EAT Magazine 14-01 January|February 2010

o u t t h e

o c a l f o o d , b e c a u s e w i t h o u t t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f f o o d I w o u l d n o t u n d e r s t a n d t h e p l a c e I ’ m i n . ” U m b e r

Grace, elegance and sophistication feature highly in Japanese culture and are now synonymous with the new ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS brand MIYABI.

Behind the Awards

I believe Vancouver Island is an exceptional place to live and eat. Not only do we have an abundance of wonderful eateries, farms, shops and people who are doing wonderful things, but we have an informed and eager audience of eaters ready to suppor t their effor ts

Thus, the E xceptional Eats! awards were conceived to recognize excellence in food and drink on Vancouver Island Consider it a snapshot of where we are at the star t of second decade in 2010.

But I also wanted the awards to be more meaningful than your typical awards (i.e. best Restaurant to Break up in?). So, you’ll find questions that reflect on how we eat, about sustainable and ethical foods and even questions on local farms To come up with the best and most relevant questions, we consulted a panel of Island food exper ts who contributed their ideas and thoughts (see Consulting Panel for a list of names) Thanks guys

I hope you will par ticipate by going to www.eatmagazine.ca clicking on VOTE and taking the sur vey. The awards will appear in the next issue.

New: E AT now has home delivery to Globe & Mail subscribers on the Island

All the best in 2010 G ary Hynes

CONSULTING PANEL

Eric Akis

Author of Everyone Can Cook series & food stylist Gillie Easdon food writer and eater K aren Elgersma Lifestyle Specialist, Shaw TV K athy K ay

Director of the Victoria Film Festival

Michelle LeSage Assistant General Manager, Chateau Victoria Elizabeth Levinson Author of An Edible Journey David Mincey

Educator and founder of the Bastion Square Farmer’s Market Don Monsour

Chair of the Restaurant Association and Chair of Culinary Tourism Gilbert Noussitou Chair, Culinary Ar ts Ken Nak ano Chef & President of the Island’s Chef Collaborative Mark Wachtin Outlets Manager, Ocean Pointe Resor t Melody Wey

Food blogger Audrey Needs More Wooden Spoons

THE CONCIERGE DESK

January

MANGIA E BEVI'S ANNUAL BACIO FUNDRAISER

BACIO is Mangia e Bevi's annual fundraiser in suppor t of cancer awareness and research Throughout the month of January, proceeds from the menu are donated to BC Children's Hospital Oncological Research and Lions G ate Hospital Oncological Clinic. In addition to the regional three course dinner menu featured throughout the month, this year's BACIO event will end with a special finale dinner on January 31st The menu will travel through the four car dinal points as follows: Januar y 2 8: NO RTH Piemonte and Veneto, Januar y 9 15: WE ST Toscana and Lazio, Januar y 16 22: E A ST Abruzzo and Marche, Januar y 23 30: SOUTH Campania and Sicilia.

CHEESE PAIRING WORKSHOP AT AU PET IT CHAVIGNOL

In a single session, Au Petit Chavignol will pro vide a roadmap for matching various cheese types with the wines that best suit them On Monday, Januar y 4th, from 6 pm to 8:30 pm, they will introduce cheese basics, including milk types, textures, flavours, how to care for and ser ve fine cheeses Then learn about how to approach the wines that you choose to pair with cheese Sample some of the marriages made in heaven and discover pairings that suit your own personal taste. Cost: $70 per per son Tickets available in store or by phone at Les Amis du Fromage, 2nd Ave store only (604 732 4218)

THE POLITIC S OF FOOD

Instructor Spring Gillard will lead a four week course beginning on Saturday Januar y 9th, at the Broadway Campus of the Vancouver Com munity College Find out how the food on your plate can affect a farmer half a world away Through field trips, guest speakers, classroom presentations and discussions, students will explore the entire food system from tabletop to ground and back again. Cost is $399 (16 hours) Visit the VCC website (www vcc ca) under Health/Specialty part time courses for more information.

JANUARY CL A SSES AT THRIF T Y TUSC ANY VILL AGE

The Thrifty Tuscany Village is offering three great classes this month. On Tuesday, Januar y 12th, from 6:30 pm 8:30 pm, join Chef Dan Hayes for a look at both nor thern and south ern styles of rustic Italian cooking. Learn about, prepare and eat simple and hear ty Ital ian dishes that can be easily and affordably recreated at home. Thursday, Januar y 14th, the first in a series of four classes with Chef Tara Black runs from 6 pm 7:30 pm, and will explore gluten free baking and cooking. On Saturday Januar y 16th, from 1pm 3pm Chef Laura Moore will instruct on how to create sim ple, warming "comfor t food" dishes that will satisfy your New Year’s resolutions and your post holiday budgets Registration Fee for each class: $55. For more information, visit the Thrifty Foods website (www.thriftyfoods.com) or call Eva at (250) 483 1222 or 1 866 751 1222.

VANCOUVER FARMERS MARKET

Missing the farmers’ market? You don’t have to the Vancouver Farmers Market will be held at Wise Hall from 10 am 2 pm on the follow ing Saturdays in January and February: Janu ar y 16th and 30th, Februar y 13th and 27th 1882 Adanac Street

TA STE BC 2010

Taste B.C. 2010 A Celebration of Local Food and Drink! is the 16th Annual B C Children’s Hospital Oak Tree Clinic Fundraising event The Liber ty Merchant Company's Taste B C Event will be held on Januar y 19th, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, from 4:30 7:30 pm For more information or to buy tickets visit www liber tywinemerchants com

WINTER ICEWINE FESTIVAL

From wine masters’ dinners, to educational seminars and a unique progressive tasting, Januar y 20-23 will be a memorable weekend as the Okanagan celebrates its winter wines Visit www.thewinefestivals.com.

FROM

FARM TO CUP AN ISL AND BREWMA STER’S DINNER

Saturday, Januar y 23rd at 6 30 pm, enjoy a six course dinner prepared by LU R E chef Mike Weaver featuring local, seasonal ingredients such as Qualicum Bay scallops, Fanny Bay oys ters, Galloping Goose sausage and Salt Spring Island cheese. Each course will be paired with a different Salt Spring Ale, including some rare and unusual offerings: their Heather Ale, made with local heather flowers and Whale Tail Ale (a Nor th American style ale), among others Salt Spring’s brewmaster, Murray Hunter, will be in attendance. For reser vations, call LU R E (250 360 5873) or for more information visit lurevictoria com or saltspringislandales com

WINTER GARDENING WORKSHOP SERIES IN DUNC AN

FU LL CI RCLE: How to Grow Winter harvest Veg etables is a four par t course star ting on Sat urday, Januar y 30th, 1:00 4:00pm. The course, developed by Carol McIntyre, offers novice and experienced gardeners hands on methods for growing vegetables that will stand in the gar den all winter, providing nutritious organic choices from October to April May with no weeding, no watering, and no insect control all winter long 181 Station Street (Cowichan Green Community space) For more informa tion and for payment, register on line at: www winter har vestvegetables ca or email carol@winter har vestvegetables ca

February

CHOCOL ATE FEST 2010

This year’s Big Brothers Big Sisters Chocolate Fest will be held at Bear Mountain Resor t March 27th Tickets go on sale February www chocolatefest ca

BIGLEAF MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL

The third annual Bigleaf Maple Syrup Festival will take place at the BC Forest Discovery Cen tre in Duncan Saturday, Februar y 6th Last year, the festival attracted over 2,000 people, and featured West Coast maple syrup tasting, education session on tapping trees and mak

Culinar y intelligence for the 2 months ahead

by Rebecca Baugniet

For more events visit THE BULLETIN BOARD at www eatmagazine ca

ing syrup, and other family friendly displays and attractions This year’s event will also fea ture a maple cooking demo with Bill Jones The festival is a par tnership between the BC For est Discovery Centre and Vancouver Island "Sap Suckers " For schedule details, visit the B C Forest Discovery Centre website (www discoveryforest com)

SEEDY SATURDAY IN QUALICUM BEACH

Stop by the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre on Saturday, Februar y 6th for Seedy Saturday. Pick up some seed catalogues, get advice from master gardeners, see food and flowering plants and seeds that will grow in your area and to get ideas from exper ts in all aspects of gardening The seed swap is where you can share your saved seeds with other local gar deners or buy seeds they have saved locally. Nurseries from the region are well represented with lots of specimens for you to choose from or just to admire. Admission by donation.

4TH ANNUAL VICTORIA TEA FESTIVAL

Februar y 13th 14th indulge in a wide selec tion of teas originating from different regions of the world and prepared in unique ways. Ex perience, learn, sample, touch, smell, and in quire by engaging with all the knowledgeable exhibitors at their booths. Purchase your favourite teas and tea wares at this one stop shop for all things tea!

www.victoriateafestival.com

CHINESE NEW YEAR TEA SAMPLING

On Sunday, Februar y 14th, from 11 am to 5 pm, celebrate the Year of the Tiger with for tune cookies and a selection of rare and precious Chinese teas Stop by Silk Road (www silkroadtea com) anytime throughout the day, to enjoy a sampling of some of China’s very best teas, and take in the ambience of Chinese New Year

DINE AROUND AND STAY IN TOWN

Tourism Victoria and British Columbia Restau rant and Food Ser vices Association’s seventh annual Dine Around & Stay in Town will take place from Februar y 18 to March 7. Victoria boasts the second highest number of restau rants per capita in Nor th America Over 50

local restaurants will be participating this year. Par ticipating restaurants offer three course menus for $20, $30, or $40 CDN per person and are all paired with BC VQA wine sugges tions To make a good thing even better, some of Victoria's hotels and accommodations will be featuring rates of $79, $89, $99, and $129 CDN www tourismvictoria com for more info

SEEDY SATURDAY VICTORIA

Saturday Feb 20th from 10 am 4 pm the James Bay Market Society is sponsoring Vic toria’s 17th annual Seedy Saturday. This year’s event will be held on Level 2 of the Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas St. Admission is 7$, children 12 and under are free. Keep an eye on the James Bay Market website for more details (www.jamesbaymarket.com).

FEBRUARY CL A SSES WITH CHEF SON JA LIMBERGER

The Fairfield Community Centre is hosting three cooking classes with Chef Sonja Lim berger this month. Februar y 1st, is Cooking for Food Sensitivities, Februar y 15th you can learn about Nepalese Vegetarian Cuisine, and Feb ruary 24th is an oppor tunity to try making Gourmet Veggie Burgers Classes run from 6:30 9:30 pm, and cost $49 per person

If you have a food or wine event you would like to see listed in the next issue of E AT, please email editor@eatmagazine.ca and put Concierge Desk in the subject line.

This winter, Montreal plays host to 32 top chefs and 18 wine producers during the 11th annual MONTREAL HIGH LIGHTS Fes tival’s SAQ Wine and Dine Exper ience present ed by Air France Held from Thursday, Feb 18 to Sunday, Feb 28, 2010, t his food and wine event promises to be 11 days of pure epicurean delight Featured: 21 chefs from Por tugal, New Orleans as Featured City, the Eastern Townships as Quebec's Featured Region and more For more info, call the HIGH LIGHTS Info Line 514 288 9955 or toll free at 1 888 477 9955; or visit montrealhighlights com for more details

Doing your own thing. That’s the

Clancy’s way.

Clancy of the Overfl ow is the legendary Aussie literary character, a free-spirited, wandering drover who led a life of adventure. Peter Lehmann has a lot of Clancy in him. He’s always done things his own way. His Clancy’s range is a nod to doing your own thing. Overfl owing with flavour, these easy drinking wines are created especially for those with a bit of Clancy in them.

The PEOPLE, STORIES & WINES THAT MAKE the BAROSSA FAMOUS www.peterlehmannwines.com

GOING WITH THE GRAIN

Grains of Change

by Holland Gidney

“Communities have historically developed around agriculture, social connections, politi cal alliances, and sur vival by being together ” Sharon Rempel, Demeter’s Wheats

Grain can be extremely difficult to source locally. Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon’s bestselling book The 100 Mile Diet proved that. Before getting a bag of flour from Nor th Saanich farmer Hamish Crawford, MacKinnon resor ted to making a turnip sandwich, with fried slices of the root vegetable standing in for bread. In the West Koote nays, a similar commitment to local eating by Nelson’s Matt Lowe and Creston’s Brenda Bruns led to their co founding a community suppor ted agriculture (CSA) project

“When the idea for the grain CSA was bir thed, our dream was to see people in our region obtaining one of their food staples from within 100 miles That in itself seemed like a mon umental feat,” writes Lowe in the inaugural issue of the CSA’s newsletter, Grains of Change Even though Creston Valley farmers once grew prize winning grain, it took the creation of Canada’s first grain CSA to get modern day growers producing wheat, spelt and oats for local consumption. The CSA’s first offering of 200 shares was quickly snapped up by 180 in dividuals and Nelson bakery Au Soleil Levant. It appeared area residents were just as in terested as Lowe and Bruns in the idea of 100 mile bread.

“Grain was the only staple of my diet that was not coming from the local area, and it’s easy now to sit down to a meal made of 100 percent local ingredients,” says Nelson resident Jon Steinman, who not only became a shareholder but also joined the Kootenay Grain CSA’s steering committee and star ted documenting the ongoing local grain revolution on his pop ular radio show, Deconstructing Dinner

The CSA’s first har vest in 2008 produced 16,200 pounds of unmilled grain in five vari eties, grown by three Creston Valley farms. This year, some 60,000 pounds will be divvied up among three times as many shareholders who’ve each paid $125 for 100 pounds.

“While it might seem convenient to purchase grains or bread products the conventional way at grocery stores and bakeries, having now come to understand the threats facing our food system, accessing my grains locally and ensuring farmers a fair price seemed far more convenient, secure and responsible,” says Steinman

For the second year in a row, CSA members have provided a trio of local farms with a cer tain amount of fixed income and a guaranteed market for their grain, employing an eco nomic model that’s being used by about 3,000 farms across Nor th America and subver ting the idea of grain being bought and sold as a commodity.

If you’re a regular listener to Deconstructing Dinner, you’ll hear how much work it’s been to set up the CSA and keep things running smoothly. But par ticipating farmers say it’s a model that works for them, and CSA members are happy with the results as well.

“I never knew pancakes, oatmeal and baked goods like sourdough brownies could taste so good,” says Steinman, noting that one of the “greatest benefits” is feeling good about the grain he’s consuming because it’s been grown locally

Something else he can feel good about is that Deconstructing Dinner helped inspire the creation of Canada’s second grain CSA Vancouver based Urban Grains is a self proclaimed “pilot project” initiated by Mar tin Twigg and Ayla Harker It sold 200 shares to CSA mem bers and then coordinated the planting and har vesting of three acres of winter wheat, two acres of hard red spring wheat, and an acre of triticale. Jim Grieshaber Otto grew the grain on his hundred acre Cedar Isle Farm in Agassiz, and it was then turned into flour nearby at Anita’s Organic Grain and Flour Mill in Chilliwack. Each shareholder contributed $90 to the CSA: $80 for 20 kilograms of flour, plus $10 towards the collective purchase of a seed cleaner to process the har vested grain prior to milling

“I think it’s a great model for grain,” says Chris Hergesheimer (who’s taken over Urban Grains’ administration since Twigg and Harker moved to Halifax) “It pays a good price for a crop that is still a fair amount of work to grow I think it’s a great way to share the risk and get a great bounty in the late summer

The risk is crop failure, or not getting as much grain as expected. The first year of the Kootenay Grain CSA, each share ended up being 81 pounds instead of the hoped for 100.

But according to Hergesheimer, Urban Grains shareholders are “people who care about food in any capacity and are interested in being part of an experiment and are willing to take the risk as a community.” And, as he points out, “‘failure’ in CSA is really not failure since people came together and tried to make something beautiful and sustainable and real We need a lot more of that with the challenges we are facing in the years to come ”

As the third par t in this series will explore, community also plays a very impor tant role post har vest for non farmers growing their own grain

by Jeremy Ferguson

Spiny and Briny

Sea otters love it, and hip chefs are putting it in everything from grilled sandwiches to vichyssoise.

Sea urchin wins no beauty contests Its explosion of poisonous quills might scare off a por cupine But sea otters adore it, which explains the goofy look they flash at eco tourists in urchin rich B.C. waters. Smar t foodies also display an urgin’ for urchin.

Urchin’s flavour is every bit as arguable as that of foie gras Canadian author Taras Grescoe, encountering the urchin in Spain’s Basque country, describes “a winey, umami flavour” not one bit to his liking Julia Moskin, writing in the New York Times and closer to the mark, describes “the flavour of caviar, the trembly texture of panna cotta and the briny but bracing strangeness that comes with eating live oysters.”

Mostly, we know urchin “tongues” gonads, in fact as uni, a topping for sushi in Japan ese restaurants. As sushi, it works well, its salty sweet nuances not undermined by sushi’s icky, sticky vinegared rice

Most of the world’s sea urchin goes to Japan. Voracious sea otters, however, are taking a literal bite out of the market, and ecologically speaking, this is just as well because the urchins would otherwise devour our kelp forests

The Japanese never had a monopoly on uni’s alchemy. From the Mediterranean to the South Pacific, the urchin is routinely eaten raw by coastal folk, almost always with nothing more than a squir t of lemon. Newfoundland fishermen call them whore’s eggs.

Vancouver Islanders should be used to the small, delicious red urchin native to shallow Pacific waters It boasts fabulous longevity, living for up to 200 years In fact, its mar vel lous immune system is under study in the battle against infectious diseases in humankind. The only threat to the species would, I think, be putting it under the protection of the fed eral Depar tment of Fisheries and Oceans. Red urchins thrive on our nor th and west coasts, but some of the oldest and largest in the world, up to 19 centimetres (7 5 inches) in size, frequent the waters between us and the mainland, the Salish Sea. These show an envi able virility. They reproduce equally well from ages one to 100.

One might see why cer tain cultures go crazy for urchin To the Japanese, it’s an aphro disiac, Viagra de la mer. Yet it hardly appears in Chinese cooking. Its flavourless first cousin, the sea cucumber or sea slug, is another matter

Healthwise, a single tablespoon of urchin delivers 20 per cent of our daily ration of vita min B12 More interestingly, urchin is a major source of anandamide, a cannabinoid neu rotransmitter Uh huh, it can theoretically produce a similar affect to a serious toke It activates the dopamine system in the brain, the trigger for our pleasure circuits. Did I men tion the goofiness of a sea otter’s smile?

For a cannabinoid picnic, find a beach at low tide, where urchins can be seen clinging to the rocks Use gloves to pull them away Weirdly, urchin spines become soft, almost cud dly in the hand Slice the urchin in half Scoop out the golden gonads, five of them No cleaning, no cooking required. Welcome to nature’s finest all you can eat buffet.

A New York Times ar ticle this past May postulated urchin as the Next Big Thing In one Miami tapas bar, the chef wows patrons with pressed sea urchin sandwiches. She slathers Cuban bread with soy ginger butter, stuffs it with sea urchins and presses it on a hot grid dle until it’s crisp on the outside and melting inside. G azing across the American food scape, the author sees urchin melding impeccably in soups and sauces, mayos and custards, risottos and pastas

The predicted urchin stampede has much to do with innovative methods of har vesting, processing and distribution The celestial gonads from “urchin fields” in B C , California and Chile are extricated, cleaned, brined and expor ted in a jiffy. They’re seasonal, at their best September through April They come packaged in plastic trays containing anywhere from one to three dozen pieces

Fresh urchin isn’t sold in Victoria, except occasionally at Fujiya, and restaurants (other than sushi houses) haven’t yet caught the wave Not so in Vancouver, where at Bluewater Café and Raw Bar, Frank Pabst pops the urchin into cucumber vichyssoise. At Coast, chef Josh Wolfe sides his smoked salmon app with greens in a sea urchin walnut oil vinaigrette, then gilds his gastro lily with a garnish of gonads Another Wolfe fave is sea urchin crème brûlée, but only when chef gets the urge.

My wife and I stage monthly food raids to Vancouver We beeline to T&T, that supermar ket of Chinese adventurism, for fresh sea urchin. Trays with a dozen or so segments sell for about $13

My wife experiments the woman is incapable of following a recipe with American celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s recipe for sea urchin bruschetta. For no longer than it takes to grill rustic bread, she marinates the fresh urchin in olive oil, ponzu, onion, lemon and co riander. She slices the toast into fingers and sets the buttery urchin atop. She ser ves the dish with lemon and coarse grey sea salt One bite and we’re through the gates of paradise, cannabinoid neurotransmitters a fluttering.

Ristorante iola

3189 Quadra St. Next to the Italian Bakery Call for reservations: 388 4517 www.lapiola.ca info@lapiola.ca

The Best of Italy and Vancouver Island

N e w K i d o n t h e B l o c k

Goat’s milk is healthy, delicious and easy to digest. Sorry, Bessie.

“Mooove” over cow’s milk, there’s a new “kid” on the block literally One of the fastest growing categories in the dairy in dustry is goat’s milk and all its derivatives: goat cheese, yogur t, butter and even ice cream. B.C.’s own burgeoning goat milk in dustry is a testament to the trend, which is being spurred on by health conscious food ies looking for products that deliver both outstanding nutrition and taste Goat’s milk cer tainly delivers on the nu trition front G andhi was reputedly able to rapidly return to vitality after his prolonged fasts due to his reliance on the beverage. What’s behind its health benefits? Goat’s milk contains impressive amounts of pro tein, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, ri boflavin, copper, magnesium, iron and the amino acid tryptophan While this nutri tional profile is similar to that of cow’s milk, goat’s milk possesses some unique prop er ties that give it the nutritional edge Un like cow’s milk, there is no need to homogenize goat’s milk its fat globules are much smaller and will remain sus pended in solution. Additionally, the chem ical structure of goat’s milk is very similar to human milk and it is teaming with health giving enzymes These factors make goat’s milk much easier to digest than cow’s milk, especially in the case of com promised intestinal function Many people who cannot tolerate cow’s milk consume goat’s milk without any problem.

Recent research into the composition of goat’s milk has uncovered even more im pressive reasons to par take Scientists have discovered it contains an abundance of anti inflammatory compounds called oligosaccharides They have also noted the milk is rich in CL A, a fatty acid that can re duce blood sugar and improve the action of insulin. Perhaps the most significant find ing comes from a team of researchers at the University of Granada in Spain. They dis covered goat’s milk could help prevent dis eases such as anemia and bone demineralization, due to its positive effect on mineral metabolism

But what about its reputation for having a musky, “barnyard” taste? Good quality goat’s milk actually has a slightly sweet, slightly salty taste that is quite delicious. Goat’s Pride Dairy in Abbotsford produces a refreshing, organic goat’s milk that will dis pel the barnyard myth on first sip. I like to add it to squash and tomato based soups for a creamier, more full bodied taste but I also enjoy drinking it cold accompanied by a fig newton or two

Of course you can also enjoy the taste and nutrition of goat’s milk in its various other forms Canadian cheese makers are now making goat’s milk versions of many familiar varieties such as cheddar, moz zarella, gouda, brie, camember t and cream cheese (aka chèvre). According to Ofri Bar mor of Okanagan based Carmelis Goat Cheese, most Canadians prefer “a mild, creamy goat cheese such as chèvre.” As for goat cheese’s delectable factor, consider this a Canadian goat cheese from Quebec was recently named the “best cheese in the world” at the 2009 World Cheese Awards Depending on the variety you choose, there are many delicious ways to use goat cheese in your recipes. I’m fond of goat mozzarella in grilled cheese sandwiches (using raisin bread makes this treat even more divine) or crumbling chèvre into salads or on top of pea soup

Goat yogur t is yet another goat milk product gaining popularity I love its slightly tangy flavour and find it pairs beautifully with honey and dried fruits It also makes a wonderful base for savoury dips all you need do is add a piquant herb or two. I’ve yet to try goat’s milk butter, ice cream or gelato but that is definitely something on my culinary “to do” list. Thankfully, many of B C ’s small boutique dairies (a list follows) are making such choices a reality

Hilary’s Cheese Company (Cowichan Bay)

Salt Spring Island Cheese Company

Happy Days Goat Dairy (Salmon Arm)

Carmelis Goat Cheese (Kelowna)

Farm House Natural Cheese (Agassiz)

Goat’s Pride Dairy (Abbotsford)

Woolwich Dairy (Orangeville, Ontario)

Le Cendrillon, La Maison Alexis de Por tneuf (St Raymond de Por tneuf, Quebec)

GOOD FOR YOU by Pam Durkin

eats”

Comox

A aron Rail Avenue Bistro 250.890.9200

For cheap eats in the Comox Valley, I go to the Saigon Noodle House on Cliffe Ave. The fra grant herbs and chilies are invigorating and refreshing and the soup warms your bones on a cool day.

Jon Frazier Atlas Cafe 250.338.9838

I am in agreement with Aaron from Avenue Bistro; Saigon Noodle House is the best kept secret in the Comox Valley. Try the 14C! Noodles, pork, fresh vegetables. Yum!

Lisa Metz Tita's Mexican 250.334.80 33

Like most everyone else in Cour tenay we go to the Saigon Noodle House. Fast, cheap, fresh, healthy real food, and an ethnic experience with exotic flavours. Courtenay just does n't have much that fits the bill. I always order the dishes that have plenty of fresh raw veg etables, bean sprouts and branches laden with asian basil leaves Real food on the go!

Victoria

Matt Rissling the Marina Restaurant 250.598.8555

My favourite place for cheap eats is the Marble Arch Restaurant at 3400 Tillicum Rd This place is right next door to my house, and is pretty typical of any 'Chinese/Canadian' restau rant you might find in any small prairie town They even have a proper lunch counter! The line is wide open, clean and organized The food is simple but made fresh right in front of you Nothing pre cooked, pre battered or frozen Breakfast all day? No problem Fries (fresh!) and gravy? Fried egg sandwich at 3:00 in the afternoon? Great! BBQ pork fried rice? Delicious! Truly a gem in the city, and full of regulars every day for lunch and dinner. Truly good value as well, with a meal for four around $30 with some left for lunch, and a $4 breakfast.

Alberto Pozzolo La Piola 250.388.4517

My parent's house is my first choice. The price is cheap and the food is supreme. For me food quality cannot be cheap so La Piola and Zambri's top my list (pizza and pasta dishes) for value, as does a pork wonton noodle soup at Wa Lai Yuen in Chinatown.

Lawrence Munn Cafe Brio 250.383.0009

For good and cheap fod there is no disputing that Hernandez is the king of the ring five organic pork tacos with handmade tor tilla for five bucks? Try and beat that. You can't, so don't bother.

Ben Peterson Heron Rock Bistro 250.383.1545

I've got two fave spots right now, both recently opened. Foo ser ves wicked Asian street food. Dish Diner and Cookehouse in Sidney across the street from Slegg Lumber ser ves homemade Nor th American comfor t food everything from fried chicken to 'in house smoked' brisket sandwiches Both offer affordable grub in a no frills, relaxed atmosphere but what separates them from many similar places is how the passion and exper tise of their chef owners shines through in every scrumptious bite

Garret Schack Vista 18 250.382.9258

How could anyone deny the value at Pig BBQ Joint! Knowing what goes into each sand wich, the time in the smoker, simmering beans, sauces and marinating cabbage it's a steal at five bucks a sandwich! While you're in there get a glass of house made iced tea for 75 cents leave a quar ter on the counter and you still have only spent six bucks

Peter Zambri Zambri's 250.360.1171

Hernandez, Saigon Night, Haultain Fish and Chips, my own kitchen anytime I want

Joseph Lake (Sous Chef) 250.391.7160

Westin Bear Mountain

My favorite place for cheap eats is Pho Vy on For t Street The apperance may be a little de ceiving but the food and price more than makes up for the décor A large bowl of pho, a side of salad rolls and a Vietnamese eced coffee can all be had for under $20

James Wolfe Fernwood Inn 250.412.2001

Best place for cheap eats is the Vietnam G ardens in Esquimalt Chef Ken check him out!

Cory Pel an La Piola 250.388.4517 I love Pig BBQ Joint for a pulled pork sandwich and a pickle on a stick. Jeff Hetherington is Victoria’s reigning king of the quick, cheap nosh. I’ll often ask one of my servers on his/her way into work to grab some sandwiches, pickles and fried chicken for the staff and myself Brilliant for staff morale Other notables include the Pink Bicycle (mutton burger and truffle fries) and the Indian Food Market at Quadra and McKenzie (Good Indian food, ridiculously cheap

razor sharp honed cutting edge. perfectly balanced, effortless slicing.

crafted in Solingen, Germany since 1814.

www.muffetandlouisa.com

Store Street 250 382-3201

Beacon Ave 250 656-0011

simply an outstanding knife.

LOCAL HERO

Bob Duncan

Most of us have never tasted an apricot Really tasted one, ripe from the tree, with all the sweet, com plex flavour it was intended to have Bob Duncan wants to give us all the oppor tunity to know what an apricot and any other tree fruit he can get to grow here is supposed to taste like. And to have the widest possible choices in what he be lieves are just about the most beau tiful gifts we have from nature

You do notice something a little different when you pull up to his Nor th Saanich home For one thing, there’s a greenhouse attached to the front of his house, which in these autumn days is a bit misty. In it you glimpse a flash of orange. Then when you go around back, past the fig trees and kiwis, you star t to understand what he means by diversity: an astonishing mix of shapes, sizes and colours of trees greets you, even now when the leaves are off and most sensible plants have tucked themselves up for the winter. If it’s a cold day, you might notice a tree growing against the back fence, decorated with Christmas lights and what at first appear to be lemons?

Bob enjoys the shock local people get at seeing a lemon tree growing outside and is quick to point out the concessions he makes to climate: “Most citrus trees are hardy to about 6 Celsius, but the fruit freezes at 3, so I have Christmas lights on the tree with a ther mostat that comes on at 2, and I’ll cover the tree with Reemay, which traps the heat given off by the Christmas lights. Pretty low tech and low energy solution to the freezing issue.”

He got into fruit trees after he retired from a career as an entomologist with the Canadian Forest Ser vice. “It was just a natural progression. I’ve always been interested in gardening and growing plants of all kinds, but I’ve always had a specific interest in fruit, and the chal lenge of being able to produce a wide diversity of different types ” Diversity is the opera tive word, as he offers more than 300 varieties of fruits: 200+ kinds of apples and some 30 different citrus plants (His wife, Verna, reaps the ingredients for her jam making business ) Several of the apple varieties are unique to Victoria, grown from local seedlings He and Verna travel widely each winter, researching Mediterranean and subtropical fruits that can withstand the generally mild frosts we get on Vancouver Island “In fact our biggest chal lenges are not so much winter cold as lack of summer heat,” he says. Once he has samples, he propagates them and makes sure he can get them to fruit before he sells them to any one else. He has a dazzling variety of different fruits figs, cherries, pomegranates, med lars, oranges, lemons and limes, quince and olives.

Olives? “Olives are hardy to about 10 Celsius, which we seldom get here, though we did get that last winter I have several olive trees, and there was no damage to them what ever ”

The great thing is, if you grow your own fruit, you’re not dependent on those flavourless supermarket apricots “ They don’t ship par ticularly well, and the growers think they have to pick them too early, so the average consumer never gets to eat a fully tree ripened apri cot.”

Local interest in food security has helped build his market, which is mostly homeowners wanting a few fruit trees for their own consumption. And as he stocks these modern or chards, Bob is fulfilling his aim of promoting fruit’s vast diversity and heritage: “It’s im por tant we’re not growing just one kind of fruit, but rather many, many varieties ”

by Rhona McAdam

Bob Duncan with his fruit trees

It can be a challenge, when you are writing up a calendar of all the food and wine related events happening in Victoria, to curb the impulse to attend each and every one. Lack of time and money, and my expanding waistline (an occupational hazard, I suppose) are the main deterrents. But when I heard about the series of dinner classes offered at Terralicious this fall showcasing island ingredients, I knew I wanted to attend one Island bison was the obvious choice for me, since it is a relatively new ingredient on my radar Up until last year, I had rarely seen bison as a choice on a menu, and I don’t remember ever seeing it at the butcher’s or in the grocery store When I moved to Victoria, I noticed it popping up all over the place bison burgers in restaurants, bison jerky for snacks, ground bison at the gro cery store… Ever so tentatively, I began introducing it into my family’s diet, excited to have a healthier option to offer the meat loving contingent in my household. I was eager to at tend a class that could teach me more about this island ingredient.

Bison has a lot going for it; is a much leaner, nutrient rich meat than beef, boasting 30% more protein and 25% less cholesterol than beef, as well as anti carcinogenic proper ties. It has a slightly gamier taste, as one would expect from an essentially wild animal Bison is grass fed, unlike most of the beef available to us, and it’s local Terralicious is the gardening and cooking school operating out of the farmhouse on Hal ibur ton Community Organic Farm The kitchen is not a fancy one, but it is cleverly designed for small classes, with a camera located over the stove so students can obser ve stovetop techniques on a large screen near the seating area, and a mirror positioned over the prep counter, so everyone can easily see what is happening. The island bison class was the last in this particular series, and most of the students in attendance were regulars. One brought a long wooden votive holder, and lit candles. Wine was poured, and we took our seats to watch Cosmo prepare the bison

He used a rib cut, bought at Slater’s, originating from the Island Bison Ranch in Black Creek, here on Vancouver Island Cosmo explained that he had intended do a roast for us, but after looking at the nicely marbled meat, decided to cut it into steaks Let the meat tell you what you should do with it, was the message He had covered the steaks in a fra grant rub with a hint of lavender, packed them up snug in a Tupperware, and left to absorb the rub for several hours prior to the class. Using bacon fat left over from the first class, he seared the steaks, poking at them with his finger to test doneness (“you have to trust my hands to feel good about eating here,” he told us unapologetically and indeed, everyone seemed very trusting). Cosmo worked quickly, although he managed to enter tain and an swer questions with ease along the way He transferred the steaks to a hot oven after pulling out a large casserole filled to the brim with a mushroom, walnut and blueberry stuffing The class took place on American Thanksgiving, and this was the chef ’s nod to the occasion Learning that our host, Dayle Cosway is American, we all wished her a Happy Thanksgiving, and watched as a substantial mounds of the stuff were piled on top of farm picked greens.

I don’t think I was alone in contemplating how stuffing really deser ves to shine in its own right like this, especially one as flavourful and satisfying as Cosmo’s. Once we had devoured the stuffing salad star ter, we returned to watch Cosmo finishing the demi glace and red wine reduction were whisked up with cream to create a luxurious sauce for the bison Any health benefits to eating bison over beef may have been counteracted by top ping it with this velvety gravy, but no one complained In fact, it was quite the opposite, with the regulars reminiscing and ranking their favourite classes in the series (the raw food one was close to the top, while the scallop evening was also remembered fondly) “I’m just a glorified dishwasher ” Not the most convincing statement, having just pre pared a gourmet meal before my eyes, but that’s what Cosmo Meens answered when I asked him what his background was. I may be new in town, but I’ve been here long enough to know that this is the chef who star ted Mo:Lé, Café Bliss and most recently, the Village Family Marketplace. When pressed, he did confess to putting in time in the line at Pagli acci’s, and being mentored by John Hall (Cassis). Cosmo has handed over the chef ’s reins at Mo:Lé, preferring to spend time with his family and tend the orchard on their new prop er ty, Footstep Hill Farm in Saanichton You can visit Fresh Coast TV to see what else he’s up to

At $45 per class, this experience offered incredible value I have previously attended dinner classes that cost twice as much, and the wine wasn’t included Keep your fingers crossed they bring this series back with chef ’s tips, a stunning dinner ser ved at a long table covered in crisp linens by the fireside, good conversation and local wine, these classes fall among Victoria’s best kept secrets. www.terralicious.ca/ www.islandbison.com/i

February 13-14, 2010 Crystal Garden Victoria, BC

2 14 13 010 BC a, ctori Vi Garden ,daySatur door • advance stival.com

Weekend Pass: $20 advance • $25 door Saturday 12-5pm Sunday 10am-4pm for info and ticket outlets: www.victoriateafestival.com 250-370-4880

5

100% ORGANIC | FAIRTRADE | LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

An Island Bison Dinner Class with Cosmo Meens at Terralicious Anteadote

“Come oh come, ye tea-thirsty restless ones—the kettle boils, bubbles and sings musically.”

-Rabindranath Tagore

Tea is the perfect antidote to chilly weather and winter colds and flu. Visit www.silkroadtea.com to find out more.

www.silkroadtea.com 1624 Government St. Victoria Chinatown

EATING WELL FOR LESS

by Elizabeth Smyth

Paprika

Table d’hote menus, many of them only offered during the winter by local restau rants to keep themselves running until the more lucrative summer season, are my favourite way to sample a higher end restaurant. Using Smyth math, the meals can work out to budget ones. Take Paprika Bistro’s table d’hote menu, for example. An ap petizer, main, and desser t all come to $26 let’s call it $12 for the entrée, and $7 each for the appetizer and dessert For food this elegant, this is a “run, don’t walk” scenario The first choice is between the soupe du jour, a roasted butternut squash soup gar nished with toasted hazelnuts, and an equally delightful organic green salad with a delicate Concord grape vinaigrette. The mains are both masterpieces. The Cowichan Bay duck and mushroom pie I cracked open like an egg made of pastry, releasing the steaming stew made with local chanterelle mushrooms. This entrée was rounded out by a bed of baby kale scented with butter, and petite carrots and parsnips. The salmon entrée was equally consistent in quality The risotto clearly had plenty of the most im por tant ingredients the time and patience to slowly stir and allow the rice to absorb the flavours, in this case of the white wine, stock, onions, and mushrooms, resulting in a redolent base for the juicy pink salmon fillet The desser t of Warm Financier Cake was a rich almond cake inflected with lemon, ser ved with spiced ice cream and caramel sauce. There’s a small catch to enjoying this kind of affordable elegance this deal is offered only if you are in the restaurant between 5:00 and 6:00. You won’t ex actly be suffering if you’re there after 6:00, as the menu has many other delicacies on offer (house made sausage leaps to mind), but you must be there before 6:00 any day of the week to enjoy the table d’hote menu The time may not be chic, but the bonus is the bread comes hot out of the oven

Cowic han Bay duc k and mushroom pie with baby kale, petite carrots and parsnips at Paprika Bistro

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

CONT”D FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE $3.24, why wouldn’t they? The English muffin is top notch, soft and springy, with pep pery slices of local andouille sausage and sprinkles of green onion adding zest to the egg that was impor ted from, oh, up the road. Lunch for $6.95 is another draw. The grilled organic chicken with roasted vegetables sandwich is moistened with pesto and ser ved in slices of whole wheat Panini flatbread The vegetables in the sandwich, and in fact everything else, are from Bilston Creek Farm, again up the road The baked goods have the best quality to price point ratio I’ve seen in a long time The plump, moist sour cherry bran muffin is $1 71 I mean, come on And the date square for $2 90 is rich, soft, fat, and buttery. At 12:30, I was lucky enough to get it hot out of the oven, and I wish you the same felicity. All this goes beautifully with americanos, mochas, and lattes made with Level Ground organic fairly traded coffee beans, roasted in West Saanich. And finally, I appreciate not being gouged on drinks. A San Pellegrino is $2 38, and a Dole juice is $1 25 Again, come on It’s clear why the locals flock here The café is open from 7:30 to 3:30 Monday to Friday, and 9:00 to 3:30 on Sundays

250.381.8228

At Shizen Sushi, you want to star t with the secret stuff that’s off the menu (why off the menu, I don’t know. Counterintuitive marketing device? A strategy to make peo ple like us feel in the know and therefore impor tant? Or just not enough time to reprint the menu?). The first poorly kept secret is the sushi pizza for $8.95. Though it sounds hokey, it is absolutely delicious A round of sushi rice is deep fried until it’s crisp and golden on the outside, but still soft inside It is then topped with a creamy mix of spicy tuna, high quality Japanese mayonnaise, and the teeny little flying fish roe called masago The round is cut into eight adorable triangles centred around a mound of high quality shaved ginger a far cry from the cheap orange stuff. With its spicy fin ish, this is adult food, but I did ask the obvious question, and yes they will do a vari ation for your child with plain instead of spicy tuna. The second not so secret secret is the Highlander Roll, one of the most unique, improbable, and successful combina tions of flavours I’ve had in a roll This roll is stuffed with avocado, prawn tempura, and spicy mayonnaise nothing wild so far It is then topped with beef tataki, which is thinly sliced, briefly seared meat, and drizzled with a teriyaki sauce jacked up with Tabasco and garlic Finally, it is garnished with curls of green onion This is a manly roll with its meat and its spice, and it’s a fair price at $10.95. Also $10.95, the near hom ophone Islander Roll is the same basic roll, but draped with salmon on one half, and tuna on the other half, then decorated with curlicues of seaweed and colourful or ange masago. It is beautiful to behold. At Shizen, the space is calming and the food enticing a perfect place to either eat quickly or to linger

Shizen Sushi | 1706 Government St, near Fisgard |

R e b e

c c

ARTISAN FOOD

Lard Times

by Heidi Fink

It has zero trans fats, is lower in saturated fat than you think and a great source of oleic acid. Welcome to the new fat revolution.

Last week, when I sent out an e mail offering a great source for some organic, free range pork fat that can easily be made into homemade lard, my inbox saw a good response. Sur prised? I wasn’t We are currently in the midst of a fat revolution

Since I star ted my own love affair with lard seven years ago, I have noticed a small but steadily increasing number of ar ticles touting both the culinary and health (yes, health) benefits of lard Finally, we’ve learned from the murky past of flavourless, hydrogenated vegetable oils and their attendant trans fat induced health problems We have star ted to move on. Or back, I should say, back to that perfection among edible fats: lard.

Here’s the thing: lard is better for you than shor tening and better for cooking than veg etable oil. And unlike shor tening or vegetable oil, lard is a whole food, a naturally satu rated fat that is very stable at high temperatures and won’t turn into trans fats as it heats. More than that, lard is lower in saturated fat than most other commonly used solid cook ing oils Lard comes in around 40 percent saturated fat Compare that to butter’s 60 to 65 percent, hard margarine’s 45 percent, and palm oil’s 80 to 90 percent, and lard’s image is looking up

Even better, most of the remaining fat in lard’s make up is oleic acid, the very same kind of monounsaturated fat that has made olive oil so famously good for you So lard is es sentially fifty percent olive oil. Who knew?

Best of all, lard has a full, rich flavour that incomparably improves the taste and texture of any number of homemade foods. Use it in any recipe from pastry and biscuits, to que sadillas and Italian meatballs, and you will instantly have a food “ah ha!” moment.

I am, of course, talking about the real deal: homemade lard, not the possibly suspect and par tially hydrogenated lard for sale at the local supermarket Homemade lard, espe cially lard from naturally raised pigs, is good and good for you It has all the health bene fits listed above, plus zero trans fats and the best flavour Homemade lard has a taste, richness and superb mouthfeel you can’t buy off the shelf

However, I’ll admit that my love of lard has nothing to do with its hear t healthy oleic acid and everything to do with its wonderful cooking and baking proper ties. Specifically, I make my own lard so I can make the best pie crust. And I really mean the best.

Most of us have heard of the legendary lard pie crusts our grandmothers used to make. There is nothing like the rich flavour and shatteringly flaky crust made from home rendered lard In the space of one day, from pre lard to post lard rendering, my pie crusts went from very good to nothing shor t of magnificent, perfectly tender and flaky with an amazing

Left: A crock of lard. Right: Chef Heidi Fink with her apple pie.

And with homemade organic lard on hand, I can also make a host of other lard enhanced treats, including beans and tor tillas such as I haven’t eaten since my last trip to a tiny Mex ican village. And I can feel good about feeding these yummy foods to my family. But “how do you render lard?” I have heard this many times over, with the word render spoken in a tone of perplexity and wonder.

To make a big batch of plain lard, you simply chop up some pork fat, place it in a pot with a cup or two of water and slowly heat it up By the time the water has evaporated, enough of the lard has star ted to render out that the remaining solid fat can slowly poach and render at low heat without risk of burning. Let it bubble gently, unattended, until you have a big pot of melted fat with some light brown cracklings floating in it. Strain this into a shallow tray and let cool. Por tion and store in the fridge or freezer. The hardest par t about the actual rendering process is dealing with the smell of deep fried meat that permeates your house for a day

More difficult is tracking down sources of good quality pork fat Happily, I have rela tionships with at least two local pig farmers who are happy to sell their beautiful, organic, snow white lard to an eager customer Ten pound orders minimum, please

In the interest of the best possible bang (in terms of lard flavour, cooking qualities, and percent yield) for your time and effor t, I recommend using the fat from the leaf and the back, appropriately named either leaf lard or back fat. These are the most neutral flavoured and best quality fats to come from the pig. We all secretly dream of a time in the future when yummy “bad” foods become health foods, or at least “not so bad” foods. Well, here we are now, in that dreamed of future. I urge everyone to get behind the lard revolution

Basic Lard Pastr y

Makes enough dough for one double crust pie, two single crust pies or two galettes.

2 cups (12 5 oz) all purpose flour, measured by the dip and sweep method*

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

¾ cup (6 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

½ cup (4 oz) cold lard, cut into small cubes

6 to 8 Tbsp very cold water (O R a mixture of half vodka, half water)

* Make sure flour isn’t compacted by stirring it a few times with your measuring cup. Then, dip it into the flour, overfilling the cup and use a knife to sweep excess off the top, creating a perfectly level cup of flour

Food processor method:

In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Process for a few seconds to combined evenly Remove the lid, scatter the butter pieces over the flour, replace the lid, and process again, using 4 to 6 one second pulses Add the lard and pulse a few more times, until the fat is cut into the flour properly The fat pieces should range in size between small peas and cornmeal, with more smaller pieces than large ones. But make sure to leave some large pieces and some dry flour; these two things help with the flakiness. Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl Toss with fingers to ensure an even balance of fat to dry flour

Hand method:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the cold butter pieces and use your finger or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour. Rub the butter pieces gently between your fingers, coating them in flour, until they are half the size Add the lard pieces and continue cutting in until the fat is the right size, ranging in size from small peas to cornmeal There should be more smaller pieces than big

To finish either method:

Slowly sprinkle in the water, one tablespoon at a time, using a fork or rubber spatula to mix the dough Stop after 6 tablespoons of water, no matter what the dough looks like Turn the dough onto the counter The dough will be very dry and crumbly at this point Use your hands to gently gather the dough into a ball, using gentle pressure to make it hold to gether. If the dough is still too dry, sprinkle on a tablespoon more water and mix the dough with your hands again, until you can form it into a ball In rare cases, you will need the final tablespoon of water (If using the vodka water mix, you can be more cavalier about adding liquid because the alcohol in the vodka won’t form any gluten).

Divide the dough in two and form each into a disk. This dough can be used immediately or wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated or frozen for later use.

TABLE TALK , hosted by Plenty & Terralicious

the fi i f rs s r t Wed each month (s (star ting 0) to grereat

and growin disiscuss fo o f od and sus

Join us the first Wednesday of each month (starting February 2010) to sample great food, share preparation and growing tips, and discuss food and sustainability.

F o

For more information visit: www.terralicious.ca www.epicureanpantry.ca

us Qualitymeats, Poultry,Cheeses, SpecialtyProducts &Condiments

m

The Cast Iron Pan: A Brief Histor y

The popularization of cast iron cookware in Britain dates back to 1709. Charcoal (carbonized wood) was fuelling the bourgeoning iron industry. Sadly, it was also denuding forests. A Quaker and fabricator of malt kilns, Abraham Darby, extracted or “smelted” iron from iron ore using coke, a cleaner form of coal, in the town of Coalbrookdale, Shropshire. Darby adapted an existing charcoal furnace into a coke blast furnace. Until Darby came along, goods were individually cast, brittle, unwieldy and expensive to manufacture The inventor also developed and patented the process of sand moulding, which allowed the mass production of iron pots that were thinner, yet solid and cheap (Coalbrookedale is said to be the cornerstone of the Industrial Revolution Darby’s grandson, A Darby I I I, is credited with building the first cast iron bridge But that is a story for another publication ) I found little about cast iron’s rise in Nor th America other than the fact that the colonials were mad about it The cookware reached its heyday in the 1800s Foundries such as Griswold, Wagner, Erie and Lodge sprang up Lodge is the oldest (and perhaps only) family owned manufacturer of raw cast iron cookware in Nor th America (Their enamel coated line, however, is impor ted from China ) My McClary Dutch oven, a proud Canadian, hails from the long gone London, Ontario, firm of J. & O. McClary, founded in 1851. So treasured were these iron pots that grandmothers included them in their wills. Evan Jones (American Food, Random House, 1974) writes, “Outdoor cooking was in the American blood.” So the pot as well as the pig went on the fire. (A cast iron pot can be covered with coals.) James Villas’s essay “Understanding Fried Chicken” (American Taste, Arbor House, 1982) lists a 12 inch cast iron skillet with lid (and a fire extinguisher!) in his 12 item, no substitutions litany of necessary equipment for the making of fried chicken.

The New Iron Age

My version of chili relies on a mélange of cubed (never ground) meat; roasted fresh plum tomatoes; soaked and pre boiled Phipps Farm beans from California; New Mexican chipotle, anaheim and hot chili peppers pummelled into a paste; and a bottle of beer. It slow simmers in a McLary No 8 Drip Top cast iron lidded Dutch oven, which seals in and delivers flavours most pricey stainless pots can’t match The meat nearly collapses into a thick “gravy” while beans remain firm tender I love my cast iron pot almost as much for what it does as for the ingredients it holds

Cast iron is an alloy, one of the elements of which must be carbon to harden the mixture. Simply put, a “flask” is made of sand and placed in a frame around a mould or cast into which molten metal is poured. Unlike more malleable and pure wrought iron, which can be forged, cast iron must be made in a foundry.

Before the advent of steel, cast iron was the core of the kitchen My grandmother did the laundry in what she called a cast iron “copper ” She boiled water for tea in a cast iron kettle and relied on her cast iron cauldron to cook for a family of nine on a cast iron wood stove My grandfather was a wrought iron worker and the village farrier (in Aldeburgh, England) The forge was adjacent to the house

To hurry the morning’s porridge along, the sons (there were five) would take turns scurrying the pot of water over to the forge to give it an extreme blast of fire. (An iron pot can withstand hell without cracking, providing it holds some liquid.)

My vintage arsenal, hunted out at flea markets, garage sales and thrift shops, includes, besides the Dutch oven: a rare Wagner No 8 skillet with lid that turns out beautiful braises and fabulous cornbread; an equally prized Wagner griddle that sizzles bacon to a perfect balance of fat and crisp; four mini fry pans; and a Norwegian Jotul aebleskiver pan, which also delivers fluffy mini Yorkshire puds, biscuits and moist muffins (Aebleskiver are poufy pancakes, named for the apple that is placed in the bottom of each section before the dough is added.)

I recommend you seek out one or two of these workhorses for their sturdy vir tues. The covered skillet and Dutch oven brown and sear meat perfectly and seal in big tastes. Cheap cuts of meat and humble vegetables reach a depth of flavour unmatched by the best stainless. Few modern pots maintain such even heat

But cast iron needs (and deserves) respect Both new and vintage pots need a good greasy massage and a bit of heat treatment before you use them for the first time, and periodically after that (called season ing) The Lodge brand gets kudos for its new bare cast iron cookware and comes pre seasoned, but all cast iron pots are bound to need a lube job at some point in their lives. Seasoning the pan impar ts a non stick surface and prevents oxidation. So fear not if grandma’s pan or that garage sale find is covered in rust. (Just ensure it has no cracks.) A scrub with a mild detergent, or coarse salt, and a stiff brush will remove all traces Season your new or vintage find by rubbing it with a saturated fat Lard is ideal Don’t worry It won’t leach into food Place the pot upside down in a 250°F oven on a cookie sheet, to catch drips, for at least an hour The grease seeps into the metal’s expanded pores, creating a non stick surface Cer tain foods may require a splodge of oil to prevent sticking (eggs come to mind) A few more tips: for heaven’s sake, use oven mitts to take the pan off a burner Cast iron handles get hot It’s also wise not to put cold water into a hot cast iron pan, lest it crack. There are two thoughts about washing pans. If used frequently, a rubdown with oil (and I also use some coarse salt) protects the pan and builds up its “non stick” coat ing. If you choose to wash the pan each time, you will need to re season, but not necessarily with lard. Un less the pot has rusted, always use a mild detergent Two YouTube videos How to Season and Protect Your Cast Iron and Cast Iron: The Seasoning are excellent guides

For me, cast iron ware embodies hearth and home Yes, I imagine kitchen walls of yore covered in grease, smoke billowing about the room and a struggling mother scrambling to fill the pot and rumbling tummies with humble potages. And the bloody hard work it must have been to wrestle those 10 to four teen pounders into and onto a wood stove. But there is the romantic notion too folks gathered about a fire, slurping down beef and lamb stews, succotashes and pepper pots, gumbos and chowders cooked in a cauldron. Cast iron cookware is the cooking icon.

Take good care of your pot It’s a bit of living history It could last a hundred years Bequeath it to your grandkids

Cast iron can tolerate hellish temperatures and lasts for generations. Julie Pegg explores why this original non stick cookware is enjoying a renaissance.

Poussin (Cornish Hen)

pan roasted with apples, sage and thmye in a cast iron skillet

•

In this recipe, succulent, quick cooking Vancouver Island scallops are set upon on an ear thy mash and drizzled with a decadent cream sauce.

Preparation time:30 minutes, Cooking time: About 25 minutes, Makes: 4 ser vings

• 6 leaves of fresh kale, washed well, tough lower stems trimmed

• 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

• 1 1/2 lbs. BC yellow fleshed potatoes, peeled and quar tered

• 4 large cloves of garlic, thickly sliced

• 2 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp warm milk or vegetable or chicken stock

• Salt and white pepper to taste

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 20 large Qualicum Beach scallops, patted dr y

• 1/2 cup dr y BC Riesling wine

• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

• 2 Tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Cut the leaves of kale in half lengthwise. Now cut the half leaves of kale, widthwise, into 1/4 inch strips Bring the 3/4 cup of stock to a simmer in a wide skillet Add the kale and cook until just tender, about minutes 3 to 4 minutes Remove from the heat and set aside

Place the potatoes and garlic in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium high heat Lower the heat until the potatoes gentle simmer Simmer the potatoes until they are very tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200˚F When the potatoes are cooked, drain well, ensuring the gar lic stays in the pot. Thoroughly mash the potatoes and garlic until smooth as possible. Mix the melted butter, 2 Tbsp milk or stock, reser ved kale and its cooking liquid, salt and pep per Transfer the potato mixture to a heatproof bowl; cover and keep warm in the oven

Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Place the oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat Add the scallops and cook 1 minute on each side, or until just cooked through

Remove skillet from the heat, transfer scallops to a plate, and keep warm in the oven.

Set 4 shallow soup bowls or dinner plates in the oven to warm Set the skillet back over medium high heat Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half Pour in the cream and simmer and reduce until a lightly thickened sauce forms. Stir in the green onions, mus tard, salt and pepper and reser ve on low heat

Divide and mound the potato mixture in the centre of the warmed bowls or plates.

Top each mound of potatoes with 5 scallops Drizzle with the Riesling cream sauce and ser ve.

Qualicum Beach Scallops on Potato, Garlic and Kale Mash with BC Riesling Cream

local kitchen cold comfort

Recipes and food styling

by JENNIFER DANTER Photography by GENEVIEVE L APL ANTE

I love this time of year the early dark nights, the chill in the air and those necessar y extra layers to wrap up in. These are all happy assurances that it’s OK to hunker down and cocoon indoors. And really, that means cooking up down-home hear ty fare that’s not fussy just satisfying.

West Coast Parsnip Chowder

That funky earthy flavour in a parsnip matches well with the smoky sweetness of candied or smoked salmon. Makes 8 cups

1 large knob butter

3 fresh thyme sprigs

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, chopped

4 large parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 L chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups whole milk or water

1 potato, peeled and diced

150 g candied salmon pieces

Melt butter in a very large saucepan over medium. Add thyme sprigs, onion and garlic. Stir often, until softened, 6 to 8 min. Add parsnips and stir to coat, then pour in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat; cover and simmer until parsnips are very tender, 15 to 20 min. Discard thyme sprigs, then puree, soup Strain through a fine mesh (that will give the soup a velvety texture), then retur n to saucepan. Bring back to a boil, then add potato and flake in salmon Simmer, stirring often, until tender, 10 to 12 min. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls or mugs

What to drink?

@With the chicken pot pie: A c hardonnay, riesling, gewürztraminer or our favourite a dr y apple cider. Suggestion: Flagship from Sea Cider on the Saanic h Penninsula. Sof t tannins, lively acidity, dr y and with no added sulphites.www seacider ca

Big ‘Ol Chicken Pot Pie Best flavours and textures

Classic Pound Cake

Big flavours and very rich add big dollops of a summer preserve and sour cream if you dare

West Coast Parsnip Chowder Earthy, sweet and satisfying

Big ‘Ol Chicken Pot Pie

For best flavour and texture, roast the chicken on the bone, instead of simmering in stock It’s a little more work, but well worth the effort Source Cowichan Bay chicken, if you can It’s so delicious. Makes 6 servings

2 to 3 skin on, bone in chicken breasts (singles)

3 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

1 tur nip, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 rutabaga, peeled and chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

21/2 cups whole milk or cream

1 small bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Sea salt and pepper

Pastry for 10 in deep dish double piecrust

Lightly oil breasts and sprinkle with pinches of salt and pepper. Roast in preheated 400F oven until cooked through, 35 to 40 min. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables. Bring stock to a boil, then working with one type of vegetable at a time (except for the kale), gently simmer until almost tender You don’t want them crunchy but not soft either. Using a strainer spoon, scoop out veggies and spread out on a large baking sheet. They’ll continue to cook a little as they sit. Once the vegetables are cooked, measure the chicken broth Top up with enough water or more chicken broth to make 2 cups When chicken is cooked and cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and tear or cut meat into small pieces.

Melt butter in a large wide saucepan or Dutch oven Add flour and whisk until smooth Gradually whisk in broth, whisking well between additions to prevent lumps. Then whisk in milk. Gently simmer until thickened, about 5 min. Stir in kale, thyme, nutmeg and generous pinches of salt and pepper Gently stir in cooked vegetables (If your pan isn’t big enough, tur n into a very large bowl and mix.) Cool mixture before filling pie shell. If making ahead, refrigerate filling over night.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the pastry and fit into a 10 in. deep dish pie plate. Roll remaining pastry, then set aside. Fill pie plate with chicken mixture, then moisten rim of pastry shell with water. Fit remaining pastry over filling, pressing along rim Trim edge and crimp Brush pie with egg wash (1 egg yolk stirred with a little milk), if you wish Make a few slashes in top so steam can escape. Place on a baking sheet and bake in bottom of preheated 400F oven for 20 min. Reduce heat to 375F and continue baking until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly, 30 to 40 min

Classic Pound Cake

Traditionally, mixing together a pound each of butter, eggs and flour made a pound cake. Today that’s pretty much the standard ratio, but using smaller amounts. Because the cake is so rich, you don’t need icing However, at this time of year I do like to bring out my summer preserves and spoon a little over thick slices of cake.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Your favourite jam or preserves Sour cream or thickened yogurt (optional)

Butter a 9 inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Using a mixer, beat butter until loosened, then beat in sugar and salt until mixture is very pale and fluffy, at least 5 min. occasionally scrape down side of bowl Gradually beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions Beat in vanilla and almond extracts Stir in flour, by hand, just until moistened. Pour into pan and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 325F oven until a skewer inserted in centre of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let loaf rest in pan for 15 min , then tur n out onto a wire rack to cool completely

GAME ON 11

medal worthy plates

Wit h t he world coming to Vancouver for t he 2010 Winter Games we challenged top Vancouver chefs to put t heir best toque for ward and create dishes to wow our visitors

vinaigrette

“Scallops (representing sustain able aquaculture), quince ( lower mainlands orchard heritage), wheatberry (lower mainland's first grain c s a Urban Grains), Hazelmere Farms sunroot (expressing the long standing relationships formed between chef and grower), and Oyama chorizo ( ar tisan food producers), Glorious Organics braising greens ( small scale local organic growers that are key to our restaurant and our local food system), browned butter quince vinaigrette (Farmhouse butter representing ar tisan cheese producers).”

“Because Vancouver is such a melding pot of cultures I would create a miso sake glazed wild BC salmon

In a rich buttery broth of coconut milk, garlic & ginger I would cook Qualicum Bay scallops, BC spot prawns & salt spring island mussels with hints of lemongrass. Ser ved over roasted Okanagan grown baby fingerling potatoes ”

“In the spirit of cooperation I think that a spot prawn dish is the perfect example of how successful the Chefs’ Table Society has been in encouraging the consumption of high quality sustainable seafood. The use of local winter vegetables and the diversity of local products like balsamic and cider round out the philosophy of the Green Winter G ames ”

“Growing up in BC I have been surrounded by Japanese culture, this is where I love to tie in BC products

The base to this dish star ts with a Oregon Truffle scented dashi; the Sablefish is slowly braised in this, highlighting the succulent moist and oiliness of the Sablefish, it is halfway through the cooking process that you add sliced pine mush rooms and spot prawn As all these ingredients are slowly steeped together creating a amazing aroma, to me this aroma brings al the elements of BC, Japan and Oregon together. It reminds me of my home.”

Andrea C arlson, Bishop’s

Compiled by Gar y Hynes • Photos by Tracey Kusiewicz

Seared Qualicum Bay scallops w/ quince purée, wheatberry, chorizo & sunr oot sauté, braising greens & a br owned butter quince

William Tse, Goldfish

Cedar Creek Ehrenfelser

Joie Rosé

Robert Cl ark, C Restaurant

Spot prawns & UBC winter squash purée w/ Pemberton parsnip chips & Venturi-Schulze balsamic gastrique

Don Letendre, Elixir

Braised Sable Fish with Spot Prawns & Pine Mushr ooms w/ Oregon Truf fle Scented Dashi

Merridale Apple Cider

Cedar Creek Plantation Chardonnay

“A tasting of somes of the best organic farm's product in Vancouver BC ”

Okanagan Icewine gelée w/ Fraser Valley hazelnut milk sabayon & pumpkin seeds cr oquant

“Since Vancouver is a multicultural city, there is not really any culturally deep rooted cuisine in Vancouver or BC, except perhaps for the aboriginal cuisine, but we are not exper ts in such cuisine So we would want to showcase what the city or province is all about through ingredients and especially wild ingredients. We would make a dish that tries to incorporate (as par t of or along with) as many elements or ingredients from as many different sources including the sea, woods, fields, vineyards, and/or orchards.”

Dominique & Cindy Duby, Wild Sweets

Sablefish w/ chanterelles, leeks & savoy cabbage

“If I were to showcase a dish for Vancouver in February, it would be our fabulous sablefish, oven roasted with some of our amazing chantrelles, some fondant leeks and savoy cabbage. I don't believe many people outside of the west coast know about sablefish and what a lovely, fatty white fish it is ”

Dana Reinhardt, SOL Kitchen Consulting

Braised Sloping Hills pork belly with king pea tips on jasmine rice

“ This dish is from my childhood but not mine alone as it stems from the classic dish Su Dong Po. I use less soy sauce than traditionally and add herbs and red wine. There has been a Chinese presence in BC long before it was even a province. Vancouver's cooking has evolved to combine Asian influences/flavours into much of our cuisine bringing a balance of east and west, traditional and modern This dish epitomizes this for me with deep Asian roots but made in a modern way with local ingredients from a quality local rancher ”

Andrew Wong, Wild Rice

A selection of local seafood

“I would keep it very simple and showcase a selection of local seafood: boiled Dungeness Crab with warm butter and mayonnaise; steamed Honey Mussels, fresh Oysters on the half shell Kusshi, Fanny Bay, and Royal Miyagi; BBQ cedar plank Salmon; Clam Vongole; Goeduck Ceviche.”

Marc Andre Choquette, Voya Restaurant and Lounge

Pacific salmon with locally farmed r oot vegetables

“Given the time of year root vegetables from our farmers and Pacific salmon would headline A puree of turnip, potato and roasted garlic, would be whipped and seasoned with sel gris (grey salt), a generous handful of crispy fried shallots and bold coarse pepper On top would sit the glory of BC, our own Pacific salmon, sim ply grilled and finished with capers, lemon juice, dill and melted butter Once again sel gris and cracked pepper to bring the salmon to it's perfect finish.”

C aren McSherry, Gourmet warehouse

BC spot prawns w/ Chilliwack organic corn & Pemberton asparagus

“I would show case BC’s great seafood and organic produce. My dish would be a simple grilled B C spot prawn, on a chowder of Chilliwack organic corn and Pember ton asparagus, with Fanny Bay oyster beignets ”

Lee Humphries, Salt y Tongue C afe, Irish Heather Ga stropub, Salt Tasting Room

Stephane Istel, DB Bistro Moderne

Trio of Slopping Hills suckling pig w/ glazed fingerling potatoes, r oast r oot vegetable & pine mushr oom, Vista D'or o walnut wine & quince pig jus

Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay

What’s happening in VANCOUVER ?

Vancouver’s media hyped spots will be jammed wit h fit and fat pocketed in t he weeks to come. So I’m tucking my generous tush and lean wallet into two great little under t he radar West End havens Mis Trucos (1141 Davie) is a little place where mini bucks (3 for $6 be tween 5 7 and 10 midnight) g ar ner Chef Bar nholden’s t apas A g ar lic ky ma yonnaised prawn wrapped in crispy bread, olive zipped up wit h anchovy and hot pepper, foie gras and onion jam crostini to name a few) is enough to keep t he wolf at bay, while Johnat han Jame’s cocktails settle jangled ner ves (I love his hand wit h t he Hendricks Down t he street Brothers Michael and Stephen Wiese lay on sauerkraut, sausages and suckling pig mussels or steak onglet and frites at t he reasonably priced Franco German La Brasserie (1071 Davie) where bot h flags are deliciously represented Beer lovers sip from a nice selection of French, German and Belgian brews A decent, af fordable wine list suits t he comfy menu (Tr y t he deep and spicy, L’Auster Faugeres from Languedoc $7/glass)

Food and ser vice did not always match t he décor and splendid sea view of fered at West Vancouver’s Beac h House at Dundarave Pier. (150 25t h Street of f marine Drive) When John Holton took over t he reins as GM he proved change is good Holton lured executive chef Michael Cameron (ex Pair), pastr y chef Steve Hodge (Thomas Haas), and sommelier, Benjamin Howard (Brentwood Bay Lodge) wit h him The place hums now wit h cheer y floor staf f and the food is ver y good We love the extended appie selection Cucumber dip takes the heat of f wok tossed tender calamari with chilies and cilantro Plump mussels bathe in gar lic, leeks and white wine Bouillabaisse brims wit h shellfish in a tomato/fennel brot h Shor t ribs are juicy. Prices match Earls or the Cactus Club. (Do I detect the latter’s influence on the menu?)

Januar y is ideal for checking out chef Rober t Parrot’s fine Italian cooking at Mangia & Bevi, also in West Vancouver for BACIO a fundraiser for Lion’s Gate Hospital’s Oncology Clinic and BC Children’s Hospital Oncology Research The for ty dollar/t hree course menu will change each week to showcase Italy’s dif ferent regions The grand finale, “Mangere, Bere, Vivere” will consist of four courses wit h wines, plus a silent auction Judging from t he media sneak preview that included a mar vlellous swordfish puttanesca, and pork guanciale wit h lentils, t his fare for a cause is wor t h ever y penny ($95 + taxes) (For complete info call 604 922 8333 or log on to www.mangiaebevi.ca).

by Julie Pegg

What’s happening in COMOX VALLEY ?

I know from watching foodies in action t hat many are using new communications media to stay abreast of what's new and what others are finding tasty Wherever possible I'll include websites, Twitter handles, and references to Facebook presence in t hese notes Follow EAT Magazine (http://twitter com/EATMagazine) for all t he latest

What happens when Cour tenay's venerable Old House Res taurant [1760 Riverside Lane, Cour tenay 250 338 5406] has a fire? Owner Maureen Fritz Rober ts quickly emailed all and sundr y, and soon t he news was on t he Twitter sphere "Ever yone pulled toget her to open t he doors for t he Christmas season, " she says "There's still fire, but it's restricted to t he four beautiful old fireplaces and of course Chef Drew Noble's stoves."

Atlas Café [250 6t h Street, Cour tenay 250 338 9838] has an expanded website wit h a daily fresh sheet (see www atlascafe ca) Owners Sandra Viney and Trent McIntyre make a point of expressing pride over what Chef Jon is doing at Atlas, and beyond wit h t he re gional Chef's Association and with Chef Paul, teaching at Beyond the Kitchen Door [274B 5t h St, 250 338 4 404] Their sister restaurant in Comox, Avenue Bistro has long featured an online fresh sheet (www avenuebistro ca), and in recent months has been generating some interest wit h Twitter (@avenuebistro) and Facebook presence Avenue is well into a winter menu showcasing t he bounty from local seas, forests, and fields Wednesdays and Thurs days are "Pizza Pasta" nights all winter

Two new kids on t he block in Cour tenay: Alladin's House of Tandoori in t he old Arbu tus Hotel Nor th African/Indian cuisine that my son is pretty stoked on Recent twitter review: "Neat decor and vibe, great food, great prices " (Thanks for that @leighcar ter!) The other new spot just hung its sign over t he old Orbitz Pizza place on Fitzgerald and 5t h in Cour tenay: The Mad Chef Looking for ward to tasting as it's just down t he street from me

The folks at Brambles Market [244A 4th Street 250 334 8163 www bramblesmarket ca] are in a bit of a foodie corner, shared wit h Benino Gelato (closed for t he winter in Cour te nay) and Mudsharks Cafe (booming in t his new location) Brambles are Twitter savvy (fol low t heir lively food tweets at @bramblesmarket and on Facebook) and local food focused Watch for speaker series on local food and food sustainability For t hose looking to warm themselves with visions of the sunny south... there's always Tita's Mexican Restaurant [536 6t h Street, Cour tenay 250 334 8033] where t hey have a winter institution: Monday Mar garita night ($15/litre) and Burrito Tuesdays

Tria Culinar y [4905 Darcy Road 250 338 9765 www.triaculinar ystudio.ca / @triaculi nar y] will be closed for dining events and classes from Jan 1 Mar 31 Tria's 2010 Full Moon

Feast dates are posted on t heir blog and website Book early as t hese sell out fast! What's keeping Kat hy and manager Cari McIntyre busy t his winter is t heir par tnership wit h Wes and Lara Erikson to operate Sushi Mon Mt Washington (www sushimon ca t hey're also all on Facebook) In Campbell River, Angler's Dining Room at Dolphins Resor t [4125 Dis cover y Drive 1 800 891 0287 / www.dolphinsresor t.com] is a cozy place to beat winter blues: fireplace, coastal view and 4 courses for $40 dollars Nor t h Island College's Third Course Bistro [1635 Sout h Dogwood St, Campbell River 250 923 9745 for reser vations; Thurs & Fridays 5 8pm; email: TheThirdCourse@nic bc ca] will be opening wit h t he second semester Level 3 Culinar y students in time for Valentines Day Reser vations are a must at t his gem of a bistro as t hey are frequently booked well in advance Finally, if you didn't find one under the tree this Christmas go out and get the Nor t h Vancouver Island Chef's Association's book of recipes, Island Inspirations Not only does it capture the Nor th Island best local food knowledge, sources, and secrets (wit h beautiful images by Island girl gone uptown Jac kie Connelly www jackieconnelly com), it's also one of t he first steps we can take as consumers towards suppor ting regional food and economic sustainability. Nice when so many good t hings come toget her around good tastes

By Hans Peter Meyer

What’s happening in NANAIMO ?

Nanaimo’s gourmet food scene is growing up Warrant t he entr y of MARK T Ar tisan Deli in t he Boardwalk on Rut her ford [5281 5299 Ruther ford Road, Nanaimo in t he same complex as Bohdi’s Baker y, arguably t he best baker y in Nanaimo] Bravo to owner Ryan Zuvich for picking Nanaimo to open his deli He could have safely stayed in Vancouver plying his up market food alchemy, but Zuvich looked around for a growth market screaming & begging for gourmet plun der (hum, perhaps t hose were my own screams I could hear), and Nanaimo was t he lucky recip ient Zuvich’s trained at the former Dubrulle Culinar y College in Vancouver, spent years in Europe at a number of Michelin rated restaurants, and then a goodly swat h of time at various foodie holy grails in Vancouver Markt is a clever use of the European spelling for the word market He believes the name will illicit curiosity, questions and pull customers in The deli specializes in fresh sausages, charcuterie, pates, soups, stocks, sauces and vinaigrettes all made in house He also stocks locally produced cheeses and specialty products, while tr ying to honour a 100 kilometres radius on most sourced products

Also located in t he Boardwalk on Rut her ford complex is Tea House & Restaurant on Rut her ford [5291 Ruther ford Road, Nanaimo Tel: 250 729 2376] This place was something of an institution and known for years for its teas, scones, cinnamon buns, soups & sandwiches It still does a good job of all of t hat for breakfast and lunch, but new owner Joo Lee, a diminutive Korean lady hold ing a degree in Food Sciences & Nutrition from t he University of Seoul, Korea, is putting a healt hy spin on t hings In t he evening t he Tea House becomes a Korean restaurant Don’t go in expecting BBQ or vats of “ring of fire” kimchi. Instead, sit down to enjoy Bibimbap (Wikipedia t hat one), a dish famous around t he world and a Korean staple Lee also ser ves Bulgogi and ot her traditional marinated meat and vegetable dishes

Instead of flying t hrough Ladysmit h doing 30 klicks over t he speed limit, slow down and look for Transfer Beach Grill [422 Esplanade, Ladysmit h, Tel: 250 245 1211] on t he sout hbound lane side of the highway, beside a Petro Canada station I’d never have found it wit hout explicit di rections, but I’m glad I took the recommendation and the time to find it This tiny blue clapboard heritage building is t he home of chef/owner Georgios Liaros, a lively, passionate Greek from a small island of f t he sout hern tip of mainland Greece Liaros is a slave to aut henticity His food is Greek wit h a salute to regional specialties from his tiny home island It makes for damn good chow The calamari (grilled or deep friend) is per fectly executed The prawns have a rich, illusive blend of spices and are flash grilled to per fection The spanakopita heaves with spinach and feta; t he pastr y flakey and butter y The salads are stonking The feta and yogur t hail from a special

Greek style dair y in Vancouver; thick with luxuriant texture you’ll not get in regular supermarket yogur t & c heese Tr y t he hand cut fr it es as t hey are done Greek s ty le wit h lots of lemon and oregano The lamb burger is shaved of f the roast The seafood chowder, made daily, always has a dif ferent blend of sea critters depending on what was sourced at the fisherman’s whar f that day It is a ver y tiny spot so seating is limited, but don’t let t hat stop you! Good Japanese food is hard to find in t hese par ts. That’s not to say t here are not myriad places hanging out the rising sun flag, they just tend to ser ve boulders of gelatinous rice wrapped around tasteless myster y blobs When I happened upon Sam’s Sushi Bar [890 Wembley Road, Parksville, Tel: 250 954 2373], I wept real sake tears of joy Owner/Chef Sam Terada and sushi Chef Kaz Abe really do hail from Japan what a concept! They make t heir own tamago t he traditional way (seven layers of velvety egg omelette) and the miso shiru is made in house Ever y day a few in ventive rolls are on deck as specials and t heir sashimi is fresh (some from French Creek Fisher man ’ s Whar f across t he street) and generously por tioned When finished eating, you will say with great satisfaction, “Go chisou sama deshita ” by Su Grimmer

What’s happening in the OKANAGAN ?

No matter what t he season, wine lovers can feel rest assured that t he Okanagians are celebrat ing wit h a Wine Festival! Formerly known as the Icewine Festival at Sun Peaks, festival organiz ers have decided to change t he name to simply t he Winter Wine Festival in an attempt to appeal to all palates not just those wit h a sweet toot h The par ty kicks of f on Januar y 16t h and the lineup sounds like fun, fun, fun Dress up in your winter snugglies, hit t he slopes be tween events and enjoy t he best of the season New events include an au current Bar tenders Mixology Face Of f on Saturday, Januar y 23rd for the wrap up par ty Exper t Mixologist’s (aka awesome bar tenders) will demonstrate t he ver satility of Icewine used in cocktails like Icewine mar tinis or even Icewine mojitos! To see all of t he events and book tickets or a package for the Januar y 16 24t h event go to www thewinefesti vals.com or www.sunpeaksresor t.com/activities/events/winter wine festival.aspx or call 1 877 212 7107

Cuba comes to Kelowna in t he form of the Soul de Cuba Café This new eater y is owned and operated by Cesar Hernandez, who hails direct from Cuba The menu of fers aut hentic Cuban food prepared by, also native Cuban, Chef Arcenio Verdecia Hot pressed Cuban sandwiches and traditional Cuban lunch meals of beef, rice and fries, along wit h black bean soup sound like some delicious comfor t food to dive into Mojito’s are of course on t he menu as well! Open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week wit h dinner from Tuesday to Saturday 778 478 9529 101 1180 Sunset Drive

Peachland has a new restaurant playfully called Roundeye Sushi Interestingly t his is a Japan ese / French fusion restaurant and word has it that t he food is not just good it is GREAT! 5872 Beach Avenue

Summerland’s newest addition focuses on all t hings local hence the name: LOCAL Lounge & Grill. This beautiful water front venue brought to us by Cameron Bond and his local celebrity father in law Harr y McWatters (Sumac Ridge Winer y Founder) Chef Paul Cecconi, former Chef at Kelowna’s Har vest Golf Club, is sourcing his menu items from some of our ver y best local suppliers and has created a unique menu wit h somet hing to please ever y palate Located next door to the Summerland Water front Resor t and Spa on Lakeshore Drive in lower town

Winning in t he Best New Restaurant categor y in Okanagan Life Magazine, obviously t he Black Iron Grill & Steakhouse located in t he Days Inn in Penticton t he carnivore’s place to be! Of fering a 100% local only wine list makes us proud www blackirongrillandsteakhouse com 152 Riverside Drive Phone: 250 276 24 47

If you happen to find yourself down Sout h t his winter, make time to check out t he famous little Best of India Restaurant in Oliver it seriously as a cult following all over t he Valley for having in credible Indian food 36094 97t h Street, Oliver 250 498 0872

The other hot spot, which is nestled into a lovely winter destination in wine countr y is Passa Tempo Restaurant at Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos This bistro style restaurant turns out beautiful, cre ative, delicious cuisine and is wor th the drive But why not cozy in and book at night at Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resor t & Spa? Luxur y rooms, a spa, and t he onsite award winning Nk’Mip Winer y yes please! www spiritridge ca

Big White Mountain has a new après ski hang out to linger in Gigi Bistro/Lounge This up scale urban wine bar will have a select tapas menu and plans to host t he hottest jazz combos and DJ's In the Whitefoot Plaza by Jennifer Schell

DRESSED UP & READY TO GO!

For dinner out, a family gathering, home arties or kicking back at the cabin, Tinhorn Creek has the wines for the

unique and diverse south Okanagan Golden Mile bench. Our ability to blend the grapes from these vineyards and capture the best characteristics of each site sets us apart. Visit our spectacular estate winery in and experience for yourself.

NATURALLY SOUTH OKANAGAN

What’s happening in VICTORIA ?

Januar y is always a time of fresh star ts, and we have several to repor t on in t he Victoria food scene On Januar y 1st, ownership of La Piola transfers to Executive Chef and Managing Par tner Cor y Pelan, who has been responsible for the revitalization of the restaurant since he took the helm in September 2008 Café Mela is also under new ownership, having been bought by Ron and N ancy Malzon in lat e 2009 The Malzons will be introducing an exclusive line of Kat hr yn Taylor Chocolates, as well as more European baking, new breakfast items and a plat du jour The Falls on Douglas can expect to see Browns Restaurant and Socialhouse moving in in late winter or early spring (www brownsrestaurantgroup com) Also new on Douglas is Il Posto, ser v ing paninis and pizzas made on site Aubergine Specialty Foods is opening on Gladstone St in Fernwood, and Pizzeria Prima Strada is scheduled to open its new location on Bridge St. in late Januar y Owner Cristen DeCarolis Dallas explained that they were originally only looking for stor age space for Black Beauty, their por table wood fired oven (you may have seen her in action at last year ’ s Feast of Fields or t he Madrona Farm Island Chef Sur vival event) Cristen repor ts t hat t he space will be quite dif ferent from t heir first location on Cook St, reflecting t he industrial feel of t he new neighbourhood, and incorporating two long family style tables built out of repurposed wood If you have been wondering what happened to Market Square’s Tibetan Kitc hen, you’ll be happy to hear it relocated to a sit down location in early November (680 Broughton St )

For any food related resolutions you may have made t his New Year, here is your guide for stay ing informed, inspired or enter tained as t he days grow longer in Januar y and Februar y Star ting in t he New Year, Terralicious and Plenty epicurean pantr y will be hosting Table Talk . These lively sessions will take place in t he store on a weekday evening each mont h and will be an op por tunity to sample great food, share preparation and growing tips, and engage in great discus sions about food and sustainability (www epicureanpantr y ca) Terralicious is also star ting two new series in Februar y: Food for Healt h, and a spring detox program wit h naturopat h (www ter rralicious.ca) The Hotel Grand Pacific is hosting t he International Sommelier Guild’s Wine Fun damentals Level 1 course, beginning Sunday, Januar y 3rd Visit www internationalsommelier com for more information on the course French Mint has some great demonstration classes scheduled for t he next two months, including knife skills, bread making, and desser t fundamentals wit h chef Da vid Mincey (Camille’s) For t he com ple t e course sc hedule, visit t he Frenc h Mint websit e (www frenchmint ca) UVic’s Continuing Studies depar tment is of fering two informative courses this semester; “Pick and Choose: Navigating Your Way to t he Greenest Food Choices”, “Food and t he Sacred”, as well as a workshop on “Tapping t he Potential of t he Bigleaf Maple” For course and registration information, visit www uvcs uvic ca and download t he spring course calendar The Superior café in James Bay is hosting “Dinner and More Than a Movie”, a Victoria Film Festival food/film extravaganza on Februar y 3rd Tickets are $35, and go on sale Januar y 11t h (www victoriafilmfestival com) Anot her reason to keep your eye on t he VFF website is to find out when you can see the EAT magazine sponsored showing of “Focaccia Blues” The schedule should be up soon The Super ior is also continuing its ser ies of food f ilm ser ies wit h a showing of “Chocolat” on Februar y 10th

Tea aficionados, get ready the 4th annual Victoria Tea Festival will take place Februar y 13th and 14t h at t he Cr ystal Garden (www victoriateafestival com) Victoria’s 17t h annual Seedy Sat urday will happen t he following weekend, on Februar y 20t h at the Victoria Conference Centre (www jamesbaymarket com) Showcasing a wide variety of seeds and star ter plants, and with mas ter gardeners on hand to answer questions, it’s t he per fect occasion to get yourself into garden ing g ear Be sure to g e t out and t ake advant ag e of Tour ism Victor ia and Br itish Columbia Restaurant and Food Ser vices Association’s 7t h annual Dine Around and Stay in Town event, running from Februar y 18t h to March 7t h Wit h over fif ty restaurants of fering t hree course meals at bargain prices, it’s a great time to tr y out t hat restaurant you ’ ve been meaning to get to by Rebecca Baugniet

What’s happening in TOFINO ?

Wow, it’s been power outage af ter power outage in Tofino already t his winter a ver y stormy star t to the season! The time is right for snuggling in front of t he fire wit h a glass of wine or ven turing out for a long lingering meal As I write t his, chef Lisa Ahier of SoBo and chef Vincent Fraissange of t he Spotted Bear Bistro are basking in t heir victor ies for t heir oys t er creations at t he 13t h Cla yoq uot Sound Oys t er Festival (www oystergala com) This annual event celebrates one of the area ’ s most abundant har vests, as well as t he west coast’s equally abundant culinar y talents. Oyster lovers come from all over to take par t in festival events including cocktail and oyster receptions, special dinners and Lemmen’s Inlet oyster farm tours For t he first time t his year, t he Raincoast Education Society brought their oyster presentation “Noisy Oysters” into t he classroom at Wickaninnish Community School for our youngest oyster lovers The festival culminated wit h t he Oyster Gala, held Nov 21 at the Tofino Community Hall Tofino’s chefs all prepared an oyster creation for t he public and the jur y to enjoy and vote on Repeating their 2007 victor y, SoBo won the People’s Choice award this year, while new par ticipant t he Spott ed Bear Bis tro won t he jur y pr ize Long Beac h Lodg e Resor t took the award for best presentation Organizer Mariette Pilon said they were ver y happy to welcome Chef Andrew Springett from Fetc h Restaurant at Black Rock Resor t to t he festival for t he first time Springett provided appetizers and also generously of fered to be par t of t he jur y for t he evening www blackrockoceanfront com or 1 877 762 5011

Shelter Restaurant head chef Rick Moore is heading to Whistler for t he winter and sous chef Joel Aubie will move into his role during his absence. Aubie, who is originally from t he Maritimes, has been a sous chef at Shelter for over a year Shelter manager Shawna Gardham says Aubie will be concentrating on winterizing the menu and planning a Valentine’s Day feature dinner Call 250 725 3353 for reser vations or visit www shelterrestaurant com

SoBo closed t heir doors on Nov 30 for a much needed family vacation Co owner Ar tie Ahier t hanked his staf f for the one of SoBo’s best seasons yet The Ahiers are set to reopen Feb 8 for their 8th year of business And watch for the long awaited SoBo cookbook in 2010 www sobo ca or 250 725 2341

The Pointe Restaurant at t he Wickaninnish Inn has been of fering a daily brunch all winter (eggs benny ever y day!), and will continue wit h their Sunday champagne brunch as well As al ways, locals and visitors alike are welcome in t he resor t’s dining room, call 250 725 3100 for reser vations or visit www wickinn com Nor wood’s in Ucluelet is now of fering t heir winter comfor t food menu This 34 seat fine dining restaurant is on Ucluelet’s main drag at 1741 Peninsula Rd. Chef Richard Nor wood, whose menu reflects the time he spent in Europe and Asia, opened earlier this year and is enjoying rave reviews www nor woods ca or 250 726 7001

by Jen Dar t (see Jen’s bio at www eatmagazine ca)

A Trio of Cabbage Dishes

Cabbage Beet Borsht

In a large saucepan, sauté 1 chopped onion in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over moderately low heat. Stir until the onion is softened. Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 cups chopped cabbage and a coarsely grated potato. Stir as you cook the mixture for 1 minute Add 2 cups beef or vegetable broth, 1/2 cup water, 4 large cooked, shredded beets with their cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Add salt to taste. Bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the soup, par tially covered, for 25 minutes. Divide the soup between 2 bowls. G arnish with sour cream and minced fresh dill.

Holishkes (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

Combine 1 pound of hamburger, 1/4 cup uncooked rice and 1 beaten egg. Grate in 1 onion and 1 carrot, season to taste with salt and pepper and combine. Blanch 12 cabbage leaves by covering them with boiling water for 3 minutes Drain the leaves and place a ball of the meat mixture in the center of each leaf. Roll up the leaf, tucking the ends in securely. Place the rolls close together in a heavy frying pan. Mix 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar with a cup of tomato sauce and pour over the rolls. Add enough water to cover the rolls. Cover tightly and cook 30 minutes over moderate heat Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 F. Brown on top and turn once to brown the other side Add water during baking if necessary.

Red Cabbage Cole Slaw

Shred 1 large carrot and a 1 pound red cabbage into a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of olive oil Add a small handful of organic red flame raisins, a small handful of dried cranberries and a sprinkling of caraway seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Gold Beets. Juicy, tender, sweet gold beets, har vested in the fall in the Fraser Valley, are available from now until spring Gold beets are available from summer to fall from local farms

Fresh Dates. These rare treats are only available from October to March Fresh dates have a soft, moist texture and a delicate sweetness. As they age, they become firmer, dryer and sweeter. Lakehill Grocery, a specialty food shop located at 3949 Quadra Street, carries fresh dates and a variety of dried dates

Rapini. This pungent bitter green vegetable, also called broccoli raab and Chinese flowering cabbage, has tasty stalks studded with buds that resemble tiny broccoli heads. Strawberry Rhubarb. Strawberry rhubarb is available from mid January to mid April. This hothouse rhubarb has pink to pale red stalks and a more delicate texture than field grown cherry rhubarb Why not grow your own rhubarb? These hardy shrubs last for decades and produce more than enough stalks for strawberry rhubarb pies in summer and rhubarb chutney and rhubarb jam throughout the winter.

Citrus Fruit. This is the peak season for tangy, juicy citrus fruits. Beautiful blood oranges are only available from December to mid April. Try Temple, Mineola, Navel and Valencia oranges Make bittersweet marmalade with Seville oranges Clementines, satsumas, tangerines, tangors (a mandarin/orange hybrid) and tangelos are easy to peel mandarin oranges. Ugli fruit and uniq fruit are tangerine grapefruit crosses that are now at their peak of flavour Luscious pummelo/grapefruit hybrids, such as Melogold and Oro Blanco are only available until April.

Oversized pummelos (a.k.a. Chinese grapefruit) have a delicate sweetness that marries beautifully with fresh crab in a salad made with lettuce, red onions and cucumbers salad. Splash the salad with a dressing made with chiles, fish sauce, fresh mint, lime juice and rice wine vinegar, and sprinkle it with toasted peanuts

BUBBLY

aldo Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Marca Oro NV | Italy | $21.50-23.00 long time favourite, this tasty little Prosecco is soft and dry with a good core of fruit and lenty of tiny bubbles.

euve du Vernay Rose Brut NV | France | $15.00 17.00 he price is certainly right and the quality is surprising high This delightful little rosé is soft, esh and utterly delicious. Pale pink with delightful strawberry and cherry aromas, a fine ersistent mousse and a lovely clean finish

egura Viudas Brut Reser va NV | Spain | $14.00-16.00

perennial best seller in British Columbia, Segura is a cava made by the “methode Cham enoise”. This is not a cheap way to do business but the results are very much appreciated. ubtle and refined, with delicious nutty flavours and a clean crisp finish! Reliable and easy drinking at a price that’s hard to beat.

WHITES

Mouton Cadet Blanc 08 | France | $14.00-16.00

The brainchild of the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Mouton Cadet is made from a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grapes sourced from vineyards in the Entre Deux Mers appellation of Bordeaux The brand may be old but the style is anything bu ! Very fresh and forward with pronounced citrus and passion fruit flavours and mouthwatering acidity Touted as BC’s best selling white Bordeaux, one sip and you will know why

Domaine Louis Jadot Saint-Veran 06| France | $27.00-29.00

Quite pale with a lovely floral nose, good weight and vibrant fruit and mineral flavours nicely balanced with a refreshing cut of acidity

REDS

Condesa de Leganza Tempranillo Crianza 04 | Spain | $16.00 18.00

La Mancha is the Spanish hear tland Land is cheap, the climate is extreme and Tempranillo, the grape of Rioja, grows well Could things be better? Medium bodied with sweet straw berry, vanilla and ear th flavours. Fresh and lively with good fruit character in an easy drink ing style

Little Yering Pinot Noir 08 | Australia | $15.00-17.00

Soft and round with delicate strawberry, cherry and barnyard scents. On the palate, this supple pinot from the Yarra Valley is concentrated with a silky texture and ripe berry flavours Great fruit with a long finish

Jadot Beaujolais Villages “Combe aux Jacques” 08| France | $20 00 23 00

G amay is the grape of Beaujolais and few do it better than Jadot. Not known for its bargain basement prices, Louis Jadot produces a mind boggling selection of red and white Bur gundy but at a recent tasting with a bevy of heavy hitters from the Cote d’Or, this tasty lit tle fruit bomb from Beaujolais stood out for its lush fruit flavours and penny pinching price tag Bright cherry, black pepper and barnyard aromas carry through the palate, medium bodied with some power and a blush of soft tannins. Impeccably made and very juicy!

Rosenblum Cuvee Zinfandel 07 | California | $19.00 21.00

Generous and robust with dark berry, earth and spice flavours nicely balanced with a patina of fine grained tannins.

Terre Barolo 2004 | Italy | $38.00 43.00

Yes my friends, I have reviewed many vintages of this modestly priced Nebbiolo and as I have said before: if you seek the Barolo of your father, then look no fur ther This wine is for you! Very traditional with a no compromise attitude towards new world winemaking mojo. Medium bodied but at the same time amply endowed with strawberry, tar and violet aro mas, somewhat closed on the palate with gripping tannins and surprising acidity Sounds dicey, tastes great.

Inniskillin Okanagan Discover y Series Malbec 07 | BC | $25.00 28.00

Shockingly good with intense raspberry, chocolate and spice aromas, dark fruit flavours and a firm tannic structure! From the Okanagan Valley. Who could have known?

Domaines Perrin Vacqueyras Les Christins 04 | France | $27.00 29.00

Ripe and fleshy with raspberry, black pepper and spice flavours, medium bodied with an unctuous texture and a fine tannic backbone! Top notch

LOVE WHAT WE DO IN THE HEART OF THE GOLDEN MILE BENCH

Hester Creek Estate Winery and Villa Wine Shop open daily at 10:00 am Road #8, just South of Oliver, BC Phone 250 498 4435 www.hestercreek.com

Calling the Venturi Schulze family Vancouver Island winemaking pioneers perhaps gives the impression that they are of an older generation and their ideas and beliefs are staid Nothing could be fur ther from the truth First licensed in 1993, the Cowichan Valley winery’s husband and wife team of Giordano and Marilyn Venturi and daughter Michelle Schulze made a name for itself by, as Marilyn explains, “being true to ourselves and giving people what we say we’re going to give them.”

The Venturi Schulze vision star ted with the original 15 acre farm purchased in 1987 where their first four acres of vines all vinifera grapes were planted. Like others at the time, they were navigating unchar ted territory, and figuring out what grapes would ripen properly given the island climate and soil required some experimentation However, like their fellow pio neers at Vigneti Zanatta and Blue Grouse, they quickly zeroed in on the three Pinots (Noir, Gris and Auxerrois) These have become island mainstays along with some of the cold climate, Riesling related crosses like Siegerrebe, Or tega, Kerner and Bacchus What they then did with these grapes, however, was entirely unique Winemaker Giordano Venturi was born and raised in Modena, Italy, in an area where, ac cording to Marilyn, “everyone made wine.” Immigrating to Canada in 1967, he kept his in terest in wine alive by planting backyard vineyards with cool climate varietals. By the time he and Marilyn star ted Venturi Schulze the realization of a dream for both he came to it with a degree of confidence and experience that perhaps some of his peers at the time lacked And his approach to making wines and other products such as their highly regarded balsamic vinegar and newest addition, verjus has reflected that confidence

As a result, Venturi Schulze has not necessarily been known for one specific wine or vari etal that they produce year in and year out Cer tainly there are some that have been main stays and are responsible for the winery’s success and notoriety One of those is the sparkling Brut Naturel, for instance, an Alsatian crémant style sparkler made primarily from Pinot Gris and Pinot Auxerrois grapes and first bottled in 1991. Yet even these vary from vintage to vin tage. “Our philosophy is basically that we’re not trying to do the same things every year,” confirms Marilyn. “We thoroughly embrace the fact that the seasons can be quite different and you can make wines that are reflecting that season and are really true to what the land and climate are offering That’s the beauty of being a small vineyard and making really small batches of wine ”

Another benefit to keeping it small they average about 2,000 cases per year of total pro duction is the ability to keep it all in the family Daughter Michelle Schulze, the vineyard manager and assistant winemaker, has been an integral par t of the operation since gradu ating from high school in 1994. As the business has grown, she has taken on tasks previ ously handled solely by her parents. For Marilyn, who now finds herself occupied mostly in

the winery lab and in dealing with the extensive government repor ting necessary to run the business, her daughter’s effor ts have been invaluable to Venturi Schulze’s success “She is an enormous par t of the operation,” says Marilyn “She’s amazing She works extremely long hours She’s done every job here from preparing the land to putting in posts, doing the wiring and planting vines.”

Venturi Schulze’s family operation and small size (though the four acres originally under vine has been expanded to 18) belies the fact that their product assor tment, year in and year out, is one of the most diverse and interesting on the island. A toothsome mix of sparkling, still and desser t wines, as well as the vinegar and verjus (pure, unfermented grape juice pressed from unripe fruit), many of these products are ser ved at some of the finest restau rants in B C and beyond “I’m very glad we have a variety of wines, because if you have all of your eggs in one basket, there may be years where you just don’t get anything,” says Mar ilyn “It’s been a good decision for us to maintain about eight good varieties ”

They utilize those varieties somewhat differently from year to year Their Pinot Noir and Zweigelt (another cool climate red variety) from the challenging 2007 vintage, for instance, were used to make a dry white wine called “ The Bad Boys.” Never theless, they believe quite firmly that there is a specialness about their terroir. “As far as I’m concerned, the wines from our proper ty are absolutely distinct,” says Marilyn. “ There’s definitely a cer tain aspect of minerality, which is difficult to put into words, that is quite distinct ”

As is their entire approach to winemaking And though it may seem unor thodox to some they seal their sparklers with a cap, “the better to preser ve it” Venturi Schulze has a ded icated following that simply appreciates the quality inherent in whatever product the family put its name on “We want people to know that if they’re going to drink our wine, it’s going to be the absolute best that we can do,” says Marilyn “It doesn’t mean that everyone’s going to like all of our wines, but they’re gonna know that the grapes are pure and unsprayed and absolutely perfect when they go in the picking bucket.”

Best Vintages: 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 2006, 2009

Tasting Room Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a m to 4 p m , May long weekend until har vest begins in September or October Charge is $5 per person, refundable with any wine pur chase Web: www venturischulze com Phone: 250 743 5630 Address: 4235 Vineyard Rd , Cobble Hill, BC V0R 1L5

Sweet Surrender

Winter’s darkness is mellowed by the pairing of sweet wine with almost any dish on any occasion.

In the drear y depths of winter, we are in serious need of something succulent to drink It’s the only way to endure the bad weather If you are one of the disillusioned who subscribes to a January cleanse, you might want to reconsider it this year Why subject yourself to such tor ture when nature is already doing her best to torment you? There is nothing like a sugar rush to beat the winter blues. Sweet wines are often reser ved for special occasions and ser ved with desser t, but there are plenty of other occasions when you can indulge. In fact, anytime is appropriate.

It’s 5 p m and the sun is already long gone Dinner may be a couple of hours away, but a pick me up is pressing The European ritual of having an apéritif offers an elegant solution The French in par ticular have a long tradition of drinking something sweet before their meal The idea is to stimulate the appetite (Any excuse is a good excuse ) Tawny Por t, Muscat Beaume de Venise and Pineau des Charentes are served slightly chilled and sipped alongside snacks while socializing and waiting for dinner to hit the table. Call it the French paradox; they’re cer tainly not concerned about the calories. More room for dinner, please!

We have a weakness for Pineau des Charentes, and the recently discovered Château d’Ori gnac has increased our hunger tenfold. Made in the same region as Cognac, Pineau des Char entes is the ultimate French apé ro. It is what is known as a mistelle. Brandy is added to unfermented grape juice, which inhibits fermentation thus leaving a sweet wine A fantastic drink to ser ve with foie gras tourchon to encourage the appetite! (Chicken liver pâté will do if you are slumming it ) God love the French

We like to put a B C twist on the aperitif and ser ve ice wine Why not impress your out of town guests at the star t of the evening? They might be too stuffed by the end of the meal to fully enjoy this local treat. We have our predictably cold winters to thank for our specialty, but ice wine production is still a risky business. The grapes remain on the vine waiting for the tem perature to get low enough to freeze them while everyone hopes the birds don’t devoured them in the meantime. Ice wines are invariably expensive, but the best are refreshing de spite their sweetness. A welcome find is G anton & Larsen Prospect Winery’s Lost Bars Vidal Icewine At $40, it is fantastic value for the money

If you can’t wait until the evening to get your sugar fix, have a dose first thing in the morn ing What better way to star t the day than waking up your taste buds with something light, sweet and frothy? That’s how we like to spend our Sunday mornings at House Wine head quar ters Whether you are relaxing with the newspaper or enter taining guests around a de licious brunch, bubble is in order. While a mimosa might come to mind first, we propose some interesting alternatives. Light in alcohol with a simple grapey fruitiness, Italy’s sparkling Moscatos are fondly called breakfast wine. They go with all types of food typically found on the brunch table. We will never turn our backs on these trustwor thy staples, but lately South America has been vying for our attention We are head over heels for Familia Schroeder’s Sparkling Torrontes, a new kid on the block from Argentina Even more off the beaten track is the Fresita from Chile This sparkling wine infused with strawberries from Patagonia is breakfast in a glass

Sweet wine with a savoury meal may seem like more of a stretch, but the most adventur

ous and ardent desser t wine fans will revel in the combination Viscous nectars can be in jected into the dinner with the right pairing Sauternes from Bordeaux and Sélection de Grains Nobles from Alsace work like a charm with equally rich seared foie gras. Both are made from botrytis affected grapes in which a “noble rot” dehydrates the grapes and con centrates the sugars This transforms the flavours into an intense expression of hon eycomb and dried fruit Just as decadent, sweet Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley (such as the appellations of Coteau du Layon and Bonnezeau) paired with duck or goose rillettes is a delectable appetizer.

One of our favourite moments to indulge coincides with our daily calcium intake. Pungent salty cheese works like a charm with stickies. This yin yang contrast is the same principle as bringing together prosciutto and melon. The sweetness and saltiness play off each other endlessly. It takes an intense wine to stand up to those stinky cheeses. Classic combinations of Roquefor t with Sauternes and Stilton with por t never disappoint Be innovative and try something new; Cashel Blue from Ireland together with a Tokaji from Hungary is to die for So is a nutty aged Gouda, like Saenkanter, with vin santo The Il Poggione, Vin Santo Sant’ An timo is our latest discovery

There is something to be said for the conventional When desser t is ser ved, it is hard to re sist an accompanying elixir. Get ready for a double measure of sugar. The general rule of thumb for pairing sweet wine with desser t is to choose a wine that is at least as sweet as the desser t. Otherwise, the wine will taste tar t and lean; exactly the opposite of what you are seeking in a desser t wine.

Surprisingly, chocolate is one of the trickiest ingredients to pair. Rich and intense, it will coat your mouth and linger on your taste buds This is why we love it so much Just make sure you choose something equally powerful to match For tified wines work best, such as a Late Bottled Vintage por t (LBV) or better yet, a vintage por t if you can afford it Banyuls is France’s riposte to por t and is absolutely irresistible when ser ved with chocolates made by local star Thomas Haas Liqueur Muscat, Tokay and por t from Australia are all excellent choices as well Delicate desser ts such as panna cotta and fruit tar t require more graceful par tners. Look to cool climate regions as they typically produce lighter desser t wine. This generalization will go a long way to help you when left to your own devices. Specifically, Beerenauslese Ries ling from Germany, ice wine from Canada, Muscat Beaune de Venise from the Rhône Valley, Vendanges Tardives from Alsace and sweet Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley are all tasty treats

When you decide to surrender, sweetness will soothe you To avoid crashing, frequent dosages are required Luckily, the choices are endless For once, we are looking forward to the long winter ahead

Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard

Sweet Surrender Tasting Notes

2007 Errazuriz, Late Har vest Sauvignon Blanc, Chile $15-$17 (375ml) (SKU# 427054)

This incredible value is a long time favourite Beautiful orange and marmalade notes delight your nose and caress your palate Enjoy with lemon tar t

Fresita, Patagonia, Chile, $16-$18 (SKU# 299404)

Sparkling wine infused with hand picked organic strawberries from Patagonia Skeptical? You’ll be persuaded with your first sip Bursting flavours of pure wild strawberries; it’s like drinking a smoothie with bubbles A great way to wake up your loved one on the weekend or Valentine’s Day Decadent with crêpes aux fruits, French toast and strawberry pancakes

*Niepoor t, Ruby Por t, Por tugal, $17 $20 (375 mL)

Fabulous juicy notes of violet, plum and cocoa Hello chocolate and black forest cheese cake!

Familia Schroeder, ‘Desado’ sparkling, Patagonia, Argentina, $24-$27 (SKU# 526517)

Nostalgic about our recent trip to Argentina, we were thrilled to find Desado on the LDB shelves This delicious and quaffable sparkling wine is made with the Argentinean white varietal Torrontés Frothy and creamy with vibrant orange blossom and white flower flavours. Argentina’s answer to Moscato d’Asti.

Seppelt, Tokay DP 37, Australia, $24 90 (available exclusively at Marquis Wine Cellars) When it comes to stickies, nobody can offer better value than the Aussies, especially Seppelt Rich and incredibly intense flavours of caramel, honey, raisins and black tea A real treat when poured over ice cream. THAT ’s desser t! Will last for a couple of months after opening. Keep in the fridge for better preser vation. Can be ser ved warm or slightly chilled.

2004 Quinta do Crasto, LBV Por t, Por tugal, $27 $30 (SKU# 605048)

Scrumptious with dark flavours of plum, chocolate and grippy tannins. The ideal companion for dense chocolate and caramel desser t. Well made and the price is right. Note that por t, like wine, isn’t eternal once opened. It usually lasts for five days. Keep in the fridge to slow down the oxidation process.

De Bor toli, ‘Noble One’ Botr ytis Semillon, Australia, $35 $37 (375 mL) (SKU# 554766) Sauternes is an expensive treat. If you can’t afford to splurge, Noble One is a fantastic alternative. Just like Sauternes, the Noble One is made by botrytis affected grape. Succulent flavours of quince and toasted nuts. A great match with foie gras.

2000 Il Poggione, Vin Santo Sant’Antimo DOC, Italy, $37 $40 (500 mL) (SKU# 125799)

A traditional desser t wine from the region of Tuscany, Vin Santo is typically ser ved with biscotti. We propose trying it with aged Gouda. Its concentrated roasted almond and orange notes will seduce you

2007 Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winer y, ‘ The Lost Bars’ Vidal Icewine, B.C., $40 $44 (SKU# 609974)

After trying copious amounts of ice wine at the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival, we were impressed by ‘ The Lost Bars ’ The palate offers unctuous flavours of baked apple and honey The price is equally appealing; about half of what you would typically pay for ice wine A great match when ser ved chilled as an aperitif with a savoury tar t of pear and local blue cheese

*2006 Domaine de la Rectorie, Le Muté sur Grains, Banyuls AOC, France, $38 42 (available exclusively at Liber ty Wine Merchants)

From the region of Roussillon in the South of France, Banyuls is one of our favourite desser t wines Grenache dominates the blend Sweet and savoury notes of plum, crushed raspberries and garrigue make your mouth water Fantastic with dark chocolate

*Château d’Orignac, Pineau des Charentes, France, $45 50

The perfect apéro to introduce to your guests E xplosive, charming flavours of orange, toffee and walnuts make Orignac the ideal par tner with nutty snacks Beware of its 18 per cent alcohol; you might want to abstain from drinking the entire bottle, as tempting as it may be.

Ser ve chilled and drink within four to five days of opening.

*1993 Château Pajzos, Tokaji Aszú, 5 Puttonyos, Hungar y, $75 85 (500 mL)

Wow! It isn’t often we find an aged Tokaji Aszú in our market. Treat yourself and experience the complex lingering flavours of this wine. Stunning flavours of dark honey, raisins and orange. Great on its own or with Cashel Blue cheese.

*Available at private wine stores. Prices may vary.

Funky Foodie Fernwood

Layered with histor y, architecture and creativity, and independent in the truest sense of the word, Fernwood is a community unlike any other in Victoria Bounded by the neighbourhoods of Jubilee, Nor th Park, Fairfield, Downtown, Oaklands and Harris Green, this ar tistic enclave has attracted alternative realities for decades. A mix of hippies, neo yuppies, ethnic back grounds, students, young families, retirees, environmentalists and ar tisans call this place home, and even the streets follow their own rhythm. Forget linear grids and right angles. In stead embrace the roundabouts, dead ends, community gardens and numerous parks. You’re on funky Fernwood time

The hear t of the neighbourhood is a small square bordered by Vic High and the Belfry The atre The ar ts and the youth are evident everywhere you look And the recent restaurant renaissance has responded with well priced, casual, creatively driven cuisine

Fernwood Inn had a huge par t to do in kick star ting the food scene and attracting busi ness to the area. This large, successful pub/restaurant commands the corner of Gladstone and Fernwood. Updated pub fare, burger platters, sharing plates and microbrews fill the menu, and tall backed benches, large windows (and a warm weather patio) provide a wel come view over the adjacent square notably for weekend brunch. 1302 Gladstone Ave. 250 412 2001. www.fernwoodinn.com.

Across Gladstone is another pioneer in Fernwood’s food scene, attracting attention from far, far outside the ‘hood’s boundary lines Stage Small Plates Wine Bar was voted one of the top 10 new restaurants in enRoute magazine’s 2008 ranking, and the buzz didn’t star t or stop there In fact, Stage had foodies aflutter before it even opened, this being the second restaurant for well known and respected chef George Szasz (formally of Paprika Bistro) Ex posed brick, wood and kitchen, this open room is centred around the large, repurposed maple bar. Locally sourced small plates, cheeses, housemade charcuterie, wine flights and skilled bar tenders enhance and complete the scene, keeping this nightly eatery among Victoria’s best. 1307 Gladstone Ave. 250 388 4222. www.stagewinebar.com.

Next door on the Gladstone/Fernwood corner is, fittingly, Cornerstone Café This buzzy coffee shop is packed most hours of the day with people sharing long wooden benches or

nestled into oversized windows sipping oversized lattes Owned and operated by the Fern wood Neighbourhood Resource Group (Fernwood NRG), all proceeds from the café are rein vested in the neighbourhood through the groups’ programs and ser vices. Free Wi Fi, Discovery coffee and friendly ser vice make it a hit among the locals especially the Vic High crew. 1301 Gladstone Ave. 250 381 1884

Just down Gladstone (across the street from Stage) is the future site of Aubergine Specialty Foods, not yet opened when I visited in the fall. The window signage promises specialty meats and cheeses, local produce, a coffee roastery and more Sounds promising stay tuned! 1308 Gladstone Ave

Crossing the main street of Fernwood Avenue and entering the square leads to more Fer nwood flavours Lucy’s in the Square, like Stage, is the local centric, casually welcoming vi sion of a well known Victoria chef Jeff Keenliside, recently of The Marina Restaurant, and wife Micki opened this market café as an extension of their family dining room. Oft chang ing comfor t bistro fare makes up the concise menu and also proves a popular draw for week end brunchers (especially on the square side micro patio). 1296 Gladstone Ave. 778 430 LUCY. www.lucysinthesquare.com.

Just a few doors down is a tiny takeout window, the spot to grab authentic Caribbean soul food in Victoria Stir It Up dishes out a simple menu of Jamaican standards, with jerk chicken a popular standout The two patio tables fill up quickly, but most diners pick it up to go 1 1284 Gladstone Ave , 250 813 1596

And the newest addition to the square is an offshoot of For t Street’s Little Piggy Catering Well, this Little Piggy went to Fernwood in early September, and the teeny café/grocery/caterer has been hopping every since. Through a little door and down some stairs, you enter a funky space with soup, dairy, frozen dinners, drinks, pastry, produce, bread and ready to eat foods. The small menu is highly diverse, with daily specials featuring flavours from around the globe. Heavy on the local suppliers, low on pretense. D2 1284 Gladstone Ave 250 483 4171 www littlepiggyfernwood com

This small community clustered around Fernwood Square is attracting well-priced, casual and creative cuisine.

By Treve Ring

Mike Colwill and Sarah Colwill (brother and sister) of Fernwood Inn

Linda and George Szasz of Stage

Christabel Padmore and Patric k Simpson of Little Piggy Fernwood