42 Open That Bottle with Dustin Lagler, Liquor Category Director at Loblaw Companies Limited
It’s the time of the year for getting out the cinnamon and nutmeg, and planning your Holiday baking – will it be cookies or cake? Pies or pastries? The festive season calls for sweet and savoury baked goods, so we asked photographer Katarzyna Kowalewska to capture this spirit – and we can’t thank her enough for this beautiful image. Imagine the smells wafting from that kitchen!
8 Staying Close to Home
Three new books from a local Alberta farmer, cook, and ice cream maker by Tom Firth and Linda Garson
14 North Water: Being the Change it Wants to See
Two Alberta entrepreneurs are gaining traction with their Rocky Mountain spring water, but like peeling an onion it’s one layer at a time by Lucy Haines 16 Holiday Magic
Baked Brie en Croûte with Fig Jam and Hazelnuts – a messy, magnificent, masterpiece of appetizer magic by Renée Kohlman 18 The Best of Alberta
The top 25 made in Alberta beers and 25 Alberta-produced spirits! by Tom Firth
22 The Jewel of the Holiday Kitchen
Three cranberry recipes to complement and brighten your meals and baked goods by Natalie Findlay
26 Taking You Right Out of the Danger Zone
Food safety dos and don’ts during the holidays by Mallory Frayn
29 Festive Fun…
Six cookie recipes to make your own and share with others by Linda Garson
34 The Joys of Holiday Season Beers
From the dawn of brewing, seasonal beers were the only beers made by David Nuttall
36 December Spirits … cut through the Holiday rush, sit down, sip, and enjoy a little great whisky by Tom Firth and Linda Garson
That’s a wrap!
Another year draws to a close, and we can reflect on the last 12 months – what a full year it’s been: 10 issues of Culinaire, anywhere between six and twelve Vine & Dine events each month, eight out of country food or beverage-related trips abroad (five of them across the Atlantic), half a dozen beverage trade events, and relatively regular radio and TV segments. And I’m not the slightest bit tired – quite the reverse - the more I do, the more energized I am! I’m reminded of my retired neighbour’s words when she said, “You know I used to have so much more energy when I was working and busy.” So retirement is out of the question! The years might be advancing, but there’s so much more to do yet – I can’t wait for 2025 when I’ll have a BIG birthday, and we’re planning some new ventures right now - I’m excited about bringing them to
fruition. I can’t reveal anything quite yet, but we are working hard on launching them very soon – keep your eyes here for more news! And 2024? This is what it looked like in numbers; we wrote about or reviewed:
190 Restaurants
101 Recipes
302 Wines
202 Spirits
187 Beers
73 People producing food or beverages
50 Cocktails
38 Cookbooks
And we gave back too - with $11,425 in cash or in-kind donations to non-profits. But I’m not here to brag or complain, I’m here to tell you that the time to worry is if you’re in a food or beverage-related business and we’re not writing or talking about you! Maybe you didn’t reach out to let us know you opened a new restaurant, made a new beverage, or wrote a new book?
There’s so much in this issue to tell you about (The Best of Alberta!), and I’m running out of room, so I hope you’ll discover it all for yourself when you read the magazine. But I can’t sign off without a huge thanks to all the people that make Culinaire possible: our advertisers, our writers and photographers, our designer, printers and delivery people, our tiny team – and to you for your kind words and support. Wishing you very happy Holidays, and here’s to 2025!
Cheers,
Linda, Editor-in-Chief
Claudia T Photography
Alberta / Food & Drink / Recipes
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Linda Garson
linda@culinairemagazine.ca
Managing Editor
Tom Firth
tom@culinairemagazine.ca
Multimedia Editor
Keane Straub
keane@culinairemagazine.ca
Assistant Editor
Quinn Curtis quinn@culinairemagazine.ca
Design
Kendra Design Inc
Contributors
Quinn Curtis, Natalie Findlay
Mallory Frayn, Lucy Haines
Dong Kim, Renée Kohlman
David Nuttall, Keane Straub
Our contributors
Katarzyna
Kowalewska
Katarzyna is originally from Poland, and she has found her home here in Alberta. It wasn't until she married a chef that she found her passion for food and beverage photography, and now works as a freelance photographer, creating drool-worthy images of food and vibrant drinks. Her equally important love is portrait photography. Katarzyna is also passionate about baking, a big-time bookworm, and crazy about puzzles.
David has worked in liquor since the late 1980s. He achieved his Beer Judge Certification in 2012, and is the head judge for Calgary International Beerfest, as well as judging the Alberta Beverage Awards and Alberta Beer Awards. He has appeared on radio, television, and in the movie Aleberta: Our Beer History. He is also a freelance writer for print and online, speaker, and has run Brew Ed beer courses since 2014. Follow him @abfbrewed.
Mallory Frayn
Venue
For subscriptions, competitions and to read Culinaire online: culinairemagazine.ca
Mallory is a clinical psychologist, founder of Impulse Psychology, and writer in Calgary. Through both therapy and writing, Mallory's goal is to help people build healthier relationships with food. She has written on food and psychology-related topics for various publications, including a column for Psychology Today. Mallory’s work has also been featured in Eater Montreal, Time Out Montreal, and more. Follow her on Twitter @drfrayn.
Culinaire Magazine acknowledges that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut'ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their home in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta. We are committed to support Indigenous chefs and amplify their voices to bring awareness of the food and culture of the First Nations.
With 14 unique venues, fit for corporate galas or family affairs, and extensive catering options available, an event at Heritage Park is for sure to be filled with lasting memories.
Proudly printed in Alberta by Burke Group.
Congratulations to Karen Anderson! Her cookbook, Eat Alberta First: A Year of Local Recipes from Where the Prairies Meet the Mountains, won the silver medal in the Best Regional Cultural Cookbook category at the 2024 Taste Canada Awards.
More congrats go to Tool Shed’s Graham Sherman and his Notorious P.I.G. team who, after more than a decade of BBQ competitions across North America, took first place at the 2024 Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational BBQ in Lynchburg, Tennessee!
And to Paperbirch by Chartrand - the newest culinary experience at Old Strathcona Farmers' Market. Every Saturday from 8 am to 11:30 am, Indigenous Chef Shane Chartrand is cooking up his breakfast menu, with ingredients showcasing Edmonton’s fresh products in season at the market, and at 11:30 am, Paperbirch switches to a food truck-inspired lunch menu, with dishes made to order. 10310 83 Avenue Northwest, osfm.ca
Chapter 2 for Calgary’s Maven is the perfect sequel to Chef Mish’s opening chapter! Chef Leroy Borrega’s passion for cooking has taken him around the world from the Philippines to Singapore and Hong Kong, Australia and America, and calling Calgary his home, he was most recently Head Chef at Shokunin, earning a place in Canada’s Top 100 list. Now he’s heading up the kitchen at Maven, and with a menu designed like chapters of a book, each dish tells part of his journey from his childhood favourites to modern Filipino. 1006 17 Avenue SW, mavenrestaurantgroup.ca
Kudos to Chef Tony Tipping and his wife Chelsea who have made their wildest dream come true and opened a restaurant together. WildRoots Bistro in St. Albert, was their five-year wedding anniversary gift to each other! From 9 am Wednesday to Sunday, they’re serving a variety of toasts and bennies, breakfast pizzetta, dill pickle soup and more, all washed down with coffees and cocktails (and beer or wine too!). 150 15 Perron Street, wildrootsbistro.ca
Calgary has a new brunch spot too! Chef Veronica Kunbi Olalere has refurbished her Nigerian restaurant in Forest Lawn to become ‘Ahinke’ - a calming, tropical breakfast/lunch oasis. She’s blended some of her dinner menu items with Canadian brunch classics to create exciting and flavourful dishes such as Suya Chicken and Waffles with peppersoup gravy, Efo Riro Eggs Benny, and Plantain Paradise French Toast. You can still share plates of Jollof Rice Arancini and sweet, fried Puff Puff dough balls, as well as a selection of ‘Nigerian Dishes You Have to Try’ dinner favourites. A social enterprise, Ahinke supports the local economy, sourcing their ingredients from local farmers, and provides resources to support small immigrant businesses. 9 am-6 pm at 2650 36th Street SE. Closed Monday, ahinkeskitchen.com
There’s no stopping Una Pizza and Wine! In addition to their four Calgary locations and one in Saskatoon, the California-influenced, thin crust pizza restaurant (and pasta and salads) has now headed north and opened in South Edmonton Common, at 1708 99 Street. Seven days from 11 am, unapizzeria.com
Monki is expanding too! As well as locations in Calgary’s Beltline, Inglewood, and Greenwich areas, they’ve now opened at 842 Crowfoot Crescent NW, serving their popular hashes, poutines, breakfast tacos, and bennies (with their excellent Prosecco Hollandaise!) and the Little Monki kids menu too. Breakfast and lunch seven days, monkibistro.ca
And Edmonton’s Birch and Bear is growing! Now, along with Jasper Avenue and the Ritchie location inside Ale Architect, Josh Wilhelm has opened a third west coast-themed pizza and salad spot in Forest Heights, at 8210 106 Avenue. A clever spin-off from its sister, Toast Culture, the Birch pizzas are all vegetarian, and the Bear pizzas cater to meat eaters. birchandbearpizza.com
Calgary’s Marda Loop is becoming the place to eat and drink, and has a new coffee shop – Bella’s Italiana. There’s no indoor seating but this inviting, vintage-inspired, cosy café has a large and lovely outdoor patio with big heaters to keep us warm while we’re sipping our morning espresso or cappuccino, and enjoying our fresh-baked, croissants, cookies, and pastries. Seven days, 7am-2pm at 3497 18 Street SW.
And there’s a cool new vintagedesign café in Edmonton’s Old Strathcona. Leo’s Cafe is a “sourdough cafe” in Spur Line Alley, with a tempting menu of sourdough bagels, sourdough pizza, generous sandwiches on sourdough buns, and treats on the sweet side too. 8 am-10 pm, seven days at 10420A 82 Avenue.
The Concorde Group have done it again! Pineapple Hall is their latest concept, a food hall with six of their restaurants offering fast serve meals on the +15 level above Barbarella Bar. ‘Needs Must’ is their new cafe and juice bar with grab ‘n’ go items too, Clive Burger is here and Surfy Surfy, Double Zero is here with their pizzas, Lonely Mouth with Katsu Sandos and Hand Rolls, and the new Boardroom for sandwiches and bowls. But there’s more - a new Pigeonhole location too next door, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It’s as good as you hope, with delicious, eclectic shareables and really good cocktails – you’re going
to have to check it all out for yourself! pineapplehall.ca
Edmonton’s El Corazon were going to open a new concept restaurant, but in addition to their Glenora location, they’ve opened a second location in Keswick at 1003 Keswick Drive instead. The same great menu of tapas, tacos, paellas, weekend brunch, and more. Lunch and dinner seven days, elcorazonrestaurants.com
After jumping through hoops and overcoming many hurdles, we’re thrilled for Chef Darren Maclean who has finally realized his dream with the new
addition to Eight - After Eight! Like the super-premium restaurant, it’s an intimate speakeasy lounge, deep down in Calgary’s East Village Alt Hotel, with just eight seats where you can begin your luxury tasting menu experience with a cocktail before moving into the dining room, or end your evening after your meal. eightcdn.ca
Everyone’s talking about Calgary’s new Scozzafava Deli, and a great many people are enjoying their Italian-style sandwiches (including us!) too – they sold 600 on opening day, way more than expected! Nick Scozzafava was working as an electrician for the last 11 years, and has been doing pop-ups for a couple of years before securing the 1004 17 Avenue SW location, and with business partner, Kevin Lowry, they built everything themselves in just under five months. Eat in or take out, choose from seven varieties (the Italian Combo is a fan fave for a very good reason!) in the toasted sesame buns developed specially for them by Good Bread, and finish with a ‘flavour of the week’ cannoli. Cocktails, Chronicle coffee, beer and wine is on offer, and they cater too! From 11 am, scozzafavasdeli.com
ONE YELLOW RABBIT
The Garlic Companion
Recipes, Crafts, Preservation, Techniques, and Simple Ways to Grow Your Own
by Kristin Graves, $35 Storey
Garlic is great! And equally good at adding incredible flavours to a dish as it is at warding off some of the creepycrawlies. Alberta-based garlic farmer, Kristin Graves, celebrates everything related to this pungent plant and shares a number of great dish ideas too, from garlic ginger beer (p.32) to Fresh Garlic Scape Salsa (p.81), but even “Grandma’s Garlic Cabbage Slaw” (p.114) and “Black Garlic Chocolates” (p.106), so there is some variety here to experiment with, and some things a little further off the beaten path to explore. But it’s glorious garlic that is the star here.
The rest of the book explains why this is a compendium rather than a cookbook with ample space devoted to some garlic crafts – yes, you heard that right! But also full chapters on cultivating your own garlic – by someone actually growing garlic commercially in Alberta, and picking and preserving your impending garlic crop.
Wonderfully photographed throughout by Dong Kim (whose work frequently appears in Culinaire) with several pages devoted to step by step “how-to” images, which you’ll be glad to see if some of the craftier elements are in your wheelhouse. A fine addition to your bookshelf to satisfy your culinary curiosity!
Roni’s
Kitchen
Food Therapy, Recipes to Nourish Your Body and Soul
By Roni Zaide, hardcopy $20, digital download $10, roniskitchen.com
There are times when we all need comforting and if we’re lucky, friends and family will rally round, bring food, and invite us to dinner to bolster our spirits and show they care, but when Calgary cook, Roni Zaide, went through a traumatic experience, she turned the tables and found solace in the kitchen and comfort in cooking for others.
‘Food Therapy’ is born out of this sadness, and Zaide’s creative outlet as part of her healing. Her five chapters of breakfast/brunch, appetizers, mains, sides, and sweets are full of comfort food recipes – many Mediterranean, from her mom and family go-tos that they make time and time again.
Lots of my favourite ingredients are here too, such as butter beans, tahini, and miso - I’ve earmarked Tahini Miso Ginger Leeks (p.73) to make this weekend! And I just want to bite into her Seeded Crackers (p.43). Her Coconut Jalapeño Noodles (p57), Ginger Sweet Potato Soup (p.75), and Earl Grey Berry sauce (p.109) are also high on the list. To make life easy for us all, Zaide finishes her book with six multicourse menu suggestions.
Watch out for book signings and popups to meet Zaide, and try some of these delicious dishes!
Made By Marcus
By Marcus Purtzki, $45 in stores and at madebymarcus.ca
As a youngster, Marcus Purtzki’s dad told him, “Don’t mix your hobbies with your profession.” Aren’t we glad that some people just strike out on their own and don’t listen to advice? Not only would we not have four Made by Marcus locations in Calgary and two in Edmonton, but we’d never have this entertaining cookbook full of tips and stories!
After the engaging ‘Words by Marcus’, where he tells us how it all came about, over the next 17 pages he takes us through the process of understanding what makes a great ice cream: how to taste and evaluate it like a pro, the science, the ingredients, the machines, and a step-by-step guide to making it.
And then the recipes, split into colourcoded seasons – so many good ones! Here’s just a few faves: Spring - Rhubarb Cardamom Crisp (p.52); Summer - Taber Corn & Blackberry (p.77); Fall - Roasted Parsnip and Butterscotch (p.101) and his moving tribute to work colleague and close friend Chef Jonathan Sobol (p.91); and Winter - Ancho Chili White Russian (p.127). And the penultimate chapter? It’s “Weird” with recipes like Dill Pickle & Peanut Butter (p.137).
The book concludes with 60+ recipes for Marcus’ purées, ripples, caramels, and so much more, that can be used anywhere in your repertoire.
Stay weird Marcus, and keep it creamy!
Holiday Entertaining for Extra Credit
BY KEANE STRAUB PHOTOS BY DONG KIM
Lately it seems when the holidays come around, more and more people are developing new traditions and scaling back the celebrations, so sometimes it’s nice to see that not all is lost, and that younger
NAIT culinary student, Dylan Reimer, credits his mother as a major guiding influence in his culinary journey. “My mother had a magical way of transforming yesterday’s leftovers into new, exciting meals. It inspires me to experiment with flavours and ingredients to create unique meals.”
Home-cooked meals are his favourite, whether it’s his mother’s chicken noodle soup, or his father’s tongue tacos. “These dishes not only satisfy my tastebuds but also remind me of the love and care my parents put into every meal.”
His recipe for Turkey Dinner Pie stems from a childhood habit of mixing all the components of a holiday meal together on the plate to create something bursting with different textures and flavours in every morsel. “I decided to replicate the experience in a pie, capturing the essence of a holiday meal in every bite.”
When planning a dish for a special occasion, Dylan points out that in Alberta, there’s no shortage of fresh, local, seasonal produce. “The key is to keep the dish simple yet flavourful,” he explains. “Adding a dash of creativity, such as a unique sauce or a fusion of different cooking techniques can elevate the dish further.”
Turkey Dinner Pie
Makes one 25 cm pie
Dough
170 g pastry flour
2 tsp sugar
85 g butter
1 egg yolk
½ tsp salt
3 Tbs (45 mL) cold water
generations are picking up the threads to weave a little nostalgia back into the season.
We turned to Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)'s Culinary Arts students to discover recipes
for entertaining, and they definitely understood the assignment! These recipes here all combine traditional elements of the holidays with unique twists, and it’s safe to say that these students are all on the road to successful culinary careers.
1. Sift the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the butter until it is well combined with no lumps.
2. Beat egg yolk with the salt and water, and add to the flour mixture, mix gently until it is completely absorbed.
3. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Bring to room temperature before rolling.
Potato
5 medium sized potatoes
50 g butter
3 egg yolks
To taste salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400º F. Wash potatoes and puncture with a fork. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool. Cut the potatoes in half and push the flesh through a mesh strainer. Add the butter and egg yolks and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Turkey Filling
75 g onion
75 g celery
75 g carrot
50 g leek
75 g unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 fresh sage leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
75 g all-purpose flour
3 cups (750 mL) chicken stock
200 g cooked turkey
100 g frozen peas
1/3 cup + 4 tsp (100 mL) cream
To taste salt and pepper
Continued from page 9
1. Chop the onion, celery, carrot, and leek, into small dice.
2. Add the butter to a medium sized pot and add vegetables. Sauté for 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Add garlic, sage, and thyme, to the pot. Sauté 2 minutes.
3. Add flour to make a roux. Cook for a minute and then add your stock. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened.
4. Add your cooked turkey, frozen peas, and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool in the fridge.
Stuffing Topping
200 g stale bread
100 g butter
50 g carrot, small dice
50 g celery, small dice
75 g onion, small dice
1 sprig fresh thyme, chopped
2 leaves fresh sage, chopped
2 cups (500 mL) stock
1 egg
To taste salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 325º F.
1. Chop the bread into 6 mm chunks, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until dry.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, and sauté vegetables until softened. Add thyme and sage leaves.
3. Mix the stock and egg until well combined.
4. In a large bowl, mix everything until well combined and softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To Make the Pie
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
1. Roll out your pie dough to 3 mm thick and line a 25 cm pie pan.
2. Add a layer of mashed potatoes to the pie, building it up on the sides and the bottom.
3. Fill the pie with the turkey filling, leaving 6 mm from the top. Top the pie with the stuffing, packing it down slightly.
4. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the crust and the top are golden brown.
Allow it to cool slightly before serving.
Janik Hettinger grew up in a small German town about twenty minutes’ drive from the French border, which meant he had close contact with French culture at an early age. He also enjoyed ‘‘typical dishes from the region” – Saar and Moselle – and had his first cooking experiences with his grandmother. Rich global experience combined with a background in Food Science carved a path to NAIT’s culinary arts program. It's easy to see why German food holds a special place in Janik’s heart, but Mexican foods also rank high on the list. “I enjoy the flavours and ingredients that are used, resulting in flavour combinations not common in Europe,” he explains.
“In Germany, we traditionally celebrate Christmas on the evening of December 24th,” says Janik. “However, the 24th is not a full holiday and my parents would work on that day. Therefore Quiche Lorraine was made at home as a “quick snack” for lunch before the traditional Christmas dinner in the evening.” Serve it as a snack, appetizer, or a main dish. The dough can be prepared a day in advance, and works with any dough recipe you prefer.
Quiche Lorraine
Makes one 28 cm quiche
Dough
250 g flour
1 tsp salt
150 g butter
1 egg
1. Mix the flour and salt. Add the butter and egg, and knead into a dough.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten a little and place in the fridge for 30 minutes wrapped in cling film.
3. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface to a round shape and place in a greased 28 cm quiche pan and press down with your fingers. Prick holes in the base with a fork. Cover the pastry with parchment paper and ideally weigh it down with dried pulses (works without as well). Pre-bake for 10 minutes.
Quiche
2 leeks
2 Tbs butter
150 g bacon, diced
1 onion, small diced
200 g whipping cream
4 eggs
100 g Gruyere cheese, grated
½ tsp salt
Pinch black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
1. Preheat the oven to 355º F.
2. Cut the leeks into rings and wash thoroughly.
3. Heat the butter in a pan and fry the bacon until golden, then add the onions and leek and sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk together the cream and eggs. Add in the onion and bacon mixture and grated cheese, and season everything with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Spread the filling in the pre-baked quiche shell and bake the quiche for 35-40 minutes.
Growing up, Michelle Huynh’s parents made sure to include her with the process of making dinner every night. As she got older, so did her parents: “I found out they both had health conditions that limited what they could eat. I wanted to make them things that they could eat,” she explains, which started her culinary journey and brought her to NAIT.
Vietnamese dishes are Michelle’s favourite, like báhn xèo, a crispy, savoury crepe, and bitter melon soup. “My mom taught me how to make both of these, and I appreciate that she wanted me to keep some of my cultural foods in my life.”
Large gatherings with lots of food are the hallmarks of the holidays for Michelle and her family. But with lots of food comes leftovers: “Who wants to eat the same set up of food the next day?” So, she developed a recipe for milk bread pot pie buns. Be sure to use a scale for measurements and “cook with good intention and add a little love, as my mom would say, so your dishes turn out well.”
Milk Bread Pot Pie Bun
Makes 6 buns
Dough
250 g bread flour
25 g sugar
2 Tbs milk powder
2/3 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
½ cup (125 mL) milk
50 g pumpkin purée or 75 g mashed potatoes
25 g unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, for egg wash
1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, milk powder, and yeast. Whisk them together.
2. In another bowl, combine the salt, milk, pumpkin purée or mashed potatoes, and the softened butter.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together to form a smooth dough, about 8-10 minutes in a stand mixer or 10-15 minutes by hand.
4. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1 hour or until it’s doubled in size.
Pot Pie Filling
1 Tbs butter
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
75 g mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn
- frozen or from your holiday dinner)
150 g cooked chicken, roast turkey, or roast beef, shredded
½ tsp fresh thyme (dried works too)
½ cup (125 mL) gravy
5 tsp (25 mL) cream
To taste salt and pepper
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water, if required
1 egg, beaten
Melted butter, for glossy finish
Chopped chives or parsley, for garnish
1. While dough proofs, melt the butter in a medium sized pan, over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add in the mixed vegetables and cook for about a minute.
2. Add in your meat, thyme, gravy, and cream. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until your
filling mix looks thick but saucy. Season to taste. If it’s too saucy, cook it a little more, or add a cornstarch slurry to thicken. Allow the mixture to cool down slightly before using.
3. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it to deflate it. Divide into 6 pieces, and flatten with a rolling pin, so that they’re large enough to hold a tablespoon of filling.
5. Place a tablespoon of filling into the centre of the dough and gather the edges. Start pleating them until you can close your dough ball. Pinch the seams closed and place it face down on the baking sheet, leaving enough room between the buns, as they will puff up during the second proof.
6. Repeat with all the buns. Allow them to rise for an additional 30-40 minutes.
7. Make an egg wash by adding a splash of water or milk to the egg. Brush it over the tops of the buns.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
9. For a glossy finish, melt some butter and immediately brush the buns when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle some chopped chives or parsley on top for a nice finish. Allow the buns to cool down slightly before you serve them, as they’ll be piping hot.
Inspired by her grandmother to become a cook and a baker, Miranda McElwain says that she also draws inspiration from competing in cooking and baking competitions at NAIT and with the NAIT Culinary Team. “Competing allows me to polish my skill sets,” she explains. “I also learn how to showcase local ingredients in innovative ways.”
When it comes to cooking, chicken ballotine is her favourite recipe, as it uses the whole chicken. If she’s baking, then it’s cupcakes, which she says are perfect for any holiday. “I created this Sweet Potato Cupcake to honour my grandmother, whom I’ve baked and cooked with ever since I was a little girl.” It’s a combination of her grandmother’s sweet potato pie, and a garnish of shortbread, Miranda’s favourite holiday treat.
Miranda advises to gather your ingredients, and bring the refrigerated ones to room temperature before you start. Use a scale if possible, and keep the whipped cream cheese cold, piping it on just before service. “And, most importantly, have fun!”
Sweet Potato Cake
100 g all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
Pinch baking powder
Pinch baking soda
Pinch pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
2 tsp (10 mL) buttermilk
1 drop vanilla
100 g sweet potato, finely grated
¼ cup (62 g) sugar
2 Tbs (30 mL) brown sugar
3 Tbs (45 mL) canola oil
1. Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice, and set aside.
2. Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, sweet
potato, sugars, and oil in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Pour the wet ingredients mixture into the dry ingredients.
4. Place 6 cupcake liners in a cupcake tin, and add the batter. Bake at 350º F for 15-20 minutes. *Oven times may vary, so may need more or less time.
Cream Cheese Whipped Topping
½ tsp gelatin powder
2 tsp (10 mL) cold water
2/3 cup (165 mL) heavy cream
1/3 cup (83 mL) cream cheese
½ tsp vanilla extract
3½ Tbs (52 g) icing sugar
1. Sprinkle gelatin powder over the water, set aside to bloom.
2. Whip cream to stiff peaks.
3. Melt cream cheese in a pan or microwave, mix in vanilla and icing sugar. Add gelatin into warm cream cheese mixture, mix until smooth.
4. Fold in a quarter of the whipped cream, and continue until all is incorporated, refrigerate 1-2 hours until firm.
5. Pipe a large rosette of topping with a large star tip, on top of the cupcake once fully cooled. Sprinkle the crushed shortbread and place two cookies on top.
Orange Whipped Shortbread Dipped in Chocolate
5 Tbs (75 g) softened unsalted butter
5½ tsp icing sugar
1 drop vanilla extract
Pinch salt
2½ tsp cornstarch
5 Tbs all-purpose flour
1½ tsp orange zest
40 g dark chocolate, for dipping
1. Soften butter, cream with sugar, vanilla, and salt. This mixture should be very soft.
2. Mix in cornstarch, flour, and orange zest and mix until well combined.
3. Pipe cookies into 2.5 cm rosettes using a medium star tip, and freeze for 15-20 minutes.
4. Bake at 350º F for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom of the cookie.
5. Melt dark chocolate, and dip the top half of the cookie in the chocolate, freeze to set. Leave some cookies undipped to crumble on the cookies, you need 2 dipped cookies to go on each cupcake.
Keane Straub has travelled from Tofino to Charlottetown, sampling the different flavours Canada offers. The passion people have for their craft and culture inspires Keane to tell their stories.
Share
NORTH WATER: Being the Change it Wants to See
BY LUCY HAINES
Water – the simplest of things, really; something we all need and–likely–don’t take much notice of. But if you’re in the business of bottling and selling water, you pay a whole lot of attention to the cool, clear liquid. And if you live in Canada, where this natural resource is abundant, you might have a different take on it yet again. That’s the way it is for the two women behind North Water – sourcing and bottling pristine spring water from the Canadian Rocky Mountains with a focus squarely on sustainability. Okay, growing
the brand to become ‘Canada’s water’, is a nice goal too.
It started in 2020, when global adventurer and Canadian newcomer Saawan Logan was hiking in the Rockies near her southern Alberta home. As she stopped at a glacial stream for a sip of the thirst-quenching beverage, she wondered, “Where is the strong Canadian contender in the bottled water market? After all, we have the third largest reserve of fresh water on the planet. And why isn’t our country sharing its unique water in a plastic-alternative bottle with the rest of
the world?”
After a lot of thinking and more hikes in Canada’s rugged mountains, the entrepreneurial Logan joined with Calgarian and fellow Canadian newcomer Linda Cheung to launch North Water, still and sparkling, high-alkaline water sourced from the Rocky Mountains and bottled in sleek reusable aluminum containers. The pair is now selling the premium beverage to retail, restaurants, hospitality and tourism markets, and whether it’s the high-end look of the bottle and online marketing, its unique taste,
the sustainability factor or the impressive passion of the company founders, North Water is making waves, and taking a serious run at being considered Canada’s brand of water.
“It was scary to leave a comfortable pay cheque, but to be an entrepreneur, you’ve got to go in with a positive mindset and a belief in your product and yourself,” says Logan, adding that she and Cheung are curious, and determined to harness the expertise from those they surround themselves with. That includes the four other teammates in their Calgary bottling plant, getting exposure through industry and local happenings, and even pursuing opportunities with the likes of Montreal’s F1 racing event and TED Talks.
With her own background in business and Cheung’s in the oil and gas industry, Logan laughs it was a ‘misery loves company,’ impetus that brought the two together. But there was more to it, of course. Cheung, who has two young daughters, shared Logan’s passion for environmental stewardship; a sense of responsibility for the world she’d eventually leave to her children. And the idea of taking a road less traveled also appealed to both women from the start.
“I want to be a role model for my daughters, that anything is possible,” says Cheung, adding that while she went to school in Calgary, she considers her immigrant background an asset in business. And doing a 180º turn careerwise wasn’t so surprising, either. “We just jumped in on this life-changing journey, but I grew up believing that “If you have an idea, you go for it; give it a try. The world is what you make it.”
The North Water website puts Logan and Cheung’s philosophy plainly: The pair aims to have an initiative that honours the land they love, as they forge their own path. It goes on to say that North Water aims to inspire healthier communities and a healthier planet; a belief that North Water (and, ultimately, each of us), is the change.
“When people travel, how many carry water bottles? We always say, ‘drink tap water when it’s safe to do so, but otherwise, why not choose a product high in minerals, that’s better for you? The naturally high-alkaline water tastes a bit different, less acidic. But we always say, nature is the best provider,” Logan explains. “I reuse these bottles all the time.
We’re encouraging consumers to do the same – to think about what they’re putting into their bodies, and what impact their choices are having on the environment.”
It has been a defining choice for North Water, to be the first to use aluminum over plastic bottles. Logan points to the myriad reasons aluminum is a better choice, from being infinitely recyclable, to being the only packaging that more than covers its recycling cost. The cost to North Water, though, is higher, as aluminum is expensive.
“Plastic has passed its prime. A plastic bottle is two cents, but over 90 percent of all bottles end up in landfills and oceans for hundreds of years. It’s no secret – our health, vitality and planet are being tarnished by these toxins, calling us to think about how we consume,” she explains. “Aluminum is far more expensive from a manufacturing standpoint, costing us about 90 cents a bottle now. But 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use, so it’s a far better alternative.”
“My travels made me think about my impact on the planet; they gave me a passion for sustainability and a sense of
responsibility for what I take and leave behind,” says Logan. “Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, so even though it’s more costly, we knew we weren’t going with plastic.”
Because of the higher price of aluminum, North Water is priced at the premium end of the bottled water market, akin to a Voss. It’s available in 355 mL and 473 mL sizes, and sold online by the case, also in a 650 mL size. But Logan says ultimately, it’s more than just water that North is selling; it’s a journey to the heart of the Rockies with every sip.
“It’s a balancing act; we’re not there yet,” adds Logan. “We know there’s a long road ahead, but we’re getting our water in coffee shops, grocery and organic stores and for sale online. “We want to expand our presence, but it’s like peeling an onion – one layer at a time.”
Lucy Haines is a long-time freelance writer, specializing in travel, food, arts and entertainment. When she isn't writing, Lucy is a busy mom to four fantastic kids, and enjoys singing and performing in the local community theatre scene.
HOLIDAY MAGIC
Baked Brie en Croûte with Fig Jam and Hazelnuts
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS
BY RENÉE KOHLMAN
The holidays are all about indulgences, and for the month of December it’s perfectly acceptable to have cookies for breakfast, Baileys in the coffee (to go with the cookies), and pretty much constant snacking, whether it’s at fancy parties, or pyjama night on the couch with your cats. December is when we get to push the boat out a little and not feel too terrible if the pants are a little snug. It’s the holidays, after all. We should be allowed to enjoy ourselves, because if not now, then when?
For many of us, cheese is a requisite part of holiday feasting. Whether it’s melted in a fondue, arranged on a charcuterie board, or tucked into countless appetizers, you can’t go wrong with serving cheese in December.
One of my favourite appetizers is baked brie en croûte. The ingredient list is small, the time to prepare is next to nothing, and it looks dynamite when placed in front of your favourite people. They’ll oooh and ahhh and it will be wonderful. Brie is readily available in all grocery stores, and it frequently goes on
sale, so keep your eyes peeled for that. I like to use a triple cream brie because it’s the meltiest and gooiest of all the bries, thanks to its very high butterfat. But if you’ve got a double cream, never fear because that cheese will work beautifully too. And, if you’re someone who’s keen on camembert, you can swap that in as well with equally delicious results.
The trick for ensuring a super melty baked brie is scoring the rind before you wrap it in puff pastry. Cutting through the rind means that the cheese can get better exposure to the oven’s heat and
the air can escape in a more controlled manner. I don’t know about you, but cleaning a cheese explosion out of my oven is not on my holiday bingo card. Next thing we want to do is wrap our scored cheese inside puff pastry. This is where the “en croûte” comes into play. Many brands abound in the freezer section of the supermarket, but do look for one that is all-butter. Most of these are already rolled into thin sheets, and they work perfectly for this appetizer. Simply place the brie in the middle of the unrolled sheet and top with the fig jam, chopped hazelnuts, and fresh thyme leaves. If fig jam is not your preference, feel free to use apricot, tart cherry, cranberry, black currant, or plum. If you’ve preserved your own, this is a fine time to let it shine, but also be sure to check out the local farmers’ markets or specialty grocery stores for delicious jam. I adore the fig and brie combo, and the hazelnuts provide a lovely crunch, but it’s totally fine if you wanna go nut free.
Once you’ve topped the brie, fold the sides of the pastry up and over the cheese, making a little bulb at the top. Brush with an egg wash and bake until the pastry is golden brown and crispy. That’s all there is to it. Arrange the baked brie on a platter and surround it with various crackers, slices of baguette, some fruit, nuts, and a knife. Let everyone help themselves to this messy, magnificent, masterpiece of appetizer magic.
Baked Brie en Croûte with Fig Jam and Hazelnuts
Serves 6 to 8
1 225-350 g round of Brie or Camembert, chilled
1 26 cm square puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
All-purpose flour, for dusting
3 Tbs (45 mL) fig jam
3 Tbs chopped, toasted hazelnuts
½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbs (15 mL) water
For Serving:
Fresh fruit such as grapes, apples, pears
Assorted crackers
Fresh baguette slices
1. Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C). Using a sharp knife, score the top of the cheese in a crisscross pattern, spacing out about 2.5 cm apart.
2. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Set the cheese in the centre of the square. Top with the jam, then the hazelnuts. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Fold the pastry up and over the sides of the cheese, pleating it neatly and forming a little bulb on top. Gently pinch the dough together in the centre to seal the gathered pleats.
3. Chill the wrapped cheese for about 15 minutes. You can also wrap tightly in plastic and keep refrigerated until ready to bake, ideally within 24 hours.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the wrapped cheese on the prepared sheet and brush evenly with the egg wash. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden brown all over. Let the cheese rest for 5 minutes before cutting, then serve with assorted fruit, crackers, and bread.
just been published.
Renée Kohlman is a busy food writer and recipe developer living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her second cookbook, ‘Vegetables: A Love Story” has
The Best of Alberta
We e are in a unique spot here at Culinaire; we are never short of good things to say about Alberta’s locally made craft wines, beers, and spirits (along with a few things that don’t quite fit neatly into those other categories), but we also run the Alberta Beverage Awards – a beverage competition we’ve been running for 12 years now – and so, year after year at Alberta’s largest beverage competition we are seeing all these products right up close, and – importantly here – we are in a position to make some claims about the quality of those beverages, and actually put out a list that we are calling “The Best of Alberta.”
Every July, in Calgary, we run the ABAs
with some of the best palates in the province. We use independent judges who are not agents or importers, or otherwise representatives of producers, distributors, or have a financial interest in these products, they are beverage educators, sommeliers, journalists, and buyers for restaurants and retail operations. Everything is tasted blind, which means that every sample is presented to the judges free from influence of price, label, producer, and origin. We don’t even let the judges see or touch the bottles or cans. It’s entirely about the liquid in the glass.
The results are published in the October issue of Culinaire, but since we are naturally proud of the overall quality
AlbertaBeverageAward s 90 Culinaire Magazine
BY TOM FIRTH
of drinks Alberta is producing, we felt it was high time – if not past time – to put together a list of the very best, of those bottles and cans made in Alberta all in one place, to showcase and celebrate these remarkable products.
All the products on these pages are either Best in Class in their category, or a Judges Selection at the 2024 Alberta Beverage Awards, but more importantly, here we’ve identified all these products by score. It’s rather new for us to publish the scores, but scores out of 100 seem to resonate with consumers of fine beverages, and also seem to work for the people making these drinks, and wanting to share their achievements with their clientele and distribution partners.
The Best 25 Beers in Alberta
Annex Ale Waste Land West Coast IPA CSPC 898046 $20-22 (4-pack cans)
Pivot Spirits 4 Year Old Triticale Whisky CSPC 103743 $75-80
White Lightning Wildman Whisky Distillery $75
Wild Life Rye Whisky CSPC 886180 $78-85
Wild Life Wheat Whisky CSPC 881267 $76-80
Bridgeland Innisfail Whisky CSPC 103104 $59-63
Buckle Vodka CSPC 899726 $28
Silver Devil Vodka CSPC 874901 $45-50
The Jewel of the Holiday Kitchen
CRANBERRIES ARE USED extensively in holiday baking and cooking. They provide that pretty pop of red that complements and brightens meals and baked goods. This tart red berry usually partners with something sweet so that we can enjoy it’s bold flavour. Cranberry sauce is always a must have for the holidays, but cranberries are so much more. They can be used in muffins, cakes and barks, like in the recipes below. You can also add them to cookies, drinks and salads. Enjoy your holiday season with this tangy berry accompanying your savoury and sweet dishes.
Christmas Chocolate Bark
Makes a 26 x 20 cm piece of bark
2½ cups white chocolate
2 tsp (10 mL) coconut oil
1/3 cup coconut ribbons
1/3 cup pistachios
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Over a double boiler, melt chocolate and immediately remove from heat and add the coconut oil. Stir to combine.
3. Add most of the coconut ribbons, pistachios and cranberries, leaving
behind some to decorate the top.
4. Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Place the remainder of the coconut ribbons, pistachios and cranberries on top and let the chocolate harden. Place in the fridge to speed up the process if desired. Break into pieces and you’re all set for a festive chocolate treat.
Note: you can substitute the white chocolate for milk, dark or bittersweet chocolate.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY NATALIE FINDLAY
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
Makes 21 muffins
1/3 cup almond flour
¼ cup flour
¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
4 Tbs butter, melted (for topping)
½ cup butter, room temperature (for muffins)
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
2 cups cranberries
1 Tbs sugar
1 cup (250 mL) pumpkin purée
½ cup (125 mL) sour cream
¼ cup (60 mL) milk
1. To make the topping, add the flours, oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts to a medium bowl and combine.
2. Add the melted butter, and work with your fingers or a fork until the mixture begins to clump together. Reserve.
3. Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 350º F.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter and sugar together on medium until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each, then add the vanilla.
5. Sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir together the pumpkin purée, sour cream and milk. Toss the cranberries with the tablespoon of sugar and set aside until later.
6. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the pumpkin mixture in three parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing until just combined after each addition.
7. Spread a little more than half the batter in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with cranberries. Cover with the rest of the batter, and sprinkle with the streusel, squeezing into almond sized clumps.
8. Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes until golden brown and passes the toothpick test. Let cool.
Spice Cake with Cranberry
Filling and Orange Cream
Cheese Frosting
Makes 1, 2-layer 20-23 cm cake
3 cups cranberries
1 orange, juice and zest
2 Tbs (30 mL) maple syrup
¼ tsp ground rosemary
2½ cups flour
2½ tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs ground ginger
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup (80 mL) molasses
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
½ cup (125 mL) buttermilk
225 g cream cheese, room temperature
125 g butter, room temperature
1 orange, zest + 1 Tbs (15 mL) juice
1 cup icing sugar
Candied cranberries for garnish
1. In a small pot, add the cranberries, orange juice and zest, maple syrup, and rosemary, and heat over a medium to medium-low heat. Let cook 15 minutes or until all cranberries have burst and softened. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Butter and line (or flour) your baking pan. Preheat oven to 350º F.
3. In medium bowl sift together flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and creamy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition, then add the molasses and vanilla and beat for another minute.
6. Add half the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix scraping down the sides of the bowl as
Vine & Dine at One18 Empire
December 7 and 13
We’re in the private dining room for six pairing courses of Chef Sean Cutler’s delicious, made from scratch, upscale dishes!
Christmas in Italy at Bonterra Trattoria
December 9 This upscale annual pairing dinner sells out very fast every year!
Vine & Dine at Osteria Chef’s Table
December 11 and 19
Two indulgent pairing evenings of premium Italian cuisine from Chef Michele!
Vine & Dine at Vero Bistro January 16, 23, and 29
We’re coming back for our
16th season to feast on Chef Jenny’s outstanding cuisine and her carefully created dishes.
One-off Vine & Dine at The Artist Lounge, January 31
Another opportunity to wander the gallery and six pairing courses of Chef Trent’s super delicious small plates.
Vine & Dine at La Brezza
February 12, 20, and 27
La Brezza Ristorante have a new chef straight from Italy, and we’re coming for three Vine & Dine evenings!
Bogle Winemaker Dinner at Oxbow
February 25
Jody Bogle of Bogle Family Vineyards in Clarksburg, California, is with us for a premium winemaker dinner!
needed. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until everything is combined. Pour into cake pan and bake 30-40 minutes or until cake is done. Insert a toothpick and the centre should come out clean. Let cool 15 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely before frosting.
7. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric beater) combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat on medium-low speed until smooth and combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed. Add orange zest and juice.
8. Sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture. Beat the frosting on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
9. Slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread the bottom half with the cranberry filling. Place the other half of cake on top. Spread the cream cheese frosting on the top. Garnish as desired.
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.
Corks and Talks with Brian Keating at Safari Grill, March 15
Brian is taking us on an adventure! He happened upon more than you’ll bargain for during this humorous presentation and superb 6-course pairing meal.
Vine & Dine at Queens March 20 and 27
We’re back at Queens for two six-course Vine & Dine evenings of always delicious menus, and they’re opening specially for us!
New events are added regularly so check vineanddine.ca as these evenings can (and do!) sell out quickly! Email linda@culinairemagazine.ca to reserve your places, and to be included in our bi-monthly updates. We try to cater for all allergies.
PREMIUM EUROPEAN PRODUCTS
I’ll Take you Right Out of the Danger Zone: FOOD SAFETY DOS AND DON’TS DURING THE HOLIDAYS
BY MALLORY FRAYN
F
ood safety is important year-round, but never more so than during the holidays. With a plethora of activities and celebrations packed into such a short period, no one wants to spend even a second of it feeling under the weather, no matter the cause (and there are already plenty of causes like colds and flus).
Given that the holidays tend to revolve around food, there are no shortage of potentially risky situations when it comes to foodborne illness. Holiday feasts where dishes sit out in the “danger zone” longer than they ought to, potlucks and buffets where there may be cross contamination, and plenty of alcohol in the mix to impair peoples’
judgment, can all put a damper on the party if food safety is compromised. Let’s take a look at what you can do to keep you and your guests safe.
The Danger Zone
While we are not referring to the catchy tune from Top Gun here, it doesn’t hurt to get it stuck in your head if it helps you to remember the concept. When talking about food safety, the danger zone refers to the temperature range in which bacteria is most likely to grow. Allowing food to hang out between 40° F and 140° F (4° C and 60° C) is what we are trying to avoid here. Specifically, this means not allowing food to sit out for more than two hours, or one
hour if the temperature is above 90° F (32° C), the latter of which should not be too much of an issue in Alberta in the winter, unless you are planning to dine in a sauna.
A good rule to follow to avoid flirting with the danger zone, is to remember to keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. An accurate and reliable thermometer is your best friend when it comes to checking and ensuring that temperatures are where they need to be. Investing in a good one, like the Thermapen (thermoworks.com/thermapen-one) is an excellent idea, and they often go on sale, especially around the holidays. To prioritize keeping the hot hot, and the cold cold, there are a number
of things you can do to keep yourself on track. While it may sound obvious, timers and alarms are a good starting point. It’s easy to lose track of time when entertaining, so setting a 2-hour timer when food is put out at room temperature, to remind you when it needs to get back in the fridge is a good idea.
Also, when serving meals buffet-style, investing in the proper set up to hold dishes at the right temperature is ideal. Chafing dishes with Sterno burners ensure that your hot options stay nice and toasty, while nesting cold dishes in an ice bath ensure that they stay chilled. Be especially mindful with dairy-centric options, like eggnog for example, as milk products are a breeding ground for bacteria and keeping everything adequately cool is your best defense.
Thawing and Holding Food Pre-Meal
Everyone has a holiday image of a family member thawing a frozen turkey in a peculiar way. Maybe it was left in the garage until it was ready to cook, or in a panic when someone remembered that they hadn’t pulled it from the freezer soon enough, it sat out at room temperature overnight. While people do these kinds of things all the time and don’t get sick, the reality is, it is always a risk to leave food in the danger zone for more than two hours. So if you decide to take that risk, at least let it be an informed one.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to avoid the highway to the danger zone (I couldn’t resist). The best place to thaw a frozen turkey is the fridge, as it ensures that the temperature stays consistent. It takes about a day to thaw 4 to 5 pounds worth of bird, so give yourself three to
four days for a 15 to 16 pounder. If you need to speed up the process, thawing it in an ice bath in the sink is a much better option than just leaving it on the counter. It will actually thaw much faster because the water circulating around the bird will speed up the process. Allowing half an hour to thaw for every pound of meat should do the trick when using this method.
When whipping up a feast around the holidays, refrigerator space inevitably becomes a limitation. While it’s tempting to stuff your fridge to the brim to fit in every last bit of goodness, you are actually taking a risk by dropping the temperature and potentially creating an environment where food sits in the danger zone longer than you are aware of. One way to avoid this is to sit down and make a schedule of all your meal plans, prepping a list of what you need to buy or thaw and when, so that it doesn’t all get thrown into the fridge at the same time. Even in doing this, you could likely run out of space. Having an extra cooler or two on standby doesn’t hurt. Depending on the weather, keeping these outside could make sense. You will also want to have plenty of extra ice handy so that you can keep everything as cold as it needs to be. Lastly, your thermometer will come in handy here, checking regularly to ensure that you are adequately recreating the conditions of an actual fridge.
Cross Contamination and Spoilage
We’ve focused mostly on temperature control as the biggest threat to food safety, however there are other issues to keep an eye out for. Avoid cross contamination, aka mixing and matching food items that don’t belong together.
For example, never cut vegetables on the same cutting board that you just used for raw meat, even if they are cooked. To avoid this, it could even be helpful to have colour-coded cutting boards for different food items, so there is never any risk of overlap. For example, only using a green board for vegetables, while a blue board gets used for chicken and poultry. Hand washing is another key defense against cross contamination, as well as frequently sanitizing and changing kitchen towels and dish clothes so that they don’t become sponges for bacteria.
Spoilage is another concern to consider, to avoid food going bad faster than it needs to (see temperature control points above) and to act accordingly when it does. Take a hint from the chef’s playbook and get in the habit of labelling and dating all your food and leftovers, so you are not relying on your brain to remember when it needs to be thrown out. FIFO, or, first in, first out, also helps to organize your fridge so that the oldest things don’t get forgotten in the back recesses. If something is walking the line of good or bad, when it doubt - throw it out.
Don’t take the risk if you don’t have to; this may be the moral of everything we’ve covered here. There are always going to be risks when cooking foods that you’ve procured from elsewhere. We can’t control every step of the process, but we can control how we cook and store our food to avoid the danger zone, cross contamination, and spoilage.
Mallory is a clinical psychologist and food writer in Calgary. Her goal is to help people develop healthier relationships with food. Follow her on Twitter @drfrayn.
Festive Fun…
BY LINDA GARSON
With so many traditions at this time of year, a cookie exchange (or cookie swap), has to be high on my list. It’s not something I was familiar with before coming to Canada, but I love the concept of baking a big batch of your favourite cookie, and getting together with friends to share them - I feel it’s as much about the getting together with friends as it is the cookies.
And I love that it doesn’t matter what you believe and celebrate, or whether you believe or celebrate anything at this time of year – a cookie exchange is non-denominational, and it’s even more fun to discover and learn about cookies
SARAH’S CAKES AND COOKIES
Calgary
One of Sarah Abernethy-Wong’s favourite holiday cookie recipes is a Pretzel Caramel Thumbprint cookie.
“It’s a favourite for practical and nostalgia reasons,” she says. “My sons have nut allergies, and that always made it more challenging to find cookies that were nut free, especially during the holidays. It also reminds me of Christmases in the 1970s and 80s when thumbprint cookies were more popular, but usually had a jammy filling.”
The contrast of the sweet caramel and the salty pretzel is delicious! Find Sarah on Instagram @sarahcakes1973
Pretzel
Caramel Thumbprint Cookie
Makes about 40 cookies
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chopped pretzels or pecans
from other parts of the world. Are there any countries that don’t eat any sort of cookie?
Recently - for a couple of years, we couldn’t get together with friends and it became a cookie recipe exchange, but having to bake them all yourself isn’t anywhere near as appealing as time with your besties, eating cookies. Oh the fun and laughs!
This year, we contacted bakers around the province to ask about their favourite holiday cookie, and what they’d suggest for us to bake at home without too much fuss or needing special, hard to find ingredients. Six bakers came back to us, and we loved seeing what they’d
chosen and hearing the stories behind them. Nostalgia’s definitely a big part of cookie-making and eating at this time of year, and grandmas were mentioned more than once. Start planning to bake with your grandchildren when the time comes, if you don’t already - evidently, they remember those times so fondly! Thanks very much to our bakers who so generously shared their recipes and their stories. They’re all so completely different, with different methods, different ingredients, and flavours (one is vegan too!). We hope you find a recipe here to make your own and share with others; we can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and get snacking!
1. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate. Add the flour mixture. Shape dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill one hour or overnight.
4. Roll dough into 2.5 cm balls and then roll in pretzel or pecan pieces.
5. Place cookies onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet 7.5 cm apart. Make a well in the centre of each ball with your thumb or back of spoon. Bake 10-12 mins at 350º F.
6. When cookies come out of oven, push thumbprint back into shape as cookies often puff up in oven. Let cookies cool.
Caramel Filling
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 Tbs (60 mL) heavy cream
1. In a saucepan, melt butter, then add salt and brown sugar.
2. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, lower heat and continue to simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and add heavy cream and stir. Cool to room temperature.
3. Spoon into well of thumb prints.
Note: You can substitute canned Dulce De Leche instead of caramel filling.
Chocolate Drizzle
60 g dark chocolate
1/8 tsp neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
Melt ingredients in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Drizzle over thumbprint cookies. Garnish with more pretzel or pecan pieces.
COOKIE CRUMBS, Edmonton
We discovered Cookie Crumbs at Bountiful Market on our Edmonton World Taste Tour Treasure Hunt this year!
Agnes Osborne is the owner, and these shortbread cookies are her favourite. “In a world of sprinkles and the next new thing, this recipe is the ultimate reminder of the joy of good, pure, simple ingredients. My late mother-in-law, Mollie had Scottish and English heritage, and the recipe has been used in the family for generations,” she says.
“It inspired everything we do at Cookie Crumbs! Grandma taught me pie crust and shortbread techniques meticulously, and it is a wonderful remembrance of time together with her whenever our family makes our favourite shortbread cookies,” she adds.
Osborne has a few tips to make your shortbread the very best:
* Try to handle the dough as little as possible with “soft” hands. That will result in flakier and softer cookies.
* Mix the butter and sugar to a very smooth consistency before you add the flour. This makes incorporating the flour easier in less time... and again, results in a softer finish.
* When rolling out the dough, use as little flour as possible for the most moist cookies. cookiecrumbs.ca
Mollie's Scottish Shortbread
Makes about 24 cookies
2 cups flour
1 cup butter, room temperature
½ cup cane sugar
¾ tsp salt
1. Pre-heat oven to 350º F.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until smooth and light.
3. Add in flour slowly, and mix until well blended.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 6 mm thick.
5. Cut into desired shape using cookie cutters - pre-dip your cutters in flour to prevent sticking.
THE CONSCIOUS CAFÉ Lethbridge
Cami Tanner is the founder and owner of The Conscious Café, Lethbridge's first fully plant-based café. Here they live by Hippocrates’ timeless philosophy: “Let food be thy medicine”, making everything from scratch with wholesome ingredients,
“A lot of our customers have food allergies and intolerances, so it was important to us to have a delicious treat anyone can enjoy. This cookie is perfect as it contains no nuts and no gluten, making it a great treat to indulge in and feel good afterwards,” says Tanner.
“The inspiration came from the classic Mounds candy bar that was a favourite of my Grandpa. He always had them stashed in his office and we would sneak in and steal them when we thought he wasn't looking. But Grandpa was wise to us and bought them by the case knowing his grandkids were stealing his favourite treat. The flavour of sweet coconut covered in
silky chocolate has stayed with me, and we added a twist of lime juice to brighten the flavour. In the café we dip it in our house-made 5 mushroom chocolate for added health benefits.” theconsciouscafe.ca
No Bake Coconut
Lime Cookie
Makes 8 cookies
2 cups desiccated coconut
3 Tbs (45 mL) fresh lime juice
1/3 cup (80 mL) maple syrup
1/3 cup (80 mL) melted coconut oil Dark chocolate for dipping
1. In a food processor fitted with a blade, add coconut, lime juice, maple syrup and coconut oil and process for 1 minute.
2. Scrape down the sides and process for 1 more minute until ingredients come together and form a dough.
3. Roll out into 4 cm cookie balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with
6. Place on cookie sheet. For best results use 2 layers of parchment paper.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookie corners just slightly brown.
parchment paper.
4. Flatten each cookie ball and place into freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Dip into melted chocolate and enjoy!
PIE JUNKIE, Calgary
With four retail locations in Calgary, Pie Junkie is dedicated to all things pie – both sweet and savoury, and all handmade. And they make cookies too!
“There’s a hint of royal history in every bite of our gingerbread, inspired by Queen Elizabeth I’s courtly creations,” explains founder Nancy Goemans. “Made with all butter and a blend of spices, our recipe is a warm, comforting reminder of the holiday season’s classic flavours.” piejunkie.ca
Pie Junkie Gingerbread Cookies
Makes 12-15 cookies
¼ cup (60 mL) molasses
1 cup brown sugar
4 Tbs ground ginger
1½ tsp cinnamon
1½ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups butter
1 egg
4 cups white flour
½ tsp salt
1. Bring molasses, brown sugar and spices to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up).
2. Stir in butter 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next, until all the butter is melted and combined.
3. Add the egg and stir until combined, then stir in flour and salt.
4. When well combined, wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for 2 hours to chill.
5. Roll dough out to 3 mm thick. Place cookies on parchment lined baking tray –do not crowd the cookies.
6. Bake at 275º F for approximately 12 minutes. Rotate the tray 180º after 6 minutes to ensure even cooking.
Royal Icing, to decorate
2 large egg whites, or more to thin icing
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more to thicken icing
2-4 teaspoons (10-20 mL) lemon juice
1-2 tsp (5-10 mL) glycerin, optional
1. Beat the whites until stiff but not dry.
2. Add sugar, lemon juice and glycerin (if using); beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar. The icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
*Note: a little glycerin in royal icing prevents your icing from setting too hard and gives a glossy finish.
BOOTSMA BAKERY
Lethbridge
Jamie Bootsma is the owner and operations manager of Bootsma Bakery in Lethbridge, a European-inspired bakery with Dutch roots.
“I chose this recipe to highlight the variety of grains grown in Alberta, showing how simple and rewarding it can be to support local agriculture and experiment with diverse ingredients,” she says. Bootsma uses local barley flakes and flour, the sugar is produced at the Taber factory using locally grown sugar beets, and her vanilla extract is from Baking Barn – a local company that produces vanilla extract from Madagascar vanilla beans.
“While the texture may differ from traditional cookies, it’s equally delicious. I adapted a childhood favourite recipe for Open Farm Days as a fun, unique way to showcase ingredients from farm to table. The eggs come fresh from the chickens, and grains like barley, oats, and wheat, are harvested, milled, and transformed into the flour we use to bake tasty treats.” bootsmabakery.com
Chewy Barley Cookies
Makes about 48 cookies
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 Tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
2 cups barley flour
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 cup barley flakes
1 cup shredded coconut
½ cup raisins, optional
1 Tbs (15 mL) orange juice, optional
1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. If including raisins, add them to the orange juice and stir to coat them in the juice. Set aside.
3. Mix together in a large bowl, white sugar, brown sugar, and butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the
PRETTY SWEET CO
Calgary
Pretty Sweet Bakeshop’s focus is on pre-orders for your custom cakes, dainties, donuts, and macarons, and they have a retail storefront where you can pick up baked goods that are their modern interpretation of old school recipes.
Owner, Vicki Manness, is sharing her Chocolate Crinkle Cookie recipe. “It’s one of my favourite cookies to make for the holidays,” she says. “It’s such a classic that everyone loves. I love the fudgy chocolate centre with the chewy edges. It’s definitely one that is nostalgic for me, my Grandma used to make them so we always had them growing up.”
She reminds us, “The thing you want to remember is to refrigerate the dough, it needs time to stiffen up slightly - that's how they get their crinkle look!” prettysweetco.com
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Makes about 12 cookies
2 cups sugar
¾ cup (180 mL) vegetable oil
1 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Icing sugar, for rolling
1. Add sugar, oil, and cocoa powder, in a mixing bowl and mix on a slow speed until combined.
2. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix on medium until a glossy consistency.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to the mixing bowl. Mix on low until a dough forms. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350º F.
barley flakes and coconut.
5. Drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 8-12 minutes until the edges are slightly browned. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Once chilled, form into 2.5 cm balls, roll into icing sugar and place on a baking tray.
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookie has cracks to the icing sugar and the edges are no longer soft.
Espresso Martini
OZ
HANDMADE
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with espresso beans.
The Joys of Holiday Season Beers
BY DAVID NUTTALL
THERE IS NOTHING THAT starts a discussion faster among beer drinkers than seasonal beers. Everyone seems to have a love/hate relationship with pumpkin ales, questions the virtues of Christmas beers, or lies in a state of confusion over what-theheck-is-a-summer-beer-anyway? It is noteworthy that modern drinkers even have beers of this ilk to discuss, given their absence during almost two centuries of Big Brewery domination. From the dawn of brewing, seasonal beers were the only beers made. Before beer styles became a thing, brewers produced batches in accordance with what nature gave them. As the year progressed, whatever was available for the kettle defined the ingredients for the next beer. Breweries were small, local, and each one had unique offerings. This began to change with the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, as breweries grew and started to churn out product dictated by set recipes.
The economics of scale mandated they only brewed a couple of different beers, and those brands defined the brewery.
Many of those beers are still around today, from European stalwarts to the indomitable North American massproduced lagers. Very few breweries through the 19th and 20th centuries made any attempt of brewing outside the box by putting out a seasonal beer. Yes, there were/are Oktoberfest beers, saisons, and the occasional Christmas beer (often barley wines were released to mark the holiday season), but nothing that resembles what is happening today.
This is not to say that Big Breweries of this period ignored the seasons and holidays; remember marketing and advertising departments were born during this era. However, their contribution lay almost entirely with putting on a different label or changing the packaging of their standard beer to reflect the season.
Fortunately, this all changed with the
rise of the craft brewery. It didn’t take long for these new operations to expand beyond their core beers to releasing special editions. Since they brewed in small batches, this allowed them to experiment with beers that reflected the seasons which, not coincidentally, would help in attracting more customers.
Winter is by far the most popular season for these beers, which includes the subset of holiday beers. With Christmas being the most popular holiday, as well as a period of vast consumerism, this was the first of the seasonal beers produced.
Historically, winter beers even preceded Christianity, with Vikings and other cultures brewing to celebrate their gods and the winter solstice. The Scandinavian beers used dark malts with spice blends (gruit) in place of hops to produce a style that the British adapted to their winter warmers. These beers transitioned to Christmas ales and became prominent in the monastic breweries of Europe. Some
Search them out, and look for other breweries’ versions too in both liquor stores and taprooms:
Banded Peak Brewing Chockstone Stout
88 Brewing Sticky Toffee Pudding Dessert Stout
Dark Woods Honduran Coffee Stout
Folding Mountain S’mores Milk Chocolate Stout and Snow
Cap Winter Ale
Bow River Brewing Gingerbread Amber Lager, Prairie Night Porter, and Warming Ale
Hub Town Brewing Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout
Troubled Monk Drifted In Porter
Alley Kat Nutty by Nature Peanut Butter Stout
Bent Stick Brewing Brown Christmas Spiced Belgian Winter Ale and Stocking Stuffer Gingerbread Brown Ale
Annex Ale Black Mass Dark Lager
Town Square Prairie Fire Rauchbier, Square One Coffee Lager, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Sour, and Chainsaws for Hands Rye and Ginger Sour
Railyard Brewing Nitro Peanut Butter Milk Stout
New Level Brewing Krampus Jr.
Marda Loop Brewing Blackberry Porter
Campio Brewing Co. Czech Amber
Cold Lake Brewing and Distilling 8 Months of Winter Ale
Township 24 Stone The Crows Scottish Ale
High Key Brewing (Saskatoon) London Fog Porter
of these beers are still around today, albeit with modern recipe adaptations, but are well worth searching out.
European immigrants to North America brought over this tradition, however it died out during the rise of Big Breweries. It didn’t return until 1975 when it was resurrected by Anchor Brewing in San Francisco with its Anchor Christmas Ale. There is no set definition of what characterizes Christmas/winter beers, so they remain open to interpretation by the creativity of the brewers. Nevertheless, most are ales, often malt forward, spiced, or have seasonal flavours added, and higher in alcohol. A majority of craft breweries produce a couple through the winter months, including those specifically targeted as holiday beers, which often involves names and labels that employ the use of non-copyrighted characters. Today, these beers are still popular, although because of their timing, their
suitability lasts only so long, at least until the following year. As such, breweries are now more inclined to also brew “special” or “limited edition” releases year round with no ties to the calendar. However, if you’d like to get in the mood for the holidays, these Alberta craft beers (and one from Saskatchewan) can certainly help.
Almost all these beers were not in the market before the completion of writing, but should be out by the time you read this. There are a wide variety of styles here, from various stouts to flavoured lagers. They are all winter special releases, so they won’t be around for long.
David has worked in liquor since the late 1980s. He is a freelance writer, beer judge, speaker, and since 2014, has run Brew Ed monthly beer education classes in Calgary. Follow @abfbrewed.
December Spirits
BY TOM FIRTH AND LINDA GARSON
Rush-rush- rush! It seems as though we’ve all been rushing around like mad the last little while, so we cast our thoughts to perhaps the most contemplative of spirits this month – whisk(e)y. Mostly Canadian whisky, a few
Standard Proof Cinnamon Spiced Rye Whiskey
United States
A remarkably well done cinnamon-infused rye from the ol’ US of A. Not cloying, overblown, or even unbalanced, it’s showing off the richness of cinnamon spice without needless heat or overwhelming the spiciness of the rye. With an overall mash bill of 51 percent rye, corn, and about 4 percent barely, it’s a touch sweeter on the palate than you’d think, but it’s certainly enjoyable neat or in simple mixed drinks.
CSPC 109924 About $75-79
Canadian Club Invitation Series Issue No.2 18 Year Old
“High Proof” Whisky, Canada
widely available and a few, a little harder to track down, but also some American and Scottish examples. So this month, take a few minutes if you wish, and sit down, sip, and enjoy a little great whisky. Breathe….
Forty Creek Maplewood Select, Canada
And from the Niagara region, here’s Forty Creek’s 2024 Limited Release. One for the collectors and whisky enthusiasts, it’s Forty Creek’s 18th annual limited edition and a blend of corn and rye whiskies infused with kiln-dried sugar maple wood. Along with Forty Creek’s signature smoothness, there’s just that hint of sweetness, backed by a long spicy finish – Maplewood Select doesn’t get more Canadian than this!
CSPC 107869 $92-97
Jefferson’s Bourbon, United States
The hits just keep on coming! It’s never been a better time to be a fan of Canadian whisky as we are seeing so many rare, old, and even unthinkable spirits hitting shelves. Bottled at cask strength of 58 percent, this is also Canadian Club’s first 18 year old release. Fiery heat, and a mild silkiness on the palate with butterscotch, vanilla, and some dusty spice - it sings in the glass, though a splash of water will soften things up too. Excellent.
CSPC 113608 $90-95
Alberta Premium Batch 10 Legacy Reserve Whisky
Canada
Batch 10 is a blend of whiskies from ten years (specifically 20012010) and is definitely going to be a limited release – when it’s gone, it’s gone. Big, brassy, and beautiful, it’s only a touch higher in alcohol than usual, but with 100 percent rye in the mash, it’s rather spicy, with flecks of coffee and cocoa bean, and a fairly fruity nose too. A wonderful rye for the collector or collection, and consider adding a touch of water to help it open up.
CSPC 113606 $80-85
Jefferson’s founders, Trey Zoeller and his bourbon historian father, Chet, are carrying on a 225 year-old tradition - his 8th generation grandmother was the first woman in America to be arrested for the ‘production and sales of spirituous liquors!’ A blend of their straight bourbon whiskies, this is an easygoing and easy sipping bourbon with a lovely balance of brown sugar, warming spices, and citrus – perfect for your Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
CSPC 762863 $65-70
Torabhaig Allt Gleann Single Malt Scotch Whisky Isle of Skye, Scotland
This makes me so happy. From the second distillery to be built on the Isle of Skye, Torabhaig have been flying under the radar for a few years, so it’s good news that we’re now seeing their Legacy Series releases appear in our stores. One for the peatlovers like me, Allt Gleann at 46 percent ABV (also available at cask strength of 61.1 percent) is a lighter style, yet big on flavour, with notes of orchard fruit and a little orange. No dilution necessary.
CSPC 100133 $102-105
MAKING THE CASE for Bundling Up
By TOM FIRTH
San Felice 2019 Il Grigio Chianti
Idon’t know exactly what happened. One day, it was still summer-like and the very next, the cold weather was here. Being a creature of the seasons, once frost started gracing the browning lawns or the windshield, I started pulling out my cookbooks looking for those warming, chill-banishing dishes, and found I was looking for things that called for carb-rich evenings and those slowly simmering sauces that fit so well.
In the spirit of my take on the early months of winter, this month, I wanted to focus on Italian wine – mostly the wines of Tuscany, which are often the easiest to find on liquor store shelves. Excellent with those “classic” Italian style dishes we think of. But not to be outdone, there are a few other wines from other parts of Italy and a few dessert wines from Spain and Portugal that are great to sip around the holidays.
Speaking of which, I would like to take the opportunity to say “thank you” for all the feedback I hear about the wine recommendations on these pages, and to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.
Find these wines by searching the CSPC code at Liquorconnect.com; your local liquor store can also use this code to order it for you. Prices are approximate.
Classico Reserva, Tuscany, Italy
This wine has been gracing our shelves for more than 30 years and year after year it consistently delivers exceptional value and quality. Me? I love the easy balance of flora and earthy aromas that integrate well with the deeper fruits but also the firm tannins and tartness that works oh so well with meaty dishes and rich red sauces.
CSPC 310490 $30-33
Castello di Volpaia 2020 Chianti
Classico, Tuscany, Italy
A lot to love in this glass of wine, but perhaps the best part is the purity of the floral characters floating above a clean, generous berry fruit (might be from the 10 percent merlot). Very, very drinkable with a robust tannin presence and tart fruit palate. This wine would handle a little bit of fat very nicely indeed, and that might be a brisket or even a long-simmered sauce. Very enjoyable.
CSPC 703655 $35-40
A bit of a showstopper that won’t break the bank, this has all the things you need from a Chianti Classico – lean cherry and raspberry fruits, pleasing spicy notes, and just a smattering of herbaceousness too. Even better was the mouth with a fairly gentle approach of robust flavours and balanced acids and tannin. I’d recommend enjoying this with a nice Bolognese-style dish.
CSPC 245241 About $23-26
Tom has been waxing on (and on) about wine, beer, and spirits for more than 25 years and freelances, consults, and judges on beverages all year long. He is the Managing Editor for Culinaire Magazine, and the Competition Director for the Alberta Beverage Awards.
An incredibly sweet, but still incredibly well balanced, perfect dessert wine. Made from Pedro Ximenez, the grapes are dried extensively concentrating all the sweetness and flavours, and the resulting wine is aged for a further 12 years. Flavours are akin to figs or raisins with great acids. Serve slightly chilled, and try to match with blue cheeses, nuts, or butter tarts. Also completely appropriate to pour a little over vanilla ice cream, pie, or tarts.
CSPC 761490 $28-32
Lustau PX San Emilio Sherry Jerez, Spain
San Felice 2021 Chianti Classico Tuscany, Italy
Il Bastardo 2021 Rosso, Tuscany, Italy
Sometimes it’s nice to find a good wine that also manages to not take itself too seriously. This sangiovese (with a bit of syrah) shows off a little blue berry fruit to go with black cherry and spice aromas, but on the palate it’s accessible with abundant, almost sweet berry fruit, a little zip, and mid weight tannin. A perfect weekday wine with tomatocentric dishes.
CSPC 842944 about $18-20
Another timeless classic gracing our shelves, Ricasoli makes some incredible wines, that are easy to love. The stalwart Brolio is marked by intensity on the nose with a somewhat wild floral component and complex fruits. Impeccably balanced on the palate and with a clean, evolving drinking experience that just gets better with each sip. Can handle richer meat dishes, but also great cheese with aplomb.
CSPC 3962 around $29-32
Tommasi 2019 Amarone Valpolicella, Italy
Amarone is a perennial favourite of Italian wine drinkers as the process of drying the grapes before vinification yields a sweeter, more intense, raisined profile that is a true crowd pleaser. Look for a slight sweet character to the fruits with an almost brambly floral and berry approach. A hefty 15 percent alcohol makes for some bigger flavours, but amarones like this one are stunning with slow cooked meats or game. A gem for the table or the cellar.
CSPC 356220 $55-60
Campogiovanni 20218 Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
An incredible expression of the greatest of all the Italian grapes! It’s sangiovese of course! Intense and powerful with subtle fruits of black cherries and leanings of wild strawberries along with tobacco and tea leaf, and some serious earthy tones too. Hits well above its price and just as good in the cellar for a decade or two as it is on the table now –with a decanting.
CSPC 433078 $66-70
Douro, Portugal
Port is awesome! It needs to be said more often. It can be a little too easy to overdo these sweet treats, but like anything, it’s best to enjoy in moderation. Good news, once opened ruby port can keep for about a week, so even a small amount in the glass or with guests goes a long way. Rich and silky with sweet red berries, liquorice, and a clean herbal tone, this ruby port is a stunner with chocolatey desserts, but is even better with nuts or good cheese.
CSPC 23366 About $21-25
Santa Vittoria Moscato d’Asti, Asti, Italy
Often loved and sometimes derided for the same thing, moscato d’Asti is easy to describe to people. Summer. A beautiful summer day enjoying fresh fruit and a warm breeze. Serve chilled, this sweet, lightly sparkling wine is all about fresh apples, table grapes, pears, and tropical fruits. A little lower in alcohol too (5 percent), it’s a perfect daytime wine to enjoy with sliced fruit, or a fun movie in the evening.
CSPC 862423 About $20-24
An IGT or more of a “super-Tuscan” blend with sangiovese, 30 percent cabernet sauvignon, and a splash of merlot and alicante. Sangiovese is well supported here by the cabernet lending additional cassis, peppery aromas and flavours, and a bit of capsicum too. Drinking very well now, but best with bigger dishes like slow roasted meats, and even some mushroomcentric foods that complement some of the wine’s complexity. Delicious!
CSPC 96735 $43-47
Perticaia 2018 Montefalco Rosso
Douro, Portugal
Tawny ports spend most of their aging time in the barrel rather than the bottle, where they “lose” some of the more intense sweet berry flavours and gain a little more of a nutty approach with toffee, hazelnuts, and even more dried fruits – but still preserve the sweetness. Kopke is top of the game in making tawny ports, and their ten year-old checks off all the boxes. Excellent with butter tarts or caramel or nutty desserts, but also great with rich –and blue – cheese.
CSPC 775949 $39-44
Umbria, Italy
A lesser known wine region for sure, Montefalco reds are again centred around sangiovese, but also must include a certain amount of sagrantino (15 percent here), and another grape – here 15 percent of cabernet franc. The nose is complex and brings to mind plummy fruit, herbs, and a mild meatiness, while on the palate the tannins are certainly front and centre, but the flavours are excellent, and balanced. At the table, I’d recommend prime rib or roast beef, but this would work with a chili too.
CSPC 866234 likely about $44-48
Ricasoli 2021 Brolio Chianti Classico Tuscany, Italy
La Massa 2020 Toscana Rosso Tuscany, Italy
Sandeman NV Fine Ruby Port
Kopke 10 Year old Tawny Port
MORE GIFT IDEAS FOR THE HOME
Ninja “thirsti” Drink System,
Still have room on the counter – or want to save a little money and still enjoy your flavoured, low to no calorie beverage? The name of the game here is versatility with options for carbonation level, but also being able to mix and match flavours –and their intensity. Our testing group enjoyed the flexibility for individual tastes, and flavour quality of the Ninja, but also being able to make drinks directly into your own or preferred glass or bottle. Importantly, flavour refills are about $22 for a three pack, and CO2 is about $125 for a two-pack. About $250 (includes CO2 and 8 flavour packs).
Inversion Nitro Cocktails
Staub Céramique Mug Set
Knifewear Chainmail Pan Scrubber
500 years after falling out of fashion for knights, chainmail is back – with another use! If you’re still looking for the ideal way to clean your cast-iron, stainless or carbon steel pans, then here’s the answer. This slinky, 20x15 cm piece of stainless-steel chain mail easily tackles the crusty burnt bits without damaging the pan’s surface or your seasoning, and works on glass, pizza stones, woks, and enamel too. And to clean it, run it under the tap or pop it in the dishwasher! $20 in store and at knifewear.com
Available for a limited time as gift packs with a “coupe” style glass, Inversion’s cocktails are a perfect balance of convenience, but also premium, premade cocktails. Meant to be chilled, shaken, and poured rather vigorously into the glass, with the Nitro foam giving it that shaken cocktail flavour and taste. We tried four flavours and liked them all – but had to give our nod to the Classic Margarita and the Classic Whisky Sour! (Gift pack has 2 cans and the glass, while the regular package features 4, 250mL cans). $20-25.
Bridgeland Distillery Holiday Gift Box Set
Those clever people at Bridgeland Distillery have taken all the hard work out of choosing a gift for the whisky, brandy, and cocktail, locavore drinkers in our lives and brought out a range of limited release boxed sets for the holiday season. Choose between the Whisky Gift Package or the Cocktail Gift Package with three, 200 mL bottles inside a snowy white gift box ($62-89), or the Italian, Berbon, and Brandy Gift packages with two, 375 mL bottles in a beautiful, branded wooden case ($74-97), bridgelanddistillery.com
Staub, from Alsace in the east of France, and their iconic cast iron cocottes, are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. To commemorate the occasion, they have brought out a six-piece Céramique coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate) mug set in six pastel macaron (macarons are everywhere in Alsace!) shades - light and dark pink, green and blue, all packaged up in a special gift box. As with all Staub products, they rarely stay in the kitchen, going from oven to table - and with these mugs, in the microwave and dishwasher too! $70-100.
Spend with Pennies - Everyday Comfort
A fine cookbook to share with anyone who loves rich, comforting foods and who may appreciate the value of a dollar in their home. Packed full of recipes suitable for weeknights and weekends, at the family table or even a meal for one or two, there are plenty of options with well written, easy to understand recipes, including some air fryer options, make ahead steps, and tips to change up some of the flavours or speed up mealtimes.
$42 DK Publishing.
WE’RE CELEBRATING OUR 50TH YEAR OF THIS FAMILY AFFAIR and we are reflecting on the people and businesses that have supported three generations of our family business.
We are so filled with appreciation for the enduring relationships we have built and the incredible growth we’ve both witnessed in our partners and have been fortunate to enjoy ourselves.
GATHER AROUND AND MEET
PASQUALE
We are in awe of your unwavering support.
Thank you, Calgary, from every one of us in the IZZO FAMIGLIA
50 Y EARS OF COFFE E & FAMILY
Pasquale Barile has been offering diners some of the finest Italian fare this city has known – from the same kitchen with mostly his original staff –for over 42 years. Not only is this kind of longevity unheard of in Calgary, but he estimates about 80% of his clientele are regulars who have been coming in since he opened. His three adult children also work with him and have grown to be just as much a part of what Pasquales on Macleod
means to diners as he has. There are no gimmicks here and no mystery to what they offer: It’s the finest quality they know how to create, the best service they strive to provide, and being warm and welcoming to everyone who walks through the door. My dad took us there as kids, and we continue to enjoy his hospitality to this day. – Peter
Pasquale Barile | Owner/Chef PASQUALES ON MACLEOD
WE SUPPLY IN-THE-KNOW CALGARIANS WITH LOCALLY ROASTED TRUE ITALIAN-STYLE COFFEE AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT.
AND
...with Dustin Lagler
BY QUINN CURTIS AND LINDA GARSON PHOTO BY DONG KIM
Dustin Lagler is the business wiz of the beverage industry.
Born and raised in Calgary with a degree in Economics, Lagler always knew his knack for numbers was his greatest gift. “I only happened to go to university because my girlfriend at the time was going to university. So I'd started working and then went to university, and that's when I figured out that I was pretty good at math and pretty good at understanding financial markets, and how things are bought and sold,” he says. After saying no to what he thought was his dream job at a bank to be with his wife, Lagler ended up working at Loblaws. “I was always in marketing and selling, and I've just done it in various capacities. So for half of my tenure, about half of my career, I worked in produce, and I loved it,” says Lagler, adding, “I sold grapes in a different configuration back then. I sold them fresh then, and now I sell them in bottles.” Lagler also
has his Canadian Securities License (stockbrokers license) which he also imagined using for banking or investing… and not for selling bottles of wine.
With his expertise in produce and grapes, Lagler eventually transitioned to the beverage side of the industry, running the retail end of all the Loblaws stores in Alberta. With 43 stores across the province, he feels extra passionate about the business and operations side of the industry. “I've done that for the last five or so years, and it's been quite rewarding, but I've developed a passion for both the products and the commercial stuff. And I didn't realize it back then, but I'm a wine guy. I don't make any secret about it,” he smiles.
Being a wine guy, Lagler emphasized that “most people spill more spirits than I drink in a year.” But it's not just the business and commercial side that keeps his passion alive. “I understood it all through commerce and numbers. But
I've grown to love the products and how they're created, how they're marketed, how they're sold, and how people enjoy them,” he says, adding that “I've always maintained a fairly low profile but I've come out of my shell a bit, and become more involved in tasting events and some of the softer side of the industry, because I hope to be involved in it for a long time to come.”
And what bottle of wine is this business wiz saving for that special occasion?
It's a 2009 bottle of Rodney Strong Brothers Ridge cabernet sauvignon. “It’s from California, and I like California. It sounds a little cliché and a little mass market, but to some degree that's me as well,” laughs Lagler. However, the story behind the bottle is anything but cliché.
The bottle is from one of his dear friends who worked with him a number of years ago at his office. “He was kind of my source, my conduit to… you know, what do the customers think of this? What's happening in the industry? What are you seeing at the store level?” he explains, and after Lagler’s friend left the company, they have stayed in touch to this day. “If you flash forward to relatively recently, he is taking a job basically up in northern Canada for a retailer and is divesting all of his belongings, moving up there, and going to live closer to nature,” he says.
And so what did his friend do? He gifted his entire wine collection to Lagler! “It's as much about the gift and the thought behind it as the actual wine,” he says. “All of my favourite memories in this industry are really around people and the experiences. It's been a fairytale ride being able to work in this industry and become more involved in it.”
Lagler thinks it's time to start drinking some of the wines that were left for him by his friend, and plans on opening this special bottle within the next couple of weeks, and we can all drink to that!
ROGER FEDERER, CHÂTEAU DE SARAN, THE HOME OF MOËT & CHANDON
AN INVITATION TO DREA M
“I had the notion we could make wines equal to the greatest wines in the world. Everyone said it was impossible”
