Etcetera

Joe Beef Spicy Carrot Mustard

Consistently up there in top restaurant rankings, Montreal’s Joe Beef also has its own range of pantry products, including spices, sauces, syrup and ketchup – and here’s the latest offering – Spicy Carrot Mustard. Bright orange and delicious, amp up your roast meats, burgers, brats, and dogs, and try a dash in your daubes, in your grilled cheese, vinaigrettes and dressings, deviled eggs, and of course with chicken, pork and rabbit! 212 mL $10 at Blush Lane, Italian Centre Shops, Freson Bros, and Meuwlys.

Red Fox: The Secret Ingredient

Beloved by many of the province’s top restaurants, Red Fox Fungi grow gourmet Chestnut, Lions Mane, and Oyster mushrooms, on their farm near Strathmore, and they fine grind them to a powder for umami-full seasonings too! Available as Everything Everyday Blend - with mustard, thyme, and spices; Savory BBQ - with brown sugar, garlic, and spices; Spicy - with chili flakes and dehydrated kimchi, each 50 g shaker contains about 200g of gourmet mushrooms dehydrated! $11, see redfoxfungi.ca.

Summer Fizz : Over 100 Recipes for Refreshing Sparkling Drinks

It’s a common observation, we really don’t enjoy enough sparkling wine or champagne – seemingly preferring to save it for a “special occasion”, which is bloody ridiculous. Get out there, pop that cork! Nothing beats the heat like a sparkling beverage, and Summer Fizz gets the grey matter thinking about some clever and refreshing ideas that might just use up some of that cluttered liquor cabinet – and at the same time, up your cocktail game this summer. Ryland, Peters & Small $20

Martin Picard Au Pied de Cochon Habanero Maple BBQ Sauce

A rare breed amongst barbecue sauces, this one celebrating the famous Quebec restaurant, and sharing a bare wiff of the talents of chef Martin Picard. An earthy, pungent sauce with apple sweetness, and a stronger, vinegar driven approach with A-1 or HP stylings. But it’s the habanero that give this one the charm – softened ever so gently by the maple. A fun sauce that will spice up your ribs or grilled meats if that is your thing. $12 at Blush Lane, Italian Centre Shops, and specialty stores.

Staub 34 cm Cast Iron Double Handle Skillet

We’ve been putting this skillet through its paces, and what do we love about it? Everything! From Alsace, in eastern France, Staub manages to make products that not only look beautiful but are ultimately functional and versatile too. Our paella was perfect; enamelled cast iron retains heat so you can reduce the heat on your stove when cooking, and it stays hot longer on the table. It’s going to be well-used - this skillet fits perfectly in our toaster oven too! $250-310 widely available from good cookware stores.

La Paella: Recipes for Delicious Spanish Rice and Noodle Dishes

With perfect timing as we were deciding a paella to make in the skillet, ‘La Paella’ turned up, with 24 paella, creamy rice dishes, and baked rice dish recipes! We chose Seafood Paella with Chorizo (p.22) but were sorely tempted by oh-so many others. Author Louise Pickford also includes recipes for fideua (like paella but with snipped vermicelli noodles), hearty rice soups, fried dishes - do try Fried Paella with Alioli, (p.104) with your leftovers - and sweet dishes to finish. Ryland, Peters & Small $20.