Two Calgary chefs and two Edmonton chefs share their
Open That Bottle with Lino Oliveira, chef/owner of Sabor Restaurant
10 ¡ Hora de comer! It’s Time to Eat!
The gastronomy of Spain has had an enormous influence on the cuisine of many other countries by Linda Garson 16 What Happens when you Cross a Farmer with a Haskap Berry? Little Gem Winery charms southern Alberta by Lucy Haines 20 Step by Step – Patatas Bravas A dish for the senses – no wonder it’s on menus of Spanish restaurants all over the world by Renée Kohlman 22 The Side Kick that we Love …three recipes where potatoes are the star! by Natalie Findlay
25 Stylish Sherry – Ready for a Comeback
Sherry is one of the most fool-proof wines for food and wine pairing by Margaux Burgess 26 The New Spain
Right now, Spain is producing its highest level of quality wines by Erika Tocco-Andryka 28 Vox Populi, Vox Dei
Is it the voice of the public or the experts that really matters when it comes to what’s best in food and drink? by Tom Firth 31 March Spirits
… some from Spain, some for St. Patrick’s Day, and a new local single malt! by Tom Firth and Linda Garson 32 Craft Beer in Alberta: Not the Roaring Twenties
The latest developments in Alberta’s craft brewing scene by David Nuttall
With all the uncertainty as to how the next few years may unfold, in this part of the world there’s one thing we can all be certain of (well, apart from snow and taxes!) – that we live in a country of abundance; we have natural resources that other countries want, we grow things, we raise livestock, we produce things, and we have people that are proud to do this, and that are not afraid of hard work.
From Day 1 we have always tried, where we can, to focus on the local food and beverage community by telling their stories and sharing their contributions to Alberta. And we haven’t run out of stories yet, we have a very long list of
people and businesses that deserve our attention and our support – and deserve your attention and your support too.
Of course we are part of a larger, global community and we have many companies in this province that are not Canadian owned, but they employ our local people, use our local services, and put money back into our province. It’s our choice where we spend our dollars, and whom we choose to support – but it’s certainly been a wakeup call for the last month to remind us that we have the power to choose, and to use that power wisely.
We planned many months ago for this issue to have a Spanish-inspired theme, and there’s a lot to talk about, not only the well-known and well-loved cuisine and wines, but possibly lesser-known here, sherry too (it’s one of my early
loves, and I’ll have you enjoying it one day too!). How many local restaurants can you think of that have ‘tapas’ on their menu? They may not be traditional, but they’re certainly influenced by Spanish dishes, and we have some very talented chefs who like to share these with you.
I hope you enjoy reading this issueand don’t forget…
Renée Kohlman has been cooking and baking professionally for over twenty years. Her two cookbooks, All the Sweet Things and Vegetables: A Love Story (both TouchWood Editions) have won awards and been on bestof lists. Renée is often in her kitchen, baking gourmet cookies, which she sells at The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market every weekend. She’s also a freelance content creator, developing recipes and writing about all things food.
Margaux Burgess
Margaux has worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. Founder of Edmontonbased Lingua Vina Sommelier Services, Margaux has a passion for knowledge. She holds the WSET Diploma, is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, and a BJCP Mead Judge. Margaux is also certified as a Rioja Educator from the Rioja DOCA, and a Sherry Educator from the Consejo Regulador de la D.O. Jerez-Xeres-Sherry.
For subscriptions, competitions and to read Culinaire online: culinairemagazine.ca
Keane Straub
A stint tending bar was all it took for Keane to be forever linked to hospitality. When they're not keeping the digital side of Culinaire in working order you can find them at SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism collaborating with students and instructors to create digital content. If they don't answer your text message, they're likely out of range in Kananaskis or immersed in a really good book. Instagram @keane_larsen will be happy to tell you all about it.
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.
Proudly printed in Alberta by Burke Group.
Congratulations to the AfroCaribbean Indigenous Food Bank, a new food bank that has launched to bring the taste of home to the AfroCaribbean community in the greater Edmonton area. It’s a wonderful idea, many newcomers don’t always know what to do with the food when accessing a food bank, and now they’ll find familiar ingredients to cook at home and not have to rely on processed foods. Open to everyone, the new food bank offers staple cultural ingredients to anyone in need, irrespective of cultural background. 11546 80 Street NW, acfoodbank.ca
And congrats to Bono Coffee Ethiopian family coffee roasters, Dawit Wubie and Danait Tesfay, on their new location at 102 8 Avenue SW. Now, as well as their Bridgeland and Manhattan cafés, you can get your fix of these outstanding coffees in downtown Calgary, to sip while you’re munching one of Harvey’s freshly made sandwiches, breakfast rolls, croissants, or cakes (insider intel - come at 6:45 am when they’re baking the croissants!). It’s a learning experience on the origins of coffee and the roasting ceremony too (ask about the story on the saucers!). You can also buy bags of whole bean coffee to take home, and they’ll grind it for you if you like. Open seven days to 4:30 pm, bonocoffee.ca
And to Vietnamese noodle house, Pho Hoan Pasteur, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. And they’re still growing – as well as four locations in Calgary, they’ve opened their sixth Edmonton area
location - in Manning Town Centre, at 3636 153 Avenue, serving up their quality pho, vermicelli bowls, and rice plates, along with a variety of appetizers and drinks. 11 am-9 pm, closed Mondays. phohoanpasteur.ca
Springbank Cheese has a new location in Calgary’s Mount Pleasant area at 602a 16 Avenue NW. After 35 years on 14 Avenue NW, the new flagship store is double the size, with fridges full of 450-500 different cheeses, mostly arranged alphabetically within sections for cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, and vegan cheese. This larger space has more room too for food prep and serving their take-out grilled cheese sandwiches, and a dedicated wholesale space for their food and cheese retailers, restaurant, and hotel customers. As well as Canadian and imported cheeses, you’ll find meats, relishes and mustards, preserves, oils and vinegars, Angela’s olives, raclette and fondue pots, and a wide selection of Canadian crackers, gluten-free too! springbankcheese.ca
Tavern Collective has opened its first location in North America, in South Calgary’s Deerfoot Meadows ex-Shark Club location. It’s a modern, upscale, two-storey restaurant/pub with really good food and wonderful staff that make you feel so welcome! Friendly Frenchie mascot JD adorns the walls, and there’s a small arcade on the ground floor, and screens with music videos. The menu includes 29 very affordable items, such as the Mexican Street Corn Dip with perfectly cooked chips that we just couldn’t stop eating, Chicken Spring Rolls with cashew dip and nuoc cham
sauce, salads, burgers, and Detroit style rectangular pizzas on soft focaccia with a huge amount of toppings (the ‘Long Hike’ has seven types of mushrooms, garlic and dinosaur kale, with miso aioli!). It’s a fun and unpretentious place, where everything you order is way bigger than you expected. Lunch and dinner seven days, 7995 11 Street SE, thetaverncollective.com
Edmonton’s Meat the Bun has opened two new locations! In addition to their Summerside and Red Deer burger restaurants, they are now in Old Strathcona at 10542 Whyte Avenue and north at 592 Hermitage Road. There’s a lot of well-executed chicken, beef (all locally sourced meat!), and veggie burgers to choose from here, with a selection of made in house toppings, and gluten-free bun options too. meatthebun.ca
Krispy Kreme has opened in Edmonton at 4614 Gateway Boulevard NW, 24 years after launching in Canada, and now you can get your take-out and drive thru doughnuts, coffee, muffins, croissants, and bagels, every day from 7 am-10 pm.
Our friends at Ryuko have opened Koko Japanese Eatery and Convenience, beside Una at 620a 17th Avenue SW, in Calgary. In contrast to their upscale restaurants, Koko is a quick service grab ‘n’ go spot (with just a very few seats) where you can pick up their house prepared onigiri, sushi rolls, ponzu sauce, togarashi sauce, imported beverages and more, as well as ramen, poke and don bowls, karaage, sushi
burritos… from their made-to-order counter. Seven days, 10 am-late.
Bul Dining Room and Bar has opened further west at 1244 17 Ave SW, in Calgary and is getting rave reviews. We’re not surprised as there’s some very fine food on the menu here in this small 34-seat room, with generous portions at very reasonable prices (and 20 percent off Monday-Thursday lunch!). ‘Bul’ is
Korean for ‘fire’, and the showcase dish is chef/owner Jacob Lee’s must-try Sweet Chilli Shrimp Dim Sum that arrives under a smoking cloche, (or try a cold starter of Blue Fin or Wagyu tartare) before you move on to one of the large sharing platters ‘From the Sea’ (sushi and sashimi) or ‘From the Land’ (beef or pork to cook yourself on a griddle or to keep hot), both of which come with banchan, tempura, rice, marinated egg,
and salad. You’ll be happy with any of the dishes on this menu! Seven days, 11 am-10 pm, bulcanada.ca
Kinjo Sushi has opened their first Edmonton location, a sizeable space at South Edmonton Common, 1739 102 Street. Along with their seven popular locations in Calgary, now you can have your fill of their ramen bowls, fried chicken, donburi, and of course a wide choice of rolls, sushi and sashimi in the north. Seven days 11 am-10 pm, kinjosushiandgrill.com
Denny’s Canada diners are celebrating Canadian beef with five new burgers made with 100 percent Canadian beef, and they’re really good! Not only but also, they’ve opened their first (of many more to come) diner in Spruce Grove, at 200 - 100 Jennifer Heil Way. Seven days 6 am-midnight.
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Pop in at Love Damian pop-up! Chef Kyle Opel is in the kitchen of Calgary sandwich shop Meat & Bread,
and Jason Exton (both of the Dorian Hotel’s The Wilde) is front-of-house, along with Opel’s sister Hailey, at this delightful evening pop-up restaurant. In homage to their father, Damian Gerard Opel, the small food and drinks menus share the family’s culinary heritage from Parma, in the north of Italy, and it's outstanding! Start with the wonderfully soft, 18-hour fermented focaccia (we added the intense and bright, olive and anchovy tapenade), and follow it with one or two of the small plates or a large one. Whatever you order is going to surprise you, and be so tasty and unexpected (the menu lists the dishes but doesn’t describe them), and don’t miss the white chocolate ‘olives’ with basil and EVOO ganache for dessert!
821 1 street SW, Tuesday–Saturday 4:45 pm till late, happy hour till 6 pm. lovedamian.ca
Edmonton’s L’OCA Quality Market has opened its second location - in less than a year, in the former Andy’s Valleyview IGA Parkview space, vacated after owner Andy Taschuk retired last year. The good news is that they’ve retained most of Andy’s staff and not only kept all the inventory of kosher meat and other kosher foods, they’ve increased the shelf space to expand the offerings and add to the selection. Seven days 7 am-9 pm at 9106 142 Street NW, loca.ca
There’s a new Le Petit Chef dinner theatre at Calgary’s Dorian Hotel Bistro Novelle Restaurant, and this third show is the best yet! We really enjoyed our evening and had so much fun being
entertained by Le Petit Chef from France and his chef friends from Spain, Italy, and Japan, in between the courses at this immersive dining experience. Choose Classic, Vegetarian, or Kids menu, 525 5 Avenue SW, thedorianhotel.com
Spruce Grove has a new cocktail and wine bar, Barbaretta by Barbacoa - sister to the live-fire steakhouse, and a more intimate space for tapas and drinks. There’s a lovely selection of shareable plates, as well as cheeses and meats to build your own charcuterie board, and a small menu of mains and desserts. You’ll be spoiled for choice with the cocktail menu (non-alc too), their extensive curated wine list, and local beers. Upper Level at 115 First Ave, Seven days 11 am-late, barbaretta.ca
And Edmonton has a new cocktail and tapas bar! Golden Sparrow has taken over the ex-Northern Chicken space at 10704 124 Street, with a small plate menu of bold flavours and comfort foods to go with your cocktail or wine, and a casual, laid-back atmosphere for after-work drinks, weekend brunch, catching up with friends, or celebrating a special occasion. They offer catering too. 5-9 pm closed Monday-Tuesday, goldensparrowyeg.com
South Calgary has a new European restaurant! Flora Euro Kitchen has opened at 14919 Deer Ridge Drive SE in the former Plaka space, and with chefs from Europe and a Spanish restaurant on 17 Avenue SW, they’re serving up a few different paellas (takes
45 minutes, so plan or book ahead) and other Spanish favourites of garlic shrimp, papas bravas, Spanish tortilla, and house made chorizo. The menu also includes dishes from Germany (house-made schnitzels, bratwurst, and sauerkraut), Romanian and Maldovian specialty sausages and stews (and a Transylvanian Dracula burger!), and Hungary (our goulash with spaetzle was fabulous!). A semi-private room seats 16 and is perfect for private parties. Friday-Sunday lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Thursday from 4:30 pm, floraeurokitchen.com
Peace through perogies! Janice Krissa and her daughter Jorgia Moore, were co-founders of the Free Store for Ukrainian Newcomers, a donation centre which became a commercial kitchen, and now - DON’YA, a new café and Canada’s first Ukrainian Kitchen! Run by newcomers who left Ukraine because of the war, they were shoppers at the donation centre before becoming volunteers there, and now they’re cooking and sharing their traditional fare with hot lunches and dishes to eat in or take out, as well as a variety of frozen varenyky (cabbage rolls), Ukrainian borscht, Ukrainian perogies, and desserts, to order online and pick up in the store. 12153 Fort Road NW, 10am5pm, Closed Sunday, donyaukraine.ca
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Calgary’s Scarpetta Cucina Italiana is back! We’ve missed our time at the old Inglewood location, but Chef/owner Rocco Bartoletti has been beavering away for the last four years building everything himself - including the beautiful brick wall and tin ceiling rescued from a house that was being torn down, resulting in a gorgeous, elegant space with super high ceilings and a lot of sound baffling (thank you Rocco!). Some of our faves are here on the menu, such as his house made pastas and his gnocchi with wild mushrooms and Gorgonzola, and of course his acclaimed pizzas, and there are excellent new dishes too (order the Caprese Stack with breaded eggplant, buffalo mozzarella, vine ripened tomatoes, EVOO and balsamic - you’ll thank us!). Catering is an option too. 645 10 Avenue SW, seven days lunch and dinner, brunch at weekends. scarpettaeatery.com
Ottolenghi: Comfort
By Yotam Ottolenghi with Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, and Tara Wigley Appetite by Random House $45
What is comfort food to you? Is it nostalgia and the recipes you grew up eating at home? Or the comforting food you eat in front of the fire when it’s freezing outside?
In his eleventh cookbook, Yotam Ottolenghi, along with his three co-authors, cover a lot of the globe that they’ve trodden themselves. They’ve all moved around, absorbing the culture and cuisine of the new country while preserving that of the place they left, and this book is about their journeys and those recipes: the ones they have adapted and made their own from Italy, Germany, China, Jerusalem, Malaysia, Melbourne, Scotland, and New York, to their common ground of London, England. Perhaps my favourite line in the introduction is, “When done with awareness, acknowledgement, relish, and respect, this, for us, is cultural appreciation, not appropriation.”
The ten chapters are broken into types of dish, some by ingredients and some by cooking method, so you’ll find chicken recipes in the first chapter, “Eggs, Crêpes, Pancakes” (Cheesy Curry Crêpes (p.42) sound delicious – and how kind of them to give us Crêpes 3 Ways: breakfast, lunch, and dessert!) as well as Summer Chicken Cacciatore (p.132) in chapter five, “Roasted Chicken and Sheet Pan Dishes”.
And you’ll find a Salmon Fishcake recipe (p.80) in chapter three, “Fritters and Other Fried Things”, and Potato, Fennel, and Smoked Salmon Bake (p.232) in chapter eight, “Pasta, Polenta and Potatoes”. Every recipe is accompanied by one of Jonathan Lovekin’s mouthwatering photos, and sometimes you’ll see step by step photographs of the dishes being made too, and as part of a lavish spread. Do note that there are two covers – the photographic cover shown here and an
alternative bright, graphic cover sold in some markets.
I counted 104 recipes in this book, and I want to make most of them. All chapter two’s “Soups, dips, spreads” to chapter nine’s “Pies, pastry, bread”. Honestly, just open a page and make the dish –and mark it with one of the magenta or orange ribbons provided. You simply can’t go wrong.
¡Hora de comer!
S The Cuisine of Spain
BY LINDA GARSON AND KEANE STRAUB
panish is the world's second most spoken native language, with around 7.5 percent of the world’s population - nearly 500 million people - calling it their mother tongue. So it comes as no surprise that the gastronomy of Spain (which is about the same size as Texas) has had an enormous influence on the cuisine of many other countries.
With roots in ancient Greek and Roman traditions, along with a Moorish heritage from North Africa, as you’d expect, ingredients vary regionally and generally comprise what nowadays we call the Mediterranean Diet - mainly natural ingredients of olive oil (Spain produces around 50 percent of the world’s olive oil), vegetables, spices, fruit, and fresh meat or fish. Eating is a social activity here, with sharing dishes far more common than each person ordering their own large plate of food.
The time of the meals, however, is very different to other European countries, and typically they probably eat more times over a day than most of the world –usually five meals. The meals are spread throughout the day, starting early and finishing very late!
The day may start with a small, sweet snack on the way to work, often churros (dough squeezed through a nozzle into a long strip and fried in oil) with hot chocolate or coffee with milk to dip them into.
The mid-morning meal is usually salty and a little more substantial – often a small sandwich – likely baguette filled with tortilla (Spanish omelette with potatoes and sometimes onion); maybe ham or cheese; or Pan con Tomate, where the bread is rubbed with garlic and topped with grated ripe tomatoes, salt and olive oil; and accompanied by olives and nuts. Lunch is the main meal of the day, with
multiple courses. Many businesses close in the afternoon from 2 pm until 4 or 5 pm, so the Spanish get two or three hours for a leisurely lunch of soup or salad followed by fresh seafood or meat with potatoes or rice, and always bread. Fresh fruit or a sweet dessert such as ‘flan’ (the ubiquitous caramel custard) is essential too, and the whole meal is often followed by a nap.
Then it’s tapas time, or “pintxos” (pronounced “pinchos”) in Basque country in the north of Spain. Meaning ‘cover’ or ‘lid’, historically a glass of wine would be topped with a slice of bread or a small plate to keep out fruit flies, although one story tells of a Spanish King in the 17th century, who ordered taverns to provide a snack (to cover the wine) to prevent customers getting drunk. For this reason, many bars will automatically bring a free tapa when you order a drink (we’re hoping it will catch on here too!).
Tapas can take many forms; always small bites or plates, they might be slices of toasted bread topped with all manner of delicious things – ham, cheese, tortilla, anchovies, tomatoes; or garlicky shrimp or mushrooms; albondigas (meatballs), patatas bravas (fried potatoes in a spicy sauce – see Renee Kohlman’s recipe on page 20), croquetas (croquettes filled
with cheese, meat or seafood – see Daniel Ramon’s recipe on page 14).
The list is long, and they are becoming increasingly more creative and complex too as evidenced by “Cruz de Navajas,” from La Clandestina in Zaragoza, winner in 2023 of the Best Tapa in Spain (and which we enjoyed on our tours to Spain in 2023 and 2024!). It’s a very clever tapa of razor clams in white gazpacho with pickled peach, cava gel, borage, and lemon peel“Navaja” is Spanish for razor clam and also for a folding-blade knife!
You can make a whole meal of tapas, ordering three or four each person, usually one a time until you’re full.
In Spain, you might be surprised to discover that dinner is typically eaten around 9 or 10 pm, with most restaurants not even opening before 8 pm. It’s a lighter meal of two or three courses (and always with bread!). In the summer it’s often just too hot to cook, so people will wait until after sunset, around 9:30 pm.
Your dishes in most regions across the country are likely to include Spain’s most popular ingredients of garlic, paprika, tomatoes, potatoes or rice (paella!), and pulpo (octopus), and you’ll see the most prized ingredients included in dishes on many restaurant menus:
- saffron, pricey but a beautiful flavour in everything from rice dishes to desserts
- Manchego cheese from La Mancha in central Spain, made from the Manchega sheep’s milk, and aged for between 60 days and two years
- and ham: usually Serrano ham, which is dry-cured in sea salt and aged a minimum of 12 months; and Ibérico ham, which comes from the acorn-eating, black Iberian pig - and some of the most expensive ham available!
Cruz de Navajas
While he’s the executive chef at Calgary’s Barcelona Tavern, Chris Galbraith doesn’t really believe in titles. “It’s a different culinary scene than it used to be,” he explains. “The formality of addressing someone by title is often seen as a thing of the past.”
The son of a Japanese mother, Chris says being exposed to lots of different foods growing up meant he learned an appreciation for all kinds of food, and in particular, seafood. “When I watch shows like “Deadliest Catch” and “Wicked Tuna” I see the stress, danger, and effort that it takes to land a massive bluefin. I can see just how hard it is to simply acquire it. The care they show on screen leads me to want to care for the products I cook.”
When it comes to menu favourites, however, the paella offerings – Seafood, STK and Shrimp, and ‘Blunch,’ to name a few – are what really stand out. “I love the complexity of flavours and getting the socarrat (the crispy layer of rice formed at the bottom of the pan) just right.”
Cooking Spanish cuisine doesn’t require a lot of fancy ingredients, he says. “Let the ingredients shine. Paella is a foundational menu item in Spanish cuisine. It makes me think of family and friends gathering, and everyone sharing. If done correctly, it’s an amazing
showstopper for any gathering.”
“Be patient!” he adds. “The rice first needs time to cook properly and then additional time to form the socarrat.”
Paella Rice
Serves 5-6
140 g onion, minced
140 g carrot, minced
140 g celery, minced
60 g roasted red pepper, minced
2 bay leaves
½ cup (125 mL) olive oil
Pinch sweet paprika
Small pinch saffron
140 g tomatoes, diced
500 g bomba rice
1/3 cup white wine
4 cups (1 L) water
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, red peppers, and bay leaves, in olive oil on medium heat until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add paprika and saffron, and sauté for about 1 minute - don’t overcook the spices.
3. Add tomatoes and rice, and mix well. Once rice starts crackling deglaze with white wine.
4. Once the rice has absorbed the wine add water, salt, and pepper. Cover, and stir every 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
5. Once liquid is absorbed, turn heat to low until you see a crust form on the bottom.
6. Top with any ingredient you like. Chef recommends, mussels, shrimp, and squid. For additional depth of flavour, you may wish to add chorizo and lobster to the rice.
Chef Chris also shared his recipe for Mojo Verde. “When you make a home cooked meal, often you need just a little oomph to transform your dish from good to amazing,” he says.
“This sauce works with items from potatoes to beef. We created it as it is indigenous to the Canary Islands and worked well with dishes we were working on. I personally like to use this sauce on wings and steaks.”
Mojo Verde
1 bunch cilantro, rough chop
¼ bunch parsley leaves (no stems), rough chop
½ Tbs garlic, chopped
4 tsp (20 mL) roasted garlic
1 tsp (5 mL) lime juice
1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice
1 tsp (5 mL) white wine vinegar
¼ tsp cumin
½ tsp white pepper
1 pinch chili flakes
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded
¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil
Add all ingredients except the oil to a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly emulsify the oil into the mixture, it should be silky smooth.
Chef Bishan Dutt at Edmonton’s Bodega has been cooking Iberianinspired food for well over a decade. When it comes to inspiration, he doesn’t have to stray far, he says. “I’m inspired by the different ingredients I’ve had the chance to work with during my time at Bodega,” he explains. “And by some of the great Spanish chefs I’ve worked with.”
Bodega’s menu boasts plenty of ‘landfood’ – boar cheeks, steak bites, bone marrow, Spanish ham and Iberian pork – as well as seafood, like mussels, scallops, and prawns. “I love anything seafood, not only to cook but to eat, too. Over the years, I’ve really become a fan of octopus.”
Here, Chef Dutt shares his recipe for Grilled Octopus, inspired by the simple way seafood is eaten in Spain. “Octopus is so unique in texture and flavour, and I’m most excited when someone is trying it for the first time.
“Spanish food is a celebration,” he continues. “Everything is made with the thought of eating with someone, so if you’re making Spanish food, make sure you use good olive oil, and invite others to share. Keep octopus ready in the fridge and impress everyone by how quick the dish can be made!”
Note: Chef Dutt says we can find frozen and cleaned Spanish octopus at stores like the Italian Centre Shops.
Grilled Octopus (Pulpo) with Black Olive Tapenade
Serves 4
1 small octopus, approx 3 kg, thawed and rinsed
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
55 g black peppercorns
4-6 bay leaves
4 cups (1 L) of water
Tip:
Do not add salt to frozen octopus as it is cleaned with sea salt and at times can be salty.
1. In a medium pot bring water to a boil with onion, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
2. Slowly drop octopus into water, cover and turn temperature down to medium heat. Let cook for 25 minutes.
3. Turn heat off and let sit in water for 15 minutes.
4. Remove octopus from water and store in refrigerator. Will keep for a few days once cooked. When ready to eat, cut into separate tentacles.
5. Grill on flame if available to create extra flavour from smoke and char. For flat grills cut into small pieces (approx 2½ cm), and add a drizzle of olive oil to caramelize the surface more.
Tapenade
1 small can of black olives, pitted
2 garlic cloves
1 small can of anchovies
1 cup (250 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs capers
Juice of half a lemon
Parsley
To taste black pepper
Smoked paprika, optional
1. In a food processor, blend all ingredients to a consistency of preference. Chef prefers a coarser blend to pair with octopus.
2. Place and spread tapenade on a plate and top with grilled octopus. Drizzle with lots of olive oil and smoked paprika if available.
Executive Chef Daniel Ramon says when it comes to cooking, he’s driven by technique. But when it comes to flavours, he looks to both his team in house at Calgary’s Pizza Letty, and his network on social media. “I’m fortunate enough to have team members working with me from multiple backgrounds. Talking to them about food and what they like to eat helps us develop new dishes.”
Pizza Letty’s menu is a global journey, with dishes that highlight Japanese, Mexican, and Italian cuisine, just to name a few. Beef tartare with Sylvan Star Gouda, scallop crudo with mandarin kosho, and pork al pastor grilled and served with pineapple pickled in lime gastrique, are some of Chef Daniel’s current favourites. “I always say that restaurant food tastes better because things are seasoned properly,” he adds.
“Spanish food is all about simplicity, but proper seasoning. Don’t be scared of it!” His recipe for Croquetas de Jamón Serrano is reminiscent of potato croquettes, he says, “But way creamier!” There are no secrets to recreating it, really. “Don’t be shy when it comes to salt,” he reminds. “And clean as you go. It makes cooking so much more
enjoyable but it also allows you to really enjoy the fruits of your labour once all the cooking is done.”
Croquetas de Jamón Serrano
Makes 24 bite-sized croquettes
65 g butter
50 g yellow onion, small diced
150 g serrano ham (can substitute with other cured meat, chef loves adding chorizo instead of serrano)
80 g all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) milk, hot
50 g Manchego cheese, grated
To taste salt
Small pinch nutmeg
Flour as needed
Egg for egg wash
Fine breadcrumbs (if using panko, try to get to a finer consistency)
1. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat, add onion and a pinch of salt, stir to combine. Add the serrano ham and cook until the onion is translucent, avoiding browning.
2. Add all-purpose flour and mix until well combined, cook for a minute until it doesn't smell like raw flour anymore, do not brown.
3. Add milk in four increments, making sure the milk is completely absorbed before proceeding with the next addition. Cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly to prevent it from scorching.
4. Add Manchego cheese and season with salt and nutmeg.
5. Place in a container and cover with cling film, making sure the film is touching the surface of the mix, refrigerate for at least two hours, ideally overnight.
6. Shape into small balls and coat with flour, then dip in the egg, and finally coat with breadcrumbs. Repeat the egg wash and breadcrumb steps.
7. Deep fry at 350º F until golden brown.
Born and raised in Edmonton, Chef Corey McGuire of Edmonton’s TZin Wine & Tapas is a graduate of NAIT, and has spent almost thirty years learning the ins and outs of professional kitchens, training under exemplary chefs, and of course, sampling a wide range of global cuisine. “This has allowed me to interpret many classic Spanish dishes in my own style, while still feeding my passion for all things local,” he explains.
The menu shines with locally sourced products: Alberta beef and bison, rockfish from British Columbia, local produce, and Chef Corey’s favourite, ‘The Bacon’, which uses Alberta pork. Tapas are central to the menu: “Sharing small plates with friends and family allows everyone to enjoy numerous courses, small, flavourful bites, and of course, the company surrounding them.”
If you’re not ready to dive headfirst into full-on Spanish-inspired dining, perhaps get acquainted with Chef Corey’s recipe for Romesco sauce.
“This is Spain’s most versatile sauce,” he explains, “and is great
with grilled meats like beef or lamb, shrimp, vegetables – I even enjoy it on sandwiches.”
With such a versatile sauce, Chef Corey encourages readers to have fun in the kitchen and think about contrasting flavours, colours, and textures when planning a menu. “Romesco can easily be changed to either be the feature of your star dish, or an accent to elevate your plate. I am hopeful that this will inspire readers to shop local, be confident in the kitchen, and creative with ingredients – just as it has for me!”
Romesco Sauce
Makes about 2 cups (500 mL)
2 dried New Mexico chilies
4 red peppers
3 plum tomatoes
60 g almonds, whole and unsalted
60 g hazelnuts, whole and unsalted
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne
3 Tbs (45 mL) sherry vinegar
1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil
To taste salt
1. Soak chilies in warm water until soft, strain.
2. Roast whole peppers and tomatoes on a cooking oil sprayed sheet pan in a 450º F oven for approximately 25 minutes (they will be done once you can easily pierce through the tomato), then easily remove the skins of the tomato (once cool enough to touch, simply use your fingers to slip the entire skin away from the flesh) and seeds from the peppers.
3. Roast nuts in the 450º F degree oven until golden brown by placing them in a single layer on a sheet pan for approximately 12 minutes. Check the nuts every few minutes and give the pan a shake to ensure they will be golden and to the toasted level you would like.
4. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
What happens when you
cross a farmer with a haskap berry?
Y Little Gem Winery charms southern Alberta
ou might not think a potato farmer and a cattle rancher have much in common with winemaking, but you haven’t heard the story of Joel Mans (plus brother Rick) and partner/ friend Jordan Sinke. For generations, the unlikely boutique winery operators, with their families before them, built thriving farming operations near Lethbridge. But, as the next gen farmers will attest, curiosity (and boundless energy, obviously) added a whole new dimension to their life’s work. And by dimension, we mean, why not add a homegrown fruit wine operation to their daily duties?
Twenty-somethings Joel and Rick Mans took over a 700-acre potato farm from their dad (adding a small orchard of
BY LUCY HAINES
haskap berries in more recent years), while business partner and longtime best friend, Sinke, has a much larger cattle feedlot operation nearby. Like the Mans brothers, Sinke grew up on the family farm and had the desire to diversify, to try something different in sight of an up and down cattle market.
Together, the farmer friends have parlayed Joel’s haskap berries and a highway-side locale into Little Gem Winery and tasting room. It’s not potatoes or cows; rather a whole new skill set the men are embracing with their boutique winery offerings. “We definitely did NOT have the skill to make wine,” laughs Sinke, “But we kept working at it – we’re always learning. I help make the wine and do
social media. Joel does the day-to-day winery work, and runs the tasting room. Ultimately, we want to make good wine and cider.”
Since the idea hatched in 2018, Mans and Sinke have taken the fruit harvest and enlisted the expertise of east coast wine master and consultant, Alexandra Beaulieu, to tutor the farmers in the art of winemaking. A few years on, the results are starting to speak for themselves.
“Little Gem isn’t a big wine company–and that’s on purpose,” says Joel Mans, the paperwork and marketing guy who is running the potato farm as well as raising three young sons with wife Stefanie.
“When we started, we thought, sure, we can MAKE a fruit wine, but no one will
drink it. We knew we had a lot of learning ahead of us,” remembers Mans of the period between 2018 and 2020.
After researching other wineries and making contacts in BC’s Okanagan wine industry, the farmers hired Beaulieu as consultant. Starting with Zoom calls, the wine master eventually came out to the farm to help with equipment setup and floor plan/work flow, recipe development and trial batches. “Joel and Jordan were very independent through the process, and as farmers, they were already hard workers and knew the principles of cleaning and sanitation; another big plus,” Beaulieu says, giving top marks to the Little Gem entrepreneurs for taking on the haskap, not one of the easiest fruits (or wines) to work with. “It’s a berry with challenges. Though it can handle a freezing climate and is easy to macerate, it’s big on tannins, high in acid and low in sugar,” she says, adding the winery’s Oak Aged Reserve Red is her favourite. “It’s the longest aged of the lineup and the oak suits the fruit very well. It’s ‘terroir-driven’, meaning the wine is of its place. These are local wines you want to pair with local foods.”
Mans and Sinke say they like what they’ve got going with the haskap, with its healthy-for-you profile and suitability to the northern climate. Also known as the honeyberry, haskap (which comes from Japan and also does well in Russia), is a bulbous, purplish, blue berry that grows on deciduous leafy bushes, and boasts high vitamin C levels and even higher antioxidant properties. Along with
a haskap cider, the Little Gem lineup includes a classic red (with bright acidity), a crisp, apple-forward white wine, and the most popular of the bunch, the oak aged reserve red. There’s also a dessert wine (think figs and dates) and a rosé to round out the offerings.
The winery currently runs a 1,000 litre and 4,000 litre vat, enough to produce over 10,000 litres of wine yearly. Even though the makers are busy on their respective farms, Sinke says Little Gem produced about 10,000 litres of wine in 2024. The winery has about 16 barrels of its Reserve Red now on the go, which will make a few thousand bottles. “There’s nothing like our Reserve Red out there. It’s a beautiful wine to have with red meat: it’s our biggest seller.”
“Farming is still our full time job; evenings and Saturdays are for the winery,” Mans says.
“Having a tasting room is important, because there’s a big educational aspect to overcoming the fruit wine stigma; that it’s sweet or not (it can be) the same quality as a grape wine. We started the tasting room during COVID and we’re ready to expand on that; to keep making wines that connect with people.”
The tasting room is a focus for Little Gem, with part-time and full-time staff, especially in the busy summer season, and food like local Dutch cheese and a charcuterie board a part of the offering. There’s room to seat 30 to 40 both indoors and on an outside space, with the fruit orchard nearby. And having a property along the highway and in a busy tourist corridor in southern Alberta is a bonus, Mans points out. A grand opening last summer attracted over 1,000 visitors to Little Gem winery, so it’s expected special
events will continue, whether through Alberta Open Farm Days or something similar.
The company’s unique haskap cider is already in a couple of Lethbridge liquor stores and restaurants, and Calgary’s Kensington Wine Bar. And, thanks to Mans’ father-in-law, the notion of a freezedried haskap energy shot has come onto the scene, with an eye for getting it into liquor stores too. “We’re still quite new. Online sales are part of the future, but for now, we’re focused on creating a good value, quality, local fruit wine, and for people to have a good experience when they visit the tasting room,” Sinke says.
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.
RIOJA CELEBRATES:
BY AARON ROBNETT
In the heart of northern Spain, where the Ebro River winds gracefully through the diverse landscape, lies Rioja – a region synonymous with wine. With a history steeped in over two thousand years of viticulture, Rioja stands as a testament to the art of winemaking, blending ancient traditions with modern innovation. This year we celebrate the hundredth anniversary of The Designation of Origin Rioja (DO).
100 Years of Excellence From Spain’s First Denomination of Origin in 1925
The story of Rioja’s wine begins with the Romans, who recognized the potential of this land for grape cultivation dating as far back to 200 BC. Archaeological evidence of ancient winemaking sites dots the region, showcasing a legacy that has been nurtured through centuries. This rich history is not just about the passage of time; it’s about the evolution of winemaking practices, where each generation has added to the narrative of quality and authenticity.
From the early days, Rioja has been a region of pioneers. By 1560, local winemakers had already established some of the first ordinances for wine production, setting a precedent for quality control that would become a hallmark of Rioja wines. Fast forward to the 19th century, and we see Rioja’s winemakers embracing French techniques, thanks to visionaries like Baldomero Espartero and Manuel Quintano. They introduced barrel aging, a technique that revolutionized the flavor profile of Rioja wines, giving them their distinctive depth and complexity.
The commitment to quality reached a new zenith in 1925 when Rioja was granted Spain’s first DO status. This designation established Rioja’s place on the world stage but also underscored the region’s relentless pursuit of excellence that continues to this day.
Today, Rioja is not just a name; it’s an experience. Spanning approximately 100 square kilometers, the region’s diversity is as vast as its vineyard coverage. From the higher, cooler altitudes in the north to the warmer, sun-drenched plains in the south, Rioja cultivates a spectrum of grapes, each contributing to the region’s wine tapestry. The wines of Rioja are celebrated for their balance, elegance, and versatility. Tempranillo, the star grape, along with Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano, crafts reds that can range from light and fruity to deep, complex, and age-worthy. Whites, though less known, are gaining international acclaim, with Viura and Tempranillo Blanco o ering fresh, vibrant flavors.
While Rioja honors its past, it’s equally focused on the future. Modern winemaking in Rioja is about marrying tradition with technology and sustainability. Innovations in viticulture and vinification are aimed at enhancing quality while respecting the environment. From organic farming practices to state-of-the-art winery facilities, Rioja is at the forefront of sustainable winemaking, ensuring that the land’s bounty can be enjoyed for generations to come.
With over 1,000 di erent wines, Rioja o ers something for every palate. Whether you’re sipping a young, vibrant Crianza or savoring the nuanced layers of a Gran Reserva, each bottle tells a story of its terroir. The region’s three main sub-regions –Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Oriental – each add unique characteristics to the wines, making Rioja a fascinating study in regional diversity.
For wine enthusiasts, visiting Rioja is akin to stepping into a living museum of wine culture. The region welcomes tourists with open arms, o ering tastings, vineyard tours, and culinary experiences where wine is paired with the rich, traditional foods of Spain. Events like the Rioja Wine Harvest Festival celebrate the annual cycle of winemaking amongst the classically rustic and beautifully modern architecture of the region, providing an immersive experience into the heart of wine country.
Rioja stands as a beacon of what wine can be –a bridge between past and future, tradition and innovation. Its wines are not just beverages but cultural artifacts, each bottle a chapter in a twothousand-year-old story. As you explore Rioja’s o erings, you’re not just tasting wine; you’re
partaking in history. Whether you’re a connoisseur or a curious newcomer, Rioja invites you to discover its legacy, enjoy its present, and look forward to its bright future in the world of wine.
In 2025, we celebrate the centennial of DO Rioja. Since 1991 wines of Rioja have received the Qualified Designation of Origin (DOCa) status, continuously evolving and improving every aspect of winemaking and setting a worldwide standard for the art. ¡Salud!
Patatas Bravas
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RENÉE KOHLMAN
The potato will always be my carb of choice. Mashed, fried, roasted, I’m here for this tasty tuber in all of the ways. And then there is Patatas Bravas. I first tasted these potatoes in a small Spanish tapas bar in Edmonton years and years ago, and right from the first bite I was smitten. Something about these crispy, spicy, saucy, ethereal potatoes spoke to my young soul. While I’ve hoped to experience patatas bravas in the country of their origin, knowing that if I can’t hop a plane to Spain, making them at home is also an option.
So what’s so special about these spuds? This popular Spanish tapa, which translates to “Brave Potatoes” is a delicious combination of crispy fried potatoes topped with a spicy tomato sauce, or “salsa brava”, served with a dollop of garlic aioli. The allure of Patatas Bravas stems from its contrasting textures - crispy exteriors combined with fluffy centres - coinciding with the tangy, spicy sauce and creamy aioli. It’s a dish for the senses, if there ever was one. The smell alone drives one’s appetite into overdrive. No wonder this dish is on menus of Spanish restaurants all over the world. These positively perfect potatoes embody the essence of Spanish tapas: small plates of delicious food meant for sharing in a convivial setting. But in my experience, there’s always a little squabble over who gets the last potato.
Patatas Bravas originated from bustling taverns in Madrid around the middle of the twentieth century. As urbanization was transforming the country, bars started serving tapas to cater to the increasing population. The crispy potatoes served with spicy tomato sauce was thought to be a creation of Catalan or Andalusian cooks, who added a kick of heat to otherwise simple fried potatoes.
As with many traditional dishes, there are regional variations on this dish. Ingredients and preparation can vary slightly from region to region. For instance, in the area around Madrid, the sauce for the potatoes is laced with paprika, whereas around Catalonia the sauce can feature roasted red peppers, which offers a sweeter flavour profile. Regardless of what’s in the sauce, Patatas Bravas is a testament to Spain’s rich cultural heritage and its love for simple, yet flavourful, ingredients.
The real beauty of this potato dish lies in the simplicity of the ingredients. Look for potatoes that are waxy or starchy. Red or Russet potatoes work well, but if you can, shop for locally grown spuds at a farmers’ market near you. They’ll taste so much better than those sitting on store shelves. While you can go ahead and deep fry the potatoes, I find roasting them in olive oil at a high heat emits a lovely crispiness as well, plus my stove top has less mess to clean up. The sauce is rich with crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and a splash of vinegar. I also add a pinch of sugar to help round out the acidity. What puts these potatoes over top is aioli, and I make a simple one with mayo, lemon juice and garlic - no raw egg here.
This is a dish that represents the Spanish way of life - communal, lively, and full of zest, and whether you’re making these potatoes for a quiet night at home or a festive celebration, they are sure to add a little joy to a dining room near you.
Patatas Bravas
Serves 4
1.1 kg red or Russet potatoes, cut into chunks
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil
¼ tsp pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish
Tomato Sauce:
2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 - 796 mL can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp (5 mL) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) hot sauce of your choice
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Garlic Aioli:
½ cup (125 mL) olive oil mayonnaise
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) fresh lemon juice
Pinch salt and pepper
1. Place a large unlined baking sheet in the cold oven and preheat the oven to 500º F.
2. Add the baking soda and a generous pinch of salt to a pot of water and bring
it to a boil over high heat. When boiling, add the potatoes. Cover and bring back to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, set the timer for 1 minute. After they’ve been boiling for the minute, drain the potatoes in a colander. Return the potatoes to the pot and use a spatula to stir them around for 1 minute. This helps to break them down a little and give some cragginess to the exterior which enables the crispy goodness of these potatoes.
3. Pour in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir to evenly coat the potatoes. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and dump the potatoes onto it, spreading them into an even layer. Place them in the oven and turn the heat down to 450º F. Roast for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and flip the potatoes around with a spatula, then return them to the oven and roast for another 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the sauce: heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes (rinse the can out with about ½ cup (125 mL) of water and add this as well), smoked paprika, vinegar, hot sauce, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. You can leave the sauce chunky, or use an immersion blender to purée it like I did.
5. Make the aioli: add the mayo, garlic, and lemon juice to a small bowl, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
6. To serve: you can keep the sauces on the side or drizzle them onto the hot potatoes and serve with more of each sauce on the side for dipping. Top with chopped parsley for garnish.
Note: You likely won’t need all of this tomato sauce, but it freezes well and can be used for future cooking adventures.
Renée Kohlman is a busy food writer and recipe developer living in Saskatoon. Her two cookbooks ‘All the Sweet Things’ and ‘Vegetables: A Love Story’ have won awards and been on best-of lists.
The Side Kick That We Love The Potato
Russet potatoes are widely used the world over because they are basically a blank canvas for other flavours - mainly butter and more butter.
The russet contains less moisture and more starch which makes them super fluffy when baked, and crispy when fried. Two textures that are most adored next to our favourite source of protein. However, they fall apart in stews. So for stews, we want to choose a yellow potato which contains more moisture and doesn’t break down as quickly.
Kennebec potatoes don’t have the same prestige as the Idaho. Their name doesn’t come from a region. They have been bred by the USDA. Their claim to fame has been their use as a French fry potato because of their medium starch level and low water content. However, they can be used for other functions, such as mashed or stuffed potatoes.
You can thank Canada for developing the delicious Yukon Gold potato. Their high water content makes these potatoes taste creamier and can be used almost interchangeably with russets. Yukon’s biggest benefit is that they do not require peeling! Their thin skin vs the russet’s thick skin makes them a no-brainer when you are in a rush to get dinner on the table.
Fun fact - russet potatoes are the exact same as Idaho potatoes. Idaho potatoes are like Champagne or Port, meaning they carry the cachet of regional identification. Only potatoes grown in Idaho can be called Idaho potatoes even though they are russet potatoes. They pride themselves on having the ideal growing conditions for their potatoes which makes Idaho potatoes taste even better.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY NATALIE FINDLAY
Potato Pancakes
Makes 12 wedges
400 g russet potatoes
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black or white pepper
2 Tbs butter
1/3 cup flour plus extra for dusting Butter or oil for frying
1. Peel the potatoes, cut into chunks and place in a pot. Cover with cold water and season with salt.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer until tender about 15-18 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander then return them to the pot.
3. Add the pepper and butter and mash until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Let cool 5-10 minutes or until cool enough to touch.
4. Stir in the flour to turn the potatoes into a soft dough. Sprinkle your work surface with flour, then roll or pat the dough into a circle about ½-1 cm thick. Cut the circle into 8 triangles.
5. Heat a frying pan to medium heat, add butter or oil to the pan, then transfer the triangles into the pan without crowding them. Cook until browned on both sides and heated all the way through 3-5 minutes per side.
6. Keep cooked wedges warm in a 250º F oven until ready to serve.
And then the fun. These can be served with just about anything. If you would like them for breakfast, pair with eggs, bacon and sausages. Or for a sweet breakfast, serve with apple sauce, maple syrup and bacon. You can have them for dinner with sausages and roasted cabbage. You can have them for lunch with smoked salmon and cream cheese.
The list of delicious combinations is endless.
Potato, Beer and Cheddar Cheese Soup
Serves 6
6 strips uncooked bacon cut into small pieces (if using)
2 Tbs butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
½ tsp ground thyme, (or 8 sprigs fresh)
1 Tbs flour (rice flour if making gluten free)
1 cup (250 mL) beer (an amber beer has good flavour)
1 cup (250 mL) chicken broth
2 cups (500 mL) water
750 g Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into pieces
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp black or white pepper
¼-½ tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
300 g strong cheddar cheese, grated
Chives, sour cream, cheddar cheese and bacon (optional for garnish).
1. Place bacon in a medium Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp (as desired). Remove
bacon and set aside for garnish. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
2. Add the butter and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another minute.
3. Add the flour and stir into the ingredients and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Add the beer. Stir to combine and let reduce 5 minutes.
5. Add the chicken stock, water, potatoes, salt, pepper, chili powder and bay leaves and stir well.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender (25-35 minutes).
7. Remove approximately half the soup to purée in a blender until smooth. Check soup for taste and add more salt and pepper as desired. Return the puréed soup to the pot and add the cheddar cheese and stir to combine. Simmer 5-10 minutes and serve.
8. Top with desired garnishes.
Note: Purée half or all depending on how chunky you like your soup.
Potato Latkes
Makes 10
275 g onion
500 g russet potato, peeled
1 egg
1 green onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp baking powder
Olive oil for frying
1. Grate the onion and the potato. Place in a colander and squeeze to release their liquid.
2. Add the mixture to a large bowl. Add the egg, green onion, flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder and mix well.
3. In a large skillet, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium heat.
4. Spoon ¼ cup or a couple of large tablespoons of mixture into the skillet. Leave room between each mound. Do not crowd the skillet. Fry 3-5 minutes, turning once. They should be a golden brown. Adjust temperature if too dark or too light.
5. Transfer to a paper towel and keep warm in a 250º F oven until ready to serve.
Note:
The latkes can be fried early in the day then re-crisped on a baking sheet in a 350° F oven.
As with the potato pancakes, there are many ways to serve these. They are a great gluten-free option for eggs bennie. They make an easy make-ahead appetizer that people will adore. They are filling with breakfast, lunch and dinner, they’re easy and inexpensive. But they look fancy. Enjoy.
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.
STYLISH SHERRY
Ready for a Comeback
BY MARGAUX BURGESS
In the far southwest corner of Spain, tucked away in the very same corner Magellen departed from centuries ago, you will find the sundrenched sherry triangle, a trifecta of some of Spain’s most iconic wine-making cities.
Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María are almost a different world from Madrid and Barcelona. Considerably closer to Africa, with Tangier, Morocco only a brief 160 km away, this singular wine-making climate gives us a region and a collection of wines like no other.
The wines of sherry are predominantly (as much as 95 percent) produced with the palomino grape, the variety that is the backbone of dry sherry styles, including Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, and Oloroso. The remaining 5 percent comes from pedro ximénez (PX) and moscatel grapes, which are primarily used for making the sweeter styles of sherry.
We may be more familiar with the sweet sherries, “Harvey’s Bristol Cream” is so often spotted sitting on a back bar, so it is most often what we think sherry to be, but there are so many more styles to discover, and this diversity is one of the remarkable things about sherry.
The palomino grape is favoured because of its ability to express the unique aging
and fortification processes that shapes the wine's character. The production process includes fortification with grape spirit and aging in a solera system. The solera is a key component of sherry, and blends different vintages to create consistency and complexity. While fortified, sherry comes in several styles:
- Fino and Manzanilla are pale, dry, and aged under a layer of yeast, called ‘flor’, which protects them from oxidation.
- Amontillado starts as a Fino but is later exposed to oxygen, developing a nuttier flavour.
- Oloroso is aged without flor, resulting in a darker, fuller-bodied wine.
- Moscatel and PX sherries are intensely sweet, made from sun-dried grapes.
The aging process defines sherry styles. Biological aging under a layer of flor (yeast) occurs in Fino and Manzanilla, preventing oxidation and giving them a crisp, saline character. If flor dies off, the wine transitions into Amontillado, developing nutty, oxidized notes.
Oloroso undergoes oxidative aging from the start, becoming darker and fuller-bodied. Those sweet sherries are made differently. Moscatel and PX grapes are sun-dried before fermentation, creating intensely sweet wines with raisin-like flavours. Cream sherries are a
blend of Oloroso and sweet PX.
Sherry is also a rare gift, in that it is one of the most fool-proof wines for food and wine pairing. Pesky vegetables like artichoke or asparagus? Fino works every time. Gastrique or vinaigrette, no problem - amontillado will coax out all the flavours of the dish without being rendered moot. Oxtail and roast porkthey're practically made for Oloroso, a gem that will stand up to the heartiest of dishes and pull together all the different flavour elements.
Sherry is the sommelier’s secret weapon, and a wine that really has no equal in the world. Even now, after hundreds (probably at least) glasses of sherry throughout my career and multiple visits to Spain to enjoy it in-situ, every glass is almost like tasting it for the first time. Wine professionals will often say wine is a living thing, but the nuances of sherry production and uniqueness of its location truly do create a living wine that excites with every sip.
Margaux’s goal has always been to get people the tools to learn about, drink, love, and enjoy wine in the best way possible. Whether that means education, understanding the economics, import strategies or events, Margaux is passionate about ensuring the right resources are available.
THE NEW SPAIN
BY ERIKA TOCCO-ANDRYKA
Imagine yourself basking in the warm Spanish sun, surrounded by picturesque vineyards and incredible landscapes. As you glance down at your wine glass, what do you picture in there? Perhaps it's the fruity, higher alcohol, garnacha, or acidic, oaky tempranillos that come to mind. While Spain’s wines were once synonymous with bulk production of reds and whites that lacked complexity and intrigue, the narrative is shifting.
Just recently in France, a protest erupted against bulk wine production and importation, prompting over 500 winegrowers to destroy millions of gallons of Spanish wine. Strong reaction indeed. Interestingly, Spain boasts the highest vineyard acreage in the world (2,409,000 acres), but its yields remain fairly low due to the spacing between the vines (compared to the rest of Europe that likes to pack it in!). While wine store shelves here are filled with famous labels from Rioja and Ribera Del Duero, the lesserknown regions are making their way into our wine stores and onto our dining tables. Spain right now, with all its diversity, is a country producing its highest level of quality wines. The uncommon thing about Spain is that while it has wines that keep the serious wine nerds happy, it also is an excellent intro for people just getting into
wine, as it has an abundance of drinkable styles. It really does offer something for everyone, no matter where you are at on your wine journey. And best of all, the wines are very affordable, even the premium examples, when you compare them to the rest of Europe.
The roots of Spanish winemaking can be traced as far back as 1100 BC. It was valued much like a commodity - traded like the grain and olives they produced. It wasn’t until the Romans came that viticulture and the production of wine changed significantly. Another obstacle on the production side was Spain’s turbulent political history, it wasn’t until the country was reunified (in the late 1400s) that they began to export their products to the Americas. But as it turns out, that relationship with America would coincidentally spur the craze for oak barrels. After the adventures of the Spanish Armada in 1588, Spain literally couldn’t afford French barrels. This oak influence, thanks to America, became the lasting hallmark of every good Spanish wine. Spanish reds are some of the most heavily oak-aged wines; historically, reds and whites were more oxidized in style and heavy in alcohol. Keep in mind that Spain is up there with the likes of Italy and France, producing around 35.3 million hectoliters
yearly, ranking them in the number three spot for world wine production. That’s a lot of juice.
Spain may best be known for its tempranillo, arguably the country’s most famous grape varietal, but it’s the surge of the country’s indigenous varietals that are leading the path forward. A wine revolution is happening, led by the next generation of producers who are travelling the globe, learning new techniques and skills with a focus on Spain’s fantastic lesser-known terroirs that are largely unseen by the likes of most. Why not explore the hardy charm of monastrell from Jumilla, a small region on Spain’s Mediterranean coast? Slightly chilled, it goes delightfully with BBQ and pizza. Serving grilled pork? Graciano, a native red of Basque country is a great complement, with a savoury character and firm tannins.
This golden period is all about ushering in new innovative styles and philosophies in both the winery and the field, with a strong emphasis on less oak integration, biodynamic farming, and the 200+ indigenous varietals. Look for whites such as albariño (fantastic with fish!) and godello, which is amazing with poultry. Treixadura from the Ribeiro and tempranillo blanco showcase minerality, and complexity of flavour sometimes
with a touch of saline. For reds, Rioja remains a classic, but new hidden gems from the Canary Islands and inland Galicia are popping up faster than you can say “Flamenco!” Higher altitude garnacha is enjoying its moment, balanced by such fruit-driven varietals as delicious bobal, with its lovely velvety tannins and soft red fruit. Mencia from Bierzo, a region that can produce seriously concentrated, generous, earthy reds from vines that are largely worked by hand, and old vine monastrell from Valencia, a varietal that shows up as mourvèdre in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but its roots are deep in Spain’s viticultural history.
It is this low-intervention wine-making that is redefining Spain’s wine trade. Less sometimes really is more. Wines that are defined by their balance, purity, and freshness of fruit, tell us where they are from. Winemakers are utilizing organic cultivation, less use of additives, and less filtering/fining with lower levels of extraction, making dynamic wines that we want to buy. With new training and exploration of historic but undervalued terroir, Spain is competing with the rest of Europe on the wine stage.
With extensive experience in the hospitality industry, Erika Tocco-Andryka has a passion for education, Beaujolais, and dogs. She is currently on track to obtain her Argentinian Wine Specialist Certification. Erika currently resides in Calgary with her family.
Some wines to try:
Bodegas Lan 2017 Rioja Reserva, Rioja
An excellent example of Rioja wine. The flavours are intense and complex with layers of maraschino cherries, white flowers, sliced dried almonds and cinnamon. Creamy with hints of mocha and spices, the tannins are firm yet supple. A blend of tempranillo and mazuelo that comes from 25-year-old vines.
CSPC 743381 $29-33
Acústic Celler 2021 Blanc, Montsant
A blend of garnatxa blanca, pansal and macabeu made in Montsant from historic vineyards. Fermented in cement eggs and aged on the lees for 10 months. Rich in texture with an intense colour due to its maceration. Citrus-driven with notes of fennel and thyme, creamy in texture, with mineral notes and stone fruit.
CSPC 892050 $30-33
La Comarcal 2023 “Delmoro” Red Valencia
A boutique wine project made by rising star winemakers, Javi Revert and Victor Marques. Founded in 2017, the inspiration behind this wine brand was to showcase Valencian grape varietals from high-elevation vineyards. The resulting wines are fresh, vibrant, and youthful in style, with a bright fruit character and smooth finish.
CSPC 858282 $26-32
Emilio Moro 2021 Tempranillo
Ribera Del Duero
A consistent style of tempranillo from the dynamic family that is considered a pioneer in this region. Very intense black cherry on the nose, with an expressive character. Compressed dill, dried figs and hints of tobacco. Balanced with bright acidity with a long, opulent finish.
CSPC 729479 $42-45
Murviedro 2020 “Sericis” Cepas Viejas
Bobal, Requena
From a historical winery dating back to 1927. Brilliantly aromatic with ripe black fruits, reminiscent of violets and baking spice. Medium in body with a roundness that balances the acidity in the wine. Bobal is an under-the-radar varietal from regions like Castilla-La Mancha and Valencia.
CSPC 816659 around $28-29
Jose Antonio Garcia 2020 Unculin Blanco, Bierzo
Showcasing grapevines planted between 1920 and 1940, this wine has great potential for ageing. Godello is mediumbodied with a silky, creamy texture, and flavours of crushed gravel, brined grapefruit, and green apple, with hints of white flowers and fresh herbs. If you like white Côtes du Rhône wines, you will like this.
CSPC 847704 $27-31
Zarate Fento 2022 Bico Da Ran, Rias Baixas
Albariño hailing from a region that is known for producing Spain’s top-quality whites. Crisp and dry, the grapes are sourced from vineyards in the Valle Del Salnes which is considered a star sub-region for this varietal. Mineral-driven, with hints of lemon zest, honeydew melon, and nectarine. Dry, with a long finish.
CSPC 787375 $25-26
Vox Populi, Vox Dei
BY TOM FIRTH
Who’s right? Is it the voice of the public or the experts that really matter when it comes to what’s best in food and drink? For those who don’t speak Latin (I certainly don’t), “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” translates as “the voice of the people, is the voice of god”.
Think about any number of beverage reviewers, or even just the reviews if you use them, to guide your beverage purchases. Maybe you like to think you are quite knowledgeable and only drink 90+ point wines or maybe rush out at a moment’s notice and buy the Top 100 list from… the Spectator or whomever. Or perhaps you are craving a little more of the personal touch and choose your drinks based on the sommelier at the restaurant or the expert at the shop you buy from? First off, having a “source” who knows you and even better, knows your tastes, is the best way to go but what about all those other faceless organizations who try to be the arbiter of good taste?
Beverages are likely the worst culprit for breathless reviewers churning out 100 point reviews or influencers claiming the “best vintage ever” or a certain, possibly previously unknown region, brewery or distillery creating some nearly life-altering new thing that if you haven’t tried it, heard about it, or are in the know about it, you might be a lesser person. This is around in the food world too, but with a little less enthusiasm, and offset by more “players in the game” sharing insight into what’s good, and our need to eat several times a day over drinking alcohol, which could rarely be classified as a “need”.
But whose voice matters more? Is it the experts, tasked with finding the very best using years upon years of diligent learning and experience, or is it the voice of the people?
Balancing a subjective assessment objectively is difficult business. The best professional tasters compare their (hopefully) vast experience tasting similar bottles
and extrapolate that to the current thing. Cabernet sauvignon for example was historically “greener” in flavour than it is today. Traditional examples were from cooler locations, and generally harvested earlier in the growing season with less ripeness – often in advance of potentially ruinous autumn rains. Armed with that knowledge, one can approach newer, riper bottlings from warmer climates with greater context. This of course is a gross oversimplification, but assessing these things are some of what makes the difference between being an enthusiast – and an expert.
On the other hand, the popular vote if you will, is really about what simply tastes good. Or resonates with the most people at this moment. An “Adam Sandler” movie is rarely going to represent the pinnacle of the filmmaker’s art, yet they consistently earn significant revenues at the box office or on streaming services, are watched by millions, and presumably these regular offerings are keeping Mr. Sandler well-stocked in Ferraris, yachts, or whatever it is that he enjoys spending his buckets of money on. I’d argue that most patrons of his films likely don’t really care what the experts have to say about those films.
For a different perspective, I asked food writer and columnist for CBC radio and the Calgary Herald (and frequent Culinaire contributor) Elizabeth Chorney-Booth for her take on the experts versus the people. According to her, “There's a common perception that all opinions about food or drink are subjective, but I don't believe that's true. An experienced professional should be able to set personal preference aside and evaluate a dish or restaurant's technical skill, creativity, balancing of flavours, sourcing of ingredients, ability to pair beverages, etc. on a fairly objective level.” Further adding that, “Experience lends a deeper depth of knowledge. Professionals have (likely) seen other examples of a specific cuisine or dish to compare something against.”
Even at the Alberta Beverage Awards, a drinks competition for which I have been the competition director since it’s inception, and in 2025 going into its 13th year, we go to great
Celebrate Rioja’s 100th Anniversary
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The value of a well-run awards program cannot be underestimated. By that I mean one that recognizes that it captures a snapshot - what was available at that moment and in that market. Good judges assess a wine more objectively, a product may be outside their own palate but still has quality attributes.
effort to find – and keep – judges that have the expertise to know what something should taste like, and still try to think if the consumer would still be well served by the example. Mary Bailey, from The Tomato magazine in Edmonton shares that, “The value of a well-run awards program cannot be underestimated. By that I mean one that recognizes that it captures a snapshot - what was available at that moment and in that market. Good judges assess a wine more objectively, a product may be outside their own palate but still has quality attributes.” But it’s worth noting that, “(good judges) are more interested in overall quality and perhaps less interested in trends.”
So perhaps, those experts might know what they are talking about, and are able to set aside personal preferences and say, “as these things go, fans of a particular style will be well served here”. But even these experts in their lofty towers need to be crucially aware of what is happening in the everyday world. Aside from Gordon Ramsay’s family, there probably aren’t many people who eat his food nearly everyday. Chorney-Booth calls this, “a reality check” adding, “It can be easy to get stuck in a bubble, and comparing notes with colleagues and also paying attention to what the public (who vote in greater numbers) like, is really important. I see it as a form of professional development.”
Professional development is a good way to look at it, but even knowing where tastes are heading is what being a professional is about. Who loves riesling the most?
Occasional wine drinkers at Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, and wine nerds. Bailey additionally points out that, “People's Choice awards are similar, they highlight what people are liking at that moment. But rarely do people vote for something they are not familiar with or don’t drink.”
Though social media has given tremendous voice to all sides of any particular topic, it does also mean that sometimes it’s more about who is loudest rather than who is serious. Same too with online or posted reviews; at times it’s easy to figure out the fake reviews either from those not getting their way and trumpeting a bad experience or someone on the other end trying to prop up a middling thing with some glowing review that couldn’t be written with a straight face.
But Bailey, Chorney-Booth, and I, see reader and people’s choice awards as a complement to what the “professionals” are doing. It allows for more to earn those accolades and recognition that these great products or places need. And I’d daresay that the two - the people’s choice and the expert’s choice - are equally valid.
~ Mary Bailey, The Tomato magazine
March Spirits
We were at a bit of an impasse this month deciding what spirits to share. Sure, spring isn’t quite here yet, but it is around the corner. Our “theme” this month is the country of Spain and centre stage is its rich history of food and drink, but it’s also March – and celebrating St Patrick’s Day is a fun experience for many
BY TOM FIRTH AND LINDA GARSON
Canadians. Finally, speaking of Canadians – we also wanted to share some of the good things being made at home too. So we just said let’s include a little of all of these. A Scotch, aged in Spain, a pair of excellent Spanish spirits, some Irish whiskey, and a brand new to market Single Malt whisky from Eau Claire – enjoy!
Writer’s Tears Single Pot Still Tequila Cask Finish Irish Whiskey, Ireland
It’s an absolute treat to see all these fun cask finishes and new expressions of Irish whiskey (don’t forget the “e”). We also believe it’s the first time we’ve seen an Irish whiskey finished in tequila casks too. A finely crafted, and very smooth expression of the spirit with all the right support from the tequila casks lending a bit of smoke, salinity, and even a little “oomph” to the spirit too. Excellent. Bottled at 47 percent ABV, it’s best neat.
CSPC 349561 About $150-160
Nomad Outland Whisky 10 Year Old Reserve, Spain
A Scotch whisky, whisked away for aging in Spain in both oloroso and pedro ximénez casks seems like a natural fit, with warmer Spain accelerating the process of barrel aging. Still, this Nomad spends a respectable ten years in barrels. Rich with toffee and dark honey aromas and abundant wood spiciness, this all comes together in the palate best where the 43 percent ABV seems a little hotter, but the evolution over the tasting experience is full of robust barrel notes and subtle dark chocolate and berry fruit. A splash of water will help you get the most out of the experience, but it’s a fine treat on a cool day.
CSPC 880237 About $140
Eau Claire Anniversary Edition Single
Malt Canadian Whisky, Alberta
Alberta's Eau Claire Distillery has been producing its spirits since 2014, and to commemorate the 10th anniversary they've released a special limited edition single malt whisky that could be their finest to date. It’s finished in pedro ximénez sherry casks from the Ximénez-Spínola family winery, which add an immediate, and delightfully luscious, sweetness on the nose and the palate, to this rich and layered, spicy sipper. Just a drop or two of water brings out the cherry and vanilla flavours too. One for the collectors!
CSPC 121161 $150
Jaime 30 “Jaime I” Brandy, Spain
An homage to the founder of Bodegas Torres in 1870, Don Jaime Torres (pronounced hy-me), this brandy is 100 percent parellada grapes, to which are added a little 1972 eau-de-vie of folle blanche lees, and it’s aged in the solera method, where very old vintage brandies are selected to blend in to the final product to give an average age of 30 years. Not only but also… the bottle is based on a design by Barcelona architect, Antoni Gaudi! Super smooth, dark and welcoming, you’ll be delighted by the treacly, toffee, dried fruit flavours, and uber-long finish – another ‘oh wow’ moment!
CSPC 743822 $130-$140
The Irishman Caribbean Cask Finish Irish Whiskey, Ireland
Continuing the journey of wonderful Irish whiskey expressions, comes the Irishman Caribbean cask. No age statement was readily apparent, but the brightly present cereal and citrus notes are certainly at home with the light toffee and sugar cane, syrupy barrel notes. Quite heated on the palate, but the rum and wood characters lend an almost juicy, barely sweet flavour that is welcome indeed. A splash of water would suffice, but my plan would be one small ice cube or serve ever so slightly chilled.
CSPC 840235 $100-110
Torres 20 Hors d’Age Brandy, Spain
Torres brandies have been lauded for almost a century now: the first to distil the native parellada with the French Cognac grape, ugni blanc – and both distilled separately - twice in traditional stills. A rich tawny colour, you’re greeted by scents of cacao, walnuts, and a hint of orange peel, and savouring it slowly on the palate, as it opens up, you become aware of the new Limousin oak aging, and with it those secondary flavours of vanilla and spice. One of the most awarded brandies in the world, it’s a beautiful sip, and an outstanding value.
CSPC 721388 $66-73
Craft Beer In Alberta: NOT THE ROARING TWENTIES
BY DAVID NUTTALL
It has been a while since we looked at the craft beer scene in Alberta. As we head into the second half of this century’s third decade, it seems like a good time to catch up. Needless to say, the ‘20s have not been kind to the brewing industry (or most retailers as a whole), given that it started with a global pandemic that led to government enforced closures.
Taking away the walk-in consumer in addition to one of their best customers (restaurants and bars) put a big hurt on all breweries. Even coming out of the pandemic, the economy as a whole was hit with employment problems, supply and transportation issues, and high inflation. All this made it a very difficult time for breweries.
In the ensuing years after the provincial government regulations
changed minimum production limits in December 2013, breweries began popping up all over Alberta at a rate of around 26 per year from 2015-2020. This includes all forms of breweries, from contract brewers (who produce beers for those with no equipment or building of their own yet) to client brewers (those getting their beer produced elsewhere) to regular breweries/brewpubs you can visit.
No one thought opening over 25 new breweries a year was going to last forever, it was just a matter of when things were going to slow down and reach a point of stasis. During this time a couple of breweries closed, some were sold but remained basically unchanged, and some flipped to completely new ownership. None of this was totally unexpected, but when the calendar
turned to 2020, things were thrown for a bit of a loop. The COVID period and beyond still saw growth with around 20 breweries total opening from 2021-2023, mainly because most business plans were in place before the pandemic hit and those breweries came to fruition during this period. Nevertheless, the inevitable slowdown was now evident. However, 2024 presented an even different set of challenges. Not only did the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan repayments become due in January, but rental increases and higher mortgage interest rates in many locations became additional burdens to both new and existing breweries. Of course, these are national issues, and were reflected in the number of brewery openings and closings across Canada. For the first time
in decades, almost all provinces had a net loss in the number of breweries. Alberta stayed at about the same number as 2023 (it’s more complicated than you think to ascertain brewery numbers exactly, see below), but one thing is clear, the Great Canadian Brewery Building Era is over. While any number of factors may be contributing to this, in 2024 Alberta saw its share of unusual circumstances affecting local breweries. It began in January, when both Elite Brewing and Revival Brewcade of Calgary closed down. However, Revival was, um, revived, as Burn Block Social Club under new ownership, and to the delight of many, kept the pinball machines. Elite returned, newly renovated and rebranded in February as Paradise Brewing Company, but only lasted a few months before it too closed.
Blind Enthusiasm of Edmonton closed its restaurant Biera and Market brewery at the end of the year, but kept their fermentation program and tasting room in their Monolith location. The owners
hope the Market space will be revamped as a new brewery/restaurant under someone else’s watch.
No one thought opening over 25 new breweries a year was going to last forever, it was just a matter of when things were going to slow down and reach a point of stasis.
A different kind of loss was felt in Calgary when the popular Inglewood brewery Ol’ Beautiful burned down at the end of June. Their beer is still being produced off-site, and while their building gets rebuilt, they have a space on First Street SW called the Sound Room that acts as a sort of pop-up tasting room.
In another new development, two 10-year-old breweries, Blindman Brewing of Lacombe and Calgary’s Dandy Brewing Company joined forces in a “strategic partnership” (their words) which was neither a merger nor a contract brewing arrangement. The plan is to brew Dandy’s main beers at Blindman, thus increasing their capacity and improving their economic viability; the Dandy brewery in the Ramsay area can then concentrate on small batch beers that will most likely stay in house. Plans are to expand the taproom allowing for greater use of their restaurant space.
Another partnership of sorts was formed in June when Common Crown sold its brewery in Calgary to Origin Malting and Brewing Company of Strathmore, giving the latter two taprooms to purvey their beers. Common Crown beers are still being produced at the old facility, while they work on opening their new taproom in Bridgeland.
Alas, say goodbye to Asymmetrical Brewing of Edmonton, Siding 14 in Ponoka, Camrose’s Battle River Brewing, and Heathen’s, Rapid Ascent, and OT Breweries, all in Calgary. While there are a few new locations hoping to open soon in 2025, a new brewery did appear in a sadly underserved area of Calgary. Last November, Brewsmith Brewing debuted in beautiful downtown Bowness, representing the only brewery in the northwest quadrant of the city.
So as 2025 moves on, expect to see a few new breweries arrive and probably a couple to disappear. The craft beer segment of the alcohol market continues to shrink as consumers switch to alternative beverages including RTDs, non-alcoholic drinks, and other options.
Breweries will need to expand their portfolios to include a greater variety of products beyond beer just to keep people walking through their doors. Here’s hoping the economy improves and craft breweries remain the community hubs they have always been in the past.
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.
MAKING THE CASE For Spain!
By TOM FIRTH
The wines of Spain are some of the great wine values in Europe. Blessed with a long tradition of winemaking, a rich and diverse culinary history, and together, that creates some exciting food and drink pairings suitable for the coldest days and the hottest summer evenings. Spain’s paellas are brilliant and muchloved the world over, but at the same time their love of tapas or “small plates” make for delightful matches for snack food or some light noshing.
Spain’s wines tend to be red for us, and are usually grenache-based or tempranillo, but I’d strongly encourage trying some of the delightful whites which are unique, spicy and versatile, and their sparkling wines which – just like the whites (and reds) - have been improving in leaps and bounds in recent decades. So, if you think you “know” Spanish wine already, there is probably something new and noteworthy to try from Spain. This month is also Rioja's Centennial, and to celebrate, twenty participating restaurants are offering a complimentary tapa with a glass of Rioja wine including the red Rioja wines described here. See shoprioja.com for details. Salud!
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.
Borsao 2019 Berola, Aragon, Spain
Another “crazy-good” grenache – this time blended to great effect with syrah, yielding a robust nose of darker fruits, spice, and a darker, earthier expression. Mouth-filling and exceptionally well balanced, there is a slight jamminess to the flavours, but never gooey or overwrought. Very tasty and delicious on its own, it would thrive at the table with hearty beef dishes, but also spicier pork dishes too. A hit at my table.
CSPC 756863 $22-26
Botijo 2022 Rojo, Valdejalon Spain
A fine bookend to the white wine, the red - or rojo - is built with grenache (the red version), and certainly made in expert hands with generous fruits leaning towards those summery berries like strawberry and raspberry, with a lifted flowery character and mild earthiness. A pretty refreshing red, it’s great to enjoy on its own, but will work with cured meats and hard cheese too.
Castillo de Monséran, 2021 Garnacha Cariñena, Spain
I’ll certainly never get bored talking about wines that offer exceptional value, but this is a near staple for people looking for a beautiful wine at an unbeatable price. Aromas are rather subtle with soft woodsy notes, fresh turned earth, and some expressive, cherry-type fruits. On the palate it’s soft, easy, and slightly spicy, with mild tannins too. Works great at the table, but I enjoyed this best with firm cheese and a movie.
CSPC 197806 $16-18
Vino Atlantico 2021 Txakoli, Vizcaya Spain
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.
Something new under the sun for sure for most wine drinkers, this wine is made with hondarrabi zerratia, and brings a tasting experience that is very similar to chenin blanc. Bright and zesty with loads of saline and mineral characters on both the nose and palate. Best of all is the slightly juicy finish that really keeps you coming back for another sip! Serve chilled but not cold, and try matching with flavourful white meats or white fish dishes if you can.
CSPC 896940 $41-44
Borsao
2022
Garnacha Seleccion Aragon Spain
An exceptional value and a consistently good wine year after year, the grenache (using the more common, international name of the grape) is supported by a little tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon. Lively, and both floral and fruit driven on the nose, flavours are juicy and generous with red berry notes and a long, plummy/ rich finish. Completely crushable and
A wine that checks off all the boxes with vibrant cherry fruits, intense floral aromas, spice box, and more subtle scents of oranges and strawberry candies. A lovely wine, and one that does work with a light chilling before serving as tannins are fairly soft, and fruits are prominent. A treat to enjoy on its own, but would be a fine drink to enjoy with a good charcuterie board and slow cooked or braised meats.
Sure, the reds from Spain seem to get most of the attention, but the whites are noteworthy too – in no small part due to their versatility with food – and their suitability for hot weather enjoyment. That said, I’d suggest not serving this too cold to let the citrus and pear aromas shine through, and the palate show off its clean fruits of apple, pear, lemon, and a lengthy, textured finish. Try with seafoods, grilled poultry, or even just some lightly salted almonds.
CSPC 804067 $17-20
Monséran 2018 Reserva Old Vines Garnacha, Cariñena, Spain
Oh, this is the ticket. Instantly, upon pouring it into a glass, it’s incredibly floral, spicy, and complex with cherry and plum style fruits, liquorice root, resinous, and almost tarry too. Let’s share a little round of applause too for old vines and their ability to produce (much) less quantity but higher quality fruit. A pleasure to drink, and from start to finish interesting and enjoyable. Definitely worth a try. Match with anything protein-rich, with a little spice, and yes – a little fat too.
CSPC 721900 $16-19
Botijo 2023 Blanco, Valdejalon
Spain
A beautiful bottle to enjoy yearround but perhaps at its best when the sun is shining and the snow banished for a while. Primarily white grenache, and spending a little time on the lees and no time in the barrel, the result is a layered and complex white with appley fruits, a mild biscuity note, and a generous finish.
CSPC 879447 $24-28
Made from 90 percent tempranillo with 10 percent mazuelo, from the family winery of one of Spain’s renowned oenologists, Isaac Fernández Montaño, this is a great value wine. Bursting with red liquorice and cherry flavours, and backed by notes of brush and garrigue, it’s a soft and easy drinking, crowdpleaser (is there such a thing as too easy drinking?), with just enough spice and oak characteristics to be perfect with so many dishes from pulled pork to paella.
CSPC 114264 around $16
Alba Vega 2023 Albariño, Rias Baixas
Spain
The wide world of white wines is a rewarding journey, and albariño is a favourite grape of mine. Lively citrus notes – primarily lime and quince with a little almond and straw to round out the nose. Excellent weight on the palate with fine acids from start to finish and a lengthy progression from stage to stage. A little tart at times, but if you don’t serve it too cold, you’ll be rewarded with all the subtle floral and nutty flavours. Excellent with seafood, lighter pastas, and fresh salted almonds.
CSPC 880758 $25-28
CSPC 790866 About $21-25
Cune 2022
Rosé season might seem far away, but I’d argue that rosé season is anytime you want one! Made from 100 percent tempranillo, aromas are spicy and summery with a mild strawberry rock candy and a touch of blackberry too. Nice and dry with no sweetness, but a rather mid-weight body on this wine that can tolerate a little bit of chilling. Would be a great bottle for the table when pastas with seafood or creamier sauces are planned or some salty snacks. Delicious.
CSPC 804330 $20-23
Izadi
The winery was founded in 1987, and in that relatively short timeframe has built a reputation for modern wines of the highest quality. The Rioja is all about old vines with low yields and a vineyard first winemaking mentality. Incredible fruits with a slightly dusty, dried herb vein throughout for the nose with a full, richly balanced flavour profile too. Tannins are tight, but supportive of flavours and a lengthy, polished finish rounds it out. Will work very well with Alberta’s love of beef – hint hint.
CSPC 800080 $28-30
Rosado Rioja, Spain
Bideona 2021 "Mayela" Rioja, Rioja Spain
Cune 2022 Monopole Blanco Seco Rioja, Spain
Vina Otano 2023 Rioja, Spain
2019 Rioja Reserve, Rioja, Spain
Riedel Laudon Tumblers
We spend a lot of time thinking about our drinks, and choose our glasses carefully for wine, but admittedly, we often just grab the first rocks glass that comes to hand for highballs. Not so anymore with the Riedel Laudon tumblers; they shine like jewels in the glass cabinet! These beautiful, 10-ounce, cut-crystal glasses are weighty and have a modern, yet retro look of a different era, reminiscent of the ruby glassware our great aunts had. And they come in a range of colours so you won’t get them mixed up! $95
Dolce and Veloce Cookies
It’s all in the family for Alessia Bellusci. As part of Calgary’s Mercato Gourmet family, she remembers her Nonna always cooking up something sweet, and now with a passion for baking, she’s carrying on the heritage with her new range of Dolce & Veloce cookies. Striking in their magenta packaging, Bellusci has created sweet treats - many gluten-free, such as her Solo Chianti – a chocolate cookie made with wine, and her little Brutti Coconut and Raspberry Rosa meringues. At all Italian Centre Shop and Mercato locations.
Norteña - authentic family recipes from the north of Mexico
Karla Zazueta is from Ensenada, a city on the coast of northern Baja California, hence her book ‘Norteña’ (a native woman from northern Mexico), and while it’s full of familiar dishes (who knew Fish Tacos (p.62) came from Ensenada!) and many that we’ve yet to learn (Potato Fried Taquitos (p.42) and Mango, Lime & Chile Popsicles (p.159) are on my list!), there’s a lot to read of the traditions and events that are a big part of the cuisine. We love that she gives us busy people twelve menu plans too! $35 Interlink Books.
Partake Brewing Hop Twist Sparkling Hop Water
What is this world coming to? These days, our shelves are chock-a-block with alcohol-free beverages, and our attention is constantly flitting to the next thing that best fits the void. Partake Brewing (well known for their alcohol-free beers) is making a zero calorie, zero sugar sparkling water. With a good blast of citrus from real fruit, and a fairly subtle hop flavour and texture, this was a very refreshing, and fairly well-balanced tasty treat – without any guilt. Widely available, $9/4 pack 12oz cans.
Our Place Large Wonder Oven
We’ve trialled a number of air fryers, and were excited to hear that Our Place have released a larger size of their original Wonder Oven – it’s a really good looking appliance, and has toxin-free, non-stick surfaces. The oven is large enough to easily roast a whole chicken, and has three cooking racks, as well as a steam infusion function so your food crisps on the outside while being moist and tender inside (try rejuvenating your day-old bread!). It preheats quickly, and as well as roasting, steaming, and air frying, you can bake, toast, keep warm, and reheat! $295 fromourplace.ca
Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Portable
6-Quart
Programmable Slow Cooker
Are you busy and cooking for a crowd, or batch cooking? The FlexCook setting on this clever programmable slow cooker from Hamilton Beach means you can set two heat settings and cooking times, so you don’t even have to be there to reset it, and when it’s finished cooking, it automatically switches to warm. Job done! With a 6-quart capacity, you can cook a large chicken or roast that would easily serve seven or more people, and the clip-tight lid and handles make it easy to carry with no spills! Widely available, $98-110
The Best of NOtaBLE
March 6 and April 11
Return of the classics! NOtaBLE The Restaurant is celebrating 15 years this year, and we’re celebrating with a pairing menu of their much-loved classic dishes over the last 15 years. We’ve added a new date on April 11!
Corks and Talks with Brian Keating at Safari Grill, March 15
Brian Keating has been filming more animal antics to entertain us with hilarious new videos and stories, while we're feasting on a new 6-course menu of Safari Grill's satisfying and flavourful food!
Vine & Dine at Queens
March 20 and 27
We're coming back again to Queens on March 20 and 27, when they’re opening
just for us with an outstanding menu for our six-course pairing dinner, created especially for Vine & Dine!
Vine & Dine at Thai Sa-On
April 15, 24, and 30
Our evenings at Thai Sa-On last year so were so fun and so delicious, that in April we’re coming back for three more evenings with a new 6-course pairing menu honouring traditional Royal Thai cuisine as well as with new dishes to tempt your tastebuds!
Vine & Dine at Sumaq
May 8, 13, and 28
A first for Vine & Dine! Three evenings at Sumaq, savouring six authentic Peruvian dishes, each paired to complement the flavours, and learning about the rich heritage of this remarkable cuisine!
Wine and culinary tour to Alsace and Champagne
September 19-October 1, 2025
Our wine and culinary tour to Alsace and Champagne last year was superb so
we're repeating it this autumn, however we’re sold out now and planning our Rhône Valley Tour for next year! Ask to be on the advance notice list!
Vine & Dine Wine Course
We’re looking at potentially bringing back our Wine Basics course – the course that sold out 60 times before Covid! Let us know if you are interested.
NEWS, NEWS, NEWS!
Our 11th Annual Culinaire Calgary Treasure Hunt is Sunday May 25! And we’ve planned a new and exciting “We’re Thrown for a Loop – Which Way to Go?!” World Taste Tour with new treats to enjoy. Sign up at culinairemagazine.ca/treasure-hunt
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.
...with Lino Oliveira
BY QUINN CURTIS AND LINDA GARSON
PHOTO BY DONG KIM
"Igrew up mainly with my mom, and I was always watching what she was cooking. I was always fascinated with food, and I had to cook for myself at a very young age because she was busy. I really thought she was the best cook in the world, and I wanted to cook like her,” says Adelino Oliveira (Lino for short), chef and owner of Edmonton’s Sabor restaurant and Bodega Tapas and Wine Bars.
Oliveira lives and breathes hospitality. Born in Portugal, he immigrated to Canada in 1977 and started working in restaurants at a very young age. “In 1984, I got my first job in this industry as a busboy in a restaurant that — to this day in Edmonton, I haven’t seen anything of that calibre. Victor’s was a very high-end, Frenchstyle establishment. It was the type of restaurant where you couldn’t go in without a tie and a blazer,” says Oliveira.
When he and his wife decided to
move back to Portugal and open a small café on the beach, he never imagined it would spark his lifelong career as a chef and restaurant owner. “For the first year, I was taught by my customers how to cook. Portuguese people believe they’re the best cooks in the world, and they would actually come right into the open kitchen and tell me how I should do things — saying it was good, but I should do it this way, or that their mother does it like that. Then I developed relationships and learned from the ladies who sold me fish down at the docks, the vegetable vendors on the street, the butcher, the baker — everybody. They really helped me create what I do now. The community was my schooling,” says Oliveira.
But it was tough to be a restaurant owner in Portugal in the 2000s. Inflation started to take its toll, so people weren’t going out as much. That’s when he and his wife decided to move back to Canada
in 2007 and open a restaurant, bringing a little piece of Portugal with them.
“Now, our small restaurant that we opened is 200 seats, and I’m still learning!” laughs Oliveira. “Sabor started off as a smaller space, meant to feel as much like home as I could make it. And home to me is a small restaurant that serves what I would put on my table, what my family would eat, and what my mother would have fed me back in the day. It’s about bringing that feeling of home — the culture where I come from, where I grew up, where I learned how to cook, where I learned how to eat.”
Sabor grew exponentially in popularity, and since it was on the upper floor of a building, Oliveira decided to expand to street level as well. “So we set up a little tapas bar downstairs, where I would just stand in the afternoon. Especially in the summer, with the doors open, people could come in, have a glass of wine, and enjoy some tapas,” he says.
The only problem? They couldn’t keep the street-level part open in the winter. “So one day, we thought, why don’t we just open a bar down here, give it a new name, a new menu where tapas is the focus, and create a new space? And we called it Bodega.”
Now, Oliveira has turned the small tapas bar that Edmontonians could previously only enjoy in the summer into a thriving restaurant chain with seven locations across the city.
So, you may be wondering, what bottle is a man like this saving for a special occasion? Well actually, there are two: one for Oliveira, who was born in 1968, and one for his wife, who was born in 1971.
“When my wife and I got married in Portugal, the priest who married us was a regular customer at our establishment. He used to come every night, have his coffee, and sit there reading the paper. We got to know him and developed a friendship, and he told us that if we ever got married, he wanted to officiate the ceremony. On our wedding day, he gave me a 1968 bottle of port and gave my wife a 1971 bottle of port,” says Oliveira.
This year’s Taste of Bragg Creek culinary showcase takes place on Friday, April 25th from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Participating Bragg Creek & Area restaurateurs and liquor merchants will feature their culinary skills and products for folks from near and far. Visit Bragg Creek to quench a thirst or satisfy your fussy palate. There’s always lots to choose from. Tasting tickets will be sold at convenient locations in the shopping areas during the festivities. We also offer the convenience of online tasting ticket pre-sales through the month of April, so be sure to follow us on social media for updates. You’ll be able to go door to door and sample delectable fare and many of our retail merchants will stay open late to showcase their wares. Bring the whole pride and make it a Bragg Creek date. For complete details visit tasteofbraggcreek.ca facebook.com/tasteofbragg @ tasteofbraggcreek
