EAT Magazine Issue 13.01 Jan | Feb 2009

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 R Y T R AV E L

EAT

zine.ca

WINNER BEST FOOD PUBLICATION

Celebrating Food & Drink in British Columbia

vancouver:

The Drive is Alive okanagan: January | February 2009 | Issue 13-01 | FREE

BC Wine List Winners

+ Healthful Food Trends Beets Cellaring Wine Local Kitchen San Francisco The Best Noodles A Quebécois Dinner Popcorn Seattle Local | Sustainable | Fresh | Seasonal

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victoria: Six Degrees of Restaurant History —Part 3

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• New: S • Island • Report • Red Fi • Iron Ch • 30 Che • Meinh • Victori • BC and • Recipe • Reader

eatmagazine

January | February 2009

appy New Year to all and welcome to our first issue of 2009. Looking ahead you’ll find a newly balanced EAT—one that not only keeps you up-to-date on new restaurants, but one that also seeks out restaurants that may have been overlooked and that offer great value. I expect the hyper-amped Vancouver scene to cool and I know eaters will be searching for ways to dine out well without unnecessary and expensive frills. Expect social and shared plates dining to gain traction—it’ll be all about good food with friends and family.

We’ll continue to support local food and wine producers but we’ll also spend more ink on telling you where you can find the products and great ways to cook with them. We want to provide solutions for those wanting to cook well, healthy and sustainably at home this year.

H

Editor’s Note Concierge Desk . . . . 5 Restaurant History . 6 Good for You . . . . . . . 8 Food Matters . . . . . . 9 My Seattle . . . . . . . . 10 Epcure at Large . . . . 11 Restaurant Reporter 12 San Francisco . . . . . 24 Québec Dinner . . . . 26 Local Kitchen . . . . . 30 What’s in Season? . 33 The BC Scene . . . . . 34 Liquid Assets . . . . . 38 Wine & Terroir . . . . .40 Chefs Talk . . . . . . . .42

Gary Hynes, Editor.

IN THIS ISSUE

!

Andouille Sausage & Chicken Stew

Cover Recipe: Local Kitchen photo by Rebecca Wellman See page 30 for the recipe. Visit Rebecca’s website www.eatmagazine.ca

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES @ www.eatmagazine.ca

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 JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

martins4443_EAT

• New: Specialty Food Reviews • Island Chef ’s Collaborative Executive Elected • Report on the Farmlands Conference • Red Fife booth at Terra Madre 08 • Iron Chef cooks at Victoria Cactus Club • 30 Chefs from Paris to cook in Montreal • Meinhardt's introduces Ready to Eat meals • Victoria’s new Street Level Espresso • BC and World Food News • Recipe & Wine of the week, Cookbook reviews • Reader letters

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

CELEBRATING THE FOOD & DRINK OF BC Contributing Editor Carolyn Bateman, Vancouver Contributing Editor Julie Pegg Editorial Assistant Katie Zdybel

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Local Reporters Victoria: Katie Zdybel Nanaimo: Su Grimmer Comox Valley: Hans Peter Meyer Tofino | Uclulet: Kira Rogers Vancouver: Julie Pegg Okanagan: Jennifer Schell-Pigott 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, Julie Pegg, Karen Platt, Treve Ring, Kira Rogers, John Schreiner, John Sherlock, Elizabeth Smyth, Chris Mason Stearns, Michael Tourigny, Sylvia Weinstock, Rebecca Wellman

Art Direction Gary Hynes Publisher Pacific Island Gourmet | EAT ÂŽ is a registered trademark.

Advertising: Lorraine Browne (Vancouver Island), Paul Kamon (Vancouver), Kira Rogers (Tofino), Gary Hynes (agencies, regional and national).

250.384.9042, advertise@eatmagazine.ca All departments Box 5225, Victoria, BC, V8R 6N4, tel. 250-384-9042, fax. 250-384-6915 www.eatmagazine.ca eatjobs.ca epicureandtravel.com

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To subscribe, contact EAT Magazine at the number or address above or email subscribe@eatmagazine.ca 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.

MONTREAL HIGH LIGHTS FESTIVAL

M

ontreal, Quebec will be celebrating in style this winter season with its one– of-a-kind Montreal Highlights Food and Wine Festival being held from Thursday, February 19th to Sunday, March 1, 2009. For ten days the city will host one of North America’s premier gourmet events and to commemorate its 10th year Montreal has invited thirty of Paris, France’s top chefs to participate.

This year’s Honorary President is master chef Alain Passard, whose restaurant L’Arpege is considered one of the very best in Paris. “We have put together a group of young chefs that represent the Paris scene today,� said Passard from his restaurant in the 7th Arrondissement near the Eiffel Tower. “They represent the most talented, enthusiastic and creative of the Parisian chefs.� “The two key factors in Paris cooking are creativity and research,� continues Passard.

You will find this in all types of restaurants—from bistro to gastronomic. Chefs are incorporating cuisines from Morocco and Asia, highlighting simple yet premium quality ingredients and using their creativity to present their dishes in new ways. For example, a simple dish of beets are prepared in a salt crust to maximize their flavour.�

During the festival, the Paris chefs will join with Montreal chefs to share the stage and cook at their counterpart’s restaurants. Chef Passard will co-host the festival’s opening night dinner with Norman Laprise at ToquĂŠ!. Like Passard’s L’Arpege, ToquĂŠ! is known for sourcing sustainable products and giving credit to the producers on their menus. Says Passard. “In Paris, customers are demanding to know the provenance of their foods.â€?

Passard expects to discover new products while in Quebec for the ToquĂŠ! dinner. “The menu will revisit some of the classic dishes from my restaurant but I expect to be influenced by spontaneity as I discover wonderful Quebec.â€?

Another highlight of the festival will be the Ten-star Event, which will be a rare opportunity to taste the cuisine of ten Michelin star chefs. —By Gary Hynes Visit the Festival Web site at montrealhighlights.com

January SCOTTISH MO FOODS Featuring Sco neys, jams, b of course, th from Jan.19th bagpipes will Old City Quar that includes haggis. 426 Fi 11TH ANNUAL Jan 11 The win sort combine and Late Harv Country. For t sip, this sho sort.com COOKING CLA Spice Up Your held Tuesday two classes o vanced Skills skills with lots 1 - 22. Visit fai HALIBUT with Jan 14 Join seafood menu utive Chef at Bring an appe recreate some per person, st RED WINES to Jan 14 With th few festivities dark and rainy the fire with r and pasta and net Sauvignon itivo and the House Wine w wines to warm Call 604.780.4 EARLY BIRD PLAYHOUSE I Jan 15 This m of the biggest world and is nent's premi biggest, best world. Tickets sale Jan. 27, a on sale Feb. 3 Visit playhous FIRST ANNUA CHINESE CUIS Jan 15 An aw Chinese cuisin Casino, Plaza the dining pub by registering Ten members have a chance of the winnin well as 2 tick January.

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THE CONCIERGE DESK

by Katie Zdybel

For more events visit THE BULLETIN BOARD at www.eatmagazine.ca January SCOTTISH MONTH at MCLEAN’S SPECIALTY FOODS Featuring Scottish cheeses, oatcakes, chutneys, jams, biscuits, and teas all month. And of course, the Annual Haggis Extravaganza from Jan.19th - 24th. On Jan. 24th, the skirl of bagpipes will resonate throughout Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter with a toast to Robert Burns that includes copious amounts of whisky and haggis. 426 Fitzwilliam St., Nanaimo.

11TH ANNUAL ICEWINE FESTIVAL Jan 11 The winter wonderland Sun Peaks Resort combines with world famous Icewines and Late Harvest wines from Okanagan Wine Country. For those who love to both ski and sip, this shouldn’t be missed. sunpeaksresort.com COOKING CLASSES at FAIRBURN FARM Spice Up Your Suppers cooking classes will be held Tuesday nights, Jan. 13 - Feb. 10. $99 for two classes or $180 for four. Basic and Advanced Skills class teaches a wealth of useful skills with lots of great new recipes. Runs Feb. 1 - 22. Visit fairburnfarm.bc.ca for details.

HALIBUT with CHEF KAREN BARNABY Jan 14 Join us tonight for another great seafood menu with Chef Karen Barnaby, Executive Chef at the Fish House in Stanley Park.

Bring an appetite and plan to be inspired to recreate some amazing dishes at home. $60 per person, starts at 7pm. wellseasoned.ca RED WINES to BEAT the WINTER BLUES Jan 14 With the holiday season over there are few festivities to distract you from the cold, dark and rainy weather. It’s time to cozy up by the fire with rib-stickin’ fare like meat stews and pasta and fuller bodied reds. Think Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia, hedonistic Primitivo and the structured beasts of Portugal.

House Wine will pour these and many more wines to warm the soul. O’Douls, Vancouver.

Call 604.780.4788.

EARLY BIRD TICKETS for the VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL Jan 15 This much-loved festival attracts some of the biggest industry names from around the world and is firmly established as the continent's premier wine event and among the biggest, best and oldest wine events in the world. Tickets to all consumer events go on sale Jan. 27, and tickets to all trade events go on sale Feb. 3. Festival takes place Mar. 23-29.

Visit playhousewinefest.com FIRST ANNUAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHINESE CUISINE Jan 15 An awards ceremony celebrating the Chinese cuisine of Vancouver at the Edgewater Casino, Plaza of Nations. Starting October 21, the dining public will be invited to vote online by registering at www.VoteDinersChoice.com.

Ten members of the general public will also have a chance to win dinner for six at any one of the winning Diner’s Choice restaurants as well as 2 tickets to the awards ceremony in January.

RAW FOODS COOKING CLASS at the THRIFTY’S TUSCANY VILLAGE The Cooking & Lifestyle Centre at Thrifty’s Tuscany Village will be hosting six cooking

classes throughout January and February including Raw Foods with Elyse Nuff: All Breakfast. More classes at thriftyfoods.com CHINESE NEW YEAR DINNER with Les Chan Jan 23 ‘The Year of the Ox’ $35 Gold City Restaurant, 250.383.7317 AUTHENTIC ITALIAN PASTA-MAKING CLASS Jan 26 Chef/Owner Adam Pegg of Kitsilano's La Quercia will reveal a few of his pasta-making secrets for this class, with a menu which will include stuffed, hand made and dessert pasta and noodles. In typical decadent Quince fashion the class will enjoy the evening's creations with paired wine at the harvest table in our Gallery. Call 604.731.4645 February NICHOL VINEYARD DINNER at Cafe Brio Feb 5 Five Courses - 5 Wines $95 (tax and gratuity not included). 944 Fort St., Victoria, 250383-0009 DECONSTRUCTING WINE WORKSHOP AT QUAIL’S GATE WINERY Feb 7 Join resident Sommelier, Jon Randle as he guides participants through a series of educated blind tastings of international and local wines. Enliven the pallet and senses with the different styles of wine that the world has to offer. Each workshop is themed by a grape varietal or viticultural region. quailsgate.com CHEF FOR A DAY PROGRAM Feb 7&21 Join Chef Cari Reid as she shows you what its like to be Chef For a Day. From planning the menu, to shopping for ingredients, preparing the meal and then sitting down and enjoying the benefits of your hard work, this is hands-on class full of fun. For more details visit edible-britishcolumbia.com 3rd ANNUAL VICTORIA TEA FESTIVAL Feb 14-15 Held in the Crystal Garden, The Victoria Tea Festival is the largest public tea exhibition in North America and is hosted in beautiful Victoria renowned for its heritage with tea. Tea tastings, delectable tea-food selections, complimentary lectures and much more support Camosun College Child Care Ser vices. Tickets $20. victoriateafestival.com VIVE LA FRANCE CHEESE TASTINGS at Les Amis du Fromage Feb 17 Make room in your schedule for this fantastic cheese tasting where you will explore some of the many regions from France. This tasting promises to highlight some of the best that France has to offer, and will include some classic cheese pairings with wines from the Alsace, Loire valley and Bordeaux. Sells out quickly. buycheese.com SEEDY SATURDAY Feb 21 Stick it to Monsanto! Come out to a community event that features organic, heritage and unique seeds for sale by small growers, master garderners on hand for questions, a community seed swap, and lots more. Admission is $5, under 12 are free. Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas Street.

BEAT THE FEBRUARY BLAHS Feb 21 BC wine tasting, 40 new releases, Advance tickets only $25. VQA Wine Shop at Mattick's Farm 250-658-3116.

THE ISLANDS PROJECT Follow Michael Stadtländer, his family and a team of apprentices on a culinary tour of the islands off the coast of British Columbia. Piling into a customized bio-diesel/kitchen school bus called “The Liberator” Stadtländer and crew travel across Canada to find the freshest food imaginable at the farms, harbours, markets and co-ops of the islands. The result is some of the most beautifully presented and obviously delicious food around documented in a charming, eccentric and entertaining film. Michael Stadtländer in attendance.

BRING FILM TO LIFE JAN 30TH - FEB 8TH 2009 WWW.VICTORIAFILMFESTIVAL.COM

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

5

Victoria’s Culinary

DNA CHAPTER THREE

As French chefs solidify their haute position in Victoria, a group of newcomers turn an old Chinese rooming house into one the city’s most endearing eateries.

A restaurant history series by Gillie Easdon

An Industry Matures

F

O Bistro & Lounge Relax and catch up with friends over weekly specials and tasty O bites!

Martini Mondays: special “O”-tinis of the week Wine Wednesdays: featuring BC wines Flute Fridays: try our sparkling wine creations

rom the fire and fury of Pierre Koffel at the Deep Cove Chalet to the elegance and beauty of more convenient haunts such as Chez Daniel, La Petite Colombe, Café Français, The French Connection, Chez Ernest and Micheline’s to present day Restaurant Matisse and Chez Michel, Victoria has a significant Gallic legacy. Vital to the chefs’ creations and to Victoria’s early restaurant development was North Douglas Distributors, which Armando Barbon started in 1972. What is now a huge corporation (it was acquired by SYSCO Corp., North America’s largest foodservice marketer and distributor, in 2000), began in a small, 1,100-square-foot deli, with restaurateurs sourcing quality ingredients out the back door.

A year earlier, another French restaurant, Chauney’s, with a focus on seafood, was opened by past Empress Hotel banquet manager Dominique Chapheau and maitre d’ Harry de Zwager. Chauney’s celebration of seafood was unprecedented in Victoria. “One woman sent back these enormous beautiful prawns because the eyes were looking at her,” says Chapheau. “So, we cut off their heads and sent them back out. Then she was fine.” It was a time when oysters were available from the East Coast only and even then, they arrived pre-shucked in a bucket. Chauney’s, with its high ceilings and pillars and a gorgeous location across from the Empress, was the site of the “most powerful lunch in Victoria,” reminisces Chapheau. In 1981, Chapheau sold his half of Chauney’s to de Zwager and opened the stunning Chantecler, taking with him dishwasher Michael Clark, who ran the restaurant for years.

George Szasz, another integral part of Victoria’s European connection, grew up in Vancouver steeped in the restaurant business. His grandparents had come over from Hungary in the 1950s and had established Szasz, a delicatessen that served up Eastern European comfort food for more than 35 years. After a few years with a restaurant in Smithers with Linda and their children, George heard through the grapevine that Daniel Rigollet was planning to sell Chez Daniel in Victoria. Not keen on returning to Vancouver, the Szasz family moved to the Island in 1997.

Furthering the tradition of fine French food in Victoria, John Philips and David Reimneitz opened Matisse in 1997 with George Szasz. A year later, Daniel Rigollet sold Chez Daniel’s location to George and Linda Szasz, who opened Paprika in 1998.

The two were impressed by the abundance and excellence of local produce and livestock and, George relates, “deeply moved and inspired” by the support and welcoming community of the restaurant industry in Victoria. In mid-2007, George and Linda opened Stage, a Fernwood establishment that has changed the neighbourhood, giving it a foodie destination of its very own.

Victoria Comes of Age: The Herald Street Caffe The Oswego Hotel Tel: 250-294-7500 500 Oswego Street @ Kingston Street www.oswegovictoria.com

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

“The French guys made the standard and then Greg came along,” says Larry Arnold, manager of Spinnakers Spirit Merchants and a wine columnist for this magazine. Let’s backtrack for a moment and revisit the landscape of Victoria’s cuisine in the late 1970s with its boats of béarnaise sauce, sweet and sour pork and chicken cordon bleu. Now pan

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Herald Street Caffe interior circa 1980’s over to a dining room as friends Greg Hayes, Mark Finnigan and Helen Bell finish off a sumptuous meal and a bottle of wine or two. “Let’s cost this meal out,” says one of them.

And with this unassuming suggestion, the fertile seeds of Herald Street Caffe were sown for future Victoria restaurant greats—a herald indeed.

The building at 546 Herald Street had been an old Chinese rooming house, and the initial inspection yielded a “bizarre trip down memory lane with pigeon shit,” says Hayes.

Following a turbid barrage of backers, backer-outers, rebackers, relatives and friends, Herald Street Caffe cracked open in 1982 with the help of an idealistic team of investors and believers–including the electrician hired to metamorphose the space into a working restaurant.

“Greg Hayes pushed the city beyond its limits,” says Glenn Barlow of BC Wine Guys and a popular local wine consultant. With a delicious late-night menu, an all-star crew and an eclectic, fervent mess of people lined up down the block every weekend screaming for a table, Herald Street Caffe was “a party every weekend.” The food, with pastas from $4.75 a plate, was simple and delicious. An attempt to remove the curiously addictive ginger chicken was met by a barrage of letters from staunch Herald Street disciples. It was the place for industry folk to decompress after work, for people to continue the revelry and carousing after other restaurants had shut for the night. And when they finally kicked the last guest out around 3 a.m., it was time for the staff to unwind. The legend of Herald Street endures as past servers, such as Barlow, smile wide and shake their heads at the memories of the antics that ensued. “Daniel Rigollet used to love to come to Herald Street and I loved to serve and then sit with him,” says Barlow.

Eventually and inevitably the hem of the once idealistic team of investors and believers started to fray. Due to professional and visioning differences, the initial team disbanded, leaving Mark Finnigan and Helen Bell with the Caffe. In 1993, Greg Hayes and partner Silvia Marcolini turned their attentions to the Marina with owner Bob Wright, where they spent three years. The space was redesigned by JC Scott. The food was extraordinary, and the award-winning wine list did not change the fact that, according to Hayes, “when you do food that people think is a bit chichi, you get the foodies and the reviews, but not the people.”

Next Issue: chapter four - Cafe Brio, Camille’s

!Bubbles for my Valentine

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a glass of pink sparkling wine that has been spiked with fresh strawberries? Toast love and all that is innocent in this world with a flute of this sweet charmer from Chile. Fresita $17.95 (#299404)

Experience the chef ’s new five course tasting menu of fresh coastal cuisine in the SeaGrille.

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www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

7

GOODFORYOU —by Pam Durkin

FOOD M

Now Chow

Da

New research is constantly spawning food trends.

This e

outure runways aren’t the only places you can spot trends—you can find them in the aisles of your favourite food store. Even health foods are subject to a certain degree of “trendiness,” often fuelled by both the current Zeitgeist and the increasing onslaught of ever-changing news from the world of nutritional science. What are the trends awaiting health-conscious consumers in 2009? Let’s look at some likely bets.

C

HEIRLOOM FOODS You may have seen them at your local farmer’s market—misshapen tomatoes, knobbly squash, imperfect apples. What these unattractive goodies lack in aesthetics they more than make up for in taste. I’m speaking of heirloom fruits, vegetables and to a lesser degree grains. By definition, heirloom foods have been cultivated from seeds that have been in use for 50 years or more. How do they differ from standard fare? Most food you buy is grown from seeds that have been hybridized—cross-bred to make the plants produce a product uniform in size and shape, resistant to pests, hardy and, unfortunately, often lacking in taste. But heirloom seed varieties are slowly making a comeback—and nowhere in Canada is it as strong as on Vancouver Island. “When I talk to people from other parts of Canada, they are amazed at the grassroots heirloom-seed movement here,” says Bernie Martin-Wood of Two Wings Farm, a local supplier of heirloom seeds. Researchers at Rutgers University recently determined heirloom produce is much more nutrient dense than produce grown from hybridized seeds.

BLACK RASPBERRIES Several years ago, when researchers at Tufts University hailed blueberries as superstars in the fight against cancer, the demand for the little blue fruit rose almost as fast as its price. That scenario is about to be repeated with the newest star on the berry bush—the black raspberry. Researchers at Ohio State University recently compared the antioxidant properties of black raspberries with those of blueberries and strawberries and black raspberries prevailed. They have 11 times more antioxidant activity than the much-hyped blueberry. Preliminary studies suggest black raspberries can help ward off oral, esophageal and skin cancers to name but a few. With scientific validation like this, it won’t be long before black raspberries are added to everything from energy bars to yogurt.

Thankfully, a Denman Island company specializing in wild fruit jams—Lily Plain Summer (www.lilyplain.com)—is ahead of the trend. The company is already producing a succulent, low-sugar Wild Black Raspberry Jam that is disappearing fast off the shelves at Victoria’s Choux Choux Charcuterie and Granville Island’s Edible BC. TEA BARS Today’s trendsetting tea bars offer a completely different experience than the cozy, faux-British tearoom of old. These modern spaces offer innovative libations, all made from premium-quality, loose-leaf teas. And they’re popping up all over major North American cities—including Vancouver and Victoria. Yaletown’s Ocha Tea Bar, West Cordova’s Muzi Tea Bar and Victoria’s recently opened Good Health Teas are perfect examples. Why is tea so hip? Susanne Gregory, owner of Good Health Teas, explains. “The health benefits of tea are astounding—there is irrefutable evidence that shows tea can help fight heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s ... even osteoporosis. “And,” she enthuses, “whereas coffee is sort of a one-note wonder, tea comes in so many delicious flavours.” Cozy up to a tea bar near you and see for yourself.

SOURDOUGH BREAD Sourdough bread a trend? Yes, thanks to a recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Professor Terry Graham and a team of researchers at Guelph University examined how people responded to different types of bread after eating them at breakfast and dinner. Of all the breads tested—white, whole wheat, whole wheat with barley and sourdough-white bread—the sourdough had the most beneficial effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. Surprisingly the whole wheat bread had the most deleterious effect. Why is that important? An increase in both blood sugar and insulin levels—as was witnessed after study participants ate whole wheat bread—has been associated with an array of health problems. Keep in mind this study tested only those fluffy whole wheat breads made strictly from flour—not the heavy, European-style whole wheat breads made from intact grains. Just what is it that makes sourdough bread so healthy?

Sourdough bread undergoes a fermentation process that alters its starches, changing the way it is digested in the body. This same fermentation process has been found to aid in nutrient absorption and create beneficial bacteria that help keep our immune systems strong.

All this good news combined with sourdough’s bold, intense flavour ensures its “rise to the top.”

8

EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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hen I was a little girl, my parents and I spent many Sunday afternoons in Lucy and Jimmy Buchko’s kitchen feasting on perogies and cabbage rolls. Best of all for me, though, was Lucy’s borscht (“barszcz” in Polish), topped with a generous dollop of thick sour cream. I loved the luxurious red beetroot soup. With the exception of my dad, however, I was quite alone in my ardour for the earthy orb. Most family friends avoided beets in any guise; its image was one of poverty, right down there with the turnip.

The beet has struggled up from the dirt onto fine dining tables. Common red garden beets, the less common orange Chioggas or candy-cane swirled, beets make a delicious prologue to a main course when roasted and shaved over micro-greens. Or sliced alternately with orange and red onion and topped with a splash of lemon and olive oil. At The Inn on the Lake outside Whitehorse, chef Phil McCaffrey prepped a salad with beetroot “snow,” a beautiful setup for beef, roasted rare. And I must give a nod to my father’s pickled beets—briny, but not vinegar-sharp, spiced subtly with clove and cinnamon stick.

Recently I stumbled on a recipe for vodka/dill vinaigrette that’s a natural with roasted beets. Whisk 3 tsp minced shallots into 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar. Add 6 Tbsp vodka, 1 Tbsp fresh dill, 2 Tbsp olive oil, honey, sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. Lightly toss with chunks of roasted beet. Top black rye with smoked salmon or cold beef, or tongue if you dare, garnished with horseradish cream, and you have the perfect “ladies” luncheon. For true indulgence, sip a dry Vodka Gibson (that’s a pearl onion gracing the glass, instead of an olive) on ice.

Beets served warm should be prepared simply. Boil unpeeled beets until tender if

young or bake if mature. In a roasting pan, place one bunch of whole, washed but not peeled beetroot, about half a cup of water, a good splash of olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 400ºF oven for about 45 minutes. Pierce the beetroot with a thin knife or skewer. (Do not use a wide blade as beets will bleed profusely.) Slip boiled or baked beets from their skins, slice or chunk, add salt, pepper and butter—maybe a smattering of fresh dill.

But winter’s chill really begs for a steaming bowl of borscht. I love making it, partly for the pleasure of trying the many adaptations on its eastern European roots, as rich as the soup itself. Russian Jews are mainly given credit for bringing borscht to America.

And the comforting soup has even found its way into Russian/American literature. In Soviet-born Lara Vapnyar’s short story “Borscht” (from Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love), soup is the glue that holds together two struggling Russian immigrants. Sergei comes to America to earn money and fights solitude by hiring a clumsy Russian prostitute. When their sexual encounter is unsuccessful, the two find comfort in sharing homemade borscht.

If time is tight, I fix quick borscht: one diced onion, two or three cloves minced garlic, one large minced celery stalk with leaves and one large peeled and diced carrot that has been sweated in oil (1-1 ratio canola/olive) in a large saucepan. To this I add one bunch of roasted, peeled, grated beets, then pour over about four cups of vegetable or chicken stock. Salt and pepper to taste, sometimes a pinch of smoked paprika or dillweed, and that’s that. When heated through, half the soup gets a whirl in the blender (not food processor) and returned to the unblended mixture. I serve it steaming (chilled in summer). Topped with a boiled Yukon gold potato and a dollop of good quality yogurt afloat, this is beet borscht, earthy, sweet and simple.

More complex recipes include shredded brisket or beef shank, tomatoes, cubed potatoes, maybe kielbasa or bacon and cabbage. (All-cabbage borscht is Mennonite or Doukhobor in origin.)

Lee Bailey’s excellent tome Soup Meals (Clarkson N. Potter, 1989) serves up Lamb and Beet Soup southern U.S. style. Substituting slow-baked thick lamb chops (350ºF oven for about 90 minutes) for beef in any borscht recipe should work.

It’s cold. It’s rainy. Think I’ll curl up with Broccoli and Other Tales and make a comforting cauldron of borscht. I wonder if Lucy still makes borscht.

Organic and Natural Choices,

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visit thriftyfoods.com www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

9

For the final part of our ongoing series on Seattle, Victoria event designer Christine Smart gives us her take on the Emerald City

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My Seattle

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Art on the plates, ultramodern cocktails, pintxos and Belltown’s best sushi. By Christine Smart

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s an event designer for one of Victoria’s well-known caterers, I often find it difficult, if not impossible, to escape during busy times of the year. However, it is just those times that I truly need the break and a change of scenery. With Seattle a short ferry ride or floatplane hop away, it’s an easy, last-minute mini-break I can book on a whim. I still marvel at the simple and elegant “harbour to harbor” travel, and unlike on BC Ferries, one can indulge in a glass of wine during the crossing of the Juan de Fuca Strait.

My typical and ideal itinerary goes something like this.

After a morning tramping through Pike Place Market, I try to find a great spot for lunch and settle in for some local fare. Up a few flights of stairs and just slightly off the beaten track is “Matt’s in the Market.” The menu reads as if someone is walking through the fish stalls and produce shops calling out the best of the season: “Fresh halibut! Seared ahi tuna!

Oysters!” In fact, while we ordered lunch, we watched the chefs bring up boxes of fresh fish and vegetables from the market below for the evening menu. I swooned over the steaming bowls of tender clams and mussels served with local breads and paired with a crisp Washington Sauvignon Blanc. The market paella with roasted chicken, chorizo, mama lil’s peppers, seafood and saffron bomba rice for $16 is a bargain. If the food isn’t enough (and it should be), take in the easy ambience of locals lounging over lunch framed by massive arched windows that overlook the market and the iconic Public Market signage.

SAM (the Seattle Art Museum) is justly well regarded, but I tend to skip the art on the walls for the art on the plates at the museum’s aptly named restaurant Taste. This cool oasis has a solid local menu and an incredible selection of Washington wines. Flights of wines are paired with miniature dishes that allow diners to compare all the flavours and textures in various combinations. Taste has also chosen to celebrate its growers and producers by describing them as partners—listing not only the name of a farm on the menu but full contact information should you be inspired to go directly to the farm. From the lunch menu I tried, and loved, the spring frittata with melted spring onions, sweet peas, quillisascut chèvre and spring mix salad for $10. My travel partner adored his mini organic beef burger with locally made Gouda and frites.

After I had spent an afternoon and a small fortune in the shopping district, it was cocktail time. Downtown’s Vessel on Fifth Avenue takes cocktails to a whole new plateau; please don’t go if you’re craving a Smirnoff Ice with a straw; you will be disappointed and most likely dismissed. They make their own tinctures, foams, syrups and bitters and use seasonal fruits and herbs. The attention to craftsmanship means whatever you order, classic or nouveau, will be made just right. I tried the Rubicon, a mix of Chartreuse, gin, fresh rosemary and lemon, flamed, then served with cracked ice. It easily took the edge off too many fitting rooms and not enough perfect fits. A short savvy menu of smallish dishes like petit croque-monsieur with Mornay sauce or sweet corn fritters with sour cream and caviar will tide you over until the main event dinner destination.

Finding good Spanish food in B.C. is a challenge so whenever I visit Seattle I head to the Harvest Vine. This time I tried their newest restaurant (actually more of a bar) called Txori (pronounced “chori”). This neighbourhood-style gem serves genuine pintxos (small bites from the northern Basque region of Spain) from an open kitchen. We love to linger over the selection of expected traditions such as tortilla española ($1.75) and potato onion omelette with aioli. A glance at the chalkboard reveals the limited daily dishes like baby eels in hot olive oil or octopus tentacle served on a tart of earthy mushrooms. Many of the staff and chefs have travelled to Spain; they often take an extra moment to share the authentic details of the menu and the intriguing cocktails. Finish the experience with a flan: a lovely silky version of

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Display case of pintxos at Txori (l) Heirloom tomato salad at Taste at SAM (r) crème caramel. There was word of an outside dining area nestled between buildings that was expected to open in the spring.

Another cuisine that is done well in Seattle is Japanese, and Shiro’s in Belltown may just offer the best sushi south of the Strait. I highly recommend ordering omakase style at the bar; this allows you direct communication with master chef Shiro Kashiba and his apprentices.

Each serving of nigiri or other raw bar delicacy is presented with a description of where the fish is from and a moment of anticipation from the chefs as they await your expression of delight. The sushi chefs will pace your meal, serve you the best fish and await your signal to conclude the seemingly endless sushi selection.

Perfect sushi is the ideal way to end my perfect mini break—some new restaurant exploration, shopping for the perfect sweater, wandering through art galleries and sipping a cocktail mid-afternoon. And, I’m back in time to be at my desk Monday morning refreshed and ready to go.

Taste at the SAM, 1300 First avenue 206.903.5291 Vessel, 1312 Fifth Avenue 206.652.5222

Txori, 2207 Second Avenue, 206.204.9771 Shiro’s , 2401 Second Avenue 206.443.9844

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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— By Jeremy Ferguson

P-P-P-Popcorn!

One man’s paean to the wondrous miracle that is poppable corn.

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s a boy in the 1950s, I grew up within shouting distance of three neighbourhood movie theatres. In those days, before TV steamrolled the movies, double bills ran for three days at a time. Sunday movies were forbidden—the clergy linked that prospect with the fall of the Roman Empire—but even then, I could take in a dozen movies in a summer week.

I ate popcorn through every cattle stampede, Apache ambush, pirates’ duel and gangsters’ shootout. Movies and popcorn, in my mind, fused in the art of pleasuring.

And for me, popcorn became the last word in comfort food.

If North Americans can hardly imagine movies without popcorn, well, maybe we’re the only ones. The French think we’re barbarians and would probably prefer their movies with oeufs en cocotte avec foie gras.

The Brits sniff at it as an insult to the “cinemer” and whine about Romeo and Juliet expiring to a soundtrack of chomp, munch, crrrrrrunch.

All this is because of a simple miracle of physics. There are five kinds of corn and only one that pops. These kernels contain residual moisture. Heated to the boiling point, it vaporizes, expands and boom— blows the kernel apart.

The less moisture, the smaller the pop.

This is the difference between ordinary and “gourmet” popping corns. The latter have a carefully controlled moisture content of 11 to 14 per cent, guaranteeing a light, fluffy result with every pop.

Popcorn has a history as noble as any.

Corn was first cultivated in Mexico and Central America 6,000 years ago. Ears of popping corn almost that old have been found in bat caves in New Mexico. Thousand-yearold popcorn kernels have been found in Inca tombs in Peru, treasure they ranked alongside gold and jewels. The kernels are, astoundingly, still poppable. Historically, methods of popping progressed from flinging the kernels on glowing coals to heating them on giant clay poppers more than two metres across.

Columbus introduced corn to Europe but, in a lamentable lapse of judgment, deemed popcorn unworthy of the voyage.

Popcorn stole the show at the first Thanksgiving in 1621, however, when Indian children tossed kernels into the fire and caught the popped corn in their hands. It has remained an American passion: Americans chomp their way through a billion pounds a year, and we Canadians probably match them on a per capita basis. I’m certainly prepared to do my patriotic duty in keeping up.

Popcorn swept into movie theatres during the Great Depression, when it was the only munchie people could afford. Therein began the unstoppable liaison between popcorn and movies. When TV came along and thousands of neighbourhood theatres emptied out forever, the snack moved into the home. Remember TV Time popcorn?

High in dietary fibre, with relatively few calories and no cholesterol, the stuff passes with contemporary health gestapo. Nutritionists, who can’t get beyond food as fuel, suggest you eat it stark naked—no oil, no butter, no salt, nothing. Predictably, they champion the hot-air popcorn maker, an exercise in austerity born to serve as the centrepiece in a thousand lawn sales.

I’m prepared to pay for prime kernels.

Saint Orville Redenbacher spent 40 years experimenting with 30,000 different popcorn hybrids before coming up with his excellent bestseller.

Choosing a popcorn maker can be ridiculously complicated. You can fork out more than $5,500 for one state-of-the-art popper sold on the Internet. I use an inexpensive stovetop popper, a simple contraption with a manually operated rotating paddle and flip-top lid. Follow the rules and it pops every kernel to the max every time. It pops about six quarts. Just enough for one person with a movie of average length.

When the corn is perfectly popped, fluffy, radiant and redolent of corn, I pour it into my popcorn-shaped ceramic bowl and salt it to raise my blood pressure about 10 points. Lately, I’ve been washing it down with a tumbler of single-malt whisky (following the Julia Child principle of “everything in moderation including moderation”). This oddball, deeply gratifying alchemy romps through the corridors of taste with the resonance of an escaped convict.

Then, while it is still hot to the touch, I lie back, close my eyes and let the movie roll in the theatre of my head, where they still make ’em like they used to.

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

11

RESTAURANT REPORTER: VICTORIA

Winter Squall Strategies

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Pie delivered, gourmet-to-go and Vij’s in Victoria: 3 dine-in solutions to help you hunker down. by Elizabeth Smyth

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Rebecca Wellman

Chef David Feys with a selection of his prepared meals to go. showing off the dark green filling of spinach and blue cheese. Two-portion servings range from between $18 and $26.

If your foodie star is tarnished because you as a Victoria resident have yet to visit the Indian food mecca in Vancouver known as Vij’s, you need no longer hang your head in shame; you can get it frozen at Charelli’s Delicatessen. Tip: you need to get on their email list so you know when the shipments come in. You then need to drop all other tasks and charge down there before the marauding gourmand hordes in this town wipe out the stock, leaving the slowpokes to wait another month. The menu is long, but you can start your exploration with Coconut and Ginger Green Beans, Punjabi Daal, and Coconut Beef Curry. I appreciate how the vegetable dishes are clearly differentiated from the protein ones; they aren’t simply vegetables in the same sauces as the meat dishes. The green beans at $11.50 have a herbal aroma and a pleasing crunch that complements the more liquid curries. The Punjabi Daal for $13.50 has rich brown baby lentils dotted with the occasional red kidney bean. Heat slips past the satin of the beans and warms the body, resulting in a dish that is

Rebecca Wellmam

anuary and February are hunker down in front of the fireplace months. What better strategy to avoid the winter squalls outside than to bring a restaurant-quality meal into your living room? This month’s Victoria restaurants are not restaurants at all; they are providers of high quality frozen foods, locally and lovingly made, that you can heat up at home.

A steaming, rich, dark steak and mushroom or steak and kidney pie, a traditional MeltonMowbray pie, Spanish bean casserole…these are but a few of the pies and casseroles made

by Jenny’s Olde-Country Fare in Sooke. Attendants at the Sooke Fine Art Show may find some of these dishes sound familiar if they have visited Jenny’s catering concession there. The steam rising from the Spanish bean casserole is scented with her stated “magic ingredients”: tamarind and a dollop of dijon. The body of the casserole is rich in lima beans, onions, tomatoes, and red peppers, and is free of soy; Jenny’s pet peeve is vegetarian food that pretends to be meat, when it should simply taste like vegetables. Other vegetarian or vegan dishes are on her menu: Fisherman’s Pie, Gardener’s Pie (with lentils), and ratatouille. Several dishes, both vegetarian and meat-based, are also wheat-free. The steak pies are definitely not meat or wheat-free, but do meet my carnivorous needs. The pastry is firm enough to encase the rich sauce, yet still maintains its moistness – a coup that I have never accomplished in my own kitchen. The meat pies are all dense with moist, gravy-soaked meat – a real deal at $11.50 for a 9-inch pie. Another pie, the Melton-Mowbray, is a pork pie traditionally eaten cold, which is traditionally something I’d never dream of eating. I was proven to be a fool however; this is an exceptional, flavourful pie with seasoned diced lean pork literally packed in with the flat of a spoon and the arm power of Jenny’s brawny sailor husband. This is $7.50 or so, depending on the retailers, which include Red Barn Country Market, Slaters, and Market on Millstream. But…wait for it…aforementioned brawny retired sailor will make a freezer-stocking delivery to your door if you live in Victoria or the Saanich Peninsula. To your door! For just a $50 minimum order! For me as a busy professional with a young family, this is almost as exciting as winning a dinner for two at Sooke Harbour House.

For food with some fancier Saturday dinner options as well as midweek hot meals, go by the Feys and Hobbs catering centre to raid their freezer that’s located just inside their front entrance. It may contain some or all of these meals for one or two: Five Spice Pork and Pear, Lamb Shanks Puttanesca, Stuffed Cowichan Bay Chicken Thigh, Meat Cannelloni, maybe more…As with Jenny’s Melton-Mowbray pie, I had the lowest expectations for the cannelloni because it sounded, well, plain. Again, I was proved to be a fool, as this was actually my favourite dish by a hair, or by a decorative sliver of green onion to be more thematic. The cannelloni, for one thing, turned out to be delicate crepes, which encased a surprisingly light mixture of mixed ground meats and cottage cheese. Bechamel sauce over top provided an elegant accent, and besides all that, the little “cannellonis” are just plain cute. Five Spice Pork and Pear is a delightful jumble of Michell Farms squash, roast pear, and pork with a few green beans, all in a rich reduction sauce. And the stuffed Cowichan Bay chicken thighs are decorative as well as delicious, with each thigh sliced into five pieces and displayed like a fan,

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Rebecca Wellman

Amie Shepherd, Carmen Lassooij & Nicole Ingram at Charelli’s with Vij selections

12

EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

Jenny’s will deliver traditional Melton-Mowbray pie right to your doorstep!

CANADIA Bangbelly flour, raisins a instead of rice eggs are add frying), poure quarter in an

both soothing and stimulating at the same time. The Coconut and Natural Beef Curry, for $14.40, will soon be a staple in my freezer; flavours of onion and cumin coalesce in the chunks of beef, and coconut dances on top. Please don’t ruin the experience by being lazy like me and dumping this curry straight from the bag onto your plate as the curry then separates into layers of oil, then sauce, then meat. Break down and dirty a serving dish and make it an event; after all, it’s Vij’s. ~ Your own winter torpor is reason enough to pick up or get a delivery of some of these delectable freezer meals for yourself. But I’d like to share with you how meaningful it can be to deliver freezer meals to someone in need. My husband had a serious cycling accident a year and a half ago. He cracked two vertebrae and broke both wrists, and was on disability leave for six months. I started to crumble under the stress and picked up bronchitis.

Don’t even ask me how our then three-year-old was being parented, because I can’t remember. Some people sent flowers, which was sweet. But what really helped us out was when people went the practical route and sent casseroles. A casserole dropped off at the door created time for us – time to heal, time to be together. It also made us feel mothered and nurtured. I actually started to feel sad when we got flowers – sad that I then had an extra chore to do in setting them up and later cleaning them up, and sad that that $40 could have gone toward something we really needed – a meal. Using companies like these to help care for an injured friend, a family with a new baby, a senior with mobility problems is more than giving a gift of wonderful food – it’s a gift of love and profound consideration.

Jenny’s Ode-Country Fare, 6596 Sooke Road, (250) 642-2425, allen&jenny@telus.net Fey’s and Hobbs Catered Arts Inc, 1-845 Viewfield Rd, (250) 380-0390, www.feysandhobbs.com Charelli’s, 2863 Foul Bay Road, (250) 598-4794, info@charellis.com

Smyth

Rebecca Wellman

SOLOMON’S TASTING ROOM

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When Herald Street Caffe shut its door with a thump and finality, the empty space it left created a big vacancy sign which was up for a long time—despite a number of ill-considered interludes to make it work again. I had always thought the expansion at Herald St Caffe might have been to blame—making the space too big and thus too unaffordable for most start-ups. Why not sever off the room with the bar, I thought—it would make an ideal Vancouver ‘Salt’-style bar. Well, turns out someone did exactly that. Behold, Solomon’s, an eccentric centre of avantgarde mixology, obscure beers, charcuterie and odd-sounding dinner dishes. Definitely, a funky groove going here.

The long, narrow room nearly half filled by the bar is inviting in an untailored way, while Solomon Siegel and Vanessa Wright the constant rattle of the cocktail shaker further alerts you to its raison d'etre. The three-page menu, which is two-thirds drink, seals it. Cocktails take center stage and run from the rediscovered South America via San Francisco Pisco Sour to the trendy Apollo’s Chariot Two—a molecular merge of Metaxa brandy with pomegranate, aged bitters and lemon honey foam. Prices are $8-$12 but can rocket up if you substitute liquor from the top shelf.

Beyond the cocktail there’s an extensive liquor list, a range of Fentimans sodas, a whole section devoted to aperitifs, numerous international craft beers and a basic wine card with wines available in 2-ounce, 5-ounce portions or the bottle. Foodwise, the menu lists $15 cheese & meat boards: choose three of each such as Tiger Blue from BC, Brie de Mans from Quebec, Spanish Serrano Ham or a Canadian pickled herring roll mop. Small and Large plates seem to incorporate liquor or bitters frequently. Witness the Mussels with West Indian Orange Bitters ($8) or the Beer Brined Duck Breast with Limoncello Vinaigrette ($15). 542 Herald St., Victoria, 250.590.solomons —Gary Hynes CANADIAN FOOD REFERENCE Bangbelly An evocative Newfoundland word for a rib-sticking dessert made from molasses, flour, raisins and salt pork. Some people make Bangbelly from leftover bread soaked in water instead of rice and flour, though using bread makes it more like a bread pudding.Occasionally eggs are added. Everything is mixed together (including the fat rendered out of the pork while frying), poured into a greased square or rectangular cake pan, and baked for an hour and a quarter in an oven. It develops a crispy pastry outside, while the inside stays "squidgy."

MARINA DINNER SERIES JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MA R CH

A new three course menu every month.

Sunday to Thursday, only $25.

See the menus at www.marinarestaurant.com

250-598-8555 1327 Beach h Drive at the Oak Bay Marina arina

www.marinarestaurant.com www . .marinar estaurant.com m www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

13

Markus’ Wharfside Restaurant

LEFT TO R egg in hot s (chicken g seng, stick Rebecca Wellman

(250) 642-3596 1831 Maple Ave. Sooke www.markuswharfsiderestaurant.com

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ith its opulent Victorian-era décor, long black granite bar and carefully prepared gastro-pub food, the recently opened Bard & Banker transcends the kitschy, stereotypical English pub. But make no mistake: This smartly appointed drinking hole is as friendly a meeting place as the Dublin version.

Located in a former corner bank building on Government Street, the pub draws on a cross-section of business types, beer-lovers and those simply looking for a spot of good times. The expansive, 23,000-square-foot space spreads out over two levels and is a labyrinth of nooks and crannies, intimate leather booths and private dining rooms. Dark wood, polished brass railings, tiled floors, Victorianera chandeliers, five fireplaces and a glass canopy at the entrance complete the stylized interior.

The menu offers both classic and gastro-pub fare. You might try a 2 For 1 all-day special such as Pizza and a Pint for $12.95 or drop in at happy hour for a dozen fresh oysters at a mere $.0.69 apiece. If you’re in the mood for something more gastronomic, there’s a short selection of daily specials that shows-off the talent in the kitchen. Pan-seared local halibut ($18) struck the right balance, with three prawn and sesame encrusted filets moistened by beurre blanc, a classic French butter sauce, paired up with chanterelle mushrooms, sea asparagus and enough white rice to soak up the buttery sauce. The fish was fresh enough to satisfy the most dedicated ichthyologist and was cooked just right to so that the fish flaked but was not at all dried out.

Rebecca Wellman

Vancouver Island’s best kept secret

Bard & Banker Pub

Melissa Szewczok and Beau Mirchoff sport the ‘Bard’ look while serving gastro-pub quality cooking and perfect pulls of Guinness.

The bar running the length of the west wall is home to some of the best beer spigots from around the world - a wide assortment of local, Irish and continental ales. Service was friendly, affable and fast thanks to Kirsten our server.

On the heels of the successful Irish Times Pub, Victoria pub impresario Matt MacNeil has done it again—a magnificent heritage restoration, which also happens to be a successful pub operation known as The Bard & Banker. —G. Hynes 1022 Government Street, Victoria 250.953.9993

W

hen La Belle Patate owner Nathieu Lott arrived here two years ago he found authentic Quebecois cuisine sadly lacking. So, he set out to create something very La Belle Province and decidedly rustic. La Belle Patate’s specialties are Montreal smoked meat, poutine and le hot-dog. (For the uninitiated, poutine is a dish of French fries, dressed with thick beef gravy and topped with fresh cheese curds). Patate’s poutine is a ninja attack of comfort food that left us utterly satisfied. Patate’s Montreal smoked sandwich is a fine-tuned balance of thinly shaven meat (about 6 to 8 ounces) with just a enough fat to gradually soak two thin slices of good rye bread – braced on a paper plate with a kosher pickle. The chien-chaud ($3.99 all dressed) is a steamé revelation and served on a bun with cheese, bacon, and fried onions. We washed it all down with a big bottle of spruce beer ($3.25). —C. Newell

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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ork Belly and Squid with Yam Noodles. That is almost all I have to say about Moon’s Korean BBQ. This one dish summed up an entire experience that was nothing short of wonderful.

The vibe at Moon’s is relaxed and simple, but they are busy. Nevertheless, staff took the time to be very welcoming and the chef even came out to pay a visit. To start, our server cut perfectly marbled prime rib strips into small pieces with a large pair of scissors and then placed them on the personal barbecue in the middle of our table. The meat sizzled away surrounded by small white bowls of blanched bean sprouts with sesame oil, fish cakes, kimchee, a zucchini medley and other delectables (Korean cuisine typically comes with many banchan, or side dishes). We tried Soju, a traditional vodka-like spirit made with rice wine that was smooth and married well with the food. I often drink beer with many Asian cuisines; this was a nice departure. Also, the lack of carbonation meant more room for the excellent food. And now I’m back to the Pork Belly and Squid with Yam Noodles. Conversation ended as we alternated between staring into the gorgeous mess of food steaming away in front of us and eating. Utterly divine. We rolled ourselves home carefully before the immi-

nent food coma hit. Moon’s Korean BBQ is quite inexpensive, a great place for a dinner out with friends.

Moon’s Korean BBQ, 250-592-4244, 766 Fort St., Victoria I had been keeping a close eye on the construction of this casual but fairly funky eatery at the corner of Fisgard and Douglas. After weeks of pressing my face against the window, Sura has opened to packed houses. It was a pleasure to finally sit down to a plate of beef Bulgogki, luscious paper-thin sliced prime rib-eye with authentic Korean barbecue sauce. But it was the Kimchee Jjigae, a spicy kimchee (traditional fermented vegetables and varied seasonings, the staple of Korean cuisine), tofu and pork soup/stew that sealed my future with Sura. It arrived bubbling away in a cast-iron bowl. The rich, pungent and smoky flavours of this delicacy are a tasty way to ward off any blues, winter or otherwise. I returned the following week to enjoy Haemul Sundubu, a spicy soft tofu soup with squid, prawns, mussels and vegetables as well as crisp and savoury house-made pork dumplings, both delicious. Sura is open for lunch and dinner and has excellent takeaway-only lunch specials.

Sura Korean Restaurant, 250-385-7872, 1696 Douglas St., Victoria

waterfront restaurant + patio

SPECIALITY FOODS Fentimans: This line of botantically brewed soda drinks from the 105 year-old UK company Fentimans is showing up in the best fridges and bars around BC. We found it at Plenty, Market on Yates and Vista 18 in Victoria and Araxi and Nester’s in Whistler. Unlike most soda (a cheap mix of synthetic syrup and carbonated water), these premium beverages are brewed for seven days using natural herbs and contain .5% alcohol to better blend with liquors. The Curiosity Cola tastes as coke should: not too sweet, copious flavour and a herbal edge—ideal for toasting Fidel with a Cuba Libre. Top rated is the Orange Jigger combining the tang of Seville and Mandarin orange with juniper for a ripe, pudding and marmalade profile. Slack your thirst for the unusual. Comes in 125 ml or 275 ml.

Stylish cocktail idea: Try Fentimans Tonic Water with white port and crushed mint. www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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EAT BUZZ —by Katie Zdybel

Victoria News good back-up plan to cooking fresh every night is the new What’s For Dinner. A kitchen away from the kitchen, you sign up for six to twelve menu selections, come in and assemble the meals, then take them home to store in your freezer until one of those hectic nights where everyone arrives home at the same time famished and too tired to cook. Visit their website, www.whats4dinner.ca, for full menus, the soonto-come take away dishes, and more information. Seems Fort St. is opening a hip new shop every week turning this avenue off main street into a central hub of the city. Keep your eyes open for the new Street Level Espresso on Fort (near Douglas). Owner and chief barista, Ken Gorden is a veteran of the bean, hailing from the well-loved CafÊ Fantastico and Habit so you can expect an exquisite cup. Read More at eatmagazine.ca The Chateau Victoria Hotel and Suites is ushering in the new year with the novel Clive’s Classic Lounge. Opening its doors mid-December the lounge will throw its official grand opening celebrations early January. Named after hotel owner Clive Piercy the modern and elegant lounge offers local beer on tap and sparkles with local artisan-designed glass and mirror pieces, plus a pair of cozy fireplaces to warm up the winter months with. If you haven’t visited it yet, check out the new Spinnaker’s Sips in James Bay, a tasting bar from the Spinnakers’ crew. No need to bicycle across the blue bridge on a slick and rainy night (at least, that’s how this biking Spinnakers’ fan gets over there for her monthly fixes of good beer and a burger), just head over to James Bay for a bite and a sip. The retail shop next door carries ongoing deals throughout the year and spotlights some of the best wines from Vancouver Island. With Moss St. Market packed up for the winter, those who waited in long lines for Cliff Leir’s baguettes and perfectly Parisien pains aux chocolats will be thrilled to know his new bakery over in the Dockside Green is poised to open during the holiday season. A wheat silo and hand-built wheat grinder are the foundation of what is sure to be a bakery par excellence. The new name will be Fol Epi (meaning wild wheat stalk) and the boules, baguettes, croissants, and schneckes will be as outstanding as always, making Victoria one of the best places outside of Europe to source a heavenly loaf of bread.

A few changes are afoot in the Victoria epicurean scene. The Reef has been accepted by the Ocean Wise program and has shifted their menu to highlight local seafood such as Quallicum Bay scallops, BC Spot Prawns, and Albacore Tuna as well as sourcing local and organic herbs, greens, and vegetables (often choosing heirloom), free-run eggs, and organic coffee. To boot, their spicy Miss Kitty Hot sauce

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(which you can buy to take home) has no preservatives ad is made in house. Little Piggy has just made your Saturday nights a little easier and a lot more delicious by adding their Saturday night take-out menus. A far cry from pizza in a cardboard box, this take-home nosh features the likes of Smoke Sablefish Croquettes with Piment D’Escpellette Rouille and a traditional pound cake baked with custard filling.

Visit their website (www.thelittlepiggy.com) for full menus that change weekly. Ken Winchester has handed over the reins of Victoria Gin production to Barking Dog Vineyard of Saanich. The labour of love that took many years to perfect a complex recipe involving juniper, coriander, orange, lemon peel, rose petals, and some secret ingredients that cannot be revealed, will be no doubt be meticulously carried on by the good folks at Barking Dog. Sustainable Gastronomy courses will continue through UVic this semester with Don Genova’s Intro to Food Culture taught on campus, Exploring Local Foods at the Thrifty Food’s Tuscany Village, and Coffee Talk at the Drum Roaster CafÊ in Cobble Hill. Visit the UVic website and download the calender for more information.

With winter in full swing, start looking ahead to spring by signing up for your Full Circle Gardening Course, a hands-on class beginning in January that introduces novices and seasoned gardeners to the generous variety of organic vegetables that can be harvested from October to May. Get inspired, then come out in February to Seedy Saturday (see event details in the Concierge section.)

Madrona Farm has successfully reached its first target fundraising goal -congratulation to Natalie and David and the many, many active citizens who have helped. This has been an enormous feat, but the next target is even larger. Stay tuned to their website, www.madronafarm.com, and to ours as well, www.eatmagazine.ca, to see how you can help protect this vital farm.

This just in: At the Annual General Meeting held Monday, November 24th at Olympic View Golf Club, the members of the Island Chef’s Collaborative elected Cory Pelan (Ristorante LaPiola) as their new President. Cory Pelan is Chef and General Manager at Ristorante La Piola on Quadra street. Over the years he has formed strong relationships with local producers and is passionate about food security on Vancouver Island. Through fundraising and education Cory and the ICC will continue to work toward the vision of a sustainable local food and agriculture system.

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RESTAURANT REPORTER: VANCOUVER

The Drive is Alive

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Vancouver’s Commercial Drive neighbourhood honours its roots while continuing to branch out.

By Tara Lee

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

Tracey Kusiewicz

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and exciting. It’s fabulous!” Just the mention of soccer brings an excited rise to her voice.

Events like the World Cup and the Car-Free Festival (a raucously fun block party in midJune) remind us of what makes a great neighbourhood: energy and community. And nothing captures residents’ willingness to support the community like their farmers’ market. “There is a passion on the Drive and a respect for local food in diverse cultural cooking and growing traditions. There are a lot of people—generations of families—who have been growing [produce] in their backyards and they still get together to cook,” says Tara McDonald, executive director of the Vancouver Farmers’ Markets. Walk through any of the residential streets off the Drive and you’ll find front and backyards that are rambling vegetable gardens full of tomato vines, lettuces and basil plants. The comforting smells of home cooking waft from kitchen windows on any given night.

It was only natural then that in July 1995, a rough collective of residents called the Grandview-Woodlands Neighbourhood Group, set up the first farmers’ market at the Croatian Cul-

Tracey Kusiewicz

t’s mid-afternoon at Abruzzo Cappuccino Bar and three old-timers sit outside bantering in Italian, good-natured hand gestures punctuating their light-hearted discussion. On the other side of the street, three teenagers in dreadlocks and faded cargo pants head for vegetarian fare at Café Du Soleil. They move aside to make room for a young mother and her stroller stuffed with a cranky six-month-old and groceries. This is Commercial Drive, a neighbourhood with an exuberant range of cafés, delis and restaurants that reflects the eclectic and vibrant makeup of the community.

“The Drive” started off in Vancouver’s pioneer days as a skid road used to transport logs to Burrard Inlet. It lost its original moniker, Park Drive, in 1911 shortly after the street became part of the 1891 Vancouver-New Westminster interurban streetcar line. Along with the line came prosperity as entrepreneurs and real estate speculators turned their attention to the area. But the economic slump of the Great Depression put the brakes on.

It wasn’t until after World War II that Commercial Drive and its food culture really came into being. Italian immigrants, their cargo filled with Old World recipes and ingredients, moved into the area and introduced Vancouver to its first checkered-tablecloth restaurants. Vancouver’s own “Little Italy” was born. We fell in love with heaping plates of spaghetti with plenty of red sauce at establishments like Sortino’s, Gondola and Moka Ristorante. At Il Corsaro, owner Rino Tessuti kissed women’s hands as they entered, charmingly recommending the tender scallopine alla marsala, while at Arriva, restaurateur Paolo Frau wooed with his prawns in white wine sauce. Another competitor was Tommy O’s brassy New York-style eatery—sporting ceramic animals and marble tabletops—where Irish owner Tommy O’Bryan served up osso bucco with fettuccine on the side.

Starting in the 1960s, immigrants from other parts of the world were also adding their diverse flavours to the dining menu. Restaurants like the Budapest, the Shanghai Palace and the Vietnamese Saigon gave a distinctively global feel to the Drive. This ethnic beat was accompanied by the drums of political activism in the 1980s as the neighbourhood found its hippie calling. “[The Drive] transformed from the ‘Little Italy’ of post-WWII to something very multicultural, political and environmentally conscious,” explains Michelle Barile, executive director of the Commercial Drive Business Society.

Now, her non-profit society serves roughly 60 restaurants in its Business Improvement Area or BIA (a geographic area that city council designates as an improvement area). While the Drive and her association are continually seeing new entrants, remnants of the past endure. Just beyond the BIA’s radius at Frances Street sits Nick’s Spaghetti House, a place that has served as a home away from home for three generations of residents. Stepping inside feels like a time warp back to an era when wood panelling, red-and-white checkered tablecloths and good service were the pillars of ambiance. Old friends chat at a back table while staff, some who have been working at Nick’s for more than 30 years, mill around at the front.

Nick Felicella came from Naples, or the “old country” as he refers to it, in 1952. He liked cooking so much that he launched his own place three years later in 1955. At first, he catered to patrons who wanted diner grease, like hamburgers and fish ‘n’ chips, but slowly, he started to concentrate on his own cuisine: baked lasagna, meat ravioli and the hearty spaghetti and meatballs that have remained house favourites. Those were the days before he was allowed a liquor license and when 75 cents an hour was generous pay. Felicella admits that, unlike his wage, his décor hasn’t changed with the times. Still, he insists that his patrons want it that way: “Nobody wants me to change. They say if I change, they’ll quit coming here.”

Lina Christiano, owner of Caffe Bella Napoli, is someone who has grown up on the Drive along with iconic restaurants like Nick’s. She remembers lazy Sundays getting ice cream with her parents, or going to Gallo D’Oro (now Waazubee Café) for a special dinner out. She says that the Italian character is “fading,” but she welcomes the changing times. “I think women before would be afraid to go to a coffee bar because it was a man’s world. Now, women come with their kids,” she says.

On a weekday afternoon at the Caffe, a few middle-aged women gossip quietly, in no apparent hurry to leave for the day’s errands. For over a decade, this long, narrow coffee shop has been a familiar place for locals, many of whom invite Christiano to their weddings as an honoured family guest. She, in turn, rewards their patronage during the Euro and the World Cup, when regular customers get first dibs on prime seats for the games. Asked what soccer does for the Drive, she responds: “It’s like being high for a month because it’s fast paced

LIME chef Masa Aki with salmon sushi, lobster rolls, ahi tuna tataki

neighbourho manager.

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tural Centre. That inaugural market had only about a dozen vendors, but since then it has moved to its present location at Trout Lake where approximately 50 vendors sell their wares to an average of 6,000 people each Saturday. Well over half these people are from the surrounding area, and they eagerly shop for blueberries from Mission’s Beckman Berry Farm and sausages from Pinantan Lake’s Jay Springs Lamb. The buzz and energy is reminiscent of the days of yore when markets served as the hub of the community in many European towns. The Trout Lake farmers’ market may have to move once again due to Olympic 2010 redevelopment, but McDonald is not concerned. “I’m confident that there will always be a farmers’ market in this neighbourhood. There’s just too much support for it,” she insists.

When locals aren’t browsing at Trout Lake, they can be found at the many other grocers on the Drive. East End Store Food Co-Op, Drive Organics and Eternal Abundance Organic are just a few grocers that cater to those who are locally and organically minded. Large organic chains haven’t yet infiltrated the market; instead, the vibe at a store like Drive Organics is unassuming and grassroots. Sounds of the Pixies, an American alternative rock band, play in the background while staff are encouraged to come as they are, free of corporate-branded uniforms. “It’s pretty easy going and casual. If it wasn’t, I don’t think the

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Tracey Kusiewicz

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Tracey Kusiewicz

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neighbourhood would feel as comfortable shopping here,” says Jeff Emmett, assistant manager.

Emmett likes the broad cross-section of people who frequent the store, something he feels is quintessentially Commercial Drive. He also enjoys the dialogue with customers who are always recommending and requesting organic products that even he isn’t aware of. Consumers are so passionate about ingredients that a bakery like Uprising Breads prides itself on fair-trade coffee and organic baked goods free of preservatives and GMO canola oil. Assistant manager Fiona Harrod insists that this “friendly community bakery,” now owned by Don McGinn, has remained popular because it has stayed true to its 1976 co-op beginnings (plus, the freshly baked raspberry oatmeal muffins and sourdough pumpernickel bread are heavenly).

A walk north from Uprising on Venables is an impressive tour of the culinary spectrum, from lobster ceviche at Havana to injera (flatbread) and lamb stews at Harambe Ethiopian Cuisine. Despite all of this plenty, there is still room for new businesses. Mary MacIntyre was a local parent and terribly enthusiastic about her neighbourhood, but she still felt that something was missing. “There weren’t many cafés accessible for parents with strollers. I thought there were a lot of nice coffee places, but not a lot of places for a bite to eat for parents,” she explains. Her answer: Little Nest, a kid-friendly café with a whimsical retro touch and plenty of toys for the tots.

On a sunny day, a group of friends and their infants in strollers sit around outdoor tables and hash out the week over lattes and baguettes of prosciutto, cambozola and housemade fig jam. Inside, a mother and son sit at a large centre table, the child busily scribbling on recycled computer paper. Meanwhile, a mother with her newborn waits expectantly off to the side with a “Breastfeeding Social” sign in front of her. For MacIntyre, this place epitomizes Commercial Drive: “There’s a very DIY aesthetic. Everything is recycled and came off Craigslist. We try to pay attention to things like fair trade and local [ingredients]. We have always been a word-of-mouth business. I’m reluctant to advertise and I’m just going with that. I think that’s a specifically Commercial Drive ethos.”

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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Moxi

Tracey Kusiewicz

Jennifer Boyle, a resident of the Drive since 1996, agrees. As floor manager at Stella’s Tap and Tapas Bar, she estimates that about 70 percent of her clientele are local residents. The place has a definite neighbourhood feel, aided by a no-reservation policy that leaves the door wide open for walk-ins. “There are a lot of people on foot because we serve very strong beer and a lot of our guests are within stumbling distance,” she jokes. Her regulars come for the 40-odd different beers and the welcoming staff, most of whom also call the Drive their home. “Most of our staff are local too. It’s not something I did on purpose, but many of them live right around the restaurant,” says Boyle.

She is especially happy to be part of a recent wave of establishments that are changing the face of the street once again. “We’re really excited because Commercial Drive is entering another golden age. It’s a really exciting time on the Drive.” Fears of gentrification and chain invasion (the arrival of Tim Horton’s, for example) exist, but many, like Boyle and McIntyre, feel that restaurants like the Reef, Lime Japanese Cuisine and DeVino are all bringing positive new energy to the neighbourhood.

And in some cases, the additions are a continuation of the heritage that makes the Drive’s identity so enduring. Ted Grippo’s grandfather owned a business on Commercial, and now he owns Continental Coffee as well as the Dolce Amore Gelateria, which he relocated next to his wine and charcuterie bar, DeVino. It’s a modern, coffee-toned room but still with an emphasis on the old-fashioned slow eating of his childhood. “If this was 20 years ago, I would take you down to my grandmother’s house on Graveley. She made her own wine and cheese and cured meat. All artisan stuff. It was a wonderful way of growing up. She put her heart into everything, especially food. On the table was the best of the best at any given time,” he says.

Grippo’s history on the Drive makes him particularly proud of its past, present and the future that he hopes to shape with DeVino.

“I’ve been here my whole life. I know no other place. Before, when people asked me what part of Italy I was from, I would say the Commercial Drive part! I grew up here and I love the changes. Now it’s a melting pot with all sorts of people. It’s so full of life,” And with those words, Grippo salutes his Italian heritage and the newest members of the tightly knit and ever-growing family that makes up Commercial Drive.

The Charcuterie plate at DEVINO

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Not-for-profit group Cook the ‘Hood has published the Commercial Drive 2009 cookbook containing 25 recipes from local eateries as well as stories about local food security. Proceeds will go to providing food asistance to those in need. 778.858.2779

LODEN HOTEL/VOYA

Cobblest

By Jeremy Ferguson

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

Norm Davies for Best Ove Tracey Kusiewicz

head of Lumiere/Boulud and Shangri-la/Vongerichten in Vancouver’s wave of five-star debuts, the new Loden Hotel brings understated glamour from the Los Angeles-based KOR Hotel Group, whose ultra-chic “urban retreats” include Beverly Hills’ Avalon and Chamberlain West Hollywood.

On the edge of the going Coal Harbour district, Loden has 77 luxe rooms and much to like: Enough marble to give the Taj Mahal a makeover. A complimentary Espresso machine in the lobby from 6:30 to 9 a.m.

Sparkling and still water from a hi-tech filtrations system, no plastic bottles. Yoga mats in the guest rooms, (and a yoga channel on TV). And GM Edel Forristal, who’s been seen welcoming guests with coffee spiked with Irish whiskey.

An onyx marble fireplace leads from lobby to bar, an intimate space with cunning cocktails from mixologist Jay Jones and servers whose décolletage prompts males to lose their memories and order gin when they want scotch.

The bar feeds into the 80-seat Voya restaurant and theatre for Marc-Andre Choquette, formerly Rob Feenie’s hard-working sidekick at Lumiere. The stylish room expresses a geometrical bent with triangular prisms in crystal chandeliers, oversized square mirrors and backlit screens of interlocking circles. The press kit speaks of “sinuous lines.” Indeed, the décolletage is back: The duck isn’t the only organic breast hereabouts.

To cavil, who answers for the Techno beat? Thump, thump, thump, three hours non-stop. Do thirtysomethings with fat wallets really relax with this stuff? Aren’t migraines redundant in a recession?

Choquette’s smallish menu divides into starters, mains and shared dishes. Qualicum Bay scallops ($19) from the Island and poached pork belly redefine 21st century surf-and-turf, soft and sweet playing off chewy and salty. Lamb kibbye ($16) is Middle Eastern tartare, the raw flesh coarsely chopped and tossed with pine nuts, truffle oil and cucumber in a fusillade of textural nuances.

On this occasion, however, anyone familiar with Choquette perfectionism must assume he`s out-of-town.

It`s a bad night for fish. Albacore tuna ($28) is plainly past its best-before date. And where sablefish ($28), with scallop chorizo sausage and smoked paprika broth, ought to roar, there isn’t a high note on the plate.

Meats reveal the kitchen’s bistro soul. Lamb ($30) gets exotic Moroccan dress with sweet Medjool date and cumin puree. Almost certain to emerge as Voya’s signature is the shared veal cheek blanquette ($39).

The platter brings four veal cheeks perched atop giant pappardelle noodles racily dressed with smoked bacon, onions, carrot and mushrooms. It’s a slow-cooked, melt-in-the mouth marvel. Its jus sticks the lips.

And at $10 per head, it ranks as one of the city’s gourmand bargains. Throw in a bottle of Syrah and as the French expression goes, “you know you have eaten.”

Among desserts, chocolate dome sauced in passion fruit with mandarin orange sorbet (all desserts, $12) is an easy standout. The chocolate delivers, the passion fruit counters and the sorbet is wonderfully tart.

The morning after: If it’s high time restaurants upgraded breakfast to dinner standards, Voya does it in

VOYA chef Marc-Andre Choquette with soon-to-be signature dish—Veal Cheek Blanquette and Parpadelle Pasta spades with big flavours, artfully plated dishes, velvet-glove service and jazz, not Techno. The sprawling omelette ($14) spills over with a meld of tastily sautéed mushrooms and cave-aged gruyere cheese, with strawberry tomato, endive and arugula salad completing the plate. But don’t stop there: Five bucks buys a “side” of three magnificent bacons from Choquette’s onsite smokehouse and charcuterie. Do it, and start the day with a happy mouth.

Loden Hotel, 1177 Melville St. Tel. 604-669-5060. Rooms from $239.

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irst Joeys went to James Beard House in NYC, then Cactus Club acquired Iron Chef Rob Feenie, Earls sponsored the Culinary Olympics Team Canada and now Moxie’s has signed on as the title sponsor of the Canadian culinary team for the prestigious Bocuse d’Or. What’s next, Tim Horton’s cooks for the Oscars? Hooters garners a Michelin star? It may be one part menu development and two parts P.R., but this latest sponsorship bid also reveals the battle going on between upscale casual kitchens.

The Bocuse d’Or is the world’s most esteemed culinary competition and will take place January 27-28, 2009 in Lyon, France.

Founded more than 20 years ago by legendary chef Paul Bocuse, widely held as the father of modern cuisine, the Bocuse d’Or occurs every two years amid all the excitement and drama of an elite sporting event.

Think World Cup soccer with cooking utensils. Twenty-four chefs from 24 countries compete for gold, silver or bronze and the respect of the global culinary community.

The competition, in partnership with SIRHA, the International Hotel Catering and Food Trade Exhibition, draws more than 160,000 visitors over the two-day event.

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Norm Davies, owner/general manager of Cobblestone Wine Bar, displays his award for Best Overall B.C. Wine List. Photo by Kristi Patton Tracey Kusiewicz

signature Pasta

Competing for Canada come January will be Nanaimo-born chef David Wang (chef instructor for the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Vancouver) and one under 22-year-old apprentice (according to competition rules), culinary student Grace Pineda. Wang has spent the past six years training for and winning an impressive array of culinary competitions in his bid for the Canadian Bocuse d’Or. Pineda, an accomplished and composed young cook in her own right, assisted Vancouver chef Wayne Harris at the Canadian qualifying competition for the Bocuse d’Or in 2006. Wang and Pineda will have fiveand-a-half hours to put together two platters (one meat, one fish) with three garnishes. Anyone who saw the comical Spanish documentary The Chicken, the Fish and the King Crab, which followed chef Jesus Almagro through false-start trials, criticism from his peers and the pressure cooker of the 2007 competition, knows chef Wang and his team will need everyone in their corner, including all of Moxie’s financial and public relations resources. Everyone, er, except perhaps the delegation from Hooters.

Cobblestone Wine Bar was given gold in the Best All B.C. Wine List category at the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival's B.C. Wine List Competition held in early October. The competition, sponsored by Eat Magazine, examined each competing restaurant's commitment to BC wine with criteria including the restaurant's wine philosophy, legibility and accuracy of the wine list and the overall commitment to the promotion of B.C. wines.

Nestled in the hamlet of Naramata, a quiet community with a big name, Davies has no problem selecting the best of the best — the Naramata Bench is home to a number of award-winning wineries. While the wine bar takes advantage of local fare, they also ensure they offer 95 per cent B.C. wines, with a minimal selection of international wines.

As Norm Davies, proprietor of the winning establishment explains, "Why travel to the Naramata Bench to sample something from another country?"

Davies attributes his wine selection to the fact Cobblestone is the oldest wine bar in the Okanagan Valley. He and his staff have invested years of careful consideration when selecting wines so patrons are introduced to high-quality vintages at their peak.

And, thanks to their by-the-glass offerings, visitors have the opportunity to pair wines with fresh, local foods including fresh-baked breads, cheeses, pâtes, savories and vegetarian offerings. Davies notes executive chef Thomas Render seasonally creates a menu unique to the world class wine selection seasonally. —By Holly Miyasaki (winner’s list at eatmagazine.ca) 3625 1st St., Naramata, BC, 250 496-6808, www.naramatainn.com

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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The Quest: Asian Noodles

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Nothing soothes chilled bones, runny noses and frosty toes like a gigantic bowl of tasty, tangy Asian noodles — J.Pegg

Tracey Kusiewicz

hen I crave noodle soup, I need it now. I don’t want to drive. I don’t want to walk my fingers through the Yellow Pages. In short, I don’t want to think. And, often, I prefer to slurp alone.

In a city saturated with noodles, that’s a tough call. As well, if, like me, you find that a rambling Asian menu strains your noodle, you can, of course, stick to safe and sound won ton noodle doused with sinus-clearing chili.

But it’s fun to stray a bit.

You can’t argue with two Vancouver Chinese chestnuts: Hon’s on Robson Street and in Chinatown for any of its soups and Legendary Noodle on Main Street for its handmade noodles. Or any one of many fine noodle places in Richmond.

I offer three westside spots near me that satisfy both crave and comfort zone yet offer something a little outside the normal noodle box.

Unless it is the Noodle Box, South-East Asian Noodle Bar (1867 W. Fourth Ave.). Riding the raves of two Victoria locations, a Kits site opened two years ago. My chilly thumbs go way up for the Thai Tom Yum soup ($9-$11).

Excellent quality prawns, chicken, pork, tofu, alone or in combination, smother noodles flecked with fresh-from-

Granville-Island-Market peppers, sprouts and Chinese greens. The whole lot slides into a big, hot-and-sour pool spiked with lime and heat, ranging from wimpy mild to suicide hot. I settle for medium, a good kick up from “western medium.”

At Mandala Iki Asian Bistro (2394 W. Fourth Ave.), dubbed “healthy Asian” (it offers very good brown rice sushi), I try the vegetable pho ($8). Silky rice noodles float in a delicate broth, topped with tender-firm red pepper, crisp snow peas, baby bok choy, mushrooms and asparagus. The usual pho garnish—Thai mint, hell-hot tiny peppers, lime and sprouts—are super-fresh.

Kudos, hands down, go to Lin’s Chinese Cuisine and Tea House (1537 W. Broadway), a recently opened eatery for housemade noodles, sliced thin or thick or turned into little dumplings. Hot-and-sour soup ($5.99) meets the noodle in an earthy not-too-vinegary potage. Tan-Tan noodles ($6.99), chewy yet feather-light, float in peanut sauce thinned with vegetable broth, made tangy with Chinese pickle. Xiao Long Bao (XLB) features those little dumplings ($4.99 for six) plumped with soup and a knob of minced pork. One nibble releases a burst of delicious, clear (hot!) broth. Ah! Comfort and joy in one bite.

Joy and comfort: Lin’s owner Shiao Miu with a big bowl of tan tan noodles

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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EAT BUZZ —by Julie Pegg

Vancouver News ore of what’s not than what’s hot rolled across my desk at this writing. I needed a crystal ball to predict the Vancouver’s restaurants’ comings and goings in the year ahead. With such a volatile economic climate we at EAT wish everyone in the BC food/wine industry the very best for 2009.

Eleven-year-old Trafalgars (2603 West 16th Ave) continues to dish it out to hungry, happy folk. On a recent visit a packed house tucked into chef Chris Moran’s poached eggs on potato latke (back bacon, spinach or salmon options), the twice baked baked polenta and stilton soufflé, or lamb and Oka cheese burger.

Wines are available in 2-oz tasters, glass, or half-liter. Sweet Obsessions, the bakery/café next door, dispatches the desserts. Devotees of homey butter tarts and apple pie will love the pecan cranberry tart or flaky apple crostada.

Starved for a new-wave Greek eatery in Kits, we headed immediately to Piato (Greek for “plate”) 1835 West 4th, for the boisterous opening. We drank in the decor (dark wood floors and white-washed walls) and a fresh nottoo resined retsina wine. Dishes are modern classic. Greek salad comes with a thick wedge of feta atop rosy, red and vivid yellow tomatoes tumbled with chunks of English cucumber.

There’s a garlicky white bean, basil and feta hummus, barley rusk “bruschetta” and new renditions of Greek favourites like moussaka and roast lamb. Resurrected, too, is a wood-burning oven, plastered over by the previous tenants.

Drinks list include specialty Greek wines and ouzos. Prices are in line with many Greek

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restaurants, but portions smaller (or sensible?).

All in all things looked promising.

As this goes to print the 46 seat/8 bar stool R.TL (Regional Tasting Lounge) 1130 Mainland Street in Yaletown is on the cusp of throwing open its doors. The theme here? Small-plate sharing from three 3 distinct world regions. BC will always be featured. Wine list includes 44 by the glass.

Au Petit Chavignol, is slated to open this or next month. Raclette, house-made terrines, and Rieslings figure into the fine cheese selection in the 40-seat restaurant connected to the newest les amis du Fromage location (845 East Hastings) We were thrilled to hear charming, ultraprofessional Annette Rawlinson, (“C”, Diva, 900 West) is general manager If budget and belt need tightening, affordable, healthy food shopping has never been better in our burg. The Winter Market (www.eatlocal.org for dates, hours and vendors) is alive and well at the Wise Hall, featuring organic veggies, artisanal cheeses and breads, local meat and fish.

Fine-food lovers can buy the best of the best from three Urban Fare locations (Yaletown, Coal Harbour and now, next to the Shangri-la Hotel, 1133 Alberni). Prices may appear larger than they actually are. One six-buck wrap or ciabatta sandwich fills a rumbling tummy can be shared. Cheeses? A little goes a long way when they are this good. (Try the Austrian selection). Check out fresh meats and deli-delights. Shoppers will love Urban Fare’s own products if the balsamic vinegar indicates house-brand quality.

Local hotel inspiration for crime novel hat better way to dispense with the winter doldrums than to get down and intimate with a juicy crime book.

Set during the chaotic launch of a luxurious new boutique hotel in Los Angeles, the ever-thickening plot ricochets from revelation to head-spinning twist, as the book’s hero, hotel manager Trevor Lambert (a naive Canadian from Vancouver), gets entangled in a TMZ Hollywood-style web of deceit.

But what makes this read extra delicious is the humour. Stir the plot pot and you’ll find a dead celebrity, an overbearing mom, a wannabe actor detective, a sleazy hotel owner and a deceitful publicist. Anyone who has worked in the hospitality industry will know there is knowledge behind this cast of characters and behind-thescenes hotel detail. That’s because author Daniel Craig knows of what he speaks. Craig was General Manager of the Opus Hotel in Vancouver, before moving to L.A. and then onto Montreal where he presently is manager of the Opus Hotel Montreal. —G.Hynes Murder at Hotel Cinema, Author: Daniel Craig, Publisher: Midnight Ink ISBN 978-0738711195

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www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

23

Marathon Man

Company, an 1:00 p.m. Bac fromage blan 3:00 p.m. No tles.

Vancouver chef, food stylist and consultant Murray Bancroft shares a page from his daybook—starting at daybreak by transporting precious foodstuffs across the border to San Francisco and finishing at midnight with a well-deserved (and legal) cigar. It’s a tale of one great city market, one spectacular wine dinner and how he made it out alive.

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M Gary Hynes

Foodie ground zero: The Ferry Building in San Francisco “You gotta have a system or this market will swallow you whole.” Wise words overheard on a late spring trip I made Stateside last year. He wasn’t talking about stocks, but the San Francisco Farmers’ Market, swarming with roving locavores, each with his or her unique system of toting, bartering (“split that pound of artisan butter?”) and crowd-navigating worthy of a market floor anywhere in the world. Herewith, a recounting of the 20-hour marathon that resulted in a memorable Pacific Northwest wine dinner.

The Journey 4:00 a.m. After a rude awakening in Vancouver, it’s time to pack a suitcase and head for YVR. 6:00 a.m. I’ve cleared U.S. customs (whew!) with said suitcase containing: Osoyoos Larose 2001, two Thomas Haas dark chocolate bars, two B.C. honeycombs, one jar of my homemade grape mostarda, one cheese each from Farmhouse, Poplar Grove and Moonstruck Organic, two boxes of Raincoast Crisps, one chef’s knife, sharpening steel, microplane grater and various, albeit limited, personal effects (including a couple of cigars, clearly marked “Honduran.”)

9:30 a.m. Thanks to tailwinds, we touch down 45 minutes early in San Francisco—I may need it. I meet up with Mike Parker, an old friend and ad exec who has recently relocated to the Bay Area. He’s hosting tonight’s Pacific Northwest wine dinner for his wine club, and we’ve got shopping to do.

The Prep 11 a.m. To market to market to buy a fat salmon belly. Or not. We learn the local fishery has suddenly shut down and what remains is $30 a pound. Wild Alaskan Coho it is.

Noon: B.C. Kushi oysters are a hot commodity and the Hog Island Oyster Bar will part with only a dozen. (Note to self: next time, FedEx).

12:30 p.m. “The strawberries are going to save us,” notes the guy behind Dirty Girl Produce, referring to the late-starting season. And they save us as well; they prove to be the most delicious, sweet and succulent thing going. Baby arugula and fingerling potatoes are procured a couple of stalls down.

12:45 p.m. Some rather large cuts of organic beef are ordered from Prather Ranch Meat

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

Ferry Buildin place.com Acme Bread memorable a Boulettes La ents like rizo Culinaire An a vintage Ma Far West Fun added essent Hog Island O ters, or salads creamy lemon Lulu Petite, F for a Meyer l beet salad to Prather Ranc ture-raised me Slanted Doo ways delivers liner. Healthy, prawns with c location of the Bin 38, 3232 friends-backy happy hours Hotel Vitale, fifth floor terra brunch of And Prosecco for s Pacific Catch Check out on jalapeño tarta SPQR, 1911 Brussels sprou like spaghetti Spruce, 364 hood of Persid reads under $ menu (you ca Caesar salad restore honou sat at was ab

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Company, and a pot of truffle butter from Far West Fungi ends our hunting and gathering.

1:00 p.m. Back to Hog Island to pick up the chilled oysters and a cave-aged gruyere-andfromage blanc grilled cheese sandwich for the road.

3:00 p.m. No time for a siesta, it’s into the kitchen to prep for the dinner and open our bottles.

Bancroft break by r to San rved (and ectacular

The Dinner 6:00 p.m. Guests begin to arrive (some with their Yahoo security passes still on). There would be 17 club members plus one enthusiastic UC Davis oenology student. We head outside for radishes with sea salt and charcuterie leading into oysters with sambal-cucumber mignonette—finishing just as the sun sets behind the Burlingame Hills. A Blue Mountain Chardonnay poured by one of the members gets some happily surprised reactions.

7:00 p.m. Slow-cooked salmon is served with arugula, followed by grilled striploin with fingerling potatoes, asparagus and truffle butter. We finish with cheese plates. Meanwhile, the remaining 20-odd wines are presented, pitched and poured by their owners.

11:00 p.m. Once the last drop has been lapped up and the final crumbs swept away, it’s time to cast votes for the winning wine of the night. In a roomful of dot coms and ad execs, the pitches are worthy of the Giants. Among some heavy hitters like a 2003 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington Walla Walla Valley or a rare 1999 Cayuse Vineyards Syrah, my 2001 Osoyoos Larose is victorious (a 2003 Osoyoos Larose purchased from Bishops restaurant in Vancouver by a club member was an interesting foil). Second place is awarded to the 2005 Blue Mountain Chardonnay.

Midnight: The Limovan departs with our well-lubricated guests (some of whom continue on to put a dent in another personal cellar). But one lingering guest (founder of beer.com among other things) sets up a vertical beer tasting from one of his microbreweries. Talk about a rapper at a rock concert. Honestly though, I have always found that a spot of beer or bubbles after wine does refresh the palate. Honduran stogies ‌ not so much.

Murray Bancroft’s San Francisco Picks Gary Hynes

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Ferry Building Marketplace, One Ferry Building, 415-693-0996, ferrybuildingmarketplace.com Acme Bread Company, Ferry Building, 415-288-2978 Pastries and artisan breads that are as memorable as the name.

Boulettes Larder, Ferry Building, 415-399-1177 An absolute favourite for hard-to-find ingredients like rizo nero (Italian black rice) or freeze-dried yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit).

Culinaire Antiques, Ferry Building, 415-576-1700 Rare finds from antique Mezzaluna knives to a vintage Madeleine form to give some character to your kitchen.

Far West Fungi, Ferry Building, 415-989-9090 Wild mushrooms without the foraging and valueadded essentials like truffle butter and truffle salt.

Hog Island Oyster Company, Ferry Building, 415-391-7117 Sit down for raw or baked oysters, or salads like their red romaine with shaved radish, parmesan cheese and boquerones with creamy lemon dressing.

Lulu Petite, Ferry Building, 415-362-7019 After a run along the Embarcadero seawall, step in for a Meyer lemon and orange blossom lemonade or pick up a crispy chicken sandwich and baby beet salad to go.

Prather Ranch Meat Company, Ferry Building, 415-3910420 Organic, sustainable and pasture-raised meats.

Slanted Door, Ferry Building, 415-861-8032 A long-standing favourite, the Slanted Door always delivers with Vietnamese flavours and a smart wine card with lots of Riesling and GrĂźner Veltliner. Healthy, refreshing dishes like Manila clams with Thai basil, pork belly and chilies or grilled prawns with cellophane noodles and Imperial roll make it hard to get a table. Thankfully, a second location of their to-go branch Out the Door has recently opened in Westfield Centre.

Bin 38, 3232 Scott St., 415-567-3838, bin38.com A good bet for happy hour, with its bestfriends-backyard vibe. The young, fun crowd looked as though many had already spent several happy hours before we arrived.

Hotel Vitale, 8 Mission St., 415-278-3700, hotelvitale.com Check in at Hotel Vitale where the fifth floor terrace looks over the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge. Cross the street and bring back a brunch of Andante Dairy cheese, bread from Acme Bakery, strawberries and some well-chilled Prosecco for some of the best alfresco dining in town.

Pacific Catch, 2027 Chestnut St. and various locations, 415-440-1950, pacificcatch.com Check out one of their three sustainable seafood restaurants and snack on crispy oysters and jalapeĂąo tartar sauce with an even more sustainable cold microbrew.

SPQR, 1911 Fillmore St., 415-771-7779, spqrsf.com Rustic and very tasty dishes like deep-fried Brussels sprouts and grilled pork ribs with fennel and rosemary pair well with homemade pastas like spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, pecorino and chilies.

Spruce, 3640 Sacramento St., 415-931-5100, sprucesf.com Located in the toney neighbourhood of Persidio Heights, but don’t let its well-heeled looks fool you. A page on the wine card reads under $50 and offers some real value. Ditto the lunch-or-dinner-eat-anywhere-in-the-room bar menu (you can take the boy out of the bar but not the bar out of the boy) with upscale classics like Caesar salads and burgers. In the dining room, the charred Berkshire pork tenderloin is enough to restore honour to an often ho-hum cut. Do look for a banquette—the white tableclothed round we sat at was about as sure on its feet as Lindsay Lohan on a Friday night.

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Food that puts you in the mood...

Sumptuouss and sensual dinners for two two,, ready eady to serve serve..

Tempt yourself urself — fe ysan d h ob b s. s . com 250. 380. 0390

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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Un Dîner Québécois

A meal steeped in tradition and rich in regional and seasonal ingredients.

by Nathan Fong BELOW: Ragoût de Pattes et Boulettes. RIGHT : Edie McCaffrey and Marguerite Lamothe.

Marguerite inspired Nathan’s story and lent us her wonderful Tourtière recipe.

BOTTOM LEFT: CIDER. FAR RIGHT: Maple Tart.

Photography by Tandy Sean Arnold

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in Île d’Orlé wonderful bounties of t Maritime re Gaspésie, province is b with culinar Fat lobes of f plump magre cheeses, fre lent sc buttery rich the place is a paradise.

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rom chic Montreal and its cosmopolitan cuisine, to Quebec City and its fertile neighbouring farmland in Île d’Orléans, to the wonderful seafood bounties of the Quebec Maritime region of Gaspésie, this province is brimming with culinary plenty.

Fat lobes of foie gras, plump magret breasts, cheeses, fresh succulent scallops and buttery rich lobsters— the place is a gourmand’s paradise.

To honour Quebec City’s 400th anniversary this past year, EAT offers this small collection of cherished regional recipes from inland to the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Bonne fête!

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

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

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

Warm Mulled Cranberry-Apple Cider Quebec is renown for its cranberry and apple harvests and their wonderful by-products, such as the famed ice-cider. This warm spiced drink is perfect for those ultra-cold and snowy Quebec winters. Serves 6 to 8.

Strips of zest from 2 oranges 24 oz cranberry juice 24 oz apple cider or juice 2 cinnamon sticks, about 4 inches each 6 whole allspice 8 whole cloves 2 whole star anise pods 2 pieces vanilla beans, about 2 inches each

www.silkroadtea.com 1624 Government St. Victoria Chinatown

Remove the zest from the oranges in strips about half an inch wide. Set aside 2 long strips.

Cut the remaining strips in 6 to 8 pieces, about 2 inches long. Cut a small slit in each so that the zest can be slipped onto the rim of a glass as a garnish.

In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the juices. Place the 2 long orange zest strips, the cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and vanilla bean pieces into a small square of double cheesecloth and tie up with string to make a small bundle. Add to juice and place over medium high heat, bringing to almost a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with a piece of the zest on the rim of each glass as a garnish. For an alcoholic boost, add a shot of brandy to each glass.

Tourtière Nothing showcases a French-Canadian celebration like the traditional rich meat pie called tourtière. Recipes vary from region to region throughout the province, from traditional wild game fillings of venison and grouse, pork and beef inland to seafood such as salmon and shellfish in areas close to the Quebec Maritimes. Every family has its own “original” recipe, passed down through generations, some with potato, some with none. This is an adapted recipe from my dear friend Margarite Lamothe, who has been making her family recipe for decades. Makes one 9-inch pie of 8 servings.

1 large russet potato 1 pound ground pork 1/2 pound ground veal 1/2 pound ground beef 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp ground sage 1/2 tsp celery salt 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup water 2 recipes Flaky Pastry (see following) 1 egg yolk Boil potato in its jacket until cooked. Peel and mash; set aside.

In a large saucepan, add the meat, garlic, onions, spices and water. Cook over medium high heat until bubbling, stirring to break up meat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until almost no liquid remains. Mix in potatoes and add additional seasoning to taste.

Let cool, stirring occasionally (mixture will thicken as it cools). Roll out and line plate with pastry. Fill with meat mixture. Roll out remaining pastry. Brush pie rim with water; cover with top pastry and press edge together to seal. Trim and flute.

Mix egg yolk with 2 tsp water; brush top pastry. Cut steam vents. Bake in bottom third of a 400ºF oven until hot and golden brown, about 50 minutes.

Flaky Pastry Makes 1 double-crust 9-inch pie.

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup each cold butter and lard, cubes 1 egg 2 tsp vinegar Ice water In a bowl, mix flour with salt. Using pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter and lard until coarse crumbs with larger pieces.

In liquid measure, beat egg with vinegar, add enough ice water to make 2/3 cup. Drizzle over flour mixture, tossing with fork until ragged dough forms. Divide and press into two discs. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (This can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Ragoût de Pattes et Boulettes This dish truly represents the Quebecois farmer. Rustic and hardy, the rich and simple stew made with pigs’ trotters and simple meatballs is a traditional winter dish served typically with mashed potatoes. Serves 8.

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

Des Pattes: 3 lbs pigs’ feet or hocks, skinned and cut in half 1 Tbsp coarse salt 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg and black pepper 1/2 tsp each dried thyme and savoury 3 Tbsp canola oil 2 onions, chopped 2 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup toasted flour (see below) 1 cup cold water Boulettes: 1 1/2 lb ground pork 1/2 lb ground beef 2 slices of country style or French bread, cut into half-inch pieces and soaked in half a cup milk 1 medium onion, chopped 2 Tbsp d’herbes salées (salted herbs; see below) 1 egg, beaten 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Wipe the pig’s feet with paper towel and place into mixing bowl. Mix together the spices, salt and pepper; sprinkle the whole mixture over the pigs’ feet and rub well to marinate.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high and add the pigs’ feet in small batches, browning for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove to a platter and re-

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peat until all are browned. Set aside.

In the same pan, heat the butter over medium heat and sauté the onions till golden, about 5 minutes. Place the pigs’ feet back into the pan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer and cook until tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, skimming occasionally; the meat should pull away from the bone. Add more liquid if necessary, to keep the feet covered.

While the feet are cooking, heat the oven to 375ºF and mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs. Shape into 2-inch meatballs and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Thirty minutes before the feet are cooked, add the meatballs to the pigs’ feet stew and continue to simmer. Before serving, remove the meatballs and feet with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid in the pan. Skim and remove excess fat from the liquid. Debone the feet, reserving the meat. Reheat the broth in the same pan. Whisk together the flour and water until well blended.

Slowly whisk in the flour mixture into the broth until well blended; bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Place the meat back into the broth, reheat and serve with mashed potatoes.

Toasted Flour: Toast flour by adding all-purpose flour to a dry heavy skillet over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the colour becomes golden, about 5 minutes. Remove and pour flour immediately into a mixing bowl to avoid overcooking.

Salted Herbs Makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups.

and lard until

3 cup. Drizzle ress into two de ahead and

d simple stew rved typically

1/2 cup chopped fresh chives 1/2 cup chopped fresh savoury 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley 1/2 cup chopped fresh chervil 1/2 cup grated carrot 1/2 cup chopped celery leaves 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup coarse salt In a medium bowl, combine the herbs. Layer one inch of the herb mixture in the bottom of a crock or glass jar and sprinkle with some of the salt. Repeat layers until all of the herb mixture and salt are used. Cover and refrigerate for 2 weeks. Drain off accumulated liquid and pack herb mixture into sterilized jars. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Maple Tart One of the most popular desserts in La Belle Province, maple tart is to Quebec what the butter tart is to the rest of Canada. As with most Quebecois recipes, maple tarts vary from gooey fillings to thick rich cream ones. The flavour and colour of the tart will vary also depending on the quality of the maple syrup used.

This wonderful dessert is from Martin Picard’s famed Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, certainly one of my favourite carnivore haunts in the city! Makes two 9- to 10-inch tarts.

Inspirational LOCAL produce!

Choose Us

Choose Your Box

Choose your Options

FROM FARM TO TABLE

www.shareorganics.bc.ca (250)595-6729

2 cups maple syrup 3/4 cup whipping cream 3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 4 large eggs 1 recipe Flaky Pastry (see above), or frozen pie shells

in half a cup

er the spices, o marinate. feet in small latter and re-

Combine the maple syrup and cream in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Add the butter and stir until melted, then stir in flour. Set aside, keeping slightly warm. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Roll out pastry and cut two rounds to line the bottom of the tart moulds (with removable bottoms). Blind bake the empty tart shells by carefully lining the shell with parchment paper or foil and filling with uncooked rice or dried beans, with enough foil overhang to be able to remove. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove paper/foil/beans and set aside.

Reduce oven to 300ºF. In a bowl, lightly beat eggs, then add to the maple syrup mixture and stir well to mix.

Place the tart shells on baking sheets and divide the maple mixture between them. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling has set at the centre and there is a slight bubble at the edge of the moulds. Let cool completely before removing the tart bottom. Serve with whipping cream.

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

29

Kitchen Local

a celebration of the season.

Andouille Sausage & Chicken Stew This is the ticket to chase away winter chills. Galloping Goose’s andouille sausages permeate the stew with a spicy and smoky flavour. Serves 8 Galloping Goose Smoked Andouille Sausages, 4 *Farmhouse Poultry bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, 8 Garlic cloves, minced, 2 Sweet onion, chopped, 1 Dried oregano leaves, 1 tbsp Sweet smoked paprika, 1 tsp Sea salt, 1 tsp Canned plum tomatoes, 28-oz can Chicken broth, 1 cup BC Hothouse bell peppers, coarsely chopped, 3 Lightly coat a large wide saucepan or Dutch oven with oil and set over medium heat. Add sausages and cook until evenly browned, 5 min. Remove from pan. Add chicken (in batches – don’t crowd pan) and cook until golden, 3 to 4 min. per side, then remove from pan.

Add garlic and onions to fat in pan. Sprinkle with seasonings and cook until softened, 8 to 10 min. Meanwhile, cut sausages into chunky pieces. Drain tomatoes (as best you can – don’t be too fussy) and place in a bowl. Using your fingers, coarsely crush.

When onions are soft, increase heat to high. Pour in broth. Scrape up and stir in any brown bits from pan bottom – they’re very flavourful. Stir in crushed tomatoes and return chicken to pan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 min. Add sausages and peppers. Pan will be very full but volume deflates as peppers cook.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peppers are soft and chicken is falling off the bone, 15 to 20 min.

Spoon chicken pieces into a bowl. Let cool, then separate meat from bones into chunky pieces. Stir into stew. Dish up with rice and a selection of garnishes, such as black olives, hot chili flakes and chopped cilantro.

Rebecca Wellman

*Island Farmhouse Poultry is Island grown chicken from Cowichan. Sticking to its local roots, Farmhouse Poultry is available through local grocers all over Vancouver Island. To find the location nearest you, log onto their website at: farmhousepoultry.ca/wheretobuy.htm

30

EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2008

Cold Com “When gr winter ch turn to th comfort. feel-good up with a forward t of putteri there. An banishes like the h of Andou & Chicke biscuits a Chocolate with beet the house RECIPES

by JENNIF

Cold Comfort: “When grey days and winter chills set in, I turn to the kitchen for comfort. I crave hearty, feel-good food to cozy up with and look forward to an afternoon of puttering about in there. And nothing banishes winter blues like the heady aromas of Andouille Sausage & Chicken Stew, fluffy biscuits and Deep Chocolate Cake (made with beets!) that fill the house.”

RECIPES & STYLING

by JENNIFER DANTER

Rebecca Wellman

31

GET FR Big Savoury Biscuits These are a must for dunking into saucy stew and a little more exciting than the usual hunks of bread. Flavoured with Little Qualicum’s piquant Rathtrevor cheese, green onions, fresh thyme and a hint of orange, they’re completely irresistible.

Makes 8 to 10 biscuits Anita’s Organic all-purpose flour, 2 cups Baking powder, 3 tsp Scallions, green part only, chopped, 2 Finely grated orange peel, 1 tsp Chopped fresh thyme, 1 tsp Sea Salt, 1/2 tsp Avalon unsalted butter, well chilled, 1/4 cup Little Qualicum Rathtrevor cheese, grated, 1 cup Island Farm 10% cream, 1 cup Island Gold organic egg, 1 Stir flour with baking powder, scallions, orange peel, thyme and salt. Cut butter into small cubes. Using your fingers, work in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in cheese.

Whisk cream with egg, then pour over flour mixture. Using a fork, gently stir just until combined. Turn onto a floured surface and gently knead a few times until dough comes together.

Using your hands, press and push dough into a circle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 8 to 10 wedges. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush tops with more cream, if you wish.

Bake in preheated 425F oven until golden, 10 to 15 min.

Deep Chocolate Beet Cake Beets in chocolate cake? You bet – in fact the dark chocolate and sweet beets are very complimentary together. This reminded me of birthday cake I grew up with and my immediate reaction was to pour a tall glass of cold milk. Serves 8 Red beets, medium-size, 2 Vanilla extract, 1 tsp Unsweetened baker’s chocolate, 2 squares (2-oz) Anita’s Organic all-purpose flour, 1 cup Baking soda, 1 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp Dark brown sugar, lightly packed, 1 cup Island Gold organic eggs, 2 Vegetable oil, 1/2 cup Line bottom of a 9-in. round baking pan with parchment and butter sides. Boil unpeeled beets until tender and reserve about 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Cool beets, then peel. Finely chop and puree in a blender. Add enough reserved beet water to make it whirl. You don’t want a soupy mixture – just a thick puree. Measure out 1 cup. Stir in vanilla.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Stir flour with baking soda and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs until fluffy, about 5 min. Beat in oil until evenly mixed, then beat in melted chocolate. Add beet mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Turn into prepared baking pan and smooth top. Bake in centre of preheated 375F until a cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Check for doneness after 30 to 35 min. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Turn out onto a plate and spread with Chocolate Ganache Frosting (see below) or dust with icing sugar.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting: Chop 100 g bar of dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Bring 1/4 cup Island Farm 35% whipping cream just to a boil, then pour over chocolate. Let stand 1 min., then whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in 1 tbsp Avalon organic butter. Let stand, at room temperature, whisking occasionally, until mixture is thick enough to spread over cake.

32

EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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GET FRESH —by Sylvia Weinstock

What’s in Season Seasonal vegetables include, leeks, carrots, turnips, squash, chilies, cabbage, onions, garlic, potatoes, cauliflower and spinach, which are all used in this recipe. Brussels sprouts, celeriac, kale, beets and parsnips are other seasonal veggies.

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his is the best time of the year for flavourful citrus fruit, so enjoy the peak season for oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, tangelos, mandarin oranges and clementines.

Leeks can be used in salads, soups, stews and chowders. Their flavour is more subtle and less pungent than onions. Be sure to wash leeks thoroughly after slicing them lengthwise, as their compact leaves often retain grit and dirt. To release embedded grit, stand leeks in cool water for 10 minutes.

There are many types of cabbage available to inspire robust winter meals, including red cabbage, savoy cabbage, green cabbage and Chinese or napa cabbage. Try holishkes (cabbage leaves stuffed with ground beef, onion, rice, eggs and spices baked in a sweet and sour sauce). Make colourful red cabbage cole slaw or add cabbage to casseroles and stir-fries. Conjure up memories of Maggie and Jiggs with a heaping plate of corned beef and cabbage.

Veggies and Spices 1/2 cup chick peas, soaked in water overnight and drained 2 leeks, cut in half lengthwise 5 carrots, cut in half lengthwise 6 sprigs parsley 2 turnips, cubed 2 chayote squash, peeled and chopped 3 jalapeĂąo chiles, chopped 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped 6 cloves 1 head of cabbage, coarsely chopped 1 tbsp. caraway seeds 2 large onions, coarsely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 8 potatoes, cut in thick slices Pepper to taste 1 cauliflower, coarsely chopped 1 bunch of spinach, coarsely chopped pinch each of saffron and cinnamon

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THIS MONTH’S SHOPPING BASKET RECIPE

This hearty, slow-cooked meat and seasonal vegetable stew is traditionally made in an earthenware dish and slow-cooked over hot coals, but feel free to slow-cook it on the stovetop in an enameled cast iron pot. Serves 8 to 10.

CLASSES • PRE-MADE & CO-DESIGN JEWELLERY

Place meat and chickpeas in a large pot.

Add water to cover and 1 tbsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, skimming off scum as it rises to the surface until broth is clear. Add leeks, carrots, parsley, turnips, squash, chilies and cloves. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. In a separate pot, cook cabbage barely covered with salted water with chorizo and garlic sausages.

(Pierce sausages with a fork so they don’t burst.) Simmer 1 hour. Add cabbage, sausage, broth and caraway seeds to meat pot. SautÊ onions and garlic in butter. Add to pot with potatoes, cauliflower, spinach and pepper. Cover. Simmer for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add cinnamon and saffron and simmer 10 minutes. Season to taste. Skim fat from surface.

1033 Fort Street, Victoria Tel: (250) 475-2632

www.skanda.ca/yummy

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Sauce 1 boiled potato, mashed 1 clove garlic 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds 1 tbsp. white vinegar 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. tomato paste Puree garlic, parsley and cumin seeds and combine with mashed potato. Add vinegar and pour oil in slowly, beating constantly, as you would when making mayonnaise.

Stir in tomato paste and enough broth from meat pot to make a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve broth as a first course, with cooked rice or noodles if desired. Arrange sliced meats and vegetables on a platter and serve with sauce.

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33

A Round-Up of News from Around the Province

BUZZ cafĂŠ The BC Scene COMOX VALLEY The venerable Heriot Bay Inn [Quadra Island, 1-888-605-4545, www.heriotbayinn.com] is now owned by a group of Quadra Islanders who will be keeping the Inn and Herons Dining Room open all year. Chef Brad White recently served up a Hunter/Gatherer Feast; wine-tasting classes with international wine judge Ulrike Gelbert go into the winter.

Up at Mount Washington the popular weekend Fondue and Snowshoe Tours continues at Raven Lodge [1-888-231-1499]. The three course dinner now includes salmon and prawns.

In Cumberland, Chef Nicola Cunha puts a nuevo Indian twist on partner Jean-Francois Larche’s hometown dishes (poutine, tourtière and creme brÝlÊe) with Montreal meets Mumbai on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at The Great Escape [2744 Dunsmuir Street, www.greatescape-cumberland.com, 250-336-8831].

In Comox, owner & Chef Andrew Stignant and his crew are transforming the Leeward Pub into the Anderton Bistro [649 Anderton Road, 250-339-5400, www.andertonbistro.com]. Early reports are very positive.

Dough diva Carol Spencer returns on Tuesday, January 27 from a tour of brick oven bakeries in London and Paris. Look for new items in the already enchanting line of breads, soups, and goodies at Wild Flour Organic Artisan Bakery [221A Church Street, 250-890-0017, www.wildflourorganicbakery.com].

Meanwhile at Avenue Bistro [2064 Comox Ave, 250-890-9200 www.avenuebistro.ca] manager Torrie Howlett is “very excited� about Chef Aaron Rail’s winter menu and the launch of a series of wine dinners. Local product, including Comox Valley wines, are a big part of what this new menu is about. Next up: the Valentine’s Wine Dinner on February 14th.

In Courtenay, Chef Lisa Metz, our bruja of Mexican cuisine, is joined by long-time General Manager, Heather Standish as one of the owners in Tita’s Mexican Restaurant [536-6th St, 250-334-8033]. ¿Comida de aùo nuevo? I suggest the cevichÊ w/ a pitcher of Heather’s lime margaritas (shaken, not slushed) to ward off the greys of mid-winter.

Another place to help get a warmer perspective is Zizi's Eastern Mediterranean Specialties [441B Cliffe Avenue 250-334-1661] where Zizi and her new partner, Kita Navo, are creating daily specials as well as hosting monthly belly dancing parties. Zizi’s will be closed February for renovations.

The folks at Atlas CafĂŠ [250-6th Street, Courtenay 250-338-9838] take their well-deserved winter break January 19-February 4th. Chef Jon Frazier & owner Sandra Viney have high expectations for new sous chef, Paul de Ridder. “Paul’s energy and passion for food is a perfect fit to the team,â€? says Viney. “Watch for his footprint on our nightly fresh sheets.â€?

In the Comox Valley, LUSH Valley Food Action Society [250-331-0152, www.lushcomoxvalley.org] recently opened the Comox Valley Food Security Centre.

Kudos to owners Helen Belcastro and Chef Giovanni: only a few months after opening, they’re packing them in at Giovanni’s Ristorante [4-180 Second Ave West, Qualicum Beach, 250-7526693 www.giovannisqualicum.com].

In Parksville the folks at the Landing West Coast Grill [1600 Stroulger Road Nanoose Bay, 250-468-2400, www.landinggrill.com] recently received the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine. Their winemaker and brewmaster dinner events consistently sell out. Check out the website for more information.—Hans Peter Meyer

34

EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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NANAIMO, COWICHAN & OCEANSIDE “These are the size of all-season radial tires,” was my comment to the lady in the front office who had just sold me a plastic tub of magnificent bi-valves. I am talking scallops: voluptuous, succulent creamy-white-freshly-harvested-never-frozen scallops. The location of my exclamation was the processing plant for Island Scallops [5552 West Island Highway, Qualicum Beach (Bowser actually) Tel: 250-757-9811]. On the recommendation of a foodie friend I bought eight of the extra large for $16.00. Two dollars a scallop is a pittance when you see the size of these flying saucers.

Two is a meal. Three is indulgence. This is a wholesale operation that’s been going since 1989.

Yes, these are cultured (farmed) scallops but do not go sideways because this is not the same as farmed fish. Cultured scallops are seeded in a hatchery and then reared in the ocean in small nets attached to subsurface horizontal lines. Scallops require clean water within which to grown.

They feed themselves by filtering the natural microscopic food found in the circulating ocean water.

There is no artifical food or chemicals added. Island Scallops is a “farm-gate” operation open Monday to Friday. Oh, the big secret? This is where many of the high-end restaurants in Vancouver get their scallops.

Red Martini Grill [# 1 – 75 Front Street, Nanaimo, Tel: 250-753-5181] in Nanaimo’s city center is a sassy addition to the downtown food and entertainment scene. The décor has a certain brothel-esque flair augmented by red and black flock wallpaper and faux leather banquettes for tete-a-tetes over bird-bath martinis. There is a tiny stage with varied nightly entertainment geared to the baby-boomer ranging from Neil Young wannabes to a snappy little combos rocking to a beat of their own drummer. It is owned by two cavaliers who’ve been in the F&B biz around town for years, Tom Lozza and Alex Iormetti and the third partner/owner is Chef Joel Nelson. Most recently Nelson did a stint in the Cayman Islands cooking up a storm in a funky beachside restaurant. It influenced his style. His menu has a decided tapas leaning with a lot of cross-cultural pollination going on. He mixes up east/west flavours in new and interesting ways and it all works!

He also has a deft hand with pastry. His NYC-style cheesecake is dense enough to hurl at a fast moving dog and fell it in one blow, which, as any self-respecting New Yorker will tell you, is how it is meant to be. Caveat epicurious: Lunch has a different chef and the food falls far below what’s on plate in the evening. That aside, Red Martini Grill is a lively spot with personality, attitude and atmosphere.

All I wanted was a good French baguette; crusty outside, fragrant, soft and yielding on the inside; a perfect accompaniment to good cheese and wine. Why was that so hard to find in Nanaimo? When Carol & Bill Clay opened Bodhi’s Artisan Bakery [5299 Rutherford Road, Nanaimo, Tel: 250-585-6015] in November, the city fell on them like a hungry dog on a pork chop. If you love the bread at Wildfire (Victoria) or True Grain (Cow Bay) get thee hence to this flour-power bakery. The name Bodhi is Sanskrit and it means “aware.” It reflects the Clays’ belief that one should know where their food comes from. All the ingredients are natural and the breads are made via a slow fermentation process. The grains are freshly milled to preserve the original vitamins and minerals. Red fife, whole-wheat, spelt, multigrain and flax are just a few of the grains used. Prior to opening, Bill was a chef at the Fairmount Empress and taught baking in the Culinary Arts Program at Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University). Carol, a pastry goddess worthy of cooking on Mount Olympus, can do things with a chocolate croissant that’s likely illegal in many countries, thankfully not ours.

Looking for hog heaven? It is located at Hilliers Gourmet Foods on Highway #4 on the way to Port Alberni. The actual address is 3065 Van Horne Road, Qualicum Beach, Tel: 250-7522390, but that is not going to help you to find it. The exterior paint job of electric yellow paint is going to do that for you. It is located on a weird little cut-out road that runs parallel to the north side of the highway. Albert Kleinschnitz, the owner, is very serious about his swine. All hail from local farms around Errington and Qualicum Beach. These little piggies never went to market. They were hand-picked by Albert to be made into his sausages, bacon, cold meats, roasts, hams and trotters. He smokes his pork using maple or alder and uses no preservative. This is one of the few places where you can get a ham, bone-in, with the skin still intact. Skin that turns into crispy crackling on a roast so scrumptious there will be growling around the table. He also sell AAA Alberta

Nanaimo’s Best Gourmet Deli…

6560 Metral Drive, Nanaimo

390-0008

carrot@direct.ca

www.24carrotcatering.bc.ca/carrotontherun

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

35

beef that he further dry cures for an extended period of time for maximum flavour the way a highend steak house will. Start the charcoal now! —Su Grimmer

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

Dinner 5:30 - 11 pm Tuesday to Saturday

Hilary’s Cheese and Deli in Cowichan Bay Village is warm and inviting on a crisp, winter day. Located on the water in the old fishing village just an hour’s drive from Victoria, this quaint shop offers more than just cheese which is very obvious as soon as you walk in the door. The shop is filled with the delicious aroma of home made soup wafting from big pots on stove. Take a seat in the back where you can overlook the water and enjoy a baguette sandwich which is made with the next door neighbor’s French baguette. Combine it with a bowl of seasonal soup, created

by Linda and the gals, like roasted garlic tomato, Thai coconut chicken, three mushroom wild rice, or a lemony carrot lentil soup.

Run by cheesemaker Hilary Abbott and wife Patty, Hilary creates superb cheeses made from both cow and goat milk at their farm just down the road. Their ever popular chevre is always a hit with its smooth, rich texture not to mention the brie and camembert style cheeses such as their St. Michel named for their son, Michael, and St. Clair named for Sooke Harbour House proprietor, Sinclair Phillip. Their popular tomme-style cheese is rind-washed with Solera blackberry dessert wine from another neighbor, Cherry Point Vineyard. They also have fabulous blue cheeses like Yoo Boo which is a firm, strong cow’s milk blue and a similar Sacre Bleu made with goat’s milk.

Cowichan Blue is a softer, creamier, milder blue and the Valley Blue is made in the same fashion but with goat’s milk. They are stepping up production at their farm as their cheeses are so popular they often sell out daily. Patty and Hilary also import over 80 cheeses and carry a variety of local preserves, vinegars and meats. Open Wednesday through Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Closed for the first two weeks of January. Hilary’s Cheese and Deli | 1737 Cowichan Bay Road | Cowichan Bay Village, Cobble Hill | 250-748-5992 At their cozy bakery next door to Hilary’s Cheese and Deli in Cowichan Bay Village, the new owners Bruce and Leslie Stewart are keeping up the marvelous traditions of True Grain Bakery founder, Jonathan Knight. The hard working bakers use flour which Bruce mills in their own onsite mill creating a wide variety of breads and pastries. One thing for sure, their baguettes fly off the shelf – French, ficelle, multigrain, spelt, or sourdough which is made with Red Fife wheat, and Bruce Stewart says that it’s the more unique varieties that are increasing in popularity. These also include breads made with grains like Kamut, BC grown spelt and rye. “Increasingly our customers are moving towards the specialty type breads with these grains to experience the unique flavors that each grain offers.”

Red Fife is the heritage wheat that was first grown in Ontario in the 1840’s with seed samples from Scotland. A hardy wheat, it is said to be the “genetic parent” of all wheat grown in Canada today. A select few Canadian heritage wheat and seed farmers have kept Red Fife alive over the years along with bakers like Jonathan Knight and Bruce and Leslie Stewart. Tom Henry, at Lamb’s Leap Farm in Metchosin, is growing Red Fife on Vancouver Island and has recently planted Red Fife at Sungold Meadow Organic Farm right in True Grain’s Cobble Hill neighborhood. With Tom Henry’s Red Fife, True Grain challenges the 100 mile diet with both a whole grain bread and a round loaf available on Saturdays and Sundays – The 4.92 km Loaf. You can’t get much more local than that! Their Cracked Grain Bread made with Red Fife also flies off the shelf as does a personal favorite, Kamut Pumpkin Seed. It’s great for sandwiches or, better yet, toasted for breakfast. Open Wednesday through Saturday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Sunday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Closed the month of January. True Grain Bakery | 1725 Cowichan Bay Road | Cowichan Bay Village, Cobble Hill | 250-746-7664 | www.truegrain.ca —Kathy McAree

OKANAGAN

Available in Fine Wine Shops and Leading Restaurants across Canada • QuailsGate.com

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

For those of you seeking a winter getaway over the holiday season – don’t forget that the Okanagan has a glorious array of winter activities to enjoy. Swirling and sipping doesn’t stop when it gets cold here – we just put our coats on (and sometimes our skis too)! There are still a lot of our wineries that will remain open during the winter months – if not, many will accommodate a tasting a visit by appointment.

Make your favorite hostess very happy this year by picking up a decadent dessert at Kelowna’s Okanagan Grocery Artisan Breads. Owner/Baker Monika Walker and her husband Bill, strive to stock their shelves with wonderful things to make our lives easier and well…yummier! Savory items abound as well with of course gorgeous breads along with house-made preserves and a grand selection of cheeses and other takeaway fridge/freezer items (great to pack up for your trip to the ski hill). New to their stellar line up of fromage are selections from The Farmhouse Natural Cheese people in Agassiz, BC. "Alpine Gold," is a washed curd, washed rind cheese with a deliciously smelly golden-orange rind, which gives a distinct flavour to the straw-coloured semi-soft paste. And "Country Morning," is a traditional Welsh-type cheese similar to Caerphilly. Country Morning has a crumbly creamy texture with a slight nutty sharpness. www.okanagangrocery.com For the winelover in your life, how about something cool made from a local winebarrel?

Broken Barrel Furniture makes creates one-of-a-kind, handcrafted furniture from “retired” oak barrels locally-obtained from Kelowna, Oliver and Naramata Bench wineries! Designed and built locally by Penticton's Bob Taylor, Corina Messerschmidt and Johanna Nichols, the pieces are crafted

from aged oak ural coloring guessed it – it aging vessel. G this stuff is am rel.ca (250) 2 Check out loca der’s website up in the Okan a variety of co up for all of yo be oenophiles gift for a loved activity. If yo unique staff e Rhys to book www.wineplus Remember a ies: “Knowled you put it into trip up to the h Festival is in nual wine fest uary 13, 200 minutes from K website for all www.sunpeak After 3 and wine for Thera Manager an Ansems is mov Hemispheres and Wine Dir ling around th teresting wine that job!) Mar Guild Toll Free If you are co

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from aged oak, with deep red wine natural coloring on one side from-you guessed it – it’s previous job as a wine aging vessel. Get your orders in soon – this stuff is amazing! www.brokenbarrel.ca (250) 276-4776 Check out local wine expert Rhys Pender’s website for new courses coming up in the Okanagan! WinePlus+ offers a variety of courses and classes coming up for all of you oenophiles and wanna be oenophiles out there. Makes a great gift for a loved one or a perfect couples activity. If you want to host a really unique staff event or group event, call Rhys to book a personalized course. www.wineplus.ca Remember after all of your wine studies: “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.” So, perhaps a trip up to the he 11th Annual Icewine Festival is in order? This popular annual wine festival begins Tuesday, January 13, 2009 and is located just 45 minutes from Kamloops. Check out their website for all of the fun event listings at www.sunpeaksresort.com After 3 and 1/2 years at making wine for Therapy Vineyards, General Manager and Winemaker Marcus Ansems is moving on. He has joined the Hemispheres Wine Guild as CEO and Wine Director and will be travelling around the world bringing back interesting wines to Canada (Hey! I want that job!) Marcus at Hemispheres Wine Guild Toll Free: 1.866.351.8739 If you are confused whilst seeking out

Life on Maple Street

your favorite wine from Golden Mile in Oliver – it is because they have changed their name! Now known as Memories of a sweet childhood ritual in rural Quebec. By Su Grimmer Road 13 to reflect the location of the rowing up in rural Quebec in a house on Rue the maple, you have no idea the rapturous pleasure winery with two of its vineyard sites, the des Érables, or Maple Street, gives me hon- thereof.

Home and the Castle. Don’t fret - the Nanaimo’s L’Association des Francophones hosts est license to promote Nanaimo’s annual quality is better than ever. Maple Syrup Festival (more on that later). Early spring one of the largest bilingual events in Western Canada. www.road13vineyards.com in Quebec saw us slogging around in snowdrifts “tap- The ninth annual Maple Sugar Festival runs from The Grand Okanagan Resort has ping” the maple trees on our property. A metal spigot February 19 to 22, 2009 at the Beban Park Arena, but recently been taken over by Delta Ho- was hammered into the flesh of the tree about a this event has become so popular it has migrated into tels! Look forward to a major, much metre from the base, and a tin can was hung on the schools and been embraced Nanaimo’s downtown needed facelift to this perfectly located spigot to catch the sap. Once things started to warm merchants. Artists and musicians travel around the lakeside resort. Also exciting is the re- up during the day, the sap would begin to “run.” We’d city during the week leading up to the event, sharing cruitment of their hot young Chef Stuart have to make the rounds daily to collect the clear liq- music and song, dance, stories, art and history with Klassen. Recently at the Marriott Pin- uid. Well, at least what was left after we’d glugged students, locals and visitors. Menus in many downnacle in Vancouver, the hotel is abuzz some right at the tree. (Note to self: a warm tongue town restaurants reflect a maple syrup “je ne sais quoi,” with tourtière (meat pie), tarte au sucre (sugar about his new menu plans to accom- on cold tin really, really hurts).

We’d lug the sap buckets back to the kitchen and pie) and poutine appearing on plates around town. pany the super reno planned for the dinMore than 60 performers entertain crowds over the dump their contents into a huge cauldron on the ing room. www.deltahotels.com Other restaurant news: Adam Perrier, stove, where it was left to boil for hours. Every win- weekend, plus there are ice-sculpture demonstraformerly of Figmint Restaurant in Van- dow in the house fogged up with a glaze that tasted tions, horse and carriage rides, an artisans’ market couver is the new head chef at Sal's sweet. Once the sap was reduced by two-thirds, it and a major toe-tapping-heel-stomping dance on Satturned thick and syrupy. Meanwhile, we’d be outside urday night complete with fiddlers as well as washPrime Steakhouse in Kelowna.

REMINDER: The Wines of British Co- again building snow tables of hard-packed, pristine board and spoon players. The festival wraps up white stuff. Standing in rows like troops in an honour Sunday morning with a lumberjack breakfast and toflumbia are the feature of this year’s guard, we’d hold our wooden-spoon-like paddles in fee pull.

Vancouver Playhouse Wine FestiWhether your roots are Québécois or pure marmot a combat-ready position. The piping hot syrup was val. Come help us strut our stuff to the poured onto the clean snow instantly transforming it Vancouver Island, this is one hootenanny you do not world at this annual exciting event. into warm, golden, pliable toffee, called la tire. We’d want to miss. More information may be found at March 23 to 29 in Vancouver roll our spoons along the snow and collect as much as www.francophonenanaimo.org or by calling: 250www.playhousewinefest.com we could get away with. Until you try the manna of 729-2776.

Happy New Year All! Make sure your resolutions for 2009 include: EAT- Tequila… Me duele la cabeza (my head hurts) ing lots and drinking Okanagan wine! — Six Mile Liquor Store showcased their impressive arsenal of premium tequilas at a tasting in Jennifer Schell their event suite on November 7th. The Herrencia Historico, a dark amber tequila aged for five years in sherry barrels and the Tres Generaciones, natural amber, aged three years in once-used TOFINO BUZZ by bourbon barrels were mis preferitos (my favorites). Six Mile Liquor store boasts the best selection Kira Rogers returns next of premium tequilas in the Victoria area. —G. Easdon issue Six Mile Liquor Store, 483 Island Highway, Victoria, 250-391-4458

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www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

37

wine for

great everyday drinking ON THIS FARM THERE IS A WINE “CHICK”

Pick Your New Favourite Wine

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!”

THE WINES MEAD Tugwell Creek Solstice Metheglin Mead 2006 Vancouver Island $20.00 + Located just outside of Sooke, Tugwell Creek Meadery was established in 1998 and has been going strong ever since. Proprietors Bob Liptrot and Dana Lecomte produce a wide range of honey-based products that offer an utterly fascinating, exotic perfume found nowhere else. The Solstice Metheglin is off dry with an intriguing nose of wild flowers, honey, ginger and spice.

Wonderfully balanced and rich with good acidity and an incredibly long finish that must be tasted to be believed.

WHITES J.P. Chenet Classic Chardonnay 2006 France $13.00 + Here is the new-style Vin de Pays d’Oc from southern France! Fruity, dry, crisp and refreshing, gently perfumed, with grapefruit and citrus flavours and a soft clean finish.

Yalumba Barossa Wild Ferment Chardonnay 06 Australia $13.00 + The recipe calls for a wild yeast fermentation using the indigenous yeast found in the vineyard, extended lees contact, regular lees stirring and several months aging in fine grained French oak.

The results are a wine loaded with personality! Round and supple, with an exotic nose and toasted cashews, citrus and peach flavours and a creamy texture, balanced with a crisp clean acidity.

I know, I know, it is the middle of winter, but what can I do? I don’t look for pink wines, they just appear and every so often, no matter the season, they are so good, they just cannot be ignored.

This lovely Spanish rosé is bright pink, dry and refreshing with a fragrance that reminds me of ripe strawberries and raspberries. Full-bodied with juicy red berry flavours and a soft clean finish. A fruity little delight to quaff and dream of sunny days ahead.

Moulin De Gassac Guilhem Rose 2007 France $20.00 + Rosés! What would summer be without them or winter for that matter! Before your eyes glaze over let it be said that Moulin de Gassac is not your average little fluffy off-dry pink soda-pop tippler. Far from it! Mas de Daumas Gassac is considered the Chateau Lafite of the Languedoc and its pedigree can be tasted through the entire range of wines. Gorgeous salmon pink colour with a delicate floral-strawberry nose and plenty of rich berry flavours on the palate. Dry and thirstquenching with a long fresh finish.

REDS

6

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EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

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by Larry Arnold

Prunotto Dolcetto D’Alba 2006 Italy $16.00 + /375ml Prunotto Dolcetto D’Alba is a delicious dry red made from 100% dolcetto sourced from vineyards throughout Piedmont in northwest Italy. The 2006, is a deep ruby colour with an intense nose of cherries, violets and wet earth; full-bodied with a soft blush of fine grained tannins and a long dry finish.

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The Sipping News

Young Guns A Pair of Great Value Chilean Reds Terra Andina Cabernet/Merlot 2007, $9.50 (BCLDB Stores), +626275

DOMESTIC WINE SPECIALISTS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK WINERY DIRECT PRICES CHILLED WINES ~ AT NO EXTRA COST HUGE SELECTION OF ICEWINE WEDDING & PARTY PLANNING FREE DELIVERY ON CASE ORDERS

Those looking to put an easy drinking and affordable red on the table at dinnertime know to browse the Chile section in their local wine store. There are plenty of bargains to be found but you won’t go wrong with this smooth cab-merlot from Chile’s central coast.

While this wine falls into the crowd-pleaser category, it has enough backbone to be food-friendly. Deep, bright crimson colour, appealing fruit and soft, sweet tannins make for a well-made, modern wine at a price-point even your accountant would approve.

Food pairing: Spaghetti and meatballs worked like a charm.

Terra Andina Altos Malbec/Petit Verdot 2004, $24 to $27 (Private Wine Stores) +83790

2579 Cadboro Bay Road For a more serious sip go for the Altos. It offers layers of ripe Bordeaux-style at a fraction of Bordeaux cost. Although the Malbec and Petite Verdot grape varieties may play a supporting role in France, in Chile they are headliners. Swirl your glass of bold, stylish wine and enjoy the full, rich flavours and the dark fruits, chocolate and coffee aromas. Then, give thanks that not all good wines require you to cash in a GIC. Food pairing: Steak frites or lamb chops are a natural choice

Cat Amongst the Pigeons “Nine Lives� Shiraz 06 Australia $26.00 + Only in Australia, you say? The name does nothing to convey how seriously good this Barossa shiraz is. Deep purplish black colour with an explosive nose, thick with the scent of blueberries, blackberries, mocha and spice! The palate is much more restrained but don’t kid yourself, everything is there in spades. Perfectly balanced with buckets of fruit and enough structure to keep it together for years to come.

Colombini Leone Rosso Toscana 2004 Italy $26.00 + Donatella Cinelli Colombini is no stranger to the Tuscan wine scene. Formerly of the Barbi wine dynasty she went her own way about a decade ago and has never looked back. Leone Rosso is a dry red table wine made from a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. Aromatic, ripe and complex with red cherry, dusty earth, spice and smoky nuances, an unctuous body loaded with concentrated fruit flavours, good acidity and an expansive mouth-filling texture with firm, chewy tannins.

Very tasty indeed!

Alvaro Palacios Remondo Rioja La Vendimia 2006 Spain $23.00 + Made by Alvaro Palacios, one of Spain’s most acclaimed winemakers, La Vendimia is a blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo. Deeply coloured with an intense nose of red fruit, herbs and oaky vanilla, this lovely Rioja is mouth filling with supple fruit flavours, finesse and lots of character that persists through the long silky finish.

Vina Gormaz Tempranillo 2005 Spain $18.00 + The juice for this wine comes from a 50 year old, ungrafted tempranillo vineyard in Ribera del Duero. Deeply coloured, with plum, blackberry, earth and spice aromas, medium body with ripe fruit flavours and soft tannins. This wine is not complex but that is its virtue. It is a wine to drink not study! Delicious to the last drop.

Bodegas Gascon Malbec 2006 Argentina $17.00 + A dark rustic red, oozing with generous fruit and oak aromas! Full-bodied and loaded with ripe berry and spice flavours, this tasty red is not fat, heavy or over laden with hard tannins; it is simply delicious with enough stuffing to go a couple more rounds.

HESTER CREEK 3 LITRE PINOT BLANC IS BACK Lending a hand at a time when your VISA might be maxed out Okanagan’s Hester Creek Estate Winery’s 3 litre box is a great way to take the sting out of wine buying. Pop this made from 100% BC sourced pinot blanc wine in your fridge and you’re good to go for a few dinners.

Available direct. Call Jason Hyde at 250. 338. wine (9463)

BESIDE SLATER'S MEATS ACROSS FROM PURE VANILLA BAKERY LOTS OF CUSTOMER PARKING

CALL 250.592.8466

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO WWW.BCWINEGUYS.COM

WINE & SPIRITS SAVE 15% on a full case & 10% on a mixed case.

! www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

39

WINE & TERROIR

Aging Gracefully—and Cheaply Putting wine away for a rainy day makes good sense.

C

By Michaela Morris and Michelle Bouffard

ellaring wine is the ultimate hobby for wine aficionados. The reward is drinking a bottle that has aged beautifully. The wine has mellowed and evolved, becoming harmonious. It has more to offer than it did in its youth. Like an old schoolmate years later, it has transformed. No need to be rich to have a cellar. We’re certainly not wealthy and we’ve had ours for more than a decade. It’s a myth that only expensive wine can age. Forget about the obvious but costly Bordeaux, Burgundy and Brunello. If you are a diligent shopper, you can find underrated gems between $20 and $30 that will give plenty of joy five to 10 years down the road.

Not all wine improves with age. Most of it is made to be drunk as soon as you return from the wine store. If you want to cellar a wine, choose one that has enough concentration of flavours, acidity and, for red wines, tannin. Some grape varieties naturally have what it takes; just like some people have better genes and age gracefully.

To the surprise of many, whites can age as well as reds. Riesling and Chenin Blanc are ideal contenders. They have bracing acidity, which keeps a wine alive for decades. Both are unfashionable, contributing to their lower price point. The Clare Valley in Australia boasts some fantastic dry Rieslings. Pikes and Skillogalee are well-priced choices. Off-dry to sweet versions can be found in Germany. St. Urbans-Hof, Selbach and Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler offer age-worthy Rieslings under $30.

With time, Riesling’s petrol character intensifies, a treat for those who love this grape. Like Riesling, Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley comes in a range of sweetness levels, from bone-dry to fully sweet. All develop magnificently, but the dry wines tend to be easier on the wallet. In the region of Vouvray, the wines of Domaine Huët make us weak at the knees. A friend treated us to a 1954 “So, you’ve bought your Peter Lehmann Semillon and your Cousiño Macul Cabernet Huët Vouvray on her 50th birthday. Pouring it blind, she asked us to guess the vintage. Twenty Sauvignon.

Now how do you store them?” years old at the most, we thought. Still fresh as a daisy, it could have kept for another couple of decades.

Semillon from Australia has a reputation for aging well, especially those from Hunter Valley. grape that keeps the wines of Bordeaux alive for so many years. Longevity is not exPeter Lehmann’s $16 bargain from the Barossa Valley was a great revelation for us. At eight years clusive to Bordeaux though. Chile and Australia present plenty of affordable alternaold, it was still vibrant. Other examples of Australian Semillon worth seeking out are McWilliams tives. While they may not have the depth or complexity of a top Bordeaux, the wines and Tyrrell’s from Hunter Valley. With time, Semillon develops a pronounced wet wool characterhave an attractive ripeness of fruit to flesh them out. Michelle recently attended a istic. Sounds bizarre, but it’s extremely appealing. Like most of us as we age, Semillon puts on vertical tasting of Cousiño Macul Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile going back to 1978. weight. All the more to love. This grape is also the principle ingredient in the sweet and delectable The 1988 and 1984 vintages were the highlights, possessing plenty of freshness and yet pricey Sauternes and the main reason why they age so well. Delicious wines but not for your fruit. She immediately ran to the liquor store to stock up on the succulent 2006 vinpost-holiday budget. tage, debating whether to share the secret with anyone.

Competing for our love is the grape Grüner Veltliner. Off the radar, these Austrian jewels offer inBordeaux may not be synonymous with value, but the South of France and southcredible value. Little did we know they had such longevity. Tasting old Grüners going back to 1975 ern Rhône Valley are bursting with great buys. While style and quality vary, wines with was an eye-opening experience. After three hours of trying one Grüner after another, each one a high percentage of Syrah or Mourvèdre are possible candidates for the cellar. Both older than the last, we were still begging for more. With time, it develops characteristics similar to have that magic combination of structure and fruit. A bottle of the 1998 Bergerie de white Burgundy. Earthy, steely and nutty flavours depart from the citrus and lime-driven young l’Hortus, Coteaux du Languedoc showed beautifully last summer. With no intention of Grüners. Below $30, those from Schloss Gobelsburg and Salomon are a must. For a few more dolaging it, Michaela had long forgotten this $16 wine that lay buried in her cellar. What lars, Prager and Pichler are unbeatable. a surprise! Developed and savoury but still very much alive with ample fruit, it was When it comes to red, choices abound. Many are obscure, but for this very reason they are good worth every penny and more. value for money. The wines from France’s southwest region of Madiran owe their unique character So, you’ve bought your Peter Lehmann Semillon and your Cousiño Macul Cabernet to the indigenous grape Tannat. Robust, rustic and grumpy when young, Madiran develops into a Sauvignon. Now how do you store them? Far away from temptation is definitely the tasty bold red with a much friendlier disposition. To create the perfect French experience, serve your best option, at least for us. Besides temptation, temperature is the most important aged Madiran with cassoulet. Alain Brumont is the master and his Torus Madiran sells for $22 at factor to consider, with 13°C (55°F) being ideal. If you don’t have a space that cold, the liquor store. Also off the beaten track, Portuguese reds have an equally appealing price tag. constant temperature will suffice provided it’s below 20°C. Keep in mind that warmer Touriga National is the main player in Port production. Many producers are now embracing this temperatures age your wine more quickly; not necessarily a bad thing if you are plangrape for dry red wine. Often compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, its tannic structure and concenning to drink it sooner. Beware, temperatures above 24°C can cook and spoil wine. You tration of flavours give it the stamina for the long haul. Though lesser-known, Quinta do Crasto’s should also take into account the humidity level. Excess humidity will leave wine la$20 Douro is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at a dinner party 10 years from now. bels mouldy, and lack of humidity will cause the corks to shrink encouraging leakage.

With hundreds of indigenous grapes, Italy too has plenty of red treats with good genes. AglianHumidity of 75 percent is a happy medium. In lieu of perfect conditions, a basement, ico is the star of the southern region of Campania. Its fierce tannins and searing acidity can make cold room or cooler closet is a good substitute. A wine fridge is a fantastic but costly it austere in its youth, but Aglianico has enough meat on its bones to easily last a decade. Feudi solution. If storing wine at home simply isn’t an option, the Vancouver Wine Vault and di San Gregorio is one of the region’s leading producers. With time, their wine sheds some of its Vin de Garde offer great alternatives for off-site storage. masculine character, becoming elegant and polished. Over the Apennines in the region of Abruzzo, Nothing beats that feeling of satisfaction over how little you spent. Imagine how the flagship grape of Montepulciano deserves a little respect. Though many examples are simple, thrilled you’ll be when you actually drink your lovingly stored wine. For every bottle fruit-forward pizza wines, Montepulciano has a serious alter ego. Endowed with intense fruit and you buy to put away, make sure you pick up a couple to drink immediately to offset robust tannin, a well-made Montepulciano can be complex and cellar-worthy. La Valentina’s is one temptation. And if you’re debating whether to open a bottle from your cellar, go ahead; of our latest finds and is biodynamic to boot. it’s probably the right time. Good genes should be apparent at any age.

Most wine drinkers are familiar with Cabernet Sauvignon. Full-bodied and structured, it is the

40

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2007 Wolf Blass, Gold Label Riesling, Adelaide, Australia, $20.99 (CSPC #287714) Fantastically expressive nose of diesel and citrus that will instantly charm Riesling lovers.

Succulent flavours of lime with lingering notes of grapefruit peel. Its petrol aromas should intensify over the years. Has the stamina to keep for 10 to 15 years.

2006 Paul Zinck, Riesling, Alsace AOC, France, $21.99 (CSPC #414540) Bone-dry with thirst-quenching flavours of pear, lemon sorbet and a pleasing steely backbone. Slightly more delicate than the Wolf Blass, it should be consumed in five years.

2005 Trimbach, Riesling, Alsace AOC, France, $28.99 (CSPC #142091) Austere, earthy and severe in its youth, Trimbach’s Riesling will soften and become friendlier with time. A great choice if you like ultra-dry Rieslings. It has the structure to stand up to rich dishes like cheese fondue, quiche and tarte à l’oignon. Will easily keep for a decade.

2007 Leitz, Rheingau Riesling Kabinett, Germany, $23.99 (CSPC #428045) We were both ecstatic when we tried this wine. Rule #1: buy a couple of bottles to drink now to avoid drinking the bottles you’ve put away. We sure couldn’t resist the temptation.

Juicy and concentrated flavours of lemon curds, peach and minerals. Off-dry and absolutely gorgeous! Can’t wait to try it 10 years from now 2005 Château Gaudrelle, Chenin Blanc Sec Tendre, Vouvray AOC, France, $24.99 (CSPC #309567) We had the recent privilege of trying the 2001 vintage of this wine. What a complete makeover! Luscious youthful flavours of apricot and honey should transform into complex savoury mineral and oyster shell notes. While this is approachable now, it will be even better and more harmonious in seven to eight years from now. A great match with scallops.

2006 Penfolds, Koonunga Hills, Shiraz-Cabernet, South Australia, Australia, $16.99 (CSPC #285544) Very charming nose; ripe but not jammy. Good exuberance of fruit with intense dark black plum and leather notes without being tiring. We can see this wine aging well. Penfolds has hosted many tastings worldwide featuring old vintages, proving that it can. Try for yourself in eight to 10 years.

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2006 Cousiño Macul Antiguas, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, Chile, $19.99 (CSPC #298075) This vintage was a standout at the Cousiño Macul vertical tasting. Generous, juicy cherry and vanilla flavours framed by firm tannin. Excellent balance. Should age gracefully for 15 to 20 years?

2006 Quinta do Crasto, Douro DOC, Portugal, $19.99 (CSPC #499764) Thanks to Quinta do Crasto, we’ve been able to satisfy our Portuguese red wine cravings for the last decade. Mouth-watering black plum and tobacco notes with fantastic structure and refreshing acidity. We always have a few bottles in our cellar; it never disappoints.

2005 Wynns, Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia $25 (CSPC #502039) A vertical tasting with wines going back to the early 1980s proved to us how well this wine can age; 2005 should be no exception. A great gift for the host if you are invited for dinner.

They’ll be touched that you shared the secret with them. Don’t forget to put a couple of bottles aside for yourself as well.

2006 Château la Courançonne, Plan de Dieu, Gratitude, Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC, France, $23.99 (CSPC #840801) (40 percent Grenache, 30 percent Syrah, 30 percent Mourvèdre) Seductive, spicy and floral aromas repeating on the palate. Firm tannins but tons of meat on its bones. Explosive bright red and dark fruit make way for pronounced mineral notes that linger. A very pretty wine and an outstanding value for $24! If you can resist, wait five to six years.

2006 Domaine Gauby, Côtes du Roussillon Villages “Les Calcinaires,” France, $30.00 (CSPC #568410) An astonishing wine from talented winemaker and biodynamic advocate Gérard Gauby. Explosive earthy and wild gamey aromas with an appealing dried herb component. Equally attractive on the palate with deep dark fruit, raspberries and garrigues notes. Drink a bottle now with a piece of lamb and keep one to open in seven or eight years.

2005 Feudi di Gregorio, Rubrato Aglianico, IGT Campania, Italy, $29.99 (CSPC #55673) A beautiful example of Aglianico that with time will develop into an elegant gentleman.

Fresh raspberry, plum and liquorice notes supported by substantial yet polished tannins.

Share with your loved one eight to 10 years down the road.

www.eatmagazine.ca JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

41

Chef’s Talk: The Best of the Best: a round-up of memorable quotes

by Ceara Lornie

Note: chefs being a restless lot, many have moved on from the restaurants mentioned below.

"What is your earliest food memory?"

Sean Brennan Brasserie L'Ecole 250.475.6260 Milk.

What’s in my refrigerator at home?

Jeff Penner Spinnakers 250.386.2739 I can’t tell you for sure. I eat out a lot. If my fridge could talk, it would have vague memories of better times, a skewed and cynical opinion of the present and little hope for the future.

Maybe it’d gossip about the cheddar not looking like she used to.

I know for certain that I’ve got an array of pickled curiosities and a great big jar of sauerkraut nobody else wanted.

Mare Dewar (owner) Upstairs/ 250.725.3664 My poor chefs are all a bunch of over-worked, underpaid slaves who feel they have no time to write about their fridges. Actually, they probably don’t have any food in their fridges...just empty take out boxes.

"What is the best food or food-related gift you have received?"

David Mincey Camille’s Restaurant 250.381.3433 My best-ever food gift is my mother-in-law Jean Robinson's amazing macaroni and cheese. Allow me to explain...The general public might think that chefs spend their down time dining on foie gras and truffles but the reality is quite the opposite.

Mostly we eat crap. I go over to Jean's house and help her with her garden - she pays me with mac and cheese. Life could not be better. The best food in the world is that which someone else prepares for you with love in their heart.

“What Was The Best Thing You Ate This Year?”

Peter Heptonstall Restaurant Matisse 250.480.0883 Humble pie. The girls in my kitchen serve it up daily and I deserve it!

42

EAT MAGAZINE JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009

“Where do you find inspiration when creating a new dish?”

Ben Peterson Heron Rock Bistro 250.383.1545 It could be a roadside stand stacked with butternut squash, a magazine photo of a glistening lamb shank, the way cous cous rolls in your mouth swollen to the height of textural enjoyment, a local farmer explaining his epic victory over insects to bring me this pristine apple, or a particular flavour in a friend's retelling of a memorable dish. Sometimes it's nothing more than "hey great meal!" from a satisfied customer. The smallest details are the foundation of a chef's drive, and ultimately, satisfaction.

“Chefs tell us their guilty pleasures in the kitchen, trashy cravings and childhood favourite foods” Jesse Blake Shelter Restaurant 250.725.3353 I carry no shame and feel no guilt, for I love the hot dog and the root beer float.

Peter Zambri Zambri’s 250.360.1171 My guilty food pleasure is probably the food on the BC Ferries. It does not happen often because I am usually well-equipped in the food department wherever I go, but sometimes I have ferry food. And it feels like it afterwards that’s for sure! Hey, if Feenie can have a Whitespot burger, so the @#$* can I! Trish Dixon The Breakers 250.725.2558 Guilty food pleasure? I never have guilt. For me, I can't believe I'm going to share this... cheese slices! Yes, should I mention the corporate name? Okay, Kraft Singles- no other kind please. They are always in my mom's fridge, and I always go for it. Just plain on their own, unwrap and enjoy! I don't want to know what's in them, don't ever tell me.

Robert Belcham C Restaurant 604.681.1164 There is nothing I like more than GOOD cold pizza and GOOD

W

warm beer—for breakfast.

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail", is mounted in chef Thomas Keller's kitchen at the French Laundry. How would you answer this question?

Trent McIntyre Atlas Cafe 250.338.9838 I would probably try and open another restaurant. I love the excitement of putting the whole thing together. Designing the kitchen, new menu, hiring new excited staff and creating the ambiance. I would even try and get the food network involved with ‘Opening Soon’. But please if I do try this, just hit me over the head with a bat to bring me to my senses! ("Well he did end up opening a second restaurant - Avenue Bistro - now hit him.)

“What were you cooking ten years ago?”

John Crook Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar 250.602.0835 Do I remember ten years ago like it was yesterday? I sure do. A cooking apprenticeship under my apron tie and a notion to relocate to New York City, I took the plunge. This meant waking daily at 5 am to help a local bread baker finish his morning shift which gave me 15 minutes to run ten blocks and prepare for pastry cooking school. It was school until 4 pm, then a sprint to be on time for my evening volunteering shift at the prestigious Payard Patisserie. After months of running his evening production kitchen, I moved on to a similar routine at Restaurant Daniel working under Pastry Chef Thomas Hass. I would work 18 hours a day for a year of my life. Sunday was “sleep and study” day.

Do I remember what I was cooking? What WASN’T I cooking?”

Chris Rug Brentwood Bay Lodge 888.544.2079 I was working in Muskoka, Ontario at the Lake Joseph Club making a whopping $8.75/hr and working all stations in the joint.

Too many doubles, too much beer and too few women.

GAT

2131

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can describe it….

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I cooking?”

GATHER.

eph Club maks in the joint. men.

2131 Lake Placid Road

SHARE.

JC’s Café 7am-3pm ◆ Lakeside 2pm-11pm Jordan’s Crossing 5:30pm-10pm 604.966.5700

CONVECTION OVEN

DIE CAST TOASTER

SLOW/RICE COOKER

INDULDGE.

Come and experience Whistler’s newest lakeside dining

◆

AUTOMATIC ESPRESSO

◆

www.nitalakelodge.com

Stop by one of our Corner Stores to pick up the convenience you need for your home.

Victoria . Sidney 1437 Store Street 250-382-3201 2389 Beacon Avenue 250-656-0011 www.muffetandlouisa.com

monday to wednesday Great food is not reserved for weekends and special occasions. Celebrate food seaside at Haro’s with our new Table d’hôte menus.

2 course dinner 3 course dinner

25* $ 30* $

Located at The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa 2538 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, BC T:

250-655-9700 | www.sidneypier.com/haros

*Offer valid Monday to Wednesday.

Price does not include applicable taxes

Dining in casual elegance.

Experience the bounty…

Fresh

•

Local

•

Seasonal

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)

EATjobs.ca Employment for the Hospitality and Restaurant Industry Business Bulletin Board New