EAT Magazine 13-03 May|June 2009

Editor’s Note: f ish + road trips

Finally Spring has arrived on the coast According to farmers it’s about a month late this year This has pushed back the opening of many farmer’s markets around BC I’ve put a list of a few major markets on the next page but the opening dates may or may not be accurate.

From what I can tell, though, the late spring hasn’t affected the season for halibut and spot prawns. Both are local sustainable fisheries and both are favourites of mine. I love halibut’s versatility because it’s mild, it can be prepared almost anyway you like it. Check out our fresh and simple cover recipe (pg. 8) or try it my go to way. Marinate cubes of halibut filet in garlic, oregano and lemon, skewer and grill over wood Simply hell yeah!

I don’t eat farmed Asian shrimp anymore (they’re mostly raised in toxic cesspools) but I love BC spot prawns. Since our local prawn season is only about 8 weeks long I buy and cook as much as I can afford while they’re around. A true seasonal treat. Check out Nathan Fong’s recipes star ting on page 24. Bon appétit, G ary Hynes, Editor

Photo by Michael Tourigny

VANCOUVER ISL AND

Island Chefs Collaborative

Bastion Square Market

Opens Mid June Bastion Square, Victoria Moss Street Market

Opens May 3 1330 Fairfield Rd., Victoria

The James Bay Community Market

The Market is open 9 3 every Saturday from May 2nd, 2009 to Oct 10 th, 2009

Superior and Menzies, Victoria Peninsula Countr y Market

Open from June 14 to October 4, Closes August 30, Sat 9:00am to 1:00pm

The Sannich Fairgrounds, 1528 Stelly's Cross Road , Sannich

Salt Spring Island's Saturday Market

Each Saturday, from April 4, 2009 through the last Saturday in October Oceanside at Centennial Park in the hear t of G anges

Comox Valley Farmers Market

Opens April 11, Headquar ters Road , Comox

Duncan Farmers Market

Saturdays 9 am 2 pm , Train Station

Nanaimo Downtown Farmers' Market

Open from First Friday in May to Friday before Thanksgiving, Fri 10:00am to 2:00pm 90 Front Street, Nanaimo On Pioneer Wa terfront Plaza

MAINL AND

Trout Lake Farmers Market

Saturdays, May October 9am 2pm each week May 16 October 10 15th Avenue & Victoria Drive in the Parking Lot of Trout Lake Community Centre, Vancouver East Vancouver Farmers Market 9 am 2 pm, Saturdays, May 13 October 7 Victoria Dr. and E. 15th Ave, Vancouver, 604 879 3276

UBC Farm June Sept, 9am 1pm Every Saturday during the summer Har vest Hut 6128 South Campus Road, Vancouver

Kelowna Farmer’s Market Day Star ts Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Ends October 31, 2009. Every Wednesday and Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM Dilwor th and Springfield, Kelowna

www.islandfarmfresh.com www.bcfarmersmarket.org www.eatlocal.org

Correction: In the last issue we inadver tently mis identified the interior designer of the wonderful new Clive’s Classic Lounge in the Chateau Victoria Hotel. It is Gillian Ley of Ley Ar t and Interiors Ltd. www.gillianley.com

Reservations

“ The original purpose of a Farmers Market was to re connect the community to people who produce their food for their mutual benefit and enjoyment.”

THE CONCIERGE DESK

May

A MAT TER of TA STE GROUP TOUR at the UBC MUSEUM of ANTHROPOLOGY

E xplore the links between food and the MOA’s exceptional collection of 15th to 19th century ceramics in the Koerner European Ceramics G allery. A tour of the gallery and a sampling of old world foods is included. $12 per person also gets you into all Mu seum galleries Call 604 822 3825 to book your group

ORGANIC ISL ANDS FESTIVAL

Anyone interested in par ticipating in this year’s Organic Islands Festival should vol unteer between April 1st and June 30th by contacting Jen Cizman at 250.658.8148. This festival, which runs July 4th and 5th, promotes a ‘ Vancouver Island Diet’ and gives locals a chance to meet their produc ers as well as make new connections with up and coming green business leaders, eco pioneers, and environmental activists Learn more on www organicislands ca

PORTL AND INDIE WINE FESTIVAL

Take the train south for this charming and award winning festival featuring Oregon’s top ar tisinal winemakers Por tland’s best chefs ser ve up local fare with flare while guests taste the first release of the year from 40 impossible to find Oregon produc ers May 2nd Tickets available at www in diewinefestival com

MOTHER’S DAY TEA at LONDON HERITAGE FARM

Pamper your well deser ved mom with freshly baked scones, farm jam, homemade cookies, and the farm’s own blend of Lon don Lady Tea on May 9th and 10th London Heritage Farm is perched above the Fraser River in Richmond, BC, and is home to lus cious flower gardens, chickens, and the re stored Spragg family barn (circa 1880). Mom will love it. Visit londonheritagefarm.ca

ICCBC FOOD and WINE TOUR of TUSC ANY Star t in charming Siena and stay in the beautiful hillside town of San Gusme, Tus cany Then get ready for a week of wine tast ing and cooking at a handful of estates from May 10th to 16th. Book via Boulevard Travel at 403.802.4286.

DEFENDING our BACKYARD LOC AL FOOD FESTIVAL

Presented by the Island Chefs’ Collabora tive, the Local Food Festival is a celebration of Vancouver Islands’ food and the people that bring it to us A combination tasting and educational event Taste, talk, learn, and discover at For t Rodd Hill on May 31st. Call 250.388.4517 for more information.

June

CHEF’S

TABLE WINERY DINNER

Featuring local wines and a five course din ner; you can choose to splurge and stay overnight at the gorgeous Kingfisher Oceanside Resor t and Spa in Cour tenay. Call 250.338.1323 to reser ve your place. June 4th.

MOTHER and CHILD REUNION: PA STURE-RAISED CHICKEN and EGG DINNER at DEERHOLME FARM

Deviled eggs with cracklin and sumac are just the beginning Learn from Chef Bill Jones how to prepare chicken and egg dishes that are anything but ordinary. June 6th. $90 per person. Visit www.mag nor th.bc.ca for details.

VISTA D’ORO WINEMAKERS DINNER at ABIGAIL’S HOTEL

The evening includes a cooking demonstra tion, wine pairing seminar, and of course, a delicious meal Chef Matt McGinn works closely with many of BC’s organic and ar ti san food producers and foragers while Vista D’oro proprietors Patrick and Lee Murphy are dedicated to producing farm fresh in gredients June 6th

Mother’s Day Brunch (May 10 two seating’s only) Father's Day Beer Tasting Event (June 20) Reser vations required Contact the hotel at 1 800 561 6565

SPRING BOOT C AMP at FAIRBURN FARM

These culinary boot camps were named one of Gourmet magazine’s top 45 picks in the world for culinary vacations. 5 days packed with basic and advanced techniques, farm trips, a day with a baker, field to table cook ing, and a Saturday night feast that you pre pare for local producers $1995 includes all accommodations, meals, and classes June 2nd to 7th Email info@fairburnfarm bc ca

TOFINO FOOD and WINE FESTIVAL

The main event, “Grazing in the G ardens,” showcases West coast food and wine held in the quirky and creative Tofino Botanical G ardens Other events include grape stomping, specialty dinner at local restau rants and much more www tofinofoodand winefestival com Takes place June 5th to 7th.

SOUTH WORLD WINE SOCIET Y SUMMER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL

New members welcome to come out cele brate the arrival of summer by tasting the best wines from Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa At the Van couver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club Con tact tastings@southworldwine com

Culinar y intelligence for the 2 months ahead

by Katie Zdybel

For more events visit THE BULLETIN BOARD at www eatmagazine ca

Ocean’s Asparagus

—Gillie

pictured left: sea asparagus, also known as Salicornia virginica and

“It’s beautiful, wild, good for you, and that taste? Oh my God!” Mirjana, of Mirjana’s in Dragon Alley, is describing sea asparagus with her characteristic charm, a mixture of glee and reverence

Salicornia virginica, or sea asparagus, looks like delicate miniature asparagus but be longs to the halophyte family, known for its ability to thrive in saline environments. Teem ing with nutrients, and beloved for its crisp crunch, Salicornia is also unbearably salty unless soaked in cold water. The unmasked flavour Mirjana describes as a “mild lemon grass.” She never cooks sea asparagus but sautés it quickly in a hot dry pan (no oil) for mere seconds, often pairing it with roasted beet pasta

Brad Carey of Westcoast Seaweed lauds sea asparagus as “natural, exciting and sus tainable ” It is a provincially licensed plant, though families may gather it for their personal use Brad hand har vests and carries it pre blanched frozen or pickled year round “ The flavour is not affected (by the freezing process), but it does rob the sea asparagus of its crunch, which is a popular characteristic so it is mostly used as garnish for seafood dishes ”

Ground up, sea asparagus yields a high protein meal, and Carl Hodges, a Tucson based atmospheric physicist, is even making biofuel from this green super food. It seems there is nothing this tender stalk does not provide.

So where can you find sea asparagus? If you are keen to wildcraft (forage for wild food), Moody Bay on Salt Spring Island, the Sooke Basin and Towner Park are all solid bets dur ing June and July And if you just want to sample without the mission? Westcoast Seaweed Inc, Finest at Sea, and perhaps in a dish or two at Mirjana’s when sea asparagus is in sea son will do quite well

Westcoast Seaweed Inc., 3140 Cook St., 250 812 6691 Mirjana’s, 532 Fisgard Unit 10, Dragon Alley, Lunch Mon Sat 12 3 Finest at Sea, 27 Erie St., 250 383 7760

Dear Editor,

I just want to give my kudos to Sylvia Weinstock for all of her "What's in Season" pieces. I'm a fussy and par ticular consumer, and strawberries in January just don't cut it. Having her ar ticles discuss and disseminate produce that is in season and deli cious makes the anticipation of selecting and preparing these foods an exciting ad venture all unto itself Asparagus in the sping and not December? Fiddleheads in April? Brilliant! And even better? How to prepare it to show it off in it's best possible light Thanks very much!

Laurie Dear Julie Pegg, Thank you so much for the very nice ar ticle. It is way too early to compare to M. Lynch in anyway, but I appreciate the vote of confidence! Hope you are well.

Thank you, Anthony Nicalo, President, Farmstead Wines

This super-food is also a culinary gif t from the sea.

Easdon

samphire

Grilled Halibut Fillets on Asparagus with Cherry Tomato Salsa

Here’s a light and colourful way to ser ve fine tasting West Coast halibut. Add a simple salad and lunch or dinner is ready.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 6 minutes

Makes:4 ser vings

8 ripe cherry tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 tbsp olive oil, plus some for the grill

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 small shallot, finely chopped hot pepper sauce to taste pinch sugar salt and white pepper to taste

4 (6 oz ) halibut fillets

20 24 asparagus spears, steams trimmed, spears blanched (see Note)

Combine the tomatoes, lime juice, 1 Tbsp of the oil, cilantro, shallot, hot pepper sauce, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat your grill to medium high. Brush the halibut with remaining oil; season with salt and pepper. Brush the bars of the grill lightly with oil. Grill the fish 3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through

To ser ve, set 5 6 asparagus spears in a lose row in the centre of each of 4 dinner plates Set the halibut fillets on the asparagus Top each fillet with a generous spoon ful of the salsa, setting some of it in between in each asparagus spear, and then serve

Note: To blanch asparagus, plunge into boiling water 1 2 minutes. Cool in ice cold water, and then drain well.

Around the world, the first meal is often a more for tifying affair than the hurried snack we call breakfast in Nor th America.

There’s magic in the day’s first light and first bite. And I mean a real breakfast; that is, not a cof fee and a bun on the run, but the sor t of breakfast that makes you want to pirouette into the sunlight, seize the day by its lapels and have your way with it.

Paul Rush, the former editor of the Financial Post Magazine, once wrote about his breakfast obsession. As a boy, he’d heard of the English “rasher” of bacon and thought such a thing must be divine. Arriving in England years later, he could barely wait to order a rasher. When it arrived, it left him crushed Rasher is the English term for one measly slice.

Notwithstanding such linguistic mis cues, the Brits can turn out a fine break fast The Irish, however, do it better The classic Irish breakfast should include plump pork sausages, black pudding thickened with pig’s blood, thick slices of back bacon, Cashel blue cheese from the Republic and farl, the Irish potato scone crisped in butter (only when there’s no bacon fat to pump up your cholesterol) It is a breakfast full of guilt enough to fuel a week in a culinary confessional.

When I began to travel, breakfast was the day’s first adventure A Dutch break fast left me sagging with deeply smoked cold cuts, pâtés, cheeses and ferocious coffee The French breakfast isn’t much at all it gets in the way of lunch but cof fee, croissants and people watching on the boulevards of any French city remain one of life’s great treats

I found the most opulent breakfast of my life in St. Petersburg a decade ago on a hotel buffet A silver platter groaned with thick slabs of smoked salmon and next to it stood a huge silver terrine spilling over with salmon roe The salmon was unctuous and mouth filling The tan gerine eggs popped and burst across the tongue. I went back and did it all over again I contemplated ordering cham pagne and ending my journey there where I was star ting it.

But I never grew up breakfast wise until I left Western culture behind me Asia transformed my perspective. I discovered congee, the rice porridge that provides get up and go to hundreds of millions of Asians. Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysians and Thais all call it their own.

Cantonese congee, especially, is a princely production of creamy consis

tency, dressed with shredded chicken, ginger, scallions, shiitake mushrooms and peanuts, ideally washed down with jas mine tea In Toronto, I used to haunt Rich Congee, a restaurant boasting not two, not 10, but 60 congees including salmon, scallops, duck, frog and geoduck, all with handfuls of ginger and green onion

In Chiang Mai in nor thern Thailand, I swooned at a cauldron of steaming con gee flanked by crocks of chicken dumplings, tofu croutons, ginger, shal lots, garlic, red and green chilies and spicy Thai sausage roaring with chilies and lemongrass

Vietnamese breakfast is more likely to be pho (pronounced “feu” as in pot au feu) A rip snor ting beef broth piled high with thinly sliced rare beef and brisket, spiked with sweet basil, star anise and cinnamon, it’s vastly more than “beef noodle soup” implies

Sometimes the secret weapon is poly gonum, also known as knotweed or Viet namese coriander, a peculiarly addictive herb tasting of citrus, flowers and soap

Nor is the Malay breakfast, nasi lemak, to be scoffed at. This is a central mound of coconut milk rice surrounded with cu cumber, roast peanuts, salty little dried fish called anchovettas and fiery sambal, the Malay chili sauce

I adore the lot But when asked about my favourite, I’m at no loss for a fast an swer.

My first Indian breakfast, in the temple city of Madurai 25 years ago, changed everything. After consuming a juicy red papaya the size of a football, I was intro duced to the dosa, a feathery, billowing, crackling crisp rice flour crêpe that sum marizes the racy cooking of the South. Some chefs turn out dosas a full metre in length

Stuffings for dosas, usually a potato curry, draw on Mother India’s symphony of spices Traditional dosa sidekicks are sambar, a lentil stew, and coconut chili and red lentil chutneys.

Unfor tunately for us Islanders who crave dosa, a cruise to the Mainland is necessary. South Indian eateries offer their traditional breakfast all day long. At Vancouver’s House of Dosas a Baskin Robbins of dosas the “gunpowder” dosa lives up to its name. Such a dosa galvanizes more than your day It fires up an incarnation

Terralicious!

Astone’s throw from the cacophony of the Pat Bay Highway is a quiet lane leading to Halibur ton Organic Community Farm Buffered by trees and homes, this agrar ian oasis of gardens is scattered with a family of quail, a few farmers and a gag gle of chattering, worm digging ducks. A mere 12 kilometres from Victoria, the nine acre pocket of farm life is a patchwork of projects, the freshest and perhaps most innovative of all being the new Terralicious G ardening and Cooking School.

A brilliant bridge between cooking lessons and gardening classes, the Terralicious phi losophy is the celebration of food from “seed to spoon ” That is, students enrolled in Ter ralicious cooking classes spend half the two hour class getting their knees dir ty in the garden learning to plant and har vest a garden, and the remaining hour indoors learning how to turn the day’s har vest into elegant recipes they then enjoy around the table to gether

Sitting down with the creators of Terralicious, Tina Fraser Baynes and Dayle Cosway, it soon becomes evident that I’m amid an abundance of knowledge. Tina has been deeply in volved in an impressive collection of agricultural projects. She co founded Victoria’s vi brant Moss St. Market as well as the Land for Food Coalition and the Vancouver Island chapter of the Canadian Organic Growers She also teaches organic farming courses at Camosun College Dayle has a degree in business, has written a book on mapping sun ex posure for premium gardening and is an experienced flower grower Sitting around a table (set with an exquisite lunch they’d prepared) with these two women soon gives me a taste of what a Terralicious class will be; that is, chock full of knowledge, inspiration and good taste

The school has tapped into a movement that is currently underway. It seems more peo ple are wanting stronger connections with their food, the land and with each other. Yet many grew up in apar tments or on small city proper ties and now work most of the day in office buildings. They have forgotten, or never learned, the skills it takes to begin a garden, grow one’s own food and put it up for the winter And for some, the amount of work in volved in star ting to garden is intimidating

But not for Tina Fraser Baynes “ That kind of work feels good,” she says Her enthusiasm is appealing; anyone not cer tain they’re cut out for the dir t covered par t of the class will be inspired by Tina “It’s a community effor t,” Dayle adds “ The women all get together or the families all get together for the har vesting, cleaning and preser ving.” Connecting the joy of hard work in the garden with the pleasure of cooking and sharing in good food with friends is what Terralicious is all about. CONT ’D ON TH E N E XT

How else to describe a school that combines gardening and cooking?

by Katie Zdybel

Getr ready to dig! Tina Fraser-Baynes and Dayle Cosway

b

Geographic Traveler, April 2009

For those who are already serious about farming, the women are a wealth of wisdom on small scale market gardening. “Par t of our garden is set up as a model for micro commer cial gardening so people can take that model, bulk it up and star t their own commercial op eration,” Tina explains “ The classes will be really valuable for people selling at the market because you really need to talk about your food and how to prepare it, how it tastes ” Another garden is measured out to fit in the typical city dweller’s backyard Students can learn how to create and tend their garden at Terralicious then re create it at home when they’re ready. “We want to help people star t things,” Tina says, “like how to initiate a gar den from a lawn.” The models star ted on Halibur ton Farm land will be practice beds for Terralicious students. “We’ll also be addressing the mysteries of the compost,” Dayle adds. Outside, a couple of wooden tiered composts have been built by Tina’s husband, designed specifically for smaller women and kids to handle easily. And a resident family of chickens will bravely offer their services to those wishing to learn about raising a small flock of hens After working in the garden, Terralicious gardening students will come into the kitchen and classroom area, have a hot cup of coffee if it’s a breakfast class or a glass of wine if it’s the evening, and discuss a par ticular food plant “ The idea is that everyone should be able to eat very well,” Dayle says about the program “I mean, the idea that you have to go out to a nice restaurant just to try a braised radish is ridiculous!” she exclaims. Her joie de vivre and apparent pleasure in food is just as contagious as Tina’s exclamation that work ing in the dir t is good fun.

Visit terralicious.ca for class information.

Victoria Tea Festival

Smiles were found in abundance, along with a selection of the finest teas, at the Victoria Tea Festival held in February. This popular showcase event, now in its third year, has proven to be a resounding success as young and old packed the venerable Crystal G ardens to sip and sample their way through all thing tea. Presented by Silk Road, the festival is the largest public tea festival in Nor th America (proceeds go to benefit Camosun College Child Care Ser vices)

During the 2 day festival, seminars were held, demonstrations took place and the public wandered the two floor venue tasting teas, tea drinks and prepared foods presented by over 35 exhibitors Of note: Hosting the Perfect Tea Par ty by Christine Smar t of Smar t Events; Cooking with Teas by Steve Walker Duncan of Ambrosia Conference & Event Centre, and Silk Road’s own Daniela Cubelic on A Connoisseur’s Guide to Tea. Among the exhibitors we loved the new tea developed for Aura at the Inn at Laurel Point, the foods at the Bubby Rose’s Baker y booth, and the refreshing organic green beverages from Oooli. www.victoriateafestival.com

FOR

The Super Lettuces

Lettuce isn’t usually recognized as a nutritional super-food, yet some are chock full of vitamins and minerals.

After a winter replete with heavy comfor t food, the palate yearns for salads once spring arrives Lettuce is synonymous with salads, and while they’re generally thought of as healthy, lettuce itself has never been rec ognized as a nutritional “super food.” That’s not surprising when you consider iceberg lettuce devoid of nutrition A N D flavour is the most popular variety of let tuce in Nor th America. But lettuce’s repu tation as a nutritional lightweight is unwarranted there are many varieties that are chock full of nutrients To maxi mize the health benefits and flavour pro file of your salads, try one of the following varieties; they’re all nutritional super stars.

ROMAINE Well known as the key ingre dient of Caesar salad, this variety of head forming lettuce is distinguished by an elongated head and long, green leaves with a crisp texture and rich taste It also has an impressive 62.5 mg of “bone friendly” vitamin K per cup In addition, Romaine contains healthy doses of vita mins A and C, folate, manganese, chromium, potassium, and fibre. Strong in texture and flavour, Romaine pairs beau tifully with bold ingredients such as an chovies, blue cheese, garlic, chives, parmesan, and lemon (For a Caesar done just right, try Rebar’s version romaine has never tasted so good!)

RED OR GREEN LEAF Green and red leaf lettuces have large, wavy leaves with scal loped edges that give them an undeniable aesthetic appeal But they don’t just look good they contain more disease fight ing antioxidants than any other variety of lettuce. Both types contain the cancer fighting carotenoids beta carotene and lutein, but red leaf lettuce also contains anthocyanins. Current research suggests anthocyanins can help fight hear t dis ease, protect vision and ward off Alzheimer’s And like romaine, leaf lettuce contains significant amounts of vitamins A and C, folate and manganese In salads, it pairs nicely with crisp vegetables, wal nuts, seafood, goat cheese and tomatoes And leaf lettuce is highly suited to creamy dressings made with buttermilk or blue cheese One of the best sources Metchosin’s Eisenhawer Organic Farm 250 474 7161 or at the Root Cellar

L AMB’S LET TUCE (a.k.a. MÂCHE) This plant’s quaint moniker stems from its deep green leaves, which are apparently the size and shape of a lamb’s tongue. The slender leaves are clustered in loose heads and have a distinctive, velvety feel. The tender lamb’s lettuce of late spring is the most flavourful, but I find its mild, nutty taste a welcome addition to salads all summer long Due to its delicate and perishable nature, lamb’s lettuce is more expensive than other salad greens But don’t be fooled by its delicate nature nutritionally it’s a heavyweight It con tains 30 percent more iron than spinach and hefty doses of vitamins A and C, fo late, niacin, beta carotene and essential fatty acids. Because of its premium price, lamb’s lettuce is often used in organic “salad mixes.” However, if you don’t mind the expense, lamb’s lettuce featured as the “solo green” can turn an ordinary salad into something special. Marry it with roasted vegetables, bold cheeses and candied nuts, and you’ll impress any salad aficionado (Tip grow your own with seeds from Sooke’s Full Circle Seeds info@fullcircleseeds com )

ARUGUL A While arugula is not botani cally classified as a lettuce, this leafy green herb is most often referred to, and eaten as, lettuce Characterized by small, deep green leaves with long stems, arugula is actually related to the radish and the flavour of its leaves is similarly zesty And while its taste is enough to rec ommend it, arugula also garners praise for its nutritional profile. Like other leafy greens, it is an excellent source of vita mins A and C, folate, magnesium and potassium Arugula is often paired with other salad greens to “balance out the taste” and pairs particularly well with mild lettuce like Boston. Simple dressings made with olive oil and balsamic vinegar highlight arugula’s asser tive flavour Sim ilarly, too many ingredients can spoil an arugula salad heirloom tomatoes, some shaved Parmesan, a good vinaigrette that’s all you need (Niche Modern Dining in James Bay hits the right note their salad featuring heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese, arugula and olive oil is a par ticu lar favourite of mine.)

GOOD

YOU by Pam Durkin

Walla Walla Wander

More than just a nose for onions.

I’m nosing my way along Route 2 toward Walla Walla. It’s June. Wet snow splats on the windshield at Steven’s Pass Summit But as I head toward southeast Washington, the ter rain is flushed with a rosy glow and the thermometer reads 72ºF Meandering through the genteel town and past leafy grapevines, I arrive at Girasol Vineyard and Inn, my lodgings during Vintage Walla Walla, a two day annual public event that gathers together chefs, winemakers and local ingredients

Walla Walla Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) is par t of the larger Columbia Valley region. Twelve hundred acres are under vine. Spor ting hiking boots and raingear, I join Dr. Kevin Pogue’s Terroir Tour on Friday morning. The laid back geologist kicks dir t, scratches rocks and explains in layperson’s terms the area’s geography, soils and climate.

By lunch, we don’t need Dr. Pogue to explain the climate. The wind is blowing and the skies are opening up all over our Vineyard Lunch But under tent and blankets we nosh on wild morel studded dishes and local greens, ar tisanal cheeses and breads among Leonetti Cellar’s vines, completely ignoring the weather

After lunch I head for Vintage Pour, a walk about tasting of more than 200 wines I have expensive tastes My favourite wine is the rather pricey Cayuse Syrah “Cailloux” from the rocky soils of French winemaker Christophe Baron Close on its heels are the Abeja Chardonnay and Five Star Cellars Merlot.

But, as is my wont, I don’t stay with the tour.

Saturday morning I slip away to the farmers’ market at 4th and Main. The city’s historic downtown has been gracefully restored and its heritage buildings filled with cafés, shops and galleries The market is substantial, about 100 vendors selling everything from organic produce (yes, there are onions) to fine ar t jewellery and granola Soon I’m gushing over a Larzac from the Monteillet Fromagerie in nearby Dayton The soft ripened goat cheese has a line of vegetable ash in the middle made from grape leaves and vines I also pur chase packets of heritage tomato seeds (they flourished) Later I pop into Saffron Mediter ranean Kitchen. So, it seems, do most of the area’s winemakers. For good reason. Kobe beef cheeks adorned with agrodolce eggplant and broccoli rabe along with housemade flatbread spiked with garlic, mushrooms and ricotta hit the jackpot. The Oasis Tavern, not far from Girasol, straddles, well, the Oregon border. The classic American dive features weak brew, good burgers and bad house bands. It’s also a winemakers’ hangout. As much as we wine geeks love fine food and wine, sometimes we all need a couple of Bud Walla Walla is approximately three hours by car from Seattle I 90 is the fastest route Route 2 goes through the charming Bavarian town of Leavenwor th, a good place to take a break or to overnight Visit www wallawall org for info on events, lodgings, restaurants, wineries, etc

THOUGHTS FROM A FISHER/CHEF

This is the first year in the eighty six year history of the International Pacific Halibut Commission that a chef ’s associ ation (The Nor th Vancouver Island Chefs Association) has been represented and I had to explain my application to the Confer ence Board (made up of commercial fishermen, spor ts fishing organizations, community representatives, Tribal representa tives, etc). I had to explain why our association should be given a seat and voting status We now have a voice within the I PHC process as chefs.

The next meeting is in January 2010 in Seattle and it would be great to send more representation next time and/ or perhaps a cooking demonstration We are the end user of the resource and can speak on behalf of the population that never catch a halibut but enjoy consuming this beautiful fish in the restaurants, cook ing schools, and businesses we work in. For more information on the I PHC see www iphc washington edu

Wes Erikson is an active four th generation commercial fisherman. He has fished for halibut, herring, salmon, rockfish, ling cod, skate and sable fish using long line, troll and gill net along the entire British Columbia coastline Wes has been involved in the fisheries advisory process for over 20 years and has recently been a halibut representative on the Commercial Industry Caucus (CIC) implementing the pilot integrated ground fish strategy. Along with fishing Wes has owned operated and cooked in seafood restaurants for the last 16 years www sushimon ca

RESTAURANT

CHAPTER FIVE

By Gillie Easdon

Restaur ants that g ro w Culinar y Talent

In Victoria’s's genealogy of restaurants, very few places ser ve as the training ground for entrepreneurial chefs Time after time, the names behind new Victoria restaurants have moved around a familiar, circular map of kitchens. In this final chapter contributor Gillie Easdon gives the nod to a few last venues and then shares her last thoughts on her long journey through Victoria’s restaurant past

The Movie Buff Solution

Lasqueti Island dwellers Howie Siegal and Allen di Fiori were hardcore movie buffs They spent a lot of time in Victoria lapping up offerings from the silver screen but were frus trated that there was nowhere to go for a cheesecake and cappuccino after a nine o’clock show. Enter Pagliacci’s in 1979. Pag’s had taken over what was once The Red Swing. (This memorable establishment was known for the lady on the red swing who hung from the ceiling amid latticework, reams of crushed velvet and scores of plastic flowers ) Pagliacci’s soon became a hub of late night groove and grub There was live jazz and blues and a lap was as good as a seat The food focus was and remains “dependable, good ingredients, real butter and large por tions,” describes manager, Sorcha McEwan

Murphy’s Law

From the raucous drink slinging nest of Ravens between 1980 and ’82 (now the Harbour Towers), where bottles of wine were ser ved in teapots, to the Murphempire, which has in cluded Cecconi’s, Il Terrazzo, Pescatores, 5th Street, Hugo’s and Bon Rouge, Victoria’s Mike Murphy is big and bold all over town.

Between 1988 and 2000, Cecconi’s sizzled It had one of the first wood burning ovens in town and was a hotbed of jazz talent, counting Diana Krall three years in a row among its hit list of guest musicians In 1993, Murphy bought Pescatore’s from Harry de Zwager Mas sive renovations ensued, and his only regret was the removal of the “huge abalone globes,” which seemed “a little much” at the time In 1999, he opened 5th Street, and he was par t owner of Hugo’s from 1999 2004, then known as “Strath West,” which used to house Capi tol Steakhouse (then Sanuk, now closed).

With more than just pride, Murphy reminisces: “Some very qualified people came over to show us how to do it and they left with their tails between their legs.” On competition in the city, Murphy maintains, “We’re on the same side. We’re like Vegas. If they have a nice time in three restaurants, they will come back ”

Bivalve Bistro

Ferris’ Grill has been ser ving locals and would be locals (tourists who ask where we go) on Yates near Wharf for 17 years Not one for adver tising, Tom Ferris relies and has suc ceeded primarily on word of mouth “ They don’t get here by accident,” he says. The restau rant was originally named Ferris’ Oyster and Burger Bar when it opened in 1991, but Ferris confides that he “was too afraid to just put ‘oyster’ in the name, so I put burger in there as well.” Ferris left Lake Louise to open Twist in (then became Bravo and is now Topo’s Ris torante Italiano) Next he opened Café Giovannini’s, which sold coffee wholesale long be fore Starbucks infested this fair city Once Ferris’ was established and thriving, Tom Ferris opened Zombies Pizza (Now The Joint) in 1993 in the heyday of Harpo’s (inser t sigh)

The only places ser ving oysters in town in 1991 were Doubles and the Executive House Why did Ferris go for oysters? Is he par ticularly fond of oysters? Ferris smirks and relays it was a business decision and that one “could get good at it very quickly ” The first menu was a single page (sans oyster burger until later). The present volume presents a range of se lections to satisfy diverse palates with the ever popular chicken penne soup, Cajun prawns and pan fried oysters.

In 2006, Ferris opened the upstairs and named it Ferris’ Oyster Bar and renamed the main restaurant Ferris’ Grill He had found over the years that the word “bar” warded off potential customers, especially those with children

Business par tners Dano Lee and Chef Armanda Detorres fielded such questions when Tapa first opened its doors in May 1998 in Trounce Alley (where Vinsanto had been) Leagues from the concept and style of the Princess Mary, where Detorres spent three years, Tapa introduced tapa style cuisine to Victoria It was love at first sight; once Victoria nudged her brain around the concept Robust favorites like the Prawns Coco and the Mussels Chachacha draw a wide demographic, dressed up or dressed down for “engagements and divorces.”

Boathouse to Landmark

The Marina Restaurant’s history star ted at the turn of the last century when noted Vic toria architect Samuel McClure designed the Oak Bay Boathouse in 1908 which operated for years as a seasonal marina ser ving hamburgers, doughnuts and coffee.

The present marina was built in 1964 with a “closed in bar, small dance floor and occa sional live music,” says owner Bob Wright. Over the years, this space was leased out until 1994, when the Oak Bay Marine Group opted to take the proverbial helm. “I didn’t even know how to boil water, but it has run successfully ever since,” says Wright The decor re flected the early planning stages of a renovation, with “paint cans as ice buckets, plywood boards for menus, loads of lumber stacked up, and paint splattered bed sheets hanging on the windows ”

Following an extensive study of some of the top restaurants in the United States, the Oak Bay Marine Group opted for a sushi bar (with long time sushi great David Nakimaya) and a focus on fresh seafood as well as the ever popular Sunday brunch.

Jeff Keenliside, self professed “navy brat” (said with a smile), has been at the helm of the Marina restaurant as executive chef since 2005. Following years of flipping burgers at Christie Carriage House and Maude Hunter’s, Keenliside had never envisioned himself com mitting to the culinary path That is, until he apprenticed at the Aerie from 1995 1997, where he “opened his eyes to what the island was producing and what fine products there were ” From the Aerie he moved to Café Brio, where he enjoyed six years moving from sauces to sous chef to chef between 1997 and 2003

Jeff moved his family to Tofino where he opened Shelter in the summer of 2003, (then continued on up to Whistler to open Après that winter. Thankfully, the Island got him back. He was hired as executive chef (and then also restaurant manager) for Fire and Water at the Marriott.

Jeff finally found his home with the Marina. Keenliside, the a former vice president of the Island Chefs’ Collaborative, says he has found greater flexibility and freedom to expedite menu shifts and enhancements here at the Marina compared to the hotel experience

And so, here we are back in 2008 My brief, meandering investigation of the DNA of Vic toria’s restaurant scene had come to its end What does it say about this small, food ob sessed city surrounded by ocean, forest and farms? I found it revealed an elaborate and labyrinthine matrix of people and cuisines that has been growing, developing and taking chances. I was struck when speaking to various members of Victoria’s restaurant industry how everyone spoke about the egoless suppor t of one another’s ventures. And that this ar ticle represents only a few chapters of what has been happening over the past 30 years. There are trails that lead back to other old world countries and to far off Asian cuisines that I didn’t have time to follow From sushi to pho, from moussaka to Dungeness crab with black bean sauce, Victoria is filled with culinary options and excellence I haven’t even touched on We can go to Sri Lanka at Café Ceylon Or we can venture into Dragon Alley and Mirjana Vukman’s concept “non restaurant” for one of three gorgeous and succulent lunch selections or her private catering. We can go for authentic Ethiopian, Korean and Persian. Spin a globe and chances are you can dine within reach of where your index finger lands. This ever evolving culinary DNA inter twines not only aromas, flavours and textures but people, dollars and, above all, a hell of a lot of sweat and hard work. With more than 400 restaurants right now, not to mention those bygone, that is a lot of dedication hard work and, most impor tant, food How fantastic and impressive Thank you to those brave and driven souls I tip my hat I raise my glass I grip knife and fork with a keen hunger and a zealous anticipation of the next branch to grow on Victoria’s food family tree

“Was it a burrito? Was it a roll?”

Mother’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants. Don’t be disappointed. Book your favourite restaurant early.

W hat does it say about this small, food-obsessed cit y sur rounded by ocean, forest and far ms?

Ristorante La Piola | 3189 Quadra St., Victoria, B.C. | 250-388-4517

Every neighbourhood should have a great little restaurant, where the food is good but not pretentious, the ambience intimate but not too fancy and where the staff is friendly, attentive and will remember your name after a few visits If you live in the Quadra/Finlayson area, you are for tunate because such a neighbourhood restaurant can be found there

La Piola is a Quadra Street newcomer located next door to the Italian Bakery Recently chef Cory Pelan (ex of Arbutus Ridge Golf and Country Club in the Cowichan Valley and the Brentwood Bay Lodge) has taken over both the stoves and the management, refurbishing the room and giving the menu a makeover. The small, largely unadorned room seats about 48 diners at comfor tably sized tables, has been freshly painted, the chairs re glued and the place generally spruced up.

The menu is small but not too small and features handmade pastas and pizzas along with rustic appetizer and main course Italian dishes The well thought out wine list leans to moderately priced Italian with a few judiciously chosen B C estates such as a nice se lection of older Sandhill Small Lots vintages

Pelan channels his inner Italian through seasonal dishes like Panzanella Di Carciofi Con Olio Di Tar tufo (truffled ar tichoke bread salad with marinated wild mushrooms, premium olive oil and lemon juice) and Coniglio Alla Piemontese (braised Metchosin rabbit with soft polenta, olives, local vegetables and salsa verde). The results are wor th the visit. The bread salad is a hear ty star ter of large chunks of Italian bread, brined long stem ar tichoke hear ts (sourced from Bosa Foods in Vancouver) and a variety of tiny marinated wild mushrooms tossed with good quality olive oil, lemon juice and a liberal amount of white truffle oil. Chefs have put truffle oil on hiatus recently, so it was again a pleasure to take in its ear thy, near sexual perfume The dish was well balanced and surprisingly light for such a satisfy ing dish For some, this and a bowl of soup would suffice for a light dinner

Although winter is (thankfully) behind us, and the menu now offers different fare, I fondly recall this next dish from

stew

Coniglio Alla Piemon tese is a comfor ting rustic nor thern Italian recipe that takes a rabbit, par ts it out into legs and breast, braises it in a hear ty tomato sauce, then garnishes it with olives Seeing rabbit on a local menu is unusual. Why it isn’t featured more often is baffling because a more sustainable and nutritious meat would be hard to find. Time to get over your squeamishness, Victoria, and give it a try. La Piola’s version is accompanied by soft polenta and a variety of locally sourced vegetables like salsify (a root vegetable with a hint of oyster flavour), which to my knowl edge is grown commercially in B.C. only on Tom Henry’s farm in Metchosin. For desser t, a nice crème caramel ser ved with cookies from next door and a round of strong espresso (and perhaps a little glass of grappa since you would walk home if you lived in the neighbourhood) is all you’ll need to finish the evening G ary Hynes

Pig BBQ Joint | 304-1319 Sooke Rd., Colwood | 250-590-80 34

Victoria squealed with glee when the Pig BBQ Joint came to town in 2007 Fi nally, a nook in which to get sloppy with a perfect pulled pork, pig sauce and slaw. And now, introducing Pig BBQ Joint in Colwood, where you can sit, sip a barbecue friendly brew or two (including Bud Light, “a great barbecue beer!” quips Jeff Heatherington, owner/chef ) and feed on meat by the pound and slaw by the pint. The room, aptly gilded in pigaphernalia, is bright and picnic tabled. He does all the smok ing on site for both this and the View Street location, so the quality of the food is not compromised at either venue “I do it all myself ”

Pig BBQ Joint Colwood also offers daily specials that may feature deep fried wagon wheels or a “bacon explosion” (which involves weaving strips of bacon and must be seen to be believed ) As well, there are a few new additions to the menu such as ribs and fried chicken Heatherington brines his chicken in buttermilk, and among the in gredients in the recipe of “12 not 11” different spices, we find rosemary, maple syrup and crème fraîche. Sometimes when junk food is made chi chi, it loses an integral compo nent of its initially appealing junkiness. Not so here the batter was dense, crispy and savoury, and although the thigh was deep fried, it impar ted no off putting ooze or oily glisten The meat was tender, fried to perfection, juices still seeping from the flesh The mustard seeded slaw was not too sauced or too sweet, and it went down crunchily well with my basic family picnic iced tea In the words of Jeff Heatherington himself, “ Taste is good ” Gillie Easdon

n more than 20 years of wandering Canada’s geographical menu, looking for the extreme and the quirky in food and drink, I always come back to the diner for com for t and relaxation. And on the corner of Yates Street at Quadra is one of my favourites Floyd’s Diner. It’s been four years since Floyd’s sprouted from a street corner more noted for noto riously brief food ventures than culinary anchors Several Asian restaurants that lo

the end of the La Piola braise and

season

l: The grocer y section of La Piola r: Coniglio Alla Piemontese

cated here failed to attract more than a handful of regular tour buses and died a mercifully quick death. There was also a brief appearance of Ochre Grains just before Floyd’s set up shop And despite my prediction at the time that it was a jinxed location, Floyd’s continued to stay busy day in, day out delivering the food that brings in a steady brunch and lunch clientele

The Floyd’s menu is, for me, an amalgam of all the good things I enjoyed about the eight ies that live on today in the 21st century: little bits of Pagliacci’s, Goodies, John’s Place and the Southside Diner. No surprise either since Floyd’s creator, Petr Prusa, learned the trade at Pag’s and has been involved in creating other successful comfor t food ventures in Vic toria such as Cuppa Joe in James Bay.

The food: If you think eggs, bacon, toast and sausages are fundamental sides in every meal, then Floyd’s is your place. My wife ordered a Benny called The American Idol: tomato, bacon, avocado and brie topped with herbed pesto and hollandaise sauce Me: Jerry’s French toast was made with fresh sourdough bread drowned in an egg mix Maple syrup, butter and a light flurry of baker’s sugar rounded out a flawless presentation Six half slices of perfect French toast and a side of local sausages left me with enough food for breakfast the next morning Andrea’s Benny was perfect and as requested (soft centre eggs), with top pings that were imaginative but not overwhelming. Breakfast and beverages for two is about $25 with tip.

Ser vice at Floyd’s is solicitous without being ingratiating. Coffee, hot and fresh, is of fered to those queued up for the shor t wait for a table. The staff, a blend of the young and the hip, caters to a roomful of plaid clad millennial kids. And although I am old enough to parent most of Floyd’s customers, I feel young and at home Colin Newell Open seven days a week for an all day breakfast or lunch

When Pho Vy opens at 11:00, it immediately fills with members of the Viet namese community and downtown office workers, who come for a quick and simple meal for under $10. Even at my geeky dining time of 4:30 it was half filled with downtown workers, students, and a few families with pre schoolers This restau rant is in the commonly said category of “cheap and cheerful,” and is under my category of “fast and fair for under $10 ” On the appetizer menu, classic shrimp salad rolls for $5 95 have tender prawns and crisp lettuce, and come with a creamy peanut dipping sauce On

l: Chef/owner Hiep Nguyen r: Goi Cuon Shrimp salad roll, Cha Gio Spring roll, Bun Bo Hue Spicy noodle soup

the entrée menu for $9.75, lemongrass chicken with roasted peanuts and carmelized shal lots is the most exotic offering. The chicken was very moist, with a crispy skin, and the lemongrass was a subtle flavor that emerged rather than announcing its presence its fla vor surfaces after swallowing the food, so take your time with this dish Also $9 75, the bar becued pork and spring roll entrée had tasty pork flavoured with soy and green onions, and vegetable spring rolls which I found boring and in need of garlic or some other punchy flavor, but which my five year old, it must be said, really enjoyed In fact, all the dishes were very convenient for families dining with small children as almost all could be finger food: salad rolls are fun to dip, all the meat was sliced up, the carrot and cucumber gar nishes were julienne cut, and the pork came with noodles that are ever popular with the Dora the Explorer set. This could be a useful restaurant training ground for your budding foodie!

Who knew that breakfast at Buon Amici would precipitate my first ever call to McDonald’s Restaurant? Why? To price Egg McMuffins and thereby find out just how foolish people are when they buy one for $2.99 when they could in stead enjoy a Poached Egg Asparagus Muffin on a moist, pleasantly chewy flax and whole wheat English muffin for just $4 25 at Buon Amici’s Or they could enjoy the tomato version Or the classic with bacon Another delicious and balanced breakfast is the Flax Multigrain Breakfast Pita for $5 50 This pita is a soft bread (not dry cardboard like you get at some grocery stores) wrapped around a rich mixture of free range scrambled eggs, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese, seasoned with just a hint of chipotle mayonnaise, and it’s a robust start to the day for $5.50. The unbeatable combination of bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and cream cheese also comes together in the breakfast butter croissant for $5.55. You can ex pect a luxurious latte or cappuccino with your affordable breakfast; the hands on owner Derek Lucas won the Western Canadian Barista Championship in 2007, and that standard of excellence shows in the coffees If the café is quiet, staff will even pour your latte at your table, easing the milk into your espresso, whisking it gently, deftly creating an impres sionistic work of ar t in your cup very dramatic This café opens at 5:00 am, and so ser ves many breakfasts, but it also offers delicious lunch sandwiches such as the Roman grilled sandwich on foccacia, which includes a green olive tapenade, and a dream wor thy crois sant stuffed with oven roasted chicken, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, lettuce, and pine nuts.

Da Tandoor | 1010 For t St. near Vancouver | (250) 384-6333

It’s tor ture that Da Tandoor only opens for dinner. The smells of garlic, onions, and gin ger waft over the block on For t from Vancouver to Quadra all afternoon; I’ve even smelled their curries simmering from as far away as View Street Following the aroma takes you into the embrace of the comfor table restaurant with deep red fabrics and ornate wooden screens For all its sensuality, Da Tandoor also offers up a practicality that I very much appreciate they set up their menu so that as well as sharing with a group, a per

Derek Lucas (self proclaimed coffee geek) with a poached egg asparagus muffin. The green coffee is a maccha green tea latte.

son can dine alone and still get the full experience of trying several curries. Six different op tions under the “Special Combinations” make this easy. For instance, for $21.95 I had the “Dinner Special” (their nomenclature is clear but unexciting!) First came a Mulligatawny soup an enticing golden brown sea of lentils flecked with green onion Then came the curry platter a leg of crisply coated, red tandoori chicken, a mound of pillau rice, and four ramekins with rich and varied curries: channa, a chickpea, onion, and cumin blend; veg etable jalfrazie, which is mixed vegetables lightly seasoned with onions and garlic; a dark red butter chicken with a toasted tomato flavor; and finally the lamb curry, that tasted as dark, rich, and complex as the drippings from a roasting pan. The “Vegetarian Special” for $15.95 had some of the same curries, as well as a creamy green lentil dal and eggplant bhar ta. The “Dinner Special” then had the added bonus of a coffee or chai and kheer for desser t. This basmati rice pudding is accented with green cardamoms, which add a savory twist, and topped with pistachio nuts and coconut This three course meal is a deal for $21 95, as it was big enough that I took food home, and it didn’t even count the free pap padums and chutneys that came as an amuse bouche before our order was even taken A group keeping a close eye on their budget would also do well by ordering exclusively off the vegetarian menu, as no dish there costs more than $10 95 As a final touch, I appreci ate that Da Tandoor sends your leftover curries home in separate small containers rather than all plopped together into a bigger dish with rice. It is these small touches that show the care the restaurant takes.

Coffee Rich

Economic hard times or not, I haven’t exactly been rolling in the dough since I grad uated from university One adventure after another called, and by the time I’d com pleted my post grad dabbles in photography school, farming internships, freelance writing and more, I’d accumulated a rich surfeit of life experience that left me light in the purse. With the financial crisis howling like a wolf at the door, my poor as a church mouse status has dropped to poor as a church mouse’s country cousin. Now more than ever, I’m fine tuning that human necessity to eke out a few simple gastronomic luxu ries no matter how barren my pockets.

And how exactly to do this when I finds myself living in Canada’s most expensive city in the depths of an economic downturn? One word: coffee

Victoria is rich in many things beauty, eateries, retirees, rain But my hands down favourite Victorian asset is its coffee Not since I backpacked through Europe on a very shor t shoestring have I sipped espresso so sublimely I recently corresponded with a friend visiting Rome and asked him where his best cup of coffee had been thus far “Caffe Fan tastico, Cook Street Village,” he responded in all seriousness. I dropped that letter and pedalled to my favourite haunt to bask in the sunshine of the backyard patio with a per fect little white cup in my hand, thanking the coffee gods I’d landed myself after much wandering in a Canadian city that gets coffee right, and how.

Two or three bucks for the scent of ear thy, chocolatey beans recently roasted, paired perfectly with creamy, slightly sweet, local whole milk, and the warm, casual banter of the savvy, just cool enough baristas is a steal I can really nurse a latte (even though I only ever order the compact six ounce), lingering over a cup for half an hour, maybe more, and that time is all mine In a sip, I’m transpor ted I feel the thrill of that singularly grownup pleasure of truly loving a potent and bitter taste I find myself straightening my posture and readjusting my dishevelled scarf as I recall studying sophisticated French women in their Parisian cafés (they always looked so flawless, mysterious and astonishingly content as they sipped their café au laits). I remember sur viving on thick, dark coffee with a side of fried eggs and beans while exploring Costa Rica. How my travelling companion and I would make any excuse to stop for a coffee to perk us up in the heat For a couple colónes, we were refreshed and given the oppor tunity to reflect, obser ve the locals and taste our new surroundings

These are hard times, and if you were already penny pinching, they can feel even harder But some of the best things in life truly are free: a good sun shower, the company of old friends, your favourite record It’s good to know that for a mere two dollars and fifty cents more, one can be elevated to a mood of luxuriousness and indulgence. The taste of excel lent coffee is, to me at least, the taste of an ancient tradition steeped in culture, and that spicy, ear thy aroma smacks of exotic corners of the globe I dream about exploring. It is these little luxuries that make us feel rich even when we’re not. As long as I can occasion ally afford a good cup of coffee, I’ll consider myself well off

Recommended local cafés: Discovery Café, Caffe Fantastico, Miziro Café for superior beans

Spring has Sprung 3 courses for $33

waterfront restaurant + patio

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

680 MONTREAL STREET VICTORIA BC CANADA V8V 1Z8

T 250.414.6739 TF 1.800.663.7667 WWW.AURARESTAURANT.CA

E AT staffer Katie Zdybel on fine-tuning the human necessity for eking out simple gastronomic pleasures.

The Right Rice

Historical accounts on rice sway wildly, but most agree on China and 5000 BC as its bir thplace and date of cultivation. Rice growing spread to all continents except Antarctica, settling in regions hot and wet enough to accommodate it. It took some time, however, for the grains to trickle down. Africa has been cultivating rice for about 3,500 years, but Japan didn’t adopt the practice until 300 BC. In Europe, the Moors brought rice to the Iberian Peninsula in the 10th century while Italy somehow didn’t discover rice’s charms until the 15th, where it flourished in the Po Valley Some accounts suggest that rice reached the U S via a shipwreck off the South Carolina coast in 1694 The captain thanked the colonists who repaired the vessel with sacks of rice No longer grown in the Carolinas, the main rice states are Mississippi, California and Texas The famous red rice of Camargue did not reach the Rhône Delta of France until World War I I, where it was cultivated to address food shor tages. Nor th America’s native wild rice isn’t strictly speaking rice but a long grain marsh grass.

Rice comes shor t, medium or long grained. White rice, stripped of its husk and bran, pol ished and pumped up with vitamins, is the Wonder bread of rice. Fragrant long grained jas mine and basmati play beautifully in Asian and Indian cuisine. Brown rice, hulled, bran still in tact, contains more nutrients Sushi rice is shor t grained and sticky I chatted with Andrew Wong, owner of Wild Rice, over congee and La Terrazza executive

chef Gennaro Iorio over risotto, two iconic rice dishes

Congee defines comfor t food. “My grandmother always had a pot on the burner,” says Wong, “For anytime we needed a soothing restorative. And she used only jasmine rice. So do I.” Wong sets a pottery bowl brimming with steaming congee before me. But what a makeover. The usual white rice and chicken stock porridge has become a perfumed rice and soy scented soup, studded with prawns, garnished with three crunchy won tons and a smat tering of cilantro It owes its silky rich texture to water that’s been boiled for sushi rice (“I really don’t like cornstarch thickening”)

Chef Gennaro Iorio whips up fresh crab and asparagus risotto in 17 minutes flat He prefers super starchy carnaroli over the more familiar arborio and pricier vialone nano Inorio refuses to make risotto in large quantities, believing flavour and consistency suffer “You can choose your rice, stir vigorously or not at all, go for brothy or creamy but it must be made à la minute in small batches and the rice remain al dente.” Iorio’s dish is perfect lightly brothy, with just the right “tooth.”

“Basmati has to be from Himalaya.” About that chef owner Meeru Dhalwala (with husband Vikram) of Vij’s and Rangoli makes no bones. “We source local but never rice. The California and Texas stuff just makes goop It’s too starchy and lacks fragrance ” End stop

left to right: Andrew Wong @ Wild rice with Thai jasmine rice; Gennaro Iorio @ La Terrazza with Carnaroli rice and his fresh crab and asparagus risotto; Meeru Dhalwala @ Rangoli with Himalayan basmati rice

Andrew Wong of Wild Rice, Gennaro Iorio of La Terrazza and Meeru Dhalwala of Vij’s discuss this venerable cross-cultural grain that feeds more than half the world’s population. By Julie Pegg

All this talk about rice reminds me of kedgeree. When I was a child, my mother often ser ved this Anglo Indian rice dish, which was a breakfast favourite among British colonials during the Raj To the rice is added smoked haddock (a Scottish influence), hard cooked eggs, a dash of curry and sometimes cream I source basmati (Himalayan, of course!), free range eggs, smoked sablefish and quality curry powder (or turmeric) Like Andrew Wong’s congee, kedgeree’s makeover makes it suitable for my dining table and a lovely par tner for Riesling or Gewürztraminer As I sample it, I realize I’ve developed a whole new regard for this ancient and venerable grain.

NOTE: Google kedgeree + recipes for wonderful versions of this dish from noted British chefs Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith and Sophie Grigson.

LOCAL HEROES

Farm Team

From June through late October, though, city folk flock to U BC Farm for as many as 250 varieties of just picked vegetables, herbs, flowers and small fruits. The Farm, occupying 24 hectares on the south campus, is bound by forest that acts as a wind buffer and natural eco system The land is the city of Vancouver’s only working farm “It is not a garden,” Amy firmly points out Amy Frye is the Farm’s market coordinator, born and raised in Minnesota (near her grand parents’ farm) with a master’s degree in Resource Management/Environmental Studies The twenty something TA also teaches a course called Land, Food, and Community. Amy, along with other farm staff, diverse faculties and the wider community, are as busy as the farm’s bees promoting the seed to plate experience planning, planting, educating, con ducting school tours and program coordinating. For example, engineering students con structed “speed bumps” irrigation pipes that won’t burst when run over by a truck. And Stacy Friedman (Faculty of Education) organizes the kids’ summer camp (FarmWonders) and Landed Learning intergenerational programs Each year, full time farm employee Elaine Spearing shows 10 apprenticing farmers the lay of the land G ary King of Hazelmere Or ganic Farm, supplier of produce to, and friend of, John Bishop, heads up a steering com mittee that assists and advises staff on organic farming It’s not uncommon to find Bishop, the crew from Cru, Provençal, Sage Bistro and other eco conscious restaurateurs milling about on market day.

Over the last months, the whole lot have been lobbying to prevent U BC Farm from be coming a housing development. The joint effor t to save the farm looks promising Van couver Feast of Fields was recently OKed for autumn 2009.

Maybe it is possible to put all your eggs in one basket

Click on UBC Farms’ superb website (www landfood ubc ca/ubcfarm) for all programs, in cluding the Community Suppor ted Agriculture (CSA) box program You can even get mar ried on the farm

by Julie Pegg

Amy Fr ye toodles the campus delivering UBC Farm free range eggs to Agora and Sprouts, student run organic cafés/stores. The golden yoked jumbos don’t last. Students snap them up. Café cooks crack them into dark chocolate brownie mix and cookie dough. Mid winter, eggs are the Farm’s only har vest and most get sold on campus.

The folks at UBC Farm are tending a precious legacy— the only working farmland in the city of Vancouver.

Can Vancouverites dine decently for a twenty plus a pocket full of change to cover tax and tip? Lunch? No problem At Fuel it will get you silky cauliflower soup, a lamb sandwich, and beer or wine; Quattro has its ten buck pastas. But where can you go to later after shopping, post theatre or be fore a movie or book club? Or just to kick back of an evening for a bite and a brew without the blare and glare of a large flat screen?

When two of my favourite hotel bars, Bacchus Piano Lounge (Wedgwood) and 900 West (Hotel Van couver), opted for a giant H D TV, they lost me. I searched elsewhere for a good affordable bite and a bevvy

If you’d rather look out on English Bay, than guys with sticks, head to the ivy covered Sylvia Hotel. The Vancouver landmark (built in 1912) dishes up home made burgers and beer battered cod and chips for around a tenner Tack on another sawbuck for a brew or glass of house vino with tax. The Sylvia Caesar is a meal in itself Citron Absolut vodka, Clamato juice, horseradish, Tabasco and Worchestershire, with a prawn, an olive, lemon and pickled bean. No cell phones allowed in dining room. Cheers!

At Rodney’s Oyster House, four beautiful briny bi valves divest you of ten bucks The brew of the day clocks in about six bucks, a couple of the wines (a mini tumbler filled to the brim) are available for around eight The thick slab of grainy bread fills the tummy The place is fun, the buzz palpable Ser vice is informal, polite and prompt.

I love that Rangoli, VikramVij’s casual sibling, now stays open until 10 p m Savour black chickpea, pea and onion cakes in spicy coconut curry with veggie rice pilaf for $12 50 Or pulled pork with chutney and chapati for $13. Sip a Joie un oaked Chard or a Propellor E SB and you’ll squeak in under 20. La Bodega has long been a favourite place at which to saddle up to the bar after a wine tasting, a movie or an afternoon of retail therapy Best to order “El Campo” tapas traditional little dishes that go for well under $10 Zesty patatas bravas are tastier than those I’ve had in Spain or at Laiola’s, San Francisco’s trendy tapas bar G ambas arrive sizzling in olive oil. You’ll need extra pan (bread) to mop up the oil. Pisto Andaluz, the Spanish version of ratatouille, is de rigueur for me and a glass of sangria, of course. by Julie Pegg

On March 12 at 5 p m , the doors of Au Petit Chavignol were unlocked By 5:30, the house was packed Alice and Allison Spurell (and Joe Chaput, Allison’s husband) had kept their promise They had opened in time for Dining Out for Life

The mother and daughter team conver ted us all to cheeseheads with Les Amis du Fromage a dozen years back. Says Alice. “It fol lowed that we would serve cheese and wine, but we were not about to take that step until we could have our own restaurant. Chaput fur ther adds, “2nd Avenue no longer had room for bringing out all our cheeses, either We had to expand ”

After a two year search, Joe purchased a one time military struc ture at 843 E Hastings in East Vancouver’s historic Strathcona neighbourhood The building houses the tripled in size Les Amis headquar ters, the 35 seat Au Petit Chavignol, and what Alice refers to as the wine and cheese bar. CONT ’D ON TH E N E XT PAGE

above: Tar tiflette au Petit Chavignol & picpoul de pinet.

John Shields of Victoria’s Sculpin Fish Design (Prima Strada Pizzeria, Cook Street Village) designed both retail space and restaurant. Late afternoon rays spill through Au Petit’s floor to ceiling windows Warm red and dark gray wear well on the structure’s handsome 1923 bones Upholstered ban quette, cur ved back bar stools and chairs are, thank God, comfy Little grot toes along the east wall display Belgian beer glasses and whitewashed Crown preser ving jars. Joe’s new favourite toy is the vintage style Berkel meat slicer.

Alice, Allison and Joe head up a small but exper t team GM Annette Rawl inson (Premier Crew Award winner, long time “C” maitresse d’) brings grace and good humour. Chef Owen Lightly lured himself away from Loden and chef Brad Miller spent five years at Pastisse. Servers Naomi and Ingala know how to pace ser vice. Au Petit Chavignol is what professional looks like.

Cheese and wine, naturally, are at the menu core Confine your choices to a flight of three cheeses and a plate of charcuterie or a house made pâté Or opt for a tasting platter (small or grand), which has a selection of both. We welcome back the Swiss classics velvety fondue and oozy raclette. Croques monsieur and madame sandwiches exude cheese, ham and béchamel sauce (Madame is monsieur with an egg on top ) A generous round of Reblochon melts into a casserole of fingerling spuds, lardoons and onions This marvel is called tartiflette Butter lettuce and watercress salads give a nod to green Cold: the tasting platter. (Ours was a selection of gamey Dutch chevrette, tar t Robiola Tri Latti and salty Tomme Corsu Vecchiu cheeses, an assor t ment of shaved fig and chestnut salami, Iberico ham and Bundnerfleisch, livened up with Marcona almonds, spicy Lucques olives and grainy mus tard Hot: Tar tiflette or one of the croques Aperitifs: Chateau Guynot Pineau des Charentes. For creamier cheeses? Flo ral, fruit driven Chateau Pesquie Viognier Crumbly cheeses? Rough, tough Chateau Bouscasse Madiran By the bottle? Picpoul de Pinet (most unusual white) or Paul Mas Gres Romanis (best value red)

CREW

Drunken Spot Prawns

Spring Seafood Kitchen Local

Recipes and food styling

by NATHAN FONG Photography by TRACEY KUSIEWIC Z

On the coast, vernal har vests come from the sea as well as from land.

Springtime on the west coast doesn’t just mean asparagus, fiddleheads and lamb. It also heralds the “first of the season” fresh halibut and spot prawns. Fresh and live spot prawns are available during the harvest season starting in May and lasting for only about 80 days. These succulent sweet prawns are the largest of the seven commercial species found off our west coast. Fresh B.C. halibut is available from about April to the middle of November. This popular fish, revered for its firm white flesh, is lean, mild-tasting and adapts to various cooking methods. Here are some of my favourite halibut and spot prawns dishes, perfect for late spring when the catch is at its best.

Seared Halibut Cheek Hash

I love halibut fillets but even better are halibut cheeks. These delicate morsels are somewhat firmer in texture, similar to that of a scallop. This wonderful recipe is from chef Wayne Mar tin, executive chef and owner of Vancouver’s Crave restaurants and the new Fraîche Restau rant, perched on a mountainside slope of West Vancouver. Ser ves 6.

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

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup red pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup green onions, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1/2 cup prosciutto ham in 1/4 inch julienne

Six 3 to 4 oz halibut cheeks

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground white pepper

Fill a medium pot with salted water and bring to a boil Add the potatoes, reduce to medium heat and cook for about 4 minutes or until potatoes are firm to the bite. Remove and cool.

For the hash, bring a heavy bottomed sauté pan to medium high heat and add 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Add the onions (but not green onions) and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until they begin to brown. Add the potatoes and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until they star t to brown. Add 2 tablespoon of the butter and continue to sauté and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until brown Add the red peppers and allow to warm through Add the freshly chopped herbs, green onions and the julienne prosciutto Season to taste and set aside

To prepare the halibut cheeks, bring a non stick sauté pan to high heat and add the re maining olive oil Season the halibut cheeks and sear in the hot pan; cook about 2 minutes

and add the remaining 1 Tbsp butter and cook for another 2 minutes or until the cheeks are golden brown and medium rare Cook only the one side

To plate, divide the potato hash equally onto four plates and place the halibut cheeks over top For an alternative, add a soft poached egg alongside the seared halibut cheek

Baked Crispy Halibut

“A little bit cheeky and a whole lot good,” according to executive chef and cookbook author Karen Barnaby, whose alternative to deep frying fish is coating it with crushed potato chips! “One of the best things about this (besides eating it) is squishing the bag of potato chips to turn them into crumbs!” This is one of the most requested recipes at the Fish House in Stan ley Park, where Karen has been executive chef for nearly 15 years Ser ves 6

1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 1/4 tsp lemon juice

One 3 5 oz (100 g) bag plain potato chips

1 cup (250 mL) panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Six 6 oz halibut fillets

Preheat the oven to 350ºF Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic powder and lemon juice in a shallow bowl. Mix well.

Coarsely crush the potato chips by squashing them in the bag. Add the panko and shake well. Spread out onto a plate. Dip the halibut fillets into the mayonnaise mixture, coating them on all sides. Dip all the sides into the potato chip mixture, patting gently to help the coating adhere. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the halibut is cooked through and the crust is golden brown Ser ve with lemon wedges, cock tail sauce or malt vinegar

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Cantonese-styled Poached Halibut

This classic Cantonese Chinese preparation of fresh fish is traditionally used with rock cod It’s probably the easiest way I know how to cook fresh fish, and it’s also my favourite, par ticularly with salmon and halibut. Simple and quick, just be careful when pouring the hot oil to finish the dish.

Poaching liquid:

3 litres cold water

12 sprigs cilantro, torn

One 1 inch piece fresh ginger, smashed

2 garlic cloves, peeled

4 green onions, rinsed and cut into thirds

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp salt

3 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or gin

1 1/2 to 2 pounds halibut fillet, about 1 inch thick

Sauce:

2 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp dry sherry

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp fine julienned ginger

3 green onions, cut into thin julienne, 2 inch segments Cilantro sprigs

In a fish poacher or large Dutch oven, bring the water to a boil and add the poaching liq uid ingredients Simmer for 5 minutes, then bring to a boil Place the halibut in the liquid, cover and turn off heat immediately Allow to rest 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare For well done, allow the fillet to poach in the boiling liquid, covered, for a fur ther 3 to 5 minutes.

While the fish is poaching, mix together all the sauce ingredients, except for the oil, gin ger, green onions and cilantro.

When cooked, carefully transfer the fish from the liquid to a clean dishtowel, to drain, then to a heated ser ving platter

Warm the sauce ingredients in a saucepan Pour the sauce over the fish, scatter the gin ger, green onions and cilantro over the fish Meanwhile, heat a small heavy bottomed saucepan over high heat, add the 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and heat until a wisp of white smoke appears Carefully pour the hot oil over the fish

Drunken Spot Prawns

This classic style of shrimp is found all over the east coast of China, from Hong Kong in the South, to Shanghai and even Taiwan in the Nor th (In British Columbia use BC spot prawns) Traditionally the potent Chinese spirit Mei Kuei Lu Chiew is used, an over proof alcohol Gin makes a great substitute Some people may feel squeamish about seeing the live shrimp jump around, but sweet succulence of the meat makes it wor th it. Ser ves 4 to 5.

medium to large shrimp, preferably live

cup Mei Kuei Lu Chiew or gin

Run cold water over the shrimp, drain and pat dry with paper towels Place shrimp in bowl and pour in 6 Tbsp of Mei Kuei Lu Chiew or gin, allow the shrimp to become “drunk,” about 15 to 20 minutes Initially they will flip about, so cover with a bowl; they will become still after awhile If not using “live” shrimp, rinse and dry shrimp, place in a bowl, add 6 Tbsp of the alcohol and allow to marinate for 20 minutes Mix together sauce ingredients and set aside. Heat the wok over high heat. When hot, add the remaining alcohol and coat the wok with

it using a spatula. When alcohol is hot, ignite with a match and add the shrimp and wine marinade, and cook stir frying until the shrimp turn pink, about 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a heated dish and ser ve with dipping sauce

If you’re squeamish about seeing the shrimp flip around, add them to a steamer, cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked Remove and ser ve with the dipping sauce

Singaporean-styled Chili Spot Prawns

Singaporeans love their seafood! This is traditionally made with crab and is cer tainly one of the country’s unofficial national dishes as it is ser ved everywhere from the hawker stalls to the numerous seafood restaurants that flood the city Every restaurant has live seafood tanks filled with assor ted fish and shellfish from around the globe On a recent visit I was amazed to find our local Dungeness crab and geoduck in many of the tanks

Although recipes have changed throughout the times, chili crab today has several dif ferent incarnations. The sauce can be sweet, tar t and ketchuppy; slicked with chili oil; thickened with beaten eggs; grainy with onions and chopped peanuts; or even made with orange juice. One thing is constant: in Singapore, chili crab is usually made with Sri Lankan green crabs (recognizable by their hard, fluted, scalloped shell and dense succulent meat). They must be meaty and impeccably fresh Our local spot prawns fair well in this famed dish Ser ves 4

24 medium to large fresh, local spot prawns, shell on

5 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, sliced

8 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tbsp grated ginger

5 to 6 Tbsp hot chili sauce

4 Tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 1/4 cups water

Baguette slices, to ser ve

Snip off sharp feelers and antennae from the spot prawns. Heat oil in a wok over high heat and stir fry sliced onions until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and fry 1 to 2 minutes more or until fragrant. Add shrimp and stir fry for 5 minutes until they turn bright pink.

Add remaining ingredients and stir for 1 to 3 minutes more or until the sauce has thick ened to coat the shrimp Ser ve with chunks of baguette to mop up the sauce

Stir-fried Spot Prawns with Mango and Basil

Ser ves 4.

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced

1 to 1 1/2 lbs fresh spot prawns, headed and deveined

1 mango (slightly underripe), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 cup chopped Thai basil

1 tsp sesame oil

Green onions, chopped

Heat the oil over high heat in a wok When hot, add the ginger, garlic, onion and jalapeño; stir fry for 1 minute until fragrant Add the prawns and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until pink Add the mango, soy sauce and basil and cook for 1 minute or until leaves wilt Stir in sesame oil and green onions and ser ve.

WHERE TO BUY BC SPOT PRAWN S

Thrifty Foods 18 locations on Vancouver Island, Saltspring and the Lower Mainland Finest At Sea 27 Erie Street, Victoria; 4675 Arbutus Street, Vancouver Granville Island Public Market Vancouver

*Watch for announcements for this year’s Spot Prawn Festival which runs for 6 8 weeks and takes place at False Creek Fishermen’ Wharf, Vancouver

1 00% ORGANIC | FAIRTRADE | LOCALLY OWNED &

Jasmine Green TeaLemonade

This refreshing and sophisticated drink is the perfect accompaniment to Asian-inspired cuisine. It’s also rich in antioxidants, and jasmine uplifts and rejuvenates the mind.

Pour 2 cups hot water (brought just to the boil) over 2 tbsp. Moonlight on the Grove—Silk Road Jasmine Green Tea Steep 3 min. and strain into a heatproof jug. Refrigerate until cold, then combine with 2 cups chilled lemonade Makes 1 litre.

For more delicious recipe ideas, visit www.silkroadtea.com or attend one of our tea workshops at the Silk Road Tea Tasting Bar.

www.silkroadtea.com 1624 Government St. Victoria Chinatown

Hotel Rialto a Preview

As this is going to press, the construction crews are still busy transforming the old Hotel Douggie lobby and cafe into Hotel Rialto’s twin eateries Veneto and Brevé.

One of Victoria’s oldest hotels, the Rialto (formerly Hotel Douglas) is undergoing a years long extreme makeover, transforming the rundown proper ty into a modern boutique hotel Built in 1911 by prominent business merchant Lim Bang, the building, originally known as the Prince George, was home to several businesses before be coming the Hotel Douglas in 1918, one of the most prestigious hotels in Victoria. The fol lowing 89 years took its toll on the landmark hotel, and when Italian immigrant Danilo Danzo purchased the site in 2002, he decided to restore it to its original grandeur.

Along with the renovation, the hotel has been renamed the Hotel Rialto, paying tribute to Danzo’s Italian heritage and the design inspiration for the hotel “We felt that a name change was appropriate because The Hotel Rialto is such a depar ture from its predeces sor,” says GM Margaret Lucas Phase I, to be completed by May 1, 2009, involves the ren ovation of 30 rooms New fixtures, window treatments, linens and luxurious duvets, pillow top mattresses, 40” flat screen TVs, i Home enter tainment systems and in room wine bar are just some of the guest room features. The main hotel lobby has also under gone a major redesign including sprawling marble floors, fresco walls, and exotic hard woods.

Veneto and Brevé are par t of the phase I opening in May (the wine & spirits store, Vintage Sprits, is already open see Pandora Story pg 46) Brevé Bistro will be open for breakfast, lunch, and after a shor t break at 4pm, dinner Daytime options will be mainly take away fare, catering to the office crowd, while nighttime will see the space transform into a candle lit and tableclothed 35 seat bistro

Veneto Tapa Lounge will be open from 4pm late, and will serve spirited small plate triads, wine flights and cocktails. Chef Tod Bosence’s talents were honed at Bear Mountain and Olympic View Golf Course, and his feisty, Creole kissed, contemporary food will be a good match for the dramatic Veneto. 1450 Douglas St. | Victoria | (250) 383 7310 | hotelrialto.ca

by Treve Ring

Tuna Tapas Trio: Jerk Rubbed Tuna Toasta w Black bean Mango Salsa; Tuna Ceviche w Roasted Corn Salsa & Blue Crab ser ved with Saffron Red Pepper Sauce; Southwest Seared Tuna w Black Rice & Serrano Mango Sauce. inset: Chef Tod Bosence

by Sylvia Weinstock

What’s in Season

Haricot ver ts are par ticularly slender green string beans. String beans are so called be cause they originally had tough strings run ning down the seams of their pods. This fibrous string has since been bred out of the species, making the pod and its tiny enclosed seeds entirely soft and edible. The peak sea son for haricot ver ts begins in May.

The green par ts of spring onions resemble green onions; their white bulbs are the size of tennis balls. In Creole and Cajun cookery, the term “spring onion” refers to a baby shallot, i e the shoots and bulb of the shallot before it matures. Scallions are an onion variety that in cludes shallots, leeks and white onions The word “scallions” can also refer to green onions.

Sugar snap peas are a deliciously sweet pea variety that has crisp pods These entirely ed ible spring delights are a cross between Eng lish peas and snow peas. They are best eaten raw or briefly blanched so they still have plenty of snap

Fennel bulb (also called finocchio or Florence fennel) has a plump white crisp base, green stems and green feathery foliage The bulb and all its accoutrements have a gorgeous, slightly sweet, subtle licorice taste.

Fresh green peas (also called English peas or garden peas) are at their sweet peak of flavour in the spring. Shell the peas from their plump green pods just prior to use in cooking Buy

green peas as close to just picked as possible: their sugar star ts conver ting to starch the minute they are plucked from the vine The tiniest young green peas are called petits pois (French for “little peas”). Growing your own peas is one of the true delights of vegetable gardening. The only problem is, they rarely make it to the kitchen, because it’s hard to avoid eating all the fresh peas while standing in your garden.

Cream of The Crop for May and June

Baby Vegetables

Nopales are the paddle shaped fleshy green leaves of the prickly pear cactus

Bitter Melon is a melon fruit vegetable that looks like a wrinkled cucumber.

Gooseberries Green or red gooseberries are locally grown in Saanichton from June to Au gust.

New Potatoes are yummy steamed, boiled pan fried or in potato salad

Japanese Eggplants can be grilled, stir fried, deep fried in tempura batter, made into baba ganoush.

Cocktail Tomatoes Delectable BC Hot House Campari variety are larger than cherry toma toes. A lovely little squir t of flavour.

Fresh Figs: the best of the best of spring treats

THIS MONTH’S SHOPPING BA SKET RECIPE

Une Jardinière de Légumes Printaniers" (a Flower Pot of Spring Vegetables)

This fabulous, colourful French vegetable stew contains the first super sweet peas, baby carrots, pencil thin green beans and spring onions Vary the recipe by adding new potatoes, feathery fennel leaves, fava beans, zucchini and/or baby spinach leaves Briefly blanching the vegetables retains their vibrant colours If you wish to simmer the dish longer, add a bouquet garni (parsley, thyme and bay leaves tied into a bouquet) while cooking and remove it before ser ving. Ser ves 4

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil Cook onion for 1 minute Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute Add carrots, fennel bulb and asparagus Cook, stirring occa sionally, for 4 minutes. Add sugar snap peas, green peas, zucchini, asparagus tips, sugar, water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 9 minutes. Add lettuce hear t and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with parsley and basil. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired.

“Victoria’s best kept live music & ne dining secret.”

Psssst...

Thursday & Friday evenings from 7pm. 638 Fisgard Street 250-475-1948 www.ambrosiacentre.com

Chef ’ s Talk:

by Ceara Lornie

What is your claim to fame? What makes you a kitchen hero?

Ben Peterson Heron Rock Bistro 250.383.1545

Although some find him a tad shrill, I'm always quick to call out "Rush!" when ever Geddy Lee comes on the radio, and turn the volume up accordingly. The staff loves that, and that's why I'm their hero.

Garrett Schack - Vista 18 250.382.9258

I create the most incredible food. I have the ability to turn even the most boring of foods into works of ar t that wow our guests beyond their wildest expecta tions. The team at Chateau Victoria sees everyday worked with me as a day of inspiration and education. Honest! Its true ask any of them. If they say any dif ferent its closing shifts for a month!

Markus Weil and Markus’ Wharfside Bistro 250.642.3596

I am a clean freak, my jacket is always spotless even after a busy summer's night. I teach this to all my staff.

Peter Whatmough Brentwoodbay Lodge & Spa 250.544.5108

Being a kitchen hero is not exactly my goal in life I find the term a little cheesy and shallow. I would like to be remembered for more than just being the guy who bought a beer for his cooks at the end of a killer night I would have to say that what makes me a “good chef ” is my attitude. My cooks can count on the way I conduct myself and in turn how I treat them

Ken Hueston - Smoken’ Bones 250 391 6328

My claim to fame in the kitchen is that that I love to show the cooking processes of food, cutting techniques and sauce preparation and my staff can always count on me to consistently let them clean my mess up. Apologies to my favorite kitchen staff in the whole world, but at least I can acknowledge my weaknesses which probably makes me a hero in their eyes.

Alberto Pozzolo The Italian Baker y 250.388.4557

On summer days when the bakery is hot from the daily baking, I become the most popular boss. Staff appear out of nowhere to beg for the fresh gelato that is just being extruded from the gelato maker which I regularly use in the sum mer.

Peter Zambri Zambri’s 250.360.1171

My staff knows that I would never ask them to do something that I am not pre pared to do myself. That and the fact that I can fix anything with a piece of gum and a paperclip, kind of like MacGyver A N D I can open a beer with my ass cheek!

Laurie Munn C afe Brio 250.383.0009

What makes me a kitchen hero? I didn't realize I was one, but maybe the fact that the Brio crew, both front and back, put up with my cutting sarcastic wit means I must be doing something right

Cory Pel an La Piol a 250.388 4517

I’d have to say my undying passion for food and how it translates to what we create. My team can trust that I truly care about everything that leaves my kitchen and, just as impor tant, how it is received by our guests. The front of the house team communicates that passion to our guests with a trust and respect for what we are creating day to day facilitating a great dining experience. In the end, i think the team makes me a hero. Oh, and of course, free beer.

2nd Annual Culinary Tourism Conference

I

The real highlight of the conference was our Trolley Tour of Granville Island. A quick stop at Nu for bubbles and canapés, a wine tasting lesson at the Pacific Institute of Culinar y Ar ts with resident sommelier and Riedel wine glass representative complemented with canapés created by culinary students, a wander through the Granville Market with a stop at Edible BC Specialty Shop to try local birch syrup and another stop at Oyama Sausage This was followed by our final stop at Granville Island Brewer y and to finish, Vista D’oro’s 2007 D’oro (for tified walnut wine) paired with ar tisan cheese and chocolates while we headed back to the hotel This was a unique and memorable culinary experience that my sweetie and I are still talking today Kira Rogers

Foie Gras Poll Results

We asked Tapas (EAT ’s newsletter) subscribers

“Would

Here’s the tally.

75% Yes, it's one of the most delicious things on ear th 25% No, force feeding ducks is unethical

Some of the comments readers made:

“No, I would not eat foie gras for human and health reasons. There are so many great foods I really love Why bother?”

“I have no hesitation at all and truly wish it was available from France on a regular basis.”

“I would eat foie gras it has distinctive flavour My filet mignon steak is not the same without a little stuffing of foie gras.”

“I ate it for the first time a few days ago at Jean George's new Market restaurant in Vancouver and found it delicious, but had no idea what it was I thought it was a kind of beef. Now that I know, I would not eat it again, no matter how good it tastes.”

“G avage is practiced humanely, causing little disturbance to the animals and renders a delicious food steeped in tradition and culture Modern plants, such as the ones I have visited in 2008, are hygienic and employ the most humane slaughtering techniques avail able, because if you stress the ducks and geese, the liver will taste bad.”

“Although foods can have impor tant cultural impacts on a society, we also need to think about how what we eat reflects what we value as a society. I would like to be par t of a society that values the ethical treatment of animals and therefore don't agree with the eating of foie gras ”

“Yes, I have and would again eat foie gras because it is tastes wonderful. And if chosen carefully, you can trace it back to reputable farms who treat their animals humanely.”

“ There was a time the idea was disturbing to me until I learned from a documentary that, as with most things, there's a right way and a wrong way. Those who conduct themselves unethically in the practice of husbandry, no matter with what animal species, unfor tu nately attract the most negative press and hur t those whose industry meet, if not exceed requirements, standards and best practices ”

“A great moral dilemma. I have been on foie gras farms in Quebec and have seen the whole process from raising the ducks through gavage and on to slaughter and processing The gentleman who raised the ducks had a great love for the birds and treated them very well When the gavage tube approaches the ducks they eagerly turn towards it and bob their heads towards it. I have lived on a duck and goose farm in Ontario (Mariposa Farm in Plantagenet just outside Ottawa.) When the feed truck for the geese would back up the driveway the geese would stream towards the barn and gorge themselves on the grain Geese and ducks have a natural tendency to gorge and their throats are covered with a hard scale that allows them to digest gristle. So the gavage tube does not really harm them. I am more appalled by how milk cows or battery chickens are raised then foie gras fowl I have switched over to organic milk and buy my eggs here on the Island now ”

“ This is a delicacy I can live without. I’m against the way ducks and geese are treated to produce such as luxury. Force feeding ducks so their livers swell about 10 to 12 times their normal size It’s not natural It’s not ethical ”

*For free email delivery of Tapas please sign up at www.eatmagazine.ca/newsletter.php

fe

"things... fa my

you eat foie gras?”

rom cheese to oysters and the wines to go with them, the Comox Valley beckons food lovers to its shores this season to taste its homegrown delicacies. The community of 65,000 on Vancouver Island’s east coast is a haven for culinar y tourism, with farms, fresh food markets, and restaurants waiting to be discovered Baynes Sound produces about half of Canada’s shellfish, representing $8 5 million in revenue annually The bounty can be bought fresh from the shores or from one of the many local restaurants ser ving the delicacy.

The Valley’s wine and beer makers are a stor y waiting to be told. Established wineries include Beaufort Vineyard and Estate Winer y in Courtenay and several on Hornby Island Opening this spring, Nature’s Way Farm, an established organic blueberr y farm, will become a fruit wine producer with their Blue Moon Winer y. Surgenor Brewer y in Comox recently opened the Valley’s first microbrewer y to rave reviews Their product is already on tap at several Comox Valley eateries

Known as the Valley of Festivals, the Comox Valley is home to a growing number of culinar y focussed events In June, Filberg Heritage Lodge and the Comox Marina Park are

the

plays host to 3 summer events sure to attract the culinar y enthusiast including the Alpine

y guided hikes

Comox Valley Shellfish Festival. Mount Washington Alpine Resort

Food Festival in September,

with celebrity chefs, cooking classes and wild blueberr

In Comox the choicest location on the wa terfront is now The Pier Pub & Bistro [1805 Beaufor t Avenue] with Darlene Weir managing. At Avenue Bistro [2064 Comox Ave, 250 890 9200 www avenuebistro ca], Chef Aaron Rail’s new menu reflects a “lighter, more casual and fun” spring attitude. With a 10:30pm closing this is still the latest place to eat well in the Comox Valley. …Carol Spencer has expanded Wild Flour Organic Artisan Baker y [221A Church Street, 250 890 0017, www.wildflourorganicbakery.com ] wholesale and direct delivery; outreach to Hornby Is land's Wednesday Ringside Market; cooking classes and events with local "celebrity chefs." …Ruth Vanderlinden and daughter Aline Wittwer are taking their Benino Gelato empire from its Comox base [1700 Comox Ave ] to a second location in Cour tenay [244 4th St ]

In Cour tenay, warmer weather will see the patio and sidewalk tables getting ser vice at Atlas Cafe [250 6th Street, 250 338 9838] An updated the wine list includes Vancouver Is land wines. …‘Til the end of June at Tita's Mex ican Restaurant [536 6th Street, 250 334 8033]: Monday night margaritas at $15/litre; Tues it’s $9.99 burritos. …Chef Troy Fogar ty hosts Chef's Table events on May 7th and June 4th at The Kingfisher [4330 Island Highway 250 338 1323 and 800 663 7929 www kingfisherspa com] Chef Norman Muller recently rolled out a tasty new spring menu at Silverado Steakhouse [Crown Isle Re

sor t, 399 Clubhouse Drive 250 703 5050].

On May 10 Chef Ronald St Pierre at Local's [364 8th St.,250.338.6493, www.localsco moxvalley.com] hosts the second "Table Champêtre" food and wine pairing evening to showcase Comox Valley’s Beaufor t Vineyard & Estate Winer y 2008 vintage selection. The six course dinner will feature all local food and producers. $85 per person.

In Cumberland, The Gatehouse Bistro & Galler y [3rd & Penrith 250 336 8099] offers enjoyable dining experiences from informal cafe style to formal dining, as well as a room designated for private functions A couple of blocks away, Chef Nicola Cuhna carries the torch for nuevo Indian fare at The Great Es cape [2744 Dunsmuir Street, www greatescape cumberland com, 250 336 8831]. End of May will see lunches (Thurs Sun), a new fusion item (in house chicken ravioli) and the return of the mango mojito!

Mario Balasta and Co. is at The Tasting Room & Liquor Store [#4 2253 South Island Highway, 250 830 9463, www tastingroom ca] in the evening; during the day, Ralf and Jodie Spodzieja at Cipollines Baker y, Deli & Cater ing [2190 South Island Hwy 250 923 4000] de liver the goods in their Ar tisan bakery.

Finally, Mount Washington Alpine Resort of fers its 10th annual Beerfest (July 10), the 11th annual Wine Festival (Aug 7), the 2nd annual Alpine Food Festival (September 4 6) mount washington ca by HansPeter Meyer

www.discovercomoxvalley.com

Warm colours, warm host and an open kitchen with flames flickering in the stone fronted oven greet you as you stepping into the elegant Tasting Room Star ting with drinks, a classic Kir Royale and a “ Tasting Room Caesar” a spicy varia tion on the classic, garnished with a prawn and a bright red pick led pepper we poured over the menu

The Tasting Room is primarily about the experience of wine. Ten reds and ten whites are featured, with changes every couple of weeks Wines from nearby Mer ville’s Beaufor t Winery sre fea tured and very good ‘by the glass’ prices help aficianados and amateurs explore the world of wine

We sampled combination plate of tapas and a glass of the Okanagan’s 2006 Gehringer Bros. Estate Riesling. Our tapas in cluded: skewered chicken breast on a bed of fresh pumpkin fet tucini drizzled with a balsamic reduction; flat bread with sour cream and bacon; and delicate rolls of lamb, pork, and chicken

sausage in a puff pastry wrapper laid on a bed of baby greens.”

For our main courses I chose the New York steak dressed with herb butter and ser ved with another helping of the Prontissima Pasta’s fresh pumpkin fettucini. The steak was ser ved as I’d asked, rare With the asser tive flavours of the pasta and the bril liant green tender crisp brocolli, it was a tasty element in a ro bust plateful. My date’s cheese and spinach crepe was a subtle complement to this robustness Filled with a blend of spinach, ri cotta, gruyere, mozzarella, and herbs, and baked in a tomato cream sauce the dish was a delight to look at and to taste. A Church & State Syrah (produced on the Saanich Peninsula from Okanagan grapes) This inky, intense red in the Old World style will have me coming back for more.

We finished our meal with a taste of Beaufor t Winery’s de lightfully black fruited por t style wine, a peanut butter cheese cake for her, and a panna cotta for me. by HansPeter Meyer

The Comox Valley is an agri cultural hotspot with over 119 farms

Celebrating 25 years on Vancouver Island, Les Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is a century’s old so ciety (founded in France in 1248) devoted to the gastronomic pleasure of fine food, good wine and the camaraderie of the dining table Where do I sign up? The society has mem bers in over seventy five countries In Canada, there are twelve "Bailliages," or chapters, each headed by a Bailli. Nanaimo’s Bailli is Steve Burcher t, a 30 year hospitality veteran with a back ground in food and wine; the man earned his title honestly The local chapter works with many of Vancouver Island’s most laudable chefs and wineries to host elegant feasts where guests are treated to gourmet pleasures pulled from the fields, forests and fiords of the Island. Restaurants such as The Mahle House Restaurant in Nanaimo, Merridale Estate Cider y in Shawnigan Lake, The Masthead Restaurant in Cowichan Bay and The Wesley Street Restaurant in Nanaimo will host event dinners during 2009. Call Steve Burcher t at 250 751 8717 for more information.

The name, Silly Yak Baker y, [172 Second Avenue West, Qualicum Beach 250 752 2857], makes me laugh every time However, it says what it does in a very clever manner Owners Bea & Elmer Trocha’s daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease at a young age so they set about creating a gluten free line of breads, muffins and cookies that she was able to digest Now they ship their bread mixes all over Canada and the U S and sell the genuine item, made fresh daily, in their store, Village Bulk Foods (located at the same address). The har vest seed, raisin and cheese & sun dried tomato breads are top sellers, but they also do a brisk business in cookies, pie shells, perogies and pizza crust Whether you are a gluten no fly zone or not, their products are tasty treats without the wheat.

Back Road Java is just that, on a back road in the middle of nowhere Okay, I guess if you live in Errington you don’t consider it the middle of nowhere, but folks, it is Located at the corner of Errington Road & Grafton Avenue [Unit # 1, 1548 Grafton Avenue, Errington, Tel: 250 951 3171] is about the best I can do to tell you where to find the place But find it you must because own ers Sue Salter & Trudy Bosman make a sticky bun wor thy of the pilgrimage and the GPS navi gation system needed to find them. They also make robust packed with flavour soups (two types per day), mile high hear ty sandwiches with local fixings, tail waggingly good Cornish pasties and a daily lunch special that has local farmers, truckers and lost day trippers lined up eight deep out the door.

Interestingly, when I mentioned to friends about the sticky bun find at Back Road Java, I was inundated with commands that I must try Old Town Baker y [510 First Avenue, Ladysmith 250 245 2531]. This quaint bakery, owned by Kate & Geoff Cram, is housed in a heritage building and it has built its fame (and I do mean fame) on not one, but seven varieties of sticky buns Trust me, there is not one human within 40 kilometers of Ladysmith who doesn’t know about these ooey gooey phenomena of butter, sugar, cinnamon (et al) and soft, yielding, yeasty bread. One bun could feed a family of five Fresh, toasted or frozen for future late night indulgence with a mug of cocoa, these babies gave bir th to the original meaning for the expression, “having great buns.”

And while you are huffing and puffing up and down the hills in Ladysmith, fall into a whacky little joint called Appétit [534 First Ave, Ladysmith, 250 250 245 1321] run by self named Crazy Man Mar tin Tang. The interior is decorated in bad 60’s acid flash back electric orange and green. The food hails from all over Asia except for breakfast which speaks to Mar tin’s five years of ap prentice chef training in Germany Bratwurst and Kung Pow anyone? It is quirky mix of foods but everything is made from scratch, tasty, local, fresh and eclectic. Half the fun is people watching and listening to Mar tin hiddey ho everyone by first name, knowing exactly what they are going to order and getting it star ted before they utter a word CONT ’D ON TH E N E XT PAGE

Mid Island has no Chinatown such as those found in Victoria, Vancouver or Richmond, ergo finding good quality Asian ingredients can get frustrating. Enter Basil Chau and his mini China town within four walls Man Lee Oriental Foods, [Unit 11 1150 Terminal Avenue Nor th, Nanaimo 250 753 6133] is a treasure trove of all things Asian gourmet He carries foods from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam and, of course, China. Basil (it was his landlady in Coventry, England who gave him the very British first name) is fiercely opposed to MSG so most of the fresh or frozen foods found in store are free of the ghastly additive His freezer is packed with brilliant little dim sum “touch the heart” bundles of joy typically found on rolling carts in Chi nese restaurants However, he orders many varieties custom made minus the MSG Bless him Still hungry? If so, nip around the corner to Basil’s soup tureen Green Tea Asian Cuisine [1150 Terminal Avenue Nor th, Nanaimo 250 753 3435] is a miniscule place ser ving up heaving cal drons of Vietnamese beef noodle soup, skewers of fragrant plump lemongrass chicken, crispy yam fritters with giant prawns and a number of other notables that may be eaten in or taken out Su Grimmer

THE OKANAGAN EAT BUZZ CAFE

It’s wine festival time in the Okanagan again!! Coming up for the Okanagan Winefest? Make sure to take a side trip to visit the gorgeous Similkameen Valley Boasting some of our best wineries as well as housing the town of Cawston, the organic capital of Canada, visitors will mar vel at the awesome landscape of this area. Orofino Vineyards in Cawston is featuring their annual: Panini on the Piazza event for Winefest Chef Brad Lazarenko will be cooking up gour met Panini’s with all local Similkameen Valley ingredients to go with Orofino’s new release wines. This informal, outdoor event will take place Sunday May 10 from 11am to 3pm no reser vations are required Visit the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival website www owfs com and Orofino’s website www.orofinovineyards.com.

FarmFolk/CityFolk has recently announced that the First Annual Okanagan Feast of Fields will happen in 2009! The F F experience takes guests on a journey through the farms and faces of the local growers and producers “Upon arrival at the host farm they are handed a wine glass, a linen napkin and a program that outlines all that's on offer to see, drink and eat.” Event Coor dinator, Rhys Pender, (owner of Wineplus+ and former owner of Kelowna's much loved Okana gan Grocer y www wineplus ca) will be arranging this exciting adventure program for foodies with a date yet to be announced. The tour, or rather ‘the Feast', will move from farm to farm pro viding guests with insights into each operation and a chance to speak to the growers/produc ers Proceeds from Feast of Fields benefit the provincial work of FarmFolk/CityFolk and a por tion of the first year's proceeds will benefit their Okanagan based Seed Security project. Tickets go on sale June 1st Check out www farmfolkcityfolk ca for details

The Kelowna Farmers and Crafters Market is now open for the season! Running on Wednes days and Saturdays, from 8 am to 1 pm, May through October, this diverse market, located at the corner of Dilwor th Dr and Springfield Rd , features up to 125 vendors Offering various good and ser vices, from fresh produce and foodie delights to yummy food vendors and crafts there is something for everyone. Thursday evening markets will again be held this year at the downtown Kelowna location at The Dolphins parking lot from 4 PM to 8 PM, star ting June 4, 2009 www kelownafarmersandcraftersmarket com

When visiting the Okanagan, don’t forget that many of our wineries have glorious restaurant venues to offer Quail’s Gate’s Old Vines Restaurant is one of our most spectacular eateries and is offering a special Mother’s Day Brunch Chef Roger Sleiman creates gorgeous food that pairs perfectly with their award winning wines the perfect way to celebrate your Mom (you can also pick out a gift for her in the wineshop perhaps a spring pashmina scarf?) Quails G ate is also now offering a unique tasting experience for visitors! Two special tastings are now on the menu The Stewart Family Reserve Tasting where guests will enjoy an intimate tasting with a senior wine educator in the Stewar t Family Room that includes a brief history of the Okanagan Valley & Quails’ G ate and a tutored tasting of current release & Stewar t Family Reser ve wines Or, add food into the mix with the Stewar t Family Reser ve Food & Wine Journey that provides an inti mate food and wine pairing experience with a senior wine educator that includes: A brief history of the Okanagan Valley & Quails’ G ate and tutored tasting of current release & Family Reser ve wines paired with a selection of contrasting and complimenting canapés! Check dates and book your group now through www quailsgate com or phone: 250 769 4451 Toll Free: 1 800 420 9463

Kelowna is sad to announce that our much loved celebrity Chef Michael Allemeier will be leav ing Mission Hill Winer y and heading to Calgary to teach at the prestigious SAIT Polytechnic School of Hospitality, specifically in their Professional Cooking program Chef Allemeier has been a major force in our eat local and sustainability movement in the Okanagan and was huge suppor t for our local farmers. Best of luck Michael we will miss you! Congratulations to Win ery Chef Matt Batey, who has been promoted from the position of Terrace Chef to lead all of the winery’s culinary programs

Plan to head up to Kelowna’s beautiful orchard district for lunch and a farm tour. The Ridge Restaurant is open for lunch seven days a week and Sunday brunch from May through October Chefs Travis Hackl and Todd Hollett’s menu features seasonal, local products with many also made to pair with on site Raven Ridge Cidery’s fresh Iced Apple Ciders. After lunch one can en gage in a tour or stroll over their fruit stand that also offers great gift ideas as well as a tasting bar where one can sample Raven Ridge’s delicious ciders www ravenridgecidery com

RAUdz Regional Table is open. The much talked about makeover of Kelowna’s award winning Fresco Restaurant is now buzzing with business Owner’s Chef Rod Butters and Audrey Surrao (hence the name “RAUdz”) surprised the world by invoking Obama’s

completely redesign the look and style of Fresco Moving from a higher end venue to a more casual approach with locally inspired comfor t food, beer on tap and big screen TV ’s the gourmet menu and great wine list remain Check out the menu: www raudz com 1560 Water Street 250 868 8805

If you are a fan of Indian/Nepalese food, check out Everest in Kelowna This small family run op eration turns out delicious food and truly some of the best naan bread this side of Mumbai. Owner, Ram Prasad Sapkota, who actually hails from Nepal, provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere 73 Lawrence Avenue (250) 762 7000

Carmelis Goat Cheese has become famous for its fine cheeses and can now be seen on the menus of many high end restaurants and quality grocery stores What you can’t find in the stores is one of the Okanagan’s best kept secrets Carmelis goat milk gelato! Only available onsite at their farm in upper Mission, you will be amazed at this incredibly, creamy and delicious iced treat. www carmelisgoatcheese com

THE VICTORIA EAT BUZZ CAFE

After a patient wait, market season has finally arrived in Victoria. Moss Street Market will be lively and full of Spring greens and flowers the first Saturday of May; bring your bas ket and your appetite and catch up with some familiar farmers A spanking new pocket market has also opened at Saanich Commonwealth Place on Fridays 9am til noon. Recent gov ernment regulations on meat and eggs sold at farmers’ markets have some local producers im ploring Victoria consumers to be more suppor tive than ever Local abattoirs (meat slaughtering facilities) are being shut down under new rigourous stipulations in the face of international meat scares making it difficult for the Capital Region’s small scale farmers to afford to process their meat For more information contact local food security activist Sheila Wallace of Food CH I at smwal lace@shaw.ca. Better yet, join in the evolving movement to grow your own food: ‘Food Security Be gins in our Own Backyards’ reads the motto of a series of free gardening workshops that are being offered throughout the city this May and June Visit www crd bc ca/workshops for a complete list Keep your eyes open for a few tweaks in Victoria’s gastronomic scene. Snug in a cozy space be side Oxford Foods, the One Fish Two Fish chip wagon (the successor of Red Fish Blue Fish) is so tiny you could easily stroll right past it without seeing it, but the scent of crispy tempura battered fish, tuna tacones, and handcut Kennebec chips will stop you in your tracks. Café Brio has created a new menu including pulled pork and sunchoke ravioli plus many more seasonal ingredients check out their website for the full roster Just outside the city, Merridale Cider y has built a vine

gar shack for distilling apple cider vinegar (a major source of antioxidants and health food favourite) the old fashioned English way. Look for their first batch this June. And the family run Gabriola Is land Winer y is also reaching back to tried and true ar tisanal methods with their purchase of an old world style Alembic Copper Pot Still from Por tugal so they can make traditional spirits some using recipes dating as far back as the 17th century. Sample their Absinthe in the Tasting Room on G abriola (call 250 244 1648 for more details) The Hotel Grand Pacific has announced its Sus tainable Wines program featuring wines that are produced with a holistic approach to growing and food production that respects the environment. Look for the green dot on the hotel’s wine list to identify wine picks that marry quality with sustainability Glo Europub is pleased to announce that Reid Ayotte will be leaving her position as GM at Med Grill Royal Oak to take the helm at Glo When you leave the office you can now head for drinks and more at The Office lounge & restaurant. Doors open at the corner of Yates and Blanshard early May with a lunch menu to follow in June Tugwell Creek Meader y has introduced an educational component to their business Beginning May 1st, Master Beekeeper Rober t Liptrot will lead tours every Sunday morning to teach Victorians about one of their best local mead sources best par t is that you get to sip the results in their cozy tast ing room

After all that eating stroll by the Ar t Galler y of Greater Victoria. A new exhibit showcased in the Assume Nothing series has gastronomes talking about the implications of our food choices over the past century ‘12 Recipe Boxes’ features old recipes collected from around Nor th America with curious ingredients (one calls for four pounds of processed cheese) that speak to the evolution of cooking between the 1920s and 1980s

THE VANCOUVER EAT BUZZ CAFE

This year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival plus a key restaurant award geared Vancouverites toward where and what to sip and savour this season Many are sure to nose out BC pinots noir, gris and blanc among BC delights Got steak and salmon in the picnic hamper? Got room for only one in the backpack? For red make it pinot noir. For white, ries ling Winner of this year’s EAT Magazine Vintner’s Brunch wine and food pairing, Chef Blair Ras mussen (Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Center) par tnered slow braised Asian inspired Bison ribs brilliantly with Pierre Sparr Riesling. Rasmussen again, joined chefs Julian Bond, Dino Re naer ts, and out of towner, Tony Lawrence in praising pinot noir’s elegant versatility with fish, fowl, meat and mushrooms, at “What’s Behind Pairing With Pinots” Local wine instructor DJ Kearney had

Fo o d S e c u r i ty Fo r u m : W h a t ’s in our Regional Food Basket?

On Friday March 13th, the four th annual Food Matters Forum addressed the issue of food security in the Capital Region District. Spearheaded by CR FAI R and suppor ted by VI HA, the forum titled “What’s in our Regional Food Basket?” welcomed local farmers, produc ers, consumers, activists, and teachers to discuss specific issues concerning food secu rity The three key issues hotly discussed were the possibility of a year round farmers’ market in Victoria, increasing access to food for households living on low income, and cre ating par tnerships between universities and communities on food issues

Following the discussion, keynote speakers Diane “the Seaweed Lady” Bernard of Sooke and Tom Henry, Metchosin farmer and editor of Small Farms magazine addressed the group on the issues of sourcing regional foods and suppor ting local farmers. Bernard shed light on the significance of seaweed one of the oldest and fastest growing plants in the world, as well as a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre while Henry spoke eloquently on the ‘agricultural reformation’ currently abuzz “Farmers and producers are trying new things and amalgamating,” Henry explained, “and with consumers we’re see ing a revisitation of the farmers’ market ” Both urged forum attendees to explore regional foods and suppor t local producers as often as you can For more information on the Sea weed Lady, visit sea flora com and to read more of Tom Henry’s ideas, visit smallfarm canada ca

A handful of food security champions were honoured later in the evening during a sumptuous potluck feast for their contributions to the community. Congratulations to Dave and Natalie Chambers of Madrona Farm, Jennifer Hawes of ColdStar Freight Sys tems Inc, Sonya Chandler, Councillor of Victoria, Pia Carroll, Phoebe Dunbar, Mary Alice Johnson, Kathryn Kusyszyn, Ellen Lewers, Jordan Marr, and Sheila Wallace of Sooke CH I, Terry Michell of Michell Farms, Trevor Walker of Plenty Epicurean Pantry, Candace Thomp son of Eagle Paw Organics, Nick Versteeg, producer of “Island on the Edge ” Hope Burns, Director of Planning of the District of Central Saanich, and special recognition went out to David Cubber, ML A, and former municipal councillor Katie Zdybel

For more information on the CR FAI R visit www.communitycouncil.ca

us clamouring for more vinho verde in the market at her Vinho Verde: The Fresh Taste of Spring” seminar

From salmon to sablefish, and at this time of year spot prawns, sustainable reigns when it comes to seafood Provence at Marinaside grills the pink shellfish perfectly while offering one of the city's prettier waterside settings. Meanwhile Frank Pabst at Blue Water Café continues to head up the city’s finest and fishiest kitchen Check out the Raw Bar oyster selection, lobster ce viche, G aliano swimming scallops, the seafood tower

Kudos to Paul Kamon for the rockin’ no speeches Urban Diner Awards par ty at Voya in April. Fresh oysters, burger and sausage sliders, and crispy crust mini pizzas, and dainty desser t y things kept coming as the top awards were announced briefly Chef Rob Belcham and team garnered several awards for Fuel, Campagnolo, best chef and best ser vice. Voya knocked ‘em over for (well deser ved) best new design and formal and won the EAT Magazine prize of a com plimentary adver tisement Having just popped into Uva two nights previously I can’t quibble with the award for Sebastian Le Goffs wine list (except maybe for the mark ups). Check out www UrbanDiner ca for complete list of winners

Not your use up what’s leftover in the galley chow downs, recession buster menus are pop ping up all over with fresh seasonal and innovative ingredients. If you’ve got the cash, cash in on the excellent two ($20) or three ($25) course lunch menu at Le Gavroche My choice? Classic Caesar salad and free range coq au vin Brix offers a 3 course prix fixe before 7 pm ($29) Mains include grilled BC Sockeye, or A A A tenderloin. Save room for the chocolate bread pudding. Get jazzed Pop into O’Doul’s for the city’s best ar tists, from 9pm nightly Tap your toes over a glass of Wild Goose Riesling ($7) and Dungeness crab and shrimp croquettes ($13) During the TD Jazz Festival (June26 July5) you just may eye one of the greats sitting on a late night session.

Julie Pegg

THE CAMPBELL RIVER EAT BUZZ CAFE

From a recent foodie field trip to Campbell River: the Angler's Dining Room at Dolphins Resor t [4125 Discovery Drive 1 800 891 0287 / www dolphinsresor t com] is considered Campbell River's "hidden gem." …Campbell River Restaurant Supplies [851 13th Avenue 250 287 3323] has great deals on kitchen tools and restaurant ware. …Amy's Asian Foods [480 13th Avenue 250 286 0595] is well wor th the trip for speciality items Cheddar & Co. [1090A Shoppers Row 250 830 0244 www.cheddarandcompany.com]. May 15th features an "Oyster Taste & Talk" with Brent Petkau. Hans Peter Meyer

PHOTOGRAPHER: Rebecca Wellman

I S H

We swooned when we tried executive chef Iain Ren nie’s rich and decadent “bar” made with Lindt dark c hocolat e g anac he atop a cr unc hy biscuit base Sure, you expect to find cooking of this calibre at the upscale yet intimate Panac he res taurant at Bear Mount ain Resor t, but when a dish sur passes t he usual, you take note.

Chef takes t his excellent desser t and adds a few sur pr ises t hat ratc he t up t he wow f actor He t akes sweet caramel sauce, adds kosher coarse salt and drizzles it over the chocolate bar But he also takes this same sauce, adds a rich crème anglais and turns it into salty/sweet ice cream Who doesn’t love that play of salty against sweet? But wait, t here’s more As if t hat isn’t enough, Rennie takes liquid nitrogen, pours it over t he bar (whic h ins t antl y freezes it to minus 300ºC), t aps t he bar wit h a spoon and shatters it into shards and fragments to t he oohs and ahhs of diners

Who is c hef Iain Rennie? Bor n in Scotland but Island raised, Rennie has been executive chef at Bear Mountain Resor t for t hree years He graduated from t he cooking prog ram at Malaspina Colleg e (now Vancouver Island U niversity), apprenticed at t he Savoy Hotel in London and received his first white toque at Fairmont Empress Hotel before going on to r un t he s toves at a couple of Vancouver Fair mont hotels and taking t he helm at Bear Mountain Says Rennie, “The opposing textural contrasts of crunchy and smoot h and t he sweet/salty flavours are what make t his desser t a success Diners find it surprising yet t hey still get to have t heir big chocolate fix ” Although it is rumoured the “bar” will be available at t he soon to open grocer y and pastr y store on top of Bear Mountain, for now t he only place to indulge is Panache Gar y Hynes 1999 Countr y Club Way 250 391 7160 www bearmountain ca

WHERE: WHERE:

Panac he at Bear Mountain Resor t Panac he Chocolate Bar with Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Asuccessful 21st Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival saw the 13th Annual Chowder Chowdown in Ucluelet with 500 guests and 13 restaurants competing for best chowder. Sobo won first place for Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice awards while Wildside Grill placed second for Judge’s Choice followed by Ukee Dogs in third place The 4th Annual Mar tini Migration was another great success with Long Beach Lodge Resor t winning People’s Choice award for best mar tini, Shelter Restaurant won for best booth, Weigh West Resor t won for most original drink and Wickaninnish Inn’s Pointe Restaurant won for best food and drink pairing The annual Whale Festival G ala Dinner at The Pointe Restaurant succeeded in raising $15,000.00 this year.

New to Ucluelet is Norwoods Restaurant. Owned by Chef Richard Norwood, former Ex ecutive Chef of Boat Basin Restaurant at Tauca Lea Resor t, the 34 seat restaurant will fea ture small plates and a wine bar with an open kitchen. Located at 1714 Peninsula Road, 250 726 7001

The Schooner Restaurant, Tofino’s oldest restaurant in the hear t of town, has been work ing hard at suppor ting non profits during these challenging economic times, with fundrais ing events suppor ting the Tonquin Foundation, Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, Tofino General Hospital and Surfriders Foundation Currently their lounge menu is both delicious and price point, with favourites including the Famous Schooner Burger and Old School Fish+Chips, while the casual dining menu include The Halibut Bowden Bay, The West Coast Hot Pot and The Captains Plate . Located at Campbell and Second, 250 725 3664.

Gearing up for the 7th Annual Tofino Food and Wine Festival, June 5 7, brings to Tofino more than 50 BC wineries with local restaurants providing canapés at the Grazing in the G ardens main event Opening festival Winemaker’s Dinner features a multi course dinner prepared by Wickaninnish Inn’s Executive Chef John Waller and Pointe Restaurant Chef Nicholas Nutting, with pairings from Oliver’s Road 13 Winer y + Vineyards (formerly known as Golden Mile Cellars) The Schooner Restaurant will showcase local breweries with Schooner Burgers and live local DJ Other events are lining up as you read this so please check for updates online at www.tofinofoodandwinefestival.com

After a contract with the Village Taphouse in West Vancouver, Chef Richard Moore joins Shelter Restaurant again, along with Sam Maltby, Night Manager. Chef Rob Wheaton has re joined Long Beach Lodge Resor t, however this time around he is Food and Beverage Director.

Kira Rogers

Carmen Classic Sauvignon Blanc 08 Chile $14.00 16.00

The Kiwi’s set the new world standard for fresh, zingy Sauvignon Blanc’s a couple of decades ago and have pretty much held the field until now. They are good, but they are expensive, and in these penny pinching days we could all use a break at the cash register Since that break is unlikely to come from the government, the best option is to look elsewhere for value This zippy little Sauvignon from Chile is just the ticket Crisp and clean with vibrant pink grapefruit and herbal aromas, fresh fruit flavours and mouthwatering acidity, that doesn’t let up! Yeow

Morande Pionero Carmenere 08 Chile $14.00 16.00

Until a few years ago hardly anybody nor th of the 49th had ever heard of Carmenere. As a matter of fact, the Chileans themselves were fobbing it off on us unsuspecting rubes as a kind of hairy leafed Merlot Ah, the evil machinations of the marketing man Well the jigs up buster, many of us have at least heard of it by now and if you haven’t tasted it yet, now is the time Even Chile has finally embraced this long lost varietal and claims it for its own Very fresh and spicy, offering scents of blackberries and cherries with a pronounced green herbal note that acts as a counterpoint to the ripeness of the fruit. Medium bodied with soft fruit flavours that persist through the finish.

[ T H E W I N E S ]

WHITES

Domaine de Montfaucon Marsanne 07 France $26.00 30.00

Wow! This is a real zinger! Located just across the Rhone River from Chateauneuf du Pape, the grapes are hand picked and the wine aged in oak. The nose is a heady pot pourri of wallflowers, tropical fruit and white honey. Exotic to say the least, with rich spicy flavours, plenty of weight on the palate and a long powerful finish, that just keeps going!

Simonnet Febvre Chablis 05 France $24.00 27.00

Before there was Chardonnay, there was Chablis! Such was the acclaim of the Chardonnay of this sleepy little village in the nor th of France that many in the new world used the name to sell their wines, no matter what the grape For the most par t, this is now, no longer the case Chablis, the wine, comes from Chablis, the village The Simon net Febvre is delicious with muted flavours of baked pears, quince and minerals It is tight, clean and refreshing to the end Very highly recommended!

Leon Manbach Alsace 07 France $17.00-20.00

There is nothing subtle about this blend of Sylvaner (65%) and Pinot Blanc (35%) from the Alsace Rich and slightly oily in texture with concentrated peach, pear and lanolin flavours with just the right amount of acidity to keep it graceful Remoissenet Pere “Renommee” Bourgogne Blanc 97 France $33.00-40.00

If you have ever wondered what aged white Burgundy tastes like but have neither the time or the disposable income to do so, here is your oppor tunity Twelve years old and still going strong! Sublime and charming with baked apple and mineral scents, good depth of flavour and lovely fruit/acid balance. Graceful to the end! Mature Burgundy at an affordable price, unthinkable, yet available!

REDS

Chateau Pesquie Cotes du Ventoux “La Quintessence” 05 France $30.00 35.00

When only Chateauneuf du Pape will do, but the choice is between feeding the family or the bottle of wine, consider this lovely blend of Syrah (80%) and Grenache (20%) from the Cotes du Ventoux. In the great scheme of things, believe me, it’s cheap! Rich and full bodied, with provocative berry, floral and spice aromas a generous texture and layer upon of ripe fruit flavours Very formidable indeed

Bodegas Benegas Malbec 06 Argentina $20 00 23 00

And still they keep coming! A seemingly endless parade of Argentine Malbecs at every conceivable price point! But who’s complaining? Not me Deeply coloured and very aromatic with plenty of fruit to absorb the 12 months spent in French oak Potent and generous with dark savory berry flavours and a silky smooth texture.

Chateau Cailleteau Bergeron 1er Cotes de Blaye 05 France $27.00 30.00 If

a serious collector of fine wine and haven’t loaded up on 2005 Bordeaux, breathe a sigh of relief It’s not to late There are still a few bottles lying around in fine wine shops around this great province. This elegant claret from the right bank of

Bordeaux is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. It’s is all that a person can ask of a few pounds of squeezed grapes aged in oak for a year or two The wine delivers cool blackberry, cassis and spice aromas right from the get go Its clean and fresh with sublime, quintessential Bordeaux fruit flavours, nicely balanced with enough acidity and silky tannins to see it through a few of years in the basement Super value

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Domaine de Chaber ton Madeleine Sylvaner 08 BC $14.00-16.00

Langley, British Columbia is not generally regarded as a vinous hotbed in the world of wine, but the simple fact, that this proud producer has been in business since 1991, sell ing estate grown wine, says it all They are reliable and affordable, year in, year out! The 2008 Madeleine Sylvaner has a very floral nose with hints of peaches and citrus. On the palate the wine is delicate with bracing acidity and a lovely clean finish. Delicious!

Tinhorn Creek Merlot 05 BC $19.00 22.00

There is a lot going on here, with layers of spicy oak, licorice, sage and ripe cherry fruit on the nose Medium bodied with supple fruit flavours, nicely balanced with a blush of soft tannins. Sounds pretty good, tastes even better!

SPIRITS

Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey $40.00 45.00

With sales of over 2 5 million bottles per year, Powers is the best selling Whiskey in the Republic of Ireland In the province of British Columbia, the picture is not so rosy Powers will soon be but a memory as the company pulls the label too focus on its core brand, Jameson Pity! A blend of pot still (70%) and grain (30%) whiskey, Powers is asser tive but light (a real paradox that seems to sor t itself out after a glass or two) with a distinctive sweet edge on the palate. Three swallows will have you believing in the little people but to do so you had better run down to your local reputable liquor store and load up before its too late

Recent BC releases

Quails

Quails

Quails

Joie

Joie

Joie

Joie

Black

Nk'Mip

Hester Creek 2008 Trebbiano $19.09

Hester

Hester

R

L’ H e u r e d e l ’ A p é r o

By Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouf fard

The aperitif is a time honoured European tradition. It conjures up images of outdoor cafés and lively conversation. Countries like France and Italy have been drinking aperitifs for decades. Yet in Nor th America, we seem to give ourselves the green light to drink an aperitif on specials occasions only. What a shame! Sure, our equivalent is “Happy Hour,” but this generally means cheap beer and wings While there is nothing wrong with that, to our minds there is no better way to start the evening than decompressing with a glass of pastis or Pineau des Charentes

L’heure de l’apéro, as the French call it, is our favourite time of day What time is an aperitif ap propriate? Anytime It typically refers to a post work, pre dinner beverage But it is so much more than just something to sip on while dinner is being prepared The longer days and warmer weather provide the ideal setting to indulge in the aperitif ritual Ask the neighbours over and enjoy a rare moment when time stands still. A few simple snacks like olives, nuts and crackers are all you need to nibble on. A word of caution; inviting friends over for an “apéro” can turn into an entire evening of sipping, snacking and chatting.

An aperitif can be as straightforward as a glass of wine or beer or as fancy as champagne or a cocktail Somewhere in between are a whole group of alcoholic beverages that were created specif ically to stimulate the appetite Originally concocted for “medicinal” purposes, they were reputed to cure ailments such as a “delicate constitution” or a “depressive state of mind ” They tend to be for tified wines or liqueurs infused with fruits or herbs Most are sweet but don’t let this scare you The best are complex and balanced Sugar is an added bonus as it induces hunger Original recipes are still closely guarded secrets, with the producer revealing just some of the ingredients to arouse your curiosity and taste buds.

France offers an appealing variety of aperitifs. Cer tainly one of the better known is the kir. In our youth, it was a symbol of sophistication. We imagined sipping a kir in the company of Catherine Deneuve. We’ve added many more fantasies and drinks to our reper toire since then, but we occa sionally revisit this staple with delight To add some colour to your ordinary day, combine a small amount of crème de cassis with a high acid crisp white wine Originally from Burgundy, this black cur rant liqueur is typically blended with Aligoté to soften the grape’s harsh acid If you want the true Bur gundian experience, par tner up L’Héritier Guyot crème de cassis with Jaffelin Aligoté Otherwise, a simple Sauvignon Blanc such as the Lur ton Fumées Blanches can substitute for the Aligoté When you’re feeling splashy, a kir royale sets the tone at a gala event. Just replace the white wine with something bubbly.

Our good friend pastis is as well known as the kir, but sadly not as widely embraced. Just the thought of its refreshing salty, herbal and black licorice flavours makes us dream about the sunny Mediterranean. It is essential drinking while playing pétanque (the French version of bocce) on a hot and lazy afternoon Most people drink pastis prior to lunch or dinner, but we actually love it best at brunch just before our croque monsieur arrives If you wish to explore the wonderful world of pastis, pull up a bar stool at Vancouver’s Pastis restaurant and ask owner John Blakeley to pour you a flight from his extensive selection It’s a real treat The liquor store carries only the two largest brands: Ricard and Pernod The former tends to be slightly drier than the latter

If licorice is simply not to your taste, perhaps Lillet will tempt you. Created in 1887, it is a blend of fruit liqueurs and wine from the Bordeaux region. The ingredients are very exotic, including sweet oranges from the south of Spain, bitter oranges from Haiti, green oranges from Morocco and Tunisia and quinine from Peru. The drink itself is just as intriguing; slightly sweet with orange peel and mar

malade flavours. Spring is the perfect time to acquaint yourself with Lillet and intro duce it to your friends. If you have an open bottle, use it in cocktails instead of Triple Sec.

When the French aren’t sipping Lillet, they’re toasting the star t of the weekend with a glass of Pineau des Charentes Made in the region of Cognac in France, Pineau des Charentes is what is known as a mistelle, meaning that grape brandy (cognac) is added to wine before it star ts fermenting The result is sweet and fairly high in alco hol, at least 15 percent Rich and nutty, Château Guynot is a favourite It can be found by the glass at Au Petit Chavignol, a restaurant recently opened by the owners of cheese shop Les Amis du Fromage.

Pommeau de Normandie is yet another French gem. Just like the Pineau des

With the days longer and the weather warmer, the stage is set to indulge in the aperitif ritual.

John Blakely with his pastis collection at his Vancouver restaurant Pastis

Charentes, it’s a type of mistelle. Instead of using wine as a base, it is made by blending unfermented apple cider and calvados (apple brandy). Les Français like to drink it as an aperitif, but we can easily drink this with dessert as well Delicious flavours of red apple and a slight hint of caramel will definitely stimulate your appetite but also work like a charm with cheese or tar te tatin Both Shangri la in Vancouver and Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler offer the Coeur de Lion Pommeau by the glass

The Por tuguese are cer tainly not exempt from the pre dinner drink culture While we generally tend to think of por t as an after dinner proposition, Europeans sometimes in dulge in it before the meal. Most por t is simply too sweet for our tastes to embrace this early in the evening, with one exception: white por t. Made with white grapes rather than red, it is surprisingly thirst quenching ser ved on ice and topped with soda water and a fresh mint leaf. Offer this cocktail at your next barbecue gathering and you’ll be amazed at the rave reviews Once open, keep the bottle in the fridge It should last about a week We couldn’t leave the world of aperitifs without going to Italy The nor thern city of Turin is said to be the bir thplace of the aperitif because it was here that vermouth was created, a for tified wine aromatized with herbs and spices Dry vermouth is generally relegated to a suppor ting role in a gin mar tini or used as a cooking ingredient Starring on its own, sweet vermouth is a classic before dinner drink (the bianco is less sweet than the rosso). In our opinion, though, the greatest aperitif the Italians have ever made is Campari. If we had to choose, this would be our favourite appetite stimulator of all time. (Don’t tell the French.) Campari’s exact recipe remains a mystery, but it is referred to as a bitters. Appar ently, it is infused with up to 60 different ingredients. Slightly bitter with herbal and or ange notes, it is extra refreshing when cut with soda Purely medicinal, of course! Just the thought of all these delicious concoctions has made us thirsty An ar ticle written and our duties done, it’s now time for our daily medicine C’est l’heure de l’apéritif!

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

Taylor Fladgate, White Port $22.60 SKU #164129

The original creators of white por t and the only one available in our market Its inherent sweet ness can be deliciously tempered with soda water and fresh mint An ideal foil for salty nuts Coeur de Lion, Pommeau de Normandie $27 50 SKU #276592 *

A class act when ser ved chilled in a sparkling wineglass. Enjoy as an aperitif with Oyama’s pâté normand, with a desser t of apple tar t or anytime with cheese Château Guynot, ‘Vieux’ Pineau des Charentes $34 95 SKU #414607 *

Ser ve cold in a wineglass or, if you’re feeling fancy, a champagne flute The beautiful unctuous flavours of nuts and orange will work like a charm with a pre dinner foie gras pâté. Lillet $19.76 SKU #32631

Explosive and refreshing flavours of marmalade and orange blossom tantalize your palate and get you ready for dinner The Bordelais typically ser ve it on the rocks with a slice of orange Ricard, Pastis de Marseille 45 $29 99 SKU #15693

The aperitif that Michelle was weaned on. Ser ve on the rocks with a side of water. The yellow anis flavoured liqueur turns cloudy when water is added Don’t worry, that’s normal Add approximately four par ts water to one par t pastis, or whatever propor tion you prefer

L’Héritier Guyot, Crème de Cassis de Dijon $29 57 SKU #132241

Pour one par t cassis into a wineglass and add five par ts of a crisp dry white such as the Jaffelin, Aligoté ($19 99 S KU #53868) or the Lur ton, Les Fumées Blanches ($11 99 S KU #472555) For a kir royale, substitute the white wine with a sparkling wine like the Blasons de Bourgogne, Crémant de Bourgogne ($24.99 SKU #657742) or the Segura Viudas, Brut Reserva Cava ($15 99 S KU #158493) Once open, cassis will last about four months Also a great cooking ingredient

2008 Elephant Island Framboise $19 90 (375 mL)**

For a local twist on a kir, replace the French crème de cassis with one of Elephant Island’s fruit liqueurs We highly recommend their Framboise This is about as intense as raspberries can get Use as above

Campari $26 99 SKU #277954

A staple in our liquor cabinet. Fantastic with soda, but also a key ingredient in our favourite cocktail: the Negroni (equal par ts Campari, red vermouth and gin; shaken and ser ved up in a mar tini glass The combination of sweet and bitter makes it one of the most perfect drinks to stimulate the appetite.)

*Available at private wine stores

**Available at the Naramata winery and private wine stores

Momos, Java and Tacones

Pandora Ave. resident Treve Ring offers up her take on the historic street in some quick and tasty bites.

PANDORA AVENUE (500 700 block) is anchored by the Blue Bridge, abutted by Market and Centennial squares, and address to government offices, hotels, loft dwellers and migrants. Fought over by Old Town, The Design District and Chinatown, Lower Pandora’s first con struction boom dates back to the 1880s It is one of the last streets between downtown and industrial land, making for just enough fringe to allow for creative hipsters to co habit com for tably next door to City Hall Heritage restorations are bringing new residents, merchants and travellers to the block, feeding the bloom of pocket sized cafés popping up along its sidewalks Weekday suits and briefcases are replaced by weekend brunch line ups and bikes, and Pandora’s theatre goers, pub crawlers and train catchers have their pick of coffee spots and whole food eateries. Here’s a culinary map of the block:

Swans the Ar t Hotel is home to popular live music at Swans Brewpub, has on tap craft beer brewed on site, plus 750 mL bottles to go at their beer and wine store (oatmeal stout a favourite) As well, its Wild Saffron Bistro is filled with upscale and ar ty Pacific Rim fare 506 Pandora Ave , www swanshotel com

Across the street is historic Market Square, an open air complex with a mix of retail, office and eats Of note? Green Cuisine a vegan, pay by weight buffet with a rotating lineup of vir tuous fare; Tibetan Kitchen a tiny one woman, window front, momo machine run by Pemba Bhatia, the daughter of Tibetan refugees; One Fish Two Fish the por table Ocean Wise out post of Wharf Street’s sustainable Red Fish Blue Fish, and the home of the city’s best fish tacones. 560 Pandora Ave, www.marketsquare.ca, www.greencuisine.ca, www.redfish blue fish.com.

Right outside the entrance to Market Square is Solstice Café, a funky place for organic and/or locally produced foodstuffs, light lunches and organic, fair trade coffee and tea It also moonlights most nights as a live performance venue 529 Pandora Ave, www solsticecafe ca

Directly across the street you’ll find Victoria’s best espresso, baristas that give a damn,

rotating ar t exhibits, a formidable vinyl collection and a loyal congregation of hipsters in need of a caffeine fix. Habit coffee + culture’s open and laid back vibe is as addictive as its custom roasted direct trade Hines Public Market Coffee 522 Pandora Ave www habitcoffee com

Conveniently next door is Mo:Lé Restaurant Convenient, since you can sip a coffee in habit while waiting for your table (and do be prepared to wait) Chef Cosmo Means’s deliciously healthful foodstuffs earned him a spot on the Canadian Triathlon Team as chef Hopping and family friendly, ser ving food that’s locally sourced and lovingly prepared 554 Pandora Ave , www molerestaurant ca

Chef Means’s magic touch reaches all the way next door he’s par t owner of Café Bliss, an organic, live food juice bar. No time to chew? Pop in and rejuvenate with vital energy elixirs and super food smoothies. 556 Pandora Ave., www.cafebliss.ca.

Kitty corner you’ll land at wi fi hotspot Red Dragon Bistro. Lots of seating, including a Pan dora fronting patio, plus house made breakfasts, soups and pastries, make this a favourite with the lunch suits And that smell wafting through the hood? That’s them roasting small batches of farmer friendly organic beans 1480 Government St , www reddragonbistro ca

A couple minutes up the road takes you to the brand new Vintage Spirits store in the Hotel Rialto, currently undergoing a heritage restoration Vintage is stylish and well researched with a nice selection from Yellow Tail to ’05 Bordeaux. *Note: The hotel’s website mentions Veneto Restaurant and Brevé are opening May 1. www.hotelrialto.ca.

Is there anyone who hasn’t lined up for breakfast at John’s Place? Owner John Cantin’s diner is easy to find; just look for the lineup out the door and down the block. Big por tions, little prices. Colourful, fun and eclectic sums up the staff, decor and food. 723 Pandora Ave., www johnsplace ca

A few doors up takes you worlds away The Black Olive prides itself on its classic Mediter ranean cuisine The rack of lamb gets rave reviews, as does owner Paul Psyllakis’s Kasta monitsa Cold Pressed Olive Oil, available for purchase in the restaurant or local grocery stores 739 Pandora Ave, www theblackolive ca

For dinner out, a family gathering, home parties or kicking back at the cabin, Tinhorn Creek has the wines for the occasion. Celebrating our 15th anniversary with a fresh look, we are proud to show you our 100% estate-grown varietal line up and Oldfield Series wines. At Tinhorn Creek we sustainably farm our land and create wines of merit. Our 150 acres of vineyards are located on two unique and diverse south Okanagan sites: the Golden Mile and the Black Sage 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 Oliver, BC and experience for yourself. We will welcome you with open arms.

NATURALLY SOUTH OKANAGAN www.tinhorn.com