EAT Magazine 13-02 March|April 2009

When the Federal government unveiled its stimulus plan in the recent budget, a provision allowing for a Home Renovation Tax Credit caught the eye of many homeowners. This deduction offers a 15% deduction (anything spent up to a maximum of $10,000 would be eligible) on your 2009 tax return for work performed on an eligible dwelling (or the land that forms par t of the eligible dwelling) and includes the cost of labour and professional ser vices, building materials, fixtures, rentals, and permits. Under the guidelines of eligible projects are kitchen renos, putting in a new carpet, painting your house and laying new sod While my kitchen could cer tainly use a few improvements and the old dwelling a fresh coat of paint, it was the eligibility of sod that gave me pause. Sod? Lawnmowers? Increased carbon footprint? Hmm… perhaps there’s another way? I’d like to propose to anyone thinking of using this Tax Credit that they consider putting in a vegetable garden one big enough to meet at least some of your family’s food needs There are historic precedents for countries planting vegetable gardens during hard times (Read Julie Pegg’s ar ticle on page 7 called The New Victory G arden ) Not only would an edible garden qualify under the provisions of the Canada Revenue Agency and save you money, it would accomplish two additional things other home renovations might not.

By planting a vegetable garden you would not only be providing your family with fresh, local and healthy food that could reaped year after year, you would be making a contribution to British Columbia’s food security at a time when knowing where your food is coming from is quickly becoming a major priority And what could be more satisfying than sitting outside and watching a lettuce “lawn” grow? Bon appétit, G ary Hynes, Editor Concierge

Victoria: Katie Zdybel, Nanaimo: Su Grimmer, Comox Valley: Hans Peter Meyer Tofino | Uclulet: Kira Rogers, Vancouver: Julie Pegg, Okanagan: Jennifer Schell

Contributors Larry Arnold, Michelle Bouffard, Jennifer Danter, Pam Durkin, Gillie Easdon, Andrei Fedorov, Jeremy Ferguson, Nathan Fong, Lorraine Forster, Duncan Holmes, Mara Jernigan, Chris Johns, Tracey Kusiewicz, Tara Lee, Andrew Lewis, Ceara Lornie, Sherri Mar tin, Kathryn McAree, Michaela Morris, Colin Newell, Julie Pegg, Karen Platt, Treve Ring, Kira Rogers, John Schreiner, John Sherlock, Elizabeth Smyth, Chris Mason Stearns, Michael Tourigny, Sylvia Weinstock, Rebecca Wellman

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

Adver tising: Lorraine Browne (Vancouver Island), Paul Kamon, Danica Jeffery (Vancouver), Kira Rogers (Tofino), G ary Hynes (agencies, regional and national) 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 epicureandtravel.com

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

THE CONCIERGE DESK

For more events visit THE BULLETIN BOARD at www eatmagazine

March

DINE AROUND and STAY IN TOWN

One week left to experience this mouth wa tering dining event in Victoria the city that boasts the 2nd highest number of restaurants per capita in Nor th America Over 50 local restaurants are par ticipating by offering three course menus for $20, $30, or $40 per person, all paired with BC VQA wine suggestions Visit tourismvictoria com for details

VANCOUVER PL AYHOUSE INTERNAT IONAL WINE FESTIVAL

One of B C’s favourite wine events featuring tastings, multi course lunches, winery dinners, educational seminars, rare boardroom tast ings, wine minglers, and grazing events Don’t miss your chance to taste extraordinary wines from BC and around the world.

[SPONSORED BY EAT MAGAZINE]

SECOND ANNUAL WINEMAKER’S CUP

ON MT.BALDY

Join winemakers, cellarhands, vineyard man agers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and ser vers for a getaway on the slopes. Last year Bill Eg ger t from Fair view Cellars won the race in a razor tight finish The timed results have been hotly contested ever since. Don’t miss the chance to win this year Mar 6, 7 Visit winebc com for more information

QUADY DESSERT COMPETITION

Pastry chefs and cooks are invited to enter this competition on Mar 7 as part of the Playhouse Winefest Contest is judges by respected chefs and food media; finalists’ creations are show cased at the popular Annual Awards Lunch eon This year’s catch: desser t must pair well with Starboard, a por t style wine. Winner gets a trip for two to Sierra Mountains, C A See planitbc com for more details

20th ANNUAL GROCERY SHOWC A SE WEST

2 days, 400 exhibits, 4500 industry pros gather at the showcase to celebrate the gro cery industry in Western Canada, rub elbows and share new ideas, and listen in on guest speakers For a full program, visit cfig ca Mar 10 11 at the Vancouver Convention & E xhibi tion Centre.

DINING OUT FOR LIFE BC

Over 200 restaurants from Whistler to White Rock will donate 25% of all food revenue from meals sold on Mar 12 to AIDS All money raised from this event go to A Loving Spoonful and Friends For Life BC charities suppor ting local people living with AI DS For a full list of par ticipating restaurants go to diningoutfor life.com.

ABIGAIL'S FOODIE FIX

Join Executive Chef Matthew McGinn on Sat urday, March 14, as he teams up with local Sommelier Louise Wilson for a three hour cooking class and wine seminar Enjoy a five course delectable dinner, paired with fine BC wines. Special hotel rates. $95, Abigail’s Hotel, 906 McClure Street, Victoria, 1 800 561 6565 / 250) 361 1986

4th NAT IONAL FARM to C AFETERIA CONFERENCE in PORTL AND

This year’s conference, “Going the Distance and Shor tening it, From Farm to Cafeteria,” ex plores the challenges and oppor tunities that come with the success of the movement Dur ing the opening plenary, attendees will hear from youth about their actions to improve school meals Get inspired and bring some ideas back to BC! Mar 19, visit farmtocafeteri aconference.com for details.

Mar. 27th Bourgogne: Tour de Terroir with Michelle Bouffard & Michaela Morris, 5pm, $60.

Mar. 29th Vintner’s Brunch A wine and food pairing extravaganza with Vancouver’s top restaurants. Judge’s Choice Awards. 11:30 am, $129

Mar. 23 29, a full calendar can be seen at playhousewinefest.com

YOUTH CULINARY SPRING C AMP at PIC A Got a budding chef at home? Sign them up for the Teen Four Day Spring Break Camp at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts $375 includes foraging trips to Granville Island Public Market and a Fisherman’s Wharf Tour as well as Din ing Etiquette Workshop and a chance to cook Spanish, Italian, and French themed menus under the tutelage of top chefs. Mar 17 20. Visit picachef com for details

April

FOO DROOTS SUSTAINABLE FE A ST to SUPPORT TLC

TLC and local food distribution co op Food Roots are pairing up for this Sustainable Feast Lana Popham of Barking Dog Vineyards will be speaking. Cost is $30, call 250 385 7974 for tickets Apr 4, held in Victoria at the Fairfield Community Centre

JAPANESE CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Just across the water, Seattle celebrates Japan ese cuisine, tea ceremonies, and ar t Takes place Apr 17 19 at the peek of the cherry blos soms along Lake Washington Blvd, where Japan’s gift of 1000 blossoming cherry trees to the city were planted in 1976 Visit seattlecen ter.com for more information.

BIKE THE BLOSSOMS, SLOW FOO D VANCOUVER

Embrace Spring by cycling through the cherry trees at their pinkest peek. Farmers and eater ies open up the doors to cyclers for coffee and treat stops A delicious event that truly cele brates food in slow style. Check out the Slow Food Vancouver website for details

OK ANAGAN SPRING WINE FESTIVAL

Festival begins Apr. 30 and carries on into May offering a perfect marriage of wine and culi nary tourism 100 events celebrate the first buds of the grape season in the beautiful Okanagan. Check owfs.com for event listings and details

Culinar y intelligence for the

by Katie Zdybel

The

The British Columbia Hospitality Foundation Founders Dinner II: BC’s culinar y elite rally to support their own

Left: chef Jeff van Geest speaks to the assembled Right: Wild Muskox Tenderloin, Veal Jus Ravioli, Caramelized Chanterelle Mushroom & Bison Shor t Rib Risotto. Read the full story at www eatmagazine ca

Nichol Vineyards Wine Makers Dinner

Cafe

www nicholvineyard com

Over

Multi course Beer Dinner at Philips Brewing Co.

New lounge opens at Chateau Victoria

Chef Stadtländer attends Vic Film Festival

from left: Wine agent David Leigh showing off his recession proof Fuzion, a red wine from Argentina which sells for $8.95.; Ottavio’s brought Avonlea Clothbound cheddar from P.E.I.; and Mr. & Mrs. Cheese came from Nanaimo’s McLeans Specialty Foods.

On January 29th Cascadia Liquor Store officially celebrated the launch of their new store located in the Town and Country Shopping Centre.

Emily Austen, Assistant Manager for Cascadia Liquor (Town and Country), Pamela Sanderson, Regional GM Cascadia

minute I entered Clive’s Classic Lounge in the Chateau Victoria I thought Single Malt That’s the kind of place this new addition to the city’s lounge scene suggests. Swish meets retro with class.

Pictured: Designer Nicky Proman, Michelle Le Sage & bar namesake and hotel owner Clive Piercy

Brio hosted winemaker Ross Hackwor th (r) and winery agent Sasha McCauley (l) and guests for a 5 course dinner showcasing the wines of this Naramata cult winery Kickass: Venison Strip loin with Smoked Venison Meat Balls chestnut puree and cranberry salt with Nichol Vineyards Syrah Reser ve 2005

Michael Stadtländer (l) attending the Victoria premier of his documentary The Islands Project at the Victoria Film Festival. With him is par tner Nobuyo and Mara Jernigan of Fairburn Farm. pssst… Stad lander is opening a new restaurant Haisai in Singhampton, Ontario.

100 farmers and chefs gathered at the Fairmont Empress to network, exchange business cards and to hear presentations from members of the Island Chefs Collaborative Read the full story at www.eatmagazine.ca

Chef Jason Liezer t of Niche and Matt Philips of Philips Brewing Company hosted a mult course dinner at the brewery where beer was matched with each course Read the full story at www eatmagazine ca

GOOD FOR YOU

by Pam Durkin

The Med Diet

Castillo Canena

This 100% Arbequina extra virgin olive oil has distinctive fruity qualities that combine with finesse to create complex aromas and flavours. The initial fragrance is of green apples, lemon peel and herbs and this give way to tastes of ripe banana and bitter almonds, finished with gentle notes of spice.

Available at fine stores around BC

Imagine a diet devoid of calorie count ing and deprivation, full of enough flavourful food to satisfy even the most discriminating palate A diet that would not only help you maintain a trim weigh but protect you from chronic disease, ward off depression and lengthen your life Sound too good to be true? Well, this is one diet that isn’t. G arnering praise from med ical and culinary exper ts alike, the Mediter ranean diet is the traditional eating pattern adhered to for millennia by people living in countries bordering the Mediterranean The diet’s emphasis on fresh, local plant foods, seafood, olive oil, spices and red wine has even inspired a campaign to safeguard this traditional way of eating from the global spread of fast foods.

The Mediterranean diet first attracted worldwide attention in the 1940s when American scientist Ancel Keys discovered that people living in Mediterranean regions had one of the lowest rates of cardiovascu lar and other chronic diseases in the world Later, in 1993, Oldways, a Boston based food think tank founded by a team of inter national medical and culinary exper ts, re leased the “Mediterranean Diet Pyramid” in an effor t to help people who wanted to adopt this traditional, healthy way of eat ing. The pyramid was recently updated to reflect the findings of ongoing research into the health benefits of the diet For instance, herbs such as rosemary, oregano, basil and garlic have been added to the base of the pyramid to reflect not only their dominant role in the diet’s flavour profile but also their role as outstanding antioxidants.

What exactly do these Mediterranean folks eat that makes them so healthy? Their diet traditionally includes vegetables, grains, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, seafood, farm fresh cheese, yogur t, eggs and moderate consumption of red wine In addition, food is made robust with liberal use of herbs, spices and heart healthy olive

oil. Red meat, butter and sweets are used only occasionally, and heavily processed foods are non existent.

Fur thermore, when meat is included, leaner cuts of lamb and veal are the pre ferred choice, and por tions are much smaller than is typical in North America But it isn’t just what is on the plate that sets this diet apar t As Massimo Segato, co owner of Italian Food Impor ts Ltd. on Blan shard Street, notes, “ The Mediterranean diet isn’t a diet per se it’s a well balanced way of eating, a lifestyle, that celebrates the taste and flavour of food and marries that with reconnecting with family and friends Dinners aren’t rushed events we don’t watch TV while eating we enjoy the food and each other’s company ” The ex per ts at Oldways concur with Segato They also cite lifestyle habits like enjoying meals with family and friends and regular physi cal activity as key health enhancing com ponents of the Mediterranean diet.

And this traditional way of eating is healthy A growing body of evidence now suggests that following the Mediterranean diet can help prevent cer tain cancers, dia betes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s It has also been found to alleviate the devas tating effects of rheumatoid ar thritis and chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis.

Regrettably, this healthy, traditional way of eating has been losing some ground within the Mediterranean region itself Like many places around the globe, obesity is on the rise in the region due to inactivity brought about by longer working hours, time spent in front of computers and the encroachment of Nor th American fast food. Sensing their heritage under siege, repre sentatives from Italy, Greece, Spain and Morocco have petitioned the U N to add the Mediterranean diet to its World Heritage list and grant it “protected” status just like his toric sites A decision is expected later this year In the meantime, Oldways continues its international promotion of the Mediter ranean diet, citing it as “the gold standard for eating patterns that promote life long good health.” Their par tner website, www.mediterraneanmark.org, has a wealth of mouth watering recipes sure to tempt you into beginning your own culinary ex ploration of the Mediterranean Once you’ve experienced these delights, you just might want to petition the U N yourself!

For more information on which foods are the Mediterranean Super Foods go to www.eatmagazine.ca

Here’s one diet that’s not a fad.

During World Wars I, and I I demands on Britain’s domestic food system escalated. Shipping routes were blocked and times were lean. Growing one’s own fruits and vegetables, sewing seeds by the sackful, became both an act of patriot ism and a necessity “doing one’s bit for the war effor t ” Edible gardens (The govern ment labelled them “Victory Gardens) speck led every village and city to raise morale and combat food shor tage.

Sixty years on we again find ourselves more and more in troubled times Modern concerns revolve around the environment, climate change, food security and sustain ability Add to that the economic downturn and kids who figure food grows under golden arches. The time is ripe for a Victory G arden comeback.

Victor y Then

My grandfather dug a Victory Garden just be yond his East Anglia blacksmith shop He sustained a family of nine almost year round with cabbages, carrots, beets, potatoes and berries especially gooseberries. “And the varieties of fruits and vegetables we grew”, says Dad He remembers his father planting a half dozen early and late har vest cab bages brushing snow off a deep green curly winter Savoy And talk about recycling Pipes and rusted out dustbins ser ved as planters. Discarded windows became ideal cold frames.

In London, plots backed onto Liverpool Street’s railway tracks (Many still do ) My folks say the Brits sacrificed “lawns, public land and cricket pitches for cabbages ” Even King George VI turned some turf in St James’s Park for vegetables.

Britain also spurred the Americans to “dig for victory”. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt ploughed up a bit of White House lawn Canadian politicians, less keen on the move ment, held out, but the Victory G arden Brigade triumphed By 1943, Canadian Hor ticulture and Home was publishing monthly magazine ar ticles on victory gardening. Seed companies bought the concept lock, stock and seed packet. The Vancouver Her ald wrote, “If Victory G ardens in British Co lumbia were lumped together, they would occupy a space approximately three times the size of Vancouver’s great Stanley Park ” At that time, the paper said, there were 1,425 gardens on city owned lots.

Victor y Now

Urbanites again are digging up dir t on veg etables They are standing up against the trucking and over commercialization of food, and for food security, increased flavour and nutritional value, a decreased carbon foot print and increased biodiversity. Nearly 6,000 strains of tomatoes exist, yet fewer than 15 are bred commercially And most of

those, to quote “ The End of Food” author Thomas Pawlick, are tough and tasteless as tennis balls.

Last summer, London’s Royal Parks de par tment resurrected the World War I I Dig for Victory allotment in St James’s Park Tended by school groups and community volunteers, it became a working example of how to grow fruit and vegetables, attract wildlife and recycle waste. In San Francisco, Slow Food Nation revitalized Civic Center Plaza’s wanton lawn with thousands of fruit and veggie plants Overwhelming public suppor t, convinced Mayor Gavin Newsom to extend its May September run until Novem ber

The City of Vancouver has not yet sprouted seeds among the concrete in the name of victory. But community gardens aren’t new. Numbering around 25 30 (find a list at www cityfarmer org/vanccomgard83 html), more are underway Last year, Onni Devel opments replaced, in par tnership with Van couver Public Spaces Network (VPS N) an eyesore bit of turf at Seymour and Davie, with 60 plots, until condo development goes ahead complete with gardening spots for tenants

More and more, gardeners are exchanging azaleas for zucchini, giving up grass for greens, planting potatoes instead of pan sies Schools are fostering edible gardens And the kids are keen. The Sharing Back yards program (www.sharingbackyards.com) in Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo connects people yard space to spare and those looking for a place to grow food Last August, Dominic and Suzanne Fielden from Rocky Mountain Flat bread invited several urban farmer/gar dener/educators, and media to discuss the growing pains and pleasures of cultivat ing an edible garden. Victoria author Carolyn Herriot (A Year on the G arden Path) writes G ardenWise’s The New Victory G arden blog online

Planting your own little victory corner need not be intimidating. Claim a window box, balcony, rooftop, patch of yard, or com munity plot. Star t small. Sow a few herbs, maybe a pot of cool climate greens for the salad bowl lettuces, arugula, spinach and chard As days become warmer and longer, pot some tiny, sweet tomatoes, English cukes, a few peppers

I plucked last season’s tomatoes from the vine December 6th just two pints for a sim ple roasted tomato sauce. Christmas Day I brushed a foot of snow off the herb box Peeking through the white stuff were enough tiny sage leaves and rosemary sprigs for a savoury stuffing Victory never tasted so sweet

For plotting and planting: useful info go to www.eatmagazine.ca

"Our Business Volume Has Increased"

Easy Car ve Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint and Walnut Crust

Butcher shops can butterfly a leg of lamb for you It involves removing the leg bone so you can get spread out the meat and have it look more a like a thick cut steak. Doing this speeds up cooking time and makes car ving a leg of lamb much easier.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: see Note Makes: 8 ser vings

1 (5 6 lb) leg of lamb, boned and butterflied

3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup walnut halves

1/4 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 medium garlic cloves, sliced

1 Tbsp breadcrumbs

2 1/2 cups beef or lamb stock (see Note)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the mint, walnuts, oil and garlic in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place the lamb, fatty side up, in a large roasting pan. Spread the mint/walnut mixture on the top the lamb Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and breadcrumbs Roast the lamb for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325˚F and cook to the desired doneness, about 30 minutes more for medium rare (see Note)

When cooked, set the lamb on a platter, tent with foil and rest 15 minutes

While the lamb rest, make jus to ser ve with it To do so, remove excess fat from the roasting pan. Set the roasting pan on the stovetop and pour in the beef or lamb stock. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes.

Slice the lamb and arrange on a platter. Ser ve the jus in sauceboat alongside.

Note: The best way to check lamb for doneness is to use an instant read meat thermometer, remembering that the meat will continue to cook once removed from the oven and allowed to rest before slicing For rare lamb, the internal temperature in the centre of the thickest par t of the meat should be 125 130ºF For medium rare it should be 130 135°F. Medium lamb should be 140°F (60°C), and well done 150°F.

Note: You can purchase beef stock ready to use, but not lamb stock If want to use lamb stock for the jus, ask the butcher to give you the leg bone after he butterflies the leg and make stock with it.

India is Mother Ear th’s spice box Cumin, coriander, cardamom and the rest grew up in that subcontinental hothouse, as if the gods were hoarding all their pleasures in one niche Pepper ranks as the oldest spice in the world. What’s more, it’s had a rip snor ting history.

Indians have been cultivating the pepper plant for thousands of years They probably introduced the process to Java, where a Hindu empire rose up in the ninth century It was Java’s pepper that prompted the Dutch to conquer Indonesia in 1596, and the race for spices was on. For 200 years. But pepper had been impor tant in Europe even in the Middle Ages. It gave excitement to the gruel that fuelled the masses, masked routinely rancid flavours and served as prophylactic to microbial growth The European appetite for it grew insatiable Yet its principal impor tance for well over 1,500 years was as currency: peppercorns, don’t leave home without them Attila the Hun demanded his ransom for sparing Rome to be paid, among other things, in peppercorns. Pepper could pay the rent or buy a serf ’s freedom. People could even pay their taxes in peppercorns (just don’t try it with Revenue Canada) and lord knows what else: Monsieur, zat will be 350 peppercorns plus GST Pepper was integral to any re spectable dowry And it was the best of inheritances

Christopher Columbus thought he was in India consuming pepper when he was in the Caribbean eating chilies. He was the nerd who mistakenly put the “pepper” in chili pepper

So sail the seas and pack your holds with black gold, matey The trade winds sent ex plorers and adventurers all over the globe in search of pepper

True peppercorns are black, white and green. Black derives from the near ripened berry, dried into little pellets of flavour that hit the tongue like exploding grenades. White comes from the fully ripened fruit, husk removed Green peppercorns are the unripe, often pickled fruit All of them are easy to love, individually or in tandem Peppercorn pretenders have their own legitimacy In Argentina a few years ago, I saw pink peppercorns not really pepper, but the fruit of the mastic tree growing wild everywhere. Argentines treat them as weeds and find it amazing that Canadians actually eat them.

Nor are Sichuan peppercorns really pepper, but the seeds of the prickly ash tree, rightly prized for their tongue numbing titillation and racy, complex flavour

Today the pepper plant thrives through out the exotic world Connoisseurs have their favourites, invariably those from India’s Malabar or southwest coast

Another favourite is the Sarawak pepper grown in Malaysian Borneo. Some years ago, my wife and I took dugout canoes up the Rajang River into the interior. We spent a day with former headhunters now turned to the gentler craft of growing pepper Oddly, they didn’t touch a speck of their cel ebrated crop At the tribal longhouse, we were mor tified over a lunch of tasteless starches with the consistency of cement blocks.

What are contemporary restaurants doing? Mostly taking it for granted, except for le peppier, the zombie with the oversized grinder, attacking our dinners like the crop duster in Hitchcock’s Nor th by Nor thwest

But pepper belongs everywhere: in soups and salads, salsas and sauces, in stews and stir fries, on roasts and grills, shellfish and fishes, fowl and meats And don’t forget the giddying alchemy between pepper and dark chocolate. Or the way pepper ignites fresh strawberries and peaches.

My favourite pepper orgy is to make a crust of cracked black, white, pink and green peppercorns, and then throw in some ground Sichuan peppercorns for good measure

I use a ceramic grinder: it’s almost as sharp as diamonds, maintains its cutting edge much longer than metal and crushes maximum flavour and aroma from the pep percorns.

Before grinding or cracking, I dry toast each peppercorn group until aromas begin to waft from the fry pan This brings out residual oils and natural flavours

The beauty of this is, the crust works as well with a thick slab of halibut as it does with a striploin steak, and as well with a pan as a barbecue.

Lately, I’ve been dallying as I go about this. I fill a mar tini glass with vodka, prefer ably triple distilled French. I infuse this with a teaspoon of the toasted, still warm black peppercorns I let it sit for as long as I can keep my hands off it, the pepper oils seep ing into the vodka Then I strain the pepper out

This pepper mar tini is not for the faint of palate. It’s startling, spicy and very, very hot.

I add a squir t of lemon zest, lemon and pepper being natural lovers. And then a cou ple of ice cubes to relieve the heat before my scalp catches fire and my eyes roll around to the back of my head What a buzz

The headhunters don’t know what they’re missing

RESTAURANT CULTURE

CHAPTER FOUR

By Gillie Easdon

In Victoria’s Kitchens Six degrees

Last issue we read about Victoria’s coming of age and Herald Street Caffe. Now, we continue on as we follow one of the protagonists in his next venture which became a prolific spawning ground for the new generation of culinary influencers.

Café Brio, l’Ecole, Camille’s and Spinnaker’s

But it wasn’t over for Greg Hayes. He knew what he wanted a gorgeous restaurant with real Italian food. He and Silvia set out to find the right location. They found it in an empty parking lot at 944 For t St. Hayes headed straight for City Hall to rifle through the microfiche in the front lobby and discovered that the land was owned by Grif fin Plumbing He made a call It was the right call The pair went from bank to bank seek ing funding for a restaurant and no one would see them, until they approached Toronto Dominion They’d found some Herald Street groupies TD welcomed Hayes and Marcolini, and the road to Café Brio was paved Café Brio opened in 1997 with Sean Brennan in the kitchen and Marc Morrison on the floor. Brennan put Brio on the map with his cutting edge cuisine, earning the restaurant “killer reviews,” says a beaming Greg Hayes. He later hired Chris Dignan as sous chef. When Brennan moved on, Jeff Keenliside took over, and Dignan followed in 2003. The most recent chef is Laurie Munn, known for his charcuterie and handmade cheeses.

In 2001, a dream team of sommelier Marc Morrison and chef Sean Brennan opened Brasserie L’Ecole, offering up superb cuisine in a chic yet welcoming French bistro, kitty cor ner to the Chinatown gates

Brennan had been in Victoria since 1995 originally coming here to work at Harvest Moon, intended to be a satellite venue for the concept restaurant company Raincoast with Karen Barnaby (The Fish House in Stanley Park) and Mara Jernigan (Fairburn Farm). From there he went to Vin Santo where he first met Marc Morrison. Then it was on to the Metropolitan (present site of Brasserie L’Ecole). Then to Café Brio with Greg Hayes in ’97, where they “threw local in people’s faces … [like] guinea hen from Saanich,” says Brennan. When the Chef Sommelier Guild offered their first sommelier program, Morrison jumped at the op por tunity and Brennan moved on to Spinnakers Morrison and Brennan had spoken about opening a place together, “the kind of place we would want to go to,” explains Morrison “We like to go out a lot, but we don’t want to spend a lot of money ” At the time, explains Brennan, “no one was really doing French wines save the French restaurants It was all Cal Ital ” Brasserie L’Ecole opened its doors in December 2001 on a shoestring With 48 seats, “it always feels like it’s full,” says Morrison with a smile. “ There’s a comfor t feeling that the room generates.” Corey Korenicki (Wren) and Jeff Heatherington (Pig BBQ Joint) are among past Brasserie staff.

From the outset, Brasserie L’Ecole was busy, but their success was fur ther confirmed in November 2002 when enRoute magazine published its first “Best Restaurants in Canada” sur vey and the restaurant came in third The ar ticle was picked up by the National Post ~

The story of Victoria’s restaurant scene continues to unfurl and branch out, an ebb and flow of restaurants, staff, owners and chefs Yet amid this, some places provide continuity One of these is that monster of success in the basement, namely David Mincey and Paige Robinson’s Camille’s Fine West Coast Dining, which has endured, thrived and succeeded for 20 years. Bastion Square was a harrowing site in the late 1980s when Camille’s opened. “It was terrible,” says Mincey. “Drugs, open prostitution. The staff would not want to come to work.” The area was designed to look like a for t, which provided a fer tile playground for Victoria’s underbelly Extensive renovations to the square in 1991, with new lighting, paint ing and paving, were more than welcome

Greg Hayes

“For a long time we were the new restaurant, and then one day we just weren’t. When did that happen?” says Mincey with a smile, “[In the 1980s] there was no such thing as local produce Every restaurant got the same meats from the same places but that has all changed now ” Tipping his hat to Sooke Harbour House and also attributing increased knowledge of how food is acquired and crafted to the Food Network and the Internet, Mincey’s philosophy of food is unyielding As past president of the Island Chefs’ Collab orative, he is radiant as he speaks of working with farmers He notes how current customer attitudes have shifted from always wanting the same thing at the same restaurant every time, to people coming to a restaurant to see what they have that night. When he first star ted using seasonal only ingredients, he had to take Caesar salads off the menu. “Ro maine only grows here, what, one month a year? But people would leave the restaurant.” People no longer leave for lack of romaine; nor do they leave when presented with evi dence of some ghostly inhabitants; in fact Camille’s is quite renowned for its supernatural elements People sometimes ask to be moved “because they smell cigar smoke or ladies’ perfume,” says Mincey “ Things move around you may set up at night and come to work the next day and a wineglass will be upside down in the middle of the floor There is a crisp air that shifts about the restaurant, so cold you can see your breath ”

Yet the warmth and passion of Mincey and Robinson’s commitment to their restaurant and to sustainable food keeps Camille’s firmly connected to the ear th.

A spinnaker is a large triangular sail that swings out opposite the mainsail and is used when running before the wind. How appropriate a moniker for the first brewpub in Victo ria (second in Canada) currently known as Spinnakers G astro Brewpub & Guesthouses

Flash back to 1982 Paul Hadfield, architect, was trolling for a location No licenses were available downtown and the regulations were stringent One could only own one pub at a time and only two over a lifetime Moreover, many communities did not want pubs “not in my backyard ” Across the tracks on the “wrong side” of the bridge, Hadfield found a south facing, neighbourless, waterfront lot. “It was a no brainer … and waterfront restau rants had a lower propensity of going bankrupt, ” he says.

But remember, pubs were different back then. Pubs did not have windows. They also did not generally ser ve food, save for bar items that floated in glass jars. Hadfield convinced the authorities that water facing windows could not be seen into and thus won approval At the time, the main bars were the Red Lion, the Snug (inser t sigh) and The Beaver at the Empress Unlike other establishments, Hadfield’s vision consisted of an open kitchen alongside the bar, “for the same interaction with the cooks as you would with a bar tender ” His brewpub set an impressive standard for later greats such as Michael Williams’s ar t in fused Swan’s (1989) and Harbour Canoe Club, which is now Don Calveley’s Canoe Brewpub

In June of 1982, Hadfield got the licence and the cash register on the same afternoon and that evening their then 65 seat venue was packed thanks to word of mouth and re peated payphone use. “I wanted to raise the bar and pursue food the same way we how pursue beer … we became ar tisan brewers before ar tisan was a word being used.”

In 1988, concerned and fascinated by chains, with their “better management systems in place, better buying power and better ability to compete,” Hadfield opened two “Noggins” locations in Seattle This was shor t lived; he realized that “my job was here in Victoria there was a huge value in being unique ” Operating Spinnakers as both a brewpub and a restaurant, Hadfield was hyper conscious of over capacity and sought to diversify. Ensuing years included much renovation and the addition of guesthouses, a specialty shop and a front desk featuring housemade choco lates and fine vinegars. The kitchen has been rebuilt twice. The inception of the bar up stairs finally established the downstairs as the restaurant.

Over the years, Spinnakers has enjoyed the talents of Sean Brennan (Brasserie L’Ecole), Mike Pelletier (Herald Street Caffe) and Ken Hueston (owner/chef Smoken Bones and cur rent ICC president) The current chef is Allison Ryan Until he received a restaurateur award six years ago, Hadfield admits, “I was in denial ”

Like many on Vancouver Island, Paul Hadfield is smitten by the wealth of local produce that abounds “Victoria and South Vancouver Island are going to be world renowned We have a unique set of circumstances and we need to foster them, which gives us something to market internationally.”

With Brio. L’Ecole, Camille’s and Spinnaker’s firmly established, we turn our attention to a few other tendrils and the people behind them.

Next Issue: Mike Murphy, Ferris’, The Marina and Pag’s

FOOD ARTISANS

Worth Its Salt

For decades Smithfield Hams, from Isle of Wight County, Virginia, have been the yardstick by which all Nor th American hams are measured The price tag is as hefty as the porker himself (Having said that, it’s argued that the hole in the wall, family run Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams give Smithfield pigs a run for their money, both for quality and price )

I recall, as a teen, tucking into a wonder fully pungent, super salty (even after a two day soak) Smithfield ham, fluffy biscuits, a mess of collard greens and gravy while on a trip along the U S eastern seaboard A few years later, in Europe, I swooned over shav ings of prosciutto di Parma, superb jamón ibérico (from acorn fed Bellota hogs) and jamón serrano as well as slabs of rosy pink Irish and English ham

I’m a ham fan

So, I wondered, was it possible in B C to get good regional ham? The answer is yes, but it isn’t an easy find Most supermarkets sell mass produced, brine injected ham. In truth, many pass the taste test. But a fair number lack flavour, are watery and/or rub

bery Really, nothing matches the sweet, salty taste and texture of a well cured ham

For the skinny on ham, I tapped my Bar ron’s Food Lover’s Companion but got much more interesting information from chef Rob Belcham (Fuel, Campagnolo). I knew he’d been known to dry cure a few hams in his day.

Ham is cut from a hog’s hind leg. (Ham or gammon is a corruption of jambon, French for leg) Curing ham is a centuries’ old craft Dry cured hams are salt packed so the salt saturates the meat, after which a second curing stage involves more salt, sugar and seasonings (usually the producer’s own recipe). Country hams, from the American South, are cured then desalinated and smoked over fragrant woods, commonly hickory. Folks from the South seldom nosh cured ham right off the bone as we might prosciutto, preferring to fry up salty steaks for breakfast or bake a 15 pounder for sup per (Things are changing, however Smith field’s website suggests slicing the ham very thin and eating it “raw.)

Belcham dry cures his hams, Italian style, but he says, “It is not Parma by any stretch.

by JULIE PEGG

Take it from a ham fan, nothing can match the taste and texture of a well-cured ham.

Campagnolo ham

Our climate is more humid, our geography different. Like wine, a good ham is all about re flecting terroir.”

I sampled Belcham’s “prosciutto,” aged 12 months The flavour is almost fruity with re strained saline notes and mossy, forest floor “finish ” Mar vellous Belcham, a self admit ted ham addict, will then use the hock to make a smoky Barlotto bean soup Wet cured or commercially brined hams see none or just a wisp of smoke, yet they fill the supermarket shelves at Easter If I can’t find a decent ham, I bake a smoked picnic shoul der. Since I loathe pineapple/clove glaze, I coat the meat with a type of red eye gravy. Tra ditional red eye gravy is a reduction of ham drippings, water and coffee reduced to a sauce and poured over ham and biscuits. My adaptation, if I do say so, is to die for. (See sidebar.)

To purchase a fine local ham, check out the following. I guarantee the flavour will be as unique and the price nowhere near that of Smithfield Hams.

Prominent Victorian caterer David Feys swears by B C hams from Johnston Packers in Chilliwack, available through Windsor Quality Meats (604 872 5635) in Vancou ver, or order from Feys + Hobbs Catered Ar ts in Victoria (250 380 0390).

Windsor Meat Co (no relation to the above) in Caulfeild, West Vancouver (604 926 6168 or windsormeats.com), does a double smoked cherry wood bone in ham and a lightly dry cured Austrian style schinken, flavoured with caraway seed.

Both Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland Thrifty Foods sell Her tel’s (1 866 723 9698 or her telmeats com)slow cured,naturally smoked hams on a seasonal basis

The Abbotsford raised pigs sold at Hopcott Premium Meats in Pitt Meadows (604 465 7799 or hopcottmeats.ca) are fed a strict vegetarian diet with no added hormones or antibiotics For whole hams you have to order/shop at the store on site.

Rob Belcham cures Sloping Hill Farm (250 758 0529) Berkshire (heritage breed, black) pigs from Vancouver Island He receives an entire piggy every other Thursday, getting right down to butchering and making char cuterie. Due to health and safety concerns regarding refrigeration, home curing is risky. But should you remain undaunted, Rob Belcham firmly suggests the book Charcu terie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Pol cyn, 2005, Nor ton Publishers.

Choux Choux Charcuterie (250 382 7572) in Victoria also uses Sloping Hill Farm pork to make their beer and brown sugar" smoked ham and a brandy & molasses ham For Easter they also offer bone in, smoked sloping hill hams

Oyama Sausage Co. on Granville Island carries BC cured ham. (604 327 7404)

Baked Pork Shoulder (or Ham) with Red-eye Glaze and Gravy

Since this is my own recipe, the method is more of a strong guideline. But not to worry; just make sure the coffee isn’t too bitter.

For red eye glaze: (enough to glaze a large ham. Make same quantity for smaller cut. Use leftover glaze for more sauce, or freeze.)

6 oz. of strong brewed coffee (or run to the local coffee shop for an Americano)

4 oz. real maple syrup plus 2 Tbsp of brown sugar (6 heaping Tbsp brown sugar if you do not have syrup)

4 6 oz of bourbon (For ty Creek Canadian whisky is a good substitute Rye will do Scotch not recommended) or to taste

1 Tbsp dry mustard or 2 Tbsp Dijon A dash of balsamic (optional)

Place all ingredients in saucepan over medium high heat and reduce until mixture be comes light syrup. (Don’t worry if it’s a bit thin; it will thicken in the roasting pan.)

To bake ham or smoked pork shoulder: preheat oven to 375ºF. Place ham/smoked shoulder on middle shelf. Crank down the heat to 300ºF immediately. Bake around 20 minutes to the pound You can adjust down to around 275ºF if the glaze is getting too caramelized (Remember, ham is already cured and mostly, if not completely, cooked check package )

Glaze ham Baste frequently with “gravy ” If gravy becomes too thick, thin with water or a splash of whisky, not coffee (too bitter)

If using pork shoulder, remove the thick blanket of coarse fat and place in the bottom of roasting pan. Roast the de fatted glazed shoulder on top of the fatty “blanket.” Baste/glaze/bake the shoulder the same way you would for ham. (Optional: I remove the shoulder halfway through cooking and roast the separated fat until well done but not quite “crackly.” Great for noshing on later. I return the roast to its bed of fat and finish baking on the lower heat about 275ºF )

Pork shoulder throws quite a bit of fat, but the result is superb, smoky “gravy ” The meat too will be rich and sweet/smoky and surprisingly lean as the fat drips away into the pan The fat and cholesterol watchers can pour over a little of the original glaze

Three off-the-beaten-path f inds

Romantic This is my impression of an off the beaten path Oak Bay restaurant To add a bit of mystery to the romance, its name is changing: Among Friends is transforming into Nar, which is Turkish for “pomegranate ” Entering Nar is like falling into a warm embrace on a cold day; the downstairs dining room of this conver ted 1930’s house has only four tables and is lit by candles in the fireplace and tiny beaded lamps on the tables. Upstairs, visitors to the larger dining room walk past an ele gant table with books on Turkish culture, cuisine and recipes that they are welcome to pick up and peruse. The food invites one to linger as well. “Mezes” are the Turkish version of an tipasto; the cold mezes plate is $3 95, and hot mezes range from $5 50 to $7 50 One cold meze is a fresh, pea green fava puree, jauntily presented on a circle of lime The hot mezes show the same delicate hand: “borek” are airy phyllo pastries with cheeses and seasonal vegetables, “karides guvec” is a bubbling shrimp and mushroom mixture in an ear thenware dish, and the dolma are the best stuffed grape leaves I’ve ever had, including in Toronto and Montreal. This is how I love to eat a bit of this, a bit of that. On the entrees menu, the mixed kebab for $22.50 is easily shared, or could be one very large meal. It boasts juicy kofte (meat balls), chunks of chicken basted in red pepper paste, and a fan of tender sliced lamb. The veg etables are excellent: lemony grilled asparagus and yellow peppers, and the surprise of mushrooms stuffed with walnuts. All this is ser ved on a large pita soaking up the meat and vegetable juices For desser t, the delicate hazelnut and walnut baklava must be tried, as well as the plump dried apricots soaked in syrup and sherry and sprinkled with chopped almonds and hazelnuts This is an exciting new addition to the Victoria reper toire of restaurants

Yes, it really is just a kitchen. Tibetan Kitchen in Market Square is a small oblong workspace with a window looking out into the square. Devoted regulars, whom owner Pemba Bhatia greets by name, take their meals back to their offices or schools, and then return the plates the next day As a person new to the system and without a downtown office to go to, I sat just outside the opening on the sole rickety card table that seats three The menu is a simple blend of Tibetan and Indian dishes, reflecting Pemba’s background as a Tibetan refugee raised in Eastern India The Tibetan dishes are very simple The momos, or dumplings, are rolled by hand The most flavourful is the pork one, with its sweet accent of coriander The fried noodles are plain, plentiful, and healthy, making the unspiced version a perfect fit for my four year old while I concentrated on the much more complex curries. Chicken, steak, vegetable, or meatball curry comes with dal, wholewheat poori, basmati rice, and a pap padum. The poori is a fried, unleavened bread, attractive to me because it’s a good curry dip per, and attractive to children because it’s shaped like a flying saucer. The curries are the highlight; the chicken curry is golden brown with a velvety texture and a slightly tar t, citrusy finish, and the steak curry is more like a stew, with its dark, toasty sauce and soft green peas These curry platters are a deal at $8 25, and let’s hope we’ll see more of them in town soon Pemba has a proposal in at BC Ferries to be a food provider at the Victoria terminal, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed!

“Soothing” is my first impression of The Village restaurant, where bright sunlight streams through a wall of windows and warms up the white décor. I was, however, there on a quiet weekday, and I understand that on weekends “hopping” can be a better word for it, and for good reason Co owner Daniel Blades calls The Village “a breakfast restaurant with some Jewish things,” and all the breakfasty and all the Jewishy things I tried were delicious and fair value The Israeli “Shakshuka” is the most unique dish on the menu; two poached eggs float atop a blend of tomato and spinach, impeccably seasoned with cumin and garlic, and the dish is topped with triangles of rye bread Latkes are crisp and golden, and come with sides of apple sauce and sour cream. The “From the Sea” benedict has an asser tive lemon twist in its hollandaise sauce, which pairs well with the smoked salmon. A sweeter option is the blintz plate. Four crepes are stuffed with a sweet cheese flavoured with lemon and vanilla and dusted with icing sugar. Even sweeter are the actual desser ts the special I had was a tooth some poached pear in a por t and ginger glaze, ser ved in a swirl of crème fraiche This elegant desser t is $6 00, and all of the other dishes I sampled are between $10 and $12 This restau rant closes at 4:00 pm, so be sure to plan a breakfast, lunch, or really large snack before then

Nar/Among Friends, 2540 Windsor Road at Newpor t, 250 598 1085, www narcafebistro com

The Village, 2518 Estevan Ave near Dunlevy St, 250 592 8311

Tibetan Kitchen, 140 560 Johnson St (Market Square at the Pandora and Store St. corner), 250 383 5664

R e b e c c a W e l l m a n

The curr y platter + soup and pot stickers at the Tibetan Kitchen

Nar mixed kebab plate for three includes lamb, stuffed mushrooms, kofte, chicken, peppers and rice with orzo.

At The Village the beginning and inevitable end of the smoked salmon benny with lemon hollandaise.

Sips Artisan Bistro

This is the best thing to happen to James Bay in some time and is thanks to the dedicated and tenacious Paul Hadfield, proprietor of all things Spinnakers The in trepid restaurateur battled the city and the liquor board for over three years to create this cozy, neighbourhood tasting bar. My tastebuds are saying Sips was wor th the wrestle, Paul

The bistro sits alongside its sister, Spinnakers Spirit Merchants, on Simcoe Street. It’s a long, modern but warm room with high stools along the bars and ta bles in the back. The entire back wall is a chalkboard with listings of more than a dozen Island cheeses, ar ti san crafted charcuterie and a dozen different wines from Vancouver Island, B C and abroad. Order a flight, by the glass or by the taste ($2 each for most tastes). Of course there’s

ales on tap plus bottles from 10 local and international brewers. Order one item or many and taste the night away. Or in dulge in lunch with a “tostis” a traditional Amsterdam toasted sandwich and Spin nakers’ seafood chowder

Sips is meant to be an experience, and the ser vers and the chef behind the bar can cer tainly point you in the right direction Order a tasting plate for one ($9 50 $15) ranging from a local fish plate with apple wood smoked trout and local oyster as well as verjus cured wild sockeye salmon accompanied by pear and walnut chutney Or sample a plate of Oyama Sausage Company’s red wine prosciutto with Spinnakers ale poached Okanagan pear and Moonstruck’s Blossoms blue cheese. Most of Sips’ condiments are made by the Spinnakers chefs: stout mustard, quince butter, cherries marinated in malt, chutneys and reductions accompany any cheese or charcuterie. You can also order by the gram and cre ate your own experience Hadfield loves to see strangers becoming friends as they gather and share plates in a neighbourhood atmosphere Go in for a taste, stay for dinner, and fin ish with a handmade truffle Kathy McAree Sips Ar tisan Bistro, 425 Simcoe St , Victoria; open ever y day 11 a m to 11 p m , 250 590 3515

beer; four Spinnakers

Charcuterie plate including Oyama’s Granville island sake cured kazu, lamb salami and Oyama’s grand fir prosciutto.

Created by the Piccolo family, Caffè Ar ti giano originally opened in Vancouver in De cember 1999. You may know them as the café that includes “latte ar t” on their side walk signs They earned their loyal cus tomers one at a time, built largely on better than average specialty coffee ser v ices and really good mid day meal choices

Within the past two years, the Piccolo brothers have sold off the enterprise to Earl’s creator Willie Mounzer, whose eye for branding and regional expansion has al lowed the business to take a quality prod uct and expor t it from the Lower Mainland. Meantime, the Piccolo brothers, Vincent, Sammy and Michael, have been freed to concentrate on their true love, roasting the beans at 49th Parallel Coffee the supplier of the very beans that fuel Caffè Ar tigiano The café’s design mirrors that of its com

panion stores on the mainland bold colours and leading edge Euro urban chic Some Victoria residents might be reminded of the design of Torrefazione Italia: fashion forward without a trace of the cookie cutter styles more typically associated with chain coffee establishments such as Starbucks. And how’s the coffee? Drawing from the very best of the ar tisan and small batch roasts of 49th Parallel Coffee, Caffè Ar ti giano offers superlative specialty coffees from the traditional European café menu: eight ounce cappuccino, 12 ounce ameri cano and latte, espresso in single or doppio and caffè macchiato the way they ser ve it in the old country perfect espresso marked or stained with a spoonful of steamed milk. And if you are looking for light breakfasts or lunches, Caffè Ar tigiano sources all its baked goods locally, including the wonder ful Bubby Rose’s Bakery Colin Newell

The mutton burger might not be the first burger you’d think of ordering when you first read the menu at the new Pink Bicycle, but being a former chef and member of the I hate to see good food go to waste club, I ordered up one mutton burger, fries on the side

There’s a back story to this burger beyond it being a mere patty made from mature sheep The previous night I had watched the F Word and Gordon Ramsay’s “Put Forgotten Mutton Back in the Kitchen” rant It seems Brits used to eat a lot of mutton until WWI I when it was prolifically used as army rations and rather disgusting in tins. Since then it has fallen from favour that was until Ram say’s quest to bring mutton back That, and the mutton in the Pink Bicycle burger comes from Sea Bluff Farm in Metchosin and the gruyere from Little Qualicum making it a true Island burger

So, how was it? I loved it. Juicy, not overdone, with a pronounced lambiness without being too strong or funky The bun, from Bond Bond’s bakery next door, was fresh, liberally sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and ably able to hold everything together. Pink Bicycle Gourmet Burger Joint, 1008 Blanshard St., (250) 384 1008

Caffè Ar tigiano has arrived in Victoria and is raising the bar on truly great cof fee in a city already nicely steeped in café culture

Conf it Craving

Chef Alison Bigg’s duck confit never lasts long. Gillie Easdon

“One of the things that fascinates me about world cuisine is how so many incredibly tasty and imaginative dishes were born out of sheer necessity,” confides chef Alison Bigg of Devour, a new bon vivant eatery and takeout nook opening April 1 on Broughton at Blan shard. Bigg lifts a plastic wrapped bowl from her fridge; within it nestle four lovely duck legs that spent the night slathered in a mor tar and pestle paste of 2 Tbsp coarsely ground sea salt, 3 star anise, 1/2 tsp Szechwan peppercorns, 3 garlic cloves, peeled and the zest of 1 orange “Duck confit resulted from visionary cooks in southwestern France preserving meat in fat By sheer luck it’s also intensely flavourful and wonderfully tender ” Bigg heats about four cups of olive oil (not virgin as it has too much flavour) to not quite boiling in a heavy bottomed saucepan, enough to cover the duck Unlike most duck confit recipes, Bigg’s does not require duck fat. “You can reuse the same olive oil and it will become more and more ducky after each use,” she explains.

Covered, the duck confit cooks on low for 1.5 2 hours. If the oil boils on low, you can use the oven method at 210ºF for the same amount of time. Chef pokes the duck with a sharp knife Clear liquid flows, indicating it is done

She ser ves her duck confit (chicken or goose are great substitutes) with orange ginger quinoa, kumquat chutney and curry leaves or with a shaved fennel salad with grapefruit and pureed parsnips “It’ll last three to four months in the fridge, but in my house I’m lucky if it lasts three to four hours ” When stored, duck confit just needs to be browned in a skil let and heated at 400ºF for five to seven minutes.

The duck confit is succulent and velvety. It is not quite as ducky as confit made with duck fat, but this is the first time Bigg has used this olive oil, which she’ll hold on to for the next time. True to her claim, Bigg’s duck confit doesn’t last long, about an hour or so, but the tender memory of that gorgeous dish does; it’s etched on my purring palate.

Devour opens April 1 at 762 Broughton

Defending Our Backyard Returns

Defending Our Backyard 2009 will feature an even greater number of food stations, and in formation tables and a greater variety of par ticipating producers Guests will taste a variety of bites created by the Chef’s of the ICC entirely from Vancouver Island ingredients including local seafood and meats, produce from local f ar ms, Island c heese and ot her local products. A variety of Vancouver Island wines, beers and ciders will also be available for tasting Come dis cover where you can source local products, hear from exper ts on topics ranging from apples, winer ies, f ar ming, seed sa ving, brewer ies, com pos ting, t he local har ves t of seafood and processing of meats and poultr y

Highlights of t he 2008 event included a demonstration seafood market, oyster shucking, a west coast style pig roast and pizza spinning and baking in an outdoor oven Several demon stration farm markets, including the ICC Bastion Square Market, were set up and guests were able to buy fresh produce from farms ranging from Sooke to t he Saanich Peninsula A selection of speakers will again make shor t presentations t hrough t he day

Proceeds from Defending Our Bac kyard suppor ts t he Island Chef s ’ Collaborative far mer grant program which helps pay for infrastructure improvements on a farmer’s proper ty

The festival runs from noon to 4 pm on May 31 at For t Rodd Hill Tickets are $45 per person and will be available star ting April 1 Event details and ticket outlet information will be posted at www iccbc ca Or contact ICC President Cor y Pelan at info@lapiola ca for more information

Spring has Sprung 3 courses for $33

waterfront restaurant + patio

Floor-to-ceiling views of Victoria’s sparkling Inner Harbour West Coast Pacific Rim-inspired cuisine Sunday brunch Large waterfront patio Gold medal chefs

680 MONTREAL STREET VICTORIA BC CANADA V8V 1Z8 T 250.414.6739 TF 1.800.663.7667 WWW.AURARESTAURANT.CA

The second annual Island Chef s ’ Collaborative Def ending Our Bac kyard Local Food Festival will return to For t Rodd Hill on May 31, 2009 A celebration of Vancouver Island food and food producers, t he event combines food sampling wit h educational elements including food demonstrations and local food information sessions Organized by Island chefs, the event is designed to highlight t he impor tance of suppor ting local producers while showcasing t he wealth of food available in our own backyard

Learning to Share

Have I had my fill of tomato water and celebrity chefs? Not completely, but more often than not I prefer to skip the fancy places and squeeze my tush into a 30 seat, no frills bistro Apparently, so do many others Priced to please, down to ear th fare is playing to packed houses I’m all for relaxing with good company who’ll join me in a more than ample plate of comfy French or Italian fare Is it the wobbly economy or is this just food that begs to be shared among friends?

Until recently we’ve been happy to dim sum or chopstick our way around a lazy Susan laden with platters of Szechwan green beans, beef with dried mandarin peel and tan tan noo dles amid the clatter of a Chinese restaurant (or other Asian eatery). Only when it came to tapas did we venture into the world of communal dining western style.

When, in 2001, Alain and Brigitte Raye opened La Regalade, (#103 2232 Marine Dr., West Vancouver), they popped the Le Creuset lid on convivial dining This West Van bistro still bus tles with regulars who ladle as much or as little as they please of, say, the navarin of lamb,

boeuf bourguignon or coq au vin from the heavy casserole mid table. While spooning creamy, crisped potatoes from a separate gratin onto their plates, they praise their kids, curse their day (or the other way ’round) and wash it all down with a pichet of red, white or rose wine This kind of meal ser ved family style needs no in depth discussion or deconstruction It’s more about sharing good food and good times with good company

The communal approach is now evident at many of the city’s bustling bistros Most days, the seats at the petite, fun Salade de Fruits Café (1551 W 7th Ave) spill into the lobby of the French Cultural Centre adjacent. Pascal Poutot and Antoine Bernard inject a lot of bonhomie into juicy carre d’agneau (rack of lamb) or confit de canard. Inevitably, folks dive into one heaping cauldron of moules with shoestring frites and mayo while pondering the French scripted “car te” on the blackboard. Shared plates cost an extra three bucks, but only if the kitchen does the divvying (you can do it for free) The wine list is brief one red/one white BYOB is not only permitted but recommended Corkage fee

BISTROT BISTRO

Bistrot Bistro (1961 W. 4th) hits the sweet spot between hear ty French country fare and urban refinement. While charming host Valerie Devin seats customers, husband and chef Laurent turns out splendid pots of mussels and fisherman’s stew White wine seeps its way into a tender saddle of rabbit with a duo of mustards or a fall off the bone spicy lamb shank House made charcuterie, pâté, fondant and pork rillette are all listed as “the per fect share ” Two dishes of “légumes et patates” on the side easily take care of a table of four (The ratatouille is almost a mini meal so pass it around ) This is streamlined cooking without sacrificing por tion or authenticity. The wine list boasts a nice half litre selection. Owner/chef Adam Pegg (no relation) over at La Quercia (3689 W. 4th) serves up the same comfor t and conviviality Italian style. On a recent visit, platters of roast pork loin, deboned rabbit and fresh greens passed among the laughter, chatter and carafes of wine of nine cheery Italians. A few tables over, four folks twirled forks into a generous bowl at centre table Sandwiched quite nicely onto a banquette, my husband, Steve, and I chatted with the “neighbours” as we sipped our wine and split prawn stuffed squid, tender slices of veal tongue (a delicious gamble) and spaghetti puttanesca “our way” a savoury, salty medley of capers, anchovies with diced tomatoes from the “primi” menu All “primi” come $12/17 sized perfect for sharing And the price is right for the house carafe, or wines by the glass.

Restaurants like these are happy bustling spaces where sharing large plates is encour aged. Camaraderie just happens when everyone is digging into a big plate of pasta or rich stew. If the cooking doesn’t measure up, then it’s time to talk about it.

Twisted Fork Bistro

Sandwiched between the Grotte Nail Spa and the Space Lounge in the 1100 block of Granville’s spotty enter tainment district (zoned for, and undergoing, re gentrification) is Twisted Fork Bistro. Julie Pegg

left: Chef Cor y Sullivan and his wall of preser ves

The décor is “Shoestring Budget/Bohemian” in this narrow strip of a place: exposed concrete walls painted dark red, faux fur covered banquettes, rustic wood tables, local ar t. A well stocked bar dignifies the front of house. The real eye catcher is toward the rear, though. Jar upon jar of preser ved vegetables lines shelves along the back corridor. Modern cool tunes are turned up just enough to notice. Ser vice is casual friendly

After running the successful The Wood in Fernie for four years, chef Corey Sullivan along with Andrea Leslie and her brother Mike Leslie, an accountant, decided to move to the Big Smoke Their budget demanded they look for, as Leslie says, “an affordable place to cook You can’t argue with the rent,” she adds with a grin You can’t quibble about the quality for value either

Best described as B C bistro local ingredients, rustic French fare (confit, entrecôte, canard, moules, frites, frog’s legs) Corey’s preser ves (Grandmother’s recipes) add, well, a twist to the competent cooking pickled watermelon for the steak, corn relish on the pan seared halibut.

Small Forks run $7 8$; Big Forks, $18 $24.

Small Forks: beef carpaccio with truffle basil oil and pickled beets, cold lamb loin with roasted squash and caramelized onion salad, gruyère and onion tar t with pear walnut chutney. The moules in cream, herbs and tomatoes ($8.00 on Mussel and Frites Tuesdays). (Very) Big Forks: a prongs up for the duck duo confit leg and meltingly good cured breast and the vanilla scented grilled Cornish hen Full ser vice bar, innovative mar tinis and a dash of whimsy. Order the Cer veza Float from the Hair of the Dog at Brunch list if you dare Cuer vo gold, lager and lime sorbet Wine list is brief, all B C and fine value Wines by the glass seven bucks (white), eight bucks (red) include the tax Ser viceable selection by the bottle Lay down three tenners for Blasted Church Hatfield’s Fuse or six for Laughing Stock Por tfolio. The daily pour is Nanaimo Fat Cat beer on tap.

Know Thy Farmer

In 1988, I and other newly minted BCLDB wine consultants knocked back the unique Adventures on the Wine Route with gusto. Penned by California wine merchant Kermit Lynch, this opinionated, witty travelogue heralded (mainly) French vignerons whose unfiltered, unfined wines were lip smacking samples of regional terroir Lynch’s book steered me (and my colleagues) away from waxing on about only famous producers and prestige labels

Some months later, three of us on a trip to San Francisco sought out the tiny Berkeley café upstairs from the Hobbit house sized restaurant called Chez Panisse whose owner, Alice Waters, also championed the small farmer. We gave big thumbs up to a Lynch impor t, Domaine Tempier Bandol, made from the then unfashionable Mour vèdre grape. Its untamed, gutsy style, teamed up with wild mushroom strudel, proved a food/wine revelation.

Fast forward 20 years I am sitting at a picnic style table, sipping a few wines in Anthony Nicalo’s renoed older home in East Vancouver Clean shaven pate to chin, smar t casual in white Oxford cloth shir t and pressed jeans, Nicalo is the owner of Farmstead Wines and the most wedded to the land wine distributor I’ve ever met The ex chef, born and raised in Pennsylvania, gardened with his grandfather, “Papa Bill,” when he “could reliably walk about” and grew up cooking with his grandmother. Training at the hands of some mighty fine chefs, Nicalo’s own stints include Ristorante Banfi in Montalcino and Chicago’s Tru.

Two years ago, Nicalo decided to turn in his toque for wine impor ting. “Chef Sam Kass [of Inevitable Table, a private chef ser vice in Chicago] and I went to Piemonte to butcher a pig named Chico from farmer/wine grower Renato Fenocchio.” It was on that trip, Nicalo says, while quaffing Fenocchio’s Dolcetto, that “I knew I wanted to impor t his (and other) small farm wines ” In 2006, Nicalo moved to Vancouver and set up Farmstead Wines

Just as Kermit Lynch had done 20 years before, 32 year old Nicalo follows his own off the beaten track to source and purchase wines only from growers he knows He’s coined them “vinaroons,” an old English term meaning farmer/winemaker Nicalo’s philosophy is, above all, “reconnecting wine to agriculture.” All Farmstead wines are farmed sustainably. And like Alice Waters, Nicalo only sources the best ingredients for his stove and pantry. On the hot August day I visited, we noshed on tiny purple, white and pink breakfast radishes as well as micro greens from his neatly cropped back garden followed by wild mushroom (from Trout Lake market) pasta (homemade pappardelle made from Anita’s Organic Grain Mill flour) From Cioffi’s there was ricotta salata and, again from the garden, wild strawberries The ear thy noodles washed down with a ripe, rustic 2004 Domaine de Courbissac Miner vois, took me right back to the now legendary Berkeley café

Nicalo and his rep Jeff Bashford steer clear of major wine shows, preferring to showcase Farmstead wines at small scale wine dinners with like minded chefs, through select restau rants and private wine shops.

I try to remain faithful to pairing small production wines with simple fine food. I confess, though, to frequent forays into infidelity. But with more distributors like Anthony Nicalo, there will be less temptation to stray.

Endnotes

Check out Nicalo’s excellent website, www farmsteadwines com Frequently updated, it gives the complete Farmstead wine por tfolio and vinaroon profiles, links to useful blogs, including his own, and offers recipes, videos, etc

Nicalo has also found time to launch FarmFed, a non profit organization that connects people to food. For now, FarmFed encourages folks to consider where and how their food is farmed. Long term it hopes to purchase arable land and potential urban garden sites and lease them to sustainable farmers. www.farmfed.com.

Julie Pegg

First all-BC grocer y store opens

Angeline and James Street had an idea They wanted to open the first full ser vice, BC only grocery store in the province It would specialize in BC foods that you could n’t find in the regular supermarket store, yet still offering your favorite basic pantry items. On Dec 2, Angeline and James realized their dream and opened Brambles Market in the Comox Valley.

Along with fresh, daily local produce and baked goods, a British trained butcher does cus tom cutting and makes delicious homemade sausages You can pick up made in BC deli, frozen and convenience goods, too

Produce is a treat. Everything is grown in BC and is so fresh and beautiful because it has n’t travelled around the world. Whenever possible, Brambles chooses things grown or pro duced in the Comox Valley, but they also get meat, produce and other items from up and down the Island and around BC New items arrive almost daily from over 20 Comox valley vendors, so shopping is a bit of an adventure

The Grand Opening is scheduled for March 30 April with a week of demos, and a chance to meet with a lot of the vendors. 244 A 4th Street, Cour tenay, BC, info@bramblesmarket.ca

Anthony Nicalo of Farmstead Wines

The Quest: Smoked Meat Sandwich

This hear t clogger is the reason for the never diminishing queues outside Montreal’s two famous delicatessens, Schwar tz’s and Lester’s. Is there such a sandwich in Vancouver? Not quite But pretty close Westenders can pop into Tango’s (851 Denman St ) No pre prepped sandwiches but the friendly guys be hind the counter will thin slice 100 125 grams for stuff ing into a large Por tuguese bun (Or you can break into a loaf of Winnipeg rye ) The cold beef is tasty, but it’s more like corned beef (wet brined rather than dry cured). Scratch the creamy coleslaw but double up on the crunchy dills

Zako’s Deli (500 W Broadway at Cambie) is little more than a kiosk. Salah Salah brought his love of smoked meat to Vancouver from Montreal where he gets pre spiced, smoked brisket flown in weekly Salah shaves moist, lean, grainy brisket onto soft rye napped with regular mustard. Accompanied by superb house made cabbage slaw and a dill wedge, this damn fine sandwich comes small, medium and large PHAT on Four th (1859 W 4th Ave ) spins off the Yaletown original (1055 Mainland). The cheery com munal table, oversized globe lights, a design your own sandwich bar and cappuccino machine lend a trendy

touch to this sandwich parlour Smoked meat Benny is ser ved all day, but I’m there for the “Hot Smoked Meat on Rye.” PHAT flies in pre smoked brisket from Schwar tz’s supplier The meat gets a good rub down with Schwar tz’s seasonings before it hits the steam tray. The sandwich: hot and spicy on crusty rye (from La Baguette), lean or marbled, skinny (130 grams) or PHAT (190 grams) Add mustards (hot, mild or Dijon), a Strub’s kosher pickle and homemade chunky slaw gar nishes and the result is a concoction wor th every shekel.

Kaplan’s Star Deli (5775 Oak St and 1059 Alberni) is the real deal What’s not to like about a deli filled with jars of Putter’s pickles (they make the pickles ser ved at Schwar tz’s) or Kaplan’s own, as well as gefilte fish, mustards and matzoh Or noshes that include cabbage rolls, chopped liver and knishes

Owner Marshall Cramer flies brisket in from Mon treal, from the original Lester’s supplier (There are two; beware the pretender ) The smoked meat (hungry and not so hungry) on naked caraway rye (local baker), laden with subtly spiced, well fatted brisket welcomes its Putter’s pickle, crunchy slaw and regular mustard Every bite is a hit of sharp clean flavours And you gotta wash it down with Dr. Brown’s black cherry soda.

Bliss on r ye: Marshall Cramer of Kaplan’s with his winning sandwich

It’s tough to top Montreal hot smoked meat on r ye (save for the teetering cap of fresh bread). Nothing fancy, just a stack of spicy, medium fat brisket, a splodge of regular mustard, crisp sour pickle, side of vinegar y slaw and you’ve got the ultimate deli sandwich. J.Pegg

a celebration of the season. Kitchen Local

Recipes

and food styling

by JENNIFER DANTER Photography by REBECC A WELLMAN

Early spring is such a culinary teaser. The garden star ts to c ome a live a nd our a nt ic ip a t ion of e a t ing ne w a nd f re s h ve g e ta ble s g row s s t rong. Pointy a s pa ra g us s pe a rs , fast-growing fennel and jewel-toned rhubarb are first out of the gate. They're also the fixings for a Spring brunch paired with last of the season nugget potatoes, farm fresh eggs and the Island's renowned smoked salmon.

Potato & Salmon Tortilla

This is the Spanish version of a fritatta but showcasing melt in your mouth nugget potatoes the noble egg is really secondary here. Thin slices of Island smoked salmon add a local touch to the dish I love the versatility of this for brunch Ser ve it hot out of the pan, at room temperature (my fave) or make it the night before and ser ve cold Ser ves 6

BC fresh yellow nugget potatoes, 16 Sea salt, 11/2 tsp Onion, 1

Sweet smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp (optional)* Freshly cracked black pepper, grindings Island Farm organic eggs, 8 Olive oil

Smoked salmon, 175 to 200 g*

Peel potatoes, if you wish Using a mandolin, thinly slice potatoes about 1/4 in thickness Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Turn potatoes to evenly coat (as best you can). Slice onion into thin strips.

Generously coat a large, non stick frying pan with oil. It should completely cover bottom of pan in a thick slick Heat over medium high When hot, reduce heat to medium and carefully add potatoes, a few at a time Pan will be very full Gently stir and turn potatoes until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes Scoop into a colander to drain excess oil, then spread out on a large plate to cool

Add onions to remaining oil in pan and sprinkle with remaining salt. Reduce heat to medium low and stir often, until soft, about 6 minutes. Turn onto a plate and let cool.

In a very large bowl, gently whisk eggs with smoked paprika and pepper Add cooked potatoes (separate sticky ones as best you can) and onion Gently stir to evenly mix Wipe fry ing pan, then add another drizzle of oil and set over medium high heat When oil is hot, add potato egg mixture and stir potatoes to evenly distribute. Reduce heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until centre and edges of eggs are set, 5 to 7 minutes.

Loosen edges with a spatula, then carefully slide tor tilla (cooked side down) onto a cutting board or rimless plate that is larger than the frying pan Inver t frying pan over tor tilla, then working very carefully, flip over so tor tilla turns back into frying pan, cooked side up Continue cooking until bottom is deep golden, 5 more minutes. Slide onto a platter and top with slices of smoked salmon. Dish up with a mix ture of sour cream stirred with chopped fresh dill, if you wish.

Asparagus & Fennel Salad

Har vested by a local farmer, slender green asparagus and feathery fennel are just about the greenest food you can eat This is a simple, clean salad that lets the veggies speak for themselves. Use Babe’s Honey for the dressing or try their homemade Honey Balsamic Vinegar. Ser ves 6

Shallot, minced, 1 Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, pinches Garlic, minced, 1 Balsamic vinegar or Babe’s Honey Balsamic Vinegar, 1/4 cup Babe’s (or any good quality honey), 1 tbsp Olive oil, 1/3 cup

Asparagus, 1 bunch Fennel bulb, 1/2

For the dressing, place shallot in a small jar and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Then add garlic, vinegar, honey (if using honey balsamic vinegar add half the amount) and oil Seal jar and shake to mix

Trim bottoms of asparagus If asparagus is thick, peel ends to remove tough threads Diagonally spice asparagus Using a mandolin or a knife, thinly slice fennel (keep core in fennel makes slicing easier). Place fennel in a large bowl. Boil asparagus until tender crisp, then drain. Add to bowl with fennel and drizzle with half the dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly mix. Add more dressing, if needed (refrigerate any leftover dressing) Arrange salad on a platter and garnish with sprigs of fennel fronds, if you wish

Upside Down Rhubarb Cake

Garnet coloured rhubarb is the crowning glory on these baby cakes. While technically a vegetable, I often consider it the first fruit of the season. Ser ves 8 to 12

Rhubarb Topping

Avalon Butter, melted, 2 tbsp

Brown Sugar, 8 tbsp

Coarsely chopped rhubarb, 3 cups

C ake Batter

Anita’s Organic All Purpose Flour, 11/2 cups

Baking Powder, 2 tsp Sea Salt, 1/2 tsp

Olympic natural yogur t, 1 cup

Vanilla extract, 1 tsp

Rum extract, 1 tsp

Avalon butter, softened, 1/2 cup

Granulated sugar, 3/4 cup

Island Farm organic eggs, 2

For the topping, brush bottom and sides of 8 custard cups or a 12 cup muffin tin with melted butter. Sprinkle bottoms with brown sugar Arrange rhubarb over top Place cups on a baking sheet

For the cake, stir flour with baking powder and salt Stir yogur t with extracts and set aside Using an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar Add 1 egg and beat for 1 minute Scrape batter down from side of bowl, then add remaining egg and beat for another minute. Using a spatula, stir in flour mixture alternately with yogur t making three additions of each. Batter will be thick. Divide between cups spooning right over rhubarb Smooth tops

Bake in preheated 350F oven until a toothpick inser ted in centre of cakes comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes Let stand 5 minutes, then run a knife around inside edge and turn cakes out

*Be sure custard cups are ovenproof. Each cup should hold about 2/3 cup. If baking in a muffin tin, check for doneness after 20 minutes.

*Visit FA S and try their smoked salmon or look for Treasure Island in most grocery stores Plateware is Relections, designed by Queensberry Hunt (Nikko Company) from Puddifoot, 2375 West 41st Avenue

What’s in Season

GARLIC is your best ally in spring’s cold and flu season. Try it raw in dips, roasted until it is soft and mellow or caramelized into sweet scrumptiousness, and use it liberally in soups and stews

FL AT LEAF ITALIAN PARSLEY has a rich, so phisticated flavour, totally unlike the sprightly taste of curly parsley It is often found in the organic section of local super markets.

‘ Tis the season for the first locally grown baby vegetables. Annual spring treats in clude: BABY C ARROTS, purple sprouting broccoli, tiny kale buds, tender young col lard greens, red and yellow baby potatoes, baby ar tichokes, baby French green beans, RED FINGERLING POTATOES, baby patty pan squash and tender gold and red baby beets

CRIMINI MUSHROOMS are actually imma ture Por tobello mushrooms, and are some times called baby Por tobellos, Por tabellinis or BabyBellas These coffee coloured mush rooms are more nutritious than white but ton mushrooms and have a richer flavour. They are an excellent source of selenium, copper, niacin, potassium and phosphorus and a good source of iron and zinc.

The season for MOREL MUSHROOMS lasts from mid April to mid June. These unique honeycombs have a nutty, smoky, ear thy taste that marries beautifully with meat and seafood Try steamed Dungeness crab and MO R E L MUSH ROOM dumplings: A mixture

of grated ginger, cooked crab, sautéed scal lions, garlic, shiitake, lobster and MO R E L M U S H ROO MS, cooked in sherry, Cognac and heavy cream, and steamed in purse shaped rice paper wrappers

More Spring Sensations

The peak season for curly endive begins in March.

Now is the time to pick tender, young dan delion leaves from your lawn Add them to salads, or briefly steam or sauté them and ser ve them as a spinach substitute.

The peak season for asparagus is from March to May. Grilled asparagus is a smoky, juicy treat, so brush off the barbecue and grab some green or white spears. Aspara gus tastes like spring

Fresh fava beans are only available from April to June.

The peak season for ar tichokes is from March to May.

From March to June, pineapples are at their peak of flavour, super sweet and uber juicy. April marks the end of the peak season for citrus fruits. Enjoy the most flavourful blood oranges, grapefruit, oranges and tan gelos while you can

Fresh fiddleheads are only available from April to June These nutritious frond tips, which taste like a mélange of okra, aspara gus, green beans and ar tichokes, can be used in recipes instead of ar tichokes or as paragus

THIS MONTH’S SHOPPING BA SKET RECIPE Spring Lamb and Mushroom Stew

Tea Artistry

Silk Road Teas are created and blended in Victoria. Tea can be rich and pungent or delicate and subtle. The Silk Road art of tea

blending ensures that the character of the plant retains its essential harmony and is enhanced by the ingredients with which it is paired.

Select botanicals from around the world, as well as the West Coast, are carefully cured and prepared to yield a superb tea experience.

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp ground cumin

Combine first four ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag Remove the air and seal the bag. Allow lamb to marinate 3 4 hours in the refrigerator. Remove lamb from the bag and reser ve the liquid. Coat lamb with a mixture of flour, salt and pep per Heat butter and oil in a large Dutch oven and stir in the lamb Cook lamb over medium heat until pieces are evenly cooked and medium brown Reduce heat to low, cover and cook lamb until it has re leased and reabsorbed its juices (about 1/2 hour). Stir occasionally. Add 1 cup of reser ved wine marinade with chicken broth, cumin and coriander. Cover and simmer 2 hours until lamb is very tender. Add LE E KS and TOMATOE S and cook an other hour Add MUSH ROOMS, POTATOE S and C ARROTS Cook until vegetables are tender but still firm Turn off heat and allow stew to rest Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve topped with chopped PARSLEY.

www.silkroadtea.com 1624 Government St. Victoria Chinatown

by Sylvia Weinstock

Recipes

by NATHAN FONG Photography by TRACEY

KUSIEWIC Z

Ilove soups, but especially chowders: rich and consoling, usually milk or cream based, and enriched with a variety of ingredients from salt pork and bacon to fresh fish and shellfish

The term chowder comes from the pot in which it is cooked The French word for pot, chaudron, developed from chaud or “hot.” It is also related to the English word cauldron. The modern day word “chowder” is a New England term that originated in Newfoundland, where Breton fishermen would throw por tions of the day’s catch and other available ingredients into a large pot

To some Nor th Americans, it means clam chowder, made with cream or milk, or Man hattan clam chowder, which is tomato based. To others in the middle of the continent, a chowder can only be corn chowder, filled with fresh whole sweet corn kernels. To us West Coasters, it could be a thick soup infused with smoked salmon or cod To Mar itimers, especially those in Prince Edward Island, it’s got to be made with local pota toes and seafood, from halibut and haddock to oysters, mussels and lobster.

Last September I was for tunate to be invited to the 13th Annual Prince Edward Is land International Shellfish Festival as a guest media judge for their PE I Shellfish Chowder Championships Over two days, two different chowder competitions were held showcasing close to 24 competitors and their hear ty recipes. All competitors were required to make about seven litres of chowder for sampling as well as for judging. Although all of the recipes were rich with cream and butter, it was the su perb fresh Maritime seafood that excelled from tender sweet lobster and plump mussels to delicate scallops and halibut

Here are some comfor ting chowder recipes for cool springtime weather.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

A favourite of mine, this style of clam chowder is much less rich and creamy than its Mar itime sibling Fresh mussels can be substituted as well If you prefer a richer base, stir in some cream right before ser ving. Ser ves 4.

6 bacon slices, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup chopped onion

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/3 inch dice

1 stalk celer y, cut into 1/3 inch dice

2 cups diced peeled russet potatoes

24 oz clam juice or Clamato juice

3 cups canned diced tomatoes

5 dozen manila clams, scrubbed well

Chopped flat leaf parsley

Heat a heavy bottomed stockpot over moderate heat. Add bacon and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate low, then add onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, clam juice and tomatoes (with juice) and simmer, covered about 10 minutes Stir in clams and simmer, covered, stirring occa sionally, until clams open wide, 8 to 10 minutes Remove from heat

Remove most of the clam shells with tongs (reser ving a few with shells for garnish), then detach shells and return clams to the chowder Stir in parsley and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Fennel Seafood Chowder

This chowder, by chef Dwayne MacLeod of Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar in Charlottetown, won the 2008 PE I Potato Chowder Championship Ser ves 4 to 6

5 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, coarsely diced

1 stalk celer y, coarsely diced

1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 cup flour

2 2/3 cups homogenized milk

1 L half and half cream

2 1/3 cups white wine

1 lb mussels

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 garlic clove, smashed

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1 bay leaf

1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 lb halibut, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 lb scallops

1/2 lb lobster meat

10 oysters, shelled and drained

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a heavy bottom stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and fen nel and sauté until onion becomes translucent. Add potatoes right after sautéing the onions, celery and fennel Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook the roux for a few minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until well blended. Whisk in the cream and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes

In the meantime, add 1 cup of the wine to a saucepan with the mussels and bring to a boil, covered, until all mussels have opened, discarding any that have not Strain the liquid and whisk into the cream mixture Remove mussels from shells and set aside, discarding shells Add the remaining wine, peppercorns, garlic clove and bay leaf and bring to high heat, re ducing it to half and strain into cream mixture.

Add the halibut and scallops to the cream base and cook simmering on low to cook. After 5 minutes, add the lobster and mussel meat. Cook until barely done, about 3 to 4 minutes. Right before ser ving, add the oysters and simmer until hot.

Roasted Corn and PEI Shellfish Chowder with Pan Corn Bread

This entry to the 2008 PE I Shellfish Chowder competition was made by Vancouver chef John Clark, formerly of Diva at The Met, the Wickaninnish Inn and Chateau Whistler and now product development chef for the Joeys Restaurant Group. Ser ves 6 to 8.

To make stock:

1 1 1/2 pound Dungeness crab, cooked and meat removed, reser ving shells

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celer y

1/2 fennel bulb, chopped

1 small tomato, diced

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1/3 cup tomato paste

1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

1/3 cup white wine

1 L fish stock

1 L chicken stock

Chop the crab shells Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a heavy bottom stockpot

Add the crab shells and sauté until a nice aroma develops, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, fennel, tomato, fennel seeds and chili flakes and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add jalapeno pepper and sauté. Add the white wine and deglaze, reduce to dry. Add the fish and chicken stocks, stirring well. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Strain stock and discard solids

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celer y

1/2 fennel bulb, coarsely chopped

5 Tbsp butter

5 Tbsp flour

Shellfish stock (recipe above)

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Fresh cut kernels from 2 fresh cobs of corn

3/4 lb clams, steamed and meat removed, reser ving juices

3/4 lb mussels, steamed and meat removed, reser ving juices

Reser ved crabmeat

1 sprig tarragon, chopped

1 to 2 cups whipping cream

Heat a heavy bottom stockpot over medium high heat. Add the bacon and sauté until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Add the onions, carrots, celery and fennel; sauté until soft Add the butter and melt Add the flour and cook to form a roux Slowly add the shellfish stock and reser ved clam and mussel juices, whisking until smooth Bring stock to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes Add the potatoes and cook until just cooked Sauté corn kernels in a preheated skillet with a small amount of olive oil until golden brown; add to soup Slowly stir in cream until desired consistency Season with Tabasco sauce, salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the crabmeat to the soup right before ser ving. Divide and place seafood into warm soup bowls, ladle in hot chowder and garnish with chopped tarragon. Ser ve with warm corn bread (recipe follows).

Cheesy Herbed Corn Bread:

This can be prepared in advance up to three hours ahead and kept uncovered at room tem perature; reheat in microwave or covered in a conventional oven.

1/4 lb unsalted butter, melted, plus butter to grease the baking pan

1 1/4 cups cornmeal

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed and drained)

1 cup finely chopped green onions, green par t only

1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeño with seeds, or more to taste

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400ºF Generously butter or grease a 9 inch glass or metal pie pan and set aside

In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the cornmeal, flour, honey, salt and baking powder. add to wet ingredients. Add the corn, green onions, red pepper, cilantro and jalapeños, mixing well. Mix together the melted butter, eggs and the buttermilk. Slowly stir into the dry mixture and mix just until large lumps are broken up and the liquid is blended in Do not overmix

Add half of the batter to the prepared pan Sprinkle with three quar ters of the cheese, then spread the rest of the batter over top and smooth with the back of a spoon Sprinkle with remaining cheese

Bake the cornbread until it is golden brown and a toothpick inser ted into the thickest par t comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes Remove from oven and let sit 30 minutes before cutting into wedges for ser ving.

Smoked Salmon Chowder

Although we have wonderful seafood chowders in our local restaurants, smoked salmon chowder has become a popular staple on many menus. Ser ves 4 to 6.

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 medium leeks, washed and sliced (about 3 cups)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 stalk celer y, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and gar lic and sauté until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, celery, salt and pepper and cook for about a minute Add broth or stock and simmer until the potato is tender, about 15 minutes

Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne and milk until well mixed Add the salmon and bring the mixture to a simmer (do not allow to boil) Stir in the cream Remove from heat and garnish with chopped chives and dill

THE GOURMET ISLANDS

Start at the southern tip of Vancouver Island and work your way north as you embark on a culinar y journey that is a feast for both the stomach, and the senses. You will encounter a diverse foodie landscape made up of farm to table restaurants, small estate wineries and sustainable farms You will find a culture that takes pride in its stewardship of the land and its bounty of seasonal foods.

The South Island is known for the wide variety and quality of its restaurants Walking down the streets of Victoria, smells en chant you and entice you to walk through the doors and pamper your appetite. Fine dining is the order of the day, and in locales such as Sooke, Metchosin, Saanich and Sidney, there is something for the epicurean in all of us Pacific Northwest cuisine combines the finest ingredi ents on land with the freshest items of the sea, and brings culinar y masterpieces to the table with flavour, colour and exciting textures

The Gulf Islands are fast becoming a culinar y and agri tourism destination. In these small artisan communities, including Salt Spring, Galiano and Pender Island, see first hand how local cheeses and wines are made The cottage industries specializing in organics, locally grown produce and the highest quality delicacies are a mainstay in the region Come to the area and sample wood fired breads, fresh cheeses and handmade charcuterie

The Cowichan Valley region is a culinar y and libation hot spot of Vancouver Island Some of the finest wines and ciders in British Columbia are produced in this region, and several companies offer tasting tours, allowing you to sample delicious beverages, often paired with regional cheeses and cuisine. The meaderies in the Cowichan area are also buzzing with activity, and offer visitors an op portunity to experience the centuries old brewing technique, all the while savouring the sumptuous amber liquid

The Central Island, including Nanaimo and Parksville, is known for its unusual agricultural offerings, such as emu, lamb and goat Take part in weekend cooking classes and see how to prepare organic produce and game Take a guided mushroom picking tour in the area, and create memorable dishes from items you’ve foraged from the damp Vancouver Island soil Culinar y and food based festivals are also popular in the mid Island region. Come get a taste of the best Nanaimo has to offer at Bite of Nanaimo, a sample of the area’s finest restaurants, held annually in September. If you love the coast, and have a passion for fresh seafood, the North Central Island is calling Fresh seafood, particularly oysters, is a favourite among locals and visitors alike In the areas from Fanny Bay to Oyster River, many restaurants offer their interpretations of how an oyster should be ser ved From cold, freshly shucked oysters eaten raw, to crisp deep fried oysters with a spritz of lemon and remoulade, you’ll find delectable dishes to tempt your palate The cities of Courtenay and Comox offer an selection of restaurants, cafes and pubs that easily keep pace with larger cities This region is in the process of developing a unique local cuisine based on its surrounding farms and wineries. The North Island region has a flavour all its own. Rich in first nations histor y, the seafood caught here, and their unique preparations, are a must see for any culinar y adventurer Take a trip to Fort Ruper t, just outside Por t Hardy, and experience the traditional native methods for curing and smoking salmon Step inside a traditional big house in Alert Bay and let the smoke aroma embrace you as salmon is cooked on cedar planks and smoked between cedar trellises over an open flame Take

Welcome to the Islands

home a taste of Vancouver Island with these First Nations specialties

Perhaps your idea of perfection is having the various culinar y delights prepared and ser ved in luxurious settings. In the Pacific Rim communi ties of Tofino and Ucluelet, world class resorts abound and 5 star dining experiences are at your fingertips From the elegant dining rooms, watch the waters of the Pacific smash against the rocks below, as you dive into regional delights such as fresh, wild salmon, sea scallops and butterflied prawns

The bounty of Vancouver Island is ripe for the picking; smell the aromas, taste the flavours, and hear the region calling out for you to experience the opulent delights of this gastronomic epicentre.

For more information on the Vancouver Island region, please call 1 888 655 3483 or visit VancouverIsland.travel.

Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Dining Room offers a unique culinary experience with rustic yet elegant décor. The seasonal menu showcases appetizers and entrées with a West Coast focus, many created using local ingredients.

Vancouver Island’s choice for dining.

ISLAND EVENTS

T

AMUSE BISTRO ELEPHANT ISL AND VINEYARD DINNER

Join Chef Bradford Boisver te and Leah Bellerive for unique French inspired dishes created from the bounty of local Vancouver Island producers An elegant, intimate atmosphere, great place for a romantic couple. Mar. 5 at Amuse Bistro in Shawnigan Lake.

ISL AND on the EDGE SCREENING How precarious is our local food supply on Vancouver Island? Film producer Nick Versteeg will be in attendance to discuss ideas Light refreshments offered, farm and plant displays Mar 11, 7pm at the E MCS theatre in Sooke. By donation.

The CHEMISTRY of EGGS at FAIRBURN FARM Chef Mara Jernigan unlocks the secret of using eggs for perfect baking, soufflés, ice cream, and other tricky feats. Finally the mysteries of the egg revealed! All this at beautiful Fairburn. Call 250 746 4637 Mar 15

EDIBLE BC TOURS of the COWICHAN VALLEY

In April/May 2009, Edible BC will bring tours to the Cowichan Valley with float plane flights out of downtown Vancouver directly into Victoria. Here, Edible BC’s Communication Manager / Som melier, Treve Ring, will meet the group and lead them up to the Cowichan Valley for the day where they will tour wineries, fromageries, farms, vinegaries, and so much more Check edible british columbia.com for dates.

DEERHOLME FARM WILD THINGS COOKING CL A SS

Chef Bill Jones conjures up steamed morel stuffed with leeks and Dungeness crab, stinging net tle soup, smoked mussels, grand fir crème fraiche and more wild concoctions from local forages Apr. 18 at Deerholme Farm near Duncan, call 250 748 7450.

AT MCLEAN’S SPECIALT Y FOODS

Saturday March 14th will kick off celebrations of St Patrick's Day with dancers from the Brigadoon Dance Academy and piper Bill Poppy performing on the beautiful Irish pipes from noon til 3 Come join in the fun and taste some delicious Irish cheeses and tasty treats accom panied by lots of Irish blarney! Also: Monday April 6th marks the 17th Anniversary of McLean's Specialty Foods. 426 Fitzwilliam St., Nanaimo, 250.754.0100

TERRALICIOUS GARDENING and COOKING SCHOOL

Early Spring session start Mar 30 and go ‘til May 9 Learn how to plant a garden in your own back yard, tend a market garden, preser ve your har vest, and cook an elegant meal with Tina Fraser Baynes and Dayle Cosway at beautiful Halibur ton Farm just outside Victoria. Visit terralicious.ca for details

QUEBEC WEEK

April 14 18 This is the week when at Ottavio’s celebrates all things Quebecois in both the deli catessen & cafe. Tastings & specials on all Quebec products in the deli including maple syrup straight from the sugar shack, game pates, duck products & a huge range of ar tisan Quebec cheeses Don’t miss maple syrup tar ts, tour tiere & Ottavio’s own poutine with hand cut fries & local curds.

The Big Cheese Cut Saturday April 25th This year Ottavio’s will do battle with the Italian king, the 35kg Parmigiano Reggiano Vacca Rossa (extra aged), the 38 kg Swiss Cave Aged Gruyere & the behemoth of them all, the 100kg Swiss Organic Emmenthal. 2272 Oak Bay Ave

A Round-Up of News from Around the Province Vancouver Island

BUZZ café

NANAIMO, COWICHAN & OCEANSIDE

Mamma Mia this is a great new addition to Nanaimo’s downtown food scene! While I do not typically wax Homeric about Greek food, I will about Asteras Greek Taverna [347 Wesley Street, Nanaimo, Tel: 250 716 0451] in the Old Quar ter of the city A few noshing reviews from friends convinced me to give this new place a tr y Imagine my surprise to walk in and find folks I knew at the helm The owners, Peter Paraskevopoulous and Greg Roumanis worked (for over 23 years) at one of the best Greek restau rants in Nor th Vancouver, Pasparos Taverna It was a haunt I frequented when I lived there Their chef, Nicole Sullivan, worked with them in Vancouver and followed Peter and Greg to Nanaimo Lucky us! This team brings a wealth of experience cooking/ser ving top notch Greek food If they could manage to have waves crashing against the side of the old house in which they are located, it would feel as if you were sitting at a water front restaurant in Mykonos The roast lamb is fall of f the bone sumptuous and the half chicken is crispy, lemony, and garlicky and lick your fingers bliss The room is truly, madly, deeply romantic (t hink Shirley Valentine) wit h ambience up t he wazoo The table ser vice is friendly, knowl edgeable and ef ficient The por tions are generous and the wine list, though not extensive, is decent The proprietors are good at their craf t Go with a group so you may sample lots of the appetizers, dips and hot mezethes Sharing is a definite at this place For those who have trouble with stairs (and there are many in this heritage house) use the side entrance up a long walkway that gets you easily in through the back door Plate smashing is optional Opa!

Anot her new entr y into downtown Nanaimo’s food scene is Sukkho Thai [123 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, Tel: 250 591 8424] Pay attention when you walk in the door Look to your lef t at the elab orately framed picture of The King, Elvis meeting the other King, as in the King & Queen of Thailand Giap Hengthiansri and wife Nan Methathanasakun used to own the Thai Bistro on Johnson Street in Victo ria, but a drive Up Island last year convinced them to move their lives and fabo food to Nanaimo Both Giap and Nan come from Bangkok families with long traditions of great cooks, but it is Giap’s mother who’s given away most of her kitchen confidential secrets to Nan, the chef at Sukkho So serious are these two about ser ving authentic Thai food, they travel back to Thailand ever y Januar y and spend the month shopping for spices and ingredients not available in Canada All t he dishes ser ved star t wit h house made sauces and ever ything is from scratch No MSG here The red snapper fish cakes have an intense lemon grass flavour and diverse complexity The salmon panaeng is celestial and though the ser ving is monstrous, you will be tempted to wrap your arm around the plate to ward of f attempts by others at the table to give it a tr y However, the hands down winner is the Lanna chicken with sugar roasted chilies It is like a nuclear explosion of hot in your mouth and then mellows out to a sweet even hum; a tune you will want to sing again and again Chef Bruce Wood arrived on Salt Spring Island about 20 months ago and the last time he sat down was on the plane coming west from Ottawa Wood was chef at The Rock Salt in Fulford Harbour for about 10 months (new & ver y talented replacement chef is Rafael Flores of Mexico City) In the summer Wood dabbled in high end catering and ran a field to plate cooking school, but his most recent venture has put his name in lights, literally. Bruce’s Kitchen [106 149 Fulford Ganges Road, Salt Spring Island Tel: 250 931 3399] has joined the line up in restaurant row across from Market Square in downtown Ganges Provençal yellow walls, crisp white tiles and har vest table group dining (seating for 8 12 only) give this

new spot the feeling of comfor t and joy Along with business par tner Matt Salo, their food philosophy is based on, “Eat here for lunch, take us home for dinner ” Oh the smells when you walk in the door! Per fect roast chicken permeates the nostrils (a fragrance upon which I personally think Coco Channel should have invested much more development time) and is accompanied by an elixir of other enticing aromas Lunch is inventive local fare using as much island grown produce as the season will allow Dinner is in a paper bag and walks out the door with you for home bound “show & crow and never tell where you got it ” They also sell soups, stocks and seasonal specialties Su Grimmer

COMOX VALLEY

Michelle Mustvedt is the new General Manager at The Tasting Room & Liquor Store [#4 2253 South Island Highway, 250 830 WINE (9463), www tastingroom ca] She joins host Mario Balasta and Chef Carol Kopp to deliver some great wine and food experience at Willow Point Village, just south of Camp bell River I recently enjoyed Chef Kelley Lane’s Cor tes Island mussels at Fusilli Grill [4 220 Dogwood Street, Campbell River 250 830 0090 www fusilligrill bc ca] and the Grill’s luncheon specials are al ways wor th a visit In Cour tenay Chef Drew Noble and his par tners, Maureen and Dale Rober ts, have re debuted the Old House Restaurant [1760 Riverside Lane, Cour tenay, 250 338 5406] To mark the 35th anniversar y of the opening of the original Old House the new menu will feature some “remember when” items The mom and pop shop at Bisque [14th and Clif fe Ave , Cour tenay 250 334 8564) has grown to six staf f and are getting good reviews on the street The Union Street Grill & Grotto [477 5t h Street, Cour tenay 250 897 0081] has introduced a new menu and given itself a facelif t Grotto motto: “cof fee by day, mar tini by night ” Live music at the Grotto on most Friday evenings Beyond the Kitchen Door [274B 5th St, 250 338 4 404] continues its celebration of local chefs in March and April: Linda Shaben (new owner of Cumberland's Tarbell’s Restaurant [2705 Dunsmuir, 250 336 8863]), Emil Shellborn (Thyme on the Ocean 1832 Comox Ave, Comox 250 339 5570), Jim Lalic (Clove's Catering 250 334 94 4 4), Chris tine Lilyholm (Nor t h Island College’s Culinar y Ar ts Prog ram 250 923 9746), Carol Kopp (The Tas ting Room), Mic hael Kono, and S t eve Dodd (Bisque) are featured this spring Af ter a winter break , Chefs Jon and Paul are bringing in a new menu at Atlas Café [250 6th Street, Cour tenay 250 338 9838] Look for more proteins and a changing the pasta selection and fresh sheets with lots of produce directly from local farmers March 6th also sees Zizi's Eastern Mediterranean Specialties [4 41B Clif fe Avenue 250 334 1661] reopen af ter t heir winter break Winter was a busy time at

[4330 Island Highway, Cour tenay 250 334 9600 Kingfisherspa com] on March 5th and April 2nd Thurs day's nights also feature a complimentar y lobster tail per person with an appetizer and entrée order In spired by a recent trip to India, chef Nicola Cuhna is treating patrons to new uses for fresh curr y leaves, black cardamom, and pomegranate molasses at Cumberland’s The Great Escape [2744 Dunsmuir Street, www greatescape cumberland com, 250 336 8831] In Comox at Avenue Bistro [2064 Comox Ave, 250 890 9200 www avenuebistro ca], Chef Aaron Rail has been busy building relations with local pro ducers Look for seasonally inspired menu changes, as well as a reprise on the recently finished March 2nd wine makers’ dinner Otter's Kitchen Store [250 339 1153] is moving to a more visible location, kitty cor ner to The Lorne Hotel (a good place for lunch when in Comox at 1770 Comox Ave 250 339 3000) Dough Diva Carol Spencer has made a bold move with Wild Flour Organic Ar tisan Baker y 221A Church Street in Comox [250 890 0017, www wildflourorganicbaker y com]: eschewing the costs of run ning a retail outlet she is now doing free home deliveries, Farmers Markets, and of fering classes at the bak er y location Chec k t he websit e for de t ails and plug into her new blog at http://wwwwildflourorganicbaker y blogspot com Hans Peter Meyer

TOFINO

With spring just around the corner, Tofino and Ucluelet welcome new restaurants and fresh faces to the din ing scene Black Rock Oceanfront Resor t, the West Coast’s newest full ser vice luxur y Resor t opened its doors in mid Januar y Located on a stunning rocky edge in Ucluelet, Black Rock Resor t features 133 suites, a 90 seat oceanfront restaurant, Fetch, 50 seat oceanfront lounge, Float, a wine cellar available for pri vate par ties and events, conference and banquet facilities for 100+, and a full ser vice destination spa Af ter an evening of dining at Fetch, I am eager to return for more melt in your mouth braised bison shor t ribs and lamb sirloin Featuring the cuisine of Executive Chef Andrew Springett, most recently of Innvision Hospitality Resource Group and former Executive Chef of the Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn, ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible and ever ything is made in house The team, lead by Hotel Manager, Carly Hall, (formerly of Long Beach Lodge Resor t) also includes Brent Baker and Simon Gillet (both from Middle Beach Lodge) Black Rock Oceanfront Resor t is the sixth proper ty opened and managed by Bou tique Hotels & Resor ts of British Columbia For more information go to www blackrockresor t com New to Tofino, Chef/Owner Vincent Fraissange brings a fresh face and menu to the Spotted Bear Bistro, located at the old RainCoast Café on 4th Street (The RaincCoast Café has closed the doors af ter 11 years of success, and will be missed by many ) Af ter an apprenticeship at Le Crocodile in Vancouver, Fraissange worked at both Feenie’s and Lumiere, and now brings his passion to Tofino While still under renovations as I write this, the Spotted Bear Bistro will be open for dinner this spring; breakfast and lunch will follow for the summer season With a French inspired menu, we will look for ward to change in Tofino For more information call 250 725 2215 Beginning in Februar y, The Pointe Restaurant’s Executive Chef John Waller and Restaurant Chef Nick Nutting will have introduced t heir Sunday Brunch Brunch is open to both guests of the Inn and the public, featuring traditional and non traditional a la car te menu items, with highlights of local ingredients from Vancouver Island pur veyors, including Medicine Farms (Barkley Sound), Nanoose Farms (Nanoose Bay), Sloping Hill Farm (Nanaimo) and Wildside Seafoods (Tofino) For more

information go to www wickinn com The Pointe Restaurant will also be hosting its annual fundraising din ner for the 21st Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival, March 14 22 Don’t forget to check out the ever popular Chowder Chowdown, hosting more than 500 guests, as well as the Annual Mar tini Migration, where you will find all your favourite restaurants competing for best chowder, or best mar tini! For more in formation go to www pacificrimwhalefestival com

And finally, with the absence of the Tofino EATBuzz for Januar y/Februar y, congratulations to Chef Jesse Blake of the Wildside Grill for winning the People’s Choice Award at the 12th Annual Clayoquot Oys ter Festival Gala! The Juried Prize went to Chef Joshua Anker of Long Beach Lodge Resor t and Best Pres entation went to Chef John Waller of The Pointe Restaurant Kira Rogers

VICTORIA

Spring is in the air! And for Victoria’s seasoned and novice gardeners there is a plethora of classes, tools, and programs to help you get your garden growing For those who need a little space to grow, check out Lifecycles Sharing Backyard Program at sharingbackyards com to find a backyard in your neck of the woods that is available for gardening Or, if you ’ ve got ample space and would like to donate that to a keen gardener, contact Lifecycles to let them know and they’ll put you on the map Peruse heirloom fruit and vegetables varieties like black gypsy tomatoes or dragon’s tongue beans in t he Seeds of Victoria 2009 Catalogue Find them at Dig This shops around Vancouver Island and Plenty on For t Street or order from the catalogue online at ear thfuture com March 10th through April 7th, Camosun College is of fer ing courses on Organic Gardening and Increasing Your Yield taught by local garden gurus, Tina Fraser Bynes and Mar y Alice Johnson Tina will also be of fering classes for the market or personal gardener at Halibur ton Farm just outside of Victoria Or if you ’ re closer to Sooke, the Sooke Food C HI is hosting gar den classes at their CASA site Call 250 642 6371 for details Youths interested in learning to grow food and be involved in Vancouver Island’s food system, can sign up for Lifecycles six week Youth and Agriculture Work Experience Program from March to April The program teaches basic farming practices, small scale food processing, food security basics, and introduces par ticipants to local food businesses and farm to as sess a match for a full time work experience placement

If you ’ re more interested in the eating par t than the growing ef for ts, note that several pocket markets have reopened for the Spring af ter brief winter closures: Fernwood’s Community market is open Tuesdays 2:30 to 5:30 at the Gladstone Café, the UVic Student Centre market is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 to 4:30, and the market at the Cedar Hill Rec Centre is now open Wednesdays from 10:00 to 1:00 A brand new pocket market has just opened at Clif f Leir’s new baker y Fol Epi at the Dockside Green; check it out Saturdays from 10:00 to 2:00 Don Genova’s course on Exploring Local Foods taught at the University of Victoria may suit your tastes There may still be room by March 1st if you contact Heather McCrae at hmcrae@uvcs uvic ca soon

In restaurant news, make your way over the blue bridge to for a fantastic cup at Caf fe Fantastico’s new location in the dockside green, right in front of Clif f Leir’s recently opened Fol Epi The new café will be manned by Fantastico’s brilliant baristi and boasts some shiny new equipment, so expect excellence Ooh La La Cupcakes quietly opened up under the radar at Hillside and Cedar Hill, but is becoming popular

just in time for Easter cupcakes and Spring par ties Passion For Cakes, is the creative endeavour of de signer/cake baker Corina Divinely delicious and over the top ar tistic cakes ser ved with a dash of kitsch (check out the Elvis cake), stunning and elegant, or just plain flabbergasting (view the Red Purse cake) Read all about it at passionforcakes com In Fernwood’s bustling square, the new Green Goddess Café is ser ving up edible flower salads and espressos during the day and their house specialty, absinthe, in the evenings Vista 18 is unveiling a fresh new Spring menu on April 18th Accent Inns is pleased to announce its suppor t of The Land Conser vancy which is working hard to preser ve agricultural land around Victoria, such as Madrona Farm $5 of ever y room reser ved at Accent Inn will be donated to TLC The new Cascadia Liquor Store has just opened its doors in the Town and Countr y Mall with som melier Pamela Sanderson as Regional General Manager The store will focus on island produced spir its and wines Paprika Bis tro has a new owner wit h Oak Bay resident Geof f Par ker assuming t he reins of t his beloved Estevan Village institution mid Januar y Former owners Linda and George Szasz have decided to concentrate on Stage, their Fernwood restaurant Says Parker, “ I have always wanted to be a par t of the Oak Bay business community I live nearby so Paprika is a per fect fit for me I plan to continue the good work of the Szazs’s in providing a casual/fine dining experience that suppor ts local farms, winer ies and the Oceanwise sustainability philosphy ” Chef Anna Hunt, who moved from Montreal and the Taverne Sur Le Square to cook at Paprika, stays on as chef as does most of t he staf f 2524 Estevan Ave , 250 595 7424

A hear ty congratulations goes out to Jaswant Bains, 71, Cook's Helper at the Blue Crab Bar & Grill, who won the prestigious Sterling Ser vice Award of the Year in the culinar y suppor t categor y at this year ' s award ceremonies Jaswant, who has been with the Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Ma rina for seventeen years, is af fectionately known as "Mama" to hotel staf f and is considered to be the hear t and soul of the hotel's kitchen She of ten takes young apprentices under her wing and teaches them how to prepare exotic Indian and Asian dishes Her trademark dish is featured on the Blue Crab Bar & Grill lunch menu listed as “Mama's butter chicken ” And congratulation to Spinnaker’s as well; for t he second year in a row, Spinnakers Gastrobrewpub and GuestHouses has been named BC’s Best Brewpub in the Nor thwest Brewing News (NBN) Reader’s Choice Awards This is the third time in four years that Spinnakers has been given the award Restaurant Matisse has again been awarded four stars by the prestigious Mobile Travel Guide They also have a new chef, Anthony Hodda, who has has developed a new spring menu that updates and modernizes the French classic dishes that Matisse is known for Hodda cooked at Bishop’s in Vancouver and most recently at Dunsmuir Lodge Katie Zdybel

Mainland

VANCOUVER

The news media sounds like Chicken Little with its incessant “the [economic] sky is falling” squawking And possibly disaster looms But for now Vancouverites diners and restaurateurs are a resilient lot We are still eating out and chef/owners are of fering menus for less coin Dine out saw par ticipating restau rants pack ‘ em in like sardines for $18, $28 and $38 prix fixes Five of us got our fix, though, with a Tuesday night tour to a few non subscribers in and around Gastown Just over a year and half old now, the kids, Boneta and Cobre (par t of dine out but no reser ves at the bar) are doing all right Bar guy Mark Brand, wine guy Neil Ingram and chef Jeremie Bastien tasted us through bourbon based cocktails, Bar bera, butter y pork belly and bison carpaccio Meanwhile Stu Ir ving over at Cobre wowed my buds and my taste buds with prawn topped cornmeal arepas and shredded duck tacquitos, before we tripped up to Campagnolo for crispy, spicy Ceci (chickpeas) and a plate of house made charcuterie, washed down with a refreshing Menabrea impor ted from the small scale Piemonte brewer y of the same name And speaking of delicious impor ts, Sean Heather (Irish Heather, Salt, Salty Tongue) corralled chefs and media in the Salt cellar to tuck into some melt on the tongue Serrano and Iberico hams from the me dieval town of La Alberca Spain The must tr y ham, best tasted naked, can be bought at Bosa, Oyama Sausage and, of course as one Salt’s charcuterie selections Joe Chaput from Les Amis du Fromage also turned up with Spain’s grape leave wrapped Valdeon blue cheese, the next best thing to Cabrales along with a couple of other fine selections Also heeding the call of more af fordable dining options due to the current economic climate, Restau rateurs Andrey Durbach and Chris Stewar t will reopen Parkside restaurant in the west end this spring as another La Buca (The senior La Buca has proven a successful haven for rustic Italian comfor t food at a medium price point since it opened The two hope to launch a few more similar spaces across the city over the next few years We love that Quattro on Four th are again of fer $10 pasta lunches (they were such a success in De cember) on Thursdays and Fridays only This is a per fect oppor tunity to tr y Quattro’s feather light noo dles and gnocchi The Canner y is of fering a new weekend brunch ser vice with the likes of a decadent lobster benedict Look for more details on the EAT website Julie Pegg

OKANAGAN

Kelowna’s restaurant landscape is ever changing Local favorite, Milestones Restaurant previously housed in Orchard Park Mall, has uprooted and moved across the parking lot to claim its own piece of tur f On the other side of town in the Mission area, Francophile hotspot baker y and café, La Boulan gerie, has closed its doors leaving its loyal croissant fans in deep mourning Hopefully the owners have

A Sense of Place

OLD VINES RESTAURANT 11:30 am to 9 pm daily Sunday Brunch 10:30 am to 2:30 pm

WINESHOP

9:30 am to 7 pm - May to October 10 am to 6 pm - November to April

“One of the four best places to dine in the Okanagan Valley.”

- Wine Spectator

OPEN YEAR ROUND

plans for something in the future?? Other exciting news for Kelowna's downtown restaurant circuit is the announcement that Fresco's award winning restaurant has closed! Fear not fans of super Chef Rod But ters cuisine, he and par tner Audrey Surrao have announced that are morphing the old Fresco's digs into a brand new upscale casual restaurant RauDZ Regional Table (an amalgamation of their names) is under construction and will hopefully be open in time for the return of the warmer weather As per But ters' style, the menu will be seasonally inspired and focus on local ingredients with the wine list celebrating Okanagan's finest Promising a welcoming ambiance with a more casual edge including a new eating bar and flat screen televisions, RauDZ Regional Table sounds like it will be a great place to hang out, eat well and enjoy a fabulous glass of vino or a local brew on tap The wonder ful trend of small gour met markets and delis continues to spread throughout the Okanagan O’Rourke’s Uptown Market of fers a large product line of local and gourmet items for the discerning shopper Fresh produce, deli items and a meat section make this one stop shop handy for all of the new downtown condo and lof t owners 1321 St Paul Street 250 712 0759

When visiting the gorgeous Naramata wine region of our Valley, mark down The Bench Market for your lunch break Delicious, gourmet food that focuses on locally grown products, The Bench also sells per fect ingredients for a picnics and great ideas for Okanagan epicurean gif ts The Chicken Panini, which contains house made oven roasted chicken breast with cambanzola cheese topped with pear chut ney and pesto aioli and red onion is heavenly and don’t miss a big glass of the addictive, power pick me up the Matcha lemonade (only available in the hot months so you can make use of their great espresso bar in the meantime) They cater too! 368 Vancouver Avenue 250 492 2222 www thebench market com If you would like to take a break from sipping the grapes and move onto another delicious Okanagan creation check out Penticton’s own Canner y Brewing Company Boasting a line up of absolutely delicious beers wit h flavours ranging from t he Blackberr y Por ter (pair wit h chocolate!) to Maple Stout t hese brews will knock you socks of f! www canner ybrewing com While mapping out your next visit to wine countr y, why not take in a cooking class taught by our ver y own Celebrity Chef Michael Allemeier? Former host of FOOD T V’s Cook Like A Chef, Chef Allemeier and Terrace Chef Matt Batey will share so of their secret tips and delicious recipes in their State of the Ar t kitchens at breath taking Mission Hill Winer y Check out their class schedule online at : www missionhillwiner y com Rhys Pender, our most famous local wine guy (who is working on becoming the "youngest Master of Wine in Canada”) is expanding his already long CV to include internet television Rhys, owner of Wine Plus+ Ed ucation/Consulting, has filmed a segment on B C wines to be broadcasted on www Winelibrar yT V com Jennifer Schell

It’s Happy Hour for Real Ale

Every

Cask ales undergo a secondary fermentation in the cask and tend to be softer, smoother and creamier due to the CO2 being more finely dissolved than typical keg beer or even real ale beers dispensed from a larger ser ving vessel, most often pushed by CO2 or mixed gas The beers are typically dry hopped or additives are introduced to give the casks a special character As such, cask conditioned beers provide the ultimate expression of the brewer's ar t and give our brewers an oppor tunity to be creative on a daily basis

Invites are out to local breweries to bring a cask of their best on the first Friday of every month. On Feb 6th, Driftwood Brewing supplied a cask of their Farmhand Ale which was dispensed alongside Spinnaker’s own Belgian Abby Cask (see photo above). A special cask night is slated for March 14th from noon until 5 PM. It is hoped that 20 to 30 different casks from a wide range of brewers will be on tap. www.spinnakers.com

I S H

WHERE: WHERE: Pear Tree Restaurant Butt er Braised Pheasant Breas t wit h f all veg e tables, a salsify tar t and a braised onion hear t

EAT caught up with chef Scott Jaegar at his restaurant the Pear Tree in Burnaby, BC Scott had just returned from Europe where he had been attending the Bocuse d’Or 2009 culinar y competition (Nor way snagged first prize, BC’s David Wong came in a respectable 9th) I had heard Jaeg ar was ser ving free rang e pheasant from Cam pbell’s Pheasantr y and want ed to asked him about his dish and this somewhat tricky to prepare bird

“Pheasant is a r ic her, more int ense meat t han c hic ken,” said Jaeg ar, “but it is s till def init ely in t he poultr y family I find it less gamy than squab, quail or duc k and it has a light colour and a delicate flavour We buy our pheasants fresh from Cam pbell’s Pheasantr y in Aldergrove, where t hey run free eating bugs and grass Campbell’s has been in business for 25 years and as far as I know are the only BC pur veyors of pheasants Other wise in BC, Quebec pheasants can be found but since t hey are g rain f ed t hey have a less distinctive flavour ”

“The pheasants arrive at the restaurant around three pounds each Pheasants have ver y lean meat and tend to t he tough side so proper cooking is essential As pheasants can leap t en f ee t in t he air t he legs are par ticular y tough and all t he t endons need to be removed (which is ver y labour intensive) I find the best thing to do is too separate the breast from the body and use the body for stock or jus Sometimes we confit the legs but it take longer than duck to confit We also don’t use the skin The skin is a challenge as skin needs to be crispy, but if we tr y for crispy skin the breast meat just doesn’t cook properly ”

“For this dish, we take the skinless pheasant breasts, liberally season with salt and pepper and slow braise t hem in butt er You can use eit her clar if ied butt er or beurre monté, which is butter that has been emulsified At the restaurant we use the sous vide technique but at home I would just do a ver y slow braise on the stove ”

You can buy pheasant from Ciof fi’s or Hills Foods (call ahead) but generally it is a restaurant t hing Cooking pheasant takes a little more work to prepare and isn’t a one day recipe so most people don’t want to tr y cook ing pheasant at home Whichever route restaurant or home cooking make sure you use a great pur veyor and buy the best

The Pear Tree pear treerestaurant net Hills Foods hillsfoods co

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Tracey Kusiewicz

Tollo Pinot Grigio 07 Italy $10.00+

It’s soft, it’s fruity, its ten bucks a liter! Light and refreshing with hints of honey and peaches on the nose, simple fruit flavours and crisp balanced acid ity.

Tollo Sangiovese 07 Italy $10.00+

Another no brainer from Cantina Tollo that punches well above its humble price point! Medium bodied with spicy fruit flavours, fine grained tannins and a smooth persistent finish Great price for a liter of red!

[ T H E W I N E S ]

WHITES

Jadot Dom Du Bois de Fee Saint Veran 06 France $28 00+

The Jadot mission statement is: “ The less we touch it, the better the wine” and this lovely, pure, white Burgundy is exactly what it should be, the very essence of Chardonnay Ele gant and balanced with subtle green apple and mineral flavours, a slightly creamy texture and a soft, clean finish. A delicious alternative to Chablis!

REDS

Amalaya De Colome 06 Argentina $22.00+

Founded in 1831 high in the foothills of the Andes, Bodega Colome can lay claim to being one of the original pioneers of the Argentine wine industry Sourcing grapes from its own biodynamically farmed vineyards, this blend of Malbec dominated blend is delicious with ripe berry, vanilla and a spice flavours and soft tannic finish.

Ruffino Modus 05 Italy $37.00+

Ruffino Modus was first produced in 1997! This richly textured Tuscan red is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Medium bodied and very intense with red cherry, ear th and spice aromas, balanced, with good weight on the palate, ripe fruit and mineral flavours and a dry dusty finish

Faustino V Reser va Rioja 04 Spain $31 00+

Balanced and supple with ripe strawberry and spice flavours. Medium bodied and ele gant, this delicious Rioja is packed with flavour but is not over the top Silky smooth with a long spicy finish!

Palacio Reser va Rioja 04 Spain $27.00+

Classic in style with a huge nose that does not require seeking out, it just comes out to get you Lots going on here with ripe red berry, ear th and spicy oak aromas that become increasing alluring as the wine is exposed to air. Good weight on the palate with a soft silky texture and lovely fruit flavours that develop and expand through the finish.

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 06 Chile $28.00+

With a dollop of Merlot added to soften the Cabernet, this Chilean benchmark is medium bodied and oozing with lush bramble, cassis, tobacco and exotic spice aromas, nicely balanced with ripe berry flavours, deftly integrated oak and fine grained tannins. Ab solutely delicious ,

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Peller Estates Private Res Cab Franc 06 British Columbia $22.00+

With the Canadian dollar slipping and international prices soaring perhaps its time to take another look at what’s coming out of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. This Caber net Franc is a real cracker! Medium bodied and loaded with fresh juicy fruit and spice flavours.

Osoyoos Larose 06 British Columbia $48.00+

Osoyoos Larose is a joint venture between Canadian wine giant, Vincor International and the Groupe Taillan of Bordeaux, France The goal is to produce a Bordeaux style blend with fruit from the south Okanagan and European know how. It is a match that has turned a lot of heads over the years, with what has been often referred to, as Canada’s first col lectable This beauty is not cheap but good wine rarely is The 2006, is concentrated and firm, with cassis, mocha and spicy vanilla aromas, ripe red berry flavours, firm tannins and a long chewy

What do healthy Pacific salmon stocks and the hoppy craft brewing traditions of the Pacific Nor thwest have in common? Both require consistent supplies of the best quality fresh water, and in recognition of this, one Oregon craft brewer is taking steps to ensure both the fish and his brewery keep getting just that “If we don’t have clean rivers, our beer and craft beer industry in Oregon wouldn’t be where it is today,” says the aptly named G ary Fish, founder of Deschutes Brewer y “Healthy rivers are impor tant to us ”

Late last September, Deschutes Brewery sourced cer tified Salmon Safe hops for the first time from the fabled hop growing mecca of the Willamette Valley and used it to make one of their most celebrated (and hoppy) beers, the Hop Trip Fresh Hop Pale Ale. The Salmon Safe cer tification may sound novel to many in BC, but it’s been around for nearly a decade south of the border Based in Por tland, the cer tification is administered by a nonprofit with a mission to see Pacific salmon thrive in agricultural and urban water sheds To that end, more than 50,000 acres of land has been cer tified so far, accompa nied by retail campaigns in over 200 supermarkets across the US nor thwest

In the case of Salmon Safe hops, this cer tification means that the hop yard has been scrutinized by inspectors who help the farmer ensure the following: that streams and rivers are protected by riparian buffers of trees and native vegetation to provide cooling and ero sion control; that irrigation practices are not damaging or eroding local watercourses; and that pesticides, synthetic fer tilizers, manure and other agricultural products are not drain ing into fish bearing waters.

Everything from hop and vineyards to waterside real estate developments have received the cer tification, which has not only helped wild salmon, but has proven a powerful tool for marketing to environmentally savvy consumers who want to buy high quality goods with out compromising salmon dependent watersheds

In the case of how the salmon safe hops are used to make a novel nor thwest brew, De schutes Brewery spokesman Bob Chase describes how hops are at the hear t of this pale ale:

“ The hops grow all summer and by the middle or end of September, they’re ready to be picked. Around that time of year we drive out [to get hops] and when we are getting close to the brewery, we call ahead to make sure they are ready to use the hops immediately as we return ”

Crystal hops are a hybrid developed from German Haller tau hops that has emerged as a Pacific Nor thwest classic it is a half sister to local faves Mount Hood and Liber ty hops and has been grown commerciallyonly since 1993

Within three hours of being plucked from the vine, says Chase, the Salmon Safe crystal hops are added to the wor t, where they will eventually impar t an uncommonly powerful cit rus aroma to the final product.

The end product is not for the beer drinker with an aversion to the citrusy, floral power of the hop: roughly 680 pounds of Crystal hops are added to each 120 barrel batch of the pale ale, in addition to dry kilned whole flower hops. That’s nearly six pounds of hops per barrel brewed!

Chase says that brewing with freshly har vested, undried aroma hops draws out a new peak of citrusy aroma a quality that in this case, is not coming at the expense of rivers, or the salmon that depend on them To learn more about Salmon safe, visit www salmonsafe org

SWEET

Chateau Loupiac Gaudiet 0 3 (375m) France $20.00+

The village of Loupiac is located just across the river from the Sauternes region in Bor deaux, France and as with its more famous neighbor, can produce some of the most deca dently sweet wines this side of the planet Pluto A classic blend of late har vest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, this powerful sticky is concentrated and lush, each sip bursting with exotic spice and citrus flavours that just keeps coming.

SPIRITS

Maker’s Mark Kentucky Bourbon Kentucky $30.00+

Sometimes a whisky is just a whiskey! But Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Handmake Whisky, no matter how you spell it, is a mouthful that’s hard to say but easy to swallow. Distilled from a mash of yellow corn, red winter wheat and malted barley, aged in charred new white oak barrels, Maker’s is silky smooth with a creamy texture, sweet smoky vanilla and subtle grain flavours and a finish that will leave your tongue tingling.

u r g u n d y o n a B u d g e t

By Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouf fard

Have you ever considered spending, say, $5,000 on a bottle of wine? As outrageous as it sounds, you could shell out even more than this at auction if you were interested in ac quiring one of Burgundy’s top wines. Rage surges in our hear ts at these ridiculous prices. We mere mor tals should also be able to get a taste of burgundy The wines from this region have a reputation for being expensive, hard to obtain and difficult to understand So why even bother? Because once you have truly fallen in love, you find a way to make the relationship work We would have cheated on and abandoned Burgundy long ago were it not for the well priced gems Budget burgundy doesn’t equal $10, except in our dreams However, you can spend between $20 and $40. For most of us this is still a splurge, but at least it is within the realm of possibility. So where do you find these beacons of hope? Forget the Côte d’Or. That is the hear t of Burgundy and you may as well be buying gold. The most expensive and highly reputed burgundies are found there. But those wines only represent a small percentage of what Burgundy produces. The areas to the nor th and south of Côte d’Or boast more affordable wines. Chablis, the Mâconnais, Côte Chalonnaise and Beaujolais have all had their share of bad press, and their lack of popularity has kept prices reasonable Thanks to the effor ts of committed winemakers, many delicious wines are being made in these “lesser” sub regions

Chablis was corrupted when the name was hijacked and plastered on labels of cheap plonk from Nor th America and Australia Even though the name of Chablis is now protected, its reputation hasn’t fully recovered. This once popular wine is often overlooked in favour of the richer, showier wines from fur ther south.

Like the rest of Burgundy’s whites, Chablis is made from Chardonnay, but this can come as a surprise when you taste it. Typically unoaked, the wines of Chablis have nothing in common with the flamboyant Chards of Australia or California. The region sits quite nor th and is removed from the rest of Burgundy Whenever we’ve visited, it’s been grey and chilly The wines can be austere, reticent and restrained, somewhat like the area and its people The wine’s charm comes from its purity and minerality Refreshing and steely Chablis’ vibrant citrus aromas leave you craving an other sip

Chablis dazzles our palate all year long E xtraordinarily versatile, it makes a mouth watering aperitif and is a fantastic par tner with salad and fresh seafood such as oysters and crab. Entry level Chablis often over delivers for the money. Even the Premier Crus are generally under $50 and the Grand Crus rarely crack the $100 mark. You cer tainly can’t find a Premier or Grand Cru for these prices in the Côte d’Or. La Chablisienne cooperative is consistent, and smaller producers like Bernard Defaix and Daniel Dampt are wor th discovering

At the other end of Burgundy’s white spectrum, the Mâconnais region is located south of the Côte d’Or and benefits from a slightly warmer and drier climate Not only are the people more jovial, their wines are riper, friendlier and immediately appealing In cooler vintages, when the rest of Burgundy struggles, the Mâconnais can offer some of the most successful wines

The likes of Meursault and Puligny Montrachet get the glory, but who can afford them? The Mâ connais is filled with young ambitious winemakers eager to show the world the region’s potential. As a result, you can find plenty of well made wines that rival the whites of the Côte d’Or at half the price. Those from Christophe Cordier and the Bret Brothers have fooled more than one blind taster. Rich and unctuous with a lingering butter hazelnut finish, they can be very Meursault like at times. Château Beauregard never disappoints either Even its entry level Pouilly Vinzelles “Les Buchardières,” which sells for $30, drinks more like a wine at $40 45

Between the Côte d’Or and the Mâcon, the Côte Chalonnaise often gets lost in the shuf fle, even when one is visiting Burgundy. While easy to bypass altogether, this would be a mistake. The area offers delicious and affordable reds and whites, especially in good vintages like 2005. They may not reach the heights of their neighbours to the nor th, but they are still undeniably Burgundy and are more than adequate when we are craving a fix. Like everywhere else in Burgundy, Pinot Noir is responsible for making the fabulous reds and Chardonnay the whites Look for the village names of Mercurey, Rully and Givry Wines from the eponymous châteaux of Mercurey and Rully are a great introduction

Beaujolais is Burgundy’s eternal black sheep It is the one exception to the Pinot Noir rule as reds here are made from the G amay grape instead As far back as the 14th cen tury, the dukes worked to banish G amay from most of Burgundy Somehow it sur vived and went onto fame in Beaujolais Nouveau. Released the third Thursday of November, the wine of the new vintage is made using specific winemaking practises so that it is suitable for immediate drinking. Beaujolais Nouveau had its heyday in the 1980s and early ’90s, but today it is regarded with distain. While the cheap and cheerful Beaujolais Nouveau has its place and is a fun way to celebrate har vest in the fall, it should not de tract from Beaujolais’ more serious wines

Beaujolais’ top offerings are the Villages wines as well as the 10 “Crus ” Typically, these wines can be enjoyed in their youth and are driven by crunchy red fruit of raspberry and strawberries Those from the Crus of Morgon and Moulin à Vent can age up to 10 years in the best vintages Many of us so called professionals have been tricked into thinking that a five 10 year old Moulin à Vent was actually a red burgundy made from Pinot Noir. The Crus comes from Beaujolais’ best sites and therefore will cost a bit more than Beau jolais Villages. Star ting at about $25, Cru Beaujolais are wor th every penny. They have extra depth and complexity and are some of the greatest budget gems in Burgundy. Vin tage after vintage we love the Beaujolais of Marcel Lapierre, Clos de la Roilette, Potel Av iron and Calot

Besides being great value, Beaujolais is one of the most food friendly reds you can drink In the summer, they can even be enjoyed slightly chilled with a plate of charcuterie at a picnic Year round they are a go to with roasted chicken As for the Cru Beaujolais, we reser ve these for more serious fare like tuna, steak tar tare and duck Quite frankly, our lives would not be complete without Beaujolais.

The wines from Chablis, Mâcon, the Côte Chalonnaise and Beaujolais have allowed us to remain faithful to Burgundy. We get plenty of satisfaction from these off the beaten track regions. In fact, even if we could afford the elixirs of the Côte d’Or, we would still need our dose of these less expensive wines They are first rate, not simply second best

Yes, it is possible, but one must stray from the Côte d’Or to find it.

T a s t i n g N o t e s

Chablis

2005 Alber t Bichot, Domaine Long Depaquit, Chablis AOC, $27 99

We were pleasantly surprised by this wine. It gives you everything you want when you crave Chablis: fresh vibrant flavours of citrus with appealing steeliness and slight yeasty notes Quite elegant

William Fèvre always crafts excellent Chablis at all price points. Stick with the Petit Chablis and the regular Chablis when you are seeking good deals

2005 William Fèvre, Petit Chablis AOC, $25 99

Petit Chablis may be the entry level appellation in Chablis but it still offers interesting wines. From the first sip, you’ll know you’re in Chablis Fantastic on its own or with oysters and a seafood platter

2006 William Fèvre, Champs Royaux, Chablis AOC, $29.99

A step up from the Petit Chablis, the Champs Royaux has extra depth and layers for a few more dollars We always make sure we have a bottle in our fridge to satiate our Chablis thirst

2006 Bernard Defaix, 1er Cru Côte de Léchet AOC, *$36 00

Côte de Léchet is a vineyard that has been given 1er Cru status (Grand Cru being the highest ap pellation) This site produces wines with a pronounced minerality and a cer tain austerity Bernard Defaix does a fine job, and his Côte de Léchet is one of our favourite Chablis on the market. Highly recommended with crab.

Mâcon

2006 Château Beauregard, Les Buchardières, Pouilly Vinzelles AOC, $29.99

We’ve reviewed previous vintages of this wine and the 2006 is another success. It can easily stand up to the whites from Côte d’Or and is much kinder to your wallet. Once you’ve taken a sip, count the seconds the flavours last on your palate You’ll be amazed

Côte Chalonnaise

2005 Château de Rully, Rully AOC *$42 (375 mL $25)

Your first sniff will take you right to Burgundy In fact, you might think you’re in Côte d’Or, but the price is a reminder that you’re not Elegant silky texture with loads of juicy flavours of bright cherries. A perfect match with duck. Our mouths are watering!

Beaujol ais

2006 Domaine de la Brasse, Beaujolais Villages AOC, *$23.50

Excellent value and everything you could hope for in a bottle of Beaujolais Great concentration of flavours with bright red fruit balanced by a good structure. Star t a new trend and enjoy at lunchtime with your friends and your favourite sandwich

2006 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie AOC, *$34.99

A restrained style of Beaujolais, Clos de la Roilette Fleurie reveals its full personality after spend ing some time in the glass Very seductive aromas and flavours of cherry and wild strawberries mixed with pleasant ear thy notes Extremely food friendly, it goes like a charm with salmon, tuna and roasted chicken.

2007 Marcel Lapierre, Morgon AOC, $39.00

This wine is close to our hear ts It has fuelled us through many late night chats We don’t need any excuse or food to enjoy a bottle, but it does work like a charm with steak tar tare Juicy, very precise, complex and full of personality.

Bourgogne

Bourgogne AOC is the entry level appellation in Burgundy The prices might be enticing but good ones are hard to come by so when you find one, stock up.

2006 Joseph Faiveley “Paulée” Bourgogne AOC, $22.99

When you’re dying for some Burgundy but think you can’t afford it, reach for a bottle of this We have to warn you, though, the tannins are pronounced and drying, but the wine gets friendlier if you decant it and drink with serious game meat.

2005 Chanson, Bourgogne AOC Pinot Noir, $27.99

If you want an enjoyable, juicy and easy to drink Pinot, this is it Soft appealing flavours of cherry and cranberry make your mouth salivate. A great introduction to Burgundy if you are seeking to be conver ted

*Wines available at Private Wine Stores; prices may vary

Other producers to look for year around:

Daniel Dampt One of Chablis’ top producers, Daniel Dampt makes sophisticated wines that over deliver for the price Look out for their straight Chablis, 1er Cru Les Vaillons and 1er Cru Côte de Léchet

Billaud Simon Class in a glass! From their entry level Chablis Tête d’Or to their Grand Cru, Bil laud Simon’s wines are elegant and stylish We’ve tried aging some of Billaud Simon’s 1er and Grand Cru but never succeeded we just can’t resist drinking them

Potel Aviron A joint venture between well known Burgundy producer Nicolas Potel and Stéphane Aviron from Beaujolais You can always rely on this duo to produce excellent cru Beau jolais Look out for their Moulin à Vent and Morgon Vieilles Vignes at Marquis Wine Cellars Domaine de la Sarazinière Fantastic value here. The Cuvée Claude Seigneuret from Mâcon Bussières is usually lurking on liquor store shelves while the delicious red makes an annual ap pearance in private wine stores

Chef

s Talk: “What is the hardest dish to cook”?

250.381.3443

The hardest dish to cook is always the most simple Taking a great ingredient and presenting it unadorned with perhaps only the most basic of accompaniments let’s say just salt and oil at that point it all comes down to technique. What would you do with a perfect carrot, or beet, perhaps a fresh rockfish or a couple of pounds of gooseneck barnacles? Could you do raw materials like that justice without resor ting to any of the chemical trickery of modern cuisine, or the fail safe cream, butter and stock approaches of the classical reper toire? It is the basic conundrum we struggle with every day how to showcase the glorious flavours that nature gives us while keeping our creative egos firmly in check.

Jon Frazier Atlas Cafe 250 338 9838

My most difficult dish to cook would be anything for my fam ily I always find that what I need is never in the fridge and spend most my time looking for equipment that should be right in front of me When it comes to clean up only half the dishes ever seem to fit the dishwasher and my critics are twice as difficult. With all that I said, it remains my favorite meal to prepare.

Alberto Pozzolo Italian Baker y 250 388 4557

From a baker's perspective the hardest product to make in my opinion is a naturally fermented sweetbread such as panettone or colomba which I make at Easter time The rea son for this is that full attention must be given to the product for two days taking into account the weather conditions

both temperature and barometric pressure. In addition to this, great care must be taken to ensure that the rise is con stant and that the sour nature of the sweetbread remains minimized Fur thermore this product is a fusion between the streams of bread making and pastry work thus often chal lenging the ar tisan to combine both skills concurrently as well as independently

Jeff Keenliside The Marina Restaurant 250 598 8555

The hardest dish I make is my youngest daughter's lunch. Any hot food is generally out no means of re heating and thermos are gross All schools are peanut free these days so there goes peanut butter Loose or lack of all teeth means nothing too hard or chewy Too much sugar and I am a bad parent No treats and I am a mean dad Too much food and it gets thrown out (I hate that), not enough and she's taking stuff from the "lunch lady". Add to all that kids' likes and dis likes and if we've been grocery shopping yet. And I have to do this before my first cup of coffee? Thank God for pizza day (or in Whistler, sushi day)!

Aprile Cl audio Colborne Lane 416.368.9009

I would have to say the recipe that is quite challenging for any seasoned chef is miso soup Just 4 ingredients, miso, h20, kombu and a touch of light soy or sea salt Nothing to hide behind. Pure and simple.

Ken Huston Smoken Bones Cookshack 250 391 6328

The hardest dish to make is the one that I will be eating After cooking for so many years I wish I could have one of

by Ceara Lornie

the cool machines on Star Trek and just have food appear so I don’t have to come home from work and cook again.

K aren Gin Zin Restaurant 604.408.1700

In my career, I was always instructed to never over cook meat Personally the “hardest dish to cook” would be to take a beautiful beef tenderloin and painfully cook it to well done.

Vincent Fraisssange Spotted Bear Bistro 250 725 2215

For me the hardest dish to cook to perfection is what most people may think to be an easy one A simple risotto is one the best things I have ever eaten when it’s done right I used to think that I had a pretty good grasp on technique after hav ing made hundreds of them and learning from various well respected chefs I have worked with Then I went to Italy for a week while traveling through Europe one summer. This is when I realized I knew nothing about making a truly aston ishing risotto. I had the basics down for sure, and I wasn't far off. There was just something missing from what the lit tle old lady was making in that tiny little kitchen in Italy Love! Sounds cheesy but it’s true Working in professional kitchens is really high paced and stressful Most of the time we are worried about being ready for ser vice I think as cooks we need to put more love back into the food and then the diners experience will then speak for itself

Cory Pel an - La Piola 250 388 4517

Any breakfast egg dish. Well, maybe not so hard as just a pain in the butt I just don’t like cooking eggs

David Mincey Camille’s

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Victoria, 1437 Store St. 250 382-3201

French

Street

Eat magazine’s FOOD + DRINK Guide

DINE OUT

Ambrosia Pg. 28

Aura Pg. 17

Bard & Banker Pub Pg. 43

Bear Mountain Pg. 11

Blue Crab Bar & Grill Pg. 2

Bon Rouge Pg. 10

Brasserie L’Ecole Pg. 38

Brentwood Bay Lodge Pg. 5

Camille’s Pg. 12

Fernwood Inn Pg. 28

Fire & Water Pg. 15

Haro’s Pg. 6

Hotel Grand Pacif ic, The Pg. 4

La Piola Pg. 17

Locals Pg. 33

Lure Pg. 10

Markus’ Whar fside Pg. 16

Marina Restaurant Pg. 9

Med Mosaic Pg. 16

Nic he Pg. 43

O’Doul’s Pg. 35

Paprika Bistro Pg. 27

Pescatores Pg. 10

Prima S trada Pg. 6

Restaurant Matisse Pg. 29

R.TL Pg. 20

Sips Ar tisan Bistro Pg. 27

Smoken Bones Cookshac k Pg. 16

Sooke Harbour House Pg. 2

DINE OUT

S tage Pg. 2

Sushi-Mon Pg. 33

Tourism Vancouver Island Pg. 30

Trafalgar’s Bistro Pg. 35

Youbou Bar & Grill Pg. 15

Village Taphouse Pg. 21

Vista 18 Pg. 42

Wesley S treet, The Pg. 32

Wic kaninnish Inn Pg. 34

Zambri’s Pg. 12

Zin Pg. 21

DINE IN

Bodhi’s Ar tisan Baker y Pg. 33

Carrot on t he Run Pg. 32

Cher yl’s Gourmet Pantr y Pg. 29

Feys + Hobbs Catered Ar ts Pg. 4

Fol Epi Boulangerie Pg. 8

McLean’s Specialty Foods Pg. 32

Mix, The Baker y Pg. 35

Share Organics Pg. 29

Silk Road Pg. 25

Thrif ty Foods Pg. 7

Wildf ire Bread Pg.40

SERVICE S

Andrew Lewis Design Pg. 43 M. Tourigny Photography Pg. 36

WINE & DRINKS

BC Wine Guys Pg. 39

Broadway Wine Shop Pg. 19

Cook S t. Village Liquor Pg. 8

Hester Creek Estate Pg. 36

Hillside Liquor S tore Pg. 41

Mattic k’s Farm VQA Shop Pg. 38

Metro Liquor Pg. 41

Peter Lehmann Pg. 3

Quails’ Gate Pg. 36

Sea Cider Farm Pg. 38

Six Mile Liquor S tore Pg. 39

HOME & KITCHEN

Beyond t he Kitc hen Door Pg. 33

Haute Cuisine Pg. 27

Muf fet & Louisa Pg. 43

Penna & Co. Pg. 2

Surroundings Pg. 25

PRODUCERS

Cowic han Bay Farm Pg. 32

Woolwic h Dair y Pg. 13

CL A SSE S

Fairburn Farm Pg. 15

Culinar y Institute of V.I. Pg. 28

Culinar y Institute of V.I. Pg. 42

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