to enrich the finished dish just before the risotto sits for a minute. Then you serve it.

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Three generations of service and quality

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One last thing all Italians do to ensure perfect risotto is they serve it immediately.

A few years ago my wife and I were in Venice. We both wanted risotto with seafood from the lagoon, but when we ordered, our waiter barked “No!” When we asked why, he explained that enough customers had to order risotto so that it could be served as soon as it was done. It could not sit in the pot. To our joy, the waiter eventually declared there were enough takers to justify a pot of risotto. It arrived piping hot and we dug into it with gusto. A few minutes later, an old cook from the kitchen arrived with the pot and asked if we wanted more – it had to be eaten now. He cackled, “Il risotto non aspetta gli ospiti, ma gli ospiti aspettano il risotto!” which means: The risotto doesn’t wait for the guests, the guests wait for the risotto.

The following recipes illustrate my “tale of two risottos.” They could not be more different, like the north and south themselves, but risotto bridges the gap as perhaps one of the only true Italian foods around. And when risotto is served, there is one thing you will hear all over Italy: Buon appetito!

These risottos will serve 6 as a starter or 4 as a main...

photos by Allan Shewchuk

But even when Italians from the north and south make risotto following the key steps above, we’re still talking about huge differences in what ends up on your plate in each region. Prosperous northerners almost always use butter for cooking fat. Milk cows are plentiful in the north and almost non-existent in the arid south.

Northerners may also use beef bone marrow as a fat base, but beef is a luxury in the south and wouldn’t be considered. And, in the north, expensive Parmigiano Reggiano is used for the fabulous finish. By contrast, a southerner will start by using olive oil as a base and would likely use shellfish or seafood as the main ingredient. When that happens, cheese is forbidden and a southern cook would rely on the glutinous rice to provide the creaminess. The basic process may be the same, but we’re talking about two very different risottos. These aren’t two ships passing in the night – they’re on different oceans.

Risotto con Funghi

Risotto con Pesce di Spada e Finocchio

(Risotto with Fresh and Dry Wild Mushrooms)

(Swordfish and Fennel Risotto)

Mushrooms are a vital part of Northern Italian cuisine. The hills of the north, with their majestic chestnut trees, are perfect for growing the elusive porcini. The dried mushrooms give this dish a robust flavour. To make this vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock for meat stock, and make sure you use the juices from the reconstituted porcini – that is the key to this dish. I like my risotto a little drier than some, but still al dente. The farther north you go in Italy, the soupier the risotto tends to be. In Venice, they like it sul’onda (on a wave), but the more you head south, Italians prefer it more on the “solid” side.

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms l lb. fresh flavourful mushrooms (portobello, oyster, crimini), chopped 6 c. light meat stock (preferably chicken) 3 T. unsalted butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 1-3/4 c. arborio rice 1/2 c. dry white wine 6 T. grated parmesan cheese 2 T. Italian parsley, finely chopped salt and pepper

In a small bowl, soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Drain the mushrooms and reserve the fluid.

Chop the porcini and the fresh mushrooms into a small dice. Set aside. Note: For more depth, you can toss the fresh mushrooms in a little olive oil, put them in a preheated 350°F oven and roast them until brown. A sprinkle of white

balsamic also adds flavour while roasting. Or you can put them into a non-stick pan at high heat with no oil and toss them until they start to lose liquid and then set them aside. Just add them to the reconstituted porcinis when you add them to the risotto.

Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a low boil.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan, add the butter and put on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Add the rice to the pot and stir vigorously to coat the grains with the hot butter. Add the wine and continue stirring until it disappears into the rice.

Add the hot mushroom water and stir vigorously until it also blends into the rice.

Now, add 1 or 2 ladles of the stock, just to cover the rice, and continue stirring gently. As the liquid is absorbed, add a little more stock, a bit at a time. Continue until the stock is nearly gone, about 15 minutes. Then test the rice for doneness. When the rice is close to done, add the mushrooms. They will cook quickly and release a lot of fluid. After 3 to 5 minutes, the risotto should flow but not be runny. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the parmesan cheese and parsley and mix well. The risotto will thicken quickly now. Allow the risotto to rest for 2 minutes, then serve it immediately and sprinkle with a bit more cheese and parsley. If you have leftovers, save the rice and use it to make little risotto cakes or arancini for frying.

There’s no better way to emphasize risotto’s ability to break the north-south divide of Italy than with a Sicilian dish. Swordfish are stalked in the Strait of Messina between Calabria and Sicily, where the two southern regions are at kissing distance. Fennel grows wild in southern Italy and the anise flavour it adds to this dish is divine. Be sure to stir the risotto gently once you add the fish so that you keep the nice chunky texture. Serve this with a white wine from Sicily’s Planeta vineyard.

swordfish is cooked nearly through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and set aside.

6 c. seafood broth

Ladle about 1 c. of the broth into the rice and stir slowly but constantly, until the liquid starts to get absorbed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat this step by adding broth and stirring until the broth gets low in the pot. With arborio rice you need to start checking for doneness after about 15 minutes of adding broth – it will start to get chalky and then in short order will get to be al dente, which is how you want it to finish.

8 T. extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, minced 1 small fennel bulb, including stalks and fronds, finely chopped with 2 T. of chopped fronds set aside for garnish 8 oz. swordfish steak, cut into half-inch cubes 2 c. arborio or other risotto rice 1/4 c. dry white wine salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan set over low heat. Heat half the oil in a medium pan over low heat. Add the onion, fennel and 2 to 3 T. of the broth and cook, stirring frequently, until the fennel is very soft and the broth is gone, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the swordfish and continue cooking, stirring gently, until the

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large heavy pot (I use my Le Creuset) over low heat.

When ready to start the rice, turn up the heat to high, add the rice and start stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to coat the rice in the oil and to kick-start the cooking process. After about 3 minutes, add the wine and continue to stir – it will evaporate almost immediately.

When you think it’s done, add some broth and the swordfish mixture and stir carefully so you don’t break up the swordfish cubes. After two minutes, check the rice again and, if needed, add some more broth. Season the risotto with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the reserved chopped fennel fronds. Serve immediately.

Allan Shewchuk divides his time between Florence, Italy, and Calgary, Alberta.

FE EL B ET TE R AT

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Renovated and Now Open!

carriagehouse.net peanutspublichouse.com 22

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EW

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what’s cooking online?

Kate Zimmerman

BLOGS AND WEB SITES WORTH A CLICK

The scary detritus of your holiday overspending is enough to make you throw yourself, quivering, under a duvet until May. All around you, newspapers, magazines and TV hosts are hollering about debt. This is not the time to buy books on how to save money on vittles, but it’s the perfect opportunity to consult the web.

For, like a great cookbook, a good blog can be a comforting friend – a friend you’ll never have to see, clean up for or entertain, which is perfect, since that’s the sort of mood you’re in. While there are way too many food blogs in the universe, this new column’s raison d’etre is to check out many and recommend a few.

The current Palate’s topic is “cheap eats,” but that doesn’t mean we’re stooping to miser level. A budget-conscious blog or web site doesn’t have to look like it was handwritten in pencil by some twist-tie hoarder with fond memories of the Great Depression.

It can gussy stuff up.

Local cookbook author and regular City Palate contributor Julie van Rosendaal’s blog at dinnerwithjulie.com proves the point. It’s colourful, cleverly designed and amply illustrated with good photos, offering terrific inexpensive recipes. Her hearty, familyfriendly Hungarian Goulash calls for a pound of stewing beef, three slices of bacon, canned tomatoes, and spices; you can also make some complementary noodles called “csipetke.” Twist my arm.

Local blogger Dan Clapson of dansgoodside.com runs the free post-secondary cooking program Start from Scratch, so he’s aware that many of us lack the dough for luxury ingredients. His recipes for Grilled Romaine and Chorizo Salad or “Greek” Lemon Mashed Potatoes stretch a dollar stylishly. You’ll find equally unpretentious recipes at pierrelamielle.com. The Calgary cookbook author’s terrific-looking website features a recipe for “Beans and Gas” that includes double-smoked bacon, canned mixed beans and soda pop, which you probably have left over from the holidays.

Further afield, San Diegan cookbook author and mother of six (!) Jessica Fisher writes goodcheapeats.com. Look to her for simple, nutritious recipes that won’t break the bank.

On this homey little number, the cakes look like the ones you made for your kids when they were small, not like something off Cake Boss. The plates, too, appear to have been kicking around for years. We can’t all outfit our homes from CB2’s latest collection.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the indomitable Martha Stewart continues to try new “good things” at marthastewart.com. She’s less hoity-toity in the kitchen lately – though she’s still telling us how to etch glass and fold dinner napkins in 14 easy steps. Her website series One Pot Favorites offers instructional videos on inexpensive dishes like her tomato and basil pasta made in a solitary pot, where you set uncooked dried pasta in a saucepan, add onions, tomatoes, basil, crushed chile peppers and a few cups of cold water, and turn on the heat. Presto – within 10 minutes the pan contains a crazy cheap pasta dinner for three. This, I’ve got to try.

As a devoted Anglophile, I’m strongly drawn to the oeuvre of Felicity Cloake at felicitycloake.com. The English cookbook author has a column in The Guardian where she explains “How to Make the Perfect” version of a classic dish, whether it’s corn bread or country pâté. Her Gujarati-style butternut squash and kale curry with cauliflower “rice” looks like just the sort of frugal, healthful fare that suits a January night.

It doesn’t much matter what you think of Gwyneth Paltrow’s persona – she’s rich, gorgeous, and can make any loopy remark she wants about conscious uncoupling or unconscious cupping. And yet one of the things she likes to do is cook, so she can’t be all bad. Her handsome blog, goop.com is pretty appetizing when it’s focused on food.

One recent issue included Paltrow’s refreshingly humble confession that “I can’t f&%ing bake.” Because she’s GP, she doesn’t just slump over weeping into her fallen cakes – she calls one of her trending professional friends for help.

Paltrow teams up for a baking session with Zoe Nathan of L.A.’s Rustic Canyon and Huckleberry Café & Bakery, sharing how to make brioche and beignets. She follows this well-documented, multiple recipe section with a list of reasonably priced baking essentials. I hate to say it, Gwynnie, but well done.

Now Open Opening Soon 521-10 Avenue SW 521-10 Avenue SW Calgary

Calgary www.pampasteakhouse.com www.pampasteakhouse.com

Kate Zimmerman mostly likes to eat cheese, but apparently this is not advised.

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

23

the sunday project

with Erin Lawrence

MAKING MARSHMALLOWS

Stay-Pufft, Jet-Puffed, how about Paper-Puffed? No one likes those rubbery, tasteless marshmallows that come bagged in the store.

What if I told you that you could make your own marshmallows in as much time as it would take you to hit the grocery store, wait in line and come home? No ordinary marshmallows, these are sweet, light, laced with real flavour, and they don’t need to be lit on fire to melt in your mouth.

r e s ta u r a n t & l o u n g e

Marshmallows play nicely with nearly any fruit flavouring and adapt easily to just about any boozy flavouring – Kahlua, Bailey’s, rum, bourbon, even gin.

You need a candy thermometer, but don’t let that intimidate you. It’ll help you get these just right.

This recipe is adapted from Shauna Sever’s Marshmallow Madness! It makes about 2 dozen.

Classic Vanilla Marshmallows I love to super vanilla-ize these with a bit of vanilla bean paste scraped from a whole vanilla bean, for an extra hit of flavour and all those beautiful, fancy little flecks. If you’re using any food colouring or additional flavourings, add them near the beginning of the mixing process; later and the marshmallows may deflate.

Put all your marshmallowing tools in a sink or bowl of hot water to make clean up a snap.

The Bloom: 4-1/2 t. unflavored powdered gelatin 1/2 c. cold water

Contemporary French

Fine dining in downtown Calgary

Lunch: Monday - Friday • 11:30Am-2:00PM Dinner: Monday - Saturday • 4:30PM-10:00PM Closed Sunday Three Course Business Lunch $25 Monday – Friday

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

The Syrup: 3/4 c. granulated sugar 1/2 c. light corn syrup, divided 1/4 c. water 1/8 t. salt 2 t. vanilla extract

Spray an 8” square baking pan with cooking spray. To make the bloom, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand while you prep the syrup.

To make the syrup, stir together the sugar, 1/4 c. corn syrup, water, salt and vanilla in a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 240°F. on a candy thermometer. When you’re getting close to temperature, pour the remaining 1/4 c. corn syrup into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start the mixer running on low.

Microwave the gelatin on high until completely melted, about 30 seconds. Pour it into the mixer bowl with the corn syrup, and keep it running.

When the syrup reaches 240°F, slowly drizzle it into the mixer bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 3 minutes. Then, turn it to the highest speed and beat the mixture another 1 to 2 minutes.

The finished marshmallow mixture will be opaque white, fluffy and tripled in volume.

Pour it quickly into the prepared pan and smooth it into the corners. Let the marshmallow set for several hours, or until firm, in a cool, dry place and put together the coating:

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

Classic Marshmallow Coating: Combine 1-1/2 parts confectioners’ sugar and 1 part cornstarch or potato starch. Whisk or sift them together, or take them for a quick whir in the food processor. Make a couple cups at a time and store in an airtight container for future marshmallow projects.

Use a knife to loosen the marshmallow from the pan, or dust your hands in icing sugar and pull it out onto a coating-dusted work surface and dust it with more coating. Cut the marshmallow into whatever size pieces you want using a pizza cutter or a large chef’s knife. Dip the sticky marshmallow sides into the coating and shake off the excess. Now you’ve got delicious homemade marshmallows!

Kick your marshmallows up a notch!

Add any kind of booze – 2 T. to the gelatin bloom before you microwave it, and another 2 T. to the syrup when you start, if you’re feeling frisky!

Add fresh fruit flavour. Crush just about any fruit – I love fresh raspberries – but use almost anything you want, like strawberry, banana, peach.

Add 1/2 c. of crushed fruit to the mixing bowl when you add your corn syrup. If you want to add food colouring, add it along with the fruit.

Marshmallow topping for squares To create a delicious topping for squares, make your fave squares – rice krispie treats work well, basic lemon bars (the added marshmallow makes a gorgeous meringue-like topping) or even brownies. Once your marshmallow mixture is whipped up, pour it over the squares base and let it set. Voila! Fresh marshmallow topping. You can even caramelize the top if you have one of those mini kitchen torches. Yum. Boozy after-dinner mallow brew Add your favourite liqueur to the marshmallow mixture, then cut it and plop one or two in afterdinner coffee with milk and another shot of your liqueur of choice.

Get creative with your marshmallow shapes – pour your marshmallow mixture into fun ice-cube trays or a madeleine mold, but be sure they’re well sprayed with cooking spray.

That’s the key to getting the marshmallows out of the mold.

photos by Regan Johnson

1. Marshmallow ingredients.

2. Getting the syrup started.

3. The candy thermometer tells you when the syrup is done.

4. Adding the gelatine “bloom” to the mixer.

5. Adding the syrup to the mixer.

6. Marshmallow is fluffy and ready.

7. Marshmallow goes into the pan.

8. Cutting firm marshmallow into squares.

9. Applying the coating to the marshmallow squares.

10. Marshmallows ready to eat.

Ice cube trays make great molds.

You can get creative with shapes and flavours!

www.bernardcallebaut.com www.CococoChocolatiers.com

Erin Lawrence, who works for CTV, is a journalist, jewelry designer, foodie and traveller.

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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BRIGGS KITCHEN + BAR 100, 317 - 10th Ave. SW, 587-350-5015

great “cheap” eats

Two can eat well for

$50 or less

briggskandb.com Erin Rosar and Candice Schraeder Let’s face it, we’re spoiled. Calgary’s food and wine scene has a collection of vibrant and exciting restaurants to choose from, making it hard to decide which one to spend an evening in. So, when the challenge was presented to prove that two could eat well on $50 or less, the game was on and we knew exactly where we were heading – Briggs Kitchen + Bar. If you haven’t been yet, you’re missing out. The restaurant has been open almost a year and a half and has quickly found a prominent place in the city’s food and cocktail scene. Its philosophy is to deliver great atmosphere and outstanding food and drink all at a price that’s easy on the pocketbook.

Briggs is known for delicious cocktails and one of the best burgers in the city, so we started off with the Dark + Old Fashioned to share. It’s a delish concoction of rum, chartreuse, orange zest and chocolate bitters that just screams “hello weekend!”

Then on to the food – what to eat? The burger, of course. We added bacon and mushrooms, as cheese and normal fixin’s are already included, and had it served with a side salad. It was positively delicious!

Next, we ordered the Mushroom Deviled Eggs. As they sound, these are no ordinary deviled eggs, made with a creamy mixture of mushroom tastiness topped off with crisp slices of chorizo sausage.

With money burning a hole in our pockets we decided on the croque madame sandwich, served with Briggs’ amazing French fries. This sandwich is an incredible collection of roasted ham, fried egg, and béchamel sauce on perfectly golden bread. The ambiance at Briggs is casual-chic with lots of wood and metal accents, an open kitchen that gives a buzzy feeling to the place, and friendly, professional service.

How’d we do? Right on $50, excluding tax and tip, which proves that not only can two dine economically in Calgary, but that you can also do it without going light on quality or portion size. We’re sure you’ll agree the next time you’re there.

A good meal doesn’t have to cost a small (or large) fortune, especially these days with the explosion of great casual eateries that offer tasty, interesting, fun food at really affordable prices.

Really good, casual, interesting, affordable food has hit its stride – brilliant!

By great “cheap” eats, we mean this kind of food exactly – a good meal for $50 or less.

For our 6th eating challenge, we asked a handful of discriminating palates to take $50 and buy a tasty meal for two in a favourite restaurant.

This is what they found.

The $50 didn’t include tax and tip.

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

The tab at Briggs: Dark ‘n’ Old Fashioned 8.00 Chuck burger 13.00 Add bacon 2.50 Add mushrooms 1.50 Deviled Eggs 8.50 Croque Madame 15.00 Side Salad 1.50 TOTAL $50.00

HAPA IZAKAYA

MODEL MILK

816 -11th Ave. SW, 403-452-6737

308 - 17th Ave. SW, 403-265-7343

hapaizakaya.com

modelmilk.ca

Marcus and Melanie Purtzki

Jayme MacFayden and Kelly Black

As soon as we saw the awning of Hapa Izakaya on 11th Avenue we were eagerly anticipating our first visit to the restaurant. As former Vancouver-ites, we have eaten at Hapa a number of times and have fond memories of some of the delicious food we have previously shared. Recognized with a number of awards from the food industry, Hapa is an interesting twist on the traditional tapas menus, specializing in hot and cold Japanese-inspired small plates.

Expect to be greeted as you enter the doors to Hapa with only what I can imagine to be a warm Japanese welcome. Not only will you receive the greeting from your friendly hostess, but the kitchen will chime in as well. Unlike the smaller more intimate locations that we have experienced in Vancouver, Hapa Calgary is a large space with more than 100-seat capacity. It was a little vast and open for our liking, but still had a pleasant ambiance and attentive servers.

From salads and sashimi, cold and hot tapas to rice and noodles, there is an abundance of choices. With a $50 budget, it was difficult to narrow down our choices. However, we were still able to order a number of items to experience the breadth of the menu. Although we have only been to the Vancouver spots years ago and a few times at most, we still deliciously reminisce about the “stone hot pot,” and so this was a must when we visited the Calgary location. We chose the mushroom based “Kinoko Ishi-Yaki” which is a delicious collection of sautéed mushrooms and rice, mixed and pressed against the hot stone bowl to create a satisfying crunch to the rice.

Our favourite dish overall was a cold tapa, the Tuna Avocado Salsa dip, consisting of delicious chopped tuna sashimi and avocado, mixed tableside, served alongside fresh and crispy plantain chips. The Hot Wings and Polenta Fries were interesting takes on two American classics. The polenta fries were tempura-breaded, making for an extra crispy texture, while the hot wings were perfectly fried and juicy.

Overall we enjoyed our experience at Hapa Izakaya Calgary, and cannot wait to go with a group of friends so that we can enjoy a more extensive tasting of the menu!

This is a restaurant I always suggest when asked for recommendations.

Since the name gives nothing away, the first question is always: “What kind of food is it?” The answer is not easy. Model Milk’s menu is innovative, local and totally unique for Calgary. The food somehow manages to be both comfort food and cutting edge.

The name of the restaurant comes from the fact that this building used to once be an actual dairy. The multi-level space with exposed, whitewashed brick, open kitchen, low lighting, lots of flickering candlelight and raspy music from a record player sets a tone that makes you feel like you could be in L.A. rather than on 17th Avenue.

On a normal night, I would blow my budget on Model Milk’s wine list alone, as this well-curated list focuses on small, boutique producers, uncommon varietals and, generally, cool things you won’t see on everyone else’s wine list.

The night we were there was a challenge because I have a very demanding appetite. Possibly my favourite thing about the menu is that you can order and eat in a lot of different ways. More traditional diners can order an appetizer and main for themselves, or everything can be shared, starting with bar snacks.

We start with the deviled eggs, four per order, stuffed with mustardized yolk and topped with crushed potato chips. I never thought deviled eggs could be cool again, after growing up in the ‘80s, but Model nailed it! The charred shishito peppers are crispy and blistered on the outside, yet not overcooked so still have the shape, texture and flavour of this East Asian pepper. Finished with Maldon salt, they’re satisfying like popcorn, but healthy because they’re a vegetable, right?

Warm Rabbit Mortadella Sandwiches built on brioche buns, all melty and toasty, were a great pairing with the beer and cider we ordered. We also ordered the Fricassee of Calamari with guanciale and pimenton. This may be a fish dish but its creamy, tangy sauce and tender calamari trick you into thinking you could be eating a pasta dish instead of squid.

Although we left full, this small-seeming menu has such interesting combinations of ingredients and flavours that it always leaves a lasting impression and makes me want to come back for more. And I always do.

The tab at Hapa Izakaya:

The tab at Model Milk:

Large Bottle Sapporo Beer

Southern Cliff Dry Cider

6.00

Deviled Eggs

5.00

Hapa Hot Wings

10.00 8.00

Tuna Avocado Salsa Dip 12.00 Polenta Fries Kinoko Ishi-Yaki TOTAL

8.00 12.00 $ 50.00

Village Brewery Blonde Ale 6.00

Charred Shishito Peppers 6.00 Rabbit Mortadella Sandwiches 12.00 Fricassee of Calamari

15.00

TOTAL $50.00

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Calling all back-of-the-house restaurant cooks!

Ever wondered what a fresh baguette tastes like from a Paris bakery?

Or how tuna is prepared by the sushi chefs in Tokyo?

Or why Morocco is the spice capital of the world?

City Palate can help you further your culinary education with a Culinary Travel Grant to help pay for your travel and expenses.

For details on how to pitch us on where you’d like to go and what you’d like to learn, go to

citypalate.ca

Deadline for entries: March 20th, 2015

We look forward to hearing from you.

BIN905

WINE, SPIRITS & CRAFT ALES

great “cheap” eats continued from page 27

BRAVA BISTRO 723 - 17th Ave. SW, 403-228-1854 bravabistro.com Janet Webb and Lisa Clack My choice for “two can eat well for $50 or less” was Brava Bistro, a long time favourite haunt of mine. I find that even though you can go for a multi-course dinner there and find a great well-priced bottle of wine, what my friend Lisa and I enjoyed was most certainly enough food to fill our bellies. We wouldn’t have had room for dessert even if it had been in the budget. Brava Bistro starts everyone off with fresh-baked bread and house-cured olives. These were delicious and didn’t add to the $50 total.

On the starter menu, Lisa selected the Salt Spring Island mussels that were prepared with leeks, fresh herbs and white wine, and topped with a generous serving of frites and garlic aioli. This has been a staple at Brava Bistro for many years, and one of my all-time favourite picks. She enjoyed a classic pairing of Domaine Montrose rosé and mopped up the yummy sauce remaining with the house bread.

I had the wild mushroom flatbread, also on the starter menu, with a whole wheat crust, parmesan cream, roasted wild mushrooms, fior de latte cheese and fresh arugula. With this I thoroughly enjoyed a local brew, Tool Shed Red Rage, a flavourful beer with just enough hoppiness to cut the richness of the flatbread, which was one of the best I have tasted... thin crust, perfectly cooked and loaded with flavour. I was full after four slices and took the rest home. We had a great evening talking with owner Dewey Noordhof and meeting the new chef, Andrea Harling.

We ate very well for under $50... $48, in fact, before tip and GST.

NEW

Temperature controlled fine wine room and tasting area We specialize in California, Italy, Spain and France and we offer the finest selection of premium German Rieslings in Canada

Visit bin905.com for upcoming tastings and events Online ordering at bin905.com 2311 4 St SW, Calgary, AB / 403.261.1600 / bin905.com

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The tab at Brava Bistro: Mussels 17.00 Rosé 8.50 Flatbread 16.00 Beer 6.50 TOTAL $48.00

CINQUECENTO CUCINA “500 CUCINA” 1003 - 9 Ave. SE, 403-460-0797 500cucina.com Patricia Koyich and Meaghan Cameron As a native Calgarian and member of the restaurant community, I’m always curious about new spots in town. One evening last summer, a couple of friends and I set out to celebrate a belated birthday. We were driving through Inglewood on our way to the core and I spotted 500 Cucina.

The experience we had is the reason I became a fan of this restaurant and chose to put 500 Cucina to the “two can eat well for $50” challenge.

There’s a contemporary bar where they pour Peroni lager on tap and serve Illy café, also at the “kitchen bar” which is the main attraction.

This is where you will often see chefs/owners Gennaro Silvestri and Rocco Bartolotti hard at work.

It was a Monday evening and I invited one of my best friends, Meaghan, to accompany me on this challenge. It wouldn’t seem difficult, I thought, as she doesn’t drink and it was a school night for me so I wasn’t drinking, and we’d easily find a few dishes to share. The problem was that there were so many to choose from!

Perfectly placed to make fine wine and good friends. www.tinhorn.com

We started with the meatball appetizer, six lean but moist and flavourful meatballs slow cooked in San Marzano tomato sauce. The sauce was beautiful, tasting of real tomatoes passionately expressed as only Italians can do.

As a recent winner of “YYC Pizza Week,” we ordered the “Triple Pig” pizza and also the penne primavera. The pasta was plentiful and hot, with a beautiful sprig of fresh basil and melting parmesan cheese garnishing the plate.

Perfectly al dente pasta is a “big thing” in my book, and this was lovely.

Roasted red peppers, mushrooms, fresh spinach, grilled artichokes all tossed together in a rosé sauce. Each flavour distinctly detected on the palate.

The pizza was rich with the smoky flavours of bacon, porchetta and smoked porchetta combined with creamy hot mozzarella. The acidity of the tomato sauce and the garnish of fresh peppery herbs balanced this rich flavourful beast. So delicious and no question as to why it was voted the winner.

500 Cucina was a perfect start to our week and remains a favourite for both of us. The restaurant is open late on Friday and Saturday for you night owls, with live music on Saturdays. Buon Appetito! ✤

A SwiSS TrAdiTion

The tab at 500 Cucina: Meatballs 10.00 Penne Primavera

19.00

Triple Pig Pizza

20.00

TOTAL $49.00

Willow Park Village 10816 Macleod Trail South | 403.278.1220

Compleat Cook Cooking Classes 3400 – 114 Avenue SE | 403.253.4831 www.compleatcook.ca

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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THE

best THING I ATE/COOKED IN 2014

We asked our talented chefs and foodie friends to cast their minds over the last year and tell us about the best thing they ate or cooked, or both, and why it was memorable. This is our tasty collection.

JAN HANSEN, exec chef, Selkirk Grille, Heritage Park The best thing I had to eat in 2014 was the shaved foie gras over lychee and pine nut brittle.

My wife Carla and I were in New York in May and we were lucky enough to get a reservation at David Chang’s Momofuku Ko, a small, unassuming 12-seat restaurant in the east end of Manhattan. We had the chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings (all champagne and cava). All of the dishes were amazing but the shaved foie gras is one I won’t forget soon. We were served the bowl with lychee and pine nut brittle, and then the chefs shaved the foie gras over the lychee and brittle using a microplane grater.

The tastiest dish I cooked was for the 2014 spring gala dinner for Skål. Gochujang Braised Alberta Beef Short Rib. Roy Oh (Anju) had turned me onto Gochujang – a savoury, pungent fermented Korean red chile paste made from red chile, rice, fermented soybeans and salt – a few years back and I really wanted to incorporate it into a dish of my own.

CAM DOBRANSKI, chef/owner, Brasserie Kensington

JOHN GILCHRIST and CATHERINE CALDWELL, restaurant reviewers and food writers The best thing we ate in Calgary was Jinhee Lee’s spicy tuna-and-salmon tartare with avocado, Asian pear, shredded lettuce and puffed rice cracker at Raw Bar by Duncan Ly in Hotel Arts. This dish reveals the essence of Lee and Ly’s Vietmodern cuisine. The best dish out of town was Dale Mackay’s pea and carrot salad with smoked pork hocks – a deep and earthy plate of prairie goodness at Ayden in Saskatoon. And we have to toss in our friend Corina Hilton’s date-filled, coconut-topped Queen Elizabeth cake, which had us both asking for thirds. She sent the leftovers home with us and then made us another one for our September birthdays!

Catherine says the best thing we made was John’s fresh cherry pie, baked with cherries picked in Creston by friends.

John says it was Catherine’s arugula-roquefort salad tossed with dates and walnuts from an Arizona trip and dressed with blood orange-infused olive oil and cranberry-pear white balsamic vinegar. And both of us loved the hot dogs at our mutual retro birthday party, dressed in Edgar Farms’ asparagus relish and chased with more Queen Elizabeth cake.

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One thing I ate that was absolutely amazing were sweetbreads on a little street in downtown Madrid, in a joint called Casa Antonio that looked like nothing special, but they grilled lamb sweetbreads to order.

I only wanted a few to taste, but they misunderstood that I wanted a half order so we ended up with a massive plate of them. We finished them all and could have eaten more… they were that good! And probably contributed to my high cholesterol...

As for the best thing I cooked – for Thanksgiving we generally have parties at our house and roast a goose.

Usually I break the goose down and cook everything separately, but we bought a new barbecue with a rotisserie so we slow roasted the sucker for five hours, stuffed with oranges, garlic, onions and herbs. It turned out amazing – fall-off-the-bone tender – and was devoured. We ended up using the bones for a soup that was also amazing.

SAL HOWELL, owner, River Café and Boxwood The best thing I ate in 2014 was, surprisingly, an incredibly simple dish from the deft hands of chef David Gunawan of Farmer’s Apprentice restaurant in Vancouver. I brought him fresh lima beans from the Salt Spring Island market that were grown by Michael Ableman at Foxglove Farm. Now, lima beans are not typically an ingredient that people get excited about! But fresh, freshly picked limas are delectable. David sautéed them with arugula and olive oil and his cured guanciale. They were so delicious – the way I love to eat!

XAVIER LACAZE, chef/owner, Briggs Kitchen + Bar LIANA ROBBERECHT, exec chef, Calgary Petroleum Club

I have had many tasty bites throughout the year, but one dish that I loved and that inspired me, was in Chicago at Trenchermen’s in trendy Wicker Park for brunch. It was poached egg, asparagus and preserved lemon, with devilled egg purée. This dish was simplicity perfected – bright, seasoned and cooked perfectly. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for months!

One of my fave dishes that I cooked was for Chaîne des Rotisseurs with chef Gabriela Neda – roasted veal tenderloin, foie gras and marrow potato with veal jus. It was decadently rich but balanced. It was a layer of potato tortilla with a combination of mushrooms and bone marrow, brioche crumbs on top of the potato.

The veal tenderloin with foie gras and asparagus was placed on top of the tortilla with wisps of potato crisps. It was a fun concept that was very successful!

MICHAEL ALLEMEIER, chef/ instructor, SAIT’s culinary program For me, to date this year, the most exciting thing I’ve eaten was in Austin, Texas. There’s a place called Torchy’s Tacos. It was located in a “trailer park” of food trucks. Picture picnic tables under mature trees with lights strung in the trees. These were some of the most creative and tasty tacos I’ve had. I still think about the gulf prawn and deep-fried avocado taco. Soft, freshly made flour tortillas, sweet, plump gulf shrimp and the crispiest, freshest, richest, deep-fried avocado. Sitting outside, under the trees, it was so fresh. During the conference I was attending, I ate there three times. It wasn’t the most sophisticated food, but it was honest food – really delicious and really satisfying!

My favourite meal I cooked was in the summer. My family had just returned from Vancouver Island where my son Lachlan and I had harvested sea asparagus.

To celebrate, I cooked some halibut and served it with the sea asparagus, mussels steamed in a laksa broth and fresh sautéed chanterelles from Saskatchewan. The meal was delicious, but the highlight was that my sons helped me cook the entire meal and that’s what made it a special night. Currently I’m working on my Certified Master Chef (CMC) designation, which is keeping me very busy. So, having a few hours with my sons in the kitchen teaching them how to cook these ingredients was very rewarding. A great time was shared which heightened the experience.

The best thing I ate in 2014 would have to be my wife’s new recipe for “pull apart” bread – it’s cheesy, salty, crusty and so moist all at the same time. Just some of the best bread I’ve ever had, that helps prove what I believe, that home cooking is the best cooking in the world.

The best thing I cooked in 2014, or at least the one I enjoyed the most, would have to be a gâteau Basque. When I was growing up in France, that vanilla custard-stuffed cake would always be my first pick at the bakery. I was thinking about it a few months ago and decided to give it a try. I found out that making it was quite a process! But the result took me right back to my childhood.

CONNIE DESOUSA, chef/owner, CHARCUT Roast House The best thing John (her co-chef/owner) and I ate in 2014 was, without a doubt, the 50-day dry-aged rib eye steak we enjoyed with chef Paul Kahan at The Publican in Chicago. We were invited to participate in Taste Talks Chicago, a three-day culinary festival celebrating some of North America’s most revered chefs, and chef Kahan invited us to his restaurant for a late-night family-style dinner. The long aging made the steak so incredibly tender, expressing an interesting complexity we’d never experienced before. We will be showcasing similar dry-aged and ultra-dry-aged cuts of beef at our new restaurant charbar, opening in the East Village in the historic Simmons Building.

JULIE VAN ROSENDAAL, food writer, blogger, cookbook author It would be impossible to choose one best thing of 2014, but here’s one of the most memorable – the salted caramel cupcakes I made with my 16-year-old niece. It was her idea to drizzle chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel, and she wanted to walk to the corner store to buy a squeeze bottle of caramel. Instead, I showed her how easy it was to make a batch on the stovetop with butter, sugar and cream – and she was so excited to watch the alchemy of it.

“We just made caramel??” she exclaimed, “already?

And it’s so much better than the store-bought stuff!” A satisfying lesson learned – I know she’ll remember not only how to make caramel, but that it’s not always a hassle to make something from scratch. ✤

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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Vineyards belong to the natural rhythms of temperate zones in the northern and southern hemispheres. Spring is bud break, when the possibility of another vintage first appears in the form of furled and tender leaves. In summer, the tiny blooms of skeletal clusters become ripe, juicy flesh and skin. Fall is harvest. In winter, the vine is dormant.

While the vine enters dormancy, the wind shedding its leaves and the cold hardening its green shoots to wood, the wine maker surges ahead in the full swing of her craft.

A vine’s winter, our winter, is a wine maker’s spring.

F E R M E N TAT I O N

Fermentation announces the wine maker’s spring, belonging both to harvest and the onset of winter. The vigour and length of fermentation depend on yeast, the variety of grape and the wine maker’s approach to an individual vintage. During fermentation, the grape’s sugar becomes alcohol. This transformation can be rapid and ebullient or slow and laborious. From the start, the wine maker decides how much to let happen and how much to make happen – let the wild yeast reign or add yeast? If adding yeast, when? Should the grapes soak on the crushed skins before fermentation is induced?

When fermenting reds on their skins, how frequently will the cap (the mass of skins that rises to the surface) be plunged into the wine, reviving the fermentation with oxygen and helping to extract colour and tannin from the skins? To what extent will the fermentation temperature be controlled?

PRESSING

The pressing of grapes is typically confined to autumn. Most white grapes are crushed (skins split and stems removed) and pressed (juice extracted via pressure from the skin and fibres of the fruit) immediately after harvest. However, harvest can be protracted. Red varieties destined for red wine are fermented on their skins. If harvest is late due to weather conditions – favourable or not – fermentation will start late and pressing could very well fall within winter.

HARVEST

W H AT WINE MAKERS Like a farmer, a wine maker feels arc of the seasons keenly and is D O the perpetually dialed in to the weather IN THE WINTER

by Tonya Lailey

In the north appellations of the northern hemisphere, wine makers produce lateharvest wines and ice wines. Grapes for late harvest are plucked sometime after the second frost and occasionally in the dead of winter. Ice wine grapes are clipped below -10°C and pressed outside near that temperature. Ice wine harvest often coincides with the festive season. The naturally sweet juice of both late-harvest and ice wine is slow to ferment; it needs monitoring to avoid a “stuck” fermentation. A “stuck” or lapsed fermentation in dessert wine production is usually due to the high percentage of sugar in the juice which renders yeast sluggish at best and inactive at worst. We can all relate to the paralyzing effect of too many sweets during the festive season.

SETTLING

In raising white wines, there is a period post-fermentation when the wine maker lets the wine settle. This means allowing time for the particulate matter – yeast and grape debris – to sink to the bottom and clear the wine. Think about a stationary jug of freshly pressed apple cider and the clarity of the juice that rests atop the sunken apple debris.

The wine maker is not, at this time, settling himself into a comfy chair and chilling out.

It’s evaluation time, akin to giving the wine a physical. The wine’s body – structure, nose and palate – are examined by the wine maker’s experienced olfactory system – he smells and tastes it. The wine is measured for acidity levels, pH, sugar content and for the relationship between free sulphur and total sulphur. Based on the overall results, the wine maker determines the wine’s course. Will it be blended or remain as a single varietal? Will it be filtered and bottled for sale in early spring or left to mellow in a stainless steel vat or oak barrel? Will the wine remain on the lees (the spent yeast from fermentation) to give it a round, nourished quality and a layer of complexity? Or will it be racked off the lees to another vessel to preserve its vibrant fruit expression?

MALOLACTIC CONVERSION

Chardonnay is frequently described as “buttery” or “creamy.” This trait is attributable to malolactic conversion whereby malic acid, responsible for much of the pleasantly sour taste of fruit, becomes lactic acid, the milk acid that defines butter and cheese.

The conversion can occur naturally, but is most often achieved by inoculating the wine with lactic acid bacteria. The bacteria are introduced on the heels of fermentation when the wine is still warm. Most red wines undergo malolactic conversion while few whites other than chardonnay are seen to benefit from it.

BARRELS

Barrels are another winter preoccupation. Moving volumes of wine from large vessels (5,000 litres, for example) to 225 litre barrels is time-consuming and logistically demanding. All of the barrels must be clean and free of undesired microbiology. The barrels must also be water-tight and belong to a collection that is purpose-built for each wine. The wine maker decides what percentage of new oak will benefit the wine, what age of barrels will make up the balance and how long the wine will spend in barrel.

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

LEES STIRRING

SELLING WINE

There’s flavour and texture to be gained by mixing up the lees that have settled into the bulge of a barrel of chardonnay on its side. The bung is removed and a stick (baton) inserted into the barrel to swirl the dead yeast into a kind of tame tornado. The French call this batonnage. The wine maker sets the frequency and intensity of batonnage, whether or not she actually holds the stick.

Wine makers are a prized marketing asset. Contemporary wine makers spend significant time traveling to wine markets to convince buyers of the beauty and value of their wines. Winter is a busy period for selling wine.

R A C K I N G / A E R AT I O N

There are at least two approaches to raising young wine that align with wine styles. One is to expose wine to air by moving it from one vessel to another, called racking, or by means of micro-oxygenation, which has its own precise technology.

Aeration can help to achieve mature qualities in a wine. The other approach is to protect wine from oxidation in order to preserve its youthful exuberance. Both approaches require direction and management.

C O L D S TA B I L I Z AT I O N

Wine makers lower the temperature of certain finished white wines to below the desirable temperature for drinking it. This can be done with cooling equipment or by leaving the wine outdoors when the temperature is suitable. Winter is handy for this, but freezing the wine is to be avoided. The goal is to have the wine throw out the salts of tartaric acid – tartrates – so that when the consumer chills the wine before drinking, the wine will harbour no further tartrates. The consumer’s bottle of wine will be tartrate free.

BOTTLING

This happens year-round as the various wines within a winery’s portfolio are ready for bottling at different times.

T R AV E L I N G

Wine makers travel to stay inspired and to learn from other wine-making cultures and regions. Sometimes wine makers work in both the northern and southern hemispheres, doubling their engagement with the cycle of vine and wine.

The French word vigneron describes a person who cultivates vines for wine making. A translation could be “wine grower.” The word is enlightening because it doesn’t separate the work of the wine maker from vineyard work. In fact, one theory is that vigneron is derived from vigne ronde, which means, loosely, “pruned vine.” This implies that a wine maker is the person who prunes the vines. Pruning is critical winter work. To prune is to cut and shape the vine in preparation for the coming growing season. Pruning determines the vine’s present and future life and is the foundation for all quality-related decisions in the vineyard thereafter.

Tonya Lailey was raised on a vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake and 25 years later helped it to become Lailey Vineyard Winery.

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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S T O M A C H R E S T O R AT I V E S

A Kitchen Full of Cures

by Linda Kupecek

It’s the first week in January. You should be ringing in the New Year with hope, excitement, and the obligatory resolutions. But, instead of the happy clanging of bells, all you hear is the groaning of your miserable stomach, which you’ve abused for the past month with too much food, drink and merriment.

Was it the five helpings of turkey and stuffing? The rum-soaked, full-fat cream eggnog? The ancient fruitcake? The lethal punch bowl, which the host had helpfully spiked with a package of lime jelly powder? The horseradish jalapeño dip? The non-stop holiday glasses of wine with friends? Or the plain old stress of doing too much with too many people in too little time?

Why can’t we stretch the holidays over twelve months, so that our stomachs aren’t harbouring a war zone of irritants at the end of the year? Poor tummy. Even though I’ve learned to temper my holiday fun and games, I know well the woes of stomach ailments. All I have to do is look at tomato paste and I double over in agony. Last year, an elderly salmon from the supermarket sent me first to my bed, then into a flurry of researching home remedies. I asked everybody – dental hygienists, restaurant servers, supermarket cashiers, even the guy who shovels my snow. I browsed the Internet. Everybody had advice.

I accumulated a stack of research ranging from the obvious to the arcane. I offer it to you as a buffet (oops, sorry) of stomach remedies you can whip up in your very own kitchen. I’ve tried most of them, but declined the deep-fried canary. Even when one is desperate, there are limits.

1 . T H E B . R . A . T. D I E T

7. CARROT AND MINT JUICE

Banana, white rice, applesauce and toast (the latter preferably burnt to a crisp so that the charcoal absorbs the bad stuff in your system). Simple, boring, an insult to chefs everywhere, but it often works. (Some people swear by activated charcoal tablets – if you can’t be bothered to char your toast. Activated charcoal is used to reduce flatulence, prevent hangovers, treat stomach upset, and as an antidote to poisoning.)

Reader’s Digest recommends this recipe.

Boil four sliced carrots with four cups of water and a peppermint tea bag. Cook until the carrots are soft, remove the teabag, then blend the broth into a juice.

Add ginger or lemon if desired.

2. BITTERS

Bitters were originally created as herbal antidotes to nausea and stomach upset, with caraway and fennel often the star ingredients. Find them in liquor stores as aperitifs or digestifs to be taken after a meal.

Check out Fernet Branca, Jagermeister, and St. Hubertus, with their secret recipes of dozens of herbs. For a quick, portable fix, order spray or dropper bitters online from urbanmoonshine.com.

Underberg, available locally packaged in three 20 ml. bottles, is portable and works like a damn. You can also mix bitters with club soda for a soothing cocktail.

5. HERBAL TEA

Try ginger, fennel, chamomile, anise, or peppermint (although the latter is said to aggravate acid reflux).

3. SOUP

Cook yourself a nice pot of chicken broth.

Inhale the steam, then eat the soup for an easily digested comfort food.

4. CRACKERS

The simpler, the better. None of this fancy cracked pepper, jalapeño, buffalo wing stuff, or your stomach will never forgive you for adding insult to injury. Just plain old Saltines or water crackers.

6 . C O C O N U T W AT E R

According to at least 10 sources, the electrolytes in coconut water soothe the stomach and restore balance in the body.

8. GINGER AND FENNEL

If you like to work hard at getting relief, you could chew on slices of fresh ginger or raw fennel seeds. Better yet, buy capsules at the health food store.

9. RICE TEA OR CONGEE

This sounds like the title of a country and western song, but boiled rice, in a more extreme version of the B.R.A.T diet, is a popular cure. For rice tea, half a cup of rice is boiled in six cups of water, then strained. Drink the rice water. Congee is more sophisticated, as advised by City Palate publisher Gail Norton: boil and boil and boil rice, then add pieces of dark chicken. The longer the rice boils, the more healing it is. Traditional congee should have the texture of porridge.

11. CELERY TEA

A simple Spanish cure. Boil washed celery leaves in water, strain and drink.

10. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Mix with warm water and honey to treat indigestion.

12. MILK TOAST

According to food writer M.F.K. Fisher, Invalid Toast was a popular food throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, supposedly soothing and easy to digest.

To make it for yourself, break up 4 slices of toasted and buttered white bread into a deep bowl, then pour 2 cups of simmering, but not boiling, milk over the toast, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and eat. continued on page 36

34

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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S T O M A C H R E S T O R AT I V E S

A Kitchen Full of Cures continued from page 34

The Dreaded Hangover It’s dreary enough to suffer a queasy stomach.

Add alcohol to the equation, and the poor tummy practically howls in protest. These are hangover cures culled from tradition and Mr. Know-It-All, TV’s “Dr. Oz.” 1 . W AT E R

Water and more water. You get a hangover because alcohol is dehydrating. Tip: if you are going to drink, have one large glass of water for every glass of wine or cocktail. It works.

Another option: hot water with lemon juice.

2. SCRAMBLED EGGS ON DRY TOAST

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3. PICKS FROM DR. OZ, BLESS HIM

Some of these sound revolting, but consider the source. Drink dill pickle juice for the electrolytes.

Eat asparagus, which helps the body process alcohol more quickly. Drink tomato juice. After hearing this, I’ve decided to just buy pickled asparagus and have done with it.

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Cut ‘em up, throw ‘em in the blender. Sounds great, but if you have a hangover, do you really want to endure the noise of the blender?

5. HANGOVER-BUSTING SMOOTHIE

This recipe appeared in the June, 2014 issue of Canadian Living, and calls for coconut water, mango, banana, pineapple, honeyflavoured Greek yogurt and grated fresh ginger.

It’s loaded with potassium and is no doubt a miracle, but, again, find your earplugs before turning on that blender!

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

A homeopathic tube of tiny pellets that supposedly, if taken while drinking, will prevent a hangover.

7. WEIRD CURES, NOT RECOMMENDED, AND ENOUGH TO TURN YOU OFF DRINKING, FOOD, OR ANY OTHER ACTIVITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME

The ancient Romans were advised to deep fry a canary.

The Japanese supposedly eat umeboshi, somewhat like a pickled plum or apricot, which is so salty that it may replenish depleted electrolytes. Or knock you out.

A more tempting option might be hitting the nearest bistro for eggs benedict, as eggs contain cysteine, an amino acid that breaks down toxins. Many cultures prescribe greasy foods to combat a hangover, but it’s better to down the grease while you’re drinking, to coat the stomach lining.

If, after sampling the above cures, your stomach is still bothering you, I advise you to heat up whatever you‘ve tried, pour it into a hot water bottle and take to your bed.

The most intriguing and non-stomachturning hangover remedy (or preventative) that I’ve found is Night Owl Soup.

I discovered it in Culinaria Hungary, a fine book about Hungary’s food, filled with photographs and lore. I particularly enjoyed the advice to serve it at dawn after an all-night party. Then it dawned on me that if you’re drinking enough to anticipate a hangover, there’s no way you could possibly negotiate this recipe. Do what I did. Cook up a batch when you’re sober and freeze it in small containers. I’ve served it to guests after midnight and got many phone calls the next day telling me this is a miracle soup. It’s quite tasty, too.

Korhelyleves (Night Owl Soup) 10 oz. smoked ham shank (or 14 oz. smoked pork ribs)

brazilian barbecue

NIGHT OWL SOUP

large jar of sauerkraut, drained, juices reserved 2-1/2 T. butter 1 large onion, diced fine 2 t. sweet paprika 1-2 T. water 3 T. flour 3/4 c. sour cream 5 oz. spicy sausage, sliced salt and pepper to taste

Boil the meat in a couple of cups of water until tender, then chop it. Save the stock. While you’re at it, chop the sauerkraut, too. In a soup pot, sauté the onion in 1 T. butter. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the paprika, 1-2 T. of water and the sauerkraut.

Mix together the sauerkraut juice and the meat stock and pour it into the pot. Add the meat to the pot and bring to a low boil, Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook, stirring. Blend this into the soup pot mixture while stirring. Add the sour cream and bring the soup to a low boil again. It will be thick and golden. Finally, add the sliced sausage and salt and pepper, if necessary.

This soup should be served at dawn, after an all-night party, because it’s supposed to prevent a hangover. It seems to do just that! Makes 8 small servings or 4 robust servings. ✤

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

37

Braising THE

D AY

A W AY

by Gail Norton

A few years ago, I had a wonderful lunch at a bistro in Paris called Cinq Mars. When I came across a recipe for their lamb shoulder that cooks for 11 hours, I was intrigued. I remembered the dish as delicious and full flavoured, and the recipe looked dead easy.

I embarked on several research projects involving lamb, elk, pork belly and pork shoulder, quickly getting used to the tantalizing scents in the house produced by the lengthy braising process.

And I decided that slow cooking is my new favourite thing.

The combination of low temperatures, moist environment and long cooking times makes braising the perfect technique to use for tougher cuts of meat – brisket, belly, shank, oxtail, short ribs – or meats that are well marbled, like shoulder, butt, cheeks. This method transforms these cuts from tough and chewy to tender. The connective tissues dissolve into the cooking liquid, too, so you’re left with a rich sauce to spoon over the meat.

Use a heavy Dutch oven, something with a tight-fitting lid, so the heat is constant and consistent. Preparing the meat a day ahead makes for easy entertaining. Putting the dish in the fridge to cool overnight allows you to remove the layer of fat that forms on top so the sauce is rich and relatively fat-free. Then you heat it through and – voila! – you have a remarkable meal.

Be cautious with the amount of spices and flavourings you use.

Because the dishes cook for a long time, their components get concentrated – one pod of star anise goes a long way!

38

Fill your house with the aroma of a wonderful, succulent dinner Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder Serve on top of creamy mashed potatoes for a crowd and wait for the roars of approval. Only you will know how dead easy it was to prepare.

5 lb. boneless pork shoulder, skin on

Hachis Parmentier The best way to describe this dish is that it is a French Shepherd’s Pie – but more rich and wonderful.

Ask your butcher for 6 pieces of boneless beef short rib meat cut into about 4”x4” cubes. You can prepare the meat ahead and then assemble the dish later.

For the braise:

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

4 T. olive oil

Add olive oil to a Dutch oven large enough to hold the beef and the liquid and heat it over medium heat to quite hot. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then brown it thoroughly on each side. Don’t crowd the pan or the meat will steam rather than sear – cook it in batches if you need to. Set aside the browned meat.

2 T. olive oil

6 pieces boneless beef short rib

1 T. fennel seeds or 2 t. fennel pollen

2 t. kosher salt

2 t. kosher salt

2 t. ground pepper

fresh ground pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 onion, quartered

a few sprigs of parsley

1 lemon thinly sliced

2 bay leaves

1 c. white wine or vermouth

4 garlic cloves, whole

1 c. vegetable stock

1 sprig rosemary

Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat the skin of the pork dry with paper towels and rub it all over with olive oil. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the fennel seeds, then add the salt to grind them together.

Add a generous grinding of black pepper. Rub this mixture all over the pork, pressing it into the cracks and folds of the roast. Set the meat aside while you assemble the rest of the dish.

4 sprigs thyme

Put the celery, carrots and onions in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Scatter the lemon over the vegetables and place the roast on top. Roast 30 minutes, until the skin starts to blister and crackle. Reduce the oven to 250°F. and add the wine and stock. Roast the pork for 8 hours; halfway through, turn the pan around in the oven.

The pork is ready when it’s so tender you can pull pieces away with your fork and the crackling is crisp. Transfer it to a board to rest. Strain the juices out of the pan into a saucepan placed over medium heat, reduce the sauce until it has reached a desirable consistency. Serves 6 to 8.

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

1 bottle red wine 4 c. rich veal or beef stock

For the sauce: 2 T. butter 4 T. olive oil 1 small onion, finely diced 1 medium carrot, finely diced 1 celery stalk, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, minced

For the rich mashed potatoes: 6 large starchy potatoes 2 T. salt 1 c. crème fraîche 1 c. grated gruyère cheese 1/4 c. salted butter salt to taste

To the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until the water in them is released. Turn down the heat and let the onions get soft and transparent. Add the remaining ingredients, the browned beef and the wine and stock.

Cover the pan and put in the oven for 10 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool a bit, then put it in the fridge to cool for several hours or overnight. Remove the layer of hardened fat on top. Remove the meat from the dish, strain the sauce into a saucepan and reduce it over medium heat until it’s thick. To make the sauce, heat another pan and add the butter and olive oil until it is hot. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until soft and all the water has been released and the onions are transparent. Add the reduced meat sauce and cook at a gentle boil for 5 minutes.

Shred the beef with a fork into a large bowl and add the sauce. Place the mixture in the bottom of a 9x12” casserole dish and aside while you prepare the potatoes.

To prepare the potatoes, fill a large pot with water, add the unpeeled potatoes and salt and bring the water to a boil.

Cook the potatoes until they’re tender. Drain them and allow them to cool until you can handle them, but they’re still warm.

Remove the peels and place the potatoes in a large bowl, then mash them with the crème fraîche, gruyère and butter.

Add salt to taste. You may need to add more cheese and crème fraîche. You want a thick, luscious and tasty mash.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Put a layer of the creamy mashed potatoes on top of the shredded meat and bake for 45 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

Moroccan Braised Lamb Shoulder This is an incredibly delicious dish that produces fall-off-the-bone-tender lamb and an irresistible sauce to pour over mashed potatoes or couscous. The ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend. It’s worth seeking out, but you can replace it with curry powder. I have made this recipe with an elk leg with great results.

It’s a wonderful winter dish.

4 T. olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery rib, chopped 1 T. coriander seeds 1 T. cumin seeds a few sprigs of parsley 2 bay leaves 4 garlic cloves, whole 1 sprig rosemary 4 sprigs thyme

Pork Belly with Chinese Flavours This is a fantastically flavourful dish, best served with rice that’s been drizzled with the delectable sauce, and a side of sautéed greens.

4 pods cardamom 2 T. ras el hanout or curry powder 2 t. kosher salt 2 t. ground pepper

1 c. stock

Preheat oven to 250°F.

2” piece ginger, cut into thick slices

Add the 4 T. olive oil to a Dutch oven that’s large enough to hold all the ingredients, heat it to quite hot, and add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until their water is released. Turn down the heat and let the onions get soft and transparent.

Put the coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over high heat. Toss the spice mixture until it starts to release an aroma, then take it off the heat. Put it in a mortar and pestle and pound it to release its flavour. Add the spices to the onions with all the remaining ingredients. Add the lamb shoulder and the wine and stock; add more liquid as required to cover the meat with liquid. Cover the pan and put it in the oven for 10 hours. No peeking! Remove it from the oven, let it cool slightly, then put it in the fridge to cool for several hours or overnight.

6 black peppercorns 1/2 stick cinnamon 1 bay leaf 2 T. soy sauce 1 bottle rosé wine 1/2 c. chicken stock

Preheat oven to 250°F. Put everything in a large enough Dutch oven to hold all the ingredients, adding more stock or water as required to cover the meat in liquid. Put the lid on, place the pot in the oven and cook for 8 hours.

Cool slightly, then put the dish in the fridge overnight. Remove the fat that has risen to the top and hardened. Extricate the pork belly from the liquid and place on a cookie sheet to heat through at 350°F. degrees.

Strain the sauce into a pan to remove the spices, then heat it through, bring it to a boil and reduce it to a syrupy consistency.

Cut the belly into four or six pieces – depending on the number of guests and everybody’s degree of hunger. Serve over rice drizzled with the sauce.

Serves 4 to 6.

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3 c. white or rosé wine

1 t. salt

1 pod cardamom

“Muskox and Oil Rig”

Armand F. Vallée Exhibition January 2 – 9

4 lb. lamb shoulder, boned

2-1/4 lb. pork belly

1 pod star anise

Armand F. Vallée

Remove the layer of fat from the top.

Remove the meat from the dish and strain the sauce into a saucepan, reducing it over medium heat until thick and flavourful.

While the sauce is reducing, shred the lamb and place in an ovenproof bowl. Heat it through in a warm oven, adding just enough of the sauce to moisten the lamb. Put the remaining sauce in a container to pour over the mashed potatoes, polenta, or couscous – whatever sauce vessel you prefer!

Serves 6 to 8.

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39

It’s Back. Bacon.

by Jennifer Cockrall-King

Last June, a San Diego couple staged a bacon-themed wedding.

The bride carried rosettes of crisp bacon in her bouquet. The groom sported a bacon boutonnière. Guests threw bacon bits, rather than rice. And the happy newlyweds honeymooned at Baltimore’s annual Pigtown Festival.

For quite some time, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, we North Americans have been on a bacon bender. We have bacon-of-the-month clubs, bacon salt, baconnaise, chocolate-covered bacon, bacon bits in chocolate bars, chicken-fried bacon, bacon lattes, baconwrapped cheesecake, bacon doughnuts and bacon ice cream.

There’s bacon in everything, on everything. There’s even Bakon Vodka, from Black Rock Spirits in Seattle, part of a recent mixological mainstreaming of “carnivorous cocktails,” for those who crave meat-in-a-glass novelty.

There are bacon apps for our smartphones, baconthemed apparel, bacon bandages, Camp Bacon, annually, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and bacon coffins – thankfully not made of real bacon, but with bacon decals – so you can be buried in a casket that reminds your loved ones that you loved brined, smoked pork belly up to your final breath, and beyond.

Bacon mania, as it’s officially known, was thrust upon us in 2007. To be fair, the first rumblings were fun, and oddly democratic. Portland hipsters sullied their handlebar moustaches with bacon-maple handcrafted artisan doughnuts from Voodoo Doughnuts, while Wendy’s unleashed its 840-calorie doubleburger, festooned with six strips of bacon, upon the U.S. and Canada. (Wendy’s would go on to sell 68 million Baconators in the burger’s first eight months, breathing life into the then-ailing chain.) The fooderati and the fast food masses were simultaneously smitten and there was an odd moment where we were all one people – young and old, female and male, left- and rightwing, rich and poor – under bacon.

Almost immediately, food critics bleated about the vulgarity of bacon overload and began penning its obituary. Yet bacon mania not only endured, it reinvented itself with a vengeance every six months. (Baconnaise is dead! Long live bacon mouthwash!)

Bacon mania has proved to be a food trend with nine lives, and it’s enough to make even the most reasonable food writer lose her bearings. This spring, in a moment of still-hot-or-not trend-guessing confusion, I found myself in a Denny’s in Golden, B.C., pondering the coronary crouching tiger of its Baconalia promotion. In the pursuit of food journalism, I ordered the bacon maple milkshake. It had an obvious salty-sweet appeal, like salted caramel. Fortunately, the only punishment I suffered was calorie overload.

This August, however, things took a sobering turn. At Toronto’s CNE, 223 people got seriously ill from eating the now-infamous Cronut burger, a greasy beef patty topped with processed cheese and wedged between a croissant-donut pastry. Of course, that was not enough calories, so bacon jam was oozed across the top of the bun from a plastic squeeze bottle.

The bacon jam, as it turned out, contained Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that produces gut-wrenching toxins of the most unpleasant kind.

Though, fortunately, no one perished from it, the toxin angle buried the real issue. While it was important to discover how people were getting sick from the cronut burger, the real question we should have been asking collectively was

“Why?”

Why did a cheeseburger sandwiched between the sugar-laden trans-fats hybrid of a croissant and doughnut, and topped with a bacon jam garnish even exist? Why was this perceived as an indulgent-yet-otherwise-innocent treat at a summer fair?

Why did people not know that ingesting five times your daily energy requirement in one go was a disaster waiting to happen? Had we lost all self-control and culinary common sense and become a drooling mob moaning “baaaaay-con” with every shuffle forward?

Yes, actually. Because the more bacon we eat, the more we want. In a 2010 study titled “Addiction-Like Reward Dysfunction and Compulsive Eating in Obese Rats,” by the Scripps Research Institute, investigators found that when they fed rats with bacon, sausage and cheesecake, the high-fat diet rewired the rats’ brains.

Compulsive overeating habits took over and the rats consumed larger quantities of high-calorie, high-fat foods until they become obese. When given more nutritious options, the bacon-fed rats “always went for the worst types of food, and as a result, they took in twice the calories as the control rats.”

Furthermore, the researchers noted the study showed strong support for the idea that overeating of palatable food can become habitual in the same manner and through the same mechanisms as consumption of cocaine or heroin.

Then Professor Elio Riboli, Director of the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, United Kingdom, and Dr. Isabelle Romieu and Dr. Paul Brennan at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, published the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC study, for short). It involved more than a half-million men and women from 10 countries over 12 years. It associated the high consumption of processed meats – specifically bacon, sausage and ham – by middle-aged adults with a near doubling of the risk of all-cause mortality. Among those who ate more than 160 grams of processed meats a day, the risk of cardiovascular death was increased by more than 70 percent, and their risk of cancer rose to 43 percent.

In October, 2013, Harvard University researchers released a study linking poor semen quality to a man’s consumption of processed meats, like hot dogs and bacon. (Eating white fish such as cod or halibut had the opposite effect.) Now, there’s some spicy cocktail party conversation for you.

Having been told what we probably already know, that too much bacon is bad for us in many ways, let’s not forget that it’s especially lethal for our tasty porcine friends. So the pressing question is what are we going to do?

Is it too naïve and optimistic of me to suggest that we simply move on to other foods? There are these things called vegetables that are said to be quite good. You want variety and novelty? There are a zillion types of lettuces, roots, squashes, tomatoes, potatoes, legumes, chiles and even umbellifers – plants grown for their edible leaf stalks, like celery and fennel. There are more than 3,000 types of potatoes alone. And broccoli and Brussels sprouts won’t clog our arteries or turn us into addicted rats.

Unless, of course, we deep-fry them, then smother them in rashers. Then, at the very least, our bacon coffins will have been well and truly earned. ✤

Adapted from Eighteen Bridges, Canadian Creative Journalism magazine, Winter 2013, eighteenbridges.com, by Jennifer Cockrall-King. Find her at foodgirl.ca.

40

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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41

Winnipeg’s

RAW: Almond

Defying Mother Nature to keep good food and drink flowing on a frozen river Being willing to put on several layers of clothing to brave the cold prairie winter evening so you can go for dinner at a fave restaurant is definitely a Canadian trait. It’s one thing to bundle up – scarf, mitts, tuque – only to disrobe (not completely, mind you) once you’ve arrived at your restaurant of choice, but it’s another thing entirely to remain suited up in order to enjoy a meal outdoors in winter.

Believe it or not, in Winnipeg – where it’s not unusual for the winter temperature to dip to -35°C. in January or February – people are bundling up to eat in the middle of a frozen river.

I’ve always found Canada’s most central city to be an extremely collaborative place.

The art, culture and food scenes seem to merge into one to produce events that many other cities should envy. RAW: Almond is one of those collaborative events – a pop-up restaurant on the juncture of two rivers that, when it isn’t winter, flow through the city.

by Dan Clapson photos by Jacqueline Young, rawgallery.ca

The love child of local art gallery director, Joe Kalturnyk, and Mandel Hitzer, chef/owner of Winnipeg’s popular eatery deer + almond, this frozen-river pop-up is both a structural feat and a culinary one. It’s about to begin its third year in late January at The Forks, a historical landmark where the Assiniboine River meets the Red River.

For the first two years, the design of the structure was that of tarps and scaffolding, which served as a skeleton for RAW: Almond. Generators powered lighting fixtures, heating fans and the makeshift kitchen where the chefs spend most of the day prepping before service.

In late 2014, Hitzer and Kalturnyk decided to kick things up a notch, holding an international design competition to find a new look for RAW. The result? An “X”-shaped structure conceived by British design firm, OS31. The design still sticks with the communal table vibe of the past two years, but offers a more refined atmosphere inside and is more appealing to the eye outside.

For Hitzer and Kalturnyk, the whole point of this endeavour is simply to create a sense of community, whether participants are native Winnipeggers or tourists.

“Last year, we saw diners from Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto. But hell yeah! We want people from all over Canada or Chicago or New York. Everywhere! It’s all about building a community and bridging the gaps between cities,” said Hitzer when he talked with me a couple months ago about RAW’s 2014 stint and its upcoming one this month.

Regardless of the beauty in its design and the comfort diners find at a communal table, cooking on the ice is no easy feat. The chefs must deal with a makeshift kitchen and a “dining room” temperature of only about 10°C, but they get the job done.

Last winter, RAW served two five-course dinner services for 20 nights for a total of 2,500 diners. Plates, cutlery and glassware were removed nightly for cleaning and brought back onto the ice in the morning, as were ingredients and beverages that would potentially freeze overnight. The sheer logistics are mind-boggling, but that sort of challenge seems to appeal to lots of the culinary talent involved.

Many of Winnipeg’s top chefs, like Scott Bagshaw (Deseo Bistro) and Adam Connelly (Segovia) have happily put in their time on the ice over the past two years. Even Vancouver-based celebrity chef, Vikram Vij, flew to the heart of Canada last winter to partake in the festivities for a couple of evenings, as did Teatro’s recently appointed executive chef, Jason Barton-Browne. Arriving in mid-February, he prepared a fivecourse tasting menu that finished with a warm (note: warm) brown butter cake with torched honeycomb on top.

This was how it unfolded for me – I was a guest when Barton-Browne presided. Sitting down inside RAW started off a little chilly, but after my first glass of wine and the first course hit the table – thyme-basted carrots with pecorino and fried kale – my internal temperature began to creep up bite-by-bite. Phew. What followed was a refined take on a prairie favourite – the cabbage roll – accented by parsnip purée and a tomato gastrique, followed by sturgeon on miso purée and tender sunchokes finished with a black garlic sauce, a “nod to Alberta’s oil sands,” the chef joked. Then melt-in-your-mouth elk arrived on a bed of wilted chard. I could appreciate why hundreds of people make their way through snow and ice to eat on the river. continued on page 44

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Join us at The Highwood on SAIT Polytechnic’s main campus for exceptional food and outstanding hospitality. With a team of renowned chefs and service instructors to guide them, our students can’t wait to show you what they’ve been cooking up this semester. For lunch or dinner reservations: sait.ca/highwood | 403.284.8615, ext. 2.

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crmr.com CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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Winnipeg’s

RAW: Almond continued from page 42

For 2015, Hitzer is aiming to get more out-of-town chefs, including Chicago’s Brandon Baltzey, who worked with chef Cam Dobranski at Winebar Kensington in late 2013, and two of Calgary’s best, Duncan Ly and Karine Moulin, of the Hotel Arts Group.

“Throughout my career I’ve been challenged to cook in all sorts of odd places, everything from the back of a five-ton truck to cooking on a bridge in the pouring rain,” Hotel Arts executive chef Ly playfully admits. “But I’ve never had the opportunity to cook in extreme cold on a frozen river. Bring it on!”

RAW: Almond’s new structure plans for 2015.

“It’s a unique setting that I’ve never seen before, and definitely a oneof-a-kind ‘restaurant’ that I would love to be part of,” adds pastry chef Karine Moulin, who is preparing to head to Winnipeg. “Despite the structure being covered and heated, I think it will still be challenging to serve a warm dessert to the guests, but I’m going to make it happen.”

“I think the biggest obstacle for us could be Mother Nature,” says Ly. “If the weather gets really windy and the temperature drops to even colder than it’s already projected to be, that will be very difficult to deal with.”

It goes without saying – RAW: Almond is guaranteed to be the coolest dining experience you could have in 2015. ✤ Dan Clapson is a food writer and blogger at dansgoodside.com.

Signal Hill Location 1919 Sirocco Drive SW bistrorougeyyc.com @BistroRougeYYC

44

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

Inglewood Location 1240 8th Ave SE rougecalgary.com @RougeCal

stockpot

STIRRINGS AROUND CALGARY

restaurant ramblings n Yay, it’s a beautiful place and exactly what we’d expect from Michael Noble – The Nash and Off Cut Bar, a transformation of the main floor of the old National Hotel in Inglewood. The Noble man has done it again, and you’ll find his signature rotisserie in the big, open kitchen. Beautiful space, great food, destination dining. And the bar is where we’ll be hanging out, at 925 11th St. SE, thenashyyc.com. n Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse is now open in Centre 10, 521 - 10 Ave. SW, serving rodizio-style meals where gauchos come to your table with perfectly cooked cuts of beef, pork, chicken and lamb and you choose how much you want, accompanied with salads, vegetables and breads. More details at pampasteakhouse.com. n Rodney’s Oyster House, 355 - 10 Ave. SW, opens the end of January, featuring the most interesting art on the unisex washroom walls – not everyone’s cup of tea, but verrrrrry interesting, you’ll just want to have a peek! And for food – an oyster or two, plus a graband-go “Bait & Tackle” so you can get your lunch or oyster fix for your office or home. Besides oysters, look for shrimp, mussels, scallops, even “turf” – steak.

Check rodneysoysterhousecalgary.com for all the tasty details. n You will be pleased to know that Rouge and Bistro Rouge have gift cards available at Safeway, Superstore and Sobeys. These gift cards can be redeemed at any location. Also, Bistro Rouge is now offering a “Chef’s Taste” menu, a shorter, casual version of the famous “Tasting” menu at Rouge. n The Smuggler’s Group of Restaurants offers corkage-free Mondays – and it’s never too early to book for Valentine’s Day to treat your valentine to a special evening out. Tango Bistro will host the next Community Night on March 2, featuring the work of a local artist, fresh tunes and culinary creations by chef Trevor. Visit tangobistro.ca or smugglers.ca for all the tasty details. n Peanuts Public House has reopened in its newly renovated space.

Enjoy Peanuts’ popular steak sandwich or try new dishes, like tempura broccolini, the porchetta sandwich or bacon ice cream, to name a few. Daily food and drink specials and weekly sports giveaways. Peanuts Public House is in the Carriage House Inn. n Delish wontons from Kings Restaurant – the home of wor wonton

soup that we all love – are available early 2015 on Edmonton Trail – yay!

We love this place and now it’s closer to home – for some of us, anyway, at 808 Edmonton Tr. NE. Original location on Barlow at 104 Meridian Rd. NE, and now coming to Edmonton Tr. NE. Woot! Woot! Wontons! n Celebrate your love at one of Calgary’s most romantic spots. Located in the heart of Fish Creek Provincial Park, the Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant invites sweethearts to be inspired by the surrounding park and the legacy of the building on Valentine’s Day weekend. See more at bvrrestaurant.com. Call 403-476-1310 for reservations. Open for lunch Tuesday through Friday and afternoon tea on the weekends, with hearty soups, sandwiches, cheeses, pastries and desserts plus a big selection of warming tea! Tea is served between brunch and dinner. n Stroll a boulevard of gourmet boutiques with your sweetie at Cravings Market Restaurant on Valentine’s Day weekend. Cozy up and enjoy any of the “for two” items available February 12, 13 and 14. Call 403-252-2083 for reservations. Visit cravingsmarketrestaurant. com for more information. n Remember Hy’s Steakhouse? Of course you do, we all do! Well, after taking a break, Hy’s has returned to Calgary in the CORE (TD Square/Holt Renfrew) with one of Calgary’s fine chefs at the kitchen helm – Andrew Keen. Yay! We really like what Andrew gets up to and you will too. Look for succulent steaks and seafood featuring tableside service for your Caesar salad, steak Diane and chateaubriand.

And look for tasty new dishes from the creative Keen. n Minas, opening in January in the heart of Eau Claire, brings the traditional Brazilian steakhouse experience into downtown Calgary, offering a wide range of open-flame barbecued foods, like the traditional churrasco, along with vegetarian options. Diners can choose the perfect meal from across the broad Minas offerings. Music and dancing on key evenings. n As always, River Café is closed throughout January, opening again the beginning of February. wine and beer wanderings n Celebrate Winefest Calgary, February 20 and 21. Winefest allows the opportunity to ”try before you buy” and every sip and sample is included in the ticket price. Wine experts are

Home of AUTHENTIC Italian sausage, in the heart of INGLEWOOD

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available to share their knowledge and a selection of hors d’oeuvres is served.

You can visit an onsite Sobeys Liquor store to purchase your favourite finds to enjoy at home. Also included in the ticket price are a Winefest guide and a complimentary wine glass. celebratewinefest.com for all the details. n Il Sogno presents Tinhorn Creek Wine Maker’s Dinner with Sandra Oldfield to celebrate Tinhorn’s 20th Anniversary, January 28, 6:30 p.m. A four-course dinner with wine pairings.

Guests will be entered in a draw to win a Tinhorn Guest House Stay for two. Reserve at 403-232-8901 or email ilsogno@shaw.ca. n If you want to understand the new craft beer scene, Alberta Beer Festivals presents Beer School, a four-part “course” held over four weeks. Sessions run every month, beginning with January dates, 15, 22, 29 and February 5. Check the website for further dates.

Learn all about beer, taste many beer varieties with food, and tour one of Calgary’s breweries. Become eligible to steward or judge at Calgary International Beerfest in May. “Classes” are held at Enoteca Liquor Store, 7112 Macleod Tr. S., 403-252-5529, Cost is $150 for the full course, albertabeerfestivals.com. n The Vancouver International Wine Festival takes place February 20 to March 1, the 37th edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts, featuring Australia as the theme country and syrah as the global focus.

For details and to buy tickets, go to vanwinefest.ca. n Craft brewery Kona Brewing, on Hawaii’s big island, now distributes its Liquid Aloha in Alberta and draft will be available in early January. Look for its other craft beers – Big Wave Golden

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

continued on page 46 CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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stockpot continued from page 45 Ale, Fire Rock Pale Ale and Castaway IPA – at your fave beer seller. n Look for Alley Kat’s White Dragon Double IPA, the latest addition to the Dragon Series. Single hopped with Chinook hops, with the flavour of a forest full of pine trees to get you ready for winter. Brewed in Edmonton, Alley Kat beers are found throughout Alberta. n At J. Webb Wine Merchant, Glenmore Landing: January 15, Training Wheels, Whisky; January 22, Back to Basics, Wine 101; January 29, The Religion of Pinot Noir; February 5, Stylish Boots, A Journey into the heart of Italy; February 12, A night at the “hoPera,” beer tasting; February 19, Warm Your Cockles with Beer; January 24, Robbie Burns Night, at the Calgary Petroleum Club. Details at jwebb.net or call 403-253-9463. cooking classes Deliciousness @ The Compleat Cook Kitchen: Winter Salads, Tuscan Antipasto, My Indian Kitchen Vegetarian, A Mexican Fiesta, Ragin Cajun, IndiMexican Street Kitchen, Winter BBQ, Cooking with Fresh Herbs, Friday Night Date Night – Chocolate, Mid-Week Italian Feast, Soups & Stews, Lemons & Garlic, My Indian Kitchen Seafood.

Bring your appetite! compleatcook.ca or 403-253-4831.

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rejuvenation

The Spa Ritual is your path to rejuvenation through therapies and treatments inspired by ancient practices of health and wellness from Southeast Asia.

Gift certificates available online! thesparitual.com 106 Crowfoot Terrace NW | Calgary, AB | 403.547.9558

46

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

n At SAIT’s Downtown Culinary Campus: Rush Hour every Tuesday after work, $40; Introduction to Cooking, January 5 - February 9, $400; Knife Skills, January 7, $60; Artisan Bread, January 10, $120; Cake Decorating, January 14 - February 11, $315; Herbs and Spices, January 14, $90; Cupcakes, January 17, $100; Soups and Stocks, January 21, $90; Pasta, January 22, $90; Date Night, January 23, $150; Vegetarian, January 29, $90; Chocolate, January 31, $120. Visit culinarycampus.ca for all the details. n The Light Cellar Superfood & Superherb Teaching Kitchen offers lots of classes: Fermentation, Elixirs, Bone Broths, Raw Chocolate, Hormone Balance, Seaweeds, Adrenal Health, Local Adaptogens, Edible Insects, Love, Lube & You!, Store Tours and more. Register online and visit: thelightcellar.ca, 6326 Bowness Road NW, 403-453-1343. n Poppy Innovations presents 6-week Parent & Child Culinary Programs starting January 20 and running through to October 20. Prices include all food and supplies. Poppy Innovations also teams up with the Calgary Farmers’ Market to offer cooking classes throughout the year, and also offers “Canning & Preserving

with a Twist”, “Edible Planters” and “Straw Bale Veggie Garden” classes.

All the tasty details can be found at poppyinnovations.ca/classes. n At Salsita Mexican Food Market: Mexican cooking classes: January and February we will be making taquitos, enchiladas with leftover turkey, cooking with chiles, table sauces, mole and much more. Visit salsita.ca for classes, dates and time. n Nutrition and Culinary Solutions: February 2/ 9, Getting Started with Gluten-Free Eating, hands-on cooking series on whole foods cooking and gluten-free baking for beginners. ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen Calgary Learning Center, Main Floor, 909 - 11th Ave. SW. February 11, Heart Healthy Whole Food Demonstration with Kristyn Hall, Wellness Kitchen in the South Health Campus, 4448 Front St. SE. March 10, Culinary Bootcamp: Gluten-Free Baking, ideally suited to people new to gluten-free baking. March 31, GlutenFree Whole Foods Cooking. Wellness Kitchen in the South Health Campus.

Go to NutritionAndCulinarySolutions.ca for registration information. general stirrings n The Main Dish is getting in great shape to start 2015 with a new concept, Fit Kitchen. The new location opens in January on High Street in McKenzie Towne. Fit Kitchen is a retail take-away food spot that features fresh, delicious, and nutritionally responsible meals and meal plans to support a healthy lifestyle, and suited to various diets and individuals. The meals are not only healthy but they feature the best ingredients created by corporate chef Mark McEwan. Find it at 33 High Street SE. Follow @FitKitchenYYC on Twitter and Fit Kitchen YYC on Facebook for updates and opening date. n Meez Cuisine’s chef Judy Wood, one of Calgary’s most established caterers, does everything from sit-down dinners and cocktail parties, to formal events like weddings. Meez also offers hands-on cooking classes as well as private classes for you and family members or friends – have fun while you learn! You can order gourmet heat-andserve meals online at meezcuisine.com. n The Artym Gallery features an exclusive exhibition of the works of former Calgary artist Armand F. Vallée, a quality selection of paintings from his estate. View them online at artymgallery.com. Family Day weekend brings an exhibition celebrating whimsy, fun and joy, featuring some of the Artym’s most popular artists: Rod Charlesworth, Angela Morgan, Pauline Paquin and Angie Rees. n Amaranth Health Food Stores celebrate their 20th Anniversary!

It all started in 1995 in the Crowfoot area, expanded to the flagship Arbour Lake location and has grown to three Calgary markets and a shop in the St. Albert Enjoy Centre (old Hole’s Greenhouses). Amaranth is giving away $250 worth of Vega products on their Facebook page and sharing real cancer prevention strategies with Dr. Janelle Murphy on February 2. amaranth-cancer-presentation.eventbrite.ca. n Students in the newly redesigned Butchery Charcuterie Management (BCM) program at SAIT will add customer service to their skills in their new “living classroom” that has recently opened to the public. The custom meat-cutting Butchery Lab in the John Ware building at SAIT’s main campus simulates an industry-style setting where customers talk to the butcher and discuss the type of cut they’re looking for. The students are making charcuterie, pâtés, bacons, learning how to cure muscle and making more traditional items such as smokies. The Butchery Lab is supported by the Michelle O’Reilly Charcuterie Lab – a world-class facility allowing students to remain on the cutting edge of this industry trend. Students completing the BCM program often end up in retail grocers or independent meat shops. Many restaurants also have someone on staff with a keen understanding of charcuterie. Check it out,

buy good meat, learn something, and support your local culinary students!

Open Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. n Rocky Mountain Soap Company has opened a pop-up boutique store in Chinook Centre that will be open until the end of January. All of the great natural products the Canmore company is known for will be available at the pop-up location. n The Calgary Home + Garden Show takes place February 26 to March 1 at the BMO Centre and Corral, Stampede Park. Featuring more than 650 exhibitors, new features and live-action culinary demonstrations from Calgary’s top chefs. Visit calgaryhgs.com for details and tickets. n Seasoned Solutions culinary tours with Gail Hall coming up in 2015: New York, May 14-18. Check the web site seasonedsolutions.ca for itinerary details and price. Alberta local tour, July; Portugal, October; India, February 2016; British Isles, October 2016. n Under the BLAKE Food Group, find Blake Retail and Blake Test Kitchen in Canmore at #8 Industrial Place, Blake Flann, chef and owner. Retail carries premium cocktail ingredients, molecular gastronomy staples, Asian, Mediterranean, Indian and locally sourced artisanal products. Chef Flann is starting his own line of fresh food, including soups, dips,

sauces, dressings, meats and snacks which will all be made at the retail location. A restaurant will open in the spring in time for Canmore Uncorked. Visit blakecanmore.com for details. n Vision Travel hosts a Day on the Water, January 17, with major cruise lines: Viking River Cruises featuring wine cruises; Paul Gauguin for Tahiti with French cuisine; Oceania Cruises, themed culinary cruises, and a dedicated cooking school room; Uniworld river cruises, wine-themed cruises, UnCruise featuring Alaska and seafood.

A fun and entertaining day out. RSVP jenni.evans@visiontravel.ca for details. n In the fall of 2015, Larry Martin, president of the magazine Food & Wine Trails, will host the Ultimate Wine Cruise in the Adriatic. Featured are Martin’s four fave elements: curated and rare French wines, a luxurious small-ship cruise, new wine destinations and like-minded people to share the experience. The one-week cruise departs from Venice September 11, with stops planned in Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. For more details, contact larry@foodandwinetrails.com. n Join Cuisine et Château on its France tour 2015, May 31 - June 6, a gastronomical adventure through the Périgord region with cooking lessons, bicycle tours and sumptuous meals, all

while staying in a 16th century château.

Visit cuisineandchateau.com for details. n J&D’s Foods in Seattle has Bacon Scented Pillowcases that look and smell like bacon. The future of sleep is here... and it smells like cured meat.

Science tells us that anything is better wrapped in bacon (especially your head). Available exclusively at store.baconsalt.com. And check jdfoods.net for more bacon silliness. n Oh! Naturals Flavoured Snacks, a Calgary company, aligns with the Paddington Bear movie set to be released January 16. The Oh! Naturals Orange Marmalade Banana chips are gluten free, nut free and perfect for school lunches. Oh! Naturals offers healthy gluten free flavoured Banana chips and Flavoured Sweet potato fries for all ages. For more info please go to oh-naturals.com to enter for a free trip to London. n The excellent quality Grace organic and all-natural coconut products – water, vinegar, flour, milk, oil and virgin oil, coconut chips, and sugar – may be found at Co-op stores and Sobeys.

It’s just getting established here, so keep your eyes peeled. Distributed in Calgary by Elite foods, check the web site at elitefoods.ca for locations.

Indulge your culinary curiosity!

Join us for a cooking class this fall...

in Calgary or in Tuscany Check our website for the delicious details on both!

for all things culinary

cookbookcooks.com THE COOKBOOK CO. COOKS 722-11th AVENUE SW PH 403-265-6066, ext. 1

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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culinary crossword city palate

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DOWN

ACROSS

1 Spanish snacks served on a toothpick (7)

1 Halloween’s companion (7)

2 Trees and pancakes have this in common (5,5)

4 Lemony Middle Eastern spice (5)

3 Tuneful slicer (9) 5 A gift for soups and stocks (7,5) 7 Coffee bartender (7)

6 Dried plums (5) 8 Vietnamese noodle soup (3) 9 Philippine lime (10) 10 Fruity sauce (6)

8 Neapolitan fast food (5) 11 Drained yogurt (6)

12 Sophia Loren owes everything to this ingredient (9)

13 Moroccan ketchup (7)

15 Swiss dip (6)

14 Biscotti’s cousin (8)

18 Pancake with syrup traps (6)

16 Nutty butter (6,8)

20 Pooh’s favourite food (5)

17 Milk that grows on trees (7)

21 Dry style of champagne (4)

19 Italian mixed fried food (6,5)

24 Ground sesame seeds (6)

22 Spicy rabbit stew (12)

25 Crispy pork skin treat (10)

23 Basque sauce of tomatoes and sweet peppers (8)

27 A fungus or a chocolate? (7)

26 Cooking how-to (6)

28 A collection from Calgary chefs (7,5) 30 Provençal dip (5)

28 Thinly sliced raw meat (9)

31 An Embarrassed wine (4)

29 Giant green Italian olives (9)

32 Hairy apple cousin (6)

33 Spoiled eggs (7)

34 A really naughty egg (7)

36 Italian toast (10)

35 Italian wine bar (7)

37 Prince’s Island favourite (5,4)

38 Pliable icing (7)

42 Potato dumplings (7)

39 Cabbage with a college education (11)

44 Indian spice blend (5,6) 46 Sourdough starter with a French accent (6) 47 Island bourbon cocktail (9) 48 Wimpy will gladly pay Tuesday for one today (9)

40 Paper lid (9) 41 Mexican sweetener (5) 43 Large, slug-like clam (7) 45 Wieners and beans with a French accent (9)

52 Wine bacteria that creates a barnyard taste (13)

49 Flat, holey Italian bread (8)

54 Not so ‘fresh’ dairy product (5,7)

51 Sparkling Spaniard (4)

56 Head of the shop spice blend (3,2,6)

52 Salt cod and potato dish (8)

60 Anise flavoured aperitif (6)

53 Artichoke flavoured Italian liqueur (5)

64 French kidney beans (9)

55 “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” (7,7)

65 Kitchen boss (4) 66 This cheese isn’t always orange (7) 68 Pricey stamens (7)

50 Swedish raw salmon (7)

57 Minty summer quaff (6) 58 Taco shop (8) 59 Spanish turnover (8)

70 A pulse by any other name (6) 71 Small Italian plates to share (8) 75 No meat allowed (5)

61 Mediterranean fast food (6) 62 Bottled poetry (4) 63 Count Paul’s favourite beef stew (10)

76 Jura’s specialty (3,5)

64 Dessert for buffoons (4)

78 Sweet campsite sandwich (5) 79 A bold man first ate one of these (7) 82 Silver decorating ball (6) 85 Vegetable vehicle for butter and salt (4)

67 Double distilled Cognac (8) 69 Suessian accompaniment to ham (5,4) 72 Adult macaroni and cheese (10,7) 73 Christmas confection (5,4) 74 Butter of Italy (5,3) 77 Celery, peanut butter and raisins (4,2,1,3) 80 Japanese dumplings (5) 81 Developed with contact to grape skins (7) 83 Girl Scouts’ wares (7) 84 Fermented anchovy condiment (4,5) 86 Goat milk’s leap to immortality (6) 87 String of bread (7)

play to win!

City Palate will be rewarding the top THREE submissions that have correctly completed the crossword puzzle with a fabulous gift basket from The Cookbook Co. Cooks... including gift certificates for a cooking class, a copy of Calgary Cooks, and a delicious array of gourmet goodies!

THE COOKBOOK CO. COOKS Mail in your completed puzzle by January 31st, 2015 to: City Palate, 722 - 11th Avenue SW, Calgary T2R 0E4 or fax it to: 403-262-3322, or scan & email it to: gail@citypalate.ca

Snap

Calgary CookS

Contest Win over $2,400 in Calgary restaurant gift certificates!

1. Eat at any of the Calgary Cooks restaurants or cook a recipe out of the book.

2. Snap a photo of the book with your dish or the chef and Instagram or Tweet it #CalgaryCooks 3. One entry per restaurant visit. Increase your chances by visiting more restaurants or cooking more dishes!

4. Winner takes all and will be randomly selected February 1, 2015. Must be 19 or older to enter.

Cuisine et Château $250 The Cookbook Co. Cooks $200 Mercato $150 Yellow Door Bistro $150 Anju $100 Avec Bistro $100 Bonterra Trattoria $100 Cassis Bistro $100 Craft Beer Market $100 downtownfood $100 Farm Restaurant $100 Meez Fast Home Cuisine $100 Ox and Angela $100 River Café $100 Sugo Caffè Italia $100 Una Pizza + Wine $100 Red Tree Catering $75 Añejo $50 Brûlée Patisserie $50 Candela Lounge $50 CHARCUT Roast House $50 The Coup $50 Il Sogno $50 Jelly Modern Doughnuts $50 The Living Room $50 Sidewalk Citzen Bakery $50

Details at figure1pub.com CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

49

THE WEDDING PAVILLION WE’VE GONE PUBLIC Winter Sunday Brunch – your weekend treat!

February – April Sundays 11 am – 2 pm

6 quick ways with...

Mangos come in many varieties and are used in many cultures.

We typically see two varieties – the Alice that is green and turns red when ripe and the Ataulfo that’s smaller and flattish and turns from green to yellow when ripe. For these recipes either will be suitable.

The fruit is oval in shape and you will see that there is a ridge that runs from the stem around the centre, this is where the pit, or seed, is. The easiest way to peel a mango is to peel along this ridge and then peel each lobe, or “cheek,” on either side of the large, flat seed. To cut the flesh from the seed, place the mango on its stem end, narrow side facing you. Allowing about 1/2- to 3/4-inch as the thickest part of the seed, slice each lobe off the pit, as close as you can get.

Mangos freeze well, with very little change in texture when thawed. I always leave mangos in whole lobes. It’s less work than dicing them and allows me to decide how I want them to look when I’m ready to use them. To freeze, arrange the peeled lobes on parchment-lined baking sheets and place in the freezer, uncovered, for 24 hours.

Then transfer them to a freezer bag.

1. Salty Mango and Poblano Pickle

It’s time again to open our doors to the 10 th annual winter brunch. Experience the opportunity to enjoy a culinary experience without the wedding ritual.

BRUNCH BUFFET HIGHLIGHTS:

Apricot-stuffed French toast, salmon eggs benedict, black pepper and brown sugar bacon, seafood, hot fresh sticky buns, in-house crafted desserts, and the most-applauded carved beef.

Reservations required. Please call 403.288.9558 Located at 10817 West Valley Road SW

We look forward to seeing you and your family.

For this recipe choose very firm or even hard mangos. In a pan on medium-low heat, put 1/4 c. canola oil, 2 t. brown mustard seed, 1 T. coriander seeds and gently fry, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Then add 1 t. ground cumin, 1 t. ground turmeric, 2 T. paprika, stir the mixture into a paste and add 2 mangos, peeled and cubed, and 1 poblano chile, cored and diced. Sauté until the chile is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the zest and juice of 2 limes and 1/4 c. salt, stirring until the salt is fully dissolved. Pack tightly in a glass container and store in the fridge for up to 6 months. This is great with curries or tagines and equally good with sausages or roast pork. Makes 3 cups.

2. Curried Mango Sauce This sauce is perfect for mangos that are a little too ripe to eat. In a pan over medium heat put 2 T. butter and 1 large onion, diced, and sauté until very soft and just starting to caramelize, 4 to 6 minutes, then stir in 2 T. curry powder, 1 t. ground ginger, 1/2 t. dried thyme, and salt to taste.

Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes before adding 2 garlic cloves, crushed. Continue to sauté for a minute more before stirring in 1 c. dry, light-bodied white wine, and then bring to a boil. Add 2 ripe mangos, peeled and sliced, and simmer until the mango starts to break down, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and purée in a blender until smooth. Adjust salt and reheat before serving, garnished with basil and finely diced Roma tomato. This is such a versatile sauce; it is great with fish, chicken, pork, and even lamb. Serves 4.

3. Saffron Chicken Stewed with Mango, Salty Olives and Almonds

lunch | dinner | escape 220 – 42 avenue se | 403 287 9255 alloydining.com | @alloyrestaurant

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

This is my take on a SpanishPortuguese-Moorish stew. Dredge 8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on, in 1/2 c. flour, 1 t. salt and 1 t. paprika. In a pan over high heat, put 1/2 c. canola oil and allow it to get very hot before searing the chicken.

Place the thighs in the oil and brown

Chris Halpin

MANGOS on all sides, then remove and set aside. Pour off most of the oil in the pan before adding 1 onion, sliced, 1 small fennel bulb, sliced, 1/2 t. chile flakes, 1 t. ground cumin and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until wilted. Add 1/2 c. whole almonds and 1 c. salty green olives, and sauté for a minute more, then add 1 bottle of pale ale or a lager, 2 pinches of saffron threads, crushed, and 1 T. salt. Bring to a boil, add the chicken, cover, and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring from time to time, Add 1 firm mango, cut into medium dice, and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Serves 4.

4. Warm Mango Salsa Try this with grilled meat or on a round of Brie. Finely dice 1 mango, 1 sweet red pepper, 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, and 1 t. adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo and salt to taste. Mix in a bowl. Chop together 1/4 c. green onion, 1/4 c. dill and 1/4 c. cilantro. In a pan over high heat, put 1/4 c. olive oil and let the oil get hot before adding the mango mixture from the bowl and half the chopped herbs. Sauté until hot, spoon over your dish and garnish with the rest of the herbs. Serves 4.

5. Mango Ginger Sorbet This recipe is perfect for very ripe or frozen mangos. Place 1 c. water, juice of 1 lemon and 1 c. sugar in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Allow this to boil for 5 minutes, then add 4 soft mangos, peeled and chopped, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fruit is pulpy. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 t. grated fresh ginger. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then purée until very smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool before refrigerating for 2 to 3 hours until completely cool. Place in an ice cream maker and turn until firm, about 20 minutes.

Spoon into a chilled ceramic bowl, cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make a semifreddo!

Just pour the mixture in a chilled shallow ceramic dish and place in the freezer. Stir every 20 minutes, until it starts to set up, then let it sit for another 20 minutes before serving. This method is best if not completely frozen – the clue is in the name.

Semifreddo is Italian for half frozen. Makes 4 cups.

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recipe photos by Chris Halpin

6. Warm Mango Blueberry Custard For this recipe, the mangos should be just about ripe. In a bowl, put 1 c. frozen blueberries and 1 t. flour, and mix to coat the berries. Set aside. In another bowl, put 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 t. nutmeg, a pinch of salt, 1-1/2 c. 10% cream, 2 eggs, and 1/2 t. vanilla; beat until smooth.

Lightly butter a 9-inch casserole dish, arrange the flour-coated blueberries in the bottom, pour the custard over and place 2 mangos, peeled and thinly sliced, over top. Bake in a preheated 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the centre is all but set. Serve warm with a sprinkle of sugar. Serves 4.

Chris Halpin has been teaching Calgarians to make fast, fun urban food since 1997 and is the owner of Manna Catering Service.

open for lunch monday-friday 11:30am-2pm open nightly from 5pm 1919 4th Street SW 403 719 0049 candelalounge.com @candelacalgary

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

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I found a taste of Paris at Ratatouille Bistro

last meal This issue’s recipes are designed to fight the cold – both kinds.

I have a rich, nutritious soup that’s hearty enough to be served as lunch with a green salad on the side. Curry spices figure prominently in both of the savoury dishes; the spices help clear the sinuses and warm the belly. Biryani is a rice dish that’s often served as a celebratory meal in India, and while it’s typically vegetarian in nature, it’s also the perfect vehicle for leftover meat of any kind. You may notice that in the case of both the soup and biryani, I start by cooking the onions at low heat for a half hour (or longer). If I have the time, I always cook onions this way as it allows the natural sugars to caramelize, creating another layer of flavour. To finish, we have a rich mocha pecan pie, a calorie-laden delight that will blow any dieting plans you may have out the window.

Butternut Squash Soup with Curry, Corn and Bacon 1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 8 oz. slab of thick-cut bacon, chopped into 1/4-inch dice

Classic French fare with a touch of Morocco at Elbow Drive and 49th Avenue SW in Britannia Plaza. enjoy the flavours of france on elbow drive!

2 T. olive oil 1 small sweet onion, chopped 1 T. turmeric

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about a half hour, until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and purée in batches until smooth (I like to leave a little texture in the mixture), then return to the pot. Add the corn, chickpeas, cream and bacon and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste for salt, adding a little if necessary, and serve, garnishing with crème fraîche and minced chives. Serves 8.

1 t. ground cumin 1/2 t. ground coriander 1/4 t. ground cinnamon

829 49 AvEnuE SW • 403.719.1942

1 T. kosher salt 1/2 t ground black pepper 4 c. home made (or high quality store-bought) chicken stock 1 c. corn kernels, fresh, frozen or canned 1 14-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1/2 c. heavy cream crème fraîche and minced chives for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Brush both cut sides of squash with olive oil and lay them cut side down on a baking sheet. Pierce the outer skin several times with a fork and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the flesh and coarsely chop into rough 1-inch chunks and set aside.

In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until just starting to turn crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the olive oil to the bacon fat, then add the onion and sauté over low heat for a half hour to caramelize it. Combine all the spices and salt together in a small bowl and add the mixture to the onion, frying the spices for a couple of minutes to release their flavours. Add the reserved squash and fry for another couple of minutes to combine, then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Wine Recommendation Müller-Catoir Riesling Trocken 2011, $29 - Curry spices are always a challenge for wine, so – you guessed it – it’s riesling to the rescue yet again. Müller-Catoir is generally regarded as the finest producer in Germany’s Pfalz region and this dry example shows classic notes of minerals, stone fruits and lemon zest, backed by bright acidity.

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

Geoff Last

Fresh Produce

Antipasti

In-store Bakery

KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SEASONAL

Biryani

Chocolate Mocha Pecan Pie

Leftover meat is delicious in this, though optional.

Rice:

Crust:

2 T. unsalted butter

1 t. sugar

1 cinnamon stick 2 c. basmati rice, soaked in cool water for 20 minutes, then rinsed and drained well 1 t. salt 4 c. water

Biryani: 2 T. each unsalted butter and olive oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch dice 1 yam or sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 T. each ground cumin and turmeric 1/2 t. each ground cinnamon, hot paprika and black pepper

1 T. grated orange peel 1/4 t. salt 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1/4 c. lard, cut into small pieces 1 T. Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur 3 T. ice water, approximately 3 t. unsalted butter 3 T. cocoa powder 1 T. whipping cream 2 t. instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder 1 c. light corn syrup 3/4 c. sugar 3 large eggs

1/4 t. ground fennel seed

2 t. vanilla extract

12 cardamom pods, seeds only

1/4 t. salt

1 T. salt

1-1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans (about 6 oz.)

1/2 c. tomato purée and chicken or vegetable stock

For the crust: Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to combine, then add butter and lard and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add orange liqueur and water and pulse just until dough starts to come together. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and gather into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

1 handful of green beans, blanched and cut into 1 inch pieces 1/2 c. dried cranberries (you can also use raisins, dried mango or other dried fruits) 1/2 c. cashews, coarsely chopped and flatleaf parsley, coarsely chopped (garnish) seeds from 1 pomegranate (garnish)

Cook the rice: Heat a medium pot (with tight-fitting lid) and add 2 T. butter, then add a cinnamon stick and gently fry for a minute. Add the rice, salt to taste and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook the rice for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, cover and set aside until ready to use.

To finish: Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven and add the butter and oil; when the butter has stopped foaming, add the onion and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about a half hour, until the onion is golden but not browned. Increase the heat to mediumlow, add the carrots and yams and cook for about 15 more minutes (the yams should be tender by this point). Then increase the heat to medium and add all the spices, frying for a couple of minutes (this process is traditional with most curry dishes; it intensifies and unifies the spice flavours). Add the tomato purée and stock and stir to incorporate. Then add the cooked rice, peas, beans and cranberries (and any leftover meat, should you decide to incorporate it) and cook gently, stirring constantly to warm the dish through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving platter and garnish with cashews, parsley and pomegranate seeds. Serves 8.

Specialty Foods Olive Oils Balsamics Catering

Filling:

1 t. ground coriander

1 c. fresh or frozen peas

recipe photos by Geoff Last

1-1/4 c. unbleached white flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch-diameter round. Transfer to a 9-inch-diameter pie dish.

Trim edges and crimp decoratively. Freeze 15 minutes. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

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Cappuccino Dessert Bar

For the filling: Melt butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa, then cream and espresso powder. Pour into a large bowl. Add corn syrup, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt; whisk until well-blended. Stir in pecans.

Pour filling into pie crust. Bake until puffed and set, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or salted caramel ice cream. Serves 8 to 10.

Visit Lina’s for the real ItalIan experience.

Geoff Last is the manager of Bin 905.

2202 Centre St NE 403.277.9166 www.linasmarket.com

CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

53

E kitcverythin hen A g fo ND ap r you peti r te!

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CITY PALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

back burner SHEWCHUK ON SIMMER

Allan Shewchuk

BATTLE OF THE BAY WINDOW

Now comes real winter – or in Shakespeare-speak, “the summer of our discontent.” The holidays have gone and deposited snow, debt, and those extra kilos. I would say extra “pounds,” except I find that using kilograms seems somehow easier to take. Just saying, “I gained ‘five’ this Christmas,” reduces the shock of doing the conversion from kgs to lbs. I don’t even bother to do the math, because, regardless of the excess, it’s time to start yet another diet.

Indeed, if Yuletide’s the season to be jolly, then January and February are the reasons to be melancholy when it comes to food and drink. But this is as it should be; the start of a new year brings short, dark days where you drive to work in blackness, and return home in the same gloom. There are no company parties or gala charity balls, and some restaurants board up the windows in January. In short, this time of year is perfect for swearing off drinking and refusing to go out for fattening meals because the fact is, there’s nothing out there that’s worth doing anyway, so you might as well suffer through your diet now. It’s true that misery loves company, and so everyone I know goes on some kind of painful program at this time of year. Well, almost everyone.

You see, I have a friend who doesn’t get with the program in the frigid boredom of Q1, and who doesn’t grasp that it’s better to abstain from calories and alcohol while we are all doing the same. No, this wretch only decides to go on a torturous diet and to lay off the booze for three months on one of two milestones on the calendar: Canada Day or Remembrance Day. The lunacy of doing this will become crystal clear once I explain the implications of going scorched-earth in either Q3 or Q4, which, of course, also includes the living hell he inflicts on his friends and family.

It always starts the same way. Within hours of the two busiest social periods of the whole 365 days, my friend declares that he’s too fat. The announcement is always the same: “Well, folks, it appears that I have put a bay window in over my private parts as I can’t see them anymore.” The first year he said it, I laughed.

But it was June 30, and he swore that he was going on a rigorous diet for three months starting the next day with no fat, no carbs, no calories and zero alcohol.

I should tell you that my pal is from the Maritimes, so having a bit of the “gargle” (as he refers to booze) is all part of the fun, and there was lots of fun whenever he was around, except at any point after that July 1 while he was in shut-down mode.

In fact, he was the opposite of fun for 90 long days.

Just think about it. Starting a three-month diet on Canada Day means that right off the bat you miss celebrating Canada Day, and all the summer long weekends when we get the only good weather of the year. In between are fairs, barbecues, weddings, folk festivals, baseball games and rodeos. Have you ever gone to a rodeo and openly consumed only soda water and celery? If you did, you’d be lucky not to be lassoed and dragged behind a horse while the whole grandstand whooped it up.

Starting on Remembrance Day is even worse, as after that solemn occasion the holiday party circuit starts, with never-ending free cocktails and miles of buffets heaving with baked brie and Christmas desserts. And so my friend either stays home during these diet times, thereby alienating his long built-up social network and his wife, or, worse, he attends but stands in a corner scowling at everyone having a good time, which makes him as welcome as a skunk at a garden party.

His family suffers the last indignity as he makes everyone miserable by not having anything but salad at Christmas dinner and by placing his hand over his empty glass when offered wine. Ho, ho, ho. Not. So, take my advice: if you look down and find a bay window over your privates in July, just put in screens.

In November, cover that window with a sweater. But, please, please, for the sake of those around you, wait until January to start that renovation.

Allan Shewchuk is a food writer and sought after Italian food and wine guru. He currently has kitchens in both Calgary and Florence, Italy, but will drink wine pretty much anywhere.

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