Culinaire 3:8(jan:feb2015)

CALGARY / FOOD & DRINK / RECIPES :: VOLUME 3 NO.8 :: JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

POURING OVER

RESOLUTIONS

FOR ANOTHER NEW YEAR

FOOD TRENDS FOR 2015

EATING WELL ON THE SLOPES

Simple Simon’s Success | Chinese New Year | Value & Variety, Grapes & Grains

It’s January now – a good time to make healthier choices. From deli to dairy, across 3 stores, our aisles are packed full of organic, locally-sourced meat, fruit and vegetables, supplements, body care and home products. They’ve been researched, reviewed and carefully selected so that you get what you deserve – the very best.

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VOLUME 3 / ISSUE #8 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Features 12

8 Food Trends for 2015 What’s going to be hot in Calgary this year… and what’s on the way out?

by Dan Clapson

28

Ski Hill Dining Both Eagle’s Eye and Post Hotel are far more than places to eat at the slopes

by Mallory Frayn and Linda Garson

40

Variety Packs Spicing up your craft beer choices with seasonal and sampler mixed packs

by David Nuttall

Departments 16

Food For Thought The psyche of eating and healthy living

by Mallory Frayn

20

Calgary’s Very Own Pie Man Simple Simon’s elevating the humble pie

by Elizabeth Chorney-Booth

26 Restaurant Makeover The transformation of the

Hidden Gem competition winner

by Linda Garson 30 Hot Toddy-Today!

Our favourite winter cold cure-all

by Rebecca Davis 31 Find Your Best: Café Where do you go for your cup

of Joe?

by Laura Lushington, Diana Ng,

Vincci Tsui, and Dan Clapson

36 Ring In The New Year

Of The Goat Celebrating Chinese New Year

in Calgary

by Terry Lo

6

Salutes and Shout Outs

8

Book Review

10

Ask Culinaire

38 Table For One

7 good reasons to dine alone

by Heather Hartmann

14

Chefs’ Tips — and Tricks!

18

Soup Kitchen

44 The Many Faces of Grappa

Understanding Italy’s grape spirit

by Erika Tocco

22 Step-By-Step: Chocolate

Pistachio Energy Bites

46 Concocting with Craft Beer Dark and Stormy Beer Cocktail

by Meaghan O’Brien 48 The Case For Wine Value wines for post-holiday pockets

by Linda Garson 50 Open That Bottle Jeremy Bryant of Mealshare

by Linda Garson

24 Menu Gems 34

8 Easy Ingredient Substitutions For Your New Year’s Resolutions

On the Cover: With many thanks to Ingrid Kuenzel for the photography, and Vendome Café for the delicious butternut squash soup, bacon cheese scone, coffee, window ledge and patience.

Watch culinairemagazine.ca for recipes.

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Letter From The Editor Did you make New Year’s resolutions?

What do you mean you’ve already broken them? To get you back on track, we’ve focused on healthy eating, and seeing as it’s a joint January/February issue, you have lots of time to put it into practice. Look for our eight food trends for this year too!

January again? Well they say it’s a sign of age when the years roll by so quickly, but I prefer to think of it as a full and busy life. Time drags slowly for idle hands, and these hands are rarely idle.

They’re usually holding a knife and fork, regularly chopsticks, and between bites, a glass of carefully paired wine. Well, I have to walk my talk.

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It’s cold, I know, so find your best café here and snuggle up with a cup of your favourite, or maybe it’s pie time with our Calgary success story. You’re out on the slopes? Well in the interests of bringing you only the best, we ventured west to test out a couple of places you definitely won’t want to miss. I’ll race you back to both of them!

Chinese New Year will soon be upon us too; it’s a time for family reunions and for honouring ancestors, and we’ve explained six of the main dishes you’ll want to include in your celebrations

From the winner of the Culinaire cocktail-making lesson for two behind The Coup’s bar with owner, Dalia.

We attended the cocktail lesson. It was WONDERFUL. We got to experience a good time with great people and learned some things along the way. The creativity of Dalia and her staff inspired us to try new things and for that we are fortunate and grateful. Thanks for everything!

Grace T, Calgary

– and the restaurants to find them if you’re not hosting this year.

Gung Hay Fat Choy – here’s to a prosperous Year of the Goat to all.

Cheers, Linda Garson, Editor-in-Chief

CALGARY / FOOD & DRINK / RECIPES Editor-in-Chief/Publisher: Linda Garson linda@culinairemagazine.ca Consulting Publisher/ Keiron Gallagher Advertising: 403-975-7177 sales@culinairemagazine.ca Contributing Food Editor: Dan Clapson dan@culinairemagazine.ca Contributing Drinks Editor: Tom Firth tom@culinairemagazine.ca Digital Media: Mallory Frayn web@culinairemagazine.ca Design: Emily Vance Contributors: Elizabeth Chorney-Booth Rebecca Davis Mallory Frayn Andrea Fulmek Heather Hartmann Renee Kohlman Ingrid Kuenzel Terry Lo Laura Lushington Karen Miller Diana Ng David Nuttall Meaghan O’Brien Erika Tocco Vincci Tsui

To read about our talented team of contributors, please visit us online at culinairemagazine.ca.

Contact us at: Culinaire Magazine #1203, 804 -3rd Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 0G9 403-870-9802 info@culinairemagazine.ca www.facebook.com/CulinaireMagazine Twitter: @culinairemag Instagram: culinairemag For subscriptions, competitions and to read Culinaire online: culinairemagazine.ca

Our Contributors < Dan Clapson

Dan Clapson is a food writer and columnist in Calgary. He writes regularly for many Canadian outlets including Avenue, up! Magazine and Food Network Canada and is also a panelist for enRoute’s “Canada’s Best New Restaurants” awards. In fall 2013, he co-founded Eat North, a food-focused media outlet specializing in Canadian cuisine. He loves home cooking as much as dining out, so check out his popular blog, Dan’s Good Side.

< Heather Hartmann

Heather grew up around good food, with both farmers and restaurateurs in the family. She ate Caesar salad at the restaurant where it was invented at the age of eight, and it was all downhill from there. Despite such a significant salad experience, she spent several years working in the cattle business. A writer by trade, she’s the Calgary restaurant columnist for Examiner.com. Follow Heather on Facebook and Twitter @DemocraticDiner.

< Vincci Tsui

A registered dietician by day, you may think that Vincci Tsui would stop talking about food at night, but it’s the opposite! Vincci is the author of Ceci n’est pas un food blog, and instructor for Start from Scratch. She is also frequently called upon by local and national media to provide expert nutrition advice. When she’s not cooking, eating or on the computer, Vincci can be found training for her next Muay Thai fight.

All Trademarks presented in this magazine are owned by the registered owner. All advertisements appearing in this magazine are the sole responsibility of the person, business or corporation advertising their product or service. For more information on Culinaire Magazine’s Privacy Policy and Intention of Use, please see our website at www.culinairemagazine. ca. All content, photographs and articles appearing in this magazine are represented by the contributor as original content and the contributor will hold Culinaire Magazine harmless against any and all damages that may arise from their contribution. All public correspondence, which may include, but is not limited to letters, e-mail, images and contact information, received by Culinaire Magazine becomes the property of Culinaire Magazine and is subject to publication. Culinaire Magazine may not be held responsible for the safety or return of any unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other materials. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent from Culinaire Magazine is strictly prohibited.

Salutes...

Congrats Chef Duncan Ly

Feel Good Hot Chocolate

A belated salute to Chef Ly of Yellow Door Bistro, Hotel Arts, for winning the Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown, Calgary’s favourite sustainable seafood event, with his roasted kuri squash and BC spot prawns and mussels chowder.

The 4th annual YYC Hot Chocolate Fest is February 1-28, supporting Calgary Meals on Wheels, who deliver over 388,000 meals annually and are celebrating 50 years of serving the community! Local coffee shops, restaurants, chocolatiers, and hotels are competing to create Calgary’s best hot chocolate to benefit the charity, so vote online at mealsonwheels.com to determine “Calgary’s Best Hot Chocolate” and “Calgary’s Best Spirited

Congrats too to Michael Smith of Thomsons Restaurant at Hyatt Regency, awarded the People’s Choice winner by event guests for his Smokin’ Fennel Chowder. Yum!

Hot Chocolate.” Bragging rights are awarded to those raising the most funds for the charity too.

Here comes Baconfest YYC Yes, at Market on Macleod on Saturday, February 7th, 6:00-10:00 pm.

For devotees 18+, there are tasting dishes featuring bacon from a number of vendors at the market, as well as great YYC restaurants like Libertine Public House and Blowfish Sushi – see you there!

and Shout Outs...

Hippie Foods are at it again!

New Garden Chips are organic, glutenfree, non-GMO, vegan and raw, and come in 3 blends: Roots Medley, Crunchy Coleslaw, and Snacking Stir Fry, and best of all, they’re delicious; I can’t keep my hand out of the bags.

Using local produce wherever possible, they include slices of kale, sweet potatoes, zucchini, red beets, cabbage, carrots and onions, gently crisped, and hand-mixed with a savoury dressing made from organic nuts and seeds. Yes please.

Now in the CORE on 8 Ave at 3 Street SW, the new location is beautiful, with plush burgundy, black and dark mahogany décor, and two semi-private rooms - the Library and the Den - each seating 20-25 people, and the Alberta Room for 16 people. The leatherwrapped, glass-encased char-grill is very impressive, and if you’re not a major meat eater, the good news is that there are stunning seafood dishes and veggie choices too.

GM Barb Steen is back to take care of us, and is joined by Chef Andrew Keen, whose tableside preparations and irresistible cheese toast are classics! I’ll see you at dinner 7 nights a week, or lunch on weekdays. And don’t forget the cocktails!

3 more new openings for Calgary!

Rodney’s Oyster House is nearly here!

December saw Hy’s Steakhouse return to Calgary after an 8-year long wait.

“We are more than excited,” says President Neil Aisenstat. “My family is from Calgary and my father opened the very first Hy’s in this city back in 1955.

We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back.”

We’ve enjoyed the pre-launch hard-hat party so we know it’s true! The former Mansion club at 355 10th Ave has had a total transformation and is now a bright, light and beautiful Maritime family-run operation. After 28 years in Ontario, we know to expect 6-15 types of oysters, saltwater tanks with whole lobster/crab/

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clams/prawns/fish, and a grab and go take-away counter with a separate lunch menu. All this and catering for homes and offices too. Rodney, do you have my address?

Specialty coffee shop offers unique twist The innovative specialty Coffee Market is now open in Kensington at 1117A Kensington Rd NW, focusing on coffee products and home equipment, from high-end espresso machines to travelsized French press mugs, and 100+ K-Cups and teas. It’s also a cafe with 3 drip coffees daily and a to-go selection of lattes, cappuccinos, and espresso.

And for those who don’t drink coffee, there’s a tea collection including the organic Two Leafs Tea and premium chai from the award-winning David Rio. Mine’s a double!

Coffee Market

Entries open :: February 1 For more information, contact competition director Tom Firth: tom@culinairemagazine.ca

culinairemagazine.ca/aba

sponsors:

Book Reviews

by KAREN MILLER

Duchess Bake Shop

By Giselle Courteau 2014

If you like to bake (or just eat baked goods) and you didn't get this cookbook for Christmas, you should forget about any New Year's resolutions keeping you away from the kitchen.

This is a serious cookbook from a baker serious about her pastries. It is definitely a work of love and dedication based on lots of research, giving us all hope we can do the same. Courteau is self-taught with no professional training, and you can learn from her experiences as her personal stories and challenges are part of each recipe.

The recipes are mostly classic, with any technique involved clearly explained in detail. It is a great book to work from with beautiful photos, step by step illustrations, clear and nicely spaced recipes and many tips, tricks and variations.

There is an extensive section on macarons, Courteau's favourite pastry. She has a lot of fun with the French classic explaining different types of fillings and how to explore your creative side. Who would not want Maple Brûlée Marshmallow Macarons (p. 35)? Her creativity extends further with the most beautiful "Macaron Gateaux" (it sounds so much better in French) fit for any occasion at all. There’s even a heart shaped one, perfect for that special Valentine.

The back cover of this self-published book says it best; Duchess Bake Shop is "the perfect balance of home baking and high-end French pastries". This cookbook is a great place to start doing the same in your home.

Karen Miller is a lawyer by trade, giving her a knack for picking apart a cookbook. She has taught many styles of cooking classes and was part of the Calgary Dishing Girls.

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Your chance to win a very special Valentine’s Day chocolate heart from Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut!

Yes, you could win this beautiful chocolate heart, filled with 45 handcrafted chocolates!

Make this a Valentine’s Day to remember and surprise your significant other (or maybe treat yourself!) to this luxurious chocolate heart. We have the largest of three sizes to win (a value of around $83), and it’s filled with a variety of 45 award-winning handcrafted chocolates, all made here in Calgary in Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut’s factory, using all-natural and often organic ingredients.

For your chance to win this very special prize, just go to culinairemagazine.ca and tell us your most memorable Valentine’s. Why was it so memorable? What happened?

Did it involve chocolate? Is it a romantic story, or maybe you have a funny story that will make us laugh - or cry!

We want to hear it, and you could win this very impressive chocolate heart, just for sharing your story! Good luck!

Residents of Alberta only. No substitutions for prize.

Contest closes February 10, 2015.

CREATIVITY EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENT SIDES OF CHEF DUNCAN LY, GOLD MEDALIST, AWARD WINNING CHEF

DISCOVER CALIFORNIA WINES

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Create one more treasured memory at the Calgary Zoo

The Calgary Zoo provides the perfect mix of elegance and fun for you and your wedding guests. Enjoy an unforgettable event with our one-of-a-kind venues and delicious locally sourced cuisine. Your special day will also have a lasting impact, as proceeds will support conservation activities here at the zoo and around the world. calgaryzoo.com/weddings salesinfo@calgaryzoo.com • 403-232-7770

Ask Culinaire

by LAURA LUSHINGTON

I’m still broke from the holidays, but have a friend’s birthday party to plan.

How can I make the most with the least?

Don’t panic! There are many ways to plan a fun party menu without breaking the bank. Food choices will depend on the occasion, but opt to stay in and host the event at home. This will give you ultimate control over the budget and will avoid a ballooning tab at a restaurant or bar, or the price of a caterer.

One of the easiest ways to keep costs to a minimum is to choose a simple theme.

Does your friend love going out for brunch on weekends? Host a breakfast themed party at home with either eggs benedict or quiche as the main course.

These decadent brunch favourites at restaurants are easy to recreate in your own kitchen, but will seem quite sophisticated. Add a beautifully cut tray of fruit, coffee, tea and a round of mimosas or Caesars. With a set menu and only one or two cocktail recipes, both your food and alcohol costs will be kept to a minimum.

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Or, why not go old school and invite your guests over for a movie night?

Play the guest of honour’s favourite film, and on the RSVP ask everyone for his or her favourite movie snacks.

You’ll be receiving gold-star host/hostess status in no time

Most importantly, make a few bowls of air-popped popcorn and top with gourmet ingredients such as olive oil, dark chocolate and sea salt; or butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic and cayenne pepper. For drinks, don’t worry about having a fully stocked bar and instead concoct a special cocktail for the occasion. The time and effort put in to your delicious creation will be greatly appreciated.

If you’re hosting a more formal sit-down dinner, keep your budget in check by serving a three-course meal with wine.

An appetizer, main course and dessert are more than enough to satisfy and impress your guests. Opt for lowcost meats such as pork shoulder or chicken thighs with a side of in-season vegetables from the farmers’ market.

For dessert, do double-duty with winepoached pears and then serve the mulled wine as a nightcap!

And, remember that no one will be able to tell you’re on a budget. By keeping your menu and drinks simple, and executing them well, you’ll be receiving gold-star host/hostess status in no time.

Laura Lushington is a graduate of Mount Royal University’s Journalism program. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @LauraLushington

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8 Food Trends For 2015

by DAN CLAPSON

I think it’s safe to say that ending sentences in “2014” is officially passe now. Jokes aside, there’s a whole lot out there in the Canadian food scene that may step into the limelight over the coming months, but here are eight things that I am willing to bet top dollar on for catching on like wildfire this year.

Harissa - With the exception of Anju,

the gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) craze seemed to more or less skip over Calgary when it made its wave across Canada, but where there’s one wave of spicy pepper paste, there’s sure to be another. Harissa is a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cooking and consists of red serrano peppers, roasted red peppers, spices and oil.

Blitz it together and you end up with a sweet, spicy and smoky condiment that works perfectly with vegetables and cuts of meat.

Turnips - For real. Making the most

out of humble vegetables seems to be a chef’s favourite thing to do in the kitchen lately, and I’m not complaining about it. A root vegetable like this doesn’t really shine without a lot of love, so it will be interesting to see how these can be served up aside from the salted water boil we were all accustomed to as children.

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Matcha Green Tea - Haven’t heard

of matcha yet? Well, you certainly will this year. It’s not uncommon to see a hippie sipping this earthy beverage out of a mason jar, but you’ll also find it elevated to new heights this year in anything from cocktails to desserts like shortbread or cheesecake.

Focus on desserts - Finally! We’re

blasting through the roadblock that was molten chocolate cake and cheesecakein-a-jar. Well-composed desserts are making a massive comeback. Don’t believe me? Then why have we seen more new restaurants opening with pastry chefs on staff (The Nash, Workshop) than we’ve ever seen in recent years? A piece of apple pie? Not unless it’s de-constructed. Thank you very much!

Batch cocktails - Say goodbye to

secretly spiking the punch at school dances (do kids still have punches or dances these days?) and hello to wellcrafted batch cocktails at restaurants and dinner parties. Of course pitchers of sangria or mojito on a sunny patio are nothing new, but look for people dusting off those vintage crystal bowls and using craft liquors and interesting infusions to make crowd-pleasing drinks for all.

You’ll find Matcha elevated to new heights this year in anything from cocktails to desserts like shortbread or cheesecake

Infused Waters - Whether you’re

throwing in some sliced cucumber and fresh basil or just a couple of orange wedges and a rosemary sprig, infusing a jug of water before you pour it for your guests is one of the simplest trends home cooks will be implementing this year.

Home mixology - Calgary’s

restaurant cocktail scene saw significant growth over the past year and now more than ever, the budding bartender inside of all of us craves to play with more bitters, tinctures and egg white foam in the comfort of our own homes. Now, how does one make a spherical ice cube?

Online grocery shopping - If you

ask someone living in Europe where they grocery shop, chances are that they’ll tell you they do it online. While we’re quite a ways away from being able to get groceries from Calgary Co-op or Safeway without stepping inside their stores, online systems like Spud.ca are certainly paving the way for customer comfortability when it comes to receiving groceries without laying a finger on them ourselves.

Spud.ca

4 Trends on the way out…

Gastropubs - It’s hard to say “That’s enough, beer!” but beer, my friend, that’s enough. Not saying that I don’t appreciate what we have in terms of gastropubs, but I don’t think we need any more.

Tacos - Calgary was late to the boat

in general when it came to this southof-the-border culinary wave, so it’s not too much of a surprise that “gourmet” tacos were only a small blip on our food radar over the past year.

Kale - After a strong showing for

cauliflower in 2014, kale has humbly stepped out of the spotlight admitting that it got a little overplayed in almost every kitchen in the city.

Bourbon - There have been

approximately 60 million spins on a classic old fashioned cocktail in the past year, so why don’t we give that bottle of bourbon a rest and try out something different like a good craft vodka or gin, shall we?

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Chefs' Tips Tricks!

Healthy Takes On Comfort Classics

story by MALLORY FRAYN photography by INGRID KUENZEL

Comfort foods: no doubt they are a necessity for our brutal and unforgiving winters, but they can also be unforgiving to your waistline. Thankfully two local chefs have tips for healthier takes on the comfort classics we all know and love.

Chef Brett McDermott Our Daily Brett Chowder is not exactly synonymous with health food, but cream and bacon aren’t the only way to pack flavour and richness into your favourite chowder recipes.

Chef McDermott from Our Daily Brett suggests swapping cream for coconut milk. It still contains fat, but it also comes with health benefits, like increasing your good cholesterol. Plus you can use light coconut milk if you want to cut down on calories.

All good chowders start with a base.

Chef McDermott uses mirepoix – carrots, onion and celery – as the foundation for his chowder. He then adds spices like cumin and coriander to amp up the flavour. Rather than thickening his chowder with a roux, he takes advantage of the starchy quality of corn, pureeing it into the broth. Not only does this remove the extra fat that comes with adding a hefty scoop of butter, but omitting flour also makes the chowder gluten-free.

Depending what other ingredients you want to stir into your chowder,

Chef Brett McDermott

you could make it vegetarian, or even vegan. “Chowder is a great way to sneak veggies into a meal,” claims Chef McDermott. Sweet potatoes, kale, mushrooms, and of course, corn, are all great add-ins. If you want to stick with seafood, choose nutrient-dense fish like salmon or trout, both of which are packed with omega-3s.

Chowder is a great way to sneak veggies into a meal

Chef McDermott has plenty of other tricks up his sleeves to cut calories without sacrificing flavour. “Not only are pickles and other fermented things virtually fat free, they are also full of probiotics and healthy bacteria that’s good for your gut,” he says. Kimchi is a great example. Try adding it to scrambled eggs, fried rice (using brown rice would be even better!) or even turn it into a pizza topping. After all, healthy eating still has to taste good if you’re ever going to stick with it!

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Chef Mark McEwan The Main Dish

them raw allows you to maintain all the health benefits.

In our carb-phobic, gluten-free world, traditional wheat-based pastas often get a bad rap. Zucchini noodles are the perfect lighter “noodle” alternative.

Chef McEwan from the Main Dish, a Calgary establishment dedicated to providing healthy meals for Canadian athletes, shares some tips on how to make a satisfying zucchini primavera.

Fat is not the enemy either when it comes to healthy eating. “Try upping the good fats in your diet by using avocado oil, olive oil, walnut oil, and flaxseed oil in your salad dressings and other recipes,” says Chef McEwan, “And make sure to use oils in a timely fashion; if they smell old or rancid throw them out.” The same goes for nuts and seeds, so to extend their shelf life, store them in the refrigerator or freezer.

In addition to zucchini noodles (which are made by slicing zucchini into thin strips and then salting them to release their moisture), he adds a myriad of roasted vegetables to the dish. Roasting adds concentrated, caramelized flavour without extra fat. “You can also steam your vegetables in an aromatic broth,”

Fat is not the enemy when it comes to healthy eating

Chef McEwan suggests. Unlike water, stock provides extra aromatics to infuse into your veggies.

Garnishes can also be used for additional texture and taste. Whether atop zucchini noodles or curries and stir-fries, raw nuts add both crunch and nutrients.

Although roasting them changes their flavour, it also decreases some of their nutrient content, so keeping

Vegetables aren’t always a go-to when temperatures drop to negative, and melty, gooey cheese feels like the only

viable option. However, using different preparations like turning zucchini into noodles, deeply roasting vegetables, and adding exciting garnishes can make it easier to opt for vegetables over fat and carbs. They might even help to brighten up a dreary winter day.

Chef McEwan’s Zucchini Noodle Primavera Serves 4

2 yellow and 2 green zucchini 1/2 red pepper, cut into matchsticks 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 2.5 cm pieces 5 spears asparagus, cut into 2.5 cm pieces 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil, divided 1/2 Tbs (7 mL) lemon juice 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground 1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 tsp lemon zest 1/3 cup basil leaves, chopped 1/3 cup parsley, chopped 1/2 cup baby spinach 3 Tbs (45 mL) balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Zucchini noodles are the perfect lighter ‘noodle’ alternative

1. Preheat oven to 450º F. Line a

Chef McEwan’s Zucchini Noodle Primavera

Chef Mark McEwan

zucchini finely. Make sure not to slice down to the seeds (they will fall apart and make the dish mushy).

3. Place zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

4. Toss red pepper, tomatoes, green

beans, and asparagus together in a bowl with 2 Tbs olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet and roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

5. Take zucchini out of the bowl and place on paper towel to drain.

6. Heat remaining olive oil in a large

skillet. Cook onion and garlic in hot oil until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

7. Add zucchini and sauté lightly for 3

to 5 minutes then add lemon zest, basil, parsley, spinach, and balsamic vinegar.

Gently toss and cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

baking sheet with parchment paper.

8. Remove from heat and transfer to a

2. Using a Japanese mandolin with the medium-tooth blade, slice both green and yellow zucchini lengthwise. If you don’t have a Japanese mandolin, julienne

Mallory is a food writer living and learning in Calgary, and Culinaire’s Digital Media Editor. Check out her blog becauseilikechocolate.com and follow her on Twitter @cuzilikechoclat

large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

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Food For Thought:

The Role Our Psyche Plays In Eating And Living Healthy

by MALLORY FRAYN

The New Year - there’s no time like it for fad diets, cleanses, and weight loss in general.

It’s understandable, the holidays and the giant meals that more often than not accompany them don’t exactly promote health and wellness. But at the same time, how healthy is drinking nothing but green juice for 7 days straight?

Our society as a whole tends to endorse a fairly all-or-nothing mentality. As in, “I will eat turkey and stuffing until I go into a food coma and pass out right now, but come January, I am going to live off of kale and carrot sticks.” Moderation is a word that gets thrown around a lot but if it is so seemingly obvious to eat in moderation, how come people have such a hard time with it?

Struggles with moderation point to the fact that there is a lot more to weight loss than just diet and exercise.

Physically, you need to burn off more calories than you are eating in order to shed the pounds, but going to the gym and cutting carbs usually isn’t enough to achieve your weight loss goals. Rather, there is a lot going on in your head that can either help or hinder your progress.

As with many human problems, you first have to address what’s going on between the ears before you can really tackle them.

Let’s start with motivation. This is going to sound like a fairly obvious question, but do you actually want to lose weight?

More specifically, do you have the drive to persevere? That’s where motivation comes in.

Our society as a whole tends to endorse a fairly all-or-nothing mentality

Why do you want to lose weight? Is it for external reasons, like reward and praise from others, or is it for internal reasons, like wanting to feel better about yourself and your body? Don’t get me wrong, external motivators have their place, but when it comes to sustaining long-term weight loss, you need to do it for you if you have any hope of being successful.

There are a lot of factors that can increase or decrease motivation. Selfconfidence is a huge one. Do you believe that you CAN eat healthier or are you convinced that three months from now you will go back to your old habits? Self-confidence can come from various sources, the strongest being past success. It makes sense, if you have done something before and succeeded, chances are that you are pretty confident that you can do it again.

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I hate to be a pessimist, but that’s probably why so many diets fail year after year. People jump on the bandwagon at the start of the year, only to fall off a couple of months, or even mere weeks later. Then when they go to do it again the following year, all they can think of is their failure the previous time. Fad diets – 1, self-confidence – 0.

:: S ave T h e D a t e : : On Saturday, April 11th, from 9:00 am to 5:00pm, you can be one of the lucky people to take part in Culinaire’s inaugural Treasure Hunt!

Not everything you eat is ‘healthy’ or ‘good for you’, but that doesn’t make it off-limits either So how can you increase selfconfidence? First, you can draw on similar situations where you have succeeded in the past. Rather than focusing on negative outcomes of past dieting experiences as a whole, hone in on those times when you did well.

You can also increase self-confidence by drawing from the success of other people. Turn it into a friendly competition of sorts; if they did it, you can too. Self-confidence is important in initiating change and sustaining it in the face of obstacles for long-term success.

But just because you ate that slice of cake or devoured an entire bag of potato chips doesn’t mean that you are doomed How are we doing, how are you feeling about all of this? Overwhelmed?

Optimistic? Well there are a few final points to stress. Most importantly, there are a lot of individual differences when it comes to these kinds of things.

Some people seem naturally supermotivated and believe they can do just about anything that they put their mind to, while others don’t even know where to start.

It all comes back to the all-or-nothing mentality I mentioned earlier. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Changing your

lifestyle habits takes work, and chances are you’re going to backtrack. But just because you ate that slice of cake or devoured an entire bag of potato chips in one sitting doesn’t mean that you are doomed. At the end of the day, you still need to enjoy life; otherwise what’s the point?

Not everything you eat is “healthy” or “good for you”, but that doesn’t make it off-limits either. When you think about it, you can lose weight eating virtually anything, as long as you keep your total calories in check. So stay motivated, boost that self-confidence, and treat yourself every once in awhile. After all, it’s a lot easier to focus on health and wellness 365 days a year then cramming all of your efforts into a 2-week window at the very beginning.

You’ll answer trivia questions about the participating restaurants, markets and stores, to reveal where to dash off to receive your treat, get your passport stamped, and maybe come away with a little culinary gift too!

And there’s coveted prizes for the people who visit the most locations!

We’re planning a very fun and rewarding day, so watch March’s magazine for more details.

Like us on Facebook to keep up with the news, follow us on Twitter for more details, and visit culinairemagazine.ca to register and for more information coming soon! facebook.com/CulinaireMagazine @CulinaireMag www

culinairemagazine.ca

It ’ s g o i n g t o be a day t o re me m ber! :: 17

Soup Kitchen

by DAN CLAPSON

As much as January can be about reviewing your current life choices and making some changes for the better - and let’s face it, failing at most of them - you can’t ignore the fact that it’s still pretty damn cold outside and you need a little comforting.

Here are a couple of soups that are huge on flavour and light on the fat. If you don’t trust me regarding the turnip, then flip to our 2015 food trends piece for a little reassurance, ok?

Jerk Chicken and Tomato Soup Preheat oven to 400º F

1. Place chicken thighs in a medium

baking dish and let roast for 40 minutes.

2. While roasting, place the next 7

ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.

3. Reduce to medium heat, cover

and let simmer until rice has cooked, approximately 15 minutes.

4. Uncover, add remaining ingredients to pot and continue to cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serves 5-6 Total cook time 50 minutes 6 chicken thighs 5 cups (1¼ L) chicken stock 2 cups (480 mL) water 3 cups (720 mL) canned diced tomatoes 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced

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5. Once the chicken has finished ½ cup brown rice 1 Tbs Jamaican jerk paste 1 orange bell pepper, julienned 1½ cups cooked black eyed peas 2 tsp fresh thyme To taste salt and pepper

roasting, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Discard skin, pull meat from the bones and add to the pot.

6. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Smoked Tofu and Shaved Turnip Soup Serves 4-5 Total cook time 30 minutes 8 cups (2 L) water 2 Tbs (30 mL) red miso paste 1 lemon, juiced 1 Tbs (15 mL) soy sauce ¼ cup dried wakame seaweed ½ block smoked tofu, diced 2 carrots, matchsticked 2 small turnips, peeled and matchsticked 2 king oyster mushrooms, very thinly sliced 1 Tbs (15 mL) sriracha 2 tsp (10 mL) rice wine vinegar 1 tsp chili flakes 1 tsp ground black pepper 6 cups (1.5 L) hot water 4 packs ramen noodles

A couple of soups that are huge on flavour and light on the fat

1. Place water and miso paste in a

medium pot on medium-high heat and stir until miso dissolves.

until carrots and turnips are tender, about 10-12 minutes.

2. Add the next 4 ingredients; reduce

4. Place ramen noodles in 4 separate

to medium and let cook for 15 minutes.

3. Next, add sliced vegetables and

remaining spices to the broth and cook

bowls, pour equal amounts of hot water into each bowl and let sit for 3-5 minutes for noodles to soften. Strain off liquid once softened.

5. Ladle miso soup over top of noodles in each bowl and serve.

Dan Clapson is a freelance food writer and columnist in Calgary. When he’s not writing about Canada’s amazing culinary scene, he is likely listening to 80s rock or 90s boy bands. Follow him on twitter @dansgoodside

Calgary’s Very Own Pie Man: Bob Whitworth and Simple Simon Pies

by ELIZABETH CHORNEY-BOOTH photography by INGRID KUENZEL

Anyone who has spent much time in the U.K. knows the glory of savoury pies. Flaky pastry filled with gravy-rich meat or creamy veggies - it’s a delicious staple that hasn’t quite made its way to North America, with the exception of the ubiquitous chicken pot pie and, if you’re lucky, a French Canadian tourtiere. For those who regularly visit Calgary’s various farmers’ markets however, Simple Simon Pies have made the humble savoury pie a common weeknight meal.

Simple Simon started in 1987 when founder Bob Whitworth, who had previously tried his hand at a couple of other food-related ventures, started making pies in his home to sell at local farmers’ markets. The pies were a hit and Whitworth kept on with the business, which grew along with Calgary’s market scene. Today Simple Simon sells more than 10,000 pies a week, at the Calgary Farmers’ Market (which Whitworth helped found), the Crossroads Market, the Symons Valley 20

Market, the Market on McLeod, and all Calgary Co-op locations.

Whitworth, who hails from the U.K. himself, said he was inspired to do pies when he noticed a gap in the local market. “There were lots of people doing burgers and lots of people doing pizzas, but there was really only one other company in town doing pies,” he says. “And I just find them the perfect go-to food, when you want something but don’t want to go to a lot of trouble

making it. You just pop it in the oven and make some salad on the side. It’s a handy go-to food, but it’s not really a fast food. It’s not something you eat with one hand.”

Whitworth sees pies as basically being “a meal in an edible container,” and he and his team are fairly creative with the fillings they put inside his pastry.

Current Simple Simon savoury flavours include classics like Shepherd’s Pie, Steak and Kidney Pie, Tourtiere, and

a variety of quiches, as well as more adventurous offerings like Butter Chicken Pie, Taco Pie, and Jamaican Beef Curry Pie. There’s a lot to choose from, but when customers shop at the farmers market, they get to take advantage of Whitworth’s primary advertising tactic: hands-on sampling.

“The trick is getting them to try it,” Whitworth says. “And that’s where my sample regimen comes in. The amount of samples I give away is outrageous - I spend over a quarter of a million dollars a year on samples. That’s my form of advertising. There’s something very immediate about giving someone a sample. If they like it, they’ll probably buy it. If they don’t like it I shouldn’t be selling it to them.”

Simple Simon Pies have made the humble savoury pie a common weeknight meal Despite the name, Simple Simon isn’t just about pies. While the savoury pies are definitely Whitworth’s signature product, the company also sells a wide selections of soups (which Whitworth says are almost outselling the pies), as well as prepared meals, including stews, curries, and lobster mac and cheese, plus dessert pies and cheesecake. Many of the soups and meals are available at Co-op locations, with the full array sold at the farmers’ markets.

While Whitworth isn’t involved in the administration of the Calgary’s Farmers’ Market anymore and his distribution with Calgary Co-op has expanded his market significantly, he’s still a very strong believer in the farmers’ market model. Every year, Simple Simon sells a large quantity of product via fundraising drives for schools and community groups, but while Whitworth says that charity is a partial motivation for his fundraising program, he also used the campaigns as a way to raise awareness for the farmers’ markets. Whitworth encourages groups to set up the program so that supporters can buy pre-paid vouchers to redeem for Simple Simon products at the markets, and those who haven’t experienced shopping at the markets can then get a feel for it.

“I like the whole activity and entertainment aspect of a farmers’ market,” Whitworth says. “There’s a completely different atmosphere than

when you go to a supermarket. They’re usually owner-operated, so when you go to a farmers’ market you expect to have answers to your questions about all the little things about a product that people are curious to know.”

All you have to do is go to the freezer, pop it in the oven, and in half an hour you’re good to go Simple Simon has grown to the point that production is in a large facility and he’s constantly adding staff, but ultimately, he’s still attracted to the simplicity of selling pies through oldfashioned taste-test sampling, directly to his customers. If he can deliver a product that most home cooks don’t feel they have the time or the skills to make from scratch, and provide them with a healthy, hassle-free dinner, he’s happy.

“Why would somebody go to all the trouble of making pastry from scratch when you can have somebody making it for you?” he says. “People aren’t going to go to the trouble of making a pizza at home if they’ve got a great pizza parlour down the street. It’s the same with the pies. All you have to do is go to the freezer, pop it in the oven, and in half an hour you’re good to go.”

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth is a Calgary-based freelance writer, and co-founder/co-editor of RollingSpoon.com.

She enjoys exploring the connection between music and food through interviews with musicians and chefs.

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Step By Step:

Chocolate Pistachio Energy Bites story and photography by RENEE KOHLMAN

Oh January. Time for taking down the Christmas tree, avoiding the credit card bill, and wondering just how the dryer shrunk those pants...again.

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Chocolate Pistachio Energy Bites

Now that seasonal excess of all things tasty has passed, it’s time to get back on the healthy eating wagon. Being mindful of how and what we eat is a great way to start the shiny new year. But lets face it, we still want tasty snacks that don’t taste like cardboard and glue.

Enter the Energy Bite. Chock full of heart-healthy nuts, fibre-rich dried fruit, and anti-inflammatory spices like ginger and cardamom, these little bites of deliciousness are sure to power you through the day. Have one of these after you hit the gym and you’re pretty much winning at life.

Placed in a pretty glass jar, they make a dandy hostess gift too

Juicy Medjool dates, which are super high in potassium and antioxidants, are the base for these bites. Combined with cocoa powder, they make a sweet chocolate mass, without any refined sugar added. Feel free to switch up the nuts to whatever you like. Walnuts, pecans, peanuts, cashews, would all be exceptional. Add orange zest and other spices like cinnamon and star anise. You can munch on these as-is, or get fancy and roll them around in cocoa powder.

Makes approximately 18 energy bites

Placed in a pretty glass jar, they make a dandy hostess gift too.

This is a recipe that is gluten free, vegan, dairy free, refined sugar free, and can be thrown together in five minutes, thanks to your trusty food processor. Not only do they check off all the boxes, but these energy bites taste really good too, with a little zing from the fresh ginger and a little crunch from the cacao nib. Think of them as a less-indulgent, distant cousin to the chocolate truffle.

The energy bites make a quick on-thego breakfast and tucked into lunch bags, your kids won’t know just how healthy these chocolate balls of goodness are.

Best part is there is no need to feel guilty about snacking, but your fondness for watching Dancing with the Stars, well that’s another matter.

1½ cups pitted Medjool dates 3 Tbs cocoa powder 6 dried figs, stem removed ½ cup pistachios ¼ cup almonds ¼ cup cacao nibs 1 Tbs coconut oil 2 tsp fresh ginger, sliced 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla ½ tsp sea salt extra cocoa powder for rolling (optional)

1. In the bowl of a food processor,

combine all ingredients, except extra cocoa powder.

2. Process until mixture is coarsely

ground and comes together in a ball, about 3-4 minutes. Take a heaping tablespoon and roll gently with palms.

3. Place extra cocoa powder in a

shallow bowl and gently toss energy bites, if you like. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for 1 week.

Renée Kohlman is a food writer and pastry chef living in beautiful Saskatoon. She writes restaurant reviews for The Saskatoon StarPhoenix and whips up delicious gluten-free dessert creations at Leyda’s Café. Check out her blog sweetsugarbean.com

A LITTLE SIBLING RIVALRY NEVER HURT ANYBODY

c il a nt ro 113 - 8th Avenue SW

747 Lake Bonavista Dr SE

FOUR SETTINGS, ONE PHILOSOPHY

340 - 17th Avenue SW

338 - 17th Avenue SW

crmr.com

Menu Gems After a day on the slopes or just trudging through snowy streets, you’re looking for something satisfying, so we asked our contributors for their après-ski go-to, and where to find it …

Charcuterie board, NOtaBLE

I love making a simple charcuterie board with meats, cheese, pickles, nuts and preserves after a day of outdoor activity. It’s easy to put together and you can casually eat it in front of a fireplace as you sip on a hot drink. If you don’t have the ingredients at home, stop by NOtaBLE on your way back from the mountains, they do a great charcuterie board for two.

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth

Italian Panini, Holy Grill

After a chilly day in the mountains, there is nothing that I look forward to more than paying Holy Grill a visit. Their flavourful Italian Panini is crispy, incredibly delicious, and the savoury combination of provolone, cappicola, calabrese, genoa salami, freshly sliced tomato and cream cheese, make this Panini a satisfying post-mountain delight.

Andrea Fulmek

London Fog, Java Lift Coffee Bar, Sunshine Village

After I’m done snowboarding for the day, I like to find a cafe on whatever hill I’m on to make me a London Fog, then I spike it with some Amaretto from the flask I usually have in my pocket. Shh. Dan Clapson

Tagliatelle, Scopa

Although I’ve only been to Scopa a few times (so far), I’ve fallen in love with their tagliatelle. With delicious veal meatballs, some grana padano and the balance between richness and soul-warming meatiness, I’d enjoy this on any day - coming in from the ice and snow, or even with a nice chinook!

Tom Firth

White Bean and Sunchoke Egg en Cocotte, Avec

Think baked beans but with a fancy, French twist. The White Bean and Sunchoke Egg en Cocotte at Avec is everything you want in an aprés ski meal. It’s the perfect mix of protein and carbs, filling but not too heavy. And there’s an egg baked into the top, so you can’t go wrong.

Mallory Frayn 24

Spicy Miso Ramen, Eats of Asia, Market on Macleod

Colourful, bright, filling, and most importantly, hot and spicy, this is a treat after a day out in the snow and cold. It’s simply bursting in flavour, with a comforting, biting broth swimming with excellent handmade noodles and minced pork. The soft egg yolk just adds an extra layer of decadent richness that gives sweet contentment to all who partake.

Terrence Lo

Fondue, Modern Steak

I recently tried the fondue at the new Modern Steak for the first time, and will definitely be having that again. I can’t imagine anything better than warm, melty cheese and bread after a miserably cold Calgary winter day.

Heather Hartmann

Fondue, The Living Room

My go to aprés-ski meal would be fondue. While I’m not the world’s biggest cheese fan, the warmth, comfort and company which you have with fondue make it the perfect meal to end a day on the slopes. Try the one at The Living Room.

Diana Ng

PHOTO WALLS

WALLS YOU CAN WRITE ON

WALL WRAPS

OUTDOOR SIGNAGE SHAPE CUT SIGNAGE

WINDOW DECALS & WRAPS

PHOTO CANVASES

FLOOR GRAPHICS #hiddengemYYC 2014

WINNER

eyes deserve a feast too westcanadian.com

A space can truly be transformed.

Visit INTI, our Hidden Gem YYC winner to see for yourself!

P226441

ACRYLIC DISPLAYS

Move Over TV ‘Restaurant Makeover’!

by LINDA GARSON photography by NEIL ZELLER

Calgary has its own redesigned, revamped and reno’d star, shining brighter than ever.

“Hidden gem YYC” contest launched mid September, inviting suggestions of lesser-known Calgary eateries that deserved a bit of a polish, so they would look as good as their food tasted.

Mexican, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Mediterranean, Nepalese, South American, North American… all with great food, and compelling, heartfelt stories of the people who run them.

Sixty-five nominated restaurants were visited…all with great food, and compelling, heartfelt stories of the people who run them The prize, from West Canadian Digital Imaging and their boutique design agency, Orange Door, was a $25,000 signage and graphic design makeover – and potentially a new lease of life for many smaller establishments.

By the end of October, all sixty-five nominated restaurants had been visited; untapped neighbourhood favourites from all corners of the city and all corners of the globe - Indian, 26

With so many deserving contestants, it was tough to narrow down the field – and even harder to choose just one winner. Our panel of judges comprised Calgary foodies including myself, John Gilchrist, Julie Van Rosendaal, Top Chef Canada contestant Nicole Gomes, CBC Radio’s Angela Knight, and West Canadian CEO George Brookman.

It wasn’t an easy task; we wanted them all to win! But after much discussion,

Inti Restaurant — before

debate and deliberation, eventually a winner was decided and we went en masse to announce the happy news to Inti Restaurant, in the northeast of the city.

“I wasn’t actually in the restaurant when they entered. My mother, Consuelo, called me and said that there was a group of people waiting to speak with me about an urgent matter,” says owner, Chef Hans Puccinelli. “I didn’t have a lot of time to think it through, I just tried to get back to the restaurant as soon as I could. Everybody had a poker face on except for one man. George Brookman had a huge smile on his face. So once I saw that smile I knew something good was happening,” he adds.

And when he found out Inti had won?

“I was in shock,” Puccinelli laughs, “My parents were in shock. There was a lot of hugging and maybe a few tears and then more hugging. I called my wife, Angela, to let her know as well. She was in shock and had tears too.”

Orange Door’s senior graphic designer, Brianna Schretlen, spearheaded the new look and feel of the restaurant, as well as designing the new logo, signage, menus, cards and other graphics, and was delighted to find a blank canvas for her work. “The space was open for a lot of possibilities,” she explains. “It also meant that this family was ready for a change, not just in the physical space sense, but mentally ready for a change as well.

I think this made for a smooth process in terms of introducing our ideas and concepts.”

Puccinelli outlined his vision for the restaurant, and his real passion for creating - not just making - great food.

‘Peruvian roots with a modern feel’ became the basis for the creative to reflect his direction with his cuisine, and Orange Door set out to represent

visually his dedication, warmth and spirit, driving the choices in colour, images and feel throughout.

Time was of the essence, and while Schretlen would typically present clients with several options to choose from, and have lots of heads to brainstorm with and pick ideas from, a tight turnaround meant there was only time to pursue one direction. “Nailing the right look and feel from Day 1 was crucially important, she explains. “This family also put a huge amount of trust into us – the future of their business and livelihood, the future experience of their patrons… a lot was riding on this being successful.”

So no pressure then!

With an opportunity as important and high profile as this, the makeover couldn’t just look “ok” - it had to be stunning. So the challenge became not

Inti Restaurant — after

to give in to the squeeze of time and budget just to just get the job done, but to go the extra mile - resulting in Orange Door creating wall murals, photo canvases and displays, table-top and floor graphics, as well as a new look for the bar.

Puccinelli had been trying to find a new design idea when he saw the advertisement for Hidden Gem YYC in Culinaire Magazine, and just thought he might as well enter, but he can’t believe his eyes now, and neither will you if you’ve been to Inti before - the transformation is amazing!

The whole contest has such a warm and fuzzy feel to it. “It was one of the most fun projects that West Canadian has ever undertaken,” says Brookman.

“It helped out a terrific small business, it helped us to showcase our abilities as a company, and it made everyone involved in the project feel great about doing something special for a terrific family of people.”

We’re already looking forward to the 2015 contest!

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Ski Hill Dining: Where To Eat During A Day On The Slopes

by MALLORY FRAYN AND LINDA GARSON

Kicking Horse – Eagle’s Eye If you have never dined at close to 8,000 feet, it’s something to add to your bucket list as soon as possible. Atop the gondola at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC, about 3 hours from Calgary, sits the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant. It’s the highest restaurant in Canada, but don’t let that shtick fool you. Unlike many novel or themed restaurants, the food at Eagle’s Eye is the real star – and it just so happens to come with a view that is near unbeatable anywhere in the world.

From your dining table, you can see peaks from 5 different national parks: Yoho, Kootenay, Glacier, Banff, and Jasper. Whether you ski or not, the views alone provide enough enticement to travel up for a meal. In the quaint but comfortable lodge sits everyone from skiers and boarders up for a midday lunch, to those who prefer the après ski over the skiing itself. Having a celebration? You can even stay the night in one of the Eagle’s Eye’s exclusive suites and have the restaurant all to yourselves Monday-Thursday evenings!

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Every part of the décor at Eagle’s Eye lends to the rustic, mountain lodge feel.

From the massive stone fireplace, to the specially made Native carving keeping watch over the room, to the chandeliers designed to look like eagle’s nests, you would never know that you were dining at the top of a ski hill and not in a 5 star restaurant.

The food keeps par with, if not exceeds the ambience. Sure you can order a burger if you just want something hearty and comforting to fuel you back up for an afternoon on the slopes, but from there you can choose between Alberta beef, Wagyu or elk. New menu additions for the 2014-2015 ski season include Smoked Duck Tagliatelle with red wine jus and parmesan, and a tasty Kale Caesar Salad with herb focaccia croutons, shaved Manchego cheese and crunchy prosciutto chips. Equally satisfying is the Tofu Noodle Bowl, featuring gluten-free, vegan “shirataki” noodles made from Japanese yam, that Chef Sylvan Bourget claims to be one of the next food trends. Coated in a richly, umami wakame seaweed dressing and stir fried with crisp vegetables, you won’t notice that there’s no meat.

Common to all of Chef Bourget’s dishes is a tight-rope balance of flavour and most importantly, texture. There are always elements of softness, crunch and chew to keep you going back bite after bite. Don’t forget the addictive shaved truffle fries, and to start your meal with a sweet and refreshing ice wine martini. Or choose from three specialty Caesars for the perfect après ski bevvy. Life at nearly 8,000 feet never sounded so good.

Lake Louise – The Post Hotel The Post Hotel and Spa in Lake Louise has been an institution for nearly four decades and is coming up on twentyfive years as a prestigious Relais & Châteaux property, one of only two in Alberta. From the minute you walk in the door, you are greeted with impeccable service that goes above and beyond your expectations. Owners and brothers, André and George Schwarz have worked hard to ensure their guests have the best experiences possible, and it shows.

Having grown up in Switzerland, André describes how he learned to appreciate good food and hospitality early in life, but never thought of doing it professionally. “I started out as a ski instructor when I came to Canada and we purchased the Post in 1978 with no formal training in the hospitality industry,” he says.

Even breakfast at the Post is not to be missed

They learned quickly, and have continued to grow, adding a spa to the property and hosting an annual wine summit where guests have the opportunity to meet some of the world’s greatest winemakers. Over the past 10 years the event has raised over $600,000 for the Alberta Kids Cancer Care Foundation.

As if that were not enough, they hold Wine Spectator’s “3 Glass Award” and have a wine cellar that is better than Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for any oenophile. Complete with 26,000 bottles and over 2,340 different labels, you’ll be spoiled for choice of options to pair with Chef Hans Sauter’s outstanding food. Also hailing from

Switzerland, he has cooked all over the world, perfecting techniques and flavours that are showcased in his international menu.

If you are planning to stay a while (why not book a room while you are here?) try chef’s tasting menu, complete with wine pairings. Courses change with the seasons, and they source their ingredients as locally as possible, especially when it comes to products like Alberta lamb, venison and elk. The winter menu includes everything from seared scallops with tarragon couscous and lobster sauce, to medallion of white tail deer with Calvados game sauce and “Schupfnudeln”, a Swiss dumpling similar to spaetzle but larger. However, if you prefer less meat-centric offerings, be sure to ask for the vegetarian menu, available upon request.

Even breakfast at the Post is not to be missed. Their specialty is a delicious, soul-warming Swiss potato rösti, topped with a healthy amount of Gruyère cheese and eggs cooked any way you like them. They say it’s popular with the pre-ski day crowd, but it is surely just as well suited to fueling up before taking a fireside nap and staring out at the picturesque mountain view. Follow that with a massage in the spa and call it a day.

29

Hot Toddy—Today!

by REBECCA DAVIS

When winter arrives and I feel that tickle in the back of my throat reminding me it’s flu season, there is only one remedy: a hot toddy.

Four parts boiling water, two parts whisky, one ounce lemon juice, two bar spoons honey stirred with a cinnamon stick, is all you need for this infamous elixir.

burns off due to the hot water, which is another reason you may want to consider pouring yourself a double!

All of these parts add up to a winter cold cure-all.

The benefits of drinking hot water, honey, and lemon are multiple: citrus boosts the immune system, honey is a natural cough suppressant, and water aids in detoxifying the body.

Spices such as cinnamon, cayenne, and clove also have healing properties.

Traditionally, a hot toddy is made with whisky though nowadays there are many variations. If you do abide with the classic, a nice peaty scotch adds a beautiful smokiness to your toddy; but why not try something new like apple brandy, single barrel bourbon, or spiced rum?

Honey is a natural cough suppressant

Cinnamon contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, cayenne shrinks blood vessels (relieving congestion), and cloves have a natural numbing effect.

The addition of alcohol acts as a sedative, regrettably most of the alcohol

By substituting the spirit, you can change the direction of your toddy; spices offer the same variety. Typically, warming spices are used in this pick-meup, but it is always fun to experiment and try something new. The addition of ginger, lime, or cardamom can add new flavours while still benefiting your health.

Some concoctions work out beautifully - other times… not so much, in that case, I’d suggest hiding the evidence.

Classic Toddy:

2 oz whisky, I prefer bourbon but feel free to use any whisky you like 4 oz boiling water 1 oz lemon juice ½ oz honey 1 cinnamon stick Build directly in mug. Stir whisky, lemon juice and honey until combined. Add hot water and stir with cinnamon stick.

Apple Toddy

2 oz Calvados or Apple Jack ½ oz honey 1 oz lemon juice fresh ground nutmeg 2 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 3-4 dashes hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper boiling water Muddle cloves in the bottom of your mug. Add all other ingredients and top with boiling water. Stir well and enjoy!

Eastern Toddy

1.5 oz Spiced Rum 1 green tea bag 2.5 cm slice ginger, peeled 1 oz fresh lime juice 1 cardamom pod ½ oz honey At the bottom of your mug, muddle ginger and cardamom, add scotch, honey, and tea bag. Fill with boiling water, stir well and let the tea steep for approx. 4 minutes or until desired strength.

A born and raised Calgarian, Rebecca’s passion for wine and spirits started early. Originally a sommelier, she instinctively progressed into cocktails. On her days off Rebecca enjoys a classic Old Fashioned.

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Find Your Best: Café

There’s a lot of reasons to spend some time in a café this month. Looking over that credit card bill, surfing online to decide which diet you should try out for a few weeks before giving up. You know, the typical post-holiday blues stuff.

Here are 8 questions to answer to find out which café around Calgary may have the best table waiting for you.

1. It’s 8:30 a.m. on a Tuesday. I’m most likely… a) en route to work. b) already at work, looking forward to my coffee break. c) trying to decide where to spend my morning.

2. My drink of choice for my morning is… a) a coffee, but nothing too fancy. b) a good quality black tea. c) a well-made espresso.

3. When I come to a café and plan to stay for a while I… a) usually am there on a date. b) want somewhere nice and quiet. c) bring my laptop and get my work done!

4. I believe that flavoured syrups are… a) ok in moderation. b) a tool for making unhappy children happy. c) mostly for people who like weirdly sweet coffee-based drinks.

5. I like the atmosphere of a café I’m sitting in to be… a) warm and cozy. b) not too muddled with other people’s conversations. c) lively and inspiring.

6. The time I frequent a café most is typically… a) in the morning before work. b) mostly on the weekends. c) during the day.

7. When I order food from a casual café or coffee shop, I expect… a) restaurant quality. b) some different baking choices, nothing fancy. c) food that can get me through the day if I end up staying there for quite a while.

8. If I could have one drink every morning for the rest of my life, it would be… a) a London Fog. b) Jasmine green tea. c) a pour-over coffee.

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cappuccino and people watch as your eggs benedict (one of the city’s best) is crafted in the open kitchen. If your sweet tooth starts the moment the sun rises, then order the whole-wheat blueberry waffles served with vanilla whipped cream. If you’re a N.W. C-train rider, then you should plan a detour to grab a coffee and freshly baked muffin to go.

(Mostly As)

After work, bring your date to Vendome for light dinner and drinks. Open late on weeknights and Saturdays, Vendome’s small selection of beers, wines and cocktails are the perfect complement to its all-day and evening menus. On a cold night, this café’s tight and cozy quarters make it the perfect place to warm up with a chicken potpie and glass of red wine.

Whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, this Sunnyside gem has got you covered. Roll out of bed and into Vendome Café to sit back with a

With both top-notch eats all-day long, and the means to make a Caesar on a Sunday morning, Vendome Café melds the worlds of breakfast and late-night

The Tea Factory

classic greens and blacks, to earthy Pu’Erh and fruity herbal blends, are neatly lined up behind the counter.

Patrons are freely invited to ask to smell the leaves before committing to a full cup. A corner of the space is dedicated to all sorts of tea paraphernalia, so you can continue enjoying your favourite brews after hours.

Vendome Café

(Mostly Bs)

Located in the heart of Mission, The Tea Factory is a sleek yet cozy spot for the modern tea lover. Whether you’re nursing your mug of tea while peoplewatching through the floor-to-ceiling windows or grabbing a quick cup to go, The Tea Factory will certainly satisfy any tea fix - over 100 tea varieties, from

Feeling a little peckish? The Tea Factory serves up Sidewalk Citizen sandwiches, as well as pastries and macarons from Ooh La La Patisserie to satisfy your sweet or savoury tooth. For those who prefer the bean to the leaf (you do know you’re at a place called The Tea Factory, right?), Fratello Coffee is also available.

If that’s not enough to show how proud they are of their Calgary roots, The Tea Factory also partners with many other local initiatives, including REAP and YYC Speaks.

1820 4 St SW, 403-282-8828 theteafactory.ca, @TheTeaFactoryCA

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cafés into one. Expect a line-up on weekends, but don’t worry — good things come to those who wait.

940 2 Ave NW, 403-453-1140 vendomecafe.com, @vendomecafe

Cafe Blanca

(Mostly Cs) If you haven’t heard of Cafe Blanca yet, that’s alright. You have now. The café is half in the business of appealing to coffee nerds and half in the business of making a cool spot for freelancers to set up shop to get their work done.

The interior is one of the nicest in the city as far as coffee shops go, with a big light fixture with coffee cups hanging off, white walls adorned with local art and booth seating with bright cushions nestled right up to the window.

too, as well as any regular espressobased bevvy one could want.

The location is a little bit out of the way, just to the east of the Eau Claire mall, but odd locations do often lend themselves to seat availability. I mean, seriously, no one likes to stand in-line at a coffee shop only to not find a place to sit once their drink has been made.

240 Riverfront Ave SW 403-460-2002 cafeblanca.ca, @cafeblancayyc

The food stays relatively simple here.

Sandwiches, soups, salads and small pastries; the usual suspects. Having said that, the true magic of Blanca lies in watching their signature siphon coffees being prepared and then enjoying it. A procedure almost laboratory-like that results in one of the smoothest cups of coffee you’ll ever experience. If extra fancy coffee isn’t your thing, it’s ok, they offer pour-over and regular brewed

Good Earth

(Mix of As, Bs and Cs) You may not find a trendy crowd casually chatting over a pour-over, single-origin coffee here, but for a solid cup of brewed coffee, espresso-based coffee, or tea latte, this place has them in spades.

The franchise actually started in Calgary in 1991 and has since expanded to various cities in Western Canada,

all the way out to Victoria B.C. With many locations spread throughout the city, Good Earth is convenient for just grabbing a quick cup for the drive, and its casual and cozy atmosphere is perfect for catching up on work (regardless of whether you’re between meetings or you’re feeling laid back in a onesie), catching up with friends, or just hanging out with the family (totally kidfriendly).

To go with your morning cup of coffee, hot breakfasts and oatmeal are offered to get your day started on the right foot. For a quick lunch, try the soups, salads and sandwiches. Have a meeting to attend and don’t have time to stick around? Order food for the meeting from the catering menu that features everything from breakfast to lunch, including fruits and desserts.

Various locations, goodearthcafes.com @GoodEarth_Cafes 33

Easy Ingredient Substitutions For your New Year’s Resolutions

by ANDREA FULMEK

The start of a new year is often the perfect time to turn over a new healthy leaf. Whether we commit to eating more fruits and vegetables, plan to cut the carbohydrates, or strive to reduce our fat intake, most of us know that these commitments aren’t easy. This year, however, say goodbye to flavourless snacks, fast-food withdrawals, and say hello to easy ingredient substitutions that will leave you feeling satisfied, energized, and anything but guilty.

Avocado vs Mayonnaise – Lower in calories, packed

with heart healthy monounsaturated fat, and packed with vitamins and minerals, mashed avocado is a great substitute for mayonnaise in some of your favourite sandwiches and wraps. Spread onto bread or added directly into chicken or egg-salad mixtures, this substitution is not only easy, but also creamy and delicious. Afraid to abandon the mayo all together? Try mixing equal parts avocado and mayonnaise to start weaning yourself off the white stuff!

Black Beans vs Flour in Brownies – When you can

confidently use the words “low fat” and “brownies” in the same sentence, you know it’s a wonderful day in the world of baking. Though this may seem like an odd substitution, using pureed beans in the place of flour in your favourite brownie recipe is sure to leave you pleasantly surprised. Fudgy, chewy, and loaded with fibre, no one will ever guess the secret ingredient in the batch of brownies you just whipped up.

Crispy Zucchini vs French Fries – If the thought of giving

up fast food seems unbearable, try experimenting with zucchini wedges as a healthy alternative to French fries. Though lightly breaded, zucchini wedges are significantly lower in calories and fat, and are extremely easy to prepare. To prepare, dip 1 cm by 10 cm zucchini wedges in ¼ cup melted butter and then toss in a breadcrumb/oatcrumb mixture (¾ cup bread crumbs, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, and ¼ salt). Preheat oven to 425° F and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lettuce Wraps vs Tortillas – Whether you’re looking to experiment with a low carb diet or just want to try something new, lettuce wraps are a refreshing spin on traditional flour or corn tortillas. Mexican and Thai-inspired dishes with seasoned chicken, beef or pork are especially tasty inside of crisp lettuce wraps. Alternatively, try making your next sandwich or wrap inside a leafy green - cabbage, romaine, red, or butter lettuce make excellent choices.

Spaghetti Squash vs Pasta – Undoubtedly a noodle

wanna-be, spaghetti squash is easy to prepare, low in calories, and as the name suggests, looks very much like its flour-based counterpart. To prepare this delicious pasta alternative, simply cut your spaghetti squash into halves, steam or roast until cooked through and then scrape the fleshy part of the squash with a fork to expose long strands of fibres. Tossed in melted garlic butter, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, or coated in your favourite pasta sauce, spaghetti squash is sure to satisfy a pasta craving for those on a low carb or gluten-free diet.

34 34

Oats vs Breadcrumbs – If

breadcrumbs are your coating of choice for chicken fingers or pork chops, try experimenting with ground rolled oats. Also a great addition to meatloaf and burgers, ground rolled oats are high in fibre, low in sodium, and can be easily seasoned with thyme and black pepper to add some extra flavour. If you want to experiment with more texture in your meatloaf or burger, try pulsing your oats in a food processor instead of grinding them to a fine crumb.

Approximately 1¼ cup ground oats will nicely substitute 1 cup of breadcrumbs.

Say goodbye to flavourless snacks and fast-food withdrawals

Unsweetened Applesauce vs Oil/ Butter – One of the easiest

substitutions you can make in your kitchen is to substitute unsweetened applesauce for oil or butter in many cake and quick bread recipes. Replaced at a 1:1 ratio, unsweetened applesauce contains a fraction of the calories and fat of canola oil and leaves your fluffy baked goods incredibly moist. If desired, add an additional 2-3 tablespoons of oil to improve the texture of your final product. Don’t have any applesauce in the house? Other fruit purees (like banana, mango, pumpkin etc.) also work well, as the pectin in these fruits acts similar to oil in a recipe.

Greek Yogurt vs Sour Cream – If upping your

veggie intake is part of your New Year’s resolution, Greek yogurt may just become your best friend. Though similar in consistency and taste to sour cream, Greek yogurt is higher in protein, lower in fat, and can easily replace sour cream in many of your favourite homemade dip recipes. Aside from vegetable, tzatziki and spinach dips, Greek yogurt is also an excellent substitute for sour cream when called for in cookie and cake recipes.

Recruiter by day, writer and foodie by night, Andrea finds nothing more exciting than grocery shopping and baking with chocolate. If dessert could be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, she would be one happy camper.

www.bernardcallebaut.com www.CococoChocolatiers.com

Ring In The New Year Of The Goat:

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Calgary

by TERRENCE LO AND VINCCI TSUI

Did you know that the Chinese New Year of the Goat is just around the corner? Starting from Thursday, February 19th, Chinese families around the globe return home for a 15-day celebration of bonding, sweets, firecrackers and dancing dragons.

The kids especially get into this, as they get wired on copious amounts of sugar while their pockets are filled with cash-stuffed little red packets for luck and fortune.

There’s a huge list of foods that symbolize wealth, health, and long life, far too long to list adequately as customs differ between Northern and Southern Chinese. But to many Chinese, the reunion banquet on New Year’s Eve is the most important, similar to sitting down to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner with friends and family. The preparation can be quite elaborate, and the presentation equally so, to entice conversation and great feasting.

Here’s a description of six popular dishes and a few suggestions of where to find them in Calgary.

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Steamed Fish with Ginger and Soy

Fish (yu 魚) Fish is probably the most essential and most symbolic item in a Chinese New Year Eve dinner. Always purchased whole, this typically steamed dish, with ginger and light soy, symbolizes unity.

But more importantly, it also represents endless wealth as the Chinese word for fish has the same pronunciation as the word for surplus (yu 餘). As such, it’s always a good idea to have a little left over for the next day so the prosperity will overflow.

Dumplings (jiao zi 餃子) The ever-universal dumpling, steamed or fried and filled with meat and vegetables, especially shines in the New Year. It’s shaped like a gold ingot that represents wealth, and legend has it that the more you eat on Chinese New Year, the richer you’ll be throughout the year!

Long Noodles (mian tiao 麵條)

Roast Chicken

Long noodles represent long life, especially when whole and uncut.

Cutting the noodle is very unlucky; so don’t cut the strands ever. Typically wheat noodles are used and are fairly simple with bits of mushroom and a bit of soy.

Chicken (ji 雞)

Longevity Noodles

Ginger Stir Fried Lobster

Chicken is one of the centerpieces and MUST be served whole with the head and the feet still attached. Routinely served roasted with a crispy paper-thin skin and dipping salt mix, this tasty bird represents completeness, joy, unity, and even good family togetherness.

Black Moss Seaweed (fat choy 髮菜) and Dried Oysters (ho si 蠔豉) This dish is the ubiquitous representation of good luck New Year dishes, but virtually unknown. The black moss is popular in Buddhist dishes and quite expensive as it’s a labour-intensive fungus only available in arid regions.

It has no nutritional value whatsoever, but adds texture, appearance and absorbs sauces quite readily. In the context of New Year, when combined with dried oysters, this dish attains almost mythical heights. Why? The name in Chinese, Fat Choi Ho Si, sounds exactly like the Chinese words for prosperity and good business.

Stewed Oysters with Black Moss

Lobster (longxia 龍蝦) The lobster is the dragon of the sea, and typically symbolizes fidelity and unity, but in the context of the banquet, it’s wealth. Being a luxury food, lobster is served to show how prosperous the family is and will continue to be. Yes, in this particular case it’s all about appearances, but can you think of a tastier way? Lobster tends to be served around New Year either fried with ginger, or in a cream sauce with noodles.

Calgary has a number of restaurants that stand out when it comes to Chinese New Year dinners. All the restaurants will offer a full eight to ten course meal with these dishes and more, for groups of ten.

Gather up your friends, enjoy the feast and we wish you a Happy New Year – Gong Xi Fa Cai 恭禧發財!

Central Grand Restaurant in Central Landmark Mall (1623 Centre St NW, 403-277-2000) Great place for dim sum as well. Private rooms are available for large groups.

Free parking.

Chinese Cultural Centre Restaurant (197 1 St SW, 403-457-0072) Located in the Cultural centre with the large red pagoda, in Chinatown.

Dragon Chinese (200-118 5 Ave SE, 403-718-0088) Just south of Chinatown, they’ve received rave reviews for their chicken dishes.

Golden Inn (107A 2 Ave SE, 403-269-2211) One of the mainstays of late night 2:00 am Chinese eats, it’s especially popular for its lobster.

Great Taste (123 2 Ave SE, 403-265-8189) More of a Northern Taiwanese restaurant, it’s regarded by many local chefs to be the best place for dumplings in the city.

Regency Palace on top of Dragon City Mall (328 Centre Street SE, 4th Floor 403-777-2288) The largest of all the restaurants, and also well known for dim sum and an allyou-can-eat buffet. Private rooms are available for private parties and large groups. Pay underground parking.

37

Table For One

by HEATHER HARTMANN

Roses are red Violets are blue This Valentine’s Day, I’d like to do a service to single women everywhere and dispel the myth that our most common meal is cereal.

I have no idea what the most common meal for single men is supposed to be, but I’m pretty sure it’s not rumoured to be fantastic either. If you are a single of either gender who has been settling in your dining expectations - don’t! There are several reasons why dining solo can be better than dining à deux.

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Dinner for one Can be better than two 7 great things about dining alone: 1. You can eat smelly foods. I’m half

Ukrainian and half German. To me, garlic is a food group. When you’re eating alone, you don’t have to abstain from eating certain things.

If you don’t care, no one else does either

2. Other people’s likes can take a hike.

You don’t have to take anyone else’s preferences or dietary restrictions into consideration. Gluten-free? Vegetarian?

If you don’t care, no one else does either.

3. You can eat wherever, whenever you

want. At a restaurant? Try sitting at the bar – you will likely have more interesting interactions than you would at a table. At home? Go ahead, have your meal in front of the TV, on the couch, or in bed. No one’s going to kick you out for eating crackers.

4. There is no risk of anyone finishing your delicious leftovers before you get to them. There’s nothing worse than looking forward to something all day only to get home and realize that someone else already ate it all.

5. Most recipes are written for multiple people. When it’s just you, that means cooking once equates to several days of meals. Pack up the leftovers for lunch, or the freezer.

6. There’s no better audience than

none to try new recipes on. Try something and it doesn’t work? No worries – no one else knows, and you can order pizza.

No one’s going to kick you out for eating crackers

7. No one is judging your pairing

preferences. Like white wine, even with beef? Start pouring. No one is going to be explaining to you why another choice would be better.

In short, you should celebrate, not cereal-eat.

An easy, at-home meal for singles (and my personal go-to) is charcuterie. Some delicious cured meats, cheeses, pickled vegetables, a loaf of nice bread, and perhaps a roasted red pepper or spinach dip.

This is fantastic for those living alone because most of these will keep in the fridge for weeks at a time. Stock up in advance and the next time you’re headed home for dinner just pick up the bread and you’re good to go (solo).

Heather Hartmann ate Caesar salad at the restaurant where it was invented at the age of eight, and it was all downhill from there. A writer by trade, her consideration of garlic as a food group is understandable. Follow her on twitter@DemocraticDiner.

2015

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$44.95 +GST per person Includes a themed three course prix-fixe meal in the Selkirk Grille and viewing of the film in Gasoline Alley’s Exhibit Hall.

Reserve at 403.268.8607 or online at OpenTable.com MOVIE ONLY

$9.95 +GST per person Visit HeritagePark.ca for detailed film and menu information.

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Variety Packs: The Spice Of Life

by DAVID NUTTALL

Variety’s the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.

The Task (1785) — William Cowper It’s hard to trace just when variety packs first appeared, but it’s safe to say they came of age with the growth of the craft beer scene in the 1990s. When craft breweries were launching new products to a leery public raised on big brewery beers, finding consumers who would want to purchase six packs (or more) of each of their beers proved a

difficult sell. Trying to guess what the public would want was even harder.

However, by offering all or most of their beers in one single six or twelve pack, a simple solution was found. For the public, the benefits were obvious; even if they disliked one or two of the new beers, at least they weren’t stuck with a whole bunch of them. Feedback from

the public also let the brewery know their favourites, which was reflected in individual sales of those beers.

There are at least four dozen different variety packs on the market in Alberta at any given time A funny thing happened along the way, however. Many breweries found the mixed pack became their best seller. Craft breweries were finding customers who enjoyed many styles of beers and weren’t staunchly devoted to a single variety like their fathers and grandfathers were, so they began to

40

expand their line of variety packs. Soon there were seasonal packs, mixed packs that also contained one or two limited edition beers, or sampler packs with a theme; really the…um…varieties were endless.

Now truth be told, small breweries don’t particularly like making mixed packs. Not only does it mean creating and purchasing additional packaging, invariably the pack must be hand packed, as bottling lines aren’t capable of creating them. These additional expenses are rarely recovered in the sales, but there is no doubt about the marketing value of these packs.

Breweries were finding out the new wave of beer consumer seemed more devoted to a brewery than to a single style of beer, which was so often the case in the past. Consequently, look for more variety packs in the future, as more breweries will be adding them to their portfolios, and breweries that currently make them will be adding more.

There are at least four dozen different variety packs on the market in Alberta at any given time. Here’s a rundown on some of them:

Cameron’s Brewmaster Selection 4-Pack - Some variety packs only

have four beers in them. This Oakville, Ontario, brewery’s sampler showcases its Cream and Auburn Ales plus two new seasonal dark beers; Dark 266 (a black lager) and Resurrection Roggenbier.

None of these beers can be bought singly in Alberta. $13

Phillips Brewery - Here’s another

Yukon’s Thirst Aid Kit - This 12

pack brings together three each of their four most popular beers; Ice Dog IPA, Yukon Gold, Yukon Red and Bonanza Brown. $28

Tuatara Mixer Pack - Here’s the

perfect chance to try beer from a brewery you’ve probably never heard of.

Yes, beer is made in New Zealand and Tuatara has created a mixed six pack featuring Ardennes (a Belgian style ale), Hefe, Helles, IPA, Pilsner, and Porter, none of which can be bought singly in Alberta. $24

Granville Island Winter Mingler - Vancouver’s Granville Island Brewery

does two mixed 12 packs a year - the other is in the summer. The winter version contains three each of their Lager, Brockton IPA, Pale Ale and their popular Lions Winter Ale. $29 42

brewery that loves mixed packs. At any given time, this Victoria brewery has at least two or three different ones on the market. You should be able to find the Showcase Sampler Pack; a 12 bottle pack with three each of Blue Buck Ale, Slipstream Cream Ale and Analogue 78 Kolsch plus a special guest seasonal beer.

Similarly, the 12 bottle Hopbox contains three each of Hop Circle IPA, Krypton Rye PA, and Skookum Cascadian Brown Ale, plus a guest IPA. $29

The Big Rock Barn Burner - A

“barn burner” is an unpretentious party with energy and excitement that celebrates the chillier seasons. Enjoy three bottles each of the new Thresher Wheat Lager and Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Stout, with its aromas of molasses and raisin and creamy chocolate flavour.

The pack also includes the reliable Traditional Ale along with the more complex Scottish Style Heavy Ale, with its range of flavours going from hints of oak and peat to vanilla, toffee and chocolate. $33.

The new wave of beer consumer seemed more devoted to a brewery than to a single style of beer

Village Square - One of Calgary’s

newest breweries produced their first 12 bottle collection with three each of its regular beers; Blonde, Wit and Blacksmith (an India Black Ale) plus Brunette, a limited release brown ale. $30

Wild Rose Anthology 12 Pack -

Another Calgary brewery that regularly releases variety packs. The newest pack consists of three bottles each of Velvet Fog, IPA, and WRaspberry Ale plus the new Electric Avenue Lager. $30

Advertisement Feature

The Calgary Zoo isn’t just a place to go and visit exotic animals anymore. Yes, you can still view the hippos, gorillas, penguins and other wild life, but you can also explore the zoo’s culinary offerings while you are at it.

From intimate gatherings to extravagant banquets, the Calgary Zoo is the ideal venue to book your next event.

As one of the largest caterers in the city, they can host everything from weddings to corporate get-togethers.

If you are looking for something a bit smaller, Grazers has you covered. The restaurant is only open to the public for lunch during the summer months so for summer evenings and the remainder of the year it is available to book for private events. For cocktail parties, menu offerings include everything from espresso encrusted beef carpaccio to compressed pineapple with toasted feta.

For larger functions like weddings, the Calgary Zoo offers both buffet style and plated dinners. Sous Chef James Neilson likens the food to “rustic, and approachable, but with a modern twist.” The culinary team is eager to offer diners food that is innovative and unique, but at the same time recognizable.

“We are also committed to sustainability,” Chef Neilson says. Not only does this mean supporting programs like Oceanwise, and only sourcing sustainable seafood, the chefs also work hand in hand with the zoo’s horticultural team.

They strive to grow as much of their own produce as possible and utilize local suppliers to supplement it.

Having worked on Vancouver Island for several years helped to foster Chef Neilson’s farm-to-table mentality. “Here at the zoo we grow everything from kale and Swiss chard, to herbs and even our own cardamom,” he says. The zoo also has plans to expand the program in the coming years in order to grow as much of their own food as possible. Even vegetable scraps get composted and used to help maintain the gardens they originally came from. This is just one way in which they are aiming to reduce their environmental footprint.

Hosting your events at the Calgary Zoo also helps to bring awareness to the animals we share the earth with, especially those that are endangered. Pastry Chef Kim Vy masterfully crafts fondant into a variety of creatures atop decadent cupcakes along with a variety of other sinful sweets. You can even make a day of it by hosting your team building event at the zoo and participating in activities like the amazing race and scavenger hunts, learning all about the plants and animals it is home to.

Whether you are looking for an elegant reception or intimate get-together, the Calgary Zoo’s culinary team has a variety of interesting and unique catering options, with exciting activities to match their seasonally scrumptious cuisine.

Visit calgaryzoo.com to book your next event.

403-232-7770 | salesinfo@calgaryzoo.com

The Many Faces Of Grappa

by ERIKA TOCCO

Grappa…who even drinks the stuff-let alone likes it?

If you ask these types of questions to the general public, I bet most responses run a negative angle. This is because most people do not have a better understanding of the spirit.

All too often it is compared with vodka, because like vodka, it can be credited to having little or no taste, and what taste there is generally comes from the burning sensation that lives on in your throat long after you have ingested the drink. To appreciate a strong spirit such as grappa, one must understand how it is made and the different types that exist on our market.

Who invented it? Who knows? What we do know is that smart distillation techniques travelled from Egypt and North Africa up to Italy, where in the 8th century, Jesuit monks were starting to create alcohol meant for human consumption in the form of brandy and eau de vie. Earlier on, distilled alcohol was used primarily for medicinal purposes. This form, that was created for enjoyment, was entirely new to the general populous.

To be able to qualify as a grappa three major criteria must be met:

1. It can only be produced in Italy, San

Marino, or the Italian part of Switzerland When in doubt, always serve grappa more on the cooler side

2. Grappa can only be produced from

the must/pomace of grapes and not the actual juice

3. Fermentation and distillation must Once made as a by-product of dry wine production, we now have a slew of boutique grappa houses that make a fabulous selection of this spirit in many different forms. Originally it was known as the ‘poor man’s drink’, as winemakers sought to use all the leftovers from a harvest and create a little extra income for themselves. Grappa was invented in the middle ages in a town nestled in the northern part of Veneto - Bassano del Grappa.

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only occur on the pomace - no water addition allowed

To make grappa, one must first coferment the stems and seeds of the pomace with the leftover skins and pulp (which are loaded with sugars and juice).

Those are then distilled utilizing the Bain Marie technique, or steam distillation.

Methanol, a by-product of distillation is removed (that is the harmful substance) and then the distiller has the option whether or not to age the spirit in cask or leave it clean and wood free.

The modern grappa industry is relatively new. Grappa started to lose its image as the poor man’s drink in the 70’s and became very fashionable. The grappa industry had changed virtually overnight. Grape varietals were now sought out for their specific flavour profiles, and producers started to experiment with blends. They also started to use new types of oak for their different ageing and flavour distinctions as well as ash, cherry wood, and acacia wood. Modern distillation techniques were introduced, helping to create cleaner spirits.

To taste grappa you must drink it unsullied by ice or water

Grappa is divided in four different categories for tasting: young, caskaged, aromatic (using aromatic grape varietals) and aromatized (infusion of a vegetal substance after distillation).

Within the cask-aged category you have three different ageing sub-categories: Affinata-grappa that has been aged for a maximum of 12 months. Invecchiata/ Vecchia - which means the grappa has been aged between 12 and 18 months and Stravecchia/Riserva - in which the spirit has been aged for 18 months minimum. When professionally tasting grappa, you taste the low alcohol

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Complimentary wine, beer or spirit tastings every Friday.

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Knowledgeable, experienced and helpful staff.

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The boutique experience without the boutique prices.

examples first and conclude with the strongest. Because the alcohol can overtake the nose fairly quickly, grappa is usually tasted in tulip shape glasses that help harmonize the strong alcohol effects and bring out the fruit of the spirit.

Professional grappa tasters use the trick of drinking milk after each grappa to refresh the palate and clean the receptors on the tongue. To taste grappa you must drink it unsullied by ice or water additions.

Nor should it be chilled to the bone.

Young and aromatized grappa should be served between 9-13 º C and oak-aged grappa should be served at 17 º C. When in doubt, always serve grappa more on the cooler side, not warmer. Or you could just drink it the way Italians do, as a café correcto. When you finish your espresso, pour some grappa into your espresso cup, swirl it around a few times so that the grappa interacts with the leftover coffee and then you down it.

Perfetto!

Some labels to look for are Nonino, Jacopo Poli, Berta, Sibona, Nardini, and Bepi Tosolini.

Erika Tocco is the senior wine director for Vin Room and has taught for WSET, levels 1-3. Follow her on twitter @corkscrewlady.

Below are some great introductory grappas to try:

Nonino Grappa di Moscato - This

grappa is very fragrant and light in body. A great, fruity, even beginner grappa. Think stone fruits, tropical fruit like banana, and floral notes in the background. $61

Marolo Grappa di Barbera - Rich

dark red berry fruit and a medium weight. Plum, spice and fresh currants dominate the palate. Fleshy and pretty. $56

Altesino Grappa di Brunello - This is serious stuff. Earthy, complex, dried herbs and flowers. Dark currant and sweet delicate spice. $58

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Over 100 beers from around the world - Over 400 varieties of wine - Over 300 types of spirits

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Concocting With Craft Beer:

Dark and Stormy Beer Cocktail

by MEAGHAN O’BRIEN

As a craft beer fan through and through, I simply cannot resist sipping on a nice, dark porter or stout. I absolutely love this beer cocktail for any season. Now, some may say mixing beer with anything is sacrilege, but I just look at it as another way to experience craft beer! You may notice many popular beer halls across the city are experimenting with their own beer cocktail recipes – definitely check them out!

I’m a big ginger beer fan, so naturally my go-to brew for mixing is just that.

The dark and stormy beer cocktail is a Bermudan classic made with ginger beer, dark rum and a wedge of lime. I’ve learned to switch up this recipe just ever so slightly to give it a spicy kick. The first and most important ingredient is a nice, dry, and very ginger beer.

Popular beer halls across the city are experimenting with their own beer cocktail recipes

My favourite beer to use in my dark and stormy cocktail is Phillips Ginger Beer, and it’s by far the most gingerforward beer I’ve tried. It’s crisp with an incredible ginger aroma and a definite bite. Instead of mixing the ginger beer with dark rum, I use bold spiced rum such as Sailor Jerry or Kraken Black Spiced Rum. Spiced rum in substitution for dark rum is much more complex, and with warm vanilla and spice notes, it really mellows out the beer.

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Try out the Dark and Stormy cocktail, and if you love it as much as I do, enjoy it now and during any season.

Experiment using different rums, and maybe even garnish with candied ginger for a twist!

if you see kay

Looking for a non-alcoholic version?

The best ginger soda for cocktails is made by Fentimans. Fentimans classic ginger beer is botanically brewed and provides all the satisfaction of the alcoholic version! Serve this over ice with a muddled lemon or lime, eliminating the dark rum.

Dark and Stormy Lemon or lime wedge Ice 10 oz. Phillips Ginger Beer 2 oz. Sailor Jerry or Kracken Black Spiced Rum

Muddle a lime or lemon wedge in a tall glass or simply squeeze in the juice. Add in ice, rum, and top with ginger beer.

Top with an extra lemon or lime wedge if you choose, and stir.

Meaghan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien is a self-proclaimed beer enthusiast with a passion for hunting down and tasting the most unique brews. Check out her blog at megsbeerbanter.com and follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/MegsBeerBanter.

NO HOLDS BARRED WINE

The Case For Wine: Value Wines

by LINDA GARSON

After the extravagances of the holiday season, we may be looking to get our budgets back in check; we’ve had our fun but now we have the credit card statement to look forward to. While we might be leaning to more value wines in January and February, it doesn’t mean we have to drink bad wine, but reach for wines that drink well beyond their price tag.

I love discovering and introducing people to wines like this - it’s not rocket science to open a $100+ bottle of wine and everyone gasps, ’ooh ah, isn’t that fabulous!’ but it’s far more fun and rewarding to pour a wine under $25 and get the same reaction.

There’s still plenty to celebrate at this time of year, with Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day to look forward to, so here’s a selection of wines that will bring smiles to everyone’s faces without breaking the bank.

Louis Bouillot NV Rosé Brut Cremant de Bourgogne, France An obvious contender for your Valentine wine, this sparkler from Burgundy is a beautiful colour from the pinot noir fruit, and made in the traditional Champagne method. It has a creamy mouth-feel with tiny bubbles, yeasty aromas, and a delicate strawberry flavour with citrus acidity. A no-brainer with salmon and a done deal with charcuterie. $19 +745430

St. Urbans-Hof Estate Old Vine Riesling 2012, Mosel, Germany Best in Class at our Alberta Beverage Awards (ABA), this wine is a great example of quality Mosel riesling, my go-to valley for this grape. Elegant and ripe, with flavours of apples and spice with slate minerality, this wine is perfect with Thai dishes like Shrimp with Lemongrass, and Green Curry Chicken, but also with kale salads, schnitzel and lots more. $19 +730217

Torres 2010 Gran Coronas Penedès, Spain Another ABA Best In Class, this is one of my all-time go-to wines. I’ve paired it many times with various cuts of grilled steak with truffled gravy or truffle mash.

The blend of cabernet sauvignon and tempranillo produces a rich and sensual wine with flavours of dark berries, coffee and liquorice, and a touch of leather on the finish. $21 +36483 48

Cono Sur Bicicleta Viognier 2013 Colchagua, Chile

Kendall Jackson AVANT Chardonnay 2012, California

Spier Chenin Blanc 2013 Stellenbosch, South Africa

You’re greeted with a delicious scent of apricot, typical of viognier, when opening this wine. It has a distinct golden colour, and a soft texture with a lively acidity that cuts through any greasiness, to pair perfectly with smoked fish, also chickpea dishes, and sweet and sour dishes - perfect for Chinese New Year banquets! $13 +566836

California may not be the first shelf you visit for value wines, but Avant took Top Value in our Alberta Beverage Awards (ABA) chardonnay category against stiff competition. Bright, crisp and refreshing, you’ll likely taste green apples, pineapples and a little pear and lemon too in this this well-structured wine. Fresh oysters please! $17 +745198

I’m really happy to see chenin blanc’s growing popularity. I paired this wine recently with a salad of grapefruit, goat cheese and mango lime dressing, and again with crunchy veggie pakoras perfect with both! Expect fruity flavours of guava and pear, and feel good about the vineyard’s environmental initiatives and fair trade accreditation. $15 +659037

Emiliana Adobe Reserva Rosé 2013 Rapel Valley, Chile

Fontanafredda 2012 Barbera Briccotondo, Piedmont, Italy

Yalumba 2012 Old Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa, Australia

A blend of 85% syrah and 15% cabernet sauvignon, this organic rosé is a snip at the price. Far too easy to drink, this silky wine has fresh and fruity flavours of blackcurrant and cherry that co-mingle with a peppery spice. I paired it with double-smoked bacon wrapped bison terrine stuffed with roasted pistachio and dried cranberry, to great aplomb. $14 +743921

Barbera often gets overlooked, but the soft tannins and high acid make this a very food friendly wine. The Briccotondo is another of this year’s award winners, from vineyards farmed without the use of any chemicals. Hints of herbs, berries and black pepper make it so suited to any dish with tomato sauce, and aged cheeses. $17 +729958

From Australia’s oldest family-owned winery comes this organic, veganfriendly, lush and polished wine. I love their explanation of the old vines, “They are not good because they are old; they are old because they are good.” It’s an expressive wine that punches well above its weight, with tastes of blueberries and plums. $21 +531228

Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva Tuscany, Italy

Norton Privada 2011 Mendoza, Argentina

I have a soft spot for Chianti Classico, and can’t pass over a riserva at this price. It’s a bold wine of mostly sangiovese with just enough merlot to soften out the acidity, and great structure. The earthy mushroom flavour with a hint of violet make it an ideal partner for comfort food dishes such as smoked cheese-stuffed meatballs in tomato sauce. $22 +710322

Tasted blind, you’d never guess the cost of this Bordeaux blend of almost equal parts cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec, as it drinks well above its price. It’s a powerful wine, smooth and polished, and definitely a wine for Calgary palates with notes of cassis, smoke, menthol, and dark cherry. $25 +722964

Sileni Cellar Selection Late Harvest Semillon 2009 Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand And to finish with the ABA Top Value dessert wine, sustainably grown, and ripe with luscious flavours of apricot, pineapple and enough citrus acidity so that it isn’t at all cloying, but clean with a good balance and length. Pair it with crème brûlée, custard-filled pastries, cheesecake, panna cotta…the list is endless! 375 mL $19 +723434 49

Open That Bottle

by LINDA GARSON photography by INGRID KUENZEL

“If I looked back at the end of a career in accounting, I’m not sure if I’d be really satisfied. So I wanted to make sure that whatever I did with my life that I’d be really proud of it.” says Jeremy Bryant, of Mealshare.

Growing up in Calgary, and studying business, Bryant never identified with the work. “I didn’t really enjoy it,” he says, “I didn’t feel like I was really helping anybody.” His parents were actively involved with charities, and helped the young Bryants understand from an early age that Calgary is a city where everybody looks out for each other. So when cousin Andrew Hall was feeling the same about consulting, the pair set out to create something together while giving back to the community.

They settled on food as it brings people together, but is crippling if you don’t have access to it. “We combined that with the business side of things instead 50

of just starting a charity that could help people get food, we saw that there were already a ton of great charities doing that work, so we wanted to find a way to use food to help existing charities and the work that they do,” Bryant says.

They started Mealshare, mid 2013.

It was tough going at first, but once ‘founding partners’, Blue Star Diner and Dairy Lane Café signed on, other restaurants realised the sense of ‘one meal purchased, one meal shared’. Now there’s close to 30 partner restaurants in Calgary, and 150 across the country.

“And we get to choose the restaurants we work with, which is awesome,” says Bryant. “We look for restaurants that are already involved in the community; they give back, they give their customers a cool experience and their staff love to work for them - they’re the partners we like to work with.”

So what bottle does Bryant have stashed away?

A few years ago, when he was in his third year at university, he was given the option to go and get a job or to renovate a house. “So I definitely chose renovating the house,” he laughs, “as you can imagine, an internship in

accounting probably wouldn’t be that exciting.”

They bought an old, dusty 1950s house, and started tearing down walls. Having taken out everything in the basement, they started on a wall upstairs. “We were tearing it down and then at the very bottom of it, this bottle, along with a pack of 20 rifle bullets, just popped out at the bottom,” he explains, “So we dusted it off and it’s a bottle of whiskey!

It was a little disconcerting as to why the previous owner hid a bottle of whiskey and bullets – were they getting ready for the apocalypse?”

The bottle was 1971 Gold Nugget, from Meagher’s Distillery in Montreal. Little is known about the rye whiskey, as Meaghers was sold to Corby’s in 1978.

And when might Bryant open the bottle?

“We were thinking that next year, we expect to close in on the one-million shared meals mark,” he says. “We’re at about 150,000 right now, but we’re hoping in the next year or so we should be at a million and we’re thinking it might be a good time to crack open the bottle and share it with the Mealshare team – and celebrate becoming ‘meal-ionaires!”

WHERE WE BUILD INNER CITY

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Happy Holidays from the Vintage Group! Our locally-owned Calgary eateries offer award-winning cuisine and exceptional service. With everything from authentic Southern BBQ to Canadian comfort food, prime steaks, hearty sandwiches, and premium fresh seafood, we take pride in creating a unique and memorable dining experience for any size and type of holiday gathering!

YOUR TABLE AWAITS.

www.vintagegroup.ca