Stock Your Pantry with Rice

FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Salad

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALIE FINDLAY

Black Japonica rice is a blend of short grain black rice and medium grain mahogany rice. It is high in healthpromoting anthocyanin antioxidants, has a firmer bite and can be eaten cold from the fridge. Its deep, rich colour makes a wonderful base for bright herbs and vegetables. Black Japonica Thai-Style Rice Salad

Serves 3-4

1 cup Japonica rice 1½ cups (360 mL) water ½ cup (120 mL) coconut water 1 tsp salt 3 dried lime leaves, optional

RICE IS A STAPLE ALL OVER

the world, with each country having its own speciality that allows the versatility of rice to shine.

Dressing:

¼ cup (60 mL) water 2 Tbs (30 mL) Thai fish sauce 1 tsp coconut sugar 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tbs lemongrass, minced 1 Tbs (15 mL) lime juice

Salad:

2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces 2 medium tomatoes, bite-sized 1 yellow sweet pepper, bite-sized ¼ cup basil or that basil leaves or both, packed ¼ cup mint leaves, loosely packed ¼ cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed (can substitute parsley) 1 medium red onion 1/3 cup toasted coconut shavings (unsweetened) Garnish Thai red pepper (optional)

1. In a medium pot over medium heat add rice, water, coconut water, salt and lime leaves. Cover, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 40 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, add the water, fish sauce and coconut sugar to a small pot. Place on medium-low heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Add the garlic, lemongrass and lime juice, and stir to combine. Let sit and allow the flavours to infuse until needed. 3. In a medium pot over high heat bring 5 cups (1.25 L) of water to boil. Add the green beans and cook 3 minutes. 4. Tear or roughly chop the basil, mint and cilantro. Peel and thinly slice the red onion. 5. In a medium bowl, add the rice, beans, tomatoes and sweet pepper and cover with the dressing. Gently stir to combine. Add the basil, mint and cilantro and red onion and gently stir to combine. Top with toasted coconut and Thai red pepper (if desired).

Rice and peas is from the West Indies with roots back to Ghana. it pairs beautifully with jerk chicken, oxtail or curry goat.

Rice and Peas

Serves 4-6

1½ Tbs (22 mL) olive oil 1 small onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 5 sprigs thyme 2 bay leaves 1½ cups medium or long grain rice 1 cup (240 mL) light coconut milk 1½ cup (360 mL) vegetable or chicken stock 1 can kidney beans, drained 1½ tsp salt 1. In a medium pot over medium heat add oil. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. 2. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and sauté 2 minutes. 3. Add rice and stir together, cooking another 2 minutes. 4. Add the coconut milk, stock, kidney beans and salt. Stir and cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. 5. Fluff, plate and enjoy.

Mexican Red Rice

Serves 4-6

1 large onion 2 medium red tomatoes 6 small orange tomatoes 1 each medium sweet peppers (red, orange and yellow) 3 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tbs (30 mL) olive oil 1 tsp smoked salt 1 tsp chili powder 2 cups long or medium grain rice 3 cups (750 mL) stock (vegetable or chicken) or water

1. Preheat oven to 425º F. 2. Peel onion and cut into 8. Remove stems from tomatoes and cut in half. De-stem and seed the sweet peppers and cut in half. Reserve half of each. 3. In a medium bowl, add chopped onion, tomatoes, sweet peppers and garlic cloves. Add oil, salt and chili powder and stir to coat vegetables. Pour vegetables

Many evenings are selling out with waiting lists, so reserve your places!

Special One-Off, Surf-Turf Premium Pairing Dinner at Big Fish Open Range Thursday November 4. A fabulous one-off Fine & Dine evening, with a sparkling reception and canapes, followed by a 4-course premium dinner with five pairings!

Vine & Dine at Flower & Wolf

Friday November 26

We’re in our own large private dining room at Flower & Wolf, to enjoy Chef Cole Glendinning’s superb menu. Six delicious dishes await, each perfectly paired.

Vine & Dine at Safari Grill

Wednesday December 15

We’ve been missing this rich and flavourful, satisfying food, so we’re coming back to Safari Grill for a 6-course Vine & Dine pairing dinner, for one night only!

Restaurants and menus are added regularly, so keep checking

culinairemagazine.ca/events.

Contact linda@culinairemagazine.ca, 403-870-9802 to reserve, and to hear about these very popular events in advance! We try to cater for all allergies. This red rice dish (or arroz rojo) has its roots in Mexican cuisine. Its reddishorange colour is the highlight of any meal, along with the deep roasted flavour of the vegetables combined with the undertone of the smoky chili powder for a flavour explosion.

onto a lined baking sheet or dish. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes until vegetables are soft and starting to blister. 4. Remove from oven and pour ingredients into a blender. Puree until ingredients have turned to liquid. You should have 2 cups (500 mL) of puree. Top with water if needed. 5. Heat stock (or water) on medium heat until stock is hot. Wash rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Drain. 6. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the rice to the hot oil and stir to coat the rice with oil. Continue cooking the rice until golden brown, 10 minutes. 7. Add the puree mixture to the rice and stir as it comes to a boil. Add the hot stock and continue to stir to combine. Taste and add more salt if needed. Let boil 3 - 5 minutes and then reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes. 8. Remove from heat and leave covered for another 15 - 20 minutes. Remove lid and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff rice and serve.

Natalie is a freelance writer, photographer and pastry chef. A graduate of Cordon Bleu’s pastry program, she manages her own business too to create custom-made cakes.

BRUMONT: The Soul of Madiran

More than a craftsman, Alain Brumont is a wine artist, independent and committed. A man who distrusts trends, and develops every vintage as a work of art in its own right.

Wines should be able to excite the five senses of those who taste them. And for that, the Man of Madiran relies on local varieties with unmistakable personalities – Petit Courbu, Petit Manseng, and Tannat – which he has not only worked tirelessly to renew, but has also successfully elevated to the level of the great French varieties.

By controlling their yield, determining their optimal ripeness, taking great care in the vinification process, and growing them with respect and aplomb, he manages to show that not only do these varieties have a place in the world of wine, but that they also bring something new to it.

A trailblazer, Brumont uses the bounty of nature to perfect every aspect of the harvesting process, from the diversity of soil types and exposure to altitude, defining each of his wines through a mosaic of terroirs, and establishing unique and legendary parcels of land, like La Tyre and Vieilles Vignes. From the beginning of his career he was on the hunt for select parcels of land, rehabilitating existing vines, and seeking traces of ancient vineyards. Today, he cultivates the finest of the appellation’s terroirs, and each parcel grows the variety best suited.

Since he began observing the landscapes of his Pyrenean Piedmont, and taking delight in these exceptional surroundings, Brumont has come to believe that nature is always generous to those who know how to respect - practicing an approach that is respectful of the environment, as well as tailored to his varieties and to his terroir.

As he likes to say, “One needs to know when not to work”. The strategic use of agricultural machinery, contribution of organic materials from farms in the Pyrenees far removed from intensive agriculture, and sodding to regulate soil heating, are also practices that have enabled the fauna and flora of the land to be preserved.

Due to climate change, cultivation methods need constant adjustment, so as not to be caught off guard, on-site teams try to anticipate needs, always listening to what the soil has to tell them. Preserving the secondary flora, natural mychorrization, and microbial life by opting for tailored plant cover, means maintaining soil structure, and allowing for the remediation of parcels, while attempting to limit the effects of high heat.

But Brumont has taken this approach further still. By planting his vines in the heart of the forest, they benefit from an intra-parcel microclimate that fosters a healthier viticulture. Both Château Bouscassé and Château Montus are the direct result of this exceptional expertise. Alain Brumont doesn’t just make wine, he interprets terroir.

~Alain Brumont

Château Bouscassé

Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon