EAT Magazine Issue March/April 2009 by EAT Magazine

R E S TA U R A N T S | R E C I P E S | W I N E S | C U L I N A RY T R AV E L

EATmagazine WINNER BEST FOOD PUBLICATION

Celebrating Food & Drink in BC

A Farmhouse Lamb Dinner

Local | Sustainable | Fresh | Seasonal

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March | April 2009 | Issue 13-02 | FREE

Curing ham Duck confit Bistro dishes to share Best budget Burgundy Salmon Safe beer

eat m WMF Gourmet Cookware 5-star professional quality Works on any stovetop

MADE IN GERMANY Broadmead Village, Victoria 130-777 Royal Oak Drive 250-727-2110

Bridal Registry Available

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eat magazine March | April 2009

Editor’s Note: solutions

hen the Federal government unveiled its stimulus plan in the recent budget, a provision allowing for a Home Renovation Tax Credit caught the eye of many homeowners. This deduction offers a 15% deduction (anything spent up to a maximum of $10,000 would be eligible) on your 2009 tax return for work performed on an eligible dwelling (or the land that forms part of the eligible dwelling) and includes the cost of labour and professional services, building materials, fixtures, rentals, and permits. Under the guidelines of eligible projects are kitchen renos, putting in a new carpet, painting your house and laying new sod. While my kitchen could certainly use a few improvements and the old dwelling a fresh coat of paint, it was the eligibility of sod that gave me pause. Sod? Lawnmowers? Increased carbon footprint? Hmm… perhaps there’s another way? I’d like to propose to anyone thinking of using this Tax Credit that they consider putting in a vegetable garden—one big enough to meet at least some of your family’s food needs. There are historic precedents for countries planting vegetable gardens during hard times (Read Julie Pegg’s article on page 7 called The New Victory Garden.) Not only would an edible garden qualify under the provisions of the Canada Revenue Agency and save you money, it would accomplish two additional things other home renovations might not. By planting a vegetable garden you would not only be providing your family with fresh, local and healthy food that could reaped year after year, you would be making a contribution to British Columbia’s food security at a time when knowing where your food is coming from is quickly becoming a major priority. And what could be more satisfying than sitting outside and watching a lettuce “lawn” grow? —Bon appétit, Gary Hynes, Editor

Concierge Desk . . . . 4 Good for You . . . . . . . 6 Food Matters . . . . . . 7 Epcure at Large . . . . 9 Restaurant Culture . 10 Food Artisans . . . . . 12 Restaurant Reporter 14 Local Heroes . . . . . . 20 Local Kitchen . . . . . 22 What’s in Season? . 25 Chowders . . . . . . . . 26 The BC Food Scene 32 Liquid Assets . . . . . 38 True Brew . . . . . . . . 39 Wine & Terroir . . . . .40 Chefs Talk . . . . . . . .42

IN THIS ISSUE

Cover recipe pg.8

Editor in Chief Gary Hynes Contributing Editor Carolyn Bateman, Vancouver Contributing Editor Julie Pegg Editorial Assistant Katie Zdybel

Community Reporters Victoria: Katie Zdybel, Nanaimo: Su Grimmer, Comox Valley: Hans Peter Meyer Tofino | Uclulet: Kira Rogers, Vancouver: Julie Pegg, Okanagan: Jennifer Schell Contributors Larry Arnold, Michelle Bouffard, Jennifer Danter, Pam Durkin, Gillie Easdon, Andrei Fedorov, Jeremy Ferguson, Nathan Fong, Lorraine Forster, Duncan Holmes, Mara Jernigan, Chris Johns, Tracey Kusiewicz, Tara Lee, Andrew Lewis, Ceara Lornie, Sherri Martin, Kathryn McAree, Michaela Morris, Colin Newell, Julie Pegg, Karen Platt, Treve Ring, Kira Rogers, John Schreiner, John Sherlock, Elizabeth Smyth, Chris Mason Stearns, Michael Tourigny, Sylvia Weinstock, Rebecca Wellman

Box 5225, Victoria, BC, V8R 6N4, tel. 250-384-9042, fax. 250-384-6915 www.eatmagazine.ca eatjobs.ca epicureandtravel.com Since 1998 | EAT Magazine is published six times each year. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy, Pacific Island Gourmet Publishing cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur. All opinions expressed in the articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the publisher. Pacific Island Gourmet reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. All rights reserved.

The PEOPLE, STORIES & WINES TH AT M A K E the BA ROSSA FA MOUS

Best Australian Producer 2003, 2006 and 2008 International Wine and Spirit Competition www.peterlehmannwines.com

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

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Publisher Pacific Island Gourmet | EAT ® is a registered trademark. Advertising: Lorraine Browne (Vancouver Island), Paul Kamon, Danica Jeffery (Vancouver), Kira Rogers (Tofino), Gary Hynes (agencies, regional and national). 250.384.9042, advertise@eatmagazine.ca All departments

Culinary intelligence for the 2 months ahead

THE CONCIERGE DESK

by Katie Zdybel

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For more events visit THE BULLETIN BOARD at www.eatmagazine.ca March DINE AROUND and STAY IN TOWN One week left to experience this mouth-watering dining event in Victoria —the city that boasts the 2nd highest number of restaurants per capita in North America. Over 50 local restaurants are participating by offering threecourse menus for $20, $30, or $40 per person, all paired with BC VQA wine suggestions. Visit tourismvictoria.com for details SECOND ANNUAL WINEMAKER’S CUP ON MT.BALDY Join winemakers, cellarhands, vineyard managers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and servers for a getaway on the slopes. Last year Bill Eggert from Fairview Cellars won the race in a razor-tight finish. The timed results have been hotly contested ever since. Don’t miss the chance to win this year. Mar. 6, 7. Visit winebc.com for more information. QUADY DESSERT COMPETITION Pastry chefs and cooks are invited to enter this competition on Mar. 7 as part of the Playhouse Winefest. Contest is judges by respected chefs and food media; finalists’ creations are showcased at the popular Annual Awards Luncheon. This year’s catch: dessert must pair well with Starboard, a port style wine. Winner gets a trip for two to Sierra Mountains, CA. See planitbc.com for more details. 20th ANNUAL GROCERY SHOWCASE WEST 2 days, 400 exhibits, 4500 industry pros gather at the showcase to celebrate the grocery industry in Western Canada, rub elbows and share new ideas, and listen in on guest speakers. For a full program, visit cfig.ca. Mar. 10-11 at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre. DINING OUT FOR LIFE BC Over 200 restaurants from Whistler to White Rock will donate 25% of all food revenue from meals sold on Mar.12 to AIDS. All money raised from this event go to A Loving Spoonful and Friends For Life -BC charities supporting local people living with AIDS. For a full list of participating restaurants go to diningoutforlife.com. ABIGAIL'S FOODIE FIX Join Executive Chef Matthew McGinn on Saturday, March 14, as he teams up with local Sommelier Louise Wilson for a three hour cooking class and wine seminar. Enjoy a five course delectable dinner, paired with fine BC wines. Special hotel rates. $95, Abigail’s Hotel, 906 McClure Street, Victoria, 1-800-561-6565 / 250) 361-1986 4th NATIONAL FARM to CAFETERIA CONFERENCE in PORTLAND This year’s conference, “Going the Distance and Shortening it, From Farm to Cafeteria,” explores the challenges and opportunities that come with the success of the movement. During the opening plenary, attendees will hear from youth about their actions to improve school meals. Get inspired and bring some ideas back to BC! Mar. 19, visit farmtocafeteriaconference.com for details.

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL One of BC’s favourite wine events featuring tastings, multi-course lunches, winery dinners, educational seminars, rare boardroom tastings, wine minglers, and grazing events. Don’t miss your chance to taste extraordinary wines from BC and around the world. [SPONSORED BY EAT MAGAZINE] Mar. 27th - Bourgogne: Tour de Terroir with Michelle Bouffard & Michaela Morris, 5pm, $60. Mar. 29th Vintner’s Brunch A wine and food pairing extravaganza with Vancouver’s top restaurants. Judge’s Choice Awards. 11:30 am, $129. Mar. 23-29, a full calendar can be seen at playhousewinefest.com YOUTH CULINARY SPRING CAMP at PICA Got a budding chef at home? Sign them up for the Teen Four-Day Spring Break Camp at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. $375 includes foraging trips to Granville Island Public Market and a Fisherman’s Wharf Tour as well as Dining Etiquette Workshop and a chance to cook Spanish, Italian, and French-themed menus under the tutelage of top chefs. Mar 17-20. Visit picachef.com for details. April FOODROOTS SUSTAINABLE FEAST to SUPPORT TLC TLC and local food distribution co-op FoodRoots are pairing up for this Sustainable Feast. Lana Popham of Barking Dog Vineyards will be speaking. Cost is $30, call 250-385-7974 for tickets. Apr. 4, held in Victoria at the Fairfield Community Centre. JAPANESE CULTURAL FESTIVAL Just across the water, Seattle celebrates Japanese cuisine, tea ceremonies, and art. Takes place Apr.17-19 at the peek of the cherry blossoms along Lake Washington Blvd, where Japan’s gift of 1000 blossoming cherry trees to the city were planted in 1976. Visit seattlecenter.com for more information. BIKE THE BLOSSOMS, SLOW FOOD VANCOUVER Embrace Spring by cycling through the cherry trees at their pinkest peek. Farmers and eateries open up the doors to cyclers for coffee and treat stops. A delicious event that truly celebrates food in slow style. Check out the Slow Food Vancouver website for details. OKANAGAN SPRING WINE FESTIVAL Festival begins Apr. 30 and carries on into May offering a perfect marriage of wine and culinary tourism. 100 events celebrate the first buds of the grape season in the beautiful Okanagan. Check owfs.com for event listings and details.

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

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

New lounge opens at Chateau Victoria The minute I entered Clive’s Classic Lounge in the Chateau Victoria I thought Single Malt. That’s the kind of place this new addition to the city’s lounge scene suggests. Swish meets retro with class. Pictured: Designer Nicky Proman, Michelle Le Sage & bar namesake and hotel owner Clive Piercy.

The British Columbia Hospitality Foundation Founders Dinner II: BC’s culinary elite rally to support their own Left: chef Jeff van Geest speaks to the assembled. Right: Wild Muskox Tenderloin, Veal Jus Ravioli, Caramelized Chanterelle Mushroom & Bison Short Rib Risotto.

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Read the full story at www.eatmagazine.ca

Nichol Vineyards Wine Makers Dinner Cafe Brio hosted winemaker Ross Hackworth (r) and winery agent Sasha McCauley (l) and guests for a 5-course dinner showcasing the wines of this Naramata cult winery. Kickass: Venison Strip loin with Smoked Venison Meat Balls chestnut puree and cranberry salt with Nichol Vineyards Syrah Reserve 2005. www.nicholvineyard.com

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ISLAND T ISLANDS

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

Multi-course Beer Dinner at Philips Brewing Co. Chef Jason Liezert of Niche and Matt Philips of Philips Brewing Company hosted a mult-course dinner at the brewery where beer was matched with each course. Read the full story at www.eatmagazine.ca

eat fish. drink wine. live long. Celebrate spring and watch the sunset on Victoria’s most spectacular seaside patio. Enjoy the Chef’s 5-course tasting menu for just $55…the most delicious deal of the year!

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

Addendum: Halibut season officially opens March 21, 2009

Brentwood Bay Lodge 849 Verdier Avenue, Victoria BC 250.544.2079 ∙ brentwoodbaylodge.com www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

GOOD FOR YOU — by Pam Durkin

FOOD

The Med Diet

The

Here’s one diet that’s not a fad. Castillo Canena

Haro’s Afternoon Tea

Take a break and enjoy an old world tradition in a casual seaside setting. The perfect pot of tea, decadent goodies, and an ocean view to watch the world go by. What could be better? Where: Haro's Restaurant + Bar When: Daily from 2-4pm Cost: $12.95 per person (not including tax or gratuity)

For reservations: 250.655.9700 • www.sidneypier.com 6

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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

magine a diet devoid of calorie counting and deprivation, full of enough flavourful food to satisfy even the most discriminating palate. A diet that would not only help you maintain a trim weigh but protect you from chronic disease, ward off depression and lengthen your life. Sound too good to be true? Well, this is one diet that isn’t. Garnering praise from medical and culinary experts alike, the Mediterranean diet is the traditional eating pattern adhered to for millennia by people living in countries bordering the Mediterranean. The diet’s emphasis on fresh, local plant foods, seafood, olive oil, spices and red wine has even inspired a campaign to safeguard this traditional way of eating from the global spread of fast foods. The Mediterranean diet first attracted worldwide attention in the 1940s when American scientist Ancel Keys discovered that people living in Mediterranean regions had one of the lowest rates of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases in the world. Later, in 1993, Oldways, a Boston-based food think-tank founded by a team of international medical and culinary experts, released the “Mediterranean Diet Pyramid” in an effort to help people who wanted to adopt this traditional, healthy way of eating. The pyramid was recently updated to reflect the findings of ongoing research into the health benefits of the diet. For instance, herbs such as rosemary, oregano, basil and garlic have been added to the base of the pyramid to reflect not only their dominant role in the diet’s flavour profile but also their role as outstanding antioxidants. What exactly do these Mediterranean folks eat that makes them so healthy? Their diet traditionally includes vegetables, grains, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, seafood, farm fresh cheese, yogurt, eggs and moderate consumption of red wine. In addition, food is made robust with liberal use of herbs, spices and heart-healthy olive

oil. Red meat, butter and sweets are used only occasionally, and heavily processed foods are non-existent. Furthermore, when meat is included, leaner cuts of lamb and veal are the preferred choice, and portions are much smaller than is typical in North America. But it isn’t just what is on the plate that sets this diet apart. As Massimo Segato, coowner of Italian Food Imports Ltd. on Blanshard Street, notes, “The Mediterranean diet isn’t a diet per se—it’s a well balanced way of eating, a lifestyle, that celebrates the taste and flavour of food and marries that with reconnecting with family and friends. Dinners aren’t rushed events—we don’t watch TV while eating—we enjoy the food and each other’s company.” The experts at Oldways concur with Segato. They also cite lifestyle habits like enjoying meals with family and friends and regular physical activity as key health-enhancing components of the Mediterranean diet. And this traditional way of eating is healthy. A growing body of evidence now suggests that following the Mediterranean diet can help prevent certain cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It has also been found to alleviate the devastating effects of rheumatoid arthritis and chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis. Regrettably, this healthy, traditional way of eating has been losing some ground within the Mediterranean region itself. Like many places around the globe, obesity is on the rise in the region due to inactivity brought about by longer working hours, time spent in front of computers and the encroachment of North American fast food. Sensing their heritage under siege, representatives from Italy, Greece, Spain and Morocco have petitioned the UN to add the Mediterranean diet to its World Heritage list and grant it “protected” status just like historic sites. A decision is expected later this year. In the meantime, Oldways continues its international promotion of the Mediterranean diet, citing it as “the gold standard for eating patterns that promote life-long good health.” Their partner website, www.mediterraneanmark.org, has a wealth of mouth-watering recipes sure to tempt you into beginning your own culinary exploration of the Mediterranean. Once you’ve experienced these delights, you just might want to petition the UN yourself! For more information on which foods are the Mediterranean Super Foods go to www.eatmagazine.ca

Conside

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FOOD MATTERS

— by Julie Pegg

The New Victory Garden Consider this a call to arms for a new kind of victory.

uring World Wars I, and II demands on Britain’s domestic food system escalated. Shipping routes were blocked and times were lean. Growing one’s own fruits and vegetables, sewing seeds by the sackful, became both an act of patriotism and a necessity—“doing one’s bit for the war effort.” Edible gardens (The government labelled them “Victory Gardens) speckled every village and city to raise morale and combat food shortage. Sixty years on we again find ourselves more and more in troubled times. Modern concerns revolve around the environment, climate change, food security and sustainability. Add to that the economic downturn and kids who figure food grows under golden arches. The time is ripe for a Victory Garden comeback. Victory Then My grandfather dug a Victory Garden just beyond his East Anglia blacksmith shop. He sustained a family of nine almost year round with cabbages, carrots, beets, potatoes and berries—especially gooseberries. “And the varieties of fruits and vegetables we grew”, says Dad. He remembers his father planting a half-dozen early and late-harvest cabbages brushing snow off a deep green curly winter Savoy. And talk about recycling. Pipes and rusted-out dustbins served as planters. Discarded windows became ideal cold frames. In London, plots backed onto Liverpool Street’s railway tracks. (Many still do.) My folks say the Brits sacrificed “lawns, public land and cricket pitches for cabbages.” Even King George VI turned some turf in St. James’s Park for vegetables. Britain also spurred the Americans to “dig for victory”. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt ploughed up a bit of White House lawn. Canadian politicians, less keen on the movement, held out, but the Victory Garden Brigade triumphed. By 1943, Canadian Horticulture and Home was publishing monthly magazine articles on victory gardening. Seed companies bought the concept lock, stock and seed packet. The Vancouver Herald wrote, “If Victory Gardens in British Columbia were lumped together, they would occupy a space approximately three times the size of Vancouver’s great Stanley Park.” At that time, the paper said, there were 1,425 gardens on city-owned lots. Victory Now Urbanites again are digging up dirt on vegetables. They are standing up against the trucking and over-commercialization of food, and for food security, increased flavour and nutritional value, a decreased carbon footprint and increased biodiversity. Nearly 6,000 strains of tomatoes exist, yet fewer than 15 are bred commercially. And most of

those, to quote “The End of Food” author Thomas Pawlick, are tough and tasteless as tennis balls. Last summer, London’s Royal Parks department resurrected the World War II Dig for Victory allotment in St. James’s Park. Tended by school groups and community volunteers, it became a working example of how to grow fruit and vegetables, attract wildlife and recycle waste. In San Francisco, Slow Food Nation revitalized Civic Center Plaza’s wanton lawn with thousands of fruit and veggie plants. Overwhelming public support, convinced Mayor Gavin Newsom to extend its May-September run until November. The City of Vancouver has not yet sprouted seeds among the concrete in the name of victory. But community gardens aren’t new. Numbering around 25-30 (find a list at www.cityfarmer.org/vanccomgard83.html), more are underway. Last year, Onni Developments replaced, in partnership with Vancouver Public Spaces Network (VPSN) an eyesore bit of turf at Seymour and Davie, with 60 plots, until condo development goes ahead—complete with gardening spots for tenants. More and more, gardeners are exchanging azaleas for zucchini, giving up grass for greens, planting potatoes instead of pansies. Schools are fostering edible gardens. And the kids are keen. The Sharing Backyards program (www.sharingbackyards.com) in Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo connects people yard space to spare and those looking for a place to grow food. Last August, Dominic and Suzanne Fielden from Rocky Mountain Flatbread invited several urban farmer/gardener/educators, and media to discuss the growing pains—and pleasures—of cultivating an edible garden. Victoria author Carolyn Herriot (A Year on the Garden Path) writes GardenWise’s The New Victory Garden blog online. Planting your own little victory corner need not be intimidating. Claim a window box, balcony, rooftop, patch of yard, or community plot. Start small. Sow a few herbs, maybe a pot of cool climate greens for the salad bowl—lettuces, arugula, spinach and chard. As days become warmer and longer, pot some tiny, sweet tomatoes, English cukes, a few peppers. I plucked last season’s tomatoes from the vine December 6th—just two pints for a simple roasted tomato sauce. Christmas Day I brushed a foot of snow off the herb box. Peeking through the white stuff were enough tiny sage leaves and rosemary sprigs for a savoury stuffing. Victory never tasted so sweet. For plotting and planting: useful info go to www.eatmagazine.ca

Cook like a Chef with a little Help from Thrifty Foods Cooking and Lifestyle Centre Hone your knife skills with hands on classes for all skill levels Discover the techniques and secrets for authentic tasting ethnic cuisines Learn how easy it is to prepare your own gourmet fare Register today and be on your way to cooking like a chef Visit thriftyfoods.com for a complete class schedule and registration details or call Eva 250 483-1222

Thrifty Foods Tuscany Village is located at the intersection of Shelbourne and McKenzie, 1626 McKenzie Ave. www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

COVER RECIPE Easy Carve Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint and Walnut Crust

EPICU

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The huma insatiable

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

bo u l a n g e r i e organic bread & pastry OPEN Tuesday - Saturday 101-398 Harbour Rd. (Dockside Green), Victoria, 250.477.8882

"Our Business Volume Has Increased" “Eat magazine is the only publication we consistently advertise with. Through our ads we have increased our business volume by reaching new customers across the province. Everyone from the home food enthusiast to the busy restaurant chef comes to our store. We are happy customers of Eat magazine and we are committed to supporting local business.”

Stephanie Clark, Owner, Haute Cuisine, 1210 Broad St., Victoria For Advertising Opportunities call 250.384.9042 n s Rd ea alla oc D ark p

1 (5-6 lb) leg of lamb, boned and butterflied 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup walnut halves 1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 4 medium garlic cloves, sliced 1 Tbsp breadcrumbs 2 1/2 cups beef or lamb stock (see Note) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the mint, walnuts, oil and garlic in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place the lamb, fatty side up, in a large roasting pan. Spread the mint/walnut mixture on the top the lamb. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Roast the lamb for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325˚F and cook to the desired doneness, about 30 minutes more for medium rare (see Note). When cooked, set the lamb on a platter, tent with foil and rest 15 minutes. While the lamb rest, make jus to serve with it. To do so, remove excess fat from the roasting pan. Set the roasting pan on the stovetop and pour in the beef or lamb stock. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes. Slice the lamb and arrange on a platter. Serve the jus in sauceboat alongside. Note: The best way to check lamb for doneness is to use an instant read meat thermometer, remembering that the meat will continue to cook once removed from the oven and allowed to rest before slicing. For rare lamb, the internal temperature in the centre of the thickest part of the meat should be 125-130ºF. For medium-rare it should be 130-135°F. Medium lamb should be 140°F (60°C), and well-done 150°F. Note: You can purchase beef stock ready to use, but not lamb stock. If want to use lamb stock for the jus, ask the butcher to give you the leg bone after he butterflies the leg and make stock with it.

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Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: see Note Makes: 8 servings

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specialty spirits wines from BC & around the globe craft beers expert advice 10 am to 9pm everyday 230 Cook St. Village

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EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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EPICURE AT LARGE

— By Jeremy Ferguson

Peppercorn Pleasures

The human appetite for these fiery little flavour bombs has proved insatiable down through history.

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ndia is Mother Earth’s spice box. Cumin, coriander, cardamom and the rest grew up in that subcontinental hothouse, as if the gods were hoarding all their pleasures in one niche. Pepper ranks as the oldest spice in the world. What’s more, it’s had a rip-snorting history. Indians have been cultivating the pepper plant for thousands of years. They probably introduced the process to Java, where a Hindu empire rose up in the ninth century. It was Java’s pepper that prompted the Dutch to conquer Indonesia in 1596, and the race for spices was on. For 200 years. But pepper had been important in Europe even in the Middle Ages. It gave excitement to the gruel that fuelled the masses, masked routinely rancid flavours and served as prophylactic to microbial growth. The European appetite for it grew insatiable. Yet its principal importance for well over 1,500 years was as currency: peppercorns, don’t leave home without them. Attila the Hun demanded his ransom for sparing Rome to be paid, among other things, in peppercorns. Pepper could pay the rent or buy a serf’s freedom. People could even pay their taxes in peppercorns (just don’t try it with Revenue Canada) and lord knows what else: Monsieur, zat will be 350 peppercorns plus GST. Pepper was integral to any respectable dowry. And it was the best of inheritances. Christopher Columbus thought he was in India consuming pepper when he was in the Caribbean eating chilies. He was the nerd who mistakenly put the “pepper” in chili pepper. So sail the seas and pack your holds with black gold, matey. The trade winds sent explorers and adventurers all over the globe in search of pepper. True peppercorns are black, white and green. Black derives from the near-ripened berry, dried into little pellets of flavour that hit the tongue like exploding grenades. White comes from the fully ripened fruit, husk removed. Green peppercorns are the unripe, often pickled fruit. All of them are easy to love, individually or in tandem. Peppercorn pretenders have their own legitimacy. In Argentina a few years ago, I saw pink peppercorns—not really pepper, but the fruit of the mastic tree—growing wild everywhere. Argentines treat them as weeds and find it amazing that Canadians actually eat them. Nor are Sichuan peppercorns really pepper, but the seeds of the prickly ash tree, rightly prized for their tongue-numbing titillation and racy, complex flavour.

Today the pepper plant thrives throughout the exotic world. Connoisseurs have their favourites, invariably those from India’s Malabar or southwest coast. Another favourite is the Sarawak pepper grown in Malaysian Borneo. Some years ago, my wife and I took dugout canoes up the Rajang River into the interior. We spent a day with former headhunters now turned to the gentler craft of growing pepper. Oddly, they didn’t touch a speck of their celebrated crop. At the tribal longhouse, we were mortified over a lunch of tasteless starches with the consistency of cement blocks. What are contemporary restaurants doing? Mostly taking it for granted, except for le peppier, the zombie with the oversized grinder, attacking our dinners like the cropduster in Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. But pepper belongs everywhere: in soups and salads, salsas and sauces, in stews and stir-fries, on roasts and grills, shellfish and fishes, fowl and meats. And don’t forget the giddying alchemy between pepper and dark chocolate. Or the way pepper ignites fresh strawberries and peaches. My favourite pepper orgy is to make a crust of cracked black, white, pink and green peppercorns, and then throw in some ground Sichuan peppercorns for good measure. I use a ceramic grinder: it’s almost as sharp as diamonds, maintains its cutting edge much longer than metal and crushes maximum flavour and aroma from the peppercorns. Before grinding or cracking, I dry-toast each peppercorn group until aromas begin to waft from the fry pan. This brings out residual oils and natural flavours. The beauty of this is, the crust works as well with a thick slab of halibut as it does with a striploin steak, and as well with a pan as a barbecue. Lately, I’ve been dallying as I go about this. I fill a martini glass with vodka, preferably triple-distilled French. I infuse this with a teaspoon of the toasted, still-warm black peppercorns. I let it sit for as long as I can keep my hands off it, the pepper oils seeping into the vodka. Then I strain the pepper out. This pepper martini is not for the faint of palate. It’s startling, spicy and very, very hot. I add a squirt of lemon zest, lemon and pepper being natural lovers. And then a couple of ice cubes to relieve the heat before my scalp catches fire and my eyes roll around to the back of my head. What a buzz. The headhunters don’t know what they’re missing.

MARINA DINNER SERIES JANUARY

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www.marinarestaurant.com www . .marinar estaurant.com m www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

RESTAURANT CULTURE

— By Gillie Easdon

CHAPTER FOUR

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

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

ut it wasn’t over for Greg Hayes. He knew what he wanted—a gorgeous restaurant with real Italian food. He and Silvia set out to find the right location. They found it in an empty parking lot at 944 Fort St. Hayes headed straight for City Hall to rifle through the microfiche in the front lobby and discovered that the land was owned by Griffin Plumbing. He made a call. It was the right call. The pair went from bank to bank seeking funding for a restaurant and no one would see them, until they approached Toronto Dominion. They’d found some Herald Street groupies. TD welcomed Hayes and Marcolini, and the road to Café Brio was paved. Café Brio opened in 1997 with Sean Brennan in the kitchen and Marc Morrison on the floor. Brennan put Brio on the map with his cutting-edge cuisine, earning the restaurant “killer reviews,” says a beaming Greg Hayes. He later hired Chris Dignan as sous-chef. When Brennan moved on, Jeff Keenliside took over, and Dignan followed in 2003. The most recent chef is Laurie Munn, known for his charcuterie and handmade cheeses. In 2001, a dream team of sommelier Marc Morrison and chef Sean Brennan opened Brasserie L’Ecole, offering up superb cuisine in a chic yet welcoming French bistro, kitty-corner to the Chinatown gates. Brennan had been in Victoria since 1995 originally coming here to work at Harvest Moon, intended to be a satellite venue for the concept restaurant company Raincoast with Karen Barnaby (The Fish House in Stanley Park) and Mara Jernigan (Fairburn Farm). From there he went to Vin Santo where he first met Marc Morrison. Then it was on to the Metropolitan (present site of Brasserie L’Ecole). Then to Café Brio with Greg Hayes in ’97, where they “threw local in people’s faces … [like] guinea hen from Saanich,” says Brennan. When the Chef Sommelier Guild offered their first sommelier program, Morrison jumped at the opportunity and Brennan moved on to Spinnakers. Morrison and Brennan had spoken about opening a place together, “the kind of place we would want to go to,” explains Morrison. “We like to go out a lot, but we don’t want to spend a lot of money.” At the time, explains Brennan, “no one was really doing French wines save the French restaurants. It was all CalItal.” Brasserie L’Ecole opened its doors in December 2001 on a shoestring. With 48 seats, “it always feels like it’s full,” says Morrison with a smile. “There’s a comfort feeling that the room generates.” Corey Korenicki (Wren) and Jeff Heatherington (Pig BBQ Joint) are among past Brasserie staff. From the outset, Brasserie L’Ecole was busy, but their success was further confirmed in November 2002 when enRoute magazine published its first “Best Restaurants in Canada” survey and the restaurant came in third. The article was picked up by the National Post. ~ The story of Victoria’s restaurant scene continues to unfurl and branch out, an ebb and flow of restaurants, staff, owners and chefs. Yet amid this, some places provide continuity. One of these is that monster of success in the basement, namely David Mincey and Paige Robinson’s Camille’s Fine West Coast Dining, which has endured, thrived and succeeded for 20 years. Bastion Square was a harrowing site in the late 1980s when Camille’s opened. “It was terrible,” says Mincey. “Drugs, open prostitution. The staff would not want to come to work.” The area was designed to look like a fort, which provided a fertile playground for Victoria’s underbelly. Extensive renovations to the square in 1991, with new lighting, painting and paving, were more than welcome.

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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“For a long time we were the new restaurant, and then one day we just weren’t. When did that happen?” says Mincey with a smile, “[In the 1980s] there was no such thing as local produce. Every restaurant got the same meats from the same places … but that has all changed now.” Tipping his hat to Sooke Harbour House and also attributing increased knowledge of how food is acquired and crafted to the Food Network and the Internet, Mincey’s philosophy of food is unyielding. As past president of the Island Chefs’ Collaborative, he is radiant as he speaks of working with farmers. He notes how current customer attitudes have shifted from always wanting the same thing at the same restaurant every time, to people coming to a restaurant to see what they have that night. When he first started using seasonal-only ingredients, he had to take Caesar salads off the menu. “Romaine only grows here, what, one month a year? But people would leave the restaurant.” People no longer leave for lack of romaine; nor do they leave when presented with evidence of some ghostly inhabitants; in fact Camille’s is quite renowned for its supernatural elements. People sometimes ask to be moved “because they smell cigar smoke or ladies’ perfume,” says Mincey. “Things move around—you may set up at night and come to work the next day and a wineglass will be upside down in the middle of the floor. There is a crisp air that shifts about the restaurant, so cold you can see your breath.” Yet the warmth and passion of Mincey and Robinson’s commitment to their restaurant and to sustainable food keeps Camille’s firmly connected to the earth. ~ A spinnaker is a large triangular sail that swings out opposite the mainsail and is used when running before the wind. How appropriate a moniker for the first brewpub in Victoria (second in Canada) currently known as Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guesthouses. Flash back to 1982. Paul Hadfield, architect, was trolling for a location. No licenses were available downtown and the regulations were stringent. One could only own one pub at a time and only two over a lifetime. Moreover, many communities did not want pubs—“not in my backyard.” Across the tracks on the “wrong side” of the bridge, Hadfield found a south-facing, neighbourless, waterfront lot. “It was a no-brainer … and waterfront restaurants had a lower propensity of going bankrupt, ” he says. But remember, pubs were different back then. Pubs did not have windows. They also did not generally serve food, save for bar items that floated in glass jars. Hadfield convinced the authorities that water-facing windows could not be seen into and thus won approval. At the time, the main bars were the Red Lion, the Snug (insert sigh) and The Beaver at the Empress. Unlike other establishments, Hadfield’s vision consisted of an open kitchen alongside the bar, “for the same interaction with the cooks as you would with a bartender.” His brewpub set an impressive standard for later greats such as Michael Williams’s art-infused Swan’s (1989) and Harbour Canoe Club, which is now Don Calveley’s Canoe Brewpub. In June of 1982, Hadfield got the licence and the cash register on the same afternoon and that evening their then 65-seat venue was packed thanks to word of mouth and repeated payphone use. “I wanted to raise the bar and pursue food the same way we how pursue beer … we became artisan brewers before artisan was a word being used.” In 1988, concerned and fascinated by chains, with their “better management systems in place, better buying power and better ability to compete,” Hadfield opened two “Noggins” locations in Seattle. This was short-lived; he realized that “my job was here in Victoria … there was a huge value in being unique.” Operating Spinnakers as both a brewpub and a restaurant, Hadfield was hyper-conscious of over-capacity and sought to diversify. Ensuing years included much renovation and the addition of guesthouses, a specialty shop and a front desk featuring housemade chocolates and fine vinegars. The kitchen has been rebuilt twice. The inception of the bar upstairs finally established the downstairs as the restaurant. Over the years, Spinnakers has enjoyed the talents of Sean Brennan (Brasserie L’Ecole), Mike Pelletier (Herald Street Caffe) and Ken Hueston (owner/chef Smoken Bones and current ICC president). The current chef is Allison Ryan. Until he received a restaurateur award six years ago, Hadfield admits, “I was in denial.” Like many on Vancouver Island, Paul Hadfield is smitten by the wealth of local produce that abounds. “Victoria and South Vancouver Island are going to be world renowned. We have a unique set of circumstances and we need to foster them, which gives us something to market internationally.” With Brio. L’Ecole, Camille’s and Spinnaker’s firmly established, we turn our attention to a few other tendrils and the people behind them. Next Issue: Mike Murphy, Ferris’, The Marina and Pag’s

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

FOOD ARTISANS

— by JULIE PEGG

Worth Its Salt

Our climate i flecting terro I sampled B strained salin ted ham add Wet-cured supermarket der. Since I lo ditional red-e and poured o To purchas unique and t

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

Tracey Kusiewicz

Campagnolo ham

or decades Smithfield Hams, from Isle of Wight County, Virginia, have been the yardstick by which all North American hams are measured. The price tag is as hefty as the porker himself. (Having said that, it’s argued that the holein-the-wall, family-run Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams give Smithfield pigs a run for their money, both for quality and price.) I recall, as a teen, tucking into a wonderfully pungent, super salty (even after a twoday soak) Smithfield ham, fluffy biscuits, a mess of collard greens and gravy while on a trip along the U.S. eastern seaboard. A few years later, in Europe, I swooned over shavings of prosciutto di Parma, superb jamón ibérico (from acorn-fed Bellota hogs) and jamón serrano as well as slabs of rosy pink Irish and English ham. I’m a ham fan. So, I wondered, was it possible in B.C. to get good regional ham? The answer is yes, but it isn’t an easy find. Most supermarkets sell mass-produced, brine-injected ham. In truth, many pass the taste test. But a fair number lack flavour, are watery and/or rub-

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

bery. Really, nothing matches the sweet, salty taste and texture of a well-cured ham. For the skinny on ham, I tapped my Barron’s Food Lover’s Companion but got much more interesting information from chef Rob Belcham (Fuel, Campagnolo). I knew he’d been known to dry-cure a few hams in his day. Ham is cut from a hog’s hind leg. (Ham or gammon is a corruption of jambon, French for leg). Curing ham is a centuries’ old craft. Dry-cured hams are salt-packed so the salt saturates the meat, after which a second curing stage involves more salt, sugar and seasonings (usually the producer’s own recipe). Country hams, from the American South, are cured then desalinated and smoked over fragrant woods, commonly hickory. Folks from the South seldom nosh cured ham right off the bone as we might prosciutto, preferring to fry up salty steaks for breakfast or bake a 15-pounder for supper. (Things are changing, however. Smithfield’s website suggests slicing the ham very thin and eating it “raw.) Belcham dry-cures his hams, Italian-style, but he says, “It is not Parma by any stretch.

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Our climate is more humid, our geography different. Like wine, a good ham is all about reflecting terroir.” I sampled Belcham’s “prosciutto,” aged 12 months. The flavour is almost fruity with restrained saline notes and mossy, forest-floor “finish.” Marvellous. Belcham, a self-admitted ham addict, will then use the hock to make a smoky Barlotto bean soup. Wet-cured or commercially brined hams see none or just a wisp of smoke, yet they fill the supermarket shelves at Easter. If I can’t find a decent ham, I bake a smoked picnic shoulder. Since I loathe pineapple/clove glaze, I coat the meat with a type of red-eye gravy. Traditional red-eye gravy is a reduction of ham drippings, water and coffee reduced to a sauce and poured over ham and biscuits. My adaptation, if I do say so, is to die for. (See sidebar.) To purchase a fine local ham, check out the following. I guarantee the flavour will be as unique and the price nowhere near that of Smithfield Hams.

match ham.

Tracey Kusiewicz

Prominent Victorian caterer David Feys swears by B.C. hams from Johnston Packers in Chilliwack, available through Windsor Quality Meats (604-872-5635) in Vancouver, or order from Feys + Hobbs Catered Arts in Victoria (250-380-0390). Windsor Meat Co. (no relation to the above) in Caulfeild, West Vancouver (604-926-6168 or windsormeats.com), does a doublesmoked cherry wood bone-in ham and a lightly dry-cured Austrian-style schinken, flavoured with caraway seed. Both Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland Thrifty Foods sell Hertel’s (1-866-723-9698 or hertelmeats.com)slow-cured,naturally smoked hams on a seasonal basis. The Abbotsford-raised pigs sold at Hopcott Premium Meats in Pitt Meadows (604-4657799 or hopcottmeats.ca) are fed a strict vegetarian diet with no added hormones or antibiotics. For whole hams you have to order/shop at the store on-site.

Rob Belcham cures Sloping Hill Farm (250758-0529) Berkshire (heritage breed, black) pigs from Vancouver Island. He receives an entire piggy every other Thursday, getting right down to butchering and making charcuterie. Due to health and safety concerns regarding refrigeration, home curing is risky. But should you remain undaunted, Rob Belcham firmly suggests the book Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, 2005, Norton Publishers. Choux Choux Charcuterie (250-382-7572) in Victoria also uses Sloping Hill Farm pork to make their beer and brown sugar" smoked ham and a brandy & molasses ham. For Easter they also offer bone-in, smoked sloping hill hams. Oyama Sausage Co. on Granville Island carries BC cured ham. (604-327-7404)

Baked Pork Shoulder (or Ham) with Red-eye Glaze and Gravy Since this is my own recipe, the method is more of a strong guideline. But not to worry; just make sure the coffee isn’t too bitter. For red-eye glaze: (enough to glaze a large ham. Make same quantity for smaller cut. Use leftover glaze for more sauce, or freeze.) 6 oz. of strong brewed coffee (or run to the local coffee shop for an Americano) 4 oz. real maple syrup plus 2 Tbsp of brown sugar (6 heaping Tbsp brown sugar if you do not have syrup) 4-6 oz. of bourbon (Forty Creek Canadian whisky is a good substitute. Rye will do. Scotch not recommended) or to taste 1 Tbsp dry mustard or 2 Tbsp Dijon A dash of balsamic (optional) Place all ingredients in saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce until mixture becomes light syrup. (Don’t worry if it’s a bit thin; it will thicken in the roasting pan.) To bake ham or smoked pork shoulder: preheat oven to 375ºF. Place ham/smoked shoulder on middle shelf. Crank down the heat to 300ºF immediately. Bake around 20 minutes to the pound. You can adjust down to around 275ºF if the glaze is getting too caramelized. (Remember, ham is already cured and mostly, if not completely, cooked— check package.) Glaze ham. Baste frequently with “gravy.” If gravy becomes too thick, thin with water or a splash of whisky, not coffee (too bitter). If using pork shoulder, remove the thick blanket of coarse fat and place in the bottom of roasting pan. Roast the de-fatted glazed shoulder on top of the fatty “blanket.” Baste/glaze/bake the shoulder the same way you would for ham. (Optional: I remove the shoulder halfway through cooking and roast the separated fat until well done but not quite “crackly.” Great for noshing on later. I return the roast to its bed of fat and finish baking on the lower heat—about 275ºF.) Pork shoulder throws quite a bit of fat, but the result is superb, smoky “gravy.” The meat too will be rich and sweet/smoky and surprisingly lean as the fat drips away into the pan. The fat and cholesterol watchers can pour over a little of the original glaze.

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www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

RESTAURANT REPORTER: VICTORIA

Sips

Three off-the-beaten-path finds “Romantic, soothing and uncomplicated” highlight Elizabeth Smyth’s three restaurant picks for this issue

Rebecca Wellmam

Rebecca Wellman

omantic. This is my impression of an off-the-beaten-path Oak Bay restaurant. To add a bit of mystery to the romance, its name is changing: Among Friends is transforming into Nar, which is Turkish for “pomegranate.” Entering Nar is like falling into a warm embrace on a cold day; the downstairs dining room of this converted 1930’s house has only four tables and is lit by candles in the fireplace and tiny beaded lamps on the tables. Upstairs, visitors to the larger dining room walk past an elegant table with books on Turkish culture, cuisine and recipes that they are welcome to pick up and peruse. The food invites one to linger as well. “Mezes” are the Turkish version of antipasto; the cold mezes plate is $3.95, and hot mezes range from $5.50 to $7.50. One cold meze is a fresh, pea-green fava puree, jauntily presented on a circle of lime. The hot mezes show the same delicate hand: “borek” are airy phyllo pastries with cheeses and seasonal vegetables, “karides guvec” is a bubbling shrimp and mushroom mixture in an earthenware dish, and the dolma are the best stuffed grape leaves I’ve ever had, including in Toronto and Montreal. This is how I love to eat – a bit of this, a bit of that. On the entrees menu, the mixed kebab for $22.50 is easily shared, or could be one very large meal. It boasts juicy kofte (meatballs), chunks of chicken basted in red pepper paste, and a fan of tender sliced lamb. The vegetables are excellent: lemony grilled asparagus and yellow peppers, and the surprise of mushrooms stuffed with walnuts. All this is served on a large pita soaking up the meat and vegetable juices. For dessert, the delicate hazelnut and walnut baklava must be tried, as well as the plump dried apricots soaked in syrup and sherry and sprinkled with chopped almonds and hazelnuts. This is an exciting new addition to the Victoria repertoire of restaurants.

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

Rebecca Wellman

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

Sips Artisan B

Sherri Kostian

“Soothing” is my first impression of The Village restaurant, where bright sunlight streams through a wall of windows and warms up the white décor. I was, however, there on a quiet weekday, and I understand that on weekends “hopping” can be a better word for it, and for good reason. Co-owner Daniel Blades calls The Village “a breakfast restaurant with some Jewish things,” and all the breakfasty and all the Jewishy things I tried were delicious and fair value. The Israeli “Shakshuka” is the most unique dish on the menu; two poached eggs float atop a blend of tomato and spinach, impeccably seasoned with cumin and garlic, and the dish is topped with triangles of rye bread. Latkes are crisp and golden, and come with sides of apple sauce and sour cream. The “From the Sea” benedict has an assertive lemon twist in its hollandaise sauce, which pairs well with the smoked salmon. A sweeter option is the blintz plate. Four crepes are stuffed with a sweet cheese flavoured with lemon and vanilla and dusted with icing sugar. Even sweeter are the actual desserts – the special I had was a toothsome poached pear in a port and ginger glaze, served in a swirl of crème fraiche. This elegant dessert is $6.00, and all of the other dishes I sampled are between $10 and $12. This restaurant closes at 4:00 pm, so be sure to plan a breakfast, lunch, or really large snack before then.

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Yes, it really is just a kitchen. Tibetan Kitchen in Market Square is a small oblong workspace with a window looking out into the square. Devoted regulars, whom owner Pemba Bhatia greets by name, take their meals back to their offices or schools, and then return the plates the next day. As a person new to the system and without a downtown office to go to, I sat just outside the opening on the sole rickety card table that seats three. The menu is a simple blend of Tibetan and Indian dishes, reflecting Pemba’s background as a Tibetan refugee raised in Eastern India. The Tibetan dishes are very simple. The momos, or dumplings, are rolled by hand. The most flavourful is the pork one, with its sweet accent of coriander. The fried noodles are plain, plentiful, and healthy, making the unspiced version a perfect fit for my four-year-old while I concentrated on the much more complex curries. Chicken, steak, vegetable, or meatball curry comes with dal, wholewheat poori, basmati rice, and a pappadum. The poori is a fried, unleavened bread, attractive to me because it’s a good curry dipper, and attractive to children because it’s shaped like a flying saucer. The curries are the highlight; the chicken curry is golden brown with a velvety texture and a slightly tart, citrusy finish, and the steak curry is more like a stew, with its dark, toasty sauce and soft green peas. These curry platters are a deal at $8.25, and let’s hope we’ll see more of them in town soon…Pemba has a proposal in at BC Ferries to be a food provider at the Victoria terminal, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed! Nar/Among Friends, 2540 Windsor Road at Newport, 250-598-1085, www.narcafebistro.com The Village, 2518 Estevan Ave near Dunlevy St, 250-592-8311 Tibetan Kitchen, 140-560 Johnson St (Market Square at the Pandora and Store St. corner), 250-383-5664

The curry platter + soup and pot stickers at the Tibetan Kitchen

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

Sips Artisan Bistro

Rebecca Wellmam

Rebecca Wellman

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his is the best thing to happen to James Bay in some time and is thanks to the dedicated and tenacious Paul Hadfield, proprietor of all things Spinnakers. The intrepid restaurateur battled the city and the liquor board for over three years to create this cozy, neighbourhood tasting bar. My tastebuds are saying Sips was worth the wrestle, Paul. The bistro sits alongside its sister, Spinnakers Spirit Merchants, on Simcoe Street. It’s a long, modern but warm room with high stools along the bars and tables in the back. The entire back wall is a chalkboard with listings of more than a Charcuterie plate including dozen Island cheeses, artiOyama’s Granville island sake san-crafted charcuterie and cured kazu, lamb salami and a dozen different wines from Oyama’s grand fir prosciutto. Vancouver Island, BC and Served with mead jelly and abroad. Order a flight, by the stout infused grainy mustard glass or by the taste ($2 each for most tastes). Of course there’s beer; four Spinnakers ales on tap plus bottles from 10 local and international brewers. Order one item or many and taste the night away. Or indulge in lunch with a “tostis”—a traditional Amsterdam toasted sandwich—and Spinnakers’ seafood chowder. Sips is meant to be an experience, and the servers and the chef behind the bar can certainly point you in the right direction. Order a tasting plate for one ($9.50-$15) ranging from a local fish plate with apple-wood smoked trout and local oyster as well as verjuscured wild sockeye salmon accompanied by pear and walnut chutney. Or sample a plate of Oyama Sausage Company’s red wine prosciutto with Spinnakers-ale-poached Okanagan pear and Moonstruck’s Blossoms blue cheese. Most of Sips’ condiments are made by the Spinnakers chefs: stout mustard, quince butter, cherries marinated in malt, chutneys and reductions accompany any cheese or charcuterie. You can also order by the gram and create your own experience. Hadfield loves to see strangers becoming friends as they gather and share plates in a neighbourhood atmosphere. Go in for a taste, stay for dinner, and finish with a handmade truffle. –Kathy McAree

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For a limited time.

tapas + wine nights This spring, Executive Chef Dave Roger is proud to present a new tantalizing Tapas menu. Pair this with our specially priced $20 bottles of wine from our exclusive feature sheet available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Sips Artisan Bistro, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria; open every day 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 250-590-3515

e St. corner),

Sherri Kostian

728 Humboldt Street (in the Victoria Marriott) Tel: (250) 480-3828 * Special Tapas menu available daily, $20 bottles of select wine features are available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5pm to 10pm, Mar 12 – May 1, 2009 only. Not valid with any other offer. Promotion subject to end without notice.

the Tibetan Kitchen

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

Markus’ Wharfside Restaurant

Caffè Artigiano affè Artigiano has arrived in Victoria C and is raising the bar on truly great coffee in a city already nicely steeped in café

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culture. Created by the Piccolo family, Caffè Artigiano originally opened in Vancouver in December 1999. You may know them as the café that includes “latte art” on their sidewalk signs. They earned their loyal customers one at a time, built largely on better-than-average specialty coffee services and really good mid-day meal choices. Within the past two years, the Piccolo brothers have sold off the enterprise to Earl’s creator Willie Mounzer, whose eye for branding and regional expansion has allowed the business to take a quality product and export it from the Lower Mainland. Meantime, the Piccolo brothers, Vincent, Sammy and Michael, have been freed to concentrate on their true love, roasting the beans at 49th Parallel Coffee—the supplier of the very beans that fuel Caffè Artigiano. The café’s design mirrors that of its com-

panion stores on the mainland—bold colours and leading edge Euro-urban chic. Some Victoria residents might be reminded of the design of Torrefazione Italia: fashion forward without a trace of the cookie-cutter styles more typically associated with chain coffee establishments such as Starbucks. And how’s the coffee? Drawing from the very best of the artisan and small-batch roasts of 49th Parallel Coffee, Caffè Artigiano offers superlative specialty coffees from the traditional European café menu: eight-ounce cappuccino, 12-ounce americano and latte, espresso in single or doppio and caffè macchiato the way they serve it in the old country—perfect espresso marked or stained with a spoonful of steamed milk. And if you are looking for light breakfasts or lunches, Caffè Artigiano sources all its baked goods locally, including the wonderful Bubby Rose’s Bakery.—Colin Newell 1140 Government St., in the lobby of the Bedford Hotel 250-388-4147

Victoria’s first gourmet burger joint opens

he mutton burger might not be the first burger you’d think of ordering when you first T read the menu at the new Pink Bicycle, but being

a former chef and member of the I-hate-to-seegood-food-go-to-waste club, I ordered up one mutton burger, fries on the side. There’s a back story to this burger beyond it being a mere patty made from mature sheep. The previous night I had watched the F Word and Gordon Ramsay’s “Put Forgotten Mutton Back in the Kitchen” rant. It seems Brits used to eat a lot of mutton until WWII when it was prolifically used as army rations and rather disgusting in tins. Since then it has fallen from favour - that was until Ramsay’s quest to bring mutton back. That, and the mutton in the Pink Bicycle burger comes from Sea Bluff Farm in Metchosin and the gruyere from Little Qualicum - making it a true Island burger. So, how was it? I loved it. Juicy, not overdone, with a pronounced lambiness without being too strong or funky. The bun, from Bond Bond’s bakery next door, was fresh, liberally sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and ably able to hold everything together. Pink Bicycle Gourmet Burger Joint, 1008 Blanshard St., (250) 384-1008

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

Chef Aliso

Rebecca Wellman

Vancouver Island’s best kept secret (250) 642-3596 1831 Maple Ave. Sooke www.markuswharfsiderestaurant.com

Con

Macchiato (with heart), latte (with leaf ), espresso (small cup) put together by barista champ Sammy Piccolo.

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“One of the things that fascinates me about world cuisine is how so many incredibly tasty and imaginative dishes were born out of sheer necessity,” confides chef Alison Bigg of Devour, a new bon vivant eatery and takeout nook opening April 1 on Broughton at Blanshard. Bigg lifts a plastic-wrapped bowl from her fridge; within it nestle four lovely duck legs that spent the night slathered in a mortar-and-pestle paste of 2 Tbsp coarsely ground sea salt, 3 star anise, 1/2 tsp Szechwan peppercorns, 3 garlic cloves, peeled and the zest of 1 orange. “Duck confit resulted from visionary cooks in southwestern France preserving meat in fat. By sheer luck it’s also intensely flavourful and wonderfully tender.” Bigg heats about four cups of olive oil (not virgin as it has too much flavour) to not-quite boiling in a heavy bottomed saucepan, enough to cover the duck. Unlike most duck confit recipes, Bigg’s does not require duck fat. “You can reuse the same olive oil and it will become more and more ducky after each use,” she explains. Covered, the duck confit cooks on low for 1.5-2 hours. If the oil boils on low, you can use the oven method at 210ºF for the same amount of time. Chef pokes the duck with a sharp knife. Clear liquid flows, indicating it is done. She serves her duck confit (chicken or goose are great substitutes) with orange ginger quinoa, kumquat chutney and curry leaves or with a shaved fennel salad with grapefruit and pureed parsnips. “It’ll last three to four months in the fridge, but in my house I’m lucky if it lasts three to four hours.” When stored, duck confit just needs to be browned in a skillet and heated at 400ºF for five to seven minutes. The duck confit is succulent and velvety. It is not quite as ducky as confit made with duck fat, but this is the first time Bigg has used this olive oil, which she’ll hold on to for the next time. True to her claim, Bigg’s duck confit doesn’t last long, about an hour or so, but the tender memory of that gorgeous dish does; it’s etched on my purring palate. Devour opens April 1 at 762 Broughton

Defending Our Backyard Returns

Spring has Sprung 3 courses for $33

waterfront restaurant + patio Floor-to-ceiling views of Victoria’s sparkling Inner Harbour t West Coast Pacific Rim-inspired cuisine t Sunday brunch t Large waterfront patio t Gold medal chefs 680 MONTREAL STREET t VICTORIA BC CANADA V8V 1Z8 T 250.414.6739 TF 1.800.663.7667 t WWW.AURARESTAURANT.CA

G. Hynes

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

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The second annual Island Chefs’ Collaborative Defending Our Backyard Local Food Festival will return to Fort Rodd Hill on May 31, 2009. A celebration of Vancouver Island food and food producers, the event combines food sampling with educational elements including food demonstrations and local food information sessions. Organized by Island chefs, the event is designed to highlight the importance of supporting local producers while showcasing the wealth of food available in our own backyard. Defending Our Backyard 2009 will feature an even greater number of food stations, and information tables and a greater variety of participating producers. Guests will taste a variety of bites created by the Chef’s of the ICC entirely from Vancouver Island ingredients including local seafood and meats, produce from local farms, Island cheese and other local products. A variety of Vancouver Island wines, beers and ciders will also be available for tasting. Come discover where you can source local products, hear from experts on topics ranging from apples, wineries, farming, seed saving, breweries, composting, the local harvest of seafood and processing of meats and poultry. Highlights of the 2008 event included a demonstration seafood market, oyster shucking, a west coast style pig roast and pizza spinning and baking in an outdoor oven. Several demonstration farm markets, including the ICC Bastion Square Market, were set up and guests were able to buy fresh produce from farms ranging from Sooke to the Saanich Peninsula. A selection of speakers will again make short presentations through the day. Proceeds from Defending Our Backyard supports the Island Chefs’ Collaborative farmer grant program which helps pay for infrastructure improvements on a farmer’s property. The festival runs from noon to 4 pm on May 31 at Fort Rodd Hill. Tickets are $45 per person and will be available starting April 1. Event details and ticket outlet information will be posted at www.iccbc.ca. Or contact ICC President Cory Pelan at info@lapiola.ca for more information.

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

RESTAURANT REPORTER: VANCOUVER

Learning to Share

Bistrot Bis urban refinem Laurent turns into a tender shank. House fect share.” T four. (The rat without sacri Owner/che comfort and c rabbit and fr cheery Italian table. Sandw the “neighbo veal tongue medley of ca $12/17-sized the glass. Restaurant aged. Camara stew. If the co

In European restaurants, eating family-style from oversized plates of hearty country fare has never gone out of style. Here in the new world, we’re just ... By Julie Pegg

Tracey Kusiewicz

CHARACTER

CREW

COOKING

MUST HAVE

ave I had my fill of tomato water and celebrity chefs? Not completely, but more often than not I prefer to skip the fancy places and squeeze my tush into a 30-seat, nofrills bistro. Apparently, so do many others. Priced-to-please, down-to-earth fare is playing to packed houses. I’m all for relaxing with good company who’ll join me in a morethan-ample plate of comfy French or Italian fare. Is it the wobbly economy or is this just food that begs to be shared among friends? Until recently we’ve been happy to dim sum or chopstick our way around a lazy Susan laden with platters of Szechwan green beans, beef with dried mandarin peel and tan-tan noodles amid the clatter of a Chinese restaurant (or other Asian eatery). Only when it came to tapas did we venture into the world of communal dining western style. When, in 2001, Alain and Brigitte Raye opened La Regalade, (#103-2232 Marine Dr., West Vancouver), they popped the Le Creuset lid on convivial dining. This West Van bistro still bustles with regulars who ladle as much or as little as they please of, say, the navarin of lamb,

LA REGALADE Beef bourguignon in Staub pot ready to be served and shared.

Tracey Kusiewicz

BISTROT BISTRO Rabbit with two mustards and white wine cream sauce.

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

boeuf bourguignon or coq au vin from the heavy casserole mid-table. While spooning creamy, crisped potatoes from a separate gratin onto their plates, they praise their kids, curse their day (or the other way ’round) and wash it all down with a pichet of red, white or rose wine. This kind of meal served family-style needs no in-depth discussion or deconstruction. It’s more about sharing good food and good times with good company. The communal approach is now evident at many of the city’s bustling bistros. Most days, the seats at the petite, fun Salade de Fruits Café (1551 W. 7th Ave) spill into the lobby of the French Cultural Centre adjacent. Pascal Poutot and Antoine Bernard inject a lot of bonhomie into juicy carre d’agneau (rack of lamb) or confit de canard. Inevitably, folks dive into one heaping cauldron of moules with shoestring frites and mayo while pondering the French scripted “carte” on the blackboard. Shared plates cost an extra three bucks, but only if the kitchen does the divvying (you can do it for free). The wine list is brief—one red/one white. BYOB is not only permitted but recommended. Corkage fee applies.

DRINK

1147 Granvil

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

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Sandwiched between the Grotte Nail Spa and the Space Lounge in the 1100 block of Granville’s spotty entertainment district (zoned for, and undergoing, re-gentrification) is Twisted Fork Bistro.—Julie Pegg left: Chef Cory Sullivan and his wall of preserves The décor is “Shoestring Budget/Bohemian” in this narrow strip of a place: exposed concrete walls painted dark red, faux-fur-covered banquettes, rustic wood tables, local art. A well-stocked bar dignifies the front of house. The real eye-catcher is toward the rear, though. Jar upon jar of preserved vegetables lines shelves along the back corridor. Modern-cool tunes are turned up just enough to notice. Service is casual-friendly. After running the successful The Wood in Fernie for four years, chef Corey CREW Sullivan along with Andrea Leslie and her brother Mike Leslie, an accountant, decided to move to the Big Smoke. Their budget demanded they look for, as Leslie says, “an affordable place to cook. You can’t argue with the rent,” she adds with a grin. You can’t quibble about the quality for value either. Best described as BC bistro—local ingredients, rustic French fare COOKING (confit, entrecôte, canard, moules, frites, frog’s legs). Corey’s preserves (Grandmother’s recipes) add, well, a twist to the competent cooking— pickled watermelon for the steak, corn relish on the pan-seared halibut. Small Forks run $7-8$; Big Forks, $18-$24. MUST HAVES Small Forks: beef carpaccio with truffle basil oil and pickled beets, cold lamb loin with roasted squash and caramelized onion salad, gruyère and onion tart with pear walnut chutney. The moules in cream, herbs and tomatoes ($8.00 on Mussel and Frites Tuesdays). (Very) Big Forks: a prongs-up for the duck duo—confit leg and meltingly good cured breast—and the vanilla-scented grilled Cornish hen. DRINK Full service bar, innovative martinis and a dash of whimsy. Order the Cerveza Float from the Hair of the Dog at Brunch list—if you dare— Cuervo gold, lager and lime sorbet. Wine list is brief, all-BC and fine value. Wines by the glass—seven bucks (white), eight bucks (red) include the tax. Serviceable selection by the bottle. Lay down three tenners for Blasted Church Hatfield’s Fuse or six for Laughing Stock Portfolio. The daily pour is Nanaimo Fat Cat beer on tap. CHARACTER

Tracey Kusiewicz

GALADE aub pot shared.

Twisted Fork Bistro

1147 Granville St. | 604-568-0749 | Daily 6-midnight, Brunch 11-4 weekends

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

LOCAL HEROES

Know Thy Farmer

rregional egiona ional tasting ta ting lounge ounge www.r.tl w w w.r.tl 604.638.1550 04.638.1550

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Endnotes Check out Nicalo’s excellent website, www.farmsteadwines.com. Frequently updated, it gives the complete Farmstead wine portfolio and vinaroon profiles, links to useful blogs, including his own, and offers recipes, videos, etc. Nicalo has also found time to launch FarmFed, a non-profit organization that connects people to food. For now, FarmFed encourages folks to consider where and how their food is farmed. Long-term it hopes to purchase arable land and potential urban garden sites and lease them to sustainable farmers. www.farmfed.com. —Julie Pegg

First all-BC grocery store opens

ngeline and James Street had an idea. They wanted to open the first full-service, BC-only grocery store in the province. It would specialize in BC foods that you couldn’t find in the regular supermarket store, yet still offering your favorite basic pantry items. On Dec 2, Angeline and James realized their dream and opened Brambles Market in the Comox Valley. Along with fresh, daily local produce and baked goods, a British-trained butcher does custom cutting and makes delicious homemade sausages. You can pick-up made-in-BC deli, frozen and convenience goods, too. Produce is a treat. Everything is grown in BC and is so fresh and beautiful because it hasn’t travelled around the world. Whenever possible, Brambles chooses things grown or produced in the Comox Valley, but they also get meat, produce and other items from up and down the Island and around BC. New items arrive almost daily from over 20 Comox valley vendors, so shopping is a bit of an adventure. The Grand Opening is scheduled for March 30- April with a week of demos, and a chance to meet with a lot of the vendors. 244 A 4th Street, Courtenay, BC, info@bramblesmarket.ca

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

It’s tou brisket

Tracey Kusiewicz

Anthony Nicalo of Farmstead Wines

n 1988, I and other newly minted BCLDB wine consultants knocked back the unique Adventures on the Wine Route with gusto. Penned by California wine merchant Kermit Lynch, this opinionated, witty travelogue heralded (mainly) French vignerons whose unfiltered, unfined wines were lip-smacking samples of regional terroir. Lynch’s book steered me (and my colleagues) away from waxing on about only famous producers and prestige labels. Some months later, three of us on a trip to San Francisco sought out the tiny Berkeley café upstairs from the Hobbit-house-sized restaurant called Chez Panisse whose owner, Alice Waters, also championed the small farmer. We gave big thumbs up to a Lynch import, Domaine Tempier Bandol, made from the then-unfashionable Mourvèdre grape. Its untamed, gutsy style, teamed up with wild mushroom strudel, proved a food/wine revelation. Fast-forward 20 years. I am sitting at a picnic-style table, sipping a few wines in Anthony Nicalo’s renoed older home in East Vancouver. Clean-shaven pate to chin, smart-casual in white Oxford-cloth shirt and pressed jeans, Nicalo is the owner of Farmstead Wines and the most wedded-to-the land wine distributor I’ve ever met. The ex-chef, born and raised in Pennsylvania, gardened with his grandfather, “Papa Bill,” when he “could reliably walk about” and grew up cooking with his grandmother. Training at the hands of some mighty fine chefs, Nicalo’s own stints include Ristorante Banfi in Montalcino and Chicago’s Tru. Two years ago, Nicalo decided to turn in his toque for wine importing. “Chef Sam Kass [of Inevitable Table, a private chef service in Chicago] and I went to Piemonte to butcher a pig named Chico from farmer/wine grower Renato Fenocchio.” It was on that trip, Nicalo says, while quaffing Fenocchio’s Dolcetto, that “I knew I wanted to import his (and other) small farm wines.” In 2006, Nicalo moved to Vancouver and set up Farmstead Wines. Just as Kermit Lynch had done 20 years before, 32-year-old Nicalo follows his own off-thebeaten track to source and purchase wines only from growers he knows. He’s coined them “vinaroons,” an old English term meaning farmer/winemaker. Nicalo’s philosophy is, above all, “reconnecting wine to agriculture.” All Farmstead wines are farmed sustainably. And like Alice Waters, Nicalo only sources the best ingredients for his stove and pantry. On the hot August day I visited, we noshed on tiny purple, white and pink breakfast radishes as well as micro greens from his neatly cropped back garden followed by wild mushroom (from Trout Lake market) pasta (homemade pappardelle made from Anita’s Organic Grain Mill flour). From Cioffi’s there was ricotta salata and, again from the garden, wild strawberries. The earthy noodles washed down with a ripe, rustic 2004 Domaine de Courbissac Minervois, took me right back to the now legendary Berkeley café. Nicalo and his rep Jeff Bashford steer clear of major wine shows, preferring to showcase Farmstead wines at small-scale wine dinners with like-minded chefs, through select restaurants and private wine shops. I try to remain faithful to pairing small production wines with simple fine food. I confess, though, to frequent forays into infidelity. But with more distributors like Anthony Nicalo, there will be less temptation to stray.

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The Quest: Smoked Meat Sandwich

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

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Tracey Kusiewicz

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his heart-clogger is the reason for the neverdiminishing queues outside Montreal’s two famous delicatessens, Schwartz’s and Lester’s. Is there such a sandwich in Vancouver? Not quite. But pretty close. Westenders can pop into Tango’s (851 Denman St.). No pre-prepped sandwiches but the friendly guys behind the counter will thin-slice 100-125 grams for stuffing into a large Portuguese bun. (Or you can break into a loaf of Winnipeg rye.) The cold beef is tasty, but it’s more like corned beef (wet-brined rather than drycured). Scratch the creamy coleslaw but double up on the crunchy dills. Zako’s Deli (500 W. Broadway at Cambie) is little more than a kiosk. Salah Salah brought his love of smoked meat to Vancouver from Montreal where he gets pre-spiced, smoked brisket flown in weekly. Salah shaves moist, lean, grainy brisket onto soft rye napped with regular mustard. Accompanied by superb housemade cabbage slaw and a dill wedge, this damn fine sandwich comes small, medium and large. PHAT on Fourth (1859 W. 4th Ave.) spins off the Yaletown original (1055 Mainland). The cheery communal table, oversized globe lights, a design-your-own sandwich bar and cappuccino machine lend a trendy

touch to this sandwich parlour. Smoked meat Benny is served all day, but I’m there for the “Hot Smoked Meat on Rye.” PHAT flies in pre-smoked brisket from Schwartz’s supplier. The meat gets a good rub- down with Schwartz’s seasonings before it hits the steam tray. The sandwich: hot and spicy on crusty rye (from La Baguette), lean or marbled, skinny (130 grams) or PHAT (190 grams). Add mustards (hot, mild or Dijon), a Strub’s kosher pickle and homemade chunky slaw garnishes and the result is a concoction worth every shekel. Kaplan’s Star Deli (5775 Oak St. and 1059 Alberni) is the real deal. What’s not to like about a deli filled with jars of Putter’s pickles (they make the pickles served at Schwartz’s) or Kaplan’s own, as well as gefilte fish, mustards and matzoh. Or noshes that include cabbage rolls, chopped liver and knishes. Owner Marshall Cramer flies brisket in from Montreal, from the original Lester’s supplier. (There are two; beware the pretender.) The smoked meat (hungry and not-so-hungry) on naked caraway rye (local baker), laden with subtly spiced, well-fatted brisket welcomes its Putter’s pickle, crunchy slaw and regular mustard. Every bite is a hit of sharp clean flavours. And you gotta wash it down with Dr. Brown’s black cherry soda.

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

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www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

Local

Kitchen a celebration of the season. Recipes and food styling by JENNIFER DANTER Photography by REBECCA WELLMAN

Potato & Salmon Tortilla with Asparagus & Fennel Salad 22

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

Early spri come aliv vegetable fast-grow the gate. with last o the Island

Early spring is such a culinary teaser. The garden starts to come alive and our anticipation of eating new and fresh vegetables grows strong. Pointy asparagus spears, fast-growing fennel and jewel-toned rhubarb are first out of the gate. They're also the fixings for a Spring brunch paired with last of the season nugget potatoes, farm fresh eggs and the Island's renowned smoked salmon.

Upside Down Rhubarb Cake

recipes on the following page www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

GET F Potato & Salmon Tortilla

Upside Down Rhubarb Cake

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

Garnet-coloured rhubarb is the crowning glory on these baby cakes. While technically a vegetable, I often consider it the first fruit of the season. Serves 8 to 12 Rhubarb Topping Avalon Butter, melted, 2 tbsp Brown Sugar, 8 tbsp Coarsely chopped rhubarb, 3 cups

BC fresh yellow nugget potatoes, 16 Sea salt, 11/2 tsp Onion, 1 Sweet smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp (optional)* Freshly cracked black pepper, grindings Island Farm organic eggs, 8 Olive oil Smoked salmon, 175 to 200 g*

Generously coat a large, non-stick frying pan with oil. It should completely cover bottom of pan in a thick slick. Heat over medium-high. When hot, reduce heat to medium and carefully add potatoes, a few at a time. Pan will be very full. Gently stir and turn potatoes until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Scoop into a colander to drain excess oil, then spread out on a large plate to cool. Add onions to remaining oil in pan and sprinkle with remaining salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir often, until soft, about 6 minutes. Turn onto a plate and let cool. In a very large bowl, gently whisk eggs with smoked paprika and pepper. Add cooked potatoes (separate sticky ones as best you can) and onion. Gently stir to evenly mix. Wipe frying pan, then add another drizzle of oil and set over mediumhigh heat. When oil is hot, add potato-egg mixture and stir potatoes to evenly distribute. Reduce heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until centre and edges of eggs are set, 5 to 7 minutes. Loosen edges with a spatula, then carefully slide tortilla (cooked-side-down) onto a cutting board or rimless plate that is larger than the frying pan. Invert frying pan over tortilla, then working very carefully, flip over so tortilla turns back into frying pan, cooked-side-up. Continue cooking until bottom is deep golden, 5 more minutes. Slide onto a platter and top with slices of smoked salmon. Dish up with a mixture of sour cream stirred with chopped fresh dill, if you wish.

Michael Tourigny

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

Cake Batter Anita’s Organic All-Purpose Flour, 11/2 cups Baking Powder, 2 tsp Sea Salt, 1/2 tsp Olympic natural yogurt, 1 cup Vanilla extract, 1 tsp Rum extract, 1 tsp Avalon butter, softened, 1/2 cup Granulated sugar, 3/4 cup Island Farm organic eggs, 2 For the topping, brush bottom and sides of 8 custard cups or a 12-cup muffin tin with melted butter. Sprinkle bottoms with brown sugar. Arrange rhubarb overtop. Place cups on a baking sheet.

Asparagus & Fennel Salad Harvested by a local farmer, slender green asparagus and feathery fennel are just about the greenest food you can eat. This is a simple, clean salad that lets the veggies speak for themselves. Use Babe’s Honey for the dressing or try their homemade Honey Balsamic Vinegar. Serves 6 Shallot, minced, 1 Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, pinches Garlic, minced, 1 Balsamic vinegar or Babe’s Honey Balsamic Vinegar, 1/4 cup Babe’s (or any good quality honey), 1 tbsp Olive oil, 1/3 cup Asparagus, 1 bunch Fennel bulb, 1/2

For the cake, stir flour with baking powder and salt. Stir yogurt with extracts and set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar. Add 1 egg and beat for 1 minute. Scrape batter down from side of bowl, then add remaining egg and beat for another minute. Using a spatula, stir in flour mixture alternately with yogurt – making three additions of each. Batter will be thick. Divide between cups – spooning right over rhubarb. Smooth tops. Bake in preheated 350F oven until a toothpick inserted in centre of cakes comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then run a knife around inside edge and turn cakes out. *Be sure custard cups are ovenproof. Each cup should hold about 2/3 cup. If baking in a muffin tin, check for doneness after 20 minutes.

For the dressing, place shallot in a small jar and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Then add garlic, vinegar, honey (if using honey balsamic vinegar add half the amount) and oil. Seal jar and shake to mix. Trim bottoms of asparagus. If asparagus is thick, peel ends to remove tough threads. Diagonally spice asparagus. Using a mandolin or a knife, thinly slice fennel (keep core in fennel – makes slicing easier). Place fennel in a large bowl. Boil asparagus until tender crisp, then drain. Add to bowl with fennel and drizzle with half the dressing. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly mix. Add more dressing, if needed (refrigerate any leftover dressing). Arrange salad on a platter and garnish with sprigs of fennel fronds, if you wish. *Visit FAS and try their smoked salmon or look for Treasure Island in most grocery stores. Plateware is Relections, designed by Queensberry Hunt (Nikko Company) from Puddifoot, 2375 West 41st Avenue

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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What’s in Season GARLIC is your best ally in spring’s cold and flu season. Try it raw in dips, roasted until it is soft and mellow or caramelized into sweet scrumptiousness, and use it liberally in soups and stews. FLAT LEAF ITALIAN PARSLEY has a rich, sophisticated flavour, totally unlike the sprightly taste of curly parsley. It is often found in the organic section of local supermarkets. ‘Tis the season for the first locally grown baby vegetables. Annual spring treats include: BABY CARROTS, purple sprouting broccoli, tiny kale buds, tender young collard greens, red and yellow baby potatoes, baby artichokes, baby French green beans, RED FINGERLING POTATOES, baby pattypan squash and tender gold and red baby beets. CRIMINI MUSHROOMS are actually immature Portobello mushrooms, and are sometimes called baby Portobellos, Portabellinis or BabyBellas. These coffee coloured mushrooms are more nutritious than white button mushrooms and have a richer flavour. They are an excellent source of selenium, copper, niacin, potassium and phosphorus and a good source of iron and zinc. The season for MOREL MUSHROOMS lasts from mid-April to mid-June. These unique honeycombs have a nutty, smoky, earthy taste that marries beautifully with meat and seafood. Try steamed Dungeness crab and MOREL MUSHROOM dumplings: A mixture

of grated ginger, cooked crab, sautéed scallions, garlic, shiitake, lobster and MOREL MUSHROOMS, cooked in sherry, Cognac and heavy cream, and steamed in purseshaped rice paper wrappers.

1 0 0 % O R G A N I C | FA I R T R A D E | L O C A L LY OW N E D & O P E R AT E D

Tea Artistry

More Spring Sensations The peak season for curly endive begins in March. Now is the time to pick tender, young dandelion leaves from your lawn. Add them to salads, or briefly steam or sauté them and serve them as a spinach substitute. The peak season for asparagus is from March to May. Grilled asparagus is a smoky, juicy treat, so brush off the barbecue and grab some green or white spears. Asparagus tastes like spring. Fresh fava beans are only available from April to June. The peak season for artichokes is from March to May. From March to June, pineapples are at their peak of flavour, super sweet and uber juicy. April marks the end of the peak season for citrus fruits. Enjoy the most flavourful blood oranges, grapefruit, oranges and tangelos while you can. Fresh fiddleheads are only available from April to June. These nutritious frond tips, which taste like a mélange of okra, asparagus, green beans and artichokes, can be used in recipes instead of artichokes or asparagus.

Silk Road Teas are created and blended in Victoria. Tea can be rich and pungent or delicate and subtle. The Silk Road art of tea blending ensures that the character of the plant retains its essential harmony and is enhanced by the ingredients with which it is paired. Select botanicals from around the world, as well as the West Coast, are carefully cured and prepared to yield a superb tea experience.

www.silkroadtea.com 1624 Government St. Victoria Chinatown

THIS MONTH’S SHOPPING BASKET RECIPE

Spring Lamb and Mushroom Stew 4 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 1" cubes 2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon 4 cloves of GARLIC, peeled and gently smashed 1 sprig fresh ROSEMARY 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 cup chicken broth 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 3 LEEKS, cut at an angle in 1-inch slices (use white and green parts) 2 red or yellow TOMATOES, chopped 20 CRIMINI MUSHROOMS 20 MOREL MUSHROOMS 6 RED FINGERLING POTATOES, unpeeled, cut in half lengthwise 10 BABY CARROTS Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/2 cup chopped FLAT LEAF ITALIAN PARSLEY

Combine first four ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag. Remove the air and seal the bag. Allow lamb to marinate 3-4 hours in the refrigerator. Remove lamb from the bag and reserve the liquid. Coat lamb with a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a large Dutch oven and stir in the lamb. Cook lamb over medium heat until pieces are evenly cooked and medium brown. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook lamb until it has released and reabsorbed its juices (about 1/2 hour). Stir occasionally. Add 1 cup of reserved wine marinade with chicken broth, cumin and coriander. Cover and simmer 2 hours until lamb is very tender. Add LEEKS and TOMATOES and cook another hour. Add MUSHROOMS, POTATOES and CARROTS. Cook until vegetables are tender but still firm. Turn off heat and allow stew to rest. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve topped with chopped PARSLEY.

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

I Chowder Comforts Recipes and food styling by NATHAN FONG Photography by TRACEY KUSIEWICZ

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EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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love soups, but especially chowders: rich and consoling, usually milk or cream-based, and enriched with a variety of ingredients from salt pork and bacon to fresh fish and shellfish. The term chowder comes from the pot in which it is cooked. The French word for pot, chaudron, developed from chaud or “hot.” It is also related to the English word cauldron. The modern-day word “chowder” is a New England term that originated in Newfoundland, where Breton fishermen would throw portions of the day’s catch and other available ingredients into a large pot. To some North Americans, it means clam chowder, made with cream or milk, or Manhattan clam chowder, which is tomato-based. To others in the middle of the continent, a chowder can only be corn chowder, filled with fresh whole sweet corn kernels. To us West Coasters, it could be a thick soup infused with smoked salmon or cod. To Maritimers, especially those in Prince Edward Island, it’s got to be made with local potatoes and seafood, from halibut and haddock to oysters, mussels and lobster. Last September I was fortunate to be invited to the 13th Annual Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival as a guest media judge for their PEI Shellfish Chowder Championships. Over two days, two different chowder competitions were held showcasing close to 24 competitors and their hearty recipes. All competitors were required to make about seven litres of chowder—for sampling as well as for judging. Although all of the recipes were rich with cream and butter, it was the superb fresh Maritime seafood that excelled—from tender sweet lobster and plump mussels to delicate scallops and halibut. Here are some comforting chowder recipes for cool springtime weather.

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Manhattan Clam Chowder A favourite of mine, this style of clam chowder is much less rich and creamy than its Maritime sibling. Fresh mussels can be substituted as well. If you prefer a richer base, stir in some cream right before serving. Serves 4. 6 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 cup chopped onion 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/3-inch dice 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/3-inch dice 2 cups diced peeled russet potatoes 24 oz clam juice or Clamato juice 3 cups canned diced tomatoes 5 dozen manila clams, scrubbed well Chopped flat-leaf parsley Heat a heavy bottomed stockpot over moderate heat. Add bacon and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate low, then add onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, clam juice and tomatoes (with juice) and simmer, covered about 10 minutes. Stir in clams and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until clams open wide, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove most of the clam shells with tongs (reserving a few with shells for garnish), then detach shells and return clams to the chowder. Stir in parsley and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

2524 Estevan Avenue paprika-bistro.com

Fennel Seafood Chowder This chowder, by chef Dwayne MacLeod of Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar in Charlottetown, won the 2008 PEI Potato Chowder Championship. Serves 4 to 6. 5 Tbsp butter 1 medium onion, coarsely diced 1 stalk celery, coarsely diced 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced 1/4 cup flour 2 2/3 cups homogenized milk 1 L half-and-half cream 2 1/3 cups white wine 1 lb mussels 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 garlic clove, smashed

Proud supporter of local farms, wineries & ocean wise fisheries

Reservations | 250.592.7424 Tuesday ~ Saturday from 5pm Email: paprikabistro@shaw.ca

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

1 bay leaf 1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 lb halibut, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 lb scallops 1/2 lb lobster meat 10 oysters, shelled and drained Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Melt butter in a heavy bottom stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and fennel and sauté until onion becomes translucent. Add potatoes right after sautéing the onions, celery and fennel Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook the roux for a few minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until well blended. Whisk in the cream and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. In the meantime, add 1 cup of the wine to a saucepan with the mussels and bring to a boil, covered, until all mussels have opened, discarding any that have not. Strain the liquid and whisk into the cream mixture. Remove mussels from shells and set aside, discarding shells. Add the remaining wine, peppercorns, garlic clove and bay leaf and bring to high heat, reducing it to half and strain into cream mixture. Add the halibut and scallops to the cream base and cook simmering on low to cook. After 5 minutes, add the lobster and mussel meat. Cook until barely done, about 3 to 4 minutes. Right before serving, add the oysters and simmer until hot.

Roasted Corn and PEI Shellfish Chowder with Pan Corn Bread “Victoria’s best kept live music & fine dining secret.”

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This entry to the 2008 PEI Shellfish Chowder competition was made by Vancouver chef John Clark, formerly of Diva at The Met, the Wickaninnish Inn and Chateau Whistler and now product development chef for the Joeys Restaurant Group. Serves 6 to 8. To make stock: 1-1 1/2-pound Dungeness crab, cooked and meat removed, reserving shells 3 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped carrot 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 fennel bulb, chopped 1 small tomato, diced 1 tsp fennel seeds 1/4 tsp chili flakes 1/3 cup tomato paste 1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped 1/3 cup white wine 1 L fish stock 1 L chicken stock Chop the crab shells. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottom stockpot. Add the crab shells and sauté until a nice aroma develops, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, fennel, tomato, fennel seeds and chili flakes and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add jalapeno pepper and sauté. Add the white wine and deglaze, reduce to dry. Add the fish and chicken stocks, stirring well. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Strain stock and discard solids. 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped carrot 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 fennel bulb, coarsely chopped 5 Tbsp butter 5 Tbsp flour Shellfish stock (recipe above) 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice Fresh cut kernels from 2 fresh cobs of corn 3/4 lb clams, steamed and meat removed, reserving juices 3/4 lb mussels, steamed and meat removed, reserving juices Reserved crabmeat 1 sprig tarragon, chopped 1 to 2 cups whipping cream

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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

Cheesy Herbed Corn Bread: This can be prepared in advance up to three hours ahead and kept uncovered at room temperature; reheat in microwave or covered in a conventional oven. 1/4 lb unsalted butter, melted, plus butter to grease the baking pan 1 1/4 cups cornmeal 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp honey 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed and drained) 1 cup finely chopped green onions, green part only 1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeño with seeds, or more to taste 2 large eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese Preheat oven to 400ºF. Generously butter or grease a 9-inch glass or metal pie pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the cornmeal, flour, honey, salt and baking powder. add to wet ingredients. Add the corn, green onions, red pepper, cilantro and jalapeños, mixing well. Mix together the melted butter, eggs and the buttermilk. Slowly stir into the dry mixture and mix just until large lumps are broken up and the liquid is blended in. Do not overmix. Add half of the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle with three-quarters of the cheese, then spread the rest of the batter over top and smooth with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake the cornbread until it is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 30 minutes before cutting into wedges for serving.

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Smoked Salmon Chowder Although we have wonderful seafood chowders in our local restaurants, smoked salmon chowder has become a popular staple on many menus. Serves 4 to 6. 1 Tbsp olive oil 3 medium leeks, washed and sliced (about 3 cups) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces 1 stalk celery, chopped 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 cups fish stock (or substitute chicken broth) 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 2 cups homogenized milk 8 oz smoked salmon, broken into small chunks 1/2 cup whipping cream Chopped chives and dill, for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, celery, salt and pepper and cook for about a minute. Add broth or stock and simmer until the potato is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne and milk until well mixed. Add the salmon and bring the mixture to a simmer (do not allow to boil). Stir in the cream. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped chives and dill. FOR MORE OF NATHAN FONG’S CHOWDER RECIPES VISIT WWW.EATMAGAZINE.CA

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

ADVERTISING FEATURE

THE GOURMET ISLANDS

Start at the southern tip of Vancouver Island and work your way north as you embark on a culinary journey that is a feast for both the stomach, and the senses. You will encounter a diverse foodie landscape made up of farm-to-table restaurants, small estate wineries and sustainable farms. You will find a culture that takes pride in its stewardship of the land and its bounty of seasonal foods. he South Island is known for the wide variety and quality of its restaurants. Walking down the streets of Victoria, smells enchant you and entice you to walk through the doors and pamper your appetite. Fine dining is the order of the day, and in locales such as Sooke, Metchosin, Saanich and Sidney, there is something for the epicurean in all of us. Pacific Northwest cuisine combines the finest ingredients on land with the freshest items of the sea, and brings culinary masterpieces to the table with flavour, colour and exciting textures. The Gulf Islands are fast becoming a culinary and agri-tourism destination. In these small artisan communities, including Salt Spring, Galiano and Pender Island, see first hand how local cheeses and wines are made. The cottage industries specializing in organics, locally grown produce and the highest quality delicacies are a mainstay in the region. Come to the area and sample wood-fired breads, fresh cheeses and handmade charcuterie. The Cowichan Valley region is a culinary and libation hot-spot of Vancouver Island. Some of the finest wines and ciders in British Columbia are produced in this region, and several companies offer tasting tours, allowing you to sample delicious beverages, often paired with regional cheeses and cuisine. The meaderies in the Cowichan area are also buzzing with activity, and offer visitors an opportunity to experience the centuries old brewing technique, all the while savouring the sumptuous amber liquid. The Central Island, including Nanaimo and Parksville, is known for its unusual agricultural offerings, such as emu, lamb and goat. Take part in weekend cooking classes and see how to prepare organic produce and game. Take a guided mushroom picking tour in the area, and create memorable dishes from items you’ve foraged from the damp Vancouver Island soil. Culinary and food-based festivals are also popular in the mid- Island region. Come get a taste of the best Nanaimo has to offer at Bite of Nanaimo, a sample of the area’s finest restaurants, held annually in September. If you love the coast, and have a passion for fresh seafood, the North Central Island is calling. Fresh seafood, particularly oysters, is a favourite among locals and visitors alike. In the areas from Fanny Bay to Oyster River, many restaurants offer their interpretations of how an oyster should be served. From cold, freshly shucked oysters eaten raw, to crisp deep fried oysters with a spritz of lemon and remoulade, you’ll find delectable dishes to tempt your palate. The cities of Courtenay and Comox offer an selection of restaurants, cafes and pubs that easily keep pace with larger cities. This region is in the process of developing a unique local cuisine based on its surrounding farms and wineries. The North Island region has a flavour all its own. Rich in first-nations history, the seafood caught here, and their unique preparations, are a must-see for any culinary adventurer. Take a trip to Fort Rupert, just outside Port Hardy, and experience the traditional native methods for curing and smoking salmon. Step inside a traditional big house in Alert Bay and let the smoke aroma embrace you as salmon is cooked on cedar planks and smoked between cedar trellises over an open flame. Take

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

Welcome to the Islands

The King

home a taste of Vancouver Island with these First Nations specialties. Perhaps your idea of perfection is having the various culinary delights prepared and served in luxurious settings. In the Pacific Rim communities of Tofino and Ucluelet, world-class resorts abound and 5-star dining experiences are at your fingertips. From the elegant dining rooms, watch the waters of the Pacific smash against the rocks below, as you dive into regional delights such as fresh, wild salmon, sea scallops and butterflied prawns. The bounty of Vancouver Island is ripe for the picking; smell the aromas, taste the flavours, and hear the region calling out for you to experience the opulent delights of this gastronomic epicentre. For more information on the Vancouver Island region, please call 1-888-655-3483 or visit VancouverIsland.travel.

The Natural Choice…for west coast dining Tigh-Na-Mara’s Cedar Dining Room offers a unique culinary experience with rustic yet elegant décor. The seasonal menu showcases appetizers and entrées with a West Coast focus, many created using local ingredients. Vancouver Island’s choice for dining.

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AMUSE BISTRO ELEPHANT ISLAND VINEYARD DINNER Join Chef Bradford Boisverte and Leah Bellerive for unique French-inspired dishes created from the bounty of local Vancouver Island producers. An elegant, intimate atmosphere, great place for a romantic couple. Mar. 5 at Amuse Bistro in Shawnigan Lake. ISLAND on the EDGE SCREENING How precarious is our local food supply on Vancouver Island? Film producer Nick Versteeg will be in attendance to discuss ideas. Light refreshments offered, farm and plant displays. Mar. 11, 7pm at the EMCS theatre in Sooke. By donation. The CHEMISTRY of EGGS at FAIRBURN FARM Chef Mara Jernigan unlocks the secret of using eggs for perfect baking, soufflés, ice cream, and other tricky feats. Finally the mysteries of the egg revealed! All this at beautiful Fairburn. Call 250-746-4637. Mar. 15. EDIBLE BC TOURS of the COWICHAN VALLEY In April/May 2009, Edible BC will bring tours to the Cowichan Valley with float plane flights out of downtown Vancouver directly into Victoria. Here, Edible BC’s Communication Manager / Sommelier, Treve Ring, will meet the group and lead them up to the Cowichan Valley for the day where they will tour wineries, fromageries, farms, vinegaries, and so much more. Check edible-britishcolumbia.com for dates. DEERHOLME FARM WILD THINGS COOKING CLASS Chef Bill Jones conjures up steamed morel stuffed with leeks and Dungeness crab, stinging nettle soup, smoked mussels, grand fir crème fraiche and more wild concoctions from local forages. Apr. 18 at Deerholme Farm near Duncan, call 250-748-7450. AT MCLEAN’S SPECIALTY FOODS Saturday March 14th will kick off celebrations of St. Patrick's Day with dancers from the Brigadoon Dance Academy and piper Bill Poppy performing on the beautiful Irish pipes from noon til 3. Come join in the fun and taste some delicious Irish cheeses and tasty treats accompanied by lots of Irish blarney! Also: Monday April 6th marks the 17th Anniversary of McLean's Specialty Foods. 426 Fitzwilliam St., Nanaimo, 250.754.0100 TERRALICIOUS GARDENING and COOKING SCHOOL Early Spring session start Mar. 30 and go ‘til May 9. Learn how to plant a garden in your own backyard, tend a market garden, preserve your harvest, and cook an elegant meal with Tina FraserBaynes and Dayle Cosway at beautiful Haliburton Farm just outside Victoria. Visit terralicious.ca for details. QUEBEC WEEK April 14-18 This is the week when at Ottavio’s celebrates all things Quebecois in both the delicatessen & cafe. Tastings & specials on all Quebec products in the deli including maple syrup straight from the sugar shack, game pates, duck products & a huge range of artisan Quebec cheeses. Don’t miss maple syrup tarts, tourtiere & Ottavio’s own poutine with hand cut fries & local curds. The Big Cheese Cut Saturday April 25th. This year Ottavio’s will do battle with the Italian king, the 35kg Parmigiano Reggiano Vacca Rossa (extra aged), the 38 kg Swiss Cave Aged Gruyere & the behemoth of them all, the 100kg Swiss Organic Emmenthal. 2272 Oak Bay Ave.

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

A Round-Up of News from Around the Province

Nanaimo’s Best Gourmet Deli…

6560 Metral Drive, Nanaimo

390-0008

carrot@direct.ca

www.24carrotcatering.bc.ca/carrotontherun

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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NANAIMO, COWICHAN & OCEANSIDE

COMO

Mamma Mia this is a great new addition to Nanaimo’s downtown food scene! While I do not typically wax Homeric about Greek food, I will about Asteras Greek Taverna [347 Wesley Street, Nanaimo, Tel: 250-716-0451] in the Old Quarter of the city. A few noshing reviews from friends convinced me to give this new place a try. Imagine my surprise to walk in and find folks I knew at the helm. The owners, Peter Paraskevopoulous and Greg Roumanis worked (for over 23 years) at one of the best Greek restaurants in North Vancouver, Pasparos Taverna. It was a haunt I frequented when I lived there. Their chef, Nicole Sullivan, worked with them in Vancouver and followed Peter and Greg to Nanaimo. Lucky us! This team brings a wealth of experience cooking/serving top notch Greek food. If they could manage to have waves crashing against the side of the old house in which they are located, it would feel as if you were sitting at a waterfront restaurant in Mykonos. The roast lamb is fall-off-the-bone sumptuous and the half chicken is crispy, lemony, and garlicky and lick-your-fingers bliss. The room is truly, madly, deeply romantic (think Shirley Valentine) with ambience up the wazoo. The table service is friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. The portions are generous and the wine list, though not extensive, is decent. The proprietors are good at their craft. Go with a group so you may sample lots of the appetizers, dips and hot mezethes. Sharing is a definite at this place. For those who have trouble with stairs (and there are many in this heritage house) use the side entrance up a long walkway that gets you easily in through the back door. Plate smashing is optional. Opa! Another new entry into downtown Nanaimo’s food scene is Sukkho Thai [123 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, Tel: 250-591-8424]. Pay attention when you walk in the door. Look to your left at the elaborately framed picture of The King, Elvis meeting the other King, as in the King & Queen of Thailand. Giap Hengthiansri and wife Nan Methathanasakun used to own the Thai Bistro on Johnson Street in Victoria, but a drive Up-Island last year convinced them to move their lives and fabo food to Nanaimo. Both Giap and Nan come from Bangkok families with long traditions of great cooks, but it is Giap’s mother who’s given away most of her kitchen confidential secrets to Nan, the chef at Sukkho. So serious are these two about serving authentic Thai food, they travel back to Thailand every January and spend the month shopping for spices and ingredients not available in Canada. All the dishes served start with house made sauces and everything is from scratch. No MSG here. The red snapper fish cakes have an intense lemon grass flavour and diverse complexity. The salmon panaeng is celestial and though the serving is monstrous, you will be tempted to wrap your arm around the plate to ward off attempts by others at the table to give it a try. However, the hands-down winner is the Lanna chicken with sugar roasted chilies. It is like a nuclear explosion of hot in your mouth and then mellows out to a sweet even hum; a tune you will want to sing again and again. Chef Bruce Wood arrived on Salt Spring Island about 20 months ago and the last time he sat down was on the plane coming west from Ottawa. Wood was chef at The Rock Salt in Fulford Harbour for about 10 months (new & very talented replacement chef is Rafael Flores of Mexico City). In the summer Wood dabbled in high-end catering and ran a field-to-plate cooking school, but his most recent venture has put his name in lights, literally. Bruce’s Kitchen [106-149 Fulford-Ganges Road, Salt Spring Island Tel: 250931-3399] has joined the line-up in restaurant row across from Market Square in downtown Ganges. Provençal yellow walls, crisp white tiles and harvest table group dining (seating for 8-12 only) give this

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new spot the feeling of comfort and joy. Along with business partner Matt Salo, their food philosophy is based on, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eat here for lunch, take us home for dinner.â&#x20AC;? Oh the smells when you walk in the door! Perfect roast chicken permeates the nostrils (a fragrance upon which I personally think Coco Channel should have invested much more development time) and is accompanied by an elixir of other enticing aromas. Lunch is inventive local fare using as much island grown produce as the season will allow. Dinner is in a paper bag and walks out the door with you for home-bound â&#x20AC;&#x153;show & crow and never-tell-where-yougot-it.â&#x20AC;? They also sell soups, stocks and seasonal specialties. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Su Grimmer

COMOX VALLEY

do not typically reet, Nanaimo, onvinced me to m. The owners, st Greek restauere. Their chef, aimo. Lucky us! could manage would feel as if sumptuous and madly, deeply riendly, knowl, is decent. The izers, dips and (and there are asily in through

Michelle Mustvedt is the new General Manager at The Tasting Room & Liquor Store [#4 - 2253 South Island Highway, 250-830-WINE (9463), www.tastingroom.ca]. She joins host Mario Balasta and Chef Carol Kopp to deliver some great wine and food experience at Willow Point Village, just south of Campbell River. I recently enjoyed Chef Kelley Laneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cortes Island mussels at Fusilli Grill [4- 220 Dogwood Street, Campbell River 250-830-0090 www. fusilligrill.bc.ca] and the Grillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s luncheon specials are always worth a visit. In Courtenay Chef Drew Noble and his partners, Maureen and Dale Roberts, have re-debuted the Old House Restaurant [1760 Riverside Lane, Courtenay, 250-338-5406]. To mark the 35th anniversary of the opening of the original Old House the new menu will feature some â&#x20AC;&#x153;remember whenâ&#x20AC;? items. The mom and pop shop at Bisque [14th and Cliffe Ave., Courtenay 250.334.8564) has grown to six staff and are getting good reviews on the street. The Union Street Grill & Grotto [4775th Street, Courtenay 250.897.0081] has introduced a new menu and given itself a facelift. Grotto motto: â&#x20AC;&#x153;coffee by day, martini by night.â&#x20AC;? Live music at the Grotto on most Friday evenings. Beyond the Kitchen Door [274B 5th St, 250.338.4404] continues its celebration of local chefs in March and April: Linda Shaben (new owner of Cumberland's Tarbellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant [2705 Dunsmuir, 250-336-8863]), Emil Shellborn (Thyme on the Ocean 1832 Comox Ave, Comox 250-339-5570), Jim Lalic (Clove's Catering 250-334-9444), Christine Lilyholm (North Island Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Culinary Arts Program 250-923-9746), Carol Kopp (The Tasting Room), Michael Kono, and Steve Dodd (Bisque) are featured this spring. After a winter break, Chefs Jon and Paul are bringing in a new menu at Atlas CafĂŠ [250-6th Street, Courtenay 250.338.9838]. Look for more proteins and a changing the pasta selection â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and fresh sheets with lots of produce directly from local farmers. March 6th also sees Zizi's Eastern Mediterranean Specialties [441B Cliffe Avenue 250-334-1661] reopen after their winter break. Winter was a busy time at Crown Isle Resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Silverado Steakhouse [399 Clubhouse Drive, Courtenay 250-703-5050]: they just completed the annual â&#x20AC;&#x153;$29 for 3 courseâ&#x20AC;? program with great word-of-mouth reviews and now Chef Norman MĂźller is rolling out a new Spring menu. Chef Troy Fogarty is hosting Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Table events at the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa

mercial Street, eft at the elabThailand. Giap Street in VictoNanaimo. Both Giapâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother erious are these pend the month art with house have an intense h the serving is by others at the roasted chilies. um; a tune you

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Chef Owner Ronald St. Pierre C.C.C.

Open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 9 pm www.localscomoxvalley.com 250-338-6493 Unit C - 368 - 8th Street, Courtenay (next to Shopper's Drug Mart - corner 8th & England)

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

[4330 Island Highway, Courtenay 250-334-9600 Kingfisherspa.com] on March 5th and April 2nd. Thursday's nights also feature a complimentary lobster tail per person with an appetizer and entrée order. Inspired by a recent trip to India, chef Nicola Cuhna is treating patrons to new uses for fresh curry leaves, black cardamom, and pomegranate molasses at Cumberland’s The Great Escape [2744 Dunsmuir Street, www.greatescape-cumberland.com, 250-336-8831]. In Comox at Avenue Bistro [2064 Comox Ave, 250-890-9200 www.avenuebistro.ca], Chef Aaron Rail has been busy building relations with local producers. Look for seasonally inspired menu changes, as well as a reprise on the recently finished March 2nd wine makers’ dinner. Otter's Kitchen Store [250-339-1153] is moving to a more visible location, kitty-corner to The Lorne Hotel (a good place for lunch when in Comox at 1770 Comox Ave. 250-339-3000). Dough Diva Carol Spencer has made a bold move with Wild Flour Organic Artisan Bakery 221A Church Street in Comox [250-890-0017, www.wildflourorganicbakery.com]: eschewing the costs of running a retail outlet she is now doing free home deliveries, Farmers Markets, and offering classes at the bakery location. Check the website for details – and plug into her new blog at http://wwwwildflourorganicbakery.blogspot.com. —Hans Peter Meyer

TOFINO With spring just around the corner, Tofino and Ucluelet welcome new restaurants and fresh faces to the dining scene. Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, the West Coast’s newest full service luxury Resort opened its doors in mid January. Located on a stunning rocky edge in Ucluelet, Black Rock Resort features 133 suites, a 90-seat oceanfront restaurant, Fetch, 50-seat oceanfront lounge, Float, a wine cellar available for private parties and events, conference and banquet facilities for 100+, and a full service destination spa. After an evening of dining at Fetch, I am eager to return for more melt-in-your mouth braised bison short ribs and lamb sirloin. Featuring the cuisine of Executive Chef Andrew Springett, most recently of Innvision Hospitality Resource Group and former Executive Chef of the Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn, ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible and everything is made in house. The team, lead by Hotel Manager, Carly Hall, (formerly of Long Beach Lodge Resort) also includes Brent Baker and Simon Gillet (both from Middle Beach Lodge). Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is the sixth property opened and managed by Boutique Hotels & Resorts of British Columbia. For more information go to www.blackrockresort.com New to Tofino, Chef/Owner Vincent Fraissange brings a fresh face and menu to the Spotted Bear Bistro, located at the old RainCoast Café on 4th Street. (The RaincCoast Café has closed the doors after 11 years of success, and will be missed by many.) After an apprenticeship at Le Crocodile in Vancouver, Fraissange worked at both Feenie’s and Lumiere, and now brings his passion to Tofino. While still under renovations as I write this, the Spotted Bear Bistro will be open for dinner this spring; breakfast and lunch will follow for the summer season. With a French inspired menu, we will look forward to change in Tofino. For more information call 250 725 2215. Beginning in February, The Pointe Restaurant’s Executive Chef John Waller and Restaurant Chef Nick Nutting will have introduced their Sunday Brunch. Brunch is open to both guests of the Inn and the public, featuring traditional and non-traditional a la carte menu items, with highlights of local ingredients from Vancouver Island purveyors, including Medicine Farms (Barkley Sound), Nanoose Farms (Nanoose Bay), Sloping Hill Farm (Nanaimo) and Wildside Seafoods (Tofino). For more

information go to www.wickinn.com The Pointe Restaurant will also be hosting its annual fundraising dinner for the 21st Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival, March 14 – 22. Don’t forget to check out the ever popular Chowder Chowdown, hosting more than 500 guests, as well as the Annual Martini Migration, where you will find all your favourite restaurants competing for best chowder, or best martini! For more information go to www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com And finally, with the absence of the Tofino EATBuzz for January/February, congratulations to Chef Jesse Blake of the Wildside Grill for winning the People’s Choice Award at the 12th Annual Clayoquot Oyster Festival Gala! The Juried Prize went to Chef Joshua Anker of Long Beach Lodge Resort and Best Presentation went to Chef John Waller of The Pointe Restaurant. —Kira Rogers

VICTORIA Spring is in the air! And for Victoria’s seasoned and novice gardeners there is a plethora of classes, tools, and programs to help you get your garden growing. For those who need a little space to grow, check out Lifecycles Sharing Backyard Program at sharingbackyards.com to find a backyard in your neck of the woods that is available for gardening. Or, if you’ve got ample space and would like to donate that to a keen gardener, contact Lifecycles to let them know and they’ll put you on the map. Peruse heirloom fruit and vegetables varieties like black gypsy tomatoes or dragon’s tongue beans in the Seeds of Victoria 2009 Catalogue. Find them at Dig This shops around Vancouver Island and Plenty on Fort Street or order from the catalogue online at earthfuture.com. March 10th through April 7th, Camosun College is offering courses on Organic Gardening and Increasing Your Yield taught by local garden gurus, Tina FraserBynes and Mary Alice Johnson. Tina will also be offering classes for the market or personal gardener at Haliburton Farm just outside of Victoria. Or if you’re closer to Sooke, the Sooke Food CHI is hosting garden classes at their CASA site. Call 250.642.6371 for details. Youths interested in learning to grow food and be involved in Vancouver Island’s food system, can sign up for Lifecycles six-week Youth and Agriculture Work Experience Program from March to April. The program teaches basic farming practices, small scale food processing, food security basics, and introduces participants to local food businesses and farm to assess a match for a full-time work experience placement. If you’re more interested in the eating part than the growing efforts, note that several pocket markets have reopened for the Spring after brief winter closures: Fernwood’s Community market is open Tuesdays 2:30 to 5:30 at the Gladstone Café, the UVic Student Centre market is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 to 4:30, and the market at the Cedar Hill Rec Centre is now open Wednesdays from 10:00 to 1:00. A brand new pocket market has just opened at Cliff Leir’s new bakery Fol Epi at the Dockside Green; check it out Saturdays from 10:00 to 2:00. Don Genova’s course on Exploring Local Foods taught at the University of Victoria may suit your tastes. There may still be room by March 1st if you contact Heather McCrae at hmcrae@uvcs.uvic.ca soon. In restaurant news, make your way over the blue bridge to for a fantastic cup at Caffe Fantastico’s new location in the dockside green, right in front of Cliff Leir’s recently opened Fol Epi. The new café will be manned by Fantastico’s brilliant baristi and boasts some shiny new equipment, so expect excellence. Ooh La La Cupcakes quietly opened up under the radar at Hillside and Cedar Hill, but is becoming popular

just in time for signer/cake ba (check out the Read all about is serving up ed the evenings. V announce its su around Victoria TLC. The new C melier Pamela its and wines. Paprika Bis beloved Esteva to concentrate of the Oak Bay good work of t ies and the Oc Taverne Sur Le Ave., 250-595 A hearty con who won the year's award c rina for sevent heart and soul them how to pr Bar & Grill lunc the second yea Best Brewpub i four years that four stars by the has developed is known for. H —Katie Zdy

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EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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just in time for Easter cupcakes and Spring parties. Passion For Cakes, is the creative endeavour of designer/cake baker Corina. Divinely delicious and over-the-top artistic cakes served with a dash of kitsch (check out the Elvis cake), stunning and elegant, or just plain flabbergasting (view the Red Purse cake). Read all about it at passionforcakes.com In Fernwood’s bustling square, the new Green Goddess Café is serving up edible flower salads and espressos during the day—and their house specialty, absinthe, in the evenings. Vista 18 is unveiling a fresh new Spring menu on April 18th. Accent Inns is pleased to announce its support of The Land Conservancy which is working hard to preserve agricultural land around Victoria, such as Madrona Farm. $5 of every room reserved at Accent Inn will be donated to TLC. The new Cascadia Liquor Store has just opened its doors in the Town and Country Mall with sommelier Pamela Sanderson as Regional General Manager. The store will focus on island-produced spirits and wines. Paprika Bistro has a new owner with Oak Bay resident Geoff Parker assuming the reins of this beloved Estevan Village institution mid January. Former owners Linda and George Szasz have decided to concentrate on Stage, their Fernwood restaurant. Says Parker, “ I have always wanted to be a part of the Oak Bay business community. I live nearby so Paprika is a perfect fit for me. I plan to continue the good work of the Szazs’s in providing a casual/fine dining experience that supports local farms, wineries and the Oceanwise sustainability philosphy.” Chef Anna Hunt, who moved from Montreal and the Taverne Sur Le Square to cook at Paprika, stays on as chef as does most of the staff. 2524 Estevan Ave., 250-595-7424. A hearty congratulations goes out to Jaswant Bains, 71, Cook's Helper at the Blue Crab Bar & Grill, who won the prestigious Sterling Service Award of the Year in the culinary support category at this year's award ceremonies. Jaswant, who has been with the Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Marina for seventeen years, is affectionately known as "Mama" to hotel staff and is considered to be the heart and soul of the hotel's kitchen. She often takes young apprentices under her wing and teaches them how to prepare exotic Indian and Asian dishes. Her trademark dish is featured on the Blue Crab Bar & Grill lunch menu listed as “Mama's butter chicken.” And congratulation to Spinnaker’s as well; for the second year in a row, Spinnakers Gastrobrewpub and GuestHouses has been named BC’s Best Brewpub in the Northwest Brewing News (NBN) Reader’s Choice Awards. This is the third time in four years that Spinnakers has been given the award. Restaurant Matisse has again been awarded four stars by the prestigious Mobile Travel Guide. They also have a new chef, Anthony Hodda, who has has developed a new spring menu that updates and modernizes the French classic dishes that Matisse is known for. Hodda cooked at Bishop’s in Vancouver and most recently at Dunsmuir Lodge. —Katie Zdybel

Mainland VANCOUVER

The news media sounds like Chicken Little with its incessant “the [economic] sky is falling” squawking. And possibly disaster looms. But for now Vancouverites diners and restaurateurs are a resilient lot. We are still eating out and chef/owners are offering menus for less coin. Dine-out saw participating restaurants pack ‘em in like sardines for $18, $28 and $38 prix fixes. Five of us got our fix, though, with a Tuesday night tour to a few non-subscribers in and around Gastown. Just over a year and half old now, the kids, Boneta and Cobre (part of dine-out but no reserves at the bar) are doing all right. Bar guy Mark Brand, wine guy Neil Ingram and chef Jeremie Bastien tasted us through bourbon-based cocktails, Barbera, buttery pork belly and bison carpaccio. Meanwhile Stu Irving over at Cobre wowed my buds and my taste buds with prawn-topped cornmeal arepas and shredded duck tacquitos, before we tripped up to Campagnolo for crispy, spicy Ceci (chickpeas) and a plate of house made charcuterie, washed down with a refreshing Menabrea imported from the small-scale Piemonte brewery of the same name. And speaking of delicious imports, Sean Heather (Irish Heather, Salt, Salty Tongue) corralled chefs and media in the Salt cellar to tuck into some melt-on-the tongue Serrano and Iberico hams from the medieval town of La Alberca Spain. The must-try-ham, best tasted naked, can be bought at Bosa, Oyama Sausage and, of course as one Salt’s charcuterie selections. Joe Chaput from Les Amis du Fromage also turned up with Spain’s grape-leave wrapped Valdeon blue cheese, the next best thing to Cabrales along with a couple of other fine selections. Also heeding the call of more affordable dining options due to the current economic climate, Restaurateurs Andrey Durbach and Chris Stewart will reopen Parkside restaurant in the west end this spring as another La Buca. (The senior La Buca has proven a successful haven for rustic Italian comfort food at a medium price point since it opened. The two hope to launch a few more similar spaces across the city over the next few years. We love that Quattro on Fourth are again offer $10 pasta lunches (they were such a success in December) on Thursdays and Fridays only. This is a perfect opportunity to try Quattro’s feather light noodles and gnocchi. The Cannery is offering a new weekend brunch service with the likes of a decadent lobster benedict. Look for more details on the EAT website. —Julie Pegg

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

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www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

A Sense of Place.

OLD VINES RESTAURANT 11:30 am to 9 pm daily Sunday Brunch 10:30 am to 2:30 pm WINESHOP 9:30 am to 7 pm - May to October 10 am to 6 pm - November to April

“One of the four best places to dine in the Okanagan Valley.” - Wine Spectator OPEN YEAR ROUND Reserve online at quailsgate.com | 250-769-4451

plans for something in the future?? Other exciting news for Kelowna's downtown restaurant circuit is the announcement that Fresco's award-winning restaurant has closed! Fear not fans of super Chef Rod Butters cuisine, he and partner Audrey Surrao have announced that are morphing the old Fresco's digs into a brand new upscale casual restaurant. RauDZ Regional Table (an amalgamation of their names) is under construction and will hopefully be open in time for the return of the warmer weather. As per Butters' style, the menu will be seasonally inspired and focus on local ingredients with the wine list celebrating Okanagan's finest. Promising a welcoming ambiance with a more casual edge including a new eating bar and flat screen televisions, RauDZ Regional Table sounds like it will be a great place to hang out, eat well and enjoy a fabulous glass of vino or a local brew on tap. The wonderful trend of small gourmet markets and delis continues to spread throughout the Okanagan. O’Rourke’s Uptown Market offers a large product line of local and gourmet items for the discerning shopper. Fresh produce, deli items and a meat section make this one stop shop handy for all of the new downtown condo and loft owners. 1321 St. Paul Street 250-712-0759. When visiting the gorgeous Naramata wine region of our Valley, mark down The Bench Market for your lunch break. Delicious, gourmet food that focuses on locally grown products, The Bench also sells perfect ingredients for a picnics and great ideas for Okanagan epicurean gifts. The Chicken Panini, which contains house made oven roasted chicken breast with cambanzola cheese topped with pear chutney and pesto aioli and red onion is heavenly – and don’t miss a big glass of the addictive, power pickme-up – the Matcha lemonade (only available in the hot months – so you can make use of their great espresso bar in the meantime). They cater too! 368 Vancouver Avenue 250-492-2222 www.thebenchmarket.com If you would like to take a break from sipping the grapes and move onto another delicious Okanagan creation – check out Penticton’s own Cannery Brewing Company. Boasting a line up of absolutely delicious beers with flavours ranging from the Blackberry Porter (pair with chocolate!) to Maple Stout – these brews will knock you socks off! www.cannerybrewing.com. While mapping out your next visit to wine country, why not take in a cooking class taught by our very own Celebrity Chef Michael Allemeier? Former host of FOOD TV’s Cook Like A Chef, Chef Allemeier and Terrace Chef Matt Batey will share so of their secret tips and delicious recipes in their State of the Art kitchens at breathtaking Mission Hill Winery. Check out their class schedule online at: www.missionhillwinery.com. Rhys Pender, our most famous local wine guy (who is working on becoming the "youngest Master of Wine in Canada”) is expanding his already long CV to include internet television. Rhys, owner of Wine Plus+ Education/Consulting, has filmed a segment on B.C. wines to be broadcasted on www.WinelibraryTV.com. —Jennifer Schell

It’s Happy Hour for Real Ale

Ebrewed, cask conditioned, real ales by gravity, the way beers were served a hundred very weekday at 4pm Spinnakers Brewpub puts a cask on the bar and dispenses craft

years ago and before. Priced at $5/pint (less than a regular pint) when the 30 litre cask runs dry, that is it for the day. (Generally, they last a couple of hours.) Cask ales undergo a secondary fermentation in the cask and tend to be softer, smoother and creamier due to the CO2 being more finely dissolved than typical keg beer or even real ale beers dispensed from a larger serving vessel, most often pushed by CO2 or mixed gas. The beers are typically dry hopped or additives are introduced to give the casks a special character. As such, cask conditioned beers provide the ultimate expression of the brewer's art and give our brewers an opportunity to be creative on a daily basis. Invites are out to local breweries to bring a cask of their best on the first Friday of every month. On Feb 6th, Driftwood Brewing supplied a cask of their Farmhand Ale which was dispensed alongside Spinnaker’s own Belgian Abby Cask (see photo above). A special cask night is slated for March 14th from noon until 5 PM. It is hoped that 20 to 30 different casks from a wide range of brewers will be on tap. www.spinnakers.com

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

DISH

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Pear Tree Restaurant

WHERE:

Butter Braised Pheasant Breast with fall vegetables, a salsify tart and a braised onion heart.

EAT caught up with chef Scott Jaegar at his restaurant the Pear Tree in Burnaby, BC. Scott had just returned from Europe where he had been attending the Bocuse d’Or 2009 culinary competition (Norway snagged first prize, BC’s David Wong came in a respectable 9th). I had heard Jaegar was serving free-range pheasant from Campbell’s Pheasantry and wanted to asked him about his dish and this somewhat tricky to prepare bird. “Pheasant is a richer, more intense meat than chicken,” said Jaegar, “but it is still definitely in the poultry family. I find it less gamy than squab, quail or duck and it has a light colour and a delicate flavour. We buy our pheasants fresh from Campbell’s Pheasantry in Aldergrove, where they run free eating bugs and grass. Campbell’s has been in business for 25 years and as far as I know are the only BC purveyors of pheasants. Otherwise in BC, Quebec pheasants can be found but since they are grain-fed they have a less distinctive flavour.” “The pheasants arrive at the restaurant around three pounds each. Pheasants have very lean meat and tend to the tough side so proper cooking is essential. As pheasants can leap ten feet in the air the legs are particulary tough and all the tendons need to be removed (which is very labour intensive). I find the best thing to do is too separate the breast from the body and use the body for stock or jus. Sometimes we confit the legs but it take longer than duck to confit. We also don’t use the skin. The skin is a challenge as skin needs to be crispy, but if we try for crispy skin the breast meat just doesn’t cook properly.” “For this dish, we take the skinless pheasant breasts, liberally season with salt and pepper and slow braise them in butter. You can use either clarified butter or beurre monté, which is butter that has been emulsified. At the restaurant we use the sous vide technique but at home I would just do a very slow braise on the stove.”

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WHERE:

You can buy pheasant from Cioffi’s or Hills Foods (call ahead) but generally it is a restaurant thing. Cooking pheasant takes a little more work to prepare and isn’t a one-day recipe so most people don’t want to try cooking pheasant at home. Whichever route—restaurant or home-cooking—make sure you use a great purveyor and buy the best. PHOTOGRAPHER:

Tracey Kusiewicz

The Pear Tree peartreerestaurant.net Hills Foods hillsfoods.co

www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

VQA Wine Shop at

MATTICK’S FARM Open 7 days a week

5325 Cordova Bay Rd. 250-658-3116

www.matticksfarm.com

Our service can best be described as “Knowledgeable, yet not pretentious… …approachable, with a hint of sass!”

1715 Government Street 250.475.6260 www.lecole.ca eat@lecole.ca

Dinner 5:30 - 11 pm Tuesday to Saturday

value wine

Tollo Pinot Grigio 07 Italy $10.00+ It’s soft, it’s fruity, its ten bucks a liter! Light and refreshing with hints of honey and peaches on the nose, simple fruit flavours and crisp balanced acidity. Tollo Sangiovese 07 Italy $10.00+ Another no-brainer from Cantina Tollo that punches well above its humble price point! Medium-bodied with spicy fruit flavours, fine grained tannins and a smooth persistent finish. Great price for a liter of red!

[THE WINES] WHITES Jadot Dom. Du Bois de Fee Saint-Veran 06 France $28.00+ The Jadot mission statement is: “The less we touch it, the better the wine” and this lovely, pure, white Burgundy is exactly what it should be, the very essence of Chardonnay. Elegant and balanced with subtle green apple and mineral flavours, a slightly creamy texture and a soft, clean finish. A delicious alternative to Chablis! REDS Amalaya De Colome 06 Argentina $22.00+ Founded in 1831 high in the foothills of the Andes, Bodega Colome can lay claim to being one of the original pioneers of the Argentine wine industry. Sourcing grapes from its own biodynamically farmed vineyards, this blend of Malbec dominated blend is delicious with ripe berry, vanilla and a spice flavours and soft tannic finish. Ruffino Modus 05 Italy $37.00+ Ruffino Modus was first produced in 1997! This richly textured Tuscan red is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Medium-bodied and very intense with red cherry, earth and spice aromas, balanced, with good weight on the palate, ripe fruit and mineral flavours and a dry dusty finish. Faustino V Reserva Rioja 04 Spain $31.00+ Balanced and supple with ripe strawberry and spice flavours. Medium-bodied and elegant, this delicious Rioja is packed with flavour but is not over the top. Silky smooth with a long spicy finish! Palacio Reserva Rioja 04 Spain $27.00+ Classic in style with a huge nose that does not require seeking out, it just comes out to get you. Lots going on here with ripe red berry, earth and spicy oak aromas that become increasing alluring as the wine is exposed to air. Good weight on the palate with a soft silky texture and lovely fruit flavours that develop and expand through the finish. Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 06 Chile $28.00+ With a dollop of Merlot added to soften the Cabernet, this Chilean benchmark is mediumbodied and oozing with lush bramble, cassis, tobacco and exotic spice aromas, nicely balanced with ripe berry flavours, deftly integrated oak and fine grained tannins. Absolutely delicious., BRITISH COLUMBIA Peller Estates Private Res Cab Franc 06 British Columbia $22.00+ With the Canadian dollar slipping and international prices soaring perhaps its time to take another look at what’s coming out of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. This Cabernet Franc is a real cracker! Medium-bodied and loaded with fresh juicy fruit and spice flavours. Osoyoos Larose 06 British Columbia $48.00+ Osoyoos Larose is a joint venture between Canadian wine-giant, Vincor International and the Groupe Taillan of Bordeaux, France. The goal is to produce a Bordeaux style blend with fruit from the south Okanagan and European know-how. It is a match that has turned a lot of heads over the years, with what has been often referred to, as Canada’s first collectable. This beauty is not cheap but good wine rarely is. The 2006, is concentrated and firm, with cassis, mocha and spicy vanilla aromas, ripe red berry flavours, firm tannins and a long chewy finish. Superb.

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

true brews

Pick Your New Favourite Wine

by Larry Arnold

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How do you take your beer? Salmon Safe, Please!

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;By Christopher Pollon

hat do healthy Pacific salmon stocks and the hoppy craft brewing traditions of the Pacific Northwest have in common? Both require consistent supplies of the best quality fresh water, and in recognition of this, one Oregon craft brewer is taking steps to ensure both the fish and his brewery keep getting just that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have clean rivers, our beer and craft beer industry in Oregon wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be where it is today,â&#x20AC;? says the aptly-named Gary Fish, founder of Deschutes Brewery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Healthy rivers are important to us.â&#x20AC;? Late last September, Deschutes Brewery sourced certified Salmon Safe hops for the first time from the fabled hop growing mecca of the Willamette Valley â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and used it to make one of their most celebrated (and hoppy) beers, the Hop Trip Fresh Hop Pale Ale. The Salmon Safe certification may sound novel to many in BC, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been around for nearly a decade south of the border. Based in Portland, the certification is administered by a nonprofit with a mission to see Pacific salmon thrive in agricultural and urban watersheds. To that end, more than 50,000 acres of land has been certified so far, accompanied by retail campaigns in over 200 supermarkets across the US northwest. In the case of Salmon Safe hops, this certification means that the hop yard has been scrutinized by inspectors who help the farmer ensure the following: that streams and rivers are protected by riparian buffers of trees and native vegetation to provide cooling and erosion control; that irrigation practices are not damaging or eroding local watercourses; and that pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, manure and other agricultural products are not draining into fish-bearing waters. Everything from hop and vineyards to waterside real estate developments have received the certification, which has not only helped wild salmon, but has proven a powerful tool for marketing to environmentally savvy consumers who want to buy high-quality goods without compromising salmon-dependent watersheds. In the case of how the salmon safe hops are used to make a novel northwest brew, Deschutes Brewery spokesman Bob Chase describes how hops are at the heart of this pale ale: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The hops grow all summer and by the middle or end of September, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to be picked. Around that time of year we drive out [to get hops] and when we are getting close to the brewery, we call ahead to make sure they are ready to use the hops immediately as we return.â&#x20AC;? Crystal hops are a hybrid developed from German Hallertau hops that has emerged as a Pacific Northwest classic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is a half sister to local faves Mount Hood and Liberty hops and has been grown commerciallyonly since 1993. Within three hours of being plucked from the vine, says Chase, the Salmon Safe crystal hops are added to the wort, where they will eventually impart an uncommonly powerful citrus aroma to the final product. The end product is not for the beer drinker with an aversion to the citrusy, floral power of the hop: roughly 680 pounds of Crystal hops are added to each 120 barrel batch of the pale ale, in addition to dry kilned whole flower hops. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nearly six pounds of hops per barrel brewed! Chase says that brewing with freshly harvested, undried aroma hops draws out a new peak of citrusy aroma â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a quality that in this case, is not coming at the expense of rivers, or the salmon that depend on them. To learn more about Salmon safe, visit www.salmonsafe.org.

SWEET Chateau Loupiac Gaudiet 03 (375m) France $20.00+ The village of Loupiac is located just across the river from the Sauternes region in Bordeaux, France and as with its more famous neighbor, can produce some of the most decadently sweet wines this side of the planet Pluto. A classic blend of late-harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, this powerful sticky is concentrated and lush, each sip bursting with exotic spice and citrus flavours that just keeps coming. SPIRITS Makerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mark Kentucky Bourbon Kentucky $30.00+ Sometimes a whisky is just a whiskey! But Makerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Handmake Whisky, no matter how you spell it, is a mouthful thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to say but easy to swallow. Distilled from a mash of yellow corn, red winter wheat and malted barley, aged in charred new white oak barrels, Makerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is silky smooth with a creamy texture, sweet smoky vanilla and subtle grain flavours and a finish that will leave your tongue tingling.

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www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

WINE & TERROIR

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

By Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard

ave you ever considered spending, say, $5,000 on a bottle of wine? As outrageous as it sounds, you could shell out even more than this at auction if you were interested in acquiring one of Burgundy’s top wines. Rage surges in our hearts at these ridiculous prices. We mere mortals should also be able to get a taste of burgundy. The wines from this region have a reputation for being expensive, hard to obtain and difficult to understand. So why even bother? Because once you have truly fallen in love, you find a way to make the relationship work. We would have cheated on and abandoned Burgundy long ago were it not for the well-priced gems. Budget burgundy doesn’t equal $10, except in our dreams. However, you can spend between $20 and $40. For most of us this is still a splurge, but at least it is within the realm of possibility. So where do you find these beacons of hope? Forget the Côte d’Or. That is the heart of Burgundy and you may as well be buying gold. The most expensive and highly reputed burgundies are found there. But those wines only represent a small percentage of what Burgundy produces. The areas to the north and south of Côte d’Or boast more affordable wines. Chablis, the Mâconnais, Côte Chalonnaise and Beaujolais have all had their share of bad press, and their lack of popularity has kept prices reasonable. Thanks to the efforts of committed winemakers, many delicious wines are being made in these “lesser” sub-regions. Chablis was corrupted when the name was hijacked and plastered on labels of cheap plonk from North America and Australia. Even though the name of Chablis is now protected, its reputation hasn’t fully recovered. This once-popular wine is often overlooked in favour of the richer, showier wines from further south. Like the rest of Burgundy’s whites, Chablis is made from Chardonnay, but this can come as a surprise when you taste it. Typically unoaked, the wines of Chablis have nothing in common with the flamboyant Chards of Australia or California. The region sits quite north and is removed from the rest of Burgundy. Whenever we’ve visited, it’s been grey and chilly. The wines can be austere, reticent and restrained, somewhat like the area and its people. The wine’s charm comes from its purity and minerality. Refreshing and steely Chablis’ vibrant citrus aromas leave you craving another sip. Chablis dazzles our palate all year long. Extraordinarily versatile, it makes a mouth-watering aperitif and is a fantastic partner with salad and fresh seafood such as oysters and crab. Entry-level Chablis often over-delivers for the money. Even the Premier Crus are generally under $50 and the Grand Crus rarely crack the $100 mark. You certainly can’t find a Premier or Grand Cru for these prices in the Côte d’Or. La Chablisienne cooperative is consistent, and smaller producers like Bernard Defaix and Daniel Dampt are worth discovering. At the other end of Burgundy’s white spectrum, the Mâconnais region is located south of the Côte d’Or and benefits from a slightly warmer and drier climate. Not only are the people more jovial, their wines are riper, friendlier and immediately appealing. In cooler vintages, when the rest of Burgundy struggles, the Mâconnais can offer some of the most successful wines. The likes of Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet get the glory, but who can afford them? The Mâconnais is filled with young ambitious winemakers eager to show the world the region’s potential. As a result, you can find plenty of well-made wines that rival the whites of the Côte d’Or at half the price. Those from Christophe Cordier and the Bret Brothers have fooled more than one blind taster. Rich and unctuous with a lingering butter hazelnut finish, they can be very Meursault-like at times. Château Beauregard never disappoints either. Even its entry-level Pouilly-Vinzelles “Les Buchardières,” which sells for $30, drinks more like a wine at $40-45.

EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

Between the Côte d’Or and the Mâcon, the Côte Chalonnaise often gets lost in the shuffle, even when one is visiting Burgundy. While easy to bypass altogether, this would be a mistake. The area offers delicious and affordable reds and whites, especially in good vintages like 2005. They may not reach the heights of their neighbours to the north, but they are still undeniably Burgundy and are more than adequate when we are craving a fix. Like everywhere else in Burgundy, Pinot Noir is responsible for making the fabulous reds and Chardonnay the whites. Look for the village names of Mercurey, Rully and Givry. Wines from the eponymous châteaux of Mercurey and Rully are a great introduction. Beaujolais is Burgundy’s eternal black sheep. It is the one exception to the Pinot Noir rule as reds here are made from the Gamay grape instead. As far back as the 14th century, the dukes worked to banish Gamay from most of Burgundy. Somehow it survived and went onto fame in Beaujolais Nouveau. Released the third Thursday of November, the wine of the new vintage is made using specific winemaking practises so that it is suitable for immediate drinking. Beaujolais Nouveau had its heyday in the 1980s and early ’90s, but today it is regarded with distain. While the cheap and cheerful Beaujolais Nouveau has its place and is a fun way to celebrate harvest in the fall, it should not detract from Beaujolais’ more serious wines. Beaujolais’ top offerings are the Villages wines as well as the 10 “Crus.” Typically, these wines can be enjoyed in their youth and are driven by crunchy red fruit of raspberry and strawberries. Those from the Crus of Morgon and Moulin à Vent can age up to 10 years in the best vintages. Many of us so-called professionals have been tricked into thinking that a five-10-year-old Moulin à Vent was actually a red burgundy made from Pinot Noir. The Crus comes from Beaujolais’ best sites and therefore will cost a bit more than Beaujolais Villages. Starting at about $25, Cru Beaujolais are worth every penny. They have extra depth and complexity and are some of the greatest budget gems in Burgundy. Vintage after vintage we love the Beaujolais of Marcel Lapierre, Clos de la Roilette, Potel-Aviron and Calot. Besides being great value, Beaujolais is one of the most food-friendly reds you can drink. In the summer, they can even be enjoyed slightly chilled with a plate of charcuterie at a picnic. Year round they are a go-to with roasted chicken. As for the Cru Beaujolais, we reserve these for more serious fare like tuna, steak tartare and duck. Quite frankly, our lives would not be complete without Beaujolais. The wines from Chablis, Mâcon, the Côte Chalonnaise and Beaujolais have allowed us to remain faithful to Burgundy. We get plenty of satisfaction from these off-the-beatentrack regions. In fact, even if we could afford the elixirs of the Côte d’Or, we would still need our dose of these less expensive wines. They are first-rate, not simply second best.

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Chablis 2005 Albert Bichot, Domaine Long-Depaquit, Chablis AOC, $27.99 We were pleasantly surprised by this wine. It gives you everything you want when you crave Chablis: fresh vibrant flavours of citrus with appealing steeliness and slight yeasty notes. Quite elegant. William Fèvre always crafts excellent Chablis at all price points. Stick with the Petit Chablis and the regular Chablis when you are seeking good deals. 2005 William Fèvre, Petit Chablis AOC, $25.99 Petit Chablis may be the entry-level appellation in Chablis but it still offers interesting wines. From the first sip, you’ll know you’re in Chablis. Fantastic on its own or with oysters and a seafood platter. 2006 William Fèvre, Champs Royaux, Chablis AOC, $29.99 A step up from the Petit Chablis, the Champs Royaux has extra depth and layers for a few more dollars. We always make sure we have a bottle in our fridge to satiate our Chablis thirst. 2006 Bernard Defaix, 1er Cru Côte de Léchet AOC, *$36.00 Côte de Léchet is a vineyard that has been given 1er Cru status (Grand Cru being the highest appellation). This site produces wines with a pronounced minerality and a certain austerity. Bernard Defaix does a fine job, and his Côte de Léchet is one of our favourite Chablis on the market. Highly recommended with crab. Mâcon 2006 Château Beauregard, Les Buchardières, Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC, $29.99 We’ve reviewed previous vintages of this wine and the 2006 is another success. It can easily stand up to the whites from Côte d’Or and is much kinder to your wallet. Once you’ve taken a sip, count the seconds the flavours last on your palate. You’ll be amazed. Côte Chalonnaise 2005 Château de Rully, Rully AOC *$42 (375 mL $25) Your first sniff will take you right to Burgundy. In fact, you might think you’re in Côte d’Or, but the price is a reminder that you’re not. Elegant silky texture with loads of juicy flavours of bright cherries. A perfect match with duck. Our mouths are watering! Beaujolais 2006 Domaine de la Brasse, Beaujolais Villages AOC, *$23.50 Excellent value and everything you could hope for in a bottle of Beaujolais. Great concentration of flavours with bright red fruit balanced by a good structure. Start a new trend and enjoy at lunchtime with your friends and your favourite sandwich. 2006 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie AOC, *$34.99 A restrained style of Beaujolais, Clos de la Roilette Fleurie reveals its full personality after spending some time in the glass. Very seductive aromas and flavours of cherry and wild strawberries mixed with pleasant earthy notes. Extremely food-friendly, it goes like a charm with salmon, tuna and roasted chicken. 2007 Marcel Lapierre, Morgon AOC, $39.00 This wine is close to our hearts. It has fuelled us through many late-night chats. We don’t need any excuse or food to enjoy a bottle, but it does work like a charm with steak tartare. Juicy, very precise, complex and full of personality. Bourgogne Bourgogne AOC is the entry-level appellation in Burgundy. The prices might be enticing but good ones are hard to come by so when you find one, stock up. 2006 Joseph Faiveley “Paulée” Bourgogne AOC, $22.99 When you’re dying for some Burgundy but think you can’t afford it, reach for a bottle of this. We have to warn you, though, the tannins are pronounced and drying, but the wine gets friendlier if you decant it and drink with serious game meat. 2005 Chanson, Bourgogne AOC Pinot Noir, $27.99 If you want an enjoyable, juicy and easy-to-drink Pinot, this is it. Soft appealing flavours of cherry and cranberry make your mouth salivate. A great introduction to Burgundy if you are seeking to be converted. *Wines available at Private Wine Stores; prices may vary. Other producers to look for year around: Daniel Dampt - One of Chablis’ top producers, Daniel Dampt makes sophisticated wines that over-deliver for the price. Look out for their straight Chablis, 1er Cru Les Vaillons and 1er Cru Côte de Léchet. Billaud-Simon - Class in a glass! From their entry-level Chablis Tête d’Or to their Grand Cru, Billaud-Simon’s wines are elegant and stylish. We’ve tried aging some of Billaud-Simon’s 1er and Grand Cru but never succeeded … we just can’t resist drinking them. Potel-Aviron - A joint venture between well-known Burgundy producer Nicolas Potel and Stéphane Aviron from Beaujolais. You can always rely on this duo to produce excellent cru Beaujolais. Look out for their Moulin à Vent and Morgon Vieilles Vignes at Marquis Wine Cellars. Domaine de la Sarazinière - Fantastic value here. The Cuvée Claude Seigneuret from Mâcon Bussières is usually lurking on liquor store shelves while the delicious red makes an annual appearance in private wine stores.

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www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2009

Chef’s Talk: “What is the hardest dish to cook”? David Mincey - Camille’s 250.381.3443 The hardest dish to cook is always the most simple. Taking a great ingredient and presenting it unadorned with perhaps only the most basic of accompaniments—let’s say just salt and oil—at that point it all comes down to technique. What would you do with a perfect carrot, or beet, perhaps a fresh rockfish or a couple of pounds of gooseneck barnacles? Could you do raw materials like that justice without resorting to any of the chemical trickery of modern cuisine, or the failsafe cream, butter and stock approaches of the classical repertoire? It is the basic conundrum we struggle with everyday-- how to showcase the glorious flavours that nature gives us while keeping our creative egos firmly in check. Jon Frazier - Atlas Cafe 250.338.9838 My most difficult dish to cook would be anything for my family. I always find that what I need is never in the fridge and spend most my time looking for equipment that should be right in front of me. When it comes to clean up only half the dishes ever seem to fit the dishwasher and my critics are twice as difficult. With all that I said, it remains my favorite meal to prepare. Alberto Pozzolo - Italian Bakery 250.388.4557 From a baker's perspective the hardest product to make in my opinion is a naturally fermented sweetbread such as panettone or colomba which I make at Easter time. The reason for this is that full attention must be given to the product for two days taking into account the weather conditions—

by Ceara Lornie

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

both temperature and barometric pressure. In addition to this, great care must be taken to ensure that the rise is constant and that the sour nature of the sweetbread remains minimized. Furthermore this product is a fusion between the streams of bread making and pastry work thus often challenging the artisan to combine both skills concurrently as well as independently.

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

Jeff Keenliside - The Marina Restaurant 250.598.8555

Vincent Fraisssange - Spotted Bear Bistro 250.725.2215

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

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

Aprile Claudio - Colborne Lane 416.368.9009 I would have to say the recipe that is quite challenging for any seasoned chef is miso soup. Just 4 ingredients, miso, h20, kombu and a touch of light soy or sea salt. Nothing to hide behind. Pure and simple. Ken Huston - Smoken Bones Cookshack 250.391.6328 The hardest dish to make is the one that I will be eating. After cooking for so many years I wish I could have one of

Karen Gin - Zin Restaurant 604.408.1700

Cory Pelan - La Piola 250.388.4517 Any breakfast egg dish. Well, maybe not so hard as just a pain in the butt. I just don’t like cooking eggs.

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EAT MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL 2009

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Pg. 28 Pg. 17 Pg. 43 Pg. 11 Pg. 2 Pg. 10 Pg. 38 Pg. 5 Pg. 12 Pg. 28 Pg. 15 Pg. 6 Pg. 4 Pg. 17 Pg. 33 Pg. 10 Pg. 16 Pg. 9 Pg. 16 Pg. 43 Pg. 35 Pg. 27 Pg. 10 Pg. 6 Pg. 29 Pg. 20 Pg. 27 Pg. 16 Pg. 2

Stage Sushi-Mon Tourism Vancouver Island Trafalgar’s Bistro Youbou Bar & Grill Village Taphouse Vista 18 Wesley Street, The Wickaninnish Inn Zambri’s Zin

WINE & DRINKS Pg. 2 Pg. 33 Pg. 30 Pg. 35 Pg. 15 Pg. 21 Pg. 42 Pg. 32 Pg. 34 Pg. 12 Pg. 21

DINE IN Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery Carrot on the Run Cheryl’s Gourmet Pantry Feys + Hobbs Catered Arts Fol Epi Boulangerie McLean’s Specialty Foods Mix, The Bakery Share Organics Silk Road Thrifty Foods Wildfire Bread

Pg. 39 Pg. 19 Pg. 8 Pg. 36 Pg. 41 Pg. 38 Pg. 41 Pg. 3 Pg. 36 Pg. 38 Pg. 39

HOME & KITCHEN Pg. 33 Pg. 32 Pg. 29 Pg. 4 Pg. 8 Pg. 32 Pg. 35 Pg. 29 Pg. 25 Pg. 7 Pg.40

Beyond the Kitchen Door Haute Cuisine Muffet & Louisa Penna & Co. Surroundings

Pg. 33 Pg. 27 Pg. 43 Pg. 2 Pg. 25

PRODUCERS Cowichan Bay Farm Woolwich Dairy

Pg. 32 Pg. 13

CLASSES

SERVICES Andrew Lewis Design M. Tourigny Photography

BC Wine Guys Broadway Wine Shop Cook St. Village Liquor Hester Creek Estate Hillside Liquor Store Mattick’s Farm VQA Shop Metro Liquor Peter Lehmann Quails’ Gate Sea Cider Farm Six Mile Liquor Store

Pg. 43 Pg. 36

Fairburn Farm Culinary Institute of V.I. Culinary Institute of V.I.

Pg. 15 Pg. 28 Pg. 42

For more BC FOOD + DRINK listings visit www.eatmagazine.ca