City Palate November December 2014

city palate T H E

F L AV O U R

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C A L G A R Y ’ S

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the entertaining issue CITYPALATE.CA

NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

PIZZA

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PASTA

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E BASTA!

Double Zero Chinook

Stunning venues, beautiful food.

Specialized in offering impressive and memorable experiences, we have a setting perfect for your next corporate event.

With 18 unique locations to choose from, our venues will fit any style, size or budget.

C O N C O R D E G R O U P. C A / E V E N T S

Willow Park Wines & Spirits

Bubble Week

Sunday, December 7 - Sunday, December 13, 2014 CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY Sunday, December 7 from 10am - 5pm FREE Enjoy a snowy Sunday at Willow Park Wines & Spirits with all the Trusted Experts. We will be starting the day with Bailey’s and coffee, and continuing with special wine, beer, and spirit tastings until 5pm. Connoisseurs of fine whisky will want to sign up for the Mini Scotch Festival in the cellar. Foodies interested in the latest chatter on pairings will be interested in our new $20 for 20 in the kitchen.

Seasonal shoppers will love taking advantage of free gift wrapping and lots of chat time with our gift room girls. Come one, come all – It’s holiday time! Bottle engraving, passed appetizers, and special pricing on premium products will be available all day. FREE gifts with purchase.

EXCLUSIVE TASTINGS: 1pm - Premier Napa Valley Connoisseur Tasting - $75 Exclusive rare wines from Napa’s top estates.

2pm - Mini Scotch Festival - $25 Over 40 scotches and delicious holiday appetizers.

$20 FOR 20: Taste Champagne and other premium bubbles while one of our Trusted Experts teaches you how to cook their favourite bubble dish in 20 minutes or less.

Noon - Peggy Perry pairs firecracker shrimp with Canard Duchêne.

3pm - Meiko Pennock pairs gougères with Taittinger.

5pm - Peter Smolarz pairs escargots with Piper Heidsieck.

TRIP AROUND BUBBLES Thursday, December 11 at 7pm TICKETS $35 Become a seasoned “bubblehead” with Trusted Expert, Peter Smolarz, as he leads you through an exciting effervescent adventure of sparkling wines from around the globe. During the evening you’ll be discovering the secrets of Proseccos from Italy, Cavas from Spain, bubbles from Canada, Australia and the United States and of course, a wine or two from Champagne. Get your glasses ready!

CHAMPAGNE FESTIVAL Friday, December 12 at 7pm TICKETS $60 with Riedel Flute Share an evening with us with “stars in your glass!” This evening is sure to be a highlight of this year’s festive season and a wonderful way to celebrate with friends without having to do the dishes. The evening will include renowned wines from the Champagne houses of Bollinger, Henriot, and Ayala, along with other sparkling wine darlings from South America, France, Italy, California and Spain.

TÊTE DE CUVÉE Saturday, December 13 from 3pm - 5pm TICKETS $150 Our Tête de Cuvée or “The best of the lot” tasting hosted by Trusted Experts, Michael Bigattini and Peter Smolarz, has become a December tradition at Willow Park Wines & Spirits. This event is an extravagant celebration of some of the world’s most renowned and sought after champagnes. This year we will showcase the Piper Heidsieck Rare 2002, Henriot 1996 Rose, Bollinger RD, Salon 2005, Taittinger’s Yatch Box, and Taittinger Nocturne Rose (Taittingers both exclusive to Willow Park). This tasting is accompanied by a collection of appetizers created and paired expertly to showcase the delicacies of these rare and exquisite wines.

Sign up fo r our spec ial offers & e vents new sletter on willow park.net a nd be entered to WIN a trip to France wit h the Trus ted Experts in Septembe r 2015!

Willow Park Wines & Spirits 10801 Bonaventure Dr SE p: 403.296.1640 e: events@willowpark.net www.willowparkwines.com

The holidays are here. you should be Too.

PREMIUM EXTRA VIRGIN & NATURALLY FLAVOURED OLIVE OILS + VINEGARS

CalgaryFarmersMarket.ca thursday – sunday b 9am – 5pm b Off heritage & blackfOOt

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Alpine Wildflower Honey

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Our Rocky Mountain Honey Now in Calgary!

FREE RANGE PORK Pasture raised & naturally fed.

• family owned and operated • focused on quality and taste

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

Visit us in Rosemary, Alberta www.spraggsmeatshop.com

contents City Palate November December 2014

features

30 n The Twelve Days of a Foodie’s Christmas

An indispensible shopping list of new ingredients, gadgets and gourmet goodies Karen Anderson

36 n An Entertaining Menu

This year, a fun menu from Japanese knife guru, Kevin Kent

38 n It’s Your Party

You can cry if you want to, but with some planning, you won’t want to!

Karen Ralph

40 n The Aloha/Howdy Chef Exchange

Calgary chefs travel to Hawaii to cook, teach and compete

Pierre Lamielle

44 n The New Alberta Oil Patch

From black gold to golden flowers Karen Anderson

48 n From Seed to Sip

Eau Claire Distillery plows, plants, tends, harvests grain... then turns it into rye whisky Holly Quan

STO P IN FOR A BITE.

52 n The World’s Most Expensive Cocktails

in the World’s Most Expensive Hotel

Only in Dubai, you say, and you’d be right Kathy Richardier

54 n Before the World Wide Web there were

Recipe Cards

Linda Kupecek An exciting new venue for your next corporate event.

Cover artist: Pierre A. Lamielle is the chef behind Food On Your Shirt, with Candace Bergman, award-winnig author of Kitchen Scraps and co-author with Julie Van Rosendaal of Alice Eats: A Wonderland Cookbook.

403.232.7770 • salesinfo@calgaryzoo.com

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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city palate

BOLD, BRASH...

EVOLVED.

Best Steak 2013

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

Birks Silver Spoon 2013

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

EXPERIENCE THE RUSH

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

contributing writers Karen Anderson Tom Firth Chris Halpin Ellen Kelly Linda Kupecek Pierre Lamielle Geoff Last Jenni Neidhart Jennifer Norfolk Holly Quan Karen Ralph Tilly Sanchez-Turri Allan Shewchuk Julie Van Rosendaal contributing photographers Kathy Richardier for advertising enquiries, please contact advertising@citypalate.ca

403.271.7874 www.rushoceanprime.com /RushOceanPrime @RushOceanPrime

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

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

Aspen Estates

#114, 326 Aspen Glen Landing SW Ph: 403.686.6731

Macleod Trail

Stadium North

9223 Macleod Trail South Ph: 403.253.4266

1935 Uxbridge Drive NW Ph: 403.220.0222

website management Jane Pratico (jane@citypalate.ca)

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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www.redwatergrille.com

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facebook.com/redwateryyc twitter.com/redwateryyc

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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 $35 per year within Canada and $45 per year outside Canada.

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contents City Palate November December 2014

departments

13 n word of mouth

Notable culinary happenings around town

15 n eat this

What to eat in November and December Ellen Kelly

16 n drink this

Great gifts for the boozers on your list Tom Firth

20 n one ingredient

Chocolate Julie Van Rosendaal

24 n feeding people

Stickies Jennifer Norfolk

26 n well matched

Made-in-heaven food and wine pairings Jenni Neidhart and Karen Ralph

28 n the sunday project

Making panettone with Tilly Sanchez-Turri

56 n stockpot

Stirrings around Calgary

62 n 5 quick ways with...

g easy!

givin We make Holiday

Hazelnuts Chris Halpin

64 n last meal

Sugar, spice . e c i n g n i h t y r e v e and

Keep it simple and seasonal Geoff Last

66 n back burner... shewchuk on simmer

Oom-pah wha?

Allan Shewchuk

read us online at citypalate.ca city palate

@citypalate

28 locations in Calgary!

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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CELEBRATING ALUMNI EXCELLENCE SAIT POLYTECHNIC IS PROUD OF OUR ALUMNI AND THE IMPACT THEY MAKE. Every year, we recognize SAIT graduates who are accomplishing great things in the Calgary community, on the national stage and around the world.

CONGRATULATIONS TO PAUL AND ROSALYN and to their fellow 2014 Alumni Awards recipients: Distinguished Alumnus Stephen Harke (AXT ‘89, AMT ‘82) and Outstanding Young Alumni Adam Loria (EMTP ‘05) and Catherine Oshanek (JA ‘05).

Paul Rogalski

Rosalyn Ediger

2014 Distinguished Alumnus Chief Culinary Officer and Co-Owner of Rouge Restaurant and Bistro Rouge

2014 Outstanding Young Alumna Chef de Cuisine, Four Seasons Hotel, Beijing, China

Professional Cooking (PCK) 1986

Professional Cooking (PCK) 2005

Award-winning chef and restaurateur Paul Rogalski has nourished a reputation for excellence for nearly 30 years. In 2010, he led Rouge to a spot on the prestigious San Pellegrino list of the World’s Top 100 Restaurants.

Rosalyn Ediger has taken her career to impressive places across Asia, working as Chef de Cuisine at Canada’s embassy in Beijing, helping to establish Canada’s embassy in Bangkok and appearing on a popular Chinese cooking show.

sait.ca

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

word of mouth Notable culinary happenings around town

taste and tour

beautiful cheese and charcuterie boards

The Eau Claire Distillery Tasting Room, Turner Valley, will be open for tours starting November 15.

Call 403-933-5404 for details. Limited edition Gin Rummy launches November 1. Only one batch is being made and is available while supplies last. Visit eauclairedistillery.com for retailers.

Designed by a chef and crafted by a career wood worker, these beautiful boards from Live Edge Culinary Co. are available at Say Cheese in the Crossroads Farmers’ Market, Peasant Cheese and Lina’s Italian Market.

Visit liveedgecheeseboards.com to learn more about these locally crafted boards. Perfect for Christmas giving – don’t forget the cheese!

for the sophisticated cookie monsters in your life

pretty chocolates Though Monplaisir, a pretty kiosk downtown in the CORE, takes a little looking for, the chocolates are so pretty and tasty, the macarons, too, and the French nougat, it’s worth finding. Find it on the 4th floor of the CORE food court, next to Tim Horton’s. Oh, my goodness, the chocolate is good. ‘Tis the season for giving... Monplaisir would help make many recipients very happy.

Jacqueline Day makes “unapologetically delicious cookies” that are real treats from Real Treat Kitchen. These are not your mother’s cookies – not that there’s anything wrong with that!

– these are for cookie monsters with a taste for something a little intriguing.

Real Treat all-butter cookies are made locally using organic ingredients featuring unique flavours like Dark Chocolate Chunk with Smoked Pecans – OMG, orgasmic! – Double Dark Chocolate with a Twist (of candied lemon peel), Salted Caramel Shorties (shortbread) with Fennel, and Lemon Sablés with Herbes de Provence. Ready for the holidays – cookie season! Visit realtreat.ca to order online and for a list of local retailers.

christmas dinner party auction

Get outta the city now and then, especially November 13 to 23 during Bon Appétit Banff when 27 restaurants, such as The Maple Leaf, Three Ravens, Saltlik Steakhouse, Le Beaujolais and The Bear Street Tavern, offer unique three-course menus at a very appetizing price: $27, $37, $47, $57, plus cocktail specials, a series of dine-arounds, and more. And this year marks the first year for Banff’s Christmas Market, November 14 and 15.

Get your bid in to Alloy for your own private party... Alloy is auctioning ONE Christmas party for 20 guests in your home with everything, including Rogelio and Uri. Plus – a signed copy of Calgary Cooks for each guest.

Proceeds will be donated to Make A Wish Foundation. Accepting bids until November 1 - the highest bid gets the Christmas Party! Register your bid at events@alloydining.com

art and inspiration

We love Canada’s Lesley Stowe for creating Raincoast Crisps – a must for cheese platters! But before that she ran a successful catering biz and a food store in Vancouver. She is well-known for her passion for desserts and she hopes to revive the art of homecrafted sweets in your kitchen! In Desserts From My Kitchen (Barlow Publishing, $35, hard cover) she shows how to make elegant desserts easily and to serve them with flair even if you’re pressed for time.

Here’s a great idea recently launched by two enterprising women – Brenda Mahoney and Loretta Gotmy – Vin Gogh Paint & Sip. What could be more inspirational to learning how to paint – that’s the Gogh part – than sipping wine and nibbling good food? What a concept! And you get the help of an accomplished artist to add into the inspiration equation. SAIT Culinary Campus students will do the food and Pacific Wines & Spirits prepared the wine list.

Visit vingogh.ca for details or email info@ vingogh.ca. Sounds like a fun thing to get us through winter... and beyond!

relish this...

If you love relish on your dogs and burgers, or your turkey sandwich, this is the best you can find! Edgar Farms’ Gourmet Asparagus Relish – find it at the Calgary Farmers’ Market. Buy lots... you’ll need it.

inspired by the Nutcracker Sugar Plums for your body from Rocky Mountain Soap Co. A seasonal, limited release treat that blends essential oils, including sugar plum, jasmine and cinnamon, for a warm scent with a slightly spicy finish. Available starting November, visit rockymountainsoap.com for ordering online and retail outlets.

give and receive the world’s best peanuts From the deep south of Virginia come Hubs peanuts from the Hubbard Peanut Co. Lucky for us, we can find them at Inspirati Fine Linens, 2207 - 4 St. SW. Large and crunchy, they’re deliciously dry-roasted, not the slightest bit oily.

And you can’t eat just one! Hubs make the perfect consumable gift – the best kind of gift, we think.

dine around banff, it’s always tasty

OMG... bread and pastries When you’re cruising through Canmore, be sure to stop at the new Le Fournil Bakery at 1205 Bow Valley Trail where you’ll find Pascale Tétreault, formerly in Calgary, and her crew making all manner of delicious breads and pastries.

Plus you can get sandwiches, salads and soups. Here we have lemon, raspberry and chocolate morsels...Oh, My!

read these

Everyone should have Yotam Ottolenghi in their kitchen!

If you loved Jerusalem and Plenty – now there’s more! Plenty More – Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi (Ten Speed Press, $35, hard cover). A beautiful, inspiring book with signature bold flavours and original spicing.

Hot off the press – the 3rd edition of The Alberta Snail Trail! Slow Food Calgary’s handy booklet that connects Alberta’s producers of good, clean and fair food with consumers. With more than 150 farms profiled, the guide makes it easy for chefs, processors and eaters to learn about local producers and to find out how to get their products onto their plates. Find the booklets at your favourite Slow Food haunts, like Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, Amaranth Foods, Sunnyside Natural Market ($5).

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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Fresh Produce

Antipasti

In-store Bakery

Now booking holiday parties!

Specialty Foods Olive Oils Balsamics Catering

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

PH 587.352.0964 AVECBISTRO.COM

Olives Deli Meats &Cheeses Gift Baskets

@AVECBISTRO AVEC BISTRO

#meatme@Avec

try some Canadian sunshine in a Bottle!

Hot &Cold Lunches

Cappuccino Dessert Bar

What makes our Canola oil so sPeCial?

Cold Pressed Chemical-free cold pressing retains the oil’s natural colour, flavour and healthy compounds.

BalanCed & nutritional Our oil is higher in Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids and lower in saturated fats than olive oil, and contains natural vitamin E. And the canola we use is GMO-free. flavour Fresh, robust flavours and colour - golden and buttery;

ideal for bread dips, salad dressings, marinades, sauces and baking.

Crafted from fresh, pure Canadian canola seed grown in Strathmore AB, Mountainview Farming Cold Pressed Canola Oil is truly locally grown and produced. Find us at Safeway, Calgary Co-op, Market on Macleod, Crossroads Market and Cochrane Farmers’ Market. Available in 16 L. jugs.

403.325.0175 | mountainviewfarming.com 14

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

To all our cusTomers:

Merry Christmas &

all the best in 2015!

2202 Centre St NE • 403.277.9166 • linasmarket.com

eat this

Ellen Kelly

What to eat in November and December

It’s no coincidence that certain fruits and vegetables are iconic during the holidays.

Brussels sprouts appear on holiday dinner tables because they’re in season from autumn to early spring. We start to see pomegranates later in the year because their season is from September to February. And while cranberries are harvested in the fall, they stay bright and fresh for up to 2 months in airtight bags, even longer if frozen. It’s gratifying to observe, in a world where all things seem to be available to us at all times, we can still be reminded of seasonality and tradition.

Aside from the obvious use of POMEGRANATE seeds as garnish for a variety of exotic dishes, they are terrific tossed on a salad or chilled and just eaten out of hand. A more versatile ingredient is pomegranate molasses. This sweet-tart syrup can enliven myriad preparations. I use 2-3 T. in braised red cabbage to brighten the flavour.

A delightful and easy concoction is muhammara, a common Middle Eastern dip.

In a food processor, blend together an 8 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, 2/3 c. breadcrumbs, 1/3 c. lightly toasted walnuts, 2-4 garlic cloves, 1 T. fresh lemon juice, 2 T. pomegranate molasses, 1 t. ground cumin, 1/2 t. hot pepper flakes. While the machine is running, slowly pour in 3/4 c. good olive oil. Salt to taste. For easy entertaining, serve alongside hummus with pita chips and olives.

Illustrations by Pierre Lamielle

BUY: Pomegranates have leathery skin, but it should not be brittle and dried out. Purchase fruit that is heavy for its size, which indicates more seeds and less of the white astringent membrane separating them. Colour does not indicate ripeness; as a matter of fact, you pretty much have to trust that the pomegranates have been picked at the right time since they don’t ripen after that.

TIPS: The best method I’ve found to extract the seeds from the membrane of a pomegranate requires a chef’s knife and a large bowl of water. Insert the tip of the knife an inch into the stem end of the fruit and twist until it cracks open, giving you 3-4 sections.

Immerse them in the water and prise the seeds from the membrane, pulling open the leathery skin as you work. The seeds will sink while the unwanted membrane will float. Whacking a halved pomegranate with a large wooden spoon is great fun, especially for kids, but it crushes too many of the seeds and sprays juice all over the kitchen.

DID YOU KNOW? Pomegranate, which aptly means “apple with lots of seeds,” is a native of Persia (now Iran), and is now grown extensively in California and Arizona. Pomegranates are intriguing fruits produced on beautiful little flowering trees often grown as ornamentals in more forgiving climates than ours. You don’t have to eat them; a bowl of pomegranates makes a lovely centrepiece for the holidays and look exotic even when dried.

According to a 2008 U.S survey, BRUSSELS SPROUTS are the most maligned vegetable in America, possibly the world.

I attribute this to a single sin: generations of people with long memories of being fed overcooked vegetables as children. If you want to make converts, old or young, simply toss small sprouts (halve or quarter larger heads) in olive oil, Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper, then spread them in a single layer on a foil-covered baking sheet. Roast them for about 30 minutes at 400°F., or until they’re well browned. Give them a good shake about half way through the cooking time. This process caramelizes the natural sugars in the Brussels sprouts, turning them into delicious little morsels as addictive as salted nuts. For an added bit of pizzazz, sprinkle the sprouts with a little balsamic vinegar about 10 minutes before they’re finished cooking. Yum… no kidding.

BUY: Look for firm, compact, bright green heads; avoid soft sprouts with yellowing leaves. Check for tiny holes, which indicate aphids.

Nothing says Happy Holidays like CRANBERRIES. With all their healthy attributes, we’re seeing them all over the place, but they really shine on the festive groaning board. Almost impossible to eat out of hand, their assertive tangy flavour is the perfect foil to the rich but subtle flavours of roasted meats, earthy root vegetables and winter squash. Dried cranberries can be utilized anywhere raisins and currants are used, and fresh can add zing to any soft berry recipe. But, still and all, my favourite remains cranberry sauce. A cooked version is dead easy; cook berries, fresh or frozen, down to a jammy consistency with a liquid (try orange juice) and sugar to taste. Add a splash of Grand Marnier at the end to keep them guessing. A raw relish (from Alice Waters) makes an interesting change. Put 2 c. fresh cranberries in a food processor with a whole orange cut into quarters and 3/4 c. sugar.

Process until a uniform consistency is achieved and let sit for several hours before using.

BUY: Fresh or frozen, look for unblemished, firm fresh berries.

TIPS: Choose sprouts that are all the same size to facilitate even cooking. Brussels sprouts on the stalk, available at farmers’ markets, not only look totally cool, but will also keep much longer in the fridge.

DID YOU KNOW? Brussels sprouts contain a substance called glucosinolate sinigrin, which contains sulphur. The sulphur creates the dreaded smell and taste people associate with Brussels sprouts, but ONLY when they are overcooked, as in boiled into mush. When boiling, cook, uncovered until veg is just tender and still bright green. Oh yeah, and they’re extremely good for you, but don’t tell anyone, they get a bad enough rap as it is.

TIPS: Cover any extra berries with vodka and let them sit, covered, for 2 to 3 weeks in a dark cool place. Strain and sweeten to taste with a simple syrup and mix with sparkling water for a delightful holiday cordial.

DID YOU KNOW? Native Americans made cranberry sauce sweetened with maple syrup or honey. Cranberries, like wild rice, are one of our quintessential local ingredients.

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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TASTING

EVENTS

drink this

Tom Firth

Great gifts for the boozers on your list Tasting Centre Locations Beddington 8220 Centre Street NE Crowfoot

39 Crowfoot Way NW

Oakridge

2570 Southland Drive SW

Shawnessy 80, 250 Shawville Blvd SE For tickets or to view more great tasting events visit:

coopwinespiritsbeer.com/events

Chocolate and Wine with Epiphanie Chocolates

A tasting room favourite. We’re bringing back Calgary’s own boutique chocolatier, Epiphanie Chocolates, for the most angelic pairings of carefully crafted, fresh-made chocolates alongside our sommelier selections. This event always sells out, don’t wait to get your tickets!

Crowfoot: November 22, 7-9pm • $45 Shawnessy: November 28, 7-9pm • $45

Get to Know Rum – The Dark Side

Come to the dark side, as we explore the world of pirates, molasses and grog. Rum is taking the spirit world by storm, finding a foothold on our shelves and a growing appeal with our spiritsavvy customers. Join us as we dive into the elements of fine drinking rums, with a focus on the dark styles.

Oakridge: November 8, 7-9pm • $40 Shawnessy: November 29, 7-9pm • $40 Crowfoot: December 11, 7-9pm • $40

Gnarly Dudes – Old and Ancient Vines

Grape vines that reach old age can produce some of the most complex, interesting and concentrated wines in the world. There are select regions around the globe where some varieties are thriving on ancient vines. We’ll taste wines with the deepest of character and discover what it is that is so special about old vines.

Beddington: November 22, 7-9pm • $25

Library Tasting – Vintage Wines

We’ve secretly been hiding wines in our cellar for years. They rest lazily in a controlled environment until they’re at least 10 years of age, slowly evolving deep and complex characters. Now, we’re opening the cellar door and blowing off the dust on some of these beauties, and we want you to join us! This flight will include wines and styles from around the globe.

Oakridge: November 28, 7-9pm • $45 Crowfoot: December 5, 7-9pm • $45

Napa Cab vs Washington Cab

Since the 1970s the Napa Valley has enjoyed global reverence and even domination for its wonderfully rich and opulent Cabernet Sauvignons. Recently, the wines of Washington state have been turning heads and pleasing palates as the region slowly builds its reputation for premium wines. Let’s compare, contrast and, most importantly, enjoy a flight of Cabernet Sauvignon from these two regions.

Crowfoot: November 13, 7-9pm • $35 Beddington: December 6, 7-9pm • $35

Wine and Cheese – Classic Pairings

Have you ever been confused about which wine goes with which cheese? Trust us when we say you’re not alone and that we’re here to help. We’ll spend the night going through classic pairings and sample a few modern combinations, so you’ll be hosting your next wine and cheese tasting with confidence and flair.

Oakridge: December 6, 7-9pm • $35

Wine, War and History

One of the most intriguing aspects of the world of wine is tracing its path through history, geography and culture. Join us as we share stories from France during the German occupation in World War I and World War II and some of the infamous historical moments that included or surrounded wine. From Champagne to Bordeaux, Burgundy to the USA, there will be a wine to match each story.

Crowfoot: November 6, 7-9pm • $25 Shawnessy: November 21, 7-9pm • $25

Sign up for our E-newsletter Stay up-to-date on our latest tasting events. coopwinesandspirits.com/news/email_updates

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Happy Holidays! Whether you have something in mind for the bon vivant in your life or have an oenophile that has you stumped this holiday season, I’ve scoured the shelves and primed my palate to bring you some “top shelf” picks to enjoy yourself or to give to special people.

I’m always happy to share how great our selection is in Alberta. We have about 19,000 different beverage products, making it one of the widest selections found anywhere in the world. Our sommeliers and retailers with access to this selection are constantly ahead of the curve – the coolest, rarest, and best products out there are at their fingertips.

Prices are approximate and each suggestion – where applicable – is followed by a CSPC code, which will help you find the product either at your local fine beverage shop or online at liquorconnect.com where you can find a store near you that might already be bringing it in. Happy hunting!

Rémy Martin Centaure de Diamant $1,000 (suggested retail price) A textbook example of a premium cognac, the diamant is produced by cellar master Pierrette Trichet from between 300 and 400 individual eaux-de-vie from the Rémy reserves. You could call this the new diamond standard from Rémy, or you could just call it delicious.

It’s best served at room temperature, neat, or with a single cube to allow the hazelnut, plum, orange and jasmine notes to shine though. You might find yourself enjoying the stunning bottle almost as much. CSPC 765366

The Compass Box Whisky Gift Set $55 This whisky gift set includes the five whiskies in the Compass Box Signature range in handy 50ml bottles. Compass Box is a premium whisky blender, which means rather than producing their own whisky, they seek out fine stocks elsewhere and blend them to their own exacting specifications. Included are the delicate Asyla with vanilla, grain and apple aromas, the Oak Cross, which is elegant but maltier with more toast and oak character. The Spice Tree is selfexplanatory, The Peat Monster gives you an idea of what to expect and, finally, the Hedonism, which is rich with toffee, spice, and vanilla. All of these are available in full-sized bottles too if you find a new favourite.

CSPC 755428

Rum Nation Barbados 12-Year-Old Anniversary Edition $115 The folks at Rum Nation started in 1999 selecting special, unique, or top quality rums – showcasing their “terroir” – suitable for bottling under their label. All of them are great, but a special nod goes to the 12-year-old Anniversary Edition from Barbados. Sweet and rich, it rolls over the palate with vanilla, orange, and floral notes. Barbados has been making rum for more than 350 years – I think they have it figured out. Enjoy it neat, or try it in simple cocktails where you can still taste the rum.

CSPC 767399

Ironworks Distillery Trio of Liqueurs $32 Hailing from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the Ironworks distillery is the first micro-distillery in the province making rum, vodka and beautiful liqueurs made with fruit from the Annapolis Valley. Brand new to Alberta, this trio of liqueurs includes raspberry, blueberry, and cranberry that perfectly encapsulate all the fresh fruit flavours you could want. CSPC 767989

continued on page 18 CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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Alberta’s First Craft Distillery

A Special Seasonal Offering

drink this continued from page 17

Gin Rummy

Taylor Fladgate 1863 Single Harvest Tawny Port, Douro, Portugal $4,000 Something truly unique for the wine lover in your life, this is a pre-phylloxera, barrel-aged tawny port from the century-before-last making this the perfect gift for your neighbourhood sesquicentennarian.

As to the flavour, it’s stunning.

Spice, caramel and molasses notes with sage and woodsy aromas underneath. Acids are tight and bright with balsamic and pickled ginger notes on the palate. Still lively for sure, but maybe save it for a special occasion.

CSPC 766441

Available at select retailers mid-November 2014.

Limited Edition

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Tours and tastings begin November 15th.

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Glenfarclas Family Cask Vintage Scotch Whisky The 1982, $475 The Glenfarclas distillery is unique in many ways, but notable for this guide is that it is in possession of casks from every vintage from 1954 through to the present. Available (in limited quantities) in Calgary are caskstrength bottles from 1954 through 1998, ranging in price from around $500 to $6,000.

I tried a few vintages from this line and they are bottles worthy of sharing with the people you love. CSPC 749404

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18

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Always a favourite for the beer lover on your list, 2014 is the third edition of the beer advent calendar and includes 24 different beers from 24 different breweries from 17 countries on 6 continents.

Come on, give your special someone the (beer) world this holiday.

I also got a tip that ten of the beers are being made exclusively for this year’s edition. CSPC 762231

Cantine Leonardo da Vinci 2007 Bianco dell’ Empolese Vin Santo DOC, Tuscany, Italy $40 An after-dinner wine typically made from trebbiano or malvasia grapes (this one is trebbiano), specially dried, and then aged in small barrels producing a sweeter, slightly oxidized wine. The Leonardo is rife with dried fruit, honey, and fig characters, with bright acids balancing the sweetness. Vin Santo can be enjoyed with desserts featuring nuts or orange flavours, soft cheese, or dip your post-dinner biscotti into it. The 500ml bottle is perfect for small to mid-sized gatherings. CSPC 712241

Pure Folie Liqueur, France $49 Hailing from France, it’s unlike any other strawberry liqueur I’ve had. Fresh strawberry fruits, mint, a spicy kick and a touch of chocolate flavour with just a little alcohol heat. Best of all, it can be enjoyed on its own, with soda or tonic on rocks, or even as a not-too-sweet addition to a Kir Royale with some champagne or sparkling wine.

CSPC 743748

MS Whisky Festival $99 Sometimes you just don’t want another something, and you’d rather just spend some time with someone you love. The MS Whisky festival is a wonderful event to share with the whisky lover in your life. This year, 30-plus vendors will pour more than 100 different whiskies at the Epcor Center, January 15, 2015. Details at calgarywhiskyfestival.com, proceeds to the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Society. Come in from the cold, have a dram or two, and help support a good cause.

Tom Firth is Cowtown Wine, cowtownwine.com and @cowtownwine.

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

19

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

Serving great food, drinks and desserts for 25 years.

7600 Macleod Trail SE · 403-255-7443 www.cheesecakecafe.ca

BIN905

WINE, SPIRITS & CRAFT ALES

Julie Van Rosendaal

Chocolate

When I was a teenager, I worked in a now-nonexistent deli across the street from the very first Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut on the corner of 17th Avenue and 8th St. SW, and would regularly assemble a lunch of prosciutto and brie on a crusty baguette for Bernard himself. My love of chocolate had already been firmly established, but those were the years of my first exposure to the good stuff, infinitely better than the (previously exquisite) tins of Quality Street my parents would hide away each Christmas. My best friend and I would hang out at the Callebaut store, lingering inside as long as we could to inhale as much as we could before doling out our allowances on one or two of our favourites. Chocolate was my gateway drug; as I will with coffee, I’ll settle for massproduced, but am willing to pay for something truly delicious.

While chocolate can be (and most often is) simply categorized as white, dark or milk, it has as many intricacies as wine – its texture, flavour and mouthfeel determined not only by the cacao beans and their origin, but how they’re fermented, ground and transformed with cocoa butter and sugar. The process a cacao bean goes through to transform it into the chocolate we know and love is time- and technologically prohibitive for most chocolatiers, who start with bars of pre-made chocolate, or couverture, a high-quality, high cocoa butter chocolate that’s been tempered to give it a nice sheen and make it snappy.

To go from bean to bar, cacao pods are harvested only when fully ripe. Otherwise, they have a low cocoa butter content. The beans are fermented and dried before being shipped to a chocolate maker to be roasted, shelled to extract the nib, then ground into pure chocolate liquor – the base for all types of chocolate.

The liquor is then pressed to extract the cocoa butter, leaving dry solids. Other ingredients are added. The best chocolate is made with chocolate liquor + sugar + cocoa butter, but cheaper fats are often swapped in as a cost-cutting measure. The higher the percentage of cocoa or liquor chocolate contains, the darker it is; milk or milk powder is added to make milk chocolate. Technically, white chocolate is not chocolate at all, since it doesn’t contain any chocolate liquor – the loophole is that it’s made with cocoa butter.

A key part of the process, called conching, involves agitating chocolate to evenly distribute the solids and cocoa butter and produce particles small enough to give it a perfectly smooth mouthfeel – you may recall Willy Wonka churning it by the waterfall in his fictional factory. Before the conching process was discovered in the late 19th century, chocolate was dense and gritty; now chocolate makers spend up to 76 hours ensuring that it’s silky and has a more nuanced flavour. The final step is tempering – heating chocolate to stabilize it and make it both glossy and meltable at body temperature, perhaps the most appealing factor in good chocolate.

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

As an ingredient, dark chocolate is generally favoured over milder milk, which has its place but lacks the intensity for a rich, deep chocolate pot de crème or sunken cake.

Dry cocoa is not a lesser choice; it produces deep, rich cakes and brownies, and I often prefer it to solid squares or bars of baking chocolate. (Like chocolate in other forms, it can be high or low quality; it’s worth seeking out the good stuff, such as Bernard Callebaut or Ghirardelli.) One of the simplest things you can do with a good bar or bag of chocolate is make ganache – soft for pouring over a cake or ice cream, or firm for rolling into truffles.

Ganache Heat 1 c. heavy cream, then add 9 oz.-18 oz. chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute or two.

Whisk until smooth and use it warm or chill it to roll later.

To flavour your ganache for truffles, try adding a pinch of espresso powder or some Bailey’s. Or, first, steep the cream with slices of fresh ginger, strips of orange zest or Earl Grey tea leaves, then strain it before adding the chocolate.

recipe photos by Julie Van Rosendaal

your local cheesecake specialists.

one ingredient

Drinking Chocolate Thick, rich drinking chocolate makes a perfect alternative to coffee for those who prefer a more indulgent dunk for their biscotti and doughnuts.

1/4 c. sugar 1/4 c. cocoa 2 c. 2% milk 1 c. half & half 1/4 - 1/2 c. chopped dark chocolate pinch salt

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cocoa to get rid of any lumps. Set over medium-high heat and whisk in the milk and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking well. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and salt; let stand for a minute, then whisk until smooth. Serve warm. Serves 4.

Chocolate Angelica Cookies The famous Tacofino taco truck in Tofino is known for its warm and spicy Chocolate Diablo cookie; I omitted the chile peppers but kept the ginger, naming the cookies Angelica. (If you’re a real ginger fan, try adding chunks of candied ginger to the dough, too.) To make the traditional Chocolate Diablo cookies, add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients – and don’t forget the good-quality cocoa.

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1 c. cocoa 1 t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon (optional) 1/4 t. salt 1 c. chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks (optional)

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2 large eggs 1 c. sugar 1 c. packed brown sugar 1/2 c. canola oil

home of the wor wonton

home of the wor wonton

2 T. grated fresh ginger 1 T. vanilla Maldon salt or coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, stir or whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon (if using) and salt.

If you like, toss in the chocolate chips.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, oil, ginger and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and stir (you may need to get in there with your hands) until you have a stiff, dark dough.

Scoop out the dough by the 1/4 cupful and place the scoops a couple of inches apart on a greased or parchment-lined sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt or sugar, if you like, and press down on each slightly with your hand, making a small patty. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cracked and set but still soft in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 1 dozen big cookies. continued on page 22 CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

21

one ingredient chocolate continued from page 21

Chocolate Blocks 1 lb. (454 g.) dark or milk chocolate, melted 1 c. chopped, toasted nuts, dried fruit, seeds, broken pretzels, or anything that goes well with chocolate

Chocolate blocks make use of any kind of chocolate. This recipe is a great cupboard cleaner – tip anything from pumpkin seeds to dried apricots to broken salted pretzels into the melted chocolate, spread into an 8”x8”pan, cool and cut into blocks. They look pretty enough to serve at the end of a dinner party, with port or cappuccino.

contemporary interactive cuisine

403.228.9830

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

Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Cake with Soft Truffle Ganache Years ago, Edmonton chef Brad Smoliak served me a dense wedge of chocolate cake topped with a scoop of soft ganache; it wasn’t quite frosting, wasn’t quite truffle, but you got a forkful with every bite. It was divine, and I’ve always thought it would make a fine pairing with a sunken flourless chocolate cake.

1/2 c. butter

A hit of espresso in these pots de crème will intensify and deepen the chocolate flavour. If you like, top with berries or serve with a dollop of whipped cream to which you’ve added another generous pinch of espresso powder, along with some sugar.

1/4 c. sugar

2 c. whipping cream

3 large eggs

4 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 c. cocoa

1 t. instant espresso or coffee powder

truffle ganache (recipe on previous page)

6 large egg yolks

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar; pour into a medium bowl and set aside for a few minutes to cool a bit. Whisk in the eggs, then sift the cocoa overtop and stir until well blended.

3 T. sugar

Pour the batter into an 8-inch round pan that’s been greased and lined with a circle of parchment. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top has formed a thin crust. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate, peel off the parchment and then gently flip back over. Serve in wedges, with a scoop of soft ganache or fresh berries and whipped cream. Serves 8-12.

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. When the chocolate mixture has cooled a bit, whisk it in. Divide the custard among the cups, then pour warm water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the custards are set but still just slightly jiggly in the middle. Cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours, or until well chilled.

Serves 6.

4 oz. good-quality bittersweet chocolate

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22

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Chocolate Pots de Crème

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Arrange six 3/4-cup ramekins in a roasting or 9×13-inch pan. In a saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it’s steaming; remove from the heat and add the chocolate and espresso powder. Let sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth.

Fine Wine Store

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exquisite holiday gifts

Thursday November 27, 2014 6:30 to 8:30pm • $55 Cava, Champagne, Cremants and other bubbles of the world will tickle our palates, along with some light finger-foods for the noshing.

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Give the gift of “ahhh” This holiday season, put some spa under the tree.

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Gift certificates are available online

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106 Crowfoot Terrace NW | Calgary, AB | 403.547.9558

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

23

feeding people

Jennifer Norfolk

Stickies

What dessert could be more perfect for long, dark nights as we face the shortest days of the year? Soft-crumbed cake baked in its own sauce, easy enough to whip up at the last minute but looking like it took much more effort.

My family rarely went without dessert (okay, we never went without dessert) and if my mom didn’t have anything special planned we invariably ate some kind of pudding, the fave of these being what we called brownie pudding. I’ve never been certain if that’s the official name of this dessert, but it should be. The thick cocoa batter magically separates into two equally delicious parts: tender chocolate cake floating serenely in a thick, fudgey, chocolate sauce.

I suppose it could have been fancied up a bit with cream poured over top, or if we really wanted to be decadent, vanilla ice cream, but that wasn’t the point. Brownie pudding had a breathless, flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants quality to it. You made it because you wanted something warm and sweet for afters but you forgot when you were fussing with the roast and veg. So you opened the cupboard and whisked everything together to bake in the oven while everyone ate dinner. Then, cake for dessert with sauce – and it’s only Monday night – mom is on fire!

I’ve been tempted by grander desserts over the years and still enjoy the challenge of perfecting my pastry technique. New flavours enchant me, and the scent of spice makes me swoon. But no other dessert gives me the subversive thrill of making something from nothing than a sticky pudding. Batter – a slurry of sugar, flour and butter, perhaps an egg or two – is mixed and poured into the pan. Nothing in its appearance even hints at the magic to come.

The Better Homes and Gardens recipe my mom always makes – yum!

1 c. all-purpose flour 3/4 c. granulated sugar 2 T. cocoa

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At Crowfoot Macleod Trail Shawnessy and West Springs 24

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt

Lemon Pudding Cake From Deborah Madison’s The Savoury Way. Heavenly satisfaction.

3 T. unsalted butter 3/4 c. sugar grated zest of 2 lemons 4 eggs, separated

1/2 c. milk

1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 or 2 lemons)

2 T. vegetable oil

3 T. flour

1 t. vanilla

1 c. milk or light cream

1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

grating of nutmeg

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/8 t. salt

1/4 c. cocoa

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a kettle of water for the water bath.

1-1/2 cups boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. and lightly grease an 8 x 8 x 2-inch square pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, 2 T. cocoa, baking powder and salt. Combine the milk, oil and vanilla, and stir into the flour mixture until well mixed. Fold in the walnuts, if using. Spread into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, combine the brown sugar and 1/4 c. cocoa, then stir in the boiling water and mix well. Slowly pour this over the batter and place the pan in the oven.

Bake the pudding for 40 minutes. Allow it to cool for 45-60 minutes on a cooling rack. Serve warm spooned into bowls with the pudding from the bottom of the pan scooped on top. Serves 6.

Cream the butter and sugar together, then stir in the lemon zest and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, then add the flour, milk or cream and nutmeg.

In a clean bowl – make sure your whisk is free of fat so your egg whites will whip up – beat the egg whites with the salt until they form soft peaks (like the Dairy Queen curl). Fold this gently into the lemon batter. Pour the mixture into a 6-cup baking dish or individual ramekins.

Set the dish/ramekins in a large pan and add enough of the hot water to come halfway up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes for the ramekins and 40 minutes for the single dish. Serve the pudding warm or chilled. Serves 4 to 6.

photos by Jennifer Norfolk

Brownie Pudding

Pudding Chomeur

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Anything with maple syrup in it goes into my belly!

This is a recipe adapted from Canadian Living.

1/4 t. nutmeg

The Guardian’s Felicity Cloake writes a weekly food column, “How To Cook the Perfect…”

She does all the research and the reader gets all the benefit. Her Perfect Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe really is one of the best. It’s a little fussy to make but it’s definitely more-ish as the Brits like to say.

3/4 c. milk

For the sauce:

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/2 c. unsalted butter

For the sauce:

1/3 c. golden brown sugar

1-1/2 c. water

1/4 c. dark muscovado sugar (or dark brown or demerara sugar)

1 c. all-purpose flour 1/2 c. granulated sugar 4 t. baking powder

1 c. maple syrup

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2/3 c. double cream (I just use 36% butterfat whipping cream, but you could try Vital Greens Organic whipping cream that’s 52% butterfat)

2 T. butter, melted 1 t. cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and butter and pour over the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Spread the batter in a greased 8-inch square glass baking dish.

pinch of salt

To make the sauce, whisk together the water, maple syrup, butter and cornstarch. Pour this over the batter. Bake in the centre of the oven until golden and firm to the touch, 40-45 minutes. Serves 8.

1-1/4 c. boiling water

For the pudding: 1 c. medjool dates, stoned and roughly chopped 1 t. baking soda

savourfinefoods.com

1/8 c. unsalted butter, softened 1/3 c. golden brown sugar 1/3 c. dark muscovado sugar (or dark brown or demerara sugar) 2 eggs, beaten 1 c. + 2 T. flour 1 t. baking powder pinch of ground cloves pinch of salt 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a baking dish, about 9 inches square.

Pud Chomeur

Make the sauce by putting all the ingredients into a pan and heating them slowly until the butter has melted, then turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Boil for about 4 minutes, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour half the sauce into the base of the baking dish and then put it in the freezer while you make the rest of the pudding.

Put the dates and baking soda in a heatproof dish and cover with the boiling water.

Leave to soften while you prepare the rest of the pudding.

Brownie Pud

Beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy, then beat in the eggs, a little at a time. Stir in the flour, baking powder, cloves and salt until well combined, then add the dates and their soaking water plus the walnuts. Mix well.

Take the dish out of the freezer and pour the batter on top of the toffee sauce. Put the pudding into the oven for 30 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven.

Heat the broiler. Poke a few small holes evenly over the surface of the pudding with a skewer or fork, then pour over the rest of the sauce. Put briefly under the broiler, keeping an eye on it as it can easily burn.

Serve with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6.

Jennifer Norfolk is Brûlée Patisserie.

Sticky Toffee Pud

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

25

well matched

I found a taste of Paris at Ratatouille Bistro

onionthyme

apple garlic peppercorn butter brie

Caramelized Onion Soup with Melting Brie Croutons This comforting onion soup, accented with apple cider, captures the essence of fall. A melting brie crouton soaks up the delicious broth.

3 thyme sprigs 2 bay leaves 3 garlic cloves, peeled

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

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12 peppercorns 1/4 c. butter 1/4 c. olive oil 6 yellow onions, sliced very thin 1 T. sugar 2 t. flour

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1 c. apple cider 4 c. chicken stock salt and pepper to taste sherry vinegar to taste (about 2 t.)

8 baguette slices, toasted 2 T. melted butter 8 brie slices

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26

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Pair this dish with:

To make the sachet, cut a piece of cheesecloth into a small square and fold it around the thyme, bay leaves, garlic cloves, and peppercorns. Tie the cheesecloth with some butcher’s twine, creating a little package of herbs to infuse into the broth.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the olive oil and let it heat up, then add the onions. Gently cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they start to caramelize – this can take up to 30 minutes. Add the sugar – it expedites the caramelizing process. Increase the heat slightly, scrape the bottom and get into the corners of the pot, stirring the onions constantly until they caramelize to a deep rich brown.

When the onions are nicely caramelized, add the flour and stir in thoroughly. Deglaze the pan with apple cider, scraping all the tasty browned bits off the bottom. Add the stock and sachet, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the soup 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove the sachet and discard it. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and sherry vinegar.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the toasted baguette croutons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush each crouton with butter and top with a slice of brie. Bake in the oven until the brie is melted and very hot, about 8-10 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into 8 bowls and top with a crouton. Serves 8.

Eric Bordelet, Brut Tendre, Sidre (Normandy, France) $22 Since this recipe calls for a cup of apple cider in the stock, it makes sense to have a glass of cider with the soup. Vibrant, fizzy apple cider elevates the subtly herbaceous, cheese topped, caramelized onion soup. This cider, from Normandy, is a sparkling, complex, organic cider made from heirloom apples.

It has a delicate fizz, rich golden colour, tangy, ripe, red-fruit aroma and delicious flavours of sweet, crisp apple that border on slightly saline.

Michel Jodoin, Cidre, Rosé Mousseux (Quebec) $25 The Geneva Crab, a rare, extremely tart, red-fleshed apple variety from Ottawa, gives this coral-coloured sparkling cider its appealing aromas of fall foliage, wild cranberries and hibiscus petals. Tart, juicy and medium bodied, notes of raspberry leaf tea, red apple skin and goji berries leave a lingering, bittersweet finish. Its edgy, vivacious character balances and complements the lusciously sweet flavours of the onion soup and melted brie crouton.

recipes by Jenni Neidhart, wine pairings by Karen Ralph, Metrovino

Made-in-heaven food and wine pairings

blue cheese

walnut

gruyère

sea salt mustard

Blue Cheese and Walnut Gougères These savoury little bites of cheesiness are the perfect way to start a dinner party.

Easy to make in advance, just reheat before serving. I usually serve them in a big bowl, piled high.

1/2 c. unsalted butter 1 c. cold water 1 c. all-purpose flour pinch sea salt 1 t. mustard powder 4 eggs 3/4 c. grated gruyère cheese 1/4 c. blue cheese, crumbled 1/3 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

Pair this dish with:

In a saucepan, bring the butter and water to a boil, then add the flour and salt, followed by the mustard powder. Mix well. Continuously stir and cook over medium heat until a ball forms and pulls smoothly from the walls of the pot, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs very well, one at a time.

Stir in the gruyère cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a piping bag and make toonie-coin-sized circles on the parchment. Sprinkle blue cheese and walnuts in the center of each circle. Bake for about 20 minutes – no peeking! To test for doneness, pull a gougère apart; the exterior should be crisp, with a centre core that is still soft to the bite.

Makes 40 gougères.

Clos Thou, Cuvée Julie, 2012 (Jurançon, France) $30 Sweet wine is a natural to pair with blue cheese and walnuts, even better when they are mixed into pastry. The vines are grown on steep slopes by the foothills of the Pyrenees and are hand-picked well into the fall for a full expression of botrytis-affected grapes, resulting in an elegant, sweet, feisty wine with floral and honey aromas and flavours of citrus fruit, honey and pineapple.

Domaine Rolet Arbois Aquarelle Rosé, 2013 (Jura, France) $20 When it comes to wine with blue cheese and walnuts baked into a delicious gougère, you can’t go wrong with a Jura rosé. Located in northeastern France, the Jura is home to Comté, Morbier, Bleu de Gex and Emmental, to name just a few wellloved cheeses. Rolet’s salmon-coloured wine is made with 100 percent poulsard, a grape variety indigenous to the Jura. Dry and medium bodied, it has fresh aromas and flavours of wild strawberries, pomegranates, wild flowers and minerals.

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

27

the sunday project

with Tilly Sanchez-Turri

Making panettone

Traditional Italian Grocer

I have asked myself why I bother making panettone when Italian markets are filled with dozens of beautifully wrapped artisanal offerings each holiday season. The truth is, I felt compelled to make my own when I couldn’t find one that contained the fruits and nuts I enjoyed. You might say I’m particular, but this dissatisfaction started a quest that not only taught me a lot about the art and science of bread making, it increased my fascination with one of nature’s powerhouses: yeast.

Panettone is a traditional Italian bread hailing from Milan.

Typically made during the Christmas season, my mother, a native of Tuscany, made it for our family when the spirit moved her and I have followed in her footsteps. Making panettone from scratch may seem daunting, as many recipes span the better part of three days, but I’ve tested 11 different panettone recipes and am giving you the benefit of all my trials, errors and successes.

Est. 1963

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Three generations of service and quality

I’ve adapted this recipe from King Arthur Flour, The Baking Sheet Newsletter, December 1991. I’ve found that it consistently produces the desired look, airy texture and flavour of traditional panettone in a more palatable time frame.

I hope you enjoy a slice by the fireplace with a little sweet wine and a dab of mascarpone cream on top. Maybe if you leave a slice for Babbo Natale (Italy’s Father Christmas), you’ll receive better gifts this year!

My mother used to say a good slice of panettone can undo a lot of wrongs. I hope all the wrongs I’ve tested make everything right as you work your way through this Italian classic. You can find panettone moulds at Brûlée Patisserie and vanilla paste and orange oil at specialty food stores, candied chestnuts at Italian markets.

Overnight Panettone Biga or “Mother” (Overnight Starter) 3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour 1/8 t. instant yeast 1/3 c. warm water

Stir the biga ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. The biga should be somewhat dry and stiff. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest overnight for 8 to 12 hours. As the foundation of your dough, the biga adds complexity to the panettone’s flavour and is essential in creating the light, airy texture this sweet bread is known for. The biga will also help preserve your bread, extending its shelf life.

Dough all of the biga 2-1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 c. water 2 large eggs 1/4 c. unsalted butter 1-1/4 t. salt 1 t. vanilla paste, or liquid vanilla 1/8 t. orange oil 1-1/2 T. instant yeast 1/3 c. sugar 2 paper panettone moulds and 4 bamboo skewers

Have ready but set aside in a bowl: 1/2 c. EACH candied chestnuts, slivered prunes, dried tart red cherries or cranberries and dried pineapple, chopped zest from a large orange or lemon

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Mix together all the dough ingredients – except the dried fruit and zest – and knead them by hand, mixer or bread machine until you’ve made a soft, smooth dough. You’ll know when the dough is ready by its elasticity and almost silky appearance. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until it’s puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).

Carefully poke 2 greased bamboo skewers horizontally on opposite sides of the bottom of each of the 2 paper panettone moulds. Place the moulds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.

Gently deflate the risen dough and cut it in half. Add half of the fruit and zest mix to each portion of dough so it’s dispersed throughout, then shape each piece of dough into a ball. Place each ball into one of the ungreased panettone moulds. Cover each with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let the dough rise until just crested over the rim of the mould, about 1 hour. Half an hour before the dough has fully risen, preheat the oven to 400°F. You can brush the top of the panettone with milk and sprinkle it with sugar or almonds. Most bakers simply make an X on top with a sharp knife blade and place a small pat of butter in it.

Bake the bread for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375° and bake an additional 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and bake another 20 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil if the crust appears to be browning too quickly.

Remove the panettone from the oven and invert it into a stockpot or other large pot to cool – that’s what the bamboo skewers are all about. This helps prevent the panettone from collapsing. The panettone needs to cool for a minimum of three hours before it’s ready to cut into. Makes two 6-inch panettone rounds.

Buon Appetito!

photos by Tilly Sanchez-Turri

1. The biga rests overnight.

2. After resting overnight, the biga is bubbly and has a wispy structure.

3. Dried fruit and zest.

4. The dough is ready to rise.

5. The risen dough, panettone moulds, dried fruit and zest, ready to go.

6. Dough divided into panettone moulds.

7. Decorate the panettone.

8. When baked, invert to cool.

9. Cool at least 3 hours before cutting into.

10. Buon Appetito!

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

29

The Twelve days of a foodie’s

by Karen Anderson

Chances are that if you’re holding a copy of City Palate you are a food lover. New ingredients, gadgets and gourmet goodies inspire you. Never a Scrooge, you drift off to sleep with happy thoughts of Christmases past, present and future filling your dreams. With any luck your true love will shower you with the gifts and goodies you’re dreaming of.

Just in case he or she needs a little help, here’s a new version of The Twelve Days of Christmas – in the form of a fantasy shopping list – that could prove indispensible in satisfying your neverending appetite for more fun with food.

You’ll remember, the original list of gifts goes like this…

A partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, three french hens, four calling birds, five golden rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking, nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping, twelve drummers drumming.

City Palate’s Twelve Days of Christmas goes like this…

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE

A cherry pitter and a cherry tree We are entering the depths of winter but The Saskatoon Farm in DeWinton has an online catalogue that’s a virtual fruit bowl overflowing with prairie-hardy fruit trees. Pick one of the cherry trees, place your order, attach a photo to a cherry pitter – Lina’s Italian Market has a great one by OXO – wrap it up with a bow and dream of a summer filled with pies. Prairie hardy cherries like Carmine Jewel, Valentine and Juliet were developed at the University of Saskatchewan and are Calgary hardy.

OXO cherry pitter, $12.99, Lina’s Italian Market Prairie hardy cherry trees, $18, The Saskatoon Farm online catalogue, saskatoonfarm.com

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

TWO TURTLE DOVES

Two clever cubes Turtle Doves are so last century.

It’s way more fun to get a toy at Christmas – and the Rice Cube and its progeny, the Dumpling Cube, are to cooks what Lego is to kids. Australian cook Ross Patten invented the cubes to “wow” the judging panel of a Masterchef competition he entered. The rice cubes fold and press rice, polenta, grains or falafel into beautifully presented cubes. The dumpling cube makes samosa wrapping, perogy pinching and wonton dumpling filling a breeze.

Who knows, you might even be inspired to cube your next rice crispie treats or peanut butter balls. It’ll be Christmas cubed.

Rice Cube, $19.95 and Dumpling Cube, $24.95, Savour Fine Foods and Kitchenware

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Christmas On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

THREE FRENCH HENS

Three Fancy Cheese Partners Stock up on cheese for the holidays and stuff your food lover’s stocking with this trio of jams and jellies made from scratch by chef Marcus Purtzki in the production kitchen at Janice Beaton Fine Cheese. The Pear Vanilla Jelly comes alive when supported by the soft notes of brie, camembert and young goudas. The Tomato Chili Jam slides onto grilled cheese to add pizzazz. The Apple Rosemary Jelly is cosy with meats, terrines and cheddars of every sort.

You’re sure to receive compliments on your condiments with these three wise things.

Janice Beaton Fine Cheese condiments, $8.99 each; Trio of jellies in a wooden gift box, $26.99

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

FOUR CALLING BIRDS

Calling FOR the bird Your true love can give you the gift of time – by calling River Café and placing this order. Executive chef Andrew Winfield and his team of chefs will have a Winter’s Turkey brined, trussed and ready to pop in the oven. A bevy of delish accompaniments need only be heated. Expect local flavours like Brussels Sprout Leaves with Squash, Cipollini Onion and Wild Boar Pancetta, Miso-Glazed Beck Farm Carrots with Brown Sugar and Chives, Poplar Bluff Roasted Beet Salad with Blood Orange and Minted Feta, Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, Apple and Cranberry Relish, Traditional Pan Gravy with Fresh Sage, Taber Corn, Wild Rice and Quinoa Bread Stuffing and Broxburn Farm Sugar Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding to finish. River Café provides this service just before it closes for its annual January hibernation. A good turkey dinner makes us all want to do that.

River Café turkey dinner to go, starting from $425/8 -10 people, (403-261-7670)

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

FIVE GOLDEN RINGS

Five golden bars Gold Rings are fine, but golden bars of candy brittle made by a Calgary company called Sweet are much tastier.

Owner Dannah Davies handcrafts these gluten-free classics from a family recipe. Stuff stockings with five of these golden bars and you’ll only pay the price of four. Favourites include Chai Peanut, Nut-Free Coconut, Smoky Bacon, Classic Old English, and Cinnamon Almond.

Candy Brittle by Sweet, $5/56g bar or 5 bars/$20, Calgary Farmers’ Market

continued on page 32 CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

31

The Twelve days of a foodie’s Christmas continued from page 31

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

SIX GEESE A-LAYING

...a fine, festive table If your true love has always wanted a special set of holiday dishes, Crate and Barrel have some that are splurge-worthy.

You can even secure that elusive partridge in a pear tree with designs from Carly Dodsley.

Dodsley’s workshop is located in the Royal Stafford ceramics factory in the area of England known as The Potteries. She takes inspiration from Britain’s heritage in kiln-fired ceramics and aims for functional, durable, decorative designs. She’s helping to keep those home kiln fires burning.

Red Bird, Partridge and Pear, and Peacock Plates, $14.95, Crate and Barrel

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

SEVEN SWANS A-SWIMMING

...in a tub of fizzy water from a SodaStream beverage station Actually, skip the swans and get a Penguin. The average family disposes of 2,000 cans and bottles each year and this SodaStream Penguin beverage carbonation unit can stop that. The Penguin comes with two glass decanters that will look as lovely on your table as the unit does on your counter. You can control how bubbly your water turns out as you carbonate, and you can buy flavour packs – the SodaStream web site has recipes like this one...

Spiced Orange and Cranberry Punch: combine 6 oz. Amaro Nonino Quintessentia Liqueur, 1 oz. Campari, 6 oz. orange juice, 2 oz. fresh lemon juice, 6 oz. SodaStream with Cranberry flavour and ice in a punch bowl. Stir and serve garnished with a sprig of rosemary, stick of cinnamon and slice of orange.

Penguin beverage station with CO2 canister and 2 glass decanters, $299, sodastream.ca

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

EIGHT MAIDS A-MILKING

...through 7 years of molecular gastronomy Forget the toys in the Sears catalogue of your youth because 2014 brought in a new kind of catalogue filled with toys for food lovers. Ferran Adrià – the world’s most famous molecular gastronomy chef at his restaurant El Bulli.

Since closing the doors in 2011, his team has been cataloguing how to make his food in El Bulli 2005 - 2011 – seven volumes of books that weigh in at 40 lbs. and contain 2720 pages, 1400 photos and detailed descriptions. Evidence of the lasting impact of El Bulli is affirmed when you are able to find pre-made balsamic “pearls” – one of Adrià’s most famous inventions – in little jars by Belazu. Place them on a slice of fior de latte with a sprig of basil and you’ll taste what all the fuss is about.

Pending a budgetary review, you might want to buy the book, the balsamic pearls or both.

Belazu balsamic pearls, $19.95/55g, El Bulli 2005 - 2011, 7 volume set, $625, The Cookbook Co. Cooks continued on page 34

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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33

The Twelve days of a foodie’s Christmas continued from page 32

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

NINE LADIES DANCING

...the bee waggle dance People who like honey know it’s all about the bees. Eliese Watson, founder of Apiaries and Bees for Communities, is definitely all about the bees. Each winter, when her hives are tucked away in a selfsustaining cluster, Watson offers level one beekeeping certificate courses around Alberta. We have more than 400 backyard beehives in Calgary, thanks to this bright young woman’s efforts. The 16-hour intensive program includes lunch, snacks, textbook and topics like swarms, queen rearing and honey harvesting. If your food lover’s inner Pooh Bear has been waiting to come out of hibernation, then this gift will surely have him buzzing about on Christmas morning.

Apiaries and Bees for Communities Level One Beekeeping, $300, backyardbees.ca

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

TEN LORDS A-LEAPING

...over pewter candelabras Pewter requires little or no care. It’s been around for 3,000 years and is a lead-free alloy of tin, copper and antimony. Match Pewter objects, made in Northern Italy, are signed by the artists who handcraft them. Calgary’s Rubaiyat has an extensive collection of Match that are sure to become family heirlooms. Add a few tapered candles and this may be the gift that softly lights your family’s life for generations.

Match 4-flame candelabra, $895, Rubaiyat

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING

...in a new barrel of scotch The gift of a membership in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is an opportunity to experience greatness – in whisky that is. The SMWS has 27,000 members in 17 countries that enjoy exclusive access to single cask, single malt whisky from 132 distilleries in Scotland and elsewhere.

New members receive a membership pack with three sample whiskies, access to the club’s venues in Leith, Edinburgh and London, special pricing at partner bars – Brasserie Kensington is the only one in Alberta – as well as the society magazine, Unfiltered. Most importantly, new casks will only ever yield a few hundred bottles and these are announced in the Society’s listing, Outturn, each month for members’ exclusive purchase. While some members of the family might get a wee dramatic over the holidays, your whisky lover will get a wee dram instead.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society membership, $230 initially, $120 renewal/year, Kensington Wine Market And... Christmas can start early for those who get Kensington Wine Market’s Whisky Advent Calendar.

Throughout December, whisky lovers get to open a little door each day in the specially designed box where they’ll find a 50ml dram of fine whisky to be savoured in a special Glencairn glass.

The calendar is $359.99 while supplies last.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING

...on the door... because they know you’re getting a new Cavavin wine fridge The size of this 16-bottle unit might surprise, but it’s perfect for those who are into minimalism.

Empty nesters and non-hoarding disciplined types will love this countertop cutie; it’s silent, good-looking and dependable, and that’s not just the wine talking.

Cavavin Cava countertop wine fridge, $299, Jerome’s Appliance Gallery ✤

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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35

AN

MENU

Each year at this time, we check in with one of our talented chefs or foodie friends for entertaining food to celebrate the holiday season. This year, Japanese knife guru, Kevin Kent, of Knifewear in Inglewood shares his favourite, cutting edge menu.

MENU: COCKTAIL HOUR OYSTERS AND GIN THE FUTURE OF SALADS WITH GRAPEFRUIT AND FENNEL PAUL SIMON’S ROCK CHICKEN WITH BUTTERY CARROTS AND MASHED POTATOES LEMON POSSET FOR THE WIN Serves 6.

Cocktail Hour Oysters and Gin

The Future of Salads with Grapefruit and Fennel

Oysters are as welcome a start to a meal as is a stiff cocktail. Why not combine them? This is a super easy recipe.

This is more of an assemblage than a recipe.

I’ve been told that in Greece you add the olive oil to the salad bowl before adding the vegetables. There is enough oil in the bowl that when you drop an olive in, it makes a splash. That’s a lot of oil. I like to think that you want the leaves to just glisten with oil, like the suntan-lotioned shoulder of a member of the preferred sex. In other words, not greasy, just a bit slippery.

2 oz. gin 4 oz. tonic 1 lime 1 freezer 24 fresh oysters in the shell

Make a couple of stiff gin and tonics in one glass, no ice. I like to use Eau Claire Distillery’s Parlour Gin, made in Turner Valley, or Kent of Inglewood Gentleman’s Gin, if you can find it!

Squeeze the lime juice into the glass. For tonic, use Porter’s, made here in Calgary.

To turn the cocktail into ice, put the glass in the freezer and remember to stir it every 11 minutes.

It will start to turn slushy and then into ice crystals. Taste them, they taste great. It won’t freeze solid because of the high booze content, but that’s OK. Shuck some nice fresh oysters with your oyster shucker, then grab the gin ice from the fridge at the very last moment and hit the oysters with 1/2 teaspoon of the ice. Have your guests pop them down the hatch along with their gin and tonics.

1 head green leaf lettuce or some other leafy lettuce 1 fennel bulb 2 grapefruits splash of really tasty olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Wash, dry and chop or tear your lettuce into your favourite salad bowl.

I like this salad because you get to slice fennel – one of the most under-used vegetables in Canada – super thin with a really sharp knife, like maybe a Nakiri made by Masashi-san. Have you sliced fennel before? If not, it’s easy. First trim off the branches. Second, slice the bulb in half from top to bottom. Now, flop it on the cutting board, cutside-down, and start slicing as thin as you can against the fibres – and I mean thin, like papery.

Add the fennel to the salad bowl.

Now, you need to make grapefruit segments.

I have no idea how to explain this, but you will need to get all the membrane off the grapefruit.

Okay, I’ll try to explain.

Slice off each end of the graperfruit, maybe with that Konosuke Sakura 5” paring knife you have (or want), then place the end side of the grapefruit on the cutting board and slice off the sides to remove the skin and the pithy part. You will be left with the bits in-between with the membrane holding it all together. Look at the membrane and cut – with that great knife you have – on either side of the “skin” between the segments so that you separate the membrane of the fruit from the segments. Add the segments to your salad bowl then squeeze the membrane to release all the juice into the bowl.

Now, here’s the fun part – splash a bit of olive oil on the salad greens, fennel and grapefruit.

Just enough for a glisten. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss your salad and give it a taste. Add more oil or salt and pepper if needed. You should have a fresh, tasty salad.

36 CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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

Paul Simon’s Rock Chicken with Buttery Carrots and Mashed Potaoes Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme was about cooking chicken, not some small town fair. Now you know. Did I mention you get to open dinner at the table with an axe or a hammer? How much fun is that?

5 lbs. all-purpose flour 6 c. cold water 1 5-lb. fresh chicken

Buttery Carrots It’s true that everyone loves carrots and everyone loves butter. I love this recipe because I get to cut lots of carrots into thin little coins and that’s fun for me.

1/2 stick of butter (1/4 c.)

1-1/2 lbs. carrots

If the carrots have nice fresh skins, don’t bother peeling them. But if they need peeling you’d better do it or your aunt (you know the one I’m talking about) will tut-tut about it.

1 bunch EACH fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the flour into a bowl and gradually add the cold water, stirring continuously, until combined. Then, use your hands to knead the dough until soft and stretchy. Set aside and let rest for 20 minutes.

Grab your chicken from the fridge and stick the herbs into the cavity. Nothing tricky, just stick them in. Salt and pepper the skin – a bit more than you would usually do is probably a good idea. Tuck the wing tips under the wings of the bird so they don’t poke out.

When the dough is rested, roll it out to an oval about 16 inches across. Plop the chicken onto the middle of the oval and bring the dough up around the sides. Make a seam across the top of the bird to completely enclose it. Now you have a nicely wrapped chicken. Make sure the dough is sealed and covers all parts of the chicken. It will look like a giant gyoza.

Carefully place the “giant gyoza” in a roasting pan and pop it into the hot oven. Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes. For a 5-lb. bird, this is the magic amount of time to have a lovely, perfectly cooked bird at this oven temperature.

Remove from the oven and set the chicken in the roasting pan aside for a 30-minute rest. The bird will finish cooking during this time, and it gives you time to finish the rest of the cooking or to have another cocktail. Or both.

Here’s the fun part. Grab your favourite sharp kitchen knife. I like a 10-inch Gyuto knife made by Fujiwara-san. Slice all of the carrots into thin slices. As thin as you can. See? Fun… and a bit scary maybe.

Grab a heavy-bottomed pot and drop the butter in to melt on low heat. Now, add the carrots to the pan and put the lid on. Stir every 7 minutes.

The carrots will cook gently in the massive amount of butter and soak up some of the butter. Test them every time you stir; it may take 15-30 minutes to finish cooking, depending on how low the heat is. You will know the carrots are done when they are soft. They will have a buttery carroty sauce too. These really are a massive improvement on boring boiled carrots.

You can make them ahead of time and keep in a warm place.

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Mashed Potatoes Peel and cut enough large potatoes to feed your guests, then peel and cut two more for insurance – you don’t want to run out of mash.

Put the potatoes in a heavy-bottomed pot and cover with water. Add enough salt so the water tastes slightly of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until the potatoes are soft. You do not want al dente potatoes. Soft. Then strain them and let them dry in the strainer for 4 minutes.

Mash with plenty of butter and milk. Yum.

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Lemon Posset for the Win When you’re ready to eat, bring the parcel to the table in the roasting pan and bring a small axe or hammer, too.

Use the axe or hammer to gently crack open the “rock” to reveal a wonderfully moist chicken inside. Once opened, carve the chicken as if it was a turkey.

This is one of the easiest desserts going. It is also one of the tastiest. Don’t be fooled by the simple ingredient list, the taste is way more than the sum of its parts.

3/4 c. whipping cream 1-1/4 c. white sugar 3 lemons, juiced 3 T. additional whipping cream for topping

A 6-inch utility knife is perfect for carving chicken. The one I use is a Masakage Kiri, hand-hammered by Kato-san of Takefu Village in Japan.

Serve with buttery carrots and your favourite mashed potato recipe. Put them both in fancy bowls to feel festive. My mother-in-law has a great bowl from the ‘30s that I like for carrots.

In an appropriately sized saucepan, bring the cream and sugar to a boil. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the lemon juice. Pour into 6 serving glasses and refrigerate until set, about 5 hours. Pour a little more cream over the top, just before serving.

(It’s like magic the way the lemon juice sets the cream. Kitchen mysteries!) ✤

Corporate Events – Weddings – Birthdays – Catering 403-455-2244 www.bundtz.com CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

37

IT’S YOUR party

by Karen Ralph

YOU CAN CRY if you want to,

Hosting a memorable soirée is no easy feat. Regardless of whether you choose to do it yourself or hire professionals, strategy, planning and organization will help you avoid excess stress, drama and tears. You want to enjoy your guests, not have a meltdown in the kitchen because the cheese is cold, the wine is warm and you’re wondering if you should just cook the beef tartare.

Inviting people into your home is one of the oldest forms of shared community, and you want them to be comfortable. Your house doesn’t have to be spotless but there’s nothing wrong with hiding excess clutter in the closet. Keep your pets out of the way. Cats and dogs can sense who is allergic or afraid of them and will make a beeline for that person. There’s something about a roomful of people that can make even the calmest pet act out of character: our ancient cat jumped on the table during a dinner party and ran the length of it, narrowly avoiding plates and candles.

Misbehaving pets and major allergic reactions are the kind of excitement you don’t need. It’s always a good idea to ask about food aversions and allergies, and take them seriously. Nothing ruins a party faster than having someone leave in an ambulance.

Plan a menu that falls within your cooking capabilities, won’t traumatize your guests, and falls within your budget – delusions of grandeur can be expensive.

Unless you are a confident, skillful cook and have a house full of culinary adventurers, making a dish for the first time on party night is tempting fate. There are enough things to worry you, and untested recipe shouldn’t be one of them.

Wrong cooking times and temperatures will delay dinner and result in guests who are sloshed and starving by the time everything is cooked, sometime around midnight. The possibility of failure reinforces the need to double-check recipes, ingredient amounts and cooking times and temperatures. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s possible to ruin great ingredients through inexperience.

Do as much the day before as possible, such as marinating meats and making sauces and dips. On party day, set your table, take the cheeses out of the fridge and chill your wines a few hours in advance to avoid forgetting about that essential part of dining. If anyone shows up early, it looks like you’re prepared.

Expert advice will help make your life a lot easier. Ask your local caviste (wine monger), butcher and specialty food store to help you find interesting, delicious wines and menu ideas that are within your budget, be it canapés for 50, a sitdown dinner for six or anything in between. Most wine stores will deliver for a small charge. The convenience is well worth it.

When matching food and wine, consider the basic food flavours of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami, a savoury component that adds depth of flavour. Pair your wine to the sauce, or, if there’s no sauce, to the main ingredient. The goal is for the wine to make the food taste better, and the food to elevate the wine.

There are no strict rules, but as a rule of thumb, choose wines that are a similar weight to the food.

It’s always a good idea to have a few well-priced, quaffable bottles on hand for those times when the party keeps going and you’re tempted to open up a big, raging, tannic red wine that isn’t quite ready for polite company.

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

BUT WITH SOME PLANNING, Wines have acids and tannins, which enable them to age. Tannins are a polyphenol found in black tea, red wines, white wines that have been aged in oak, dark chocolate, walnuts, grape skins, stems and leaves, and green bananas, to name a few sources. They are mouth drying, astringent and slightly bitter. Some wines like nebbiolo and cabernet sauvignon can be more tannic then others, and this can be a good thing – the tannins give the wines structure and backbone. But drinking young wines that need to age can be unpleasant, the tannins will make your tongue feel like a dry stick and the acids can be searingly painful.

If you open a young, intense red wine, like a barolo, bordeaux, or cabernet sauvignon, decant it. This allows air to work its magic on the wine and help it to relax and open up, releasing more flavours and aromas than if it was poured immediately after opening. Serve these big red wines with a well-marbled steak, grilled, roasted or braised red meats, eggplant parmigiano, balsamic-roasted vegetables, charcuterie, sausages, olives, and salty, granular cheeses like Grana Padano, aged Manchego, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The addition of a little finishing salt to the meat will also make the tannins feel softer and more supple. When serving a young tannic wine, fat and salt are your allies.

You aren’t limited to red wine with red meat. If you love white wine, a muscular, barrel-aged white Châteauneuf-du-Pape can easily hold its own against bold flavours of cooked red meat and wild game. White Châteauneuf-du-Pape is not inexpensive, but for the person who desires a glass of white wine with a red meat-based dish, they’re worth every cent.

If you’re serving red wine with fish, grilled pork or poultry, choose one that’s fruity, light, and has minimal tannins, like pinot noir, gamay, or the poulsard and trousseau grapes from France’s Jura. Thanks to soft tannins, these versatile wines are fantastic when served slightly chilled.

Vibrant, mouth-watering white wines like chablis, champagne, muscadet, sauvignon blanc, and dry Alsatian, and German rieslings, can easily be paired to dishes that accommodate a fresh squeeze of lemon – oysters, scallops, crab, prawns, octopus, and mussels. The racy, zippy nature of these white wines will also elevate fattier, oilier fare like grilled sardines, smoked salmon, herring, arctic char, charcuterie, egg dishes and grilled fowl.

Riesling is magical, and can take you from the start to the finish of a meal. A German spätlese riesling will do magical things with a spicy dish, thanks to its off-dry, mouth-watering, electric nature. Try serving it with spicy ribs, Asian foods, bacon, ham, blue cheese, foie gras, sushi, apple-cooked pork and lemon tarts.

Regionality and local custom are what makes a dish unique to its place of origin.

Simply put, “if it grows together, it goes together.” For example, chardonnay, one of the world’s most popular wines, is grown everywhere, including France’s Jura, which is home to cheeses like Comté, Morbier and Mont d’Or. This makes Jura chardonnay an especially good choice for these cheeses. You can still break out the lobster, and you can also include dishes featuring chicken or wild mushrooms in

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Sherry can turn your party into a Spanish tapas bar. There are several styles available in Calgary, from an elegant, 15- to 16-year-old dry sherry made with palomino grapes to sweet, complex, light and fresh sherry made from fat, ripe, moscatel grapes that smell like honey and marmalade.

Serve with a soft, young Manchego cheese, walnuts, anchovy-stuffed olives, Marcona almonds and fresh or dried figs.

It’s your party, and the world is your oyster. Use your local experts, trust your own taste, and be confident in your wine and food choices.

There’s no such thing as effortless entertaining, but with experience comes skill, wisdom and humility, so relax and enjoy yourself. You might not be a natural born kitchen enthusiast, but your guests will appreciate your efforts. Be especially nice to anyone who wants to help.

Perhaps most importantly, if something goes awry, maintain a sense of humour because sometimes gaffes are the most amusing and memorable thing about the night. Sit down with your friends, have a drink and something to eat. The ebb and flow of late night conversation and the gentle clink of glasses are deeply satisfying, and that is reason enough to wake up the next morning and start planning your next party. ✤ Karen Ralph works at Metrovino and is occasionally known as Red Wine Tongue. She is co-author of the recently published Calgary Cooks.

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The Aloha / Howdy Chef Exchange CALGARY CHEFS TRAVEL TO HAWAII TO COOK, TEACH AND COMPETE story and photos by Pierre Lamielle (and Candace Bergman)

Don’t you love it when a great plan comes together? That’s what happened when Charlene Kuahane, representing the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, came to Calgary and met CHARCUT Roast House co-chefs Connie DeSousa and John Jackson. Always open to learning about food, they agreed it would be fun to host a chef exchange with Maui’s Top Chef participant, Sheldon Simeon, and our very own Top Chef Canada alumni, Connie and me. Next, they toasted to building relationships, and the Aloha/Howdy exchange was named.

Calgary chefs teach butchery skills to Maui culinary students

Pierre Lamielle rolling pasta with a glass bottle, competing in Maui’s AGFest Cookoff.

Phase one of the Aloha/Howdy chef exchange brought Sheldon to Calgary to cook with Connie and John at CHARCUT where he learned about our local ingredients and cuisine influences north of the equator.

For phase two of the Aloha/Howdy exchange, Connie, John, Chopped Canada champs, Jessica Pelland and I, and a handful of writers and photographers to document the exchange, flew to Maui to Sheldon’s home turf.

We were fully immersed in this culinary adventure, which took us through the restaurants and kitchens of Maui chefs to the fields of local producers, and into the culinary classrooms of future island chefs and producers.

Collaboration dinner – porchetta with sea asparagus, bannock, radish and Brassica mustard prepared by CHARCUT

After checking into the luxe Grand Wailea hotel, we hunkered down in Sheldon’s kitchen at Migrant Maui restaurant for two days of prep for three events – a collaboration Grown on Maui dinner at the Maui Culinary Academy, a cooking demo for the academy’s students, and a cooking demo at AgFest, Maui’s agricultural festival. We quickly learned Maui kitchens are hot, but the walk-ins are cool. A typical Maui walkin fridge is virtually the opposite of ours. In Maui you’ll find huge boxes of local fresh fruit, ginger and fresh caught whole fish, but only small amounts of potatoes, carrots and beef.

At the Maui Culinary Campus, more than 100 of Maui’s close-knit community of farmers, food producers, culinary students, and local media personalities gathered in anticipation of the collaboration meal. The five local chefs and visiting chefs quickly fell into a friendly, familiar kitchen banter, trading techniques and stories with the culinary students, as they worked together to prepare the eight-course meal.

I prepared a bone marrow meatball with a pineapple ketchup, Jessica prepared pork crackling with kampchi ceviche and a citrus dressing, John and Connie butchered two pigs to prepare their main course of sausage-stuffed porchetta, served with delicate local veg and a Calgary-inspired bannock made from Highwood Crossing whole grain flour. Sheldon prepared a light version of kampachi inabraw, a grilled fish with broth, garden squash, tomato and pea shoots. Desserts followed, with many Maui ingredients, including a Surfing Goat cheese duo of pistachio panna cotta and a cheese-smothered chocolate sourdough bread with fresh berries.

We returned to the Culinary Academy the next day. Jessica and Connie demonstrated how to bone a pig head while John added to Connie’s advice to future chefs. “You must work hard to achieve your dreams, and don’t be afraid to show your passion and initiative to get ahead,” was what inspired Connie in her own experiences of working countless 16-hour days. I got to tell my story of how there are many other ways to live your passion in the food industry, such as writing, illustrating, and T-shirt making.

Calgary chefs prepare chicharrons with chef Sheldon Simeon.

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

continued on page 42

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The Aloha /Howdy Chef Exchange continued from page 40 Back at the Grand Wailea, we took our first opportunity for a quick dunk in the ocean before heading out on a restaurant tour.

First, we enjoyed the dramatic sizzle of sear-ityourself tuna on a hot lava stone, by chef Tylun Pang at the multi-culture inspired Ko in the Fairmont Kai Lani. Maui’s Chef of the Year, Isaac Bancaco, served a beautifully plated octopus salad with the island’s famous Surfing Goat cheese, at the Ka’ana in the Andaz Resort.

Finally, after working in Sheldon’s kitchen all week, we got to eat in his Migrant Maui restaurant. That’s where I devoured my three favourite dishes of the trip – a simple, fresh, shaved kula cabbage salad served warm with the drippings of a rib eye schmaltz (fat) dressing that he called Bottom of the Kalbi. Kalbi are Korean barbecued ribs that are traditionally served over a bed of cabbage. It was the fat-drenched cabbage under the ribs that Sheldon nostalgically loved to scavenge, so he put it on his “Come my house. Eat.” modern, local-cuisineinspired menu. I also had a braised and broiled tuna collar – literally, the meaty 2 ft. bowed bone from around the gill – that was a show stopper when it arrived at our table, and tonkatsu, a deep-fried pork chop that was so crisp and juicy that it still haunts my dreams.

RESTAURANTS Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop – Chef Marcus – leodas.com The plantation-era-meets-farm-house décor is flip-flop friendly dining for the whole family. The menu offers a variety of sandwiches, sweet and savoury hand-pies and Leoda’s favourites, such as Seared Ahi Eggs Benedict and Coconut Crusted Waffles. The ingredients are so local that the eggs come from the neighbouring farmer, Theo.

Ka’ana Kitchen at Andaz Maui Resort, Wailea – Chef Isaac Bancaco – andaz.hyatt.com Take the spiral staircase up to the Ka’ana restaurant, where you’ll feel welcome in this unconventionally openkitchen place. The unique seamless design makes you feel like someone is cooking for you in his or her uber elite beach house. Award-winning chef Isaac Bancaco’s food is upscale and beautifully plated but not at all pretentious.

Migrant Maui, Wailea Beach Marriot, Wailea – Chef Sheldon Simeon – migrantmaui.com The Filipino philosophy of “Come my house. Eat” is so inviting. Top Chef finalist, Sheldon, served my favourite Maui dishes, which combine the traditions of Hawaii’s mixed migrant cultures into a comforting, crave-able fusion. Along with his awesome menu, he adds inspired seasonal dishes, like hand-cut Fat Chow Funn, Korean fried chicken wings and that tonkatsu!

Ko Restaurant at Fairmont Kai Lani, Wailea - Chef Tylun Pang – korestaurant.com Chef Tylun Pang oozes ‘aloha’ when he tells the story of his island family menu, passed down from the mixedculture influences. It’s a tasty history lesson. The ocean-view dining room edges the stunning Fairmont resort pool with a warm contemporary plantation feel. Try the dramatic seared tuna on hot lava rocks. We are still dreaming about the basket of sweet taro root bread.

Shave Ice at Ululani’s Maui – ululanisshaveice.com It rarely snows in Maui, but shave ice is the next best thing and you can enjoy it in the sun. Fluffy fresh ice powder is topped with your choice of dozens of natural fruit syrup combinations like POG (pineapple, orange and guava). Ask for coconut milk, you won’t regret it.

HAWAIIAN INGREDIENTS Maui Gold Pineapple Take the Maui Gold Pineapple tour and you may be surprised to see what a pineapple looks like in its natural habitat (hint: it doesn’t grow on a tree). After the tour you can pick up a bottle of Pau Maui pineapple vodka from the distillery across the street to make some island cocktails. mauipineapple.com and paumaui.com

At each restaurant we saw the familiar faces of the culinary students working hard. Maui is a small world.

After a night of meat sweats, we headed to AgFest, an annual celebration of the food, producers and chefs of Maui, where many of the chefs were sporting the Food On Your Shirt-designed Aloha/ Howdy limited edition T-shirt that commemorated the event.

Breadfruit Resembling a prickly yellow rugby ball, this fruit is dubbed the food of the future. The maintenance-free, nutrientdense mega-food has an extremely high yield, making it a financially rewarding crop. Although breadfruit has the texture of a bland starchy potato, many chefs are finding tasty ways to boil, steam, roast, pickle and ferment it.

Jessica and I started the day by competing in a black box cooking challenge with our new chef friends.

We knew we were going to be faced with mystery ingredients that we had never worked with or tasted, but we were up to the challenge. The box included a “Buddha hand” citrus fruit – it resembles a twisted hand and is mostly made of pith that is inexplicably fragrant and not bitter. The box also featured local flank steak, a small bitter melon, dried shrimp, tamarind paste, and opo long squash. I took second place in the contest with a hand-made surf-and-turf pasta, with shaved flank steak, tossed in a shrimp, tamarind, and citrus sauce. By some miracle, I beat Sheldon who came in a close third. Maui Executive Catering chef Jeff Scheer took the top prize with perfectly seared flank steak.

Under the chef demo tent, John and Connie served samples of their Portuguese linguiça sausage and signature duck-fat-fried poutine. The locals practically fell over each other for the Canadian poutine – it was a huge hit! The main draw of the day was purchasing a “passport” to try samples from all the local chefs and to vote for your favourite dishes.

Then we toured the booths, meeting producers and artisans, sampling breadfruit, local fruit jellies and iced fruit drinks.

Legend states that the ancestral spirits of Maui choose whom they accept on the island. We felt so much “aloha” from this great lush, fruitful land, and met so many amazing locals who are supportive of agriculture and preserving the culinary heritage, that we hope our chef exchange will be an annual event.

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Taro The history of taro is woven into the Polynesian tapestry

of Maui culture. Taro is still enjoyed in the form of poi (a purple taro root purée) at luaus because of the hard work and dedication of growers like Bobby Pahia, a research scientist at Hoaloha Farms. The farms are dedicated to growing and preserving more than 300 varieties of taro.

Surfing Goat goat cheese The whole island knows

this feta-style Surfing Goat Dairy cheese. You’ll find it crumbled onto a tomato salad, mixed into a creamy dip and even rolled into chocolate truffles. The award-winning cheese is available in stores and gift shops and is incorporated into virtually every chef’s menu. surfinggoatdairy.com

Poke (poh-keh) Hands-down the most delicious snack

the island has to offer. Traditionally it’s made from fresh raw ahi tuna, flavoured with soy sauce, inamona (a salty nut relish), sesame oil, limu seaweed and chile pepper. It has evolved into a boatload of flavours and other sashimi varieties. Surprisingly, Safeway is the place to go for poke.

WORK IT OFF Take a tumble in the waves at Hana Bay Surf in the hippie town of Lower Pai’a Climb the Haleakala volcano Golf a round in Wailea at the Emerald, Gold or Old Blue course Drive the windy road to Hana Swim with turtles at Hanaka’o’o Beach Park ✤ Pierre Lamielle and Candace Bergman are the co-chef creators of the online food-centric T-shirt company foodonyourshirt.com

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

43

THE NEW ALBERTA

OIL

PATCH

by Karen Anderson

The traditional Alberta oil patch is slick with stories of black gold drilled from the depths of the earth by daring mavericks every bit as crude as their oil.

The new Alberta oil patch is filled with bright yellow flowers and black seeds that are pressed into edible liquid gold. Canola is the great Canadian edible oil success story, but alternatives can be found in mustard, flax, camelina, pumpkin, sunflower, safflower and hemp. They are all grown and pressed as seed oils across the prairie provinces. Here are a few of the most popular oils.

Canola

Canola is short for Canadian oil or “can” and “ola” (oil low acid). Canada is the world’s largest grower of canola, with 52,000 farmers growing it on 19.8 million acres in 2014.

More than six million of those acres are in Alberta. Between the seed, oil and meal, canola generates about $11 billion in economic activity. It wasn’t always this way.

Until canola was developed in the 1970s, all oil seeds were imported from other countries. Canola was derived from rapeseed that was originally grown to lubricate machinery. Through traditional plant breeding methods, the bitter aspects of rapeseed were selected out until canola was left with its trademark low amounts of erucic acid and glucosinolate. Glucosinolate is a sulfuric compound, so decreasing that flavour profile and lowering the acid to something comparable to the best olive oils means that, today, more than half of the edible oil consumed by Canadians is canola oil.

Canola oil has a low cost, high smoke point and the least amount of saturated fatty acids of any vegetable oil. It consists mainly of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and has even been given a conditional heart-healthy endorsement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

It’s estimated that 75 to 90 percent of all canola grown is genetically modified (GM).

The most common purpose of genetic modification is to allow plants to withstand herbicide treatment.

However, the oil from canola seeds is considered GM-free, because the transgenic gene that’s introduced to the canola plant to produce herbicide resistance is a protein.

Since all protein is removed from the oil during processing – it’s left in the meal and fed to livestock – technically speaking, it’s identical to the oil from a non-GM plant.

If you are against the genetic modification process on principle, or if you like to eat food from land not treated with herbicides or pesticides, then you’ll want to find organic canola oil. Organic certification guarantees plants that are GM and pesticidefree. Some processors will label the product non-GMO but may still use pesticides or herbicides on traditional seed crops. The Canadian government does not require GM labeling, so a good rule of thumb, when it comes to canola, is that if something is not labeled organic or non-GMO, you can assume that it’s GM. Alberta Canola Commission marketing representative, Simone Demers Collins reports that after 20-plus years in use, there have been no scientific studies linking any illness or harm to consuming a GM product. Countries such as Japan label canola oil GM-free.

There are four traditional canola processing plants in Alberta. They roll and crush the seeds, then apply heat to extract the oil before further refinement to lighten the colour or turn the oil into margarine or shortening. Two seed varieties are used – classic canola and high-stability canola, which produces oil that’s used in restaurants and food processing. Classic canola may be bred in traditional methods or genetically modified.

High-stability canola has been modified to remove omega-3s so it has a higher smoke point for commercial frying needs.

Alberta also has four cold-press plants: Highwood Crossing Organic Farm in Aldersyde, Mighty Trio Organics in Redwater, Mountainview Farming Canola Oil in Strathmore, and Vibrant Oil in Airdrie. The cold-press plants may press any type of seed.

Use canola oil for baking, sautéing or frying. Use cold-pressed canola for salad dressing, as you would a fine olive oil.

Camelina

Originally grown in northern Europe, camelina has been used as cooking oil for three millennia. It’s high in omega 3s and vitamin E, and has a light, nutty, asparagus taste and a high smoke point of 475°F. Three farmers in Saskatchewan – Colin Rosengren, Dan Vandenhurk and Ron Emde – were sitting around a curling rink talking about commodity prices and sustainability when they decided the time was ripe to introduce this novel crop to the prairies. They enlisted Vandenhurk’s business degree and RedSeal-Chef daughters, Natasha and Elysia, to create a market and value-added products for their crop. In 2010 the oil was approved for human consumption in Canada, and the daughters’ direct marketing efforts were rewarded when Three Farmers Camelina Oil “gushed” from the shelves of more than 900 stores across Canada. The website – threefarmers.ca – is chockablock full of great recipes and the three farmers have been hailed as leaders in the Farm to Fork movement. Buyers can trace their bottle back to the field it was grown in and the farmer who grew it. Find it at Co-op stores, Sunterra, whole food and specialty food stores.

Hemp

In March, 1998, hemp was re-legalized for industrial use in Canada, and Hemp Oil Canada, based in St. Agathe, Manitoba, opened in 1999. Certified organic, nonGMO, halal and kosher, this hemp oil makes St. Agathe one of the world’s largest hemp products exporters. You can find it in whole food stores and in the organic sections of supermarkets. continued on page 46

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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THE NEW ALBERTA OIL PATCH continued from page 44

Olive...

the other oil Thirty-three million litres of olive oil are imported into Canada each year. While olives may not grow here, specialty olive oil and vinegar stores are burgeoning. We think it’s great and hope that you’ll adopt one and support it as your neighbourhood source for this delicious culinary staple. Here are sleek new boutiques and old favourite shops that specialize in extensive olive oil collections.

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

B LUE DOOR OIL AND VI N EG A R West Springs – 8561 - 8A Ave. S.W. 403-978-4659 bluedoorcalgary.com West-enders can walk through these doors and be transported to the famous blue doors that seem to be as ubiquitous as olive groves in countries like Greece. Wedding favours of oil and vinegar pairings, corporate private labeling and gift baskets are available. Try the blood orange-infused oil, and owners Bruce and Courtenay Gillis’ favourite oils from Peru.

OLIV TAS T ING R OOM Kensington – 1130 Kensington Rd. N.W. 587-352-6050 Downtown – 1708 - 8 St. S.W. 587-349-0066 Market on Macleod – 7711 Macleod Tr. S.W. olivtastingroom.com From a South African estate and family-owned operation to the prairie town of Moose Jaw, this, in truly quirky Canadian fashion, is where this enterprise took off.

Try the sundried tomato parmesan and garlic olive oil for an excellent bread dipper and pasta topper.

Contemporary French

Fine dining in downtown Calgary

OIL AND VINE GAR TD Square, downtown Willow Park Village – 106, 10816 MacLeod Tr. S., 403-719-1702 oilandvinegar.ca Originating in Holland, with more than 90 stores around the globe, this company sells gorgeous platters, bowls and accessories to complement its oils and vinegars.

Try the light and lively cold-pressed grapeseed oils from Oregon.

S OFFR IT T O Bonavista – 2116, 380 Canyon Meadows Dr. S.E., 403-278-2728 Calgary Farmers’ Market – off Heritage and Blackfoot S.E. soffrito.ca Sourcing from a treasure trove of pan-Mediterranean producers, Soffritto was the first to bring a wide selection of olive oils for tasting and decanting to Calgary.

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T HE COOKB OOK CO. C O O K S 722 - 11 Ave. S.W., 403-265-6066 cookbookcooks.com One of the most outstanding selections in the city. Try the great California estategrown oils or the buttery goodness of France’s Nicolas Alziari.

LINA’S ITALIAN MAR KET 2202 Centre St. N.E., 403-277-9166 linasmarket.com There are oodles of oils here and the city’s best selection of aged balsamic vinegars from Modena. Try doing a blind tasting of the four-, eight- and twelve-year-old balsamics from Mini Italia. See if you can taste the difference.

FUN FACT

ITALIAN S UP E R MAR KET Here’s something to think 256 - 20 Ave. N.E., 403-277-7898 italianmarket.com about the next time you brush You’ll find more than 60 brands of olive oil here, your teeth with Colgate or chew some Wrigley’s spearmint gum – the but the Sammarelli has a great price point and spearmint and peppermint oils for those low acid taste delivered from 1,000-yearproducts might have come from Dale old-trees from Italy’s south Adriatic.

T HE ITALIAN S T OR E 5140 Skyline Way N.E., 403-275-330 Great prices and il primo finds here – look for the cold-pressed, unfiltered oil selection.

Thacker Specialty Crops in Bow Island, Alberta, where oil from many acres of mint are shipped stateside for the sake of fresh breath. ✤

Karen Anderson is the owner of Calgary Food Tours.

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Handcrafted Beauty

Willow Park Village 10816 Macleod Trail South | 403.278.1220

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

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

47

From Seed to Sip Eau Claire Distillery plows, plants, tends, harvests grain... then turns it into rye whisky

by Holly Quan

For the first time in more than 25 years, a distillery has set up shop in Alberta. Eau Claire Distillery, located in Turner Valley – a tiny town in the foothills southwest of Calgary – is already producing and selling Three Point Vodka and Parlour Gin, and plans to make rye whisky, too.

It’s safe to say my mother would not have approved. Oh, she’d have approved of the whisky part – rye was Mum’s favourite tipple. She would have objected to the labour-intensive method Eau Claire is using to seed and harvest the grain for its as-yet-unnamed signature product.

Raised on a farm during the 1930s and ‘40s, Mum’s childhood was full of hard work, so as an adult, her life was all about convenience – no baking bread or making preserves and no vegetable garden that had to be tended. The idea that Eau Claire uses horses to plow, seed and harvest the rye, and a threshing machine to separate the grain from the chaff, would have made her laugh out loud.

But for distillery founder and president David Farran and his partners at Eau Claire, doing things the old way is no laughing matter.

Eau Claire’s three dudes

Eau Claire Distillery founder and president Dave Farran with a horse-drawn seeder.

Photo by Holly Quan

David Farran’s career has been remarkable. He was among the first of Big Rock Brewery’s employees and became vice president. Then he went into the Canadian diplomatic corps and his international travels led to the establishment of Pipestone Travel Outfitters. After that, he set up Canada’s largest chain of small-animal vet clinics.

He’s deeply rooted in foothills history. He lives on the original John Ware homestead (born into slavery in South Carolina, Ware came to Alberta in 1882 and cowboyed for the Bar U Ranch before setting up his own homestead). Farran’s love of the land, connection to local pioneers and settlers, and commitment to traditional farming and ranching methods led him to purchase a team of heavy horses to plow, plant and harvest so he could use his grain to create exceptional whisky.

Every good distillery needs a master distiller – at Eau Claire, that’s Larry Kerwin. Originally from Saskatchewan, Kerwin was going to be a wildlife biologist but got sidetracked by jobs brewing beer with, among others, Carling O’Keefe, Big Rock and Village Brewery. He earned his distiller accreditation in 1976 and he’s a professional member of the Master Brewers Association of America and the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

Distilleries also need someone to manage the money: Enter Brad Stevens. For 35 years, Stevens has owned and managed businesses from advertising and public relations companies to veterinary hospitals. His official role at Eau Claire is treasurer, but he wears many hats there.

Setting up shop Horse-drawn plowing. Photo by Alberta Carriage Supply

The three amigos chose Turner Valley as the site of their distillery for its proximity to top-quality raw ingredients: water, grain and potatoes (for a signature vodka).

“Our approach is hyper-local, along the lines of the 100-mile diet,” says Kerwin.

Another point working in Turner Valley’s favour was the availability of a building large enough to accommodate a distillery – the town’s former movie theatre, built in 1923. Today, instead of rows of seats, you’ll find tanks, barrels, and a gorgeous copper and brass still imported from Germany.

First, the grain goes into a crusher where it’s mixed with hot water and yeast to form the mash, which is pumped to one of four fermenting tanks. There, the yeast works its magic, turning starches and sugars into alcohol. Then workers transfer the mash into the still for a stripping run. When it enters the still, the mash is about 85 percent alcohol, including some lethal compounds such as acetone. The still heats the mash to boiling and the vapour rises into one of the still’s two tall columns.

The rising vapour cools and condenses back into a liquid, which then drains from the still. The still operator first draws off the undesirable compounds in the liquid, called “heads,” followed closely by the good stuff. continued on page 50

Kentucky bourbon casks wait for the first batch of rye; the German-made still is in the background. Photo by Holly Quan

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Photo at the top: Several horse teams plowed, harrowed and seeded rye at the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site near Longview in May 2014.

Photo by Alberta Carriage Supply

TASTE THE WORLD

MELODIES, MULLED WINE & MERRIMENT

Christmas at the Opera D E C E M B E R 4, 5, 6 AT 7:30 P M D E C E M B E R 7 M AT I N E E AT 2 P M

Join us as we deck the halls with seasonal décor, a two-part opera performance and delicious winter cocktails and cuisine.

Tempt your taste buds pre-show and at intermission with a selection of mulled wine and hot cherry punch, fresh-baked cookies and other holiday goodies.

T I C K E T S A R E C U R R E N T LY O N S A L E A N D AT $ 4 0 W O N ’ T L A S T L O N G !

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

49

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A FEW DELICIOUS

From Seed to Sip continued from page 48

“That’s the distiller’s art,” says Stevens. “Larry knows when it’s time to start capturing the ‘hearts’ – the yummy part of the alcohol mix.”

About 45 litres of “hearts” come from each batch of mash. Gin and vodka go through the still again, resulting in a liquid that’s about 95 percent alcohol. Next, the distilled liquid goes to the blending tank, where it’s diluted with water to about 40 percent alcohol. Finally, it’s filtered and hand bottled.

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Horse-drawn seeding. Photo by Alberta Carriage Supply

Horse-powered whisky Let’s get back to those old-fashioned methods Eau Claire employs for making its special-edition rye whisky.

Farran partnered with the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site for the use of 10 acres of ranchland to plow and seed the rye, using teams of horses or mules. It takes true skill and horsemanship to manage a team of huge draft animals while keeping a straight row.

“I bought my horses from an Amish community in the U.S.,” says Farran. “Without the Amish, it’s possible these skills and traditions would have disappeared.”

Horse-powered harrows break up the freshly plowed soil and make it suitable for seeding, also accomplished entirely by horse-drawn equipment. Earlier this fall, horse teams cut the crop, and threshing machines separated and collected the grain.

The distilling process for the whisky is the same as for the vodka and gin, but then the raw rye whisky gets to relax. Once through the still, the rye will mellow for three years or so in Kentucky bourbon casks.

“Different barrels impart a slightly different flavour,” Stevens explains, “so we’ll blend the whisky to create a consistent product.”

From seed to sip Farran hatched his idea for Eau Claire Distillery several years ago, but, as he says, “Regulations meant we had to wait for the Canadian Wheat Board to be disbanded so we could buy grain directly from local suppliers. For Eau Claire, a core component of our belief in premium spirits is our ability to access ingredients straight from the farm.”

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Gin and vodka have been available for several months, to get the distillery’s cash flow going. The web site – eauclairedistillery.ca/locate/ – will help you find out where to buy these products. Retailers include Kensington Wine Market, Bin 905, J. Webb, Willow Park and ZYN. Three Point Vodka is clean and a bit floral, while Parlour Gin is smooth, yet tangy. As for the rye – we’ll have to wait and see. Mark your calendars for 2017!

Maybe Mum would approve after all. ✤ Holly Quan lives just a short stumble from Eau Claire Distillery. Although she’s a confirmed scotch drinker, she’s looking forward to tasting Eau Claire’s signature horse-powered rye whisky when it’s ready in 2017.

-

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crmr.com CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE

cocktails

IN THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE HOTEL Only in Dubai, you say, and you’d be right. story and photos by Kathy Richardier

On my second trip to visit daughter Chloé, who was teaching at the Canadian International School in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), I decided we had to sign ourselves up for an evening in the Sky Bar of the Burj Al Arab, the Dubai hotel built into the Arabian Gulf on its own little island.

Burj means tower. The Burj Al Arab is one of those over-the-top places that Dubai is known for, like the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, which pokes its needle nose into the clouds.

Burj Al Arab is shaped like a sailboat’s billowing jib, it has a helicopter landing pad at the top, and you can’t even get in to see the place unless you’re staying there – the suites start at about two grand Canadian and are luxurious – or unless you have a reservation for the dining room or the Sky Bar.

The bar is shaped like a taco and hangs out over the water at the top of the Burj.

Burj Al Arab on its own island, helipad upper left, Sky Bar upper right.

We – my sister Marian, Chloé, her beau Aaron and I – just had to get into this “forbidden” place, so cocktails in the Sky Bar it was. Should you think this is a good idea, too, note that there’s a minimum you have to spend per person; when we were there last February, it was about $80 Canadian. But that’s not difficult, since the luscious cocktails – and they are rather extraordinary – are about $40 each. The service is impeccable and the cocktails come with an assortment of toasty and candied cashews and almonds, silky olives and mini-quiches and salad rolls – no peanuts or popcorn in sight.

The Sky Bar is done up in blues and greens, a reflection of the Arabian Gulf far below, and is as comfortable as you could wish a bar to be. The dress code – smart casual – requires only that men wear collared shirts, long pants, including well-kept jeans, and no sport shoes or sandals. There’s a jazz trio in the evening and a pianist during the day, when you can go for lunch or afternoon tea.

The cocktail menu is a bit mesmerizing, since the cocktails all have great stories to go with their recipes and you want to read it cover to cover. Mostly they’re predicated on famous moments in famous movies, such as The Godfather, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Sex and the City, The Seven Year Itch, Casablanca, and the James Bond films. Popular television shows, such as Miami Vice and The Big Bang Theory, helped inspire cocktails, too.

Many of the cocktails are classics given a Sky Bar twist, such as my first go-round, a favourite cocktail, the lemondrop. Here, it’s the Arabic Lemondrop made in the traditional lemondrop fashion but with a shot of orange bitters and the “Arabic” touch, sumac mixed with sugar for the rim. The sumac added a fruity astringency that played beautifully off the sugar.

We all agreed that, of all the cocktails we tried, our fave was The Lullaby, a tribute to the movie Boogie Nights. Luscious tequila mixes it up with Cointreau, agave syrup and lime juice and gets an intriguing herbal note from tarragon and the togarashi mixture on the rim give it a perky chile kick.

The non-alcoholic drinks are likely as inventive and seductive, given the number of affluent non-drinking Arabs who must patronize the hotel, and there’s a tapas menu with the likes of Angus beef mini-burgers, crispy prawns and Arabic mezzeh (appetizers).

We were such suckers for all this cocktail seduction. You would be too. You might find this an unusually expensive seduction, and you might not want to visit the Sky Bar too often when you visit Dubai. Or you might. I just figured it was one of those things I owed it to myself to do once in my lifetime, because I could. Helluva view, too, overlooking the sparkle of Dubai’s lights and the Arabian Gulf.

If you want to investigate this unusual place further and have a look at the cocktail menu, Google Sky Bar Burj Al Arab and go to the first or second site, Skyview Bar – Cocktail Bar in Dubai / Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah.

The UAE is a most interesting country, way beyond the “high weirdness” that is Dubai, with its $40 cocktails and gigantic shopping malls with Olympic-sized ice skating rinks and full-sized, snow-covered ski hills. On the other hand, the shopping malls seem to be enough to entice plenty of tourists.

Up in the Sky with the lights of Dubai far below us, l-r, sister Marian, me, Aaron, the beau, Chloé, the daughter .

For example, Abu Dhabi has been building a city that exemplifies renewable energy – Masdar City, “the global center of future energy” – a model for the rest of the world of what green urban development can be, offering the highest quality of life with the lowest environmental footprint. It’s an immensely interesting place to visit – see masdarcity.ae/en – and the best of reasons for Albertans to visit Abu Dhabi, even if you don’t have a daughter who teaches there.

Also, Air Canada’s partner airline is Etihad Airways, the airline of Abu Dhabi, just as Emirates is the airline of Dubai. Even flying economy on this airline is rather luxurious. The seats recline further back than what you’re used to, making sleeping more comfortable. The entertainment set-up is deluxe and there’s free WiFi, the food is copious and tasty, the flight attendants pour wine from bottles and you can have as much as you want, and cappuccino coffee is served. If you fly first class, luxury beyond comprehension awaits – a private cabin with a mini-bar, full-sized bed, built-in massage, changing room/bathroom, and personal chef. etihad.com

The Arabic Lemondrop cocktail.

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

Don’t you owe it to yourself, just once in your life, to fly Emirates or Etihad, drink $40 cocktails, visit Masdar City? Of course you do. ✤

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53

there were Recipe Cards

BEFORE THE WORLD WIDE WEB

by Linda Kupecek

fying – available od, bad or totally mysti go – ipe rec y an t os t.

Internet made alm me Service Departmen Years ago, before the s Company Limited Ho Ga al tur Na n ter st es ea W uth Canadian ce on Sixth Avenue so online, there was the to the gas company offi g lkin wa rs be em rem r My 94-year-old mothe of five dollars. was the gigantic sum s, 40 19 the in , ich wh to pay her bill, all, and red recipe cards, free to lou co tly gh bri , ed typ y t ter were stacks of neatl me Service Departmen As a perk, on the coun ample, in 1944, the Ho ex r Fo r. the mo ipe my sets of rec s ung brides like ipes and made up 255 rec especially useful to yo 94 5,1 t ou d ile ma ts of recipe material, rently with the help of published 136,180 shee typing of stencils, appa le rab ide ns co ed olv ering free kers. This inv its fine tradition of off es for brides and home ma nu nti co en ch Kit w, the ATCO Blue Flame on an Underwood. only a few typists. No ology, not tapped out hn tec rn de mo gh ou me chefs thr recipes and tips for ho th an th re e

as le ss w he n th e ga s bi ll w , ys da d ol od go e re qu ir e a Bu t, oh , fo r th sw ee t an d di dn ’t d an t or sh e er w .✤ s te . I’ m ju st sa yi ng ga fi gu re s an d re ci pe vi na to ng ni ai rd on Bl eu tr tr an sl at or or Le Co

Linda Kupecek is the author of Deadly Dues, the first in the Lulu Malone mystery series, and The Rebel Cook: Entertaining Advice for the Clueless (TouchWood Editions). She loves any recipe with fewer than 55 ingredients, and which does not contain the words “food processor.”

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

230 -11TH AVE SE GRUMANS.CA

A MOSTLY TRADITIONAL DELI

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

55

stockpot

We have the freshest nuts at Going Nuts! New crop now in!

Stirrings around Calgary

Visit our website for delicious holiday gift ideas!

Gift trays and wholesale orders are available.

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GUNTHER’S FINE BAKING European-style breads and pastries Gunther & Elisabeth Stranzinger and all the staff at Gunther’s wish you the very best of the season. Don’t forget to come in for Christmas Stollen and fancy cookie platters for the holidays.

Ask us about a BÛCHE de NOËL to crown your holiday table 4306 - 17 Avenue SE • 403-272-0383 • office@gfbaking.ca• www.gfbaking.ca

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Our 2014 Holiday Collection cookbook is perfect for all of your celebratory meals.

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Spicy Hot Chocolate Mix

(from our 2014 Holiday Collection cookbook) ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 tsp cinnamon 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar / 8 tsp cayenne pepper 1.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2.

Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Makes about ½ cup.

Nutritional analysis per 1 tbsp serving: 31 calories, 0.4 g fat, 0.5 g protein, 8.1 g carbohydrate, 1.1 g fibre, 1 mg sodium

To Make Spicy Hot Chocolate: Stir mix before using. For each serving, pour 1 cup milk into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until steaming and just beginning to simmer.

Do not boil. Whisk in 1 tbsp mix for each serving, whisking until mix is dissolved.

Pour into mugs and serve.

Order your copy today! atcoblueflamekitchen.com or call 1.800.840.3393

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

restaurant ramblings n Well THIS is fun! Food truckers, Jody Barned, JoJo’s BBQ (delish!) and Margie Hope, Blamwich! (yum!), have teamed up to transform the former Kaffa Coffee House in Marda Loop into The Farmer’s House Kitchen & General Store. Look for good stuff like a ploughman’s lunch, grilled sandwiches and flatbreads, comfort food if there was any. If we’re lucky, we’ll get some of Barned’s good barbecue, mmmmmmm. n Also, in Marda Loop, a new table at Anew Table at Garrison Gate SW and 35th Ave, opposite the Marda Loop Safeway.

Anew presents you with a fixed price five-course or three-course tasting menu with choices that change daily. The food is deliciously creative, dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday. n Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse is coming to Calgary in December. Pampa offers a fixedprice dining concept know as rodizio, where you control the continuous table-side service of a variety of select cuts of beef, pork, poultry, and lamb. Included in the price is also a fresh salad bar with an array of greens, vegetables and salads, plus house-baked breads. Check pampasteakhouse.com for more information. Centre 10, 521-10 Ave. SW. n Rodney’s Oyster House is scheduled to open in January. One of the features will be a grab-and-go “Bait & Tackle” so you can get your lunch or oyster fix for your office or home. More to come once it’s open. n Kensington’s modern steakhouse, Modern Steak, is now open where Muse used to be at 107-10A St. NW. Don’t look for dark wood and leather. If you were ever at Muse, you know the space is stunning, and it remains so – vibrant and contemporary. Look for beef from local ranchers, but also great vegetarian options, and handcrafted cocktails. Modern Steak’s kitchen is the domain of exec chef Kurt Warner, formerly of the Bow Valley Club. Check it out at modernsteak.ca, then go eat steak.

We all need a good, modern steak! n WORKSHOP Kitchen+Culture has opened in the Grand Theatre building downtown at 608 -1 St. SW. Chef/ owner Kenny Kaechele has created a menu of small plates and sharing-style dishes that perfectly represent the bold and big flavours he is known for. Open for lunch, dinner, late night dining and events, many of them co-produced with Theatre Junction. workshopcalgary.com n Catch and the Oyster Bar’s exec chef Kyle Groves is following in the footsteps of many of his chefly counterparts – he’s moving on to join the chefs and students in SAIT’s culinary program. Daniel Norcott takes over as exec chef. Norcott joined Catch in 2006 as an intern, received his Red Seal designation from SAIT’s professional cooking program, cheffed at CHARCUT Roast House, then returned to Catch as sous chef. Welcome to the top, chef Norcott! n Chef’s Table dinner at Cilantro in the Mountains, Buffalo Mountain Lodge, November 28, a four-course dinner with wine

pairings and a CRMR take-home gift. Tickets are $130 and may be had at 1-800-661-1367 or email bmlfandb@crmr.com. Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts lodges invite you to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with gala dinners and buffet breakfasts, no clean up! Visit crmr.com for all the details. n Chef John Michael MacNeil has joined up with his fiancée, chef Alison Bieber, at Black Pig Bistro as co-chef and owner after 10 years at Teatro. He not only followed his heart, but his emerging entrepreneurial spirit too. Good for him! Black Pig hosts a Visa Infinite dinner in November and was nominated for enRoute magazine’s “Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2014” in the top 30 best new restaurants, the only restaurant in Calgary to make the top 30. n Calgary Cooks, Recipes from the City’s Top Chefs collaborative dinner with Kensington Riverside Inn’s Chef’s Table’s exec chef Michel Nop and Cuisine et Chateau’s chefs Thierry Meret and Marnie Fudge, November 1. Four courses with wine pairings plus a copy of the cookbook, $99, at Cuisine et Chateau Interactive Culinary Centre, 227-10 St. NW. Register at cuisineandchateau.com n A young chef, Rupert Garcia of the Calgary Golf & Country Club, scooped the silver medal for Canada at the prestigious 38th Concours International des Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs competition held in Durban, South Africa, in September. The competition is open to young cooks under the age of 27 and hosted by La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Twenty of the world’s finest young chefs were given four hours to compose a menu and prepare a three-course meal for four people using ingredients in a black box. Good show chef Garcia! n Craft Beer Market has partnered with First Growth Holdings Ltd. to open the first of five restaurants in Shanghai, China, in 2015! The other locations are yet to be determined. A CNBC report said that, according to a EuroMonitor International report, China is set to overtake the U.S. as the world’s largest beer market by 2017. Gotta get a leg up on this beer-drinking country! n Hockey night parking is free when you join Chef Duncan Ly at Hotel Arts for a pregame meal at the Raw Bar or Yellow Door Bistro. Also at the Raw Bar, every Friday 4-8 p.m., $.99 oysters, $4.99 prosecco and $4.99 pints, and every Thursday features live music 7-10 p.m. 119 -12 Ave. SW. n The Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant hosts a New Year’s Eve dinner featuring a special menu crafted by exec chef Kevin Cooper. For more details visit bvrrestaurant. com. Reservations: 403-476-1310. n The Roadhouse has a new food truck, The Fryhouse Food Truck, outside The Roadhouse, 840-9th Ave. SW, serving delicious food – such as brisket or shrimp tacos – for a meal or just a snack. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-2 a.m., in case you’re hungry in the wee hours of the morning. Sunday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. n Barcelona is coming to Calgary this November. Currently being built at 501- 8th

n When rambling around Canmore, check out Tavern 1883 at 709 - 9 St. The menu was put together by ex-Petite’s chef Jared Alvey, and it’s really tasty, with lots of variety, including fish tacos and a poutine that has potatoes that are twice-cooked and very crisp and not inclined to be totally done in by gravy – and top it with smoked brisket.

Oh, my goodness! n River Café hosts a wine-maker’s dinner highlighting some of Canada’s best wineries on November 12 – Stratus Winery, Laughing Stock Vineyards, Benjamin Bridge and Charles Baker Wines. For Christmas dinner, River Café offers a fully prepared, ready-toroast turkey dinner to take home. Details at river-cafe.com. Welcome in the New Year at River Café, reservations at 403-261-7670.

The perfect last-minute gift, an electronic gift certificate. Easy on you and always welcome! Purchase online. n Warm up at Boxwood following the Remembrance Day Ceremonies at Central Memorial Park and enjoy cookies, coffee and hot cocoa. Proceeds go to the Calgary Poppy Fund and the Veterans Food Bank.

Host your holiday celebrations or book a kitchen party for a festive cocktail affair.

Details at boxwoodcafe.ca. November 5 is dinner and conversation about Calgary’s sustainable food scene Details and tickets at reapcalgary.com/home

brazilian barbecue

Avenue SW., look for the fun tapas of Spain and the Mediterranean and chef-inspired drinks using house-made and local fresh ingredients. Topping it off is the super service of local restaurateur Jeff Hanna and his partners, J.D. Pilz and executive chef, Andrew Gass. Book your event at mary@ barcelonatavern.com

Feeling

n Prime rib Sundays at Vintage Chophouse; cocktail hour is 3:30 - 6:30 in the Tavern with live local jazz, blues and rock every Friday and Saturday starting at 10 p.m. Visit vintagechophouse.com/features for details. n Check out the rush hour menu at Rush Ocean Prime from 3 p.m. weekdays in the lounge with live electro-jazz music Tuesday through Friday with Kyemara, Johanna Sillanpaa and Sheldon Zandboer, 5 - 8 p.m. n Enjoy prime rib Sundays at Redwater Grille Stadium; every Tuesday is $20 wine Tuesday at all Redwater locations; Sunday brunch at Redwater Aspen. n Bookers BBQ + Crab Shack gives away two NHL Destination Experiences, get Molson sleeves and enter to win. Sunday and Monday are all-you-can-eat mix-n-match crab legs and barbecue ribs; wing Wednesday; live local blues and rock bands at 10 p.m. n The Vintage Group has opened a new restaurant in Bow Valley Square – Township Bar & Grill, featuring rustic fare and wine.

Specials throughout the week include Monday, $4.50 tallboys and half-price wings, Tuesday, half price wines, Wednesdays $1 off “crafty” draught, Thursdays, $1 off wines by the glass and cocktails, Fridays, $5 Grey Goose and $1 off import draught, Saturdays, half-price community cocktails. n The Vintage Group has also opened The Butcher and the Baker, a sandwich market in Bow Valley Square supporting local producers, sustainable farming practices, and eco-friendly packaging wherever possible while providing delicious fresh breads, baked goods, hearty sandwiches and salads.

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

by Gauchos - the cowboys of South America.

C A LG A RY

100 5920 Macleod Trail SW phone:403.454.9119 C A N MOR E

629 Main Street phone:403.678.9886

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

continued on page 58 CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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stockpot continued from page 57 n The Test Kitchen Restaurant and Bar “pop-up” dining series presents Chad Taylor’s All American Tailgate, 6:30 p.m., November 3, $30, $50 with wine pairings; Colin Pedersen, A German “Fest,” November 5, 6:30 p.m., $40, $60 with wine/cocktail pairings. These are so much fun! Details at testkitchenyyc.ca and @TestKitchenYYC. Reservations and details at info@testkitchenyyc.ca, seating is limited.

wine and beer wanderings n Tastings at J. Webb Wine Merchant: November 5, Italian Food & Italian Grapes; November 13, Rhone Renaissance; November 20, Booty-licious Italian Wines; November 27, Scotch Tasting 201; December 4, Rediscover Beaujolais.

Visit jwebb.net for details or call 403-2539463 to purchase tickets. n At Co-op Wines Spirits Beer: November 22, Gnarly Dudes – Old and Ancient Vines; November 1, Napa vs Wash-

ington Cabernet; November 7/21 Sniff, Sip ‘n’ Swirl; November 8/29/December 11, Get to Know Rum; November 6/21, Wine, War and History; December 6/13, Holiday Wines – Ports; December 6, Wine and Cheese, Classic Pairings; December 3, Wine Down Wednesdays, Value Wines under $20; November 8, Brunch Pairings with Mighty Skillet; November 7/28, Wine and Pizza. Visit coopwinespiritsbeer.com/ events for details.

Shiraz, 2012, a unique take on amarone – dried grapes with concentrated flavour of cherries, dark plums and dark chocolate with a velvety finish. Alfredo Second Pass Shiraz, 2012, crafted like an Italian ripasso and racked onto its lees after fermentation, featuring flavours of raspberry, blueberry, earthy tones and plush tannins. Find these flavoursome wines at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer, Crowfoot Liquor, Cook Fine Wine, Willow Park and Highlander.

n Craft Beer is the new wine! 17th Ave. Liquor Boutique is a premier place to shop for a variety of fresh craft beer on tap at a unique growler fill station bar, which is sure to please craft beer enthusiasts. This new liquor store offers an interactive tasting experience of fine wines, spirits and 12 excellent craft beers on tap. For the holidays, take a refillable growler of craft beer to the dinner table to share with your friends and family. Follow @craftbeer2go.

n Here’s a very Canadian cocktail from Luksusowa, a potato-based Polish vodka.

You and your guests will love it: muddle a bunch of orange peel – just the orange part – in the bottom of a cocktail shaker, add ice, 2 oz. Luksusowa and 1/2 t. maple syrup, or more if you like your drinks a little sweeter.

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a twist of orange zest. Find it at Co-op Wines Spirits Beer and Willow Park Liquor Store.

n Bring your own Big Rock Barn Burner to the holiday parties – a limited edition that includes beloved Big Rock Trad and Scottish Style Heavy Ale plus two new ones: Thresher Wheat Lager, a fusion of sweet caramel, toasty malt, bready flavours and a slight hop bite; Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Stout with roasted malt flavour, notes of chocolate, raisin and dark fruit. Big Rock also offers a Brewmaster’s Limited Edition RadTrad featuring two new brews born from Traditional Ale: The Cascadian, with a mild malt, caramel and citrus hop flavour, and The Anarchist, with mild malt, caramel and earthy hop flavour.

n ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen: Lunch ‘n’ Learn, 12 noon-1 p.m., $20; Mains and Grains, November 6/7; Holiday Collection, November 13/14; Baking with Whole Grains, November 20; Cooking for Company, November 27; Holiday Brunch, December 4/5; Holiday Hors d’oeuvres, December 11/12; Christmas Alternatives, December 18/19; Hands-On, $70; Mains and Grains, November 8; Christmas Baking & Bread, November 22; Cooking for Company, November 29; Holiday Hors d’oeuvres, December 13; Chef’s Table, $95; Charlie Trotter, November 8; Wild Game, November 15; Asian Fusion, December 6. atcoblueflamekitchen.com

n Chinook Arch Meadery, Alberta’s first honey winery, offers free mead tastings and meadery tours – contact info@chinookhoney. com to book. Sample award-winning Bochet, Cherry Mi Amor, King Arthur’s Dry or Fire ‘N’ Spice, to name a few. Located 20 min. south of Calgary, just west of Okotoks on Hwy. 7 and 16 St. W. chinookarchmead.com.

n At Salsita Mexican Food Market: Three-course Mexican cooking classes, November and December, making tamales, empanadas, paella, tres-leches, Mexican flan, plus vegetarian and gluten-free options available in the classes. Visit salsita.ca for all the spicy information.

n Scottish brewer, Innis & Gunn, has crafted a limited-edition gift pack with delish beers, including a Rum Finish rich with fruit and spicy notes, Bourbon Stout, a red stout matured in bourbon-infused oak – mmmm, good – Toasted Oak IPA with a hint of vanilla sweetness from the oak. And, re-released, Innis & Gunn Scotch Whisky Porter. Find it all at your fave beer outlet.

58

n At SAIT’s Downtown Culinary Campus: Rush Hour every Tuesday after work, $40; Pasta, November 6, $90; Sushi, November 7, $90; Chocolate, November 8, $120; Gluten-Free Sweet, November 8, $110; Baking Cakes, November 22, $120; Sauces, November 12, $90; Gluten-Free Savory, November 14, $110; Date Night, November 14, $75; Artisan Bread, November 15/29, $120; Intro to Cooking, November 15/22, $400; Christmas Cookie Exchange, December 6/13, $100. Visit culinarycampus.ca for all the details.

n Phasion Estates Winery,Okanagan Falls, took the judges’ selection award for the best bordeaux blend in the 2014 Alberta Beverage Awards. This competition highlights the best wines, beers and spirits in the Alberta market. Phasion Estates launched in June 2013 and has had good success with its 2012 Très Chic chardonnay, the award-winning 2011 Haute Couture merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend and the 2012 Glitterati, a merlot, malbec and cabernet franc blend. Find at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer, Willow Park Wine & Spirits, Sobey’s Spirits & Wine, Zyn, CSN liquor store and Royal Liquor Merchants.

n 5 Vines offers custom events for friends and colleagues, corporate team building with a wine or beer tasting, and custom gift baskets. Growler Happy Hours every Wednesday, Tasting Tuesdays feature wines, beers or spirits and Sunterra foods, a free informal tasting so you can try something new and maybe find a new fave! Visit 5vines.com for details.

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

cooking classes

n Nugan Estate, a top Australian wine exporter, makes two bold takes on two Italian wine methods. Alfredo Dried Grape

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

n Deliciousness @ The Compleat Cook Kitchen: Roasting, Braising & Frying, My Indian Kitchen – Seafood, Naaco Street Cultura, Date Night – Tapas, A Greek Festival, Quick Easy Italian, An Appetizer Menu, Knife Skills, Middle Eastern Express.

Bring your appetite! compleatcook.ca or call 403-253-4831. n The Light Cellar Superfood & Superherb Teaching Kitchen classes include: Fermentation, Elixirs, Bone Broths, Raw Chocolate, Men’s Health, Blood Sugar, Hormone Balance, Dehydrating, Medicinal Mushrooms, Raw Desserts and more. To register online and visit: thelightcellar.ca, 6326 Bowness Road NW. n Poppy Innovations classes for 2015: Parent-Child Culinary Program, $210, Tuesdays from January 20 to February 24, April 14 to May 19, September 15 to October 20, Thursdays October 29 - December 3. In this six-week course, parents and children work

together to prepare delicious food to enjoy together in the class while learning about healthy food choices and nutrition. Suitable for children 9 and above. Register with Sharon McCormick at hello@poppyinnovations.ca or call 403-919-0176. South Health Campus, Wellness Kitchen, 4448 Front St. SE.

general stirrings n The 2nd Annual Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown takes place on November 19 at the Hyatt Regency. Our 13 Ocean Wise chefs create their chowders to vie for the title of 2014 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Champ.

Guests get to try all of these chowders and vote for a people’s choice. A panel of judges decide who takes top honours. It’s tasty and fun, get tickets at vanaqua.org/chowdown n Don’t miss Willow Park Wines & Spirits’ 21st Charity Wine Auction, Arabian Nights, in support of the Vintage Fund, raising money for local charities, November 8, 7 p.m. And auction week events: November 5, Whisky in the Warehouse; November 6, Beer Bash; November 7, California Dreamin’. Details at willowparkwines.com n SAIT has named its 2014 Distinguished and Outstanding Young Alumni, celebrating achievement and accomplishments. On the food side of outstanding there’s chef and co-owner of Rouge and Bistro Rouge, Paul Rogalski, who graduated from the professional cooking program in 1986 and has nourished a reputation for excellence for nearly 30 years. The young foodie graduate is Rosalyn Ediger, chef de cuisine, Four Seasons Hotel, Beijing. She graduated from the professional cooking program in 2005.

Ediger was recently featured on a popular Chinese documentary-style cooking show.

Good stuff! n Delicious quickbreads from the Calgary Co-op bakeries for your holiday entertaining or for when things are getting a little crazy and you need a nosh of comfort food with your afternoon tea. And they freeze beautifully too. Flavours include Meyer Lemon, Chocolate Zucchini, Banana, Chocolate Chip, Raisin Walnut Spice and Whole Grain Probiotic. Pick some up today, put them in the freezer, and you’re ready for anything the holidays toss your way! n Cococo launches a new chocolate bar in November – the Oregano Fusion. The new dark chocolate version of Rosemary Fusion, with earthy oregano and sage flavours, is sprinkled with habanero sea salt and pairs deliciously with charcuterie meats, bold cheeses and nuts. Available at all 12 Calgary locations. Cococo Chocolatiers won six awards at the 2014 Canadian installment of the International Chocolate Awards. Good show! n In addition to regular hours, Thursdays from November 27 to December 18 enjoy evening shopping at Chinook Honey Company until 8 pm. Great Christmas gift ideas, see what the bees are doing and sample honey and mead. Located 20 minutes south of Calgary, just west of Okotoks on Hwy 7 and 16 St W. chinookhoney.com n Eight Ounce Coffee, a Calgary-based specialty coffee retailer and distributor, will open a new showroom at 3921 Manchester Rd. SE in November. Look at and play with the finest and coolest coffee equipment from all over the world. Visit eightouncecoffee.ca for details.

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PRE-CHRISTMAS SUPER SALE!

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WINE MARKET FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15 & SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16 • All in-store wine discounted 15% • All in-store single malt scotch* discounted 10% • • All in-store beer discounted 5% • Other in-store special discounts • In-store or online only, no phone orders, special orders or layaway. No other promotional discounts apply. *Scotch Malt Whisky Society products and Advent Calendars not available for discount.

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PRE-CHRISTMAS SUPER SALE!

This Christmas, come home to Alberta Pork. ~ Wishing you all the joys of the holiday season, the warmth of home, the love of family and the laughter of good friends.

For great recipes visit passionforpork.com

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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stockpot continued from page 58 n Nordstrom and Jelly Modern Doughnuts go together. Visit Nordstrom’s ebar for a coffee and Jelly Modern Doughnut, available daily.

TWO BOOK LAUNCH PARTIES BRING TWO GREAT CHEFS TO THE COOKBOOK CO. COOKS! Meet the authors, enjoy a glass of wine and sample some food from their books.

A copy of the book is included at each book launch party!

NOVEMBER 14th HUGH CARPENTER MEXICAN FLAVORS 6:30PM $45PP (RESERVATIONS REQUIRED)

NOVEMBER 19th LESLEY STOWE DESSERTS FROM MY KITCHEN 6:30PM $45PP (RESERVATIONS REQUIRED)

n Food Lovers Urban Market, The Ugly Christmas Sweater Spectacular, November 27. For every ticket sold, a meal will be provided to someone who needs it through Mealshare. If you wear your ugliest holiday sweater you’ll be eligible to win door prizes and a second meal will be donated. Tickets are $7 in advance and, if available, at the door. thefoodloversurbanmarket.com n Meez makes entertaining easy with handmade appetizers available in-store, such as mini-leek and brie tarts, Thai chicken, garlic and fresh herb prawns and more. The retail location in Willow Park Village also has beautiful serving dishes, cooking utensils, specialty ingredients and the inspiration you need for a great holiday season filled with gourmet goodness! The Christmas menu will be available at meezcuisine.com in November. Call catering, 403-640-3663, to book your holiday party. You can now order your fave menu items online. n Ben Put, Monogram Coffee café, formerly with Phil and Sebastian, has again won the Canadian Barista Championship title. Each competitor must make four, each, espressos, cappuccinos and signature drinks in a mere 15 minutes for a panel of judges. Put heads to Seattle to represent Canada in the World Barista Championship in April 2015. Good show!

Let master cooking teacher Hugh Carpenter lead you on a delicious adventure with new approaches to classic Mexican cuisine that can be easily reproduced in your kitchen. Throughout the book, Hugh is at your side showing you easy preparation and cooking techniques, what can be completed in advance, and page after page illuminating the techniques, the history, and the unique flavours of Mexican cuisine.

Acclaimed food photographer, Teri Sandison, brings the region of San Miguel and the recipes to life with stunning food photographs.

Lesley Stowe, famous as the creator of Raincoast Crisps, is passionate about desserts and hopes to revive the art of home-crafted sweets.

Crammed with more than 100 recipes for cookies, bars, tarts, cakes, show-stopping dinner party finales, frozen desserts, holiday favourites, and sauces, this cookbook will give even the most inexperienced host a chance to experience the fun and delight of making delectable desserts.

With her signature sense of style, Lesley shows us how to create elegant desserts easily and to serve them with flair even on a busy schedule.

Call now to reserve your ticket 403-265-6066, ext.1

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

n Pascal’s Patisserie has good stories of what people do with its products at Christmas: from lobster sliders with brioche on Christmas eve and lobster Newburg prepared with puff pastry for people tired of turkey. And Pascal’s pastries and wine pairings to cosy up to on a cold winter’s night!

To discover good things to do with Pascal’s pastry, go to the blog: pascals.ca/the-art/ n Bundtz is a bakery that specializes in the modern Bundt cake, offering an assortment of flavours and sizes and a daily gluten-free choice. For December, there’s an assortment of specialty Christmas cookies. Free delivery in the Calgary area on all orders of 4 dozen or more. Catering too. Royal Oak Park Shopping Centre, 8650 112 Ave. NW, 403-455-2244. bundtz.com n Christmas in November takes place at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, celebrating great food, wine, entertainment and seasonal inspiration in fun and interactive classes. Cook with Food Network Canada chefs, learn the art of Christmas crafts and decorating, learn mixology and sample champagne. November 7-16. Visit christmasinnovember.com for details. n Here’s something you don’t run into very often – Azuridge Estate Hotel offers one of Canada’s first modern-day butler and nanny training programs, The Bouteillier Series, the art of exceptional service. Butler Program (November 1-8) offers lessons on the history of the butler, proper communication, review of the service philosophy and more. Nanny Program (November 21-23) offers lectures focusing on attributes of an effective nanny, proper etiquette and hygiene, demonstrations on the preparation of nutritious suppers and more for an interactive and hands-on experience. Professionals interested in these programs can learn more and register at azuridge.ca/welcome.html

n Join the Artym Gallery in Invermere for “The BIG Show of Little Paintings” on Saturday, November 8. Featuring a wide selection of their artists, the show continues until Christmas and will be full of perfect little paintings for the perfect gift. See the show on the web at artymgallery.com, and Artym can giftwrap and ship your present. Talk about easy Christmas shopping! n In January, “Moosemeat & Marmalade,” a 13-part documentary, launches on APTN (Aboriginal People’s Television Network, channel 127 in Calgary) across Canada, a new spin on cooking and entertainment.

The show follows the journey of two chefs based in Victoria, BC. Art Napoleon is a wellknown Aboriginal bush chef and Dan Hayes from the UK runs a cooking school called The London Chef in Victoria BC. Each chef brings a distinct approach to cooking, and the show has them face off over a variety of dishes, in a fun way. It’s also a window into Aboriginal culture and cuisine. maystreet.ca/ portfolio/moosemeat-marmalade/ n A little off the beaten path, but with the peak entertaining and gift season approaching, here’s a new take on the cookie jar called the Fits for the Occasion Cookie Jar. It is a beautiful high-quality ceramic cookie jar, but with a couple features that make it different: interchangeable, magnetic motif designs as well as a writeable/erasable area to label the contents. Easily customized for different occasions by detaching one motif and attaching a new one. 21 different motifs, 6 different themes. See it at placetile.com n Falk Copper Cookware is professional grade 2.5 mm thick, luxury copper cookware, manufactured in Belgium. Find a full range of pots and pans crafted from years of craftsman experience. A copper pan distributes an even temperature over the bottom and sides – sauces won’t stick, hollandaise won’t separate, melting chocolate is child’s play and, with perfect heat accumulation, stews can simmer for hours.

Copper is the perfect cooking companion for everyone. A Falk pan is warranted for life.

Falk Copper Cookware is exclusively available in Canada from falkcoppercookware.ca n In the fall of 2015, Larry Martin, president of the magazine Food & Wine Trails, will host the Ultimate Wine Cruise in the Adriatic.

Featured are Martin’s four fave elements: curated and rare French wines, a luxurious small-ship cruise, new wine destinations and like-minded people to share the experience.

The one-week cruise departs from Venice September 11, 2015, with stops planned in Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. For more details, contact larry@foodandwinetrails.com n Amaranth is a treasure trove of tasty treats and holistic remedies, but visiting a health food store can be overwhelming.

Angela Bewick, holistic nutritionist and wellness advisor, will lead tours from November 6-8. Tickets at eventbrite.ca under Amaranth Treasure Hunts. For the younger ones, ages 4-17, drop off an original drawing with the chance to have it turned into a real greeting card. Cards will be sold to support two Adopted-Families over Christmas. Full contest details at amaranthfoods.ca/community-events. n Seasoned Solutions culinary tours with Gail Hall coming up in 2015: New York, May 14-18.

Check the web site seasonedsolutions.ca for itinerary details and price. Alberta local tour, July; Portugal, October; India, February 2016; British Isles, October 2016.

n If you’re allergic to stuff in chocolate, look for Pascha organic chocolate bars and chips that contain no allergens and you can eat as much of it as you want. Pascha also uses superfoods, like maca root and cape gooseberries, to add health-giving properties to this chocolate. Probably tastes good too! Find it online at paschachocolate.com

NOW BOOKING CHRISTMAS PARTIES

n Is your printing prepared and presented with the same care and attention as a gourmet meal? For a limited time, Calgary food enthusiast and printing expert Brad Ball at ready.set.go. creative studio, offers a complimentary review of your printed materials to refresh your menus, crisp up your feedback cards or dish out that mailing you’ve been putting off. Call 403-667-4409 or email brad@myprintingcoach.com for more info. n Traditional Medicinals, a leading provider of herbal and wellness teas for 40 years, can help if you’ve had a little too much fun overindulging at holiday parties!

These products showcase the powerful place herbs and plants have in benefiting health and vitality. The teas are made with certified organic, fair trade, pharmacy-grade herbs, and non-GMO ingredients whenever possible. Find them at Shoppers Drug Mart (herbal remedy section), London Drugs, Bulk Barn and most Health and Natural Food retailers. ca.traditionalmedicinals.com n We like nobility. The Noble brand of maple syrup comes from heritage sugar shacks in Quebec, a collaboration of small producers who run sustainable farms, plus creative chefs and craftsmen. Available in two flavours – Tutthilltown bourbon barrel and Tahitian vanilla bean with Egyptian chamomile blossom. Pour it on your pancakes, use it in cocktails and baking.

At Amaranth Foods, Blake Canmore, Bon Ton Meats, The Cookbook Co., Savour Fine Foods and Springbank Cheese. n Food On Your Shirt’s Pierre Lamielle and Candace Bergman are geared up for the holidays with the perfect gift for foodies of all ages! Available online at foodonyourshirt. com or up close and personal at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market, November 14-16, 21-23 and 28-30 and the Market Collective at the Chinese Cultural Centre, December 5-7, 12-14 and 19-21. New baby in tow? Food On Your Shirt designs are available in onesies too. n Take a course in brewing beer, start to finish, with Big Rock, November 20 at Heritage Park Historical Village, Big Rock Interpretive Brewery. A snack and samples of the type of beer you’re brewing will be provided; eight weeks later, you returm to Heritage Park and pick up a bottle of your very own beer! Details at heritagepark.ca

CLASSIFIED AD Dishwasher/Kitchen Assistant Required Webber Academy is a non-profit, co-educational, non-denominational, accredited private school located on a beautiful campus in Southwest Calgary.

Looking for a full-time kitchen assistant and a full-time dishwasher to join the Culinary Service team. Send resume and cover letter to Executive Chef, Ms. Thuy Le Luong at: tleluong@webberacademy.ca.

THE WEDDING PAVILLION YES, WE DO MORE THAN WEDDINGS! Calgary’s unique private estate venue for your next corporate event.

We offer a private 1.8 acre property, elegant and architecturally stunning building, with chef-created festive menus.

Events for 30 to 150 guests. Dates still open in Nov and Dec 2014.

Book a unique Christmas party experience today Call 403.288.9558 Located at 10817 West Valley Road SW

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Don't forget this food group...

Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank The Calgary Food Bank is able to feed thousands of people each year because of the generosity and assistance it receives from Calgarians. Help comes to us in many forms – volunteer hours, food, cash or in-kind donations – and all are appreciated.

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

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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LUNCH. YOU WANT IT. WE GOT IT.

5 quick ways with...

Hazelnuts or filberts, however you call them, are the same nut. Filbert is a French word and hazelnut is Anglo-Saxon.

This is an ancient food that’s first mentioned in writing by the Chinese, in 2838 BC, as one of the five sacred foods given to man. For me, the hazelnut, with its rich, earthy flavour, leaves me looking for more ways to cook with it.

Hazelnut oil is my favourite nut oil. It oxidizes quickly, so store it in the fridge where it will stay fresh for at least a year. Find it in any store that sells fine vinegars and oils.

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These are three “offs” for hazelnut oil.

1. Trim and cook 2 handsful of green beans or asparagus to preferred doneness. Drain and turn into a serving bowl with 1 T. hazelnut oil, 1 t. grainy mustard and salt to taste. Toss and serve. Serves 2.

2. To a bowl, add 2 handsful of mixed greens and 1 T. hazelnut oil.

Toss until evenly coated, sprinkle with a finishing salt. I will eat this just as is or with a simple something on top, like blueberries and cucumber or pear and crumbly cheese. Serves 2.

3. Instead of using vanilla when you’re whipping cream, whip 1 c. whipping cream to soft peaks, add 1 t. hazelnut oil and 1 T. icing sugar.

Continue to whip to stiff peaks before serving.

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Skinning Hazelnuts: hazelnut skin is high in bitter tannins, so it needs to be removed. The quickest way is to bake them at 325°F. for five minutes to roast them long enough to loosen the skins and not to change their flavour. If you want the nuts to have a rich roasted flavour, bake them 10 to 12 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, wrap the nuts in a tea towel and, with both hands, rub vigorously for a minute or so. When you open the towel, you should see that about 80 percent of the skins are removed. Buy lots, skin them, then store them in the freezer. (You can also buy skinned hazelnuts at Italian markets.)

1. Hazelnut Milk Delicious with chai and lattes. Soak 1 c. hazelnuts, skinned, in 2 c. distilled water for 4 hours. Drain and rinse the nuts, then put them in a blender with 2 c. distilled water, 1 t. honey and 1/4 t. cinnamon, and blend until smooth, about 5 minutes. Using either a nut-milk strainer or cheesecloth, strain the hazelnuts and squeeze out all the liquid. By using distilled water for this, it seems to give a longer shelf life to the milk, like 8 to 10 days.

2. Roast Squash with Fennel, Hazelnut and Sage

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CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

With a knife, randomly poke the skin of a medium acorn squash, evenly coat with oil and bake in a 350°F. oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until slightly pliable to the touch. This can be done several days in advance. When ready to make this dish, slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds, then peel the skin and coarsely dice the flesh. Slice 1 small fennel bulb very fine. Put 2 T. butter and the fennel in a pan over medium heat. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes, then add 2 garlic cloves, crushed, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté a minute longer. Add the squash and 5 sage leaves, finely chopped, 1 T. hazelnut oil, 1 c. hazelnuts, roasted, skinned and roughly chopped, and sauté about 5 minutes more before serving. Serves 4.

Chris Halpin

Hazelnuts

3. Hazelnut Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Marmalade This recipes also works well with chicken breasts and scallops.

Remove any sinew and silver skin from 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb.) and place it in a bowl. Add 1 T. paprika, 1 t. onion powder, 1/2 t. ground cumin, 1/2 t. ground nutmeg, 1 t. Sriracha chili sauce and work everything into the flesh.

Let marinate at least 30 minutes.

Make an egg wash in a shallow bowl with 1 egg, 1/4 c. water and 1 t. salt. In another shallow bowl, whisk together 1/2 c. flour and 1 t. salt. Put 1 c. hazelnuts, skinned and chopped to a medium fineness, in a third bowl. Dredge the pork in the flour, then the egg-wash, back to the flour and again in the egg. Then roll it in the hazelnuts, pressing as much of the hazelnut as possible onto all sides. Place on a wire rack in a baking pan and roast in a 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender, put 1 c. orange marmalade, 2 heads of roasted garlic, 1/2 t.

Chinese 5-spice powder, 1 t. Sriracha sauce and blend until thoroughly mixed.

When the pork is done, remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Slice and serve with warm or room-temp marmalade. Serves 2 to 4.

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4. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Hazelnuts and chocolate make a perfect marriage. Think Nutella.

My version of that hazelnut spread is even vegan. In a double boiler, melt 1 c. dark chocolate with 3 T. hazelnut oil. When nearly melted, remove and stir until smooth. In a food processor, put 1 c. hazelnuts, roasted and peeled, 2 T. icing sugar and a pinch of salt, and grind until very fine. Add the chocolate mixture and continue to grind into a fine paste, about 5 minutes. This spread is good at room temp for up to eight days or it can be kept in the fridge for much longer. The texture will be stiffer, but it only takes about five minutes at room temperature before it loosens up to easy spreadability. Makes about 2 cups.

recipe photos by Chris Halpin

5. Hazelnut Brittle This is so fast and easy, it’s perfect for those times when we need dessert. Heat 1 c. sugar and 1/2 c. light corn syrup over medium-high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until it comes to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat so it doesn’t boil over. Continue to cook for another 6 minutes, stirring from time to time, then remove from the heat and quickly stir in 1 T. butter and 1 t. vanilla. Once fully incorporated, add 1 t. baking soda and continue to stir until well mixed in, but still foamy. Quickly pour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and gently spread out. Randomly drop 1/2 c. whole hazelnuts over top.

(You can first toast the hazelnuts, if you like.) Allow this to cool at least 10 minutes before breaking into pieces and diving in. Serves 4.

Chris Halpin has been teaching Calgarians to make fast, fun urban food since 1997 and is the owner of Manna Catering Service. For more about hazelnuts and helpful tips, have a look at mannaonline.com.

Join us at The Highwood on SAIT Polytechnic’s main campus for exceptional food and outstanding hospitality. With a team of renowned chefs and service instructors to guide them, our students can’t wait to show you what they’ve been cooking up this semester.

For lunch or dinner reservations: sait.ca/highwood | 403.284.8615, ext. 2.

CITY PALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014

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last meal I’m a big fan of comfort food, especially during the long dark winter months when we need all the comfort we can get. I also love it during the holiday season when we all get a little done in by “fancy-dancy” entertaining.

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Speed Skating Champion and Main Dish Athlete

Denny Morrison says...

Comfort food is broadly defined – I suppose if a green salad makes you feel better about the gloom of winter then it gets to join the ranks. But it will never usurp a soul-warming rich stew or a long-simmered ragout. The latter – a specialty of the Italian region of Emilia Romagna – is a particular favourite and a versatile base for lasagna and other pasta dishes. You can even ladle ragout over a big slice of toasted sourdough bread for an upscale version of a sloppy joe; both kids and adults will love it. The traditional version is made with ground beef (or veal), but I made a variation using leftover pork shoulder that turned out so well I’ve included it on this menu.

To start, there’s a recipe for muhammara, a Lebanese red pepper/walnut dip that’s highly addictive. I’ve finished the menu with my double chocolate chip cookie recipe, which I adapted from The New Basics Cookbook. I cut back on the sugar and flour and added cocoa, making them one of the best chocolate chip cookies ever (and dead easy).

Muhammara 2 large red peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled (or use jarred roasted peppers) 2/3 c. fresh or panko bread crumbs 1/3 c. walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped fine 1 T. fresh lemon juice

EAT LIKE A CHAMP! NOT LIKE A CHUMP!

1 t. ground cumin 2 t. pomegranate molasses (available at specialty food stores and Middle Eastern markets) 1/2 t. smoked paprika 1/2 t. chili powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 t. salt 1/2 c. olive oil

Put all the ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor and purée for about 30 seconds. Add the oil in a stream with the motor running until it’s well incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and serve with pita wedges, crackers or raw vegetables, such as celery. Makes about 2 cups, serves 6 as an appetizer.

Wine Recommendation Massolino’s 2011 Langhe Nebbiolo ($40)

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This comforting ragout dish needs a wine with good acidity to match the acid from the tomato sauce that has enough body and fruit to complement its richness. I was in Piemonte many years ago and I had a dish very similar to this (except it was made with braised rabbit) that paired beautifully with a nebbiolo (the grape of Barolo fame). Massolino’s 2011 Langhe Nebbiolo is an ideal match, sort of a junior Barolo from the famed commune of Serralunga d’Alba.

Geoff Last

Keep it simple and seasonal

Pork Ragout If you use leftover pork butt (shoulder) you won’t need to brown the meat first, simply add the chopped meat to your simmered onions along with the tomato sauce and other ingredients.

You could also use leftover roast beef. This is a simple dish but it does take time. I often make a double batch and freeze half; it’s great to have on hand when the cupboard is bare.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies The last time I made these, they disappeared before I managed to get one – you may want to make a double batch.

1 c. unbleached white flour 1/4 c. Dutch process cocoa 1/2 t. baking soda

5 T. olive oil

pinch of salt

2 lbs. pork shoulder, trimmed and chopped in 1/4-inch dice

8 T. butter (1 stick), room temperature

1 large yellow onion, chopped fine 1/2 t. smoked paprika 1/2 t. crushed dried chiles (add up to 1 t. if you want more zip) 1 T. salt 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper 1/2 c. white wine 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped (with juices) 1 c. beef or chicken stock (home-made quality) 1/2 c. fresh basil, coarsely chopped

Heat a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot and add 3 T. of the oil. Add the pork and stir-fry over medium-high heat until it takes on some colour, about 3 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining 2 T. of oil, then add the onions and reduce the heat to low, sautéing them for about a half hour until they start to caramelize.

Return the meat to the pan and stir in the paprika, chiles, salt and pepper, then add the wine and increase the heat to medium. When most of the wine has cooked off, after about 5 minutes, add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Add the fresh basil just prior to serving.

MAKE A SPLASH

5 T. granulated sugar 5 T. light brown sugar 1/2 t. vanilla extract 1 large egg

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1 c. semisweet chocolate chips (or chop a bar of high-quality semi-sweet chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Using a mixer or food processor, beat the butter with both of the sugars until creamy and light. Add the vanilla and egg and beat again until they’re incorporated. Add the flour mixture slowly, beating until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a tablespoon or your hands, drop balls of dough onto the baking sheet and flatten them slightly. The balls should be about 2 inches in diameter. They’ll expand considerably, so make sure you leave room between the dough balls.

Bake the cookies for five minutes, then remove them and tap the baking sheet firmly on the counter twice – this helps spread them out a bit and releases them from the parchment. Return to the oven for another 3 minutes. Remove the cookies and allow them to sit for about five minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about a dozen large (3-inch) cookies.

recipe photos by Geoff Last

I like to serve this over penne or pappardelle noodles that have been tossed with butter, garnishing the dish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Makes about 8 large servings over pasta.

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back burner

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Have you ever had a true “disconnect” in your life? I’m not talking about something that’s just peculiar, like bumping into your chartered accountant at a rave. No, I’m t alking about experiencing something so incongruous with reality that you think you must be in a parallel universe and it totally bakes your noodle. Like seeing the nerdy guy who taught you accordion as a kid on America’s Most Wanted, or bumping into your personal trainer coming out of a KFC eating a Double Down sandwich, or hearing someone predict the Calgary Flames will win another Stanley Cup in your lifetime. This stuff is off the disconnection crazy scale. I know of what I speak as I am still recovering from one of the great disconnects of my life.

Last year I lived in Florence, Italy, and embraced life as a Florentine gentleman, “gentleman” meaning that I never drew a breath that didn’t smell of Campari or Chianti. One of my favourite things was experiencing the four seasons: blossoms in spring, gelato in summer, new olive oil in autumn and, especially important for a Canadian, no winter in winter. An added bonus to having a mild winter was the amazing transition of the city at Christmas. Every neighbourhood had an elaborate display of lights strung over the streets. Via Corso had ornate chandeliers, Via Tournaboni had shooting stars, and my walks home up Via Romana were illuminated by white umbrellas filled with cheery light bulbs. It was not hard to get into the Christmas spirit while walking in that kind of wonderland.

Imagine my excitement when the locals advised me that their yuletide favourite was the arrival of the huge Christmas Market that took over the entire piazza in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce. My imagination ran wild with images of old Italian men selling roasted chestnuts right off the fire and food trucks turning out porchetta sandwiches washed down with glasses of local vino. I envisioned rows of market stalls where the finest Italian leather and silk would be laid out for shoppers looking for that special present. And I was sure that the air would be full of Italian Christmas carols sung by opera students or played by classical musicians. I could barely stand the anticipation and I felt like the proverbial little boy who couldn’t sleep before Christmas as visions of sugarplums danced in his head, except my mouth was watering for Tuscan delights like pappardelle al ragu and sangiovese.

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But when the opening day of the market arrived and I crossed the Ponte Vecchio and hurried toward Santa Croce, I was stopped in my tracks when I came around the ultimate corner and was bowled over by the smell of sauerkraut and hoppy beer. Yes, meine Damen und Herren, the Christmas market in Florence is German. I stood in stunned silence surrounded by a huge tent village imported directly from Heidelberg, and as I heard the oom-pah-pah rhythm coming from a band in lederhosen, the full force of the disconnect hit me. I was transported back in time, certainly, but from Christmas to Oktoberfest!

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At first I started to pout. This was my first “Natale” in Italy and I didn’t want to celebrate it with pretzels and glühwein. I was sure that Michelangelo and Galileo, who were entombed just a few metres away inside Santa Croce, were spinning in their graves, just as upset as I was. But then I spied an elegant Florentine woman, dressed to the nines in Prada, gleefully gnawing on schweinebraten, which was a pork hock the size of my leg. That cut of meat in Italian is called “stinco” (pronounced “stink-oh”) and it dawned on me that all the Italians were having a blast and that getting stinko while eating stinco was a capital idea. So I threw myself headlong into the Teutonic feasting and soon was drinking hot vin brulé while tapping my toes to the polka beat of the dudes in short pants. As weird as it was to be in Florence and to be smelling bratwurst, I have to admit those Germans know how to throw one hell of a party.

As I finally listed home feeling like I was in Bavaria, an impatient driver nearly ran me down and sped off. So much for the disconnect. I’m minding my own business and almost get killed in the street by an insane motorist?

Ahhh, I was back in Italy again.

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

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