Eat Magazine 12-03 May|June 2008

Grass is Greener (Part

to a New

CONTRIBUTORS

Jennifer

Mara Jernigan is a chef and cooking teacher specializing in local, seasonal food at Fairburn Farm Culinary Retreat and Guesthouse in the Cowichan Valley.

Su Grimmer calls herself “ The Urban Forager.” A writer, marketer and ex broadcaster, since arriving on Vancouver Island in 1999, Grimmer figures she’s logged over 120,000 kilometers exploring every crevice of the island. A hardcore foodie, she leaves no farm gate unopened, market unexplored nor rumoured great noshing spot uninvestigated

Based in Nor th Vancouver, B C , John Schreiner is Canada’s most pro lific author of wine books He has authored 12 since 1984, including three Whitecap bestsellers: British Columbia Wine Country, The Wineries of British Columbia and John Schreiner’s Okanagan Wine Tour Guide. He also contributes regularly to www.planitbc.com and www appellationamerica com

Danter is a freelance food writer, food stylist and a recent new comer to Victoria Prior to moving west, she worked as the Associate Food Editor for Chatelaine magazine for the past six years. A former chef, she worked with chef Anthony Walsh at Canoe and Au Berge Du Pommier and spent a blissful six months cooking at a resor t at Lake G arda in the Italian Riviera

Editor in Chief G ary Hynes

Vancouver Editor Andrew Morrison, Contributing Editor Carolyn Bateman

Editorial Assistant Katie Zdybel

Contributors Larry Arnold, Michelle Bouffard, Jennifer Danter, Pam Durkin, Andrei Fedorov, Jeremy Ferguson, Nathan Fong, Lorraine Forster, Su Grimmer, Duncan Holmes, Mara Jernigan, Chris Johns, Tracey Kusiewicz, Tara Lee, Andrew Lewis, Ceara Lornie, Sherri Mar tin, Hans Peter Meyer, Michaela Morris, Andrew Morrison, Julie Pegg, Karen Platt, Treve Ring, Kira Rogers, Jennifer Schell, John Schreiner, Shelora Sheldan, John Sherlock, Elizabeth Smyth, Chris Mason Stearns, Michael Tourigny, Sylvia Weinstock, Rebecca Wellman, Katie Zdybel

Ar t Direction G ary Hynes

Publisher Pacific Island Gourmet | EAT ® is a registered trademark.

Adver tising:

Lorraine Browne, Paul Kamon, Rick McMorran, Kira Rogers, Kate Shea 250.384.9042, adver tise@eatmagazine.ca

All depar tments

Box 5225, Victoria, BC, V8R 6N4, tel 250 384 9042, fax 250 384 6915 www eatmagazine ca eatjobs ca

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $35 for one year (plus GST) in Canada To subscribe, contact EAT Magazine at the number or address above or email subscribe@eatmagazine.ca

Published since 1998 EAT Magazine is published six times each year No par t of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Although every effor t is taken to ensure accuracy, Pacific Island Gourmet Publishing cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur All opinions expressed in the ar ticles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the publisher Pacific Island Gourmet reser ves the right to refuse any adver tisement All rights reser ved

® On the Cover: Verrine photo by Michael Tourigny, 250.389.1856 See page 19 for the recipe.

LETTERS

Bella Italia

When I pick up Eat magazine at my local wine shop, the first ar ticle I turn to is Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard's column on wine They open up the world of wine in a very down to ear th yet informative way. Also, you can actually find the recommended wines!! Keep up the good work and I hope to read many more interesting ar ticles Pauline, Nor th Vancouver

An open letter to The Playhouse Wine Festival and The Italian Trade Commission Having just returned from attending my 27th Vancouver Wine Festival I am wondering if we have been discour teous to some of our Italian visitors Opening Plenar y Vino Italiano The panel was very impressive but why were they there if they were unable to contribute? Barbara Tamburini covered the subject well but did the Marchese Antinori and Marchese Frescobaldi plus their fellow wine exper ts need to listen for 2 hours about a topic in which they surely need no education? I believe this to be a waste of world class speak ers who are not in our area very often. This is at worst insulting or at best unthinking as these fine people are here to promote their respective proper ties not sit on a stage doing and saying nothing A large panel is of no benefit in these conditions I believe, having spoken to others that I am not the only person feeling this way and my comments should in no way reflect on the dedication and huge amount of work put in by all the people involved in the event and the many volunteers who freely give their time The Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival is, and I expect will remain one of the greatest wine events anywhere. Please believe me when I say that my crit icism is well meant and is out of a very real love and appreciation of the festival, I do expect to make my 28th visit next year

Sincerely, Michael Bullock, Wine Enthusiast/Consultant and grumpy old wine guy.

Food Magazine of the Year

Congratulations on this award! It is amazing what you have accomplished over the years I remember your predecessors trying to make things work, which at that time, seemed to be impossible. You have done a terrific job. I doubt that there is a better publication in a town of this size anywhere else in Nor th America

Congratulations! Sinclair, Sooke Harbour House, Hello

My compliments on your magazine. It is one of the first things I seek out when I get off the plane in Victoria. You have opened many doors for me or at least guided me to those doors through your adver tisers, ar ticles and reviews I live par t time in Muskoka, Ontario and for tunately have a condo just off Cook St., Village in Victoria and your publication helps me find sensational new restaurants and food suppliers each time I am on the Island. Kent

Reservations not required

A NOTE EDITOR

FROM THE

A DEC ADE OF FOOD AND WI NE

Welcome to the 10th Anniversary issue of EAT. As founder, editor and chief paperboy I have been privileged to be par t of the growing food movement in British Columbia for the past decade

From my home base in Victoria on beautiful Vancouver Island I have toured every appellation and region of BC where food and wine is produced and enjoyed with pride and excitement. I believe a case can be made in 2008 that British Columbia is now the capital of food in our country. We have the chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, vintners and food producers in this province to thank for helping British Columbia be the best place on ear th to eat.

THE SHAPE OF EAT

This past year I have received hundreds requests from BC retailers who want to carry EAT magazine in their stores This tells me that not only are people reading EAT but readership is growing I wanted to give them all magazines to distribute but if I printed more magazines I would need to charge our adver tisers more. I didn’t want to do that as small businesses are under enough pressure as it is. The challenge was how to print more magazines without incurring increased costs?

What I found was that each printing press has a “sweet spot” which means there is a page size that produces the least amount of paper waste As a tabloid, EAT was wasting paper

The solution was to change EAT ’s size to fit my printing press’s “sweet spot”. By doing this the cost would remain the same and I had also found an eco friendly solution. More copies of the magazine without killing more trees!

By adopting the popular publishing industry standard called the "shor t tab" E AT is also easier to read, easier to carry, and easier to turn every mouth watering page And all the reasons our growing legions of loyal readers continue loving and devouring Eat Magazine remain unchanged...every feature, every food column, and every tasty, tantalizing tidbit.

I hope you enjoy our new size and format. As you travel about the province you will now find more places carrying EAT. G ary Hynes

Congrat ulat ions to Ever yone at EAT on your Tenth Anniversar y David Leigh Wine

EcoLogo is Nor th America’s most widely recognized and respected cer tification of environmental leadership By setting standards and certifying products in more than 120 categories, EcoLogo helps you identify, trust, buy, and sell environmentally preferable (“green”) goods and ser vices.

Launched by the Canadian federal government in 1988, EcoLogo has grown to ser ve buyers and sellers of green products through out the United States and Canada, and around the world. In fact, EcoLogo is North America’s oldest environmental standard and cer tification organization (and the second oldest in the world). It is the only Nor th American stan dard accredited by the Global Ecolabeling Network as meeting the international I SO 14024 standard for environmental labels

West Coast Seafood Verrine

A verrine is a French style appetizer or desser t consisting of an array of fine tasting and compatible ingredients layered in a glass The term “verrine” refers to the glass itself This West Coast version is obviously an appetizer, and a generous one at that. Consider ser ving it as a light lunch to enjoy on the patio on a warm spring day. If desired, each verrine could also be garnished with a fancy bread stick or herb sprinkled, oven toasted tor tilla wedge

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: A few minutes

Makes: 4 ser vings

For the wine jelly: dr y BC white wine, such as sauvignon blanc 3/4 cup BC honey 1/4 cup plain gelatin powder, such as Knox brand 1 1/2 tsp

Place the wine and honey in a small pot Sprinkle with the gelatin and let stand 5 minutes Set on the stove over medium heat Heat through just until the gelatin is dissolved, about 3 4 minutes. Pour the mixture in to an 8 inch square dish Cool to room temperature, and then cover and refrigerate until the wine jelly is set, about 2 3 hours. Use a paring knife to slice the wine jelly into small cubes.

For the cucumber/radish salad: rice vinegar 3 Tbsp granulated sugar2 tsp prepared horseradish 1 tsp large English cucumber, thinly sliced 1/2 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced 8 10 snipped fresh chives 1 Tbsp salt and white pepper to taste

Place the vinegar, sugar and horseradish in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cucumber, radish, chives, salt and white pepper and toss to combine

For the crab and shrimp: fresh Dungeness crab meat 175 grams fresh, cooked West Coast shrimp meat 175 grams fresh lemon juice to taste salt and white pepper to taste

Place the crab and shrimp in a bowl; season with the lemon juice, salt and white pepper.

For the top and bottom crème fraîche (see Note) 1/2 cup hot smoked salmon (see Note) 4 nuggets fresh asparagus, blanched (see Note)4 tips Spoon 1 Tbsp of the cream fraîche into each of 4, 8 oz. decorative glasses. Arrange 1/2 the cucumber/radish mixture on top of the crème fraîche Divide and top the cucumber/radish mixture with the cubes of jelly

Top the jelly with the crab/shrimp mixture. Top the crab/shrimp mixture with the remaining cucumber/radish mixture Top the cucumber/radish mixture with the remaining crème fraîche Set the verrine in the fridge until the salmon is ready (can be made to this point at least an hour in advance).

Preheat the oven to 400˚F Line a small baking pan with parchment paper Slice each salmon nugget into 4 5 slices and set in the baking pan with the asparagus. Heat in the oven 5 minutes. Divide and arrange the salmon and 1 asparagus tip on top of each verrine and ser ve

Note: Crème fraîche is sold in tubs in the dairy aisle of some supermarkets and fine food stores Sour cream, mixed with a touch of whipped cream, could replace the crème fraîche if you’re unable to find it. Nuggets of hot smoked salmon are available at seafood stores and some supermarkets. To blanch the asparagus, plunge in boiling water 1 minute, cool in ice cold water, and then drain well.

conciergedesk

Victoria

May 8 Amusé

Bistro Cidermaster Dinner

Chef Bradford Boisver t and Sea Cider propri etors Kristen and Bruce Jordan have teamed up to pair a critically acclaimed selection of traditional organic ciders with the locally sourced fine cuisine of Amusé Bistro 6:30 pm 1753 Shawnigan Mill Bay Road, Shawni gan Lake. 250 743 3667. www.seacider.ca.

May 8 – Chef Heidi Fink’s Cooking ClassesTaco Par ty: A fun class devoted to producing authentic Mexican flavours. Use traditional in gredients to make a variety of delicious dishes, with a focus on preparing tacos with several different fillings, including flank steak, chile chicken and spiced beans Also included in the class instruction are homemade green and red salsas as well as some fabulous side dishes, such as Mexican Green Rice, and Mex ican Chocolate Brownies $55 6:30 9:30pm Fairfield Community Place. For more info and classes: dominink@telus net

May 10 - 2008 Deerholme Farm Dinner Series Japanese Kaieseki Dinner Mothers Day Week end. Join knowledgeable BC food personality Bill Jones in his innovative series of dinner events that combine the pleasure of a dinner par ty with an educational program to create a unique culinary experience It’s also a great way to meet new friends, enter tain your brain or impress your stomach! $90. 5 9pm. Deer holme Farm, Duncan 250 748 7450 For more events and info visit www magnor th bc ca

May 10 Fine Wines & Fine Cheeses

The great gals at Charelli’s are going to wine and dine you at this event, supporting Hospice Palliative Care Programs 6:30 9pm Goward House. 2495 Arbutus Rd., $45.00. limited space ticket sales in advance only 598 4794 www charellis com

May 12 The BC Wine Institute's annual "Bloom" Spring Release

TRADE ONLY Taste newly released wines from over 30 B C VQA wineries. 2 4:30pm. Hotel Grand Pacific. Entry is restricted to restaurant and retail trade only Please RSVP to: tde man@winebc.com and bring a business card for admittance. www.winebc.com

May 31 – Sooke Harbour House Wine Tasting Series Taste some of the amazing wine from the Wine Spectator Grand Award cellar. The popular series continues with Red and White make Green Sustainability and environmen tal impact are more than mere marketing terms in the wine world $50 per person Reservations required 3:30 5pm 642 3421 www.sookeharbourhouse.com

June 5 Iced

Teas at Silk Road Tea

Nothing quenches thirst like a refreshing cup of iced tea Homemade iced teas are also healthy and cost effective. Learn new twists on your old favourites, such as lemonade or fruit juice with iced tea 7 8:30pm $10 1624 Gov ernment St. 7 8pm. For more events & info visit www silkroadtea com

June 6 8 Ultimate Test Drive Weekend on Vancouver Island

Join Edible British Columbia founder Eric Pate

man on a three day culinary adventure behind the wheel of a new high performance Audi. Groups are limited to 12 lucky people (6 cou ples) www edible britishcolumbia com

June 11 15 TLC Conser vation Holiday on Michael Ableman's Foxglove Farm and Grandview Farm on Salt Spring Island

This year The Land Conservancy is offering the oppor tunity for you to roll up your sleeves and come out to learn about sustainable food prac tices by immersing yourself in the fields of Saltspring Island at Michael Ableman’s Fox glove Farm www1 conser vancy bc ca/conser vationholidays 250 479 8053

Broken Group Tour Announced

The Broken Group Islands is one of the most famous sea kayaking destinations in the world, unmatched for its natural beauty and diversity of wildlife Join James Bray of Blue Planet Kayaking for the ultimate gourmet 4 day trip Eight trips from June 13 Sept 22 www blueplanetkayaking

June 12 One Year Anniversar y at Cafe Mela at The Belvedere Celebrations, refreshments and an exhibition of photographs of the cafe's cherished patrons by Clive Levinson. 8am 4 pm

June 21 A Day in France at Ottavio (they do Italian 364 days a year!) Come see, sample, taste & experience their French mar ket in Oak Bay Village Ar tists, wine tastings, music, cheese & olive tastings, baguettes, crepes, brie & joie de vivre. 11 3pm. Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen 592 4080 www ottaviovictoria com

June 24 IVSA Victoria TRADE ONLY Bring a business card as proof of employment. 2 4pm Ambrosia Catering

July

5&6

Organic Islands Festival and Sustainability Expo

Over 120 E xhibits, Interactive Displays, Pre sentations, Natural Food Demos, Enter tain ment. Live Green. Do Good. We’ll show you how! www.organicislands.ca" , or call 250 658 8148

September 28

The

10th

Annual Salt Spring Island Apple Festival

This year’s theme is Celebrating Red Fleshed Apples The Apples of the Future! www salt springmarket.com/apples/ October 24 Paris to Prague

Join Victoria sommelier Stuar t Brown on an in timate 12 day culinary and wine journey though the regions of central Europe. For more information contact Rick at 595 1181 or

Defending our Backyard

May 25. 2008

The Island Chefs Collaborative is holding the first annual “Defending our Backyard”, a celebration of Vancouver Island food and the people that bring it to us. A com bination tasting and educational event, guests will be able to sample a taste of the Island with ICC chefs while watching food demonstrations and local food info sessions about how local food makes its journey to our plates

Features of the event include a demonstra tion seafood market displaying seafood from the waters around Vancouver Island, oyster shucking and samples served fresh from the shell, a west coast style pig roast and pizza spinning and baking Guests will also taste a variety of Vancouver Island wines, beers, ciders and mead

Live music will be playing throughout the day and speakers will present on topics related to local food, such as a day in the life of a farmer There is also a silent auction

The festival runs from noon to 4 pm at Fort Rodd Hill Tickets are $45 per person and are available at Mattick’s Farm VQA Wine Store, The Wine Barrel, BC Wineguys Cadboro Bay Road, 6 Mile Liquor Store and Spinnakers Spirit Merchants

See www.iccbc.ca for more information and updated event details.

Vancouver

May 3 Spot Prawn Festival

Fresh Live Spot Prawns available for sale at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf for 6 8 weeks

May 6 New Zealand Wine Fair, Vancouver

34 wineries, 7 9:30pm, Fairmont Waterfront, $50, www nzwine events.ca

May 14 and June 11 - Wild Sweets

Theatre Chocolatiers Dominique & Cindy Duby will be offering "Chocolate Tasting & Apprecia tion" www dcduby com

May 24 Luncheon with Daniel Brunier of Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe

12 2pm, $40 (all inclusive, Mistral French Bistro, 2585 West Broad way, Vancouver, For reser vations call 604 684 0445 or info@mar quis wines.com

Ever y Friday ‘til Aug. 30 Tailored

Lunch Fridays

Main Street fashionistas will enjoy an effor tless, seamless lunch and shopping experience in an hour at Lark Fashion Salon and Aurora Bisto. $20 604 873 9944 www aurorabistro ca May 26 Tools and Techniques Cooking class at Coast 604 925 1835

rick@totemtravel ca

November 2 Bread and Wheat Festival at the Da Vinci Center, 195 Bay St., Victoria 10am 4pm. $10 www breadandwheat com

Wine Tastings at the Empress On the last Wednesday of every month The Fairmont Empress will host a wine tast ing in one of our amazing restaurants. E xecutive Chef Takashi Ito will prepare some fine foods to enjoy as well From 3pm 5pm $10/person RSVP to jennifer wop penkamp@fairmont.com

Eclectic Wine Society At Tuscany Liquor Store, 1660 McKenzie Ave at the new Tuscany Village Mall 250 384 WI N E (9463)

Nanaimo/Oceanside

May 27 Inniskillin Estate Winer y Dinner at Tigh-NaMara The wines of Okanagan Inniskillin Estate Winery will paired with a specially designed Cedar Room dinner menu focusing on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Five course dinner & wine pairings $75 plus taxes and gratuities Space is limited and advance reser vations are required. 250 248 2333. www.tigh na mara.com >

Koko Restaurant + Bar Opens at Opus Hotel Montreal

The most anticipated restaurant and bar in Montreal is set to open its doors on Friday, May 9 in Mon treal’s newest boutique proper ty the chic Opus Hotel E xecutive Chef Don Letendre of Vancouver’s internationally renowned Opus Hotel has created an innovative pan Asian menu to be ser ved sharing style that’s as provocative to the senses as Koko’s fantastical setting Letendre’s culinary expe rience in Tokyo, including cooking at popular Soba Ni Umazake Yoshimura, left an indelible im pression and influenced his style of clean and innovative cuisine. Says Letendre, “My experience in Japan taught me about balance between cooking, tasting, and seeing, and gave me a foundation for my senses. It helped me to trust in my hands.”514.843.6000 at Sherbrooke and St Laurent

seafood sushi

sunsets

SAP RISING, CHEESE MELTING

Shelora Sheldan finds the perfect oven mitt, sautés a scallop in birch syrup, and gets seriously cheesy the Swiss way.

Sap Happy

Maybe you’re just wrapping your head around the idea of grand fir or spruce syrup as an edible product. Maybe you’ve even heard about maple syrup production on Vancouver Is land. Either way, the newest product trickling its way into the hands of chefs around B.C. is birch syrup The sap, tapped from the paper birch (Betula papyrifea), produces a lighter syrup than its maple counterpar t, with a deep molasses colour and flavour some say is akin to dark coffee or licorice It has historically sustained pioneers in nor thern Canada as well as First Na tions and is now inspiring budding entrepreneurs Approximately 11 birch syrup producers are operating across Canada (someone in Newfoundland is even making birch sap wine), and the B C contingent is strong

Moose Meadows Farm, one of several producers in the Caribou Chilcotin, is owned and operated by farmers and professional foresters Heloise Dixon Warren and husband Ted Traer. Wanting to increase the diversity of their agri tourism recognized farm and to find an other use for the forest (in particular, the more than 165 birch trees on their 65 acre property), they began producing the syrup three years ago

Dixon Warren then wrote the first ever manual on birch syrup production for other farmers and consequently became the recipient this year of the Award of Excellence for Innovation in Agriculture and Agri Food by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B C (IAF)

Production is still small and occurs each spring when the trees produce their edible elixir This is very much a niche market and demand exceeds supply so get your order in early. Most of Moose Meadows’ sales are at the farmgate, but they will ship. Only 250 mL bottles are available along with a birch caramel spread Dixon Warren makes and refers to as “wicked.” She suggests using the syrup in vinaigrettes along with balsamic vinegar or as a glaze for roasted vegetables. She’s also using it in pecan pie.

Another fan of the syrup is chef de cuisine Colleen McClean of Vancouver’s Rare restaurant “Rare’s mandate is to use local products, but also things out of the norm,” says McClean, “so birch syrups fits right in ” She prefers the product’s subtle sweetness over that of its sis ter syrup, maple, and she feels it translates well as a substitute

In a dish of foie gras beignets, McClean mixed honey vinegar with the syrup, which the foie gras was dipped into before being battered and fried. They were ser ved with a cranberry and ginger compote.

For Rare’s charcuterie program, bacon was cured in birch syrup and bourbon. “ The colour was really dark, like molasses,” McClean notes, “but it didn’t have the flavour of molasses, which I find slightly bitter. It had a delicately sweet smokiness.” She also uses the syrup as a glaze for scallops and small game birds

I’ve tried the syrup with scallops, and for first timers, this would be an accessible way to star t cooking with birch syrup Pan sear two or three scallops Once seared, add 1 teaspoon of butter and 2 teaspoons birch syrup to the pan and bring to a boil Tip the pan at a 45 de gree angle off the heat allowing the syrup mixture to co mingle with the pan juices Baste the scallops until evenly coated. This is a very quick process, so be on your toes; you don’t want to overcook the scallops. I also enjoyed a birch soda by mixing about 2 Tbsp syrup to a glass of soda with ice and lemon. Refreshing!

Rober t Belcham at Fuel Restaurant was first introduced to the syrup while working with Rober t Clark at C and has used it ever since “It has a smokiness and a minerality to it, much like a white Bordeaux,” he points out, adding that he feels the syrup adds complexity to dishes During one of the restaurant’s whole hog dinners, Belcham made a birch syrup pie his take on the iconic maple sugar pie of Quebec ser ving it with candied bacon and Graven stein apple sorbet. “It was expensive to make,” he remembers, “but damn tasty!”

Both chefs purchase one litre size containers from Sweet Tree Ventures through Edible B.C.’s Granville Island store.

Moose Meadows Farm, 2821 Nazko Rd., Quesnel, B.C., 250 249 5359, www.moosemeadowsfarm.ca

Edible B.C., 1-888-812-9660

The Birch Syrup Production Manual is available through www quesnelinfo com or by calling 250 992 3522

Melting Moments

Once upon a time, I waited tables in a Swiss restaurant. It was my first introduction to that country’s traditional cuisine, and gratefully I wasn’t required to wear an alpine costume Raclette cheese, with its big fruity aroma, was ser ved bubbling hot and dotted with the re quired sour pickled onions, gherkins and steamed potatoes I administered the required turns from a pepper grinder to diners along with bread to scoop up the pungent fromage. The restaurant also offered cheese fondue, another big hit. There’s something about gooey melted cheese that makes people happy. Just add good bread, wine and ser ve. Or perhaps it’s the fondue’s communal concept, with diners gathering around the pot of cheese, long forks in hand, that inspires a spirit of conviviality

It’s been years since I’ve indulged in the dish, until a recent lunch at Bistro Suisse in Sid ney Run by Swiss born chef Lucien Frauenfelder, the bistro serves a mean fondue along with raclette, hear ty schnitzel, roesti and bratwurst fare Young chefs take note: he’s been cook ing for more than 54 years and trained by a protégé of Escoffier Frauenfelder’s version of fon due is Neuchâteloise, in honour of Neuchâtel, the region where the dish was invented, and uses the traditional Emmenthal and Gruyere cheeses. On that Saturday afternoon, fork in

hand, and a bottle of Blue Grouse Pinot Gris at the ready, I experienced happiness incar nate.

Curious to try the dish at home, I asked Chef for advice and he graciously shared a recipe Vintage thin walled fondue sets from the ’70s and ’80s can still be found at most thrift stores, many of them looking as pristine as when they were first probably given as gifts Modern versions available from Emile Henry and Le Crueset are heavy weight “ The pot has to be heavy,” Frauenfelder advises “It holds the heat better than anything else ” I fol lowed his advice and replaced my vintage set’s thin pot with a small Le Crueset and melted away.

Bistro Suisse’s Fondue (Ser ves two)

By permission of chef Lucien Frauenfelder.

100 grams Emmenthal, grated

100 grams Gruyère, grated

1 Tbsp flour

100 mL white wine

1 garlic clove

Pinch salt

Pinch nutmeg

1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp Kirsch

Rub clove of garlic around the inside and bottom of pot (Alternatively, chop some of the garlic and add to the pot)

Add wine, salt and nutmeg and bring to the boil Add grated cheese all at once and sprin kle the top with flour Stir until it’s all melted and smooth Add the cornstarch Kirsch mix ture, bring to the boil and ser ve immediately with the required long forks and cubed bread (I prefer House Bread’s boule.)

If using a fondue burner, adjust to maintain an even heat. You don’t want to have the cheese sticking to the bottom of the pot. There is also a bit of a technique to dipping: skewer the bread cube and sink it to the bottom of the pot, swirling it around before lift ing up your cheesy prize

If you want to up the cheese ante and why wouldn’t you Paige Symonds of Choux Choux suggests using Appenzeller, a Swiss cow’s milk cheese with a similar flavour to Gruyère and a similar texture to raclette The cheese is matured using a herbal brine that brings out fruity, nutty characteristics when melted She likes her fondue with half Appen zeller and half Comté, another fabulous melting cheese made from alpine milk. No cos tume required.

Bistro Suisse, 2470 Beacon Ave., 250 656 5353

A Bite of Vancouver in Victoria

Victoria’s savvy food pur veyors are bringing us a piece of Vancouver’s foodie action. Thomas Haas’s sparkle cookies, a cross between a chocolate truffle and a cookie, are in the fridge at Choux Choux Just pop in the oven and enjoy warm with ice cream or just eat the dough The exotic spice and herbs of Granville Island’s South China Seas Trading are await ing you at Plenty along with C Restaurant’s brand of crackers (the Fig & Black Pepper are my recent favourite). At Charelli’s, find Vij’s line of Indian takeout meals. The Punjabi lamb, Kalonji chicken and if you’re jonesing for vegetarian fare Punjabi daal and paneer with red bell peppers all vie for topping billing. You can always find an ever changing selection of meaty treats from Granville Island’s Oyama Sausage Company at both Choux Choux and Ottavio Bon appetit!

The Gloved One

With a clever name and a promise to withstand temperatures of up to 480ºF, the Ove Glove is the latest “as seen on TV” invention to come our way

The five fingered glove is made from heat resistant Nomex and has a strong backing of Kevlar and cotton poly for a touch of softness The thing has a serious industrial look to it, works like a charm and kicks those chilli pepper print mitts of mine right in the keister

And my par tner, a leftie in a right hand world, found it fit his hand perfectly The only drawback is they are sold individually so, once you’re hooked, like me, you’ll have to go buy another. I love the Ove Glove. It’s much better than a chia pet.

Available at most hardware stores.

foodmatters

—by Julie Pegg

The Summer Kitchen

I n t h e da ys be f ore a ir c ondit ioning , a s e p a ra t e “s ummer kit c h e n” ke p t t h e h e a t of c ooking out of t h e ma in h ouse during h ot we a t h e r. Mode rn f olks j us t move t h e kit c h en outside and centre it around the versatile backyard barbie.

Come May we west coasters move out. The deck, the balcony and the backyard have become as vital as any spot in residence These days, wobbly tables and cracked, plastic chairs are banished in favour of sophisticated and stylish outdoor dining furniture (The oc casional bit of weather beaten wicker, however, is rather chic. And under the magnolia, a well used bench is ideal for a shady read.)

My balcony offers only space for a natty compact bistro set with comfy mesh seats in stead of the usual hard wrought iron ones. The table can be cranked down to coffee table height. My sister, on the other hand, has added a netted “room” leading off the French doors from the kitchen It is festooned with swag curtains, pendant lamps, cushioned sofas, a large glass table and outdoor café heater The whole thing looks like a harem But how ever modest or immodest the décor, the grill garners the lion’s share of attention whether a gas behemoth complete with side burners and more chrome than a ’58 Edsel, or the far humbler Weber kettle My money’s on one of the efficient new propane Weber Q series These powerful and por table grilling “pods” come small, medium and large and have fold in side tables. The Performer is the traditional Weber kettle gussied up with charcoal catcher and a gas cylinder to kick star ts those coals (www.weber.com for all models and prices).

All this firepower doesn’t necessarily mean that a 32 oz. por terhouse is the only thrill on the grill Or that barbecuing is only an evening affair The grill performs any time of day star ting with eggs, veggies and a cast iron skillet Consider cast iron as the grill’s best friend What other culinary vessel could withstand 600º F heat?

A breakfast frittata couldn’t be easier Allow two eggs per person Beat briskly (the eggs not the people) with a dash of cream or whole milk Pour into a well oiled, pre heated skil let. Add some previously grilled veggies. Spring for asparagus, leeks and a few morels if available. Sliced nugget potatoes are also nice. Bung the whole lot into the egg mixture. Add a handful of grated Reggiano, Asiago or other crumbly cheese. Place the pan on the rack and lower the grill lid. Check every few minutes until egg sets (but not too firmly) and puffs up soufflé style Once off the heat, the frittata will collapse but will still taste airy and eggy I have four six inch skillets, not easy to find but mar vellous for individual omelettes or frittatas Don’t forget to use heavy duty oven mitts when grasping the handle Tack on grilled fresh sardines, herring, mackerel and sablefish, smoked or not, and thick slices of grilled bread There’s your ultimate balcony brunch

Grilled soup for lunch? Well, not exactly But gazpacho made from grilled then chilled vegetables has a sweet richness. Perfect if your vegetables aren’t. Throw halved tomatoes, skin side down, quar tered yellow or red peppers, and chunks of red onion on the grate. Substitute one inch slices of zucchini for the cucumber. For a zippy gazpacho, sear a jalapeño or other hot pepper. Cook until all veggies are tender and toffee striped and tomato skins pucker Remove and pick off any super charred bits Cool and proceed as you would with any gazpacho recipe Ser ve chilled

Brit chefs Jamie Oliver (Jamie at Home, Hyperion, 2008) and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall (active member of the U K ’s organic movement and author of River Cottage Cookbook, Ten Speed Press, 2008) love to char romaine and radicchio Here’s how Hugh does it Halve four lettuces, leaving the base of the stem intact to hold the leaves together. Brush the lettuces with olive oil. Salt and pepper the greens. Place cut side down on a preheated bar becue rack. Cook for three to five minutes. They are ready when the outer leaves are well charred and striped from the grill, and the thick stems are just becoming tender. Arrange lettuce halves in a dish and lay over them thin slices of fresh goat cheese. Add a few more twists of pepper and a drizzle of olive oil Lower the grill lid and cook until the cheese star ts to bubble Ser ve immediately two lettuce halves, smothered in bubbling cheese, per per son

Think way beyond barbecuing burgers, chops and steaks No need to shuck if you grill oysters. Lay as many as will fit onto the grill. Remove when they pop open. Sweet and smoky, briny mollusks prepared this way are sublime. In the words of M.F.K. Fisher: “ Take advantage of their being open to pop in a little butter, CONT ’D BOTTOM OF TH E N E XT PAGE

Food Security

On March 14th, Victoria organization CR FAIR, the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable, held its annual Regional Food Security Forum this year with a call to arms to those in suppor t of eating locally produced foods. Or as keynote speaker, David Mincey put it to the audience, “how can I make it easier for my neighbour to get access to local food?” As the chef of Victoria’s Camille’s restaurant and co founder of the Island Chef ’s Collaborative which aims to bring locally grown, high quality ingredients to Van couver Island’s restaurants, Mincey has no problem finding local foods for himself He stressed that what must happen to ensure local food sustains its popularity is that it be comes easy for everyone to find the goods Mincey along with Lyle Young, who has been farming his great grandfather’s farm in the Cowichan Valley for twenty years, acted as keynote speakers with a message of urgency to act now if we want the rise of eating local, or ‘locavorism,’ to sur vive on the island.

“Local food is the new organic,” Young obser ved and asked his audience, “where are the farmers who are going to meet this demand?” The concern of both the speakers and attendants of the conference is that Vancouver Island simply does not produce enough food to meet the demand of folks who are interested in buying local Fifty years ago, the

CR FAI R Final Repor t notes, Vancouver Island farmers produced an estimated 85% of the Island’s food supply Today only 10% of the food consumed on the island comes from the island

So how do the farmers and food suppliers ensure that demand is met as the movement to eat local reaches its peak? The suggestion for a seven day a week, twelve month a year market featuring fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and meat from the island was met with cheers, as was Mincey’s off the cuff remark that if islanders were buying only 25% of their food lo cally we’d have to tear down a few condos to make room for growing gardens just to meet the demand. Young posed the idea of a logo identifying all local foods and that people need to be able “to recognize that logo better than the Nike swoop or the golden arches ”

CR FAI R representatives designed the conference to discuss solutions to this challenge, but also to celebrate the success of the past year’s initiative to encourage islanders to eat local Young and Mincey, bringing to the table the perspective of farmer and chef, both as ser t the demand for local food is alive and well The challenge now posed to islanders farmers, chefs, shopkeepers, and consumers alike is to meet that demand before enthusiasm wanes by providing access to local foods. In other words, suppor t island made goods, then spread the word and tell your neighbours where they can find local food too.

some pepper and some bread crumbs. Then close them up again They will be too weak to resist you Let them cook a little and ser ve them very hot Some people like this very much.” Clams and mussels warm up to the grill in like manner.

If steak is the meat of choice, try searing that hunk o’ beef (or venison or bison) in a sizzling hot, salted cast iron skillet pre heated on the barbie. A friend swears by it, preferring this method to cooking directly over coals Don’t do this on the kitchen range You’ll aler t the local fire brigade I know

As for barbecuing pork and/or poultry, Cuban American journalist and fiction writer Ana Menéndez, in her poignant ar ti cle “Celebrations of Thanksgiving: Cuban Seasonings,” offers an uncomplicated recipe for mojo “enough to marinate a whole turkey. Or a small pig.” It sounds wonderful I have halved the recipe in case your pig or bird is very small I suggest sub bing pork chops and chicken par ts (thighs grill better than breasts in my view). For the marinade, toast 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in a skillet then pound in a mor tar and pestle In the same mor tar and pestle, mash peeled cloves from a head of garlic with a little salt (and a smidgen of oil if you wish) into a paste. Measure 1 cup each fresh squeezed orange and lime juices

Measure 1 tsp. dried oregano or substitute a couple of bay leaves and a few rosemary sprigs (not traditional but preferred) In a saucepan, heat the oil with spices until fra grant. Do not boil the oil. Remove from heat. Let cool. Remove bay and rosemary if using. Into a blender, combine spiced oil, citrus juice and garlic paste Blend until smooth Marinate meat overnight Grilled meats gain even more flavour when ser ved cold. Cook ahead of time and ser ve room temperature between sliced, toasted ciabatta Ser ve with piquant chutneys, onion jam or mayo spiked with herbs, garlic and/or chopped red pepper.

A word about wines for my grilled offers: think outside the Chardonnay/Cabernet box Vinho verde, the youthful, low octane Por tuguese white with a hint of prickle on the palate, is the perfect frittata/grilled fish wine. (We hope to see a few brands of vinho verde on wine shop shelves soon ) Spanish Albarino par tners perfectly with shellfish Spicy Zins and Grenache based reds work well with grilled red meats. And try dry Ries ling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc with pork and poultry

As the days get warmer, we lucky wet coasters get a jump on the rest of the coun try. We get to flex our grilling muscle from morning till night in our new outdoor kitchens

community —by Katie Zdybel

—by Pam Durkin

The Magic of Maccha

2. Tea is

3.

cup has been made from a different grade Lower grades tend to be ear thier, thinner and have a rusty colour Medium grades exhibit “silky” body and are more apt to be dry and tannic. The highest grades are a vibrant green colour with a smoother texture, a fuller mouth feel and a longer, sweeter finish. 4. A tray of of various menu items at Khona café using green tea as an ingredient: maccha shor tbread cookies, maccha and red bean filled pastry, maccha truffles. Maccha also pairs well with chocolate in desser ts Inset is pizza with a green tea crust 5. Green tea latte 6. Close up of a beautifully made yet functional bamboo whisk

It’s hard to believe something as comfor ting and ordinar y as a cup of tea could protect you from disease, lift your spirits and help you lose weight, but it’s true. However, the spe cific tea in question is anything but ordinary it’s matcha, the oldest and most celebrated variety of Japanese green tea. Since the 12th century, matcha tea has played an integral par t in Japanese culture, and it is still used in the famous Chanoyu tea ceremony first in troduced by ancient samurai warriors Now a growing body of evidence suggests drinking this potent brew is one of the healthiest habits you can adopt Not surprisingly, baby boomers looking for an anti aging health elixir are making it one of the hottest beverages on the planet Let’s take a closer look at the matcha phenomenon

Matcha, like all green (and black) teas, hails from the Camellia sinensis plant. What makes matcha unique is the way in which it is grown, processed and prepared. Matcha tea leaves are only harvested once a year, in spring, when the leaves are young, sweet and ten der. A month before the annual har vest, the tea fields are covered with tarp shading to block any light from reaching the leaves. The tea plants compensate for this loss of light by increasing production of chlorophyll, cer tain amino acids and sugars hence matcha’s emerald green colour, nutrient density and enhanced taste Only the best, hand picked tea leaves are then steamed, dried and cut to remove veins and stems These leaves are then stone ground to make the fine, talcum like powder that is matcha When you drink a cup of matcha, you are actually drinking the whole tea leaf, which is not the case with a “steeped” cup of regular green tea.

It is precisely this “whole leaf goodness” and the abundance of chlorophyll and amino acids that make matcha superior in taste and nutrition to other green teas. By now, most consumers are aware of the amazing health benefits of green teas in general. Countless studies over the years have illustrated green tea’s ability to help protect you from cancer,

Maccha, the exquisite emerald tea of Japan, is many t h i n g s : a s a c re d r i t u a l , a h e a lt h e l i x i r, e ve n a t a s t y ingredient in cooking.

Clockwise from top left: 1. The making of a cup of maccha is an ar tisan process from the growing, picking and stonegrinding of the tea to frothing the tea using a bamboo whisk Even the drinking bowl is hand made by Harvumi Ota, a Victoria craftsperson

perfectly prepared by Miyuki Nyberg of Jagasilk (www jagasilk com)

Each

ward off hear t disease and stroke, keep you slim and increase mental clarity The nutrient responsible for most of this protection is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate); an antioxidant scientists have hailed as an outstanding immune booster and cancer fighter And here’s what’s amazing about matcha: a new study from the University of Colorado shows that matcha contains 137 times more E GCG than regular leaf green tea. But that’s not all. Matcha also contains more L Theanine, an amino acid that can actually impar t a medita tive, blissful state by increasing alpha waves in the brain. Though matcha does contain caf feine, it does not induce the jitters like coffee, thanks in large par t to the counteractive effect of L Theanine. So what else is in matcha? It has respectable amounts of vitamins A, C, and E, B vitamins, minerals, flavanoids and nine times the beta carotene of spinach

To take full advantage of matcha’s healthful properties and produce an aromatic, flavour ful tea, it is essential to prepare it properly “Matcha should never be prepared with boil ing water,” advises Jared Nyberg, owner of Jagasilk, a matcha impor ting business in Victoria “ The water should be boiled then cooled down for two to three minutes (to 70 80ºC) to enhance the flavour profile and nutrient retention.”

Immediately after pouring the hot water over the matcha powder, it is traditional to break up the powder with a special bamboo whisk called a chasen. The tea is then whisked briskly using a back and for th motion until the surface of the matcha becomes frothy. If you’re really after an authentic texture and taste, forget about using a wire whisk it will not whip up the palate pleasing froth that is the hallmark of the matcha experience Spe cial matcha bowls called chawan, with high ver tical sides and rounded bottoms are also required to brew an authentic matcha “You could just mix it with a spoon in a regular cup,” says Nyberg, but the finished product will be entirely different nowhere near as pleasant in taste or texture ”

The Japanese have two basic ways to prepare matcha: koi cha and usu cha or thick and thin tea. Quite simply, koi cha uses twice as much powder per cup as usu cha. “Koi cha is great for making matcha lattes and frappes,” enthuses Andrew Khoo, owner of Khona café at For t and Cook streets. “Its syrupy like texture and pronounced flavour blend beau tifully with ar tisan milks.” Khoo is so passionate about matcha and its incredible health benefits that he has enlisted Nyberg and his wife, Miyuki, to host monthly educational evenings at Khona Their “Fellowship of the Matcha” evenings are held the third Wednes day of every month at the café According to Khoo, the evenings are designed to “create an oppor tunity for people to learn, share and/or tweak their technique and knowledge of this ancient tea ”

The good news for foodies is that neither these evening nor matcha itself is just about making tea. Matcha can also be used to produce mouth watering food. “In Japan, matcha is used almost more for baking and cooking than it is for making tea,” explains Japanese native Miyuki Nyberg. Indeed, matcha is extremely versatile. It is delicious sprinkled over vanilla ice cream, added to muffin, cookie or quick bread recipes, mixed with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar to make an Asian salad dressing or blended with sea salt to make an exotic rub for seafood

It is quite usual to pair the tea with food In fact, matcha can be used like a small mid course amuse bouche or palate cleanser, creating a great flavour bridge from one course to the next More impor tant, when paired with a specific dish, it can help enhance its flavour. “Matcha pairs beautifully with both white chocolate and seafood,” says Daniela Cubelic of Silk Road Tea Co. in Victoria’s Chinatown. “Actually, anything sweet seems to pair beautifully with matcha the contrasting flavours enhance one another.”

If you want to experiment with matcha at home, it’s impor tant to know what to look for when purchasing the tea Due to the increased demand for the healthful brew, some poor quality teas from Taiwan and China have crept onto the market Remember, if the tea has n’t been shade grown, steamed, deveined, de stemmed and stone ground, it isn’t matcha So how can you tell? Truly fresh matcha will have a bright, brilliant, almost cool green colour,” says Cubelic, “and a natural sweetness with just a slight bitter quality If your tea doesn’t taste like that, it probably isn’t authentic matcha.”

Purchasing your matcha from a reputable supplier is the most expedient way to go. A premium quality matcha will list things like the har vest and grinding date on the label, in addition to the region in Japan where the tea was grown. Once you’ve opened your matcha, it should be used within two weeks to a month for optimum freshness. And to retain its flavour, store it in a cool dry place away from other foods or strong spices

If you’re a first time buyer of matcha, you may initially balk at its price it’s relatively ex pensive compared to regular leaf green tea But remember, maccha is an ar tisan product and its production process is extremely labour intensive Its price is justified And as Su sanne Gregory, owner of Good Health Teas [[what is this? shop in Victoria? impor ter? on line store???? I couldn’t find any match for this on Google so Pamela is going to have to give us this information.]] points out, “Sure matcha is slightly more expensive than other teas, but it is also significantly better for your health. The scientific evidence is irrefutable and it just keeps coming. I consider drinking it the cheapest form of health insurance in exis tence!”

For information on Victoria’s Fellowship of the Maccha, go to www khona ca

getfresh

Use CHERRY TOMATOES in bar becued kabobs, for bruschetta, salsa, salads or as a sweet and sour squir t in your mouth snack

Did you know that LIMES are berries, not fruits? Like all citrus fruits, LIMES are hesperidia, berries with juicy sectioned flesh covered by leathery rinds. “ Tahiti” or “Persian” LIMES are oval shaped, thick skinned and seed less Their peak flavour season is from May to August.

Fennel Apricot Tomato Sal ad

1 tsp. SAFFRON THREADS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 LIME

1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

6 fresh MINT leaves, julienned Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 small FE N N E L B U LBS, trimmed, thinly sliced on a mandoline

2 pitted fresh APRICOTS, thinly sliced

1 cup CHERRY TOMATOES, halved

1 Tbsp. EDIBLE FLOWER PETALS

1 Tbsp FENNEL SEEDLINGS

1 Tbsp. DAIKON SPROUTS

1 Tbsp PURPLE BA SIL SEEDLINGS

In a small pot, heat 2 tablespoons water. Remove from heat, add saffron, and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain saffron and reser ve liquid. Whisk olive oil, lime zest and juice, vinegar, mint leaves and saffron water Season with salt and pepper Toss remainder of the ingredients with the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

I use lime juice daily to perk up salad dressings, drinks, soups, sauces and desser ts Lime juice “cooks” ceviche, adds zing to salsa fresca and makes lip smacking margaritas. Anything sprinkled with LIME ZEST sparkles with tangy taste. A cheesecake topped with strips of LIME ZEST is a beautiful thing The heavenly taste and fragrance of K AFFIR LIME LEAVES marries brilliantly with coconut milk and turns rice or broth into sensational creations. Look for small, round KEY LI M E S, yellow thin skinned limes with a distinctive fragrance and tar t taste.

Delicate, sweet APRICOTS are available from May to September, but their peak season is right now, in May and June. APRICOTS, peaches, plums, cherries and almonds are stone fruits in the rose fam ily Try APRICOTS in a salad of shallots, roast duck, arugula, watercress, and baby greens, with a dressing of sherry vinegar, peanut oil, soy sauce, sugar, fresh thyme and black pepper, sprinkled with roasted peanuts. APRICOT kuchen, an egg rich cake, pairs the tar t sweet taste of apricots with almonds. Kuchen can also be made with plums, pears, mangoes or peaches Preser ve APRICOTS by making a big batch of APRICOT chutney, with oranges, ginger, garlic, raisins, vinegar, brown sugar, cayenne and cinnamon. Use the chutney in chicken salad made with chopped cooked chicken, dried apricots, onions, Italian parsley, mayo, lemon juice, slivered almonds, fresh herbs and baby lettuce Refreshing, crunchy FENNEL BULBS have a succulent licorice taste. FENNEL BULBS can be eaten as a raw salad veg etable. Braising or sautéing them en hances their delectable flavour The

By Sylvia Weinstock

plant’s feathery greenery is used in cooking and as an elegant garnish for salads, soups and smoked salmon. Aromatic fennel seeds are used as a spice and in reme dies FENNEL SEEDLINGS are newly sprouted FENNEL plants

It’s time to star t har vesting early

EDIBLE FLOWERS from your garden and planting more for summer taste sensations Nastur tiums, calendulas, chamomile flowers, chicory flowers, cornflowers, dandelions, English daisies, gladioli, rosemary flowers, pineapple sage flowers, carnations, chrysanthemums, hollyhocks, marigolds, honeysuckle, roses and sunflowers are only a handful of EDIBLE FLOWERS you can grow and eat. Before indulging, be sure flowers are edible and organically grown

SAFFRON THREADS are the dried stamens of the saffron crocus SAFFRON has been used as a spice, a yellow dye, a perfume ingredient, a remedy and a stimulating aphrodisiac since ancient times.

DAIKON SPROUTS (kaiware in Japan ese) are the spicy, green young shoots of the daikon radish, a foot long white radish that has crisp, juicy, pungent flesh

DAIKON SPROUTS are used to make sushi rolls, and as a soup and salad garnish

DAIKON SPROUTS from Eatmore Sprouts in Cour tenay are available in local super markets

One of the perks of growing your own PURPLE BA SIL (a.k.a. opal basil) is being able to enjoy tender PURPLE BA SIL

SEEDLINGS when you thin out the plants. This herb has a delicious licorice/clove taste and radiant colour I grow a variety of basil in the kitchen year round including Thai basil and sweet basil

Tweak the basil concept by growing lemon basil or cinnamon basil

Cooling, refreshing MINT is a must for spring and summer meals. Use it in dressings, in fruity tabbouleh (made with bulgur, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, toma toes, green grapes, cucumbers and green onions), in green papaya salad, and in beverages like the classic mint julep.

by

Baingan Bharta

This smoky, silky, spicy dish from the subcontinent sums up the full potential of the versatile eggplant down through the ages.

Of all the dishes in the vastness of Indian cuisine, none has my number like bain gan bhar ta Silky in consistency, smoky on the nose and roaring with the full ar senal of Subcontinental spices, it sends me into fits of constant craving I’ve eaten it in the dining palaces of Delhi and Mumbai, on the Bay of Bengal, in the Ra jasthani deser t, in Ladakh in the high Himalaya, in London (where Indian reigns supreme among the Empah’s cuisines) and can’t recall a bad one. It’s the crown prince of eggplant dishes.

Which is saying something. If eggplant were an actor, it would be Gene Hackman, or maybe Chris Cooper, mar vellously versatile and always willing to perform If they gave out Oscars to food, eggplant would walk away with Best Suppor ting Actor every other year Eggplant is a member of the nightshade botanical family that includes tobacco and the potato Technically, it’s a berry and a fruit, not a vegetable Native to the Subcontinent, it’s a staple in Mother India’s kitchen and likely has been for the whole 5,000 years of trial and error.

It journeyed the Silk Roads, gathering fanfare en route. In remote Sichuan Province, the Chinese defence against mist and drizzle is eggplant howling with garlic and chillies. Afghans also infuse it with garlic, then sauce it with yogur t and, we hope, share it with Canadian troops The Lebanese puree it, pan fry it, pickle it and meld it with pepper, gar lic and lemon as babghanouj

But the great eggplant innovators in history were the Ottoman Turks The kitchen of Suleiman the Magnificent boasted 130 recipes for eggplant I warm to the sentiment of imam bayidi, a stuffed eggplant dish translating as “the imam fainted ” It refers to a reli gious leader who fainted with pleasure at first sniff

Eggplant rode west with the Arabs in the ninth century, fanning out through the Mediter ranean world. The Greeks embellish it with cheese, onions, ground lamb and béchamel for moussaka. Italians make roast eggplant soup with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes. The French trumpet ratatouille.

Only the English didn’t take to it and even declared it the cause of epilepsy In 1597, the English were advised by John Gerard in his Historie of Plantes to forget eggplant “for doubt less these apples have a mischievous quality; the use thereof is utterly forsaken ” To this day, the English have contributed nothing to eggplant’s canon

Eggplant requires no justification these days If anything, it’s the perfect choice for cur rent correctness It has few calories, loads of fibre, calcium and potassium It’s easily af fordable. You can dress it up and take it to a barbecue, a ball, anywhere at all.

It’s a willing accomplice in any culinary intrigue: French chef and restaurateur Georges Blanc gives vegetarianism desperately needed glamour when he writes about eggplant caviar wrapped in smoked salmon and eggplant quenelles with zucchini petals. Either dish is fine enough to call for champagne

Around the world, the mar vellous fruit comes in white, tan, lavender and green, but here two varieties dominate: the purple black globe eggplant from Europe and the smaller, trim mer, vibrantly purple Japanese eggplant commonly found in Asian supermarkets I’ll take the latter anytime: it’s sweeter tasting, without residual bitterness Its skin is so tender, there’s no need to peel it. In cooking, it absorbs far less oil.

For baingan bhar ta, find yourself some firm, unblemished Asian eggplants. Roast them until the skin blackens under a broiler or over charcoal for smokier effect. When blackened, run it under cold water to cool. Peel away the skin.

Mash the flesh evenly. Toast a handful of spices cumin, cardamom, coriander, black pepper until the fragrance fills the kitchen Grind them to a powder and fry them in oil with grated ginger, chopped onions and garlic, and plenty of garlic Now add the eggplant and also tomatoes and chillies to taste Simmer for at least half an hour G arnish with chopped coriander

A rip snorting bharta has a kind of hallucinogenic effect on me Last time, I wound up ask ing my wife what she thought of, maybe, a baingan bhar ta ice cream. “Great idea,” she told me. Whenever you’re planning to make it, I have to be out of town that week. In Delhi, apologizing.”

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Jeremy Ferguson

On the first day of December, a bone chilling wind numbs our fingers and toes as a few snowflakes land tentatively on the overturned beds of rich, dark soil I have stood here be fore on a warm, gentle August day, enchanted by the tangle of colour and scents twisting up from the warm ear th This is the Sooke Har bour House garden, where culinary inspira tion bursts from the ground year round even if it does decide to snow.

The previous August I had met them on an overgrown garden path on a dazzling late summer day: Sinclair Philip, co owner of Sooke Harbour House, Byron Cook, head gar dener, and Edward Tuson, head chef, the three men behind the unique flavours of award winning Sooke Harbour House cuisine Sooke Harbour House sits at the end of Whiffen Spit Road on a stretch of rugged ter rain. This low lying point of land defines the southwestern edge of Sooke Harbour. To say it is exposed to the whims of Mother Nature would be an understatement as wind, sea spray and downpours can have their way with anyone who attempts to cultivate on this un sheltered bit of coastline So how do they manage to meld the vision of a unique, or ganic kitchen garden with the realities of west coast gardening?

Byron Cook has been gardening here for 20 years, 13 of those years as head gardener. Ex perience has led him to know what works and what doesn’t “We don’t grow tomatoes or basil or peppers It’s too cool ” Greens love the weather and a profusion of herbs thrive Having been a west coast gardener myself for the past two decades, I know the chal lenges of cool damp days, heavy soil and an exploding population of hungry deer and ag gressive banana slugs.

In August, Byron had let me in on some of the secrets of managing a garden that has scores of culinary herbs, more than a hundred varieties of edible flowers, as well as fruit trees, kiwi vines, berries and figs It is mainly a perennial garden, and some plants are left to reseed themselves Plants grow where they like. No one tries to use discipline to make them stay in beds or grow in orderly rows. The soil is conditioned with dark, rich compost produced on site from organic material recy cled from the garden and the kitchen Sea weed is gathered from the beaches and

added to the beds at various times through out the year

The four of us had continued our tour of the garden where shrubs, vines, flowers, trees and herbs pushed their way towards the sun out of beds, pots and containers filling every corner of the proper ty. The plants seemed to be climaxing in a last late summer show of glory in anticipation of the shor ter days of au tumn. Byron asserted that there would still be a wide selection available through December

Every plant must be at least par tly edible to qualify for a coveted spot in this garden The chefs use flowers, roots, shoots, tubers, bulbs, stems and even needles in the case of the grand fir. While the showy, deep hued petals of tuberous begonias, salvias, sages, roses, tulips and nastur tiums might be play ing a major role on summer menus, other plant flavours can be preser ved for later use in infused oils, vinegars and pickles

I asked Byron about deer causing damage to all the tender, tempting edible plants He chuckled “ The most damage to the garden is caused by the chefs ” He walked with me over to a stand of grand fir with very naked looking trunks on the bottom few feet. Apparently, the lower branches had been over har vested by zealous chefs.Long shears are now used to distribute har vesting in a more even manner among the upper branches

CONT ’ ON TH E N E XT PAGE

In the Sooke Harbour House kitchen garden, culinary inspiration in the form of edible flowers, roots, shoots, tubers, bulbs and needles bursts from the ground all year. By Lorraine Forster

Head gardener Byron Cook with fresh picked salad greens at Sooke Harbour House

Grilled Trap Caught Sable Fish with a pickled tuberous nastur tium tuber purée and grand fir paprika oil, polenta with thyme and leek, broccoli and snap peas.

FRESH INSPIRATION

Edward quickly filled me in on the popularity of the grand fir. It can be defused in brines. It thickens and flavours sauces and adds an unusual note to bouquet garni Grand fir is an excellent source of vitamin C In the spring, its tender new shoots can be chopped and added to dishes directly Subtle hints of grand fir work well with fish, while meat can sup por t a stronger introduction of the flavour It can even be used in sorbets, ice cream and apple pies!

Not everything here is cultivated deliberately. Sometimes delicious things just happen. According to Sinclair, several varieties of wild mushrooms such as shaggy mane, inky clubs, bolets and fairy wings make a seasonal appearance on the proper ty providing fur ther in spiration to the chefs. The same holds true for chickweed, ox eye daisies and dandelions. Sinclair is totally committed to local ingredients. “We will work with whatever grows here or we can get locally ” He noted a loss of local suppliers as older people retire and the younger generation cannot afford to purchase land to continue farming This makes the kitchen garden all the more impor tant as the years pass and local producers disappear

Considering the gardening staff outnumbers the kitchen staff, one does star t to wonder about the financial viability of such an extensive garden The reality of the situation is just the opposite. There is no way these unique ingredients could ever be brought in, even with the increase in availability of organic produce. The variety of plants is prodigious. Many have been grown from seed and are rare to this par t of the world, such as les fraises des bois. Sometimes only small quantities are needed to produce a truly memorable blend of flavours.

Edward put everyone’s sentiments into words, “It would be unbelievably hard to cook without this garden We never take it for granted The garden inspires the menu ” I asked Edward if he had any favourites considering the broad selection of plants He likes the Nootka rose that blooms in late spring Historically used as an important indigenous source of vitamin C, its petals are petite, fragrant and beautiful in a salad Sweet Cecily is another of his favourites, a most versatile plant as leaves, flowers, seedpods and root can all be used.

The mystery lingered as to how this bounty and variety could possibly extend beyond the first frost. Byron confirmed that the garden was used throughout the four seasons thanks to the mild west coast climate I have to admit I was skeptical, having personally failed miserably at keeping my own small herb garden alive during the winter months A return trip would be necessary when the sun hung low in the sky and wise Canada geese had winged their way to Florida for the winter Lucky for me, I was invited for dinner when in clement weather brought a lull to the high season rush

Nishka Philip greets the small group of guests brave enough to face the west coast wind in December and tour the garden. I suspect Sinclair, Byron and Edward are keeping warm indoors.

The gardens are different, of course The colours are more sedate under the low, steel grey sky However, new green vegetation are poking out of the soil even as more fair weather plants are withering back to muted tones of brown and returning to the ear th

Pineapple sage is still producing its cheery yellow blossoms Bright orange calendula flowers bloom erratically about the garden Nishka tells us it will grow through snow The flowers have a mild flavour and were once used to colour Cheddar cheese. They turn rice a lovely hue and make a beautiful garnish. Tuberous nastur tiums are a few weeks from har vest as their marzipan flavoured tubers are dug in January.

Borage, mustard, chickweed and miners lettuce, native to Vancouver Island, are all pro ducing new growth despite the blustery weather. In fact, mustard grows best in winter.

The menu on that August day had been an assemblage of the best that could be ex pected at peak season from such a well tended and well loved two acres The salad blended organic greens, edible blossoms and lemon verbena The soup introduced black berries, sage and Johnny jump up flowers Seafood was embellished with nastur tium leaf and scallions The duck presented sage, nodding onion and garlic The pork was dressed with blackberry, marjoram and mint. The sorbets were glorious in their array of exceptional flavours: salal berry, fruit sage, strawberry, nastur tium, mint and yellow plum.

December’s menu reflects the change of season but continues to be graced with a sub tle nuance of garden flavours. Sage oil scents the parsnip broth, Jerusalem ar tichoke ac companies the duck confit, pickled nastur tium tuber purée and grand fir oil are perfect with trap caught sable fish, Mable Grey scented geranium, pickled garlic shoot sauce and wild mushrooms work in harmony with roasted chicken The maple walnut tar t is ser ved with fennel ice cream

Chef Edward Tuson is absolutely right Without this garden, the Sooke Harbour House menu could be vir tually impossible to produce “We never take it for granted,” I remember him saying. “ The garden inspires the menu.” And on this December day, I find the garden inspiring more than just the menu. Its abundance of gifts, even under the threat of snow, is life affirming.

DI N I NG OUT

V A N C O U V E R RESTAURANT REPORTER

by Andrew Morrison

Fraiche Fish: Arctic Char with caramelized onion and chicken jus on bacon and brie ravioli

A ROOM WITH MORE THAN A VIEW

West Vancouver's New Fraiche The Best On The Nor th Shore

Fraîche Restaurant | #2 2240 Chippendale Rd. | West Vancouver | 604 925 7595 fraicherestaurant.ca

Bankrolled by deep pockets and with a kitchen led by veteran chef Wayne Mar tin, Fraîche is perched on a bluff in the Canterbury neighbourhood of West Vancouver’s British Proper ties, the wealthiest postal code in Canada It’s nowhere near as casual as Mar tin’s other restaurant, the east side’s celebrated Crave (3941 Main St , 604 872 3663, www craveonmain com) Instead, it echoes his executive chef years at Vancouver’s Four Seasons hotel His elegant and thoroughly comfor ting food is backboned by uncompli cated technique and spruced with local, seasonal ingredients A simple roasted celery root soup, for example, so ear thy and rich, is lit up by a nipple of truffle pesto, a dark dot of bold flavour that treads the bowl’s centre. An organic chicken noodle soup, so seemingly ordi nary, is so dense with wonderfully aromatic stock that it makes it impossible not to slurp it in the most indecorous way. Mains are equally straightforward: massive veal chops, milk fed and meaty, lounge on horseradish and potato galettes under ruffled canopies of black trumpet mushrooms; bone in New York steaks come shotgunned with hand cut frites and French ser ved cauliflower gratin

It’s not exactly cheap (dinner for two greatly exceeds $100), but execution on all fronts is of a standard high enough to ease the pain The loft like 70 seat room is sparsely but tastefully decorated and gives off an airy, modern feel The music is as gentle as the ma ture ser vice, and the khaki linen swathed tables are set far enough apar t to afford guests the kind of intimacy that seems no longer in vogue. What truly takes the breath away, how ever, is the setting. It looks out over the twinkling lights of the city by night and is dazzled blue by the ocean view in the day. The two dinners I enjoyed during their first month ce mented an easy opinion: Fraîche, both literally and figuratively, dominates the Nor th Shore’s other dining options and is well wor th the road time to get there

THE DETAILS

Menu: 19 items with main courses hovering just above the $35 mark It might be the most expensive restaurant on the Nor th Shore, but without a doubt it’s also the best Wine cellar: General manager and sommelier Mary Ann Masney has constructed a tony list of recognizable big guns for the big spenders, but the dozen “by the glass” options are uncommon, well priced and geared to pair.

Ser vice: Well led, unobtrusive, professional and immaculately groomed. Not a face under 30

Most memorable dish: An exquisite filet of arctic char resting on little raviolis stuffed with bacon and Brie that soak up caramelized onion and chicken jus flavours

Uva (Italian for “grape”) is the refurbished Moda Hotel’s first salvo in what is ultimately a multi stage food and beverage revamp for the entire proper ty (a separate Italian fine dining restaurant and a Euro spor ts bar will arrive later in the year) Sebastien Le Goff, a past Sommelier of the Year, was tasked with its conceptual development and maintains an omniscient presence on the floor with the same French charm effor tlessly displayed when he was the general manager of West Broad way’s Lumière and Feenie’s. A bracket shaped bar with butt enveloping black leather high chairs an chors the sexy, modernly appointed room. An old mosaic floor has been restored to a dull, aged sheen that changes hues as the overhead mood lighting morphs from red to blue Peripheral white leather chairs and pristine white walls receive sim ilar treatment, shifting imperceptibly from pink>

italian

inspired woodfired cucina

Sommelier Sebastien Le Goff readies for the night crowd at Uva Wine Bar, new to the Moda Hotel

RESTAURANT REPORTER

Uva continued to aqua and back again An industry crowd has already slipped comfor tably (and pre dictably) into place, milking the late night liquor licence for all it’s wor th and supping post shift on Italian charcuterie (ser ved with tarragon pickles and grainy mustard), fresh oysters and rare ar tisan cheeses sourced from B.C. and abroad. Hot food might be in the offing soon after this goes to print, as the full kitchen (to be shared with the hotel’s new restau rant) is scheduled to go on line this summer. The wine list is a work of well considered ar t: Le Goff has 20 by the glass available, most of them European (not including a Lebanese rosé from the Bekaa Valley) The bottle list goes fur ther and is suppor ted by a deep selection of European beers as well as cocktails and mar tinis of no meagre invention (recommended: prosecco and Chilean brandy sweetened with green apple puree and cinnamon syrup) Though just one facet of the evolving Moda Hotel vision, Uva is nonetheless a strong confidence building and brand cementing step in an impressive direction.

THE DETAILS

Menu: Until the full kitchen hot shoe drops, it’s just cured meats, cheeses and other sim ple snackables like rocket with paper thin bresaola and Parmesan. We don’t mind if they take their time.

Wine cellar: An outstanding selection that is only a shadow of what it’ll eventually be An air controlled wine dispenser complete with taps will prove a novelty of envy for visiting oenophiles

Ser vice: Personal, professional and led by one of the best in the business

Most memorable dish: Prosciutto di Parma with fresh parsley and Marcona almonds

CHAMBAR PART DEUX Day Time Only Medina Café Opens Next To Beatty St. Icon

Medina Café | 556 Beatty St. | Crosstown | 604 879 3114 | medinacafe.com

It took the better par t of nine months to put together (the City strike didn’t help), but Med ina Café launched quietly this past January, the product of Chambar Belgian Restaurant owners Karri and Nico Schuermans, together with one of their veteran ser vers, Robbie Kane It’s right next door to their critically acclaimed Beatty Street eatery, its relaxed old world vibe oozing through the original brick walls as if by osmosis Instantly popular with the area’s office crowd and the many work from home loft dwellers nearby, it offers free wi fi and an atmosphere heavy respite from the look alike coffee houses that have overrun this caffeine fuelled town with their humdrummery As was the case with its big brother next door, obvious care was taken with the look of Medina, from the oversized boxes of branded matches (free) and eclectic ar t to the gleam ing white tableware and cute, wire sus pended lights. The coffee is extraordinarily good with beans coming from 49th Parallel, the local roasting company that Vince Piccolo launched after he sold Caffe Ar tigiano Chai, matcha, excellent hot chocolate and a selec tion of loose leaf teas round out the hot liq uids, while smoothies optionally infused with hemp protein refresh and restore. On the food front, they’re another of a handful wait ing for their full kitchens to open (for hot breakfasts and lunches), but they make do with granola ser ved with fruit and yogur t, baklava and fluffy Belgian waffles sided with a variety of dreamy, housemade toppings like lavender milk chocolate, pistachio white chocolate, raspberry caramel, fig and orange marmalade, and rich dark chocolate. It costs just $6 for a coffee, a waffle and one top ping a deal, to be cer tain, but also a singu lar moment, long and wor thwhile.

THE DETAILS

Menu: Extremely limited for the time being, but we can expect more when the kitchen gets its green light on June 1

Belgian calling card: perfect waffles at Chambar's little cousin, Cafe Medina

Ser vice: Brisk counter ser vice and a deft touch on both the waffle and espresso machines keep wait times to a minimum Most memorable dish: The best Belgian waffles this side of Liege Don’t skimp on the sides These things hug flavours tightly and take them to better places

EVERYWHERE AN OINK OINK

The Greedy Pig Arrives In G astown

G astown continued its revivalist march out of the tourist weeds with the winter introduc tion of this new find on Cordova. The work of husband and wife team Cam (ex Il Giardino) and Allison (ex Brix) Mackinnon, The Greedy Pig is a reflection of a young and gritty Van couver at rest: a place to hear live music, drink wine with friends and be comfor ted with carefully wrought and rustic sand wiches, hear ty soups, stews, sal ads, charcuterie, ar tisan cheese plates and delicious pâtés The kitchen is the size of a closet, which explains the limited menu, but it churns out what it’s capable of with admirable dexterity. Some of the more body warming dishes on the menu (“prairie stew” of beef, barley, dark stout, kale and root vegetables; Alsatian style white bean and salt pork “pig soup”) were developed by one of Pino Posteraro’s former sous chefs at Cioppino’s, while the cocktail list was done pro bono by one of Vancouver’s most cele brated bar tenders, The Cascade Room’s Nick Devine. The old wooden bar sits a baker’s dozen and is topped thinly with just room enough for a plate, a glass and a pair of elbows Above the bar back hangs a discrete flat screen television for the occa sional Canuck game and messy chalkboards listing the handful of wine offerings. A long banquette on the opposite wall seats more, but the best real estate in the house are the twin alcoves on ei ther side of the front door cozy, bright and private in an otherwise dark, open concept space The Mackinnons, musicians in their own right, have secured plenty of square footage in the rear for a stage and an audience, but at the time of writing they were still booking acts for their first shows. It’s an old building with an antique feel, and it has gone through many guises over the years (most recently The Annex Café), but with the clear suppor t of the neighbourhood and a safety net of restaurant industry patrons and cool kids, it looks like it’s here to stay.

THE DETAILS

Menu: Though hamstrung by the Lilliputian size of their kitchen, they do good turns with meats and cheeses, either set together cold on a “butcher’s block” plate or combined in stellar sandwich form Don’t expect to pay more than $25 for a glass and a satisfying meal Wine cellar: Five whites and five reds, all available by the glass Look for the Caymus Co nundrum at $12 and the quality Argentinian Malbec at $6. Service it’s a tag team husband and wife affair. Nothing fancy, but they’ll get to you in good time.

Most memorable dish: Grilled barbecue pulled pork sandwich with fennel and apple slaw (on a level with Victoria’s revered “Pig” on View St )

Drinks: Smoothies are a must for the anti caffeine set, but if any bean could inspire con ver ts it’s those from 49th Parallel.

Charcuterie, great sandwiches, and wine mop up the gritty at mosphere at Gastown's newest eater y, the Greedy Pig.

RESTAURANT REPORTER

NOTHING NEW NOR BOHEMIAN Kitsilano Welcomes The New Bohemian

The New Bohemian | 3162 West Broadway | West Side | 604 7 36 7576 thenewbohemian.ca

This new spot from Ivo Staiano, former owner of the west end’s popular Balthazar’s Hideaway (now a burlesque joint called Maxime’s Hideaway), landed deep in Kitsilano this past March It’s the old Fiction Wine Bar location, com pletely remodelled, rebranded and reborn A projector uses the entrance wall as its canvas, in the case of my first visit for a vintage episode of The Avengers The bar is backed by an elaborate mural depicting a pre Raphaelite woman in blissful repose. The open kitchen window re mains, now beneath two flat screen TVs (Food Network on top; spor ts on the bottom). On the back wall, lower case letters made of polished steel and backlit with neon blue spell the word “icon.” Why, I haven’t the slightest. The dividing wall between bar and dining room is gone, making it one loud polyglot, not unlike the menu (we’ll get there soon) It’s a slave to fashion with a shelf life of min utes, but this is the new republic of Kitsilano and that stuff sells big here right now (witness Browns and the coming of Pinkys Steakhouse). It doesn’t look bad, but it looks contrived, so over considered I could have been anywhere and nowhere at all. It so achingly wants to be hip.

As for the food, the only theme is salability, a nod to knowing what the market likes. Case in point: the five deep fried macadamia and coconut battered prawns (that tasted of neither) next to a plop of pointless, underdressed greens and a sweet chili coconut mint dip that suggested zero of mint or coconut but did resemble the cheap Sambal chili sauce usually paired with down market chicken fingers Ser ved on the kind of pristine white rectangular plate one would expect in an au courant, fancy pants place (with the Food Network on TV), it sounded fas cinating but was really just a transparent exercise in making money (not that there’s any thing wrong with that). It’s just that I could have done without all the prose, and $12 for this cruel joke was a laugher. A member of Oceanwise, they neglect to include the little “O” logo denoting which seafood dishes are ethically kosher. Everyone else does it, but they don’t I asked if my prawns were Oceanwise approved Nope For a main, I followed my well meaning ser ver’s recommendation and ordered the organic beef sirloin, thinking it was such a sweet deal at $20 It was, in the interest of clarity, terrible: overcooked, tough in the most displeasing way, and a trial to cut with the dull, serrated toy they were pass ing off as a steak knife (about as efficient as a pencil) Next to this exhausting slab was a massive mound of sweet potato purée, some sor t of shrivelled green thing that may have been asparagus, and an oily mess of red peppers that gave the meat its only taste. If there was any brightish light on the food front it was the pizza. There were several options; I set tled on the “unbohemian,” capicola, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella and havar ti. There was good sting to the sauce and the crust was thin and crispy, slipping it into the realm of the “passable” There was good sting to the sauce and the crust was thin and crispy It slipped into the realm of the “passable”, but beyond this I can’t think of a single reason why I'd re turn, save perhaps to watch the Avengers The ser vice was friendly and very casual, like at a friend’s house par ty, but it wasn’t enough to make me stay any longer than I needed to The real crime was the absence of passion from the plate It was as if someone in the kitchen was reading instructions from a clipboard Lest my palate

DETAILS

Common Purpose | Finding A Great Burger in a Good Burger Town

Who has the best burger in Vancouver? When West Broadway's Feenie's closed for good this past March, leaving a big hole in the pantheon of local burgerdom (the Feenie Burger was oft celebrated as the best), the title has been up in the air Many think that Moderne Burger will be a shoe in once it reopens this Spring after its year long renovations, or hope that Feenie's replacement, DB Bistro Mod erne (opening this summer), will bring its much touted $100+ burger to town with its truffles and such, but until then we must deliberate on what's available.

I still love the taste of Brown's hickory BBQ burger with Canadian bacon ($12 with fries), but have a softer spot for the exhausting options available at Vera's Burger Shack ($5.69 $8.99). The Ocean Club in West Vancouver does phenome nal little mini burgers made of prime rib and molasses braised shor t ribs with blue cheese sauce ($12 for two), but it's too frou frou to count Fatburger's of ferings are juicy and hyper seasoned, their buns soft and pliable, but it might be too kitschy an operation for foodies to stomach (like a 50's themed McDonald's with a jukebox). Save on Meats on West Hastings offers much better burger bang for the buck than all of the far more fashionable above ($4 with fries), and de ser ves special recognition for its lack of frills. But if there is to be a regent reign ing while we await the battle of the Modernes, it must be the 5oz Splitz burgers at the newly arrived Splitz Grill on the east side ($8 50 for a basic combo with fries and a drink) These plump and juicy lovelies are dressed "as you like it" with 20 different condiments and assor ted toppings I like mine with bacon, shredded cheese, a layer of sauteed onions, and an unhealthy dollop of their sweet and savoury Splitz sauce. It's just as a burger is meant to be, a delicious and messy handful that doesn't break the bank.

A Morrison

Splitz Grill, the reigning king of Vancouver burgers

T r a c e y K u s i e w i c z

V I C T O R I A

Yum Talay (Seafood salad ‘ Yum’ means salad) Fresh scallops, black tiger prawns and squid tossed with mint leaves, cilantro, chilies, red and green onion with fresh squeezed lime juice and roasted chili paste at Sabhai Thai Restaurant

RESTAURANT REPORTER

Elizabeth Smyth’s Budget Gourmet

Sabhai Thai Restaurant | 2493 Beacon Ave, at 2nd Street, Sidney | 250.655.4085

Sabhai Thai Restaurant in Sidney also offers something a little different: playful appetiz ers, a stunning snapper dish, and a refreshing lack of condescension about the palates of its clientele. I fell in love with two dishes on the appetizer menu. Gratong Taung, or Golden Cups, are charming little pastry cups like blossoming flowers that you fill with a ground chicken and corn mixture fragrant with cilantro, and top with a sweet plum sauce from a lit tle hear t shaped dish. These are light, delicious, and, impor tantly, practical they are an excellent device to feed and enter tain small children while the adults go for the spice Specifically, with the children busy, this means the adults can eat all the Peeg G ai Tod, oth erwise known as chicken wings in a sweet chili garlic sauce Nothing is from a bottle here this recipe was created by the young owner’s mother, who works in the kitchen, and is a family favourite that they are sharing with their customers The entrees are mostly a fair price of $12, and include well done classics like Pad Thai and Chicken Curry, but a small splurge on the $16 snapper is wor th every penny. Initially, my spirits fell when the platter came out with what looked like deep fried British style fish without the chips, but my spir its rose as soon as I tasted it. These golden morsels of snapper are draped in a sauce of basil, onions, and red peppers, with the aromatic basil as the pillar of the sauce a really special dish This feeling of getting something special, something personal, something au thentic, is suppor ted by the attitude of the owner, Ae Sirimalalak When he was assessing Sidney as a location, he did not fall into the condescending attitude that the locals would want dishes that were bland and “Canadianized ” Instead, he had the vision and positiv ity to see his market as educated world travelers who would want authentic food His per ceptiveness has paid off, and his restaurant is full every night by 5:30, so come early.

The Roost | 9100 East Saanich Road, at McTavish | 250.655.0075

You’ve got to love a place where you sit at a table gaily decorated with a red and white tablecloth, all the while looking at sheep in a field out of the back window of the bus you’re dining in Yes, bus An ancient bus, a stationary bus, a bus with a scarecrow in the driver’s seat, but still a bus The Roost café and bakery at McTavish and East Saanich offers a sim ple menu of sandwiches, soups, and baked goodies For all its classic simplicity, their meat loaf sandwich for $9 deserves the kind of attention usually bestowed on a Beef Wellington. I didn’t have a meatloaf kind of a mum, so I wasn’t at all prepared for how delicious some thing so prosaic sounding could be. This thick, messy, flavourful sandwich consists of an enormous slab of moist mealoaf embraced by the perfect amount of melted cheese, bar beque sauce, and mayonnaise. It is encased in soft wholewheat bread that is not only made there, but includes wheat grown on the premises why do the 100 mile diet when you can do the 100 yard diet? The Montreal smoked meat sandwich is another dramatic statement in a casual location The Russian rye bread it is ser ved on is not a tentative tone it is a rich, russety black, soft and porous The filling is a two inch mound of classic smoked meat topped with melted Swiss cheese and brushed with mustard The arc is clear when you arrive at The Roost skip the soup, gorge on an over the top meat sandwich, enjoy any of their excellent cookies and pastries, and above all, snag a seat in the bus.

Also busy, busy is the lunch hour rush at Soup Etc Soup Etc is a Vancouver based company with several shops there and one in Victoria It is built for speed, and caters to a large take out market, and is popular because its prices are almost as low as you can go for decent food $7 95 buys you a “feature sandwich” and any soup or stew Eight to ten soups and stews are offered each day, two to three of which are always vegetarian On the day of my visit, a winning soup was Thai chicken noodle, a witty cross cultural mélange of creamy coconut and Thai spices with classic Nor th American soup noodles perfect for a person with both a cold and a yen for something Asian. The other winner was Mom’s Vegetable Soup, a hear ty, healthy soup with a base of root vegetables and onion and a bite of chili pepper. The soft multigrain baguette that comes with the soup is fantastic, and is made in town by Por tafina bakery The feature sandwich that impressed me most was “ The Nutty Chicken ” This toasted sandwich could have used a few more moments on the grill to warm up, but the combination of ingredients still made for a delicious sandwich Chicken is com bined with sundried cranberries, candied pecans, chili aioli, and the surprise of honey a very happy marriage Overall, Soup Etc offers a hear ty and healthy meal that can be ser ved up quickly. Q

Soup Etc. | 2 G 1001 Douglas St., near Broughton | 250.360.4028

RESTAURANT REPORTER

Edible Exoticism

Tropical Island shakes up timid Asian restaurant scene

Tropical Island | 1 3690 Shelbourne St | Victoria | 250 477 2536

Transforming a for mer Taiwanese eatery of little dis tinction into Wong’s first restaurant, chef Pius Wong, ex Szechuan City, jumps on the pan Asian bandwagon with a peripatetic menu. His kitchen gallivants from Malaysian sa tays and Singapore noodles to Thai cur ries and crispy chicken in the style of China’s tropical Hainan Island Dodg ing tor turous over head fluorescents and tacky chinois erie to hell with the dragon the room is comfor tably appointed with soft lighting, leather banquettes and rattan chairs. Gracious, attentive, English speaking ser vers complete the picture Chef, who trained in Hong Kong and Vancouver, demonstrates a way with edible exoti cism His sauces seethe with mystery: to wit, spicy basil ribs ($12 95), the cascading from the bone pork ribs rolling in a dark, sweet, spicy, sticky sauce infused with Thai basil Similarly, stir fried eggplant ($9 95) woos the pleasure points with silken aubergine in a pungent meld of garlic, dried shrimp, chili and onion. These two powerhouses should make Wong’s reputation in a town where gastronomic timidity can pass for talent. Otherwise, one might dally happily with the likes of the buttery, flaky Malaysian flatbread roti canai ($4.50); juicily grilled beef or chicken satays ($5.95, four skewers) with soy chilli peanut sauce; racy Thai green curry ($10 95); and lemongrass chicken fried rice ($9 95), the ungreasy rice shor t on lemongrass but long on five spice Three course lunches are $7 95 six days a week, closed Tuesdays A welcome newcomer to the city’s mostly retro Asian restaurant scene Jeremy Ferguson

The Great Escape Cumberland in the Comox Valley | 2744 Dunsmuir Ave. | 250.336.8831

Chef Nicola Cuhna and her par tner in The Great Escape, Jean Francois Larche, are symptomatic of what is happening in this former mining boom town Chef Nicola draws her in spiration from the cooking of Gujarat (Northwestern India), Karnataka (South west), and >

Basil Ribs – marinated pork back ribs with spicy basil sauce ser ved on a sizzling hot plate.

Spicy

Owner-Chef Nicola Cunha and Jean-Francois Larche with kale in the kitchen. photo by Sharon Macdonnell

> Goa. This is lighter fare than Punjabi and Bengali based cuisine. She also pays homage to the modernizing influence of Vancouver's Vij. This is evident in the lightness and the combination of flavours and colours that make eating at The Great Escape such a treat We star ted with intense little chicken samosas ser ved with in house plum chutney "The best chutney I've ever had," opined my friend, somewhat of a chutney fiend We also en joyed the Papadam Cigars, a kind of "Indian spring roll" served with tamarind chutney, and Masala Wadas, subtley flavoured lentil patties served with in house organic pumpkin chut ney. These were accompanied by Chef Nicola's special variation on naan a moist flat bread rich with flavour. For our main courses we ate smoked local lingcod cakes in a fenugreek fennel curry; Pathrade, a Gujarati specialty of spinach, ground rice, and lentils, steamed and sliced, ser ved in a clinging cocount tamarind curry; and a pork vandaloo flavoured with cinnamon, clove, ginger, and chilies. For desser t we shared the cardomom studded marsh mallow a bouyant and chewy concotion and the chocolate paté drizzled with red wine andpear sauce Both very nice ways to ice the cake Hans Peter Meyer

Wildside Grill | 1180 Pacific Rim Hwy | Tofino | 250.725.9453

Local fisherman Jeff Mikus and Chef Jesse Blake (formerly of Shelter Restaurant), make a great team for Tofino’s newest eatery, the Wildside Grill. Tucked behind Chocolate Tofino, Live to Surf and Beaches Grocery, Wildside Grill offers a fresh and seasonal menu, using free range poultry, organic produce and wild seafood (provided by Mikus’ other business, Wild side Seafoods). Amongst the mouthwatering house made items listed on the chalkboard, which sits beside a classic Tofino style handmade covered outdoor seating area, complete with a driftwood fish skeleton atop the roof, (by local ar tist Jan Janzen), you’ll find items such as tempura battered fish and chips, bbq pulled pork on ciabatta bun, yam fries and my personal favourite, a homemade chicken stock miso broth soup, with Pink shrimp, veg gies and Dungeness crab wontons Great burgers are on the list as well, wild salmon, hal ibut, tuna and free range bison, as well as breakfast items, smoked chorizo and egg ciabatta, with fresh coffee, herbal teas and tonics next door at Tofitian. While you wait for your food, don’t forget to check out local ar tists in this bustling complex, (which you’ll likely remember as the original home to SoBo’s purple bus) including wood turner Keith Plumley, and glass blower Sol Maya, and of course desser t by local chocolatier, Gordon Austin Kira Rogers

Lunch Solution

Is a 125,000 BTU gas fired wok fast enough for you?

Longtime fans of the Noodle Box will remember the cart in the parking lot on lower Fisgard where it all began. From those humble origins the Noodle Box has grown to three locations: two in Victoria and one in Vancouver One thing that hasn’t changed is the quality of the food

I dropped into their Douglas street location in Victoria for lunch and ordered my usual the Spicy Peanut sir fry a large bowl of ribbon noodles tossed with peppers, Asian greens, crushed peanuts, herbs, sprouts, lime and chicken chunks tossed with Indonesian style peanut sauce and topped with crispy green onions. Superb and fast!

Victoria: 626 Figard St 818 Douglas St Vancouver: 1867 West 4th Ave.

For Every Connoisseur r C

Sherri Mar tin

What Does Canada Taste Like?

by Andrew Morrison

An email I received last summer asked if I’d par ticipate in the Canadian Culinar y Championships, an annual contest that raises money for Canadian athletes by pitting Canada’s top chefs against one another in their own edible Olympiad.

The “Gold Medal Plates” gala competitions would come first that November These provincial challenges, big deals in and of themselves with all the requisite media atten tion and dandy attendees, would take place in most of the major cities from Vancouver all the way to Halifax with the aim of narrowing the field down to one chef per region The end game would see a single individual crowned as the best chef in Canada

I fired off an affirmative, keen to see which way talent lay beyond the Rockies and taste what they’d bring to the table. Along the way I hoped to get an answer to a question I’d long asked but never answered: is there such a thing as Canadian cuisine?

The CBC wondered this back in a 1957 radio broadcast, asking Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of the KFC chain, if there was any dish in Canada that he enjoyed The Colonel was stingingly frank:

“No, there’s no specialty that I’ve run into ” “None whatsoever?”

“None whatsoever ”

After the Colonel went on to call Western Canadian food “plumb tasteless” and our cook ing “listless,” CBC commentator James Bannerman mostly agreed with him, saying that blandness defined Canadian food, and that the only way one could distinguish roast pork from roast veal in Canadian restaurants was that the former was “a little soggier” and ser ved with apple sauce. We may have come a long way in the 51 years since, a very long way indeed, but the Colonel was prophetically bang on We’re still having trouble Tim Hor tons would be the only thing that everyone could agree on today Truly, if we have a national dish at all, I’m afraid it might be chili in a bread bowl paired with a double double Aside from the jingoist juices released when our national spor ting teams are sent out to do battle, I’ve long thought our country was held together by the glue of memory Quiet, polite, and perennially circumspect, we’ve always been regional navel gazers whose loy alties lie more with the local than the national. I wondered if our top chefs fighting it out for a national “best” title would prove this.

Teams of judges were assembled across the country, and I was honoured to be the head judge representing BC. The list outlining the formidable competitors arrived a few weeks later: Rob Feenie (then independent, now Cactus Club); Pino Posteraro (Cioppino’s); Nico Schuermans (Chambar); Rober t Belcham (Fuel); Melissa Craig (Bearfoot Bistro); Lee Par sons (Bacchus at the Wedgewood); Jay Lynn (Hilton Whistler Resor t); Scott Jaeger (Pear Tree); Stefan Pimenta (Le G avroche); Javier Alarco (Hyatt Regency Vancouver); Kevin Doucette (The Westin Bayshore); and David Hawkswor th (then of West, now the Georgia Hotel). Naturally, I looked forward to the day.

November

14, 2007

| Gold Medal Plates | Vancouver

On this clear, cold night, hundreds of local glitterati, spor ts legends and miscellaneous bigwigs piled into Coal Harbour’s Westin Bayshore hotel with their cheque books open and gullets ready. Each chef was allocated kitchen space and a booth from which to dish. Our local chefs outdid themselves. Scott Jaeger, last year’s Canadian Bocuse D’Or competitor, won the bronze by plating perfect squares of B.C. Berkshire pork belly enhanced by tiny discs of cipollini onion jelly, thin swipes of celeriac purée and miniature coronets filled with pear butter Melissa Craig took the silver with four small seafood morsels arranged on a wooden plank: Cor tes Island Black Pearl oysters dressed with pickled daikon and cucum ber mignonette; barrel shaped B C spot prawn mousse wrapped in sesame jelly and capped with false caviar made with miso and squid ink; albacore tuna sashimi flavoured with yuzu bonito mayonnaise and covered with soy “pop rocks” (literally exploding on the palate); and miniature ice cream cones stuffed with cured wild salmon and horseradish cream. The gold went to Pino Posteraro’s hot soup of porcini mushrooms and chestnuts for tified with melted foie gras and textured with truffled brioche croutons, all ser ved in a cap puccino cup on a saucer. The side spoon balanced a small square of chilled mushroom jelly and a garnish of minced roasted mushrooms It was the kind of thing one would hope for at God’s café

It was a fine evening, to be sure, but it got me no closer to understanding what Canadian

Judges from across Canada gather to inspect competitor's ingredients in the kitchens of Toronto's George Brown College.

food was Rob Feenie, considered an arbiter of our country’s culinary identity, ser ved up simple shor t rib burgers They were delicious and possibly the most Canadian offering that night, save perhaps for the speeches from the Barenaked Ladies, but they didn’t figure in our scores.

Defining our cooking has always been as problematic as defining ourselves. In both, we can either be tips of a post modern sword that cuts through the mayonnaise of what it means to be a nation, or we can con tinue to search for something that has never been there in an exercise of philosophical self strangulation. Our body politic may suffer this identity crisis, but our cooks rejoice in it. An Italian immigrant was named the best chef in B C that night, and life went on

Februar y 8, 2008 | Canadian Culinar y Championships Black Box Competition | Toronto

Three months later, shor tly after learning that Posteraro had had to drop out on doctor’s orders (therefore pushing Whistler’s Melissa Craig of Bearfoot Bistro to the fore at very shor t notice), I boarded my flight to Toronto to judge the Canadian Culinary Championships. En route I suffered through Air Canada’s answer to the quintessential Canadian meal: a ham and egg sandwich from Har vey’s, a stunted cylinder of Pringles po tato chips and a cold can of beer. Landing an hour late at the tail end of a blizzard (with a belly bubbling full of nationalistic fer vour), I was whisked to the Soho Metropolitan Hotel, not that far from where I used to live during my last stint in the city

Though a B C boy born and bred, I did a lot of growing up in Toronto and like to think I still know its din ing scene well enough to venture the occasional unsolicited opinion As a youth, my father would take me

to all the fancy joints where chefs seemed more satisfied in mimicking what was coming out of New York than trying to develop a regional cuisine of their own Ideas, like most of the ingredients, were impor ted from far afield, and the city’s food culture evolved as an amalgam of otherness

The customers didn’t seem to mind a bit My last job in the city was as a waiter at a sleek and unapologetically expensive Italian restaurant, a den for fat cats and movie stars on the corner of Avenue and Bloor Apathy to wards food was just the way it was, and nobody ever ordered the very few Niagara wines available on our thick list, let alone the one bottle of B.C. red. We ran through Super Tuscans, Brunellos and old French wines like water. The local stuff was too cheap and far too close to home to be cele brated. The customer base at the high end always seemed more concerned with demanding a better table and being recognized by the maitre’d than they were about the quality and sourcing of the ingredients or the creativ ity and exper tise that went into their preparation Dinner was a show, not an education

These aren’t the ramblings of an ex malcontent I loved my work, but the only passion I ever witnessed was in the kitchen. In the dining room, it was more about who commanded the bigger expense account. There were ex ceptions, absolutely, but the culture of dining was completely different from what I later came to know in B.C. I was keen to do some exploring to see if anything had changed in the few years that I’d been gone, but the first of three competitions swept me out of my room before I could even unpack Chefs and judges were gathering for our first meet and greet inside George Brown’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Ar ts on Adelaide Street In addition to Melissa Craig, the competitors were Paul Rogalski of Calgary’s Rouge, Judy Wu of Edmonton’s Wild Tangerine, Michael Moffat of Ottawa’s Beckta Dining and Wine, Roland Menard of Montreal’s Manoir Hovey, and Mar tin Ruiz Salvador of Halifax’s Fleur de Sel. A fearsome brood. The favourite to win was homeboy Anthony Walsh of Toronto’s Canoe, and not just because a full third of the judges worked for Ontario publications. His reputation as one of the best chefs in Canada preceded him, and he’d beaten out the legendary likes of Jamie Kennedy, Susur Lee, Claudio Aprile, Marc Thuet and Michael Stadtländer, all huge names in Toronto

We moved on to find a large group of media and foodies awaiting us in a makeshift reception room After a few speeches, in walked the head of the school with a heavy container This was the black box event, and the chefs would not know what they’d be working with until it was revealed. With great fanfare and in the full glare of camera lights, he pulled out the mys tery ingredients: Lake Erie whitefish, flank steak, Ontario peanuts, local honeycomb, celery root and plantains. The gulps from the chefs, tasked with creating two dishes with these, were audible above the oohs and ahhs of the well heeled crowd

Walsh impressed with a whitefish tar tar flavoured with coriander, basil and fresh ginger encased in its own thin fillet His honey cured and seared flank steak buttressed by a plantain chip spoon holding a dollop of celery root pureé was a knockout, too, but Melissa Craig wowed the most. On top of her honey and peanut glazed beef sashimi, she’d set curly plaintain crisps and leaves of cilantro and mint. It was light, lively, and colourful, but it was what she did with her Ontario whitefish that became the talking point of the evening (poor Craig didn’t even know what species it was. She kept calling it “fish,” and when pushed she settled on “Arctic Char”) It was fast seared and then soaked in basil and olive oils in a bowl shallowed by cel ery root whip and ringed with spinach pureé With just the right toothiness of texture from crisped leek and little kicks of acidity from tiny cubes of tomato, it gave her the opening lead

More often than not that night, the creations were Asian inspired (peanuts and honey led that way). None whispered even faintly of Canada. Still hungry after tasting 14 different dishes, I found a donair place around the corner and then jumped into a slushy cab that smelled of feet. Ah, that’s more like it.

Februar y 9, 2008 | CCC Wine & Food Pairing Competition | Toronto

I awoke the next day and skipped an organized trip to a Niagara winery in favour of lunch with my father at Canoe (competitor Anthony Walsh’s restaurant on the 54th floor of the TD Tower) The food was exemplary, as good as one could get in Vancouver, but what struck me the most was how busy they were. The lunch crowd at restaurants like this in the West is min imal and seems to be getting worse. Robson’s CinCin, sadly, >

no longer ser ves lunch at all. Every seat in the house was full, and the bar was standing room only.

After several other quick visits to equally busy restaurants, I made it to Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar off Front Street At 4 p m , they were still busy, too The menu was a love affair with Ontario suppliers, with all the ingredients save for impossibilities like lemon raised or har vested locally If this restaurant had a conceptual dopplegänger on the coast it might be Vancouver’s Aurora Bistro. I talked with Jamie Kennedy and chef Tobey Nemeth (a longtime E AT fan, incidentally) to find out who, if anyone, was fol lowing their lead Local sourcing and s u s t a i n a b i l i t y , watchwords that seem to have come to define the best cooking in B C , fall on largely deaf ears in Toronto “Lots of places do it a little for show,” Tobey offered, “but doing it full on, I think, is just too hard for them.”

I walked all the way back to the hotel to work up an appetite for the next competition, a wine and food pairing hosted by The Century Room, a King Street lounge The chefs had been given a mystery bottle of wine the night before (an Ontario Chardonnay from Closson Chase winery in Prince Edward County) and needed to build pairing dishes for 200 guests, spending no more than $400 on supplies at the St. Lawrence Market.

Walsh pulled level with Craig, his doughnut of skate and salt cod with its tar tar sauce of lobster edging out her pork hock and lobster sandwich dusted with bacon powder Menard of Montreal’s Manoir Hovey won it for me, though, with pillowy black cod marinated in vanilla oil and gussied up with a foam of sweet corn

If I took anything away from the night, it was surprise at seeing Walsh ser ving skate, a species listed by conser vation groups as a “fish to avoid ” Stranger still was Edmonton’s Judy Wu doling out fillets of Chilean sea bass, a species widely acknowledged as strictly ver boten (if this had been in hypersensitive B.C., I fear they both would have been booed). Nothing that evening came across as being especially Canadian. Colonel Sanders, that cheeky bastard, was right.

Afterwards, several of the judges and I retired for pints and a variety of deep fried foods at Gretzky’s, a restaurant owned by the most famous Canadian of them all But only the snow reminded me of the country in which I stumbled, and I went to bed remembering the words of Stuar t Keate, long ago the publisher of the Vancouver Sun: “In any world menu, Canada must be considered the vichyssoise of nations, it’s cold, half French, and difficult to stir ”

On the eve of the grand finale, it was Anthony Walsh and Melissa Craig vir tually tied, with Menard not far behind in third.

Februar y 10, 2008 | CCC Grand Finale Competition | Toronto

I spent most of the day wandering some of my old haunts and remembered that the scent of the subway comes steaming up from grates in the sidewalks to mingle with the smells of the many hot dog stands Hot dog in hand, I wistfully watched families skating the rink in front of City Hall, a sight as Canadian Gothic as the Calgary Stampede or Bonhomme waving to snow suited kids at Quebec’s Winter Carnival I walked across Queen Street and into the ancient Hudson’s Bay Company building It was fitting that this would be where the grand finale would take place. If the food couldn’t decide what country it was from, the setting would. I walked up to the eighth floor and into a cavernous Ar t Deco space called the Arcadian

Whistler's Bearfoot Bistro chef Melissa Craig and her team prepare for the Black Box battle.

Craig's winning dish: King crab croquette, lemongrass infused crab bisque, and bamboo wrapped crab claw meat covered in soyflavoured pop rocks.

Cour t. The 90 year old chandeliered room was already abuzz, though none of the guests were due for another hour. I wished luck to the chefs who were busily setting up their sta tions All were ner vous and excited, especially 28 year old Melissa Craig Quiet and soft spoken, for the duration she seemed more surprised than anyone else that she was where she was A par t of me wanted to tell her that she was tied for the lead, but I didn’t The room began to fill shor tly after Television crews and photographers went straight for the chefs, while Olympian athletes like triple medalist Marnie McBean and local grandees like Justin Trudeau sipped at wines from Canadian vineyards. After a series of opening speeches, the final competition began, with hundreds of people queuing up at the seven stalls dotting the perimeter of the room. Chefs were given free reign this time, tasked only with prepping any dish paired with any wine of their choice. To make things easier for the judges, each of us was given a volunteer runner. And so we sat, ate, squabbled, opined and drank behind a rope line, removed from the swirling mass Each dish was exquisite Mar tín Ruiz Salvador of Nova Scotia’s Fleur de Sel presented the most perfectly seared scallop I think any of us had ever eaten Around it was a crescent purée of salt cod, while smoked pork hock, shallots, chervil and streaks of pea shoot oil and veal jus gave it the ear thy components needed to stand up to an Inniskillin Pinot Noir An thony Walsh of Canoe did a fine slice of caribou leg with onion and caribou neck ragoût next to maple roasted squab breast on ar tichoke tar te Tatin. Between them was spiced choco late, a perfect foil for the Jackson Triggs Delaine Vineyard Cabernet Merlot. Michael Mof fatt of Ottawa’s Beckta banked on what he called “snails and tails”: an open face ravioli topped with escargot and oxtail ragoût set off by leek, pear and sun dried tomato sauced with blue cheese fondue Delicious, but I thought the Black Sage White Meritage was just a little too meek a pairing Roland Ménard of suburban Montreal’s Manoir Hovey knocked us down with his sublime “log” of Quebec foie gras next to a tiny plop of wild ginger purée and a tight dice of beets decorously interspersed with “pearls” made with apple cider Ex ecution across the board was perfect The dish of the night, however, belonged to Craig. Next to a golden croquette of king crab resting on a sticky dot of basil and mango coulis and an espresso shot of hot crab soup layered with coconut milk and flavoured with lemongrass and chili lay a bamboo leaf rolled into a cone. Inside was a rectangular piece of rare claw meat covered with tobiko roe and soy sauce pop rocks We lifted the cones to our ears and listened as if to a spastic seashell pop, crack, pop before pinching it out and pop ping the flesh into our expectant mouths Incredible Each component was immaculate on its own, but when taken together with sips of Tantalus Vineyards’ Riesling, the game was over. She had won.

Trudeau and Olympic medalist Cur t Harnett kept the crowd busy with speeches as we re treated with our individual score sheets (and a bottle) to our green room Toronto Life food ed itor James Chatto, our lead judge, opened his laptop while we circled around him After a few inputs, he looked up and smiled. “Well,” he paused, “Melissa won.” It took a moment for it to sink in. My first reaction was pride, not in being a Canadian but rather in being a British Columbian. It was an irresistible feeling, and that, I told myself, was fine

The overall final scores revealed how very close they were Craig’s was 80 16 percent and Anthony Walsh’s was 79 92 percent The battle for bronze was even closer, with Ménard beating out Salvador by an almost comical 0.03 percent. When we returned to find the huge crowd waiting for us, it was difficult not to smile. When Craig’s name was called, her face exploded into the kind of joyous expression one only sees in children. Press ganged into par ticipating at the last moment due to Pino Posteraro’s late withdrawal, she had done her best and found it was the best.

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VIC’S STEAKHOUSE & BAR 100% CANADIAN BEEF &FINE WINES HARBOUR TOWERS HOTEL & SUITES | 345 QUEBEC STREET | VICTORIA | 250.480.6585 GRANDOPENING MAY 2, 2008. CELEBRATE OUR CENTENNIAL For reservations or additional information please call 250-389-2727 721 Government Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1W5 Breakfast Lunch Dinner

At C restaurant, where Rob Clark is E xecutive Chef, you can order what is called the “Ethical Luxury” Tasting Menu 10 petit dishes all containing sustainable ingredients sourced locally Pictured above: Bamfield Pinto Abalone both raw and prepared with shaved watermelon, radish sweet onion and soy dressing. Abalone is so controlled by the DFO to foil poachers that the meat can only to be ser ved with its shell attached Then, that same shell must be returned to Bamfield for reconcilliation

Above: When doyenne Martha Stewart ate at C she requested a special order Chef Quang obliged and made up a plate using various dishes from the “Ethical Luxury” menu: spot prawns with celeriac, walnuts and verjus jelly; Albarcore tuna tar tare with green olive and confit lemon; and Vancouver Island sea urchin done Waldorf style. Mar tha said. “It was a good thing.”

Rob Clark

VISIONARY CHEF TALKS SUSTAINABILIT Y with Chris Mason Stearns

photos by Tracey Kusiewicz

Rober t Clark’s name has become synonymous with sustainability in British Columbia. His effor ts to promote seafood which is responsibly sourced (as well as delicious) have inspired the city’s chefs and re defined the way we think about food with fins. Chef Clark sat down with Chris Mason Stearns to discuss growing up on the G aspé, the ground breaking OceanWise project, his early years as a chef, and why lil’ old pink salmon deser ves our love as much as that rock star sockeye

EAT: You grew up on the Gaspé peninsula in Quebec. What did you eat and cook as a kid?

ROBERT CL ARK: My grandmother was a very good cook One of the greatest things I got from growing up there was an access to fresh fish It is so remote My father still lives by the seasons June is strawberry season, July is raspberry sea son, August is blueberry season When the fishing season opens up, you har vest the fish, you garden. It is still very much based on the way it was. It is not an urban lifestyle whatsoever. The weather determines what you’re doing and what you’re eating. My dad’s proper ty backs on to the York river, so as a kid there was a lot of salmon and trout. Codfish was big We didn’t eat a lot of lobster (even though it was dir t cheap) I don’t know if it was because dad didn’t like it or mum thought it was too much work A lot of game, moose and deer caught by my father He still hunts I go back every October and hunt moose We have a traditional hunting ground where my family has hunted for over 50 years.

EAT: After attending culinar y school in Toronto, You cooked at the Windsor Arms Hotel in the mid 80s. How much talk of sustainability did you hear back then?

RC: That’s a very good question I didn’t know it at the time, but the chefs I trained with were very committed to quality That would have been “the word” more than sustainability back then. Organic was very big in the 80s restaurant scene in Toronto. Cookstown Greens, for example, was a local or ganic salad supplier, there were these little micro producers, that’s what we called them at that point just because they weren’t the ‘giants ’ There was a restaurant community that nur tured these things I think health brought variety to the restaurants Chefs were looking for something new, exciting and tasty Healthy and sustainable were just a byproduct of that quest. They weren’t the quest themselves, at least that’s not the impression I got as a young cook. To the chefs I worked for, sourcing was impor tant. I can think of a couple names Jamie Kennedy, Michael Stadtlander, Michael Bonacini but there weren’t a lot.

E AT: Let’s talk about locality and our own cuisine. Some Vancouver chefs I’ve spoken with think we have a solid han dle on what Vancouver’s culinar y style is, and what it will become. Others aren’t so sure they say we’ve come far, but we’re not even close to ‘there’ yet. Where do you stand? Can we predict what Vancouver cuisine will be in 20 years?

RC: I don’t know if we can predict what it will be in 20 years I would say that in Canada there is no stronger footing than in Vancouver, as far as understanding what can be produced in your region and what’s available I think there is a grass roots movement here, especially from the farmers and the alternative lifestyle level, from vegetarianism to environ mentalism. I think we can do whatever we want to do here, as far as regional cuisine is concerned. That is not really as possible in Toronto. You can cycle to a strawberry patch in Richmond and pick your own local strawberries. You would die of lung cancer before you could even find local straw berries outside of the Toronto area

EAT: You’ve been Executive Chef at C for 10 years now. How many of your goals as a chef have you realized in that time?

RC: When I came to Vancouver the quality of fish was probably the worst I’ve seen in the country. I thought I would get the freshest fish, but back then it just was not the case. Today we are very for tunate, we’ve come a long way over 10 years and I think C has played a big par t of convincing [sup pliers] to raise the bar, that quality does count and people are willing to pay for it When we star ted out we were very limited by what we could get There was a choice of maybe six half decent products: farmed salmon, trout, halibut, tiger prawns from Asia. We thought ‘how are we going to separate ourselves from everybody else?’ So we star ted sourcing our own products. Back then no one wanted to listen to quality. Suppliers thought that chefs wouldn’t want to pay more money for it Traditionally in the seafood industry the shit tier a product is, the closer to home you sell it If you ship something to New York and they don’t like it at the other end, you lose your product and you pay for the shipping They used to call us [at C] the ‘boomerang account,’ because it did n’t matter what they sent us, if we didn’t like it, we sent it back. Sometimes the delivery driver would just come in and say ‘Rober t, I saw them pack it and you’re not going to like it. Should I just send it back and bring you something better this afternoon?” It doesn’t cost [suppliers] any money to try and sell shitty halibut to me, maybe a couple bucks in gas (as opposed to airfare) I want to believe it’s changed, and I think the seafood companies and suppliers have had to change especially with the launch of OceanWise

EAT: Let’s talk about OceanWise. In 2007, the organization’s membership expanded fur ther outside the white tablecloth realm (and is approaching 100 restaurants). Casual and smaller restaurants in Victoria and the Okanagan have signed up. Are you happy with the progress?

RC: I could not have fantasized about the success that they have had You have to understand that C had been banging its head against the wall for a long time, with continued re sistance from pretty well everybody. Why would it change? C’s message up until OceanWise was that we wanted to educate people. During our first meeting with the aquarium, they thought that this program would bring more people into the restaurant, but we were the only guys in town doing re ally sustainable seafood, so anyone who wanted to know where their fish came from was already coming to us If any thing it was going to increase our competition, but that’s okay, that’s a good thing. OceanWise accomplished more in one year in terms of bringing seafood suppliers online, bring ing awareness to the situation, and creating accurate data for the chefs, than C accomplished in the 7 years before. When the companies came to the meetings and all the suppliers I had fought with for years were all sitting in the front row, I thought that ‘this is more powerful than I’d ever dreamed ’ Now they can’t keep up, people in Toronto and Halifax are all calling the aquarium and asking about the program It’s amazing how successful it has been

EAT: Yet there is still basically no OceanWise presence in Vancouver’s Asian restaurant community. Why not?

RC: There are definitely par ts of the Asian community that have expressed interest in getting the program going, and chefs that have expressed interest I don’t know how serious [they are] It’s a tough nut to crack A lot of the cuisine is based on product that is not regional, if you go to a Chinese market you get a lot of dried shrimp, scallop, squid, and a lot of it is still coming from mainland China, and its still produced in the traditional way. Their culture, their cuisine is still com ing from somewhere else. Vancouver chefs are now living at a time where [our culinary culture] is being created and everyone that is participating in our industry is playing a part

The reason C has been able to be a sustainable company is because it’s a company wide idea and the owner has been willing to invest and get on board Honestly, I think there are a number of restaurants that are a par t of OceanWise for the marketing aspect, that if push came to shove they would not be able to truly carry through with it I don’t think the Asian market has needed that sor t of marketing edge I’m sure the word OceanWise isn’t everywhere in Chinese publications.

E AT: Let’s talk about salmon farming. 10 years ago, the mainstream restaurant community considered farming the saviour of the salmon fisher y. Now it’s increasingly viewed as an ecological disaster. How did we get it so wrong?

RC: How could we get it wrong after seeing so many European examples where they made huge mistakes and failed, lost entire rivers, entire wild salmon populations? And we have repeated history. That’s the real crime. The fact is that we had seen [the problems] in Europe and Scandinavia.

EAT: What needs to be done to fix it?

RC: If they simply put the farms in a closed contained sys tem, 99% of their problems would go away. Cross contami nation, pollution, environmental damage, sea lice, disease, all these problems would just go away. I’m not a biologist, I’m a chef, but I’ve tried to learn as much about it as possible. Farming salmon doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense. There are a lot of other species that are based on a vegetar ian diet that are easier to farm There’s an argument that asks ‘well, we farm cows, why can’t we farm salmon?’ Cows eat grass We don’t farm foxes for food, or coyotes, or bears, or any animals that eat other meat We farm vegetarian animals So salmon farming breaks away from the mold.

EAT: You were one of the first local chefs to feature sablefish on your menu. Now it’s a big par t of menus all over town. What’s the next big product, that may be a secret now but has breakout potential?

RC: There aren’t a lot of fin fish left that are unknown to the mainstream. We have over 64 commercially har vested species of seafood in British Colombia. How many do you see on tables here? Not many. Now, not all 64 species are necessarily considered sustainable. There are a lot of things that the mainstream white tablecloth restaurant isn’t really interested in Like sea cucumbers, gooey ducks and sea urchins

Up until 10 years ago it was perceived that for anything to be high quality it had to be fresh, which is a fallacy What is fresh? 2 hours old or 2 months old? Fresh just means its never been frozen. For the majority of seafood products that I’ve worked with, anything that you can get frozen at sea is of the highest, most consistent quality you can get. Spot prawns are a perfect example. Steve Johansen’s spot prawn tails that he’s selling frozen are just the same as if they were fresh Plump, juicy, firm, tasty There’s nothing wrong with frozen! Do you know a sockeye has a 21 day shelf life? The difference between a sockeye and a pink salmon is that when they come out of the water, the fisherman gets about $1.75/lb for a sockeye and $0.10/lb for the pink. Both of them are beautiful fish. The pink has a shelf life of maybe 4 or 5 days, so the fishermen know they’ll never get it to mar ket in time to sell it. The sockeye has 21 days, so it could be in the boat for a week and its still going to get to market and sold as ‘fresh ’ That has created the perception that pink salmon sucks and sockeye salmon is great Sockeye salmon just lasts longer, that’s the only difference On the day they’re caught, they’re both beautiful fish and should be celebrated

C Restaurant, dinner Sunday to Thursday from 5:30pm 10:00pm, and Friday & Saturday from 5:30pm 11:00pm, 2 1600 Howe Street in Vancouver www crestaurant com or call 604.681.1164 for current menus and fur ther information.

Long-time South Granville resident Linda Meinhardt has helped to elevate the local food scene with her eponymous store

Small plates maestro: Gord Mar tin of South Granville's Bin 942.

Foodie retail: South Granville's popular Cookworks stocks essentials for neighbourhood cooks.

therise of a foodie neighbourhood

It’s early December at the corner of Granville Street and 13th Avenue, the hear t of Vancouver’s South Granville neighbourhood, and the newest location of retail giant Williams Sonoma is abuzz with activity The store is celebrating its opening night, and chef David Hawksworth, enjoying his last month at the helm of West Restaurant, is upfront serving cupfuls of silky lobster bisque to local VI Ps and celebrities as they shop for cookie cutters and mingle with the PR picked crowd. Ninety two year old Williams Sonoma founder Chuck Williams holds cour t amid gleaming cop per pots and crockery, telling the tale of how he launched his f Sonoma. His fledgling company heralded a new retail era in 19 livering high quality French cookware to a country new to the pings of good cooking “America had never seen this type cookware before,” he says beaming Now, more than 50 year and more than 250 locations later, his store has landed in a neighbourhood that appears tailored to receive it Its arrival confirms South Granville has arrived too, as the premier shop ping and dining locale for discerning and food savvy Van couverites.

Williams has long had an eye for locations where residents “could afford the more expensive stuff,” and where nearby stores could attract like minded and deep pocketed cus tomers When describing his Sutter Street store in San Fran cisco (circa 1958), he remembers the oppor tunity as if it were yesterday: “ There was Elizabeth Arden, and across the stree was the best women’s club in the city There were two medic buildings where the ladies had to bring their kids to the dentist, they had to walk past the store. It was the perfect location.” The can be said of his newest.

With its fashionable boutiques and top restaurants, South G San Francisco store’s 21st century mirror. Pat Connolly, executive vice president of Williams Sonoma, is confident the location is the right fit “Our customers shop here for things,” he says, referring to the neighbourhood, because “it’s higher end ” South Granville retailer Dave Werner, the founder of Cookworks on Broadway, concurs, describing South Granville shoppers as “well established Vancouver people” who are “involved in the ar ts and community” and have “a love for their homes ” They come, he says, “for the variety of the shops and the unique lifestyle ”

Of course, the neighbourhood wasn’t always so “high end.” Defined by its Business Im provement Association (B IA) as that par t of Granville Street spanning the “bridge to 16th,” South Granville began as a raw wilderness where Vancouverites pitched vacation tents after rowing across False Creek. In 1889, the Granville Street Bridge joined the area to the city cen tre, and in 1891 the Vancouver Tramway Company laid tracks all the way to 9th Avenue (now

West Broadway) Centre Street, as it was then called, was rechristened “Granville” in 1907 It was now not only connected to the city’s burgeoning infrastructure but also itself the main artery to and from the affluent Shaughnessy Heights and Fairview neighbourhoods (called the “Nob Hill of Vancouver” by then mayor David Oppenheimer).

The high living tastes of “Nob Hillers” slowly gave the street a reputation for conspicuous consumption. Sharon Townsend, executive director of the South Granville B IA, describes early South Granville as a place for “the carriage trade” and “the well heeled.” Art d the Douglas Lodge building (the landmark Georgian Revival ent building at 12th) gave it some cultural and architectural ur, and in 1908, the Stanley Theatre proved with its inaugural owing of Lilian Gish’s first talkie, One Romantic Night, that South ranville was the sophisticate’s place to be Still, it was geographically compact and hardly a gourmand’s paradise. “Most of the businesses were nor th of Broadway,” explains Townsend. “ There were about eleven retail offices, a shoemaker, and no restaurants.” Fast forward to 1997 when the Stanley reopened after being shut down for six years, and there was suddenly a rekindled market for pre and post the atre dining as well as the shopping options that made the well to do want to linger Today, she says, “ There is such a wide variety It is a Golden Triangle of great cuisine ” Asked about her favourites, Townsend laughs and says, “I like Red Door. I like Vij’s. Oh … there are so many. All this will do is get me trouble!”

einhardt Fine Foods at 14th, a store that many local merchants staurateurs cite as one of the catalyzing forces behind South s transformation, predated the second coming of the Stanley by Linda Meinhardt had lived in the neighbourhood for years (she still does) and saw how there was “a real need in the marketplace for a fine foods store ” She envisioned combining the concepts of New York’s Zabar’s, Balducci’s and Dean & Deluca, and the neighbourhood fell in love with the results Along with talented local chef Anne Milne and minor par tner Duncan Holmes, Meinhardt’s gave the southern end of South Granville a distinctive retail presence that would attract other businesses in. The store car ried not only fine vinegars and oils but also the intangible appeal of specialty merchandise for customers with very par ticular tastes.

Werner opened Cookworks a few years later, thinking South Granville was “an up and coming area ” Asked whether he thinks Williams Sonoma poses a threat to his business, he says he’s confident the market is large enough for both larger and smaller retailers “As a local retailer, we can always provide special ser vices and products that a big chain cannot We get much closer to our customer and can respond to their needs ” Werner emphasizes>

South Granville’s carriage trade beginnings presaged its current status as an u p s c a l e d i s t r ic t o f h i g h e nd re s t a ura n t s , c a f é s , f o o d a n d c o o k e ry s h o p s . by Tara Lee

G H y n e s

that a vibrant neighbourhood is all about the power of a va riety of businesses to attract consumers on a collective level and points out that Williams Sonoma “will attract many new visitors to the area ”

While retailers keep South Granville bustling during the day, its restaurants keep it lively at night Jack Evrensel opened his award winning West Restaurant in 2000 (with its original “Ouest” moniker). It has since become a leader and an inspiration to the area’s restaurant scene, as well as a con sistent gauge of how far B.C.’s local cuisine has come. When asked about its impact on new entrants, restaurant director Brian Hopkins is modest: “At the time, I didn’t think, ‘Now that we’re open, all these restaurants are going to open ’” But seven years later and surrounded by a wealth of food op tions, he’s happy to indulge

From its early days, Williams Sonoma has fostered rela tionships with great chefs like Alice Waters, James Beard and Julia Child. The company has also reaped the benefits of the larger food community that they represent. “I think we’re going to form a very strong bond with local chefs, cookbook authors and food professionals,” Connolly said at the open ing par ty (as Hawkswor th’s food was being passed around). But William Sonoma didn’t bring a sense of community with them South Granville has been fostering one for years “I am quite tight with West,” chef Jean Christophe Poirier of Chow Restaurant volunteers “We know all the cooks there and after they are done, they come to the bar and have a couple of drinks. We help one another out and there is respect for one another.” Businesses borrow kitchen ingredients when they run shor t and welcome newcomers to the neighbour hood. “When we opened,” recounts Poirier, “the owner of Ouisi Bistro [across the street] brought us flowers ”

Chow is one of the newest of more than 25 restaurants and cafés that have chosen South Granville as their home Vij’s, Ouisi Bistro, Cru, Bin 942, Barney’s and Restaurant Connor Butler are just some of the better known names “When you open a restaurant, you need to find a niche,” Poirier says, adding that he felt South Granville “was missing something in the middle.” He and business par tner Mike Thomson saw that there was an untapped middle ground. They’ve opened up a sleek room that would appeal to a more recently arrived and trendy demographic “ There are a lot of young people living in the neighbourhood, people between 25 and 45,” he emphasizes, saying that he wanted “a room with a more Montreal feel with a bar, very good food and a nice price

range.” Much time was spent trying to create a place of in teraction, good food and unique drinks, a combination that reflects South Granville’s chic joie de vivre

At first, Poirier was distressed at the low number of reser vations, but he soon began to understand the unique nature of the area’s restaurant traffic “It is mostly locals The reser vations get scary because we don’t get a lot But the amount of walk ins! I’ve never seen it like this before,” he says. For tunately, the walk in traffic has kept Chow successful enough to justify its high lease payments. “South Granville is really expensive,” Poirier insists, “You have got to be busy.”

T h e r i s i n g c o s t o f re a l e s t a t e h a s b ro u g h t c o n s e q u e n c e s . South Granville's trendy image t h re a t e n s t o e r a s e w h a t remains of its original identity.

The rising cost of real estate has brought consequences. South Granville's trendy image threatens to erase what re mains of its original identity Mark Villanueva is the current owner of one of Vancouver's oldest restaurants, Primo’s Mex ican Grill (launched on 12th back in 1959) He recalls what South Granville was like in the restaurant's early days His father had initially moved to Vancouver to play professional football, but ended up opening Primo's at a time when the city still had a fairly modest food scene. “It had a lot less traf fic," he says of the area, adding that Primo's stood out be cause "there were not a lot of Mexican or ethnic restaurants” around “We have basically outlasted everyone MacKinnon’s Bakery [at 11th] is the only one that has been here since we’ve been here ” Two Chinese greengrocers have also sur vived, but the old icons are gone The Aristocrat Restaurant, for ex ample, the character driven diner that once stood for decades on the southwest corner of Granville and Broadway, was leveled to make room for the book bohemoth Chapters. Although Villanueva hopes that his two children, Joel and Jensen, can eventually carry on the business, he is worried the restaurant may not be able to sur vive in such an expen sive par t of town “It is turning into a Robson where most of the ma and pa restaurants and shops are closing down be cause the rents are too high,” he complains He sees the ar

rival of big chains as par t of a shift to a more anonymous, corporate identity. Though he used to feel connected to the businesses around him, he says he now knows only “a handful” of people

Villanueva is not alone in his concerns for the neighbour hood’s future While much of South Granville is leased out, Werner feels that several new condo developments will cause the nor th and south ends of the neighbourhood to change even more. He also sees the Broadway divide at tracting “a new wave of larger retailers and large food stores.” But amid all this expansive optimism, he strikes a note of warning: “I hope that the area will keep its specialty and local retailers They are beginning to run out due to the high rents in the area it would be a shame to see it turn into another Robson Street, which is just an outdoor mall ” Others, like Townsend, see the rapid development as a continuation of the area’s original ethos: “We have seen a renaissance of the kind of neighbourhood that it has been for the last one hundred years, which has been a product and ser vice community that is high end.” This renaissance has made South Granville into an unbeatable combination of businesses, location and people. “Businesses attract like minded people We’ve got a great demographic around us and we’re easy access to downtown and the street has pres tige ”

Meinhardt, as a proud resident and fellow business owner, differs in opinion from Primo’s Mark Villanueva and feels that South Granville has become much more than a conglomera tion of expensive stores and restaurants. Rather she sees it as a living, breathing community where people live, work and play. “It just gets better and better with time, and I think South Granville is different from other par ts of the city “It has become a really identifiable neighbourhood It feels very much like a community,” she says

More than a hundred years since its bir th date, South Granville has cer tainly grown up The tramlines are gone, but its sense of identity remains and continues to get stronger Anchored by great food shops and top tier restaurants, one need only to stroll its sidewalks to experience its energy and see that it has truly come into its own. Where it goes from here will depend much on the businesses and people that continue to give it its distinctive, ever evolving character, and though they may not represent a chorus of agreement, the customers don't seem to mind

varieties including sorrel, young kale, brassica tip and watercress.”

“My wine”

“Our Galantine of Thiessen Farm Quail dish with twice smoked foie gras and jasmine poached raisins pairs extremely well with Joie Riesling from the Okanagan’s Naramata Bench. The off dr y wine compliments the rich foie gras and has the sweetness to stand up to the raisins.”

Butternut Squash Risotto

Sage Onion froth

I keep ordering this dish, not only for its bursts of colour and flavour but also for the novelty of its convertibility. Chow's chef and co owner J.C. Poirier allows his guests to choose how best to accent it. He uses sage and Swiss chard to complement the butter nut squash, finishes classically with plenty of par mesan cheese, and then rings the bowl with a bubbly, highly aromatic onion froth. He'll then either serve it as is or add pulled pork, house made chorizo sausage, or pan seared foie gras. It's up to you. The costs rise incrementally from the plain base price of $17 to $22 with the chorizo, $23 with the pulled pork (my favourite combo), or $27 with the foie gras. Each option is worth the experimentation.

A. Morrison

Chow | 3121 Granville St. | Vancouver | 604 608 2469 chow restaurant.com

The Dish | Butternut squash risotto at South Granville's Chow

EAT Magazine commissioned international poster designer Andrew Lewis to put his talents against designing their 10th Anniversary poste made available. The poster is being sold for $50 CN D including shipping and handling. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the BC

er. A limited edition run of the posters is now being offered for sale. Only 100 six colour lithographic posters, signed by the ar tist, will be Cancer Foundation to fund research in their fight against Breast Cancer. Call 250-384-9042 to order your poster.

GRASS IS GREENER

Victoria writer Karen Platt gives up the last remnant of her vegetarian high ground by pondering the shor t but decidedly happy life of the free-range farm animal.

alking with Lyle Young through the fields at Cowichan Bay Farm, watching ducks and chickens foraging in the grass, I have an epiphany. The irony of being a former vege tarian writing an ar ti cle on beef and poultry isn’t lost on me, but the reasons that led me to this point have been elusive. Now, face to beak with some pretty cute, seemingly contented creatures that could very well end up on my plate in the next shor t while, it hits me Call it an omnivore’s revelation I am standing in a place where I can have my duck or, rather, my duck can have its free ranging life and I can eat him too “For any an imal, happiness seems to consist in the oppor tunity to ex press its creaturely character¬ its essential pigginess or wolfiness or chickenness,” writes Michael Pollan in his sem inal book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. By those standards, these birds are happy. They are doing what they are sup posed to be doing and they will have a swift, albeit possibly premature, end It occurs to me that there are plenty of fates worse than that

Later that day at Cobble Hill Farm I chat with owner Kevin Maher as I feed apples to Bossy and her three calves They are curious and interested, watching me intently and ap proaching cautiously. Their tongues are surprisingly as rough as they were gentle, and though my food choices have al ways stemmed from my love of animals, I realize I’m not fo cussing upon the stark reality that their destiny is to become so many cuts of beef Rather it’s on this fabulous spread they call home “Up until the last day, it’s like Club Med for cows,” says Maher with a grin Their life is good Their death will be a good death Have I lost my vegetarian hear t; or have I found omnivorous peace?

Most of us don’t like to think about how a living breathing creature actually reaches our plate. However, says Nina Planck in Real Food: What to Eat and Why, “No one vege tarian or omnivore who cares about farming, nutrition, or ecology can afford to ignore animals ” Food matters And as we see the impact humans are having upon the ear th, our choices about how we raise the animals that become dinner and what style of agriculture anonymous, industrial and profit driven or local, independent and ethically motivated matters It matters to the environment, our health, the health and well being of other creatures, to our changing climate, to our planet.

Cowichan Bay Farm’s Lyle Young had tried his hand at con ventional farming but became practically and philosophically frustrated with the model Inspired by the bible of alterna tive animal farming, Joel Salatin’s The Stockman Grass Farmer, he “got rid of everything that rusts, rots and depre ciates and learned to use Mother Nature’s natural cycles The power of the sun grows the grass that feeds the animals that put the nutrients back into the ground to grow the grass. The result is a different and better product.” Not to mention, a better planet. Any chef wor th his salt would agree; Young’s poultry is ubiquitous on the menus of many of the Island’s finest restaurants and practically fly out of the cooler of his farm store People travel a long distance to score one of his

Wchickens or ducks

Both Cowichan Bay and Cobble Hill (which has since closed more about that later) farms are organic, a significant but hackneyed term these days, applied to everything from de tergent to desser t. Although the organic label implies many noteworthy things, including no pesticides or chemicals used anywhere on the proper ty and no antibiotics or hormones

that food production has changed more in the past 40 years than in the last 40,000 And not for the better

The story of factory farmed animals is far from the pretty, pastoral scene I’ve been treated to. Raised in Confined Ani mal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), animals have little space to move or behave naturally, are fed diets that promote fast growth and noxious bodies, may never see sunlight, and gen erate massive quantities of toxic waste containing various chemicals and pharmaceuticals that run into the ground water and environment “Industrial animal agriculture de pends upon a suspension of disbelief on the par t of the peo ple who operate it and a willingness to aver t one’s eyes on the par t of everyone else,” says Pollan.

The digestive system of a ruminant animal such as a cow is perfectly designed to eat grass and transform it into en ergy, flesh and milk. But it takes time, time commercial op erations don’t have. In the conventional industrial system, time is money, animals merely commodities and fewer “days to market” the Holy Grail Thus, the industrial feedlot system was born, designed to maximize size and weight in as shor t a period of time as possible by replacing grass with grain and other questionable feed Commercial cattle feed can contain any number of objectionable products, including garbage and animal by products (although feeding ruminants to ru minants has been banned from feed since 1997, other ren dered animal by products are still used in commercial production). As for chickens, anything is fair feed, including protein from poultry, cattle and other animals

Above: Kevin Maher feeds an apple to Bossy. Soon after, Maher was forced to shut down his farm due to expensive new regulations.

Previous page: Lyle Young of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Bay Farm watches over his flock of pasture-raised chickens.

given to the animals, it is only par t of the picture and may not be the most impor tant factor when it comes to choosing our meat. These farms and others like them that may not be “cer tified organic” are committed to raising animals in their natural environment, on pasture what Salatin calls “grass farming” and Young poetically calls “har vesting the power of the sun ” The animals are eating what nature has intended them to, in the way they were designed to grazing, pecking, foraging Raised in small groups, no more than the land can suppor t, they create an ecologically balanced, non stressful, healthy, circular system that respects the “animalness” of the animal and gives back as much or more to the land than it takes.

“Conventional” or industrial agriculture hasn’t been around very long, but it has per vaded Nor th American food production Grass farming, now labelled “alternative agri culture,” has been the standard throughout history and still is the only kind of farming that exists in many par ts of the world In Fast Food Nation, author Eric Schlosser points out

C AFOs are a quick means to the end of putting cheap food on our plates, but the meat that comes out of them comes at a huge price Confining thousands, or tens of thousands, of animals together and force feeding them foreign diets causes animal stress and suffering, environmental degrada tion and rampant disease. Animals in commercial operations routinely receive medications antibiotics to prevent disease and hormones to promote growth. This medication inevitably ends up in meat in trace amounts And although small amounts may have negligible health effects, the cumulative impact may tell a different story Researchers now question the role these second hand pharmaceuticals play in our soar ing cancer rates and the earlier onset of puber ty in children All of this should be reason alone to declare a vegetarian state. But pastured meat is different. And there are plenty of reasons to seek it out and dig in. Taste, for one. Unlike com mercial processors, Young processes his poultry using a Eu ropean dry chill method, one that dries the skin slightly, trapping moisture in the chicken, resulting in a truly juicier, tastier bird A simple roasted chicken rubbed with lemon, rosemary and garlic is a revelation It is moist It has flavour And that roaster we picked up on sale at the supermarket? Young tells me it was likely water chilled with bleach to de crease the coliform count. The bleach makes the meat whiter something that sells more chicken and the water hydrates the bird so it looks plump and moist in its wrapper. But when it’s cooked, the heat of the oven dehydrates it. All that water ends up in the pan rather than the bird, which is dry and tasteless At tables around the country, the greatest tribute one can pay to Mom’s roast chicken has been “it’s so moist ” No wonder A moist commercial bird is a heroic accomplish ment

Grass fed beef is a bit more challenging; it has a different

taste and texture than the beef most of us grew up with. “If you get beef that’s so tender you can pull it apar t with your fork but also is sor t of bland and tasteless, it comes from the industrial way of raising meat The pub lic is used to it so now we equate tender with quality,” said Maher To be graded Canada Prime, a steak must have abundant marbling, or intra muscular fat But taste and tenderness are really a result of how the ani mal was raised and fed, not how much marbling fat is in the meat, said Christoph Weder, founder of Prairie Heritage Beef Producers, the Alber ta suppliers of Alex Campbell Traditional Beef products at Thrifty Foods.

Prairie Heritage calls itself a group of “eco committed ranch families,” and they are dedicated to raising healthy cows on healthy land. Although their grass fed beef is well out of the 100 mile zone and grain finished (mainly on barley) for up to 90 days in a small family owned feedlot, it is primarily pastured, free of medication and is an available, affordable, tastier, more sustainable alternative to standard supermarket fare

Grass fed and finished beef tastes like, well, beef Animals raised on pasture develop the flavours of the various grasses they ingest, very dif ferent from the uniform taste of grain fed meat. For some, these distinct characteristics are an acquired taste. For me, cer tainly no connoisseur of animal flesh, it’s honest. At a recent dinner with a group of carnivorous friends who know a thing or two about meat, I share my carefully grilled medium rare Cobble Hill rib eye steaks They’re im pressed with its texture and flavour This cow’s Club Med life has given it muscle so it’s quite lean but, having followed explicit instructions on the cooking of grass fed beef marinating it in olive oil, rosemary and garlic and searing it quickly over a wood fire it’s quite tender. I’m surprised by its clean taste and, though I may never become a rabid carnivore myself, I have apparently, once and for all, truly fallen off the vegetarian wagon into the pasture Another bonus? It may even be good for my health Greener Pastures: How Grass fed Beef and Milk Contribute to Healthy Eating is a comprehensive study from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in the U S The UCS repor t shows that animals raised on pasture contain significantly higher amounts of beneficial fats such as the Omega 3s and Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CL As) than grain fed animals. Evidence indicates that the Omega 3s may reduce the risk of hear t disease, fatal hear t attack and strokes. And animal studies on CLA show many beneficial effects upon heart disease, cancer and the immune system that may trans fer to humans Steak and ground beef from grass fed cattle were found to be leaner than most supermarket beef and as a bonus, eating pasture raised beef can reduce the risk of antibiotic resistant disease and improve the environment “When you eat grass fed meat, you're getting beef with benefits There are no losers in producing cattle entirely on pasture Farm ers win, consumers win, the environment wins, and even the cattle win,” concludes repor t author Dr. Kate Clancy.

The farmers I’ve spoken to are a passionate lot, but they are fighting an uphill battle. Despite the much acclaimed 100 mile diet, theirs is a way of life that is being threatened primarily by government policies that are putting small meat farmers, including Maher, out of business Forced to comply with new, unwieldy, expensive regulations on meat processing im plemented in September 2007 as a response to the BS E (or Mad Cow Dis ease) scare, almost all of the Island’s processors have called it quits Without the processors, the farmers have no one to slaughter their small herds. Young, one of the few meat farmers who was actually turning a profit supplying poultry to many local restaurants, fought back by build ing Island Farmhouse Poultry, the first poultry processing plant on Van couver Island to meet the new B C meat inspection laws. It was a huge

You can find pastured beef and/or poultr y at:

Vale Farms at markets in t he Interior or by order 106 Dure Meadow Road, Lumby, B C 1 866 567 2300, www valefarms com

Cowic han Bay Farms

1560 Cowichan Bay Rd BC ,250 746 7884 www cowichanbayfarm com

investment, a gamble that can only succeed with support from Island poul try farmers. Young is slowly seeing production increasing at his plant. As with most things, though, it takes time Something many farmers simply don’t have Maher and others were quick to point out that there has not been a sin gle repor ted case of BS E from pastured animals Disease proliferates in the feedlots, not at the slaughterhouse The bureaucracy became too much for Maher who, like all the farmers I spoke to, is outspoken, pas sionate and frustrated with the system and lack of suppor t. Recently, he and his wife, Tracy, decided to sell the farm and herd of 16 well loved cat tle and move on. And he’s hardly alone. Farming animals is a labour of love, not profit. Sometimes love just isn’t enough.

The average consumer, used to grabbing a pound of the weekly special ground beef or a bunch of thighs to toss on the barbie, is often put off by the seemingly high price of pastured meat Grass fed animals are raised in small herds or flocks; the farmer’s eye focused on quality rather than quantity But the perception of cost can be a huge hurdle for farmers to leap; everyone I spoke to lamented how our culture simply does not value food. And, of course, inexpensive is deceptive; when you factor in the costs to the environment, the animal and our health, the hidden costs of cheap meat add up fast. Barbara Grimmer of Pender Island’s Fir Hill Farm has an easy, practical and healthy solution to the cost dilemma “Canadians eat too much meat anyway,” she says “Buy less, pay more ”

New regulations, bureaucracy, land costs, powerful agribusinesses and a population that has grown accustomed to the cheapest food in the world, are making the small op eration untenable, despite the local food renaissance. “Imminently,” said Maher, “there will be no inspected facil ity on the Island for a small farmer to have a cow slaughtered ” At the An nual General meeting of the COABC in March, emotions ran high as farmers from remote communities such as Powell River and Saturna Island talked of their inability to meet the new processing standards and the cost both financial and in stress to the animal of shipping animals long distances for slaughter It seems that, ironically, while we are being asked more and more to think about where our food comes from, to suppor t local farmers and businesses, to eat healthier and to tread more lightly on our planet, a staple of our Canadian diet meat is being forced out of our commu nities. And therein lies perhaps the most impor tant reason to seek out and demand that regulations allow access to local, grass fed, environmentally sustainable meat not just chicken and beef but all meat It is the right thing to do an oppor tunity to preser ve our land and a way of life that is as impor tant to our health and the health of our planet as it is to our soul So, having given up the last remnant of my vegetarian high ground, I re alize I can still stand morally tall and eat flesh. Because what I now know is that it isn’t the dying, it’s the living that is everything for us as well as our animals. Taste, nutrition, environmental sustainability, peace of mind, integrity. How we respect the animals that are ultimately on our table is how we respect ourselves. It’s why I’m standing in this field and why, hav ing met assor ted ducks, chickens and cows, I will take some home for din ner I will thank the animal that gave its life for me, and the farmer who gave the animal a good life and a swift death, and then I will happily and gratefully tuck in

For PART TWO of GRASS IS GREENER we head to Alberta where EAT visits a bison ranch, an organic beef ranch and The River Cafe in Calgary

Pasture to Plate by order

Vancouver Outlet: 3215 Grant Street Vancouver East B C Phone: (604) 254 6782 grassfedmeats @ pasture to plate.com Cariboo Outlet Box 88, Alexis Creek , BC

ASK YOUR BUTC HER

Local, org anic, natural, free r un, cag e free, her it ag e none of t hese t er ms t ell t he whole s tor y The Sus t ainable Table (www sus t ain able t able org) sugg es ts t hese questions to ask your butcher, grocer or farmer The same ones apply to pigs, egg chickens and dair y cows:

BEEF

1 Was t he animal raised on pas ture?

2 Was t he animal fed anyt hing else besides grass?

3 How was t he animal finished?

a If t he animal was f inished on grain, how old was it when it star ted, and how long was it fed t he grain?

b Was it finished in a feedlot? If so, how old was it was it star ted? How long was it t here? How many ot her animals were t here?

4. Was the animal ever given antibi otics?

5 Were hor mones, s t eroids or growt h promoters ever given to t he cow?

C HIC KEN/TURKEY

1 How was the animal raised? On pasture, indoors, confined?

2 How much time does the poultr y spend outdoors each day?

3 What was t he c hic ken/tur key fed?

4 Was the chicken/turkey given an tibiotics?

5. Were hor mones, s t eroids or growt h promoters ever given to t he birds?

HOGS

1 How was t he hog raised? (pas ture, indoors, proper bedding, etc )

2 Was its mother held in a farrow ing pen? Was it able to build a nest?

3 How muc h time do t he animals spend outdoors each day?

4 What was t he hog fed?

5 Was t he hog ever given antibi otics?

6 Were hormones or feed additives given to t he hogs?

(250) 394 4 410 grassfed @ pasture to plate com www pasture to plate com

Village Butc hers

#208 2250 Oak Bay Ave

Victoria, British Columbia (250) 598 1115 http://www t hevillagebutcher com

Fir Hill Farm at t he farm 2310 Grimmer Rd , Pender Island, BC 250 629 3819, firhill@gulfislands com

Thrif ty Foods

Alex Campbell Traditional Beef is supplied by Prairie Heritage Beef (grass fed, grain fin ished)

MARCHING TO A NEW BEET

by Chris Johns | photos by Margaret Mulligan

Marching to a New Beet

Toronto chef Claudio Aprile takes organic ingredients from the farm and introduces them to the science lab with surprising, delicious and textural results.

By Chris Johns

Never one to mince words, chef Claudio Aprile announces as soon as I arrive: “I’m not much of a tree hugger or some sor t of granola chef. I’m interested in what’s out there and in making sure my guests have a good ex perience ” This established, he agrees to show me some of the latest techniques in cooking and how he applies them to the best local ingredients

I first met Claudio Aprile in 2004 when he was the execu tive chef at Senses Restaurant in Toronto’s Soho Metropoli tan Hotel. His food at the time was decidedly contemporary and combined Latin American influences (he was born in Uruguay) with classical techniques in surprising and deli cious ways Over the years I have seen his cooking develop a more experimental bent with the use of gels and foaming agents, unique presentations and unexpected surprises For all of its avant garde flourishes, however, the progression al ways felt natural and the flavours became even more assured and focussed.

Today, Aprile is the chef owner of Colborne Lane, a chic and fashionable restaurant in Toronto’s downtown core. I meet Chef downstairs in his bustling, spotless, L shaped kitchen for a cooking demo “ This is a bit of an experiment,” he says, adding simmering beet juice to a bowl and affixing a balloon whisk to the mixer On the table beside him, gela tine blooms in a container of warm water Chef explains that the beets he’s using today come from David Colemeyer’s farm, Cookstown Greens. “I work with Colemeyer a lot,” he says “and his products are always amazing.”

Once the gelatine is set, he adds it to the beet juice, wraps the whole machine in plastic to keep the spotless kitchen that way and star ts up the mixer. Over the whirr of the en gine, he explains: “ The goal is to make a cold sponge I haven’t made this yet,” he adds “I think if this works, it’ll be a pretty cool application What’s going to happen now is it’s going to aerate and as the temperature drops, the air inside this beet juice is going to get trapped and it’s going to set into a sponge. The reverse is a hot sponge and to make that you add methyl cellulose and you’re able to heat it up and it keeps its integrity.”

Soon the claret substance is thick and sticky with stiff peaks. Silpat moulds are lined with tiny metal bowls that the chef fills with the sponge “ These will go into the freezer and set,” he explains “ Then we’ll hollow them out and fill them with cheese, maybe a goat cheese from Quebec ”

While we’re waiting for the beet sponge to set, Aprile of fers me fur ther insight into his approach: “Even though we are very analytical in this kitchen, we always taste the ingre dients in their raw form. We’ve got to ask if Mother Nature’s application is superior, and often it is, and I think it’s impor tant to be aware of that.”

To that end, he calls one of the other cooks to bring over a large, golden beet he has just finished peeling “If I’m going to give you a beet and take a more organic approach, I’m not going to give you a sliver of beet,” Aprile says, “I’m going to

give you a big chunk. A beet perfectly cooked with incredible ingredients is great on its own, and when you turn your back on that you’re missing the point ” He cuts a por tion, puts it on a spoon, pours a bit of Spanish olive oil from Senorio de Segura over it and tops it with a sprinkling of Australian river salt It is an international anointing for a beet grown 80 kilo metres away and it’s absolutely delicious: sweet and slippery with an ear thiness offset by bright saltiness.

“It’s important when you start out with a great product that you try not to fuck it up,” Aprile says, “Whether it’s science driven or traditional that’s always my fear is to not fuck it up.”

While we’re waiting for the sponge to set, chef decides to move on to what I would call desser t He has another inter pretation: “I don’t believe in the structure,” he says “We throw desser ts into the middle of a meal I don’t want to be predictable You’re creating a journey and I think it should be something very visceral A total experience ”

mould the foam. I’m amazed by how genuinely spongy and delicate they are, like a soft, edible Nerf ball. Chef scoops out the centres with a melon baller and pipes in Quebec goat cheese He assembles a selection of red, candy cane and golden beets artfully around the plate and dresses them with preser ved lemon, making the colours sor t of bleed into one another He adds toasted almond shreds, a sheet of beet gel made with gelatine and agar and balances a translucent, de hydrated onion slice on top. It is a very architectural dish with round and flat shapes, a tube, an organic shape, a disk and a spill of almond milk foam made with lethicin. “ This dish re ally por trays where I’m at right now,” chef says. “ There’s a lot going on: gelatinous sheets, ultratex [a modified tapioca starch], foam sponge But I think you’ll see we’re really sen sitive to what really works ”

While it is fun, I think in this variation it’s only marginally about beets The gelling has minimized the sweetness and accentuates the ear thiness, although in a dulled way. But it is undeniably fun. It is still in the experimental stage, of course, and I express my concerns to Chef. He takes the sug gestions on board and thinks that next time he might en hance the beet juice with honey and maybe some cardamom or cumin before setting the sponge It’s something he’ll play with before adding the dish to the menu

An assistant brings over a container labelled “MVE Lab 10 Liquid Nitrogen,” which looks like an old fashioned milk jug. Aprile uncorks it and pours some of the liquid into a bowl, where it immediately star ts bubbling and smoking “ This dish is my answer to the palate cleanser,” he tells me “ This is also to break up the menu, so it’s got a psychological as pect to it You’ll be able to hear this dish, and the waiter will tell you this is called intermission It’s very fresh and citrusy, preparing you for a series of dishes to come that are a bit heavier. It’s about having fun; it’s not just serious.”

Chef fills a squeeze bottle with calamanzi (a kind of Filipino citrus fruit) and squeezes it slowly into the liquid nitrogen. The drops immediately form near perfect little balls about the size of Israeli couscous “If you ate one of these little balls now they’d burn your mouth they’re so cold,” Chef ex plains “We actually have to temper them in the freezer to warm them up to the point where they can be eaten ”

Next it’s on to the Polyscience AntiGriddle. Inspired by chef Grant Achatz of Chicago’s Alinea restaurant, the anti griddle is similar to a traditional cooktop except that it is set at 34ºF and freezes any sauce or puree almost instantly. Chef Aprile pipes out little dabs of lemon curd about the size of Her shey’s Kisses on to the griddle and then smears them into a solid rectangle Frost begins to form, and it is soon frozen and resembles a fruit rollup, which chef then removes with a palate knife and rolls into a cuff

Aprile pipes a bit of curd into a glass, adds a limoncello “snowball” a fuzzy round ball of frozen limoncello that def initely resembles a snowball and the ring of frozen curd. He tops the dish with a pinch of neutral pop rocks (which star t to make quiet sparkling sounds) and a scattering of pomello cells. It looks amazing, I tell him, but where is the local com ponent? He adds a sprig of lemon balm and a few daisy petals and explains unapologetically: “It’s from David Cole meyer,” the same farmer who provided the beets Although he may be stretching the notion of local ingredients, the dish is crazy fun to eat Different textures and temperatures and a propulsive combination of sweet and sour are at play and, of course, the atomic fizziness of crackling pop rocks.

The gelatine stabilized beets have set and it’s time to un

For the final dish of the day, Chef wants to use some of the local lamb he’s been ser ving The lamb has gone through a rigorous testing, but ultimately Aprile has decided to keep it relatively simple. “ This is a more rustic preparation,” he ex plains. “I can’t compete with this farmer. It’s an incredible product.” The dish features a seared and roasted lamb rack with a crust of pumpernickel and dehydrated ground olives alongside a locally made merguez sausage He ser ves the dish with a type of Mexican corn cake called cachapa and goat cheese

Additionally, Chef has another modern preparation for a touch of basil that he will add “We have some really great basil,” he says, “and we’re going to add ultratex and build from that to build a really intense basil gel and it creates a re ally wonderful texture, very creamy without any fat.”

When it comes time to plate the dish, Aprile and his sous chef polish two spotless plates, and from a sizzling pan, Chef spoons out a hot tapenade that he adds as a strip down the centre of the plate Next he adds a slash of onion puree, places the merguez on top of the tapenade and the crusted chops on top of that The yellow corn pie with its white goat cheese centre looks like a Twinkie Finally comes a tiny slash of tomato basil gel. The dish is relatively simple for this ex perimental chef and it shows the flavour and quality of the lamb to delicious effect.

For Aprile, it is crucial to balance his experimental bent with a fundamental grounding in the basics. “You need to know tradition before you can really progress,” he says “You have to have a real affinity for real, natural ingredients, a cu riosity for modernism and a basic understanding that a chef will never win against nature I think of a raspberry or an apple and that’s pure genius ”

top left: Chef fills half a spherical mould with beet sponge.

top right: Beet sponge is set in semi spherical silpat moulds to set.

bottom left: Chef Aprile adds some lemon (local) to a sweet course of calamanzi curd with lemon cello “snowball”, pomello cells and pop rocks.

bottom right: Chef Claudio Aprile in the alley of his downtown Toronto restaurant, Colborne Lane.

“ Yo u h a v e t o h a v e a re a l a f f i n i t y f o r re a l , n a t u r a l i n g re d i e n t s , a c u r i o s i t y f o r m o d e r n i s m a n d a b a s i c understanding that a chef will never win against nature.”

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Quiche au Chèvre avec Frisee et Noix (Fresh Chèvre Tar t with Frisee and Walnuts) Fricasse de Volailles aux Morilles (Chicken Fricassee with Morels)

Souffléd Lemon Custard

R ECI PE S, FOOD & PROP STYLI NG BY NATHA N FONG | PHOTOG RAPHY BY JOH N SH E RLOCK

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Classic French recipes, classic B.C. ingredients.

Nathan Fong offers up a rustic spring menu that marries the two.

In springtime, French kitchens are abuzz with the fresh seasonal ingredients of the terroir and especially the re gion. Plump morel mushrooms, succulent tender sorrel, sweet young stalks of asparagus, young tender lamb and pungent goat’s cheese are found everywhere. I’ve been to France numerous times over the years, and I admire the French passion and dedication to cooking with mainly prod ucts in season rather than those grown thousands of kilo metres away (and quite possibly in another hemisphere) Cooking seasonally not only tastes better but, more impor tant, helps suppor t the hardworking farmers of our area These classic French recipes are not only rustic but com forting. Our wonderful B.C. ingredients such as Salt Spring Is land Dairy goat’s cheese, local lamb or chickens and plump Okanagan morel mushrooms are perfect substitutes for the superb products available in France. We are so for tunate to find such an array of quality foods right here in our own back yard Who needs a trip to France?

Quiche au Chèvre avec Frisee et Noix (Fresh Chèvre Tar t with Frisee and Walnuts)

Fresh goat’s cheese is popular in France, perhaps because of its extraordinary versatility Its delicate flavour is perfect as a cheese filler for this delicate custard tar t Paired with the peppery and nutty frisee from the chicory family and sweet walnuts, this makes a wonderful springtime lunch entrée or dinner appetizer. Ser ves 6

flour 1 2/3 cups

cold butter, cut into small 1 inch dice 7 Tbsp egg yolk 1 salt 1/2 tsp cold water 3 to 5 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp

finely shredded Savoy cabbage 2 cups light cream 2 cups eggs 4 nutmeg pinch fresh chèvre (goat’s cheese)8 oz frisee, rinsed and dried 2 heads Salt and freshly ground pepper red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp

Dijon mustard 1 tsp walnut oil 2 Tbsp canola oil 2 Tbsp

chopped toasted walnuts 3 to 4 Tbsp

To make pastr y: Add the flour and cold butter to a food processor and pulse until you get coarse sand texture. Add the egg yolk, salt and 3 Tbsp of the cold water and pulse until the dough gathers into a ball If needed, add the rest of the water Do not over process Remove the dough and press it into a flat ball, wrap with wax paper and chill for 30 minutes refrigerated Roll out the dough and line a 10 inch tar t pan with removable bottom Blind bake the shell by lining the pastry shell with a piece of parchment paper and filling the shell with dried beans or rice. Bake the prepared shell in a preheated 400˚F oven for 15 minutes or until the edges are set and lightly browned. Remove the parchment paper and beans or rice and continue baking until the base is firm and dry, about 4 to 5 minutes longer Remove and allow to cool Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet and heat to medium

Sauté shredded cabbage until soft, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk together eggs and cream, season with salt and pep per and nutmeg and beat together to mix well.

Spread the sautéed cabbage onto the bottom of the pre pared pastry shell, and crumble the goat’s cheese over the cabbage Gently pour the egg mixture over the shell

Bake the tar t in a preheated 375˚F oven until brown and firm, about 40 to 45 minutes Let the tar t cool to warm Un mould and cut into slices

Whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, oils and toss lightly with the frisee and walnuts. Ser ve alongside the warm tar t.

Fricasse de Volailles aux Morilles (Chicken Fricassee with Morels)

The arrival of fragrant springtime morels is celebrated in kitchens throughout France. In this simple, yet elegant recipe, rustic fricassee of chicken, browned in butter and then baked, is paired with a wonderful creamy morel ragoût

unsalted butter 6 Tbsp shallots, thinly sliced 2 morel mushrooms, trimmed and thoroughly rinsed 2 pounds

Sea salt

2 1/2 cups heavy cream plus 1/4 cup whipped to soft peaks Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and freshly ground pepper olive oil 1/4 cup unsalted butter 3 Tbsp boneless chicken breasts with skin 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled, lightly crushed 2 chicken stock 2 cups

To make the ragoût, melt 4 Tbsp of the butter in a large casse role over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the remaining 2 Tbsp butter, stir well and season Cover and cook over medium low heat for 20 min utes, stirring from time to time

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside Raise the heat to medium and reduce the cooking liquid by half, to about 2 Tbsp. Add the 2 1/2 cups of cream and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is reduced and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 12 to 14 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the sauce, stir in the lemon juice and whipped cream, season to taste. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm

Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat Season the chicken breasts with salt and pep per and place skin side down in the skillet Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes each side

Transfer breasts to a plate. Season thighs, and add to the hot skillet, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Return the breasts to the skillet and add the garlic and the remaining olive oil.

Place the skillet into a preheated 375˚F oven and bake until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a skewer, about 10 minutes Transfer the chicken to a wire rack placed over a platter and reduce the oven temperature to 250ºF Pour off the fat from the skillet, set over medium high

heat and deglaze with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until reduced by one quar ter. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a medium saucepan.

To ser ve, place the chicken on a baking sheet and return to the oven to heat thoroughly Add the juices from the platter to the sauce and bring to a boil Bring the mushroom ragoût to a boil and then spoon onto warm ser ving plates Place a chicken breast and thigh onto the mushroom ragoût and driz zle the chicken sauce over the chicken.

Souffléd Lemon Custard

Not quite a soufflé and not quite a custard, this recipe is fool proof as long as the ingredients are not overmixed at the end If you prefer a tar ter lemon flavour, add a couple more tablespoons of lemon juice Serve with fresh seasonal berries or with a crisp wafer cookie. Ser ves 6 to 8.

homogenized milk 2 cups

unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 8 Tbsp sugar 1 1/2 cups large eggs, separated 6 fresh lemon juice (about 8 lemons) 1 cup Pinch of salt flour 2/3 cups grated lemon zest 1 tsp whipping cream 1 cup

Heat the oven to 350˚F. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar at high speed until fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one egg yoke at a time, beat ing after each addition Add the lemon juice, salt, flour and lemon zest all at once and mix by hand until just barely com bined Stir in the milk and cream and mix by hand again The mixture will look lumpy

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on low speed and gradually add the remaining sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until medium soft peaks form.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in a third of the egg whites into the custard mixture. Gently fold in the re maining whites until barely combined Some of the whites may still be floating on top, which is fine Do not overmix Pour the mixture into a 10 inch cake pan or similar dish that is at least 2 inches high

Place the baking dish into a deep baking dish and fill with warm water about one third of the way up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the custard is barely set, about 40 to 50 minutes and the top is well browned. Use a large ser ving spoon to ser ve the souffléd custard, making sure each ser v ing has some of the custard as well as the souffléd top.

more Burgundy Supper recipes

Coq au Vin

This famed dish was originally made by braising the legs of a sinewy old rooster in cheap red wine for a long period of time. As inelegant as this may sound, this is one of the most classic rustic dishes of the wine region with its rich red wine reduction enhanced with the smoky flavour of bacon, deli cate pearl onions and mushrooms Ser ve with simple steamed baby potatoes or pomme frites Ser ves 4 >

large stewing hen legs 4

The marinade:

lg cooking onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 lg carrot, cut into 1/2 inch dice 1 celer y stalks, cut into 1 inch dice 2 head garlic, halved horizontally 1 bottle dr y red wine 1 1 bouquet garni (bay leaves, fresh thyme, rosemar y, parsley) Salt and freshly ground pepper

The stew: olive oil 1/4 cup tomato paste 2 Tbsp flour 3 Tbsp veal (or chicken stock) 3 cups

The garnish: pearl onions, peeled 2 cups smoked slab bacon, diced 1/2 lb small mushrooms 1 lb chopped flat leaf parsley 3 Tbsp

In a large bowl, combine the legs, onion, car rot, celery, garlic, wine and bouquet garni; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Strain the legs and the vegetables from the marinade, reser ving the liquid and sepa rating the legs from the vegetables. Season legs with salt and pepper

Heat half the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat When hot, add the legs in batches and brown evenly on all sides, about 8 minutes per side Do not crowd the pan Remove legs and set aside Add the remaining oil.

Reduce heat to medium and add the re served vegetables to the pot. Cook until they star t to soften and begin to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes then add the flour, stirring again for 2 minutes Add the reser ved wine marinade and as it heats up, scrape the bot tom of the pot to incorporate any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Reduce the liquid by half, about 20 to 25 minutes, and then add the stock. Bring to a boiling point, then reduce heat to low. Add the reserved chicken legs and maintain a slow and gentle simmer for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes

In the meantime, blanch the pearl onions in boiling salted water for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender Strain and set aside Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and remove with a slotted spoon. Add the mushrooms to the bacon fat and sauté until brown. Add the pearl onions and sauté with the mushrooms until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove the legs from the braising liquid and strain the contents of the pot, reser ving the liquid and discarding the vegetables Bring to a strong simmer and skim any visi ble fat When the sauce has reduced by half, return the legs to the pot along with the bacon, onions, and mushrooms and simmer for additional 15 minutes. G arnish with chopped parsley.

Souffléd Lemon Custard

In blending our exquisite teas, we begin with the very best botanicals. That is why we source only premium, 100% organic and fairtrade ingredients for all of our products. www.silkroadtea.com

R ECI PE S,

STYLI NG BY JE N N I F E R DA NTE R | PHOTOG RAPHY BY R E B ECC A WE LLMA N

Now’s the season to source out the best local strawberries the tinier the better. Super ripe and juicy, they don’t need a lot of extra seasoning to dress up a sum mer salad just a few drizzles of the Island’s best balsamic from Venturi Schulze*. Bunderfleish from Oyama (a cured beef similar to the Italian bresaola) tastes best when sliced paper thin so it melts in your mouth.

local strawberries 1 pint arugula or mixed greens 8 cups Maldon salt and ground black pepper pinches balsamic vinegar, preferably Venturi Schulze olive oil Oyama Bunderfleish or bresaola 75 g

Hull strawberries, then cut in half or quar ters. Place in large bowl and add arugula and generous pinches of salt and pepper Lightly drizzle with just enough vinegar and oil to barely coat, then toss to mix. Place on plates and top each with a few slices of bunderfleish. *To find out more about Venturi Schulze vinegar and how to buy it log onto www venturischulze com/products

Flavour up grilled leg of lamb with a fragrant herb and spice mix Raid the garden for fresh herbs and the spice cupboard for a mix that includes everything from curry, to lavender buds. Ask your local butcher to butterfly and debone the leg so it will grill flat like a big meaty steak. The lamb is full flavoured and cries out for a plumy, fruit driven red with some grip. Choose something herbal and ear thy to echo the spices Ser ves 8

finely chopped cilantro 1 cup garlic cloves, 3 large minced lemon, zest and juice 1 olive oil 1/4 cup ground cardamom, cumin and curr y 1 1/2 tbsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, lavender buds, granulated sugar, salt and ground black pepper 1/2 tsp each boneless leg of lamb, unrolled*4 to 5 lb

Stir cilantro with garlic, lemon zest and juice and oil. Place season ings (including sugar) in a spice grinder. Whirl to mix, then add to oil mixture. Stir to form a paste. Make incisions all over lamb, then rub in paste. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring lamb to room temperature before grilling Oil grill and pre heat to medium high If using charcoal, set up for indirect grilling Place lamb over direct heat and turn often to set the crust, about 4 to 6 minutes Then reduce heat to medium or move lamb to a cooler par t of the grill. Barbecue, turning often until lightly charred and an instant read thermometer inser ted in thickest par t of meat reads 140˚F, if you like it medium rare. This will take anywhere from, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on thickness of lamb and style of barbecue. Remove from grill and let stand 10 minutes before slicing

Chocolate Lavender Pudding

Smashed Potato, Green Bean & Morel Salad

Tiny new potatoes are perfect for salads and take little prep (don’t peel the skins) Adding ear thy morels and crisp green beans make it a hear ty side dish If you can’t find fresh morels, sub in your favourite mushrooms or use dried ones Ser ves 8

Vinaigrette

red wine vinegar 1/4 cup grainy or plain Dijon mustard 1 tbsp shallot, minced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 granulate sugar, salt and ground black pepper 1/4 tsp each olive oil 1/2 cup

Salad baby red potatoes 2 lbs green beans, ends snipped 1/2 lb fresh morels 6 oz bacon 2 strips butter 1 knob chopped chives 2 tbsp

For the vinaigrette, stir vinegar with mustard, shallot, garlic and seasonings. Whisk in oil.

For the salad, boil potatoes until fork tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain well, then gently smash with a fork. Place in a large bowl and toss with half the vinaigrette. Blanche beans, then immediately cool in an ice bath Drain, then slice lengthwise in half Set aside

To clean morels, slice in halves (or quar ters, if they’re really big) Brush or rinse any dir t or other surprises in side Sometimes tiny insect lar vae live inside so watch out. But consider if extra protein if you happen to munch them!

Pudding

35% whipping cream 1 cup organic lavender buds* 2 tbsp granulated sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/4 cup cornstarch 3 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cardamom 1/2 tsp 10% half and half cream 3 cups dark organic chocolate, 8 oz chopped vanilla 1 tsp

Topping

35% whipping cream 1 cup granulated sugar 2 tsp grated lemon peel 1 tsp

Makes 8 ser vings

In a saucepan, stir whipping cream with lavender Bring to a boil, then remove from heat Re frigerate 1 hour to let flavours meld.

In a large saucepan, whisk sugar with cocoa, cornstarch and cardamom. Strain in laven der cream, then stir in half and half Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly Then stir in chocolate until melted Boil until thick, about 2 minutes Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into small cups or bowls. Or for easier ser ving, pour into one large bowl, then

por tion out when ser ving Loosely cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight

For topping, place cream, lemon peel and sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. Dollop over puddings before ser ving.

*Look for lavender buds at Happy Valley Lavender & Herb Farm ( w w w h a p p y va l l e y l a ve n d e r c o m ) near Victoria or Claybank Farm Lavender: 610 Boothe Rd , Naramata, B C ; www.claybankfarmlavender.com (250) 496 5788

Fry bacon until crispy. Place on paper towels. Melt some butter in a large frying pan set over medium high heat. Add mushrooms. Stir often until soft, 2 to 3 min utes Add chives, cooked beans and remaining vinai grette Stir to mix, then turn over potatoes Stir to evenly mix Crumble bacon over top Ser ve warm or at room temperature

Mushroom expert and harvester Eric Whitehead from the One Hundred Mile Wild Foods Company recom mends morel hunting in Nelson, BC Because of forest fires there last summer, he’s predicting a bumper crop this year Severe forest fires make ideal growing conditions for morels. It’s thought that during a fire, morels release their spawn and the spores (millions of them) are airborne. Once the flames have died, the spores settle back into the now mineral dense soil, which is the perfect breeding ground. Can’t find fresh morels?

Substitute with dried. Look for his fabulous dried mushrooms at fine grocery stores around BC.

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Francine Schnabel Wren $40 Gift Cer tificate for Lunch for Two

travels - eat like a local

“For ye a rs I h a ve w a nt e d t o vis it t h e C h a rle voix re gion of Que be c . Like my ow n re g ion, t h e C ow ic h a n Va lle y, t h e C h a rle voix h a s developed a reputation as a culinary destination, a rich agricultural landscape with well-organized “Routes des Saveurs” offering veal and lamb raised on sea salt moistened pastures at the mouth of the St. Lawrence and famous ar tisan cheeses. I chose to visit the Charlevoix in mid October, at the tail end of the har vest, when the crowds of summer tourists had gone home but the farmgate stalls still had produce. This gave me a chance to talk with producers and cheesemakers and see the spectacular fall colours. My plan was to rent a car and head nor th from Montreal, stopping for a couple of days to enjoy historic and charming Quebec City.” >

The Charlevoix flavour trail

With the Laurentian Mountains as a backdrop, the 6,000 square kilometre Charlevoix region tumbles down towards the St. Lawrence estuary, a rare U N E SCO biosphere where six different species of whales travel through the Saguenay Marine Park and up the St Lawrence to feed The area has been hosting tourists for more than 200 years and it shows The Charlevoix people are generous, proud and self sufficient, with a touch of French style formal ity The range of high quality products they produce in the challenging grow ing conditions of this nor thern landscape is nothing shor t of remarkable My three day visit focused on the area between the village of Baie Saint Paul and La Malbaie, 50 kilometres to the nor theast. I easily could have spent a whole week exploring the ingredients from this beautiful region. With activ ities ranging from skiing at Le Massif in the winter to hiking, biking, fishing, whalewatching and enjoying beaches or local ar t festivals during the warmer months, the Charlevoix has something to offer at all times of the year

My first stop was the Laiterie Charlevoix (see sidebar) Early settlers from France brought their cheesemaking know how with them, and they were quick to set up dairy and cheese operations The rich summer milk was trans formed into aged cheeses to be eaten throughout the long winter months Operational seven days a week, the Laiterie Charlevoix works with the milk of 10 different local dairy producers, making a variety of pasteurized cheeses. This bright and spacious cheese shop features large obser vation windows where visitors can watch the ar tisan team working in the steam over gleam ing stainless tanks of milk. Soft spoken owner Jean Labbé, whose family has been producing cheese in this region since 1948, took me upstairs where an excellent museum full of large pictures and ar tifacts tells the story of cheese making in the Charlevoix region

Afterwards I got a chance to sample their wares: rich yellow cheese curds and Charlevoix cheddar, including the excellent aged variety called “Vieux Charlevoix”; the surface ripened “Le Fleurmier”; and a sharp, rich and nutty Gruyère style cheese called “L’Hercule” made exclusively for the milk of a local Jersey herd. Jean tells me he is also working with a new farmer, a woman who recently moved a large herd of rare “Canadienne” cows up to the Charlevoix from Laval. He will be producing a new cheese made exclusively from her herd Before leaving the cheese shop, I could not resist purchasing a bag of antique, cardboard milk bottle tops along with a jar of locally pre ser ved duck rillettes and a bag full of cheese

The Charlevoix landscape is dotted with old brick ovens and old fashioned grain mills powered by the many rivers that flow down to the St Lawrence from the Laurentians. The Moulin de la Rémy is an outstanding example of a fully restored, heritage gristmill just outside Baie Saint Paul on Highway 138. This operation specializes in stone ground flour and old fashioned bread from its giant wood burning oven. It was 11 a.m. when I arrived to see a pair of hard working bakers removing crackling loaves from the ovens with a giant peel The aroma of the freshly baked bread was overwhelming A picnic table outside the bakery called for an impromptu lunch with my freshly purchased cheese and rillettes and a warm loaf of stone ground wheat bread

After lunch, I wandered up the river behind the mill house to see the well worn water shoot A tall and sturdy young Québécois fellow arrived, opened up the doors of the stone mill house and pulled the mills’ levers into gear to open the chute. Water gushed in, and the giant 24 foot wooden water wheel lurched into action with a loud creak and thrust. The young miller explained

the mechanics of the mill to me in rapid fire Quebecois while opening and closing a series of lids, checking the quality as the freshly ground organic flour slid into wooden boxes Like many young Quebecers I’ve met, he had done a stint tree planting in B C and was now passing the summer as a miller Afterwards, he showed me upstairs to a tall airy attic space with huge hand hewn beams where the miller would have lived in the past I mar velled at this wonderful old mill, imagining what an impor tant piece of infrastructure it must have been for the community of early settlers

A walk in the pretty little village of Baie Saint Paul followed. This ar t fo cused community features historic downtown streets with quaint shopfronts, a wide selection of B&Bs, galleries, several cafés and a microbrewery. After stopping in a shop to buy soap made from donkey’s milk from the tiny town of Por t au Persil, I headed back to La Malbaie as the sun was setting

The next day I travelled through Les Éboulements, a back roads route from La Malbaie to Baie Saint Paul This winding country road provides striking views of the mighty St Lawrence and coasts down a hear t stopping hill to the village of Saint Joseph de la Rive where the ferry leaves for the charming and productive Isle aux Coudres Jardins du Centre, a local farm market halfway down the hill to Saint Joseph de la Rive, produces and sells more than 70 different fruits and vegetables, including the “gourgane,” (Vicia faba) or “feve de marais,” a kind of fava bean that was a staple crop and impor tant source of protein in the early days of Nouvelle France. The day I visited, the grassy slope in front of the market was overflowing with pumpkins While the range of fresh produce was star ting to decline with the cooler season, there was a wide selection of locally preser ved products I couldn’t resist purchas ing a beautiful, round cutting board, made in the Charlevoix, and stopped to mail it home at the town’s tiny post office

At Les Viandes Biologiques de Charlevoix, Damien Girard and his family specialize in organic chicken and pork. On his 500 acres, Damien produces his own oats, wheat and barley and does not feed his animals corn. He allowed me right into his barn to see his farrowing stalls. This would never be allowed in an industrial pig barn; in fact, I would be considered a “biohazard.” Today’s pigs are raised so intensively that their immune systems are very fragile, and only one person will look after thousands of pigs, administering feed and an tibiotics But here in Damien’s operation, several mothers were happily watching over their piglets, which were running between their mother, where

A chef and cooking school teacher discovers this singular culinary region of Quebec at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. by Mara Jernigan

they could suckle on demand, and a heat lamp in the corner where mom could not lie down and crush them. They re ceived no medication and no meat by products in their diet They spent the warmer months outdoors grazing the hill sides The Girard family opened the Charlevoix’s first organic chacuterie after Damien went to Belgium to do a working “stage ” Here he learned to make salami and sausages using only sea salt and plant extracts, curing his sausage using the same white mold used to make Camember t. The operation is not without some challenges that are beyond Damien’s con trol. His processing plant is located over an hour’s drive away, and after the Avian flu crisis, the Québec government passed a law forbidding chickens from being raised outdoors

I was somewhat self conscious when I arrived at the ele gant tasting room of the Maison d’affinage Maurice Dufour smelling a little like a barnyard In this spotlessly clean facil ity, Slow Food Charlevoix convivium leader Maurice Dufour

produces and ages the award winning “Le Migneron,” a pas teurized semi firm washed rind cheese; “Le Ciel de Charlevoix,” and his new raw milk blue cheese “Dio Gratias” made from the milk of his own sheep “Affinage” is the French ar t of aging or finishing cheese Here, a spacious sampling room overlooks rows of cheeses in the aging room and an el egant restaurant focuses on dishes made with their cheeses After sampling these fantastic cheeses, we headed out to the sheep barn where a friendly young farmhand, a recent grad uate from the local agricultural college, and his new border collie pup introduced us to the flock, showed us the milking parlour and posed for a few pictures

My final visit was to La Ferme Basque in the village of Saint Urbain No food product in Nor th America is as controversial as foie gras, and under normal circumstances it would be ex tremely difficult to visit a farm producing it But Jean Jacques Etcheberrigaray and his wife, Isabelle Mihura, who both hail

from the Basque region of France where foie gras has been a tradition for centuries, have nothing to hide. In fact, there is a window in the gavage barn. “G avage” is the French term for the traditional process of force feeding ducks and geese the corn mixture that results in the valuable fattened liver.

“Industry is endangering foie gras,” Jean Jacques tells me “Most of the foie gras in Quebec is produced by multina tionals from France Four major companies have set up their industrial facilities near the airpor t in Montreal That is what happens when you think of money first! Less than 5 percent of foie gras producers in France are producing a product the way we do, hands on, with respect for our animals, tradition and our customers. ”

Jean Jacques and Isabelle raise Moullard ducks outdoors, free run, for 84 days and finish them on corn. The gavage pe riod lasts two weeks and during this time they remain in doors in spacious pens with room to walk and flap their wings with other ducks For the ducks, the gavage is per formed very quickly and causes only a moment of discom for t For the farmer, gavage entails the careful work of two people, working two hours to force feed 200 birds. Produc ing only 3,000 ducks per year, this family run operation sup plies a handful of local hotels and restaurants with their top quality products and employs five local people who work on the farm or downstairs in their licensed chacuterie where Is abelle produces a variety of high quality preser ved products using traditional Basque recipes Isabelle lets me taste her rich and delicious confits, terrines and her 100 percent pure mousse de foie gras, which melts in the mouth

So what makes this remote nor thern region a culinary suc cess? For one, the Québécois have the concept of Tourism “ Trails” down to a tee, with nearly 30 organized routes criss crossing southern Quebec. Most regions seem to have their own booklet with guided maps, excellent signage and web sites, and all of these routes have a culinary or agricultural focus In the Charlevoix, it is the “Route de Saveurs,” known in English as the Flavour Trail The stops along the route are easy to find and marked with the sign of a chef ’s toque These programs are suppor ted by both government and pro ducers alike Tradition, pride and history all play an impor tant role in this vibrant food culture, and Quebecers are interested in and proud of their own cuisine. Hundreds of years of survival have cultivated know how. This is a province with more than 350 different cheeses and regional dishes that are truly authentic But, as one producer from Île d’Or léans explained, even in this remote bastion of regional Canadian food there are challenges,

“In Quebec, the biggest threat to local agriculture is the smaller size of the farming families!”

The Economuseum

soap For a complete listing of Quebec Economuseums, go to www economusees com

When You Go

Getting There

By air: Air Canada, Jazz and Westjet all of fer ser vice from Vancouver to Montreal and Quebec City

By rail: Daily rail ser vice from Montreal and other stations to Quebec City only: www viarail ca

By car: The Charlevoix is an easy 3 5 hour drive from Montreal or 1 5 hours from Quebec City

Where to Sleep

$$$ Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu www fairmont com/richlieu

$$$ La Pinsonniere, Relais et Chateaux www lapinsonniere com

$ and $$ A “gite” is French for a countr y B&B La Boulangerie des Grands in Sainte Agnès is a reno vated heritage house as well as a baker y with two outdoor wood burning brick ovens Three rooms from $75 per night including breakfast www gites classifies qc ca/boulangerie htm

Where to Eat

Dining in the Charlevoix has a formal and sometimes dated feel, and the cuisine here, like elsewhere in Quebec, tends to be a little heavy, focusing on locally produced meat and cheeses But the warm and professional ser vice, quality of local products and genuine pride of the local people makes dining in the Charlevoix a memorable experience

$$ Vices Versa. This lovely little restaurant in La Malbaie features a gif ted couple of chef owners who each interpret the local Charlevoix ingredients dif ferently Choose from his menu, her menu, or mix it up! 216 St Étienne Street, La Malbaie www vicesversa com

$$ La Maison d’Af finage Maurice Dufour. The dining room of this pur veyor of fine cheeses is open for lunch daily and from Wednesday to Saturday for dinner in the summer Consult the website for of f season opening hours www fromagefin com

$ L’Orange Bistro. A friendly bistro in a large historic mansion in the centre of town Tr y it for lunch 29 rue Ambroise Fafard, Baie Saint Paul

Quebec City Pic ks

Quebec City is celebrating its 400th anniversar y in 2008 and the par ty will last all year long with a cal endar jam packed with cultural events

Haute Ville (Upper Town): For a taste of old Quebec, stay in t he regal Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, www fairmont com/frontenac (rooms from $159), and sample historic Quebecois dishes such as Tor tiere aux Gibiers and Tar te au Sucre at the ver y af fordable Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens housed in Que bec City’s oldest homestead dating back to 1676 www auxancienscanadiens qc ca

Basse Ville (Lower Town): For something a little more contemporar y, stay at the highly acclaimed Bou tique Hotel Saint Antoine, www aubergesaintantoine com, in the Old Por t (rooms from $169) Splurge and enjoy modern market cuisine at Laurie Raphaël, where Quebec City’s own culinar y celebrity Daniel Vézina hangs his toque www laurieraphael com Marché du Vieux Por t, 160 Quai Saint André Quebec City’s excellent indoor farmers’ market Open daily 8 a m 8 p m , 12 months a year The majority of the produce in this market comes from Île d’Or léans

Rent a bicycle at the market, pack a lunch and ride along the peaceful Corridor de Cheminots to see the stunning Montmorency Falls, just outside the city Île d’Orléans

I fell in love with this small island of rolling hills overlooking the St Lawrence Known as “the garden of Quebec,” t he island is an easy 15 minute drive from Quebec City For almost 400 years, it has pro duced ever ything from melons to broccoli Consisting of five parishes, the island has charming B&Bs, a fantastic baker y, cheese producers, a “cassis” distiller y and even local wineries. Also known as Île du Bacchus, the Bacchus grape is said to have originated here I met with local chef and innkeeper Philip Rae, who recently co authored a great bilingual book complete with recipes from the local producers called Les Producteurs Toqués de l’Île d’Orléans or Farmers in Chef Hats in English Stay at Philip’s Auberge Le Canard Huppé, where he and his wife Maggie Lachance ser ve some of the island’s best local food at www canardhuppe com

Useful links www bonjourquebec com www tourisme charlevoix com www routedesaveurs com www gitescanada com

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BUZZ café The BC Scene

A Round Up of News from Around the Province

BC Restaurant Hall of Fame

Island Slow Food Superhero and Sooke Harbour House founder Sinclair Philip was honoured with induction into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame in the Active Restaurateur category. He was among twelve exceptional indi viduals in varying categories. Other BC recipients include: Pioneers: Diamond Almas, Ber t Love, Tommy O’Br yan; Industry Award, Front of House: John Blakeley and Brent Hayman; Industry Award, Back of House: Bernard Casavant, David Hawkswor th; Friend of the Industry: Mark Hills, Anthony Gismondi; Active Restaurateur: Vikram Vij, Michel Jacob; Restaurant of the Year Award: Fresco Restaurant and Lounge; Lifetime Achievement Award, delivered as a tribute to the late James Barber. www.bcrfa.com.

Comox Valley

At the nor th end of Campbell River's Shopper's Row, Cheddar & Co.[1090A Shoppers Row, 250 830 0244] is loaded with charm an ar tisan gem with a great deli offering that is far more than cheese & company. Owner Michelle Yazinski is working on another wine and cheese pairingevent and "cooking up a storm as always " Look for gourmet to go for picnics and easy evening sit downs this spring and summer

Just south of town, in Willow Point, Mario Balasta is the new General Manager at The Tasting Room & Liquor Store [#4 2253 South Island Highway, 250 830 W I N E (9463), www tastin groom ca] A very good source praised the decor and the ser vice I'm looking forward to doing some tasting and sampling of both the food and the wine menu.

In Comox, Trent McIntyre and his team at Avenue Bistro [2064 Comox Avenue 250 890 9200] have released their spring menu Some things to look forward to as Avenue moves into year two are: Crispy Polenta & Char grilled Vegetable Stack; Tannadice Farms Bacon Pizza with Arugula, Almond Pesto Marinara and House Smoked Mozzarella Cheese; and Pacific Halibut with Sesame Honey Beurre Blanc, Yam Tempura and Seasonal Vegetables

Just down the street, Chef Emil Shellborn & par tner Nah Yoon Kim put together a new dinner and lunch every month at Thyme on the Ocean [1832 Comox Ave, 250 339 5570] They empha size fresh shrimp, bison, shellfish, and buffalo mozzerella The biggest news is the new wine/drink menu featuring five Venturi Schulze selections as well as Joie, Laughing Stock and Wild Goose From May through August they’re open for lunch Mon Fri and dinner 7 days a week Owner/baker Carol Spencer is pleased to announce that local girl Lindsey Cummings, is bring ing her pastry talents to the of Wild Flour Organic Ar tisan Baker y [221A Church Street, 250 890 0017, www wildflourorganicbakery com] Lindsey will be making Red Fife Heritage Wheat croissants as well as all Organic Special Occasion Cakes this spring and summer, among other tasty baked things. Spencer is, however, sad to say that Pizza Mistress Jen Alton is leaving for Coastal Trek Resor t on Forbidden Plateau [www coastaltrekresor t com]

In Cour tenay, it's eight years this spring that Chef Lisa Metz and her crew at Tita's Mexican Restaurant [536 6th Street, 250.334.8033] star ted educating and tantalizing us with her deep appreciation for the complexities and wonders of Mexican cuisine My current fave item is the Ce viche de Atun tuna ceviche with fresh lime, jalapenos, diced tomato, cucumber, cilantro, and a hint of chipotle. The fresh sheet is always wor th keeping an eye on, with lots of fresh local seafood And then there's the patio one of the best places to hang out with a pitcher of mar garitas

Speaking of sunny, outdoor places to nosh...The sunny, protected garden patio is open at Atlas Café [250 6th Street, Cour tenay 250 338 9838] adding much needed space for this lively and favourite dining spot Warm weather also means more local produce on the nightly fresh sheet Vancouver Island picks are highlighted on a new wine menu that celebrates many new spring re leases

I don't know anyone who is doing so much to develop local palates and general gourmandism as the folks at Beyond the Kitchen Door [274B 5th St, Cour tenay, www.beyondthekitchen door com] Their Spring line up of cooking classes and demos is extensive from Thai to Mem phis BBQ to Indian to Spanish to "casual Trattoria" to "dining on the deck" with lots of local culinary chiefs stirring the pot. Call now for more info... 250.338.4404.

A recent visit to TOMATO TOMATO [1760 Riverside Lane, Cour tenay 250.338.5406] shows that Chef Drew Noble, who came on staff in June 2007, has made considerable positive changes The menu looks attractive and tastes great. My guests were inclined to think that the food has caught up with the rest of the changes here and that's a good thing. May will see a slight shift towards a summer style menu

celebrating its own an niversary: three years under new ownership in May. Chef Kwan Mar tin has a new, expanded menu with weekly specials, fresh seafood, and a new wine list featuring several BC VQA wines Probably the most significant food news for me personally this past couple of months has to do with Michael's Off Main [355 4th Street, 250.334.2071]. Chef Michael Gilber t & team make this one of my favourite breakfast and lunch stops Congratulations to my stepson, Jared, for landing a spot as par t of the kitchen help Nothing like keeping good things in the family South of town in downtown Coombs, Chef Lela Perkins is transforming the unusual and very visit wor thy Kiki's Tearoom & Spice [266 Alberni Hwy, 250 927 5454 / lela@kikispice com ] into a Fri & Sat evening dinner destination Kiki's features set menus with two seatings 5 & 7:30pm Reser vations strongly recommended. To view up & coming menus go to www.kikispice.com

by Hans Peter Meyer

Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo & Oceanside

Nanaimo gourmet food hounds pay attention! There is a new spot on the drums Urban Beet Food Company [6595 Applecross Road (behind Costco) 250 390 9722] is a trendy urban mar ket/bistro that houses four small businesses under one roof Par t fine food deli, organic coffee shop, upscale bistro and mini gourmet warehouse, it's one stop you need to make in your quest for good food and great food finds. Owner/operator Darren Kiedyk, Chef Francois de Jong and coffee aficionado Elliot Marchant have put together a concept that is long overdue for Nanaimo Big on suppor ting local farmers and producers, they are stocking items such as bison from Is land Bison in Campbell River, poultry from Island Farmhouse Poultr y in Cowichan Bay, Organic Fair fair trade chocolate from Cobble Hill and sweet treats from Ar tisan Edibles in Parksville Their coffee comes from Cherr y Hill Coffee, a micro roastery in Kelowna specializing in fair trade organic coffees. That’s not all. They are bringing in Terra Breads from Vancouver and divine chewy bagels from Mount Royal Bagels in Victoria Their in house pastry chef, Tammy Deline is a wiz ard with chocolate, cake and cream They hope to be licensed for beer and wine come May 2008 Plans to host cooking seminars and wine pairing evenings will follow soon after.

When Executive Chef Arphakorn (Aye) Muanyan got the call from Canadian Immigration that he and his family were cleared to come to Canada, he made the decision to close up his suc cessful restaurant in Spokane and head to Vancouver Island. Nanaimo is all the tastier for it. Kasira Fine Thai Cuisine [#6 6404 Metral Drive, 250 390 4299] opened in September 2007 and has developed a loyal following This is true Bangkok inspired cuisine ser ved in a simple set ting of vibrant colours presided over by the giant golden face of Buddha. Be patient. This is small kitchen with one chef E xpect a wait with a huge reward Aye’s food is authentic and big on flavour Hands down local favourite is the Thai Inter, which is a mixture of prawns, sea scallops and crispy duck in a coconut curry concoction.

When you only want a big hot bowl of comfor t, it has to be soup Let’s face it, Vietnamese pho has to be the Asian version of Grandma’s “back of the stove” soup Huong Lan Restaurant [#19 1925 Bowen Road, Nanaimo, 250 756 7943] is your Ho Chi Minh Trail to a good meal of pho (noodle soup) and other Vietnamese specialties The place is tiny, so expect to wait in line (out side) for a table, unless you are willing to share Slammed from the time the doors open until closing, this is the haunt for Malaspina’s Asian students in the know; we occidentals finally caught on to a good thing.

A recent chow hound food crawl to Duncan had the writer groaning over a 3 day slow roasted beef shor t rib sandwich at Bistro 161 [161 Kenneth Street, Duncan, 250 746 6466]. Chef/owner Fatima DeSilva credits her Mozambique mother with a number of her recipes and gives a bow to Sous chef Chris Szilagyi for his ongoing contributions to an ever evolving menu Locally sup plied hoof, fin and feather are treated with inventive panache in this warmly inviting upscale bistro.

Don’t drive away from Fulford Harbour too hastily on your next trip to Salt Spring Island Rock Salt Café on the dock in Fulford Village [2921 Fulford G anges Road, Salt Spring Island, 250 653 4833] has a new chef. Bruce Wood, recently arrived from Ottawa’s Urban Element Cooking School, has taken over the helm of the seaside restaurant Owner Jill Thomas credits Wood with adding to the eclectic dynamics of a menu that swings from one point on the compass (Asian hot pots and noodle bowls packed with lime, lemongrass, chilies and cilantro) to the Mexican bor der (they sold over 18,000 yam quesadillas in 2007), to Wood’s own favourites which reflect a Mediterranean influence. Rock Salt is all about pulling from the farmers, fields and forests of Salt Spring one example being their killer smoked Soya Nova Tofu supplied burger. The “take away” on the café side is daunting It features sandwiches so packed with magical things you are hard pressed to get your jaws around them. The key lime cheesecake from Pastry Chef Dean Mollon is cruel to gaze upon if dieting…ah, what the heck, go for it! by Su Grimmer

Cowichan Chef ’s Table Dinner

Historic Providence Farm in Duncan hosted the 2nd gathering of The Cowichan Chef ’s Table on March 16th, this time as a fundraiser for the MS Society The

out in only six days based on the success of the first dinner held in October

event sold

2007 Chef Brad Boisver t and Steve Eldkens of Amuse Bistro, Bill Jones of Deerholme Farm, Matt Horn of The Masthead, Fatima Da Silva and Chris Szilagyi of Bistro 161 and Jill Thomas and Bruce Wood of Rock Salt Café dazzled over 85

guests with a six course feast of locally supplied seafood, duck, venison, mushrooms, cheeses and fruits. All the courses where inventively paired with B.C. wines from vintners such as Garr y Oak, Blue Grouse, Marley Farms, Alderlea and Elephant Island

This is an event not to be missed Look to the EAT Events Calendar for information on the next Chef ’s Table slated for Fall 2008. Su Grimmer

Tofino

If you are planning on visiting the Pacific Rim, during the weekend of June 6 8, book your ac commodations now! This par ticular weekend is packed with events including the 6th Annual Tofino Food and Wine Festival, (www tofinofoodandwinefestival com) the 9th Annual Edge to Edge Marathon (www edgetoedgemarathon com) as well as the Annual U N E SCO Biosphere Meeting, bringing in national and international U N E SCO biosphere reser ve representatives to gather and discover what the Pacific Rim and Clayoquot Sound have to offer, with live music and First Nations performances (www clayoquotbiosphere org)

Trilogy Garden Café in the Tofino Botanical Gardens welcomes new manager Miranda Black> (formerly of the Wickaninnish Inn) Specialty dinner nights and live music will be some of the highlights you will find at this cafe, including a menu featuring fresh local seafood in a beauti ful garden setting. Trilogy Café, in par tnership with Red Fish Blue Fish (an innovative organiza tion created in 2004 by a group of five West Coast Vancouver Island residents passionate about linking the health and well being of people with the health and well being of the ocean) will host ‘Meet What You Eat’, a fun and tasty dinner event in conjunction with the Tofino Food and Wine Festival (This event will also be held as par t of the 12th Annual Clayoquot Oyster Festival; No vember 21 23, 2008) This is a great oppor tunity to learn about the ecology, har vesting, and culi nary delights of the seafoods, including Dungeness crab, wild Pacific salmon, locally farmed oysters and clams, halibut, sablefish and more If you are planning on staying in for dinner while in Tofino, don’t forget to check out their dockside fish and seafood market, down the hill beside Weigh West Marine Resor t. For more information call 250 725 2247.

The Driftwood Lounge (my favorite place for coffee on Chesterman Beach) now has their patio open for the season It’s the hidden jewel of the Inn, with a fireplace, and giant driftwood bar, of fering light lunches and in house made pastries. The popular Gourmet Getaway package is short, sweet, and delicious it includes one night of accommodation, one tasting menu four course din ner for two, and one full breakfast for two The tasting menu is created weekly, highlighting the most seasonal ingredients from local fishers, gatherers and foragers. Orca Air will be offering daily flights between Victoria and Tofino until September For more information go to www wickinn com

Shelter Restaurant is pleased to have Chef Rob Wheaton back in the kitchen, while Chef Richard Moore heads off on a food research trip for 6 weeks Chef Moore will explore dining destinations in Vegas, Chicago, Toronto and of course, Vancouver Sam Maltby (formerly Food and Beverage Manager of Long Beach Lodge Resor t) joins the Shelter team as Maitre D’, while Jayelle Malleck takes a change of scenery heading up to the Okanagan Valley Shelter will also host an intimate winemaker’s dinner in their dining room upstairs, for the Tofino Food and Wine Festival. Check out the festival website for event details, or call Shawna Gardham at 250 725 3353

Long Beach Lodge Resor t is hosting an exclusive winemaker’s dinner with special guest Tom DiBello of CedarCreek Estate Winer y. One guest chef from Culinary Team BC and another from Culinary Team Canada will join Executive Chef Jeffrey Young in the creation of this menu Limited space is available for this dinner (Friday June 6, 2008) General Manager Perr y Schmunk (for merly of the Metropolitan Hotel and Diva at the Met) joined the lodge recently, along with Restaurant Manager Bill McEachren, Assistant Manager Stephanie Hughes and Front Office Manger Roxanne Fendun While the amazing Great Room is no longer open to guests not stay ing at the lodge, advance dinner reser vations are still available. For more information call 1 877 844 7873, or go to www longbeachlodgeresor t com

Tin Wis’ Calm Waters Dining Room, with beautiful views of Mackenzie Beach, offers a fresh seasonal menu created by Chef Margot Bodchon. They recently built a beautiful staff accom modation unit, including 20 self contained rooms, and the facility is complete with computer ac cess, gourmet kitchen and fireplace For more information on Calm Waters Dining Room, conference bookings and accommodations, go to www.tinwis.com.

Breakers celebrates its 10 year anniversary this season! Trish Dixon is looking forward to a busy season and is excited to have long term staff member, Kathy Headlam, join the Breakers management team. For special catering options, check out www.breakersdeli.com

Sweet T ’s Cake and Pastr y Shop is also one of my favorite places for sweets and fresh breads, not to mention delicious beef pasties and custom specialty cakes Baker Tracy Crocker spent many years at the Commonloaf Bake Shop before opening his own place, which is located across the district parking lot from the Village Green (381 Main Street, the back of the turquoise house) You can also find some of his muffins, croissants and cookies at Breakers Deli, Commonloaf, 4th Street Market and Tofitian. For more information on Sweet T ’s, call 250 725 8911.

Opening for the season, is Cougar Annie’s Garden in Boat Basin This is a full day trip offered through Ocean Outfitters and includes a catered lunch box from Trilogy Café The trip will give guests a chance to experience a boat ride up the coast of Clayoquot Sound, tour of Cougar Annie’s infamous garden (nearly 100 years old) and lunch in Central Hall, an amazing centre sur rounded by temperate rainforest and incredible views of Boat Basin This is truly a memorable west coast experience, for more information go to www.boatbasin.org, or

Okanagan

It is swirling and sipping time in the Okanagan again! As this magazine hits the stands, Okana gians and it’s many visitors will be fully into the throws of the Spring Wine Festival, enjoying another successful year of palate tickling fun with a great line up of events, some stellar new vin tages, all available to sample in our blossoming green valley Nk’Mip Cellars, along with Passtempo Restaurant and Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa are throwing the par ty of the season on May 3rd. The first annual The Great Estates of the Okana gan Fire & Ice will feature award winning wines from five of the South Okanagan’s most cele brated wineries (See Ya Later Ranch, Nk’Mip Cellars, Inniskillin Okanagan, Sumac Ridge Winer y and Jackson Triggs Okanagan Estates) paired with locally inspired cuisine ser ved at several different stations throughout the winery and resor t www nkmipcellars com As the wine part continues to grow and change around here so too does the gastronomic side of this industry. Sumac Ridge has big news to repor t on their food front! They, along with their Vincor family, are thrilled to announce the appointment of Chef Roger Planiden as the new Ex ecutive Chef for Vincor Canada Chef Planiden comes to them from the Fairmont Vancouver Air por t Hotel where he was at the helm of their bustling kitchens. He will be based at the Sumac Ridge Winery’s acclaimed Cellar Door Bistro, but will manage the entirety of Vincor’s culinary functions and programs www sumacridge com

Chef Geoffrey Couper has flown the “coup” at Cedar Creek’s Terrace Restaurant after ser ving up his culinary wizardry for three successful seasons “Cheffrey”, as he is affectionately known as, will be focusing on other ventures those of which we await with baited breath

In his place, CedarCreek Estate Winery is thrilled to welcome Judith Knight as Chef at their Vineyard Terrace Restaurant Chef Knight, has more than 20 years experience working with award winning restaurants including Bishop's and Old Vines Patio at Quail's Gate Estate Win er y. www.cedarcreek.bc.ca

If you want to join another wine novice in learning about our local wine industry, and inciden tally his new home, join Terr y David Mulligan (yes, it’s the “Gooooood Rockin’ Tonight” guy) on his new radio show The Tasting Room on 1150 AM (Saturdays from 10 12). www.tastingroomra dio com

Kelowna seems to have an unending appetite for sushi that has necessitating the opening of another three to its already large reper toire! In the ever expanding Nor th Glenmore area, Tsunami Japanese Restaurant has opened giving the many locals a welcome choice in neigh bourhood dining choices (250) 448 6840 at 123 1940 Kane Road Downtown Kelowna now has an Izakaya style Japanese restaurant. Wasabi Izakaya, has recently been opened by Jyunya Nakamura, who trained at one of Vancouver’s famous new trendy Izakaya joints 1623 Pandosy Street 762 7788 Yamato Japanese Cuisine, is par t of the huge new Oriental Supermarket that has just reopened in its large new home on Hwy. 97. Once locals have done an exhaustive shop through the fabulous, huge variety of goods available at the Supermarket, they can pop in next door to eat in or take out Catering is also available 2455 Hwy 97 Nor th (250) 762 2618

Joining the resurfacing of Mexican food restaurant trend, downtown Kelowna now has El Gato’s El G ato’s uses steaming and roasting as their cooking methods to provide a healthier product that is also environmentally friendly They deliver too 1625 Ellis Street (250) 869 1399

The King of Kelowna restaurant is another ethnic addition to our food world. The Nepalese owners are offering East & South Asian Cuisine and sushi Breakfast, lunch, dinner and take out are available 12 515 Har vey Avenue (250) 863 7836

Join the masses as they flock to the long awaited opening of Kelowna’s newest hot spot: The Cabana Grille! Celebrity Chef Ned Bell and his par tners have been revving up for their opening (hopefully) by mid May Ready to greet the sun with a fabulous menu and a huge sexy patio featuring a lounge area with misters (as in sprinklers not men), a very cool water feature and a 9 foot by 6 foot cement table with two fire pits in the middle Can you say “line up”? Make reser vations or go early to get the hot tables! (250) 763 1955 at 3799 Lakeshore Road, across from the Eldorado. www.cabanagrille.com

If you want to really enjoy touring wine country (and actually drinking wine), without the stress of driving, call upon Falcon Bus Char ters to do the driving for you Check out their website for their many touring options and book your friends for some fun! (250) 503 1510 www.falcon buschar ters com

Big foodie news for our beautiful wine country neighbours in Oliver!! Manuel Ferreira of the famous Le Gavroche Restaurant in Vancouver, is opening a new restaurant at award winning Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Construction of this new fine dining establishment is planned for next spring www tinhorn com

If you are looking to book a table at Mahdina's Restaurant in Tutt Square, Kelowna, don't freak if you can't find their sign they have changed names Officially they are now known as Fi by Jennifer Schell Pigott

Vancouver

What we've lacked in dramatic restaurant openings on this side of the Strait in the past couple of months we've more than made up for in drama. The Rob Feenie Affair seems to have come to some neat conclusions After his rough and tumble exit from his own restaurants, Feenie's and Lumiere, the Iron Chef ventured in the wilderness of catering for a spell until he signed on with

Cactus Club chain of restaurants as the Food Concept Architect As to what one of those does, we're still not cer tain, but we hope it has something to do with cooking. The fate of his two restaurants rested with David and Manjy Sidoo, the majority shareholder couple who'd once upon a time bailed Feenie out of financial trouble Their star chef gone, they had a choice to ei ther re brand and go big or ride the status quo into the ground. They chose the former option, naturally, striking a deal with New York celebrity chef Daniel Boulud (DB Bistro Moderne, Daniel, et cetera) Boulud will be overseeing both restaurants, turning the old Feenie's into another DB Bistro Moderne (a very sophisticated but still accessible restaurant), while the fate of Lumiere remains uncer tain This is great news for local foodies, for it opens the doors to the possibility of more big name chefs following suit Who knows, by the end of the Olympics we could have Gor don Ramsay, Mario Batali, and Jamie Oliver outlets in town, too. Elsewhere on the high end, at the time of writing we're still waiting for Voya at the Loden Hotel to ser ve their first meal The restaurant, run by former Lumiere chef de cuisine Marc Andre Cho quette, is now a year behind schedule. The Shangri La Hotel is taking shape on Alberni, soar ing above the skyline Launching with it in January '09, we hear, will be the second coming of Ki, a tony Asian fusion concept first opened in Toronto by David Aisenstat, lord of the > Keg Steakhouse. As I said, openings have been rare. In the west end, a burlesque joint called Maxime's Hideaway has replaced Balthazar In G as town, The Greedy Pig was born (reviewed in this issue) on Cordova to rookie restaurateurs Cam and Allison MacKinnon (and the Irish Heather Gastropub ser ved it's last St. Patrick's Day pint in its current location now moving across the street) Yaletown has been quiet, save for the re opening of Tequila Kitchen, the Mexican restaurant that quickly replaced Melriches only to shut down a few weeks later for a conceptual rethink. The arrival of Uva Wine Bar was the only down town highlight (also reviewed in this issue), while Commercial Drive saw hipster Caribbean ar rive with the 3rd coming of The Reef And we're done Perhaps we've finally, if only temporarily, reached critical mass, a maleable thing if ever there was one in the restaurant trade. Moving on to the accolade front, The 1st Annual Urban Diner Restaurant Awards came and went with a huge bash at False Creek's Nu in February, and all of the bright lights of this city's restaurant scene came out to recognise their own. Big winners included Boneta (Best New Casual), Fuel (Best New Formal), Parkside's Andrey Durbach (Chef of the Year), Chambar's Paul Grunberg (Ser vice All Star), and yes, EAT Magazine (Best Food Publication in BC)

Lastly, a few personalities moved about, as they always do. General manager Edwyn Kumar of Cin Cin skipped to the Har t House on Deer Lake (replaced by Ricardo Ferreira); Britain's Warren Geraghty, formerly the executive chef of London's Michelin starred L'Escargot, has taken over the reins at South Granville's West; Tim Keller has left his managerial par tnership with chef Brian Fowke of Rare Two The restaurant has shut down until May to be rebranded, now in its third year, as Rare Three; Scott Finch had taken over the reigns of Lumiere and Feenie's after the shor t lived stewardship of wine writer Bruce Stephen. Sadly, no news of his fate in a post Fee nie's world And that's it Bring on the summer, its patios, its al fresco food and wine festivals, and its road trips to meals afar By Andrew Morrison

Victoria

Saanich Peninsula’s Marley Farm Winer y is up for sale The local winery, specializing in fruit wines (Kiwi is their claim to fame) has approximately 5 of their 46 acres under vine Other prop er ty holdings include a 5600 sq ft house, 2 bedroom cottage, complete wine making equipment and tasting room, barn, hayfields and riding ring It is listed at $6 2 million The winery is owned by Beverly Marley and run by the Marley clan connected though marriage to reggae legend Bob Marley, and easily apparent in the wines colourful labels. This is the second Saanich Peninsula winery on the market recently the other being the five hectare Church and State Winer y nearby, listed for $9 25 million www marleyfarm ca Something's brewing at Cafe Mela at The Belvedere with their new tearoom opening right next door Food writer Elizabeth Levinson and her sister Caroline Macey Brown have created a beautiful room in the Winchester Galleries for their tea drinking clientele Mela's Tearoom is at 792 Humboldt Street.382 8528.

A new townhomes development on the Westshore, Reflections, is the first on Vancouver Island to feature living (or green) walls This high tech hanging garden is a ver tical expanse of herbs, fruits, vegetables, or flowers providing privacy, as well as giving residents their own small foot print garden Reflections’ green walls consist of frames fitted with panels of angled planting trays, each of which can accommodate up to 45 plants A built in irrigation system keeps the plants moist while conser ving water. Owners will be able to customize their green walls with the plantings of their choice As the seasons change, so will the living walls: flowers will bloom, fo liage will change colour, and fruit will ripen The walls are designed to live for several years with minimal care. www.liveatreflections.ca

Hotel Grand Pacific’s The Mark and The Pacific Restaurants are the newest on the Island to implement the Ocean Wise program A conser vation initiative of the Vancouver Aquarium, the Ocean Wise program makes it easy for diners to make the most responsible seafood choices. The Ocean Wise symbol identifies items on the restaurants' menus that the Aquarium has guaran teed to be sustainable and ocean friendly www hotelgrandpacific com

Award winning catering company Feys+Hobbs Catered Ar ts Inc. has taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint with the introduction compostable plates, cutlery and utensils The com pany’s dedication to using the finest and freshest local ingredients inspired owner David Feys to apply sustainable principals to most of its activities since it opened more than 12 years ago.

“ The local environment is where we source most of our ingredients,” said David Feys, “and we’re committed to improving and protecting the environment in every way we can.” The company has taken a comprehensive approach to minimizing waste and reducing its carbon footprint, from composting all scraps, paper boards and floral trimmings to choosing delivery vehicles that run on bio diesel. As such, Feys has been sourcing innovative suppliers for compostable plates, cutlery and utensils, including WÜN biodegradable wooden cutlery manufactured from “over looked” forestry products that are a made in BC solution to the billions of plastic knives, forks and spoons that end up in landfills each year. Another new option for clients is cotton napkins, laundered and pressed in house with green soaps www feysandhobbs com

Since last fall, Cowichan’s True Grain Baker y has been offering a very popular weekly bread called 30 Mile Bread produced from a trial run of half ton of Red Fife wheat grown in Metchosin. The name comes from the distance clocked between the fields and the bakery, and is a naturally leavened hear th baked loaf from 100% whole wheat freshly milled just prior to kneading With the prospect of running short of the limited harvest by summer, they are working with farmer Tom Henr y to grow 15 acres of Red Fife organically just up the hill from the bakery at Sungold Meadows Farm thus, 5 Mile Bread is born! If all goes well, that will yield enough to meet > their yearly wheat requirements for the bakery. Baker and founder Jonathan Knight is passing along business operations to new par tners Bruce and Leslie Stewar t, and baking responsibili ties to journeyman baker Jenn Dixon so he can concentrate on growing and producing food on a very small, hands on scale. www.truegrain.ca

Victorian Sylvia Mann’s new book, Fabulous Fairholme: Breakfasts and Brunches is now being published by Whitecap Books Having achieving great success as a self published title, White cap was keen on providing greater exposure and distribution for the title. www.whitecap.ca.

BC’s Fairmont Hotels & Resor ts are rolling out a chefs blog, giving outsiders an inside peek at the goings on of their fine hotel kitchens straight from the mouths of the well respected Chefs who run them. Be it a run down of how 300 perfect chocolate soufflés are ser ved to gala atten dees at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, a secret to herb gardening from the culinary team that tends to the roof top herb garden at The Fairmont Waterfront, or a recipe on the ultimate 'food for flight' menu from The Fairmont Vancouver Airpor t, blog readers will learn something new from the Fairmont team each time they visit Par ticipating hotels & respective chefs include: The Fairmont Empress, Takashi Ito; The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Vincent Stufano; The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Rober t LeCrom; The Fairmont Waterfront, Shannon Wrightson; The Fairmont Vancouver Airpor t, Patrick Sinclair www fairmontchefs com

Danielle Bourget is the new Food and Beverage Manager at The Hotel Grand Pacific Most re cently, Ms. Bourget has been working with her husband, a chef, in their Victoria business, Café Vieux Montreal Prior to that Ms Bourget gained experience in management positions with Le Chanteclerc in St Adele and Hotel Vogue in Montreal www hotelgrandpacific com

Laurel Point Inn has added some big weight to their culinary team with the announcement of new Executive Chef Brad Horen Chef Horen is well known in culinary circles for his roles as ex ecutive chef of Calgary’s Catch Seafood Restaurant The rest of Canada will recognize him for his mentorship role on the Food Network’s Next Great Chef. In 2007, the Canadian Culinary Federa tion awarded Horen with the prestigious Canadian Chef of the Year title www laurelpoint com Downtown’s VQA headquar ters, The Wine Barrel, will celebrate 15 years of business on May 1, 2008. Pop in to celebrate with owner Bruce Stewart and his merry team. 644 Broughton Street. www thewinebarrel com by Treve Ring

BLENDS TAKE CENTRE STAGE IN BC

By John Schreiner | photography by Michael Tourigny

An experience while judging in a British Columbia wine competition a few years ago opened my eyes to the superiority of blended reds over single variety wines

Presented with a large flight of Bordeaux variety reds, the five judges, working independently and in silence, whittled it down to a manageable size by assessing all the wines quickly and pulling the best forward for second round judging. Only a few single varietals went ahead, but every judge had moved every single blended red ahead for the second round. The blends just had more going for them than the single va rietals

That would hardly surprise a French wine critic The best Bordeaux reds are nearly always blends because that is the only way to make reliable wines in Bordeaux’s dodgy climate Beginning in the 1970s with California wineries, which ben efit from more consistent growing conditions, New World wineries have released most of their wines as single vari etals.

As a result, Nor th Americans grew up drinking grapes and being frustrated when the variety was not named on the label “When I’m drinking Château Beychevelle,” a local con sumer once asked me, “how do I know what I’m drinking?”

The answer: he was drinking what some in the Okanagan call Meritage

The Meritage Association was formed in Napa in 1988 by wineries that wanted to move away from French geographic indicators (like Bordeaux, Medoc or Pomerol) on the labels of blended wines. Under the Meritage rules, the wines must be blends of the varieties grown in Bordeaux Typical red Mer itage wines are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot; if the grapes are available, wineries may

also use Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenère White Meritage wines are blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon The first Canadian winery to join the association was Sumac Ridge in 1995 Now, there is a large Canadian membership

In 1992, Sumac Ridge planted about 100 acres on Black Sage Road, giving itself blending options by planting Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. While Sumac Ridge makes excellent single variety wines from that vineyard, the Meritage blends are arguably the best wines from the proper ty The White Meritage is one of the Okanagan’s most awarded wines

Since the early 1990s, nearly 6,000 acres of new vineyard have been planted in the Okanagan and Similkameen val leys, increasing the availability of varieties needed for blend ing. Today, most wineries produce blends, often under proprietary names such as Por tfolio or Note Bene, uniquely branding wines to distinguish them from the sea of Meritage.

Even when wines are released as single varietals, they are frequently blends Wines need have only 85 percent of a va riety to be released under a single name Many winemakers use the other 15 percent to add complimentary varieties (such as Cabernet Franc in a Merlot, or vice versa) These blending touches are designed to improve the aroma, lift the flavours and add texture

As well, many vineyards grow several clones of varieties such as Pinot Noir. Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, as an example, has seven clones of Pinot Noir in its vineyard. Each clone brings qualities aroma, texture, flavour or colour that winemaker Grant Stanley blends to achieve complexity Like most winemakers, he creates additional blending options by aging the wines in French oak from half a dozen different forests In each vintage, he makes just two Pinot Noirs, and the wines are distinctively different

Many wineries now get grapes from several sites to create

more blending options For example, M t Boucherie Estate Winery gets the same variety from vineyards in Westbank, Okanagan Falls and in the Similkameen Each vineyard yields its own distinctive flavours with which blends can be built.

Some of the Okanagan blends are made with varieties that span several appellations in Europe (and might not even be allowed there), such as the La Frenz Montage. It is 60 percent Pinot Noir, 40 percent Merlot definitely a non traditional blend that would be impossible in Burgundy, where no Merlot is allowed, or in Bordeaux, where no Pinot Noir is allowed

Other examples include Sumac Ridge’s Pinnacle Red (three Bordeaux grapes plus, sometimes, Syrah), the Golden Mile 5th Element Red (four Bordeaux grapes and a dash of Syrah) and the Pentâge Red (three Bordeaux grapes and dashes of Syrah and G amay).

The whole point of a blend is to make wines that are com plex and, if possible, distinctive to a par ticular winery, like the La Frenz Montage or The Dam Flood from Blasted Church The backbone of the latter blend is Lemberger, a little known variety hard to sell on its own Not very interesting on its own either, it definitely benefits when blend par tners give the wine some personality.

There will be more red blends in the future, if only because vineyards have been planted with varieties destined for blends (Petit Verdot, Malbec, Grenache, Mour vedre, Tannat). And most new plantings consist of at least two clones of every variety

But most impor tant, consumers are embracing these wines, having learned, as our judging panel did, that blends are more interesting than single varietal wines

See page 74 for tasting notes

Gray Monk 1980 Pinot Gris Gray Monk founder George Heiss was the first to impor t the variety from Alsace, planting the vines in 1977. It became Gray Monk’s flagship white. Pinot Gris is now the second most widely planted white in British Columbia and is a major variety in most winery por t folios.

Sumac Ridge Steller’s Jay 1987. After doing trials with sparkling wine with the assistance of a government grant, Sumac Ridge produced British Columbia’s first sparkling wine made in the traditional Champagne method Blue Mountain 1992 Pinot Noir. This was the Okanagan’s first world class Pinot Noir, grown well in a good site By set ting the bar high, Blue Mountain almost certainly accelerated the work by Quails’ G ate and CedarCreek to star t making world class Pinots of their own. Now, lots of Okanagan pro ducers are good enough to get invited to the famous Pinot Noir conference in Oregon each year.

Mission Hill 1992 Chardonnay. Winemaker John Simes ar rived at Mission Hill just weeks before the star t of the 1992 vintage. When he found a plot of superb Chardonnay at one Oliver vineyard that Mission Hill had contracted, he had enough new American oak barrels rushed in that he could ferment and age the wine in oak, something rarely done in the Okanagan at the time The wine won the first serious in

ternational award for a British Columbia wine, the Avery Tro phy for the best Chardonnay at the 1994 International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Nichol Vineyard 1994 Syrah. Alex Nichol was the first wine grower to plant Syrah in the Okanagan, an apparent gamble with a late ripening variety. His 1994 vintage, dark and rich and spicy, caused the valley to take notice. His choice was confirmed when both Jackson Triggs and Burrowing Owl planted the variety a few years later and began making one dynamite Syrah after another Quails’ Gate 1994 O ld Vines Foch. This is the wine that turned around the reputation of Maréchal Foch, a workhorse red hybrid that had been grown so ineptly over the previous 25 years that the resulting wines were embarrassingly poor In 1994, Australian winemaker Jeff Mar tin was hired by Quails’ G ate. Used to making wine with grapes from old vines, he had Quails’ G ate reduce the crop load on its Foch vines (circa 1978, 1981). From the more intensely flavoured grapes, he made a wine that might have been mistaken for Shiraz It has been a cult wine ever since Sumac Ridge 1995 Black Sage Merlot. This wine, Canada’s red wine of the year in a subsequent national competition, was made with first leaf fruit from the first planting of Bor deaux grapes on Black Sage Road in the 1990s The wine val

idated Black Sage as terroir suitable for red vinifera Sumac Ridge 1997 Pinnacle. When released in 2000, this was British Columbia’s first red table wine with a $50 price tag. At first, it sold so slowly that Sumac Ridge founder Harry McWatters joked how Pinnacle had broken down price re sistance to Sumac Ridge’s $25 Meritage. The joke hasn’t lasted. Once the ice was broken, other wineries chimed in with premium wines at luxury pricing

Osoyoos Larose 2001. A blend of three Bordeaux grapes, it was the debut release from a joint venture between Vincor and Groupe Taillan of Bordeaux Vincor wanted a transfer of know how The French called the shots, picking the site, sourcing the vines, designing the vineyard and hiring a French winemaker The result: a wine that stacks up well against Bordeaux’s classified growths and thus validates the Okanagan internationally.

Tinhorn Creek 2001 Oldfield’s Collection Merlot. This was British Columbia’s first premium red bottled with a screw top closure. Now, screw caps are widely used. At first, however, Tinhorn Creek bottled only a por tion of the vintage in screw cap, leaving the rest in cork as a way to test consumer reac tion When there was no backlash to speak of, Tinhorn Creek switched to screw caps for everything but icewine

An Okanagan Histor y in Wines These now-classic BC wines helped shaped the future of the region.

1715GovernmentStreet 250.475.6260 www.lecole.ca eat@lecole.ca

Dinner5:30-11pm TuesdaytoSaturday

Sandhill Small Lots one 2005

Okanagan

Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Petit Verdot (17%), Malbec (9%), Merlot (4%) $34 99

The wine makes a fantastic first impression, with gobs of fruit in the aroma and on the palate The mouth filling flavours show cur rants, red liquorice and mocha with toasty notes from the oak (18 months in French and American oak). The ripe tannins contribute to the long, lingering finish This is the best Sandhill one so far 91

Seven Stones Winer y Harmony One 2005

Similkameen

Merlot (45%), Cabernet Sauvi gnon (28%), Cabernet Franc (27%) $29.99

Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2005

Okanagan

Merlot (67%), Cabernet Sauvi gnon (23%) Cabernet Franc (4%), Petit Verdot (4%), and Malbec (2%). $40

While most of the Okanagan’s red blends have a Merlot backbone, none are quite so Bordelaise as Le Grand Vin Even with its ripe tannins, this wine is firm and built for some serious cellaring. Dark in colour, it begins with aromas of vanilla, red berries and chocolate but also with that note of cigar box that Bor deaux collectors look for The fruit is densely concentrated, with a sweet core wrapped in side the mineral notes. 88 91

Pentâge Winer y Pentâge 2004

Okanagan

Smoke

B Bones Smoken

This blended red wine is an excel lent example It begins with aro mas of almost perfumed fruit layered over vanilla and choco late These elements carry through to flavours of spiced cur rants, plums, more chocolate The ripe tannins give the wine a satis fying chewy texture but also the backbone to allow graceful aging for at least five more years 89

Poplar Grove Winer y The Legacy 2004 Okanagan

Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (20%) Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Malbec (5%) $50

This wine, which Sutherland com pares to a Saint Émilion in style, spends 24 months in French oak and another 18 months in bottle before release. The wine is mus cular and concentrated, with aro mas of red berries and cedar and with flavours of spicy plums. The structure is firm for superb long term aging while the time in bottle before release has allowed the wine to take on a polished elegance. 92

Kettle Valley Winer y

Old Main Red 2005

Okanagan

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Mal bec

$35

The grapes for this wine, Kettle Valley’s flagship Bordeaux blend, were picked between November 1 and 4 in 2005, at the very end of a superb vintage The result is a deep, rich wine with layers of plums, cherries and black cur rants, suppor ted with the vanilla from the 20 months the wine aged in Ameri can oak. The wine has chewy ripe tannins and a generous, polished texture 92

Merlot (41%), Cabernet Sauvi gnon (40%), Cabernet Franc (17%), Syrah (1.5%), G amay (0 5%) $29

The 2004 Pentâge opened to show notes of cassis and choco late, with subtle cherry On the palate, there are flavours of cas sis and mocha with an attractively rustic note of minerals The tan nins are fine grained but firm The wine is medium bodied, with a polished elegance 89

Black Hills Estate Winer y Nota Bene 2005 Okanagan Cabernet Sauvignon (43%), Mer lot (37%), Cabernet Franc (20%) $36

The 2005 vintage, dark in colour, begins with aromas of cedar and spice and red currants on top of a not of chocolate. There is just a grace note of bell pepper, enough to perk up the flavours of spiced sweet plums. The wine is full bod ied, with long ripe tannins The wine has a bold elegance that makes it im mediately appealing; it also has the structure for good cellaring 91

Golden Mile Cellars

Black Ar ts Fifth Element Red 2005 Okanagan Merlot (65%), Cabernet Sauvi gnon (25%), Petit Verdot(4%), Syrah(2%), Cabernet Franc(1%) $35 99

A wine with both power and ele gance, with vanilla aromas and bold flavours of plum, black cur rant, licorice and coffee The tan nins are fine and ripe, suggesting aging potential But it is such a satisfying drink now that few bottles are likely to sit very long in anyone’s cellar. 90

Oculus 2004

Okanagan Merlot (74%), Cabernet Sauvi gnon (13%), Cabernet Franc(10%), Petit Verdot (3%) $60

Dark in colour, the 2004 Oculus presents aromas of black currants and vanilla that surge from the glass. On the palate, this is a full and generous wine, with flavours of plums and currants The notes of cedar and cigar box maintain Bordeaux lineage of earlier vin tages Yet without a doubt, this is the richest, most lush Oculus to date. 94

2004 Alliànce

Okanagan Valley

Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Mer lot (29%), Cabernet Franc (11%) $54.00

Dark in colour, the wine begins with aromas of vanilla, prunes, chocolate and spice. On the palate, the wine follows through with plums, prunes, minerals, licorice and tar. This is a bold, muscular wine for red meat and for fur ther cellaring 90

Laughing Stock Vineyards 2005 Por tfolio

Okanagan Valley Merlot (59%), Cabernet Sauvi gnon (33%), Malbec (4%), Caber net Franc (3%), Petit Verdot (1%)$37.00

This is a wine that begins with a powerful aroma of red fruits, spice and vanilla. The palate is rich with flavours of black cur rants, blackberries, chocolate, cedar and spice. This is a wine built for aging, with long ripe tan nins Yet the proteins of a good steak soft ened the tannins to reveal a lush, full bodied wine 90

tend to drink

best reds too young. While decanting is the traditional solution, technology has come up with an alternative. Try a “breathable”

There was a time where blousey carmamel flavoured chardonnays were revered for their sad, overblown oakiness. Both California and Australia kept coopers in the pink and many awards were celebrated (probably with beers). Unfor tunately, many BC winemakers followed this trend and plenty of wine drinkers avoided these heavy handed wines.

But with the arrival of this well balanced and structured chard (pictured left) it’s time to rip up the ABC (anything but chardonnay club) membership card. The 2006 Stewar t Family Reser ve from Quail’sGate is a grand master of intense fruit lightly pinned by French toast and enough acid tang for a refreshing yet lingering and lush finish Finally, we are back to a great future G H

THE WINES

Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Schutzenhaus Riesling

Kabinett 05 Germany $23.00 26.00

Located in the hear t of the Rheingau region of western Germany, this large family owned winery has been pro ducing wine since 1870 Off dry and nicely balanced with bright citrus and petrol aromas that continue through the palate Good weight for a Kabinett with a cut of bracing acidity and a lovely long finish

Rebel Wine Co. “ The Show” Cabernet Sauvignon 05 California $19.00 23.00

The Rebel Wine Company was formed as a par tnership between three marketing men (Three Thieves) and Trinchero Family Estates. Their mission: “to liberate premium eclectic wine”, make some great wine in the process and in doing so make tons of money! So far so good! This lush California cabernet sauvignon, blended with a hefty dollop of merlot, cabernet franc and petite verdot is silky smooth with juicy fruit flavours and a surprisingly complex structure that of fers up more then just a tweak of soft tannin in the back end Great bang for the buck

wines for great everyday drinking

by Larr y Arnold

Chateau Rousselle Cotes de Bourg 2005 Bordeaux $27.00-30.00

There is always so much hype surrounding every new Bordeaux vintage that it has become increasingly difficult for the average punter to separate the truth from the marketing blather. But believe me when I say, you can bet the farm on this vintage! Two thousand and five Bordeaux is one of the truly great vintages of the past 50 years, but unfor tunately, one of the most expensive So when the oppor tunity arises to lay your hands on a bottle, such as this delicious Cru Bourgeois from the Cotes de Bourg, do it! Quintessential Bordeaux, with a lovely bouquet of ripe blackcurrants and wet ear th and all that makes Bordeaux, the allure that it is Medium bodied with sweet, concentrated fruit flavours, lovely balance and nicely integrated tannins, in a very refined, modern style, that is wor th buying by the case! A small family run, bio dynamically farmed chateau that I highly endorse.

Per taringa

“P” Verdelho 2007 Australia $21.00 23.00

To fully appreciate life we must all, on occasion, venture out of our comfor t zone. If you have spent your entire wine drinking life limited to the likes of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon or Uncle Charlie’s homemade blackberry ripple, then it is indeed time to take the plunge. Fresh and very clean with a nose redolent of tropical fruit and citrus peels The palate is very floral with tangerine nuances and zingy acidity Fair dinkum

Rutherford Wine Co. Round Hill Zinfandel Shiraz 0 3 California $10.00 13.00

If only it came in a jug, I would buy this hear ty little beast by the gallon Who needs the cork and at this price, one bottle is never enough! Full bodied with mouth filling fruit flavours, nicely balanced with a soft blush of silky tannin. A great par ty red.

Bodegas Benegas Don Tiburcio 2005 Argentina $22.00 25.00

For decades Argentina was the sleeping giant of the wine world but although production was huge not a drop seemed to make it to the outside world The lo cals drank everything produced within its borders and then some But times they are a changing and the Ar gentine wine section is the hottest category in the province right now If you know the style of consulting wine maker Michel Roland you already know what to expect from this ripe blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and malbec. Full bodied with big ripe fruit flavours, plenty of spicy oak, a fat lush texture and a long soft finish with a gloss of tannin.

Church & State Coyote Bowl Merlot 2005

British Columbia $26.00 30.00

Many on the island may well remember this winery more for its kitchen and constant stream of tour buses rather than it’s wine offerings But fine wine was al ways the dream and with consulting winemaker Bill Dyer stirring the pot and a new vineyard and winery near completion on the Black Sage Bench just outside of Oliver, the future is decidedly rosy for this up and comer. Coyote Bowl merlot is delicious with ripe cherry, brown sugar and spice aromas, nicely balanced with good weight, rich berry and vanilla flavours and enough mouth coating tannins to hold it all together

Le Vieux Pin Vaila Pinot Noir Rose 2006

British Columbia $25.00 30.00

These guys are perfections and dogged in their pursuit of perfection. With over 50 acres scattered hither and thither throughout the south Okanagan their goal is to produce wines that express the unique terroir of each and every vineyard They will do whatever it takes to attain this lofty aspiration and they charge accord ingly! Amen! The wines across the board are rock solid and although the rose is the most reasonably priced of their many offerings, it is my favourite. Dry and rather full bodied for a rose, with fresh berry flavours, great acidity and a very long spicy finish. Absolutely gorgeous.

La Posta Angel Paulucci Vineyard Malbec 2006 Argentina $20.00 23.00

Aged for 10 months in new and used French oak, this concentrated red has a lovely bouquet of violets, black fruit and smoke Medium to full bodied with a chewy texture nicely balanced with layers of dark fruit and spice flavours Highly recommended!

Straccali Chianti 2006

Italy $14 00 16 00

Straccali offers, a simple, easy drinking Chianti! G arnet coloured with soft fruit flavours good acidity and a long dry finish. Excellent value.

C. N. Kopke Colheita Tawny Por t 1997

Por tugal $22.00 25.00 / .375ml

Vintage dated tawny por ts (Colheitas) are somewhat of a rarity in this par t of the country and are definitely wor th a try if you should happen across a bottle Deep amber colour, with a wonderful nose of coffee cake, spice and walnuts with a silky smooth palate leading into a long, nutty finish Outstanding

Sorrento Cab Sauvignon-Cab Franc-Merlot 2005 Australia $23.00 26.00

Big and beautiful, this hear ty red is full bodied and richly textured with dense layers of blackberry, cherry and sweet vanilla oak and a firm tannic structure.

Brewing chocophiles

By Christopher Pollon

Two weeks before High Chocolate, the Alibi Room’s Nigel Springthorpe and Yaletown chocolatier Themis Velgis sat down and spent several hours match ing a handful of BC’s best craft brews with five single plantation cocoa choco late recipes.

“Our goal was to create an experiment in the versatility of beer and choco late.” says Springthorpe. “When you take wine and chocolate, it’s about con trast, but with beer, it’s all about the marriage of flavours.”

h o p h e a d b e e r v a n a

By the end of the sitting, they had created a menu that paired Velgis’ hand made chocolate with a BC brewed bitter, two porters, and an India Pale Ale All of Velgis’ hand made chocolates are crafted from single plantation cocoa meaning that the cocoa in each chocolate recipe comes from the same patch of ear th, impar ting unique subtleties in aroma and flavour based on such factors as local climate and soil conditions

The resultant feast of the senses was staged as “High Chocolate” late one Saturday af ternoon in late February, presented by the Alibi Room and the Vancouver chapter of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), an organization with over 600 BC members committed to promoting the dual need for better beer and pubs.

It was fitting that high chocolate named for high tea, an early meal which substitutes for afternoon snack and evening dinner would be held at the Alibi Room Springthorpe has created a local beer Mecca at this venue, with nine of his 14 taps offering BC craft brew, most of which are not available as draught in any other bar in the province Springthorpe’s connection with CAMRA is a natural one as well, as both parties share a commitment to pro moting the work of BC’s best brewmasters

It was after 3 p.m. that the first beer was delivered to the tables, with a plate of Java chocolate. With each pairing Velgis introduced the unique proper ties of his chocolate cre ation, followed by Springthorpe’s explanation of the beer and how the two worked together.

Par ticipants were instructed to place the chocolate on the right side of the mouth, sitting against the cheek to slightly melt; a sip of beer was to be held in the left side, and the con tents of both sides allowed to slowly migrate to the centre of the tongue

The first beer, Howe Sound’s Baldwin and Cooper Best Bitter (brewed by Dave Fenn) has beautiful caramel notes, which combined with a similar sweetness in the chocolate It was with this first beer that we also learned that temperature is the key to getting the most out of the pairings the bitter arrived quite cool, and it was not until it warmed slightly in the glass that the caramel explosion really struck the tongue.

Beer number two was an extra special treat: Rebecca Kneen, one half of Sorrento BC’s Crannog Ales had hand delivered a cask conditioned firkin of her Back Hand Of God stout (the bestselling tap at the Alibi Room). The espresso flavour of this stout was a perfect ac companiment to the subtle coffee after taste in the Sao Tome chocolate

The Tin Whistle Brewer y’s Chocolate Cherry Por ter was next (brewed by Ron Bradley in Penticton), combined with Grenada chocolate The latter impar ted a light floral taste at the finish, which blended with the subtle cherry in the por ter

Tim Brown, creator of the Mission Springs India Pale Ale was on hand to introduce his beer, which he described as an I PA in the British style, featuring traditional Kent Goldings and Fuggles hops. It was with this last beer, which impar ts a powerful hop bitterness, that Springthorpe and Velgis faced their biggest pairing challenge. The chocolate had to be as ser tive. The choice was a single plantation chocolate made from Papua New Guinea cocoa extremely dark roasted, with a subtle smokiness and notes of whiskey at the finish. Springthorpe suggested that these two bold entities would create a new taste altogether upon combination, but I struggled with this last pairing Maybe my taste buds were near ing sensory overload, but I don’t think so I blame the India Pale Ale itself as an irre pressible Hophead, it was tor ture for me to nurse just a 10 ounce ser ving of that glorious copper hued ale

Two new and joyful wines from Joie: the 2007 Rosé, an enticing mélange of pinot noir and gamay and the 2007 Noble Blend: appealing Alsatian style with mouthwatering B C zing!

Right on G H

Meet the Meyers Meyer Family Vineyards is the latest addition to the populous Naramata strip. Just released Micro Cuveé and Tribute Series Emily Carr (both ‘06) are fraternal Chardonnay twins with a difference The former leans French while the other American Both make lovely sips Elegant, food friendly and mar velous to drink www MFVwines com G H

On this farm there is a “chick” who loves wine Cele brating 10 years of purveying the finest of BC’s wine, proprietor Beth Crawford sums up the experience “One never knows where life’s path will take them, what began as an interest evolved to a passion for a local industry and my how they both have grown!”

Beth relied on her LDB background and fashioned her busi ness model around that “I had been working for the branch for 10 years, and really enjoyed wine sales. I heard about the VQA licenses and thought it was definitely a fit for where I had been focusing my energies with my current job, so I put together a proposal Serendipity definitely played a role in how the business and the location came to gether Sometimes in life the universe seems to take over and guide you, there were some aspects that fell into place and came together easily; others not so much…” Some sweat, a few tears and a lot of hard work culminated in the fourth VQA store in the province open ing its doors at Mattick’s Farm in April of 1998. It was the first VQA Shop in Victoria and at that time there were just over 40 wineries in BC!

While the number of wineries and available wines has grown exponentially so has the consumer base Loyal BC wine drinkers are realizing that their favourites are someone else’s favourite too, and they have learned to stock up before the vintage disappears “It is amazing to see how accepted and well respected BC wine now is.”

“I think my business has been built on excellent customer service and I certainly haven’t done that on my own I have always hired people that have a passion for wine Initially they may not have a lot of technical knowledge, but the eagerness to know more soon means that they are well on their way to developing their knowledge base ”

“For some customers wine is intimidating; we like to take the guess work out of things, keep it simple and light, but we can also hold our own with oenophiles we know and love our BC wines!” For years I have been summing up our service with the meant to sound like a wine descriptor slogan ‘ knowledgeable, yet not pretentious approachable with a hint of sass!’ That is pretty much the way it works I am proud of what I have built, and grateful for the support of the BC wine industry and all the loyal staff and customers I have had over the years ”

“Here’s to the next decade…. Cheers!”

Beth Crawford

Food & Wine Pairing

A Cook’s Library

Real Food: What to Eat and Why

Reading Nina Planck’s book, Real Food: What to Eat and Why, was like finally being told the truth about food. I am all for being healthy and trying new advice from so called nutrition exper ts. I took two table spoons of flax seed oil a day when I was told it was the right kind of fat for me and cooked up egg white omelets in olive oil when I was told that yolks and butter were the wrong kind of fat Like lots of other people who try to follow the health ex per ts when they recommend low fat milk or come out with high protein, low carbo hydrate snacks, I did not feel satisfied, full, or actually all that healthy. Planck is the first person I have encountered in a long time who approaches food and nutrition with a balanced blend of common sense, intuition, and science She is the antidote to ‘superfood’ trends, fad diets, and the in dustrialization of food And the only title she gives herself is ‘advocate for tradi tional foods’ though she has been dubbed by her admirers ‘the Patron Saint of Farmers’ Markets.’

Raised on a farm in Virginia, Planck grew up drinking raw milk, and eating organic produce and fresh eggs As a young adult she became a vegetarian, then a vegan then suffering from poor health, found her way back to meat, dairy, eggs, and farm ers’ markets. Though with characteristic open mindedness she stays away from proclaiming any one style of eating as a cure all or another as outmoded, she of fers her discovery that returning to a diet that included bacon and butter as well

as plenty of fresh produce brought her back to the robust health she enjoyed as a farm kid.

Planck’s basic thesis is simple and sweet: old, traditional foods are good for you; newer, industrial foods are not But ter, cream, meat, and eggs that come from farms that let their animals graze and don’t shoot them full of antibiotics and hormones fall under the category of tradi tional. Factory food products loaded with conventional preser vatives or ar tificial in gredients are considered industrial, by Planck’s definition. There is a lot more to her argument, balanced with some nour ishing anecdotes of farm life If you’re in terested in eating local, health, organics, farming, and farmers’ markets, or just un derstanding exactly what it is you’re best off eating, this book makes common sense of it all. And with Planck narrating, you are in good company as you learn.

Katie Zydbel

ALSO IN STORES NOW

Carnivore Chic an ode to meat from high end butcher shops to four teen ounce Waygyu sirloin at $750 a steak Susan Bourette. Viking Canada

Apples to Oysters a food lover’s tour of Canadian farms with author Margaret Webb. Viking Canada

Anita Stewar t’s Canada a collection of recipes celebrating Canadians and our ingredients Photography by Rober t Wiginton. Harper Collins

“Congratulations Beth on your special anniversar y! Margrit, Joe and Manuel Zuppig er”

“Beth, our congratulations on your 10 year anniversar y”

"Mission Hill Family Estate congratulates Matticks Farm on 10 years of suppor t of the Best of BC"

New at the Playhouse International Wine Festival this year was the “Vintners Brunch” sponsored by EAT magazine. 20 chefs were given a wine to pair with either a savoury or sweet item The winning combo went to Tim Muelbauer of the Northwest Culinary Academy for his Fireweed Honey Mousse, Almond Dac quoise, Nougatine Biscuit Sponge, with a Lemon-Thyme Sable, & Crème Anglaise (pictured above) paired with Mission Hills, Estate Reser ve Riesling Icewine 2006. Savory Coast's braised pigs feet matched with Tormaresca Fichimori Salento (Negroamaro) also scored well with the judges

The Bubble Diet

Champagne is France’s greatest gift to wine drinkers

At least the Champenois would have us think so Much to their chagrin, Champagne’s fame and suc cess have led drinkers to adopt the noble Champagne name when referring to all sparkling wine. However, to be wor thy of the “C” word, the wine must hail from the Champagne re gion in France The French are vehement about protecting what they create And for Champagne we pay a hefty pre mium The cheapest Champagne star ts at $50, and prices in crease rapidly from there. Every other bottle of bubble falls under the generic category of “sparkling wine.” Ironically, many of them offer better value for money than the majority of big Champagne brands

Whether it’s Champagne or another sparkling wine, though, nothing suggests celebration like a chilled glass of steadily rising bubbles. And while no festivity should be with out, it’s a shame we restrict our sparkling wine indulgence to special occasions. Bubble has a place well beyond a token wedding toast Indeed, it is a great par tner with food and be longs at the dinner table next to every meal you eat After two arduous months of sampling bubble and searching for the perfect par tner (we mean food matches ), we have de vised a cunning sparkling wine regime that will change your life. Forget Atkins and the South Beach Diet, the Bubble Diet will be the latest craze to sweep the nation. It is based on the principle that there is always an appropriate bubble regard less of the time of day, from the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow at night Sommelier Mark McNeil from Chambar restaurant is already a huge advocate, testi fying: “I can drink bubble all day long.”

8:19 a.m. Breakfast: Moscato d’Asti

The most impor tant meal of the day deser ves something stronger than coffee, yet the alcohol shouldn’t be paralyzing Moscato d’Asti lets you ease into the bubble program Sweet, light in alcohol and spor ting delicious grapy flavours, this charming sparkler comes from Italy’s Piedmont region. It’s a natural with fruit and granola as well as traditional brunch items like French toast and crêpes The Marchesi di Gresy La Serra and Michele Chiarlo Nivole, both readily available, make regular appearances on our breakfast table

10:47 a.m. Mid morning Snack:

melier of the Year Neil Ingram opened his G astown restau rant Boneta with the Antech Blanquette de Limoux “You can never have enough Mauzac in your life,” he advises 12:53 p.m.

Lunchtime: Sparkling Riesling

Sushi is most definitely the West Coast’s lunch of choice. To wash it down, you could drink sake or green tea, but for the avid bubble drinker, sparkling Riesling is much more imagi native Riesling’s intensity and pungent aromas stand up to the persistent flavours that accompany sushi, par ticularly wasabi, ginger and soy sauce. Who needs ginger to refresh the palate between bites of tempura and gyoza? Riesling’s naturally high acidity does the trick. Sparkling Riesling’s homeland is Germany, where it is known as Sekt While qual ity of Sekt varies, the Deinhard Lila Riesling is a great choice and well priced at $15 49 Beyond Germany, we were in trigued to find an Australian sparkling Riesling on the shelves. What a great discovery! The Skillogalee Riesling stands up to the best of Sekts.

Lambrusco

Sandwiches may be a conventional lunch choice, but they don’t need to be boring Take advantage of the good weather while you can and eat al fresco. Bring your blanket, grab a prosciutto and cheese sandwich and don’t forget the Lambr usco. It will cer tainly add some colour to your day. Lambr usco is a sparkling red from the Italian region of Emilia Romagna and is ser ved with the region’s rich hear ty food, helping to digest it Lambrusco’s reputation suffered due to all the mass produced examples that flooded the mar ket in the 1980s. Like Beaujolais Nouveau though, Lambr usco has its place, especially on a picnic. It will set you up brilliantly for an afternoon nap.

4:12 p.m. Post

Nap: Cava

Blanquette de Limoux

Even after a substantial breakfast, our blood sugar hits an all time low by 11:00 a m We need something to keep going until lunch Our favourite morning snack of crisp apple slices with aged Québec Cheddar is fur ther enhanced by a glass of Blanquette de Limoux The cooler region of Limoux in the south of France has been producing sparkling wine for cen turies. The locals claim that they were the first to get bub bles in the bottle. That’s right, even before Champagne! Blanquette is made with the obscure Mauzac grape variety, which has distinct ripe apple aromas Despite its long his tory and delicious nature, Blanquette de Limoux is not widely expor ted. Antech is one of the few producers that has graced our shelves and is only available in private wine stores. Som

Go to lunch with Italy and wake up with Spain After a brief slumber, your taste buds might need reviving. Cava has re juvenating proper ties. This sparkling wine from Spain mir rors Champagne in the way it’s made, but the indigenous grapes used impar t a distinct and bold character, just like the Spaniards themselves The names of traditional Cava grapes: Xarel lo, Parellada and Macabeo, may not roll off your tongue, but the wine will slide down your throat effor tlessly Cavas offer some of the greatest lower priced alternatives to Champagne. For a truly Spanish experience, enjoy with salty almonds and Serrano ham.

6:26 p.m.

Aperitif: Blanc de Blancs Champagne

As evening approaches, it’s time to get sophisticated Oys ters with a Blanc de Blancs Champagne is a classic pairing and a marriage made in heaven. Blanc de Blancs is a type of Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay and is all about elegance and purity Unfor tunately, it is difficult to find a Champagne that justifies its price When we discovered Grower Champagne though, our frustration came to an end Grower Champagne refers to producers who own the vine yards and make Champagne exclusively from their own grapes, a rarity in Champagne where large négociant houses

dominate The opposite of massive brands, great Grower Champagne is hand crafted in tiny quantities and expresses a very par ticular place rather that a generic “house style ” These Champagnes represent a very small percentage of what is on the market but are wor th seeking out when you want the real deal. Diebolt Vallois and Larmandier Bernier, both Blanc de Blancs, are available sporadically and are cer tainly two of our favourite Grower Champagnes

8:00 p.m. Dinner: The Choices Are Endless ...

Prosecco

Bubble is always welcome with dinner. The enormous di versity means that there is something for every budget, oc casion and menu When you feel like kicking back with a movie and eating fish and chips, Prosecco is a trusty friend It echoes the saltiness of the fries and cuts through the greasy fish. From the Veneto region of Italy, Prosecco is dry, light bodied with a creamy mousse and pleasant tang.

Sparkling Shiraz

On a rainy night, slowly braised ribs will warm the soul and present the oppor tune moment to try a sparkling Shiraz What, a blockbuster sparkling red? Yes, just what you would expect from Australia. Characteristically bold and verging on pornographic, it is the antithesis of Champagne. The Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz personifies this. The traditionalists may call Sparkling Shiraz per verse, but vive la diffé rence God bless the Aussies for not taking themselves too seri ously

Rosé Champagne

When nothing else but Champagne will do, choose a rosé with the main course It will stand up to richer dishes A great example is the Delamotte Rosé, which drinks better with food than on its own Its firm backbone and pronounced ear thy flavours call for mushroom risotto We loved it with fresh wild spring salmon. Newly minted Master of Wine Barb Philip of Barbariain Consulting enthuses: “Pink matches the colour and cuts through the fatness of salmon as well as matching the weight of the fish ”

9:27 p.m. Cheese: Franciacor ta

Thinking cheese; thinking red; think again. Bubble is much more compatible. Franciacor ta in par ticular wins our vote with cheese. Italy’s answer to Champagne, it is made in more or less the same manner and uses Champagne’s two noble grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, along with Pinot Blanc Though fuller and riper than most Champagne, it still possesses a solid structure making it ideal with cheese, es pecially Taleggio and Parmigiano Reggiano. Beware, Franci acor ta will not be much cheaper than Champagne. The Ca’ del Bosco sits around the $50 mark but is a great expression of Franciacor ta

10:39 p.m. Desser t:

Brachetto d’Acqui

If you star ted your day with Moscato, Brachetto d’Acqui of fers the perfect bookend. This is Piedmont’s other sparkling wine. Much less known than Moscato, Brachetto is a sweet, frothy red that works a treat with light chocolate mousse topped with fresh raspberries or strawberries Like Moscato, it is lighter in alcohol (under 6 percent) After a long day of drinking, you’ll happily be able to manage a glass

11:44 p.m. Bedtime:

Beer

You’re tucked into bed with a good book and craving one last bubbly tipple Hmmm You may have had your fill of sparkling wine by this point, but a cleansing beer would be very appropriate Our pick for a bedtime beer is the Mor t Subite Framboise. This Belgian beer made with the addition of raspberry juice will help you unwind and inspire sweet dreams.

If you follow this regime for more than one day, you are sure to get hear tburn Integrating a little bit of bubble into each day, though, will lift your spirits It’s our prescription for a long and happy life.

Bouffard

Civ & Civ, Lambrusco di Modena, Amabile, Italy, $10.50 #343087

The one and only Lambrusco in the market, Civ & Civ will lift your spirits at lunchtime. Cheerful and off dry but nicely balanced by acidity, enjoy with meaty sandwiches and fresh Bing cherries for desser t.

Chamdeville Blanc de Blancs Brut N/V, France, $11.99 #187740

Simple yet well made. At $12 a bottle, this is the ideal sparkler for large receptions or when money really is an object

2006 Marenco, Pineto, Brachetto d’Acqui, Italy, $13.99 (375 mL) #487918

Explosively fruity flavours of raspberries, strawberries and currants We can’t decide if this Brachetto is better for breakfast or desser t, so we’ll keep drinking it for both Lindauer Brut N/V, New Zealand, $16.99 #299883

Unpretentious and light bodied, the Lindauer Brut is a great inexpensive sipper for a Fri day afternoon on the patio

Petalo Il Vino dell’ Amore, Moscato, Italy, $17.99 #580993

Il Vino dell’Amore; the name says it all A sweet and lovely Moscato best enjoyed when your loved one is ser ving you breakfast in bed.

Col de Salici, Prosecco, Spumante Extra Dr y, Italy, $18.06 #463166

Private wine stores

Slightly saline in character with coarser bubbles than a Champagne. Whether you are gorging yourself on fish and chips or revelling in dim sum, the Col de Salici Prosecco will refresh your palate between bites.

Parés Balta, Cava Brut, N/V, Penedès, Spain, $19.99 #366 872 Private wine stores

A classic Cava exuding ample personality. Ripe mandarin, mocha and floral aromas and flavours with fine bubbles on the palate Light on its feet and a delight to drink

2004 Wolf Blass Gold Label Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay, Australia, $21.00 #218578

Private wine stores

A lighter, more lithe style of bubble bursting with citrusy flavours of lemon and lime Its refreshing acidity entices you to take another sip immediately

Graham Beck Brut N/V, South Africa, $24.99 #607747

If you are not willing to pay the high price Champagne commands, the Graham Beck of fers a well priced compromise Chalky and vibrant with great balance and a long finish Skillogalee, Sparkling Riesling N/V, Australia, $27 90 #783597 Private wine stores

Wow! Chockablock with character! Ripe pungent aromas of diesel and lemon curd. Dis tinctively Riesling with the added bonus of bubbles. Hello, tuna sashimi. 1997 Poderi Alasia, Alasia Brut, Italy, $28.99 #116947 Private wine stores

If you like a fuller style of Champagne, the Poderi Alasia offers a less expensive alter native. Rounder and mellow, it will stand up to richer creamy dishes like chicken fric assee. It’s a rare treat to try a sparkler with a bit of age on it, especially at this price. Roederer Estate Brut N/V, California, $35.95 #414581 Private wine stores

One of California’s best Champagne look alikes This graceful sparkling wine expresses ripe pear and lemon with a long nutty finish

Nicolas Feuillate, Réser ve Par ticulière, Brut, Champagne, France, $55.51 #80283

If Champagne is stretching your budget, but you just can’t resist, the Feuillate Réser ve Par ticulière is a good option Sitting at the lower end of the Champagne price spectrum, it is an obvious step up in quality from other sparkling wines

Louis Roederer Brut Premier N/V, Champagne, France, $64.95 #26 8771 Definitely one of our top picks among the big Champagne houses Complex, elegant and classy. When you can’t find a Blanc de Blancs, Roederer’s Brut Premier is more than acceptable with oysters.

Gosset, Grande Réser ve, Brut N/V, Champagne, France, $69.99 #213983 A fuller, richer style of Champagne. Lightly toasty with an exquisite creamy texture. It would be delectable with sablefish, but it’s just as easy to drink on its own.

Villa Rinaldi Rosé Rosa Brut N/V, Italy, $70.00 #67 3020 Private wine stores Our favourite “when money is no object” discovery from the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival The Pinot Noir character is evident and there is even a slightly tannic edge More wine than sparkle Bring on the salmon

Delamotte Rosé Brut N/V, Champagne, France, $86.99 #371856 Chalky with prominent ear thy and mushroom flavours A complex and serious Cham pagne that needs food

Giving Life…Style

•

Open

VICTORIAKELOWNA

University Heights Liquor Store 250-382-2814 4-3960 Shelbourne St (in University Heights Mall)

Waterfront Wines 250-979-1222 103-1180 Sunset Dr (in the Cultural District)

Central Park Liquor Store 250-763-2600 300-1500 Banks Rd (in Central Park Shopping Centre)

C h e f s Ta l k

Compiled by Ceara Lornie

Where were you cooking 10 years ago?

Jeff Keenliside The Marina Restaurant 250.598.8555

VANCOUVER

Josh Wolfe COA ST Restaurant 604 685 5010

Ten years ago I was cooking at Centro Grill and Wine Bar in Toronto It was my first year as an apprentice under Marc Thuet and David Lee Those days we were smoking our own salmon and curing our own duck prosciutto One dish I’ll never forget was a carpaccio of foie gras and veal that was created for chef Anton Mossiman at a dinner in his honour Those were the days!

William Tse- Goldfish Pacific Kitchen 604.689.8318

Ten years I was working at the Delta Pacific Resor t and Confer ence Centre under the watchful eye of Wolfgang Leske. I was running large banquets of up to 650 people as well as working the restaurant line. I was cooking foods from Europe, China, Japan, India and many other par ts of the world as well. My ex posure to these different cuisines helped mould me into the chef I am today.

Ryan Gauthier Italian Kitchen 604 687 2858

I was at Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House ten years ago I was in the first year of my apprenticeship and trying to keep my head above water like a bobble Each day being like a Friday and as busy as the last I was learning the ropes on the hot appetizer section Playing with ingredients like cedar planked salmon, oys ters by the millions and bacon wrapped scallops Oh, how things have changed

John Crook- Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar...604602.0835

Do I remember ten years ago like it was yesterday? I sure do. A cooking apprenticeship under my apron tie and a notion to re locate to New York City, I took the plunge. This meant waking daily at 5 a.m. to help a local bread baker finish his morning shift which gave me 15 minutes to run ten blocks and prepare for pas try cooking school. It was school until 4 p.m., then a sprint to be on time for my evening volunteering shift at the prestigious Pa yard Patisserie. After months of running his evening production kitchen, I moved on to a similar routine at Restaurant Daniel working under Pastry Chef Thomas Hass I would work 18 hours a day for a year of my life Sunday was “sleep and study” day Do I remember what I was cooking? What wasn’t I cooking?”

Rober t Belcham Fuel Restaurant 604.288.7905

I think I was a chef de par tie at The Aerie resor t on Vancouver Island It is a bit of a blur I remember Jonothan Chovancek and I having to write a completely new seven course tasting menu every day I also remember John Grove constantly burning him self in pastry and Jason Hoskins going WWWH H HOOOOOOO I am star ting to get misty

Mark McEwan Sanafir...604.678.1049

In 1998 I was in Calgary, working as a second year apprentice at the Village Park Inn. Learning the ways of the kitchen and gain ing my share of cuts and burns, I was ready to take charge of the garde manger station for the hotel’s restaurant and ban quets. Daily tasks included preparation of numerous sand wiches, soups and salads Perfecting my crème caramel recipe was a memorable highlight I soon became a peeling pro skin ning cases upon cases of honeydew melons and pineapples for the Sunday brunch fruit and cheese platters A decade ago, my fruit peeling prowess was unsurpassed!

Richard Tyhi Zin Restaurant 604.408.1700

Ten years ago? Let’s see if my memory works that far back 1998 I was working as sous chef for Jean Francis Quaglia at Provence Mediterranean Grill We had just opened to an amazing re sponse in December of 1997 The food, as it is to this day at both locations, was fresh Provençal inspired cuisine traditional, homey and comfor ting Jean Francis’s take on the food he grew up with.

Jeremie Bastien Boneta 604.684.1844

Ten years ago I was 15 and working at my father's restaurant Le Mitoyen in Laval. Back then I was peeling and chopping vegeta bles, bussing tables, washing dishes you name it I did cook for myself though and at that time was probably perfecting my recipe for poulet à la diable a chicken dish with cayenne and plenty of other spice My job description is very different now but I haven't lost my potato peeling skills!"

Ten years ago I was 28 and cooking in Europe, I was head chef at London’s L’Escargot (one Michelin star). I was cooking roast squab with girolles and salad of black truffles. Before that I spent four years at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons (two Michelin star) and I will never forget the 'Assiette Terre et Mer'. This dish com prised seven different fish/shellfish with seven different veg etable garnishes and seven different sauces it was a complete nightmare for the kitchen If you hadn’t arrived early and weren’t completely and utterly organized you were going the way of the Titanic!

Travis Williams The Cascade Room 604.709.8650

A blast from the past, here goes I began 1998 working as the chef of a restaurant that I would like to remain nameless, as it was not one of the high points of my career Upon leaving this restaurant on good terms, I was a free agent At this point in my life I wanted to continue to hone existing skill sets and learn new ones, particularly at high volume restaurants. Nearing the end of the summer of 1998, I joined the kitchen team at Cin Cin. At the time we were cooking Mediterranean and Italian classics. I sure got what I was looking for, high end food at high volume. I still have a great deal of fondness every time I cross the threshold at Cin Cin.

VICTORIA

Greg Ward Pescatores 250.385.4512

I was fresh out of culinary school and working in Banff Alber ta at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge I was usually getting yelled at by a German chef that wanted everything faster and better We worked with local game meats such as buffalo, venison, caribou and eventually elk Rich demis, berries, trendy baby vegetables and hand cut spätzle also made it to the plate. I think there might have been some sor t of strudel too.

Allan Yanes Smoken Bones Cookshack 250.391.6328

Ten years ago I was a 12 year old living in Guatemala playing soc cer, going to school and learning about my mom’s love of food. I would be right beside my mom every time she cooked As I watched her cook, she showed me how everything was done but would never tell me the recipes whether it was jocon, hi lachas or chiles rellenos, my favorite foods from Guatemala But now that I'm older and still learning all I can about food, my mom more than happily tells me all the family recipes so they're never forgotten and one day I will add my own touch

Richard Benson Vic’s Steak House and Bar 250.385.2405

Wow ten years ago, I was back in Edmonton working at Charac ters Fine Dining, as par t of the opening team We were using nothing but the finest ingredients our chef could source out We were cooking all across the board, from French to Asian infusion and then back to Canada really a wide spectrum of flavours, techniques and styles. It was a great time in my career. I gained a lot of knowledge and absorbed everything I could from my peers.

Bruce Batty Bon Rouge 250.220.8008

Ten years ago, I had the pleasure of working for Shelly Gudgeon at 5th St Bar and Grill I was a young line cook with the drive and ambition to rise within the kitchen ranks and become a chef Fond memories from 5th St include their notorious wood fired grill and rotisserie which to this day I still miss There is nothing like preparing food on equipment which is in your con trol First on my prep list every day was to star t a fire how fun is that! If the fire goes out, the house sinks That being said, there was a fairly black evening when my proud fire was so hot that nuclear winter was created in the kitchen! Early night for me!

Candace Har tley Dunsmuir Lodge 250.656.3166

Ten Years ago I was just finishing up at the Empress Hotel as chef in charge of the Empress Room (a great job that I liked very much). I have spent the last ten years (has it really been that long?) at Dunsmuir Lodge. This job is very satisfying as I have a great crew in the kitchen and I have the control to buy local and make the menus to reflect that. Working with the Island Chef ’s Collaborative has been great as we are now getting the word out about suppor ting our farmers and trying to make a difference A big thanks to E AT magazine for the information and suppor t these past ten years and here is to another ten!

Ten years ago I had just finished up my apprenticeship at Café Brio and I was working the saucier station at that time. From the June 5th menu of 1998 we were cooking flank steaks with oyster mushroom and potato hash and arugula salad, roast duck breast with grilled asparagus and rhubarb por t sauce, and grilled sock eye with smoked cod brandade cake, rapini and crème fraiche and tomato oil and of course who can forget creamed morels on grilled bread I have a lot of fond memories from this time in my career We had a lot of fun and worked with some great prod ucts

Chris Ruge Brentwood Bay Lodge and Spa 250.544.2079

I was working in Muskoka, Ontario at the Lake Joseph Club mak ing a whopping $8 75 an hour and working all stations in the joint Too many doubles, too much beer and too few women

Shawn Morrison- Verjus Restaurant 250.595.1112

Ten years ago I had just finished my apprenticeship and although I had been cooking since the late 80s this period of my life was a quantum shift in my perception of food and what food could be. This is when I first star ted to realize that not every plate had to be a 3" wide 9" tall architectural mar vel held aloft with pure testosterone fueled angst. Discovering slow food was a real epiphany for me. I realized food could be beautiful and elegant in and of itself and that three perfectly prepared components could be way more satisfying to the palate as well as the eye Less is more!

Ben Peterson Heron Rock Bistro 250.383.1545

Spring 1998? I was a fresh faced teenager just back from an epic European walkabout and was a dough kneading cheese grater at Boston Pizza My first appointment as a 'cook'!

THE ISLAND

Trent McIntyre- Atlas Cafe 250.338.9838

Ten years ago we were still in our infancy stage at Atlas. My wife and I lived above the cafe working fifteen hour days, doing breakfast, lunch and dinner ser vice six days a week. I was des perately trying to evolve the menu from day time lunch that dou bled as an evening menu to a more sophisticated dinner menu. We originally were predominately vegetarian and had very little protein on the menu. I was experimenting with all sorts of meats and fish and had such excitement for the discovery of new food and cooking techniques Looking back it brings fond memories, but time always has a way of covering the reality of blood sweat and tears

Lisa Metz Tita’s Mexican Restaurant 250.334.80 33

I was farming on remote Maurelle Island and cooking the fresh est, juiciest food in existence! Cooking became one continuous recipe from planting all the most exciting vegetables to ser ving up the pasta primavera This time of year the kale would be put ting out some sweet spring growth and my milksheep would have lambed and star ted milking Oh! Now I am missing the spring kale calzones with fresh sheep's cheese and lamb chorizo sausage.

John Waller The Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn 250.725.3100

Ten years ago I was cooking at Canoe as a saucier with Anthony Walsh who helped me appreciate the wonderful bounty of Cana dian cuisine

OK ANAGAN

Patrick Leduc sous chef at the Toasted Oak Wine Bar and Grill 250.498.4867

I was in high school, cooking in a chefs training program at Dover Bay Secondar y School The instructor at the time was Chef Mc Neil He was the first chef that I had worked for We did some fine dining for the teachers for their lunch and this is when I star ted my cooking career, as a high school student with pas sion and determination to become a chef. From then on, I have worked towards owning my own restaurant. Over the last ten years I have had great oppor tunities to cook with cutting edge chefs as well as classical chefs, playing with all types of food like abalone in Bamfield with chef Mark Myres. We had the chance to cook with locally farmed abalone from the only place that abalone was farmed in BC. Now I am in the Okanagan playing with local products as well as beautiful wines, it is amazing The trip over the last 10 years has been educational and exciting

David Hawksworth Hawksworth at The Hotel Georgia (opening late 2009)