city palate T H E
F L AV O U R
O F C A L G A R Y ’ S S I N C E 1 9 9 3
F O O D
S C E N E
the entertaining issue CITYPALATE.CA
NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
PIZZA
•
PASTA
•
E BASTA!
D E AN E H O U S E 403-264-0595 deanehouse.com
403-261-7670
river-cafe.com
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Fuel for the Entire Family Introducing Made Foods’ Family Feasts by MELANIE DARBYSHIRE
With the days getting shorter and the school year in full-swing, finding time to prepare dinner for the family can be about as easy as trying to get your kids to eat their vegetables. That’s why Made Foods has introduced its Family Feasts - healthy and delicious ready-toeat meals to feed the whole family. Dinner time can once again be enjoyable. Chef-prepared with locally-sourced whole foods and without added hormones, GMOs, preservatives or additives, the Family Feasts include four generous servings and come in the same heat-and-serve format as Made Foods’ individual meals. Available at any of the company’s eight locations in Calgary and Cochrane, the Family Feasts can also be ordered online at madefoods.com for delivery or pick-up. “We were hearing from many customers that they desired our meals in a family format,” says Chris Dobson, President and Partner. “They wanted delicious and healthy meals for the whole family without all the work. So far the feedback has been great - our customers are really happy.” The Family Feast menu changes every week and can be found on Made Foods’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, in addition to the website. Past meals have included the Family BBQ Pack (four chicken breasts, two racks of ribs, homemade BBQ sauce, veggies and salad) and Chicken Cacciatore (four chicken legs and drums, roasted and slow simmered, brown rice pilaf, steamed broccoli, roasted carrots and buttermilk biscuits). One of November’s features is Alberta Bison Lasagne (house made noodles, local tomatoes, spinach, White Gold ricotta, Canadian white cheddar, herbs, garlic bread and caesar salad). Ashley Martin, a local wife and mother of two pre-teens, is a fan: “For me the family packs (and Made Foods concept) is perfect for days when my schedule is full,” she says. “I can feed my family delicious healthy meals, made with real food that isn’t full of who knows what.” The amount of food in the Family Feasts is more than enough, she says, allowing a full plate for each member of her family with extras leftover for lunch: “Great value for sure!” Each Family Feast is $40 and is designed for both maximum nutritional benefit and taste by the company’s chef and its Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant. Just another way in which Made Foods is changing the way Calgarians eat.
MY CUSTOMERS OFTEN TELL ME THAT THEIR ESPRESSO MACHINE IS THEIR FAVOURITE ITEM IN THEIR KITCHEN .
GATHER
VINCE IZZO & FAMILY
AROUND A THING OF BEAUTY
POINSETTIA 3/4 OZ MONIN CRANBERRY SYRUP 7 OZ CHAMPAGNE Pour syrup into a chilled flute glass. Slowly add cold champagne and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon twist. Visit us and select from the over 100 premium Monin syrup flavours we stock – they’re just as great in cocktails as in coffee!
This fabulous model is illuminated & changes colour
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He’ll wash, slice, dice, mince, chiffonade or julienne our farm fresh produce as you require. Each container is $1, but the service is our pleasure.
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
The natural choice.
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• family owned and operated • focused on quality and taste
Visit us in Rosemary, Alberta www.spraggsmeatshop.com
contents
CITY PALATE NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
FEATURES
30 n
17 Gifts, Gadgets and Goodies for 2016 Karen Anderson
Easy holiday entertaining. Great food, great company.
34 n
Great Gifts for the Boozers in Your Life Tom Firth
38 n
An Entertaining Menu This year we turn to Michael Noble for entertaining food to celebrate the holiday season
42 n
KITC HE N AI D What to know about a reno before you start Erin Lawrence
46 n
EXPOSED Behind the Scenes with the Offcuts YYC 2017 Calendar Regan Johnson
Grocery. Bakery. Deli. CafĂŠ.
Cover artist: Wayne Mills studied and worked as an engineering draughtsman at Rolls-Royce Aerospace using both traditional hand drawn and modern digital techniques. Today, working as a freelance illustrator in the U.K., he creates imagery for use in editorial, interiors, music and fashion.
Willow Park 9919 Fairmount Drive SE italiancentre.ca | @italianctrYYC | 403-238-4869 CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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city palate publisher/editor Kathy Richardier (kathy@citypalate.ca) magazine design Carol Slezak, Yellow Brick Studios (carol@citypalate.ca) contributing editor Kate Zimmerman contributors Matthew Altizer Karen Anderson Shelley Boettcher Tom Firth Chris Halpin Regan Johnson Ellen Kelly Pierre Lamielle Geoff Last Erin Lawrence Karen Ralph Allan Shewchuk Julie Van Rosendaal
a meal centuries in the making Brazilians call it churrasco. You’ll call it the best barbecue you’ve ever had. C A LG A RY
100 5920 Macleod Trail SW phone:403.454.9119 C A N MOR E
contributing photographers Karen Anderson Shelley Boettcher Regan Johnson for advertising enquiries, please contact advertising@citypalate.ca account manager Doug Proctor (doug@citypalate.ca) 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. website management Jane Pratico (jane@citypalate.ca)
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
City Palate is published 6 times per year: January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October and November-December by City Palate Inc., 722 -11 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2R 0E4 Subscriptions are available for $48 per year within Canada and $68 per year outside Canada. Editorial Enquiries: Please email kathy@citypalate.ca For questions or comments please contact us via our website:
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
contents
CITY PALATE NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
DEPARTMENTS
11 n word of mouth
Notable culinary happenings around town
13 n eat this
What to eat in November and December Ellen Kelly
GOOD FOOD FROM LOCAL PRODUCERS
14 n drink this
Champagne and Cognac Shelley Boettcher
18 n great finds
Buttermilk Fine Waffles and The Pie Hole Regan Johnson
20 n one ingredient
Cranberries Julie Van Rosendaal
24 n feeding people
Lobster l’amour Karen Ralph
26 n well matched
Made-in-heaven food and wine pairings Geoff Last
26 n the sunday project
Manti with Matthew Altizer
48 n stockpot
Stirrings around Calgary
52 n kids can cook
Hot Dip Pierre Lamielle
56 n 6 quick ways with...
Almonds Chris Halpin
58 n back burner... shewchuk on simmer
Learning curve Allan Shewchuk
R E A D U S O N L I N E AT C I T Y PA L AT E . C A
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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It’s our 25th Anniversary & we’re celebrating in style
3 great new products • 2 very special events
Come Celebrate with us! tue nov 29 $25
Glenfarclas 25 Year Cask Strength Launch Glenfarclas is bottling a special cask strength version of their 25 year old. Raise a glass with us! glenfarclas 25 year cask $99
thaNK You CalGarY!
thu dec 1 $25 stand-up forMat
KWM Anniversary Port Launch
The grand launch of KWM 1992 Vintage Port and 20 Year Tawny Port, blended and bottled just for us. Join us for an early bird tasting party! kwM 1992 vintage port $99, 20 year old tawny port $99
Kick back and get tasty recipes and tastier deals emailed right to your inbox. Sign up at CalgaryCoop.com
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
1257 Kensington Road NW kensingtonwinemarket.com 403 283 8000
word of mouth
NOTABLE CULINARY HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN IN OU R OPIN ION
chefly shots 2 debuts November 3rd
read these:
We thought it was a great idea the first time and so did Six Degrees and Nur Films, so we are doing it again. Join us November 3rd at the Commonwealth Bar & Stage, 731-10 Ave. SW, for a cultural cocktail that blends Calgary’s culinary, film, and music communities in one live event. Start with 16 local masters of food and drink, add in an originally produced soundtrack, an award winning filmmaker, and you have an event to devour. Fun! $20 tickets at cheflyscreenshots2.eventbrite.ca
Best of Bridge is back with a new book and a new group of ladies. Like so many of you, the new Best of Bridge ladies – Julie Van Rosendaal, Sue Duncan and Elizabeth Chorney-Booth – have fallen in love with slow cookers all over again. Life is busy, money is tight, and people aren’t any less hungry! So assembling a few ingredients early in the day, pushing a button, and not having to worry about dinner until it’s time to eat just makes the day feel more manageable. Whether you’re looking for a hearty stew or a cheesy dip that will stay warm throughout your party, simply call your slow cooker and some recipes from Best of Bridge The Family Slow Cooker (Robert Rose, $29.95, hard cover) into service – you’ll be glad you did. bestofbridge.com
compete to win money and a stage
good, fun, interesting food wins awards
Applications are now open for the 2017 Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship Foundation competition for chefs aged 28 and under. These young chefs compete in a culinary arts competition and the winner takes home $10,000 and wins a stage at an international restaurant of his/her choice. The 2016 winner is Alex Hon, age 25, from Vancouver’s West Restaurant. The chefs use “black box” ingredients to create dishes that blow the judges – such as Calgary’s chef Justin Leboe (Model Milk/Pigeonhole) – away. Regional competitions in the spring trimmed more than 100 applicants to the 40 who competed and were trimmed to the eight finalists. To apply to be part of this exciting and rewarding competition, visit hawksworthscholarship.com. Applications are accepted into the early spring of 2017.
Congratulations to Jayme McFayden and Kelly Black of BMeX Restaurant Group for winning the prestigious Pinnacle Award for Canada’s Independent Restaurateurs of the Year! The only Calgary company to be recognized this year. And you know why they win an award if you’ve eaten at their restaurants – Ox and Angela, Una Pizza + Wine, Native Tongues Taqueria and Frenchie Wine Bar. Jayme and Kelly know how to do it right, covering off all manner of good, interesting food and drink. Well done BMeX crew!
instant pizza baking Found at Soffritto, an UUNI portable wood-fired oven in which you can cook pizza in 60 seconds using wood pellets and heats up to more than 1000°F. If you’ve gotta have it, you can for a reasonable $450 and it comes with its own pizza stone.
a starr is born Summer Love Raspberry Vodka from Calgary's Starr Distilling is hard to miss even before the first sip. Local artist Dean Stanton designed the delightful label and the joy it conveys matches the intense BC-grown raspberry flavour of the vodka perfectly. We bought ours at Calgary Co-op Liquor Store, but this delicious tipple is available all over the city. We are looking forward to a BC peach vodka next summer. Check out City Palate’s Facebook page for another round of “Name That Cocktail” featuring Summer Love, coming soon. Visit Summer Love at starrdistilling.com
lucky bastards for all of us… The Lucky Bastard Distillery in Saskatoon is supplying Calgary with its super good spirits, such as its ultra premium vodka, Gambit Gin, and well-flavoured vodkas. Find it at the Calgary Co-op Liquor Stores, Crowfoot Liquor, Willow Park and Sobeys. We have it on the best authority that the Dill Pickle Vodka is the perfect addition to a Bloody Mary or Caesar. Yeah! Anything with tomato. Toss some into your next tomato soup or tomato sauce. The Chai Vodka is great in hot chocolate and would give a nice goose to a chai tea latte or chai tea.
knives are it! Our very own knife knerd, Kevin Kent, Knifewear in Inglewood, has opened Knifewear Vancouver to a warm welcome. It looks like Knifewear Toronto will be next. And Knifewear has teamed up with Kevin Kossowan to open a From the Wild pop-up shop, November and December in Edmonton, featuring the gear that both Kevins love for getting outdoors. Not to mention, Knifewear is listed as one of the 2016 Profit 500 – Canada’s hottest, fastest-growing companies – as is Fiasco Gelato, a strong showing for Calgary food-related companies! Well done!
We had Calgary Cooks, great recipes from our fave chefs, and now we have Edmonton Cooks, Signature Recipes from the City’s Best Chefs, by Tina Faiz and Leanne Brown (Figure 1 Publishing, $37.95, hard cover). Edmonton’s food scene thrives and this collection from its top chefs and restaurants, such as chef Larry Stewart at The Hardware Grill and his Smoked Salmon with Truffled Potato Perogies and Warm Gingerbread with Caramel Sauce and Rhubarb-Saskatoon Compote. Oh, yes! And from the Duchess Bake Shop, a Key Lime Tart and Saskatoon Pie. Here’s a book for the perfect winter activity: Salt Sugar Smoke: How to preserve fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley, $32.99, hard cover). Create all manner of good foods, such as chutneys, curds, pastes, mustards, foods preserved under oil or smoked, foods salted, cured and potted, and every recipe has a section on “how to use”– how handy is that! For example, New York Sweet Cranberry Mustard, good to have around at Christmas for your ham or lamb or turkey.
yay! a new christmas market The Calgary Farmers’ Market will transform into Calgary’s newest Christmas Market, November 18 through December 11. All of your favourite vendors, plus new holiday vendors, will offer unique, locally made gifts, food, jewelry, décor and more. You’ll find everything for under the tree and on the table this upcoming holiday season. The market will be open late on Friday, November 18 with special guests and fun activities to launch its first-ever Christmas Market. Mark your calendars to join them and make it a holly jolly local holiday.
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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Modern Contemporary Cuisine
107, 8th Ave SW, Calgary AB T2P 1B4 403-265-9595
thebelvedere@shaw.ca
www.thebelvedere.ca
“As far as I’m concerned, there are only two really important decisions in a cook’s life: choosing a mate and buying a chef’s knife. If that seems like an overstatement, you just haven’t found the right knife.” — Russ Parsons, former L.A. Times food writer
Calgary • Vancouver • Ottawa • Edmonton
1316 9 Avenue SE • 403-514-0577 knifewear.com • @knifewearYYC
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
@TheBelvedereyyc
TheBelvedereCalgary
eat this
Ellen Kelly
WHAT TO EAT IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
Well, here we are again… another trip around the sun. It’s time to start thinking – if you haven’t been obsessing already – about the festive season. It’s upon us! Holiday meals and gifts of home-made treats express our love in a way no other gift or gesture does; they represent the gift of our most valuable commodity, our time. Even the most humble of vegetables can shine on the holiday groaning board and in pretty beribboned jars. Often taken for granted, the common cooking ONION, the workhorse of the kitchen, can effortlessly become a delicate pickled garnish or a sweet and savoury marmalade. I often make this simple and easy recipe from Dee Hobsbawn-Smith to have on hand, tossing it into salads and sandwiches. Thinly slice 4 red onions and place in a colander in the sink. Pour about 4 c. boiling water over the onions. Shake off any excess water and put the hot onions in a bowl. Add 4 c. of your favourite vinegar, 1 T. sugar, 1 t. salt, 1/2 t. dried thyme and a pinch of hot chile flakes. Mix well, cover and refrigerate up to a week or so. Onion marmalade has never gone out of style and a jar is always a welcome gift. Thinly slice about a pound of sweet onions, yellow, white or red. Begin to cook them, in melted butter and olive oil combined, over medium heat in a large heavy pan. Use tongs at first to stir until the onions cook down. After about 10 minutes, when the onions are getting tender, add 3-4 T. sherry vinegar, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 2-3 T. minced fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, mint, parsley, sweet marjoram). Continue cooking, stirring often, until onions have caramelized to a dark, rich, golden colour. While cooking, add a splash of water if the mixture is sticking too much before reaching the desired colour. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Happily, BEETS have lately come into their own. They’ve gone from being spat out by countless overly particular children to being the darling of the current kale-loving set. For gift giving, this tasty little beet relish will win the day. Oven roast about a pound of beets. There are any number of methods; I like to put washed beets in a baking dish with a little water and cover with foil. Cook at 375 F. until they’re easily pierced with a skewer. Depending on their size, this will take around 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, finely chop 1 large onion, and 1-2 red bell peppers. Peel and grate the cooled beets and add them, with the onions and peppers, to a bit of butter melted in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat, then add 1-2 T. hot horseradish, 3/4 c. apple cider vinegar, 1 T. sugar, 1/2 t. salt and a pinch of ground cloves. Mix well and cook until thickened, 10-15 minutes. Pack into sterilized jars and seal. Makes about three 8-oz. jars.
Illustrations by Pierre Lamielle
BUY: Purchase firm, heavy onions without blemishes or mould. Look for bulbs that have their papery skin intact. TIPS: Don’t store onions and potatoes together. Onions will cause the potatoes to sprout prematurely. Keep them in a basket in a cool, dark, dry place. DID YOU KNOW? Yellow papery onion skin has been used as a gold-coloured dye for centuries. Try it yourself with a white cotton or linen tea towel. Boil up a big handful of the onion skins; add the towel and heat for 5-10 minutes, until the fabric is slightly darker than the colour you want. Drain, toss the skins and put the towel in heavily salted boiling water for another few minutes to fix the colour.
BUY: Make sure beets are firm and unblemished. Beets with healthy fresh greens attached are the best way to purchase them, and you can eat the greens too! TIPS: A fun and tasty thing to do with beet juice, either from cooking or pickling, is to let a few hard-cooked eggs steep in the liquid until pink around the edges. DID YOU KNOW? Not all beets are round and red; some are candy striped like the Chioggia, with scarlet and white concentric rings; some are a lovely dark golden yellow, great in salads because they don’t bleed all over everything else; others are long and narrow, perfect for pickling.
MUSHROOMS are perfect holiday food. An elegant creamy mushroom soup couldn’t be easier to make. Start by reconstituting about 2-3 T. dried porcini in a bit of white wine. Sprinkle about a pound of assorted trimmed and chopped mushrooms with some lemon juice. Melt butter and olive oil together in a heavy pan and slowly cook 2-3 T. chopped shallots and a clove of garlic until soft, but not coloured. Stir in the mushrooms, the chopped porcini (reserving the liquid) and 1 T. flour. Season the mushrooms with a little salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Gradually add 3 c. good chicken stock and the reserved mushroom liquid. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes. At this point, use a hand blender to purée the soup, then add 1/2 c. heavy cream and check the seasoning again. Serve garnished with hot, buttery croutons.
BUY: Don’t buy wet and slimy mushrooms, or conversely, mushrooms that have dried out. They should smell earthy, but not questionable. TIPS: Use the paper bags provided; they’ll keep mushrooms from turning to slime from condensation in plastic bags. Don’t be afraid to wash mushrooms right before using, just don’t let them soak – they’re like little sponges. DID YOU KNOW? Wild mushrooms are some of the last foraged wild foods available. Even the cultivated ones, unlike most of our modern day produce, are little changed from their original wild state. Today, most supermarkets boast decent selections of cultivated oyster, shiitake, portobello and cremini mushrooms. You may even find tiny crisp white enoki mushrooms to garnish your next Japanese-inspired dinner. Italian markets carry dried porcini (boletus edulis), known as cèpes in France. When reconstituted, they add an incredible depth of flavour to soups, stews and sauces. Wild morels and chanterelles, available in spring and late summer, are often available in specialty food stores. They freeze or dry well and add flavour and interest. Ellen Kelly is a chef and regular contributor to City Palate.
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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drink this
Shelley Boettcher
CHAMPAGNE AND COGNAC
I’m standing in St. Sindulphe church, at the grave of Dom Perignon. It’s a misty and cool March in Hautvillers, a small town in Champagne, France, and, only a few minutes ago, snow was falling. The light in the church is dim, and I can hardly read his name. But he’s there, entombed under a well-worn sheet of black marble, in the church floor, only a few feet away from where I stand. For a champagne lover, the name of this Benedictine monk is legendary. Often credited as the inventor of sparkling wine (although he likely wasn’t), Dom Pierre Perignon strove constantly to improve his wines by experimenting with presses, blending and corks to seal his bottles. He lived and prayed and worked for close to 50 years in this quiet hilltop abbey and church. And he now lends his name to one of the world’s most famous wines, thanks to a combination of critical success, marketing and history. Earlier this year, I had an opportunity to visit Champagne and Cognac – the trip of dreams for any serious wine or spirits fan. I paid homage to Dom Perignon. I blissed out in the white chalk wine cellars at Ruinart. And I followed around a barrel-maker at Maison Hennessy in Cognac.
Champagne After my visit to Dom Perignon (and plenty of wine tasting), I found myself at Maison Ruinart in Reims, about a 30-minute drive from Hautvillers. Founded in 1729, Ruinart is one of France’s oldest champagne houses, but, like others in the region, it actually started as a cloth-making business. Turns out bubbles were a better financial investment, and by 1735, the family had abandoned fabric for wine. By 1761, it was selling 36,000 bottles a year, and the entire region was on its path to fame and fortune. Flash forward to the First World War, then the Second World War. The German army officially surrendered in Reims in 1945, but not before inflicting incredible damage to the industry, the town and the families in the region. More than 70 years after the war, Ruinart’s famous chalk caves endure – a vast underground network of cellars and storage rooms that are 20 to 40 metres underground and date back at least to medieval times. (Parts were first excavated during the Roman Empire.) Offering the perfect temperature and humidity for storing wine, these rooms are like underground cathedrals, with high white walls and ceilings. The atmosphere is so muted, I can almost hear the wine ageing.
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
“Wines that will go around the world,” my guide says softly. Every word we speak echoes around us. During the wars, things were considerably more terrifying. Many hid from the fighting in the cellars, going about their daily lives underground. There was even a makeshift school for neighbourhood children set up in one of the caves during the Second World War. Turns out I’ve visited Champagne during what some are calling the worst season since 1956. There’s been hail, rot, rain and frost. But from a visitor’s perspective, champagne is the stuff of history and legend, and I can’t wait to return.
Cognac The process of making cognac is part science, part magic. Wine is distilled into eau-de-vie; that eau-de-vie then gets aged in wood barrels. Eventually it’s blended by master distillers into a type of special brandy that can only be called cognac if it comes from France’s Cognac region, 400 km southwest of Paris. While the history of the region is as rich as Champagne’s, it’s the barrel-making that has me hypnotized here. Some cognac houses buy their barrels. Some make their own. The team at Hennessy makes about 200 barrels a year for the distillery’s famous cognacs, and repairs many other barrels from supplies stored in its vast workshop. It takes two years to become a cooper (a barrel-maker), and “it takes 10 years to become good,” says my guide with a chuckle. Even the wood (French oak) can’t be rushed; it must spend three years outside in the rain, snow and summer heat before it’s ready to be turned into barrels. The bark is removed early in the game, as it adds unwanted and bitter tannins. Then, the wood is turned into staves – the long planks that make up a barrel. Each is slightly tapered at the ends, so they all fit together into the classic barrel shape when bent. A single barrel is made of 32 to 36 staves and will contain about 350 litres of precious elixir. Assembling a barrel is hard work. The cooper must line up each stave, pulling them all tight
Then there’s the lid, made of another nine or so short oak planks. A razor-sharp old-fashioned axe is used to create a groove inside each barrel, where the lid will be fitted. No nails are used at any time. No staples. No glue. Instead, a reed – yes, a non-toxic plant – is carefully wrapped around the edge of each lid. Wheat starch is then dabbed into the barrel’s groove and the lid is jammed in. The reed and starch will make each barrel watertight, absorbing any liquid that tries to escape. And for that, I am grateful, as I think of my favourite evening nightcap. More for me to enjoy. More for the world.
IF YOU GO:
Champagne
Cognac
If you have a favourite champagne producer, call or email to ask about tours. Many offer visitors a chance to go behind the scenes. Here, a few suggestions:
Take a tour: Maison Hennessy recently opened a new visitors’ centre, which features the cognac production process, a tour of the ageing cellar and a tasting workshop alongside stories of both the Hennessy family and the Fillioux family, who’ve been Hennessy’s master blenders for eight generations. Go to hennessy.com for details.
Take a tour: Book tours of the Maison Ruinart Cellars in Reims at ruinart.com. Each two-hour tour is guided and includes a tasting of two Ruinart champagnes. Like Ruinart, the Veuve Clicquot Visitors’ Centre in Reims requires prebooking. You can take kids along, but they can’t join in the tasting. Go to veuve-clicquot.com for details. While Abbey Saint-Pierre in Hautvillers where Dom Perignon spent most of his life is generally closed to the public, St. Sindulphe church, where he is buried, can be visited. Eat: You’ll never forget your meal at Le Parc des Crayères (lescrayeres.com) in Reims, France. It holds two stars from the prestigious Michelin guide, which describes it as “an exceptional gastronomic experience.” Order champagne. You didn’t go there for the coffee. Stay: Hotel De La Paix in Reims has a good breakfast and great internet access, so you can post all those wonderful champagne pics on social media. Plus, it’s only a short walk to good shopping and the famous Reims cathedral.
Eat: La Ribaudière (laribaudiere.com) holds one Michelin star and offers typical French elegance and outstanding food. Save room for the beautiful desserts and cheeses. Stay: Hôtel François Premier (hotelfrancoispremier.fr) is housed in a building that’s more than 100 years old, but the rooms offer every modern comfort. Best, this chic, yet cozy hotel is very central, meaning you can easily walk around town. Good breakfast, too. continued on page 16
Celebrate with Us...
At Fresh Kitchen, we do more than prepare great food – we celebrate it. We can customize your menu to your specific requests. From small private affairs, to inhome holiday parties, to large corporate events – we pride ourselves in the ability to continually surpass your expectations. 403.690.7231 | freshkitchen.ca
Celebrate Christmas with Fresh Kitchen Let us put free time back into your Christmas with a four-course gourmet dinner, delivered to your door. DINNER MENU
into the metal rings that hold the barrel together, and then toasting the interior to just the right shade of brown.
Roasted butternut squash with a spiced crème fraîche
u Farm fresh turkey or u Brioche, sage and maple glazed Gammon ham bacon stuffing
u
Roasted organic rainbow u Fresh-baked pumpkin carrots, traditional pan pie with spiced cream gravy and fresh-made cranberry sauce $24.95 per person. u Herb and buttermilk Delivered to your door, mashed potatoes December 23-24 u
Organic greens with handtorn brown butter croutons, pumpkin seeds, sun dried cranberries and Fairwind Farms goat cheese
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403.690.7231 | hello@FreshAtYourDoor.com
Fresh At Your Door.com
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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drink this
CHAMPAGNE AND COGNAC
continued from page 15
CAN’T GET AWAY? Here are just a few of the many places to get a taste of France in Calgary: Cassis Bistro (2505 -17th Ave. SW, thecassisbistro.ca) is owned by Gilles Brassart, who was born near Aix-en-Provence, France. Dishes are inspired by France (lamb merguez, steak frites, duck confit) but are made with local ingredients (Alberta beef, for instance). Éclair de Lune (1049 - 40th Ave. NW) is a French bakery and coffee shop. The pastries and cakes are particularly delicious. The coffee is good and you can order in French, too. The Cookbook Co. Cooks (722 -11th Ave. SW, cookbookcooks.com) offers French table linens, dishes, sea salts, you name it. If you’re looking for something special, just stop in and ask. Inspirati Fine Linens & Home Essentials (120, 2207 - 4th St. SW, inspirati.ca) has an impressive array of French table linens, flatware, dinnerware, trays, tea towels and even market bags. Beautiful things for your home or as treasured gifts for others – wrap a bottle of champagne in a Le Jacquard Francais tea towel for the best hostess gift ever! Très jolie!
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs (Champagne, France) About $90.
Meet Jenny Kang, Executive Chef of Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant
A crisp, dry champagne with delicate bubbles and flavours of lemon and lime, plus pretty aromas of citrus and white flowers. Serve it chilled with oysters or something salty. (I liked it with prosciutto and melon.) Made of 100 percent chardonnay grapes, it’s in a lovely clear bottle.
Hennessy XO Cognac (Cognac, France) About $230.
Tickets | 75
Monthly Supper Club
GST and gratuity will be added at purchase
Join us on the 3rd Wednesday of every month for Chef Jenny Kang’s exquisite four-course menu in a different theme each month, wine pairings by Sommelier Arthur Ledzinski, and an informative presentation by Peter Smolarz, Fine Wines Director at Willow Park Wines & Spirits.
Reservations 403.47 .1310
RancheYYC 16
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
A smooth, dark, spicy, rich cognac that has notes of toffee, cocoa, allspice and dried apple and apricots. The finish lingers for at least five minutes. Savour this fine cognac neat, on a cold night in front of the fire. Trivia: Hennessy XO was first bottled in 1870.
Dom Perignon 2004 Rosé (Champagne, France) About $310 Dom Perignon only makes vintage champagnes and, as such, only releases wines from years when the harvest is exceptional. A special champagne for special occasions, this very pretty, richly hued pink wine from 2004 has notes of red currants and raspberries, plus a hint of toasted almonds. An impressively long finish, too.
Shelley Boettcher is a local food and wine writer whose work has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world. Find her on Twitter @shelley_wine.
Spectacular Smiles Start With (587) 353-5667 MLBRACES.com
Bringing good food and good friends back to the table. In the heart of Marda Loop.
2138 33 Avenue SW RD
403.21S.WISH 2 0 2 2 - 3 4 AV E N U E S W
Calgary AB • T2T 1Z6 farmershouse.ca info@farmershouse.ca
403 727 1188
swishsalon.ca
Dr. Andrew Chen
•
•
Certified Specialist in Orthodontics
CRABAPPLE CLOTHING COMPANY
est. 1990
3526 Garrison Gate SW Calgary, AB T2T 6N1 403-686-3661
www.crabappleclothing.com
Play with Your Food! We also do: Teambuilding Corporate Events
Christmas Parties Special Events
Wedding Receptions pipsbgc@gmail.com 587.349.0047
Did you know? Did you know that Marda Loop is named after the Marda Theatre and the old streetcar line (later a trolley bus) that looped through the area? The theatre was named after its owners Marc and Mada Jenkins, the name being a combination of their two names. It opened in 1953, became an Odeon Theatre in the ’60s and was demolished in 1990. Still, the memory lives on and animates today’s Marda Loop.
2028 34 Avenue SW 587-350-7886 www.studiojewellers.com
Marda Loop is so convenient!
•
Situated just off Crowchild Trail, it is easily accessed from all parts of Calgary
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Several Calgary Transit routes come right to Marda Loop
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A new bike lane has just been installed on 20 St SW
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Marda Loop has free on-street parking, which means you can come and stay awhile!
farm to fork ▪ foods to go
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403 240 3033
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3570 Garrison Gate SW – 403.984.3348 We’re Social – @mardaloopcheese
daily dinner specials, salads, soups, baking, produce, local gourmet items, frozen meals, seasonal catering menu year round, local, and sustainable ingredients www.foragefoods.com mon-fri 2p-7p sat 9a-2p
great finds
BUTTERMILK FINE WAFFLES
In the grand debate over waffles and pancakes, Sam Friley is Team Waffle. Inspired by his travels and ready for a career change from geologist to restaurateur, Friley opened Buttermilk Fine Waffles in May 2015, where he and his team have been serving up comfort food ever since. Buttermilk is a merger of modern and classic. The minimalist interior echoes the restaurant’s sleek grid logo in its use of clean lines, and yet the space is very welcoming, particularly with the scent of warm waffles in the air. Under Friley’s direction, local designer Connie Young (Avec Bistro, Una Pizza) transformed the space, which previously housed CRMR@Home, to the current aesthetic. Calgarians might recognize the Friley name from Sam’s brother, Billy Friley, owner of local favourite, Village Ice Cream. Buttermilk customers certainly recognize the ice cream from the best-selling Village waffle, served with Village vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup or sticky toffee, and toasted Georgia pecans.
A T D A L H O U S I E S T A T I O N 403.286.5220 www.zestkitchenware.com
The restaurant’s fluffy-yet-crisp waffles come sweet, savoury, or even naked, the latter option leaving guests free to “build” their own waffle with any combination of any of Buttermilk’s toppings. Seasonal selections, like the summertime peaches and cream, supplement the standard offerings, which range from the Buttermilk Classic with maple syrup and melted butter, to the savoury Arugula, with Irish cheddar, Chinook honey, and chile oil. Buttermilk’s general manager, Mackenzie Labrecque, says the restaurant’s energy is fueled by its customers, whether they’re taking advantage of a waffle’s quick cooking time for a bite on the go, or lingering with friends for a leisurely chat over freshly squeezed orange juice or Phil and Sebastian coffee. There is no one chef in charge at Buttermilk, but many “wafflesmiths,” as Labrecque and the rest of the Buttermilk team all take turns manning the Belgian-style waffle irons, and collaboratively come up with the seasonal menu items. Labrecque says it’s the people – especially the waffle-hungry weekenders – that make his job most exciting. Buttermilk has embraced the trend towards breakfast foods being perfectly appropriate at any time of day with evening events to attract customers outside the traditional waffle hours. On Mondays, cinema night, the team pulls down a large screen along one wall for a movie, free of charge, with titles ranging from Donnie Darko to Grease. Monthly schedules and previews of a given night’s selection often appear on the restaurant’s Instagram. Wednesdays are “bring your own board game” nights, but guests can also choose to join in the fun any time by borrowing from the stack of games on a shelf: Scrabble, Battleship, Trouble, and more. Whether for date night or weekend brunch, Buttermilk is a versatile destination. With plans to add a patio, Calgarians can look forward to noshing Buttermilk waffles under the summer sun. In the meantime, Friley and his team continue to advocate for the not-so-humble waffle as something far more than a maple syrup delivery vessel. After all, at Buttermilk, waffles deliver toppings for just about every disposition. Buttermilk Fine Waffles, 330- 17 Ave. SW, 403-287-9094
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
Regan Johnson
THE PIE HOLE
First impression upon entering The Pie Hole – who designed this place to be so perfectly pie?
Last year, Goemans decided to apply some of the creative expertise she’s been lending to others throughout her career to a project of her own. In the wake of her mother’s passing, Goemans was inspired by her eldest daughter wondering who would make pie with her now that Nana was gone. The Pie Hole opened the week before Thanksgiving, 2015, and was instantly embraced by the locals; on the very first day of the“soft” opening, they were sold out by 1 p.m. That was back when Pie Hole cooks were hand-rolling all their pies – now, though every all-butter crust is still handmade and hand-filled, the installation of custom Mennonite-made pie presses has helped Goemans and her team create the volume to meet demand. The community continues to support Goemans. The delicate hutch lined with teacups that makes up the shop’s coffee and tea bar now has cups not only from Goemans’ late mother, Carmen’s, collection, but donations from locals, as well. “It’s about warmth and neighbourhood,” Goemans says. “Pie is about teacups and comfort.” The Pie Hole now has hand pies on its menu, for those who want to stop in for a single serving, as well as home-style bars and cookies. Truly, the Italian ricotta and honey hand pie is an absolute delight.
20
years
It takes barely a minute sitting with Nancy Goemans, who co-owns The Pie Hole with her long-time friend and new business partner, Jo-Anne Caza, to know the answer. From the wood-slab counter lined with pie stands that Goemans and her husband hand-finished for their 20th wedding anniversary, to the rustic green interior doors, which come from a previous home, Goemans’ signature is all over the place. And that’s natural, considering that she has 30 years of experience as a creative director, food stylist and consultant under her belt.
of the perfect pour
622 8th Street, Canmore AB 403-678-9983
THEGRIZZLYPAW.COM
FRESH FOOD | FRESH BEER | FRESH SODA
The sour cherry pie, with cherries sourced from Forest Fringe Orchards in Saskatchewan, is the current best seller, Goemans says. Customers are also fond of the savoury selections, like the steak and kidney pie, influenced by Goemans’ father’s British background. Versatile a venue as pies are, The Pie Hole’s menu is always changing; the weekly selection is written on a roll of butcher paper, for quick and easy changeovers. The shop does custom jobs for weddings and special events, and even “gender reveal” pies for expectant parents, filled with blue or red fruit, and ever-so-carefully sealed so that no dribbles of juice can give away the surprise. For the holidays, the shop does seasonal favourites like tourtière, pumpkin, and mincemeat, as well as pastry-wrapped baked brie and camembert, served with chutneys. Ultimately, The Pie Hole’s philosophy comes down to what Goemans already knows – in fact, it’s written right on the outside of her shop: “Stress cannot exist in the presence of pie.” The Pie Hole is so filled with love, you’ll swear they’ve got your own grandma hidden away baking in the back. The Pie Hole, 8 Spruce Centre SW, 403-452-3960
403. 475.7226 620 8 AV E S W , CA LG A R Y THE DERRICK GIN MILL & KITCHEN
Regan Johnson works at The Cookbook Co. Cooks
@THEDERRICKYYC @THEDERRICKYYC
COMING SOON
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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one ingredient
Premiering on Shaw TV Sept 12th An Exploration & Celebration of Calgary's Communities, Culture & Culinary Experiences www.homesandlifestyles.ca
“This is definitely one of the best wine shops in town.” Tom Firth - Avenue Magazine, March 2016
There are few ingredients as tightly bound to a particular time of year as the cranberry – rubies in the holiday crown, they’ve been sauced, strung on trees and used to bejewel festive desserts for centuries. While most berries arrive in spring, the cranberry, ruddy and resilient, appears in late fall and early winter, ready to weather the season. Cultivated mainly in Canada – mostly in BC’s Fraser Valley – and south of the border, the vast majority are turned into juice or sauce, or sweetened and dried, all ways of dealing with their extraordinary tartness.
Woody and almost juiceless, cranberries are unique in the berry family, with a flavour capable of altering those that follow – if you eat something cranberry-heavy, your tastebuds may be wonky for the next few bites. Their dependence on sugar (or maple syrup, or honey) to make them palatable forces the cook to utilize other ingredients. They’ll be chopped fine and added raw to salads in some circumstances, but generally they need backup. Culinarily speaking, cranberries most often show up in sauce or muffins. But if you consider them a winter version of rhubarb, it’s easier to imagine how a handful can add tang (and a gorgeous colour) to pies, crumbles and crisps, or act as a ballast in over-the-top sweet desserts like cinnamon buns, butter tarts and pecan pie. Their acidity also lends itself well to sweet-tangy-vinegary things like barbecue sauce and pulled pork, slow roasts and braises. Historically, cranberries and bison make a very Canadian pairing. While they’re cheap and abundant, fresh cranberries can be tossed into the freezer in the bag they arrived in, and added straight from frozen to whatever you want to make. Dried cranberries, having lost most of their tangy character, are more like glorified raisins, easier to toss willy-nilly into cookies, salads and granola.
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
Julie Van Rosendaal
CRANBERRIES
Cranberry Apple Crisp Cranberries and apples are buddies - when they’re both in season, it’s time to bake a comforting crisp. This is just as suitable the next morning served cold with plain yogurt for breakfast. 3 large tart apples, cored and thinly sliced 1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries 2/3 c. sugar (or to taste) a shake of cinnamon
Crumble topping: 1/3 c. all-purpose flour 1/3 c. oats 1/3 c. packed brown sugar 1/4 c. butter, cut into pieces pinch salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the apples into a large bowl, or directly into a pie plate or baking dish. Add the cranberries, sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat. (If you mixed them in a bowl, pour into the baking dish, including any sugar at the bottom of the bowl.) In the same bowl, blend the flour, oats, brown sugar, butter and salt, blending with a fork or your fingers until well combined and crumbly. Scatter over the fruit, squeezing to create larger clumps of crumble as you go. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the topping is golden and the fruit is soft and bubbly around the edges. Serve warm, with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 6-8.
Cranberry Curd Tart This tart tart is naturally brilliant pink. It’s beautiful to serve in thin slices on its own or with a dollop of crème fraîche, for a change from the usual pumpkin pie.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the cranberries, sugar, and lemon zest and juice to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the berries pop and soften. Set a colander over a bowl and pour in the cranberries; stir and press down on the solids to extract as much as possible. (You could save the solids for a smoothie.) Add the butter and set aside to cool.
3/4 c. packed brown sugar 1/4 t. baking soda 1/4 t. salt 1/2 c. butter, cut into pieces
Traditional Italian Grocer
Filling:
3/4 c. orange juice
1/2 c. butter, lard, or a combination
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, combine the figs, cranberries, sugar and orange juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until the berries burst and the mixture becomes thick and jam-like. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Grate in the butter or lard using the coarse side of a box grater, or cut it into bits. Blend it into the flour with a fork, pastry cutter or your fingers, until it’s crumbly, with bits of butter the size of peas remaining. Add the water and stir just until the dough comes together. Shape it into a disk, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into about a 12-inch circle. Drape the pastry over a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, and gently press it in to fit into the bottom and sides. Use the rolling pin to roll across the edge of the pan to cut the pastry cleanly away; discard any scraps.
D I N N E R & L AT E N I G H T T U E S D AY – S U N D AY . 5 P M – 1 A M
1 c. old-fashioned (large flake) oats
3/4 c. sugar, white or brown
2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
LUNCH T U E S D AY – S U N D AY . 1 1 . 3 0 A M – 2 P M
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, cut into bits
EMAIL ROSIE@SHOKUNINYYC.CA FOR INFO
Base & topping:
2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
juice and zest of 1 lemon
FREE UNDERGROUND O V E R N I G H T PA R K I N G AVA I L A B L E F O R T H E S A F E T Y O F Y O U & Y O U R S TA F F
Similar to date squares, these crumble bars have more character; they can be eaten out of hand or served warm, topped with vanilla ice cream, for dessert.
1 T. sugar
1 c. sugar
50 PERSON SEATED DINNER OPTION OR 85 PERSON STANDING COCKTAIL OPTION
Fig and Cranberry Crumble Squares
1-1/3 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN JAPAN
C LO S E D M O N D AY S
1 c. chopped dried figs
Cranberry Curd:
# LO V E T H E B I R D
Once the butter has melted (there can still be a few solid bits in there), whisk in the eggs and return the mixture to the pan. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it bubbles and thickens. If there are little bits of egg, lemon or cranberry you want to get rid of, pour it through a sieve into another bowl. Pour into the shell while it’s still warm, and let stand at room temperature until cooled and set. Serves 12-16.
Pastry:
1/3 c. cold water
recipe photos by Julie Van Rosendaal
Place a piece of foil or parchment in the pastry and fill with pie weights. Bake the pastry for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Christmas Treats from Italy • Custom Gift Baskets
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and mix with a fork or your fingers until the mixture is well combined and crumbly. (Alternatively, the mixture can be pulsed in a food processor until well combined.) Press half the mixture into a parchment-lined 8”x 8” pan to form the base. Spread the filling over the crust, and sprinkle with the rest of the crumble mixture, squeezing as you go to create bigger clumps. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until pale golden and bubbly around the edges. Cool in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream, or as squares you can eat out of hand. Makes 9-16 squares.
Est. 1963
403.277.7898 I 265 20 Avenue NE www.italiansupermarket.com
Three generations of service and quality
continued on page 22
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one ingredient CRANBERRIES continued from page 21
Cranberry-Raspberry Eton Mess If you’re looking for a new holiday dessert idea, Eton Mess, made with bashed-up meringues topped with tangy fruit and cream, is sweettart, creamy and crunchy, and all the elements can be made ahead of time and assembled when everyone is ready for it. It does well with tart berries, and cranberries with raspberries create a stunning contrast to the snowy white meringue and cream. Layer the ingredients in individual goblets, bowls or even champagne flutes, or make one Eton Mess to serve familystyle in a trifle bowl. Meringues: 3/4 c. sugar 1 t. cornstarch 3 large egg whites 1/2 t. vanilla
Berries: 1-1/2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries 1-1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries 1/2 c. sugar
Cream: 1 c. whipping cream 2 T. sugar 1/2 t. vanilla
a distinctly Calgarian
inderella story
Drop the meringue in large spoonfuls onto the baking sheet, leaving an inch or two between each one for spreading. Bake for 1 hour, or until they’re just barely golden and dry. Turn off the oven, open the door and leave them inside as the oven cools, or take them out and leave them on the sheet until they cool completely. Peel them off the foil or parchment.
Rebecca Northan in collaboration with Christian Goutsis and Bruce Horak by
Directed by
Rebecca Northan
A new comedic Cinderella set in modern day Calgary! NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 31, 2016 Tickets and Information ATPlive.com | 403-294-7402 Photo of Ellie Heath by Erin Wallace
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, raspberries and sugar with about 1/2 c. water and cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the berries pop and soften and look saucy. Set aside to cool completely, then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until it stands in soft peaks. To serve, crumble the meringues into individual serving dishes (or one large trifle dish) and layer with the cooled fruit and whipped cream. Serves 8.
recipe photos by Julie Van Rosendaal
C
Preheat the oven to 250° F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar mixture a spoonful or two at a time, beating until the mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks. Beat in the vanilla.
Kale & Brussels Sprout Slaw with Feta, Almonds and Cranberries Dried cranberries are pretty and festive in a green salad, but if you like things tart, try a handful of chopped fresh cranberries – unadorned – in their place. 3-4 kale leaves, pulled off their stems and finely sliced 8-10 large Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced (discard stem ends) 1/2 c. crumbled feta 1/3 c. sliced or slivered almonds, toasted 1/3 c. dried or chopped fresh cranberries
Dressing: 1/3 c. olive oil 2 T. lemon juice 2 T. rice vinegar 1 T. grainy mustard 1 T. honey or maple syrup 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, combine the finely shredded kale and Brussels sprouts. To make the dressing, shake all the ingredients together in a jar or whisk them together in a small bowl. Drizzle generously over the kale and Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. (If you like, transfer to a serving platter at this point.) Scatter with feta, almonds and cranberries before serving. Serves 6-8.
Braised Cranberry Beef Short Ribs Cranberries cut the richness of short ribs, creating a tangy sauce that’s perfect for draping over mashed potatoes. Try braising lamb shanks the same way.
8 Spruce Centre SW Calgary | 403.452.3960 | thepiehole.ca
olive oil, for cooking 6 large beef or bison short ribs (about 2 lb.) salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
“Like good kings, wine rules by serving its people, and it sings its exploits through its subjects’ throats.” ~ Baudelaire
2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar 1 c. red wine 2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 sprig rosemary 2-3 c. low-sodium beef stock
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Salt and pepper the ribs. Set a large, heavy Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat, add a drizzle of oil and brown the ribs on all sides, transferring them to a plate as you go. Add the onion and carrots to the pan and cook for a few minutes, until they start to turn golden on the edges, loosening any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and cook for a minute, scraping up any browned bits left on the bottom of the pan. Return the ribs to the pot and add the wine, cranberries, thyme, rosemary, and enough stock to come about halfway up the sides of the ribs. Cover and slide into the oven for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, or until the ribs are very tender. Serve over mashed potatoes, with the braising sauce. Serves 4-6. Julie Van Rosendaal is a cookbook author and blogs at dinnerwithjulie.com
722 11 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB 403.205.3356 | wine@metrovino.com metrovino.com
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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feeding people
Karen Ralph
LOBSTER L’AMOUR
The Beginning: Cooking a lobster for two, or, How hard can it be? Step One: “Don’t take the bands off the claws until the lobsters are dead.” This is really good advice that I wish I’d read before I’d removed the rubber bands and put the lobster on the floor while I looked over recipes. However, it gave the lobster a chance to go down fighting.
Step Two: It depends on which recipe you’re following for step two. Do you pull the raw meat from the shell? Do you blanch the lobster and then pull the meat from the shell? Do you leave it in the shell and poach it in butter sauce beurre monté? I like to consider all the options and then go with what’s easiest. Plus, these questions help take my mind off the prospect of killing a feisty crustacean.
Step Three: I choose to poach the lobster in the butter sauce, shell on. It will be served with gnocchi tossed in browned butter and sage.
Step Four: Make the beurre monté. This requires three things: a heavy-bottomed pot, cold, cubed butter and a tablespoon of water. Heat the water to boiling and add small chunks of cold butter, turning down the heat, whisking in butter until it emulsifies into a smooth, velvety sauce. I’m careful not to let it boil, or it will break. Breaking is bad. I don’t have a thermometer, so I just guess at the heat, and the sauce doesn’t break!
Step Five: Catch the lobster as it scuttles towards the living room with the cats prancing after it. Feel terrible for what I’m about to do and kill it by stabbing it between the eyes. That was the worst part, but cutting the crustacean into pieces and dropping them, still moving, into the butter sauce isn’t much better.
Step Six: Read the entire recipe and realize that not only do I not have most of the ingredients needed for the dish, I should have cut the lobster into smaller parts.
Step Seven: Regret not reading the part about killing the lobster well in advance, even the night before, partially blanching it in boiling water and a little vinegar, and refrigerating the meat until ready to use, at which point the cool flesh will pull easily from the shell.
Step Eight: Open the wine I was saving for dinner and start drinking. Deep breath, big drink. The wine instills confidence and I know that everything will be all right. I give a toast to the lobster and quaff another glass of wine.
Step Nine: Pick lobster pieces out of the butter sauce and attempt to pull the steaming hot meat out of razor-sharp shells with buttery, burnt fingers. Repeat until the meat is glistening and shell-free. At this point, boyfriend Ribsy comes into the kitchen and asks, “What else are you cooking?” He picks up a butter stick and makes a joke about Last Tango In Paris. We are not amused, but he thoughtfully sets the table.
Step Ten: Put water on to simmer, add salt and place the gnocchi into the barely bubbling water. Slice butter, put in cast-iron frying pan, and watch it melt, foam, and subside. Lightly browned particles form in the bottom of the pan and the butter starts to smell nutty. Remove the frying pan from the heat, chop a little fresh sage and notice that the gnocchi are bobbing gently on the water’s surface like tiny manatees. Gently scoop them out of the water, carefully toss them in the sage and brown butter and add a sprinkling of finishing salt.
The End: Spoon the beurre monté-covered lobster onto half of my most beautiful serving platter, gently shake the gnocchi onto the other half and garnish with a few sage leaves. Chase the cat off the table, pour two glasses of wine and proudly present the lobster of my labour. Karen Ralph is an adventurous urban homesteader..
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
Crafted in our kitchen. To use in yours.
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well matched
chicken
chorizo
smoked paprika chile
saffron
red pepper
Mastering Paella The secret to great paella is what is known in Spain as the socarrat, a crunchy, almost burnt layer of rice that forms on the bottom of the pan. To achieve this, you increase the heat for a few minutes at the end of the cooking process. Once the rice is tender, in about 20 minutes, increase the heat to high, checking every minute or so to see what’s happening on the bottom. Pull the pan off the heat as soon as the nutty, crunchy layer develops. It may take a few tries to get it right, but it’s better to forgo the socarrat than burn the dish. It’s helpful to get a paella pan – basically, a large fry pan about 18 inches in diameter with 1-1/2inch sides – but a large frying pan will work. If you use a proper paella pan, you will likely have to use two elements. I’ve made this with mussels and shrimp as well as chicken, adding them at the right time – when the rice is about half cooked – so they cook along with the rice. 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 T. New Mexican chile powder (find it at Silk Road Spice Merchant) salt and pepper 4 links fresh chorizo sausage 4 T. olive oil 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 c. paella, bomba or calasparra rice (you could also use risotto rice), find at specialty food stores, like The Cookbook Co. 4-1/2 c. good quality chicken broth pinch of saffron 1/2 t. smoked paprika 1 T. sea salt 1 large red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips lengthwise
Season the chicken thighs with the chile powder, salt and pepper and grill or fry them, along with the chorizo, until they are just slightly underdone. Chop the meats into bite-size pieces and set aside. Warm the olive oil in the paella pan for a couple of minutes, then add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until it starts to turn a light gold colour. Add the rice and fry for a minute, stirring to incorporate the oil and onions. Add the broth, saffron, paprika and salt and stir again, spreading the rice out evenly in the pan – no more stirring. Simmer the rice until it’s almost tender, about 20 minutes. If the rice is underdone, you may need to add a little more broth or a bit of water, cooking for a few more minutes. Distribute the chicken and chorizo pieces evenly over the rice, pushing down a little to nestle them into the rice. Spread the red peppers slices evenly over top. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes more. At this point, the rice should be tender and the meats cooked through. Increase the heat to high and cook for a few more minutes to develop the socarrat, then serve. Serves 4.
pair this dish with: Wine: If I was doing this with seafood I’d serve a crisp white, but with this version, a fruity Spanish red is perfect. Here are two options. Borsao Garnacha 2014 - $18 This blend of garnacha, tempranillo and cabernet from the Campo de Borja region is a sweet deal. It’s a juicy, easy-drinking red with bright acidity and red berry fruits. Vina Tondonia Reserva Rioja 2004 - $58 Here‘s a stunning rioja from one of the last great traditionalists in the region. It’s 75 percent tempranillo with some garnacha, mazuelo and graciano offering notes of leather and smoke in a core of red/black fruits with a touch of sweet oak. NOTABLETHERESTAURANT.CA
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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Geoff Last
MADE-IN-HEAVEN FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS
blueberries
cinnamon buttermilk butter sugar
*in stock items only
Located in historic Inglewood 1331 - 9th Ave SE, Calgary, AB 403.532.8222 savourfinefoods.com
Blueberry Cobbler This dessert is one of the easiest recipes I have ever come across and one of the most delicious as well. I’ve adapted it from a Chez Panisse recipe, changing the cream to buttermilk. Blackberries also work very well. Berries: 4-1/2 c. fresh blueberries or blackberries 1/3 c. sugar 1 T. all-purpose flour
The dough: 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1/2 t. kosher salt 1-1/2 T. sugar 2-1/4 t. baking powder 1/2 t. ground cinnamon 6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 3/4 c. buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place berries in a bowl and toss with the sugar and flour. Set aside. Make the dough: mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and mix lightly, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Next, put the berries in a 1-1/2-quart gratin or baking dish. Make patties out of the dough, 2 to 2-1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Handle them gently, keeping them light and just barely holding together. Arrange the dough patties evenly over the top of the berries. Bake until the topping is brown and the juices bubble thickly around it, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm, with heavy cream or vanilla ice cream on top, if desired. Serves 4 to 6.
pair this dish with: Wine: Vajra Moscato d’Asti 2014 - $25 This frothy, slightly sweet Italian classic is great with simple desserts like this. It is bursting with white peach and apricots, along with some subtle floral notes. It is only 5.5 percent alcohol which makes it a nice brunch tipple as well. Geoff Last is the manager of Bin 905.
www.wusthof.ca House of Knives Market Mall 3625 Shaganappi Trail NW Calgary
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Kitchen Boutique 212 - 1st St. W. Cochrane
Kitchen Boutique 960 Yankee Valley Blvd SE Airdrie
Zest Kitchenware Dalhousie Station Shopping Centre (North end) Unit 131, 5005 Dalhousie Drive NW, Calgary
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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I prefer to make my manti tiny and delicate, like in the villages of southwestern Turkey, but you wouldn’t lack authenticity if you made them a bit bigger and stuffed them with more filling. My Turkish friend Damla taught me a super shortcut that she calls fake manti that’s quick enough to make for a weeknight meal – skip the pastamaking step and boil a box of bowtie pasta, sauté the lamb filling until it starts to brown and then top the pasta with the cooked filling, yogurt and tomato sauce. This is not the fake manti! (You can also use wonton wrappers, cut into 4 squares rather than making the manti dough.)
Manti Dough: 1 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 large egg
For the yogurt sauce, whisk together the yogurt, milk and garlic, season to taste with salt and set aside.
1/2 t. freshly ground allspice
For the tomato butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook it over medium heat until it starts to brown slightly. Add the fennel seeds and orange zest and cook gently until the fennel and orange are fragrant. Add the passata or crushed tomatoes, season with salt and paprika and gently simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Keep the sauce warm.
1 t. dried mint
Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour.
2 T. minced Italian parsley
On a lightly floured work surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until it’s 1/16-inch thick – a pasta roller would also do a great job, just make sure not to roll the dough out too thin. Then roll the dough into a log and slice it into long ribbons, about 1-inch wide. Cut the ribbons into 1-inch squares and spoon about 1/2 t. of the filling into the center of each square. To form the manti, fold the dough over the filling and bring all four corners up. Press the edges together so that you have a square with 4 ridges on it. Transfer the manti to the prepared baking sheet.
1 t. kosher salt 5 T. water 1/2 lb. ground lamb 1 small onion, grated or minced fine
sea salt to taste Aleppo (Turkish) chile flakes to taste (find these at specialty food stores, like Silk Road Spice Merchant or substitute smoked paprika) 2 T. cold water
Yogurt: 1 c. best-quality plain yogurt 2 T. milk 1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced salt to taste
Tomato Butter: 1/2 c. butter 1/2 t. crushed fennel seeds 2 large strips of orange zest 1 c. passata or crushed tomatoes sea salt to taste
In a large pot of boiling water, boil the manti until tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manti to bowls. Top with the yogurt and warm tomato butter. Sprinkle with dried mint and Aleppo chile flakes. Serves 4 as a starter.
1/2 t. smoked sweet paprika dried mint and Aleppo chile flakes to garnish
To make the dough, combine the flour, egg and salt with the water and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Clean the bowl and return the dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1-1/2 hours or overnight. Combine the lamb with the onion, allspice, mint, parsley, a pinch of salt, the chile flakes and the cold water in a bowl and mix thoroughly. CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
MANTI
Manti are the Turkish equivalent of ravioli. There are restaurants all over Turkey that specialize in manti and almost every one serves them a little bit differently. One thing they all have in common is that they’re always served with a velvety coating of garlic-spiked yogurt and finished with a drizzle of spicy tomato butter.
Filling:
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with Matthew Altizer
1. Ingredients
photos by Regan Johnson
2. Forming dough
3. Rolling dough
4. Slicing dough
5. Dough sliced into ribbons
6. Dicing dough into manti squares
7. Manti filling
8. Filling on the manti dough
9. Forming the manti
10. A completed manti
11. Manti ready to cook
12. Finished, dressed, and ready to eat! Matthew Altizer teaches cooking classes at The Cookbook Co. Cooks
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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17 Gifts,
Gadgets and Goodies
for 2016 by Karen Anderson
Sushi Italia Even the most modest of take-out sushi inspires the setting of an elegant table. Bamboo placemats, decorative chopsticks, matching Japanese pottery plates and teacups elevate the offering at most of our homes. Then there’s the case of Italian design giant Alessi. When Alessi designer Stefano Giovannoni got inspired by ancient Chinese ceramics, he produced a thoroughly modern sushi set of incredible beauty while still paying heed to form meets functional expression. Buy this Lily Pond sushi set and suddenly you and your takeout are transported to a place where you’re sitting under a cherry tree by a lily pond in Japan. Seems worth the price. Alessi Lily Pond sushi set, $126/set, Reid’s
The Spice Clause Tiffin Tidings
These old-school Indian Tiffin lunch boxes are likely to gain popularity as we all do our bit to decrease the amount of plastic in the world. Not just for Indian food, they’re useful to keep all sorts of foods separate so you can graze your way through a long day at the office. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they arrived at your desk filled with delicious Indian food like they do in Mumbai? Don’t know what I’m talking about? Watch the movie The Lunchbox and see what happens when a Mumbai Tiffin lunch box goes astray. Onyx 2 & 3 layer Tiffin lunch boxes, $24-28, Community Natural Foods
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
It’s the spice clause in Santa’s contract. He never leaves the North Pole without this nifty little Camp Backcountry Spice Kit clipped to his sleigh. His elves at The Silk Road Spice Merchant and Camp Brand Goods carefully selected Apple Pie Spice, Driftwood Texas BBQ Rub, Scarborough Fair (yes, a mix of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme), Inca Fire Salt, and Bow River Fish Blend so that Santa, or anyone with only a pack on their back, can stop by a campfire and cook up a delicious meal to fuel their journey. Whether you’re heading into Alberta’s backcountry or on a whirlwind round the world adventure, you can use the clever carabiner to clip and carry this waterproof spice goody bag along. Camp Backcountry Spice Kit, $65, The Silk Road Spice Merchant or campbrandgoods.com
From splurge-worthy investments to goof-proof gadgets and stocking stuffer goodies, these are the gifts any food lover would be happy to give or receive.
For the Birds
…or at least the bird lovers. These Chirpy Top wine pourers aerate your wine and add cheery chirping to every pour. Designer Matt Ellison likes to add good cheer to his designs. He spawned those now famous fish that gurgle for his Gurgle Pots. I’m secretly hoping he’s working on a bee-shaped honey pot that buzzes as his next project. Chirpy Top Wine Pourer, $30, Britannia Kitchen and Home
Let There be (Tea) Light
Panning for Gold
Reworks Upcycle Shop owner Solita Work makes these vintage teacup candles. The shop (which is a kiosk cart at the Calgary Farmers’ Market) specializes in one-of-a-kind objects that artists from the United States and Canada have cleverly repurposed and saved from the landfill. Give one of these to your favourite tea drinker and you’ll be considered charming as well as eco-friendly.
This is the little something I want for Christmas this year. It’s a beautiful-tolook-at, ever-lasting, hand-forged, carbon steel fry pan and paella pan made by Nanton master blacksmith Martin Reinhard. Each pan has a hand-hammered base and is stamped with a maple leaf and ‘M.J. Reinhard’. They are designed to deliver fast heat uptake and even cooking. The surface will become non-stick with time and proper care. This is a gift serious cooks (and me) will love. It’s like panning for gold and coming up with the mother lode. Tip: For the perfect paella recipe, flip to Geoff Last's column on page 26. Martin Reinhard 8.5- to 12-inch hand-forged pans, $150-$200, Willow Creek Forge Store, 2112-21 St., Nanton, willowcreekforge.com
Cup of Tea light, $25, Reworks Upcycle Shop in the Calgary Farmers’ Market
Farm in your Fridge This urban cultivator unit will allow you to grow grass to your heart’s content. Wheat grass, that is. It will also grow every kind of micro green your crunchy granola heart yearns for. No more picking through soggy brown-edged herbs at your grocer, with this unit you can grow them organically and pick them seconds before adding them to your dishes. Choose from Urban Cultivator’s seed bank of organic non-GMO seeds made for the unit, choose the corresponding settings and grow, grow, grow… in your kitchen cum urban farm. Trail Appliances, Inglewood Gallery $2699
Gifts for giving and getting!
continued on page 32 CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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YYC FOR THEE
17 Gifts,
I collect tea towels from my travels. London, Paris, Barcelona, Melbourne and Maui are depicted in linens that help me daydream while I dry my dishes. Now I can take tea towels as gifts when I travel with these YYC towels depicting our landmark architecture and public art. The colour is red and white, as in our home team Stampeders, Flames and infamous Red Mile. They’re a classy collaboration between local companies, Fine Mesh printing and Lemermeyer illustration and design. The 75% linen and 25% cotton blend is way lighter in my suitcase than books or maple syrup and they help me share my love of our beautiful city with the world.
Gadgets and Goodies for 2016 continued from page 31
Spooning
YYC tea towels, $24, Steeling Home
The price of these pretty Chinese soup spoons will allow you to give (or get for yourself) a gaggle of them. Use them to present your favourite bite-size appetizers at holiday parties. Seared scallops with a bit of birch syrup glaze, curried prawns with pineapple and cilantro, tiny rounds of polenta topped with corn salsa or cod fritters in a spicy aioli will all do well in these spoons. You and your guests can take a bite and keep on visiting. Chinese soup spoons, $1.09 each, Hong Kong International Market
Bowled Over These pretty dessert bowls from Nachtman add elegance to any table setting in any season of the year. Fresh berries in summer, a cobbler in fall, lemon snow pudding for Christmas, citrus salads to get you through to spring’s rhubarb compote. You’ll be bowled over by how useful these little beauties will be. Nachtman Bossa Nova dessert bowls, $10 each, Zest Kitchenware
RED, WHITE AND EVERY PLACE NICE Learn the wine regions of the world with this colouring book designed by author Louise Wilson to make wine education more fun. While there’s enough information here for a sommelier to pass exams, the book will also appeal to the casual wine drinker. Pour a glass of your favourite colour of wine and colour on. The Wine Lover’s Coloring Book, $25, J.Webb Wine Merchant
Blaze of Glory It’s good to dream big. As far as outdoor grills go, this big dreamy Hestan grill is the new gold standard for design and innovation. It has tubular burners with 25,000 BTUs, ceramic infrared sear burners, motion-activated Stadium-under-hood lighting plus a lid that you can lift with your pinky that will stay in place at any level. As if that’s not enough, the “cheese” on this “burger” is the 12 cool colours available, including citra orange, Bora Bora blue, matador red, sol yellow and stealth black. Even traditional stainless steel. All parts come with a lifetime warranty from the California manufacturer where each unit is hand built. At this price they should guarantee our weather too! Let your grill-crazy inner chef go down in a blaze of glory. Hestan 36-inch grill, $12,550, Barbecues Galore
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
Whey too Good
This Poorboy caramel sauce should come with a warning. It tastes way too good to prevent most human beings from polishing off the whole jar immediately upon opening. What’s the secret ingredient that makes it so addictively good? Turns out its whey – the liquid that’s left when cheese curds form in milk. The Poorboy Candy makers get their whey from a farmer down the road. They say it gives the caramel a bit of a citrus flavour. Citrus must be a code word for liquid Nirvana. Try the sauce over fresh fruit, on your baked brie with nuts, or with apple pie and ice cream. Consider yourself warned. Caramel Sauce from Poorboy Candy, $20/295g., Inspirati Linens and Home Essentials
One Enchanted Eating Sabre Paris founders Francis and Pascale Gelb want to enchant your daily life. They use their 20 years of design expertise to play with colour, form and materials with delightfully audacious results like these serving utensils that you’ll find at Inspirati Fine Linens and Home Essentials. Hint: check out the full rainbow of colours and Sabre Paris cutlery too. Sabre Paris Utensils, $10 - $42, Inspirati Fine Linens and Home Essentials
Cake on a Pedestal
Cheery cherry is the colour of this cake stand from Le Creuset. Give it to your friend whose specialty of the house is cakes. Tip: All cakes belong on a pedestal but the Coconut Cake from Decadent Brûlée makes a fabulous holiday dessert and looks smashing on this red background topped with fresh holly or seasonal greens.. Le Creuset “Cherry” Cake Stand, $60, Le Creuset, Chinook Centre
Got You Covered
Once you’ve bought a Japanese kitchen knife from Knifewear, there’s no going back. Thankfully, these protective knife covers allow you to transport your knives safely when you travel and cook in other people’s kitchens. Enough said. Get them. You need them. Protective knife covers, $5 - $13, Knifewear Inglewood and The Calgary Farmers’ Market
FOOD, FUN AND ADVENTURE When your favourite food lover has goodies and gadgets galore, then get them out the door to explore more of our burgeoning food scene with Alberta Food Tours. These three hour walking tours in Calgary, Canmore and Edmonton are filled with tastings that add up to more than a meal. They also have an extra helping of stories of the history, art and culture of each area. Details for each are online. Bonus: They’re easy to wrap. Just press send! Alberta Food Tours gift certificates, $45 and up, calgaryfoodtours.com, canmorefoodtours.com or edmontonfoodtours.com ✤
All prices are approximate. Karen Anderson has top secret meetings with Santa each year to decide this list. Ho Ho Ho! CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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It’s been a tough year for Calgarians and I’m sure many are happy to say farewell to 2016. But what shouldn’t change is that the holidays are always a great time to get together with friends and family to break bread and raise a glass (or two).
Great Gifts for the Boozers in your Life
This year, I’ve tried to include more options of things that can be ordered online, and a few new things that should interest the geek on your list along with the beverage aficionado in your life, whether a budding brewmaster, an amateur bartender, or a sommelier-in-training.
by Tom Firth
Henriot 2005 Champagne Jeroboam Remember those holiday commercials, where the wrapped gift is so obviously something, like a dog or tennis racquet, but once the wrap is off, it becomes a coffee maker? Imagine having a 3-liter bottle of champagne wrapped under the tree, looking like the nose cone of a missile. Called a Jeroboam or double magnum, a bottle that big should serve about 20-24 revelers. So if you plan parties big or small, this says you have something to celebrate (also available in smaller bottles). About $745, CSPC +725899
Prepara Ice Balls Bring a little more to your drinks at home. The Prepara Ice Balls (make whatever winter joke you feel is fitting) is a four-pack of round ice molds that make 2” ice balls that look sharp, last long, and might – just might – make your drinks taste better. Can be used for infusions, cooking, and drinks for young and old. A stocking-stuffer-friendly price of $12 from Savour in Inglewood.
Glenmorangie Milsean Private Edition The private edition range is an annual release from Glenmorangie and the Milsean, which means “sweet things” in Gaelic, has landed with a bang. As someone who likes my whisky with peat only on special occasions, I’m very happy with something like this, which is extra-matured in re-toasted wine casks. Enjoy all those spicy notes, plums and citrus and a nice tobacco-like finish. Bottled at cask strength, a little water opens it up nicely. About $100, CSPC +783618
Jacopo Poli Grappa “Baby Barrel” Gift Pack Grappa is pretty awesome stuff. Made from the pomace and “leftovers” of winemaking, it’s a XXXXX. Often bottled with a minimum of ageing, it can also be barrel-finished and it picks up some of the nuance and flavour from whatever the barrel held before. Marquee grappa producer Poli makes this gift pack with five 100 ml bottles (just the right amount for both a newcomer and aficionado) finished in Sassicaia, Sauternes, Port, Sherry PX, and Rum barrels. About $90, CPSC +748977
Where possible, the six-digit CSPC number (Canadian standard product code) is included to help you find the product at your local fine beverage shop or online at liquorconnect.com to help you find a store near you that might be bringing it in.
Danby Keg Cooler We get it, you like your craft beer – maybe some of those new Alberta craft brewers that only package in kegs (so far). So why not enjoy your craft beer the way nature intended, right from the keg! The Danby Keg Cooler comes in a one- and two-tap configuration and has everything you need to start enjoying the best beer right at home. The single is $550, the double $650 at Costco continued on page 36
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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Great Gifts for the Boozers in your Life continued from page 34
Game of Thrones House Sigil Wine Charms Musical Scale Wine Glasses Tell the wine lover in your life that you think they might have too much time on their hands with a full set of eight wine glasses line-marked to let you fill each glass to the precise level for a complete musical scale. Fill your home with the ethereal notes of your musical makings this holiday season. About $320, depending on the Canadian dollar, from uncommongoods.com (type the name into the "search" at the top to get right there)
Le Creuset Pourer/Aerator A combination wine pourer that aerates your wine and helps control drips, this does it all in a sturdy, tiny – kitchen drawer-friendly – tool. Especially handy for crowded holiday tables. From Le Creuset, so it isn’t cheap, but you know the quality is impeccable. Widely available at most higher-end kitchen stores or wherever Le Creuset products are available. About $30
Giulio Cocchi Storico Vermouth de Torino Following a recipe from 1891, the Cocchi vermouth is considered one of the best, and will look a heck of a lot better on your bar than one of those “other” brands. An aromatized wine, built around moscato (which adds a little of that je ne sais quoi), along with a host of other ingredients in a closely-held recipe. Bring your “A” game to your next negroni or Manhattan. $39, CSPC +759529v
Can’t wait for the new season of Game of Thrones? Take the edge off the wait with these pewter and enameled wine charms with the house of your favourite, murderous, incestuous, or even just plain crazy house from the hit show and best-selling books. In the set of six, you’ll find Stark, Targaryen, Lannister, Baratheon, Greyjoy and Tyrell – spoiler alert, some of these houses might be done for already. $15 US, so depending on the exchange, plan on about $20 from thinkgeek.com (go to the Game of Thrones logo).
Last Best Brewing & Distilling Growler and Fill Card Want to give the gift of craft beer to the aficionado on your list but don’t know how to go about it? Consider Last Best’s growler punch card. For $30 you get the growler (a $25 value) and three refills of any of their locally made, delicious brews. Refills can be collected at any of their locations (Calgary, Banff, Jasper and Fort Mac), allowing the recipient to collect beer when they want it. A punch card with six refills and a growler can be purchased for $60, if your aficionado is the extrathirsty sort. Pick it up at Last Best Brewing and Distilling, 607-11th Ave. SW. $30 or $60
Chemist’s Cocktail Kit Bring together your joy of science and your love of mixology with the Chemist Cocktail Kit from Think Geek. Everything you need to start mixing and imbibing in a handy kit with test tubes, Erlenmeyer flasks, a shaker and more. Maybe you can figure out if your favourite cocktail is created with art or science. $30 US from thinkgeek.com (type the name into the “search” at the top to get right to it)
Have a safe and happy holiday season! Taylor Fladgate “Estates Collection” Single Quinta Ports It’s no secret, port is something pretty awesome to enjoy when the snow is flying, cooped up inside with friends or family (maybe even both). Two of Taylor Fladgate’s singleestate ports are in this gift box, perfectly suited to a side by side comparison, or for two separate occasions. Quinta do Vargellas is one of the greatest vineyards for port, and the Terra Feita is a remarkable vineyard as well. As an added plus, each bottle is a “split” (375 ml) which ages just a little faster than a fullsized bottle, so you don’t have to feel guilty about pulling the cork too soon. About $75, CSPC +745186
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
Box Brew Kits, One-Gallon Home Brewing Kit Experience the joy of having your friends and family judging you on your beer-making skills as well as your fitness as a human being. With the home brewing kit, you get everything you need to make a gallon of suds in one of eight different recipes in a fancy and easily wrapable package. You can also get refill ingredients and re-sealable flip-top bottles if you need them. Prices from $70 US, plus about $40 US for ingredient shipping, boxbrewkits.com ✤ Tom Firth is @cowtownwine.com.
Holiday_CityPalate_FNL.pdf
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An Entertaining 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 we turn to Michael Noble, chef and owner of two fine restaurants,
NOtaBLE and The Nash.
Alberta Elk Tartare with Pickled Shallots, Pine Nuts and Truffle Pickled shallot: 8 oz. shallot, sliced thin 1-1/2 T. kosher salt
Alberta Elk Tartare with Pickled Shallots, Pine Nuts and Truffle Grilled Pacific Squid with Roast Kuri Squash, Smoked Olive and Boursin Risotto and a Spicy Tomato Emulsion Porchetta Stuffed with Grilled Onion, Lemon, Fennel and Figs served with a Dried Blueberry and Brown Butter Sauce Parsnip and Chèvre Soufflé Pear and Butterscotch Sticky Pudding This menu serves 6.
1 c. water 1/2 c. red wine vinegar 2 oz. sugar 1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
Put shallot slices in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk together salt and water to dissolve most of the salt, then pour over shallots. Let sit at room temperature for one hour. After one hour, drain shallots but don’t rinse. Place back into a dry bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar and mustard seeds to a simmer, pour immediately over the shallots. Let mixture cool, then place, covered, in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours, but can keep for several weeks. Tartare: 12 oz. elk tenderloin, sliced into 1/8-inch thick slices, set onto 4x4-inch pieces of parchment paper, then frozen 3 T. pickled shallot, drained well and minced fine 2 T. coarsely chopped cornichon pickles 1-1/2 T. capers, drained well and chopped coarsely 2 T. white anchovy fillet, chopped fine 1 t. chives, chopped 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil 1 t. truffle tapenade (available in specialty food stores) freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 t. Maldon salt Italian pine nuts, toasted and tossed with a dash of olive oil baby arugula or microgreens as garnish toasted baguette slices to serve
Remove the elk from the freezer and let it thaw slightly. While the elk is thawing, combine the shallot, pickles, capers, anchovy, chives, olive oil and truffle tapenade in a non-reactive bowl and stir to combine well. Remove the elk from the parchment, place it on a cutting board and slice it into 1/8-inch strips, then slice in the opposite direction so you have, essentially, 1/8-inch dice. Place the diced elk into the mixture in the bowl and stir well to combine. Stir in the pepper and salt. While it’s still cold, press the tartare into a circular or oval form on a chilled plate. Cover the top well with the pine nuts. Garnish with the greens and serve with the baguette slices. Serve immediately as a pass-around appetizer.
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
Grilled Pacific Squid with Roast Kuri Squash, Smoked Olive and Boursin Risotto and a Spicy Tomato Emulsion
1/4 t. dried chile flakes, crushed
Place the squash cut-side down on a baking tray and place in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, then check to see if the squash is tender. If not quite, continue baking until ready. Remove from the oven and let cool. When cool to room temperature, scoop the pulp from the squash and put it in a small food processor. Purée until smooth, then pass through a medium-mesh strainer to remove any fibrous bits. Set aside and keep warm.
ground black pepper to taste
Risotto:
fleur de sel to taste
2 T. butter
Dry the squid well on paper towel, then place on a non-reactive plate. Drizzle the olive oil over, then sprinkle the lemon zest, parsley and chile flakes over. Keep refrigerated until ready to cook, then season with salt and pepper.
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Grill the squid, scored side first, on a hot grill. Depending on the thickness, the squid only needs a quick grilling so that it remains tender. When the squid comes off the grill, squeeze the reserved lemon over it to finish and keep warm. (When serving, you’ll slice the squid crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips.)
4 c. rich chicken or vegetable stock (well seasoned), simmering
Squid: 1 lb. squid tubes, cleaned and opened flat, scored slightly on one side with the tip of a small knife 3 T. extra-virgin olive oil 1 t. lemon zest (cut remaining lemon in half and reserve) 1 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped coarse
Tomato emulsion: 1-1/4 lb. ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters 4 garlic cloves, minced coarsely 10 leaves fresh basil, chopped coarsely (reserve stems for risotto) 1/2 t. sea salt 1/8 t. ground black pepper 1/4 t. dried chile flakes 3 T. sherry vinegar 3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients except the olive oil in a stainless steel bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap then put it over a pot of simmering water for 90 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and let cool slightly, place in a blender and, with the motor running at high speed, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream until blended. Taste for seasoning, put into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Reserve at room temperature. Squash: 1-1/2 lb. Kuri squash, cut in half and seeded extra-virgin olive oil to coat the squash surface 1 t. sea salt ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the olive oil over the cut surfaces of the squash halves and season with salt and pepper.
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4 heaping spoonsful of Kuri squash purée 5 T. sliced smoked olives (available in specialty food stores) 2 oz. sundried tomato, cut in strips
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2 oz. garlic chive Boursin cheese 2 oz. parmesan cheese, grated 2 T. coarsely chopped basil leaves sea salt to taste
Heat a wide-bottomed pan to medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. When the butter is melted, add the onion and garlic, stir until the onions are translucent – lower the heat if too intense. Add the rice and continue stirring until the rice is warm. Add the basil stems and 1/2 c. of stock. Lower the heat so the risotto simmers slightly. Stir continuously while adding more stock each time the previous addition is absorbed by the rice. Cook the rice for approximately 18 minutes so that it’s creamy and al dente (with a little bite). With the last addition of stock, add the squash purée, olives and sundried tomato. When the risotto is finished, stir in the Boursin, parmesan, chopped basil and salt. Serve immediately. To serve: Place a couple spoonsful of the tomato emulsion in the bottom of pasta bowls. Spoon a portion of risotto onto the emulsion, mounding in the centre. Scatter slices of grilled squid on top of the rice and finish with grated parmesan and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately as an appetizer.
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An Entertaining Menu continued from page 39 Porchetta Stuffed with Grilled Lemon, Onion, Fennel and Figs Pork: 1 pork belly (6 lbs), naturally raised, skin on – loin may also be attached sea salt and ground black pepper
Filling: 1 onion, cut in half, core removed then each half cut in half crosswise 2 whole lemons, skin on, sliced into 4 pieces, crosswise, seeded 1 fennel bulb, cut in quarters lengthwise
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2 T. extra-virgin olive oil sea salt 12 dried figs, cut into quarters 1 t. fresh thyme leaves 1 T. minced flatleaf parsley 2 T. grainy mustard
Preheat the oven to 375°F. and preheat a roasting pan at the same time.
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Trim any visible sinew from the pork belly and place it on a piece of plastic wrap, meat side up. Keep chilled. Place the onions, lemons and fennel into a stainless bowl, drizzle the olive oil over then toss gently with salt to season. Grill the onions, lemons and fennel on a medium-hot barbecue, making sure the lemon slices are in contact with the grill. Lower the heat and continue grilling with the lid closed until the veg and lemons become tender. Turn them every minute or so to keep from burning. Remove the vegetables and lemon slices from the grill, place on a baking tray to cool to room temperature. (If it’s too cold outside or a barbecue isn’t available, the fruit and veg can be roasted on a baking tray at 375°F. until tender) When at room temp, coarsely chop the vegetables and lemons and put them in a stainless steel bowl. Mix in the figs, thyme, parsley and mustard. Mix to combine well. (This can be prepared a day in advance and kept covered in the fridge.) To stuff the pork, season the meat surface liberally with salt and ground black pepper. Place the filling the length of the pork on one side in a pile approximately 2-inch wide by 1-inch high and 2“ from one long edge. Starting at the edge closest to the filling, lift and roll the pork belly into a roast, rolled tightly with the filling in the centre. When rolled, tie the roast tightly with butcher twine at 1-inch intervals the length of the roast. Rub the skin of the pork with olive oil, then season liberally with salt and pepper. Place a dash of oil in the bottom of the roasting pan, then put the porchetta roast skin side up in the pan. Roast for 25 minutes then reduce the heat to 325°F. After about 2 hours, check the internal temperature of the pork using a meat thermometer that should read 140°F. to be juicy and slightly pink in colour. If you want the meat well done, roast till 150°F. When
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roasted to your liking, remove the pork from the roasting pan, let it rest on a tray in a warm area. After 10 minutes lay a piece of aluminum foil over the roast. To serve: carve the roast into 3/4 to 1-inch thick slices and lay them on a platter. Try to keep the crackling (skin) intact, if it falls off, just garnish the platter with the crackling. Serve with: Sundried Blueberry and Brown Butter Sauce on the side, recipe follows:
Sundried Blueberry and Brown Butter Sauce Dried blueberry marinade: 4 T. dried blueberries 1 t. orange zest 1/3 c. red wine 3 T. port wine 3 T. red wine vinegar 2 thyme sprigs pinch of ground black pepper
Place all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl (stainless, china) and toss well. Cover the bowl and let the ingredients steep at least 6 hours, preferably overnight in the fridge. Sauce: 1/2 lb. unsalted butter strained liquid from the marinated blueberries (thyme removed), reduced over moderate heat by half and reserved marinated blueberries pinch sea salt 1 t. lemon juice 3 T. demi glace sauce, reduced to a syrupy consistency and reserved (available at specialty food shops)
Heat a wide-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter. It will immediately start to melt and bubble and will look like it’s burning. Don’t panic! Keep the butter moving until it settles down and starts to go into the melting stage. Keep cooking the butter at moderately high heat until it foams, you will see browned milk solids begin to bubble up. When it stops foaming, it’s close to being ready, depending on the “nuttiness” of the sauce you prefer, remove the butter from the heat when it reaches that desired brown-ness. When the desired color is achieved, immediately tip the butter into a small stainless bowl and let cool slightly. In a warm saucepan, combine the butter (including all solids) and the reduced blueberry marinade. Stir – don’t whisk the sauce, you want it to remain “split,” not emulsified. Add the marinated blueberries, the salt, lemon juice and the reduced demi glace. Serve this delicious sauce warm with the porchetta. Any leftovers can be kept refrigerated for future use with duck, chicken, pork or bison dishes.
Parsnip and Goat Cheese Soufflé
Pear and Butterscotch Sticky Pudding
Serve with the porchetta.
Pudding batter:
Parsnips:
1 c. water
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. pitted and chopped dates
2 lb. parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 t. baking soda
sea salt
3/4 c. sugar
4 oz. shallots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 eggs
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 4 T. butter, diced 2 T. flour 1/2 c. whipping cream 4 oz. chèvre 2 T. chopped Italian parsley
Souffle: 9 eggs, separated 1 t. cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat, then add the parsnips and salt to taste. Sauté the parsnips while stirring until steam starts to rise. Turn the heat to low and continue cooking the parsnips for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re fork-tender and slightly caramelized. In the last five minutes, add the shallots, garlic and butter. Continue sautéing until the shallots become translucent and soft. Sprinkle the flour over the parsnips, continue stirring for another minute, then add the whipping cream. Bring the cream to a simmer, continue stirring for another minute. Correct the seasoning of the mixture, adding more salt if necessary. Crumble the chèvre into the saucepan and combine well. Place the contents of the saucepan into a blender, using a spatula to ensure all the cream is captured. Blend the mixture at high speed until smooth. After blending, put the mixture into a stainless steel bowl. Stir in the chopped parsley and egg yolks, reserving the whites until it’s time to bake the soufflé. Leave the mixture at room temperature, covered, until that time. To finish the soufflé, butter a large ceramic soufflé dish, then dust the surface with flour, dumping out any excess flour. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/4 of the whipped egg whites lightly into the parsnip mixture to make it slightly fluffy, then fold the balance of the egg whites into the parsnips, leaving some egg white still visible. Place the mixture immediately into the soufflé dish, then place the dish into a pan of hot water and the pan in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the soufflé has risen and is lightly golden brown on top. Remove the soufflé from the oven and serve immediately. (Note: you can make individual soufflés by using smaller soufflé dishes and dividing the mixture equally by 6 portions.)
1/4 lb. butter
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1-1/2 c. flour 3/4 t. baking powder
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring the water to a boil, add the dates and wait for the dates to soften, then whisk in the baking soda and set aside to cool. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until very light in colour. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl each time. Let the first egg combine well before adding the second, same for the third.
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Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the flour/baking powder mixture to the eggs mixture on low speed, scrape down the bowl, then add the dates and mix until well combined. Reserve. Butterscotch sauce: 7 oz. (scant 1 cup) brown sugar 1/2 lb. butter
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3/4 c. whipping cream
Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring it to a boil to melt the sugar. Then remove from the heat and whisk in the cream immediately. Set aside to cool. This mixture can be made in advance and kept refrigerated until required. Warm before using. Putting the pudding together: 3-4 Bartlett pears, ripe but still firm whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving
Butter six 8-oz. ramekins and coat the sides with flour to aid in the removal of the puddings. Put 2 T. of the butterscotch sauce in the bottom of each ramekin. Peel, core and slice the pears into 6 wedges. Place the pear wedges on top of the butterscotch sauce in the ramekins. Pour or spoon the batter over the pears and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the puddings sit on the counter to cool slightly. Unmold the puddings by running a small knife around the inside of the ramekins, then tip the puddings out onto serving plates. Spoon a little warm butterscotch sauce over the puddings and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired. ✤
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
41
KITCHEN AID
What to know about a reno before you start by Erin Lawrence
When the first plate went flying into the fireplace, shattering and showering the room with shards, guests at Melissa Olin’s party were surprised. When another dish exploded against the hearth tile, chipping it, there was a collective intake of breath, then silence. But it wasn’t long before Olin had another plate in her hand, winging it into oblivion, and with it went any reservations about what she was about to do.
For instance, people often don’t plan for proper clearances in front of appliances, sinks or stoves, says Maurer. “You need to really consider how the traffic flow will be and where people could bottleneck. Do you know how many times I have seen where you open the fridge and you can barely get it open due to the island location?” Managing the details also means being involved in the changes happening to your home, and keeping tabs on what’s going on even if you use a contractor. Olin dropped over to her renovation for a short visit and found her tile installer was just about to set down a brown and cream tile, instead of the black and white tile she’d selected. How would the job have gone if she hadn’t found the mistake until a week later? Fortunately, she’ll never know. While picking new tile, paint and furniture can be fun, there’s a lot of work and planning required before the shopping starts. Maggie Martin is a design coordinator in Calgary. She says a kitchen renovation should actually begin before a single thing in your original kitchen is touched. “For anyone considering a kitchen reno, the best thing to do is take inventory of everything you use most, use occasionally, and would like to use when your reno is done. You have to make what you have fit into the space before you start adding anything – you don’t want to come to the end of the project and realize you’re still going to have to store some random dishes in the hall closet.” Olin purged junk from her home before the reno, getting rid of mismatched dishware and ancient flatware she’d inherited from her mother when she went off to college. “Do a deep purge,“ she says. “It’s so amazing how much junk we have and stuff we don’t need. You think you’ll use things, but 10 years later, you haven’t.” These days, our digital lifestyles are influencing how kitchen renovations are designed. While Maurer says telephone or computer desks in kitchens are now being replaced by more useful organizational tools, like deeper cabinets and roll-out pantry storage, people are also installing technology more permanently in their kitchens.
Olin’s party wasn’t a drama-filled fight. It was, in the tradition of the Greeks, a way to mark an occasion or a celebration, and, in this case, it was the beginning of a large renovation. “I had a little party. I wanted to leave some great loving energy in the house,” explains Olin. “I was kind of afraid of what they’d find in the walls, so I had this little send-off party. Since it was all going to be demo-ed anyway, we just ‘opa’d’ the plates! It was exhilarating!” Melissa’s home had an enormous amount of sentimental value; her husband had lived, fallen ill, then died in the 103-year-old home. Despite the fact that it would still be standing after all the work was done, Melissa knew it wouldn’t be the same place. Renovations are said to be one of the most stressful things a family or couple can go through. Throwing your home into absolute chaos – raising dust, tracking in dirt, forcing you to pack up all your possessions and compelling you to having strangers traipsing through your house at all hours of the day – can really erode your feelings of security and comfort. “The disruption in people’s lives is certainly stressful,” says Brian Maurer, CEO of Renova Luxury Renovations. “There are too many unknowns and surprises. But it is how they are handled that is vital.” Maurer stresses that a reputable renovator will have systems in place to keep things on track and minimize surprises. And, he says, a good renovation experience starts with keeping an eye on the details.
At a southwest Renova Luxury Renovations show home, for example, there’s a tablet computer affixed to a wall to control things on the main floor, like lighting, temperature, and music. On the other side of the room, a gleaming flatscreen TV is framed by lush wood cabinets with hidden hardware creating a massive woodframed entertainment centre. “Most people want TVs in the kitchen, and the future of ordering groceries is over the internet. What better place to have a touchscreen TV with internet than in the kitchen?” says Maurer. If Olin had her renovation to do over, she says she’d work harder at understanding the contracts, fees and exactly what she was getting for her money. She didn’t realize when she selected a pre-packaged list of mid-priced plumbing fixtures how cheap they’d end up looking, or that there are management fees on every fixture or part coming into the home. “Really understand what it is they’re quoting you on,” she warns. Everyone makes splurges in a renovation, and while for some that might be a kitchen TV, others add extra ovens, a compact second dishwasher for small loads, or trash and recycling centres to keep mess out of sight. Splurges for Olin included a wine fridge and a massive central island. New baking dishes and pots and pans will replace those holdovers she’d inherited. “What didn’t I splurge on?” she says. If she offers one last piece of advice to potential renovators, it’s that moving out of a home while getting a kitchen renovation done is a great idea, if you can swing it. “There are some things you just don’t want to see – sledgehammering of walls, grunting, house-shaking stuff. It’s like surgery – you just don’t want to be a part of it. It’s traumatic.” continued on page 44
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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KITCHEN AID continued from page 42
It’s not just average Janes and Joes, like you and me, who dream about a renovated kitchen. Chefs and food pros also have their kitchen lusts, plus tools and gadgets they’d never dream of purging.
Duncan Ly Chef/Owner, Foreign Concept Reno splurge: “I would put in a Rational oven. It is an all-in-one oven with the ability to steam, roast, bake and grill. It even has a program for overnight roasting. Basically you can set it and forget it!” Must-have gadget: “One of my favourite kitchen gadgets is a Microplane grater. I use it for everything from grating cheese, to garlic and ginger. It really grates things nice and fine. I also really like the Japanese mandolin; it allows me to slice fruit and vegetables quickly, and razor thin.”
Jose Montes Chef, Minas Brazilian Steakhouse Reno splurge: “Many say that the heart of the home is in the kitchen. My heart takes me to the time when I lived on our family farm. The perfect kitchen would not be perfect without a wood stove (fogão de lenha). Used for making a traditional feijoada (black bean stew), it makes for a great space to have great conversations with family and friends when cooking. Must-have gadget: “I love cooking. I couldn’t prepare traditional (comida mineira) food from Minas without the soap stone pots (panela de pedra sabão). The traditional recipes have a very distinctive taste when they are cooked in these pots. Because of the natural origin of the stone, the flavours are not affected by the pots. On the contrary, they give a natural and unique flavour to all your food, even if it is simple white rice.”
Ryan O’Flynn Chef, The Guild Reno dream: “I’d love to have an Aga oven, it’s a heavy-duty European castiron stove, next to a full French suite with marble handles made by Molteni (it’s so fully loaded it’s referred to as a suite, like furniture) – it’s the one you see in the cartoon movie Ratatouille. I’d also like an Anti-Griddle, which can flash-freeze liquids in seconds. A Pacojet to make perfect ice cream and purées would also be great.”
Owner, Rouge & Bistro Rouge Reno splurge: “A forno (wood-burning) oven inside if I could. I have one outside now, but I’d have one inside. You can make pretty much anything in them. You can bake bread, you can even cook 20-pound turkeys, you can do roasts or braising or smoking, and of course, pizza as well. The flavour coming out of a wood-fired pizza oven is second to none.” Must-have gadgets: “A good sharpened blade is essential in the kitchen. I’m personally good with Japanese blades because of Knifewear in Inglewood. Most of the cooks in the city have knives from there. I also use my KitchenAid quite a lot. I’ve got the pasta machine attachment for it. I use it a fair bit.”
Nicole Gomes Chef, Cluck N Cleaver & Nicole Gourmet Reno splurge: “I’d have more than one sink; a double basin and a hand washer off to the side somewhere. I love SubZero refrigerator drawers versus just a stand-up fridge because when you’re prepping you can just open it and grab what you need. I’d also have a singledoor stand-alone fridge and freezer.” Gomes would love to have a singleinduction burner that she’d use solely for simmering stocks overnight, too. Must-have gadget: “My KitchenAid stand mixer because there are so many attachments for it – a pasta roller, a meat grinder, sausage stuffer. You can coldpress juice out of those things and even mill your own grains. It does so much.”
Ede Rodrigues Chef/Owner, Gaucho Brazilian BBQ Reno splurge: “I would LOVE to have a wood burning “churrasqueira,” a Brazilian rotisserie grill, in my kitchen, complete with a little hood fan so my wife and daughter don’t complain about the incredible aroma getting into their clothes!” Must-have gadget: “My favourite gadget is a good, sharp knife. I’m not a knife snob – any knife will do, as long as it’s kept nice and sharp. That, of course, also requires the use of an old-school sharpening stone.” ✤
|
Must-have gadget: “I have to have a good knife. I love my tuxedo handle knife that’s based off the design of a hunting knife from Cut Brooklyn in New York. I also love using quality French copper pots and a good whisk.”
Olivier Reynaud
Erin is a Calgary writer, journalist and TV producer with a passion for cooking, food, and travel. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @ErinLYYC
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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EXPOSED Behind the Scenes with the Offcuts YYC 2017 Calendar story and photos by Regan Johnson
As we mentioned in Word of Mouth last issue, the “nude food dudes” are back at it! Knife knerd Kevin Kent, Knifewear, has teamed up again with photographer Jeremy Fokkens and twelve local chefs to produce a food-centric, stripped-down calendar for 2017, with proceeds benefiting Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids. This year, we were invited behind the scenes to the shoot with chef Dave Bohati, a private chef for hire, to get a little more than a glimpse at what goes into the making of these beefy pinups. Which is how I found myself at the nondescript building which houses Studio 122 in the southeast on a morning in August. Inside, Fokkens was at work prepping for the shoot, setting up lights and white screens. Some of the photos are done on location. For example, the shot of chef Duncan Ly that appeared in the 2016 calendar in an Asian market, complete with fog machines. That shoot, Fokkens said, was inspired by the original Japanese Iron Chef. Fokkens meets with his Offcuts subjects for a planning session prior to each shoot, which he says helps him get a sense of their personality, and their food history. From there, Fokkens is able to come up with a concept that suits each chef. For chef Bohati, Fokkens wanted to focus on a clean, Instagraminspired composition, riffing, he said, on Bohati’s precise, design-oriented style of plating. The plan is for Bohati to appear central to the photo, with ingredients and accoutrements arranged around him in post- production. This calls for Bohati to be photographed standing solo, and then for Fokkens to ascend a ladder for top-down shots of everything else. Bohati arrives with an armful of props, including his knife roll, his truffle slicer, and a basket of produce and cryo-vac’d meat, and the two men discuss the game plan, deciding, for example, that a pile of smoked Maldon sea salt will make an interesting textural element. Eventually, Bohati is sent back out to gather up more produce before the shoot begins. “I can make someone look 6’2”, but I can’t make onions look like watermelons,” Fokkens says, of post-production magic. ✤ Look for Bohati and eleven of his comrades in the Offcuts YYC 2017 calendar, $20, available now! Find it at Knifewear 403-514-0577, Kent of Inglewood, as well as these locations... Eats of Asia Master Meats The Belvedere Meta4Foods/ Oyster Tribe Pond Project Sauce Co. J. Webb Wine Merchant
Double Zero Pizza Highwood Crossing Foods & Farm
Calendar photgraphy by Jere
Silk Road Spice Merchant
my Fokkens
Gravity Espresso & Wine Bar
Regan Johnson works at The Cookbook Co. Cooks
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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stockpot
STIRRINGS AROUND CALGARY
On November 2, some of Calgary’s top chefs at the TELUS Convention Centre compete in Gold Medal Plates, a celebration of Canadian excellence in food, wine, music and athletic achievement. To date Gold Medal Plates has raised over $11 million dollars for Olympic athletes. For more information, visit goldmedalplates.com. The competing chefs will be: Kenny Kaechele, WORKSHOP Kitchen + Culture (2015 bronze); Jinhee Lee, Foreign Concept (2015 silver); Sean MacDonald, MARKET Restaurant; Darren Maclean, Shokunin (2013 bronze, 2014 silver); John Michael MacNeil, The Belvedere; Michel Nop, Redwater Grille; Roy Oh, Anju (2013 silver); Daniel Pizarro, AVEC Bistro; Jarod Traxel, Cannibale; James Waters, KLEIN/HARRIS Restaurant. As always, it will be very exciting to see what these chefs cook up!
At the end of August, we at City Palate were hugely saddened by the death of a very nice person and talented chef, Starbelly’s Jonathan Sobol. The city’s chef world and a mighty tasty restaurant lost an important member of its team.
restaurant ramblings ■ Woot! Woot! A very fine chef is back in town – Giuseppe Di Gennaro, the former chef/owner of Capo and Borgo – and helped open a restaurant we all love, OEB Breakfast Co.’s new location at 222- 5 Ave SW. You know the one on Edmonton Trail, well thank goodness for spreading the goodness around! Giuseppe – more commonly known as Joe – has been living with Fiona, his Australian wife, and their kids, in Australia, where he was invited to help open a new restaurant. He took the job and shortly thereafter, it was named the best new restaurant in Queensland. Now back in Calgary, Gennaro is looking for new challenges in the food trade. Yay, maybe his own place again. ■ Check it out – brand new – casual fine dining in Bowness Park at the new Seasons of Bowness Park, now open, a restaurant and fresh market take-out serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Visit seasonsofbownesspark.ca ■ ‘Tis the season to warm up your palate, and you can do that easily by indulging in some of Nando’s world famous flame-grilled peri-peri chicken, now that Nando’s has opened a restaurant on 17th Ave. SW, spreading its peri-peri chick out in the city, including in the northeast, with plans to open a third location in Mahogany. Nando’s
Join Us for Holiday Cheer Christmas Parties & Celebrations Christmas Day & Eve Dinner Christmas Turkey To-Go Holiday Events New Year’s Eve Brunch New Year’s Eve Mystique Ball
was hatched in South Africa and has gone international to change the way we think about chicken. Visit nandos.ca ■ Catch & The Oyster Bar is having a culinary relaunch with a new team. Former Hyatt Regency Calgary chef Jordan Walsh is chef de cuisine. Joining the Oyster Bar team is Wesley Larosse, sous chef, and Terrence Copland as restaurant chef. Catch, the second floor seafood restaurant, welcomes selfdirected culinary professional Trevor Jerram as the new restaurant chef. Combining years of culinary adventure, the new team offers bold seafood flavours along with the timeless classics of tempura prawns, seasoned oysters and signature platters. The team works with the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program making responsible dining choices. catchrestaurant.ca ■ Tango Bistro invites you to its raw bar happy hour, Monday to Friday, 2:30 - 6 p.m., where you can be happy all afternoon – nothing wrong with that! Enjoy some of the best cold sustainable seafood by the piece, such as lobster claw, crab or shrimp cocktail, and oysters on the half… Check out the menu at tangobistro.ca/menu/feature ■ Good news on the Wine-Ohs front. April-Lee Baker, a finalist on MasterChef Canada, has joined Wine-Ohs as executive chef. A new menu is up and
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running, featuring high-quality organic ingredients, proteins raised in a humane way and Ocean-Wise fish. Go check it out, then go downstairs to The Cellar for good music. Can’t miss, it’s all there under one roof! ■ Located on the corner of 6 St. and 9 Ave. SW, Sonoma on 9th is a new restaurant in the west end of downtown. Stop by for a cappuccino and hot breakfast, glass of wine and fresh lunch or after-work snack and cocktail. The beautiful lounge and dining room make for an impressive space to host your private function. Daily features and drink specials. Visit sonomaon9th.ca for all the tasty details. ■ Pulcinella will serve you cibo de strada – street food – so you can have a great lunch and get back to your busy day in a timely fashion. Look for panzerotti, a savoury deep-fried version of a calzone and schiacciata, an oven-baked
sandwich filled with fresh ingredients. A side of daily soup or mixed salad sets you up perfectly for the afternoon! ■ Chef Duncan Ly will soon be opening his newest project, Foreign Concept, Alternative Asian Dining. Located in the Beltline, Chef Ly will bring fresh and unfamiliar pan-Asian flavour combinations to Calgarians who think they’ve tried it all, like house-made charcuterie infused with crisp Asian spices, serving carts tempting you with bites of something surprising, and a room styled after the elegance of colonial Vietnam. Follow the progress on Twitter & Instagram @eatforeign. drinks docket ■ Celebrate Kensington Wine Market’s 25th anniversary at a tasting of Glenfarclas 25 Year Cask Strength Launch on November 29, then go back for more celebration on December 1, at
the grand launch of KWM 1992 Vintage Port and 20-Year Tawny Port, blended and bottled for KWM, at an early-bird tasting party. Happy Birthday KWM – you do know how to celebrate! ■ 5 Vines Wine, Spirits & Craft Beer can help you find the perfect gifts this holiday season. From a beautiful selection of wine, craft beer and spirits to fully customizable gift baskets, at 5 Vines you’re sure to find something for almost everyone on your shopping list that they’ll love. For more information email hello@5vines.com or visit 5vines.com ■ Upcoming events at The Cellar: November 8, Canada vs USA; November 23, Taste Buds and Molecules – The Science behind the Pairing; December 2, Port, Cheese and Chocolate; December 14, Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles. Purchase tickets at 403-503-0730 or email Patrick.s@cellarwinestore.com
■ Willow Park Wines & Spirits has lots going on that you’ll want to be part of: Jewels of the Sea 23rd Charity Wine Auction, November 5, in support of the Vintage Fund; Bourbon and Rum, November 15; Whisky & Chocolate, November 16. Visit willowpark.net to check out the events or pick up your copy at the stores. ■ Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters is moving downtown to the location they’ve been waiting for in the Hudson Block, corner of Stephen Ave. and Centre St., with the right mixture of character, presence and traffic. Look for a winter 2016 opening. The Hudson Block location joins the other popular P & S locations: Marda Loop, Chinook Centre, Mission, Symons Valley Market, Roasterie and Simmons Building. continued on page 50
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stockpot continued from page 49 ■ The British Columbia Wine Awards marked the official launch of the annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival. The competition featured a record 624 wine entries from more than 90 British Columbia wineries for medals as well as the overall best wine of 2016, named the Premier’s Award, presented annually by the sitting Premier given the stature of British Columbia’s wine industry across the world. This year, the award went to SpeirHead Winery in Kelowna for its 2014 Pinot Noir Cuvée. The full list of finalists and winners is available at thewinefestivals.com ■ Stone Brewing Co. in California has brewed a beer to warm you up when the temperature falls, like now. Sounds wonderful – Stone Vanilla Bean Porter – rich and a little exotic with Madagascar vanilla bean imparting a delicate creami-
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ness and palate-seducing softness, complementing chocolate undertones and hints of coffee. Find it in the Stone Cabin Fever Mixed 12 Pack at your fave beer seller. ■ Tastings at Bricks Wine Co. in Inglewood: Garnacha Libre, Single Varietal Grenache, $45, November 3; Pucker up buttercup, Sour Beers, $30, November 1; Champagne and Caviar, Bricks Wine Co. First Annual Winter Gala, Invitation only, November 19, for more information visit brickswine.ca, join the email mailing list and stay tuned for your exclusive invite to the party. cooking classes ■ SAIT’s Downtown Culinary Campus: Knife Skills, November 2; Pasta, November 3; Chutneys and Relishes, November 9; Fish Cookery, November 10; Introduction to Cooking, November 14 - December 12; Knife Skills: Butchery, November 17; South African, November 23; Soups: Consommés and Bisques, November 29; Christmas Dinner, December 7; SAIT’s Main Campus: Baking Cakes, November 5; Herbs and Spices, November 8; Sauces, November 15; Introduction to Baking, November 19 & 26; Gluten-Free Sweet, November 22; Christmas Cookie Exchange, December 3; Holiday Hors d’Oeuvres, December 6; Bean to Bar, December 10; Italian, December 13. Visit culinarycampus.ca for details and more courses. ■ Ollia Macarons & Tea macarons baking classes: November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, December 6, 13, 20, 27. More information at 403-457-9775 and byolliacom ■ Meez Cuisine invites you to get ready for the holiday season with Holiday Appetizers Hands-On Cooking Class with chef Judy Wood. November 19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. or 3:30-6:30 p.m. Make a variety of appetizers to take home and cook when guests arrive. Classes are held at the Meez Kitchen, 5321-4 St. SE. Email catering@meezcuisine.com or call 403-640-3663. The retail shop in Willow Park Village has fun Christmas gift ideas for your foodie and yummy treats for holiday entertaining. Place your Christmas dinner order online at meezcuisine. com/holiday. ■ At The Cookbook Co. Cooks: In November – Girls’ Night Out, Cocktails & Hors d’Oeuvres; Vietnamese Cooking; Asian Dumplings; Pakora, Samosa & Chutney Workshop; Cooking with Ancient Grains, A Gluten-Free Class; Italian Farmhouse; A Bounty of Inspriation, Wine & Food of the Okanagan; A French Christmas Menu; Kids’ Christmas Baking; Sausage-Making; Perfecting Paella; Christmas Baking. Details at cookbookcooks.com to register, phone 403-265-6066, ext. 1.
■ Cuisine et Château: Holiday-themed hands-on classes – Hors d’Oeuvres & Entertainment, November 24; Holiday Baking & Desserts, November 27; Holiday Bread Baking, November 29; Everything Chocolate, December 17. Holiday Brunch, December 18; Handson classes – Cheese Making Level 1 & 2, October 30/December 4; Sushi, November 15; Herbs & Spice, November 3; Made in France, November 4; Table 4 Two, December 1; Knife Skills, November 9; Spanish Tapas, November 10; Simply Italian, November 22; Cocina Mexicana, December 6; Flaky Viennoiserie, November 5/December 11. Wine Tastings – Vino Italia, October 30; Big Bold Reds, November 26. 4th Annual ‘A French Christmas’ demonstration dinner, December 17 & 18, 6 p.m. Registration and tickets at cuisineandchateau.com or call 403-764-2665. general stirrings ■ Discover Heritage Park in a new light… at night… at the Halloween event for adults: Ghosts and Gourmet October 31, November 1 and 2. Indulge in an autumn-inspired dinner at the Wainwright Hotel followed by a guided walking ghost tour on the dark streets and into the notoriously haunted buildings of Heritage Park. Cocktails at 6 p.m., tickets $66.95 at 403-268-8500. For the menu and details, visit heritagepark.ca and go to “events calendar.” Spooktacular! Experience the magic of Christmas past at Once Upon A Christmas, weekends, November 19 December 18. And don’t miss Winter CARnival, December 27 - January 3, indoors in Gasoline Alley Museum. Dinner and a Movie, November 8, Pretty Woman, followed by three Christmas classics starting November 22 – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, December 6, Will Ferrell’s Elf, and the wrap-up of dinner and a movie with It’s a Wonderful Life on December 20. Each evening begins with a themed dinner at the Selkirk Grille followed by the film. Visit heritagepark.ca for details. ■ For hostess gifts, holiday presents and the best baking supplies, Amaranth Markets are a must for the healthy foodie on your list. Spectacular natural body care and make up (made from ingredients good enough to eat) can also be enjoyed for 20% off on the 1st Wednesday of every month. ■ The unique Symons Valley Ranch Farmers Market is sometimes forgotten, situated as it is on the “back forty” of Symons Valley Ranch in northwest Calgary (14555 Symons Valley Rd., NW). In reality it resides just off the north end of Shaganappi Tr. NW. The ranch is not only home to the Farmers Market, it also boasts Symons Roadhouse continued on page 52
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stockpot continued from page 50 restaurant. The massive log structure houses myriad vendors year-round in addition to offering weekly events, an outdoor skating rink during the winter and roaring fire pits with free marshmallows to roast in the secluded courtyard. Visit symonsvalleyranch.com for a complete list of vendors, a weekly listing of events, including the Art Show and Sale Nov 5 & 6, The Second Annual “Soup Fest” with you as the judge, November 19, the return of the hugely successful Christmas Market this year with twice the usual vendors, November 25 to 27. Get your picture with live reindeer in the courtyard, December 10, 11 & 23, and Santa Claus, November 25 to 27 and December 10 & 11. ■ Chowder lovers need to get themselves to the Hyatt Regency Calgary on November 17 for the annual Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown. Twelve of Calgary’s Ocean Wise chefs create their best original chowder and you can grab a spoon and bowl and sample delicious chowder all night long from the likes of Rodney’s Oyster House, the Zoo, Catch Restaurant, Craft Beer Market, Deane House, Home and Away, Last Best Brewing, River Café, Thomson’s and Yellow Door Bistro. And you can quench your thirst with craft beer from local beer dudes, including Wild Rose and Grizzly Paw, and crisp wine from Whitehaven Winery. Details and tickets at vanaqua.org/chowder ■ PROSTAID Calgary – a society that provides peer-to-peer mutual support for men and their families dealing with prostate cancer, increases public awareness of the disease, advocates for a strong provincial voice in matters relating to prostate cancer – hosts an Italian Wine Festival fundraiser, November 16, at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 7-9 p.m., $50 includes a $25 tax receipt. Proceeds go towards PROSTAID Calgary as well as the Central Italy Earthquake Relief fund. Visit ProstaidCalgary.org for details. ■ Located in Haysboro, the new Cured Delicatessen handcrafts meats and products that are rooted in European tradition but enhanced with modern flavours. Known for curing a wide selection of home-made meats, Cured Delicatessen offers wholesome dine-in and take-home meals reminiscent of what is found in Oma’s kitchen. Owned by husband and wife team Dale and Shaine Greene, Cured Delicatessen makes over 2,000 pounds of meat and sausage per month. The more than 50 different varieties include fresh and smoked sausages, European wieners and smokies, cured sausages, meats and salami. Unique items continued on page 55
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In the kingdom of butters, Stirling rules. With one taste, you’ll appreciate the art of Stirling butter. Made with sweet cream, this slow-churned, European-style butter has superior flavour and a luxurious texture. It’s butter, made better. From deli to dairy, we think about everything we put on our shelves. With the largest selection of natural products and highly trained in-store experts, you can feel good knowing you’re always getting the very best.
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stockpot continued from page 52 include blood mortadella, and hamstuffed mortadella. The deli features a line of nitrate- and phosphate-free products along with a range of madefrom-scratch classic cabbage rolls and quiche, to marinated steaks and salads. Visit: curedyyc.com/deli
■ Explore Local is a team of experts within Alberta Agriculture and Forestry that assists producers and small-scale food processors in capitalizing on the demand for local food. Explore Local offers webinars, in-person workshops and conferences annually to help producers who market food direct to consumers. For information about these events or to sign up to receive this information electronically, visit explorelocal.ca. ■ The owner of Oil & Vinegar in Edmonton – Calgary used to have two Oil & Vinegars – offers free shipping to Calgary on orders over $50. Visit oilvinegar.com/we-ca or phone the store at 780-424-9838.
■ Get yourself some Neal Brothers Extremely Tasty Kettle Chips. Yes, that’s what they call themselves, and they really are tasty. They’re also wonderfully crunchy, the best kind of crunch, that you rarely find in potato chips. They’re extremely tasty in part because they’re tastily flavoured – look for Maple Bacon, Montreal Steak Spice, Spicy Srirachup, Pink Himalayan Salt and more at Sunterra, Amaranth, Community Natural Foods, Bridgeland Market, Bite Groceteria, Planet Organic, Blush Lane. Neal Brothers specializes in better-foryou snacks and is a Canadian company that supports Community Food Centres Canada. Support these guys, buy their chips, you’ll love the crunch and great flavours. Visit nealbrothersfoods.com for all the tasty details. ■ Carrington Farms is a comprehensive line of 100% organic, non-genetically modified health food products that are the perfect addition to any pantry. All Carrington Farms products are certified organic, Star-K Kosher, gluten-free and non-GMO. From the pure whole seed flax to the chia blends and coldpressed organic extra-virgin coconut oil, all of Carrington Farms’ vitamin and mineral-full health food products are a great way to start adding a little more nutrition to your everyday life. Find at Walmart stores.
■ Don’t miss the Festival of Crafts at the BMO Centre, Stampede Park, December 8-11, showcasing the best that the Canadian hand-made community has to offer, including jewelry, pottery, leather goods, clothing, food – like Calgary Fudge Factory, Cranberry Creek Baking Co., Grandma’s Traditional Fruitcakes and Dave’s Hot Pepper Jelly – you name it, you’ll probably find it here. Go, support our art and craft people, buy your Christmas presents or something for yourself. Visit festivalofcrafts.ca for all the details. ■ Bravo! Canada’s Mackenzie Ferguson, St. Charles Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg, took third place and the bronze medal as Canadian National Representative at the prestigious 2016 Concours International des Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs competition held in Manchester, England, on September 27. One of the largest groups of competitors ever came from 24 countries, all cooks under the age of 27, who compose a menu and prepare a three-course meal using ingredients presented in a “black box.” ■ Cuisine et Château invites you to join its professional chefs in the Périgord region of France for an all-inclusive luxury gastronomic experience of a lifetime. Stay in an exclusive, private
château, meet farmers, purveyors and winemakers in a unique and authentic setting that will change the way you think about food. New dates for 2017 are May 28 to June 3. Reserve your place and don’t miss out on this sevenday escape to La Belle France. For more information visit cuisineandchateau.com or call 403-764-2665.
We’d love to know what you think of our magazine! Please go to our web site citypalate.ca/survey to fill out a short survey. Thanks!
A correction to the September October stockpot: some time ago, we learned that chef Dominique Moussu, chef and co-owner of Cassis and Suzette Bistros, had left to join up with the Teatro Group again as corporate chef. We have since learned that chef Moussu still remains the chef/co-owner of Cassis and Suzette. Someone can’t get enough of cooking great food! Good for him, lucky for us.
CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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6 quick ways with...
Two weekends of Christmas Cheer! Free Admission
Chris Halpin
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When people talk about super foods, the almond quickly becomes the conversation. I love them and consume them on a daily basis, in one form or another. I like to use almond milk in my smoothies to round out the protein isolate and as a great flavour booster. Here are some of my favourite go-to almond recipes.
smoked tamari almonds Simple and delicious. Tamari is similar to, but thicker than, soy sauce. If you don’t have it in the house, just use regular soy sauce. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange 2 c. raw, skinon almonds onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the almonds smell toasty and delicious. Remove from the oven and immediately add 1 T. tamari and 1/2 t. hot smoked paprika and stir to coat evenly, until all the tamari has been absorbed. Sprinkle with salt if you wish and allow to cool before serving. Makes 2 cups.
almond-stuffed dates wrapped in pancetta This is a twist on a traditional holiday nibble. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly toast 24 whole blanched almonds, remove and cool. Stuff 24 pitted dates with 1 almond each. Slice 12 slices of spicy pancetta in half and wrap each date with half a slice. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they are all seam-side down. Bake until the bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove and allow them to cool for a minute or so before serving. Makes 2 dozen.
almond-crusted halibut with a beet beurre blanc
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
This recipe is as delightful to look at as it is to eat. Preheat oven to 400° F. Into a pot over medium heat, put 1 c. white wine, 1 garlic clove, cracked, and 1 bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer while you finish the recipe. Into a bowl, put 2 c. sliced blanched almonds, the zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 t. white pepper, 1 t. salt and 1 egg white, and mix well. Arrange 4 halibut fillets on a baking sheet and pat each with some of the almond mixture. Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the almonds are golden and the fish is done to your liking. While the fish is in the oven, drain a small can of beets and pour them into a blender. Remove the bay leaf from the wine garlic mixture and add it to the blender. Purée until smooth, return to the pot and bring back to a boil. Whisk in 4 T. of butter, in lumps, and continue to whisk until the butter has been fully incorporated, then whisk in 1 t. grainy mustard and salt to taste. To serve, puddle some of the sauce on 4 plates and place a piece of fish on top. Serves 4.
rapini with burnt almonds and pecorino cheese The toasty buttery flavour of burnt almonds is such a nice counterpart to the tang of rapini. Rapini is a vegetable that requires a bit of finesse, because the tannins are a bit bitter. You must blanch and rinse rapini before you do anything with it. This is the only way to make it palatable; much like fiddlehead greens, which I use as an interchangeable vegetable to rapini. Place a pot of water over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Trim off the bottom 2 inches of 1 bunch of rapini and blanch until the vegetable turns shiny and bright, about a minute. Rinse and blot on paper towels. In a pan over medium heat, put 1/4 c. butter, 2 T. olive oil and 1/2 t. nutmeg. When the butter has melted and is no longer foaming, add 1/2 c. sliced almonds and stir until the almonds are golden brown. Add the rapini and, tossing a bit with tongs, sauté to heat, about 3 minutes. Add 2 T. apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and stir a minute more before removing from the heat. To serve, arrange on a platter and with a vegetable peeler, shave pecorino over top. Serves 4 as a side dish.
LUNCH ( E V E R Y D AY )
chicken romesco A classic romesco would have you roast the vegetables and garlic in olive oil, then purée them with the other ingredients to make the sauce/dip. What I suggest is a little different and a lot easier. In a blender, put 6 quartered roma tomatoes, 1/2 c. red wine vinegar, 1/4 c. olive oil, 1 large red bell pepper, cored and chopped, 6 garlic cloves, peeled, 1 c. blanched almonds, 1 slice of fresh white bread, 1/4 c. sweet paprika, 1 t. ground fennel, salt to taste and a pinch of dried chile flakes. Blend until smooth. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange 8, skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces in a casserole dish and pour sauce over top so that all the chicken is coated with sauce. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until bubbling and with crispy bits. Serves 4.
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recipe photos by Chris Halpin
almond florentines These are a crisp and elegantly thin cookie. The trick to these cookies is to not place them too close to each other so they have room to spread, and don’t use more than 1 teaspoon of batter for each. It’s important to use parchment for these or they will be a big sticky mess. Other than that, these cookies are a snap. In a bowl, put 1 c. soft butter, 1 c. sugar, 1/4 c. white corn syrup and 1 t. dried ginger. With a beater, whip until smooth, then add 1 t. vanilla and beat to incorporate. Add 1 c. flour to the mixture and beat until smooth. Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, using a teaspoon, drop 6 cookies, making two rows of three. Bake for 4 minutes, or until the dough has flattened out, remove from the oven and sprinkle 1 t. sliced, blanched almonds over each and continue to bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are bubbling and caramel coloured, and the almonds are toasty. When they first come out of the oven, the florentines will be quite liquid and soft, they firm up when they cool. When they are leathery and still quite warm, use a couple of chopsticks to pinch each into a bow shape. Once fully cooled and crisp, transfer to a platter to serve. Makes 36. Chris Halpin has been teaching Calgarians to make fast, fun urban food since 1997 and is the owner of Manna Catering Service. mannaonline.com ©2016 Palm Bay International Boca Raton, Fl.
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back burner SHEWCHUK ON SIMMER
Allan Shewchuk
LEARNING CURVE
My elderly in-laws have enjoyed many years of retirement on a rolling spread of land out west. It’s a blissful place where I love to cook for them, but every once in a while, I like to get them out to dine. Unfortunately, they aren’t mobile enough to come into the big city, so going out to eat means driving to the nearby small town, where restaurant choices are as scarce as locals driving something other than a pickup truck. Luckily, a Greek family opened a restaurant on Main Street, and the place is clean, the food is hearty and the service is friendly. But, being in an unsophisticated locale, I find some aspects of my usual dining-out routine are challenging. Take ordering wine, for instance. On my first visit to the place, a fresh-faced young waitress came to our table. I asked her if the restaurant had a wine list and was told “No.” However, the junior Miss proudly proclaimed, “But we have both white and red!” Things were looking up, so I asked what kind of red wine was available. With a wide smile, she chirped, “For red, we have a CABARET!”
Something exciting is happening at Tango Bistro. Join us for the next chapter
Eat. Drink. Share.
I also couldn’t do it because too many times in my life, I’ve played the bumpkin making food or wine mistakes, and have been humiliated by getting called out in a very public way. When I think about those “learning curve” moments, the tips of my ears burn red with shame.
tangobistro.ca 403-252-4365 6920 Macleod Trail South, Calgary, Alberta T2H 0L3
I’m sure all of us have had similar experiences, exposing our soft underbellies by screwing up in front of others. I’ll bet many of you had a disaster like I did the first time you ever tried to use chopsticks in public. I suppose you could say that I had an epic fail with the chopsticks, because someone at my table finally said to me, “Careful – you might get some in your mouth.” Ouch.
Keep your mood merry all season with these upcoming events.
Where Santa shops for people on his 'nice' list
Canada VS USA November 8 at 7PM Taste Buds and Molecules: The Science behind the Pairing November 23 at 7PM Port, Cheese and Chocolate December 2 at 7PM Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles December 14 at 7PM To purchase tickets call 403 503 0730 or email Patrick.s@cellarwinestore.com
OUR ANNUAL SALE ON EVERYTHING NOVEMBER 17 - 19
137 8th Ave SW www.cellarwinestore.com 403 503 0730
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CITYPALATE.ca NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
I spent many years thinking I was worldly, even though I routinely made gaffes like calling rice pilaf “rice Piaf.” When I finally got called out on it at a large dinner party, I was lectured on how pilaf was the rice and Piaf was the French singer. I sheepishly had to admit that I didn’t even know who Edith Piaf was, despite my constantly attributing a famous rice dish to her. I was the only one at the table who had never heard of “The Little Sparrow,” and I was made to feel both oafish and boorish. Double ouch. Perhaps my worst learning curve moment occurred because I’d never been taught proper table manners. I got invited to dinner by the parents of my very Waspy university girlfriend. During dinner, I licked some food off my knife. I was ridiculed, never got invited back, and lost the girl to some guy from the Country Club. Triple ouch. My learning curve for how to deal with others on a learning curve provided a recent sweet moment. I went to a home outfitting store to replace some broken wine glasses. When I got to the glassware section, there were white wine glasses, but no larger red wine glasses in sight. A young lady, barely 16, came to my assistance. I told her there were no red wine glasses and she assured me that there were lots of wine glasses high above us on some industrial shelving. She procured a ladder and ascended to find my goblets. I watched her go through boxes and boxes of glasses with a knitted brow. I yelled upwards, “Are there no red wine glasses?” She opened a box and held up what was obviously a red wine glass and yelled back, “No red wine glasses, only these clear ones!” I smiled and shouted back, “You don’t drink much, do you?” She giggled. When she climbed down, she asked what I used red wine glasses for. I couldn’t help myself and said, “A nice Cabaret.” She giggled again. I just smiled.
IN-STORE HAPPENS
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Now I broke into a smile, too. Deep down inside I wanted desperately to don a top hat and start singing, “What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play....” or to point out her mistake and provide a wine tutorial. But I didn’t. This was a girl who had simply not been exposed to wine lists and varietals, and it was not my place to embarrass her by making fun or by correcting her.
Allan Shewchuk is a lawyer, food writer and sought-after Italian food and wine guru. He currently has kitchens in both Calgary and Florence, Italy, but will drink wine pretty much anywhere.
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