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eat well, spend less
CITYPALATE.CA
JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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Made Foods’ Meal Planning Service The simple, delicious answer to your New Year’s resolution by MELANIE DARBYSHIRE
It’s a new year, and for many of us, a time to get healthier. Whether that means exercising more, quitting bad habits, or eating a better diet, most of us have at least some (or a lot of) room for improvement when it comes to our physical health. Like most things in life, change is often easier with a little help. When it comes to eating healthier, more nutritious and delicious food, Made Foods aims to be that help. That’s why it has recently introduced its custom meal planning service - an easy, convenient and enjoyable way to get your diet back on the right track. Provided through the expertise of Made Foods’ Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant, Jenn Hruby, the meal plan service can be tailored to suit anyone’s individual needs. “It’s for a variety of people,” says Hruby. “The main thing is that it’s customized and personalized, and will make your life easier.” To get started, Hruby meets with the customer for a half hour at one of Made Foods’ eight locations. Here she gets a sense of what the person is looking for in a meal plan: what type of diet they desire, the state of their current health and lifestyle, and what goals they’d like to achieve, for example. This meeting can be booked online at www.madefoods.com/schedule/ or by emailing Jenn directly (j.hruby@madefoods.com). Hruby then designs a meal plan tailored specifically to the person’s individual needs. Meal plans can be whatever the customer wants: from one meal per day to three meals and two snacks per day, for as many days, weeks or months as desired. Meals are from Made Foods’ extensive, seasonal menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, snacks, smoothies and soups, all of which are packaged and ready-to-eat. Chef-prepared in Calgary and locally sourced, Made Foods meals are prepared for maximum nutritional benefit. There is also a wide selection of gluten friendly, dairy friendly, vegetarian and low calorie options. “Many folks have an idea of what they want but are either at a loss on how to achieve it or without the time to do it,” says Hruby. “With my help, they can more properly fuel their bodies with minimal effort.” In addition to the meal plan, Hruby also provides customers with nutrition tips, tricks, tools and resources. Hruby’s services are complimentary - the cost to the customer is just that of the food. Meals can be picked up at any one of Made Foods’ locations, or - an even easier option - can be delivered to the customer’s doorstep by the company’s delivery service. A ‘Made-over’ of your diet for the new year? And with the free guidance and expertise of a professional? For those looking to make a healthy start in the new year, Made Foods’ meal plans could be exactly what’s needed.
MY CUSTOMERS OFTEN TELL ME THAT THEIR ESPRESSO MACHINE IS THEIR FAVOURITE ITEM IN THEIR KITCHEN .
GATHER
VINCE IZZO & FAMILY
AROUND AN AUTOMATED BEAUTY BAKLAVA LATTE 1/4 OZ MONIN HONEY SWEETENER 1/2 OZ MONIN AMARETTO SYRUP 1 SHOT(S) ESPRESSO FILL WITH STEAMED MILK GARNISH: NUTS, WHIPPED CREAM Combine ingredients, except milk, in serving cup. Stir and set aside. Steam milk in pitcher. Pour steamed milk into serving cup, stirring gently. Garnish. Visit us and select from the over 100 premium Monin syrup flavours we stock – they’re just as great in cocktails as in coffee!
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contents
CITY PALATE JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
FEATURES
22 n Great Places to Eat Well, Spend Less
We chose a handful of discriminating palates to take $50 and buy a tasty meal for two in a fave restaurant. This is what they found.
28 n Mountains of Meat. Piles of Potatoes. Tons and Tons of Canned Tomatoes.
Dinner just got easier.
Next time you buy groceries, spare a thought for a local chef. Shelley Boettcher
32 n Step Away from the Cleanse
A Gentler Way to a Healthier, Happier You in 2017 Vincci Tsui
38 n City Palate Culinary Crossword
Play to win!
DEPARTMENTS
7 n word of mouth
Notable culinary happenings around town
9 n eat this
What to eat in January and February Ellen Kelly
10 n drink this
The Douro wines of Portugal Tom Firth
12 n get this
Must have kitchen stuff Karen Anderson
14 n one ingredient
Pomegranates Julie Van Rosendaal
18 n feeding people
Ramen rundown Erin Lawrence
20 n the sunday project
Preserved Lemons with Matthew Altizer
34 n stockpot
Stirrings around Calgary
40 n 6 quick ways with...
Kale Chris Halpin
42 n back burner... shewchuk on simmer
February date night Allan Shewchuk
Cover artist: François Richardier lives in Nanaimo, B.C. His work includes oils and acrylics, watercolours, illustrations, cartoons, caricatures, animations. Check his web site at www3.telus.net/artstudio42
R E A D U S O N L I N E AT C I T Y PA L AT E . C A
Chef ’s Inspiration Series
Farfalle Pasta o Spicy Italian Sausage Recipe by
James Szutarski
INGREDIENTS 60 g 60 g 120 g 60 g 280 g
Red peppers Green peppers Onions Mushrooms Canned diced tomatoes
160 g Italian Centre Shop Spicy Sausage
Serves 4
Instructor, NAIT
160 g 6 tbsp 6 10 1 tsp
Riscossa Farfalle pasta Olive oil Garlic cloves, crushed Fresh basil leaves, chopped Sea salt Fresh cracked pepper
METHOD
Precook Italian sausage in a 350ºF oven until done. Let sausage cool and cut into slices for sautéing. Cook pasta in heavily salted water until done. Remove from heat and drain. Never rinse pasta, the sauce sticks to the starch. Toss lightly with olive oil and chill. Heat olive oil in fry pan. Sauté garlic first, add vegetables cut julienne & Italian sausage together in hot pan. Cook until all vegetables are tender. Add diced canned tomatoes, fresh basil & toss together. Serve with fresh shaved Asiago cheese. Chef ’s Inspiration Series recipes will appear on our website every month from January to July!
Grocery. Bakery. Deli. Café.
EDMONTON Little Italy | Southside | West End
italiancentre.ca
CALGARY Willow Park
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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city palate publisher/editor Kathy Richardier (kathy@citypalate.ca) magazine design Carol Slezak, Yellow Brick Studios (carol@citypalate.ca) contributing editor Kate Zimmerman contributors Matthew Altizer Karen Anderson Shelley Boettcher Tom Firth Chris Halpin Ellen Kelly Erin Lawrence Allan Shewchuk Vincci Tsui Julie Van Rosendaal contributing photographers Karen Anderson Shelley Boettcher
a meal centuries in the making Brazilians call it churrasco. You’ll call it the best barbecue you’ve ever had.
C A LG A RY
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City Palate is published 6 times per year: January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October and November-December by City Palate Inc., 722 -11 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2R 0E4 Subscriptions are available for $48 per year within Canada and $68 per year outside Canada. Editorial Enquiries: Please email kathy@citypalate.ca For questions or comments please contact us via our website:
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CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
word of mouth
NOTABLE CULINARY HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN IN OU R OPIN ION
congratulations to the Gold Medal Plates’ winners!
read these:
November’s Gold Medal Plates attracted a record 700 people and seduced the judges, including your humble publisher/editor, with stellar food from the competing chefs. The winners: Jinhee Lee of Vintage Chophouse – she’s now with Duncan Ly in his new Foreign Concept restaurant – took the gold with her gorgeously colourful mosaic of cured salmon and sablefish limned with turmeric offset by a beautifully textured sphere of charcoal taro root beignet filled with a crab mousseline, paired with a gewurztraminer from Bartier Brothers in the Okanagan. Silver went to John Michael MacNeil, The Belvedere,(L), who wowed us with pure comfort food of slow-braised bison cheek in its own juices topped with a shaving of truffle and smoked chanterelles, sided with buttery puréed fingerling potatoes and brined, chopped carrots paired with Mission Hill Reserve Shiraz. Michael Nop, Redwater Grille, (R), took the bronze with a luscious foie gras and unagi (eel) pressé tarted up with Granny Smith gel, brioche purée and pistachio praline matched with Nova Scotia’s Benjamin Bridge Nova 7. Gold Medal Plates raises money for Canada’s Olympic athletes, many of whom were there. Lee will be off to the grand finale competition in Kelowna that takes place February 4th.
noteworthy gin
dragon’s breath blue cheese That’s what it’s called, made by the Dubh Glas Distillery in the Okanagan Valley, Oliver, B.C. Find it only at Kensington Wine Market. Sipping gin straight up allows you to experience the botanicals all clean, and Noteworthy is most definitely noteworthy! Check it out at thedubhglasdistillery.com
Has nothing to do with how you’d imagine dragon’s breath to smell, just a fun name from That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm in Nova Scotia. Awarded best blue cheese in Canada, just slice off the top and dig in. You’ll find it at Janice Beaton Fine Cheese.
Anthony Bourdain, everyone’s favourite nutty professional eater, has put together a very fun, wild and whacky cookbook called Appetites, A Cookbook (ecco, an imprint of Harper Collins, $46.50, hard cover). Bourdain has appetites – like for The Grill Bitch’s Bar Nuts, Chicken Satay with Fake-Ass Spicy Peanut Sauce and Mutant Quesadillas: Chorizo and Duck – and lots of more normal sounding dishes, like Pan Roasted Veal Chop with Wild Mushrooms.The book is filled with wild and crazy pictures – it’s exactly what you’d expect from Bourdain. We’ve always enjoyed wandering into an Earls restaurant and chowing down on the likes of Hunan Kung Pao or Thai Green Curry, both with chicken. Now we – and you – can cook our fave dishes at home using Earls: The Cookbook. Eat a Little. Eat a Lot. 110 of Your Favourite Recipes (Appetite by Random House, $35, hard cover). Easy to use, lots of good food pictures.
cured delicatessen’s great stuff And something delicious you won’t find anywhere else – chocolate chorizo – just slice it and eat it. Total yum! Cured adds it to some of the brunch items, but others, like bananas foster french toast, feature Cured’s bacon, and waffles features chicken. You need to eat this delicious food at 8409 Elbow Dr. SW in the Haysboro Plaza. Visit curedyyc.com for all the tasty details.
new menu direction at cassis Putting a renewed emphasis on its South of France roots, Cassis recently unveiled a new menu that is heavily influenced by owner Gilles Brassart’s upbringing in Aix-en-Provence. The menu pays homage to the garlic, olive oil and “herbes de Provence” (mixed dried herbs) found at the core of most Provençal recipes, and reflects the region’s Mediterranean influences in its seafood offerings.
wine barrel décor Burgundy Oak Barrel Décor repurposes Okanagan wine barrels into very cool smokers, clocks, wine displays, candles, furniture and more. burgundyoak.com
popcorn that will change your life… That’s what Alberta-based Poko Popcorn says, and it really is tasty. Founded in Calgary in 2015, Poko plans a Canada-wide expansion from its four Calgary and area locations – Market Mall, Cross Iron Mills, Shawnessy and Okotoks. A group of friends wanted to perfect the art of popcorn, so they spent time in “popcorn comas” to create a gourmet popcorn snack. pokopopcorn.ca
sweets for your valentine... Hand-crafted confections that are pretty and delicious and sweetened with dates from which the company takes its name, First Date Confections. Locally made by Tatiana Straathof, find them at The Clothing Bar Boutique and Prana Health Kitchen, both in Marda Loop. Old Coal Chocolates has a special Valentine’s collection that you’ll want to get lots of online at oldcoal.com, Ollia Macarons or Eau Claire Distillery. An Old Coal birthday bash takes place in January at a cocktail bar, early February at Market Collective selling chocolates and for Valentine’s Day, wine and chocolate tastings at Willow Park Wines.
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Travel healTh advice: GeT vaccinaTed Today! Bowmont Travel clinic is a designated yellow Fever centre: all vaccines done on site.
bowmonttravel.ca | travel@bowmont.ca | 403-247-0787
See your future. Come in for a free consultation. 403.547.9775 | westernlasereye.com | facebook.com/WesternLaserEyeAssociates
a 21st century diner in the heart of Bowness, where friends meet for great food, super fine coffee, and fresh baking!
6407 Bowness rd nW | cadencecoffee.com
We’re more than steak – pizza, pasta and... more! Thank you for making OUR PLACE your place. 6308 Bowness Rd NW • 403 288-7608 theplacerestaurant.ca
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Small business creates community and supports the local economy. Visit the fine merchants of MainSTreeT BoWneSS!
eat this
Ellen Kelly
WHAT TO EAT IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY
It’s no shocker – fresh local produce has become pretty sparse by January and February. We do love our sturdy apples, beets and squash, but by the time the holidays are over, our menus are sorely in need of a little zip. How fortuitous, it’s citrus season! In my opinion, it’s citrus season that makes our long winters infinitely more bearable. There is nothing that can’t be brightened by a squeeze of lemon. Two of my favourite citrus fruits are Meyer lemons and Ruby Red grapefruit: Add the liveliness of ginger, available to us all year round, and we are well and truly saved. The MEYER LEMON, an auspicious cross between a sweet orange and a lemon, is the holy grail of lemon-dom. The fruit’s smooth, egg yolk yellow skin is honey scented and the abundant juice is sweet and floral. You can certainly use them in place of ordinary lemons and while they’re at hand, so you should. Marmalade, hollandaise, lemon meringue pie, and vinaigrettes… you get the idea. How about making your own limoncello? Steep the peel of 5-6 Meyer lemons in a bottle of vodka for a couple of weeks. Strain the infused alcohol, mix with simple syrup made with Meyer lemon juice (2 parts sugar, 1 part juice and 1 part water) to taste, add more vodka (why not), bottle and enjoy in the weeks (days?) to come. A tangy salsa for grilled fish is easy to make. Chop 2 shallots and combine with 1-2 T. rice wine vinegar, 1 t. kosher salt and set aside to “pickle” for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice 2 small Meyer lemons, reserving any juice, then stack and cut into very small pieces. Add lemon, juice, 1/2 c. chopped Italian parsley and 2 T. chopped capers to the shallots and then stir in 1 c. good olive oil. Let this stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 3-4 days, tightly covered, in the fridge. Mature GINGER is available any time of the year. The delicate and more prized young ginger can be found later in the spring, albeit with some diligence, in Asian markets. Like citrus, ginger can offer a much-desired deliverance from the culinary doldrums of winter. A simple Asian-inspired salad dressing comes together quickly when you combine grated fresh ginger, soy sauce, mashed garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. This is especially lovely drizzled over jicama, avocado, shrimp and crisp greens, all pink, white and green. Or tart up plain steamed rice with a topping of grated ginger, toasted sesame seeds and little strips of crisp nori, easily cut up with a pair of scissors.
GRAPEFRUITS are common most of the year. The real prize, however, is a grapefruit come to be synonymous with Texas, the Ruby Red. Although its lineage is a little odd, you can’t argue with that glorious raspberry red flesh. Like all citrus, nothing elevates a winter-weary menu like the tangy sweetness of grapefruit. Whether you’re serving segments of grapefruit with avocado, fennel and seafood in a salad or making what I like to call a pink greyhound (obviously gin and pink grapefruit juice), it’s always a good idea to keep several on hand. An unusual after-dinner treat – candied grapefruit peel – is easy to make and makes a great gift, if you can part with them. Cut the peel from 2 pink or red grapefruits into long, 3/4-inch wide strips with most of the pith removed. This is easy to do with a sharp vegetable peeler. In a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain and repeat twice more. Bring peel, 1 c. sugar, and 1/2 c. water to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the peel is translucent. Remove the peel from the syrup with a slotted spoon and lay out on a wire rack to dry, about 2 - 4 hours. Toss the peel in more sugar and transfer to an airtight jar. You can even dip one end in melted dark chocolate. Keep the yummy syrup for other purposes – cocktails come to mind, for some reason.
Illustrations by Pierre Lamielle
BUY: Fruit from California is available now and until April or May. Look for plump, smooth, unblemished firm lemons that are heavy in the hand. TIPS: Freeze the juice in ice cube trays to use after the season is long gone. Once frozen, release the cubes and put them back in the freezer in zip-lock bags. DID YOU KNOW? Small Meyer lemon trees do quite well in pots. It’s possible to move them in and out as the seasons change. Your lemon yield may not be profuse, but at the very least, it’s a beautiful little tree and the scent of the flowers is divine.
BUY: Make sure the fresh ginger root you buy is firm, smooth-skinned and moist. It should show no trace of mould. It’s quite acceptable to break off a piece the size you need as long as what you leave is still sellable. TIPS: Peeling the root is easy, just use a spoon! With the convex bowl of the spoon toward you, scrape away the papery skin using firm downward strokes. This method is quick, efficient and safe. DID YOU KNOW? Ginger has been extensively researched and has many remedial properties. It is known to boost circulation, quell nausea, and as a natural anti-viral, it makes an effective cold and flu remedy, when combined with lots of lemon juice and honey.
BUY: Again, as with all citrus, look for fruit that is heavy in the hand with smooth unblemished skin. TIPS: To segment a grapefruit, cut stem and flower end off with a sharp knife. Place the fruit cut-side-down and cut from top to bottom, removing the peel and as much as the pith as you can without cutting away too much flesh. Hold the peeled fruit in one hand over a bowl to catch the juice, and begin to carefully cut out each segment from between the dividing membranes. Drop the segments into the bowl and squeeze the juice from what’s left. DID YOU KNOW? An accidental encounter between a sweet orange and a pomelo, it was long known, much more intriguingly, as the Forbidden Fruit. Grapefruit gets its more pedestrian current name from the way it grows on the tree, in a sort of bunch, like grapes. Who knew? Ellen Kelly is a chef and regular contributor to City Palate.
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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drink this
Tom Firth
THE DOURO WINES OF PORTUGAL
Portugal’s River of Gold
Discover the Home of Ancient Vineyards It’s a mad river slashing its way in a fury across the land of giants, stubbornly heading for the ocean. And it gets there. Exhausted, but it does. (Portuguese neorealist writer, Alves Redol)
Cruise Portugal's Douro River Lisbon to Porto — September 28, 2017 10 Days | 8 Guided Tours | 2 Countries
Discover one of Europe’s most pristine destinations, Portugal. Cruise the Douro River Valley, the world’s oldest demarcated wine region. Experience the renaissance of Lisbon, newly invigorated with trending galleries and restaurants. Explore the city of Porto renowned for its port. Roam two of Iberia’s oldest towns: Coimbra, Portugal and Salamanca, Spain.
Call for details 403-238-4090 or tours@rostad.com
Connecting people, places, moments
WWW.ROSTAD.COM
Portugal’s Douro Valley is one of the great wine regions of the world. It’s responsible for some of the best fortified wines out there, but only recently has it performed its second trick on the world stage – making great table wines, as well. Douro wines show great harmony and balance without being able to hide behind sweetness and high alcohol. The Champagne region hasn’t even figured that out yet; its table wines are rare and unlikely to impress any casual drinker, although they’re pretty exciting to wine nerds when they can get their hands on them. But the Douro has come up with something delicious for both everyday and special days. One of the great strengths of Douro wines is the use of local or indigenous grapes in their production. Grapes like touriga nacional, tinta cão, tinta barroca, and tinta roriz (tempranillo), along with a host of others, including white ones, make for unique flavour profiles that are miles away from wines made from shiraz, merlot, or chardonnay. Another major factor in the Douro’s favour is the prevalence of smaller producers. Most vineyard holders are extremely small, often too small to make wine at the commercial level, permitting winemakers to source from myriad options for the very best grapes. Finally, the terroir comes into play. The granite and schist soils have been worked for generations, while the steep hillsides have had their profiles changed by stone terraces, permitting viticulture to progress beyond a farmhouse industry for what literally would be local consumption. Things are changing as newer producers come into play, making modern wines firmly rooted in tradition. “Port” is a fortified wine that can only be produced in the Douro, so it has to come from Portugal, just as anything called “champagne” has to come from France’s Champagne region. Anything else should be called something else. To make port, the grapes are traditionally foot-trodden – though now auto-vinifiers and the occasional robot can do the task, foot treading is still common – to extract the maximum flavour and colour from the grape skins. Meanwhile, the natural sugars in the grapes are converted into alcohol. Once about half of the natural sugars are converted, the wine is fortified with the addition of a neutral (or flavourless) alcohol, which halts fermentation, yielding a sweet wine of about 20 percent alcohol. Port has two main “flavours” – that of barrel aged or tawny port, and that of bottle aged port that includes vintage port. Both styles have their merits, though tawnies get a little more attention at my house these days. The Douro is separated into three different sections. The Baixo Corgo, which is closest to the Atlantic Ocean, is the coolest, typically making the lightest wines. The Cima Corgo includes the town of Pinhão, which produces about two thirds of the Douro’s wines. The easternmost section of the Douro Superior (“superior” meaning highest, rather than best) is hot, isolated, and is just starting to see significant wine production. Some very exciting wines are being made here.
Fresh Food. Fresh Beer. Fresh Soda. & Fresh DIGS! 10
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@thegrizzlypaw THEGRIZZLYPAW.COM 622 8th STREET • 403-678-9983
The table wines of the Douro run from powerful blends to elegant single varieties and everything in between, in red, white, and rosé versions that pair well with the local cuisine. Pork dishes of all kinds (including suckling pig), bacalhau or salt cod, and all sorts of game dishes are common on the menus of the region and could be considered the jumping-off point for matching wine and food here. Most Douro wines pair well with protein-rich dishes, whether meat-, cheese-, or seafood-based. The whites can be pretty stunning with apple- or citrus-flavoured dishes and salad courses. The fortified wines are quite sweet compared to the table wines, and are generally best consumed after dinner with nutty or caramel-flavoured dishes for the tawnies, or chocolate or fig-styled desserts for the bottle-aged examples. Cheeses, especially blue varieties, always complement ports.
Look for these at your fave liquor seller, including Kensington Wine Market, Bin 905, Willow Park and Highlander stores. Conceito 2014 Contraste, Douro, Portugal A perfect example of the exciting whites from the Douro. Blended from a number of indigenous grapes, this wine’s nose suggests crushed rocks, lime, rock candy, and rose petals. Tight and sleek on the palate, it’s citric and tropical, so it’s perfect for hot days and for partnering with seafood of any type. About $28.
Tons de Duorum 2013 Tinto, Douro, Portugal Made from the usual roster of Douro grapes, this wine speaks of tight cherry fruits and abundant spice box tones, and has an herbal, dust/mineral layer. Nevertheless, it shows the intensity of fruit in Douro reds that I know and love. Great value for about $17.
Lagarada 2011 Reserva, Douro, Portugal Based on touriga nacional, touriga franca, and tinta roriz, this wine exudes the dried herbs and earthiness for which touriga nacional is known. Blackberry fruits and a slight chewiness to the tannins work very well here. Pair with braised meats or game, if possible. About $21.
Vila Real 2013 Colheita Rosé, Douro, Portugal Just because we don’t see a lot of Douro rosés in Calgary doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. Perfectly suited to the region’s hot summers, this wine’s fruits suggest dried strawberries with herb and a touch of raspberry and mahogany wood. A nice treat, slightly off the beaten path. About $14.
Concieto Bastardo 2013, Douro, Portugal Bastardo is a highly uncommon and difficult grape from a winemaker’s perspective. Done right, it’s a rare treat. Quite pale, with sour cherry aromas, peppercorn, and cedar chip, followed by a mild, damp earthiness, once it’s in the mouth it’s zingy and almost fruit-forward with blackberry jam characters. Very tasty. About $40.
Feuerheerd’s Anchor Wine 2013, Douro, Portugal Blessed with unusual packaging that stands out on the shelf, the wine in the package is a slightly more fruit-driven offering based on Douro grapes. It shows loads of tight berry fruits with herb and spice notes without a lot of tannins – delicious. Retails locally for about $23.
Tom Firth is a freelance wine writer based in Calgary. His #1 favourite wine producing country is Portugal. Find him @cowtownwine and cowtownwine.com
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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get this stop and start If you get carried away when you’re opening the sparkling wine this New Year’s Eve, have no fear. These Easy Seal Champagne Stoppers will keep your bubbles brisk for a few more days or at least until you make your New Year’s Day mimosas. Stop throwing good alcohol down the drain and start your year by trying a new mimosa recipe. Switch up that yawny old O.J. for a bright burst of grapefruit. Maybe a subtle press of elderflower cordial will ease you into the New Year smoothly? Or, if you’re in really bad shape from the night before, go for a kick-butt ginger lime kombucha mimosa. Trim your rim with citrus rind, mint leaves or some fresh cranberries rescued from the back of your fruit crisper. With these handy stoppers, sparkling wine may start to be a staple in your fridge. Easy Seal Champagne Stoppers, $3.50, J. Webb Wine Merchant
bye bye bacon Hello bacon-flavoured coconut chips. If your New Year’s resolution includes eating a bit more plant life and a bit less meat, these tasty tidbits will become morsels of mercy for when you go into deep bacon withdrawal. Try them in a “bacon,” lettuce and tomato sandwich. Sprinkle them on corn chowder. Fold them into an omelette. For vegans, this is bacon heaven. For the rest of us, the fact they are delicious is the reason to eat them – vegan or not. Vegan Coconut Bac’n by Sailin’ On, $9/135g, Evoolution in Canmore and Banff
rooting around The folks at The Silk Road Spice Merchant and Kent of Inglewood have been rooting around for the perfect homemade root beer recipe. Boy, did they find the right roots for their beer. Ginger, birch, licorice, dandelion, burdock and sarsaparilla roots to be exact. Boil them up with the other flavour sensations in the kit and voila! You’ve got syrup you can add soda to for the kids or to boozy cocktail sensations for the adults (there are two cocktail recipes in the kit). Popcorn is the perfect food pairing for this beverage and Silk Road’s popcorn seasoning set has something for every taste including dill pickle, saltwater chili-lime, Inca fire or maple-smoke salmon. So get brewing and popping and you’ll be ready to root for the home team on Flames’ game nights. Maybe they’ll win the Stanley Cup this season. Now that’s really something to root for. The Kitchen Alchemist’s 9 Spice Root Beer Kit, $30, and Popcorn Seasoning Set, $40.99, The Silk Road Spice Merchant and Kent of Inglewood
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Karen Anderson
MUST HAVE KITCHEN STUFF
a worthy wellington This Beef Wellington from Valbella Gourmet Foods is a worthy candidate for your New Year’s celebrations. The chefs at Valbella take tender Alberta beef and envelope it with a rich pâté coating and crispy layers of puff pastry. All you have to do is thaw it in your refrigerator and pop it in the oven before the party. Beef Wellington is famed British chef Gordon Ramsay’s signature dish. Can’t you just hear him cussing that he didn’t think of this himself? Tip: Keep one in your freezer year round for Sunday dinners with the family or for any occasion you want to make special. Beef Wellington, $40.60/ kg, Valbella Gourmet Meats in Canmore
stir up some happiness and love It’s easy to love cooking with these cheery utensils at hand. Use them to stir up a pan of these ooey, gooey, fudgy, delicious brownies. Microwave 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate and 3/4 c. unsalted butter on high for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 c. sugar, 3 beaten eggs, 1 t. vanilla and 1 c. flour until smooth. Pour into a greased 8” x 8” pan. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes (not longer). Give the spoons and the brownies to your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day. Maybe there’ll be more than spooning in your future. Happy Face and Heart wooden spoons, $7.95 each, Edelweiss Village
disruptive dumplings Honest Dumplings owners Ray Ma and Chris Lerohl have reinvented that darling of dim sum – the dumpling. Their versions are stuffed with brightly spiced local ingredients and come in an array of colours created by beets, spinach and carrots. They never use dyes or food colouring. These dumplings will give you reason to think outside the (Chinese take-out) box. Ma grew up in Shanghai adoring the exotic flavours there. She and Lerohl have been disrupting the idea of what a dumpling is since 2014. Currently they hand-make more than 5,000 dumplings per week in a small commercial kitchen in Edmonton. You can order them in freezer packs through Calgary’s spud.ca delivery service. Vegans will enjoy the shiitake, kale and ginger or curry cauliflower with tarragon while those with a more carnivorous appetite will appreciate the butter chicken, Sichuan chicken, maple pork belly or ginger beef. Flavour is in and fillers, preservatives and MSG are out. Now that’s a creative disruption.
Honest Dumplings Carnivore or Vegan Variety Packs, $19.99 for 16, spud.ca Karen Anderson is the owner of Alberta Food Tours.
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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one ingredient
Julie Van Rosendaal
POMEGRANATES
With a layer of thin, leathery, burgundy skin enclosing hundreds of tiny drupelets of brilliant red juice, pomegranates have the regality of a fruit that has made repeated appearances in Renaissance paintings, and has innards capable of reenacting a scene from Friday the 13th. They can be awkward and messy, even when you know how to handle them, but with a sweet-tart flavour and glorious colour, they’re well worth the effort while they’re available – usually between October and February.
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Pomegranate arils – the tiny seeds suspended in juicy teardrops inside – are munchable on their own (the seeds they contain are perfectly edible), and add a burst of tangy colour to just about any salad. You can buy them by the plastic container, but their natural packaging is far more satisfying, and environmentally friendly. To access the delicate arils yourself, the most common method is to score the fruit around its equator with a knife and break it open, then hold each half upside-down over a bowl and smack it with a wooden spoon to release the seeds. Some find it easier to cut pomegranates lengthwise into wedges, slicing gently along each natural ridge, then breaking the fruit apart. If you have difficulty separating the arils from the papery white pulp, break the pieces open into a sink or bowl of water and separate the seeds with your fingers; the arils will sink, the membranes float. If you want to forego harvesting the seeds yourself, you can go straight for bottled juice or pomegranate molasses, a thick, tangy syrup that’s common in Middle Eastern dishes and is becoming increasingly mainstream and easy to find at grocery stores. To make your own juice, pulse the arils a few times in a blender or food processor, just enough to break them apart, then pour through a strainer or sieve. To make your own pomegranate molasses, simmer 3 cups pomegranate juice with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice until it reduces to the consistency of syrup. Refrigerate for up to a month. Besides its beauty and versatility, pomegranates are also bundles of antioxidants, believed to lower cholesterol and play a role in the prevention of heart disease and some cancers - and if you eat the whole seeds, you’ll get a healthy boost of fibre, too.
Fattoush Salad Tangy pomegranate molasses is common in dressings for Middle Eastern salads like fattoush, made with crunchy romaine and toasted pitas. 2 fresh pitas olive oil salt 1-2 romaine hearts, chopped 2 baby cucumbers, chopped or cut into ribbons 2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 1/4 small purple onion, thinly sliced handful fresh cilantro, Italian parsley or mint
Dressing: 1/2 c. olive oil 3 T. pomegranate molasses 1 T. Dijon or grainy mustard 1 T. lemon juice 1 T. honey 1 small garlic clove, finely crushed salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the pita with oil, sprinkle with salt and bake on a baking sheet for 10-12 minutes, until deep golden and toasted. Let cool, then break apart into chunks. Arrange the romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, purple onion and cilantro in a shallow bowl or on a platter. Add the toasted pita. To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl or shake them in a jar. Drizzle over the salad and serve immediately. Serves 6.
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CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
Lamb Kebabs with Pomegranate Molasses and Feta Pomegranate adds a balancing acidity to rich lamb; grill these kebabs or roast them in the oven, and serve with warm pita and a drizzle of plain yogurt. You’ll need about 8 bamboo skewers for this. 1 lb. ground lamb 1/3 c. crumbled feta 2 T. pomegranate molasses, plus extra for brushing 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 t. chopped fresh oregano or rosemary (or 1/2 t. dried) 1/2 t. ground cumin 1/4 t. salt olive oil (optional)
In a medium bowl, blend the lamb, feta, pomegranate molasses, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt with your hands just until combined. Soak about 8 bamboo skewers for 10 minutes or so, then take a handful of the meat mixture and shape it around one end, leaving the dull end as a handle. Preheat your grill or broiler to medium-high and, if you like, brush the kebabs with some olive oil. Grill or broil for about 5 minutes, rotating as necessary and brushing with more pomegranate molasses, until char-marked and just cooked through. (If the handles of your bamboo skewers are burning, wrap them loosely in foil or move them to the edge of the grill so that they stick out from under the lid.) Makes about 8 kebabs.
Grilled Calamari with Avocado and Pomegranates Fresh calamari cooks in minutes on a hot grill, and makes a lighter, smokier alternative to the usual fried calamari. Make sure you don’t overcook the squid, or it’ll get tough. 1/2 lb. squid tubes (calamari) 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 t. crushed dried red chile flakes sea salt 1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced pomegranate molasses pomegranate arils fresh mint or Italian parsley
Rinse the squid tubes and slide a knife in lengthwise, the blade fitting into the flat tube. Slice crosswise with another knife – the knife inside will prevent you from cutting all the way through, so that it’s sliced into rings on one side, intact on the other. Put all the pieces in a bowl, cover with olive oil, add the garlic, chile flakes and a big pinch of salt, stir and refrigerate for about an hour. Preheat the grill to high and grill the tubes, turning often, for a minute or two, or until opaque and char-marked (don’t overcook). Transfer to a plate and top with avocado, drizzle with pomegranate molasses, scatter with pomegranate arils and chopped fresh mint or parsley. Serves 4. continued on page 16
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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one ingredient
POMEGRANATES
continued from page 15
Midwinter Pomegranate Sangria The bleak midwinter can always use a little brightening. This tangy sangria hits all the right notes. 1 750 mL bottle dry red wine 2 c. pomegranate juice 1/2 c. brandy 2 T. brown sugar 1 small orange, quartered and sliced 1 small apple, halved and thinly sliced a sprig or two of fresh rosemary a cinnamon stick or a few star anise prosecco or club soda (optional)
Our Quality Commitment • Fresh, never frozen burgers that are made from 100% Canadian grade ‘A’ ground chuck, without any fillers or preservatives • Fresh hamburger buns made especially for Peters’ Drive-In using old-fashioned slow-rising sponge dough
• Hot dogs and cheese dogs made with 100% ‘AAA’ beef wieners • Fries cut right when you order from fresh, whole potatoes • Milkshakes made from real ice cream and real fruit - choose from over 4,500 flavor combinations
• Real Canadian cheddar cheese and real Quebec cheese curds
Combine all the ingredients except the prosecco or club soda in a tall pitcher and stir to dissolve the sugar. Chill and top up with bubbles – in the pitcher, or in each glass. Serves 8.
Pomegranate Panna Cotta Tart pomegranate syrup makes a surprising flavour (and colour) contrast to creamy panna cotta. 3 c. half & half or 18% coffee cream 1 pkg. (1 T.) plain gelatin 1/4 c. sugar 1 t. pure vanilla extract 1 c. pomegranate juice 2 T. honey a couple of strips orange zest (optional) pomegranate arils for garnish
Pour about a cup of the cream into a medium pot and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the gelatin soften. Set the pot over medium heat and stir, without letting the cream boil, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add the rest of the cream and the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the chilled syrup over the panna cottas before serving, and top with a few arils. Serves 6.
Julie Van Rosendaal is a cookbook author and blogs at dinnerwithjulie.com
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TANGO_BOUILLABAISSE_NOV2.indd 2
2016-12-14 8:44 PM
recipe photos by Julie Van Rosendaal
Pour the mixture into individual wine glasses, small dishes or ramekins and refrigerate until firm. Meanwhile, simmer the pomegranate juice, honey and orange zest over medium-high heat until it’s reduced by about three quarters, and has the consistency of runny syrup. Refrigerate until well chilled.
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RAMEN RUNDOWN
If it were called boiled pig’s head noodle soup, you’d probably stop reading this right here. Fortunately for foodies, ramen has a more charming and less descriptive name. Even so, for many years, it had a bad rap. You can blame Nissin Foods of Japan for the 1958 introduction of instant packaged ramen, which to this day still conjures up college memories of a hot plate and a small, brittle pillow of dried noodles with a saline broth sachet. If that’s the sum of your experience with ramen, consider this a re-education. Much like the humble hamburger or the cupcake, ramen is a now a gourmet food category that’s been taken to another level. If you’ve never had a true ramen consisting of fresh or handmade noodles in a slow- simmered bone broth, with a deliciously complex and flavourful array of fresh toppings, then forget anything you ever knew about this dish. RAMEN’S BEEN AROUND LONGER THAN YOU Traditional Japanese ramen has been around for eons. It has its origins in China, but its popularity started its slow, sustained growth after being introduced to Japan by traders. Ramen is, simply put, a noodle soup. It consists of four basic parts: wheat noodles, a savoury broth and various toppings, plus something called the tare (pronounced ta-re), which is the ramen’s seasoning. GET TO KNOW TARE “Basically there’s the broth, and then what you flavour it with becomes the tare,” explains Koki Aihara, who, along with his family, is behind ramen restaurants Shiki Menya and Shikiji. “Every ramen shop has its own tare, its own secret base. There’s a lot of elements that go into even a soy ramen. It’s not just soy sauce, there’s a lot of different things that go into the tare itself.”
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There are also four major categories, or flavour profiles, when it comes to tare – there’s miso, or fermented soybeans, shio which is salt, shoyu or soy sauce, as well as tonkotsu, which is made from pork bones. In Japan, ramen is such a staple, and so much a part of the culture, that guests at ramen restaurants will often be offered a choice of which tare they wish to enjoy in their base broth. In Calgary, it’s more common to have the chef make that choice for you. RAMEN’S SECRET? ALL-DAY BROTH Which brings us to the soupy part. You’re not just getting a foil packet of sodium powder at a ramen restaurant in this city. You’re often getting an array of options when it comes to different broths. Ramen chefs in Calgary say their broths are usually simmered for anywhere from 14 to 20 hours, depending on the restaurant and the recipe. Broth is most commonly made from beef, chicken, or pork bones. When it comes to pork broth, either the feet or the head are used. “We can use up to three pigs’ heads, about 10 to 15 pounds of bones. But everybody makes it differently,” says Tomo Mitsuno, executive head chef at Goro + Gun. “Ours is a 16-hour broth… we get the pork from a local farm.” While knowing the origins of tonkotsu broth may be a turn-off for some, don’t let it faze you. Tonkotsu has a uniquely creamy consistency and, at the same time, a warmth, richness and butteriness that can’t be found in other broths. Combine that savoury goodness with just the right tare, and you’ve got magic in a bowl. FRESH RAMEN NOODLES: THE BELLE OF THE BOWL Despite the day-long cooking process for ramen broth, don’t be fooled. The noodles are the star of the show, the belle of the bowl. Made with an alkaline wheat dough, they’re notoriously difficult to make well. As a result, very few ramen shops in Calgary make them in-house. “At one point we were doing our own noodles,” recalls Jay del Corro, chef and owner of Eats of Asia. “At the time I was doing them with a hand-crank machine. We’d mix the dough and roll it out on a pasta roller, which is really tedious. Ramen is a tough dough, so when we were experimenting with KitchenAid pasta rollers I broke three of them.”
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CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
Del Corro has since given his recipe to a friend, who makes the noodles for him with an extruder, essentially a large machine that works like the PlayDough Mop Top Hair Shop toy, squirting noodles out under high pressure. FAST FOOD THAT’S REALLY SLOW FOOD This is the paradox of ramen. It’s an enormous amount of work, yet in Calgary, as in Japan, it’s considered fast food.
“It can come out in five minutes, but the work that goes behind it is really tedious. That’s why people don’t make it at home. Who’s going to boil bones for 20 hours? It’s very labour intensive,” says Aihara, who can only serve 150 bowls per day at Shiki Menya because of the labour involved. Despite its on-the-go reputation, ramen is increasingly seen as a gourmet delicacy. “I still see ramen as a wild frontier. It’s still open to interpretation, a blank canvas,” muses del Corro. “With Canadians and the ingredients we have here, I think you’ll see a lot of unique takes on the dish. There’s a lot of creativity, a lot of innovation.” Aihara agrees. “That’s why the ramen scene is so dope – because there are so many different options and styles and different ways that people do it.” “Different” is a word that comes up over and over again when talking about ramen in Calgary. There are differing recipes and techniques, and the toppings that get added to the soup are dazzlingly diverse. From Eats of Asia’s kimchi ramen, to Goro + Gun’s spicy lamb ramen and Shikiji’s chili goma, there are as many different spins on ramen as there are restaurants. There are also no rules when it comes to how to eat a bowl of ramen. Sip the broth as you go, or slurp all the noodles first. “It’s not a meal to be lingered over. It’s meant to be eaten fast, and scorching hot. Slurping is encouraged – you’re actually cooling it as you eat it,” explains del Corro. For first-timers, a soy or miso broth is an easy entry point into fresh ramen, but del Corro says diners needn’t be intimidated.
by
“It’s casual, it came from the streets. Ramen’s always been a very approachable food. You have noodles, you have a nice broth, you have vegetables, and a protein. It’s familiar. I think that’s one of the things that contributes to its popularity.”
Joan MacLeod
The Belfry TheatrE, Victoria Directed by Vanessa Porteous
A Co-Production with
Where to get good ramen in Calgary: NW MUKU JAPANESE RAMEN 326 - 14 ST. NW MENYATAI JAPANESE NOODLES 24 - 12 ST. NW
FEBRUARY 29 - MARCH 18, 2017 Tickets & Info: ATPlive.com | 403-294-7402
NE
Photo by Kenneth Locke
CARINO BISTRO 709 EDMONTON TR. NE ICHI NEN 3132 - 26 ST. NE SHIKIJI 1608 CENTRE ST. NE SHIKI MENYA 827 - 1 AVE. NE
SE
EATS OF ASIA CROSSROADS MARKET, 1235 - 26 AVE. SE
SW
Local celebrities and the city’s finest chefs team up and battle it out in support of Alberta Theatre Projects
GORO + GUN SCOTIA CENTRE, 225 - 7 AVE. SW HAPA IZAKAYA 816 - 11 AVE. SW ICHI ROCK 923 - 6 AVE. SW OOKINI RAMEN 2215 - 33 AVE. SW Erin is a Calgary TV producer and freelance writer. An avid traveller, she’s been to 20 countries, but not yet to Japan. Check her website: ErinLYYC.com
Saturday, April 8, 2017 Tickets $100 | VIP Tickets $125 403-294-7402 | ATPlive.com Photo by Jeff Yee
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Fresh veggies ... spiralized.
the
the sunday project
PRESERVED LEMONS
A staple of Moroccan cuisine, preserved lemons are traditionally added to soups and stews to add a mysterious citrusy hum. Preserved lemons are made by “marinating” whole lemons in salt over a period of time until the rind becomes soft and almost translucent. After a few weeks of pickling, the lemons can be used in almost any dish. Unlike using fresh lemon juice, they bring a warm, earthy citrus aroma and slight bitterness to whatever they’re added to. Minced preserved lemon rind is beautiful when stirred into mayonnaise or vinaigrettes.
Spiralizer Preserved Lemons
extra fresh-squeezed lemon juice, if needed 1 cinnamon stick
1/3 c. pine nuts
2 bay leaves
olive oil
1 T. coriander seeds
1 garlic bulb, cloves smashed and thinly sliced
1/2 c. kosher salt, more if needed
D A L H O U S I E
403.286.5220
S T A T I O N
www.zestkitchenware.com
sterilized quart canning jar
Place 2 T. salt in the bottom of sterilized jar.
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Pry the lemons open and sprinkle about 1 T. salt into each lemon. Pack the lemons in the jar, squishing them down so that juice is extracted and the lemon juice rises to the top of the jar. Fill up the jar with lemons; make sure the top is covered with lemon juice. Add more fresh-squeezed lemon juice if necessary. Stuff the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and coriander seeds into the jar, making sure that they are fully submerged. Top with a couple tablespoons of salt.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scatter the pine nuts on the sheet. Toast the pine nuts for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Set the pine nuts aside while you prepare the filling.
To use: Remove a lemon from the jar and rinse thoroughly in water to remove salt. Discard the seeds and pulp before using. Mince the rind and add it to whatever needs a zing of citrus. Store in the fridge for up to a year.
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
2 small red chiles, deseeded and thinly sliced
Prepare the lemons: Remove stems from the lemons, and cut 1/4-inch off the tip of each lemon. Cut the lemons as if you were going to cut them in half lengthwise, starting from the tip, but do not cut all the way. Keep the lemon attached at the stem end. Make another cut in a similar manner, so the lemon is quartered but attached at the base.
Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for a couple of days. Turn the jar upsidedown occasionally. Put in the fridge and let sit, again turning upside-down occasionally, for at least 3 weeks, until lemon rinds soften.
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Whole Trout Stuffed with Preserved Lemon and Herbs I love being served whole baked trout – it always looks so impressive when it arrives at the dinner table. But if that freaks you out, feel free to chop off the head before you bake it.
8-10 Meyer lemons, scrubbed very clean
A T
with Matthew Altizer
1 large bunch cilantro, stalks and leaves roughly chopped 4 preserved lemons, rinsed, pulp discarded, rind finely chopped 2 large rainbow trout, roughly 1-1/2 lbs. each, gutted and scaled kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Set a large sauté pan over medium heat, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan generously then add the garlic and chiles and sauté until the garlic is translucent, stirring often to prevent it from burning. Add the green onion to the pan along with the cilantro. Give everything a good stir and cook until the green onions soften. Add the preserved lemon and pine nuts and stir to combine. Let the filling cool for 15 minutes. Place the trout onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, open the belly cavities, and stuff equal portions of the filling into the belly and head cavities of each fish. Drizzle each fish with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Bake the trout for 25-30 minutes and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
1. Ingredients
2. Slice lemons
3. Stuff lemons with salt
4. Begin layering
5. Squish down layers
6. Continue layering
7. Ramekin to keep everything submerged
photos by Regan Johnson
9. How to use: removing and discarding seeds and pulp
8. Lidding the jar
10. How to use: mincing the rind Matthew Altizer teaches cooking classes at The Cookbook Co. Cooks
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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A good meal doesn’t have to cost a small (or large) fortune, especially these days with all the great casual eateries that offer tasty, interesting, fun food at really affordable prices. For our eating challenge, we chose a handful of discriminating palates to take $50 and buy a tasty meal for two in a fave restaurant. This is what they found. (The $50 didn’t include tax and tip)
Symons Roadhouse 14555 SYMONS VALLEY ROAD NW 587-296-4986
symonsroadhouse.com
Ken and Tracy Aylesworth For our $50 or less meal for two, my wife Tracy and I visited Symons Roadhouse located at the renowned Symons Valley Ranch in northwest Calgary. The Ranch holds a unique place in local history and folklore as it has been a social fixture since the late 1960s. Chef Kevin Turner, formerly of Calgary’s popular Brava Bistro, set up Symons Roadhouse to showcase a magical comfort when you walk in. The rustic roughhewn plank wood walls, worn wooden flooring, an old saloon-style bar and eclectic collection of decorations all combine with the comfort of a mixture of old wooden tables and chairs, which give you the immediate feeling that you have just walked into a period dining hall. Tracy and I didn’t tell each other what we wanted to order and then both chose Chef Turner’s renowned lobster poutine for our meals. Who would have thought you could combine fresh lobster meat and fresh hand-cut fries from local Alberta potatoes with an amazing shellfish butter sauce and mascarpone cheese? This dish is simply large, delicious and filling! To augment our poutine, Tracy chose a glass of Urban Riesling from Mosel, Germany and a glass of Gnarly Head Zinfandel Old Vine Zin from Lodi, California. We both enjoyed another great evening with the cast and crew of the Roadhouse.
SYMONS ROADHOUSE
RECEIPT ******************************* Poutine X 2 @ $17 ea.
34.00
Glass of wine X 2 @ $6.50 ea.
13.00
––––––––––-–––––––-–-
TOTAL $47.00
******************************* Thank you for dining with us!
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CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
Native Tongues Taqueria
Ricardo’s Hideaway
235 - 12th AVENUE SW 403-263-9444
1530 - 5th STREET SW 587-349-2585
nativetongues.ca
ricardoshideaway.ca
Nicole and Francine Gomes
Karen Ralph and Ellen Kelly
Two of us dined on Taco Tuesday, which is a $2.50 per taco day vs. the regular $3.95 per taco. But an additional hot tip – go to Native Tongues at happy hour between 4-6 p.m. and you can enjoy $5 Margaritas or beer, $7 wine and a small selection of feature menu items priced between $4 and $9. The hamburguesa (grilled hamburger) they make is delicious and only $9 during happy hour. If you are really hungry, show up on Taco Tuesday around 5:15/5:30, start with a margarita, a happy hour appetizer nibble of Elotes (grilled corn off the cob with cream, chiles and cheese) and Chilaquiles (Mexican Nachos) and when 6 p.m. hits, order $2.50 Tacos.
When a friend told me about Ricardo’s Hideaway, it sounded too good to be true – an inexpensive, island-themed cocktail bar with skilled bartenders that didn’t take itself too seriously. The next evening I was on Ricardo’s sunny patio sipping a powerful piña colada. By the time my husband arrived the piña colada was finished and I was halfway through an expertly concocted piskola (pisco, Jim’s kola nut surprise, lime and cardamom bitters). He had a beer and we shared a dish of chile-lime corn nuts, vegetarian chicharróns and fried flatbread topped with chickpeas, pickled apple and cucumber. It was like a mini-taste of the tropics and our bill was only $32 plus tip.
We dined on a large variety of items and felt very satisfied. Two mezcalgarita’s (my favourite!) to start, at $13 each that almost took up half of our $50 budget, but we still ordered enough food after that to fill up our bellies. Lucious grilled corn on the cob (Elotes) arrived at our table smothered with chiles, fresh cilantro, creama and a good sprinkling of queso (Mexican cheese). We then enjoyed one each of three different tacos. Pollo (chicken), Carnitas (Pork) and Suadero (Beef Brisket), all the meat and condiments atop the corn tortillas well proportioned to fold and devour. The selection of housemade hot sauces/salsas are terrific (even though I could use more heat in them) and a nice addition for the individual diner to select for their own palate. In addition, we ordered a side of Refritos (black beans), one of my favourites and something I can eat on its own with just rice. Watch out for feature tacos at Native Tongues that also offers a variety of specials throughout the week.
This made Ricardo’s Hideaway my first choice for City Palate’s two can eat well for $50 or less. Ellen and I arrived at Ricardo’s at 7:30 on a Friday night. The weather had been chilly and everyone was inside, seated either at the bar or one of the tables that run side by side down the west side of the restaurant. While we waited for a table, we admired the pineapple pendant light hanging over the hostess stand, Ellen pointed out that the pineapple is a symbol of hospitality, welcome, warmth and friendship. The rich, cerulean blue walls, French Colonial / New Orleans decor and banana-print wallpapered bathrooms created a beach-y feel without theme park kitsch.
RECEIPT
******************************* 2 Mezcalgaritas
26.00
1 Elotes
6.00
6 Tacos
15.00
1 Refritos
2.50
––––––––––-–––––––-–-
TOTAL $49.50 ******************************* Thank you for dining with us!
Ricardo’s features classic rum drinks, unique and creative Other Cocktails and the wine and beer selections are carefully considered. We chose two tumblers of La Doncella, a dry Spanish rosé, and spent the bulk of our budget on spicy cashews, vegetarian chicharróns (crunchy, spicy, faux pig ear pork puffs), half a jerk chicken and a side of rice and beans. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. The cashews and chicharróns arrived in large terra-cotta tapas dishes – we couldn’t believe the bounty of $4 snacks. The goal was to make one glass of wine last the entire meal and we didn’t wait for long before the jerk chicken arrived, cut into four meaty, succulent, pieces. The sauce conveyed a subtle, pleasant spicy heat and a side of beans and rice was the perfect amount for the half chicken. We were satiated and happy and reluctant to leave, but it was getting later and louder, so we asked for the bill. We paid, but hung around a bit longer drinking a Mai Tai and a Dark and Stormy.
RECEIPT ******************************* Cashews 4.00 Chicharróns 4.00 Half Jerk Chicken
16.00
Rice and Beans
4.00
2 Glasses Rosé
13.34
––––––––––-–––––––-–-
TOTAL
$41.34
******************************* Thank you for dining with us!
continued on page 24 CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
23
Jerusalem Shawarma 301 - 16th AVENUE NW continued from page 23
403-291-0040
jerusalemshawarma.net
Bocce Fresh Italian
John Gilchrist and Catherine Caldwell
110, 2207 - 4th STREET SW
There’s a multitude of shawarma shacks around Calgary serving Middle Eastern spit-roasted meats and tasty salads. And then there is Jerusalem Shawarma. With skillful preparation and elevated execution, it stands above the others while remaining a huge bargain.
403-516-6162
eatbocce.ca
Chris Halpin and KC Moriarity When I was asked to contribute to an article about cost-conscious cuisine, I put the question to my friend and neighbour, KC Moriarity, who has a knack for these sorts of places, adding that I would like it to be in our stomping grounds. She immediately said Bocce, so off we went. When we arrived, my impression was that it was light and airy, with a Romanesque-hipster vibe. There are two big, bright graphic paintings and large TV screens playing fun Italian vintage movies over the bar that runs the length of the room. Good seating and great windows. While looking the menu over, we noticed that there was more than one possible combination of food that would keep us within the parameters of our pursuit. We decided to share three plates to make two courses and have a glass of wine each. We ordered the house white, a classic citrus and mineral pinot grigio, good on its own and it went well with our food. For our main course, the mussels caught our eye, as winter is the very best time to eat them and theirs. With semi-dried tomatoes, fennel, caper berries, garlic and white wine, they sounded irresistible. We added the forno garlic bread to sop up the broth. When our food arrived, we were not disappointed. The mussel portion was large and the broth was rich with all the things that were promised, the flatbread was just the thing to help capture every drop of mussel nectar. We finished with a Momma Misto salad. Large and satisfying with a well-balanced red wine vinaigrette.
Planted on 16th Avenue just over a year ago, Jerusalem Shawarma is run by five Palestinian brothers named AbuFarha. (Note: The AbuFarhas have three other Jerusalem Shawarmas around the city, all with identical menus.) The format is simple – step up to the counter, select your food from overhead menu screens or printed menus, pay for it, find a table and wait for the cooks to call your name. Grab a non-alcoholic drink from the cooler and enjoy the street-front view of traffic on 16th Avenue. Meanwhile, the black-clad cooks will slice chicken or beef shawarma – marinated in spices in-house for twenty-four hours before being stacked on the rotisserie and roasted – dip gooey falafel dough balls into the deep fryer, scoop hummus and pile salads onto your plate. (Or wrap them in a pita for quick consumption.) And here’s the difference – the falafel are made from dried, house-ground chickpeas and dipped fresh to order. More chickpeas are cooked and pureéed into super-creamy hummus. Fattoush salad is fresh and crispy and the rice is delicately scented with saffron. This is quality food, made the way it should be without the usual fast-food shortcuts. Quality comes first here. We had the chicken shawarma plate loaded with garlic potatos, hummus, fattoush, rice, pita and a huge serving of juicy, beautifully spiced chicken. Plus a falafel plate with six falafel and corn salad as well as the other offerings. A bottle of water, an apple juice, a baklava, a brewat pastry and a small tub of hummus to go and we were still well under $50. And both extremely satisfied and full.
At the end we were happily satiated. The service was prompt and pleasant. It was a good evening from start to finish.
RECEIPT *******************************
RECEIPT
Mussels 20.00
*******************************
Flatbread 4.00
Chicken Shawarma Plate 13.95
Salad 12.00
Falafel Plate
2 glasses of wine
Brewat/Baklava 3.00
14.00
––––––––––-–––––––-–-
TOTAL $50.00 ******************************* Thank you for dining with us!
13.95
Apple Juice
2.99
Water 1.60 Small Hummus to go
4.99
––––––––––-–––––––-–-
TOTAL $40.48
******************************* Thank you for dining with us!
continued on page 26
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CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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IN CANMORE AND BANFF
by Wanda Baker
G U I D E
T O
SOCIALIZING 3PM – 6PM DAILY
bakersbeans.ca continued from page 24
Majestically set in the Rocky Mountains, Banff and Canmore offer a bounty of fresh and fun dining options for even the most frugal adventurer. Known to be tourist attractions, dining in these towns can be hard on the pocketbook. That’s why we’ve gone out on assignment and found some local affordable eats you need to try the next time you visit the mountains.
CANMORE La Belle Patate 102 BOULDER CRESCENT A short drive out of Calgary and tucked away in the industrial district of Canmore, La Belle Patate offers an authentic Quebecois cuisine experience. Run by a couple of former Montrealers, look for 14 poutines, along with hot dogs, burgers, and smoked meat sandwiches. A small handful of tables and chairs are available inside the small restaurant, or take your meal outside to the picnic tables. The average poutine price ranges from $8-20. Large portions, squeaky cheese curds, and thick luscious gravy provide the complete poutine experience. The smoked meat sandwiches are fairly large and sure to appease any appetite. Wash it all down with a hot beverage, pop or try the spruce beer soda.
Bella Crusta 903 - 6th AVENUE
$
6
1/2
ALL BEERS, SELECT RED & WHITE WINE, PROSECCO, FEATURE COCKTAIL
Le fournil Bakery 101 - 1205 BOW VALLEY TRAIL
PRICE
ALL SNACKS & SHARE PLATES
C OF RED 1/2 PRICE BOTTLES OF WINE BEFORE EVERY FLAMES HOME GAME.
TUESDAY 1/2 PRICE BOTTLES OF WINE
WEDNESDAY 1/2 PRICE BOTTLES OF BUBBLES $12 PETITE CHEESE & CHARCUTERIE BOARDS
THURSDAY $15 BURGER & BEER + $10 COCKTAILS
SATURDAY $99 BOTTLES OF VEUVE CLICQUOT
SUNDAY FUNDAY ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR!
T H E M I S S I O N Y Y C
1919 4TH STREET SW | MISSION4TH.CA | 403.455.5775
26
A favourite among locals, Bella Crusta is known for its sandwiches and pizzas made on house-baked focaccia bread. The pizzas are available hot, take and bake or by the slice. Sandwiches are available in full and half sizes, with the most expensive full order at $11. Choose from one of several pre-made options or create your own. Weekly lunch specials are also available starting at $5. Located just off Main Street, and with no real seating available beyond a couple of bar stools, you may need to take your order to go.
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
Le fournil Bakery is a French bakery and café located in the heart of Canmore. Warm and inviting, the café boasts panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains while you enjoy your specialty coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Reminiscent of a café in Paris, it offers a simple café menu with French classics, including croque-monsieur, jambon-beurre, soupe du jour and quiche. Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy the pastry counter filled with croissants, tartelettes, cakes, macarons, and baguettes all made fresh daily. From Tuesday to Saturday you can enjoy the chef-inspired sandwich du jour for $10.95 and on Sundays the pain doré (French toast) for $14.50. A busy café, it’s best to arrive early.
BANFF Barpa Bill’s 223 BEAR STREET Go off the beaten path in Banff and you’ll find Barpa Bill’s Greek cuisine. Small and cozy, there are mostly bar stools and counters for customers to eat at. An eclectic space, the walls are filled with photos autographed by sports stars, and pictures of Greece. The menu is simple, making it easy to decide. Try the chicken and lamb souvlaki, lamb donair or bifteki for $10 each. Also voted best burger in Banff, find five burgers with the most expensive at $12. Greek specialties including calamari, dolmades and baklava. With each order freshly made, two can easily dine here for less than $50.
Chaya 118 BANFF AVENUE Chaya is a Japanese family-run business that makes its noodles in-house. The menu offers a simple selection of ramen, udon, donburi and Japanese curry. Once you’ve placed your order, the food comes out quickly and steaming hot. Donburi (rice bowl dish) and ramen will run you around $13, the udon or soba bowls up to $14. Tucked away next to the McDonalds on Main Street, Chaya is easy to miss if you’re not looking. With very few tables and seats, peak times can be busy, but worth the wait.
Wild Flour Banff’s Artisan Bakery Café 101 - 211 BEAR STREET, BISON COURTYARD A couple doors down from Barpa Bill’s is Wild Flour – Banff’s Artisan Bakery Café. Large windows offer lots of sunshine in the seating area – bright and cheery. Pick up a breakfast sandwich ($7) on your way to work or stop in for a hearty lunch, including sandwich, choice of soup or salad and a cookie for $14.50. Lighter and less expensive options are available. Fresh artisanal breads, speciality coffees, and pastries can also be purchased. ✤
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Mountains of Meat. Piles of Potatoes. NEXT TIME YOU BUY GROCERIES, SPARE A THOUGHT FOR A LOCAL CHEF.
You may think you may go through a lot of chicken, tomato sauce or milk at home, but you probably don’t go through food quite like the average Calgary restaurant or food retailer. Here’s a look at a handful of local businesses, plus the ingredients that they’re famous for using in vast quantities. by Shelley Boettcher
The ingredient: FLOUR COBS BREAD
How much? Each COBS bakery in Calgary uses
about 330 pounds of flour each day, to produce about 661 pounds of dough.
“The flour comes from Lethbridge, from wheat grown and milled in the Lethbridge area. It’s some of the best in the world,” says David van Rietschoten, COBS Bread’s technical baker. While COBS has locations across North America, each is slightly different when it comes to customer favourites. “The sweet stuff in Calgary is particularly popular, everything from the scones to the cinnamon buns,” says van Rietschoten. His personal pick, however? “Anything made with our sourdough, especially our sourdough loaves and our sunflower and flax sourdough,” he says. “We use a natural levain, a natural starter, and it produces a very tasty product with a good crust.”
The ingredient: BEEF GAUCHO BRAZILIAN BARBECUE
How much? About 48,000 pounds each
year at the Calgary location.
This traditional Brazilian churrascaria – barbecue house – serves beef from certified Angus cattle raised in Alberta. That’s a lot of cattle, considering one live Angus bull weighs roughly 2,300 pounds. Gaucho chef/co-owner Ede Rodrigues says his favourite way to eat beef is the picanha, a traditional cut sometimes called a sirloin cap or rump cover. “It’s very tender and juicy. I like it rare,” he says. “You can’t get tired of it, ever. It’s never too much.” It’s a customer favourite, too, he says, as well as the alcatra, a garlic-topped sirloin, and the beef parmigiano. “We throw parmigiano on the top and give it a little toast,” Rodrigues says. “People really like that one.”
The ingredient: POTATOES PETER’S DRIVE-IN (CALGARY LOCATION)
How much? 10,500 cases a year (50 pounds in a case);
that’s 525,000 pounds of potatoes a year in Calgary “We start with potatoes, fresh potatoes, which we still have as potatoes when a customer asks for French fries. We don’t do any pre-production. We don’t have buckets of water with pre-cut fries hanging around,” says co-owner Stephen Hayden.
Each potato then gets dropped into an electronic cutter, which washes, cuts and spins the potato to get out all the extra starch and moisture. “From there, we dump them straight into the fryer, which contains trans-fat-free 100 percent pure canola oil, the best cooking oil in the world,” he says. Within minutes, a new order of Peter’s famous fries is ready to go out the door. “They’re unbelievable. They’re just so fresh,” says Hayden. “You can’t make them any better.”
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CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
Tons and Tons of Canned Tomatoes.
The ingredient: CHICKEN CLUCK N CLEAVER
How much? Likely 25,000 birds per year. “That’s a rough ballpark figure, because we haven’t even been open for a year,” says Francine Gomes, “director of poultry,” who co-owns the place with her sister, chef Nicole Gomes. “But that includes all our fried and rotisserie chickens, plus our chicken sandwiches, everything.” So many birds, so many ways to prepare them. Do the Gomes sisters ever get sick of chowing down on chicken? “Surprisingly, neither one of us is tired of them,” Francine says. “Sometimes I feel like eating fried chicken. Some days, I prefer them roasted.” All are grain-fed and hormone-free, from local farms as far south as Lethbridge and as far north as Red Deer. And for the record, the Gomes sisters don’t just eat their own cooking. “We’ll still go out to other restaurants and order chicken. Really,” Francine says. “A good way to judge a good restaurant is how the chefs cook chicken. Believe it or not, you can cook chicken poorly.”
The ingredient: GROUND
8 Spruce Centre SW Calgary | 403.452.3960 | thepiehole.ca
PORK
KING’S RESTAURANTS AND WONTON KING
How much: About 1,100 to 1,200 pounds of pork per week.
(That’s roughly 21,000 wontons every week, more than a million a year.)
The team that makes these wontons is small – three to five women, depending on the day – but dedicated to the art of handcrafted wontons, says co-owner Angela Chuy. “Every single one is hand-wrapped,” she says. “These pillows of goodness aren’t extruded from a machine.” And pillows of goodness, they are. Regulars show up every week for their fix and even Chuy, who has grown up eating wontons, says she never gets tired of them. “I eat them five times a week, easily,” she says. “If I’m at work for breakfast or lunch, or lunch and dinner, I often have two meals of wontons in a day. I’m really passionate about wontons.”
diner
The ingredient: BANANAS PRAIRIE MILL BREAD CO.
How much? About 420 pounds per week. One 40-pound
box of bananas makes about 24 loaves, each weighing about 2-1/2 pounds. “We make a lot of banana bread: banana bread with chocolate chips, banana bread with strawberries, plain banana bread, too,” says owner John Juurlink. “Everyone contributes to the peeling process.” That’s because it isn’t anyone’s favourite job, he admits. The store typically get its bananas from a local supermarket, after they’re too ripe for the average grocery customer – but when they’re perfectly ripe for baking. “We buy them, peel them and get them into buckets in the fridge,” says Craig Jensen, the bakery’s manager. “Our banana loaf is one of the first things that goes into the oven because it’s one of the first things that goes out in the morning. It’s out of the oven by 5-5:30 in the morning, so it’s ready when our doors open at 6.” And it flies out the door. “It’s always been one of our customer favourites,” Jensen says.
IN KENSINGTON
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continued on page 30 CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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Mountains of Meat. Piles of Potatoes.
NEW YOU. NEW BREW.
Tons and Tons of Canned Tomatoes. continued from page 29
The ingredient: TOMATO LINA’S ITALIAN MARKET
How much? Between 600 and 700 litres per week. Lina’s staff starts with canned Italian peeled tomatoes to make roughly 100 litres of the fresh sauce daily. It’s cooked down every morning, with handfuls of herbs and other seasoning. Then it gets used in or on many of the café’s popular dishes, including the lasagna and the fresh pastas. It’s also for sale in the cooler, if you want to try it at home to slather on your pizza dough. Despite its obvious popularity, there aren’t really any big secrets to the preparation. “Just good ingredients,” says chef and general manager Keith Luce. “It needs no added sweetness, because we cook it long and slow. That’s what Italian food is – good ingredients and good technique.” THE ITALIAN SUPER MARKET
How much? “If we tell you how it’s made, we gotta kill you, right?”
says Emilio Di Gaeta, co-owner of The Italian Super Market.
“We’re using my mom’s secret recipe and it’s simmered down for hours and hours. It’s the recipe that she made for us when we were growing up. She’d never really measure anything. It was a little of this, a little of that.” What he will confess: “We pretty much make sauce every day. It’s the same sauce that we use on our hot food, the same sauce we package and sell pre-made to the public, the same sauce we’ve been making for the last 20 years or so.”
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How much? 88,608 litres per year for everything! “We start with San Marzano DOP tomatoes and crushed ripe roma tomatoes from Salerno,” says operations manager Gio Oliverio. “We do a pizza sauce for the pizza, the Alberto’s sauce in the jars to buy and take home, and a sauce for all the production – the lasagnas, the cannelloni, the take-home meals, things like that.”
The ingredient:
CREAM AND MILK
MADE BY MARCUS ICE CREAM
How much? 384 litres of milk and 384 litres of cream each week
in the summer, slightly less in winter.
“We always get the milk from Vital Greens in Lethbridge,” says owner and ice cream maker Marcus Purtzki, and the cream comes from Gelimax, also in Lethbridge. “It’s a cool relationship that we have with our suppliers. I’ve been using them since day one.” Purtzki takes that cream and milk and turns it into his popular ice creams, which are sold at select retailers around town and at his popular 17th Avenue SW shop. “In the summer, my favourite flavour was passionfruit-basil, for sure, and in the winter, I go for the deeper flavours. I really like rocky road with its dark chocolate, nuts and caramel,” he says. “But our customers really go for the fruitier flavours, plus cookies and cream, salted caramel, that kind of thing.”
The ingredient: SUGAR JELLY MODERN DOUGHNUTS
How much? 30 to 42 kilos per week (10 to 12 kilos of granulated,
20 to 30 kilos of icing sugar)
Depending on which flavours he’s making, Jelly Modern’s head baker Richard Ferolin goes through a lot of sugar. A lot. Salted caramel doughnuts, named “Nenshi” after our Mayor, contain the most, he says, while the cake doughnuts – depending on how they’re iced – contain the least. “Maple-bacon and the s’mores, those are our customers’ two favourites,” he says. He, however, has a weakness for the Callebaut chocolate hand-dipped doughnut. “It’s very tasty, very yummy,” he says. But even though he could eat one every day if he wanted, he never overindulges. “I have one every two weeks,” he says. ✤ Shelley Boettcher is a local food and wine writer whose work has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world. Find her on Twitter @shelley_wine.
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CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
in School is d it: n session a
AWARD WINNING
delicious
A . t a stes ld cla ss B. is wor hed dis t ing uis y b d e id lit y C . is gu d hospit a che f s a n nals professio h e a b ove D. all of t
Dine differently with a night out at The Highwood, SAIT’s live classroom restaurant. To make a reservation, visit sait.ca/highwood or call 403.284.8615. Walk-ins welcome.
CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
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Step away from the
CLEANSE
A GENTLER WAY TO A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER YOU IN 2017 by Vincci Tsui, Registered Dietitian
The same thing happens every year. Something about that collective hangover from the festivities of the holiday season combined with the desire for a fresh start to go with a new calendar year seems to push us to extremes. We resolve to trade our coffees for green smoothies every morning, spend hours every day sweating and grunting at the gym, and say good bye to sugar, gluten and dairy (or whatever the latest food baddie is) for the last time, only to find that it doesn’t take much for the pendulum to swoop back the other way. By February, we’re back to our old habits of watching Netflix with a bucket of cookie dough ice cream, while silently beating ourselves up for failing yet again (February’s being generous – I really mean January 8th). Stop being a new year’s resolution statistic. This might sound too good to be true, but you can move on from all that eggnog and fruitcake without suffering through yet another detox or cleanse.
FIND YOUR WHY One of the reasons why it can be so hard to build healthier habits, like changing the way we eat, or adding more movement into our day, is that our idea of what constitutes “health” is always a moving target. What does it mean to be healthy, anyway? Does it mean living into your hundreds? Being free of illness? Being a certain weight? Being able to keep enjoying the things that you enjoy now? I invite you to step back for a moment and imagine what your life might be like if you were at your healthiest and happiest. How is this “ideal” life different from where you are now, if at all? If it is different, what’s the first step you can take towards this “ideal” life? I also encourage you to keep checking in on this “ideal” life from time to time, and accept that as your current life changes, your concept of an ideal will probably change, too. You may be closer to it than you think.
ACCEPT WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL AND EMBRACE WHAT YOU CAN Another reason why adopting a healthier lifestyle can be difficult is because so much that’s related to health is out of our control – age, genetics and metabolism, just to name a few. I’m sure we all know someone who’s doing everything right, but still receives a devastating diagnosis. When it comes to health-related factors within our control, you might be surprised to learn we have less control over our weight than we think. We’ve all heard the old adage that we should “eat less, move more” and that we should do the math when it comes to “calories in, calories out,” but if it were as easy as just eating X calories in order to lose Y weight over Z time, then the diet industry probably wouldn’t be worth the billions that it is today. That’s not to say that it’s not worthwhile to make healthier choices, but it may be more helpful and motivating to focus on how your choices make you feel right now. If you’re only eating salad because you think it’s going to help you lose weight, you’re probably not going to keep it up. But if you love the crunch of fresh, seasonal vegetables, or you just feel better with a light meal as opposed to when you’re stuffed after a holiday dinner, then you’re more likely to choose salad again. Of course, cleanses and detoxes make you feel good – why else would anyone do them? Now, how can you get that same feeling without drinking only lemon juice with cayenne pepper for a week?
ALLOW YOURSELF TO EXPERIMENT The final reason it’s hard to change our health habits is that we know it’s more effective when we keep these habits in the long term, and that’s pretty daunting. You’re probably thinking, “I barely survived my last trip to the gym, and you’re telling me I have to get 150 minutes of moderate activity every week? For the rest of my life?” It’s a wonder anyone does anything “healthy” with all this pressure. Instead of jumping in with both feet – what if it doesn’t work? – give yourself space to experiment a little bit. What happens if you eat breakfast instead of sleeping in? What happens if you have salad instead of fries on the side? Challenge yourself to observe, without judgment, as you run your protocol and start gathering your data. Once you have a few data points, then you can analyze and decide – is this a habit I can incorporate into my lifestyle, or is this simply something that doesn’t fit? If it’s the latter, that’s okay! You’re not a bad person just because something that works amazingly for someone else simply doesn’t work for you. You might choose to pick it up at a later time, or focus on something else entirely. Remember – you know your life best.
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Three Simple Ways to get Healthier in 2017 EAT YOUR GREENS This sounds like a “duh” recommendation, but fewer than 40 percent of Canadians eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruit per day. As much as we love to hate Canada’s Food Guide, it actually recommends 7-10 servings for adults. One of my favourite spots to get my veg fix is Tamarind Vietnamese Grill & Noodle House (106, 1111- 6 Ave SW). This holein-the-wall on the west end of downtown serves meatless versions of your favourite pho bowls and makes its own tofu to boot! MOVE IN A WAY THAT YOU ENJOY Activity and movement have many proven benefits to our physical and mental health beyond “calories out.” And they don’t have to take place on your own at the gym. Ask yourself, do you prefer activity alone, or with others? In the morning or evening? In a structured or unstructured environment? There are now many gyms, studios, community centres and recreational sports teams that may have what you’re looking for, or it might just be a matter of getting outside. If high-energy group classes are your thing, Rumble Boxing (720 - 17 Ave. SW) is a clubinspired, no-contact boxing studio that’s sure to get your engine revving. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS Emerging research shows the importance of mindfulness when it comes to health. It helps us to slow down, be more present and be more aware of what we need in order to feel our best. Mindfulness is spilling into the world of nutrition, where we’re learning about the benefits of mindful eating when it comes to helping manage conditions like diabetes and eating disorders. You can get started on your mindfulness practice at Modern & Mindful, a new meditation studio opening in Calgary in December at 3343 - 11 Ave. SW. ✤ Vincci Tsui is a registered dietitian and food lover who makes (and breaks) new year’s resolutions every year. Keep her accountable on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @VincciRD or on her home turf at vinccitsui.com
Good places and people to help you get on and stay on your post-holiday track to a healthier, happier you. Barb Sheldon-Thomas, CHNP (CERTIFIED HOLISTIC NUTRITION PRACTITIONER) Barb Sheldon-Thomas is a whole foods chef, nutrition and culinary instructor, event planner, author and professional speaker from Calgary. Her brand of nutrition and food literacy education has reached communities all over North America as she inspires children and adults to learn the essential life skill of cooking nourishing, locally grown food.barb@love2eat.ca, barbsheldonthomas. com, love2eat.ca, @realfoodgoddess
A spoonful a day keeps the shivers away!
Britannia Bodywork & Wellness Ctr – Pain relief, naturopathic medicine, posture alignment, emotional wisdom training, 403-243-6610, britanniabodyworks.com CityFit INGLEWOOD PARK SE – State-of-the-art fitness centre that features independent fitness, nutrition, rehabilitation and strength/conditioning specialists, cityfit.ca The Coup ON 17th AVE. SW. – An ethical vegetarian restaurant that’s been serving good, flavourful food for a very long time, and is part of the Mealshare Program, thecoup.ca First Date Confections – Tatiana Straathof recently started a healthy hand-crafted confection business called First Date Confections. Gently sweetened with medjool dates – and the source of inspiration for the name – all ingredients are organic and locally sourced in Calgary whenever possible. They are free of nuts, gluten, dairy, soy, eggs and refined sugar. First Date Confections are currently carried at The Clothing Bar Boutique and Prana Health Kitchen, both in Marda Loop, and soon to be carried at a few other places in the city! firstdateconfectionary.com Junction 9 Yoga & Pilates INGLEWOOD – A wide variety of instruction and class styles, including classic, prenatal and restorative, junction9.ca The Main Dish in Bridgeland and Fit Kitchen IN MCKENZIE TOWNE – Healthy takeaway meals. Tasty, unique, locally sourced, chef-made, well-balanced meals and dishes to take home, tmdish.com, fitkitchen.ca The Spa Ritual CROWFOOT – Employing the power of ritual to leave the outside world behind. Massage, full range of aesthetics, make-up tips and application, thesparitual.com Yoga in Bowness – A comfortable not-hot studio. Top teachers, classes 7 days a week, yogainbowness.com
Available at:
Ready, Fresh, Go! 4th Street Market now carries fresh made sandwiches, soups, and salads made with natural, organic and local ingredients, along with organic coffee and tea.
1407 4th Street SW • amaranthfoods.ca
$2 off
any sandwich, soup, or salad
Bring in this coupon and receive $2 off when you purchase a full size soup, salad, or sandwich until Feb. 28, 2017.
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STIRRINGS AROUND CALGARY
The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Alberta Magazines Conference features an awards gala, a keynote luncheon, breakout sessions covering all aspects of magazine publishing – digital media, editorial, circulation, ad sales, design and production – and the opportunity to network with colleagues. March 16 & 17, Hyatt Regency Calgary. For more information, visit albertamagazines.com/conference
restaurant ramblings ■ Restaurants for Change raised more than $250,000 for healthy food programs via Community Food Centres Canada when thousands of diners ate at 68 restaurants in 16 cities across the country – including Calgary’s Bonterra Trattoria, CHARCUT, Cibo, Deane House, Model Milk, NOtaBLE, Pigeonhole, Posto Pizzeria, River Café, Scopa and The Nash.
Eat well, eat local, and keep your resolutions while you’re at it.
Visit passionforpork.com For recipes and more find us @passionforpork
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■ Here’s a fun place newly opened, Bridgette Bar. Pop by for fun in a space where design, craft and culture intersect, where everyone is welcome in this chefdriven bar. Chef J.P. Pedhirney has fun playing with fire for new twists on old favourites that make for a playful menu that changes regularly, accompanied by creative cocktails, craft beer and good wine in a beautiful mid-century-inspired space. Dewey Noordhof is general manager, and we all know him from the days of Brava Bistro. 739 - 10th Ave. SW, bridgettebar.com ■ Chef Paul McGreevy – formerly of CRAFT Beer Market and contestant on Food Canada’s Chopped Canada – has joined Starbelly Open Kitchen + Lounge as its executive chef following the passing of Jonathan Sobol last summer. The popular restaurant continues to honour the late chef Sobol by delivering on his legacy of fresh and flavourful home-style food. Chef McGreevy has brought his expertise and fresh set of ideas to the table. His passion for incorporating local, seasonal ingredients in his dishes can be seen in Starbelly’s new menu items. Starbelly also welcomes Derek Mihalik as general manager. ■ Sub Rosa, under The Guild restaurant, is a sexy bar/lounge “speakeasy” that serves imaginative tasty cocktails such as smoked lemonade with peaty scotch. And lots more. Check it out, downtown on the 8th Ave. mall, basement of the Bay building. ■ Just a reminder that if you haven’t been to the Deane House yet to eat, perk up the winter doldrums with a meal at this beautiful old refurbished house in Inglewood. River Café’s Sal Howell launched this beauty with chef Jamie Harling, previously at Rouge. Unlimited pastry selections during weekend brunch, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Toast to love Valentine’s Day with Harling’s tasting menu, $100, with optional wine pairings. Reserve at deanehouse.com ■ Get to know how intense your senses of touch, smell and taste are without your sense of sight when you’re Dining in the Dark at Modern Steak on January 26 in support of Meals on Wheels. After a cocktail reception, diners will be blindfolded to enjoy a menu that challenges them to determine the menu items without their primary sense of sight. Fun! Tickets $99 at Modern Steak, 403-670-6873.
■ The Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant invites you to delicious dinners every Sunday, 5 p.m. to close, $55. A new 4-course tasting menu each Sunday prepared by chef Jenny Kang, treates you to a start-the-week-off-right feast at a very reasonable price. Check bvrrestaurant.com for all the tasty details. ■ Tango Bistro invites you to shake off the winter chill with its bottomless bouillabaisse served with bread and beignets on Sundays for a more-thanaffordable $22 for one of the world’s most luscious and satisfying soups. Check it out at tangobistro.com, then indulge yourself. ■ In celebration of hitting the one million meal milestone, Mealshare has launched more than 18 new partner restaurants in Calgary including Diner Deluxe, National, Home & Away, Fine Diner Bistro, Our Daily Brett, Trolley 5 and Ricardo’s Hideaway. Calgary now has more than 70 restaurants partnered with Mealshare, that provides meals to people in need. ■ Mabou Cheese + Bar is open with daily Happiest Hour specials, 8 - 10 p.m. Look for many glass pours, four craft beers on tap and a selection of classic cocktails, accompanied by cheese and charcuterie, salads, veg, and small meaty plates, at 1006 - 17th Ave. SW where FARM used to be. ■ Plowshare, Witold Twardowski and David Carruthers’ new diner, is now open downtown in the historic Grain Exchange Building. It’s in the original and charming site of Divino, rich with polished mahogany, marble exterior and interior panelling. Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, chef Michael Scarcelli from Teatro and Cucina serves delicious, affordable dishes daily at 817 - 1st St. SW. ■ Get social at Anju every day, 3 - 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. - 1 a.m., during Social Hour seven days a week. Enjoy $5 wine and beer plus feature snacks and keep it going after dinner with special late-night snacks. #eatdrinklive ■ The Main Dish in Bridgeland invites you to its Daily Happy Hour, Monday to Friday, 3 - 6 p.m., that features truly tasty prices on truly tasty food and drink – half-price yam shepherd’s pie, half-price stir-frys, 50% off bottles of wine, $6 glasses of wine, $6 pints and $5 bottled beers. Go get it at tmdish.com ■ Chef Adam at Velvet Café uses Gordon Food Service pancetta – peppery, salty, lots of umami – in Cobb salads and turkey sandwiches. Yum!
■ UNTITLED Champagne Lounge, sister to The Derrick Gin Mill and Kitchen, embodies charm and style that features champagne, sparkling wine and artisanal champagne-based cocktails. The food accentuates the bubbly with bites as elegant as the champagne. Check out this swanky hideaway next door to the Derrick on 8th Ave. SW. ■ River Café reopens February 1, so go enjoy chef Mattias Fong’s fabulous tasting menu at a special friends & family price of $95. Visit river-café.com for menu details. Take a romantic walk in the park for a Valentine’s Day tasting menu with perfectly paired wines. Also, an Early Bird menu is offered daily from 4:30 - 5:30, and Sundays are corkage-free. ■ Vin Room YYC airport is open in the new terminal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 6 a.m. daily until last flight. Look for 80 wines by the glass. ■ Hotel Arts invites you to Get a Room! Package for Valentine’s Day and make dinner plans at Yellow Door Bistro. And, when the Flames play on home ice, get pre-game hockey night specials at Yellow Door Bistro and Raw Bar. Details at yellowdoorbistro.ca and rawbaryyc.ca. Late Night at Raw Bar, every Saturday, enjoy a DJ while sipping Franz Swinton’s signature cocktails with a late night food menu. ■ Check out local hot spot PZA Parlour’s modern twist on traditional family Italian comfort food while elevating PZAs to a higher level with toppings such as lobster and smoked pork shoulder. 9737 Macleod Tr. SE in Haysboro. pzaparlour.com
■ New at the Amaranth 4th St. location is the Fresh Food Café offering fresh soup, sandwiches and salads made from only organic, local, natural ingredients. Check the kombucha taps at the 4th St. and Arbour Lake stores. And 20 percent off supplements and body care the first Wednesday of every month. ■ Michael Christen received his holistic nutritional certification and has joined Seasons of Bowness Park as executive chef. Get yourself a tasty meal at Seasons after an invigorating skate in the beautiful park.
drinks docket Kensington Wine Market apologizes for the incorrect pricing in its November December ad in City Palate. These are the correct prices: KWM 1992 Delaforce Vintage Port, $84.99 KWM Taylor 20 Year Tawny Port, $69.99 Glenfarclas 25 Year Cask Strength scotch, $284.99 ■ Kensington Wine Market’s year-end inventory sale takes place January 27, 28, 29. Look for great discounts on wine, whisky, beer and other special discounts. Check the ad on page 37 for all the details. ■ Here’s something cool, ‘cause we know this woman and she’s super! Tinhorn Creek Vineyards’ CEO Sandra Oldfield has been named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women. She’s one of the award winners in the Sun Life Financial Trailblazers & Trendsetters category of the Women’s
Executive Network’s (WXN) top 100 female role models. Details at tinhorn.com and wxnetwork.com ■ Winefest returns to seduce us February 24 and 25 at the Stampede Park BMO Centre. Tickets include tasting hundreds of wines from around the world, hors d’oeuvres and a wine glass. Get your tickets at celebratewinefest.com ■ For those who get their coffee at Starbucks, look for this one – Nitro Cold Brew, infused with nitrogen for a smooth, creamy texture A cold brew works when you’re drinking it in a warm coffee shop. ■ Look for Paradise Mountain Organic Coffee, roasted in Calgary by Shawn McDonald, who supports local communities that produce organic coffee beans in Thailand and Mexico. We’ve had it, it’s really good coffee, roasted in small batches, light, medium and dark, and unique, tasty blends, including the Estate Blend. Find it at Amaranth, Blush Lane Organic Markets, Planet Organic, Bridgeland Market, SaveOn Foods, Urban Fare and Sangster’s, Glenmore Landing. ■ It’s back again and we love it! YYC Hot Chocolate Fest in support of Calgary Meals on Wheels, February 1 - 28. Local restaurants and cafés get creative to make the best signature hot chocolate determined by you, the hot chocolate drinkers. Participating vendors and their unique drinks are listed online at yychotchocolate.com. You vote online to help determine who wins the title of “Calgary’s Best Hot Chocolate” and “Calgary’s Best Spirited Hot Chocolate.” If you make great hot chocolate, visit the web site to register your business for this event, deadline, January 16.
■ You’re going to need coffee to get you through the new year. Eight Ounce Coffee is at #1, 4005 - 9th St. SE to supply you with all your coffee-brewing needs, as well as delicious coffee from all over the world. Check it out at eightouncecoffee.ca ■ Austrian wines don’t appear to have played a big part on Calgary’s wine scene, but they have a lot to offer. We can start with wines brought in by Salivate Wine Consulting. We know the grüner veltliner grape, and the Gruber Röschitz family-owned winery makes some mighty tasty organic white by way of this grape, and also a beautifully aromatic organic zweigelt red. Find these at Kensington Wine Market and Vine Styles Kensington. And have a taste of Weingut Josef Fritz Roter Veltliner Wagramterrassen. Find this at J. Webb, Britannia Wines, Vine Arts and Bricks Wine. Drink Austrian wine, you’ll love it.
cooking classes ■ SAIT’s downtown Culinary Campus: Introduction to Cooking; Herbs and Spices; Pasta; Vegetarian; Cooking with Cheese; Thailand; France; Winter Stews; Intermediate Cooking. SAIT’s Main Campus: Cupcakes; Knife Skills; Assorted Buns/Baking Cakes; Bean to Bar; Valentine’s Day Date Night, February 11 or 14; Sushi; Buttercream Basics; Bar Mixology, February 27 - March 16. Visit culinarycampus.ca for details and more courses. continued on page 36
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general stirrings
■ Cuisine et Château: 2-Day Weekend Cook like a Chef; Classic French Bistro; Cheesemaking, level 1; Knife Skills; Gluten-free baking; Cakes!; Cooking Fundamentals; Intro to Bread; Chocolate for Lovers. Kid’s Cooking programs – teacher’s convention camp, February 16/17; Spring Break Camp, March 27, 28, 29. Food and Wine Tasting, January 28; Valentine’s Demonstration Dinner, February 14. Visit cuisineandchateau.com or call 403-764-2665.
■ Head to the Calgary Farmers’ Market on Saturday, January 21 for Frosty’s Birthday! Donate used warm clothes for those in need for Project Warmth Day. Lots of fun activities for the whole family, including a frosty magic show and cookie decorating. On February 11, share a romantic brunch or lunch with that special someone while duelling pianos fill the market with love songs, donating all tips to the Calgary Food Bank. Enjoy a roaming musical quartet, make fruit flower Valentines with Poppy Innovations, and capture your love in a romantic photo booth. Visit calgaryfarmersmarket.ca
■ The Cookbook Co. Cooks: Korean Food, Anju Style; An Authentic Mexican Feast; Artisanal Breadmaking; Thai Classics; Handmade Stuffed Pasta; A Night Out Couples Classes; HandsOn Spiralizing Workshop; Vietnamese Cooking; Cooking Bootcamp Just For Men; Make & Take Macarons; Grown-Up & Kids Class, and much more. Check all the classes at cookbookcooks.com.
■ Canmore Uncorked, the Rockies’ premier food and drink festival, returns for a fourth year May 3 to14. The nationallyrecognized annual 12-day festival celebrates Canmore’s remarkable dining experiences and features daily set-price menus at more than 40 locations, plus a number of exciting signature events including the Long Table Dinner. Tickets are on sale at CanmoreUncorked.com
■ Cococo Chocolatiers, owners of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut (Cococo), has scooped six awards for its chocolate at the 2016 Canadian National Chocolate Competition. Cococo has taken home numerous Canadian and International awards in past years for its quality couverture and sustainable chocolate creations. The awards were presented for five new and one traditional chocolate. Look for the new chocolates at the 1313 - 1st St. SE location. ■ The tree pose of this Yummi Yogi cutting board beautifully displays your appetizers when entertaining, more fun than using it as a cutting board, though you can do that too. Made of ash with a teak oil finish, it’ll last pretty much forever. Order online at yummiyogi.com/shop, shipping is worldwide. ■ Check out Latino’s Market at 4803 Centre St. North. Opened in October, it’s fresh, bright and with staff as cheerful as the store. Dried, canned and frozen goods from Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica and more, like dried hominy for making pissole soup. Visit latinosmarket.ca
A WEIGHT SOLUTION
■ The Italian Centre Shop’s chef showcase dinners resume January 31 with a traditional Italian feast by chefs Gennaro Silvestri and Rocco Bartolotti of 500 Cucina. Tickets on sale italiancentre.ca, only 30 seats available, so don’t wait! ■ Celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday by travelling on a Calgary History Tour into the city’s origins. Full-day tours include lunch at the Lougheed House, providing an opportunity to explore life at the turn of the 20th century. Details: lifetimeadventurestravel.com ■ Dine Out Vancouver Festival takes place January 20 to February 5. If you go, you can book a flight with festival partner Air Canada to receive a 15 percent discount. Tickets go quickly, so check dineoutvancouver.com for details and tickets, and check @DineOutVanFest and #dovf. ■ Take your food to a new level with 100 percent natural seasoning rubs from Metropolitan Chef Gail McCully on Vancouver Island. The National Post voted Metropolitan Chef’s Steak and Rib Rub as one of the best rubs in Canada. Find it at such places as Blue Door Oil & Vinegar, Bon Ton Meats, Soffritto, Better Butcher, Savour Fine Foods, The Cookbook Co. ■ COBS Bread is now open in Kensington. Get your freshly baked bread and treats here every day. And COBS is baking up another new bakery in the Sage Hill community in spring 2017. ■ Cuisine et Château invites you to join them on their culinary travel to the Périgord region of France for an allinclusive luxury gastronomic experience. New dates are May 28 - June 3, details at cuisineandchateau.com or call 403-764-2665.
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■ Build relevant connections by joining Canadian Business Chicks for monthly breakfast events at the Calgary Petroleum Club to connect, learn, empower and celebrate. The Nest is a diverse community of professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs who believe that together they are stronger. Register at canadianbusinesschicks.com for breakfasts on January 14 and February 9.
• 2 015
1990 - 2017
Superb coffee and great atmosphere... stay warm and cozy on wintry days at Beano!
Willow Park Village 10816 Macleod Trail South | 403.278.1220
www.compleatcook.ca
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■ SaltSpring Kitchen Co. on Salt Spring Island in BC makes the tastiest condiments, including one we’re completely addicted to – Candied Jalapeños. You will become addicted to these, too. Serve with cheese, burgers, sausages, anything you can think of that would benefit from delicious zing. We get them at the amazing Cured Delicatessen, 8409 Elbow Dr. SW, in the Haysboro Plaza. You can apparently also find them at the Market on MacLeod.
Year-End Inventory Sale! fri Jan 27, sat Jan 28 & sun Jan 29
• All in-store wine discounted 15% • All in-store whisky* discounted 10% • All in-store beer discounted 5% • other in-store speciAl discounts * Excludes Scotch Malt Whisky Society
1257 Kensington Road NW In-store or online only, no phone orders, special orders or layaway. No other promotional discounts apply.
kensingtonwinemarket.com | 403 283 8000
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DOWN ACROSS 1 Fermented whale fat treat 2 Modena’s claim to fame 3 “Peanut butter” from Down Under 5 Heat-created protein crust 4 Trunk picnic 10 Green edible seaweed 6 Milk that comes from a tree 12 Tutankhamun’s favourite grain 7 Jazzy, squished sandwich 13 Nutritional powerhouse grain 8 Red bush tea 15 Spirited sugarcane 9 Onions at the gym 16 Silly dessert 11 Mushy quince 17 World’s tiniest grain 14 Popeye’s girlfriend 19 Apple hooch 18 Lestat’s favourite sausage 20 Sweet mint drink 21 The well-loved pie 22 Heritage type of wheat 23 “Crazy” smoked green wheat 25 Rich French stew 24 Thick creamy British dessert 26 Pork that spreads like butter 28 Gingerbread with a French accent 27 Herb used to cook with Mexican beans 30 It’s not too cooked, it’s __________ 29 Gathering of recipes (en français) 31 English friend to mash 32 Sausage with a Spanish accent 34 Bordeaux’s little delights 33 Herb for the sock drawer or the kitchen 35 Eggy, rich bread 34 La-di-da chocolate 36 Grilling the Brazilian way 36 Little Miss Muffett’s breakfast 37 Braised artichokes Provençal 38 Cocktail measure 40 Spanish olive variety 39 Tomato sauce always in a glass jar 41 Three poultry chums stuffed into one 42 Sherry’s “little apple” 43 Light beer 44 Add lemon or vinegar to a dish 45 Bitter, hoppy flavouring agent 48 Sailor’s molasses and cracker dessert 46 Lemon-y herb 50 Doughnuts with a French accent 47 Chicken in bondage 51 One of the spices in five spice powder 49 A mollusk of a certain class 53 Sightless pre-cook of crusts 52 Toulouse Lautrec’s drink 54 Long skinny peppers 58 Lost bread dessert 55 Jura’s oxidative specialty 59 A sauce intended for a light snooze 56 Nutmeg, white pepper, cloves and ginger 61 Stewed tongue spice blend 62 Salesperson for cheese 57 Skin of heated soy milk 63 Stomach relief for Indian beans 58 Toothpick adornment 65 Spicy kitchen adornment 60 Beef-y oyster 66 Beloved grape variety in Languedoc- 64 Flat mesh strainer Roussillon 66 Lime cocktail for summer in Brazil 68 Wine that is a bit “baked” 67 Licorice in a glass 69 Really, really into wine 71 Inserting fat 70 Ubiquitous green 73 British fancy molasses 72 Chile powder with a pedigree 74 Granite-loving grape 75 Bridegroom pasta 77 Olive “butter” 76 Syrup with an almond flavour 80 Wine cap stomp 78 Goat’s milk leap to immortality 81 Flour, water and yeast mixture 79 Green grape juice 83 Petit French restaurant 82 Thick soy sauce 84 Greek method for roasting meat 85 Stew from the casbah 87 Known for its mustard 86 Blooming salt 88 Celery flavoured leafy green 89 Eggplant spread 90 Calabria’s spicy pork paste 92 Clarified 91 Method of mixing cocoa butter in 94 Double magnum chocolate 97 Pig jowl bacon 93 Kind of wine “dealer” 98 Spiced Ethiopian butter 95 Meat cooked to an ideal doneness, 100 Paella peppers (en français) 102 French traffic jam and a wine stopper 96 People who both grow grapes and 103 Blini’s friend make wine 104 Breadsticks on a diet 99 Vegetables cooked slowly and thoroughly 105 Spanish espresso with a little milk 101 Doris Day’s grape variety 107 Bean used as a substitute for vanilla 105 AChinese porridge 108 Breadcrumbs with a Japanese accent 106 Tasting part of the mouth 111 Corn treat from Mexico 109 Ice cream with an Indian accent 112 Wheat beer P L A C EFermented F O Rmare’s milk 110 113 Technique for fattening up geese 114 Stringy bread A D U L T S T O 115 Japanese foods from the sea cooked over fire 116 Counteragent to sweet in cocktails S O C I A L I Z E
good food from local producers
Home of AUTHENTIC Italian sausage, in INGLEWOOD
QualIty meats, natural spIces and Old-WOrld recIpes. tHat’s autHentIc ItalIan. wholesale & Retail • 1308 9th ave. se • 403.264.6452
Pasture to Plate… Grass-fed, grass-finished, free-range beef from our family ranch in Nanton
Pre-ordering now open online for Summer 2017. Seasonally butchered beef July-October.
Bulk beef sold by the quarter, side or whole.
trailsendbeef.com
Mail in your completed puzzle by January 31st, 2017 to: City Palate, 722 - 11th Ave. SW, Calgary T2R 0E4 or scan & email it to: kathy@citypalate.ca The entries that successfully complete the crossword will be put into a draw to win one of three prize packages that will be made up of a collection of gift certificates.
savour
fine foods & kitchenware
Quality. Style. Service.
HALFY HOUR
1919
4TH
STREET
3PM – 5PM DAILYT H E M I S S I O N Y Y C ½ PRICE NACHOS & TACOS $5 MARGARITAS
SW
/ MISSION4TH.CA
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6 quick ways with...
Chris Halpin
KALE
Kale is so popular these days, and for good reason. The health benefits are seemingly endless, and I find its toothy earthiness to be so delicious. If you find kale’s earthiness a little off-putting, try placing it in a colander and pouring boiling water over the leaves and then rinse under cold water. This will remove the tannins, which are responsible for this strong flavour. green apple kale smoothie A smoothie that has all sorts of great things to get you going in the morning. It’s also a wonder with morning stuff like puffy eyes. In a blender tear 1 kale leaf, stalk removed, 1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped, 4 ice cubes, 1 c. almond or soy milk, 1 scoop vanilla flavoured protein powder, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 2 T. maple syrup. Blend until smooth. Serves 1.
kale chips
Traditional Italian Grocer
A real guilt-free treat, so satisfying and easy. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rinse and blot dry 1 bunch of kale. Tear the kale away from the stalk in large-ish pieces and place in a bowl. Add 1/4 c. olive oil, 1 t. sumac and 1 t. salt, toss to evenly coat and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until the kale is crispy and a deep green colour, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle onion powder over the chips and allow them to cool before eating. Makes 6 cups.
bubble & squeak
Est. 1963
403.277.7898 I 265 20 Avenue NE www.italiansupermarket.com
Three generations of service and quality
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A great brunch item served with poached eggs or as a quick weekday “dinner in a pan.” I tend to do this recipe when I have leftover mashed potatoes. Remove the stem and centre vein of 4 kale leaves. Roughly chop them, place them in a colander and pour a kettle of boiling water over them. Using a pair of tongs move them around a bit, then rinse under cold water. Set aside for later. In a skillet over medium heat add 1 T. canola oil and 4 bangers (English-style sausages.) Turn the sausages from time to time. When the sausages are almost cooked, add 1/4 c. butter, 1 small onion, diced, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until onions are soft. Cut the sausages into 1/2-inch pieces and continue cooking. Add the kale and sauté for about 2 minutes, then add 4 c. mashed potato or 4 medium boiled potatoes, grated, adjust the salt and pepper, stir to fully incorporate. Pat this into an even layer and allow the potato to brown on the bottom, before turning to brown the other side. About 10 minutes on each side. Serves 4.
rustic kale and leek minestrone Kale is such a great vegetable in soups. Holds up to cooking and reheating, and brings a real punch of flavour. I use mushroom broth. But if you don’t like mushrooms then feel free to use chicken or beef stock. Using only the white part of a large leek, halve and slice into 1/4-inch crescents, then clean and blot dry. Leeks are notorious for trapping grit, so cutting and cleaning is really the only way to ensure that you don’t have a sandy dish. Core and dice 1 red pepper. Peel and dice 1 potato and 1 carrot. In a large pot over medium heat, add 2 T. olive oil and the leeks, and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Then add the other vegetables and sauté a minute more, before adding 4 c. mushroom broth and 2 c. water. Add a pinch of dried basil, nutmeg and chile flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and add a 2-inch square piece of parmesan rind. Simmer until the potatoes are just about tender, about 30 minutes, then add 1 c. pinto beans, drained and rinsed and 2 kale leaves, stems removed and coarsely chopped. Bring back to the boil and simmer 5 minutes more, adjust the salt and serve. Serves 4.
136 2nd Street SW
Warm Hospitality, Brazilian Style
kale caesar with cambozola croutons and semi-dried tomatoes Baby kale is my preference when it comes to caesars. I feel that it holds up better to the strong dressing and doesn’t wilt like romaine. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400°F. Using a day-old baguette, thinly slice on a sharp diagonal 8 slices. Brush with olive oil and toast in the oven until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, rub each with a peeled whole garlic clove, and smear with about 1 T. cambozola. Set aside for later. To make the dressing, in a bowl large enough to make the salad, put 1/4 c. Dijon mustard, 1 t. anchovy paste, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, and whisk until smooth. Continue to whisk and slowly pour in 1/2 c. olive oil, continue to beat into a thick emulsion. Add the juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 c. grated parmesan and 1/2 t. black pepper and whisk until smooth. Return the croutons to the oven and bake for 3 minutes more. Finely slice 8 soft sundried tomatoes. In the bowl with the dressing, add 1 large package baby kale and mix to evenly coat. Divide the salad into 4 bowls and sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes over top of each and arrange 2 warm croutons in the centre of each salad and serve. Serves 4.
recipe photos by Chris Halpin
kale wrapped haddock, steamed in white wine and saffron Sounds ambitious, but you will be surprised how fast this comes together. In a bowl place 4 large kale leaves with stems removed, then cover with hot tap water. Let this stand while you finish the rest of the recipe. In a small pan, with a tight fitting lid, put 2 c. white wine, 1 bay leaf, 1 crushed garlic clove, healthy pinch of saffron, 1 t. salt, and place this over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes, uncovered. Remove the kale from the water, blot dry, and lay them on a work surface. Place a haddock filet onto each leaf and roll up. To the simmering sauce add 1 c. shaved fennel, the fish bundles and about 24 grape tomatoes, cover with the lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Place each fish bundle in the centre of a soup plate. Increase the heat to the sauce and bring it to a rolling boil. Whisk in 4 T. cold butter and adjust the salt before spooning it over the fish. Serves 4.
Not your typical Brazilian Steakhouse! NEW YEAR, new BBQ meats, NEW prices!
Churrascaria & Restaurante OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
Chris Halpin has been teaching Calgarians to make fast, fun urban food since 1997 and is the owner of Manna Catering Service. mannaonline.com
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back burner SHEWCHUK ON SIMMER
Your giving doesn’t need to stop on December 31st. Spring is a great time for planning!
For example, my most-hated of the so-called strategies for kindling romance is the concept of “date night.” This involves a couple making an appointment to go out on a regular schedule for encounters that are supposed to stir up intimacy. So, no matter what else is going on in their lives, or how exhausted they are, the twosome make a contract to be forced into a non-spontaneous evening out that’s supposed to have all the magic of a real date. I personally can’t see anything romantic about going out for a dinner based on a premise that is more akin to having to report to a parole officer than to having a loving encounter. I want my time with my partner to be driven by desire, not obligation.
families and family-owned business to set up their giving strategies and legacy plans.
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1-866-936-GIVE (4483) info@dexterityconsulting.ca Philanthropy & Social Capital Solutions Built on 20 years of experience in the charitable sector. Start your planning today!
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If you have a thirst for travel and an appetite for adventure then you’ll love our culinary escapes to Tuscany and the south of France! Hosted by Judy Wood and Gail Norton
BOOKING NOW FOR 2017: FRANCE Food and Wine Tour: May 14th-21st FRANCE Food, Wine and Cycling Tour: May 22nd-29th with cycling guides Kevin Elander and Johnny Halliday
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CITYPALATE.ca JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017
FEBRUARY DATE NIGHT
How to keep the spice in a long-term relationship has been the subject of countless books and Oprah shows, and every Cosmopolitan cover ever. I suppose some of the advice is helpful for couples who can’t work it out for themselves, but most of it just infuriates me.
Dexterity Consulting is here to help individuals,
TUSCAN Food and Wine Tour: October 1st-8th TUSCAN Food and Wine Tour: October 9th-16th
Allan Shewchuk
Speaking of obligations, over the years, North Americans have developed what surely is the great universal forced-date night – Valentine’s Day. There it is on your calendar every February 14th, like an annual colonoscopy appointment. It can fall on any day of the week, leaving you no choice as to what’s convenient. Restaurants are overbooked, so the service is rushed and the food is lousy. The price of flowers skyrockets. Valentine’s card racks are picked over, leaving just the lame syrupy ones, or the x-rated variety that only Anthony Weiner would send. It’s thoroughly unpleasant, but God help you if you don’t fulfil your obligation to engage in all the required ritual. How did this happen? The answer lies in those greeting card companies and other marketers, who make us believe that we have to do this every year. These are the same people we can probably blame for other stupid “special days,” like Melba Toast Day (March 23rd) and Take Your Houseplant for a Walk Day (July 27th). We’ve all been put on a forced march to hell by Hallmark & Co. It didn’t used to be like this in the olden days. February used to be full of fun events for both sexes. Nearly a thousand years ago in Venice, Carnevale began as a celebration of a naval victory and evolved into people whooping it up for weeks by gambling, drinking and having naughty rendezvous right in the streets. Eventually, some smart Venetian decided it would be a great idea for everyone to wear masks, which meant that citizens could be as bad as they wanted, anonymously. Better yet, masks meant men and women of the lower classes got to monkey around unfettered and unrecognized by the upper classes, and vice versa. Maybe date nights here should involve wearing masks so that someone else can sit in for you. Things were even wilder in Roman times, when, between the 13th and 15th of February, the festival of Lupercalia arrived, featuring themes of purification, fertility and the honouring of the wild Greek god, Pan. The festivities kicked off with young boys being allowed to run free and smack unsuspecting bystanders on the lower body with leather straps. This was followed by nude priests performing ritual purification by systematically whipping spectators in the loins with the same leather straps to promote fertility. Young men and women were paired up after the spankings. The straps were called februa, which is where we got the name for the month of February. Too bad we don’t still celebrate Lupercalia – you’ve got to admit, it would make one heck of a theme for date night (except for the loin bruises). I long ago gave up on the Valentine “date night” routine. I just cook a simple meal and my sweetheart and I have a quiet, candlelit dinner at home. But in researching how much more exciting the time around Valentine’s Day was thousands of years ago, I think this year I might swap February for a februa and surprise my darling. I’m thinking I can go into stealth mode after our Valentine’s dinner and, once she puts on her headphones and starts watching Game of Thrones on her laptop, I can sneak up and swat her in the loins with my leather belt. Who knows? Romance may ensue. Or a kick back into my loins. I may have to think this one through in January. Allan Shewchuk is a lawyer, 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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